Gas hardening cell

Abstract

A cell for hardening steel parts by circulation of a gas in a tight enclosure, including at least one static aspirator for circulating the gas, the gas present at the inlet of the static aspirator being at a pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A cell ( 20 ) for hardening steel parts by circulation of a gas in a tight enclosure ( 23 ), including at least one static aspirator ( 26 ) for circulating the gas, the gas present at the inlet of the static aspirator ( 26 ) being at a pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure.  
     
     
         2 . The hardening cell of  claim 1 , wherein the gas fluid circulation in the enclosure ( 23 ) occurs in closed circuit except for a secondary air flow injected as an inductor fluid in the static aspirator ( 26 ).  
     
     
         3 . The hardening cell of  claim 2 , wherein the closed circuit circulation of the gas passes through cooling thermal exchange means ( 9 ).  
     
     
         4 . The hardening cell of  claim 2 , including means ( 51 ,  57 ,  58 ) for recycling the secondary inductor gas flow.  
     
     
         5 . The hardening cell of  claim 2 , wherein the inductor fluid is injected into the static aspirators ( 26 ) with a pressure ranging between 20 and 80 bars.  
     
     
         6 . The hardening cell of  claim 1 , including: 
 an air-tight enclosure ( 23 );    a cooling chamber ( 24 ) within said enclosure, intended for receiving a load ( 2 ) of steel parts to be cooled down;    a thermal exchange means ( 9 ) on the path of the flowing of a cooling gas between an external wall of the cooling chamber and an internal wall of the tight enclosure;    a plurality of gas static aspirators ( 26 ) in an upper wall of the processing chamber, the latter being opened in an opposite wall to evacuate the processing gas; and    inductor gas ducts ( 27 ′) under a pressure greater than the pressure of the gas contained in the enclosure.    
     
     
         7 . The hardening cell of  claim 6 , wherein the cell is associated with a compressor ( 27 ,  57 ) for injecting the inductor fluid into the static aspirators ( 26 ).  
     
     
         8 . The hardening cell of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is chosen from among nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, and air.