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US 4,520,868 AGranted
Heat exchanger
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorCharles E. Grawey
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorCharles E. Grawey
Estimating the term…
A heat exchanger (10) having a plurality of longitudinally-extending tubes (16) disposed within a shell (12) includes an elastomeric end plate (18) and means (22) for compresing the elastomeric end plate (18) and expanding the plate in the longitudinal direction and internal vibration-damping baffle plates (28). Conventional metal heat exchangers of brazed construction are prone to cracking and failure. More recently, heat exchangers having an end wall assembly comprising an elastic medium disposed between movable pressure plates has been proposed. Among other problems, the movable pressure plates are required to have clearance holes for the free passage of tubes therethrough and are consequently severely limited to the number and density of tubes that may be accommodated in a heat exchanger of such a design. The present invention avoids the problems of the prior art by providing an end wall assembly for a heat exchanger (10) wherein an elastomeric end plate (18) is mounted under compression in only a direction transverse to the tubes (16) passing through the plate (18). The elastomeric end plate (18) is not restrained in a longitudinal direction with respect to the tubes (16) and as a result of the transversely-applied compression force, the end plate (18) is expanded in the longitudinal direction. The vibration energy absorbing baffle plates (28) have a hardness less than that of the tubes (16). The heat exchanger (10) of the present invention is particularly useful for severe-duty cycle, vibration-prone vehicular applications.
A heat exchanger, including a rigid, longitudinally-extending, peripheral shell, an end plate of elastomeric material disposed at at least one end of said shell and said elastomeric material having a hardness in the range of about 45 durometer to about 80 durometer as measured on the Shore A scale, a multiplicity of elongate tubes disposed longitudinally within the shell and extending through said end wall, said peripheral shell having an inner wall for urging an outer periphery of the end plate inwardly and maintaining a compressive stress on the periphery of the end plate, and each of said tubes having an external surface area for urging a portion of the end plate circumscribing each of said tubes in a direction radially outwardly from each of the tubes and maintaining a compressive stress on the end plate in a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of said tubes sufficient, when combined with the compressive stress on the periphery of the end plate, to expand the end plate in the longitudinal direction about one-third (1/3) greater than the longitudinal dimension of said end plate when measured in an unconfined state, and a plurality of unitary baffle plates disposed within said shell in a predetermined spaced relationship along and normal to said longitudinally disposed tubes, each baffle plate having a multiplicity of openings for respectively supporting some of said tubes, and formed of a vibration energy absorbing material having a hardness less than a predetermined hardness of said tubes.
A heat exchanger including a rigid, longitudinally-extending, peripheral shell having a continuous, smooth inner surface at least at one end thereof;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.