JP7628907B2 - Radiator connection structure - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a connection structure for a combined heat exchanger that connects multiple radiators.

Conventionally, hybrid vehicles are required to have a radiator for engine cooling water and a radiator for cooling auxiliary equipment. As a structure for arranging these radiators, a structure in which a first radiator 5 and a second radiator 6 are connected vertically as shown in FIG.
These radiators 5, 6 have a bracket 16 attached to the resin tank 1 of the second radiator 6 (the lower side in this example), which is connected to the resin tank 1 of the first radiator 5 (the upper side in this example) via bolts and nuts 15.
The first radiator 5 and the second radiator 6 are attached to a strength member of a vehicle or the like via brackets 14 formed on each of the radiators 5, 6.

However, in the case of the radiator connection structure shown in FIG. 6 , when the bracket 16 is integrally formed with a typical resin tank by injection molding, the molding die must be enlarged to accommodate the bracket 16, and the die structure becomes complicated. In addition, since the bracket 16 is made of resin, it is difficult to ensure its strength and rigidity.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of bolts and nuts 15 are required to restrict up-down, left-right, and front-back movement during connection, which complicates the connection structure of each radiator and also reduces the ease of connection work.

The present invention aims to provide a radiator connection structure that prevents the mold from becoming too large when injection molding a plastic tank, simplifies the structure, ensures the strength and rigidity of the connection structure, simplifies the connection structure, and improves the ease of connection work.

The present invention as set forth in claim 1 comprises a pair of resin tanks 1 disposed opposite to each other,
a core 4 consisting of an assembly of tubes 2 and fins 3 disposed between the pair of resin tanks 1;
A plurality of radiators are formed, each having a
In a connection structure in which adjacent radiators are connected via the resin tank 1,
At least one of the plurality of radiators has a bracket 14 for supporting the radiator on a strength member,
At least one of the plurality of radiators does not have the bracket 14,
The connecting structure includes an insert structure 7 that is integral with the outer surface of each boundary between the resin tank 1 of one radiator and the resin tank 1 of the radiator adjacent to the radiator at an adjacent position of the resin tanks 1 of the radiators, and slides against each other in a first direction (17) to connect the two resin tanks 1;
adjacent to the insertion structure 7, a pair of rail members 8, 9 disposed integrally with the outer surfaces of the resin tank 1 of the one radiator and the resin tank 1 of the radiator adjacent to the one radiator, spaced apart in a second direction (18) perpendicular to the first direction (17), and a clip member 10 bridging between the rail members 8, 9 and slidingly contacting them to connect the adjacent resin tanks 1 in the second direction (18);
The present invention relates to a radiator connection structure.

The present invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1,
The plurality of radiators includes a first radiator 5 and a second radiator 6.
Each of the radiators 5, 6 is of a cross-flow type in which the tubes 2 are arranged horizontally when in the position of use.
The radiators 5, 6 are disposed vertically above and below each other, and are connected at adjacent portions of the resin tanks 1 of the radiators 5, 6 to form a radiator connection structure.

The present invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 2,
The clip member 10 of the rail clip structure 11 has a finger engagement protrusion 12 formed on its surface.
A finger hook 13 is formed on the outer surface of the resin tank 1 opposite the finger engaging projection 12.
In a use state, the finger hook 13 formed on the resin tank 1 of the radiator disposed vertically downward is a connecting structure of the radiator that also serves as a stopper for the clip member 10 .

The invention described in claim 1 comprises an insertion structure 7 that connects the resin tanks 1 of adjacent radiators by sliding them against each other in a first direction 17, and a rail clip structure 11 that connects the two resin tanks 1 together.
This eliminates the need for the conventional bracket 16, suppresses an increase in the size of the mold for the resin tank 1, and simplifies the structure. Furthermore, it is no longer necessary to connect via the bracket 16, making it easier to ensure the strength and rigidity of the connecting structure.
Furthermore, fastening with bolts and nuts 15 is no longer necessary, the connecting structure is simplified, and the ease of connection work is improved.

In the invention described in claim 2, the first radiator 5 and the second radiator 6 are cross-flow type in their usage position, and the radiators 5, 6 are arranged vertically one above the other. By applying the connection structure of the first invention to two cross-flow type radiators arranged vertically, one radiator can be connected by suspending it below or placing it on top of the other radiator, and the one radiator can be properly supported and fixed without the need for a bracket 14.

In the invention described in claim 3, a finger engaging protrusion 12 is formed on the surface of the clip member 10, and a finger hook 13 is formed on the outer surface of the resin tank 1 opposite the finger engaging protrusion 12, thereby improving the ease of connection work.
In addition, when in use, the finger hooks 13 formed on the resin tank 1 of the radiator located vertically below also function as a stopper for the clip member 10, thereby preventing the clip member 10 from shifting out of position and falling off.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the radiator connection structure of the present invention; 2 is an enlarged view of part II in FIG. 1, in which (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in (A). FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main portion of the radiator connection structure of the present invention; FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram showing how to attach the clip member 10 to a pair of upper and lower rail members 8, 9; FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing how to remove the attached clip member 10; FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a connection structure of a conventional radiator.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Figures 1 to 5 show an embodiment of a radiator connection structure of the present invention, with Figure 1 being a front view, Figure 2 being a front view and a side view of the main part and a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of Figure 2(A), Figure 3 being a perspective view of the main part, Figure 4 being an explanatory diagram showing the connection procedure of the embodiment, and Figure 5 being an explanatory diagram for attaching and detaching a clip member 10 in the connection structure.
In each drawing, the Z direction indicates the vertical direction, the X direction indicates the horizontal direction, and the Y direction indicates the direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction.

The radiator connection structure of the present invention connects two or more radiators via an insert structure 7 and a rail clip structure 11.
In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, two radiators, a first radiator 5 and a second radiator 6, are adjacent to each other and connected together.
Each of the radiators 5, 6 has a pair of box-shaped resin tanks 1 each having a bottom surface 1a and a side surface 1b and an opening at one end, and a core 4 disposed between the resin tanks 1. Each of the resin tanks 1 is made of an injection-molded resin body.
The core 4 of each radiator 5, 6 has flat tubes 2 arranged in parallel, and corrugated fins 3 are connected between the outer surfaces of adjacent tubes 2. The tip of each tube 2 is inserted into a header plate. This header plate fits over the opening of each resin tank 1.

1, each of the radiators 5, 6 is a cross-flow type in which the axial direction connecting both open ends of each tube 2 is horizontal when in use. The radiators 5, 6 are disposed above and below the vertical direction.
In this example, brackets 14 are formed on the resin tank 1 of the first radiator 5 located above, and each bracket 14 is supported by a reinforcing member (not shown, for example, a vehicle frame). No brackets 14 are formed on the second radiator 6 located below, and the second radiator 6 is not supported by a reinforcing member.
With this configuration, by forming the bracket 14 on at least one of the multiple radiators, it is possible to accommodate cases where the mounting space for the radiator of the reinforcing member is limited.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the radiator connection structure of the present invention includes a plug-in structure 7 and a rail clip structure 11.
As shown in FIG. 4, the insertion structure 7 is composed of a groove 7a and a protrusion 7b.
In this example, a dovetail-shaped groove 7a is integrally formed on the lower end of the outer surface of the side surface 1b of the resin tank 1 of the first radiator 5. A T-shaped protrusion 7b that fits into the groove 7a is integrally formed on the upper end of the outer surface of the side surface 1b of the resin tank 1 of the second radiator 6.
The grooves 7 a and the ridges 7 b are formed along the Y direction. In this example, the Y direction is the first direction 17.
The protruding strip 7b is inserted into the groove 7a so as to be capable of sliding in the Y direction in FIG.

Next, the rail clip structure 11 has rail members 8, 9 and a clip member 10 arranged at a position perpendicular to the insertion structure 7, as shown in Figs.
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the rail members 8 and 9 in this example are composed of a rail member 8 formed on the lower end of the outer surface side of the bottom surface 1a of the resin tank 1 of the first radiator 5, and a rail member 9 formed on the upper end of the outer surface side of the bottom surface 1a of the resin tank 1 of the second radiator 6.
As shown in FIG. 2C, each of the rail members 8 and 9 has a T-shaped cross section taken along the longitudinal direction of the resin tank 1, and is integrally formed with the bottom surface 1a of the resin tank 1 along the Z direction.
A channel-shaped clip member 10 that matches the T-shape of each rail member 8, 9 is slidably contacted with the rail members 8, 9 so as to be freely insertable and detachable, thereby bridging the gap between the rail members 8, 9.
When the radiators 5, 6 are fixed by the insertion structure 7, the rail surfaces 8a, 9a of the rail members 8, 9 are flush with each other, as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, when the second radiator 6 is positioned vertically downward as in this example, the rail member 9 formed there has a finger hook 13 erected at the lower end of the rail member 9 in the Z direction in a direction perpendicular to the rail surface 9a, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.
In addition, a finger hook 13 for removing the clip member 10 is also provided at a spaced position above the rail member 8 of the resin tank 1 of the first radiator 5 in the Z direction. In this example, the Z direction is the second direction 18.

A clip member 10 that connects the pair of rail members 8, 9 is attached to them so as to be movable up and down. The cross section of the clip member 10 is formed in a dovetail shape that matches the shapes of the rail members 8, 9, as shown in Figures 2(C), 3 and 4. Furthermore, a pair of finger engagement projections 12 are formed on the outer surface 10a of the clip member 10 that comes into sliding contact with each of the rail surfaces 8a, 9a, and are spaced apart in the Z direction.
In a state where the resin tank 1 of the first radiator 5 and the resin tank 1 of the second radiator 6 are fixed by the insertion structure 7 (the state shown in Fig. 5(A)), the rail members 8, 9 are connected by bridging the clip member 10 to them, thereby forming the rail clip structure 11 as shown in Fig. 3. At this time, the finger hook 13 formed on the second radiator 6 functions as a stopper for the clip member 10.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing attachment and detachment of the clip member 10 of the rail clip structure 11. As shown in FIG.
As described above, in order to connect the rail clip structure 11, the resin tank 1 of the first radiator 5 and the resin tank 1 of the second radiator 6 are fixed in advance by the insertion structure 7 as shown in FIG.
Next, as shown in Figure 5(A), while holding the finger engaging protrusion 12 formed on the lower side of the clip member 10 and the finger hook 13 on the second radiator 6 side between the fingers of the hand, the clip member 10 can be lowered in the direction of the arrow in Figure 5(A) (from above to below in the Z direction), thereby connecting as shown in Figure 5(B).

To release the rail clip structure 11, the clip member 10 of the rail clip structure 11 is moved so as to be pulled up in the direction of the arrow (from below to above in the Z direction) as shown in Fig. 5(B) . That is, the clip member 10 is lifted up while holding the finger engagement protrusion 12 formed on the top of the clip member 10 and the finger hook 13 on the first radiator 5 side between the fingers.
Next, to completely release the connection between the first radiator 5 and the second radiator 6, the dovetail 7a and the protruding strip 7b of the insertion structure 7 may be separated.
In addition, the sliding direction of the dovetail groove 7a and the convex rib 7b of the insertion structure 7 (in this example, the Y direction) and the sliding direction of the clip member 10 and the rail member 8 and rail member 9 of the rail clip structure 11 (in this example, the Z direction) are perpendicular to each other.

[Modifications]
The shape of the insertion structure 7 is not limited to the above. For example, the protrusion 7b may be formed in an L-shape, and the groove 7a may be formed to match the protrusion 7b.
Moreover, the ridges 7b and the grooves 7a may be switched upside down.

Also, the second radiator 6 may be placed above and connected to the first radiator 5 .
The rail members 8, 9 and finger hook 13 of the rail clip structure 11 are arranged to match the insertion structure 7. In this case, the rail member 8 is formed at the upper end of the outer surface side of the bottom surface 1a of the resin tank 1 of the first radiator 5, and the rail member 9 is formed at the lower end of the outer surface side of the bottom surface 1a of the resin tank 1 of the second radiator 6. Then, the finger hook 13, which also serves as a stopper, is formed at the lower end of the rail member 8. In addition, the finger hook 13 for removing the clip member 10 is protruded at a spaced position above the rail member 9 of the resin tank 1 of the second radiator 6.

In the above embodiment, the first radiator 5 and the second radiator 6 are arranged in two, one above the other, but it is possible to connect three or more radiators. In that case, three or more plug-in structures 7 and rail clip structures 11 for connecting the radiators are formed.
Also, in this example, a bracket 14 is formed on the first radiator 5 provided on the upper side and fixed to a strength member (not shown) via the bracket 14, but instead, a bracket 14 may be formed on the second radiator 6 and the bracket 14 may be fixed to a strength member.
Furthermore, in this example, in order to arrange the radiator in a cross-flow type, a pair of resin tanks 1 are arranged on the left and right with the longitudinal direction of the tubes 2 parallel to the horizontal direction, but it is also possible to arrange a pair of resin tanks 1 above and below with the longitudinal direction of the tubes 2 perpendicular to the horizontal direction.

The present invention can be used particularly as a structure for connecting, fixing, etc., engine cooling water radiators and auxiliary cooling water radiators in hybrid vehicles.

Reference Signs List 1 Resin tank 1a Bottom surface 1b Side surface 2 Tube 3 Fin 4 Core 5 First radiator 6 Second radiator 7 Insertion structure 7a Groove 7b Convex strip

Reference Signs List 8 Rail member 8a Rail surface 9 Rail member 9a Rail surface 10 Clip member 10a Outer surface 11 Rail clip structure 12 Finger engagement protrusion 13 Finger hook 14 Bracket 15 Bolt and nut 16 Bracket 17 First direction 18 Second direction

Claims (3)

A pair of resin tanks (1) arranged opposite each other;
a core (4) consisting of an assembly of tubes (2) and fins (3) disposed between the pair of resin tanks (1);
A plurality of radiators are formed, each having a
In a connection structure in which adjacent radiators are connected via the resin tank (1),
At least one of the plurality of radiators has a bracket (14) for supporting the radiator on a strength member,
At least one of the plurality of radiators does not have the bracket (14),
The connecting structure includes an insert structure (7) that is integral with an outer surface of each boundary between the resin tank (1) of one radiator and the resin tank (1) of the radiator adjacent thereto at an adjacent position of the resin tanks (1) of the radiators, and that slides against each other in a first direction (17) to connect the two resin tanks (1);
a rail clip structure (11) including a pair of rail members (8) (9) disposed adjacent to the insertion structure (7) and spaced apart in a second direction (18) perpendicular to the first direction (17) integrally with the outer surfaces of the resin tank (1) of the one radiator and the resin tank (1) of the radiator adjacent to the one radiator, and a clip member (10) bridging and sliding between the rail members (8) (9) in the second direction (18) to connect adjacent resin tanks (1);
A radiator connection structure comprising: In the invention according to claim 1,
The plurality of radiators includes a first radiator (5) and a second radiator (6),
Each of the radiators (5) and (6) is of a cross-flow type in which the tubes (2) are arranged horizontally when in the position of use,
The radiators (5) and (6) are arranged vertically one above the other, and are connected at adjacent portions of the resin tanks (1) of the radiators (5) and (6). In the invention according to claim 2,
The clip member (10) of the rail clip structure (11) has a finger locking protrusion (12) formed on its surface,
A finger hook (13) is formed on the outer surface of the resin tank (1) opposite the finger locking protrusion (12),
In a state of use, the finger hook (13) formed on a resin tank (1) of a radiator disposed vertically below serves as a stopper for the clip member (10), thus forming a radiator connecting structure.

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