Thermoelectric Storage Container for Independent Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators lack a storage container capable of maintaining items at a temperature significantly lower than the external environment, limiting their ability to store food at desired low temperatures efficiently and portably.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with a storage container featuring a thermoelectric element, heat-absorbing and heat-emitting surfaces, and a heat transfer system that uses insulation and a fan to maintain a sealed space at a temperature different from the external environment, allowing for adjustable temperature settings and portability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional refrigerator storage compartment is used, then items can be stored at standard refrigeration temperatures, but the temperature cannot be significantly lower than the external environment
Solution Approach 1:
The storage container is divided into separate functional components: an insulation layer for thermal isolation, a thermoelectric element for active cooling, and a housing for structural support. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, enabling the container to achieve temperatures lower than the external environment while maintaining portability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical compression-based refrigeration with a thermoelectric element that uses electrical current to directly pump heat from the interior to the exterior of the container. This substitution enables precise temperature control and allows the storage container to operate independently of large mechanical refrigeration systems, achieving lower temperatures with greater flexibility.
2Temperature
If a sealed storage container with active cooling is created, then items can be stored at controlled temperatures different from the external environment, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the insulation function, cooling function, and structural function into a single integrated storage container. The insulation layer is combined with the thermoelectric element and housing to create a unified device that maintains temperature control while remaining portable. This merging reduces the need for separate complex systems and simplifies the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermoelectric element is designed to be self-contained within the storage container, with the housing and insulation layer working together to maintain thermal isolation without requiring external refrigeration infrastructure. The container serves itself by generating and maintaining the cooling effect internally, reducing the need for complex external control systems.
3Temperature
If insulation material is added to maintain temperature differential, then heat transfer between internal and external environments is reduced, but the volume available for storing items decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation layer is strategically positioned only where thermal isolation is most critical - between the thermoelectric element and the external environment, and around the housing walls. This localized insulation approach provides effective thermal isolation while minimizing the volume consumed by insulation material, maximizing the internal storage space for items.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is designed as a thin-walled structure that provides structural support while minimizing volume occupation. The insulation layer is applied as a thin film or coating on the internal surfaces, providing effective thermal isolation without significantly reducing the internal storage volume. This flexible design allows maximum storage space while maintaining temperature differential.
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
Enables the storage of items at temperatures lower than the storage compartment, maintaining freshness and convenience by allowing the storage container to be placed in either the freezing or refrigerating compartment, or outside the refrigerator, while preventing external odors from entering or escaping.
Implementation Method 1
a thermoelectric element disposed in the second opening, the thermoelectric element including a heat-absorbing surface and a heat-emitting surface
Implementation Method 2
a heat-absorbing heat exchanger surrounding the housing, contacting the heat-absorbing surface, and being configured to transfer heat from the housing to the heat-absorbing surface
Implementation Method 3
a heat-dissipating part configured to dissipate heat from the heat transfer part
Implementation Method 4
a heat-dissipating part configured to dissipate heat from the heat transfer part
Implementation Method 5
a space surrounded by an insulation material between the first opening and the second opening
Data Source
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AI summary
A storage container includes a body defining a first opening at a top of the body, a second opening at a bottom of the body, and a space between the first opening and the second opening, a cover configured to open or close the first opening, the cover including an insulation material to thermally insulate the space from an outside of the body, a housing disposed in the space to store items, a thermoelectric element disposed in the second opening, the thermoelectric element including a heat-absorbing surface and a heat-emitting surface, a heat-absorbing heat exchanger that surrounds the housing, contacts the heat-absorbing surface, and is configured to transfer heat from the housing to the heat-absorbing surface, a heat transfer part configured to transfer heat generated from the heat-emitting surface to a wall of the body, and a heat-dissipating part configured to dissipate heat from the heat transfer part.