Heat exchange – Heating or cooling means in open communication with reservoir
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-30
2001-07-31
Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Heating or cooling means in open communication with reservoir
C165S110000, C165S174000, C062S509000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267173
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a collection box with an integrated reservoir for a heat exchanger.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is known to provide a refrigeration circuit comprising a condensor having a collection box, through which a refrigeration fluid flows, for example for an air conditioning installation of an automobile vehicle.
In a refrigeration circuit of this type, the refrigeration fluid in the superheated vapour phase is sent, by means of a compressor, to a condenser in which it is successively cooled or “de-superheated”, condensed into a warm liquid phase, then “under-cooled” to a cold liquid phase.
The refrigeration fluid, previously condensed and cooled, is then passed, through a pressure reducing valve, to an evaporator where it exchanges heat with a flow of air to be sent into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In the said evaporator, the refrigeration fluid is changed into the vapour phase whilst the flow of air is cooled to supply the conditioned air. The refrigeration fluid in the vapour phase leaves the evaporator to reach the compressor, and so on.
The condenser comprises in the usual manner a bundle of tubes equipped with fins and mounted between two collection boxes, one of which communicates with a reservoir.
In French patent application No. 96 03695, the applicant has suggested the use of a condenser with an integral reservoir, in which the collection box and the reservoir are delimited by the same casing. The latter comprises a cylindrical tubular wall and a separation wall disposed inside the tubular wall to delimit a collection compartment and a reservoir compartment, the tubular wall being equipped with spaced holes to receive the ends of the tubes of a bundle of tubes.
The separation wall is then slid longitudinally into the inside of the tubular wall and fixed to the latter by soldering to delimit the collection compartment and the reservoir compartment.
Recently, in French patent application No 97 00844, the applicant has suggested a different solution using a separation wall comprising a central core prolonged by a first edge region having an inwardly curved profile suitable for application against the inside of the tubular wall and for soldering to the latter and by a second edge region adapted to be introduced into a longitudinal slit in the tubular wall and to be soldered to the latter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention suggests yet another way in which to integrate the collection box and the reservoir in a common casing, in order to improve the operations of fitting and soldering of the separation partition to the inside of the tubular wall.
According to the present invention there is provided a collection box with an integrated reservoir for a heat exchanger, comprising a cylindrical tubular wall and a separation wall, disposed inside the tubular wall to delimit a collection compartment and a reservoir compartment, the tubular wall being equipped with spaced holes to receive the ends of tubes of a bundle of tubes, wherein the separation wall comprises a central core prolonged on either side by a first edge region and by a second edge region having profiles each designed and suitable to be applied and soldered against the inside of the tubular wall.
As a result the separation wall is fixed to the tubular wall by two edge regions having profiles adapted to the interior shape of the tubular wall, which makes possible a better fixing by soldering.
In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the tubular wall is a circular cylinder and the first and the second edge regions each have profiles like portions of a circular cylinder.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the tubular wall comprises a portion of a circular cylinder and at least one portion of a flat-sided cylinder whereas the first and the second edge regions have, respectively, the profile of part of a circular cylinder and the profile of part of a flat-sided cylinder.
Preferably, the tubular wall comprises two adjacent longitudinal border regions and one of the edge regions of the separation wall covers the two longitudinal border regions of the tubular wall.
In this manner a better joint and a better seal is ensured at the connection of the longitudinal border regions of the tubular wall.
The said longitudinal border regions may be either of the flush joint type, joined at their respective cut edges, or border regions folded towards the outside of the collection box and joined together.
The first and second edge regions of the separation wall may have many different shapes.
Usually, the first and the second edge region extend to substantially the same extent.
However, it is possible to make them extend to different extents.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second edge regions of the separation wall have adjacent respective longitudinal edges.
This results in a doubling of the tubular wall in the region common with the reservoir.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the central core of the separation wall comprises a part which is a portion of a circular cylinder.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a heat exchanger comprising a bundle of tubes positioned between a collection box as described above and another collection box.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5203407 (1993-04-01), Nagasaka
patent: 5537839 (1996-07-01), Burk et al.
patent: 5546761 (1996-08-01), Matsuo et al.
patent: 5586600 (1996-12-01), Cribari
patent: 5649588 (1997-07-01), Lee
patent: 5765633 (1998-06-01), Hu
patent: 3720483 A1 (1988-01-01), None
patent: 42 38 853 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 42 38 853A1 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 43 18 058 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 43 30 214 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 43 30 214A1 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 0 798 519 (1996-03-01), None
patent: 96 03695 (1996-03-01), None
patent: 2 735 851 (1996-12-01), None
patent: 9700844 (1997-01-01), None
Guerand Michel
Hu Zaiqian
Sabathie Pierre
Duong Tho Van
Lazarus Ira S.
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
Valeo Thermique Moteur
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