Portable cooling device for rehabilitation therapy

Abstract

According to various embodiments, provided is a portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device comprising: a cooling device; and a gripping structure that is connected to the cooling device and includes a battery. The cooling device includes: a housing that includes a plurality of first holes and a plurality of second holes on the respective side surfaces and a plurality of third holes on the upper portion; a multi-layer thermoelectric element disposed inside the housing and capable of cooling one surface to -10°C or below by using power supplied from the battery; a heat sink that is disposed on the upper portion of the multi-layer thermoelectric element and includes a body and a plurality of heat dissipation fins protruding from the body and extending in a direction from the plurality of first holes toward the plurality of second holes; and a heat dissipation fan disposed on the heat sink.

Description

Portable cooling device for rehabilitation therapy

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a portable cooling device for rehabilitation treatment, and to an electronic device that provides a rehabilitation cooling treatment effect of -10 degrees Celsius or lower by utilizing the Peltier effect of a thermoelectric element.

[0002]

[0003] Thermoelectric effect is a phenomenon that occurs due to the movement of electrons and holes within a material, and refers to the direct energy conversion between heat and electricity.

[0004] Thermoelectric elements generate a temperature difference by the Seebeck effect, which generates a potential difference in a closed circuit due to a temperature difference, and the Peltier effect, which generates a temperature difference by simultaneously generating heat on one side and absorbing heat on the other side when a potential difference is applied.

[0005] These thermoelectric elements are widely used across industries, and their scope of application includes cooling devices, heating devices, and power generation devices.

[0006] Recently, portable cooling devices utilizing thermoelectric elements have been developed for cosmetic purposes, and interest in portable cooling devices for providing cooling therapy for medical purposes such as rehabilitation treatment is increasing.

[0007] Conventionally, it has been difficult to dissipate the high-energy waste heat generated by a high-performance thermoelectric element due to the limited form factor of a portable cooling device, and thus it has been difficult to implement a portable (or handy) device that provides a high-performance (e.g., -10°C) cooling function. According to various embodiments, a handy rehabilitation cooling device includes a multilayer thermoelectric element that provides a high-performance cooling function, and a heat sink that is optimally designed for heat absorption and heat dissipation performance, thereby effectively capturing the waste heat generated by the multilayer thermoelectric element and dissipating it to the outside, thereby providing a high-performance (e.g., -10°C) cooling function.

[0008] Previously, most portable cooling devices were designed to provide cooling performance of 5 to 20°C, which can lower the skin temperature, or, even if they provided cooling performance of -3°C, could not be maintained for even 1 minute, making it difficult to use them for rehabilitation treatment that requires high-performance cooling therapy for a relatively long period of time. According to various embodiments, a handy rehabilitation cooling device and an operating method thereof can cool a body part that comes into contact with it to a temperature of -10°C or lower within 2 minutes and perform a unique power supply operation for a thermoelectric element and a heat dissipation fan to maintain the temperature for more than 5 minutes, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatment.

[0009] The problems to be solved by this application are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which this application belongs from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0010] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device comprises: a cooling device; and a gripping structure connected to the cooling device and including a battery; wherein the cooling device comprises: a housing including a plurality of first holes and a plurality of second holes on each of two sides, and a plurality of third holes on an upper portion; a multilayer thermoelectric element disposed inside the housing and configured to cool one surface to -10°C or lower by power provided from the battery; a heat sink disposed on an upper portion of the multilayer thermoelectric element and including a body and a plurality of heat dissipation fins protruding from the body and extending in a direction from the plurality of first holes toward the plurality of second holes; And a heat dissipation fan disposed on the heat sink; When power is supplied from the battery to the multilayer thermoelectric element and the heat dissipation fan, the cooling pad is cooled, waste heat generated in the multilayer thermoelectric element is absorbed into the body of the heat sink and provided through the plurality of heat dissipation fins, and the waste heat is removed by air flowing through the plurality of first holes, the plurality of second holes, and the plurality of third holes, and the heat sink includes a first region disposed on the center point of the multilayer thermoelectric element, and a remaining region surrounding the first region, and a thickness of a first part of the body corresponding to the first region is greater than a length of a first heat dissipation part of the plurality of heat dissipation fins corresponding to the first region. A portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device can be provided.

[0011] According to various embodiments, a method of operating a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device includes: a first operation of driving a heat dissipation fan while applying voltage to a multilayer thermoelectric element of a cooling device included in the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device; and when power is supplied to the multilayer thermoelectric element and the heat dissipation fan, a cooling pad of the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device is cooled, and waste heat generated in the multilayer thermoelectric element is removed by air flowing by the heat dissipation fan; and a second operation of determining whether a first preset time has elapsed from the time of applying the voltage; and the first preset time is 2 minutes or less, and when the first preset time has elapsed, the temperature of the cooling pad is -10°C or less, and when the first preset time has elapsed, the operation of applying voltage to the multilayer thermoelectric element is stopped, and the heat dissipation fan is additionally driven for a second preset time; and before the operation of the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device is terminated, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation are performed. A method of operation may be provided in which the operation is repeated.

[0012] The means of solving the problem are not limited to the above-described means of solving the problem, and means of solving the problem that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present application belongs from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0013] According to various embodiments, a handy rehabilitation cooling device can be provided that provides a high-performance (e.g., -10°C) cooling function by effectively capturing waste heat generated by the multilayer thermoelectric element and releasing it to the outside by including a multilayer thermoelectric element that provides a high-performance cooling function and a heat sink that is optimally designed for heat absorption and heat generation performance.

[0014] According to various embodiments, a handheld rehabilitation cooling device and an operating method thereof can be provided that improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatment by cooling a body part that has come into contact with the device to a temperature of -10°C or lower within 2 minutes and performing a unique power supply operation on a thermoelectric element and a heat dissipation fan to maintain the operation for 5 minutes or longer.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device according to various embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device viewed from the front, side, top, bottom, and back, according to various embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device according to various embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a heat sink according to various embodiments.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a heat sink observed from the front, side, top, bottom, and back, according to various embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a drawing of the heat sink illustrated in FIG. 4 cut along the A-A' cross-section according to various embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining an example of a waste heat release process by air flow according to various embodiments.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining an example of a process of heat absorption through a body of a heat sink for each of a plurality of regions and heat dissipation through a gap between a plurality of fins according to various embodiments.

[0023] FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining an example of a process in which air is introduced according to various embodiments.

[0024] FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining examples of numerical ranges of waste heat dissipation parameters of a heat sink according to various embodiments.

[0025] FIG. 11 is a drawing illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device according to various embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device according to various embodiments.

[0027] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cooling temperature generated by applying power to a rehabilitation cooling treatment device according to various embodiments.

[0028] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device according to various embodiments.

[0029] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cooling temperature generated by applying power to a rehabilitation cooling treatment device according to various embodiments.

[0030] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device according to various embodiments.

[0031] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication with an external electronic device of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device according to various embodiments.

[0032]

[0033] Specific structural and functional descriptions for various embodiments are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining the various embodiments, and the various embodiments may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described in this specification or application.

[0034] Since various embodiments may have various modifications and take various forms, various embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in this specification or application. However, the matters disclosed in the drawings are not intended to specify or limit the various embodiments, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives included within the spirit and technical scope of the various embodiments.

[0035] While terms such as "first" and / or "second" may be used to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only intended to distinguish one component from another; for example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a "second component," and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a "first component."

[0036] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components in between. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. Other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "directly between" or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to", should be interpreted similarly.

[0037] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the various embodiments. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" or "has" specify the presence of a described feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, but do not exclude in advance the presence or possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0039] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail by describing preferred embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the attached drawings. The same reference numerals presented in each drawing represent the same components.

[0040] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device comprises: a cooling device; and a gripping structure connected to the cooling device and including a battery; wherein the cooling device comprises: a housing including a plurality of first holes and a plurality of second holes on each of two sides, and a plurality of third holes on an upper portion; a multilayer thermoelectric element disposed inside the housing and configured to cool one surface to -10°C or lower by power provided from the battery; a heat sink disposed on an upper portion of the multilayer thermoelectric element and including a body and a plurality of heat dissipation fins protruding from the body and extending in a direction from the plurality of first holes toward the plurality of second holes; And a heat dissipation fan disposed on the heat sink; When power is supplied from the battery to the multilayer thermoelectric element and the heat dissipation fan, the cooling pad is cooled, waste heat generated in the multilayer thermoelectric element is absorbed into the body of the heat sink and provided through the plurality of heat dissipation fins, and the waste heat is removed by air flowing through the plurality of first holes, the plurality of second holes, and the plurality of third holes, and the heat sink includes a first region disposed on the center point of the multilayer thermoelectric element, and a remaining region surrounding the first region, and a thickness of a first part of the body corresponding to the first region is greater than a length of a first heat dissipation part of the plurality of heat dissipation fins corresponding to the first region. A portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device can be provided.

[0041] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided, wherein a thickness of a second portion of the body corresponding to the remaining area is smaller than a length of a portion of the plurality of heat dissipation fins corresponding to the first area.

[0042] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided, wherein the remaining area includes a second area surrounding the first area, and a third area surrounding the second area, and a length of a second heat dissipation portion corresponding to the second area among the plurality of heat dissipation fins is smaller than a length of a third heat dissipation portion corresponding to the third area among the plurality of heat dissipation fins.

[0043] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided, wherein a first height from a lower surface of the body to an end of the first heat dissipation portion and an end of the second heat dissipation portion are equal to each other, a second height from a lower surface of the body to an end of the third heat dissipation portion is greater than the first height, and the heat dissipation fan is disposed on an end of the first heat dissipation portion and an end of the second heat dissipation portion, and is supported by a side surface of the third heat dissipation portion.

[0044] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided, wherein a size of a first portion corresponding to the first area of ​​each of the plurality of first holes and the plurality of second holes is formed to be larger than a size of a second portion corresponding to the remaining area.

[0045] According to various embodiments, when the heat dissipation fan is driven and air is drawn in from each of the plurality of first holes and the plurality of second holes: a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided, wherein the amount of air per unit time drawn in between the first heat dissipation portion and the second heat dissipation portion is greater than the amount of air per unit time drawn in between the third heat dissipation portion.

[0046] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided in which a gap between the first heat dissipation portions and a gap between the second heat dissipation portions are smaller than a gap between the third heat dissipation portions.

[0047] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided, wherein the speed of air flowing from each of the plurality of first holes and the plurality of second holes increases as it flows from the third heat dissipation portion to the first heat dissipation portion, as the length of the third heat dissipation portion is greater than the length of the first heat dissipation portion.

[0048] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided in which the cooling fan is driven to flow air in an upward direction.

[0049] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided in which the area of ​​the first region is formed to be smaller than the total area of ​​the heat sink, but more than half of the total area.

[0050] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided, wherein the heat absorption amount of the first part of the body corresponding to the first region is greater than the heat absorption amount of the second part of the body corresponding to the remaining region.

[0051] According to various embodiments, the waste heat release parameter that determines the cooling efficiency is determined according to [Mathematical Formula 1] below:

[0052]

[0053] A portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided, wherein W1 is an area of ​​the first part of the body corresponding to the first region, T1 is a thickness of the first part, W2 is a total area of ​​the body, and L1 is a length of the first heat dissipation part.

[0054] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided, wherein the waste heat release parameter is formed in a range of ~.

[0055] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided in which the grip-shaped structure is formed with an outer surface having a curve so that it can be gripped by a user.

[0056] According to various embodiments, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device may be provided in which a physical button for operating the cooling device is formed on the outer surface of the phage-shaped structure.

[0057] According to various embodiments, a method of operating a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device includes: a first operation of driving a heat dissipation fan while applying voltage to a multilayer thermoelectric element of a cooling device included in the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device; and when power is supplied to the multilayer thermoelectric element and the heat dissipation fan, a cooling pad of the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device is cooled, and waste heat generated in the multilayer thermoelectric element is removed by air flowing by the heat dissipation fan; and a second operation of determining whether a first preset time has elapsed from the time of applying the voltage; and the first preset time is 2 minutes or less, and when the first preset time has elapsed, the temperature of the cooling pad is -10°C or less, and when the first preset time has elapsed, the operation of applying voltage to the multilayer thermoelectric element is stopped, and the heat dissipation fan is additionally driven for a second preset time; and before the operation of the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device is terminated, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation are performed. A method of operation may be provided in which the operation is repeated.

[0058] According to various embodiments, an operating method may be provided wherein the preset second time is longer than the preset first time, and the temperature of the cooling pad is maintained in a sub-zero temperature range during the preset second time.

[0059] According to various embodiments, an operating method may be provided in which the temperature of the cooling pad reaches 0°C when 30 seconds have passed from the time of application of the voltage.

[0060]

[0061] 1. Overview of the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100)

[0062] In this specification, a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may be defined as an electronic device that provides sub-zero cooling for the purpose of rehabilitation treatment without the need to be connected to a separate external device (i.e., independently). Hereinafter, the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may be defined as an electronic device. The rehabilitation treatment may include pain relief (e.g., neuralgia), treatment of damaged muscles, treatment of sprains, etc., and may include various types of rehabilitation treatment that have a therapeutic effect due to ultra-low temperatures (e.g., sub-zero temperatures) without being limited to the examples described.

[0063] The above-mentioned rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) can be implemented to perform unique control operations for a heat sink structure, thermoelectric elements, and a heat dissipation fan, each optimally designed for heat absorption and heat dissipation performance, to provide cooling performance of -10°C or lower for an extended period of time. Accordingly, compared to conventional portable cooling devices with short durations and inability to cool to sufficient temperatures, the device can be conveniently utilized by consumers for rehabilitation purposes.

[0064]

[0065] 1.1 Appearance of the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100)

[0066] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) according to various embodiments. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2, an example of the external appearance of the portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) will be further described.

[0067] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) viewed from the front, side, top, bottom, and back, according to various embodiments.

[0068] According to various embodiments, referring to FIG. 1, a portable cooling treatment device (100) may include a cooling device (110) and a phage structure (120) physically connected to the cooling device (110).

[0069] According to various embodiments, the cooling device (110) may be implemented to include at least one thermoelectric element therein, and to provide a cooling sensation to a user through a part of the user's body that is in contact with the cooling pad (260) by applying power (e.g., current and / or voltage) to the at least one thermoelectric element to cool a thermally connected cooling pad (260) (or absorb heat through a specific substrate). Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of holes (211, 213) are formed on each of two side surfaces of the cooling device (110), and a plurality of holes (311) are formed in an upper portion connected to the side structures, so that external air can be introduced and waste heat generated by the at least one thermoelectric element therein can be released. An implementation example of the cooling device (110) will be described in more detail below.

[0070] According to various embodiments, the gripping structure (120) may be implemented to have an exterior having a predetermined curvature so that it can be gripped and / or placed in a user's hand, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The user can provide a temperature below freezing to the body part requiring rehabilitation by bringing the cooling device (110) into contact with the body part while holding the gripping structure (120) in the hand. The exterior of the gripping structure (120) may include a button (121) for operating the cooling device (110). In addition, the interior of the gripping structure (120) may include various types of electronic components (e.g., a printed circuit board on which a battery, a processor, etc. are arranged), and as illustrated in FIG. 2, a connector (122) for charging the battery may be implemented on the rear surface of the gripping structure (120). The implementation of the gripping structure (120) will be described in more detail below.

[0071] According to various embodiments, the cooling device (110) may be implemented to be detachable from the gripping structure (120). Accordingly, the cooling device (110) may be provided in a form that is separately detachable and attachable to and / or firmly fixed on various body parts of the user (e.g., hands, head, waist, stomach, arms, legs, thighs, calves, etc.). For example, a predetermined structure (e.g., an adhesive layer, clothing, a harness, a belt) other than the gripping structure (120) is provided, and the cooling device (110) may be attached to and / or firmly fixed on a body part of the user (e.g., hands, head, waist, stomach, arms, legs, thighs, calves, etc.). Accordingly, cooling rehabilitation treatment may be possible on various body parts.

[0072]

[0073] 2. Parts of a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100)

[0074] 2.1 Components of a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100)

[0075] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) according to various embodiments. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3, an example of the configuration of the cooling device (110) and the phage structure (120) will be described.

[0076]

[0077] 2.1.1 Components of the cooling device (110)

[0078] According to various embodiments, with reference to FIG. 3, the cooling device (110) described above may include a first housing (210), a second housing (220), a multilayer thermoelectric element (230), a heat sink (240), a heat dissipation fan (250), and a cooling pad (260). However, without being limited to the described and / or illustrated examples, the cooling device (110) may include more components and / or fewer components.

[0079] According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be implemented to be detachable from each other. When the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are combined, an internal space may be formed, and the internal space may include the multilayer thermoelectric element (230), the heat sink (240), the heat dissipation fan (250), and the cooling pad (260) described above.

[0080] According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) may include a plurality of holes (e.g., a plurality of first holes (211), a plurality of second holes (213)) formed on opposite sides. In addition, the upper surface of the first housing (210) is implemented in an open form, and the upper surface, which will be described later, may be physically connected to a connecting structure (330) in which a plurality of third holes (331) of a gripping structure (120) are formed. Accordingly, when the heat dissipation fan (250) is driven to allow air to flow in one direction, as external air flows in and out through the plurality of first holes (211), the plurality of second holes (213), and the plurality of third holes (331), waste heat of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) disposed in the internal space may be released. For example, when the heat dissipation fan (250) is driven so that air is introduced in an upward direction, external air may be introduced from each of the plurality of first holes (211) and the plurality of second holes (213) and may be discharged to the outside through each of the plurality of third holes (331). Also, for example, when the heat dissipation fan (250) is driven so that air is introduced in a downward direction, external air may be introduced through the plurality of third holes (331) and may be discharged to the outside through each of the plurality of first holes (211) and the plurality of second holes (213).

[0081] According to various embodiments, the second housing (220) may be implemented in a form in which the lower portion is open. Accordingly, at least a portion of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) disposed adjacent to the second housing (220) is exposed through the open portion, and a cooling pad (260) may be disposed below at least a portion of the exposed multilayer thermoelectric element (230). Accordingly, the cooling sensation generated by the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) may be provided to the user's body through the cooling pad (260).

[0082] According to various embodiments, the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) may be implemented with a plurality of layers, each including a plurality of thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric element is an energy source that operates when supplied with power to generate a thermoelectric phenomenon, and the thermoelectric phenomenon may refer to the Peltier effect. The Peltier effect is an effect in which an energy source generated by generating power simultaneously generates cooling and heating. Since the thermoelectric phenomenon of the thermoelectric element (170) is a well-known technology widely known to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The multilayer thermoelectric element (230) provides a high heat absorption amount compared to low power consumption, and can be implemented to cool the cooling pad (260) to 0°C within 30 seconds and to -10°C or lower within 2 minutes when a voltage of 9 V is applied. Accordingly, cooling rehabilitation treatment may become possible based on the multilayer thermoelectric element (230).

[0083] According to various embodiments, the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) may have a surface that generates cold or warm air depending on the direction in which power (e.g., current, voltage) is applied. Accordingly, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may apply power (e.g., current, voltage) in a specific direction to the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) so that cold air is generated in the direction of the cooling pad (260).

[0084] According to various embodiments, the heat sink (240) may be arranged to contact the upper portion of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) and may be implemented to remove waste heat generated on the upper portion of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) while the cooling pad (260) is cooled by the multilayer thermoelectric element (230). The heat sink (240) may be optimally designed to absorb waste heat generated by the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) and release the absorbed waste heat. As a large amount of waste heat generated while the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) performs cooling to a sub-zero temperature is efficiently discharged by the heat sink (240), the cooling pad (260) may be maintained at a temperature of -10°C or lower for a long period of time (e.g., 2 minutes). The above heat sink (240) may include a body and heat dissipation fins extending from the body, the specific structure of which will be described later.

[0085] According to various embodiments, the heat dissipation fan (250) can discharge waste heat emitted from the heat sink (240) to the outside. For example, as described above, when the heat dissipation fan (250) is driven, air that has been introduced into the inside through the plurality of first holes (211), the plurality of second holes (213), and the plurality of third holes (331) passes through the heat dissipation fan (250) and discharges to the outside, so that waste heat transferred from the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) to the heat sink (240) can be discharged to the outside by the flowing air.

[0086] According to various embodiments, the cooling pad (260) is arranged to be in contact with the lower portion of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) and can be cooled by the multilayer thermoelectric element (230). The cooling pad (260) is a portion that comes into contact with a body part of a user using the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100), and can be implemented to provide a comfortable feeling of use during cooling rehabilitation treatment. For example, the cooling pad (260) can be implemented to have a thermal conductivity of 3W or more, a thickness of 0.5T, and a hardness of 0.55H, but is not limited to the described values ​​and the cooling pad (260) can be implemented with various values.

[0087]

[0088] 2.1.2 Components of the phage structure (120)

[0089] According to various embodiments, referring to FIG. 3, the aforementioned gripping structure (120) may include a third housing (310), a fourth housing (320), a connection structure (330), a battery (340), a printed circuit board (351), a connector (353), and a physical button (121). However, without being limited to the described and / or illustrated examples, the gripping structure (120) may include more components and / or fewer components.

[0090] According to various embodiments, the third housing (310) and the fourth housing (320) may be implemented to be detachable from each other. When the third housing (310) and the fourth housing (320) are combined, an internal space may be formed, and the internal space may include the aforementioned electronic components (e.g., a battery (340), a printed circuit board (351), a connector (353)).

[0091] According to various embodiments, the third housing (310) may be physically connected to the first housing (210) of the cooling device (110) described above through the connecting structure (330). The connecting structure (330) may be formed integrally with the third housing (310) and / or may be implemented in a form that is detachable from the third housing (310). The connecting structure (330) includes a plurality of third holes (331) and a wooden structure (333), and the connecting structure (330) may be connected to the third housing (310) through the wooden structure (333). The wooden structure (333) may be formed so that the angle of the wooden structure (333) is adjustable, and may be formed as, for example, a ball connector, but may also be implemented as a flexible material itself. The above connecting structure (330) is arranged to cover the open upper portion of the first housing (210) as described above, but air in the internal space of the first housing (210) can flow out to the outside through the plurality of third holes.

[0092] According to various embodiments, the fourth housing (320) may be implemented to have an exterior that can be gripped by a user. For example, as illustrated, the exterior may be formed with a predetermined curvature.

[0093] According to various embodiments, the battery (340) may be implemented to supply power (e.g., current, voltage) to a plurality of electronic components (e.g., processor, etc.) disposed on the printed circuit board (351) and devices included in the cooling device (110) (e.g., multilayer thermoelectric element (230), heat dissipation fan (250)). The battery (340) may be charged by receiving power from the connector (353) when the connector (353) exposed through the rear surface of the aforementioned rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) is connected to an external power source.

[0094] According to various embodiments, the printed circuit board (351) may include various types of electronic components. The various types of electronic components may include a processor, a memory, a power supply unit, and the like, and are not limited to the examples described herein, and more electronic components may be arranged. The printed circuit board (351) is electrically connected to a physical button (121), and when the physical button (121) is pressed by a user, a function (e.g., driving) by the printed circuit board (351) may be executed. For example, the physical button (121) may be an On / Off button that receives an input on whether the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) is operating, and in another embodiment, may receive an input on an operating mode, an operating intensity, and / or an operating temperature, and the like. Meanwhile, without being limited to the examples described herein, the physical button (121) may be implemented on another outer surface, rather than an open area of ​​the third housing (310).

[0095]

[0096] 2.1.3 Structure of the heat sink (240)

[0097] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a heat sink (240) according to various embodiments. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a heat sink (240) observed from the front, side, top, bottom, and back, according to various embodiments. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a heat sink (240) shown in Fig. 4 taken along cross-section A-A' according to various embodiments. Hereinafter, the heat sink will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6.

[0098] According to various embodiments, referring to FIG. 4, the heat sink (240) may include a body (410) and a plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) extending from the body (410). In order to ensure optimal heat absorption and heat dissipation performance for exhibiting sub-zero cooling performance of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) described above, the body (410) and the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) may be formed with different sizes (e.g., thickness, height, size) for each of the plurality of regions (R1, R2, R3).

[0099] According to various embodiments, the body (410) is a part that comes into contact with the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) described above and performs a function of absorbing waste heat generated in the multilayer thermoelectric element (230), and a plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) extending from the body (410) to a predetermined height can perform a function of releasing the waste heat.

[0100] According to various embodiments, each of the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) may extend in one direction and be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. Air may flow through the gaps between the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420). For example, when the heat sink (240) is arranged in the internal space of the cooling device (110), the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) may extend along the direction connecting the plurality of first holes (211) and the plurality of second holes (230) described above. At this time, air flowing in / out through the plurality of first holes (211) and the plurality of second holes (230) may flow along the gaps between the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420). The heat of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) emitted by the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) may be discharged to the outside by the flowing air.

[0101] According to various embodiments, referring to FIG. 5, the heat sink (240) may include a first side (511), a second side (512), a third side (513), a fourth side (514), an upper side (521), and a lower side (522).

[0102] According to various embodiments, the first side (511) and the second side (512) may face each other. When observed in a direction perpendicular to each of the first side (511) and the second side (512), a gap between the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) may be observed. The first side (511) may be arranged to face the side on which the plurality of first holes (211) of the aforementioned cooling device (110) are formed, and the second side (512) may be arranged to face the side on which the plurality of second holes (213) of the aforementioned cooling device (110) are formed.

[0103] According to various embodiments, the third side (513) and the fourth side (514) may face each other.

[0104] According to various embodiments, when the upper surface (521) is observed vertically, a plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) extending in one direction (e.g., a direction connecting the plurality of first holes (211) and the plurality of second holes (230)) can be observed. The upper surface (521) can be arranged to face each other on a connecting structure (330) connected to an upper portion of the first housing (210) of the cooling device (100) described above. At this time, air flowing in / out through the plurality of third holes (331) formed in the connecting structure (330) can flow along the gaps between the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420). A heat dissipation fan (250) is placed in some areas (e.g., the first area (R1) and the second area (R2)) of the upper surface (521), and by driving the heat dissipation fan (250), air between the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) may flow out through the plurality of third holes (331), and / or external air may be provided between the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) through the plurality of third holes (331).

[0105] According to various embodiments, the upper surface (521) may include a plurality of regions (R1, R2, R3) of the heat sink (240) when viewed vertically. The first region (R1) is a region having a predetermined shape (e.g., square, circle, triangle) and is a region disposed on the center point of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) when observed vertically to the first region (R1), the second region (R2) is a region having a predetermined area surrounding the first region (R1), and the third region (R3) may be the remaining region of the heat sink (240) surrounding the second region (R2). The first region (R1) and the second region (R2) are regions in which a heat dissipation fan (250) is disposed, and heat dissipation fins (420) having a shorter length than the heat dissipation fins (420) disposed in the third region (R3) may be disposed. The heights of the ends of the first heat dissipation portion (420a) and the second heat dissipation portion (420b) of the heat dissipation fins (420) corresponding to the first region (R1) and the second region (R2) from the lower surface of the body (410) are the same, but may be smaller than the height of the end of the third heat dissipation portion (420c) from the lower surface of the body (410). Accordingly, when the heat dissipation fan (250) is arranged, it is firmly supported by the side surfaces of the heat dissipation fins (420) arranged in the third region (R3), and the distance from the body (410) becomes closer, so that the time for waste heat dissipation can be shortened.

[0106] According to various embodiments, the body (410) of the heat sink (240) and the portions of the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420) corresponding to each of the plurality of regions (R1, R2, R3) may be implemented with different sizes (e.g., height, thickness, size). Examples thereof will be described in more detail below.

[0107] According to various embodiments, referring to FIG. 6, the portion of the body (410) corresponding to the first to third regions (R1 to R3) may be formed with a second thickness (T2), but only the portion of the body (410) corresponding to the first region (R1) may be formed thicker by the first thickness (T1). The first thickness (T1) may be formed to be relatively larger than the second thickness (T2). For example, the first thickness (T1) may be formed to be at least twice as thick as the second thickness (T2), and may be specifically implemented to be 20 mm. Also, a portion of the body (410) corresponding to the first region (R1) among the entire region (W2) of the heat sink (240) is formed with a first area (W1), and the first area (W1) is formed to have an area equal to or greater than half of the entire region (W2), and may be set to, for example, 80% of the entire area. Accordingly, the portion of the body (410) corresponding to the first region (R1) may have a higher heat absorption amount compared to the portion of the body (410) corresponding to the second to third regions (R2, R3). The heat absorption amount may be proportional to the product of the thickness and the area of ​​the portion of the body (410). Accordingly, the heat absorption amount of the portion of the body (410) corresponding to the first region (R1) may be three times or more higher than the heat absorption amount of the body (410) corresponding to the second to third regions (R2, R3). A large amount of waste heat generated by the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) can be absorbed by the body (410) by the portion of the body (410) corresponding to the first region (R1) having a high heat absorption amount.

[0108] According to various embodiments, among the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420), the first heat dissipation portions (420a) corresponding to the first region (R1) may extend from the body (420) by a first length (L1), the second heat dissipation portions (420b) corresponding to the second region (R2) may extend from the body (420) by a second length (L2), and the third heat dissipation portions (420c) corresponding to the third region (R3) may extend from the body (420) by a third length (L3). The first length (L1) may be the shortest, the third length (L3) may be the longest, and the second length (L2) may be longer than the first length (L1) and shorter than the third length (L3). For example, the first length (L1) may be 10 mm. As will be described later, since the heat dissipation parts (420a, 420b, 420c) having different lengths are implemented to perform different functions, the efficiency of the waste heat dissipation operation by the heat sink (240) and the heat dissipation fan (250) disposed in the first region (R1) to the second region (R2) can be improved.

[0109] Consequently, according to various embodiments, the ratio (e.g., L / T) of the thickness of the body (410) of the heat sink (410) corresponding to each of the plurality of regions (R1, R2, R3) to the length of the heat dissipation fin (420) may be different from each other. For example, the thickness (T1+T2) of the body (410) of the heat sink (410) corresponding to the first region (R1) may be greater than the first length (L1) of the first heat dissipation portion (420a) of the heat dissipation fin (420). For example, since the thickness (T1+T2) is 20 mm and the L1 is 10 mm, the ratio may be 0.5. The thickness (T2) of the body (410) of the heat sink (410) corresponding to the remaining regions (R1, R2) may be shorter than the lengths (e.g., the second length (L2), the third length (L3)) of the heat dissipation portions (420b, 420c). Accordingly, the thickness-to-length (L / T) ratio in the first region (R1) may be the smallest (e.g., less than 1), the thickness-to-length (L / T) ratio in the third region (R3) may be the largest (e.g., 1 or more), and the thickness-to-length (L / T) ratio in the second region (R2) may be an intermediate value (e.g., 1 or more). Since the thickness-to-length (L / T) ratio in the first region (R1) is the smallest, absorption and release of a large amount of waste heat generated by the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) may be efficiently enabled. Meanwhile, without being limited to the illustrated example, the same thickness may be implemented for each of the multiple regions (R1, R2, R3), and the ratio of the length to the thickness may be 0.5.

[0110] According to various embodiments, the lower surface (522) may be in contact with the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) described above. The lower surface (522) may transfer waste heat generated by the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) to the body (410) and the plurality of heat dissipation fins (420).

[0111]

[0112] 3. Efficient waste heat release process

[0113] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a waste heat release process by air flow according to various embodiments. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of a heat absorption process through a body (410) of a heat sink (240) for each of a plurality of regions (R1, R2, R3) and a heat release process through a gap between a plurality of fins (420) according to various embodiments. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of a process in which air is introduced according to various embodiments. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a numerical range of a waste heat release parameter (H) of a heat sink (240) according to various embodiments. Hereinafter, an example of a waste heat release process will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

[0114] According to various embodiments, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, waste heat generated by the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) can be removed by absorption by the body (410) of the heat sink (240) and discharged to the outside by the flow of air by the heat dissipation fins (420) and the heat dissipation fan (250).

[0115] According to various embodiments, referring to FIG. 8, waste heat generated by the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) is first absorbed by a lower portion of the body of the heat sink (240) having a second width (W2) and a second thickness (T2), and the waste heat absorbed by the lower portion can be transferred to an upper portion corresponding to a first region (R1) and further having a first area (W1) and a first thickness (T1). As described above, the first area (W1) of the portion of the body (410) corresponding to the first region (R1) is formed to be more than half of the total area (W2) and is formed by the first thickness (T1), and thus can have a greater heat absorption amount compared to other portions. At this time, since the first area (W1) of the part of the body (410) corresponding to the first region (R1) having a larger thickness is implemented to be smaller than the entire width (W2), an effect may be generated in which the heat absorbed through the lower part is more concentrated and quickly transferred to the part of the body (410) corresponding to the first region (R1) having a higher heat absorption amount. This may be due to a type of Bernoulli effect, in which the heat is more concentrated and the heat transfer speed becomes faster as the width of the part having a higher heat absorption amount is smaller.

[0116] According to various embodiments, the waste heat absorbed by the body (410) of the heat sink (240) may be discharged to the outside by air introduced / expelled through a plurality of holes (211, 213, 331) formed in the first housing (210) based on the operation of the heat dissipation fan (250) as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 7, when air flows upward by the heat dissipation fan (250), air may be introduced through each of the plurality of holes (211, 213) formed on the plurality of side surfaces of the first housing (210), pass through the heat sink (240), and be discharged through a plurality of third holes (331) formed on the upper surface.

[0117] According to various embodiments, referring to (b) of FIG. 7, the sizes of the first portion (211a) and the second portion (211b) of each of the plurality of holes (211, 213) formed on each of the plurality of side surfaces of the first housing (210) may be different from each other. The first portion (211a) of each of the plurality of holes (211, 213) may correspond to the first region (R1) and the second region (R2) (or the first heat dissipation portion (420a) and the second heat dissipation portion (420b)), and the second portion (211b) may correspond to the third region (R3) (or the third heat dissipation portion (420c)). As the size of the first part (211a) of each of the plurality of holes (211, 213) is formed to be larger than the size of the second part (211b) of each of the plurality of holes (211, 213), as illustrated in FIG. 8, the amount of air per unit time flowing into the first heat dissipation part (420a) and the second heat dissipation part (420b) among the plurality of heat dissipation fins (240) corresponding to the heat dissipation fan (250) may be larger than the amount of air per unit time flowing into the third heat dissipation part (420c). This may be due to the fact that the gap between the first heat dissipation part (420a) and the second heat dissipation part (420b) is smaller than the gap between the third heat dissipation part (430c). Accordingly, the heat transferred to the upper part of the body (420) corresponding to the first region (R1) can be released more quickly by a large amount of air flowing into the first heat dissipation part (420a), and the heat of the side part of the body (420) corresponding to the first region (R1) can be released to the outside more quickly by a large amount of air flowing into the second heat dissipation part (420b). At this time, the air flowing into the third heat dissipation part (420c) can be used to circulate the heat remaining inside the first housing (110) and release it to the outside.Meanwhile, the third heat dissipation part (420c) can also prevent damage to the first and second heat dissipation parts (420a, 420b) and the heat dissipation fan (250) present inside due to external impact.

[0118] According to various embodiments, the sizes of the plurality of third holes may be implemented to be the same as each other, but are not limited to the examples described and / or illustrated.

[0119] According to various embodiments, the heat dissipation fan (250) may be set to form an air direction in an upward direction so that waste heat can be dissipated more efficiently. Referring to FIG. 9, the fourth length (L4) of the third heat dissipation portion (420c) of the heat dissipation fins (420) arranged adjacent to the plurality of holes (211, 213) may be formed to be larger than the first length (L1) of the first heat dissipation portion (420a) of the heat dissipation fins (420) arranged further away. Accordingly, the air flowing into the plurality of holes (211, 213) may be introduced through the gaps between the third heat dissipation portions (420c) having a large cross-sectional area and through the gaps between the first heat dissipation portions (420a) having a relatively small cross-sectional area according to Bernoulli's law, thereby increasing the flow velocity. Considering this flow rate, the heat dissipation fan (250) can be set to form an air direction in an upward direction so that air is drawn in through the plurality of holes (211, 213) and flows through the gaps between the third heat dissipation parts (420c) to the gaps between the first heat dissipation parts (420a).

[0120] Consequently, according to various embodiments, with reference to FIG. 10, the cooling heat amount can be determined by the heat absorption and heat release by the heat sink (410). The cooling heat amount can be calculated by multiplying the temperature drop of the cooling pad (260) per hour during the time that the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) is operated. That is, the greater the cooling heat amount, the higher the efficiency of the rehabilitation treatment of the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100). The cooling heat amount can be determined according to the size (e.g., thickness, area, length) of the body (410) and the heat dissipation fin (420) constituting the heat sink (420) described above. For example, with reference to FIG. 10, the cooling heat amount can be determined according to the waste heat release parameter (H) of [Mathematical Formula 1] below.

[0121] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0122] H = (W1 * T1) / (W2 * L1)

[0123] Here, W1, T1, W2, and L1 may refer to the area of ​​the body (410), the thickness of the body (410), and the length of the heat dissipation fins as shown in FIG. 8.

[0124] The first area (W1) and the first thickness (T1) are proportional to the heat absorption amount, and since these values ​​are in a trade-off relationship with the second area (W2) and the first length (L1) of the heat dissipation fins, a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) having a cooling heat amount greater than or equal to the threshold value (E) can be implemented when the waste heat release parameter (H) is set to an appropriate range. The threshold value (E) is 10, and the range of H can be 5 or more and 40 or less.

[0125]

[0126] 4. Function of the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100)

[0127] Below, examples of the functional configuration of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) and the operation of the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) based on the functional configuration according to various embodiments are described.

[0128]

[0129] 4.1. Functional configuration of rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100)

[0130] FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining an example of the functional configuration of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) according to various embodiments.

[0131] According to various embodiments, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may include a processor (1110), a sensor (1120), a communication circuit (1130), and a cooling device (110), as illustrated in FIG. 11. The cooling device (110) may include a heat dissipation fan (250) and a multilayer thermoelectric element (230), as described above, and therefore, a redundant description thereof will be omitted.

[0132] According to various embodiments, the processor (1110) may control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) connected to the processor (1110) by executing software, for example, and may perform various data processing or calculations. For example, the processor (1110) may provide power to the cooling device (110) when the button (360) is pressed. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculation, the processor (1110) may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., a sensor (1120) or a communication circuit (1130)) in a volatile memory (not shown), process the command or data stored in the volatile memory (not shown), and store the resulting data in a non-volatile memory (not shown). According to one embodiment, the processor (1110) may include a main processor (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or together with the main processor. For example, when the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) includes a main processor and an auxiliary processor, the auxiliary processor may be configured to use less power than the main processor or to be specialized for a given function. The auxiliary processor may be implemented separately from the main processor or as a part of the main processor.

[0133] According to various embodiments, the sensor (1120) may detect an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) or an external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor (1120) may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor. In addition, according to one embodiment, the sensor (1120) is a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermistor) that measures the temperature of the cooling pad (260) and / or the heat sink (230) and feeds it back to the processor (1110) to control the magnitude of the voltage applied to the thermoelectric element (230) and the heat dissipation fan (250), thereby precisely controlling the cooling temperature provided through the cooling pad (260).

[0134] According to various embodiments, the communication circuit (1130) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) and an external electronic device, and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication circuit (1130) may operate independently from the processor (1110) (e.g., an application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (1130) may include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device via a first network (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a local area network or a wide area network)). These various types of communication modules can be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module can identify or authenticate the electronic device within a communication network such as the first network or the second network by using subscriber information stored in the subscriber identification module (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)). The wireless communication module can support a 5G network following a 4G network and next-generation communication technologies, such as new radio access technology (NR).NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high-reliability and low-latency communications (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module can support various requirements specified in the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100), the external electronic device (1300), or the network system (e.g., the second network). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB implementation, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC implementation, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each, or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC implementation.

[0135]

[0136] 4.2. Example of operation of rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100)

[0137] 4.2.1 Cooling movements for rehabilitation treatment

[0138] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIG. 12 are not limited to the illustrated order and may be performed in various orders. Furthermore, according to various embodiments, more operations may be performed than those illustrated in FIG. 12, or at least one operation may be performed less. Hereinafter, FIG. 13 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0139] FIG. 13 is a drawing for explaining an example of a cooling temperature generated by applying power to a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) according to various embodiments.

[0140] According to various embodiments, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) may drive the fan (250) while applying voltage to the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) in operation 1201. For example, referring to FIG. 13, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) may apply a preset voltage (1311) to the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) while applying a preset voltage (1312) to the heat dissipation fan (250). The preset voltage (1311) may be 9 V. Accordingly, the temperature (1321) of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) may rapidly decrease, and the temperature (1322) of the cooling pad (260) in contact with the lower portion of the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) may also rapidly decrease. After a first period (p1) has elapsed from the time at which the voltage (1311, 1312) is supplied, the temperature of the cooling pad (260) can reach 0°C, and the first period (p1) can be 30 seconds or less.

[0141] At this time, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) measures the temperature of the cooling pad (260) and / or the heat sink (230) through a temperature sensor (e.g., thermistor), and controls the magnitude of the voltage applied to the thermoelectric element (230) and the heat dissipation fan (250) to precisely control the cooling temperature provided through the cooling pad (260).

[0142] According to various embodiments, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) determines whether a first preset time (e.g., second period (p2)) has elapsed in operation 1203, and if the first preset time (e.g., second period (p2)) has elapsed (1203-Y), the voltage application operation to the multilayer thermoelectric element can be stopped in operation 1205, and the fan can be additionally driven for a second preset time in operation 1207. For example, referring to FIG. 13, after the second period (p2) has elapsed from the time at which the voltages (1311, 1312) are supplied, the temperature of the cooling pad (260) can reach -10°C or lower, and the second period (p2) can be 2 minutes or lower. After the second period (p2) has elapsed, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) stops applying voltage to the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) to alleviate medical concerns about frostbite and burns, and maintains only the voltage (1312) applied to the heat dissipation fan (240) for the remaining third period (p3) to release waste heat remaining inside the cooling device (110) to prepare for the next cycle. The third period (p3) is longer than the second period (p2) during the cycle, and may be, for example, 3 minutes or longer.

[0143] According to various embodiments, the cooling temperature can be maintained within a range of less than 4°C and greater than -10°C during the third period, preferably within a sub-zero temperature range. Accordingly, sub-zero temperatures for rehabilitation treatment can be provided to the body for at least 4 minutes during one cycle.

[0144] According to various embodiments, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) may determine whether cooling is terminated in operation 1209, and if cooling is terminated (1209-Y), the power applied to the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) and the heat dissipation fan (250) may be stopped to terminate the provision of cooling. However, if cooling is not terminated (1209-N), the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) may resume operation 1201 again to perform a second cycle. The cycle refers to an operation of controlling the power applied to the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) and the heat dissipation fan (250) for a preset time, as illustrated in FIG. 13, and if the provision of cooling is not terminated, the cycle may be repeated. Meanwhile, the termination of the cooling provision may mean that a user's cooling provision termination input (e.g., input via button (360)) is received through the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100).

[0145]

[0146] 4.2.2 Power application control operation during repeated cycles

[0147] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIG. 14 are not limited to the illustrated order and may be performed in various orders. Furthermore, according to various embodiments, more operations may be performed than those illustrated in FIG. 14, or at least one operation may be performed less. Hereinafter, FIG. 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 15.

[0148] FIG. 15 is a drawing for explaining an example of a cooling temperature generated by applying power to a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) according to various embodiments.

[0149] According to various embodiments, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) may identify the current cycle count in operation 1401 and increase the duration of the voltage applied to the thermoelectric element and the magnitude of the voltage applied to the fan based on the identified count in operation 1403. For example, as the cycle is repeated while the operation of the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) is maintained, the number of cycles may increase. At this time, while it is necessary to provide the same cooling sensation for rehabilitation treatment during a preset initial time (i.e., up to a preset number of cycles), the performance may be degraded by waste heat remaining inside the cooling device (110). Accordingly, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) can increase the application time of the voltage (1311) applied to the multilayer thermoelectric element (230) and increase the magnitude of the voltage (1312) applied to the heat dissipation fan (250) as the number of cycles increases, up to a preset number of cycles. In addition, according to one embodiment, the magnitude of the increase can increase proportionally as the number of cycles increases.

[0150] According to various embodiments, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) may determine whether the preset number of cycles is exceeded in operation 1405, and if the preset number of cycles is exceeded (1407-Y), the device may apply a preset voltage to each of the thermoelectric element and the fan in operation 1407. For example, if the preset number of cycles is exceeded, a cooling sensation may be provided to the user even with a small amount of cooling. Accordingly, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may continuously apply voltage for a minimum period of time to the multilayer thermoelectric element (230), and may apply the maximum voltage (1312) to the heat dissipation fan (250).

[0151]

[0152] 4.2.3 Cooling sensation provision initiation operation by external electronic device (1700)

[0153] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIG. 16 are not limited to the illustrated order and may be performed in various orders. Furthermore, according to various embodiments, more operations may be performed than those illustrated in FIG. 16, or at least one operation may be performed less. Hereinafter, FIG. 16 will be described with reference to FIG. 17.

[0154] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication between a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) and an external electronic device (1700) according to various embodiments.

[0155] According to various embodiments, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) may identify an event for driving a thermoelectric element in operation 1601 and apply power to the thermoelectric element in operation 1703. For example, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may receive a message (or request, or instructions) from an external electronic device (1700) and identify an event for driving the thermoelectric element based on the received message. Referring to FIG. 17, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may establish a communication connection with a server (1710) and / or a user terminal (e.g., a smart phone (1721) and a wearable device (1723)) through a communication circuit (1130). In one embodiment, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may identify an event for driving the thermoelectric element based on a message received from the server (1710). For example, the server (1810) may be a server implemented to collect and provide temperature information. In this case, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may determine whether the temperature exceeds a threshold value based on the temperature information included in the message received from the server (1710), and, if the temperature exceeds the threshold value, identify the occurrence of an event for driving a thermoelectric device. In another embodiment, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) may identify an event for driving a thermoelectric device based on a message received from a user terminal. For example, a user terminal (e.g., a smart phone (1721) and a wearable device (1723)) may execute an application for controlling the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100). When a user terminal (e.g., a smart phone (1721) and a wearable device (1723)) receives an input from a user to drive a rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) using the above-executed application, the user terminal may transmit a message including instructions that cause the driving of the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100).The rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) can identify an event for driving a thermoelectric element based on instructions that trigger driving included in the message. For example, a user terminal (e.g., a smart phone (1721) and a wearable device (1723)) can transmit a message including information about temperature and / or information about the user's body temperature to the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100). In this case, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) can determine whether the temperature and / or body temperature exceeds a threshold value based on the information included in the received message, and can identify the occurrence of an event for driving a thermoelectric element if the temperature and / or body temperature exceeds the threshold value.

[0156] According to various embodiments, the rehabilitation cooling treatment device (100) (e.g., processor (1110)) can control a plurality of fans such that each of the blades of the plurality of fans rotates in a specific rotational direction in operation 1603.

Claims

1. As a portable rehabilitation cooling treatment device, cooling device; and A phage structure connected to the cooling device and including a battery; The above cooling device: A housing comprising a plurality of first holes and a plurality of second holes on each of two sides, and a plurality of third holes on an upper portion; A multilayer thermoelectric element placed inside the housing and implemented so that one side can be cooled to -10°C or lower by power provided from the battery; A heat sink disposed on the upper portion of the multilayer thermoelectric element, the heat sink including a body and a plurality of heat dissipation fins protruding from the body and extending in a direction from the plurality of first holes toward the plurality of second holes; and including a heat dissipation fan disposed on the above heat sink; When power is supplied from the battery to the multilayer thermoelectric element and the heat dissipation fan, the cooling pad is cooled, waste heat generated in the multilayer thermoelectric element is absorbed by the body of the heat sink and provided through the plurality of heat dissipation fins, and the waste heat is removed by air flowing through the plurality of first holes, the plurality of second holes, and the plurality of third holes. The heat sink includes a first region disposed on the center point of the multilayer thermoelectric element, and a remaining region surrounding the first region, The thickness of the first part of the body corresponding to the first region is greater than the length of the first heat dissipation part of the plurality of heat dissipation fins corresponding to the first region. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

2. In paragraph 1, The thickness of the second part of the body corresponding to the remaining area is smaller than the length of the part of the plurality of heat dissipation fins corresponding to the first area. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

3. In paragraph 2, The remaining area includes a second area surrounding the first area, and a third area surrounding the second area, The length of the second heat dissipation portion corresponding to the second region among the plurality of heat dissipation fins is smaller than the length of the third heat dissipation portion corresponding to the third region among the plurality of heat dissipation fins. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

4. In paragraph 3, The first height from the lower surface of the body to the end of the first heat dissipation portion and the end of the second heat dissipation portion are equal to each other, The second height from the lower surface of the body to the end of the third heat dissipation portion is greater than the first height, The above heat dissipation fan is positioned on the end of the first heat dissipation part and the end of the second heat dissipation part, and is supported by the side of the third heat dissipation part. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

5. In paragraph 3, The size of the first portion corresponding to the first region of each of the plurality of first holes and the plurality of second holes is formed to be larger than the size of the second portion corresponding to the remaining region. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

6. In paragraph 5, When the above cooling fan is driven, air is drawn in from each of the plurality of first holes and the plurality of second holes: The amount of air per unit time flowing between the first heat dissipation portion and the second heat dissipation portion is greater than the amount of air per unit time flowing between the third heat dissipation portion. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

7. In paragraph 6, The gap between the first heat dissipation portion and the gap between the second heat dissipation portion is smaller than the gap between the third heat dissipation portions. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

8. In paragraph 3, As the length of the third heat dissipation portion is greater than the length of the first heat dissipation portion, the speed of air flowing from each of the plurality of first holes and the plurality of second holes increases as it flows from the third heat dissipation portion to the first heat dissipation portion. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

9. In paragraph 8, The above cooling fan is driven to flow air in an upward direction. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

10. In paragraph 2, The area of ​​the first region is formed to be smaller than the total area of ​​the heat sink, but more than half of the total area. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

11. In paragraph 6, The heat absorption amount of the first part of the body corresponding to the first region is greater than the heat absorption amount of the second part of the body corresponding to the remaining region. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

12. In paragraph 1, The waste heat release parameter that determines the cooling efficiency is determined according to [Mathematical Formula 1] below. [Mathematical Formula 1] Waste heat release parameter = (W1*T1) / (W2*L1) The above W1 is the area of ​​the first part of the body corresponding to the first region, the above T1 is the thickness of the first part, the above W2 is the total area of ​​the body, and the above L1 is the length of the first heat dissipation part. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

13. In paragraph 12, The above waste heat release parameters are formed in the range of ~ Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

14. In paragraph 1, The above-mentioned phage structure is formed with an outer surface having a curve so that it can be phaged by a user. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

15. In paragraph 14, A physical button for operating the cooling device is formed on the outer surface of the above-mentioned phage structure. Portable rehabilitation cooling therapy device.

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