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US3934643A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Controllable heat pipe

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-02-19
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Granted: 1976-01-27
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Expires: 1994-02-19
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Abstract

Abstract A heat pipe comprising a hermetically sealed hollow body which is filled with a saturated vapor of and a small amount of the condensate of a heat carrying fluid. The heat pipe communicates with the inside of an auxiliary body which also may contain a small amount of the condensate and vapor and which has associated therewith heat sink and heat source means by which the amount of vapor in the auxiliary body and in the hollow body may be regulated to control heat flow in the heat pipe.

Inventors

  • 👤 Nikolaus Laing

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 13:32
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25B; F25B21/00; F25B21/02; F25B21/04; E; E04; E04B; E04B1/00; E04B1/62; E04B1/74; E04B1/76; E04B1/78; E04B1/80; E04B1/806; F24; F24F; F24F5/00; F24F5/0046; F24S; F24S10/00; F24S10/30; F24S10/50; F24S10/502; F24S10/503; F24S10/504; F24S10/55; F24S10/70; F24S10/75; F24S10/753; F24S10/90; F24S10/95; F24S50/00; F24S50/40; F24S60/00; F24S80/00; F24S80/30; F25B23/00; F25B23/006; F28; F28D; F28D15/00; F28D15/02; F28D15/0233; F28D15/0241; F28D15/06; F28D20/00; F28D20/02; F28F; F28F27/00; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/44; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/14

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 147 words
A controllable heat pipe formed as a main hollow body having therein a saturated vapor of and a boiling condensate of a liquid and an auxiliary hollow body in gaseous communication with the main hollow body and into which said vapor and condensate may be controllably maintained, a heat sink device in heat conducting contact with said auxiliary body for withdrawing heat from the auxiliary hollow body and a heat source for said auxiliary body for supplying heat thereto; the improvement comprising in that said auxiliary body includes therein a plurality of separate spaces containing said vapor and condensate and in that said heat sink device is positioned near one end of said auxiliary hollow body whereby the spaces within said hollow body progressively nearer to said heat sink device will be exposed to lower temperatures than said spaces progressively further away from said heat sink device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 147 words
A controllable heat pipe formed as a main hollow body having therein a saturated vapor of and a boiling condensate of a liquid and an auxiliary hollow body in gaseous communication with the main hollow body and into which said vapor and condensate may be controllably maintained, a heat sink device in heat conducting contact with said auxiliary body for withdrawing heat from the auxiliary hollow body and a heat source for said auxiliary body for supplying heat thereto; the improvement comprising in that said auxiliary body includes therein a plurality of separate spaces containing said vapor and condensate and in that said heat sink device is positioned near one end of said auxiliary hollow body whereby the spaces within said hollow body progressively nearer to said heat sink device will be exposed to lower temperatures than said spaces progressively further away from said heat sink device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 65 words
A controllable heat pipe according to claim 1 the improvement further comprising in having in addition a heat source device positioned near an end of said auxiliary hollow body opposite said heat sink device whereby the spaces within said hollow body progressively nearer to said heat source device will be exposed to higher temperatures than said spaces progressively further away from said heat source device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
A controllable heat pipe according to claim 2 wherein said heat source device comprises an electrical heater.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
A controllable heat pipe according to claim 2 wherein said heat sink device forms part of a Peltier element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
A controllable heat pipe according to claim 2 wherein said heat sink device forms part of a circulation system of a fluid heat carrier.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
A controllable heat pipe according to claim 2 wherein said heat sink device forms part of an evaporator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 44 words
A controllable heat pipe according to claim 2 where said heat sink device forms part of a Peltier element and includes in addition a change-over switch associated with said Peltier element whereby the heat sink device may be changed to a heat source device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 154 words
In a hollow panel having main walls and controllable heat transmission means for controlling transmission of heat between said main walls, characterized in that said controllable heat transmission means comprises a main condensate container in fluid communication with the interior of said hollow panel, a heat carrier fluid in said main condensate container, a plurality of individual secondary condensate containers in said main condensate container arranged in a line for containing condensate of said heat carrier fluid and which are in gaseous communication with each other, a heat source at one end of said line for heating condensate in the individual secondary containers to vaporize the same, and a heat sink on the other end of said line for cooling vapor of said heat carrier fluid whereby the amount of vapor of said heat carrier fluid in said hollow panel may be varied to control heat transmission between the main walls of said panel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 154 words
In a hollow panel having main walls and controllable heat transmission means for controlling transmission of heat between said main walls, characterized in that said controllable heat transmission means comprises a main condensate container in fluid communication with the interior of said hollow panel, a heat carrier fluid in said main condensate container, a plurality of individual secondary condensate containers in said main condensate container arranged in a line for containing condensate of said heat carrier fluid and which are in gaseous communication with each other, a heat source at one end of said line for heating condensate in the individual secondary containers to vaporize the same, and a heat sink on the other end of said line for cooling vapor of said heat carrier fluid whereby the amount of vapor of said heat carrier fluid in said hollow panel may be varied to control heat transmission between the main walls of said panel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 23 words
In a hollow panel according to claim 8, further characterized in having a thermostat means for controlling the operation of said heat source.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
In a hollow panel according to claim 8, further characterized in having thermostat means for controlling operation of said heat sink.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3499294A Cited
US3621906A Cited
US3818980A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1979-01-26 1979-07-28 1980-01-27 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1983-01-26 1983-07-28 1984-01-27 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1987-01-26 1987-07-28 1988-01-27 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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