oil cooler

Abstract

To provide an oil cooler that can ensure heat exchange performance while improving positioning performance. [Solution] The oil cooler (1) comprises a heat exchanger body (2) in which two flow paths are alternately formed in the Z direction by stacking a plurality of plates (21), and a plate-shaped base member (3) provided on the side of the equipment to be mounted. The plurality of plates (21) include a bottom plate (22) that is stacked on the base member (3). The bottom plate (22) has a plurality of protrusions (226A) formed on the upper surface (22C) opposite to the base member (3), and through holes (224, 225) formed at positions surrounded by the plurality of protrusions (226A). The base member (3) has through protrusions (34, 35) that are inserted through the through holes (224, 225) and form embossed portions (226) together with the plurality of protrusions (226A) on the upper surface (22C). The base member (3) and the heat exchanger body (2) are provided with at least two positioning parts that abut each other to restrict relative movement in the XY plane, and through holes (224, 225) and through protrusions (34, 35) function as positioning parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil cooler.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an oil cooler incorporated in a cooling water system in an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, there has been proposed one having a heat exchanger core in which flow paths are formed between a plurality of stacked plates (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the oil cooler described in Patent Document 1, a bottom plate is stacked on the bottom of the heat exchanger core, and the bottom plate is fixed to an automatic transmission.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the oil cooler described in Patent Document 1, protrusions are formed on the surface of the bottom plate (base member) on the side of the heat exchanger core (heat exchanger main body) at positions along the outer peripheral edge of the heat exchanger core, and the heat exchanger core can be positioned in the in-plane direction of the bottom plate. However, with only the protrusions along the outer peripheral edge of the heat exchanger core, it is difficult to restrict movement such that the heat exchanger core rotates, for example, around an axis along the direction perpendicular to the surface of the bottom plate, and it has been difficult to improve the positioning performance. If an attempt is made to ensure the positioning performance with only such protrusions, it is necessary to increase the number of protrusions or widen the range where the protrusions are provided, resulting in a complicated configuration.

[0005] Therefore, one could consider restricting the rotation by engaging the upper surface of the bottom plate with the bottom surface of the heat exchanger core. However, changing the shape of the bottom surface of the heat exchanger core would also change the shape of the flow path inside the heat exchanger core. A change in the shape of the flow path would make it difficult to obtain the desired fluid flow, potentially reducing heat exchange performance. As described above, it was difficult to achieve both positioning and heat exchange performance simultaneously.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an oil cooler that can ensure heat exchange performance while improving positioning performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the oil cooler according to the present invention comprises a heat exchanger body in which two flow paths are alternately formed in the stacking direction by stacking a plurality of plates, and a plate-shaped base member provided on the side of the equipment to be mounted, wherein the plurality of plates include a bottom plate that is stacked on the base member, the bottom plate has a plurality of protrusions formed on the surface opposite to the base member, and a through hole formed at a position surrounded by the plurality of protrusions, the base member has a through protrusion that is inserted through the through hole and forms an embossed portion together with the plurality of protrusions on the opposite surface, and the base member and the heat exchanger body are provided with at least two positioning portions that abut each other in order to restrict relative movement in the intersecting surface with the stacking direction, and the through hole and the through protrusion function as the positioning portions.

[0008] In this embodiment, the through-protrusions of the base member and the through-holes of the bottom plate function as positioning parts to restrict the relative movement between the base member and the heat exchanger body, thereby enabling positioning within the plane of the bottom plate. This makes it easier to restrict movement such as relative rotation around an axis perpendicular to the plane of the base member, thereby improving positioning performance. In this case, since the through-protrusions are inserted through the through-holes and form an embossed portion together with the multiple protrusions of the bottom plate, it is easy to obtain a fluid flow similar to that of a configuration in which the embossed portion is formed by protrusions alone. This ensures heat exchange performance.

[0009] Furthermore, two or more pairs of through protrusions and through holes may be provided, or one or more pairs of through protrusions and through holes may be combined with other forms of positioning parts (for example, outer peripheral contact parts described later).

[0010] The base member may have an outer peripheral contact portion that protrudes from the surface facing the heat exchanger body and abuts against the outer peripheral edge of the heat exchanger body, as the positioning portion. In this embodiment, positioning can be further improved by combining positioning by the through projection and through hole with positioning by the outer peripheral contact portion.

[0011] The projection dimension of the through-protrusion from the opposite side may be smaller than the projection dimension of the multiple protrusions. According to this embodiment, the through-protrusion is less likely to come into contact with the plate that is stacked on the opposite side of the base member from the bottom plate, and the effect of the through-protrusion on the stacking of the plates can be suppressed.

[0012] The plurality of protrusions and the through-protrusions may be brazed to the base member side of the plate that is superimposed on the opposite side of the bottom plate. According to this embodiment, the joint strength between the base member and the heat exchanger body can be improved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the oil cooler of the present invention, it is possible to ensure heat exchange performance while improving positioning performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view showing an oil cooler according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view showing the bottom plate and base member of an oil cooler according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing the bottom plate and base member of an oil cooler according to an embodiment of the present invention assembled together. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the bottom plate and base member of an oil cooler according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] These are perspective and cross-sectional views showing the bottom plate and base member of an oil cooler according to an embodiment of the present invention assembled together. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing the bottom plate and base member of an oil cooler according to an embodiment of the present invention assembled together. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 to 6, an oil cooler 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a heat exchanger body 2 in which two flow paths are alternately formed in the stacking direction (Z direction) by stacking a plurality of plates 21, and a plate-shaped base member 3 provided on the side of the equipment to be mounted. The plurality of plates 21 include a bottom plate 22 that is stacked on the base member 3. The bottom plate 22 has a plurality of protrusions 226A formed on the upper surface 22C opposite to the base member 3, and through holes 224, 225 formed at positions surrounded by the plurality of protrusions 226A. The base member 3 has through protrusions 34, 35 that are inserted through the through holes 224, 225 and form an embossed portion 226 together with the plurality of protrusions 226A on the upper surface 22C. The base member 3 and the heat exchanger body 2 are provided with at least two positioning parts that abut each other in order to restrict relative movement within the intersecting plane with the Z direction (XY plane), and the through holes 224, 225 and through projections 34, 35 function as positioning parts.

[0016] Here, Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an oil cooler 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the bottom plate 22 and base member 3 of the oil cooler 1; Figure 3 is a plan view showing the bottom plate 22 and base member 3 of the oil cooler 1 assembled; Figure 4 is a plan view showing the bottom plate 22 and base member 3 of the oil cooler 1; Figure 5 is a perspective and cross-sectional view showing the bottom plate 22 and base member 3 of the oil cooler 1 assembled; and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the bottom plate 22 and base member 3 of the oil cooler 1 assembled.

[0017] The oil cooler 1 is used, for example, by being incorporated into the cooling water system of an internal combustion engine in an automobile (vehicle). This cooling water system includes cooling components such as a radiator. For example, the hydraulic fluid from a heat-generating component such as an automatic transmission is introduced into one passage of the oil cooler 1, and the cooling water from the cooling water system is introduced into the other passage of the oil cooler 1. Because these passages are adjacent to each other, heat exchange occurs between the hydraulic fluid and the cooling water, thereby cooling the hydraulic fluid.

[0018] That is, the oil cooler 1 only needs to have a flow path through which a fluid to be cooled (target fluid, such as hydraulic oil) passes and openings at both ends thereof, and a flow path through which a fluid used for cooling (cooling fluid, such as cooling water) passes and openings at both ends thereof. Each opening only needs to be connected to an appropriate device, and the connection mode is not particularly limited.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the oil cooler 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped heat exchanger body 2 and a plate-shaped base member 3. Hereinafter, the plane in which the base member 3 extends is defined as the XY plane, and the plate thickness (plane normal) direction of the base member 3 is defined as the Z direction. Further, the heat exchanger body 2 and the base member 3 are arranged side by side in the Z direction. Hereinafter, for convenience, the direction toward the heat exchanger body 2 side with reference to the base member 3 is called the upper side, and the direction toward the opposite side is called the lower side, and these may be simply called up and down. Note that the up and down in the Z direction are for convenience and do not necessarily coincide with the up and down in the vertical direction in the actual use state.

[0020] The heat exchanger body 2 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with each side along the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction by laminating a plurality of plates 21 having a square shape as a whole along the X and Y directions along the Z direction. Further, a fin plate or the like may be provided between each of the plurality of plates 21. In the heat exchanger body 2, in the Z direction, layers of flow paths through which the target fluid flows and layers of flow paths through which the cooling fluid flows are alternately formed. That is, when a layer of a flow path for the target fluid is formed between a certain plate 21 and the plate 21 above it, a layer of a flow path for the cooling fluid is formed between the plate 21 and the plate 21 below it. The plate 21 may be made of, for example, aluminum.

[0021] The plurality of plates 21 includes a bottom plate 22 that is stacked on the base member 3. The bottom plate 22 has a plate portion 22A in the shape of a square flat plate and a tapered portion 22B that rises from the edge of the plate portion 22A, and is formed in a dish shape. The upper surface 22C of the bottom plate 22 is a surface facing the side opposite to the base member 3 and is also the upper surface of the plate portion 22A. The lower surface 22D of the bottom plate 22 is a surface facing the base member 3 side and is also the lower surface of the plate portion 22A. A plurality of openings 221 to 223, two through holes 224 and 225, and a plurality of convex portions 226A are formed in the plate portion 22A. The tapered portion 22B rises upward (toward the side opposite to the base member 3) and is inclined so as to face the outside of the plate portion 22A in the XY plane as it goes upward.

[0022] The plates 21 other than the bottom plate 22 also have a plate portion and a tapered portion in the same manner as the bottom plate 22. In adjacent plates 21, the tapered portions are in contact with each other while the plate portions are arranged so as to have a predetermined interval therebetween. At this time, the bottom plate 22 may have a larger plate thickness than the other plates or may have the same plate thickness. Further, in the plates 21 other than the bottom plate 22, openings for the fluid to pass through may be arranged, for example, at the corners of a plate portion in the shape of a square so as to obtain a desired flow. In the present embodiment, the bottom plate 22 and the plates 21 other than the bottom plate 22 are made of, for example, a clad material and have a core material and brazing material layers formed on the front and back of the plate.

[0023] In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a flow path through which cooling water as a cooling fluid passes is formed between the bottom plate 22 and the plate 21 above it. Note that a flow path for the target fluid may be formed between the bottom plate 22 and the plate 21 above it. The opening 221 formed in the plate portion 22A is a simple through hole that is arranged at the corner of the plate portion 22A and has no flange around it, and is for the cooling water to pass through.

[0024] The openings 222 and 223 are located at the corners of the plate portion 22A adjacent to the opening 221, and are surrounded by flange portions 222A and 223A, which are for the passage of the hydraulic fluid, which is the target fluid. The tips of the flange portions 222A and 223A are brazed to the lower surface 21A of the upper plate 21 above the bottom plate 22. This prevents the openings 222 and 223 from communicating with the flow path formed between the bottom plate 22 and the upper plate 21, and also creates a fluid path that connects the plates 21 and 22 in the Z direction, which is the stacking direction.

[0025] The opening 223 is formed as an elongated hole extending from the corner of the plate portion 22A toward the center. This shape is for connecting the opening 33 of the base member 3, which will be described later, with the opening of the upper plate 21. In other words, the shape of the opening formed in the bottom plate 22 only needs to correspond to the arrangement of the openings provided above and below it.

[0026] Multiple protrusions 226A are formed on the upper surface 22C, avoiding the openings 221-223 and the corner opposite to opening 221. That is, the plate portion 22A has a non-formed portion 227 on the upper surface 22C where no protrusions 226A are formed. The upper plate 21 of the bottom plate 22 has an opening through which cooling water passes at a position corresponding to the non-formed portion 227. This allows cooling water to flow along the diagonal of the plate portion 22A from the opening 221 towards the non-formed portion 227 (or in the opposite direction). It is preferable that a top plate be provided on the top surface of the heat exchanger body 2 (the surface opposite to the base member 3), and the top plate is not shown in each figure. The top plate only needs to be connected to the cooling water flow path by attaching a pipe.

[0027] The protrusions 226A are formed in a hemispherical shape, for example, by press working, and recesses are formed on the lower surface 22D at the locations where the protrusions 226A are formed. The multiple protrusions 226A are randomly arranged so as to be scattered, that is, they are not arranged in a straight line along the X or Y direction or the diagonal of the plate portion 22A.

[0028] The through holes 224 and 225 are formed in positions surrounded by a plurality of protrusions 226A and are formed within the area of ​​the embossed portion 226, which will be described later. More specifically, the through hole 224 is located between the opening 221 and the corner of the plate portion 22A adjacent to the opening 221, and the through hole 225 is located between the opening 222 and the unformed portion 227.

[0029] The base member 3 is formed entirely of aluminum in a plate shape that aligns with the XY plane, with its upper surface 3A overlapping the lower surface 22D of the bottom plate 22, and its lower surface 3B overlapping the equipment to be mounted (for example, the control valve housing on the internal combustion engine / automatic transmission side). The base member 3 has three openings 31-33, two through-protrusions 34, 35, three outer peripheral contact parts 36-38, and four fixing parts 39.

[0030] The three openings 31-33 overlap with and communicate with each of the openings 221-223. In this case, opening 33 overlaps with the portion of the elongated opening 223 near the corner of the plate portion 22A. Cooling water passes through opening 31, and hydraulic oil passes through openings 32 and 33.

[0031] The through-holes 34 and 35 are formed, for example, by press working, and are inserted into the through-holes 224 and 225, respectively, protruding toward the upper surface 22C. The through-holes 34 and 35 are capable of contacting the inner circumferential surfaces of the through-holes 224 and 225. The tips of the through-holes 34 and 35 (the portions that pass through the through-holes 224 and 225 and protrude toward the upper surface 22C) have the same shape as the protrusion 226A, i.e., they are hemispherical. In this case, the maximum diameter of the through-holes 34 and 35 is preferably about 106 to 112% of the maximum diameter of the protrusion 226A. Such a maximum diameter makes it easier to ensure positioning, press workability, and embossing functionality.

[0032] In this embodiment, the projection dimensions of the through-protrusions 34 and 35 from the upper surface 22C are smaller than the projection dimension of the protrusion 226A. That is, the total projection dimension of the through-protrusions 34 and 35 is smaller than the sum of the projection dimension of the protrusion 226A and the thickness of the plate portion 22A. As a result, the tips of the through-protrusions 34 and 35 are separated from the upper plate 21 of the bottom plate 22.

[0033] The outer peripheral contact portions 36-38 are projections that protrude from the upper surface 3A and abut against the outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate 22. More specifically, the outer peripheral contact portion 36 is located near the opening 221, and the outer peripheral contact portions 37 and 38 are located so as to sandwich the corner where the non-formed portion 227 is provided.

[0034] The fixing portion 39 is a through-hole through which a fastening member, such as a bolt, is inserted and fixed to the equipment to be mounted. The base member 3 is shaped like a square plate rotated 45° around the Z-axis relative to the plate portion 22A, and the fixing portion 39 is positioned at a location corresponding to the center of each side of the plate portion 22A.

[0035] In the oil cooler 1 described above, when the heat exchanger body 2 and the base member 3 are assembled, the through-holes 224 and 225 through-protrusions 34 and 35, together with the multiple protrusions 226A of the bottom plate 22, form an embossed portion 226. The formation of the embossed portion 226 allows the cooling water to spread appropriately in the flow path between the bottom plate 22 and the upper plate 21, thereby improving the heat exchange performance.

[0036] In the oil cooler 1 of this embodiment, one opening 221 for cooling water and two openings 222 and 223 for hydraulic oil are formed in the bottom plate 22. As a result, in the heat exchanger body 2, the cooling water flows only in one direction in the Z direction, while the hydraulic oil flows back and forth. The way in which these fluids flow is not particularly limited, and an appropriate number of openings can be provided depending on the flow.

[0037] Here, the manufacturing method of the oil cooler 1 will be described. A brazing material is provided on the surface of each component that makes up the oil cooler 1. Note that the brazing material may be provided only on the parts that come into contact with other components. Multiple plates 21 are stacked to form the heat exchanger body 2, and this heat exchanger body 2 is placed on the base member 3.

[0038] By heating the assembly of the heat exchanger body 2 and base member 3, which has been assembled in this manner, under pressure, the brazing material melts and the parts that come into contact with each other are joined. In particular, the upper surface 3A of the base member 3 and the lower surface 22D of the bottom plate 22 are joined, the tapered portions of the plate 21 are joined, the flange portion around the opening through which the fluid passes is joined to the lower surface 21A of the plate 21, and the tip of the protrusion 226A is joined to the lower surface 21A.

[0039] As described above, when the oil cooler 1 is manufactured, the heat exchanger body 2 and the base member 3 are positioned as follows. Specifically, the relative positions in the XY plane are determined by the insertion of the through-protrusions 34 and 35 into the through-holes 224 and 225, and the relative positions in the XY plane are also determined by the contact of the outer peripheral contact parts 36 to 38 with the outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate 22. In other words, the base member 3 and the heat exchanger body 2 are provided with a total of five positions: through-protrusions 34 and 35 and through-holes 224 and 225, and outer peripheral contact parts 36 to 38, which come into contact with each other to restrict relative movement in the XY plane.

[0040] At this time, since some manufacturing errors may occur in the dimensions of each part of the heat exchanger body 2 and the base member 3, some likelihood is set between the outer diameter of the through-protrusions 34, 35 and the inner diameter of the through-holes 224, 225, and also some likelihood is set between the outer dimension of the bottom plate 22 and the inner dimensions of the outer peripheral contact parts 36-38. Due to these likelihoods, some linear relative movement in the XY plane may occur between the heat exchanger body 2 and the base member 3. However, since the through-protrusions 34, 35 and the through-holes 224, 225 function as positioning parts, relative rotation about the axis along the Z direction is easily restricted.

[0041] Furthermore, in the bottom plate 22, the through holes 224 and 225 do not have two rotational symmetries around the Z direction with respect to the center of the plate (the intersection of the diagonals in the square). That is, when the through hole 224 is virtually rotated 180° around the center of the plate, it does not overlap with the through hole 225. Similarly, the through protrusions 34 and 35 do not have two rotational symmetries around the Z direction with respect to the position where the center of the plate overlaps. As a result, even if the bottom plate 22 is rotated 180° around the Z direction from its original mounting orientation and placed on the base member 3, the through protrusions 34 and 35 cannot be inserted into the through holes 224 and 225. In other words, the rotational asymmetry of the through holes 224 and 225 and the through protrusions 34 and 35 not only ensures the positioning described above, but also suppresses incorrect assembly.

[0042] As described above, according to the oil cooler 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the through-protrusions 34, 35 of the base member 3 and the through-holes 224, 225 of the bottom plate 22 function as positioning parts for restricting the relative movement between the base member 3 and the heat exchanger body 2, thereby enabling positioning in the XY plane. This makes it easier to restrict movement such as relative rotation between the heat exchanger body 2 and the base member 3 around an axis along the Z direction, for example, and improves positioning performance. At this time, the through-protrusions 34, 35 are inserted through the through-holes 224, 225 and together with the multiple protrusions 226A of the bottom plate 22, they form an embossed portion 226, making it easy to obtain a fluid flow similar to that of a configuration in which the embossed portion is formed by protrusions alone. This ensures heat exchange performance.

[0043] Furthermore, since the base member 3 has outer peripheral contact portions 36-38 that abut against the outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate 22, positioning can be further improved by combining positioning by the through-protrusions 34, 35 and through-holes 224, 225 with positioning by the outer peripheral contact portions 36-38.

[0044] Furthermore, because the protrusion dimensions of the through-protrusions 34 and 35 from the upper surface 22C are smaller than the protrusion dimensions of the multiple protrusions 226A, the through-protrusions 34 and 35 are less likely to come into contact with the upper plate 21 of the bottom plate 22, and the impact of the through-protrusions 34 and 35 on the overlapping of the plates 21 can be suppressed.

[0045] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes other configurations that can achieve the objectives of the present invention, including the following modifications. For example, in the above embodiments of the present invention, the protrusion dimensions of the through-protrusions 34 and 35 from the upper surface 22C are smaller than the protrusion dimensions of the multiple protrusions 226A, but these protrusion dimensions may be equivalent. In this case, if the upper plate 21 of the bottom plate 22 is made of clad material and a brazing layer is provided on the lower surface 21A, as in the above embodiments, the through-protrusions 34 and 35 can be brazed to the lower surface 21A of the upper plate 21 of the bottom plate 22. With such a configuration, the joint strength between the base member 3 and the heat exchanger body 2 can be improved.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, outer peripheral contact portions 36-38 are provided as positioning portions, but only through-protrusions and through-holes may be provided as positioning portions. In this case, there may be two or more pairs of through-protrusions and through-holes.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment of the present invention, a total of five positioning portions are provided. However, the positioning portions only need to be provided in at least two locations and include through-protrusions and through-holes. For example, a configuration may be provided that includes a pair of through-protrusions and through-holes, and one outer peripheral contact portion. Thus, the number and details of the positioning portions can be set as appropriate.

[0048] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the oil cooler according to the above embodiments, but includes all embodiments included in the concept and claims of the present invention. Furthermore, each component may be selectively combined as appropriate to achieve at least some of the above-described problems and effects. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, etc. of each component in the above embodiments may be appropriately changed depending on the specific use of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1…Oil cooler, 2…Heat exchanger body, 21…Plate, 21A…Bottom surface, 22…Bottom plate, 224,225…Through holes, 226…Embossed part, 226A…Protrusion, 22C…Top surface, 22D…Bottom surface, 3…Base member, 34,35…Through protrusion

Claims

1. A heat exchanger body in which two flow channels are alternately formed in the stacking direction by stacking multiple plates, It comprises a plate-shaped base member provided on the side of the equipment to be mounted, The plurality of plates include a bottom plate that is stacked on the base member, The bottom plate has a plurality of protrusions formed on the surface opposite to the base member, and through holes formed at positions surrounded by the plurality of protrusions, The base member has a through projection that is inserted through the through hole and forms an embossed portion together with the plurality of protrusions on the opposite side, The oil cooler is characterized in that the base member and the heat exchanger body are provided with at least two positioning portions that abut each other in order to restrict relative movement within the intersecting plane with respect to the stacking direction, and the through-hole and the through-protrusion function as the positioning portions.

2. The oil cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that the base member has an outer peripheral contact portion that protrudes from the surface on the heat exchanger body side and abuts against the outer peripheral edge of the heat exchanger body as the positioning portion.

3. The oil cooler according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the projection dimension of the through-protrusion from the opposite surface is smaller than the projection dimension of the plurality of protrusions.

4. The oil cooler according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the plurality of protrusions and the through protrusions are brazed to the base member side of the plate that is superimposed on the opposite side of the bottom plate.

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