US3411629A - Desiccant dryer and spring holder therefor - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 19, 1968 R. M. WILBER ETAL 3,411,629,

DESICCANT DRYER AND SPRING HOLDER THEREFOR Filed Dec. 20, 1966 INVENTORS RONALD M. WILBER a NORMAN H. SIEGEL ,BYyplLrwm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,411,629 DESICCANT DRYER AND SPRING HOLDER THEREFOR Ronald M. Wilber, Lyons, and Norman H. Siegel, Syracuse, N.Y., said Siegel assignor to All-State Stamping Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of New York, and said Wilber assignor to Parker-Hannifin Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 603,343 Claims. (Cl. 210-282) This invention relates to desiccant dryers for separating at least one component from a multi-component flow stream such as may be found in refrigeration systems, and means for retaining a load of desiccant material therin.

An object of the instant invention is to provide a dryer using loose desiccant particles wherein such particles are contained under spring pressure to prevent movement thereof which would otherwise produce powdering or dusting of the particles.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a dryer of the type described in which there is a screen adjacent one end of a tubular shell for retaining the desiccant particles and in which there is a retainer near the other end of the shell providing a spring applying compacting pressure to the desiccant particle.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a one .piece resilient means positioned within the bore of a tubular desiccant dryer for resiliently retaining a charge of desiccant therein.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention reside in the combination of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction and operation, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a desiccant dryer constructed in accordance with the principles of the instant invention, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustrations;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the desiccant retaining means of the instant invention; and

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the desiccant retaining means shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein like reference characters designate like elements throughout the several views thereof, there is indicated generally at 10 a desiccant dryer comprising a generally tubular shell 12 having a bore 13, a reduced outlet end 14 providing a reduced outlet opening 16 and a reduced inlet end 18 having an enlarged inlet opening 20.

As may be seen in FIGURE 1, tubular shell 12 houses a desiccant retaining screen shown generally at 22, an anchoring and desiccant retaining means designated generally at 24 and a change or load of desiccant particles indicated generally at 26 positioned between screen 22 and retaining means 24. Any suitable type of inlet conduit may be affixed in fiuid exchanging relation with inlet opening 20 with a suitable outlet conduit being secured in fluid exchanging relation with outlet opening 16. A flow stream containing entrained liquids may be introduced at opening 20 with the liquid material being removed by desiccant particles 26 such that a relatively dry flow stream emits from outlet opening 16.

Desiccant retaining screen 22 is positioned distant from reduced outlet end 14 and includes an annular anchoring sleeve 28 having a reverted end 30 With sleeve 28 carrying a screen 32 forming openings or perforations smaller than desiccant particles 26. Sleeve 28 is preferably press fitted within bore 13 of tubular shell 12, but alternatively may be soldered, expanded, or othenwise secured thereto. As

3,411,629 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 ice may be seen in FIGURE 1, anchoring sleeve 28 is positioned distant from outlet end 14 to avoid contacting screen 32 with the reduced portion of end 14.

Desiccant retaining means 24 includes a plate 34 having an enlarged central aperture 36 such that the liquid entrained flow stream may readily flow therethrough. Plate 34 mounts a plurality of resilient fingers '38 separated by grooves or slots 40 with fingers 38 being biased outwardly to provide a spring pressed anchoring means shown generally at 39 securing retaining means 24 to bore 13 of shell 12.

A desiccant retaining plate 42 is configured to reside closely within bore 13 of tubular shell 12 such that no desiccant particles may pass between the periphery of plate 42 and bore 13. Plate 42 provides a plurality of small aperatures or openings 44 to allow the passage of fluid therethrough. [It will be seen that openings 44 are considerably smaller than desiccant particles 27 such that desiccant retaining plate 42, in conjunction with desiccant retaining screen 22, effectively precludes the movement of desiccant particles.

Resiliently connecting desiccant retaining plate 42 to anchoring means 46 is a biasing member 48 which describes at least one nadir [as at 50 and a pair of zeniths as at 52, 54 to form a rwave-shaped or V-shape'd member separating anchoring means 46 from desiccant retaining plate 42. As may be seen in FIGURE 2, biasing member 48 has :a width transverse to the longitudinal axis of tublar shell 12 with opening 36 being considerably larger than the width of biasing member 48 such that the liquid entrained flow stream may readily flow through desiccant retaining means 24. v

Desiccant retaining means 24 is preferably made of a spring metal, such as a spring steel sheet and is preferably made as a one piece member. Desiccant retaining means 24 may be stamped from a sheet of spring steel with biasing member 48 and fingers 38 being bent by a suitable means to the configuration shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 inclusive. In the assembly of desiccant retaining means 24 will be positioned on either side of desiccant particles 26 such that they will be firmly and gently retained therein. Biasing member 48 should be compressed slightly upon assembly to allow for the longitudinal movement of desiccant regaining plate 42 upon the settling of desiccant particles 26- It is now seen that there is herein provided a desiccant dryer having all of the objects of the instant invention and others, including many-advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that the foregoing is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A desiccant dryer comprising a tubular shell having an opening at each end thereof and a bore extending between said ends, a perforated desiccant retainer anchored with said bore spaced from one of said ends, a quantity of desiccant particles within said bore, and resilient means within said bore biasing said particles toward said retainer, said resilient means including anchoring means having a plate configured to conform to said bore forming a central aperture, said plate carrying a plurality of resilient fingers extending in the direction of said bore, a desiccant retaining plate forming a plurality of apertures smaller than said desiccant particles and a biasing member forming at least one nadir and at least two zeniths connecting said anchoring means to said retaining plate.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said anchoring means, desiccant retaining plate and said biasing member are formed of a one piece spring metal member.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said nadir and zeniths lie in a surface extending from one end to another end of said tube.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said biasing member has a width transverse to the direction of said bore, said central aperture being larger than said Width.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said anchoring plate is substantially perpendicular to said bore.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said biasing member is substantially V-shaped.

7. A spring holder for a desiccant dryer comprising anchoring means having an apertured plate configured to conform to a bore of a tubular member, said plate carrying a plurality of resilient fingers extending at an angle with respect to said plate, a desiccant retaining plate forming a plurality of apertures smaller than desiccant particles used in a desiccant dryer and a biasing member forming at least one nadir and at least two zeniths connecting said anchoring means to said retaining plate.

8. The structur of claim 7 wherein said anchoring means, desiccant retaining plate and said biasing member are formed of a one piece spring metal member.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said biasing member has a width and a thickness, said aperture of said anchoring means being larger than either of said width and said thickness.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said biasing member is Wave shaped.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,348,692 10/1967 Balogh 210266 SAMIH N. ZAHARNA, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DESICCANT DRYER COMPRISING A TUBULAR SHELL HAVING AN OPENING AT EACH END THEREOF AND A BORE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ENDS, A PERFORATED DESICCANT RETAINER ANCHORED WITH SAID BORE SPACED FROM ONE OF SAID ENDS, A QUANTITY OF DESICCANT PARTICLES WITHIN SAID BORE, AND RESILIENT MEANS WITHIN SAID BORE BIASING SAID PARTICLES TOWARD SAID RETAINER, SAID RESILIENT MEANS INCLUDING ANCHORING MEANS HAVING A PLATE CONFIGURED TO CONFORM TO SAID BORE FORMING A CENTRAL APERTURE, SAID PLATE CARRYING A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT FINGERS EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID BORE, A DESICCANT RETAINING PLATE FORMING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES SMALLER THAN SAID DESICCANT PARTICLES AND A BIASING MEMBER FORMING AT LEAST ONE NADIR AND AT LEAST TWO ZENITHS CONNECTING SAID ANCHORING MEANS TO SAID RETAINING PLATE.

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