Heat Exchanger Header and Related Methods and Apparatuses

Abstract

A heat exchanger (such as a radiator) that provides for a consistent tank-to-header joint location. The header generally includes a drafted wall that is movable adjacent to or within a tank and may include a curved fillet to maintain header alignment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a tank including a plurality of indentations;   a header to be used as part of a core of the heat exchanger, said header comprising:
 a base portion including a plurality of apertures therein for receiving fluid-carrying tubes of the heat exchanger therethrough; 
 a drafted wall circumferentially surrounding said base portion and slanted to the plane thereof, said drafted wall providing an attachment surface for welding said tank onto said core; and 
 a curved fillet linking said base portion to said drafted wall and providing alignment support during said welding of said tank onto said core; and 
   a plurality of sidebracket mounts for flexible mounting of at least one sidebracket, each sidebracket mount comprising a base and a coupler that extends from the base, and wherein:
 each sidebracket mount base is to engage one of said plurality of indentations of said tank by being at least partially disposed in the one of said plurality of indentations to engage the sidebracket mount with the tank; and 
 each sidebracket coupler is to attach at least one sidebracket by extending through the sidebracket. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein a combination of said drafted wall and said curved fillet results in maintaining a consistent tank-to-header seam location. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein curvature of said curved fillet is configured to accommodate slanted orientation of said drafted wall respective to the plane of said base portion so as to provide a unitary structure for said header having a cross-sectional continuity from said base portion to said drafted wall. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein said curved fillet is continuous along said circumference of said drafted wall and extends to a distal line, and wherein a first plane tangential to said distal line of said curved fillet is parallel to and higher than the base portion, and wherein said first plane is parallel to and lower than a third plane tangential to the tops of said fluid-carrying tubes when said fluid-carrying tubes are received by said base portion. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein said header is formed of an aluminum alloy suitable for allowing brazing of said header to said fluid-carrying tubes. 
     
     
         6 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a tank comprising one or more indentations;   a core of said heat exchanger, said core comprising:
 a plurality of fluid-carrying tubes; 
 a plurality of fins interleaved with said plurality of fluid-carrying tubes, wherein a set of fins from said plurality of fins is disposed along a first pair of opposite sides of said core; and 
 a pair of headers, wherein each header in said pair of headers is disposed over said plurality of fluid-carrying tubes along a corresponding one of a second pair of opposite sides of said core, wherein each header in said pair of headers includes:
 a base portion including a plurality of apertures therein for receiving said plurality of fluid-carrying tubes therethrough; 
 a drafted wall circumferentially surrounding said base portion and outwardly slanted, said drafted wall providing an attachment surface for welding said tank onto said core; and 
 a curved fillet linking said base portion to said drafted wall and providing alignment support during said welding of said tank onto said core; and 
 
   one or more sidebracket mounts each comprising a base and a coupler that extends from the base, wherein:
 each sidebracket mount base is to engage one of the one or more indentations of said tank by being at least partially disposed in the one of said one or more plurality of indentations; and 
 each sidebracket coupler is to attach at least one sidebracket by extending through the sidebracket. 
   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , wherein a combination of said drafted wall and said curved fillet in each said header results in maintaining a consistent tank-to-header seam location during said welding of said tank despite occurrence of different amounts of vertical core growth during brazing of different parts of said core. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , wherein said curved fillet is continuous along said circumference of said drafted wall and extends to a distal line, and wherein a first plane tangential to said distal line of said curved fillet is parallel to and higher than the base portion, and wherein said first plane is parallel to and lower than a third plane tangential to the tops of said fluid-carrying tubes when said fluid-carrying tubes are received by said base portion. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a pair of side plates disposed over said set of fins along said first pair of opposite sides of said core.   
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of fluid-carrying tubes, said plurality of fins, said pair of headers, and said pair of side plates are formed of aluminum alloy materials. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of fluid-carrying tubes, said plurality of fins, said pair of headers, and said pair of side plates are brazed together to form a unitary structure for said core.