Heat Exchanger Side Support with U-Shaped Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchangers in vehicle air conditioners face challenges in maintaining heat exchange capacity due to weak side supports that hinder secure bonding of sealing members, leading to reduced performance and increased risk of air leakage.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of U-shaped ribs on the side supports of the heat exchanger, which reinforce strength, create bonding surfaces for sealing members, and prevent radiation fins from being obscured, ensuring stable support and improved sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional side supports are used without ribs, then manufacturing is simpler, but bonding area for sealing members is insufficient and heat exchange capacity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The side support body is segmented by adding U-shaped ribs that divide the structure into multiple functional zones. These ribs create distinct bonding surfaces for sealing members while maintaining the overall side support function, resolving the contradiction between simple manufacturing and reliable bonding.
Solution Approach 2:
U-shaped ribs are added in the longitudinal direction of the side support, introducing a new dimensional feature. This creates additional bonding areas without compromising manufacturing simplicity, as the ribs follow the natural curvature of the side support structure.
2Productivity
If sealing members are bonded without sufficient bonding area, then installation is faster, but sealing reliability decreases and air leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The U-shaped ribs are pre-formed on the side support during manufacturing, creating ready-made bonding surfaces before assembly. This preliminary preparation ensures that when sealing members are installed, adequate bonding area is already available, maintaining both installation speed and sealing reliability.
3Volume of moving object
If side supports are made thinner to reduce heat exchanger thickness, then compactness improves, but structural strength and support stability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
U-shaped ribs with curved geometry are added to the side support structure. These curved ribs provide structural reinforcement and stability while occupying minimal space, allowing the side support to maintain adequate strength without increasing overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The side support structure combines the base support material with additional rib structures, creating a composite configuration that provides enhanced strength-to-volume ratio. This allows reduced overall thickness while maintaining structural integrity through the reinforced rib architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger which has approximately U-shaped ribs formed on both sides of a body of a side support, thereby preventing a deterioration of heat exchange capacity by reinforcing strength and securing bonding areas of sealing members and stably supporting radiation fins since the ribs press edges of the radiation fins.