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:
Aug. 18, 2015
Filed:
Sep. 20, 2013
Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated, Palo Alto, CA (US);
David E. Schwartz, San Carlos, CA (US);
Dirk DeBruyker, San Jose, CA (US);
Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
System and methods are disclosed for controlled thermal energy transfer. The system includes a thermal energy source, a thermal energy sink, spaced apart from the thermal energy source, an electrocaloric structure carried by a suspension and configured for alternating physical movement between thermal communication with the thermal energy source and thermal communication with the thermal energy sink, and a control signal source simultaneously providing both a temperature control signal for controlling the temperature of the electrocaloric structure and a movement control signal for controlling the alternating physical movement of the electrocaloric structure between thermal communication with the thermal energy source and thermal communication with the heat sink. Heating or cooling of a desired element may be provided. Movement control may be electrostatic, magnetic, mechanical, etc., and is self-synchronizing with the field employed for temperature control in the electrocaloric structure.