Hermetically sealed thermoelectric generator

Claim 1

A THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR UNIT HAVING A HERMETICALLY SEALED CHAMBER COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SPACED PARALLEL METALLIC END PLATES AND AN ANNULAR METALLIC BELLOWS HERMETICALY SEALED AT ITS OPPOSIE ENDS TO THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PLATES TO PROVIDE SAID HERMETICALLY SEALED CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID FIRST PLATE BEING SUBJECT TO THE APPLICATION OF HEAT TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF, A HEAT EXCHANGER FIXED TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SECOND PLATE RELATIVE TO SAID CHAMBER IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION THERETO, FOR DISSIPATING HEAT FROM SAID SECOND PLATE AND SAID BELLOWS TO PROVIDE A DIFFERENTIAL TEMPERATURE BETWEEN SAID PLATES, A PLURALITY OF EXTENSIBLE THERMOELECTRIC ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN PARALLEL CLOSELY SPACED INSULATED RELATION TO EACH OTHER ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED IN SERIES, EACH HAVING A THERMOCOUPLE ELEMENT THEREN WITH ONE END IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH THE FIRST PLATE AND ITS OPPOSITE END IN "HEAT" EXCHANGE RELATION WITH THE SECOND PLATE, INSULATED ELECTRICAL OUTPUT TERMINALS FIXED IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER IN SEALED RELATION IN SAID SECOND PLATE, ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEANS IN SAID CHAMBER CONNECTING THE ENDS OF THE SERIES ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OF SAID THERMOELECTRIC ELEMENTS TO SAID TERMINALS, SPRING MEANS IN EACH OF SAID THERMOELECTRIC ELEMENTS FOR YIELDABLY URGING THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF RESPECTIVELY INTO HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION TO THE FACING INNER SURFACES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PLATES, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FIRST PLATE FOR INTRODUCING AN INERT ATMOSPHERE INTO SAID CHAMBER TO MINIMIZE THE DETERIORATION OF THE THERMOELECTRIC MATERIAL IN SAID THERMOELECTRIC ELEMENTS DUE TO OXIDATION AND OTHER CHEMICAL REACTIONS THEREON.