Condenser Header Brazing for Multi-Unit Air Conditioner Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing air conditioning condensers are inefficient as they require repeatedly arranging and assembling a predetermined number of tubes with radiation fins for each condenser, leading to increased working hours and reduced productivity.
Innovation Solution
A method where multiple tubes corresponding to the total length of condensers are supplied and processed simultaneously, with fin members and pressing force retainers inserted between the tubes, allowing for bulk brazing and subsequent cutting of headers to match each unit tube length, thereby preventing unwanted brazing at boundary areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If tubes are repeatedly arranged in units of predetermined number for each condenser, then assembly precision is maintained, but productivity deteriorates due to increased working hours
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple condensers are assembled simultaneously by combining multiple tube units in a single assembly operation. The apparatus holds multiple tube units (first tube unit, second tube unit, etc.) and performs brazing of all units together in one process, rather than assembling each condenser separately. This merging of assembly operations directly improves productivity by reducing the number of repeated arrangement operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Tube units are pre-assembled with fin members and headers before the final simultaneous brazing operation. The pressing force retainers are installed in advance to maintain proper spacing and positioning. This preliminary preparation allows the actual brazing operation to be performed efficiently in a single step for multiple units, reducing total working hours.
2Productivity
If multiple tubes are processed simultaneously, then productivity improves, but manufacturing precision may deteriorate due to boundary area brazing issues
Solution Approach 1:
Pressing force retainers are introduced as intermediary components between adjacent tube units. These retainers apply and maintain pressing force during the brazing process, ensuring proper contact and positioning of tubes and fin members. By using this intermediary mechanism, the patent achieves both simultaneous processing of multiple units and maintains high brazing precision at boundary areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing force is applied locally at specific boundary areas between tube units rather than uniformly across all joints. The pressing force retainers are strategically positioned at boundary locations where precision is most critical, allowing differential treatment of different areas to optimize both productivity and manufacturing precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces production time and improves productivity by enabling the simultaneous processing of multiple unit tubes, eliminating the need for separate assembly and transfer intervals.
Implementation Method 1
brazing all of the components
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing an air conditioning condenser including tubes, fin members and headers includes supplying a number of tubes corresponding to the total length of n condensers that are intended to be fabricated at one time, respectively disposing the fin members, which have been subjected to cladding treatment, between the tubes, respectively disposing pressing force retainers, which have not been subjected to cladding treatment, between unit tubes each including a predetermined number of tubes, temporarily coupling the headers to both ends of the tubes, brazing all of the components, removing the pressing force retainers from the unit tubes, and cutting the headers to a length corresponding to the length of each of the unit tubes.