The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, in particular a charge air cooler.
From EP 2 498 040 A2 a heat exchanger with two bases is known, which respectively have passages for receiving, on the longitudinal end sides, fluid-conducting in particular coolant-conducting, tubes. On the two bases respectively a collecting chamber is arranged. Two lateral parts are also provided, which are received, with their respective longitudinal end areas, at least partially in respective end-side passages of the bases.
From DE 10 2007 025 878 A1 a further heat exchanger is known, consisting of a block having tubes and ribs, and at least one base having passages, wherein the tubes have tube ends which are able to be received in the passages and form tube/base connections with the base, which are at least partially reinforced by an additional sheet metal part. The sheet metal part has insertion openings for the tube ends and is arranged on the side of the base facing the block. Hereby, the base and the tube/base connections are to be relieved in a simple and favourably priced manner, in order to be able to guarantee the tightness even in the case of more intensive stresses.
Basically, there are two different embodiments for a base in heat exchangers for an application in the automotive field. In the first embodiment, the base has a circumferential channel, in which a seal lies. In this embodiment, an associated lateral part is directed through an end-side passage, which differs in its configuration or respectively its dimensions from the other passages provided for the flat tubes. As a consequence of this, however, it results that for each heat exchanger with a different number of flat tubes, a new punching tool has to be provided for the production of the base, which is expensive and laborious. In the second embodiment, the base is produced as material sold by the metre, which enables a high flexibility with regard to different sizes of heat exchangers. In this embodiment, all the passages in the base are embodied identically, which requires that the lateral part must be inserted through a passage, through which also the flat tubes could be inserted. For this reason, the lateral part has the same dimensions as the flat tubes, which results, however, in comparatively thick and therefore also heavy and expensive lateral parts.
The present invention is therefore concerned with the problem of indicating for a heat exchanger of the generic type an improved or at least alternative embodiment, which permits a favourably priced, light and, at the same time, flexible production.
This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject of the independent claim(s). Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.
The present invention is based on the general idea of constructing a longitudinal end area of the lateral part of a heat exchanger no longer as a solid profile, but rather of providing it with recesses, so that on the one hand a base produced in a favourably priced manner as material sold by the metre can be used, but on the other hand also for larger passages, i.e. larger flat tubes, a comparatively light and nevertheless stable lateral part can be used. The heat exchanger according to the invention, which can be constructed for example as a charge air cooler, has two bases, which respectively have passages for receiving, on the longitudinal end sides, fluid-conducting tubes, in particular coolant-conducting flat tubes. At least one collecting chamber is also provided, which is arranged on one of the bases or respectively is connected therewith. The said lateral parts form a lateral termination of the heat exchanger, which lateral parts are respectively received with a longitudinal end area at least partially in an end-side passage of the associated base. According to the invention, this longitudinal end area of the lateral part is now formed in the shape of a beam and has at least one recess, whereby a cross-sectional surface of the longitudinal end area is smaller than a cross-sectional surface of the associated end-side passage, and wherein a maximum material thickness of the longitudinal end area is smaller in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the base than the height of the end-side passage, also viewed in longitudinal extension of the base. Hereby, it is possible to produce a comparatively light—as it is distinctly more delicate—lateral part with an equally great bending stiffness, which at the same time is also suitable for heat exchangers with large tube heights. Through the recess provided at least in the area on the longitudinal end side, a considerable saving of material and therefore also a considerable reduction in cost and weight can be achieved compared to a rectangular solid profile. A further advantage results from the fact that no separate end-side passages have to be produced on the respective base with a smaller cross-section than the other passages, so that a continuous base can be used.
In an advantageous further development of the solution according to the invention, the longitudinal end area of the lateral part, received by the end-side passage, has at least one lug projecting in longitudinal direction. This lug can form, for example, an integral component of the lateral part and has, furthermore, preferably the same material thickness or respectively material strength as the lateral part itself. Through a simple bending of the lug with the lateral part inserted in the end-side passage, in addition the collecting chamber can be connected comparatively simply to the base or respectively can be pressed against the latter. As a seal usually runs between the collecting chamber and the base, the lugs can be used in addition for producing the sealing effect. Of course, the lugs or respectively the at least one lug have here a material thickness which allows the lug to be bent around an axis parallel to the width of the passage.
Expediently, the longitudinal end area of the lateral part has a meandering, wave-like, U-shaped, L-shaped or H-shaped cross-section. This non-conclusive list already outlines what diverse embodiments are possible for the cross-section profile of the lateral part. Here, the cross-sectional shape can be maintained continuously over the entire longitudinal extension of the lateral part, or else a central portion can also be provided, which has a different cross-section profile than the longitudinal end areas of the lateral part. In the most favourable case, i.e. therefore for example with a constant cross-section profile, the lateral part can also be constructed as an extruded section. Purely theoretically, however, it is course also conceivable that the lateral part has a central portion between the two longitudinal end areas, the cross-sectional surface of which is smaller than the cross-sectional surface at least of one of the lateral longitudinal end areas. It is also possible to compose the lateral part from three separate individual parts, wherein these three individual parts are connected to one another in a materially bonded manner. Through, for example, the meandering and/or wave-like or H-shaped cross-section, furthermore a lateral part with a comparatively high bending stiffness can be produced in a simple manner.
In an advantageous further development of the solution according to the invention, the cross-sectional surfaces and the contours of all passages, i.e. also of the end-side passages of a base are the same, i.e. identical. Hereby, a particularly simple, high-quality and favourably priced series production of the base as endless base is possible, whereby heat exchangers of different size are able to be produced in a simple manner through different cutting to length of the base.
Further important features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated figure description with the aid of the drawings.
It shall be understood that the features mentioned above and to be explained further below are able to be used not only in the respectively indicated combination, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Preferred example embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained further in the following description, wherein the same reference numbers refer to identical or similar of functionally identical components.
There are shown, respectively diagrammatically,
According to
Observing, furthermore,
The longitudinal end area 7 of the lateral part 6 can have here a meandering or respectively wave-like cross-section, as is illustrated for example according to
The lateral part 6 is formed in a punching- and/or stamping process so that in assembled state at least one outer side lies against an inner side of the end-side passage 8 and can be tightly connected therewith, soldered for example. Observing
From
For fixing the collecting chamber 5 on the base 2, the lugs 11 can be bent around an edge thereof, wherein alternatively provision can also be made that on the collecting chamber 5 an edge region is provided with a recess 16 (cf.
Observing
Generally, the lateral part 6 can be constructed in one part and in particular also in one piece, in particular as an extruded section, so that the longitudinal end areas 7 are constructed identically to a central portion 20, wherein of course it is also conceivable that the central portion 20 has a different cross-section, as is illustrated for example according to
Several advantages can be achieved with the heat exchanger 1 according to the invention:
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2014 219 082.7 | Sep 2014 | DE | national |
10 2014 219 210.2 | Sep 2014 | DE | national |
This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2014 219 082.7 filed on Sep. 22, 2014, German Patent Application No. 10 2014 219 210.2 filed on Sep. 23, 2014, and International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2015/070602 filed on Sep. 9, 2015, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirely.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2015/070602 | 9/9/2015 | WO | 00 |