Plane Heating Element Track and Bridge Design to Reduce Local Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric heaters with plane heating elements face challenges in achieving uniform heating while minimizing dielectric breakdown and local heating, particularly at bridges connecting adjacent tracks, and in maintaining a consistent width to ensure even heat distribution.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a substrate with a first plane heating element featuring tracks and bridges with specific protrusions and curvature, along with a second plane heating element inside, where the bridges and tracks are designed to maintain uniform gaps and widths to reduce local heating and dielectric breakdown, ensuring even heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the bridge portion connecting adjacent tracks is made compact to reduce device complexity, then the device complexity is reduced, but local heating occurs at the bridge due to concentrated current density
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge portion is designed with a curved shape instead of a straight line, and outer protrusions are added to extend the bridge path. This curvature increases the path length for current flow through the bridge, distributing the heat generation more evenly and reducing peak temperature at any single point, while still maintaining a compact overall structure.
2Reliability
If the gap between track and bridge is reduced to minimize dielectric breakdown, then the risk of dielectric breakdown is reduced, but the clearance between track and bridge is insufficient leading to potential insulation failure
Solution Approach 1:
The curved shape of the bridge and the addition of outer protrusions increase the physical distance (clearance) between the bridge and adjacent tracks. This curved path design maintains adequate insulation clearance while still providing reliable electrical connection, preventing both dielectric breakdown and excessive local heating.
3Temperature
If the heating element width is made consistent to ensure uniform heating, then the heating uniformity is improved, but the bridge structure becomes more complex requiring protrusions and curved portions
Solution Approach 1:
The curved bridge design with outer protrusions allows the heating element to maintain a consistent overall width while the bridge path itself is extended through curvature. This ensures uniform heat distribution across the heating element surface, and the curved bridge structure simultaneously prevents local heating by distributing current density.
4Temperature
If the bridge path length is increased to reduce local heating, then the local heating is minimized, but the device complexity and space requirement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge structure with outer protrusions is designed to nest within the overall heating element boundary. The curved path allows the bridge to utilize the available space efficiently, extending the current path length without significantly increasing the external dimensions of the heating element, thus reducing local heating while maintaining compact size.
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
This configuration allows for uniform heating of objects, minimizes local heating at bridges, and reduces the risk of insulation breakdown, achieving consistent heat distribution while maintaining the width of the heating elements.
Implementation Method 1
The heater is an apparatus for heating purposes, and includes an electric heater using a Joule heat generated by flowing current through a resistance wire or the like
Implementation Method 2
an electric heater generating heat by visible light or infrared rays, or the like
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 4
AI summary
An electric heater of the present embodiment includes a substrate; and a first plane heating element configured to be formed on one surface of the substrate, in which the first plane heating element includes a first track; a second track configured to be spaced apart from the first track; and a third track configured to be spaced apart from the second track, at least a portion of the second track is located between the first track and the third track, the first track and the second track are connected by a first bridge, the first bridge includes a first outer protrusion protruding toward the third track, the third track is formed with a curved portion which protrudes in an outward direction, and the first outer protrusion faces the inside of the curved portion in the outward direction and is spaced apart from the curved portion.