WO1997042456A1

WO1997042456A1 - Jointing clamp

Info

Publication number: WO1997042456A1
Application number: PCT/FI1997/000270
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roland Hanslin
Original assignee: Sunfin Technologies Oy
Priority date: 1996-05-03
Filing date: 1997-05-05
Publication date: 1997-11-13
Also published as: FI961891A; AU2640197A; FI961891A0

Abstract

The present invention is related to a continuous-section connecting member for joining a plate (2, 2') and a pipe (3) to each other for the purpose of providing a conductive heat transfer connection. The connecting member has pairwise functioning fins to accommodate on one hand the insertion of a plate (2, 2') and on the other hand the insertion of a pipe (3). The fins (7, 7') suited to clamp the pipe are dimensioned to assume an outward bent tensional state when the pipe (3) is inserted in the clamping groove. The outward bending of the fins which clamp the pipe is transmitted into a clamping force acting on the paired fins (4, 5; 4', 5') designed to hold the plates (2, 2') in place.

Description

Jointing clamp

The present invention is related to a continuous-section connecting member with such a specified cross-sectional shape that serves for the clamping of a plate at its edge onto a pipe running parallel with said edge. The inven¬ tion is particularly suited for use in heat exchangers, whereby said plate is the heat-transferring plate of the heat exchanger and said pipe is the heat exchanger pipe carrying the heat-transferring medium. These basic elements of a heat exchanger are made from a metal of high thermal conductivity and, for a satisfactory func¬ tion of the heat exchanger, it is essential that the basic elements can be connected to each other so as to maintain efficient heat transfer between the elements. If the basic elements are made from the same metal such as aluminium or copper, the elements can be joined to each other using a conventional method such as ultrasonic welding or brazing. Also glueing can be used, particular- ly when the elements are made from different metals . Such a joining method of the elements requires several work steps, thus being time-consuming and costly. An addi¬ tional short-coming of glueing is the resultingly high thermal resistance between the joined elements. On the other hand, this method offers the advantage of control¬ led elimination of intermetal corrosion problems through proper choice of the glue type.

The goal of the present invention is achieved by virtue of joining the elements to each other by means of a con¬ necting member designed to perform the required connect¬ ing function through controlled deformation of the con¬ necting member and the clamping force exerted on the con¬ nected elements through said deformation. The essential specifications of the invention will be evident from appended claim 1. In the following, the invention will be examined in more detail with reference to the attached drawings in which

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a connecting member according to the invention in its mounted position; and

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting member in its unmounted shape .

With reference to the diagrams, the connecting member ac¬ cording to the invention is formed by a continuous sec¬ tion made from, e.g., aluminium by die casting tech¬ niques. The section can be considered to have a bar-like center section or body section 1, from which a number of leaves or fins 4, 5, 7, 4', 5' , 7' are arranged to pro¬ ject outwardly. These fins are designed to extend pair- wise from the body section 1, whereby they form a clamp¬ ing slot suitable for gripping the edge of a plate 2 and the circumference of a pipe 3, respectively. The fins run longitudinally along the entire length of the continuous section.

In the embodiment shown herein, the number of paired fins suitable for clamping on the plate edge is two, arranged to project in opposite directions from the body section, whereby the plate clamping slots are formed by fins 4 and 5, and 4' and 5' , respectively. In each pair of the fins, the width of the slot 6 and 6' , respectively, which is formed between the parallel outward projecting straight fins, is dimensioned according to the thickness of the plates 2 and 2' to accommodate the insertion of the plate edge into the slot by a gentle force-fit. Corresponding¬ ly, the curved fins or claws 7 and 7' have a cross section designed to mate with the circumference of the pipe to be connected. The claws enclose the pipe by slightly more than half of its perimeter, and their mutual spacing is made slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe to be connected. Resultingly, the force-fit insertion of the pipe 3 in the slot or clamping groove formed by the claws 7 and 7' causes the claws to assume a slightly outward bent position, whereby the pipe will remain tightly locked in its clamping groove 8. This force-fit condition will also impose an other effect. Namely, the outward bent position of the claws 7 and 7' causes additionally a small deformation of the body section 1 in such a direction that the fins 5 and 5' , respectively, will be rotated toward the adjacent fin 4 and 4', respectively, whereby a clamping action will be exerted in the slot 6 and 6' formed between the respec¬ tive adjacent fins of each fin pair. Resultingly, the plate 2 and 2', respectively, will remain firmly clamped in its edge-mounting slot.

For proper function of the continuous-section connecting member, it is advantageous that the transfer of the tor- sional forces formed in its cross section are optimally transmitted by virtue of suitable cross-sectional design of the connecting member. A possible arrangement of guiding the transmission of the torsional forces is to provide the rear side of the continuous section with a longitudinally running groove 9 serving to provide a bending node in the body section 1, in the vicinity of the roots of the fins. An alterative solution for guiding the bending forces is to reduce the cross-sectional rigidity of the body section by means of a suitable hollow channel 10. Herein, however, it must be borne in mind that an essential function of the continuous-section connecting member is to provide efficient heat transfer between the elements 2, 2' and 3 to be connected to each other, whereby a sufficiently conducting path for heat transfer must be maintained over the cross-sectional area of the connecting member. In the embodiment described above, the paired fins forming the clamping slots for a plate are oriented in opposite directions. Obviously the slots can be oriented so as to form an arbitrary angle with each other for the purpose of configuring, e.g., a heat exchanger with zig-zag angled surfaces. Alternatively, the number of the fin pairs 4, 5; 4', 5' running along the body section can be greater than two when more than two plates are to be connected to a single pipe, and analogously, in some case it may be advantageous to provide the continuous-section connecting member with, e.g., two clamping grooves 8 formed by the claws 7 and 7' , whereby such a design of the connecting member allows the connection of two medium-carrying pipes 3 to be connected to one or a greater number of plates 2 and 2' .

Claims

Claims :

1. A continuous-section connecting member for joining a plate (2, 2') and a pipe (3) to each other for the pur- pose of providing a conductive heat transfer connection, said connecting member being formed by a bar-like body section (1) and at least four fins (4, 4' ,- 5, 5' , 7, 7') adapted to run longitudinally along the perimeter of said body section in an outward projecting manner, c h a r - a c t e r i z e d in that at least two of said fins (4, 5 or 4 ' , 5' , respectively) are arranged to project outward in a parallel manner so as to form a slot (6; 6') opening outward from said body section (1) that is capable of accommodating the insertion of a plate (2; 2') into said slot and that two of said fins (7, 7') are adapted to project outward from said body section (1) in the cross-sectional shape of the claws curved toward each other thus foι~ming a clamping grouve (8) for che insertion of a pipe (3) and that said clamping groove is dimensioned so as to set said fins (7, 7') into an outward bent tensional state when said pipe is inserted into said clamping groove.

2. A continuous-section connecting member as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said body section (1) includes a longitudinal rigidity-reducing groove (9) designed to reach inward from the perimeter of body section, to the vicinity of the root area of the fins.

3. A continuous-section connecting member as defined in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cross section of said body section (1) includes a rigidity-reducing channel (10) designed to run longi- tudinally along said connecting member, essentially along the center area of said body section.