阅读说明：本技术 集管器连接结构、热交换器及机动车辆 (Pipe collector connection structure, heat exchanger and motor vehicle ) 是由 孙键淇 肖超 兰天 张新 倪静宇 于 2020-05-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请提出了一种集管器连接结构、热交换器及机动车辆,该集管器连接结构包括：至少一个扁平管(110)；集管器主体(120),该集管器主体具有筒型结构(121),且该筒型结构(121)面向该至少一个扁平管的一侧上形成有板状接收部(122),板状接收部上设置有向外敞开的至少一个安装通孔(123),且至少一个安装通孔与该筒型结构(121)流体连通；至少一个扁平管连接件(130),包括：面向该至少一个扁平管的第一表面(131),该第一表面上设置有接收通孔(133),该接收通孔用于接收该至少一个扁平管的端部；与该第一表面相对的第二表面(132),且在该第二表面(132)上围绕该接收通孔(133)形成有凸缘(134),该凸缘(134)用于插入至该集管器主体(120)。(The application provides a header connection structure, heat exchanger and motor vehicle, this header connection structure includes: at least one flat tube (110); a header body (120) having a cylindrical structure (121), and a plate-like receiving portion (122) formed on a side of the cylindrical structure (121) facing the at least one flat tube, the plate-like receiving portion being provided with at least one mounting through-hole (123) opening outward, the at least one mounting through-hole being in fluid communication with the cylindrical structure (121); at least one flattened tube connector (130) comprising: a first surface (131) facing the at least one flat tube, the first surface having a receiving through-hole (133) disposed therein for receiving an end of the at least one flat tube; a second surface (132) opposite to the first surface, and a flange (134) is formed on the second surface (132) around the receiving through-hole (133), the flange (134) being for insertion into the header body (120).)

1. A header connection structure (100), comprising:

at least one flat tube (110);

a header body (120) having a cylindrical structure (121), and a plate-like receiving portion (122) is formed on a side of the cylindrical structure (121) facing the at least one flat tube, the plate-like receiving portion (122) being provided with at least one mounting through-hole (123) opening outward, and the at least one mounting through-hole (123) being in fluid communication with the cylindrical structure (121);

at least one flattened tube connector (130) comprising:

a first surface (131) facing the at least one flat tube (110), the first surface (131) being provided with a receiving through-hole (133), the receiving through-hole (133) being for receiving an end of the at least one flat tube (110);

a second surface (132) opposite to the first surface (131), and a flange (134) is formed on the second surface (132) around the receiving through-hole (133), the flange (134) being for insertion into the header main body (120).

2. A header connection structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein said header body (120) is of plastic material, and said plate-like receiving portion (122) is integrally formed with said tubular structure (121).

3. A header connection structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein said at least one flat tube connection member (130) is of plastic material.

4. A header connection structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein said at least one flat tube connection member (130) is of a metal material.

5. A header connection structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein an inner periphery (134A) of the flange (134) of the at least one flat tube connection member (130) and an end outer periphery of the at least one flat tube (110) are connected by an adhesive.

6. The header connection structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein an outer periphery (134B) of the flange (134) of the at least one flat tube connection member (130) is connected to the at least one mounting through-hole (123) of the header body (120) by an adhesive.

7. A header attachment structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein at least one reinforcing rib (124) is provided at the periphery of the plate-like receiving portion (122) and is attached to the cylindrical structure (121).

8. A header connection structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flat tube connection member (130) is of aluminum.

9. A heat exchanger having the header connection structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a power supply cooling device for cooling a power module assembly of the motor vehicle, and the power supply cooling device comprises the heat exchanger of claim 9.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of heat exchangers, and more particularly, to a header connection structure, a heat exchanger including the header connection structure, and a motor vehicle.

Background

With the development of industrial control and commercial control, heat exchangers are widely used in motor vehicles to achieve heat exchange and transfer inside the motor vehicles.

Current heat exchangers generally comprise a header, which is provided, for example, with a plurality of through-openings, into which the respective flat tubes are inserted, and a plurality of flat tubes connected to the header. The header and the flat tubes are typically formed of a metal material, such as aluminum. And when a header is utilized to receive a plurality of flat tubes, crimping is typically employed and the ends of the flat tubes are welded (e.g., brazed) to corresponding through-bores of the header. However, when the header is connected to the flat tubes in this way, firstly, a welding step is required to achieve good sealing connection, and the manufacturing process is complicated and the cost is high; secondly, when the size (especially the cross-sectional size) of the flat tube changes, the header adapted to the flat tube after the size change needs to be made again, that is, for the flat tubes with different sizes, the header of a special specification needs to be matched with the flat tube, but the header of one specification cannot be flexibly adapted to the flat tubes with various sizes, which causes the production cost to increase; in addition, when used in motor vehicle cooling devices of different specifications, for example, the header is made of metal, which results in high cost for manufacturing the header of different dimensions and complicated manufacturing and installation steps.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a header coupling structure in which the header body can be easily and conveniently manufactured into different sizes in accordance with the specifications of the cooling device to be used, while simplifying the manufacturing and mounting processes and reducing the cost, while achieving good coupling between the header and the flat tubes, and while being well adapted to the flat tubes of different sizes.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problems and needs, and provides a header connection structure, a heat exchanger, and a motor vehicle. Which is able to overcome the technical problems mentioned in the background, thanks to the characteristics as described hereinafter, and which has other advantages as will be described hereinafter.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a header connection structure including: at least one flat tube; a header body having a cylindrical structure with a plate-like receiving portion formed on a side thereof facing the at least one flat tube, the plate-like receiving portion being provided with at least one mounting through-hole opened outward and being in fluid communication with the cylindrical structure; at least one flattened tube connector comprising: a first surface facing the at least one flat tube, the first surface having a receiving through-hole disposed therein for receiving an end of the at least one flat tube; a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a flange is formed on the second surface around the receiving through-hole, the flange being for insertion into the header body.

According to the characteristics, the header connecting structure provided by the application has the advantages that the flat tube connecting part is provided with the receiving through hole and the flange surrounding the receiving through hole, so that the header main body can receive the flat tube through the flat tube connecting part, and good connection between the flat tube and the header main body is realized.

In some embodiments, the header body is made of plastic, and the plate-like receiving portion is integrally formed with the cylindrical structure.

According to the above features, the header body is made of plastic, and the plate-shaped receiving portion and the cylindrical body are further integrally formed, so that the manufacturing process of the header body can be simplified, and particularly, when the header body is manufactured into different sizes according to actual requirements, compared with the case of using a metal material, the header body with various specifications can be manufactured conveniently by using the plastic material. And the plastic material is lighter, can lighten the whole heat exchanger device and even the whole weight of automobile body.

In some embodiments, the at least one flat tube connector is a plastic material.

According to the above feature, the flat tube connection piece is made of plastic, so that the manufacturing process of the flat tube connection piece is simplified, the manufacturing cost of the flat tube connection piece is reduced, and the flat tube connection piece is connected with the header main body through the adhesive.

In some embodiments, the at least one flat tube connector is a metal.

According to the above feature, the flat tube connection piece is made of a metal material, so that the flat tube connection piece can have good toughness and corrosion resistance. And is beneficial to better realize the heat exchange and transfer.

In some embodiments, the inner periphery of the flange of the at least one flattened tube connector is connected to the end outer periphery of the at least one flattened tube by an adhesive.

According to the above feature, by providing that the inner periphery of the flange of the flat tube connection member is connected to the outer periphery of the end portion of the flat tube by the adhesive, it is possible to further simplify the process and reduce the manufacturing cost while ensuring good connection of the flat tube connection member to the outer periphery of the end portion of the flat tube.

In some embodiments, the outer periphery of the flange of the at least one flattened tube connecting member and the at least one mounting through-hole of the header main body are connected by an adhesive.

According to the above feature, by providing that the outer periphery of the flange of the flat tube connection member is connected to the mounting through-hole of the header body by the adhesive, the process is further simplified and the manufacturing cost is reduced on the basis of achieving good connection of the flat tube connection member to the mounting through-hole of the header body.

In some embodiments, at least one stiffener is disposed about the periphery of the plate-like receiver and is coupled to the barrel structure.

According to the above feature, by providing the reinforcing rib, the fixing of the plate-like receiving portion to the tubular structure can be enhanced, and the strength of the plate-like receiving portion and the tubular structure can be enhanced, thereby improving the service life of the header body.

In some embodiments, the at least one flat tube connector is aluminum.

According to the above feature, the flat tube connector is made of aluminum, so that the structural strength of the flat tube connector can be improved, and the flat tube connector can be connected to the flat tube easily.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat exchanger having the header connection structure as set forth above.

According to the above feature, by providing the heat exchanger with the header connection structure as described above, the heat exchanger can well accommodate a plurality of flat tubes, thereby facilitating better heat transfer performance thereof.

According to another aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle is proposed, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a power supply cooling device for cooling a power module assembly of the motor vehicle, and the power supply cooling device comprises a heat exchanger as described above.

According to the above feature, by providing the power supply cooling device of the motor vehicle including the heat exchanger as described above, the power supply cooling device can well accommodate a plurality of flat tubes, thereby achieving good heat exchange and heat conduction to maintain the power supply module assembly at a desired temperature, and improving the operating life of the power supply target assembly thereof.

The following description of the preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be made in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that the features and advantages of the present invention can be easily understood.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly described below. Wherein the drawings are only for purposes of illustrating some embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention to all embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a header connection structure according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the header body to flat tube connection 130 of the header connection structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a flattened tube connection according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a flat tube connection piece according to an embodiment of the invention connected to a flat tube.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of specific embodiments of the present invention. Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the described embodiments of the invention without any inventive step, are within the scope of protection of the invention.

Unless defined otherwise, technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The use of "first," "second," and similar terms in the description and claims of the present application do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather the terms are used to distinguish one element from another. Also, the use of the terms "a" or "an" and the like do not necessarily denote a limitation of quantity. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, means that the element or item listed before the word covers the element or item listed after the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or items. The terms "connected" or "coupled" and the like are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and the like are used merely to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described is changed, the relative positional relationships may also be changed accordingly.

Based on the above, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, a header connector connection structure 100 is provided. On the basis of realizing good connection between the header and the flat tubes, the header connection structure 100 can simplify the manufacturing process, reduce the manufacturing cost, and can be well adapted to the flat tubes of different sizes, and the header body in the header connection structure can be simply and conveniently processed into different sizes according to the specification of the applied cooling device.

The header connector connection structure described in the present application is described with reference to fig. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a header connection structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1, a header connector connection structure 100 according to the present disclosure includes: at least one flat tube 110, header body 120, and at least one flat tube connector 130. Two parallel flat tubes are shown in figure 1. It will be appreciated that more flat tubes may be provided as desired.

The flat tubes 110 are used for circulating a fluid, such as a coolant, inside them. By flat tube is meant that when viewing a cross-section of the tube perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow, the length of the cross-section in one direction is much greater than the length in the other direction perpendicular to that direction. The flat tubes 110 may be, for example, tubes made of metal, such as aluminum tubes.

Referring now to fig. 2, there is shown an exploded perspective view of header body 120 and flattened tube connection 130 of header connection structure 100 of fig. 1. Header body 120 may be used to receive the ends of flat tubes 110. The collector body 120 has, for example, a cylindrical structure 121, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape. A plate-like receiving portion 122 is formed on a side of the cylindrical structure 121 facing the flat tubes 110.

The plate-like receiving portion 122 is a member that can be connected to the flat tube 110, and has, for example, a substantially flat plate shape. The plate-shaped receiving portion 122 may be integrally formed with the cylindrical structure 121, or may be connected to the cylindrical structure 121 in another manner.

The plate-shaped receiving portion 122 is provided with at least one mounting through-hole 123 opened outward, and the mounting through-hole 123 is in fluid communication with the cylindrical structure 121. That is, the fluid may flow into and out of the inside of the cylinder type structure 121 through the mounting through-hole 123. The flat tube 110 can be inserted into the mounting through-hole 123 by means of the flat tube connection 130.

The flat tube connection 130 will be described in detail below. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the flat tube connection member 130 may be mounted on the plate-shaped receiving portion 122 by being partially inserted into the mounting through-hole 123 of the plate-shaped receiving portion 122, thereby connecting the flat tube 110 to the header body 120. Specifically, the flat tube connection 130 may include a first surface 131 facing the flat tube 110, and a second surface 132 (fig. 3) opposite to the first surface 131. The second surface 132 faces the plate-like receiving portion 122 of the header body 120. With further reference to fig. 3 and 4, fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a flat tube connection 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a connection of the flat tube connection 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention to the flat tube 110. The first surface 131 is provided with receiving through-holes 133, and the receiving through-holes 133 are used to receive the end portions of the flat tubes 110, i.e., the end portions of the flat tubes 110 are inserted into the receiving through-holes 133 from the first surface 131. A flange 134 is formed on the second surface 132 around the receiving through-hole 133, the flange 134 projecting toward the plate-like receiving portion 122 in the assembled condition and being for insertion into the header main body 120.

For example, the end portions of the flat tubes 110 can be inserted into the receiving through-holes 133 provided in the flat tube connection members 130, and further, the flanges 134 in the flat tube connection members 130 can be inserted into the mounting through-holes 123 provided in the plate-like receiving portions 122 of the header main body 120, thereby achieving the reception of the end portions of the flat tubes 110 by the plate-like receiving portions 122 of the header main body 120. And embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the flange height that the flange has.

According to the characteristics, the header connecting structure provided by the application has the advantages that the flat tube connecting part is provided with the receiving through hole and the flange surrounding the receiving through hole, so that the header main body can receive the flat tube through the flat tube connecting part, and good connection between the flat tube and the header main body is realized.

In some embodiments, the manifold body 120 is made of plastic, and the plate-shaped receiving portion 122 is integrally formed with the cylindrical structure 121. According to the above features, the header body is made of plastic, and the plate-shaped receiving portion and the cylindrical body are further integrally formed, so that the manufacturing process of the header body can be simplified, and particularly, when the header body is manufactured into different sizes according to actual requirements, compared with the case of using a metal material, the header body with various specifications can be manufactured conveniently by using the plastic material. And the plastic material is lighter, can lighten the whole heat exchanger device and even the whole weight of automobile body.

In some embodiments, the flat tube connector 130 is a plastic material. According to the characteristics, the flat tube connecting piece is made of the plastic material, so that the manufacturing process of the flat tube connecting piece is simplified, the manufacturing cost of the flat tube connecting piece is reduced, and the flat tube connecting piece is connected with the header main body through the adhesive.

In some embodiments, the at least one flat tube connector 130 is a metal. According to the above feature, the flat tube connection piece is made of a metal material, so that the flat tube connection piece can have good toughness and corrosion resistance. And is beneficial to better realize the heat exchange and transfer.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 3-4, the inner periphery 134A of the flange 134 of the at least one flattened tube connector 130 is joined to the end outer periphery of the at least one flattened tube 110 by an adhesive. The adhesive is applied, for example, to at least a portion of the area of the inner periphery 134A of the flange 134 of the flattened tube connector 130.

For example, when used in a battery cooling device of a motor vehicle, the adhesive can have, for example, high temperature and liquid resistant properties. Wherein the liquid-resistant properties are intended to characterize the adhesive as being able to retain its viscosity well when contacted by a liquid, such as a cooling liquid flowing through the flat tube. The high temperature resistance characteristics are intended to characterize the adhesive as being able to retain its tack well when it is in a high temperature state.

It should be understood, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the particular type and amount of adhesive provided between the inner periphery of the flange of the flattened tube connection and the outer periphery of the end of the flattened tube.

According to the above feature, by providing that the inner periphery of the flange of the flat tube connection piece is connected to the outer periphery of the end portion of the flat tube by the adhesive, it is possible to further simplify the process and reduce the manufacturing cost while ensuring good connection of the flat tube connection piece to the outer periphery of the end portion of the flat tube, as compared with the connection by the crimping method.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 2 to 3, the outer periphery 134B of the flange 134 of the at least one flattened tube connector 130 is connected to the at least one mounting through-hole 123 of the header body 120 by an adhesive. The adhesive is applied, for example, to at least a portion of the outer periphery 134B of the flange 134 of the flattened tube connector 130.

According to the above feature, by providing that the outer periphery of the flange of the flat tube connection member is connected to the mounting through-hole of the header body by the adhesive, the process is further simplified and the manufacturing cost is reduced on the basis of achieving good connection of the flat tube connection member to the mounting through-hole of the header body.

It should be understood that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the particular type and amount of adhesive provided between the flange outer periphery of the flattened tube connection and the header body mounting through-hole.

For example, the adhesive provided between the outer periphery of the flange of the flattened tube connecting part and the header body mounting through hole and the adhesive provided between the inner periphery of the flange of the flattened tube connecting part and the outer periphery of the end of the flattened tube may be, for example, the same adhesive, or they may be different adhesives. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the relationship of the type of adhesive provided to the flange outer periphery and the flange inner periphery of the flattened tube connection.

In some embodiments, at least one reinforcing rib 124 may be further provided where the plate-shaped receiving portion 122 is connected to the cylindrical structure 121, for example, as shown in fig. 2, a plurality of reinforcing ribs are distributed along the extending direction of the header body at the edge of the plate-shaped receiving portion 122 and connected to the cylindrical structure 121.

According to the above feature, by providing the reinforcing rib, the fixing of the plate-like receiving portion to the tubular structure can be enhanced, and the strength of the plate-like receiving portion and the tubular structure can be enhanced, thereby improving the service life of the header body.

In some embodiments, the flat tube connector 130 is aluminum.

According to the above feature, the flat tube connector is made of aluminum, so that the structural strength of the flat tube connector can be improved, and the flat tube connector can be connected to the flat tube easily.

In some embodiments, as shown with reference to fig. 2, one end of the cylindrical structure 121 of the header body 120 is provided with a protrusion 125, for example, protruding radially outward on the outer surface of the cylindrical structure 121, and the other end of the cylindrical structure 121 is provided with a locking groove 126, and the locking groove 126 can be locked and matched with the protrusion 125. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific shape of the protrusion and the slot.

According to the above feature, the protruding portion is arranged at one end of the cylindrical structure of the header body, and the corresponding clamping groove is arranged at the other end of the cylindrical structure, so that when the header is used, a plurality of adjacent header bodies can be connected with one clamping groove of another header body through the protruding portion of one header body, and therefore the plurality of header bodies can be simply and conveniently combined according to actual requirements, and the header with the preset length is obtained.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the receiving through-holes 133 provided on the first surface 131 of the flat tube connector 130 can be adjusted, for example, according to the dimensions of the flat tube 110, so as to fit well into the flat tube 110.

According to the above feature, when the flat tubes of different sizes are selected, the size of the flat tube connecting part receiving through hole is adjusted according to the size of the flat tube, so that the good adaptation to the flat tubes of different sizes can be realized without replacing the header body or manufacturing only the header bodies of uniform models, and the development of a specific header body for the flat tubes of different sizes is not needed, thereby being beneficial to improving the application range of the header connecting structure and remarkably reducing the manufacturing cost in batch production.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat exchanger having the header connector structure as described above and capable of achieving the technical effects as described above.

Specifically, for example, the heat exchanger includes, for example, two header pipes that receive both ends of the flat tubes, respectively. By arranging the heat exchanger to have the header connector connecting structure, the heat exchanger can be assembled simply and conveniently, and is time-saving and labor-saving.

According to another aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle is proposed, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a power supply cooling device for cooling a power module assembly of the motor vehicle, and the power supply cooling device comprises a heat exchanger as described above.

In particular, since the battery of a motor vehicle generates a large amount of heat during operation, if the heat cannot be effectively released, the temperature of the battery will become higher and higher, and may even exceed its normal use temperature, thereby causing the battery to overheat and even burn out.

The power supply cooling device may cool the power supply module assembly by, for example, a direct cooling method, or it may cool the power supply module assembly by an indirect cooling method. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the particular cooling scheme employed by the power supply cooling apparatus.

According to the above feature, by arranging the power supply cooling device of the motor vehicle to include the heat exchanger as described above, flat tubes of different specifications can be arranged according to the cooling requirements of different power supply cooling devices at low cost and with simple installation, thereby achieving good heat exchange and heat transfer to maintain the power supply module assembly at a desired temperature and improving the service life of the power supply target assembly.

This application uses specific words to describe embodiments of the application. Reference to "a first/second embodiment," "an embodiment," and/or "some embodiments" means a feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with at least one embodiment of the application. Therefore, it is emphasized and should be appreciated that two or more references to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, some features, structures, or characteristics of one or more embodiments of the present application may be combined as appropriate.

Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that aspects of the present application may be illustrated and described in terms of several patentable species or situations, including any new and useful combination of processes, machines, manufacture, or materials, or any new and useful improvement thereon.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. It is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. The invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.