Method for producing a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle and a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A method for producing a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, wherein the heat exchanger has reservoirs and a bundle of flow-through fluid conduits for guiding the flow between the reservoirs. The conduits are produced together as a bundle. A heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, especially a micro-channel cooler, can be produced by this method.

Claims

1. A method for producing a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle comprising: providing at least two reservoirs, and forming flow-through, individual, separate fluid conduits for guiding fluid flow between the at least two reservoirs, wherein the conduits are formed by an extrusion process that forms the conduits as a bundle of conduits, wherein the bundle of conduits includes the conduits spaced apart in parallel rows allowing air flow between the parallel rows of the conduits, and wherein each of the conduits of the bundle of conduits comprises a separate hollow tube.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conduits are initially produced with an arbitrary length and subsequently cut to a desired length.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two reservoirs are materially connected to the conduits during or after production of the conduits for guiding the fluid flow.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is constructed as a micro-channel cooler.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising supporting the conduits by support plates.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the conduits with the support plates are initially produced with an arbitrary length and subsequently cut to a desired length.

7. A method for producing a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle comprising: providing at least two reservoirs, and forming flow-through, individual, separate fluid conduits for guiding fluid flow between the at least two reservoirs, wherein the conduits are formed by an injection molding process that forms the conduits as a bundle of conduits, wherein the bundle of conduits includes the conduits spaced apart in parallel rows allowing air flow between the parallel rows of the conduits, and wherein during the injection molding process support plates are produced together with the conduits using the injection molding process, and the support plates are connected to the conduits.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the conduits with the support plates are initially produced with an arbitrary length and subsequently cut to a desired length.

9. A method for producing a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle comprising: providing at least two reservoirs, and forming flow-through, individual, separate fluid conduits for guiding fluid flow between the at least two reservoirs, wherein the conduits are formed by a hydroforming process that forms the conduits as a bundle of conduits, wherein the bundle of conduits includes the conduits spaced apart in parallel rows allowing air flow between the parallel rows of the conduits, and wherein during the hydroforming process the at least two reservoirs are produced together with the conduits using the injection molding process, and the at least two reservoirs are connected to the conduits.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cooler with a heat exchanger according to the present invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detail A of the heat exchanger from FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a cooler with a heat exchanger in a front view,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a section B-B through the cooler with heat exchanger according to FIG. 3, and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a detailed section C of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) Throughout all the figures, same or corresponding elements may generally be indicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom conduits, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.

(8) Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a view of the interior of a motor vehicle cooler housing 100, 115 in which a heat exchanger 107 is arranged. The cooler 115 shown in FIG. 1 is designed as a micro-channel cooler 115 and has a plurality of conduits 111 combined in a bundle 109. A housing 101 includes a circumferential side wall 102 and a back 103 and an (unillustrated) cover 104. A flange 105 for connecting a supply conduit for supplying a medium is arranged on the top of the housing 101. A flange 106 for connecting a discharge conduit for discharging a medium is provided on the bottom of the housing 101 on the side of the supply flange 105. Connection devices 117 for attaching the housing 101 to the vehicle are provided on the side wall 102 of the housing 101 opposite the flanges 105, 106. Respective reservoirs 108 for receiving the medium, which communicate with each other through the conduit bundles 109, 111, are arranged on the top and the bottom of the housing 101.

(9) In FIG. 1, three support plates 110 aligned substantially parallel with the reservoirs 108 extend inside the housing 101. The support plates 110 are stacked vertically and affixed to the side walls 102 inside the housing 101. The two reservoirs 108 are interconnected by a bundle 109 of flow-through fluid conduits 111 for guiding the flow.

(10) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail A of the heat exchanger 107 of the housing interior 101 of the cooler 115, especially a micro-channel cooler 115. The conduits 111 of the bundle 109 extend approximately perpendicular to the support plates 110 and the side walls 102 of the housing 101. The conduits 111 are arranged in spaced-apart parallel rows in the interior of the cooler housing 101, 115. The reservoirs 108 have retracted walls 114 in the region of the cover 104 and a bottom 116 of the housing 101, which each border two rows of conduits 111; 113. The flow-through fluid conduits 111 of the bundle 109 connect the reservoirs 108 and are bordered by the support plates 110 for stabilization.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a side view of the micro-channel cooler 115 with the housing 101 and the side walls 102 of the heat exchanger 107. Reservoirs 108 are shown in the region of the cover 104 and the bottom 116. The support plates 110 extend between the side walls 102 of the housing 101 and are pierced by the conduits 111 of the radiator 115. In FIG. 3, the conduits 111 of the bundle 109 connecting the two reservoirs 108 are arranged in parallel rows. A respective supply and discharge flange 105; 106 are each depicted in the region of a housing side wall 101, 102.

(12) FIG. 4 shows the cooler illustrated in FIG. 3 in a lateral section (B-B). The supply flange 105 shown in a sectional view on the top side in the region of the reservoir 108. Opposite the supply flange 105, on the bottom side of the side wall 102, the discharge flange 106 can be seen in the region of the lower reservoir 108. The conduits 111 extend approximately at right angles to the support plates 110 and connect the two reservoirs 108 for guiding the flow.

(13) FIG. 5 shows in a detail from FIG. 4 the mutually parallel conduits 111 of the bundle 109, each having two rows of conduits 111, 113 bordered by the walls 114.

(14) While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.