Sealing system for a heat exchanger assembly

Abstract

A sealing system for sealing a heat exchanger assembly to an HVAC module. A plurality of male connecting members is disposed on one of the outer periphery of the heat exchanger and the interior surface of the channel of the HVAC module. A plurality of female connecting members is disposed on the other of the outer periphery of the heat exchanger and the interior surface of the channel of the HVAC module. The male connecting members engage the female connecting members to support the heat exchanger and to seal the heat exchanger to the HVAC module to restrict the flow of air from circumventing the heat exchanger. The male and female connecting members are tuned to give the heat exchanger a natural frequency in the range of 20 and 100 Hz for dampening vibrations between the heat exchanger and the HVAC module.

1 . A sealing system for a heat exchanger assembly in an HVAC module comprising:
 an HVAC module having an interior surface defining a channel for air to flow therethrough;   a heat exchanger having an outer periphery disposed in said channel of said HVAC module;   one of said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and said interior surface of said channel of said HVAC module defining a connector extending toward the other of said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and said interior surface of said channel of said HVAC module for supporting said heat exchanger in said channel of said HVAC module and for sealing said heat exchanger to said channel of said HVAC module to restrict the flow of air from circumventing said heat exchanger; and   said connector being tuned to give said heat exchanger a natural frequency in the range of 20 and 100 Hz for dampening vibrations between said heat exchanger and said HVAC module.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein at least one of said male and female connecting members defines a lip for catching a condensate from said heat exchanger. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said connector is tuned to give said heat exchanger a natural frequency in the range of 45 and 70 Hz for dampening vibrations between said heat exchanger and said HVAC module. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 3  wherein said connector is tuned to give said heat exchanger a natural frequency in the range of 65 and 70 Hz for dampening vibrations between said heat exchanger and said HVAC module. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said connector is of a resilient material. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said resilient material of said connector is rubber. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said connector includes a male connecting member disposed on one of the outer periphery of said heat exchanger. 
   
   
       8 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said connector includes a female connecting member disposed on the other of said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and said channel of said HVAC module and engaging said male connecting member for supporting said heat exchanger in said channel of said HVAC module. 
   
   
       9 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 8  further comprising a plurality of male connecting members. 
   
   
       10 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 9  further comprising a plurality of female connecting members. 
   
   
       11 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the one of said male and female connecting members disposed on said heat exchanger extends along the entirety of said outer periphery for sealing said heat exchanger to said channel of said HVAC module to restrict the flow of air from circumventing said heat exchanger. 
   
   
       12 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 10  wherein each of said male connecting members is disposed on said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and each of said female connecting members is disposed on said interior surface of said HVAC module. 
   
   
       13 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 12  wherein each of said female connecting members includes an isolating member being of a resilient material for receiving and damping vibrations between said heat exchanger and said HVAC module. 
   
   
       14 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said isolating member has a tubular shape. 
   
   
       15 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 14  wherein each of said female connecting members further includes a pair of fingers extending outwardly from said isolating member in spaced and parallel relationship to one another to present a groove therebetween. 
   
   
       16 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 15  wherein each of said male connecting members is a flange extending outwardly from said outer periphery of said heat exchanger to engage said groove of one of said female connecting members. 
   
   
       17 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 12  wherein each of said female connecting members is a hinge presenting two legs rotatably connected by a pivot point with one of said legs engaging said interior surface of said HVAC module. 
   
   
       18 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 17  wherein each of said hinges includes an isolating web extending between said legs for dampening vibrations between said heat exchanger and said HVAC module. 
   
   
       19 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 18  wherein one of said legs presents a pair of fingers extending in spaced and parallel relationship to present a groove therebetween. 
   
   
       20 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 19  wherein each of said male connecting members is a flange extending outwardly from said outer periphery of said heat exchanger to engage said groove of said female connecting member. 
   
   
       21 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 12  wherein each of said female connecting members is a flexible seal member being of a resilient material and extending to a distal end from said interior surface of said HVAC module toward said heat exchanger. 
   
   
       22 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 21  wherein each of said flexible seal members defines a pair of fingers extending outwardly from said distal end in spaced and parallel relationship to one another to define a groove therebetween. 
   
   
       23 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 22  wherein each of said male connecting members is a flange extending outwardly from said outer periphery of said heat exchanger to engage said groove of said flexible seal member of said female connecting member. 
   
   
       24 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 23  further including a plurality of seals extending from said fingers of each of said female connecting members into said groove to engage said flange of said male connecting member. 
   
   
       25 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 10  wherein each of said male connecting members is a flange disposed on said interior surface of said channel of said HVAC module and extends toward said heat exchanger and said outer periphery of said heat exchanger presents a groove to define said female connecting member for engaging said flange. 
   
   
       26 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said inner periphery of said interior surface of said HVAC module has a rectangular shape. 
   
   
       27 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said heat exchanger includes a first manifold and a second manifold extending in spaced and parallel relationship to one another. 
   
   
       28 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 27  wherein each of said first and second manifolds defines an outer manifold surface with said outer manifold surfaces facing opposite to one another to define said heat exchanger height being the distance between said outer manifold surfaces. 
   
   
       29 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 27  wherein each of said first and second manifolds defines an inner manifold surface with said inner manifold surfaces facing towards one another. 
   
   
       30 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 29  wherein said heat exchanger further includes a plurality of tubes extending in spaced and parallel relationship to one another transversely between said inner manifold surfaces of said first and second manifolds for establishing fluid communication between said first and second manifolds. 
   
   
       31 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 30  wherein each of said tubes has a cross-section presenting flat sides interconnected by a round front and a round back. 
   
   
       32 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 31  wherein said plurality of tubes includes a first tube disposed on one side of said heat exchanger and having a first outer tube surface and a last tube disposed on the other side of said heat exchanger and having a last outer tube surface. 
   
   
       33 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 30  further including a plurality of air fins disposed between adjacent ones of said tubes for transferring heat from said tubes to the flow of air. 
   
   
       34 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said channel of said HVAC module has a module width and a module height. 
   
   
       35 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 34  wherein said outer periphery of said heat exchanger has a heat exchanger width being less than said module width and a heat exchanger height being less than said module height. 
   
   
       36 . A sealing system for a heat exchanger assembly in an HVAC module comprising:
 an HVAC module including an interior surface having a rectangular periphery to define a channel for air to flow therethrough;   said rectangular periphery having a module width and a module height;   a heat exchanger disposed in said rectangular channel and having a first manifold and a second manifold extending in spaced and parallel relationship to one another;   each of said first and second manifolds having a heat exchanger width being less than said module width;   each of said first and second manifolds defining outer manifold surfaces facing opposite of one another and defining a heat exchanger height being the distance between said outer manifold surfaces and each of said first and second manifolds defining inner manifold surfaces facing towards each other;   said heat exchanger height being less than said module height;   a plurality of tubes extending in spaced and parallel relationship to one another transversely between said inner manifold surfaces of said first and second manifolds of said heat exchanger for establishing fluid communication between said first and second manifolds;   each of said tubes having a cross-section presenting flat sides interconnected by a round front and a round back;   said plurality of tubes including a first tube disposed on one side of said heat exchanger and having a first outer tube surface and a last tube disposed on the other side of said heat exchanger and having a last outer tube surface;   said opposing outer manifold surfaces of said first and second manifolds and said first and last outer tube surfaces of said heat exchanger defining an outer periphery having a rectangular shape to complement said rectangular shape of said interior surface of said channel of said HVAC module;   a plurality of air fins disposed between adjacent tubes for transferring heat from said tubes to the flow of air;   one of said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and said interior surface of said channel of said HVAC module defining a plurality of male connecting members being of rubber and extending toward the other of said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and said interior surface of said channel of said HVAC module;   the other of said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and said channel of said HVAC module defining a plurality of female connecting members engaging said male connecting members for supporting said heat exchanger in said channel of said HVAC module and for sealing said heat exchanger to said channel of said HVAC module to restrict the flow of air from circumventing said heat exchanger; and   said male and female connecting members being tuned to give said heat exchanger a natural frequency in the range of 45 and 70 Hz for dampening vibrations between said heat exchanger and said HVAC module.   
   
   
       37 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 36  wherein said male connecting members are disposed on said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and said female connecting members are disposed on said interior surface of said HVAC module;
 each of said female connecting members includes an isolating member having a tubular shape and is of a resilient material for receiving and damping vibrations between said heat exchanger and said HVAC module;   each of said female connecting members further includes a pair of fingers extending outwardly from said tubular isolating member in spaced and parallel relationship to one another to present a groove therebetween; and   each of said male connecting members is a flange extending outwardly from said outer periphery of said heat exchanger to engage said groove of said female connecting member.   
   
   
       38 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 36  wherein said male connecting members are disposed on said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and said female connecting members are disposed on said interior surface of said HVAC module;
 each of said female connecting members is a hinge being of a polypropylene and presenting two legs rotatably connected at a pivot point with one of said legs engaging said interior surface of said HVAC module and the other of said legs presenting a pair of fingers extending in spaced and parallel relationship to present a groove therebetween;   each of said male connecting members is a flange extending outwardly from said outer periphery of said heat exchanger to engage said groove of said female connecting member; and   each of said female connecting members includes an isolating rubber web extending between said legs of said hinge for dampening vibrations between said heat exchanger and said HVAC module.   
   
   
       39 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 36  wherein each of said male connecting members is a flange disposed on said interior surface of said channel of said HVAC module and extends toward said heat exchanger and said outer periphery of said heat exchanger presents a groove to define said female connecting member for engaging said flange. 
   
   
       40 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 36  wherein said male connecting members are disposed on said outer periphery of said heat exchanger and said female connecting members are disposed on said interior surface of said HVAC module;
 each of said male connecting members is a flange extending outwardly from said outer periphery of said heat exchanger toward said interior surface of said HVAC module;   each of said female connecting members is a flexible seal member being of a resilient material and extending outwardly to a distal end from said interior surface of said HVAC module toward said flange of said heat exchanger and presents a pair of fingers extending outwardly from said distal end in spaced and parallel relationship to one another and on either side of said flange of said heat exchanger; and   a plurality of seals extending from said fingers of each of said female connecting members into said groove to engage said flange of said male connecting member.   
   
   
       41 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 36  wherein at least one of said male and female connecting members defines a lip for catching a condensate from said heat exchanger.