Integrated bracket for automotive heat exchanger

Abstract

The invention relates to an integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger, in particular for a radiator. The integrated bracket comprising a radiator bracket base (2), having an inner side at which the heat exchange is located and an opposite outer side. The bracket base (2) comprises a base plate (2a) and a supporting plate (1) which are in contact with their surfaces faced to each other and each of the plates (1, 2a) has latching and locking means to engage both plates one to the other. The plate which is selected from said supporting and base plates (1, 2a) and which is located at the outer side of the bracket is provided with at least one ball pin (4) integrally formed with said plate and protruding from said plate at its outer side for fixing the bracket base (2) in a car.

Claims

1. An integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger, comprising: a radiator bracket base, having an inner side at which the heat exchanger is located and an opposite outer side, wherein the radiator bracket base comprises a base plate and a supporting plate which are in contact with surfaces of the base plate and the supporting plate facing each other, and wherein the base plate has a protrusion and a through-hole and the supporting plate has a latch element, at least one slot, and a coupling element for engaging and locking the base plate and the supporting plate together, and wherein one of the base plate and the supporting plate located at the outer side of the bracket is provided with at least one ball pin integrally formed with said one of the base plate and the supporting plate and protruding from said one of the base plate and the supporting plate at an outer side for fixing the bracket base in a car; and an auxiliary mounting arm provided with at least one protrusion, wherein a retaining wall is provided with an additional slot for receiving said at least one protrusion of the auxiliary mounting arm for blocking the bracket.

2. The integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein engaging the plates together comprises: the through-hole and the protrusion formed in said base plate, the latch element formed in the supporting plate, the latch element being provided with a locking element adjusted for latching and blocking inside the through hole of said base plate, the at least one slot formed in the supporting plate and fitted to receive said at least one protrusion of the base plate, and the coupling element formed on the surface of the supporting plate that faces the base plate, said coupling element being adjusted to pass through said through-hole of said base plate and to block said supporting plate with respect to said base plate in a direction perpendicular to the surface of said base plate and the supporting plate.

3. The integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein said through-hole of said base plate is provided with a wide section and a narrow section, and said coupling element has a shape adjusted for passing through said wide section of said hole and for displacing over the narrow section during coupling of the base plate with the supporting plate for blocking said plates together.

4. The integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein a retaining wall is formed on the supporting plate and protrudes towards said base plate and comes into contact with an edge of the base plate after the base plate and the supporting plate are in a coupled position, wherein said retaining wall is provided with at least one slot for receiving said at least one protrusion of the base plate and for blocking the bracket.

5. The integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the supporting plate has a substantially triangular shape, and wherein the at least one ball pin comprises three ball pins which are located close to corners of the substantially triangular shape.

6. The integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said bracket base plate is made of metal.

7. The integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said bracket supporting plate is made by pressure die casting.

8. The integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said supporting plate is made of plastic.

9. The integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein said supporting plate comprising the at least one ball pin, the at least one ball pin comprising three ball pins, the retaining wall and the elastic latch element is formed as one piece by press forming.

10. An integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger, comprising: a radiator bracket base, having an inner side at which the heat exchanger is located and an opposite outer side; wherein the radiator bracket base comprises a base plate and a supporting plate which are in contact with surfaces of the base plate and the supporting plate facing each other, and wherein the base plate has a protrusion and a through-hole and the supporting plate has a latch element, a slot, and a coupling element for engaging and locking the base plate and the supporting plate together, wherein one of the base plate and the supporting plate located at the outer side of the bracket is provided with at least one ball pin integrally formed with said one of the base plate and the supporting plate and protruding from said one of the base plate and the supporting plate at an outer side for fixing the bracket base in a car, wherein said through-hole of said base plate is provided with a wide section and a narrow section, and said coupling element has a shape adjusted for passing through said wide section of said hole and for displacing over the narrow section during coupling of the base plate with the supporting plate for blocking said plates together.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows an integrated bracket according to the invention in a perspective view, after coupling the supporting plate and base plate together;

(2) FIG. 2 shows an integrated bracket according to the invention in a perspective view and in the expanded state;

(3) FIG. 3 shows a resilient latching element in a perspective side view and in an enlarged scale;

(4) FIG. 4 illustrates the supporting plate of the integrated bracket according to the invention in a perspective view from one side;

(5) FIG. 5 illustrates the supporting plate of FIG. 4 in a perspective view from the side of the retaining wall;

(6) FIG. 6 shows the integrated bracket according to the invention in a perspective view from bottom mounted at an automotive radiator;

(7) FIG. 7 illustrates the integrated bracket according to the present invention with the automotive radiator mounted on it, in a perspective view from the side of the retaining wall shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(8) The present invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. This invention may, however, be comprised in many different forms and should not be interpreted as limited to the embodiment shown herein;

(9) As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 the integrated bracket for the vehicle heat exchanger comprises a radiator bracket base 2, which the mounting arm 8 of the bracket is connected to. As best seen in FIG. 2 the radiator bracket base 2 comprises a base plate 2a and the supporting plate 1, which are arranged in contact with each other at their surfaces facing each other upon engagement of the two plates together. A bracket mounting arm 8 may be connected at an angle to the bracket base 2. As a result of such mutual alignment, an area is defined between the mounting arm 8 and the bracket base 2, which area forms the inner side of the bracket, wherein the heat exchanger will be arranged. The supporting plate 1, which is positioned on the outer side of the bracket after coupling both plates, opposite to the inner side thereof, is provided with ball pins 4 integrally formed with said plate. The ball pins 4 are designed for attachment the bracket with the radiator into a car. In a preferred embodiment, there are three ball pins, which will be described hereinafter.

(10) As seen in FIG. 2, a base plate 2 may have a shape similar to rectangle. At its edge opposite to the edge on which a mounting arm 8 is fixed, the base plate 2a is provided with three protrusions 6a, between which three recesses are formed. The central recess is much larger than the other ones. The protrusions 6a are fitted with their shape to be received in the slots 6 formed in a retaining wall 3 of the supporting plate 1.

(11) An auxiliary mounting arm 8a of the bracket provided with a protrusion 6b is indicated in the FIG. 1. The protrusion 6b is designed to additional blocking of the bracket after being placed in a slot formed in the retaining wall 3 of the supporting plate 1. The retaining wall 3 is integrally formed on the supporting plate 1 and it protrudes toward said base plate 2a and is in contact with the edge of the base plate 2a after coupling of the both plates together.

(12) As seen in FIG. 2, a through-hole 7, which can be located approximately in the central part of the base plate 2a, between two protrusions 6a defining the central recess 6a formed on the periphery of the base plate 2a.

(13) The through-hole 7 of the base plate 2a has a widen portion and a narrow portion. As seen in FIG. 2, on the base plate 2a, from the side of the auxiliary arm 8a, the lateral projection 9 is formed.

(14) As it is illustrated in FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 the supporting plate 1 may have a near triangular outline, and it may comprise three ball pins 4 arranged near its corners. The supporting plate 1 is formed with ball pins 4, retaining wall 3 and resilient latching element 5 as one piece by press forming method.

(15) The resilient latching element 5, which is one of the coupling elements for both plates for integrating the bracket base, is best shown in FIG. 3. The latching element 5 is formed in the supporting plate 1 and is provided with a retaining element 12 adapted for snap-locking in the through-hole 7 of the base plate 2a. The latching element 5 is disposed on the supporting plate 1 in a location corresponding to the position of the through-hole 7 of the base plate, while the retaining element 12 is shaped to conform to snap-locking inside the through-hole 7, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. After coupling the base plate 2a to the supporting plate 1, the retaining element 12 has a position locking the supporting plate 1 against movement in relation to the base plate 2a.

(16) On that surface of the supporting plate 1, which faces to the base plate 2a, a coupling element 13 is formed (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 3), the shape of which is adapted to pass through the through-hole 7 of the base plate 2a. The coupling element 13 is also adapted to lock the supporting plate 1 with respect to the base plate 2a in a direction approximately perpendicular to the surface of the base plate 2a and the supporting plate 1.

(17) The coupling element 13 has a shape adjusted for passing through said widen section of said through-hole 7 and for displacing over narrow section during coupling of the base plate 2a to the supporting plate 1 for blocking those plates each other. The coupling element 13 is disposed on the supporting plate 1 in one of its corners and aligned with the latching element 5 and opposite to the retaining element 12. The coupling element 13 protrudes above the surface of the supporting plate 1, and after coupling the two plates together it protrudes above the surface of the integrated bracket according to the invention. The retaining element 13 may have a cuboid-like shape, inside which the ribs are formed.

(18) FIG. 5 shows that the front edge of the base of the supporting plate 1 is formed as a retaining wall 3. The retaining wall 3 comprises a plurality of slots 6 arranged respectively to and fitted to protrusions 6a formed in the base plate 2a of the radiator bracket. The FIG. 1 shows the mutual coupling of protrusions and slots after snap engagement of the two bracket plates to each other. The protrusions 6a of the base plate 2a are inserted into the slots 6 of the supporting plate 1 to provide stiffening to the integrated structure of the bracket.

(19) As apparent from the above description, the means for latched and locked connecting the plates to each other comprises a through-hole 7 formed in the base plate 2a and protrusions 6a formed in said base plate 2a and the resilient latching element 5 formed in the supporting plate 1, which is provided with a retaining element 12 adapted for snap-locking inside the through-hole 7 of the base plate 2a. The slots 6 formed in the supporting plate 1 and adapted to receive one of said protrusions 6a of the base plate 2a as well as the coupling element 13 formed on the surface of the supporting plate facing the base plate 2a forms also the latching means for snap-locking the two plates together.

(20) During assembling of the two plates together in order to form the integrated bracket, the coupling element 13 is initially inserted into the wider part of the through-hole 7, and then, when the supporting plate 1 is moved over the lower surface of the base plate 2a, the coupling element 13 is moved above the surface of the base plate 2a toward the narrower section of the through-hole 7, up to the moment when the retaining element 12 reaches its engaged position in the base plate 2a and protrusions 6a and 6b with the slots 6 are inserted.

(21) As is best seen in FIG. 5, the retaining wall 3 of the supporting plate protruding above the edge of the supporting plate 1 is provided at one end with a support 10 laterally projecting from thereof. Said retaining wall 3 is provided at the opposite end with transverse ribs 11 arranged on the inner side of the bracket. Both the support 10 and the transverse ribs 11 additionally stiffen and reinforce the construction of the supporting plate 1.

(22) As is seen in FIG. 1, a slot 6 for the projection 6a of the auxiliary fixing arm 8a of the radiator bracket is provided on said opposite end of said retaining wall, above the ribs 11. Into said slot said protrusion 6a of the auxiliary arm 8a, corresponding to it, is inserted in order to further block the movement of the base and to ensure the stability and rigidity of the integrated bracket connection.

(23) FIG. 6 shows the integrated bracket according to the invention in a view from bottom. The mutual arrangement between the ball pins 4 and the latching element 5 of the supporting plate 1 is shown in FIG. 6.

(24) FIG. 7 illustrates the integrated bracket according to the invention in a view from the side of the retaining wall 3 with the radiator mounted on it.

(25) According to a preferred embodiment, the base plate 2a of the radiator bracket may be made of metal or other material, depending on the user order. However, the supporting plate 1 coupled to it may be made of plastic.

(26) The supporting plate 1 is formed integrally with ball pins 4 and retaining wall 3 and resilient latching element 5 by press forming method.

(27) The integrated bracket according to the invention may contain other damping means preferably in the form of rubber cushioning elements.

(28) It is obvious that the integrated bracket can additionally comprise mounting means which may be used for assembling of peripheral members such as A/C coolant hoses or oil lines or other components depending on the application.

(29) The integrating operation which integrates the two parts of the integrated bracket is carried out in the following manner. The operator simply presses a supporting plate 1 made of plastic and clamps it on the plate 2a by sliding it over the surface facing towards the surface of the base plate 2a. After sliding the plate 1, it is in the locking position and cannot move because of the latching element 5 formed together with the retaining element 12. When moving the supporting plate, at the same time, as a result of suitable alignment, the protrusions 6a of the metal base plate 2 are received into the slots 6 while the coupling element 13 when moved through the through-hole 7 takes its final position in the narrower section of the through-hole 7. As a result of such operation and the mutual adjustment of the various elements of the bracket, a good mechanical connection between the two parts of the integrated bracket is provided as well as the potential buzzing and compressing between two plates 1 and 2a is minimized. Furthermore, support 10 formed integrally with the supporting plate 1 is used for additional components, such as a coolant hose clamp. Reinforcements by ribs 11 and ribbed coupling element 13 provide good mechanical durability.

(30) The Applicant has conducted a cost simulation, which showed significant savings in material and installation works, which are more simplified by the use of a latching connection and forming the pins as an integrated part of the bracket, in place of the metal pins. In addition, tests have shown a reduction in the level of stress in the attachment and lower frequency noise when mounted on the vehicle.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(31) 1supporting plate 2radiator bracket base 2abase plate 3retaining wall 4ball pin 5elastic latch element 6slot 6a, 6bprojections 7through-hole 8mounting arm 8aauxiliary mounting arm 9lateral projection of the base plate 10support plate 11ribs 12locking element 13coupling element