Heat exchanger with flexible tube support
US5584340A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 7, 1995 |
| Grant date | Dec 17, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 7, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S165/066
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A heat exchanger coil is comprised of plural metal tubes of generally circular cross-section, plural heat transfer enhancing fins and plural relatively flat metal support plates, each of which has plural first holes and plural second holes arranged in parallel rows. The tubes are laced through the respective holes in the plates and through aligned holes in the fins such that the tubes extend generally at right angles to the respective planes of the plates and fins. In one embodiment, each plate is cut to define two discrete flexible sections and a resilient arm for flexibly coupling one of the two sections of each plate with a relatively fixed portion of the corresponding plate. The first holes, which are oversized relative to the outside diameter of the tubes laced therethrough, are formed in both the relatively fixed portion and the two flexible sections of each plate. The second holes, which are smaller in diameter than the first holes, are formed only in the two flexible sections of each plate. The tubes extending through the second holes are in contact with the corresponding flexible sections such that the flexible sections provide support for all of the tubes and fins of the …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.