Arrangement of vehicle heat exchangers

Abstract

A vehicular heat exchange module, including first, second and third heat exchanger, with two of the heat exchangers being a radiator a charge air cooler. The heat exchangers include a core having a plurality of flat tubes with cooling ribs therebetween. At least one of the heat exchangers has a gradation whereby the one heat exchanger has a portion with a reduced thickness in the flow direction defining a free space, and at least one part of at least one of the other heat exchangers occupies the free space.

1 . A vehicular heat exchange module for exchanging heat with cooling air moving in a flow direction, comprising: 
 a first heat exchanger;    a second heat exchanger comprising a radiator; and    a third heat exchanger comprising a charge air cooler; wherein    said heat exchangers include a core having a plurality of flat tubes with cooling ribs therebetween,    at least one of the heat exchangers has a gradation whereby said one heat exchanger has a portion with a reduced thickness in the flow direction defining a free space, and    at least one part of at least one of the other heat exchangers occupies said free space.    
   
   
       2 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein the gradation of said at least one heat exchanger is provided in the longitudinal direction of flat tubes.  
   
   
       3 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one heat exchanger is positioned in the lower area of the module.  
   
   
       4 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein said gradation of said at least one heat exchanger is on the front of the module facing the flow direction.  
   
   
       5 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one heat exchanger is arranged roughly in a common vertical plane with said radiator.  
   
   
       6 . The module of  claim 1 , further comprising a condenser for a vehicle air conditioner, wherein: 
 said at least one heat exchanger is arranged beneath said radiator; and    said condenser and said charge air cooler are arranged in the direction of cooling air flow in front of the radiator.    
   
   
       7 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger that occupies the free space created by gradation is part of a condenser.  
   
   
       8 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one heat exchanger is said charge air cooler.  
   
   
       9 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one heat exchanger has at least two rows of flat tubes with the number of flat tubes in one row being smaller than the number of flat tubes in the other row with said free space being aligned with said one row.  
   
   
       10 . The module of  claim 9 , wherein the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of one row is the same as the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of the other row.  
   
   
       11 . The module of  claim 9 , wherein the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of one row is different from the cross-sectional size of the flat tubes of the other row.  
   
   
       12 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one heat exchanger has a single row of flat tube including one group of consecutive flat tubes having a smaller cross-sectional size than others of the flat tubes.  
   
   
       13 . A heat exchanger for use with an arrangement of heat exchangers in a vehicle, comprising a core having at least one row of longitudinally extending flat tubes with cooling ribs arranged between said tubes, said tubes and ribs disposed to be traversed by cooling air, said core having a gradation created by one or more of: 
 flat tubes arranged in a single row with different cross-sectional sizes, and    several rows of flat tubes with a different number of flat tubes;    wherein the flat tubes in the rows have the same or different cross-sectional sizes    whereby the gradation runs in the longitudinal direction of flat tubes.    
   
   
       14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 13 , wherein said heat exchanger is a charge air cooler.