Heat exchanger having a coil and a corrugated tube, cooling circuit, fuel circuit and vehicle comprising such a heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger comprising a fluid transport tube shaped to form a coil, the tube being made of a thermoplastic material and comprising at least one corrugated segment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a heat exchanger in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail view of a tube used in making up the heat exchanger; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section view of the tube;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a vehicle fitted with a heat exchanger in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The heat exchanger of the invention is for installing in a diesel return circuit, of which pipes are represented in chain-dotted lines and given reference 1 in FIG. 1, and for being secured under the bodywork 2 of a motor vehicle.

The heat exchanger in accordance with the invention comprises a tube given overall reference 10, made up of a succession of smooth segments 11 and of corrugated segments 12. The tube 10 is made of a thermoplastic material, in this case a polyamide, and more particularly a polyamide 12. Nevertheless, the tube could be made of other thermoplastic materials, in the form of single layers or of multiple layers.

The tube 10 is connected to the return circuit 1 by means of endpieces in the form of teats or Christmas-tree serrations; other connection techniques could naturally be envisaged.

The tube 10 is shaped to constitute a coil, so as to present bend portions 13. These bend portions are shaped in the corrugated portions 12. Fastener members 14, themselves known and for example of the type commonly referred to as clips, connect the smooth segments 11 to the bodywork 2 of the vehicle. The fastener members 14 serve firstly to hold the tube 10 to the bodywork 2, and secondly to keep the bend portions 13 in shape.

The length of the tube 10 and its coil shape (number of bend portions), and also its disposition on the vehicle, serve to adapt the heat exchange produced by the heat exchanger to the requirements of the application.

The corrugations could be of a shape other than that shown in the figures, for example they could be helical in shape or they could have a section that is substantially sinusoidal, triangular, squarewave-shaped,

Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and variant embodiments could be applied thereto without going beyond the ambit of the invention as defined by the claims.

Optionally, it is possible for the tube that is shaped into coils to be fastened to a plate that serves simultaneously to perform the function of protecting the tube and of performing a deflector function for directing a flow of air against the tube, the tube then extending between the bodywork and the plate.

By way of example, the heat exchanger is for fastening under the body of a vehicle or to any other location in which the heat exchanger will be subjected to a flow of air.

It is also possible to envisage other applications, and in particular static applications, for heating or cooling purposes,.

The tube may be made up of one or more parts.

The invention is not limited to the fuel circuit but also concerns for example cooling circuit mounted on vehicles or other devices. The described circuit can thus be used as a cooling circuit for an other application.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising a fluid transport tube of thermoplastic material shaped to form a coil, wherein the tube comprises at least one corrugated segment.

2. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the tube includes at least one bend portion extending in a corrugated segment.

3. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the tube comprises a succession of corrugated segments and of smooth segments.

4. A heat exchanger according to claim 3, in which fastener members for fastening the tube to a support are mounted on the smooth segments.

5. Cooling circuit comprising pipes connected to a heat exchanger according to any of the previous claims.

6. Fuel circuit comprising pipes connected to a heat exchanger according to any of claims 1 to 4.

7. Vehicle comprising a bodywork and a heat exchanger according to any of claims 1 to 4, the heat exchanger being fixed on the outside of the bodywork.

8. Vehicle according to claims 7, wherein the heat exchanger is mounted under the bodywork.