US 6,266,882 B1 · Fin collar and method of manufacturing

Abstract

A method for forming an heat exchanger fin collar for a plate-fin heat exchanger having close tolerance dimensions for achieving greater contact area on the tube. The fin collar includes an elongated fin portion for dissipating heat and a leg connected with the fin portion. The leg has a height and includes a straight contact portion substantially perpendicular to the fin portion, wherein the contact portion has a contact height along which the contact portion contacts the tube. The height is in the range of 0.008 to 0.080 inches. It also includes a first curved end portion having a first radius extending from a first end of the contact portion and a stepped transitional portion connecting the contact portion and the elongated fin portion. The transitional portion has a second curved end portion having a second radius, wherein the second curved end portion extends from the contact portion opposite the first end.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger with a plate-fin design having a plurality of fin collars, wherein each of the fin collars having an elongated fin portion, a contact leg, a transition portion connecting the contact leg and the fin portion, and a curved contact leg tip, comprising the steps of:

providing a tube and fin stock;
forming a button in the fin stock;
piercing the fin stock and forming a first working collar including a pre fin portion and a pre-contact leg having a first end with a tip;
extruding said first working collar and substantially straightening said pre-contact leg;
abutting said tip against a shoulder of reflaring tooling;
finally straightening said pre-contact leg by pushing said pre-contact leg into said reflaring tooling and against said shoulder for forming the contact leg with a straight tube-contact portion and a curved tip portion, the contact leg having a collar leg height and a collar contact height;
and
expanding said tube to form an interference fit with the fin collars for attaching the plurality of the fin collars to said tube.

5 more elements

A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger with a plate-fin design having a plurality of fin collars, wherein each of the tin collars having an elongated fin portion, a contact leg having a collar leg height and a collar contact height, a transition portion connecting the contact leg and the fin portion, and a curved contact leg tip, comprising the steps of:

providing a tube and fin collar stock;
forming a button in the fin collar stock;
piercing the stock and forming a first working collar including a prefin portion and a pre-contact leg having a first end with a tip;
extruding said first working collar and substantially straightening said pre-contact leg;
finally straightening said pre-contact leg by pushing said pre-contact leg into tooling for forming each of the fin collars with a contact leg having a straight tube-contact portion and a curved tip portion;
expanding said tube to form an interference fit with the fin collars for attaching a plurality of the fin collars to said tube;
and
reducing the likelihood of galvanic corrosion between the tube and the plurality of fin collars by substantially abutting the straight tube contact portions of the plurality of fin collars on the tube for reducing atmospheric exposure of the tube.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fin collar and method of manufacturing

Life of this patent

Fin collar and method of manufacturing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22