HEAT EXCHANGER WITH AN INTEGRATED TEMPERATURE CONTROL VALVE AND SIDE-FLOW TUBE ASSEMBLY

Abstract

The heat exchanger with side-sited integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly is involved in a hydrodynamic torque converter. The heat exchanger includes a first liquid-collecting tube and a second liquid-collecting tube with flat tube. The integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly is mounted on the side of the heat exchanger, and includes a temperature control valve and a side-flow tube. The temperature control valve is mounted at the middle of the side-flow tube. The temperature control valve includes a valve body, a valve element, a piston rod, a piston rod seat and a spring, which are applied to the heat exchanger of automobile hydraulic torque converter.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of heat exchangers and in particular to vehicle transmission temperature regulation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The hydraulic torque converter is an automobile transmission gear that uses hydraulic fluid to regulate torque. During operation, the temperature of the hydraulic fluid may rise so as to affect torque transmission and output of the hydraulic torque converter. Therefore, when temperature of the hydraulic fluid rises, it is necessary to transmit the hydraulic fluid to the heat exchanger to decrease hydraulic fluid temperature.

An existing technology for temperature regulation of hydraulic fluid is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,487,826 B2 in which a heat exchanger with a bypass valve for control of dynamic liquid temperature is used. When the temperature of the hydraulic fluid is too low, compared to a preselected set point, the temperature control valve closes an oil flow path so that the hydraulic fluid does not pass through the heat exchanger allowing the temperature of the hydraulic fluid to increase through torque converter operational heating; while when the hydraulic fluid temperature exceeds a preselected threshold, the temperature control valve is activated to open the oil flow path to decrease temperature of the hydraulic fluid through the heat exchanger to maintain a stable hydraulic fluid temperature in the hydraulic torque converter during normal operation. One shortcoming of the existing technology is that the temperature control valve of the heat exchanger is mounted at the middle of the liquid-collecting tube of the heat exchanger and the oil inlet tube seat and outlet tube seat are respectively mounted at the both ends of the liquid-collecting tube. Therefore, it must be fabricated after the liquid-collecting tube is turned off, with more complicated structure, higher requirements for the manufacture process, more operation procedures and higher production cost. Thus, there exists a need for a vibrating massage roller that provides a degree of positional uniformity in vibration along the roller imparted to a subject in contact with the roller.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A heat exchanger is provided with an integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly. The heat exchanger includes a first liquid-collecting tube and a second liquid-collecting tube with a flat tube. The flat tube is mounted between the first liquid-collecting tube and the second liquid-collecting tube to form a liquid passageway. The integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly are mounted on the side of the heat exchanger. The integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly includes a temperature control valve and side-flow tube. The first section of the side-flow tube is connected with one end of the first liquid-collecting tube. The second section of the side-flow tube is collected with one end of the second liquid-collecting. The first liquid-collecting tube is closed with another end of the second liquid-collecting tube. The middle section of the side-flow tube is provided with a separator that separates side-flow tube into two sections. The temperature control valve is mounted at the middle of the side-flow tube. The temperature control valve includes a valve body, valve element, piston rod, piston rod seat and spring. The middle hole of the valve body is divided into three sections i.e. the piston rod seat is mounted in the lower section of the middle hole of the valve body, the lower section of the valve element is mounted at the middle section of the middle hole of the valve body, the upper section of the valve element is mounted in the upper section of the middle hole of the valve body and the spring is mounted between the edge of the valve element and the upper end of the middle section of middle hole of the valve body so that the valve element can radially slide in the middle hole of the valve body. The valve element is provided with inner chamber having a thermosensitive and thermo expansive rubber therein. One end of the piston rod is mounted on the piston rod seat and another end is mounted in the inner chamber of the valve element. The end face is contacted with end face of the thermosensitive rubber so that the piston rod can slide in the inner chamber of the valve element. The valve body is provided with an inlet and outlet. The inlet of the valve body is connected with the dynamic liquid outlet tube of the hydraulic torque converter and connected with second section of the side-flow tube. The outlet of the valve body is connected with the dynamic hydraulic inlet tube of the hydraulic torque converter and connected with the first section of the side-flow tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a particular embodiment of an inventive heat exchanger.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A heat exchanger is applied to automobile hydraulic torque converter that has utility to provide improved operation of the vehicle. The inventive heat exchanger has a side-sited integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly.

It is to be understood that in instances where a range of values are provided that the range is intended to encompass not only the end point values of the range but also intermediate values of the range as explicitly being included within the range and varying by the last significant figure of the range. By way of example, a recited range of from 1 to 4 is intended to include 1-2, 1-3, 2-4, 3-4, and 1-4.

A heat exchanger is provided that includes the side-sited integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly. The heat exchanger includes a first liquid-collecting tube and a second liquid-collecting tube with a flat tube. The flat tube is mounted between the second liquid-collecting tube and second liquid-collecting tube to form a fluid passageway. The integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly is mounted on the side of the heat exchanger, and includes a temperature control valve and a side-flow tube. The second section of the side-flow tube is connected with one end of the second liquid-collecting tube. The second section of the side-flow tube is collected with one end of the second liquid-collecting tube. The second liquid-collecting tube is closed with another end of the second liquid-collecting tube. The middle section of the side-flow tube is provided with a separator which is used to separate it into two sections. The temperature control valve is mounted at the middle of the side-flow tube. The temperature control valve includes a valve body, a valve element, a piston rod, a piston rod seat and a spring. The middle hole of the valve body is divided into three sections i.e. the piston rod seat is mounted in the lower section of the middle hole of the valve body, the lower section of the valve element is mounted at the middle section of the middle hole of the valve body, the upper section of the valve element is mounted at the upper section of the middle hole of the valve body and the spring is mounted between the edge of the valve element and the upper end of the middle section of middle hole of the valve body so that the valve element can radially slide in the middle hole of the valve body. The valve element is provided with an inner chamber mounted with a thermosensitive rubber in it. One end of the piston rod is mounted on the piston rod seat and another end is mounted in the inner chamber of the valve element. Its end face is contacted with end face of the thermosensitive rubber so that the piston rod can slide in the inner chamber of the valve element. The valve body is provided with an inlet and an outlet. The inlet of the valve body is connected with the dynamic liquid outlet tube of the hydraulic torque converter and connected with second section of the side-flow tube. The outlet of the valve body is connected with the dynamic liquid inlet tube of the hydraulic torque converter and connected with the second section of the side-flow tube.

In case temperature of dynamic liquid is low, the thermosensitive rubber in the valve element can sense lower temperature of the dynamic liquid. The volume will become smaller so that the valve element can move down under the action of the spring force to connect the inlet with the outlet of the valve body. In this case, the dynamic liquid in the hydraulic torque converter can pass through the dynamic liquid outlet, valve body inlet and valve body outlet, and return to the hydraulic torque converter through the dynamic liquid inlet tube instead of the heat exchanger to keep lower temperature of the dynamic liquid. In case temperature of the dynamic liquid is high, the thermosensitive rubber of the valve element can sense higher temperature of the dynamic liquid and increase the volume to move the valve element up to close the passageway between the inlet and outlet of the valve body so that the dynamic liquid in the hydraulic torque converter does not need to return through the passageway between the inlet and outlet of the valve body but return into the second liquid-collecting tube from the second section of the side-flow tube and then return to the hydraulic torque converter through the flat tube, second liquid-collecting tube and dynamic liquid inlet tube to keep lower temperature of the dynamic liquid. Thermosensitive rubber has the property of being elastomeric and having a predictable value of linear thermal expansion. Thermosensitive rubbers operative herein illustratively include styrene butadiene rubber, natural rubber, silicone rubber, and combinations thereof.

An exemplary inventive heat exchanger is shown generally at 1 in FIG. 1. The heat exchanger 1 has an integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly 2. The heat exchanger 1 also includes a first liquid-collecting tube 3, second liquid-collecting tube 4 with flat tube 5 providing fluid communication therebetween. The flat tube 5 is mounted between first liquid-collecting tube 3 and second liquid-collecting tube 4 in the heat exchanger 1 to form a liquid passageway. The integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly 2 is mounted on the side of the heat exchanger 1 and is considered part of the heat exchanger. The integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly 2 includes temperature control valve 8 and side-flow tube 6. The first section of the side-flow tube 6 is in fluid communication with one end of the first liquid-collecting tube 3. The second section of the side-flow tube 6 is in fluid communication with one end of the second liquid-collecting tube 4. The middle section of the side-flow tube 6 includes a separator 7 that separates the side-flow tube 6 into two sections that form a flow path as illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 1. The temperature control valve 8 is mounted at the middle of the side-flow tube 6. The temperature control valve 8 includes a valve body 9, a valve element 10, a piston rod 11, a piston rod seat 12 and a spring 13. The hole in the valve body 9 is divided into 3 sections such that the piston rod seat 12 is mounted in the lower section of the hole in the valve body 9, the lower section of the valve element 10 is mounted at the middle section of the hole in the valve body 9, the upper section of the valve element 10 is mounted at the upper section of the valve body 9 and the spring 13 is mounted between the edge of the valve element 10 and the upper end of the middle section of middle hole of the valve body 9 so that the valve element 10 can radially slide in the middle hole of the valve body 9. The valve element 10 is provided with inner chamber 14 of the valve element. The inner chamber 14 is includes a thermosensitive rubber 15 therein. One end of the piston rod 11 is mounted on the piston rod seat 12 and another, opposing end of piston rod seat 12 is mounted in the inner chamber 14 of the valve element. An end surface of the piston rod 11 is proximal to the thermosensitive rubber 15 and at a pre-selected temperature causing expansion of the rubber 15, the piston rod 11 is urged to slide in the inner chamber 14 of the valve element 10. The valve body 9 is provided with an inlet 16 and outlet 17. The inlet 16 of the valve body 9 is in fluid communication with the hydraulic liquid outlet tube 18 of the hydraulic torque converter and also in fluid communication with a second section of the side-flow tube 6, as being on the other side of separator 7. The outlet 17 of the valve body is in fluid communication with the dynamic hydraulic inlet tube 19 of the hydraulic torque converter and connected with the first section of the side-flow tube 6 that is on the other side of separator 7 relative to the second section of side-flow tube 6.

As a function of temperature the thermosensitive rubber 15 expands and urges the piston rod 14 to move until the temperature is such that valve 8 has a portion that moves upward into the central cylindrical hole depicted in FIG. 1 so close the direct linear path between hydraulic liquid outlet tube 18 and hydraulic liquid inlet tube 19 thereby forcing hydraulic fluid having a temperature pre-selected as being hot to travel through the heat exchanger circuitous path through the heat exchanger cooling section as depicted in FIG. 1 by the arrows and including transit through the flat-tube 5.

Patent documents and publications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. These documents and publications are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document or publication was specifically and individually incorporated herein by reference.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred.

Claims

1. The heat exchanger comprising:

side-sited integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly, the assembly having a temperature control valve and a side-flow tube;

a first liquid-collecting tube;

a second liquid-collecting tube forming a closed loop with the first liquid-collecting tube;

a flat tube mounted between the first liquid-collecting tube and the second liquid-collecting tube to form a liquid passageway;

a side-flow tube having a first section in fluid communication with the first liquid-collecting tube and a second section in fluid communication with the second liquid-collecting tube;

a separator in a middle section of the side-flow tube to define a first flow section and a second flow section on opposite sides of the separator;

a temperature control valve mounted in the middle section of the side-flow tube and comprising a valve body, a valve element having an inner chamber, a piston rod, a piston rod seat and a spring;

the valve body defining a hole that is divided into three sections with the piston rod seat mounted in the lower section of the hole, a lower section of the valve element mounted in a middle section of the hole, an upper section of the valve element mounted in an upper section of the hole and the spring mounted between the edge of the valve element and the upper end of the middle section of the hole to allow the valve element to radially slide in the hole;

a thermosensitive rubber in the inner chamber that changes expands as a function of temperature to shunt liquid through the flat tube upon the liquid having a pre-selected temperature.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said thermosensitive rubber is one of styrene butadiene rubber, natural rubber, or silicone rubber.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein one end of the piston rod is mounted on the piston rod seat a second end of the piston rod is mounted in the inner chamber of the valve element, an end face surface of the piston rod seat contacting an end face of the thermosensitive rubber such that the piston rod slides in the inner chamber of the valve element.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 1 further comprising an inlet and an outlet, the inlet connected to the valve body and also in fluid communication with a liquid outlet tube of a hydraulic torque converter and the first flow section of the side-flow tube; the outlet connected to the valve body and also in fluid communication with a hydraulic fluid inlet tube of the hydraulic torque converter and also in fluid communication with the second flow section of the side-flow tube.