Heating Element with Offset Printed Silver Pattern
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating glass technologies face challenges in achieving low surface resistance and visibility while maintaining excellent heating performance at low voltages, with complex manufacturing processes and high costs hindering their application, especially in vehicle front windows where visibility is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A heating element with a conductive heating pattern formed using the offset printing method, featuring a thin line width of 50 micrometers or less and an opening ratio of 70% to 99%, utilizing materials like silver and copper with specific resistance values between 1 microOhm cm and 200 microOhm cm, and incorporating organic binders and glass frit for precise patterning and low visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a transparent conductive material such as ITO or Ag thin film is used to form a heating layer, then the heating glass has good visibility, but it has high surface resistance and cannot be driven at low voltage of 40 V or less
Solution Approach 1:
The heating layer is segmented into multiple layers: a lower Ag thin film layer (5-20 nm) providing conductivity and an upper transparent conductive material layer (ITO, 50-200 nm) providing visibility. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its function while working together to achieve both low resistance and good visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining Ag thin film and transparent conductive material (ITO) in a layered configuration. This composite approach leverages the high conductivity of Ag and the optical transparency of ITO to create a heating layer that satisfies both electrical and optical requirements.
2Reliability
If a hot line sheet is attached to the glass surface or a hot line is directly formed on the glass surface, then the heating function is achieved, but the line width becomes too thick and is offensive to human eye
Solution Approach 1:
The heating pattern is applied locally only where needed rather than covering the entire glass surface uniformly. The conductive heating pattern is formed in specific regions to provide heating function while maintaining visibility in other areas, achieving local optimization of both heating performance and optical properties.
3Manufacturing precision
If photolithography method is used to form heating pattern, then precise patterning is achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated and material waste is severe
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex photolithography process (which involves photoresist coating, exposure, development, and etching) with a simpler direct patterning method using screen printing or similar techniques. This substitution maintains adequate patterning precision while dramatically simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing material waste.
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 provides a heating element with low surface resistance, excellent heating performance at low voltages, and reduced manufacturing costs, ensuring minimal visibility and efficient heat distribution, making it suitable for vehicle front windows and other applications.
Implementation Method 1
a current is applied to both terminals of the hot line to generate heat from the hot line, thereby increasing the temperature of the glass surface
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a method for manufacturing a heating element, which includes: determining a form of a pattern in which a line width is 100 micrometers or less and an opening ratio is in the range of 70% to 99%; printing a paste that includes the conductive heating material according to the determined pattern on at least one side of a resin film; forming a conductive heating pattern by sintering the printed paste that includes the conductive heating material; forming bus bars on both sides of the conductive heating pattern; attaching a transparent substance to at least one side of the resin film that has the conductive heating pattern; and providing a power portion that is connected to the bus bar, and a heating element that is manufactured by using the method.