Snap Lock A-Frame Heat Exchanger Bracket

Abstract

A heat exchanger assembly comprises a pair of heat exchanger cores, each with a pair of manifold tanks on opposite sides, and a bracket that grips one tank of each heat exchanger core to maintain the gripped tanks adjacent and parallel to one another. The tanks can rotate within the bracket, allowing them to assume a shipping position wherein the cores are adjacent to each other and an operative position wherein the ends of the cores opposite the bracket are spread apart to form an A-frame configuration.

1 . A heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
 a pair of generally rectangular heat changer cores, each having a pair of opposed, parallel, substantially cylindrical manifold tanks, said cores having a shipping position in which said cores are oriented face to face, with the manifold tanks in adjacent, aligned pairs, and an operative position, in which said cores are oriented in an A-frame configuration with one pair of tanks remaining adjacent at the apex of the A and the other two tanks spread apart at the base of the A, and,   a tank attachment bracket having a gripping portion that conforms to a sufficient portion of the pair of tanks at the apex to maintain them in the adjacent position during shipping while allowing at least one of the tanks at the apex to rotate within the gripping portion as the pair of tanks at the base of the A is spread apart to the operative position.   
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable tank and the bracket cooperate to produce a detent force resisting rotation of said rotatable tank relative to said bracket when the assembly is in the operative position. 
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 2  wherein one of the bracket and the rotatable tank defines a depression and the other of the bracket and the rotatable tank includes a projection disposed to engage the depression, said projection and depression cooperating to produce said detent force. 
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein the bracket conforms to a portion of the gripped tanks to seal against air flow between the gripped tanks at the apex. 
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein the bracket comprises a plastic material. 
   
   
       6 . A method for assembling a heat exchanger assembly comprising the steps of:
 providing a pair of generally rectangular heat exchanger cores, each having a pair of opposed, parallel, substantially cylindrical manifold tanks;   providing a tank attachment bracket having a gripping portion that conforms to a sufficient portion of one pair of tanks to snap onto said pair of tanks and that allows rotation of at least one of said pair of tanks within the gripping portion; and   snapping said bracket to said pair of tanks.   
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6  additionally comprising the step of rotating at least one of said tanks within said bracket to a shipping position wherein said heat exchanger cores are oriented face to face with the manifold tanks in adjacent, aligned pairs. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 6  additionally comprising the steps of:
 providing a depression in a predetermined location on one of the bracket and the rotatable tank;   providing a projection in a predetermined location disposed to engage the depression on the other of the bracket and the rotatable tank;   rotating at least one of said tanks within said bracket to an operative position wherein said heat exchanger cores are oriented in an A-frame configuration with the tanks that are not retained in the bracket spread apart at the base of the A, and   sliding the bracket relative to one of the tanks to engage the projection into the depression so that the projection and depression cooperate to produce a force resisting rotation of the tank relative to the bracket, thereby maintaining the assembly in the operative position.