Method for forming end plate for heat exchanger and heat exchanger equipped with end plate formed with this method

Abstract

A method for forming an end plate for a heat exchanger and a heat exchanger formed by this method are provided. The endplate is formed by preparing a concave die including a groove bottom surface and a pair of groove wall surfaces extending from both ends in the width direction of the groove bottom surface; preparing a convex die including a convex top surface facing the groove bottom surface of the concave die, convex wall surfaces facing the groove wall surfaces of the concave die, and protrusions provided along both sides in the width direction of the convex top surface; and inserting a plate member between the concave die and the convex die.

1 . A method for forming an end plate for a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger including:
 a pair of headers spaced from one another and extending in parallel with one another;   a plurality of heat exchanger tubes spaced from each other in a header extending direction, each of the heat exchanger tubes being connected to the headers at both ends;   heat-transfer fins provided between adjacent heat exchanger tubes and also provided on outer sides of outermost heat exchanger tubes in the header extending direction; and   end plates provided on the outer sides of the top and bottom heat-transfer fins, respectively, in the header extending direction, each of the end plates including a base part contacting a heat-transfer fin and extension parts extending from both sides in a width direction of the base part toward an outside of the header extending direction,   the method comprising:
 preparing a concave die including a groove bottom surface and a pair of groove wall surfaces extending from both ends in the width direction of the groove bottom surface; 
 preparing a convex die including a convex top surface facing the groove bottom surface of the concave die, convex wall surfaces facing the groove wall surfaces of the concave die, and protrusions provided along both sides in the width direction of the convex top surface; and 
 inserting a plate member between the concave die and the convex die to form an end plate. 
   
     
     
         2 . A method for forming an end plate for a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger including:
 a pair of headers spaced from one another and extending in parallel with one another;   a plurality of heat exchanger tubes spaced from each other in a header extending direction, each of the heat exchanger tubes being connected to the headers at both ends;   heat-transfer fins provided between adjacent heat exchanger tubes and also provided on outer sides of top and bottom heat exchanger tubes in the header extending direction; and   end plates provided on the outer sides of the top and bottom heat-transfer fins, respectively, in the header extending direction, each of the end plates including a base part contacting a heat-transfer fin and extension parts extending from both sides in a width direction of the base part toward an outside of the header extending direction,   the method comprising:
 preparing a concave die including a groove bottom surface and a pair of groove wall surfaces extending from both ends in the width direction of the groove bottom surface; 
 preparing a first convex die including a convex top surface facing the groove bottom surface of the convex die and convex wall surfaces facing the groove wall surfaces of the concave die; 
 inserting a plate member between the concave die and the first convex die to bend the plate member; 
 preparing a second convex die including a convex top surface facing the groove bottom surface of the concave die, concave wall surfaces facing the groove wall surfaces of the concave die, and convex base surfaces each of which extends outward in the width direction from a convex wall surface at a position spaced from the convex top surface by a predetermined distance and faces the groove bottom surface of the concave die; and 
 inserting the plate member having been bent by the concave die and the first convex die, between the concave die and the second convex die while the surfaces of both ends of the bent plate member abuts on the convex base surfaces to form an end plate. 
   
     
     
         3 . A method for forming an end plate for a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger including:
 a pair of headers spaced from one another and extending in parallel with one another;   a plurality of heat exchanger tubes spaced from each other in a header extending direction, each of the heat exchanger tubes being connected to the headers at both ends;   heat-transfer fins provided between adjacent heat exchanger tubes and also provided on outer sides of top and bottom heat exchanger tubes in the header extending direction; and   end plates provided on the outer sides of the top and bottom heat-transfer fins, respectively, in the header extending direction, each of the end plates including a base part contacting a heat-transfer fin and extension parts extending from both sides in a width direction of the base part toward an outside of the header extending direction,   the method comprising:
 preparing a concave die including a groove bottom surface and a pair of groove wall surfaces extending from both ends in the width direction of the groove bottom surface; 
 preparing a convex die including a convex top surface facing the groove bottom surface of the concave die and convex wall surfaces facing the groove wall surfaces of the concave die; 
 preparing a plate member having a pair of grooves formed in the width direction of the plate member; and 
 inserting the plate member between the concave die and the convex die. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the end plate is formed with the plate member including a brazing filler metal layer. 
     
     
         5 . A heat exchanger comprising an end plate formed by the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the end plate is formed with the plate member including a brazing filler metal layer. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the end plate is formed with the plate member including a brazing filler metal layer. 
     
     
         8 . A heat exchanger comprising an end plate formed by the method according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         9 . A heat exchanger comprising an end plate formed by the method according to  claim 3 . 
     
     
         10 . A heat exchanger comprising an end plate formed by the method according to  claim 4 . 
     
     
         11 . A heat exchanger comprising an end plate formed by the method according to  claim 5 . 
     
     
         12 . A heat exchanger comprising an end plate formed by the method according to  claim 6 .