Patent ID: 8646282

Claim:
A thermoelectric heat pump assembly having a top end and a bottom end, the thermoelectric heat pump assembly comprising: (a) two to nine thermoelectric unit layers capable of active use of the Peltier effect, each thermoelectric unit layer having a cold side and a hot side; (b) at least one capacitance spacer block that stores heat and provides a buffer to delay transfer of heat from one thermoelectric unit layer to another, the capacitance spacer block having a top portion and a bottom portion and being between a first thermoelectric unit layer and a second thermoelectric layer, wherein the top portion of the capacitance spacer block is thermally connected to the hot side of the first thermoelectric unit layer and the bottom portion is thermally connected to the cold side of the second thermoelectric unit layer, thereby forming a sandwich layer that pumps heat from the first thermoelectric unit layer to the second thermoelectric layer; (c) at least one energy source operably connected to each thermoelectric unit layer, wherein the energy source is suitable to provide a current, the thermoelectric heat pump assembly being configured so that each individual thermoelectric unit layer has a ratio of input current to maximum available current (I/Imax) of 0.09 or less at a steady-state when a change in temperature (ΔT) of the heat pump assembly at the top end compared to the bottom end of the heat pump assembly is about 20° C. and heat removal (Q) is about 0 Watts; and (d) a heat sink associated with a fax assembly, wherein the heat sink is thermally connected at the bottom end of the heat pump assembly.