HEAT EXCHANGER COMPRISING AN EXCHANGE BUNDLE EQUIPPED WITH MEANS FOR IMPROVING ATTACHMENT OF SAID EXCHANGE BUNDLE TO THE WALLS OF A HOUSING

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat exchanger comprising a housing suitable for enclosing a heat exchange bundle (40), said housing having an opening for receiving said heat exchange bundle (40) inside said housing, said heat exchange bundle (40) comprising a first extremity designed to plug the opening of the housing when the heat exchange bundle (40) is inserted into said housing (30). According to the invention, a first element is provided on the second extremity (80) of the heat exchange bundle (40) opposite said first extremity or on the lower wall (50) of the housing and is provided with at least one projecting rim (70) and a second element is provided on said second extremity of the heat exchange bundle (40) or on said lower wall (50) of the housing (30) and is provided with a groove (51) designed to receive and attach said at least one projecting rim (70), and said at least one projecting rim (70) and said at least one groove (51) are designed to attach the at least one projecting rim (70) in the at least one groove (51) using an adhesive. Application in the automobile field.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising: a housing for enclosing a heat exchange bundle, said housing having an opening for receiving said heat exchange bundle inside said housing, said heat exchange bundle comprising a first extremity to plug the opening of the housing when the heat exchange bundle is inserted into said housing, wherein a first element is provided on the second extremity of the heat exchange bundle opposite said first extremity or on the lower wall of the housing and is provided with at least one projecting rim, a second element is provided on said second extremity of the heat exchange bundle or on said lower wall of the housing and is provided with a groove designed to receive and attach said at least one projecting rim, and said at least one projecting rim and said at least one groove are configured to attach the at least one projecting rim in the at least one groove using an adhesive.

2. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat exchange bundle, during assembly of the heat exchanger, is inserted into the housing in an insertion direction, the projecting rim and the groove extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said insertion direction.

3. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a single-component adhesive.

4. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attachment means is a two-component adhesive.

5. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one projecting rim is an anchoring means and has an essentially L-shaped cross section.

6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove is in the form of a profile and is connected to the second extremity of the heat exchange bundle, and wherein said profile is connected to the heat exchange bundle using a brazing method.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The objectives, purpose and characteristics of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof, are set out more clearly in the following description of the preferred embodiments of a heat exchanger according to the invention, made with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heat exchanger inside a housing according to a first embodiment of the present invention, given by way of example,

[0022] FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the attachment of the heat exchange bundle to the walls of the housing of the heat exchanger in FIG. 2, given by way of example,

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a heat exchanger inside a housing according to a second embodiment of the present invention, given by way of example,

[0024] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a heat exchanger inside a housing according to a third embodiment of the present invention, given by way of example, and

[0025] FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the attachment of a heat exchange bundle to the walls of the housing of a heat exchanger according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, given by way of example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0026] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heat exchanger 10.

[0027] The heat exchanger 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is particularly designed for use in the automobile industry to cool the charge air in a thermal engine. The heat exchanger 10 enables the charge air to be cooled by heat exchange with a first fluid, such as the outside air, or a liquid such as the cooling water of an engine, thereby forming an air/air or liquid/air exchanger.

[0028] Firstly, the heat exchanger 10 has an intake manifold 20, commonly referred to by the person skilled in the art using that English term (intake manifold). The intake manifold 20 is attached to the cylinder head of the combustion chamber of the engine (not shown), i.e. at the entrance to the cylinder. Depending on the speed of the engine, the air may be cooled totally, partially or not at all. The intake manifold 20 is connected to a housing 30. The housing 30 forms an envelope to surround a heat exchange bundle 40 positioned inside said housing 30. The housing 30 has an inlet and an outlet for a first gaseous fluid and is designed to guide said first fluid from an inlet to an outlet.

[0029] According to the present invention, the heat exchange bundle 40 is positioned inside the housing 30.

[0030] The heat exchange bundle 40 is formed, for example, by an assembly of plates positioned on top of one another, together forming a conduit enabling a second liquid fluid, which is used to cool the first gaseous fluid, to be guided from an inlet to an outlet. In order to improve the heat exchange, the plate assembly also incorporates corrugated inserts.

[0031] According to a known operating mode, a first fluid, such as air, passes through the heat exchange bundle 40 and a second fluid, such as the water in the cooling circuit, flows inside the heat exchange bundle 40, thereby enabling the air to be cooled.

[0032] The heat exchange bundle 40 is formed by an assembly of stamped plates, or half blades. However, the invention also relates to other types of bundle, and in particular bundles comprising pipes and fins. The heat exchange bundle 40, as shown in FIG. 1, is for example formed by a stack of stamped identical plates arranged in pairs.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the upper portion of the heat exchange bundle 40 is attached to a closing element such as a plate or a cover 60. The cover 60 performs several functions. One of the functions involves providing an inlet and an outlet for the liquid coolant using pipes arranged on the cover 60. Furthermore, the cover 60 acts as the closing element for the housing 30. Thus, when the heat exchanger 10 is assembled, the heat exchange bundle 40 is enveloped firstly by the walls formed by the housing 30 and secondly by the cover 60.

[0034] The features of the heat exchanger 10 as shown in FIG. 1 are such that the heat exchange bundle 40 is suspended from the cover 60. This means that, during normal usage according to the prior art, under the effect of vibrations caused by operation of the motor vehicle to which the heat exchanger 10 is connected, the heat exchange bundle 40 may be subject to pendular movements and may move in relation to the inside of the housing 30. In the prior art, this pendulum movement weakens the attachment between the cover 60 and the housing 30.

[0035] Furthermore, in the prior art, since the lower wall of the housing 30 is not attached to the lower portions of the heat exchange bundle, the walls of the housing 30, and in particular the lower wall, may be deformed under the pressure of the hot air present inside the heat exchanger. This deformation, which is constant during use of the heat exchanger, may cause premature wear of the material used to manufacture the housing 30.

[0036] Unlike a heat exchanger in the prior art, the lower wall 50 of the housing 30 is provided with a groove or a channel 51, as shown in FIG. 1. The lower portion of the groove 51 forms a specific volume. The plate 80 forming the lower portion of the heat exchange bundle 40 includes a projecting rim or a protuberance 70. The specific volume of the groove 51 is designed to receive the protuberance 70. The attachment of the protuberance 70 inside the groove 51 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows the lower portion of the heat exchange bundle 40 formed by the plate 80. The extremity of the plate 80 has anchoring means provided in this case in the form of an L-shaped protuberance 70. The L-shaped protuberance is seated inside the volume formed by the groove 51. Other embodiments that have not been shown propose T-shaped or F-shaped anchoring means.

[0038] The inside of the groove 51 is at least partially filled with attachment means 90, such as an adhesive. Once the attachment means 90 has solidified, the protuberance 70 is held or attached inside the groove 51. Thus, the lower portion of the heat exchange bundle 40 is attached to the wall 50 of the housing 30. This attachment helps to prevent the pendular movements that could occur as a result of the vibrations caused by operation of the engine of the motor vehicle in which the heat exchanger 10 is being used. Furthermore, the wall 50 cannot be deformed or moved in relation to the cover 60 as a result of the pressure of the hot air present inside the heat exchanger 10.

[0039] In the prior art, during assembly of a heat exchanger, the housing is, as a general rule, installed in a vertical position, i.e. with the opening oriented upwards. Subsequently, the assembly formed by the cover and the heat exchange bundle is inserted vertically into the housing until the cover comes into contact with said housing.

[0040] Unlike the prior art, according to the embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the method for assembling a heat exchanger 10 includes a step before insertion of the assembly formed by the cover 60 and the heat exchange bundle 40 in order to fill the groove 51 with attachment means, such as an adhesive. The adhesive may be a single-component adhesive. The air and the moisture present inside the heat exchanger 10 following assembly of same then hardens the adhesive.

[0041] Alternatively, a two-component adhesive may be used, i.e. the hardening process of the adhesive is initiated by the presence of a first and of a second component together forming said adhesive 90.

[0042] In order to facilitate assembly, when inserted into the groove 51, the attachment means 90 has a relatively high viscosity. This means that the attachment means 90 is pasty and not liquid. The consistency of the attachment means 90 is therefore sufficiently flexible to receive the protuberance 70 and sufficiently viscous to prevent movement of the protuberance 70, in particular during movement of the housing 30 on a conveyor belt during assembly of the heat exchanger 10, for example

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, the dimensions of the zone inside the groove 51 are relatively large in relation to the dimensions of the protuberance 70. Thus, this size difference facilitates the insertion of the heat exchanger bundle 40 into the housing 30 during assembly of same. Furthermore, this size difference makes it possible to assemble the components of said heat exchanger 10 with a relative tolerance regarding the dimensions of said components, without thereby compromising the assembly of said heat exchanger 10.

[0044] The heat exchangers shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are relatively inexpensive to produce. The plate 80 forming the lower extremity of the heat exchange bundle 40 is, as a general rule, obtained using an extrusion method. Modifying the extrusion method to obtain a plate 80 that has at least one protuberance 70 at the extremity of same does not generate any additional costs. As a general rule, the wall of the housing 30 is made from a plastic material. Thus, the additional formation of the groove 51 only slightly increases the production cost for such a housing 30. In other words, the solution as described in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 does not require additional separate parts when manufacturing a heat exchanger 10. The attachment means 90 that may be used for attachment are also relatively inexpensive.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the heat exchanger according to the present invention. According to FIG. 3, the wall 50 of the housing 30 is provided with a groove or channel 51 that is positioned centrally and designed to receive a protuberance 70. The protuberance 70 is attached to the plate 90 forming the lower portion of the heat exchange bundle 40. The attachment of the protuberance 70 inside the groove 51 is identical to the attachment of the protuberance 70 inside the groove 51, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the heat exchanger according to the present invention in which the plate 80 forming the lower portion of the heat exchange bundle 40 is provided with two protuberances 70 at the two extremities of the plate 90. The lower wall 50 is provided with two grooves or channels 51 to receive the first and second protuberances 70 respectively.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the heat exchanger according to the present invention. According to FIG. 5, the lower plate of a heat exchange bundle 40 is provided with a plate 85 on the lower side of same. The plate 85 is itself provided with an element 86 forming a channel with an opening 87 oriented downwards in order to receive a protuberance 75 within same, said protuberance being attached to the inside of a lower wall 55 of a housing 30. The attachment of the protuberance 75 inside the channel 86 is comparable to the attachment of the protuberances 70, 70 and 70. An attachment means 90 having a relatively high viscosity is present inside the channel 86. When said attachment means 90 is inserted into the channel 86, same adheres to the walls of the channel 86 even though the opening 87 of the channel 86 is oriented downwards. This means that the heat exchanger according to the fourth embodiment of the invention may be assembled in the same manner as in embodiments 1, 2 and 3 according to the present invention. A heat exchanger 40 and a cover 60 may be combined vertically in order to enable the insertion of the protuberance 75 inside the channel 66, same being attached using the attachment means 90 inside the channel 86.