Heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9410745-B2
Application number	US-201214360808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2012
Priority date	Nov 30, 2011
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

In a heat exchanger, a refrigerant side header tank and a coolant side header tank which are connected with refrigerant tubes and coolant tubes include a plate header member, a communication intermediate plate member, a blocking intermediate plate member, and a tank header member. The communication intermediate plate member includes first and second fluid communication holes through which refrigerant and coolant flow, respectively. In this situation, with a simple configuration in that a part of the first and second fluid communication holes is blocked by the blocking intermediate plate member, a communication state between both tubes and internal spaces of the header tanks is regulated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger, comprising:
a first heat exchange unit including first tubes through which a first fluid flows, and a first tank that extends in a stacking direction of the first tubes and collects or distributes the first fluid flowing through the first tubes, the first heat exchange unit performing heat exchange between the first fluid and a third fluid flowing on a periphery of the first tubes;
a second heat exchange unit including second tubes through which a second fluid flows, and a second tank that extends in a stacking direction of the second tubes and collects or distributes the second fluid flowing through the second tubes, the second heat exchange unit performing heat exchange between the second fluid and the third fluid flowing on a periphery of the second tubes;
a third fluid passage through which the third fluid flows; and
an outer fin, wherein
at least one of the first tubes is arranged between the second tubes,
at least one of the second tubes is arranged between the first tubes,
the third fluid passage is formed between the first tubes and the second tubes,
the outer fin is arranged in the third fluid passage, facilitates the heat exchanges in both of the heat exchange units, and enables heat transfer between the first fluid flowing in the first tubes and the second fluid flowing in the second tubes,
at least one of the first and second tanks includes a plate-shaped plate header member connected with one end side of the first and second tubes in a longitudinal direction thereof, a plate-shaped communication intermediate plate member, a plate-shaped blocking intermediate plate member, and a tank header member,
the communication intermediate plate member has a first fluid communication hole through which the first fluid flows, and a second fluid communication hole through which the second fluid flows, and the first and second fluid communication holes penetrate through both plate surfaces of the communication intermediate plate member,
the blocking intermediate plate member closes one of the first and second fluid communication holes, and has a communication hole that penetrates through both plate surfaces of the blocking intermediate plate member,
the tank header member has an internal space that collects or distributes the first or second fluids,
the other of the first and second fluid communication holes, and the communication hole communicate with each other, so that the internal space defined by the tank header member and one of the first tubes or second tubes communicate with each other,
two of the other of the first tubes or second tubes, which are arranged adjacent to each other as one pair, communicate with each other through the one of the first and second fluid communication holes ( 722 a , 622 b ), and
the plate surface of the plate header member and one plate surface of the communication intermediate plate member are joined to each other, and the other plate surface of the communication intermediate plate member and the plate surface of the blocking intermediate plate member are joined to each other, so that mixing of the first fluid flowing in the first fluid communication hole and the second fluid flowing in the second fluid communication hole is limited.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , further comprising a groove portion, wherein
the groove portion is formed in at least one of the plate surface of the plate header member, the one or the other plate surface of the communication intermediate plate member, or the plate surface of the blocking intermediate plate member,
the groove portion is located between the first fluid communication hole and the second fluid communication hole which are adjacently arranged, and
a groove space formed within the groove portion is continuously connected to an external space of the heat exchanger.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , further comprising a groove portion, wherein
the groove portion is formed in at least one of the plate surface of the plate header member, the one or the other plate surface of the communication intermediate plate member, or the plate surface of the blocking intermediate plate member,
the groove portion is located between the first fluid communication hole and the second fluid communication hole which are adjacently arranged, and
the groove portion extends to an end portion of the plate surface in the plate header member, the communication intermediate plate member, or the blocking intermediate plate member, in which the groove portion ( 80 ) is formed.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 3 , wherein
the groove portion is formed on the plate surface of the communication intermediate plate member,
the groove portion is located between the first fluid communication hole and the second fluid communication hole which are adjacently arranged, and
the groove portion extends to an end portion of the plate surface in which the groove portion ( 80 ) is formed.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 3 , wherein a groove space formed in the groove portion communicates with an external space of the heat exchanger.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein an end of the groove portion is positioned visibly.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein
at least two members of the plate header member, the communication intermediate plate member, or the blocking intermediate plate member are joined to each other,
the groove portion is formed in each of the joined plate surfaces of the at least two members,
parts of the groove portions formed in the at least two members communicates with each other to provide a single groove space within the groove portions, and
the groove space is continuously connected to the external space of the heat exchanger.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein the groove portion includes a through-groove that penetrates through one member, in which the groove portion is formed, among the plate header member, the communication intermediate plate member, and the blocking intermediate plate member.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 8 , wherein the through-groove is open toward the first and second tubes, or open toward a side opposite from the first and second tubes, and communicates with the external space.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein the groove portion is provided along a curved or a polygonal line.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein
the first and second tubes are arranged in two rows intersecting the flow direction of the third fluid, and
upstream one of the pair of the other of the first tubes or second tubes in the flow direction of the third fluid and downstream one of the pair of the other of the first tubes or second tubes in the flow direction of the third fluid communicate with each other through the one of the first or second fluid communication hole.

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , being used as an evaporator that evaporates a refrigerant in a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, wherein
the first fluid is a refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle,
the second fluid is a heat medium that absorbs heat of an external heat source, and
the third fluid is air.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , being used as a radiator that radiates a refrigerant discharged by a compressor in a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, wherein
the first fluid is a refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle,
the second fluid is a heat medium that absorbs heat of an external heat source, and
the third fluid is air.

14. The heat exchanger acc

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Katoh Yoshiki
• Saito Mitsuyoshi
• Yamada Kenji

Classifications

• F28D2021/0085

  Evaporators · CPC title

• B60H1/00921

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct · CPC title

• B60H1/00342

  of the liquid-liquid type · CPC title

• F28D7/0008 Primary

  the conduits for one medium being in heat conductive contact with the conduits for the other medium · CPC title

• F28D2021/0091

  Radiators · CPC title