Heat exchanger with adapter module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9933215-B2
Application number	US-201313261976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2013
Priority date	Apr 26, 2012
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A heat exchanger module adapted for being mounted directly to the outer surface of the housing of an automobile system component, such as a transmission or engine housing, is provided. The heat exchanger module comprises a heat exchanger fixedly attached to an adapter module. The adapter module contains one of more fluid transfer channels, interface connectors, seals and mounting holes for screws and/or bolts. In one exemplary embodiment, the adapter module is comprised of an adapter plate that is sealed with one or more shim plates, the shim plates also providing a brazing surface for brazing the adapter module directly to the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger therefore being attached to the adapter module without the use of a base plate.

First claim

We claim:

1. A heat exchanger module for mounting directly to the outer surface of a housing of an automobile system component, the heat exchanger module comprising:
a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of stacked heat exchange plates defining alternating first and second fluid paths through said heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a footprint corresponding to the area defined by the stack of heat exchange plates;
a pair of first fluid manifolds extending through the heat exchanger and coupled to one another by the first fluid paths, the pair of first fluid manifolds comprising an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold for the flow of a first fluid through said heat exchanger;
a pair of second fluid manifolds extending through the heat exchanger and coupled to one another by the second fluid paths, the pair of second fluid manifolds comprising an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold for the flow of a second fluid through said heat exchanger;
a flat adapter module having a flat first surface attached to an end of the heat exchanger and a flat second surface opposite to said first surface and adapted for direct face-to-face contact with an interface surface on the outer surface of the housing of the automobile system component, the adapter module comprising:
a first fluid transfer channel formed in the adapter module, the first fluid transfer channel being in direct fluid communication with one of the inlet and outlet manifolds of one of said pairs of fluid manifolds;
a first port formed in the second surface of said adapter module, the first port being in fluid communication with the first fluid transfer channel;
a second port formed in the second surface of said adapter module, the second port being in fluid communication with the other one of the inlet and outlet manifolds of said pair of fluid manifolds; and
a third port formed in the second surface of said adapter module, the third port being in fluid communication with the first fluid transfer channel;
wherein the first fluid transfer channel provides fluid communication between inlet and outlet ports formed in the interface surface of the housing of the automobile system component and an inlet manifold of said heat exchanger;
wherein the adapter module comprises:
a first adapter plate having a first surface for attaching to said heat exchanger and a second surface, the first adapter plate having an extension portion that extends away from and beyond the heat exchanger footprint;
a trough portion formed in the first adapter plate, the trough portion being in the form of a cut-out, the cut-out extending into the extension portion, the trough portion having a first end and a second end, and extending continuously between the first and second ends thereof;
a second adapter plate fixedly attached to the second surface of the first adapter plate, the second adapter plate defining said second surface of said adapter module;
a cylindrical projection extending away from a bottom surface of the second adapter plate in communication with the first end of said trough portion, the cylindrical projection having an open end corresponding to said first port;
a valve component mounted within said cylindrical projection for controlling fluid flow into or out of said first port, the valve component being in fluid communication with said at least one fluid transfer channel;
a shim plate disposed on the first surface of the first adapter plate for brazing the adapter module to the heat exchanger;
a first fluid opening formed in said shim plate providing fluid communication between said at least one fluid transfer channel and said heat exchanger, wherein the second end of the trough portion is located at the first fluid opening;
a second fluid opening formed in said shim plate for providing fluid communication between said heat exchanger and said second port;
wherein the shim plate encloses the trough portion formed in the first adapter plate, the shim plate, first adapter plate and second adapter plate defining the at least one fluid transfer channel therebetween;
wherein the first and second ports are each formed by aligned openings formed in the first and second adapter plates; and
wherein each of the first adapter plate and the second adapter plate is substantially thicker than the shim plate.

2. The heat exchanger module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a second fluid transfer channel formed in the adapter module, the second fluid transfer channel providing fluid communication between the inlet and outlet ports of the other pair of inlet and outlet manifolds and a corresponding fluid port formed in the interface surface of the housing of the automobile system component; and
a fourth port formed in the second surface of the adapter module, the fourth port being in fluid communication with said second fluid transfer channel.

3. The heat exchanger module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shim plate further comprises a trough portion forming said second fluid transfer channel; and wherein the heat exchanger module further comprises an intermediate shim plate disposed between said first and second adapter plates for attaching said second adapter plate to the second surface of said first adapter plate.

Assignees

• Dana Canada Corp

Inventors

• Ollier Bernhard

Classifications

• F28F2250/06

  Derivation channels, e.g. bypass · CPC title

• F28F9/0075 Primary

  Supports for plates or plate assemblies · CPC title

• F28D9/005

  the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media · CPC title

• F28F9/0253

  with multiple channels, e.g. with combined inflow and outflow channels · CPC title

• F28F2280/06

  Adapter frames, e.g. for mounting heat exchanger cores on other structure and for allowing fluidic connections · CPC title