Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger comprising: a core portion including a plurality of tubes; a pair of header tanks communicating with the tubes; and a pair of inserts arranged substantially parallel to the length of the tubes, and in such a manner as to contact the core portion at the ends of the core portion to transfer the heat from the core portion, and having the ends thereof supported on the header tanks; wherein a stress absorber to absorb the stress generated along the length of each insert is formed in the insert; wherein the stress absorber is formed over each insert from the upstream side to the downstream side in the air flow; and wherein the stress absorber is arranged in such a manner that the most upstream end and the most downstream end thereof in the air flow are not superposed, one on the other, along the direction of air flow.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising: 
 a core portion including a plurality of tubes with a heat medium flowing therein;    a pair of header tanks extending in a direction perpendicular to the length of the tubes at the longitudinal ends of the tubes and communicating with the tubes; and    a pair of inserts arranged substantially parallel to the length of the tubes, and in such a manner as to contact the core portion at the ends of the core portion to transfer the heat from the core portion, and having the ends thereof supported on the header tanks;    wherein a stress absorber to absorb the stress generated along the length of each insert is formed in the insert;    wherein the stress absorber is formed over each insert from the upstream side to the downstream side in the air flow; and.    wherein the stress absorber is arranged in such a manner that the most upstream end and the most downstream end thereof in the air flow are not superposed, one on the other, along the direction of air flow.    
   
   
       2 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein each insert includes a base portion having a surface substantially parallel to the flat surfaces of the tubes and extending substantially parallel to the length of the tubes, and a pair of ribs are projected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion from the ends of the base portion in the direction of air flow and are extended substantially parallel to the length of the tubes;    wherein the portions of the ribs corresponding to the most upstream end and the most downstream end of the stress absorber are formed with notches, respectively; and    wherein each stress absorber constitutes a base portion-side expansion of the base portion having a substantially U-shaped cross section.    
   
   
       3 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein the base portion-side expansion is formed diagonally with respect to the direction of air flow.    
   
   
       4 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein the base portion-side expansion is split into a plurality of parts in the direction of air flow, and    wherein the plurality of the base portion-side expansions are coupled to each other through slits formed in the base portion.    
   
   
       5 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , 
 wherein the plurality of the base portion-side expansions are not arranged in alignment.    
   
   
       6 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , 
 wherein the plurality of the base portion-side expansions are tilted in different directions with respect to the direction of air flow.    
   
   
       7 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , 
 wherein the plurality of the base portion-side expansions are arranged substantially parallel to the direction of air flow in such a manner as not to be superposed, one on another, in the direction of air flow.    
   
   
       8 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the tubes each have a flat cross section in the direction of air flow, and    wherein each insert includes a base portion having a surface substantially parallel to the flat surface of the tubes and extending in the direction substantially parallel to the length of the tubes and a pair of ribs projected in the direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion and extending in the direction substantially parallel to the length of the tubes, and    wherein the stress absorber is a notch cut in the base portion diagonally to the direction of air flow.    
   
   
       9 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein only one end of the notch is open.    
   
   
       10 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , comprising a plurality of notches.  
   
   
       11 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , comprising a plurality of notches each having only one open end; 
 wherein the open ends of the plurality of the notches are arranged on the base portion and alternate between the upstream side and the downstream side in the air flow.    
   
   
       12 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the plurality of the notches are tilted in different directions with respect to the direction of air flow.    
   
   
       13 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein the notch is formed in the base portion, the portion of each of the pair of the ribs adjoining the corresponding notch is formed with a U-shaped rib-side expansion in the direction of air flow, and each stress absorber includes the corresponding rib-side expansion.    
   
   
       14 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the insert ( 7 ) is formed with protrusions ( 78 ) projected outward thereof along the direction in which the tubes ( 2 ) are stacked, and    wherein the protrusions ( 78 ) are connected to a stress absorber ( 74 ,  76 ,  77 ).    
   
   
       15 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the tubes ( 2 ) have a flat section along the direction of air flow,    wherein the insert ( 7 ) includes a base portion ( 71 ) having a surface substantially parallel to the flat surface of the tubes ( 2 ) and extending in the direction substantially parallel to the length of the tubes ( 2 ),    wherein the base portion ( 71 ) has base portion-side ribs ( 78 ) projected outward along the direction in which the tubes ( 2 ) are stacked and extending in the direction substantially parallel to the length of the insert ( 7 ),    wherein the stress absorber is a base portion-side expansion ( 74 ) having the section expanded substantially in the shape of U, and    wherein an end of each of the base portion-side ribs ( 78 ) is connected to the base portion-side expansion ( 74 ).    
   
   
       16 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , 
 wherein the insert ( 7 ) has a pair of side ribs ( 72 ) projected in the direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion ( 71 ) from the ends of the base portion ( 71 ) along the direction of air flow, and    wherein the portions of the side ribs ( 72 ) corresponding to the most upstream end and the most downstream end of the base portion-side expansion ( 74 ) are formed with notches ( 73   a ,  73   b ), respectively.    
   
   
       17 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , 
 wherein the base portion-side ribs ( 78 ) are formed on both sides, respectively, of the base portion-side expansion ( 74 ).    
   
   
       18 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 17 , 
 wherein the base portion-side ribs ( 78 ) are arranged on one and the other sides, respectively, of the center line (L) of the base portion ( 71 ) across the length of the insert ( 7 ) in the air flow.    
   
   
       19 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , 
 wherein the base portion-side ribs ( 78 ) are formed on both sides, respectively, of the base portion-side expansion ( 74 ) and also on the center line (L) of the base portion ( 71 ) across the length of the insert ( 7 ) in the air flow.    
   
   
       20 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , 
 wherein the base portion ( 71 ) is formed with second base portion-side ribs ( 78   a ) projected outward along the direction in which the tubes ( 2 ) are stacked and extending in the direction substantially parallel to the length of the insert ( 7 ).    
   
   
       21 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 18 , 
 wherein the base portion ( 71 ) is formed with second base portion-side ribs ( 78   a ) projected outward along the direction in which the tubes ( 2 ) are stacked and extending in the direction substantially parallel to the length of the insert ( 7 ),    wherein the base portion-side ribs ( 78 ) are formed on both sides, respectively, of the base portion-side expansion ( 74 ) and arranged on one and the other sides, respectively, of the center line (L) of the base portion ( 71 ) across the length of the insert ( 7 ) in the air flow, and    wherein the second base portion-side ribs ( 78   a ) are arranged in opposed relation to the base portion-side ribs ( 78 ), respectively, with respect to the base portion-side expansion ( 74 ) on each of one and the other sides of the center line (L).    
   
   
       22 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 21 , 
 wherein the second base portion-side ribs ( 78   a ) each have an end thereof connected to the base portion-side expansion ( 74 ).    
   
   
       23 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , 
 wherein the base portion-side ribs ( 78 ) are aligned on both sides, respectively, of the base portion-side expansion ( 74 ),    wherein the base portion ( 71 ) is formed with second base portion-side ribs ( 78   a ) projected outward along the direction in which the tubes ( 2 ) are stacked and extending in the direction substantially parallel to the length of the insert ( 7 ), and    wherein the second base portion-side ribs ( 78   a ) are arranged on one and the other sides, respectively, of the base portion-side expansion ( 74 ) and connected to the base portion-side ribs ( 78 ).    
   
   
       24 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein the notch ( 76 ) extends to the side ribs ( 72 ),    wherein the ends of the notch ( 76 ) are arranged in the plane of the pair of the side ribs ( 72 ), respectively,    wherein the insert ( 7 ) is formed with second notches ( 79 ) substantially in parallel to the notch ( 76 ) from the outer end of the side ribs ( 72 ) along the direction in which the tubes ( 2 ) are stacked, and    wherein the second notches ( 79 ) each have only one end thereof open.