Heat Exchanger for Vehicle

Abstract

A heat exchanger for a vehicle may include an inflow tank provide with an inflow hole into which operating fluid flows, an exhaust tank disposed apart from the inflow tank by a predetermined distance and provided with an exhaust hole from which the operating fluid is exhausted, and at least one heat radiating unit provided with at least one coupling pipe formed by coupling at least one plate at which at least one protruding portion is formed along a length direction, and adapted to fluidly connect the inflow tank with the exhaust tank, wherein a connecting line is formed in the coupling pipe so as for the operating fluid to flow therein, and the operating fluid flowing in the coupling pipe is cooled by heat-exchange with another operating fluid that flows at an outside of the coupling pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger for vehicle, comprising:
 an inflow tank provide with an inflow hole into which operating fluid flows;   an exhaust tank disposed away from the inflow tank by a predetermined distance and provided with an exhaust hole from which the operating fluid is exhausted; and   at least one heat radiating unit provided with at least one coupling pipe formed by coupling at least one plate at which at least one protruding portion is formed along a length direction, and adapted to fluidly connect the inflow tank with the exhaust tank;   wherein a connecting line is formed in the coupling pipe for the operating fluid to flow therethrough, and the operating fluid flowing in the coupling pipe is cooled by heat-exchange with another operating fluid that flows at an outside of the coupling pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion is provided with an exterior circumference and an interior circumference formed with semi-circular shape and is disposed in a spiral shape along a length direction of the plate. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein opposing ends of the heat radiating unit are inserted respectively in the inflow tank and the exhaust tank, and the protruding portion is not formed at the opposing ends of the heat radiating unit. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling pipe is a circular pipe formed by a plurality of protruding portions, and an interior circumference and an exterior circumference of the coupling pipe are formed as spiral shape such that vortex is generated at the operating fluid flowing in the connecting line by rotation of the operating fluid and another operating fluid flowing at the outside of the connecting line is caused to form turbulence. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling pipe, in a state that protruding portions of a pair of plate are disposed so as to be protruded toward the outside, is formed by coupling the pair of plates. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion is formed integrally at the plate by pressing. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein neighboring heat radiating units are disposed alternately in a width direction such that the coupling pipe of one of the neighboring heat radiating units is disposed between neighboring coupling pipes of the other of the neighboring heat radiating units. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the number of the coupling pipes included in the heat radiating unit varies according to sizes of the inflow tank and the exhaust tank. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling pipes of one heat radiating unit are releasably assembled with each other. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of rows of protruding portions is formed at one plate, and the one plate is folded to form the heat radiating unit such that one row of protruding portions is connected to another row of protruding portions so as to form the coupling pipe. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the plate is provided with at least one flowing hole formed between the coupling pipes. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one first insertion hole is formed at an inner surface of the inflow tank along a length direction corresponding to the heat radiating unit. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one second insertion hole is formed at an inner surface of the exhaust tank along a length direction corresponding to the heat radiating unit. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 first and second mounting caps mounted at upper ends of the inflow tank and the exhaust tank; and   first and second sealing caps mounted at lower ends of the inflow tank and the exhaust tank.   
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein another operating fluid that flows at the outside of the coupling pipe is air. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 15 , wherein flowing direction of the operating fluid passing in the connecting line of the coupling pipe is perpendicular to that of the air flowing at the outside of the coupling pipe. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the operating fluid flowing in the connecting line of the coupling pipe is one of coolant, engine oil, transmission oil, air conditioner refrigerant and vehicle exhaust gas.