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US4665276A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Thermoelectric sensor

Assignee: KOMBINAT VEB KERAMISCHE
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Filing: 1984-11-15
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Granted: 1987-05-12
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Expires: 2004-11-15
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Abstract

Abstract This invention concerns a thermoelectric sensor of the air-backed type comprising a thin-film thermopile with a receiving area of approximately 1 mm 2 under a protective atmosphere of atmospheric pressure. To increase the responsivity of such sensors the sensing junctions of at least 25 thermocouples whose legs have comparable coefficients of thermal conductivity are arranged in the receiving area with the legs having an average breadth-to-length ratio of at least 1:20.

Inventors

  • 👤 Thomas Elbel
  • 👤 Jurgen Muller
  • 👤 Friedemann Volklein

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 13:01
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01J; G01J5/00; G01J5/10; G01J5/12; H; H10; H10N; H10N10/00; H10N10/80; H10N10/81; H10N10/817

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 148 words
Thermoelectric sensor for the detection of electromagnetic radiation, comprising a substrate having an aperture, a membrane being on, and in contact with, said substrate, said membrane also spanning said aperture, 25 to 100 thermocouples on said membrane, each thermocouple having two legs, said two legs contacting each other in a reference junction over said substrate, each of said legs contacting one leg of its neighbouring thermocouple in a sensing junction above said aperture, the sensing junctions of all said thermocouples determining the radiation-absorbing area of said sensor, the average length of all legs between their sensing junctions and their reference junctions being 20 to 30 times as large as their breadth, and electrical terminals for an indicating instrument, the first and the last of said legs being for connection of the first and the last of said sensing junctions and said reference junctions respectively with said electrical terminals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 148 words
Thermoelectric sensor for the detection of electromagnetic radiation, comprising a substrate having an aperture, a membrane being on, and in contact with, said substrate, said membrane also spanning said aperture, 25 to 100 thermocouples on said membrane, each thermocouple having two legs, said two legs contacting each other in a reference junction over said substrate, each of said legs contacting one leg of its neighbouring thermocouple in a sensing junction above said aperture, the sensing junctions of all said thermocouples determining the radiation-absorbing area of said sensor, the average length of all legs between their sensing junctions and their reference junctions being 20 to 30 times as large as their breadth, and electrical terminals for an indicating instrument, the first and the last of said legs being for connection of the first and the last of said sensing junctions and said reference junctions respectively with said electrical terminals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
Thermoelectric sensor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the average length of said legs is 27 times as large as their breadth.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 48 words
Thermoelectric sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said substrate is attached to a base plate of a package having a top plate with a window being over said aperture, said package being filled with an atmosphere, said atmosphere and said window being permeable to said electromagnetic radiation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 28 words
Thermoelectric sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein a heat conducting metal coating is situated on said thermocouples over said aperture and is electrically insulated from said thermocouples.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2422273A Cited
US2561077A Cited
US2696117A Cited
US3424624A Cited
US4111717A Cited
US4211888A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-05-11 1990-11-10 1991-05-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-05-11 1994-11-10 1995-05-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-05-11 1998-11-10 1999-05-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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