STACKED DISC COOLER AND MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A stacked disk cooler includes a plurality of heat exchanger plates arranged in a stacked configuration. The stacked disk cooler also includes a base trough arranged at an end of the stack and a connecting plate attached to the base trough. The connecting plate is a one-piece metal plate with a recess configured to accommodate the base trough.

Claims

1. A stacked disk cooler comprising: a stack including a plurality of heat exchanger plates; a base trough arranged at an end of the stack; and a connecting plate attached to the base trough, wherein the connecting plate is a one-piece metal plate with a recess, the base trough being at least nearly completely form-fit within the recess.

2. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 1, wherein the connecting plate has a continuous height, with an exception of the recess, the continuous height is greater than a height of the base trough.

3. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 1, wherein the connecting plate is manufactured as an aluminum stamped part.

4. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 1, wherein the connecting plate is manufactured as a forged part.

5. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 1, wherein the recess is reworked at least in some areas.

6. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 1, wherein a flank angle of an edge of the recess corresponds to a rim angle of a rim of the base trough, so that the edge is connected flush with the base trough when the stacked disk cooler is mounted.

7. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 6, wherein the flank angle is between 80 and 90.

8. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 1, wherein a spacer plate is arranged between the base trough and the connecting plate.

9. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 1, wherein the base trough is soldered to an adjacent heat exchanger plate of the plurality of heat exchanger plates and to the connecting plate.

10. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 5, wherein the recess is reworked using a mill.

11. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 6, wherein the flank angle is 87.

12. The stacked disk cooler according to claim 1, wherein a spacer plate comprises a first braze-clad side and a second braze-clad side.

13. A motor vehicle comprising: a stacked disk cooler comprising: a stack including a plurality of heat exchanger plates; a base trough arranged at an end of the stack; and a connecting plate attached to the base trough, wherein the connecting plate is a one-piece metal plate with a recess, the base trough being at least nearly completely form-fit within the recess.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the connecting plate has a continuous height, with an exception of the recess, the continuous height is greater than a height of the base trough.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the connecting plate is manufactured as an aluminum stamped part.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the connecting plate is manufactured as a forged part.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the recess is reworked at least in some areas.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein a flank angle of an edge of the recess corresponds to a rim angle of a rim of the base trough, so that the edge is connected flush with the base trough when the stacked disk cooler is mounted.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the flank angle is between 80 and 90.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the motor vehicle is an electrically powered vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The drawings, each schematically, show in:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a view of a stacked disk cooler according to the invention,

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the stacked disk cooler according to the invention in the area of a connecting plate and a base trough inserted into its recess,

[0025] FIG. 3 shows an oblique sectional view of the stacked disk cooler according to the invention,

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view from FIG. 2, and

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a view of a stacked disk cooler according to the invention from below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] According to FIGS. 1 to 5, a stacked disk cooler 1 according to the invention, in particular a stacked disk oil cooler, has a plurality of heat exchanger plates 3 arranged on top of each other to form a stack 2 and a base trough 4 arranged at the lower end of the stack 2, which is connected, in particular soldered, to a connecting plate 5. According to the invention, the connecting plate 5 is now designed as a one-piece metal plate with a recess 6, in which the base trough 4 is accommodated in an at least almost completely positive-locking manner. This means that one edge 7 of the recess 6 is positively-locking to a rim 8 of the base trough 5, so that the base trough 5 is positively-locking fixed in the recess 6.

[0029] Looking more closely at the connecting plate 5, it can be seen that, with the exception of the recess 6, it has a continuous height h.sub.1 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) which is greater than the height h.sub.2 of the base trough 4. This already gives an idea of the comparatively solid design of the connecting plate 5, which offers the great advantage that the stacked disk cooler 1 according to the invention, in particular the stacked disk oil cooler, has a comparatively high vibration resistance and can therefore also be used in the commercial vehicle sector, in particular also in electrically powered commercial vehicles.

[0030] The connecting plate 5 can be designed as an aluminum stamped part, which has the great advantage of high strength and low weight at the same time. Due to the fact that aluminum also has a high thermal conductivity, an improved heat dissipation and thus improved cooling can also be achieved via a connecting plate 5 designed as an aluminum stamped part.

[0031] Alternatively, it is of course also conceivable that the connecting plate 5 is designed as a forged part, wherein the design as a forged part has the great advantage that the connecting plate 5 in this case has a high ductility, which in particular significantly reduces the risk of brittle fracture. Such a risk of brittle fracture is particularly important in the event of vibrations occurring during operation, especially pressure pulsations.

[0032] The recess 6 in the final file 5 can be reworked, in particular milled, at least in some areas, for example at the edge 7, allowing the edge 7 to lie flush against the rim 8 of the base trough 4 and thus achieve an extremely tight and firm connection, for example by bonding or soldering.

[0033] A flank angle of the edge 7 of the recess 6 preferably corresponds to a rim angle of the rim 8 of the base trough 4, so that the edge 7 can be connected flush with the base trough 4 when the base trough 4 is inserted into the recess 6 of the connecting plate 5. This makes it possible to achieve not only a firm but also a tight connection.

[0034] The flank angle , can be in a region between 8 and 90, in particular for example approx. 87, whereby a particularly reliable fixation of the stack 2 transverse to the stacking direction can be ensured by the edge 7 of the connecting plate 5.

[0035] Looking further at FIGS. 2-4, it can be seen that a spacer plate 9 is arranged between the base trough 4 and the connecting plate 5, which holds the base trough 4 at a distance from a base of the recess 6. Such a spacer plate 9 can be used, for example, to create a solder depot 10 in which solder can be stored, which can be drawn into a capillary gap between the edge 7 of the recess 6 of the connecting plate 5 and the edge 8 of the base trough 4 during subsequent soldering of the stacked disk cooler 1. Such a solder deposit 10 can also be provided around an upper edge of the recess 6. As the stamped or forged connecting plate 5 has no solder plating, the spacer plate 9 is plated with solder on both sides, which ensures a sufficient amount of solder at the edge (rim 8) of the base trough 4 and the connecting plate 5 for soldering.

[0036] The heat exchanger plates 3 are usually connected to each other and to the base trough 4 or the base trough 4 to the connecting plate 5 by soldering, which creates a connection that is not only tight but also extremely strong, especially vibration-resistant.

[0037] The stacked disk cooler 1 according to the invention is used in a motor vehicle 11, in particular in a commercial vehicle 12, which can also be electrically powered. This makes it possible for the first time to use an aluminum stacked disk cooler in commercial vehicles, which was previously not possible due to the vibration resistance. This can be achieved by the comparatively solid connecting plate 5 with its height h.sub.1 and the recess 6, in which the base trough 4 of the stack 2 of the stacked disk cooler 1 is preferably completely accommodated.

[0038] In addition, chamfers 13 (see FIG. 5), in particular segmented chamfers, can be arranged at inlet openings and/or outlet openings, whereby a pressure loss can be reduced. The term segmented chamfer is to be understood here in particular as a certain partial area 14 of the chamfer 13 (see FIG. 5), which is specified for a tolerance zone. An optimum chamfer contour is calculated using CFD simulation, simulated and integrated into a 3D model, wherein a lower pressure loss can be achieved due to a smooth transition.

[0039] A connection on the connecting plate 5 is normally made with an additional connecting piece; in the case of the stacked disk cooler 1 according to the invention, the connecting piece can be adapted directly to the connecting plate 5. This makes it possible to achieve better tolerances and increased robustness at the connection.

[0040] For this purpose, the connecting plate 5 can have a hole 17, recessed by 10 mm, for example, to accommodate a connection not shown, whereby the connection can be supported against loads on a shell surface 15 or a base surface 16 (see FIG. 1).

[0041] Various examples/embodiments are described herein for various apparatuses, systems, and/or methods. Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the examples/embodiments as described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that the examples/embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known operations, components, and elements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the examples/embodiments described in the specification. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the examples/embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus it can be appreciated that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and do not necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0042] Reference throughout the specification to examples, in examples, with examples, various embodiments, with embodiments, in embodiments, or an embodiment, or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example/embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases examples, in examples, with examples, in various embodiments, with embodiments, in embodiments, or an embodiment, or the like, in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more examples/embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment/example may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features, structures, functions, and/or characteristics of one or more other embodiments/examples without limitation given that such combination is not illogical or non-functional. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof.

[0043] It should be understood that references to a single element are not necessarily so limited and may include one or more of such element. Any directional references (e.g., plus, minus, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of examples/embodiments.

[0044] One or more includes a function being performed by one element, a function being performed by more than one element, e.g., in a distributed fashion, several functions being performed by one element, several functions being performed by several elements, or any combination of the above.

[0045] It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. are, in some instances, used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments. The first element and the second element are both elements, but they are not the same element.

[0046] The terminology used in the description of the various described embodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the various described embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms a, an and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the phrase at least one of successive elements separated by the word and (e.g., at least one of A and B) is to be interpreted the same as the term and/or and as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms includes, including, comprises, and/or comprising, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0047] Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements, relative movement between elements, direct connections, indirect connections, fixed connections, movable connections, operative connections, indirect contact, and/or direct contact. As such, joinder references do not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected/coupled and in fixed relation to each other. Connections of electrical components, if any, may include mechanical connections, electrical connections, wired connections, and/or wireless connections, among others. Uses of e.g. and such as in the specification are to be construed broadly and are used to provide non-limiting examples of embodiments of the disclosure, and the disclosure is not limited to such examples.

[0048] While processes, systems, and methods may be described herein in connection with one or more steps in a particular sequence, it should be understood that such methods may be practiced with the steps in a different order, with certain steps performed simultaneously, with additional steps, and/or with certain described steps omitted.

[0049] As used herein, the term if is, optionally, construed to mean when or upon or in response to determining or in response to detecting, depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase if it is determined or if [a stated condition or event] is detected is, optionally, construed to mean upon determining or in response to determining or upon detecting [the stated condition or event] or in response to detecting [the stated condition or event], depending on the context. All matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the present disclosure.