Pipe Or Tube Forms Flow Path Patents (Class 392/397)
  • Patent number: 5978548
    Abstract: Device for gasifying liquid anaesthetic, for example, and for metering the gas thereby obtained to a stream of fresh gas. The device includes a pressurized source of the liquid which is to be gasified, a gasification chamber, heating members, and a fluid-conducting member. The gasification chamber is accommodated in an elongate gasification housing whose lower part has an inlet for liquid from the source. The member for supplying the gas in a metered manner to the stream of fresh gas comprises a metering housing connected to an upper part of the gasification housing and having a metering valve. The heating members are arranged on the outside of an intermediate part of the gasification housing, in order to form a warm housing section. This housing section communicates at the bottom with the inlet, and does so via a lower heat-insulating housing section, and it is connected at the top to the upper part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Datex Engstrom AB
    Inventors: Niklas Holmstrand, Rune Nyman
  • Patent number: 5937141
    Abstract: A smoke generator apparatus and method are provided in which the apparatus has a pump connected to a reservoir of liquid smoke agent and to an electrical resistance heating tube incorporated into an electrical circuit. The electrical resistance heater tube has first and second end portions. The first end portion has an inside tube diameter larger than the second end portion inside tube diameter. The heating tube is activated by a control circuit for activating the pump and the electrical circuit to thereby heat the electrical resistance heating tube and pump a fluid from a reservoir into the heating tube. A pressure relief valve located between the pump and the electrical resistance heating tube input portion helps control the pressure and works in combination with the multisized heating tube to allow a low thermal mass of heater for use of a high temperature smoke agent which can be used in an open flame environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Inventor: Edmund Swiatosz
  • Patent number: 5922944
    Abstract: A chamber for producing smoke having particular application for detecting and locating leaks in a fluid system. Sealed within a smoke producing chamber is a supply of fluid that is adapted to be vaporized into smoke. An air inlet tube having an inlet orifice runs through the supply of fluid. When air is pumped through the air inlet tube, some of the fluid is drawn via the inlet orifice into the tube and blown against a heating element that extends laterally across the chamber above the supply of fluid, whereby the fluid is vaporized into smoke. The smoke exits the chamber through an air outlet tube so as to be introduced, by way of a flexible smoke supply conduit, to the system to be tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Inventors: Kenneth Alan Pieroni, Denise Yvette Haddad, Jim Eli Saffie
  • Patent number: 5879149
    Abstract: A fuel control and preheating module for use with an oil-burning furnace including a fuel line providing a passageway section through which oil is routed from a reservoir to the furnace for burning includes an electrically-powered positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating element mounted in heat transfer relationship with oil contained with the passageway section. During the operation of the PTC element, the PTC element heats the oil contained within the passageway section to a preselected temperature and maintains the oil contained within the passageway section at the preselected temperature. Also associated with the module is a movable diaphragm and shutoff plate which is responsive to the internal pressure changes in the air passageway of the furnace upon shutdown and start-up of the furnace to withdraw oil from and shut off delivery of oil to the nozzle upon furnace shutdown and to push oil toward the nozzle upon start-up of the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Black Gold Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene C. Briggs, Wayne Robertson, Christopher L. Gansel, Gregory A. Agee
  • Patent number: 5870524
    Abstract: A smoke generator apparatus and method are provided in which the apparatus has a pump connected to a source of liquid smoke agent and to an electrical resistance heating tube incorporated into an electrical circuit. The heating tube has a smoke outlet orifice and a temperature sensor located adjacent the orifice. A switch control circuit has a connection to the temperature sensor and controls the start-up and shut-down operation of the smoke generator by the activation of the pump, electrical resistance heating tube, and the turning on and off of a fluid injector circuit and an air blower for cooling the heater tube. The fluid injector has a source of fluid connected to the heater tube adjacent the orifice and has a valve for activating the flow of fluid from the source of fluid into the heater tube during start-up and shut-down of the smoke generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Inventor: Edmund Swiatosz
  • Patent number: 5832177
    Abstract: A method for controlling an apparatus for supplying steam to an ashing process. The apparatus includes a closed water-containing vessel formed from a material having good heat conductive characteristics for evaporating water to provide steam to a vacuum chamber housing an ongoing ashing process. In accordance with the procedure, steam evaporated in a closed steam supply tank is introduced into a vacuum chamber via a pressure reducing mass-flow controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignees: Fujitsu Limited, Shinko Seiki Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Keisuke Shinagawa, Shuzo Fujimura, Yuuji Matoba, Yoshimasa Nakano, Tatsuya Takeuchi, Takeshi Miyanaga
  • Patent number: 5706389
    Abstract: A device for evaporating liquids to generate fog has an electrically heated heat exchanger. A device and a process are provided, which make possible the rapid heating of the liquids to be evaporated to a predetermined temperature range. This is achieved by the wall of the heat exchanger being made of an electrically conducting material and being connected to an electric power source for direct heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Dragerwerk Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jorg Pohler
  • Patent number: 5647054
    Abstract: A smoke generator apparatus (10) is disclosed which is suitable for use in conducting air flow studies in wind tunnels. The smoke generator apparatus (10) includes a tube assembly (12) which may either be wire-packed or crimped and has fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics which permit the substantially uninterrupted flow of smoke-appearing vapor (82) from the tube outlet (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Pitsco, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary Wayne Jones
  • Patent number: 5559923
    Abstract: A device for producing a stream of vapor for wind tunnel airflow visualization is described. An electrically conductive heating tube is used to resistively heat a vapor producing liquid. The heating and delivery systems are integrated to allow the device to present a small cross section to the air flow, thereby reducing disturbances due to the device. The simplicity of the design allows for inexpensive implementation and construction. The design is readily scaled for use in various wind tunnel applications. The device may also find uses in manufacturing, producing a vapor for deposition on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: David B. Robelen
  • Patent number: 5549078
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heating device for submersion within a tank of water to boil the water to produce steam, and for superheating the steam, comprising an outer sleeve; an inner sleeve partially disposed through the outer sleeve and having a proximal end, and a distal end in the form of an outlet port, the inner sleeve further defining a vapor chamber; a heating element disposed within the vapor chamber and in electrical communication with an external electrical power supply, the heating element adapted to produce heat in response to electrical energy from the power supply; a steam inlet tube extending outwardly from the inner tube and in fluid communication with the vapor chamber; and a one way valve disposed within the vapor chamber adjacent the outlet port, the valve adapted to selectively gate the flow of vapor from within the vapor chamber through the outlet port; wherein the heating device is configured to heat the water within the tank to a boil to produce steam, the steam inlet tube ada
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Inventors: Robert L. Annecharico, Norman Campbell
  • Patent number: 5367607
    Abstract: An espresso coffee making system includes an unpressurized boiler vessel with an electric heating element arranged outside the boiler vessel for heating water in the boiler vessel for delivery to a perforated filter holder of the espresso coffee maker. A tube is provided between the electric heating element and the boiler vessel that is in thermal contact with both the heating element and the boiler vessel. A valve allows water from the boiler vessel to be recirculated by a pump through the tube to generate steam, without overheating the water contained in the boiler vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Walter Hufnagl, Stefan Schamberg, Gerhard Schafer, Roland Muller, Manfred Klawuhn
  • Patent number: 5296681
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for hot-moistening face-towels having a heating system with a heater unit and a water pipe. A metering container is provided for metering a predetermined quantity of water to be heated in the heating system, the metering container being in fluid communication with one end of the water pipe. A chamber having a base plate is also provided where the heater unit is fixed from below to the base plate. Towel supports are disposed within the chamber, and a spray system is mounted on a ceiling of the internal chamber for spraying steam and hot water of said predetermined quantity onto towels supported on the towel supports within the internal chamber. The spray system is in fluid communication with a second end of the water pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Inventor: Gunter Tschauder
  • Patent number: 5271087
    Abstract: A device for heating flowing media in a handpiece, particularly air or water for use in dentistry procedures, includes a structural unit for controllably heating a flowing medium disposed in a housing in a sealed manner such that an annular flow passage is formed between an interior wall of the housing and the structural unit. The structural unit includes a PTC resistor having end faces disposed between and in thermal and electrical contact with a pair of porous sintered metal heat exchanger elements at a non-zero angle to the direction of medium flow. Connectors on the opposing ends of the unit contact the sintered heat exchanger elements to flow connect the structural unit in a medium flow line and to electrically connect the PTC resistor to a heating control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Assignee: Kaltenbach & Voight GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmid
  • Patent number: 5214740
    Abstract: An apparatus for electrically heating non-flammable gases, supplied to an applicator gun comprises an elongated housing having an elongated electric heater located centrally and longitudinally therein and a metallic helically coiled tube spaced from and surrounding the heater. The coiled tube is substantially co-extensive in length with the heater and has an inlet end and an outlet end connectable to an applicator gun. An elongated preheating tubing section is disposed length-wise of and surrounded by the helically coiled tube in spaced heat exchange relation with the electric heater. The preheating tubing section has an inlet end connectable to a supply of non-flammable gas and an outlet end connected to the inlet end of the coiled tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Inventor: Carl W. Carroll
  • Patent number: 5150448
    Abstract: A flow heater is provided for water in a machine which produces hot water. The machine includes a water tube having an inflow end for receiving water and an outflow end for dispensing hot water, and a heating tube connected to the water tube in a heat conductive manner. The heating tube is divided over its extent into a plurality of regions of different heating outputs for, respectively, intensely heating the water to below the boiling point in a first zone of the water tube adjacent the inflow end, followed by a less intense heating of the water to attain the boiling point in a second zone of the water tube, followed by an intense heating of the water until a vigorous formation of vapor bubbles occurs in a third zone of the water tube, and finally followed by a less intense heating of the water for reheating the water in a fourth zone of the water tube adjacent the outflow end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Melitta Haushalts-Produkte GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventor: Thomas Salomon
  • Patent number: 5117482
    Abstract: A fluid heater utilizing a porous ceramic, for example silicon carbide, electrically conductive body as an electrically energized heating element to heat a fluid passing through the pores thereof is provided. A plurality of interconnected annular fluid flow passageways are positioned in the fluid heater so that fluid exiting therefrom surrounds the porous body, further improving the efficiency of the porous fluid heater body. An electrical disc rear contactor is positioned within one end of the cylindrical sleeve to peripherally engage the sleeve and axially electrically engage the body. An electrically conductive disc front contactor is positioned concentrically at an opposite end of the sleeve to peripherally engage the housing in electrical contact relationship and axially engage the body in electrical contact relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: Automated Dynamics Corporation
    Inventor: David E. Hauber
  • Patent number: 5090895
    Abstract: For reducing the unwanted escape (dripping) of oil from a burner nozzle, nozzle holder, oil warmer apparatus is provided to continuously regulate the oil temperature during operation of a oil fired heating system to maintain a nearly constant oil volume in the nozzle holder, oil warmer unit. The apparatus includes a pair of oil pipes that are encapsulated and connected between the nozzle and pump connections, there being a pair of heating elements that are also encapsulated for heating the oil pipes. The first heating element is permanently energized during the operation of the heating system while the second heating element is energized only when oil is being feed to the burner nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1992
    Assignee: Danfoxx A/S
    Inventors: Per F. Jensen, Ingvard M. Madsen, Leif B. Bonnerup