US3680576A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Bonded metal structure having intricate passages formed therein, and a method of making said structures
Assignee: Bendix Corp
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Filing: 1970-09-02
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Granted: 1972-08-01
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Expires: 1990-09-02
Abstract
Abstract This invention pertains to bonded metal laminae forming fluidic structures having intricate passages therein, and methods for manufacturing such structures using laminae formed from a first metal and laminae formed from a second metal. The disclosure teaches that a complex bonded structure that includes a plurality of laminae placed above and below a laminae having a pattern cut therein to form a large cavity or passageway can be formed in a single bonding step if the cavity is first filled with support metal. The support metal prevents deformation of the structure during bonding by preventing any metal laminae from being pushed into the cavity. It also transmits bonding pressure across the cavity so that the portions of the laminae above and below the cavity and aligned with the cavity will be bonded to each other. The disclosure also describes a bonded fluidic passageway structure that can be readily disassembled for inspection or cleaning of the passageways. This structure is formed from a plurality of laminae parts constructed from a first metal and another lamina part which comprises a pneumatic seal or gasket constructed from a second metal that can be leached out or otherwise chemically removed by a process that will not affect any other part of the structure. When assembled, the pneumatic seal lamina is disposed in a position where its removal will grant access to the passageway.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert S Kiwak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 03:07
CPC Classifications
F; F15; F15C; F15C5/00; C; C22; C22C; C22C1/00; C22C1/08; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/206; Y10T137/2224; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/494; Y10T29/4981
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
58 words
The method set forth in claim 1 in which said step of bonding is performed by applying a quantity of heat and pressure to said material parts that would deform the parts adjacent said large cavity containing part by pushing portions of those adjacent parts into said cavity if said cavity were not filled with a support metal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method set forth in claim 1 in which: said step of placing a plurality of parts in a stack comprises placing in said stack a part having a standard operating fluidic circuit element formed therein and at least one other part with a cavity formed therein defining a fluid flow passage communicating with said standard circuit element; and said part having a cavity of large cross-sectional area formed therein is placed so that at least a portion of said circuit element is aligned with said large cavity.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
197 words
A method of constructing a bonded fluidic structure having a fluid flow passageway formed therein and also having a plurality of elements aligned with and displaced vertically from a portion of said passageway comprising the steps of: assembling a plurality of first metal parts and at least one second metal part to form a structure having said first metal parts defining the outline of a fluidic passageway structure and said second metal part filling at least a portion of a fluid flow passageway, at least two of said first metal parts being aligned with and displaced vertically from said second metal part; diffusion bonding each assembled first metal part to its adjacent metal parts at a pressure below the yield strength of said first metal, said second metal part transmitting bonding pressure across said passageway portion to thereby bond the portions of said vertically displaced parts aligned with said passageway portion; chemically removing said second metal with a solvent that is reactive against said second metal but not against any of the other metal parts of the bonded structure to provide passages within said bonded structure corresponding to the shape and dimension of said second metal part.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method set forth in claim 4 in which said first metal parts are shaped so that the assembled parts define a structure having a cavity of predetermined configuration, and said second metal part comprises a honeycomb structure shaped to fill said cavity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 4 in which: said diffusion bonding comprises applying heat and pressure to said assembled parts to bond said assembled parts; and said second metal has a coefficient of expansion substantially equal to and a melting point at least substantially high as that of said first metal to transmit bonding pressure across said passageway portion during the entire bonding process without deforming any part.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 6 in which: said first metal comprises stainless steel and said second metal comprises nickel; and said step of chemically removing said second metal comprises leaching out said second metal from between the confines of the other metal parts.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 6 in which said step of diffusion bonding is performed in a temperature range between 2,050*F to 2,175*F for a period of 10 to 30 minutes under a pressure of 75-100 psi.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 4 in which said assembled structure is formed entirely of parts formed from said first metal and parts formed from said second metal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 4 in which said assembling said first and second metal parts includes the step of electroplating a layer of said second metal to at least one of said first metal parts.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 4 in which said first metal comprises copper flashed stainless steel and said second metal comprises copper flash nickel; and in which said step of diffusion bonding is performed in a temperature range of 2,050*F to 2,175*F for a period of 10 to 30 minutes under a pressure of 50-100 psi.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
149 words
A method of constructing a bonded fluidic structure having a fluid flow passageway formed therein and a pneumatic seal part which can be readily removed to obtain access to said passageway comprising the steps of: placing a plurality of parts formed from a first metal in a stacked relation with each other and with at least one part formed from a second metal that is chemically reactive with a solvent that will not react with said first metal, said stacked parts defining a fluidic structure having a fluid flow passageway formed therein, and said part formed from a second metal comprising a pneumatic seal forming at least a portion of one wall of said passageway and being disposed in a position where disolution of said second metal part will grant access to at least a portion of said passageways; and bonding each of said parts to its adjacent parts.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method set forth in claim 12 in which said first metal comprises stainless steel, said second metal comprises nickel, and said step of bonding comprises applying sufficient heat and pressure to said stacked metal parts to diffusion bond each of said parts to its adjacent parts.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
86 words
In a fluidic passageway device formed from a plurality of bonded parts, the improvement comprising a pneumatic seal part forming at least a portion of one wall of the passageway and being disposed in a position where removal of said seal part will grant access to at least a portion of the flow passageway, said seal part being formed from a metal that is chemically reactive with a solvent that will not react with any part of said fluidic device in contact with said seal element.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
124 words
A bonded metal fluidic passageway structure comprising: a non-porous, structurally rigid metallic lamination formed of a first metal and containing a first fluid flow passageway portion; a pair of non-porous, structurally rigid metallic outer laminations, one lamination of said pair being bonded to each side of said passageway containing lamination in pneumatically sealed relationship; at least one of said pair of laminations having an opening formed therein, said opening comprising a second fluid flow passageway portion communicating with said first passageway portion; and at least one of said pair of laminations being formed of a second metal which is chemically reactive with a solvent that will not react with said first metal whereby dissolution of said second metal will provide access to said passageway.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
110 words
A bonded metal fluidic passageway structure comprising: a plurality of non-porous, structurally rigid metallic laminations placed in a superimposed relation, one of said laminations having a fluidic flow configuration formed therein and being disposed between two other of said laminations, and each of said two other laminations having openings therein communicating with said fluidic flow configuration; an outer lamination superimposed on one of said two other laminations and containing a cavity formed therein communicating with said openings in said one of said two other laminations; and soluable support material filling said cavitY, whereby a bonding pressure may be applied uniformly to all of said laminations without deformation of said cavity.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-01 | 1976-01-31 | 1976-08-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-01 | 1980-01-31 | 1980-08-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-01 | 1984-01-31 | 1984-08-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |