Heat exchanger assembly and water heater comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474129-B2
Application number	US-202118043536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2020
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger assembly and a water heater comprising same, wherein the heat exchanger assembly comprises a heat exchanger unit provided with an inlet for introducing a fluid and an outlet for discharging the fluid, and the heat exchanger unit may comprise: a first plate; a second plate disposed on one surface side of the first plate to define, together with the first plate, an internal space in which the fluid introduced through the inlet moves toward the outlet; a heat generation member coupled to at least one of the first plate and the second plate and provided to provide heat into the internal space; and a guide part disposed in the internal space and provided to guide the fluid introduced through the inlet toward one plate, to which the heat generation member is coupled, of the first plate and the second plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A heat exchanger assembly comprising a heat exchanger unit having an inlet through which a fluid is introduced and an outlet through which the fluid is discharged,
wherein the heat exchanger unit includes:
a first plate;
a second plate disposed on one surface of the first plate and defining, together with the first plate, an internal space through which the fluid introduced through the inlet flows to the outlet;
a heating member coupled to at least one of the first plate and the second plate and configured to provide heat to the internal space; and
a guide part disposed in the internal space and configured to guide the fluid introduced through the inlet toward a plate, to which the heating member is coupled, among the first plate and the second plate,
wherein the heating member is a planar heating element, wherein the guide part includes:
a plate-shaped first guide portion including a plurality of first holes; and
a plate-shaped second guide portion including a plurality of second holes,
wherein each of the first holes is formed in one of a “V” shape open toward the outlet and a “V” shape open toward the inlet,
wherein each of the second holes is formed in the other one of the “V” shape open toward the outlet and the “V” shape open toward the inlet, and
wherein the second holes overlap and communicate with at least two of the first holes.

2 . The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein and
the heating member includes: a first heating member coupled to the first plate; and a second heating member coupled to the second plate.

3 . The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plate-shaped first guide portion disposed in surface contact with a surface, facing the second plate, among surfaces of the first plate and including a first hole configured to guide the fluid introduced through the inlet toward the second plate; and
the plate-shaped second guide portion disposed in surface contact with a surface, facing the first plate, among surfaces of the second plate and includes the second hole configured to guide the fluid introduced from the first hole toward the first plate.

4 . The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first plate, the plate-shaped first guide portion, the plate-shaped second guide portion, and the second plate are sequentially stacked in surface contact in a predetermined stacking direction,
each of the plurality of first holes includes, with respect to the stacking direction, a (1-1) th overlapping area communicatively overlapping any one of the plurality of second holes, a first non-overlapping area communicating with the (1-1) th overlapping area and not overlapping the plurality of second holes, and a (1-2) th overlapping area communicating with the first non-overlapping area and communicatively overlapping another one of the plurality of second holes, and each of the plurality of second holes includes a (2-1) th overlapping area communicatively overlapping any one of the plurality of first holes, a second non-overlapping area communicating with the (2-1) th overlapping area and not overlapping the plurality of first holes, and a (2-2) th overlapping area communicating with the second non-overlapping area and communicatively overlapping another one of the plurality of first holes.

5 . The heat exchanger assembly of claim 4 , wherein the any one, overlapping the (1-1) th overlapping area, among the plurality of second holes is disposed closer to any one of the inlet and the outlet than the another one, overlapping the (1-2) th overlapping area, among the plurality of second holes, and
the any one, overlapping the (2-1) th overlapping area, among the plurality of first holes is disposed closer to the other one of the inlet and the outlet than the another one, overlapping the (2-2) th overlapping area, among the plurality of first holes.

6 . The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the plate-shaped first guide portion is disposed in surface contact with a surface, facing the second plate, among surfaces of the first plate and including a plurality of holes configured to guide the fluid toward the second plate; and the plate-shaped second guide portion disposed in surface contact with a surface, facing the first plate, among surfaces of the second plate and including a plurality of second holes configured to guide the fluid toward the first plate, the first holes are arranged consecutively in a traveling direction that is a direction from the inlet to the outlet, and the second holes overlap and communicate with at least two of the first holes and are consecutively arranged in the traveling direction.

7 . The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the plate-shaped first guide portion disposed in surface contact with a surface, facing the second plate, among surfaces of the first plate and including the plurality of first holes configured to guide the fluid toward the second plate, a first inlet communicating with the inlet, and a first outlet communicating with the outlet; and the plate-shaped second guide portion disposed in surface contact with a surface, facing the first plate, among surfaces of the second plate and includes the plurality of second holes configured to guide the fluid toward the first plate, a second inlet communicating with the first inlet, and a second outlet communicating with the first outlet.

Assignees

• Kyungdong Navien Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Seung Je
• Park Dae Woong
• Yang Sung Soo

Classifications

• F28F13/06

  by affecting the pattern of flow of the heat-exchange media {(F28F13/003 takes precedence; static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026)} · CPC title

• F24H9/1809

  for water heaters · CPC title

• F24H1/14 Primary

  by tubes, e.g. bent in serpentine form · CPC title

• F24H9/0015

  in water channels · CPC title

• F24H3/102

  using electric energy supply · CPC title