Heat exchanger and its inner fins

Abstract

To provide a heat exchanger and an inner fin therefor which can be made sufficiently thin, has high design flexibility and versatility, can be efficiently and easily manufactured, and can reduce cost.SOLUTION: A heat exchanger includes: an outer package 1 provided with a port 16 and having a pair of opposing walls; and a wave-shaped inner fin 2 positioned between the pair of opposing walls and having a recess 25 and a projection 26 alternately and continuously formed. The outer package 1 is made of an outer package laminate material L1 with a resin thermal fusion layer provided on an inner surface side of a metal heat transfer layer. The inner fin 2 is made of an inner core laminate material L2 with a thermal fusion layer provided on both sides of the metal heat transfer layer. The inner fin 2 is formed with angular waves such that a bottom wall of the recess and a top wall of the projection are positioned in parallel with the pair or opposing walls, and a standing wall connecting between the bottom wall of the recess and a top wall of the projection is orthogonal to the pair of opposing walls.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a heat exchanger and an inner fin thereof, which are manufactured using a laminate material such as a laminate sheet in which a resin thermal fusion layer is laminated on a metal heat transfer layer.

Background Art

[0002] With the miniaturization and high performance of electronic devices such as smartphones and personal computers, heat countermeasures around the CPU of electronic devices have become important. Depending on the model, a water-cooled cooler or a heat pipe is incorporated to reduce the heat load on electronic components such as the CPU and prevent heat from accumulating inside the housing, thereby avoiding adverse effects caused by heat. Technologies have been proposed conventionally.

[0003] In addition, battery modules installed in electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles generate a large amount of heat due to repeated charging and discharging. Therefore, similar to the above-mentioned electronic devices, technologies have been proposed for incorporating a water-cooled cooler or a heat pipe to avoid adverse effects caused by heat in battery modules.

[0004] Furthermore, as a heat countermeasure for power modules made of silicon carbide (SiC) etc., measures such as assembling a cooling plate or a heat sink have been proposed.

[0005] By the way, in electronic devices such as smartphones and personal computers, the housing is thin, and a large number of electronic components and coolers are incorporated in the limited space inside the thin housing. Therefore, a thin cooler is also used.

[0006] Conventionally, a thin cooler such as a heat pipe incorporated in a small electronic device is generally manufactured by joining a plurality of metal processed parts obtained by processing a metal with high heat conductivity such as aluminum by brazing or diffusion bonding (Patent Documents 1 to 3, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-59693 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-141002 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-189415 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, the conventional coolers for small electronic devices described above are manufactured by metalworking (machining) such as plastic deformation (casting or forging) or removal processes (cutting) for each component. Such metalworking is troublesome and subject to strict constraints, which limits the degree of thinning and makes it difficult to make them thinner than they are currently.

[0009] Furthermore, conventional coolers for small electronic devices require complex metalworking techniques such as brazing and diffusion bonding (intermetallic bonding) to join the various components, which not only makes manufacturing difficult but also reduces production efficiency and increases costs.

[0010] Furthermore, conventional coolers are manufactured using metalworking techniques with limitations, making it difficult to easily change their shape or size. This results in a lack of design flexibility and versatility.

[0011] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a heat exchanger and its inner fins that can be made sufficiently thin, have a high degree of design freedom and versatility, and can be manufactured efficiently and easily while reducing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To solve the above problems, the present invention comprises the following means.

[0013] [1] A heat exchanger comprising an outer casing having an inlet and an outlet and a pair of opposing walls, and a corrugated inner fin disposed between the pair of opposing walls and having alternating recesses and protrusions, wherein a heat exchange medium flowing in from the inlet flows out from the outlet through an inner fin installation section within the outer casing, The outer casing is made of an outer casing laminate material in which a resin heat-sealing layer is provided on the inner surface side of a metal heat transfer layer. The inner fin is made of an inner core laminate material in which a heat-sealing layer is provided on both sides of a metal heat transfer layer. The inner fin has a recessed bottom wall and a convex top wall arranged parallel to the pair of opposing walls, and a rising wall connecting the recessed bottom wall and the convex top wall is formed in a corrugated shape perpendicular to the pair of opposing walls. A heat exchanger characterized in that the bottom surface of the recess and the top surface of the convex portion of the inner fin are joined to the pair of opposing walls.

[0014] [2] When the width of the bottom surface of the recess of the inner fin is "W11" and the width of the top surface of the convex portion is "W12", 0.9 ≤ W12 / W11 ≤ 1.1 The heat exchanger described in item 1 above, configured to satisfy the relationship.

[0015] [3] When the fin pitch of the inner fin is "Pf" and the fin height is "Hf", Pf / 2 = 0.1Hf ~ 10Hf A heat exchanger as described in item 1 or 2 above, configured to satisfy the relationship.

[0016] [4] The heat exchanger according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 3 above, wherein the outer casing comprises a tray member having a recess formed in an intermediate region for accommodating the inner fins, and a cover member positioned to close the recess of the tray member.

[0017] [5] The heat exchanger according to any one of the preceding paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the outer package is formed by joining and integrating the outer peripheral edges of two sheets of the outer package laminate material overlapped via the inner fin.

[0018] [6] An inner fin of a heat exchanger, which is disposed between a pair of opposing walls in an outer package provided with an inlet and an outlet and having a pair of opposing walls, and allows a heat exchange medium flowing in from the inlet to pass through and flow out from the outlet, is composed of an inner core laminate material provided with heat fusion layers on both sides of a metal heat transfer layer, has a wave shape in which recesses and protrusions are alternately and continuously provided, and the bottom wall of the recess and the top wall of the protrusion are arranged and formed in parallel with the pair of opposing walls, and a rising wall connecting between the bottom wall of the recess and the top wall of the protrusion is formed in a square wave shape orthogonal to the pair of opposing walls, The inner fin of the heat exchanger, wherein the bottom surface of the recess and the top surface of the protrusion are configured to be joined to a pair of opposing walls.

Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the heat exchanger of Invention [1], since the inner fin is formed in a square wave shape, a large number of rising walls connecting between the bottom wall of the recess and the top wall of the protrusion are arranged in a state orthogonal to a pair of opposing walls of the outer package. Therefore, the inner fin can sufficiently exhibit the function as a reinforcing member, ensuring high strength, so that the shape can be stabilized against external pressure and internal pressure, the operation reliability can be improved, and the heat exchange performance can be improved. Further, in the heat exchanger of the present invention, since it is manufactured by heat-fusing a laminate material or the like, there is no need to use troublesome metal processing, it can be efficiently and easily manufactured to reduce costs, and sufficient thinning can be achieved. Furthermore, in the heat exchanger of the present invention, since the laminate material as the outer package and the inner fin can be easily changed in its shape and size, the degree of freedom in design is increased, and the versatility can be improved.

[0020] According to the heat exchanger of the invention [2], since the joining areas of the pair of opposing walls (both side walls) of the inner fin are substantially equal, external pressure and internal pressure can be evenly distributed on both side walls and received in a well-balanced manner, and problems such as deformation of the heat exchanger due to external pressure and internal pressure can be surely prevented.

[0021] According to the heat exchanger of the invention [3], since the fin pitch is set to a specific value with respect to the fin height, while improving the fluidity of the heat exchange medium, sufficient strength can be ensured against internal pressure and external pressure, and the operation reliability and heat exchange performance can be further improved.

[0022] According to the heat exchangers of the inventions [4] and [5], the above effects can be obtained more surely.

[0023] According to the inner fin of the heat exchanger of the invention [6], since it is formed in a square wave shape, by manufacturing the heat exchanger using the inner fin, a heat exchanger having the same effects as the heat exchanger of the above invention can be surely manufactured.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the heat exchanger of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view showing the heat exchanger of the first embodiment, where FIG. (a) is a plan view, FIG. (b) is a side cross-sectional view corresponding to the B-B line cross-section of FIG. (a), and FIG. (c) is a front cross-sectional view corresponding to the C-C line cross-section of FIG. (a). [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the heat exchanger of the first embodiment disassembled. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view for explaining the outer package and the inner fin applied to the heat exchanger of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view for explaining the inner fin of the first embodiment. [Figure 6]Figure 6 shows a modified example of this invention, a heat exchanger, where Figure (a) is a plan view and Figure (b) is a side cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section along line BB in Figure (a). [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the inner fins applied to the heat exchanger of Comparative Example 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the inner fins applied to the heat exchanger of Comparative Example 2. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the heat exchanger of the present invention with a battery placed on it. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a heat exchanger of the second embodiment, where Figure (a) is a plan view, Figure (b) is a side cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section along line BB in Figure (a), and Figure (c) is a front cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section along line CC in Figure (a). [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows a heat exchanger of the third embodiment, where Figure (a) is a plan view, Figure (b) is a side cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section along line BB in Figure (a), and Figure (c) is a front cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section along line CC in Figure (a). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] The heat exchanger of the present invention is mainly used as a cooler for cooling automotive batteries, and has a structure that can withstand external pressure even when a large external pressure is applied.

[0026] <First Embodiment> Figures 1 to 3 show a heat exchanger according to the first embodiment. In the following description, to facilitate understanding of the invention, the left-right direction (longitudinal direction) in Figure 2(a) will be referred to as the "front-back direction," and Figure 2 In Figure (a), the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction on the paper is described as the "width direction," and further, the up-and-down direction in Figure 2(b) is described as the "up-and-down direction (thickness direction)."

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the heat exchanger of this first embodiment is used as a heat transfer panel or heat transfer tube, and comprises an outer casing (container) 1, an inner fin (core material) 2 housed inside the outer casing 1, and a pair of headers (joint members) 3, 3 housed inside both ends of the outer casing 1.

[0028] The outer packaging 1 is composed of a tray member 10 that is rectangular in plan view and a cover member 15 that is rectangular in plan view.

[0029] The tray member 10 is made of a molded product of the outer laminate material L1, and the entire intermediate region excluding the outer peripheral edge is recessed downward using cold forming methods such as deep drawing or extrusion molding to form a rectangular recessed portion 11 in plan view, and a flange portion 12 that protrudes outward is integrally formed on the outer circumference of the opening edge of the recessed portion 11.

[0030] Furthermore, the cover member 15 has a pair of entrances 16, 16 formed on both the front and rear ends of the recessed portion 11 in the tray member 10. Needless to say, in this embodiment, one of the pair of entrances 16 is configured as an entrance, and the other entrance 16 is configured as an exit.

[0031] The tray member 10 and the cover member 15 are made of an outer packaging laminate material L1, which is a flexible and pliable laminate sheet.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the outer laminate material L1 comprises a heat transfer layer 51 made of metal (metal foil), a heat-sealable resin film or sheet heat-sealable resin layer 52 laminated to one side (inner surface) of the heat transfer layer 51 via an adhesive, and a protective layer 53 made of a heat-resistant resin film or heat-resistant resin sheet laminated to the other side (outer surface) of the heat transfer layer 51 via an adhesive. In this embodiment, the term "foil" is used to include films, thin plates, and sheets.

[0033] As the heat transfer layer 51 in the outer laminate material L1, copper foil, aluminum foil, stainless steel foil, nickel foil, nickel-plated copper foil, clad metal made of nickel and copper foil can be suitably used. Among these, aluminum foil is preferred in consideration of cost and thermal conductivity.

[0034] Furthermore, among aluminum foils, it is preferable to use pure aluminum, Al-Mn alloys containing 1.0% to 1.5% Mn, or Al-Fe alloys containing 0.7% to 1.7% Fe. Among these, in consideration of formability and durability against internal and external pressure, it is particularly preferable to use Al-Fe alloys containing 0.7% to 1.7% Fe.

[0035] In this embodiment, the terms "copper," "aluminum," "nickel," and "titanium" are used to include their alloys as well.

[0036] The heat transfer layer 51, also called the heat collecting layer, is preferably made of a material with a thickness of 8 μm to 300 μm, and more preferably has a thickness of 100 μm or less.

[0037] Furthermore, by applying surface treatment such as chemical conversion treatment to the heat transfer layer 51, the durability of the heat transfer layer 51 can be further improved, such as preventing corrosion of the heat transfer layer 51 and improving adhesion with the resin.

[0038] Chemical conversion treatment is performed by applying, for example, the following procedure: a degreased metal foil surface is coated with one of the aqueous solutions from 1) to 3) below, and then dried to perform chemical conversion treatment.

[0039] 1) An aqueous solution of a mixture containing phosphoric acid, chromic acid, and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of metal salts and nonmetal salts of fluorides.

[0040] 2) An aqueous solution of a mixture containing phosphoric acid, at least one resin selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins, chitosan derivative resins, and phenolic resins, and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of chromic acid and chromium(III) salts.

[0041] 3) An aqueous solution of a mixture comprising phosphoric acid, at least one resin selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins, chitosan derivative resins, and phenolic resins, at least one compound selected from the group consisting of chromic acid and chromium(III) salts, and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of metal salts of fluorides and nonmetal salts of fluorides.

[0042] The above-mentioned chemical conversion coating is preferably configured with a chromium deposition amount (per side) of 0.1 mg / m² to 50 mg / m², and more preferably with a deposition amount of 2 mg / m² to 20 mg / m².

[0043] As the heat-sealable layer 52, films or sheets made of polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, or modified resins thereof, fluororesins, polyester resins, vinyl chloride resins, etc., can be suitably used. In particular, it is preferable to use films or sheets made of unoriented polypropylene (CPP) or linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE).

[0044] Furthermore, the heat-sealing layer 52 is preferably made with a thickness of 20 μm to 5000 μm, and more preferably with a thickness of 30 μm to 80 μm.

[0045] Furthermore, as the protective layer 53, a film or sheet made of heat-resistant resins such as polyester resin (PEs) or polyamide resin (PA) can be suitably used.

[0046] Here, the heat-resistant resin constituting the protective layer 53 is one that does not melt at the heating temperature used when heat-sealing the outer casing 1 and inner fins 2. Preferably, this heat-resistant resin has a melting point 10°C or more higher than the melting point of the heat-sealable resin, and more preferably, it has a melting point 20°C or more higher than the melting point of the heat-sealable resin.

[0047] Furthermore, it is preferable to use a protective layer 53 with a thickness of 6 μm to 100 μm.

[0048] Furthermore, as the adhesive for bonding the heat transfer layer 51, the heat fusion layer 52, and the protective layer 53 that constitute the outer packaging laminate material L1, urethane-based adhesives, epoxy-based adhesives, olefin-based adhesives, etc., with a thickness of 1 μm to 5 μm can be suitably used.

[0049] In this embodiment, a three-layer sheet is used as the laminate material L1 constituting the outer casing 1, but the invention is not limited to this, and a sheet with a four-layer or more structure may be used. For example, a sheet with a four-layer or more structure may be adopted by interposing another layer between the protective layer and the heat transfer layer, or by interposing another layer between the heat transfer layer and the heat fusion layer.

[0050] The tray member 10 and cover member 15 of the outer packaging body 1 are made up of the outer packaging laminate material L1 with the above configuration. Then, as will be described in detail later, the outer packaging body 1 is formed when the cover member 15 is attached to the tray member 10 so as to close the opening of its recessed portion 11.

[0051] In this embodiment, a pair of opposing walls are formed by the bottom wall (lower wall) 111 of the recessed portion 11 in the tray member 10 and the top wall (upper wall) 151 of the portion of the cover member 15 attached to the tray member 10 that corresponds to the recessed portion 11.

[0052] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the inner fin 2 housed within the hollow portion (recess) 11 of the outer casing 1 is made of an inner core laminate material L2, which is a flexible or pliable laminate sheet.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, the inner core laminate material L2 comprises a heat transfer layer 61 made of metal foil and heat-sealable layers 62, 62 made of resin film or resin sheet laminated on both sides of the heat transfer layer 61 via adhesive.

[0054] As the heat transfer layer 61 in the inner core laminate material L2, copper foil, aluminum foil, stainless steel foil, nickel foil, nickel-plated copper foil, clad metal made of nickel and copper foil, etc., can be suitably used. Among these, aluminum foil is preferred in consideration of cost and thermal conductivity.

[0055] Furthermore, among aluminum foils, it is preferable to use pure aluminum, Al-Mn alloys containing 1.0% to 1.5% Mn, or Al-Fe alloys containing 0.7% to 1.7% Fe. Among these, in consideration of formability and durability against internal and external pressure, it is particularly preferable to use Al-Fe alloys containing 0.7% to 1.7% Fe.

[0056] The heat transfer layer 61 is preferably made of a material with a thickness of 8 μm to 300 μm, and more preferably of 100 μm or less.

[0057] As the heat-sealable layer 62, films or sheets made of polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, or modified resins thereof, fluororesins, polyester resins, vinyl chloride resins, etc., can be suitably used. In particular, films or sheets made of unoriented polypropylene (CPP) or linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) are preferred.

[0058] The heat-sealing layer 62 is preferably made with a thickness of 20 μm to 5000 μm, and more preferably with a thickness of 30 μm to 80 μm.

[0059] Furthermore, as the adhesive used to bond the heat transfer layer 61 and the heat fusion layer 62 that constitute the inner core laminate material L2, a urethane-based adhesive, epoxy-based adhesive, olefin-based adhesive, etc., with a thickness of 1 μm to 5 μm can be suitably used, similar to the outer packaging laminate material L1.

[0060] In this embodiment, a three-layer sheet is used as the laminate material L2 constituting the inner fin 2, but the invention is not limited to this, and a sheet with a four-layer or more structure may be used. For example, a sheet with a four-layer or more structure may be adopted by interposing another layer between the heat-sealing layer and the heat-transferring layer.

[0061] Furthermore, the inner fin 2 can be manufactured using various methods, including cutting, injection molding, sheet forming (vacuum forming, pressure forming, etc.), as well as corrugation and embossing. However, the processing method for inner fin 2 is not limited.

[0062] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the inner fin 2 is formed in a rectangular wave shape, a so-called digital signal waveform, with recesses 25 and protrusions 26 formed alternately in a continuous pattern. That is, the bottom surface (bottom wall) of the recesses and the top surface (top wall) of the protrusions in the inner fin 2 of this embodiment are formed flat and are arranged parallel to the bottom wall (lower wall) 111 of the tray member 10 and the top wall (upper wall) 151 of the cover member 15 when assembled in the heat exchanger. Furthermore, the inner fin 2 has rising walls connecting adjacent recess bottom walls and protrusion top walls, which are arranged perpendicular to the recess bottom walls and protrusion top walls, or to the upper and lower walls 111 and 151 of the outer casing 1 when assembled in the heat exchanger.

[0063] In this embodiment, the inner fins 2 have a fin pitch Pf, where the distance from the center line of one recess 25 (or one protrusion 26) to the center line of the other recess 25 (or the other protrusion 26) in adjacent recesses 25, 25 (or adjacent protrusions 26, 26) is defined as the fin pitch Pf, and the distance from the center line of the recess 25 to the center line of the protrusion 26 in adjacent recesses and protrusions 25, 26 is defined as the half pitch (Pf / 2). The fin pitch Pf and the half pitch Pf / 2 are arranged at equal pitches. In other words, the width dimension W11 of the bottom wall of the recess (the width dimension in the left-right direction relative to the plane of the paper in Figure 5) and the width dimension W12 of the top wall of the protrusion are set to be equal. In this invention, the fin pitch P and half pitch Pf / 2 do not necessarily have to be set to equal pitches. The pitch spacing may be different, the width dimension W11 of the bottom wall of each recess may be different, the width dimension W12 of the top wall of each convex may be different, and furthermore, the width dimension W11 of the bottom wall of the recess and the width dimension W12 of the top wall W12 of the convex may be different. In short, the inner fin 2 of this invention can be of any shape as long as it is a corrugated shape.

[0064] In this embodiment, it is preferable to set the half pitch Pf / 2 to 1 mm to 5 mm. In other words, if the half pitch Pf / 2 is too narrow, processing becomes difficult and the pressure loss of the heat exchange medium increases, which is undesirable. Conversely, if the half pitch Pf / 2 is too wide, it becomes easily deformed by external pressure, which may lead to a decrease in pressure resistance, and is also undesirable.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable to set the half pitch Pf / 2 to 0.1 to 10 times the fin height Hf. In other words, it is preferable to satisfy the relationship 0.1Hf ≤ Pf / 2 ≤ 10Hf. By setting the fin pitch (half pitch) to a specific value in this way, it is possible to ensure sufficient strength against both internal and external pressures while maintaining good fluidity of the heat exchange medium, thereby improving operational reliability and heat exchange performance.

[0066] In this embodiment, it is preferable to set the ratio W12 / W11, which is the ratio of the width of the top surface of the convex portion to the width of the bottom surface of the concave portion W11, to 0.9 to 1.1. In other words, it is preferable to satisfy the relationship 0.9 ≤ W12 / W11 ≤ 1.1. When this relationship is satisfied, the contact area of ​​the inner fin 2 with the lower wall 111 and the lower wall 151 becomes approximately equal, allowing the external and internal pressures to be evenly distributed on both the upper and lower sides and received in a balanced manner, thereby reliably preventing problems such as deformation of the heat exchanger due to external and internal pressures.

[0067] In this embodiment, it is preferable to set the fin height Hf of the inner fin 2 to 0.1 mm to 50 mm.

[0068] Furthermore, the fin thickness Tf should ideally be set to between 0.1 mm and 2 mm. This is because if the fin thickness Tf is too thin, the strength against external pressure will decrease, and if it is too thick, it may negatively affect heat transfer and the flow rate of the heat transfer medium.

[0069] Furthermore, in the inner fin 2 of this embodiment, from a manufacturing standpoint, it is preferable to set the outer corner radius (outer radius of curvature) R1 at the corner between the top wall of the convex portion (or the bottom wall of the concave portion) and the rising wall to 0.2 mm to 7 mm, and the inner corner radius (inner radius of curvature) R2 to 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

[0070] The inner fin 2 is housed within the recessed portion 11 of the tray member 10. In this case, the inner fin 2 is housed in the middle portion of the recessed portion 11 of the tray member 10, excluding both the front and rear ends. Furthermore, the inner fin 2 is arranged so that its peak and valley directions coincide with the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in Figure 1) of the tray member 10. As a result, the tunnel and groove portions formed by the peak and valley portions of the inner fin 2 are configured as heat exchange channels. These heat exchange channels are arranged along the front-to-back direction (length direction) of the tray member 10 and are arranged in parallel in the width direction (left-to-right direction), and are configured so that the heat exchange medium (heat transfer medium) can flow smoothly from one end to the other in the front-to-back direction of the outer casing 1 while being evenly distributed through each heat exchange channel.

[0071] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pair of headers 3, 3 positioned at both ends of the outer casing 1 are made of molded synthetic resin.

[0072] It is preferable to use the same type of resin as the resin that constitutes the heat-sealed layers 52 and 62 of the outer casing 1 and inner fin 2 as the resin constituting the header 3. Specifically, polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene or modified resins thereof, fluororesins, polyester resins, vinyl chloride resins, etc., can be suitably used.

[0073] The header 3 comprises a box-shaped mounting box 31 having an opening 32 on one side, and a pipe section 33 provided on the upper wall of the mounting box 31. The pipe section 33 communicates with the inside of the mounting box 31, and is configured to allow a heat exchange medium to move between the inside of the pipe section 33 and the inside of the mounting box 31.

[0074] The mounting box portion 31 of the header 3 is positioned on both sides of the inner fin 2 in the recessed portion 11 of the tray member 10. Furthermore, the pipe portion 33 of the header 3 is positioned facing upward, and the opening 32 of the mounting box portion 31 is positioned facing inward, that is, opposite to the inner fin 2.

[0075] The headers 3,3 are then housed within the tray member 10, and the cover member 15 is positioned on the tray member 10 so as to close its opening. In this case, the upward-facing pipe portions 33,33 of the headers 3,3 are inserted into the opening 16 of the cover member 15.

[0076] By heating the pre-assembled heat exchanger components in this way, the parts that come into contact with each other are heat-fused together, creating a unified joint.

[0077] First, the overlapping portion between the flange portion 12 of the tray member 10 and the outer peripheral edge portion of the cover member 15 in the outer packaging 1 is heated while being sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower heat sealing molds (outer packaging fusion process). This heat-fuses (heat-bonds) the heat-fusion layers 52 of the flange portion 12 of the tray member 10 and the outer peripheral edge portion of the cover member 15, sealing the hollow portion of the outer packaging 1 in an airtight or liquid-tight state.

[0078] Next, the intermediate region (lower wall 111 and upper wall 151) of the outer casing 1, whose outer edge has been heat-welded, is heated while being sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower heating plates. This heat-welds the heat-sealed layers 62 of the peaks and valleys of the inner fins 2 with the heat-sealed layers 52 of the bottom wall 111 of the tray member 10 and the intermediate region (upper wall) 151 of the cover member 15, sealing them in a liquid-tight or airtight state (fin fusion process). Furthermore, in this fin fusion process, the outer surfaces of the mounting box portions 31, 31 of the headers 3, 3 with the corresponding heat-sealed layers 52 of the tray member 10 and cover member 15 are heat-welded (heat-bonded), sealing them in a liquid-tight or airtight state.

[0079] In this assembled heat exchanger, the pipe sections 33, 33 of the headers 3, 3 are positioned so that they protrude upward from the upper walls (cover members 15) at both ends of the outer casing 1.

[0080] If the heat-sealed joints between the inner fins 2 and headers 3,3 and the outer casing 1 are made of the same type of resin, then the two can be securely fixed together with sufficient mounting strength.

[0081] In this embodiment, performing the heat fusion treatment (heat treatment) under reduced pressure allows for strong heat bonding with high adhesion between the tray member 10 and the cover member 15, and between the tray member 10 and the cover member 15 and the inner fins 2 and headers 3, 3 that are in contact with them, thereby increasing the bonding area. Therefore, it is preferable to perform the heat fusion treatment under reduced pressure.

[0082] In this embodiment, the heating temperature (welding temperature) during the heat fusion process is preferably set to 140°C to 250°C, and more preferably to 160°C to 200°C. Furthermore, the pressure (welding pressure) during heat fusion is preferably set to 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa, and more preferably to 0.15 MPa to 0.4 MPa. Furthermore, the fusion time (welding time) is preferably set to 2 seconds to 10 seconds, and more preferably to 3 seconds to 7 seconds.

[0083] In this embodiment, the outer casing fusion process, which heat-fuses the flange portion 12 of the tray member 10 and the outer peripheral edge portion of the cover member 15, and the fin fusion process, which heat-fuses the inner fins 2 and headers 3, 3 to the outer casing 1, are performed by separate heat treatments. However, the invention is not limited to this, and in the present invention, the outer casing fusion process and the fin fusion process may be performed by the same heat treatment.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the fusion process, particularly the fin fusion process, by placing a heat-conducting rubber layer on the contact surfaces of the pair of heating plates that sandwich the lower wall 111 and upper wall 151 of the outer casing 1 with the outer casing 1, the lower wall 111 and upper wall 151 of the outer casing 1 can be reliably brought into contact with the bottom surface of the recess and the top surface of the convex portion of the inner fin 2, enabling high-precision heat fusion processing.

[0085] The heat exchanger with the above configuration is used as a cooler (cooling device) to cool a battery or the like as the component to be cooled (heat exchange component). Specifically, an inlet pipe for introducing a coolant (cooling water, antifreeze, etc.) as a heat exchange medium (refrigerant) is connected to one pipe section 33 of the heat exchanger, and an outlet pipe for discharging the coolant is connected to the other pipe section 33. Furthermore, the battery, as the component to be cooled, is placed in contact with the lower wall 111 and / or upper wall 151 of the heat exchanger's outer casing 1. In this state, the coolant flows from one pipe section 33 into the outer casing 1 via one header 3, circulates through the inner fins 2, and discharges from the other pipe section 33 via the other header 3. By circulating the coolant in this way within the outer casing 1, heat exchange occurs between the coolant and the battery via the inner fins 2 and the upper and lower walls of the outer casing 1, thereby cooling the battery.

[0086] The heat exchanger of this embodiment is not limited in its usage configuration and can be used individually or in combination of two or more. When used individually, as described above, the heat exchanger is used with the heat exchange target component in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the heat exchanger. When used in combination of two, for example, the heat exchanger can be arranged to sandwich the heat exchange target component between the two heat exchangers. It can be used in this way. Furthermore, when using two or more, it can be used by arranging the heat exchangers and the heat exchange target components to be alternately stacked on top of each other.

[0087] As described above, according to the heat exchanger of this first embodiment, since the inner fins 2 are formed in a corrugated shape, a sufficient contact area with the outer casing 1 can be secured, improving the heat exchange efficiency between the inner fins 2 and the cooling target member in contact with the outer surface of the outer casing 1, and thus high heat exchange performance can be obtained. Furthermore, since a large contact area can be secured between the inner fins 2 and the outer casing 1, the mounting strength of the inner fins 2 to the outer casing 1 can be improved, and the occurrence of poor contact can be reliably prevented.

[0088] Furthermore, because the inner fins 2 are formed in a corrugated shape, numerous rising walls connecting the bottom wall of the recess and the top wall of the convex portion are arranged perpendicular to the opposing upper and lower walls 111 and 151 of the outer casing 1. As a result, the inner fins 2 can fully function as reinforcing members, acting as braces against compressive stress due to external pressure and as tension against expansionary stress due to internal pressure. This ensures high strength against both internal and external pressures, prevents deformation, reliably maintains a stable shape, and further improves operational reliability. In particular, when multiple heat exchangers are used in stacked configurations, sufficient pressure resistance can be ensured, a stable form (shape) can be reliably maintained, and high heat exchange performance can be reliably obtained. Moreover, because sufficient pressure resistance can be ensured, there is no need to provide separate reinforcing members, which reduces the number of parts, simplifying the structure and reducing costs.

[0089] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, a battery pack consisting of numerous batteries B is placed on the upper surface of the heat exchanger cover member 15, and the total weight of the batteries B constituting the battery pack is placed on the heat exchanger. In this way, this embodiment can also provide a heat exchanger in which the heat exchange flow path is not crushed even when numerous batteries B constituting the battery pack are placed on it.

[0090] Furthermore, in the heat exchanger of this embodiment, the position of the inner fins 2 can be restricted by the headers 3, 3, so that the inner fins 2 do not sway or flap due to the flow of the heat exchange medium, and the stagnation of the heat exchange medium caused by such movement can be prevented. As a result, the fluidity of the heat exchange medium can be improved, and the heat exchange performance can be further improved.

[0091] Furthermore, in the heat exchanger of this embodiment, since the tray member 10, cover member 15, inner fin 2, and header 3 as components are made from synthetic resin, each component can be easily manufactured by simply heat-fusing them together as needed. For this reason, the heat exchanger of this embodiment can reduce costs and improve productivity compared to conventional metal heat exchangers that are manufactured by difficult and troublesome joining processes such as brazing.

[0092] Furthermore, unlike heat exchangers that use complicated and restrictive metal processing such as plastic deformation or cutting, the heat exchanger of this embodiment can achieve even greater improvements in production efficiency and cost reduction.

[0093] Furthermore, since the heat exchanger of this embodiment is formed by bonding together a tray member 10 and a cover member 15 made of a thin laminate sheet (laminate material) L1, sufficient thinning and weight reduction can be reliably achieved.

[0094] Furthermore, since the outer casing 1 of this embodiment is made of laminate material L1, the shape and size of the heat exchanger itself can be easily changed, and as described above, the thickness, strength, heat exchange performance, etc. can also be easily changed, so it is possible to easily create an appropriate configuration according to the mounting position of the heat exchanger. This allows for greater design flexibility and improved versatility.

[0095] <Second Embodiment> Figure 10 shows a heat exchanger of the second embodiment, where Figure (a) is a plan view, Figure (b) is a side cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section along line BB in Figure (a), and Figure (c) is a front cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section along line CC in Figure (a).

[0096] As shown in Figure 10, the heat exchanger of the second embodiment comprises an outer casing 1, two inner fins (core materials) 2 housed inside the outer casing 1, a pair of headers (joint members) 3, 3 housed inside both ends of the outer casing 1, and a resin block 7 positioned parallel to the uneven direction of the inner fins 2 and in the center in the width direction (between the two inner fins 2).

[0097] In the second embodiment, the outer packaging 1 is composed of a tray member 10 with a rectangular shape in plan view and a cover member 15 with a rectangular shape in plan view, similar to the first embodiment. The tray member 10 and the cover member 15 are also composed of an outer packaging laminate material L1 which is a flexible or pliable laminate sheet, similar to the first embodiment.

[0098] The outer packaging laminate material L1 of the second embodiment also comprises a heat transfer layer 51 made of metal (metal foil), a heat-sealable layer 52 made of a heat-sealable resin film or heat-sealable resin sheet laminated to one side (inner surface) of the heat transfer layer 51 via an adhesive, and a protective layer 53 made of a heat-resistant resin film or heat-resistant resin sheet laminated to the other side (outer surface) of the heat transfer layer 51 via an adhesive.

[0099] In the second embodiment as well, the term "foil" is used to include films, thin plates, and sheets.

[0100] In the second embodiment, it is preferable to use a heat transfer layer 51 with a thickness of 30 μm to 300 μm.

[0101] In the second embodiment, the outer laminate material L1 is the same as in the first embodiment, except that the heat transfer layer 51 is of the thickness described above.

[0102] Since the other components of the outer casing 1 in the second embodiment are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding parts, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0103] In the second embodiment, two inner fins 2 are housed inside the outer casing 1.

[0104] The inner fin 2 of the second embodiment is also composed of an inner core laminate material L2, which is a flexible or pliable laminate sheet.

[0105] Furthermore, the inner core laminate material L2 of the second embodiment also comprises a heat transfer layer 61 made of metal foil and heat-sealable layers 62, 62 made of resin film or resin sheet laminated on both sides of the heat transfer layer 61 via adhesive.

[0106] Copper foil and aluminum foil can be suitably used as the heat transfer layer 61, and it is preferable to use foil with a thickness of 30 μm to 300 μm.

[0107] The same thermal fusion layer 62 as in the first embodiment is used.

[0108] Furthermore, as a method for forming uneven surfaces on the inner core laminate material L2, the inner core laminate material L2 is A method can be employed in which the core laminate material L2 is formed by sandwiching it between a pair of embossing rolls or a pair of corrugating rolls and passing it between the two rolls. Alternatively, a method can be employed in which the core laminate material L2 is formed by using a press machine or press die.

[0109] Since the other components of the inner fin 2 in the second embodiment are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding parts, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0110] A pair of headers 3,3 are positioned at both ends of the outer casing 1.

[0111] The header 3 of the second embodiment is also made of a molded synthetic resin, and the same resin as in the first embodiment can be used.

[0112] Furthermore, injection molding or the like can be used as a method for manufacturing the header 3 of the second embodiment.

[0113] Since the other components of the header 3 in the second embodiment are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same or equivalent parts, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0114] As shown in Figures 10(a) to (c), a resin block 7 is arranged inside the outer casing 1.

[0115] The resin block 7 functions as a reinforcing member against external and internal pressure.

[0116] It is preferable to use polyethylene, polypropylene resin or modified resins thereof, fluororesin, polyester resin, vinyl chloride resin, etc., as the resin constituting the resin block 7. Among these, it is preferable to use block copolymer polypropylene.

[0117] Furthermore, it is preferable to use the same type of resin for the resin block 7 as the resin that constitutes the heat-sealing layer 52 of the outer laminate material L1. This is because using the same type of resin ensures that the resin block 7 and the outer casing 1 are securely fixed together with sufficient attachment strength.

[0118] Furthermore, it is preferable to use resin blocks 7 with a tensile strength of 0.3 kgf / mm² to 10 kgf / mm². This tensile strength is a value measured in accordance with JIS K 7127.

[0119] In the second embodiment, the resin block 7 is positioned in the center of the heat exchanger in the width direction and parallel to the direction of the uneven portions 25 and 26 of the inner fins 2. As shown in Figures 10(a) and (c), in the second embodiment, the resin block 7 is sandwiched between the inner fins 2 on both sides, so two inner fins 2 are required.

[0120] By positioning the resin block 7 in the center of the heat exchanger in the width direction, that is, by sandwiching the resin block 7 between the two inner fins 2, even when strong external pressure is applied, the load is placed on the resin block 7, which prevents the inner fins 2 from deforming and obstructing the flow of the heat exchange medium.

[0121] Furthermore, by arranging the resin block 7 parallel to the direction of the uneven portions 25 and 26 of the inner fin 2, the component to be cooled (heat exchange component) can be cooled without obstructing the flow of the heat exchange medium.

[0122] In the second embodiment, the resin block 7 is positioned only in the center of the heat exchanger in the width direction. However, if further reinforcement of the heat exchanger is required, additional resin blocks 7 may be placed in positions other than the center.

[0123] Furthermore, the resin block 7 of the second embodiment is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape by injection molding or by cutting a resin plate or the like, and its length in the front-to-back direction is the same as that of the inner fin 2, while its length in the width direction is less than half that of the inner fin 2.

[0124] Furthermore, the height of the resin block 7 in the second embodiment is configured to be the same as the height of the uneven portions 25 and 26 of the inner fin 2. By making the height of the resin block 7 the same as the height of the uneven portions 25 and 26 of the inner fin 2 in this way, the smoothness of the surface of the heat exchanger can be improved, and the heat exchange function can be improved by improving the adhesion with electronic devices and the like.

[0125] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the resin block 7 is joined and integrated with the heat-sealing layer 52 of the tray member 10 and the cover member 15 by heat fusion (thermal bonding). Also, the entire resin block 7 does not need to be made of resin; at least the surface that is bonded to the heat-sealing layer 52 of the tray member 10 and the cover member 15 needs to be made of resin.

[0126] In the second embodiment, the resin block 7 is joined to the heat-sealing layer 52 of the tray member 10 and the cover member 15 by heat sealing. However, joining is not limited to heat sealing, and adhesives or adhesive tapes containing modified polyolefin, acrylic, or epoxy adhesives may be used for fixing.

[0127] As described above, according to the heat exchanger of the second embodiment, the resin block 7 is fixed by heat-sealing it to the heat-sealing layer 52 of the outer laminate material L1 (tray member 10 and cover member 15), thereby preventing deformation of the heat exchanger even when strong external pressure is applied. Furthermore, by using the same type of resin as that which constitutes the heat-sealing layer 52 of the outer laminate material L1, or a resin that adheres strongly, the outer casing 1 can be prevented from swelling even when internal pressure is generated in the heat exchanger. In addition, deformation during heat sealing can be prevented by making the width of the resin block 7 1 mm or more.

[0128] Furthermore, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained in the heat exchanger of the second embodiment as well.

[0129] <Third Embodiment> Figure 11 shows a heat exchanger of the third embodiment, where Figure (a) is a plan view, Figure (b) is a side cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section along line BB in Figure (a), and Figure (c) is a front cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section along line CC in Figure (a).

[0130] In the third embodiment, the resin block 7 is positioned in the center of the heat exchanger in the front-to-back direction (between the two inner fins 2) and perpendicular to the direction of the uneven portions 25 and 26 of the inner fins 2. As shown in Figure 11(a), in the third embodiment as well, the resin block 7 is positioned between the inner fins 2 on either side of it, so two inner fins 2 are required.

[0131] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11(c), in the third embodiment, a through hole 71 is formed in the resin block 7.

[0132] In the third embodiment, the resin block 7 is perpendicular to the direction of the uneven portions 25 and 26 of the inner fin 2. In other words, it is positioned to block the heat exchange channel, and through holes 71 are formed in the resin block 7 to secure a channel through which the heat exchange medium flows.

[0133] In Figure 11(c), if S1 is the surface area of ​​the resin block 7 and S2 is the total surface area of ​​the portion corresponding to the through hole 71, then in the third embodiment, it is preferable that S2 be 30% to 80% of the sum of S1 and S2.

[0134] Since the other components of the heat exchanger in the third embodiment are substantially the same as those of the heat exchanger in the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same or equivalent parts, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0135] As described above, according to the heat exchanger of the third embodiment, since through holes 71 are formed in the resin block 7, the component to be cooled (heat exchange target component) can be cooled without obstructing the flow of the heat exchange medium.

[0136] Furthermore, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained in the heat exchanger of the third embodiment as well.

[0137] In the third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, if further reinforcement of the heat exchanger is required, additional resin blocks 7 may be placed at locations other than the central part.

[0138] <Variation> Figure 6 shows a modified heat exchanger of the present invention, where Figure (a) is a plan view and Figure (b) is a side cross-sectional view.

[0139] As shown in Figure 6, this modified heat exchanger comprises a bag-shaped outer casing 1 and inner fins 2 arranged inside the outer casing 1, with inlets and outlets 16, 16 provided at the front and rear ends of the outer casing 1.

[0140] The outer casing 1 is composed of a pair (2 sheets) of rectangular sheet-like outer casing base material L1, which are the outer casing laminate material L1. These two sheets of outer casing laminate material L1 are stacked vertically via the inner fin 2, and the heat-sealable layers 52 on the outer edges of the outer casing laminate material L1 are joined and integrated by heat sealing, thereby forming this modified heat exchanger.

[0141] In this modified example, joint pipes 33 are provided at the entrances 16, 16 of the outer packaging 1. These joint pipes 33 are positioned to be sandwiched between the front and rear ends of the two outer packaging laminate materials 1a that make up the outer packaging 1, and the outer surface (heat-sealed layer) of each joint pipe 33, 33 is joined and integrated with the corresponding heat-sealed layer 52 of the outer packaging laminate material L1 by heat fusion. As a result, the joint pipes 33, 33 are fixed to the outer packaging 1 at the entrances 16, 16 of the outer packaging 1, penetrating the front and rear ends of the outer packaging 1.

[0142] In this modified heat exchanger, the laminate material L1 constituting the outer casing 1 and the inner core laminate material L2 constituting the inner fins 2 are made of substantially the same materials as the laminate materials L1 and L2 in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 5, and the inner fins 2 of this modified version are formed in a corrugated shape, similar to the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the joint pipe 33 of this modified version is made of the same material as the header 3 in the embodiments described above.

[0143] In this modified heat exchanger, a pair of opposing intermediate regions in the pair of outer laminate materials L1, in other words, the installation regions of the inner fins 2, form a pair of opposing walls 1a, 1a It is formed.

[0144] In this heat exchanger, a heat exchange medium such as a coolant is introduced into the outer casing 1 from one joint pipe 33 and discharged from the other joint pipe 33, thereby circulating the coolant within the outer casing 1. Heat is also exchanged between the circulating coolant and the heat exchange target component that is in contact with the outer surface of the outer casing 1, thereby cooling the heat exchange target component.

[0145] This modified heat exchanger can also achieve the same effects as the heat exchanger of the above embodiment. [Examples]

[0146] <Example 1> (1) Preparation of outer packaging laminate material L1 An outer laminate material L1 was fabricated by laminating a 30 μm thick linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) film to one side (inner surface) of an aluminum foil (120 μm thick) containing 1.5% Fe as the heat transfer layer 51, via a 3 μm thick urethane adhesive, and laminating a 12 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to the other side (outer surface) of the heat transfer layer (aluminum foil) via a 3 μm thick urethane adhesive.

[0147] (2) Preparation of the inner core laminate material L2 A 0.2 mm thick inner core laminate material L2 was fabricated by laminating a 40 μm thick linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) film to both sides of a soft aluminum foil (120 μm thick) containing 1.0% Fe and 0.18% Si as a heat transfer layer 61, via a 3 μm thick urethane adhesive.

[0148] (3) Manufacturing of tray member 10 and cover member 15 In accordance with the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3, a tray member 11 was manufactured by deep drawing using a press die from a sheet material obtained by cutting the above-mentioned outer laminate material L1, and having a recessed portion 11 with a width of 60 mm and a length of 180 mm, a corner radius of 0.2 mm, and a depth of 4 mm, and a flange portion 12 with a width of 10 mm formed around the entire circumference of the opening edge of the recessed portion 11.

[0149] The above-mentioned outer packaging laminate material L1 was cut to create a sheet-like cover member 15 with dimensions (80 mm x 200 mm) corresponding to the upper surface of the tray member 11, with openings 16 formed on both sides corresponding to the recessed portion 11 of the tray member 11.

[0150] (4) Fabrication of inner fin 2 The above-mentioned inner core laminate material L2 was formed into a corrugated shape using a gear embossing machine, as shown in Figure 5, with a fin height of Hf 4 mm, a fin pitch Pf of 7.6 mm, a fin thickness Tf of 0.2 mm, a recessed bottom wall width W11 and a convex top wall width W12 of 4 mm, an outer corner radius R1 of 0.3 mm, and an inner corner radius R2 of 0.1 mm. The corrugated sheet was then cut to a length of 120 mm and a width of 60 mm to produce the inner fin 2. The peak and valley directions of the inner fin 2 are arranged to align with the length direction (vertical direction).

[0151] (5) Creation of Header 3 As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a header 3 was manufactured by injection molding an HDPE resin material, in which a pipe section 33 with an inner diameter of φ10 mm, an outer diameter of φ12 mm, and a length of 3 mm was integrally formed in a mounting box section 31 measuring 4 mm in height, 60 mm in length, and 30 mm in width.

[0152] (6) Assembly of the heat exchanger Headers 3, 3 are attached to both ends of the recessed portion 11 of the tray member 10, and each pipe portion 33 is attached to the top They were housed facing in one direction. Furthermore, the inner fins 2 were housed between the headers 3, 3 within the recessed section 11.

[0153] Next, a cover member 15 was placed on the tray member 10 so as to close the recessed portion 11 from above. At this time, the pipe portions 33, 33 of the headers 3, 3 were inserted through the openings 16, 16 of the cover member 15 and protruded above the cover member 15.

[0154] In this way, a non-joined heat exchanger prototype was fabricated, and the prototype was heat-sealed (welded) at 200°C for 6 seconds using upper and lower sealing molds that matched the shape of the prototype, thereby heat-fusing (heat-bonding) the joints between each component of the prototype to produce the heat exchanger of Example 1.

[0155] <Example 2> As inner fin 2, a corrugated fin with a fin height Hf of 4 mm, fin pitch Pf of 4 mm, fin thickness Tf of 0.2 mm, recess bottom wall width W11 of 2.2 mm, convex top wall width W12 of 2.2 mm, outer corner radius R1 of 0.5 mm, and inner corner radius R2 of 0.3 mm was used, and the heat exchanger of Example 2 was manufactured in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[0156] <Example 3> As inner fin 2, a corrugated fin with a fin height Hf of 4 mm, fin pitch Pf of 12 mm, fin thickness Tf of 0.2 mm, recess bottom wall width W11 of 7.2 mm, convex top wall width W12 of 5.2 mm, outer corner radius R1 of 1 mm, and inner corner radius R2 of 0.8 mm was used, and the heat exchanger of Example 3 was manufactured in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[0157] The heat exchanger in Examples 1-3, measuring 60 mm in width and 180 mm in length, can withstand a load of 12 kg when six batteries B, each with a front-to-back width of 20 mm and a weight of 2 kg, are placed on the upper surface of the cover member 15 within a front-to-back width of 120 mm, as shown in Figure 9. The heat exchanger in Examples 1-3 can withstand loads of up to approximately 50 kg to 60 kg.

[0158] <Example 4> (1) Preparation of outer packaging laminate material L1 An outer laminate material L1 was fabricated by laminating a 40 μm thick unoriented polypropylene (CPP) film to one side (inner surface) of an aluminum foil (120 μm thick) containing 1.5% Fe as the heat transfer layer 51, via a urethane adhesive (3 μm thick), and laminating a 12 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film to the other side (outer surface) of the heat transfer layer (aluminum foil) via a urethane adhesive (3 μm thick).

[0159] (2) Preparation of the inner core laminate material L2 A 0.2 mm thick inner core laminate material L2 was fabricated by laminating a 30 μm thick unoriented polypropylene (CPP) film to both sides of a soft aluminum foil (120 μm thick) containing 1.0% Fe and 0.18% Si as a heat transfer layer 61, via a 3 μm thick urethane adhesive.

[0160] (3) Manufacturing of tray member 10 and cover member 15 In accordance with the second embodiment described above, a tray member 11 was manufactured by deep drawing using a press die from a sheet material obtained by cutting the outer laminate material L1, and having a recessed portion 11 with a width of 65 mm and a length of 180 mm, a corner radius of 0.2 mm, and a depth of 4 mm, and a flange portion 12 with a width of 10 mm formed around the entire circumference of the opening edge of the recessed portion 11.

[0161] Cut the above outer packaging laminate material L1 to a size corresponding to the top surface of the tray member 11 (8 A sheet-like cover member 15 measuring 5 mm x 200 mm was manufactured, with openings 16 formed on both sides corresponding to the recessed portion 11 of the tray member 11.

[0162] (4) Fabrication of inner fin 2 The above-mentioned inner core laminate material L2 was corrugated to form a corrugated shape as shown in Figure 5, with a fin height Hf of 4 mm, a fin pitch Pf of 7.6 mm, a fin thickness Tf of 0.2 mm, a recessed bottom wall width W11 and a convex top wall width W12 of 4 mm, an outer corner radius R1 of 0.3 mm, and an inner corner radius R2 of 0.1 mm. Two inner fins 2 were made by cutting this corrugated sheet to a length of 120 mm and a width of 30 mm. The peak and valley directions of the inner fins 2 are positioned to align with the front-to-back direction.

[0163] (5) Creation of Header 3 As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a header 3 was manufactured by injection molding a polypropylene resin material, in which a pipe section 33 with an inner diameter of φ10 mm, an outer diameter of φ12 mm, and a length of 3 mm was integrally formed in a mounting box section 31 measuring 4 mm in height, 65 mm in length, and 30 mm in width.

[0164] (6) Fabrication of resin block 7 A resin block 7 measuring 5mm in width and 120mm in length was created by carving a 4mm thick polypropylene sheet.

[0165] (7) Assembly of the heat exchanger As shown in Figure 10, polypropylene joint pipe headers 3, 3 are housed at both ends of the recessed portion 11 of the tray member 10, with each pipe portion 33 facing upward. Furthermore, two of the above-mentioned inner fins 2 are housed between the headers 3, 3 within the recessed portion 11, and a polypropylene resin block 7 is housed between these inner fins 2, parallel to the direction of the protrusions and recesses 25, 26 of the inner fins 2.

[0166] Next, a cover member 15 was placed on the tray member 10 so as to close the recessed portion 11 from above. At this time, the pipe portions 33, 33 of the headers 3, 3 were inserted through the openings 16, 16 of the cover member 15 and protruded above the cover member 15.

[0167] In this way, a provisional heat exchanger assembly was fabricated in an unjoined state, and a two-stage heat fusion (heat bonding) process was performed on this provisional assembly using upper and lower metal sealing molds (without heat-conducting rubber) that conformed to the shape of the provisional assembly.

[0168] First, a heat seal (welding treatment) was performed at 190°C × 0.3 MPa × 7 seconds to heat-seal (heat-bond) the heat-sealed layers 52 of the flange portion 12 of the tray member 10 and the outer peripheral edge portion of the cover member 15.

[0169] Next, a heat seal (welding treatment) was performed at 200°C × 0.3 MPa × 7 seconds to heat-seal (heat-bond) each joint between the outer casing 1, inner fins 2, header 3, and resin block 7, thereby fabricating the heat exchanger of Example 4.

[0170] <Example 5> (1) Preparation of outer packaging laminate material L1 The outer packaging laminate material L1 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 4.

[0171] (2) Preparation of the inner core laminate material L2 The inner core laminate material L2 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 4.

[0172] (3) Manufacturing of tray member 10 and cover member 15 The tray member 10 and the cover member 15 were manufactured in the same manner as in Example 4.

[0173] (4) Fabrication of inner fin 2 The above-mentioned inner core laminate material L2 was corrugated to form a corrugated shape with a fin height Hf of 4 mm, a fin pitch Pf of 7.6 mm, a fin thickness Tf of 0.2 mm, a recessed bottom wall width W11 and a convex top wall width W12 of 4 mm, an outer corner radius R1 of 0.3 mm, and an inner corner radius R2 of 0.1 mm. Two inner fins 2 were then made by cutting this corrugated sheet to a length of 57.5 mm and a width of 65 mm. The peak and valley directions of the inner fins 2 are positioned to align with the front-to-back direction.

[0174] (5) Creation of Header 3 Header 3 was fabricated in the same manner as in Example 4.

[0175] (6) Fabrication of resin block 7 A resin block 7 measuring 65 mm in width and 5 mm in length was fabricated by machining a 4 mm thick polypropylene plate. Furthermore, through holes 71 measuring 5 mm in width and 2 mm in height were drilled at 12 mm intervals in the body (the surface intersecting the heat exchange channel) of the resin block 7.

[0176] (7) Assembly of the heat exchanger As shown in Figure 11, polypropylene joint pipe headers 3, 3 are housed at both ends of the recessed portion 11 of the tray member 10, with each pipe portion 33 facing upward. Furthermore, two of the above-mentioned inner fins 2 are housed between the headers 3, 3 within the recessed portion 11, and a polypropylene resin block 7 is housed between these inner fins 2, perpendicular to the direction of the protrusions and recesses 25, 26 of the inner fins 2.

[0177] Next, a cover member 15 was placed on the tray member 10 so as to close the recessed portion 11 from above. At this time, the pipe portions 33, 33 of the headers 3, 3 were inserted through the openings 16, 16 of the cover member 15 and protruded above the cover member 15.

[0178] Thus, a non-joined heat exchanger prototype was fabricated, and using upper and lower metal sealing molds (without heat-conducting rubber) that fit the shape of the prototype, a two-stage heat fusion (heat bonding) process was performed on the prototype in the same manner as in Example 4 to fabricate the heat exchanger of Example 5.

[0179] <Comparative Example 1> As shown in Figure 7, a corrugated inner fin with a fin height Hf of 4 mm, a fin pitch Pf of 7.6 mm, a fin thickness Tf of 0.2 mm, and an inner surface radius D of 3.5 mm, formed by continuously creating concave and convex portions, was used. The heat exchanger of Comparative Example 1 was fabricated in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0180] <Comparative Example 2> As shown in Figure 8, inner fins 2 were prepared in which triangles and inverted triangles were arranged alternately in a continuous pattern. Specifically, a deformed corrugated inner fin was used with a fin height Hf of 4 mm, a fin pitch Pf of 7.6 mm, a fin thickness Tf of 0.2 mm, a recess bottom wall width W11 and a convex top wall width W12 of 6.0 mm, and a gap S between adjacent convex top walls (gap between adjacent recess bottom walls) of 1.6 mm. The heat exchanger of Comparative Example 2 was fabricated in the same manner as in Example 1 above.

[0181] <Comparative Example 3> (1) Preparation of outer packaging laminate material L1 The outer packaging laminate material L1 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 4.

[0182] (2) Preparation of the inner core laminate material L2 The inner core laminate material L2 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 4.

[0183] (3) Manufacturing of tray member 10 and cover member 15 The tray member 10 and the cover member 15 were manufactured in the same manner as in Example 4.

[0184] (4) Fabrication of inner fin 2 The above-mentioned inner core laminate material L2 was corrugated to form a corrugated shape with a fin height Hf of 4 mm, a fin pitch Pf of 7.6 mm, a fin thickness Tf of 0.2 mm, a recessed bottom wall width W11 and a convex top wall width W12 of 4 mm, an outer corner radius R1 of 0.3 mm, and an inner corner radius R2 of 0.1 mm. The corrugated sheet was then cut to a length of 120 mm and a width of 65 mm to produce the inner fin 2. The peak and valley directions of the inner fin 2 are positioned to align with the front-to-back direction.

[0185] (5) Creation of Header 3 Header 3 was fabricated in the same manner as in Example 4.

[0186] (6) Assembly of the heat exchanger Polypropylene joint pipe headers 3, 3 were housed at both ends of the recessed portion 11 of the tray member 10, with each pipe portion 33 facing upward. Furthermore, the inner fins 2 were housed between the headers 3, 3 within the recessed portion 11.

[0187] Next, a cover member 15 was placed on the tray member 10 so as to close the recessed portion 11 from above. At this time, the pipe portions 33, 33 of the headers 3, 3 were inserted through the openings 16, 16 of the cover member 15 and protruded above the cover member 15.

[0188] In this way, a provisional heat exchanger assembly was fabricated in an unjoined state, and a two-stage heat fusion (heat bonding) process was performed on this provisional assembly using upper and lower metal sealing molds (without heat-conducting rubber) that conformed to the shape of the provisional assembly.

[0189] First, a heat seal (welding treatment) was performed at 190°C × 0.3 MPa × 7 seconds to heat-seal (heat-bond) the heat-sealed layers 52 of the flange portion 12 of the tray member 10 and the outer peripheral edge portion of the cover member 15.

[0190] Next, a heat seal (welding treatment) was performed at 200°C × 0.3 MPa × 7 seconds to heat-seal (heat-bond) each joint between the outer casing 1, inner fins 2, and header 3, thereby fabricating the heat exchanger of Comparative Example 3.

[0191] <Internal pressure test>

[0192] [Table 1]

[0193] Twenty of each of the heat exchangers from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were prepared. Tap water was continuously circulated through each heat exchanger at a flow pressure of 0.2 MPa for 336 hours (14 days), and it was evaluated whether or not delamination occurred in any part of each heat exchanger.

[0194] Specifically, those with one or fewer instances of delamination between the outer casing 1 and inner fin 2 out of 20 were evaluated as "pass" (△), while those with two or more instances of delamination between the outer casing 1 and inner fin 2 out of 20 were evaluated as "fail" (×). Among the "pass" products, those with no delamination at all were evaluated as "excellent" (○). The results are shown in Table 1.

[0195] <External pressure test> A 500 kg load was applied using a 50 mm x 50 mm flat mold to the area of ​​the outer packaging 1 excluding the header 3 portion, and the degree of deformation was evaluated.

[0196] Specifically, items with a crush height (amount) of less than 0.5 mm were evaluated as "pass" (△), and those with a crush height of 1 mm or more were evaluated as "fail" (×). Among the "pass" items, those that were not crushed at all (crush height of "0") were evaluated as "excellent" (○). The results are shown in Table 1.

[0197] As is clear from Table 1, the heat exchangers of Examples 1 to 3, which are equipped with rectangular inner fins 2, were able to achieve excellent performance in terms of both internal and external pressure. In contrast, the heat exchangers of Comparative Examples 1 and 2, which are equipped with arc-shaped or triangular inner fins, were somewhat inferior to the heat exchangers of Examples 1 to 3 in terms of both internal and external pressure.

[0198] [Table 2]

[0199] <Internal pressure resistance test> Three heat exchangers each of Examples 4, 5, and Comparative Example 3, composed of the components shown in Table 2, were prepared. Cooling water was passed through each heat exchanger, and the internal pressure was maintained at 1.5 MPa for 5 minutes. The presence or absence of delamination (adhesive failure) between the outer casing 1 and inner fins 2 of each heat exchanger was observed. For reference, tests were also conducted when the internal pressure excessively increased to 2 MPa.

[0200] These results were evaluated based on the following internal pressure resistance test evaluation criteria. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2.

[0201] <Internal Pressure Resistance Test Evaluation Criteria> "◎" (Excellent): No peeling, blistering, or other adhesive failures occurred up to an internal pressure of 2 MPa. "○" (Pass): No delamination, blistering, or other adhesive failures occur up to an internal pressure of 1.5 MPa, but delamination, blistering, or other adhesive failures occur below 2 MPa when the internal pressure exceeds 1.5 MPa. "×" (Failure): The internal pressure was less than 2 MPa, resulting in adhesive failure such as peeling and blistering.

[0202] <External pressure resistance test> Three heat exchangers each of Examples 4, 5, and Comparative Example 3, constructed with the components shown in Table 2, were prepared. Aluminum plates with a thickness of 5 mm, a width of 65 mm, and a length of 120 mm were placed on both sides of each heat exchanger. One side was placed on a concrete floor, and a pressure of 5 MPa was applied from the other side and held for 1 minute to check the degree of deformation of each heat exchanger. The external height of each heat exchanger was 4.3 mm.

[0203] These results were evaluated based on the external pressure resistance test evaluation criteria described below. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2.

[0204] <External Pressure Resistance Test Evaluation Criteria> "◎" (Excellent): No deformation up to an external pressure of 5 MPa (no change in the height of the heat exchanger) "○" (Pass): No deformation occurred up to an external pressure of 4.5 MPa, but the height of the heat exchanger decreased by 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm at an external pressure of 5 MPa or less. "×" (Fail): The external pressure was less than 5 MPa and the height of the heat exchanger was reduced by 0.4 mm or more.

[0205] As is clear from Table 2, the heat exchangers of Examples 4 and 5, which are equipped with the resin block 7, were able to obtain excellent evaluations for both internal and external pressure. In contrast, the heat exchanger of Comparative Example 3, which does not have the resin block 7, is inferior to the heat exchangers of Examples 4 and 5 in terms of both internal and external pressure. [Industrial applicability]

[0206] The heat exchanger of this invention can be used as a cooler (cooling device) mainly for heat dissipation around batteries in automobiles, around CPUs in smartphones and personal computers, around displays in LCD TVs, OLED TVs, and plasma TVs, around power modules in automobiles, and around batteries. In addition, it can be used as a heater (heating device) for floor heating and snow removal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0207] 1: Outer envelope 1a: A pair of opposing walls 10: Tray component 11: Recessed area 111: Bottom wall (opposing wall) 15: Cover component 151: Upper wall (opposing wall) 16: Entrance / exit 2: Inner fins 25: Recess 26: Convex part 51: Heat transfer layer 52: Heat fusion layer 61: Heat transfer layer 62: Heat fusion layer L1: Outer packaging laminate material L2: Inner core laminate material Hf: Fin height Pf: Fin Pitch W11: Width of the recessed bottom W12: Width of the top surface of the convex part

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising an outer casing provided with an inlet and an outlet and having a pair of opposing walls, and a corrugated inner fin positioned between the pair of opposing walls and having alternating recesses and protrusions, wherein a heat exchange medium flowing in from the inlet flows out from the outlet through the inner fin installation section within the outer casing, The outer casing is made of an outer casing laminate material in which a heat-sealing layer made of resin is provided on the inner surface side of an aluminum foil heat transfer layer via an adhesive, and a heat-resistant resin protective layer is provided on the outer surface side of the heat transfer layer via an adhesive. The inner fin is made of an inner core laminate material in which a heat-sealing layer is provided on both sides of an aluminum foil heat transfer layer via an adhesive. The resin of the heat-sealed layer of the outer casing is a polyolefin resin. The resin of the heat-sealed layer of the inner fin is a polyolefin resin. The heat-resistant resin of the protective layer of the outer casing is a polyester resin or a polyamide resin, and has a melting point at least 10°C higher than the melting point of the resin of the heat-seal layer of the outer casing and the heat-seal layer of the inner fin. A heat exchanger characterized in that the heat-sealing layers on the bottom surface of the recess and the top surface of the convex portion of the inner fin are joined to the heat-sealing layers of the pair of opposing walls by thermal bonding.

2. An inner fin for a heat exchanger, which is provided with an inlet and an outlet and is positioned between a pair of opposing walls in an outer enclosure, and which allows a heat exchange medium that flows in from the inlet to pass through and out from the outlet, It is constructed of an inner core laminate material in which a heat transfer layer made of aluminum foil has heat-sealed layers on both sides via adhesive. A wave-like shape in which concave and convex portions are arranged alternately in a continuous manner, The resin of the heat-sealed layer is a polyolefin resin. The outer casing is made of an outer casing laminate material in which a heat-sealing layer made of resin is provided on the inner surface side of an aluminum foil heat transfer layer via an adhesive, and a heat-resistant resin protective layer is provided on the outer surface side of the heat transfer layer via an adhesive. The resin of the heat-sealed layer of the outer casing is a polyolefin resin. The heat-resistant resin of the protective layer of the outer casing is a polyester resin or a polyamide resin, and has a melting point at least 10°C higher than the melting point of the resin of the heat-seal layer of the outer casing and the heat-seal layer of the inner fin. The inner fin of a heat exchanger is characterized in that the heat-sealing layers on the bottom surface of the recess and the top surface of the protrusion are bonded to the heat-sealing layers of a pair of opposing walls by thermal adhesion.

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