JP3095878B2 - Heat exchanger - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat exchanger made of metal such as aluminum used for a condenser for a car cooler, a condenser for a room air conditioner, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a condenser for a car cooler, for example, a heat exchanger recently called a so-called multi-flow type or a parallel flow type can realize high heat exchange efficiency, low pressure loss and ultra compactness. , Tend to be used favorably.

As shown in FIG. 7, this heat exchanger comprises a plurality of flat tubes (1) arranged in parallel.
The pair of left and right hollow headers (2) and (2) are connected to each other at both ends thereof in a communicating state, and the fins (3) are arranged in a gap between the tubes (1) and the inside of the header (2). At a predetermined position in the height direction, the refrigerant is partitioned by the partition (4), and the refrigerant flowing into the header (2) from the inlet pipe (5) flows through the group of tubes in a meandering manner and the outlet pipe (6). It is supposed to be leaked from.

By the way, in the flat tube of such a condenser, in particular, since the refrigerant flowing inside is a high-pressure gas refrigerant, it is necessary to have a sufficient pressure resistance.

In response to such a request, recently, the sixth
A tube (1) as shown in the figure has been proposed.
The tube (1) is manufactured by bending an aluminum brazing sheet, and is formed by bending a part of upper and lower tube walls (8) and (9) in a folded shape so as to extend in a longitudinal direction. A projecting bent ridge (12) is formed, and the distal end of the bent ridge (12) is joined and integrated to the opposed flat tube walls (9) and (8) by brazing.

According to the tube (1) having such a structure, since the upper and lower tube walls (8) and (9) are connected by the bent ridges (12), the tube (1) is excellent in pressure resistance. Further, since the tube is manufactured by bending the sheet material, the heat exchange performance can be improved by lowering the tube height (H) as compared with the case of extrusion or the like. Furthermore, by being an integrally molded product, superiority in terms of productivity and the like can be exhibited.

[0007]

However, in adopting a tube having the above structure, in manufacturing a heat exchanger, as shown in FIG. 8, tubes (1)... And headers (2) and (2) are used. According to the conventional method, the tube (1) is inserted into the circumferentially slit tube insertion hole (15) provided in the header (2), and brazing is performed in that state. In this case, the end of the tube (1) is inserted into the tube of the header (2) due to the narrow groove (23) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tube (1) due to the formation of the bent ridge (12). A gap is created between the tube (1) and the header (2) when inserted and arranged in the hole (15). Due to this gap, there is a high risk that the two will not be brazed into a good airtight state. Was.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and, as a tube, bends a part of the tube wall in the circumferential direction in a folded shape so as to extend in the longitudinal direction and protrude into the tube. It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger having a structure in which a tube and a header can be surely air-tightly brazed and integrated into a heat exchanger employing a structure having a strip.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a heat exchange tube which extends in a lengthwise direction protruded into a tube by bending a portion of the tube tube wall in a circumferential direction in a folded manner. In a heat exchanger having a bent ridge, the end of the tube being connected to the hollow header in a communicating state, an airtight brazing tubular body of a predetermined length is inserted and arranged in a tube insertion hole of the header. At the same time, the end of the tube is inserted and arranged in the airtight brazing tubular body in a suitable state, and the header and the airtight brazing tubular body, and the airtight brazing tubular body and the tube are A heat exchanger characterized by being integrally joined by brazing.

[0010]

In the above construction, since the tubular airtight brazing tube and the header are such that the airtight brazing tube does not have a narrow groove or the like on the outer peripheral surface as in the case of a tube. By performing brazing, good airtight joining is achieved.
In addition, since the tube end and the airtight brazing tubular body are fitted in the tube end at an appropriate state over a certain length range, the airtight brazing tubular body is formed in a narrow groove on the outer peripheral surface of the tube. Due to the brazing, the gap created between the two is closed by the brazing material at least at any part in the longitudinal direction thereof, whereby the brazing is airtightly joined. As a result, the tube and the header configured as described above are securely joined in an airtight state by brazing.

[0011]

Next, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a condenser for an air conditioner will be described. It goes without saying that the heat exchanger of the present invention can be widely applied to other various heat exchangers.

As shown in FIG. 7, the heat exchanger in the present embodiment comprises a plurality of flat heat exchange tubes (1).
Are arranged in a horizontal parallel state, a pair of left and right tubular hollow headers (2), (2) are connected to both ends of these tubes (1) in a communicating state, and between the tubes (1). Have a basic structure in which fins (3) are arranged in the gap. Further, the inside of the headers (2) and (2) is partitioned by the meandering partition member (4), so that the refrigerant flowing from the inlet pipe (5) flows through the tubes (1)... Outflow from the pipe (6).

In this heat exchanger, the tube (1)
As shown in FIG. 6, upper and lower planar tube walls (8) and (9) arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval are formed by a U-shaped wall (10) at one side edge thereof. The metal structures are integrally connected, and the other side edges are each curved inward and brought into abutting state. On the upper and lower flat tube walls (8) and (9), bent ridges (12) extending in the length direction are formed so as to protrude into the tube by partially bending the tube walls. The distal ends of the bent ridges (12) contact the inner surfaces of the opposed flat tube walls (9) and (8).
The tube (1) is formed integrally by using a strip-shaped aluminum brazing sheet having a brazing material layer clad on both sides thereof and performing a bending process such as a roll forming process.

The headers (2) and (2) are cylindrical pipes formed by bending a single aluminum brazing sheet having an outer surface or both surfaces clad with a brazing material layer in a state in which both side edges are abutted. Header pipe (2
a), and header caps (2b) and (2b) whose upper and lower ends are closed in an externally fitted state.

The pipe (2a) of the header (2) (2)
As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, a circumferential slit-shaped tube insertion hole (15) is arranged in a row on the peripheral wall opposite to the side edge butting portion. In addition, the header pipe (2a) is provided with a partition member insertion hole (16) and the like in a manner of straddling the side edge butting portion. The partition member (4) is manufactured using an aluminum brazing sheet.

In order to braze and join the headers (2) and (2) to the tubes (1) in an airtight manner, an airtight brazing tubular body (1) as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used.
8) is used. This airtight brazing tube (1
8) is a flat cylindrical member having a predetermined length corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the flat tube (1). An arcuate positioning projection (19) is provided at the middle part in the length direction along the outer peripheral surface shape of the header (2), and one side of the header is located on the border of the positioning projection (19). (2) projected into,
The other side protrudes out of the header (2). In addition, the airtight brazing tubular body (18) has the inner peripheral surface of the header (2) on both the flat upper wall and the lower wall of the portion projecting into the header (2). An engaging retaining projection (20) is formed. Further, a cut (21) is formed on one side edge of the airtight brazing tubular body (18), and the cut (21) is slightly opened in a state where the part is alone. And a springback function is provided. The notch (21) is closed when the airtight brazing tubular body (18) is inserted and arranged in the tube insertion hole (15) of the header (2). In addition, since the tube (1) and the header (2) are made of a brazing sheet, the airtight brazing tubular body (18) is made of an aluminum material that is not clad with a brazing material. According to the above, a brazing material clad material such as an aluminum brazing sheet having both surfaces clad with a brazing material layer may be used.

The fins (3) are made of corrugated fins formed by forming a sheet material having a width substantially equal to the width of the tube (1) into a corrugated shape and cutting and raising a louver. An aluminum brazing sheet having a brazing material layer clad on both sides is used.

In the manufacture of the heat exchanger, first, the components of the heat exchanger are assembled in a mutually tentatively assembled state.

That is, first, an airtight brazing tubular body (18) is inserted into each tube insertion hole (15) of the header (2) (2).
Until the positioning projection (19) comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the header (2). The airtight brazing tubular body (18) has a notch (21) formed at one side edge thereof and is provided with a springback function, so that it can be inserted into the tube insertion hole (15). Is maintained in an appropriate positioning state. In addition, since the retaining projections (20) and (20) are engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the header (2), a more reliable retaining operation is achieved.

Then, the headers (2) and (2) are inserted into both ends of the plurality of tubes (1)... Arranged in parallel, and the ends of the tubes (1) are inserted into the tube insertion holes (15). , Fitting and assembling into a so-called heat exchanger skeleton composed of tubes (1)... And headers (2) and (2). In this state, the ends of the tubes (1) are widely covered with the airtight brazing tubular body (18).

Further, the heat exchanger skeleton is assembled with a corrugated fin (3), a partition member (4), an inlet pipe (5), an outlet pipe (6) and the like to assemble a heat exchanger assembly. Can be

Next, the heat exchanger assembly is placed in a furnace, and flux brazing or vacuum brazing is performed to thereby abut the side edges of the headers (2) and (2) and the side of the tube (1). Edge butt, bent ridge (1
The whole is joined and integrated, including the contact part between the tip part of 2) and the corresponding flat tube wall (9) (8). Thus, a heat exchanger is manufactured.

During the brazing, the header (2) and the airtight brazing tube (18) are connected to the airtight brazing tube (1).
8) The outer peripheral surface is formed on the surface without irregularities such as narrow grooves conforming to the shape of the tube insertion hole (15), so that the brazing material can properly spread between the two and joined together in an airtight state. You. In addition, a more reliable airtight joining state can be obtained by the effect of increasing the joining area by the positioning projection (19). Also, the airtight brazing tubular body (18) and the tube (1) are because the airtight brazing tubular body (18) covers the end of the tube (1) over a certain wide range of length. Also, the brazing material flows into the gap caused by the narrow groove (23) on the outer peripheral surface of the tube (1) at least in a part of its length, so that the gap is closed and joined in an airtight state. . As a result, the tubes (1)... And the headers (2) and (2) are reliably connected in an airtight state by the action of the airtight brazing tubular body (18).

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the airtight brazing tubular body (18) is shorter than that of the above embodiment, and the positioning projection is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the header (2). (19)
The airtight brazing tube (18) protrudes into the header (2) when inserted into the tube insertion hole (15) of the header (2). So that it does not protrude outside the header (2). Even with such a configuration, the airtight brazing tubular body (1
8) and the tube (1) can be brazed in a substantially airtight state, albeit slightly less secure than in the above embodiment.

In each of the above embodiments, the airtight brazing tubular body (18) is provided with the retaining projection (20) which engages with the inner peripheral surface of the header (2). But
As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the retaining projection (20) may be omitted.

In the above embodiment, the tube is
Flat wall (9) where the tip of the bent ridge (12) faces
The tube (1) having a structure brazed to (8) is employed, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the point is that a part of the tube wall in the circumferential direction is bent in a folded shape and the inside of the tube is formed. Any heat exchange tube may be used as long as it is formed with a projecting bent ridge extending in the length direction.
The structure of the present invention can also be suitably applied to a heat exchanger using a tube having a structure in which the tip of 2) is separated from the opposing flat wall portions (9) and (8). Can be demonstrated.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the heat exchanging tube is provided with a bent ridge extending in the longitudinal direction projected into the tube by bending a portion of the tube wall in the circumferential direction in a folded shape. In a heat exchanger in which an end of the tube is connected to the hollow header in a communicating state, an airtight brazing tubular body of a predetermined length is inserted and arranged in a tube insertion hole of the header in a suitable state. The end portion of the tube is inserted and arranged in the airtight brazing tube in a suitable state, and the header and the airtight brazing tube, and the airtight brazing tube and the tube are brazed. Since it is joined and integrated, the tube and the airtight brazing tubular body, and the airtight brazing tubular body and the header are each bonded in an airtight state, and therefore, the tube and the header are brazed by brazing. , It can be communicatively connected to truly airtight.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a joint structure between a tube and a header according to an embodiment. FIG. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 1B is a transverse sectional view.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a header, a tube, a tubular body for airtight brazing, and the like in FIG. 1 are separated.

FIG. 3 shows a joint structure between a tube and a header according to another embodiment, wherein FIG. 3A is a longitudinal sectional view and FIG.
Is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 3C is a perspective view showing a state in which a header, a tube, and a tubular body for airtight brazing are separated.

4A and 4B show a joint structure between a tube and a header according to still another embodiment. FIG. 4A is a longitudinal sectional view, FIG. 4B is a transverse sectional view, and FIG. It is a perspective view shown in the state where the cylindrical body for airtight brazing was separated.

5A and 5B show a joint structure between a tube and a header in still another embodiment, wherein FIG. 5A is a longitudinal sectional view, FIG. 5B is a transverse sectional view, and FIG. It is a perspective view shown in the state where the cylindrical body for airtight brazing was separated.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a tube.

FIG. 7 shows the overall configuration of the heat exchanger, wherein FIG. 7A is a front view and FIG. 7B is a plan view.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a conventional example, in which a tube and a header are separated and shown.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Heat exchange tube 2 ... Header 12 ... Bending ridge 15 ... Tube insertion hole 18 ... Airtight brazing cylindrical body

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B23K 1/00-3/08 F28F 9/00-9/26

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tube for heat exchange having a bent ridge extending in a longitudinal direction protruding into a tube by bending a part of a tube tube wall in a circumferential direction in a folded manner, and an end of the tube. In a heat exchanger connected to the hollow header in a communicating state, an airtight brazing tubular body of a predetermined length is inserted and arranged in a tube insertion hole of the header in a compatible state,
The end of the tube is inserted and disposed in the airtight brazing tube in a suitable state, and the header and the airtight brazing tube, and the airtight brazing tube and the tube are joined by brazing. A heat exchanger characterized by being integrated.