Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger has a tank and a core including a plurality of tubes stacked in a longitudinal direction of the tank and in communication with the tank. The heat exchanger further has an inlet port for introducing a fluid into the tank and a first projection on an inner wall of the tank at a position where the fluid flowing from the inlet port hits on. The first projection is configured to change a flow direction of the fluid flowing from the inlet port in the longitudinal direction of the tank. For example, the first projection projects from the inner wall of the tank toward the inlet port in a form of substantially wedge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference numbers and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a coupling portion of a core and a tank of the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3A is a perspective plan view of the tank at a part adjacent to an inlet pipe according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3B is a front view of the tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3C is a schematic bottom view of the tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tank taken along a line IV-IV in FIG. 3B;

FIG. 5A is a schematic side view of a tank of a heat exchanger at a part adjacent to an inlet pipe according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a schematic plan view of the tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 5C is a schematic back view of the tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 6A is a schematic side view of a tank of a heat exchanger at a part adjacent to an inlet pipe according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a schematic plan view of the tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 6C is a schematic back view of the tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 7A is a schematic side view of a tank of a heat exchanger at a part adjacent to an inlet pipe according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7B is a schematic plan view of the tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe according to the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 7C is a schematic back view of the tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe according to the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 8A is a schematic side view of a tank of a heat exchanger at a part adjacent to an inlet pipe according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8B is a front view of a tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe for showing an example of a second projection according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8C is a front view of a tank at the part adjacent to the inlet pipe for showing another example of the second projection according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a front view of a part of a heat exchanger according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of an inlet pipe of a tank of a heat exchanger of a related art;

FIG. 10B is a front view of the tank at a part adjacent to the inlet pipe of the related art; and

FIG. 10C is a side view of the tank of the related art.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising: a tank defining a tank space;a core having a plurality of tubes stacked in a longitudinal direction of the tank and in communication with the tank space;an inlet port disposed to the tank for introducing a fluid into the tank space; anda first projection disposed on an inner wall of the tank at a position where the fluid flowing from the inlet port hits on and configured to change a flow direction of the fluid in the longitudinal direction of the tank.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first projection projects from the inner wall of the tank toward the inlet port in a form of substantially wedge.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the first projection includes an end and side walls extending from the end and connecting to the inner wall of the tank, and the side walls are inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the tank.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first projection projects from the inner wall of the tank toward the inlet port and has a substantially triangular shape.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the first projection includes an end and first and second side walls sloped away from the end.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the first projection has a third side wall on a side opposite to the end and extending in the longitudinal direction of the tank, and the third side wall is disposed downstream of the end with respect to the flow of the fluid.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein the first projection includes a longitudinal portion extending along the third side wall in the longitudinal direction of the tank.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising a second projection disposed in the inlet port for guiding the flow of the fluid before hitting on the inner wall of the tank.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein the second projection is configured to direct the fluid toward the first projection.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the inlet port has a diameter greater than a dimension of the tank in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the inlet port is defined by a pipe member integrally formed with the tank, and the pipe member defines an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tank.

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein the pipe member has an inclined portion at its downstream end connecting to the tank, and the inclined portion is inclined toward the first projection for directing the fluid toward the first projection.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein a downstream end of the inlet pipe connects to the tank through a curved portion and the first projection is partly formed in the curved portion.

14. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the first projection has an end, and the end is offset from a center of the inlet port in accordance with a position of the inlet port relative to the longitudinal direction of the tank.

15. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the core includes a core plate to which ends of the tubes are connected, and the core plate is fixed to the tank such that the tubes are in communication with the tank space.