Heat exchange – Side-by-side tubular structures or tube sections – With manifold type header or header plate
Utility Patent
1997-11-19
2001-01-02
Flanigan, Allen (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Side-by-side tubular structures or tube sections
With manifold type header or header plate
C165S067000, C029S890052
Utility Patent
active
06167953
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger tank which is a constituent element of a heat exchanger such as a radiator, an intercooler, or a heater core.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A heat exchanger such as that disclosed in; e.g., Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 3-31068, is known as a conventional heat exchanger such as a radiator or an intercooler.
FIG. 9
shows a heat exchanger described in the foregoing patent application. In this heat exchanger, a tank body
1
is formed by extrusion of aluminum, and tube holes
1
a
are formed in the surface of the tank body
1
facing a core
2
.
The core
2
is formed by alternately stacking tubes
3
and corrugated fins
4
on over the other. A plate material
5
which is formed from aluminum clad with a brazing filler metal layer on both surfaces is attached to each side of the core
2
.
The end of each of the tubes
3
is inserted into the corresponding tube hole
1
a
of the tank body
1
. The tank body
1
and the core
2
are subjected to heat treatment in a brazing furnace while they are temporarily assembled together. The brazing filler metal layer of the plate material
5
is fused, to thereby braze the tube
3
to the tube holes
1
a
of the tank body
On the other hand, a heat exchanger tank such as that disclosed in; e.g., Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 2-25693, is known as a conventional heat exchanger tank comprising a tank body to which a mount member is brazed.
FIG. 10
shows the heat exchanger of this type devised prior to the filing of the present patent application. In this heat exchanger tank, a tank body
6
is formed so as to have a rectangular cross-section by extrusion of aluminum.
A body
7
a
of a mount bracket
7
which is formed from aluminum clad is brazed to a mount surface
6
a
of the tank body
6
, and the surface of the mount bracket
7
facing the tank body
6
is covered with a brazing filler metal layer. A leg
7
b
of the mount bracket
7
is brazed to a surface
6
b
adjacent to the mount surface
6
a
of the tank body
6
.
A protuberance
7
c
protrudes from the mount bracket
7
.
FIG. 11
shows the principal portion of the structure for mounting the foregoing heat exchanger tank to the vehicle body. The protuberance
7
c
of the mount bracket
7
is inserted into and supported by a through hole
9
a
formed in one side of a vehicle mount bracket
9
via a mount rubber
8
.
The other side of the vehicle mount bracket
9
is fixed on an upper rail L of the vehicle body through use of a bolt B.
In the conventional heat exchanger shown in
FIG. 9
, the tank body
1
is formed by extrusion of aluminum. To thoroughly braze the end of the tube
3
to the tube hole
1
a
of the tank body
1
, the plate material
5
which is formed from aluminum clad with a brazing filler metal layer is interposed between the tank body
1
and the core
2
. Brazing metal fused from the brazing filler metal layer of the plate material
5
must be supplied to the tube holes
1
a
, thereby resulting in complicated structure of the core
2
and an increase in manufacturing cost.
More specifically, in a case where the tank body
1
is formed by extrusion of aluminum, it is very difficult to form a brazing filler metal layer on the tank body
1
. For this reason, as shown in
FIG. 9
, there is a need for the plate material
5
which is formed from aluminum clad with a brazing filler metal layer is separately used in order to ensure brazing filler metal.
Further, in the heat exchanger tank shown in
FIG. 10
, the body
7
a
of the mount bracket
7
is raised from the mount surface
6
a
of the tank body
6
when the mount bracket
7
is brazed to the tank body
1
, thereby resulting in brazing failures.
To prevent the brazing failures, the body
7
a
of the mount bracket
7
is temporarily fixed to the mount surface
6
a
of the tank body
6
by spot-welding S or point-welding prior to brazing the body
6
a
, which requires a large number of welding operations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is aimed at solving the foregoing problem in the art, and the object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger tank capable of ensuring temporal fixing of a mount bracket to a tank body in a ready manner.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat exchanger tank comprising: a tank body being formed by folding a plate material made of aluminum clad material having a brazing filler metal layer, and wherein a first end of the plate material extends along and is brazed to a second end of the plate material.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the first end and the second end of the plate material are overlapped and brazed to each other along an angular portion of the rectangular cross section.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, a hole used for mounting an inlet or outlet pipe to the heat exchanger is formed in a surface opposite to a surface in which the first end of the plate material is brazed.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat exchanger tank comprising: a tank body formed by folding a plate material so as to have a rectangular cross section, a first end of the plate material extending along an outer side of an adjacent surface of the tank body; and a mount bracket including a main body brazed to a mount surface of adjacent to the adjacent surface of the tank body and a leg brazed to the adjacent surface; wherein the first end extended along the outer side of the adjacent surface is sandwiched between the main body and the leg of the mount bracket.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, the plate material comprises aluminum clad material, and a side of the plate material which serves an outer peripheral surface of the tank body is coated with a brazing filler metal layer.
In a heat exchanger tank in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, a cylindrical tank body is formed by folding a plate material made of aluminum clad material with a brazing filler metal layer.
One end of the plate material extends along and is brazed to the other end of the tank body.
In a heat exchanger tank in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, a tank body is formed so as to have a rectangular cross section. Both ends of the plate material overlap each other and are brazed together along an angular portion.
In a heat exchanger tank in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, a hole used for mounting an inlet or outlet pipe to the heat exchanger is formed in the surface opposite to the surface to which one end is brazed.
In a heat exchanger tank in accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention, a tank body having a rectangular cross section is formed by folding a plate material in such a way that an end of the plate material extends along the exterior of the surface adjacent to the mount surface of the tank body to which the body of the mount bracket is mounted. The thus-extended portion is sandwiched between the main body and the leg of the mount bracket, thereby temporarily fixing the mount bracket to the tank body.
In the heat exchanger tank in accordance with the fifth aspect of the invention, the plate material comprises aluminum clad material, and the side of the plate material which will be the outer peripheral surface of the tank body is coated with a brazing filler metal layer.
The body and the leg of the mount bracket are brazed to the tank body by means of a brazing filler metal layer of the plate material.
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patent: 5205349 (1993-04-01), Nagao et al.
patent: 5214847 (1993-06-01), Aoki
patent: 5236042 (1993-08-01), Kado
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patent: 5429182 (1995-07-01), Hanafusa
patent: 5570737 (1996-11-01), Tokutake
patent: 0
Kobayashi Hideki
Makino Kenji
Nakamura Katsumi
Calsonic Corporation
Flanigan Allen
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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