Patent ID: 8707715

Claim:
A thermoelectric conversion unit comprising: a first case including a first recess, wherein the first recess defines a first flow passage and has an opening; a second case including a second recess, wherein the second recess defines a second flow passage and has an opening; a first substrate covering the opening of the first recess, wherein the first substrate includes an inner surface and an outer surface; a second substrate opposed to the first substrate and covering the opening of the second recess, wherein the second substrate includes an inner surface and an outer surface; a plurality of thermoelectric devices in contact with the inner surfaces of the first and second substrates; a connector for joining the first and second cases; a first fin protruding from the first substrate in the first flow passage of the first case; and a second fin protruding from the second substrate in the second flow passage of the second case, wherein the first case includes a first opposed portion opposed to the first substrate outside the first recess, the second case includes a second opposed portion opposed to the second substrate outside the second recess, an accommodating recess is formed in at least one of the first and second opposed portions, wherein the accommodating recess has a bottom portion, an elastic member is housed in the accommodating recess, wherein the elastic member makes contacts with both the bottom portion of the accommodating recess and the outer surface of the first substrate or both the bottom portion of the accommodating recess and the outer surface of the second substrate, and a spacer for setting distance between the first opposed portion and the second opposed portion, the spacer setting the distance between the first and second opposed portions to be longer than distance between the outer surface of the first substrate and the outer surface of the second substrate is provided.