U.S. patent application number 11/116705 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-10 for header pipe evaporator for use in an automobile.
Invention is credited to Kim, Jae Hoon.
Application Number | 20050247443 11/116705 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35238386 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050247443 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim, Jae Hoon |
November 10, 2005 |
Header pipe evaporator for use in an automobile
Abstract
The present invention relates to a header pipe for a vehicle
evaporator capable of decreasing the number of assembling processes
of a header pipe and minimizing/preventing a refrigerant leakage at
a junction portion after elements are brazed for thereby achieving
a simpler construction. In the present invention, a vehicle
evaporator is provided with a header pipe, comprising a tank part
and a header part forming an integral structure wherein a partition
wall partitioning a refrigerant flow path space of the tank part, a
partition plate for changing a refrigerant flow path at the tank
part, and caps for covering the openings of both sides of the tank
part are assembled in a structure.
Inventors: |
Kim, Jae Hoon; (Asan-city,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, PHILLIPS, KATZ, CLARK & MORTIMER
500 W. MADISON STREET
SUITE 3800
CHICAGO
IL
60661
US
|
Family ID: |
35238386 |
Appl. No.: |
11/116705 |
Filed: |
April 28, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/176 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 9/0207 20130101;
F28D 1/05391 20130101; F28F 2220/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/176 |
International
Class: |
F28F 009/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 28, 2004 |
KR |
2004-0029534 |
Claims
1. A header pipe assembly for a vehicle heat exchanger, the header
pipe comprising: a tank part and a header part forming an integral
structure, the tank part having a refrigerant flow path space; a
partition wall partitioning the refrigerant flow path space of the
tank part; a partition plate for changing a refrigerant flow path
in the tank part; and a pair of caps closing respective openings at
each end of the tank part.
2. The header pipe assembly of claim 1, wherein a rounding portion
is formed between the tank part and the header part in the integral
structure.
3. The header pipe assembly of claim 1, wherein said partition
wail, said partition plate and said cap are braze-coupled with the
integral structure of the tank part and the header part using braze
paste.
4. The header pipe assembly of claim 1, wherein a rail groove for
slide-inserting the partition wall therein is formed at the tank
part and the header part, respectively, and an insertion groove for
receiving the partition plate therein is formed at the tank
part.
5. The header pipe assembly of claim 1, wherein the partition wall,
the partition plate and the cap are braze-coupled with the integral
structure of the tank part and the header part using a clad
material.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention applies to the technology of an
evaporator being a constituent of an air conditioning system for
use in an automobile, and more precisely--to a header pipe used at
the connection point with the end portion of a tube through which
the refrigerant flows in an evaporator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention applies to the technology of an
evaporator being a constituent of an air conditioning system for
use in an automobile, and more precisely--to a header pipe used at
the connection point with the end portion(s) of a tube(s) through
which the refrigerant flows in an evaporator.
[0003] An evaporator, being a commonly used constituent of an air
conditioning system for use in an automobile, wherein numerous
tubes through which the refrigerant flows, and heat transfer fins
form its core, and each tube's end part connects through the header
pipe into a structure.
[0004] The attached FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the above,
wherein the heat transfer fins (110) inserted into numerous tubes
(120) are arranged to form the core (100); on both ends of the core
(100) there is pair of header pipes (200,200') installed; in one
header pipe (200') of the two header pipes (200,200') there are
refrigerant pipes (310,320) for refrigerant inflow and outflow, the
pipes being connected with an adaptor (400). Specifically, the
header pipe (200), as the lower elements illustrated in FIG. 1
show, is composed of a tank part (210) that forms the refrigerant
flow path space where the refrigerant flows, and the tubes (120')
end parts which are formed to connect to numerous through-holes
(221), and a plate-type header part (220) covering the space of the
said tank part (210), a partition wall (230) dividing the
refrigerant flow path space inside the tank part (210), with the
partition wall (230) having numerous connecting through-holes
(231); a partition plate (240) for changing the refrigerant flow
path, with the partition plate (240) being inserted at the middle
part of the tank part (210); and the partition wall (230) being
connected at the both end portions of the tank part (210), with the
caps (250,250') closing the openings at each end portion of the
tank part (210). Moreover, the prior art header pipe (200)
comprising a tank part (210), a header part (220), a partition wall
(230), a partition plate (240) and caps (250,250'), after the
separate parts being assembled, is realized by brazing with the use
of clad material at the connection portions. However, before such
brazing process is applied to each part, the assembly of the parts
has to be completed and thus the number of assembly processes is
increased, which negatively affects productivity and raises costs.
In addition, if there are any incompletely connected parts due to
some brazed portions being left uncoated with the clad material
after the individual parts were assembled, there is a danger of a
decrease in the evaporator's performance due to refrigerant
leakage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is designed to solve the problems as
described above, therefore the objective is to decrease the number
of assembling processes with regard to the individual parts being
constituents of a header pipe, and to minimize or prevent
refrigerant leakage at the connecting portions after brazing of
individual parts, and to provide a simpler design of a header pipe
for an evaporator for use in an automobile.
[0006] According to the present invention aimed at achieving the
above-mentioned objective, a header pipe of an evaporator for use
in an automobile is realized by a tank part and the header part
tube being formed as an integral part, wherein a partition wall
that divides a refrigerant flow path space of the said tank part, a
partition plate that changes of the refrigerant flow path in the
said tank part, and caps that close the openings at both ends of
the said tank part are assembled into a structure.
[0007] At the connecting portion of the said tank part and the said
header part the structure can be formed as a rounding portion.
[0008] Moreover, the said partition wall, partition plate and the
caps can be brazed with the integral structure of the said tank
part and the header part with the use of paste.
[0009] In addition, a rail groove for slide-inserting the partition
wall can be formed in the said tank part and the said header part,
respectively, and an insertion groove for receiving the partition
plate can be formed at the tank part.
[0010] Also, the said partition wall can be inserted into the
integral structure of the said tank part and the header part, and
the partition plate can be assembled to the inserted partition
wall, and the cap can be assembled to the opening of both ends of
the tank part, and the partition wall, the partition plate and the
caps are brazed with the integral structure of the said tank part
and the header part using a clad material.
[0011] Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention
will become apparent from a review of the entire specification,
including the appended claims and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the separate
elements of an example of a prior art evaporator;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the separate
elements of a header pipe according to the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the right-side end
portion of FIG. 2;
[0015] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a partition
wall partially inserted into the header pipe of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an assembled header
pipe of the present invention with an end cap removed; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the right-side end
portion of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] The attached FIG. 2, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 present,
respectively, this invention's header pipe appearance in a
perspective view of separate parts, assembling perspective view,
and a perspective view of a nearly completed assembly; while FIGS.
3 and 6 present perspective views of the right-side end portions of
FIGS. 2 and 5, respectively.
[0019] As shown on the illustrations, this invention's header pipe
is realized, wherein the tank part (10) having the refrigerant flow
path space where the refrigerant flows, and the header part (20)
form a tube body, the header part (20) covering the tank part
(10)'s flow path space and having numerous through-holes (21) for
connecting the end portions of the refrigerant tubes (not shown);
the tank part (10) and the header part (20) are formed into an
integral structure by extrusion or other method. In particular, by
forming a rounding portion (R) at the connecting portion of the
tank part (10) and the header part (20), joined into an integral
structure, the flow of the refrigerant through the header pipe can
be achieved more smoothly. Moreover, this invention's header pipe
can be formed into a structure by assembling the partition wall
(30) that divides the refrigerant flow path space within the tank
part (10), the partition plate (40) that alters the refrigerant
flow paths in the designated part of the tank part (10)'s space,
and the caps (50,50') as devices closing the openings at both ends
of the tank part (10). The partition wall (30), the partition plate
(40) and the caps (50,50') can be connected to the integral
structure of the tank part (10) and the header part (20) by
attaching a binder to the clad material and brazing with liquefied
paste. Alternatively, the partition wall (30) can be constructed by
insertion into the integral structure of the tank part (10) and the
header part (20), with the partition plate (40) assembled into the
inserted partition wall (30), and the caps (50,50') assembled onto
the openings on both ends of the tank part (10), wherein the
partition wall (30), the partition plate (40) and the caps (50,50')
can be connected to the integral structure of the tank part (10)
and the header part (20) by brazing using a clad material. In
addition, as can be clearly seen in FIGS. 3 and 6, there are rail
grooves (11,22) for insertion of the partition wall (30) into the
tank part (10) and the header part (20), thus the rail grooves
(11,22) are formed as rails to enable slide-insertion of the
partition wall (30), and as either paste or clad material is used
during brazing the connection portions and the surrounding parts of
the rail grooves (11,22) and the partition wall (30), a solid
connection is achieved. Also, an insertion groove (12) for placing
the partition plate (40) is formed, and since either paste or clad
material is used during brazing the partition plate (40) inserted
into the insertion groove (12), a solid connection is achieved.
[0020] A header pipe constructed in the above-described way, due to
the tank part (10) and the header part (20) being formed as an
integral part, results in not only the number of assembly processes
being decreased in comparison to former technology, but also in the
reduction of the number of brazed parts, and thus the refrigerant
leakage from the connection portion after brazing can be minimized
or prevented.
[0021] As was explained above, in a header pipe of an evaporator
for use in an automobile, according to the present invention, the
effect of which is to decrease the number of the assembly
processes, resulting in improved productivity and thus reduced
costs, moreover, the phenomenon of refrigerant leakage after
brazing is either minimized or prevented, which contributes to the
effect of improved performance of an evaporator.
* * * * *