Heat Exchanger Distribution Plate Sealing Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat exchanger collector plates with end tubes that are too short to effectively hold sealing means against the edges, particularly when the tubes are smaller than the cover, leading to challenges in maintaining airtight seals and standardizing configurations across vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A collector plate design featuring a peripheral housing with local protrusions to position and install sealing means, even when the tubes do not extend continuously across the plate, allowing for the use of a standard cover regardless of tube size, with the protrusions facilitating the placement and retention of seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the collector plate uses a continuous peripheral groove to house the sealing gasket, then the sealing position is well-defined, but the design cannot accommodate tubes of varying sizes and standardization is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different groove configurations in different regions of the collector plate. The peripheral groove is continuous in regions where tubes extend sufficiently, but interrupted in end regions where tubes are too short. Local protrusions are added at the interrupted positions to provide sealing surfaces, creating locally adapted sealing solutions that accommodate varying tube lengths while maintaining overall sealing reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the collector plate is designed with openings that extend partially into the transverse dimension, then tube size variations are accommodated, but the sealing element cannot be properly positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces local protrusions as intermediary elements between the collector plate and the sealing gasket. These protrusions serve as mediators that provide the necessary sealing surfaces and positioning features when the tubes themselves are too short to provide adequate support. The protrusions act as intermediate structures that enable proper sealing element installation and positioning despite the limited tube extension.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a standard cover is used regardless of tube size, then configuration standardization is achieved, but sealing cannot be maintained with short end tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the peripheral groove into continuous and interrupted portions, and adds discrete local protrusions at specific locations. This segmentation allows the collector plate to maintain a standard overall configuration with a uniform cover, while locally adapting the sealing structure in end regions to accommodate shorter tubes. The segmented approach enables standardization to be maintained where possible while providing targeted modifications where needed.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The distribution plate (2) has a transverse dimension (T) and a longitudinal dimension (L) and comprises: - a peripheral housing (22, 24) for accommodating a sealing means, which is arranged on the periphery of the distribution plate (2), - a plurality of openings (4) for the passage of heat exchange tubes, at least one (18) of the openings extending only partially in the transverse direction (T) of the plate. It further comprises at least one local protrusion (20) for the positioning of the sealing means, delimiting part (24) of the housing that houses the sealing means.