Pipes and tubular conduits – Longitudinally seamed – Permanent type seam
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-02
2002-04-23
Hook, James (Department: 3752)
Pipes and tubular conduits
Longitudinally seamed
Permanent type seam
C138S038000, C138S169000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06374865
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a header pipe to be used as a tank in a heat exchanger, a method for manufacturing the header pipe, and an apparatus for manufacturing the header pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a heat exchanger such as a capacitor for use in a car or the like, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 4-63982, a partition is provided in a header
25
to thereby change the flow passage of fluid.
And, conventionally, this type of header with a partition for use in a heat exchanger is manufactured in the following manner as shown in FIG.
36
.
At first, an aluminum alloy pipe member with a brazing member clad on the outer surface thereof is cut to a given size to thereby obtain a pipe
11
which can be used in a header.
After then, in the pipe
11
, there are formed a plurality of tube insertion holes
13
, a slit for a divide
15
, a fluid flow-in port
17
, and a fluid flow-out port
19
.
Next, an aluminum alloy divide
21
with brazing members clad on the two surfaces thereof is inserted into the slit for a divide
15
, and also two aluminum alloy patches
23
are respectively pressure inserted into the two end portions of the pipe
11
.
However, in the thus structured header with a partition for use in a heat exchanger, since there is used an expensive pipe member which has been previously formed in a cylindrical shape, the material cost thereof is high.
Also, there is a fear that a poor brazed condition can occur between the pipe
11
and divide
21
.
Conventionally, as a method which has solved these problems, there is known a method for manufacturing a pipe with a partition which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 7-314035 previously applied by the present applicants.
In this method for manufacturing a pipe with a partition, as shown in
FIGS. 37 and 38
, there is manufactured a pipe with a partition structured such that a partition portion
33
comprising a pair of semidivided partition portions
32
is formed in the central portion of a cylindrical-shaped pipe portion
31
thereof.
The, the present pipe with a partition can be manufactured in the following manner:
That is, at first, in a molding step shown in
FIG. 39
, a plate member formed of aluminum is molded in such a manner that a pair of semidivided cylindrical portions
35
are formed.
The pair of semidivided cylindrical portions
35
are arranged in parallel to each other with an arc-shaped connecting portion
37
between them. Each, of the paired semidivided cylindrical portions
35
includes a partition forming portion
39
which projects inwardly in a U-shape manner.
Also, each of the paired semidivided cylindrical portions
35
is smaller by 2 mm or so in radius than a pipe portion
31
to be formed, while each semidivided cylindrical portion
35
further includes an edge portion
41
on the outside thereof.
The above-mentioned molding step is carried out by holding the aluminum flat plate between a given pair of metal molds and then molding the flat plate by pressing.
Next, in a cutting step shown in
FIG. 40
, a portion A of the connecting portion
37
situated between the partition forming portions
39
shown by oblique lines in
FIG. 40
as well as the edge portions
41
respectively situated on the two sides of the partition portions
39
are cut and removed together with the excessively increased thickness portions
41
a
of the edge portions
41
.
This cutting step is executed by trimming and piercing the press worked plate using a piece of press work machinery.
After then, in a compressing step shown in
FIG. 41
, the partition forming portion
39
is compressed from both sides thereof to thereby form a semidivided partition portion
32
.
This compressing step is carried out in such a manner as shown in FIG.
42
: that is, the outside portions of the semidivided cylindrical portions
35
are respectively held by a work holder
51
which is energized by springs
49
and, on the other hand, two compressing members
53
are respectively disposed on the two sides of the partition forming portion
39
located inwardly of the semidivided cylindrical portions
35
, whereby the partition forming portion
39
is compressed in the direction of arrows B and molded by the compressing members
53
.
In this compression molding operation, between the compressing members
53
, there is interposed a dimension correcting block
55
; that is, the inwardly projecting length H of the semidivided partition portion
32
can be corrected by the dimension correcting block
55
.
Next, in an edge portion molding step shown in
FIG. 43
, the two edge portions
41
situated on the two sides of the pair of semidivided cylindrical portions
35
are molded, and the edge portions
41
are formed in an arc-shaped manner; that is, the edge portions
41
are so formed as to continue with their respective semidivided cylindrical portions
35
in an arc-shape manner.
This edge portion molding step is carried out by holding the pair of semidivided cylindrical portions
35
between a given metal molds and then molding them by pressing.
After then, according to a mutually opposing step shown in
FIG. 44
, the connecting portion
37
is projected from the inside thereof to thereby allow the pair of semidivided cylindrical portions
35
to be disposed in such a manner that they are opposed to each other.
In particular, this mutually opposing step is carried out by storing the outside portions of the semidivided cylindrical portions
35
into a metal mold
57
and then pressing the connecting portion
37
against the arc portion
61
of the metal mold
57
by a punch
59
.
Next, according to a butting step shown in
FIG. 45
, the pair of mutually opposed semidivided cylindrical portions
35
are butted against each other.
This butting step can be carried out by storing the outside portions of the semidivided cylindrical portions
35
into a metal mold (not shown) and then moving the metal mold. In this step, the semidivided cylindrical portions
35
are molded into a pipe shape.
After then, a connecting step is carried out: that is, not only the pair of semidivided cylindrical portions
35
but also the pair of semidivided partition portions are connected to each other, thereby manufacturing a pipe with a partition which is shown in
FIGS. 46 and 47
.
The connecting step can be achieved, for example, by executing a brazing operation using non-corrosive flux.
Now,
FIG. 46
shows a header with a partition for use in a heat exchanger manufactured in the above-mentioned conventional method for manufacturing a pipe with a partition; and, the present header with a partition for a heat exchanger includes a partition portion
33
formed in the central portion of a cylindrically-shaped pipe portion
31
A thereof.
Also, on one side of the outer periphery of the pipe portion
31
A, there are formed tube insertion holes
63
which are spaced from each other at given intervals.
Further, the openings of the pipe portion
31
A, which are respectively formed in the two ends of the pipe portion
31
A, are closed by cover members
65
respectively.
In the present method for manufacturing a header with a partition for a heat exchanger, after completion of the edge portion molding step shown in
FIG. 43
, as shown in
FIG. 47
, the tube insertion holes
63
are formed in one of the semidivided cylindrical portions
35
at given intervals and, at the same time, there are formed a fluid flow-in port
67
, into which a thermal medium is allowed to flow, and a fluid flow-out port
69
from which the thermal medium is allowed to flow out.
This step can be carried out by slit-pierce molding the semidivided cylindrical portion
35
using a piece of press work machinery.
In the thus manufactured header with a partition for use in a heat exchanger, since a single piece of plate member can be molded easily into a pipe portion
31
A having a partition portion
33
formed integrally therewith, there is eliminated the need for us
Mashiko Seiji
Saito Michito
Calsonic Kansei Corporation
Hook James
LandOfFree
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