Heat exchanger, especially for a vehicle

Abstract

Title: Heat exchanger, particularly for a vehicle. The invention relates to a heat exchanger (2), particularly for a vehicle. Said heat exchanger comprises: - at least one fluid connection pipe (6) configured to receive a heat transfer fluid; - a bundle of heat transfer fluid tubes; - at least one collector box (10), particularly made of metal, the collector box (10) comprising: o a collector plate (12) on which the bundle of heat transfer fluid tubes is mounted, the collector plate (12) comprising at least one fluid opening (14) forming a fluid inlet or a fluid outlet of the collector plate (12), and in which the fluid connection pipe (6) is assembled with the collector plate (12) opposite the fluid opening (14). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: Heat exchanger, particularly for a vehicle

[0001] The field of the present invention relates to a heat exchanger, in particular for a vehicle.

[0002] The vehicle is of land, sea and air type.

[0003] A heat exchanger, particularly for a vehicle, comprises, in a manner known per se, at least one collector box (or water box), mounted at the end of a bundle of tubes through which a heat transfer fluid circulates.

[0004] The heat exchanger further comprises two collector plates (or "collectors") through which the ends of the tubes of said bundle pass. Each collector plate is covered with a lid to form the collector box.

[0005] In this particular case, the first collection box distributes the heat transfer fluid flowing through the tubes from a fluid inlet formed by a first cover. The second collection box collects the heat transfer fluid that has flowed through the tubes and directs it to a heat transfer fluid outlet formed by the second cover.

[0006] The invention aims in particular to reduce the size of the heat exchanger while optimizing its mechanical resistance.

[0007] The invention thus relates to a heat exchanger, in particular for a vehicle, said exchanger comprising:

[0008] - at least one fluidic connection tube configured to receive a fluid heat transfer fluid;

[0009] - a bundle of heat transfer fluid tubes;

[0010] - at least one collector box, in particular made of metal, the collector box including: • a collector plate on which the bundle of heat transfer fluid tubes is mounted, the collector plate having at least one fluid opening forming a fluid inlet or a fluid outlet of the collector plate, and in which the fluidic connection tubing is assembled with the collector plate opposite the fluid opening.

[0011] Thanks to the invention, particularly because the fluid connection tube is assembled with the collector plate opposite the fluid opening, the overall size of the heat exchanger is reduced according to its thickness, or along a plane perpendicular to the plane defined by the bundle of tubes. This facilitates the management of connectors that can be attached to the tubing.

[0012] In addition to reducing the size, the invention also offers better mechanical resistance to mechanical fatigue, particularly induced by cyclic pressure phenomena, the failures of which are often located around the tubing, for example made of plastic.

[0013] According to one aspect of the invention, the heat exchanger comprises at least two fluidic connection tubes.

[0014] According to one aspect of the invention, the connecting tubes are on the same side of the tube bundle.

[0015] Alternatively, the connecting tubes are on either side of the tube bundle.

[0016] According to one aspect of the invention, the collection box further comprises a cover, in particular made of plastic, configured to cover the collection plate.

[0017] According to one aspect of the invention, the fluidic connection tubing is assembled by being brazed with the collector plate.

[0018] According to one aspect of the invention, the collector plate comprises a collar that defines the fluid opening. The fluid connection tube is assembled with the collar, in particular by being brazed to the collar. The collar has, at its free end, a raised edge defining a substantially cylindrical circumference.

[0019] According to one aspect of the invention, the fluidic connection tubing is brazed with this raised edge of the collar.

[0020] According to one aspect of the invention, this raised edge connects to the collector plate by a flared portion.

[0021] According to one aspect of the invention, the fluid opening has an oblong shape along the longitudinal direction of the collecting plate.

[0022] Alternatively, the fluid opening may have a circular shape.

[0023] According to one aspect of the invention, the collar is formed of the same material as the collector plate which is made, for example, by cutting and stamping.

[0024] According to one aspect of the invention, the tube bundle is assembled on the collector plate on an assembly area which extends between a longitudinal end of the collector plate and the location on the collector plate where the fluidic connection tubing is located.

[0025] According to one aspect of the invention, the heat exchanger comprises two collection boxes on either side of the tube bundle.

[0026] Alternatively, the connecting tube(s) can be attached to a clip fixed to the collector plate.

[0027] According to one aspect of the invention, the collar extends outwards from the collector box.

[0028] According to one aspect of the invention, the fluidic connection tubing is brazed onto an external face of the collar.

[0029] In other words, the fluid connection tube has an internal diameter at the junction with the collar that is substantially equal to the external diameter of the collar. Thus, the fluid connection tube remains outside the collector box.

[0030] The internal diameter of the fluidic connection tube can be relatively large compared to the external diameter of the collector box, which does not increase the pressure losses of the fluid flowing between the collector box and the fluidic connection tube. In other words, this "inverted" collar improves the flow of heat transfer fluid in the fluidic connection tube by reducing pressure losses.

[0031] In another embodiment of the invention, the fluidic connection tubing is brazed onto an inner face of the collar.

[0032] In other words, the fluid connection tube has an external diameter at the junction with the collar that is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the collar. Thus, the fluid connection tube remains inside the collector box.

[0033] In another embodiment of the invention, the collar extends into the inside of the collection box.

[0034] In this case, the fluidic connection tubing is introduced inside the collar to be assembled with this collar.

[0035] This implies that the fluidic connection tube at the junction with the collar has an external diameter that is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the collar in order to be able to insert the fluidic connection tube into the fluid opening.

[0036] In yet another embodiment, the fluid opening is formed by a simple cut in the collector plate.

[0037] In this case, the collector plate is without a collar at the junction with the fluidic connection tubing.

[0038] In this case, the fluidic connection tubing is brazed with the collector plate, over its thickness.

[0039] According to one aspect of the invention, the fluidic connection tube has a bead which rests on the collector plate and the fluidic connection tube has an end wall which engages inside the collector box through the fluid opening of the collector plate.

[0040] According to one aspect of the invention, the bead rests on an extreme portion connecting the outer face and the inner face of the collector plate, said extreme portion being part of the free end of the collar.

[0041] Alternatively, the bead rests against the outer face of the collector plate.

[0042] Other features, details and advantages of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following description on the one hand, and several exemplary embodiments given by way of illustration and not limitation with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings on the other hand, in which:

[0043] [Fig-1] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a heat exchanger according to an example of implementation;

[0044] [Fig.2] Fig.2 is a schematic and partial cross-sectional representation of a heat exchanger according to a variant embodiment of the invention;

[0045] [Fig.3] The [Fig.3] is a schematic and partial cross-sectional representation of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the invention;

[0046] [Fig.4] Fig.4 is a schematic and partial cross-sectional representation of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the invention;

[0047] [Fig.5] The [Fig.5] is a schematic and partial cross-sectional representation of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0048] The features, variants, and different embodiments of the invention can be combined in various ways, provided they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. In particular, variants of the invention may be conceived comprising only a selection of features, described hereafter in isolation from the other described features, if this selection of features is sufficient to confer a technical advantage and / or to differentiate the invention from the prior art.

[0049] In the following description, identical elements or elements with identical function bear the same reference numeral. For the sake of brevity, only the differences between the embodiments presented are described.

[0050] Figure 1 shows a heat exchanger 2 for a vehicle 4, said exchanger 2 comprising:

[0051] - two fluidic connection tubes 6, configured to receive a fluid heat transfer fluid;

[0052] - a bundle of heat transfer fluid tubes 8;

[0053] - two metal collector boxes 10, on either side of the bundle of tubes 8, each collection box contains 10: • a collecting plate 12 on which the bundle of heat transfer fluid tubes 8 is mounted, the collecting plate 12 having a fluid opening 14, having an oblong shape along the longitudinal direction of the collecting plate 12, forming respectively a fluid inlet or a fluid outlet of the collecting plate 12, and • a plastic cover 13, configured to cover the collector plate 12.

[0054] The fluidic connection tubes 6, on either side of the tube bundle 8, are assembled by being brazed with the collector plates 12 opposite the respective fluid opening 14.

[0055] The collector plates 12 each have a collar 20 that defines the fluid opening 14. The fluid connection tubes 6 are assembled by brazing them to the respective collars 20. The collars 20 have, at their free end 22, a raised edge 24 defining a substantially cylindrical circumference. The fluid connection tubes 6 are brazed to these raised edges 24 of the respective collars 20. These raised edges 24 connect to the respective collector plates 12 by means of flared portions 26.

[0056] The collars 20 are formed from the same material as the collector plates 12 which are made, for example, by cutting and stamping.

[0057] The tube bundle 8 is assembled on the collector plates 12 on assembly areas which each extend between a longitudinal end 30 of the collector plate 12 and the location 32 on the collector plate 12 where the respective fluidic connection tube 6 is located.

[0058] In examples of embodiments of the invention particularly visible in figures 2 and 3, the collars 20 extend outwards from the collection boxes 10.

[0059] As illustrated in [Fig.2], the fluidic connection tubes 6 are brazed onto external faces 38 of the respective collars 20.

[0060] In other words, the fluidic connection tubes 6 have internal diameters Dint_t at the junctions with the collars 20 which are substantially equal to the external diameters Dext_c of the collars 20. Thus, the fluidic connection tubes 6 remain outside the collector boxes 10.

[0061] The internal diameters Dint_t of the fluidic connection tubes 6 can be relatively large compared to the external diameters Dext_c of the collector boxes 10, which does not increase the pressure losses of the fluid flowing between the collector boxes 10 and the fluidic connection tubes 6. In other words, these "inverted" collars 20 improve the flow of heat transfer fluid in the fluidic connection tubes 6 by reducing pressure losses.

[0062] In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in [Fig.3], the fluidic connection tubes 6 are brazed onto inner faces 50 of the respective collars 20.

[0063] In other words, the fluidic connection tubes 6 have external diameters Dext_t at the junction with the collars 20 which are substantially equal to the diameters internal Dint_c of the collars 20. Thus, the fluidic connection tubes 6 remain inside the collector boxes 10.

[0064] In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in [Fig.4], the collars 20 extend into the inside of the collection box 10.

[0065] In this case, the fluidic connection tubes 6 are introduced inside the collars 20 to be assembled with these collars 20.

[0066] This implies that the fluidic connection tubes 6 at the junctions with the collars 20 have external diameters Dext_t which are substantially equal to the internal diameters Dint_c of the collars 20 in order to be able to insert the fluidic connection tubes 6 into the fluid openings 14.

[0067] In another embodiment still visible in [Fig.5], the fluid openings 14 are formed by a simple cut of the collector plates 12.

[0068] In this case, the collector plates 12 are without a collar at the junctions with the fluidic connection tubes 6.

[0069] In this case, the fluidic connection tubes 6 are brazed with the collector plates 12, over their thickness.

[0070] As illustrated in Figures 3 to 5, the fluidic connection tubes 6 have ridges 60 which bear against the collecting plates 12 and the fluidic connection tubes 6 each have an end wall 62 which engages inside the collecting box 10 through the fluid opening 14 of the respective collecting plate 12.

[0071] As illustrated in [Fig.3], the ridges 60 rest on extreme portions 64 connecting the outer faces 38 and the inner faces 50 of the collector plates 12, said extreme portions 64 being part of the free ends 22 of the collars 20.

[0072] Alternatively, as can be seen in particular in figures 4 and 5, the ridges 60 rest on the outer faces 38 of the collector plates 12.

[0073] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described but is susceptible to numerous variations accessible to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

Demands

1. Heat exchanger (2), in particular for a vehicle (4), said exchanger comprising: - at least one fluidic connection pipe (6) configured to receive a heat transfer fluid; - a bundle of heat transfer fluid tubes (8); - at least one collection box (10), in particular made of metal, the collection box (10) comprising: • a collection plate (12) on which the bundle of heat transfer fluid tubes (8) is mounted, the collection plate (12) comprising at least one fluid opening (14) forming a fluid inlet or a fluid outlet of the collection plate (12), and in which the fluidic connection pipe (6) is assembled with the collection plate (12) opposite the fluid opening (14).

2. Heat exchanger (2) according to claim 1, in which the fluidic connection tube (6) is assembled by being brazed with the collector plate (12).

3. Heat exchanger (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the collecting plate (12) has a collar (20) which defines the fluid opening (14) and the fluid connection tube (6) is assembled with the collar (20), in particular by being brazed with the collar (20).

4. Heat exchanger (2) according to claim 3, wherein the collar (20) is formed of the same material as the collector plate (12) which is made, for example, by cutting and stamping.

5. Heat exchanger (2) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the collar (20) extends outwards from the collector box (10).

6. Heat exchanger (2) according to claim 5, wherein the fluidic connection tube (6) is brazed onto an outer face (38) of the collar (20).

7. Heat exchanger (2) according to claim 5, in which the fluidic connection tube (6) is brazed onto an inner face (50) of the collar (20).

8. Heat exchanger (2) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the collar (20) extends into the inside of the collector box (10).

9. Heat exchanger (2) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the fluid opening (14) is formed by a simple cut in the collector plate (12).

10. Heat exchanger (2) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the fluidic connection tube (6) has a bead (60) which bears against the collecting plate (12) and the fluidic connection tube (6) has an end wall (62) which engages inside the collecting box (10) through the fluid opening (14) of the collecting plate (12).

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