Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
PORTABLE LIQUID FUEL VAPORIZER
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to vaporizing liquid-phase fuels.
In particular,
the present invention relates to vaporizing liquid propane to gaseous propane
to be used in a
portable torch especially during cold temperatures.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Many gas-operated tools require an ample amount of gas under a
certain
pressure to function properly. One such tool is a portable propane torch used
to produce a
flame at the end of the torch and apply heat to a surface. The necessary
pressure required
will be determined by the heat output requirements of the torch for a
specified use.
[0003] The pressure of the gaseous propane within a tank is a function
of the ambient
temperature surrounding the tank. Therefore, when the ambient temperature
drops below a
certain temperature, the pressure of the gas within the tank will be
insufficient to provide the
torch with the necessary amount of gas to produce the necessary heat.
[0004] Using liquid propane can reduce the inconveniences of using
gaseous propane
because liquid propane vaporizes at approximately -45 Fahrenheit whereas
gaseous propane
at -45 Fahrenheit will provide little pressure. Conventional liquid vaporizers
are meant to be
stationary and are not adapted to be portable or used over a large range of
ambient
temperatures.
[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a portable device which can
vaporize liquid-
phase fuels to be used under ambient conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] One object of the present is to ameliorate at least some of the
inconveniences
of the prior art.
[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides a vaporizer for
heating a liquid-
phase fuel, the vaporizer comprising a reservoir having a least one wall for
containing a
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liquid; a heat-conducting fluid within the reservoir; a heating core extending
into the
reservoir such that the heating core is in fluid contact with the heat-
conducting fluid, the
heating core having and inlet through which the liquid-phase fuel will flow
and an outlet
through which the vaporized liquid-phase fuel will flow; a heating passage
having at least one
open end, the heating passage extending at least partially within the
reservoir such that at
least a portion of an exterior surface of the heating passage is in fluid
contact with the heat-
conducting fluid; a heat source, the heat source communicating with the open
end of the
heating passage to heat the heating passage, the heat conducting fluid and the
liquid-phase
fuel within the heating core to vaporize the liquid-phase fuel within the
heating core.
[0008] In some implementations, the heating passage further comprises a
thin-walled
hollow tube.
[0009] In some implementations, the heat source is a burner producing
a flame,
wherein the flame is directed into the heating passage.
[0010] In some implementations, the heating passage further comprises
a first end
having a first opening, the flame being directed into the first opening of the
heating passage.
[0011] In some implementations, the burner is placed adjacent the
first opening of the
heating passage such that the flame is completely surrounded by heating
passage.
[0012] In some implementations, the heating passage further comprises
a second end
having a second opening, the second opening passing through the reservoir such
that exhaust
created by the flame is exhaust to the atmosphere.
[0013] In some implementations, the heating core further comprises a
thin-walled
tube, the first end fluidly connected to a liquid-phase fuel source and the
second end fluidly
connected to a utility tool.
[0014] In some implementations, wherein the thin-walled tube of the
heating core
extends into the reservoir in the shape of a spiral.
[0015] In some implementations, the heating core further comprises a
flange
connected to the reservoir, the first and second ends of the heating core
connected to the
flange such that the liquid-phase fuel passes through the flange into the
heating core.
[0016] In some implementations, the heating core flange further
comprises an
aperture through which the heat-conducting fluid is poured into the reservoir.
[0017] In some implementations, the vaporizer further comprises a
first hose, the first
hose having a first end fluidly connected to the second end of the heating
core and a second
end connected to the burner.
[0018] In some implementations, the vaporizer further comprises a
second hose, the
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second hose having a first end connected to the second end of the heating core
and a second
end connected to the utility tool.
[0019] In some implementations, the vaporizer further comprises a
splitter, the splitter
having at least one inlet and at least two outlets, the at least one inlet
fluidly connected to the
second end of the heating core and a first one of the at least two outlets
fluidly connected to
the burner and a second one of the at least two outlets connected to the
utility tool.
[0020] In some implementations, the splitter further comprised a third
outlet, the third
outlet fluidly connected to a second utility tool.
[0021] In some implementations, the heating core is removably fixed to
the reservoir.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] For a better understanding of the present technology, as well
as other aspects
and further features thereof, reference is made to the following description
which is to be
used in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:
[0023] Figure 1 is a front plan view of the vaporizer of the present
implementation;
[0024] Figure 2 is an isometric view of various components of the
vaporizer of the
present implementation where several components of the vaporizer have been
removed for
clarity;
[0025] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the heating core of the
vaporizer of the
present implementation;
[0026] Figure 4 is a view from the right rear side of a second
implementation of the
liquid fuel vaporizer;
[0027] Figure 5 is a front view of the vaporizer of the second
implementation with a
control panel cover in an open position;
[0028] Figure 6 is a front view of a connection plate of the vaporizer of
the second
implementation;
[0029] Figure 7 is a top plan view of a reservoir and connection plate
in isolation with
the heating core removed from the reservoir of the second implementation;
[0030] Figure 8 is a top plan view of the heating core and hoses
including a check
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valve and reducer of a third implementation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031]
Although the present technology is described below with respect to a utility
torch using a portable liquid propane vaporizer it is contemplated that
aspects of the present
technology could be applied to vaporize other natural gases to supply other
tools including,
but not limited to boilers and grills.
[0032] With
reference to figure 1, a vaporizer 2 is connected to one or more tools
such as utility torches 4 via hoses 6. A splitter 8, having one or more inlets
10 and one or
more outlets 12, distributes the gas from the vaporizer 2 to the utility
torches 4 and connects
to vaporizer 2 via hose 22. It is contemplated that splitter 8 could be
replaced with multiple
hoses receiving gas directly from vaporizer 2.
[0033] Hose
14 connects splitter 8 to a burner 18 to provide burner 18 with gas to
produce a flame 20 which will be described in more detail below.
[0034] To provide burner 18 with the gas under the necessary pressure, a
regulator 16
is provided between the splitter 8 and the burner 18. In
the present implementation,
regulator 16 will regulate the flow of gas to 0.5 PSI (pounds per square inch)
to the burner 18.
[0035] To
supply liquid-phase fuel to vaporizer 2, a tank 26 of the liquid-phase fuel is
connected to the vaporizer 2 via hose 24. A regulator 28 regulates the
pressure of the liquid-
phase fuel from the tank 26 to obtain the desired pressure for which the
vaporizer 2 is
designed. In the present implementation, regulator 28 will regulate the
pressure between 40
PSI to 100 PSI to correspond to the operating pressures of the utility torches
4. To prevent
any reverse flow of liquid or gaseous phase fuel toward the tank 26, a one-way
valve or check
valve 25 can be added to the hose 24. Such a valve can be obtained from RegO
Product
Manufacturing. Valve 25 could be placed upstream or downstream of the
regulator 28.
Downstream from valve 25 is a security valve 27. Security valve 27 ensures
that the pressure
or the flow amount of the liquid-phase fuel within the hose 24 does not exceed
a
predetermined value. The predetermined value could be a function of one of the
components
of the vaporizer 2 such as hoses 6, 14 or 24 or reservoir 30 for example. In
the present
implementation, security valve 27 is set to limit the amount of liquid-phase
fuel through the
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security valve to approximately 25 GPM (gallons per minute) but other
limitations are
contemplated. It is also contemplated that valve 27 could be used to open and
expel liquid or
gaseous fuel within the hose 24 to the atmosphere when the pressure reaches
approximately
350 PSI, but other limits are contemplated. It is further contemplated that
the order of the
.. regulator 28, check valve 25 and security valve 27 along hose 14 could be
other than that
shown in figures 1 and 2.
[0036] With reference to figure 2, protective housing 3 and insulating
material 5
surrounding reservoir 30, both shown in Figure 1, have been removed for
clarity. Vaporizer
2 includes reservoir 30 for containing a heat conducting fluid or the like. In
the present
implementation, reservoir 30 has a spherical base portion 33 with a
cylindrical upper portion
34. Cylindrical upper portion 34 further includes a flange 36 used to seal
reservoir 30 with
heating core 38 described in more detail below. It is contemplated that
reservoir 30 could be
any suitable shape.
[0037] Reservoir 30 is filled with a fluid such as water or a water
and propylene
glycol mixture. It is contemplated that any material suitable for transferring
heat could be
used such as liquids, gels, fibers and the like. In the present
implementation, reservoir 30 is
filled with 50-50 mixture of water and propylene glycol which is suitable for
using the
vaporizer in ambient temperatures below the freezing temperature of water.
[0038] Passing through and within reservoir 30 is a heating passage
40. Heating
passage 40 has a first opening or inlet 42 and a second opening or outlet 44.
Between first
and second openings 42 and 44, heating passage 40 extends inside the reservoir
30 such that a
surface 46 of the heating passage 40 is in contact with the water-glycol
mixture 32 or its
equivalent.
[0039] In the present implementation, heating passage 40 is a metallic
u-shaped thin-
walled tube inserted into reservoir 30 such that first end 50 and second end
52 of the heating
passage 40 pass through openings 48 in the reservoir 30 and can be surrounded
by the water-
glycol mixture 32 within the reservoir 30. To prevent any liquid from leaking
between
reservoir 30 and heating passage 40, heating passage 40 is sealed to reservoir
30 by welding
or any suitable manner. Where a solid material is used for the heat transfer
material, it is
contemplated that reservoir 30 and heating passage 40 may not need to be
sealed together.
[0040] While the present implementation uses a heating passage 40
inserted within
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reservoir 30, it is contemplated that heating passage 40 could be integrally
made via
extensions of, or integral with, the wall(s) of the reservoir 30. It is also
contemplated that
heating passage 40 could have ends that extend outside the reservoir 30 or be
flush with the
walls of the reservoir 30.
[0041] Placed near the first opening 42 of the heating passage 40 is the
burner 18
used to create a flame 20. A pilot flame 19 is placed near the burner 18 which
serves as an
ignition source for burner 18. Pilot flame 19 can be kept permanently alight
to ignite burner
18 whenever the gas source through hose 14 is opened. Flame 20 is directed
into the heating
passage 40 and generates heat which flows through heating passage 40 which in
turn heats
the walls of heating passage 40. As mentioned above, heating passage 40 is
constructed of
metal such as carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminum which will allow an
efficient heat
transfer into the water-glycol liquid or other heating material. Introducing
heat directly into
the reservoir 30 through the heating passage 40 increases the efficiency of
the heat transfer to
the water-glycol mixture 32 surrounding the heating passage 40 which maintains
the
temperature of the water-glycol mixture 32 at the desired temperature using
the minimum
amount of gas for the burner 18. The present implementation also has flame 20
within the
heating passage 40 and as such is not in contact with the exterior surface of
the reservoir 30
thus there is no open flame as is found in many conventional vaporizers.
Burner 18 is
oriented such that flame 20 shoots into heating passage 40 and heating passage
40
substantially completely surrounds flame 20 and a portion of the burner 18 in
a radial
direction of the heating passage 40.
[0042] Because of the portable nature of the present implementation,
it is beneficial
that no open flame is exposed to the surrounding components such as tank 26 if
placed near
vaporizer 2. The exterior surface 46 of the heating passage 40 creates a very
large contact
area for the water-glycol mixture 32 to receive heat from a single
concentrated burner
creating a very efficient and safe heat transfer system.
[0043] Although the present implementation illustrates a u-shaped heat
passage 40, it
is contemplated that heating passage 40 could be of any size and shape. It is
further
contemplated that heating passage 40 could have a spiral shape such as that of
the heating
core 38, to increase its surface area in contact with the water-glycol mixture
to further
enhance the heat transfer and ensure a maximum use of the heat generated by
the burner 18.
It is also contemplated that the cross section between inlet 42 and outlet 44
could vary.
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[0044]
Exhaust such as carbon monoxide created by burner 18 are expelled to the
atmosphere through second opening 44. To further increase the efficiency of
the heating
passage 40, it is contemplated that interior surface 87 of heating passage 40
could include
protrusions 88 or dimple-like formations, which effectively increase the
surface area of the
heating passage 40 thus increases the heat transfer between the heat generated
by burner 18
and the water-glycol mixture 32.
[0045] To
further increase the efficiency of the vaporizer 2 when used in ambient
temperatures near or below freezing, the reservoir 30 is surrounded by the
insulation material
5 such as a fireproof insulation from Rockwoole. Insulating material 5 is held
in place
between the protective housing 3 and the reservoir 30. Protective housing 3 of
the present
implementation is constructed of aluminum to prevent against corrosion because
the
vaporizer 2 will be used outside thus exposed to many different forms of
precipitation during
its use. Because of the portability of vaporizer 2, protective housing 3 also
serves to protect
the internal components of vaporizer 2.
[0046] Burner 18 receives gas from splitter 8 through hose 14. To reduce
the
pressure of the gas received at burner 18, a regulator 16 is placed along hose
14 which
reduces the pressure of the gas to a suitable pressure for burner 18, which,
in the present
implementation is approximately 0.5 psi.
[0047] While
the present implementation illustrates burner 18 receiving gas from tank
26 including a liquid-phase fuel which will be vaporized through vaporizer 2,
it is
contemplated that a separate tank of gaseous fuel could be connected directly
to burner 18
and pilot flame 19. With
reference to figure 8, it is also contemplated that a reducer 190
could be placed between the vaporizer 2 and the burner 18. Reducer 190 creates
a section of
reduced diameter flowing into the hose 14 which will help any liquid-phase
fuel exiting
vaporizer 2 via splitter 8 to vaporize, if not already done so, before flowing
through the
regulator 16. Introducing liquid-phase fuel instead of gaseous fuel to
regulator 16 may cause
the regulator to not function as intended as regulator 16 is intended to
regulate a gas. When
not using a separate tank of gaseous fuel for pilot flame 19 and or burner 18,
it is possible that
upon the initial lighting of pilot flame 19 and or burner 18, the liquid-phase
fuel passing
through the vaporizer 2 will not reach the temperature that will cause some,
if any at all, of
the liquid-phase fuel to vaporize to a gas because the temperature of the
water-glycol
mixture, heating passage 40 etc. are all at an ambient temperature that is
less than that
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required to vaporize the liquid-phase fuel. As mentioned above, reducer 190
will reduce the
amount of any liquid-phase fuel passing through the reducer 190 and this will
help vaporize it
before it reaches the regulator 16. The amount of gaseous fuel required for
torches 4 is much
greater than that of burner 18 and pilot flame 19 thus reducing the volume of
such flowing
toward burner 18 and pilot flame 19 will not have a negative effect on the
functioning of
torches 4. It is also contemplated that a hose with a different inner diameter
than that of hose
14 could be used to achieve similar results.
[0048] With reference to figures 2 and 3, a heating core 38 is show
within the
reservoir 30. Heating core 38 is fluidly connected to the tank 26 to receive
the liquid-phase
fuel therein. With reference to figure 3, heating core 38 has been shown in
isolation. To
removably connect heating core 38 to reservoir 30, heating core 38 includes a
flange 54
having several apertures 66 passing therethrough. Best shown in figure 2,
apertures 66 in
flange 54 align with apertures 37 in reservoir flange 36 to connect heating
core 38 to the
reservoir 30 and seal the water-glycol mixture within the reservoir 30. A seal
70 is placed
between flanges 36 and 54 to ensure a liquid tight connection. In the present
implementation,
heating core 38 is removable from reservoir 30 in the event heating tube 58
requires
inspection and or maintenance.
[0049] Heating core 38 further includes an inner core 56 extending
from flange 54
which provides support for the spiral-shaped heating tube 58. Inner core 56
includes several
apertures 71 such that the water glycol mixture 32 can easily flow around the
heating core 38.
In the present implementation, inner core 56 is hollow and cylindrical in
cross section, it is
contemplated that the inner core 56 could be any suitable cross section or
even omitted in the
case heating tube 58 does not need supporting.
[0050] Heating tube 58 is constructed of a thin-walled tube,
preferably of a material
which efficiently allows the heat from the water-glycol mixture to pass
therethrough into the
liquid-phase fuel passing within. Metals such as steel and aluminum are
suitable, but others
are contemplated.
[0051] Heating tube 58 has a first inlet end 60 passing through flange
54 through
which the liquid-phase fuel enters the heating tube 58. Heating tube 58
extends into reservoir
30 by spiraling around the inner core 56 then returns toward flange 54 to an
outlet end 62
through flange 54. The length of heating tube 58 will be determined by the
heat transfer
necessary for the liquid-phase fuel to be vaporized into a gaseous fuel. A
person skilled in
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the art would recognize that the rating of the burner, the heating passage
shape and material,
the heating liquid, and the size and shape of the heating tube will all
influence the amount of
liquid-phase fuel which can be effectively vaporized through vaporizer 2. Such
a person
skilled in the art would recognize which materials to use and in which
portions in order to
obtain desired results with respect to the exterior ambient temperature.
[0052] Best seen in figure 2, heating core flange 54 is fixed to
flange 36 via several
fasteners 68 such that the liquid-phase fuel inlet 60 is extending outside the
reservoir 30 to be
connected to tank 26 via the hose 24 and regulator 28. Gaseous fuel outlet 60
is also shown
extending outside reservoir 30 connecting to splitter 8 via hose 22. It is
contemplated that
hoses 22 and 24 could be replaced with a manifold connected directly to flange
54 and hoses
6 and 14.
[0053] To determine the level of the water-glycol within reservoir 30,
a liquid level
sight glass 72 is placed within an upper portion of the reservoir 30. To fill
or remove the
water-glycol mixture from the reservoir 30, a cap 74 is inserted into aperture
64, best shown
in figure 3, which is used to fill the reservoir 30.
[0054] A second security valve 76 is sealing inserted through the wall
of the reservoir
30. Security valve 76 is calibrated to open when the pressure or temperature
within reservoir
30 exceeds predetermined amounts. In the present implementation, valve 76 is
set to open at
a pressure of 5 psi or a water-glycol temperature of 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
[0055] To visually see the temperature of the water-glycol mixture 32 while
using the
vaporizer 2, a dial-type temperature gauge 78 is installed to reservoir 30.
The temperature
gauge 78 has a probe 80 that extends within the reservoir 30 and in contact
with the water-
glycol mixture 32. In the present implementation, probe 80 passes through an
opening (not
shown) within flange 54 and is sealed such that no liquids will escape. It is
contemplated that
temperature gauge 78 could be installed elsewhere on reservoir 30. It is also
contemplated
that a digital gauge could be used thus probe 80 and the digital gauge could
be provided at
different places for convenience.
[0056] Burner 18 is equipped with a dial 86 which allows the user to
determine at
what temperature the water-glycol mixture 32 is to be maintained. A
temperature sensor 84
is connected to the burner 18 so that the temperature of the water-glycol
mixture 32 is
supplied to the burner 18.
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[0057] As mentioned above, the pressure of a liquid-phase fuel or a
gaseous fuel
within a tank such as tank 26, will depend on the ambient temperature
surrounding the tank.
As the ambient temperature drops, so does the pressure of the fuel within the
tank. If the
ambient temperature surrounding tank 26 drops below a predetermined
temperature, the
pressure of the liquid-phase fuel will not be enough to operate torches 4 once
the liquid-phase
fuel has been vaporized by the vaporizer 2. At or below this temperature, a
heating element
89 is placed around the tank 26 to increase the temperature surrounding the
tank 26 thus
maintain a certain pressure within the tank 26. In the present implementation,
a minimum of
45 PSI to 65 PSI is desired for the torches 4 to function properly.
[0058] Heating element 89 is shown as an electric tank heater such as a
Powerblanket GCW420. It is contemplated that any suitable tank heater could
be used
which includes electric or otherwise.
[0059] Figures 4 to 7 illustrate a second implementation of a
vaporizer 100. Elements
of the vaporizer 100 that are similar to those of the vaporizer 2 retain the
same reference
numerals. With reference to figure 4, vaporizer 100 includes an exterior frame
102
comprised of metallic tubing which provides additional protection to the
vaporizer 100 as it is
being transported around a construction site or from one site to another. To
help in
transporting the vaporizer 100, a set of wheels 104 are been mounted to the
frame 102. To
transport the vaporizer 100, it is contemplated that a user will tilt the
vaporizer 100 about the
axis of wheels 126 using a handle 128 formed with frame 102 until the
vaporizer is balanced
on the wheels 104 and can be pushed or pulled in a forward or backward
direction. Frame
102 surrounds and connects to the protective housing 3 of the vaporizer 100.
One or more
legs 108 are placed along frame 102 in front of the wheels 104 such that once
in contact with
the ground, the vaporizer is substantially parallel with the ground. Frame 102
further
comprises a pivotable front portion 130. Front frame portion 130 can be
pivoted to be
parallel with the ground to be used as a work bench or the like. Also seen in
Figure 4 is hose
14 which serves to connect the burner 18 to the splitter 8.
[0060] Turning now to Figures 5 and 6, vaporizer 100 is shown with an
access cover
114 in an opened position to access dial 86 which controls flame 20 of the
burner 18.
Security valve 76 and regulator 16 are also found under access cover 114. Best
shown in
Figure 6, heating passage 40 extends through mounting plate 124 such that
openings 42 and
44 are directed toward cover 114. Mounting plate 124 supports a heat deflector
116 shown in
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Figure 5. Mounting plate 124 is fixed to the reservoir 30 using one or more
rivets 136 or
other suitable methods of attachment and will be described in more detail
below. Heat
deflector 116 is connected to the mounting plate 124 such that heat is
deflected away from
the regulator 16 and dial 86 toward holes 118 in access cover 114 to direct
the flow of
exhaust from the burner 18 to the atmosphere.
[0061] Also shown in Figure 6 is fitting 122 for the temperature
sensor 84. Fitting
122 extends through an opening in the mounting plate 124 of the reservoir 30.
The openings
in the reservoir 30 through which the fittings 120 and 122 extend will be
sealed with an
adhesive, welding or other suitable means to prevent the water-glycol mixture
from leaking
around the fittings and from the reservoir 30. With reference to Figure 7,
fitting 122 can been
seen passing through the wall of the reservoir 30 to open inside reservoir 30.
Best seen in
Figure 6, fitting 122 includes threads 138 into which the temperature sensor
84 is threaded to
create a liquid-tight fitting.
[0062] With respect to Figure 7, reservoir 30 and mounting plate 124
are shown in
isolation. Heating core 38 as shown in Figures 2 and 3 have been removed from
the reservoir
30 for illustrative purposes. Flange 36 surrounds opening 140 in reservoir 30
through which
heating core 38 will pass and be fixed thereto. As mentioned above with
vaporizer 2, flange
54 of the heating core 38 is bolted to flange 36 using several fasteners 68
passing through
apertures 37 in flanges 36 and 54. A suitable seal can be provided between
flanges 36 and 54
to obtain a liquid-tight connection.
[0063] Heating passage 40 is seen extending into reservoir 30 in a u-
shaped structure
which will partially surround the heating core 38 once installed into the
reservoir 30. As
described above with respect to vaporizer 2, surface 46 of the heating passage
40 will be in
contact with the water-glycol mixture that will fill reservoir 30 during
operation. The thin-
walled structure of the heating passage 40 allows an efficient heat transfer
from the flame 20
to the water-glycol mixture such as to transfer the heat to the heating tube
58 thus to the
liquid-phase fuel therein.
[0064] Modifications and improvements to the above-described
implementations of
the present may become apparent to those skilled in the art. The foregoing
description is
intended to be exemplary rather than limiting. The scope of the present is
therefore intended
to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.
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