Automotive Heater Core

Abstract

This invention involves a type of automotive heater core, including upper tank (3), bottom tank (8), inlet pipe (1), outlet pipe (2), header (4), side plate (5), cooling fins (7) and tubes (6), said header (4) has clinching tabs (4.1) around the headers connecting to the upper tank (3) and to the bottom tank (8); said side plates (5) have two button protuberances (5.1) or retaining tabs at both ends of the side plates (5) where the cooling fins (7) end; said header (4) has clinching tabs (4.2) located at the center of the minor dimension of the headers (4) and the center of the ends of the side plates (5). This heater core has firm bonding between tank and header, header and side plate, and is free from the partial melting, burning and dropping of the cooling fins.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application No. 200810018985.5 filed on Jan. 30, 2008, which application is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention involves an automotive heater core, it belongs to the field of auto parts technology.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]An automotive heater core is a radiator dissipating heat into the car cabin using cooling water from the engine, it includes: inlet pipe, outlet pipe, upper tank, bottom tank, header, tube, cooling fins and side plate. The shortages of old art are:[0004]1. Brazing between the header and tank is not firm, which causes leak and failure of a heater core[0005]2. During the brazing process, as the materials used for cooling fins and header plate are different, they require different temperature of brazing, thus the cooling fins are often melted where they contact the header, which affects negatively the effective co...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above shortages, and to provide a type of heater core which has firm bonding firm bonding between tank and header, header and side plate, and is free from the partial melting, burning and dropping of the cooling fins.

[0011]1. The clamping of clinching tabs to the edges of the tanks structurally ensures the mechanical strength of the connection between the header to the upper tank and to the bottom tank. It ensures a good brazing and firm bonding between the tanks and the header.

[0012]2. By adding the button protuberances or the retaining tabs, the cooling fins are kept from touching the header and the friction between the cooling fins and side plates is increased so that partial melting, burning out and dropping of the cooling fins are prevented to ensure brazing quality.

[0013]3. By using the clamped structure of clinching tabs between the header and side plate, the connection is firmer and the overall angular rigidity of the automotive heater core is enhanced, thus the cooling fins are better protected from damage.

Problems solved by technology

The shortages of old art are:1. Brazing between the header and tank is not firm, which causes leak and failure of a heater core2. During the brazing process, as the materials used for cooling fins and header plate are different, they require different temperature of brazing, thus the cooling fins are often melted where they contact the header, which affects negatively the effective cooling area and the appearance and quality of the products, and often the cooling fins drop out during brazing.3. Old art seeks to secure the side plates to the header by brazing the cooling fins to the side plates so as to prevent the cooling fins from damage and to strengthen the overall structure.

This old art makes the connection between the side plates and the header not secure and firm enough, which causes the comparatively low overall angular rigidity of the automotive heater core, and the cooling fins are not well protected from damages.

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