Patent ID: 7044194
Filing Date: 2006-05-16
Classification: B63B,B63H,F01P,F28D,F28F

Abstract:
1. A header for a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a plurality of parallel tubes extending in a longitudinal direction and having generally rectangular cross sections, the tubes including a pair of outermost tubes and at least one inner tube located between the outermost tubes, the outermost tubes having a flat outside wall and a parallel flat inside wall, and the inner tubes having coolant ports, said header comprising: a flat upper wall having a flat upper end portion, opposing flat side portions and a flat upper inner portion, said flat upper end portion and said flat upper inner portion being located in a plane, and an inlet/outlet opening for permitting the flow of coolant along a projected flow path determined by a projection of said opening into said header, between an inlet/outlet and said header, said flat upper wall having a length extending between said flat upper end portion and said flat upper inner portion; a flat lower wall located below said upper wall, said flat lower wall having a flat lower end portion, opposing flat side portions and a flat lower inner portion, said flat lower wall having a length extending between the flat lower end portion and the flat lower inner portion, said length being less than the length of said flat upper wall and disposed inwardly from both the upper end portion and the upper inner portion of said flat upper wall; a flat end wall extending generally perpendicularly from the flat end portion of said flat upper wall and terminating below said flat upper wall and above said flat lower wall, said flat end wall having a height; an inclined surface extending between the flat inner portions of said flat lower wall and said flat upper wall, and including at least a portion of the open end(s) of the at least one inner tube to said header; at least one of said open ends being located in the projected flow path of the inlet/outlet opening; flat outside side walls extending between the flat side portions of said flat upper wall and said flat lower wall, said flat outside side walls each being an extension of the flat outside wall of the outermost tube of the heat exchanger; flat inside side walls parallel to said flat outside side walls, said flat inside side walls each being an extension of the flat inside wall of the outermost tube; and a flat beveled wall extending between the termination of said flat end wall and the end portion of said flat lower wall and beveled with respect to said longitudinal direction for directing coolant flow between said inlet/outlet and said open ends and reducing the turbulence of coolant flow to and/or from said parallel tubes and increasing ambient fluid flow to the exterior surfaces of said parallel tubes compared to a non-beveled wall, said flat beveled wall having a length substantially greater than the height of said end wall; the inner surfaces of said flat inside side walls, flat upper wall, flat end wall, flat lower wall, flat beveled wall and inclined surface forming a header chamber; said flat inside side walls each having at least one orifice for permitting the flow of coolant between said header chamber and the respective outermost tube.