Heat exchanger and a manifold for use therein

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a manifold and a tube array. The manifold has an internal void and walls that surround the void and merge one with the other via corners. Each wall has a middle portion that is located mid way between the corners merging with the wall and the manifold branches off to attach and communicate with the tube array at a location aside of the middle portion of one of the walls towards a corner that merges with the wall.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a manifold having:
 axially extending walls that enclose an internal void and are joined at axially extending corners; and 
 a port extending along one of the corners that projects out from a wall of the plurality of walls and comprises a plurality of recesses, each recess surrounded by a raised wall and formed having at least one through hole that connects the recess to the internal void; 
 wherein the walls and port form a one piece unitary construction; and 
   a tube array attached to the port.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  and comprising a plurality of reinforcing structures integrally formed with the one piece unitary construction, each reinforcing structure joining a portion of the raised wall of a recess with the wall from which the port projects. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  and comprising an internal rib that extends along the corner along which the port extends. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one through hole comprises a plurality of through holes. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the walls of the manifold are adapted to at least partially flex above a threshold pressure in the manifold, and wherein the wall from which the port extends is adapted to flex less than the other walls. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein the tube array comprises an insert having recesses that correspond to the recesses of the port. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6  wherein the insert is attached to the port. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6  wherein the corresponding recesses of the port and insert form a plurality of enclosed chambers each of which communicates with at least one of the through hole in the port and at least one of the tubes in the tube array. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein a total cross sectional area of the at least one through hole that communicates with each of the plurality of chambers is smaller than a total cross sectional area of the at least one tube that communicates with the chamber. 
     
     
         10 . A manifold comprising:
 a plurality of axially extending walls that enclose an internal void and are joined at axially extending corners; and   a port extending along one of the corners that projects out from a wall of the plurality of walls and comprises a plurality of recesses, each recess surrounded by a raised wall and formed having at least one through hole that connects the recess to the internal void;   wherein the walls and port are formed as a one piece unitary construction.