L-Shaped Foil Contacts for Microchip Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultra-thin metal foils in microchip devices are prone to tearing and difficult to assemble with other components due to their susceptibility to damage, and maintaining mechanical contact while avoiding surface oxidation is challenging, limiting their use in microchip applications.
Innovation Solution
An array of metallic foil strips is mechanically connected to a printed circuit board using L-shaped contacts that are ultrasonically welded to a housing, allowing for controlled electrical current passage and variable temperature management by selecting the foil's material, thickness, width, and length, enabling the foil to function as a heating element or coated substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If ultra-thin metal foils are used in microchip devices, then the device can achieve thinness and flexibility, but the foil is susceptible to tearing and difficult to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The foil assembly is divided into multiple components: the ultra-thin foil itself, L-shaped contacts for mechanical support, and a housing structure. This segmentation allows the thin foil to be handled and assembled as part of a larger, more robust assembly rather than manipulating the fragile foil alone.
Solution Approach 2:
L-shaped contacts serve as intermediary elements between the ultra-thin foil and the housing. These contacts provide mechanical strength and ease of assembly while the foil maintains its thin profile, effectively mediating between the conflicting requirements of thinness and strength.
2Ease of manufacture
If mechanical contact is established with the foil, then assembly is facilitated, but the foil surface may be damaged or oxidized
Solution Approach 1:
The L-shaped contacts act as intermediaries that establish mechanical contact with the foil without directly exposing the foil surface to damaging environments. The contacts transfer assembly forces away from the foil surface while maintaining electrical and mechanical connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing creates a protected environment for the foil, isolating it from oxidizing atmospheres and other harmful factors. This allows the foil to maintain its integrity while still being mechanically connected through the L-shaped contacts.
3Temperature
If the foil is used as a heating element, then temperature control is achieved, but the foil may overheat or damage surrounding components
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is localized to specific foil strips within the housing, allowing temperature control in specific regions without necessarily heating the entire assembly. This enables precise thermal management where heating is needed while protecting sensitive components in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing and L-shaped contacts serve as thermal intermediaries, managing heat distribution and preventing direct thermal contact between the heated foil and surrounding components. This mediates the thermal interaction to achieve temperature control while minimizing thermal damage risks.
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 allows for the effective and controlled use of ultra-thin metallic foils in microchip devices, enabling multiple uses of the printed circuit board and protecting the foil until a predetermined temperature is reached, thereby liberating a coating material, and providing a variable heating element with precise temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
L-shaped contacts mechanically connected, and therefore electrically connected, to the one or more foil strips. The L-shaped contacts are inserted into a housing and the foil strip is captured between the L-shaped contacts and a beam that is ultrasonically welded to the L-shaped housing.
Implementation Method 2
The application of current through the metallic material can be used to achieve a number of results. For example, the current can cause the temperature of one or more foil strips to increase, due to the resistivity of the selected metal, causing the foil to act as a heating element.
Data Source
AI summary
An array of thin metallic foil strips of predetermined thickness electrically connected to a printed circuit board, cables or attached to wires. An associated power source, on the printed circuit board, or attached to the circuit board, cables or wires, directs an electrical current through L-shaped contacts to one or more of the strips in the array of foil strips. The foil strips are in contact with horizontal legs of the L-shaped contacts. Depending upon the use of the circuit board, the foil strips can be used to start or to end an operation. The selection of the foil strip makes use of the electrical properties of the selected metal such as its resistivity as well as the thickness, length and width of the foil strips to provide a strip with characteristics required to achieve a preselected result. As an electric current is provided by a power source, it passes through one or more foil strips. The application of current through the metallic material can be used to achieve a number of results, such as to act as a heating element.