Heat exchanger and manufacture method for the same

Abstract

A heat exchanger and a manufacture method thereof are provided. Before a tank body and a core plate of a header tank of the heat exchanger are fastened to each other, a gel seal material or a liquid seal material is applied to at least one of a seal surface of the core plate and that of the tank body and hardened. Thus, a seal member which adheres to the seal surface due to the tackiness of the seal member is formed. The core plate and the tank body are fastened to each other in such a state that the part between the seal surface of the core plate and that of the tank body are sealed by the seal member having been hardened. Accordingly, the seal member can be restricted of twisting and position-deviating when the core plate and the tank body are fastened to each other.

1 . A manufacture method for a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes in which a fluid flows and a fin which is joined to an outer surface of the tube to improve a heat exchange and a header tank which is arranged at one end of a longitudinal direction of the tube and communicated with the tubes, the header tank including a core plate and a tank body which define therebetween at least one inner space, the core plate being joined to the tubes, the manufacture method comprising:
 applying one of a liquid seal material and a gel seal material to at least one of a seal surface of the core plate and a seal surface of the tank body;   hardening the seal material to form a seal member which adheres to the seal surface due to tackiness of the seal member; and   fastening the core plate and the tank body to each other, in such a state that the seal member having been hardened is resiliently deformed to seal a part between the seal surface of the core plate and the seal surface of the tank body which are opposite to each other.   
   
   
       2 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the tank body and the core plate define therebetween a plurality of the inner spaces which are partitioned from each other by at least one partition wall; and   the applying is performed to apply the one of the gel seal material and the liquid seal material to the at least one of the seal surface of the core plate and that of the tank body, in such a manner that each of the plurality of the inner spaces is surrounded by the seal material.   
   
   
       3 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 after the applying of the seal material to the seal surface, the hardening of the seal material is performed.   
   
   
       4 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the applying of the seal material to the seal surface is performed simultaneously with the hardening of the seal material.   
   
   
       5 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the seal material is applied to the one of the seal surface of the core plate and that of the tank body, in such a manner that a cross section of the seal member has a shape convex toward the other of the seal surface of the core plate and that of the tank body.   
   
   
       6 . The manufacture method according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the seal material is applied to the seal surface such that the seal member having the cross section with a substantially semicircle shape is formed.   
   
   
       7 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the applying of the seal material to the seal surface is performed after the tube, the fin and the core plate are assembled.   
   
   
       8 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the applying of the seal material to the seal surface is performed before the tube, the fin and the core plate are assembled.   
   
   
       9 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tank body and the core plate are fastened to each other by swaging.   
   
   
       10 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a nail portion of the core plate is swaged with respect to the tank body so that the tank body and the core plate are fastened with each other.   
   
   
       11 . The manufacture method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the applying is performed in such a manner that the seal member has at least one lap portion where an applying start position and an applying finishing position of the seal material are overlapped with each other.   
   
   
       12 . The manufacture method according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the applying of the seal material is performed such that the lap portion is positioned at a straight portion of the seal surface of the tank body, the straight portion extending substantially linearly.   
   
   
       13 . The manufacture method according to  claim 11 , wherein the nail portion is swaged to overlap the lap portion. 
   
   
       14 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 joining the tubes to the core plate by brazing, wherein:   the seal material is applied to the seal surface of the core plate after the joining; and   the seal material is hardened in such a state that the seal material contains therein flux residue which adheres to the seal surface due to the brazing.   
   
   
       15 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a protrusion of the seal surface of the tank body is pressed against the seal member which has been applied to the seal surface of the core plate and hardened, so that the seal member is resiliently deformed to seal the part between the seal surface of the core plate and the seal surface of the tank body.   
   
   
       16 . The manufacture method according to  claim 15 , wherein
 the protrusion of the seal surface of the tank body having a cross section with a substantially semicircular shape.   
   
   
       17 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein the seal material is hardened by an irradiation of ultraviolet light. 
   
   
       18 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein the seal material is hardened by heating. 
   
   
       19 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the applying is performed to apply the seal material to a groove portion which is formed at the seal surface of the core plate.   
   
   
       20 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the seal material is applied to the seal surface of the tank body where projections and depressions are formed, in such a manner that the projections and depressions are filled by the seal material.   
   
   
       21 . The manufacture method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the applying is performed to apply the seal material to a groove portion which is formed at the seal surface of the tank body.   
   
   
       22 . The manufacture method according to  claim 21 , wherein the groove portion having a cross section with a substantially semicircular shape. 
   
   
       23 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of tubes in which a fluid flows;   a fin which is joined to an outer surface of the tube to improve a heat exchange;   a header tank which is arranged at one end of a longitudinal direction of the tube and communicated with the tubes, the header tank including a core plate and a tank body which define therebetween at least one inner space, the core plate being joined to the tubes; and   a seal member which is arranged between a seal surface of the core plate and a seal surface of the tank body to restrict the fluid leaking, wherein:   the seal member is formed by hardening one of a gel seal material and a liquid seal which is applied to at least one of the seal surface of the core plate and the seal surface of the tank body, to adhere to the seal surface due to tackiness of the seal member; and   the seal member seals a part between the seal surface of the core plate and the seal surface of the tank body in such a state that the seal member is resiliently deformed.   
   
   
       24 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein the tank body has therein at least one partition wall by which a plurality of the inner spaces are partitioned from each other; and
 each of the plurality of the inner spaces is surrounded by the seal member.   
   
   
       25 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein the seal member which is positioned at the one of the seal surface of the core plate and the seal surface of the tank body has a cross section with a shape convex toward the other of the seal surface of the core plate and that of the tank body. 
   
   
       26 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 25 , wherein the cross section of the seal member has a substantially semicircle shape. 
   
   
       27 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the core plate has a nail portion which protrudes thereout and is swaged so that the tank body and the core plate are fastened to each other.   
   
   
       28 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein:
 the seal member is formed by hardening the one of the gel seal material and the liquid seal which is applied to the seal surface of the core plate;   the seal surface of the tank body has a protrusion; and   the core plate and the tank body are fastened to each other in such a state that the seal member is resiliently deformed by the protrusion to seal the part between the seal surface of the core plate and that of the tank body.   
   
   
       29 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 28 , wherein the protrusion has a cross section with a substantially semicircular shape. 
   
   
       30 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein the seal surface of the core plate has a groove portion which is filled by the seal member. 
   
   
       31 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the seal member is formed by applying the one of the liquid seal material and the gel seal material and simultaneously hardening the seal material.   
   
   
       32 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the seal member is formed by applying the one of the liquid seal material and the gel seal material and thereafter hardening the seal material.   
   
   
       33 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the seal surface of the tank body has projections and depressions which are filled by the seal member.   
   
   
       34 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the seal surface of the tank body has a groove portion, which is filled by the seal member.   
   
   
       35 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 34 , wherein the groove portion has a cross section with a substantially semicircular shape. 
   
   
       36 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the core plate and the tank body are fastened to each other by swaging.   
   
   
       37 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 27 , wherein
 the seal member has at least one lap portion where an applying start position and an applying finishing position of the seal material are overlapped with each other.   
   
   
       38 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 37 , wherein
 the lap portion is positioned at a straight portion of the seal surface of the tank body, the straight portion extending substantially linearly.   
   
   
       39 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 37 , wherein the nail portion is swaged to overlap the lap portion.