Thermovonics Co., Ltd.

Motohiro Sakai

Hideo Watanabe

Fumikazu Kiya

Hirofusa Tezuka

Fumio Hisano

Yoshihiko Ogawa

Atsushi Osawa

Hirohusa Tezuka

A temperature-controlled appliance is provided with mutually-independent temperature-controlled compartments arranged close to each other. Each of the compartments comprises a casing formed of a heat-insulating layer, a thermal conductor arranged in the casing and provided with a heat-conducting surface located opposite a storage space in the casing, a Peltier device thermally connected with the thermal conductor, a power supply for feeding electric power to the Peltier device, and a controller for controlling electric power to be fed to the Peltier device so that a temperature in the casing is controlled.

Temperature-controlled appliance

A watercooler is provided with a vessel for storing water therein; a heater for boiling the water in the vessel; a pump for lifting the boiled water; a primary cooling unit (e.g., air-cooled heat exchanger tube and a fan) for subjecting to primary cooling the boiled water lifted by the pump; a secondary cooling unit (e.g., the fan, a heat-dissipating-side thermal conductor, a thermoelectric module, a heat-absorbing-side thermal conductor, and a cold water pipe) for subjecting the water, which has been subjected to the primary cooling, to secondary cooling by using the thermoelectric module; and a service unit for dispensing the cold water subsequent to the secondary cooling.

Watercooler

An air-conditioning ventilator is provided with an air inlet passage and an air outlet passage for ventilation and also with a heat exchanger making use of a thermoelectric module for effecting an exchange of heat with air flowing through one of the passages. At least one of a heat-absorbing system and a heat-dissipating system of the heat exchanger is provided with a heat-transfer-medium-circulating system so that a heat transfer medium is forced to circulate in a liquid form for performing the exchange of heat.

Air-conditioning ventilator

A thermoelectric converter is composed of a number of p-type semiconductor chips and n-type semiconductor chips arranged side by side and electrically connected in series, a heat-absorbing-side heat conductor arranged on a heat-absorbing side of the p-type and n-type semiconductor chips, a heat-dissipating-side heat conductor arranged on a heat-dissipating side of the p-type and n-type semiconductor chips, and a device for feeding a current to the p-type and n-type semiconductor chips. The current feeding device feeds a current of a density in a current density range selected depending on a thickness of said p-type and n-type semiconductor chips.

Thermoelectric converter

A thermoelectric cooling device for a thermoelectric refrigerator is described. The device is composed of p-type and n-type semiconductor layers, a first inner heat conductor, a first outer heat conductor, a second inner heat conductor, and a second outer heat conductor. The p-type and n-type semiconductor layers are electrically connected in series via the electrodes. The p-type and n-type semiconductor layers have a specific average thickness. The average figures of merit of the p-type and n-type semiconductor layers are controlled to a particular value. The thermal conductances of the first and second, inner and outer heat conductors fall within specific ranges, respectively. The coefficient of performance defined in terms of the ratio of the quantity of absorbed heat to inputted power is at least 0.6. Also described are a process for the fabrication of a semiconductor suitable for use in the thermoelectric cooling device and also a thermoelectric refrigerator using the thermoelectric cooling device.

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Yokohama, Japan

Motohiro Sakai