Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger including a plurality of fluid guiding metal pipes (2) having pipe ends (3) arranged side by side at intervals, at least one pipe bottom (4) made of plastic and having receiving through-holes (5) in which the pipe ends (3) may be received, and a collection box (6) made of plastic and which may be connected to the pipe bottom (4) by a locking device formed between the pipe bottom and the collection box, wherein a seal (9) may be inserted between the pipe bottom (4) and the collection box (6), and the seal ensures press-fit of the pipe bottom (4) on the pipe ends (3) and seals the collection box (6) against the pipe bottom (4) and the pipe bottom (4) against the pipe ends (3).
Claims
1. A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of fluid guiding metal pipes having pipe ends arranged side by side at intervals, at least one pipe bottom made of plastic and having receiving through-holes in which the pipe ends may be received, and a collection box made of plastic and which may be connected to the pipe bottom by a locking device formed between the pipe bottom and the collection box, wherein a seal is inserted between the pipe bottom and the collection box, and the seal ensures press-fit of the pipe bottom on the pipe ends and seals the collection box against the pipe bottom and the pipe bottom against the pipe ends, wherein the locking device comprises clips arranged in the pipe bottom or the collection box and locking openings arranged to face the clips in the pipe bottom or the collection box, wherein the seal is inserted between the pipe bottom and the collection box by welding in a material combination manner of the pipe bottom and the collection box, wherein welding points are arranged at intervals on facing inner surfaces of the collection box and the pipe bottom, and the collection box and the pipe bottom are welded to each other at the welding points, and wherein the welding points are distributed throughout the circumference of the arrangement consisting of the collection box and the pipe bottom.
2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the seal is a compressible elastomeric seal having through-insertion openings with through-insertion extensions for the pipe ends, and the elastomeric seal is inserted between inner surfaces of the receiving through-holes and outer circumferences of the pipe ends.
3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the seal is incorporated in the pipe bottom or the collection box by injection molding.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(1) Further details, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic exploded view of a first embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present disclosure;
(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of a collection box with a seal and a pipe bottom when viewed from the side;
(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of the first embodiment, in which the collection box with the seal and the pipe bottom is engaged;
(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic detailed cross-sectional view of the first embodiment with no seal;
(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic detailed cross-sectional view of the first embodiment with the seal; and
(7) FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic view of a second embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present disclosure.
BEST MODE FOR DISCLOSURE
(8) In each drawing, redundant features are designated by the same reference numerals.
(9) FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a first embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present disclosure. Reference numeral 1 designates a block formed from a plurality of fluid guiding metal pipes 2 arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction. A multi-disk made of metal may be provided between the metal pipes. The pipe ends 3 of the metal pipes 2 have a narrow opening cross-section and are arranged side by side at intervals. Reference numeral 4 designates a pipe bottom made of plastic and having receiving through-holes 5 therein. The arrangement of the receiving through-holes 5 of the pipe bottom 4 coincides with the arrangement of the pipe ends 3 in the block 1, and consequently the pipe bottom 4 is seated on the pipe ends 3, in which case the pipe ends 3 may be inserted into the receiving through-holes 5 of the pipe bottom 4. A collection box 6 made of plastic may be connected to the pipe bottom 4 by clips 7 arranged in the collection box 6 and a locking device formed of locking openings 8 arranged to face the clips 7 in the pipe bottom 4. A seal 9 may be inserted between the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6, which ensures the press-fit of the pipe bottom 4 on the pipe ends 3 and seals the collection box 6 against the pipe bottom 4 and the pipe bottom 4 against the pipe ends 3. In the illustrated embodiment, since a compressible elastomeric seal with through-insertion openings 10 for the pipe ends 3 is used as the seal 9, the seal may be consequentially inserted between the inner surfaces of the receiving through-holes 5 and the outer circumferences of the pipe ends 3. In order to ensure press-fit of the pipe bottom 4 at the pipe ends 3, the cross-sections of the through-insertion openings 10 are implemented to be smaller than the cross-sections of the pipe ends 3. In addition, the seal 9 has an annular protrusion 11 which is formed in a lip shape at the outer circumferential edge of the seal 9 and surrounds the inside of the collection box 6 while sealing the collection box against the pipe bottom 4.
(10) FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of the collection box 6 with the seal 9 and the pipe bottom 4 when viewed from the side. The seal 9 implemented as a compressible elastomeric seal has through-insertion openings 10 with through-insertion extensions 10.1, and the arrangement of the through-insertion openings coincides with the arrangement of the receiving through-holes 5 of the pipe bottom 4. The shapes and outer circumferences of the through-insertion extensions 10.1 coincide with the shapes and inner circumferences of the receiving through-holes 5. The cross-sections of the through-insertion openings 10 and the through-insertion extensions 10.1 are smaller than the cross-sections of the pipe ends 3, so that the seal 9 is pushed and elastically pressed against the pipe bottom 4 when the pipe ends 3 (not shown) are inserted into the through-insertion openings 10 or the through-insertion extensions 10.1, thereby providing a press-fit in the form of a forcibly coupled connection between the pipe bottom 4 and the pipe ends 3.
(11) FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment in the mounted state, in which case the collection box 6, the seal 9, the pipe bottom 4, and the pipe ends 3 are inserted into each other, in which case the compressible seal 9 causes the press-fit on the pipe ends 3, the sealing of the pipe ends 3 against the pipe bottom 4, and the sealing of the pipe bottom 4 against the collection box 6 to be ensured.
(12) FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of the first embodiment with no seal between the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6. In the illustrated example, the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6 are arranged in the state in which they are inserted together, in which case the clips 7 of the collection box 6 are engaged into the locking openings 8 of the pipe bottom 4. If there is no seal between the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6, no fixed seating is ensured on the pipe ends 3 and the seal.
(13) FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of the first embodiment, in which case the elastomeric seal 9 is inserted between the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6 and between the pipe bottom 4 and the pipe ends 3. Because the inner cross-sections of the through-insertion openings 10 with the through-insertion extensions 10.1 of the compressible elastomeric seal 9 are smaller than the outer cross-sections of the pipe ends 3, the elastomeric seal 9 is pressed toward the receiving through-holes 5, with the consequence that the press-fit of the pipe bottom 4 is ensured. In this case, the annular protrusion 11 formed in a lip shape at the outer circumferential edge of the elastomeric seal 9 is arranged between the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6. The annular protrusion 11 of the elastomeric seal 9 is compressed by the locking connection between the collection box 6 and the pipe bottom 4, so that the collection box 6 is sealed against the pipe bottom 4. Reference numeral 10.2 designates annular protrusions of the through-insertion extensions 10.1 of the through-insertion openings 10. The annular protrusions 10.2 ensure the fixed seating of the seal 9 in the receiving through-holes 5 of the pipe bottom 4, with the consequence that the seal is not pushed out when the tensile load or the shearing load is applied in the longitudinal direction of the metal pipe 2 such as may be caused during the thermal expansion of the metal pipe 2. Therefore, the above arrangement allows for the fixed seating and sealing of the pipe ends 3 in communication with the inside of the collection box 6.
(14) FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic view of a second embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present disclosure, which includes a pipe bottom 4 made of plastic and having receiving through-holes 5 in which pipe ends 3 (not shown) may be received, and a collection box 6 made of plastic and which may be connected to the pipe bottom 4 by a locking device formed between the pipe bottom and the collection box. In this case, a seal may be inserted between the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6, which ensures the press-fit of the pipe bottom 4 on the pipe ends 3 and seals the collection box 6 against the pipe bottom 4 and the pipe bottom 4 against the pipe ends 3. In a modified embodiment, the seal may be inserted between the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6 by welding in a material combination manner of the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6. The seal is formed by melting plastic which is a material of the collection box 6 and the pipe bottom 4. By means of the welding process, the plastic of the pipe bottom 4 may also be deformed to ensure the press-fit of the pipe bottom 4 on the pipe ends 3. Thus, the welding the plastic of the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6 allows for the connection in the material combination manner of components such as the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6 and the sealing against the pipe ends 3. Preferably, the pipe bottom 4 and the collection box 6 are welded to each other when seated on the pipe ends 3.
(15) On the facing inner surfaces of the collection box 6 and the pipe bottom 4, junction points or welding points 12 arranged at intervals from each other are marked and the collection box 6 and the pipe bottom 4 may be welded to each other at these junction points or welding points. Preferably, the welding points 12 are distributed throughout the circumference of the arrangement consisting of the collection box 6 and the pipe bottom 4, resulting in uniform connection. By means of annular or point welding at the welding points, mechanical additional interconnection protruding over the locking connection of the locking device is made between the components such as the collection box 6 and the pipe bottom 4.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
(16) The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger characterized by improved durability and reduced weight for variation in temperature. Such a heat exchanger is particularly suitable for application to vehicles.
