Heat exchange – With external support
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-22
2001-11-20
Flanigan, Allen (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
With external support
C165S149000, C165S121000, C180S068400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318450
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to air conditioning and ventilation systems in general, and specifically to a fastener free mounting for automotive heat exchangers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The front end of a typical automotive vehicle contains at least one, and usually a pair of heat exchangers. An engine cooling system radiator, with large, plastic side tanks, is mounted between a pair of structural automotive body side rails, generally isolated therefrom by rubber pads to absorb vibrations. The large molded plastic tanks provide a convenient foundation to which other structure can be fixed, once the radiator itself is fixed in place. At a minimum, a cooling fan support structure is mounted to the rear of the radiator, fastened to the back of the radiator side tanks generally with threaded fasteners. When the vehicle also has an air conditioning system condenser, that is typically mounted to the front of the radiator tanks, in similar fashion, also with separate fasteners. An example of such a mounting scheme may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,080. Systems are known in which the number of fasteners is minimized by using integral hooks molded into and onto the radiator tanks, into which special brackets on the condenser and fan support are slide fitted. While the number of fasteners is minimized, the necessity of providing dedicated mounting brackets, especially on heat exchanger tanks, is a considerable expense. Brackets must either be separately welded to a tank, or integrally manufactured with the tank, as part of a continuous extrusion, in which case extra extruded material must be cut away to leave a discrete bracket. Either alternative requires additional manufacturing steps and expense, to create structure that is extraneous to the basic structure of the heat exchanger itself.
A relatively recent trend is the so called modularization of automotive components, in which more and more separate components are integrated into larger structures at the component plant level, which can then be installed more quickly and inexpensively at the assembly plant level. All areas have been affected, including the vehicle “front end”. Various front end module designs found in the prior art generally show a basic box like structure, fixed to the front end of the vehicle just behind the front bumper or grill, or even forming an integral part of the front end structure of the vehicle body. The various heat exchangers and fans are shown mounted to or within the “box,” but often with no detail as to exactly how the installation would take place. Other designs, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,554 and co assigned patent application Ser. No. 09/299,504 clearly indicate that the heat exchanger mounting would be basically conventional, that is, using the same dedicated brackets and separate threaded fasteners used to mount heat exchangers in older, non modularized designs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a system for mounting heat exchangers that requires no separate fasteners and no dedicated brackets or features on the heat exchangers. Instead, the standard structural features of the heat exchangers are used, without modification, in cooperation with special features that are integrally manufactured with and into the basic structural framework of the module itself.
In the preferred embodiment disclosed, a conventional radiator and condenser are manufactured each as a basic four sided frame, with manifold tanks on the sides and core reinforcements at the top and bottom. The core reinforcements are typically elongated metal channels, attached at their left and right ends to the top and bottom ends of the manifold tanks to create a solid, four sided framework. No special brackets or the like are formed on either the manifold tanks or the core reinforcements of either the radiator or the condenser.
The basic module foundation consists of a box like structure within which a cooling fan or fans is contained. The box is formed of one or more sections of molded plastic or composite material, to which it is possible to integrally mold attachment features at both the top and bottom edges at both the front and rear rectangular openings in the module. These coact with the core reinforcements of the heat exchangers to physically attach them without separate fasteners. Specifically, continuous, close fitting troughs are provided at the bottom edges of the module into which the lower core reinforcements of each heat exchanger can be seated. Along the top edges, flexible capture features allow the top core reinforcements to be snap fitted into the module after the bottom reinforcements are seated. The end result is a secure fastening of each heat exchanger to the front and rear of the module. Part count is absolutely minimized, and the system is essentially self sealing as well as easily adaptable to various heat exchanger core widths and depths.
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Delphi Technologies Inc.
Flanigan Allen
Griffin Patrick M.
LandOfFree
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