Heat exchanger and method of manufacture therefor

Claim 1

A heat exchanger apparatus comprising: a tube having a substantially T-shaped integral attachment appendage, the interior surface of the top of said appendage having substantially pointed flanges formed therein, a plate having a through slot formed therein, and an offset along and adjacent said slot, said attachment appendage being disposed in said slot and offset and of such configuration as to provide a substantially flush surface on the side of the plate opposite the tube, the tube being compressed against the plate, said plate being mechanically deformed around said flanges to enhance the strength of the mechanical bond between the tube and the plate transversely of the tube, the combined unit being bent into a closed compartmental form with the seam bonded to hold the unit in shape.

Claim 3

A method for assembling a tube having an external attachment appendage and a plate for thermal transfer between the tube and plate comprising the steps of extruding a metal tube having an integral attachment appendage along one side thereof with at least one substantially pointed flange formed in a surface thereof opposite the tube, forming at least one slot in and through the plate, sliding the appendage into the slot, and compressing the tube against the plate to mechanibond the plate and the tube, whereby tHe step of compressing tends to deform the plate locally around the flange to enhance the mechanical bond transversely of the tube.

Claim 4

A method for assembling a tube having an external attachment appendage and a plate for thermal transfer between the tube and plate comprising the steps of extruding a metal tube having an integral attachment appendage along one side thereof with at least one substantially pointed flange formed in a surface thereof opposite the tube, forming at least one slot in and through the plate, sliding the appendage into the slot, and compressing the tube against the plate to mechanibond the plate and the tube, whereby tHe step of compressing tends to deform the plate locally around the flange to enhance the mechanical bond transversely of the tube.

Claim 5

A method for assembling a tube having an external attachment appendage and a plate for thermal transfer between the tube and plate comprising the steps of extruding a metal tube having an integral attachment appendage along one side thereof with at least one substantially pointed flange formed in a surface thereof opposite the tube, forming at least one slot in and through the plate sliding the appendage into the slot, and compressing the tube against the plate to mechanically bond the plate and the tube and to form an offset in said plate along and adjacent said slot which receives said appendage so that a substantially flush surface is provided on the side of the plate opposite the tube, whereby the step of compressing tends to deform the plate locally around the flange to enhance the mechanical bond transversely of the tube.

Claim 6

A method for assembling a tube having an external attachment appendage and a plate for thermal transfer between the tube and plate comprising the steps of extruding a metal tube having an integral attachment appendage along one side thereof with at least one substantially pointed flange formed in a surface thereof opposite the tube, forming at least one slot in and through the plate sliding the appendage into the slot, and compressing the tube against the plate to mechanically bond the plate and the tube and to form an offset in said plate along and adjacent said slot which receives said appendage so that a substantially flush surface is provided on the side of the plate opposite the tube, whereby the step of compressing tends to deform the plate locally around the flange to enhance the mechanical bond transversely of the tube.

Claim 10

A method for assembling a tube having an external attachment appendage and a plate for thermal transfer between the tube and plate comprising the steps of: extruding a metallic tube having a T-shaped attachment appendage with at least one substantially pointed flange formed in a surface thereof opposite the tube, bending the tube having a T-shaped attachment appendage, bending the tube into a serpentine configuration having a plurality of curved portions and a plurality of parallel straight portions, trimming the external attachment appendage from the curved portions, forming a plurality of parallel slots in and through a metallic plate of such length and spacing as to correspond to the length and spacing of the straight portions of the tube, offsetting the plate along and adjacent to the slots by at least the thickness of the T-shaped attachment appendage, sliding the atachment appendage segments into the spaced slots and offset portions and compressing the tube against the plate with the plate between the tube and appendage top to provide a mechanical connection between the tube and plate and to further provide a substantially flush surface on the side of the plate opposite the tube whereby the step of compressing tends to deform the plate locally around the flange to enhance the mechanical bond transversely of the tube.

Claim 11

A method for assembling a tube having an external attachment appendage and a plate for thermal transfer between the tube and plate comprising the steps of: extruding a metallic tube having a T-shaped attachment appendage with at least one substantially pointed flange formed in a surface thereof opposite the tube, bending the tube having a T-shaped attachment appendage, bending the tube into a serpentine configuration having a plurality of curved portions and a plurality of parallel straight portions, trimming the external attachment appendage from the curved portions, forming a plurality of parallel slots in and through a metallic plate of such length and spacing as to correspond to the length and spacing of the straight portions of the tube, offsetting the plate along and adjacent to the slots by at least the thickness of the T-shaped attachment appendage, sliding the atachment appendage segments into the spaced slots and offset portions and compressing the tube against the plate with the plate between the tube and appendage top to provide a mechanical connection between the tube and plate and to further provide a substantially flush surface on the side of the plate opposite the tube whereby the step of compressing tends to deform the plate locally around the flange to enhance the mechanical bond transversely of the tube.

Claim 12

A method for assembling a tube and a plate for thermal transfer therebetween wherein the tube has formed therewith an external attachment appendage having at least one substantially pointed flange formed in a surface thereof opposite the tube, the method comprising the steps of: forming at least one slot in and through the plate, forming an offset in the plate along and adjacent to the slot, joining the appendage and slot, and compressing the tube against the plate to provide a mechanical bond between the tube and plate, whereby the step of compressing tends to deform the plate locally around the flange to enhance the mechanical bond transversely of the tube.

Claim 13

A method for assembling a tube and a plate for thermal transfer therebetween wherein the tube has formed therewith an external attachment appendage having at least one substantially pointed flange formed in a surface thereof opposite the tube, the method comprising the steps of: forming at least one slot in and through the plate, forming an offset in the plate along and adjacent to the slot, joining the appendage and slot, and compressing the tube against the plate to provide a mechanical bond between the tube and plate, whereby the step of compressing tends to deform the plate locally around the flange to enhance the mechanical bond transversely of the tube.