Charging/discharging apparatus using thermoelectric conversion effect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10193371-B2
Application number	US-201615145786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2016
Priority date	Nov 27, 2015
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A charging/discharging apparatus utilizing the thermoelectric conversion effect includes a thermoelectric conversion module, a current path providing unit and a charging/discharging element. The thermoelectric conversion module is disposed between an upper cover and a lower cover of a wearable device. The thermoelectric conversion module generates a current according to a temperature difference between the upper cover and the lower cover. The current path providing unit coupling with the thermoelectric conversion module provides a first current path and a second current path. The charging/discharging element couples with the current path providing unit. When a temperature of the lower cover is higher than a temperature of the upper cover, the current charges the charging/discharging element through the first current path. When a temperature of the upper cover is higher than a temperature of the lower cover, the current charges the charging/discharging element through the second current path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charging/discharging apparatus, comprising:
a thermoelectric conversion module disposed between an upper cover and a lower cover of a wearable device, the thermoelectric conversion module generating a current according to a temperature difference between the upper cover and the lower cover;
a current path providing unit coupling with the thermoelectric conversion module for providing a first current path and a second current path;
a charging/discharging element coupling with the current path providing unit;
a third current path, wherein the charging/discharging element provides a first current to the thermoelectric conversion module through the third current path to heat up a temperature of the upper cover and cool down a temperature of the lower cover, wherein the first current flows through the thermoelectric conversion module according to a first direction;
a fourth current path, wherein the charging/discharging element provides a second current to the thermoelectric conversion module through the fourth current path to heat up a temperature of the lower cover and cool down a temperature of the upper cover, wherein the second current flows through the thermoelectric conversion module according to a second direction, wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction; and
a switch disposed among the thermoelectric conversion module, the third current path, the forth current path and the current path providing unit, wherein the switch selects one of the third current path, the fourth current path and the current path providing unit to couple with the thermoelectric conversion module,
wherein, when a temperature of the lower cover is higher than a temperature of the upper cover, the current charges the charging/discharging element through the first current path, and
when a temperature of the upper cover is higher than a temperature of the lower cover, the current charges the charging/discharging element through the second current path.

2. The charging/discharging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a voltage regulator disposed among the charging/discharging element, the third current path, the fourth current path and the current path providing unit.

3. The charging/discharging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pulse wave generator disposed among the charging/discharging element, the third current path, the fourth current path and the current path providing unit, wherein the pulse wave generator transforms a current from the thermoelectric conversion module into a pulse current to charge the charging/discharging element through the current path providing unit, or to transform a current from the charging/discharging element into a pulse current to heat up or cool down the temperature of the upper cover and the lower cover through the third current path and the fourth current path.

4. The charging/discharging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric conversion module comprises a plurality of P-type thermal-electric material and a plurality of N-type thermal-electric material coupled in series in a P-N pair formed.

5. The charging/discharging apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the P-type thermal-electric material and the N-type thermal-electric material are formed of bismuth tellurium compounds or tellurium compounds.

6. The charging/discharging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor disposed on the upper cover and the lower cover respectively, wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor detect a temperature of the upper cover and a temperature of the lower cover, respectively.

7. The charging/discharging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first insulating material to divide the upper cover into a first upper cover portion and a second upper cover portion, and a second insulating material to divide the lower cover into a first lower cover portion and a second lower cover portion,
wherein the thermoelectric conversion module is disposed between the first upper cover portion and the first lower cover portion, and a third temperature sensor and a fourth temperature sensor are disposed on the second upper cover portion and the second lower cover portion, respectively.

Assignees

• Inventec Pudong Tech Corp
• Inventec Corp

Inventors

• Chiang Meng-Lung

Classifications

• H02J7/70 Primary

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H01L35/10

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J7/0091 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J7/0042

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/18

  Electricity · mapped topic