EP2344830B1 - Collector plate for a heat exchanger, and heat exchanger including such a plate - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a collector plate for heat exchanger and a heat exchanger provided with such a plate.

It relates more particularly to a header plate for a heat exchanger comprising a core provided with openings for the passage of tubes of the heat exchanger and a groove, said receiving a cover of collector box, adapted to receive a seal and a portion of the lid and having a base and two wings, respectively called internal and external and connected to the base; this corresponds to the preamble of claim 1. Such a plate is known from JP 2005326124 A .

It is known heat exchangers comprising a bundle of tubes and spacers, two collector plates and two lids.

During the production of the heat exchanger, the bundle of tubes and inserts is first assembled. Then, the two collector plates are assembled at the ends of the tubes of the bundle. This set is then placed in a brazing furnace where these different components will be brazed together. Finally, it is secured, by crimping and with the interposition of a seal positioned in the groove, a cover on each header plate to define a manifold for collecting the fluid flowing in the tubes of the heat exchanger . In a collecting plate according to the prior art, the receiving groove is present all around the collecting plate.

Mounting the seal in this groove is particularly difficult for an operator and this due to the narrowness of the groove. Such a collector plate leads to a significant loss of time during assembly, or even to a bad positioning of the seal.

The invention aims to improve the situation.

For this purpose, it proposes a collector plate as defined above, in which the inner wing is connected to the core and is subdivided into at least two disjoint sections, said two disjoint sections being separated by at least one recess, and recess between two disjoint portions of the inner wing being at least at a location of the header plate for receiving a bent portion of the joint.

Such a collector plate does not have an internal wing at least at a bend (or corner) of the outer wing. In other words, the inner wing is partially provided along the edges of the header plate. Thus, a header plate according to the invention has a larger space at least at the corners of the latter so that a seal will be placed more easily by an operator.

• la plaque collectrice présente un pourtour et ladite aile externe est continue sur le pourtour de la plaque collectrice et présente des portions sensiblement droites opposées deux à deux et reliées par des coudes et dans laquelle les tronçons disjoints de l'aile interne sont situés en vis-à-vis d'au moins deux desdites portions droites opposées de l'aile externe,
• ladite gorge présente au moins deux cotés sensiblement parallèles et les deux tronçons disjoints sont placés en vis-à-vis l'un de l'autre, chacun sur un dit coté parallèle,
• ladite âme présente au moins deux paliers, dits respectivement supérieur et inférieur situés dans deux plans distincts, un desdits paliers étant situé au niveau de l'évidement entre deux portions disjointes,
• ladite base de ladite gorge de réception et ledit palier inférieur s'étendent selon un même plan dit premier plan,
• une ouverture pour le passage d'un tube d'extrémité est situé au niveau dudit palier inférieur, ledit tube d'extrémité et/ou un collet de la plaque collectrice entourant ledit tube d'extrémité étant apte à retenir un joint,
• l'évidement entre deux portions disjointes de ladite aile interne est placé en vis-à-vis de deux coudes et d'un coté, dit petit coté, de l'aile externe, ledit petit coté étant attenant audits deux coudes,
• la gorge de réception et l'âme sont réalisées dans deux pièces différentes,
• ladite aile externe comporte quatre portions droites opposées deux à deux, chaque portion droite étant reliée à une portion droite adjacente par un coude, et dans laquelle ladite aile interne est au moins partiellement en vis-à-vis desdites quatre portions droites de manière à définir quatre évidements en vis-à-vis de chaque coude,
• ladite aile interne est raccordée à ladite base par une zone de liaison comportant une arrête arrondie et inclinée.

Particular embodiments of the invention propose that:

• the collector plate has a periphery and said outer flange is continuous around the periphery of the collector plate and has substantially straight portions opposite in pairs and connected by elbows and in which the disjointed sections of the inner flange are located in opposite directions; with respect to at least two of said opposite straight portions of the outer wing,
• said groove has at least two substantially parallel sides and the two disjoint sections are placed opposite each other, each on a said parallel side,
• said core has at least two bearings, said respectively upper and lower located in two separate planes, one of said bearings being located at the recess between two disjoint portions,
• said base of said receiving groove and said lower bearing extend in a same plane called foreground,
• an opening for the passage of an end tube is located at said lower bearing, said end tube and / or a collar of the header plate surrounding said end tube being adapted to retain a seal,
• the recess between two disjoint portions of said inner wing is placed opposite two elbows and one side, said small side, of the outer wing, said small side being adjoining audits two elbows,
• the receiving groove and the core are made in two different parts,
• said outer flange comprises four opposite straight portions in pairs, each straight portion being connected to an adjacent straight portion by a bend, and wherein said inner flange is at least partially facing said four straight portions so as to define four recesses opposite each elbow,
• said inner wing is connected to said base by a connecting zone comprising a rounded and inclined stop.

• la plaque collectrice pour une boîte collectrice d'un échangeur de chaleur, comprend une pluralité d'orifices aptes à la fixation de tubes, une première partie protubérante accueillant une majorité desdits orifices de manière à former une gorge périphérique, plaque dans laquelle au moins un desdits orifices d'extrémité est situé dans une zone plane et plus particulièrement une zone plane située au niveau de la gorge périphérique de la plaque collectrice,
• deux orifices d'extrémité respectivement de chaque côté de la plaque collectrice, sont situés dans une zone plane,
• la plaque collectrice comprend une seconde partie, dite plane et/ou à plan incliné, dans laquelle les orifices présentent un collet,
• la partie à plan incliné de la seconde partie comprend une pluralité d'orifices,
• la partie à plan incliné présente une inclinaison formant un angle β compris entre 0 et 35° par rapport à l'horizontal, de préférence compris entre 15°et 25°,
• la plaque collectrice comprend deux secondes parties, situées respectivement aux deux extrémités opposées de la plaque collectrice,
• la plaque collectrice comprend des dents de sertissage ou analogues, situées sur au moins une partie des bords d'extrémité de la plaque collectrice, aptes à assurer la fixation par sertissage avec une partie d'un couvercle,

The invention also proposes that:

• the manifold plate for a manifold of a heat exchanger, comprises a plurality of orifices suitable for fixing tubes, a first protruding portion accommodating a majority of said orifices so as to form a peripheral groove, plate in which at least one said end ports is located in a flat area and more particularly a flat area located at the peripheral groove of the header plate,
• two end ports respectively on each side of the collector plate, are located in a flat area,
• the collector plate comprises a second portion, said flat and / or inclined, in which the orifices have a collar,
• the inclined part of the second part comprises a plurality of orifices,
• the inclined plane portion has an inclination forming an angle β between 0 and 35 ° relative to the horizontal, preferably between 15 ° and 25 °,
• the collector plate comprises two second parts, situated respectively at the two opposite ends of the collector plate,
• the collector plate comprises crimping teeth or the like, located on at least a portion of the end edges of the collector plate, suitable for securing by crimping with a portion of a cover,

The invention also relates to a manifold for a heat exchanger, comprising at least one cover fixed on a collector plate as described above.

• le couvercle est fixé à la plaque collectrice par sertissage de dents, ou analogues, présentes sur le pourtour de la plaque collectrice ; un joint d'étanchéité étant présent et disposé au moins en partie entre le pied (ou partie inférieure) du couvercle et la plaque collectrice,
• le joint est tendu autour des tubes extrêmes.

Particular embodiments of the invention propose that:

• the cover is attached to the collector plate by crimping teeth, or the like, present on the periphery of the collector plate; a seal being present and disposed at least partly between the foot (or lower part) of the cover and the collector plate,
• the seal is stretched around the end tubes.

The invention also relates to a heat exchanger comprising a collector plate as described above. More particularly, the heat exchanger may comprise a heat exchange bundle for the exchange of heat between at least two fluids.

A particular embodiment proposes that the heat exchanger comprises at least one cover having an end, called a cover foot, introduced into the receiving groove and having a protuberance placed opposite the recess of the internal wing, the protuberance filling the recess of the inner wing so as to make a junction between the two disjoint sections located on either side of the recess.

• La figure 1 représente de manière schématique une vue en coupe d'une plaque collectrice munie d'un couvercle.
• La figure 2 représente une vue d'une plaque collectrice selon un premier mode de réalisation visible du côté intérieur de ladite plaque collectrice.
• La figure 3 est une vue de la plaque collectrice de la figure 2, visible du côté extérieur de ladite plaque collectrice ;
• La figure 4 représente la plaque collectrice selon l'invention, visible du côté intérieur, dans le même mode d'exécution que celui des figures 2 et 3, des tubes étant fixés dans ses orifices ;
• La figure 5 représente la figure de la plaque collectrice de la figure 4 avec un joint d'étanchéité disposé et fixé notamment dans sa gorge.
• La figure 6 représente une vue une partie d'une plaque collectrice selon un deuxième mode de réalisation.
• La figure 7 représente une vue d'un détail d'un couvercle assemblé à une plaque collectrice selon le deuxième mode de réalisation.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear better on reading the description by way of illustration and without limitation of examples from the figures in the accompanying drawings in which:

• The figure 1 schematically represents a sectional view of a collector plate provided with a cover.
• The figure 2 represents a view of a header plate according to a first embodiment visible on the inside of said header plate.
• The figure 3 is a view of the collector plate from the figure 2 visible from the outside of said collector plate;
• The figure 4 represents the collecting plate according to the invention, visible from the inside, in the same embodiment as that of the figures 2 and 3 tubes being fixed in its orifices;
• The figure 5 represents the figure of the collector plate of the figure 4 with a seal arranged and fixed in particular in its groove.
• The figure 6 is a view of a portion of a header plate according to a second embodiment.
• The figure 7 is a detail view of a lid assembled to a header plate according to the second embodiment.

As illustrated, the invention relates to a header plate 10 for a heat exchanger. The header plate 10 comprises a core 12 provided with openings for the passage of tubes 100 of the heat exchanger and a groove 14, said receiving a cover 102 of collector box, adapted to receive a seal 104 and a part of the cover called the cover foot. In other words, the groove 14 allows the placement of a seal 104 or the like, and its relatively firm hold, once in place, until the attachment with a lid, and more particularly a foot of the lid.

The collector plate 10 has a periphery, here, of substantially rectangular shape with two said large sides 22 and two so-called small sides 24.

The body of the collector plate 10 is made of metal, for example aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In other words, the collector plate 10 is derived from a strip of metal sheet.

Furthermore, all the operations performed on the collector plate of the invention are carried out by known industrial processes, including stamping, cutting, folding, stamping.

Thus, we can see the header plate 10 as having at least two sides located vis-à-vis one of the other, namely respectively the two long sides 22 and the two small sides 24. The two small sides 24 may subsequently be designated by the term "ends of the collector plate".

As already indicated above, the core 12 has holes (or orifices) for receiving the tube ends 100 of the heat exchanger and are adapted to the shape of their ends.

Here, and as visible on at the figure 2 the holes are each surrounded by a collar having two pairs of opposite sides.

In this embodiment, the collars are directed towards the inside of the header plate, or more precisely towards the inside of the manifold. In other words, the collars will extend, once the cover 102 mounted on the collector plate 10, inside the volume defined by the collector plate 10 and the cover 102.

An embodiment not shown proposes that the collars may extend not towards the inside of the collector box but towards the body of the tubes 100. In other words, in such a case, the collars will be oriented towards an exchange beam of heat comprising tubes and spacers.

These collars can be formed by punching and lifting or puncturing the plate.

The receiving groove 14 has, here, a U shape on at least a portion of the periphery of the header plate 10 and comprises a base 18 and two wings 16 and 20 respectively internal 16 and external 20 and connected to the base 18.

In other words, the shape of the groove can be seen as a three-sided structure with a base 18 extending in a first plane and two wings 16 and 20 substantially perpendicular to said first plane.

The outer wing 20 (which may still be called the peripheral wing 20) is, for its part, the receiving groove 14 farthest from the holes for the passage of the tubes 100. The outer wing 20 is continuous on the around the collecting plate and has a shape with substantially straight portions opposed in pairs and connected by elbows.

The substantially straight portions correspond in the embodiments illustrated here, next to the collector plates, that is to say the long sides 22 and the small sides 24. The elbows, meanwhile, coincide with the corners 26 of the collector plate 10.

In other words, the collector plate has an outer flange 20 having four straight portions 34-1 and / or 34-2 opposed in pairs, each straight portion 34-1 and / or 34-2 being connected to a straight portion 34-1. and / or 34-2 adjacent by a bend 26. The header plate 10 also has an inner flange 16 at least partially facing said four straight portions 34-1 and / or 34-2 so as to define four recesses 30 opposite each elbow 26.

A particular embodiment proposes that the inner wing 16 is connected to the base 18 by a connecting zone comprising a rounded and inclined stop so as not to damage a seal placed in the groove 14.

In this embodiment, the outer flange 20 has crimping teeth or crenellations 28. These teeth 28 are distributed along the outer flange 20. In other words, the collector plate comprises crimping teeth 28 located on at least a portion of the end edges of the header plate, adapted to ensure the fixing by crimping with a portion of the cover. The crimping teeth 28 may be obtained by cutting. Other ways of fixing the cover on the header plate 10 may be considered.

The inner wing 16 is connected to the core 12. In other words, here, the core 12 and the inner wing are in continuity of material. In other words, it is the part of the receiving groove 14 closest to the holes for the passage of the tubes 100.

According to the invention, the inner wing 16 is subdivided into at least two disjoint sections, said two disjoint sections being separated by at least one recess 30 and the recess 30 between two disjointed portions of the inner wing 16 being at least level of a location of the header plate 10 for receiving a bent portion of a joint.

In other words, the recess 30 between two disjoint portions of the inner flange 16 is at least placed opposite a bend 26 of the outer flange 20.

Thus, the inner wing 16 can be seen as being formed by an alternation of slots spaced by recesses. In other words, the inner wing 20 is interrupted in places and, according to the invention at least at a corner of the header plate 10.

In the embodiments illustrated herein, the disjointed sections of the inner flange 16 are located opposite at least two of said opposite straight portions of the outer flange 20.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 to 5 , the core 12 has at least two bearings, respectively said upper 12-1 and lower 12-2 located in two separate planes and here connected by a so-called intermediate portion 12-3.

The upper bearing 12-1 may also be called protruding part or part "medallion". The medallion part of the collector plate is obtained, for example, by stamping.

The lower bearing 12-2 may, for its part, be called "flat area". The expression "flat area" means that one of the orifices 108 (or openings 108 for the passage of the tubes) is at the lower level of the collector plate (as opposed to the protruding part), that is to say say at the base 18 of the peripheral groove 14 of the header plate. In other words, the flat area is a zone without relief, so no groove or protuberance of any kind, except the collars located around the openings / openings passage tubes.

The intermediate portion 12-3 may, for its part, be designated by the term "part inclined plane". The inclined portion may also be obtained by stamping, preferably during the formation of the protruding portion (or upper bearing) forming a medallion.

In other words, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. figure 2 the upper bearing 12-1 (or the medallion protruding portion) is directly, and without transition, followed by the intermediate portion 12-3 (or inclined portion) to the lower bearing 12-2 (or the end of the collector plate formed by the flat area).

In this embodiment, the base 18 of the receiving groove and the lower bearing 12-2 both extend in the first plane. In other words, the base 18 of the receiving groove and the lower bearing 12-2 extend in the same plane (here, it is the first plane).

The upper bearing 12-1 extends, meanwhile, in a plane parallel to the foreground.

Here, the recess 30 is disposed at the end of the collector plate 10. In other words, the recess 30 is located near the small side 24 of the collector plate 10.

In other words, the latter is placed opposite two elbows 26 and a small side 24 of the outer wing, said small side 24 being adjoining audits two elbows 26. In other words, the interrupted portion of the inner wing 16 is U-shaped.

According to this embodiment, one of said bearings (here, the lower bearing 12-2) is located at the recess 30 between two disjoint portions of the inner wing 16.

In this example, the recess of the outer flange 16 is contiguous with the lower bearing 12-2. In other words, here, the lower level 12-2 and the base 18 are not distinct and form a single level located on a single plane (here, it is the foreground).

The lower bearing 12-2 comprises, in this embodiment, a passage hole for a tube surrounded by a collar. The collar and / or a tube will retain the seal 104 during assembly of the heat exchanger. In other words, here, one of said orifices suitable for fixing tubes and located at the end of the collector plate is located in the plane zone. In other words, an opening for the passage of an end tube is located at the lower bearing 12-2, the tube and / or collar of the header plate surrounding the end tube being adapted to retain a seal .

The intermediate portion 12-3 here has a slightly rounded shape and is provided with two holes for the passage of tubes. In other words, the inclined plane portion 12-3 comprises, in this example, a plurality of orifices.

In addition, and still in this embodiment, this portion inclined plane 12-3 has an inclination forming an angle β between 0 and 35 ° relative to the horizontal, preferably between 15 ° and 25 °. Here, in the example chosen to illustrate the invention, the angle is equal to 22 °.

Thus, thanks to the presence at least one of the ends (or small side 24) of the collector plate of a flat area (or a lower bearing 12-2), there is a much larger place compared to a header plate according to the prior art so that a seal will be easily put in place by an operator.

A non-illustrated embodiment proposes that the header plate 10 comprises two lower bearings 12-2 each connected to the upper bearing 12-1 by an intermediate portion 12-3, said lower bearings 12-1 being located respectively at the two opposite ends of the slip plate 10 (or in other words, at the two small sides 24 of the header plate 10).

Finally, as illustrated on the figure 5 , a seal 104 is positioned in the portion forming the groove 14 due to the medallion portion and against the raised edges of the header plate 10. Due to the presence at at least one of the ends of the header plate 10 of a flat area (or bottom bearing 12-2), there is a much larger place (if there was a groove 14 to the end of the plate 10) so that the seal 104 is easily set up by an operator.

Furthermore, the seal 104 preferably comprises at least at one of its ends, or on at least one of its short sides, a stop 106 intended to abut or contact with the end protruding from the tube end. Preferably, this stop 106 exists on the two small opposite sides of the seal 106. The seal may be mounted in extension around the end tubes.

Thus, the idea of the invention lies in the fact of adapting a collector plate 10 to medallion, or said peripheral groove, with all of its advantageous characteristics by overcoming its defects, at the ends of the plate collecting. Thus, the collector plate according to the invention consists of a medallion collector plate whose ends are of flat collector type.

According to a second embodiment, illustrated in figure 6 the recess 30 between two disjointed portions of the inner flange 16 is placed opposite a bend 26 of the outer flange 20. In other words, in such a case, the inner flange 16 is interrupted at a corner 26 of the header plate 10.

Here, the inner wing 16 has four disjoint portions, each being placed on one side of the header plate 10. The disjoint portions 34-1 each located on a small side 24 of the header plate 10, are located vis-à-vis -vis one of the other. Similarly, the disjoint portions 34-2 each located on a large side 22 of the header plate 10, are located vis-à-vis one another.

In this embodiment, the core 12 and the receiving groove 14 may be made in two different rooms. Both parts will be assembled when assembling the heat exchanger. The figure 6 represents the part comprising the receiving groove 14. The portion comprising the core 12 is not visible for the sake of simplification.

In other words, in this embodiment, the outer flange 20 has four straight portions 34-1 and 34-2 opposite in pairs, each straight portion being connected to an adjacent straight portion by a bend 26. The inner flange 16 is at least partially opposite the four straight portions 34-1 and 34-2 so as to define four recesses 30 opposite each bend 26 of the header plate.

The invention also relates to a heat exchanger comprising at least one collector plate as previously described.

In the example shown in figure 7 the heat exchanger comprises at least one cover 102. The cover 102 has an end, said cover foot introduced into the receiving groove 14 and has a protrusion 32 placed opposite the recess 30 of the wing 16. The protuberance 32 makes the junction between the two disjoint sections of the inner wing 16. In other words, the protrusion 32 fills the space created by the recess 30. In other words, the protrusion 32 occupies said recess 30 of the inner wing 16 so as to make a junction between said two disjoint sections located on either side of the recess 30.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, only as examples, but encompasses all the variants that may be considered by those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims below. The variants described above can be taken separately or in combination with each other.

Claims (12)

1. Collector plate (10) for a heat exchanger comprising a core (12) equipped with openings for the passage of tubes (100) of the heat exchanger and a groove (14), known as a receiving groove, to accept a header tank cover (102), able to accept a gasket (104) and part of the cover (102) and having a base (18) and two flanges, respectively an inner flange (16) and an outer flange (20) which are connected to the base (18), characterized in that said inner flange (16) is connected to said core (14) and is subdivided into at least two disjointed sections (34-1; 34-2), said two disjointed sections (34-1; 34-2) being separated by at least one recess (30), and the recess (30) between two disjointed portions of said inner flange (16) being positioned at least in the region of a site of the collector plate (10) that is intended to accept a bent part of the gasket (104).
2. Collector plate according to Claim 1, having a periphery in which said outer flange (20) is continuous around the periphery of the collector plate (10) and has substantially straight portions opposite one another in pairs and connected by bends (26) and in which the disjointed sections (34-1; 34-2) of the inner flange (16) face at least two of said opposing straight portions of the outer flange (20).
3. Collector plate according to either of the preceding claims, in which said groove (14) has at least two substantially parallel sides and in which the two disjointed sections are placed facing one another, each on one of said parallel sides (22).
4. Collector plate according to one of the preceding claims, in which said core (12) has at least two levels, known respectively as the upper level (12-1) and the lower level (12-2), which are situated in two distinct planes, one (12-2) of said levels being situated in the region of the recess (30) between two disjointed portions.
5. Collector plate according to Claim 4, in which said base (18) of said receiving groove (14) and said lower level (12-3) extend in one and the same plane known as the first plane.
6. Collector plate according to the preceding claim, in which an opening for the passage of an end tube is situated level with said lower level, said end tube and/or a flange of the collector plate surrounding said end tube (100) being capable of retaining a gasket (104).
7. Collector plate according to one of Claims 2 to 5, in which the recess (30) between two disjointed portions of said inner flange (16) is positioned facing two bends (26) and one side, known as the short side (24), of the outer flange (20), said short side (24) being contiguous with said two bends (26).
8. Collector plate according to one of the preceding claims, in which the receiving groove and the core are made in two different components.
9. Collector plate according to one of the preceding claims, in which said outer flange (20) comprises four straight portions (34-1; 34-2) opposite one another in pairs, each straight portion (34-1; 34-2) being connected to an adjacent straight portion (34-1; 34-2) by a bend (26), and in which said inner flange (16) at least partially faces said four straight portions (34-1; 34-2) so as to define four recesses (30) facing each bend (26).
10. Collector plate according to one of the preceding claims, in which said inner flange (16) is connected to said base (18) by a connecting zone comprising a rounded and inclined edge.
11. Heat exchanger comprising at least one collector plate according to one of the preceding claims.
12. Exchanger according to the preceding claim, comprising at least one cover, said cover (102) comprising an end, known as the foot of the cover, that is introduced into said receiving groove (14) and comprises a protrusion (32) that fills said recess (30) of the inner flange (16) so as to create a junction between said two disjointed sections located on each side of said recess (30).

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