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US 5,441,106 AGranted
Heat exchange tubes
AssigneeLlanelli Radiators Limited
InventorTaizo Yukitake
Life of this patent
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AssigneeLlanelli Radiators Limited
InventorTaizo Yukitake
Estimating the term…
A heat exchange tube (1) comprises, in its formed state, an outer wall (4) surrounding a plurality of internal fins (2) which extend along the length of the tube. The fins (2) and outer wall (4) are formed from a unitary portion of sheet material, the fins comprising respective groups of fins extending from a common longitudinal seam line (3) in mutually opposed directions transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tube and seam. The tube (1) is typically formed by means of a roll forming process in which the groups of fins (2) are initially formed in the sheet or strip and portions of the strip subsequently plastically deformed symmetrically about a longitudinal axis of the sheet or strip to provide the outer wall. Typically the tube is formed from sheet or strip aluminum (or an alloy thereof) and the tube subsequently brazed when formed. The heat exchange tube (1) is suitable for use in vehicle radiators, condensers, oil coolers etc.
In a longitudinally extending heat exchange tube comprising an outer wall having an inner face and an outer face, and a plurality of internal fins extending longitudinally of the tube, the fins and outer wall being formed from a unitary portion of sheet or strip material, each of the fins comprising a respective corrugated portion of the sheet or strip material, the improvement comprising that said fins comprise a first series of fins and a second series of fins, each of said first and second series comprising a plurality of said fins successively spaced in mutually opposed directions, from a common longitudinal seam line which opposed directions are transverse to the longitudinal direction of said tube, each of said fins being in the interior of said tube with alternating troughs and crests in thermally conductive contact with respective opposed portions of said inner face.
A method of forming a heat exchange tube comprising forming respective series of fins in respective deformable portions of strip or sheet material, and subsequently deforming further portions of the strip or sheet material to provide an outer wall surrounding the series of fins, whereby the series of fins extend from a common longitudinal seam line in mutually opposed directions which directions are transverse to the longitudinal direction of the seam line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.