Microprocessor controlled heater/cooloer system
AssigneeVector Products, Inc.
InventorsMichael Krieger, Bruce Randolph
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable heater/cooler system comprises a thermal electric module conducting a current through the module; a heater/cooler cavity coupled to the thermal electric module; a variable speed fan for blowing air over the thermal electric module and into the cavity; a first temperature sensor coupled to the thermal electric module for measuring the temperature of the module; a second temperature sensor coupled to the heater/cooler cavity for measuring the temperature in the cavity; and a microprocessor for adjusting a speed of the fan and the current flow through the thermal electric module as a function of the measured temperatures of the thermal electric module and the cavity.
Claims19
A portable heater/cooler system, comprising:
- a thermal electric module conducting a current through the module;
- a heater/cooler cavity coupled to the thermal electric module;
- a variable speed fan for blowing air over the thermal electric module and into the cavity;
- a first temperature sensor coupled to the thermal electric module for measuring the temperature of the module;
- a second temperature sensor coupled to the heater/cooler cavity for measuring the temperature in the cavity;
- and
- a microprocessor for adjusting a speed of the fan and the current flow through the thermal electric module as a function of the measured temperatures of the thermal electric module and the cavity.
A heater/cooler system, comprising:
- a housing defining a cavity;
- a thermal electric module in communication with the cavity;
- an adjustable speed fan, the fan being arranged to blow air across the thermal electric module and into the cavity;
- a power supply supplying power to the fan and the thermal electric module;
- a first temperature sensor arranged to measure a temperature of the thermal electric module;
- a second temperature sensor arranged to measure a temperature in the cavity;
- and
- a microprocessor receiving the temperatures of the thermal electric module and the cavity and controlling the power supplied to the fan and the power supplied to the thermal electric module based on at least one of the temperature in the cavity, the temperature of the thermal electric module, and a current flowing through the thermal electric module.
In a heater/cooler system including a thermal electric module in communication with a cavity;
- an adjustable speed fan arranged to blow air across the thermal electric module and into the cavity;
- a power supply supplying power to the fan and the thermal electric module;
- and a microprocessor, a method for controlling a temperature in the cavity, the method comprising:
- providing a module power signal from the power supply to the thermal electric module;
- providing a fan power signal to the fan;
- blowing air with the fan through the thermal electric module and into the cavity;
- detecting a temperature of the thermal electric module;
- detecting a temperature in the cavity;
- adjusting the module power signal via the microprocessor based on the temperature in the cavity;
- and
- adjusting the fan power signal via the microprocessor based on at least one of the temperature of the thermal electric module and a current flowing through the thermal electric module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.