Thermoelectric device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10118521-B2
Application number	US-201615246209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2016
Priority date	Aug 24, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A thermoelectric device has a foam substrate, thermoelectric elements and metallic foil strip assemblies. The foam substrate has apertures therein. The thermoelectric elements are inserted into the apertures. The metallic foil strip assemblies include upper and lower foil strips. A first end of a first upper foil strip is inserted into a first aperture contacting an upper heat transferring surface of the first thermoelectric element. A second end is inserted into a second aperture contacting an upper heat transferring surface of a second thermoelectric element with an elongated portion of the metallic foil strip assembly extending between the first aperture and the second aperture along the upper surface. A first end of a second upper foil strip is inserted into the second aperture contacting the upper heat transferring surface of the second thermoelectric element and a second end is similarly inserted into a third aperture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoelectric device, comprising:
a foam substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the foam substrate including a plurality of apertures that extend from the upper surface to the lower surface, the plurality of apertures defining at least one linear row of apertures having at least a first aperture, a second aperture and a third aperture spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance;
a plurality of thermoelectric elements including at least a first element, a second element and a third element, each being inserted into a corresponding one of the first, second and third apertures; and
a plurality of metallic foil strips including at least a first upper foil strip and a second upper foil strip, each of the plurality of metallic foil strips having a first end, a second end and an elongated portion extending therebetween, the first end of the first upper foil strip being inserted into the first aperture contacting an upper heat transferring surface of the first element and the second end being inserted into the second aperture contacting an upper heat transferring surface of the second element with the elongated portion of the first upper foil strip extending between the first aperture and the second aperture along a corresponding portion of the upper surface of the foam substrate, and
the first end of the second upper foil strip being inserted into the second aperture contacting the upper heat transferring surface of the second element and the second end being inserted into the third aperture contacting an upper heat transferring surface of the third element with the elongated portion of the second upper foil strip extending between the second aperture and the third aperture along a second corresponding portion of the upper surface of the foam substrate.

2. The thermoelectric device according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one linear row of apertures includes a fourth aperture,
the plurality of thermoelectric elements includes a fourth element inserted into the fourth aperture, and
the plurality of metallic foil strips includes a third upper foil strip, the first end of the third upper foil strip being inserted into the third aperture contacting the upper heat transferring surface of the third element and the second end being inserted into the fourth aperture contacting an upper heat transferring surface of the fourth element with the elongated portion of the third upper foil strip extending between the third aperture and the fourth aperture along a third corresponding portion of the upper surface of the foam substrate.

3. The thermoelectric device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of thermoelectric elements includes a first connector located on a first side surface adjacent to the upper heat transferring surface and a second connector located on a second side surface adjacent to the upper heat transferring surface with the upper heat transferring surface being located between the first side surface and the second side surface,
the first upper foil strip includes a first wire having a first connector end, a second connector end and an insulated portion that extends from adjacent the first connector end to adjacent the second connector end, the insulated portion being attached to the elongated portion of the first upper foil strip,
the second upper foil strip includes a second wire having a first connector end, a second connector end and an insulated portion that extends from adjacent the first connector end to adjacent the second connector end, the insulated portion being attached to the elongated portion of the second upper foil strip, and
the first connector end of the first wire is electrically connected to the second connector of the first element, the second connector end of the first wire is electrically connected to the first connector of the second element, the first connector end of the second wire is electrically connected to the second connector of the second element and the second connector end of the second wire is electrically connected to the first connector of the third element.

4. The thermoelectric device according to claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of metallic foil strips including at least a first lower foil strip and a second lower foil strip, a first end of the first lower foil strip being inserted into the first aperture contacting a lower heat transferring surface of the first element and the second end of the first lower foil strip being inserted into the second aperture contacting a lower heat transferring surface of the second element with the elongated portion of the first lower foil strip extending between the first aperture and the second aperture along a corresponding portion of the lower surface of the foam substrate, and
the first end of the second lower foil strip is inserted into the second aperture contacting the lower heat transferring surface of the second element and the second end of the second lower foil strip is inserted into the third aperture contacting a lower heat transferring surface of the third element with the elongated portion of the second lower foil strip extending between the second aperture and the third aperture along a second corresponding portion of the lower surface of the foam substrate.

5. The thermoelectric device according to claim 4 , wherein
each of the plurality of thermoelectric elements includes a third connector located on the first side surface adjacent to the lower heat transferring surface and a fourth connector located on the second side surface adjacent to the lower heat transferring surface with the lower heat transferring surface being located between the first side surface and the second side surface,
the first lower foil strip includes a first lower wire having a first connector end, a second connector end and an insulated portion that extends from adjacent the first connector end to adjacent the second connector end, the insulated portion being attached to the elongated portion of the first lower foil strip,
the second lower foil strip includes a second lower wire having a first connector end, a second connector end and an insulated portion that extends from adjacent the first connector end to adjacent the second connector end, the insulated portion being attached to the elongated portion of the second lower foil strip, and
the first connector end of the first lower wire is electrically connected to the fourth connector of the first element, the second connector end of the first lower wire is electrically connected to the third connector of the second element, the first connector end of the second lower wire is electrically connected to the fourth connector of the second element and the second connector end of the second lower wire is electrically connected to the third connector of the third element.

6. A thermoelectric device, comprising:
a foam substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, and defining a plurality of apertures that extend from the upper surface to the lower surface, the apertures being spaced apart from adjacent apertures by a predetermined distance;
a plurality of thermoelectric elements, the plurality of thermoelectric elements being inserted in corresponding ones of the plurality of apertures; and
a plurality of metallic foil strip assemblies, each of the plurality of metallic foil strip assemblies including a foil strip and a corresponding wire having a first connector end, a second connector end and an insulated portion, the foil strip having a first end and a second end with the elongated portion being located therebetween, with the elongated portion being attached to insulation of the insulated portion of the wire, each of the elongated portions having a length that is at least the predetermined distance,

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Konrad James

Classifications

• B60N2/5678 Primary

  characterised by electrical systems · CPC title

• B60N2/5621 Primary

  by air · CPC title

• H01L35/34

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/325

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B60N2/5692

  Refrigerating means · CPC title