UV Irradiation Head with Inert Gas Flow for Resin Curing Reliability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light-irradiating devices used for curing photocurable resins in printing devices face challenges in enhancing curability and heat dissipation, leading to reliability issues.
Innovation Solution
A light-irradiating device incorporating a light-emitting unit and a gas supply unit that applies light while providing an inert gas between the device and the medium to be printed, reducing oxygen radical reactions and improving heat dissipation through a flow channel connected to the light irradiation surface, utilizing semiconductor light-emitting elements and a housing with a light-transmitting and non-light-transmitting section configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a light-irradiating device uses semiconductor light-emitting devices (LED chips) to cure photocurable resin, then the curability of the photocurable resin is improved, but heat dissipation becomes insufficient leading to reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light-transmitting plate as an intermediary component between the light source and the photocurable resin. This plate serves dual functions: it transmits UV light effectively to cure the resin while simultaneously acting as a heat dissipation pathway, conducting heat away from the LED chips to improve reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The light-transmitting plate is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: light transmission for curing, heat dissipation for thermal management, and structural support for the light source assembly. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by addressing both curability and heat dissipation through a single integrated component
2Productivity
If a light-irradiating device increases light intensity to enhance curability, then the curing speed improves, but heat generation increases reducing device reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The light-transmitting plate acts as a thermal intermediary that conducts heat away from the high-intensity LED chips while maintaining effective UV transmission. This allows the system to operate at high light intensities for fast curing without compromising device reliability due to excessive heat generation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the system by introducing a light-transmitting plate with specific thermal conductivity properties. This parameter change enables the system to maintain high light intensity for productivity while improving heat dissipation to preserve device reliability
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 enhances the curability and heat dissipation of photocurable resins, improving the reliability of both the light-irradiating device and the printing device by reducing curing inhibition and preventing heat-induced cracks.
Implementation Method 1
a light source including a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices, for example, LED (light-emitting diode) chips
Implementation Method 2
curing of the photocurable material
Implementation Method 3
radicals generated in the photocurable resin irradiated with light with atmospheric oxygen
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3
AI summary
A light-irradiating device of the disclosure comprises: a light-irradiating unit comprising a housing in which a light-emitting element is disposed, the housing comprising a light irradiation surface through which light from the light-emitting element can be transmitted; and a gas supply unit comprising a flow channel connected to a part of the light irradiation surface of the housing. The flow channel preferably comprises a plurality of walls that are connected to each other. The light irradiation surface preferably comprises a light-transmitting section through which light from the light-emitting element can be transmitted, and a non-light-transmitting section capable of blocking the light, and the plurality of walls preferably comprise a first wall located nearest the light-transmitting section, the first wall extending along an edge of the light-transmitting section. A printing device of the disclosure comprises: the light-irradiating device mentioned above; a conveying unit which conveys a medium to be printed while causing the medium to face the light irradiation surface of the light-irradiating device; and a printing unit which is disposed adjacent to and upstream from the light-irradiating device in a conveyance direction of the medium to be printed. The light-irradiating device is preferably disposed so that the first wall is located between the light irradiation surface and the printing unit.