RU226512U1 - INDICATOR BASED ON HEAT-SENSITIVE COMPOUNDS - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of radio-electronic instrument making and can be successfully used in the production of printed circuit boards and other electronic components included in the equipment of radar stations directly used in the combat zone. The printed circuit board of the radio-electronic communication module contains a permanent type indicator and a reversible type indicator applied to its outer shell. A permanent type indicator consists of two adjacent parts, the first of which is made in the form of a sensitive component based on a chemical compound that changes color during polymerization under the influence of a temperature above a certain threshold value, and the second part is a control, pre-colored in a color that is visually difficult to distinguish from the color the first part, which will be obtained after passing the mentioned threshold temperature value. The reversible type indicator is made in the form of a section of thermochromic paint coated with a protective varnish that changes color when exposed to or removed from heat. Accurate control of the operating mode is ensured. 5 ill.

Description

Technical field

The utility model relates to the field of radio-electronic instrument making and can be successfully used in the production of printed circuit boards and other electronic components included in the equipment of radar stations directly used in the combat zone.

State of the art

Prolonged operation of electronic equipment and computer systems outside the recommended operating temperatures (prolonged overheating) can lead to degradation of electronic components, changes in their physical characteristics, which contributes to their failure. As a rule, the degradation of electronic components does not lead to immediate equipment failure; however, poorly diagnosed errors begin to occur in the operation of systems, the number of which increases as work continues.

Currently, diagnosing failures of overheated parts of electronic equipment is difficult, since at the initial stages failures occur irregularly, and the systems as a whole operate stably, so it is not possible to identify the problem; then, as a rule, the temperature of the failed components begins to rise, and the rate of degradation increases.

Modern electronics, for example, transistors in electronic components, are made by applying layers of chemicals with different electrical properties to a silicon substrate for the purpose of subsequent etching to subsequently create a spatial structure that provides certain properties to the resulting element.

It should be noted that a device for visual registration of local overheating of the surface of elements is known from the prior art (see RU213931, class G01K11/18, published 10/06/2022 [1]).

The solution known from the prior art [1] relates to thermal diagnostic devices designed to register the fact of local overheating of the surface of equipment elements, including industrial, household and energy purposes, above a set temperature.

The identified recording device contains a sensitive component of arbitrary shape consisting of several parts, which changes color when exposed to high temperatures, which allows you to quickly diagnose equipment operating conditions outside the recommended temperatures.

A feature of the known solution is that the sensitive component is a sticker that contains information about the numerical value of the temperature and has a layered structure, including a base and an opaque layer of a thermally sensitive composition applied to it, which, when exposed to high temperatures, irreversibly changes its appearance and becomes transparent .

In the event of short-term or long-term overheating of parts of the equipment, the sensitive component becomes irreversibly transparent, symbolizing a possible abnormal operation; however, this type of indication is hardly noticeable and is effective only during daylight hours with no glare from the sun.

The closest in terms of technical essence to the claimed object should be considered a complete tool in the form of a system of equipment housed in a shell with a color changing function (see CN202424063, class G01K11/12, published 09/05/2012 [2]).

The solution known from CN202424063 is characterized in that a heat-sensitive paint layer that changes color is applied to the equipment components, as well as to the outer surface of the shell.

The color change can be observed by visual inspection, since when the temperature inside the shell increases, heat is transferred to the surface of the case and the color of the heat-sensitive paint layer may change.

The known technical solution is quite universal and has a simple design, and possible changes in operating temperature conditions are recorded through periodic review, since the color of the sensitive part changes, which is noticeable to a certain extent, but is not enough to detect short-term local overheating that can damage important electronic components.

Disclosure of utility model

The technical problem of the proposed utility model is the creation of a visual indicator of the temperature of radio-electronic components, intended for use as part of a radar in a combat zone.

The technical result of the proposed utility model is to ensure precise control of the operating mode of radio-electronic equipment subject to overheating above permissible values, with the aim of promptly replacing faulty components with serviceable ones.

The specified technical result and the specified technical problem are achieved as a result of the fact that the printed circuit board of the radio-electronic communication module contains a permanent type indicator and a reversible type indicator applied to its outer shell, and the permanent type indicator consists of two adjacent parts, the first of which is made in the form of a sensitive component based on a chemical compound that changes color during polymerization under the influence of a temperature above a certain threshold value, and the second part is a control, pre-colored in a color visually difficult to distinguish from the color of the first part, which will be obtained after passing the threshold temperature value, and the indicator is of a reversible type in the form of a section of thermochromic paint coated with a protective varnish that changes color when exposed to or removed from heat.

During operation, the user, for example, a radar operator, when carrying out maintenance of radio-electronic communication modules, including their visual review, can rely and rely on the readings of two visual sources of information in the form of a permanent indicator and a reversible indicator, which makes it possible to establish possible cases of long-term or short-term overheating, due to exposure to elevated temperatures, necessitating the need to take prompt action to bring the operating temperature to normal by replacing the faulty component with a serviceable new one.

In addition, during inspection of modules, identification of prerequisites for system overheating (cases of short-term overheating) can serve as a reason for making important decisions about transferring the product to a less critical area, thereby significantly reducing the risk of failure of equipment (radar) operated in critical areas, for example, near the lines of combat contact.

As stated above and in accordance with the author's design, two types of indicators are applied to the printed circuit board shell, one of which is permanent and the other is reversible.

Moreover, the permanent indicator is made on the basis of a chemical compound that changes its color under the influence of temperature above a certain threshold value, while the permanent indicator also includes a separate control part, painted in a color similar to the color of the triggered indicator. If the colors of the indicator (sensitive element) and the control part match, it is considered that the indicator has worked.

With regard to the reversible indicator, it should be noted that it is made in the form of a color-changing section of thermochromic paint, coated with a varnish layer. The color color changes depending on the exposure or removal of heat, however, when the thermal effect ceases, the color of the paint of this indicator will return to its original state. At the same time, the use of reversible thermochromic paint on the surface of the module shell allows one to see the heat distribution with the naked eye without the use of a thermal imager.

The constructive implementation of the proposed printed circuit board of a radio-electronic communication module forms a set of essential features necessary to solve a given technical result, which consists in ensuring accurate control of the operating mode of radio-electronic equipment subject to overheating above permissible values, with the aim of promptly replacing faulty components with serviceable ones, which will allow creating visual indicators temperatures of radio-electronic components intended for use as part of radars in a combat zone.

Brief description of drawings

In fig. Figure 1 shows the design of a permanent indicator;

In fig. 2 schematically shows a printed circuit board;

In fig. 3 shows a photo of a printed circuit board in the usual range;

In fig. 4 shows a photo of the printed circuit board in the infrared range;

In fig. Figure 5 shows a photo of a printed circuit board with the distribution of temperature zones.

Implementation of a utility model

The proposed utility model is illustrated by a specific example of execution and implementation, which, however, are not the only possible ones, but clearly demonstrates the achievement by the presented set of essential features of solving an existing technical problem and achieving a given technical result.

In fig. 1-5 presents the following parts and elements of the proposed utility model:

1 - permanent type indicator;

2 - printed circuit board;

3 - printed circuit board shell;

4 - sensitive component;

5 - control part;

6 - demarcation;

7 - reversible type indicator.

And so, the proposed printed circuit board 2 of the radio-electronic communication module contains an indicator of a permanent type 1 and an indicator of a reversible type 7 applied to its outer shell 3.

The permanent type indicator 1 consists of two adjacent parts, separated by a demarcation 6, for example, in the form of a thermal break/connection.

The first specified part is made in the form of a sensitive component 4 based on a chemical compound that changes color during polymerization under the influence of a temperature above a certain threshold value, and the second specified part is a control 5, pre-painted in a color visually difficult to distinguish from the color of the first part, which can be obtained after passing the mentioned temperature threshold.

The reversible indicator 7 is made in the form of a section of thermochromic paint coated with a protective varnish that changes color when exposed to or removed from heat.

The proposed utility model can be implemented as follows.

Printed circuit board 2 of the radio-electronic communication module can be successfully and effectively used in difficult combat conditions as equipment included in the radar.

The deployed radar can be operated in various climatic conditions, where the average air temperature has significant fluctuations. When operating a radar kit, which includes a proposed printed circuit board and 2 communication modules, far from supply and maintenance bases, timely diagnostics and repair of system modules becomes critically important. At the same time, in order to increase reliability, these systems are produced with redundancy of key modules and the ability to quickly replace them with backup ones from spare parts (spare parts, tools, accessories). Thus, military personnel must maintain the equipment in working condition and, if possible, promptly replace the module or carry out feasible repairs.

It should be noted that due to the effects of time and high temperatures, atoms of chemical substances are subject to diffusion, which leads to deterioration in the performance of electronic components and communications. A change in the electronic component, namely its physical and chemical structure, leads to the emergence of parasitic currents, an increase in the resistance of the elements, and, as a consequence, to an even greater increase in temperature and acceleration of the diffusion rate. The degradation of an electronic component occurs over a period of time, during which a gradual increase in the temperature of the radio-electronic component can be observed, as well as an increase in the number of failures. Thus, in order to maintain operability, it is extremely important to monitor the ongoing thermal processes of the printed circuit board of the radio-electronic communication module, which will avoid breakdowns and maintain a high-quality level of protection, which is extremely important in combat conditions.

Thus, a serviceman can visually inspect the printed circuit board 2 (electronic board of guidance systems) of the radio-electronic communication module and, by changing the color of the permanent type 1 indicator and the reversible type 7 indicator, find parts, modules, electronic components that have temperatures above normal and promptly replace them with modules from spare parts, without waiting for any damaged module to fail at an inopportune moment. Seized modules can be sent for repair, where “faulty” components will be replaced before they damage the entire board.

It should be noted that in FIG. 3 shows a photograph of the printed circuit board 2 in the normal range, and FIG. 4 in infrared, made using a thermal imager, and in the indicated FIG. Figure 4 shows a photograph of a working printed circuit board 2, which illustrates the temperature gradient around the most loaded electronic components.

Visual inspection of a working module with printed circuit board 2 installed (or a module removed) allows you to visually identify electronic components around which the thermochromic paint has changed its color as much as possible. In fig. 5, it can be seen that the same components in the center of the printed circuit board 2 have different temperatures, which is confirmed by the reversible type indicator 7. During regular inspections of the modules, a service member may notice how, as the electronic component degrades, the color intensity of the thermochromic paint around the electronic component becomes more intense. Having seen such changes, it is possible to replace not only the potentially “faulty” module, but also, for example, to replace the corresponding electronic component.

Having at his disposal a photo of a working module, which includes printed circuit board 2, the soldier, by comparison, i.e. by examining the reference sample can decide whether to replace the component.

As stated above and according to the plan, on the printed circuit board 2, or more precisely on its outer shell 3, there are two indicators, namely a permanent type indicator 1 and a reversible type indicator 7.

The permanent type 1 indicator is made on the basis of a chemical compound in the form of an irreversible thermochromic (heat-sensitive) paint that changes its color when exposed to temperature above a certain/predetermined threshold value. The permanent indicator also includes a separate control part 5, which is pre-painted in a color similar to the color of the triggered indicator, or rather its triggered sensitive component 4. Provided that the colors of indicator 1 match, i.e. its sensing element 4 and its control part 5 is considered that the indicator of permanent type 1 has worked and it is necessary to take appropriate measures.

The reversible type 7 indicator, according to the design, is made in the form of a color-changing section of reversible thermochromic (heat-sensitive) paint, coated with a varnish layer. The color color changes depending on the exposure or removal of heat, however, when the thermal effect ceases, the color of the paint of this indicator 7 will return to its initial state.

Thus, the combination of the two indicators used, namely indicator 1 and indicator 7, essentially allows, firstly, to conditionally determine the time of exposure to elevated temperature and indirectly determine how exhausted the resource of the monitored radio-electronic module is, and secondly, allows for operational control operation of the radio-electronic module, which allows you to visually identify electronic components whose temperature during operation has become higher than that recorded when taking the reference photograph.

The proposed utility model can be successfully used in radar designs used in combat conditions.

Claims (1)

A printed circuit board of a radio-electronic communication module containing a permanent type indicator and a reversible type indicator applied to its outer shell, wherein the permanent type indicator consists of two adjacent parts, the first of which is made in the form of a sensitive component based on a chemical compound that changes color during polymerization under exposure to a temperature above a certain threshold value, and the second part is a control, pre-painted in a color visually difficult to distinguish from the color of the first part, which will be obtained after passing the mentioned threshold temperature value, and the reversible type indicator is made in the form of a section of thermochromic paint coated with a protective varnish that changes color coloration when exposed to or removed from heat.