U.S. patent application number 11/818945 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-21 for heat exchanger with hinged fan assemblies.
Invention is credited to Doug Kennon.
Application Number | 20080041569 11/818945 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39100271 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080041569 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kennon; Doug |
February 21, 2008 |
Heat exchanger with hinged fan assemblies
Abstract
A coil heat exchanger includes a coil assembly having a series
of elongated coil tubes mounted in an elongated, generally
rectangular structure. Fans for drawing air across the coil
assembly are provided as modular units that are mounted to the
structure using hinges. The fans can be readily swung upwardly in
the event of a need to access the coil assembly or replace a
fan.
Inventors: |
Kennon; Doug; (Owatonna,
MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
AMSTED Industries Incorporated;Two Prudential Street
180 North Stetson Street
Suite 1800
Chicago
IL
60601
US
|
Family ID: |
39100271 |
Appl. No.: |
11/818945 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/122 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28B 1/06 20130101; F28F
2280/105 20130101; F04D 29/582 20130101; F04D 29/601 20130101; F28D
1/024 20130101; F28D 1/0477 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/122 |
International
Class: |
F24H 3/06 20060101
F24H003/06 |
Claims
1. A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of coil circuits each
extending from an inlet header to an outlet header, each coil
circuit comprised of elongated tubing, a structure supporting the
coil circuits, the structure having an inlet face and an outlet
face, a fan assembly mounted with a hinge assembly adjacent the
inlet face such that air can be drawn by the fan assembly with the
inlet face, across the coil circuit and out the outlet face,
wherein the fan assembly can be rotated about the hinge assembly
from contact with inlet face.
2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein the structure includes a
top portion, bottom portion and a plurality of vertical supports
extending vertically between the top portion and the bottom
portion, and a portion of the hinge assembly is attached to the top
portion.
3. The heat exchanger of claim 2 wherein the fan assembly comprises
a base support and a fan, with the fan mounted on the base support
such that the base support has a generally flat edge, a portion of
the hinge assembly being attached to the flat edge of the base
support, the flat edge of the base support being positioned
adjacent and attached to the bottom portion of the structure.
4. The heat exchanger of claim 3 wherein the fan assembly includes
an extending section between the flat edge of the base support and
the fan such that the fan is spaced from the flat edge, and wherein
the extending section is formed of a solid material.
5. The heat exchanger of claim 4 wherein the extending section is
formed of sheet metal,
6. The heat exchanger of claim 4 wherein the extending section is
of uniform dimension such that the fan is mounted in a plane
perpendicular to the inlet face.
7. The heat exchanger of claim 4 wherein the extending section
includes a top section and a bottom section, and the top section is
of a length greater than the length of the bottom section such that
the fan is wanted at an angle to the inlet face.
8. A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of coil circuits each
extending from an inlet header to an outlet header, each coil
circuit comprised of elongated tubing, a structure supporting the
coil circuits, the structure having an inlet face and an outlet
face, a fan assembly mounted with a hinge assembly adjacent the
outlet face such that air can be drawn by the fan assembly with the
inlet face, across the coil circuit and out the outlet face,
wherein the fan assembly can be rotated about the hinge assembly
from contact with the inlet face.
9. The heat exchanger of claim 8 wherein the structure includes a
top portion, bottom portion and a plurality of vertical supports
extending vertically between the top portion and the bottom
portion, and a portion of the hinge assembly is attached to the top
portion.
10. The heat exchanger of claim 9 wherein the fan assembly
comprises a base support and a fan, with the fan mounted on the
base support such that the base support has a generally flat edge,
a portion of the hinge assembly being attached to the flat edge of
the base support, the flat edge of the base support being
positioned adjacent and attached to the bottom portion of the
structure.
11. The heat exchanger of claim 10 wherein the fan assembly
includes an extending section between the flat edge of the base
support and the fan such that the fan is space from the flat edge,
and wherein the extending section is formed of a solid
material.
12. The heat exchanger of claim 11 wherein the extending section is
formed of sheet metal.
13. The heat exchanger of claim 11 wherein the extending section is
of uniform dimension such that the fan is mounted in a plane
perpendicular to the outlet face.
14. The heat exchanger of claim 4 wherein the extending section
includes a top section and a bottom section, and the top section is
of a length greater than tie length of the bottom section such that
the fan is mounted at an angle to the outlet face.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to heat exchangers, and, more
particularly, to coil heat exchangers having hinged fan
assemblies.
[0002] Typical coil heat exchangers are comprised of a coil
assembly of a series of elongated coil tubes with one end connected
to an inlet header and the other end connected to an outlet header.
Such coil assembly can be formed in an elongated, generally
rectangular array housed in an elongated, generally rectangular
structure. Such structure is usually formed of sheet metal with
appropriate supports. Air is blown or drawn across the coil
assembly by fans integrally mounted in one side of the coil
assembly. It is difficult to access the coil assembly due to the
presence of such integral fans. It is also difficult to change out
the fans in the event of a need to replace them.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention provides a coil heat exchanger with a
coil assembly of a series of elongated coil tubes mounted in an
elongated, generally rectangular structure. Fans for blowing or
drawing air across the coil assembly are provided as modular units
that are mounted to the structure using hinges. Such fans can be
readily swung upwardly in the event of a need to access the coil
assembly or to replace the fans.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] In the drawings,
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coil heat exchanger in
accordance with the present invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a detail view of a hinge for a fan assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0007] Referring now to FIG. 1, a coil heat exchanger 10 is shown
as an elongated, generally rectangular structure. An elongated,
generally rectangular base pan 12 is provided and is usually
comprised of sheet metal. A plurality of coil circuits 14 is
provided, with each coil circuit 14 usually comprised of metal
tubing. Inlet header 16 and outlet header 18 are connected to
opposite ends coil circuit 14 to enable a working fluid, such as
water or a glycol based fluid, to be circulated through coil
circuit 14.
[0008] An elongated, generally rectangular structure 20 is provided
to house coil circuit 14. Structure 14 is usually comprised of
sheet metal, with structural legs 13 being affixed near the bottom
of structure 14 to support it. A roof section 22 covers the top of
structure 20; roof section 22 again is usually comprised of sheet
metal. Air inlet sections 21 are formed along one side of structure
20, with it being understood that similar air outlet sections are
formed on the opposite side of structure 20.
[0009] Modular fan assembly 24 is a generally square structure,
usually of sheet metal, that includes flush mounted fan 25. Hinges
37 are present at the top edge of modular fan assembly 24. Modular
fan assembly 26 is a generally square structure, usually of sheet
metal, that includes an extended mounted fan 27. Hinges 37 are
present at the top edge of modular fan assembly 26. Modular fan
assembly 28 is a generally square structure, usually of sheet
metal, that includes an angle mounted fan 29. Hinges 39 are present
at the top edge of modular fan assembly 28.
[0010] Any one of modular fan assemblies 24, 26, or 28 can be
affixed to one of air inlet openings 21 on the side of structure
20. Referring to FIG. 2, such affixing is usually by the use of a
hinge pin 41 to join hinge 35 on modular fan assembly 24 to hinge
plate 43 on front face 23 of structure 20. The use of such a
mounting arrangement allows the ready rotational lifting of modular
fan assembly 24 for access to coil circuit 14 or the replacement of
fan assembly 24. Similar arrangements can be utilized with hinges
37 on modular fan assembly 26 or hinges 39 on modular fan assembly
28.
[0011] It should be understood that the direction of fan rotation
can be selected so that air inlet side 21 could alternately be the
air outlet side.
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