Patent ID: 7726146

Claim:
A thermal surface apparatus, comprising: a furniture top having an upper surface and a lower surface; a first opening defined in the upper surface of the furniture top; a first thermally conductive plate having a single continuous upper surface and a lower surface, the first plate positioned in the first opening such that the upper surface of the first plate substantially fills the first opening and such that the upper surface of the furniture top and the upper surface of the first plate are substantially coplanar; a thermal exchanger thermally coupled with the first plate; a thermally conductive member thermally coupled between the first plate and the thermal exchanger; and a reservoir, the reservoir containing a heat transfer fluid, the heat transfer fluid thermally coupled with the member and the thermal exchanger; the thermal exchanger comprising: a vapor-compression system; and an evaporator tube in contact with at least one of the heat transfer fluid and the member.