Multilayer Body Conductor Tracks Galvanic Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multi-layer bodies with conductor tracks for touch panels and heating devices face challenges in maintaining transparency and hiding galvanic isolation points, which are visible and disrupt the visual impression.

Innovation Solution

The multi-layer body features conductor tracks arranged in a pattern where cut-out sections are replaced with conductive replacement pieces, ensuring galvanic isolation while maintaining a uniform appearance by varying the conductor track coverage across areas by no more than 15%, thus minimizing visibility of separation points.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conductor tracks are arranged in a pattern with cut-out sections for galvanic isolation, then electrical isolation between areas is achieved, but visual homogeneity and transparency are degraded due to visible separation points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegalvanic isolationVSAvoidvisual homogeneity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful visual effect by removing the cut-out sections from the conductor tracks and replacing them with transparent or low-visibility bridge structures. This allows the galvanic isolation function to be maintained while the visual appearance remains homogeneous, as the separation points are no longer visible through the transparent bridge elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies the color change principle by making the bridge structures transparent or matching the surrounding conductor track appearance. This visual blending allows the galvanic isolation points to become invisible or minimally noticeable, resolving the contradiction between electrical isolation and visual homogeneity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Illumination intensity

If conductor tracks are made with narrow width (1-300 μm) to improve transparency, then transparency increases, but the visibility of separation points and irregularities increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovetransparencyVSAvoidvisibility of separation points
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the cut-out sections with the surrounding conductor track pattern by introducing transparent bridge structures that visually blend with the narrow conductor tracks. This combining approach allows the separation points to become indistinguishable from the regular conductor track pattern, maintaining both transparency and visual homogeneity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Shape

If replacement pieces are added to maintain visual homogeneity, then visual appearance improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual homogeneityVSAvoidconductor track pattern complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the bridge structures multi-functional: they serve as both visual fillers to maintain homogeneity and as electrical connection elements. By designing the bridges to be transparent and conductive, the same structure performs both aesthetic and electrical functions, reducing overall device complexity despite the added visual homogeneity feature.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2867754B1Multilayer body
Publication Date: 2018.04.04 POLYIC GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2867754B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP2867754B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2d
  • EP2867754B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

In a multilayer body with a carrier layer (300) and at least one conduction layer (31), first regions (10, 41) and second regions (20, 42) are galvanically isolated from one another by third regions. In the third region (30), sections (51, 71, 81, 91) are cut out of conductor traces (40) and replaced by replacement pieces (52, 52a, 52b, 521, 522, 405, 407, 408, 409, 54, 54'). Thereby the multilayer body has an optically homogeneous effect (e.g. uniformly transparent or uniformly reflective).