JP7497640B2 - Heat exchanger and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a heat exchanger having an exterior body in which a skin is formed of a laminate material in which a resin layer is laminated on a metal heat transfer layer, and to a method for manufacturing the same.

Hybrid vehicles (HEVs), electric vehicles (EVs), and the like are equipped with battery devices that supply power to drive electric motors. Such battery devices generally consist of a number of small single cells made of various types of secondary batteries, such as lithium secondary batteries, connected in series or parallel to form a battery pack. In particular, in recent years, efforts have been made to further increase the capacity of battery devices by combining multiple battery packs in series or parallel to extend the driving range of electric vehicles.

On the other hand, the performance and lifespan of lithium secondary batteries, which are widely used in battery devices, varies greatly depending on the operating temperature, so it is preferable to maintain the temperature at an appropriate level in order to use them efficiently over a long period of time. However, when used in the form of multiple assembled batteries as described above, the multiple assembled batteries are arranged in close proximity, making it difficult to effectively release the heat generated by each assembled battery and each cell, and the temperature of each assembled battery rises, which may result in a decrease in performance and lifespan.

Therefore, a technology has been developed to cool multiple battery packs using a thin heat exchanger as shown in Patent Document 1 below. This heat exchanger is made by mating two metal dish-shaped plates facing each other to form a heat exchanger (flat tube), and the flat tubes are placed between each of the multiple battery packs, so that heat generated from each cell of the battery pack is released to the outside via a refrigerant (cooling water) flowing inside the flat tubes.

Against this technical background, heat exchangers for cooling multiple battery packs in automotive battery systems, like other automotive parts, are required to be as thin, small, lightweight, and low-cost as possible, and as part of this effort, the adoption of heat exchangers made of highly flexible laminate materials is being considered.

A heat exchanger using a laminate material has an exterior body made of a laminate material in which resin coating layers are laminated on both sides of a metal heat transfer layer. The exterior body is provided with an inlet and outlet, and is configured so that a coolant can circulate inside the exterior body through the inlet and outlet. The heat exchanger is placed in contact with the battery pack, and the battery pack is cooled by heat exchange between the heat released from the cells of the battery pack and the coolant circulating inside the exterior body.

JP 2012-199149 A

Incidentally, some heat exchangers for cooling automotive battery devices such as the battery pack, particularly those using the laminate material, are used in a state where the member to be cooled is sandwiched between a pair of heat exchangers. In this type of usage, in order to circulate the refrigerant (cooling water) from one heat exchanger to the other, it is necessary to separately attach an intermediate header member for the refrigerant U-turn between the two heat exchangers. Therefore, there is a problem that the number of parts increases and the structure becomes more complicated due to the attachment of this intermediate header member. Furthermore, there is a problem that the number of assembly operations increases due to the attachment of the intermediate header member, resulting in a decrease in production efficiency.

This invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a heat exchanger that uses laminated material and can reduce the number of parts and assembly operations, simplify the structure, and improve production efficiency.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following:

[1] A heat exchanger having an exterior body in which a skin is formed of a laminate material in which a resin layer is laminated on at least one side of a metal heat transfer layer,
The exterior body is divided into an intermediate connecting portion, a one-side heat transfer portion provided on one side of the intermediate connecting portion, and an other-side heat transfer portion provided on the other side of the intermediate connecting portion,
The one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion are arranged in parallel with each other at a distance via the intermediate connecting portion formed in a bent shape,
A heat exchanger characterized in that a heat exchange medium flowing in from an inlet/outlet of the one-side heat transfer section flows through the one-side heat transfer section, the intermediate connecting section, and the other-side heat transfer section, and flows out from the inlet/outlet of the other-side heat transfer section.

[2] A heat exchanger as described in the preceding paragraph 1, in which a spacer is provided inside the intermediate connection section to ensure the internal flow path cross-sectional area.

[3] A heat exchanger as described in the preceding paragraph 2, in which the spacer is joined to at least the outer skin of a pair of skins facing each other in the exterior body of the intermediate connection part.

[4] A heat exchanger as described in paragraph 3 above, in which the spacer is not joined to the inner skin of the pair of skins.

[5] A heat exchanger according to any one of paragraphs 2 to 4 above, in which the spacer is disposed over the entire area of the intermediate connection in the heat exchange medium flow direction.

[6] Inner fins are provided inside the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion,
the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion are joined to the inner fin,
A heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein a non-jointed portion is provided at an edge of the inner fin on the side of the intermediate connecting portion, which is not joined to an inner skin portion of a pair of skin portions facing each other in the exterior body of the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion.

[7] A heat exchanger according to any one of paragraphs 2 to 6 above, in which at least the inner skin of a pair of skins facing each other in the exterior body of the intermediate connection part is provided with a loosened deformation portion in which a part of the skin is loosened and bulges inward.

[8] A step of preparing a semi-finished product having an exterior body in which a skin portion is formed of a laminate material in which a resin layer is laminated on at least one surface of a metal heat transfer layer, and which is formed into a flat panel shape;
a step of dividing the exterior body in the semi-finished product into an intermediate connecting portion, a one-side heat transfer portion provided on one side of the intermediate connecting portion, and an other-side heat transfer portion provided on the other side of the intermediate connecting portion, and arranging the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion in parallel with a gap between them by bending the intermediate connecting portion,
A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger, characterized in that a heat exchanger is manufactured in which a heat exchange medium flowing in from an inlet/outlet of the one-side heat transfer section flows through the one-side heat transfer section, the intermediate connecting section, and the other-side heat transfer section and flows out from the outer casing.

According to the heat exchanger of invention [1], the two heat transfer sections are arranged approximately parallel to each other via the bent intermediate connecting section, and therefore the two heat transfer sections are connected in communication with each other via the intermediate connecting section. As a result, while using both heat transfer sections as heat exchangers, there is no need to attach an intermediate header member or the like separately to connect the two heat transfer sections in communication with each other, which reduces the number of parts and simplifies the structure. Furthermore, when manufacturing the heat exchanger, there is no need to assemble a separate part such as an intermediate header member, which reduces the number of assembly steps and improves production efficiency.

According to the heat exchanger of the invention [2], a spacer is placed inside the intermediate connection, so that the flow passage of the bent intermediate connection can be made wide, good flow characteristics can be obtained, and high heat exchange performance can be reliably obtained.

According to the heat exchanger of the invention [3], the spacer is bonded to at least the outer skin, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the spacer from shifting out of position, and it is possible to more reliably obtain good flow characteristics.

According to the heat exchanger of the invention [4], the inner skin and the spacer at the intermediate connection are not joined, so that the inner skin can be folded into the desired shape without being affected by the spacer, etc., ensuring a predetermined flow path and further improving the flow characteristics of the heat exchange medium.

According to the heat exchanger of the invention [5], since spacers are provided throughout the entire intermediate connection, it is possible to reliably ensure good flow passages throughout the entire intermediate connection, and it is possible to obtain good flow characteristics even more reliably.

According to the heat exchanger of the invention [6], the edge of the inner fin on the side of the intermediate connection part forms a non-contact part that is not joined to the inner skin part, so that the bending stress can be prevented from concentrating on the contact part between the inner skin part and the edge of the inner fin, and the stress can be dispersed, damage to the skin part can be prevented, and durability can be improved.

According to the heat exchanger of the invention [7], the loosened deformation portion formed on the inner skin of the bent intermediate connection portion is formed to bulge inward, which more reliably prevents the loosened deformation portion from blocking the flow passage, and further improves the flow characteristics.

According to the method for manufacturing a heat exchanger of the invention [8], the manufacturing process for the heat exchanger described above is specified, so that a heat exchanger having the above-mentioned effects can be reliably manufactured.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the heat exchanger of the first embodiment in a state before being folded, FIG. 2(a) being a plan view and FIG. 2(b) being a sectional view. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the periphery of an intermediate joint in a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a spacer employed in the heat exchanger of the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the periphery of an intermediate joint in a heat exchanger according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a spacer employed in the heat exchanger of the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the periphery of an intermediate joint in a heat exchanger according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a spacer employed in a heat exchanger according to the fourth embodiment in a state before being folded.

First Embodiment
1 and 2 are diagrams showing a heat exchanger P1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in both figures, the heat exchanger P1 according to the first embodiment is used for cooling an automobile battery device or the like as a heat exchange target member (cooling target member) B, and is formed by folding a semi-finished product (pre-finished product) 1 for making a heat exchanger, which has a rectangular shape in a plan view as shown in Fig. 2, in half as shown in Fig. 1.

The semi-finished product 1 has a bag-shaped exterior body 2 as a casing. The exterior body 2 as the semi-finished product 1 has a long and narrow flat panel shape, and is formed by joining together the outer periphery of a pair of skin films (skin parts) 2a, 2b made of a laminate material by heat fusion.

In this embodiment, the laminate material comprises a heat transfer layer made of metal foil and resin layers made of thermoplastic resin laminated and integrated on both sides of the heat transfer layer. The metal constituting the heat transfer layer is not particularly limited, but aluminum (including its alloys) and the like can be preferably used. Furthermore, the resin constituting the resin layer is not particularly limited, but polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene can be preferably used.

The laminate material used in the present invention may have a two or more layer structure in which a resin layer is formed on at least one side of the heat transfer layer, and may have a three-layer structure as in this embodiment, or a four or more layer structure.

In this embodiment, the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the outer casing 2 of the semi-finished product 1 is configured as an intermediate connecting part 22, and on one side of the intermediate connecting part 22 (e.g., the left side in FIG. 2) it is configured as a one-side heat transfer panel 21 that is a one-side heat transfer part, and on the other side (e.g., the right side in FIG. 2) it is configured as a other-side heat transfer panel 21 that is a other-side heat transfer part. Needless to say, in this embodiment, the right side in FIG. 2 may be configured as the one-side heat transfer panel 21, and the left side as the other-side heat transfer panel 21.

In addition, at both ends of the upper skin film 2b in FIG. 2 at both ends of the exterior body 1, in other words, at the ends of the heat transfer panels 21, 21 on both sides, there are entrances 25, 25.

Inside both heat transfer panels 21, 21, header members 3, 3 are provided corresponding to the entrances and exits 25, 25, respectively. The header members 3, 3 each have a pipe section 31, 31 that is integrally molded so as to protrude upward through the entrances and exits 25, 25 in the semi-finished product 1 state, and an opening section 32, 32 that opens toward the intermediate connecting section 22 side within the heat transfer panel 21, 21. The pipe section 31 and the opening section 32 are connected to the hollow section inside the header member 3, and the tip of the pipe section 31 is open to the outside of the semi-finished product 1 (heat exchanger P1), and the opening section 32 is open inside the heat transfer panel 21.

The header member 3 is made of a molded hard synthetic resin, and the contact area between the outer periphery of the header member 3 and the exterior body 2 is bonded together by thermal fusion, so that the header member 3 is fixed to the exterior body 2.

An inner fin 4 serving as an inner core material is housed between the header member 3 and the intermediate connection portion 22 within the heat transfer panel 21 of the exterior body 2.

The inner fin 4 is made of a laminate material similar to the laminate material that constitutes the exterior body 2. In other words, the inner fin 4 is made of a molded product in which the laminate material is shaped into a corrugated shape. This corrugated inner fin 4 is arranged so that its valley and peak directions are aligned with the left-right direction in FIG. 1, and the peak and valley bottom surfaces are bonded and integrated to the upper and lower skin films 2a, 2b by thermal fusion, thereby fixing the inner fin 4 to the exterior body 2.

In the semi-finished product 1 having the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 1, the intermediate connection portion 22 is bent into a U-shape, and the one-side heat transfer panel 21 is folded back so as to face the other-side heat transfer panel 21. This forms the heat exchanger P1 of the first embodiment in which the one-side heat transfer panel 21 and the other-side heat transfer panel 21 are arranged in parallel (side by side) with a gap between them via the bent intermediate connection portion 22.

In the heat exchanger P1 of this configuration, for example, a member to be cooled B, such as a battery device, is placed between the two heat exchange panels 21 when used. That is, in this state, a heat exchange medium (refrigerant) such as cooling water flows into the header member 3 on one side through the pipe section 31, and the cooling water flows into the heat transfer panel 21 on one side from the opening 32. After passing through the heat transfer panel 21 on one side, the cooling water flows into the heat transfer panel 21 on the other side through the intermediate connection section 22. After passing through the heat transfer panel 21 on the other side, the cooling water flows into the header member 3 on the other side through the opening 32, and then flows out to the outside through the pipe section 31.

In this way, the cooling water is circulated within the heat exchanger P1, and heat is exchanged between the circulating cooling water and the member to be cooled B, which is placed in contact with both heat transfer panels 21, 21, thereby cooling the member to be cooled B.

The heat exchanger P1 of this embodiment can also be used in a multiple parallel arrangement. That is, in multiple heat exchangers P1 arranged in parallel with a gap between them, the cooling target B is arranged between the heat transfer panels 21, 21 of each heat exchanger P1 as described above, while the cooling target B is arranged between the heat transfer panels 21, 21 facing each other between adjacent heat exchangers P1. In this way, the heat transfer panels 21 and the cooling target B can be arranged alternately in large numbers, and in this state, cooling water can be circulated through each heat transfer panel 21 as described above to cool the cooling target B.

As described above, according to the heat exchanger P1 of this embodiment, the exterior body 2 as the semi-finished product 1 is divided into the intermediate connection part 22 and the heat transfer panels 21, 21 on both sides thereof, and the intermediate connection part 22 is folded to form a structure in which a pair of heat transfer panels 21, 21 functioning as heat exchange members (heat exchangers) are connected in communication with each other via the intermediate connection part 22. Therefore, there is no need to separately attach an intermediate header member for a refrigerant U-turn to connect the heat transfer panels 21, 21 on both sides, which reduces the number of parts and simplifies the structure. Furthermore, there is no need to assemble separate parts such as intermediate header members when manufacturing the heat exchanger P1, which reduces the number of assembly operations and improves production efficiency.

In the above embodiment, the case where the two skin films 2a, 2b of the exterior body 2 are joined and fixed together, and the exterior body 2 is joined and fixed to the header member 3 and the inner fin 4, is described as an example of welding and joining by heat fusion. However, the present invention is not limited to heat fusion, and welding (fusion) may be performed using a solvent, or adhesive may be used for adhesive joining. Furthermore, these joining methods can also be used when joining the exterior body 2 and the spacer 5, as described in the second to fourth embodiments below.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the periphery of an intermediate connecting portion 22 of a heat exchanger P2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a spacer 5 employed in the heat exchanger P2 of the second embodiment.

As shown in both figures, in the heat exchanger P2 of the second embodiment, the spacer 5 ensures sufficient flow cross-sectional area in the intermediate connection portion 22, improving the flow characteristics of the cooling water and improving heat exchange performance (cooling performance).

That is, in the heat exchanger P1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, of the pair of skin films 2a, 2b (on both sides) of the exterior body 2 that constitute the intermediate connection portion 22, the skin film 2a arranged on the inside is shorter in distance (dimension) than the skin film 2b arranged on the outside, so that, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 1, the inner skin film 2a may slacken outward, and the slackened deformation portion 23 may approach the outer skin film 2b side, closing the refrigerant flow passage between the pair of skin films 2a, 2b. If the flow passage is closed in this way, the flow characteristics of the coolant may deteriorate, and the heat exchange performance may decrease.

Therefore, in the heat exchanger P2 of the second embodiment, in order to prevent the flow passage in the intermediate connection portion 22 from being closed, a spacer 5 is interposed between the pair of skin films 2a, 2b to ensure a large cross-sectional area of the flow passage.

As shown in FIG. 4, in this second embodiment, the spacer 5 is made of a molded hard synthetic resin formed into a spiral coil (spring) shape.

As shown in FIG. 3, the spacer 5 is housed in the intermediate connection portion 22 of the exterior body 2, and is heat-sealed and joined to the outer skin film 2b of the pair of skin films 2a, 2b, and fixed to the exterior body 2. The spacer 5 is housed and fixed in the intermediate connection portion 22 in the state of the semi-finished product 1 before the exterior body 2 is folded (see FIG. 2), and the semi-finished product 1 with the spacer attached is folded to produce the heat exchanger P2 (the same applies to the third embodiment below).

The other configurations of the heat exchanger P2 of this second embodiment are substantially similar to those of the heat exchanger P1 of the first embodiment described above, so the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals and duplicate explanations are omitted.

The heat exchanger P2 of this second embodiment can achieve the same effects as the heat exchanger P1 of the first embodiment.

Furthermore, in the heat exchanger P2 of the second embodiment, a spacer 5 is placed inside the intermediate connection portion 22 to ensure a wide flow passage in the intermediate connection portion 22, which prevents problems such as the flow passage in the intermediate connection portion 22 being closed due to bending, provides good flow characteristics, and ensures high heat exchange performance.

In the heat exchanger P2 of the second embodiment, the spacer 5 is welded only to the outer skin film 2b of the pair of skin films 2a, 2b in the intermediate connection portion 22, and the inner skin film 2a is not welded or otherwise attached to the outer skin film 2b, leaving it in an unbonded state (unfixed state), so that the inner skin film 2a is not constrained by the spacer 5 and is free to move. This allows the intermediate connection portion 22 to be formed into the desired bent shape.

In other words, the inner skin film 2a at the intermediate connection portion 22 that is bent is significantly displaced relative to the spacer 5 due to slackness, etc., so if the inner skin film 2a is welded and fixed to the spacer 5, the influence of the spacer 5 will prevent the inner skin film 2a from deforming smoothly, which may make it difficult to bend the inner skin film 2a into the desired shape.

In this embodiment, the inner skin film 2a and the spacer 5 are not joined together, so that the inner skin film 2a can be freely deformed regardless of the presence of the spacer 5, and the inner skin film 2a can be folded into a desired shape. Therefore, the intermediate connection portion 22 can be formed into a good folded shape, and the flow characteristics of the cooling water can be further improved.

The spacer 5 is fixed to the outer skin film 2b by welding, so that the spacer 5 can be reliably prevented from shifting out of position, and good flow characteristics can be obtained more reliably.

However, in the present invention, the spacer 5 may be welded to both the inner and outer skin films 2a, 2b, or may be welded only to the inner skin film 2a, or may be left unwelded to neither of the skin films 2a, 2b (the same applies to the third and fourth embodiments described below).

Third Embodiment
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the periphery of an intermediate connecting portion 22 of a heat exchanger P3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a spacer 6 employed in the heat exchanger P3 of the third embodiment.

As shown in both figures, in the heat exchanger P3 of the third embodiment, the shape of the spacer 6 is different from that of the spacer 5 of the second embodiment.

That is, the spacer 6 employed in this third embodiment is made of a synthetic resin molded product having a mountain-shaped cross section (an inverted U-shape). Furthermore, this spacer 6 has a number of openings 61 formed at predetermined intervals along the mountain direction (along the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 5).

When this spacer 6 is housed in the intermediate connection portion 22 of the exterior body 2, it is heat-welded only to the outer skin film 2b of the pair of skin films 2a, 2b, and fixed to the exterior body 2.

The other configurations of the heat exchanger P3 of this third embodiment are substantially similar to those of the heat exchanger P2 of the second embodiment described above, so the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals and duplicate explanations are omitted.

The heat exchanger P3 of the third embodiment can achieve the same effects as the heat exchanger P2 of the second embodiment.

In the second and third embodiments, the case where one spacer 5, 6 is arranged at the middle position of the intermediate connection part 22 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. A plurality of spacers 5, 6 may be arranged in a line along the refrigerant flow direction of the intermediate connection part 22. In this case, the spacers 5, 6 are formed over a wide range of the bent part of the intermediate connection part 22, so that the same effect as the fourth embodiment described below can be obtained.

Fourth Embodiment
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the intermediate connecting portion 22 of a heat exchanger P4 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an oblique view showing the spacer 7 used in the heat exchanger P4 according to the fourth embodiment in a state before bending deformation.

As shown in both figures, in the heat exchanger P4 of the fourth embodiment, the spacer 7 is arranged over the entire area of the intermediate connection portion 22 in the refrigerant flow direction.

The spacer 7 is made of a synthetic resin molded product having a corrugated shape. Furthermore, the spacer 7 has a number of openings 61 formed at predetermined intervals along the crest direction (valley direction) in the rising portion between the crest and valley bottom.

The spacer 7 is housed in the intermediate connection portion 22 of the exterior body 2. At this time, the crest direction (valley direction) of the spacer 7 is arranged so as to be perpendicular to the crest direction (valley direction) of the inner fin 4, and is arranged over the entire area of the bent intermediate connection portion 22.

The outer side of the bent portion of the spacer 7 is heat-sealed and joined only to the outer skin film 2b of the pair of skin films 2a, 2b at the intermediate connection portion 22. The inner skin film 2a is not joined to the inner side of the bent portion of the spacer 7, and is free and unconstrained.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the edge of the inner fin 4 on the side of the intermediate connection portion 22 is provided with a non-jointed portion (non-fixed portion) 41 that is not joined by welding or the like to the inner skin film 2a of the pair of skin films 2a, 2b of both heat transfer panels 21, 21, and at the non-jointed portion 41, the skin film 2a is not restrained by the inner fin 4 and is in a free state.

In addition, in the heat exchanger P4 of this embodiment, the inner skin film 2a at the folded intermediate connection portion 22 is formed with a slack deformation portion 24 that bulges inward due to its slackness.

As with the above, in the heat exchanger P4 of the fourth embodiment, the header member 3, inner fin 4, and spacer 7 are housed in the exterior body 2 at the stage of the flat panel-shaped semi-finished product 1 (see FIG. 2), and the required parts are welded and fixed. Then, the semi-finished product 1 is folded together with the spacer 7 at the intermediate connection part 22, thereby producing the heat exchanger P4 of the fourth embodiment.

The rest of the configuration of the heat exchanger P4 in this fourth embodiment is substantially similar to the above embodiments, so the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals and duplicate explanations are omitted.

The heat exchanger P4 of this fourth embodiment can achieve the same effects as the above embodiments.

Furthermore, in the heat exchanger P4 of the fourth embodiment, the spacer 7 is disposed over the entire area of the intermediate connection portion 22, which further improves the flow characteristics of the refrigerant.

That is, as shown by the imaginary lines in FIG. 3, in the portion of the intermediate connection portion 22 where the spacer 5 is not installed, the inner skin film 2a may become loose and the loosened deformation portion 23 may be positioned close to the outer skin film 2b, which may block part of the flow passage and reduce the flow characteristics of the refrigerant.

Therefore, in this embodiment, by installing spacers 5 over the entire intermediate connection section (bend section) 22, a large flow passage cross section can be ensured over the entire intermediate connection section 22, and good flow characteristics can be obtained more reliably.

In addition, in the fourth embodiment of the heat exchanger P4, the loosened deformation portion 24 formed in the inner skin film 2a at the folded intermediate connection portion 22 is formed to bulge inward, which more reliably prevents the loosened deformation portion 24 from blocking the refrigerant flow passage, thereby further improving the flow characteristics.

In addition, in the heat exchanger P4 of the fourth embodiment, a non-jointed portion 41 that is not welded to the inner skin film 2a of both heat transfer panels 21, 21 is formed on the edge of the inner fin 4 on the side of the intermediate connection portion 22, so that defects such as scratches on the inner skin film 2a due to the edge of the inner fin 4 can be reliably prevented.

In other words, when the edge of the inner fin 4 is welded to the inner skin film 2a, bending the intermediate connection portion 22 will concentrate bending stress at the contact point between the inner skin film 2a and the edge of the inner fin, damaging the skin film 2a at that contact point, which may result in liquid leakage and reduced durability.

In this embodiment, therefore, a non-contact portion 41 that is not joined to the inner skin film 2a is formed at the edge of the inner fin 4. This prevents bending stress from concentrating at the contact portion between the inner skin film 2a and the edge of the inner fin when the intermediate connecting portion 22 is bent, dispersing the stress, preventing damage to the skin film 2a and improving durability.

In the above embodiment, the heat exchanger of the present invention is used as a cooler, but this is not limited to this. The heat exchanger employed in the present invention can also be used as a heating device (heater).

The heat exchanger connection structure of this invention can be suitably used as a cooling device for cooling heat generating elements such as battery devices for driving electric motors used in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, etc.

1: Semi-finished product 2: Exterior body 2a: Inner skin film (inner skin part)
2b: Outer skin film (outer skin part)
21: Heat transfer panel 22: Intermediate joint portion 24: Loosening deformation portion 25: Inlet/outlet 4: Inner fin 41: Non-jointed portion 5 to 7: Spacers P1 to P4: Heat exchanger

Claims (8)

A heat exchanger having an exterior body in which a skin is formed of a laminate material in which a resin layer is laminated on at least one side of a metal heat transfer layer,
The exterior body is divided into an intermediate connecting portion, a one-side heat transfer portion provided on one side of the intermediate connecting portion, and an other-side heat transfer portion provided on the other side of the intermediate connecting portion,
The one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion are arranged in parallel with each other at a distance via the intermediate connecting portion formed in a bent shape,
The heat exchange medium flowing in from the inlet/outlet of the one-side heat transfer portion flows through the one-side heat transfer portion, the intermediate connection portion, and the other-side heat transfer portion, and flows out from the inlet/outlet of the other-side heat transfer portion ,
a spacer is provided inside the intermediate connection portion to ensure a flow passage cross-sectional area therein;
Inner fins are provided inside the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion,
the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion are joined to the inner fin,
A heat exchanger characterized in that a non-jointed portion is provided at the edge of the inner fin on the intermediate connecting portion side, the non-jointed portion being not joined to an inner skin portion of a pair of skin portions facing each other in the outer casing of the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion. 2. A heat exchanger as described in claim 1, wherein at least the inner skin portion of a pair of opposing skin portions in the outer casing of the intermediate connecting portion has a loosened deformation portion in which a portion of the skin portion loosens and bulges inward. A heat exchanger having an exterior body in which a skin is formed of a laminate material in which a resin layer is laminated on at least one side of a metal heat transfer layer,
The exterior body is divided into an intermediate connecting portion, a one-side heat transfer portion provided on one side of the intermediate connecting portion, and an other-side heat transfer portion provided on the other side of the intermediate connecting portion,
The one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion are arranged in parallel with each other at a distance via the intermediate connecting portion formed in a bent shape,
The heat exchange medium flowing in from the inlet/outlet of the one-side heat transfer portion flows through the one-side heat transfer portion, the intermediate connection portion, and the other-side heat transfer portion, and flows out from the inlet/outlet of the other-side heat transfer portion ,
a spacer is provided inside the intermediate connection portion to ensure a flow passage cross-sectional area therein;
A heat exchanger characterized in that at least the inner skin portion of a pair of opposing skin portions in the outer casing of the intermediate connecting portion is provided with a loosened deformation portion in which a portion of the skin portion loosens and bulges inward. 4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is joined to at least an outer skin portion of a pair of skin portions facing each other in the exterior body of the intermediate connector. 5. The heat exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein the spacer is not joined to an inner surface of the pair of skin portions. 6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is disposed over the entire area of the intermediate connection portion in the heat exchange medium flow direction. A step of producing a semi-finished product having an exterior body in which a skin portion is formed of a laminate material in which a resin layer is laminated on at least one surface of a metal heat transfer layer, and the semi-finished product is formed in a flat panel shape;
a step of dividing the exterior body in the semi-finished product into an intermediate connecting portion, a one-side heat transfer portion provided on one side of the intermediate connecting portion, and an other-side heat transfer portion provided on the other side of the intermediate connecting portion, and arranging the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion in parallel with a gap between them by bending the intermediate connecting portion,
The heat exchange medium flowing in from an inlet/outlet of the one-side heat transfer portion flows through the one-side heat transfer portion, the intermediate connection portion, and the other-side heat transfer portion, and flows out from the exterior body ,
a spacer is provided inside the intermediate connection portion to ensure a flow passage cross-sectional area therein;
Inner fins are provided inside the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion,
the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion are joined to the inner fin,
A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger, characterized in that a heat exchanger is manufactured in which a non-jointed portion is provided at the edge of the inner fin on the intermediate connecting portion side, which is not joined to an inner skin portion of a pair of skin portions facing each other in the outer casing of the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion. A step of producing a semi-finished product having an exterior body in which a skin portion is formed of a laminate material in which a resin layer is laminated on at least one surface of a metal heat transfer layer, and the semi-finished product is formed in a flat panel shape;
a step of dividing the exterior body in the semi-finished product into an intermediate connecting portion, a one-side heat transfer portion provided on one side of the intermediate connecting portion, and an other-side heat transfer portion provided on the other side of the intermediate connecting portion, and arranging the one-side heat transfer portion and the other-side heat transfer portion in parallel with a gap between them by bending the intermediate connecting portion,
The heat exchange medium flowing in from an inlet/outlet of the one-side heat transfer portion flows through the one-side heat transfer portion, the intermediate connection portion, and the other-side heat transfer portion, and flows out from the exterior body ,
a spacer is provided inside the intermediate connection portion to ensure a flow passage cross-sectional area therein;
A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger, characterized in that a heat exchanger is manufactured in which at least the inner skin part of a pair of opposing skin parts in the outer casing of the intermediate connecting part is provided with a loosened deformation part in which a part of the skin part is loosened and bulges inward .

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