JP2003302188A - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat exchanger capable of reducing in weight and preventing its side plates from deformation. <P>SOLUTION: The heat exchanger is structured so that a plurality of tubes 2 admitting flowing-through of a fluid and a plurality of corrugated fins 5 are laminated to form a heat exchange core 7. Tanks 3 and 4 are connected to the ends of the tubes 2, and side plates 6 are attached to the two sides of the core 7, whereto the joining parts between the tubes 2 and the corrugate fins 5 are brazed solidly. The end of the side edge 6a of each side plate 6 is folded to generate a double structure. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat exchanger having a heat exchange core having a structure in which a plurality of tubes and fins are laminated, and more particularly to a heat exchanger suitable for an evaporator of a vehicle refrigeration cycle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an evaporator of a refrigerating cycle for a vehicle, a heat exchange core having a structure in which tanks are arranged in parallel at an upper portion and a lower portion, and tubes and corrugated fins are horizontally laminated between the upper and lower tanks. A heat exchanger provided with is known. This heat exchanger connects the upper and lower ends of many tubes arranged at intervals in the heat exchange core to the upper and lower tanks and fixes corrugated corrugated fins between the tubes. The refrigerant is passed through the tubes and the tank, and the air is passed through the tubes and the tank at right angles to the stacking direction of the tubes and the corrugated fins and at a right angle to the longitudinal direction of the tubes to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air.

[0003]

At both ends of a heat exchange core consisting of tubes and corrugated fins of this type of heat exchanger, side plates are provided outside the corrugated fins at both ends in order to protect the corrugated fins at both ends. Is attached to.

By the way, in the manufacturing process of this type of heat exchanger, the corrugated fins and the tubes are fixed by integral brazing in a state where all the corrugated fins are assembled between the tubes. In order to hold the assembled state of and to press the tube with a constant force for the purpose of securing brazing property, outside the side plates on both sides including the corrugated fin and the tube,
It is brazed by winding it so as to bind it with a wire.

However, in order to maintain the shape during such a brazing process, when the wire is wound around the outside of the side plate and tightened, both end portions of the side plate are pushed by the wire and are crushed, and that portion is inward. There was a problem of deformation. In particular, in the heat exchanger for the evaporator of the vehicle refrigeration cycle, since it is required to be small and lightweight, the thickness of the side plate cannot be made thick enough to withstand the tightening pressure of the wire, Since it is necessary to form the side plate with a metal plate that is as thin as possible, there is a problem that the rigidity of the side plate is low and the edge portion of the side plate is easily deformed by tightening the wire.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger capable of reducing the weight and preventing the side plates from being deformed.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, the heat exchanger of the present invention comprises a heat exchange core formed by laminating a plurality of tubes for circulating a fluid and a plurality of fins. The tank is connected to the end of the tube of
In a heat exchanger in which side plates are attached to both sides of the heat exchange core and at least the joint portions of the tubes and the fins are integrally brazed, the side edges of the side plates are formed by bending the ends in double. Is characterized by.

Here, the side plate may be formed with a convex portion and a concave portion having a U-shaped cross section continuously in the longitudinal direction. Further, in the double-folded side edge portion of the side plate, the bent tip can be formed to enter the inside of the corner portion of the side edge portion.

[0009]

In the heat exchanger having the above-mentioned structure, an integrated brazing process is performed when fixing the joints of the tubes, fins, etc. at the time of manufacturing. At this time, first, a plurality of tubes and fins are laminated between the tanks. Then, assemble the heat exchange core, and then assemble the side plates on both sides. A brazing material is preliminarily attached to a joint portion such as a tube or a fin, or a clad material coated with a brazing material is used.

Next, a wire is wound around the assembled heat exchange core and the side plates on both sides, and the assembly is carried into the brazing furnace with the assembly posture maintained, and the inside of the furnace is loaded. The brazing material is heated to the melting temperature, and the joint portion of the assembly is brazed integrally. As a result, the joints such as the tube and the fins are brazed and fixed, and the assembly of the heat exchanger is completed.

During the integrated brazing, the wire is wound around the heat exchange core including the side plates on both sides to maintain the assembled posture and to press the fin and the tube with a constant force. Even if the wire is tightened strongly, the side edge of the side plate is formed by double bending the end, so the side edge has high rigidity and is made of a relatively thin metal plate for weight reduction. Even when the side plate is formed, it is possible to prevent the end portion of the side plate from being crushed or deformed.

Further, if the side plate is formed with a convex portion and a concave portion having a U-shaped cross section continuously in the longitudinal direction, the bending strength in the longitudinal direction is increased and sufficient rigidity against bending load can be provided. it can. Furthermore, in the case of the side edge portion of the side plate that is double-folded, the bent tip is made to enter the inside of the corner portion of the side edge portion to further improve the strength and prevent the side edge portion from being deformed. Can be prevented.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example in which the present heat exchanger is applied to an evaporator 1 of a vehicle air conditioner. The evaporator 1 is arranged in an air conditioning casing that blows air into the vehicle and cools the blown air.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a tube in which a large number of tubes are vertically arranged at intervals and through which a refrigerant flows, for promoting heat exchange between adjacent tubes 2. Corrugated fins 5 are provided. The corrugated corrugated fins 5 are arranged so as to form passages for circulating air in the front-back direction of FIG. 1, and a large number of tubes 2 and corrugated fins 5 are stacked in the lateral direction of FIG. A heat exchange core 7 for exchanging is configured.

The tube 2 is integrally formed by, for example, extruding or drawing an aluminum material, and the tube 2 and the corrugated fins 5 arranged in parallel in two rows in the air flow direction are arranged in the left-right direction in FIG. It is stacked.

A first tank 3 and a second tank 4 are arranged above and below a heat exchange core 7 consisting of a large number of tubes 2 and corrugated fins 5 in the tube and fin stacking direction (see FIG. 1).
The tubes 2 are arranged parallel to each other, and the ends of the tubes 2 communicate with and are connected to the first tank 3 and the second tank 4.

The first tank 3 and the second tank 4 are each constructed by arranging two tanks in parallel, and the upper and lower ends of each tube 2 are connected and connected to each pair of upper and lower tanks. The connecting portion between the second tank 1 and the first tank 3 and the second tank 4 is brazed by, for example, a brazing material coated on a tube or a tank. An inlet pipe 8 and an outlet pipe 9 for the refrigerant are provided in the vicinity of the end portion of the upper first tank 3, the inlet pipe 8 is connected to the end portion of the second pipe 4, and the outlet pipe 9 is the end of the first tank 3. Connected to the department.

The corrugated fins 5 are located at the ends of the heat exchange core 7 in which a large number of such tubes 2 and corrugated fins 5 are laminated, but the corrugated fins 5 are protected by preventing the fins 5 from collapsing. In order to do so, side plates 6, 6 are attached at both ends.

As shown in FIG. 2, the side plates 6, 6 attached to both ends of the heat exchange core 7 are bent into a shape in which a plurality of bent metal plates having a U-shaped cross section are continuously provided. It is formed and has sufficient resistance to bending loads. That is, when viewed from the outside, the side plate 6 is bent at a right angle so as to raise the side edge portions 6a at both ends, and a convex portion 6b having a U-shaped cross section is formed in the central portion, and both side portions of the convex portion 6b are formed. The concave portion 6c is formed in the plate, and the convex portion and the concave portion are continuously provided in the longitudinal direction of the plate.

With such a cross-sectional shape, the side plate 6 is formed using a relatively thin metal plate so as to have a large proof stress against bending load. In particular, the side edges 6a, 6a at both ends of the side plate 6 are formed by being double-folded to prevent crushing of both side ends of the side plate 6 during a brazing process in which the wire W is tightened by winding. There is.

Next, an outline of the brazing process at the time of manufacturing the evaporator having the above structure will be described. First, a large number of tubes 2 and corrugated fins 5 are provided between the upper first tank 3 and the lower second tank 4. The heat exchange core 7 is assembled by laminating in the lateral direction, and the side plates 6 are attached to both sides of the heat exchange core 7. The first tank 3, the second tank 4, the tubes 2, and the corrugated fins 5 can be made of, for example, an aluminum clad material whose both surfaces are previously coated with a brazing material.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1, a wire W of stainless steel or the like is wound around the heat exchange core 7 and the side plates 6 and 6 on both sides in the assembled state, the assembled posture is maintained, and the fins and the tubes are attached. The assembly is carried into a brazing furnace while being pressed with a constant force, and the furnace is heated to the melting temperature of the brazing material to integrally braze the joint portion of the assembly. As a result, the respective joining portions of the first tank 3, the second tank 4, the tube 2, and the corrugated fin 5 are brazed, and the assembly of the evaporator 1 is completed.

As described above, when integrally brazing,
Connect the wire W to the heat exchange core 7 and the side plates 6 and 6 on both sides.
Wrap around and tighten to keep the shape of the assembly,
The fins and the tubes are pressed with a constant force. At this time, the wire W causes the side edges 6a, 6a of the side plates 6, 6 arranged at both ends of the heat exchange core 7 to have a required tightening load. Then, it will be tightened.

However, the side edges 6 of the side plates 6 and 6
Since a and 6a are formed by being double-folded, they have sufficient proof strength (strength) against a load, and even if the side plate is formed of a relatively thin metal plate, the side plates 6 and 6 are deformed. It is possible to prevent crushing. Therefore, the thickness of the side plates 6 and 6 can be reduced, and the weight of the evaporator 1 can be reduced.

FIG. 4 shows a side plate 16 of another embodiment.
FIG. Side plate 16 of this example
The side edges 16a, 16a at both ends thereof are formed by being double-folded in the same manner as described above, and the tips of the double-folded bent portions enter the inside of the corners of the side edges. Is formed. In this way, by forming the tip of the double-folded bent portion to the inside of the corner portion of the side edge portion, the strength of the side edge portions 16a, 16a at both ends (when tightening the wire) Strength against pressure load)
It is possible to prevent the side plate 16 from being deformed or crushed.

Although the corrugated fins are used as the fins in the above embodiment, fins of other shapes can be used. Further, two or more protrusions can be formed along the longitudinal direction of the side plate.

[0027]

As described above, according to the heat exchanger of the present invention, when integrally brazing at the time of manufacturing, the wire is wound around the heat exchange core including the side plates on both sides in the assembled state. Hold the assembled posture and press the fins and tubes with a certain force, but at this time, even if the wires are tightly tightened, the side edges of the side plate are formed by bending the ends twice. It is possible to prevent the end portions of the side plates from being crushed or deformed. Further, as a result, the side plate can be formed of a metal plate having a comparatively thin thickness, so that the weight of the heat exchanger can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an evaporator 1 as a heat exchanger showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a side plate.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a side plate.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a side plate of another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-evaporator 2-tube 3-First tank 4-second tank 5-corrugated fins 6-side plate 6a-side edge 6b-convex part 6c-recess 7-Heat exchange core 16-side plate

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A heat exchange core is formed by laminating a plurality of tubes for circulating a fluid and a plurality of fins, a tank is connected to an end of the tube of the heat exchange core, and a side is provided on both sides of the heat exchange core. In a heat exchanger to which a plate is attached and at least a joint portion of the tube and the fin is integrally brazed, a side edge portion of the side plate is formed by double bending an end portion thereof. Exchanger. 2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the side plate is provided with a convex portion and a concave portion having a U-shaped cross section continuously in the longitudinal direction. 3. The double-folded side edge portion of the side plate is formed so that a bent tip of the side edge portion extends into the inside of a corner portion of the side edge portion. Heat exchanger.