Patent Application
20080066896
In various aspects of the present invention, a heat exchanger assembly comprising: a core comprising a tube or tubes; a manifold, a hose having flexible attachment area for attachment to a manifold neck; a manifold neck of greater relative stiffness when compared to the hose, which serves as a fluid inlet or outlet on the manifold; and at least two ribs on the part of the manifold neck that extends into the environment exterior to the manifold is disclosed. In various aspects, at least one of the at least two ribs on the manifold neck is a circumferential or essentially circumferential rib; and wherein the hose, neck and ribs form a hose-neck connection comprising sealing surfaces which form a hose to neck seal that is essentially leak tight to the exterior of the heat exchanger.
Aspects of the present invention include heat exchangers assembly comprising a hose bead on the manifold neck, such that the sealing surfaces maintain an essentially leak tight seal while helping to provide integrity to the hose-neck connection. In addition, various aspects comprise a clamp at the hose-neck connection. Where a hose bead is present, in various aspects the hose bead is tapered so as to allow for variable pressure on the bead to the hose at different areas of the hose-neck connection.
Heat exchanger tubes, in various aspects of the present invention have cross sectional areas of the tube at the area of the hose-neck connection that can be basically circular or non-circular. In many embodiments, the cross sectional area of the tube at the area of the hose-neck connection is basically circular. Also, the neck of the heat exchanger assembly, in various aspects, has a plurality of ribs at the neck in the area of the hose-neck connection, and wherein the plurality of ribs is essentially circumferential and of approximately the same height when measured from the outer surface of the neck. The plurality of ribs, in any case, can be essentially circumferential and of approximately the same height when measured from the outer surface of the neck.
As describes herein, ribs can be of various shapes and sizes. For example, in various aspects, at least one of the plurality of ribs is a squared rib. Also, in various aspects, at least one of the plurality of ribs is a tapered or radiused rib. In various aspects of the present invention, essentially circumferential ribs are selected from the group consisting of rectangular, tapered, radiused or corrugated ribs. Also, ribs can be symmetric or non-symmetric. In various aspects of the present invention, at least one of the ribs is a non-symmetric rib. Also, ribs can vary in height along the circumference of the neck. For example, in various aspects of the present invention, a heat exchanger assembly is present, wherein the cross sectional area of the tube at the hose-neck connection is basically non-circular, and wherein the at least one circumferential or essentially circumferential rib varies in height along the circumference.
Under stress, such as that caused by high pressure or the like, the hose-neck connection can be disrupted due to deformation of the neck at the area of the connection. For example, a deformation or a change of shape of the neck, if significant enough, can cause a weakening of the seal strength between the neck and the hose, leading for example, to reduced integrity of the seal between the hose and neck at the heat exchanger inlet or outlet.
Prior art
a shows a plastic tank (1) having neck (3) extending to exterior of the tank (2) and external vertical structural rib (2a, 2b) with part extending from tank body (2b). Steel sleeve (4) is placed inside neck (3) after molding.
b is a face on view of neck (3) from exterior to interior of the tank, and cross sectional axis A-A is illustrated.
c illustrates cross sectional view from 1b including hose (5) and have clamp (7), which applies pressure F to compress hose against neck (3). Metallic sleeve (4) inserted at neck (3) provides additional stiffness. Internal pressure along line P tends to pull hose (5) off neck (3).
As seen in
c specifically shows a permanent deformation to oval shape that result in seal leakage/reduction in seal integrity versus the drawing requirements. In various aspects of the present invention, use of essentially circumferential ribs on the neck at the area of the hose-neck connection leads to resistance to wall bending movements induced by non-uniform loads and deformation and increased integrity of the seals at the hose-neck connection or junction. As load is applied, deformation of original shape leading to reduced seal integrity occurs.
In another embodiment of the present invention, ribs are essentially circumferential in nature, i.e. they can be continuous or partially discontinuous, or discontinuous, have equal height or be tapered around the circumference, etc., as long as they function in a way that they provide a surface effect around the circumference of the neck in such a way that a ‘grip’ or ‘hold’ is maintainable at the hose-neck connection.
Ribs, therefore can provide stiffness, as well as grip and retain a hose. The hose can deform into the grooves or spaces between ribs to further help grip and retain the hose. Taller, essentially circumferential ribs, particularly if used after the hose grip area, can add to stiffness of the neck, as well as act as a hose-stop.
In various aspects of the present invention, the neck of the tank is basically, essentially circularly cross-sectional in nature. The neck of the tank, in various aspects, has an arch shape or shape composed of a plurality of arches. Such an arch shape is basically circular for optimum rigidity and sealing characteristics with a traditional hose clamp, allowing for effective fluid transfer under compressive radial hose clamp loads. By retaining its basically circular shape, the arch effect allows for the neck to retain its basic strength and allow flow to run basically unobstructed throughout its length (“arch” effect). As described herein, the direction of force due to internal pressure (see
In various embodiments comprising exterior, rather than interior ribs, the outside location of the ribs allows operation at cooler temperatures to reduce material strength degradation due to high temperature, avoid the interior rib potential problems of internal flow blockage and pressure loss, and allowing operation at higher temperature due to exposure to the hot internal flow.
In various aspects of the present invention, ribs are provided so that they are in an essentially circumferential pattern in the locations where the hose clamp, hose, and tank neck overlap. In embodiments of the present invention having necks with beads, the ribs are slightly lower than the hose bead to allow the hose to slide over them, and to allow the hose to be compressed by the hose clamp to a slightly smaller diameter than the bead for improved hose retention. The dimensions of the ribs can vary to provide more rigidity and/or more hose-retention capability at the hose-neck connection. Dimensions of these ribs are optimized to provide the best combination of rigidity and hose-retention features for a given application. The height of ribs outside of the hose-overlap region can be greater than the hose inside diameter, providing increased stiffening compared to the ribs overlapped by the hose, as well as acting to limit the overlap of the hose on the neck, thereby locating the hose. Ribs are added at the end of the hose in various aspects of the present invention, are used, for example, for increased stiffening and to act as a hose-stop. For example, in various aspects of the present invention, circumferential ribs at the end of the hose can act as a hose-stop, as well as a stiffening device.
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Interrupted or staggered ribs are located in an essentially circumferential pattern around the heat exchanger assembly neck. The neck-hose connection is thereby maintained in good integrity.
Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the invention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Plural structural components can be provided by a single integrated structure. Alternatively, a single integrated structure might be divided into separate plural components. In addition, while a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed. A person of ordinary skill in the art would realize however, that certain modifications would come within the teachings of this invention. Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the invention.
