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Heat exchanger and producing method thereofRelated Patent Categories: Heat Exchange, Side-by-side Tubular Structures Or Tube Sections, With Manifold Type Header Or Header PlateHeat exchanger and producing method thereof description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070181293, Heat exchanger and producing method thereof. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This invention relates to a heat exchanger having connectors for connecting pipes through which a heat-exchanging fluid flows in and out, and a method of producing the heat exchanger. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-108638 (Patent Document 1) discloses a heat exchanger used as a condenser for condensing by radiating the heat of the refrigerant into the air. This conventional heat exchanger includes a pair of header tanks of a segmentation type on one of which the connectors are mounted. The header tank of segmentation type is defined as a cylindrical header tank with a second header member fitted on a first header member connected to the tubes in which the heat-exchanging fluid flows. [0005] The method of mounting the connectors on the header tank of the heat exchanger according to Patent Document 1 is explained below. First, the first and second header members of the heat exchanger disclosed in Patent Document 1 have notches, respectively, formed in the fitting portions thereof fitted with each other, and by fitting the first and second header members on each other, a rectangular through hole is formed by the notches. [0006] The connectors, on the other hand, are each formed with a protrusion adapted to the shape of and insertable into the corresponding through hole. By inserting the protrusions into the through holes and further caulking the protrusions on the inner periphery of the through holes, the connectors are tacked on the header tank. With the connectors tacked on the header tank, the first and second header members and the connectors are brazed to each other thereby to mount the connectors on the header tank. [0007] In the heat exchanger disclosed in Patent Document 1, the through holes for tacking the connectors are formed by combining the notches formed on the first and second header members. Once the relative positions of the notches are shifted by the dimensional error or assembly error in the manufacture of the first and second header members, therefore, the shape of each through hole fails to fit the shape of the protrusion of each connector. [0008] In the case where the shape of the connector protrusions and the shape of the through holes fail to coincide with each other, a sufficient tacking strength of the connectors tacked and caulked on the header tank cannot be obtained. As a result, at the time of coupling by brazing, the tacked state between the connectors and the header tanks cannot be maintained, and the dimensional accuracy and the coupling strength of the connectors mounted on and coupled to the header tank are adversely affected, thereby making it impossible to properly couple the connectors to the header tank. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] In view of this situation, the object of this invention is to couple the connectors properly to the header tank. [0010] In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a heat exchanger comprising a cylindrical header tank (14) connected with a plurality of tubes (11) through which a fluid passes and a pair of connectors (20, 21) for fluid pipe connection, wherein the connectors (20, 21) have a tacked portion (20b) engaging the header tank (14), and the connectors (20, 21) and the header tank (14) have coupling surfaces, respectively, coupled by brazing to each other. [0011] In this aspect, the connectors (20, 21) have the tacked portion (20b) engaging the header tank (14), and therefore, the connectors (20, 21) can be coupled to and tacked on the header tank (14) positively. [0012] As a result, the reduction in the accuracy of the mounting dimensions and the coupling strength of the connectors (20, 21) to the header tank (14) after coupling can be suppressed and the connectors (20, 21) can be coupled properly to the header tank (14). [0013] Further, the connectors (20, 21) and the header tank (14) each have a coupling surface, and therefore a sufficient coupling strength can be secured between them. [0014] In the heat exchanger according to the first aspect described above, the header tank (14) has a through hole (17b) establishing communication between inside and outside of the header tank (14), and the connectors (20, 21) each have the protrusion (20b) inserted into the through hole (17b). The tacked portion, therefore, may be engaging portions (20g) configured by deforming the protrusion (20b). [0015] In this case, the protrusion (20b) inserted into the through hole (17b) is deformed and makes up the engaging portions (20g). Therefore, the connectors (20, 21) can be easily tacked on the header tank (14). Further, as compared with the case in which the engaging portion (20b) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the header tank (14), the header tank (14) is not unnecessarily made bulky. [0016] Thus, the connectors (20, 21) can be properly connected to the header tank (14) without increasing the size of the heat exchanger. [0017] Also, in the heat exchanger according to the first aspect having the through hole (17b), the protrusion (20b) may be caulked on the inner periphery of the through hole (17b). Then, since the protrusion (20) is caulked on the through hole (17b), the connectors (20, 21) can be tacked more strongly on the header tank (14). [0018] Further, in the heat exchanger according to the first aspect described above, the through hole (17b) may alternatively be formed on the side of the cylinder of the header tank (14). Also, the opening of the through hole (17b) may be elongated along the length of the header tank (14). Furthermore, the engaging portions (20g) may be arranged at the two ends of the protrusion (20) along the length of the header tank (14). [0019] Generally, the cylindrical header tank (14) is elongated. In the case where each engaging portion (20g) is deformed toward the inner periphery of the through hole (17b) with a load imposed in the direction parallel to the longitudinal direction, the deformation of the through hole (17b) can be suppressed more than in the case where the deforming load is imposed in the other directions. [0020] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 for explaining an embodiment described later, the protrusion (20b) is deformed toward the inner periphery of the through hole (17b) while being caulked by the load in the directions of arrows E providing the load along the circumference of the header tank (14). Then, the through hole (17b) is easily extended and deformed along the outer periphery of the header tank (14). [0021] In the case where the protrusion (20b) is caulked by the load along the direction of arrow F parallel to the length of the header tank (14), on the other hand, the header tank (14) is not easily deformed in longitudinal direction and therefore the deformation of the through hole (17b) can be suppressed. [0022] By arranging the engaging portion (20g) at each longitudinal end of the inner periphery of the through hole (17b) along the length of the header tank (14), therefore, the protrusion (20b) can be deformed under the load parallel to the length of the header tank (14). Thus, the deformation of the through hole (17b) is suppressed, and the connectors (20, 21) can be more properly coupled to the header tank (14). Continue reading about Heat exchanger and producing method thereof... Full patent description for Heat exchanger and producing method thereof Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Heat exchanger and producing method thereof patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Heat exchanger and producing method thereof or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Tube bundle heat exchanger Next Patent Application: Exhaust gas heat exchanger and method of operating the same Industry Class: Heat exchange ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Heat exchanger and producing method thereof patent info. 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