Patent ID: 8167029

Claim:
A plate heat exchanger comprising a package of heat transfer plates, which are provided with through inlet ports forming an inlet channel through the package, and between the heat transfer plates arranged sealing means, which together with the heat transfer plates in every other plate interspace delimit a first flow passage for one fluid and in each of the remaining plate interspaces delimit a second flow passage for a second fluid, wherein the inlet channel communicates with each first flow passage by way of a first inlet passage, and is sealed from communication with each second flow passage by the sealing means, and the inlet channel has an essentially smooth cylindrical shape formed by a sealing member provided in the inlet ports for the first fluid and the first inlet passage is provided in the sealing member, wherein the sealing member is a ring provided around the inlet port in the interspace between two adjacent heat transfer plates, the ring having at least one pair of opposing recesses extending radially from the inner circumference to the outer circumference of the ring and the first inlet passage is provided by the recesses of two adjacent rings receiving the first inlet passage therein.