Patent Publication Number: US-2023158857-A1

Title: Solar powered temperature modulation assembly for motor vehicle passenger compartment

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/289,914, filed Mar. 1, 2019, which claimed the benefit of and incorporated by reference U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/709,255, filed Jan. 2, 2018, and co-pending U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/917,683 filed Dec. 26, 2018. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a solar powered cooling and heating device for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     In modern times, it is common for many type of motor vehicles to include an enclosed passenger compartment that operates to provide, among other things, seating of the driver and passengers of the vehicle. For motor vehicles with such an enclosed passenger compartment, mechanisms for providing heating and cooling functionality are generally provided so that the internal environment of the compartment can be regulated as desired by the occupants. Because they generally require a substantial amount of power or energy to operate, however, such mechanisms for providing heating and cooling functionality typically only operate while a vehicle is in use. As a result, during the times when the vehicle is not in use, the passenger compartment can become very hot or cold depending on weather conditions. Therefore, a problem which still exists is that the passenger compartments of vehicles commonly become very hot or cold in between uses of the vehicle. 
     Accordingly, what is needed is a temperature modulation assembly for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment which uses electricity generated from solar radiation to power a thermoelectric cooler. It would additionally be desirable for such a temperature modulation assembly to employ fans to direct ambient air across both the cool side and the hot side of the thermoelectric cooler in a manner which causes the cooled air and heated air to automatically be strategically distributed in the vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure describes a temperature modulation assembly for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment, comprising: an assembly panel configured to convert sunlight into electricity; an assembly housing integral with said assembly panel and defining an enclosure having a lower internal portion, an upper internal portion, a front region and a pair of opposing side regions; a front vent integral with said front region; at least one side screen integral with at least one of said pair of opposing side regions; a thermoelectric Peltier cooler integral with said assembly housing and having a first side and a second side and configured to transfer heat from the first side to the second side when supplied with electricity that originated at the assembly panel, wherein said thermoelectric Peltier cooler is oriented such that the first side is positioned in said lower internal portion and said second side is positioned in said upper internal portion; and a fluid distribution module integral with said assembly housing and adapted to draw a fluid material into the assembly housing, cause a first portion of said fluid material to be cooled by operation of the first side of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler and directed out of the lower internal portion and the assembly housing, and cause a second portion of said fluid material to be heated by operation of the second side of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler and directed out of the upper internal portion and the assembly housing when supplied with electricity that originated at the assembly panel. 
     The fluid distribution module may comprise a cool side distribution fan and a hot side distribution fan which direct fluid material in the lower internal portion and upper internal portion, respectively, out of the front vent, and a pair of intake fans which draw fluid material into the lower internal portion and upper internal portion through the at least one side screen. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a temperature modulation assembly for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment which uses electricity generated from solar radiation to power a thermoelectric cooler. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a temperature modulation assembly for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment which employs fans to direct ambient air across both the cool side and the hot side of the thermoelectric cooler in a manner which causes the cooled air and heated air to automatically be strategically distributed in the vehicle. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to one of skill in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a side perspective view of a temperature modulation assembly for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment built in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a back perspective view of a temperature modulation assembly for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment built in accordance with the present invention shown positioned against a front windshield of a vehicle. 
         FIG.  3    is a side elevational view showing a cross section of assembly housing of a temperature modulation assembly for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment built in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a top plan view showing a cross section of the assembly housing of a temperature modulation assembly for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment built in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG.  5    is a schematic diagram showing the operational components of a temperature modulation assembly for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment built in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings and in particular  FIGS.  1  and  2   , a temperature modulation assembly  100  for a motor vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment is shown having an assembly panel  110  and an assembly housing  120 . The assembly panel  110  may include a single or a plurality of solar panels which are operative to absorb photons in sunlight and create a photovoltaic effect that converts the sunlight into electricity. The components housed in the assembly housing  120  then utilize electricity to direct some air from in the vehicle over a cooling surface and then back into the vehicle and some air from in the vehicle over a warming surface and then back into the vehicle, as described below with reference to  FIGS.  3 - 5   . 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 , and  5   , the assembly housing  120  includes a plurality of temperature control components and a plurality of electrical control components. The temperature control components include a thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130 , a cool side heat sink  131 , a cool side distribution fan  132 , a hot side heat sink  133 , a hot side distribution fan  134 , and a pair of intake fans  135 . The electrical control components include a charge controller  140 , a controller  141 , and a battery  142 . The exterior of the assembly housing  120  includes a front vent  121 , a pair of side screens  122  each positioned on opposing sides of the assembly housing and disposed in a side wall of the assembly housing  120 , and a manually actuated switch  123 . While most of the side walls of the assembly housing  120  may be constructed of solid material, it is contemplated that the front vent  121  may include a plurality of fins to allow air to flow in and out of the front of the assembly housing  120  through the front vent  121  and side screens  122  may be formed of a mesh material to allow air to flow in and out of the sides of the assembly housing  120  through the side screens  122 . 
     The interior of the assembly housing  120  may be divided by a divider wall  124  so as to form an upper compartment and a lower compartment. The fins of the front vent  121  which are in front of the upper compartment may be angled upward (i.e., directing away from the lower compartment) and the fins of the front vent which are in front of the lower compartment may be angled downward (i.e., directing away from the upper compartment). The divider wall  124  is positioned such that air flowing into the side screens  122  may enter the upper compartment or the lower compartment. Positioned next to each of the side screens  122  is one of the intake fans  135 . When in provided with electricity, each intake fan  135  is operative to pull air from outside of the assembly housing  120  into the assembly housing  120  through the side screen  122  that it is positioned next to. 
     Integral with the divider wall  124  is the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130 , with the cool side thereof oriented to face the lower compartment of the assembly housing  120  and the opposing hot side thereof oriented to face the upper compartment of the assembly housing  120 . It is appreciated that when the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130  is supplied with direct current electricity, it brings heat from one side to the other. Accordingly, the “cool side” of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130 , as referenced herein, refers to the side of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130  from which heat is brought and the “hot side” of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130 , as referenced herein, refers to the side of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130  to which heat is brought. 
     The cool side heat sink  131  is attached to the cool side of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130  and extends downward into the lower compartment of the assembly housing  120 . The cool side distribution fan  132  is positioned behind the cool side heat sink  131 , so that when activated, it directs air across the cool side heat sink  131  and out of the lower part of the front vent  121 . It is contemplated that when the cool side distribution fan  132  is activated, it is primarily the air flowing into the side screens  122  that enters the lower compartment that is being directed across the cool side heat sink  131  and out of the lower part of the front vent  121  by the cool side distribution fan  132 . 
     The hot side heat sink  133  is attached to the hot side of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130  and extends upward into the upper compartment of the assembly housing  120 . The hot side distribution fan  134  is positioned behind the hot side heat sink  133 , so that when activated, it directs air across the hot side heat sink  133  and out of the upper part of the front vent  121 . It is contemplated that when the hot side distribution fan  134  is activated, it is primarily the air flowing into the side screens  122  that enters the upper compartment that is being directed across the hot side heat sink  133  and out of the upper part of the front vent  121  by the hot side distribution fan  134 . 
     The assembly panel  110  may be electrically connected to the assembly housing  120 , and more particularly, to the charge controller  140  in the assembly housing  120 . The charge controller  140  is electrically interconnected with the controller  141  and the battery  142  so that the charge controller  140  can manage the supply of electricity from the assembly panel  110  to the controller  141  and to the battery  142  and the storage of such electricity in the battery  142 . In addition, the controller  141  is electrically connected to the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130 , cool side distribution fan  132 , hot side distribution fan  134 , intake fans  135 , and switch  123  and includes software containing instructions which enables it to selectively supply electricity from either the charge controller  140  or battery  142  either automatically or in response to actuation of the switch  123 . It is appreciated that the electrical connections between components may be through electrical wiring (not shown). 
     In operation, when the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130 , cool side distribution fan  132 , hot side distribution fan  134 , intake fans  135  are supplied electricity, the Peltier cooler  120  operates to absorb heat in the air that is being directed into the lower compartment of the assembly housing  120  by operation of the intake fans  135  and across the cool side heat sink  131  by operation of the cool side distribution fan  132 . As a result, air that exits the lower part of the front vent  121  by operation of the cool side distribution fan  132  is cooled relative to most of the air in the passenger compartment. At the same time, air being directed into the upper compartment by operation of the intake fans  135  is directed across the hot side heat sink  133  by operation of the hot side distribution fan  134  where it absorbs heat therein (which was transferred from the cool side of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130  by way of the hot side of the thermoelectric Peltier cooler  130 ). This air is heated through its absorption of heat from the hot side heat sink  133  prior to exiting from the upper part of the front vent  121  by operation of the hot side distribution fan  134 . 
     Because this cooled air will be more dense than the ambient air in the vehicle, it will remain in a lower part of the passenger compartment, near the passenger seating. Conversely, because the heated air will be less dense than the ambient air in the vehicle, it will run up the windshield and stay adjacent to the ceiling of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. As such, it is contemplated that the temperature modulation assembly  100  may additionally operate to prevent the formation or accumulation of frozen material on a windshield on a sunny but cold day. 
     The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.