Heat Exchanger with End Plate Providing Mounting Flange

Abstract

A heat exchanger for heat exchange between two liquids comprises a core comprised of formed plates connected to one another in a stack, these plates including first and second end plates and intermediate plates. Each of the plates has a central section and the first end plate and the intermediate plates each have an edge wall extending outwardly from its respective central section at an angle. The core has inlet and outlet holes in the main plate sections. The plates are in sealed engagement with one another and the central sections of at least the first end plate and the intermediate plates are spaced apart from respective adjacent central sections to form liquid flow passages. The second end plate is formed with an integral ridge extending snugly along the edge wall of the adjacent plate. This ridge is spaced from the edge of the end plate so as to provide one or more mounting flanges.

1 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a heat exchanging core including a plurality of dish-type plates arranged in a stack with fluid flow passages being provided between adjacent plates in the stack, each plate comprising a central main plate section having a peripheral edge, an edge wall extending outwardly from and around said peripheral edge at an acute angle to a plane defined by said main plate section, and inlet and outlet holes provided through said main plate section for passage of heat exchange fluids, said plates being in nested, sealed engagement with one another, the main plate sections of adjacent plates being spaced from one another to form said fluid flow passages; and   a base plate for supporting said heat exchanging core, said base plate being rigidly attached to one of said dish-type plates at one end of said stack, said base plate being formed with an integral ridge extending snugly along and adjacent to the edge wall of said one dish-type plate, at least one section of said ridge being spaced from an adjacent edge of the base plate so as to provide at least one mounting flange for the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein said integral ridge has a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-section and has inner and outer ridge walls and wherein said inner ridge wall extends parallel to an adjacent outer surface of the edge wall and is attached directly thereto. 
     
     
         3 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 2  wherein said integral ridge is a continuous ridge extending around said one dish-type plate. 
     
     
         4 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 2  wherein said inner ridge wall is attached to the edge wall by brazing. 
     
     
         5 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1  wherein said base plate is formed with a lip extending along at least two side edges of the base plate, said lip increasing the rigidity of the base plate. 
     
     
         6 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 2  wherein said base plate is formed of 3003-aluminum plate and has fastener holes formed in said at least one mounting flange. 
     
     
         7 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 6  wherein said base plate is fixedly attached to said one dish-type plate by brazing and is substantially thicker than said dish-type plates of the core. 
     
     
         8 . A heat exchanger for heat exchange between two heat exchanging liquids, comprising:
 a heat exchanging core made of a plurality of formed plates arranged and connected to one another in a stack, said plates including first and second end plates and at least one intermediate plate arranged between the end plates, each of the formed plates having a central main plate section and said first end plate and said at least one intermediate plate each having an edge wall extending outwardly from and around its respective main plate section at an acute angle to a plane defined by the main plate section, said core also having inlet and outlet holes in the main plate sections for passage of the heat exchange liquids into and out of the core, said formed plates being in nested, sealed engagement with one another, the main plate sections of at least said first end plate and said at least one intermediate plate being spaced apart from respective adjacent main plate sections to form liquid flow passages,   said second end plate being formed with an integral ridge extending snugly along and adjacent to the edge wall of the adjacent intermediate plate, at least one section of said ridge being spaced from an adjacent edge of the second end plate so as to provide at least one mounting flange for the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         9 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 8  wherein said second end plate is made of substantially thicker metal plate than the rest of the formed plates. 
     
     
         10 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 9  wherein said integral ridge has a U-shaped or V-shaped transverse cross-section and has inner and outer ridge wails and wherein said inner ridge wall extends parallel to an adjacent outer surface of the edge wall and is attached directly thereto. 
     
     
         11 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 10  wherein said integral ridge is a continuous ridge extending around said edge wail of the adjacent intermediate plate. 
     
     
         12 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 11  wherein said base plate has at least one inlet and at least one outlet for at least one of said heat exchanging liquids. 
     
     
         13 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 11  wherein said second end plate is substantially rectangular and has four corners, said ridge has four corners, and at least two spaced-apart corner sections of said ridge are each spaced from an edge of a respective adjacent corner section of the second end plate so as to provide at least two mounting flanges for the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 8  wherein said second end plate is formed with a lip in order to increase rigidity of the second plate, said lip extending along at least two edges of the base plate. 
     
     
         15 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 9  wherein said second end plate has four corners, said at least one mounting flange includes several corner flange sections located at said corners of the second end plate, and fastener holes are formed in said several corner flange sections. 
     
     
         16 . An oil heat exchanger for heat exchange between oil and a heat exchange liquid, said heat exchanger comprising:
 a heat exchanger unit formed by a plurality of dished plates connected together in a sealing manner and arranged in a stack, said stack including first and second end plates and a plurality of intermediate plates, each of said dished plates having a substantially planar, main plate section which is spaced apart from the or each adjacent main plate section of another dished plate to form a respective liquid flow passage, the main plate sections having inlet and outlet holes for separate passage of said oil and said heat exchange liquid into, and out of said liquid flow passages,   said second end plate being formed with an integral ridge extending snugly along and around an edge wall of the dished plate adjacent thereto, wherein two or more sections of said ridge are each spaced from a respective adjacent edge of the second end plate so as to provide mounting flanges for the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         17 . An oil heat exchanger according to  claim 16  wherein said integral ridge has a U-shaped transverse cross-section and has inner and outer ridge walls and wherein said inner ridge wall is attached by brazing to said edge wall of the adjacent dished plate. 
     
     
         18 . An oil heat exchanger according to  claim 17  wherein said second end plate is formed with a lip which increases rigidity of the second end plate, said lip extending along at least two side edges of the second end plate. 
     
     
         19 . An oil heat exchanger according to  claim 17  wherein said second end plate is made of substantially thicker metal plate than the other plates forming the heat exchange unit. 
     
     
         20 . An oil heat exchanger according to  claim 17  wherein said mounting flanges are formed with fastener holes for securing said heat exchanger to a supporting structure by means of fasteners.