Heat exchanger for motor vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed is a heat exchanger for motor vehicles, comprising two spaced-apart manifold devices ( 10, 12 ) and several connecting tubes ( 14 a , 14 b , 16 a , 16 b ). Said connecting tubes ( 14 a , 14 b , 16 a , 16 b ) are disposed so as to form two rows of tubes ( 30 a , 30 b ) which are located next to each other, are penetrated in parallel by the first medium, and are respectively formed by several connecting tubes ( 14 a , 14 b , 16 a , 16 b ) that succeed each other in the longitudinal direction ( 10 a , 10 b ) of the manifold devices ( 10, 12 ). The direction of flow of the first medium is deflected at least once between the two manifold devices ( 10, 12 ) in each of the rows of tubes ( 30 a , 30 b ) while the number of changes in the direction of flow between the manifold devices ( 10, 12 ) is identical in the rows of tubes ( 30 a , 30 b ).

1 . A heat exchanger for motor vehicles, in particular a cooler for cooling coolant for a heating or air conditioning system of a motor vehicle, having an inlet opening and an outlet opening for a first medium such as a coolant, a plurality of header tubes which form two header tube devices which are spaced apart, and having
 a plurality of connecting tubes which are arranged between these header tube devices and, in order to form a fluidic connection between the two header tube devices open with, in each case, one of their ends into the one header tube device and with their other end into the other header tube device;   these connecting tubes being arranged in such a way that they form at least two rows of tubes through which the first medium can flow in parallel and which are respectively formed by a plurality of connecting tubes which follow one another in the longitudinal direction of the header tube devices and between which intermediate spaces are respectively formed for a through-flow of air,   at least one of the header tube devices acting as a deflecting device in such a way that the flow direction of the first medium is deflected at least once between the two header tube devices in each of the rows of tubes,   wherein   the number of changes in the flow directions between the header tube devices in the rows of tubes is identical.   
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , having
 an inlet opening and an outlet opening for a first medium such as a coolant, a plurality of header tubes which form two header tube devices which are spaced apart, and having   a plurality of connecting tubes which are arranged between these header tube devices and, in order to form a fluidic connection between the two header tube devices open with, in each case, one of their ends into the one header tube device and with their other end into the other header tube device;   these connecting tubes being arranged in such a way that they form at least two rows of tubes through which the first medium can flow in parallel and which are respectively formed by a plurality of connecting tubes which follow one another in the longitudinal direction of the header tube devices and between which intermediate spaces are respectively formed for a through-flow of air,   at least one of the header tube devices acting as a deflecting device in such a way that the flow direction of the first medium is deflected at least once between the two header tube devices in each of the rows of tubes,   wherein   when the first medium enters the first header tube device it is divided into two partial flows to the connecting tubes, in particular flat tubes, of the first row of tubes and of the second row of tubes.   
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the header tube devices has different header tubes for different rows of connecting tubes. 
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein   a first component heat exchanger and a second component heat exchanger which each have:
 an inlet opening and outlet opening; 
 two header tubes which are spaced apart; and 
 a plurality of connecting tubes which follow one another in the longitudinal direction of the header tubes and which, in order to form flow connections between the header tubes open, in each case with one of their ends into the one header tube and with the other end into the other header tube, connecting tubes which follow one another in the longitudinal direction of the header tube being spaced apart from one another forming a respective intermediate space for an airflow which flows transversely with respect to the connecting tubes, and at least one of the two header tubes acting as a deflector device so that various groups of connecting tubes through which there can be respective parallel flows are connected in series so that a first medium, such as a coolant, can flow through them in succession in opposite directions, 
   the flow routing of this first component heat exchanger and of this second component heat exchanger for the first medium, such as a coolant, being of essentially identical embodiment between the respective inlet opening and the respective outlet opening, and on the one hand the inlet openings of these component heat exchangers being connected, and on the other hand the outlet openings of these component heat exchangers being connected, and specifically in such a way that the first medium can flow in parallel through these component heat exchangers.   
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the component heat exchangers are of essentially identical embodiment. 
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the connecting tubes are each embodied as flat tubes, with preferably the two respective end regions of the flat tubes being rotated, specifically particularly preferably through 90° in each case, in relation to a respective region lying between these two end regions. 
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the flat tubes each open with their rotated end regions into a header tube, the relatively long sides of the cross section which are formed in the cross section of the connecting tubes considered perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the connecting tube enclosing, in the junction regions, an angle with the longitudinal axes of the header tubes or header tube devices which is smaller than 80°, these relatively long sides preferably being oriented parallel to the longitudinal axes in the junction regions. 
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the component heat exchangers and/or rows of tubes are arranged adjacently. 
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger for motor vehicles as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein ribs are respectively arranged in the intermediate spaces for a through-flow of air. 
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the header tube devices are respectively formed by a plurality of header tubes with the circular or virtually circular internal cross section. 
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein dividing walls are provided in the header tubes by at least one of the header tube devices, specifically in particular dividing walls which divide regions of the interior of the respective header tube in the longitudinal direction of the header tubes. 
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a thermal separation is provided between adjacent connecting tubes through which there can be a flow in opposite directions, said thermal separation being formed in particular by an enlarged distance between these connecting tubes compared to the distance between other adjacent connecting tubes of the same row of connecting tubes or of the same component heat exchanger. 
   
   
       13 . A device for heating and/or air conditioning the passenger cell of a motor vehicle, wherein the device has a heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 . 
   
   
       14 . A motor vehicle having a passenger cell and a device for heating and/or air conditioning this passenger cell wherein the device for heating and/or air conditioning this passenger cell has a heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 .