Heater Support Member Structure to Prevent Surface Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of the support member design in heating devices is exacerbated by changes in the disposition of the heater and power supply unit, leading to potential wear and damage.
Innovation Solution
A heater assembly with a tubular body, heater, and support member is designed to facilitate coupling and bending, featuring a support member that extends longitudinally and includes an opening to expose electrical contacts, simplifying the coupling process and reducing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the disposition of the heater is changed with respect to the tubular body to prevent wear and damage, then the reliability of the heater is improved, but the device complexity increases due to changes in power supply unit disposition and support member configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is divided into a first support portion and a second support portion that can be independently disposed at different positions. This segmentation allows the heater disposition to be changed for durability while each support portion can be independently configured to maintain simplicity, resolving the contradiction between reliability improvement and device complexity.
2Productivity
If the tubular body slides on the heater surface, then the heating function is maintained, but wear and damage occur to the heater surface
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the tubular body slide directly on the heater surface, the invention inverts the support relationship by using a support member to hold the heater at an inclined angle. This causes the tubular body to slide on the support member rather than directly on the heater, preventing wear and damage while maintaining the heating function through the inclined configuration.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the support member is designed to support the heater, then the heater stability is improved, but the support member becomes complicated when heater and power supply unit disposition changes
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a structural support for the heater and as a guide for the tubular body movement. The first and second support portions can independently accommodate different heater dispositions while maintaining stability, and the opening in the support member facilitates power supply unit integration without requiring additional complex structures.
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 solution prevents complications in the support member design, ensuring stable and efficient operation of the heating device by reducing wear and damage while maintaining effective thermal energy provision.
Implementation Method 1
The heater generates heat by energization
Data Source
AI summary
A support member for a heater includes a main body extending longitudinally between a pair of end portions and a pair of first contact portions. Each first contact portion is coupled to one of the end portions of the main body. A gap is formed between each first contact portion and the main body. The support member is configured such that, when the heater is coupled to the support member (a) the gaps each receive the heater, (b) the first contact portions each engage a first surface side of the heater, and (c) the main body engages a second surface side of the heater opposite the first surface side.