Appeal No. 1997-3709
Application 08/582,034
presence of the at least one step is to promote heat
exchange between the ventilation air and the
rotating member. The result of this is, therefore,
a poorer flow, but, as has been noted, paradoxically
better cooling, this being the main purpose of the
channels. [Column 1, lines 20-34.]
Herbulot discloses several embodiments of the invention.
In Figures 1-5, the ventilation channel is divided into three
portions. Referring to Figures 3 and 5, radially innermost
portion 19 is elliptical in cross-section and has a major axis
of dimension D oriented axially, intermediate portion 20 is
circular in cross-section and has a diameter D, and radially
outermost portion 21 is elliptical in cross-section and has a
minor axis of dimension D oriented axially. The result is a
longitudinally divided channel having abrupt discontinuities
22 and 23 of bi-lunular form. As can be seen in Figure 5,
each of the portions 19, 20 and 21 have a common center
axially extending dimension D.
In Figure 6, an alternative form of the invention is
disclosed which is similar to that of Figures 1-5 except that
instead of having circular or elliptical cross-sections, the
portions 19, 20 and 21 “have a polygonal cross-section, for
example hexagonal, as illustrated in FIG. 6, but this could
-6-
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