THERMOELECTRIC UNITS

• US 3,781,176 A
• Filed: 01/25/1971
• Issued: 12/25/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alan William Penn, Frank Beighbour
• Original Assignee: Alan William Penn, Frank Beighbour
• Inventors: Penn, Alan William, Beighbour, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Behrend, Harvey E.
• Application Number:
  US05/109,486
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 136/201,203-205,208,211,212,225,230 29/573
• US Class Current: 136/212
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/023 Mounting details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/82 Connection of interconnections

Abstract

To provide for connection of electrical leads a metal strip is secured by adhesive to the side of a thermoelectric unit comprising an assembly of thermoelectric elements. Insulating material is interposed between the metal strip and the unit. An end face of the metal strip is formed flush with the end faces of the thermoelectric elements. An electrically conductive bridge is formed from the end face of the metal strip to an appropriate end face of a thermoelectric unit.

Claims

1. A method of connecting electrical leads to a thermoelectric unit comprising an assembly of thermoelectric elements of P and N type, the elements being stacked in alternating side by side relationship with the faces of the elements at one end of the unit being flush, which method comprises securing to a side of the assembly an electrically conductive member with electrically insulating material interposed between the conductive member and the unit and with one face of the member flush with the faces of the thermoelectric elements at said one end of the unit, forming an electrically conductive bridge from the said one face of the member across to an end face of one of the thermoelectric elements, and connecting adjacent elements conductively to form a circuit arrangement.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive bridge is formed simultaneously with the formation of electrically conductive bridges connecting together pairs of the thermoelectric elements as a series of thermocouples in a modular unit.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive bridge is provided by gold deposited by vacuum evaporation.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electrically conductive bridge is formed by first superimposing a mask upon the exposed end faces of the thermoelectric elements and the said face of the electrically conductive member, the mask having openings corresponding with the desired location and extent of the electrically conductive bridges, and then forming the electrically conductive bridge by vacuum deposition of gold.

5. A thermoelectric unit comprising an assembly of thermoelectric elements of P and N type, the elements being stacked in alternating side by side relationship with the faces of the elements at one end of the unit being flush, at least one electrically conductive member secured to a side of the thermoelectric unit, insulating material being positioned between the said member and the said thermoelectric assembly, one end face of the said member being flush with the faces of the thermoelectric elements at said one end of the unit, an electrically conductive bridge electrically connecting together the said one face of the member and an end face of one of the thermoelectric elements and an electrically conductive bridge connecting adjacent elements of the assembly into a circuit arrangement.

6. A thermoelectric unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the unit has two electrical leads connected respectively via two of said electrically conductive members.

7. A thermoelectric unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive bridges comprise gold.