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:
May. 04, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 05, 1997
William James Buchanan, Olcott, NY (US);
Siegfried A Wasse, Grand Island, NY (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A method for producing a cylindrical automotive condenser manifold tank (28) provides a regularly spaced series of tube insertion slots (66) located entirely externally to the original outer surface of the blank (34) from which the tank (28) is formed. In addition, the slots (66) are provided by a peripheral bulge (54) that provides a lead in surface and support shelf for the ends (24) of the flat flow tubes (22). The blank (34) is hydroformed between a pair of dies (42, 44) designed to create the desired external surface features, while preserving the round inner surface of the blank (34) without an internal support mandrel.