heat exchanger

Abstract

To improve strength of a heat exchanger.SOLUTION: In an oil cooler 1, a boss part 21 and a boss part 24 formed so as to surround a through hole 13 and an oil passage hole 11 are brazed. The oil cooler 1 can secure a large brazing area due to the boss parts 21, 24 having a large outline and a large area, can eliminate a space between first and second core plates 5, 6 adjacent in a lamination direction in an inter-plate cooling water flow path 8, and can improve strength around the oil passage hole 11 and the through hole 13, which are fluid ports.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A heat exchanger that exchanges heat among multiple fluids is used as a water-cooled oil cooler that cools the lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine using a refrigerant such as long-life coolant (LLC). Known heat exchangers include one in which a pair of oil passage holes are positioned on either side of a first and second fin plate in a direction along a first reference line, and a pair of cooling water passage holes are positioned on either side of the first and second fin plate in a direction along the first reference line (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-54265 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the heat exchanger of Patent Document 1, fins are placed between a pair of oil passage holes and a pair of cooling water passage holes that are formed diagonally when viewed from above, i.e., in areas where no fluid ports are provided.Therefore, in the areas where the fins are placed, the core plate is brazed together with the fins, resulting in sufficient brazing strength, while around the fluid port areas where no fins are placed, there is a large space area that does not contribute to the brazing strength, other than the area where the ports are brazed.

[0005] Therefore, compared to a typical heat exchanger configuration in which fins are arranged on the entire surface of the core plate, the strength is lower around the fluid port portion, particularly in the flat surface of the plate, due to the lack of a support structure to counteract plate deformation, so there is room for improvement in the pressure resistance strength of the space around the fluid port portion when the internal pressure generated inside the heat exchanger by the fluid increases and the heat exchanger expands as a whole.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to improve the strength of a heat exchanger. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the heat exchanger of the present invention comprises a plurality of plates that are stacked and brazed to each other, and a fin plate, each pair of adjacent plates among the plurality of plates defining an inter-plate flow path to allow fluid to flow therebetween, each of the plurality of plates having a flow passage through the plate, at least one pair of flow passages being provided in each inter-plate flow path so that fluid can flow from one flow passage to the other, the flow passages being provided on positions outside the fin plate, sandwiching the fin plate in a planar view, each of the plurality of plates further having a through hole on positions outside the fin plate, sandwiching the fin plate in a planar view, and the plurality of plates having a first boss portion that is formed in an approximately elliptical shape surrounding the flow passage portion and through hole and protruding from each of the plates adjacent in the stacking direction until they abut each other.

[0008] According to this aspect, when the plates are brazed together, a large brazing area can be secured for the first boss portion with a large outline, and since adjacent first boss portions in the stacking direction are brazed together, there is no space between them, and there is no plate flat portion with a space between the flow passage portion and the through hole, so deformation of the plate flat portion due to pressure exerted by fluid pressure can be prevented. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the plates due to expansion of the heat exchanger when the internal pressure increases, and improves the strength of the heat exchanger.

[0009] Furthermore, two sets of flow sections may be provided, one set of flow sections being provided inside the outer peripheral edge of the first boss section in a planar view, and the other set of flow sections being provided outside the outer peripheral edge of the first boss section, the other set of flow sections being formed to extend widely in approximately the extension direction of the first boss section, and a second boss section being formed around it, the second boss section being adjacent to the outer peripheral edge of the first boss section in a planar view, and protruding in the opposite direction to the first boss section until it abuts against an adjacent plate in the stacking direction.

[0010] With this configuration, the first boss portion and the second boss portion are continuous when viewed in a plane, and there is no plate flat portion with a space between them between the first boss portion and the second boss portion. This eliminates the plate flat portion around the fluid port, thereby further improving the strength of the heat exchanger.

[0011] The through hole may have a third boss portion formed to protrude in the opposite direction from the first boss portion until it abuts against the adjacent plate. With this configuration, the third boss portions are connected to each other in the stacking direction to form a pillar structure, which supports the periphery of the flow passage portion adjacent to the through hole and increases deformation strength. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, the strength of the heat exchanger can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oil cooler according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the oil cooler according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the oil cooler according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the oil cooler taken along line AA according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a first core plate of the oil cooler according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a second fin plate of the oil cooler according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the oil cooler according to the embodiment taken along line BB. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second core plate of the oil cooler according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a first fin plate of the oil cooler according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, an example will be described in which a heat exchanger according to the present invention is used as a water-cooled oil cooler that cools lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine using a refrigerant such as long-life coolant (LLC).

[0015] First, an oil cooler 1, which is an embodiment of a heat exchanger of the present invention, will be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 9, the oil cooler 1 includes a plurality of stacked plates (first core plates 5, second core plates 6). Each pair of adjacent first core plates 5 and second core plates 6 defines interplate flow paths (interplate oil flow paths 7 and interplate cooling water flow paths 8) for allowing a fluid to flow therebetween. Each of the plurality of first core plates 5 and second core plates 6 has a flow passage (oil passage hole 11, cooling water passage hole 12) through which a fluid passes through the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6. At least one set of the flow passages is provided in each inter-plate flow path so that a fluid can flow from one flow passage to the other. Each of the plurality of first core plates 5 and the second core plate 6 further has a through hole 13. The through hole 13 has a third boss portion (boss portion 23, 26) formed so as to protrude from each of the adjacent first core plates 5 and the second core plate 6 until they abut against each other. The flow passage has a first boss portion (boss portion 21, 24) formed so as to protrude from each of the adjacent plates until they abut against each other. The first boss portion surrounds the third boss portion, and the third boss portion and the flow passage portion provided with the first boss portion are adjacent to each other. The oil cooler 1 according to this embodiment will be specifically described below.

[0016] 1 to 9, one of the directions along the x-axis (left-right direction) of the surfaces of the first core plate 5, the second core plate 6, the upper first core plate 5U, and the lower first core plate 5L of the oil cooler 1 will be referred to as the x-direction, and the other direction along the y-axis (front-rear direction) will be referred to as the y-direction. Furthermore, the direction along the z-axis (z direction), which is perpendicular to the x-axis and y-axis of the oil cooler 1, will be referred to as the up-down direction or the stacking direction of the first core plate 5, the second core plate 6, the upper first core plate 5U, and the lower first core plate 5L. In the following description, when the positional relationship or direction of each component is described as right side, left side, front side, rear side, upper side, lower side, top, bottom, etc., these terms refer only to the positional relationship or direction in the drawings and do not limit the positional relationship or direction in an actual heat exchanger.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the oil cooler 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the oil cooler 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the oil cooler 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the first core plate 5 of the oil cooler 1 with a second fin plate 10 placed thereon. FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the second fin plate 10 of the oil cooler 1. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the second core plate 6 of the oil cooler 1 with a first fin plate 9 placed thereon. FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the first fin plate 9 of the oil cooler 1. An outline of the oil cooler 1 as a heat exchanger in a first embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 1 to 9.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the oil cooler 1 is roughly composed of a heat exchange section 2 that exchanges heat between oil as a first fluid and cooling water as a second fluid, a top plate 3 attached to the upper surface of the heat exchange section 2, a bottom plate 4 attached to the lower surface of the heat exchange section 2, a cooling water inlet pipe 16, and a cooling water outlet pipe 17.

[0019] The heat exchange section 2 is formed by alternately stacking first core plates 5 and second core plates 6 as multiple plates having a common basic shape. Furthermore, in the heat exchange section 2, interplate oil channels 7 (see FIGS. 4 and 7) as first interplate channels and interplate cooling water channels 8 (see FIGS. 4 and 7) as second interplate channels are alternately formed between the first core plates 5 and the second core plates 6. In the oil cooler 1, multiple interplate oil channels 7 and interplate cooling water channels 8 (for example, six interplate oil channels 7 and six interplate cooling water channels 8) are formed within the heat exchange section 2. The plates are stacked by repeatedly combining the first and second core plates 5 and 6 and the first and second fin plates 9 and 10, but the repeated portions are omitted in FIG. 3 .

[0020] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the oil cooler 1 has an inter-plate oil flow path 7 defined between the lower surface of the first core plate 5 and the upper surface of the second core plate 6. The oil cooler 1 also has an inter-plate cooling water flow path 8 defined between the upper surface of the first core plate 5 and the lower surface of the second core plate 6. A first fin plate 9 is arranged in the inter-plate oil flow path 7. A second fin plate 10 is arranged in the inter-plate cooling water flow path 8. Note that in Figures 3, 4, and 7, the shapes of the fins of the first fin plate 9 and the second fin plate 10 are not shown.

[0021] The multiple first core plates 5, second core plates 6, top plate 3, bottom plate 4, multiple first fin plates 9, and multiple second fin plates 10 are joined together and integrated by brazing. Specifically, the top plate 3, first core plate 5, and second core plate 6 are formed using a so-called clad material in which a brazing material layer is coated on the surface of an aluminum alloy base material, and after each part is temporarily assembled in a predetermined position, they are brazed together by heating in a furnace.

[0022] The first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6 are press-formed from a thin aluminum alloy base material, and are rectangular (approximately square) overall, with a pair of oil passage holes 11, 11 as a pair of first flow sections, and a pair of cooling water passage holes 12, 12 as a pair of second flow sections.

[0023] 3, 5, and 8, the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6 have a pair of through holes 13, 13 through which neither oil nor cooling water passes. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, the through holes 13 are connected above and below, but are not connected to the inter-plate oil flow paths 7 or the inter-plate cooling water flow paths 8. This pair of through holes 13 is provided to connect the inter-plate oil flow paths 7 and the inter-plate cooling water flow paths 8 when additional flow sections are provided for oil and cooling water, for example, when used as a bypass passage or a turn circuit when a multi-pass structure is adopted, but is not used in this embodiment.

[0024] The top plate 3 is provided with a cooling water inlet 14 that communicates with one of the cooling water passage holes 12 at the top of the heat exchanger 2, and a cooling water outlet 15 that communicates with the other of the cooling water passage holes 12 at the top of the heat exchanger 2. As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, a cooling water inlet pipe 16 is connected to the cooling water inlet 14. As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, a cooling water outlet pipe 17 is connected to the cooling water outlet 15. Cooling water is supplied to the oil cooler 1 from the cooling water inlet pipe 16 and discharged from the cooling water outlet pipe 17.

[0025] 3 and 7, the bottom plate 4 is provided with an oil inlet 18 communicating with one of the oil passage holes 11 at the bottom of the heat exchanger 2, and an oil outlet 19 communicating with the other of the oil passage holes 11 at the bottom of the heat exchanger 2. The oil inlet 18 and the oil outlet 19 of the bottom plate 4 are attached to a cylinder block (not shown) or the like via a gasket (not shown) or the like that seals them. Oil is supplied to the oil cooler 1 from the oil inlet 18, and oil is discharged from the oil outlet 19.

[0026] The pair of oil passage holes 11, 11 are located on the outer edges of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, and are formed at positions symmetrical with respect to the center of the core plates. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 8, the pair of oil passage holes 11, 11 are located on the outer edges of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, and are formed at positions symmetrical with respect to the center of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6 on a diagonal line between the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6. The oil passage hole 11 is provided on the outer side of the first fin plate 9 (the side away from the center of the first fin plate 9 in the y direction) with the first fin plate 9 sandwiched between them in a plan view of the second core plate 6. The oil passage hole 11 is provided on the outer side of the second fin plate 10 (the side away from the center of the second fin plate 10 in the y direction) with the second fin plate 10 sandwiched between them in a plan view of the first core plate 5.

[0027] The pair of cooling water passage holes 12, 12 are located on the outer edges of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, and are formed at positions symmetrical with respect to the center of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 , 4 , 5 , and 8 , the pair of cooling water passage holes 12, 12 are located on the outer edges of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, and are formed at positions symmetrical with respect to the center of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6 on a diagonal line of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6. The cooling water passage hole 12 is located on the outer side of the first fin plate 9 (the side away from the center of the first fin plate 9 in the y direction) with the first fin plate 9 interposed therebetween in a plan view of the second core plate 6. The cooling water passage hole 12 is located on the outer side of the second fin plate 10 (the side away from the center of the second fin plate 10 in the y direction) with the second fin plate 10 interposed therebetween in a plan view of the first core plate 5.

[0028] The cooling water passage holes 12 are formed so as not to overlap with the oil passage holes 11. More specifically, the cooling water passage holes 12 are formed on a diagonal line of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6 that is different from the diagonal line of the oil passage holes 11. The cooling water passage holes 12 are formed in a generally elliptical shape that extends widely in the direction (approximate extension direction) extending the ends of the boss portions 21, 24 in the left-right direction (x direction).

[0029] 3, 5, and 8, the pair of through holes 13, 13 are located on the outer edges of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, symmetrically sandwiching the center of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, and are formed to be located between the oil passage hole 11 and the cooling water passage hole 12. The through holes 13 are located on the outer side of the first fin plate 9 (the side away from the center of the first fin plate 9 in the y direction) with the first fin plate 9 sandwiched between them in a plan view of the second core plate 6. The through holes 13 are located on the outer side of the second fin plate 10 (the side away from the center of the second fin plate 10 in the y direction) with the second fin plate 10 sandwiched between them in a plan view of the first core plate 5.

[0030] Cooling water introduced from cooling water inlet 14 of top plate 3 flows through inter-plate cooling water flow channels 8, flows through heat exchange section 2 as a whole in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of first core plate 5 and second core plate 6, and reaches cooling water outlet 15 of top plate 3. Arrow W shown in FIG. 4 indicates the flow of cooling water. Oil introduced from oil inlet 18 of bottom plate 4 flows through inter-plate oil flow channels 7, flows through heat exchange section 2 as a whole in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of first core plate 5 and second core plate 6, and reaches oil outlet 19 of bottom plate 4. Arrow O shown in FIG. 7 indicates the flow of oil.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 7, in the first core plate 5, the peripheries of the oil passage holes 11 and the through holes 13 are formed as boss portions 21 that protrude toward the inter-plate cooling water flow passage 8 side (upper side) and are brazed to a boss portion 24 of the adjacent second core plate 6, and the peripheries of the cooling water passage holes 12 are formed as boss portions 22 that protrude toward the inter-plate oil flow passage 7 side (lower side), that is, until they abut against the adjacent second core plate 6 in the opposite direction from the boss portion 21 and are brazed to a boss portion 25 of the second core plate 6. In the first core plate 5, the oil passage holes 11 are provided inside the outer periphery of the boss portion 21 in a plan view. In the first core plate 5, the cooling water passage holes 12 are provided outside the outer periphery of the boss portion 21. 3, 5, and 7, the first core plate 5 has a boss portion 23 formed around the through hole 13, which protrudes toward the inter-plate oil flow path 7 (downward) and is brazed to a boss portion 26 of the adjacent second core plate 6. The boss portion 23 is formed on the inner peripheral side of the boss portion 21 and on the outer peripheral side of the through hole 13.

[0032] The upper first core plate 5U located at the top of the heat exchange section 2 and the lower first core plate 5L located at the bottom have a configuration that is slightly different from the other first core plates 5 located in the middle of the heat exchange section 2 due to their relationship with the top plate 3 and bottom plate 4. Specifically, the lowermost lower first core plate 5L is not provided with boss portions 22 and 23, but is provided with only boss portions 21 that protrude toward (upwardly) the inter-plate cooling water flow paths 8. The uppermost upper first core plate 5U is not provided with boss portions 21, but is provided with boss portions 22 and 23 that protrude toward (downwardly) the inter-plate oil flow paths 7.

[0033] 3, 4, 7, and 8, in the second core plate 6, the peripheries of the oil passage holes 11 and the through holes 13 are formed as boss portions 24 that protrude toward the interplate cooling water flow passage 8 side (downward) and are brazed to the boss portion 21 of the adjacent first core plate 5, and the peripheries of the cooling water passage holes 12 are formed as boss portions 25 that protrude toward the interplate oil flow passage 7 side (upward), that is, until they abut against the adjacent first core plate 5 in the opposite direction from the boss portion 24 and are brazed to the boss portion 22 of the first core plate 5. In the second core plate 6, the oil passage holes 11 are provided inside the outer periphery of the boss portion 24 in a plan view. In addition, in the second core plate 6, the cooling water passage holes 12 are provided outside the outer periphery of the boss portion 24. 3, 7, and 8, the second core plate 6 has a boss portion 26 formed around the through hole 13, which protrudes toward the inter-plate oil flow path 7 (upward) and is brazed to the boss portion 23 of the adjacent first core plate 6. The boss portion 26 is formed on the inner circumferential side of the boss portion 24 and on the outer circumferential side of the through hole 13.

[0034] Therefore, by alternately combining the first core plates 5 and the second core plates 6, a certain gap is formed between the first core plates 5 and the second core plates 6, which becomes the inter-plate oil flow paths 7 and the inter-plate cooling water flow paths 8.

[0035] Boss portions 21 provided around the oil passage holes 11 and through holes 13 in the first core plate 5 are joined to boss portions 24 provided around the oil passage holes 11 and through holes 13 in one adjacent second core plate 6. As a result, the two adjacent inter-plate oil flow paths 7, one above the other, communicate with each other and are isolated from the inter-plate cooling water flow path 8 between them. Therefore, when a plurality of first core plates 5 and second core plates 6 are joined together, the inter-plate oil flow paths 7 communicate with each other via the plurality of oil passage holes 11. The plurality of oil passage holes 11 form an (oil) flow section through which a fluid (oil) flows through the plates.

[0036] The boss portion 21 is a convex portion provided to protrude from the first core plate 5 in the stacking direction, i.e., in any one direction in the z-axis direction, for example, in the +z-axis direction (the upward direction in the z-axis direction of the heat exchanger 2). The boss portion 21 is a boss corresponding to the first boss portion formed to protrude until it abuts against the adjacent second core plate 6. The boss portion 21 is formed to surround the boss portion 23 serving as the third boss portion and to protrude in the opposite direction from the boss portion 23. In the boss portion 21, the oil passage hole 11 provided in this boss portion 21 and the through hole 13 provided in the boss portion 23 are adjacent to each other. The boss portion 21 is also disposed adjacent to the boss portion 22. The boss portion 22 is a boss corresponding to the second boss portion formed to protrude until it abuts against the adjacent second core plate 6. The boss portion 21 is formed in an uneven shape in the cross-sectional direction of the first core plate 5. Furthermore, the edge portion of boss portion 21 protruding from first core plate 5 has a single shape that is continuous with the edge portion of boss portion 22 when first core plate 5 is seen in a plan view.

[0037] A boss portion 25 provided around the cooling water passage hole 12 in the second core plate 6 is joined to a boss portion 22 provided around the cooling water passage hole 12 of an adjacent first core plate 5. As a result, the two adjacent inter-plate cooling water passages 8, one above the other, communicate with each other and are isolated from the inter-plate oil passage 7 between them. Therefore, when a plurality of first core plates 5 and second core plates 6 are joined together, the inter-plate cooling water passages 8 communicate with each other via the plurality of cooling water passage holes 12. The plurality of cooling water passage holes 12 constitute a (cooling water) flow portion through which a fluid (cooling water) flows, passing through the plates.

[0038] The boss portion 24 is a convex portion provided to protrude from the second core plate 6 in the stacking direction, i.e., in any one direction in the z-axis direction, for example, in the -z-axis direction (the downward direction in the z-axis direction of the heat exchanger 2). The boss portion 24 is a boss corresponding to the first boss portion formed to protrude until it abuts against the adjacent first core plate 5. The boss portion 24 is formed to surround the boss portion 26 serving as a third boss portion and protrude in the opposite direction from the boss portion 26. The boss portion 24 is provided at a position corresponding to the boss portion 21 of the adjacent first core plate 5 in the z-axis direction. In the boss portion 24, the oil passage hole 11 and the through hole 13 provided in the boss portion 26 are adjacent to each other. The boss portion 24 is also arranged adjacent to the boss portion 25. The boss portion 25 is a boss corresponding to the second boss portion formed to protrude until it abuts against the adjacent first core plate 5. The boss portion 24 is formed in an uneven shape in the cross-sectional direction of the second core plate 6. Furthermore, the edge portion of boss portion 24 protruding from second core plate 6 has a single shape that is continuous with the edge portion of boss portion 25 when second core plate 6 is seen in a plan view.

[0039] The boss portions 23 around the through holes 13 in the first core plate 5 are joined to boss portions 26 provided around the through holes 13 of the adjacent upper and lower second core plates 6. Therefore, when the plurality of first core plates 5 and second core plates 6 are joined together, the through holes 13 do not communicate with the inter-plate oil flow paths 7 and the inter-plate cooling water flow paths 8.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 8, the first fin plate 9 has a substantially rectangular outer shape and has a pair of opposing vertical sides 9a and a pair of opposing horizontal sides 9b.

[0041] The first fin plate 9 is joined by an appropriate method such as brazing to flat portions of the second core plate 6 where the bosses 24, 25, 26 are not provided. As shown in FIG. 9 , the first fin plate 9 is formed using a fin plate body 91 made of a member with high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum plate-shaped member. The first fin plate 9 is formed by processing the fin plate body 91 by an appropriate method such as bending, to form fins in which convex portions 92 and concave portions 93 extending in a first direction (y direction) are alternately provided toward a second direction (x direction). Furthermore, the first fin plate 9 has concave portions 94 and convex portions 95 formed by press working or the like on the side surfaces of the fins in the fin plate body 91, and the concave portions 94 and convex portions 95 are alternately formed toward the first direction (y direction).

[0042] The first fin plate 9 has anisotropy in that, in a plan view, the flow path resistance in a direction parallel to the y-axis direction is smaller than the flow path resistance in a direction parallel to the x-axis direction. In other words, the first fin plate 9 has anisotropy in that the flow path resistance in a direction parallel to the horizontal sides 9b is larger than the flow path resistance in a direction parallel to the vertical sides 9a. The first fin plate 9 is arranged in the inter-plate oil flow path 7 between a pair of oil passage holes 11 so as to be in contact with both of a pair of adjacent plates (the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6) that define the inter-plate oil flow path 7.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, the second fin plate 10 has a substantially rectangular outer shape and has a pair of opposing vertical sides 10a and a pair of opposing horizontal sides 10b.

[0044] The second fin plate 10 is joined by an appropriate method such as brazing to a flat portion of the first core plate 5 where the bosses 21, 22, 23 are not provided, and is positioned in the y direction by multiple embossments 117 formed on the first core plate 5. As shown in FIG. 6 , the second fin plate 10 is formed using a fin plate main body 101 formed of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum plate-shaped member. The second fin plate 10 is formed by processing the fin plate main body 101 by an appropriate method such as bending, to form fins in which protrusions 102 and recesses 103 extending in a first direction (y direction) are alternately provided toward a second direction (x direction). Furthermore, the second fin plate 10 has recesses 104 and protrusions 105 formed on the side surfaces of the fins in the fin plate main body 101 by press working or the like, and are alternately formed toward the first direction (y direction).

[0045] The second fin plate 10 has anisotropy in that, in a plan view, the flow path resistance in a direction parallel to the y-axis direction is smaller than the flow path resistance in a direction parallel to the x-axis direction. In other words, the second fin plate 10 has anisotropy in that the flow path resistance in a direction parallel to the horizontal sides 10b is larger than the flow path resistance in a direction parallel to the vertical sides 10a. The second fin plate 10 is arranged in the inter-plate cooling water flow path 8 between a pair of cooling water passing holes 12 so as to be in contact with both of a pair of adjacent plates (the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6) that define the inter-plate cooling water flow path 8.

[0046] In the first core plate 5, the boss portion 21 is provided with an edge portion 27. The edge portion 27 functions as a second edge portion that comes into contact with the cooling water as the second fluid. The edge portion 27 is provided on a portion of the boss portion 21 that faces the center of the first core plate 5, i.e., the portion that faces the second fin plate 10. As shown in FIG. 5 , the edge portion 27 is formed to extend in the x-axis direction (left-right direction), i.e., the second direction. The edge portion 27 is formed so that the distance between the edge portion 27 and the second fin plate 10 narrows toward the left-right ends of the first core plate 5 in the second direction. Here, the edge portion 27 is provided to have an angle (slope) with respect to the upright wall portion 116 that corresponds to the sides of the first core plate 5, which is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view.

[0047] Because the edge portion 27 has the above-described shape, in the heat exchange section 2, the flow of cooling water from one cooling water passage hole 12 toward the other cooling water passage hole 12 on the first core plate 5 spreads along one edge portion 27 toward the second direction (x direction) of the inter-plate cooling water flow path 8 as shown by arrows L11A, L11B, and L11C in FIG. 5 and then enters the second fin plate 10. The cooling water that has entered the second fin plate 10 on the first core plate 5 flows in the first direction (y direction) along the fins, and partly flows toward the other cooling water passage hole 12 while following the other edge portion 27. In other words, in the oil cooler 1, the first core plate 5 has the edge portion 27, so that the cooling water can be diffused over the entire surface of the second fin plate 10 and the flow of cooling water that has passed through the second fin plate 10 can be guided to the other cooling water passage hole 12.

[0048] In the second core plate 6, the boss portion 25 is provided with an edge portion 28. The edge portion 28 functions as a first edge portion that comes into contact with oil as the first fluid, and is provided on a portion of the boss portion 25 facing the center of the second core plate 6, i.e., a portion facing the first fin plate 9. As shown in FIG. 8, the edge portion 28 is formed to extend in the x-axis direction (left-right direction), i.e., the second direction. The edge portion 28 is formed so that the distance between the edge portion 28 and the first fin plate 9 narrows toward the left-right ends of the plate in the second direction. Here, the edge portion 28 is provided so as to have an angle (slope) with respect to the upright wall portion 126 that corresponds to the side of the second core plate 6, which is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. In other words, in a plan view of the second core plate 6 shown in FIG. 8, the edge portion 28 has a predetermined angle with respect to a straight line extending in the second direction (x direction) perpendicular to the first direction (y direction), which is the direction in which oil flows.

[0049] Because the edge portion 28 has the above-described shape, in the heat exchange section 2, the flow of oil flowing through the inter-plate oil passage 7 from one oil passage hole 11 toward the other oil passage hole 11 on the second core plate 6 is shown by arrows L21A, L21B, and L21C in FIG. 8. The flow of oil from one oil passage hole 11 toward the other oil passage hole 11 spreads along one boss portion 26 and edge portion 28 toward the second direction (x direction) of the inter-plate oil passage 7 before penetrating into the first fin plate 9. The oil that has penetrated into the first fin plate 9 in the second core plate 6 flows in the first direction (y direction) along the fins, and then flows toward the other oil passage hole 11 while partially following the other edge portion 28 and boss portion 26. In other words, according to the oil cooler 1, the second core plate 6 has an edge portion 28, which allows oil to be diffused over the entire surface of the first fin plate 9, and also allows the flow of oil that has passed through the first fin plate 9 to be guided to the other oil passage hole 11. Furthermore, the back side (recess side) of boss portion 24 also functions as an oil passage, and the passage space sandwiched between edge portion 27A on the back side of boss portion 24 and edge portion 26A formed by boss portion 26 is also formed so that each edge has a relative angle, which similarly contributes to diffusing the oil.

[0050] In the oil cooler 1 configured as described above, the boss portions 21 and 24, which are formed to surround the through holes 13 and the oil passage holes 11, are brazed. Therefore, when the first and second core plates 5 and 6 are brazed together, the boss portions 21 and 24 (first boss portions) have large contours and areas, ensuring a large brazing area, and the inter-plate cooling water flow passages 8 eliminate the space between the first and second core plates 5 and 6 adjacent in the stacking direction between the boss portions 21 and 24. Since plate deformation due to fluid pressure occurs due to the difference in fluid pressure between the cooling water and the oil, measures are particularly needed when the pressure on the oil side becomes high and the pressure difference becomes large. However, in this oil cooler 1, there is no space (inter-plate cooling water flow passages 8) between the first and second core plates 5 and 6 at the positions of the boss portions 21 and 24, so no pressure difference occurs between the oil and the cooling water. Therefore, even when the oil pressure becomes high, the oil pressure does not exert pressure on the flat portion of the plate around the oil passage hole 11, causing no deformation. Furthermore, the portion where the first boss portions are brazed together has the thickness of two overlapping plates, thereby improving the strength around the oil passage hole 11 and the through hole 13, which serve as fluid ports. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 , the cooling water passage hole 12 and the boss portions 22, 25 (second boss portions) have a generally elliptical shape that is long in the x direction. This provides the cooling water passage hole 12 with a sufficient opening area and ensures a sufficient brazing area around the port, thereby improving the brazing strength around the cooling water passage hole 12, which serves as a fluid port. Furthermore, the boss portions 21, 24 and the boss portions 22, 25 are continuous in a plan view, eliminating the flat portion of the plate around the fluid port, thereby further improving the strength of the heat exchanger.

[0051] Furthermore, the boss portions 23, 26 (third boss portions) around the through hole 13 are formed so as to protrude in the opposite direction to the boss portions 21, 24 until they abut against the adjacent plates. Therefore, the boss portions 23, 26 are connected to each other in the stacking direction to form a columnar structure within the inter-plate oil flow path 7, thereby supporting the periphery of the oil passage hole 11 adjacent to the through hole 13 and increasing deformation strength.

[0052] Therefore, with the oil cooler 1 configured in this manner, the rigidity around the outer fluid port portions of the first fin plate 9 and the second fin plate 10 can be improved, thereby suppressing deformation of the plates due to expansion of the heat exchanger when the internal pressure generated inside the heat exchanger becomes high, and improving the strength of the oil cooler 1 as a whole.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the heat exchanger according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, and includes all aspects encompassed by the concept and scope of the claims. Furthermore, each component may be appropriately and selectively combined to achieve at least some of the above-described problems and advantages. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments may be appropriately modified depending on the specific use of the present invention.

[0054] For example, in the oil cooler 1, an example has been described in which the flow passages provided in the boss portions 21 and 24 surrounding the boss portions 23 and 26 are oil passage holes 11, but the type of fluid flowing through the flow passages is not limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1...oil cooler, 2...heat exchange section, 3...top plate, 4...bottom plate, 5...first core plate, 5L...lower first core plate, 5U...upper first core plate, 6...second core plate, 7...oil flow path between plates, 8...cooling water flow path between plates, 9...first fin plate, 9a, 10a...vertical sides, 9b, 10b...horizontal sides, 10...second fin plate, 11...oil passage hole, 12...cooling water passage Through hole, 13...through hole, 14...cooling water inlet portion, 15...cooling water outlet portion, 16...cooling water inlet pipe, 17...cooling water outlet pipe, 18...oil inlet portion, 19...oil outlet portion, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26...boss portion, 27, 28...edge portion, 116, 126...standing wall portion, 91, 101...fin plate main body, 92, 95, 102, 105...convex portion, 93, 94, 103, 104...concave portion, 117...embossed

Claims

1. A plurality of plates and a fin plate are stacked and brazed to each other, each pair of adjacent plates among the plurality of plates defines an inter-plate flow path for fluid flow therebetween; each of the plurality of plates has a flow passage through which a fluid flows, and at least one set of the flow passage is provided in one of the inter-plate flow paths so that the fluid can flow from one flow passage to another; The flow passage portion is provided at a position outside the fin plate, with the fin plate sandwiched between them in a plan view, Each of the plurality of plates further has a through hole at a position outside the fin plate, with the fin plate sandwiched between them in a plan view, The plurality of plates each have a first boss portion formed in a substantially elliptical shape surrounding the flow passage portion and the through hole, and formed so as to protrude from each of the plates adjacent in the stacking direction until they come into contact with each other. heat exchanger.

2. Two sets of the flow passage parts are provided, one set of the flow passage portions is provided inside an outer peripheral edge of the first boss portion in a plan view, the other set of flow passage portions is provided outside the outer circumferential edge of the first boss portion, the other set of flow-through portions is formed to extend widely in a direction substantially parallel to the first boss portion, and a second boss portion is formed around the other set of flow-through portions, the second boss portion being adjacent to the outer peripheral edge of the first boss portion in a plan view and projecting until it abuts against the plate adjacent to the first boss portion in the opposite direction; The heat exchanger of claim 1 .

3. The through hole has a third boss portion formed to protrude in a direction opposite to the first boss portion until it abuts against the plate adjacent in the stacking direction. The heat exchanger of claim 1 .

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