Patents Examined by Christopher Atkinson
  • Patent number: 6039109
    Abstract: A ventilator includes a ventilator housing defining an exhaust air flow section and a fresh air flow section, a rotary wheel, a heat and moisture exchange media supported by the rotary wheel and intersecting the exhaust air flow section and the fresh air flow section, a rotary wheel mounting assembly including a first set of guide rollers in contact with a first rim edge portion of the rotary wheel and a second set of guide rollers in contact with a second rim edge portion of the rotary wheel, and a drive roller in contact with one of the rim edge portions. A hub and bearing assembly is provided such that the rotary wheel may tilt with respect to the mounting assembly. A rotary wheel access plate defines an exhaust air outlet and a fresh air inlet and is equipped with an access plate opening assembly. A moisture transfer wick extends across a partition assembly between the exhaust air flow section and the fresh air flow section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Stirling Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Catherine J. Chagnot, Joseph Arden Crum
  • Patent number: 6039110
    Abstract: A heat accumulator comprises an interior envelope containing an accumulator core, an exterior envelope surrounding the interior envelope at a distance therefrom so as to form an insulating chamber, two lines extending through the insulating chamber and including an inflow line and an outflow line for a heat conveying medium, each of the lines having a line section extending in the insulating chamber, the line sections being formed of a metal having low heat conducting capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Laengerer & Reich GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Roland Strahle
  • Patent number: 6035931
    Abstract: A header of a heat exchanger includes a seat member having bent portions on its end portions, a tank member having side walls on its end portions, and a pair of caps sealing the open ends of a barrel formed from the seat member and the tank member. Each side wall has a free end portion bent inwardly by an amount substantially equal to a thickness of the bent portion. The inner surface of each bent portion and the outer surface of each offset free end portion are joined to form the barrel. Thus, protrusions on the exterior shape of the formed barrel are eliminated, thereby eliminating contours from the shape of each cap provided on each open end of the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotaka Kado, Akimichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6035926
    Abstract: A rotary, regenerative heat exchanger includes an inner cylindrical hub (2) provided in a vertical position, a rotor (1) containing a heat exchange medium, first attachment members (30) for attaching the rotor to the hub, and a stationary casing (6) surrounding the rotor. A bearing (3) is provided to journal a lower end of the hub, and a slow moving hydraulic motor (4) is adapted to slowly turn the hub. The motor is provided with a housing enclosing a built-in radial bearing (26) and coaxially therewith a cylinder block and cam surface arrangement having a circular cylinder block (24) and a cam surface (21) surrounding the cylinder block and cooperating with a piston mechanism (22, 23) of the cylinder block such that reciprocation of the piston mechanism causes relative motion between the cylinder block and the cam surface. Second attachment members (5, 8, and 10) are provided to attach the motor to the stationary casing and to the hub, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Air Preheater Inc.
    Inventor: Dag Westerlund
  • Patent number: 6035928
    Abstract: A fin-tube block and method of making a fin tube block for heat exchangers is disclosed. Tubes provided for the through-flow of the coolant are manufactured as adjacent channels in an extruded section with a plate shape and then stacked on one another, alternating with corrugated ribs and additional extruded sections in a packet assembly and then soldered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Behr Industrietechnik GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Ruppel, Gunther Schmalzried, Rolf Sieber
  • Patent number: 6032725
    Abstract: A rotary steam joint and valve assembly for a steam heated roll includes a non-rotatable, axially slidable sleeve journaled on one of the roll shaft ends and operable to selectively withdraw condensate which pools in the lower part of the roll when the roll is stopped or operating at low speed. At higher roll speeds, when condensate is more uniformly distributed circumferentially around the roll interior, the valve is operable to open all radial condensate return paths to the concentrate discharge port in the shaft end. Steam is supplied radially to the shaft end and the valve is constructed to permit steam flow in either position of the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl M. Marschke, Todd M. McCarthy, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6029742
    Abstract: A heat transfer apparatus is disclosed. The heat transfer apparatus includes a heat pipe containing heat transfer liquid. Disposed in the heat pipe is a centrifugal rotor assembly having fixed magnets on the rotor blades. A magnetic field is generated by a magnetic coil assembly that surrounds the heat pipe. The rotor assembly rotates in response to the magnetic field, agitating the heat transfer liquid. A second embodiment is a liquid heat transfer system that includes a heat absorption chamber, a pump, and a heat exchanger where circulation and cooling of the heat transfer liquid occurs outside of the heat absorption chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Trevor Burward-Hoy
  • Patent number: 6026890
    Abstract: A heat exchanger utilizes a multi-hole flexible band of light metal which is formed, by extrusion, with a plurality of longitudinal small holes extending in parallel to one another from one band end to the other end. The longitudinal holes are connected at each of the end portions of the band, and both ends of the band is closed by welding to form a sealed cavity partly filled with a working fluid in partial vacuum. The sealed cavity may be in the form of a single long continuous passage, or in the form of parallel passages connected together at both ends. The multi-hole band is bent in such a shape that the band meanders between a high temperature region and a low temperature region. The thus-constructed heat exchanger is advantageous in heat exchanging performance, and capable of reducing the manufacturing and material costs, the weight of the heat exchanger, and improving the reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignees: Actronics Kabushiki Kaisha, Hisateru Akachi
    Inventor: Hisateru Akachi
  • Patent number: 6026888
    Abstract: In a portable notebook computer a specially designed heat pipe-based heat exchanger assembly is used to efficiently dissipate heat from a processor board in the computer's base housing to ambient air surrounding the computer. The heat exchanger assembly includes a graphite fiber-filled outer heat exchanger body which includes a finned first portion that is exposed to the exterior of the base housing, and a second portion disposed within the base housing and thermally coupled to the processor board. The outer heat exchanger body is directly overmolded onto a thermosyphoning heat pipe having first and second longitudinal portions respectively encapsulated within the first and second outer heat exchanger portions. During computer operation, processor heat is conducted to the second heat pipe portions and is transmitted via the balance of the heat pipe to the finned outer heat exchanger portion for dissipation to ambient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Moore
  • Patent number: 6026891
    Abstract: The cooling device of the present invention includes a casing divided into a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage by a fluid separation plate; a heat exchanger disposed to pass through the fluid separation plate, for receiving heat from high-temperature air flowing in the first fluid passage and for radiating the heat to the outside air flowing in the second fluid passage; an inside fan for blowing the high temperature air in the first fluid passage; an outside fan for blowing the outside air to the second fluid passage; and a thermistor for sensing a temperature of the high temperature air flowing in the first fluid passage. A rotational speed of each of the fans of the inside fan and the outside fan is variably controlled in response to a temperature detected by the thermistor with the controller. In this way, it is possible to cooling an interior of a closed box and to reduce the consumed electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Fujiyoshi, Shigeru Kadota, Kiyoshi Kawaguchi, Yukinori Suzuki, Shigeru Maehara, Koji Kishita
  • Patent number: 6024164
    Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly includes a frame and a heat exchanger which is movable relative to the frame. The assembly further includes a handle pivotally secured to the frame. Moreover, the assembly includes a linkage pivotally secured to the handle. The linkage is also pivotally secured to the heat exchanger. Movement of the handle from a first handle position to a second handle position causes the heat exchanger to move from a first heat exchanger position to a second heat exchanger position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis L. Sorbel
  • Patent number: 6024165
    Abstract: A thermal management device for an enclosure, the enclosure disposed in an environment exposed to ambient air and having an interior area for housing heat generating electronic components includes a heat exchanger having an evaporator portion and a condenser portion, the evaporator portion is adapted for mounting within the enclosure interior area adjacent to the heat generating electronic components. The condenser portion is exposed to the ambient air for removal of heat from the enclosure interior area generated by the electronic components adjacent to the heat exchanger evaporator portion. The device is incorporated in a system which includes an air duct disposed within the enclosure interior area. The duct includes an air inlet port and air outlet port. The ports communicate with the ambient air to thereby create an airflow path through the air duct from the inlet port to the outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: DSC Telecom L.P.
    Inventors: Marcus L. Melane, David A. Bartek, Paul A. Tucker, Andrew Low
  • Patent number: 6021845
    Abstract: A sapphire interface with a closed cycle cryogenic cooler replace liquid nitrogen in cryotraps for gas chromatographs, cryofocusers for gas chromatographs, DMA's and DSC's. Inverse thermal properties of sapphire allow the closed cycle cooler to function at cryogenic temperatures at one end of a sapphire element while temperature of a test element is raised at the other end. Quartz and silicon are alternatives to sapphire. Substantial mass of the sapphire interface is eliminated by making the test element an integral part of the assembly and enables use of a smaller capacity cooling system. Low mass provides rapid temperature changes when switching between heating and cooling. The cooling requirement remains substantially constant, whether a test sample is heated or cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Inventors: Dennis Hill, Terence Rufer, Ravi Bains
  • Patent number: 6019171
    Abstract: A down flow, two tank, two pass radiator includes a flow division baffle in the center of the upper tank that automatically vents any air trapped behind the baffle as the engine operates. When the engine starts, colder coolant has contracted a thermo wax operated baffle slide to an open position, allowing any trapped air to vent through. As the engine and coolant warm to normal operating temperature, the wax expands, pushes the slide closed, and the baffle operates as a solid piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Colin Van Tuyl Johnson
  • Patent number: 6019160
    Abstract: The thermal performance of the heat transfer element assemblies for rotary regenerative air preheaters is optimized to provide a desired level of heat transfer and pressure drop with a reduced volume and weight. The heat transfer plates in the assemblies have notches for maintaining plate spacing and oblique undulations between the notches. The undulations on adjacent plates extend at opposite oblique angles. The ratio of the openings of the undulations to the openings of the notches is greater than 0.3 and less than 0.5. The pitch (spacing) of the notches is greater than two inches and the angle of the undulations with respect to the notches is greater than 20.degree. and less than 40.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Air Preheater, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael M. Chen
  • Patent number: 6016863
    Abstract: Heat exchanger consisting of a reservoir with upwardly directed tubes through which flow a liquid to be heated and fluidized bed particles for internally cleaning the tubes. Connected to the reservoir is an external downcomer (5) for collecting fluidized bed particles coming from the top box of the reservoir and to be transported back to the bottom box (7) of the reservoir. The connecting line (4, 2, 1, 3, 6) between downcomer (5) and bottom box (7) is designed as two sections (2, 3) with an expansion bellows (1) arranged between them. The bottom section (3) is connected via two or more connecting stubs (6A, 6B) with the bottom box (7) for the uniform distribution of the flow of fluidized bed particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Klarex Beheer B.V.
    Inventor: Dick Gerrit Klaren
  • Patent number: 6012510
    Abstract: A torsion bar clamp device and method for mounting a heat sink to an electronic component comprising a torsion bar having a longitudinally extending bar and at least one integral lever adapted to engage a heat sink and mounting legs which couple forces imparted by the torsion bar to the heat sink and electronic component such that the heat sink and electronic component are compressively coupled. The invention may be manufactured of injection molded plastic and may be adapted to allow the mounting legs to engage bosses on a socket in which an electronic component is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Aavid Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Randolph H. Cook
  • Patent number: 6009936
    Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises a tube 11 and fin plates 12 attached to the outer surface of the tube. Each fin plate 12 is in the form of a strip sheet which is wider than the diameter of the tube 11, and each fin plate 12 is fitted on the tube 11 and has a semicylindrical recess 20 in the form corresponding to the cylindrical shape of the tube 11. Flat fins 21 extend from both sides of the semicylindrical recess 20. Cut pieces 22a are formed each by a U-shaped cut 22 at a predetermined pitch in the longitudinal direction of the semicylindrical recess 20, and each cut piece is erected outwardly of the semicylindrical recess to thereby form an upstanding fin 23, which is formed on a first fin plate element 18 as well as a second fin plate element 19. Straight tube portion 15 of the tube 11 is fitted between the semicylindrical recesses 20 of the first fin plate element 18 and the second fin plate element 19. In this way, the tube and the fin plate 12 are secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sanoh Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Kubota, Junichi Motegi, Setsuo Matsumoto, Hideaki Kuribara, Kazuaki Mabuchi
  • Patent number: 6009938
    Abstract: An extruded, tiered high fin density heat sink (10) uses extruded first base, second base and bridging elements (12, 16, 14) having an arrangement of closely spaced, parallel fins (20, 26, 32, 38) and recesses (22, 28, 34, 40) for receiving opposing fins in the elements. The fins (20, 38) in the first and second base elements (12, 16) are bonded to recesses (28, 34) in opposite common faces (24, 30) of bridging elements (14) while fins (26, 32) extending from both opposing faces (24, 30) of bridging element (14) are bonded in aligned recesses (22, 40) in the first and second base element (12, 16) forming an extruded, tiered, high fin density heat sink (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dean L. Smith, Edmund J. Sobresky, Roger S. Kerr
  • Patent number: 6006824
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a ceramic shell-and-tube type heat exchanger having a plurality of heat transfer tubes and tubular plates joined to both the end portions of these heat transfer tubes which has the steps of inserting the heat transfer tubes of sintered tubular ceramics into through-holes of the tubular plates of unsintered plate-like ceramics having a plurality of the through-holes, standing the heat transfer tubes vertically to a floor surface, and then firing them in a condition where the tubular plates are positioned at both the upper and lower end portions of the heat transfer tubes, thereby integrally joining the tubular plates to both the end portions of the plurality of heat transfer tubes by the utilization of a difference between firing shrinkage ratios of both the members, the method having the steps of interposing at least one tubular plate between the tubular plate positioned at the upper end portions and the tubular plate positioned at the lower end portions of the heat transfer tubes,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Hattori, Keiichiro Watanabe, Toshihiro Yoshida