Method of manufacturing a heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566672-B2
Application number	US-201314096203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2013
Priority date	Dec 10, 2012
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A heat exchanger and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. With the method, a tube may be inserted into a through hole formed in at least one fin coated with a filler metal, and the tube and a fin collar of the at least one fin may be joined through the filler metal by a brazing processing. A flange may not be formed on or at a top of the at least one fin collar, which protrudes vertically from a central longitudinal plane of the at least one fin. The tube may be made of aluminum (Al), and an interval between an outer circumferential surface of the tube and an inner circumferential surface of the fin collar of the at least one fin may be approximately 0.1 mm or less. Accordingly, contact resistance occurring when fabricating a fin-tube heat exchanger using a mechanical tube expansion method may be reduced, and heat transfer performance of the heat exchanger may be improved because grooves formed within the tube may not be deformed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
inserting a tube into a through hole formed in at least one fin coated with a filler metal; and
joining the tube and a fin collar of the at least one fin through the filler metal by a brazing processing, wherein the through hole and the fin collar of the at least one fin is formed by:
forming a conical portion in the at least one fin;
flattening an upper portion of the conical portion to form a substantially flat top;
piercing the substantially flat top portion to form the through hole and the fin collar; and
ironing the fin collar without forming a flange on or at a top of the fin collar, which protrudes vertically from a central longitudinal plane of the at least one fin.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tube is made of aluminum (Al).

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one fin is made of AI.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein an interval between an outer circumferential surface of the tube and an inner circumferential surface of the fin collar of the at least one fin is approximately 0.1 mm or less.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fin collar of the at least one fin extends at a substantially 90° angle with respect to a central longitudinal axis of the at least one fin.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler metal is coated on only one surface of the at least one fin.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the filler metal is coated on only a portion of the at least one fin where the through hole is formed.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the filler metal is coated on an inner circumferential surface of the fin collar of the at least one fin.

9. The method of claim 1 , further including:
expanding the tube prior to the joining.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the expanding the tube prior to the joining includes expanding the tube, using a tube expansion ball.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fin collar is formed to have a tubular shape.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Juhyok
• Kim Hongseong
• Lee Hanchoon
• Lee Sangyeul

Classifications

• B23K2101/14

  Heat exchangers · CPC title

• Y10T29/49378

  Finned tube · CPC title

• B21D53/085

  with fins places on zig-zag tubes or parallel tubes · CPC title

• B21D53/022

  Making the fins · CPC title

• B23K1/0012

  Brazing of heat exchangers · CPC title