Connecting reinforcement for between the plates of a heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976816-B2
Application number	US-201214006893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2012
Priority date	Mar 23, 2011
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A heat exchanger comprises a multiplicity of stacked plates having a thickness of less than 0.3 mm, each of which is provided with a male dished member ( 8 ) which delimits a fluid distribution zone ( 6, 7 ) in the exchanger ( 1 ). At least a first plate ( 3 ) and a second plate ( 4 ) each comprise a peripheral edge ( 25 ) which is assembled in a fluid-tight manner in order to form a fluid circulation pipe. The exchanger also comprises at least one insert ( 5 ) which is provided with a female dished member ( 9 ), and the male dished member ( 8 ) of the plates ( 3, 4 ) is configured to be introduced into the female dished member ( 9 ) of the insert ( 5 ) in order to ensure fixing between two adjacent fluid circulation pipes or between a side plate ( 15, 16 ) and an adjacent fluid circulation pipe.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising a multiplicity of stacked plates, each one of the stacked plates having a thickness of less than 0.3 mm and provided with a male dished member which delimits a fluid distribution zone in the heat exchanger, wherein the multiplicity of stacked plates comprises at least a first plate and a second plate, each one of the first plate and the second plate comprises a peripheral edge which is assembled in a fluid-tight manner in order to form a fluid circulation pipe, and wherein the exchanger comprises at least one insert which is provided with a female dished member, the male dished member of the stacked plates being configured to be introduced into the female dished member of the at least one insert in order to ensure fixing between a side plate and an adjacent fluid circulation pipe;
wherein each one of the at least one insert includes a planar member and a tubular section, the planar member extending laterally outward from the tubular section so as to define a periphery of the at least one insert, the planar member being attached to the side plate and the tubular section having an interior and receiving the male dished member within the interior of the tubular section so as to reinforce the heat exchanger;
wherein the male dished member of each one of the stacked plates has a male tubular section which terminates in a base, with the base extending in a plane perpendicular to a center axis of the male tubular section and radially inwardly from the male tubular section toward the center axis, with the male tubular section being received in the interior of the tubular section of the at least one insert; and
wherein the male tubular section terminates in an end opposite to the base, and the at least one insert terminates in an edge, with the edge being disposed opposite to the planar member and spaced from the end of the male tubular section.

2. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one insert is integral with at least one of the first plate, the second plate, and the side plate.

3. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one insert is a component which is fitted to at least one of the first plate of the adjacent fluid circulation pipe, the second plate of the adjacent fluid circulation pipe, and the side plate.

4. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the tubular section terminates in an edge which covers the male dished member of the stacked plate of an adjacent fluid circulation pipe, the edge extending in continuation of the tubular section.

5. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the base is provided with an opening through which a fluid passes.

6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each one of the stacked plates comprises a fluid circulation portion which is interposed between two plate ends, the male dished member being formed at least at one end of each one of the stacked plates.

7. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one end of the first plate, the second plate, and the side plate includes both the male dished member and the female dished member.

8. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each one of the side plate and a second side plate has a thickness of 1 mm.

9. The exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one insert has a thickness greater than 0.3 mm.

10. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the tubular section terminates in an edge which covers the male dished member of the adjacent fluid circulation pipe, the edge extending in continuation of the tubular section.

11. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the width of the planar member is equal to the depth of the multiplicity of stacked plates.

12. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the planar member is soldered to the side plate so as to reinforce the heat exchanger.

13. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one insert includes a plurality of tongues extending perpendicularly from the planar member, and the plurality of tongues are folded onto the side plate to attach the at least one insert to the side plate.

14. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tubular section extends from the planar member and has a center axis that is perpendicular to the planar member.

15. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one insert does not comprise a flow blocking means.

16. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tubular section of the at least one insert straddles the male tubular section of the male dished member, such that the tubular section of the at least one insert has an inner diameter, and the male tubular section of the male dished member has an outer diameter that is equal to the inner diameter of the tubular section of the at least one insert.

17. A heat exchanger comprising a multiplicity of stacked plates, each one of the stacked plates having a thickness of less than 0.3 mm and provided with a male dished member which delimits a fluid distribution zone in the heat exchanger, wherein the multiplicity of stacked plates comprises at least a first plate and a second plate, each one of the first plate and the second plate comprises a peripheral edge which is assembled in a fluid-tight manner in order to form a fluid circulation pipe, and wherein the exchanger comprises at least one insert which is provided with a female dished member, the male dished member of the stacked plates being configured to be introduced into the female dished member of the at least one insert in order to ensure fixing between a side plate and an adjacent fluid circulation pipe;
wherein each one of the at least one insert includes a planar member and a tubular section, the planar member extending laterally outward from the tubular section so as to define a periphery of the at least one insert, the planar member being attached to the side plate and the tubular section having an interior and receiving the male dished member within the interior of the tubular section so as to reinforce the heat exchanger;
wherein the male dished member of each one of the stacked plates has a male tubular section which terminates in a base, with the base extending in a plane perpendicular to a center axis of the male tubular section and radially inwardly from the male tubular section toward the center axis, with the male tubular section being received in the interior of the tubular section of the at least one insert;
wherein the side plate comprises a first side plate which is located in a region of a first side of the heat exchanger and a second side plate which is located in a region of a second side of the heat exchanger, wherein two of the inserts are installed against a corresponding one of the first and second side plates so that the female dished member of each one of the two inserts covers the male dished member of a corresponding one of the plates adjacent to the first side plate and the second side plate; and
wherein the male tubular section terminates in an end opposite to the base, and the at least one insert terminates in an edge, with the edge being disposed opposite to the planar member and spaced from the end of the male tubular section.

18. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the at least one insert does not comprise a flow blocking means.

Assignees

• Moreau Sylvain
• Busson Francois
• Ibrahimi Mohamed
• Valeo Systemes Thermiques

Inventors

• Moreau Sylvain
• Busson Francois
• Ibrahimi Mohamed

Classifications

• F28D1/0341

  with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside the conduits · CPC title

• F28F2225/08

  for header boxes · CPC title

• F28F3/08 Primary

  Elements constructed for building-up into stacks, e.g. capable of being taken apart for cleaning · CPC title

• F28F3/083

  capable of being taken apart · CPC title

• F28D9/0056

  with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside conduits; with centrally arranged openings on the plates · CPC title