Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Heat exchanger
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-14
2003-03-11
Vidovich, Gregory M. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Heat exchanger
C029S726000, C029S03300H, C029S03300H, C029S890047
Reexamination Certificate
active
06530144
ABSTRACT:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from applications for AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR INSERTING HAIR PINS OF HEAT EXCHANGER earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Oct. 27, 1999 and there duly assigned Serial No. 46842/1999, and for AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR INSERTING HAIR PINS OF HEAT EXCHANGER earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Nov. 29, 1999 and there duly assigned Serial No. 53475/1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatic assembling a heat exchanger, and more particularly to an apparatus for automatic assembling a plurality of hair pins and a plurality of flat plat fins of a heat exchanger.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A plurality of flat plate fins and a plurality of hair pins are used for a heat exchanger. The flat plate fins are spaced-apart from each other by a predetermined distance to allow air to pass between the spaced-apart flat plate fins. The air becomes cool or heated during passing through a space between the spaced-apart flat plate fins. A plurality of hair pins are inserted into a plurality of holes formed on the flat plate fins. Coolant flowing through the hair pins affects the heat energy of the spaced-apart flat plate fins. Heat energy is transferred between the air and the flat plate fins. In order to insert the hair pins into the holes of the spaced-apart flat plate fins, all of the holes are arranged to fit the hair pins and disposed to accommodate the insertion of the hair pins during assembling the hair pins and the spaced-apart flat plate fins. However, it is very difficult to assemble hair pins and the flat plate fins because of misalignment of the holes and the flat plate fins. Hair pins are bent and dented while being inserted into the misaligned holes of the flat plate fins. The deformation of the hair pins affects the flow of the coolant flowing through the hair pins and lowers the efficiency of the heat exchange.
In conventionally assembling of a heat exchanger as shown in
FIG. 1
, first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
are arranged in parallel and spaced apart by a first predetermined interval at both sides of heat exchanger. A plurality of flat plate fins
12
are disposed between first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
, arranged in parallel, and spaced-apart from each other by a second predetermined interval to allow an air flow to be formed between spaced-apart flat plate fins
12
. A plurality of hair pins
14
are arranged in a perpendicular direction of planes of first side panel
10
a
, flat plate fins
12
and the second side panel
10
b
and inserted into corresponding holes
18
formed on first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
and flat plate fins
12
. Hair pins
14
coupled to first side panel
10
a
, flat plate fins
12
and the second side panel
10
b
as one assembly support the assembly. Coolant flows through the hair pins after a plurality of return bends
16
are coupled to a corresponding pairs of hair pins
14
and sealed with each opening
14
a
formed at both ends of hair pins
14
.
In order to assemble hair pin tubes
14
(i.e., “hair pins”
14
) and flat plate fins
12
, holes
18
formed on the plane surfaces of first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
and flat plate fins
12
are arranged and aligned in predetermined height and interval for allowing a pair of openings
14
a
of hair pins
14
to be inserted into a pair of holes
18
. In addition, because each of a plurality of hair pins
14
is shaped with a bent portion
14
b
in the middle of the total length of hair pin
14
, straight portions
14
c
of hair pin
14
should be kept in parallel. The distance between openings
14
a
should be same as the distance between end portions
16
a
of return bends
16
in order to precisely connect end portions
16
a
of return bends
16
to openings
14
a
of hair pin
14
after hair pin
14
has been inserted through holes
18
of first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
and flat plate fins
12
. The hair pins
14
, however, are deformed after being assembled with first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
and flat plate fins
12
because of the lack of the accurate and precise alignment of the first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
and flat plate fins
12
.
Reference numeral
20
indicates a plurality of moving units used for arranging first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
and a plurality of flat plate fins
12
in a predetermined interval and carrying and locating first and second edge panels
10
a
and
10
b
and a plurality of flat plate fins
12
on a following assembling line, and manually assembling hair pins
14
and first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
and a plurality of flat plate fins
12
. Each of moving units
20
includes a block
22
like a holding knob and a pair of insertion rods
24
symmetrically fixed in a predetermined interval at one side of the block
22
. Moving units
20
are temporarily inserted through holes
18
in order to carry first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
and a plurality of flat plate fins
12
to the assembling line. Moving units
20
are separately manufactured and assembled temporarily through holes
18
. When a predetermined number of hair pins
14
are inserted through holes
18
of the flat plate fins
12
, moving units
20
are removed from the flat plate fins
12
. A pair of hair pins are inserted into holes into which moving units
20
have been manually inserted and from which moving units
20
has been manually removed.
The conventional method of manually inserting hair pins
14
into first and second side panels
10
a
and
10
b
and flat plate fins
12
causes the inefficiency of the assembling process and prevents a mass production of the heat exchanger. Furthermore, an internal diameter of holes
18
and an external diameter of opening
14
a
of hair pins
14
are rubbed against each other during manually inserting hair pin
14
into holes
18
to cause opening
14
a
to be deformed and the diameter of opening
14
a
to be changed. Therefore, the diameters of hair pin
14
does not become uniformed, and the opening
14
a
of hair pins
14
does not fit each of return bends
16
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus suitable to a mass production and an automatic assembly of a heat exchanger.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to automatically and simultaneously assemble a plurality of flat plate fins and a plurality of hair pins.
It is yet another object to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to align flat plate fins and hair pins.
It is still another object to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to prevent deformation of hair pins during insertion of hair pin into holes formed on flat plate fins. It is a further object to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to maintain hair pins without being dented and bent during assembly of hair pins and the flat plate fins.
It is also object to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to prevent the deterioration of the coolant flow and lowering the efficiency of heat exchange.
These and other objects may be achieved by providing a heat exchanger assembling apparatus including a working station on which a heat exchanger with first and second edge panels and a plurality of flat plate fins is seated, a heat exchanger clamp unit installed at both sides of the heat exchanger for clamping both sides of the heat exchanger placed on the working station, a hair pin guiding unit located at one side of the heat exchanger and in a predetermined distance from one side of the working station and having a plurality of guiding rods being inserted through a plurality of holes formed on the flat plate fins and protruding from the other side of the heat exchanger th
Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Nguyen T.
Vidovich Gregory M.
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