Heat exchange – Side-by-side tubular structures or tube sections – With manifold type header or header plate
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-17
2001-02-20
Flanigan, Allen (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Side-by-side tubular structures or tube sections
With manifold type header or header plate
C165S076000, C165S176000, C029S890052
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189606
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a fluid box/manifold assembly for a heat exchanger, in particular of a motor vehicle.
It applies to the various types of heat exchangers which may be encountered in a vehicle, whether these are the radiator for heating the passenger compartment, or the radiator for cooling the engine, the condenser of the air-conditioning circuit, or even the evaporator of the air-conditioning circuit.
These heat exchangers consist of a bundle of parallel tubes, provided with fins, carrying out the thermal exchange with the external medium. The tubes of the bundle are linked, at least at one of their ends, by an end unit defining the flow direction of the fluid in the various tubes and allowing the fluid to be introduced into the exchanger and to be extracted therefrom. In the majority of cases, the bundle is linked to two end units.
Each of the end units includes a metal manifold plate, or “hole plate”, into which the tubes of the bundle open out, these tubes being secured to this plate, for example by brazing, at the point where they open out. This plate, generally referred to as the “manifold”, is capped by a cover or “fluid box” so that the manifold and the box define a common volume into which the corresponding ends of the tubes open out, and through which the fluid enters and leaves as appropriate.
The fluid box is provided with connections to ducts for intake and collection of fluid. Its internal volume may be furthermore subdivided into a plurality of separate subvolumes allowing certain groups of tubes in the bundle to be joined together so as to define a predetermined configuration for fluid flow in the exchanger, with optionally several round trips of fluid in the tube bundle. Hence, an end unit therefore comprises at least one manifold and one fluid box which need to be assembled jointly.
Until now, the manifold and the fluid box have been formed by separate elements which then need to be assembled, either by a brazing technique or by a mechanical assembling technique.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a particular technique for manufacturing a fluid box/manifold assembly, which may also be referred to as the end unit, which is essentially applicable in the case of assembling by brazing. In particular, the invention aims to rationalise production by simplifying the assembling, standardising the elements and reducing the number of different parts to be assembled in order to make such an assembly or end unit.
For this purpose, the invention proposes a fluid box/manifold assembly, of the type defined in the introduction, which comprises at least one housing produced in a single piece by stamping a sheet metal and comprising:
a cap including a base which is linked to a peripheral wall delimiting an open face, and
a cover including a base which is provided with holes suitable for accommodating ends of tubes and is linked to a peripheral edge having a shape matching that of the peripheral wall of the cap,
the cap and the cover being linked by a strip of material constituting a fold line, so that the cap and the cover can be mutually brought together into an interlocking position in which the peripheral wall and the peripheral edge are interlocked in order to delimit an internal volume of the fluid box.
The fluid box/manifold assembly, or end unit, intended to be linked to one end of the tube bundle hence comprises at least one single-piece housing forming both the fluid box and the manifold and hence delimiting an internal volume of the fluid box.
In order to produce such an assembly, it is sufficient to stamp a sheet metal in order to form a cap and a cover which are joined by a strip of material, which can subsequently be folded so as to allow them to be mutually brought together. The cover is hence tilted into the interlocking position.
Optional, additional or alternative characteristics of the invention are listed below:
The peripheral wall of the cap and the peripheral edge of the cover are of quadrilateral overall shape, the strip of material linking two equivalent sides of the cap and of the cover.
The two equivalent sides of the cap and of the cover are longitudinal sides.
The two equivalent sides of the cap and of the cover are transverse sides.
In the interlocking position, the peripheral edge of the cover is surrounded by the peripheral wall of the cap;—in the interlocking position, the peripheral edge of the cover and the peripheral wall of the cap are secured by joint brazing.
The assembly is formed from an aluminium-based sheet metal.
The cap is provided with at least one orifice for intake or discharge of fluid.
The cap is completely closed, with the exception of its open face, so as to allow a reversal of the fluid direction.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a heat exchanger comprising a bundle of parallel tubes which are joined, at least at one of their ends, by a manifold capped by a fluid box closing the manifold in a leaktight fashion and defining with it at least one internal volume imposing predetermined flow directions of the fluid in the tubes of the bundle, the manifold and the fluid box comprising a manifold/fluid box assembly as defined previously.
The invention also relates to a method for producing an assembly as defined above, in which a single-piece housing including:
a cap including a base which is linked to a peripheral wall delimiting an open face, and
a cover including a base which is provided with holes suitable for accommodating ends of tubes and is linked to a peripheral edge having a shape matching that of the peripheral wall of the cap,
is produced by stamping a sheet metal,
one side of the said peripheral wall and one side of the said peripheral edge being arranged substantially in the same plane and being linked to each other by a strip of material,
and the cover is tilted relative to the cap about a fold line defined by the said strip of material so as to interlock the peripheral edge and the peripheral wall in one another.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3612264 (1971-10-01), Trunick
patent: 5390733 (1995-02-01), Young
patent: 55-112993 (1980-09-01), None
patent: 61-76890 (1986-04-01), None
Flanigan Allen
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
Valeo Climatisation
LandOfFree
Fluid box-manifold assembly for heat exchanger, in... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Fluid box-manifold assembly for heat exchanger, in..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Fluid box-manifold assembly for heat exchanger, in... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2599210