Patents Examined by Christopher Atkinson
  • Patent number: 6250373
    Abstract: A ceiling mounted apparatus draws air upwardly through an inlet and processes the air through heat exchange elements before distributing the air downwardly. The air is preferably distributed downwardly by air discharge structure surrounding the heat exchange elements. The air is ultimately discharged through one or more air discharge ducts positioned relatively close to the air inlet. Each air discharge duct includes a rotatable louver mounted therein that in conjunction with the walls of the duct defines particular paths for the conditioned air in heating versus cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Gianluca Vecchi, Maurizio Rabito, Giorgio Rusignuolo, Lee G. Tetu
  • Patent number: 6250377
    Abstract: An engine radiator of the coolant downflow type can be equipped with an internal hood structure at the mouth of the radiator exit flow passage, to prevent air entrainment with the downflowing coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation
    Inventor: Albert W. Gyenese, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6247522
    Abstract: A thermal storage apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus uses a group of heat exchange members immersed in a phase change medium to store coolness by freezing the heat exchange medium. The heat exchange members each include tubular passageways to carry a heat transfer fluid through the apparatus to freeze the phase change material during an ice-forming cycle and to be chilled by the solid phase change material during a melt cycle. The heat exchange members each have substantially continuous opposite surfaces to prevent the solid phase change material from forming an annulus encircling the tubular passageways. During the ice-forming cycle, the solid phase change material forms in complementary sheets or volumes so that during the melt cycle the heat transfer fluid does not gain heat near the outlets. The heat exchange members may be made of a lightweight material, such as plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Kaplan, Robert P. Miller
  • Patent number: 6241008
    Abstract: In a capillary evaporator for use in a capillary pumped loop, in which capillary action in a porous wick 7 causes cold liquid to be drawn across the wick and vaporized by a heat input structure 6 and in particular fin 8 of that structure so that the vapour passes around a loop and rejects heat at a condenser in order to cool equipment in the vicinity of the evaporator, the vapour generated in the wick 7 from the liquid/vapor interface (meniscus) 11 is subject to a lower pressure drop than hitherto by virtue of a spacer 14 of greater permeability and thermal conductivity than the wick 7 without the necessity for the meniscus 11 to recede from the fin 8 which would cause an undesirable temperature drop of the meniscus, thereby improving the capacity of the evaporator to pump liquid/vapor around the loop and thus transport heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Matra Marconi Space UK, Ltd.
    Inventor: Neil William Dunbar
  • Patent number: 6237682
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cooling module (100) and a method for forming the cooling module (100). The cooling module (100) is effective in reducing the temperature of heat-generating components mounted on the cooling module (100). The cooling module (100) includes a housing (105), a pressure relief mechanism (200), and a shearing surface (201). The housing (105) includes a cooling material (121) disposed therein. The pressure relief mechanism (200) is disposed within the housing (105) and covers the opening (203) to provide a seal that seals the housing (105). The shearing surface (201) is effective to break the seal upon exceeding a predetermined pressure within the housing (105).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Morris B. Bowers, Kevin J. McDunn
  • Patent number: 6237676
    Abstract: A double heat exchanger including a radiator and a condenser for an air conditioner is mounted on a vehicle through first and second brackets. When the radiator is detached from the vehicle, a bolt for securing a side plate of the radiator to the second bracket is removed firstly, and the radiator is inclined in a front-rear direction of the vehicle. Thereafter, the radiator is pulled upwardly to be detached from the first bracket. When the radiator is attached to the vehicle, a first extending portion of the side plate of the radiator is inserted between first and second holding portions of the first bracket. In this state, the radiator is moved to contact an inclining member of the first bracket, and is fastened to the second bracket through the bolt. Thus, the radiator is readily detached from and attached to the vehicle and requires a small mounting space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Etuo Hasegawa, Michiyasu Yamamoto, Yoshifumi Aki
  • Patent number: 6237674
    Abstract: A rotary regenerative air preheater has ring assemblies at the upper and lower ends which define the outer periphery and support the air preheater housing panels. The ring assemblies are spaced by spokes which are tied to the hub of the air preheater and vertically supported from the air preheater structural members. The rotor housing panels are attached around and between the spoked ring assemblies. The ring assemblies are formed form a series of uniform interchangeable segments and they support the peripheral bypass seals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Alstom Power N.V.
    Inventors: James R. Larkin, Kevin J. O'Boyle, Michael Zakel
  • Patent number: 6234240
    Abstract: A computer (2) has a plurality of heat-producing components, including a microprocessor chip (10). A heat transfer device (22) through which a liquid coolant (C) is circulated is mounted in heat exchanging contact on the component (10). The device (22) may be mounted directly or via a Peltier thermoelectric cooler (14) positioned between the component (10) and the device (22). Coolant (C) from the device (22) is circulated to and through a reservoir (42) mounted on an inner mounting surface (38) of a radiator (34). The radiator (34) has heat dissipating fins (40) exposed to ambient air. The power supply (6) of the computer (2) is mounted directly on the mounting surface (38) so that heat produced by the power supply (6) will be dissipated by the radiator (34). Preferably, a plurality of transistors (66) of the power supply (6) are mounted on the mounting surface (38) separately from the mounting board (64) of the power supply 6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Inventor: Kioan Cheon
  • Patent number: 6234246
    Abstract: Heat exchanger for cooling semi-conductor components or the like equipment features cooling fins that are spaced apart, attached to and project out from a base section of extruded aluminum or another light metal, each fin being secured in a groove or the like recess in the base section. The cooling fins are in the form of a cooling-fin plates made of thin-gauge strips of material and, as viewed in longitudinal cross-section, are profiled at least in the region where they join the base section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Alusuisse Technology & Management Ltd.
    Inventors: Uwe Bock, Joachim Glück
  • Patent number: 6234242
    Abstract: The present invention provides a two-phase thermosyphon (100) that includes a sealed housing (105). The housing (105) includes a first outer surface, a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface, a first inner surface, and a second inner surface. The housing (105) is preferably formed of a first housing piece and a second housing piece that are attached in such a way as to form a sealed housing. A porous structural material (101) is disposed within the housing (105). A plurality of slots (103) are disposed within the porous structural material (101). The slots (103) preferably run substantially perpendicular to the general direction of vapor flow through the porous structural material (101) and provide increased heat dissipation in the two-phase thermosyphon (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Maninder Singh Sehmbey, Morris B. Bowers
  • Patent number: 6230788
    Abstract: A heat sink comprising: a body having an envelope including a flexible portion for thermal contact with a heat source, the envelope being filled with a thermally conductive liquid; and a thermosyphon having one end disposed at least partly within the liquid in the body to absorb heat from the heat source and another end disposed outside the envelope to dissipate heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: DSO National Laboratories
    Inventors: Kok Fah Choo, Chang Yu Liu, Yew Wah Wong, Weng Kong Chan, Kwok Woon Tou
  • Patent number: 6227288
    Abstract: A Multifunctional Capillary System is located within and between a single compensation chamber (CC) and the evaporator of a loop heat pipe. It provides: vapor-liquid interface control for all gravity states from the micro-gravity condition of space (near 0-g) through the earth's gravitational condition (1-g), with liquid supply to the evaporator via wicking from the CC in micro-gravity, and for all orientations (tilts) of the CC-evaporator assembly in earth gravity. As a single compensation chamber is used, dual compensation chamber penalties of weight and wide-temperature-variation are avoided. The system has combined, parallel wicking structure, paths, and joints for micro-gravity and 1-g liquid acquisition. The wick system is comprised of an axial-groove, evaporator-core secondary wick—concentric, contiguous, and in intimate contact with the primary evaporator wick. This secondary wick mates to a porous vane assembly in the CC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Donald F. Gluck, Charlotte Gerhart
  • Patent number: 6227285
    Abstract: A heat storage medium such as paraffin for a latent heat accumulator (cold accumulator), which solidifies while forming crystal structures. In order to achieve improved responsiveness on heat input, the crystal structures are modified by a structure additive preferably in terms of hollow structures, such as e.g. hollow cones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Schümann Sasol GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Günter Hildebrand, Michael Matthäi, Norbert Matzat, Rolf Laudi, Klaus Fieback, Wolfgang Ahrens, Thomas Krämer
  • Patent number: 6227286
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat sink. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heat sink used for radiating heat from an integrated circuit package such as a micro-processor arranged in a portable type electronic apparatus such as a notebook type personal computer and also used for radiating heat from a hard disk unit used in an electronic apparatus. The heat sink comprises: a heat transmitting member for transmitting heat generated by a heating component; a holding section for holding the heat transmitting member; and a heat sink body having a space in which a cooling fan having at least blades and a drive motor is embedded, wherein a portion of the holding section for holding the heat transmitting member, the portion being located below the space, is cut out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Tadashi Katsui
  • Patent number: 6227290
    Abstract: In a laminated heat exchanger with a pair of tank portions formed at one side of each tube element and intake/outlet portions for heat exchanging medium provided at one end in the direction of the lamination or in the direction running at a right angle to the direction of the lamination, a constricting portion for limiting the flow passage cross section is provided in an area in the tank portions where the flow shifts from an even-numbered pass to an odd-numbered pass in a plurality of passes. This allows the heat exchanging medium to flow in sufficient quantities into the tube elements near the outlet side of the partitioning portion, preventing inconsistency in temperature distribution. This constricting portion, which is formed in the tank group opposite the tank group where the partitioning portion is provided, is provided at the same lamination position as the partitioning portion. The constricting portion may be also formed with a plurality of holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nishishita, Seiji Inoue, Kiyoshi Tanda, Hitoshi Sakata
  • Patent number: 6223813
    Abstract: An efficient heat sink having a high density of fins and a large effective surface area is formed by coiling a flat strip of thermally conductive material in which teeth or millifins have been formed by a stamping operation, for example. A spacer may be employed to insure fin separation. In an alternate embodiment, the strips are stacked. The resulting heat sink is particularly effective in impingement flow cooling of electronic devices, chips, circuits or modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Martin Chrysler, Richard Chao-Fan Chu
  • Patent number: 6223810
    Abstract: A thermosyphon system is employed in conjunction with compact and/or dense configurations of electrical and/or electronic components to provide cooling. The thermosyphon cooling system is particularly advantageous in those systems in which the compact arrangement of circuit modules precludes the use of direct air cooling. The thermosyphon cooling system repositions the air cooling aspect of its cooling function to an exterior cabinet location distant from the circuit modules which can therefore be placed more closely together to shorten signal paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines
    Inventors: Richard C. Chu, Gregory M. Chrysler
  • Patent number: 6223812
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heat exchanger core for use in a fluid cooling apparatus, of the type comprising two tanks (12, 13), each provided with a tube plate (17), and a number of parallel tubes (15) through which the fluid to be cooled flows and around which a cooling fluid is passed. The tubes (15) extend between the two tube plates (17). A connecting strip (20) in the form of a strengthening comb connects the tank wall (12) and the tube plate (17). The strip (20) is provided with a tube plate location slot (18) and a recess (19) adapted to house the end of the tank wall (12). The connecting strip (20) has a number of tooth-like portions or fingers (40) which extend between the tubes (15) and are bonded to the tube plate (17), but not to the tubes (15) themselves. The fingers (40) add strength to the tube plate overhang, allowing the operating pressure in the chamber inside the tank (12) to be increased without the need to use a thicker tube plate (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Serck Heat Transfer Limited
    Inventor: Robert James Gough
  • Patent number: 6220342
    Abstract: In a laminated heat exchanger with a pair of tank portions formed at one side of each tube element and intake/outlet portions for heat exchanging medium provided at one end in the direction of the lamination or in the direction running at a right angle to the direction of the lamination, a constricting portion for limiting the flow passage cross section is provided in an area in the tank portions where the flow shifts from an even-numbered pass to an odd-numbered pass in a plurality of passes. This allows the heat exchanging medium to flow in sufficient quantities into the tube elements near the outlet side of the partitioning portion, thereby avoiding inconsistency in temperature distribution. This constricting portion, which is formed in the tank group opposite the tank group where the partitioning portion is provided, is provided at the same lamination position as the partitioning portion. The constricting portion may be also formed with a plurality of holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nishishita, Seiji Inoue, Kiyoshi Tanda, Hitoshi Sakata
  • Patent number: 6220344
    Abstract: A heat-exchanger tube has an inner tube wall centered on an axis, formed with an outwardly projecting helical ridge having a helical outer surface, and forming an outwardly open helical groove delimited by the ridge and an outer tube wall centered on an axis, formed with an inwardly projecting helical ridge of the same hand as the inner-tube ridge, having a helical inner surface, and forming an inwardly open helical groove delimited by the outer-tube ridge. The inner tube is coaxially received in the outer tube with the grooves together forming a helical passage having a plurality of turns and the surfaces radially confronting and spaced from each other to form an axial passage for fluid communication between adjacent turns of the helical passage. A fluid is fed to one end of the helical passage and withdrawn from an opposite end with flow of the fluid helically along the helical passage and axially through the axial passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: HDE Metallwerk GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Beykirch, Stefan Geissler, Joachim Kautz