Attachment method between heat exchanger parts

Abstract

A process of connecting a header pipe of a heat exchanger to another heat exchanger part, including the steps of (a) providing a header pipe with a hole in its side and cladding material about its circumference, and a part with a groove with flux applied to the portion of the part to be joined to the header pipe, (b) positioning the header pipe and the part to align the header pipe hole and part groove, (c) inserting a rivet into the aligned header pipe hole and part groove, (d) locating a supporting rod in the header pipe and aligned with the rivet, and (e) hammering the part to warp the head of the rivet against the supporting rod and widen the circumference of the rivet in the hole and groove.

1 . A process of connecting a header pipe of a heat exchanger to another heat exchanger part, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a header pipe with a hole in its side and cladding material about its circumference, and a part with a groove with flux applied to the portion of the part to be joined to the header pipe;    positioning the header pipe and the part to align the header pipe hole and part groove;    inserting a rivet into the aligned header pipe hole and part groove;    locating a supporting rod in the header pipe and aligned with the rivet; and    hammering the part to warp the head of the rivet against the supporting rod and widen the circumference of the rivet in the hole and groove.    
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said hammering step also compresses the rim of the header pipe hole.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the supporting rod has a curved surface at its contacting point to the rivet during the hammering step.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein before the hammering step, ⅕ to ½ of the length of the rivet is in the part groove.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the depth of the part groove is in the range of ⅕-½ of the entire length of the rivet before the hammering step.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the rivet is one of a plain rivet, a round headed rivet and a rivet with knurling on the end in the part groove.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the rivet is round headed, and the supporting rod has a concave groove corresponding to the rivet round head at the portion that contacts the head of the rivet during the hammering step.  
   
   
       8 . A process of connecting a header pipe of a heat exchanger to another heat exchanger part, comprising the steps of: 
 forming 
 a hole in the header pipe with cladding material about the hole circumference, and  
 a groove in the part with flux applied to the portion of the part to be joined to the header pipe;  
   aligning the header pipe hole and the part groove with a rivet inserted in the aligned header pipe hole and part groove;    locating a supporting rod in the header pipe; and    hammering the part to warp the head of the rivet against the supporting rod and widen the circumference of the rivet in the hole and groove.