Patents Examined by Chew-Wen Jiang
  • Patent number: 6474073
    Abstract: In a thermoelectric device such as a thermoelectric manifold having a plurality of stages of thermoelectric modules, not only are distributions of heat at endothermic and exothermic surfaces equalized to increase the heat exchange efficiency and also to suppress thermal strains in the thermoelectric modules, but also heat transmission between the thermoelectric modules is facilitated even though bowing occurs. For this purpose, in the thermoelectric device utilizing the plural thermoelectric modules, a fluid serving as a heat transfer medium is intervened between the thermoelectric modules and is utilized to achieve a transmission of heat from the exothermic surface of the thermoelectric module on a cooling side to the endothermic surface of the thermoelectric module on a heating side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Toshio Uetsuji, Syouhei Inamori, Osao Kido, Kenichi Morishita, Masatsugu Fujimoto