Patent ID: 9263659
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: H01L,H05K

Claim Text:
1. A thermoelectric energy harvesting device, comprising: a thermoelectric generator having a thermoelectric generator upper surface and producing a voltage in response to a temperature difference across the thermoelectric generator, the thermoelectric generator generating power when coupled to a load; a housing, the housing having a housing bottom defined by a housing bottom lower surface and a housing bottom upper surface located above the housing bottom lower surface, the housing bottom lower surface mounted on top of the thermoelectric generator and thermally coupled to and directly contacting the thermoelectric generator upper surface, the housing including a cavity enclosed by the housing bottom upper surface at a bottom of the cavity and an inner surface of a housing side wall circumscribing the cavity, the cavity being located above and physically separated from the thermoelectric generator by the housing bottom; a heat sink in direct contact with the housing side wall and enclosing a top of the cavity on an end thereof opposite the thermoelectric generator and configured to cause heat to flow from the thermoelectric generator upwardly through the housing side wall along a system heat path into the heat sink in response to the temperature difference across the thermoelectric generator; wherein the housing is sandwiched between the heat sink and the thermoelectric generator an electronics module mounted within the cavity and positioned above the housing bottom upper surface and having an electronics module upper surface thermally coupled to a heat sink lower surface, the electronics module conditioning the power generated by the thermoelectric generator and the housing side wall extending as a continuous surface circumscribing the cavity such that the electronics module is protected from exposure to moisture, mechanical impact, and excessive heat.