초록 ▼

A thermoelectric heat pump or power source device is provided with P-type and N-type elements made of either thin films or thick films for use on flexible or nonflexible substrates. For flexible units the film type elements are formed on substrates of such flexible, electrically insulation material

A thermoelectric heat pump or power source device is provided with P-type and N-type elements made of either thin films or thick films for use on flexible or nonflexible substrates. For flexible units the film type elements are formed on substrates of such flexible, electrically insulation material as, for example, MYLAR and TEFLON; while for inflexible units the elements are formed on substrates of such materials as, for example, Beryllia, Alumina, ceramics, or plastics. Further, the elements are patterned on the different substrates for particular usages. For example, radial element patterns used for cooling hot spots and ladder element patterns are used for cooling linear hot bodies. Ladder element patterns may also be used on flexible substrates to be folded to form corrugations having cold strips and hot strips on opposing sides to which sheets of suitable material can be attached to form panels, blankets, therapeutic devices or pipe covers for heating or cooling their contents as desired.

대표청구항 ▼

A thermoelectric device comprising: (a) a substrate of thermally anisotropic material; (b) alternatively arranged p-type and n-type conductivity material elements having first and second ends, said p-type and n-type conductivity material elements progressively increasing in size from the first ends

A thermoelectric device comprising: (a) a substrate of thermally anisotropic material; (b) alternatively arranged p-type and n-type conductivity material elements having first and second ends, said p-type and n-type conductivity material elements progressively increasing in size from the first ends to the second ends; and (c) a pluality of leads attached at spaced intervals between the first and second ends of the p-type and n-type conductivity material elements for connection to a plurality of preselected dc power sources having potentials sufficient to maintain current density throughout the increasing area portions of the elements between the spaced leads whereby the heat pumping capacity increases progressively from the first ends to the second ends thereof for producing a cascading effect of a multistage thermoelectric device.