Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
In a heat exchanger for use in a refrigerant fluid circuit, said heat exchanger comprising first and second header pipes, each having two closed ends, a plurality of parallel tubes extending between said first and second header pipes at spaced intervals, each tube having first and second open ends extending into the interior of each respective header pipe and being fixedly and hermetically coupled thereto, said header pipes and said tubes being capable of receiving a first fluid, a plurality of fin units disposed between said tubes, said fin units being capable of receiving a second fluid, at least one pipe member linking said heat exchanger to an external element of said refrigerant fluid circuit, said at least one pipe member having one end penetrating and extending into the interior of at least one of said header pipes, said at least one pipe member extending parallel to the direction of flow of the second fluid, the improvement comprising: said pipe member including interference preventing means at said one end thereof for preventing interference between said one end of said pipe member and the open end of at least one tube interior of said at least one header pipe, said pipe member being fixedly and hermetically connected to said at least one header pipe.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
In a heat exchanger for use in a refrigerant fluid circuit, said heat exchanger comprising first and second header pipes, each having two closed ends, a plurality of parallel tubes extending between said first and second header pipes at spaced intervals, each tube having first and second open ends extending into the interior of each respective header pipe and being fixedly and hermetically coupled thereto, said header pipes and said tubes being capable of receiving a first fluid, a plurality of fin units disposed between said tubes, said fin units being capable of receiving a second fluid, at least one pipe member linking said heat exchanger to an external element of said refrigerant fluid circuit, said at least one pipe member having one end penetrating and extending into the interior of at least one of said header pipes, said at least one pipe member extending parallel to the direction of flow of the second fluid, the improvement comprising: said pipe member including interference preventing means at said one end thereof for preventing interference between said one end of said pipe member and the open end of at least one tube interior of said at least one header pipe, said pipe member being fixedly and hermetically connected to said at least one header pipe.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said interference preventing means includes a generally elliptical cylinder having a minor axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said tubes, the minor axis being designed to be of a length shorter than the spaced interval between adjacent tubes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The heat exchanger of claim 2 wherein said pipe member is a generally elliptical cylinder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said interference preventing means includes a cut-out portion formed along a periphery at said one end of said pipe member so that at least one end of said tubes is received therein.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The heat exchanger of claim 4 wherein said pipe member is generally cylindrical.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said interference preventing means includes a first cut-out portion formed along a periphery at said one end of said pipe member and a second cut-out portion, spaced from said first cut-out portion, formed along the periphery at said one end so that each cut-out portion can loosely receive at least one tube end.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
The heat exchanger of claim 6 wherein said tubes are generally flat.