Modine Manufacturing Company

Lawrence W Gabbey

Richard J Trapp

Gregory G Hughes

Jonathan P Wattelet

C James Rogers

Stephen B Memory

Edward Robinson

Craig C Grohman

Richard Mark De Keuster

Richard A Mielke

Winston Zhang

Michael J Swee

Thomas J Thielen

Richard M DeKeuster

Mark G Voss

Jeffrey Alan Logic

Donald Lightner

Richard A Bretl

Gregory DaPra

Thomas M Shields

William J Kerkman

Kevin J Robers

Noorulhaq Pandit

Tod T Kersher

Heat exchange inefficiencies found in round tube plate fin heat exchangers are eliminated in an aluminum heat exchanger that includes first and second headers (), () and at least one flattened tube (), () extending between the headers (), (). A plurality of generally parallel tube runs are defined and each has opposite edges. A plurality of plate fins (), () are arranged in a stack and each has a plurality of open ended slots (), one for each run of the tubes (), (). Each of the tube runs (), () is nested within corresponding slots () and the fins (), () with one of the edges () of the tube runs extending outwardly of the corresponding fin (). The assembly is brazed together.

Method of fabricating a heat exchanger

Heat exchanger

An elongate manifold construction ( ) having an longitudinal axis ( ) is provided for use in a heat exchanger ( ) having a plurality of tubes ( ). The manifold construction ( ) includes an elongated tank piece ( ) and an elongated header piece ( ). A plurality of embossed beads ( ) having openings ( ) therein that are engaged by tabs ( ) spaced along the longitudinal axis ( ) to maintain the tank and header pieces ( ) in proper alignment with each other so as to obtain a suitable bond joint therebetween during a bonding operation.

Manifold for heat exchanger

Ease of service is provided in an integrated condenser (,) and receiver (,) including two nonhorizontal headers (,), a plurality of tubes (,) extending between the headers (,) to establish a plurality of hydraulically parallel flow pads between the headers (,); at least one partition (,) in each of the headers for causing refrigerant to make at least two passes, including an upstream pass and a downstream pass, through the condenser (,); and an elongated receiver (,) mounted on one of the headers (,). The elongated receiver (,) includes an interior chamber (,), an upper inlet (,) connected to a downstream side of the upstream pass for the flow of refrigerant form the upstream pass to the interior chamber (,), a lower liquid outlet (,) connected to an upstream side of the downstream pass for the flow of liquid refrigerant from the interior chamber (,) to the downstream pass, and a port (,) to allow access to interior chamber (,) for servicing the receiver (,). The port (,) includes a first nominally cylindrical interior surface (,), a second nominally cylindrical interior surface (,) spaced axially and radially outward from the first cylindrical interior surface (,), and a radially inwardly facing annular groove (,) in the second cylindrical surface (,). A plug (,) is provided and includes a nominally cylindrical exterior surface (,) and a radially outwardly facing annular groove (,) in the exterior surface mounting an annular seal (,). The plug (,) is removably received in the port (,) with the seal (,) mating with the first cylindrical surface (,) of the port (,). A retaining ring (,) is removably received in the annular groove (,) of the port (,) to releaseably retain the plug (,) in1 the port (,).

Integrated parallel flow condenser receiver assembly

Loss of efficiency as a result of inadequate subcooling caused by the entry of gaseous refrigerant into the subcooling stage of a condenser (20) from a receiver (22) is avoided in a construction wherein an upper inlet (64) to the receiver (22) is canted at an angle (.alpha.,.beta.) with respect to the longitudinal axis (74) of the receiver to induce a vortex flow (130) of refrigerant in the receiver (22). A baffle (106,115,118,121) may advantageously be located between the upper inlet (64) and a lower outlet (66) of the receiver (22) to isolate turbulence within the receiver (22) from the lower outlet (66).

Integral receiver/condenser for a refrigerant

A simple, reliable bypass valve construction (50) is provided for use in conjunction with a donut oil cooler (16) having an aluminum multi-piece housing (28). The bypass valve construction (50) is easily accessible and readily replaceable so as to lend itself to serviceability. The invention is incorporated in an oil cooler (16) having a housing (28) with a coolant inlet and outlet (42) and (44), and a surface (26) adapted to be sealed against an oil filter (14). The oil cooler (16) includes a plurality of interconnected heat exchange units (21) located inside the housing (28), with an oil inlet to one of the units and an oil outlet from another of the units. An oil bypass is provided through at least some of the interconnected heat exchange units (21) and communicates with a bypass outlet (62) in the housing surface (26). The bypass outlet (62) is normally closed by a bypass valve (52) which includes a generally C-shaped, sheet-like resilient flapper (54) with a valve element (56) sized to close the bypass outlet (62) and located intermediate the ends of the flapper (54). The ends of the flapper (54) have feet (64) and (66) which are received in slots (68) and (70) in the housing surface (26) to mount the flapper (54) on the surface (26) and to at least nominally locate the valve element (56) with respect to the bypass outlet (62).

Oil cooler with a self-fastening, self-orienting pressure relief valve

Growing community of inventors

Racine, WI, United States of America

Lawrence W Gabbey