Abstract A method for making thermocouples and the thermocouples produced thereby including superposing an elongate conductive member and a normally solid, electrically insulative and binder material between first and second layers of thermoelectric material, heating the sandwiched assembly to at least partially liquidize or soften the insulative material and pressing the conductive member against the thermoelectric material layers, continuing the heating and pressing to join or react the conductive member with the thermoelectric material layers and wet the thermoelectric materials and conductive member surfaces in contact with liquidized insulative material, and then cooling the materials to solidify and bind the same together. The thermoelectric materials are of different conductivity types and additional layers of insulative materials, conductive members and thermoelectric materials of alternating conductivity types may be stacked and pressed and heated.
The method of claim 1 wherein said electrically insulative and binder material layer comprises a glass having a logarithm of viscosity of about 6 to 7 at said compressing and heating.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said glass is in the form of particles having a size less than said glass layer thickness after said compression. 4. The method of claim 3 including the step of cutting a groove in said glass layer and positioning and pressing said elongate conductive member into said groove.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said glass is a glass ceramic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said continued heating is to a temperature above the crystallization temperature of said glass ceramic.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said conductive member is a wire selected from the group consisting of platinum and platinum-rhodium alloys and reacts with said thermoelectric materials during said heating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said thermoelectric materials comprise thin heat conducting plates.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said thermoelectric materials are of N-type and P-type, and including stacking additional alternating layers of N-type and P-type thermoelectric materials with said first and second materials, with intermediate layers of said insulative material, and with a conductive member disposed between each of said thermoelectric materials at alternating opposite ends of said thermoelectric materials, together with heating and compressing together all of said layers to form a unitary stack.