Collection box and corresponding heat exchanger

Abstract

The invention relates to a collection box ( 1 ) for a heat exchanger comprising a header ( 5 ) having an at least partially rounded shape and comprising: a plurality of openings ( 7 ) for the passage of a plurality of heat-exchange tubes ( 3 ) of the heat exchanger, and a plurality of flanges ( 9 ) surrounding the openings ( 7 ). According to the invention, the header ( 5 ) comprises a plurality of corrugations ( 11 ), and the flanges ( 9 ) are created at the corrugations ( 11 ) of the header ( 5 ) and respectively have a substantially flared shape directed away from the volume defined by the collection box ( 1 ).

1 . A collection box for a heat exchanger comprising a header having an at least partially rounded shape, the header comprising:
 a plurality of openings for the passage of a plurality of heat-exchange tubes of the heat exchanger; and   a plurality of flanges surrounding the openings; and   a plurality of corrugations, wherein the flanges are created at the corrugations of the header and respectively have a substantially flared shape directed away from the volume defined by the collection box.   
     
     
         2 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the flanges are formed at the crests of the corrugations facing away from the volume defined by the collection box. 
     
     
         3 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the header has at least one wall, the shape of which is substantially dished towards the outside of the volume defined by the collection box. 
     
     
         4 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 3 , in which the corrugations are formed on the wall. 
     
     
         5 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the corrugations respectively have a top height of the order of 30% of the pitch of the tubes. 
     
     
         6 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the flanges respectively have a substantially conical shape. 
     
     
         7 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 6 , in which a cone formed by a flange has an angle of the order of 30°. 
     
     
         8 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the flanges respectively have:
 a first width ; and   a second width two times greater than the first width.   
     
     
         9 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 8 , in which the first width is substantially equal to the width of a tube intended to be inserted in the opening. 
     
     
         10 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the flanges respectively have two convex substantially flared edges with the convexity facing toward the outside of the volume defined by the collection box. 
     
     
         11 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the flanges have a height of the order of half the height of a corrugation. 
     
     
         12 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the flanges are thinned with respect to the corrugations on the header. 
     
     
         13 . The collection box as claimed in  claim 12 , in which the thinning of the material at a flange is at least greater than 30% of the initial thickness of the material. 
     
     
         14 . A heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, comprising a heat-exchange core bundle of tubes, the ends of which are fixed to at least one collection box in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 14 , in which the heat-exchange tubes have a height comprised between 1.2 mm and 1.8 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 14 , in which the pitch of the heat-exchange tubes is comprised between 6 mm and 8 mm.