JP2001133188A - Oil cooler fir automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an oil cooler fir automobiles with a configuration for integrally retaining at least three tubes without increasing costs with simple configuration. SOLUTION: The oil cooler for automobiles is provided with a plurality of tubes 1 being arranged in a number of rows and columns and a bracket 5 for retaining the plurality of tubes 1 in one piece, the end parts of the plurality pf tubes 1 for integrally retaining the bracket 5 are connected by a bent 11 having a nearly U shape excluding an inlet 7 and an outlet 9 of the oil cooler, and a series of oil paths being connected from the inlet 7 to the outlet 9 are composed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an oil cooler for automobiles having excellent vibration resistance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an oil cooler for a vehicle for power steering is formed by connecting the ends of two tubes with a substantially U-shaped vent, and spirally forming aluminum fins on the outer periphery of each tube. It is wound around.

A conventional oil cooler for a vehicle of this kind is:
As shown in FIG. 7, each tube 51 is held by a pair of half brackets 53, and the brackets 53 are connected by bolts 54. (Fixed part).

[0004]

However, as described above, when two tubes 51 are used, it is possible to mount them using a pair of simple brackets 53, but the number of tubes becomes three or more. In this case, it is necessary to prepare the bracket 53 for each tube row, and there is a problem that the number of parts increases, which leads to an increase in cost.

[0005] In addition, the oil cooler for automobiles is required to have high vibration resistance. If three or more tubes 51 are used, for example, and if they are to be held together, the thickness of the bracket 53 becomes large, When brazing the tube 51 to the bracket 53, there is a problem that the brazing operation becomes difficult due to the large thickness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide an oil cooler for a vehicle having a simple structure and a structure for integrally holding a plurality of tubes without increasing the cost. Is to provide.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A plurality of tubes arranged in multiple rows and multiple rows, and a bracket for integrally holding the plurality of tubes, wherein ends of the plurality of tubes integrally held on the bracket are connected to an inlet of an oil cooler. A series of oil passages extending from the inlet to the outlet are connected by a substantially U-shaped vent except for the outlet and the outlet.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, each of the brackets has a claw portion for holding a tube, and each claw portion is formed to be thin. is there.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the claw portion holds at least half of the outer circumference of the tube.

[0010]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oil cooler for an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the term “aluminum” includes an aluminum alloy in addition to pure aluminum.

1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a tube made of an extruded aluminum material. The tubes 1 are composed of four tubes, and the four tubes 1 are arranged in two columns and two rows as shown in FIGS.

Aluminum fins 3 are spirally joined to the outer periphery of each tube 1 by brazing using a non-corrosive flux. This fin 3
A description will be given of the joining procedure of the fin 3 and the tube 1. At least the inner peripheral edge of the fin 3 is alternately bent in the thickness direction of the fin 3 so as to be formed in a wavy shape as viewed from the radial inside. , The combination of the fins 3 and the tube 1 is placed in a posture in which the axis of the spiral fin is oriented vertically, and in this state, the slurry-like flux is sprayed on the combination, and The fin 3 is joined to the outer peripheral surface of the tube 1 by heating.

As shown in FIG. 4, a ridge-shaped protrusion 1b extending helically in the longitudinal direction is formed on the inner periphery of the tube 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tubes 1 are integrally held by aluminum brackets 5 arranged on the right and left sides in the respective drawings.
Four tubes 1 integrally held by the bracket 5
Of the end portions 1a except for the inlet 7 and the outlet 9 of the oil cooler, the ends 1a are connected to each other via an aluminum vent 11 formed in a substantially U-shape. A series of oil passages extending from 7 to the outlet 9 is formed.

An aluminum sleeve 13 is fitted between the vent 11 and the end 1a, and the both ends of the sleeve 13 are torch brazed to join the vent 11 and the end 1a.

A header 15 is brazed between the inlet 7 and the outlet 9 of the oil cooler. The header 15 is formed with an oil inlet 15a communicating with the inlet 7 and an oil outlet 15b communicating with the outlet 9. I have.

Next, the structure of the bracket 5 will be described.
The pair of brackets 5 are formed of an extruded aluminum material, and the pair has substantially the same structure, and as shown in FIG.
a, 5b and one thick side 5c having a thickness t2. A screw hole 17 is formed in the thick side 5c having the thickness t2, and when the oil cooler is fixed to, for example, a fixed portion of an automobile, the oil cooler is screwed and fixed using the screw hole 17.

Claws 21 for holding the tube 1 are integrally formed at the four corners of the bracket 5, respectively. The claw portion 21 is a pair of claw pieces 21a that bend in an arc shape.
The tube 1 is inserted between the pair of claw pieces 21a, and the tube 1 and the claw piece 21a are
Are joined by torch brazing over substantially 3/4 of the outer periphery of the torch.

In performing this torch brazing,
The thickness t of the bracket 3 is smaller than the thickness t3 of the tube 1.
When 1,2 is too thick, since the preheating time of brazing is different due to the difference in thickness, depending on the preheating method, for example, a brazing defect such as a hole in the tube 1 may occur. .

In order to suppress this brazing defect, the thickness t4 of each claw piece 21a is formed as thin as possible.
In this embodiment, the thickness t4 is reduced to two thin sides 5a,
The thickness is substantially equal to the thickness t1 of 5b (t4 = t1).

In this embodiment, the claw piece 21a extends in a substantially arc shape so as to cover the outer circumference of the tube 1, and holds the outer circumference of the tube 1 for more than half the circumference (3/4 outer circumference). In this case, the four tubes 1 are inserted in the axial direction between the respective claw pieces 21a of the bracket 5, and the tube 1 is securely held by this structure.

This embodiment has a structure in which four tubes 1 arranged in two rows and two rows are integrally held by a bracket 5 and the bracket 5 is fixed to a fixed portion of a vehicle. Therefore, depending on the rigidity of the bracket 5, the higher the rigidity, the more the vibration resistance can be improved. In addition, the tube 1 is
, And the tube 1 and the thin nail piece 21a are brazed and joined, so that the workability of brazing can be improved.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to prepare a bracket for each tube row, even if the number of tubes 1 is three or more, as compared with the conventional one.
Since the structure is such that all the tubes 1 are held by one bracket 5, the number of parts is reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment.

In this embodiment, the bracket 35 is made of extruded aluminum and has a substantially rectangular cross section.

The bracket 35 has a small thickness t1.
It has three sides 35a, 35b, 35c and one side 5d having a large thickness t2. Thick side 35d of this thickness t2
The oil cooler is screwed and fixed using the screw hole 17 when the oil cooler is fixed to, for example, a fixed portion of an automobile. At the four corners on the outer periphery of the bracket 35, claw portions 3 holding the tube 1 are provided.
7 are integrally formed. The claw portion 37 includes a pair of claw pieces 37a that bend in an arc shape, and the tube 1 is inserted between the pair of claw pieces 37a.
Is joined by torch brazing over approximately ／ of the outer circumference of the tube 1. A pair of nail pieces 37a
Has a thickness t6 (= t4), as in the above embodiment, and is easy to braze.

In this embodiment, since the four tubes 1 are integrally held by the bracket 35, and the bracket 35 is fixed to the fixed portion of the automobile, the above-described implementation such as improvement in vibration resistance can be achieved. It has the same effect as the embodiment.

Further, since the claw portions 37 for holding the respective tubes 1 are formed at the four corners on the outer periphery of one bracket 35, the torch brazing between the claw pieces 37a and the tube 1 can be easily performed. It has effects such as being able to do.

Although the present invention has been described based on one embodiment, it is apparent that the present invention is not limited to this.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the bracket holds four tubes is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this.
Obviously, three or four or more claws may be formed to hold the tubes respectively.

[0031]

According to the present invention, a plurality of tubes arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of rows are integrally held by a bracket and fixed to a fixed portion of a vehicle for each of the brackets. Performance can be improved.

Since the tube is held by the claws and the tube and the thin claws are brazed and joined, the workability of brazing can be improved.

Further, compared with the conventional one, the number of tubes is three.
Even if the number of tubes becomes more than one, it is not necessary to prepare a bracket for each tube row, and since all tubes are held by one bracket, the number of parts is reduced and cost can be reduced. It has effects such as being able to do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of an automotive oil cooler according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the bracket.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a conventional bracket.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 tube 3 fin 5 bracket 7 inlet 9 outlet 11 vent 15 header 21 claw 21a claw piece

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of tubes arranged in multiple rows and columns and a bracket for integrally holding the plurality of tubes, and ends of the plurality of tubes integrally held on the bracket are provided. Are connected by a substantially U-shaped vent except for the inlet and outlet of the oil cooler to form a series of oil passages extending from the inlet to the outlet. 2. The oil cooler for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein said brackets each have a claw portion for holding a tube, and each of said claw portions is formed to be thin. 3. The oil cooler for an automobile according to claim 2, wherein the claw portion holds at least half of the outer circumference of the tube.