Heat exchanger
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2021571141
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2020-01-17
- Filing Date
- 2020-12-28
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-02
- Estimated Expiration
- 2040-12-28
AI Technical Summary
Conventional heat exchanger designs with pipe ducts for connecting equipment increase manufacturing costs and require complex work steps, and integrating a duct with a complicated shape into the heat exchanger casing is difficult, while positioning the core requires additional space and processing for beads.
A heat exchanger design featuring a box-shaped housing with integrated core and duct sections, where the joint parts have stepped features allowing flush integration and improved brazing, eliminating the need for beads and simplifying the structure, and incorporating a raised edge on the lid for easier molding and reduced gaps for enhanced fluid flow and positioning accuracy.
This design reduces manufacturing costs, simplifies the integration of complex duct shapes, saves space by eliminating beads, and improves brazing performance and fluid flow accuracy by integrating the core and duct sections with flush surfaces and a raised edge on the lid.
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Abstract
Description
heat exchanger
[0001] The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, and more particularly to the structure of a casing for a heat exchanger provided with a duct.
[0002] Conventionally, a means for connecting a heat exchanger to devices such as an intercooler, engine, or exhaust heat recirculation system has been to communicate between the device and the heat exchanger via a pipe duct, as shown in Fig. 8. Another possible means is to integrally form the duct and the heat exchanger casing. Furthermore, the positioning of the core, which is made up of a stack of tubes in the heat exchanger, has been achieved by providing a bead for positioning the core in the case, as described in Patent Document 1 below.
[0003] Patent No. 5486239
[0004] However, connecting equipment to a heat exchanger via a pipe duct, as shown in Figure 8, increases manufacturing costs for the pipe duct and adds additional work steps for connecting the pipe duct to the heat exchanger. The structure described in the alternative method is difficult to integrate with the heat exchanger casing if the duct has a complex shape. Furthermore, core positioning requires processing and space for providing a bead on the casing for core positioning. Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the problems of the prior art described above.
[0005] The present invention as set forth in claim 1 is a heat exchanger comprising: a box-shaped housing 1 having a peripheral wall 1c with an opening 1b facing a bottom surface 1a; a lid 7 that fits over the opening 1b of the housing 1; and a core 11 that is a stack of a plurality of flat tubes 9 each having a pair of open ends 9a that are housed inside the housing 1, wherein these components are brazed and fixed together, and the housing 1 is provided with a duct; the housing 1 comprises a core storage section 2 that stores the core 11, and a duct section 3; the core storage section 2 and the duct section 3 are integrated via their respective joints; the joints of either the core storage section 2 or the duct section 3 have a stepped section 5 that is stepped toward the core 11 by a thickness of the other joint; and when the other joint is fitted into the stepped section 5, the outer surfaces of the core storage section 2 or the duct section 3 near the joints are formed flush with each other; The heat exchanger is characterized in that the lid 7 is aligned with the opening 1b of the housing 1, which integrates the core storage portion 2 and the duct portion 3, and has a raised edge 8 on the outer periphery of the lid 7 that is raised toward the housing 1. The present invention as set forth in claim 2 is the heat exchanger of the first claim, wherein the lid 7 is provided with an inlet / outlet hole 12 for fluid flowing through the interior of the core 11, facing a position where the core 11 is connected. The present invention as set forth in claim 3 is the heat exchanger of either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the stepped portion 5 is formed at a joint portion of the core storage portion 2, the plurality of flat tubes 9 have expansion portions 10 that are expanded in the thickness direction at both open ends 9a, and the flat tubes 9 are stacked at the expansion portions 10 to form the core 11, and the open ends 9a of the flat tubes 9 abut against the stepped portion 5, positioning the core 11.
[0006] In the heat exchanger of the present invention, the housing 1 is composed of a core storage section 2 and a duct section 3, the divided members of which are integrated via their respective joints, and the joint of either the core storage section 2 or the duct section 3 has a stepped section 5 formed toward the core 11 by the thickness of the other joint, and when the other joint is fitted into the stepped section 5, the outer surfaces of the core storage section 2 and the duct section 3 near the joint are formed flush. The lid 7 fitted to the housing 1 is aligned with the opening 1b of the housing 1, where the core storage section 2 and the duct section 3 are integrated, and has a raised edge 8 on the outer periphery that is raised toward the housing 1. With this structure, it is possible to obtain a housing 1 integrated with the core storage section 2, even if the duct section 3 has a complex shape. Furthermore, since the outer surface of the integrated housing 1 near the joint is flush and the lid 7 is aligned with the opening 1b, the raised edge 8 of the lid 7 can be raised linearly, facilitating molding of the lid 7. Furthermore, the gap between the housing 1, in which the core storage section 2 and the duct section 3 are integrated, and the lid 7 is fitted together is reduced, improving brazing performance. The heat exchanger described in claim 2 has an inlet / outlet hole 12 for fluid flowing through the core 11, located opposite the position where the core 11 is connected to the lid 7. This structure improves the positioning accuracy of the equipment connected to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger described in claim 3 has a stepped portion 5 formed at the joint of the core storage section 2, and the core 11 is positioned by abutting the open end 9a of each flat tube 9 against the stepped portion 5. This structure allows the core 11 to be positioned without using a bead or the like, thereby saving space for the heat exchanger.
[0007] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a heat exchanger casing structure of the present invention, and a perspective view of the assembled heat exchanger. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of section II in Figure 1(B) and a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows B-B in Figure 2(A). Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of a heat exchanger casing structure of the present invention, and a perspective view of the assembled heat exchanger. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of section IV in Figure 3(B) and a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows B-B in Figure 4(A). Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of a heat exchanger casing structure of the present invention, and a perspective view of the assembled heat exchanger. Figure 6 is an enlarged view of section VI in Figure 5(B) and a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows B-B in Figure 6(A). Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing another example of a connection structure between a casing and a duct. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing a connection structure between a casing and a duct of a conventional heat exchanger.
[0008] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The heat exchanger of each embodiment is a heat exchanger in which the duct portion 3 and the core housing portion 2 are integrated.
[0009] Fig. 1(A) is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a heat exchanger casing structure according to the present invention, and Fig. 1(B) is a perspective view of the assembled heat exchanger. Fig. 2(A) is an enlarged view of section II in Fig. 1(B), and Fig. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 2(A). The heat exchanger of this embodiment includes a box-shaped housing 1 having a peripheral wall 1c with an opening 1b facing a bottom surface 1a, a lid 7 that fits over the opening 1b of the housing 1, and a core 11 housed inside the housing 1 and composed of a stack of multiple flat tubes 9 each having a pair of open ends 9a. As shown in Fig. 1(A), the housing 1 is divided into a core housing section 2 that houses the core 11 and a duct section 3. The core housing section 2 and the duct section 3 are integrated via a joint 6 in the core housing section 2 and a joint 4 in the duct section 3. In this example, the joint 4 of the duct portion 3 has a stepped portion 5 formed toward the core 11 by the thickness of the joint 6 of the core accommodating portion 2. The joint 6 of the core accommodating portion 2 is fitted into this stepped portion 5 as shown in FIGS. 1(B), 2(A), and 2(B). When they are fitted together, the outer surface of the core accommodating portion 2 near the joint 6 is flush. As shown in FIG. 1 , even if the duct portion 3 has a complex shape, the duct portion 3 can be easily integrated with the core accommodating portion 2 by forming the easily formed core accommodating portion 2 and the complex-shaped duct portion 3 into separate bodies. In this example, the duct portion 3 is bent in the flow direction of the fluid flowing through the core 11 of the core accommodating portion 2 and gently slopes downward from the joint 4. The shape of the duct portion 3, such as the degree of bending and the degree of slope, can be changed as appropriate. The lid 7 in this example is made of a single metal plate and is aligned with the opening 1b of the housing 1, which integrates the core storage section 2 and the duct section 3. The outer periphery of the lid 7 has a raised edge 8 that is raised toward the housing 1. The outer surface of the integrated housing 1 near the joint is formed flush, and the lid 7 is aligned with the opening 1b, so the raised edge 8 of the lid 7 can be raised linearly, making it easy to form the lid 7. Furthermore, the gap between the housing 1, which integrates the core storage section 2 and the duct section 3, and the lid 7 is reduced, improving brazing properties.As shown in FIG. 1 , the lid 7 can be integrally provided with an inlet / outlet hole 12 for a fluid (first fluid) flowing through the core 11, facing the location where the core 11 is connected. Specifically, the inlet / outlet hole 12 is drilled at a position opposite the joint 4 of the duct portion 3 of the housing 1. This improves the positioning accuracy of the heat exchanger relative to the equipment connected to it. The core 11 in this example is stacked with the expansion portions 10 of multiple flat tubes 9, each of which has a pair of opening ends 9a that expand in the thickness direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2(B) , both ends of the core 11 are positioned by beads 24 provided on the peripheral wall 1c of the core accommodating portion 2. These beads 24 protrude from the inner surface of the core accommodating portion 2. A pair of pipes 21 are connected to the peripheral wall 1c of the core accommodating portion 2, guiding the second fluid flowing from the outside to the outer periphery of the core 11. Flanges 22 are provided at the inlet / outlet hole 12 for the first fluid and at the end of the core accommodating portion 2. Each component is integrally fixed by brazing at its contact portion. In this heat exchanger, the flange 22 is connected to peripheral equipment (not shown). As an example, a first fluid flows into one flange 22 through the inlet / outlet hole 12, passes through the duct portion 3, flows inside the core 11, and flows out from the other flange. A second fluid flows into one pipe 21, flows around the outer surface of the core 11, and flows out from the other pipe 21. Heat exchange occurs between the first and second fluids. Note that, in this example, the duct portion 3 is disposed upstream of the core housing portion 2, but it may alternatively be disposed downstream of the core housing portion 2.
[0010] Fig. 3(A) is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the heat exchanger casing structure of the present invention, and Fig. 3(B) is a perspective view of the heat exchanger after assembly. Fig. 4(A) is an enlarged view of part IV in Fig. 3(B), and Fig. 4(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 4(A). While the first embodiment provided the stepped portion 5 at the joint 4 of the duct portion 3, this embodiment differs in that the stepped portion 5 is instead provided at the joint 6 of the core storage portion 2. Other than that, the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 5(A) is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of the heat exchanger casing structure of the present invention, and FIG. 5(B) is a perspective view of the assembled heat exchanger. FIG. 6(A) is an enlarged view of section VI in FIG. 5(B), and FIG. 6(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 6(A). While the first and second embodiments employ a bead 24 for positioning the core 11, this embodiment differs in that the bead 24 is eliminated. In this embodiment, as in the second embodiment, a stepped portion 5 is formed at the joint 6 of the core housing portion 2. This stepped portion 5 serves as a structure for positioning the core 11. As shown in FIG. 6(B), the open end 9a of each flat tube 9 abuts against the inner step of the stepped portion 5, thereby positioning the core 11. This structure simplifies the casing structure by eliminating the need for and space required to provide a positioning bead 24 on the joint 6 side of the core housing portion 2. The positioning structure on the side of the core accommodating portion 2 where the flange 22 is provided may be a bead 24 as shown in Fig. 5(A), or a stepped portion may be provided as in the third embodiment. Also, the open end of the joint portion 6 on the flange 22 side of the core accommodating portion 2 may be formed by drawing, as shown in Figs. 5(A), 6(A), and 6(B).
[0012] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing another example of the casing structure of the heat exchanger of the present invention. This example has the disadvantage of having a larger number of parts and more manufacturing processes than the first to third embodiments. Specifically, not only the housing 1 but also the lid 7 is a separate body. In this example, the lid 7 is formed of a core storage section-side lid 7a that mates with the opening 1b of the core storage section 2 of the housing 1, and a duct section-side lid 7b that mates with the opening 1b of the duct section 3 of the housing 1. The core storage section 2 and the core storage section-side lid 7a are connected to the duct section 3 and the duct section-side lid 7b via a duct connecting member 23, which is an intermediate member.
[0013] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 1a Bottom surface 1b Opening 1c Peripheral wall 2 Core storage section 3 Duct section 4 Joint section 5 Stepped section 6 Joint section 7 Cover 7a Core storage section side cover 7b Duct section side cover 8 Raised edge section 9 Flat tube 9a Open end 10 Expanded section 11 Core 12 Inlet / outlet hole 21 Pipe 22 Flange 23 Duct connecting member 24 Bead 25 Pipe duct
Claims
1. A heat exchanger comprising: a box-shaped housing (1) having a peripheral wall (1c) with an opening (1b) facing a bottom surface (1a); a lid (7) that fits over the opening (1b) of the housing (1); a core (11) formed by stacking a plurality of flat tubes (9) each having a pair of open ends (9a) that are housed inside the housing (1); and these components are brazed and fixed together, and the housing (1) is provided with a duct; wherein the housing (1) comprises a core storage section (2) that houses the core (11) and a duct section (3); the core storage section (2) and the duct section (3) are integrated via their respective joints; and the joints of either the core storage section (2) or the duct section (3) have a stepped section (5) formed in a step toward the core (11) by the thickness of the other joint, a heat exchanger characterized in that, when the other joint portion is fitted into the stepped portion (5), the outer surfaces of the core storage portion (2) or the duct portion (3) near the joint portion are formed flush, and the lid body (7) is aligned with an opening (1b) of a housing (1) into which the core storage portion (2) and the duct portion (3) are integrated, and the lid body (7) has a raised edge portion (8) on the outer periphery that is raised toward the housing (1).
2. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cover (7) is provided with an inlet / outlet hole (12) for fluid flowing through the inside of the core (11), opposite the position where the core (11) is connected.
3. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the stepped portion (5) is formed at the joint of the core storage portion (2), the plurality of flat tubes (9) have expansion portions (10) where both open ends (9a) are expanded in the thickness direction, and the expansion portions (10) of the flat tubes (9) are stacked to form the core (11), and the open ends (9a) of the flat tubes (9) abut against the stepped portion (5), positioning the core (11).