Tank partition design for integral radiator/condenser

Claim 1

A combination radiator and condenser apparatus for a motor vehicle having a plurality of parallel tube passes for cooling high pressure refrigerant vapor in an air conditioning system for the motor vehicle and for cooling engine coolant having air centers bonded thereto for cooling fluid flow through said parallel tube passes comprising: said parallel tube passes each including a flow tube with aligned segments forming a refrigerant passage and a separate coolant passage; a pair of tank and header units; each of said tanks and header units including a coolant space communicating with said coolant passages for flow of coolant therethrough, and a high pressure refrigerant space for communicating said refrigerant passages with a mechanical refrigerant system for directing refrigerant vapor through said refrigerant passages for condensation therein; an internal partition in each of said tank and header units extending the length thereof to separate said coolant space from said high pressure refrigerant space; air center means connected to each of said aligned flow tube segments for conductively transferring heat from said coolant and said refrigerant vapor, and said internal partition including a gas pocket extending therethrough for reducing thermal conductivity between said coolant space and said refrigerant space.