The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 28, 1997
Filed:
Jan. 24, 1996
Alan A Rattray, Alta Loma, CA (US);
Steven C Soloski, Manhattan Beach, CA (US);
Frithjof N Mastrup, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (US);
Hughes Electronics, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
An expander for a concentric pulse tube cooler. The inventive expander includes a central pulse tube; a concentric insulation tube disposed around the central pulse tube, the insulation tube having a concentric chamber therein and the chamber being filled with an insulator and the insulator being atmospheric; and a regenerator disposed around the concentric insulation tube. In a particular implementation, the insulator tube includes a vent which allows the insulation chamber to communicate with the surrounding atmosphere. When used in space, the chamber is filled with a void and the insulator becomes a vacuum and provides effective insulation at cryogenic temperatures. The inventive expander allows for an improved concentric pulse tube cooler design comprising a cold finger assembly disposed at a first end of the concentric pulse tube cooler; a heat exchanger assembly disposed at a second end of the concentric pulse tube cooler; and the pulse tube expander assembly of the present invention secured to the heat exchanger. The expander assembly comprising the central pulse tube; the concentric insulation tube disposed around the central pulse tube having the evacuated insulation chamber therein; and the regenerator disposed around the concentric insulation tube as set forth above.