Column packing and method for manufacturing the same

• US 6,538,225 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2000
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tadayoshi Nagaoka
• Original Assignee: Tadayoshi Nagaoka
• Inventors: Nagaoka, Tadayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elve, M. Alexandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCHENRY, KEVIN L
• Application Number:
  US09/512,410
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 219/56, 219/58, 261/94, 555/25, 555/00
• US Class Current: 219/58
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/452 characterised by elements provided with orifices or interstitial spaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/32 Packing elements in the form of grids or built-up elements for forming a unit or module inside the apparatus for mass or heat transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/3221 Corrugated sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/32213 Plurality of essentially parallel sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/32286 Grids or lattices
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/32408 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/32483 Plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/328 Manufacturing aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/3306 Dimensions or size aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B21F 27/10 with soldered or welded crossings resistance spot welding machines for manufacturing of metallic grids or mats B23K11/008
• CPC Class Codes: B21F 27/18 of meshed work for filters or sieves

Abstract

First line element made of, e.g., wire and second line elements made of, e.g., wire are disposed so that they cross each other and they are welded together at crossing points to form a net. The net is pressed to form an undulating net. An undulating net of a first layer and an undulating net of a second layer are laid one upon the other in such a manner that crossing points of the undulating net of the first layer alternately come into contact with and are separated from crossing points of the undulating net of the second layer. The crossing points which are in contact with each other are welded together by a welding machine. Subsequently, undulating nets of a third to n-th layers are similarly processed to form a three-dimensional net-like structure.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being formed by disposing a plurality of unit structures in vertical and horizontal directions, each of said unit structures being a combination of two quadruple pyramids having a common base and apexes which are directed in opposite directions, said apexes of the two quadruple pyramids and joints of two horizontally adjacent ones of said quadruple pyramids being formed by converging and dispersion of four line elements each of which is made of a wire or twine, and each of said line elements extending from the top of the packing to the bottom of the packing, said method comprising steps of:

(A) disposing first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a first direction on a plane and second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a second direction which is different from the first direction on the same plane in such a manner that the first line elements cross the second line elements at a desired angle and the first and second line elements are laid one upon the other;

(B) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at crossing points thereof and thereby forming a net;

(C) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at alternate ones of the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction and thereby forming an undulating net;

(D) laying a second layer of the undulating net upon a first layer of the undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the first layer of the undulating net alternately come into contact with and separate from the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the second layer of the undulating net and thereafter fixing together the crossing points of the first layer of the undulating net and the second layer of the undulating net which are in contact with each other; and

(E) laying a third layer of the undulating net upon the second layer of the undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the second layer of the undulating net alternately come into contact with and separate from the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the third layer of the undulating net and thereafter fixing together the crossing points of the second layer of the undulating net and the third layer of the undulating net which are in contact with each other; and

thereafter superposing a fourth, a fifth . . . and n-th, wherein n is any integer, layer of the undulating nets in the same manner and fixing together the crossing points of the respective layers of the undulating nets and the immediately lower layers of the undulating nets which are in contact with each other.

2. A method for manufacturing a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being formed by disposing a plurality of unit structures in vertical and horizontal directions, each of said unit structures being a combination of two triangular pyramids having a common base and apexes which are directed in opposite directions, said apexes of the two triangular pyramids and joints of two horizontally adjacent ones of said triangular pyramids being formed by converging and dispersion of three line elements each of which is made of a wire or twine, and each of said line elements extending from the top of the packing to the bottom of the packing, said method comprising:

(A) a step of forming a first undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c);

(a) disposing first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a first direction on a plane and second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a second direction which is different from the first direction on the same plane in such a manner that the first line elements cross the second line elements at a desired angle and are superposed one upon the other;

(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at crossing points thereof and thereby forming a net; and

(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions and thereby forming a first undulating net in such a manner that one of the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction constitutes a crossing point of the lowest level in forming of a unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lowest level constitutes a crossing point of a lower side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lower side middle level constitutes a crossing point of an upper side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the upper side middle level constitutes a crossing point of the lower side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lower side middle level constitutes a crossing point of the lowest level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and subsequent crossing points constitute crossing points of the respective levels in the above cycle in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure;

(B) a step of forming a second undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c);

(a) disposing

first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the first direction on a plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in a third direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the first direction, the third direction, the second direction and the third direction, and

second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the second direction on the plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the third direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the second direction, the third direction, the first direction and the third direction

in such a manner that the first line elements and the second line elements cross each other at the desired angle in their portions extending in the first or second direction at positions corresponding to the crossing points of the upper side middle level of the first undulating net and extend jointly one being laid upon the other in their portions extending in the third direction;

(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at the respective crossing points thereof and also at joining points and separating points of their portions extending in the third direction and thereby forming a net; and

(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at the respective crossing points and also at middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction and thereby constitute the upper side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and thereby forming a second undulating net;

(C) a step of forming a third undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c);

(a) disposing

first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the third direction on a plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the third direction, the second direction, the third direction and the first direction, and

second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the third direction on the plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the third direction, first direction, the third direction and the second direction

in such a manner that the first line elements and the second line elements cross each other at the desired angle in their portions extending in the first or second direction at positions corresponding to middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net and extend jointly one being laid upon the other in their portions extending in the third direction;

(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at the crossing points thereof and also at joining points and separating points of their portions extending in the third direction and thereby forming a net; and

(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at the respective joining and separating points of the portions extending in the third direction and thereby constitute the highest level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and thereby forming a third undulating net;

(D) a step of laying the second undulating net upon the first undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points of the second undulating net come into contact with the crossing points of the upper middle level of the first undulating net, the joining points and the separating points of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net come into contact with the crossing points of the lower middle level of the first undulating net, and the undulating bulging portions at the middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net are separated from the crossing points of the lowest level of the first undulating net and form the upper middle level of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure;

(E) a step of laying the third undulating net upon the second undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points of the third undulating net come into contact with the undulating bulging portions at the middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net, the portions extending in the third direction of the third undulating net come into contact, at their middle positions, with the crossing points of the second undulating net, and the undulating bulging portions at the joining points and the separating points of the portions extending in the third direction of the third undulating net are separated from the second undulating net and form the highest level of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure; and

(F) a step of fixing the first undulating net, the second undulating net and the third undulating net together at necessary points among points of contact thereof.

3. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film formed by disposing a plurality of unit structures in vertical and horizontal directions, each of said unit structures being a combination of two quadruple pyramids having a common base and apexes which are directed in opposite directions, said apexes of the two quadruple pyramids and joints of two horizontally adjacent ones of said quadruple pyramids being formed by converging and dispersion of four line elements each of which is made of a wire or twine, and each of said line elements extending from the top of the three-dimensional net-like structure to the bottom of the three-dimensional net-like structure, said method comprising steps of:

(A) disposing first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a first direction on a plane and second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a second direction which is different from the first direction on the same plane in such a manner that the first line elements cross the second line elements at a desired angle and the first and second line elements are laid one upon the other;

(B) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at crossing points thereof and thereby forming a net;

(C) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at alternate ones of the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction and thereby forming an undulating net;

(D) laying a second layer of the undulating net upon a first layer of the undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the first layer of the undulating net alternately come into contact with and separate from the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the second layer of the undulating net and thereafter fixing together the crossing points of the first layer of the undulating net and the second layer of the undulating net which are in contact with each other; and

(E) laying a third layer of the undulating net upon the second layer of the undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the second layer of the undulating net alternately come into contact with and separate from the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the third layer of the undulating net and thereafter fixing together the crossing points of the second layer of the undulating net and the third layer of the undulating net which are in contact with each other; and

thereafter superposing a fourth, a fifth . . . and n-th (n being any integer) layer of the undulating nets in the same manner and fixing together the crossing points of the respective layers of the undulating nets and the immediately lower layers of the undulating nets which are in contact with each other.

4. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film formed by disposing a plurality of unit structures in vertical and horizontal directions, each of said unit structures being a combination of two triangular pyramids having a common base and apexes which are directed in opposite directions, said apexes of the two triangular pyramids and joints of two horizontally adjacent ones of said triangular pyramids being formed by converging and dispersion of three line elements each of which is made of a wire or twine, and each of said line elements extending from the top of the three-dimensional net-like structure to the bottom of the three-dimensional net-like structure, said method comprising:

(A) a step of forming a first undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c);

(a) disposing first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a first direction on a plane and second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a second direction which is different from the first direction on the same plane in such a manner that the first line elements cross the second line elements at a desired angle and are superposed one upon the other;

(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at crossing points thereof and thereby forming a net; and

(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions and thereby forming a first undulating net in such a manner that one of the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction constitutes a crossing point of the lowest level in forming of a unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lowest level constitutes a crossing point of a lower side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lower side middle level constitutes a crossing point of an upper side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the upper side middle level constitutes a crossing point of the lower side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lower side middle level constitutes a crossing point of the lowest level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and subsequent crossing points constitute crossing points of the respective levels in the above cycle in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure;

(B) a step of forming a second undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c);

(a) disposing

first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the first direction on a plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in a third direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the first direction, the third direction, the second direction and the third direction, and

second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the second direction on the plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the third direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the second direction, the third direction, the first direction and the third direction

in such a manner that the first line elements and the second line elements cross each other at the desired angle in their portions extending in the first or second direction at positions corresponding to the crossing points of the upper side middle level of the first undulating net and extend jointly one being laid upon the other in their portions extending in the third direction;

(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at the respective crossing points thereof and also at joining points and separating points of their portions extending in the third direction and thereby forming a net; and

(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at the respective crossing points and also at middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction and thereby constitute the upper side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and thereby forming a second undulating net;

(C) a step of forming a third undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c);

(a) disposing

first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the third direction on a plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the third direction, the second direction, the third direction and the first direction, and

second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the third direction on the plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the third direction, first direction, the third direction and the second direction

in such a manner that the first line elements and the second line elements cross each other at the desired angle in their portions extending in the first or second direction at positions corresponding to middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net and extend jointly one being laid upon the other in their portions extending in the third direction;

(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at the crossing points thereof and also at joining points and separating points of their portions extending in the third direction and thereby forming a net; and

(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at the respective joining and separating points of the portions extending in the third direction and thereby constitute the highest level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and thereby forming a third undulating net;

(D) a step of laying the second undulating net upon the first undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points of the second undulating net come into contact with the crossing points of the upper middle level of the first undulating net, the joining points and the separating points of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net come into contact with the crossing points of the lower middle level of the first undulating net, and the undulating bulging portions at the middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net are separated from the crossing points of the lowest level of the first undulating net and form the upper middle level of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure;

(E) a step of laying the third undulating net upon the second undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points of the third undulating net come into contact with the undulating bulging portions at the middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net, the portions extending in the third direction of the third undulating net come into contact, at their middle positions, with the crossing points of the second undulating net, and the undulating bulging portions at the joining points and the separating points of the portions extending in the third direction of the third undulating net are separated from the second undulating net and form the highest level of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure; and

(F) a step of fixing the first undulating net, the second undulating net and the third undulating net together at necessary points among points of contact thereof.