Car amplifier incorporating a peltier device for cooling

Abstract

A car amplifier has a housing for containing a circuit board retaining electronic components, and a cooling unit. The cooling unit draws heat away from heat generating elements which are mounted on the circuit board. The cooling unit has two heats sinks formed as first and second tunnels. The first tunnel has an arm that contacts the heat generating elements and draws heat therefrom. Each tunnel forms an interior passage and has open ends. Fins are located on the interior of the tunnels, so that heat is dissipated to the interior passages. A fan is mounted to one end of each tunnel to force air out from the passage of the first tunnel and draw the air back along through the passage of the second tunnel and to the exterior of the housing. The tunnels are separated by a peltier device, which has a cool side abutting the first tunnel and a hot side abutting the second tunnel. Hence, the cool side cools the first tunnel, while transferring heat to the second tunnel. The cooling effect of the peltier device is maximized by positioning the peltier device toward one end of the tunnels. Thus, cooled air from the first tunnel is circulated along the length of the first tunnel and drawn back through the length of the second tunnel. In addition, the hot side of the peltier device is located near the end of the second tunnel, so that heat is immediately exhausted.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.