Patent ID: 9574694
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: F16L

Claim:
1. An evaporator cuff for use with a pipe freezer apparatus, the evaporator cuff comprising: a hose connector with a first cavity and a return channel; an evaporator body attached to the hose connector, the evaporator body including an inner wall having a contour that defines a portion of a cylinder and configured to engage the outer surface of a pipe, an outer wall spaced apart from the inner wall, first and second side walls connecting the outer wall to the inner wall, and first and second end walls connecting the outer wall to the inner wall, a chamber is defined between the inner wall, outer wall, first and second side walls, and first and second end walls, an evaporator inlet is formed in the evaporator body and is in fluid communication with the first cavity of the hose connector, and an evaporator outlet is formed in the evaporator body and is in fluid communication with the return channel of the hose connector; and a plurality of baffles are located in the chamber and arranged to define a series of conduits for creating a flow path through the chamber for refrigerant to flow along, the walls arranged so as to form a serpentine flow path from the evaporator inlet to the evaporator outlet, wherein the plurality of baffles includes: a first baffle formed between the inner wall and the outer wall and attached to the end wall, the first baffle creating a first conduit from the evaporator inlet in a direction away from the evaporator outlet so as to inhibit refrigerant entering the first conduit from passing directly into the evaporator outlet, the first baffle extending toward the first side wall and defining a first opening for providing a passage for refrigerant to flow out of the first conduit; a second baffle located inward from the first side wall and extending from the first baffle the second end wall, the second baffle defining a second conduit that extends along the front of the evaporator to the opposite side of the evaporator chamber from the evaporator inlet, the second baffle defining a second opening for providing a passage for refrigerant to flow out of the second conduit; and a third baffle located inward from the second end wall and extending away from the second baffle and toward the second side wall so as to define a third conduit, the third baffle defines a third opening for providing a passage for refrigerant to flow out of the third conduit.