Mechanically assembled heat exchanger of the tube and fin type

Claim 2

A completed and water-tight heat exchanger comprising: a radiator core first assembly comprising a plurality of fins and a plurality of tubes assembled together, with said fins having lateral notches, two collector units each comprising a head box and a tube-plate rigidly connected together, said collector units being located at opposite ends of said radiator core first assembly; mechanical locking means for mechanically locking together the two collector units with said radiator core first assembly therebetween, said mechanical locking means including side flanges having folded portions with the ends of said side flanges coming into abutment against both said collector units and engaged into the lateral notches of said fins, said mechanical locking means further including means placed at a fixed distance with respect to said ends of said flanges, for locking said collector units preventing them from being displaced from the radiator core first assembly.

Claim 3

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the side flanges define means for bracing the two collector units.

Claim 4

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the locking means engaging the tube plate comprise bent-over lugs.

Claim 5

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical locking means comprise projecting hooks formed from said collector units which interlock with louvers projecting from recesses formed in vicinity of ends of the side flanges, said louvers constituting said means placed at a fixed distance with respect to said ends of said flanges.

Claim 6

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical locking means comprise as part of said side flanges side lugs bent over flaps formed by the head box of each collector unit, the tube plate of each head box forming an edge on which bear said side lugs.

Claim 7

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the side flanges are "C" shaped and defined two wings turned toward each other, said wings being engaged into said lateral notches formed in said fins.

Claim 8

A heat exchanger according to claim 1. wherein the head boxes include, on their smaller sides, stirrups and said tube plates include a correspondingly disposed crimping edge, said stirrups projecting beyond said crimping edges and having bent-back side edges on which lugs, formed at the ends of the side flanges, are bent over.

Claim 9

A heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the lugs which are crimped on the bent-back sides of the stirrups cooperate via their bottom portion for retention with the top of the edge on which are crimped the crimping edges of the tube plates.

Claim 10

A heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the bottom of each flange includes a shoulder at the end of each side and wing for supporting the smaller sides of the tube plates, said shoulder being prolongated by a flat segment on the sides on which are formed the lugs crimped onto the bent-back side edges of the stirrup of the header box.

Claim 11

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the flanges include supports formed with means for fixing the heat exchanger to accessories.

Claim 12

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the folded portions formed by the flanges are curved.

Claim 13

A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical locking means comprise an extension of an upstanding edge of the tube plate, and are spaced from said upstanding edge.

Claim 14

A completed and water-tight heat exchanger comprising: a radiator core first assembly comprising a plurality of fins and a plurality of tubes assembled together, with said fins having lateral notches, two collector units each comprising a head box and a tube-plate rigidly connected together, said collector units being located at opposite ends of said radiator core first assembly; and mechanical locking means for mechanically locking together the two collector units with said radiator core first assembly therebetween, said mechanical locking means comprising a pair of side flanges extending along opposite sides of said radiator core first assembly and between said two collector units, each said side flange having lateral folded portions which engage into the lateral notches of said fins and which have ends abutting said collector units, said side flanges further having opposite end portions each of which hooks over and thereby interlocks with a cooperating portion on said collector unit located at a fixed distance with respect to the respective end of said side flange, whereby side collector units are locked together on both sides by said side flanges with said radiator core first assembly therebetween.

Claim 15

A completed and water-tight heat exchanger comprising: a radiator core first assembly comprising a plurality of fins and a plurality of tubes assembled together, with said fins having lateral notches, two collector units each comprising a head box and a tube-plate rigidly connected together, said collector units being located at opposite ends of said radiator core first assembly; and mechanical locking means for mechanically locking together the two collector units with said radiator core first assembly therebetween, said mechanical locking means comprising a pair of side flanges extending along opposite sides of said radiator core first assembly and between said two collector units, each said side flange having lateral folded portions which engage into the lateral notches of said fins and which have ends abutting said collector units, said side flanges further having opposite end portions each of which hooks over and thereby interlocks with a cooperating portion on said collector unit located at a fixed distance with respect to the respective end of said side flange, whereby side collector units are locked together on both sides by said side flanges with said radiator core first assembly therebetween.

Claim 16

A completed and water-tight heat exchanger comprising: a radiator core first assembly comprising a plurality of fins and a plurality of tubes assembled together, with said fins having lateral notches, two collector units each comprising a head box and a tube-plate rigidly connected together, said collector units being located at opposite ends of said radiator core first assembly; and mechanical locking means for mechanically locking together the two collector units with said radiator core first assembly therebetween, said mechanical locking means including a pair of side flanges extending longitudinally between two ends thereof along opposite sides of said radiator core first assembly and between the two collector units, each said side flange having folded lateral portions which engage into the lateral notches of said fins, said folded portions having opposite ends which abut against said collector units thereby fixing a minimum distance between the two collector units, said mechanical locking means further including cooperative interlocking elements on said collector units and the ends of said side flanges, said cooperative interlocking elements being crimped together whereby said collector units are locked together on both sides by said side flanges and prevented from being displaced from the radiator core first assembly located therebetween.

Claim 17

A completed and water-tight heat exchanger comprising: a radiator core first assembly comprising a plurality of fins and a plurality of tubes assembled together, with said fins having lateral notches, two collector units each comprising a head box and a tube-plate rigidly connected together, said collector units being located at opposite ends of said radiator core first assembly; and mechanical locking means for mechanically locking together the two collector units with said radiator core first assembly therebetween, said mechanical locking means including a pair of side flanges extending longitudinally between two ends thereof along opposite sides of said radiator core first assembly and between the two collector units, each said side flange having folded lateral portions which engage into the lateral notches of said fins, said folded portions having opposite ends which abut against said collector units thereby fixing a minimum distance between the two collector units, said mechanical locking means further including cooperative interlocking elements on said collector units and the ends of said side flanges, said cooperative interlocking elements being crimped together whereby said collector units are locked together on both sides by said side flanges and prevented from being displaced from the radiator core first assembly located therebetween.