Patent US4838033A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4838033A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Heat insulating support device for cryogenic equipment
Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
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Filing: 1988-02-19
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Granted: 1989-06-13
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Expires: 2008-02-19
Abstract
Abstract An improved heat-insulating support device is disclosed which is capable of supporting a coolant tank to a vacuum vessel in a manner such that when the vacuum tank is subjected to a great external force after the coolant tank has been cooled down to a cryogenic temperature, the coolant tank and hence cryogenic equipment mounted thereon are held in place and prevented from being displaced beyond a prescribed allowable range, without impairing the intended heat-insulating capability thereof. The heat-insulating support device comprises a heat insulating support member disposed outside the coolant tank with one end connected with the coolant tank; a mounting rod having one end connected with the heat-insulating support member and its other end projected outwardly through the vacuum vessel; and a spring for resiliently mounting the other projected end portion of the mounting rod on the vacuum vessel, the spring having a non-linear spring characteristic including a small spring constant for mainly absorbing thermal contraction of the coolant tank and a large spring constant for mainly suppressing displacement of the coolant tank due to large external forces acting thereon after the thermal contraction of the coolant tank.
Inventors
- 👤 Yuuichi Yamamoto
- 👤 Tadaaki Nakamura
- 👤 Takashi Murai
- 👤 Akemi Hijikata
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 09:46
CPC Classifications
F; F17; F17C; F17C13/00; F17C13/08; F17C13/086; F17C13/087; F17C2203/00; F17C2203/01; F17C2203/03; F17C2203/0391; F17C2209/00; F17C2209/22; F17C2209/228; F17C2223/00; F17C2223/01; F17C2223/0146; F17C2223/0153; F17C2223/0161; F17C2227/00; F17C2227/04; F17C2227/045
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
A heat-insulating support device for supporting a coolant tank to a vacuum vessel in a heat insulating manner, said coolant tank being adapted to store a cryogenic coolant and subject to thermal deformation upon cryogenic cooling thereof as well as being subject to large external forces after the cryogenic cooling, said device comprising: a heat insulating support member disposed outside said coolant tank and having its one end connected with said coolant tank; a mounting rod having its one end connected with said heat-insulating support member and its other end projected outwardly through said vacuum vessel; and a spring means for resiliently mounting the other projected end portion of said mounting rod on said vacuum vessel, said spring means having a first spring constant for deformations in a first direction having magnitudes less than a first predetermined amount to absorb thermal contraction of said coolant tank and a second spring constant larger than said first spring constant for deformations in said first direction having magnitudes greater than said first predetermined amount to suppress displacement of said coolant tank due to large external forces acting thereon after the thermal contraction of said coolant tank.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
A heat-insulating support device for supporting a coolant tank to a vacuum vessel in a heat insulating manner, said coolant tank being adapted to store a cryogenic coolant and subject to thermal deformation upon cryogenic cooling thereof as well as being subject to large external forces after the cryogenic cooling, said device comprising: a heat insulating support member disposed outside said coolant tank and having its one end connected with said coolant tank; a mounting rod having its one end connected with said heat-insulating support member and its other end projected outwardly through said vacuum vessel; and a spring means for resiliently mounting the other projected end portion of said mounting rod on said vacuum vessel, said spring means having a first spring constant for deformations in a first direction having magnitudes less than a first predetermined amount to absorb thermal contraction of said coolant tank and a second spring constant larger than said first spring constant for deformations in said first direction having magnitudes greater than said first predetermined amount to suppress displacement of said coolant tank due to large external forces acting thereon after the thermal contraction of said coolant tank.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a first spring means of a low spring constant and a second spring means of a high spring constant connected in series with each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first spring means comprises belleville springs, and said second spring means comprises belleville springs having a spring constant larger than that of said first-mentioned belleville springs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first spring means comprises single-row belleville springs, and said second spring means comprises miltiple-row belleville springs having a spring constant lager than that of said single-row belleville springs, said multiple-row belleville springs including a plurality of bellville springs disposed in a parallel relation with each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first spring means comprises a coil spring, and said second spring means comprises belleville springs having a spring constant larger than that of said coil spring.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first spring means comprises a first coil spring, and said second spring means comprises a second coil spring having a spring constant larger than that of said first coil spring.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first spring means comprises single-row coil springs, and said second spring means comprises miltiple-row coil springs having a spring constant larger than that of said single-row coil springs, said multiple-row coil springs including a plurality of coil springs disposed in a parallel relation with each other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first and second spring means comprise the same kind of springs having different spring constants.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first and second spring means comprise different kinds of springs having different spring constants.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a first means of a low spring constant and a second spring means of a high spring constant connected in parallel with each other such that after said first spring means has been compressed to a prescribed extent, said second spring means begins to be compressed.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
234 words
A heat-insulating support device for supporting a coolant tank to a vacuum vessel in a heat insulating manner, said coolant tank being adapted to store a cryogenic coolant and subject to thermal contraction upon cryogenic cooling thereof as well as being subject to large external forces after the cryogenic cooling, said device comprising: a heat-insulating support member disposed outside said coolant tank and having its one end connected with said coolant tank; a mounting rod having its one end connected with said heat-insulating support member and its other end projected outwardly through said vacuum vessel; a presser member slidably mounted on said mounting rod; a spring means disposed between said vacuum vessel and said presser member for resiliently mounting the other projected end portion of said mounting rod on said vacuum vessel, said spring means having a first spring constant for deformations in a first direction having magnitudes less than a first predetermined amount to absorb thermal contraction of said coolant tank and a second spring constant for deformations in said first direction having magnitudes greater than said first predetermined amount to suppress displacement of said coolant tank due to large external forces acting thereon after the thermal contraction of said coolant tank; and an adjusting nut disposed outwardly of said presser member and threadedly engaged with the other projected end of said mounting rod for adjusting an initial load of said spring means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
234 words
A heat-insulating support device for supporting a coolant tank to a vacuum vessel in a heat insulating manner, said coolant tank being adapted to store a cryogenic coolant and subject to thermal contraction upon cryogenic cooling thereof as well as being subject to large external forces after the cryogenic cooling, said device comprising: a heat-insulating support member disposed outside said coolant tank and having its one end connected with said coolant tank; a mounting rod having its one end connected with said heat-insulating support member and its other end projected outwardly through said vacuum vessel; a presser member slidably mounted on said mounting rod; a spring means disposed between said vacuum vessel and said presser member for resiliently mounting the other projected end portion of said mounting rod on said vacuum vessel, said spring means having a first spring constant for deformations in a first direction having magnitudes less than a first predetermined amount to absorb thermal contraction of said coolant tank and a second spring constant for deformations in said first direction having magnitudes greater than said first predetermined amount to suppress displacement of said coolant tank due to large external forces acting thereon after the thermal contraction of said coolant tank; and an adjusting nut disposed outwardly of said presser member and threadedly engaged with the other projected end of said mounting rod for adjusting an initial load of said spring means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
70 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said vacuum vessel is provided on its outer surface with an outward projection which has a throughhole through which the other end of said mounting rod extends outward, said device further comprising: a closure member attached to said vacuum vessel for closing said throughhole; and a spring housing mounted on said closure member for receiving therein said spring means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
236 words
A heat-insulating support device for supporting a coolant tank to a vacuum vessel in a heat insulating manner, said coolant tank being adapted to store a cryogenic coolant and subject to thermal deformation upon cryogenic cooling thereof as well as being subject to large external forces after the cryogenic cooling, said device comprising: a heat insulating support member disposed outside said coolant tank and having its one end connected with said coolant tank; a mounting rod having its one end connected with said heat-insulating support member and its other end projected outwardly through said vacuum vessel; a first presser member slidably mounted on said mounting rod; a first spring means disposed between said vacuum vessel and said first presser member for resiliently mounting the other projected end portion of said mounting rod on said vacuum vessel for absorbing thermal contraction of said coolant tank; an adjusting nut disposed outwardly of said presser member and threadedly engaged with the other projected end portion of said mounting rod for adjusting an initial load of said first spring means; a second presser member mounted on said first presser member for limited sliding movement relative thereto; and a second spring means disposed between said vacuum vessel and said second presser member for suppressing, in cooperation with said first spring means, displacement of said coolant tank due to large external forces acting thereon after the thermal contraction of said coolant tank.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
236 words
A heat-insulating support device for supporting a coolant tank to a vacuum vessel in a heat insulating manner, said coolant tank being adapted to store a cryogenic coolant and subject to thermal deformation upon cryogenic cooling thereof as well as being subject to large external forces after the cryogenic cooling, said device comprising: a heat insulating support member disposed outside said coolant tank and having its one end connected with said coolant tank; a mounting rod having its one end connected with said heat-insulating support member and its other end projected outwardly through said vacuum vessel; a first presser member slidably mounted on said mounting rod; a first spring means disposed between said vacuum vessel and said first presser member for resiliently mounting the other projected end portion of said mounting rod on said vacuum vessel for absorbing thermal contraction of said coolant tank; an adjusting nut disposed outwardly of said presser member and threadedly engaged with the other projected end portion of said mounting rod for adjusting an initial load of said first spring means; a second presser member mounted on said first presser member for limited sliding movement relative thereto; and a second spring means disposed between said vacuum vessel and said second presser member for suppressing, in cooperation with said first spring means, displacement of said coolant tank due to large external forces acting thereon after the thermal contraction of said coolant tank.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
269 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 13, wherein said vacuum vessel is provided on its outer surface with an outward projection which has a throughhole through which the other end of said mounting rod extends outward, and said first presser member has a stepped cylindrical portion having a small-diameter section and a large-diameter section with a stepped shoulder defined therebetween, said device further comprising: a closure member attached to said vacuum vessel for closing said throughhole and having an annular projection formed on its outer surface in a face-to-face relation with the small-diameter section of said stepped cylindrical portion of said first presser member, said annular projection having an outside diameter substantially equal to that of said small-diameter section; an adjusting ring slidably mounted over said annular projection on said closure member and the small-diameter section of said stepped cylindrical portion of said first presser member, said adjusting ring having a threaded radially outer surface on which said second presser member in the form of an annular ring is threadedly engaged; and an adjusting bolt means for adjustably securing said second presser member to said closure member in a manner such that said second presser member is movable toward said closure member but prevented from movement away from said closure member, said adjusting bolt means serving to adjust an initial load of said second spring means; whereby by turning said adjusting ring relative to said second presser member, a clearance between one end of said second presser member and the stepped shoulder on said stepped cylindrical portion of said first presser member can be appropriately adjusted.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
A heat-insulating support device as set forth in claim 13, wherein said second spring means has a spring constant greater than that of said first spring means.
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) | 1992-06-12 | 1992-12-12 | 1993-06-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-06-12 | 1996-12-12 | 1997-06-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-06-12 | 2000-12-12 | 2001-06-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |