Heat exchanger and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes tubes, a core plate connected to the tubes, a tank connected to the core plate to be in communication with the tubes and a sealing member sealing a connecting portion between the core plate and the tank. The core plate has a groove portion including at least a base wall and an inner side wall to define a groove having a loop shape. The sealing member is disposed in the groove portion to be in contact with the inner side wall at least at two opposite locations of the loop shape. Alternatively, the sealing member is disposed in the groove portion to be in contact with at least one of the inner side wall and an outer side wall opposed to the inner side wall, and a substantially middle portion of a width of the sealing member is pressed by a projection of the tank.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a core including a plurality of tubes;   a core plate connected to the tubes;   a tank connected to the core plate to be in communication with the tubes; and   a sealing member having a loop shape and disposed to seal a connecting portion between the core plate and the tank, wherein   the core plate has a groove portion including at least a base wall and an inner side wall to define a groove having a loop shape, and   the sealing member is disposed in the groove portion and is in contact with the inner side wall at least at two opposite locations of the loop shape.   
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the groove portion defines the groove in a form of substantially rectangular loop including a pair of long-side portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the core plate and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions, and   the sealing member is pressed against the core plate by the tank under a condition where the sealing member is in contact with the inner side wall in at least one of the long-side portions and the short-side portions in accordance with a restoration force, which is generated by restoring the sealing member from a stretched condition.   
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the groove portion defines the groove in a form of substantially rectangular loop including a pair of long-side portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the core plate and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions through corner portions, and   the sealing member is pressed against the core plate by the tank under a condition where the sealing member is in contact with the inner side wall in the corner portions in accordance with a restoration force, which is generated by restoring the sealing member from a stretched condition.   
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the groove portion defines the groove in a form of substantially rectangular loop including a pair of long-side portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the core plate and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions,   the sealing member has a substantially rectangular shape including a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides intersecting the long sides, and   the sealing member is configured to satisfy at least one of a first shape condition in which the long sides are shorter than the long-side portions and a second shape condition in which the short sides are shorter than the short-side portions, under an original condition without being elastically deformed   
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sealing member is fixed to the groove portion such that a center of a cross-section defined perpendicular to a longitudinal axis thereof is closer to the inner side wall than a center of cross-section of the groove portion.   
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the groove portion further includes an outer side wall extending perpendicularly from the bottom wall,   the inner side wall perpendicularly extends from the bottom wall and is spaced from the outer side wall, and   the groove is defined by the inner side wall, the bottom wall and the outer side wall.   
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the groove of the groove portion has a depth equal to or greater than a thickness of the sealing member.   
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sealing member has a substantially rectangular cross-section.   
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sealing member is arranged in the groove portion to contact only the inner side wall.   
   
   
       10 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a core including a plurality of tubes;   a core plate connected to the tubes;   a tank connected to the core plate to be in communication with the tubes; and   a sealing member having a loop shape and disposed to seal a connecting portion between the core plate and the tank, wherein   the core plate has a groove portion including at least a base wall and an inner side wall to define a groove having a loop shape,   the sealing member has a width smaller than a width of the groove of the groove portion and is configured such that a whole length thereof under an original condition without being elastically deformed is less than a whole length of the groove, the whole length of the sealing member being defined by a whole length of a longitudinal axis passing through a center of a cross-section of the sealing member, the whole length of the groove being defined by a whole length of a longitudinal axis passing through a center of the width of the groove, and   the sealing member is fixed to the groove portion in accordance with a restoration force, which is generated by restoring the sealing member from a stretched condition, and   the sealing member is further pressed against the groove portion by the tank.   
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the groove portion defines the groove in a form of substantially rectangular loop including a pair of long-side portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the core plate and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions, and   the sealing member is pressed against the core plate by the tank under a condition where the sealing member is in contact with the inner side wall in at least one of the long-side portions and the short-side portions in accordance with the restoration force thereof.   
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the groove portion defines the groove in a form of substantially rectangular loop including a pair of long-side portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the core plate and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions through corner portions, and   the sealing member is pressed against the core plate by the tank under a condition where the sealing member is in contact with the inner side wall in the corner portions in accordance with the restoration force thereof.   
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger according to clam  11 , wherein
 the groove portion defines the groove in a form of substantially rectangular loop including a pair of long-side portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the core plate and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions,   the sealing member has a substantially rectangular shape including a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides intersecting the long sides, and   the sealing member is configured to satisfy at least one of a first shape condition in which the long sides are shorter than the long-side portions and a second shape condition in which the short sides are shorter than the short-side portions, under the original condition without being elastically deformed.   
   
   
       14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the sealing member is fixed to the groove portion such that a center of cross-section defined perpendicular to a longitudinal axis thereof is closer to the inner side wall than a center of cross-section of the groove portion.   
   
   
       15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the groove portion further includes an outer side wall extending perpendicularly from the bottom wall,   the inner side wall perpendicularly extends from the bottom wall and is spaced from the outer side wall, and   the groove is defined by the inner side wall, the bottom wall and the outer side wall.   
   
   
       16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the groove of the groove portion has a depth equal to or greater than a thickness of the sealing member.   
   
   
       17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the sealing member has a substantially rectangular cross-section.   
   
   
       18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sealing member is arranged in the groove portion to contact only the inner side wall.   
   
   
       19 . A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger comprising:
 forming a core plate into a predetermined shape including a groove portion defining a loop-shaped groove;   assembling the core plate to tubes;   preparing a sealing member having a whole length less than a whole length of the groove, the whole length of the sealing member being defined by a whole length of a longitudinal axis passing through a center of a cross-section of the sealing member, the whole length of the groove being defined by a whole length of a longitudinal axis passing through a center of a width of the groove;   stretching the sealing member into a predetermined size;   placing the sealing member under a stretched condition in the groove portion;   attaching the sealing member to the groove portion in accordance with a restoration force caused by removing a stretching force from the sealing member; and   fixing a tank to the core plate such that the sealing member is elastically deformed between the tank and the core plate.   
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the groove of the core plate has a substantially rectangular shape including a pair of long-side portions and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions, and   the attaching includes bringing the sealing member into contact with an inner side wall of the groove portion in at least one of the long-side portions and the short-side portions.   
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the groove of the core plate has a substantially rectangular shape including a pair of long-side portions and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions through corner portions, and   the attaching includes bringing the sealing member into contact with an inner side wall of the groove portion at the corner portions.   
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the attaching includes pressing the stretched sealing member against a base wall of the groove portion by a pressing jig, and   the stretching force is removed from the sealing member during the pressing.   
   
   
       23 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a core including a plurality of tubes;   a core plate connected to the tubes, the core plate having a groove portion including an inner side wall and an outer side wall to define a loop-shaped groove therebetween;   a tank connected to the core plate to be in communication with the tubes; and   a sealing member sealing between the core plate and the tank, wherein   the sealing member has a loop-shaped body portion having a width less than a width of the groove,   the body portion of the sealing member is disposed in the groove portion under a condition of being in contact with at least one of the inner side wall and the outer side wall,   the tank has a projection on an end surface opposing to the body portion, and   the projection presses against a substantially middle portion of the width of the body portion to elastically deform the body portion.   
   
   
       24 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the groove portion defines the groove in a form of substantially rectangular loop including a pair of long-side portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the core plate and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions,   the body portion of the sealing member is in contact with one of the inner side wall and the outer side wall at one of the long-side portions and the short-side portions.   
   
   
       25 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the body portion of the sealing member has a whole length less than a whole length of the groove under an original condition without being elastically deformed, the whole length of the body portion being defined by a length of a longitudinal axis passing through a center of a cross-section of the body portion, the whole length of the groove being defined by a whole length of a longitudinal axis passing through a center of the width of the groove, and   the body portion is in contact with the inner side wall in accordance with a restoration force, which is generated by restoring the body portion from a stretched condition.   
   
   
       26 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the sealing member has a hook portion projecting from an outer surface of the body portion,   the hook portion is hooked on the outer side wall of the groove portion such that the body portion of the sealing member is in contact with the outer side wall of the groove portion.   
   
   
       27 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the body portion of the sealing member has a rectangular cross-section.   
   
   
       28 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the projection has a curved end surface.   
   
   
       29 . A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger, comprising:
 forming a core plate into a predetermined shape including a groove portion defining a loop-shaped groove;   assembling the core plate to tubes;   attaching a sealing member in the groove portion such that the sealing member contacts at least one of an inner side wall and an outer side wall of the groove portion; and   fixing a tank to the core plate such that a projection of an end surface of the tank is pressed against a substantially middle portion of a width of the sealing member to elastically deform the sealing member, thereby sealing between the core plate and the tank with the sealing member.   
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein
 the groove has a substantially rectangular shape including a pair of long-side portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the core plate and a pair of short-side portions intersecting the long-side portions, and   the attaching includes bringing the sealing member into contact with the inner side wall in at least one of the short-side portions and the long-side portions.   
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein
 the attaching includes stretching the sealing member into a predetermined size, placing the sealing member in the groove under a stretched condition, and removing a stretching force from the sealing member, thereby to bring the sealing member into contact with the inner side wall in accordance with a restoration force thereof.   
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising:
 preparing the sealing member having a whole length less than a whole length of the groove under an original condition without being elastically deformed, the whole length of the sealing member being defined by a whole length of a longitudinal axis passing through a center of a cross-section of the sealing member, the whole length of the groove being defined by a whole length of a longitudinal axis passing through a center of a width of a groove defined by the groove portion, wherein   the attaching includes stretching the sealing member into a predetermined size and fixing the sealing member to the groove portion in accordance with a restoration force caused by removing a stretching force from a stretched sealing member.