A method and system are described for a refrigerant distributor, and for attaching the distributor tubes to an evaporator coil. A short tube can inserted into the bell end of a tube and the bell end can be crimped around the short tube to lock it into place. The short tube preferably has a bead or widened shaft around which to crimp the bell. The disclosure is particularly beneficial for aluminum based components because aluminum is more susceptible to blockages or leaking due to problems from brazing.

A tank assembly includes a heat exchanger tank and at least one side plate. Each heat exchanger tank includes a pair of foot portions and a pair of top portions. The foot portions are crimped to a corresponding header of a heat exchanger core. The top portions are configured with first engagement elements. The at least one side plate is disposed on at least one side of the heat exchanger core and is configured with second engagement elements. The second engagement elements engage with the corresponding first engagement elements to urge the heat exchanger tank towards the header.

A helical heat exchanger assembly comprises a plurality of helical heat exchangers, each helical heat exchanger comprising a tube having first and second ends, a length, an inner diameter and a cross-section incorporating the inner diameter, a thermally conductive tube insert having a length and an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the tube, the tube insert having first and second ends and comprising a single helix extending along the length of the tube insert and twisted around a central axis. The tube insert is sealed within the tube by sealing an outer edge of the helix to an inner surface of the tube to form fluid-tight first and second fluid flow paths defined between opposing sides of the helix and the inner surface of the tube, respectively. A plurality of inlet and outlet fluid ports are positioned for passage of a first and second fluid into and out of each tube. A first manifold connects each of the first ends of the heat exchanger tubes and a second manifold connects each of the second ends of the heat exchanger tubes, wherein at least one of the first or second manifolds includes baffles to direct fluid flow within the manifold such that at least some of the helical heat exchangers may be arranged in series, or in parallel, within the heat exchanger assembly via the baffles. Each helix has a predetermined pitch which may be less than or greater than the tube inner diameter and defines a length of the first and second fluid flow paths within each heat exchanger tube, wherein the pitch of the helix may be constant or variable along the length of the tube insert.

A tank portion defines a space therein and has an opening on one side. A foot portion is in a plate shape extending radially outward from a bottom end of the tank portion on the one side. A core plate covers the opening and has a base portion and a holder portion. The base portion is in an elongated rectangular plate shape having first and second long lateral sides and a short lateral side. The holder portion includes a first holder at the first long lateral side, a second holder at the second long lateral side, and a third holder at the short lateral side, each gripping the foot portion. All the first holder, the third holder, and the second holder are one piece continuously extending along the first long lateral side, the short lateral side, and the second long lateral side.

A flat tube for a heat exchanger is fabricated from a single sheet of metal material. The sheet of metal material has a first edge and a second edge, which are arranged adjacent to one another between a pair of broad walls of the tube. Flat sections extend from the edges and are disposed against one another. A pair of rounded walls arranged at an end of the tube connect the flat sections to the broad walls, and are joined by a weld bead within a space bounded by the outer surfaces of the rounded walls.

A packing is held between a tank body and a header plate to secure sealing. Therewith, the width in a longer axis direction of an opening of a flat tube is wider and the width of the tank body is relatively narrow, resulting in a compact tank structure. A number of tooth parts protrude from the tank body at regular intervals, a tube end release part is formed between the tooth parts, and a side edge in a longitudinal axis direction of an opening of the flat tube is positioned therein. The tooth part, a flange part, a seal face of the header plate and a peripheral wall form a packing accommodation part, and a tip edge of the tooth part is seated on an edge of a convex part. The packing is arranged between the packing accommodation part and the seal face.

An end tab for a heat exchanger frame includes a plate, an end, an expansion portion, and a bent portion. The plate has a first width, and the end has a second width larger than the first width. The expansion portion increases the width from the first width to the second width. The bent portion connects the plate and the end and includes at least one window.

A riveting structure for a thin heat sink fin and a thin cover plate is disclosed. The riveting structure includes a plurality of thin heat sink fins and a thin cover plate. The top of each thin heat sink fin is provided with a raised portion, the thin cover plate is formed with a plurality of riveting holes, and the raised portion is riveted and fixed to a corresponding one of the riveting holes in a rolling manner by a rolling device, instead of the traditional manual welding method. This improves the assembly efficiency greatly, reduces the labor cost, and reduces the product defect rate effectively.

A heat exchanger for a method vehicle and a method of producing a heat exchanger are disclosed. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger block closed by a side part. The heat exchanger block has a tube bottom including a deformable hook, and the side part includes a tab provided complementary to a corner region of the tube bottom. The tab has a section, that abuts on a front side of the tube bottom, that includes a through opening or depression. A material portion of the hook is displaced through the through opening or depression via a graining in an assembled state, such that the axes of the through opening and the graining are offset and parallel to one another.

A heat exchanger comprising a tank (10) and a collector (30) assembled together, the tank (10) comprising a foot (11) and the collector (30) comprising a foot receiving surface (33), wherein the foot (11) comprises a groove (16) in which a gasket (20) is placed, and which groove (16) is faced by a foot receiving surface (33) so that together they form a closed cavity within the foot (11) defining a compression volume for the gasket (20), and wherein the foot (11) comprises a compression arrangement providing a filling rate of the compressed gasket (20) after assembly less than 100% of the compression volume.