WO2001092803A1 - Heat exchanger module, in particular for motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a heat exchanger module, comprising a main exchanger (1) and at least a secondary exchanger (2) having a body (3, 6), provided with tubes circulating fluid and mounted between two assemblies of manifold members (4, 7), such that a common air stream passes through the respective bodies of said exchangers. At least one manifold member (9) of the main exchanger comprises a projecting part (10) including cutouts (11) for receiving tubes circulating fluid of the secondary exchanger, locking means being provided to lock the secondary exchanger in the position wherein its fluid circulating tubes are engaged in said cutouts. The invention is applicable to motor vehicles.

Description

Heat exchange module _{r in} particular for motor vehicle

The invention relates to a heat exchange module, and more particularly such a module comprising a main exchanger and at least one secondary exchanger each having a body, provided with fluid circulation tubes and mounted between two sets of manifold members, so that the same air flow can pass through the respective bodies of said exchangers.

Such exchangers are generally in the form of a body provided with fluid circulation tubes and fins for exchanging heat with the external environment. This body is connected to at least one manifold assembly which distributes the fluid in the circulation tubes.

It is known to assemble on a main exchanger, such as a motor vehicle engine cooling radiator, one or more secondary exchangers in order to constitute an assembly, also called module, ready to be installed in the vehicle. This secondary exchanger usually consists of an engine charge air cooler, an air conditioning condenser or an oil radiator.

The assembly of the secondary exchanger (s) on the main exchanger is generally obtained by means of lugs secured to the secondary exchanger and screws introduced into the manifolds of the main exchanger. Assembly systems have also been proposed by interlocking or snap-fastening of the manifold assemblies.

These known assemblies of primary and secondary exchangers have the drawback of requiring operations which are costly in time and in tools. On the other hand, the connecting members between the main and secondary exchangers occupy a certain volume which harms the compactness of the module.

In addition, these connecting members have a certain transverse size and therefore do not allow to have the same exchange surface for the main and secondary exchangers.

The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks.

More particularly, the invention aims to provide a heat exchange module whose realization, and in particular the mounting operations, is as simple as possible.

The invention also aims to provide such a heat exchange module which, as far as possible, does not include assembly parts between the main and secondary exchangers.

The invention also aims to provide a heat exchange module of less thickness than those of the prior art.

The invention also aims to provide a heat exchange module having improved heat exchange characteristics.

To this end, the invention firstly relates to a heat exchange module, comprising a main exchanger and at least one secondary exchanger each having a body, provided with fluid circulation tubes and mounted between two sets of 'collecting members, so that the same air flow can pass through the respective bodies of said exchangers.

According to the invention, at least one collecting member of the main exchanger comprises a projecting part comprising cutouts for receiving the fluid circulation tubes of the secondary exchanger, blocking means being designed to block the secondary exchanger in the position where its fluid circulation tubes are engaged in said cutouts.

The exchangers are therefore assembled by mounting the body of the secondary exchanger on the manifold assemblies of the main exchanger.

This results in a simplification of the assembly of the heat exchange module.

The module can also have smaller dimensions. Indeed, no assembly member projects beyond the cross section of the exchangers. In addition, the bodies can be brought as close together as desired.

This therefore also results in a lower thickness for the module, and a possibility of having for each exchanger a maximum exchange surface.

Of course, the terms "main" and "secondary" do not in any way presume the function of the exchangers to which they apply and are used only for the sake of simplification, the main exchanger here being the one carrying the projecting cutouts and the secondary exchanger being the one whose tubes of the body are engaged in these cutouts.

The term "blocking means" as used herein is intended to include generally mechanical means, for example force assembly or crimping, capable of immobilizing the secondary exchanger or exchangers relative to the main exchanger.

However, in a particular embodiment of the invention, the blocking means are latching means. In a first embodiment, said collector member of the main exchanger comprising a projecting part is a tube collector.

In a second embodiment, said collecting member of the main exchanger comprising a projecting part is a manifold.

Said projecting portion extends substantially over the entire length of the collecting member or at the ends of this member.

The invention also relates to a tube collector for a heat exchanger, comprising a projecting part comprising receiving cutouts for fluid circulation tubes of a secondary exchanger.

The invention also relates to a manifold for a heat exchanger, comprising a projecting part comprising receiving cutouts for fluid circulation tubes of a secondary exchanger.

Two specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of nonlimiting examples, with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a heat exchange module produced according to a first embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 2 is a perspective view of a manifold of the exchange module of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of a heat exchange module produced according to a second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a collector of the heat exchange module of FIG. 3. The heat exchange module of Figure 1 is composed of a radiator 1 for cooling a motor vehicle engine and an air conditioning condenser 2, these two exchangers being generally planar.

The radiator 1 consists in a known manner of a body 3 produced from a bundle of fluid circulation tubes and mounted between two manifold assemblies 4, the manifold assemblies being arranged along two parallel sides of the body and provided with cooling fluid inlet and outlet pipes 5.

The condenser 2 also consists of a body 6 made μ. from a bundle of fluid circulation tubes and mounted between two manifold assemblies 7, the manifold assemblies being arranged along two parallel sides of the body and provided with pipes (not shown) for inlet and outlet of coolant.

We will see below that the heat exchangers 1 and 2 are assembled by an assembly according to the invention of the body 6 of the exchanger 2 on the manifold assembly 4 of the exchanger 1.

The manifold assembly 4 of the exchanger 1 is conventionally formed of a tube collector 8, in the form of a plate comprising holes in which the ends of the tubes of the exchanger are engaged, and of a manifold 9, generally set on the manifold 8, so as to delimit a partitioned volume in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the inlet manifold to the inlet of the tubes and from the outlet of the tubes to the outlet manifold.

The manifold 9 according to the invention comprises two end plates 10 projecting substantially perpendicular to the planes of the exchangers in the direction of the exchanger 2. Each plate 10 has cutouts in the form of teeth 11 delimiting two by two a form space corresponding to the cross section of a tube of the exchanger 2, for the receipt of such a tube. The ends of the two teeth 11 of each pair of teeth form beaks 12 facing each other allowing the tube engaged between the two teeth to be retained.

Thus, the exchanger 2 is mounted on the exchanger 1 by snapping the tubes of its body 6 onto the teeth 11 of the projections 10 of the manifolds 9.

Reference will now be made to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 in which only the exchanger 1 has been shown. The same references were used for the homologous elements of the two embodiments.

The manifolds 9 are here produced in a conventional manner. On the other hand, the tube collectors 8 are provided along one of their edges with a projecting part 20 comprising teeth 11 identical to that of the boxes 9 in FIGS. 1 and 2. It will however be observed that the teeth 11 are extend here over the entire length of the collectors, but that they can also extend at their ends.

As before, the tubes of the exchanger 2 are snapped onto the teeth 11 to mount this exchanger on the exchanger 1.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and extends to other variants. Thus although a single secondary exchanger is provided here, it would however be possible to provide a second by adopting the same arrangement as described above on the side opposite to that of the exchanger 2. It would suffice for this to form teeth on both sides of the manifold or the manifold.

Similarly, the arrangement according to the invention can be applied to the two manifold assemblies 4 of the exchanger 1 or to a single one, other connection means of any known type then being provided at the level of the other manifold assembly. The bundle of the exchanger 2 can be produced from any type of tube, flat or circular section. It can also be one or more layers.

Claims

claims 1. Heat exchange module, comprising a main exchanger (1) and at least one secondary exchanger (2) each having a body (3, 6), provided with fluid circulation tubes and mounted between two sets of members collectors (4; 7), so that the same air flow can pass through the respective bodies of said exchangers, characterized in that at least one collecting member (8; 9) of the main exchanger comprises a projecting part (10; 20) comprising cutouts (11) for receiving the tubes for circulation of fluid from the exchanger secondary, blocking means (12) being provided for blocking the secondary exchanger in the position where its fluid circulation tubes are engaged in said cutouts. 2. Heat exchange module according to claim 1, wherein said locking means are latching means. 3. heat exchange module according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein said collecting member of the main exchanger comprising a part. projection is a tube collector (8). 4. Heat exchange module according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein said collector member of the main exchanger comprising a projecting part is a manifold (9). 5. Heat exchange module according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said projecting portion (20) extends substantially over the entire length of the collecting member. 6. heat exchange module according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said projecting portion (10) extends at the ends of the collecting member. 7. Tube collector for heat exchanger, characterized in that it comprises a projecting part (20) comprising cutouts (11) for receiving fluid circulation tubes of a secondary exchanger. 8. Collector box for heat exchanger, characterized in that it comprises a projecting part (10) comprising cutouts (11) for receiving fluid circulation tubes of a secondary exchanger.