Thermopile module with displacement permitting slotted thermojunction members

Claim 2

A THERMOELECTRIC MODULE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED P-TYPE AND N-TYPE THERMOELEMENTS ARRANGED ALTERNATELY IN AN ARCUATE ARRAY AND HAVING OPPOSITE END SURFACES, A SET OF THERMOJUNCTION AND HEAT TRANSFER PLATES BONDED TO ONE END SURFACES OF EACH OF SAID THERMOELEMENTS SPANNING AND JOINING EACH OF SAID P-TYPE THERMOELEMENTS TO AN ADJACENT N-TYPE THERMOELEMENT, AND THERMOJUNCTION AND HEAT TRANSFER MEANS BONDED TO THE OTHER END SURFACES OF SAID THERMOELEMENTS TO SPAN AND JOIN SAID THERMOELEMENTS IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATION, SAID THERMOJUNCTION AND HEAT TRANSFER MEANS COMPRISING GENERALLY V-TYPE SHAPED THERMOJUNCTION MEMBERS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OFFSET FROM SAID PLATES PROVIDING SAID SERIES CIRCUIT RELATION WITH SAID PLATES AND THERMOELEMENTS, SAID V-SHAPED MEMBERS HAVING THE BIGHT PORTIONS THEREOF POSITIONED RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID ARRAY OF THERMOELEMENTS TO PERMIT ANNULAR DISPLACEMENT OF SAID THERMOELEMENTS WHEN SAID PLATES ARE SUBJECTED TO HIGH TEMPERATURES CAUSING EXPANSION OF THE SAME.

Claim 3

A THERMOELECTRIC DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED P-TYPE AND N-TYPE THERMOELEMENTS ARRANGED IN SPACED RELATION AND ALTERNATELY IN AN ARCUATE ARRAY AND HAVING PARALLEL END SURFACES LYING IN FIRST AND SECOND PLANES, A FIRST SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATE BONDED ONE TO EACH P-TYPE THERMOELEMENT AND TO AN ADJACENT N-TYPE THERMOELEMENT AT THE END SURFACES THEREOF LYING IN SAID FIRST PLANE, A SECOND SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATES, ONE OF SAID SECOND SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATES BEING BONDED TO THE END SURFACE ON A P-TYPE THERMOELEMENT AND ANOTHER OF SAID SECOND SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATES BEING BONDED TO THE END SURFACE OF AN ADJACENT N-TYPE THERMOELEMENT WHICH SAID P-TYPE AND N-TYPE THERMOELEMENTS ARE NOT JOINED BY SAID FIRST SET OF THERMOJUNCTIONS PLATES AND THE REMAINING THERMOJUNCTION PLATES OF SAID SECOND SET BEING BONDED TO THE END SURFACE OF THE REMAINING PTYPE THERMOELEMENTS AND TO THE OTHER ADJACENT N-TYPE HERMOELEMENT AT THE END SURFACES THEREOF LYING IN SAID SECOND PLANE TO CONNECT SAID THERMOELEMENTS IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATION, EACH OF SAID REMAINING THERMOJUNCTION PLATES BEING FORMED WITH A SLOT BETWEEN THE THERMOELEMENTS JOINED THEREBY WHICH SLOT EXTENDS FROM THE RADICALLY OUTERMOST EDGE OF THE PLATE RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID ARRAY TO PERMIT RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID THERMOELEMENTS WHEN THE THERMOJUNCTION PLATES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SET ARE SUBJECTED TO DIFFERENTIAL TEMPERATURES, SAID ONE AND SAID ANOTHER THERMOJUNCTION PLATE OF SAID SECOND SET BEING ADAPTED FOR THE CONNECTION OF LEADS, A HEAT TRANSFER MEMBER POSITIONED IN ADJACENT PARALLEL RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST THERMOJUNCTION PLATES, ELECTRICALLY INSULATING AND THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEMBER AND SAID FIRST THERMOJUNCTION PLATES, A RESILENT MEMBER POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID SECOND SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATES, AND SINGLE FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY THROUGH SAID ARRAY JOINING SAID RESILIENT MEMBER TO SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEMBER TO MOUNT SAID ARRAY UPON SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEMBER AND PLANE SAID THERMOELEMENTS UNDER UNIFORM COMPRESSIVE STRESS.

Claim 4

A THERMOELECTRIC DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED P-TYPE AND N-TYPE THERMOELEMENTS ARRANGED IN SPACED RELATION AND ALTERNATELY IN AN ARCUATE ARRAY AND HAVING PARALLEL END SURFACES LYING IN FIRST AND SECOND PLANES, A FIRST SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATE BONDED ONE TO EACH P-TYPE THERMOELEMENT AND TO AN ADJACENT N-TYPE THERMOELEMENT AT THE END SURFACES THEREOF LYING IN SAID FIRST PLANE, A SECOND SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATES, ONE OF SAID SECOND SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATES BEING BONDED TO THE END SURFACE ON A P-TYPE THERMOELEMENT AND ANOTHER OF SAID SECOND SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATES BEING BONDED TO THE END SURFACE OF AN ADJACENT N-TYPE THERMOELEMENT WHICH SAID P-TYPE AND N-TYPE THERMOELEMENTS ARE NOT JOINED BY SAID FIRST SET OF THERMOJUNCTIONS PLATES AND THE REMAINING THERMOJUNCTION PLATES OF SAID SECOND SET BEING BONDED TO THE END SURFACE OF THE REMAINING PTYPE THERMOELEMENTS AND TO THE OTHER ADJACENT N-TYPE HERMOELEMENT AT THE END SURFACES THEREOF LYING IN SAID SECOND PLANE TO CONNECT SAID THERMOELEMENTS IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATION, EACH OF SAID REMAINING THERMOJUNCTION PLATES BEING FORMED WITH A SLOT BETWEEN THE THERMOELEMENTS JOINED THEREBY WHICH SLOT EXTENDS FROM THE RADICALLY OUTERMOST EDGE OF THE PLATE RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID ARRAY TO PERMIT RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID THERMOELEMENTS WHEN THE THERMOJUNCTION PLATES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SET ARE SUBJECTED TO DIFFERENTIAL TEMPERATURES, SAID ONE AND SAID ANOTHER THERMOJUNCTION PLATE OF SAID SECOND SET BEING ADAPTED FOR THE CONNECTION OF LEADS, A HEAT TRANSFER MEMBER POSITIONED IN ADJACENT PARALLEL RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST THERMOJUNCTION PLATES, ELECTRICALLY INSULATING AND THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEMBER AND SAID FIRST THERMOJUNCTION PLATES, A RESILENT MEMBER POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID SECOND SET OF THERMOJUNCTION PLATES, AND SINGLE FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY THROUGH SAID ARRAY JOINING SAID RESILIENT MEMBER TO SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEMBER TO MOUNT SAID ARRAY UPON SAID HEAT TRANSFER MEMBER AND PLANE SAID THERMOELEMENTS UNDER UNIFORM COMPRESSIVE STRESS.