EP2325593B1 - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a heat exchanger according to the preamble of claim 1, a method for producing a heat exchanger according to the preamble of claim 6 and an automotive air conditioning system. Such a heat exchanger is out US 5,363,910 known.

Heat exchangers are used for various technical applications for cooling and / or for heating fluids. In this case, a fluid to be cooled or heated to be heated by the heat exchanger and by means of a heat transfer fluid flowing around the fluid in the heat exchanger can be cooled or heated. Heat exchangers generally have a multiplicity of tubes, which are mechanically and hydraulically connected to two manifolds at the ends of the tubes. This creates a hydraulic connection between the two headers and the pipes. Between the tubes, which are designed in particular as flat tubes, are generally corrugated fins. At the manifold is an inlet port and an outlet port for introducing and discharging the fluid to be cooled or heated arranged. In each case, a connection device for connecting a line to a connection opening and a fastening device for the line or a device arranged on the line is located at the inlet opening and at the outlet opening. The incoming or outgoing fluid is thus first passed from the line through the connection device and then from the connection device into the inlet or outlet opening on the collection tube. Heat exchangers can also be used as refrigerant condensers in motor vehicle air conditioners and are used for cooling and liquefying a fluid to be cooled, namely refrigerant, which is passed through the refrigerant condenser.

The connection devices for the heat exchanger are produced by cutting off the individual connection devices from a solid profile or rod produced by means of extrusion. In these cut parts is then machined, for example by drilling or milling, a connection opening and a fluid opening incorporated. Furthermore, a mounting hole is incorporated and, for example, a screw is screwed into the mounting hole after incorporating a thread. By means of the screw as a fastening device, a line or a device can be attached to the line to the connection device. At the collecting pipe, a passage is formed at the inlet and outlet openings and the passage is inserted into the fluid opening of the connection device and then soldered. The connection device is thus complicated to manufacture and expensive. Due to the use of a full profile produced by means of extrusion in the production of the connection device, the connection device has a high material requirement and due to the high cost of this material, it is generally aluminum, high cost therefore arise alone. Furthermore, many manufacturing steps are required for the machining of the connection device required, so that this also incurs high costs in the production of the connection device disadvantageously.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a heat exchanger, a method for producing a heat exchanger and a motor vehicle air conditioning system, in which a connection device has a low material requirement and the production of the connection device is simple and inexpensive with only a few production steps.

This object is achieved with a heat exchanger according to claim 1. The connection device thus advantageously comprises a connection pipe socket which is not a solid profile according to the design of the connection device in the prior art. As a result, material can be saved during production for the connection device.

In particular, the connection device comprises a connection plate with a connection opening and the connection pipe connection piece is connected to the connection plate at the connection opening and / or one end of the connection connection piece forms the connection opening. Because of the training a connection plate on the connection device, a low material requirement for the connection device is required in the production. In this case, the connection plate serves to connect the line to the connection device, so that there is a large contact surface for a device on the tube, without requiring a high material requirement because the connection plate is merely a plate with a small material thickness and not a solid profile.

In a further embodiment, the thickness of at least one wall of the connection pipe socket and / or the connection plate is less than 2 cm, 1 cm, 0.5 cm or 0.3 cm. Due to the thickness of the at least one wall thus little material is required for the connection device. The at least one connection device preferably consists at least partially, in particular completely of metal, for example aluminum or steel.

In a supplementary embodiment, the connection plate is substantially perpendicular to an axis of the connection pipe socket and / or the connection plate is provided with a mounting opening, in particular mounting hole, and in the mounting opening, the fastening device, for. As a screw or a bolt, attached for attaching the line to the connection device. Essentially, this means that the axis of the connection pipe socket is at a deviation of less than 30 °, 20 ° or 10 ° perpendicular to the connection plate, ie a plane of the connection plate. Due to the substantially planar design of the connection plate, the plane of the connection plate is a plane which is aligned parallel to the largest extension of the connection plate and / or is aligned parallel to the largest planar partial surface of the connection plate.

Preferably, the heat exchanger comprises a collecting container with a dryer and / or a filter and / or the connection pipe socket is provided with a fluid opening. In the formation of the heat exchanger as a refrigerant condenser, the heat exchanger comprises the collecting container with the dryer and / or the filter. The collecting pipe has a passage and in the fluid opening of the connecting pipe connection, the passage is arranged, so that thereby a mechanical connection between the boundary of the fluid opening at the connection pipe socket and the passage to the collecting pipe consists.

A method according to the invention for producing a heat exchanger, heat exchanger described in this patent application, for cooling or heating a fluid to be passed through the heat exchanger, in particular a refrigerant condenser for an automotive air conditioning system, comprising the steps of: providing tubes, providing at least one collecting tube with openings, Arranging the tubes in the openings of the at least one collecting tube, producing at least one connecting device for connecting a line for the fluid with a connection opening and preferably a fastening device for the line, connecting the tubes, the at least one collecting tube and preferably the at least one connecting device, in particular by means of brazing in a brazing furnace, so that they are mechanically connected to one another and a fluid-conducting connection between the tubes, the at least one collecting tube and the at least one connecting device, wherein the at least one connecting device with pressure forming, for example with extrusion, especially reverse extrusion, and / or deep drawing, from at least one workpiece blank is made in one piece. Due to the production of the at least one connection device with extruding, in particular backward extrusion and / or deep drawing, a connection device can be produced from a workpiece blank in a simple manner, which has low wall thicknesses and thus there is a low material requirement in the production of the at least one connection device. Thus, the at least one connection device can be produced inexpensively with a low material requirement, for example aluminum.

In a further embodiment, a connection pipe socket with extrusions, in particular with backward extrusion presses, is produced from one, preferably only one, workpiece blank, and a fluid opening, in particular a fluid bore, is worked into the connection pipe socket. In the production of the at least one connection device, a connection pipe socket is first produced from a first workpiece blank by means of backward extrusion. The connection pipe socket preferably has two sections with a different diameter. In these connection pipe stub made by means of backward extrusion, which is open at one end and has a connection opening and has no opening at the other end, ie is closed, is in the area or in the vicinity of the end without the opening perpendicular to an axis of the connection pipe socket, ie radially, incorporated a fluid opening. The fluid opening is preferably machined, for example by means of drilling or milling, incorporated into the connection pipe socket produced by means of backward extrusion.

In particular, a connection plate with a connection opening and a fastening opening is provided, preferably the connection plate is produced with punching from a raw plate, and the connection pipe connection piece is fastened in the connection opening of the connection plate. The connecting plates are punched out of the metal blank plate from a metal blank plate produced, for example, by means of rolling, so that the connecting plate can be produced or made available in a simple manner with a low manufacturing outlay. In this case, the connection opening and the attachment opening is stamped into this punched-out connection plate during punching or after punching out the outlet opening and / or the attachment opening is machined, for example by means of drilling or milling, into the stamped connection plate. Subsequently, the connection pipe socket produced by extrusion is attached to the connection opening of the connection plate. This is performed for example cohesively and / or non-positively and / or positively. The connection pipe socket can be fixed for example by means of a press fit in the connection opening of the connection plate. In addition, in a subsequent operation by soldering the connection pipe socket can be attached to the connection plate.

In a further embodiment, a collecting container is provided and the collecting container, the tubes, the at least one collecting tube and the at least one connecting device are connected to one another so that they are mechanically connected to one another and a fluid-conducting connection between the collecting container, the tubes, the at least a manifold and the at least one connection device consists. In the formation of the heat exchanger as a refrigerant condenser and a collection container is required. In the collecting container, a dryer and / or a filter is preferably arranged.

In a supplementary variant, the at least one connection device with a connection pipe socket and a connection plate is produced from a workpiece blank with deep drawing. Notwithstanding the manufacturing method described above, the connection device with the connection pipe socket and the connection plate can thus also be produced from only one workpiece blank by means of deep drawing. After deep-drawing, the connection device already has the connection pipe socket and the connection plate and these are already connected to one another due to the production of only one workpiece blank. Preferably, after the deep drawing into the connection plate, the fastening opening and in the connection pipe socket, the fluid opening is incorporated, for example by machining, in particular by means of drilling and / or milling.

In a further variant, a fastening opening, in particular fastening bore, is incorporated in the connecting plate and in the fastening opening is a fastening device, for. As a screw or a bolt attached. In the mounting hole on the terminal plate, a fastening device, such as a screw or bolt, attached, preferably screwed by previously been incorporated into the mounting hole a thread or when screwing the screw into the mounting hole, the thread on the terminal plate automatically from the thread of the screw is produced. By means of this screw or the bolt as a fastening device, a line can be attached to the connection device. For this purpose, the line at the end of a corresponding device and on this device a corresponding counter-fastening device is arranged, by means of which the device can be attached to the line to the fastening device. The counter-fastening device is in this case to a corresponding thread into which the screw is screwed to the connection plate can be. The line is thereby fluidly connected to the connection opening of the connection device.

In a further embodiment, an inlet opening and / or an outlet opening is incorporated in the at least one collecting tube and / or in the collecting container, a passage is preferably incorporated at the inlet opening and / or the outlet opening, and the at least one connection device, in particular the fluid opening of the connecting pipe connection , is connected to the at least one collecting tube and / or the collecting container at the inlet opening and / or the outlet opening, in particular soldered in a soldering oven and / or grained.

In particular, the passage at the inlet opening and / or the outlet opening is inserted into the fluid opening of the connection pipe socket.

An automotive air conditioning system according to the invention comprises a heat exchanger described in this patent application.

In a further embodiment, the motor vehicle air conditioning system comprises a refrigerant evaporator and / or a refrigerant condenser and / or a compressor and / or a control unit and / or a blower.

In an additional embodiment, the refrigerant condenser and / or the refrigerant evaporator are designed as a heat exchanger described in this patent application.

In an additional embodiment, corrugated fins are arranged on the heat exchanger between the tubes.

In a further expedient embodiment, the corrugated fins on the tubes are materially connected, in particular by means of soldering.

Fig. 1

eine Ansicht eines aus dem Stand der Technik bekannten Wärmeübertragers mit einer Anschlusseinrichtung,

Fig. 2

eine erste perspektivische Ansicht einer Anschlusseinrichtung für einen erfindungsgemäßen Wärmeübertrager,

Fig. 3

eine zweite perspektivische Ansicht der Anschlusseinrichtung gemäß Fig. 2 und

Fig. 4

eine dritte perspektivische Ansicht der Anschlusseinrichtung gemäß Fig. 2, wobei die Anschlusseinrichtung an einem Durchzug eines Sammelrohres eines erfindungsgemäßen Wärmeübertragers befestigt ist.

In the following, an embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows:

Fig. 1

a view of a known from the prior art heat exchanger with a connection device,

Fig. 2

a first perspective view of a connection device for a heat exchanger according to the invention,

Fig. 3

a second perspective view of the connection device according to Fig. 2 and

Fig. 4

a third perspective view of the connection device according to Fig. 2 , wherein the connection device is attached to a passage of a manifold of a heat exchanger according to the invention.

In Fig. 1 is a view of a known from the prior art heat exchanger 1 is shown. Between two headers 4, a plurality of tubes 3 are arranged. Between the tubes 3, corrugated fins, not shown, are formed of aluminum, which connect the tubes 3 both mechanically and thermally. The corrugated fins serve to increase the surface of the heat exchanger 1 and thereby increase the heat transfer. At the in Fig. 1 On the right hand manifold 4 is an in Fig. 1 not shown inlet opening 6 and an outlet opening 7, not shown, which are each surrounded by a connection device 8 or closed. By means of the connection device 8, a line (not shown) is connected to the heat exchanger 1. The heat exchanger 1 serves as a refrigerant condenser 2 in an automotive air conditioning system. Through the inlet opening 6 and the connector 8 at the inlet port 6 thus flows refrigerant into the heat exchanger 1, and this flows through the outlet port 7 with the connector 8 cooled and liquid out. The rectangular cross-section tubes 3 made of aluminum open into the manifold 4. This results in a hydraulic connection between the two manifolds 4 and the tubes 3. Am in Fig. 1 Collector 4 shown on the left is arranged a collecting container 5 with a dryer, not shown, and a filter, not shown. The dryer is hygroscopic and can absorb water or moisture from the refrigerant. By means of overflow openings (not shown) is the collecting container 5 in fluid communication with the left header 4. At four corners of the heat exchanger 1, a fixing device 16 is arranged to attach the heat exchanger 1, for example, to a bodywork of a motor vehicle (not shown).

The heat exchanger 1 according to the invention as a refrigerant condenser 2 substantially corresponds to the in Fig. 1 Only the connection devices 8 of the heat exchanger 1 have a different structure and are in the Fig. 2 to 4 displayed. The connection device 8 has a connection pipe socket 9 and a connection plate 10. The connection pipe socket 9 is produced by means of reverse extrusion from a first workpiece blank and has two sections with a different diameter. The connection pipe socket 9 points at one, in Fig. 2 shown above a connection opening 11 and a second end of the connecting pipe socket 9 has no opening, ie is closed. In the region of the end of the connection pipe socket 9 without opening, a fluid opening 17 is formed on a wall. The fluid opening 17 is thus formed in the region of the portion of the connection pipe socket 9, which has a smaller diameter. The fluid opening 17 is after the backward extrusion of the connection pipe socket 9 with drilling in the connection pipe socket 9 incorporated. The connection plate 10 has the connection opening 11 and a fastening opening 12 designed as a fastening bore 13. The connection pipe socket 9 is fastened in the region of its connection opening 11 to the connection opening 11 of the connection plate 10 by means of a press fit and preferably additionally by means of soldering. The connection plate 10 is produced by punching from a raw plate and the connection opening 11 and the mounting hole 13 are already made during punching out of the raw plate, so that thereby a low production cost for the connection plate 10 is obtained.

The thicknesses of the walls of the connection plate 10 and the connecting pipe socket 9 in this case have a small thickness, for. B. of 0.3 mm or 0.2 mm. As a result, a low material requirement is required in the production of the connection device 8. For the production of the connection pipe socket 9 and the connection plate 10 is generally used aluminum. After connecting the connection plate 10 with the connection pipe socket 9, the connection device 8 is fastened with the fluid opening 17 on a passage 18 of the collecting pipe 4 ( Fig. 4 ). The tubes 3, as well as the not shown interposed corrugated fins and the manifold 4 and the reservoir 5 of the heat exchanger 1 are plated on the surface with solder. In this case, an inlet opening 6 and an outlet opening 7 are each incorporated with passages 18 at a collecting pipe 4. Subsequently, at each passage 18, a connection device 8 is fastened to the fluid opening 17. In this case, the fluid opening 17 is attached to the passage 18 by means of graining. Subsequently, the heat exchanger 1 comprising the tubes 3, the corrugated fins, the two manifolds 4, the collecting container 5 and the two connection devices 8 are introduced into a soldering oven for soldering. Due to the plating of the components of the heat exchanger 1 in particular also of the manifold 4 with the passage 18, the connection device 8 is soldered to the fluid opening 17 with the passage 18 of the manifold 4 by means of soldering. This is a fluid-tight Connection between the connection device 8 and the collecting pipe 4. Thus, incoming or outgoing fluid can be introduced or discharged through the connection opening 11 on the connection device 8, which then flows in or out through the connection pipe connection 9 and subsequently the connection pipe connection 9 at the fluid opening 17 leaves or flows back there and flows through the inlet or outlet port 6, 7 in the manifold 4 or flows out.

On the connection plate 10 of the connection device 8, a line, not shown, to be attached to the line in the refrigerant in the connection pipe socket 9 or divert. For this purpose, after being soldered in the soldering oven to the connection plate 10, a fastening device 14 designed as a screw 15 is fastened to the fastening opening 12 by means of screws. The device on the line (not shown) in this case has a correspondingly formed counter-fastening device (not shown), for example a thread or a snap closure, so that thereby the device of the line, not shown, can be mechanically and also fluid-tightly fastened to the connection device 8. The screw 15 consists of iron, which is provided with a corrosion protection or a corrosion coating. This is possible because the screw 15 is attached to the connector 8 only after brazing in the brazing furnace in which temperatures in the range of about 700 ° C are present. If, in the manufacture of the connection device 8, the screw 15 is already fastened to the connection plate 10 before soldering in the soldering oven, the screw 15 is to be made of stainless steel, because a screw made of iron with a corrosion coating does not meet the high temperatures in the soldering oven of about 700 ° C. withstand.

Overall, significant advantages are associated with the heat exchanger 1 according to the invention. The components of the connection device 8, namely the connection plate 10 and the connection pipe socket 9, are produced by extrusion and stamping and have a small wall thickness. As a result, a low material requirement for the connection plate 10 and the connection pipe socket 9 made of aluminum is required. The manufacturing costs can thus both be reduced because a low material requirement for the connection pipe socket 9 and the connection plate 10 is required and also little manufacturing steps are required.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1. 1 heat exchanger
2. 2 refrigerant condenser
3. 3 pipe
4. 4 manifold
5. 5 collection containers
6. 6 inlet opening
7. 7 outlet opening
8. 8 connection device
9. 9 connection pipe socket
10. 10 connection plate
11. 11 connection opening
12. 12 mounting hole
13. 13 mounting hole
14. 14 fastening device
15. 15 screw
16. 16 fixing device
17. 17 fluid opening
18. 18 draft

Claims (14)

1. A heat exchanger (1) for cooling or heating a fluid to be conducted through the heat exchanger (1), in particular a refrigerant condenser (2) for a vehicle air-conditioning system, comprising

   - a plurality of tubes (3),

   - at least one collecting tube (4) with openings in which the tubes (3) are arranged for a hydraulic connection between the tubes (3) and the at least one collecting tube (4),

   - an inlet opening (6) for introducing a fluid,

   - an outlet opening (7) for discharging the fluid,

   - at least one connecting arrangement (8) for the connection of a line for the fluid to a connecting opening (11) and preferably a fixation arrangement (14) for the line,

   - wherein the at least one connecting arrangement (8) is arranged on the inlet opening (6) and/or the outlet opening (7),

   wherein the at least one connecting arrangement (8) comprises a connecting tube stud (9), wherein the connecting tube stud (9) is provided with a fluid opening (17) at the tube-shaped wall face thereof and a tube-shaped passage (18) on the inlet opening (6) and/or the outlet opening (7) on the at least one collecting tube (4) and/or the collecting container (5) is arranged in the fluid opening (17), wherein the connecting arrangement (8) is one piece, characterised in that the connecting arrangement (8) is produced by means of moulding.
2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterised in that the connecting arrangement (8) comprises a connecting plate (10) with a connecting opening (11) and the connecting tube stud (9) is connected to the connecting plate (10) on the connecting opening (11) and/or an end of the connecting tube stud (9) forms the connecting opening (11) .
3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the thickness of at least one wall of the connecting tube stud (9) and/or of the connecting plate (10) is less than 2 cm, 1 cm, 0.5 cm or 0.3 cm.
4. The heat exchanger according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the connecting plate (10) stands essentially perpendicularly on an axis of the connecting tube stud (9) and/or the connecting plate (10) is provided with a fixation opening (12), in particular a fixation bore (13), and the fixation arrangement (14), e.g. a screw (15) or a bolt, is fixed in the fixation opening (12) in order to fix the line on the connecting arrangement (8).
5. The heat exchanger according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the heat exchanger (1) comprises a collecting container (5) with a dryer and/or a filter.
6. A method for producing a heat exchanger (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, for cooling or heating a fluid to be conducted through the heat exchanger (1), in particular a refrigerant condenser (2) for a vehicle air-conditioning system, with the following steps:

   - providing tubes (3),

   - providing at least one collecting tube (4) with openings,

   - arranging the tubes (3) in the openings of the at least one collecting tube (4),

   - producing at least one connecting arrangement (8) for the connection of a line for the fluid to a connecting opening (11) and preferably a fixation arrangement (14) for the line,

   - connecting the tubes (3), the at least one collecting tube (4) and preferably the at least one connecting arrangement (8), in particular by means of soldering in a soldering furnace, so that they are mechanically connected to one another and there is a fluid-guiding connection between the tubes (3), the at least one collecting tube (4) and the at least one connecting arrangement (8),

   characterised in that the at least one connecting arrangement (8) is produced as one piece by means of compression moulding, for example by flow moulding, in particular by reverse flow moulding, and/or deep drawing, from at least one workpiece blank.
7. The method according to claim 6, characterised in that a connecting tube stud (9) is made from a workpiece blank by means of flow moulding, in particular reverse flow moulding, and a fluid opening (17), in particular a fluid bore, is incorporated into the connecting tube stud (9).
8. The method according to claim 7, characterised in that a connecting plate (10) with a connecting opening (11) and a fixation opening (12) is provided, wherein the connecting plate (10) is preferably produced by punching from a blank plate, and the connecting tube stud (9) is fixed in the connecting opening (11) of the connecting plate (10).
9. The method according to one or more of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that a collecting container (5) is provided and the collecting container (5), the tubes (3), the at least one collecting tube (4) and the at least one connecting arrangement (8) are connected to one another so that they are mechanically connected to one another and there is a fluid-guiding connection between the collecting container (5), the tubes (3), the at least one collecting tube (4) and the at least one connecting arrangement (8).
10. The method according to claim 6 or 9, characterised in that the at least one connecting arrangement (8) with a connecting tube stud (9) and a connecting plate (10) is produced from a workpiece blank by means of deep drawing.
11. The method according to one or more of claims 6 to 10, characterised in that a fixation opening (12), in particular a fixation bore (13), is incorporated into the connecting plate (10) and a fixation arrangement (14), e.g. a screw (15) or a bolt, is fixed in the fixation opening (12).
12. The method according to one or more of claims 6 to 11, characterised in that an inlet opening (6) and/or an outlet opening (7) is incorporated into the at least one collecting tube (4) and/or into the collecting container (5), preferably a passage (18) is incorporated on the inlet opening (6) and/or the outlet opening (7) and the at least one connecting arrangement (8), in particular the fluid opening (17) of the connecting tube stud (9) is connected to the at least one collecting tube (4) and/or the collecting container (5) on the inlet opening (6) and/or the outlet opening (7), in particular soldered in a soldering furnace and/or centre-punched.
13. The method according to claim 12, characterised in that the passage (18) on the inlet opening (6) and/or the outlet opening (7) is inserted into the fluid opening (17) of the connecting tube stud (9).
14. A vehicle air-conditioning system with a heat exchanger (1), characterised in that the heat exchanger (1) is designed as a heat exchanger (1) according to one or more of claims 1 to 6.

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