Radiator tank fastening system

Abstract

A heat exchanger manifold comprises a heat exchanger header having a header plate with a periphery, a plurality of tube openings within the header plate portion periphery adapted to connect to tubes of a heat exchanger core, a groove around the periphery of the header plate to receive a foot of a tank, and a fastener base extending inward from the header plate. The manifold includes a heat exchanger tank having an opening for mating with the header, a foot extending substantially around a periphery of the opening which is received in the header groove, and a fastener base extending from an inner surface of the tank. A resilient sealing gasket is positioned between the tank foot and the header groove to seal the tank to the header, and a plurality of tabs extending around the periphery of the header are crimped over the tank foot to make the seal between the header groove and the tank foot. During operation, a fastener between the header plate fastener base and the tank fastener base restricts movement of the tank away from the header to maintain compression on the seal between the header groove and the tank foot, and a cross tie extending between interior surfaces of the tank side walls restricts movement of the tank side walls away from each other.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.