WO2009035175A1

WO2009035175A1 - Carbon heater

Info

Publication number: WO2009035175A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/004439
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yong Jin Lee
Original assignee: Yong Jin Lee
Priority date: 2007-09-14
Filing date: 2007-09-14
Publication date: 2009-03-19

Abstract

Provided is a carbon heater including: a first insulating film; a carbon layer formed of a carbon powder applied on the first insulating film; a first copper wire disposed along the surface of one side of the carbon layer and a second copper wire disposed along the surface of the other side of the carbon layer; a silver layer inserted between the carbon layer and the first and second copper wires; and a second insulating film disposed on the first and second copper wires over the entire first insulating film, wherein the carbon layer is heated when a current is supplied to the first and second copper wires.

Description

CARBON HEATER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a heating means for heating a specimen during a microorganism experiment, and more particularly, to a carbon heater for supplying current to a carbon layer to generate heat. Background Art

[2] Generally, when live cells are experimented or observed, a growth temperature of the cells should be regulated using a heating plate. FIGS. 1 to 3 are perspective views of a conventional heating plate.

[3] Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional heating plate is constituted of a heating wire

14 installed in a lower surface of a specimen groove 12 to heat a specimen and a cover. The heating wire is generally formed of a nichrome wire. FIG. 2 is a heating plate having a through-hole 16 used when the heated specimen is observed, and a nichrome wire 18 should be wound around the through-hole 16 at predetermined intervals. FIG. 3 is a glass heater coated with indium tin oxide (ITO).

[4] As described above, the conventional heating plate mainly uses a method of heating a specimen using the nichrome wire. In particular, in the case of the heating plate having the through-hole, the heating plate should be used on a microscope to observe the specimen. In addition, in order to obtain a high-resolution image, since a lens having a short working distance between the specimen and a lens of the microscope should be used, it is preferable to provide a heating plate having a smaller thickness. Therefore, the nichrome wire should be installed on the entire surface of the plate to a small thickness, thereby making it difficult to manufacture the heating plate and increasing manufacturing cost. Further, since the heat is concentrated around the nichrome wire, the heat cannot be uniformly transferred to the specimen.

[5] In addition, the glass heater using glass coated with ITO is used to heat the specimen disposed on transparent glass when the specimen is observed using a microscope, etc. However, resolution of the image may be decreased and heat may be concentrated at a center part of the ITO glass heater due to the ITO coating material. In this case, a temperature difference between the center part and the peripheral part of the glass heater, e.g., a temperature difference between the highest and lowest temperatures of the coating glass having a size of 150mm X 100mm, is about 2.5⁰C. That is, the temperature distribution of the entire glass may be irregular, thereby causing a serious problem in a biological experiment which requires uniform heat transfer to a specimen. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[6] In order to solve the foregoing and/or other problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a carbon heater capable of uniformizing a temperature of the entire plate or glass and increasing clearness of the glass during observation through a microscope. Technical Solution

[7] One aspect of the present invention provides a carbon heater including: a first insulating film; a carbon layer formed of a carbon powder applied on the first insulating film; a first copper wire disposed along the surface of one side of the carbon layer and a second copper wire disposed along the surface of the other side of the carbon layer; a silver layer inserted between the carbon layer and the first and second copper wires; and a second insulating film disposed on the first and second copper wires over the entire first insulating film, wherein the carbon layer is heated when a current is supplied to the first and second copper wires.

[8] At this time, an insulating film may be inserted between the first copper wire and the second copper wire, in a region where the first copper wire overlaps the second copper wire.

[9] In addition, the heating temperature may be regulated depending on the thickness of the carbon layer.

[10] Further, the carbon heater may include a plurality of wells such that a plurality of chambers can be simultaneously used. Furthermore, the carbon heater may be inserted between upper and lower glass plates to generate heat.

Advantageous Effects

[11] In accordance with the present invention, since carbon coated to a small thickness instead of a conventional nichrome wire is used, it is possible to make a thin heating plate. In addition, in the case of a glass heater, a gap for generating heat is uniform so that a temperature of the entire glass is uniform. Further, since the glass is not coated with ITO, in a part of the glass through which the carbon heater does not pass, i.e., an observation part, clearness of the glass is increased to more clearly observe the specimen during observation through a microscope. Brief Description of the Drawings

[12] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional heating plate;

[14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the conventional heating plate having a through- hole;

[15] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the conventional glass heater coated with ITO;

[16] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a heating plate of a carbon heater in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[17] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a heating plate of a carbon heater with a through-hole in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[18] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 5;

[19] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a carbon heater having a plurality of through-holes to use a multi-well in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of a heating plate with a through-hole; and

[20] FIG. 8 is a view showing a glass heater using a carbon heater in accordance with the present invention. Mode for the Invention

[21] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[22] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a heating plate of a carbon heater in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In general, a carbon 42 is applied on an insulating film (not shown), silver layers 41 are installed at both outer sides and therebetween in an alternate manner. Then, copper wires 40 are disposed at both outer parts to supply positive and negative currents, and the copper wires 40 are covered by upper and lower plates (not shown). When the current corresponding to the copper wires 40 is applied, heat is evenly transferred to the entire plate.

[23] FIGS. 5 and 6 are views showing a heating plate of a carbon heater 20 with a through-hole in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the carbon heater, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG 5.

[24] Referring to FIG. 5, the carbon heater 20 has an octagonal ring shape, and a carbon powder 23 is applied on the entire plate having the ring shape. Copper wires 21 and 22 are disposed at an outer periphery and an inner periphery of the ring-shaped plate coated with the carbon powder to supply positive and negative currents, respectively. The copper wires 21 and 22 for supplying positive and negative currents do not overlap each other, and, in particular, an insulating film (not shown) is inserted between a positive copper wire and a negative copper wire in region B.

[25] When electricity is supplied to the positive copper wire and the negative copper wire, heat is generated from the entire plate coated with the carbon. Therefore, when the carbon heater 20 shown in FIG. 5 is covered by upper and lower plates, heat is evenly generated from the entire plate. In addition, it is possible to regulate a heating temperature by adjusting a voltage of the supplied electricity, and by varying electric resistance depending on the thickness and composition of the carbon coated on the plate.

[26] Referring to FIG. 6 showing a cross-sectional view of the carbon heater taken along line A-A of FIG. 5, the carbon heater 20 is constituted of a first insulating film 24, a carbon layer 23, a silver (Ag) layer 25, a first copper wire 21, a second copper wire 22, and a second insulating film 26.

[27] The first insulating film 24 functions as a plate on which carbon is applied, and the carbon layer 23 is applied on the first insulating film 24 to a small thickness.

[28] The copper wires 21 and 22 are disposed on the carbon layer 23, and the silver layer

25 is inserted between the copper wires 21 and 22 and the carbon layer 23. The silver layer 25, having a very low resistance, functions to transmit current supplied to the copper wires 21 and 22 to the carbon layer 23. Since the copper wires 21 and 22 are not properly adhered to the carbon layer 23 to make a gap between the copper wires and the carbon layer, the silver layer 25 needs to be inserted between the copper wires 21 and 22 and the carbon layer 23.

[29] The copper wires 21 and 22 are disposed on the silver layer 25 such that the positive copper wire does not overlap the negative copper wire, as shown in FIG. 2. The second insulating film 26 is covered on the copper wires 21 and 22. When the plates cover on and under the carbon heater 20, and current is applied to the copper wires 21 and 22, heat is generated from the carbon layer 23 to be transferred to the entire plates.

[30] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a carbon heater of a plate having a plurality of through- holes in accordance with another exemplary embodiment, showing a carbon heater 30 which can be adapted to a multi-well chamber.

[31] Reference numeral 33 designates a frame coated with a carbon layer, in which six rectangular parts are disposed. Each chamber may be disposed in each rectangular part, and each through-hole may be formed at each rectangular part.

[32] Positive and negative copper wires 31 and 32 are disposed on the carbon layer 33 in a non-overlapping manner. An insulating layer (not shown) is inserted between the positive and negative copper wires where the copper wires overlap, such as in region C of FIG. 7. Reference numerals 35 and 36 designate terminals for supplying current to the positive and negative copper wires 31 and 32, respectively.

[33] When a user applies current through the terminals 35 and 36, a carbon layer 33 generates heat through the six rectangular parts in which the copper wires 31 and 32 are disposed. Therefore, it is possible to effectively heat a specimen glass including the multi-well to a desired temperature.

[34] FIG. 8 is a view showing a glass heater using a carbon heater in accordance with the present invention.

[35] A carbon layer 50 is formed on a first insulating film (not shown) in a slim line shape, and two silver layers 51 and 52 are inserted parallel to the carbon layer 50. As shown in FIG. 8, the silver layer 51 formed of several lines is integrated in a single line to form a positive polarity and the silver layer 52 formed of several lines is integrated in a signal line to form a negative polarity. A second insulating film (not shown) is covered thereon, and a carbon heater is inserted between an upper glass plate (not shown) and a lower glass plate 53. When current is supplied to each electrode, unlike the conventional glass heater, a gap between the silver layers 51 and 52 corresponding to the positive and negative polarities and a gap between the carbon layers 50 are uniformly maintained to uniformly transfer heat to the entire glass plates.

[36] While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

[ 1 ] A carbon heater comprising: a first insulating film; a carbon layer formed of a carbon powder applied on the first insulating film; a first copper wire disposed along the surface of one side of the carbon layer and a second copper wire disposed along the surface of the other side of the carbon layer; a silver layer inserted between the carbon layer and the first and second copper wires; and a second insulating film disposed on the first and second copper wires over the entire first insulating film, wherein the carbon layer is heated when a current is supplied to the first and second copper wires. [2] The carbon heater according to claim 1, wherein an insulating film is inserted between the first copper wire and the second copper wire in a region where the first copper wire overlaps the second copper wire. [3] The carbon heater according to claim 1, wherein the heating temperature is regulated depending on the thickness of the carbon layer. [4] The carbon heater according to claim 1, wherein the carbon heater comprises a plurality of wells such that a plurality of chambers can be simultaneously used. [5] The carbon heater according to claim 1, wherein the carbon heater is inserted between upper and lower glass plates to generate heat.