HEAT EXCHANGER

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2024-095926 filed on Jun. 13, 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND

Conventionally, a heat exchanger in which a core formed by stacking multiple plates is housed in a casing has been proposed as an oil cooler to be installed on the cylinder block of an internal combustion engine (for example, see Patent Literature 1). In the heat exchanger described in Patent Literature 1, inlet and outlet ports for cooling water are formed on the side of the outer peripheral wall of the tubular casing, and an inlet pipe and outlet pipe are connected to these inlet and outlet ports.

PRIOR ART LITERATURE

Patent Literature

• [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Number 2011-127819.

SUMMARY

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

When a heat exchanger is incorporated into a vehicle or the like, the space for the heat exchanger is set in consideration of the relationship with other components. As described in Patent Literature 1, by providing inlet and outlet ports for fluid in the outer peripheral wall (i.e., the side wall part) of the casing, and connecting pipes extending in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the plates, the overall height (stacking direction dimension) of the heat exchanger becomes smaller and is flattened. Here, with a tubular casing, the space utilization efficiency may become lower, and due to layout considerations, in some cases the use of a rectangular-shaped casing has been desired.

However, when forming inlet and outlet ports for fluid in the side wall part of a rectangular-shaped casing and connecting pipes thereto, the rigidity of the flat-shaped side wall part tends to decrease, so there is the possibility that deformation would occur during manufacturing or use. That is, when achieving improvement in space utilization efficiency while flattening, there have been situations where it was difficult to ensure the rigidity of the casing.

The present invention was made in view of the aforementioned problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger that makes it possible to improve the rigidity of the case.

Means for Solving the Problem

To solve the aforementioned problem, the heat exchanger according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a stacked body in which multiple plates are stacked to form a flow passage for a first fluid and a flow passage for a second fluid alternately in the stacking direction; a bottomed tubular and rectangular parallelepiped shaped case which houses said stacked body and which is open on one side in said stacking direction; and a base plate provided on the open side of said case; wherein said case has an inflow port and an outflow port through which said first fluid passes in a flat surface part of a side wall part that extends in said stacking direction, and a stepped part formed around said inflow port or said outflow port.

According to this aspect, since stepped parts surround the inflow port and the outflow port in the flat surface part, even when using a rectangular parallelepiped shaped case and providing the inflow port and the outflow port in the side wall part to achieve space utilization efficiency, the rigidity of the case can be improved. For example, since the pipes are attached to the inflow port or outflow port by brazing, when an external force acts from the outer side in a direction that would topple the pipes, it is possible to avoid stress concentration at the base where the pipes are attached. Furthermore, in cases where the diameter of the pipes is made larger to lower the flow path resistance or the like, the bonding surface area of the brazed pipes increases, increasing the joint strength of the pipes, so when an external force acts on the pipes, a major deformation force acts on the flat surface part to which the pipes are attached, but deformation of flat surface part to which the pipes are attached is suppressed by the stepped parts.

The aforementioned stepped parts may have a level difference with a direction such that the inner side region thereof protrudes more toward the outer side of the case than the outer side region.

According to this aspect, the internal space of the case is enlarged at the position where the inflow port and outflow port are formed. As a result, it becomes possible to enlarge the flow passage for when a first fluid that has flowed into the interior of the case through the inflow port flows in the stacking direction, or when the first fluid heading from the stacked body toward the outflow port flows in the stacking direction.

The side wall part may also have an enlarged part with enlarged internal dimensions and external dimensions, in an edge part on the open side of the case, wherein the inner side region and the enlarged part extend along the same plane. According to this aspect, rigidity of the open side of the case can be improved by means of the enlarged part. Furthermore, the shape can be simplified as compared to a configuration in which the stepped part and the enlarged part are located on different planes.

The case may be formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the stacking direction, and the inflow port and the outflow port may be arranged at locations adjacent to each of a pair of diagonally opposed corner parts. According to this aspect, since relative rigidity can be ensured more easily at locations adjacent to the corner parts within the flat surface part and since the inflow port and outflow port are formed at such locations, decrease in rigidity of the case due to forming of the inflow port and outflow port can be suppressed.

Effect of the Invention

With the heat exchanger according to the present invention, rigidity of the case can be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a stacked body and a base plate of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view passing through the outlet pipe of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view passing through the inlet pipe of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of FIG. 3 in enlargement.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another portion of FIG. 3 in enlargement.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the lowermost plate of the stacked body of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the first plate of the stacked body of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the second plate of the stacked body of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view passing through the second distribution flow passage of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the stacked body and the base plate of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the stacked body and the base plate of a heat exchanger according to a modified example of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The heat exchanger 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, comprises a stacked body 2 in which multiple plates 21 to 24 are stacked to alternately form a flow passage for a first fluid (cooling water in the present embodiment) and a flow passage for a second fluid (oil in the present embodiment) in the Z direction (stacking direction); a bottomed tubular case 3 that houses the stacked body 2 and is open on one side in the Z direction; and a base plate 4 provided on the open side of case 3. Case 3 has an inflow port 33 and an outflow port 34 through which a first fluid passes in a side wall part 32 extending in the Z direction. The outer peripheral part 20 of the stacked body 2 is formed so as to lie along the inner surface of the side wall part 32 of case 3 and has a recessed part 26 that is spaced away from the inner surface of the side wall part 32 in a portion opposite the inflow port 33 and in a portion opposite the outflow port 34. The recessed parts 26 form a first distribution flow passage 28, through which the first fluid flows in the Z direction, between the outer peripheral part 20 of the stacked body 2 and the inner surface of the side wall part 32.

Furthermore, the first plate 21 and the second plate 22, as shown in FIG. 6, each has an outer peripheral flange part 214, 224 that protrudes from the outer peripheral edge in the Z direction. The outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 are positioned on the outer side relative to the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 of another adjacent plate on the protruding side, and are connected by taper fitting and brazing. Between the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 adjacent to each other in the Z direction, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 12, at locations opposite the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34, there are formed an opening part 29B that opens the space between the plates that forms a flow passage for the first fluid (cooling water), and a closing part 29A that closes the space between the plates that forms a flow passage for the second fluid (oil).

Furthermore, case 3 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has an inflow port 33 and an outflow port 34 through which the first fluid passes, and a stepped part 322A formed around, respectively, the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34, in the short-edge side wall part 322 as a flat surface part of the side wall part 32 (see FIG. 11).

Here, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the heat exchanger 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the stacked body 2 and the base plate 4 of the heat exchanger 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view passing through the outlet pipe 6 of the heat exchanger 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view passing through the inlet pipe 5 of the heat exchanger 1, FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of FIG. 3 in enlargement, FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another portion of FIG. 3 in enlargement, FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the lowermost plate 23 of the stacked body 2, FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the first plate 21 of the stacked body 2, FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the second plate 22 of the stacked body 2, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view passing through the second distribution flow passage (in the present embodiment, where the first fluid is cooling water and the second fluid is oil, this refers to the flow passage that provides a connection, in the stacking direction of the core, between the oil flow passages formed alternately with the water passages) 27 of the heat exchanger 1, FIG. 11 is a side view showing the heat exchanger 1, and FIG. 12 is a side view of the stacked body 2 and the base plate 4.

The heat exchanger 1 is used by being incorporated into the cooling water system of, for example, an automobile (vehicle). The automobile in which the heat exchanger 1 is provided may have only an internal combustion engine as a drive source, or may have both an internal combustion engine and a motor, or may have only a motor, and the heat exchanger 1 is provided

to cool the heat-generating parts in each drive system. While cooling water is exemplified as the fluid used for cooling, and oil, such as hydraulic oil, is exemplified as the fluid to be cooled, these fluids can be selected as appropriate according to the automobile drive system, the type of heat-generating part, the required cooling performance, etc. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the fluid used for cooling is referred to as the first fluid, and the fluid to be cooled is referred to as the second fluid, but it is also possible to use the fluid used for cooling as the second fluid and the fluid to be cooled as the first fluid. In the following description, it will be assumed that the first fluid is cooling water, and the second fluid is oil.

The heat exchanger 1 comprises a flat rectangular parallelepiped shaped case 3 as described later, where the thickness direction of case 3 (the direction in which case 3 has an opening, as described later) will be assumed to be the Z direction, and in the XY plane, which is a plane perpendicular to the Z direction, the long edge direction of case 3 will be assumed to be the X direction, and the short edge direction will be assumed to be the Y direction. Also, hereinafter, the side where case 3 is open in the Z direction (the side where the base plate 4 is provided, which is the downward side in FIGS. 1 to 4) will be referred to as the downward side, and the opposite side (the upward side in FIGS. 1 to 4) will be referred to as the upward side, and while these may be simply called up and down, referring to up and down with regard to the Z direction is done for the sake of convenience, and these do not necessarily have to match up and down with regard to the vertical direction during actual use.

In addition to the stacked body 2, case 3, and the base plate 4, the heat exchanger 1 further comprises an inlet pipe 5 and an outlet pipe 6. The heat exchanger 1 has 2-fold rotational symmetry with respect to an axis of rotation that passes through the intersection of the diagonals L1, L2, described later, and extends in the Z direction, and the inflow side and outflow side have a symmetrical shape. That is, when the heat exchanger 1 is rotated 180° about this axis of rotation, the shape after rotation matches the shape before rotation.

The stacked body 2, as also shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, has a first plate 21 and a second plate 22 alternately stacked in the Z direction to form the flow passage for the first fluid (cooling water flow passage) and the flow passage for the second fluid (oil flow passage) alternately in the Z direction, and further has a lowermost plate 23 and an uppermost plate 24. The stacked body 2 is formed on the whole in a rectangular parallelepiped shape by having each plate 21 to 24 extend along the XY plane (the direction along the XY plane will be referred to as the in-plane direction) and stacking the plates in the Z direction. When the stacked body 2 is viewed from the Z direction, two virtual diagonals are defined as the first diagonal L1 and the second diagonal L2, and a pair of corner parts connected by the first diagonal L1 are defined as the first corner parts 2A, and a pair of corner parts connected by the second diagonal L2 are defined as the second corner parts 2B (see FIGS. 1, 7, 8, 9).

In the stacked body 2, the second plate 22 is stacked above the lowermost plate 23 (i.e., on the opposite side from the base plate 4 side), and the first plate 21 is stacked above the second plate. The uppermost plate 24 is stacked above the second plate 22, and has a similar shape to the first plate 21 unless specified otherwise. A fin plate 25 is provided on the upward side from the second plate 22 and the downward side from the first plate 21, and a flow passage for the second fluid is formed. In contrast, a flow passage for the first fluid is formed between the upward side of the first plate 21 and the downward side of the second plate 22. It should be noted that for each plate forming the stacked body 2, for example, aluminum clad material or the like can be used.

As shown in FIG. 7, the lowermost plate 23, unlike the other plates, does not have a recessed part as described later, and is formed in a rectangular plate shape. The lowermost plate 23 has a through-hole 231 formed in the second corner part 2B, multiple protruding parts 232 formed on the upper surface, and an outer peripheral flange part 233 protruding upward in the Z direction from the outer peripheral edge.

As also shown in FIG. 8, the first plate 21 has a recessed part 211 formed in the first corner parts 2A, a through-hole 212 formed in the second corner parts 2B, multiple protruding parts 213 formed on the upper surface and protruding upward, an outer peripheral flange part 214 protruding upward in the Z direction from the outer peripheral edge, and a first closing part 215 (see FIG. 5) extending downward in the first corner parts 2A. The first plate 21 is formed in a plate shape with the corner parts of the rectangular shape cut away, thereby forming the recessed parts 211.

As shown also in FIG. 9, the second plate 22 has a recessed part 221 formed in the first corner parts 2A, a through-hole 222 formed in the second corner parts 2B, multiple protruding parts 223 formed on the bottom surface and protruding downward, an outer peripheral flange part 224 protruding upward in the Z direction from the outer peripheral edge, and a second closing part 225 (see FIG. 5) extending upward at the first corner parts 2A. The second plate 22 is formed in a plate shape with the corner parts of the rectangular shape cut away, thereby forming the recessed parts 221.

As can be understood from FIG. 2, the uppermost plate 24 has, in the same manner as the first plate 21 (see FIG. 8), a recessed part 241, multiple protruding parts 243, and an outer peripheral flange part 244, and has a shape in which a portion of the rectangular shape has been cut away, but differs from the first plate 21 in the aspect that a through-hole is not formed.

The outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224, 233, 244 are formed in the portion of the outer peripheral edge of each plate excluding the recessed part (i.e., in the entire area excluding the location opposite the first distribution flow passage 28), and especially as shown in FIG. 6, they form a tapered part having an inclination with respect to the Z direction such that they are oriented outward toward the upper side, which is the protruding side (i.e., such that the surface area surrounded by the outer peripheral flange parts becomes larger). Accordingly, the outer peripheral flange part of the downward side plate is connected so as to be positioned on the outer side of the outer peripheral flange part of the adjacent plate on the upward side by taper fitting and brazing the adjacent outer peripheral flange parts in the Z direction to each other. For example, the outer peripheral flange part 214 of the first plate 21 is positioned on the outer side of the outer peripheral flange part 224 of the second plate 22 adjacent on the upward side, and the outer peripheral flange part 224 of the second plate 22 is positioned on the outer side of the outer peripheral flange part 214 of the first plate 21 adjacent on the upward side.

The multiple plates are assembled by taper fitting and brazing the outer peripheral flange parts together in this way, forming a stacked body 2 with an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 2. Moreover, the stacked body 2 may be assembled by stacking the plates inside case 3, or it may be assembled outside case 3 and then housed inside case 3.

Among the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224, 233, 244, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, the portions extending in the X direction become the fluid guide walls 210, 220, 230, 240. The first fluid and the second fluid flow along the diagonals L1, L2 as described later, and the fluid guide walls 210, 220, 230, 240 extending in the X direction, which is the long edge direction, have a relatively smaller inclination angle with respect to the flow direction of the first fluid and the second fluid. When the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224, 233, 244 are connected to each other, the fluid guide walls 210, 220, 230, 240 also come to be connected to each other. This makes it possible for the first fluid and the second fluid to flow along the inner surface of the fluid guide walls 210, 220, 230, 240, preventing the fluid from flowing out into case 3 from both sides in the Y direction.

In the assembled stacked body 2, as the recessed parts 211, 221, 241 overlap with each other, the recessed part 26 is formed in a portion of the outer peripheral part 20 of the stacked body 2 that is closer to the first corner part 2A than to the central portion of the side wall part in the Y direction. A second distribution flow passage 27 through which a second fluid can pass in the Z direction is formed by the through-holes 212, 222, 231 overlapping with each other.

In the first plate 21, a flange part extending upward from around the through-hole 212 is formed, and in the second plate 22, a flange part extending downward from around the through-hole 222 is formed, and these flange parts are connected to each other (see FIG. 6). This ensures that the space between the upward side of the first plate 21 and the downward side of the second plate 22 is delimited from the second distribution flow passage 27, preventing the second fluid that passes through the second distribution flow passage 27 from flowing into this space. In contrast, the space between the downward side of the first plate 21 and the upward side of the second plate 22 communicates with the second distribution flow passage 27.

In the stacked body 2, due to the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224, 233, 244 being formed, the space between the plates is delimited from the external space (the space inside case 3) except at the recessed part 26. At the recessed part 26, the first closing part 215 and the second closing part 225 are connected to form a closing part 29A, which delimits the space between the downward side of the first plate 21 and the upward side of the second plate 22 from the external space, while an opening part 29B is formed between the upward side of the first plate 21 and the downward side of the second plate 22, allowing this space to communicate with the external space (see FIG. 5). It should be noted that the closing part 29A is formed extending in the Y direction up to the position of the long edge of the plate between the through-holes 212, 222 and the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 (see FIGS. 2, 8, 9).

case 3 is formed in a bottomed tubular shape having a bottom plate part 31 and a tubular side wall part 32 continuous with the outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate part 31, and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the Z direction.

The bottom plate part 31 is formed in a rectangular plate shape along the XY plane, and the corner parts are connected by the first diagonal L1 and the second diagonal L2. In case 3, the pair of corner parts connected by the first diagonal L1 are designated as the first corner parts 3A, and the pair of corner parts connected by the second diagonal L2 are designated as the second corner parts 3B.

The side wall part 32 has a pair of long side wall parts 321 corresponding to the long edges of the bottom plate part 31, a pair of short-edge side wall parts 322 corresponding to the short edges, and a total of four curved parts 323 located between the long side wall parts 321 and the short-edge side wall parts 322.

In each of the pair of short-edge side wall parts 322, there is formed an inflow port 33 and an outflow port 34 through which the first fluid passes. The inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 are formed in the central portion of the short-edge side wall part 322 in the Z direction, and are formed closer to the first corner part 3A than to the central portion in the Y direction. That is, the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 are arranged along the pair of short edges of the rectangular shape at positions adjacent to the respective diagonally opposed pair of first corner parts 3A when case 3 is viewed from the Z direction.

In each of the pair of short-edge side wall parts 322 which are flat surface parts within the side wall part 32, as shown in FIG. 11, stepped parts 322A are formed around the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34. Specifically, the stepped parts 322A are formed in a linear shape extending in the Z direction at positions that sandwich the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34 from the Y direction when viewed from the X direction. The rectangular-shaped area surrounded by these two straight lines, a line segment that virtually connects the upper end parts of the two straight lines, and a line segment that virtually connects the lower end parts of the two straight lines, becomes the inner side region 322B where the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34 is arranged. The region that sandwiches the inner side region 322B from the Y direction in the short-edge side wall part 322 becomes the outer side region 322C.

The stepped parts 322A have a level difference in the direction in which the inner side region 322B protrudes toward the outer side of case 3 more than the outer side region 322C. The thickness of the short-edge side wall part 322 is fixed in both the inner side region 322B and the outer side region 322C, that is, in the inner side region 322B, the internal dimensions and external dimensions of case 3 are enlarged.

The side wall part 32 has an enlarged part 324, in which the internal dimensions and external dimensions are enlarged, at the edge part on the downward side, which is the open side of case 3. The lowermost plate 23 has larger external dimensions than the other plates, and the enlarged part 324 is provided for installing the lowermost plate 23. The amount of enlargement (height of level difference relative to the other portion) of the enlarged part 324 is equal to the height of level difference of the stepped parts 322A. As a result, the inner side region 322B and the enlarged part 324 are smoothly connected, and the inner side region 322B and the enlarged part 324 extend along the same plane.

The base plate 4 is formed in a flat plate shape and is provided to block the opening of case 3. In the base plate 4, there is formed a pair of through-holes 41 for the second fluid to pass through, and multiple mounting holes for mounting on other equipment. In the state where the stacked body 2 is housed in case 3 and the base plate 4 is attached to case 3, the through-hole 41 and the second distribution flow passage 27 communicate with each other. In the present embodiment, the flow passage of the second fluid in other equipment is directly connected to the through-hole 41, but a pipe or the like may be attached to the base plate 4 for introducing and discharging the fluid.

The inlet pipe 5 and the outlet pipe 6 are tubular members through which the first fluid passes, and are connected by brazing in a liquid-tight manner to the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34, respectively. The outside diameter of the inlet pipe 5 and the outlet pipe 6 is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34, respectively. In order to lower the fluid resistance, the inside diameter of the inlet pipe 5 and the outlet pipe 6 is made a relatively large diameter (approximately φ15 mm). It is preferable that the protrusion amount of the inlet pipe 5 and the outlet pipe 6 into case 3 be small, but the detailed structure of this and the structure for connection are not particularly limited.

In the heat exchanger 1 as described above, for example, through heating in a state where the stacked body 2 has been housed in case 3, the brazing material provided on the surface of various parts of the stacked body 2 melts, and as it cools, the brazing material solidifies to connect the various parts. Specifically, the outer peripheral flange parts of adjacent plates are connected to each other, and the bottom surface or upper surface of the plate and the tip ends of the protruding parts of the plate are connected. Furthermore, the inner surface (bottom surface) of the bottom plate part 31 of case 3 and the uppermost plate 24 are also connected in a similar manner.

Here, the relationship between the parts of case 3 and the stacked body 2, and the flow of fluid will be described. The external dimensions of the rectangular parallelepiped shaped stacked body 2 are either substantially equal to or slightly smaller than the internal dimensions of the rectangular tubular side wall part 32. That is, the outer peripheral part 20 of the stacked body 2, except for the recessed part 26, lies along the inner surface of the side wall part 32. Furthermore, since the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 are provided in the vicinity of the first corner parts 3A, and the recessed parts 26 are provided in the vicinity of the first corner parts 2A, the recessed parts 26 are provided at the portion opposite to the inflow port 33 and the portion opposite to the outflow port 34, respectively.

Thus, between case 3 and the stacked body 2, at the recessed parts 26, a gap is formed between the outer peripheral part 20 and the inner surface of the side wall part 32, and this gap forms the first distribution flow passage 28. As described above, since the opening part 29B is formed between the upward side of the first plate 21 and the downward side of the second plate 22, the first distribution flow passage 28 and the space between the upward side of the first plate 21 and the downward side of the second plate 22 communicate with each other.

The first fluid is introduced into case 3 through the inlet pipe 5 and is discharged through the outlet pipe 6. The first fluid introduced to the inflow port 33 by the inlet pipe 5 arrives at the first distribution flow passage 28. In the first distribution flow passage 28, the first fluid can flow in the Z direction, and can flow into the space between the upward side of the first plate 21 and the downward side of the second plate 22. That is, the first fluid is distributed in the Z direction and flows into the multiple spaces between the upward side of each first plate 21 and the downward side of each second plate 22.

In the stacked body 2, the first fluid flows from one of the pair of first corner parts 2A toward the other, and arrives at the first distribution flow passage 28 on the outflow port 34 side. The first fluid that has flowed into the first distribution flow passage 28 on the outflow port 34 side from the spaces between the upward side of each first plate 21 and the downward side of each second plate 22 flows in the Z direction so as to head toward the outflow port 34. That is, the distributed first fluid is again collected. Then, the first fluid is discharged from the outflow port 34 by means of the outlet pipe 6.

The second fluid is introduced into and discharged from the stacked body 2, with one of the pair of through-holes 41 serving as an inflow port and the other as an outflow port. The second fluid that has flowed into the second distribution flow passage 27 from one of the pair of through-holes 41 can flow in the Z direction, and can flow into the spaces between the downward side of each first plate 21 and the upward side of each second plate 22. That is, the second fluid is distributed in the Z direction and flows into the multiple spaces between the downward side of each first plate 21 and the upward side of each second plate 22.

In the stacked body 2, the second fluid flows from one of the pair of second corner parts 2B toward the other, and arrives at the other second distribution flow passage 27. The second fluid that has flowed into the other second distribution flow passage 27 from the spaces between the downward side of each first plate 21 and the upward side of each second plate 22 flows in the Z direction so as to head toward the other through-hole 41. That is, the distributed second fluid is again collected. Then, the second fluid is discharged to the outside from the other through-hole 41.

As described above, when the first fluid and the second fluid flow, it is preferable that the directions of flow with respect to the X direction be opposite to each other. That is, it is preferable that the second fluid be introduced into case 3 from the through-hole 41 among the pair of through-holes 41 that is nearer to the outflow port 34 in the X direction. Depending on conditions such as the type of fluid and flow rate, the first fluid and the second fluid may be made to flow in the same direction with respect to the X direction.

Next, a detailed description of the structure of the portion of the stacked body 2 that is opposite to the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34 will be provided. The first closing part 215 is formed extending across the entire recessed part 211, and has a first wall-like part 215A that extends to the downward side, which is the side opposite to the protruding side, and a first joining part 215B that extends from the tip end of the first wall-like part 215A toward the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34 along the XY plane (see FIG. 5). The second closing part 225 is formed across the entire recessed part 221, and has a second wall-like part 225A that extends toward the upward side, a second joining part 225B that extends along the XY plane from the tip end of the second wall-like part 225A toward the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34, and a cover part 225C that is continuous with the tip end of the second joining part 225B.

The first joining part 215B and the second joining part 225B are overlapped and joined to each other. The cover part 225C extends so as to rise toward the upward side, and covers the tip end of the first joining part 215B from the side of the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34. That is, the joint location between the first joining part 215B and the second joining part 225B is covered by the cover part 225C. The first joining part 215B and the second joining part 225B are connected by brazing, and the joint location is provided so as to extend in the Y direction to the position of the long edge of the plate even between the through-holes 212, 222 and the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224. Furthermore, the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 are also formed at positions opposite to the through-holes 212, 222 on the short edge sides of the plate. That is, in the vicinity of the through-holes 212, 222, the plates 21, 22 are joined by brazing not only at the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 but also at the first and second joining parts 215B, 225B. This enhances the liquid-tight reliability of the plate joining part in the vicinity of the long edge of the plates 21, 22. The cover part 225C is formed only at positions along the recessed parts 211, 221 (see FIGS. 2, 8, 9). The outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 are provided at positions opposite to the through-holes 212, 222 on the short edge sides of the plate in order to concentrate the flow of the first fluid in the vicinity of the first distribution passage 28.

Thus, with the heat exchanger 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the recessed parts 26 are formed in portions of the outer peripheral part of the stacked body 2 that are opposite to the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34, and the first distribution flow passage 28 is formed by these recessed parts 26, thereby avoiding the need to increase the size of case 3 relative to the stacked body 2. Here, since the distance in the XY plane over which the first fluid passes becomes shorter as a result of forming the recessed parts 26, it is necessary to make the stacked body 2 slightly larger to compensate for this, but the recessed parts 26 are formed locally, and since the outer peripheral part of the stacked body 2 lies along the inner surface of the side wall part 32 of case 3, it is possible to avoid increasing the size of the stacked body 2. In this way, it becomes possible to reduce the overall size of the heat exchanger 1 while ensuring the fluid distribution performance by means of the first distribution flow passage 28 formed by the recessed parts 26.

Furthermore, since the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 are arranged at positions adjacent to the respective first corner parts 3A of a diagonally opposed pair, the first fluid flows along the first diagonal L1 in the stacked body 2, and the distance over which the first fluid passes in the XY plane can be made longer, making it easier to reduce the size of the stacked body 2, and as a result, making it easier to reduce the overall size of the heat exchanger 1.

Furthermore, since each plate 21, 22, 24 of the stacked body 2 has a shape in which the corner parts of a rectangular shape are cut away, the recessed part 26 can be easily formed, and increased complexity of the shape of the stacked body 2 can be avoided.

Furthermore, since the through-holes 212, 222, 231 are formed in the second corner parts 2B, the second distribution flow passage 27 is formed in a pair of corner parts 2B, and the second fluid after distribution flows along the second diagonal L2. This makes it possible to make the traversed distance in the XY plane longer for the second fluid as well, making it easier to reduce the size of the stacked body 2, and as a result, making it easier to reduce the overall size of the heat exchanger 1.

Further, the first corner parts 2A where the recessed parts 26 are formed differ from the second corner parts 2B where the through-holes 212, 222, 231 are formed, that is, since the first distribution flow passage 28 and the second distribution flow passage 27 are provided at different corner parts, the stacked body 2 can be used in a spatially efficient manner, making it possible to reduce the overall size of the heat exchanger 1.

Furthermore, since case 3 has the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 in the side wall part 32, the first fluid flows along the XY plane when flowing into case 3 and when passing through the space between the plates, thereby making it possible to reduce pressure loss. The outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 are formed on the first plate 21 and the second plate 22, and the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 of adjacent plates in the Z direction are fitted with a taper and connected by brazing, allowing the plates to be positioned in the XY plane, so that the plates can be stacked in a predetermined order, improving workability.

Furthermore, since the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 have fluid guide walls 210, 220, the flow passage of the fluid can be defined by the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224. That is, there is no need to define the flow passage by means of case 3 or other components, which allows for simplification of the structure of the heat exchanger 1.

Furthermore, since the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224 are provided across the entire area of the outer peripheral edge of the first plate 21 and second plate 22, excluding the position opposite to the first distribution flow passage 28, fluid can be transmitted more efficiently in the flow passage between the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34.

Furthermore, since the first joining part 215B of the first closing part 215 and the second joining part 225B of the second closing part 225 are overlapped and joined, it becomes easier to ensure sufficient bonding surface area for these parts, making it possible to avoid leakage of fluid at the closing part 29A.

Furthermore, since the second closing part 225 has a cover part 225C that covers the tip end of the first joining part 215B, the fluid flowing in from the inflow port 33 is prevented from directly heading toward the tip end of the first joining part 215B. This makes it possible to reduce the pressure of the fluid applied to the joint location between the first joining part 215B and the second joining part 225B, and to suppress chemical denaturation, or deformation or damage due to pressure at the joint location.

Furthermore, since the stepped parts 322A surround the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 in the short-edge side wall part 322, which is a flat surface part, even when using a rectangular parallelepiped shaped case 3 and providing the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 in the side wall part 32 to achieve space utilization efficiency, the rigidity of case 3 can be improved. Furthermore, since the pipes 5, 6 are attached to the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34 by brazing, when an external force acts from the outer side in a direction that would topple the pipes 5, 6, it is possible to avoid stress concentration at the base where the pipes 5, 6 are attached. Furthermore, in cases where the diameter of the pipes 5, 6 is made larger to lower the flow path resistance or the like, the bonding surface area of the brazed pipes 5, 6 increases, increasing the joint strength of the pipes 5, 6, so when an external force acts on the pipes 5, 6, a major deformation force acts on the short-edge side wall part 322, but the deformation of the short-edge side wall part 322 can be suppressed by the stepped parts 322A.

Furthermore, since the stepped parts 322A have a level difference with a direction such that the inner side region 322B protrudes further toward the outer side of case 3 than the outer side region 322C, the internal space of case 3 is enlarged at the position where the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 are formed. This makes it possible to enlarge the first distribution flow passage 28.

Furthermore, since an enlarged part 324 is formed in case 3, the rigidity of the open side of case 3 can be improved. Furthermore, since the inner side region 322B and the enlarged part 324 extend along the same plane, the shape can be simplified compared to a configuration where the stepped part and the enlarged part are positioned on different planes.

Furthermore, since the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 are formed at positions adjacent to the first corner parts 3A, which are flat surface parts of the short-edge side wall part 322 where rigidity is relatively easier to ensure, it is possible to avoid decrease in rigidity of case 3 due to forming of the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but includes other configurations, etc. that can achieve the object of the present invention, and modifications, etc. as shown below are also included in the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment of the present invention, the first corner parts 2A where the recessed parts 26 are formed, and the second corner parts 2B where the through-holes 212, 222, 231 are formed, were positioned on different diagonals, but the positional relationship between the first distribution flow passage and the through-holes and second distribution flow passage is not limited to this. For example, instead of having the first corner parts 2A and the second corner parts 2B at both ends of the diagonals L1, L2, they can be placed at both ends of a line segment parallel to the long edge of the plates 21, 22, and it is also possible to design the recessed parts 26 and the through-holes 212, 222, 231 so that the first fluid and the second fluid flow parallel to each other.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment of the present invention, each plate 21, 22, 24 of the stacked body 2 has a shape where the corner parts of the rectangular shape are cut away, thereby forming the recessed parts 26, but the recessed parts may also be formed with other shapes, and the recessed parts may also be formed by notching one edge of the rectangular shape without cutting away the corner parts. That is, a “recessed part” can be any part that is recessed on the basis of a predetermined shape (for example, a rectangular shape in plan view, a round shape in plan view, etc.) possessed by the outer peripheral part of the stacked body.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment of the present invention, the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 are arranged at positions adjacent to each of a pair of diagonally opposed first corner parts 3A, but the recessed parts for forming the first distribution flow passage and the inflow port and the outflow port are not limited to being arranged in the vicinity of the corner parts, and may be, for example, at the central portion of the edge where the inflow port and the outflow port are provided. That is, the inflow port and the outflow port can also be set at appropriate positions in the case according to the positional relationship between the heat exchanger and other equipment and the routing of piping, etc. For example, at least one of the inflow port and the outflow port may be provided on the long side wall part 321 or the base plate 4 side, rather than on the short-edge side wall part 322. Furthermore, the inflow port and the outflow port may be provided for example at an upstream position and downstream position on parallel lines of the fluid guide walls 210, 220, according to the layout, rather than at diagonally opposed positions.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, the stacked body 2 and case 3 were described as having a rectangular parallelepiped shape and having a rectangular shape when viewed from the Z direction, but the stacked body and the case may have any mutually compatible shape, such as having an outer shape that is cylindrical, or other shapes.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, the first plate 21 was described as simply making the opening part 29B open, but the first plate may also have a shape that partially covers the opening part. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 as a modified example, the first plate 21 may have an extension part 216 continuous with the outer peripheral flange part 214. In the modified example shown in FIG. 13, the extension part 216 is formed in the recessed part 211, protrudes upward from the main body part (plate-shaped portion along the XY plane) of the first plate 21, and has a protrusion dimension that is smaller than the gap between the first plate 21 and the second plate 22.

In this modified example, the extension part 216 is formed on all of the multiple first plates 21. The extension part 216 is formed in a range of about half of the entire recessed part 211, but it may also be formed across the entire recessed part 211.

The extension part 216 is provided to cover the opening part 29B from the side of the inflow port 33 or the outflow port 34, thereby making the opening surface area of the opening part 29B smaller when viewed from the X direction. That is, the original opening surface area of the opening part 29B is determined by the product of the gap between the first plate 21 and the second plate 22, and the Y direction dimension of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22, but the effective opening surface area is reduced by the surface area (projected surface area) of the extension part 216 when viewed from the X direction.

By providing an extension part 216 that reduces the opening surface area of the opening part 29B, the flow rate of the first fluid flowing into the flow passage for the first fluid can be limited. When the first fluid that has flowed into case 3 from the inflow port 33 is distributed in the Z direction, the flow rate tends to be larger at positions closer to the inflow port 33 in the Z direction, and smaller at positions farther from the inflow port 33. By limiting the flow rate particularly in the central portion in the Z direction near the inflow port 33, it becomes easier to ensure the flow rate even at positions far from the inflow port 33, and the difference in flow rate between various positions in the Z direction can be reduced.

In the modified example shown in FIG. 13, all the first plates 21 were described as having a similar extension part 216, but the projected surface area of the extension part may differ among the multiple first plates, or only a portion of the first plates may have the extension part. That is, in order for the opening surface area of the opening part 29B to become smaller at positions closer to the inflow port 33 in the Z direction, the projected surface area (especially the height) of the extension part of the first plate near the inflow port 33 may be made larger, or the extension part may be provided only to the first plate near the inflow port 33. Furthermore, in cases where the diameter of the inflow port is sufficiently large compared to the height of the stacked body, or in cases such as when flow rate differences are not likely to be caused by the pressure or viscosity, etc. of the fluid, the extension part may be omitted.

Furthermore, when providing the extension part, the extension part may be provided to the plate, among the first plate and the second plate, in which the side from which the outer peripheral flange part protrudes matches the side where the opening part is provided.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, the fluid flow passage was defined by the fluid guide walls 210, 220 of the outer peripheral flange parts 214, 224, but the stacked body may define the fluid flow passage jointly with the case or another component. For example, the outer peripheral flange part may not be provided at a portion of the outer peripheral edge of the first plate and second plate, and at this portion, the inner surface of the case or another component may form the fluid flow passage.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, the second closing part 225 was described as having a cover part 225C that covers the tip end of the first joining part 215B, but a cover part may also be provided on the first closing part 215 side. Furthermore, depending on the material of the plate, the joining method, the type of fluid, the pressure of the fluid, etc., chemical denaturation at the joint location, or deformation or damage due to pressure may be less likely to occur, and in such cases, the cover part may be omitted.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, both the first closing part 215 and the second closing part 225 were described as having wall-like parts 215A, 225A and joining parts 215B, 225B and being joined, but the form of the closing part is not limited to this. For example, a closing part extending toward the other may be provided only to one of the first plate and the second plate.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, the stepped parts 322A were described as having a level difference with a direction such that the inner side region 322B protrudes more to the outer side of case 3 than the outer side region 322C, but for example, if interference with other components is likely to occur due to protrusion to the outer side, the stepped part may have a level difference with a direction such that the inner side region protrudes to the inner side.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, the inner side region 322B and the enlarged part 324 were described as extending along the same plane, but the height of the stepped part may also be larger or smaller than the amount of enlargement of the enlarged part, and these dimensions may be set as appropriate depending on rigidity, relationship to other components, etc. Furthermore, the enlarged part is to be formed in the case as necessary, and for example, if the lowermost plate is relatively small, the enlarged part need not be formed.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, the inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 were described as being formed at positions adjacent to the first corner parts 3A, but the positions of the inflow port and the outflow port may also be, for example, at the central portion in the Y direction of the short-edge side wall part 322, and may be set as appropriate according to the routing of pipes, etc.

While an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the heat exchanger according to the above embodiment, and includes all aspects included in the concept of the present invention and the scope of patent claims. Furthermore, the various components may be selectively combined as appropriate to achieve at least a portion of the problem to be solved and the effect as described above. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, etc. of each component element in the above embodiment may be modified as appropriate according to the specific mode of use of the present invention.

It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many applications other than the examples provided would be upon reading the above description. The scope of the disclosure should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the arts discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the disclosure is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.

It should be understood that references to a single element are not necessarily so limited and may include one or more of such element. Any directional references (e.g., plus, minus, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of examples/embodiments.

“One or more” includes a function being performed by one element, a function being performed by more than one element, e.g., in a distributed fashion, several functions being performed by one element, several functions being performed by several elements, or any combination of the above.

It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. are, in some instances, used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments. The first element and the second element are both element, but they are not the same element.

The terminology used in the description of the various described embodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the various described embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, “at least one of” or “one or more of” indicates an inclusive list such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.