Heat exchanger module

• US 20050072561A1
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ozaki, Tatsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,131,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/140
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0452 Combination of units extending one behind the other with units extending one beside or one above the other
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/001 Casings in the form of plate-like arrangements; Frames enclosing a heat exchange core

Abstract

A heat exchanger module includes a first heat exchanger disposed at a downstream air side of second and third heat exchangers. In the heat exchanger module, walls are formed in reinforcement plates of the second and third heat exchangers, to be approximately perpendicular to a cooling air flow direction. Further, communication holes through which air passes are provided in the walls of the reinforcement plates. Accordingly, a sufficient amount of air for heat exchange can be supplied to the first heat exchanger, while the second and third heat exchangers can be reinforced enough by the reinforcement plates.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger module for performing heat exchange with air, comprising:

a first heat exchanger including a plurality of tubes in which a fluid flows and a plurality of fins disposed on outside surfaces of the tubes;

a second heat exchanger disposed at an upstream air side of the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger including

a heat exchanger core that has a plurality of tubes in which a fluid flows and a plurality of fins disposed on outside surfaces of the tubes, and

a reinforcement plate that reinforces the heat exchanger core and includes a wall member intersecting with an air flow; and

a third heat exchanger disposed at the upstream air side of the first heat exchanger and arranged in a line with the second heat exchanger with respect to an air flow direction, the third heat exchanger including;

a heat exchanger core that has a plurality of tubes in which a fluid flows and a plurality of fins disposed on outside surfaces of the tubes, and

a reinforcement plate that reinforces the heat exchanger core and includes a wall member intersecting with the air flow,

wherein at least one of the wall members of the reinforcement plates of the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger has a communication hole through which air flows.

2. The heat exchanger module according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the reinforcement plates has an approximate U-shape in a cross section parallel to the air flow direction, to be opened in a direction perpendicular to the air flow direction.

3. The heat exchanger module according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a projection area of the communication hole projected on a plane perpendicular to the air flow direction to a projection area of the reinforcement plate having the communication hole projected on the plane perpendicular to the air flow direction is in a range between 0.5 and 0.9.

4. The heat exchanger module according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of S1 to S2 is set larger than C, in which S1 indicates a projection area of a portion between the heat exchanger core of the second heat exchanger and the heat exchanger core of the third heat exchanger, projected on a plane perpendicular to the air flow direction;

S2 indicates a projection area of an air passage including the communication hole, which is between the heat exchanger core of the second heat exchanger and the heat exchange core of the third heat exchanger, projected on the plane perpendicular to the air flow direction; and

C indicates a proportion of the projection area of the air passage to a total projection area of the heat exchanger cores projected on the plane perpendicular to the air flow direction.

5. The heat exchanger module according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the reinforcement plates includes a plurality of the communication holes partitioned from each other.

6. The heat exchanger module according to claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger is disposed to be separated from one of the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger by a distance equal to or below 20 mm.

7. The heat exchanger module according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement plates of the second and third heat exchangers are disposed adjacent to each other in an arrangement direction of the second and third heat exchangers.