Heat exchanger for vehicle

Abstract

A heat exchanger for a vehicle may include a heat absorbing portion storing the first operating fluid therein, receiving heat from a heating unit, and evaporating a first operating fluid so as to change a phase of the first operating fluid to a gas state, 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 having an end connected to the heat absorbing portion, wherein a connecting line in which the first operating fluid changing the phase thereof in the heat absorbing portion flows is formed in the coupling pipe, and the first operating fluid flowing in the coupling pipe is cooled and condensed by heat-exchange with a second operating fluid passing an outside of the coupling pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger for a vehicle comprising:
 a heat absorbing portion storing a first operating fluid therein, receiving heat from a heating unit, and evaporating the first operating fluid to change a phase of the first operating fluid to a gas state; and   at least one heat radiating unit including at least one coupling pipe formed by coupling at least one plate having at least one protruding portion formed along a length direction, and having an end connected to the heat absorbing portion;   wherein a connecting line in which the first operating fluid changing the phase thereof in the heat absorbing portion flows is formed in the coupling pipe, and the first operating fluid flowing in the coupling pipe is cooled and condensed by heat-exchange with a second operating fluid passing an outside of the coupling pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat absorbing portion evaporates the first operating fluid stored therein using the heat transferred from the heating unit and moves the evaporated first operating fluid of gas state to the heat radiating unit by pressure difference due to volume expansion of the first operating fluid and capillary phenomenon. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion is formed integrally at the plate by pressing. 
     
     
         4 . 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 as spiral shape along a length direction of the plate. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the protruding portion is not formed at both end portions of the heat radiating unit. 
     
     
         6 . 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 a vortex is generated at the condensed first operating fluid of a liquid state flowing in the connecting line by rotation of the first operating fluid and the second operating fluid passing the outside of the connecting pipe is caused to form turbulence. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling pipe, in a state that the protruding portions of a pair of plates are disposed to protrude toward the outside, is formed by coupling the pair of plates. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the 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 heat radiating units. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the number of the coupling pipes included in the heat radiating unit is changed according to a size of the heat absorbing portion. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9 , wherein the coupling pipes consisting of one heat radiating unit are releasably assembled with each other. 
     
     
         11 . 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 to form the coupling pipe. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the plate is provided with at least one flowing hole formed between the coupling pipes. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one first mounting hole is formed at a surface of the heat absorbing portion corresponding to the heat radiating unit along a length direction of the heat absorbing portion. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat radiating unit further includes a connecting portion for preventing the first operating fluid flowing through the heat radiating unit from leaking to the outside, and
 the connecting portion is mounted at the other end of the heat radiating unit corresponding to the heat absorbing portion to fix the other end portion of the heat radiating unit.   
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one second mounting hole is formed at a surface of the connecting portion corresponding to the heat radiating unit along a length direction of the connecting portion. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the second operating fluid is air. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , wherein flowing direction of the first operating fluid passing in the heat radiating unit is perpendicular to that of the air passing the outside of the heat radiating unit.