Heat exchanger and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829220-B2
Application number	US-201414326272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed are a heat exchanger and a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may include a plurality of three-step tubes, each having a three-layered section and each having a liquid passage at a middle portion and module insertion spaces at opposite sides of the liquid passage, a plurality of thermoelectric modules inserted into the module insertion spaces, a plurality of cooling fins coupled to an outer surface of each of the three-step tubes, and an upper tank and a lower tank coupled to an upper side and a lower side of the three-step tubes to be fluidically communicated with the liquid passages of the three-step tubes. The three-step tubes and the cooling fins may be stacked laterally with respect to each other. The three-step tubes, the cooling fins, the upper tank, and the lower tank may be brazed by a same filler material comprising a metal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of three-step tubes, each having a three-layered section and each having a liquid passage at a middle portion and module insertion spaces at opposite sides of the liquid passage;
a plurality of thermoelectric modules inserted into the module insertion spaces;
a plurality of cooling fins coupled to an outer surface of each of the three-step tubes; and
an upper tank and a lower tank coupled to an upper side and a lower side of the three-step tubes to be fluidically communicated with the liquid passages of the three-step tubes in which the three-step tubes and the cooling fins are stacked laterally with respect to each other,
wherein the three-step tubes, the cooling fins, the upper tank, and the lower tank are brazed by a same filler material comprising a metal,
wherein each of the module insertion spaces of the three-step tubes are configured such that a front opening and a rear opening are formed by cutting a front end of the each of the module insertion spaces corresponding to a direction through which air is introduced toward the cooling fins and a rear end of the each of the module insertion spaces corresponding to an opposite direction to the direction, the thermoelectric modules are inserted through the front opening or the rear opening, and a sealing member formed of an insulating material is mounted to the front opening after the thermoelectric modules are inserted, and
wherein the rear opening is caulked to fix the thermoelectric modules after thermoelectric modules are inserted into the module insertion spaces, and opposite sides of the rear opening are configured, after caulked, not to contact each other so that transfer of heat between a heat emitting side and a cooling side of the thermoelectric modules is interrupted, and the rear opening is configured as a passage of a wire connected to the thermoelectric modules.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member surrounds the liquid passage by connecting two front openings on opposite sides of the liquid passage of the three-step tube.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein a stopper boss for preventing the thermoelectric modules from deviating toward the rear opening and specifying a location of the thermoelectric modules is integrally formed in the module insertion spaces of the three-step tube adjacent the rear opening.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Halla Visteon Climate Control

Inventors

• Oh Man Ju
• Park Jae Woo
• Park June Kyu
• Kim Jae Woong
• Seo Eun Young
• Ahn Yong Nam

Classifications

• F28F2255/16

  extruded · CPC title

• F28D1/05383

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

• F25B2321/023

  Mounting details thereof · CPC title

• F25B21/04 Primary

  reversible · CPC title

• F28F2275/04

  by brazing · CPC title