JP5473656B2 - Protection device for vehicle heat exchanger - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a protection device for a heat exchanger for a vehicle.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a tube front surface of a heat exchanger is covered with a protective member in order to prevent the tube from being damaged due to a collision with a stepping stone or the like.

JP 2007-291937 A

However, the above prior art has a problem in that the heat radiation performance of the tube is deteriorated because the front surface of the tube is blocked with resin.
The objective of this invention is providing the protection apparatus of the heat exchanger for vehicles which can suppress the fall of the thermal radiation performance of a tube.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, the protective member is made of a metal material and welded to the tube of the heat exchanger , and the protective member has a protruding portion that protrudes toward the heat exchanger and contacts the tube. It is characterized by that.

Therefore, in this invention, since a protection member functions as a heat radiator which performs heat exchange with a tube and external air, the fall of the heat dissipation performance of a tube can be suppressed. Moreover, since it has the projection part which protrudes in the heat exchanger side and contacts a tube, while being able to fix a protective member firmly to a tube, the adhesion part of a tube and a projection part can aim at the improvement of corrosion resistance.

It is the perspective view which looked at the heat exchanger 1 for vehicles of Example 1 from the front. It is the perspective view which looked at the protection member 13 of Example 1 from back. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a method for attaching the protection member 13 to the sub-radiator 3. 3 is a perspective view seen from above showing the state of the protrusion 19 before and after the protection member 13 is attached to the core portion 10. FIG. 3 is a view showing a state of the restricting portion 20 before and after the protective member 13 is attached to the core portion 10. FIG. 7 is a perspective view seen from above showing the state of the protrusion 24 before and after the protective member 23 of Example 2 is attached to the core part 10. FIG. It is a figure which shows the control part 25 of another Example.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the form for implementing the protection apparatus of the heat exchanger for vehicles of this invention is demonstrated using the Example based on drawing.
[Example 1]
First, the configuration of the first embodiment will be described.
[Vehicle heat exchanger]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle heat exchanger 1 according to a first embodiment as viewed from the front. In the embodiment, the vehicle front-rear direction is referred to as the front-rear direction, the vehicle vertical direction is referred to as the vertical direction, and the vehicle width direction is referred to as the left-right direction.
The vehicle heat exchanger 1 according to the first embodiment is disposed in an engine room of a hybrid vehicle in which driving wheels are driven by an engine and a motor generator, immediately after the front grille. The hybrid drive method may be any of a parallel method, a series method, and a series / parallel method.
The vehicle heat exchanger 1 mainly includes a main radiator (main heat exchanger) 2, a sub-radiator (sub heat exchanger) 3, and a condenser 4. The main radiator 2, the sub radiator 3, and the capacitor 4 are all formed by using an aluminum clad material in which a clad layer is formed by bonding an alloy having a low melting point (for example, an Al-Si alloy) to at least one surface of an aluminum alloy. Yes.
The main radiator 2 is a heat exchanger that cools cooling water for the engine. The main radiator 2 includes a pair of cooling water tanks 5a and 5b arranged at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, and a core portion 6 arranged between the pair of cooling water tanks 5a and 5b. In the core portion 6, tubes 7 for circulating cooling water and heat radiation fins 8 are alternately stacked in the vertical direction. Reinforcing reinforcements 6a and 6b are provided at the upper and lower ends of the core portion 6, that is, at both ends in the stacking direction of the tube 7 and the fin 8. The reinforcements 6a and 6b are installed between the pair of cooling water tanks 5a and 5b.

The sub-radiator 3 is a heat exchanger that cools the cooling water for the motor generator and the inverter. The sub-radiator 3 is a front surface 2a of the main radiator 2, and is attached to the main radiator 2 so as to cover an upper half region. The sub-radiator 3 includes a pair of cooling water tanks 9a and 9b disposed at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, and a core portion 10 disposed between the pair of cooling water tanks 9a and 9b. In the core portion 10, tubes 11 for circulating cooling water and heat radiation fins 12 (see FIG. 3) are alternately stacked in the vertical direction. Reinforcing reinforcements 13a and 13b are provided at the upper and lower ends of the core portion 10, that is, at both ends in the stacking direction of the tube 11 and the fin 12. The reinforcements 13a and 13b are installed between the pair of cooling water tanks 9a and 9b. A protective member 13 is attached to the front surface 3 a of the sub radiator 3. Details of the protection member 13 will be described later.
The condenser 4 is a heat exchanger that cools the air-conditioning refrigerant. The capacitor 4 is a front surface 2a of the main radiator 2 and is attached to the main radiator 2 so as to cover a lower half region. The capacitor 4 includes a pair of refrigerant tanks 14a and 14b arranged at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, and a core portion 15 arranged between the pair of refrigerant tanks 14a and 14b. In the core portion 15, tubes 16 for circulating a refrigerant and fins 17 for heat dissipation are alternately stacked in the vertical direction.

[Protective member]
Next, the structure of the protective member 13 of Example 1 will be described.
The protection member 13 covers the core portion 10 on the front surface 3a side of the sub radiator 3, and protects the tube 11 of the sub radiator 3 from a stepping stone or the like that has entered the engine room from the front grill.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the protective member 13 according to the first embodiment when viewed from the rear. The protective member 13 according to the first embodiment is formed by attaching an alloy (for example, an Al—Si alloy) having a low melting point to at least one surface of an aluminum alloy. It is formed by processing an aluminum clad material that also forms a clad layer. The protection member 13 includes a net part 18, a protrusion part 19, and a restriction part 20.
The net portion 18 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member having substantially the same area as the core portion 10, and is formed into a net shape from a plurality of horizontal beam portions 21 extending in the left-right direction and a plurality of vertical beam portions 22 extending in the vertical direction. (Reticulated). Each crosspiece 21 has a vertical dimension substantially the same as the vertical dimension of the tube 11 and is arranged at the same vertical position as the tube 11. For this reason, when the net portion 18 is viewed from the front surface 18a side, the tube 11 is hidden by the side rail portion 21 and cannot be seen, and the tube 11 can be protected from stepping stones and the like. Each crosspiece 21 is welded (brazed) in contact with the corresponding tube 11 in the front-rear direction. The vertical crosspieces 22 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the left-right direction. The number of the vertical beam portions 22 may be a number that can secure a certain degree of rigidity in the net portion 18. A portion surrounded by the horizontal beam portion 21 and the vertical beam portion 22 is an opening 18c that allows the fin 12 to communicate with the outside.

The protrusions 19 are provided on the rear surface 18b of the net 18 at approximately the center position in the left-right direction of the opening 18c in the horizontal rail portion 21, respectively. The protrusion 19 is composed of a pair of upper and lower claws 19a and 19b. The pair of claws 19a and 19b are formed in a tapered substantially trapezoidal shape, and project from the rear surface 18b of the net portion 18 to the rear side (sub-radiator 3 side). The pair of claws 19a and 19b are welded (brazed) with the tube 11 sandwiched in the vertical direction and in contact with the tube 11 in the vertical direction.
A plurality of restricting portions 20 are provided on the rear surface 18b of the net portion 18 and on the vertical beam portions 22 located at both left and right ends. The restricting portion 20 is disposed at the same position in the vertical direction as the fin 12. The restricting portion 20 is formed in a tapered substantially triangular shape and is inserted into a gap between the adjacent tubes 11 and 11. The restricting portion 20 is welded (brazed) while being in contact with the tube 11 in the vertical direction.
An example of a manufacturing method of the protection member 13 will be described. First, a shape corresponding to the net portion 18 is cut out from a plate-like aluminum clad material, including portions corresponding to the protrusions 19 and the restriction portions 20. Subsequently, the opening 18c is formed by punching except for the portion to be the protrusion 19. Finally, the protective member 13 is formed by bending the portions corresponding to the protruding portions 19 and the restricting portions 20.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.
[Mounting to sub-radiator]
The sub-radiator 3 is formed by temporarily assembling all the structural members excluding the resin material in advance, and then performing a baking process (heat treatment) in a heating furnace to braze and join the joints between the structural members integrally. Form.
In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the protective member 13 is moved to the sub-radiator 3 by performing heat treatment together with the sub-radiator 3 in a state where the protective member 13 is positioned on the core portion 10 of the temporarily assembled sub-radiator 3. Join with brazing.
Here, as shown in FIG. 4, when the protection member 13 is positioned on the core portion 10, each projection 19 holds the tube 11 at the corresponding position between the pair of claws 19 a and 19 b from the vertical direction. For this reason, the tube 11 after positioning is welded to the tube 11 in a state where it is in contact with the crosspiece 21 in the front-rear direction and in contact with the pair of claws 19a, 19b in the vertical direction.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the protection member 13 is positioned on the core portion 10, the restricting portion 20 is inserted into the gap between the adjacent tubes 11, 11 and is in contact with the tube 11 in the vertical direction. And welded.

[Operation by protective member]
Among vehicle heat exchangers arranged in the front part of the engine room, there are some which are arranged immediately after the front grille for the convenience of required water temperature and layout. In this case, a structure for protecting the tube from a stepping stone or the like is necessary. In the conventional protective structure, a protective member made of resin covering the front surface of the tube is attached to the core portion to protect the tube from stepping stones and the like to prevent cracks and breakage.
However, in the conventional protective member, the front surface of the tube is covered with a protective member made of resin, so the outside air that has flowed into the engine room is less likely to be in direct contact with the tube, compared to the case where no protective member is provided. As a result, the heat dissipation performance of the tube is degraded. Moreover, since the conventional protection member is provided with the embossing part which positions only the both right and left ends of a protection member with a core part, when the position of the protection member with respect to a tube has shifted | deviated to the up-down direction, the front surface of a fin is a protection member There is a possibility that the heat dissipation performance will be lowered. Furthermore, since the conventional protective member requires a structure for fixing the resin protective member to the core portion side, it is forced to change the design of the core portion.

On the other hand, in the vehicle heat exchanger 1 according to the first embodiment, the protective member 13 made of aluminum is brazed integrally with the tube 11 of the sub-radiator 3. Specifically, the protection member 13 and the tube 11 are integrally joined by baking while the horizontal crosspiece 21 of the protection member 13 is in contact with the tube 11 in the front-rear direction, and the brazing material is melted. In other words, by brazing the aluminum protective member 13 integrally with the tube 11 of the sub-radiator 3, the protective member 13 can function as a heat radiator, heat exchange between the tube 11 and the outside air is promoted, and heat dissipation performance. Can be suppressed.
Further, since the protective member 13 is brazed directly to the tube 11, there is no need to provide a structure for fixing the protective member 13 on the core portion 10 side, and the structure can be applied to a sub-radiator having a conventional structure.
In addition, since the apparent thickness of the welded portion between the tube 11 and the crosspiece 21 of the protection member 13 in the front-rear direction of the tube 11 is increased, the corrosion resistance can be improved.

[Effects of the regulation section]
In general, when baking a radiator, the radiator is accommodated and brazed in a state where a plurality of cores are arranged in the vertical direction in a heating furnace with the core portion in a horizontal state. At this time, the holding force of the fins provided at the outermost end of the core part may be weakened due to the difference in temperature profile accompanying the difference in thermal expansion between the reinforcement and the core part. Specifically, since the thermal force of the reinforcement is larger than that of the core portion, the temperature profile has a gradual temperature rise and fall compared to the core portion. In other words, the reinforcement is easier to heat and harder to cool than the core portion.
As a result, particularly when the temperature drops during the brazing process, the reinforcement cannot follow the temperature drop of the core portion, and so-called fin dripping occurs in which both ends of the fins adjacent to the reinforcement hang downward due to their own weight. In addition, the fins adjacent to the reinforcement may extend in the longitudinal direction due to the wavy shape and may contact the tube plate. In addition, when the fin adjacent to the reinforcement comes into contact with the tube plate, the brazing material of the fin flows to the tube plate side and is taken away.

On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the restriction member 20 is provided at the left and right ends of the protective member 13 so as to be welded to the tube 11 while being inserted between the adjacent tubes 11 and 11. Since the distance between the left and right end positions between the adjacent tubes 11 and 11 is kept constant, the vertical movement of the left and right end positions of the tube 12 can be restricted and fin drooping can be suppressed.
Further, the restricting portion 20 suppresses the displacement of the protective member 13 relative to the core portion 10 after being mounted on the vehicle. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the cooling member from being deteriorated because the front surface of the fin 12 is blocked by the protective member 13 due to the displacement of the vertical direction of the protective member 13 with respect to the tube 11 due to vehicle vibration or the like.
Furthermore, since the restricting portion 20 is configured to be inserted into the gap between the adjacent tubes 11, 11, the protective member 13 is placed on the front surface 3a of the sub-radiator 3 when the sub-radiator 3 is temporarily assembled before the baking process. As a result, the tube 11 and the protective member 13 can be properly aligned.

[Operation by protrusions]
In the first embodiment, since the protruding portion 19 composed of the pair of upper and lower claws 19a and 19b is provided on the protective member 13, a contact surface can be secured in a direction perpendicular to the core portion 10, and the size of the protective member 13 varies. Even when the core portion 10 and the protective member 13 are not sufficiently adhered in the front-rear direction, the protective member 13 can be firmly fixed to the tube 11 by welding the protruding portion 19 and the tube 11.
In addition, since the apparent plate thickness in the vertical direction of the tube 11 is increased at the welded portion between the protruding portion 19 and the tube 11, the corrosion resistance can be improved.

[Applied to sub-radiators]
In the first embodiment, the protection member 13 is applied to the sub-radiator 3 whose cooling water temperature is lower than that of the main radiator 2. When the cooling circuit of the main radiator 2 becomes high temperature due to overheating caused by leakage of cooling water or the like under the hot weather in summer, the functional parts that should be cooled may be damaged. Here, if the protection member 13 is applied to the main radiator 2, a decrease in cooling performance can be suppressed to some extent, but the temperature becomes higher compared to the case where the protection member 13 is not provided. On the other hand, in the arrangement of each heat exchanger in the engine room, if the sub radiator 3 is arranged downstream of the main radiator 2 for engine cooling, the charge air cooler, the air conditioning condenser, etc., the upstream of these heat exchangers Because the sub-radiator 3 is affected by heat from the atmosphere (air) that flows into the side and the water temperature rises, it is not placed downstream of these heat exchangers; it is placed upstream, that is, immediately after the front grille. To do.
In the first embodiment, since the sub-radiator 3 is attached to the front surface 2a of the main radiator 2, the tube 7 of the main radiator 2 is not likely to be cracked or damaged by a stepping stone or the like.
[Application to hybrid vehicles]
In the first embodiment, the vehicle heat exchanger 1 having the protection member 13 is applied to a hybrid vehicle. In a hybrid vehicle using a motor generator as a drive source, an inverter that drives the motor generator is required, and the protection member 13 is provided on the sub-radiator 3 that cools the cooling water for the inverter, thereby protecting the tube 11. The decrease in the cooling performance of the inverter can be suppressed, and the running performance can be maintained.

Example 1 has the following effects.
(1) The protective member 13 is formed of an aluminum alloy clad material (metal material), and the horizontal rail portions 21 extending in the left-right direction are welded to the corresponding tubes 11, so that the protective member 13 exchanges heat between the tubes 11 and the outside air. It can function as a heat radiating body that can suppress the deterioration of the heat dissipation performance of the tube 11. Further, since the sub-radiator 3 side does not require a structure for fixing the protective member 13, it can be applied to a sub-radiator having a conventional structure. Furthermore, since the apparent plate thickness in the front-rear direction of the tube 11 is increased by the protective member 13, the corrosion resistance can be improved.
(2) Since the protective member 13 protrudes toward the sub-radiator 3 and has the protrusion 19 that contacts the tube 11, the protective member 13 can be firmly fixed to the tube 11. Further, since the apparent thickness of the welded portion between the tube 11 and the protruding portion 19 in the vertical direction of the tube 11 is increased, the corrosion resistance can be improved.

(3) Since the protection member 13 is inserted into the gap between the adjacent tubes 11 and 11 and has the restricting portion 20 that restricts the movement of the left and right ends of the fin 12, the movement of the tube 12 at the left and right end positions is restricted. Can be suppressed. Further, the displacement of the protective member 13 relative to the core portion 10 after being mounted can be suppressed. Furthermore, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy of the protection member 13 with respect to the sub radiator 3 and facilitate the positioning operation.
(4) Since the sub-radiator 3 is arranged upstream of each heat exchanger, that is, immediately after the front grille, it suppresses heat exchange with the atmosphere (air) that flows into and passes through each heat exchanger, and also affects the heat. It can suppress that water temperature rises in response.
(5) Since the vehicle heat exchanger 1 according to the first embodiment is applied to a hybrid vehicle, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the cooling performance of the inverter while protecting the tube 11 and maintain the running performance.

[Example 2]
First, the configuration will be described.
FIG. 6 shows a protective member 23 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the protrusion 24 is formed by embossing.
In the second embodiment, in the protective member 23, the truncated cone-shaped protrusion 24 that protrudes rearward from the rear surface 18 b of the net 18 at a position where the horizontal crosspiece 21 and the vertical crosspiece 22 of the net 18 intersect. Is formed by embossing. In the second embodiment, the crosspiece 21 is not in contact with the tube 11 and is welded in a state where the tip of the projection 24 is in contact with the tube 11 in the front-rear direction. In the second embodiment, the number of vertical crosspieces 22 is about half that of the first embodiment.
Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.
An example of a manufacturing method of the protection member 23 will be described. First, a shape corresponding to the net portion 18 is cut out from a plate-like aluminum clad material including a portion corresponding to the restriction portion 20. Subsequently, the opening 18c is formed by punching. Finally, the protective member 23 is formed by bending the portion corresponding to the restricting portion 20 and embossing the protruding portion 24.

Next, the operation will be described.
[Operation by protrusions]
In Example 2, when the protective member 23 is pressed against the core portion 10 side by a baking jig during the baking process, the projections 24 are welded in a state where the tips of the protrusions 24 are in contact with the tube 11 in the front-rear direction. For this reason, the pressure of a contact surface increases because the area of a contact surface decreases rather than the case where the whole horizontal crosspiece 21 is made to contact the tube 11 like Example 1. FIG. As a result, even if the state of close contact with the core portion 10 is insufficient due to the deformation of the protection member 23, the protection member 23 can be firmly fixed to the tube 11 by welding the protrusion 24 and the tube 11.
Since the operational effects of the configuration other than the protrusion 24 are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.
Therefore, in Example 2, the same effects as the effects (1) to (5) of Example 1 can be obtained.

[Other Examples]
As mentioned above, although the form for implementing this invention was demonstrated based on the Example, this invention is not limited to an Example, Even if there is a design change etc. of the range which does not deviate from the summary of invention, It is included in the present invention.
For example, in the embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a hybrid vehicle has been shown. However, the vehicle heat exchanger of the present invention is an electric vehicle that drives a drive wheel only by a motor generator, or a vehicle that drives a drive wheel only by an internal combustion engine It can also be applied to.
The protective member is not limited to the aluminum clad material, and may be a metal.
In the first embodiment, the vertical crosspiece 21 may be separated from the tube 11.
The shape of the restricting portion can be set arbitrarily. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the restricting portion 25 may be formed by embossing.

1 Vehicle heat exchanger
2 Main radiator (main heat exchanger)
3 Sub-radiator (sub-heat exchanger)
10 Core part
11 tubes
12 fins
13,23 Protection member
19,24 Protrusion
20,25 Regulatory Department

Claims (4)

In the protection device for a vehicle heat exchanger in which a protection member covering the front surface of the tube is disposed on the front surface of the heat exchanger having a core portion in which tubes and fins are alternately stacked.
The protection device for a vehicle heat exchanger, wherein the protection member is formed of a metal material, welds to the tube, and has a protrusion that protrudes toward the heat exchanger and contacts the tube . The protection device for a heat exchanger for a vehicle according to claim 1,
The protection device for a heat exchanger for vehicles, wherein the protection member is inserted into a gap between adjacent tubes and has a restricting portion that restricts movement of both ends of the fin . The protection device for a heat exchanger for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,
A protection device for a vehicle heat exchanger, wherein the protection member is applied to a sub heat exchanger having a refrigerant temperature lower than that of a main heat exchanger . The vehicle heat exchanger protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A protection device for a vehicle heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is applied to a vehicle that drives a motor generator .

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