Heat exchanger having a plastic collecting tank

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat exchanger, such as, for example, a liquid cooler, charge air cooler or the like, having two-part collecting tanks which are composed entirely of plastic and have inlet or outlet connecting pipes. One collecting tank part can have openings for receiving the ends of tubes, with the tube ends being adhesively connected therein, and with the two collecting tank parts being welded to one another at a weld seam which runs around the periphery of their walls. The two tank parts form an oval to round collecting tank cross section between the tubes, and the weld seam is situated in a seam preparation which is formed as a thickened portion of the walls of the tank parts. As a result of the invention, the heat exchanger is of particularly pressure-resistant design and is very production-friendly.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a collecting tank formed from at least two collecting tank parts which are composed entirely of plastic and have inlet or outlet connecting pipes, one of the at least two collecting tank parts having openings for receiving tube ends, the two collecting tank parts being welded to one another at a weld seam which runs around a periphery of their walls;   wherein the two tank parts form an oval to round collecting tank cross section between the tubes, and wherein the weld seam is situated in a seam preparation which is formed as a thickened portion of the wall of at least one tank part.   
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the weld seam takes on a stepped profile in the region of the inlet or outlet connecting pipe, and lies approximately in a central plane of the collecting tank in the remaining region. 
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the weld seam can be carried out without a supply of additional material, and is one of a hot gas weld seam and a friction weld seam. 
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger according to  claims 1 , wherein the thickened portion contains dimensional surpluses which replace melting weld material when the welding process is carried out. 
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the weld seam or the seam preparation is formed as an I-shaped butt joint in the wall of the collecting tank. 
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the collecting tank parts are formed substantially without outer stiffening ribs. 
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the cross section of the collecting tank is more approximately round or elongate-oval in the region of the inlet or outlet connecting pipe and merges into a flat-oval cross-sectional form in the direction of edges of the heat exchanger. 
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the collecting tank cross section is approximately round over most of its length, and is of approximately oval design at opposite ends. 
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein that the inlet or outlet connecting pipe is an integral part of one of the collecting tank parts. 
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the seam preparation comprises a flange-like projection on an edge of one of the tank parts, wherein the projection is arranged with a gap with respect to the edge of the other tank part, with the gap being suitable for receiving weld material, and the flange-like projection providing a clean visible edge. 
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein, outside the region of the inlet or outlet connecting pipe, the weld seam preferably runs approximately without abrupt shoulders around the periphery of the tank parts. 
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the tank parts have at least one internal connection, with the internal connection having a seam preparation for a weld seam. 
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein the internal connection comprises a plurality of individual supports. 
   
   
       14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein the internal connection comprises a media partition. 
   
   
       15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein the partition constitutes a longitudinal and/or transverse partition in the collecting tank. 
   
   
       16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein an extension of the tubes into the collecting tank is comparatively small. 
   
   
       17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the tubes are flat tubes having two narrow and two wide sides, and wherein the tube ends are adhesively bonded in openings of one of the collecting tank parts. 
   
   
       18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 17 , wherein the tube ends are not expanded or shaped in any other way. 
   
   
       19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat tubes, together with corrugated fins, form a fin/tube block which is connected by soldering and has free flat tube ends inserted into the openings of the collecting tank. 
   
   
       20 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is one of a liquid cooler and a charge air cooler.