Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
345 words
Heat exchange apparatus for cooling a hot liquid with ambient derived air comprising: a plurality of imperforate, initially generally rectangular, thermally conductive, synthetic resin sheets rebent upon themselves to present individual transversely U-shaped structures which are oriented in upright, inverted, juxtaposed disposition in use with adjacent structures being joined to present a heat exchange pack, the upright sidewalls of each structure being located in horizontally spaced disposition, joined at the upper ends thereof by overlying, integral top bight portions, and presenting essentially upright air passages for horizontal flow of ambient derived air therethrough which enters respective structures of the pack at one upright, open end face of each of the structures below respective top portions and exits from the upright, open opposite end face thereof, the upright sidewalls of adjacent structures also being in horizontally spaced relationship with means being provided to interconnect and seal the upright, adjacent side margins only of proximal structures for preventing loss of liquid along substantially the entire longitudinal lengths thereof to cause the sidewalls of adjacent structures to define upright, essentially horizontally extending open top and open bottom liquid conveying liquid passages therebetween which alternate with the air passages and allow liquid delivered to the open tops of the liquid passages to gravitate downwardly therethrough in heat exchange relationship with air moving in crossflow relationship thereto through said air passages and with the cooled liquid discharging from the open bottoms of the liquid passages, each of said sidewalls being provided with integral projecting segments which extend into the liquid receiving passages to increase the flow path of liquid gravitating downwardly on the surfaces of respective sidewalls and also extending into the area between the sidewalls presenting each air passage for imparting turbulence to the air flowing through corresponding air passages; and elongated, horizontal support elements extending beneath a sufficient number of the top bight portions of the heat exchange structures in load bearing relationship thereto to fully support the pack without significant deformation at the temperature of the liquid supplied to the pack and under the liquid load thereon.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
345 words
Heat exchange apparatus for cooling a hot liquid with ambient derived air comprising: a plurality of imperforate, initially generally rectangular, thermally conductive, synthetic resin sheets rebent upon themselves to present individual transversely U-shaped structures which are oriented in upright, inverted, juxtaposed disposition in use with adjacent structures being joined to present a heat exchange pack, the upright sidewalls of each structure being located in horizontally spaced disposition, joined at the upper ends thereof by overlying, integral top bight portions, and presenting essentially upright air passages for horizontal flow of ambient derived air therethrough which enters respective structures of the pack at one upright, open end face of each of the structures below respective top portions and exits from the upright, open opposite end face thereof, the upright sidewalls of adjacent structures also being in horizontally spaced relationship with means being provided to interconnect and seal the upright, adjacent side margins only of proximal structures for preventing loss of liquid along substantially the entire longitudinal lengths thereof to cause the sidewalls of adjacent structures to define upright, essentially horizontally extending open top and open bottom liquid conveying liquid passages therebetween which alternate with the air passages and allow liquid delivered to the open tops of the liquid passages to gravitate downwardly therethrough in heat exchange relationship with air moving in crossflow relationship thereto through said air passages and with the cooled liquid discharging from the open bottoms of the liquid passages, each of said sidewalls being provided with integral projecting segments which extend into the liquid receiving passages to increase the flow path of liquid gravitating downwardly on the surfaces of respective sidewalls and also extending into the area between the sidewalls presenting each air passage for imparting turbulence to the air flowing through corresponding air passages; and elongated, horizontal support elements extending beneath a sufficient number of the top bight portions of the heat exchange structures in load bearing relationship thereto to fully support the pack without significant deformation at the temperature of the liquid supplied to the pack and under the liquid load thereon.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
Heat exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said segments extending into the liquid and air passages include abutting knob-like projections on the opposed faces of the sidewalls of said U-shaped structures remote from the adjacent U-shaped structures for maintaining the spacing between said sidewalls.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
Heat exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said proximal sidewalls of said respective structures are also interconnected along spaced, vertically extending ribs in order to divide said liquid passages into discrete sections.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
Heat exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the corresponding interior and exterior faces of said sidewalls are provided with surface undulations presenting a tortuous path configuration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
Heat exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sidewalls of said structures have sections presenting the open bottoms thereof which are configured to complementally nest within the open tops of the structures of another of said packs therebelow.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
Heat exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said extensions from the sidewalls present a series of normally horizontally extending chevron patterns which are configured to define continuous, tortuous, vertically extending paths.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
Heat exchanger apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the angle of inclination of the chevron corrugations on said opposed structure-defining sidewalls are in different directions whereby the crossing flow vectors of the descending liquid impart substantially vertical flow characteristics thereto as the liquid is discharged from said structures.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
Heat exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin sheets defining said sidewalls are formed of relatively thin preformed synthetic resin material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
Heat exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said material is polyvinyl chloride.