Fastening device for coupling ducts of heat exchanger

{
  "publication_number": "US12298040B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Fastening device for coupling ducts of heat exchanger",
  "abstract": "A fastening device for fluid tightly coupling a first duct body and a second duct body of a heat exchanger is provided. The fastening device includes a support member to couple with a connecting edge of the first duct body. The support member includes a pivot pin and a locking device disposed at an offset distance from the pivot pin along a radial axis of the fastening device. The fastening device further includes a pivot arm having a first end to engage with the pivot pin and a second end to engage with a flange of the second duct body. The locking device engages with the pivot arm and move the second end of the pivot arm relative to the pivot pin to fluid tightly engage the flange of the second duct body with the connecting edge of the first duct body.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A fastening device for fluid tightly coupling a first duct body and a second duct body of a heat exchanger, the fastening device comprising: a support member configured to couple with a connecting edge of the first duct body; a pivot pin coupled to the support member; a locking device coupled to the support member and disposed at an offset distance from the pivot pin along a radial axis of the fastening device; and a pivot arm having a first end configured to engage with the pivot pin and a second end configured to engage with a flange of the second duct body, wherein the support member comprises a bottom end configured to couple with the pivot pin and a top end configured to directly couple with the locking device, and wherein the locking device is configured to engage with the pivot arm and move the second end of the pivot arm relative to the pivot pin to fluid tightly engage the flange of the second duct body with the connecting edge of the first duct body.",
    "2. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein the locking device is configured to move along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the radial axis of the fastening device.",
    "3. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein the support member is welded to the connecting edge of the first duct body.",
    "4. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein the support member comprises: a first leg; a second leg disposed at a lateral distance to the first leg along a transverse axis perpendicular to the radial axis, wherein the first leg and the second leg are configured to couple with the connecting edge of the first duct body; and a shoulder extending between the first leg and the second leg along the transverse axis, wherein the shoulder is coupled to a top end of the first leg and a top end of the second leg, and wherein the locking device is movably coupled to the shoulder.",
    "5. The fastening device of claim 4, wherein each of the first leg and the second leg defines a hole to slidably receive the pivot pin therethrough.",
    "6. The fastening device of claim 5, wherein the pivot pin is removably coupled to the support member using a cotter pin.",
    "7. The fastening device of claim 4, wherein the pivot arm is disposed between the first leg and the second leg and movably coupled to the pivot pin, and wherein the lateral distance between the first leg and the second leg is greater than a width of the pivot arm.",
    "8. The fastening device of claim 4, wherein the shoulder comprises a slot configured to movably support the locking device therewith.",
    "9. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein the locking device comprises: a locking member having a head end and a tail end; and a coupling member configured to movably couple the locking member with the support member, wherein the head end of the locking member is operable to engage the tail end of the locking member with the pivot arm.",
    "10. The fastening device of claim 9, wherein the locking member comprises a bolt and the coupling member comprises a pair of nuts.",
    "11. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein the first end of the pivot arm defines a curved indentation at a bottom surface thereof having a diameter equal to or greater than a diameter of the pivot pin, wherein the curved indentation of the pivot arm is movably engaged with the pivot pin.",
    "12. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein the second end of the pivot arm defines a flat surface configured to engage with a top surface of the flange of the second duct body when the first duct body is coupled with the second duct body.",
    "13. A heat exchanger comprising: a shell; a plenum configured to couple with the shell; and a plurality of fastening devices configured to fluid tightly engage the plenum with the shell, each of the plurality of fastening devices comprising: a support member configured to couple with the shell; a pivot pin coupled to the support member; a locking device coupled to the support member and disposed at an offset distance from the pivot pin along a radial axis of the fastening device; and a pivot arm having a first end configured to engage with the pivot pin and a second end configured to engage with the plenum, wherein the support member comprises a bottom end configured to couple with the pivot pin and a top end configured to directly couple with the locking device, and wherein the locking device is configured to engage with the pivot arm and move the second end of the pivot arm relative to the pivot pin to fluid tightly engage the plenum with the shell.",
    "14. The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of fastening devices is coupled to a connecting edge of the shell at equal distance.",
    "15. The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein the support member of each of the plurality of fastening devices is welded to a connecting edge of the shell.",
    "16. The heat exchanger of claim 15, wherein the connecting edge of the shell comprises an outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral edge, and wherein the plurality of fastening devices is coupled to the connecting edge proximate the outer peripheral edge thereof.",
    "17. The heat exchanger of claim 16, wherein the plenum comprises a flange having a peripheral edge portion configured to engage with a surface of the connecting edge proximate the inner peripheral edge thereof.",
    "18. The heat exchanger of claim 17 further comprising, a gasket disposed between the flange of the plenum and the connecting edge of the shell.",
    "19. The heat exchanger of claim 17, wherein the first end of the pivot arm defines a curved indentation configured to movably engage with the pivot pin and the second end of the pivot arm is configured to engage with the flange of the plenum, and wherein the locking device is configured to move the flange of the plenum towards the surface of the connecting edge using the pivot arm to achieve fluid tight connection between the shell and the plenum.",
    "20. The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein the pivot pin is removably coupled to the support member using a cotter pin."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates, in general, to fastening devices, and more specifically relates to a fastening device for coupling two ducts of a heat exchanger.\n\nAir handling applications, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), include units or devices for conditioning air such as air conditioners (AC), heat pumps, and furnaces for generating hot or cold air as per the requirement in a closed space. The conditioned air is routed through ductwork to facilitate cooling or heating of the closed space. The ductwork includes plenum boxes which are located on either side of a heat exchanger of the air handling unit(s). The plenum boxes are tightly coupled in fluid communication to a body of the heat exchanger using fastening members such as bolts and nuts or another known fastening method. One known method of coupling the plenum boxes with the heat exchanger is a stud weld method. In this method, a threaded stud is welded to the body of the heat exchanger and the plenum box is coupled to the heat exchanger using the threaded stud and nuts. However, the stud weld method is susceptible to failing prematurely due to thermal stress. Further, over-tightening due to operator error may also cause premature failure of the stud weld. Moreover, the stud weld method is unreliable and risky as the threaded stud could break if appropriate torque is not applied to the threaded stud while coupling the plenum box with the heat exchanger.\n\nAnother known method of coupling the plenum boxes with the heat exchanger uses bolts and nuts. A U-shape clamp may be attached to an outer circumference of the body of the heat exchanger.",
  "cpc": [
    "F24H 3/065",
    "F16B 2/10",
    "F16B 2/18",
    "F16B 5/121",
    "F28F 2275/146",
    "F28F 2275/20",
    "F28F 9/0219"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F16J 13/06",
    "F24H 3/06"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Rheem Manufacturing Co"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Arash Asl Jafari",
    "Miguel MENDOZA",
    "Babak Bagheri",
    "Christina Miller",
    "Aaron Abraham Weaver"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2023-01-20",
  "publication_date": "2025-05-13",
  "grant_date": "2025-05-13",
  "priority_date": "2022-01-28",
  "application_number": "US-202318099872-A",
  "family_id": "85477911",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US4157146A",
    "FR2593567A1",
    "US6401958B1",
    "EP3222957A1",
    "DE102019106201A1",
    "US20190285120A1"
  ]
}