CONDENSER

Abstract

A condenser having a receiver for storing liquid refrigerant, the condenser having a heat exchanger block with at least one manifold and with a tube and fin block, wherein the tubes communicate with the at least one manifold for introducing and releasing refrigerant to or from the heat exchanger block. The receiver is located adjacent to one of the manifolds. The receiver has a tube with at least one open tube end and with at least one disc. The disc is located within the tube at the tube end in order to close the tube end and the disc is fluid tight connected with the tube end by cold metal transfer welding.

Claims

1. A condenser comprising: a receiver for storing liquid refrigerant; a heat exchanger block with at least one manifold; a tube; and a fin block, wherein the tube communicate with the at least one manifold for introducing and releasing refrigerant to or from the heat exchanger block, wherein the receiver is arranged adjacent to one of the manifolds, wherein the receiver has a receiver tube with at least one open tube end and with at least one disc, wherein the disc is arranged within the receiver tube at the tube end to close the tube end, and wherein the disc is fluid tight connected with the tube end by cold metal transfer welding.

2. The condenser according to claim 1, wherein the receiver tube of the receiver has two opposite tube ends, which both are closed by a respective disc, wherein the discs are arranged within the receiver tube at the respective tube end, and wherein the respective disc is connected with the tube end by cold metal transfer welding.

3. The condenser according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of the disc in the plane of the disc corresponds at least substantially to a cross section of the receiver tube at the respective tube end.

4. The condenser according to claim 1, wherein the disc is a flat disc.

5. The condenser according to claim 1, wherein the disc has a basically flat central portion defining a plane and a marginal portion, which is bent in a direction out of the plane of the central portion.

6. The condenser according to claim 5, wherein the marginal portion is angled with respect to the central portion, and wherein the angle between the marginal portion and the plane of the central portion is about 80 to 90.

7. The condenser according to claim 6, wherein the marginal portion is located in parallel with the tube wall of a tube end of the receiver tube.

8. The condenser according to claim 7, wherein the marginal portion is welded to the tube wall by cold metal transfer welding.

9. The condenser according to claim 1, wherein the receiver tube of the receiver is an extruded tube, a welded tube or a deep impact extrusion tube.

10. The condenser according to claim 1, wherein the receiver tube of the receiver is located in parallel to a manifold of the heat exchanger block, wherein a length of the receiver tube of the receiver is shorter or as long as a length of the manifold.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a condenser with a receiver;

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a tube of a receiver in parallel with a manifold of a condenser;

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a disc for closing the end of the tube of the receiver;

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a disc inserted in the end of the tube of the receiver; and

[0025] FIG. 5 shows a sequence of pictures explaining the cold metal transfer welding process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a condenser 1 with a heat exchanger block 2 with tubes 3 and fins 4. The tubes 3 contain flow channels for flow of refrigerant through the tubes 3. Between two adjacent tubes 3 fins 4 are located to increase the heat exchange rate between air passing through the channels between two adjacent tubes 3 and the refrigerant passing through the tubes 3.

[0027] On both sides of the heat exchanger block 2 manifolds 5 are located. The tubes 3 of the heat exchanger block 2 are connected to the manifolds 5 to feed refrigerant from the tubes 3 to the manifolds 5 or to receive refrigerant from the manifolds 5.

[0028] Adjacent to one of the manifolds 5 a liquid receiver 6 is arranged and fluid connected to the manifold 5 to receive refrigerant from the manifold 5 and to feed refrigerant to the manifold 5. Usually between the manifold 5 and the receiver two fluid channels are arranged for flowing refrigerant to the receiver and to release refrigerant out of the receiver to the manifold.

[0029] The receiver 6 is made of a tube 7 which is closed on both tube ends 8, 9. At least one tube end 8, 9 is closed or both tube ends 8, 9 are closed by a disc 10. Maybe one tube end 8, 9 might be closed by a removable plug. Within the volume of the receiver 6 a filter and/or a dryer might be located to filter the refrigerant and to remove water particles out of the refrigerant.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a receiver 6 with a tube 7 and an adjacent located manifold 5. The receiver is arranged in parallel with the manifold and the length of the tube 7 of the receiver is at least almost the length of the manifold. In other embodiments, the tube 7 of the receiver 6 might be longer or even shorter than the length of the manifold 5.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a disc 10, which might be used to close a tube end 8, 9 of the receiver. This disc 10 might be located in the tube end 8, 9 of the tube 7 of the receiver and will be fluid tight connected to the tube 7 of the receiver 6. The disc will be connected by cold metal transfer welding to achieve a secure fastening over life time of the condenser 1 and a fluid tight fastening to close the end 8, 9 of the tube 7 of the receiver 6.

[0032] As can be seen from FIG. 3 the disc 10 has a cross section in the plane of the disc 10 which corresponds at least substantially to the cross section of the tube 7 at the respective tube end 8, 9. This leads to a more secure closing of the tube end since the gap between the disc and the tube wall at the tube end is quite small. This can be seen in FIG. 4 too.

[0033] The disc 10 has a basically flat central portion 11 defining plane and it has a marginal portion 12 which is bent in a direction out of the plane of the central portion 11. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the marginal portion 12 is angled with respect to the central portion 11, wherein the angle between the marginal portion 12 and the plane of the central portion 11 is about 80 to 90, and especially 90.

[0034] According to another embodiment of the invention the disc is a flat disc.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows schematically that the disc is inserted in the tube 7 at its tube end 8. The marginal portion is located adjacent to the wall of the tube 7 at the tube end 8. At the area of the marginal portion 12 and the end 8 of the tube 7, the disc and the tube 7 are connected and the tube is fluid tight closed by cold metal transfer welding. The disc 10 is welded to the tube wall of the tube 7 of the receiver 6. As can be seen, the marginal portion 12 is located in parallel with the tube wall of a tube end 8, 9 of the tube 7. Therefore the marginal portion 12 is welded to the tube wall by cold metal transfer welding.

[0036] The tube 7 of the receiver 6 is according to one embodiment an extruded tube, a welded tube or a deep impact extrusion tube. The tube is preferably made from aluminum or an aluminum alloy or from a stainless steel.

[0037] As can be seen from FIG. 4 the tube 7 of the receiver 6 is located in parallel to a manifold 5 of the heat exchanger block 2, wherein the length of the tube 7 of the receiver 6 is shorter or as long as the length of the manifold 5.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a sequence of four drawings a) to d) to explain the cold metal transfer welding process. In a first step a) a piece welding material 20 will be moved in the direction of the welding partners which should be connected by the process. A light arc 22 is created which melts the material to be welded and creates a melting bath 21 of molten material. In case the welding material 20 hits the melting bath 21, see drawing b), the light arc 22 disappears and the welding current will be reduced by the control of the process. In the next step, please see c), the welding material 20 will be moved backwards and the creation of a material drop 23 at the elements to be welded will be supported. The welding current is still low. Since the welding material 20 no longer contacts the melting bath 21, the welding current will be increased again and a light arc is created again, see d) and the process starts again at a). During this process the energy introduced in the elements to be welded is reduced and a lower temperature of the elements to be welded is achieved.

[0039] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.