Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Heat exchanger or boiler making
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-21
2003-11-25
Vidovich, Gregory (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Heat exchanger or boiler making
C029S890053, C029S890054, C029S407040, C029S407080, C029S407100, C029S430000, C029S463000, C029S727000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06651332
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a heat transfer member for a heat exchanger by press forming and then welding a plurality of materials to be worked, and specifically to a method for manufacturing efficiently the heat transfer member by subjecting the material to be worked to the press forming and the welding in a continuous manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
The heat transfer member of the heat exchanger, which is generally formed of a metallic sheet, is press-formed into a prescribed shape and then welded as an occasion demands, thus providing a finished product, which is to be put into practice. With respect to manufacture of the heat transfer member with the use of the press-forming device, a set of metallic molds have conventionally been used. More specifically, the material to be worked is held between the molds. Motion of moving the molds closely to each other has formed a pattern of irregularities serving as the heat transfer face on the metallic thin sheet of the material to be worked.
With respect to manufacture of the heat transfer member through a welding method, which is carried after the press forming, a welding device such as a seam-welding device has conventionally been used. Portions of the materials to be welded are welded to form the heat transfer member, while holding the materials with the use of the welding device.
The manufacture of the heat transfer member has conventionally been carried out in this manner. In a case where the heat transfer member is formed into a tubular shape, which is obtained by welding the opposite side edge portions of two materials to be worked, there is added a step for placing the two materials to be worked one upon another prior to the welding. In such a step, the two materials to be worked, which have been subjected to the press forming, are placed one upon another so that the surfaces thereof having the same shape face each other. Then, the two materials to be worked are transferred into the welding device in such a state.
When there is included the step for placing the two materials to be worked one upon another, portions to be press-formed of the heat transfer faces of the materials to be worked may easily be deviated from each other. It becomes more difficult to provide a proper state in which the materials to be worked are accurately placed one upon another, according as the materials to be worked become larger. Under such circumstances, in the conventional method for manufacturing a large-sized heat transfer member, there has not as yet been established automation of a series of steps of transferring the two materials to be worked from the press-forming device, placing them one upon another in an appropriate manner and transferring them in such a state to the welding step. It has therefore been impossible to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing operation of the heat transfer member, thus causing problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention, which was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, is therefore to provide a method for manufacturing a heat transfer member, which permits an appropriate positional adjustment for elongated materials to be worked, which have been subjected to a press forming and perform an appropriate welding on them so as to manufacture efficiently a large-sized heat transfer member.
In order to attain the aforementioned object, a method of the present invention for manufacturing a heat transfer member comprises the steps of:
subjecting elongated materials to be worked, which are made of metallic thin sheets, to a continuous press forming utilizing a plurality of press-forming devices to form heat transfer faces each having a prescribed shape, while transferring the materials in a prescribed feeding direction, which is in parallel with a longitudinal direction of the materials; and
welding two materials, which have been subjected to the press forming, of said elongated materials together utilizing a welding device to form a heat transfer member having substantially a tubular shape,
wherein:
said method further comprising the steps of:
forming flat members each having a prescribed width on longitudinally extending opposite edge portions of said materials to be worked so as to make a difference in level from a longitudinally extending central portion thereof by means of each of said press-forming devices;
placing the two materials one upon another so that the flat members of the two materials come into contact with each other, while holding said flat members of the two materials and transferring the two materials, which have been placed one upon another without causing deviation of the heat transfer faces, to a next step with a use of a transferring device, which is provided after said press forming devices; and
temporarily securing the flat members of the two materials, which have been placed one upon another, at a plurality of positions, and then, welding continuously and longitudinally said flat members on inner sides in a transverse direction relative to temporarily secured positions to combine the two materials together, with a use of said welding device, thereby forming the heat transfer member having the tubular shape and opposite opening ends in a longitudinal direction.
In the present invention, the press forming is applied to the longitudinally extending central portion of the elongated material to be worked by means of the press-forming device, while forming the flat members on the longitudinally extending opposite edge portions of the material. The transferring device holds the flat members of the two materials, which have been subjected to the press forming, and transfers them to the welding device, while placing them one upon another in an appropriate manner. The flat members of the two materials are then welded by means of the welding device to form the heat transfer member. Continuous application of a series of steps from the press forming step to the welding step to the materials to be worked makes it possible to automatically and continuously manufacture the heat transfer members, thus remarkably improving the manufacturing efficiency and reducing the manufacturing cost for the heat transfer members. In addition, even when the elongated materials to be worked have a large size, it is possible to transfer them to the welding device in a reliable manner. Accordingly, it is possible to manufacture easily a heat exchanger, which has the large heat transfer member to enhance the heat exchanger effectiveness. The materials to be worked are temporarily secured to each other and then welded by means of the welding device. It is therefore possible to prevent deviation of the positions to be welded, perform an accurate welding and improve accuracy of the shape of the heat transfer member after being welded.
In the second aspect of the present invention, as an occasion demands, said transferring device may transfer the material, which has been subjected to the press forming utilizing the press-forming device, from the press-forming devices, temporarily hold it in a certain place, transfer a new material, which has been subjected to the press forming utilizing said press-forming device after the press forming of said material, and then place the material as temporarily held and the new material one upon another so that the flat members of the materials come into contact with each other.
According to the features of the second aspect of the present invention, the two materials, which have been press-formed by means of the same press-forming device, conveyed to the transferring device, and then placed one upon another, are used as a set of materials to be worked, which are to be welded together to form the heat transfer member. Accordingly, there may be used a combination of the single press-forming device and the single transferring device. It is therefore unnecessary to use a plurality of press-forming devices, thus reducing the manufacturing cost. Use of the materials to
Nguyen T.
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
Vidovich Gregory
Xenesys Inc.
LandOfFree
Method for manufacturing heat transfer member does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method for manufacturing heat transfer member, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method for manufacturing heat transfer member will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3141777