Heat exchanger and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A heat exchanger has a core including a plurality of tubes and a container disposed at an end of the core. The container has a tubular part and a cap part closing an end of the tubular part and defining a hole. The heat exchanger further has a pin for positioning. The pin extends through the hole of the cap part and to an outside of the container. The pin is bonded to the cap part with a brazing material. Further, the heat exchanger has a preliminary fixing portion by which the pin and the cap part are preliminarily fixed to each other before being bonded with the brazing material.

1 . A heat exchanger, comprising: 
 a core having a plurality of tubes;    a container having a tubular part and a cap part, the tubular part arranged at an end of the core and defining an axis, the cap part closing an end of the tubular part and defining a hole;    a pin extending through the hole of the cap part along the axis of the tubular part;    a brazing material bonding the pin and the cap part; and    a preliminary fixing portion by which the pin and the cap part are preliminarily fixed before being bonded with the brazing material.    
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is in communication with the tubes.  
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the preliminary fixing portion is defined by at least one of a portion of the pin and a portion of the cap part.  
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the pin has a flange portion, an insertion portion and a projecting portion,    the flange portion is located on an outer side of the cap part and having a dimension larger than that of the hole of the cap part,    the insertion portion is located within the hole of the cap part, and    the projecting portion projects to an inside of the container from an inner side of the cap part.    
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein 
 the cap part and the tubular part are separate members and bonded to each other with the brazing material,    the cap part defining an edge portion bonded to an end surface of the end of the tubular part and a recessed portion recessed from the edge portion to the inside of the tubular part more than the end surface of the end of the tubular part, the edge portion defining an outer surface,    the flange defining a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and    the flange is received in the recessed portion such that the first surface faces the cap part and the second surface substantially coincides with the outer surface of the edge portion in an axial direction of the tubular part.    
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the preliminary fixing portion is defined by a deformed portion of the pin.    
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein 
 the projecting portion of the pin includes a deformed portion on a side opposite to the flange portion with respect to the insertion portion, and    the deformed portion and the flange portion hold a portion of the cap part therebetween, thereby defining the preliminary fixing portion.    
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the pin and the cap part partly have a welded portion between them as the preliminary fixing portion.    
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the preliminary fixing portion is defined by a perimeter of the hole and a portion of the pin that is fitted within the hole.    
   
   
       10 . A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger, comprising: 
 arranging a container having a tubular part at an end of a core having a plurality of tubes;    inserting a pin into a hole of a cap part;    preliminarily fixing the pin to the cap part; and    bonding the pin to the cap part with a brazing material at a same time as bonding the tubes to the tubular part.    
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 forming the pin to have a flange portion defining a first surface and a second surface and having a dimension larger than that of the hole of the cap part, an insertion portion adjacent to the first surface of the flange portion and a projecting portion extending from the insertion portion, wherein    in the inserting, the flange portion of the pin is arranged such that the first surface faces the cap part and the insertion portion is arranged within the hole.    
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein 
 the cap part has an edge portion defining an end surface and a recessed portion recessed from the end surface of the edge portion, and    in the inserting, the flange portion is received in the recessed portion such that the second surface of the flange portion substantially coincides with the end surface of the edge portion.    
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 forming the tubular part and the cap part as separate members, wherein    in the bonding, the tubular part and the cap part are bonded to each other with the brazing material.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 in the preliminary fixing, a portion of the pin is deformed so that the pin is fixed to the cap part.    
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 in the inserting, the pin is inserted such that a portion of the pin extends through the hole of the cap part and projects from the cap part, and    in the preliminary fixing, a portion of the pin projecting from the cap part is deformed such that the cap part has a portion held between a deformed portion of the pin and another portion of the pin.    
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 in the preliminary fixing, the cap part and the pin are partly welded.    
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 in the inserting and the preliminary fixing, the pin is press-fitted into the hole of the cap part.