JP2010502020A - Humidity control of electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus 2 and a method for controlling humidity by dehumidifying the inside of a housing 1 including an electronic device. The apparatus 2 includes a heating element 3 disposed so as to be in contact with ambient air outside the housing 1 and a cooling element 4 disposed so as to be in contact with ambient air inside the housing 1. The dew condensed in the cooling element 4 is guided to the heating element 3, and the humidity from the air condensed in the cooling element 4 can be transported to the heating element 3 and evaporated, and the water guiding means includes a capillary structure 6. In another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a humidity control configuration by exchanging the functions of the heating and cooling elements and reversing the flow of water.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling humidity by dehumidifying the inside of a housing including an electronic device.

  Electronic equipment intended to be located where it can be exposed to a moist environment or water is often protected by a waterproof housing. However, there can be small inlets where water can enter the enclosure, such as gaps, stomas, or diffusion leaks. Making this cabinet completely waterproof is often an expensive procedure, and in many cases water such as mist or humidity can already enter the cabinet when the product is new. Even if the product is completely waterproof, it can cause degradation in normal use, unexpected impact or assault on the product, or degradation of the waterproof protection system, such as exposure to the environment, such as the sun, wind or rain. May deteriorate, so water or moist air may enter the cabinet. There is also a risk that when opening the cabinet for maintenance work, water vapor or water will enter the cabinet. Whatever the water vapor is trapped inside the cabinet, if the humidity is not controlled, the water vapor will cause corrosion problems in the cabinet.

  The size of the cabinet intended to be dehumidified according to the present invention may vary widely, for example from 2 to 500 liters (0.002 to 0.500 cubic meters). This size represents many different low power dissipation devices where long term corrosion protection is desired. For dehumidification of equipment of the size described above, it is usually difficult to introduce dehumidification or ventilation devices commonly used in the dehumidification field. This device is usually equipped with some active dehumidifier such as a heating element, a fan and a ventilation conduit and is generally quite bulky and difficult to fit in a small space. The rather complex configurations of such systems make them expensive, and the applied configurations can also cause something in the configuration to fail or need to be serviced irregularly to operate. It contributes to the risk of being present. In many cases, the cabinet where the dehumidifier will be used is located in an inconvenient location or far away from maintenance personnel, and such maintenance work is costly and time consuming. Become.

  Today, one commonly used type of protection for the interior of a housing with electronic equipment is to use a waterproof seal and attach a dry capsule with an absorbent that absorbs water vapor inside the housing. is there. This method of making the housing of the equipment is rather limited because it is important that the seal be anti-diffusion in order to have a low maintenance cost. In such a system, it is difficult to know what the dimensions of the dehumidifier should be so that it does not require unnecessary space but still has sufficient mounting capacity so that it does not need to be changed too often. There is often. To function as desired, some indication system is needed to indicate when the absorbent is full, or some regular service is needed when the absorbent is checked and can be replaced if necessary. In either case, it is necessary to physically open the housing and replace the dehumidifying capsule. Regardless of the dimensions of such a dehumidifier, maintenance will be required to periodically replace the dry capsules to keep the water vapor level within the enclosure below acceptable levels. Therefore, long-term costs will be high because maintenance personnel are required to check the capsules on site and make changes when needed.

  Several other solutions have been proposed for the water vapor problem associated with electronics that are not related to dry capsules. One solution is described in US 6,196,003, where a heating element is used to dehumidify the oil-filled electronic device in order to protect the oil from water. In DE 2534909 a substation dehumidification system for mobile network connection is described. According to the idea disclosed there, a sensor is used as a dew point detector that turns on the heater in a situation where condensation is detected. However, it does not disclose how water vapor is removed in this system, but merely how to prevent water vapor condensation, and therefore does not provide a dehumidifying environment for the electronics.

  EP 368382 describes an apparatus for dehumidification of a housing comprising an electronic device from which water vapor is removed from inside the housing. In this device, the cooling element is located in contact with the internal air and condenses the dew from the internal air, which can be collected in a container from which it can be led out of the enclosure through a conduit. is there. However, unless the water that condenses is very large, the device will probably not work very effectively. If there is a small amount of water to condense, most will have problems transporting the condensed water out. First, in order to make a drop that falls into a container, the drop needs to be a certain size before going down, for example by gravity. Furthermore, if the discharge conduit is too small, water may adhere to the interior of the conduit due to capillary forces. In contrast, if the conduit is too large, water vapor in the form of moist air may enter the enclosure from the outside.

  Therefore, there is a need for a better dehumidification unit that remains fairly small so that it can fit in the housing without any major changes. Preferably, dehumidification will be able to continue without any necessary regular maintenance work. More preferably, the dehumidification unit ensures that the housing does not have to be completely waterproof in all seals, so that the design allows a great degree of freedom and the legitimate accuracy in the production of the housing and its connecting edges It would be possible to avoid the need to exceed. Further, there is a need for an improved dehumidification system that works satisfactorily in transporting condensed water from the interior of the enclosure to the exterior.

  The present invention provides an improved apparatus and method for achieving satisfactory dehumidification inside a housing with electronic equipment and preventing corrosion due to water or mist present in the housing. According to the present invention, the heating element and the cooling element are arranged so that the cooling element is in contact with the ambient air inside the casing, and the heating element is arranged in contact with the ambient air outside the casing. A dehumidifier having the above is mounted in connection with the housing. The dehumidifier is further provided with water guiding means for guiding the dew condensed in the cooling element to the heating element, so that the humidity from the air condensed in the cooling element can be transported to the heating element and evaporated there. is there. In order to provide improved water transport, the water guiding means comprises a capillary structure.

  This solution provides a simple arrangement for dehumidifying the air in the cabinet. The present invention can be used for all types of electronic devices included in boxes and the like. One field of use may be, for example, a base station in a telecommunications network.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, the capillary structure is in contact with the heating element and guides water condensed in the cooling element to the heating element. The capillary structure may be a mat, for example.

  By using the capillary mat in contact with the heating element, it becomes possible to suck water into the heating element using the water absorption of the capillary mat, and water evaporates in the heating element. The effect of using capillary forces for water transport is that such a distribution system can work without being transported using gravity or any pumping equipment. In this case, the water transport depends mainly on the evaporation rate, freeing the capillaries in the heating element from the water, thereby sucking up new condensed water into the heated capillaries. In this context, “capillary mat” means any capillary structure that can absorb liquid by capillary force.

  In addition to having a first part of the capillary mat that covers at least part of the surface of the heating element and evaporates dew on the hot side, the dehumidifier covers at least part of the surface of the cooling element and condenses on the cold side A second portion of the capillary mat that absorbs the dew may be provided. The first and second parts of the mat are connected to each other by water guiding means. In certain embodiments, the water guiding means connecting the first and second portions of the capillary mat may comprise a third portion of the mat.

  It will be noted that the three parts of the mat are either divided or are one object with different areas. Further, it may be effective not to provide a mat over the entire surface of the cooling element and / or the heating element. For example, allowing a portion of the cooling surface not to be covered with a capillary structure means that the cooling element is in direct contact with the ambient air and is not isolated by the mat, thus increasing the condensation efficiency. It will be possible.

  However, it is not necessary that the dehumidifier comprises second and third capillary mats. In an alternative embodiment, it may be possible to collect dew condensed on the cold side in a container that is in contact with a portion of the first capillary mat. Preferably, the container is located under the cooling element so that water will fall into the container by gravity. The first capillary mat then transports the collected water to the heating element by capillary force, where the dew evaporates out of the housing.

  In an embodiment of the present invention, the heating element and the cooling element are formed as one object having a first surface and a second surface, the heating element is located on the first surface, and the cooling element is the second Located on the surface.

  In some designs, the surface is created as a common flat plate. In this case, the element is preferably made as a relatively flat plate with heating and cooling elements located on opposite sides. In order to prevent heat transfer between the two sides, the plate may be provided with an insulation layer between the two sides.

  It should be noted that the surface does not necessarily mean a flat and continuous structure, for example, on a microstructure scale, porous, microfiber or fiber, wavy with microstructure irregularities, or any desired shape The element may be provided. In addition, on a macrostructure scale, the elements may be spheres with holes, cylinders, concave or convex, planar, or other geometric shapes.

  If the heating and cooling elements are configured as one object, the object may comprise a Peltier element with a heating element on one side and a cooling element on the other side. This embodiment provides the effect of having one element that naturally creates a heating element and a cooling element when powered by DC.

  If the heating and cooling element is configured as a single object, for example a flat Peltier element in which the first and second surfaces are opposite to each other, the third part of the capillary mat is located outside the object. The water may be guided between the first part and the second part of the mat. This can be achieved by winding a capillary mat or structure around the object (Peltier element) and thus covering at least one end of the heating element, the cooling element and the object with the mat. This provides a structure that is simple to manufacture and a relatively small element for mounting in a housing.

  In another embodiment, the cooling and heating object is provided with one or more holes connecting the first heating surface and the second cooling surface. In this case, water can be led from the first part of the mat located on one side through the hole to the second part of the mat located on the second side of the mat. The desired number of holes is preferably provided with a third portion of the capillary mat, which facilitates the transport of water from the cold side to the hot side.

  In an embodiment similar to that described above, i.e. an element comprising one or more holes connecting the first and second surfaces of the cooling and heating object, it is necessary to provide a capillary mat on the heating and cooling surface. Rather, capillary mats are provided only in the holes. However, the capillary mat in the hole is arranged such that the capillary mat is in contact with the heating element and the cooling element in the hole, and one or more for wicking from the cold side to the warm side of the condensed water that evaporates. Form a capillary column. It goes without saying that it is possible to carry out an embodiment which is a mixture of this embodiment and the previous one, i.e. to provide a part of the capillary mat on the side with either the heating element or the cooling element. For example, it may be preferable to provide a capillary mat on the cold side, thereby absorbing condensed water and avoiding water falling from the cooling element and thus staying in the housing.

  In the previous embodiment, the present invention has been described as comprising a single element comprising both a heating element and a cooling element. It will be noted that the principles of the invention will also work if the heating and cooling elements are separate units at different locations. This may be preferred from a structural point of view in certain applications and may have the advantage of better separation of heating and cooling sources. However, in most applications, the combination of heating and cooling elements as one object will have the advantage of a compact and simple design with a short distance of water transport between the elements.

  A dehumidifier may be located in the position in a housing | casing, or the position connected to a housing | casing. In certain embodiments, the heating and cooling elements are mounted on or adjacent to the outer wall of the housing. When the heating and cooling element is configured as a single object with the cooling side opposite the heating side, the element is preferably a housing with the cooling element inside and the heating side outside. Is incorporated as part of the outer wall.

  Alternatively, the heating element and the cooling element can be mounted inside the housing, whereby the heating element is connected to the outside of the housing via an air ventilation duct. To prevent re-evaporated water from re-entering the air inside the enclosure, the air ventilation duct should be tight so that the air exiting the enclosure does not come into contact with the internal air of the enclosure It is.

  If the heating element and the cooling element are provided as different objects, arrange them in different positions, for example the heating element so that the condensing element evaporates directly inside the housing and the water vapor evaporates directly in the air outside the housing It goes without saying that it can be arranged adjacent to the wall.

  Thus, the present invention provides a dehumidification arrangement that is essentially maintenance free and can be fully automated with respect to humidity control and power consumption. Furthermore, the advanced configuration works without any moving parts and is quiet, making it particularly suitable for all types of household appliances or all types of devices where low levels of noise are desirable. Because of its simplicity, the configuration will provide a reliable configuration with a low risk of failure or failure. The configuration can be easily scaled with respect to the size of the enclosure and the required drying capacity. Because of its relatively small size, the configuration can be easily mounted and integrated into existing enclosures with a dehumidifier that is less or less effective. For example, in the case of a compact and plate-like heating and cooling device such as a Peltier element, it may be mounted on the outer wall or lid of the housing, and can be easily fitted to the housing by replacing the original wall or lid. it can.

  In addition, the dehumidification unit may be provided with additional features, such as a humidity chamber, if necessary, so that it is activated only when the humidity exceeds a certain level.

  To achieve more effective dehumidification, the device may be provided with a fan. However, such equipment would make the dehumidifier more complex and space consuming and is not needed for most applications. When applied, the fan will usually not provide a strong flow of air, but rather gently mix or stir the internal air to provide transport of wet air to the vicinity of the cooling element. .

  It will also be noted that the present invention may be useful for the reverse function, i.e. when the heating and cooling elements are replaced. When using a Peltier element, the cooling side and the heating side can be easily exchanged by changing the poles of electricity. Therefore, for example, a Peltier element located on or near the wall can condense water from the outside and evaporate it inside to humidify the air inside the housing. By controlling the poles, for example, depending on the humidity chamber, the present invention can be used to control the humidity of the internal air of the housing to be in the desired interval.

The present invention relates to a humidity control process for a housing including an electronic device, and the humidity control process includes:
Providing a cooling element disposed in contact with ambient air within the housing to condense water vapor from the ambient air;
Providing a heating element arranged to contact ambient air outside the housing;
Providing water guiding means for directing dew condensed in the cooling element to the heating element;
Thereby, the water vapor condensed in the cooling element will be led to the heating element, where it will evaporate and dehumidify the air inside the housing.

  In certain embodiments of the humidity control process, the condensed water is transported by capillary forces at least part of its path from the cooling element to the heating element.

The humidity control process is primarily intended to be operated to dehumidify the air inside the housing, but may be used for the reverse function, i.e., to humidify the air inside the housing. This can be achieved in a simple manner by exchanging the function of the heating and cooling elements, so that the water flow is reversed and the air inside the housing can be humidified. In this case, the humidity control process preferably includes a hygrometer that measures humidity in the air and controls the system to dehumidify the air when the water vapor content falls below a certain value. A simple way to change the function of the heating and cooling elements is to change the poles of the current using a Peltier element with both elements.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the following figures.

It is a housing for an electronic device provided with a dehumidifier. 1 is a schematic view of positioning of heating and cooling elements according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of positioning of heating and cooling elements according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of positioning of heating and cooling elements according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of positioning of heating and cooling elements according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic of a dehumidification element. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of water transport in the device of FIG. 3 in use. 4 is a schematic diagram of a variation of the embodiment of the dehumidifying element of FIG. It is 2nd Embodiment of a dehumidification element. FIG. 6b is a first version of the embodiment of the dehumidifying element shown in FIG. 6a. Fig. 6b is a second version of the embodiment of the dehumidifying element shown in Fig. 6a. A dehumidifying element including a Peltier element.

  Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention, that is, an apparatus for moisturizing the inside of a housing including an electronic device will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment (drawing), for example, how various parts of elements of the dehumidifier such as a heating element and a cooling element can be mounted while contacting the housing, and what are the various configuration details of the dehumidifier The purpose is to clarify the heel.

  As a general rule in this drawing, solid arrows (when not associated with numbers) indicate the flow of water or condensed moisture, ie, water in liquid state. Dashed arrows indicate the flow of moist air or mist, i.e. the flow of gaseous water.

  FIG. 1 is a simple schematic diagram of the intended use of a dehumidifier 2 and shows a housing 1 for an electronic device (not shown) comprising a dehumidifier 2 located on the outer wall 13 of the housing.

  Although FIG. 1 shows only a very brief general overview, FIG. 2 shows a more detailed description of the dehumidification configuration, and different ways of placing the various parts of the dehumidifier in the casing; It illustrates how to connect them. FIGS. 2 a-d disclose four different ways of arranging the heating element 3, schematically showing the cooling element 4. In FIG. 2a, it is shown that the heating element 3 and the cooling element 4 are configured as one object and are located on the outer wall 2 of the housing. The cooling element 4 is disposed or formed outside the outer wall. The heating element 3 is disposed or formed inside the outer wall 2. Water vapor in the air inside the enclosure 1 will condense in the cooling element 4 and be transported to the heating element on the exterior of the outer wall 2 and thereby evaporate. The mechanism for transporting condensed water from the cooling element to the heating element will in this case utilize a capillary structure which will be shown and described in connection with other figures.

  In FIG. 2b another design of the dehumidifier is shown. The heating element 3 and the cooling element 4 are still configured as one object, but are located inside the housing 1. The heating element 3 is protected from the air inside the housing 1 by the casing 14 connected to the air ventilation duct 13. Needless to say, the casing 14 also protects the internal air of the casing 1 that comes into contact with the air outside the casing, so that the humidity of fresh air is prevented from entering the housing 1. This configuration works according to the same principle as described in FIG. 2a, except that the air is directed through the air ventilation duct 13 instead of directly releasing it to fresh air as described in FIG. 2a.

  In FIG. 2c, the heating element 3 and the cooling element 4 are separate units. It is therefore necessary to include some water conduit 5 that transports the condensed water to the cooling element 4 to the air heating element 3. As can be seen in the figure, the heating element 3 is located inside the housing 1 and is protected from the internal air by the casing 14. When the condensed water reaches the heating element 3, the water evaporates and is released to the outside of the casing through a ventilation hole in a part of the outer wall 12 of the wall where the casing 14 functions as a protective shield against ambient air entering the casing 1. I will. Alternatively, the heating element can be located outside the outer wall 12, thereby eliminating the need for having a casing 14 that shields the heating element 3 from the air inside the housing 1. If necessary, the elements can be placed in the opposite direction.

  In FIG. 2d, the heating element 3 and the cooling element 4 are separate units as described in FIG. 2c, and a water conduit 5 transports water between the elements. This configuration differs from that described in FIG. 2c in that the cooling element is located inside the housing 1 (not near the outer wall 12). Accordingly, the cooling element is included in the air ventilation duct 13 and is connected to the casing 14 surrounding the heating element 3, and the heating element 3 guides the evaporating water to the outside air.

  In the schematic diagrams 2a to 2d, it is not described in detail how water is transported between the cooling and heating elements. If the elements are located far from each other, the connection may be a normal water conduit or a capillary column, for example. An example of how water transport can be configured when the element is configured as a single object will be described below.

  Figures 3-7 show in more detail various embodiments of how the heating and cooling elements that form part of the dehumidifier can be designed as a single object.

  3 and 4 show a first embodiment of such a device, which is formed of a compact heating-cooling core surrounded by a water conducting material. The element shown in FIG. 3 comprises a heating element 3, a cooling element 4, and capillary mats 6a-6c water guiding means, so that one heating and cooling comprising all elements necessary for the condensation, transport and evaporation of water. An object 7 is formed. As can be seen, the capillary mat 6 is divided into three parts, the first part 6 a is in contact with the surface 8 of the heating element 3, and the second part 6 b of the capillary mat is in contact with the surface 9 of the cooling element 4. The third portion 6c of the mat is in contact with the first portion 6a and the second portion 6b of the mat. As shown in this figure, the third portion 6c of the mat is in contact with the other portions 6a and 6b of the mat at only one edge portion of the heating and cooling object 7. The capillary mat 6 can of course also cover one or more edges, thereby increasing the connection between the first and second parts 6a, 6b. Furthermore, the mat need not cover the complete surface, but may cover a part provided with holes or a part forming a strip to show part of the heating or cooling surface. In particular, it may be advantageous not to cover the complete cooling surface 9 in order to expose the cold surface 9 to standby and improve the condensation effect.

  FIG. 4 shows how the cooling and heating object 7 works during use. Water vapor from the air in the enclosure condenses on a portion 6 b of the mat on the capillary mat 6 located on the cold surface 9 of the cooling element 4. The mat 6 will absorb the water vapor that diffuses into the mat 6 due to capillary forces trying to reach a humidity balance in the mat 6, and the water vapor will begin to travel towards the dry portion of the mat. Thus, the liquid will begin to move through the connecting portion 6c from a portion of the mat located on the cold side 6b to a portion of the mat located on the hot side 6a. Due to the heating element 3, the water vapor that has reached a part of the mat 6 a located on the hot surface 8 of the heating element 3 will start to evaporate. Evaporation will dry this part of the mat 6a more than the other parts of the mat 6a, 6b, so that a continuous flow of water or water vapor towards the heat side of the element 7 will be possible. To be precise, the flow of water will continue as long as the associated humidity is lower on the hot side than on the cold side. Due to the temperature difference between the hot and cold sides of the element, the absolute humidity in the hot air may be greater than the cold side, while the hot air is wetter before condensation, The relevant humidity will be higher. Thus, water from the cold side to the hot side will flow until the associated humidity on the outside and inside balances near the respective surface. However, since heating and cooling of the element need to be supplied with some energy to function, it is desirable to control the element to turn it off when it is not necessary to dehumidify the air inside the housing. The dehumidifying system may be provided with a configuration for measuring humidity in the housing, for example, a hygrometer, and connected to a switch that turns on and off the dehumidifier according to the humidity, that is, a humidity controller. When the relevant humidity is higher outside than inside, the switch can also measure the humidity inside and outside the device because there is a risk that the humidity will enter the housing through this configuration. To prevent humidity from entering the enclosure, the device may automatically switch on when the relevant humidity is higher outside than inside. This problem can also be adjusted with some other prevention mechanism, such as some mechanism configuration that ends the possibility of water entering the housing. Furthermore, the heating and / or cooling elements do not have to be completely switched on or off, but change the various effects step-by-step or by a predetermined step to achieve the desired effect, thereby in the housing It is also clear that the humidity can be controlled.

  As can be understood relatively easily, this configuration provides a simple way to change the flow of water vapor to work in the opposite direction. The only thing that needs to be done is to replace the heating and cooling elements. A simple way of such exchange will be described in more detail in connection with FIG.

  As already mentioned in the general description part, it is not necessary to provide mats on both the hot and cold sides. In FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the humidity in the air condenses on the cold surface 9 of the cooling element 4 so that the droplets 16 merge on the cold surface. Due to gravity, the droplet 16 will go down and be collected in the container 15. The container is in contact with the capillary mat 6 at the other end. This capillary mat consists of a main part 6 a in contact with the surface 8 of the heating element 3. The condensed water therefore passes through the capillary mat 6 to the heating element where it evaporates and is released to the outside air.

  However, this embodiment will probably work better if a relatively large amount of water vapor condenses from the air. Small droplets tend to stick to the cold wall and will not begin to fall until they reach a certain size.

  As shown in this embodiment, the capillary mat covers only the surface of the heating element, a part of which reaches the container, and can absorb water from the container to the heating element by capillary force. This configuration eliminates the need to cover both sides of the heating and cooling object 7 with a capillary mat. In addition, since the cooling element is in direct contact with air, the condensation efficiency will be very good. Another advantage of this configuration is that it can act as a water vapor trap. If the moisture absorption pressure is larger than the inside, the water starts to progress from the outside to the inside. However, the water coming to the inside accumulates in the container 15, and thus creates a relatively high moisture absorption pressure relatively quickly. Undesirable water flow into the water will stop.

  In an alternative to this embodiment, the capillary mat, of course, continues all the way over the lower end portion of the heating and cooling object 7.

  In addition, another embodiment of the heating and cooling element of the dehumidifier is shown in FIG. FIG. 6 a shows a perspective view of the heating and cooling object 7, which is formed as an essentially flat plate, located on one side of the heating element 3 and on the opposite side where the holes 10 are provided. And a cooling element 4 to be used.

  In FIG. 6b, which is a cross-sectional view of the heating and cooling object 7 in FIG. 6a, the hole 10 is provided with a capillary mat 6, which forms a capillary column 11, with the heat side 3 connected to the cold side. The water condensed on the cold side 4 is transported and evaporated on the hot side 3.

  FIG. 6 c shows a cross-sectional view of the element described in FIG. 6 a, in which the hole 10 and the capillary mat 6 are also provided on the hot side 3 and the cold side 4. As described above, the condensed water on the cold side 4 is absorbed into the mat 6b on the cold side and is transported by capillary force through a portion 6c of the mat located in the hole and forming the capillary column 11. Water evaporates from the portion 6a of the capillary mat located on the hot side 3 of the cooled and heated object, so that water will be dragged from the cold side 4 to the hot side 3.

  A combination of the embodiments shown in Figures 6b and 6c is also possible, i.e. only one side is completely or partially covered with a capillary mat.

  In FIG. 7, it will be described how a heating and cooling element of a compact design as described in FIGS. 3 to 6 can be made, and a heating and cooling object 7 comprising a heating side 3 and a cooling side 4. Is illustrated as a Peltier element 17. Element 17 comprises an anode connection 18 and a cathode connection 19. When DC current is applied to connections 18, 19, the device will begin to work and sides 3, 4 of device 17 will begin to become hot and relatively cold.

  If you want to reverse the process, the pole can be changed. Thus, the cold side and the hot side will be switched. This means that the inventive concept of not only provides an effective dehumidifier but also an effective humidity controller. If it is desired to keep the humidity within a desired range in the housing, the system is provided with a humidity chamber and means for changing the current depending on the value of the humidity chamber. When it is desired to dehumidify, the element in contact with the interior of the housing will be on the cold side, so that the water will be condensed and directed to the outside. On the other hand, if the internal air needs to be heated, the poles can be changed and the element will condense water outside and transport it to the inside where the water will evaporate. Such an arrangement is particularly suitable for embodiments in which both sides are equally designed, for example the embodiment shown in FIGS. The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 will not work equally effectively in both directions, but is more suitable for use only as a dehumidifier.

Claims (14)

  A dehumidifier (2) for a housing (1) comprising an electronic device, the dehumidifier comprising a heating element (3) and a cooling element (4), wherein the cooling element (4) The heating element (3) is disposed so as to contact ambient air inside the body (1), and is disposed so as to contact ambient air outside the housing (1). The dew condensed in the cooling element (4) is guided to the heating element (3), and the humidity from the air condensed in the cooling element (4) is transported to the heating element (3) and can be evaporated. The dehumidifier (2) is further provided with a water guiding means (5), the water guiding means comprising a capillary structure (6).   The dehumidifier (2) according to claim 1, wherein the capillary structure (6) is in contact with the heating element (3) and guides water condensed in the cooling element (4) to the heating element (3). ).   The first part (6a) of the capillary structure covers at least part of the surface of the heating element (3), the condensed dew is evaporated on the heat side, and the second part of the capillary structure (6b) is Covering at least a part of the surface of the cooling element (4) and absorbing dew condensed on the cold side, the first part and the second part (6a, 6b) of the capillary structure (6) are water-conducting Dehumidifier (2) according to claim 2, connected to each other by means (5).   The water guiding means (5) for connecting the first part (6a) and the second part (6b) of the capillary structure (6) is a third part (6c) of the capillary structure (6). ) Dehumidifier (2) according to claim 3.   The heating element (3) and the cooling element (4) are formed as one object (7) having a first surface (8) and a second surface (9), the heating element (3) The dehumidifier (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dehumidifier (2) is arranged on the first surface (8) and the cooling element (4) is arranged on the second surface (9).   The dehumidifier (2) according to claim 5, wherein the object (7) comprises a Peltier element (3).   The first surface (8) and the second surface (9) of the heating and cooling object (7) are arranged opposite to each other, and the third part (6c) of the capillary structure is the object Dehumidification according to claims 4 and 5, arranged on the outside of (7) and guiding water between said first part (6a) and said second part (6b) of said capillary structure (6) Vessel (2).   One or more holes (10) are provided in the cooling and heating object (7) to connect the first surface (8) and the second surface (9) of the cooling and heating object (7). The third portion (6c) of the capillary structure (6) is disposed in the at least one hole (10), and the first portion (6a) and the second portion of the capillary structure (6). The dehumidifier (2) according to claims 4 and 5, wherein water is led to and from the part (6b).   One or more holes (10) are provided in the cooling and heating object (7) to connect the first surface (8) and the second surface (9) of the cooling and heating object (7). A capillary structure (6) is formed in the hole, and the capillary structure (6) comes into contact with the heating element (3) and the cooling element (4) to warm from the cold side (4) of the condensed water to be evaporated. The dehumidifier (2) according to claim 5, provided to form one or more capillary columns (11) for wicking to the side (3).   The heating element (3) and the cooling element (4) are mounted on the outer wall (12) of the housing (1) or adjacent to the outer wall (12) of the housing (1). A dehumidifier (2) according to any one of the preceding claims.   The heating element (3) and the cooling element (4) are mounted inside the casing (1), whereby the heating element (3) is connected to the casing via an air exhaust duct (13). The dehumidifier (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is connected to the outside of (2).   A dehumidifier (2) according to any preceding claim, wherein the functions of the heating element (3) and the cooling element (4) are exchanged to change the dehumidification process to provide a humidification process. A humidity control process for a housing (1) including an electronic device,
Providing a cooling element arranged to contact the ambient air inside the housing (2) and to condense water vapor from the ambient air;
Providing a heating element (3) arranged to contact ambient air outside of the housing (1);
Providing water guiding means (5) for guiding dew condensed in the cooling element (4) to the heating element (3),
Thereby, water vapor condensed in the cooling element (4) is guided to the heating element (3), evaporates in the heating element (3), dehumidifies the air inside the housing (1), and Cooling element (4) empty Humidity control process, in which condensed water between at least part of the heating element (3) is transported by capillary forces.   The function of the heating element (3) and the cooling element (4) can be exchanged to reverse the flow of water to heat the air inside the housing (1). 2. Humidity control processing described in.

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