A heat exchanger for vehicles, comprising a positioning and fixing element projecting from the heat-exchanger core

Abstract: A heat exchanger for vehicles, comprising a heat exchange core (12) with a parallelepipedal form having two main faces (16) and two lateral walls. The heat exchanger (10) includes at least one terminal element (18) arranged along one of the lateral walls of the heat exchange core (12) and at least a positioning and fixing element (24) at least in part projecting from said terminal element (18). The terminal element (18) has a U-shaped profile with a bottom wall (20) in contact with the heat exchange core (12) and a pair of lateral walls (22) which project outwardly of the heat exchange core (12). The positioning and fixing element (24) comprises a pin (28) projecting from a base (26) which is fixed to the terminal element (18) by a deformation of a portion (36) of its lateral walls (22).

Description: The present invention relates to a heat exchanger for vehicles provided with at least one positioning and fixing element which projects from a lateral wall of the heat exchange core. Solutions are already known wherein a pin-shaped fixing element is fixed to a terminal element generally used for protecting the ends of the heat exchange core and for stiffening from the structural point of view the heat exchanger. This fixing is normally carried out by means of screws, rivets or by welding. EP-A-211253 according to the preamble of claim 1 discloses a resilient retaining system for radiators of internal combustion engines, comprising bottom spaced-apart resilient bearings in which the radiator is vertically supported and positively located horizontally, and a top one-piece retaining clip constituting a top bearing and vertically supported via resilient pads. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved heat exchanger which permits to simplify the assembling operations and to reduce the number of components necessary for carrying out the fixing of the heat exchanger in a complete heat exchange module. According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a heat exchanger having the features forming the subject of the main claim. Characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become evident from the description which follows, with reference to the annexed drawings, given purely by way of non-limiting example, in which: figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a heat exchanger according to the present invention, figure 2 is a perspective view in a greater scale of the part indicated by arrow II in figure 1, figure 3 is a partially sectioned lateral view of the element indicated by arrow III in figure 2, and figures 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views which show three variants of the fixing system according to the invention. With reference to the drawings, at 10 is indicated a heat exchanger for vehicles, comprising a heat exchange core 12 and a pair of manifolds or distributors 14. The shape of the heat exchange core 12 and the number and the shape of the manifolds 14 may vary depending on whether the heat exchanger is a radiator for engine cooling, a condenser of an air-conditioning system or the radiator core for heating the air flow directed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The structure shown in figure 1 is typical of a condenser but the invention can be applied also to other types of heat exchangers. The heat exchange core 14 has a parallelepipedal shape with two main faces 16 (only one of which is visible in figure 1) and four lateral walls parallel in pairs. The heat exchange core 12 is manufactured in a way per se known and comprises a pack of fins which are traversed by a plurality of tubes in which circulates the heat exchange fluid. A pair of terminal elements 18 are arranged along two lateral walls of the heat exchange block 14 and are fixed to the latter in a way per se known. The terminal elements 18 have the purpose to protects the ends of the heat exchange core and also serve for stiffening the heat exchanger from the structural point of view. Each terminal element 18 is formed by a metallic profiled element with a U-shaped section and has a bottom wall 20 adjacent to the heat exchange core 12 and two lateral walls 22 which project outwardly. The heat exchanger 10 comprises one or more positioning and fixing elements 14 which serve for correctly positioning and for fixing the heat exchanger to a complete heat exchanger module or to the body of a vehicle (both not shown). In the example shown in figure 1 are provided two positioning and fixing elements 24 for each terminal element 18, but the number of such fixing elements may vary depending on the requirements. Each positioning and fixing element 24 has a base 26 from which projects a pin 28 which is intended to be inserted in a hole provided in the structure (not shown) to which the heat exchanger is fixed. On the opposite part of the pin 28, the base 26 has a shallow projection 30 which engages a reference hole 32 formed in the bottom wall 20 of the terminal element 18. The base 24 has a thickness substantially equal to the height of the lateral walls 22 and has two recessed portions 34 (only one of which is visible in figure 2) extending inwardly. Each positioning and fixing element 24 is fixed to the terminal element 18 by a permanent deformation of portions 36 of the lateral walls 22. The deformed portions 36 form a clamping system which holds the positioning element 24 both along the longitudinal axis of the terminal element 18 and in a direction orthogonal to the bottom wall 20. As shown in figures 4, 5 and 6, the deformed portions 36 can be formed in different ways. In the embodiment shown in figures 1, 2 and 4 on the lateral walls 22 are formed through cuts 38 in correspondence with the portions to be deformed 36. The deformation is carried out in a direction orthogonal to the lateral walls 22, so as to form on each wall a loop projecting inwardly which is positioned on the corresponding recess 34 of the base 26. In the variant shown in figure 5 on each lateral wall 22 in correspondence with the portion to be deformed are formed a longitudinal cut and a transversal cut, so that by means of an inward deformation are formed two tabs which are positioned on the recessed portion 34. In the variant of figure 6 on each lateral wall are formed two parallel transversal cuts and the portion 36 comprised between these cuts is deformed so as to form a tab bent inwardly substantially of 90° against the recessed portion 34. The positioning and fixing elements 24 have a standardized shape and can be placed in any point of the terminal element without need to use auxiliary fixing element such as screws, rivets or the like. The solution according to the invention permits therefore to obtain a reduction of the costs as a consequence of the reduction of the number of components to be handled and of the simplification of the operation for their assembling. The accommodation of the same type of heat exchanger in different versions of vehicles is substantially simplified by virtue of the possibility to vary the position of the fixing element along the whole length of the heat exchanger.

Claims: A heat exchanger for vehicles, comprising a heat exchange core (12) having a parallelepipedal shape with two main faces (16) and two lateral walls, the heat exchanger (10) including at least one terminal element (18) arranged along one of the lateral walls of the heat exchange core (12), the heat exchanger (10) having at least one positioning and fixing element (24) at least in part projecting from said terminal element (18), said terminal element (18) has a U-shaped profile with a bottom wall (20) in contact with the heat exchange core (12) and a pair of lateral walls (22) which project outwardly of the heat exchange core (12), characterized in that said positioning and fixing element (24) comprises a pin (28) projecting from a base (26) which is fixed to the terminal element (18) by a deformation of a portion (36) of its lateral walls (22). A heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that said positioning and fixing element (24) has a projection (30), placed on the opposite side of said pin (28), which engages a reference hole (32) provided in the bottom wall (20) of the terminal element (18). A heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that said positioning and fixing element (24) has a recessed and inwardly extending portion (34) on which acts said deformed portion (36). A heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that each deformed portion (36) forms a inwardly extending loop orthogonal to the lateral wall (20). A heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that each deformed portion (36) forms a pair of tabs projecting inwardly of the terminal element (18). A heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that each deformed portion (36) forms a tab bent substantially of 90° toward the inner part of the terminal element (18).

Inventors: TIZIANO GUISEPPE, TIZIANO, GUISEPPE
Applicants: MAGNETI MARELLI CLIMAT SRL, MAGNETI MARELLI CLIMATIZZAZIONE S.P.A.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B60H1
IPC codes: B60K11, B60H1, F28F9