Sanden Corporation

Hisao Aoki

Mikio Koisuka

Tomohiro Chiba

Toru Yamaguchi

Hirotaka Kado

Susumu Ikeda

Toshiharu Shinmura

Nobuyasu Ando

Rei Oikawa

Kazuhiro Nakaguro

Naoyoshi Sutou

Naoyoshi Sutoh

A heat exchanger includes reservoirs spaced apart from each other and a plurality of parallel heat transfer tubes fluidly connecting the reservoirs. An end portion of each heat transfer tube is connected to at least one of the reservoirs so that the end portion does not project into the interior of the reservoir. Thus, the dimension of the reservoir in the axial direction of the tubes and a proper volume of heat transfer medium may be minimized. Further, pressure loss can be reduced because there are no projecting tubes in the reservoirs to obstruct the flow of the heat transfer medium. Moreover, the strength of the connection between the tubes and the reservoirs can be increased because more contacting surface area is provided for making the connection, for example by brazing.

Heat exchanger

An air conditioner has air an duct defining an air path. Cooling and heating devices are provided in the air path, and the cooling and heating devices are disposed in parallel with respect to a longitudinal axis of the air duct. Switching means are provided at positions upstream and downstream of the parallel cooling and heating devices, respectively, for controlling air flow into, and air flow from, the cooling device or the heating device, or both. The size, e.g., the length of the air duct is reduced by the parallel disposition of the cooling and heating devices, thereby reducing the size of the entire air conditioner.

Air conditioner with heating, cooling and reheat

A heat exchanger is provided with a first tank and a second tank. Heat transfer tubes are disposed between the tanks and are connected to the tanks to place the tanks in fluid communication. Either of the tanks may be divided into chambers by a partition. The partition has at least one portion which is oriented to be angularly offset from the direction of an air flow passing through the heat exchanger. The orientation of the partition permits the heat transfer tubes to be connected to the tanks in an arrangement so that no portion of the air flow can pass through the heat exchanger without striking at least one of the heat transfer tubes.

Heat exchanger and arrangement of tubes therefor

A heat exchanger includes upper and lower tanks, a plurality of parallel heat transfer tubes fluidly interconnected between the upper and lower tanks, a plurality of reinforcing members connecting an upper wall and a lower wall of the upper and lower tanks, and a communication path associated with each reinforcing member. The reinforcing members increase the strength of the tank walls against deformation due to the high pressure working fluid without increasing the thickness of the walls or increasing the spacing between the tubes. The communication path ensures efficient flow of a heat medium in the tanks.

A heat exchanger includes a pair of substantially parallel header pipes and a plurality of substantially parallel tubes disposed between the pair of header pipes. Each tube defines a pair of end portions which are connected to the pair of header pipes. A plurality of rows of fins are provided along sides of the tubes. A pair of reinforcement members are provided along sides of each of the top and bottom rows of fins. Each of the pair of header pipes has a plurality of holes for inserting the end portions of the tubes to connect the tubes to each pipe of the pair of header pipes. At least one slit is formed on the end portions of each header pipe. The end portions of the reinforcement members extend through the slits to close the open ends of the header pipes. In one embodiment, each of the end portions of the reinforcement members extend through each header pipe through a pair of opposed slits and is bent to fix itself to the header pipe. The number of heat exchanger parts is thus reduced and the manufacture thereof is simplified.

A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger includes a pair of tubular header pipes having a plurality of connection holes for heat exchanger tubes extended between the header pipes. A plurality of opposite corresponding cut portions are formed on both ends of a plate. The plate is bent into an almost tubular shape. The heat exchanger tubes are inserted into the opposite cut portions. The plate is further bent into a complete tubular shape, with the opposite cut portions forming completed connection holes. Thus, the connection holes are formed at desired positions of the heat exchanger and simultaneously, the tubes can be precisely and securely connected to the header pipes.

Method for manufacturing a heat exchanger

A heat exchanger, such as a condenser, for use in an automobile air conditioning system comprises a plurality of flat tubes for conducting the refrigerant and a plurality of corrugated outer fins fixedly sandwiched between the flat tubes. First and second header pipes are fixedly and hermetically connected to the flat tubes and thereby communicate with the interior of the tubes. Each of the flat tubes includes a flat tube member and a corrugated inner fin. The corrugated inner fin includes a plurality of ridges which extend along the width of the flat tube member. The adjacent ridges are fixedly connected to upper and lower inner surfaces of the flat tube member so as to define a plurality of lateral hollow regions in an interior hollow portion of the flat tube member. A plurality of openings are formed in each of surfaces of the corrugated inner fin defined between the adjacent ridges so as to laterally disperse the flow of the refrigerant when the refrigerant flows through the interior hollow space of the flat tube. As a result, the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser is sufficiently improved while preventing expansion of the flat tube members.

A condenser, for use in automotive air conditioning systems, including a first header, a second header, a plurality of parallel flat plate pipes arranged between the first and second headers, and corrugated fins between the flat plate pipes for contacting the flat surfaces thereof. A second union joint on the second header introduces refrigerant into the second header. A first union joint on the first header discharges refrigerant to a refrigeration circuit. The first union joint includes a union portion for connecting the first union joint with the refrigeration circuit, a fixed portion with a receiving surface which is fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the first header, and a pipe which is connected to the union portion. The pipe extends downwardly within the first header to the bottom of the first header, and thus, the first union joint discharging liquid refrigerant can be disposed anywhere on the first header.

Condenser for automotive air conditioning systems

A method of brazing a temporarily assembled heat exchanger includes the steps of spraying an ionized fluid such as water on one surface. A powdered electrostatically charged flux is blown onto the opposite surface of the heat exchanger. A portion of the powdered flux is attracted to the one surface by the ionized fluid. Therefore, the flux material is uniformly spread across the heat exchanger. Finally, the heat exchanger is heated and brazed.

Brazing method

A condenser for a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator which are sequentially disposed is disclosed. The condenser includes a plurality of tubes having opposite first and second open ends, and a plurality of fins disposed between the plurality of tubes. First and second header pipes are fixedly disposed at the opposite ends respectively, and the open ends of the tubes are disposed in fluid communication with the interior of the header pipes. The first header pipe has an inlet which links the condenser to an external element of the circuit. The second header pipe has a first open end and a second closed end. An outlet element is disposed at the first open end of the second header pipe and links the condenser to an external element of the circuit. A pipe member is disposed in the second header. One open end of the pipe member is disposed near the closed end of the second header, and the other open end of the pipe member is disposed near the outlet. In operation, the refrigerant fluid which condenses in the condenser accumulates in an accumulating section and than flows out to the external fluid circuit from the second header exclusively through the pipe member. Since the condenser includes an accumulator section disposed therein, the need for a separate receiver element in the circuit is eliminated.

Condenser with a built-in receiver

A heat exchanger includes a pair of header pipes, tubes disposed between the header pipes, and radiation fins provided along the tubes. Each of the header pipes has a plurality of connection holes for the tubes. Each of the header pipes is formed by bending a longitudinal flat plate in the form of a pipe and connecting the side edge portions of the bent plate to each other. The side edge portions of the bent longitudinal plate have connecting portions which are connected to each other with a junction area larger than the cross-sectional area defined by the thickness and length of each header pipe at a position other than the side edge portions. The connection holes are processed before the longitudinal flat plate is bent, and therefore, can be easily and precisely formed at desired positions. The manufacture of the heat exchanger can be simplified and the cost for the manufacture can be reduced. The connection strength of the side edge portions can be increased by the larger connection area of the connecting portions. The strength of the header pipe can be maintained over a long period of time.

A heat exchanger includes a pair of header pipes, a plurality of flat heat-transfer tubes parallel to each other, a plurality of radiation fins provided on the sides of the flat heat-transfer tubes, an additional flat heat-transfer tube disposed adjacent to the end flat heat-transfer tube, having a path cross-sectional area larger than those of the flat heat-transfer tubes and being connected to one of the header pipes and a joint unit, and an additional radiation fin provided on at least one side of the additional flat heat-transfer tube. The vacant space in the space for installation of the heat exchanger can be utilized as an additional heat exchange portion formed by the additional tube and fin; and the effectiveness of the heat exchanger can be efficiently increased even if the space for the installation is small or limited.

A condenser for use in an automotive air conditioning system including inlet and outlet union elements is disclosed. The condenser comprises a plurality of flat pipes for conducting refrigerant and a plurality of corrugated fins fixedly sandwiched between the flat pipes. First and second header pipes are fixedly and hermetically connected to the flat pipes, thereby communicatingly connecting the flat pipes to the interior of the header pipes. Inlet and outlet union elements for connecting the condenser to the other elements of the air conditioning system are formed in one body and connected to one of the first and second header pipes, thereby reducing the fraction of union element/header pipe junctions which are defective by reducing the number of union element/header pipe junctions.

Condenser

A heat exchanger including a first and second header is disclosed. The headers are linked in fluid communication by a plurality of elongated fluid tubes. In a first embodiment, the first and second headers are integrally formed as a single pipe having a partition wall extending radially across. Left and right intermediate headers are disposed laterally of the single pipe. Two groups of fluid tubes link the first header to a lower portion of the intermediate headers, and two additional groups of fluid tubes link the intermediate headers to an upper portion of the second header. In a second embodiment, the first and second headers are disposed in a spaced parallel arrangement and are approximately half the length of the left and right intermediate headers with which they are linked at an upper portion of the intermediate headers by fluid tubes. The lower parts of the intermediate headers are linked directly by a third group of tubes to complete the fluid circuit of the heat exchanger.

Growing community of inventors

Maebashi, Japan

Hisao Aoki