Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a plate member having several continuously folded plates defining a first opening for reception of a fluid from a first direction and a second opening for reception of another fluid from a second direction, and a frame body enclosing the plate member. The frame body has bottom and top plates, left and right plates, and front and rear plates. Each left and right plate has a height smaller than a width of the folded plate member so that the left and right plate define an upper left hole and a lower left hole in cooperation with the top and bottom plates, and that the right plate defines an upper right hole and a lower right hole in cooperation with the top and bottom plates. Two gasket sheets are disposed on inner surfaces of the top and bottom plates in order to abut hermetically against top and bottom edges of the continuously folded plates.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a folded plate member with a predetermined length and width, including a plurality of continuously folded plates defining a first opening for reception of a first fluid from a first direction and a second opening for reception of a second fluid from a second direction opposite to said first direction;   a frame body enclosing said folded plate member therein, and including a bottom plate, a top plate, and left and right plates, wherein each of said left and right plates has a height smaller than said width of said folded plate member so that said left plate defines an upper left hole and a lower left hole in cooperation with said top and bottom plates, and that said right plate defines an upper right hole and a lower right hole in cooperation with said top and bottom plates; and   two gasket sheets disposed on inner surfaces of said top and bottom plates in order to abut hermetically against top and bottom edges of said continuously folded plates.   
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein said frame body further includes front and rear plates connected to said bottom plate, said top plate, and said left and right plates. 
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein said folded plate member is made from a heat conductive material, and has a thickness between about 0.1 mm to 2 mm. 
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein said heat conductive material is selected from a metal group including steel, brass, zinc, chromium, aluminum, alloy and titanium. 
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said gasket sheets is made from an elastomeric material. 
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein each of said elastomeric material is selected from a material group including rubber and silica gel. 
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein inner surfaces of said left and right plates are in contact with left and right edges of said continuously folded plates. 
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said continuously folded plates has a flat surface. 
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of spacers, each disposed between an adjacent pair of said continuously folded plates in order to prevention variation of a clearance defined between said adjacent pair of folded plates due to pressure difference between said first and second fluids. 
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein said spacer includes long and short strips connected to each other. 
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein said spacer has a web-like configuration. 
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein said continuously folded plates have a surface area including a predetermined regions respectively aligned with said upper and lower left holes in said left plate and said upper and lower right holes in said right plate, and a remaining regions which are pressed or dented with a predetermined pattern. 
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 12 , wherein said predetermined pattern is composed of a plurality of trenches and wherein each of said continuously folded plates has a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions respectively between two adjacent concave portions due to formation of said trenches. 
   
   
       14 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a folded plate member with a width, including a plurality of continuously folded plates defining a first opening for reception of a first fluid from a first direction and a second opening for reception of a second fluid from a second direction opposite to said first direction;   a frame body enclosing said folded plate member therein, and including a bottom plate, a top plate, a rear plate, a front plate, a left plate and a right plate, said left and right plates in tight abutment with left and right edges of said folded plates, respectively, wherein each of said left and right plates has a height smaller than said width of said folded plate member so that said left plate defines an upper left hole and a lower left hole in cooperation with said top and bottom plates, and that said right plate defines an upper right hole and a lower right hole in cooperation with said top and bottom plates;   a plurality of spacers, each disposed between an adjacent pair of said continuously folded plates in order to prevention variation of a clearance defined between said adjacent pair folded plates due to pressure difference between said first and second fluids; and   two gasket sheets disposed on inner surfaces of said top and bottom plates in order to abut hermetically against top and bottom edges of said continuously folded plates.   
   
   
       15 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a folded plate member with a width, including a plurality of continuously folded plates defining a first opening for reception of a first fluid from a first direction and a second opening for reception of a second fluid from a second direction opposite to said first direction;   a frame body enclosing said folded plate member therein, and including a bottom plate, a top plate, and left and right plates, wherein each of said left and right plates has a height smaller than said width of said folded plate member so that said left plate defines an upper left hole and a lower left hole in cooperation with said top and bottom plates, and that said right plate defines an upper right hole and a lower right hole in cooperation with said top and bottom plates, wherein, said continuously folded plates cooperatively have a surface area including a predetermined regions respectively aligned with said upper and lower left holes in said left plate, and said upper and lower right holes in said right plate, and remaining regions which are pressed or dented in such a manner to form a predetermined pattern; and   two gasket sheets disposed on inner surfaces of said top and bottom plates in order to abut hermetically against top and bottom edges of said continuously folded plates.   
   
   
       16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , wherein said frame body further includes front and rear plates connected to said bottom plate, said top plate, and said left and right plates. 
   
   
       17 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a folded plate member formed of a plurality of continuously folded plates defining a first opening for reception of a first fluid from a first direction and a second opening for reception of a second fluid from a second direction opposite to said first direction;   a frame body including a bottom plate, a top plate, a front plate and a rear plate; and   two gasket sheets disposed on inner surfaces of said top and bottom plates in order to abut hermetically against top and bottom edges of said continuously folded plates.   
   
   
       18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of spacers, each disposed between an adjacent pair of said continuously folded plates. 
   
   
       19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 17 , wherein said continuously folded plates have a concave and convex pattern formed in such a manner that the convex portions of the two adjacent plates are contact while the concave portions thereof cooperatively define a plurality of channels. 
   
   
       20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 17 , wherein said continuously folded plates have a concave and convex pattern formed and with one spacer disposed in each adjacent pair of said continuously folded plates.