Foothold including thermoelectric module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11051626-B2
Application number	US-201916670514-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2019
Priority date	Nov 20, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A foothold including a thermoelectric module includes a module housing in which a dissipation fan and a thermoelectric element are provided, and a blowing portion disposed at a first side of the module housing and having a blowing fan. Further, the thermoelectric module further includes a dissipation heat sink installed over the dissipation fan, and a cover provided at the upper portion of the module housing and having a top surface on which the user's feet may be placed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foothold comprising:
a module housing including a dissipation fan;
a dissipation heat sink provided over the dissipation fan;
a cover disposed on the module housing and having a top surface on which user's feet are placed;
a thermoelectric element disposed between the dissipation heat sink and the cover; and
a blowing portion disposed at a side of the module housing and including a blowing fan to blow air to a space over the cover.

2. The foothold of claim 1 , wherein the module housing includes:
a housing body having a housing opening through the housing body in an up-down direction; and
the cover disposed on the housing body.

3. The foothold of claim 2 , wherein the dissipation fan is disposed at a lower portion of the housing opening, and
the dissipation heat sink is disposed over the dissipation fan.

4. The foothold of claim 2 , further comprising:
a dissipation channel disposed in the housing body, and a cover opening provided at an end of the dissipation channel and disposed at at least one surface of the housing body; and
a dissipation cover disposed at the cover opening.

5. The foothold of claim 4 , wherein the housing opening includes a dissipation hole, and
the dissipation channel defining a channel from the heat dissipation hole to the cover opening.

6. The foothold of claim 5 , wherein the dissipation channel includes:
a sink suction side channel forming an air channel from the dissipation fan to the dissipation heat sink; and
a sink discharge side channel extending from the dissipation heat sink to the dissipation cover.

7. The foothold of claim 2 , wherein the cover includes:
a cover plate disposed at the housing body; and
a plate protrusion protruding downward from a bottom surface of the cover plate, the plate protrusion being in communication with a heat absorption/dissipation portion of the thermoelectric element.

8. The foothold of claim 7 , further comprising a module insulator surrounding the thermoelectric element and having an insulator opening,
wherein the plate protrusion is inserted into the insulator opening.

9. The foothold of claim 1 , wherein the blowing portion further includes a channel guide including an installation space in which the blowing fan is installed, channel guide including a guide discharge portion at an upper end thereof, and
wherein the channel guide includes an inclined portion configured to be rounded or inclined toward the module housing.

10. The foothold of claim 1 , wherein the blowing portion includes:
a first blowing portion disposed at a first side of the module housing; and
a second blowing portion disposed at a second side of the module housing.

11. The foothold of claim 1 , wherein the blowing portion further includes:
a blowing discharge portion disposed at a top surface of the blowing portion to discharge air; and
an air guide to guide the air, which has passed through the blowing fan, over the cover, and
the air guide is disposed between the blowing discharge portion and the cover.

12. The foothold of claim 11 , wherein the air guide includes:
a first surface extending from the top surface of the blowing portion and inclined upward at a first angle; and
a second surface extending from an upper end of the first surface and inclined downward at a second angle toward the cover, and
the second angle is greater than the first angle.

13. The foothold of claim 1 , wherein the blowing portion further includes a fan support portion to support the blowing fan, and
a height of a center portion of the blowing fan is greater than a height of the cover.

14. The foothold of claim 2 , wherein the cover includes:
a cover plate disposed at the housing body; and
at least one fin protruding upward from a top surface of the cover plate.

15. The foothold of claim 1 , wherein the dissipation fan is disposed at a bottom portion of the module housing, and
the blowing fan is disposed at a bottom portion of the blowing portion.

16. A foothold comprising:
a module housing including a housing body in which a dissipation fan is provided and a cover provided on the housing body and having a top surface on which user's feet are placed;
a dissipation heat sink provided over the heat dissipation fan;
a thermoelectric element disposed between the dissipation heat sink and the cover; and
a blowing portion disposed at least at a side of the module housing and including a blowing fan to supply air to a space over the cover.

17. The foothold of claim 16 , wherein a channel disposed in the housing body includes:
a sink suction side channel forming a first air channel from the dissipation fan to the dissipation heat sink; and
a sink discharge side channel forming a second air channel from the dissipation heat sink to the dissipation cover.

18. The foothold of claim 16 , wherein the blowing portion includes a plurality of blowing portions, and
wherein the module housing is provided between the plurality of blowing portions.

19. The foothold of claim 16 , wherein a dissipation suction hole for suctioning air is disposed at a bottom portion of the module housing, and
the dissipation fan is disposed over the dissipation suction hole so that the dissipation fan suctions air through the dissipation suction hole and guides the air to the thermoelectric element.

20. The foothold of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the dissipation fan and the blowing fan includes a axial fan.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Oh Minkyu
• Song Hwayoung
• Yuk Jimin
• No Yanghwan

Classifications

• F25B2321/0251

  by a gas · CPC title

• F24F5/0042 Primary

  characterised by the application of thermo-electric units or the Peltier effect · CPC title

• A47C16/025

  adjustable, swivelling, rocking · CPC title

• A47B2200/0097

  Foot rest being part of desk · CPC title

• F25B21/02

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title