Zexel USA Corporation

Clive R Hindle

Dean A Arneson

Akio Fukata

A method and apparatus provide a heat exchanger having a compression fitting for sealing connecting a refrigerant flow line to a tube brazed to the heat exchanger in a brazing furnace. The heat exchanger compression fitting includes a female tubing connector, a male tubing connector, a stainless steel washer, an annular seal member, and a rib formed integrally into the tube, spaced apart from an end of the tube to which the refrigerant flow line is to be connected. The male tubing connector is brazed to the refrigerant flow line. The female tubing connector and the stainless steel washer are placed on the tube between the rib and the end of the tube which is to be brazed to the heat exchanger, with the stainless steel washer between the rib and the female tubing connector. The tube is then placed in a refrigerant port of the heat exchanger, and run through the brazing furnace with other heat exchanger components. The annular seal member is placed around the pilot portion of the tube, next to the rib. The female tubing connector and the male tubing connector are coupled together to squeeze the annular seal member between the rib, the pilot portion of the tube, and the male tubing connector. The stainless steel washer evenly distributes compressive loads over a side of the rib, and prevents galling and deformation of the rib as the female connector is rotated for coupling to the male tubing connector.

Method of making an heat exchanger having a compression fitting with a

A method and brazing fixture are provided for passing a plurality of heat exchanger components through a brazing furnace to provide a heat exchanger for use in a motor vehicle air conditioning system. The brazing fixture includes a reusable brazing tray having a flat planar surface for securing the heat exchanger components thereto, in alignment for passing through the brazing furnace. The heat exchanger components include refrigerant flow tubes and fin stock, which are placed alongside of the planar surface, with the planar surface extending substantially along the full length of the fin stock to prevent high fin. Circulation ports extend through the brazing tray in a honeycomb pattern along the planar surface, for passing heated gases within the brazing furnace between the fin stock and flow tubes. The planar surface of the brazing tray is formed from a material to which the heat exchanger components will not braze, and which will not tend to stick to brazing flux.

Heat exchanger brazing tray

A parallel flow vehicle air conditioning condenser utilizes baffle plates with an interference fit. The baffle plates locate within header and tank assemblies. Parallel tubes extend between the header and tank assemblies for causing refrigerant flow between the header and tank assemblies and through the tubes. The header and tank assembly is made up of two portions which are brazed together. The baffle plate has abutment edges that abut the interior walls of the two portions in an interference fit to deform the walls and cause sealing.

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Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Clive R Hindle