Patent application title: PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLED DEFORMATION OF SPINE FINS WHILE SHAPING OF COILS
Inventors:
Mark Parmer (Tyler, TX, US)
IPC8 Class: AF28F112FI
USPC Class:
165184
Class name: With discrete heat transfer means longitudinal extending helical
Publication date: 2014-09-18
Patent application number: 20140262190
Abstract:
A method and system device for controlled deformation of spine fin coil.
A spine fin tubing is placed and guided through a conduit constructed
with comb-like teeth so that the spine fins are deformed by the comb-like
teeth in a controlled manner. The controlled deformation can be performed
either before or during winding with a winder and/or after a coil is
made.Claims:
1. A method for a controlled deformation of a spine fin coil, comprises
the steps of: placing in a conduit a straight tube helically wrapped with
a spine fin strip with plurality of spine fins; configuring said conduit
with an array of comb-like guiding teeth, angled to prepare said
plurality of spine fins for a controlled deformation for a bend;
connecting an end of the straight tube helically wrapped with the spine
fin strip to a reel or shaper; and rotating the reel or shaper to make a
coil, wherein said reel includes variable length arms and plates coupled
to the variable length arms to make a round bend for receiving a
partially completed coil.
2. The method claim 1, wherein said conduit is configured at a bending corner of said reel or shaper.
3. The method claim 1, wherein said conduit is configured to be fully along said reel or shaper's perimeter.
4. The method claim 1, wherein said comb-like guiding teeth are configured on both walls of said conduit facing an inner side and an outer side of said coil.
5. The method claim 1, wherein said comb-like guiding teeth are reversed brushes, or a V-shaped tool.
6. The method claim 1, wherein said comb-like guiding teeth are bridges or pins.
7. A device system for a controlled deformation of a spine fin coil, comprises: a conduit for guiding a straight tube helically wrapped with a spine fin strip with plurality of spine fins, wherein said conduit is configured with an array of comb-like guiding teeth, angled to prepare said plurality of spine fins for a controlled deformation for a bend; and A reel or shaper, mounted for making a coil, wherein said reel includes variable length arms and plates coupled to the variable length arms to make a round bend for receiving a partially completed coil.
8. The device system of claim 7, wherein said conduit is configured at a bending corner of said reel or shaper.
9. The device system of claim 7, wherein said conduit is configured to be fully along said reel or shaper's perimeter.
10. The device system of claim 7, wherein said comb-like guiding teeth are configured on both walls of said conduit facing an inner side and an outer side of said coil.
11. The device system of claim 7, wherein said comb-like guiding teeth are reversed brushes, or a V-shaped tool.
12. The device system of claim 7, wherein said comb-like guiding teeth are bridges or pins.
13. The device system of claim 7, wherein said conduit is configured at a crushing machine said before straight tube helically wrapped with a spine fin strip entering a winder reel.
Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application to the US application No., filed on, from which priority is claimed, and entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, and also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/108,070 filed on Oct. 24, 2008, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0002] The present invention relates broadly to the field of heat exchangers, and more specifically to a method and device for continuously forming spine fin coil type heat exchangers with controlled deformation.
[0003] Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gained from the disclosed inventions, and are not necessarily admitted to be prior art.
[0004] Spine fins have been attached to heat exchange tubes of a continuous heat exchanger to increase heat exchange efficiency. The spine fins and the base tubing are generally fabricated of aluminum by wrapping the aluminum tubing with aluminum spine fins that are fixed with "new metallic like" adhesive materials. For thermal conduction of heat, air must travel through the fins, and through the glue through the tubing to the refrigerant inside the tubing. Spine fins generally increase the heat exchange surface area, when the air moves over the fins. The "two part" type" adhesive is to increase the "kelvin" unit of measure.
[0005] In the manufacturer of spine fin heat exchanger tubes it is common to form bends in the tubes at selected locations along its length by apply a force to the tube through the spine fin material to produce the bends. The most common types are various forms of coils with spine fined heat exchange tubes packing together in circles.
[0006] As the coil is made, spine fin wrapped tubing is hooked to a coil winding mandrel, and the coil winder horizontally turns around and around, bending the tubing into layers. Each wrap is layered beside the other until the correct number of wraps is made for the correct height of the coils and the coil is then processed on through the assembly line.
[0007] During the application of such bending force the spine fins at the bend may be pressed together or be severely damaged and mutilated as the bend is formed. The damaged spine fins would block air passage and reduce heat exchange. At the corners of the shaped spin fin coils, the current coil winder machines also cause the fins to bend to a degree that are not optimal efficient surface area utilization of the fins themselves. This excessive bending does not allow for optimal cooling with the air conditioning unit.
[0008] Therefore, it is desirable to provide apparatus and method which will control the pattern deformity and does hot crush the spine fins after forming bends in the shaper in the spine fin tubing but will reduce the damage and improve the process. The fins in short radius bends can be removed to some degree. This will reduce pattern deformation.
SUMMARY
[0009] The present application discloses a novel virtualized software platform at the application (i.e. client in the context of client/server model) software level to function as part of a novel distributed computer server system for distributed computing and services via the Internet and network system.
[0010] A method and devices including winders, reels, shapers and/or other processes are designed to provide controlled deformation of spine fins when forming a spine fin tube into a coil. The spine fin heat tube coils are used as a heat exchanger for a residential air conditioning unit and/or any refrigeration unit. Any and all useable spine fin tubing can be processed on an adjustable shaper reel or a coil winder with a shaper having a guiding rail with comb like teeth or bridge or pin teeth for controlling the degree of deformation of the spine fins.
[0011] In one embodiment, the shaper reel is capable of expanding and/or retracting to different sizes to accommodate any size spine fin coil for bending.
[0012] In one embodiment, a double lines of guiding teeth are configured on a winder conduit to fit and guide the deformation of the spine fins from both the inside and the outside of a spine finned coil.
[0013] The guiding teeth may be formed by bridges, pins, reversed brushes, a V shaped tool or an array of other deformation tools that may be used to achieve the desired deformation or the placement of the fins as they are redirected.
[0014] The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The disclosed application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments of the invention and which are incorporated in the specification hereof by reference, wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1A is a front view of an example Spine Fin machine for attaching spine fins to a tubing.
[0017] FIG. 1B shows a side view of an example spine fin tubing.
[0018] Coil,
[0019] FIG. 1C shows a perspective view of an example spine fin tubing coil. Panel nets can be installed to protect the fins and to make cleaning easier.
[0020] FIG. 2A shows an example damaged spine fin tubing.
[0021] FIG. 2B shows an un-controlled deformation of spine fin at the bending corner of spine fin tubing coil. In these point the fins, can be removed and or thinned out
[0022] FIG. 3 is a top view of an adjustable shaper reel or winder capable of expanding and/or retracting to different sizes to accommodate any size spine fin coil in bending in accordance to this application.
[0023] FIG. 4A is a top view of an example of an adjustable shaper reel or winder having a guiding conduit with comb like teeth for controlled spine fin deformation during bending.
[0024] FIG. 4B is a top view of another example of an adjustable shaper reel or winder having a guiding conduit with comb like teeth for controlled spine fin deformation during bending in accordance with this application.
[0025] FIG. 5A schematically shows an example crushing device configuration during manufacturing process of spine fin tubing in reducing spine fin damages in accordance with this application.
[0026] FIG. 5B schematically shows another example crushing device configuration during manufacturing process of spine fin tubing in reducing spine fin damages in accordance with this application.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will be described with particular reference to presently preferred embodiments (by way of example, and not of limitation). The present application describes several embodiments, and none of the statements below should be taken as limiting the claims generally.
[0028] For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and description and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, some areas or elements may be expanded to help improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.
[0029] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and the like in the description and the claims, if any, may be used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable. Furthermore, the terms "comprise," "include," "have," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, such that a process, method, article, apparatus, or composition that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, apparatus, or composition.
[0030] Currently, spine fins coils are manufactured in various steps. First, a spine fin machining wrapper is used to put the spine fins on to the outside surface of a tube. Then, if the coil is to have a square shape, the spine fin tube is transferred to a coil winder which makes the bends to form the shape. It is during this process when the coil is being shaped in the shaper that the spine fins on the inside corners of the coil being bent that the spine fins that are deformed and flattened.
[0031] In reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, an example continuous spine fin heat exchanger 10 is of the type having a continuous spine fin material 12 helically wound on a base tube member 14. A suitable base tube member 14 is fed vertically upward through the crushing machine 16 in FIG. 1A by feeding means 18 through the machine 16. A rotating support table 20 is arranged for rotation about a vertical axis. The table 20 carries a coil of sheet stock 21 which is fabricated into the spine fin material 12 as well as the fin wrapping and forming assembly 22. In operation the tube base member 12 is fed through an axial passage in the rotating support table 20 and past the fin wrapping and forming assembly 22. The forming assembly includes means for bending the strip stock to form a base flange 24 and for lancing the strip to form fin sections 25. The wrapping assembly includes means for helically winding the spine fin material 12 onto the base tube member 14 as it advances through the machine 16 under tension so that the base flange 24 is in intimate heat transfer contact with outer tube wall. As shown in FIG. 1C, the continuous spine fin heat exchanger 10 may be further wound together by a coil winder to form a coil. There is also a Panel Net. The net is wrapped around the coil to keep debris from being pulled into the coil fins and thus reducing the efficiency of the air coil itself in regard to thermal transfer. The net can be changed and or cleaned periodically and used for routine maintenance. It is noted that panel nets can be installed in the manufacturing process or at the time of the first coil cleaning.
[0032] When forming the coil from a round shape to square or similar shape, the outside and inside surfaces of the bend portion of the coil are pressed or bent to the desired shape. In this process the fins are mashed down at the four inside corners because the fins are delicate and are easily crushed. During this processing, the spine fin can be either damaged (FIG. 2A) or be bent together. These crushed spine fins can cause an unwanted air flow restriction that, over time, can lead to a buildup of dirt and debris which can cause an undesired air flow restriction.
[0033] The fins are molded very delicate. When spine fin tubing's are formed or tubing coils are formed, a mechanical apparatus is provided for controlled deformation. There are several way and points in the manufacturing process that this controlled deformations can take place and this process can be at the discretion of the customer.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown an adjustable reel 40 which can be configured to receive a spine fin coil that has any shape from round to square and, when used as a shaper, can form coils having various shapes. With the shaper shown, when a square spine fin coil is formed, the spine fins on the inside corners of the coil will not be smashed, but controlled. The adjustable reel 40 has a center hub 42 which is coupled to and is controllably rotate by a variable speed drive motor, not shown.
[0035] Projecting outward from the center hub are eight arms 44, each of which is coupled to a pneumatically operated cylinder having a piston 46 which is adapted to selectively increase or decrease the lengths of the arms 44. In place of the pneumatically operated cylinder having a piston, any other mechanism such as an electrical motor coupled to operate a scissor lift mechanism or a screw mechanism can be used. Located at the outer end of each arm is a plate 48 which receives and supports the spine fin tube 49. The plates that are located at inside corners of the coil are curved to allow the spine fin tube to bend without crushing the spine fins on the inside of the bend. The surface can be spring loaded and/or have plates that pivot, slide up and down and/or move with the bending motion and are fully or partially loaded. Depending on the type and configurations of the plates and the lengths of the various arms, coils having a circular shape and coils having part circular and flat sides can be made.
[0036] The shaper shown can make a coil having three straight sides, one curved side and two rounded corners. The shape of coils that can be made with the adjustable shaper reel 40 is limited only by the number of arms that the shaper has and the type of plates that are on the ends of the arms. With the correct number of adjustable arms and cooperating plates, coils having eight or more sides can be made. In the areas of the coil where the spine fin coil is straight, the plates are straight. Located on opposing arms are counter weights 50. The counter weights are, attached to the arms and can be positioned along the arms to compensate for uneven weight distribution.
[0037] In operation, the arms are operated to raise or lower the plates to provide support for any shaped spine fin coil that is being wound onto the reel. When the spine fin coil is to be removed, the arms are retracted and the coil is pulled off the end of the mandrel.
[0038] In reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, a plate pin type and or bridge plate like configuration (51 and 52; 61 and 62) is added to a shaper in FIG. 3 where the adjustable corners are disposed with comb-like teeth 53 or 63 for guiding the spine fins for a controlled deformation. The comb-teeth 52 may be configured by "bridge" or "pin" type approaches. Tubing can be formed, on the winder reel, and/or the shaper, by using "points" much like a conduit bender. The comb like teeth may be configured on both the inner side and the outer side of the conduit as shown in FIG. 4B.
[0039] The deformation process improves to make the double roll coils with an array of guiding teeth on the inside, another array of guiding teeth on the outside of the coil, or other combinations of controlled deformation such as on the inner coil or the outer coil only, and any combination the customer desires. The controlled deformation can be performed at any time during the production process depending on what the customer wants, it can be partially done in the coil shaper or at the winder, it can be done in part, at the spine fin machines, before it is even, put on the reels for transfer to the coil winders, the deformation can be performed at the D-reel station and/or at the process just before it is to go into the winder processing.
[0040] The "`bridged` and or "pin type" process can run the entire length of the "rails" or conduits or other fixture used to form or shape the coils to the desired shape. The bridges and or pins are used to offset the distance from the tip end of the spine fins and the edge of the tubing, to use the edge of tubing as the bending point and not outside edge of the spine fin itself. And a coil, may be wound to shape or shaped from another shape, using this technique, from the inside out, and from the outside in.
[0041] The material can be made of a "softer" type material than the tubing itself so as not to dent the outer surface of the tubing products and this may help, minimize any problems. Pins may be any shape dependent on the surface desired, they may be angled, round, short, long, pointed, brush-like. Deforming of the fins in a controlled manner is by reason to make a more efficient position for the fins that are behind tubing for air flow.
[0042] In order to bend tubing in coiling, the points approximately where the bend is located and used all along the length of the coil, for each desire bend.
[0043] Any and all types of surfaces can use this Controlled Deformation Technique, it may help in the manufacturing process, because by deforming the inside fins are better positioned in the flow of air position, this will open up the inside radius of the coil for more room, for other equipment, such as compressors, and other coils etc. The Controlled Deformation can be performed at any place during the manufacturing process, from the point the spine fin is wrapped onto the tubing, or storage reels to the point at when the spine fin comes off the reel, or before it goes on the winder or after the coil is on the winder and or throughout the shaping process.
[0044] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the "fins" are generally delicate and are easily deformed. A skilled person in the art may define approximately where the controlled deformation is needed (as shown by example 70 and 80), and as the spine fin 73 and tubing 74 (or 83) moves by in the manufacturing process, it may be channeled through a guide and a pin type apparatus, configured either like two wheels 71 and 72 on two sides, or like wheels 81 and 82 on the same side with reversed brushes, or a V-shaped tool or an array of other Deformation tools may be used to achieve the desired formation, an or placement of the fins as they are redirected to approximately, a more desirable "in the flow of air" position. Not behind the "tubing".
[0045] None of the description in the present application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element which must be included in the claim scope: THE SCOPE OF PATENTED SUBJECT MATTER IS DEFINED ONLY BY THE ALLOWED CLAIMS. Moreover, none of these claims are intended to invoke paragraph six of 35 USC section 112 unless the exact words "means for" are followed by a participle.
[0046] The claims as filed are intended to be as comprehensive as possible, and NO subject matter is intentionally relinquished, dedicated, or abandoned.
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