Fuel evaporator system for vaporizing liquid fuels to be used within combustion-powered devices
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorJoseph S. Adams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid fuel supply and evaporator system for use in connection with combustion-powered fastener-driving tools comprises an evaporator housing which is disposed in thermal communication with the combustion chamber housing of the tool in order to absorb heat or thermal radiation generated within the tool combustion chamber. A sintered metal liquid fuel evaporator element is interposed between the evaporator housing and a liquid fuel distribution manifold whereby the liquid fuel is effectively converted into a gaseous fuel which is then transmitted by a gas distribution manifold toward the combustion chamber of the fastener-driving tool.
Claims20
A liquid fuel supply and evaporator system for converting a liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel and for supplying the gaseous fuel to a combustion chamber, comprising:
- a housing;
- a liquid fuel supply source;
- an evaporator element, for converting a liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel by an evaporation process for use within said combustion chamber, disposed internally within said housing such that an external surface portion of said evaporator element is disposed in thermal communication with said housing;
- a liquid fuel distribution manifold interposed between said liquid fuel supply source and said evaporator element for conducting a liquid fuel from said liquid fuel supply source into said evaporator element, said liquid fuel distribution manifold being disposed in thermal communication with said housing and being disposed internally within said evaporator element such that an internal surface portion of said evaporator element is disposed in thermal communication with said liquid fuel distribution manifold;
- and
- a source of heat for heating said housing;
- whereby as a result of said heated housing being disposed in thermal communication with said evaporator element as well as being disposed in thermal communication with said liquid fuel distribution manifold, said heated evaporator element, being heated by both said housing and said liquid fuel distribution manifold, can convert the liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel by means of the evaporation process and conduct the gaseous fuel outwardly from said evaporator element and toward said combustion chamber.
In combination, a liquid fuel supply and evaporator system, and combustion apparatus, comprising:
- combustion apparatus within which a gaseous fuel is to be combusted;
- a housing;
- a liquid fuel supply source;
- an evaporator element, for converting a liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel by an evaporation process for use within said combustion apparatus, disposed internally within said housing such that an external surface portion of said evaporator element is disposed in thermal communication with said housing;
- a liquid fuel distribution manifold interposed between said liquid fuel supply source and said evaporator element for conducting a liquid fuel from said liquid fuel supply source into said evaporator element, said liquid fuel distribution manifold being disposed in thermal communication with said housing and being disposed internally within said evaporator element such that an internal surface portion of said evaporator element is disposed in thermal communication with said liquid fuel distribution manifold;
- a source of heat for heating said housing;
- whereby as a result of said heated housing being disposed in thermal communication with said evaporator element as well as being disposed in thermal communication with said liquid fuel distribution manifold, said heated evaporator element, being heated by both said housing and said liquid fuel distribution manifold, can convert the liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel by means of said evaporation process and conduct the gaseous fuel outwardly from said evaporator element and toward said combustion apparatus;
- and
- structure for conducting the gaseous fuel from said evaporator element into said combustion apparatus.
A method of converting a liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel and for supplying the gaseous fuel to a combustion chamber, comprising the steps of:
- providing a housing;
- providing a liquid fuel from a liquid fuel supply source;
- providing an evaporator element, for converting the liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel by an evaporation process for use within said combustion chamber, internally within said housing such that an external surface portion of said evaporator element is disposed in thermal communication with said housing;
- interposing a liquid fuel distribution manifold between said liquid fuel supply source and said evaporator element so as to conduct the liquid fuel from said liquid fuel supply source into said evaporator element, said liquid fuel distribution manifold being disposed in thermal communication with said housing and being disposed internally within said evaporator element such that an internal surface portion of said evaporator element is disposed in thermal communication with said liquid fuel distribution manifold;
- heating said housing;
- and
- whereby as a result of said heated housing being disposed in thermal communication with said evaporator element as well as being disposed in thermal communication with said liquid fuel distribution manifold, said heated evaporator element, being heated by both said housing and said liquid fuel distribution manifold, can convert the liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel by means of the evaporation process and conduct the gaseous fuel outwardly from said evaporator element and toward said combustion chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.