U.S. patent application number 11/528360 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-05 for heat exchanger.
This patent application is currently assigned to CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Masayoshi Shinhama.
Application Number | 20070074860 11/528360 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37900803 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070074860 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shinhama; Masayoshi |
April 5, 2007 |
Heat exchanger
Abstract
A heat exchanger includes a pair of tanks, and a heat exchanger
core arranged therebetween and having tubes and fins. The tanks
includes a tube plate connected with the tubes, a tank plate and at
least two partition plates, where the tube plate, the tank plate
and the partition plates are integrally fixed by blazing after the
tube plate and the tank plate are temporarily assembled with each
other to temporarily fix the partition plates between the tube
plate and the tank plate. At least one of the tube plate and the
tank plate is formed to have a misalignment preventing portion for
preventing misalignment in a longitudinal direction of the tube
plate and the tank plate between the temporarily assembled tube
plate and tank plate.
Inventors: |
Shinhama; Masayoshi; (Tokyo,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FOLEY AND LARDNER LLP;SUITE 500
3000 K STREET NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20007
US
|
Assignee: |
CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION
|
Family ID: |
37900803 |
Appl. No.: |
11/528360 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/173 ;
165/67 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 2280/04 20130101;
F28F 9/0224 20130101; F28D 2021/0084 20130101; F28F 9/0212
20130101; F28D 1/05375 20130101; F28F 9/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/173 ;
165/067 |
International
Class: |
F28F 9/02 20060101
F28F009/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 5, 2005 |
JP |
2005-292816 |
Claims
1. A heat exchanger comprising: a pair of tanks; and a heat
exchanger core arranged between the tanks and having a plurality of
tubes and fins whose one end portions are fluidically connected
with one of the tanks and the other end portions are fluidically
connected with the other of the tanks, wherein the tanks includes a
tube plate connected with the tubes, a tank plate and at least two
partition plates where the tube plate, the tank plate and the
partition plates are integrally fixed by blazing after the tube
plate and the tank plate are temporarily assembled with each other
to temporarily fix the partition plates between the tube plate and
the tank plate, wherein at least one of the tube plate and the tank
plate is formed to have a misalignment preventing portion for
preventing misalignment in a longitudinal direction of the tube
plate and the tank plate between the temporarily assembled tube
plate and tank plate.
2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the
misalignment preventing portion is a first projecting portion
formed on an end portion of one of the tube plate and the tank
plate by cutting off a part of the end portion, and the first
projecting portion is bent at an axial outer side of an end portion
of the other of the tube plate and the tank plate so that the first
projecting portion is contactable with the end portion of the other
of the tube plate and the tank plate.
3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the
misalignment preventing portion is a second projecting portion
formed on an end portion of one of the tube plate and the tank
plate, and the second projecting portion is projected inwardly from
an inner surface of the end portion at an axial outer side of an
end portion of the other of the tube plate and the tank plate to be
contactable with the end portion of the other of the tube plate and
the tank plate.
4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the
misalignment preventing portion is formed on the tube plate and the
tank plate to form at least one of a projecting portion, a
depression and an opening for fixing the partition plates so that a
relative movement between the tube plate and the tank plate in the
longitudinal direction can be restricted by the partition plates.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a heat exchanger whose tank
is formed by coupling a tube plate and a tank plate with each
other.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A conventional heat exchanger is disclosed in Japanese
utility model laid-open publication No. (Jikkaishou) 57-38169. The
conventional heat exchanger has a pair of tanks and a heat
exchanger core arranged between the tanks and having a plurality of
tubes and corrugated fins.
[0005] Recently, in order to simplify and downsize configurations
of tank parts of a heat exchanger and decrease the number of the
tank parts, tanks are constructed by coupling a tube plate and a
tank plate with each other so as to contain at least two partition
plates therein, where the tube plate and the tank plate are shaped
in a half-cylinder and end portions of tubes of the heat exchanger
core are inserted into and fixed to the tube plate.
[0006] In the above-constructed tanks, the tube plate, the tank
plate and the partition plates are temporarily assembled with one
another, and upper and lower mounting brackets are inserted into
and temporarily fixed to a top portion and a bottom portion of the
on-lapped, temporarily coupled, tube plate and tank plate,
respectively. Then, the entire temporarily-assembled tank is placed
in a heat furnace to be integrally fixed by blazing.
[0007] The above known conventional heat exchanger, however,
encounters such the following problem. The tube plate and the tank
plate often become misaligned in a longitudinal direction thereof
from their proper positions in a temporary assembly process of the
on-lapped tube plate and tank plates and the mounting brackets
and/or in a blazing process thereof. This misalignment between the
tube plate and the tank plate in the above processes may be avoided
by restricting their position with using a jig, which increases its
manufacturing processes to deteriorate its productivity rate.
[0008] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to
provide a heat exchanger which overcomes the foregoing drawbacks
and can prevent misalignment between a tube plate and a tank plate
in a longitudinal direction thereof in a temporary assembly process
of the temporarily coupled tube plate and tank plate and a mounting
bracket and/or in a blazing process thereof without using a jig,
thereby increasing its productivity rate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to the first aspect of the present invention there
is provided a tank structure of a heat exchanger including a pair
of tanks, and a heat exchanger core arranged between the tanks and
having a plurality of tubes and fins whose one end portions are
fluidically connected with one of the tanks and the other end
portions are fluidically connected with the other of the tanks. The
tanks includes a tube plate connected wit the tubes, a tank plate
and at least two partition plates, where the tube plate, the tank
plate and the partition plates are integrally fixed by blazing
after the tube plate and the tank plate are temporarily assembled
with each other to temporarily fix the partition plates between the
tube plate and the tank plate. At least one of the tube plate and
the tank plate is formed to have a misalignment preventing portion
for preventing misalignment in a longitudinal direction of the tube
plate and the tank plate between the temporarily assembled tube
plate and the tank plate.
[0010] Therefore, the heat exchanger can prevent misalignment
between the tube plate and the tank plate in the longitudinal
direction thereof in a temporary assembly process of the
temporarily coupled tube plate and tank plate and the mounting
bracket and/or in a blazing process thereof without using a jig,
thereby increasing its productivity rate.
[0011] Preferably, the misalignment preventing portion is a first
projecting portion formed on an end portion of one of the tube
plate and the tank plate by cutting off a part of the end portion,
and the first projecting portion is bent at an axial outer side of
an end portion of the other of the tube plate and the tank plate so
that the first projecting portion is contactable with the end
portion of the other of the tube plate and the tank plate.
[0012] Therefore, the misalignment preventing portion can be formed
easily and at low manufacturing costs by cutting-off and
bending.
[0013] Preferably, the misalignment preventing portion is a second
projecting portion formed on an end portion of one of the tube
plate and the tank plate, and the second projecting portion is
projected inwardly from an inner surface of the end portion at an
axial outer side of an end portion of the other of the tube plate
and the tank plate to be contactable with the end portion of the
other of the tube plate the and tank plate.
[0014] Therefore, the misalignment preventing portion can be formed
easily and at low manufacturing costs by press-forming.
[0015] Preferably, the misalignment preventing portion is formed on
the tube plate and the tank plate to form at least one of a
projecting portion, a depression and an opening for fixing the
partition plates so that a relative movement between the tube plate
and the tank plate in the longitudinal direction can be restricted
by the partition plates.
[0016] Therefore, the misalignment preventing portion can be formed
easily and at low manufacturing costs by press-forming for
deforming and/or opening.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a left tank having upper and
lower mounting brackets, and a right tank having upper and lower
mounting brackets and equipped with a receiver, a condenser core,
of a condenser, which is a heat exchanger of a first embodiment
according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional front view
showing the left tank and the condenser core of the condenser shown
in FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3 is an expanded view showing the upper and lower
mounting brackets, a tube plate, a tank plate, partition plates and
upper and lower connectors of the left tank of the condenser shown
in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 4 is an expanded and enlarged fragmentary perspective
view showing a top portion, indicated by a circle A in FIG. 1, of
the left tank shown in FIGS. 1 and 3;
[0022] FIG. 5 is an expanded and enlarged fragmentary perspective
view showing an intermediate portion, indicated by a circle B in
FIG. 1, of the left tank shown in FIGS. 1 and 3;
[0023] FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing
the top portion, where the tube plate and the tank plate are lapped
on each other to be temporarily assembled, of the left tank shown
in FIGS. 1 and 3;
[0024] FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing
the intermediate portion, where the tube plate and the tank plate
are lapped on each other to be temporarily assembled, of the left
tank shown in FIGS. 1 and 3;
[0025] FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing
the top portion, where the tube plate and the tank plate, which are
temporarily assembled by bending first projecting portions of the
tube plate inwardly, and the upper mounting bracket are to be
temporarily assembled, of the left tank shown in FIGS. 1 and 3;
[0026] FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing
the intermediate portion, where the tube plate and the tank plate
are temporarily assembled by bending clawing portions of the tube
plate toward the tank plate, of the left tank shown in FIGS. 1 and
3;
[0027] FIG. 10 is an expanded fragmentary perspective view showing
a top end portion of a left tank used in a heat exchanger of a
second embodiment according to the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the top end portion of
the left tank shown in FIG. 10, where the tube plate and the tank
plate, which are temporarily coupled, and an upper mounting bracket
are to be temporarily assembled;
[0029] FIG. 12 is a fragmentary cross-sectional front view showing
a left tank and a condenser core of a condenser which is a heat
exchanger of a third embodiment according to the present invention;
and
[0030] FIG. 13 is fragmentary cross-sectional front view showing a
left tank and a condenser core of a condenser which is a heat
exchanger of a fourth embodiment according to the present
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0031] Throughout the following detailed description, similar
reference characters and numbers refer to similar elements in all
figures of the drawings.
[0032] A condenser of an embodiment according to the present
invention will be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0033] A condenser 100 is used for an air conditioning system and
mounted on a front portion of a not-shown vehicle body of a motor
vehicle. In this description, terms "left" and "right" are used
with respect to the vehicle body, not corresponding to those in the
drawings.
[0034] The condenser 100 includes a pair of tanks consisting of a
left tank 1 and a right tank 2 that are arranged apart from each
other in a lateral direction of the vehicle body and a condenser
core 3 that is arranged between the left and right tanks 1 and 2
for cooling refrigerant flowing therethrough.
[0035] The condenser core 3 has a plurality of tubes 5 for flowing
the refrigerant therethrough from one of the left and right tanks 1
and 2 to the other thereof and corrugated fins 6 for radiating heat
of the refrigerant flowing in the tubes 5, where the tubes 5 and
the corrugated fins 6 are arranged alternately to each other in a
vertical direction of the condenser 100 and extend in a horizontal
direction thereof. The tubes 5 are fluidically connected with the
left and right tanks 1 and 2 at their left and right end portions.
The condenser core 3 further has an upper reinforcement member 7a
and a lower reinforcement member 7b at its highest position and its
lowest position, respectively, their left and right end portions
being fixed to the left and right tanks 1 and 2 for ensuring
strength of the condenser 100.
[0036] The left and right tanks 1 and 2 are constructed almost
similarly to each other and arranged in directions opposite to each
other.
[0037] The left tank 1 is fixed with a left upper mounting bracket
T1 and a left lower mounting bracket T2 at its top and bottom end
portions, respectively. Similarly, the right tank 2 is fixed with a
right upper mounting bracket T3 and a right lower mounting bracket
T4 at its top and bottom end portions, respectively.
[0038] The left tank 1 is provided with an upper connector P1 and a
lower connector P2 at an upper portion and a lower portion thereof,
respectively, for fluidically connecting not-shown units, such as a
compressor and an evaporator, of the air conditioning system via
not-shown pipes. The right tank 2 is provided with a receiver 12
for gas-liquid separating and temporarily storing excessive
refrigerant to regulate a variation of a circulating refrigerant
amount, and the receiver 12 is fluidically connected with the right
tank 2 through a first connecting pipe 12a and a second connecting
pipe 12b.
[0039] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the left tank 1 is constructed by
coupling a tube plate 8 and a tank plate 9, both of which are
shaped in a half-cylinder, with each other to form an interior
space having a four-round-cornered rectangle shape in cross
section. The interior space of the left tank 1 is divided by four
partition plates, consisting of a first partition plate D1, a
second partition plate D2, a third partition plate D3 and a fourth
partition plate D4, to define the interior space into three rooms,
a first room R1, a third room R3, and a sixth room R6 as shown in
FIG. 1.
[0040] The right tank 2 is also constructed by coupling a tube
plate and a tank plate, both of which are shaped in a
half-cylinder, with each other to form an interior space having a
four-round-cornered rectangle shape in cross section. The interior
space of the right tank 2 is divided by four partition plates,
consisting of a fifth partition plate D5, a sixth partition plate
D6, a seventh partition plate D7 and an eighth partition plate D8,
to define the interior space into three rooms, a second room R2, a
fourth room R4, and a fifth room R5 as shown in FIG. 1.
[0041] The first and fifth partition plates D1 and D5 of the left
and right tanks 1 and 2 are located in the same height and at a
position higher than those of the other partition plates. The
second partition plate D2 of the left tank 1 is located higher than
the sixth partition plate D6 of the right tank 2, which is located
higher than the third partition plate D3 of the left tank 1. The
third partition plate D3 of the left tank 1 and the seventh
partition plate D7 of the right tank 2 are located in the same
height and higher than the fourth partition plate D4 of the left
tank 1 and the eighth partition plate D8 of the right tank 2. The
fourth partition plate D4 and the eighth partition plate D8 are in
the same height. Although the seventh partition plate D7 and the
third partition plate D3 are located in the same height, the fourth
room R4 is fluidically connected with the fifth room R5 through the
first connecting pipe 12a, the receiver 12 and the second
connecting pipe 12b.
[0042] Accordingly, the refrigerant can flow in turn from the upper
connector P1 through the first room RI of the left tank 1, the
tubes 5 connecting the first room 1 and the second room 2, the
second room R2 of the right tank 2, the tubes 5 connecting the room
R2 and the third room R3, the third room R3 of the left tank 1, the
tubes 5 connecting the third room R3 and the fourth room R4, the
fourth room R4 of the right tank 5, the first connecting pipe 12a,
the receiver 12, the second connecting pipe 12b, the fifth room R5
of the right tank 2, the pipes 5 connecting the fifth room R5 and
the sixth room R6, the sixth room R6 of the left tank 1 toward the
lower connector P2.
[0043] In order to fix the first to eighth partition plates D1 to
D8 on the left and right tanks 1 and 2, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 5,
the tube plates 8 of the left and right tanks 1 and 2 are formed on
their inner surfaces with four pairs of inwardly projecting
portions 8c for clamping one side portions of the first to fourth
partition plates D1 to D4 and the fifth to eighth partition plates
D5 to D8, respectively, and the tank plates 9 of the left and right
tanks 1 and 2 are formed with four openings 9a for receiving
projecting portions 10 formed on the other side portions of the
first to fourth partition plates D1 to D4 and the fifth to eighth
partition plates D5 to D8, respectively. The inwardly projecting
portions 8care formed in a half-cylindrical shape in this
embodiment, but their configuration may be set arbitrarily. The
inwardly projecting portions 8c, the openings 9a, and the
projecting portions 10 act as a misalignment preventing portion of
the present invention.
[0044] The tube plates 8 of the left and right tanks 1 and 2 are
formed with a plurality of tube-holes 4 so that the tube-holes 4
are inserted by the end portions the tubes 5 of the condenser cores
3 and receive them. The upper portions and the lower portions of
the tube plates 8 respectively have a pair of cut-off portions 8a
at their side walls to form a pair of first projecting portions 8b
projecting toward the tank plates 9. The first projecting portions
8b act as the misalignment preventing portion of the present
invention. The tube plates 8 are formed longer in its longitudinal
direction than the tank plates 9 so that the first projecting
portions 8b can be located over or on top and bottom portions of
the tank plates 9 in the vertical direction when the tube plate 8
and the tank plate 9 are coupled with each other as shown in FIG.
8. The intermediate portions of the tube plates 8 are formed with
eight pairs of cut-off portions 8d at their side walls, two closing
pairs thereof being apart from other two closing pairs in the
vertical direction, to form a pair of clawing portions 8e located
between the two closing pairs of the cut-off portions 8d and
projecting toward the tank plates 9. Configuration, positions and
the number of the clawing portions 8e may be set arbitrarily.
[0045] The tank plate 9 of the left tank 1 is formed at its upper
and lower portions with not-shown upper and lower communicating
holes for fluidically communicating with the upper and lower
connectors P1 and P2, respectively as shown in FIG. 1. The tank
plate of the right tank 2 is formed at its intermediate portion
with not-shown upper and lower communicating holes for fluidically
communicating with the first and second connecting pipes 12a and
12b.
[0046] The left and right upper mounting brackets T1 and T3 and the
left and right lower mounting brackets T2 and T4 are used for
fixing the condenser 100 to a vehicle side, such as a not-shown
radiator or a not-shown radiator core support member. As shown in
FIGS. 3, 4 and 8, they are formed to have a disc portion 11a, a
mounting portion 1b and a fixing portion 11c, where the mounting
portions 11b are shaped in a cylindrical column projecting from
one-side surface of the disc portion 11a in a direction opposite to
the left and right tanks 1 and 2, and the fixing portions 11c are
shaped in a cylindrical column projecting from the other-side
surface of the disc portion 11a in a direction toward the left and
right tanks 1 and 2. Configuration of the mounting brackets T1 to
T4 may be set arbitrarily according to a structure fixing the
condenser 100 to the vehicle side.
[0047] The upper and lower connectors P1 and P2 are constructed
similarly to each other, and arranged in different directions as
shown in FIG. 3. Incidentally, tube-plate-side side wall portions
of the upper and lower connecters P1 and P2 are formed to have an
arc surface fittable to an outer surface of the tank plate 9.
Configuration of the upper and lower connector P1 and P2 may be set
arbitrarily according to a fixing structure of a vehicle-side
adapter.
[0048] All parts of the condenser 100, including the left and right
tanks 1 and 2, the condenser core 3, the upper and lower
reinforcement members 7a and 7b, the receiver 12, the first and
second connecting pipes 12a and 12b, the mounting brackets T1 to T4
and the upper and lower connectors P1 and P2, are made of aluminum.
The condenser 100 is obtained by blazing connecting portions of the
parts.
[0049] The condenser 100 is manufactured as follows.
[0050] In order to build the left and right tanks 1 and 2, the
upper and lower connectors P1 and P2 are brought to temporarily
fixed to the tank plate 9 by caulking for example.
[0051] Then, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first to fourth
partition plates D1 to D4 and the fifth partition plates D5 to D8
are placed in the tank plates 9 of the left and right tanks 1 and
2, respectively, with their projecting portions 10 of the partition
plates D1 to D8 being inserted into the openings 9a of the tank
plates 9. Then, the tube plates 8 are brought to face and lap on
the tank plates 9, respectively, and their side portions opposite
to the projecting portions 10 are inserted between and held by the
closing inwardly projecting portions 8c. The tube plates 8 and the
tank plates 9 are laid on each other, holding the first to fourth
partition plates D1 to D4 and the fifth to eighth partition plates
D5 to D8 therein, respectively. In this state where the tube plate
8 receives the tank plate 9 therein, the first projecting portions
8b are positioned over or on the top and bottom end portions of the
tank plate 9 as shown in FIG. 6.
[0052] The upper and lower first projecting portions 8b are bent
inwardly to come closer to or contact with the top and bottom end
portions of the tank plate 9, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8.
[0053] The clawing portions 8e shown in FIG. 7 are bent inwardly to
fix the tank plate 9 by caulking as shown in FIG. 9.
[0054] Then, the left and right upper and lower mounting brackets
T1 to T4 are temporarily assembled, being inserted between and
temporarily fixed by the tube plate 8 and the tank plate 9 at the
top and bottom end portions of the left and right tanks 1 and
2.
[0055] The right tank 2 is temporarily assembled similarly to the
left tank 1 in addition to fixing the receiver 12 and the first and
second connecting pipes 12a and 12b instead of the upper and lower
connectors P1 and P2.
[0056] The tubes 5, the corrugated fins 6 and the upper and lower
reinforcement members 7a and 7b are temporarily assembled with the
left and right tanks 1 and 2. At least one sides of the connecting
portions of the condenser 100 are provided with cladding layers,
blazing sheets, made of blazing filler metal, and then this
temporarily assembled condenser 100 is fed to be placed in a heat
furnace, where it is heated so that all the connecting portions can
be integrally fixed with each other by blazing.
[0057] Incidentally, temporary assembly of the condenser core 3,
consisting of the tubes 5, the corrugated fins 6, and the upper and
lower reinforcement members 7a and 7b, and the left and right tanks
1 and 2 may be carried out in a proper process. In this embodiment,
outer surfaces of the both edge portions of at least the tank plate
9 are provided with cladding layers for fixing it to the tube plate
8 by blazing, and outer surfaces of its intermediate portion are
also provided with cladding layer for fixing the upper and lower
connectors P1 and P2 thereto by blazing.
[0058] Note that a relative movement between the tube plate 8 and
the tank plate 9 in the axial direction thereof are restricted by
the first projecting portions 8b, and the inwardly projecting
portions 8c and the openings 9a both for receiving the partition
plates D1 to D8 in a temporary assembly process and in a blazing
process.
[0059] After a blazing process, the condenser 100 is conveyed and
attached on a not-shown radiator core by fixing the mounting
brackets T1 to T4 to not-shown radiator-core connectors, and then
they are mounted on the front portion of the vehicle body to be
connected with the vehicle-side units through the pipes.
[0060] The operation of the condenser 100 will be described.
[0061] The first room R1 of the condenser 100 is fed with the
refrigerant at approximately 70.degree. C. through the connecting
hole 21 of the upper connector P1 from a not-shown compressor. The
refrigerant in the first room R1 flows toward the second room R2
via the tubes 5 connecting between the first and second rooms R1
and R2, where it is cooled by heat radiation through the corrugated
fins 6 hit by air flow caused by vehicle-running and/or a not-shown
motor fan.
[0062] Then, the refrigerant in the second room R2 flows toward the
third room R3 via the tubes 5 connecting therebetween, where it is
cooled similarly to that flowing between the first and second rooms
R1 and R2. The refrigerant in the third room R3 flows toward the
fourth room R4 via the tubes 5 connecting therebetween, being
cooled similarly, and the refrigerant in the fourth room R4 flows
via the first connecting pipe 12a to the receiver 12, where the
refrigerant is separated into gas and liquid to be temporarily
stored for regulating a variation of the circulating refrigerant
amount. The refrigerant in the receiver 12 goes to the fifth room
R5 via the second connecting pipe 12b, and then flows toward the
sixth room R6 via the tubes 5 connecting therebetween, being cooled
down to approximately 45.degree. C.
[0063] This cooled refrigerant is discharged through the connecting
hole 21 of the lower connector P2 toward a not-shown
evaporator.
[0064] The condenser 100 of the embodiment has the following
advantages.
[0065] At least one of the first projecting portions 8b, and the
inwardly projecting portions 8c and the openings 9a both for
receiving the partition plates D1 to D8 can restrict the relative
movement between the tube plate 8 and the tank plate 9 in the axial
direction thereof in a temporary assembly process and in a blazing
process without using a jig. The first projecting portions 8b, and
the inwardly projecting portions 8c and the openings 9a can be
easily formed by press-forming. Therefore, this condenser 100 can
improve its productivity rate easily and at low manufacturing
costs.
[0066] Next, a condenser of a second embodiment according to the
present invention will be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
[0067] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, there is shown an upper
portion of a left tank of the condenser of the second
embodiment.
[0068] The left tank includes a tube plate 20, a tank plate 9, a
plurality of partition plates (only a first partition plate D1
being illustrated in FIG. 10), an upper mounting bracket T1 and a
not-shown lower mounting bracket. The tube plate 20 is set longer
in a longitudinal direction thereof than the tank plate 9, and is
formed with a pair of second projecting portions 21 instead of the
first projecting portions 8b of the first embodiment. The second
projecting portions 21 are formed by press-forming to project
inwardly from its inner surfaces at an upper and lower end portions
of the tube plate 20 so that the second projecting portions 21 is
over or on top and bottom end portions of the tank plate 9,
restricting a relative movement between the tube plate 20 and the
tank plate 9 in the longitudinal direction. The second projecting
portions 21 has a half-cylinder shape, but their configurations are
not limited to this half-cylinder.
[0069] In addition, inwardly projecting portions 8c of the tube
plate 20 and openings 9a (only a first opening being illustrated in
FIG. 10) receive one-side portions of the partition plates and
their projections 10, respectively, restricting the relative
movement between the tube plate 20 and the tank plate 9 in the
longitudinal direction.
[0070] The right tank is constructed similarly to the left tank 1,
and is arranged in directions opposite to each other. The other
parts of the condenser of the second embodiment is similar to those
of the first embodiment.
[0071] In this second embodiment, the second projecting portions
21, and the. inwardly projecting portions 8c and the openings 9a
can be easily formed by press-forming. Therefore, this condenser
can improve its productivity rate easily and at low manufacturing
costs.
[0072] Next, a condenser of a third embodiment according to the
present invention will be described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
[0073] Referring to FIG. 12, there is shown a part of a tank and a
condenser core of the condenser of the third embodiment.
[0074] A tube plate 8 is formed on its inner surfaces with inwardly
projecting portions 30 instead of the pairs of the inwardly
projecting portions 8c of the first embodiment sandwiching the
partition plates. The inwardly projecting portions 30 restrict the
adjacent partition plates D2 and D3 (or D6 and D7) at facing sides
of the adjacent partition plates. This structure of the inwardly
projecting portions 30 is useful when many partition plates are
fixed on the tube plate 8 and a tank plate 9, since the number of
the inwardly projecting portions 30 can be decreased.
[0075] In this third embodiment, the inwardly projecting portions
30 and the openings 9a can be easily formed by press-forming.
Therefore, this condenser can be constructed in a small dimensions
and improve its productivity rate easily and at low manufacturing
costs.
[0076] Next, a condenser of a fourth embodiment according to the
present invention will be described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
[0077] As shown in FIG. 13, a tube plate 8 is formed on its inner
surfaces with inwardly projecting portions 31 instead of the pairs
of the inwardly projecting portions 8c of the first embodiment
sandwiching the partition plates. The inwardly projecting portions
31 restrict the adjacent partition plates D2 and D3 (or D6 and D7)
at outer sides of the adjacent partition plates. This structure of
the inwardly projecting portions 31 is useful when many partition
plates are fixed on the tube plate 8 and a tank plate 9, since the
number of the inwardly projecting portions 31 can be decreased.
[0078] In the forth embodiment, the inwardly projecting portions 31
and the openings 9a can be easily formed by press-forming.
Therefore, this condenser can be constructed in a small dimensions
and improve its productivity rate easily and at low manufacturing
costs.
[0079] While there have been particularly shown and described with
reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood
that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended
to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall
within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
[0080] The first projecting portions 8b, and the second projecting
portion 21 may be set arbitrarily in their configurations, their
setting positions and/or their numbers. In addition, they may be
formed on the tank plate 9 instead of the tube plate 8.
[0081] The partition plates in the left and right tanks 1 and 2 may
be set arbitrarily.
[0082] Although the heat changer is the condenser 100 in the
embodiments, the heat exchanger may employ a radiator.
[0083] The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No.
2005-292816 filed Oct. 5, 2005 are incorporated herein by
reference.
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