Method for producing an exchanger element package for a vehicle

Abstract

A method for producing an exchanger element package for arrangement in an installation space on board a vehicle assigned to a passenger compartment and/or an engine bay, between inner walls of the installation space and an exchanger element to be installed in the installation space. The method includes providing an exchanger element; detecting inner dimensions of the installation space; detecting outer dimensions of the exchanger element; and providing a mold with a mold cavity which is delimited by an outer mold wall and an inner mold wall, wherein the shape of the outer mold wall is defined by the inner dimensions or inner wall regions of the installation space and the shape of the inner mold wall is defined by the outer dimensions or outer wall regions of the exchanger element.

Claims

1. A method for producing an exchanger element package (4) for arrangement in an installation space on board a vehicle and assigned to a passenger compartment and/or an engine bay, between inner walls of the installation space and an exchanger element (1) to be installed in the installation space, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) providing an exchanger element; b) detecting inner dimensions of the installation space; c) detecting outer dimensions of the exchanger element; d) providing a mold with a mold cavity which is delimited by an outer mold wall and an inner mold wall, wherein the shape of the outer mold wall is defined by the inner dimensions or inner wall regions of the installation space and the shape of the inner mold wall is defined by the outer dimensions or outer wall regions of the exchanger element; e) either i) partial filling of the mold cavity with a flowable or free-flowing material and expanding or foaming the flowable or free-flowing material, wherein the mold cavity is filled with the expanded or foamed material and opening the mold and removing the expanded or foamed material from the mold cavity as an exchanger element package (4) after the expanded or foamed material has solidified, or ii) filling the mold cavity with a molten material by injecting the molten material into the mold; and opening the mold and removing the injected material from the mold cavity as an exchanger element package (4) after the injected material has solidified; and f) installing the exchanger element package into the installation space.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the flowable or free-flowing material comprises an expandable or foamed polymer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the expandable or foamed polymer comprises at least one of propylene, styrene, ethylene, and lactic acid.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the expandable or foamed polymer comprises at least one of polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene, and polylactide.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the expandable or foamed polymer comprises a mixture of expanded copolymers comprising at least one of propylene, styrene, ethylene, and lactic acid.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the expandable or foamed polymer comprises particles having diameters of 2 mm to 6 mm in length.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the expandable or foamed polymer comprises particles having diameters of 3 mm to 5 mm in length.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the exchanger element package (4) comprises regions with a first hardness and regions with a second hardness.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the regions with the first hardness bear against the exchanger element and the regions with the second hardness bear against the installation space.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first hardness is greater than the second hardness.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the second hardness is greater than the first hardness.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a laser to the flowable or free-flowing material.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising laser sintering the flowable or free-flowing material.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the mold comprises the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the exchanger element is provided in the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

Description

(1) In the following:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the exchanger element with the package;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the exchanger element with the package;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a first side view of the exchanger element with the package;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a second side view of the exchanger element with the package;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a first exchanger element/package arrangement;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a second exchanger element/package arrangement;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a third exchanger element/package arrangement;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a fourth exchanger element/package arrangement.

(10) FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 show an exchanger element 1 for a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The exchanger element 1 has an exhaust air flow path 2 and a feed air flow path 3. The exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 are separated from one another by partition sections (not shown). These partition sections contain heat-transmitting wall regions. The exhaust air flow path 2 forms a fluid connection from the interior of the passenger compartment to the outer surroundings of the passenger compartment, while the feed air flow path 3 forms a fluid connection from the outer surroundings of the passenger compartment to the interior of the passenger compartment. Inside the exchanger element 1 there is a first cross-flow region 1a, a counter-flow region 1b and a second cross-flow region 1c. In the two cross-flow regions 1a and 1c, the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 cross one another. In the counter-flow region 1b, the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 run parallel to one another.

(11) The exchanger element 1 is embedded in a package 4, the outer surface area shape of which matches the inner dimensions of an installation space in the passenger compartment for the installation of the exchanger element 1. The package 4 is made of an expanded polymer material and consists of a first package part 41 and a second package part 42, which, depending on the situation, can be symmetrical to one another or even identical or can have a very special unshapely design that is adapted to the circumstances of the space available in the passenger compartment.

(12) A first ventilator 5 is assigned to the exchanger element 1 and is arranged downstream of the exchanger element 1 in the feed air flow path 3 and is embedded in the package 4. In addition, the exchanger element 1 is assigned a second ventilator 6, which is arranged downstream of the exchanger element 1 in the exhaust air flow path 2 and is embedded in the package 4.

(13) The exchanger element 1 is assigned a first air filter 7, which is arranged upstream of the exchanger element in the feed air flow path 3 and is embedded in the package 4. In addition, the exchanger element 1 is assigned a second air filter 8, which is arranged upstream of the exchanger element in the exhaust air flow path 2 and is embedded in the package 4.

(14) Each of FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 show an arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. A first ventilator 5 is assigned to the exchanger element 1 and is arranged downstream of the exchanger element 1 in the feed air flow path 3 and is embedded in the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is assigned to a second ventilator 6, which is arranged upstream or downstream of the exchanger element 1 in the exhaust air flow path 2 and is embedded in the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is assigned to a first air filter 7 which is arranged upstream of the exchanger element 1 in the feed air flow path 3 and is embedded in the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is assigned to a second air filter 8, which is arranged upstream of the exchanger element 1 in the exhaust air flow path 2 and is embedded in the package 4. In these arrangements, the two ventilators 5 and 6 each work in suction mode.

(15) FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a first arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is a symmetrical counter-flow heat exchanger with a first cross-flow region on the left and a second cross-flow region on the right, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 intersect. A counter-flow region is arranged therebetween, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 are parallel and in opposite directions.

(16) FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a second arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is an asymmetrical counter-flow heat exchanger with a first cross-flow region on the left and a second cross-flow region on the right, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 intersect. A counter-flow region is arranged therebetween, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 are parallel and in opposite directions. A first large ventilator 5 is assigned to a first large outflow region 1a of the exchanger element 1. A second large ventilator 6 is assigned to a second large outflow region 1b of the exchanger element 1. A first small air filter 7 is assigned to a first small inflow region 1c of the exchanger element 1. A second small air filter 8 is assigned to a second small inflow region 1d of the exchanger element 1.

(17) FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a third arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. The exchanger element 1 is also an asymmetrical counter-flow heat exchanger with a first cross-flow region on the left and a second cross-flow region on the right, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 intersect. A counter-flow region is arranged therebetween, in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 are parallel and in opposite directions. A first small ventilator 5 is assigned to a first small outflow region 1a of the exchanger element 1. A second small ventilator 6 is assigned to a second small outflow region 1b of the exchanger element 1. A first large air filter 7 is assigned to a first large inflow region 1c of the exchanger element 1. A second large air filter 8 is assigned to a second large inflow region 1d of the exchanger element 1.

(18) FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a fourth arrangement of the exchanger element 1 and the package 4. Here, the exchanger element 1 is a cross-flow heat exchanger with only one cross-flow region in which the exhaust air flow path 2 and the feed air flow path 3 intersect.