The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 24, 1981
Filed:
Dec. 11, 1979
Michael A Reed, Tucson, AZ (US);
Koolatron Industries, Ltd., Barrie, CA;
Abstract
A portable cooler includes a urethane foam shell having a storage compartment and fan recess. An internal heat exchanger is mounted to a wall of the storage compartment and conducts heat out of the storage compartment by means of a thermally conductive block to an external heat exchanger mounted in the fan recess. An electric fan mounted in the fan recess blows outside air through fins of the external heat exchanger. A grill covers the fan recess. A solid state thermoelectric device is disposed between the external heat exchanger and the thermally conductive block. A control circuit includes a first thermistor which senses the temperature of the internal heat exchanger. A comparator having one input coupled to a temperature control reostat and another input coupled to the first thermistor controls a switch circuit which connects the terminals of the thermoelectric device and the terminals of the fan motor to a supply voltage conductor. A manual switch can be actuated to reverse the direction of current through the thermoelectric device, causing heating, rather than cooling, of the storage compartment. A protective circuit senses the temperature of a second thermistor located near the external heat exchanger and prevents the switch circuit from energizing the thermoelectric device and the fan motor if the external exchanger becomes overheated. An under-voltage indicator circuit causes a light emitting diode to be turned on if a proper polarity and level of battery voltage is applied to the supply voltage conductor, and causes the light emitting diode to blink if the battery voltage is less than a predetermined level.