Cooling device which can be fitted onto a remote manipulation arm and its utilization for an operation in a hostile medium at a high temperature
First Claim
1. Device for cooling, by circulation of a coolant gas, a jointed manipulation arm (10) comprising rigid sections (12, 14, 16) connected by joints, each section comprising a rigid tubular structure defining an external wall of said section, said device including a rigid vessel (37, 38, 39) fixedly mounted around the external wall of a rigid section, and connected to a high-pressure coolant gas source (50), said vessel (37, 38, 39) comprising a high-pressure chamber (92) and a low-pressure chamber (94) connected together by pressure-reduction means (102) for said gas, said high-pressure chamber (92) having an intake opening (98) for high-pressure gas and said low-pressure chamber (94) having a discharge opening (100) for low-pressure gas outside said low-pressure chamber, said high-pressure and low-pressure chambers (92, 94) being substantially annular and coaxial so as to define an internal chamber (92) surrounding said external wall of said rigid section (12, 14, 16) and an external chamber (94) surrounding the internal chamber (92).
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The remote manipulation arm includes rigid sections (12, 14, 16) kept at a temperature adapted to their operation by a device comprising a vessel (37, 38, 39) surrounding each rigid section (12, 14, 16) and connected to a high-pressure coolant gas source. The vessel comprises two chambers (92, 94), respectively at high and low pressure, connected together by a discharge hole (102) for the gas. The rigid sections (12, 14, 16) are linked together by joints surrounded by bellows seals (40, 42) supplied by coolant gas from the low-pressure chamber (94) of a vessel (37, 38, 39) adjacent to the bellows seal. The gas circulates in a closed circuit comprising the chambers (92, 94) and the bellows seals (40, 42), absorbing the heat propagated through the remote manipulation arm.
8 Citations
21 Claims
- 1. Device for cooling, by circulation of a coolant gas, a jointed manipulation arm (10) comprising rigid sections (12, 14, 16) connected by joints, each section comprising a rigid tubular structure defining an external wall of said section, said device including a rigid vessel (37, 38, 39) fixedly mounted around the external wall of a rigid section, and connected to a high-pressure coolant gas source (50), said vessel (37, 38, 39) comprising a high-pressure chamber (92) and a low-pressure chamber (94) connected together by pressure-reduction means (102) for said gas, said high-pressure chamber (92) having an intake opening (98) for high-pressure gas and said low-pressure chamber (94) having a discharge opening (100) for low-pressure gas outside said low-pressure chamber, said high-pressure and low-pressure chambers (92, 94) being substantially annular and coaxial so as to define an internal chamber (92) surrounding said external wall of said rigid section (12, 14, 16) and an external chamber (94) surrounding the internal chamber (92).
Specification