Method and apparatus for heat treating material

(19)

(11)

EP 1 316 622 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	14.07.2004 Bulletin 2004/29

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	04.06.2003 Bulletin 2003/23

(21)	Application number: 02258205.0

(22)	Date of filing: 28.11.2002

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: C21D 1/667, C21D 9/00, C21D 1/613, F27B 5/16

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SK TR
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)

Priority:

29.11.2001 US 683185

(71)	Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
	Hartford, CT 06101 (US)

(72)	Inventors:
	Rabinovich, Albert West Hartford, CT 06107 (US) Ward, William J. Jr. Marlborough, CT 06447 (US)

(74)	Representative: Leckey, David H.
	Frank B. Dehn & Co., 179 Queen Victoria Street London EV4V 4EL London EV4V 4EL (GB)

(54)	Method and apparatus for heat treating material

(57) An apparatus 100 for quenching a material F includes a support 107 for receiving the material; and an outlet 131 adjacent the support 107 for impinging a fluid against a first section of the material. The apparatus 100 increases a cooling rate of the first section relative to a cooling rate of a second section of the material, preferably minimizing a differential between the cooling rate of the first section and the cooling rate of the second section.

Search report