US 7,320,358 B2
Ribbed mounting bracket for heat exchangers
Asad Max Kaspar, Fergus (Canada); and Silvio Tonellato, Mississauga (Canada)
Assigned to Dana Canada Corporation, Oakville, Ontario (Canada)
Filed on May 21, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/851,784.
Claims priority of application No. 2433975 (CA), filed on Jun. 27, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0006544 A1, Jan. 13, 2005
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F28F 9/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 165—67  [165/166; 165/167; 248/232] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mounting bracket for use with a heat exchanger core of the type having a manifold disposed about a primary axis, said manifold being formed of a plurality of tubular manifold segments and having top and bottom ends spaced apart in the direction of the primary axis, inner and outer sides laterally spaced apart in the direction of a secondary axis perpendicular to the primary axis, and front and back sides spaced apart in the direction of a tertiary axis perpendicular to the primary and secondary axes; a plurality of fluid tubes arranged in substantially parallel relation, each tube extending from a respective manifold segment inwardly and substantially parallel to the secondary axis; and, for each tube, a respective peripheral flange with laterally-extending front and back edge portions adjacent to the respective front and back sides of each respective manifold segment and spaced-apart from one another in the direction of the tertiary axis;
said mounting bracket comprising:
a clip portion having an elongate groove formed therein which engages the front edge portion only of a selected one of the peripheral flanges in use;
a mounting panel portion located adjacent to the clip portion;
a pair of spaced-apart legs extending, in use, transversely to the primary axis from opposite edges of the mounting panel portion in the direction of said tertiary axis to straddle the manifold; and
for each leg, a bearing portion positioned such that, when the selected flange is engaged by the elongate groove, the bearing portions engage, respectively, the back edge portion of an other one of the peripheral flanges disposed above the selected flange, and against the back edge portion of a further one of the peripheral flanges disposed below the selected flange, thereby to grip the core.