Heat Exchanger Manifold Shield for Leak and Condensation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motor vehicle air conditioning devices face challenges in protecting exposed tubing from leaks and condensation, leading to uncontrollable fluid dispersion and potential breakdowns, due to the difficulty in creating and installing covering tubes that match the complex shape and arrangement of the conduits, as well as maintaining connections to engine and air conditioning circuits.
Innovation Solution
A protective member made in one piece, typically from plastic, with a leg and roof forming part of the air channel, featuring a curved extension to surround the tube, acting as a separator and forming a continuous wall with the housing elements, which isolates the tubing and clamps onto a separation wall without additional fixing elements, creating a robust assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tubes are left uncovered to be connected to engine cooling and air conditioning circuits, then connection accessibility is improved, but fluid leakage and condensation control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A protective member made from a single piece of plastic material forms a flexible yet durable enclosure around the tubes. This shell-like structure contains any potential fluid leaks and prevents condensation from affecting the passenger compartment, while still allowing the tubes to be connected to external circuits through openings in the protective member.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective member acts as an intermediary barrier between the tubes and the passenger compartment environment. It mediates the conflict between needing tube accessibility for connection and preventing harmful fluid dispersion, by providing a controlled interface that contains leaks while allowing intentional connections.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If covering tubes are produced and installed to protect conduits, then fluid dispersion control is improved, but manufacturing and installation complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The protective member combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: it protects the tubes from condensation, contains potential fluid leaks, and provides structural support. This merging of functions into one piece eliminates the need for separate covering tubes and simplifies installation, directly addressing the complexity issue while maintaining effective fluid dispersion control.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective member serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it acts as a protective barrier against condensation, a containment structure for potential leaks, and a structural element of the air conditioning device. This multi-functionality reduces the overall complexity by eliminating the need for multiple separate components.
3Reliability
If free ends of conduits are kept in position during connection, then connection stability is improved, but positioning difficulty worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The protective member is installed beforehand to provide a stable framework that holds the tube positions. This preliminary action creates predetermined connection points and maintains tube positioning during the connection process, making the actual connection operation easier and more reliable without requiring complex positioning mechanisms.
4Ease of manufacture
If protective members are made from single piece plastic, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but structural robustness may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
While the protective member is made from a single piece of plastic material for manufacturing simplicity, the design incorporates reinforcement elements and optimized wall thickness distributions to maintain structural robustness. The plastic material is selected and configured to provide sufficient strength for containing fluid leaks and supporting the tube connections.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a protective member (10) for a manifold (2) of a heat exchanger of a motor vehicle air conditioning unit, said exchanger being, for example, an evaporator of the air conditioning unit, said protective member comprising a wall (30) arranged to at least partially surround the manifold to be protected, said protective member forming a wall portion (27) of an air channel inside the air conditioning unit.