Curled manifold for evaporator

Abstract

A manifold for use in a heat exchanger assembly and a method of forming the manifold is disclosed herein. The assembly includes an upper manifold defining an interior and having a upper top portion having an upper opening in the center of said upper top portion. A partition is inserted through the upper opening to define a plurality of chambers in the interior. The partition has a plurality of locking tabs and dimples that abut the upper top portion. The method starts with the step of forming the upper manifold defining an interior and having an upper top portion defining an upper opening in the center of the upper top portion. The method continues with the step of dividing the upper manifold to define a plurality of chambers in the interior of the upper manifold and is finalized by joining the partition and the upper manifold through a snap fit.

1 . A manifold assembly for a heat exchanger:
 an upper manifold defining an interior and having a upper top portion and an upper bottom portion;   said upper top portion having an upper opening in the center of said upper top portion;   a partition for insertion through said upper opening for defining a plurality of chambers in the interior of said upper manifold; and   said partition having a plurality of spaced projections and said upper bottom portion having a plurality of spaced upper recesses extending longitudinally straight along a central axis for accepting said projections.   
   
   
       2 . An assembly as set forth in  claim 1  including a plurality of dimples for abutting said upper top portion at the interior of said upper manifold to form a snap fit through said opening. 
   
   
       3 . An assembly as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said partition has a plurality of spaced and alternating locking tabs for abutting said upper top portion at the exterior of said upper manifold. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 3  wherein said dimple has a ramp-like shape when looking at a plane normal to said partition. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said upper bottom portion of said upper manifold define a plurality of spaced upper tube slots. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 5  including a plurality of tubes extending between upper and lower tube ends and parallel and spaced from one another for defining a plurality of air passages there between and said upper tube end of each of said tubes is disposed in one of said upper tube slots of said upper manifold. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 6  including a lower manifold extending in spaced and parallel relationship with said upper manifold and defining a plurality of lower tube slots being spaced and aligned with said upper tube slots and said lower tube ends of each of said tubes extending into corresponding said lower tube slots of said lower manifold to establish fluid communication between said passages of said tubes and said lower manifold. 
   
   
       8 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said tube slots include a plurality of rows of tube slots one on each side of said central axis. 
   
   
       9 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said tubes include a plurality of tube rows one on each side of said central axis and are disposed in said tube slots. 
   
   
       10 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said lower manifold defines an interior and has a lower top portion and a lower bottom portion and wherein said top portions of said manifolds have at least one slot. 
   
   
       11 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 10  including at least one separator for insertion into said slots in said top portions of said manifolds to divide the interior of said manifolds into more than two chambers. 
   
   
       12 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 11  wherein said top portions have a curved shape. 
   
   
       13 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said tubes have a cross-section defining flat sides and round ends. 
   
   
       14 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 13  including an air fin disposed between and brazed to of said tubes and extending between said upper and lower manifolds for dissipating heat from said tubes. 
   
   
       15 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 7  including an end cap disposed on each end of said manifolds. 
   
   
       16 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said partition defines a plurality of holes for conveying refrigerant through said manifold. 
   
   
       17 . A method of forming a manifold assembly for a heat exchanger including the steps of:
 forming an upper manifold defining an interior and having an upper top potion defining an upper opening in the center of the upper top portion and an upper bottom portion defining a plurality of spaced upper tube slots;   dividing the upper manifold to define a plurality of chambers in the interior of the upper manifold; and   joining the partition and the upper manifold.   
   
   
       18 . The method as set forth in  claim 17  further including the step of:
 wherein said joining step includes projecting a dimple from the partition and providing an opening in the upper top portion and elastically forming the opening by sliding the dimple through the opening.   
   
   
       19 . The method as set forth in  claim 18  further including the step of:
 permanently fixing at least one locking tab disposed on the partition to the exterior of the upper top portion of the upper manifold wherein the permanent fixing is further defined as brazing.   
   
   
       20 . The method as set forth in  claim 19  further including the step of:
 forming a plurality of tubes extending between upper and lower tube ends and defining a plurality of air passages there between.   
   
   
       21 . The method as set forth in  claim 20  further including the step of:
 inserting the upper tube end of each tube into one of the upper tube slots of the upper manifold and to establish fluid communication between the passages of the tubes and the chambers of the upper manifold.   
   
   
       22 . The method as set forth in  claim 21  further including the step of:
 forming a lower manifold defining an interior and having an upper top potion defining and an upper bottom portion defining a plurality of spaced upper tube slots aligning with the upper tube slots;   
   
   
       23 . The method as set forth in  claim 22  further including the step of:
 inserting the lower tube end of each of the tubes into the corresponding lower tube slot of the lower manifold to establish fluid communication between the passages of each tube and the lower manifold.   
   
   
       24 . The method as set forth in  claim 23  further including the step of:
 forming an air fin between adjacent tubes to dissipate heat from the tube.   
   
   
       25 . The method as set forth in  claim 24  further including the step of:
 inserting a separator into the top portions for dividing the interior of the manifolds into more than two chambers.   
   
   
       26 . A heat exchanger assembly comprising:
 an upper manifold defining an interior and having an upper top portion and an upper bottom portion;   said top portion having a curved shape and an upper opening in the center of said upper top portion;   a lower manifold being spaced and parallel from said upper manifold;   said upper bottom portion of said upper manifold defining a plurality of spaced upper tube slots;   said lower manifold defining a plurality of spaced lower tube slots;   a plurality of tubes having flat sides and extending between upper and lower tube ends in said upper and lower tube slots and parallel and spaced from one another for defining a plurality of air passages there between;   said tube slots including a plurality of rows of tube slots one on each side of said central axis;   said tubes include a plurality of tube rows disposed in said tube slots to define a plurality of passages;   an air fin disposed between and brazed to said flat sides of said tubes and extending between said upper and lower manifolds for dissipating heat from said tubes;   said lower manifold defining an interior and having a lower top portion and a lower bottom portion and said top portions of said manifolds having at least one slot;   at least one separator for insertion into said slots in said top portions to divide the interior of said manifolds into more than two chambers;   an end cap disposed on each end of said manifolds;   a partition disposed in said upper manifold to define a plurality of chambers in the interior of said upper manifold;   said partition having a plurality of spaced and alternating locking tabs for abutting the top portion at the exterior of said upper manifold and a plurality of spaced dimples for abutting the top portion at the interior of said upper manifold to form a snap fit through said opening;   said dimples having a ramp-like shape when looking at a plane normal to said partition; and   said partition having a plurality of spaced projections and said upper bottom portion having a plurality of spaced upper recesses extending longitudinally straight for accepting said projections; and   said partition defines a plurality of holes for conveying refrigerant through said manifold.   
   
   
       27 . The assembly as set forth in  claim 26  wherein said tubes including a plurality of tube rows one on each side of said central axis.