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US 5,148,863 AGranted
Modular cooler
AssigneeEarl's Supply Co.
InventorsRobert F. Fouts, Craig Fouts, Earl J. Fouts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular cooler having a plurality of units which can be interconnected in a leak proof manner yet providing fluid flow therebetween. The cooler can be an oil or transmission fluid cooler and any suitable number of units and any suitable number of units may be stacked. Thus, a single unit can be used in conjunction with like units to provide any desired degree of cooling.
Claims13
A modular cooler comprised of a plurality of interconnected units, each of said units comprising:
- an upper plate and a lower plate;
- a pair of spaced end walls secured to said upper and lower plates;
- a plurality of spaced cooling plates mounted below said upper plate, above said lower plate and between said end walls and secured thereto, each of said cooling plates having a hollow midbody portion with integral flanges at each end of said midbody portion, with apertures therethrough, said apertures in said flanges being in fluid communication with the interior of said midbody portion;
- a pair of spaced openings in each of said upper and lower plates, one of said openings being on one side of said upper and lower plates and the other of said openings being on the other side of one of said upper and lower plates, the openings on said one side of said upper plate being aligned with the opening on said one side of said lower plate and with said apertures extending through one side of said flanges, and the opening on the other side of said upper plate being aligned with the opening on the other side of said lower plate and with said apertures extending through the other side of said flanges whereby fluid communication is provided from said one of said openings through said aligned apertures, through said midbody portions and out said other of said openings, one of said units being secured in a fluid-tight manner to another of said units with the lower plate of one of said units abutting against the upper plate of another of said units, and a closure plate closing off the lower plate of said another of said units in a fluid tight manner.
1 more element
In a modular cooler comprised of a plurality of interconnected units each of said units comprising:
- an essentially flat and planar upper plate and an essentially flat and planar lower plate;
- a pair of spaced end walls secured to said upper and lower plates;
- a plurality of spaced cooling plates mounted below said upper plate, above said lower plate and between said end walls and secured thereto, each of said cooling plates having a hollow midbody portion with integral flanges at each end of said midbody portion with apertures therethrough, said apertures in said flanges being in fluid communication with the interior of said midbody portion;
- said plurality of interconnected units being interconnected by stacking them in abutting relationship with the upper plate of one unit abutting the lower plate of an adjacent unit;
- and
- a pair of spaced openings in each of said upper and lower plates, one of said openings being on one side of said upper and lower plates and the other of said openings being on the other side of one of said upper and lower plates, the opening on said one side of said upper plate being aligned with the opening on said one side of said lower plate and with said apertures extending through one side of said flanges, and the opening on the other side of said upper plate being aligned with the opening on the other side of said lower plate and with said apertures extending through the other side of said flanges whereby fluid communication is provided from said one of said openings through said aligned apertures, through said midbody portions and out of said other of said openings.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.