Mesh-Reinforced Thermal Sheet That Prevents Air Bubble Trapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Thermally conductive sheets with mesh reinforcement face issues of air bubble trapping, reduced thermal conductivity, and physical strength due to protruding thread intersections, making them difficult to handle and prone to tearing.

Innovation Solution

A thermally conductive sheet with a mesh sheet embedded in a thermally conductive composition, featuring bubble inclusion inhibition parts at thread intersections to prevent air bubble formation, ensuring continuous heat conduction and enhanced strength.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a mesh reinforcement is used to enhance strength and handleability, then the sheet becomes strong and easy to handle, but air bubbles are trapped at the protruding intersections, reducing thermal conductivity

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestrengthVSAvoidthermal conductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The mesh sheet is designed with differentiated local properties: the intersections have reduced protrusion height compared to the thread bodies, creating zones of varying thermal resistance. This local quality differentiation allows the intersections to minimize air bubble trapping while maintaining the overall reinforcing function of the mesh structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The mesh sheet is pre-formed with bubble inclusion inhibition parts at the intersections before being embedded in the thermally conductive composition. This preliminary action of reducing intersection protrusion prevents air bubble formation during the subsequent coating process, ensuring continuous heat conduction paths

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the mesh sheet thickness is increased to reduce gap at intersections, then air bubble trapping is reduced, but the flexibility and conformability of the sheet deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal conductivityVSAvoidflexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The mesh sheet employs local quality differentiation where only the intersection regions have reduced thickness to minimize gaps, while the thread bodies maintain their original thickness to preserve flexibility. This localized thinning achieves the dual goal of reducing air bubble trapping and maintaining conformability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The mesh sheet structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: thread bodies that provide flexibility and reinforcement, and intersections with reduced protrusion that minimize air bubble trapping. This segmentation allows each zone to optimize its specific function without compromising the other

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the thermally conductive sheet is made thinner to enhance thermal conductivity, then heat conduction improves, but the sheet becomes prone to elongation, breakage and wrinkles, reducing handleability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal conductivityVSAvoidhandleability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention creates a composite structure combining a thin thermally conductive sheet with a mesh reinforcement layer. The mesh sheet provides mechanical strength and dimensional stability, preventing elongation and breakage, while the thin thermally conductive layer maintains high thermal conductivity. The composite structure synergistically combines the advantages of both components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Ease of manufacture

If the intersections of mesh threads are left protruding to maintain simple structure, then manufacturing is easier, but air bubbles are trapped, reducing thermal conductivity and strength

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidthermal conductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The mesh sheet undergoes a parameter change at the intersection regions where the protrusion height is reduced through controlled processing. This parameter modification minimizes air bubble trapping zones while maintaining the overall mesh structure integrity and reinforcing function, achieving both good thermal conductivity and structural strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 air bubble trapping, maintains high thermal conductivity, and provides strength, making the sheet easy to handle and resistant to tearing.

Implementation Method 1

A thermally conductive sheet is disposed between a heating element and the radiator so as to promote heat conduction from the heating elements to the radiator

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2612755B1Thermally conductive sheet
Publication Date: 2019.03.20 SEKISUI POLYMATECH CO LTD
  • EP2612755B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2612755B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP2612755B1 patent drawingFigure 7~10

AI summary

A thermally conductive sheet includes a mesh sheet and a thermally conductive composition containing a resin composition and a thermally conductive filler and coating both sides of the mesh sheet so as to form a thermally conductive layer. The thermally conductive sheet is prevented from trapping air bubbles so as to exhibit high thermal conductivity, and is so strong that does not easily tear. The mesh sheet 14 has mesh holes defined by thread 14a and 14b intersecting with each other. The intersection of the threads 14a and 14b is provided with a bubble inclusion inhibition part 18 for preventing air bubbles from being trapped in the interface between the thermally conductive composition 12 and the mesh sheet 14. The bubble inclusion inhibition part 18 may be a fused portion 18a, a pressure-bonded portion 18b or the like.