EP2975354A1

EP2975354A1 - Connector for a heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: EP2975354A1
Application number: EP14461556.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Adam Bedek; Grzegorz Romanski; Dawid Szostek
Original assignee: Valeo Autosystemy Sp zoo
Current assignee: Valeo Autosystemy Sp zoo
Priority date: 2014-07-16
Filing date: 2014-07-16
Publication date: 2016-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 2034-07-16
Also published as: EP2975354B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a connector (1) for a heat exchanger (2), which is one part of a two-piece connection, the connector being used for connecting said heat exchanger to a second part of the connection. The connector (1) comprises a body (3) of the connector (1) limited by opposing faces (4, 5), wherein a first face (4) being intended to be arranged from the side of said heat exchanger, and a second face (5) being intended to be arranged from the side of said second part of the connection. The connector (1) comprises a hole (6) through the said first (4) and second (5) faces. Second face (5) comprises means (7) for connecting said connector to said second part of the connection. The connector (1) comprises two areas, a first area (8) and a second area (9), the first area (8) is arranged from the side of said heat exchanger (2), while the second area (9) is arranged from the side of said second part of the connection, interconnected together so that the first and second areas define a contact surface (10), wherein the first area (8) and the second area (9) are made of materials with different mechanical properties, such that the metal material of the second area (9) has hardness greater than the metal material of the first area (8).

Description

Technical Field

The invention relates to a connector for a heat exchanger, and in particular to a gas cooler or condenser in a car, the connector is one part of a two-piece connection which is used to connect the heat exchanger to a second part of the connection. The connection normally consists of a female part and a male part, and a seal or a seal assembly there between, wherein the female part is typically connected to the male part by a bolt. The connector according to the invention can be either a female or a male part of the connection.

Background Art

Due to the high operating pressures occurring in gas coolers, connectors having high hardness are required in order to ensure the correct operation of the connection and to ensure an adequate compression of a gasket between the two parts of the connection. One of the solutions introduced by the suppliers of the connectors is to use a connection made of aluminium having a content of alloying additions, especially magnesium. Unfortunately, such materials, just because of high magnesium content, are not suitable for brazing in the CAB process (CAB - Controlled Atmosphere Brazing). CAB process, i.e. a continuous brazing in the protective atmosphere (usually nitrogen) is a brazing method of aluminium and aluminium alloys which is widely used for brazing of automotive heat exchangers.
Moreover, thanks to the low content of magnesium in the aluminium alloys, the material does not reach its optimal strength against an external deformation. A well-known solution would be the natural ageing after brazing aluminium alloys with lower content of Mg than 0,5% in order to improve the physical condition of the material, namely its high mechanical resistance. This process, however, is not optimized for mass production due to problems with the storage of parts and potential logistical problems.
In order to solve the problem of the connecting of the heat exchanger to the first part of the connection, usually the female part, a block made of e.g. aluminium alloy containing Mg <0.5% is currently being used, which is brazed directly to the manifold, and the tube made of an alloy aluminium is brazed to it. This arrangement is brazed in the continuous CAB process, so-called one-shot process, and then, already in a subsequent operation, one part of the connection, usually the female part, is flame brazed or brazed by inductive soldering. As the flame brazing does not require using aluminium alloys containing Mg <0.5%, such a connection can be made of aluminium alloys with increased content of magnesium and higher hardness. As can be seen it is an additional operation in the manufacturing process, and it is necessary to use two additional elements (an additional block and an aluminium tube), which also increases production costs.
The object of the invention is a connector for the heat exchanger, especially for a gas cooler or condenser in the car, which is one part of a two-piece connection and which is provided to connect the heat exchanger to the second part of the connection, which solves a problem of the prior art, that is, on the one hand, it is adapted to brazing, and on the other hand it provides high mechanical properties required for the connection.
The object of the invention is to improve assembling of the connection to the heat exchanger, as well as reduction of production costs by eliminating additional operations and additional components of the connection currently used.
The object of the invention is such connector which is adapted for mass production in the extrusion process.

Summary of the invention

These objects are achieved by a connector for a heat exchanger, in particular for a gas cooler or condenser in a car, to connect the heat exchanger to the second part of the connection having the features defined in claim 1 Preferred and advantageous features of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the Drawings

Illustrative embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the connector according to the invention in a perspective view from below,
Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of the connector according to the invention in a perspective view from above,
Fig. 3 shows a first embodiment of the connector according to the invention attached to the heat exchanger in a perspective view,
Fig. 4 shows a first embodiment of the connector according to the invention which is disconnected from the heat exchanger, in a perspective view,
Fig. 5 shows a sectional view of the connector according to the invention of figures 1-4, and
Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of the connector according to the invention in a second embodiment.

Detailed Description of the embodiments

The invention relates to a connector 1 for a heat exchanger 2, and in particular to a gas cooler or condenser in a car, which is one part of a two-piece connection and which is used to connect the heat exchanger 2 to a second part of the connection (not shown). The connection consists of a female part and a male part, and a seal or a seal assembly there between, wherein the female part is typically connected to the male part by a bolt. Thus, the male part comprises a bolt, and the female part comprises a hole for bolt. Each of the connection parts also includes a through-hole, wherein after coupling of the two parts of the connection to each other, the through-hole of the female part of the connection is in sealing engagement with the through-hole of the male part of the connection, and the two holes are coaxial. The connector 1 constitutes typically the first female part of the connection, whereas the other part of the connection is the male part. Obviously, the connector 1 may also be a male part of the connection for connecting to the female part of the connection.
Figs. 1-5 show a first embodiment of the connector according to the invention, and fig. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the connector according to the invention.
The connector 1 comprises a body 3 of the connector 1 limited by opposing faces, the first face 4 being intended to be arranged from the side of the heat exchanger 2, and the second face 5 being intended to be arranged from the side of the second part of the connection (not shown in the figures). The connector 1 comprises an through-hole 6 which passes straight through the first face 4 and second face 5.
In the second face 5 of the connector there are means 7 for connecting the connector 1 to the second part of the connection. In the case where the connector 1 is the female part of the connection, the means 7 is a hole for bolt, which said bolt is provided on the second part of the connection. In the case where the connector 1 is a male part of the connection, the means 7 is a bolt, while on the other part of the connection there is the hole for the bolt.
In general, the sizes and shapes of the through-hole 6 and means 7 for connecting the connector 1 to the second part of the connection result generally from the defined standard for connections for air-conditioning systems based on the R744 refrigerant.
According to the invention the connector 1 comprises two joined together areas 8, 9 which are made of materials with different mechanical properties. Thus, the connector 1 comprises a first area 8 arranged from a side of the heat exchanger 2 and a second area 9 arranged from the side of the second part of the connection. The first area 8 and the second area 9 are interconnected so that the first area and the second area define the contact surface 10.
The first area 8 and the second area 9 are made of materials with different mechanical properties, such that the metal material of the second area 9 has hardness greater than the metal material of the first area (8).
The first area 8 is made of a material adapted to brazing in order to connect it by brazing technique to the heat exchanger 2, and the second area 9 is made of a material having a hardness greater than or equal to 55 HB or other material having a tensile strength at least R_m 150 N/m² or more, to ensure a tight and durable connection to said second part of the connection. Both areas 8, 9 are interconnected to each other in fluid-tight manner.
As seen in figures 1-5, the contact surface 10 separating the first area 8 of a material adapted to brazing from the second area 9 of a material having high hardness can be substantially perpendicular to the axis of the through-hole 6 of the connector, or, as shown in the second embodiment of fig. 6, it may extend obliquely to the axis of the through hole 6.
The contact surface 10 may also be moved closer toward the first face 4 or the second face 5 with respect to what shown in the figures. However, it is important to have a layer of a material adapted for brazing with a thickness required to brazing and a layer of a material having a hardness of at least 55 HB of a thickness needed to provide tight and durable connection between the connector 1 and the second part of the connection. As the connector 1 usually is the female part of the connection, it can be assumed that the layer of material having a hardness of at least HB 55 should extend at least to the depth of the hole for the M6 or M8 bolt used to join the two parts of the connection.
The material of the first area 8 of the connector 1 is typically aluminium and its alloys suitable for brazing with a magnesium content Mg < 0.5%. The material of the second area 9 of the connector is typically aluminium or aluminium alloys having hardness greater than or equal to 55 HB.
The connector according to the invention may be advantageously realized in an extrusion process. Both areas are extruded simultaneously. During the extrusion process of the two materials on a single die at the same time the temperature is increased and thereby both materials are welded after the die bridge.
By designing a specific shape of the connector the extrusion of two materials is possible, for example aluminium Al6060 with a magnesium content Mg < 0.5%, and aluminium Al6082 with a magnesium content 1.2% Mg.
The invention, however, does not impose the technology of joining of the two materials, it can be extrusion, welding or forming in hot temperature, brazing or even gluing.
Production feasibility study were conducted which confirmed that it is practically possible to realize the connector consisting of two different materials, made by the extrusion technique.
Usually the connector has a general shape similar to the rectangular parallelepiped, but there are also possible other shapes, such which can be made in the extrusion process. Furthermore, the connector may comprise projections or flanges, as shown in the drawing, particularly figs. 5 and 6. Typically, the larger profile is extruded and then lateral surfaces are milled to make the collar or projection. The connector has also projections 11, formed at the first face 4, which are shaped to conform to the shape of the receiving part of the heat exchanger 2 in order to braze the connector 1 to said receiving part of the heat exchanger.

List of components

1 - connector
2 - heat exchanger
3 - body
4 - first face
5 - second face
6 - through-hole
7 - means for connecting to the second part of the connection
8 - first area
9 - second area
10 - contact surface
11 - projections

Claims

Connector (1) for a heat exchanger (2), which is one part of a two-piece connection, the connector being used for connecting said heat exchanger to a second part of the connection:
- comprising a body (3) of the connector (1) limited by opposing faces (4, 5), wherein a first face (4) being intended to be arranged from the side of said heat exchanger, and a second face (5) being intended to be arranged from the side of said second part of the connection,

- comprising a hole (6) through the said first (4) and second (5) faces,
wherein said second face (5) comprises means (7) for connecting said connector to said second part of the connection,
characterized in that the connector comprises:
two areas, a first area (8) and a second area (9), the first area (8) is arranged from the side of said heat exchanger (2), while the second area (9) is arranged from the side of said second part of the connection, interconnected together so that the first and second areas define a contact surface (10),

wherein the first area (8) and the second area (9) are made of materials with different mechanical properties, such that the metal material of the second area (9) has hardness greater than the metal material of the first area (8).
Connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first area (8) is made of metal material adapted to brazing in order to connect it by brazing technique to a heat exchanger (2), and the second area (9) is made of a metal material having a hardness greater than or equal to 55 HB to ensure sealed and durable connection to said second part of the connection.
Connector (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the contact surface (10) is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the through hole (6).
Connector (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the contact surface (10) extends obliquely to the axis of the through hole (6).
Connector (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first face (4) of the connector is provided with projections (11) matched in shape to the shape of a receiving part of the heat exchanger (2) in order to braze the connector (1) to said collecting part of the heat exchanger (2).
Connector (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made according to an extrusion process.
Connector (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection between the first area (8) and the second area (9) of the connector is made by welding process or by hot forming process or by brazing process or by gluing process to form a tight connection.
Connector (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first area (8) of the connector (1) is made of aluminium or aluminium alloys with content of Mg <0,5%.
Connector (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second area (9) of the connector (1) is made of aluminium or aluminium alloys with a hardness of at least 55 HB.
Connector (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first area (8) of the connector (1) has a thickness needed for brazing, and the second area (9) of the connector (1) has a thickness required to perform a sealed and durable connection between the connector (1) and said second part of the connection.
Connector (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connector (1) is a female part of the connection, and the second part of the connection being a male part, and means (7) for connecting the connector to said second part of the connection is the hole for bolt, which being provided at the second area (9) of the connector (1).
Connector (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the second area (9) of the connector has a thickness at least equal to the depth of the hole for bolt used to join the two parts of the connections.
Connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the connector (1) is a male part of the connection, and the second part of the connection being a female part, means (7) for connecting the connector to said second part of the connection is a bolt for the hole, which being provided on the second part of the connection.