Patent ID: 6129146
Filing Date: 2000-10-10
Classification: F28F,Y10S

Abstract:
In a heat exchanger of the type comprising a pair of manifolds with a plurality of tubes extending between the manifolds and providing fluid communication therebetween, an inlet pipe fitting connected with one manifold and an outlet pipe fitting connected with one manifold, the improvement comprising:at least one of said manifolds being formed from a unitary sheet of sheet metal having a pair of side-edges and having a cross-section with first and second sidewalls adjoining each other and a third sidewall connecting said first and second sidewalls together, said third sidewall including a lap joint between said side-edges,said first sidewall being flat and provided with a plurality of tube apertures disposed in a row along the length of said one manifold, said tube apertures having the same configuration as the cross-sectional configuration of said tubes whereby each tube can be inserted in a tube aperture,said second sidewall having at least a portion thereof which is flat, the flat portion being provided with a pipe fitting opening for receiving one of said pipe fittings, said pipe fitting opening having the same configuration as the cross-sectional configuration of said one of said pipe fittings whereby said one of said pipe fittings can be inserted into said pipe fitting opening.