CN114749641B - Energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former - Google Patents

Energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CN114749641B
CN114749641B CN202210362439.3A CN202210362439A CN114749641B CN 114749641 B CN114749641 B CN 114749641B CN 202210362439 A CN202210362439 A CN 202210362439A CN 114749641 B CN114749641 B CN 114749641B
Authority
CN
China
Prior art keywords
groove
wall
metal casting
sliding
circulation groove
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
CN202210362439.3A
Other languages
Chinese (zh)
Other versions
CN114749641A (en
Inventor
陈鹏
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nantong Hongjiu Metal Products Co ltd
Original Assignee
Nantong Hongjiu Metal Products Co ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Nantong Hongjiu Metal Products Co ltd filed Critical Nantong Hongjiu Metal Products Co ltd
Priority to CN202210362439.3A priority Critical patent/CN114749641B/en
Publication of CN114749641A publication Critical patent/CN114749641A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CN114749641B publication Critical patent/CN114749641B/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22DCASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D30/00Cooling castings, not restricted to casting processes covered by a single main group
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22DCASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D2/00Arrangement of indicating or measuring devices, e.g. for temperature or viscosity of the fused mass
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02PCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/10Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working

Abstract

The invention discloses energy-saving cooling forming equipment for processing metal castings, which comprises a base body, wherein a circulation groove is horizontally arranged in the base body, and blocking mechanisms are symmetrically arranged on the inner top wall of the circulation groove. When cooling down the metal casting through this equipment, when corresponding for metal casting or low temperature metal casting on the base member, the circulation groove normally flows, and under the effect of first insulating layer, can avoid the cold energy in the circulation groove to scatter and disappear, when corresponding to place the high temperature metal casting on the base member, this equipment can change the flow to the circulation groove automatically, thereby in the leading-in ring channel that corresponds of coolant liquid in the circulation groove, thereby can be pertinence carry out cooling to the metal casting, and the coolant liquid in the circulation groove can normally flow, can not exert an influence to follow-up base member, correspond the metal casting cooling on the base member simultaneously and accomplish the back, this equipment can send alarm signal automatically, thereby avoid staff's mistake to touch and lead to the scald.

Description

Energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former
Technical Field
The invention relates to the technical field of metal casting processing, in particular to energy-saving cooling forming equipment for processing metal castings.
Background
When the metal casting is processed, in order to improve the cooling efficiency of metal casting, often be equipped with special cooling bench, be equipped with water-cooling circulation mechanism in the cooling bench, water-cooling circulation mechanism cools off the mesa constantly, however during the in-service use, in order to guarantee the operation safety, adjacent metal casting is placed the position far away, therefore the coolant liquid flows between two continuous metal castings or when not placing the metal casting on the mesa, the cold energy in the water-cooling circulation mechanism can scatter and disappear gradually, thereby cause the waste of the energy, and when the metal casting cools off, whether the direct observation is finished from the outward appearance hardly, thereby make the staff touch the metal casting that does not cool off completely by mistake easily, consequently, certain potential safety hazard exists.
Disclosure of Invention
The invention aims to solve the problems that energy is wasted and workers can hardly observe whether the metal casting is cooled completely or not in the use of the traditional metal casting cooling equipment in the prior art, and provides energy-saving cooling forming equipment for metal casting processing.
In order to achieve the purpose, the invention adopts the following technical scheme:
the utility model provides an energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former, includes the base member, the horizontal flat drawing is equipped with the circulation groove in the base member, roof symmetry is equipped with the shutoff mechanism in the circulation groove, the base member up end be equipped with shutoff mechanism complex control mechanism and cooling body, still be equipped with on the base member with control mechanism complex warning mechanism.
Further, every shutoff mechanism all includes two perpendicular grooves that vertical symmetry was seted up on the circulation inslot roof, every it all seals sliding connection has a slider to erect inslot, every L shape hole has all been seted up between slider up end and the lateral wall, and the horizontal opening in two L shape holes sets up mutually dorsad.
Furthermore, the cooling mechanism comprises an annular groove vertically formed in the upper end face of the base body, a first heat-conducting plate is fixedly connected to the opening of the annular groove in a sealing mode, and a liquid inlet pipe and a liquid discharge pipe matched with the L-shaped hole are respectively formed between the top wall in the vertical groove and the bottom wall in the annular groove.
Further, control mechanism includes the vertical heavy groove of seting up in base member up end middle part, it has the piston board to sink inslot diapire through reset spring elastic connection, and piston board lateral wall and the cell wall sealing sliding connection who sinks the groove, the sealed fixedly connected with second heat-conducting plate of notch department of sinking the groove, the sealed space that terminal surface and the cell wall of sinking the groove are constituteed under piston board up end, the second heat-conducting plate is the drive zone, the drive zone intussuseption is filled with the driving agent, the vertical fixedly connected with branch in terminal surface middle part under the piston board, two horizontal fixedly connected with diaphragm between the slider, the branch lower extreme runs through the interior roof of circulation groove and extends to the circulation inslot, and branch lower extreme and diaphragm middle part fixed connection.
Furthermore, a first heat insulation layer, a second heat insulation layer and a third heat insulation layer are fixedly connected to the groove wall of the circulation groove, the groove wall of the annular groove and the groove wall of the sink groove respectively, and gaskets corresponding to the sliding blocks are symmetrically and fixedly connected to the inner bottom wall of the circulation groove.
Further, the warning mechanism comprises a first moving contact fixedly embedded in the side wall of the piston plate, a first fixed contact matched with the first moving contact is fixedly embedded in the wall of the sinking groove, a sliding groove is vertically formed in the upper end face of the base body, a supporting block is connected in the sliding groove in a sliding mode, a limiting spring is elastically connected between the lower end face of the supporting block and the inner bottom wall of the sliding groove, a second moving contact is fixedly embedded in the side wall of the supporting block, and a second fixed contact matched with the second moving contact is fixedly embedded in the wall of the sliding groove.
Furthermore, an alarm corresponding to the abutting block is fixedly arranged on the base body, and the alarm, the first moving contact, the first static contact, the second moving contact, the second static contact and an external power supply are sequentially and electrically connected through a lead.
When cooling down the metal casting through this equipment, when corresponding for metal casting or low temperature metal casting on the base member, circulation groove normally flows, and under the effect of first insulating layer, can avoid the cold energy in the circulation groove to scatter and disappear, when corresponding to place high temperature metal casting on the base member, this equipment can change the flow to circulation groove automatically, thereby with the leading-in ring channel that corresponds of coolant liquid in the circulation groove, thereby can be pertinence cool off the metal casting, and the coolant liquid in the circulation groove can normally flow, can not exert an influence to follow-up base member, correspond the metal casting cooling completion back on the base member simultaneously, this equipment can send warning signal automatically, thereby avoid the staff mistake to touch and lead to the scald.
Drawings
FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an appearance of a cooling forming device for processing an energy-saving metal casting provided by the invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional structure view of the cooling and forming equipment for processing energy-saving metal castings provided by the invention;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken at A in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view at B in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view at C of FIG. 2;
fig. 6 is an enlarged view of fig. 2 at D.
In the figure: the heat-insulating plate comprises a base body 1, a circulation groove 2, a first heat-insulating layer 3, an annular groove 4, a first heat-conducting plate 5, a second heat-insulating layer 6, a vertical groove 7, a sliding block 8, a hole 9L, a liquid inlet pipe 10, a transverse plate 11, a sink groove 12, a third heat-insulating layer 13, a second heat-conducting plate 14, a support rod 15, a return spring 16, a gasket 17, a first static contact 18, a first movable contact 19, a sliding groove 20, a limiting spring 21, a support block 22, a second movable contact 23, a second static contact 24, a liquid discharge pipe 25 and a piston plate 26.
Detailed Description
Referring to fig. 1 and 2, an energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former, including base member 1, the horizontal switch is equipped with circulation groove 2 in the base member 1, the one end of circulation groove 2 is connected with external circulating pump's output, the circulating pump drives the circulating through circulation groove 2 of external coolant liquid circulation, roof symmetry is equipped with the shutoff mechanism that can carry out the shutoff to circulation groove 2 in circulation groove 2, base member 1 up end be equipped with shutoff mechanism complex control mechanism and cooling body, still be equipped with on the base member 1 with control mechanism complex warning mechanism.
Referring to fig. 6, each plugging mechanism comprises two vertical grooves 7 which are vertically and symmetrically arranged on the top wall of the circulation groove 2, each vertical groove 7 is internally provided with a sliding block 8 in a sealing and sliding mode, an L-shaped hole 9 is formed between the upper end face of each sliding block 8 and the side wall, and the horizontal openings of the two L-shaped holes 9 are arranged in a back-to-back mode.
Referring to fig. 2, the cooling mechanism includes an annular groove 4 vertically formed on the upper end surface of the base 1, a first heat conducting plate 5 is fixedly connected to the notch of the annular groove 4 in a sealing manner, and a liquid inlet pipe 10 and a liquid outlet pipe 25 which are matched with the L-shaped hole 9 are respectively formed between the top wall of the two vertical grooves 7 and the bottom wall of the annular groove 4.
Referring to fig. 4, the control mechanism includes the vertical heavy groove 12 of seting up in the middle part of the up end of base member 1, there is piston plate 26 bottom wall through reset spring 16 elastic connection in heavy groove 12, and the sealed sliding connection of piston plate 26 lateral wall and the cell wall of heavy groove 12, the sealed fixedly connected with second heat-conducting plate 14 of notch department of heavy groove 12, the piston plate 26 up end, the sealed space that terminal surface and the cell wall of heavy groove 12 are constituteed under the second heat-conducting plate 14 is the drive zone, the drive zone intussuseption is filled with the driver, the driver is the low boiling point evaporating liquid similar to carbon disulfide isopachous boiling point about 45 degrees centigrade, the vertical fixedly connected with branch 15 in terminal surface middle part under piston plate 26, horizontal fixedly connected with diaphragm 11 between two sliders 8, the branch 15 lower extreme runs through the interior roof of circulation groove 2 and extends to in the circulation groove 2, and branch 15 lower extreme and diaphragm 11 middle part fixed connection.
Referring to fig. 2 and 4, a first thermal insulation layer 3, a second thermal insulation layer 6 and a third thermal insulation layer 13 are fixedly connected to the groove wall of the circulation groove 2, the groove wall of the annular groove 4 and the groove wall of the sink groove 12 respectively, through the first thermal insulation layer 3, the cold energy in the circulation groove 2 can be prevented from escaping to the outside, through the second thermal insulation layer 6, the cold energy in the annular groove 4 can be prevented from transversely escaping, and the cold energy in the annular groove 4 can be guided, so that the cooling efficiency of the cooling liquid in the annular groove 4 on the first thermal conductive plate 5 and the metal casting above the first thermal conductive plate 5 is improved, through the cooperation of the third thermal insulation layer 13 and the second thermal conductive plate 14, the influence of the external cold energy on the driving agent in the driving area can be prevented, and the energy on the metal casting can be timely and rapidly transmitted to the driving area, a gasket 17 corresponding to the sliding block 8 is fixedly connected to the bottom wall in the circulation groove 2 symmetrically, and through the cooperation of the gasket 17 and the sliding block 8, so that the sealing performance of the sliding block 8 on the circulation groove 2 can be improved.
Referring to fig. 4 and 5, the warning mechanism includes a first movable contact 19 fixedly embedded in a side wall of a piston plate 26, a first fixed contact 18 matched with the first movable contact 19 is fixedly embedded in a wall of the sinking groove 12, a sliding groove 20 is vertically formed in an upper end surface of the base 1, a resisting block 22 is slidably connected in the sliding groove 20, a limiting spring 21 is elastically connected between a lower end surface of the resisting block 22 and an inner bottom wall of the sliding groove 20, a second movable contact 23 is fixedly embedded in a side wall of the resisting block 22, a second fixed contact 24 matched with the second movable contact 23 is fixedly embedded in a wall of the sliding groove 20, a warning device corresponding to the resisting block 22 is fixedly arranged on the base 1, and the warning device, the first movable contact 19, the first fixed contact 18, the second movable contact 23, the second fixed contact 24 and an external power supply are electrically connected in sequence through wires, the first movable contact 19 and the first fixed contact 18 are regarded as a first switch, and the second movable contact 23 and the second contact 24 are regarded as a second switch.
When the cooling device is used, as shown in fig. 2 in an initial state, under the elastic force action of the return spring 16, the piston plate 26 is located on the upper side inside the sinking groove 12, the piston plate 26 drives the transverse plate 11 to abut against the inner top wall of the circulation groove 2 through the supporting rod 15, the transverse plate 11 drives the two sliders 8 to be accommodated in the corresponding vertical groove 7, horizontal orifices of the two L-shaped holes 9 are blocked by the groove walls of the vertical grooves 7, the circulation groove 2 is normally opened, however, under the action of the first heat insulation layer 3, the cold energy of the cooling liquid flowing in the circulation groove 2 can be prevented from being dissipated, meanwhile, the first 19 moving contact on the piston plate 26 is relatively conducted with the first fixed contact 18, the first switch is in a closed state, under the elastic force action of the limiting spring 21, the abutting block 22 extends out of the sliding groove 20, the second moving contact 23 on the abutting block 22 is dislocated with the second fixed contact 24, and the second switch is in an open state;
when a high-temperature metal casting is placed on the corresponding base 1, the metal casting presses the abutting block 22 downwards, the abutting block 22 moves downwards in the sliding groove 20 and compresses the limiting spring 21, meanwhile, the second movable contact 23 on the abutting block 22 is in contact conduction with the second fixed contact 24, the second switch is in a closed state, meanwhile, the metal casting is in contact with the second heat conduction plate 14, the second heat conduction plate 14 rapidly conducts the temperature on the metal casting to a driving area, low-boiling-point evaporated liquid in the driving area is rapidly gasified, high pressure is rapidly generated in the driving area, high air pressure pushes the piston plate 26 to rapidly move downwards and compress the return spring 16, the piston plate 26 drives the transverse plate 11 to move downwards through the supporting rod 15, the transverse plate 11 drives the two sliding blocks 8 to move downwards and abut against the corresponding gasket 17, the two sliding blocks 8 simultaneously seal the circulation groove 2, then the cooling liquid in the circulation groove 2 enters the corresponding vertical groove 7 through the left L9 under the driving of the external circulating pump, then enters the movable contact tube 10 into the annular groove 4, and then the cooling liquid in the first heat conduction plate 5 and the first heat conduction plate 2 is separated from the first annular groove 18 and the first heat conduction plate 18;
after the metal casting is cooled, the temperature in the driving area is gradually reduced, the low-boiling-point evaporating liquid in the driving area is quickly liquefied, negative pressure is generated in the driving area, the piston plate 26 rises and resets under the elastic action of the reset spring 16, the piston plate 26 drives the first moving contact 19 on the piston plate to be in contact conduction with the first fixed contact 18, the first switch is in a closed state, an external power supply can normally supply power to the warning indicator at the moment, the warning indicator sends a warning signal, a worker can quickly know that the metal casting corresponding to the base body 1 is cooled completely, and therefore the worker is prevented from being mistakenly touched to cause scalding.

Claims (2)

1. The energy-saving cooling forming equipment for processing the metal castings comprises a base body (1) and is characterized in that a circulation groove (2) is horizontally arranged in the base body (1), blocking mechanisms are symmetrically arranged on the inner top wall of the circulation groove (2), a control mechanism and a cooling mechanism which are matched with the blocking mechanisms are arranged on the upper end face of the base body (1), and a warning mechanism which is matched with the control mechanism is further arranged on the base body (1);
each plugging mechanism comprises two vertical grooves (7) which are vertically and symmetrically formed in the inner top wall of the circulation groove (2), a sliding block (8) is connected in each vertical groove (7) in a sealing and sliding mode, an L-shaped hole (9) is formed between the upper end face and the side wall of each sliding block (8), and horizontal openings of the two L-shaped holes (9) are arranged in a back-to-back mode;
the cooling mechanism comprises an annular groove (4) vertically formed in the upper end face of the base body (1), a first heat-conducting plate (5) is fixedly connected with a notch of the annular groove (4) in a sealing mode, and a liquid inlet pipe (10) and a liquid outlet pipe (25) which are matched with the L-shaped hole (9) are respectively formed between the inner top wall of the two vertical grooves (7) and the inner bottom wall of the annular groove (4);
the control mechanism comprises a sinking groove (12) vertically formed in the middle of the upper end face of a base body (1), wherein the inner bottom wall of the sinking groove (12) is elastically connected with a piston plate (26) through a return spring (16), the side wall of the piston plate (26) is in sealing sliding connection with the groove wall of the sinking groove (12), a notch of the sinking groove (12) is fixedly connected with a second heat-conducting plate (14) in a sealing mode, a sealing space formed by the upper end face of the piston plate (26), the lower end face of the second heat-conducting plate (14) and the groove wall of the sinking groove (12) is a driving area, a driving agent is filled in the driving area, a supporting rod (15) is vertically and fixedly connected with the middle of the lower end face of the piston plate (26), a transverse plate (11) is horizontally and fixedly connected between two sliding blocks (8), the lower end of the supporting rod (15) penetrates through the inner top wall of the circulating groove (2) and extends into the circulating groove (2), and the lower end of the supporting rod (15) is fixedly connected with the middle of the transverse plate (11);
the warning mechanism comprises a first movable contact (19) fixedly embedded in the side wall of a piston plate (26), a first fixed contact (18) matched with the first movable contact (19) is fixedly embedded in the wall of the sinking groove (12), a sliding groove (20) is vertically formed in the upper end face of the base body (1), a resisting block (22) is connected in the sliding groove (20) in a sliding mode, a limiting spring (21) is elastically connected between the lower end face of the resisting block (22) and the inner bottom wall of the sliding groove (20), a second movable contact (23) is fixedly embedded in the side wall of the resisting block (22), and a second fixed contact (24) matched with the second movable contact (23) is fixedly embedded in the wall of the sliding groove (20);
the alarm device is characterized in that an alarm device corresponding to the abutting block (22) is fixedly arranged on the base body (1), and the alarm device, the first moving contact (19), the first static contact (18), the second moving contact (23), the second static contact (24) and an external power supply are sequentially and electrically connected through wires.
2. The energy-saving cooling forming equipment for processing metal castings according to claim 1, wherein a first heat insulation layer (3), a second heat insulation layer (6) and a third heat insulation layer (13) are fixedly connected to the groove wall of the circulation groove (2), the groove wall of the annular groove (4) and the groove wall of the sink groove (12) respectively, and gaskets (17) corresponding to the sliding blocks (8) are symmetrically and fixedly connected to the inner bottom wall of the circulation groove (2).
CN202210362439.3A 2022-04-07 2022-04-07 Energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former Active CN114749641B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202210362439.3A CN114749641B (en) 2022-04-07 2022-04-07 Energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202210362439.3A CN114749641B (en) 2022-04-07 2022-04-07 Energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN114749641A CN114749641A (en) 2022-07-15
CN114749641B true CN114749641B (en) 2023-03-24

Family

ID=82329395

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CN202210362439.3A Active CN114749641B (en) 2022-04-07 2022-04-07 Energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CN (1) CN114749641B (en)

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3171380B2 (en) * 1996-04-05 2001-05-28 新東工業株式会社 Sprinkling amount control mechanism of casting cooling device
US7290587B2 (en) * 2004-08-30 2007-11-06 General Motors Corporation Die thermal management through coolant flow control
JP4227970B2 (en) * 2005-03-17 2009-02-18 トヨタ自動車株式会社 High temperature component cooling device and method of cooling high temperature component
CN213591733U (en) * 2020-10-28 2021-07-02 苏州瑞德压铸模具有限公司 High-efficient cooling device of foundry goods
CN112676553A (en) * 2020-11-27 2021-04-20 马鞍山华洋智能装备有限公司 Metal product production cooling device for intelligent robot
CN113399920B (en) * 2021-08-19 2021-10-29 江苏思克赛斯机械制造有限公司 Assembly welding is with preventing overheated equipment

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN114749641A (en) 2022-07-15

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CN103629851A (en) Air cooling and liquid cooling dual-purpose heat radiator
CN114749641B (en) Energy-saving metal casting processing is with cooling former
CN113161880A (en) Bury waterproof heat dissipation type regulator cubicle
CN103763464A (en) Semiconductor refrigeration camera and semiconductor refrigeration device thereof
CN201448932U (en) Pressure releasing device for a loop circuit circulation electric radiator
CN213288395U (en) High-speed stamping die with cooling mechanism for household appliance parts
CN212134374U (en) High-temperature high-pressure test device
CN212487077U (en) Electrical cabinet with heat dissipation device
CN211290690U (en) Cooling device with low temperature and temperature control system
CN210623285U (en) Temperature bypass valve
CN217643764U (en) Water-cooled cast aluminum heater
CN114051367B (en) Intelligent cooling protection device for electromechanical equipment
CN208460924U (en) Power battery liquid cooling system and automobile
CN214253129U (en) Computer water-cooling heat abstractor
CN216540772U (en) Injection cylinder adjusting assembly device of die casting machine
CN111683507A (en) Floating opening-closing type water-cooling heat dissipation device
CN206865003U (en) AC metal closed switch cabinet
CN212760383U (en) Mould cooling device for copper drawing
CN201110975Y (en) Thermoelectricity liquid cooling control temperature unit
CN213078487U (en) Temperature impact test box
CN201203555Y (en) Shaping tester for tepid circumstance universal plank stuff
CN218882645U (en) Novel cooling hydraulic cylinder
CN110961597A (en) Extrusion casting drift cooling device
CN213519740U (en) Heat-conducting flow switch
CN212571871U (en) Gas insulation type cubical switchboard heat sink

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PB01 Publication
PB01 Publication
SE01 Entry into force of request for substantive examination
SE01 Entry into force of request for substantive examination
GR01 Patent grant
GR01 Patent grant