Temperature control device, use and arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature control devices for containers are not simple and reliable enough to maintain a predetermined temperature, especially in sterile environments where precise temperature control is crucial for biochemical reactions.
Innovation Solution
A flexible temperature control device with heating and cooling areas that can be deformed to fit snugly on a container, using heating elements like resistors or Peltier elements, and cooling elements with fluid lines, allowing for precise temperature control with minimal temperature deviation (less than 1°C) by making thermal contact with the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If heating or cooling elements protrude into the interior of the container to contact the fluid directly, then temperature control precision is improved, but the device complexity and risk of contamination increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the container wall as an intermediary medium to transfer heat between the heating/cooling elements and the fluid. The heating and cooling elements are positioned on the outer surface of the container wall, which acts as a thermal conduit to indirectly heat or cool the fluid inside, eliminating the need for elements to protrude into the container interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating and cooling elements are designed as flexible elements that can conform to the outer surface of the container wall. This flexible design allows intimate thermal contact with the container wall while maintaining simplicity in structure, enabling precise temperature control without complex internal mechanisms.
2Device complexity
If heating and cooling elements are positioned on the outer surface of the container, then device simplicity is improved, but thermal contact efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heating and cooling elements are designed as flexible elements that can be pressed against the outer surface of the container wall to ensure intimate thermal contact. This flexibility allows the elements to conform to the container's shape and maintain efficient thermal coupling without requiring complex mechanical pressure systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the container wall itself as the thermal contact medium, eliminating the need for separate thermal coupling mechanisms. The wall serves dual purposes: containing the fluid and facilitating heat transfer from the externally positioned heating/cooling elements, thereby simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining thermal efficiency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the temperature control device is rigid, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to different container shapes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heating and cooling elements are designed as flexible components that can conform to various container shapes and sizes. This flexibility is achieved through using flexible materials or structures that can bend and adapt to the outer surface geometry of different containers while maintaining thermal contact, thereby providing universal applicability across diverse container types.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature control device transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible system that can adapt its shape. The flexible elements allow the device to dynamically adjust its configuration to match different container geometries, enabling a single device design to serve multiple container types effectively.
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
The device effectively maintains a predetermined temperature, enabling controlled biochemical reactions and efficient energy use by minimizing thermal losses, with the ability to heat or cool containers quickly and accurately.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heating area (6) with at least one heating element (6a-c)
Implementation Method 2
at least one cooling area (8) with at least one cooling element (8a)
Implementation Method 3
the temperature control device is flexible at least in some areas, wherein the temperature control device can be transferred from an open position to an arrangement position by flexible deformation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
One aspect of the invention relates to a temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a container, comprising: - at least one heating region having at least one heating element, and - at least one cooling region having at least one cooling element, wherein the temperature control device is flexible, at least in some regions, wherein the temperature control device can be transferred by flexible deformation from an open position to an arrangement position, and wherein the temperature control device can, in the arrangement position, be arranged on a wall of the container in a form-fitting manner, at least in some regions, and can be thermally contacted in such a manner that the temperature of the container can be controlled by means of the at least one heating element and the at least one cooling element. The invention also relates to an arrangement with the temperature control device and to a use of the temperature control device.