Heat exchanger fin stock lubrication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695978-B2
Application number	US-200913123989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2009
Priority date	Oct 14, 2008
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments according to this disclosure include methods and systems for lubricating sheet metal stock by wiping a controlled amount of lubricant onto the surfaces of the sheet metal with strips of material, such as felt, saturated with the lubricant. The lubrication methods and systems disclosed herein can also provide for control of the pressure at which the lubricant is delivered, the volume of lubricant delivered, and the frequency lubricant is delivered to the felt strips. The lubricant is delivered to the felt strips at a number of locations and the felt material is configured to naturally wick the lubricant from the injection sites to the spaces between injection sites to substantially saturate the entire strip.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lubrication system for heat exchanger fin stock comprises:
a head configured to receive the fin stock, the head including:
a stationary lower jaw fixed to a base; and
an upper jaw movable relative to the lower jaw, the fin stock receivable between the lower jaw and the upper jaw, each of the lower jaw and the upper jaw including a strip of non-abrasive material connected thereto and configured to absorb a lubricant and wipe the lubricant onto a surface of the fin stock;

an actuator secured to the base and to the upper jaw and configured to apply force to the upper jaw to both move the upper jaw in a linear direction relative to the lower jaw into engagement with the fin stock and move the upper jaw out of engagement with the fin stock;
a first pressure regulator operably connected to the actuator and configured to control a first pressure at which upper jaw is moved out of engagement with the fin stock;
a second pressure regulator separate from the first regulator operably connected to the actuator and configured to control a second pressure at which the upper jaw is moved into engagement with the fin stock; and
a controller configured to control both operation of the actuator and a replenishable supply of the lubricant delivered to the strip of non-abrasive material.

2. The lubrication system of claim 1 further comprising a lubricant supply system configured to deliver the lubricant to the strip of non-abrasive material.

3. The lubrication system of claim 2 , wherein the lubricant supply system comprises:
a pump operatively connected to the supply reservoir and configured to deliver the lubricant to the strip of non-abrasive material.

4. The lubrication system of claim 3 further comprising a filter interposed between the lubricant supply and the pump.

5. The lubrication system of claim 1 further comprising a manifold connected to the head and configured to deliver the lubricant to the strip of non-abrasive material at a plurality of locations.

6. The lubrication system of claim 5 , wherein the locations at which the lubricant is delivered are approximately equally distributed across a length of the strip of non-abrasive material.

7. The lubrication system of claim 5 , wherein a distance between each of the locations at which the lubricant is delivered is equal to approximately 76.2 mm (3 inches).

8. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a pressure at which the lubricant is delivered from the supply to the strip of non-abrasive material.

9. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a volume of the lubricant delivered from the supply to the strip of non-abrasive material.

10. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of the lubricant stored in the supply.

11. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control replenishment of the supply of lubricant.

12. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a frequency at which the lubricant is delivered from the supply to the strip of non-abrasive material.

13. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the strip of non-abrasive material comprises a strip of felt.

14. The lubrication system of claim 1 further comprising a second strip of non-abrasive material connected to the head in parallel with the first strip of non-abrasive material and configured to absorb the lubricant and wipe the lubricant onto a surface of the fin stock opposite the surface wiped by the first strip of non-abrasive material.

Assignees

• Bundy Michael
• Crawford David C
• Tucker Joseph T
• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Bundy Michael
• Crawford David C
• Tucker Joseph T

Classifications

• F16N7/12 Primary

  with feed by capillary action, e.g. by wicks · CPC title