Carbon Nanotube Sheet Transfer via Intersecting Draw and Cut
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for manufacturing carbon nanotube sheets require a grown form with a width equal to or larger than the sheet width, necessitating changes in the grown form when the sheet width changes, which is inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A sheet manufacturing device and method that draws carbon nanotubes from a grown form in a direction intersecting with the sheet's feeding direction and cuts them to transfer them onto the sheet, allowing for continuous transfer across the sheet without changing the grown form, and includes a separating unit to detach and laminate a second sheet for protection and support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If carbon nanotubes are drawn along the feeding direction of the sheet, then the transfer process is simple, but the grown form width must be equal to or larger than the sheet width, requiring changes in grown form when sheet width changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the drawing direction from parallel to the sheet feeding direction to intersecting with it. The drawing unit draws carbon nanotubes in a direction that intersects with the sheet feeding direction, allowing the grown form to remain constant while accommodating different sheet widths through the intersecting transfer geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The transferring unit is designed to handle multiple sheet widths using the same grown form. By drawing carbon nanotubes in an intersecting direction and cutting them to appropriate lengths, the system achieves universal applicability across different sheet dimensions without requiring multiple specialized grown forms
2Reliability
If multiple support units are used to support the raw sheet, then the sheet can be properly handled during separation and lamination, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the support function from multiple separate support units and consolidates it into a single support unit. The raw sheet is designed with self-supporting characteristics that allow it to be properly handled during separation and lamination processes using only one support unit, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining handling reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet manufacturing device includes: a feeder configured to feed a sheet; and a transferring unit configured to transfer carbon nanotubes with a predetermined length onto the sheet, the transferring unit including: a drawing unit configured to draw the carbon nanotubes from a grown form of the carbon nanotubes in a direction intersecting with a feeding direction of the sheet; and a cutter configured to cut the drawn carbon nanotubes.