Method for producing a heat exchanger and heat exchanger obtained by said method, swage and tube expansion device for implementing said method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9669455-B2
Application number	US-201214362413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2012
Priority date	Nov 10, 2011
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A method is disclosed for producing a heat exchanger, in particular for a motor vehicle, a method whereby fluid circulation tubes ( 3 ) are inserted into through holes in heat exchange fins ( 4 ) and the fluid circulation tubes ( 3 ) are subjected to expansion in such a way as to expand a contour ( 22 ) of the tubes ( 3 ) to ensure contact with the fins ( 4 ) at the through holes and, additionally, for at least one of the tubes ( 3 ), to deform a concave portion ( 24 ) of the contour ( 22 ) of the tube or tubes ( 3 ), in such a way as to correspondingly deform the through holes. A device for implementing the method and an exchanger obtained by the method are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a heat exchanger, comprising:
introducing fluid circulation tubes ( 3 ) into through-holes ( 7 ) of heat-exchange fins ( 4 );
expanding the fluid circulation tubes ( 3 ) to enlarge an outline ( 22 ) of said tubes ( 3 ) in order to provide a contact with said fins ( 4 ) at said through-holes ( 7 ), wherein said expanding further comprises:
for at least one of said tubes ( 3 ), deforming a concave part ( 24 ) of the outline ( 22 ) of said tube or tubes ( 3 ) extending in a first direction such that the concave part ( 24 ) remains concaved, so as to obtain a corresponding deformation of said through-holes;
and creating one or more protuberances ( 28 ) projecting in a second direction opposite the first direction towards the fins ( 4 ), causing a deformation of the through-holes ( 7 ).

2. The method according to claim 1 in which the one or more protuberances are provided for in the concave part ( 24 ) of the tube ( 3 ).

3. The method according to claim 2 in which the protuberance or protuberances ( 28 ) take the form of a fold in the material of the tube.

4. The method according to claim 3 in which the fold is shaped as a dihedron with a rounded peak.

5. The method according to claim 2 in which said protuberance or protuberances ( 28 ) extend along a longitudinal axis of the tubes ( 3 ).

6. The method according to claim 2 in which said protuberance or protuberances ( 28 ) are situated in a middle part of said concave part ( 24 ).

7. The method according to claim 2 in which the tubes ( 3 ) comprise two large faces ( 30 ) connected by lateral sides ( 32 ) of the tube, each of the large faces ( 30 ) being provided with a part ( 24 ) of the outline ( 22 ) being concave, and in which each part being concave ( 24 ) is provided with one or more of said protuberances ( 28 ).

8. The method according to claim 1 in which, before expansion, the through-holes ( 7 ) of the fins ( 4 ) have an outline whose shape is homologous with that of the outline ( 22 ) of the tubes ( 3 ).

9. The method according to claim 1 in which the fins ( 4 ) are provided, at said through-holes ( 7 ), with flanges ( 11 ) that increase the area of contact with the tubes ( 3 ) and said expansion is configured to deform said flanges ( 11 ).

Assignees

• Valeo Systemes Thermiques

Inventors

• Boisselle Patrick
• Bry Samuel

Classifications

• F28F1/325

  Fins with openings · CPC title

• F28D1/05366

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

• B21D53/085

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

• Y10T29/53122

  including deforming means · CPC title

• B21D39/20

  with mandrels, e.g. expandable · CPC title