Abstract:
A thermoelectric cooling system having an electric circuit including a direct current (“d.c.”) power source providing direct current through the electric circuit, a thermoelectric module having at least one heat sink and at least one heat source capable of being cooled to a predetermined temperature range, and a control assembly. The d.c. power source, the control assembly, and the thermoelectric module being connected to each other in series. The control assembly comprising a thermostat control switch mechanism and a resistive element connected to each other in parallel. The thermostat control switch having a sensor generally coupled to the heat source of the thermoelectric module, the thermostat control switch mechanism being open in the predetermined temperature range. The resistive element having a predetermined resistance sufficient for a level of voltage to be provided to the thermoelectric module, when the thermostat control switch mechanism is open, sufficient to substantially prevent reversal of the heat source and the heat sink. The thermoelectric cooling system being used in a process comprising placing an article of interest on the heat source, setting the thermostat to a desired predetermined temperature range, actuating the d.c. power source, and cooling the article of interest through conduction. Alternatively, the article may be placed below the heat source and cooled by convection.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of thermoelectric devices and more particularly to the thermoelectric cooling system with improved performance and/or efficiency characteristics. The present invention is designed to have many applications including use in a bread box, as part of a wine rack, or in any other application requiring the cooling of a load. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Thermoelectric cooling systems are analogous to conventional refrigeration cooling systems. For example, a conventional cooling system includes an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser. In the evaporator or cold section, pressurized refrigerant is allowed to expand, boil, and evaporate. During the change of state from a liquid to a gas, energy in the form of heat is absorbed. In the next step, the compressor recompresses the gas into a liquid. Further, the condenser expels the heat absorbed at the evaporate and the extra heat added by the compressor to the ambient environment. 
     A thermoelectric cooling system has similar subassemblies. However, thermoelectric cooling is specifically the abstraction of heat from electronic components by Peltier effect, greatly improved and made practicable with solid-state thermoelectric materials, e.g., Bi 2 Te 3 . Devices using this effect, e.g. frigistors, are used for automatic temperature control, and the like and are energized by direct current (“d.c.”) thermoelectric materials, that is, any set of materials (metals) which constitute a thermoelectric system. Some examples include: “binary” systems (bismuth and tellurium), ternary systems (silver, antimony and tellurium), and “quaternary” systems (bismuth, tellurium, selenium and antimony, called “Neelium”). The Peltier effect is a phenomenon whereby heat is liberated or absorbed at a junction when current passes from one metal to another. In this application, a cold junction (the place where the heat source or load is located) is defined as the assembly where energy in the form of heat is absorbed when current passes from one metal to another. A hot junction (the place where the heat sink is located) is the assembly which thermally communicates with a heat exchanger and through which the heat that is liberated, when current passes from one metal to another, is transferred to the ambient environment. 
     Major differences exist between thermoelectric cooling systems and conventional refrigeration systems, however. For example, conventional refrigeration systems must maintain a dosed environment isolated from the ambient. Further, conventional refrigeration systems have a large amount of insulation and cannot be ventilated without loss of cooling effect. Thus, conventional cooling systems may contain odors of the articles placed within and such odors may be transferred to other articles placed within the cooling system, with obviously undesirable results. Further, conventional cooling systems produce humidity which may adversely affect the physical characteristics of the product being cooled, such as texture, taste, shelf life, and the like, of certain food articles which may be placed therein. For example, fresh baked bread may, if humidity and temperature are not carefully controlled, become soggy on at least one side during the cooling process. 
     Thermoelectric cooling systems, by contrast, provide a measure of advantage to the several shortcomings noted above. However, thermoelectric cooling systems of the prior art lack efficiency in certain respects because, upon interruption of the power supply, the current reverses flow such that what was a heat source becomes the heat sink, and what was the heat sink now becomes the heat source. 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide a thermoelectric cooling circuit that substantially prevents reversal of the heat source and heat sink when power is substantially interrupted upon a predetermined temperature range being reached at the heat source. It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide a bread box and a wine cooling rack using the thermoelectric cooling circuit of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention may be generally described as a thermoelectric cooling system having an electric circuit comprising a direct current (“d.c.”) power source for providing direct current throughout the electric circuit, a thermoelectric module having at least one heat sink and at least one heat source capable of being cooled to a predetermined temperature range, and a control assembly. The d.c. power source, the control assembly, and the thermoelectric module are connected to each other in series. The control assembly comprises a thermostat control switch mechanism and a resistive element connected to each other in parallel. The thermostat control switch mechanism has a sensor coupled to or thermally associated with the heat source of the thermoelectric module so that the temperature of the heat source can be monitored. The thermostat control switch mechanism is normally open in the predetermined temperature range detected by the sensor. The resistive element having a predetermined resistance sufficient for a level of voltage to be provided to the thermoelectric module, when the thermostat control switch mechanism is open, sufficient to substantially prevent reversal of the heat source and the heat sink 
     More particularly, the circuit of the present invention may be used in a thermoelectric bread box or a thermoelectric wine bottle cooling rack. The thermoelectric bread box is ventilated to maintain freshness and at the same time keep wrapped bread at a reduced temperature to prevent spoilage by mold growth. The device is almost devoid of insulation except to prevent condensation inside the thermoelectric element. The device functions with a thermostatic control that is shunted by an 800-10,000 ohm resistor to maintain voltage to the thermoelectric device but not enough amperage to activate the thermoelectric element when the thermostat is electrically open. (The type of resistor depends upon the voltage or current necessary to be maintained.) This unique condition of maintaining the voltage prevents the heat energy that was transferred to the heat sink from returning to the cooled side, due to the reversing action of the Peltier junctions, when the thermostat opens. Another unusual feature is the conforming cooling plate that is placed around the bread in the shape of a substantially U-shaped absorber to remove the heat. From test data it appears that when a conforming cooling plate is used objects cool faster. When conformal cooling plates or heat absorbers are employed on a bottle or container of liquid, e.g., wine, stratification is prevented and circulation is promoted inside the bottle which aids cooling. An explanation for this effect on liquids or wrapped bread may be that long wave radiation frequencies of 2 microns or greater, coming from wrapped bread, glass bottles, or other containers are absorbed by a conformal aluminum or copper plate (or plate having similar characteristics) if it surrounds a substantial portion, at least 75%, of the object to be cooled. An alternative explanation may be that substantially all the surface area of the body being cooled is associated with the conformal cooling surface. This method cools a bottle of water faster than a refrigerator using circulated cold air. This can be accomplished without insulating the entire box. 
     Alternatively, it has recently been found that effective cooling of liquids, like wine, in containers, like bottles, may be accomplished with a conformal cooling plate (first body) in cooling association with less than 75% of the object to be cooled, provided, a portion of the conformal cooling plate is in cooling contact or association with at least a portion of one side of the container or object to be cooled (the load). Liquids cooled by such a structure, or such a process, avoid stratification and substantially unequal cooling. Accordingly, uniform cooling of a liquid and maintenance of such uniform cooling may be accomplished by use of this alternative structure and method. 
     Alternatively, the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention may be described as a first body which is the heat source, a second body which is the heat sink and an interface composed of thermoelectric materials thermally connecting or coupling the first body with the second body. The interface being connected in a series to a d.c. power source. The first body is operable to absorb heat and thereafter transfer the heat to the second body through the interface, by the Peltier effect, when current is applied to the interface from the d.c. power source. The thermoelectric cooling system further includes a thermostat and a resistor which are electrically connected in parallel to one another. The parallel connection of the thermostat and the resistor creates a control device which allows the flow of current in a direction which prevents movement of heat from the second body to the first body when the thermostat control switch is opened. A minimum voltage is retained in the circuit and the heat return to the first body is thereby minimized. 
     The first body includes a shelf or conforming plate mounted within a housing, and wherein the load or article of interest (typically articles of food or beverage containers) to be cooled is placed on the shelf or within the conforming plate. The shelf or conforming plate are preferably made of a highly heat conductive material like metal and may have a uniform thickness or optionally, varying thickness. Alternatively, the load may rest on an insulated surface below a shelf. The load is then cooled by convection rather than conduction. The second body, made of a heat conductive material, includes a radiator, preferably, having a plurality of fins which radiate heat therefrom. The design of the first body and the second body is such that a steady state device is created, that is, the radiator emanates an amount of heat which is substantially equivalent to the heat generated by the mass of the shelf and the load on the shelf and the heat produced by the electrical circuit The invention may further include a fan directing heated air from the second body to an enclosed area to create an area of higher temperature. 
     The interface comprises a semiconductor or plurality of semiconductors which produce the desired Peltier effect. Varying numbers and types of semiconductors or other suitable thermoelectric materials may be employed to achieve different degrees of cooling. 
     The housing includes several apertures which serve to ventilate the article of interest which is placed upon the shelf and cooled by the effects of conduction. The present invention requires little, if any, insulation. The housing may also include a rack. 
     The present invention thus is efficient and is substantially a steady state device in that it is constantly on. The present invention further allows ventilation to keep the article of interest fresh and does not produce excessive humidity. 
     These and other benefits of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention in a bread box with the door closed; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention in a bread box with the door open; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention in a bread box with the door closed; 
     FIG. 3A is a side elevational view of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention in a bread box showing an alternate structure including a fan for blowing air over the heat sink; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention with the door dosed; 
     FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken from a position along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5A is a front elevational view of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention in a bread box showing the door open and a fan for blowing out excess moisture in response to a signal from a humidistat; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit used in the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is an alternative schematic diagram of the electrical circuit used in the present invention; preferably for a beverage cooling rack; 
     FIG. 8 is an alternative schematic diagram of the electrical circuit used in the present invention; preferably for a bread box; 
     FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention in a wine rack; 
     FIG. 10 is a front end view of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention in a wine rack showing the wine rack mounted under a shelf. 
     FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention in a wine rack showing the door of the wine rack in an open position; 
     FIG. 12 is a front end view of a portion of the thermoelectric cooling system of the present invention in a wine rack mounted under a shelf and illustrating that the conformal cooling structure of the present invention may be of alternative dimensions provided that at least a portion of the cooling structure maintains cooling association or contact with at least one side of the object to be cooled; 
     FIG. 13 is an elevated perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the thermoelectric cooling device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 14 is a side view of the thermoelectric cooling device of the embodiment of FIG. 13 with the rack in the storage position; 
     FIG. 15 is a side view of the thermoelectric cooling device of the embodiment of FIG. 13 with the rack in the raised position; 
     FIG. 16 is a front view of the thermoelectric cooling device of the embodiment of FIG. 13 with the rack in the raised position; 
     FIG. 17 is a top view of the thermoelectric cooling device of the embodiment of FIG. 13 with the rack in the raised position; 
     FIG. 18 is a rear view of the thermoelectric cooling device of the embodiment of FIG. 13 with the rack in the raised position; 
     FIG. 19 is a sectional side view of the thermoelectric cooling device of the embodiment of FIG. 13 taken along section line  19 — 19  of FIG.  17 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims. 
     With reference to the drawings a thermoelectric cooling system in accordance with the present invention is shown generally at numeral  10 . The thermoelectric cooling system  10  generally includes a housing  12 , a first body  14 , a second body  16 , an interface  18 , and a thermostatic control unit  70 . The housing  12  is generally configured in the shape of a box for use of the present invention as an electrically cooled bread box  200 . The housing  12  includes a left side wall  22 , a right side wall  24 , which opposes the left side wall  22 , a top wall  26 , a bottom wall  28  which opposes the top wall  26 , and a back wall  30 . The left side wall  22 , the right side wall  24 , the top wall  26  and the bottom wall  28  each terminate in an edge  32  which opposes the back wall  30 , and which defines an opening  34 , see FIGS. 1 and 5A 
     A door  36  is attached by hinges  38  to the bottom wall  28  at the edge  32 . The door  36  pivots on the hinges  38  to open and close the opening  34 . Further, FIGS. 2 and 5A depict the door  36  in an open position; and FIGS. 1, and  3 - 5  show the door  36  in a closed position. The walls  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 , and  30 , and the door  36  generally define an interior compartment or cavity  40 . The individual walls  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 , and  30  are made from a thermally conductive material. The door  36  has an inwardly-facing surface  42  which faces the interior compartment  40  when the door  36  is closed, and an outwardly facing surface  44 . The door  36  further includes a handle  46  and a latch  48 , the handle  46  extends normally outwardly from the exterior facing surface  44  and is shaped such that it is easily grasped and manipulated by a user. The handle  46  extends through the door  36  and is attached to the latch  48  such that rotation of the handle  46  simultaneously rotates the latch  48 . The combination latch  48  and the handle  46  are located proximal the top wall  26  when the door  36  is closed. The edge  32  is lipped such that rotation of the handle  46  by the user will rotate the latch to engage with the edge  32 . The door  36  is thereby secured in the closed position by rotation of the handle  46  to engage the latch  48  with the edge  32 . The door  36  is released by rotation of the handle  46  in a reverse direction. 
     The housing  12  further includes apertures  50  which are located in the left side wall  22  and the right side wall  24 . The apertures  50  serve to ventilate the articles of interest which are placed within the housing  12  to be cooled. Thus the thermoelectric cooling system  10  of the present invention is capable of ventilating the article(s) of interest placed therein, and therefore will not result in the creation or retention of odors which may adversely affect other articles placed therein, such as food products, for example. The housing  12  as depicted herein is sized to permit the cooling of a food product such as a loaf of bread. The housing  12  is generally fashioned to have an appearance such that it is an attractive addition to a counter top or other area of a kitchen. The exterior of the housing  12  is painted with reflective white paint that prevents normal radiation from entering into the interior compartment  40 . The housing  12  may additionally include a rack  15  for retaining objects. The rack  15  may optionally be pivotable between a storage position, as shown in FIG. 14, and a raised position, as shown in FIGS. 15-18. 
     Referring again to FIGS. 1-19, the first body  14  is a heat source of the thermoelectric cooling system  10 . The first body  14  includes a shelf  52  which is mounted within the interior compartment  40  of the housing  12 . The shelf  52  extends between the left side wall  22  and the right side wall  24 , and, as viewed in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, is generally U-shaped in configuration when viewed from either the right or the left side. The U-shape of the shelf  52  includes a first leg  54 , a second leg  56 , which is substantially parallel to the first leg  54 , and a third leg  58  which extends there between and is perpendicular to the first and second legs  52  and  54 , respectively. The first leg  54  of the shelf  52  is positioned against the bottom wall  28  and the third leg  58  is positioned against the back wall  30 . A layer of thermal insulation  60  is placed between the legs  4  and  58  and the walls  28  and  30 , respectively. The thermal insulation  60  is located as shown in the drawing to thermally insulate the shelf  52  thereby optimizing its cooling efficiency. The insulation  60  is preferably made of polyethylene or a similar material and which further inhibits the growth of mold or similar organisms within the housing  12 . The shelf  52  is held in place against the walls  28  and  30  by rivets (not shown). The shelf  52  is preferably made of a highly heat conductive material like metal, such as, aluminum. 
     Because the shelf  52  is made of aluminum, the shelf  52  has excellent heat conduction capability to remove heat from the articles of interest placed thereon. Other substrates or combination of substrates would be useful in this application providing the meet the aforementioned performance parameters. The size of the housing  12  and the shelf  52  is such that there is sufficient clearance between the second leg  56  and the top wall  26 , or between the first leg  54  and the second leg  56  to place the articles on top either the first leg  54  or the second leg  56 . In a first aspect of the present invention, the articles of interest are cooled through the shelf  52  by the effects of conduction and absorption of heat at the Peltier junction. 
     In an optional alternate aspect of the present invention, shown in FIGS. 13-19, the articles of interest are cooled through the shelf  52  by the effects of convection. In such an embodiment, an internal floor  61  rests above a layer of insulation  63  covering the interior surfaces of the first leg  54  and the third leg  58 . Thus, the articles of interest rest on an internal floor  61  insulated from the surface of the shelf  52 . By resting on an insulated inner floor  61  rather than the shelf  52 , the condensation is less likely to form on the article of interest. The air surrounding the article is maintained at a set temperature by cooled air drawn by gravity down to the article from the second leg  56 . Thus, rather than cooling the article by direct conduction, the article is cooled by convection. That is, the air surrounding the article is cooled by the exposed second leg  56  of the shelf. 
     Additionally, the thickness of the shelf  52  may optionally vary to create temperature gradients throughout the shelf  52 . This allows articles to be held at different temperatures depending on the location of the article on the shelf. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the shelf may comprise two connected plates—a thinner second leg  56  connected to a thicker first leg  54  through a joint at the third leg  58 . In such an embodiment, the second leg  56  optionally may be maintained at 55° F. and may be connected to the supporting third leg  58  maintained at 50° F. that, in turn, connects to a first leg  54 , the surface of which may be maintained at 49° F. 
     With reference to FIGS. 1-19, the interface  18  is located intermediate the first body  14  and the second body  16 . The interface  18  is a semiconductor module. Suitable modules for the purpose of this invention are manufactured by Melcor Materials Electronic Products Corporation of Trenton, N.J. The specific module is dependent upon the intended cooling specifications of the thermoelectric cooling system  10 . Modules are available in a great variety of sizes, shapes, operating current, operating voltages, and ranges of heat pumping capacity. The semiconductor modules are well known in the prior are encased within a layer of ceramic coating  65  which serves to keep out moisture and act as an insulator such that the modules are electrically insulated from the heat exchanger  14  and  16 . The second body  16  acts as a heat sink. The first body  14  and the second body  16  are coupled to the interface  18  so that heat energy may be transferred from the first body  14  to the second body  16 . 
     The second body  16  includes a radiator  62  having a plurality of fins  64  which are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 for providing increased surface area for disposal of heat The radiator  62  has a black anodized coating to optimize radiation of heat therefrom. The design of the first body  14 , and the second body  16  is such that a steady state device is created, that is, the radiator  62  substantially emanates the quantity of heat generated by the mass of the shelf  52  and the heat generated by the electrical circuit. The heat balance described herein may be established by a calculation of heat transfer according to known methods, or by a trial-and-error process. 
     FIG. 6 shows one embodiment of the circuitry employed in the present invention. The electrical circuit  19  of the thermoelectric cooling system  10  includes a direct current (“d.c.”) power source  66 , a switch  68 , and a thermostatic control unit  70 . The switch  68  is simply a manual switch by which the user may turn the thermoelectric cooling system  10  on or off. The thermostatic control unit  70  comprises a control switch thermostat  72  and a 1000 ohm resistor  74  which are electrically connected in parallel with each other. The thermostat  72  is typically of a bimetal type which turns the circuit on and off at the threshold cooling temperature. The connection of the resistor  74  in parallel with the thermostat  72  maintains a lower voltage, approximately 0.75 volts, in the circuit  19  when the temperature, sensed by a temperature sensor  172  of the thermostat  72 , reaches the desired range and the thermostat  72  opens the connection between it and the thermoelectric module or interface  18 . For bread the desired temperature range is 49°-55° F. and for wine 33°-40° F.; although personal taste may lead a person to choose other temperature ranges. 
     The electric circuit may additionally include an ambient temperature sensor  105  to measure the ambient temperature and vary the thermostat settings as the ambient temperature varies within a range, for example from 55° F. to 90° F. Based on ambient temperature and, optionally, the humidity, the internal temperature could be adjusted to prevent the internal temperature from dropping below the dew point of the air. In other words, as ambient temperature rises, the internal temperature can be raised to prevent condensation from forming on the load to be cooled such as a loaf of bread. 
     Once the thermostat  72  opens the connection between the power supply  66  and the module or interface  18  is substantially cut but the minimum 0.75 volts voltage is maintained through the shunt resistor  74 . Power to the circuit  19  is never totally cut off, if it were then the heat source and heat sink would reverse. The minimum voltage prevents reversal of the heat source and heat sink so that the cold side stays cold since the 0.75 volt of electricity allowed to run through the circuit  19  is sufficient to overcome the roughly 0.3 volt of reversal voltage of the circuit  19 . Accordingly, so long as a voltage is maintained sufficient to overcome the reversal voltage the heat source and the heat sink will not reverse and the temperature of the load or article of interest will be maintained in the desired temperature range. In the present invention this is a desired cooler temperature for keeping the load cool although reversal of the polarity of the power source would result in keeping the load in a desired warmer temperature range using the same circuit  19  disclosed herein. 
     The electrical circuit  19  of FIG. 6 further shows an LED  76  and a resistor  78  which are electrically connected to each other and disposed to the opposite polarity of the power source. The purpose of the LED  76  is to indicate to the user whether the thermoelectric cooling system  10  has been turned on or off by the switch  68 . The resistor  78  reduces the voltage through the LED to a voltage level with which it is compatible. 
     The specifications of the housing  12 , the shelf  52 , and the electrical circuit  19  may be altered in order to be adapted to different specific uses. For example, one particularly desirable use would be to apply the thermoelectric cooling system  10  as a cooled bread box  200 . See FIGS. 1-5A. In such an application, the housing  12  and the shelf  52  must be sized to accommodate a loaf of bread. The thermoelectric cooling system  10  is particularly well suited to bakery products because the system  10  does not accumulate and transfer odors as would occur with a conventional refrigerator having an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser. Because bread is cooled by conduction through the shelf  52 , the apertures  50  do not affect the cooling of the bread or other articles of interest because the bread is cooled through a wrapper about the loaf which retains the cool air around the bread in the wrapper. The thermoelectric system  10  further does not produce an environment which contributes humidity to the cooling of the articles of interest, which is further beneficial to an extended shelf life for bakery products. The power draw of the thermoelectric cooling system  10  as applied to cooling of a loaf of bread to around a range of 49°-55° F. is about 40 watts. It is to be understood that the thermoelectric cooling system  10  as described above and specifically applied to a use as a bread box  200  may be used for many other products, for example, bakery products and medicines which require refrigeration. It is to be further understood that the specification of the thermoelectric cooling system  10  may be altered for other contemplated uses which may require alternate physical dimensions or degrees of cooling. Additional cooling may be accomplished, for example, by incorporating additional semiconductors into the electrical circuit to increase the amounts of cooling. 
     Further, the electric circuit of the thermoelectric cooling system  10  could be further modified as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 (and as shown if FIGS. 3A and 5A) to include a quick cooling fan  106  or, as shown only in FIG. 8, to further include a vent fan  102  and a humidistat  104 . See circuits  100  and  101  of FIGS. 8 and 7. 
     The humidistat  104  could be set to a desired humidity level and actuate the vent fan  102 , much in the same manner that a thermostat may be used for that purpose, so that when the desired humidity level is exceeded the air containing the excessive moisture is quickly expelled. 
     Additionally, referring to both FIGS. 7 and 8 a cooling fan  106  could be added to either the beverage cooler and the bread box of the thermoelectric cooling system  10  to provide for a quick chill feature. The cooling fan  106  would be directed at the heat sink or second body  16  as shown in FIGS. 3A, and  7 - 10 . The cooling fan  106  is connected in parallel to the interface  18 . A switch  168  is provided for independent manual actuation of the cooling fan  106  when the electric circuit  100  or  101  of FIGS. 8 and 7 is energized. Actuation of the switch  168  will turn on the cooling fan  106  and thereby increase the rate of heat dissipation from the heat sink or second body  16 , quickly cooling whatever load is placed on the heat source; e.g., a wine bottle, a beverage bottle, or a loaf of bread. 
     Additionally, the heated air drawn from the heat sink or second body  16  by the cooling fan  106  may optionally be used to warm an enclosed area  107  to simultaneously maintain a load cool as described above and maintain a second load  109  on or near the enclosed area warm. For example, the heated air may be circulated to an enclosed area  107  upon which butter or the like may be placed to maintain the butter soft and spreadable. Additionally or alternatively, the heated air from the heat sink or second body  16  may be circulated to a rack  15  external to the housing  12  to prevent condensation from forming upon objects placed on the rack  15  such as hot, fresh bread. 
     Referring to FIG.  7  and FIGS. 9-11, the wine rack  120  using the cooling system  10  of the present invention may be seen. The wine rack  120  is designed to hold as many wine bottles  122  as is desired. In the present embodiment only two of the wine bottles  122 , wine bottles  122 A and  122 B, are thermally associated or connected with the first body  14  or heat source. The third bottle  122 C, as shown in FIGS. 9-11, is not in thermal association with the first body  14  and thus is not cooled but remains at room temperature. Consequently, the rack  100  may be used to keep a predetermined number of wine bottles chilled and at room temperature simultaneously. The wine bottles  122 A and  122 B that are to be chilled are thermally associated with the first body  14  through curved metal sleeves  152  which substantially conform to the shape of the body of the bottles  122 A and  122 B to facilitate cooling of the wine without stratification. 
     In the operation of the present invention, the user would plug the thermoelectric cooling system  10  into a standard alternating current (“a.c.” outlet or other power source. Where alternating current is employed it is converted to d.c. by rectification with suitable electronics, for example, a d.c. power supply or converter. The user may turn the thermoelectric cooling system  10  on or off by means of the switch  68 . The shelf  52  or sleeves  152  then become the heat source and the radiator  62  or  162  becomes a heat sink The cooling is adjusted according to the thermostat  72 , which turns the circuit on or off to maintain the cooling at a preselected threshold value while the switch  68  is engaged. A solid state cooling system  10  thus results in as much as the heat emanated through the radiator  62  or  162  is substantially equivalent to the quantity of heat generated by the mass of the shelf  52  or sleeve  152  and the electrical current that runs through the electrical circuits of FIGS. 6-8. 
     Finally, referring to FIG. 12, the curved metal sleeve  152  which is the conformal cooling structure may be seen to conform to a portion of the object to be cooled which is the wine bottle  122   a . References A, B, and C illustrate that the metal sleeve  152  may be of a range of dimensions provided that a portion  152   a  is kept in cooling contact with a portion of side  122   d  of the bottle  122   a.    
     The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described.