Appeal No. 1997-3709
Application 08/582,034
sectional area than inlets 56 so as to choke or impede the
flow of air through the passageways. Soltis eliminates this
potential problem by increasing the circumferential dimension
of the air passageways with increasing distance from the
center of the rotor such that the cross-sectional area of the
air passageway outlets 54 is approximately equal to or greater
than the cross-sectional area of the air passageway inlets 54.
In this way, “a substantially constant or radially increasing
cross-sectional area of the air passageways may be maintained.
Thus, thermal balancing of the heat sink of the mounting
structure and good air flow through the radial air passageways
may both be achieved” (page 3, lines 9-14).
Figure 3 shows a first form of the Soltis invention
wherein the cross-sectional shape of the air passageways is
generally rectangular. Another form of the Soltis invention
is shown in Figure 4. Soltis explains the Figure 4 embodiment
as follows:
Referring now to Figure 4, . . . the second form
of rotor 60 includes . . . air passageways 66 having
a generally elliptical cross-section. The major
axes of the elliptical passageways 66 at the outer
surface of the rotor 60 are aligned
circumferentially about the periphery of the rotor
60. The major axes of the elliptical passageways 66
-13-
Page: Previous 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007