Thermoelectric device with internal sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9857107-B2
Application number	US-201414552130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 12, 2006
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A thermoelectric system which comprises two substrates spaced apart from each other to form a gap and a plurality of electrically-connected semiconductor elements disposed between the substrates in the gap. The thermoelectric system further comprises at least one sensor and a seal which extends between the substrates and encloses the sensor and at least one of the plurality of semiconductor elements. The sensor is disposed between the substrates at an interior location spaced from the peripheral edge of at least one of the substrates. Additionally, at least one of the semiconductor elements is disposed between the sensor and the peripheral edge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoelectric device comprising:
a first and a second substrate spaced apart from each other to form a gap;
a plurality of semiconductor elements disposed between the first and second substrates within the gap, the plurality of semiconductor elements comprising a first group of semiconductor elements having a first set of electrical properties and a second group of semiconductor elements having a second set of electrical properties;
a first set of electrical conductors disposed between the plurality of semiconductor elements and the first substrate and a second set of electrical conductors disposed between the plurality of semiconductor elements and the second substrate, the first set of electrical conductors and the second set of electrical conductors arranged so the plurality of semiconductor elements are electrically coupled to each other in series with the first and second groups of semiconductor elements in an alternating arrangement,
wherein the first group of semiconductor elements comprises N-type semiconductor elements and wherein the second group of semiconductor elements comprises P-type semiconductor elements, each electrical conductor being coupled to at least one N-type semiconductor element and at least one P-type semiconductor element to form a Peltier circuit, and
wherein the first set of electrical conductors are coupled to the first substrate, and the second set of electrical conductors are coupled to the second substrate;
a sensor disposed between the first and second substrates at a location spaced from a peripheral edge of the first substrate or the second substrate, wherein the sensor is located adjacent to at least two semiconductor elements and is located between the first and second substrates along a surface of at least one of the first and second substrates; and
a seal extending along the peripheral edge, the seal extending between the first and second substrates and surrounding the semiconductor elements and the sensor, the seal extending from the peripheral edge of the first or second substrate to the other substrate,
wherein the plurality of semiconductor elements are arranged so that at least some of the semiconductor elements establish an outer boundary along a periphery of the semiconductor elements,
wherein the outer boundary defines a generally rectangular interior area,
wherein the plurality of semiconductor elements positioned along the outer boundary surround at least one row of interior semiconductor elements, each of the interior semiconductor elements being positioned within the generally rectangular interior area, and
wherein the sensor is disposed generally between at least two interior semiconductor elements, such that the sensor is separated from the seal by at least one row of semiconductor elements.

2. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , the seal extends in between at least two of the plurality of semiconductor elements.

3. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the seal is not in contact with the sensor.

4. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is located equivalent of at least one row of semiconductor elements away from any portion of the peripheral edge.

5. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is enclosed by at least one row of semiconductor elements on all sides of the sensor such that the plurality of semiconductor elements surrounds the sensor.

6. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the seal is positioned substantially within the peripheral edge.

7. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

8. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a thermistor or thermocouple.

9. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed, with respect to the peripheral edge, at substantially the center of one of the first and second substrates.

10. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one heat transfer member coupled to at least one of the first and second substrates.

11. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the seal completely encloses all of the plurality of semiconductor elements positioned between the first and second substrates.

12. The thermoelectric device of claim 1 ,
wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a semiconductor-free region within the interior area, the semiconductor-free region representing a space in which at least one semiconductor element is removed or is never provided;
wherein the sensor is positioned within the semiconductor-free region; and
wherein a length of the space created by the semiconductor-free region is greater than a distance separating adjacent semiconductor elements located away from the semiconductor-free region.

13. A thermoelectric system comprising:
a pair of opposing substrates, each substrate having a peripheral edge and a face that generally opposes a face of the other opposing substrate;
a plurality of semiconductor elements are positioned between the opposing faces of the opposing substrates, the plurality of semiconductor elements comprises at least two groups of dissimilar semiconductor elements, the plurality of semiconductor elements electrically coupled in series by conductor elements arranged so the two groups of dissimilar semiconductor elements are connected in an alternating pattern, the conductor elements being coupled to the opposing substrates,
wherein the semiconductor elements are arranged in a plurality of parallel rows,
wherein at least some of the semiconductor elements form an outer peripheral boundary that defines an interior region within which all remaining semiconductor elements are positioned, and
wherein a temperature gradient is created between a first side of the thermoelectric system, adjacent one of the opposing substrates, and a second side of the thermoelectric system, adjacent the other of the opposing substrates, when electrical current is delivered through the semiconductor elements;
a sensor positioned between the pair of opposing substrates at a location spaced from the peripheral edges of the opposing substrates, the sensor being disposed within the interior region and between two of the plurality of semiconductor elements positioned within the interior region,
wherein the sensor is positioned adjacent at least one of the pair of opposing substrates; and
a seal extending around the plurality of semiconductor elements, the seal positioned between the opposing substrates and within an interior space defined by the peripheral edges of the opposing substrates the seal extending between the peripheral edges of the opposing substrates,
wherein at least one row of semiconductor elements separates the sensor from the seal.

14. The thermoelectric system of claim 13 , the seal extends in between at least two of the plurality of semiconductor elements.

15. The thermoelectric system of claim 13 , wherein the seal is not in contact with the sensor.

16. The thermoelectric system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is located equivalent of at least one row of semiconductor elements away from any portion of the peripheral edges.

17. The thermoelectric system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is enclosed by at least one row of semiconductor elements on all sides of the sensor such that the plurality of semiconductor elements surrounds the sensor.

18. The thermoelectric system of claim 13 , wherein the seal is positioned substantially within the peripheral edges.

19. The thermoelectric system of claim 13 , w

Assignees

• Gentherm Inc

Inventors

• Inaba Masahiko
• Clark Jay Christopher
• Comiskey Brian

Classifications

• H01L35/32

  Electricity · mapped topic

• F25B21/02 Primary

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title

• B60N2/5692

  Refrigerating means · CPC title

• F25B2321/0212

  of electric power, current or voltage · CPC title

• H10N10/17

  characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device · CPC title