GB2086030A

GB2086030A - Heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: GB2086030A
Application number: GB8034744A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: HATELEY KEITH VICTOR
Current assignee: HATELEY KEITH VICTOR
Priority date: 1980-10-29
Filing date: 1980-10-29
Publication date: 1982-05-06

Abstract

To facilitate easy replacement of a wide variety of heat exchangers, for example, for motor vehicles, a heat exchanger is made up of a number of individual sections (18 to 24) which can be purchased individually and assembled into a heat exchanger of the required size. Section (21) has a filler cap opening (15), section (23) has a top hose connection (16) and section (19) has a bottom hose connection (17). These sections (15, 23 and 19) can be stacked together with other sections in the desired combination to suit the particular requirement of the installation. Each section (18 to 24) has an upper and a lower manifold portion provided with one or two spigot/socket connector for connection to adjacent sections. Bars (38 and 39) hold the sections (18 to 24) and mounting plates 14 together to complete the heat exchanger. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Heat exchanger This invention relates to a heat exchanger and is more particularly concerned with a radiator for cooling the internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, for example, a motor car.

Because of the wide variety of designs of motor vehicle and engine size therein, many different designs and capacities of radiator are em'ployed.

This raises problems of easy availability and cost in respect of any particular radiator design to be replaced when damaged.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantage.

According to the present invention, there is provided a heat exchanger which is made up of a plurality of sections which can be purchased individually and assembled into a heat exchanger of the required size, and means for securing the heat exchanger sections together, each heat exchanger section comprising an intermediate heat exchanger portion, and a manifold portion at each end of the heat exchanger portion, each manifold portion being adapted to be connected with at least one other manifold portion of an adjacent section or sections.

In a particular convenient embodiment, adjacent heat exchanger sections are adapted to be connected together using a spigot and socket connection with appropriate sealing means, for example a sealing ring, and means are provided for holding the sections together.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a radiator to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the radiator of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view showing a typical joint between radiatdr sections of the radiator of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of a radiator section having a hose connection.

The illustrated radiator is for cooling a motor car engine and comprises a header or upper manifold 10, a central heat exchange core 1 1, a lower manifold 12, and slotted side plates 14 to enable the radiator to be appropriately mounted in the motor car using fixing screws (not shown). The upper manifold 10 has a filler opening 1 5 closed, in use, by a filler cap (not shown), and a top hose connection 1 6. The lower manifold 1 2 has a bottom hose connection 1 7.

The radiator has in this embodiment, seven radiator sections 1 8 to 24. Radiator sections 1 8 to 24 are identical and are at the side edges of the radiator. Intermediate sections 1 9 and 23 are identical and carry the bottom and top hose connections 1 7 and 16, respectively. Plain intermediate sections 20 and 22 are identical.

Section 21 is provided with the filler opening 1 5.

Thus, there are only three different radiator sections in the complete radiator. The radiator may be made larger laterally to increase its capacity merely by inserting a greater number of plain intermediate sections identical to sections 20 and 22. These may be inserted where required and the sections 19,21 and 23 may be positioned within the radiator so that the hose connections 1 6 and 1 7 and the filler opening 1 5 are at the desired locations.

Apart from the above mentioned differences, each radiator section 1 8 to 24 is identical and will now be described with reference to Figure 4 where radiator section 23 carrying hose connector 1 6 is typically shown. Radiator section 23 comprises an intermediate, heat exchanger portion 25 defining part of the central core 11.

The portion 25 is provided with a multiplicity of tubes 26 having cooling fins 27 thereon. The upper ends of the tubes 26 extend into an upper manifold portion 28 and are sealed therewith via a gasket 29. Similarly, the lower ends of the tubes 26 extend into a lower manifold portion 30 and are sealed therewith via a gasket 31. The upper manifold portion 28 is provided with a spigot 32 at one side thereof and with a socket 33 at opposite side thereof. The socket 33 has an inwardly directed rib 34 defining an abutment shoulder or stop. The lower manifold portion 30 likewise has a spigot 35 and a socket 33 having an inwardly directed rib defining an abutment shoulder as will be seen from Figure 4, the spigots 32 and 35 extend in opposite directions. The dimensions of the spigots 32 and 35 are identical as are the dimensions of the sockets 33 and 36.In use, the spigot 32 of each radiator section is fitted with a suitably heat-resistant O-ring 37 and is then inserted into the socket 33 of an adjacent section until the end of the spigot 32 engages against the abutment shoulder or stop defined by the rib 34. A suitably heat resistant O-ring 37 is engaged in an annular recess on the spigot 32 and abuts against the side wall of the opening socket 33 to effect a seal between these two parts. In the same way, the spigot 35 of each radiator section is inserted into the socket 36 of an adjacent section with the provision of another suitably heat-resistant O-ring (not shown) therebetween.

It will thus be appreciated that a radiator of the required size can be built-up from as many sections as desired. The sections 1 8 to 24 and the side plates 14 are held together by sets of upper and lower clamping bars 38 and 39, respectively.

These bars 38 and 39 are of the required length having regard to the number of sections to be joined together and have bent-over ends which are engaged in openings (not shown) in the side plates 14.

The radiator is simple to assemble in a wide variety of configurations and lengths to suit the motor car concerned.

The invention is applicable not only to vertical flow radiators but also to cross flow radiators where the radiator sections are horizontally rather than vertically disposed. It is envisaged that a number of different designs of side plate will have to be provided to suit a wide variety of motor vehicles although it is also envisaged that side plates 14 could be provided with a number of fixing screw slots apertures therein at different locations to be selected according to the vehicle in which the radiator is to be fitted.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger which is made up of a plurality of sections which can be purchased individually and assembled into a heat exchanger of the required size, and means for securing the heat exchanger sections together, each heat exchanger section comprising an intermediate heat exchanger portion, and a manifold portion at each end of the heat exchanger portion, each manifold portion being adapted to be connected with at least one other manifold portion of an adjacent section or sections.

2. A heat exchanger as claimed in Claim 1, wherein adjacent heat exchanger sections are adapted to be connected together using a spigot and socket connection with sealing means, and means are provided for holding the sections together.

3. A heat exchanger as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the heat exchanger sections includes a closable filler opening, another of the heat exchanger sections includes a first hose connection, and a further of the heat exchanger sections includes a second hose connection.

4. A heat exchanger as claimed in Claim 3 including at least one further heat exchanger section having no filler opening or hose connection.

5. A heat exchanger as claimed in any preceding claim, further including at least one means for mounting the heat exchanger.

6. A heat exchanger as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the or each mounting means comprises an apertured plate which is adapted to be held to the remainder of the heat exchange by said holding means.

7. A heat exchanger substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.