Tube

Details Tube Tube

2001-02-26

2001-12-04

Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3743)

Heat exchange

Tubular structure

C029S890053, C165S183000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06325141

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tube, for passing a fluid therethrough, suitably used for a heat exchanger of a radiator or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a heat exchanger tube disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-193013, a grooved receiving section of a U-shaped cross-section is formed along one side edge of a sheet-like workpiece, while an inserting section is formed along the other side edge thereof, both of which are abutted and welded together by a brazing to form a tube body for allowing a fluid to pass therethrough.
In this regard, since the grooved section of a U-shaped cross-section is formed by bending a sheet-like workpiece through a roll forming process or others, the grooved section is liable to open after the bending (roll forming) due to spring-back to increase the groove width (a distance between opposed inner walls of the groove).
This makes a gap uneven between the inner wall of the grooved section and the inserting section, resulting in a difficulty in securely fixing the grooved section to the inserting section by brazing as well as in improving the yield of the brazed tube.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art by providing secure brazing of the grooved section with the inserting section.
To achieve this object, a tube is provided, according to one aspect of the present invention, constituted by inserting an inserting section (
112
) formed along one edge of a sheet-like workpiece into a grooved section (
111
) formed by bending the other edge of the sheet-like workpiece in a groove shape and by bonding both the sections together, by brazing, to define a tube body (
110
) for allowing a fluid to pass therethrough, characterized in that the grooved section (
111
) comprises a pair of opposed first and second side wall portions (
111
a
,
111
b
) and a connecting portion (a top portion;
111
c
) for connecting both the first and second wall portions (
111
a
,
111
b
) to define a generally U-shaped cross-section, and is disposed inside of the tube body (
110
) so that the second side wall portion (
111
b
) is integral and contiguous with an inner wall of the tube body (
110
), while the first side wall portion (
111
a
) is not integral and contiguous with the inner wall of the tube body (
110
); the first side wall portion (
111
a
) having a plurality of first projections (
113
a
) extending therefrom and away from the connecting portion (
111
c
), and a tip end of the first projection (
113
a
) abutting to an inner wall (
110
a
) of the tube body (
110
) opposed to the connecting portion (
111
c
).
As described above, because the grooved section (
111
) is liable to open, due to spring-back, to increase the groove width (the distance between the first and second side wall portions
111
a
,
111
b
), a tip end of the first projection (
113
a
) first comes into contact with the inner wall (
110
a
) when the tube body (
110
) is compressed in the direction parallel to the first and second side wall portions (
111
a
,
111
b
).
Accordingly, a reaction force against the compressive force (applied in the parallel direction) is imparted to a tip end of the first projection (
113
a
), but the tip end of the first projection (
113
a
) is immobile due to the contact thereof with the inner wall (
110
a
). Thereby, a bending moment is applied to the first side wall portion (
111
a
) and the connecting portion (
111
c
) in the direction to reduce the groove width, which causes the first side wall portion (
111
a
) to approach the inserting section (
112
) so that the inserting section (
112
) is pushed toward the second side wall portion (
111
b
) by the first side wall portion (
111
a
) as the compression progresses.
This means that a gap (distance) between the inner wall of the grooved section (
111
) and the inserting section (
112
) is equalized in the lengthwise direction to securely nip the inserting section (
112
) by the grooved section (
111
), whereby the inserting section (
112
) is assuredly brazed with the grooved section (
111
) to improve the yield of the brazed tube.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the second side wall portion (
112
a
) has a plurality of second projections (
113
b
) extending therefrom, and away from the connecting portion (
111
c
), and a tip end of the second projection (
113
b
) abuts an inner wall of the tube body (
110
) opposed to the connecting portion (
111
c
).
Therefore, as the first side wall portion (
111
a
) approaches the inserting section (
112
) to cause the first side wall portion (
111
a
) to push the inserting section (
112
) toward the second wall portion (
111
b
), the second side wall portion (
111
b
) is prevented from deforming away from the inserting section (
112
), whereby a gap between the inner wall (particularly the second side wall portion (
111
b
)) of the grooved section (
111
) and the inserting section
112
is equalized in the lengthwise direction to securely nip the inserting section (
112
) by the grooved section (
111
).
Note that the reference numerals in brackets are used for clarifying the relationship between components of the present invention and the concrete means shown in embodiments described later.
The present invention will be more fully understood with reference to the accompanying drawings and the preferred embodiments of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4945635 (1990-08-01), Nobusue et al.
patent: 5579837 (1996-12-01), Yu et al.
patent: 5765634 (1998-06-01), Martins
patent: 5875668 (1999-03-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5890288 (1999-04-01), Rhodes et al.
patent: 6129147 (2000-10-01), Dumetz et al.
patent: 6209202 (2001-04-01), Rhodes et al.
patent: 6230533 (2001-05-01), Laveran et al.
patent: 6241012 (2001-06-01), Yu et al.
patent: 10-193013 (1998-07-01), None
patent: 11-118375 (1999-04-01), None

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