Vehicle Cup Holder Air Circulation for Fast Beverage Heating and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heating and cooling cup holders for vehicles are inefficient due to reliance on heat conduction, which fails to effectively heat or cool beverages when the contact area between the cup and holder is small or when using cups with low thermal conductivity, such as paper cups.
Innovation Solution
A heating and cooling cup holder system that uses a thermoelectric element and air circulation through a radiation plate and duct system to exchange heat with a beverage, enhancing heat transfer efficiency by circulating air between the heat exchange cup and radiation plate, and utilizing a fan to discharge waste heat externally.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If heat conduction method is used for heating and cooling cup holder, then the structure is simple, but the heating and cooling efficiency is low when contact area is small or cup has low thermal conductivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces air as an intermediary medium between the thermoelectric element and the beverage. The circulation duct system moves air to transfer heat more effectively, solving the problem of poor thermal contact between the cup and holder while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses air circulation through the circulation duct and fan to transfer heat. This pneumatic approach replaces direct thermal conduction, enabling efficient heating and cooling even when contact area is small or the cup material has low thermal conductivity
2Reliability
If Peltier element is used for heat transfer through conduction, then the device can heat or cool the cup, but the cooling and heating function does not work properly when contact area between cup and cup holder is small
Solution Approach 1:
Air serves as a flexible intermediary that can adapt to different cup geometries. The circulation duct distributes air around the cup, ensuring effective heat transfer regardless of cup size, shape, or material thermal conductivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heat transfer parameter from direct solid-to-solid conduction to fluid-mediated convection. This parameter change enables the system to work effectively with various cup configurations that would be problematic with direct contact conduction
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system significantly improves thermal efficiency, allowing for quick heating or cooling of beverages, maintaining their temperature better than conventional methods, and enhancing user convenience and commercial value by recycling heat without external discharge.
Implementation Method 1
air that has absorbed or discharged heat because it came in contact with a thermoelectric element of a radiation plate
Implementation Method 2
a circulation fan 700 that circulates air while introducing air into the heat exchange cup 200 through the air suction port 310 and the air exhaust port 320 formed in the circulation duct 300
Implementation Method 3
the air that has undergone heat exchange with the beverage contained in a container or cup after supplied to the heat exchange cup flows into the radiation plate
Data Source
AI summary
A heating and cooling cup holder for vehicles includes a heat insulating cup where a container accommodating part is formed with an upper part opened so that a beverage container can be accommodated, a heat exchange cup installed in the container accommodating part formed in the heat insulating cup, a circulation duct installed so that an air suction port and an air exhaust port are formed in the heat exchange cup, a circulation fan circulates and introduces air into the heat exchange cup through the air suction port and the air exhaust port formed in the circulation duct, a radiation plate heat-exchanging the air introduced into the heat exchange cup by the circulation fan to re-supply to the heat exchange cup through the circulation duct, and a thermoelectric element installed so that the radiation plate can absorb and generate heat.