Flexible Sheet Heater Fabrication via Conductive Adhesive Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flexible, electrically conductive sheet heaters are not foldable and suffer from high contact resistance and surface irregularities between conductive materials and carbon fiber fabrics, leading to inefficient heat distribution and damage during cutting and shaping.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a support member with a PET film and acrylic glue is used to smoothly sandwich an electrically conductive fabric between protective sheet members, allowing for precise cutting and bonding of a heating element with terminals, ensuring the fabric's integrity and efficient heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If copper strips are affixed to carbon fiber fabric to improve electrical conductivity, then conductivity is enhanced, but contact resistance increases and excessive temperature is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a conductive adhesive as an intermediary substance between the copper strip and carbon fiber fabric. This adhesive layer improves the electrical contact between the two materials, reducing contact resistance and preventing excessive temperature generation while maintaining enhanced conductivity. The adhesive acts as a mediator that facilitates better electrical connection without the direct contact issues of copper-to-carbon-fabric interfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If carbon fiber fabric is cut into desired shapes to enable folding and customization, then adaptability is improved, but the fabric structure is stretched and damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies conductive adhesive to the carbon fiber fabric before cutting it into the desired shape. This preliminary application of adhesive helps stabilize the fabric structure prior to cutting, preventing stretching and damage during the shaping process. The adhesive acts as a pre-applied protective layer that maintains structural integrity while allowing subsequent customization.
3Weight of moving object
If conventional sheet heater structures are used to achieve light and thin characteristics, then weight is reduced, but foldability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin film conductive adhesive layers instead of rigid copper strips, creating a flexible structure that can be folded and customized while maintaining electrical conductivity. The thin film nature of the adhesive allows the heater to achieve light weight characteristics while gaining foldability and adaptability for different applications.
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 method enables the creation of a flexible, foldable sheet heater with improved heat distribution and reduced risk of fabric damage, maintaining the fabric's structure and facilitating easy integration with protective sheets for enhanced performance.
Implementation Method 1
a layer of acrylic glue 22 covered on one side of the PET film 21; joining the electrically conductive fabric 10 and the support member 20 together by adhering the layer of acrylic glue 22 to one side of the electrically conductive fabric 10
Implementation Method 2
an electrically conductive fabric, for example a carbon fiber fabric... provided with a power input structure... an electric current to be transmitted through the metal loop to generate heat
Implementation Method 3
drawing the conductive fabric layer containing bus bars between two layers of thermoplastic film... feeding the sandwich structure through a pinch roller preheated at a predetermined temperature and thickness to cause gelling of the thermoplastic layers
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making a flexible sheet heater includes the steps of (i) bonding an electrically conductive fabric and an support member formed of a PET film and a layer of acrylic together, ii) stamp-cutting the electrically conductive fabric to form a heating element having a predetermined loop, iii) attaching two electrical terminals to two distal ends of the heating element respectively, iv) bonding a first flexible protective sheet member to one side of the heating element opposite to the PET film, v) removing the PET film from the heating element; and vi) bonding a second flexible protective sheet member to the other side of the heating element opposite to the first flexible protective sheet member so that the heating element is sandwiched between the first and second flexible protective sheet members.