Compliant b-tube for radiator applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10801781-B2
Application number	US-201816162773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 17, 2018
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

A tube for use in a heat exchanger including a base portion, an upper portion spaced from and opposing the base portion, and a partitioning wall extending between the base portion and the upper portion to divide a hollow interior of the tube into a first flow channel and a second flow channel. The partitioning wall includes a plurality of windows spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the tube to provide fluid communication between the first flow channel and the second flow channel. At least one of the windows includes a tabbed portion of the partitioning wall bent to extend into one of the first flow channel or the second flow channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tube for a heat exchanger, the tube comprising:
a base portion;
an upper portion spaced from and opposing the base portion; and
a partitioning wall extending between the base portion and the upper portion to divide a hollow interior of the tube into a first flow channel and a second flow channel, the partitioning wall including a plurality of windows spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the tube to provide fluid communication between the first flow channel and the second flow channel, wherein at least one of the windows includes a tabbed portion of the partitioning wall bent to extend into the first flow channel or the second flow channel, wherein a first one of the windows which is disposed proximate to an end of the tube extends further in the longitudinal direction of the tube than an adjacent one of the plurality of the windows.

2. The tube according to claim 1 , wherein the tube is formed from a sheet of material folded into a B-shape.

3. The tube according to claim 2 , wherein the base portion corresponds to a central portion of the sheet, the upper portion corresponds to a first lateral portion and a second lateral portion of the sheet on opposing sides of the central portion of the sheet, and the partitioning wall corresponds to a first side portion and a second side portion of the sheet surrounding the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion of the sheet.

4. The tube according to claim 3 , wherein each of the windows is formed by cooperation of a first window formed in the first side portion of the sheet and a second window formed in the second side portion of the sheet.

5. The tube according to claim 1 , wherein the tabbed portion of the partitioning wall is arranged at an acute angle with respect to an adjacent portion of the partitioning wall.

6. The tube according to claim 1 , wherein the tabbed portion extends at least partially in a direction towards a flow of a fluid through the tube as the tabbed portion projects away from an adjacent portion of the partitioning wall.

7. The tube according to claim 6 , wherein a leading surface of the tabbed portion first encountering a flow of a fluid through the tube is configured to redirect a portion of the flow of the fluid through one of the first flow channel or the second flow channel into an other of the first flow channel or the second flow channel when flowing through one of the windows.

8. The tube according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tabbed portions of the partitioning wall bent to extend into one of the first flow channel or the second flow channel.

9. The tube according to claim 8 , wherein the tabbed portions of the partitioning wall alternatingly extend into the first flow channel and the second flow channel with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tube.

10. The tube according to claim 1 , wherein the tabbed portion of the partitioning wall is bent about a pivot portion of the tabbed portion connecting the tabbed portion to an adjacent portion of the partitioning wall.

11. The tube according to claim 10 , wherein the pivot portion of the tabbed portion extends in a height direction of the tube between the base portion and the upper portion thereof.

12. A heat exchanger comprising:
a first header tank including a first tube opening formed therein; and
a tube having a first end portion received in the first header tank through the first tube opening, the tube including a base portion, an upper portion spaced from and opposing the base portion, and a partitioning wall extending between the base portion and the upper portion to divide a hollow interior of the tube into a first flow channel and a second flow channel, the partitioning wall including a plurality of windows spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the tube to provide fluid communication between the first flow channel and the second flow channel, wherein a first one of the windows is disposed in alignment with a surface of the first header tank defining the first tube opening with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tube, wherein the first one of the windows extends further in the longitudinal direction of the tube than an adjacent one of the plurality of the windows.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of the windows includes a tabbed portion of the partitioning wall bent to extend into the first flow channel or the second flow channel.

14. The heat exchanger according to claim 12 , further comprising a second header tank having a second tube opening formed therein, wherein a second end portion of the tube is received in the second header tank through the second tube opening, wherein a second one of the windows is disposed in alignment with a surface of the second header tank defining the second tube opening with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tube.

15. A method of forming a tube for a heat exchanger comprising the steps of:
providing a sheet of material;
removing a portion of the sheet to form a first opening from a first portion of the sheet, wherein a portion of a perimeter of the first opening defines a first tabbed portion of the sheet;
bending the first tabbed portion of the sheet about a first pivot portion connecting the first tabbed portion to the first portion of the sheet;
removing a portion of the sheet to form a second opening from a second portion of the sheet; and
bending the sheet into a tubular shape, wherein the second portion of the sheet cooperates with the first portion of the sheet to form a partitioning wall dividing a hollow interior of the tube into a first flow channel and a second flow channel, wherein the first opening and the second opening cooperate to form a plurality of windows spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the tube and provide fluid communication between the first flow channel and the second flow channel, wherein a first one of the plurality of windows which is disposed proximate to an end of the tube extends further in the longitudinal direction of the tube than an adjacent one of the plurality of the windows.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the first tabbed portion is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the first portion of the sheet following the bending of the first tabbed portion about the first pivot portion thereof.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein a portion of a perimeter of the second opening defines a second tabbed portion of the sheet, wherein the second tabbed portion of the sheet is bent about a second pivot portion connecting the second tabbed portion to the second portion of the sheet.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein an entirety of a perimeter of the second opening defines a through-hole through the sheet.

Assignees

• Hanon Systems

Inventors

• Dziubinschi Orest Alexandru
• Sicks Brennan
• Smitterberg James
• Whitlow Greg

Classifications

• F28D1/05366

  Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators · CPC title

• F28D1/05383

  with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits (F28D1/05391 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F1/40

  the means being only inside the tubular element · CPC title

• B21D53/06

  of metal tubes · CPC title

• F28F1/022 Primary

  with multiple channels · CPC title