1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a heat exchanger for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a manifold for use in a plate-fin type evaporator for an automotive vehicle.
2. Disclosure Information
Plate-fin heat exchangers are well known in the art. In these types of heat exchangers, a plurality of elongated plates are joined together, such as through a lamination process to define a plurality of passageways for the movement of a fluid therethrough. Each of the passageways is formed by the inwardly facing surfaces of a pair of joined plates so as to form a flat tube. The interior surfaces of the joined plates generally define a central fluid conducting section. The passageways are interconnected so that a fluid may flow through the plurality of joined plates forming the heat exchanger. As is also known in the art, conductive fin strips are located between outwardly facing surfaces of the pairs of joined plates. Heat exchangers of this type have particular utility as evaporators for air conditioning systems of motor vehicles.
Typically, plate-fin heat exchangers are manufactured by stacking a plurality of individual plates together to form a flat tube and interleaving fin members between each tube. Endsheets are then placed on opposite ends of the heat exchanger to form a heat exchanger core. An inlet and outlet manifold are then inserted into an aperture formed in the endsheet to provide for fluid communication into and out of the evaporator. The core is brazed in a furnace to complete the manufacturing process.
Various types of manifold designs have been proposed for use in a plate-fin type heat exchanger. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,128 discloses a manifold passing through a reinforcing plate which has been brazed to the endsheet of the evaporator. The reinforcing plate and the manifold ate two separate pieces requiring additional brazing therebetween, possibly resulting in leakage if a good braze joint is not formed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,231 discloses a manifold having a flange formed in one end. The flange engages a female coupling member which has been brazed to a reinforcing plate brazed to the endsheet. A male coupling member releasably connects the manifold to the evaporator. The flange provides a seat for an O-ring to provide better sealing of the male and female couplings. The flange is not brazed directly to the endsheet since this would eliminate the releasability of the connection as disclosed in the patent. It would be advantageous to provide a manifold for a heat exchanger which reduces the number of components to be brazed and thus eliminates the need for an additional brazing to be performed on the evaporator and which provides improved rigidity thereto.