Electronic apparatus and image forming apparatus with thermoelectric converters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817346-B2
Application number	US-201514637525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2015
Priority date	Mar 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a first thermoelectric converter that converts thermal energy dissipated from a heat source into electrical energy, a second thermoelectric converter provided on a side of a low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter and that converts electrical energy into thermal energy, and a power supply controller that controls supply of power to the second thermoelectric converter such that the low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter is cooled or heated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a first thermoelectric converter configured to convert thermal energy dissipated from a heat source into electrical energy;
a second thermoelectric converter provided on a side of a low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter and configured to convert electrical energy into thermal energy; and
a power supply controller configured to control power supplied to the second thermoelectric converter such that the low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter is cooled or heated,
wherein the power supply controller is configured to control an amount of power supplied to the second thermoelectric converter to be smaller than an amount of electrical energy obtained through the conversion performed by the first thermoelectric converter,
wherein the side of the low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter is a heat dissipating side,
wherein the first thermoelectric converter comprises a heat absorbing side opposite to the heat dissipating side, and
wherein the second thermoelectric converter is configured to maintain a predetermined temperature difference between the heat absorbing side and the heat dissipating side.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
first and second temperature detectors configured to detect temperatures on a side of a high-temperature portion and on the side of the low-temperature portion, respectively, of the first thermoelectric converter,
wherein, in response to a temperature difference between the temperatures detected by the first and second temperature detectors being smaller than or equal to the predetermined temperature difference, the power supply controller controls the supply of power to the second thermoelectric converter such that the low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter is cooled, and
wherein, in response to the temperature difference between the temperatures detected by the first and second temperature detectors exceeding the predetermined temperature difference, the power supply controller controls the supply of power to the second thermoelectric converter such that the low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter is heated.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second thermoelectric converter includes a first terminal connected to a first terminal of the power supply controller, and a second terminal connected to a second terminal of the power supply controller.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature difference is a temperature difference at which the first thermoelectric converter generates maximum power.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing which includes an opening, wherein
the heat source is provided within the housing,
the first thermoelectric converter is fitted in the opening such that the heat absorbing side of the first thermoelectric converter faces the heat source, and such that the heat dissipating side of the first thermoelectric converter is outside the housing,
a first side of the second thermoelectric converter is in contact with the heat dissipating side of the first thermoelectric converter, and
a second side of the second thermoelectric converter is outside the housing.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a first side of the second thermoelectric converter is in contact with a first side of an insulating material, and
the heat dissipating side of the first thermoelectric converter is in contact with a second side of the insulating material, the second side of the insulating material being opposite to the first side of the insulating material.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second thermoelectric converter is separated from the heat source by the first thermoelectric converter.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first thermoelectric converter receives a first amount of heat from the heat source and the second thermoelectric converter receives a second amount of heat from the heat source, and
wherein the first amount of heat is greater than the second amount of heat.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second thermoelectric converter comprises a first side and a second side, the first side facing the heat dissipating side of the first thermoelectric converter and the second side being opposite to the first side, and
wherein the second side is not directly exposed to the heat source.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first side is not directly exposed to the heat source.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium;
a fixing unit configured to fix the image formed on the recording medium by heating the image;
a first thermoelectric converter configured to convert thermal energy dissipated from the fixing unit into electrical energy;
a second thermoelectric converter provided on a side of a low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter and configured to convert electrical energy into thermal energy; and
a power supply controller configured to control power supplied to the second thermoelectric converter such that the low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter is cooled or heated,
wherein the power supply controller is configured to control an amount of power supplied to the second thermoelectric converter to be smaller than an amount of electrical energy obtained through the conversion performed by the first thermoelectric converter,
wherein the side of the low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter is a heat dissipating side,
wherein the first thermoelectric converter comprises a heat absorbing side opposite to the heat dissipating side, and
wherein the second thermoelectric converter is configured to maintain a predetermined temperature difference between the heat absorbing side and the heat dissipating side.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the second thermoelectric converter includes a first terminal connected to a first terminal of the power supply controller, and a second terminal connected to a second terminal of the power supply controller.

13. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a first thermoelectric converter including a first conducting member, a first electrode, and a second electrode, the first thermoelectric converter being configured to convert thermal energy received by the first conducting member from a heat source into electrical energy;
a second thermoelectric converter including a second conducting member connected to the first and second electrodes, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode, the second thermoelectric converter being provided on a side of a low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter and configured to convert electrical energy into thermal energy; and
a power supply controller configured to control power supplied to the third and fourth electrodes such that the low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter is cooled or heated,
wherein the power supply controller is configured to control an amount of power supplied to the third and fourth electrodes to be smaller than an amount of electrical energy obtained through the conversion performed by the first thermoelectric converter,
wherein the side of the low-temperature portion of the first thermoelectric converter is a heat dissipating side,
wherein the first

Assignees

• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Saiki Takaki
• Honda Seiji
• Sato Kunihito
• Iwasaki Junichi

Classifications

• G03G15/2017 Primary

  Structural details of the fixing unit in general, e.g. cooling means, heat shielding means (G03G15/2053 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G15/2053 Primary

  Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating · CPC title

• H01L35/325

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/32

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10N19/101

  Multiple thermocouples connected in a cascade arrangement · CPC title