Heat exchangers and method of making same

• US 4,241,785 A
• Filed: 07/24/1978
• Issued: 12/30/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Peerless of America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Peerless of America Incorporated
• Inventors: O'Connor, Joseph M., Pasternak, Stephen F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US05/927,482
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 165/150, 165/151, 165/172, 165/181, 29/157.3 A, 29/157.3 B, 62/525
• US Class Current: 165/172
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/047 the conduits being bent, e.g. in a serpentine or zig-zag
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/32 the means having portions engaging further tubular elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/508 Side-by-side conduits penetrate parallel plate-type fins
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4938 Common fin traverses plurality of tubes

Abstract

A heat exchanger and method of making same, which embodies laterally spaced tubes mounted in a plurality of spaced sets or assemblies of cross-fins, with adjacent ones of the sets of cross-fins being disposed at an angle to each other which is less than 180 degrees, and with the portions of the laterally spaced tubes extending between respective adjacent pairs of the sets of cross-fins being bent around the same radii.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising

a. a plurality of sets of one-piece fins,

b. tubes

(1) mounted in oppositely disposed marginal edge portions of each of said sets of fins and

(2) having portions extending between adjacent pairs of said sets of fins,

c. part of said portions of said tubes being disposed in substantially uniplanar relation to each other, and

d. said tubes being bent at said part of said portions in a direction transverse to the plane defining said uniplanar relationship to thereby dispose said adjacent pairs of sets of fins at an angle relative to each other which is less than 180 degrees.

2. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1, and in which

a. said tubes are mounted in slots, opening outwardly through respective ones of said oppositely disposed marginal edge portions.

3. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1, and in which

a. said plurality of sets of fins comprises two sets of fins, and

b. said two sets of fins are so disposed relative to each other as to define substantially a V-shape.

4. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1, and in which

a. said plurality of sets of fins comprises three sets of fins, and

b. said three sets of fins are so disposed relative to each other as to define substantially a U-shape.

5. A heat exchanger comprising

a. a plurality of sets of a plurality of one-piece cross-fins,

b. each of said sets of cross-fins having a row of outwardly opening slots in each of two oppositvely disposed marginal edge portions thereof,

c. said slots in each of said sets of cross-fins having corresponding slots in the other of said sets of cross-fins to afford individual sets of slots,

d. a plurality of tubes,

e. each of said tubes being disposed in a respective one of said sets of slots,

f. each of said tubes having a portion extending between adjacent ones of said sets of cross-fins, and

g. said portions of said tubes extending between each pair of adjacent ones of said sets of cross-fins having intermediate portions disposed in substantially uniplanar relation to each other, and

h. said tubes having bends formed in said intermediate portions in position to dispose said adjacent ones of said sets of cross-fins at an angle relative to each other that is less than 180 degrees.

6. The method of making a heat exchanger comprising

a. forming two spaced fin assemblies, each having

(1) an opening formed in each of two oppositely disposed marginal edge portions thereof

b. forming two elongated, substantially straight tubes,

c. mounting said tubes in said fin assemblies, with

(1) one portion of each of said tubes mounted in a respective one of said openings in a respective one of said marginal edge portions of each of said fin assemblies, and

7. (2) another portion of each of said tubes extending between adjacent ones of said fin assemblies,

d. bending an intermediate portion of said other portion of each of said tubes inwardly toward the side of the space between said adjacent fin assemblies remote therefrom into position to dispose said intermediate portions, between said adjacent fin assemblies between which they extend, in uniplanar relation to each other in a direction transverse to the spacing between said one portions of said tubes disposed in opposite ones of said marginal edge portions, and

e. bending said tubes around said intermediate portions in a direction transverse to the plane defining said uniplanar relationship to thereby dispose said adjacent fin assemblies at an angle relative to each other which is less than 180 degrees, and

f. securing said tubes to said assemblies.

9. The method of making a heat exchanger as defined in claim 7, and

a. in which

(1) each of said slots has

(a) an entry portion opening outwardly through the marginal edge of the respective one of said marginal edge portions in which it is disposed, and

(b) a body portion extending from said entry portion on the side thereof remote from said marginal edge, and having a greater width perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of said entry portion than the narrowest width of said entry portion, and

b. which includes

(1) flattening said tubes to a width less than the narrowest width of said entry portions prior to insertion of said tubes into said slots,

(2) inserting said thus flattened tubes transversely through said entry portions into said body portions in the direction of said flattening, and

(3) expanding said tubes in said body portions into abutting engagement with the side walls of said body portions.

11. The method of making a heat exchanger as defined in claim 9, and in which

a. said expanding of said tubes is accomplished by the simultaneous application of

(1) external pressure on said tubes effective to maintain said tubes in engagement with the portions of said side walls of said respective body portions in which they are mounted remote from said entry portions from which said body portions extend, and

(2) internal pressure applied by working fluid inside said tubes.

8. The method of making a heat exchanger comprising

a. forming a plurality of spaced cross-fin assemblies, each having

(1) a plurality of outwardly opening slots in each of two oppositely disposed marginal edge portions thereof,

b. forming a plurality of elongated, substantially straight tubes,

c. inserting said tubes in said slots with each of said tubes

(1) being disposed in aligned slots in each of said assemblies, and

(2) having a portion extending between each respective adjacent pair of said assemblies,

d. bending said portions of said tube which are disposed between adjacent pairs of said assemblies into position to dispose intermediate portions thereof into substantially uniplanar relation to each other, and

e. bending said tubes around said intermediate portions disposed between respective adjacent pairs of said assemblies in a direction transverse to the plane of said uniplanar relationship thereof to thereby dispose said respective pairs of assemblies at an angle relative to each other which is less than 180 degrees.

10. The method of making a heat exchanger as defined in claim 8, and in which

a. said bending of said portions of said tubes is in the direction of said flattening thereof.