The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 05, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 16, 1998
Abstract
A cooling unit is structured such that a temperature sensor is formed on at least one of the substrates that form a thermoelectric conversion device to which thermoelectric elements are connected, an input/output electrode extending from the temperature sensor and an electrode formed on the other surface opposed to the substrate on which the temperature sensor is formed are connected to each other by electrically conductive material, and a control circuit for controlling a current supplied to the thermoelectric conversion device according to an output of the temperature sensor is connected thereto. By this structure, only one surface of the substrate is subjected to a manufacturing process, and there is no need for a temperature sensor such as a thermistor to be supplied as a discrete component for mounting on a substrate of the thermoelectric conversion device. There is also no need for a temperature sensor to be connected directly on a surface of the thermoelectric conversion device which is to be adjusted in temperature, thereby being capable of easily and accurately adjusting the temperature at the thermoelectric conversion device.