Heating Device Resistive Gradient for Contact Region Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating devices experience excessive temperature rise around the contact region between a belt-shaped heated unit and a heat generation unit, necessitating increased pressurization load to maintain control, which can lead to inefficiencies and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A heating device with a heat generation unit that includes a plurality of heat generation resistors with varying heat generation amounts, where high and low heat generation portions are arranged in specific patterns to form a contact region with adjustable width, allowing for controlled temperature management without excessive pressurization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the pressurization load is increased to control temperature rise, then temperature control is improved, but the pressurization load becomes excessive causing inefficiency and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The heat generation unit employs resistors with different resistance values in different regions (higher resistance at ends, lower resistance in center) to create localized heat generation patterns. This allows temperature control in specific contact region areas without requiring uniform high pressurization across the entire contact interface, thereby reducing overall pressurization load while maintaining temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the electrical resistance parameter of the heat generation resistors along the longitudinal direction, creating a gradient distribution where end portions have higher resistance and central portions have lower resistance. This parameter variation enables differentiated heat generation that matches the thermal requirements of different contact region zones, improving temperature control efficiency without excessive pressurization.
2Temperature
If the contact region width is increased to distribute heat, then temperature rise is reduced, but the heating efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the contact interface receive different heat generation amounts tailored to local thermal requirements. The end portions with higher resistance generate more heat where needed, while the central region with lower resistance generates less heat, creating an optimized heat distribution pattern that maintains heating efficiency while suppressing excessive temperature rise.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat generation resistors apply partial heating action to different regions - excessive heat generation at end portions where temperature rise needs suppression, and reduced heat generation in central regions where less heating is required. This partial/excessive action strategy optimizes the balance between temperature control and heating efficiency.
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 effectively suppresses excessive temperature rise around the contact region while maintaining efficient heating, reducing the need for increased pressurization load, thus enhancing device performance and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
a heater that has a first heat generation resistor and a second heat generation resistor formed along a longitudinal direction
Data Source
AI summary
A heating device includes a belt-shaped heated unit that rotates in a circulating manner, a heat generation unit that is provided in contact with a back surface side of the heated unit, and extends in an intersection direction intersecting with a rotation direction of the heated unit to heat the heated unit, a pressurization unit that brings the heated unit and the heat generation unit into contact with each other in a pressurized state to form a contact region being in contact with the heated unit and extending in a longitudinal direction of the heat generation unit, and a pressurization adjustment unit that adjusts the pressurized state by the pressurization unit so that a width in a lateral direction of the contact region changes, in which the heat generation unit includes plural heat generation resistors extending in the longitudinal direction, a high heat generation portion being narrow and having a high heat generation amount and a low heat generation portion being wide and having a low heat generation amount are formed in a row in the plural heat generation resistors, and for at least two heat generation resistors among the plural heat generation resistors, the high heat generation portions are formed in different regions in the longitudinal direction of the contact region, and in a case where a minimum contact region having a minimum width in the lateral direction of the contact region is formed by the pressurization unit, for the at least two heat generation resistors, an entire high heat generation portion is included in a range of the minimum contact region, a part of the low heat generation portion is included in the range of the minimum contact region, and a remaining part of the low heat generation portion is outside the range of the minimum contact region.