Flexible Plasma Treatment Device for Contoured Surfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing plasma treatment devices for enhancing surface energy of polymer and metal surfaces before printing are expensive, rigid, and unable to conform to contoured surfaces, leading to poor ink adhesion due to mismatched surface energy between substrates and UV curable inks.

Innovation Solution

A low-cost, flexible plasma surface treatment device with encapsulated electrodes and dielectric material, capable of operating in normal atmospheric conditions, which can conform to complex surfaces using articulated mechanisms and adjustable gap configurations to produce a uniform plasma treatment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If traditional plasma treatment devices are used, then surface energy is increased, but the devices are expensive and require specialized chambers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface energyVSAvoiddevice cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a disposable plastic sheet with pre-attached aluminum foil instead of expensive, complex plasma treatment devices. The plastic sheet is a low-cost, single-use component that eliminates the need for specialized equipment and chambers, directly resolving the contradiction between achieving high surface energy and reducing device cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts only the essential functional components needed for plasma treatment (aluminum foil electrode on plastic substrate) and eliminates all unnecessary complex components such as vacuum chambers, gas flow systems, and sophisticated power supplies. This extraction of core functionality while removing extraneous complexity enables low-cost implementation while maintaining plasma treatment effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If rigid plasma treatment devices are used, then plasma treatment can be applied, but the devices cannot conform to contoured surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplasma treatment effectivenessVSAvoidsurface geometry adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a flexible plastic sheet as the substrate for the aluminum foil electrode. This thin, flexible film can easily conform to any surface geometry including complex contoured surfaces, while still maintaining the electrical properties needed for effective plasma treatment. The flexibility of the plastic substrate directly enables adaptation to various surface shapes without compromising treatment reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Use of energy by moving object

If complex plasma treatment equipment is used, then surface energy is increased, but the equipment requires chambers to maintain specific atmospheric conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface energyVSAvoidatmospheric control requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The plastic sheet with aluminum foil is designed to work with ambient atmospheric conditions without requiring specialized chambers or complex atmospheric control systems. The simple construction allows the device to utilize the surrounding air environment directly, eliminating the need for vacuum chambers, gas flow control, and atmospheric monitoring equipment while still achieving effective plasma treatment and high surface energy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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

The device effectively increases surface energy of polymer and metal surfaces, ensuring better ink adhesion and flexibility in treating various surface geometries without the need for expensive equipment or specialized chambers.

Implementation Method 1

treatment of the object surface with plasma discharge

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlasma discharge: Plasma

Implementation Method 2

the surface energy of the substrate being too close to the surface tension of the ink with the result that surface wets poorly

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSurface energy modification:

Data Source

PatentUS9980362B1Flexible plasma treatment device and method for treating the surface of an object with the device

Publication Date: 2018.05.22 GENESEE VALLEY INNOVATIONS LLC

AI summary

A flexible plasma surface treatment device is configured to conform to an irregular surface of an object to enable treatment of the surface with plasma formed by an electrode in the device. The flexible plasma treatment device includes a layer of flexible dielectric material having an upper surface and a lower surface, a first flexible electrode completely encapsulated within the layer of dielectric material, a second flexible electrode mounted to the lower surface of the layer of dielectric material, and a second layer of flexible electrically insulating material mounted to the lower surface of the layer of flexible dielectric material to expose a first portion of the second electrode and to cover a second portion of the second electrode at the lower surface of the dielectric material layer.