Heat exchanger and its manufacturing method

Abstract

A heat exchanger 1 includes a pair of tanks 2 and 3 arranged a certain distance apart from each other, a plurality of tubes 4 a whose both end portions are connected with the pair of tanks 2 and 3 , a long receiver tank 5 arranged along and adjacently to the tank 3 and communicatably connected with the tank 3 , and a reception member 20 contained in the receiver tank 5 . An upper opening end portion 13 b has an opening portion at one side in a longitudinal direction of the receiver tank 5 and having a reduced diameter, and a block member 15 blocks the upper opening end portion 13 b . An entire of the heat exchanger 1 except the reception member 20 and the block member 15 are integrally formed by a brazing process. The reception member 20 is inserted through the upper opening end portion 13 b and arranged in the receiver tank 5 after the brazing process, and then the block member 15 is joined by brazing with the upper opening end portion 13 b after the reception member 20 is inserted and arranged therein.

1 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a pair of tanks arranged a certain distance apart from each other;   a plurality of tubes whose both end portions are communicatably connected with the pair of tanks;   a receiver tank having a main body that is arranged along and near one of the pair of tanks. the receiver tank being communicatably connected with the one of the tanks and having an opening end portion provided at one side in a longitudinal direction of the main body;   a reception member having a shape to be insertable from the opening end portion-and contained in the receiver tank; and   a close member fixed to the opening end portion to cover the opening end portion, wherein the opening end portion is a reduced diameter portion in which an outer diameter of the opening end portion is set smaller than an outer diameter of the other side in the longitudinal direction of the main body.   
     
     
         21 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the main body of the receiver tank includes a first divided member shaped like a circular cylinder with a bottom portion, and a second divided member communicatably connected with the one side in the longitudinal direction of the first divided member and shaped like a circular cylinder having the reduced diameter portion whose diameter is reduced up to the opening end portion.   
     
     
         22 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 21 , wherein
 the one of tanks and the first divided member are communicatably connected with each other through an intermediate member, and wherein   a restricting portion for preventing a relative displacement between the first divided member and the intermediate portion is formed on an outer circumference of the first divided member as one unit.   
     
     
         23 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 22 , wherein
 the restricting portion restricts the relative displacement of the intermediate member in a width direction of the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         24 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the restricting portion has a cross section shaped like a letter U to open toward the tank of the heat exchanger, extending in a longitudinal direction of the first divided member, and wherein   the restricting portion and the intermediate portion are positioned and joined with each other.   
     
     
         25 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 24 , wherein
 the intermediate member is fixed, being sandwiched by both side walls of the restricting portion, and wherein   the both side walls have across section shaped like a letter U to face to each other.   
     
     
         26 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 22 , wherein
 the second divided member is fixed and supported on the one of tanks through a holding member having the same configuration as the intermediate member.   
     
     
         27 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 21 , wherein
 an entire length of the first divided member is set shorter than an entire length of the second divided member.   
     
     
         28 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the reception member is one of a drying agent and a fluorescent agent.   
     
     
         29 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a pair of tanks arranged a certain distance apart from each other;   a plurality of tubes whose both end portions are communicatably connected with the pair of tanks;   a receiver tank having a main body that is arranged along and near one of the pair of tanks, the receiver tank being communicatably connected with the one of the tanks and having an opening end portion provided at one side in a longitudinal direction of the main body;   a reception member having a shape to be insertable from the opening end portion and contained in the receiver tank; and
 a close member fixed to the opening end portion to cover the opening end portion, wherein 
 the opening end portion is formed to project outward in the longitudinal direction relative to the one of tanks. 
   
     
     
         30 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 29 , wherein
 the one of tanks and the first divided member are communicatably connected with each other through an intermediate member, and wherein   
       a restricting portion for preventing a relative displacement between the first divided member and the intermediate portion is formed on an outer circumference of the first divided member as one unit. 
     
     
         31 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 30 , wherein
 the restricting portion restricts the relative displacement of the intermediate member in a width direction of the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         32 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 31 , wherein
 the restricting portion has a cross section shaped like a letter U to open toward the tank of the heat exchanger, extending in a longitudinal direction of the first divided member, and wherein   the restricting portion and the intermediate portion are positioned and joined with each other.   
     
     
         33 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 32 , wherein
 the intermediate member is fixed, being sandwiched by both side walls of the restricting portion, and wherein   the both side walls have a cross section shaped like a letter U o face to each other   
     
     
         34 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 30 , wherein
 the receiver tank is fixed to support on the one of tanks through a holding member having the same configuration as the intermediate member.   
     
     
         35 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 29 , wherein
 the reception member is one of a drying agent and a fluorescent agent.   
     
     
         36 . A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger which includes:
 a pair of tanks arranged a certain distance apart from each other:   a plurality of tubes whose both end portions are communicatably connected with the pair of tanks;   a receiver tank having a main body that is arranged along and near one of the pair of tanks, the receiver tank being communicatably connected with the one of the tanks and having an opening end portion provided at one side in a longitudinal direction of the main body;   a reception member having a shape to be insertable from the opening end portion and contained in the receiver tank; and   a close member fixed to the opening end portion to cover the opening end portion, the method comprising:   a process of preparing the receiver tank that has one of the opening end portion whose outer diameter is set smaller than an outer diameter of the other side in the longitudinal direction of the main body and the opening end portion which project outward in the longitudinal direction relative to the one of tanks;   a process of preparing the tanks, the plurality of tubes. the reception member and the close member which constitute the heat exchanger;   a process of integrally forming the whole of the heat exchanger except the reception member and the close member by brazing;   a process of inserting and arranging the reception member n the receive tank through the opening end portion after the brazing process; and   a process of joining the close member on the opening end portion by one of welding and brazing.   
     
     
         37 . The method for manufacturing the heat exchanger according to  claim 36 , wherein the close member is joined by brazing on the opening end portion by high-frequency induction heating generated by a work coil, wherein
 a temperature measurement means measures a temperature of a joint portion of the close member in the brazing process, and wherein   a temperature of the high-frequency induction heating by the work coil is controlled by a feed-back loop according to the temperature of the joint portion measured by the temperature measurement means.   
     
     
         38 . The method for manufacturing the heat exchanger according to  claim 37 , wherein the temperature measurement means includes a blackbody coating provided on a periphery of the joint portion of the close member. and a sensor for measuring a temperature change of the blackbody coating.