Heat exchanger

Abstract

To provide a heat exchanger capable of easily changing positions of an inlet and an outlet of a fluid without increasing kinds of plates.SOLUTION: In the stacking block 2 of the heat exchanger 1, the height of the outer peripheral flange portion 244 of the uppermost plate 24 is lower than the heights of the outer peripheral flange portions 214224 and of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22, and is equal to or substantially equal to the heights of the boss 241 and the convex portion 243. The lower end of the second distribution flow path 27 is connected to the through-hole 41 of the base plate 4 through which the oil flows, and the boss 241 is brazed to the inner surface of the top surface portion 31 of the case 3 to close the through-hole 242, so that the upper end of the second distribution flow path 27 is closed. When a heat-exchanger side 1B is newly provided corresponding to a layout different in the position of an oil port, a laminated body side 4B is constituted by vertically inverting a laminated body except a lowermost plate side 23B in accordance with a newly provided base plate side 23B and the lowermost plate side 2B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat exchanger. [Background technology]

[0002] Heat exchangers that exchange heat among multiple fluids are used, for example, as water-cooled oil coolers that cool lubricating oil in internal combustion engines using a refrigerant such as long-life coolant (LLC).A known heat exchanger has a casing and a core housed within the casing, with an inlet and outlet for cooling water on the outer peripheral wall provided on the side of the casing, and an inlet and outlet for oil provided in the stacking direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-127819 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional heat exchangers such as that shown in Patent Document 1, if the positions of the oil inlet and outlet were to be changed in accordance with various requirements such as the vehicle layout, it was necessary to design the shape of the core according to the positions of the oil inlet and outlet. Furthermore, in heat exchangers constructed by stacking square plates, the oil inlet / outlet ports and cooling water inlet / outlet ports are often formed diagonally at the four corners of the plates, but with this configuration, the entire heat exchanger can be easily rotated in a planar orientation to align with different oil hole positions, making it possible to accommodate assembly layouts without having to design new plates with different hole positions.In contrast, in heat exchangers constructed by stacking rectangular plates, layout restrictions make it difficult to rotate the arrangement.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a heat exchanger having a configuration that allows the positions of the oil inlet and outlet to be easily changed without increasing the number of types of plates.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a heat exchanger in which the positions of the fluid inlet and outlet can be easily changed without increasing the number of types of plates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a heat exchanger according to the present invention includes a stack of plates stacked together to form flow paths for a first fluid and flow paths for a second fluid alternately in a stacking direction, a case that houses the stack and is open on one side in the stacking direction, and a base plate that is provided on the open side of the case and has holes for passing the second fluid, wherein the case has side wall portions that cover side surfaces of the stack, a top surface portion that is provided on the other side of the case in the stacking direction, and an inlet and an outlet that are provided on the side wall portion or the top surface portion and through which the first fluid passes, and the plurality of plates each have outer peripheral flange portions that protrude from an outer periphery in the stacking direction, and bosses that are formed at a pair of corners and have through holes and protrude toward the flow paths for the first fluid formed between the plurality of plates, and a first distribution flow path is formed between the outer periphery of the stack and the inner surface of the side wall portion of the case, through which the first fluid flows along the stacking direction and which is connected to the passages for the first fluid formed between the plates, a second distribution flow path is formed that is connected to the hole for passing the second fluid in the base plate, and the bosses and the through holes of the plates adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are connected to each other, so that the second fluid flows in the stacking direction and is connected to the flow path for the second fluid formed between the plurality of plates; the uppermost plate of the plurality of plates in the stacking direction has the boss protruding toward the stacking direction and the height of the outer peripheral flange portion is formed lower than the heights of the outer peripheral flange portions of the other plates and is equal to the height of the boss; the lowermost plate of the plurality of plates in the stacking direction has the boss protruding toward the stacking direction and having a through hole at the position of the hole for passing the second fluid in the base plate, and is connected liquid-tight to the boss of the plate adjacent to each other in the stacking direction; and the inner surface of the top surface portion is connected liquid-tight to the boss of the uppermost plate of the stack in the stacking direction, so as to close the uppermost surface of the second distribution flow path.

[0008] In a heat exchanger according to one aspect of the present invention, the stack except for the lowermost plate is assembled in a reverse direction to the stacking direction.

[0009] In a heat exchanger according to one aspect of the present invention, the plurality of plates are rectangular.

[0010] In a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present invention, the stack is configured so that the tips of the outer flange portions of the plurality of plates can be selected to face either upward in the stacking direction or downward in the stacking direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to assemble a stack of multiple plates, except for the bottommost plate in the stacking direction, by flipping them in the opposite direction to the stacking direction, thereby providing a heat exchanger in which the positions of the fluid inlet and outlet can be easily changed without increasing the number of plate types. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a laminate and a base plate of the heat exchanger according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a laminate and a base plate of the heat exchanger according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a heat exchanger according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger according to the embodiment taken along line AA in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger according to the embodiment taken along line BB in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of the heat exchanger according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example of the heat exchanger according to the embodiment taken along the line AA in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9]8 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example of the heat exchanger according to the embodiment taken along the line BB in FIG. 7. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a heat exchanger 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a laminate 2 and a base plate 4 of the heat exchanger 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the laminate 2 and the base plate 4 of the heat exchanger 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the heat exchanger 1.

[0015] [Outline of the embodiment] First, a typical embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application will be outlined. In the following description, as an example, reference numerals in the drawings corresponding to the components of the invention will be written in parentheses.

[0016] [1] The heat exchanger (1) comprises a stack (2) in which a plurality of plates (21, 22, 23, 24) are stacked to form alternate flow paths for a first fluid and flow paths for a second fluid in the stacking direction, a cylindrical case (3) that houses the stack and is open on one side in the stacking direction, and a base plate (4) that is provided on the open side of the case and has a hole for passing the second fluid, and the case comprises a side wall portion (32) that covers a side surface of the stack, a top surface portion (31) that is provided on the other side of the case in the stacking direction, and a base plate (4) that is provided on the side wall portion or the top surface portion. The plate has an inlet (33) and an outlet (34) through which a first fluid passes, the plate having an outer peripheral flange portion (214, 224, 234, 244) protruding from an outer peripheral edge in the stacking direction, bosses (211, 221, 231, 241) formed at a pair of corners (201, 202) and having through holes protruding toward a flow path for the first fluid formed between the plurality of plates, and protrusions (213, 223, 233, 243) protruding in the stacking direction, and the first fluid is accumulated between the outer peripheral portion of the stack and the inner surface of the side wall portion of the case. A first distribution flow path (28) is formed that flows along the layer direction and is connected to the passage for the first fluid formed between the plates, and is connected to the hole for passing the second fluid in the base plate, and the bosses and through holes of adjacent plates in the stacking direction are connected to each other so that the second fluid flows in the stacking direction, and a second distribution flow path is formed that is connected to the flow path for the second fluid formed between the plurality of plates. Of the plurality of plates, the uppermost plate in the stacking direction has a boss that protrudes toward the stacking direction and has a peripheral flange portion whose height is lower than that of the peripheral flange portions of the other plates and is equal to that of the boss. Of the plurality of plates, the lowermost plate in the stacking direction has a boss that protrudes toward the stacking direction and has a through hole at the position of the hole for passing the second fluid in the base plate and is connected liquid-tight to the boss of the plate adjacent in the stacking direction. The inner surface of the top surface portion is connected liquid-tight to the boss (241) of the uppermost plate (24) in the stacking direction of the stack, so as to close the uppermost surface of the second distribution flow path.

[0017] [2] The stack, except for the bottom plate, is assembled in the reverse direction of the stacking direction.

[0018] [3] The plate is rectangular.

[0019] [4] The stack is configured so that the tip ends of the outer flanges of the plates can be arranged to face either upward in the stacking direction or downward in the stacking direction.

[0020] [Heat exchanger configuration] The heat exchanger 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below. For convenience of description, in the heat exchanger 1 shown in FIG. 1 and elsewhere, the stacking direction of the laminate 2 is referred to as the Z direction (vertical direction, height direction). The Z direction is the thickness direction of the case 3 (the direction in which the case 3 has an opening, as will be described later). The direction perpendicular to the Z direction, i.e., the long side direction, which is one of the surface directions of the laminate 2, is referred to as the X direction (horizontal direction, width direction), and the other short side direction, which is perpendicular to the Z direction, is referred to as the Y direction (front-rear direction, depth direction). In the following description, when the positional relationship and direction of each component are described as right side, left side, front side, rear side, upper side, and lower side, these merely refer to the positional relationship and direction in the drawings and do not limit the positional relationship and direction in the actual heat exchanger 1. Specifically, the side where the case 3 opens in the Z direction (the side where the base plate 4 is provided, the lower side in Figures 1 to 4) is referred to as the lower side, and the opposite side (the upper side in Figures 1 to 4) is referred to as the upper side, and these are sometimes simply referred to as the upper and lower sides, but the upper and lower sides in the Z direction are for convenience and do not necessarily have to coincide with the upper and lower sides in the vertical direction in actual use.

[0021] The heat exchanger 1 is used, for example, by incorporating it into the cooling water system of an automobile (vehicle). The automobile in which the heat exchanger 1 is installed may have only an internal combustion engine as a drive source, or may have an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, or may have only an electric motor, and the heat exchanger 1 is provided to cool a fluid used in the vehicle. An example of the fluid used for cooling is coolant, and an example of the fluid to be cooled is oil such as hydraulic oil. These fluids may be selected appropriately depending on the drive system of the automobile, the type of heat-generating part, the required cooling performance, and the like. In this 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; however, the fluid used for cooling may be referred to as the second fluid and the fluid to be cooled may be referred to as the first fluid.

[0022] The heat exchanger 1 includes a laminate 2, a case 3, a base plate 4, an inlet pipe 5 corresponding to the fluid inlet, and an outlet pipe 6 corresponding to the fluid outlet (see FIGS. 1 to 3). The laminate 2 has two-fold rotational symmetry in a plan view about a rotation axis that passes through the intersection of diagonal lines L1 and L2 (described later) and extends in the Z direction, resulting in a symmetrical shape on the inlet side and the outlet side (see FIG. 4). In other words, when the heat exchanger 1 is rotated 180° around this rotation axis, the shape before and after the rotation will match.

[0023] 2 to 4, the stack 2 is configured by alternately stacking first plates 21 and second plates 22 in the Z direction, thereby forming flow paths for a first fluid (coolant flow paths) and flow paths for a second fluid (oil flow paths) in the Z direction, and further includes a bottom plate 23 and a top plate 24. The stack 2 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole by the plates 21 to 24 extending along the XY plane (the direction along the XY plane is the in-plane direction) and being stacked in the Z direction. Two imaginary diagonals when the stack 2 is viewed from the Z direction are defined as a first diagonal line L1 and a second diagonal line L2, a pair of corners connected by the first diagonal line L1 is defined as a first corner line 201, and a pair of corners connected by the second diagonal line L2 is defined as a second corner line 202 (see FIG. 4).

[0024] In the stack 2, the second plate 22 is placed on top of the bottom plate 23 (i.e., on the opposite side from the base plate 4), and the first plate 21 is placed on top of that. The top plate 24 is placed on top of the second plate 22 and has the same planar shape as the first plate 21. Fin plates 25 are provided on the upper side of the second plate 22 and on the lower side of the first plate 21 or the top plate 24, and flow paths for the second fluid (oil) are formed. Meanwhile, flow paths for the first fluid (coolant) are formed between the upper sides of the first plate 21 and the bottom plate 23 and the lower side of the second plate 22, and between the upper side of the top plate 24 and the inner surface of the top surface 31 of the case 3. Note that each plate constituting the stack 2 can be made of, for example, an aluminum clad material.

[0025] 3 and 4, the first plate 21 has an upwardly protruding boss 211 formed at the second corner 202, a through-hole 212 formed in the boss 211, a plurality of upwardly protruding protrusions 213 formed on the top surface, an outer peripheral flange 214 protruding upward in the Z direction from the outer periphery, and a first closing portion 215 (see FIG. 3) extending downward at the first corner 201 and having an end extending in the X and Y directions. A portion of the outer peripheral flange 214 is removed at the first corner 201 of the rectangular corners of the first plate 21, and the first closing portion 215 is formed at that position.

[0026] 3 and 4, the second plate 22 has a boss 221 formed at the second corner 202 and convex downward, a through-hole 222 formed in the boss 221, a plurality of convex portions 223 formed on the underside and convex downward, an outer peripheral flange portion 224 protruding upward in the Z direction from the outer periphery, and a second closing portion 225 (see FIG. 3) extending upward at the first corner 201 and having an end extending in the X and Y directions. A portion of the outer peripheral flange portion 224 is removed at the first corner 201 of the rectangular corners of the second plate 22, and a plate-shaped second closing portion 225 is formed at that position.

[0027] 3 and 4, like the first plate 21, the top plate 24 has a boss 241 formed at the second corner portion 202, multiple protrusions 243, an outer peripheral flange portion 244, and a first closing portion 245, and has a rectangular shape with a portion removed. Although the boss 241 can be designed not to have a through hole, in this embodiment, a through hole 242 is formed. The top plate 24 differs from the first plate 21 in that the height of the outer peripheral flange portion 244 is lower than the height of the outer peripheral flange portion 224 of the first plate 21 and is approximately the same as the height of the boss 241.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bottom plate 23 has a different shape from the other plates. Specifically, the outer periphery of the bottom plate 23 is formed to follow the outer periphery of the lower end of the side wall portion 32 of the case 3. The bottom plate 23 has a first protrusion 235 and a second protrusion 236 (see FIG. 4) that protrude in the X and Y directions on the outer periphery side at positions corresponding to the first closing portions 215, 245 and the second closing portion 225 of the other plates. The bottom plate 23 also has two ribs 237 (see FIG. 3) that are located inside the portions extending toward the long sides of the positions corresponding to the outer periphery flange portions 214, 224 of the other plates. The bottom plate 23 has a boss 231 formed at the second corner portion 202 and protruding upward, a through hole 232 formed in the boss 231, multiple protrusions 233 formed on the upper surface, and an outer periphery flange portion 234 that protrudes upward in the Z direction from the outer periphery.

[0029] 4, the outer peripheral flange portions 214, 224, 244 are formed on the outer peripheral edge of each plate excluding the portions corresponding to the first closing portions 215, 245 and the second closing portion 225, and are tapered in the Z direction so that they extend outward toward the upper protruding side (i.e., the area enclosed by the outer peripheral flange portion increases). As a result, the first plate 21, the second plate 22, and the top plate 24 are brazed with tapered fitting between the outer peripheral flange portions adjacent in the Z direction so that the outer peripheral flange portion of the lower plate is positioned outward relative to the outer peripheral flange portion of the plate adjacent above. The outer peripheral flange portion 214 of the first plate 21 is positioned outward from the outer peripheral flange portion 224 of the second plate 22 adjacent above, and the outer peripheral flange portion 224 of the second plate 22 is positioned outward from the outer peripheral flange portion 214 of the first plate 21 adjacent above. A rib 237 provided on the bottommost plate 23 below the second plate 22 is located below the inner bottom surface of the outer flange portion 224 of the lowest second plate 22, and the bottom surface of the lowest second plate 22 is brazed to the adjacent rib 237 in the Z direction.

[0030] The outer peripheral flanges 214, 224, and 244 are brazed together with a tapered fit to assemble the plates. The assembly of the first plate 21, the second plate 22, and the top plate 24 is placed on the bottom plate 23, and the bottom surface of the second plate 22, located at the bottom, near the outer peripheral flange 224 is brazed to a rib 237 (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ), forming a rectangular parallelepiped stack 2 as a whole, as shown in FIG. 2 . The outer peripheral flange 234 of the bottom plate 23 is formed along the inner shape of the lower end of the side wall 32 of the case 3, and the bottom plate 23 and the case 3 are brazed together liquid-tightly to form a housing. The stack 2 may be assembled by stacking the plates inside the case 3, or may be assembled outside the case 3 and then housed inside the case 3.

[0031] 2, the portions of the outer peripheral flange portions 214, 224, 244 that extend along the Y direction constitute the fluid guide walls 210, 220, 240. The first and second fluids flow in the directions of the diagonals L1 and L2, thereby allowing the first and second fluids to flow along the inner surfaces of the fluid guide walls 210, 220, 230, 240.

[0032] In the assembled stack 2, the first closing portions 215, 245 and the second closing portion 225 overlap each other, thereby forming a recess 26 that is recessed toward the center of the side wall portion in the Y direction near the first corner 201 of the outer circumferential portion 20 of the stack 2. In the recess 26, a gap is formed between the outer surface of the outer circumferential portion 20 and the inner surface of the side wall portion 32 between the case 3 and the stack 2, and this gap becomes a first distribution flow path 28 through which the first fluid can pass along the Z direction.

[0033] The first plate 21 has a boss 211 extending upward around the through hole 212, and the second plate 22 has a boss 221 extending downward around the through hole 222. The top plate 24 has a boss 241 extending upward around the through hole 242 at a position corresponding to the bosses 211 and 221 of the other plates. These bosses are joined together in the stack 2. In the assembled stack 2, the bosses 211, 221, and 231 overlap each other and the through holes 212, 222, and 232 communicate with each other, thereby forming a second distribution flow path 27 through which the second fluid can pass along the Z direction. The boss 241 of the top plate 24 is brazed to the inner surface of the top surface portion 31 of the case 3, so that the through hole 242 of the boss 241 is closed. In this embodiment, the boss 241 of the top plate 24 has a through hole 242 formed therein, but it is also possible to eliminate the through hole 242. In addition, the space between the upper side of the first plate 21 and the lower side of the second plate 22 is partitioned from the second distribution channel 27, and the second fluid passing through the second distribution channel 27 is prevented from flowing into this space. In contrast, the space between the lower side of the first plate 21 and the upper side of the second plate 22 is connected to the second distribution channel 27.

[0034] In the laminate 2, the outer peripheral flange portions 214, 224, 244 and the rib 237 are formed, so that the spaces between the plates are separated from the external space (the space inside the case 3) except in the recessed portion 26. In the recessed portion 26, the first closing portion 215 and the second closing portion 225 are joined, so that the space between the lower side of the first plate 21 and the upper side of the second plate 22 is separated from the external space, and the space between the upper side of the first plate 21 and the lower side of the second plate 22 is connected to the external space.

[0035] The heat exchanger 1 includes a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 3. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the case 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and includes a top surface 31, a cylindrical side wall 32 continuous with the outer periphery of the top surface 31, inclined surface portions 35 and 36 continuous with the side wall 32 and the top surface 31 and inclined relative to the side wall 32, and an inlet 33 and an outlet 34 provided in the inclined surface portions 35 and 36 through which the first fluid passes.

[0036] In case 3, the corners are also connected by the first diagonal line L1 and the second diagonal line L2. In case 3, the pair of corners connected by the first diagonal line L1 is referred to as first corners 301, and the pair of corners connected by the second diagonal line L2 is referred to as second corners 302.

[0037] The top surface portion 31 is formed in a plate shape along the XY plane. The top surface portion 31 is formed so as to cover the top surface side of the laminated body 2, which has a rectangular planar shape, and also to cover the top surface sides of the inclined surface portions 35 and 36.

[0038] The side wall portion 32 has a pair of long-side side wall portions 321 corresponding to the long sides of the top surface portion 31, a pair of short-side side wall portions 322 corresponding to the short sides, and a total of four curved surface portions 323 located between the long-side side wall portions 321 and the short-side side wall portions 322. The side wall portion 32 extends along the Z direction and the X direction or the Y direction. The long-side side wall portions 321 extend along the Z direction and the Y direction. The short-side side wall portions 322 extend along the Z direction and the X direction.

[0039] The side wall 32 has an enlarged portion 324 with enlarged inner and outer dimensions at the lower edge on the opening side of the case 3. The outer dimensions of the bottom plate 23 are larger than those of the other plates, and the enlarged portion 324 is provided for mounting the bottom plate 23.

[0040] The inclined surfaces 35, 36 are provided at a first corner 301 of the case 3, which is a position corresponding to the recess 26 of the laminate 2. The inclined surfaces 35, 36 have surfaces that slope in the Z direction from the upper top surface 31 toward the lower base plate 4 and bottom plate 23, and toward the outer periphery of the base plate 4 in the XY plane. That is, the inclined surfaces 35, 36 are provided at an angle with respect to at least the Z direction of the extension of the side wall 32. Therefore, the inclined surfaces 35, 36 are provided facing upward. The inclined surface 35 is provided inclined in multiple directions with respect to the side wall 32, i.e., in the Z direction, as well as the X and Y directions. That is, the inclined surface 35 is provided obliquely facing rightward and upward in the Y direction in FIGS. 1 and 4 . The inclined surface 36 is provided inclined in the Z and Y directions. That is, the inclined surface portion 36 is provided in Fig. 4 so as to face right in the Y direction in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4. The inclination angle and inclination direction of the inclined surface portions 35, 36 are not limited to those shown in this embodiment.

[0041] An inlet 33 and an outlet 34 through which the first fluid passes are formed in the inclined surface portions 35, 36. The inlet 33 and the outlet 34 are formed in the central portions of the inclined surface portions 35, 36, for example.

[0042] The inlet pipe 5 and the outlet pipe 6 are cylindrical members through which the first fluid passes, and are liquid-tightly connected to the inlet 33 and the outlet 34, respectively. By providing the inlet 33 and the outlet 34 on the inclined surface portions 35 and 36 of the hypotenuse, the length dimensions of the inclined surface portions 35 and 36 are greater than the height dimension of the side wall portion 32, and therefore the inlet pipe 5 and the outlet pipe 6 can be attached with pipes having a diameter greater than the height dimension of the case 3 (see FIGS. 1 and 4).

[0043] The base plate 4 is formed in a flat plate shape. The base plate 4 has a pair of through holes 41 through which the second fluid passes and a plurality of mounting holes 42 for mounting to other devices. When the stack 2 is housed in the case 3 and mounted to the base plate 4, the through holes 41 communicate with the second distribution flow path 27 (see FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the flow path of the second fluid in the other device is directly connected to the through holes 41, but a pipe or the like may be attached to the base plate 4 to introduce and discharge the fluid.

[0044] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger 1 taken along line AA (see Fig. 4), and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger 1 taken along line BB (see Fig. 4).

[0045] 5 and 6, in the heat exchanger 1, the stack 2 is in contact with the inner surfaces of the top surface 31 of the case 3 and the base plate 4 in the stacking direction. Specifically, the upper ends of the bosses 241 and the protrusions 243 provided on the top plate 24 of the stack 2 in the stacking direction are in contact with the inner wall, which is the inner surface of the top surface 31 of the case 3, and the upper end of the outer peripheral flange 244 is in contact with or positioned with a slight gap between them and the inner wall of the top surface 31. In other words, in the stack 2, the heights of the outer peripheral flange 244, the bosses 241, and the protrusions 243 provided on the upper side in the stacking direction, which is one end side in the stacking direction, are the same or approximately the same, i.e., are the same height.

[0046] In the heat exchanger 1, the stack 2 is arranged such that the flat portion of the bottom plate 23, which is located on the lower side of the stacking direction, that is, the other end side of the stacking direction, is in contact with the upper surface of the stacking direction, that is, the inner surface of the base plate 4 (see Figures 3 and 5).

[0047] Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a heat exchanger 1B of a modified example according to the embodiment. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger 1B taken along line AA in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger 1B taken along line BB in Fig. 7.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 , the heat exchanger 1B of the modified example differs in the stacking configuration of the plates in the stack 2B. Specifically, the stack 2B in the heat exchanger 1B is the same as the stack 2 of the heat exchanger 1 described above, except for the bottom plate 23, but assembled upside down. The bottom plate 23B is configured to correspond to the position of a different through-hole 41. The base plate 4B has a through-hole 41B positioned differently from the through-hole 41 in the base plate 4, allowing it to correspond to different oil port positions on the vehicle. The case 3B is formed symmetrically with respect to the case 3 in the X-Y plane, and the bottom plate 23B has an outer peripheral shape, bosses 231B, and through-holes 232B formed to match the base plate 4B and case 3B. The plate stacked on the bottom plate 23B has the same configuration as the top plate 24 in the stack 2. In the stack 2B, this plate will be referred to as the lower plate 29 to distinguish it from the top plate 24 of the stack 2. The lower plate 29 is the same as the top plate 24 of the stack 2, and therefore differs from the first plate 21 in that the height of the outer peripheral flange portion 244 is lower than the height of the outer peripheral flange portion 224 of the first plate 21 and is approximately the same as the height of the boss 241. Like the top plate 24, the lower plate 29 has a boss 291, a through hole 292, a protrusion 293, and an outer peripheral flange portion 294 that constitutes the fluid guide wall 290.

[0049] The stack 2B is stacked so that the outer peripheral flange portions 214, 224, 294 face downward. In other words, the stack 2B of the heat exchanger 1B has a configuration in which the portion excluding the bottom plate 23 of the heat exchanger 1 is upside down with respect to the stack 2 of the heat exchanger 1, and the bottom plate 23 is placed on the bottom plate 23B formed to be symmetrical about the long side in the XY plane view, and the stack 2B is housed inside the case 3.

[0050] By configuring the stack 2B as described above, the positions of the first distribution channels 28 formed by the recesses 26 and the second distribution channels 27 that connect the through-holes 212, 222, 232B, and 292 to allow the second fluid to pass in the Z direction are different from those of the stack 2 of the heat exchanger 1 described above. Specifically, the first distribution channels 28 in the heat exchanger 1 are located at a first corner 301 on the first diagonal line L1, whereas the first distribution channels 28 in the heat exchanger 1B are located at a second corner 302 on the second diagonal line L2. Furthermore, the second distribution channels 27 in the heat exchanger 1 are located at a second corner 302 on the second diagonal line L2, whereas the second distribution channels 27 in the heat exchanger 1B are located at the first corner 301 on the first diagonal line L1.

[0051] The positions of the first distribution passage 28 and the second distribution passage 27 are different from those of the heat exchanger 1 because, in the heat exchanger 1B, they are to be aligned with the positions of the through-holes 41B, which are in different positions in the base plate 4B, i.e., to be aligned with the different fluid port positions on the vehicle side. Due to the difference in the positions of the first distribution passage 28 and the second distribution passage 27, in the heat exchanger 1B, the positions of the bosses 231B and the through-holes 232B, which connect the second distribution passages 27 to the through-holes 41B, in the bottom plate 23B are different from the positions of the bosses 231 and the through-holes 232 in the bottom plate 23 of the heat exchanger 1.

[0052] Here, the "stacking direction" and "upper and lower parts" in Figures 8 and 9 refer to the direction in which the plates are stacked from the bottom to the top of the figure, as in the heat exchanger 1 and the stack 2, and the upper part in the figure will be referred to as the upper part and the lower part as the lower part in the following explanation.

[0053] In the stack 2B, the top plate is the second plate 22, which is different from the top plate 24 of the stack 2. Specifically, in the stack 2, the top plate 24 is configured such that the height of the outer peripheral flange portion 244 of the first plate 21 is lower than the height of the outer peripheral flange portion 224 of the first plate 21 and is approximately the same as the height of the boss 241, whereas the top plate of the stack 2B has the same configuration as the second plate 22 of the stack 2. As described above, the bottom plate 23B is formed so as to be symmetrical with the bottom plate 23 of the stack 2 about the long side in the XY plane view. The bottom plate 29, which is the bottom plate of the stack 2B excluding the bottom plate 23B, has the same configuration as the top plate 24 of the stack 2, as described above.

[0054] 8 and 9, in the heat exchanger 1B, the stack 2B is in contact with the inner surfaces of the top surface 31 and the base plate 4 in the stacking direction, similar to the stack 2 described above. Specifically, the upper ends of the boss 221 and the protrusion 223 provided on the second plate 22, which is the uppermost plate of the stack 2B, are in contact with the inner wall, which is the inner surface of the top surface 31 of the case 3, and are brazed to each other. That is, in the stack 2B, the boss 221 and the protrusion 223 provided on the upper side in the stacking direction, which is one end side in the stacking direction, are the same or approximately the same height. Therefore, by brazing the boss 221 to the inner surface of the top surface 31 of the case 3, the through hole 222 inside the boss 221 is closed, and the upper end of the second distribution flow path 27 is closed. Therefore, in the heat exchanger 1B, differences in the positions of the through holes 41B of the base plates 4B can be accommodated by inverting the constituent members of the stack 2B except for the bottom plate 23B.

[0055] In the heat exchanger 1B, the stack 2B has a flat surface of the bottom plate 23B provided on the lower side in the stacking direction, which is the other end side in the stacking direction, in contact with the upper surface in the stacking direction, which is the inner surface of the base plate 4B.

[0056] [Heat exchanger function] Next, the operation of the heat exchangers 1 and 1B described above will be described.

[0057] In the heat exchanger 1, 1B described above, for example, by heating the laminate 2, 2B housed in the case 3, 3B, the brazing material applied to the surfaces of each part of the laminate 2, 2B melts, and then solidifies upon cooling, joining the parts together. Specifically, the outer flanges of adjacent plates are joined together, and the bottom and top surfaces of the plates are joined to the tips of the convex parts of the plates.

[0058] Here, the relationship between each part of the case 3, 3B and the stack 2, 2B and the flow of fluid will be described. The outer dimensions of the rectangular parallelepiped stack 2, 2B are approximately equal to or slightly smaller than the inner dimensions of the rectangular cylindrical side wall 32. That is, the outer periphery 20 of the stack 2, 2B, excluding the bottom plate 23, 23B, extends along the inner surface of the side wall 32, excluding the recess 26 and the periphery of the first protrusion 235 and second protrusion 236. The inlet 33 and outlet 34 are provided near the first corner 301 or the second corner 302, and the recess 26 is provided near the first corner 201 or the second corner 202. A space communicating with the inlet 33 and outlet 34 is provided between the recess 26 and the side wall 32.

[0059] In this way, between the case 3, 3B and the stack 2, 2B, a gap is formed between the outer surface of the outer peripheral portion 20 and the inner surface of the side wall portion 32 in the recess 26, and this gap serves as the first distribution flow path 28. In the stack 2, the first distribution flow path 28 communicates with the space between the upper side of the first plate 21 and the lower side of the second plate 22 in the stack 2, and with the space between the lower side of the first plate 21 and the upper side of the second plate 22 in the stack 2B.

[0060] The first fluid is introduced into the case 3 through the inlet pipe 5 and discharged from the outlet pipe 6. The first fluid introduced into the inlet 33 by the inlet pipe 5 reaches the first distribution channel 28. In the first distribution channel 28, the first fluid can flow along the Z direction and can flow into the space between the upper side of the first plate 21 and the lower side of the second plate 22 in the stack 2, and into the space between the lower side of the first plate 21 and the upper side of the second plate 22 in the stack 2. That is, the first fluid is distributed in the Z direction and flows into each of the spaces between the upper side of the first plate 21 and the lower side of the second plate 22 in the stack 2, and into each of the spaces between the lower side of the first plate 21 and the upper side of the second plate 22 in the stack 2B.

[0061] In the stacks 2 and 2B, the first fluid flows from the first distribution channels 28 on the inlet 33 side to the first distribution channels 28 on the outlet 34 side. The first fluid flows from each of the spaces between the upper side of the first plate 21 and the lower side of the second plate 22 in the stack 2, and from each of the spaces between the lower side of the first plate 21 and the upper side of the second plate 22 in the stack 2, into the first distribution channels 28 on the outlet 34 side, and flows in the Z direction toward the outlet 34. In other words, the distributed first fluid is collected again. The first fluid is then discharged from the outlet 34 by the outlet pipe 6.

[0062] The second fluid is introduced into and discharged from the stacks 2 and 2B through one of the pair of through holes 41 and 41B serving as an inlet and the other serving as an outlet. The second fluid that flows into the second distribution channel 27 from one of the pair of through holes 41 and 41B can flow along the Z direction, and in the stack 2, it can flow into the space between the lower side of the first plate 21 and the upper side of the second plate 22, and in the stack 2B, it can flow into the space between the upper side of the first plate 21 and the lower side of the second plate 22. That is, the second fluid is distributed in the Z direction, and in the stack 2, it flows into each of the spaces between the lower side of the first plate 21 and the upper side of the second plate 22, and in the stack 2B, it flows into each of the spaces between the upper side of the first plate 21 and the lower side of the second plate 22.

[0063] In the stacks 2 and 2B, the second fluid flows from one of the pair of second distribution channels 27 to the other. In the stack 2, the second fluid flows from each of the spaces between the lower side of the first plate 21 and the upper side of the second plate 22 into the other second distribution channel 27, and in the stack 2B, the second fluid flows from each of the spaces between the upper side of the first plate 21 and the lower side of the second plate 22 into the other second distribution channel 27, and then flows along the Z direction toward the other through-holes 41 and 41B. In other words, the distributed second fluid is collected again. The second fluid is then discharged to the outside from the other through-holes 41 and 41B.

[0064] As described above, when the first fluid and the second fluid flow, it is preferable that the flow directions in the X direction are opposite to each other. That is, it is preferable that the second fluid is introduced into the case 3 from one of the pair of through holes 41, 41B that is closer to the outlet 34 in the X direction. Depending on conditions such as the type and flow rate of the fluid, the first fluid and the second fluid may flow in the same direction in the X direction.

[0065] In the heat exchanger 1, 1B, the case 3, 3B has a side wall portion 32 covering the side surface of the stack 2, 2B and an inclined surface portion 35, 36 that is continuous with a top surface portion 31 provided on the upper side, that is the other side in the stacking direction, of the case 3, 3B and is provided at an angle relative to the side wall portion 32. The inclined surface portions 35, 36 are provided with an inlet 33 and an outlet 34 through which the first fluid passes.

[0066] According to the heat exchangers 1 and 1B, the inlet 33 and outlet 34 are provided on the inclined surface portions 35 and 36, so that the diameters of the inlet 33 and outlet 34 can be made larger than the length of the side wall portion 32 in the stacking direction without being restricted by the dimensions of the side wall portion 32.

[0067] In other words, with heat exchangers 1 and 1B, it is possible to realize a configuration that achieves both a reduced vertical (height) dimension and a larger diameter fluid inlet and outlet, in response to the demand for reduced pressure loss and reduced vertical (height) dimensions of heat exchangers due to factors such as the electrification of vehicles.

[0068] Furthermore, in the heat exchangers 1 and 1B, the inclined surface portions 35 and 36 may be provided so as to bulge outward from the side wall portion 32. With this configuration, in the heat exchangers 1 and 1B, a flow path can be secured that connects the first distribution flow path 28 formed between the outer peripheral portion 20 and the inner surface of the side wall portion 32 with the inlet 33 and the outlet 34, and therefore the inlet 33 and the outlet 34 can be provided in various positions.

[0069] In the heat exchanger 1, 1B, the inclined surface portions 35, 36 may be provided so as to be inclined in a plurality of directions relative to the side wall portion 32. In addition, in the heat exchanger 1, 1B, the inclined surface portions 35, 36 may be provided so as to face the top surface portion 31. By configuring the heat exchanger 1, 1B in this manner, it is possible to achieve a design that suits the layout of the vehicle while simultaneously achieving a reduction in the vertical (height) dimension and an increase in the diameter of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet.

[0070] In the heat exchangers 1, 1B, the stacks 2, 2B may be in contact with the inner surfaces of the top surface 31 and the base plate 4 in the stacking direction. By configuring the heat exchangers 1, 1B in this manner, it is possible to achieve both a reduction in size in the up-down (height) direction and an increase in the diameter of the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.

[0071] In the heat exchanger 1, 1B, the heights of the bosses 241, the protrusions 243, and the outer peripheral flanges 244 of the plates 24 (29) in the stacks 2, 2B are the same or approximately the same. Therefore, in the heat exchanger 1, 1B, it is possible to select either an arrangement in which the tips of the outer peripheral flanges 214, 224, 244 of the plates face upward in the stacking direction, as in the stack 2 described above (see FIGS. 5 and 6), or an arrangement in which they face downward in the stacking direction, as in the stack 2B (see FIGS. 8 and 9). Therefore, in the heat exchanger 1, 1B, even if the positions of the through holes 41, 41B of the base plates 4, 4B, which serve as the oil inlet and outlet, are changed in accordance with various requirements such as the vehicle layout, the common first plate 21, second plate 22, and top plate 24 can be used in the stacks 2, 2B. This minimizes the number of types of plates that need to be newly installed for installation layouts in which the positions of the oil inlet and outlet are different, thereby minimizing the number of plate types. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1,1B: Heat exchanger 2, 2B: Laminate 3,3B: Case 4,4B: Base plate 5: Inlet pipe 6: Outlet pipe 20: Outer periphery 21: First plate (plate) 22: Second plate (plate) 23, 23B: Bottom plate (plate) 24: Top plate (plate) 25: Fin plate 26: Recess 27: Second distribution channel 28: First distribution channel 29: Lower plate 31:Top section 32: Side wall 33:Inlet 34: Outlet 35: Inclined surface part 36: Inclined surface part 41,41B: Through hole 42: Mounting hole 201: 1st corner 202:Second corner 210, 220, 230, 240, 290: Fluid guide wall 211, 221, 231, 231B, 241, 291: Boss 212, 222, 232, 242, 292: Through holes 213, 223, 232, 232B, 243: Convex part 214, 224, 234, 244, 294: Outer flange 215: 1st occlusion part 225:Second occlusion part 235: 1st protrusion 236:Second protrusion 237: Rib 244: Outer flange 245: 1st occlusion part 301: 1st corner 302:Second corner 321: Long side wall 322: Short side wall 323: Curved surface part 324: Enlarged section L1: First diagonal (diagonal) L2: Second diagonal (diagonal)

Claims

1. a stack of plates in which flow paths for a first fluid and flow paths for a second fluid are alternately formed in a stacking direction; a case that houses the stack and is open on one side in the stacking direction; a base plate provided on the opening side of the case and having a hole for passing the second fluid formed therein; The case is a sidewall portion extending along the stacking direction; a top surface portion provided on the other side of the case in the stacking direction; an inlet and an outlet through which a first fluid passes, the inlet and the outlet being provided in the side wall portion or the top surface portion; The plurality of plates include: an outer peripheral flange portion protruding from an outer peripheral edge in the stacking direction; a boss formed at a pair of corners, the boss having a through hole and projecting toward the flow path for the first fluid formed between the plurality of plates; and a first distribution flow path is formed between an outer periphery of the stack and an inner surface of the side wall of the case, through which the first fluid flows along the stacking direction and which is connected to a passage for the first fluid formed between the plurality of plates; a second distribution flow path is formed, which is connected to the hole for passing the second fluid of the base plate and the bosses and the through holes of plates adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are connected to each other, so that the second fluid flows in the stacking direction and is connected to the flow path for the second fluid formed between the plurality of plates; the uppermost plate in the stacking direction among the plurality of plates has the boss protruding in the stacking direction, and the height of the outer peripheral flange portion is formed lower than the heights of the outer peripheral flange portions of the other plates and is equal to the height of the boss; Among the plurality of plates, the lowest plate in the stacking direction has the boss, which has the through hole at the position of the hole for passing the second fluid of the base plate, formed to protrude toward the stacking direction and is liquid-tightly connected to the boss of the plate adjacent to it in the stacking direction, The top portion is a heat exchanger, wherein the inner surface is liquid-tightly connected to the boss of the uppermost plate in the stacking direction of the stack, thereby closing the uppermost surface of the second distribution flow path.

2. The stack except for the bottom plate is assembled in a reverse direction to the stacking direction. The heat exchanger of claim 1 .

3. the plurality of plates are rectangular; The heat exchanger of claim 1 .

4. The stack is configured so that the tip ends of the outer peripheral flange portions of the plurality of plates can be selected to face either an upward direction in the stacking direction or a downward direction in the stacking direction. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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