# US 2006/0231234 A1 · Arrangement of vehicle heat exchangers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2006/0231234 A1 - Document ID: US20060231234A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/403,591 - Filed: 2006-04-13 - Published: 2006-10-19 - Earliest claimed: 2005-04-14 - Inventors: Klaus Kalbacher - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20060231234A1 ## CPC - F02B 29/0475: {the intake air cooler being combined with another device, e.g. heater, valve, compressor, filter or EGR cooler, or being assembled on a special engine location} - F01P 3/18: Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers (such arrangements on cylinders or cylinder heads F01P3/04; relative to vehicles B60K11/04) - F02B 29/0456: {Air cooled heat exchangers} - F28D 1/0452: {Combination of units extending one behind the other with units extending one beside or one above the other} - F01P 2003/182: {with multiple heat-exchangers} - F01P 2060/02: Intercooler - F01P 2060/14: Condenser - F28D 2001/0266: {Particular core assemblies, e.g. having different orientations or having different geometric features} - F28D 2001/028: {with empty spaces or with additional elements integrated into the cores} - F28D 2021/0082: {Charged air coolers} - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F01P: COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with cooling of propulsion units in vehicles B60K11/00; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials C09K5/00; {cooling of gas-turbine engines F02C7/12}; heat exchange in general, radiators F28) - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vehicular heat exchange module, including first, second and third heat exchanger, with two of the heat exchangers being a radiator a charge air cooler. The heat exchangers include a core having a plurality of flat tubes with cooling ribs therebetween. At least one of the heat exchangers has a gradation whereby the one heat exchanger has a portion with a reduced thickness in the flow direction defining a free space, and at least one part of at least one of the other heat exchangers occupies the free space. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicular heat exchange module for exchanging heat with cooling air moving in a flow direction, comprising: a first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger comprising a radiator; and a third heat exchanger comprising a charge air cooler; wherein said heat exchangers include a core having a plurality of flat tubes with cooling ribs therebetween, at least one of the heat exchangers has a gradation whereby said one heat exchanger has a portion with a reduced thickness in the flow direction defining a free space, and at least one part of at least one of the other heat exchangers occupies said free space. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The module of claim 1, wherein the gradation of said at least one heat exchanger is provided in the longitudinal direction of flat tubes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger is positioned in the lower area of the module. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The module of claim 1, wherein said gradation of said at least one heat exchanger is on the front of the module facing the flow direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger is arranged roughly in a common vertical plane with said radiator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The module of claim 1, further comprising a condenser for a vehicle air conditioner, wherein: said at least one heat exchanger is arranged beneath said radiator; and said condenser and said charge air cooler are arranged in the direction of cooling air flow in front of the radiator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The module of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger that occupies the free space created by gradation is part of a condenser. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger is said charge air cooler. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger has at least two rows of flat tubes with the number of flat tubes in one row being smaller than the number of flat tubes in the other row with said free space being aligned with said one row. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The module of claim 9, wherein the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of one row is the same as the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of the other row. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The module of claim 9, wherein the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of one row is different from the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of the other row. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The module of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger has a single row of flat tube including one group of consecutive flat tubes having a smaller cross-sectional size than others of the flat tubes. ### Claim 13 A heat exchanger for use with an arrangement of heat exchangers in a vehicle, comprising a core having at least one row of longitudinally extending flat tubes with cooling ribs arranged between said tubes, said tubes and ribs disposed to be traversed by cooling air, said core having a gradation created by one or more of: flat tubes arranged in a single row with different cross-sectional sizes, and several rows of flat tubes with a different number of flat tubes; wherein the flat tubes in the rows have the same or different cross-sectional sizes whereby the gradation runs in the longitudinal direction of flat tubes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein said heat exchanger is a charge air cooler.