US5682947A — Housing assembly for a coil heat exchanger

Claim 1

Independent Claim 317 words

A heat exchanger housing for retaining a coil assembly, the coil assembly having a coil bundle partially defined by a top coil and a bottom coil, and a first manifold and a second manifold fluidly connected to the coil bundle, the housing comprising: (a) an end wall having an end aperture therein, the end aperture sized to receive a portion of the first manifold therethrough; (b) a side wall connected to the end wall, the side wall including a sealing surface; (c) a base plate having a base aperture therein, the base aperture sized to receive a portion of the second manifold therethrough, the end wall, side wall and base plate sized so that a portion of the first manifold extends through the end aperture and a portion of the second manifold extends through the base aperture, the base plate further including a seal surface for cooperating with the sealing surface to form a sliding seal therebetween, the sliding seal configured to permit movement of the base plate in a direction towards and a direction away from the end wall in a sealed relation; (d) a first fastener for cooperatively engaging the first manifold to secure the coil bundle relative to the end wall and substantially preclude fluid flow between the bottom coil and the end wall; and (e) a second fastener for cooperatively engaging the second manifold to secure the coil bundle relative to the base plate; the side wall, base plate and end wall sized to allow movement of the base plate towards and away from the end wall to contact the bottom coil with the base plate and the top coil with the end wall, the contact of the bottom coil with the base plate and the top coil with the end wall terminates movement of the base plate towards the end wall substantially independent of contact between the base plate and side wall.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 317 words

A heat exchanger housing for retaining a coil assembly, the coil assembly having a coil bundle partially defined by a top coil and a bottom coil, and a first manifold and a second manifold fluidly connected to the coil bundle, the housing comprising: (a) an end wall having an end aperture therein, the end aperture sized to receive a portion of the first manifold therethrough; (b) a side wall connected to the end wall, the side wall including a sealing surface; (c) a base plate having a base aperture therein, the base aperture sized to receive a portion of the second manifold therethrough, the end wall, side wall and base plate sized so that a portion of the first manifold extends through the end aperture and a portion of the second manifold extends through the base aperture, the base plate further including a seal surface for cooperating with the sealing surface to form a sliding seal therebetween, the sliding seal configured to permit movement of the base plate in a direction towards and a direction away from the end wall in a sealed relation; (d) a first fastener for cooperatively engaging the first manifold to secure the coil bundle relative to the end wall and substantially preclude fluid flow between the bottom coil and the end wall; and (e) a second fastener for cooperatively engaging the second manifold to secure the coil bundle relative to the base plate; the side wall, base plate and end wall sized to allow movement of the base plate towards and away from the end wall to contact the bottom coil with the base plate and the top coil with the end wall, the contact of the bottom coil with the base plate and the top coil with the end wall terminates movement of the base plate towards the end wall substantially independent of contact between the base plate and side wall.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 189 words

A heat exchanger assembly for retaining a coil assembly, the coil assembly having a coil bundle partially defined by an upper surface and a spaced apart lower surface, the heat exchanger assembly, comprising: (a) a housing for enclosing the coil bundle, the housing having first and second relatively movable ends, one of the first and the second ends including a first aperture therethrough, and a sliding seal between the first and second ends, the sliding seal sized to accommodate movement of the relatively movable ends in a direction towards each other in a sealed relation independent of motion limiting contact between the first and the second relatively movable ends, a sufficient distance to contact the first relatively movable end with the lower surface and the second relatively movable end with the upper surface and substantially preclude fluid flow between the first relatively movable end and the lower surface, and the second relatively movable end and the upper surface; and (b) a first arm attached to the coil bundle and projecting from one of the upper and the lower surface, the first arm sized to pass through the first aperture.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 189 words

A heat exchanger assembly for retaining a coil assembly, the coil assembly having a coil bundle partially defined by an upper surface and a spaced apart lower surface, the heat exchanger assembly, comprising: (a) a housing for enclosing the coil bundle, the housing having first and second relatively movable ends, one of the first and the second ends including a first aperture therethrough, and a sliding seal between the first and second ends, the sliding seal sized to accommodate movement of the relatively movable ends in a direction towards each other in a sealed relation independent of motion limiting contact between the first and the second relatively movable ends, a sufficient distance to contact the first relatively movable end with the lower surface and the second relatively movable end with the upper surface and substantially preclude fluid flow between the first relatively movable end and the lower surface, and the second relatively movable end and the upper surface; and (b) a first arm attached to the coil bundle and projecting from one of the upper and the lower surface, the first arm sized to pass through the first aperture.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

The heat exchanger assembly of claim 2, further comprising a first fastener for engaging the first arm to draw the upper surface toward the first end.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 22 words

The heat exchanger assembly of claim 2, wherein the first arm includes a manifold for permitting fluid flow into the coil bundle.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 125 words

A heat exchanger, comprising: (a) a coil bundle having upper and lower surfaces; and (b) a housing enclosing the coil bundle, the housing having first and second relatively movable ends; and (c) a sliding seal between the first and second ends to permit the ends to be moved together in a sealed relation to engage the upper and lower surfaces of the coil bundle; the housing, the sliding seal and the coil bundle sized to contact the first movable end with the lower surface and the second movable end with the upper surface to terminate motion of the first and the second end in a direction towards each other, substantially independent of contact between the first and the second relatively movable ends along the direction.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 125 words

A heat exchanger, comprising: (a) a coil bundle having upper and lower surfaces; and (b) a housing enclosing the coil bundle, the housing having first and second relatively movable ends; and (c) a sliding seal between the first and second ends to permit the ends to be moved together in a sealed relation to engage the upper and lower surfaces of the coil bundle; the housing, the sliding seal and the coil bundle sized to contact the first movable end with the lower surface and the second movable end with the upper surface to terminate motion of the first and the second end in a direction towards each other, substantially independent of contact between the first and the second relatively movable ends along the direction.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 19 words

The heat exchanger of claim 5, wherein the coil bundle includes a fluid inlet passing through the first end.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 19 words

The heat exchanger of claim 5, wherein the first end includes one of an inlet and an outlet aperture.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 29 words

The heat exchanger of claim 5, further comprising compression means connected to the first and second movable ends for moving the first and second ends relative to each other.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 27 words

The heat exchanger of claim 5, wherein the first end comprises a sleeve and the second end comprises a seal sized to be received within the sleeve.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 19 words

The heat exchanger of claim 6, wherein the fluid inlet includes a first manifold extending through the first end.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 28 words

The heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein the first manifold includes compression means for drawing a portion of the coil bundle against the respective end of the housing.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 16 words

The heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein the compression means includes threads on the first manifold.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 151 words

A heat exchanger housing for retaining a coil bundle, comprising: (a) an adjustable housing sized to enclose the coil bundle, the adjustable housing having first and second ends moveable in a direction towards and away from each other; and (b) a sliding seal forming a sealed interface between the first and the second ends; the sliding seal, the first end and the second end sized to selectively vary the distance between the first end and the second end to contact the first end with a lower surface of the coil bundle to substantially preclude fluid flow therebetween and contact the second end with an upper surface of the coil bundle to substantially preclude fluid flow therebetween, the contact of the first and the second ends with the coil bundle terminating movement of the first and second ends towards each other, substantially independent of contact between the first and the second end.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 151 words

A heat exchanger housing for retaining a coil bundle, comprising: (a) an adjustable housing sized to enclose the coil bundle, the adjustable housing having first and second ends moveable in a direction towards and away from each other; and (b) a sliding seal forming a sealed interface between the first and the second ends; the sliding seal, the first end and the second end sized to selectively vary the distance between the first end and the second end to contact the first end with a lower surface of the coil bundle to substantially preclude fluid flow therebetween and contact the second end with an upper surface of the coil bundle to substantially preclude fluid flow therebetween, the contact of the first and the second ends with the coil bundle terminating movement of the first and second ends towards each other, substantially independent of contact between the first and the second end.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 25 words

The heat exchanger housing of claim 13, wherein the first end includes a first aperture therethrough and the second end includes a second aperture therethrough.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 48 words

The heat exchanger housing of claim 13, further comprising: (a) a first single fastener for operatively contacting the first end to the upper surface of the coil bundle; and (b) a second single fastener for operatively contacting the second end to the lower surface of the coil bundle.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 33 words

The heat exchanger housing of claim 13, further comprising: (a) means for contacting one end of the housing with the upper surface and the remaining end of the housing with the lower surface.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 15 words

The heat exchanger housing of claim 16, wherein the means for contacting includes a clamp.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-11-03	2001-05-05	2001-11-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-11-03	2005-05-05	2005-11-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-11-03	2009-05-05	2009-11-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Housing assembly for a coil heat exchanger

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