CONNECTOR AND VEHICLE HEAT EXCHANGER COMPRISING SAME

Abstract

The present invention relates to a connector provided between a condenser and a receiver driver and configured to fixedly couple the condenser and the receiver driver, and a vehicle heat exchanger including the same, and more particularly, to a connector capable of improving weldability between the receiver dryer side and the connector by means of a pipe-shaped clad plate or a ring-shaped clad seating member, and a vehicle heat exchanger including the same.

Claims

1-21. (canceled)

22. A connector, which is provided between a condenser and a receiver dryer, the connector comprising: a body including one surface facing the condenser, and the other surface facing the receiver dryer; a first protruding portion protruding outward from one surface of the body so as to be inserted into a coupling hole of the condenser; and a second protruding portion protruding outward from the other surface of the body so as to be inserted into a coupling hole of the receiver dryer, wherein the second protruding portion is made of a clad material.

23. The connector of claim 22, wherein the second protruding portion is formed by inserting a clad plate having a pipe shape into the other surface of the body.

24. The connector of claim 23, wherein an insertion groove, which is recessed toward the inside of the body, is formed in a central portion of the other surface of the body, and one side of the clad plate is inserted into the insertion groove.

25. The connector of claim 24, wherein a pipe seating groove, which is recessed along a periphery of a bottom surface of the insertion groove, is formed in the bottom surface of the insertion groove so that one end of the clad plate is inserted and seated into the pipe seating groove.

26. The connector of claim 22, wherein the first protruding portion is integrated with the body.

27. The connector of claim 22, wherein an outer diameter of the second protruding portion is smaller than an outer diameter of the first protruding portion.

28. The connector of claim 22, wherein the first and second protruding portions of the connector each protrude in a pipe shape, and a portion between the first and second protruding portions is blocked by the body.

29. The connector of claim 22, wherein the condenser comprises a core part formed by stacking a plurality of flat plates, and one surface of the body is formed to be flat so as to be joined to an outer surface of the core part, wherein the other surface of the body is recessed while corresponding to an outer peripheral surface of the receiver dryer so as to be seated on the outer peripheral surface of the receiver dryer.

30. A vehicle heat exchanger comprising: a condenser; a receiver dryer; and a connector according to claim 22 provided between the condenser and the receiver dryer.

31. A connector, which is provided between a condenser and a receiver dryer, the connector comprising: a body including one surface facing the condenser, and the other surface facing the receiver dryer; a first protruding portion protruding outward from one surface of the body so as to be inserted into a coupling hole of the condenser; a second protruding portion protruding outward from the other surface of the body so as to be inserted into a coupling hole of the receiver dryer; and a ring-shaped seating member provided at the other surface of the body and inserted into an outer side of the second protruding portion so as to surround an outer periphery of the second protruding portion, wherein the seating member is made of a clad material.

32. The connector of claim 31, wherein a seating member seating groove, which is recessed along an outer periphery of the second protruding portion, is formed in the other surface of the body so that the seating member is inserted and seated into the seating member seating groove.

33. The connector of claim 32, wherein one or more through-holes are formed in the seating member, and a protrusion is formed in the seating member seating groove and disposed at a position corresponding to the through-hole.

34. The connector of claim 31, wherein the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion are integrated with the body.

35. The connector of claim 31, wherein an outer diameter of the second protruding portion is smaller than an outer diameter of the first protruding portion.

36. The connector of claim 31, wherein the first and second protruding portions of the connector each protrude in a pipe shape, and a portion between the first and second protruding portions is blocked by the body.

37. The connector of claim 31, wherein the condenser comprises a core part formed by stacking a plurality of flat plates, and one surface of the body is formed to be flat so as to be joined to an outer surface of the core part, wherein the other surface of the body is recessed while corresponding to an outer peripheral surface of the receiver dryer so as to be seated on the outer peripheral surface of the receiver dryer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a condenser in the related art.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a flow of a refrigerant in a condenser illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a transfer connector and a blind connector in the related art.

[0038] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle heat exchanger according to one example of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a vehicle heat exchanger according to another example of the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the vehicle heat exchanger in FIG. 5 when viewed from above.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a blind connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. 7.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 8.

[0044] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of FIG. 9.

[0045] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the blind connector is coupled to peripheral components.

[0046] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a blind connector according to a second example of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 12.

[0048] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of FIG. 12.

[0049] FIG. 15 is an exploded view of FIG. 14.

[0050] FIG. 16 is a side view of a connector in FIG. 5.

[0051] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 16.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SYMBOLS

[0052] 1: Vehicle heat exchanger [0053] 10: Condenser [0054] 10C: Core part [0055] 11: Header tank at one side of condenser [0056] 11H: Coupling hole [0057] 60: Receiver dryer [0058] 60H: Coupling hole [0059] 70: Transfer connector [0060] 80: Blind connector [0061] 80A: Connector according to first example [0062] 80B: Connector according to second example [0063] 100: Body [0064] 120: One surface of body [0065] 130: The other surface of body [0066] 131: Clad plate insertion groove [0067] 132: Pipe seating groove [0068] 135: Seating member seating groove [0069] 136: Protrusion [0070] 200: First protruding portion [0071] 300: Second protruding portion [0072] 300: Clad plate [0073] 400: Seating member [0074] 410: Through-hole

BEST MODE

[0075] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0076] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle heat exchanger according to one example of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a vehicle heat exchanger according to another example of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the vehicle heat exchanger in FIG. 5 when viewed from above. As illustrated in the drawings, a vehicle heat exchanger 1 of the present invention may broadly include a condenser 10, a receiver dryer 60, and connectors 70 and 80 provided between the condenser 10 and the receiver dryer 60.

[0077] The heat exchanger 1 in FIG. 4 is a heat exchanger in which a condenser 10 is configured as an air-cooled condenser in which outside air and a refrigerant exchange heat with each other. The air-cooled condenser may have a structure in which a core part 10C including a plurality of tubes and a plurality of fins is provided at a central portion, and header tanks 11 and 12 are provided at one end or two opposite ends of the core part 10C. Further, the receiver dryer 60 may be connected and fixed to the condenser 10 through the connector 80 and the header tank 11 provided at one side of the core part 10C.

[0078] The heat exchanger 1 in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a heat exchanger in which the condenser 10 is configured as a water-cooled condenser in which a coolant and a refrigerant exchange heat with each other. The water-cooled condenser may have a structure in which a plurality of plates 15 is stacked, and the coolant and the refrigerant alternately flow between the plates 15 while exchanging heat with each other. The plurality of plates 15 may constitute the core part 10C, and a connection plate 16 may be provided outside the core part 10C. Further, the receiver dryer 60 may be connected and fixed to the condenser 10 through the connector 80 and the plate 15 integrated with the core part 10C or a separate connection plate 16 integrated with the core part 10C.

[0079] In this case, the connector 80 of the present invention may be a blind connector having a closed interior. As described above in the background art section, the blind connector may have substantially the same structure as the transfer connector in which a refrigerant may flow. However, the blind connector is partially different from the transfer connector in that a portion between a first protruding portion and a second protruding portion is blocked by a body, and the refrigerant does not flow therebetween.

[0080] Meanwhile, regarding the structure of the connector 80 of the present invention to be described below, there is a difference in that one surface of the connector 80 is coupled to the header tank or coupled to the plate of the core part in a case in which the connector 80 is applied to the air-cooled condenser and a case in which the connector 80 is applied to the water-cooled condenser. Therefore, there may be a difference in that a shape of one surface of the connector is a concavely recessed shape corresponding to an outer peripheral surface of the header tank or a shape of one surface of the connector is a flat shape corresponding to an outer surface of the plate. The other structures may remain the same in the two cases. The further details will be described below.

[0081] Hereinafter, the blind connector 80 of the present invention will be described with reference to specific embodiments.

[0082] First, a blind connector 80A according to a first embodiment will be described.

[0083] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the blind connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. 7, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is an exploded view of FIG. 9. As illustrated in the drawings, the blind connector 80A of the present invention includes a body 100 corresponding to the central portion of the connector, and first and second protruding portions 200 and 300 respectively protruding from two opposite sides of the body.

[0084] The body 100 includes one surface 120 formed to be directed toward the condenser 10, i.e., one surface 120 facing the condenser 10, and the other surface 130 formed to be directed toward the receiver dryer 60, i.e., the other surface facing the receiver dryer 60. The body 100 may have a structure having a closed interior.

[0085] A first protruding portion 200 may be provided at one side of the body 100 and protrude outward from one surface of the body 100 so as to be inserted into a coupling hole of the condenser, more specifically, a coupling hole 11H formed in the header tank 11 at one side in the example in FIG. 4 or a coupling hole (not illustrated) formed in the separate connection plate 16 or the plate integrated with the core part 10C in the example in FIG. 5. In this case, the first protruding portion 200 may be integrated with the body 100.

[0086] A second protruding portion 200 may be provided at the other side of the body 100 and protrude outward from the other surface of the body 100 so as to be inserted into a coupling hole of the receiver dryer, more specifically, a coupling hole 60C formed in the receiver dryer 60 in the example in FIG. 4 or a coupling hole (not illustrated) formed in the receiver dryer 60 in the example in FIG. 5.

[0087] As described above, the first protruding portion 200 formed on the body 100 is inserted into the condenser side coupling hole, and the second protruding portion 300 is inserted into the receiver dryer side coupling hole, such that a distance between the condenser and the receiver dryer may be increased, and the receiver dryer may be fixed to the condenser.

[0088] In this case, in the present invention, the second protruding portion 300 may be made of a clad material.

[0089] As described above, because the receiver dryer is difficult to manufacture by using a clad material because of characteristics thereof, it is necessary to additionally provide a clad material, which is a brazing material, in order to implement brazing coupling between the connector and the receiver dryer. According to the present invention, because the second protruding portion is made of a clad material, welding only needs to be performed without change in the state in which the second protruding portion is inserted into the coupling hole of the receiver dryer. Therefore, the number of assembling processes may be reduced, and the assembling process may be easily performed. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the connector 80 is coupled to peripheral components, i.e., the header tank 10 at one side and the receiver dryer 60 at the other side.

[0090] In this case, the second protruding portion 300 of the present invention may be formed by inserting a clad plate 300 into the other surface of the body 100. Specifically, with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the connector 80A of the present invention may have a structure in which an insertion groove 131, which is recessed toward the inside of the body 100, is formed in a central portion of the other surface 130 of the body 100, and a part of one side of the clad plate 300, which is made of a clad material and has a pipe shape, is inserted into the insertion groove 131 of the body formed as described above.

[0091] In this case, an inner diameter of the insertion groove 131 and an outer diameter of the clad plate 300 are substantially equal to each other so that an inner peripheral surface of the insertion groove 131 and an outer peripheral surface of the clad plate 200 are in contact with each other. Therefore, the clad plate 300 may be fixedly fitted with the insertion groove 131.

[0092] That is, in the case of the blind connector 80A according to the present example, the clad plate 300 is inserted into a side opposite to the first protruding portion 200 in the structure in which the first protruding portion 200 is integrated with the body 100, such that the clad plate 300 may define the second protruding portion 300 of the body 100. In this case, the pipe-shaped clad plate 300 has a structure in which an outer clad is provided on an inner base material, only the outer clad is used as a brazing material, and the base material is used without change when the clad plate 300 is coupled to the receiver dryer 6 by brazing. Therefore, it is possible to solve a problem in which a gap is formed by brazing, and defective coupling occurs between the connector and the receiver dryer.

[0093] Further, with reference back to FIG. 10, the blind connector 80A in the present example may have a pipe seating groove 132 recessed along a periphery of a bottom surface of the insertion groove 131 so that one end of the clad plate 300 is inserted and seated into the bottom surface of the insertion groove 131 of the body 100. A depth of the recessed pipe seating groove 132 may be properly designed in consideration of the structure of the first protruding portion 200 at a side opposite to a thickness of the body 100, and a width from an outer diameter to an inner diameter of the recessed pipe seating groove 132 formed circularly may be substantially equal to a thickness of the clad plate. As the pipe seating groove is provided as described above, the clad plate may be easily inserted and fixed into the insertion groove, and a coupling force between the body and the clad plate may increase.

[0094] With reference back to FIG. 9, in the case of the blind connector 80A of the present example, an outer diameter 300_R of the second protruding portion 300 may be smaller than an outer diameter 200_R of the first protruding portion 200. This may assist in easily distinguishing the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion and preventing the blind connector from being coupled to the condenser and the receiver dryer in a reverse manner. In this case, in case that the second protruding portion 300 is formed by inserting the clad plate 300 into the body 100, an outer diameter of the second protruding portion 300 may correspond to an outer diameter of the clad plate 300.

[0095] In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, in the case of the connector 80A of the present example, the first protruding portion 200 may have a hollow interior and be provided in the form of a pipe having a body side cross-section closed by the body 100. Alternatively, the first protruding portion 200 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having an entirely sold interior. Further, the first protruding portion 200 and the body 100 may be integrally manufactured by means of a single mold. Therefore, the first protruding portion 200 and the body 300 may be made of the same material.

[0096] Next, a blind connector 80B according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0097] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the blind connector according to the second example of the present invention, FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 12, FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of FIG. 12, and FIG. 15 is an exploded view of FIG. 14. As illustrated in the drawings, the connector 80B of the present example includes the body 100 corresponding to the central portion of the connector, and the first and second protruding portion 200 and 300 protruding from two opposite sides of the body. In this case, unlike the first example, the connector 80B may further include a ring-shaped seating member 400 formed to surround an outer periphery of the second protruding portion 300.

[0098] The body 100 is identical to that described above. The first protruding portion 200 and the second protruding portion 300 may respectively protrude outward from one surface 120 and the other surface 130 of the body 100, as described above. However, in the case of the present example, the first protruding portion 200 and the second protruding portion 300 are integrated with the body 100, such that the first protruding portion 200, the body 100, and the second protruding portion 300 may be defined as a single structure. That is, all the first protruding portion 200, the body 100, and the second protruding portion 300 may be integrally manufactured by using a single mold and thus made of the same material.

[0099] As described above, in the structure in which the first protruding portion 200, the body 100, and the second protruding portion 300 of the connector 80B of the present example are integrated as described above, the seating member 400 is inserted into an outer side of the second protruding portion 300. The seating member 400 may have a circular, thin plate-shaped ring shape. The seating member 400 may be configured as a kind of washer. The seating member 400 is inserted into the second protruding portion 300 through a hole formed in a central portion. More specifically, the seating member 400 is inserted into the outer side of the second protruding portion 300 to surround an outer periphery of the second protruding portion 300 and thus provided at the other surface 130 of the body 100.

[0100] In this case, the seating member 400 may be made of a clad material. Therefore, the brazing may be performed between the receiver dryer 6 and the connector 80 of the present invention. That is, in the present invention, the connector itself may have the washer made of a clad material, such that the brazing may be performed on a wide area.

[0101] With reference to FIG. 13, the connector 80B of the present example may have a seating member seating groove 135 recessed along an outer periphery of the second protruding portion 300 so that the seating member 400 is inserted and seated into the other surface 130 of the body 100. The recessed shape of the seating member seating groove 135 may correspond to the shape of the seating member 400. A depth of the recessed seating member seating groove 135 may be approximately half a thickness of the seating member 400. However, the depth of the recessed seating member seating groove is not limited thereto. The depth of the recessed seating member seating groove may be appropriately designed in consideration of the thickness of the seating member 400 and the like.

[0102] With reference to FIGS. 13 to 15, one or more through-holes 410, which are formed through the seating member 400, may be formed in the seating member 400. Protrusions 136, which protrude outward from the seating member seating groove 135, may be formed in the seating member seating groove 135 and disposed at positions corresponding to the through-holes 410. Therefore, when the seating member 400 is seated in the seating member seating groove 135, the protrusion 136 formed on the seating member seating groove 135 may be inserted into the through-hole 410 of the seating member 400.

[0103] As described above, according to the present example, the seating member seating groove 135 is formed at the other surface 130 of the body 100, and the seating member seating groove 135 is fixedly inserted into the seating member 400, such that a fixing force between the seating member and the body may increase. Further, the through-hole 410 formed in the seating member and the protrusion 136 formed on the seating member seating groove 135 are coupled to each other by insertion, such that a fixing force between the seating member and the body may further increase.

[0104] In addition, likewise, even in the present example, an outer diameter of the second protruding portion 300 may be smaller than an outer diameter of the first protruding portion 200 so that the first protruding portion 200 and the second protruding portion 300 are easily distinguished.

[0105] Hereinafter, one surface 120 and the other surface 130 of the body 100 of the connector will be described in more detail.

[0106] The connector in FIGS. 9 and 14 is a connector applied to the heat exchanger in FIG. 4. As illustrated, the condenser 10 is an air-cooled condenser and includes the header tank 11 on at least one side thereof. In this case, one surface 120 of the body 100 of the connector, which faces the condenser, may be recessed while corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the header tank 11 so as to be seated to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the header tank 11. That is, in the case of the present example, one side of the connector 80 is coupled to the header tank 11 having a circular pipe shape. Therefore, one surface 120 of the body may be provided in the form of a groove semi-circularly recessed and having a curvature equal to that of the outer peripheral surface of the header tank 11.

[0107] Alternatively, in the case of the connector applied to the heat exchanger in FIG. 5, one surface 120 of the body 100 of the connector may be formed to be flat. That is, the condenser 10 in FIG. 5 may be a water-cooled condenser and include the core part 10C formed by stacking a plurality of flat plates. In this case, the connection plate 16 or the plate 15 integrated with the core part 10C may be disposed on an outer surface of the core part 10C, and thus the outer surface of the core part 10C may be formed to be flat. Therefore, one surface 120 of the body 100 of connector may be formed to be flat so as to be in close contact with and joined to the outer surface of the core part 10C. FIG. 16 is a side view of a connector in FIG. 5, and FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 16. As illustrated, one surface 120 of the body may have a flat structure.

[0108] With reference to FIGS. 9, 14, and 16 and the like, the other surface 130 of the body 100 of the connector may be recessed while corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the receiver dryer 60 so as to be in close contact with and seated on the outer peripheral surface of the receiver dryer 60. That is, regardless of whether the condenser is the air-cooled condenser or the water-cooled condenser, the other side of the connector is coupled to the receiver dryer 60. Therefore, in the two cases, the structures of the other surface 130 of the body corresponding to the other side of the connector may be identical to each other. More specifically, because the receiver dryer 60 has a circular pipe shape, the other surface 130 of the body may be provided in the form of a groove semi-circularly recessed and having a curvature equal to that of the outer peripheral surface of the receiver dryer 60.

[0109] In this case, regardless of whether the connector is the connector coupled to the header tank or the connector coupled to the plate of the core part, the structures excluding one surface of the body may be identical to the above-mentioned structures. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17, an outer diameter 300R of the second protruding portion may be smaller than an outer diameter 200R of the first protruding portion. Alternatively, although not illustrated, the second protruding portion 300 may be made of a clad material, or the ring-shaped the seating member 400 may, of course, be provided on the second protruding portion 300.

[0110] In addition, the configuration has been described above in which the connector of the present invention is the blind connector. However, the structure of the connector of the present invention may be configured as a transfer connector, in which a refrigerant may flow, by forming a flow path that penetrates the interiors of the pipe-shaped first protruding portion, the second protruding portion, and the body.

[0111] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be carried out in any other specific form without changing the technical spirit or an essential feature thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and do not limit the present invention.