US3031171A

US3031171A - Radiation fin structure for rod-like heating elements

Info

Publication number: US3031171A
Application number: US16739A
Authority: US
Inventors: Buttner Carl Martin
Original assignee: Robbins and Myers Inc
Current assignee: Robbins and Myers Inc
Priority date: 1960-03-22
Filing date: 1960-03-22
Publication date: 1962-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 1979-04-24

Description

April 24, 1962 c; M. BUTTNER 3,031,171

RADIATION FIN STRUCTURE FOR ROD-LIKE HEATING ELEMENTS Filed March 22, 1960 "!'l 5 O J A910 /5. o o O O imiwmmu H w W 1% an: mm H i IN VEN TOR. (424 M (form/5e,

ATTOEN 5%- United States Patent Ohio Filed Mar. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 16,739 Claims. (Cl. 257262.19)

This invention relates to a radiation fin structure for rod-like heating elements. Electric heating elements in the shape of a rod are well known and are used in many fields such as electric ranges and the like. Where such heating elements are to be used for radiators, it is necessary that radiation fins or plates must be provided in order to yield efiicient heat radiation. Such plates would have to be braced and stacked to the heating element individually which would render them more subject to breakage and would be a time consuming and expensive operation.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a fin structure for use with such rod-like heating elements which can be mass produced inexpensively from sheet metal. It is another object of the invention to provide a structure as outlined above which can easily be assembled to the heating element and which will provide for eificient heat transfer from said rod-like heating element.

These and other objects of the invention which will be pointed out in greater detail hereinafter or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications are accomplished by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which the following is an exemplary embodiment.

Reference is made to the drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a structure according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the same.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the same on an enlarged scale taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary exploded view of the two complementary pieces showing their relationship to each other.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 1.

Briefly, in the practice of the invention, the radiation fin structure comprises two strips of sheet metal which are preferably of a length substantially equal to the length of the heating element, each of which is provided with a substantial central longitudinal groove to accommodate substantially one-half of the heating element so that when said two strips are assembled back to back about the heating element, the heating element is seated in the complementary grooves in the two pieces. The two pieces of sheet metal are provided with means for locking them in assembled condition and are provided with a number of fins for enhancing the radiation efiect.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, the rodlike heating element is indicated generally at 10. The two pieces constituting the fin structure are indicated generally at 11 and 12. Each of these is deformed to provide a central longitudinal groove, the groove in the member 11 being indicated at 13 and the groove in the member 12 being indicated at 14. As will be observed from FIGURE 3, these grooves are of such size and shape that when the pieces 11 and 12 are placed back to back, the

complementary portions

13 and 14 form a tubular seat in which the heating element 10 is seated. The dimensions are preferably such that the assembled pieces 11 and 12 actually grip the heating element.

The fins are struck up from the body of the sheet metal constituting the pieces 11 and 12. Thus, the fins 3,031,171 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 15 are struck up from the member 11 and the fins 16 are struck up from the member 12. At each place where a

fin

15 or 16 is struck up, an aperture is left in the piece 11 or 12 as indicated at 1511 and 16a.

Various arrangements may be provided for locking the pieces 11 and 12 together but preferably one of the pieces will be provided with a series of locking tongues 17. These locking tongues are also struck up from the body of the piece 12 and the tongues preferably terminate in a slightly bent up tip as at 17a to facilitate assembly.

It will be observed that the pieces 11 and 12 are identical except for the fact that the piece 12 is provided with the tongues 17 while the piece 11 is not. Each of the pieces may be provided with the fastening flanges as indicated at 18 and 19 provided with the

holes

20, 21.

In use, a member 11 and a member 12 are mutually inverted as shown in FIGURE 4 and when they are brought together the tongues 17 of the member 12 can pass through the apertures 15a of the member 11 until the two pieces are in contact. Thereupon, by relative movement of the two pieces, the tongues 17 of the member 12 engage over the portions 15b of the member 11, as best seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 5. In this condition, the members 11 and 12 are clamped together and clamped about the heating element 10. The flanges 18 and 19 are then in juxtaposition with the

holes

20 and 21 in alignment and screws or bolts may be passed through the aligned holes, thereby preventing relative longitudinal movement of the pieces 11 and 12 to prevent disassembly. The aligned

holes

20 and 21 may also be used for mounting the assembled heating element on mounting brackets or the like.

It will be clear that instead of having the two pieces 11 and 12 differing by the locking tabs, it is possible to have the two pieces identical so that they can be made in a single die. This could be done by having the looking tongues only along one side of each piece so that when the pieces are reversed there will be locking tongues on one piece on one side of the groove and locking tongues on the other piece on the other side of the groove. A similar result can be obtained by providing locking tongues adjacent alternate fins on both sides. While such modifications may be made, the construction specifically illustrated is considered to be preferable.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that there is provided a relatively simple and inexpensive structure for imparting to a rod-like or tubular heating element a fin structure to enhance the radiation efliciency thereof. It will be understood that details in the construction may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of the invention. No limitation not clearly set forth in the claims is therefore intended.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A radiation fin structure for a rod-like heating element comprising two integrally finned strips of sheet metal, each of said strips having a substantially central longitudinal groove to seat substantially one half of a rod-like heating element, such that when said two strips are assembled back to back the said grooves embrace and seat said heating element, said fins being struck up from the body of said strips on each side of said groove, leaving spaced apertures in said strips adjacent said fins, and locking tongues struck up from the body of one, at least, of said strips, said tongues extending substantially parallel to the body of said strip and spaced therefrom by substantially the thickness of said strip, and opening into some, at least, of said apertures, and integral means on one, at least, of said strips releasably to lock them together in assembled relation about said heating element.

2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein all said locking tongues are disposed on one of said strips.

3. A structure according to claim 1, wherein there is a tongue associated with each of said apertures.

4. A structure according to claim 1, wherein means are provided to secure said strips against relative longitudinal movement when assembled.

5. A radiation fin device comprising a rod-like heating element and two integrally finned strips of sheet metal, each of said strips having a substantially central longitudinal grooveto seat substantially one-half of said heating element, said two strips being assembled back to back with the said grooves embracing and seating said heating elements, said fins being struck up from the body of said strips on each side of said groove, leaving spaced apertures in said strips adjacent said fins, and locking tongues struck up from the body of one, at least, of said strips, said tongues extending substantially parallel to the body of said strip and spaced therefrom by substantially the thickness of said strip, and opening into some, at least, of said apertures, and integral means on one, at least, of said strips releasably locking them together in assembled relation about said heating elements.

6. A structure according to claim v5, wherein all said locking tongues are disposed on one of said strips.

7. A structure according to claim 5, wherein there is a tongue associated with each of said apertures.

8. A structure according to claim 5, wherein means are provided to secure said strips agains relative longitudinal movement when assembled.

9. A radiation fin structure for a rod-like heating element comprising two strips of sheet metal, each of said strips having a central longitudinal semi-cylindrical groove 4 to seat a rod-like heating element, each of said strips having on either side of said groove a series of integral fins extending normal to the plane of the strip, and transversely to said groove, and an aperture adjacent each of said fins, one of said strips having a tongue member ad- 1 jacent each of said apertures and extending substantially parallel to the plane of said strip but spaced therefrom by substantially the thickness of said strip, whereby said two strips may be disposed back to back with said tongues of one strip entering the respective apertures in the other strip and said grooves cooperating to provide a seat for a rod-like heating element, and said strips may be locked together by a slight relative longitudinal movement to cause said tongues to engage over adjacent portions of said other strip.

10. A structure according to claim 9, wherein means are provided to secure said strips against relative longitudinal movement when assembled.

References Cited in the file .of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dubin et al Aug. 11, 1959