Heat exchange – Side-by-side tubular structures or tube sections – With manifold type header or header plate
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-01
2001-06-26
Leo, Leonard (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Side-by-side tubular structures or tube sections
With manifold type header or header plate
C165S140000, C165S149000, C165S153000, C165S173000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250381
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, and more specifically, it relates to a heat exchanger that is ideal in application as a radiator for vehicles.
BACKGROUND ART
The heat exchanger for vehicles disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. H1-61582 is achieved by forming a heat exchanger for engine cooling water, a heat exchanger for air conditioning and other heat exchangers as an integrated unit, with each heat exchanger provided with a core constituted of a plurality of tubes and fins secured in contact with the tubes and a tube plate that covers the ends of tubes belonging to two cores collectively. In addition, a groove is formed at the circumferential edge of the tube plate, and the bottom portion of the tank main body constituted of a synthetic resin is fitted and fastened through calking at the groove.
The radiator illustrated in FIG.
23
(
a
) is a so-called down-flow radiator and assumes a structure similar to that described above. In more specific terms, this radiator
100
is provided with tank main bodies
102
and
103
constituted of a synthetic resin and disposed at the top and the bottom of a core main body
101
constituted of tubes
104
and fms
105
both constituted of aluminum alloy. As shown in FIG.
23
(
b
), the tank main bodies
102
and
103
each have a flange portion
108
which is fitted via an o-ring at a groove
107
formed at the periphery of an end plate
106
to which ends of the tubes
104
are mounted and the tank main bodies
102
and
103
are each further fastened by using calking tabs
109
formed over specific intervals at the circumferential edge of the end plate
106
.
It is to be noted that in FIG.
23
(
a
) illustrating the radiator
100
, reference number
110
indicates an intake pipe through which engine cooling water is guided into the upper tank main body
102
and reference number
111
indicates an outlet pipe through which the engine cooling water is discharged from the lower tank main body
103
. In addition, a cooling water induction port
116
, which is closed off by a cap
112
having a pressure valve, for instance, is provided at the upper tank main body
102
. Inside the lower tank main body
103
, an oil cooler is provided, and reference numbers
114
and
115
indicate intake/outlet pipes of the oil colors.
However, in the structure of the prior art described above, in which the tubes and the fins constituting the core are formed from aluminum alloy and the tank main bodies are formed from a synthetic resin, there is a problem in that they cannot be formed together. There is another problem in that the recyclability of the radiator itself is poor.
As a solution, a method achieved by forming the members constituting the tank portions with aluminum alloy and then the aluminum alloy tank portions are brazed together with the core in a furnace to achieve an integrated unit may be proposed. However, a problem occurs during the repair process implemented after the brazing process to repair any defective brazing occurring between the individual members constituting the tank portions by means such as torch brazing or the like that is, the brazed areas between the individual members are close to the tubes and fins, the tubes and fins become melted during the repair process.
In addition, while the oil cooler for cooling the automatic transmission oil (hereafter referred to as the A/T oil cooler) is mounted at the same time inside the outlet-side (lower) tank main body
103
in the radiator, if U-shaped tank plates are used, the intake/outlet pipes of the A/T oil cooler become a hindrance to the assembly work. Furthermore, while the intake/outlet pipes of the A/T oil cooler may be enclosed and brazed between the tank plates, this method poses problems in that the shapes in the vicinity of the insertion holes for the intake/outlet pipes are bound to become complicated and in that good brazing is not achieved for the intake/outlet pipes, the tank plates and the like.
An object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger with a structure that allows integrated brazing, that achieves an improvement in the assemblability in the mounting of the A/T oil cooler and also achieves good overall assemblability and good recyclability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, in the heat exchanger according to the present invention, which is provided with, at least, a tank portion, tubes communicating with the tank portion and fins provided between the tubes, the tank portion comprises a first L-shaped tank member constituted of a mounting wall at which the plurality of tubes are inserted and a first wall that extends from the edge of the mounting wall along the lengthwise direction by a specific length in the direction in which the tubes are inserted, a second L-shaped tank member which is bonded at an end of the mounting wall of the first L-shaped tank member, and blocking members provided at the two ends along the direction of the length of the first and second L-shaped tank members. At and at least the first and second L-shaped tank members, the tubes and the fins are brazed together in a furnace to achieve an integrated unit. In addition, it is desirable to constitute the first and second L-shaped tank members, the tubes, the fins and the side plate with aluminum alloy. The cross sections of the first L-shaped tank member and the second L-shaped tank member should achieve an L shape or an irregular J shape.
As a result, the radiator according to the present invention, which achieves a structure allowing integrated brazing, realizes a reduction in assembly costs and improves recyclability. In addition, since the tank portion is constituted of the first and second L-shaped tank members, the A/T oil cooler only needs to be mounted at one of the L-shaped tank members before the assembly process, so that ease of assembly is achieved when mounting the A/T oil cooler at the tank.
Furthermore, since half of the brazed area in the components constituting the tank portion is distanced from the tubes and the fins, repair on an area where full brazing has not been achieved is facilitated. In addition, the problem of the tubes or the fins becoming melted during a repair process implemented by means such as torch brazing is prevented in the area distanced from the brazed area.
The blocking members are each constituted as a plate having an external circumferential edge conforming to the internal circumferential side surfaces of the first L-shaped tank member and the second L-shaped tank member, and are each provided with a first positioning projected portion projecting out toward the mounting wall and a second positioning projected portion projecting out toward the second tank member. The first positioning projected portion is inserted in a first positioning hole formed at a specific position in the mounting wall at the first L-shaped tank member in the vicinity of an end in the lengthwise direction, and the second positioning projected portion is inserted in a second positioning hole formed at a specific position at the second L-shaped tank member in the vicinity of an end along the lengthwise direction. As a result, the blocking members positioned at the two ends of the tank members along the lengthwise direction are held securely prior to the brazing process to ensure that brazeability is improved.
In addition, the intake/outlet pipes through which the heat exchanging medium travels are formed at the first wall of the first L-shaped tank member. As a result, the intake/outlet pipes are not formed astride two different members. Furthermore, since the oil cooler is provided at a first wall of the second L-shaped tank member, the intake/outlet pipes of the oil cooler do not interfere prior to the assembly process to achieve easy assembly.
The cross sections of the first and second L-shaped tank members are either L-shaped or J-shaped. In addition, a fitting groove is formed at the mounting wall of the first L-shaped tank member at an end along the direction of the shorter side of the mounting
Leo Leonard
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
Zexel Corporation
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