US 11,839,157 B2
Bidirectional stretchable and flexible wearable thermoelectric module
Seung Hwan Ko, Seoul (KR); Jin Woo Lee, Seoul (KR); and Hea Youn Sul, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to Seoul National University R&DB Foundation, Seoul (KR)
Filed by Seoul National University R&DB Foundation, Seoul (KR)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/341,344.
Application 17/341,344 is a continuation of application No. PCT/KR2019/015294, filed on Nov. 12, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2018-0157129 (KR), filed on Dec. 7, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0296554 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. H10N 10/17 (2023.01); H10N 10/01 (2023.01); H10N 10/81 (2023.01); H10N 10/85 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 10/17 (2023.02) [H10N 10/01 (2023.02); H10N 10/81 (2023.02); H10N 10/85 (2023.02)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A stretchable and flexible thermoelectric module comprising:
a thermoelectric material;
at least a pair of elastic composites having flexibility and elasticity; and
a first electrode and a second electrode, which are deformable, and at least partially inserted into the elastic composites, and whose at least parts are electrically connected to two sides of the thermoelectric material, respectively,
wherein the first and second elastic composites each include a metal nano material in an amount of 20 to 60 wt % based on 100 wt % of the total content of the corresponding elastic composite, and
cooling and heating are performed by changing the direction of the current by performing an inverse mode,
wherein the first and second electrodes each comprises:
a pair of thermoelectric material contact portions formed as a circular plate, wherein at least one of the pair of thermoelectric material contact portions formed as a circular plate has a lower surface with an area larger than a contacting area which is in contact with the thermoelectric material; and
a connection portion formed to have a curvature on a plane, and configured to connect the pair of thermoelectric material contact portions to each other,
wherein the connection portion has a width of 500 to 700 μm, and wherein at least part of the thermoelectric material is embedded into the pair of elastic composites.