Patent ID: 7736051
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A thermoelectric device comprising: a thermoelectric element which has one surface on a low temperature side and the other surface on a high temperature side; a member which is attached to at least one of the low-temperature-side surface and high-temperature-side surface of said thermoelectric element; and a temperature detection element which is provided between said member and the surface of said thermoelectric element to which said member is attached, wherein said member comprises a mirror whose surface opposite to a mirror surface is attached to the low-temperature-side surface of said thermoelectric element, and the device further comprises light-emitting means for irradiating the mirror surface of said mirror with pulse light at a predetermined period, light-receiving means for receiving reflected light of the pulse light emitted from said light-emitting means to the mirror surface, and means for detecting moisture generated on the mirror surface of said mirror cooled by said thermoelectric element, on the basis of a difference between an upper limit value and lower limit value of one pulse of the reflected light received by said light-receiving means, a tube having a distal end portion thereof curved so as to have generally a J-shape and direct a tip of the distal end portion to said mirror; wherein said light-emitting means and said light-receiving means comprise a light-emitting side optical fiber and a light-receiving side optical fiber, respectively, that are both housed in said tube in parallel with each other.