With Tube Manifold Patents (Class 165/153)
  • Patent number: 6032729
    Abstract: In a laminated heat exchanger, an intake portion and an outlet portion for heat exchanging medium are provided at one end portion in the direction of lamination. The intake portion is made to communicate with a most upstream pass distance from the one end portion in the direction of lamination via a communicating pipe, and the outlet portion is made to communicate with the most downstream pass at one end portion in the direction of lamination. The communicating pipe is further made to communicate with an odd-numbered pass in the vicinity where the odd-numbered pass changes from the even-numbered pass that immediately precedes it. In addition, the intake portion at one end portion in the direction of lamination is made to communicate with the pass immediately preceding the most downstream pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nishishita, Muneo Sakurada, Seiji Inoue
  • Patent number: 6019169
    Abstract: Finned-tube blocks of charge air coolers of stacked construction are provided with end strips forming a tube bottom. Side surfaces of the end strips adjoining the coolant ducts are configured as exterior surfaces of lips projecting in a direction of the corrugated fins, the tips of these lips not touching the corrugated fins. The end strip cross-section, however, uniformly increases toward the side facing away from the corrugated fins. This further development leads to a considerable reduction of thermal induced tension peaks and therefore contributes to lengthening the useful life of charge air coolers provided with such finned-tube blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Behr Industrietechnik GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Ruppel, Gunther Schmalzried
  • Patent number: 6012511
    Abstract: A plurality of tubes (3) for flowing a heat transfer tedium, a plurality of fins (4), and tanks (1) connected to the tubes (3) is provisionally assembled. Each of the tubes (3) comprises a pair of formed plates (3a, 3b) coupled to each other. Each of the formed plates (3a, 3b) has a peripheral portion (20) and a plurality of protrusions (14) formed on an inside thereof and having through-holes in top ends thereof. The outer surface of the provisional assembly is coated with a noncorrosive flux (40) in an amount rate of 3 g/m.sup.2 or more on the base of the total area of the outer surfaces and inner surfaces of the tanks, fins and tubes. Then, the provisional assembly is subjected to a brazing treatment. The noncorrosive flux (40) is melted and flows to penetrate into the inside of the tubes (3) through the through-holes (45, 18a) to bond the paired formed plates to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiharu Shinmura, Kazuhiko Suto, Kiyohito Hosoi
  • Patent number: 6012512
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for a motor vehicle includes a fin/tube block with flat tubes which are provided on opposite sides with tube ends. The tube ends are widened such that transversely extending, mutually adjacent wall sections of the tube ends flatly adjoin one another and the tube ends of a row are aligned with one another. One flow box is placed on the tube ends on each side of the fin/tube block. Each of the flow boxes ends flush with corresponding longitudinally extending wall sections of the tube ends. The transversely extending, mutually adjacent wall sections of the tube ends adjoin one another in a form-locking manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Franco Ghiani
  • Patent number: 6000461
    Abstract: A heat exchanger (10) assembly with a first header (12), a second header (14), a plurality of seamed or folded type heat exchanger tubes (18) extending between the two headers (12, 14), and a plurality of heat exchanger fins (16). Each of the plurality of fins (16) has between 0.01% and 0.9% magnesium to improve the braze between the header (12, 14) and tube joint and the tube seam to inner surface joint (140). Additionally, the headers (12, 14) have a cladded inner surface with between about 0% to about 12.6% silicon to improve the braze at the tube-to-header joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Livernois Research and Development Co.
    Inventors: Gary R. Ross, James R. Bacoccini
  • Patent number: 5996633
    Abstract: Heat-exchanging conduit tubes for a laminated heat exchanger made of aluminum material containing aluminum alloy having a brazing material claded and formed by folding one plate or overlaying two plates and brazing to connect edge joints of the folded plate or the overlaid plates, wherein the folded plate or the overlaid plates have projections protruded from one or both faces of the opposed plates toward the other plate, the projections are joined in contact with a flat face of the other plate or the projections of the other plate, and the edge joints of the folded plate or the overlaid plates are joined, and the height of the edge joint of the each plate is smaller than those of the projections. Thus, the heat-exchanging conduit tubes can be securely brazed to provide flat tubes having a satisfactory pressure resistance, and a method for producing them can be attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Soichi Kato
  • Patent number: 5988270
    Abstract: A plate type heat exchanger, which may for example be an evaporator for a motor vehicle air conditioning installation, comprises a stack of hollow plates with a pipe connector interposed in the stack. The flow circuit in which the heat exchanger is inserted includes a fluid flow tube coupled to the pipe connection of the heat exchanger by means of a coupling device which includes a clamping ring. This coupling device includes an intermediate sleeve having a cylindrical portion fitted intimately around a cylindrical end portion of the pipe connection, together with another cylindrical portion which serves in effect as an extension of the cylindrical end portion. The clamping ring is engaged around the outer cylindrical portion of the sleeve, so as to clamp the latter around the end of the fluid flow tube, the latter having previously been introduced into the sleeve and the end portion of the pipe connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Valeo Climatisation
    Inventor: Christophe Chevallier
  • Patent number: 5984000
    Abstract: A layered heat exchanger for use as a motor vehicle air conditioner evaporator comprises pairs of generally rectangular adjacent plates, which are joined together in layers with the corresponding recesses of the plates in each pair opposed to each other to thereby form juxtaposed flat tubes each having a U-shaped fluid channel, and front and rear headers in communication respectively with opposite ends of each flat tube. The turn portion of U-shaped fluid channel of the flat tube has a fluid mixing portion comprising many small projections, and a rectifying portion comprising parallel long projections along a flow of fluid. The channel turn portion rectifies the flow of fluid and mixes the fluid at the same time, permitting the fluid to flow through the turn portion smoothly to result in a diminished fluid pressure loss, an improved heat transfer coefficient and improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Showa Aluminum Corporation
    Inventors: Jumpei Nakamura, Hiroki Shibata, Keiji Yamazaki, Tatsuya Hanafusa, Nobuaki Go
  • Patent number: 5983999
    Abstract: A laminated heat exchanger including an inlet header having refrigerant passages therein through which a refrigerant to be cooled is fed, an outlet header having refrigerant passages therein through which the cooled refrigerant is discharged, a radiating laminated structure located between the inlet header and the outlet header, the radiating laminated structure being formed by alternately arranging a plurality of refrigerant tubes and fins in layers, each of the refrigerant tubes having a tank section for storing a refrigerant and a passage section in which the refrigerant stored in the tank section is circulated, and a distributing member located in at least one of the refrigerant passages of the inlet header and the outlet header and used to regulate a flow of the refrigerant in the tank section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd
    Inventors: Akihiro Ito, Masateru Hayashi, Kazuhiro Tomimasu, Souichiro Umazume, Hideo Kanno, Kouji Fujita
  • Patent number: 5983992
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for transferring heat between an external fluid and an internal fluid includes two or more heat exchange cells, each heat exchange cell having a top plate with an inlet aperture at one end thereof and an outlet aperture at the other end thereof, the top plate including a first surface, a second surface and peripheral edges. The heat exchange cell also includes a bottom plate juxtaposed with the top plate, the bottom plate having an inlet aperture at one end thereof and an outlet aperture at the other end thereof. The bottom plate includes a first surface, a second surface and peripheral edges. The peripheral edges of the top and bottom plates are attached to one another, the second surfaces of the top and bottom plates confronting one another and the inlet and outlet apertures of the top and bottom plates being in substantial alignment with one another. The attached top and bottom plates define a high pressure chamber between the second surfaces thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignees: Northern Research, Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Child, James B. Kesseli, James S. Nash
  • Patent number: 5979544
    Abstract: In a heat exchanger formed by laminating tube elements alternately with fins over a plurality of levels, a plurality of beads are formed in each of tube elements provided with intake/outlet portions in the areas where the tank portions change to a passage portion. The width of these beads are set to be larger than the beads in other tube elements so as to constrict the passage cross section. In addition, the areas of the communicating holes formed in tank portions away from the intake/outlet portion through which the heat exchanging medium flows in are made smaller than the areas of the communicating holes formed in tank portions near the intake/outlet portion. The centers of the communicating holes in the tank portions further away from the intake/outlet portion are located further downward than the centers of the communicating holes in the tank portions provided closer to the intake/outlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Seiji Inoue
  • Patent number: 5979542
    Abstract: In order to improve the anticorrosion properties of a flat plate or an intake/outlet passage plate provided at an outermost end in the direction of lamination in a laminated heat exchanger, a sacrificial layer, whose electrical potential is lower than the electrical potential of the core material, is provided at the outer surface of the flat plate or the intake/outlet passage plate located at the outermost end of the laminated heat exchanger in the direction of lamination. The above arrangement prevents corrosion of the core material through sacrificial corrosion of the sacrificial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corportion
    Inventors: Seiji Inoue, Kunihiko Nishishita, Fumio Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 5979547
    Abstract: In a distribution device (1) including a distribution tank (3) supplied with a mixed-phase medium consisting essentially of a gas-phase medium and a liquid-phase medium, and a plurality of distribution paths (4), each of which has a medium inlet port and a medium outlet port coupled to the distribution tank and a heat exchanger, respectively, and which are for directing the mixed-phase medium from the distribution tank to the heat exchanger, the medium inlet ports of the plurality of distribution paths are coupled to the distribution tank substantially along an equal void ratio line defined by connecting those points of the distribution tank which are equal in a void ratio to each other, where the void ratio is defined as a ratio of the volume of the gas-phase medium to the volume of both the gas-phase medium and the liquid-phase medium. Typically, the medium outlet ports of the distribution paths are coupled to a plurality of exchanger tubes of the heat exchanger, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiharu Shinmura, Tomohiro Chiba
  • Patent number: 5971065
    Abstract: A plate heat exchanger, which comprises a stack of heat transfer plates (2A; 2B) and is intended for evaporation of a liquid, e.g. refrigerant, has an inlet channel (17A; 17B) for said liquid extending through the plate stack and a separate distribution channel (18A; 18B) also extending through the plate stack. Through first passages (25A; 25B) formed by the heat transfer plates (2A; 2B) the inlet channel (17A; 17B) communicates with the distribution channel (18A; 18B), and through second passages (26A; 26B) also formed by the heat transfer plates (2A; 2B) the distribution channel (18A; 18B) communicates with evaporation flow paths (13A; 13B) defined in alternate plate interspaces between the heat transfer plates (2A; 2B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Alfa Laval AB
    Inventors: Klas Bertilson, Alvaro Zorzin
  • Patent number: 5964282
    Abstract: A mounting or end bracket is disclosed for producing plate and fin heat exchangers of the type having a plurality of stacked, hollow plate pairs or tubes including mating end bosses having communicating openings formed therein to form a manifold for the flow of fluid through the plate pairs or tubes. Fins are located between and at the top end bottom of the stacked plate pairs or tubes extending between the end bosses. End fittings are used for the inlet and outlet of fluid to the plate pairs or tubes. The mounting brackets allow the end fittings to be positioned where desired to define different flow circuits through the plate pairs, and also allow different size end fittings to be used, without having to use special spacers, different size fins or specially shaped plates to accommodate the different end fittings. The mounting brackets have a planar central portion and opposed offset end portions located in a plane parallel to and spaced from the central portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Long Manufacturing Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas F. Seiler, Peter Zurawel, Dan Constantin Stefanoiu, Brian Alwyn Anthony
  • Patent number: 5964281
    Abstract: The lack of flexibility in selecting locations for inlets or outlets or crossovers for a heat exchange fluid in a heat exchanger can be minimized in a heat exchanger construction including first and second spaced, generally parallel, tubular headers (10), (12) having opposed ends with a plurality of tubes (20) in parallel and spaced from one another which extend between and have their ends in fluid communication with the interior of the headers (10), (12). An adapter in fluid communication with the interior of the headers (10), (12) is fixed to the exterior of the heat exchanger to place the heat exchanger in communication with fluid conduits that may be disposed in a variety of locations in relation to the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Mark G. Voss, Dennis C. Granetzke
  • Patent number: 5956846
    Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly with a first header, a second header, a plurality of seamed or folded type heat exchanger tubes extending between the two headers, and a plurality of heat exchanger fins. Each of the plurality of fins has between 0.01% and 0.9% magnesium to improve the braze between the header and tube joint and the tube seam to inner surface joint. Additionally, the headers have a cladded inner surface with between about 0% to about 12.6% silicon to improve the braze at the tube-to-header joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Livernois Research & Development Co.
    Inventors: Gary R. Ross, James R. Bacoccini
  • Patent number: 5947196
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a pair of manifolds, each of which has a plurality of axially spaced oblong slots. A plurality of generally flat tubes extends between the manifolds and individually through the slots for providing fluid communication between the manifolds. A plurality of radiation fins extends between adjacent flat tubes. At least one of the manifolds comprises a single formed rectangular sheet member having a seam formed from connection portions on each side edge of the sheet member. Each of the side edge connection portions includes an interlocking formation of tabs and recesses, at least some of the tabs deformed as the side edge connection portions engage each other in the circumferential direction. The interlocking formation provides an interconnection which is easier to form and after brazing less subject to burst when under pressure. End caps are provided on each end of the manifold, which include a concave shape which assists in holding the end caps in place when the manifold is pressurized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: S & Z Tool & Die Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Immanuel Halm, Frank E. Tegel
  • Patent number: 5947190
    Abstract: A heater core mounting structure 20 for mounting any one of multiple stacked-plate heater cores 3A of different thickness in a heater case 2 without modification of the heater case 2 comprises a spacer 21 provided with engagement portions 26 configured to engage end portions 5A of the heater core 3A. The heating core mounting structure 20 enables mounting of different sized heater cores 3A at low cost, prevents shift of the stacked plates 5 during mounting, and protects the stacked end portions 5A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Murase, Yutaka Shichiken
  • Patent number: 5937935
    Abstract: A method for forming a heat exchanger is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming a plurality of generally planar plate members from a sheet of material, each of the plate members being connected to an adjacent plate member by a deformable link. The method further includes forming a plurality of tube members by folding the plurality of plate members at the deformable links, inserting a fin member between adjacent tube members, and compressing the plurality of tube members and fin members under a predetermined load to form a heat exchanger core. The method also includes the steps of bending the folded deformable links against the core and brazing the core at a predetermined temperature. A heat exchanger manufactured according to this method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Carl Eckardt Schornhorst, Gerald Joseph Selm, Kevin Bennett Wise
  • Patent number: 5934365
    Abstract: A heat exchanger having a plurality of elongated, generally flat tubes is disclosed, each tube including a planar base, a top, and pair of arcuate opposed side portions interposed between the base and the top is disclosed. A partition extends from the top to the base to define a pair of fluid passageways, the partition including a pair of opposing, contacting shoulder portions and a leg portion depending from each of the shoulder portions which contact the base. A first braze receiving of predetermined size is defined between the shoulder portions and the manifold of the heat exchanger. The size of the braze receiving area is controlled by minimizing the curvature of the shoulder portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Eugene E. Rhodes, Greg Whitlow, Wen Fei Yu
  • Patent number: 5934367
    Abstract: A two path flow, laminated-type heat exchanger for an automotive refrigerant circuit includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes, a plurality of fins, and a tank. The tank is divided into three chambers. The second and third chambers are in fluid communication with the heat transfer tubes, each of which tubes has an interior U-shaped flow path. A plurality of holes of different radii or one diamond-shaped hole or a wall dividing the first chamber into two sub-chambers may be provided between the first chamber and the second chamber. The fluid enters through an inlet orifice and flows into the first chamber. Imbalances in the fluid's mass-flow rate along the length of the tank are leveled as the fluid passes from the first chamber to the second chamber. The fluid now possessing a leveled mass-flow rate enters the heat transfer tubes. Thus, the fluid in every heat transfer tube is leveled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiharu Shimmura, Tomohiro Chiba, Kazuki Hosoya
  • Patent number: 5931225
    Abstract: In a laminated heat exchanger, an intake portion and an outlet portion for heat exchanging medium are provided at one end portion in the direction of lamination. The intake portion is made to communicate with a most upstream pass distance from the one end portion in the direction of lamination via a communicating pipe, and the outlet portion is made to communicate with the most downstream pass at one end portion in the direction of lamination. The communicating pipe is further made to communicate with an odd-numbered pass in the vicinity where the odd-numbered pass changes from the even-numbered pass that immediately precedes it. In addition, the intake portion at one end portion in the direction of lamination is made to communicate with the pass immediately preceding the most downstream pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nishishita, Muneo Sakurada, Seiji Inoue
  • Patent number: 5931221
    Abstract: In order to achieve an improvement in the recyclability of a heat exchanger by mounting a seal material for sealing the gap between the heat exchanger and the case in which the heat exchanger is mounted without using an adhesive or the like at the heat exchanger and thus facilitating the removal of the seal material, an arrangement for mounting the seal material is provided at a specific position at an external circumferential portion of the heat exchanger. For instance, a guide is provided by inwardly bending the central portion in the direction of airflow of each of the projecting pieces formed at the tube elements at one end in a lengthwise direction or by cutting and raising the central portion perpendicularly. A pair of retaining portions are formed at specific positions at an external circumferential portion located at the sides of the heat exchanger relative to the direction of airflow to hold the two ends of the seal material with the pair of retaining portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Inoue, Kunihiko Nishishita, Fumio Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 5931224
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for use as an evaporator in a motor vehicle air conditioning system comprises a multiplicity of plates stacked in pairs and defining within each pair a flow chamber for a first fluid. Between each pair of plates and the next is a flow passage for a second fluid. Each plate has a bent-back edge portion or plate foot which extends at right angles to the main part of the plate. Each plate foot abuts against a similar plate foot of an adjacent plate, while leaving an area free to define at least one drain passage through the bottom of the heat exchanger which is formed by the overlapping plate feet. Water condensing from the air passed through the evaporator is drained through these drain passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Valeo Climatisation
    Inventor: Christophe Chevallier
  • Patent number: 5918664
    Abstract: In a refrigerant evaporator constructed by laminating a plurality of tubes in which an inlet side refrigerant passage and an outlet side refrigerant passage are formed, a connecting member which sets a position of the adjacent tubes is provided. The connecting member is formed at inlet tank portions of the tube through which the refrigerant having a lower dryness is small flows. Thus, the adjacent tubes are connected firmly, and pressure loss of the refrigerant is decreased at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Eiichi Torigoe
  • Patent number: 5909766
    Abstract: A heat exchanger has a plurality of tubes and tank portions formed by a plurality of first thin plates laminated and connected to each other, and a plurality of covering members formed by a plurality of second thin plates laminated and connected to each other. The covering members cover the tubes and the tank portions while forming a plurality of openings therebetween. Each of the first thin plates has a communication hole so that each of the openings communicates with each other. An electromagnetic valve is disposed in the heat exchanger to control a communication between the opening and an outer space of the heat exchanger. Thus, when any one of the tubes and the tank portions cracks and leaks refrigerant flowing therethrough, refrigerant is collected into the openings and is accurately rapidly discharged to the outer space by an opening operation of the electromagnetic valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Kobayashi, Ken Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5908070
    Abstract: In order to achieve an improvement in productivity and a reduction in production costs, tubes are formed using brazing sheet while eliminating the problems normally associated with forming tubes from a brazing sheet. In each of the tube elements formed from a brazing sheet, at least one ridge projects out from a surface that is in contact with a fin toward the other surface that is in contact with a fin at the opposite side is formed, thereby achieving an improvement in the pressure withstand performance of the tube elements and in the heat exchanging rate. In addition, flat portions where no ridges are formed are provided at the two ends of each tube element to facilitate the work of mounting the tube elements. Moreover, the distance between the header pipes and the ridge end portions is set within a range of 2 mm to 10 mm, in order to ensure good balance between the pressure withstand performance and effective brazing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Kato, Shoji Akiyama
  • Patent number: 5906237
    Abstract: In a refrigerant evaporator constructed by a plurality of heat-exchanging units, a bypass passage to bypass at least one of the plurality of heat-exchanging units is provided, and the refrigerant passage area thereof is set to be less than that of a refrigerant passage in the heat exchanging units. Thus, a part of the liquid refrigerant can bypass the heat-exchanging units, and the liquid refrigerant quickly flows out of the evaporator, thereby shortening the time for returning the liquid refrigerant to the compressor right after the refrigerating cycle starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Yasukazu Aikawa
  • Patent number: 5901784
    Abstract: A heat exchanger, especially a heating or cooling radiator for a motor vehicle, has a tube bundle consisting of oval or oblong tubes which extend through a matrix of cooling fins. End portions of the tubes are introduced into holes in a header plate, with a compressible sealing gasket being interposed, the gasket having collar portions surrounding the tube end portions, and the latter having an oval or oblong cross section. The major axis of each tube end is equal to the major axis of the body of the tube, while the minor axis of the tube end is greater than the minor axis of the body of the tube as a result of the tube having been expanded or flared during the assembly of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Valeo Thermique Moteur
    Inventor: Michel Potier
  • Patent number: 5901785
    Abstract: In a heat exchanger (1) including first through M-th tube groups, each tube group comprising at least one exchanger tube (10), and a distribution device (3) which has a distribution tank (30) supplied with a medium and first through M-th distribution paths (31, 32, and 33) for directing the medium from the distribution tank to the first through the M-th tube groups, respectively, medium inlet ports of the first through the M-th distribution paths are coupled to first through M-th regions of the distribution tank that have first through M-th void ratios different to each other. Medium outlet ports of the first through the M-th distribution paths are coupled to the exchanger tubes of the first through the M-th tube groups, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Chiba, Toshiharu Shinmura
  • Patent number: 5896916
    Abstract: In a heat exchanger made of stacked tubular elements, the tubular elements are formed from pressed plates bearing on one another. The plates enclose between them a cavity which is connected via corresponding orifices to the cavity of the tubular element adjacent in each case. In order to fix the stacked plates in their position and reliably prevent slipping along the tubular element plane, all the plates of the heat exchanger are provided with a congruent fixing orifice, into which a fixing rod can be inserted. A method for manufacturing the heat exchanger is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Behr Gmbh & Co.
    Inventors: Thomas Baechner, Josef Kreutzer, Christoph Walter
  • Patent number: 5896923
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes first and second header tanks and a plurality of flat tubes disposed therebetween. Each of the first and second header tanks is formed by connecting first and second groove members. The first groove member includes a main wall portion and a side wall portion to have a U-shaped cross-section. A plurality of tube-insertion holes are provided in the first groove member, and the tube-insertion holes extend from the main wall portion until an intermediate position of the side wall portion. The flat tubes are attached to the first and second header tanks by inserting both ends of each flat tube into the tube-insertion holes until the intermediate position. Further, a width of the first groove member in a width direction is set to be equal to each width of the flat tubes. As a result, the sizes of the first and second header tanks are reduced relative to the flat tubes, and the heat exchanger has downsized header tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Norimasa Baba
  • Patent number: 5893412
    Abstract: In order to prevent a communicating pipe from becoming damaged by water (in particular drain water) collecting in the gap formed between the tube element at one end of a heat exchanger that is constituted of a flat plate and a formed plate and the communicating pipe through defective brazing and repeatedly freezing and melting, a flange (32) and a bonding margin (11) continuous to the flange (32) are notched off over almost the entire circumference at the center on the inside of an indented portion (9) in a formed plate (16) which, together with a flat plate (15), constitutes a tube element (3b). Thus, while the communicating pipe (27) comes in contact with the internal surface of a flange (29) of a pipe connection hole (28) of the flat plate (15), it does not come in contact with the formed plate (16), thereby forming a gap bounded by the flat plate (15), the formed plate (16) and the communicating pipe (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nishishita, Seiji Inoue, Fumio Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 5881456
    Abstract: A header tube for heat exchangers with a tube segment having slots which are perpendicular to the tube axis and spaced in the longitudinal direction and separated by webs, into which hollow flat pipes can be inserted and joined to the contact surface of the respective slot. The webs each have a pair of stampings to strengthen the material on each side of each web and the webs are shaped largely flat such that the cross-section of the tube segment has a largely D-shaped profile. A method of manufacturing the header tubes is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: ARUP Alu-Rohr und Profil GmbH
    Inventors: Michael E. Bergins, Peter Brede
  • Patent number: 5881803
    Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises a pair of spaced fittings each having a first opening on one side thereof for communication with a fluid carrying conduit. The fittings are connected to one another by at least one pair of tubes extending from second sides of the fittings in fluid communication with the first openings. The tubes diverge away from one another as they extend from the fittings and may be provided with heat dissipating fins. The tubes are preferably semi-circular in cross-section and in one form of the heat exchanger the tube ends are received by round openings in the fitting. By this construction, the use of header tanks and their associated disadvantages is avoided and a heat exchanger is provided which can withstand high internal pressures and is readily manufactured in a cost effective manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: THMX Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Johnny Jiayan Liu, Gary Johnson
  • Patent number: 5881805
    Abstract: In a laminated heat exchanger constituted by using tube elements each having a heat exchanging medium passage and tanks formed as an integrated unit, the wall surfaces between a plurality of shoal-like beads formed in heat exchanging medium passage of the tube element at the boundary between the heat exchanging medium passage and the tank and between the shoal-like beads and the side edges of the tube element are made to incline to gradually widen in the direction of the lamination as they approach the tanks. With this, the flow area at the boundary between the heat exchanging medium passage and the tank is increased compared to that in a tube element in the prior art, and moreover, since the angle at which heat exchanging medium flows from the tanks into heat exchanging medium passage is wider, the resistance that heat exchanging medium is subject to when it flows from the tanks into heat exchanging medium passage becomes reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Inoue, Kunihiko Nishishita, Fumio Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 5881804
    Abstract: In a laminated heat exchanger, an intake portion and an outlet portion for heat exchanging medium are provided at one end portion in the direction of lamination. The intake portion is made to communicate with a most upstream pass distanced from the one end portion in the direction of lamination via a communicating pipe, and the outlet portion is made to communicate with the most downstream pass at one end portion in the direction of lamination. The communicating pipe is further made to communicate with an odd-numbered pass in the vicinity where the odd-numbered pass changes from the even-numbered pass that immediately precedes it. In addition, the intake portion at one end portion in the direction of lamination is made to communicate with the pass immediately preceding the most downstream pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nishishita, Muneo Sakurada, Seiji Inoue
  • Patent number: 5875834
    Abstract: Baffle inserts or shims are disclosed for controlling the flow circuiting in plate or tube type heat exchangers of the kind having a plurality of stacked, hollow plate pairs or tubes including mating end bosses or areas or spacers having communicating openings formed therein to form a manifold for the flow of fluid through the plate pairs. The baffle inserts are located between preselected adjacent end bosses in the area of the end bosses only, to define different flow circuits through the plate pairs or tubes without having to use specially shaped plates or inserting obstructions into the flow passages inside the plate pairs or tubes. A method of using the baffle inserts is disclosed in which the baffle inserts are inserted during preassembly of the heat exchanger prior to the brazing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Long Manufacturing Ltd.
    Inventor: Sean Terence Brooks
  • Patent number: 5868198
    Abstract: The header pipes 3 and 4 of a heat exchanger 1, wherein each of the header pipes is provided with a plurality of tube insertion holes 9 in a longitudinal direction; the ends of tubes 2 are inserted into the tube insertion holes; the extended portions 3a and 4a respectively include longitudinally extended portions respectively extending from the portion provided with the tube insertion holes; further, the extended portions are provided with the reinforcing beads 13 respectively. The beads 13, each having a width equal to the opening width of each of the tube insertion holes 9, are pitched substantially equally as the tube insertion holes. Further, the header pipes 3 and 4 are formed by shaping a flat-sheet header pipe material H into pipes having a predetermined diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Soichi Kato
  • Patent number: 5865243
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Kato, Takashi Sugita
  • Patent number: 5845706
    Abstract: A heat exchanger has flat tubes arranged in parallel to one another and at a distance from one another. The flat tubes are provided in the area of their ends with connection openings to adjacent flat tubes to avoid difficulties with respect to the tight closing of the open front ends, massive slide-in parts are introduced into the open tube ends. The walls of the flat tubes at least on the narrow sides against the slide-in parts. The slide-in parts therefore act as adapting pieces which determine the final form of the tubes. They cause a tight and pressure-resistant connection after the soldering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Behr GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gruner, Gebhard Schwarz
  • Patent number: 5845701
    Abstract: A fin-tube block for a heat exchanger and method of making same are disclosed. The thermal stress on fin-tube blocks of charge air coolers is considerable in the vicinity of the side parts, which can be attributed among other things to the rapid heating of the fin-shaped corrugated ribs and the comparatively slow warming of the side parts. The outermost corrugated rib layer abutting the side parts, opposite to the charge air flow, is displaced forward over the intake edge of the fin-tube block into the intake area for the charge air formed in the side parts and water tanks. In this way, more rapid heating of the side parts can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Behr Industrietechnik GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Ruppel, Gunther Schmalzried, Rolf Sieber
  • Patent number: 5842515
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a pair of header pipes spaced a predetermined distance away from each other, a plurality of tubes connected between the header pipes for defining flow paths for a heat exchanging medium and a plurality of fins installed between the tubes for radiating heat from the heat exchanging medium. Each of the header pipes includes a flat bottom portion formed with a plurality of apertures for receiving the plurality of tubes, a pair of vertical walls extending from both side ends of the flat bottom portion and having a plurality of grooves corresponding to the apertures for guiding the tubes, and curved portion extended from the walls and forming a hollow inner space by joining both side edges thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corporation
    Inventor: Yong-Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 5832989
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling apparatus using a boiling and condensing refrigerant which can be economically manufactured. Another object is to improve reliability of soldering. A refrigerant tank, on which hot objects to be cooled is mounted, is connected to a radiator for condensing the vaporized refrigerant through a coupler made of two plates bonded together by soldering. The coupler connecting the tank and the radiator can be made easily and economically even if it has a complex shape, because the coupler is composed of two stamped plates. To bond two plates together by soldering process, it is necessary to secure an air-tightness and a high reliability. Improved configurations of the coupler and ways of fastening the two plates effectively are provided in the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Osakabe, Kiyoshi Kawaguchi, Masahiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5826648
    Abstract: A laminated type heat exchanger according to the present invention includes a plurality of metal plates laminated with each other to form a fluid passage and an end plate disposed at an end of the laminated metal plates. The end plate has two protrusions for forming a fluid inlet passage and a fluid outlet passage for the fluid passage, respectively, and a joining portion formed between the two protrusions, for being brazed to the most-sided metal plate. A through hole is formed at the center of the joining portion. Even if there is a defective brazed portion in the joining portion, fluid which flows from the fluid inlet directly into the outlet passages through the defective brazed portion always leaks to the outside from the through hole. As a result, an internal leakage between the fluid inlet and outlet passages can be detected securely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Shimoya, Eiichi Torigoe
  • Patent number: 5826646
    Abstract: A heat exchanger with an improved flat-tubed design is disclosed. The heat exchanger includes plural tubes of relatively flat cross-section in parallel array. Each tube is comprised of relatively flat first and second plates in facing contact. The first plate of each tube has a plurality of first grooves extending at a first oblique angle with respect to a major axis of the corresponding tube. The second plate of each tube has a plurality of second grooves extending at a second oblique angle with respect to the major axis of the corresponding tube, such that the first and second grooves define a cross-hatched pattern of channels to accommodate flow of heat transfer fluid through the corresponding tube. The first grooves are defined by corresponding first ridges on a first major surface of the first plate and the second grooves are defined by corresponding second ridges on a second major surface of the second plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Heatcraft Inc.
    Inventors: Young L. Bae, Michael E. Heidenreich
  • Patent number: 5816320
    Abstract: A fin for a radiator for cooling a fluid, the fin being made from a thin sheet of heat-conductive metal. The fin has many stacked fin elements formed from a single sheet. While the typical radiator fin is formed in a serpentine shape with rounded edges, the fin of the present invention is formed so it has flat edges. This facilitates the attachment of the fin to the tubes and also increases the minimum spacing between the cross-elements of the fin so that the fin is less apt to plug up in addition to being stronger as a result of a large flat bonding area against the tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: J.I.T. Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Allen W. Arnold, Patti A. Arnold, Louie L. Pratt
  • Patent number: 5810077
    Abstract: A layered heat exchanger for use as a motor vehicle air conditioner evaporator comprises pairs of generally rectangular adjacent plates, which are joined together in layers with the corresponding recesses of the plates in each pair opposed to each other to thereby form juxtaposed flat tubes each having a U-shaped fluid channel, and front and rear headers in communication respectively with opposite ends of each flat tube. The turn portion of U-shaped fluid channel of the flat tube has a fluid mixing portion comprising many small projections, and a rectifying portion comprising parallel long projections along a flow of fluid. The channel turn portion rectifies the flow of fluid and mixes the fluid at the same time, permitting the fluid to flow through the turn portion smoothly to result in a diminished fluid pressure loss, an improved heat transfer coefficient and improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Showa Aluminum Corporation
    Inventors: Jumpei Nakamura, Hiroki Shibata, Keiji Yamazaki, Tatsuya Hanafusa, Nobuaki Go
  • Patent number: 5806586
    Abstract: A device is disclosed for distributing a two-phase refrigerating medium mass flow in a plate evaporator (12). The evaporator has a distribution channel (14) at the inlet side which may receive a refrigerating medium mass flow coming from an expansion valve (10) and several mutually spaced exchanger channels (16) which branch off from the distribution channel (14) in a substantially perpendicular direction. In order to ensure a uniform distribution of the refrigerant medium mass flow (28') among the exchanger channels (16), a porous body (38) is arranged in the distribution channel (14) between the refrigerating medium inlet (26) and the branch-off points of the exchanger channels (16). The porous body (38) is advantageously arranged in an outer throttle insert (32) which extends over at least part of the length of the distribution channel and in whose wall are located additional throttle openings (34) that lead to the exchanger channels (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Ernst Flitsch GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Josef Osthues, Manfred Petz, Bernd Zeitvogel