Abstract:
A protective wrapping device adapted for shielding a condenser tube of a heat exchanger includes two shell walls configured to complementarily mate with each other and to wrap around the tube for heat removal and for preventing formation of water scale on the tube. A plurality of tightening members are disposed to secure the shell walls to the tube. When the tightening members are released from the shell walls, the shell walls can be detached from the tube for cleaning.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a protective wrapping device for shielding a condenser tube of a heat exchanger, more particularly to a protective wrapping device adapted for shielding removably the condenser tube of the heat exchanger which is used in an air conditioning system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional condenser for an air conditioning system is shown to include a zigzag condenser tube  1  for flow of a refrigerant therethrough, and a cooling tower  3  and a water collecting tank  4  which are disposed above and below the tube  1 . Water in the cooling tower  3  falls down for removal of heat of the tube  1  and is collected by the collecting tank  4 . Then, the water can be pumped into the cooling tower  3  for circulation. 
     Since water scales and the like, which are formed on the outer surface of the tube  1 , will affect adversely the water cooling operation, it is necessary to clean the tube  1  for removing the same. However, the cleaning operation is inconvenient to conduct because of the zigzag shape of the tube. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a protective wrapping device which can be applied to shield a condenser tube of a heat exchanger and which can be removed therefrom for cleaning, thereby prolonging the service life of the condenser tube. 
     According to this invention, the protective wrapping device includes complementary first and second shell walls made of a heat conductive material. The first shell wall has a first major wall portion which is elongated in an axial direction, which extends about an axis in the axial direction so as to be adapted to wrap around a first outer wall half of a condenser tube, and which terminates at two axially extending first edge surfaces that are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction transverse to the axial direction. The first major wall portion has first outer and inner wall surfaces which respectively extend about the axis and which are opposite to each other, and a plurality of first grooves which are formed in the first outer wall surface and which are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Each first groove extends about the axis and towards the two first edge surfaces. The second shell wall has a second major wall portion which is elongated in the axial direction, which extends about the axis so as to be adapted to wrap around a second outer wall half of the condenser tube, and which terminates at two axially extending second edge surfaces that are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction. Each second edge surface is configured to complementarily mate with a respective one of the first edge surfaces so as to define a receiving chamber between the first and second shell walls for receiving fittingly the condenser tube. The second major wall portion has second outer and inner wall surfaces which respectively extend about the axis and which are opposite to each other, and a plurality of second grooves which are formed in the second outer wall surface and which are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Each second groove extends about the axis and towards the second edge surfaces, and is registered with a respective one of the first grooves when the first and second shell walls mate with each other so as to bring the first and second grooves in a looped line. Each of a plurality of tightening members is inserted into a registered pair of the first and second grooves along the looped line to tighten the first and second shell walls to each other so as to secure the first and second shell walls to the condenser tube. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional condenser for an air conditioning system; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a protective wrapping device according to this invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing how two adjacent shielding members of the preferred embodiment are interconnected; and 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another preferred embodiment of this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of the protective wrapping device  100  according to the present invention is shown to comprise at least one shielding member  10  and a plurality of tightening members  20 . Each shielding member  10  includes complementary first and second shell walls  11 , 12  which are made of a heat conductive material, such as aluminum. 
     The first shell wall  11  has a first major wall portion  110  which is elongated in an axial direction, which extends about an axis in the axial direction so as to wrap around a first outer wall half of a condenser tube  200 , and which terminates at two axially extending first edge surfaces  115  that are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction transverse to the axial direction. The first major wall portion  110  has first outer and inner wall surfaces  119 , 111  which respectively extend about the axis and which are opposite to each other. A plurality of first grooves  113  are formed in the first outer wall surface  119  and are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Each first groove  113  is confined by two protrusions  112 , and extends about the axis to reach the two first edge surfaces  115 . In addition, a plurality of first cutting notches  114  are formed in the first outer wall surface  119  and are disposed transverse to the first grooves  113 , respectively. 
     The second shell wall  12  has a second major wall portion  120  which is elongated in the axial direction, which extends about the axis so as to wrap around a second outer wall half of the condenser tube  200 , and which terminates at two axially extending second edge surfaces  125  that are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction. The second major wall portion  120  has second outer and inner wall surfaces  129 , 121  which respectively extend about the axis and which are opposite to each other. A plurality of second grooves  123  are formed in the second outer wall surface  129  and are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Each second groove  123  is confined by two protrusions  122 , and extends about the axis to reach the two second edge surfaces  125 . A plurality of second cutting notches  124  are formed in the second outer wall surface  129  and are disposed transverse to the second grooves  123 , respectively. Each second edge surface  125  is configured to complementarily mate with the respective first edge surface  115  so as to define a receiving chamber between the first and second shell walls  11 , 12  for receiving fittingly the condenser tube  200 . Further, each second groove  123  is registered with the respective first groove  113  so as to bring the corresponding first and second grooves  113 , 123  in a looped line. 
     Each tightening member  20 , in this preferred embodiment, is a plastic tightening band, and is inserted into a registered pair of the first and second grooves  113 , 123  to surround the looped line. Two ends of the tightening band  20  can be tied to each other so as to tighten the first and second shell walls  11 , 12  to each other, thereby securing the same to the condenser tube  200 . 
     As such, the first and second shell walls  11 , 12  can be wrapped around the condenser tube  200  for protecting the condenser tube  200  from dust and for heat removal purposes. 
     Further, each first shell wall  11  has a first right end  116  in which one first groove  113  is formed, and a first left end  117  which is provided with a protrusion  118  that extends about the axis to reach the two first edge surfaces  115 . Thus, the protrusion  118  can be inserted into a corresponding first groove  113  in the first right end  116  of an adjacent first shell wall  11 . Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, each second shell wall  12  has a second right end  126  in which one second groove  123  is formed, and a second left end  127  which is provided with a protrusion  128  that extends about the axis to reach the two second edge surfaces  125 . Thus, the protrusion  128  can be inserted into a corresponding second groove  123  in the second right end  126  of an adjacent second shell wall  12 . 
     Preferably, the first and second edge surfaces  115 , 125  are inclined from the first and second inner wall surfaces  111 , 121  toward the first and second outer wall surfaces  119 , 129 , respectively, such that water condensate, which falls down due to gravity, can be prevented from penetrating between the first and second inner wall surfaces  111 , 121 . 
     When it is desired to remove the protective wrapping device  100  from the condenser tube  200  for cleaning the former, the tightening bands  20  can be cut by a cutting tool (not shown) extended through the cutting notches  114 , 124 . The first and second shell walls  11 , 12  can be easily removed and separated from each other. New tightening bands  20  can be used to tighten the first and second shell walls  11 , 12  once again to each other in order to secure the shell walls  11 , 12  to the condenser tube  200 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5, an alternative construction of the tightening member  20 ′ is shown to be in the form of a metal C-shaped ring which includes a jaw portion that is insertable into the respective first groove  113 . The jaw portion has two jaw ends  21 ′, 22 ′ which are biased toward each other in the transverse direction. Thus, when the jaw portion is inserted into the respective first groove  113 , the jaw ends  21 ′, 22 ′ extend respectively beyond the first edge surfaces  115  and abut firmly against the second outer wall surface  129  in the respective second groove  123 . 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.