WO2023181726A1

WO2023181726A1 - Heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: WO2023181726A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/005392
Authority: WO
Inventors: 智金子
Original assignee: サンデン株式会社
Priority date: 2022-03-22
Filing date: 2023-02-16
Publication date: 2023-09-28
Also published as: JP2023139886A

Abstract

[Problem] To facilitate component processing and reduce the production costs of a connection member and thus of a heat exchanger. [Solution] Provided is a heat exchanger 1 including: a plurality of heat exchange units 10 having a plurality of tubes 40 and header tanks 20, 30 provided to both ends of the tubes in the lengthwise direction; and a connection member 100 connecting the header tanks of adjacent heat exchange units, wherein the connection member comprises a single sheet-shaped member and is equipped with a plurality of through holes whereby adjacent header tanks communicate, a first protrusion protruding to one of the header tanks, and a second protrusion protruding to the other header tank.

Description

Heat exchanger

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, and particularly to a heat exchanger in which a plurality of heat exchange units are connected.

Conventionally, a plurality of heat exchange units having a pair of cylindrical header tanks and a plurality of tubes provided between the pair of header tanks are arranged, and the header tanks of each heat exchange unit are connected and communicated with each other via a connecting member. A heat exchanger is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

The connecting member (connecting member) in the heat exchanger of Patent Document 1 is formed by forming a plurality of communication holes with boss portions projecting in a cylindrical shape in one side by burring on one side of two plate materials, and forming these two. It is constructed by joining two boards back to back. In the heat exchanger of Patent Document 1, the boss portion of the connecting member is inserted into the hole formed in the header tank to join the header tanks while positioning them, and the communication hole between the hole provided in the header tank and the boss portion is connected. A flow path for the heat medium is formed by this.

Patent No. 6088905

However, the above-mentioned connecting member has a problem in that it is difficult to process the parts including burring, and the manufacturing cost of the connecting member and, by extension, the heat exchanger increases.

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to facilitate the processing of parts and reduce the manufacturing cost of the connecting member and, by extension, the heat exchanger.

One aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of heat exchange units having a plurality of tubes and header tanks provided at both longitudinal ends of the tubes, and a connecting member connecting the header tanks of the adjacent heat exchange units. In the exchanger, the connecting member is made of a single plate-like member, and includes a plurality of through holes that connect the adjacent header tanks, a first protrusion that projects into one of the header tanks, and a first protrusion that projects into the other header tank. A second protrusion protruding into a header tank.

According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate parts processing and reduce the manufacturing cost of the connecting member and, by extension, the heat exchanger.

1 is a front view showing the appearance of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the appearance of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first header tank and a connecting member applied to a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the surface to which tubes are connected facing upward. 4(a) is a perspective view of the connecting member 100, and FIG. 4(b) is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4(a). 4(c) is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4(a), FIG. 4(c') is a modification of FIG. 4(c), and FIG. 4(d) is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 4(a). It is. 5A is an exploded view of a first header tank and a connecting member applied to a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5A is a side view, and FIG. It is a figure expressed as a top surface. 6(a) is a side view, and FIG. 6(b) is a surface to which the tubes are connected; FIG. It is a figure expressed as a top surface.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals indicate parts with the same function, and redundant explanations in each figure will be omitted as appropriate.

1 and 2 show a schematic configuration of a heat exchanger according to this embodiment, with FIG. 1 showing a front view and FIG. 2 showing a side view. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heat exchanger 1 includes two heat exchange units 10 arranged along the air flow direction (left-right direction in FIG. 2) and connected by a connecting member 100, which will be described later. , a port 70 having a communication hole that serves as an inlet and outlet for refrigerant.

In the following description, when two heat exchange units 10 are shown separately, they will be referred to as heat exchange units 10A and 10B, and for convenience of explanation, among the communication holes of the ports 70, the communication holes on the heat exchange unit 10A side will be referred to as heat exchange units 10A and 10B. The explanation will be made assuming that the inlet 71 and the communication hole on the side of the heat exchange unit 10B are the refrigerant outlet 72.

The heat exchange unit 10 is provided between a cylindrical first header tank 20 and a second header tank 30 that are arranged in parallel, and is arranged perpendicularly to the air flow direction. a plurality of tubes 40 arranged at predetermined intervals in a direction in which the tubes 40 are arranged, heat transfer fins 50 provided on both outer sides of the plurality of tubes 40 in the arrangement direction, and covering the heat transfer fins 50 from the outside in the arrangement direction of the tubes 40. A pair of side plates 60.

That is, the first header tank 20 and the second header tank 30 are located at both longitudinal ends of the plurality of tubes 40, one end of the plurality of tubes 40 communicates with the first header tank 20, and the second header tank The other ends of the plurality of tubes 40 communicate with the tube 30.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first header tank 20 and the connecting member 100, with the surface to which the tube 40 is connected facing upward. As shown in FIG. 3, the first header tank 20 has a plurality of tubes 40 fitted into a part of its outer circumferential surface to connect the tubes 40 and the first header tank 20. Slits 21 are formed at predetermined intervals along the axial direction. The slits 21 are provided to correspond to the arrangement interval of the tubes 40. Furthermore, a partition member 22 that partitions the internal space of the first header tank 20 is provided at a longitudinally intermediate portion of the first header tank 20 (see FIG. 2).

Further, in the longitudinal direction of the first header tank 20, on one side with the partition member 22 in between, a plurality of communication holes 25 for communicating between the first header tanks 20 when they are connected are provided in the axial direction. It is located along the Therefore, the communication holes 25 of the first header tank 20A of the heat exchange unit 10A are provided on the surface facing the first header tank 20B of the heat exchange unit 10B, and the communication holes 25 of the first header tank 20B of the heat exchange unit 10B are provided on the surface facing the first header tank 20B of the heat exchange unit 10B. , is provided on the surface of the heat exchange unit 10A facing the first header tank 20A.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plurality of communication holes 25 are provided at predetermined intervals from each other so as to correspond to the arrangement interval of the tubes 40. The intervals between the communicating holes 25 can be set as appropriate. Note that both ends of the first header tank 20 in the axial direction are closed by providing caps (not shown).

Returning to FIG. 1, the second header tank 30 has a plurality of slits in a part of its outer peripheral surface, into which the other ends of the plurality of tubes 40 are fitted, and for communicating the tubes 40 and the second header tank 30. 31 are formed at predetermined intervals along the axial direction. The slits 31 are provided to correspond to the arrangement interval of the tubes 40. Both ends of the second header tank 30 in the axial direction are closed by providing caps (not shown). Note that the second header tank 30 is not provided with a partition wall or a communication hole.

The tube 40 is made of a member with a flat cross section, and includes therein a plurality of refrigerant channels 41 arranged along the air flow direction. The heat transfer fins 50 are arranged between the tube 40 and the side plate 60, and form an air flow path in the air flow direction.

Such heat exchange units 10A, 10B are arranged so that the communication holes 25 of the first header tanks 20 face each other, and are connected by a connecting member 100 inserted between the first header tanks 20, thereby exchanging heat. An exchanger 1 is configured.

Hereinafter, the connecting member 100 will be explained. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the connecting member 100 has a concave surface 101 formed along the longitudinal direction on both sides of the plate-like member, and a concave surface 101 provided in the concave surface 101 that corresponds to the communication hole 25 of the first header tank 20. It has a plurality of through holes 102 provided in this manner, and

protrusions

103 and 104 provided in line with the plurality of through holes 102.

The concave surface 101 is formed such that the thickness of the connecting member 100 increases from the center in the transverse direction to both end sides, and is a concave curved surface having approximately the same curvature as the cylindrical surface of the outer periphery of the first header tank 20. be. Therefore, when the first header tanks 20 are connected to each other by the connecting member 100, the concave surface 101 of the connecting member 100 and the outer periphery of the first header tank 20 are in contact with each other without a gap.

A plurality of through holes 102 are formed in the concave surface 101 along the longitudinal direction of the connecting member 100 at predetermined intervals so as to correspond to the communication holes 25 provided in the first header tank 20. By arranging the two first header tanks 20 so that their communication holes 25 face each other and inserting the connecting member 100 between the first header tanks 20, the communication hole 25 of one first header tank 20A and the connecting member A refrigerant flow path is formed by the through holes 102 of the first header tank 100 and the communication hole 25 of the other first header tank 20B. The through hole 102 of the connecting member 100 and the communication hole 25 of the first header tank 20 have diameters that are different from each other, and it is preferable that the diameter of the through hole 102 is slightly larger than the diameter of the communication hole 25.

At least one protrusion 103 is provided on one side of the connecting member 100 in line with the through hole 102. Further, at least one protrusion 104 is provided on the other side of the connecting member in line with the through hole 102 . The

protrusions

103 and 104 protrude in a cylindrical shape from the concave surface 101 so as to fit into the communication hole 25 of the first header tank 20 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the

protrusions

103 and 104 protrude from the surface of the connecting member 100 in opposite directions. Note that, as shown in FIG. 4(c'), the protrusion 103 may be provided with an intra-protrusion communication hole 105 that penetrates inside the protrusion. Furthermore, although not shown, the protrusion 104 may also be provided with an intra-protrusion communication hole. By providing the intra-protrusion communication holes 105, it is possible to form a refrigerant flow path also within the

protrusions

103 and 104.

In this embodiment, the protrusion 103 is arranged at one longitudinal end of the connecting member 100 in line with the communication hole 25; however, the protrusion 103 does not necessarily have to be located at the end; It can be placed instead. Similarly, the protrusion 104 is arranged at the other end of the connecting member 100 in the longitudinal direction, in line with the communication hole 25, but the protrusion 104 does not necessarily have to be located at the end; It can be placed as follows.

Furthermore, the outer diameters of the

protrusions

103 and 104 can be made smaller than the diameter of the through hole 102. In this case, in the first header tank 20, a fitting hole corresponding to the position and outer diameter of the projection 103 and the projection 104 is formed in place of the through hole 102. With such a configuration, the connecting member 100 and the first header tank 20 can be positioned in the axial direction while reducing the longitudinal dimension of the connecting member 100.

When assembling the heat exchanger 1 configured in this way, the connection member 100 is inserted into the communication hole 25 located at the end on the partition member 22 side in the longitudinal direction among the communication holes 25 of the first header tank 20A. The protrusion 103 is fitted, and the protrusion 104 of the connecting member 100 is fitted into the communication hole 25 of the other first header tank 20B, which is located at the outer end in the longitudinal direction. (see 6).

As a result, the outer circumferential surfaces of the first header tank 20A and the first header tank 20B come into contact with the concave surface 101 of the connecting member 100, and the first header tank 20A, the connecting member 100, and the first header tank 20B are brought into contact with each other in the longitudinal and short directions. The directional position is fixed (see Figure 6). A refrigerant flow path is formed by the communication hole 25 of one first header tank 20A, the through hole 102 of the connecting member 100, and the communication hole 25 of the other first header tank 20B.

The heat exchanger 1 is assembled with all members including the second header tank 30, tubes 40, heat transfer fins 50, side plates 60, and ports 70 in addition to the first header tank 20 and the connecting member 100. In this state, it is inserted into a heating furnace, and each member is joined by brazing. At this time, the outer peripheral surface of the first header tank 20 is clad with a brazing material, and the connecting member 100 is also brazed and joined to the first header tank 20.

Here, the diameter of the through hole 102 of the connecting member 100 is formed larger than the diameter of the communication hole 25 of the first header tank 20, so that it is not in communication with the through hole 102 before being inserted into the heating furnace. A step is created in the flow path formed by the hole 25. When the heat exchanger 1 is heated in the heating furnace, the brazing filler metal clad on the outer periphery of the first header tank 20 melts and flows to the inner periphery of the through hole 102, forming a fillet. The risk of refrigerant leakage can be reduced. Furthermore, as a result, there is no step difference in the flow path formed by the through holes 102 and the communication holes 25, and the resistance when the refrigerant passes through the flow path can be reduced.

As explained above, the connecting member 100 used in the heat exchanger 1 has a simple structure in which a concave surface 101,

protrusions

103, 104, and through holes 102 are provided on both sides of a single plate-like member. be. Therefore, for example, the connecting member 100 can be formed by press working or the like on a rectangular plate material or an extruded material with concave surfaces on both sides. It is easy and can reduce component costs.

Also, when assembling the heat exchanger 1, the connecting member 100 and the adjacent

first header tanks

20A, 20B can be easily positioned by the

protrusions

103, 104, making the assembly process easier. That is, the parts of the connecting member 100 can be easily processed, and the manufacturing cost of the connecting member 100 and, by extension, the heat exchanger 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, since the concave surface 101 of the connecting member 100 is a concave curved surface having the same curvature as the outer circumferential surface of the

first header tanks

20A, 20B, good joining during brazing can be achieved.

Note that both ends of the

first header tanks

20A and 20B are each closed with a cap. At this time, separate and independent caps can be provided for each of the

first header tanks

20A and 20B, and a connecting cap that is integrally formed so as to close the ends of the

first header tanks

20A and 20B may be provided. You can also do it.

When such a connection cap is provided, it is possible to restrict the movement of the adjacent

first header tanks

20A, 20B in the arrangement direction, and it is possible to suppress positional deviation in the arrangement direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connecting member disposed between the adjacent

first header tanks

20A and 20B from coming off during the period from assembling the heat exchanger 1 to brazing it. In the heat exchanger 1, brazing can be performed while maintaining the positioning of the

header tanks

20A and 20B in both the axial direction and the arrangement direction.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and changes in design, etc., may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Even if there is, it is included in the present invention.

1: heat exchanger, 10 (10A, 10B): heat exchange unit 20: first header tank, 21: slit, 22: partition member, 25: communication hole,
30: Second header tank, 31: Slit 40: Tube, 41: Refrigerant channel, 50: Heat transfer fin, 60: Side plate, 70: Port, 71: Refrigerant inlet, 72: Refrigerant outlet 100: Connection member , 101: concave surface, 102: through hole, 103, 104: protrusion, 105: communication hole in protrusion

Claims

A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of heat exchange units having a plurality of tubes and header tanks provided at both longitudinal ends of the tubes, and a connecting member connecting the header tanks of the adjacent heat exchange units,
The connecting member is made of a single plate-like member,
a plurality of through holes that connect the adjacent header tanks;
a first protrusion protruding into one of the header tanks;
a second protrusion protruding into the other header tank.
The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first protrusion is provided at one end and the second protrusion is provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the connecting member.
The header tank is provided with a plurality of communication holes corresponding to the plurality of through holes,
The heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the diameter of the through hole is formed larger than the diameter of the communication hole.
The heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion are provided with in-protrusion communication holes that communicate between the adjacent header tanks.
The heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein outer diameters of the first protrusion and the second protrusion are smaller than a diameter of the through hole.