Electric heater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plane heating elements in electric stoves experience dielectric breakdown and local over-heating due to high potential differences, especially in high-temperature environments, leading to inefficiencies in heat distribution and potential damage to the heating elements.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a plane heating element with a pattern of arc-shaped tracks and bridges, where gaps between tracks and electrodes are strategically arranged to minimize potential differences, with thicker electrodes and bridges to reduce resistance and prevent dielectric breakdown, ensuring uniform heat distribution and maximizing the heat dissipation area within a limited area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heating element is designed with high resistance to generate heat at temperatures higher than 500°C, then the heating capability is improved, but a large potential difference is generated causing local over-heating and dielectric breakdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the gap distances between adjacent tracks at different locations. Specifically, the gap distance is made smaller in regions where the potential difference is smaller, and larger in regions where the potential difference is larger. This localized adjustment of gap distances optimizes the balance between heat generation and dielectric breakdown prevention in different areas of the heating element.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of gap distances between tracks to solve the contradiction. By adjusting the gap distance parameter according to the potential difference distribution, the design achieves both high heating temperature and reliability. The gap distances are specifically designed to be non-uniform, with smaller gaps where potential difference is low and larger gaps where potential difference is high.
2Ease of manufacture
If the gap between hot wires is made uniform as in conventional designs, then the manufacturing is simplified, but dielectric breakdown occurs in zones with large potential difference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by making the gap distances between adjacent tracks non-uniform. Each gap distance is specifically designed based on the local potential difference characteristics. This approach maintains manufacturing feasibility while significantly improving reliability by preventing dielectric breakdown in high potential difference regions.
3Area of stationary object
If the heating element uses a limited area configuration, then the device size is reduced, but the heat dissipation area is constrained leading to local over-heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by designing different gap distances in different regions of the heating element. In the limited area, tracks are arranged with smaller gap distances in low potential difference regions to maximize heat generation, while larger gap distances are used in high potential difference regions to prevent breakdown. This localized optimization enables effective heat distribution across the compact area.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively prevents dielectric breakdown and local over-heating, allowing for uniform heat generation across the entire heating area, even at high temperatures, while maintaining a maximum heat dissipation area and reducing the risk of electrode and bridge damage.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element attached to the surface of the substrate and having a predetermined shape... When alternating current (AC) is used, a capacitive reactance resistance occurs between hot wires
Implementation Method 2
a substrate including a surface made of an electrically insulating material... since the dielectric constant of a base material increases in a high-temperature heating environment, capacitive reactance rapidly decreases
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An electric heater includes a substrate and an inner plane heating element formed on one surface of the substrate. The inner plane heating element includes an inner pattern portion connecting a start point with an end point. The inner pattern portion includes a first track, a second track located outside the first track and spaced part from the first track, a first bridge connecting the first track with one end of the second track, a third track located outside the second track and spaced apart from the second track, and a second bridge connecting the other end of the second track with the third track. A first gap G1 between the first and second tracks is shorter than a second gap G2 between the second and third tracks along a virtual line crossing the first, second and third tracks and closer to the first bridge than the second bridge.