Patent ID: 8157266
Filing Date: 2012-04-17
Classification: F28D

Abstract:
1. A seal assembly for use in a regenerative heat exchanger having a housing and a heat exchanging body disposed within the housing, one or both of the heat exchanging body and housing configured to rotate about an axis, the seal assembly configured to contact the housing during operation of the regenerative heat exchanger to substantially seal a hot gas conduit from a cold air conduit, the seal assembly comprising: a sealing member comprising a planar mounting base and a flexible portion with a contact edge at a distal end of the sealing member, the contact edge configured to resiliently contact a sector plate of the housing when the sealing member is mounted to the heat exchanging body via the mounting base; and a curvilinear support comprising a planar mounting section and a curved extended portion distal of the mounting section, the curved extended portion having a predetermined curvature that defines a gap between the sealing member and the curvilinear support, the mounting section defining a plane tangential to the curved extended portion at a proximal end of the curved extended portion, the curved extended portion extending gradually away from said plane and configured to gradually come into contact with the flexible portion as flexion of the flexible portion is increased thereby decreasing a dimension of the gap between the sealing member and the curvilinear support, the mounting section overlapping with the mounting base such that the mounting section and mounting base are generally coextensive; and a second member comprising a mounting portion and a cantilevered portion distal of the mounting portion, the second member having a different shape than the curvilinear support, the cantilevered portion having a front face configured to face airflow and gas flow during operation of the regenerative heat exchanger and a rear face with a generally concave shape that faces the flexible portion of the sealing member and defines a gap therebetween, the mounting portion attachable to the mounting base and mounting section such that the mounting portion overlaps and is generally coextensive with the mounting base and the mounting section, the mounting base disposed between the mounting section and mounting portion, wherein the curved extended portion gradually comes into contact with the flexible portion as flexion of the flexible portion increases, thereby gradually moving a flex point of the flexible portion toward the contact edge and gradually increasing a spring constant of the flexible portion.