US 5,152,339 AGranted

Manifold assembly for a parallel flow heat exchanger

AssigneeThermal Components, Inc.

InventorGerald C. Calleson

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Abstract

A manifold assembly for use with heat exchangers comprises an extruded unitary tank having a substantially U-shaped cross-section and a unitary stamped header plate which can either be substantially planar or have a substantially U-shaped cross-section. The longitudinal bottom edges of the tank are crimped around the longitudinal side edges of the header plate, and the mating surfaces are brazed substantially along their entire lengths. The inner wall of the tank can include opposed longitudinal ribs having opposed slots therein for receiving baffles for adjusting the flow path within the assembled manifold. The tank, header plate, and baffles are formed of aluminum and aluminum alloy materials suitable for furnace brazing, at least one of the mating surfaces being fabricated with a lower temperature clad brazing material, so that when the tank, header plate, baffles and heat exchanger tubes are assembled, fixtured, and brazed in a high temperature brazing furnace, the clad material provides the brazed material to braze the tubes to the header plate, the header plate to the tank, and the baffles to the tank and the header plate.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A manifold assembly for use with an internal pressure heat exchanger comprising a plurality of parallel tubes, said manifold assembly comprising:

a unitary tank having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, an inner wall, an outer wall, a plurality of parallel transverse slots formed therein, a pair of end edges extending between said inner and outer walls, and a pair of opposed parallel shelves formed in said inner wall inwardly of said end edges to define a pair of parallel longitudinally-extending flanges formed adjacent said end edges, said shelves having channels formed therein;
a unitary header plate having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, a length substantially equal to the length of said tank, an inner wall, an outer wall, a plurality of parallel, transverse tube holes formed therein, a plurality of parallel, transverse slots formed therein opposite said slots in said tank, and a pair of end edges extending between said inner and outer walls, said header plate being joined to said tank to define an interior space, and said end edges of said header plate being upturned and received in said channels in said tank;
and
a plurality of baffles inserted into said interior space through said opposed slots in said tank and said header plate, and extending outwardly of said outer walls of said tank and said header plate through said opposed slots;
said header plate and said tank being brazed together along substantially the entire lengths of their mating surfaces and said baffles being brazed to said tank and said header plate along the mating surfaces of said baffles and said inner and outer walls of said tank and said header plate;
and
said tank, said header plate, and said baffles being formed of aluminum and aluminum alloy materials suitable for furnace brazing, at least one of the mating surfaces of said tank, said header plate, and said baffles being fabricated with a lower temperature clad brazing material.

4 more elements

A manifold assembly for use with an internal pressure heat exchanger comprising a plurality of parallel tubes, said manifold assembly comprising:

a unitary tank having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, said tank comprising an upper portion which in cross-section forms the base of the U, a pair of substantially straight opposed, parallel sides extending from the ends of said upper portion and which in cross-section form the arms of the U, an inner wall, an outer wall, a plurality of parallel, transverse slots formed in said upper portion, and a pair of end edges extending between said inner and outer walls at the free ends of said sides, said sides adjacent said end edges forming a pair of parallel, longitudinally-extending flanges;
a unitary header plate having a substantially U-shaped cross-section and a length substantially equal to the length of said tank, said header plate comprising a lower portion which in cross-section forms the base of the U, a pair of substantially straight opposed, parallel sides extending from the ends of said lower portion and which in cross-section form the arms of the U, an inner wall, an outer wall, a plurality of parallel, transverse tube holes formed in said lower portion for receiving the tubes of the heat exchanger, a plurality of parallel, transverse slots formed in said lower portion opposite said slots in said tank, and a pair of end edges extending between said inner and outer walls at the free ends of said sides, said sides of said header plate being inserted in said tank inwardly of said end edges of said tank to define an interior space;
a plurality of baffles inserted into said interior space through said opposed slots in said tank and said header plate, and extending outwardly of said outer walls of said tank and said header plate through said opposed slots;
and
a pair of opposed parallel shelves formed in said inner wall inwardly of said end edges to define said flanges, said flanges extending from said shelves and said header plate being inserted in said tank with at least a portion of said header plate abutting said shelves of said tank;
said flanges of said tank being crimped inwardly to engage said header plate along at least the entire length thereof;
said end edges of said header plate being upturned and said shelves having channels formed therein for receiving said end edges of said header plate;
said header plate and said tank being brazed together along substantially the entire lengths of their mating surfaces and said baffles being brazed to said tank and said header plate along the mating surfaces of said baffles and said inner and outer walls of said tank and said header plate;
and
said tank, said header plate, and said baffles being formed of aluminum and aluminum alloy materials suitable for furnace brazing, at least one of the mating surfaces of said tank, said header plate, and said baffles being fabricated with a lower temperature clad brazing material.

7 more elements

A manifold assembly for use with an internal pressure heat exchanger comprising a plurality of parallel tubes, said manifold assembly comprising:

a unitary tank having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, said tank comprising an upper portion which in cross-section forms the base of the U, a pair of substantially straight opposed, parallel sides extending from the ends of said upper portion and which in cross-section form the arms of the U, an inner wall, an outer wall, a plurality of parallel, transverse slots formed in said upper portion, and a pair of end edges extending between said inner and outer walls at the free ends of said sides, said sides adjacent said end edges forming a pair of parallel, longitudinally-extending flanges;
a unitary header plate having a substantially U-shaped cross-section and a length substantially equal to the length of said tank, said header plate comprising a lower portion which in cross-section forms the base of the U, a pair of substantially straight opposed, parallel sides extending from the ends of said lower portion and which in cross-section form the arms of the U, an inner wall, an outer wall, a plurality of parallel, transverse tube holes formed in said lower portion for receiving the tubes of the heat exchanger, a plurality of parallel, transverse slots formed in said lower portion opposite said slots in said tank, and a pair of end edges extending between said inner and outer walls at the free ends of said sides, said sides of said header plate being inserted in said tank inwardly of said end edges of said tank to define an interior space;
a plurality of baffles inserted into said interior space through said opposed slots in said tank and said header plate, and extending outwardly of said outer walls of said tank and said header plate through said opposed slots;
and
a pair of opposed, longitudinally-extending horizontal ribs having a plurality of opposed slots therein for receiving said baffles;
said flanges of said tank being crimped inwardly to engage said header plate along at least the entire length thereof;
said header plate and said tank being brazed together along substantially the entire lengths of their mating surfaces and said baffles being brazed to said tank and said header plate along the mating surfaces of said baffles and said inner and outer walls of said tank and said header plate;
and
said tank, said header plate, and said baffles being formed of aluminum and aluminum alloy materials suitable for furnace brazing, at least one of the mating surfaces of said tank, said header plate, and said baffles being fabricated with a lower temperature clad brazing material.

6 more elements

A manifold assembly for use with an internal pressure heat exchanger comprising a plurality of parallel tubes, said manifold assembly comprising:

a unitary tank having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, an inner wall, an outer wall, and a plurality of parallel transverse slots formed therein, said inner wall having parallel, substantially planar sides;
a unitary header plate having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, a length substantially equal to the length of said tank, an inner wall, an outer wall, a plurality of parallel, transverse tube holes formed therein, and a plurality of parallel, transverse slots formed therein opposite said slots in said tank, said header plate being joined to said tank to define an interior space;
and
a plurality of baffles inserted into said interior space through said opposed slots in said tank and said header plate, said baffles having parallel, substantially planar side edges and a pair of opposed, curved, concave upper and lower edges of equal length connecting said side edges, said side edges being separated by a distance substantially equal to the distance between said parallel sides of said inner wall of said tank, and said end edges of said baffles extending outwardly of said outer walls of said tank and said header plate through said opposed slots;
said header plate and said tank being brazed to said tank and said header plate along the mating surfaces of said baffles and said inner and outer walls of said tank and said header plate;
and
said tank, said header plate, and said baffles being formed of aluminum and aluminum alloy materials suitable for furnace brazing, at least one of the mating surfaces of said tank, said header plate, and said baffles being fabricated with a lower temperature clad brazing material.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/762,563Filed 19 Sep 1991 · continuation in part
Priority: 3 Apr 1990
Granted: 6 Oct 1992
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

F28F 9/0214
For elongated header box, e.g. with transversal and longitudinal partitions: having only longitudinal partitions
F28D 1/05391
Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators: with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits…
F28F 9/0212
Having only transversal partitions: the partitions being separate elements attached to header boxes
F28F 9/0224
Arrangements for sealing end plates into casing or header box; Header box sub-elements: header boxes formed by sealing end plates into covers