Back to results
US 10,549,482 B2Granted
Limiting dispersion of IR radiation from a heater element during plastic welding
OwnerRade Pupovac, Zachary Touesnard +2inventors
InventorsRade Pupovac, Zachary Touesnard, Christian Peter Holtkamp, Boris Novakovic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a process for welding plastic parts together, an IR shield redirects IR radiation emitted from a heater of a heating tool so that IR radiation which would otherwise be directly incident on certain portions of a plastic part and/or on other parts of the heating tool is avoided.
Claims9
A heating tool for performing an operation on a plastic part to melt plastic at a location where a weld joint is to be created, the heating tool comprising:
- a) a thermally conductive body having a base, a top, and a side which joins the top and the base, the top having a shape conforming to that of plastic to be melted for creating a weld joint in a plastic part;
- b) a heater for heating the thermally conductive body to create a temperature at the top for enabling the top to melt plastic;
- c) an IR shield confronting at least a portion of the side of the thermally conductive body without obstructing the top of the body, the shield comprising an inner first layer having an inner face facing the side for reflecting incident heat radiated from the body back toward the body and an outer face disposed against an inner face of an outer second layer, material of the inner first layer having lower emissivity than material of the outer second outer layer;
- in which the side of the thermally conductive body comprises opposite sides each of which joins the top and the base, and the shield comprises a first side which confronts a first of the opposite sides of the body and a second side which confronts a second of the opposite sides of the body, and in which the first side and the second side of the shield cooperatively define an opening which leaves the top of the body unobstructed by the shield;
- in which the top comprises a ridge;
- in which the ridge protrudes through the opening beyond the first side and the second side of the shield;
- further comprising a tooling plate and a support structure which supports the body on the tooling plate;
- in which the first side of the shield is fastened to the support structure and has an edge which confronts the ridge, and the second side of the shield is fastened to the support structure and has an edge which confronts the ridge, and in which the edge of the first side of the shield and the edge of the second side of the shield cooperatively define the opening;
- and
- in which the first side of the shield comprise slits extending from the edge of the first side of the shield, and the second side of the shield comprise slits extending from the edge of the second side of the shield.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.