Heat exchange – With external support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-09
2003-08-26
Bennett, Henry (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
With external support
C165S149000, C180S193000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06609558
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a device for fixing a first heat exchanger conduit on a second heat exchanger fluid reservoir, in particular for a motor vehicle.
Devices of this sort are already known, which are used, for example, for fixing an air conditioning condenser conduit on a motor vehicle engine cooling radiator fluid reservoir.
In such an application, the two heat exchangers are disposed in proximity to one another, so that one and the same air flow successively passes across the condenser body and the radiator body.
The condenser has passing through it a cooling or refrigerating fluid which enters in the vapour phase and emerges therefrom in the liquid phase after condensation by exchanging heat with the air flow.
In addition, the cooling radiator has passing through it a liquid used for cooling the engine, this liquid entering the radiator at high temperature and emerging therefrom at a lower temperature, after exchanging heat with the air flow.
Usually, the condenser is fixed on the cooling radiator, for example by appropriate fittings formed on the fluid reservoirs situated at the two ends of the radiator body.
The condenser has two conduits used respectively for the introduction and the evacuation of the cooling fluid.
Generally, provision is made to fix-at least one of these conduits on a fluid reservoir of the radiator by appropriate fixing means.
Until now this fixing has been accomplished with collars which are placed around the conduit and then fixed to the fluid reservoir by means of a screw which passes through the collar and engages in a blind hole made in a wall of the fluid reservoir.
However, this solution is not satisfactory since it requires a number of operations which are tricky and difficult to implement, notably on automated motor vehicle assembly lines.
Moreover there is always a risk of a collar being lost during assembly operations.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the invention is notably to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.
To that end, the invention proposes a fixing device, which has at least one fixing bracket formed integral with one of the conduit and the fluid reservoir and suitable for being fixed in a detachable manner on the other of the conduit and the fluid reservoir.
Thus, instead of using a collar added subsequently on to the fluid reservoir, at least one fixing bracket already formed integral with the conduit or with the fluid reservoir is utilized.
This results in not only a simplified assembly, but also eliminates any risk of loss of the fixing bracket.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the fixing bracket is moulded in one single piece with a wall of the fluid reservoir. This fixing bracket has an open part suitable for receiving the conduit.
Thus, assembly is simply accomplished by inserting the conduit into the open part of the fixing bracket. This fixing is performed quickly, without requiring any special tools.
Preferably, the open part of the fixing bracket has substantially a ‘C’ shape in order to allow force fitting of the conduit.
As a result, the this open part exerts a clamping action on the conduit, preventing it leaving the housing defined in the open part of the fixing bracket.
Advantageously, the open part of the fixing bracket has substantially the form of a cylindrical sleeve having a longitudinal opening.
The open part of the fixing bracket is advantageously connected to the wall of the fluid reservoir by two spaced wings.
This configuration allows easy moulding and removal from the mould by appropriate moulding techniques.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the fixing bracket is attached to a prominent region of the wall.
Advantageously, the fluid reservoir and the fixing bracket are moulded in one single piece from a thermoplastic material.
In another embodiment of the invention, the fixing bracket is welded to the conduit and may be fixed to a wall of the fluid reservoir by means of a fixing screw.
Thus the fixing of the bracket is performed simply with the help of a screw, with no risk of loss of the bracket on account of the bracket being integral with the conduit.
According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the fixing bracket has a first end welded to the conduit and a second end provided with a hole for the fixing screw to pass through.
Preferably, the first end has substantially a C shape adapted to the shape of the conduit and the second end is a continuation laterally of the C-shaped part.
The wall of the fluid reservoir is advantageously provided with a blind hole for receiving the fixing screw.
Advantageously, the wall forms part of a projection of the fluid reservoir.
In a preferential application of the invention, the conduit is intended to have a cooling fluid passing through it.
Thus, the first heat exchanger may be a condenser forming part of an air conditioning system, and the second heat exchanger a cooling radiator for an engine, in particular of a motor vehicle.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3833054 (1974-09-01), Gross et al.
patent: 4997033 (1991-03-01), Ghiani et al.
patent: 5127466 (1992-07-01), Ando
patent: 5429182 (1995-07-01), Hanafusa
patent: 5441100 (1995-08-01), Ueda et al.
patent: 5456089 (1995-10-01), O'brien
patent: 5570737 (1996-11-01), Tokutake
patent: 5657817 (1997-08-01), Heine et al.
patent: 5697431 (1997-12-01), Nagasaka
patent: 404353396 (1992-12-01), None
patent: 405045087 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 405087483 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 08327186 (1996-12-01), None
Bennett Henry
Duong Tho
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
Valeo Thermique Moteur
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