Face Mask Cooling with Peltier Device and Acoustic Noise Attenuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Face masks with Peltier coolers generate heat that interferes with the cooling effect and create noise due to fans, degrading user experience.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating noise attenuation systems with acoustic chambers and tortuous air paths to dissipate heat and reduce noise, including flared acoustic waveguides and multiple fans with dedicated noise attenuation systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a Peltier cooler is used to generate cooling, then cooling effect is provided to the user's face, but heat is generated that interferes with the cooling effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat generation problem by separating the heat dissipation function from the cooling function. A dedicated air flow path with a fan is introduced to specifically handle heat removal from the Peltier cooler, while the cooling side continues to provide cooling to the user's face. This separation allows the harmful heat to be removed without interfering with the useful cooling effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The air flow system is segmented into distinct paths: one path delivers cooling to the user's face, while another path specifically removes heat from the Peltier cooler. The patent uses separate air inlets, flow paths, and outlets for cooling and heat dissipation functions, allowing independent optimization of each function without mutual interference.
2Loss of energy
If a fan is used to dissipate heat, then heat dissipation is improved, but noise is generated that degrades user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces acoustic chambers as intermediary elements between the fan and the external environment. These chambers act as mediators that allow heat dissipation to continue while attenuating the noise generated by the fan. The acoustic chambers absorb and reduce noise before it reaches the user, thus maintaining effective heat dissipation while improving user comfort.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If noise attenuation systems with acoustic chambers are added, then noise is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic chambers are designed to serve multiple functions: they attenuate fan noise, manage air flow paths, and can be integrated with the overall mask structure. By making the acoustic chambers multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving effective noise reduction.
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
Effectively dissipates heat and reduces noise, enhancing user comfort by maintaining cooling efficacy and improving experience.
Implementation Method 1
Some face masks include a Peltier cooler to generate the cooling delivered to the user's face
Implementation Method 2
a first fan configured to cause air to enter the face mask through the first air inlet and to flow along the first flow path from the first air inlet to the first fan and from the first fan along the first flow path to the air outlet
Implementation Method 3
a first acoustic chamber along the first flow path and located between the first air inlet and the first fan
Data Source
AI summary
Various illustrative systems, devices, and methods for face masks are provided. In general, a face mask is configured to provide cooling therapy to a user wearing the face mask. In an exemplary implementation, the face mask includes a thermoelectric cooling device, such as a Peltier device, a thermoelectric cooler (TEC), or other thermoelectric cooling device. The face mask includes a fan configured to blow air configured to dissipate the heat created by the thermoelectric cooling device. The face mask includes a noise attenuation system configured to attenuate the generated noise that is radiated into the environment, and thus, heard by the user due to use of the fan.