HEAT EXCHANGER

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger in which a connecting flange for connecting a refrigerant distributor can be provided to ensure performance with easy assembly of the heat exchanger and the refrigerant distributor, and inlet and outlet pipes of the connecting flange can be arranged to be adjacent to each other to minimize processing and manufacturing tolerance.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat exchanger in which a connecting flange for connecting a refrigerant distributor can be provided in order to facilitate the assembly of the heat exchanger and the refrigerant distributor. [State of the art]

[0002] Generally, a vehicle air conditioner refers to a device for cooling or heating a vehicle interior by introducing air from outside a vehicle into the vehicle interior, or by heating or cooling air during a process of circulating the air within the vehicle interior. In an air conditioner case, an evaporator is used to perform a cooling operation, a heater core is used to perform a heating operation, and a fan mode switching door is used to selectively blow air cooled or heated by the evaporator or heater core to areas within the vehicle interior.

[0003] Korean Patent No. 10-1151758, filed earlier, discloses a plate heat exchanger. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a prior art water-cooled heat exchanger, and the Fig. 2 is a view schematically showing a configuration of the prior art water-cooled heat exchanger.

[0004] With reference to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a water-cooled heat exchanger 9 in the related art is constructed by stacking a plurality of plates 1. On one side of the water-cooled heat exchanger 9, a refrigerant inlet port 2 through which a refrigerant is introduced and a refrigerant outlet port 3 through which the refrigerant is discharged are provided. Furthermore, a coolant inlet port 4 through which a coolant is introduced and a coolant outlet port 5 through which the coolant is discharged are provided in the water-cooled heat exchanger 9. The plurality of plates 1 are stacked to form a refrigerant flow path and a coolant flow path therein.

[0005] The refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant inlet port 2 flows along the refrigerant flow path formed by the plates 1 and is discharged through the refrigerant outlet port 3, so that a refrigerant flow path 7 is formed, as shown in the Fig. 2. Furthermore, the coolant introduced into the coolant inlet opening 4 flows along the coolant flow path formed by the plates 1 and is discharged through the coolant outlet opening 5, so that a coolant flow path 8 is formed, as shown in the Fig. 2. The refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path 7 and the coolant in the coolant flow path 8 exchange heat with each other.

[0006] The prior art plate heat exchanger has a structure in which the inlets and outlets for the refrigerant and the coolant are separately arranged and separately assembled with the corresponding components (e.g., AC pipes, coolant hoses, and the like). Fig. Figure 3 is a view showing an assembled structure of the prior art plate heat exchanger. As shown, an AC pipe P1, a refrigerant hose P2, and the like are mounted on the plate heat exchanger 9.

[0007] In this context, the modularization of refrigerant and coolant has recently been implemented, and an integrated structure has been proposed in which multiple AC tubes are integrated into a single manifold and connected to the plate heat exchanger. The integrated cooling module has a structure in which heat exchange components, including the heat exchanger, such as a radiator, an accumulator, and the like, are mounted and assembled on a refrigerant manifold in a central section to define a single integrated cooling module.

[0008] In this case, there are no major difficulties in assembling the AC tubes to the plate heat exchanger in the related technology. However, when using the newer manifold structure, tolerances in component processing, tolerances in core manufacturing, and the like make assembling the heat exchanger to the manifold difficult.

[0009] A similar document is Korean Patent No. 10-1151758 (filed on May 24, 2012). [Disclosure][Technical Task]

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger in which a connecting flange is provided for connecting a refrigerant distributor to ensure performance with easy assembly of the heat exchanger and the refrigerant distributor. [Technical solution]

[0011] A heat exchanger according to an example of the present invention comprises: a core configured by stacking a plurality of plates and configured to enable heat exchange of a heat exchange medium; a cover plate disposed over the core; and a connecting flange provided on the cover plate, wherein the connecting flange comprises: a body; an inlet pipe formed on one side of the body and configured to introduce a refrigerant through the inlet pipe; and an outlet pipe formed on the other side of the body and configured to discharge the refrigerant through the outlet pipe, wherein the core is configured such that the refrigerant introduced into the core through the inlet pipe of the connecting flange flows in the core and is then discharged through the outlet pipe of the connecting flange, wherein a first refrigerant flow path,which is formed vertically on one side of the core and allows the refrigerant to flow therethrough in a plate stacking direction, a second refrigerant flow path which is formed vertically on another side of the core and through which the refrigerant can flow in a plate stacking direction, and a third refrigerant flow path which is formed vertically on the other side of the core and through which the refrigerant can flow in the plate stacking direction are formed in the core, and wherein a barrier structure is provided in the first refrigerant flow path and prevents the refrigerant between the first refrigerant flow path and the third refrigerant flow path from being introduced into the opposite flow paths through a space between the two adjacent plates.

[0012] The barrier structure may be configured to form cup parts having ridge structures at the edges of through holes for forming the first refrigerant flow path in some of the plurality of plates, and to stack the cup parts to form a side wall of the first refrigerant flow path.

[0013] On some plates the cup parts may be brazed.

[0014] The cup part of each of the plates may be directed downwards, and the height of the cup part of each of the plates may be greater than the distance between two adjacent plates.

[0015] When the two adjacent plates, out of some of the plates, are referred to as a first plate and a second plate, the cup part of the first plate may be inserted into the cup part of the second plate, and a portion where an outer surface of the cup part of the first plate and an inner surface of the second plate meet may be brazed.

[0016] Some of the plates with the cup parts may be arranged on an upper side of the core in the height direction.

[0017] The inlet pipe and the outlet pipe of the connecting flange can be arranged to lie next to each other while being offset to one side with respect to a longitudinal center of the cover plate.

[0018] The first refrigerant flow path and the second refrigerant flow path may each extend from an upper end to a lower end of the core, and the third refrigerant flow path may extend from the upper end of the core to a middle portion in a height direction of the core.

[0019] An upper end of the third refrigerant flow path may be connected to the inlet pipe of the connecting flange, an upper end of the first refrigerant flow path may be connected to the outlet pipe of the connecting flange, the refrigerant introduced into the third refrigerant flow path through the inlet pipe of the connecting flange may flow in a vertically downward direction along the third refrigerant flow path, flow in a horizontal direction through a space between the two adjacent plates, and flow into the second refrigerant flow path, the refrigerant introduced into the second refrigerant flow path may flow in the vertically downward direction along the second refrigerant flow path, flow in the other horizontal direction through the space between the two adjacent plates, and flow into the first refrigerant flow path,and the refrigerant introduced into the first refrigerant flow path can flow in a vertically upward direction along the first refrigerant flow path and be discharged through the outlet pipe of the connecting flange.,

[0020] The barrier structure may be formed from an upper end of the first refrigerant flow path to a middle portion in the height direction of the first refrigerant flow path, and the barrier structure may be configured to be longer than the third refrigerant flow path so that a lower end of the barrier structure may extend further downward than a lower end of the third refrigerant flow path.

[0021] The first refrigerant flow path may be arranged at one longitudinal end of the core, the second refrigerant flow path may be arranged at the other longitudinal end of the core, and the third refrigerant flow path may be arranged between the first refrigerant flow path and the second refrigerant flow path and adjacent to the first refrigerant flow path.

[0022] The inlet pipe of the connecting flange and the first refrigerant flow path may be on the same line, and the outlet pipe of the connecting flange and the third refrigerant flow path may be on the same line.

[0023] The cover plate may comprise: a refrigerant inlet port connected to the inlet pipe of the connecting flange and configured to introduce the refrigerant through the refrigerant inlet port; and a refrigerant outlet port connected to the outlet pipe of the connecting flange and configured to discharge the refrigerant through the refrigerant outlet port.

[0024] The refrigerant inlet port and the refrigerant outlet port of the cover plate may have upwardly burred structures, one end of the inlet pipe of the connecting flange may be inserted into the refrigerant inlet port having the burred structure and brazed, and one end of the outlet pipe of the connecting flange may be inserted into the refrigerant outlet port having the burred structure and brazed. [Beneficial Effects]

[0025] According to the present invention, the connecting flange for connecting the refrigerant distributor can be provided to ensure the performance of easy assembly of the heat exchanger and the refrigerant distributor.

[0026] In addition, the inlet and outlet pipes of the connecting flange can be arranged to be adjacent to each other, preventing bending of the connecting flange, reducing the size of the connecting flange, and minimizing processing and manufacturing tolerance. [Description of the drawings] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a prior art water-cooled heat exchanger. Fig. 2 is a view schematically showing a configuration of the prior art water-cooled heat exchanger. Fig. 3 is a view showing an assembled structure of a prior art plate heat exchanger. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger according to an example of the present invention. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchanger of the Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view showing a cross section of the heat exchanger. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a cover plate from above. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the cover plate from below. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a connecting flange from above. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the connecting flange from below. Fig. 11 is a view that Fig. 6 is illustrated again. Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the connecting flange of the Fig. 11. Fig. 13 and Fig. 14 are perspective views showing a plate of a top core viewed from the bottom. Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 are perspective views showing a plate of a bottom core viewed from the bottom. Fig. 17 is a view showing a barrier pipe according to the example of the present invention. Fig. 18 is a view showing a soldering structure of the barrier tube according to the example of the present invention. Fig. 19 is a view showing a brazing structure of a barrier tube according to another example of the present invention. Fig. 20 is a view showing a cross section of a heat exchanger according to another example of the present invention. Fig. 21 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a locking structure of the Fig. 20 shows. [Description of reference symbols] 10 heat exchangers 100 core 110 plate RC1 First refrigerant flow path RC2 Second refrigerant flow path RC3 Third refrigerant flow path 120 barrier structure 130 barrier pipe 140 Side wall of the first refrigerant flow path 200 cover plate 210 Refrigerant inlet opening 220 Refrigerant outlet opening 300 connecting flange 310 bodies 320 inlet pipe 330 outlet pipe [Embodiments]

[0027] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] The Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger according to an example of the present invention, and the Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchanger of the Fig. 4. The heat exchanger of the present invention essentially comprises a core 100, a cover plate 200 and a connecting flange 300.

[0029] The Fig. 6 is a view showing a cross-section of the heat exchanger according to the example of the present invention. As shown, the core 100 is configured by stacking a plurality of plates 110 and is configured to exchange heat with each other using heat exchange media. The heat exchange medium may be a refrigerant or a coolant. The core 100 is configured so that the refrigerant and the coolant alternately flow between the stacked plates, so that the refrigerant and the coolant exchange heat with each other.

[0030] The Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cover plate from above, and the Fig. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the cover plate from below. The cover plate 200 differs from the plates 110 of the core 100 and corresponds to a type of cover provided above the core 100.

[0031] The cover plate 200 may have a refrigerant inlet port 210 through which the refrigerant is introduced into the core 100 from the outside, and a refrigerant outlet port 220 through which the refrigerant is discharged from the core 100 to the outside. In addition to the refrigerant inlet port 210 and the refrigerant outlet port 220, the cover plate 200 may have a coolant inlet port 230 through which the coolant is introduced, and a coolant outlet port 240 through which the coolant is discharged. A coolant inlet pipe 231 may be connected to the coolant inlet port 230, and a coolant outlet pipe 241 may be connected to the coolant outlet port 240.The arrangement structures of the refrigerant inlet port 210, the refrigerant outlet port 220, the coolant inlet port 230, and the coolant outlet port 240 of the cover plate 200 can be freely modified and designed, and the positions of the inlet and the outlet can be opposite to each other.

[0032] The Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the connecting flange from above, and the Fig. 10 is a bottom perspective view of the connecting flange. The connecting flange 300 is provided at an upper part of the cover plate 200 and is configured to be attached to an external component. The external component may be a refrigerant manifold through which the refrigerant flows, as described above. That is, the connecting flange 300 refers to a mounting structure that serves as a medium when the heat exchanger is mounted on the refrigerant manifold. Screw grooves 390 may be formed in the connecting flange 300, and the connecting flange 300 may be screwed to the refrigerant manifold using the screw grooves 390. As described above, the heat exchanger has the connecting flange 300, which can ensure easy assembly of the heat exchanger and the refrigerant manifold.

[0033] The connection flange 300 includes a body 310, an inlet pipe 320 provided on one side of the body 310 and configured to introduce the refrigerant therethrough, and an outlet pipe 330 provided on the other side of the body 310 and configured to discharge the refrigerant therethrough. The inlet pipe 320 and the outlet pipe 330 may each include a tubular structure configured to penetrate the body 310 and a tube structure projecting outward from the tubular structure.

[0034] In this case, in the present invention, the inlet pipe 320 and the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300 are arranged to be adjacent to each other. More specifically, as shown in the Fig. 4, the inlet pipe 320 and the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300 are configured to be adjacent to each other and offset toward one side (the left side in the drawings) based on a longitudinal center of the cover plate 200.

[0035] As described above, the heat exchanger is mounted on the refrigerant manifold and brazed to the connecting flange 300. When the inlet pipe 320 and the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other, there is a problem that the connecting flange 300 may be bent and distorted due to pressing during brazing, the connecting flange 300 increases in size, and it is difficult to adjust a mounting height difference. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the distance between the inlet pipe 320 and the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300. Based on these points, in the present invention, the inlet pipe 320 and the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300 are arranged to be adjacent to each other, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem.

[0036] In a general plate heat exchanger, the refrigerant inlet port and the refrigerant outlet port of the cover plate are provided at two opposite longitudinal ends of the cover plate. The refrigerant inlet port and the refrigerant outlet port of the cover plate must be configured to be adjacent to each other, with the inlet pipe 320 of the connecting flange 300 connected to the refrigerant inlet port and the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300 connected to the refrigerant outlet port. For this purpose, for example, a return line is required that leads the refrigerant inlet port located at one longitudinal end of the cover plate 200 to the refrigerant outlet port located at an end opposite the refrigerant inlet port. The present invention achieves this object by using the refrigerant flow path preformed in the core 100 as the return flow path. The above-mentioned structure will be described in more detail below.

[0037] The Fig. 11 is a view that Fig. 6 is illustrated again, and the Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the connecting flange of the Fig. 11. First, a plurality of refrigerant flow paths RC through which the refrigerant flows are formed in the core 100 and stacked between the plurality of adjacent plates 110, and coolant flow paths CC are formed alternately with the refrigerant flow path RC. However, since the connecting flange 300 of the present invention is a refrigerant-related component, only the refrigerant or refrigerant flow path will be described in detail below.

[0038] For this purpose, the core 100 is configured such that the refrigerant introduced into the core 100 through the inlet pipe 320 of the connecting flange 300 flows in the core 100 and is then discharged through the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300.

[0039] For this purpose, as in the Fig. As shown in FIG. 11, in the core 100, a first refrigerant flow path RC-1 is formed vertically on one side of the core 100 and allows the refrigerant to flow in the vertical direction, a second refrigerant flow path RC-2 is formed vertically on another side of the core 100 and allows the refrigerant to flow in the vertical direction, and a third refrigerant flow path RC-3 is formed vertically on the other side of the core 100 and allows the refrigerant to flow in the vertical direction. In this case, the vertical direction refers to a plate stacking direction in which the plates 110 of the core 100 are stacked. Hereinafter, this direction is referred to as the vertical direction for convenience.

[0040] More specifically, the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 may be positioned at one longitudinal end of the core 100, that is, the left end based on the drawings, the second refrigerant flow path RC-2 may be positioned at the other longitudinal end of the core 100, that is, the right end based on the drawings, and the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 may be positioned between the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 and the second refrigerant flow path RC-2 and positioned to be closer to the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 than to the second refrigerant flow path RC-2.Further, the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 and the second refrigerant flow path RC-2 may each be formed to extend from the upper end to the lower end of the core 100, and the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 may be formed to extend from the upper end of the core 100 to a middle portion of the core 100 in a height direction.

[0041] The first, second, and third refrigerant flow paths RC-1, RC-2, and RC-3 are configured as through-holes passing through the plates 110 of the core 100. The through-holes for forming the first, second, and third refrigerant flow paths RC-1, RC-2, and RC-3 are formed at an approximately centered upper side of the core 100 in the height direction, i.e., they are formed in the plates 110U of an upper-side core 100U. The through-holes for forming the first and second refrigerant flow paths RC-1 and RC-2 are formed at the center of the lower side in the height direction, i.e., in plates 110L of a lower-side core 100L. The through-holes for forming the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 are not formed in the plates 110L of the lower-side core 100L.

[0042] The Fig. 13 and Fig. 14 are perspective views showing the top core plate viewed from the bottom, and the Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 are perspective views showing the bottom core plate viewed from the bottom. The plates 110U in the Fig. 13 are provided as multiple plates 110U, and the plates 110U in FIGder Fig. 14 are provided as a plurality of plates 110U. The plates 110U are alternately stacked, and the refrigerant and the coolant flow alternately between the two adjacent plates. The plates 110L in the Fig. 15 consist of several plates 110L, and the plates 110L in the Fig. 16 consist of several 110L plates. The 110L plates are stacked alternately, and the refrigerant and coolant flow alternately between the two adjacent plates.

[0043] That is, the plate 110U in the Fig. 13 corresponds to a refrigerant side plate 110U-R of the top core 100U, the plate 110U in the Fig. 14 corresponds to a refrigerant side plate 110U-C of the top core 100U, the plate 110L in the Fig. 15 corresponds to a refrigerant-side plate 110L-R of the bottom core 100L, and the plate 110L in the Fig. 16 corresponds to a refrigerant-side plate 110-C of the bottom core 100L. The core 100 has a structure in which the refrigerant-side plates and the refrigerant-side plates are alternately stacked.

[0044] In this case, in the plate 110U in the Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, in addition to a through hole RC-1_h for forming the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 and a through hole RC-2_h for forming the second refrigerant flow path RC-2, as described above, a through hole RC-3_h for forming the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 is formed. In the plate 110L in the Fig. 15 and Fig. 16, the through-hole RC-1_h for forming the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 and the through-hole RC-2_h for forming the second refrigerant flow path RC-2 are formed, but the through-hole RC-3_h for forming the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 is not formed. Furthermore, refrigerant through-holes CC_h1 and CC_h2 through which the refrigerant flows may be formed in the plates 110. However, a detailed description of the refrigerant through-holes will be omitted.

[0045] With reference to the Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, an upper end of the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 is connected to the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300, and an upper end of the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 is connected to the inlet pipe 320 of the connecting flange 300. Further, as illustrated, the inlet pipe 320 of the connecting flange 300 and the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 may be arranged to be on the same line, and the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300 and the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 may be arranged to be on the same line.

[0046] In this case, a barrier structure 120 is provided in the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 to prevent the refrigerants between the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 and the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 from flowing horizontally through the space between the two adjacent plates and directly into the opposite flow paths. As shown, the barrier structure 120 is formed from the upper end of the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 to the middle portion in the height direction of the first refrigerant flow path RC-1.

[0047] Therefore, the refrigerant introduced into the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 through the inlet pipe 320 of the connecting flange 300 and flowing downward in the vertical direction along the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 as shown in the drawings is not introduced into the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 while flowing horizontally to the left through the space between the two adjacent plates as shown in the drawings, but the refrigerant is introduced into the second refrigerant flow path RC-2 while flowing horizontally to the right as shown in the drawings.The refrigerant introduced into the second refrigerant flow path RC-2 flows vertically downward along the second refrigerant flow path RC-2 as shown in the drawings, and is then introduced into the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 while flowing horizontally to the left through the space between the two adjacent plates as shown in the drawings. The refrigerant introduced into the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 flows vertically upward along the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 as shown in the drawings, and is then discharged to the outside through the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300.

[0048] That is, in a general plate-type heat exchanger of the prior art, a refrigerant flows in a direction from one side to the other side of the core 100, so that a refrigerant-side flow path forms one passage. However, in the plate-type heat exchanger of the present invention, the refrigerant flows in a direction from one side to the other side of the core 100 at the top of the core 100, and the refrigerant flows in a direction opposite to a direction from the other side to one side of the core 100 at the bottom of the core 100, so that the refrigerant-side flow path forms two passages. In the present invention, one of the two passages of the refrigerant-side flow path as described above is used as a return flow path, so that the refrigerant inlet port and the outlet port can be arranged to be adjacent to each other.

[0049] To form the two passages, the barrier structure 120 is provided in the core 100 of the present invention and prevents the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 and the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 from directly communicating with each other. The barrier structure 120 of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0050] With reference to the Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, as shown, a seal tube 130 can be installed in the first refrigerant flow path RC-1. The seal tube 130 is a component provided separately from the plates 110 of the core 100. The seal tube 130 has an approximately cylindrical structure. Fig. 17 is a view showing the seal tube according to the example of the present invention. The seal tube 130 is inserted and installed into the first refrigerant flow path RC-1, and a part of a side surface of the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 is closed by a side wall of the seal tube 130.

[0051] The seal tube 130 is arranged to extend from the upper end of the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 to the middle portion in the height direction of the first refrigerant flow path RC-1. The seal tube 130 is configured to be longer than a vertical length of the third refrigerant flow path RC-3, so that a lower end of the seal tube 130 extends further downward than the lower end of the third refrigerant flow path RC-3, that is, the lower end of the seal tube 130 protrudes further downward by a predetermined amount than the third refrigerant flow path RC-3.

[0052] In addition, the barrier tube 130 may be joined to the plurality of plates 110 of the core 100 by brazing. As shown in the Fig. As shown in Figure 12, the barrier tube 130 can be soldered to all plates 110 that meet the barrier tube 130. However, it may be particularly advantageous from a manufacturing perspective if the two points, ie, the upper and lower ends of the barrier tube 130, are soldered to a portion of the plate 110.

[0053] With reference to the Fig. 17, a flange portion 131 having an enlarged tube structure is formed at the upper end of the barrier tube 130, and the flange portion 131 can be brazed to the plate 110T arranged at an uppermost portion among the plurality of plates 110 of the core 100. As shown in FIG. Fig. 11, the flange portion 131 of the barrier tube 130 may be seated on an upper portion of the top plate 110T, and the portions of the flange portion 131 and the top plate 110T that meet may be brazed so that the upper end of the barrier tube 130 may be firmly installed on the core.

[0054] Next, a structure will be described in which the lower end of the shut-off tube 130 is fixedly installed on the core 100. The Fig. 18 is a view showing a brazing structure of the barrier tube according to the example of the present invention. As shown, the two plates that meet at a lower end point of the barrier tube 130 may be formed to have ridge structures and brazed to the side surface of the lower end of the barrier tube 130.

[0055] Specifically, when, among the plurality of plates, the plate disposed immediately below the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 is referred to as a first plate 110-1 and the plate disposed immediately below the first plate 110-1 is referred to as a second plate 110-2, burr parts 110-1_B and 110-2_B are respectively formed on a periphery of the through-hole RC-1_h for forming the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 in the first plate 110-1 and a periphery of the through-hole RC-1_h for forming the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 in the second plate 110-2, and the burr parts 110-1_B and 110-2_B of the first and second plates may be brazed to the side surface of the shut-off tube 130. Taking into account the space utilization, the ridge part 110-1_B of the first plate and the ridge part 110-2_B of the second plate may be ridged in opposite directions.

[0056] In this case, the first plate 110-1 may correspond to the refrigerant-side plate, and the second plate 110-2 may correspond to the coolant-side plate. The refrigerant-side plate and the coolant-side plate may be brazed to the shut-off tube 130.

[0057] In this case, the coolant flows between the first plate 110-1 and the second plate 110-2. Therefore, if a brazing defect occurs between the seal tube 130 and the plate 110, the brazing defect can be detected. For example, only the coolant needs to flow into the space between the first plate 110-1 and the second plate 110-2, and the refrigerant does not need to flow into the space between the first plate 110-1 and the second plate 110-2. If a brazing defect occurs between the seal tube 130 and the ridge part 110-1_B of the first plate 110-1, the refrigerant may be introduced into a gap between the seal tube 130 and the ridge part 110-1_B of the first plate 110-1 and leak between the first plate 110-1 and the second plate 110-2.Based on this principle, the plate-type heat exchanger can be manufactured, and it can be detected whether the refrigerant leaks at the coolant outlet port of the core by only introducing the refrigerant into the core 100, so that a manufacturing defect can be detected in advance.

[0058] The Fig. 19 is a view showing a brazing structure of a barrier tube according to another example of the present invention. As shown, each of the plates that meet at the lower end point of the barrier tube 130 may be formed to have a ridge structure and brazed to the side surface of the lower end of the barrier tube 130.

[0059] In a more specific example, as shown, when the plate located immediately below the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 is referred to as the first plate 110-1, the plate located immediately below the first plate 110-1 is referred to as the second plate 110-2, and the plate located immediately below the second plate 110-2 is referred to as a third plate 110-3, the burr part 110-2_B may be formed on the circumference of the through hole RC-1_h for forming the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 in the second plate 110-2, and the burr part 110-2_B of the second plate may be brazed to the side surface of the barrier tube 130.

[0060] In this case, a space between the second plate 110-2 and the third plate 110-3 is configured as a dead zone where no heat exchange medium flows. A leak detection hole 119 is formed in the side surface of the core 100, while passing through the side surface of the core 100, to allow the space between the second plate 110-2 and the third plate 110-3 to communicate with the outside of the core 100. Whether the refrigerant leaks through the leak detection hole 119 can be determined to detect a brazing defect.

[0061] That is, in the present example, the second plate 110-2 may correspond to the coolant-side plate, and the third plate 110-3 may correspond to the refrigerant-side plate. In this case, the refrigerant must originally flow between the second plate 110-2 and the third plate 110-3. However, in the present example, the space between the second plate 110-2 and the third plate 110-3 is set as a dead zone 118, so that no heat exchange medium flows. In this case, as described above, when a soldering failure occurs between the seal tube 130 and the second plate 110-2, the refrigerant can be introduced into the gap between the seal tube 130 and the second plate 110-2, the refrigerant leaks into the space between the second plate 110-2 and the third plate 110-3, and the refrigerant can be discharged to the outside through the leak detection hole 119.Therefore, it can be determined whether the refrigerant is leaking into the leak detection hole 119 to detect a soldering defect. Compared with the previous example, the present example is advantageous in detecting a soldering defect even when both the refrigerant and the coolant flow into the core 100. In this case, the design change can be implemented to set the space between the first plate 110-1 and the second plate 110-2 as the dead zone instead of the space between the second plate 110-2 and the third plate 110-3, simultaneously with it or separately.

[0062] An embodiment has been described in which the barrier tube 130 is used as the barrier structure 120. An embodiment in which a ridge structure is applied to the plate as the barrier structure 120 will be described below.

[0063] The Fig. 20 is a view showing a cross section of a heat exchanger according to another example of the present invention, and Fig. 21 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a locking structure of the Fig. 20. As shown, the barrier structure 120 of the present example may be configured as a structure in which cup parts having ridge structures are formed and stacked on the plate 110.

[0064] That is, according to the present example, in some of the plurality of plates 110 of the core 100, the cup parts with the ridge shapes are formed on the peripheries of the through-holes RC-1_h to form the first refrigerant flow path RC-1, and the cup parts of some of the plates 110 are stacked to define a side wall 140 of the first refrigerant flow path RC-1. Therefore, a part of the side surface of the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 may be closed to prevent the first refrigerant flow path RC-1 and the third refrigerant flow path RC-3 from directly communicating with each other. In this case, some of the plates 110 include the plates 110U of the top-side core 100U and include the plates with the through-holes for forming the third refrigerant flow path RC-3, and at least one plate is arranged immediately below the plates with the through-holes.

[0065] More precisely, all the cup parts of some of the plates are directed downwards. In this case, the height of the cup part is greater than the distance between the two adjacent plates. That is, as in the Fig. 21, in some of the plates, the two adjacent plates are referred to as the first plate 110-1 and the second plate 110-2, and the first plate 110-1 is a plate positioned above the second plate 110-2. A cup part 110-1_C of the first plate 110-1 is formed to be larger than a distance 110-s between the first plate and the second plate and is inserted into a cup part 110-2_C of the second plate 110-2. Therefore, an outer surface of the cup part 110-1_C of the first plate and an inner surface of the cup part 110-2_C of the second plate are opposite to each other. Furthermore, in this state, the area where the outer surface of the cup part 110-1_C of the first plate and the inner surface of the cup part 110-2_C of the second plate meet is brazed, so that the barrier structure 120 of the present example can be fully implemented.

[0066] In contrast to the previous example in which the barrier tube 130 is required as a separate component, the present example differs from the previous example in that the cup parts are molded directly on the plates and the cup parts are integrated by brazing, which has the advantage of reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0067] The present invention has been described above with respect to the structure in which the refrigerant is introduced through the return flow path. Conversely, the heat exchanger may of course be configured such that the refrigerant is discharged through the return flow path. For example, the inlet pipe 320 of the connecting flange 300 may be configured to connect to the upper end of the first refrigerant flow path, and the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300 may be configured to connect to the upper end of the second refrigerant flow path. The remaining detailed configurations based on the above configuration may be configured and modified in the reverse manner to the above configuration.

[0068] As in the Fig.6 to 8, in the cover plate 200, the refrigerant inlet port 210 is connected to the inlet pipe 320 of the connecting flange 300 and configured to introduce the refrigerant therethrough, and the refrigerant outlet port 220 is connected to the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300 and configured to discharge the refrigerant therethrough. In this case, the refrigerant inlet port 210 and the refrigerant outlet port 220 of the cover plate 200 are arranged adjacent to each other and offset to one side based on a longitudinal center of the cover plate 200. This is the same reason why the inlet pipe 320 and the outlet pipe 330 of the above-mentioned connecting flange 300 are arranged to be adjacent to each other.

[0069] Furthermore, as illustrated, the refrigerant inlet port 210 and the refrigerant outlet port 220 of the cover plate 200 may have upwardly ridged structures. One end of the inlet pipe 320 of the connecting flange 300 may be inserted into the refrigerant inlet port 210 with the ridged structure and then brazed. One end of the outlet pipe 330 of the connecting flange 300 may be inserted into the refrigerant outlet port 220 with the ridged structure and then brazed. The connecting flange 300 can be securely attached to the cover plate 200 using the attachment structure, so that the cover plate 200 and the connecting flange 300 can be integrated.

[0070] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in any other specific form without changing the technical spirit or any essential feature thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and do not limit the present invention. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] KR 10-1151758 [0003, 0009]

Claims

[1] A heat exchanger with: a core formed by stacking a plurality of plates and configured to allow heat exchange to be carried out by a heat exchange medium; a cover plate arranged above the core; and a connecting flange on the cover plate, where the connecting flange includes: a body; an inlet pipe formed on one side of the body and arranged to introduce a refrigerant through the inlet pipe; and an outlet pipe formed on the other side of the housing and adapted to discharge the refrigerant through the outlet pipe, wherein the core is arranged so that the refrigerant introduced into the core through the inlet pipe of the connecting flange flows in the core and is then discharged through the outlet pipe of the connecting flange, wherein in the core, a first refrigerant flow path formed vertically on one side of the core and allowing the refrigerant to flow therethrough in a plate stacking direction, a second refrigerant flow path formed vertically on another side of the core and allowing the refrigerant to flow therethrough in the plate stacking direction, and a third refrigerant flow path formed vertically on the other side of the core and allowing the refrigerant to flow therethrough in the plate stacking direction are formed, and wherein a barrier structure is provided in the first refrigerant flow path and prevents the refrigerant between the first refrigerant flow path and the third refrigerant flow path from being introduced into the opposite flow paths through a space between the two adjacent plates. [2] The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the barrier structure is configured as a structure in which cup parts having ridge shapes are formed at the edges of through holes for forming the first refrigerant flow path in some of the plurality of plates, and the cup parts are stacked to define a side wall of the first refrigerant flow path. [3] The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein the cup portions of some of the plates are brazed. [4] The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the cup part of each of some of the plates is formed in a downward direction, and wherein the height of the cup part of each of the plates is greater than the distance between the two adjacent plates. [5] The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein, when the two adjacent plates of some of the plates are referred to as a first plate and a second plate, the cup part of the first plate is fitted into the cup part of the second plate, and a portion where an outer surface of the cup part of the first plate and an inner surface of the second plate meet is brazed. [6] The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein some of the plates are arranged with the cup parts on an upper surface of the core in the height direction. [7] The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe of the connecting flange are arranged to be adjacent to each other while being offset to one side based on a longitudinal center of the cover plate. [8] The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the first refrigerant flow path and the second refrigerant flow path each extend from an upper end to a lower end of the core, and wherein the third refrigerant flow path extends from the upper end of the core to a middle portion in a height direction of the core. [9] The heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein an upper end of the third refrigerant flow path is connected to the inlet pipe of the connecting flange, wherein an upper end of the first refrigerant flow path is connected to the outlet pipe of the connecting flange, wherein the refrigerant introduced into the third refrigerant flow path through the inlet pipe of the connecting flange flows vertically downward along the third refrigerant flow path, flows in a horizontal direction through a space between the two adjacent plates, and flows into the second refrigerant flow path, wherein the refrigerant introduced into the second refrigerant flow path flows downward in the vertical direction along the second refrigerant flow path, flows in the other horizontal direction through the space between the two adjacent plates and flows into the first refrigerant flow path, and wherein the refrigerant introduced into the first refrigerant flow path flows vertically upward along the first refrigerant flow path and is discharged through the outlet pipe of the connecting flange. [10] The heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein the barrier structure is formed from an upper end of the first refrigerant flow path to a middle portion in a height direction of the first refrigerant flow path, and wherein the barrier structure is configured to be longer than the third refrigerant flow path such that a lower end of the barrier structure extends further downward than a lower end of the third refrigerant flow path. [11] The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the first refrigerant flow path is arranged at a longitudinal end of the core, wherein the second refrigerant flow path is arranged at the other longitudinal end of the core, and wherein the third refrigerant flow path is disposed between the first refrigerant flow path and the second refrigerant flow path and is positioned to be adjacent to the first refrigerant flow path. [12] The heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein the inlet pipe of the connecting flange and the first refrigerant flow path are on the same line, and wherein the outlet pipe of the connecting flange and the third refrigerant flow path are on the same line. [13] The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein the cover plate comprises: a refrigerant inlet port connected to the inlet pipe of the connecting flange and arranged to introduce the refrigerant through the refrigerant inlet port; and a refrigerant outlet port connected to the outlet pipe of the connecting flange and arranged to discharge the refrigerant through the refrigerant outlet port. [14] The heat exchanger according to claim 13, wherein the refrigerant inlet opening and the refrigerant outlet opening of the cover plate have upwardly ridged structures, wherein one end of the inlet pipe of the connecting flange with the ridge structure is inserted into the refrigerant inlet opening and soldered, and wherein one end of the outlet pipe of the connecting flange with the ridge structure is inserted into the refrigerant outlet opening and soldered.

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