JP7537944B2 - Vehicle Heat Exchanger - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger for vehicles, for example, installed in automobiles.

Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, a vehicle heat exchanger of this type is known that includes a core in which tubes and fins are stacked and integrated, and a header tank provided at both ends of the core. The header tank in Patent Document 1 is composed of a metal header plate having tube insertion holes into which the ends of the tubes are inserted, and a resin tank body that is assembled to the header plate.

A number of locking claws are provided at intervals on the periphery of the tank body. Meanwhile, a number of locking holes are provided at intervals on the periphery of the header plate. With a sealant disposed between the periphery of the tank body and the periphery of the header plate, the locking claws of the tank body are inserted into the locking holes of the header plate and locked, thereby making it possible to integrate the header plate and the tank body in a liquid-tight manner.

JP 2008-116079 A

In Patent Document 1, multiple locking claws are formed on the periphery of the tank body, but since the tank body is made of resin, if any of the multiple locking claws are defective due to, for example, defective molding, this can cause poor sealing by the sealant.

Since the header plate is made of metal, one possible method is to integrate the two by crimping the header plate to the tank body. However, if a pipe or the like is integrally formed with the tank body, for example, there is a risk that the crimping jig will interfere with the pipe in the process of moving it to the specified position, and as a result, it will not be possible to crimp the part corresponding to the pipe.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to ensure a seal between the header plate and the tank body even when the crimping tool used to crimp the metal header plate to the plastic tank body interferes with part of the tank body.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention is premised on the header plate and tank body being fixed by crimping, and in the area where the crimping tool interferes, a structure is provided that connects the header plate and tank body using locking claws and locking holes.

The first invention is a heat exchanger for vehicles mounted on a vehicle, comprising a core having a plurality of tubes through which a heat exchange medium flows and fins arranged between the tubes and joined to the outer surfaces of the tubes, and a header tank connected to the ends of the tubes, the header tank having a metal header plate into which the ends of the tubes are inserted, and a resin tank body arranged on the opposite side of the header plate to the side to which the tubes are connected and forming, together with the header plate, a space through which the tubes communicate, the peripheral portion of the tank body on the header plate side is formed with a crimped portion that is crimped and fixed by the header plate, and a locking claw is formed only on a part of the peripheral portion, and a locking hole that locks when the locking claw is inserted is formed in the portion of the header plate corresponding to the locking claw.

According to this configuration, when the header plate and the tank body are aligned to construct the header tank, the locking claws of the tank body are inserted into the locking holes of the header plate to lock them in place. The header plate is also crimped to the crimped portion of the tank body with a crimping tool, thereby crimping and fixing the header plate to the tank body. Therefore, the peripheral portion of the tank body on the header plate side is connected to the header plate all around by crimping, the locking claws, and the locking holes. The connection structure using the locking claws and locking holes only needs to be provided in the portion where the crimping tool interferes, and as a result, even if the crimping tool interferes with part of the tank body, the seal between the header plate and the tank body can be ensured all around.

The second invention is characterized in that a pipe portion communicating with the space is integrally molded with the tank body so as to protrude to the side of the header tank, and the locking claw is formed to correspond to the portion of the peripheral portion of the tank body on the header plate side where the pipe portion protrudes.

For example, there are cases where a pipe section that introduces heat exchange medium into a header tank and a pipe section that introduces heat exchange medium out of the header tank are integrally molded with the tank body. If this pipe section protrudes to the side of the header tank, the crimping tool may interfere with the pipe section, and it may be impossible to crimp and fix the portion of the tank body where the pipe section protrudes. In this case, according to the present invention, the locking claw is formed to correspond to the portion where the pipe section protrudes, so that the tank body can be joined to the header plate by the locking claw and the locking hole without crimping. This avoids deterioration of the sealing performance.

The third invention is characterized in that a ring-shaped accommodation groove is formed on the peripheral portion of the header plate in which a sealing material made of an elastic material is accommodated, and a ring-shaped abutment surface is formed on the peripheral portion of the tank body on the header plate side, which abuts against the sealing material accommodated in the accommodation groove.

With this configuration, the sealant can be housed in the housing groove so that it does not move from its designated position, and the abutment surface of the tank body can be brought into abutment with it, ensuring high and stable sealing performance for a long period of time.

The fourth invention is characterized in that the crimped portion protrudes to the side of the header tank and is formed continuously in the circumferential direction of the peripheral portion of the tank body on the header plate side, and the header plate has a plurality of crimped portions formed at intervals from one another in the circumferential direction.

With this configuration, the multiple crimping parts are separated from each other, making it easier to deform the crimping parts during the crimping operation.

The fifth invention is characterized in that a protruding plate portion that protrudes toward the tank body is formed on the peripheral portion of the header plate in a portion that corresponds to the locking claw, and the locking hole is formed in the protruding plate portion.

With this configuration, when the header plate and the tank body are mated, the protruding plate portion of the header plate protrudes toward the tank body, so the protruding plate portion does not impede the relative movement of the tank body with respect to the header plate. Then, when the header plate and the tank body are mated, the locking claws of the tank body are inserted into the locking holes of the header plate.

The sixth invention is characterized in that the protruding plate portion is formed so that it is farther away from the side surface of the tank body as it approaches the tip of the protruding plate portion.

With this configuration, when the header plate and the tank body are mated, the tip of the protruding plate portion of the header plate is less likely to hit the locking claw, preventing damage to the locking claw.

According to the present invention, a crimped portion is formed on the periphery of the tank body, which is crimped and fixed by the header plate, and a locking claw is formed only on a portion of the periphery, and a locking hole is formed in the portion of the header tank that corresponds to the locking claw. This ensures a seal between the header plate and the tank body, even if the crimping tool interferes with a portion of the tank body.

1 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a rear view of the heat exchanger for a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the heat exchanger for a vehicle. This is a rear view of the left header tank. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 4. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a view equivalent to FIG. 5 for explaining a crimping process. 7 is a view equivalent to FIG. 6 for explaining a process of locking the locking claw into the locking hole. FIG.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiment is essentially merely an example and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

Figure 1 shows a heat exchanger 1 for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The heat exchanger 1 for a vehicle is, for example, a radiator mounted on an automobile, which cools the cooling water (heat exchange medium) of an engine, motor, inverter, etc. by exchanging heat with external air. Although not shown, the heat exchanger 1 for a vehicle may also be a heat exchanger which exchanges heat with external air, for example, cooling water for cooling a battery mounted on an automobile.

When the vehicle heat exchanger 1 is a radiator, it can be mounted in the front of the vehicle. A radiator blower fan is provided in the front of the vehicle, and this blower fan can blow outside air to the vehicle heat exchanger 1. In addition, the wind blows on the vehicle heat exchanger 1 when the vehicle is running.

In the description of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the front side of the vehicle is simply referred to as "front", the rear side of the vehicle is simply referred to as "rear", the left side of the vehicle is simply referred to as "left", and the right side of the vehicle is simply referred to as "right", with the left-right direction corresponding to the vehicle width direction. This definition is provided merely for the convenience of description. Therefore, the direction in which the vehicle is mounted or the direction during manufacture are not limited, and the orientation of the vehicle heat exchanger 1 can be changed depending on the structure of the vehicle, the manufacturing facilities, etc.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle heat exchanger 1 includes a core 2, a left header tank 3, and a right header tank 4. The core 2 includes a plurality of tubes 21, a plurality of fins 22, an upper end plate 23, and a lower end plate 24. The tubes 21, the fins 22, the upper end plate 23, and the lower end plate 24 are all made of an aluminum alloy, but may be made of a metal other than an aluminum alloy. The tubes 21, the fins 22, the upper end plate 23, and the lower end plate 24 are integrated together, for example, by brazing.

The tubes 21 are components through which a heat exchange medium flows, and extend in the left-right direction. The cross section of the tube 21 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has a flat shape that is long in the front-rear direction, and therefore the tubes 21 are flat tubes. The multiple tubes 21 are arranged at intervals from each other in the up-down direction.

Fins 22 are arranged between adjacent tubes 21 in the vertical direction. The fins 22 are corrugated fins, for example, made by forming a thin plate material into a wave shape that continues in the left-right direction. The upper part of the fin 22 is joined to the outer surface of the tube 21 placed above the fin 22. The lower part of the fin 22 is joined to the outer surface of the tube 21 placed below the fin 22. This transfers heat from the outer surface of the tube 21 to the upper and lower fins 22, promoting heat exchange between the heat exchange medium and the outside air.

The upper end plate 23 is joined to the upper part of the fin 22 located at the top of the core 2 and extends in the left-right direction. The lower end plate 24 is joined to the lower part of the fin 22 located at the bottom of the core 2 and extends in the left-right direction.

The left header tank 3 is connected to the left end of the tube 21 of the core 2, and the right header tank 4 is connected to the right end of the tube 21 of the core 2. Either the left header tank 3 or the right header tank 4 may be the inflow side or outflow side. For example, when the left header tank 3 is the inflow side, the heat exchange medium flowing into the left header tank 3 is divided into each tube 21 of the core 2, flows through each tube 21, exchanges heat with the outside air, and then gathers at the right header tank 4 and flows out to the outside. Conversely, when the right header tank 4 is the inflow side, the heat exchange medium flowing into the right header tank 4 is divided into each tube 21 of the core 2, flows through each tube 21, exchanges heat with the outside air, and then gathers at the left header tank 3 and flows out to the outside.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the left header tank 3 has a header plate 31, a tank body 32, and a sealing material 39 (shown in Figures 5 and 6), and has an overall shape that is long in the vertical direction. By combining the header plate 31 and the tank body 32, a space R is formed inside the left header tank 3, through which the left ends of each tube 21 communicate. The sealing material 39 shown in Figures 5 and 6 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or thermoplastic elastomer, and is a member that seals between the header plate 31 and the tank body 32 to ensure liquid-tightness and airtightness.

The header plate 31 is a member formed by pressing a metal plate material such as an aluminum alloy, and has a vertically long shape. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the header plate 31 has tube insertion holes 31a into which the left ends of the tubes 21 are inserted, the tube insertion holes 31a being formed at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the tubes 21. The left ends of the tubes 21 are inserted into the tube insertion holes 31a and brazed to the periphery of the tube insertion holes 31a to ensure liquid-tightness and air-tightness.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a storage groove 31b is formed on the peripheral portion of the header plate 31 to accommodate the seal material 39. The storage groove 31b is a continuous ring along the circumferential direction of the peripheral portion of the header plate 31. The seal material 39 is composed of an annular member that is continuous in the circumferential direction of the storage groove 31b, and can be fitted into the storage groove 31b.

The header plate 31 has an annular outer plate portion 31c that constitutes the outer wall of the accommodation groove 31b. The outer plate portion 31c protrudes away from the core 2, and at the tip of the protruding portion, a plurality of crimping portions 31d (also shown in FIG. 4) are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. The crimping portions 31d are portions that can be crimped and fixed to the crimped portions 32c (described later) by bending them inwardly of the header plate 31 using a crimping jig A (shown in FIG. 5).

Before crimping with the crimping jig A (as shown on the left side of FIG. 7), the crimping portion 31d is in the form of a plate that protrudes away from the core 2. Before crimping, the crimping portion 31d is inclined or curved so that it is positioned further outward from the header plate 31 as it approaches the tip. This prevents the tank body 32 from getting caught on the crimping portion 31d when the tank body 32 is assembled with the header plate 31, and prevents damage to the tank body 32 and the crimping portion 31d. When a force is applied to the crimping portion 31d toward the inside of the header plate 31 using the crimping jig A as shown in FIG. 5, it deforms and enters the crimped state as shown on the right side of FIG. 7.

As shown in FIG. 6, the header plate 31 has a locking hole 31e. The locking hole 31e is a portion that locks when the locking claw 32d of the tank body 32 described later is inserted, and is formed only in the portion of the header plate 31 that corresponds to the locking claw 32d. Specifically, instead of the crimping portion 31d, a plurality of protruding plate portions 31f (also shown in FIG. 4) that protrude toward the tank body 32 side are formed in the portion of the header plate 31 that corresponds to the locking claw 32d. The plurality of protruding plate portions 31f are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the header plate 31, similar to the crimping portion 31d. The locking hole 31e is formed in each protruding plate portion 31f. In this embodiment, the locking hole 31e is rectangular, but is not limited to this and can be any shape. In addition, the locking hole 31e is formed as a through hole that penetrates the protruding plate portion 31f in the thickness direction, so that it is possible to visually check from the outside whether the locking claw 32d is engaged.

The protruding plate portion 31f is formed so that the closer it is to the tip of the protruding plate portion 31f, the further away it is from the side surface of the tank body 32. This makes it less likely that the tip of the protruding plate portion 31f of the header plate 31 will come into contact with the locking claw 32d when the header plate 31 and the tank body 32 are mated, thereby preventing damage to the locking claw 32d.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tank body 32 is disposed on the side of the header plate 31 opposite to the side to which the tube 21 is connected, and is a member for forming the space R together with the header plate 31. The tank body 32 is a resin member, and can be constructed, for example, from an injection molded product. The tank body 32 has a bulging portion 32a that bulges in a direction away from the header plate 31 (to the left).

A pipe section 33 that communicates with the space R is integrally formed with the tank body 32 so as to protrude to the side (rear) of the left header tank 3. In this embodiment, the pipe section 33 is located in the vertical middle of the left header tank 3, but the position of the pipe section 33 is not limited to this position and may be at the top or bottom of the left header tank 3. An inlet pipe for introducing the heat exchange medium or an outlet pipe for discharging the heat exchange medium are connected to the pipe section 33, although not shown.

As shown in FIG. 6, the pipe section 33 extends beyond the rear end of the header plate 31, and is formed so that the closer it is to the tip, the closer it is to the core 2. Therefore, when attempting to move the crimping jig A to the crimping position, the crimping jig A hits and interferes with the tip of the pipe section 33, making it impossible to move the crimping jig A to the crimping position. Because the pipe section 33 is formed in such a position, the entire circumference of the tank body 32 cannot be crimped and fixed.

That is, the peripheral portion of the tank body 32 on the header plate 31 side is formed with a crimped portion 32c that is crimped and fixed by the crimping portion 31d of the header plate 31, and the locking claw 32d is formed only on a part of the peripheral portion, so that the portion where the locking claw 32d is formed is not crimped and fixed. The crimped portion 32c protrudes to the side (outward) of the left header tank 3, and is formed continuously in the circumferential direction of the peripheral portion of the tank body 32 on the header plate 31 side. The portion where the crimped portion 32c is not formed is the portion where the locking claw 32d is formed. The portion where the locking claw 32d is formed is the portion corresponding to the portion where the pipe portion 33 protrudes on the peripheral portion of the tank body 32 on the header plate 31 side, and the locking claw 32d is formed only in the portion where the crimping jig A cannot be moved to the crimping completion position. The portion where the crimping jig A cannot be moved to the crimping completion position is a small portion of the entire part, so the proportion of the portion where the locking claw 32d is formed is significantly smaller than the proportion of the portion where the crimped portion 32c is formed.

In this embodiment, multiple locking claws 32d are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the peripheral edge of the tank body 32 on the header plate 31 side, but this is not limited to the above, and there may be only one locking claw 32d. In this case, there is only one locking hole 31e in the header plate 31. The locking claw 32d is composed of a protrusion that protrudes outward from the tank body 32.

The locking claw 32d can be inserted into the locking hole 31e simply by moving the tank body 32 in the assembly direction. That is, as the tank body 32 is moved in the assembly direction, the protruding tip of the locking claw 32d pushes the protruding plate portion 31f outward, causing it to elastically deform. When the locking claw 32d moves relatively to a position corresponding to the locking hole 31e, it enters the locking hole 31e, and at this moment the shape of the protruding plate portion 31f is restored and the locking claw 32d is held inserted in the locking hole 31e. When the locking claw 32d is inserted into the locking hole 31e, the locking claw 32d gets caught on the periphery of the locking hole 31e, preventing the locking claw 32d from coming off.

In addition, a ring-shaped abutment surface 32f that abuts against the seal material 39 housed in the accommodation groove 31b is formed on the peripheral portion of the tank body 32 on the header plate 31 side. This allows the abutment surface 32f of the tank body 32 to abut against the seal material 39 while the seal material 39 is housed in the accommodation groove 31b and prevented from shifting from its specified position, so that a high level of sealing can be stably ensured for a long period of time. The abutment surface 32f is configured as a flat surface.

The right header tank 4 has a similar structure to the left header tank 3, and includes a header plate 41, a tank body 42, and a sealant (not shown). A pipe section 43 is integrally formed with the tank body 42.

(Effects of the embodiment)
As described above, according to this embodiment, when, for example, the left-side header tank 3 is constructed, by aligning the header plate 31 and the tank body 32, the locking claws 32d of the tank body 32 are inserted into and locked with the locking holes 31e of the header plate 31. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, the header plate 31 and the tank body 32 are fixed by crimping the crimping portion 31d of the header plate 31 to the crimped portion 32c of the tank body 32 with the crimping jig A. Therefore, the entire peripheral portion of the tank body 32 on the header plate 31 side is joined to the header plate 31 by the crimping fixation, the locking claws 32d, and the locking holes 31e. The connecting structure using the locking claws 32d and the locking holes 31e only needs to be provided in the portion where the crimping jig A interferes, i.e., in the portion where the pipe portion 33 is present. This ensures sealing between the header plate 31 and the tank body 32 around the entire circumference, even if the crimping jig A interferes with part of the pipe portion 33.

When the tank body 32 is joined to the header plate 31, the seal material 39 in the accommodation groove 31b of the header plate 31 is pressed by the abutment surface 32f of the tank body 32 and elastically deforms. This causes the seal material 39 to elastically deform along the inner surface of the accommodation groove 31b and the abutment surface 32f, adhering closely to both, ensuring high sealing performance.

The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as limiting. Furthermore, all modifications and variations within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

As described above, the vehicle heat exchanger according to the present invention can be applied to, for example, a radiator.

Reference Signs List 1 Vehicle heat exchanger 2 Core 3 Left side header tank 21 Tube 22 Fin 31 Header plate 31d Crimping portion 31e Locking hole 31f Protruding plate portion 32 Tank body 32c Crimped portion 32d Locking claw 32f Contact surface 33 Pipe portion 39 Sealing material

Claims (3)

In a heat exchanger for a vehicle mounted on a vehicle,
a core having a plurality of tubes through which a heat exchange medium flows and fins disposed between the tubes and joined to outer surfaces of the tubes;
a header tank connected to an end of the tube,
the header tank includes a metal header plate into which ends of the tubes are inserted, and a resin tank body that is disposed on the opposite side of the header plate to the side to which the tubes are connected and that, together with the header plate, forms a space through which the tubes communicate;
A crimped portion is formed on a peripheral portion of the tank body on the header plate side, the crimped portion being crimped and fixed by the header plate, and a locking claw is formed only on a part of the peripheral portion,
The crimped portion protrudes to a side of the header tank and is formed continuously in a circumferential direction of a peripheral edge portion of the tank body on the header plate side,
The header plate has a plurality of crimping portions formed at intervals in a circumferential direction,
a protruding plate portion is formed at a portion of the peripheral portion of the header plate corresponding to the locking claw, the protruding plate portion protruding toward the tank body side further than the crimping portion, and the protruding plate portion is formed so as to be farther away from the side surface of the tank body as it approaches a tip of the protruding plate portion,
The heat exchanger for a vehicle , wherein the protruding plate portion is formed with a locking hole into which the locking claw is inserted and locked. 2. The heat exchanger for a vehicle according to claim 1,
A pipe portion communicating with the space is integrally formed with the tank body so as to protrude to a side of the header tank,
The heat exchanger for a vehicle, wherein the locking claw is formed to correspond to a portion of the peripheral portion of the tank body on the header plate side from which the pipe portion protrudes. 3. The heat exchanger for a vehicle according to claim 1,
A ring-shaped accommodation groove for accommodating a sealing material made of an elastic material is formed on the peripheral edge of the header plate,
A heat exchanger for a vehicle, characterized in that a contact surface is formed in an annular shape on the peripheral portion of the tank body on the header plate side, which contacts the sealing material accommodated in the accommodation groove.

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