heat exchanger

Abstract

To improve performance of a heat exchanger.SOLUTION: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of laminated plates, each set of adjacent plates among the plurality of plates defines an inter-plate flow passage so that a fluid flows therebetween, each of the plurality of plates has a circulation portion for allowing the fluid to flow in a manner of penetrating through the plate, at least a set of the circulation portions is disposed on one inter-plate flow passage so that the fluid can flow from the circulation portion at one side to the circulation portion of the other side, at least one of at least one set of circulation portions disposed on the inter-plate flow passage has an edge portion having an angle to a second direction as a direction perpendicular to a first direction from one of the circulation portion toward the other circulation portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] A heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between a plurality of fluids is used, for example, 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). In the heat exchanger, a pair of oil passage holes are located sandwiching the first and second fin plates in the direction along the first reference line, and a pair of cooling water passage holes are located sandwiching the first and second fin plates in the direction along the first reference line is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to improve the performance of the heat exchanger, that is, to improve the efficiency of heat exchange, it is required to make the fluid spread over the entire fins provided in the heat exchange section that performs heat exchange between a plurality of fluids. On the other hand, the heat exchanger is also required to improve the efficiency of heat exchange per unit volume by increasing the ratio of the heat exchange section in the volume of the heat exchanger.

[0005] However, even in the heat exchanger of Patent Document 1, there is still room for further improvement in increasing the ratio of the heat exchange section in the volume of the heat exchanger to improve performance.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to improve the performance of the heat exchanger.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, the heat exchanger according to the present invention comprises a plurality of first core plates and second core plates stacked alternately, interplate passages are formed between the first core plates and the second core plates so that fluid can flow, and first interplate passages through which a first fluid flows and second interplate passages through which a second fluid flows are alternately formed so that different fluids flow in adjacent interplate passages, and each of the plurality of first core plates and second core plates has through holes through which fluid can flow through the first core plate and the second core plate, and the first interplate passages are configured so that fluid can flow from one through hole to the other within the first interplate passages and second interplate passages. At least one set of first flow passages formed by through holes is provided, and at least one set of second flow passages formed by through holes is provided in the second inter-plate flow passage, the first flow passages connect the first inter-plate flow passages in the stacking direction and are isolated from the second fluid within the second inter-plate flow passage, the second flow passages connect the second inter-plate flow passages in the stacking direction and are isolated from the first fluid within the first inter-plate flow passage, at least one of the first and second flow passages has an edge that is at an angle with respect to a second direction which is perpendicular to a first direction from one through hole to the other through hole, and each of the plurality of first core plates and second core plates protrudes until it contacts the adjacent plate The first core plate and the second core plate each have a through hole formed on the outer circumference of the through hole forming the first flow section and the through hole forming the second flow section, the through hole being in communication with each other in the stacking direction but isolated from the first inter-plate flow section and the second inter-plate flow section, and the boss portion is composed of a first boss portion formed in a substantially elliptical shape surrounding both the through hole forming the first flow section and the through hole between the first flow section and the second flow section, protruding toward the second inter-plate flow section and being joined to each other with adjacent plates in the stacking direction to connect the first inter-plate flow sections in the stacking direction, a second boss portion formed around the second flow section, protruding toward the first inter-plate flow section, and being joined to each other with adjacent plates in the stacking direction to connect the second inter-plate flow sections in the stacking direction, and a third boss portion surrounding the through hole between the first flow section and the second flow section, protruding in the opposite direction to the protruding direction of the first boss portion, and being joined to each other with adjacent plates in the stacking direction to connect the through holes. The edge is provided on the boss portion. The protruding portion of the first boss constitutes the edge portion within the flow path between the second plates, and the first core plate and the second core plate are each formed by press-forming a thin metal sheet, and the boss portion and the edge portion are formed in an uneven manner on the first core plate and the second core plate. ru.

[0008] According to this embodiment, the fluid flowing between the passage section and the interplate channel spreads along the edge and across the entire surface of the interplate channel, thereby promoting heat exchange across the entire surface of the interplate channel. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the performance of the heat exchanger can be improved.

[0009] The heat exchanger according to the present invention may include fin plates provided in a first inter-plate flow path and a second inter-plate flow path. In this embodiment, the performance of the heat exchanger can be further improved by having the fluid flowing through the first inter-plate flow path and the second inter-plate flow path come into contact with the fin plates.

[0010] The edge is formed to extend in a second direction, and the distance between the edge and the fin plate is such that the distance between the first core plate and the second core edge and the fin plate is such that the distance between the edge and the fin plate is such that the distance between the edge and the fin plate is such that the distance between the first core plate and the second core plate is such that the distance between the edge and the fin plate is such that the distance between the edge Second direction It may be formed to narrow towards the ends. According to this embodiment, the fluid can be spread in a second direction perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow in the first inter-plate channel and the second inter-plate channel, thereby further improving the performance of the heat exchanger.

[0011] The distance between the edge formed on one of the multiple first core plates and second core plates and the edge formed on the other of the multiple first core plates and second core plates is each It is formed to extend in a second direction, and the spacing is formed to narrow toward the ends of the first and second core plates in the second direction.

[0012] The edge portion is composed of a first edge portion of the first flow-through portion and a second edge portion of the second flow-through portion, the first edge portion may be in contact with the first fluid flowing through the first inter-plate flow path, and the second edge portion may be in contact with the second fluid flowing through the second inter-plate flow path. According to this embodiment, since each of the two fluids performing heat exchange can be spread across the entire surface of the inter-plate flow path, the performance of the heat exchanger can be further improved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the performance of a heat exchanger can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an oil cooler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a plan view of an oil cooler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of an oil cooler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of an oil cooler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a plan view of the first core plate of an oil cooler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is an enlarged perspective view of the second fin plate of an oil cooler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of an oil cooler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a plan view of the second core plate of an oil cooler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is an enlarged perspective view of the first fin plate of an oil cooler according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view of an oil cooler according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a plan view of an oil cooler according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] It is an exploded perspective view of an oil cooler according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a sectional view taken along the line C-C of an oil cooler according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a plan view of the first core plate of an oil cooler according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a sectional view taken along the line D-D of an oil cooler according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a plan view of the second core plate of an oil cooler according to the second embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, an example will be described in which the heat exchanger according to the present invention 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).

[0016] [First Embodiment] First, an oil cooler 1, which is a first embodiment of the heat exchanger of the present invention, will be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 9, the oil cooler 1 comprises a plurality of stacked plates (first core plate 5, second core plate 6). Each adjacent pair of these plurality of first core plates 5 and second core plates 6 defines an inter-plate flow path (inter-plate oil flow path 7 and inter-plate cooling water flow path 8) through which fluid flows. 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 fluid flows, and fluid flows from the oil passage hole 11 and cooling water passage hole 12 of one adjacent first core plate 5 and second core plate 6 into the inter-plate oil flow path 7 and inter-plate cooling water flow path 8 and out from the oil passage hole 11 and cooling water passage hole 12 of the other. The oil passage holes 11 and coolant passage holes 12 of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6 have edges 27 and 28 that are at an angle with respect to a second direction which is perpendicular to a first direction from one oil passage hole 11 or coolant passage hole 12 to the other oil passage hole 11 or coolant passage hole 12. The oil cooler 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0017] For the sake of explanation, in the following explanation, of the directions along the surfaces of the first core plate 5, second core plate 6, upper first core plate 5U, and lower first core plate 5L of the oil cooler 1 in Figures 1 to 9, the direction along the x-axis (left-right direction) will be referred to as the x-direction, and the direction along the y-axis (front-back direction) will be referred to as the y-direction. In addition, the direction along the z-axis direction perpendicular to the x and y axes in the oil cooler 1 (z-direction) will be referred to as the up-down direction or the stacking direction of the first core plate 5, second core plate 6, upper first core plate 5U, and lower first core plate 5L. In the following explanation, when describing the positional relationship and direction of each component as right side, left side, front side, rear side, upper side, lower side, top, bottom, etc., it only indicates the positional relationship and direction in the drawings and does not limit the positional relationship and direction in the actual heat exchanger.

[0018] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the oil cooler 1. Figure 2 is a plan view of the oil cooler 1. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the oil cooler 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view AA of the oil cooler 1. Figure 5 is a plan view showing the first core plate 5 of the oil cooler 1 with the second fin plate 10 mounted on it. Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the second fin plate 10 of the oil cooler 1. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view BB of the oil cooler 1. Figure 8 is a plan view showing the second core plate 6 of the oil cooler 1 with the first fin plate 9 mounted on it. Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the first fin plate 9 of the oil cooler 1. The outline of the oil cooler 1 as a heat exchanger in the first embodiment of the present invention will be explained using Figures 1 to 9.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the oil cooler 1 is broadly composed of a heat exchange section 2 that performs heat exchange 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, and a bottom plate 4 attached to the lower surface of the heat exchange section 2.

[0020] The heat exchange section 2 is constructed by alternately stacking first core plates 5, which are multiple plates with a common basic shape, and second core plates 6, which are multiple plates. In addition, the heat exchange section 2 alternately consists of inter-plate oil passages 7 (see Figures 4 and 7) as first inter-plate passages and inter-plate cooling water passages 8 (see Figures 4 and 7) as second inter-plate passages between the first core plates 5 and the second core plates 6. In the oil cooler 1, multiple inter-plate oil passages 7 and inter-plate cooling water passages 8 are formed within the heat exchange section 2 (for example, six of each). The plates are stacked by repeating combinations of first and second core plates 5, 6 and first and second fin plates 9, 10, but in Figure 3, the repeated sections are partially omitted from the display.

[0021] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the oil cooler 1 has an inter-plate oil passage 7 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 passage 8 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 positioned in the inter-plate oil passage 7. A second fin plate 10 is positioned in the inter-plate cooling water passage 8. Note that in Figures 3, 4, and 7, the shape of the fins of the first fin plate 9 and the second fin plate 10 is not shown.

[0022] 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 and integrated with each other by brazing. Specifically, the top plate 3, first core plate 5, and second core plate 6 are formed using so-called clad material, in which a brazing material layer is coated on the surface of an aluminum alloy base material. After temporarily assembling each part in its predetermined position, they are brazed together as a single unit by heating in a furnace.

[0023] 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) in shape overall. They have a pair of oil passage holes 11, 11 that constitute a pair of first passage sections, and a pair of cooling water passage holes 12, 12 that constitute a pair of second passage sections.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 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 coolant passes. As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 7, the through holes 13 are connected vertically but do not communicate with the inter-plate oil passage 7 or the inter-plate coolant passage 8. These pair of through holes 13 are installed to connect the inter-plate oil passage 7 and the inter-plate coolant passage 8 when further passages for oil and coolant are provided, for example, when a bypass passage or turn circuit is adopted in a multi-pass structure, but they are not used in this embodiment.

[0025] The top plate 3 includes a cooling water inlet 14 that communicates with one of the cooling water passage holes 12 at the top of the heat exchange section 2, and a cooling water outlet 15 that communicates with the other cooling water passage hole 12 at the top of the heat exchange section 2. 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, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4. Cooling water is supplied to the oil cooler 1 from the cooling water inlet pipe 16, and the cooling water is discharged from the cooling water outlet pipe 17.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the bottom plate 4 includes an oil inlet 18 that communicates with one of the oil passage holes 11 at the bottom of the heat exchange section 2, and an oil discharge section 19 that communicates with the other oil passage hole 11 at the bottom of the heat exchange section 2. The oil inlet 18 and oil discharge section 19 of the bottom plate 4 are attached to a cylinder block or the like (not shown) via gaskets or the like (not shown) that seal each of them. Oil is supplied to the oil cooler 1 from the oil inlet 18 and discharged from the oil discharge section 19.

[0027] 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 symmetrically with respect to the center of the core plates. More specifically, as shown in Figures 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 symmetrically with respect to the center of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6 on the diagonal lines of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6.

[0028] 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 symmetrically across the centers of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6. More specifically, as shown in Figures 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 symmetrically across the centers of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6 on the diagonal lines of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6.

[0029] Furthermore, 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 diagonal lines between the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, which are different from the oil passage holes 11.

[0030] As shown in Figures 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 straddling 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.

[0031] The cooling water introduced from the cooling water inlet 14 of the top plate 3 flows through the inter-plate cooling water channel 8 and flows throughout the heat exchange section 2 in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, reaching the cooling water discharge section 15 of the top plate 3. The arrow W shown in Figure 4 indicates the flow of the cooling water. The oil introduced from the oil inlet 18 of the bottom plate 4 flows through the inter-plate oil channel 7 and flows throughout the heat exchange section 2 in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, reaching the oil discharge section 19 of the bottom plate 4. The arrow O shown in Figure 7 indicates the flow of the oil.

[0032] In the first core plate 5, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 7, the areas around the oil passage holes 11 and through holes 13 are formed as boss portions 21 that protrude toward the inter-plate cooling water passage 8 side (upward), and the area around the cooling water passage hole 12 is formed as a boss portion 22 that protrudes toward the inter-plate oil passage 7 side (downward). Also in the first core plate 5, as shown in Figures 3, 5, and 7, the area around the through hole 13 is formed as a boss portion 23 that protrudes toward the inter-plate oil passage 7 side (downward). The boss portion 23 is on the inner circumference side of the boss portion 21 and is formed on the outer circumference side of the through hole 13.

[0033] Furthermore, 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 slightly different configuration 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 lower first core plate 5L at the bottom does not have boss portions 22 and 23, and only has a boss portion 21 that protrudes toward the inter-plate cooling water passage 8 side (upper side). Similarly, the upper first core plate 5U at the top does not have a boss portion 21, but has boss portions 22 and 23 that protrude toward the inter-plate oil passage 7 side (downward side).

[0034] In the second core plate 6, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 7, and 8, the areas around the oil passage holes 11 and through holes 13 are formed as boss portions 24 that protrude toward the inter-plate cooling water passage 8 side (downward), and the area around the cooling water passage hole 12 is formed as a boss portion 25 that protrudes toward the inter-plate oil passage 7 side (upward). Also in the second core plate 6, as shown in Figures 3, 7, and 8, the area around the through hole 13 is formed as a boss portion 26 that protrudes toward the inter-plate oil passage 7 side (upward). The boss portion 26 is on the inner circumference side of the boss portion 24 and is formed on the outer circumference side of the through hole 13.

[0035] Therefore, by alternately combining the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, a constant gap is formed between the first core plate 5 and the second core plate 6, which will serve as the inter-plate oil passage 7 and the inter-plate cooling water passage 8.

[0036] The boss portions 21 provided around the oil passage holes 11 and through holes 13 in the first core plate 5 are joined to the boss portions 24 provided around the oil passage holes 11 and through holes 13 of the adjacent second core plate 6. As a result, the oil passages 7 between two adjacent upper and lower plates communicate with each other, while being isolated from the inter-plate cooling water passage 8 between them. Therefore, when multiple first core plates 5 and second core plates 6 are joined together, the inter-plate oil passages 7 communicate with each other via the multiple oil passage holes 11. These multiple oil passage holes 11 constitute the first flow section through which fluid (oil) flows.

[0037] The boss portion 25 provided around the cooling water passage hole 12 in the second core plate 6 is joined to the boss portion 22 provided around the cooling water passage hole 12 of the adjacent first core plate 5. As a result, the two adjacent upper and lower inter-plate cooling water passages 8 communicate with each other while being isolated from the inter-plate oil passage 7 between them. Therefore, when multiple 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 multiple cooling water passage holes 12. These multiple cooling water passage holes 12 constitute a second flow section through which fluid (cooling water) flows (cooling water).

[0038] The boss portion 23 around the through hole 13 in the first core plate 5 is joined to the boss portion 26 provided around the through hole 13 of the adjacent lower second core plate 6. Therefore, when multiple first core plates 5 and second core plates 6 are joined together, the through hole 13 does not communicate with the inter-plate oil passage 7 and the inter-plate cooling water passage 8.

[0039] As shown in Figure 8, the first fin plate 9 has a roughly rectangular shape and has a pair of opposing vertical sides 9a and a pair of opposing horizontal sides 9b.

[0040] The first fin plate 9 is joined to the flat portion of the second core plate 6 where boss portions 24, 25, 26, etc., are not provided, by a suitable method such as brazing. As shown in Figure 9, the first fin plate 9 is formed using a fin plate body 91 made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum plate-shaped member. The first fin plate 9 is formed by bending the fin plate body 91 by a suitable method such as bending to create an uneven shape with height in the vertical direction (z direction), thereby forming fins in which convex portions 92 and concave portions 93 extending in a first direction (y direction) are alternately and continuously provided toward the second direction (x direction). In addition, the first fin plate 9 has concave portions 94 and convex portions 95 formed alternately toward the first direction (y direction) on the side surface of the fins by pressing or the like on the fin plate body 91.

[0041] The first fin plate 9 has an anisotropy in its plan view such that the flow resistance in the direction parallel to the y-axis is smaller than the flow resistance in the direction parallel to the x-axis. In other words, the first fin plate 9 has an anisotropy such that the flow resistance in the direction parallel to the horizontal side 9b is larger than the flow resistance in the direction parallel to the vertical side 9a.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, the second fin plate 10 has a roughly rectangular shape and has a pair of opposing vertical sides 10a and a pair of opposing horizontal sides 10b.

[0043] The second fin plate 10 is joined to a flat portion of the first core plate 5 where bosses 21, 22, 23, etc., are not provided, by a suitable method such as brazing, and is positioned in the y-direction by a plurality of embossings 117 formed on the first core plate 5. As shown in Figure 6, the second fin plate 10 is formed using a fin plate body 101 made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum plate-shaped member. The second fin plate 10 is formed by bending the fin plate body 101 by a suitable method such as bending to form an uneven shape with height in the vertical direction (z-direction), thereby forming fins in which convex portions 102 and concave portions 103 extending in the first direction (y-direction) are alternately and continuously provided toward the second direction (x-direction). In addition, the second fin plate 10 has concave portions 104 and convex portions 105 formed by offsetting the convex portions 102 and concave portions 103 in the x-direction, which are alternately formed with the convex portions 102 and concave portions 103 toward the first direction (y-direction).

[0044] The second fin plate 10 has an anisotropy in its plan view such that the flow resistance in the direction parallel to the y-axis is smaller than the flow resistance in the direction parallel to the x-axis. In other words, the second fin plate 10 has an anisotropy such that the flow resistance in the direction parallel to the horizontal side 10b is larger than the flow resistance in the direction parallel to the vertical side 10a.

[0045] 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, which is the second fluid. The edge portion 27 is provided on the portion of the boss portion 21 that faces the center of the first core plate 5, that is, the portion that faces the second fin plate 10. As shown in Figure 5, the edge portion 27 is formed to extend in the x-axis direction (left-right direction), that is, in the second direction. The edge portion 27 is formed such that the distance between it and the second fin plate 10 narrows towards the left-right ends of the first core plate 5 in the second direction. Here, the edge portion 27 is provided so as to have an angle (incline) with respect to the vertical wall portion 116, which corresponds to the side of the first core plate 5, which is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. In other words, in a plan view of the first core plate 5 as shown in Figure 5, the edge portion 27 has a predetermined angle with respect to a straight line extending in the second direction (x direction) which is perpendicular to the first direction, which is the direction in which the cooling water flows.

[0046] Because the edge portion 27 has the shape described above, in the heat exchange section 2, on the first core plate 5, the flow of cooling water from one cooling water passage hole 12 toward the other cooling water passage hole 12 spreads along one edge portion 27 toward the second direction of the inter-plate cooling water passage 8, as shown by arrows L11A, L11B, and L11C in Figure 5, and penetrates into the second fin plate 10. The cooling water that has penetrated the second fin plate 10 on the first core plate 5 flows along the fins in the first direction (y direction), and flows toward the other cooling water passage hole 12 while partially following the other edge portion 27. In other words, with the oil cooler 1, because the first core plate 5 has an edge portion 27, the cooling water can be diffused across 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 toward the other cooling water passage hole 12.

[0047] 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 the oil as the first fluid, and is provided in the portion of the boss portion 25 that faces the center of the second core plate 6, that is, the portion that faces the first fin plate 9. As shown in Figure 8, the edge portion 28 is formed to extend in the x-axis direction (left-right direction), that is, in the second direction. The edge portion 28 is formed such that the distance between it and the first fin plate 9 narrows towards the left-right ends of the plate in the second direction. Here, the edge portion 28 is provided to have an angle (incline) with respect to the vertical wall portion 126, which corresponds to the side of the second core plate 6, which is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. In other words, in a plan view of the second core plate 6 as shown in Figure 8, the edge portion 28 has a predetermined angle with respect to a straight line extending in the second direction (x direction) which is perpendicular to the first direction, which is the direction in which the oil flows.

[0048] Because the edge portion 28 has the shape described above, in the heat exchange section 2, the flow of oil flowing through the inter-plate oil passage 7 from one oil passage hole 11 to the other oil passage hole 11 on the second core plate 6 is shown by arrows L21A, L21B, and L21C in Figure 8. The oil flow from one oil passage hole 11 to the other oil passage hole 11 spreads along the boss portion 26 and edge portion 28 in the second direction of the inter-plate oil passage 7 and penetrates the first fin plate 9. The oil that has penetrated the first fin plate 9 in the second core plate 6 flows along the fins in the first direction (y direction), and flows towards the other oil passage hole 11, partly along the other edge portion 28 and boss portion 26. In other words, with the oil cooler 1, because the second core plate 6 has an edge portion 28, the oil can be diffused over the entire surface of the first fin plate 9, and the oil flow that has passed through the first fin plate 9 can be guided to the other oil passage hole 11. Furthermore, the back side (recessed side) of the boss portion 24 also functions as an oil passage, and the passage space sandwiched between the edge 27A on the back side of the boss portion 24 and the edge 26A formed by the boss portion 26 is also formed such that the edges have a relative angle to each other, and similarly contributes to the diffusion of oil.

[0049] With the oil cooler 1 configured as described above, the edges 27, 28, 26A, and 27A have the shapes described above, which allows the cooling water and oil to be diffused over the entire surface of the first fin plate 9 and the second fin plate 10. Therefore, the oil cooler 1 having edges 27, 28, 26A, and 27A can improve the performance of the heat exchanger.

[0050] [Second Embodiment] Next, an oil cooler 100, which is a second embodiment of the heat exchanger according to the present invention, will be described. In the oil cooler 100 according to this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components similar to those of the oil cooler 1 described earlier, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0051] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the oil cooler 100 according to the second embodiment. Figure 11 is a plan view of the oil cooler 100. Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of the oil cooler 100. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the oil cooler 100 at the cross section (CC). Figure 14 is a plan view of the first core plate 50 of the oil cooler 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, with the second fin plate 10 mounted on it. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the oil cooler 100 at the cross section (DD). Figure 16 is a plan view of the second core plate 60 of the oil cooler 100.

[0052] As shown in Figures 10 to 16, the oil cooler 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shapes of the top plate 30, heat exchange section 200, bottom plate 40, first core plate 50, second core plate 60, first fin plate 9, and second fin plate 10. Specifically, in the oil cooler 100, as shown in Figures 12, 14, and 16, the first core plate 50 and the second core plate 60 have a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. In addition, the oil cooler 100 does not have the through holes 13 that were provided in the first core plate 5 and second core plate 6 of the oil cooler 1.

[0053] The oil cooler 100 according to the second embodiment comprises a plurality of stacked first core plates 50 and second core plates 60. Similar to oil cooler 1, the oil cooler 100 has a boss portion 121 on the first core plates 50 that has an edge portion 127 that is at an angle with respect to a second direction (x direction) which is perpendicular to a first direction (y direction) from one cooling water passage hole 12 to the other cooling water passage hole 12. Also, similar to oil cooler 1, the oil cooler 100 has a boss portion 125 on the second core plate 60 that has an edge portion 128 that is at an angle with respect to a second direction (x direction) which is perpendicular to a first direction (y direction) from one oil passage hole 11 to the other oil passage hole 11. Note that the lowermost second core plate 60L that constitutes the heat exchange section 200 does not have a boss portion 124 on the outer circumference side of the oil passage hole 11. Furthermore, the uppermost first core plate 50U of the heat exchange section 200 does not have a boss portion 121 on the outer circumference side of the oil passage hole 11.

[0054] Because the edge portion 127 has the shape described above, in the oil cooler 100 according to the second embodiment, the flow of coolant flowing from one coolant passage hole 12 to the other coolant passage hole 12 on the first core plate 50 spreads along one edge portion 127 toward the second direction (x direction) of the first core plate 50 and enters the second fin plate 10, as shown by arrows L11D, L11E, and L11F in Figure 14. The coolant that enters the second fin plate 10 on the first core plate 50 flows along the fins toward the first direction (y direction), and partly flows toward the other coolant passage hole 12 along the other edge portion 127. In other words, with the oil cooler 100, because the first core plate 50 has an edge portion 127, the coolant can be diffused over the entire surface of the second fin plate 10, and the flow of coolant that has passed through the second fin plate 10 can be guided toward the other coolant passage hole.

[0055] Furthermore, because the edge portion 128 has the shape described above, in the oil cooler 100, the flow of oil from one oil passage hole 11 to the other oil passage hole 11 on the second core plate 60 spreads along one edge portion 128 toward the second direction of the second core plate 60 and penetrates into the first fin plate 9, as shown by the arrows L21D, L21E, and L21F in Figure 16. The oil that has penetrated the first fin plate 9 on the second core plate 60 flows along the fins toward the first direction, and partly flows toward the other oil passage hole 11 along the other edge portion 128. In other words, with the oil cooler 100, because the second core plate 60 has an edge portion 128, the oil can be diffused across the entire surface of the first fin plate 9, and the flow of oil that has passed through the first fin plate 9 can be guided toward the other oil passage hole 11.

[0056] Therefore, according to the oil cooler 100 of the second embodiment, the performance of the heat exchanger can be improved.

[0057] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the heat exchanger according to the above embodiments, but includes all aspects included in the concept and claims of the present invention. Furthermore, each component may be selectively combined as appropriate to achieve at least some of the above-described problems and effects. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, etc., of each component in the above embodiments may be appropriately changed depending on the specific use of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 1,100…Oil cooler, 2,200…Heat exchange section, 3,30…Top plate, 4,40…Bottom plate, 5,50…First core plate, 5L…Lower first core plate, 5U,50U…Upper first core plate, 6,60…Second core plate, 60L…Lower second core plate, 7…Oil passage between plates, 8…Cooling water passage between plates, 9…First fin plate, 9a,10a…Vertical side, 9b,10b…Horizontal side, 10…Second fin plate, 11…Oil passage hole, 12…Cooling 13...Water passage hole, 14...Through hole, 15...Cooling water inlet, 16...Cooling water inlet pipe, 17...Cooling water outlet pipe, 18...Oil inlet, 19...Oil outlet, 21,22,23,24,25,26,121,122,123,124,125...Boss section, 26A,27,27A,28,127,128...Edge section, 116,126...Vertical wall section, 91,101...Fin plate body, 92,95,102,105...Convex section, 93,94,103,104...Concave section, 117...Embossed

Claims

1. It comprises a plurality of first core plates and second core plates that are stacked alternately, Between the first core plate and the second core plate, interplate channels are formed for fluid flow, and a first interplate channel through which a first fluid flows and a second interplate channel through which a second fluid flows are alternately formed so that different fluids flow in adjacent interplate channels. Each of the plurality of first core plates and second core plates has through holes through which fluid flows, and the first inter-plate passage is provided with a set of first flow sections formed by the through holes so that the fluid can flow from one through hole to the other through hole in the first inter-plate passage and the second inter-plate passage, and the second inter-plate passage is provided with a set of second flow sections formed by the through holes. The first flow passage connects the first inter-plate flow channels in the stacking direction and is isolated from the second fluid within the second inter-plate flow channel, and the second flow passage connects the second inter-plate flow channels in the stacking direction and is isolated from the first fluid within the first inter-plate flow channel, The first and second flow passages have edges that are at an angle with respect to a second direction which is perpendicular to a first direction toward the other through hole, Each of the multiple first core plates and the second core plates has a boss portion formed on the outer circumference of the through hole so as to protrude until it contacts the adjacent plate. Equipped with, Each of the first core plate and the second core plate further has through holes between the through holes forming the first flow section and the through holes forming the second flow section, which are in communication with each other in the stacking direction but are separated from the first inter-plate flow path and the second inter-plate flow path. The boss portion comprises: a first boss portion formed in a substantially elliptical shape surrounding both the through hole forming the first flow passage and the through hole between the first flow passage and the second flow passage, protruding toward the second inter-plate flow passage side and joined to adjacent plates in the stacking direction to connect the first inter-plate flow passages in the stacking direction; a second boss portion formed around the second flow passage, protruding toward the first inter-plate flow passage side and joined to adjacent plates in the stacking direction to connect the second inter-plate flow passages in the stacking direction; and a third boss portion surrounding the through hole between the first flow passage and the second flow passage, protruding in the opposite direction to the protrusion direction of the first boss portion, and joined to adjacent plates in the stacking direction to connect the through holes. The edge portion is provided on the boss portion, and the protruding portion of the first boss portion constitutes the edge portion within the second interplate flow path. The first core plate and the second core plate are each formed by press-forming a thin metal sheet, A heat exchanger in which the boss portion and the edge portion are formed in an uneven manner on the first core plate and the second core plate.

2. Fin plates provided in the first inter-plate channel and the second inter-plate channel, Equipped with, The heat exchanger according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned edge is formed to extend in the second direction, The distance between the edge and the fin plate is formed such that it narrows in the second direction toward the ends of the first core plate and the second core plate in the second direction. The heat exchanger according to claim 2.

4. The edge portion formed on one of the plurality of first core plates and the second core plates and the edge portion formed on the other of the plurality of first core plates and the second core plates are each formed to extend in the second direction. The heat exchanger according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned edge portion is composed of a first edge portion and a second edge portion, The first edge is in contact with the first fluid flowing through the first interplate channel, The second edge is in contact with the second fluid flowing through the second interplate channel. The heat exchanger according to claim 1.

Images