Method for braze-welding a fixing plate and a flow channel cap in a heat exchanger, and heat exchanger produced by same
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method of brazing a fixing plate and a flow channel cap in heat exchangers requires an additional costly and labor-intensive spot-welding process before brazing, increasing manufacturing costs and labor.
Innovation Solution
A method where a fixing plate with resilient protrusions for snap-fitting and an L-shaped flow channel cap with a stepped portion are used to achieve close contact without spot-welding, allowing for direct brazing in a brazing furnace.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spot-welding is performed before brazing to bring the fixing plate and flow channel cap in close contact, then bonding reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost and labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing plate is pre-formed with resilient protrusions that automatically engage with the flow channel cap during assembly, bringing the parts into close contact before brazing without requiring separate spot-welding operations. This preliminary positioning action eliminates the need for additional welding processes while ensuring proper alignment and contact for reliable brazing.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical spot-welding process is replaced with a resilient mechanical interlocking system using protrusions and recesses. The resilient protrusions provide automatic mechanical positioning and contact pressure, substituting the complex spot-welding mechanical system with a simpler elastic deformation-based positioning mechanism that achieves the same close-contact objective without the associated costs and complexity.
2Reliability
If spot-welding is performed before brazing to bring the fixing plate and flow channel cap in close contact, then bonding reliability is improved, but labor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient protrusions are pre-formed on the fixing plate during its manufacturing process, enabling automatic close-contact positioning when the flow channel cap is installed. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for separate spot-welding operations during assembly, reducing labor steps and improving productivity while maintaining bonding reliability through the elastic interlocking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient protrusions automatically perform the positioning and close-contact function that would otherwise require manual spot-welding operations. The elastic deformation of the protrusions provides self-adjusting contact pressure and alignment during assembly, making the system self-positioning and eliminating the need for additional labor-intensive welding operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If spot-welding is performed before brazing to bring the fixing plate and flow channel cap in close contact, then close contact is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The close-contact geometry is pre-built into the fixing plate through resilient protrusions formed during molding or machining. This preliminary geometric preparation ensures that when the flow channel cap is installed, close contact is automatically achieved through the elastic engagement of protrusions and recesses, eliminating the need for additional spot-welding processes and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the protrusions is changed to be resilient (elastic) rather than rigid, allowing them to deform and accommodate minor dimensional variations during assembly. This parameter change enables close contact to be achieved through elastic deformation rather than through complex rigid positioning and welding operations, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining 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 eliminates the need for spot-welding, reducing manufacturing costs and labor while improving productivity by enabling a more efficient brazing process.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of resilient protrusions for snap-fitting is formed at the fixing plate, the flow channel cap has one L-shaped end to come in close contact with the fixing plate by snap-fitting with the resilient protrusion
Implementation Method 2
Brazing is one type of welding that brings two base metals to weld at a high temperature of 500° C. or more in close contact with each other and welds the base metals by supplying a brazing filler metal therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for braze-welding a fixing plate and a flow channel cap in a heat exchanger, and to a heat exchanger produced by same. The method includes: providing a fixing plate 10 having a plurality of resilient protrusions 11 for snap-fitting; providing a flow channel cap 20, one end 22 of which is L-shaped to be snap-fitted onto the resilient protrusion 11 and the other end of which has a stepped portion 21; inserting the stepped portion 21 of the flow channel cap 20 into the resilient protrusion 11 such that an end 21b of the stepped portion 21 contacts an end of the resilient protrusion 11; pressing the L-shaped end 22 of the flow channel cap 20 against the resilient protrusion 11 of the fixing plate 10 such that the L-shaped end 22 is snap-fitted onto the resilient protrusion 11 and thus tightly contacts the fixing plate 10, and the resilient protrusion 11 thus press-contacts the end 21b of the stepped portion 21 to enable an end 21a of the stepped portion 21 to tightly contact the fixing plate 10; and braze-welding the fixing plate 10 and the flow channel cap 20. The above-described method eliminates a spot-welding process which might otherwise be performed prior to the process of braze-welding the fixing plate and the flow channel cap in conventional heat exchangers, to thereby reduce manufacturing costs and labor and to improve productivity.