Patent ID: 8678077

Claim:
A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of stacked plate pairs, each plate pair having a first plate and a second plate, and the first plate in face-to-face contact with the second plate; the first plate comprising: a first plate longitudinal central planar portion and a first plate peripheral edge portion extending from the central planar portion, the central planar portion in a plane above the peripheral edge portion; first plate inlet and outlet manifold members at opposed ends of the longitudinal central planar portion, each of the manifold members comprising: a boss having an inlet or outlet opening; a flange extending from the boss to an outer edge, the flange of the manifold member being in the same plane as the peripheral edge portion; and a protrusion member having a mating surface and extending from the flange or outer edge, and the protrusion member extending above from the plane of the flange; the second plate comprising: a second plate longitudinal central planar portion and a second plate peripheral edge portion extending from the central planar portion, the central planar portion in a plane below the peripheral edge portion; second plate inlet and outlet manifold members at opposed ends of the longitudinal central planar portion, each of the manifold members comprising: a boss having an inlet or outlet opening; a flange extending from the boss to an outer edge, the flange of the manifold member being in the same plane as the peripheral edge portion; and a protrusion member having a mating surface and extending from the flange or outer edge, and the protrusion member extending below from the plane of the flange; wherein: the first plate peripheral edge portion is in contact with the second plate peripheral edge portion to form the plate pair, and the central planar portions and the peripheral edge portions of the first and second plates together define a first set of fluid channel, the first set of fluid channel in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet manifold members; a tubular member positioned between the plate pairs and spacing apart the plate pairs and defining a second set of fluid channels, the tubular member having first and second open ends in fluid communication with the corresponding inlet or outlet opening between the adjacent plate pairs; and the mating surface of the protrusion member of the first plate in contact with the mating surface of the protrusion member of a second plate on the adjacent plate pair.