Patent Description:
Heat exchangers can be mounted in vehicles to exchange heat between fluid used by vehicle's systems and air, especially during movement of the vehicle. For this purpose, heat exchangers with tubes connecting two tanks are usually used. The air, e.g. ram air, travels between and around the tubes to exchange heat with a heat exchange fluid travelling through the tubes.

Heat exchanger, e.g. a radiator, can be fixed to the vehicle's body by means of attachment means located on tanks for the heat exchange fluid, which are part of the heat exchanger.

In case of serial production, it may happen that there is a need to change the dimensions of the heat exchanger, e.g. to a one with a higher or smaller amount of tubes within the heat exchanger core, or to change the position of the existing core with respect to the vehicle's body and/or the heat exchange module. This may be difficult to implement, as it may require different sets of attachment means and/or tank designs, possibly also requiring adaptation of the attachment portion on the vehicle's body or heat exchange module. It would be desirable to avoid preparing differents designs to accommodate changing needs to the best possible extent.

<CIT> discloses a heat exchanger comprising a core and a mounting assembly attached to the core. The mounting assembly comprises connecting means configured to mount the heat exchanger on an external structure. The mounting assembly comprises a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate. The first mounting plate is attached to only one side of the heat exchanger, while the second mounting plate is attached to the first mounting plate. The connecting means are provided on the second mounting plate.

<CIT> discloses an integrated bracket for an automotive heat exchanger, in particular for a radiator. The integrated bracket comprises a radiator bracket base, having an inner side at which the heat exchanger is located and an opposite outer side. The bracket base comprises a base plate and a supporting plate which are in contact with their surfaces faced to each other. Each of the plates has latching and locking means to engage both plates one to the other. The plate which is selected from said supporting and base plates and which is located at the outer side of the bracket is provided with at least one ball pin integrally formed with said plate and protruding from said plate at its outer side for fixing the bracket base in a car.

<CIT> discloses supporting means for coolers or radiators in form of a trunnion suspension.

<CIT> discloses a process for attaching and mounting a radiator on the body of a motor vehicle, comprising an attachment stage in which the radiator is shifted in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the radiator and an engagement fixing stage, in the said direction, of elements forming a bolt in corresponding means forming a striking plate. The document also proposes a mounting arrangement which comprises a minimum of one bolt having longitudinal guide surfaces extending parallel to the said direction and a transverse recess and a minimum of one striking plate having complementary guide surfaces and a flexibly deformable locking element which is received in the recess.

It would be desirable to provide a heat exchange assembly, which would enable greater flexibility in terms of adaptation of the design to different sizes of the cores.

The object of the invention is, a heat exchanger assembly according claim <NUM>.

Preferably, the second connection assembly is releasable.

Preferably, the heat exchanger comprises a first fluid tank, and the first spheroid joint member is attached to the first tank.

Preferably, the heat exchanger comprises a second fluid tank, and the second connection assembly is attached to the second tank.

Preferably, the first fluid tank has a general extension axis X, and the at least two second spheroid joint members are aligned along an axis parallel to the general extension axis X of the first heat exchange tank.

In another option, the first fluid tank has a general extension axis X, and the at least two second spheroid joint members are aligned along an axis Z perpendicular to the general extension axis X of the tank.

Preferably, the first spheroid joint member is located eccentrically with respect to the first tank when measured along its general extension axis X.

Preferably, the first spheroid joint member is located on an arm extending from the heat exchanger towards the second spheroid joint member.

Preferably, the first spheroid joint member comprises a sphere element, while the second spheroid joint member comprises a socket adapted for receiving and holding the sphere element.

Preferably, the second spheroid joint member comprises a bottom portion and a top portion connected to the bottom portion, wherein at least one of them is at least partly shaped so as to complement the sphere element of the first spheroid joint member.

Preferably, the second spheroid joint member is configured to enable relative movement of the top portion with respect to the bottom portion during insertion and/or removal of the first spheroid joint member.

Preferably, the bottom portion and the top portion comprise cutouts and respectively, for accommodating the sphere element of the first spheroid joint member.

Preferably, the second connection assembly comprises a latching connection situated on a first portion of the second tank, and a positioning pin on a second portion of the second tank, remote with respect to the first portion of the second tank.

Examples of the invention will be apparent from and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

The object of the invention is a heat exchanger assembly. The heat exchanger assembly comprises a heat exchanger <NUM> connected to a first side mounting portion <NUM> and connected to a second side mounting portion <NUM>, as seen in <FIG>. The first side mounting portion <NUM> and the second side mounting portion <NUM> can be for example parts of a vehicle heat exchange module or parts of the vehicle's body.

The heat exchanger <NUM> is connected to the first side mounting portion <NUM> by means of a first connection assembly <NUM>. The heat exchanger <NUM> is connected to the second side mounting portion <NUM> by a second connection assembly <NUM>. The first connection assembly <NUM> is a releasable spheroid joint.

<FIG> shows a first connection assembly in a perspective view. The heat exchanger <NUM> comprises a first fluid tank <NUM>, and the first connection assembly <NUM> is attached to the first tank <NUM>.

<FIG> show components of the first connection assembly in a detached state. The first connection assembly <NUM> comprises a first spheroid joint member <NUM> located on the heat exchanger <NUM>, and a second spheroid joint member <NUM> located on the first side mounting portion <NUM>. Preferably, the first spheroid joint member <NUM> is attached to the first tank <NUM>.

The first spheroid joint member <NUM> may comprise a sphere element, while the second spheroid joint member <NUM> comprises a socket adapted for receiving and holding the sphere element <NUM>. Due to nature of these shapes and it being a spheroid joint, the connected elements are enabled to rotate accordingly with respect to each other when subject to external forces. This may enable relative movement of the tank <NUM> with respect to the side mounting portions <NUM>, <NUM>, e.g. when the core deforms due to thermal influence. Negative effects of such deformation on the connection can thus be decreased or eliminated.

The second spheroid joint member <NUM> may comprise a bottom portion <NUM> and a top portion <NUM> connected to the bottom portion <NUM>, wherein at least one of them is at least partly shaped so as to complement the sphere element of the first spheroid joint member <NUM>. Preferably, the second spheroid joint member <NUM> is configured to enable relative movement of the top portion <NUM> with respect to the bottom portion <NUM> during insertion and/or removal of the first spheroid joint member <NUM>. This may be enabled by utilizing elastically deforming materials to connect the portions. This can enable or facilitate insertion and/or removal of the first spheroid joint member <NUM> to or from the second spheroid joint member <NUM>.

The bottom portion <NUM> and the top portion <NUM> may comprise cutouts 1151c and 1152c respectively, for accommodating the sphere element of the first spheroid joint member <NUM>.

The first connection assembly <NUM> may comprise two or more second spheroid joint members <NUM> adapted for releasable connection with the first spheroid joint member <NUM>. In one example, the plurality of the second joint members <NUM> is located on the first side mounting portion <NUM>. In any case, the sphere element can be present on the tank <NUM>, or it can be carried out in plurality on the first side mounting portion <NUM>, with the corresponding complementary shaped element or elements being located on the remaining component. In other words, the sphere element and the socket can have their position reversed while maintaining their function.

In the examples shown in <FIG>, the first fluid tank <NUM> has a general extension axis X, and the at least two second spheroid joint members <NUM> are aligned along an axis Y parallel to the general extension axis X of the first heat exchange tank <NUM>. In the shown example, the two second spheroid joint members <NUM> are located on the first side mounting portion <NUM>. The first spheroid joint member <NUM> may be located on an arm 111b extending from the heat exchanger <NUM> in the direction of the second spheroid joint member <NUM>.

<FIG> show a second example of the first connection assembly in two connection configurations. In this example, the first fluid tank <NUM> has a general extension axis X, and the at least two second spheroid joint members <NUM> are aligned along an axis Z perpendicular to the general extension axis X of the tank, i.e. parallel to the general extension direction of tubes of the core. The first spheroid joint member <NUM> is located on an arm <NUM> extending from the heat exchanger <NUM> in the direction of the second spheroid joint member <NUM>.

In general, provision of a plurality of second spheroid joint members <NUM> allows to facilitate usage of multiple heat exchanger core sizes, positions or orientations with minimal change to the existing design of applied connection means.

In any case, the first spheroid joint member <NUM> may be located eccentrically with respect to the first tank <NUM> when measured along the extension axis X. In other words, the first spheroid joint member <NUM> is located closer to one of the short sides of generally rectangular outline of the tank <NUM>. Thanks to such configuration, it is possible to switch vertical orientation of existing heat exchanger and therefore change the exposure of the core to the incoming air. This may be useful if it is desired to free one portion of the heat exchanger assembly at the expense of the other, for example when another heat exchanger needs to be introduced to the assembly. The existing heat exchanger can effectively be moved downwards or upwards without any change to the connection assembly.

<FIG> shows a heat exchanger assembly according to the invention, while <FIG> presents a detailed view of a second connection assembly of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger <NUM> comprises a second fluid tank <NUM>, and the second connection assembly <NUM> is attached to the second tank <NUM>. Preferably, the second connection assembly <NUM> is releasable.

The second connection assembly <NUM> comprises a latching connection <NUM> situated on a first portion of the second tank <NUM>, and a positioning pin <NUM> on a second portion of the second tank <NUM>, remote with respect to the first portion of the second tank <NUM>.

It is envisaged to carry out the second connection assembly <NUM> so that it has analogous design to the first side mounting portion <NUM>, i.e. the heat exchanger assembly to have symmetrical connection configuration on both of its sides.

Claim 1:
Heat exchanger assembly, comprising a heat exchanger (<NUM>) connected to a first side mounting portion (<NUM>) and a second side mounting portion (<NUM>), wherein the heat exchanger (<NUM>) is connected to the first side mounting portion (<NUM>) by means of a first connection assembly (<NUM>) and is connected to the second side mounting portion (<NUM>) by a second connection assembly (<NUM>), the first connection assembly (<NUM>) being a releasable spheroid joint, characterized in that the first connection assembly (<NUM>) comprises a first spheroid joint member (<NUM>) located on the heat exchanger (<NUM>), and at least two second spheroid joint members (<NUM>) located on the first side mounting portion (<NUM>), adapted for releasable connection with the first spheroid joint member (<NUM>).