Combination radiator and condenser apparatus for motor vehicle

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle having a plurality of parallel tube passes for cooling high pressure refrigerant vapor in an air conditioning system for the motor vehicle and for cooling engine coolant having air centers bonded thereto for cooling fluid flow through said parallel tube passes comprising:

• said parallel tube passes each including a flow tube with aligned segments forming a refrigerant passage and a separate coolant passage;
• air center means connected to each of said aligned flow tube segments for conductively transferring heat from each of said coolant and said refrigerant vapor;
• a pair of unitary tank and header units;
• each of said unitary tanks and header units including a coolant space communicating with said coolant passage for flow of coolant therethrough;
• each of said unitary tank and header units including a high pressure refrigerant space for communicating said refrigerant passages with a mechanical refrigerant system for directing refrigerant vapor through said refrigerant passages for condensation therein;
• an internal partition in each of said unitary tank and header units extending the length thereof to separate said coolant space from said high pressure refrigerant space;
• and
• each of said flow tubes being a unitary tube having a divider separating said unitary tube into said coolant passage and said refrigerant passage.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle having a plurality of parallel tube passes for cooling high pressure refrigerant vapor in an air conditioning system for the motor vehicle and for cooling engine coolant having air centers bonded thereto for cooling fluid flow through said parallel tube passes comprising:

• said parallel tube passes each including a flow tube with aligned segments forming a refrigerant passage and a separate coolant passage;
• a pair of unitary tank and header units;
• each of said unitary tanks and header units including a coolant space communicating with said coolant passages for flow of coolant therethrough;
• each of said unitary tank and header units including a high pressure refrigerant space for communicating said refrigerant passages with a mechanical refrigerant system for directing refrigerant vapor through said refrigerant passages for condensation therein;
• an internal partition in each of said unitary tank and header units extending the length thereof to separate said coolant space from said high pressure refrigerant space;
• each of said units being extruded with said internal partition formed integrally thereof;
• air center means commonly connected to each of said aligned flow tube segments for conductively transferring heat from each of said coolant and said refrigerant vapor;
• and
• each of said flow tubes being an extruded unitary tube with an integral divider web separating said unitary tube into said coolant passage and said refrigerant passage and a notch formed in each of said flow tubes to sealingly fit each of said flow tubes against said internal partition.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle having a plurality of parallel tube passes for cooling high pressure refrigerant vapor in an air conditioning system for the motor vehicle and for cooling engine coolant having air centers bonded thereto for cooling fluid flow through said parallel tube passes comprising:

• said parallel tube passes each including a flow tube having opposite ends and aligned segments forming a refrigerant passage and a separate coolant passage;
• a pair of unitary tank and header units;
• each of said unitary tanks and header units including a coolant space communicating with said coolant passages for flow of coolant therethrough;
• each of said unitary tank and header units including a high pressure refrigerant space for communicating said refrigerant passages with a mechanical refrigerant system for directing refrigerant vapor through said refrigerant passages for condensation therein;
• an internal partition in each of said unitary tank and header units extending the length thereof to separate said coolant space from said high pressure refrigerant space;
• air center means commonly connected to each of said aligned flow tube segments for conductively transferring heat from said coolant and said refrigerant vapor;
• each of said units extruded to form an internal partition separating said coolant space from said refrigerant space;
• each of said units having an integral inboard wall facing said tube passes and means forming an access slot in each of said inboard walls for said opposite ends of said flow tubes.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle having a plurality of parallel tube passes for cooling high pressure refrigerant vapor in an air conditioning system for the motor vehicle and for cooling engine coolant having air centers bonded thereto for cooling fluid flow through said parallel tube passes by passing the inlet air stream of the vehicle through the air centers comprising:

• said parallel tube passes each including a flow tube with opposite ends and aligned segments forming a refrigerant passage and a separate coolant passage;
• a pair of unitary tank and header units;
• each of said unitary tanks and header units including a coolant space communicating with said coolant passages for flow of coolant therethrough;
• each of said unitary tank and header units including a high pressure refrigerant space for communicating said refrigerant passages with a mechanical refrigerant system for directing refrigerant vapor through said refrigerant passages for condensation therein;
• an internal partition in each of said unitary tank and header units extending the length thereof to separate said coolant space from said high pressure refrigerant space;
• and
• air center means for flow of air commonly connected to each of said aligned flow tube segments for conductively transferring heat from said coolant and said refrigerant vapor and for producing a single volume contraction cycle as the inlet air stream of the motor vehicle passes therethrough.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle for removing heat from coolant in a liquid cooled engine and from high pressure refrigerant vapor in a mechanical refrigerant system comprising:

• a plurality of tube means;
• each of said tube means having opposite opened ends and each of said tube means having a liquid coolant passage therein and a refrigerant vapor passages therein extending between said opposite ends;
• each of said tube means having divider means separating said liquid coolant passage from said refrigerant passage;
• extruded header means at each end of said plurality of tube means having an integral inboard wall and an integral internal divider wall;
• said integral inboard wall having slots formed therein receiving said opposite open ends of said tube means;
• means including said integral internal divider wall for directing coolant from said engine to said liquid coolant passages and for directing refrigerant vapor from said mechanical refrigerant system through said refrigerant vapor passages for condensation in said refrigerant vapor passages;
• and
• common air center means for directing the inlet air stream of the motor vehicle across said plurality of tube means for removing energy from said liquid coolant and from said refrigerant gas prior to return thereof respectively to said liquid cooled engine and said mechanical refrigerant system without producing multiple contraction and expansion cycles in the inlet air stream of the motor vehicle as it is directed across said common air center means.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle for removing heat from a coolant in a liquid cooled engine and from high pressure refrigerant vapor in a mechanical refrigerant system comprising:

• a plurality of flow tubes;
• each of said flow tubes having divider member therein and opposite opened ends;
• said divider means forming a liquid coolant passage and a refrigerant vapor passage extending between said opposite opened ends;
• said divider means separating said liquid coolant passage from said refrigerant passage so as to prevent mixing of fluid between said coolant passage and said refrigerant vapor passage;
• extruded header means having an end wall at each end of said plurality of flow tubes;
• said end wall having openings therein for receiving said opposite open ends;
• means for sealing said opposite open ends to said end walls and partition means for forming a separate coolant space and a separate refrigerant space in said extruded header mean for directing liquid coolant from said engine to said liquid coolant passages and for directing refrigerant vapor from said mechanical refrigeration system through said second passages for condensation in said refrigerant passage;
• and
• common air center means for directing the inlet air stream of the motor vehicle across said plurality of flow tubes for removing energy from said liquid coolant and from said refrigerant vapor prior to return thereof respectively to the liquid cooled engine and the mechanical refrigeration system.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle for removing heat from a coolant in a liquid cooled engine and from high pressure refrigerant vapor in a mechanical refrigerant system comprising:

• a plurality of flow tubes;
• each of said flow tubes having a divider means therein and opposite open ends;
• said divider means forming a liquid coolant passage therein and a refrigerant vapor passage therein extending between said opposite open ends;
• said divider means separating said liquid coolant passage from said refrigerant passage so as to prevent mixing of fluid between said coolant passage and said refrigerant vapor passage;
• extruded header means having an end wall at each end of said plurality of flow tubes;
• said end wall having openings therein for receiving said opposite open ends;
• means for sealing said opposite open ends to said end walls and partition means for forming a separate coolant space and a separate refrigerant space in said extruded header means for directing liquid coolant from said engine to said liquid coolant passages and for directing refrigerant vapor from said mechanical refrigeration system through said second passages for condensation in said refrigerant passage;
• common air center means for directing the inlet air stream of the motor vehicle across said plurality of flow tubes for removing energy from said liquid coolant and from said refrigerant vapor prior to return thereof respectively to said liquid cooled engine and said mechanical refrigeration system;
• and
• each of said extruded header means having an internal partition extending through the length of said extruded header means separating said header means into a coolant space and a refrigerant space.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle for removing heat from a coolant in a liquid cooled engine and from high pressure refrigerant vapor in a mechanical refrigerant system comprising:

• a plurality of flow tubes;
• each of said flow tubes having divider means therein and opposite open ends;
• said divider means forming a liquid coolant passage therein and a refrigerant vapor passage therein extending between said opposite open ends;
• said divider means separating said liquid coolant passage from said refrigerant passage so as to prevent mixing of fluid between said coolant passage and said refrigerant vapor passage;
• extruded header means having an end wall at each end of said plurality of flow tubes;
• said end wall having openings therein for receiving said opposite open ends;
• means for sealing said opposite open ends to said end walls and partition means for forming a separate coolant space and a separate refrigerant space in said extruded header means for directing liquid coolant from said engine to said liquid coolant passages and for directing refrigerant vapor from said mechanical refrigeration system through said second passages for condensation in said refrigerant passage;
• common air center means for directing the inlet air stream of the motor vehicle across said plurality of flow tubes for removing energy from said liquid coolant and from said refrigerant vapor prior to return thereof respectively to said liquid cooled engine and said mechanical refrigeration system;
• and
• each of said flow tubes being an extruded tube means with divider means forming said coolant passage and said refrigerant passage.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for removing heat from a coolant in a liquid cooled engine and from high pressure refrigerant vapor in a mechanical refrigerant system comprising:

• a plurality of flow tubes;
• each of said flow tubes having a divider member therein and opposite opened ends and each of said flow tubes having a liquid coolant passage therein and a refrigerant vapor passage therein extending between said opposite ends;
• extruded header means having an end wall at each end of said plurality of flow tubes;
• said end wall having openings therein for receiving said opposite open ends;
• means for sealing said opposite open ends to said end walls and partition means for forming a separate coolant space and a separate refrigerant space in said extruded header means for directing liquid coolant from said engine to said liquid coolant passages and for directing refrigerant vapor from said mechanical refrigeration system through said second passages for condensation in said refrigerant passage;
• common air center means for directing air across said plurality of flow tubes for removing energy from said liquid coolant and from said refrigerant vapor prior to return thereof respectively to said liquid cooled engine and said mechanical refrigeration system;
• and
• said extruded header means each including an entry slot and a three sided channel in said separate refrigerant space;
• a separator plate directed through said entry slot and having edge portions supported by said three sided channel for forming a multi pass series flow through said separate refrigerant space and said refrigerant passages of said flow tubes.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle having a plurality of parallel tube passes for cooling high pressure refrigerant vapor in an air conditioning system for the motor vehicle and for cooling engine coolant having air centers bonded thereto for cooling fluid flow through said parallel tube passes comprising:

• said parallel tube passes each including a flow tube with aligned segments forming a refrigerant passage and a separate coolant passage;
• extruded header means including a coolant space communicating with said coolant passages for flow of coolant therethrough and further including a refrigerant space for communicating said refrigerant passages with a mechanical refrigerant system for directing refrigerant vapor through said refrigerant passages for condensation therein;
• air center means commonly connected to each of said aligned flow tube segments for conductively transferring heat from said coolant and said refrigerant vapor;
• said parallel tube passes having a notched end;
• said extruded header means including an internal partition running the full length of said extruded header means to capture said notched end in sealed relationship therewith.

A unitary combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle comprising:

• a unitary extruded radiator coolant and high pressure refrigerant tank including an internal partition running the length of said unitary tank to form separate coolant and refrigerant spaces therein;
• said tank having a wall with side slots therein;
• a plurality of tube means each having a first passage and a second passage for respective flow of coolant and refrigerant;
• each of said tube means further having a tube end connected to said unitary tank at said side slots in said wall and extending therethrough in sealed relationship therewith into said unitary tank;
• means for forming an opening in said tube end communicating said coolant space with said first passage and for forming a refrigerant vapor inlet therein communicating with said second passage;
• and
• means including said internal partition for sealing said tube ends to said unitary tank for preventing leakage between said first passage and said second passage.

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for cooling engine coolant and refrigerant vapor in an automobile air conditioning system comprising:

• means forming a pair of spaced extruded tanks each having an integral divider separating each of said units into a coolant space and a refrigerant vapor space;
• said extruded tanks having header walls thereon facing each other;
• slots formed in said header walls for receiving the ends of tube passes;
• tube pass means extending through each of said slots and means for brazing each of said tube passes to said header walls at said slots therein for sealing said tube passes to said extruded tanks;
• means forming a coolant passage through each of said tube passes communicated at opposite ends thereof to said coolant spaces and means forming a refrigerant passage through each of said tube passes communicated at opposite ends thereof to said refrigerant space.