Heating-cooling device with no power grid

Abstract

A heating-cooling device is disclosed which includes a container having a continuous containment wall that defines an inner containment region. The containment wall is formed by a first, or outer layer, and a second, or inner layer facing towards the inner containment region and is separated from the first layer to form a gap region wherein vacuum is created. The device further has an electric generator an electric charge accumulator external to the container a thermoelectric device positioned inside the gap in contact with the inner layer of the containment wall for transferring the heat relative to the inner containment region and a control unit positioned external to the container and connected to the electric generator, to the charge accumulator and the thermoelectric device for handling the passage of current through the thermoelectric device so as to determine the cooling or heating of the inner containment region.

1 . A heating-cooling device of various sizes, comprising a container having a continuous containment wall that extends in a single body and defines an inner containment region with an opening, the containment wall having an edge portion in proximity to the opening and being formed by a first layer, or outer layer, and a second layer, or inner layer facing towards the inner containment region and separated from the first layer so as to form a gap region, wherein inside said gap vacuum is created, said device further comprising:
 an electric generator external to the container for producing electrical energy, an electric charge accumulator external to the container for storing the energy produced by the generator, a thermoelectric device positioned inside the gap in contact with the inner layer of the containment wall for transferring heat relative to the inner containment region and a control unit positioned external to the container and connected at least to the electric generator to the charge accumulator and to the thermoelectric device for managing the passage of current through the thermoelectric device so as to determine, according to the case, the cooling or heating of the inner containment region.   
     
     
         2 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric generator is formed by a film of transparent photovoltaic material applied to the outer layer of the containment wall. 
     
     
         3 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection between the electric generator and the charge accumulator takes place through electrodes integrated into the outer layer of the containment wall. 
     
     
         4 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the charge accumulator is formed by a rechargeable battery of various types, according to the efficiency required for the final market. 
     
     
         5 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric device is formed by a Peltier cell. 
     
     
         6 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 5 , wherein the Peltier cell forms a single body with a region of the inner layer of the containment wall. 
     
     
         7 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric device further comprises a heat sink positioned inside the gap in contact between a surface of the thermoelectric device and the outer layer of the containment wall. 
     
     
         8 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a heat sensor in contact with the inner layer of the containment wall and connected to the control unit  444  for reading the temperature inside the container. 
     
     
         9 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises a microprocessor. 
     
     
         10 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises a wireless unit for managing the device remotely. 
     
     
         11 . The heating-cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second layer are made of ceramic material, particularly of hard feldspathic porcelain. 
     
     
         12 . A hermetic closing kit comprising a heating-cooling device according to  claim 1  and a closing element to be positioned at an edge portion of the containment wall of the container of the device in proximity to the opening for closing said opening of said container, the closing element consisting of two layers of ceramic material separated from one another and defining a gap inside which vacuum is formed and a sealing element made of polymeric material coupled to the closing element, wherein, in a closed configuration, the sealing element is in direct contact with the containment wall of the container for hermetically closing the opening. 
     
     
         13 . A method for manufacturing a heating-cooling device according to  claim 1  comprising the following steps:
 creating a first layer, or outer layer, through a firing process at a temperature T 1 , said first layer defining the outer continuous containment wall, of the container comprised in the device, creating a second layer, or inner layer, through a firing process at a temperature T 2  equal to T 1 , said second layer defining the continuous inner containment wall of the container comprised in the device, the second layer being separate from the first layer so as to form a gap region, applying a thermoelectric device inside the gap in contact with the inner layer of the containment wall, creating a junction element through a firing process at temperature T 3  and hermetically fixing said junction element at an edge portion of the containment wall of the container at the opening for an indirect connection between the first and the second layer, applying an energy generator, a charge accumulator and a control unit outside the container, wherein the connection between the control unit and the thermoelectric device takes place through an electrical connection means, said means passing through a hole on the outer layer of the containment wall, creating the vacuum within the gap formed between the first and the second layer. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the step of hermetically fixing the junction element to the containment wall takes place through a firing process at a temperature T 4  much lower than T 1  or through a gluing or welding process. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the connection between the electric generator and the charge accumulator takes place through electrodes integrated into the outer layer of the containment wall. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the creation of vacuum takes place by means of the extraction of air through the hole on the outer layer of the containment wall and the maintenance of the vacuum within the gap takes place by means of a closing means that hermetically closes the hole once vacuum has been created, said means being held in position by a pressure variation exerted on the closing means by the vacuum created within the gap and wherein the electrical connection means crosses the closing means through rheophores. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein to reach absolute vacuum or very low levels of pressure within the gap, vacuum systems are used.