Patents
US 12631389 B2: High efficiency cold finger
- Granted
- 2026-05-19
- Filed
- 2023-08-01 application 18363042
- Type
- Utility · 20 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
Thermal energy transmission from a cryocooler cold finger is enhanced by means of a high thermal conductivity material used for or placed adjacent the cold finger end cap. In addition, the actual or effective surface area contacted by the working gas proximate the endcap is increased, thereby increasing the convective heat transfer coefficient. These features permit the coolest gas expansion space in the cold finger to be provided within the highly thermally conductive end cap, unlike many conventional designs in which the cold finger of low thermally conductive metal forms the expansion space side walls and the endcap forms only the axially facing outer surface in contact with the cooled equipment. Having the expansion space built into the high thermally conductive end cap reduces the temperature drop between the load to be cooled and the gas (e.g., helium), thus increasing the thermodynamic cycle efficiency.
Source: PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-19 (ipgb20260519.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L3Harris Technologies, Inc. 160 patents | US company or organization | Melbourne, FL | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-19 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Max Styonavich | Loveland, OH | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-19 | ||
| Christopher Barton | Cincinnati, OH | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-19 | ||
| Vincent Lieu | Maineville, OH | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-19 | ||
| Uri Bin-Nun | Westford, MA | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-19 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| F25D | Refrigerators; cold rooms; ice-boxes; cooling or freezing apparatus not otherwise provided for | F25D19/006 | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-19 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-19 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. signed 2026-02-18 | L3HARRIS CINCINNATI ELECTRONICS CORPORATION MASON, OH | 73831/408 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2023-08-01 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | STYONAVICH, STEPHEN MAX signed 2023-07-26 BARTON, CHRISTOPHER signed 2023-07-31 LIEU, VINCENT signed 2023-07-26 BIN-NUN, URI signed 2023-07-26 | L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. MELBOURNE, FL | 64446/176 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.