Transparent Plastic Laser Welding Using Removable Heat Generation Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laser welding methods for plastic components that transmit a laser beam require the use of laser-absorbing materials, which result in colored or opaque products due to the inclusion of pigments like carbon black, limiting their transparency.
Innovation Solution
A laser welding method and apparatus that directly welds plastic components that transmit a laser beam without interposing a laser-absorbing material, using a heat generation portion of limited size made from a material that absorbs the laser beam and generates heat, ensuring the heat is concentrated within the welding area to melt and bond the components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a laser-absorbing material is used to weld plastic components that transmit a laser beam, then the welding can be achieved, but the product becomes colored or opaque due to the inclusion of pigments like carbon black
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the laser-absorbing material from the welding system. Instead of using carbon black or other pigments in the plastic components, the patent uses a separate laser-absorbing member that can be removed after welding, thereby achieving welding capability while maintaining the transparency of the final product.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a separate laser-absorbing member as an intermediary element. This member temporarily absorbs the laser beam during the welding process to generate heat for melting and bonding the transparent plastic components, but is not permanently incorporated into the final product, thus preserving transparency.
2Reliability
If a laser-absorbing material is coated between plastic components to enable welding, then the welding process can be performed, but the complexity of the manufacturing process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the laser-absorbing function from the plastic components themselves and places it in a separate, removable member. This simplifies the final product structure and reduces manufacturing complexity by eliminating the need to permanently incorporate absorbing materials into the transparent components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the state of the laser-absorbing member from being permanently integrated (coated or mixed into the plastic) to being temporarily present and removable. This parameter change from permanent to temporary integration simplifies the manufacturing process and eliminates the need for complex coating or mixing operations.
3Reliability
If heat is generated in a large area to weld plastic components, then the welding can be achieved, but the heat spreads beyond the welding area causing unwanted melting or deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by designing the laser-absorbing member with a specific geometry that concentrates heat generation precisely at the welding interface. The absorbing member is positioned and shaped so that only the region where heat is needed (at the abutting faces of the plastic components) reaches melting temperature, while surrounding areas remain unaffected.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the heat generation function by using a discrete, localized laser-absorbing member rather than heating the entire plastic component. This segmentation allows precise control over where heat is generated, confining it to the specific welding area and preventing unwanted thermal effects in other regions.
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
Enables the efficient and transparent welding of plastic components by concentrating heat within the welding area, eliminating the need for absorbing materials and maintaining the components' transparency.
Implementation Method 1
a heat generation portion that has a size that is limited to correspond to a size of a welding area of the plurality of plastic components and that is made from a material which absorbs a laser beam and generates heat
Implementation Method 2
the heat is concentrated within the welding area to melt and bond the components
Implementation Method 3
laser welding of a plurality of plastic components which transmit a laser beam
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~4A(e)
AI summary
A laser welding apparatus is provides that includes: a support member including a heat generation portion which has a size that is limited to correspond to a size of a welding area of a plurality of plastic components and is made from a material that absorbs a laser beam and generates heat, and which generates heat of a temperature that is equal to or greater than a melting temperature of the plastic components; a laser beam irradiation unit for converging a laser beam to be transmitted through the plurality of plastic components, and irradiating the laser beam toward the heat generation portion through the plurality of plastic components; and a welding controller for causing a laser beam to be irradiated at the heat generation portion using the laser beam irradiation unit to thereby cause the heat generation portion to generate heat, and welding abutting faces of a welding area of the plurality of plastic components with heat that is generated.