FLEXIBLE HEATING ELEMENT AND ITS MANUFACTURING PROCESS Russian patent published in 2004 - IPC

FIELD: electrothermics; household and industrial electric heaters.

SUBSTANCE: resistive layer is made of current-conducting fabric that has layers of complex conducting polymeric threads disposed along direction of weaving in parallel with additional electrodes and pack of insulating threads isolated from them, as well as warp extreme, intermediate, and current distribution electrodes, the latter being uniformly spaced apart from and alternating with intermediate ones, which are intersecting with complex conducting polymeric threads and metallized threads of conducting fabric weft. Proposed manufacturing process includes cutting of peripheral areas of all current distribution and part of peripheral areas of additional electrodes in pack of insulating threads contacting on one end intermediate and extreme electrodes and on other end, pack of complex conducting polymeric threads; cutting areas of metallized threads of additional electrodes are disposed so that they are alternating on this and that end of pack of complex conducting polymeric threads to form switching strip of desired resistive layer; then terminal leads of metal foil run over with tin are soldered to ends of extreme and additional electrodes or to those of intermediate and additional ones on one end of resistive layer, the latter is placed between two layers of insulating coat and molded at specific molding pressure of 8 - 10 kgf/cm² including compaction of stacks as soon as temperature rises to 130 - 140 ^oC, this being followed by machining to desired overall dimensions, removing part of insulating coat, soldering power cord , and encapsulating area of terminal current ducts and power cord with hard-to-burn cold-curing epoxy compound.

EFFECT: enhanced operability and reliability, reduced manufacturing cost of heater.

4 cl, 8 dwg, 1 tbl