Heat exchanger with an integrated tank and head sheet

• US 6,186,225 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quasar Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lattimore & Tessmer, Inc.
• Inventors: Higgins, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCKINNON, TERRELL L
• Application Number:
  US09/572,774
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• Field of Search: 165/174, 165/173, 165/140, 165/176, 298/900.52, 298/900.8, 298/900.43
• US Class Current: 165/173
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 28/28 in tubes or other hollow bodies
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0408 Multi-circuit heat exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat exchangers for more than two fluids F28F9/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0082 Charged air coolers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0089 Oil coolers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0094 for recooling the engine coolant
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2220/00 Closure means, e.g. end caps on header boxes or plugs on conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2255/10 made by hydroforming
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/02 Header boxes; End plates
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0234 having a second heat exchanger disposed there within, e.g. oil cooler
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49389 Header or manifold making

Abstract

A heat exchanger having a core of a plurality of cooling tubes with a tank at each end of the core tubes. The tanks are formed with a plurality of cooling tube receiving apertures along a side portion of the tanks. These apertures receive the ends of the cooling tubes directly into the tanks and are attached to the tubes by brazing. Since the cooling tubes are received in apertures formed in the tanks themselves, the need for a separate head sheet at the end of the core is eliminated thereby eliminating the need for sealing of a head sheet to a separate tank. The tanks are preferably formed in a hydroforming operation to shape the tanks from a tubular blank.

Claims

1. A method for making a heat exchanger comprising the steps of:

placing an elongated tube having at least one open end into a die cavity and closing the cavity and to form an integral piece projecting outward from the side of the tube;

hydroforming the tube to a desired shaped by filling the tube with a pressurized fluid to deform the tube outward into engagement with the surface of the die cavity;

the die containing a plurality of chisel points or pierce punches to pierce apertures into the tube along one side portion thereof while the tube is in the die cavity thereby forming cooling tube receiving apertures in the tube;

after removing the shaped tube from the cavity, closing the at least one open end with an end cap to form a first tank;

forming a second tank by repeating the above steps;

providing a plurality of cooling tubes sized to fit into the cooling tube receiving apertures and inserting a first end of each cooling tube into a cooling tube receiving aperture in the first tank and inserting a second end of each cooling tube into a cooling tube receiving aperture in the second tank; and

sealingly joining the cooling tubes to the first and second tanks whereby fluid can flow from the first tank through the cooling tubes to the second tank.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein during hydroforming of the tank said integral piece projecting outward from the side of the tube is formed with a closed end;

and

further comprising the step of removing the closed end of the cylindrical projection after the tank has been removed from the die cavity to form an open inlet/outlet neck.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein during hydroforming of the tank an outwardly extending flange is formed from the side of the tank for subsequent seating into a groove in a heat exchanger mount.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein during hydroforming of the tank outwardly projecting ribs are formed between the adjacent cooling tube receiving apertures which extend in a circumferential direction of the tank.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of closing the open end of the tubes with an end cap and sealingly joining the end caps to the open end of the tubes forming the first and second tanks.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of deforming the end cap and tubes to hold the end caps in place to the open end of the tubes prior to the step of sealingly joining the end cap to the tubes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooling tube receiving apertures are formed by punches.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of disposing an auxiliary oil cooler in one of the tanks.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooling tube receiving apertures are formed by inwardly projecting chisel points.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of forming a support ledge on the end of the auxiliary cooler.