Heat Exchanger With Reinforced Header Plate

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat exchanger ( 1 ) comprising a coolant housing ( 10 ) and a header plate ( 20 ). The header plate ( 20 ) crimps around a border ( 11 ) of the coolant housing ( 10 ) by encompassing the border ( 11 ). The header plate ( 20 ) is provided with apertures ( 22 ), each aperture ( 22 ) receiving a tube ( 30 ) for guiding coolant from or to the closed cavity ( 50 ). The heat exchanger ( 1 ) further comprises a reinforcing plate ( 40 ) extending between two opposing crimped locations on the border ( 11 ) of the coolant housing ( 10 ), and extending on the outside of the header plate ( 20 ) in view of the closed cavity ( 50 ), wherein the reinforcing plate ( 40 ) is joined, at the opposing locations, to an outer surface portion of the header plate ( 20 ), and wherein the reinforcing plate ( 40 ) is provided with at least one aperture ( 42 ) embracing one or more of the tubes ( 30 ) received by the header plate ( 20 ).

1 . Heat exchanger comprising:
 a coolant housing having a border which defines an opening;   a header plate arranged to cover the opening;   wherein the header plate crimps the border of the coolant housing by encompassing a free edge portion, an outer side surface portion and an outer upper surface portion on at least two opposing locations on the border;   whereby a closed cavity for coolant is defined by the coolant housing and the header plate; and   wherein the header plate is provided with apertures, each aperture receiving a tube for guiding coolant from or to the closed cavity;   the heat exchanger further comprising:   a reinforcing plate extending between two opposing locations on the border of the coolant housing, and extending on the outside of the header plate in view of the closed cavity, the reinforcing plate being made of the same material as the header plate and the tubes;   wherein the reinforcing plate is joined, at each of said opposing locations, to an outer surface portion of the header plate encompassing a corner between the free edge portion and the outer side surface portion of the border;   wherein the reinforcing plate is provided with at least one aperture embracing one or more of the tubes which are received by the header plate; and   wherein the reinforcing plate is arranged to provide a gap between the reinforcing plate and each of one or more tubes embraced by the apertures of the reinforcing plate.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing plate is joined to one or more tubes embraced by the apertures of the reinforcing plate. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one apertures of the reinforcing plate embraces only one tube received by the header plate. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one apertures of the reinforcing plate embraces a plurality of tubes received by the header plate. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the opening defined by the border is oblong; and   wherein the reinforcing plate is arranged to extend between two opposing locations on a long side of the border.   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the tubes are arranged in a plurality of parallel rows, each row comprising a plurality of tubes;   wherein the rows extend in the direction of the long side of the border; and   wherein the reinforcing plate embraces at least two adjacent tubes in each row.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , wherein the reinforcing plate is arranged at a central area of the header plate with respect to the long side of the border. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the tubes have an oblong cross-section and are arranged with the same orientation, and   wherein the reinforcing plate extends along the long sides of the tubes.   
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing plate is joined to the header plate by brazing. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the header plate encompasses also an inner side surface portion at each of said two opposing locations on the border. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the coolant housing comprises a top wall and side walls which extend from the top wall, the top wall and side walls defining a bowl-shaped inner space of the coolant housing. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein the reinforcing plate is arranged at a central area of the header plate with respect to the long side of the border.