US Patent 11075331 Thermoelectric device having circuitry with structural rigidity

A thermoelectric device includes a thermally conductive first plate and at least one thermoelectric sub-assembly. The first plate has a layer with a plurality of electrically conductive first portions and a plurality of electrically insulating second portions separating the first portions from one another. The at least one thermoelectric sub-assembly includes a thermally conductive second plate and a plurality of thermoelectric elements in a region between the first plate and the second plate. The plurality of thermoelectric elements is in electrical communication with the plurality of electrically conductive portions of the first plate, in electrical communication with electrically conductive portions of the second plate, and in thermal communication with the first plate and the second plate. The plurality of electrically insulating second portions includes a plurality of segments at least partially outside the region, the segments configured to avoid degradation of a structural rigidity of the first plate.