Corrugated fin assembly

Abstract

The apparatus is an assembly of cooling fins attached to pipes or heat pipes. The fins are formed into a corrugated configuration of troughs and peaks with large sections of the peaks removed to permit air flow along the depths of the troughs as well as along the lengths of the troughs. Holes are also formed into the fins to accept and grip a pipe or heat pipe. The preferred embodiment has holes surrounded by split collars formed into each fin, with the collars aligned to accept and grip the pipe.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A fin assembly comprising a corrugated sheet having alternating peaks and troughs in which portions of said peaks are removed to permit air flow in the direction of the depths of the troughs.  
     
     
         2 . The fin assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said fins include at least one hole to hold a pipe.  
     
     
         3 . The fin assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said portions of said peaks are removed from a flat sheet before said flat sheet is folded so as to form said corrugated sheet.  
     
     
         4 . A fin assembly comprising a corrugated fin assembly including a plurality of fins with a split collar formed on each fin, said collar being expanded by and holding a pipe which passes through said fins.  
     
     
         5 . The fin assembly according to  claim 4  wherein said split collars are formed in a flat sheet before said flat sheet is folded to form said corrugated fin assembly.  
     
     
         6 . The fin assembly according to  claim 5  wherein said split collars include a central hole and at least two radially extending slits so that said split collars are formed by pushing a pipe through said central holes so as to expand that portion of said flat sheet extending between said slit adjacent to said hole.  
     
     
         7 . A method for fabricating a fin assembly, comprising: 
 (A) providing a length of fin material, the fin material capable of being formed into a corrugated assembly of parallel spaced fins defining peaks at a top surface and defining corresponding troughs at a bottom surface with air channels created by the parallel spaced fins, the peaks and troughs each including a central section bounded by a pair of end sections;    (B) removing a portion of said central section of at least some of said peaks so as to form top surface slots in said corrugated fin material;    (C) removing a part of said central section of at least some of said troughs so as to form bottom surface slots in said corrugated fin material; and    (D) permitting airflow through said top and bottom surface slots in a direction substantially perpendicular to existing air flow through said air channels when said fin material is formed into said corrugated assembly of parallel spaced fins.    
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7  further comprising forming a plurality of uniformly spaced apertures in the length of said fin material.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8  further comprising spacing said plurality of uniformly spaced apertures to define a straight aperture alignment capable of receiving a pipe through said apertures in said fin material when said fin material is formed into said corrugated assembly.  
     
     
         10 . A fin assembly comprising: 
 a length of fin material, said fin material being capable of being formed into a corrugated assembly of parallel spaced fins defining peaks at a top surface and defining corresponding troughs at a bottom surface with air channels created by the parallel spaced fins, said peaks and troughs each including a central section bounded by a pair of end sections;    means for removing a part of said central section of at least some of said peaks to form top surface slots in said corrugated fin material;    means for removing a part of said central section of at least some of said troughs to form bottom surface slots in said corrugated fin material, whereby air flow is permitted through said top and bottom surface slots in a direction substantially perpendicular to existing air flow through said air channels when said fin material is formed into said corrugated assembly of parallel spaced fins.    
     
     
         11 . A fin assembly according to  claim 10  further comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced apertures in said length of fin material.  
     
     
         12 . A fin assembly according to  claim 11  further comprising means for spacing said plurality of uniformly spaced apertures to define a straight aperture alignment capable of receiving a pipe device through said apertures in said fin material when said fin material is formed into said corrugated assembly.  
     
     
         13 . A fin assembly according to  claim 10  wherein said top surface slots and said bottom surface slots are formed in said fin material before said fin material is corrugated.  
     
     
         14 . A process for transferring heat which comprises incorporating into a heated structure the fin assembly of  claim 10  and transferring heat from the heated structure by inserting the heated structure through said plurality of uniformly spaced apertures to generate natural convection in said fin assembly.  
     
     
         15 . A fin assembly comprising: 
 a sheet of metal folded so as to form a plurality of alternating peaks and troughs with a wall extending between each of said peaks and troughs so as to define a plurality of fins wherein a central portion of each of said peaks is removed to form a through-opening that is bounded by spaced-apart straps of said sheet metal so as to permit air flow parallel to said troughs; and wherein each of said fins define a hole and at least two slits extending radially from said hole and through a portion of said fin so that when a pipe is inserted through said hole a portion of said fin projects outwardly in the direction of movement of said pipe.    
     
     
         16 . A fin assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said pipe penetrates each said fin and is held in thermal contact with each fin by a that portion of said fin that projects outwardly in the direction of movement of said pipe.  
     
     
         17 . A fin assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said straps are portions of said peaks and maintain a selected fin to fin spacing.  
     
     
         18 . A fin assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said holes are substantially coaxial to one another.  
     
     
         19 . A fin assembly according to  claim 18  wherein said hole is centrally located in each fin and said slit comprises a cruciform shape.  
     
     
         20 . A fin assembly according to  claim 19  wherein when said pipe penetrates said holes, the material of said fin that defines said cruciform slits deforms outwardly so as to create a plurality of gripping fingers that engage said pipe.  
     
     
         21 . A fin assembly according to  claim 19  wherein said holes and slits form a split collar.  
     
     
         22 . A fin assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said straps are substantially flat.  
     
     
         23 . A fin assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said straps are substantially rounded.  
     
     
         24 . A fin assembly comprising: 
 a sheet of metal folded so as to form a plurality of alternating peaks and troughs with a wall extending between each of said peaks and troughs so as to define a plurality of fins wherein a central portion of each of said peaks is removed to form a through-opening that is bounded by spaced-apart straps of said sheet metal so as to permit air flow parallel to said troughs; and wherein each of said fins define a hole and at least two slits extending radially from said hole and through a portion of said fin and having a plurality of concentric preformed bend-lines positioned radially outwardly from said hole so that when a pipe is inserted through said hole a portion of said fin bends along at least one of said concentric bend-lines and projects outwardly in the direction of movement of said pipe.    
     
     
         25 . A fin assembly comprising: 
 a sheet of metal folded so as to form a plurality of alternating peaks and troughs with a wall extending between each of said peaks and troughs so as to define a plurality of fins wherein a central portion of each of said peaks is removed to form a through-opening that is bounded by spaced-apart straps of said sheet metal so as to permit air flow parallel to said troughs; and wherein each of said fins define an open ended slot extending through a portion of said fin and sized so as to accept a pipe.    
     
     
         26 . A fin assembly according to  claim 25  comprising an opening defined within each of said fins and located at an end of said slot.  
     
     
         27 . A fin assembly according to  claim 25  wherein said plurality of fins define a plurality of axially aligned slots so as to form a receptacle-passageway through said fin assembly.