Patents Examined by L. R. Leo
  • Patent number: 5441105
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is provided with a set of oppositely disposed header pipes into which a plurality of parallel cross flow tubes are inserted and joined to provide fluid communication between the header pipes. Fluid enters the header pipes and flows through the tubes, wherein it is cooled by air passing over the tubes. The tubes are constructed from two separate plates, each plate having a plurality of non-continuous ridges, which are joined together to form a single substantially flat tube having an upper wall and a lower wall. The ridges are oriented along each wall of the tube in substantially oblique configurations, relative to the longitudinal axis of the tube, so that upstream ends of the ridges in each configuration are aligned in a substantially oblique line which extends across the width of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Wynn's Climate Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Keiv P. Brummett, Harold A. Carpenter, Jr., Scott L. Hutto, John M. McCrady
  • Patent number: 5439050
    Abstract: A secondary condensing heat exchanger for use in a multi-poised furnace that includes multiple single pass heat transfer stages. Each stage includes a housing having an entrance at one end and a pair of outlets at the other end. The walls of the housing are arranged to conduct condensate formed in the housing through one or both outlets, depending on the orientation of the furnace. Lateral flow restrictors are mounted in the housing to direct flue gas products entering the housing back and forth across the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Waterman, Larry D. Rieke, Delbert G. Keys
  • Patent number: 5435381
    Abstract: A compact, rugged and light weight condenser structure for a heat exchange system, preferably fabricated in layers and incorporating a jet fin structure for heat exchange with a single phase coolant fluid and tapered passages to maintain relatively constant vapor flow velocity and a consistent, high efficiency flow regime in a refrigerant fluid including vapor and liquid phases. Layered construction permits economical fabrication of the condenser in a plurality of configurations and heat exchange capacities. Tapered configuration of the refrigerant passages, together with the consistent distribution of jet fin heat exchange to the coolant allows a flow regime to be maintained which is highly tolerant of variation in the direction and force of acceleration forces on the condenser. Accordingly, a condenser capable of highly consistent heat exchange performance over a wide range of acceleration conditions is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Robert S. Downing, Timothy Bland, Martha J. Campbell, John M. VanDyke
  • Patent number: 5435383
    Abstract: A plate heat exchanger assembly having a plurality of corrugated metal members between two end cover metal members and interspaced with gasket members. The corrugated metal members have corrugations establishing a network of contact points and forming turbulent channels for heat exchange between two fluids flowing counter-currently in and out through at least four ports. Each of the corrugated metal members, end cover metal members and gasket members have at least four corner portholes in alignment with corresponding portholes. Each gasket member has two through portholes and two communicating portholes. Clamping means pass through each aligned porthole for clamping each of the four ports on either side of the plate heat exchanger assembly to bind individual ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Inventor: Ramesh Rajagopal
  • Patent number: 5433268
    Abstract: An improved radiator construction comprising a cooling tube having a barbed end, preferably with an adjacent collar, spaced apart sufficient to engage an elastomeric seal. The seal and tube are positioned in the opening of a radiator or heat exchanger header so that the tube barb and collar and the engaged seal cooperate to retain the cooling tube in the header.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: L & M Radiator, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Janezich, Todd G. Dosen, Charles E. Cedar
  • Patent number: 5431216
    Abstract: A heat exchange apparatus comprising a heat transfer member; and at least one projecting blade which is arranged to confront the heat transfer member, and which carries out relative motion with respect to the heat transfer member; wherein a distance between the edge of the projecting at the side of the heat transfer member and a heat transfer surface of the heat transfer member is smaller than a value which corresponds to a rising point where an upward gradient of convective heat transfer coefficients rises as the distance decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsurou Ogushi, Kunihiko Kaga, Hideharu Tanaka, Goro Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 5431218
    Abstract: A heat exchanger, especially a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, has a header plate which is formed with substantially circular holes, together with a bundle of tubes each having an end portion of modified shape, which is sealingly received in a respective one of the holes in the header plate. Each tube end portion is provided with an expanded mouth, which is formed by deformation of the wall of the tube and which has a polygonal shape which may for example be square, being then defined by sides which are joined together by rounded corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Valeo Thermique Moteur
    Inventor: Gilbert Lelievre
  • Patent number: 5429182
    Abstract: A clamper (12) has a clamp finger (12a) for gripping a joint pipe (5), and is preliminarily attached to a preassembly of a heat exchanger. The clamp finger (12a) is deformed to embrace the joint pipe (5), before the preassembly is subjected to the so-called one shot brazing process. Thereafter, the joint pipe (5) is brazed to and become integral with the clamp finger (12a) which is embracing the joint pipe, at the same time as the essential parts incorporated in the heat exchanger preassembly are brazed one to another. Thus, the clamper (12) not only serves as a supporter for keeping the joint pipe (5) in place after the brazing, but also functions as a jig of such a kind as holding in place the joint pipe (5) in the unbrazed assembly of the heat exchanger, thus improving the manufacture efficiency of heat exchangers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Showa Aluminum Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Hanafusa
  • Patent number: 5429178
    Abstract: An electro-mechanical, dual tube and plug device for on-line monitoring of performance losses due to reduced conductivity of a heat exchanger resulting from micro-bio fouling of the surfaces of said heat exchanger/condenser and for detecting change of heat transfer resistance of individual heat transfer tubes. The dual tube and plug assembly includes a first flow assembly tube and a second temperature assembly tube attached to the discharge end of a heat exchanger for providing accurate measurement of temperature and cooling water flow. The first flow assembly tube includes a tube having an inner chamber, including a flow sensor comprising a paddle wheel and a sensor and a temperature sensor for measuring discharge water temperature. The second temperature assembly tube plugs the inlet and the outlet of a heat transfer tube immediately adjacent to the flow assembly tube and includes a plurality of spring loaded temperature sensors in the plugged empty heat transfer tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Garey, David J. Schlottenmier, Murray F. Feller
  • Patent number: 5429183
    Abstract: To eliminate a fear of electrolytic corrosion even in the case where a heat exchanger to be connected to the outside of the plate-type heat exchanger has a copper piping, and to prevent any damage from being given to the brazed portions of the plate-type heat exchanger at the time of joining pipes and to prevent faults from being generated in joined portions. An intermediate pipe made of a material in which the value of polarization potential becomes lower than that generated between a body of the plate-type heat exchanger and the copper piping is interposed between the plate-type heat exchanger body and the copper piping. Further, the plate-type heat exchanger body is disposed in a position out of a vertical line of a joined portion between the copper piping and the intermediate pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Youichi Hisamori, Mitunori Kurachi, Masaaki Taniguchi, Tutomu Noma, Masao Kohashi, Yoshihiro Sumida
  • Patent number: 5425415
    Abstract: A vertical heat exchanger including a vertical tube bundle connected between a lower inlet manifold and upper outlet manifold. The tube bundle comprises numerous pairs of concentric tubes with the inner tube being spaced from the outer tube to form an annular flow passage positioned around an inner flow passage. The inner tubes are welded between outer tube sheets that form a part of the upper and lower manifolds while the outer tubes are welded between inner tube sheets forming part of these manifolds. Each of the manifolds has a distributor ring which has radially directed openings throughout its periphery so as to provide for a radial flow in the manifold. Fluid enters the lower manifold through suitable inlet nozzles and exits the upper manifold through suitable outlet nozzles. A high temperature heating gas is directed up through the inner tubes of each pair of tubes by a conical inlet distributor and exits the upper end of the tube bundle through a similar conical distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: ABB Lummus Crest Inc.
    Inventors: Bashir I. Master, Adrianus C. J. Jansen, Harry A. Wijnen Riems
  • Patent number: 5425414
    Abstract: A coil assembly for use in a heat exchanger having air flowing in a predetermined direction. The coil assembly comprises a plurality of parallel linear tubes, a plurality of return tubes interconnecting the linear tubes, and a plurality of fins. Each linear tube has a central portion with an elliptical cross-section and two end portions with round female sockets having circular cross-sections. Each return tube has two end portions with circular cross-sections. Each end portion of a return tube fits into a round female socket of a linear tube regardless of the orientation of the major axes of the linear tubes. The major axis of the elliptical cross-section resides at an oblique angle with respect to the direction of air flow. Each fin comprises a planar sheet of a heat-conductive material with a plurality of holes. The central portion of a linear tube extends through each hole. Each fin securely contacts each linear tube extending therethrough such that heat transfer therebetween is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Evapco International, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilson E. Bradley, Jr., Richard P. Merrill, George R. Shriver, Robert S. Weinreich
  • Patent number: 5423376
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for electronic components and electro-technical equipment which includes a housing having an inner space through which a heat exchange fluid may pass wherein the housing is formed by opposing covers between which a stack of plates is mounted with each plate having openings profiled and oriented so as to allow the passage of the heat exchange fluid therebetween and which plates are connected to the covers by joining pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: Ferraz a French Societe Anonyme
    Inventors: Jean-Noel Julien, Jean-Paul Ouvrel
  • Patent number: 5423375
    Abstract: A CPU heat sink mounting structure including a CPU, a heat sink attached to one side of the CPU to hold an electric fan for dissipating heat from the CPU, and a plurality of clamps fastened to the heat sink to hold down the CPU, each clamp having a forked mounting portion fastened to a respective retaining hole on the heat sink and a clamping portion clamped on the CPU to hold down the CPU on the heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Inventor: Ming D. Chiou
  • Patent number: 5421401
    Abstract: A compound clamp ring secures a semiconductor wafer having a wafer flat portion to a wafer pedestal during wafer processing while maintaining a continuous seal between the wafer edges and the wafer pedestal to prevent leakage of coolant gases circulated at the backside of the wafer into the process environment. The clamp ring has an annular wafer clamp surface adapted to press a round portion of the wafer into sealing abutment with the wafer pedestal. A cavity formed in the clamp ring securely receives a comb-like array of resilient flexures that are adapted to apply a yieldable bias to the flat portion of the wafer to complete the seal between the wafer and the pedestal at the flat portion of the wafer; and encloses the flexures to shield the flexures from process gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Semyon Sherstinsky, Mei Chang, Charles C. Harris, Alan F. Morrison, Virendra V. S. Rana, James F. Roberts, Ashok K. Sinha, Simon Tam
  • Patent number: 5421405
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is provided for use in extracorporeal blood oxygenation systems. The heat exchanger includes a housing, a core disposed within the housing, and a baffle disposed within the core. A blood passage chamber is defined by the outer surface of the core and the inner surface of the housing. Blood flows from the blood inlet, through the blood passage chamber, to the blood outlet. Heat exchange fluids flow from a fluid inlet, into an inlet chamber, around the baffle, into an outlet chamber, and to a fluid outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Avecor Cardiovascular, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Goodin, Eric J. Thor
  • Patent number: 5419391
    Abstract: An improved heat exchanger utilizing a primary heated fluid to vaporize a secondary fluid flowing axially therethrough including a preheater assembly located within a cold leg side of the heat exchanger to allow axial flow of the secondary fluid through a preheater assembly to heat the secondary fluid to it boiling point temperature. The heat exchanger generally comprises a vertical shell portion with a tubesheet disposed adjacent a lower end thereof and a tube bundle which includes a plurality of U-shaped tubes through which the primary fluid flows. The preheater assembly is located in the vicinity of the tubesheet wherein the secondary fluid enters the preheater through a fluid inlet nozzle into a lower feedwater inlet box which is disposed around the inlet nozzle for dispersing the secondary fluid from the nozzle over a greater area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: King W. Chan, Daniel E. Ford, Robert M. Wilson
  • Patent number: 5415225
    Abstract: There is provided heat exchange tube formed from a ductile metal strip which is formed into a generally circular configuration with the opposing longitudinal edges of the strip welded together. Both surfaces of the strip are enhanced. On one surface, the enhancement constitutes parallel rows of vertical fins separated by channels. Conduits which run along the channels and are located at the base of one side of the fins facilitate bending of the fins about the fin base to form a nucleate boiling surface. On the opposing surface of the tube, the enhancement constitutes parallel rows of protrusions separated by a distance effective to generate turbulence in a fluid passing along the second surface. In a preferred embodiment, the protrusions are in the form of truncated cones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Olin Corporation
    Inventors: Myron R. Randlett, Ralph L. Webb
  • Patent number: 5415224
    Abstract: Apparatus for cold drying or cold-condensing of gas comprises a heat exchange device and drying device through which a cold-carrying medium flows and which is cooled to such an extent that moisture contained in the gas under treatment is condensed out, frosted out, frozen out and/or liquefied. The heat exchange device and the drying device comprise an integral unit. At least one discharge pipe drains away the liquid condensate, the frost or ice and/or the liquid which are separated from the gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Inventors: Berthold Koch, Wolfram Seiler
  • Patent number: 5413168
    Abstract: An improved method for cleaning heat exchangers, wherein a first liquid containing a cleaning agent is used to remove substantially all of the accumulated sludge and deposits from the surfaces of the heat exchanger, and a second liquid containing a cleaning agent is used to remove deposits from the crevice regions of the heat exchanger. The concentration of cleaning agent in the second liquid and/or the duration of exposure for the second liquid are preferably greater than those of the first liquid, because the risk of corrosion is reduced as a result of a lower concentration of ferric ions in the second liquid. Furthermore, improved crevice region cleaning is obtained with the second liquid because the available cleaning agent is not depleted by the large volume of sludge and deposits removed by the first liquid. Mechanical cleaning techniques such as pressure pulse cleaning may be utilized with either or both of the cleaning liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Allen J. Baum