Ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating element
AssigneeEgc Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsRobert B. Rutherford, Richard L. Dudman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating high resistance element is produced by a method including the steps of providing a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a surface adhered to a substrate; pulling apart the sheet and the substrate with a force sufficient to separate the adhered flexible expanded graphite sheet into a removed layer and a remainder layer adhered to the substrate; and optionally repeating the foregoing steps until the remainder layer has a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils. A resistance heater for high voltage applications is also provided.
Claims27
An ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating element having a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils, wherein the heating element is one of at least two flexible expanded graphite layers obtained by separating a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness into two or more thickness layers, the heating element being produced by a method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness and a surface adhered to a substrate;
- (b) pulling apart the sheet and the substrate with a force sufficient to separate the adhered flexible expanded graphite sheet into a removed thickness layer and a remainder thickness layer adhered to the substrate;
- and
- (c) optionally repeating steps (a) and (b) until the remainder thickness layer has a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils.
An ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating element having a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils, wherein the heating element is one of at least two flexible expanded graphite layers obtained by separating a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness into two or more thickness layers, the heating element being produced by a method comprising tile steps of:
- (a) providing a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness and a top surface, and a bottom surface adhered to a first substrate;
- (b) adhering a second substrate to the top surface;
- and
- (c) separating the first and second substrates with a force sufficient to separate the flexible expanded graphite sheet into a first remainder thickness layer adhered to the first substrate and a second remainder thickness layer adhered to the second substrate;
- and
- (d) optionally repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) until at least one of the remainder thickness layers has a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils.
An ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating element having a non-uniform thickness wherein at least a portion of the element has a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils, wherein the heating element is one of at least two flexible expanded graphite layers obtained by separating a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness into two or more non-uniform thickness layers, the heating element being produced by a method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness and a top surface, and a bottom surface adhered to a first substrate;
- (b) non-uniformly adhering a second substrate to the top surface;
- and
- (c) separating the first and second substrates with a force sufficient to separate the flexible expanded graphite sheet into a first remainder thickness layer adhered to the first substrate and a second remainder thickness layer adhered to the second substrate;
- and
- (d) optionally repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) until at least a portion of one of the remainder layers has thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils.
An ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite sheet having a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils, wherein the sheet is one of at least two flexible expanded graphite layers obtained by separating a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness into two or more thickness layers.
A method for making an ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating element having a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils, wherein the heating element is one of at least two flexible expanded graphite layers obtained by separating a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness into two of more thickness layers, the method, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness and a surface adhered to a substrate;
- (b) pulling apart the sheet and the substrate with a force sufficient to separate the adhered flexible expanded graphite sheet into a removed thickness layer and a remainder thickness layer adhered to the substrate;
- and
- (c) optionally repeating steps (a) and (b) until the remainder thickness layer has a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils.
A method for making an ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating element having a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils, wherein the heating element is one of at least two flexible expanded graphite layers obtained by separating a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness into two of more thickness layers, the method, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a top surface, and a bottom surface adhered to a first substrate;
- (b) adhering a second substrate to the top surface;
- and
- (c) separating the first and second substrates with a force sufficient to separate the flexible expanded graphite sheet into a first remainder thickness layer adhered to the first substrate and a second remainder thickness layer adhered to the second substrate;
- and
- (d) optionally repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) until at least one of the remainder layers has a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils.
A method for making an ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating element having a non-uniform thickness wherein at least a portion of the element has a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils, wherein the heating element is one of at least two flexible expanded graphite layers obtained by separating a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a first thickness into two or more non-uniform thickness layers, the method, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a top surface, and a bottom surface adhered to a first substrate;
- (b) non-uniformly adhering a second substrate to the top surface;
- and
- (c) separating the first and second substrates with a force sufficient to separate the flexible expanded graphite sheet into a first remainder thickness layer adhered to the first substrate and a second remainder thickness layer adhered to the second substrate;
- and
- (d) optionally repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) until at least a portion of one of the remainder as thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.