Snap Lock A-Frame Heat Exchanger Bracket

Abstract

A heat exchanger assembly comprises a pair of heat exchanger cores, each with a pair of manifold tanks on opposite sides, and a bracket that grips one tank of each heat exchanger core to maintain the gripped tanks adjacent and parallel to one another. The tanks can rotate within the bracket, allowing them to assume a shipping position wherein the cores are adjacent to each other and an operative position wherein the ends of the cores opposite the bracket are spread apart to form an A-frame configuration.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to heat exchanger assemblies, particularly to an A-frame heat exchanger assembly that offers improved packing density and ease of assembly.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Heat exchangers are commonly used in heating, air conditioning, or refrigeration equipment to transfer heat between air and a working fluid. The use of heat exchangers in an A-frame configuration to improve heating or cooling capacity in a given equipment volume is well known. In an A-frame configuration, two generally flat heat exchanger core portions are arranged so that in an edge view the portions resemble a letter “A” (or an inverted “V”), with the portions coming together at the apex and spread apart from each other at the base.

Actual fabrication of such an A-frame structure may be achieved in a number of ways. One approach is to start with a planar heat exchanger core section having a length equal to the entire length of both legs of the A, and bend the section partially upon itself at the apex to form the A shape. A second approach is to fabricate the A-frame structure by brazing two planar core sections at the appropriate angle to a common manifold that forms the apex of the A. A third approach may be to mount two individual planar core sections to a bracket that affixes the sections at the desired angle at the apex using appropriate mounting hardware.

Typically, the heat exchanger is manufactured in one location and shipped to a different location (hereafter referred to as the “customer location”) where it is installed in the heating or cooling equipment. For this reason, it is desirable to maximize the packaging density of the heat exchanger assembly for efficient transport. Each of the aforementioned approaches to forming an A-frame configuration presents challenges to achieving desirable packaging density.

Bending flat sections to form the A-frame requires specialized equipment to bend the core section with an appropriate bend radius to avoid damaging the core. It is generally not economically feasible to install such bending equipment at the customer location. This necessitates bending the heat exchanger core at one location and shipping a preformed A-frame structure, which does not have optimal packaging density, to the customer location.

Forming the A-frame structure by brazing two planar core sections at the appropriate angle to a common manifold that forms the apex of the A would be very difficult to do with a conventional braze oven. This also necessitates fabricating the heat exchanger assembly in a different location and shipping a preformed A-frame structure whose packaging density is not optimal.

Assembling two planar core sections to a bracket that affixes the sections to each other at the desired angle can be done before shipping the assembly to the customer location also results in shipping a pre-formed A-frame structure whose packaging density is not optimal. Alternatively, the core sections, brackets, and required mounting hardware can be assembled at the customer location. While this may improve packaging density for shipping the components, it adds labor at the customer location, as well as complicating supply chain management and inventory control.

What is desired is an A-frame heat exchanger structure that can be packaged efficiently for shipment to a customer location, and then easily deployed to the desired A-frame configuration at the customer location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A heat exchanger assembly comprises a pair of generally rectangular heat exchanger cores. Each core has a pair of opposed, parallel, substantially cylindrical manifold tanks. In a shipping position, the cores are oriented face to face, with the manifold tanks in adjacent, aligned pairs. In an operative position, the cores are oriented in an A-frame configuration with one pair of tanks remaining adjacent at the apex of the A and the other two tanks spread apart at the base of the A.

The heat exchanger assembly additionally comprises a tank attachment bracket at the apex of the A. This bracket has a gripping portion that conforms to a sufficient portion of one pair of tanks to maintain them in the adjacent position during shipping. At least one of the tanks at the apex can rotate within the gripping portion of the bracket as the pair of tanks at the base of the A is spread apart to the operative position.

Further features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on a reading of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which is given by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a heat exchanger assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2A is an end view of a heat exchanger assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention depicted in a shipping position; and

FIG. 2B is an end view of a heat exchanger assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention depicted in an operative position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of this invention, referring to FIG. 1, a heat exchanger assembly 10 is shown in an exploded view. The heat exchanger assembly comprises a pair of generally rectangular heat exchanger cores 12, 14. Each core 12, 14 has a pair of substantially cylindrical manifold tanks 16, 18, 20, 22 on opposite sides. Each manifold tank is in fluid communication with a heat exchanger core. Ports 24, 26 (hidden in FIG. 1), 28, and 30 are disposed on manifolds 16, 18, 20, and 22 to provide a fluid circuit for a working fluid to flow into and out of each heat exchanger core section.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the heat exchanger assembly 10 further comprises a tank attachment bracket 32. The bracket is shown with gripping portions 34, 36, 38, 40 that are adapted to conform to a portion of manifold tanks 16 and 22. In an exemplary embodiment, the bracket 32 is made of a resilient plastic material, and the gripping portions 34, 36, 38, 40 encircle more than 180 degrees of arc length of the cylindrical cross section of manifold tanks 16 and 22, so that the tanks 16, 22 snap into the bracket 32 and are thus retained. One or both of the manifold tanks 16, 22 can rotate within the bracket 32 through a range that includes a shipping position and an operative position. The bracket 32 has a cross sectional shape along its entire length that conforms to a portion of the outside walls of manifold tanks 16 and 22 and closes the space between the manifold tanks. In this manner, the bracket serves as a seal to impede the flow of air through the apex of the A-frame assembly when the assembly is in the operative position.

FIG. 2A shows an end view of the heat exchanger assembly wherein the cores are disposed in the shipping position. In this configuration, the cores 12, 14 are oriented face to face, essentially parallel to each other when the tanks and bracket are viewed end on.

The rotational range of one or both of tanks 16, 22 within the bracket 32 also includes an operative position, as shown in FIG. 2B. In the operative position tanks 18 and 20, which are not retained by the bracket 32, are spread apart to form the desired A-frame configuration.

As shown in detail in FIG. 1A, the bracket 32 also includes projections, shown as tabs 42 and 44. Tank 16 defines a depression, shown as notch 46, and tank 22 defines a depression, shown as notch 48. Projection 42 is sized to engage depression 46, and projection 44 is sized to engage depression 48. The projections and depressions are disposed about the rotational axes of the tanks 16, 22 such that engagement of the projections 42, 44 into the depressions 46, 48 occurs when the tanks 16, 22 are rotated to the operative position as shown in FIG. 2B, and the bracket 32 is slid relative to the tanks 16, 22 to achieve engagement. In this manner, the heat exchanger assembly is maintained in the operative position of FIG. 2B. Additionally, the projections and depressions cooperate to provide tactile feedback when deploying the heat exchange assembly into the operative position. Thus, the proper position can be achieved and recognized without requiring any additional fixturing for the assembly.

In the embodiment previously described, both of the tanks 16 and 22 are rotatable within bracket 32 to allow the assembly to assume a shipping position or alternatively an operative position. In an alternative embodiment of this invention, one of the tanks 16, 22 may be non-rotatably affixed to bracket 32, and the other of tanks 16, 22 may be rotatable through an angular range including both the shipping position and the operative position.

While the manifold tanks 16 and 22 have been previously described as substantially cylindrical, this description is not intended to limit this invention to tanks having a circular cross sectional shape. In the context of this disclosure, the term substantially cylindrical is construed to include non-circular cross sectional shapes, for example elliptical, polygonal, and polygonal with rounded vertices.

In the case of a non-circular cross sectional shape for tanks 16, 22, the radial asymmetry of the cross sectional shape may be used to advantage to urge the tanks into a preferred position. For example, the gripping portion of bracket 32 may be disposed to cooperate with the outer surface of tanks 16, 22 to produce a detent torque that urges the tanks into either the shipping position or the operative position and resists rotation of the tanks out of those preferred positions.

Additionally, it is not necessary to maintain the same cross sectional shape of the tanks 16, 22 over their entire length. It may, for example, be preferable for the tanks 16, 22 to have a polygonal cross sectional shape in the portions where the tanks interface with the gripping portions of bracket 32, and to have a circular cross sectional shape over the remainder of the length of the tanks to conform to the non-gripping portion of the bracket 32, thereby facilitating sealing to impede the flow of air through the apex of the A-frame assembly in the operative position.

While this invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger assembly, comprising:

a pair of generally rectangular heat changer cores, each having a pair of opposed, parallel, substantially cylindrical manifold tanks, said cores having a shipping position in which said cores are oriented face to face, with the manifold tanks in adjacent, aligned pairs, and an operative position, in which said cores are oriented in an A-frame configuration with one pair of tanks remaining adjacent at the apex of the A and the other two tanks spread apart at the base of the A, and,

a tank attachment bracket having a gripping portion that conforms to a sufficient portion of the pair of tanks at the apex to maintain them in the adjacent position during shipping while allowing at least one of the tanks at the apex to rotate within the gripping portion as the pair of tanks at the base of the A is spread apart to the operative position.

2. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 wherein the rotatable tank and the bracket cooperate to produce a detent force resisting rotation of said rotatable tank relative to said bracket when the assembly is in the operative position.

3. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 2 wherein one of the bracket and the rotatable tank defines a depression and the other of the bracket and the rotatable tank includes a projection disposed to engage the depression, said projection and depression cooperating to produce said detent force.

4. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 wherein the bracket conforms to a portion of the gripped tanks to seal against air flow between the gripped tanks at the apex.

5. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 wherein the bracket comprises a plastic material.

6. A method for assembling a heat exchanger assembly comprising the steps of:

providing a pair of generally rectangular heat exchanger cores, each having a pair of opposed, parallel, substantially cylindrical manifold tanks;

providing a tank attachment bracket having a gripping portion that conforms to a sufficient portion of one pair of tanks to snap onto said pair of tanks and that allows rotation of at least one of said pair of tanks within the gripping portion; and

snapping said bracket to said pair of tanks.

7. The method according to claim 6 additionally comprising the step of rotating at least one of said tanks within said bracket to a shipping position wherein said heat exchanger cores are oriented face to face with the manifold tanks in adjacent, aligned pairs.

8. The method according to claim 6 additionally comprising the steps of:

providing a depression in a predetermined location on one of the bracket and the rotatable tank;

providing a projection in a predetermined location disposed to engage the depression on the other of the bracket and the rotatable tank;

rotating at least one of said tanks within said bracket to an operative position wherein said heat exchanger cores are oriented in an A-frame configuration with the tanks that are not retained in the bracket spread apart at the base of the A, and

sliding the bracket relative to one of the tanks to engage the projection into the depression so that the projection and depression cooperate to produce a force resisting rotation of the tank relative to the bracket, thereby maintaining the assembly in the operative position.