Seal for heat exchanger of machine

• US 9,518,789 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: King, Travis J., Davis, Tyler, Kennedy, Joseph L., Durand, James, Chapagain, Pradeep
• Primary Examiner(s): HWU, DAVIS D
• Application Number:
  US14/477,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20160069620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 277/551, 277/562, 165/185
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/022 characterised by structure or material
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/0887 the sealing effect being obtained by elastic deformation of the packing
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3204 with at least one lip
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/163 with conduit assemblies having a particular shape, e.g. square or annular; with assemblies of conduits having different geometrical features; with multiple groups of conduits connected in series or parallel and arranged inside common casing F28D7/1615 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2230/00 Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0248 Arrangements for sealing connectors to header boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/04 Arrangements for sealing elements into header boxes or end plates arrangements for sealing flow lines connectors to header boxes F28F9/0248

Abstract

A seal for a heat exchanger of a machine includes a pad and a sealing lip. The pad includes a perimeter, a core face, and a tank face. The core face is in opposing relationship to the tank face. The pad defines a pad plane and an opening which extends between the core face and the tank face. The scaling lip circumscribes the perimeter of the pad and includes a base end, which is connected to the perimeter of the pad, and a terminal end. The sealing lip extends outwardly along the pad plane from the pad perimeter and projects from the core face. The sealing lip including an outer lip wall which extends from the base end to the terminal end along a tip axis disposed at an oblique lip pitch angle relative to the pad plane.

Claims

1. A seal for a heat exchanger of a machine, the seal comprising:

a pad, the pad including a perimeter, a core face, and a tank face, the core face in opposing relationship to the tank face, the pad defining a pad plane and defining, an opening extending between the core face and the tank face;

a sealing lip, the sealing lip circumscribing the perimeter of the pad, the sealing lip including a base end and a terminal end, the base end connected to the perimeter of the pad, the scaling lip extending outwardly along the pad plane from the perimeter of the pad and projecting from the core face of the pad, the sealing lip including an outer lip wall, the outer lip wall extending from the base end to the terminal end along a lip axis disposed at a lip pitch angle relative to the pad plane, the lip pitch angle being an oblique angle.

2. The seal according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter of the pad is rectangular.

3. The seal according to claim 1, wherein the lip pitch angle of the sealing lip is in a range between forty-five degrees and seventy-five degrees.

4. The seal according to claim 3, wherein the sealing lip includes an inner lip wall, the outer lip wall and the inner lip wall disposed in converging relationship to each other along the lip axis from the base end to the terminal end to define a lip taper angle therebetween, the lip taper angle being an acute angle.

5. The seal according to claim 4, wherein the lip taper angle of the scaling lip is in a range between five degrees and fifteen degrees.

6. The seal according to claim 1, wherein the lip pitch angle of the sealing lip is in a range between fifty degrees and sixty-five degrees.

7. The seal according to claim 1, wherein the sealing lip includes an inner lip wall, the outer lip wall and the inner lip wall disposed in converging relationship to each other along the lip axis from the base end to the terminal end to define a lip taper angle therebetween, the lip taper angle being an acute angle.

8. The seal according to claim 7, wherein the lip taper angle of the sealing lip is in a range between five degrees and fifteen degrees.

9. The seal according to claim 7, wherein the lip taper angle of the sealing lip is in a range between five degrees and ten degrees.

10. The seal according to claim 1, the seal further comprising:

a load member, the load member circumscribing and adjacent the perimeter of the pad, the load member connected to and extending from the tank face of the pad to a distal end of the load member, the load member being configured to transfer a load transmitted from the terminal end of the sealing lip to the distal end of the load member.

11. The seal according to claim 1, the seal further comprising:

an isolator member, the isolator member connected to the pad and projecting from the core face to a distal end of the isolator member, the isolator member being resiliently compressible.

12. The seal according to claim 11, wherein the isolator member includes a triangular cross-sectional isolator shape in a transverse vertical plane perpendicular to the pad plane.

13. The seal according to claim 11, wherein the terminal end of the sealing lip is disposed in offset vertical relationship along a vertical axis, which is perpendicular to the pad plane, relative to the distal end of the isolator member such that the distal end of the isolator member is disposed vertically between the terminal end of the sealing lip and the core face of the pad.

14. The seal according to claim 11, wherein the isolator member includes a number of isolator segments disposed around the perimeter of the pad.

15. The seal according to claim 1, the seal further comprising:

an alignment boss, the alignment boss extending from the tank face of the pad, the alignment boss defining a pin passage therein;

a core boss, the core boss extending from the tank thee of the pad, the core boss defining a snout passage therein, the snout passage being aligned and in communication with the opening of the pad.

16. A heat exchanger for a machine, the heat exchanger comprising:

a tank, the tank defining a core passage and an internal chamber in fluid communication with the core passage;

a core assembly, the core assembly defining an internal fluid passage therein, the core assembly including an end having a snout projecting therefrom, the snout defining a core port in fluid communication with the internal fluid passage, the snout disposed within the core passage of the tank such that the internal fluid passage of the core assembly is in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the tank via the core port; and

a seal, the seal interposed between the tank and the core assembly, the seal including;

a pad, the pad including a perimeter, a core face, and a tank face, the core face in opposing relationship to the tank face, the pad defining a pad plane and defining an opening extending between the core face and the tank face, the tank thee in contacting relationship with the tank such that the opening of the pad is aligned with the core passage of the tank, the core assembly being adjacent the core face of the pad and disposed such that the snout of the core assembly extends through the opening of the pad into the core passage of the tank, and

a sealing lip, the sealing lip circumscribing the perimeter of the pad, the sealing lip including a base end and a terminal end, the base end connected to the perimeter of the pad, the sealing lip extending outwardly along the pad plane from the perimeter of the pad and projecting from the core face of the pad toward the end of the core assembly, the core assembly compressingly engaging the sealing lip, the terminal end of the sealing lip being in contacting relationship with the end of the core assembly to define a seal area within the sealing lip, and the snout of the core assembly being disposed within the seal area.

17. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein the sealing lip includes an outer lip wall, the outer lip wall extending from the base end to the terminal end, the outer lip wall, when in an uncompressed condition, extends along a lip axis disposed at a lip pitch angle relative to the pad plane, the lip pitch angle being in a range between forty-five degrees and seventy-five degrees.

18. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein the seal includes an isolator member, the isolator member connected to the pad and projecting from the core face to a distal end of the isolator member, the isolator member interposed between the end of the core assembly and the core face of the pad, the isolator member being resiliently compressible to permit the core assembly to undergo axial thermal expansion along a vertical axis perpendicular to the pad plane over a range of thermal conditions while supporting the core assembly such that the end of the core assembly is vertically offset from the core face of the pad over a range of dynamic loading conditions.

19. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein the end of the core assembly has a core perimeter, and the seal is configured such that the terminal end of the sealing lip is disposed within the core perimeter over a range of travel of the end of the core assembly along a vertical axis perpendicular to the pad plane between an unloaded condition in which the sealing lip is uncompressed and a bottoming out condition in which the end of the core assembly is in compressing engagement with the sealing lip such that the sealing lip is substantially aligned with the pad plane and the end of the core assembly is in contacting relationship with the core face of the pad of the seal.

20. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein the end of the core assembly includes an alignment pin projecting therefrom, the seal includes an alignment boss extending from the tank face of the pad, the alignment boss defining a pin passage therein, and the tank defines an alignment boss passage therein, the alignment pin of the core assembly disposed within the pin passage of the alignment boss of the seal, the alignment boss of the seal disposed within the alignment boss passage of the tank, the alignment pin, the alignment boss, and the alignment boss passage cooperating together to mount the core assembly to the tank in a particular orientation relative to the seal and the tank.