# US 7,610,770 B2 · Cooling tower seal joint

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- Number: US 7,610,770 B2
- Document ID: US7610770B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/800,307
- Filed: 2007-05-04
- Published: 2008-11-06
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2007-05-04
- Assignees: Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc.
- Inventors: Joseph C. Lagasse
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610770B2

## CPC

- F28C 1/14: comprising also a non-direct contact heat exchange
- F28F 9/002: {with fastening means for other structures}
- F28F 2230/00: Sealing means
- Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
- F28C: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITHOUT CHEMICAL INTERACTION (safety devices in general F16P; fluid heaters having heat generating means F24H; with an intermediate heat-transfer medium coming into direct contact with heat-exchange media F28D15/00 - F28D19/00; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general application F28F)
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

An assembly for connecting two vertically aligned cooling tower modules is provided. The assembly includes a lower module with a top structural edge and an upper module with a bottom structural edge. The top structural edge of the lower module includes an outer structural component and an inner sealing component. The bottom structural edge of the upper module includes an outer structural component and an inner sealing component. The outer structural component of the lower module has a generally flat surface that supports the bottom generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the top module. The inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module includes a generally flat surface that abuts the inner generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the top structural edge of the lower module. The bottom generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module is adjacent the top generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module and a sealing component extends between such opposed flat surfaces.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An assembly for connecting two evaporative cooling modules, the assembly comprising
a lower module having evaporative cooling components and a top structural edge,
an upper module having evaporative cooling components and a bottom structural edge,
the top structural edge of the lower module comprising an outer structural component and an inner sealing component,
the outer structural component of the top structural edge of the lower module having an inner generally flat surface and top generally flat surface,
the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module having an outer generally flat surface that abuts the inner generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the top structural edge of the lower module,
the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module having a top generally flat surface,
the bottom structural edge of the upper module comprising an outer structural component and an inner sealing component,
the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module having an inner generally flat surface and a bottom generally flat surface,
the bottom generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module being adjacent and supported by the top generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the top structural edge of the lower module,
the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module having an outer generally flat surface that abuts the inner generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module,
the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module having a bottom generally flat surface,
and the bottom generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module being adjacent the top generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1
wherein a sealing material extends between the bottom generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module
and the top generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The assembly of claim 2
wherein the sealing material is a butyl tape.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The assembly of claim 2
wherein the sealing material is a acrylic caulk.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The assembly of claim 2
wherein the sealing material is a rubber gasket.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1
wherein the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module is a channel structural member.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1
wherein the inner generally flat surface of the top structural edge of the lower module is generally perpendicular to the top generally flat surface of the top structural edge of the lower module.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1
wherein the top generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module is generally perpendicular to the outer generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1
wherein the bottom generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module is generally perpendicular to the inner generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1
wherein the bottom generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module is generally perpendicular to the outer generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1
wherein the bottom generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module is located below the bottom generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module.

### Claim 12

An evaporative cooling assembly for connecting two modules, the assembly comprising
a lower module having a top structural edge,
an upper module having a bottom structural edge,
the top structural edge of the lower module comprising an outer structural component and an inner sealing component,
the outer structural component of the top structural edge of the lower module having an inner generally flat surface and a top generally flat surface wherein the inner generally flat surface and the top generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the top structural edge of the lower module are generally perpendicular,
the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module having an outer generally flat surface that abuts the inner generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the top structural edge of the lower module,
the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module having a top generally flat surface,
the bottom structural edge of the upper module comprising an outer structural component and an inner sealing component,
the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module having an inner generally flat surface and a bottom generally flat surface,
the inner generally flat surface and the bottom generally flat surface of the outer structural edge of the upper module are generally perpendicular,
the bottom generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module being adjacent and supported by the top generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the top structural edge of the lower module,
the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module having an outer generally flat surface that abuts the inner generally flat surface of the bottom structural edge of the upper module,
the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module having a bottom generally flat surface,
and the bottom generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module being adjacent the top generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The assembly of claim 12
wherein a sealing material extends between the bottom generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module
and the top generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The assembly of claim 12
wherein the sealing material is a butyl tape.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The assembly of claim 12
wherein the sealing material is a silicon caulk.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The assembly of claim 12
wherein the sealing material is a rubber gasket.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The assembly of claim 12
wherein the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module is a channel structural member.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The assembly of claim 12
wherein the top generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module is generally perpendicular to the outer generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The assembly of claim 12
wherein the bottom generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module is located below the bottom generally flat surface of the outer structural component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The assembly of claim 10
wherein the bottom generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module is generally perpendicular to the outer generally flat surface of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module.