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US 2002/0162648 A1Published application
Resiliently bonded heat exchanger
AssigneeTranspro, Inc.
InventorRichard F. Crook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat exchanger and method of making a heat exchanger which includes providing a header having openings adapted to receive a plurality of tubes. The tubes are inserted into the header openings, then, substantially uncured fluid sealing material is applied to at least the inner surfaces of the header openings. The inner surfaces of the header openings and the outer surfaces of the tubes are connected by the sealing material. The method further includes curing the sealing material after the tubes are inserted into the header openings. The sealing material thus provides a flexible, bonded, liquid tight, tube-to-header joint.
Claims51
A method of making a heat exchanger comprising the steps of:
- providing a header defining openings having an inner surface, said header openings adapted to receive a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces;
- inserting said tubes into said header openings such that said inner surfaces of said header openings and said outer surfaces of said tubes are adjacent to each other;
- applying substantially uncured fluid sealing material to at least said inner surfaces of said header openings such that said inner surfaces of said header openings and said outer surfaces of said tubes are connected by said sealing material;
- and
- curing said sealing material after said tubes are inserted into said header openings, said sealing material providing a flexible, bonded, liquid tight, tube-to-header joint.
2 more elements
A method of making a heat exchanger comprising the steps of:
- providing a header defining openings, said header openings adapted to receive a plurality of tubes;
- providing a tank having an inner cavity and said tank defining an opening adapted to receive said tubes, said tank being attached to or integral with said header;
- inserting said tubes into said header openings and fixedly attaching said tubes to said header such that said tubes extend through said header openings and open ends of said tubes communicate with said tank inner cavity;
- applying substantially uncured fluid sealing material between said tank and said header defining a joint such that said header and said tank are connected by said sealing material;
- and
- curing said sealing material of said joint such that said sealing material provides a flexible, bonded, liquid tight, header-tank joint.
3 more elements
A method of making a heat exchanger comprising the steps of:
- providing a header defining openings having inner surfaces, said header openings adapted to receive a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces;
- applying substantially uncured fluid sealing material to at least said inner surfaces of said header openings;
- curing said sealing material before said tubes are inserted into said header openings, said sealing material providing elastomeric members bonded to said inner surfaces of said header openings adapted to receive said tubes;
- and
- inserting said tubes into said header openings such that said inner surfaces of said header openings and said outer surfaces of said tubes are adjacent to each other and are connected by said elastomeric members to provide a flexible, liquid tight, tube-to-header joint.
2 more elements
A method of making a heat exchanger comprising the steps of:
- providing a header defining openings having an inner surface;
- providing a plurality of grommets defining openings having inner surfaces and adapted to receive a plurality of tubes, and said grommets adapted to fit into said openings in said header;
- inserting said tubes into said grommet openings such that said inner surfaces of said grommet openings and outer surfaces of said tubes are adjacent to each other;
- applying substantially un-cured sealing material to at least said inner surfaces of said grommets openings such that said inner surfaces of said openings of said grommets and said outer surfaces of said tubes are connected by said sealing material;
- and
- curing said sealing material after said tubes are inserted into said grommet openings, said sealing material providing a flexible, bonded, liquid tight, tube-to-grommet joint.
3 more elements
A method of making a heat exchanger comprising the steps of:
- providing a header defining openings having an inner surface, said header openings adapted to receive a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces;
- providing a structure defining openings, said structure openings having an inner surface and adapted to receive said plurality of tubes, said structure openings being aligned with said header openings to mutually receive said plurality of tubes;
- providing a sealant member having at least one bonding surface, said sealant member being positioned between said structure and said header such that said sealant member is adjacent to said outer surfaces of said tubes;
- inserting said tubes into said header openings such that said inner surface of said header openings, said inner surface of said structure openings, and said bonding surface of said sealant member are adjacent to each other;
- compressing said sealant member between said structure and said header such that said header and said tubes are connected by said bonding surface of said sealant member;
- and
- curing said sealant member after said tubes are inserted into said header openings, said sealant member providing a flexible, bonded, liquid tight, tube-to-header joint.
4 more elements
A heat exchanger which comprises:
- a plurality of tubes having predetermined dimensions, said tubes including an outer surface and being open at one end;
- a header structure defining a plurality of openings, said openings being adapted to receive said tubes;
- and
- a plurality of elastomeric sealing joints being positioned between said outer surface of said tubes and said header, and said sealing joints being bonded to said outer surface of said tubes and said header.
1 more element
A heat exchanger which comprises:
- a header defining openings having inner surfaces, said header openings adapted to receive a plurality of tubes, and said tubes being inserted through said header openings;
- and
- a cured-in-place seal between said tubes and said header, said seal being bonded to said header, and said seal providing an elastomeric compression sealing fit between said tube and said seal.
A heat exchanger which comprises:
- a header defining openings, said header openings adapted to receive a plurality of tubes, and said tubes being inserted through said header openings;
- and
- a cured-in-place seal between said tubes and said header, said seal being bonded to said tube, and said seal providing an elastomeric compression sealing fit between said header and said seal.
A heat exchanger which comprises:
- a plurality of tubes having predetermined dimensions, said tubes including an outer surface and being open at one end;
- a header structure defining a plurality of openings, said openings being adapted to receive said tubes;
- and
- a tank being positioned above said header structure and having openings being adapted to receive said tubes, a sealing member including silicone bonding material which bonds said tubes to said header.
1 more element
A heat exchanger which comprises:
- a plurality of tubes having predetermined dimensions, said tubes including an outer surface and being open at one end;
- a header structure defining a plurality of openings, said openings being adapted to receive said tubes;
- a plurality of elastomeric grommets being positioned circumferentially about said outer surface of said tubes, said grommets having at least one bonding portion of sealing material adjacent to said tubes and said header;
- and
- a plurality of sealing joints including said sealing material of said grommet bonded to said header and said tube.
2 more elements
A heat exchanger which comprises:
- a plurality of tubes having predetermined dimensions, said tubes including an outer surface and being open at one end;
- a header structure defining a plurality of openings, said openings being adapted to receive said tubes, and said tubes being fixedly attached to said header structure;
- a tank being positioned above said header structure and having openings being adapted to receive said tubes, said tank and said header structure defining a gap between said header structure and said tank, and said gap being adapted to receive bonding material;
- and
- a sealing member including cured said bonding material which forms a flexible bond between said tank and said header.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.