Vertical Plasma Treatment Apparatus for Thin Sheet Wrinkling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thin sheet-like base materials undergo wrinkling during plasma treatment due to heating and tension, which reduces productivity and causes defects in roll-to-roll plasma treatment processes.
Innovation Solution
A plasma treatment apparatus with a feeding mechanism that feeds the sheet-like base material vertically into the plasma treatment chamber, reducing tension and using a cooling roller to prevent shrinkage and wrinkling, along with a guide roller to manage sheet alignment and a tension detection mechanism to control feeding and winding speeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the sheet-like base material is fed horizontally by a feeding roller and wound by a winding roller during plasma treatment, then productivity is improved through continuous processing, but the sheet-like base material is heated by ion energy, softened, and pulled by the winding roller causing it to shrink and form wrinkles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the feeding direction from horizontal to vertical, utilizing the vertical dimension to feed the sheet-like base material into the plasma treatment chamber. This dimensional change allows gravity to assist in reducing tension on the material during processing, preventing wrinkles while maintaining continuous production capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional feeding approach by having the feeding mechanism positioned above the plasma treatment chamber and feeding material downward, rather than feeding horizontally from below. This inversion leverages gravity to counteract the shrinking effect of plasma heating, eliminating wrinkles while preserving high productivity
2Manufacturing precision
If the feeding mechanism is provided above the plasma treatment chamber to feed material downward by gravity, then tension on the sheet-like base material is minimized and wrinkles are prevented, but work for loading and unloading the sheet-like base material becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a decompression chamber as an intermediary between the feeding mechanism and the plasma treatment chamber. This intermediate chamber facilitates the loading and unloading operations while maintaining the vertical feeding configuration that prevents wrinkles, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and ease of operation
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
Prevents wrinkling and improves productivity by minimizing tension on thin sheet-like materials during plasma treatment, ensuring smooth processing and maintaining material quality.
Implementation Method 1
a high-frequency antenna which generates plasma in the plasma treatment chamber
Implementation Method 2
a cooling roller which cools the sheet-like base material that has been treated with plasma
Data Source
AI summary
In order to ensure quality even when a sheet-like base material is thin while improving efficiency of production, a plasma treatment apparatus disclosed herein includes a plasma treatment chamber X for treating a sheet-like base material Z with plasma, a high-frequency antenna 3 for generating plasma in the plasma treatment chamber X, and a feeding mechanism 10 for feeding the sheet-like base material Z into the plasma treatment chamber X in a vertical direction.