US 5,632,332 A · Heat exchanger having inlet and outlet pipes for a heat exchanging medium and a method of making same

Abstract

A clamper (12) has a clamp finger (12a) for gripping a joint pipe (5), and is preliminarily attached to a preassembly of a heat exchanger. The clamp finger (12a) is deformed to embrace the joint pipe (5), before the preassembly is subjected to the so-called one-shot brazing process. Thereafter, the joint pipe (5) is brazed to and become integral with the clamp finger (12a) which is embracing the joint pipe, at the same time as the essential parts incorporated in the heat exchanger preassembly are brazed one to another. Thus, the clamper (12) not only serves as a supporter for keeping the joint pipe (5) in place after the brazing, but also functions as a jig of such a kind as holding in place the joint pipe (5) in the unbrazed assembly of the heat exchanger, thus improving the manufacture efficiency of heat exchangers.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A heat exchanger comprising:

an inlet for a heat exchanging medium;
an outlet for a heat exchanging medium;
a heat exchanger body formed with the outlet and the inlet and conducting the exchange of heat between the medium flowing through the body and an ambient air;
at least one joint pipe connected to the inlet and/or outlet and allowing the medium to flow into or out of the heat exchanger body;
at least one clamper for temporarily holding in place the joint pipe on the heat exchanger body, said joint pipe being forcibly fitted to the clamper when a temporary assembly of the heat exchanger body is brazed, with the clamper being constructed such as to fixedly secure the joint pipe to the heat exchanger body once the body is brazed, and the clamper including
at least one pair of clamper fingers spaced on a predetermined distance apart for receiving the pipe joint, one of the fingers having a bulging portion and providing a constriction for locking the pipe joint between the fingers.

3 more elements

A method of making a heat exchanger which comprises at least one joint pipe connected to an inlet or outlet for a heat exchanging medium, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one clamper with a pair of fingers for receiving the pipe joint, one of the fingers having a bulging portion and providing a constriction for locking the pipe joint between the fingers;
forming a preassembly of a heat exchanger body;
connecting the joint pipe to the preassembly in fluid communication therewith;
connecting the clamper to the preassembly;
forcibly fitting the joint pipe between the fingers of the clamper;
and
brazing the heat exchanger body along with the clamber and the joint pipe to be integral therewith.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Heat exchanger having inlet and outlet pipes for a heat exchanging medium and a method of making same

Life of this patent

Heat exchanger having inlet and outlet pipes for a heat exchanging medium and a method of making same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10