Hot-pressing transfer printing roller

Abstract

The invention provides a hot-pressing transfer printing roller, relates to the technical field of transfer printing rollers, and aims to at least solve the problem of how to consider both the temperature uniformity and the pressure uniformity of the hot-pressing transfer printing roller in the transfer printing process. The hot-pressing transfer printing roller comprises a supporting roller, a heating piece, a first heat conduction layer and a flexible rolling layer, the heating piece is arranged on the supporting roller and used for heating the supporting roller, the first heat conduction layer is arranged around the supporting roller in the circumferential direction of the supporting roller, and the flexible rolling layer is arranged around the first heat conduction layer in the circumferential direction of the supporting roller. The first heat conduction layer comprises a plurality of first heat conduction particles and a first flexible structure wrapping the first heat conduction particles, the first heat conduction particles are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the supporting roller, and the first flexible structure is arranged around the supporting roller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of transfer roller technology, specifically to a hot-press transfer roller. Background Technology

[0002] The hot-press transfer roller is the core component of a heat transfer printing machine. By heating and pressurizing, it precisely transfers patterns, text, or special coatings from a carrier (such as a transfer film or decal) to the surface of a target material. For example, the hot-press transfer roller is used to transfer a catalytic layer from a transfer film onto a proton exchange membrane to form the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of a fuel cell.

[0003] In the prior art, in order to ensure the temperature uniformity of the hot press transfer roller during the transfer process, hot press transfer rollers made of metal materials such as stainless steel are usually used, and the high thermal conductivity of metal is used to maintain the uniformity of the roller surface temperature; in order to ensure the pressure uniformity of the transfer roller during the transfer process, hot press transfer rollers made of elastic materials such as silicone are usually used, and their elastic deformation is used to maintain the uniformity of the roller surface pressure.

[0004] However, existing technologies for hot press transfer rollers made of a single material have inherent defects: hot press transfer rollers made of metal materials such as stainless steel cannot guarantee the uniformity of pressure on the roller surface, while hot press transfer rollers made of elastic materials such as silicone cannot guarantee the uniformity of temperature on the roller surface. This makes it difficult for existing technologies to simultaneously ensure the uniformity of temperature and pressure on the roller surface during the transfer process, thus affecting the transfer quality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a hot press transfer roller to at least solve the problem of how to balance the temperature uniformity and pressure uniformity of the hot press transfer roller during the transfer process.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: This application provides a hot press transfer roller, which includes a support roller, a heating element, a first heat-conducting layer, and a flexible roll pressing layer. The heating element is disposed on the support roller for heating the support roller. The first heat-conducting layer is disposed around the support roller circumferentially, and the flexible roll pressing layer is disposed around the first heat-conducting layer circumferentially. The first heat-conducting layer includes a plurality of first heat-conducting particles and a first flexible structure covering the plurality of first heat-conducting particles. The plurality of first heat-conducting particles are uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction of the support roller, and the first flexible structure is disposed around the support roller.

[0007] Through the above technical solution, the hot press transfer roller provided in this application, by setting up a support roller, a heating element, a first heat-conducting layer and a flexible roller pressing layer, allows heat to be transferred to the flexible roller pressing layer through the first heat-conducting layer after the heating element heats the support roller to a set temperature, so that the interface temperature of the flexible roller pressing layer when it comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0008] The first heat-conducting layer comprises multiple first heat-conducting particles and a first flexible structure covering the multiple first heat-conducting particles. The multiple first heat-conducting particles are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support roller, and the first flexible structure is arranged around the support roller. Thus, during the transfer process, i.e., when the flexible roller pressing layer comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred, the heat on the support roller can be evenly transferred to the flexible roller pressing layer through the evenly distributed multiple first heat-conducting particles, ensuring the temperature uniformity of the flexible roller pressing layer.

[0009] Meanwhile, due to the micro-deformation capability of the flexible roller layer, it can adapt to the slight thickness differences on the surface of the catalyst layer to be transferred through micro-deformation, ensuring the uniformity of pressure on the flexible roller layer and avoiding indentation and edge breakage of the catalyst layer to be transferred. When the deformation of the flexible roller layer is large, the micro-deformation of the flexible roller layer is transmitted inward, causing multiple first heat-conducting particles inside the first heat-conducting layer to squeeze each other, thereby forming a resistance force opposite to the deformation direction of the flexible roller layer, thus preventing excessive deformation of the flexible roller layer. In this way, the hot press transfer roller with a layered structure consisting of a support roller, a first heat-conducting layer, and a flexible roller layer from the inside out can ensure both temperature and pressure uniformity on the roller surface during the transfer process, thereby improving the transfer quality.

[0010] In some embodiments, the hot press transfer roller further includes a second heat-conducting layer and a flexible heat-conducting layer. Along the circumference of the support roller, the flexible heat-conducting layer is disposed around the first heat-conducting layer, the second heat-conducting layer is disposed around the flexible heat-conducting layer, and the flexible roll pressing layer is disposed around the second heat-conducting layer. The heat conduction capacity of the second heat-conducting layer is less than that of the first heat-conducting layer.

[0011] Through the above technical solution, by setting the second heat-conducting layer and the flexible heat-conducting layer, after the heating element heats the support roller to the set temperature, the heat can be transferred to the flexible roller pressing layer in sequence through the flexible insulating layer, the first heat-conducting layer, the flexible heat-conducting layer and the second heat-conducting layer, so that the interface temperature of the flexible roller pressing layer when it comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0012] Based on this, by making the thermal conductivity of the second thermal conductive layer less than that of the first thermal conductive layer, the heat from the first thermal conductive layer can be transferred smoothly and slowly to the flexible roll layer through the second thermal conductive layer, so as to avoid the instantaneous temperature rise of the flexible roll layer from affecting the transfer quality.

[0013] In addition, by setting a flexible thermal conductive layer, thermal deformation due to the difference in thermal conductivity between the first and second thermal conductive layers can be avoided, thus ensuring the stability of heat transfer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second thermally conductive layer includes a plurality of second thermally conductive particles and a second flexible structure covering the plurality of second thermally conductive particles. The plurality of second thermally conductive particles are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support roller, and the second flexible structure is disposed around the flexible thermally conductive layer.

[0015] Through the above technical solution, by setting the second heat-conducting particles and the second flexible structure, the second flexible structure is used to cover multiple second heat-conducting particles, so that the second heat-conducting layer has a certain skeleton structure. During the transfer process, the heat on the first heat-conducting layer can be transferred to the flexible roll-pressing layer through the uniformly distributed multiple second heat-conducting particles, so as to ensure the temperature uniformity of the flexible roll-pressing layer.

[0016] Meanwhile, when the deformation of the flexible roll-pressed layer is large, the micro-deformation of the flexible roll-pressed layer is transmitted inward, so that multiple first heat-conducting particles inside the first heat-conducting layer are squeezed against each other in the first flexible structure, and multiple second heat-conducting particles inside the second heat-conducting layer are squeezed against each other in the second flexible structure. This can jointly form a resistance force opposite to the deformation direction of the flexible roll-pressed layer, so that the first heat-conducting layer and the second heat-conducting layer form a pressure gradient buffer for the flexible roll-pressed layer, and avoid excessive deformation of the flexible roll-pressed layer.

[0017] Thus, the hot press transfer roller, which adopts a layered structure consisting of a support roller, a flexible insulating layer, a first heat-conducting layer, a flexible heat-conducting layer, a second heat-conducting layer, and a flexible roller pressing layer from the inside out, can better balance the temperature uniformity and pressure uniformity of the roller surface during the transfer process, thereby improving the transfer quality.

[0018] In some embodiments, the proportion of the second thermally conductive particles in the second thermally conductive layer is less than the proportion of the first thermally conductive particles in the first thermally conductive layer.

[0019] Through the above technical solution, the proportion of the second heat-conducting particles in the second heat-conducting layer is less than the proportion of the first heat-conducting particles in the first heat-conducting layer. This makes the heat conduction capacity of the first heat-conducting layer greater than that of the second heat-conducting layer, thereby forming a gradient heat conduction between the first and second heat-conducting layers. This allows the heat on the support roller to be transferred to the flexible roll-pressing layer through gradient heat conduction, ensuring the uniformity of the temperature of the flexible roll-pressing layer.

[0020] In some embodiments, the maximum particle size of the second thermally conductive particle is greater than the maximum particle size of the first thermally conductive particle.

[0021] Through the above technical solution, the maximum particle size of the second heat-conducting particle is larger than that of the first heat-conducting particle. Since the larger the particle size of the heat-conducting particle, the greater its rigidity and the smaller its deformation, the deformation capacity of the second heat-conducting particle is less than that of the first heat-conducting particle. This further makes the deformation capacity of the second heat-conducting layer less than that of the first heat-conducting layer, so that a pressure gradient is formed between the second and first heat-conducting layers. The contact pressure of the outermost flexible roll-pressing layer is transmitted to the support roller through the gradient pressure, realizing the function of rigid pressure bearing of the outer layer and elastic buffering of the inner layer, and ensuring the uniformity of the pressure of the flexible roll-pressing layer.

[0022] In some embodiments, the material of the first thermally conductive particle includes at least one of graphite, copper, ceramic, alumina, boron nitride, and silicon carbide.

[0023] Through the above technical solution, since graphite, copper, ceramics, alumina, boron nitride, and silicon carbide have high thermal conductivity, the thermal conductivity of the first thermally conductive particles can be improved, and the thermal conductivity of the first thermally conductive layer can be further improved, so as to quickly transfer the heat on the support roller to the flexible roller pressing layer, and ensure that the interface temperature when the hot pressing transfer roller contacts the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first thermally conductive particle includes at least one of spherical particles, square particles, sheet-like particles, prismatic particles, and hollow particles.

[0025] With the above technical solution, since the surface of the spherical particles is a smooth curved surface, when the flexible roll-pressed layer undergoes a large deformation and the deformation is transmitted inward, even if the first heat-conducting particle undergoes a small displacement within the first flexible structure, the stress will be evenly distributed along the spherical surface to the surrounding first flexible structure, thereby preventing the first flexible structure from being punctured.

[0026] In some embodiments, the materials of the flexible roll-formed layer and the first flexible structure include at least one of silicone, fluororubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, and epoxy resin.

[0027] Through the above technical solutions, since silicone, fluororubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, and epoxy resin have good micro-deformation capabilities, they can adapt to the slight thickness differences on the surface of the catalyst layer to be transferred through micro-deformation, so as to ensure the uniformity of the pressure of the flexible roller pressing layer and avoid indentation and edge brittleness of the catalyst layer to be transferred.

[0028] In some embodiments, the material of the first flexible structure further includes a coupling agent for bonding the first thermally conductive particles to the first flexible structure.

[0029] Through the above technical solution, the setting of coupling agent can improve the bonding effect between the first thermally conductive particles and the first flexible structure, thereby improving the structural stability of the first thermally conductive layer and preventing the first thermally conductive particles from falling off under stress, thus affecting the thermal conductivity uniformity of the first thermally conductive layer.

[0030] In some embodiments, the hot press transfer roller further includes a flexible insulating layer, and along the circumference of the support roller, the heating element is disposed around the support roller, the flexible insulating layer is disposed around the heating element, and the first heat-conducting layer is disposed around the flexible insulating layer.

[0031] Through the above technical solution, the flexible insulating layer can provide insulation protection for the hot press transfer roller, so as to avoid the heating element surrounding the support roller from directly contacting the catalyst layer (or conductive transfer film) to be transferred and causing a short circuit, thereby ensuring the electrical safety of the hot press transfer process.

[0032] In some embodiments, the support roller has a flow channel, and the heating element includes a heat-conducting fluid disposed within the flow channel.

[0033] Through the above technical solution, the heat-conducting fluid is placed in the flow channel, which can heat the support roller to make the support roller reach the set temperature, and further make the interface temperature when the outer surface of the hot press transfer roller contacts the catalyst layer to be transferred meet the transfer process requirements.

[0034] In some embodiments, the material of the support roller includes a metal material.

[0035] Through the above technical solution, since the metal material has high rigidity and good thermal conductivity, the heat on the support roller can be quickly transferred to the outer surface of the hot press transfer roller while ensuring the structural strength of the support roller, so as to ensure that the interface temperature when the hot press transfer roller comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0036] The beneficial effects of this application are: (1) The hot press transfer roller provided in this application, through the setting of support roller, heating element, first heat-conducting layer and flexible roller pressing layer, after the heating element heats the support roller to a set temperature, the heat can be transferred to the flexible roller pressing layer through the first heat-conducting layer so that the interface temperature of the flexible roller pressing layer when it comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0037] The first heat-conducting layer comprises multiple first heat-conducting particles and a first flexible structure covering the multiple first heat-conducting particles. The multiple first heat-conducting particles are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support roller, and the first flexible structure is arranged around the support roller. Thus, during the transfer process, i.e., when the flexible roller pressing layer comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred, the heat on the support roller can be evenly transferred to the flexible roller pressing layer through the evenly distributed multiple first heat-conducting particles, ensuring the temperature uniformity of the flexible roller pressing layer.

[0038] Meanwhile, due to the micro-deformation capability of the flexible roller layer, it can adapt to the slight thickness differences on the surface of the catalyst layer to be transferred through micro-deformation, ensuring the uniformity of pressure on the flexible roller layer and avoiding indentation and edge breakage of the catalyst layer to be transferred. When the deformation of the flexible roller layer is large, the micro-deformation of the flexible roller layer is transmitted inward, causing multiple first heat-conducting particles inside the first heat-conducting layer to squeeze each other, thereby forming a resistance force opposite to the deformation direction of the flexible roller layer, thus preventing excessive deformation of the flexible roller layer. In this way, the hot press transfer roller with a layered structure consisting of a support roller, a first heat-conducting layer, and a flexible roller layer from the inside out can ensure both temperature and pressure uniformity on the roller surface during the transfer process, thereby improving the transfer quality.

[0039] (2) Through the above technical solution, after the heating element heats the support roller to the set temperature, the heat can be transferred to the flexible roll pressing layer in sequence through the flexible insulating layer, the first heat-conducting layer, the flexible heat-conducting layer and the second heat-conducting layer, so that the interface temperature of the flexible roll pressing layer and the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0040] Based on this, by making the thermal conductivity of the second thermal conductive layer less than that of the first thermal conductive layer, the heat from the first thermal conductive layer can be transferred smoothly and slowly to the flexible roll layer through the second thermal conductive layer, so as to avoid the instantaneous temperature rise of the flexible roll layer from affecting the transfer quality.

[0041] In addition, by setting a flexible thermal conductive layer, thermal deformation due to the difference in thermal conductivity between the first and second thermal conductive layers can be avoided, thus ensuring the stability of heat transfer.

[0042] (3) Through the above technical solution, the second flexible structure is used to cover multiple second heat-conducting particles so that the second heat-conducting layer has a certain skeleton structure. During the transfer process, the heat on the first heat-conducting layer can be transferred to the flexible roll-pressing layer through the multiple uniformly distributed second heat-conducting particles to ensure the uniformity of the temperature of the flexible roll-pressing layer.

[0043] Meanwhile, when the deformation of the flexible roll-pressed layer is large, the micro-deformation of the flexible roll-pressed layer is transmitted inward, so that multiple first heat-conducting particles inside the first heat-conducting layer are squeezed against each other in the first flexible structure, and multiple second heat-conducting particles inside the second heat-conducting layer are squeezed against each other in the second flexible structure. This can jointly form a resistance force opposite to the deformation direction of the flexible roll-pressed layer, so that the first heat-conducting layer and the second heat-conducting layer form a pressure gradient buffer for the flexible roll-pressed layer, and avoid excessive deformation of the flexible roll-pressed layer.

[0044] Thus, the hot press transfer roller, which adopts a layered structure consisting of a support roller, a flexible insulating layer, a first heat-conducting layer, a flexible heat-conducting layer, a second heat-conducting layer, and a flexible roller pressing layer from the inside out, can better balance the temperature uniformity and pressure uniformity of the roller surface during the transfer process, thereby improving the transfer quality.

[0045] (4) Through the above technical solution, the proportion of the second heat-conducting particles in the second heat-conducting layer is less than the proportion of the first heat-conducting particles in the first heat-conducting layer, which makes the heat conduction capacity of the first heat-conducting layer greater than that of the second heat-conducting layer, thereby forming a gradient heat conduction between the first heat-conducting layer and the second heat-conducting layer, so as to transfer the heat on the support roller to the flexible roll pressing layer through the gradient heat conduction, so as to ensure the uniformity of the temperature of the flexible roll pressing layer.

[0046] (5) Through the above technical solution, the maximum particle size of the second heat-conducting particle is greater than that of the first heat-conducting particle. Since the larger the particle size of the heat-conducting particle, the greater the rigidity of the heat-conducting particle and the smaller the degree of deformation of the heat-conducting particle, the deformation capacity of the second heat-conducting particle is less than that of the first heat-conducting particle. This further makes the deformation capacity of the second heat-conducting layer less than that of the first heat-conducting layer, so that a pressure gradient is formed between the second heat-conducting layer and the first heat-conducting layer. The contact pressure of the outermost flexible roll-pressing layer is transmitted to the support roller through the gradient pressure, realizing the function of rigid pressure bearing of the outer layer and elastic buffering of the inner layer, and ensuring the uniformity of the pressure of the flexible roll-pressing layer.

[0047] (6) Through the above technical solution, the flexible insulation layer can provide insulation protection for the hot press transfer roller, so as to avoid the heating element surrounding the support roller from directly contacting the catalyst layer (or conductive transfer film) to be transferred and causing a short circuit, thereby ensuring the electrical safety of the hot press transfer process.

[0048] (7) Through the above technical solution, since the metal material has high rigidity and good thermal conductivity, the heat on the support roller can be quickly transferred to the outer surface of the hot press transfer roller while ensuring the structural strength of the support roller, so as to ensure that the interface temperature of the hot press transfer roller and the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Figure 1 A transverse cross-sectional view of a hot press transfer roller provided for some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 A longitudinal sectional view of a hot press transfer roller provided for some embodiments of this application.

[0050] Figure label: 10. Hot press transfer roller; 1. Support roller; 2. Heating element; 3. First heat-conducting layer; 31. First heat-conducting particles; 32. First flexible structure; 4. Flexible roll pressing layer; 5. Flexible insulating layer; 6. Second heat-conducting layer; 61. Second heat-conducting particles; 62. Second flexible structure; 7. Flexible heat-conducting layer; 8. Pressure sensor; 9. Temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided in this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0052] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments are only for illustrating the present invention and not for limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0054] The membrane electrode assembly (MEA), a core component of a fuel cell, converts the chemical energy of the fuel cell into electrical energy. The MEA comprises a catalyst layer, a proton exchange membrane (PEM), and a gas diffusion layer. The PEM, located in the center, conducts protons, prevents direct mixing of fuel gas from the anode and oxidant gas from the cathode, and blocks electrons, forcing them to perform work through the external circuit. The catalyst layers, located on either side of the PEM, include an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer. The anode catalyst layer decomposes the fuel gas into protons and electrons, while the cathode catalyst layer combines these protons and electrons with oxygen to generate water. The gas diffusion layers, located on either side of the catalyst layers, support the catalyst layers and the PEM, and also serve to evenly distribute the reactant gases, conduct electrons, and expel the generated water.

[0055] Based on this, please refer to Figure 1This application provides a hot-press transfer roller 10. In some examples, the hot-press transfer roller 10 is used to transfer a catalyst layer on a transfer membrane onto a proton exchange membrane to form a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for a fuel cell. In other examples, the hot-press transfer roller 10 can also be used in other heat transfer scenarios, such as heat transfer of paper, clothing, etc.

[0056] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The hot press transfer roller 10 may include a support roller 1, a heating element 2, a first heat-conducting layer 3, and a flexible roller pressing layer 4. The support roller 1 serves as the skeleton structure of the hot press transfer roller 10 and is used to support the heating element 2, the first heat-conducting layer 3, and the flexible roller pressing layer 4 to ensure the overall rigidity of the hot press transfer roller 10 when it comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred on the transfer film, and to avoid bending deformation.

[0057] Heating element 2 is provided on support roller 1 to heat support roller 1 so that support roller 1 reaches the set temperature, and further so that the interface temperature when the outer surface of hot press transfer roller 10 contacts the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the transfer process requirements.

[0058] The first heat-conducting layer 3 is disposed around the support roller 1 circumferentially, and the flexible roller pressing layer 4 is disposed around the first heat-conducting layer 3 circumferentially, so that the hot press transfer roller 10 forms a layered structure consisting of the support roller 1, the first heat-conducting layer 3, and the flexible roller pressing layer 4 from the inside out. For example, the layered structure of the support roller 1, the first heat-conducting layer 3, and the flexible roller pressing layer 4 can be integrally formed by injection molding to improve the manufacturing efficiency of the hot press transfer roller 10.

[0059] The flexible roll-pressed layer 4 is used to contact the catalyst layer to be transferred.

[0060] The first heat-conducting layer 3 may include a plurality of first heat-conducting particles 31 and a first flexible structure 32 covering the plurality of first heat-conducting particles 31. The plurality of first heat-conducting particles 31 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support roller 1, and the first flexible structure 32 is arranged around the support roller 1.

[0061] In this way, by setting up the support roller 1, heating element 2, first heat-conducting layer 3 and flexible roller pressing layer 4, after the heating element 2 heats the support roller 1 to the set temperature, the heat can be transferred to the flexible roller pressing layer 4 through the first heat-conducting layer 3, so that the interface temperature of the flexible roller pressing layer 4 when it comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0062] The first heat-conducting layer 3 includes a plurality of first heat-conducting particles 31 and a first flexible structure 32 covering the plurality of first heat-conducting particles 31. The plurality of first heat-conducting particles 31 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support roller 1, and the first flexible structure 32 is arranged around the support roller 1. In this way, during the transfer process, that is, when the flexible roller pressing layer 4 comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred, the heat on the support roller 1 can be evenly transferred to the flexible roller pressing layer 4 through the evenly distributed plurality of first heat-conducting particles 31, so as to ensure the temperature uniformity of the flexible roller pressing layer 4.

[0063] Meanwhile, since the flexible roller pressing layer 4 has a certain micro-deformation capability, it can adapt to the slight thickness differences on the surface of the catalyst layer to be transferred through micro-deformation, so as to ensure the uniformity of pressure of the flexible roller pressing layer 4 and avoid indentation and edge breakage of the catalyst layer to be transferred. When the deformation of the flexible roller pressing layer 4 is large, the micro-deformation of the flexible roller pressing layer 4 is transmitted inward, so that the multiple first heat-conducting particles 31 inside the first heat-conducting layer 3 are squeezed against each other, thereby forming a resistance force opposite to the deformation direction of the flexible roller pressing layer 4, so as to avoid excessive deformation of the flexible roller pressing layer 4. In this way, the hot press transfer roller 10 with a layered structure of support roller 1, first heat-conducting layer 3 and flexible roller pressing layer 4 from the inside to the outside can take into account the temperature uniformity and pressure uniformity of the roller surface during the transfer process, so as to improve the transfer quality.

[0064] In some examples, the hot press transfer roller 10 may also include a pressure sensor 8, which is disposed on the flexible roller pressing layer 4, for real-time monitoring of the working pressure of the hot press transfer roller 10, so as to avoid the pressure of the hot press transfer roller 10 being too high or too low, which would affect the transfer quality.

[0065] In some embodiments, the material of the support roller 1 may include a metal material.

[0066] In this way, because the metal material has high rigidity and good thermal conductivity, the heat on the support roller 1 can be quickly transferred to the outer surface of the hot press transfer roller 10 while ensuring the structural strength of the support roller 1, so as to ensure that the interface temperature of the hot press transfer roller 10 and the catalyst layer to be transferred meet the requirements of the transfer process.

[0067] In some examples, the support roller 1 can be a support roller 1 made of chrome-plated stainless steel. Alternatively, the support roller 1 can also be a support roller 1 made of carbon structural steel, a support roller 1 made of alloy structural steel, a support roller 1 made of aluminum alloy, etc.

[0068] In some embodiments, the hot press transfer roller 10 may further include a flexible insulating layer 5. Along the circumference of the support roller 1, the heating element 2 is disposed around the support roller 1, the flexible insulating layer 5 is disposed around the heating element 2, and the first heat-conducting layer 3 is disposed around the flexible insulating layer 5.

[0069] In this way, the flexible insulating layer 5 can provide insulation protection for the hot press transfer roller 10, so as to avoid the heating element 2 surrounding the support roller 1 from directly contacting the first heat-conducting particles 31 inside the first heat-conducting layer 3 and causing a short circuit, thereby ensuring the electrical safety of the hot press transfer process.

[0070] In some examples, the flexible insulating layer 5 may be made of silicone. Because silicone has good insulation, thermal conductivity, high-temperature resistance, and flexibility, it can provide reliable insulation protection for the hot-press transfer roller 10 under high-temperature hot-pressing conditions and can effectively conduct heat. Alternatively, the flexible insulating layer 5 may also be made of fluororubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, epoxy resin, etc.

[0071] In some examples, the heating element 2 may include a heating wire. For example, the heating element 2 may be a resistance wire heating mesh.

[0072] In this way, the support roller 1 can be directly heated by the heating wire to quickly heat the support roller 1 to the set temperature, ensuring that the interface temperature when the hot press transfer roller 10 comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0073] Furthermore, because the resistance wire heating mesh has a large area, its contact area with the support roller 1 can be increased, thereby enabling uniform heating of the support roller 1. In addition, the heating wire has a low cost.

[0074] In other examples, the heating element 2 can also be an electric heating tube, an electric heating film, an electric heating plate, a heating core, etc.

[0075] In some examples, the hot press transfer roller 10 may also include a temperature sensor located on the support roller 1 for real-time monitoring of the operating temperature of the hot press transfer roller 10. This allows for dynamic adjustment of the output power of the heating element 2 based on the temperature value monitored by the temperature sensor, preventing the temperature of the hot press transfer roller 10 from becoming too high or too low. This ensures that the interface temperature between the hot press transfer roller 10 and the catalyst layer to be transferred is always maintained within the optimal process temperature window, guaranteeing the consistency and stability of the transfer quality.

[0076] In some other embodiments, the support roller 1 is provided with a flow channel, and the heating element 2 may include a heat-conducting fluid disposed in the flow channel.

[0077] In this way, by placing the heat-conducting fluid in the flow channel, the heat-conducting fluid can heat the support roller 1 so that the support roller 1 reaches the set temperature, and further so that the interface temperature when the outer surface of the hot press transfer roller 10 contacts the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the transfer process requirements.

[0078] In some examples, the heat transfer fluid can be liquid water, silicone oil, etc.

[0079] In some embodiments, the material of the first thermally conductive particle 31 may include at least one of graphite, copper, ceramic, alumina, boron nitride, and silicon carbide. That is, the first thermally conductive particle 31 may be any combination of one or more of graphite particles, copper particles, ceramic particles, alumina particles, boron nitride particles, and silicon carbide particles.

[0080] In this way, since graphite, copper, ceramics, alumina, boron nitride, and silicon carbide have high thermal conductivity, the thermal conductivity of the first thermally conductive particles 31 can be improved, and the thermal conductivity of the first thermally conductive layer 3 can be further improved, so as to quickly transfer the heat on the support roller 1 to the flexible roller pressing layer 4, and ensure that the interface temperature when the hot pressing transfer roller 10 contacts the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first thermally conductive particle 31 may include at least one of spherical particles, square particles, sheet-like particles, prismatic particles, and hollow particles. That is, the first thermally conductive particle 31 may be any combination of one or more of spherical particles, square particles, sheet-like particles, prismatic particles, and hollow particles. For example, the first thermally conductive particle 31 may be a spherical particle.

[0082] In this way, since the surface of the spherical particles is a smooth curved surface, when the flexible roll-pressed layer 4 undergoes a large deformation and the deformation is transmitted inward, even if the first heat-conducting particle 31 undergoes a small displacement within the first flexible structure 32, the stress will be evenly distributed along the spherical surface to the surrounding first flexible structure 32, thereby preventing the first flexible structure 32 from being punctured.

[0083] In some embodiments, the materials of the flexible roll-formed layer 4 and the first flexible structure 32 may include at least one of silicone, fluororubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, and epoxy resin. That is, the materials of the flexible roll-formed layer 4 and the first flexible structure 32 may be any combination of one or more of silicone, fluororubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, and epoxy resin.

[0084] In this way, since silicone, fluororubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, and epoxy resin have good micro-deformation capabilities, they can adapt to the slight thickness differences on the surface of the catalyst layer to be transferred through micro-deformation, so as to ensure the uniformity of pressure of the flexible roller pressing layer 4 and avoid indentation and edge breakage of the catalyst layer to be transferred.

[0085] In some examples, the flexible roll-formed layer 4 can be a silicone roll-formed layer, and the first flexible structure 32 can be a silicone structure.

[0086] In some embodiments, the material of the first flexible structure 32 may further include a coupling agent for bonding the first thermally conductive particles 31 to the first flexible structure 32.

[0087] In this way, by setting the coupling agent, the bonding effect between the first thermally conductive particles 31 and the first flexible structure 32 can be improved, thereby improving the structural stability of the first thermally conductive layer 3 and preventing the first thermally conductive particles 31 from falling off under stress, which would affect the thermal conductivity uniformity of the first thermally conductive layer 3.

[0088] In some examples, the coupling agent can be a silane coupling agent. Alternatively, the coupling agent can also be a titanate coupling agent, an aluminate coupling agent, etc. Or, the coupling agent can be any combination of multiple silane coupling agents, titanate coupling agents, and aluminate coupling agents.

[0089] In some embodiments, the hot press transfer roller 10 may further include a second heat-conducting layer 6 and a flexible heat-conducting layer 7. Along the circumference of the support roller 1, the flexible heat-conducting layer 7 surrounds the first heat-conducting layer 3, the second heat-conducting layer 6 surrounds the flexible heat-conducting layer 7, and the flexible roller pressing layer 4 surrounds the second heat-conducting layer 6. This allows the hot press transfer roller 10 to form a layered structure from the inside out, consisting of the support roller 1, the flexible insulating layer 5, the first heat-conducting layer 3, the flexible heat-conducting layer 7, the second heat-conducting layer 6, and the flexible roller pressing layer 4. For example, the layered structure of the support roller 1, the flexible insulating layer 5, the first heat-conducting layer 3, the flexible heat-conducting layer 7, the second heat-conducting layer 6, and the flexible roller pressing layer 4 can be integrally formed by injection molding to improve the manufacturing efficiency of the hot press transfer roller 10.

[0090] Specifically, in manufacturing the hot press transfer roller 10, firstly, a layer of resistance wire heating mesh is applied to the surface of the support roller 1. The silicone in the flexible insulating layer 5 is then injection molded to cover the support roller 1 and the temperature sensor located on it. Next, the mixture of the first heat-conducting particles 31 and silicone in the first heat-conducting layer 3 is dispersed by ultrasonication or high-speed stirring and then injection molded to fully cover the flexible insulating layer 5. Then, the silicone in the flexible heat-conducting layer 7 is injection molded to fully cover the first heat-conducting layer 3. Next, the mixture of the second heat-conducting particles 61 and silicone in the second heat-conducting layer 6 is dispersed by ultrasonication or high-speed stirring and then injection molded to fully cover the flexible heat-conducting layer 7. Finally, the silicone in the flexible roller pressing layer 4 is injection molded to fully cover the second heat-conducting layer 6. At this point, the manufacturing of the hot press transfer roller 10 is complete.

[0091] The thermal conductivity of the second thermally conductive layer 6 is less than that of the first thermally conductive layer 3.

[0092] In this way, through the setting of the second heat-conducting layer 6 and the flexible heat-conducting layer 7, after the heating element 2 heats the support roller 1 to the set temperature, the heat can be transferred to the flexible roller pressing layer 4 in sequence through the flexible insulating layer 5, the first heat-conducting layer 3, the flexible heat-conducting layer 7 and the second heat-conducting layer 6, so that the interface temperature of the flexible roller pressing layer 4 when it comes into contact with the catalyst layer to be transferred meets the requirements of the transfer process.

[0093] Based on this, by making the thermal conductivity of the second thermal conductive layer 6 less than that of the first thermal conductive layer 3, the heat from the first thermal conductive layer 3 can be transferred smoothly and slowly to the flexible roll layer 4 through the second thermal conductive layer 6, so as to avoid the instantaneous temperature rise of the flexible roll layer 4 from affecting the transfer quality.

[0094] In addition, by setting the flexible thermal conductive layer 7, thermal deformation can be avoided between the first thermal conductive layer 3 and the second thermal conductive layer 6 due to the difference in thermal conductivity, so as to ensure the stability of heat transfer.

[0095] In some examples, the structure of the second thermally conductive layer 6 may be the same as that of the first thermally conductive layer 3. Alternatively, the structure of the second thermally conductive layer 6 may also be different from that of the first thermally conductive layer 3.

[0096] In some embodiments, the second thermally conductive layer 6 may include a plurality of second thermally conductive particles 61 and a second flexible structure 62 covering the plurality of second thermally conductive particles 61. The plurality of second thermally conductive particles 61 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support roller 1, and the second flexible structure 62 is disposed around the flexible thermally conductive layer 7.

[0097] In this way, through the arrangement of the second heat-conducting particles 61 and the second flexible structure 62, the second flexible structure 62 is used to cover multiple second heat-conducting particles 61, so that the second heat-conducting layer 6 has a certain skeleton structure. During the transfer process, the heat on the first heat-conducting layer 3 can be transferred to the flexible roll layer 4 through the uniformly distributed multiple second heat-conducting particles 61, so as to ensure the temperature uniformity of the flexible roll layer 4.

[0098] Meanwhile, when the deformation of the flexible roll-pressed layer 4 is large, the micro-deformation of the flexible roll-pressed layer 4 is transmitted inward, so that the multiple first heat-conducting particles 31 inside the first heat-conducting layer 3 are squeezed against each other in the first flexible structure 32, and the multiple second heat-conducting particles 61 inside the second heat-conducting layer 6 are squeezed against each other in the second flexible structure 62. Thus, they can jointly form a resistance force opposite to the deformation direction of the flexible roll-pressed layer 4, so that the first heat-conducting layer 3 and the second heat-conducting layer 6 form a pressure gradient buffer for the flexible roll-pressed layer 4, and avoid excessive deformation of the flexible roll-pressed layer 4.

[0099] Thus, the hot press transfer roller 10, which adopts a layered structure consisting of a support roller 1, a flexible insulating layer 5, a first heat-conducting layer 3, a flexible heat-conducting layer 7, a second heat-conducting layer 6, and a flexible roller pressing layer 4 from the inside out, can better balance the temperature uniformity and pressure uniformity of the roller surface during the transfer process, thereby improving the transfer quality.

[0100] In some examples, the material of the second thermally conductive particle 61 may include at least one of graphite, copper, ceramic, alumina, boron nitride, and silicon carbide. The material of the second thermally conductive particle 61 may be the same as that of the first thermally conductive particle 31, which will not be described in detail here.

[0101] In some examples, the second thermally conductive particle 61 may include at least one of spherical particles, square particles, sheet-like particles, prismatic particles, and hollow particles. For example, the second thermally conductive particle 61 may be a spherical particle. The shape of the second thermally conductive particle 61 may be the same as the shape of the first thermally conductive particle 31, which will not be described in detail here.

[0102] In some examples, the materials of the second flexible structure 62 and the flexible thermally conductive layer 7 may include at least one of silicone, fluororubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, and epoxy resin. For example, the second flexible structure 62 may be a silicone second flexible structure 62, and the flexible thermally conductive layer 7 may be a silicone flexible thermally conductive layer 7. The materials of the second flexible structure 62 and the flexible thermally conductive layer 7 may be the same as those of the first flexible structure 32, which will not be described in detail here.

[0103] In some embodiments, the proportion of the second thermally conductive particles 61 in the second thermally conductive layer 6 is less than the proportion of the first thermally conductive particles 31 in the first thermally conductive layer 3. That is, the distribution density of the first thermally conductive particles 31 is greater than the distribution density of the second thermally conductive particles 61.

[0104] For example, the first thermally conductive particles 31 and silicone in the first thermally conductive layer 3 can be mixed in a ratio of 1:10, and the second thermally conductive particles 61 and silicone in the second thermally conductive layer 6 can be mixed in a ratio of 1:20, so that the proportion of the second thermally conductive particles 61 in the second thermally conductive layer 6 is less than the proportion of the first thermally conductive particles 31 in the first thermally conductive layer 3.

[0105] In this way, by making the proportion of the second heat-conducting particles 61 in the second heat-conducting layer 6 smaller than the proportion of the first heat-conducting particles 31 in the first heat-conducting layer 3, the heat conduction capacity of the first heat-conducting layer 3 can be made greater than that of the second heat-conducting layer 6. This allows a gradient heat conduction to be formed between the first heat-conducting layer 3 and the second heat-conducting layer 6, so that the heat on the support roller 1 can be transferred to the flexible roll pressing layer 4 through gradient heat conduction, thereby ensuring the temperature uniformity of the flexible roll pressing layer 4.

[0106] In some embodiments, the proportion of the first thermally conductive particles 31 in the first thermally conductive layer 3 is greater than or equal to 2% and less than or equal to 20%. For example, the proportion of the first thermally conductive particles 31 in the first thermally conductive layer 3 can be 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 14%, 16%, 18%, 20%, etc.

[0107] Therefore, if the proportion of the first heat-conducting particles 31 in the first heat-conducting layer 3 is less than 2%, the relatively small proportion of the first heat-conducting particles 31 in the first heat-conducting layer 3 may make it difficult to form a continuous and effective heat-conducting channel in the first heat-conducting layer 3, resulting in weak heat conduction capacity of the first heat-conducting layer 3. This would prevent the heat from the support roller 1 from being quickly and evenly transferred to the flexible roll-pressing layer 4, affecting the temperature uniformity of the surface of the flexible roll-pressing layer 4. If the proportion of the first heat-conducting particles 31 in the first heat-conducting layer 3 is greater than 20%, the relatively large proportion of the first heat-conducting particles 31 may reduce the flexibility of the first heat-conducting layer 3 and increase its rigidity, resulting in a weakened pressure buffering capacity of the first heat-conducting layer 3, affecting the pressure uniformity of the surface of the flexible roll-pressing layer 4. Thus, when the proportion of the first heat-conducting particles 31 in the first heat-conducting layer 3 is greater than or equal to 2% and less than or equal to 20%, both temperature uniformity and pressure uniformity of the surface of the flexible roll-pressing layer 4 can be achieved.

[0108] In some embodiments, the proportion of the second thermally conductive particles 61 in the second thermally conductive layer 6 is greater than or equal to 2% and less than or equal to 20%. For example, the proportion of the second thermally conductive particles 61 in the second thermally conductive layer 6 can be 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 14%, 16%, 18%, 20%, etc.

[0109] In some examples, the proportion of the first thermally conductive particles 31 in the first thermally conductive layer 3 can be 10%, and the proportion of the second thermally conductive particles 61 in the second thermally conductive layer 6 can be 5%, so that a gradient thermal conduction is formed between the first thermally conductive layer 3 and the second thermally conductive layer 6.

[0110] In some embodiments, the maximum particle size of the second thermally conductive particle 61 is greater than the maximum particle size of the first thermally conductive particle 31.

[0111] In this way, by making the maximum particle size of the second heat-conducting particle 61 larger than the maximum particle size of the first heat-conducting particle 31, since the larger the particle size of the heat-conducting particle, the greater its rigidity and the smaller its deformation, the deformation capacity of the second heat-conducting particle 61 can be made smaller than that of the first heat-conducting particle 31. Furthermore, the deformation capacity of the second heat-conducting layer 6 is made smaller than that of the first heat-conducting layer 3, so that a pressure gradient is formed between the second heat-conducting layer 6 and the first heat-conducting layer 3. The contact pressure of the outermost flexible roll-pressing layer 4 is transmitted to the support roller 1 through the gradient pressure, realizing the function of rigid pressure bearing of the outer layer and elastic buffering of the inner layer, and ensuring the uniformity of pressure of the flexible roll-pressing layer 4.

[0112] In some embodiments, the maximum particle size of the first thermally conductive particle 31 may be greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm. For example, the maximum particle size of the first thermally conductive particle 31 may be 0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm, etc.

[0113] Therefore, if the maximum particle size of the first heat-conducting particle 31 is less than 0.1 mm, the particle size is too small, which may result in weak thermal conductivity of the first heat-conducting layer 3, making it unable to quickly and evenly transfer the heat from the support roller 1 to the flexible roll-pressing layer 4, thus affecting the temperature uniformity of the surface of the flexible roll-pressing layer 4. If the maximum particle size of the first heat-conducting particle 31 is greater than 2 mm, the particle size is too large. When the flexible roll-pressing layer 4 is deformed under pressure, the large-sized first heat-conducting particle 31 is prone to forming local hard spots or stress concentrations, resulting in indentations or uneven stress on the surface of the catalyst layer to be transferred, affecting the transfer quality. At the same time, the large-sized first heat-conducting particle 31 will also increase the overall rigidity of the first heat-conducting layer 3, reducing its cooperative deformation ability with the flexible roll-pressing layer 4, and affecting the pressure uniformity of the surface of the flexible roll-pressing layer 4. Therefore, when the maximum particle size of the first heat-conducting particle 31 is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm, both the temperature uniformity and pressure uniformity of the surface of the flexible roll-pressing layer 4 can be balanced.

[0114] In some embodiments, the maximum particle size of the second thermally conductive particle 61 may be greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm. For example, the maximum particle size of the second thermally conductive particle 61 may be 0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm, etc.

[0115] In some examples, the maximum particle size of the second thermally conductive particle 61 can be greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 1 mm, and the maximum particle size of the first thermally conductive particle 31 can be greater than or equal to 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm, so that a gradient pressure is formed between the first thermally conductive layer 3 and the second thermally conductive layer 6.

[0116] In some other embodiments, the second thermally conductive layer 6 may also be a pure metal thermally conductive layer with a thermal conductivity lower than that of the first thermally conductive layer 3, and this application does not specifically limit it in this regard.

[0117] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A hot-press transfer roller, characterized in that, It includes a support roller (1), a heating element (2), a first heat-conducting layer (3), and a flexible roll pressing layer (4). The heating element (2) is disposed on the support roller (1) and is used to heat the support roller (1). The first heat-conducting layer (3) is disposed around the support roller (1) along the circumference of the support roller (1). The flexible roll pressing layer (4) is disposed around the first heat-conducting layer (3) along the circumference of the support roller (1). The first heat-conducting layer (3) includes a plurality of first heat-conducting particles (31) and a first flexible structure (32) covering the plurality of first heat-conducting particles (31). The plurality of first heat-conducting particles (31) are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support roller (1), and the first flexible structure (32) is arranged around the support roller (1).

2. The hot-press transfer roller according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a second heat-conducting layer (6) and a flexible heat-conducting layer (7). Along the circumference of the support roller (1), the flexible heat-conducting layer (7) is arranged around the first heat-conducting layer (3), the second heat-conducting layer (6) is arranged around the flexible heat-conducting layer (7), and the flexible roll-pressed layer (4) is arranged around the second heat-conducting layer (6). The heat conduction capacity of the second heat-conducting layer (6) is less than that of the first heat-conducting layer (3).

3. The hot-press transfer roller according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second heat-conducting layer (6) includes a plurality of second heat-conducting particles (61) and a second flexible structure (62) covering the plurality of second heat-conducting particles (61). The plurality of second heat-conducting particles (61) are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support roller (1), and the second flexible structure (62) is arranged around the flexible heat-conducting layer (7).

4. The hot-press transfer roller according to claim 3, characterized in that, The proportion of the second thermally conductive particles (61) in the second thermally conductive layer (6) is less than the proportion of the first thermally conductive particles (31) in the first thermally conductive layer (3).

5. The hot-press transfer roller according to claim 3, characterized in that, The maximum particle size of the second thermally conductive particle (61) is greater than the maximum particle size of the first thermally conductive particle (31).

6. The hot-press transfer roller according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The material of the first thermally conductive particle (31) includes at least one of graphite, copper, ceramic, alumina, boron nitride, and silicon carbide; And / or, the first thermally conductive particle (31) includes at least one of spherical particles, square particles, sheet-like particles, prismatic particles, and hollow particles.

7. The hot-press transfer roller according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The materials of the flexible roll-pressed layer (4) and the first flexible structure (32) include at least one of silicone, fluororubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, and epoxy resin.

8. The hot-press transfer roller according to claim 7, characterized in that, The material of the first flexible structure (32) also includes a coupling agent, which is used to bond the first thermally conductive particles (31) to the first flexible structure (32).

9. The hot-press transfer roller according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The hot press transfer roller also includes a flexible insulating layer (5). Along the circumference of the support roller (1), the heating element (2) is arranged around the support roller (1), the flexible insulating layer (5) is arranged around the heating element (2), and the first heat-conducting layer (3) is arranged around the flexible insulating layer (5). And / or, the support roller (1) is provided with a flow channel, and the heating element (2) includes a heat-conducting fluid, which is disposed in the flow channel.

10. The hot-press transfer roller according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The material of the support roller (1) includes metal materials.

Images