Thermo-voltaic personal cooling/heating device

A self-contained dry-operating device to thermally alter external temperature of a portion of a user's body, comprising:

• a device housing;
• a heat dissipating member having a user-facing surface and an opposite rear surface, said member adapted to urgingly contact said portion of said user's body and said member having at least a portion of said opposite rear surface retained in said housing;
• a Peltier thermo-voltaic module, retained in said housing and having a first surface spaced-apart from a second surface, disposed such that said first surface is in thermal contact with a portion of said rear surface of said member;
• means for coupling a source of polarized electrical energy to energize said module with a pulse train signal defining module-on times and module-off times, said means for coupling being retained in said housing;
• and
• at least one component selected from a group consisting of (a) a component to signal low energization level of said source, (b) a component permitting user-selection of heating mode or cooling mode operation of said device, and (c) a component permitting user control over temperature of said user-facing surface of said heat dissipating member, and (d) a component enabling user-selection of high energy versus low energy operation of said device;
• wherein when said means for coupling energizes said module with a first bias polarity said module reduces temperature of said rear surface to cool said user;
• and
• when said means for coupling energizes said module with a second bias polarity said module increases temperature of said rear surface to warm said user.

A method of altering external temperature of a portion of a user's body with a self-contained dry-operating device, comprising the following steps:

• (a) disposing a heat dissipating member having a user-facing surface and an opposite rear surface so as to urgingly contact said portion of said user's body with said user-facing surface;
• (b) thermally coupling a Peltier thermo-voltaic module having a first module surface in good thermal contact with a portion of said rear surface of said member;
• (c) selectively coupling a source of polarized electrical energy to energize said module with a pulsed drive signal such that when said module is energized with a first bias polarity said module reduces temperature of said rear surface to cool said user;
• and when said module is energized with a second bias polarity said module increases temperature of said rear surface to warm said user:
• and
• (d) sensing bias potential across said module during a portion of time said pulsed drive signal is off and feeding back sensed said bias potential to temperature control operation of said module.