Heat exchange – Three non-communicating fluids
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-26
2001-07-31
Flanigan, Allen (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Three non-communicating fluids
C165S135000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267174
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application relates to and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 11-120372 filed on Apr. 27, 1999 and 2000-54426 filed on Feb. 25, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to heat exchangers, and particularly to a double heat exchanger having plural heat-exchange cores such as a condenser core of a refrigeration cycle and a radiator core for cooling engine coolant.
2. Related Art
JP-A-10-103893 discloses a double heat exchanger having a radiator and a condenser. A header tank of the radiator has plural protrusions each of which protrudes from an outer wall of a header tank of the radiator and contact an outer wall of a header tank of the condenser so that a gap is securely formed between the header tank of the condenser and the header tank of the radiator. As a result, heat transfer from the header tank of the radiator having a high temperature to the header tank of the condenser having a low temperature is restricted.
However, in the above-mentioned double heat exchanger, when the protrusions are brazed to the header tank of the condenser, melted brazing material flows to be collected at a contact portion between each of the protrusions and the header tank of the condenser by capillary action. Therefore, when a brazing process of the protrusions is completed, a size of each of the protrusions may be increased by the brazing material collected at the contact portion. As a result, an area of the contact portion through which heat is transferred from the header tank of the radiator to the header tank of the condenser is increased. Therefore, an amount of heat transferred from a core portion of the radiator to a core portion of the condenser may be increased, and a heat radiation performance of the core portion of the condenser may be declined.
Further, in the above-mentioned double heat exchanger, the protrusions are formed on the header tank of the radiator to be away from each other with an interval in a longitudinal direction of the header tank of the radiator. Therefore, when the header tank of the radiator is formed by extrusion or drawing to have an uniform cross-section along a whole length of the header tank of the radiator in the longitudinal direction thereof, it may be difficult to integrally form the protrusions with the header tank of the radiator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger having a plurality of heat-exchange core portions, which restricts a heat radiation performance of each of the heat-exchange core portions from declining.
According to the present invention, a heat exchanger through which air passes has a first core portion and a second core portion. The first core portion has a plurality of first tubes through which a first fluid flows and performs a heat exchange between the first fluid and air. The second core portion is arranged in line with the first core portion in an air-flow direction. The second core portion has a plurality of second tubes through which a second fluid flows and performs a heat exchange between the second fluid and air. A first tank is disposed at a flow-path end of the first tubes to extend in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first tubes and to communicate with the first tubes. A second tank is disposed at a flow-path end of the second tubes to extend in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the second tubes and to communicate with the second tubes. An open end of the first tank in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first tubes is closed by a first tank cap. The first tank cap has a protrusion protruding from the first tank cap toward the second tank and contacting the second tank to form a gap between the first tank and the second tank.
As a result, the gap is securely formed between the first tank and the second tank by the protrusion, and heat is transferred from the first tank to the second tank only through the protrusion. Therefore, heat is sufficiently restricted from being transferred from the first tank to the second tank, and a heat radiation performance of each of the first and second core portions is restricted from declining. Further, since the protrusion protrudes not from an outer wall of the first or second tank but from the first tank cap, the first tank is readily integrally formed by extrusion or drawing. Therefore, a mechanical strength of the first tank is increased and a manufacturing cost of the first tank is decreased.
Preferably, the first tank cap is clamped to the first tank by the protrusion. As a result, the protrusion is used as a clamping member for clamping the first tank cap to the first tank, and a manufacturing cost of the first tank is not increased.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5033540 (1991-07-01), Tategami et al.
patent: 5186243 (1993-02-01), Halstead
patent: 5657817 (1997-08-01), Heine et al.
patent: 6012512 (2000-01-01), Ghiani
patent: 2113819 (1983-08-01), None
patent: 1-247990 A1 (1989-10-01), None
patent: 8-86588 (1996-04-01), None
patent: 9-273889 (1997-10-01), None
patent: 10-103893 (1998-04-01), None
Ozaki Tatsuo
Sakane Takaaki
Sasano Norihisa
Denso Corporation
Flanigan Allen
Harness Dickey & Pierce PLC
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