Patent ID: 8683815

Claim:
A magnetocaloric element ( 1 , 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 , 80 , 90 ) comprising: an alignment of at least two sets (MC 1 - 21 ) of magnetocaloric materials having different Curie temperatures, the at least two sets (MC 1 - 21 ) being adjacent one another and the magnetocaloric materials within a same set (MC 1 - 21 ) have a same Curie temperature, the at least two sets (MC 1 - 21 ) being arranged according to an increasing Curie temperature, and the magnetocaloric element ( 1 , 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 , 80 , 90 ) comprising an initiating element (MA 1 - 34 ) for initiating a temperature gradient between two opposite hot ( 6 ) and cold ( 7 ) ends of the magnetocaloric element ( 1 , 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 , 80 , 90 ), and the initiating element (MA 1 - 26 ) comprising magnetocaloric materials which have a wider transition zone than that of the magnetocaloric materials comprising the at least two sets (MC 1 - 19 ).