Exhaust gas cooler for a motor vehicle

Abstract

An exhaust gas cooler for a motor vehicle is provided that includes a first collector box on an inlet side and a second collector box on an outlet side, and a plurality of exchanger tubes extending between the collector boxes for exhaust gas to flow through. Air can flow around the exchanger tubes so as to cool the exhaust gas. At least one supporting member is attached to at least one of the collector boxes, a force produced by the thermal expansion of the exchanger tubes being passed into the supporting member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exhaust gas cooler for a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a first collector box provided on an inlet side;   a second collector box provided on an outlet side;   a plurality of exchanger tubes configured to extend between the first collector box and the second collector box, through which exhaust gas flow, the air being configured to flow around the exchanger tubes to cool the exhaust gas; and   at least one supporting member being attached to at least one of the first or second collector boxes, wherein a force produced by thermal expansion of the exchanger tubes is introduced into the supporting member.   
     
     
         2 . The exhaust gas cooler according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting member is configured as a side part for laterally covering the multiplicity of exchanger tubes. 
     
     
         3 . The exhaust gas cooler according to  claim 2 , wherein the side part is formed as a single-piece, sheet metal molded part. 
     
     
         4 . The exhaust gas cooler according to  claim 2 , wherein the side part has end latching tabs for integral attachment to the first and second collector boxes, and wherein the latching tabs extend over a length of the collecting box. 
     
     
         5 . The exhaust gas cooler according to  claim 4 , wherein the length of the latching tabs is greater than one, in particular more than two, repeating units of the exchanger tubes. 
     
     
         6 . The exhaust gas cooler according to  claim 2  wherein the side part has a folded edge at least along a portion of its length, in particular, a U-shaped cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
         7 . The exhaust gas cooler according to  claim 2 , wherein the side part is integrally connected over a wide area, in particular to an outer side rib. 
     
     
         8 . The exhaust gas cooler according to  claim 2 , wherein the side part has at least one weak point in a direction of the exchanger tubes, which is located at a distance from the connection of the side part to the collector box.