Abstract: A heat exchanger that a tube member 2' has beads 21 protruded from the face of one plate toward the other plate, tube member 2' is held by block members 31, 31, a forming jig 40 is inserted between medium passages 24, 24 formed by the beads 21 to hold to press the beads 21 at an end 2a of the tube member 2' to mutually adhere the faces of the beads 21 on the outer face of the tube member 2', and recesses formed by the mutually contacted faces of the beads 21, 21 have a cross-sectional area of about 0.2 mm.sup.2 or below. And, a region where the recesses have a cross-sectional area of about 0.2 mm.sup.2 or below is within 10 mm outside header pipes 3, 4.

Abstract: In a flat tube formed by machining a brazing sheet, ridges 12a-12c are formed at each of the opposing flat portions 11a and 11b of the flat tube 4 along the lengthwise direction of the flat tubes so that the ridges contact the inner surfaces of each of the opposite flat portions. The width of the grooves of the ridges 12a-12c formed at the surfaces of the flat portions is set so that it is at the smallest end portions of the flat tubes 4 to achieve flatness at the end portions of the flat tubes 4. The end portions of the fins 5 are bonded at these flattened portions 15 (areas A) formed at the end portions of the flat tubes 4. Header pipes and the flat tubes are thus brazed in a reliable manner while achieving reinforcement of the end portions of the flat tubes to be inserted into insertion holes formed in the header pipes.

Abstract: In a heat exchanger which comprises by alternately laminating a plurality of tubes 2, 2 and fins 3, 3, communicatively connecting a header tank 4 to both ends of the laminated tubes, forming slits 11 at required points in the header tanks, and providing partition plates 9 in the slits to flow a heat-exchanging medium; recesses 12 are formed on the inner faces of the header tanks and near the slits where the partition plates 9 are positioned, and the partition plates 9 are provided with projections 15 to correspond with the recesses 12. Walls 4a, which are crushed when the partition plate 9 is inserted, are formed between the recess 12 and the slit 11.

Abstract: In a laminated heat exchanger in which a heat exchanging medium flows into a specific tank portion via a communicating passage that is connected to a surface that is at a right angle to the direction of the lamination, a reinforced portion is formed in the tank portion that faces opposite the opening portion of communicating passage (communicating pipe). The reinforced portion minimizes the likelihood of a rupture at the shoal-like bead near the communicating passage, which is provided among shoal-like beads formed in an area where the tank portions change to a U-shaped passage portion.

Abstract: An end plate of a tank whose inside is partitioned by a partition has a plurality of insertion holes receiving connecting portions of tube elements. In the end plate, a first projection is distended and formed so as to run through narrow middle portions of the insertion holes, and a fit groove for the partition is formed on the inside of the first projection. Even when a core of the heat exchanger is put sideways on a furnace in a heat brazing method, brazing filler material can easily flow into the gaps between the insertion holes and the tube elements inserted into the insertion holes. As a result, good brazing can be performed.

Abstract: A method of producing heat exchangers that two heat exchangers are produced simultaneously in one assembly line, being provided with a tube element unit having a pair of intake/outlet portions on the both ends thereof, a pair of medium passages communicating between a pair of the intake/outlet portions and a cutting portion in a middle portion thereof, and a pair of tanks arranged on both sides of the tube element units, the tube element units being maintained by the tanks provisionally, after brazing, two heat exchangers being separated by cutting the cutting portion.

Abstract: A method of cutting a flat tube (6) into unit pieces, which includes moving in a transverse direction rotatable disc cutters (12) with knife edges so as to cut the upper and lower walls of a flat tube to form a pair of cutting grooves (15) and fixing the flat tube at a point upstream of the cutting groove while flexing in the vertical direction a length of the flat tube downstream of the cutting grooves to break it off at the cutting grooves, thereby providing a unit piece of a predetermined length.

Abstract: A method of cutting a flat tube (6) into unit pieces, which includes moving in a transverse direction rotatable disc cutters (12) with knife edges so as to cut the upper and lower walls of a flat tube to form a pair of cutting grooves (15) and fixing the flat tube at a point upstream of the cutting groove while flexing in the vertical direction a length of the flat tube downstream of the cutting grooves to break it off at the cutting grooves, thereby providing a unit piece of a predetermined length.

Abstract: The present invention attempts to offer a heat exchanger apparatus capable of absorbing its compression during its soldering and of allowing an easy connection of its intake/outlet pipes to an expansion valve, wherein the expansion valve is mounted, via a joint member, on refrigerant intake/outlet pipes integrally installed on the core of the heat exchanger apparatus, and wherein said joint member has a securing means for securing one of said intake/outlet pipes, and a compression-absorbing means for the other one of said intake/outlet pipes to slide in the stacking direction of said heat exchanger apparatus.

Abstract: A heat-exchanger includes a plurality of stacked tubular elements each having tanks, and passage-forming protrusions defining a passage connecting the tanks, fins interposed between adjacent ones of the tubular elements and contacting the passage-forming protrusions, inlet/outlet units each comprising a barrel-shaped element protruding from and open to the tank of a respective one of the tubular elements, inlet/outlet pipes fitted coaxially in contact with and joined to the barrel-shaped elements, respectively, and a measure (reinforcement) for preventing parts of the barrel-shaped elements from being deformed as the inlet/outlet pipes are fitted to the barrel-shaped elements during the assembly of the heat exchanger to in turn maintain the integrity of the joints between the inlet/outlet units and the inlet/outlet pipes. The reinforcement may include a ring disposed around the barrel-shaped element adjacent an end thereof.

Abstract: A sturdy heat exchanger, having a variable configuration, is constructed by separately building a primary heat exchanger and an auxiliary heat exchanger, connecting the primary heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat exchanger via brackets mounted on the header pipes of the primary heat exchanger and on the auxiliary heat exchanger, and fluid connecting the header pipes via a connecting pipe. On the tops and bottoms of the primary heat exchanger and of the auxiliary heat exchanger, a pair of reinforcing side plates are mounted, and by engaging the opposing reinforcement plates to assemble the primary heat exchanger to the auxiliary heat exchanger, the heat exchanger's sturdiness is further reinforced, thereby preventing the header tanks from deforming the tubes.

Abstract: A condenser for use in an automobile air conditioner, which includes a pair of header pipes (1) each consisting of a tank portion (2) and an end plate (3); a plurality of parallel flat tubes (14) extending between the header pipes for supporting coolant flows; the end plate being continuously outwardly curved and joined to the tank portion such that inside surfaces of opposite joint edges (2a) of the tank portion overlap outside surfaces of opposite joint edges (3a) of the end plate, whereby the tank portion reinforces the end plate to withstand high pressures of the coolant flows. The flat tubes are brazed to the header pipes such that opposite ends of each flat tube are brought so closely to the joint edges that there is only a minimum clearance that is able to prevent brazing material from entering the flat tube, whereby the tank portion is minimized.

Abstract: Here is disclosed a vehicle-loaded heat exchanger comprising a plurality of tubes extending in parallel with one another, an inlet header pipe and an outlet header pipe respectively connected to opposite ends of said tubes, wherein each of the header pipes is longitudinally divided into two components, namely, a tank and an end plate both presenting outwardly swelling walls and the end plate is integrally joined to the tank with opposite joint side edges of the former bearing against the inner surfaces of corresponding opposite joint side edges of the latter. With such heat exchanger, parallel flows of coolant passing through a plurality of tubes are established between the inlet and outlet header pipes and thereby desired heat exchange is obtained.