Layer-built heat exchanger

Abstract: A layer-built heat exchanger in which channels are formed by dividers in the first-side plate 32 and second-side plate 33, and a seal plate 3 is interposed between the first-and second-side plates. The first-side plate 32 and second-side plate 33 are positioned relative to each other such that the dividers 35 of the second-side plate 33 are in line with the channels 11 of the first-side plate 32, and the dividers 34 of the first-side plate 32 are in line with the channels 17 of the second-side plate 33, thus preventing deformation of the seal plate 3 due to a high differential pressure between the coolants flowing through the channels of the first- and second-side plates. The corners of the first-side plate 32, second-side plate 33, and seal plate 3 are also shaped differently so that omission of one of the component plates can be easily confirmed.

Description: The present invention relates to a layer-built heat exchanger comprising: a first-side plate having plural channels for coolant flow formed by dividers on a flat rectangular panel, a hole at one end of the channels, and a hole on a diagonal line to the first hole on a different side of the plate; a second-side plate having plural channels for coolant flow formed by dividers on a flat rectangular panel, a hole formed separately at one end of the channels continuously to the corresponding hole in the first-side plate, and a hole on a diagonal line to the first hole on a different side of the plate continuously to the corresponding hole in the first-side plate; a seal plate between the first-side plate and the second-side plate; an end plate provided on both ends; and inlet/outlet pipes for the first and second coolants provided on one of the end plates continuous to said holes. Such a heat exchanger is known from JP-A-03 063 496. The present invention is particularly used in a radiator for coolant oil in machine tools or in an air conditioner. Demand has risen for layer-built heat exchangers capable of using chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and water and oil coolants in combination as first and second coolants for exchanging heat between CFC and CFC, CFC and water, water and water, or oil and water. A conventional layer-built heat exchanger is described below with reference to Figs. 1 - 5 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-243297). As shown in the figures, the conventional layer-built heat exchanger 1 combines plural first-side plates 2, seal plates 3, and second-side plates 4 between end plates 5a and 5b. The inlet pipes 6, 8 and outlet pipes 7, 9 for the first and second coolants, respectively, are connected to the one end plate 5b. The first-side plate 2 has a rectangular shape with a pair of round holes 10, provided offset from the center at each end of the plate, for the first coolant flow. A series of parallel and winding channels 11 are formed by dividers 12 for conducting the coolant from a position near the round hole 10 at one end of the first-side plate 2 to a position near the round hole 10 at the other end. Holes 13 for the flow of the second coolant are also formed on a diagonal line on the first-side plate 2 on the sides different from those on which the round holes 10 are formed. Each hole 13 has a rectangular shaped area 14 and a semi-circular shaped area 15 at the middle of the long side of the rectangular shaped area 14. The second-side plate 4 has a similar rectangular shape with a series of parallel and winding channels 16 formed by dividers 17 to conduct the coolant between the two round holes 18. These round holes 18 are formed correspondingly to the holes 13 in the first-side plate 2 with part of each hole 18 tracing the same arc as the semi-circular shaped area 15 of the corresponding hole 13 in the first-side plate 2. Holes 19 are also provided correspondingly to the round holes 10 in the first-side plate 2. Each hole 19 also consists of a rectangular shaped area 20 and a semi-circular shaped area 21 at the middle of the long side of the rectangular shaped area 20 such that part of each semi-circular shaped area 21 traces the same arc as the corresponding round hole 10 in the first-side plate 2. The seal plate 3 has holes 22 and 23 similarly shaped to the corresponding holes 13 and 19 in the first- and second-side plates 2 and 4, respectively. The length of the rectangular shaped area 14 and 20 of the holes 13 and 19 is made long enough to cover the ends of each of the channels 11 and 16, respectively. The plates are then assembled in successive layers in the order of first-side plate 2, seal plate 3, second-side plate 4, seal plate 3, first-side plate 2, seal plate 3, ...... as shown in Fig. 5, and are sealed between the seal end plate 5a on one end and the end plate 5b provided with the first and second coolant inlet pipes 6, 8 and outlet pipes 7, 9. With this construction the first coolant flows in through the inlet pipe 6, is diffused to the channels 11 of the first-side plate 2 in the rectangular shaped area of the hole 22 in the seal plate 3, and flows through the channels 11 to the hole 22 on the opposite side to flow out from the outlet pipe 7. Similarly, the second coolant flows in through the inlet pipe 8, is diffused to the channels 16 of the second-side plate 4 in the rectangular shaped area of the hole 23 in the seal plate 3, and flows out through the hole 23 on the opposite side to the outlet pipe 8. Heat is exchanged between the first and second coolants through the seal plate 3, which is made from a material with good thermal conductivity for greater heat exchange efficiency. In the cause of assembling the inlet/outlet pipes 6, 7, 8 and 9 to the end plate 5b, the holes in the end plate 5b must be countersunk so that the inlet/outlet pipes 6, 7, 8 and 9 can be positioned. It is an object of the present invention to provide a layer-built heat exchanger in which the positioning of the inlet/outlet pipes to the end plate is simplified. In accordance with the invention, a layer-built heat exchanger as defined in the preamble of the claim is characterized in that the inlet/outlet pipes are inserted through the one end plate to the end plate on the other side, and that a elongated slit hole is provided in the inlet/outlet pipes through the length of the layer of the first-side plates, second-side plates and seal plates at the position corresponding to the holes in the plates. The invention will now be described in connection with the drawings. Fig. 1 is an oblique view of a conventional layer-built heat exchanger, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the first-side plate in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the seal plate in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the second-side plate in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of line V-V in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of a layer-built heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to Fig. 6. Like parts in the preferred embodiment and the prior art described above are referred to by like reference numbers, and further description of said like parts is omitted hereinbelow. In this embodiment the inlet pipe 6 for the first coolant passes through the end plate 5b, the round holes 10 in the first-side plates 2, the holes 22 in the seal plates 3, and the holes 19 in the second-side plates 4 to the other end plate 5a. An elongated slit hole 62 is formed in the inlet pipe 6 at the position corresponding to the holes 10, 22, and 19. The outlet pipe for the first coolant and the inlet/outlet pipes for the second coolant are similarly formed through each of the plates to the end plate 5a. It is thus possible during assembly to simply insert the inlet/outlet pipes through the holes to the opposite end plate to simply and correctly position the inlet/outlet pipes in the layer-built heat exchanger.

Claims: A layer-built heat exchanger comprising: a first-side plate (2) having plural channels (11) for coolant flow formed by dividers (12) on a flat rectangular panel, a hole (10) at one end of the channels, and a hole (13) on a diagonal line to the first hole on a different side of the plate; a second-side plate (4) having plural channels (16) for coolant flow formed by dividers (17) on a flat rectangular panel, a hole (18) formed separately at one end of the channels continuously to the corresponding hole in the first-side plate, and a hole (19) on a diagonal line to the first hole on a different side of the plate continuously to the corresponding hole in the first-side plate; a seal plate (3) between the first-side plate (2) and the second-side plate (4); an end plate (5a, 5b) provided on both ends; and inlet/outlet pipes (6, 7, 8, 9) for the first and second coolants provided on one of the end plates continuous to said holes characterized in that the inlet/outlet pipes (6, 7, 8, 9) are inserted through the one end plate (56) to the end plate (5a) on the other side and that an elongated slit hole (62) is provided in the inlet/outlet pipes (6, 7, 8, 9) through the length of the layer of the first-side plate, second-side plates, and seal plates at the position corresponding to the holes in the plates.

Inventors: FUJINO KENJI, KAN HIROAKI, MATSUNAGA TSUYOSHI, SUGAHARA TAKASHI, FUJINO, KENJI, KAN, HIROAKI, MATSUNAGA, TSUYOSHI, SUGAHARA, TAKASHI
Applicants: MATSUSHITA REFRIGERATION, MATSUSHITA REFRIGERATION COMPANY
Application year: 1991
Main classification: F28F3
IPC codes: F28D9