Patent ID: 7490660
Filing Date: 2009-02-17
Classification: F28F

Abstract:
1. A coupling structure of a heat transfer plate and a gasket for use in a plate heat exchanger, the plate heat exchanger comprising: a plurality of the heat transfer plates closely stacked one above another, wherein each heat transfer plate has corrugated heat transfer channels formed on a surface of the plate, fluid passage holes perforated through corners of the plate, and a gasket groove formed along the outer circumference of the fluid passage holes and the heat transfer plate; and one or more gaskets each inserted into the gasket groove of a respective one of the plurality heat transfer plates to allow first and second heat exchanging fluids to alternately flow between the stacked heat transfer plates, the coupling structure in turn comprising: a protrusion formed longitudinally at a first surface of a respective one of the one or more gaskets; a corresponding recess formed longitudinally at a second surface of the respective gasket; and, an inverted U-shaped prominent portion formed at the bottom of the gasket groove of a respective one of the heat transfer plates, the inverted U-shaped prominent portion having a corresponding U-shaped recessed internal space on an opposing side of the respective heat transfer plate, whereby the U-shaped prominent portion of the respective heat transfer plate is tightly inserted into the recess of the respective gasket, and in turn, the protrusion of the respective gasket is insertable into the U-shaped recessed internal space of the U-shaped prominent portion of another one of the plurality of heat transfer plates.