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EP-4741752-A1 - ADAPTER FOR INSTALLING A HEAT EXCHANGER IN A MOTOR VEHICLE

EP4741752A1EP 4741752 A1EP4741752 A1EP 4741752A1EP-4741752-A1

Abstract

Adapter (70) for installing a heat exchanger in a motor vehicle, the adapter (70) being hookable to a header plate (41, 42) of the heat exchanger and comprising a pair of identical adapter elements (71, 71). Each of the adapter elements (71, 72) comprises an end shell portion (71a, 72a) defining an end portion (71b, 72b) of a peripheral edge of the adapter (70), and a first channel portion (71c, 72c) and a second channel portion (71d, 72d) parallel to one another and extending from the end shell portion (71a, 72a), the first channel portion (71c, 72c) and the second channel portion (71d, 72d) defining respective lateral edge portions (71e, 72e, 71f, 72f) of the adapter (70). The adapter elements (71, 72) are coupled to one another in such a way that the first channel portion (71c, 72c) of each of the adapter elements (71, 72) is slidingly inserted inside the second channel portion (71d, 72d) of the other of the adapter elements (71, 72).

Inventors

  • ALOCCO, ALESSANDRO MARIA
  • LARACCA, Davide

Assignees

  • DENSO THERMAL SYSTEMS S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251110

Claims (6)

  1. Adapter (70) for installing a heat exchanger in a motor vehicle, said adapter (70) being hookable to a header plate (41, 42) of the heat exchanger so as to rest on a header tank (51) of the heat exchanger, said adapter (70) comprising a pair of identical adapter elements (71, 72), wherein each of said adapter elements (71, 72) comprises an end shell portion (71a, 72a) defining an end portion (71b, 72b) of a peripheral edge of the adapter (70), and a first channel portion (71c, 72c) and a second channel portion (71d, 72d) parallel to each other and extending from the end shell portion (71a, 72a), said first channel portion (71c, 72c) and second channel portion (71d, 72d) defining respective lateral edge portions (71e, 72e, 71f, 72f) of the adapter (70), wherein said adapter elements (71, 72) are coupled to each other in such a way that the first channel portion (71c, 72c) of each of said adapter elements (71, 72) is slidingly inserted within the second channel portion (71d, 72d) of the other of said adapter elements (71, 72).
  2. Adapter according to claim 1, wherein at least one first hooking element (71g, 72g) is formed on the end portion (71b, 72b) of the peripheral edge of the adapter (70), and at least one second hooking element (71h, 72h) is formed on the lateral edge portion (71f, 72f) of the adapter (70) at the first channel portion (71c, 72c), said first hooking element (71g, 72g) and second hooking element (71h, 72h) being configured to engage an edge of the header plate (41, 42) of the heat exchanger.
  3. Adapter according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an inner surface (71m, 72m) of the second channel portion (71d, 72d) of each of said adapter elements (71, 72) is complementary to an outer surface (71n, 72n) of the first channel portion (71c, 72c) of the other of said adapter elements (71, 72).
  4. Adapter according to claim 3, wherein the second channel portion (71d, 72d) of each of said adapt-er elements (71, 72) comprises a peripheral edge portion (71o, 72o) sliding along a step portion (71p, 72p) formed on the outer surface (71n, 72n) of the first channel portion (71c, 72c) of the other of said adapter elements (71, 72).
  5. Adapter according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said lateral edge portions of the adapter (70) comprise an outer lateral edge portion (71f, 72f) defined by the first channel portion (71c, 72c) of each adapter element (71, 72), and an inner lateral edge portion (71e, 72e) de-fined by the second channel portion (71d, 72d) of each of said adapter elements (71, 72).
  6. Heat exchanger comprising a header plate (41, 42) and a header tank (51) attached to the header plate (41, 42), and an adapter (70) ac-cording to any of the preceding claims, which adapter is hooked to the header plate (41, 42) and resting on the header tank (51).

Description

The present invention generally relates to heat exchangers for motor vehicles. As is known, the gases used for the implementation of air-conditioning systems in the automotive industry are gradually being replaced by gases with a smaller greenhouse effect, such as carbon dioxide in particular. The different physical characteristics of carbon dioxide compared to fluorinated gases, such as for example R1234YF, result in that the heat exchangers sized for the use of carbon dioxide are more compact, in terms of both overall dimensions of the heat exchanger and transverse dimensions of the header tanks, compared to heat exchangers sized for fluorinated gases. Thus arises the problem of having to install the new heat exchangers in the distribution boxes, the housings of which are configured to receive heat exchangers of the older design. Modifying the interfaces of such distribution boxes in order to adapt them to the new heat exchangers would entail significant industrial costs. An object of the invention is to make available a solution that allows a new heat exchanger to be installed in its housing within the air-conditioning unit, without having to modify the features of the latter. Said object is achieved according to the invention by means of an adapter for installing a heat exchanger in a motor vehicle, said adapter being hookable to a header plate of the heat exchanger so as to rest on a header tank of the heat exchanger, said adapter comprising a pair of identical adapter elements, wherein each of said adapter elements comprises an end shell portion defining an end portion of a peripheral edge of the adapter, and a first channel portion and a second channel portion parallel to one another and extending from the end shell portion, said first channel portion and second channel portion defining respective lateral edge portions of the adapter, wherein said adapter elements are coupled to one another in such a way that the first channel portion of each of said adapter elements is slidingly inserted inside the second channel portion of the other of said adapter elements. With the adapter according to the invention, it is therefore possible to change the interface on the heat exchangers, in order to be able to install the new heat exchangers on the distribution boxes with housings configured to receive the old interfaces, without having to modify the distribution boxes. The adapter is advantageously made of two identical elements that are assembled to one another in such a way that one is rotated 180° relative to the other. This is advantageous from a production standpoint, because both elements can be produced with a single mold, and also from the standpoint of installation because the assembly of the adapter on the heat exchanger is particularly simple, there being no mandatory mounting orientation of the adapter relative to the heat exchanger. Moreover, thanks to the fact that the two adapter elements can be made to slide relative to one another, it is possible to adjust the length of the adapter according to the size of the heat exchanger to which the adapter must be coupled. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims, which are to be understood as an integral part of the present description. Further features and advantages of the invention will become clearer with the following detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, provided purely for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger provided with adapters according to the invention;Figure 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the heat exchanger of figure 1;Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of one of the adapters in two different length configurations; andFigures 5 and 6 are perspective views of one of the identical elements of the adapter of figures 3 and 4. With reference to figures 1 and 2, a heat exchanger is shown, denoted overall by number 1. In the illustrated example, the heat exchanger 1 is a fluid-heat-transfer-medium-to-air heat exchanger, in particular an evaporator of an HVAC system of a motor vehicle. In particular, the heat transfer fluid may be carbon dioxide. The heat exchanger 1 is a double-row heat exchanger; it therefore comprises a first heat exchange row 10 and a second heat exchange row 20 superimposed one above the other. The superimposition relationship is referred to the direction of the air that crosses the heat exchanger 1 and carries out heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid inside the heat exchanger 1; said direction is orthogonal to the larger faces of the heat exchanger 1. The first heat exchange row 10 comprises a first header and a second header and a plurality of parallel and coplanar ducts (not visible in the figures) that interconnect the first header and the second header of the first heat exchange row. The second heat exchange row 20 comprises a first header and