Abstract:
In the case of an apparatus for thermoelectric generation of electrical energy, a base part and an opposing piece are provided, between which a thermoelectric element is arranged and which can be connected to one another as a physical unit via latching elements which are formed on an attachment adaptor. The thermoelectric element can therefore be fixed with relatively low mechanical loads, and the physical unit can be arranged in a compact form at an installation location.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a U.S. National Phase Patent Application based on International Application No. PCT/EP2011/058425 filed May 24, 2011, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2010 022 968.7 filed Jun. 8, 2010, the entire disclosures of which are hereby explicitly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for thermoelectric generation of electrical energy. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Known from, for example, EP 1 160 863 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,259 B2 or DE 25 39 379 A1 are apparatuses in which an electronic component is attached to a heat conducting body via clamping means. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]    The present invention provides an apparatus for thermoelectric generation of electrical energy that is distinguished by relatively high efficiency and is easy to deploy. 
         [0007]    By virtue of the fact that in the apparatus according to the invention, the thermoelectric element is fitted in between a base part and a counterpart, which themselves in turn are connected to each other via the latching elements formed on the attachment adapter, the apparatus is very easy to assemble and yet has relatively high efficiency. 
         [0008]    In one form of thereof, the present invention provides an apparatus for thermoelectric generation of electrical energy, including a thermoelectric element; a base part; an attachment adapter having latching elements on both faces of an adapter plate penetrated by an adapter opening; and a counterpart, wherein the latching elements are adapted to maintain the base part and the counterpart such that the base part and the counterpart are in contact with the thermoelectric element. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0009]    The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention that is intended for use with a fluid line piece; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 1  during an assembly step; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 1  during another assembly step, subsequent to the arrangement of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 1  in a final assembled arrangement; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a longitudinal section of the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 1  in a final assembled arrangement according to  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
       [0015]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for thermoelectric generation of electrical energy. Illustrated in  FIG. 1 , as a receiving body, is a fluid line piece  1  which can be fitted by two ends into a fluid line system (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) by the rearward engagement of latching collars  2 , and which has a flow-through conduit  3  extending between the two ends of the fluid line piece  1 . Formed on the fluid line piece  1  between the latching collars  2  is a baseplate  4 , surrounded by an inner wall  5 . Formed at and in spaced relation to the edge of inner wall  5  directed away from fluid line piece  1  is an outer wall  6 , such that an insertion channel  7  is present between the inner wall  5  and the outer wall  6 . 
         [0017]    Formed on the mutually facing inner sides of inner wall  5  are a number of abutment bars  8 , which extend away from the baseplate  4  and terminate at a distance from the edge of inner wall  5  that is directed away from the fluid line piece  1 . In a receiving space  9  surrounded by inner wall  5  there is a circumferentially closed base-part receiving structure  10 , which is disposed centrally with respect to inner wall  5  and terminates at the height of baseplate  4  corresponding to approximately half the length of the abutment bars  8 . 
         [0018]    Also present is a base part  11  that is a good thermal conductor, which comprises a baseplate  12 ; latching tongues  13 , as catch elements, that protrude laterally from opposite sides of the baseplate  12 ; an immersing edge  14  disposed on one side of the baseplate  12  and encircling a number of immersing tongues  15 ; and a support pedestal  16 , which is disposed on a cover side of the baseplate  12  directed away from the immersing edge  14  and whose face directed away from the baseplate  12  is raised above the cover side of the baseplate  12 . 
         [0019]    In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the apparatus of the invention is also equipped with an intermediate element  17  that is a good thermal conductor, formed, for example, by a plastically deformable film or a layer of high-viscosity adhesive. 
         [0020]    The apparatus according to the invention further comprises a thermoelectric element  18 , which has approximately the dimensions of the working face of the support pedestal  16  and of the intermediate element  17 . The thermoelectric element  18  is configured as relatively thin and is not able to withstand very high mechanical loads. 
         [0021]    The apparatus according to the invention further comprises an attachment adapter  19 , which includes an adapter plate  20  of approximately square shape. Formed in the center of adapter plate  20  is an adapter opening  21 , which is dimensioned to be at least as large as the support pedestal  16  and in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1  also has an approximately square shape. Formed as latching elements on both faces of the adapter plate  20 , at opposite edge sides of the adapter recess  21 , are resilient flat counterpart latching hooks  22 , which extend away from adapter plate  20  and each of which is configured with a respective latching nose  23  at its end directed away from adapter plate  20 . The attachment adapter  19  also comprises alignment pins  24 , which are disposed diagonally to each other and extend from a cover side of the adapter plate  20  and away therefrom. 
         [0022]    The exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention as illustrated in  FIG. 1  also comprises a circuit board  25  formed with a board panel  26 , in the center of which is a board aperture  27 . The board aperture  27  is so dimensioned as to permit through-passing engagement by the counterpart latching hooks  22  disposed next to the alignment pin  24  and by the alignment pins  24 , which prevent the circuit board  25  from shifting in the plane of the adapter plate  20  parallel to the flat sides of the counterpart latching hooks  22 . The board panel  26  is fitted with a number of electronic components  28  that are to be supplied with electrical energy by the thermoelectric element  18 . 
         [0023]    The apparatus according to the invention is also equipped with a counterpart  29  comprising a cover plate  30  of approximately rectangular shape, which is surrounded at a distance from its edges by a counterpart edge wall  31 , so as to form an insertion channel  32 . On one face of the cover plate  30 , the counterpart  29  comprises a non-inserting pedestal  33  of approximately square shape, which is configured on each of two mutually opposite wall sides with a respective latching step  34  as a catch element. 
         [0024]    Finally, the exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention illustrated in  FIG. 1  includes a cover part  35  composed of a cover wall  36  and edge walls  37  extending perpendicularly away from the cover wall  36 . Formed in the cover wall  36  is a cover wall opening  38  dimensioned such that cover plate  30  of counterpart  29  can be fitted into said cover wall opening  38 . The rim of cover wall opening  38  is configured with a peripheral immersing wall  39   e  extending in the same direction as the edge walls  37 . In addition, the edge sides of edge walls  37  directed away from the cover wall  36  are provided with a protruding immersing portion  40 , which stiffen the cover part  35 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention as depicted in  FIG. 1  during an assembly step of the components described in connection with  FIG. 1 . In the partially assembled arrangement illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the thermoelectric element  18  is attached to the support pedestal  16  of the base part  11  via intermediate element  17 , which serves, among other things, for subsequent tolerance compensation. The base part  11  is connected to the attachment adapter  19  by the rearward engagement of its latching tongues  13  by the latching noses  23  of the counterpart latching hooks  22 , accompanied by the engagement of support pedestal  16 , with thermoelectric element  18 , through adapter opening  21 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention as illustrated in  FIG. 1  in a further assembly step, subsequent to the assembly step depicted in  FIG. 2 . In the assembly step of  FIG. 3 , the circuit board  25  now rests on adapter plate  20  on the opposite side of adapter plate  20  from base part  11 , with the counterpart latching hooks  22  that are directed away from base part  11  engaged through the board aperture  27 , and the counterpart  29  rests on the thermoelectric element  18  (not visible in  FIG. 3 ), an intermediate element  17  advantageously also being interposed for tolerance compensation between the thermoelectric element  18  and the face of the non-inserting pedestal  33  directed away from the cover plate  30 . In the arrangement according to  FIG. 3 , the latching noses  23  of the counterpart latching hooks  22  directed away from the base part  11  engage behind the latching steps  34  formed on the non-inserting pedestal  33 , such that the counterpart  29  is now connected to the attachment adapter  19 , as well. Due to the larger dimensioning of non-inserting pedestal  33  compared to the board aperture  27 , the circuit board  25  is also thereby fixed in place. The alignment pin  24  is disposed in an alignment pin opening created in the non-inserting pedestal  33 , thereby also ensuring that the counterpart  29  is aligned at the proper angle relative to the attachment adapter  19 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 1  in a final assembled arrangement, in which the physical unit composed of the base part  11 , the attachment adapter  19 , the circuit board  25  and the counterpart  29  are inserted in the receiving space  9 , and the cover part  35  with its immersing portion  40  is seated in the insertion channel  7  formed between inner wall  5  and outer wall  6 . In addition, the immersing wall  39  engages in the insertion channel  32  formed on counterpart  29 , such that the cover part  35  outwardly seals the receiving space  9  fluid-tight. 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a longitudinal section of the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 1  in the final assembled arrangement of  FIG. 4 . It is apparent from  FIG. 5  that the immersing tongues  15  are disposed in the flow-through conduit  3 , with the result that, assuming suitably high thermal conductivity for the material of the base part  11 , the side of the thermoelectric element  18  facing toward the support pedestal  16  is at a first temperature that is assigned to the fluid flowing in the flow-through conduit  3 . 
         [0029]    It can also be appreciated from  FIG. 5  that the immersing edge  14  engages in the base-part receiving structure  10  and thereby seals the receiving space  9  with respect to the flow-through conduit  3 . The board panel  26  rests at its outer edge sides on the abutment bars  28  and is supported by them, thus ensuring mechanically stable mounting. In addition, the side of the thermoelectric element  18  facing away from the support pedestal  16  is at a second temperature that is moderated by the ambient temperature by means of counterpart  29 , and which, when it differs from the first temperature, causes the thermoelectric element  18  to generate electrical energy that can be supplied to power the electrical components  28  of the circuit board  25 . 
         [0030]    While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.