JP2006258357A - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat exchanger capable of reducing the weight and size thereof and of keeping airtightness by minimizing the length of a header pipe capable of keeping performance. <P>SOLUTION: This heat exchanger 1 is constituted by connecting and fixing, by brazing, of a pair of the mutually confronting header pipes 2a and 2b, a plurality of heat exchange tubes 3 arranged in parallel with one another between both the header pipes for running a heat medium from one-side header pipe to the other-side header pipe, a plurality of heat exchange fins 4 arranged between the heat exchange tubes and outside the outermost heat exchange tubes, and side plates 5 arranged outside of the outermost heat exchange tubes. Both ends of the side plates are respectively fitted to fitting holes 7 formed in opposite side faces of caps 6 overlaid on opening ends of both the header pipes by brazing, and fixed by brazing in a form in contact with the side faces of the header pipes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a parallel flow type heat exchanger for automobiles, for example, and more particularly to a heat exchanger having a side plate that protects heat exchange fins disposed outside an outermost heat exchange tube. Is.

  In general, this type of parallel flow heat exchanger is provided with a plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged in parallel with each other between a pair of opposing header pipes to flow a heat medium from one header pipe to the other. Furthermore, a plurality of heat exchange fins are assembled and joined between these heat exchange tubes to form a heat exchange region. And a heat medium flows through a header pipe, and it uses for cooling.

  In the heat exchanger configured as described above, in the two heat exchange tubes positioned on the outermost side of the heat exchange tube, heat exchange fins are further disposed on the outer side. The heat exchange fin attached to the outermost heat exchange tube becomes an open portion as it is, and may be easily deformed and damaged when an external force is applied. Therefore, in order to protect these heat exchange fins, a pair of side plates made of aluminum alloy are joined to the outermost side.

  Conventionally, as a structure for attaching a side plate, (1) a structure in which both end portions of the side plate are bent and brazed and fixed in a state where the bent portions are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the header pipe (for example, Patent Document 1) (2) A cap and a side plate for integrally processing the end of the header pipe (see, for example, Patent Document 2), (3) A fitting hole for inserting a heat exchange tube into the header pipe Are provided with fitting holes for inserting the side plates, and the ends of the heat exchange tubes and the side plates are inserted into the fitting holes and fixed by brazing (see, for example, Patent Document 3), or (4) A slit is formed in both the header pipe and the cap, and the end portion of the side plate is inserted into both slits and fixed by brazing (for example, special Document 4 reference) and the like are known.

By the way, in this type of heat exchanger, the members that can be reduced in weight have been required to be as thin as possible and light in weight so that they can be shortened. In addition, manufacturing restrictions should be minimized and design freedom should be increased. This is the current situation.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-22620 (Scope of claims for utility model registration, FIGS. 1, 4 and 5) Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-122986 (Utility Model Registration Request, FIGS. 1 and 2) JP-A-3-279798 (Claims, FIGS. 1 and 2) Registered Utility Model No. 2551906 (paragraph number 0022, FIG. 4)

  However, (1) since the technology described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-22620 is only in contact with the side plate and the header pipe in a state before brazing, brazing is performed even at the normal temperature. When the heat exchanger core assembled in step 1 is heated to about 600 ° C., expansion, distortion, and the like are generated, and there is a problem that a gap occurs in the contact portion and poor bonding occurs. In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to use a jig or the like to constrain the gap so that the assembly work is cumbersome and the side plate and header pipe are securely joined. There was a problem of lack of sex.

  Also, (2) the technology described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 2-122986 integrates the cap and the side plate, so the dimensions between the header pipes are fixed, and fine adjustment during temporary assembly cannot be performed. There is a problem that it is difficult to cope with the deformation of the side plate portion. Further, the mold for producing the side plate becomes complicated, and the dimensional accuracy of the side plate must be severe.

  Further, (3) in the one described in JP-A-3-279798, if the distance from the end of the header pipe to the outermost fitting hole is short, the end of the header pipe is likely to be deformed. There is a problem that molding is difficult. Therefore, a large dimension from the fitting hole for insertion of the side plate located on the outermost side of the header pipe end to the header pipe end is required, for example, 10 mm or more, and the length of the header pipe becomes longer than necessary. However, there is a problem that the heat exchanger cannot be reduced in size and weight. In addition, since the heat medium originally flows in the heat exchanger, it is not preferable to provide more holes than necessary in the header pipe that requires airtightness, but it is inserted into the fitting hole provided in the header pipe. The processing accuracy at the end of the side plate is also severe because it affects the quality of bonding.

  Also, in the technique described in (4) Registered Utility Model No. 2551906, since a slit for inserting the side plate is provided in the header pipe, the same problem as that described in (3) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-279798 is provided. There is a point.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a heat exchanger in which a header pipe has a minimum length capable of maintaining performance, and can achieve light weight, downsizing and airtightness. .

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1 is a pair of opposing header pipes and a parallel arrangement between the two header pipes to allow the heat medium to flow from one header pipe to the other header pipe. A plurality of heat exchange tubes, a plurality of heat exchange fins disposed between the heat exchange tubes and outside the outermost heat exchange tube, and a side plate disposed outside the outermost heat exchange tube. A heat exchanger that is joined and fixed by brazing, wherein both end portions of the side plates are fitted on opposite sides of caps that are crowned to the open end portions of both header pipes by brazing It is fitted to each part, and is brazed and fixed in a state of being in contact with the side surface of the header pipe.

  By configuring in this way, both end portions of the side plate disposed outside the outermost heat exchange tube are provided on the opposite side surfaces of the caps that are attached to the opening end portions of both header pipes by brazing. Since it can be brazed and fixed while being in contact with the side surface of the header pipe, it does not need to be drilled in addition to the hole for the heat exchange tube, The header pipe can be made the minimum length necessary to maintain the performance.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the heat exchanger according to the first aspect, the cap is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape into which the opening end of the header pipe is inserted, and the header pipe is formed at the bottom of the cap. The opening end is closed, and a fitting portion of a side plate is provided on the cylindrical side portion.

  By configuring in this way, the opening end of the header pipe is closed at the bottom of the cap, and the end of the end of the side plate fitted to the fitting portion provided on the cylindrical side portion of the cap is connected to the side surface of the header pipe. It can be abutted against and brazed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the heat exchanger according to the first aspect, the cap is formed in a stepped bottomed cylindrical shape into which the inside and outside of the opening end portion of the header pipe are inserted, The inside and outside of the opening end of the header pipe are closed at the stepped bottom, and the side plate fitting portion is provided on the cylindrical side portion.

  By configuring in this way, the inside and outside of the opening end portion of the header pipe is closed by the stepped bottom portion of the cap, and the end portion of the side plate that is fitted to the fitting portion provided on the cylindrical side portion of the cap The tip can be abutted against the side of the header pipe and brazed.

  In this invention, the said fitting part can be formed in the notch opened to the fitting hole provided in the side surface of a cap, or the side end of a cap (Claim 4).

  (1) According to the first aspect of the present invention, the header pipe need not be drilled other than the hole for the heat exchange tube, and the header pipe can have a minimum length that can maintain the performance. Therefore, the heat exchanger can be reduced in size and weight, airtightness can be maintained, manufacturing restrictions can be reduced, and the degree of freedom of the heat exchanger can be increased.

  (2) According to the invention described in claim 2, the end of the side plate is fitted to the fitting portion provided on the cylindrical side portion of the cap with the opening end of the header pipe closed at the bottom of the cap. Can be brazed against the side surface of the header pipe, so that in addition to the above (1), airtightness can be further maintained and brazing between the header pipe, the cap and the side plate is ensured. be able to.

  (3) The inside and outside of the opening end portion of the header pipe is closed with the stepped bottom portion of the cap, and the end of the end portion of the side plate fitted to the fitting portion provided on the cylindrical side portion of the cap is connected to the header pipe. In addition to the above (1), airtightness can be maintained and brazing between the header pipe, the cap, and the side plate can be ensured.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a heat exchanger according to the present invention (a) and an enlarged cross-sectional view (b) of an I part of (a), and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the heat exchanger. is there.

  The heat exchanger 1 includes a pair of opposing header pipes 2a and 2b and a plurality of header pipes 2a and 2b that are arranged in parallel to each other and flow a heat medium from one header pipe 2a to the other header pipe 2b. Heat exchange tubes 3, a plurality of heat exchange fins 4 disposed between these heat exchange tubes 3 and outside the outermost heat exchange tube 3, and disposed outside the outermost heat exchange tube 3. It is mainly composed of the side plate 5.

  The header pipes 2a and 2b are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape by an extruded shape made of, for example, an aluminum alloy. Caps 6 are attached to the upper and lower ends of the header pipes 2a and 2b, and ends of the side plates 5 that are respectively fitted in fitting portions provided in the opposing caps 6 such as fitting holes 7, respectively. The header pipes 2a and 2b, the cap 6 and the side plate 5 are brazed and fixed in a state where the portion 5a is in contact with the side surfaces of the header pipes 2a and 2b. In addition, a heat medium inlet 8 is provided near the upper end of one header pipe 2a (left side in FIG. 1), and near the lower end of the other header pipe 2b (right side in FIG. 1). An outlet 9 is provided.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the cap 6 is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape by pressing an aluminum alloy disc 6e clad with an Al—Si brazing material 6d on one or both sides. After that, the fitting hole 7 is formed in the cylindrical side part 6b by cutting or pressing.

  The side plate 5 is formed of a plate material made of an aluminum alloy having an Mg content of 0.8% or less, such as A1000 series or A3000 series (JIS), and the heat exchange tube 3 and the heat exchange fins. Both end corners of the strip-shaped base 5b having substantially the same width as the width 4 are cut to form the end 5a.

  By forming as described above, the cap 6 that is attached to the ends of the header pipes 2a and 2b is provided on the cylindrical side portion 6b by closing the opening ends of the header pipes 2a and 2b at the bottom 6a. The end portion 5a of the side plate 5 is fitted into the fitting hole 7, and is brazed and fixed in contact with the side surfaces of the header pipes 2a and 2b (see FIG. 1B). Thereby, while being able to maintain airtightness, brazing of header pipe 2a, 2b, the cap 6, and the side plate 5 can be ensured.

  The heat exchange tube 3 is formed of an extruded shape made of an aluminum alloy, and is formed as a flat tube having a pair of flat surfaces facing in opposite directions. Inside the heat exchange tube 3, a flow path 3a of the heat medium is formed along the longitudinal direction, and the heat medium in the header pipe 2a flows to the header pipe 2b through the flow path 3a. Yes. Both ends of this heat exchange tube 3 are inserted into insertion holes 2c provided at opposite positions of both header pipes 2a and 2b, and are fixed by brazing.

  The heat exchange fins 4 are formed by corrugated aluminum alloy plates by a roller forming method. The heat exchange fins 4 are provided between adjacent heat exchange tubes, and the heat exchange tubes 3 are flat. It is fixed to the surface by brazing. By fixing the corrugated heat exchange fins 4 to the surface of the heat exchange tubes 3 in this way, the heat medium flowing in the flow path 3a of the heat exchange tubes 3 and the heat exchange tubes 3 and the heat exchange fins 4 are obtained. The heat exchange with the outside air surrounding is efficiently performed.

  When the heat exchanger 1 is assembled, first, caps 6 are attached to the upper and lower ends of the header pipes 2a and 2b. Next, the heat exchange tubes 3 and the heat exchange fins 4 are alternately arranged, the heat exchange fins 4 are also arranged outside the heat exchange tubes 3 located at both ends, and the side plates 5 are arranged outside the heat exchange tubes 4. The core part is configured. Next, the pair of header pipes 2a and 2b with the cap 6 attached are slid to insert the end portion of the heat exchange tube 3 into the corresponding insertion hole 2c, and the end portion 5a of the side plate 5 is capped. 6 is inserted into the fitting hole 7 provided in the connector 6. When the insertion is completed, the jig is used to restrain the parts from being separated, and the header pipes 2a and 2b, the heat exchange tubes 3, the heat exchange fins 4 and the side plates 5 are brazed in this state.

  As materials for these header pipes 2a, 2b, heat exchange tubes 3, heat exchange fins 4 and side plates 5, aluminum alloys of A3000 series and A1000 series (JIS) can be used, and Al—Si is used at the joints between them. Brazing can be performed with a brazing material of the system interposed. However, from the viewpoint of saving the trouble of disposing the brazing material at the joint, it is preferable to use a brazing material in which an Al—Si brazing material is clad on at least one of the members to be joined together. For example, if a brazing material is used as the header pipes 2a and 2b, an electric-welded pipe whose outer peripheral surface is clad with a brazing material can be used, and the side plate 5 and the heat exchange tube 3 at this time are A1000 series, A3000 material (JIS) and other materials made of aluminum alloy with an Mg content of 0.8% or less can be used. Also, brazing material in which an Al-Si brazing material is clad is used. can do. When an aluminum alloy such as A1000 or A3000 (JIS) is used for the cap 6, the side plate 5 needs to be followed by a brazing material clad with an Al—Si brazing material.

  FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of a second embodiment of the heat exchanger according to the present invention.

  In the second embodiment, the adhesion and brazing between the cap 6A and the upper and lower opening ends of the header pipes 2a and 2b are further improved. In this case, the cap 6A is formed in a stepped bottomed cylindrical shape formed of a member made of an aluminum alloy such as A1000 series or A3000 series (JIS), and a stepped bottom portion 6a provided in the cap 6A. A fitting hole 7 for closing the inside and outside of the opening ends of the header pipes 2a and 2b and fitting the end portion 5a of the side plate 5 into the cylindrical side portion 6b is provided. In this case, the side plate 5 is formed of a brazing material clad with an Al—Si brazing material.

  In order to produce the cap 6A, as shown in FIG. 5, the bottom 6a of the bottomed cylindrical cap material 6f is bent by forging to form a stepped bottom 6c, and then cylindrical by cutting or pressing. Cap 6A is produced by providing the fitting hole 7 in the side part 6b.

  By using the cap 6A configured as described above, the inside and outside of the opening ends of the header pipes 2a and 2b are closed by the stepped bottom portion 6c of the cap 6A, and provided on the cylindrical side portion 6b of the cap 6A. The front end of the side plate 5 inserted into the fitting hole 7 can be brought into contact with the side surfaces of the header pipes 2a and 2b and brazed. Therefore, airtightness can be maintained, and the header pipes 2a and 2b, the cap 6A, and the side plate 5 can be reliably brazed.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the fitting portions provided on the side surfaces of the caps 6 and 6A are formed by the fitting holes 7 is described. However, as shown in FIGS. The joint portion may be formed by, for example, a notch 7A opened at the side end of the cap 6, and the end portion 5a of the side plate 5 may be fitted into the notch 7A. Thus, by forming the fitting portion by the notch 7A, the cap 6 can be easily processed as compared with the case where the fitting hole 7 is provided. When the fitting portion is formed by the notch 7A, a gap is generated in the fitting between the cap 6 and the side plate 5, but in a restrained state before brazing at the time of assembly, the stacked heat exchange tubes 3 and heat exchange are performed. Since the fins 4 are restrained in a slightly compressed state, the side plate 5 has an outward force, that is, the upper side plate 5 has an upward force, and the lower side plate 5 has a downward force. In addition, there is no problem because the guide on the side opposite to the bottom surface of the cap can be made unnecessary.

  Similarly, in the cap 6A, the fitting portion can be formed by a notch 7A that opens to the side end of the cap 6A (see FIGS. 7A and 7B).

It is a schematic perspective view (a) which shows 1st Embodiment of the heat exchanger which concerns on this invention, and the I section expanded sectional view (b) of (a). It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the principal part of the said heat exchanger. It is sectional drawing (d) which follows the schematic perspective view (a, b, c) which shows the manufacture procedure of the cap in 1st Embodiment, and the II-II line of (c). It is an expanded sectional view showing an important section of a 2nd embodiment of a heat exchanger concerning this invention. It is sectional drawing (d) which follows the schematic perspective view (a, b, c) which shows the preparation procedure of the cap in 2nd Embodiment, and the III-III line of (c). It is a schematic perspective view (a) which shows a heat exchanger at the time of forming the fitting part in this invention by a notch, and IV section expanded sectional view (b) of (a). It is sectional drawing (b) which follows the VV line | wire of the perspective view (a) and (a) of the state which formed the notch in the cap in 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat exchanger 2a, 2b Header pipe 3 Heat exchange tube 4 Heat exchange fin 5 Side plate 5a End part 6, 6A Cap 6a Bottom part 6b Cylindrical side part 6c Stepped bottom part 7 Fitting hole (fitting part)
7A Notch (fitting part)

Claims (4)

A pair of header pipes facing each other, a plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged in parallel with each other between the two header pipes to flow the heat medium from one header pipe to the other, and between the heat exchange tubes and the outermost tube A heat exchanger in which a plurality of heat exchange fins disposed outside the heat exchange tube and a side plate disposed outside the outermost heat exchange tube are bonded and fixed by brazing,
Both end portions of the side plates are respectively fitted to fitting portions provided on opposite side surfaces of caps that are attached to the opening end portions of the header pipes by brazing, and contact the side surfaces of the header pipe. A heat exchanger characterized by being brazed and fixed in contact. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein
The cap is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape for inserting the opening end portion of the header pipe, the opening end of the header pipe is closed at the bottom portion of the cap, and the fitting portion of the side plate is provided on the cylindrical side portion. The heat exchanger characterized by the above-mentioned. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein
The cap is formed in a stepped bottomed cylindrical shape that fits the inside and outside of the opening end portion of the header pipe, and the stepped bottom portion of the cap closes the inside and outside of the opening end of the header pipe. The heat exchanger is characterized in that a side plate fitting portion is provided. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the fitting portion is a fitting hole provided on a side surface of the cap or a notch opened at a side end of the cap.

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