Method and apparatus for automatic vapor cooling when shape melting a component
US4857694A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 6, 1988 |
| Grant date | Aug 15, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 6, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05B2219/50214
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for automatically cooling a workpiece being manufactured by shape melting whereby a gas/liquid coolant mixture is pumped onto the external surface of the part to be cooled. Temperature and pressure data is fed to a computer control system which regulates the flow of the gas and liquid coolant mixtures. A suction device which enshrouds the spray head extracts the heated and vaporized fluid from the vicinity of the surface. The apparatus may be provided with multiple spray heads which comprise the cooling head and have the ability to control the total rate at which coolant flows through the device by individually controlling coolant and gas flow through each of the multiple spray heads. If more cooling is desired, the computer control system activates more nozzles for flow, or it increases flow rate through already activated nozzles. Both the number of spraying heads and flow rates through each spray head are variable, so the cooling capabilities of the system are continuously variable over a wide range of total flow rates through the device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.