Heater with Shared Substrate Wiring for Compact Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heater configurations in image forming apparatuses face challenges in reducing size while maintaining accurate temperature control, due to inefficient heat transfer between the heat generation body and the thermistor, and increased wiring complexity.
Innovation Solution
The proposed heater design includes a substrate with a heat generation body and a detection unit (thermistor) positioned on the same side of the substrate, with insulation portions and protective layers to enhance heat transfer and reduce size, while simplifying wiring by using the substrate as a common wiring and terminal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heat generation body and thermistor are provided on opposite surfaces of the substrate, then the insulation between them is improved, but heat transfer efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermal conductor as an intermediary substance between the heat generation body and thermistor. This thermal conductor serves as a mediator that facilitates efficient heat transfer from the heat generation body to the thermistor while maintaining electrical insulation, thus resolving the contradiction between insulation and heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support, electrical insulation, and thermal conduction pathways. By making the substrate multi-functional, the patent achieves both insulation between components and efficient heat transfer without requiring separate dedicated structures for each function
2Loss of energy
If the heat generation body and thermistor are provided in parallel on the same surface, then heat transfer is improved, but the number of wirings and substrate dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the wiring functions by having both the heat generation body and thermistor share common wiring paths. The wiring structure is designed so that a single wiring network serves both components, reducing the total number of wirings required while maintaining parallel positioning for efficient heat transfer
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate wiring is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides electrical connections for both the heat generation body and thermistor, serves as a structural support, and facilitates heat transfer. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity while maintaining efficient heat transfer
3Volume of moving object
If the heater size is reduced, then compactness is improved, but temperature control accuracy may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality enhancement by positioning the thermistor in close proximity to the heat generation body through the thermal conductor. This localized arrangement ensures accurate temperature sensing at the critical heating zone while maintaining overall compact dimensions, thus preserving temperature control accuracy in a reduced-size heater
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 design achieves improved temperature control accuracy and reduced size of the heater, while also simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the necessary space for the detection unit, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency and compactness of the heater.
Implementation Method 1
a heat generation body that is provided on the first insulation portion and extends in the first direction
Implementation Method 2
at least one detection unit that is provided on at least one of the first insulation portion and the second insulation portion
Implementation Method 3
heat of the heat generation body is less likely to be transferred to the thermistor
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a heater including: a substrate that has electrical conductivity; a first insulation portion that is provided on a first surface of the substrate, has an insulation property; at least one heat generation body that is provided on the first insulation portion; a second insulation portion that is provided on a second surface of the substrate which is opposite to the first surface, has an insulation property; at least one detection unit that is provided on at least one of the first insulation portion and the second insulation portion; and a first wiring which is provided on at least one of the first insulation portion and the second insulation portion, and in which one end is electrically connected to one terminal of the detection unit and the other end is electrically connected to the substrate having the electrical conductivity.