Heat Exchanger Tube Bottom Hook and Tab Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heat exchangers face challenges in achieving reliable soldering between side parts and tube bottoms due to limited contact surface and unreliable mechanical fixation, which results in poor soldering quality.

Innovation Solution

A heat exchanger design featuring a tube bottom with a deformable hook and a tab on the side part, where the hook engages around a section with a through opening, allowing material displacement during assembly to create a larger contact surface, and tooth contours for enhanced mechanical fixation and soldering, ensuring a stable connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If deformable hooks are used for mechanical fixation of side parts to tube bottoms, then assembly is simplified, but the contact surface for soldering is reduced and soldering reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidsoldering reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The side part is segmented into a tab portion for mechanical fixation and a connection portion for soldering, allowing each part to optimize its function independently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The connection surface extends from the front side to the bottom side of the tube bottom, utilizing the corner region to create a multi-dimensional contact area that increases soldering surface without complicating assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If the tab is pulled towards the tube bottom during graining, then contact surface area increases, but the hook may deform away from the tube bottom

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact surface areaVSAvoidhook position stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The tooth contours are designed to engage beforehand and prevent the hook from moving away during the graining process, counteracting the potential harmful movement before it occurs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The graining process creates periodic material displacements that gradually pull the tab towards the tube bottom while the tooth contours maintain continuous engagement to stabilize the hook position

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Strength

If the hook is pressed against the tab to establish mechanical connection, then fixation strength increases, but the hook may move away from the tube bottom during deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefixation strengthVSAvoidcontact surface precision

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The tooth contours act as a cushioning mechanism that absorbs and distributes the deformation forces, preventing the hook from moving away during the pressing operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The tooth contours serve as an intermediary mechanism between the hook and tab, facilitating the mechanical connection while maintaining precise positioning through interlocking geometry

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11187472B2Heat exchanger for a motor vehicle and corresponding production method

Publication Date: 2021.11.30 MAHLE INT GMBH

AI summary

A heat exchanger for a method vehicle and a method of producing a heat exchanger are disclosed. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger block closed by a side part. The heat exchanger block has a tube bottom including a deformable hook, and the side part includes a tab provided complementary to a corner region of the tube bottom. The tab has a section, that abuts on a front side of the tube bottom, that includes a through opening or depression. A material portion of the hook is displaced through the through opening or depression via a graining in an assembled state, such that the axes of the through opening and the graining are offset and parallel to one another.