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US 6,546,774 B2Granted
Method of making a lanced and offset fin
AssigneeModine Manufacturing Company
InventorDennis C. Granetzke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Slow production speeds in the manufacture of lanced and offset fins for use in heat exchanger tubes are eliminated through the use of a method of forming the fins involving a plurality of roll assemblies located along a forming path which may operate on a strip of fin forming material of indeterminate length. After being formed, the fin may be cut to any desired length.
Claims22
A method of making an elongated lanced and offset heat transfer fin of a desired length and having “n” legs, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) advancing a continuous elongated, generally planar strip of indeterminate length of thin metal in its direction of elongation along a forming path;
- b) in the forming path,
- i) firstly, forming n rows of spaced short slits in the strip, with the rows extending generally in the direction of elongation of the strip and the slits being generally transverse thereto;
- ii) forming crowns in the parts of the strip between adjacent slits in each row with alternating parts in a row having crowns extending in one direction and the remaining parts having crowns extending in the opposite direction;
- iii) preforming the two innermost legs by bending the parts of the two innermost rows at the opposed ends of the slits and the crowns of each row to partially form the legs;
- iv) preforming the next two innermost legs by bending the parts of the next two innermost rows at the opposed ends of the slits and the crowns of each row;
- v) repeating step iv) until the two outermost legs have been preformed;
- vi) finally forming the two innermost legs to be generally transverse to the plane of the strip by further bending said parts of the two innermost rows at the opposed ends of the slits and the crowns of each of the two innermost rows;
- vii) finally forming the next two innermost legs to be generally transverse to the plane of the strip by further bending said parts of the next two innermost rows at the opposed ends of the slits and the crowns of each of the next two innermost rows;
- viii) repeating step vii) until said two outermost legs have been finally formed;
- c) sizing the legs;
- and
- d) cutting the strip into fins of a desired length.
10 more elements
A method of making a lanced and offset fin for use in a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of:
- a) advancing an elongated thin strip of generally planar form in its direction of elongation along a forming path;
- b) in the forming path
- i) forming a plurality of rows of spaced short slits in the strip with the rows extending in the direction of elongation of the strip and with the slits being generally transverse to the direction of elongation of the strip;
- ii) between adjacent slits in each row, alternatingly forming crowns which extend away from the plane of the strip in opposite directions, with adjacent crowns in adjacent rows also extending away from the plane of the strips in opposite direction, so that the parts of the strip extending between adjacent crowns in adjacent rows may be formed into legs;
- and
- iii) bending said parts in until said parts extend at a major acute angle to said plane of said strip while limiting the bending to the parts in no more than two of said rows at a given time.
3 more elements
A method of making a lanced and offset fin for use in a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of:
- a) advancing an elongated thin strip of generally planar form in its direction of elongation along a forming path;
- b) in the forming path
- i) forming a plurality of rows of spaced short slits in the strip with the rows extending in the direction of elongation of the strip with the slits being generally transverse to the direction of elongation of the strip;
- ii) between adjacent slits in each row, alternatingly forming crowns which extend away from the plane of the strip in opposite directions, with adjacent crowns in adjacent rows also extending away from the plane of the strip in opposite direction, so that the parts of the strip extending between adjacent crowns in adjacent rows may be formed into legs;
- and
- iii) bending said parts in a plurality of at least two sequential stages until said parts define legs extending generally transverse to said plane of said strip.
3 more elements
A method of making an elongated lanced and offset heat transfer fin having “n” legs and comprising the steps of:
- a) advancing an elongated, generally planar strip of fin forming material in its direction of elongation along a fin forming path;
- b) forming “n” rows of transverse slits in the strip with crowns extending between adjacent slits in each row at locations intermediate the ends of the slits with adjacent crowns in each row being oppositely directed;
- and
- c) thereafter bending the strip through a substantial acute angle at each crown and at ends of adjacent slits in each of said rows with the ends at which the bending occurs alternating from one side of the row to the other for adjacent slits.
1 more element
A method of making an elongated lanced and offset heat transfer fin having “n” legs and comprising the steps of:
- a) advancing an elongated, generally planar strip of fin forming material in its direction of elongation along a fin forming path;
- b) using a roll to form “n” rows of transverse slits in the strip with crowns extending between adjacent slits in each row at locations intermediate the ends of the slits with adjacent crowns in each row being oppositely directed;
- and
- c) using at least one roll to thereafter bend the strips through a substantial acute angle at each crown and at ends of adjacent slits in each of said rows with the ends at which the bending occurs alternating from one side of the row to the other for adjacent slits.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.