Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of constructing a liquid to gas heat exchanger core comprising the steps of: placing a metallic tubular element into an open ended container and holding said tubular element and container fixed relative to each other; substantially filling said container with rounded metallic elements of a first predetermined size and a first predetermined melting point and particles of a similar metallic material having a second predetermined size smaller than said first predetermined size and a second predetermined melting point lower than said first predetermined melting point, to a level wherein said metallic tubular element is completely surrounded by and is contiguous with said rounded elements and particles, said smaller particles being discrete and loosely introduced into the container; heating said container and its contents to a temperature between said first and second melting points to melt said particles and fuse said rounded elements to each other and to said metallic tubular element.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of constructing a liquid to gas heat exchanger core comprising the steps of: placing a metallic tubular element into an open ended container and holding said tubular element and container fixed relative to each other; substantially filling said container with rounded metallic elements of a first predetermined size and a first predetermined melting point and particles of a similar metallic material having a second predetermined size smaller than said first predetermined size and a second predetermined melting point lower than said first predetermined melting point, to a level wherein said metallic tubular element is completely surrounded by and is contiguous with said rounded elements and particles, said smaller particles being discrete and loosely introduced into the container; heating said container and its contents to a temperature between said first and second melting points to melt said particles and fuse said rounded elements to each other and to said metallic tubular element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said tubular element, rounded elements and particles are of an alloy of aluminum.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said heating step is a vacuum brazing technique.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said heating step is a salt brazing technique.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said rounded elements are spheres of aluminum alloy having a melting point of approximately 1200°F and the particles have a melting point of approximately 1120°F.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the total weight of said smaller particles and larger rounded elements comprises about 5-10% by weight of the smaller particles and 90-95% by weight of the larger rounded elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of prior to heating, placing a small quantity of a third material into said container which reacts with oxide films present on the surfaces of said rounded metallic elements during heating.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said tubular element, rounded elements and particles are an aluminum alloy and said third material is magnesium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the total weight of said smaller particles, larger rounded elements and magnesium comprises about 90% by weight of higher melting temperature aluminum alloy, about 8% by weight of lower temperature aluminum alloy and 2% by weight of magnesium.