Heat exchanger plate and sealing gasket lockable thereto

Abstract

A heat exchanger plate and a sealing gasket, and a combination thereof, the heat exchanger plate having a plurality of integrally formed locking clip housings for receiving at discrete locations, in interlocking engagement therewith, a plurality of locking clips formed integrally with a specially formed sealing gasket. Each locking clip housing has one or more windows defined by locking rims, the windows each at determined spatial orientation relative to the plane of the heat exchanger plate, for mechanically receiving therethrough in mechanical engagement with the locking rims, one or more portions of one or more locking clips, so as to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the locking clips from the housings.

1 . A heat exchanger plate having a length extending along an X axis and a breadth extending along a Y axis perpendicular to axis X such that said plate resides in an X-Y plane, and having features of topography having at least a Z component parallel to a Z axis, perpendicular to the X-Y plane, said heat exchanger plate comprising:
 a. upper and lower sides and at least one edge portion;   b. a groove formed in said upper side parallel to said edge portion, for seating a spine of a sealing gasket having at least one locking clip including a bolt and at least one bolt wedge protruding laterally from the bolt and having at least one angled confinement rim; and   c. at least one locking clip housing formed integrally with said edge portion for locking engagement with the at least one gasket locking clip,   each said at least one locking clip housing comprising:
 a strike portion contiguous with a predetermined edge portion, terminating at at least one upper locking rim portion; 
 a bearing plate portion connected to said edge portion and terminating at at least one lower locking rim portion; and 
 at least one side rim portion disposed between said upper locking rim and said at least one lower locking rim, and together therewith defines a window residing in a plane whose directional components include at least one Z component parallel to the Z axis, said window configured to receive said least one bolt wedge therethrough so as to abut against and in locking confinement with said upper and lower locking rim portions. 
   
     
     
         2 . A heat exchange plate according to  claim 1 , wherein each said upper locking rim portion comprises an upper continuous locking rim and an upper perpendicular locking rim, and each said lower locking rim portion comprises a continuous locking rim and an upper perpendicular locking rim, wherein each of said upper continuous locking rim and lower continuous locking resides in a plane whose directional components include at least one Z component parallel to the Z axis. 
     
     
         3 . A heat exchange plate according to  claim 2 , wherein said upper continuous locking rim and said lower continuous locking rim are mutually coplanar, and said upper perpendicular locking rim upper perpendicular locking rim are mutually parallel. 
     
     
         4 . A heat exchange plate according to  claim 1 , wherein each said strike portion terminates at at least two upper locking rim portions, said bearing plate portion terminates at at least two said lower rim portions, and said at least one side rim includes a pair of said side rims,
 and wherein said pair of upper locking rim portions, said pair of lower rim portions and said pair of side rim portions define therebetween a pair of said windows.   
     
     
         5 . A heat exchange plate according to  claim 1 , wherein each said strike portion terminates at a predetermined number of upper locking rim portions, said bearing plate portion terminates at a predetermined number of lower locking rim portions equal to said predetermined number of said upper locking rim portions, wherein each pair comprising a single one of said upper locking rim portions in positional registration with a single one of said lower locking rim portions defines a window, such that the total number of windows equals said predetermined number. 
     
     
         6 . A heat exchange plate according to  claim 1 , wherein said topography includes peaks and valleys and the total height of said plate is the maximum distance between the top of the highest peak and the bottom of the lowest valley when measured parallel to the Z axis, and wherein said window has a height as measured between said upper and lower perpendicular locking rims, which is greater than said total height of said plate. 
     
     
         7 . A heat exchange plate according to  claim 1 , wherein said upper and lower locking rim portions are configured to define a window whose shape is selected from the group which consists of:
 square, round, rectangular, triangular, rhomboid, a fanciful, non-geometric shape.   
     
     
         8 . A heat exchange plate according to  claim 2 , wherein said locking clip housing has a depth equal to the distance between said upper perpendicular locking rim and said lower perpendicular locking rim, said depth equal to a depth required to accommodate the bolt of the locking clip in a predetermined direction. 
     
     
         9 . For use with a heat exchanger plate residing in an X-Y plane and having upper and lower sides, at least one edge portion, a gasket groove, and a locking clip housing integral with the edge portion, the locking clip housing having a strike portion and a bearing plate portion spaced apart in a direction transverse to the X-Y plane so as to form an opening having an insertion axis and a width measured transversely thereto, the strike portion and bearing plate portion also having locking rims between which is defined a locking window transverse to the bearing plate portion,
 a sealing gasket comprising:   a. a spine for seating within the groove; and   b. at least one integrally formed locking clip comprising:
 a bolt extending transversely from said spine, dimensioned for seating within the opening so as to abut one of the locking rims of the bearing plate portion when fully inserted; and 
   at least one compressible wedge extending laterally from said bolt such that combined width of said bolt and said at least one wedge is greater than the width of the opening, said wedge having at least one confinement rim,   wherein on full insertion of said bolt and said at least one wedge into said opening, said bolt abuts one of the locking rims of the beating plate, thereby to be protected from a direct unlocking force, and said at least one wedge extends transversely from said bolt through the locking window such that said at least one confinement rim engages at least one of the locking rims of the strike portion and bearing plate portion, thereby to resist withdrawal of said locking clip from the housing.   
     
     
         10 . A sealing gasket according to  claim 9 , wherein the strike portion has an upper continuous locking rim and an upper perpendicular locking rim, and the bearing plate portion has a lower continuous locking rim and a lower perpendicular locking rim which is opposite the upper perpendicular locking rim,
 and wherein said at least one wedge comprises at least two wedges, each having at least one confinement rim configured for abutting engagement against and confinement by a predetermined one of the locking rims of the strike portion and bearing plate portion.   
     
     
         11 . A sealing gasket according to  claim 10 , wherein said at least two wedges includes an upper wedge having formed thereon:
 an upward facing, upper continuous confinement rim configured to abut the upper continuous locking rim;   an upper perpendicular confinement rim configured to abut the upper perpendicular locking rim;   a downward facing lower continuous confinement rim configured to abut the lower continuous locking rim; and   a lower perpendicular confinement rim configured to abut the lower perpendicular locking rim.   
     
     
         12 . A sealing gasket according to  claim 11 , wherein the locking window resides in a plane transverse to the X-Y plane, and said upward facing, upper continuous confinement rim and said a downward facing lower continuous confinement rim are coplanar with the plane of the locking window. 
     
     
         13 . A sealing gasket according to  claim 11 , wherein the locking window resides in a plane transverse to the X-Y plane, and said upward facing, upper perpendicular confinement rim and said a downward facing lower perpendicular confinement rim are perpendicular to the plane of the locking window. 
     
     
         14 . A sealing gasket according to  claim 10 , wherein the locking pin housing includes a pair of strike portions whose upper perpendicular locking rims combine with the lower perpendicular locking rims to define a pair of opposing locking windows,
 and wherein said locking clip has a cross-sectional profile of a truncated arrow having an axis of symmetry, wherein said bolt is positioned along the axis of symmetry, and said at least one wedge includes a pair of wedges formed symmetrically about said bolt, each for extending through one of the pair of opposing locking windows, and each having an upward facing upper perpendicular confinement dm for abutting a corresponding upper perpendicular locking rim of the pair of strike portions.   
     
     
         15 . A sealing gasket according to  claim 10 , wherein the locking clip housing contains a predetermined number of multiple locking windows each of predetermined configuration, arranged in a predetermined spatial arrangement and orientation with respect to the X-Y-Z-axes, and wherein said at least one wedge comprises a number of said wedges extending from said bolt, whose number, spatial arrangement and orientation correspond to those of the locking windows. 
     
     
         16 . A heat exchanger plate and sealing gasket locked thereto in combination, said combination comprising:
 a. a heat exchange plate having a length extending along an X axis and a breadth extending along a Y axis perpendicular to axis X such that said plate resides in an X-Y plane, and having features of topography having at least a Z component parallel to a Z axis, perpendicular to the X-Y plane, having upper and lower sides, a groove for seating a sealing gasket spine, at least one edge portion, and a plurality of locking clip housings formed at predetermined discrete locations therealong each having an opening having a locking clip insertion axis; and   b. a sealing gasket having a spine for seating in said groove, and a plurality of integrally formed locking clips at discrete positions along said spine for locking engagement with said plurality of locking clip housings, each said locking clip having a bolt extending transversely from said spine, said bolt dimensioned for seating within the opening so as to abut one of the locking rims of the bearing plate portion when fully inserted,   wherein each said locking pin housing is formed integrally with said edge portion for interlocking engagement with a single one of said locking clips, and has an opening for accommodating said bolt,   wherein said opening has a width dimensioned to accommodate the width of said bolt, and a depth dimensioned to accommodate the height of said bolt,   wherein each said locking clip housing comprises:   (i) a strike portion contiguous with a predetermined edge portion, terminating at at least one upper locking rim portion;   (ii) a bearing plate portion connected to said edge portion and terminating at at least one lower locking rim portion; and   (iii) at least one side rim portion disposed between said upper locking rim portion and said at least one lower locking rim portion, and together therewith defines a window residing in a plane whose directional components include at least one Z component parallel to the Z axis,   and wherein   each said locking clip comprises:   (iv) a bolt extending transversely from said spine, dimensioned for seating within the opening so as to abut one of the locking rims of the bearing plate portion when fully inserted; and   (v) at least one compressible wedge extending laterally from said bolt such that combined   width of said bolt and said at least one wedge is greater than the width of said opening, said wedge having at least one confinement rim, wherein on full insertion of said bolt and said at least one wedge into said opening, said bolt abuts one of said locking rims of said bearing plate portion, thereby to be protected from a direct unlocking force,   and said at least one wedge extends transversely from said bolt through said locking window such that said at least one confinement rim engages at least one of said locking rims of said strike portion and said bearing plate portion, thereby to resist withdrawal of said locking clip from said locking pin housing.   
     
     
         17 . A combination according to  claim 16 , each said locking clip housing according to  claim 1 , and said locking clip housing according to  claim 9 . 
     
     
         18 . A pre-assembled heat exchanger plate incorporating a sealing gasket, said pre assembled plate comprising:
 a heat exchanger plate residing in an X-Y plane and having topographical features having a component parallel to a Z axis perpendicular to said X-Y plane;   an edge portion;   a groove;   a plurality of preformed locking clip housings formed at predetermined positions along said edge portion, each said housing comprising an opening formed through said plate and a plurality of locking elements, arranged along a Z axis perpendicular to said X-Y plane, at least one of said elements being spaced apart from said X-Y plane; and   a sealing gasket seated in said groove, having a spine and a plurality of integral locking clips formed at positions corresponding to said predetermined positions of said preformed locking clip housings, each said locking clip protruding into the interior of one of said openings formed through said plate, and comprising at least one integrally formed wedge configured for engagement with and confinement by at least one of said locking elements.   
     
     
         19 . A pre-assembled heat exchanger plate according to  claim 18 , each said locking clip housing according to  claim 1 , and said locking clip housing according to  claim 9 .