Low cost thermocouple apparatus and methods for fabricating the same

Claim 1

A thermocouple device, comprising: a planar plastic layer member of a rectangular configuration and having a given length greater than the width, said member having disposed on said surface a first thin layer of a thermocouple element metal completely covering the same, a layer of an insulator material disposed upon and completely covering said first thin layer of said thermocouple element metal, said insulating layer having a first aperture near one end and located above a center line parallel to said longer sides, and a second aperture at said other end and located below said center line, each of said apertures directed through said insulating layer to directly contact said first metal layer, a second thin layer of a different thermocouple metal disposed on top of said insulating layer and positioned above said center line and directed from one end to the other along the length to overlie said first aperture with said second metal layer contacting said first metal layer via said first aperture to form a hot junction for said thermocouple, with said second aperture in contact with said first layer forming one terminal of a reference junction and with the other terminal supplied by contact with said second metal layer at a point above said center line and adjacent to said second aperture.