WO2005090892A1 - Collector box provided with a connection tubing for a soldered heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a collector box (28) for a soldered heat exchanger comprising an opening for receiving the coupling end of a connection tubing (36). Said opening is surrounded with a collar (30) which is provided together with the coupling end with complementary shapes disposed in such a way that they interact by latching in order to provisionally maintain the connection tubing (36) on the collector box (28) prior to soldering and thereafter.

Description

 Collector box fitted with connection tubing for a brazed heat exchanger

The invention relates to the field of heat exchangers, in particular for motor vehicles.

It relates more particularly to a manifold for a brazed heat exchanger, comprising an opening arranged to receive a connection end of a connection pipe.

We already know. manifolds of this kind which are intended to be brazed with a connection tube, also called end piece or spacer, intended to subsequently establish a fluid communication between the manifold and a fluid circulation circuit.

This connection pipe has, therefore, a connection end which is arranged to cooperate with the opening of the manifold and a connection end qτ-ιi is arranged to be connected to the fluid circulation circuit, for example by l through a conduit.

Most often, the opening is formed directly in a wall of the manifold and the connecting end of the connection tube is engaged in this opening and temporarily held in it by mechanical means to ensure temporary maintenance. tubing and manifold before and during soldering.

Various solutions have already been envisaged to ensure this temporary maintenance.

In a first known solution, the manifold of

1 heat exchanger has a circular opening in which is engaged the connecting end of the tubing. This connection end is held in the circular opening by expansion at several points.

A second known solution (see EP 1 231 449) consists in maintaining the connection tubing by friction on the internal surface of the opening for introducing the connection tubing.

A third known solution (see FR 2 809 485) consists in providing at least one lug on the connection end of the connection pipe and in the mo-Lns a notch on the opening for the passage of the lug. The tubing is inserted into the opening and then undergoes a rotation to allow the tubing to be held in place by means of the bayonet type.

These three known solutions have a certain number of drawbacks.

In the first known solution, the expansion of the connection tube takes place over a small circular area, hence a possible movement of the tube between the assembly and the brazing, due to the handling of the part and the brazing process.

In addition, at the end of the brazing operation, the tubing may have a positioning defect relative to the manifold and therefore pa-t-r relative to the bundle of one heat exchanger.

In addition, this known solution requires having a continuous circular profile on at least one of the components to carry out the expansion.

The second known solution requires a relatively large thickness of material to allow maintenance by friction. Finally, the third known solution requires indexing of the connection pipe relative to the manifold of the exchanger. In fact, the lug must be aligned with the notch to allow insertion. In addition, a rotation operation is necessary during the assembly process, which leads to complexification and an additional cost during the assembly.

The object of the invention is in particular to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

It aims in particular to provide a collecting box of the type defined in the introduction, in which the connecting pipe can be held provisionally on the collecting box before and during soldering by simple mechanical means.

It also aims to provide a manifold of this kind in which the provisional support of the connection pipe can withstand significant efforts, in particular handling efforts, before brazing and also significant efforts during the operation. soldering proper.

The invention provides for this purpose a manifold of the type defined in the introduction, in which the opening is surrounded by a collar, and in which the collar and the connection end have comp-Elementary profiles arranged to cooperate by snap-fastening to temporarily hold the tubing on the manifold before and during soldering.

Thus, the provisional retention results from a form of cooperation achieving a snap-fastening, o ^~ u clipping, between respective complementary profiles of the collar, on the one hand, and of the connecting end of the connection pipe, on the other go. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting end of the connection tube is arranged to be inserted inside the collar.

It is also conceivable to provide for the connection end to be placed outside the collar, which is not possible with the three solutions mentioned above, which require that the house end of the tubing is introduced at inside the opening of the manifold.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the connecting end of the connecting piece comprises ^a male profile adapted to be inserted into a female profile of the collar.

Said male profile is provided, for example, at or at least near the end d -stale of the connecting pipe.

Different kinds of male and female profile are possible.

Thus, in one ^• first example, the male profile is in the form of a bead, while the p - Trofil female is designed as a groove.

In another example, the male profile is produced in the form of a retaining profile, while the female profile is produced in the form of a retaining groove.

The retaining profile can be produced in the form of a frustoconical rim, while the retaining groove has a complementary frustoconical profile.

In another embodiment, the retaining profile is produced in the form of a retaining tooth, while the retaining groove has a complementary retaining shoulder. In another exemplary embodiment, the collar comprises a male profile arranged to be introduced into a female profile of the connection end of the connection pipe.

The male profile can be continuous and the female profile also continuous.

However, it is also conceivable that the male profile is discontinuous or interrupted, while the female profd_l is continuous.

The presence of discontinuities in the male profile facilitates its deformation. This is of particular interest in the case where the male profile defines teeth or clips, which can thus be deformed more easily during assembly.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the manifold results from the assembly of a collector and a cover, while the collar results from the assembly of a half-collar from the collector and a deτni-collet from the cover.

The invention also applies to the case where 1 ^τ opening is formed directly in a wall of the c-ollectrice box.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a heat exchanger comprising at least one collect-crice box as defined above.

In the description which follows, given by way of "example, reference is made to the appended drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a partial side view of a heat exchanger comprising a manifold provided with a connecting pipe, according to the invention; - Figures 2 to 5 are half-sectional views each time showing part of the manifold collar and the connection pipe in four embodiments where the connecting end of the pipe has a male profile cooperating with a female profile of the collar; and

- Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures s 2 to 5 in one embodiment in which the collar has a male profile cooperating with a female profile of the connecting end of the connecting pipe.

Reference is first made to FIG. 1 which shows part of a heat exchanger 10 intended to be produced by brazing in a single operation. The heat exchanger 10 comprises a bundle 12 formed of a multiplicity of flat tubes 14 parallel to each other which alternate with spacers 16 of corrugated shape constituting heat exchange surfaces. The tubes 14 have respective ends 18 received in holes 20, of conjugate shape, which has a manifold 22, in the form of a dexni-shell. This collector 22 is closed by a cover 24, also in the form of a half-shell, assembled to the collector 22 along an assembly plane 26.

The manifold 22 and the cover 24 are intended to jointly form a manifold 28 provided â. its straight end (in FIG. 1), with a collar 30. This collar 30 comprises a part 32- generally frustoconical and an end part 34 generally cylindrical. It results from the assembly of a half-collar 30a from the manifold 22 and a half-collar 30b from the cover 24.

This collar 30 is intended to cooperate with a connection tube 36, also called a nozzle or spacer, the function of which is to allow the connection of the manifold 28, therefore of the heat exchanger, with a pipe or the like (not shown) forming part of a fluid circulation circuit.

In a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment, the heat exchanger constitutes a cooling radiator for a thermal engine of a motor vehicle. In this case, the fluid which circulates in one exchanger is the fluid which is used for cooling the vehicle engine.

As can be seen more particularly in FIG. 2, the connection tube 36 comprises a connection end 38 which is engaged in the collar 30, and more particularly in the cylindrical part 34 of the latter, and a connection end 40 which ends with a folded edge 42. It is therefore this connection end 40 which is intended to be connected to a pipe or the like (not shown) to establish a connection between one heat exchanger and a fluid circulation circuit. The connection end 42 is, for example, of greater cross section than the connection end 38.

In the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 5 to 6, the end of the connection 38 is engaged inside the collar 30. However, it is also possible to arrange for this connection end to be placed around the collar 30 , although this solution is less interesting for the reasons which will be explained later.

In the case of FIG. 2, the collar 30 surrounds an opening 44 of circular shape, the axis XX of which passes substantially in the joint plane 26 between the collector and the cover.

The connecting end 38 of the connecting pipe 36 has a male profile _. 46 arranged to be introduced into a female profile 48 of the collar 30. In the case of FIG. 2, the male profile 46 has a substantially semi-section circular by forming an annular bead and the female p-profile 48 has a similar section by forming an annular groove of complementary shape.

In the case of FIG. 3, the male profile 46 is also produced in the form of a bead but whose section is less than that of a semicircle and the female profile 48 has a section of complementary shape.

In both cases (Figures 2 and 3), the male profile 46 is preferably continuous, although it can also be produced in a discontinuous or interrupted form.

On the other hand, the female profile 48 will preferably always be continuous, thus defining a continuous groove intended to receive the male profile by interlocking.

In the particular case shown, where the collar 30 results from the assembly of two half-collars 30a and 30b, at least two solutions are possible to allow the introduction of the connecting end 38 of the tubing inside the collar 30. In a first solution, the two half-collars can be joined and the connection end can then be fitted, possibly causing a temporary spacing of the two half-collars which then come together to insert the connection end, times correctly set up.

In another solution, the connecting end 38 cLe the tubing is placed in one of the half-collars, for example in the half-collar 30a coming from the collector. It is only then that the cover 24 is brought closer to the coZlector plate 22, allowing the connection end of the tube between the two half-collars 30a and 30b to be sandwiched when brought together.

We now refer to FIG. 4 which shows an - other embodiment in which the connecting end 38 comprises a male profile 50 produced in the form of a retaining profile, while the female profile 52 of the collar 30 is produced in the form of a retaining groove.

The retaining profile 50 is, in the example, constituted by a frustoconical rim, while the retaining groove 52 has a complementary frustoconical profile. The male profile 50 is formed at the end of the connecting end 38 and thus constitutes a frustoconical edge which widens towards the free end. The retaining groove 52 has a complementary profile here having the shape of a V whose branches are asymmetrical.

In the case of FIG. 4, the male profile 50, of frustoconical shape, can be produced in the form of a continuous profile. It is also conceivable to produce it in the form of a discontinuous or interrupted profile, for example by virtue of the presence of cutouts (not shown) to constitute a certain number of teeth or clips facilitating the deformation of the profile during the fitting of the connection end 38 inside the collar 30.

The embodiment of Figure 5 is similar to that of Figure 4. The connecting end 38 of the tubing also has a male profile 54, forming retaining profile, which cooperates with a retaining groove 56, of form supplementary, which shows the collar 30. the retaining profile ^'54 is a retaining tooth (or clip) which can either be a continuous profile or another profile discontinuous or interrupted.

In the latter _. In this case, the interruption of the profile can be achieved by notches or the like making it possible to define a certain number of dertts which facilitate the deformation of the profile during the introduction of the connection end inside the collar. The retaining groove 56 has a retaining shoulder 58 which cooperates with the retaining profile of the connecting pipe.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, it is the collar 30 which comprises a male profile 60, in the example of trapezoidal section, which cooperates with a female profile 62 of complementary shape which comprises the connection end 38 of tubing 36.

In the previous embodiments, and as already indicated, the connecting end 38 of the tubing is engaged inside the collar 30.

This solution is advantageous in that the brazing is carried out on the outer face of the connection pipe, so that it is not necessary to provide a brazing plate 1 inside the connection pipe.

In fact, the brazing plating usually consists of a eutectic alloy, the very nature of which is not capable of facilitating sealing.

The absence of such a eutectic alloy on the internal face of the connection pipe, in particular in the region of the connection end 40 allows this pipe to obtain a clean surface state to ensure good sealing in combination with a seal (not shown).

Of course, it is also conceivable, in other embodiments, to ensure that this connecting pipe comes to surround the collar.

The invention applies very particularly to heat exchangers intended for motor vehicles, and more particularly to the engine cooling radiator or to the passenger compartment heating radiator. Of course, other applications are also possible in the context of the invention.

Claims

claims 1. Collector box for brazed heat exchanger, comprising an opening arranged to receive a connecting end 5 of a connecting pipe, characterized in that the opening (44) is surrounded by a collar (30), and in that the collar (30) and the connecting end (38) have complementary profiles (46, 48; 50, 1052; 54, 56; 60, 62) arranged to cooperate by snap-fastening to ensure provisional retention of the tubing connection (36) on the manifold (28) before and during soldering. 152. Collector box according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting end (38) of the connection pipe (36) is arranged to be inserted inside the collar (30). 203. Collector box according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the connecting end (38) of the connection pipe (36) has a male profile (46) arranged to be introduced into a female profile ( 48) of the collar (30). 4. Collector box according to claim 3, characterized in that the male profile is produced in the form of a bead (46), while the female profile is produced in the form of a groove (48). 5. Collector box according to claim 3, characterized in that the male profile is produced in the form of a retaining profile (50; 54), while the female profile is produced in the form of a retaining groove (52 35; 56). 6. Collector box according to claim 5, characterized in that the retaining profile is produced under the shape of a frustoconical rim (50), while the retaining groove (52) has a complementary frustoconical profile. 57. Collector box according to claim 5, characterized in that the retaining profile is produced in the form of a retaining tooth (54), while the retaining groove (56) has a complementary retaining shoulder (58) . 10 8. Collector box according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the collar (30) has a male profile (60) arranged to be introduced into a female profile (62) of the connecting end (38) of the connecting pipe (36). 9. Collector box according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the male profile (46; 50; 54; 60) is continuous, while the female profile (48; 52; 56; 2062) is continuous. 10. Collector box according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the male profile (46; 50; 54; 60) is discontinuous or interrupted, while the female profile 25 (48; 52; 56; 62) is continuous. 11. Collector box according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the collector box (28) results from the assembly of a collector (22) and a cover (24), 30 and in that the collar (30) results from the assembly of a half-collar (30a) from the collector and a half-collar (30b) .issued from the cover. 12. Heat exchanger comprising at least one header box (28) according to one of claims 1 to 11.