Heat exchanger tube, heat exchanger and method of making the same
AssigneeModine Manufacturing Company
InventorBernhard Lamich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An economically formed tube of rectangular or oval-like cross section and with a corrugated internal fin includes spaced, relatively long side wall sections joined at their ends by relatively short end wall sections. An integral fin within the tube has crests and valleys defining a plurality of flow paths within the tube and is formed of a corrugated section of a strip employed to form one of the side walls and at least part of both of the end walls.
Claims21
In a flattened tube for use in a heat exchanger having two spaced relatively long side walls connected at their ends by two spaced relatively short end walls to provide a generally rectangular or oval-like cross section and an internal fin extending between the side walls within the tube to provide a plurality of internal flow channels within the tube, the improvement wherein the tube includes two pieces, each including a corresponding one of said side walls and at least one of said pieces including at least a portion of each of said end walls with a first of said pieces including an integral corrugated section defining said internal fin and folded back into abutment with the side wall of a second said piece having its side wall abutting said corrugated section opposite of the side wall of said first piece;
- said pieces being sealingly bonded to each other at said end walls with the side walls of both said pieces being bonded to said corrugated section within said cross section.
A method of making a tube of rectangular or oval cross section and having an internal fin for use in a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing first and second elongated strips of good thermally conductive material;
- (b) forming said first strip to have a flat, tube side wall section, two spaced tube end wall sections and a corrugated section disposed between said side wall section and one of said end wall sections;
- (c) bending said first strip to bring said corrugated section into aligned abutment with said first strip side wall section;
- (d) locating said second strip on said first strip in abutment with said corrugated section and with said end wall sections;
- and
- (e) bonding said second strip to said end wall section in sealed relation, and to said corrugated section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.