Radioisotopically heated thermoelectric generator with weld brazed electrical connections

Claim 1

IN A THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR INCLUDING A RADIOISOTOPIC HEAT SOURCE, A THERMOPILE FOR CONVERTING HEAT ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY, AND A CONTAINER FOR HOLDING AND ENCLOSING THE RADIOISOTOPIC HEAT SOURCE AND THE THERMOPILE, SAID THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR SIZED SUFFICIENTLY SMALL SO THAT IS CAN BE RECEIVED IN THE HUMAN BODY WITHOUT REJECTION: A THERMOPILE COMPOSED OF A PLURALITY OF CLOSELY PACKED, PARALLEL-ORIENTED, ELONGATED, SMALL CROSS-SECTION SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENTS, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENTS SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER BY A THIN LAYER OF INSULATION, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENTS TOGETHER FORMING A BLOCK HAVING END SURFACES IN WHICH ARE EXPOSED THE ENDS OF EACH OF THE ELEMENTS AND THE INSULATION LAYER THEREBETWEEN WITH ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN SELECTED PAIRS OF SAID ELEMENTS, SAID THERMOPILE FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT SAID ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ARE MADE BY ELONGATED STRAPS BENT OVER AT THEIR ENDS WITH THE BENT OVER ENDS WELD BRAZED WITH THE ENDS OF SAID ELEMENTS, THE STRAIGHT CENTRAL PORTIONS OF EACH STRAP EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS SLIGHTLY RAISED ABOVE THEIR END SURFACES.