US20030164233A1 - Low profile finned heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

Low profile heat exchanger including a fin plate having opposite facing first and second sides and including a plurality of spaced apart elongate fins that extend outward from the first side and define a plurality of elongate passages that are open facing on the second side, and a flat container having spaced apart cover and shim plates sealably joined about peripheral edges thereof and defining a fluid conducting chamber, the container having an inlet opening and an outlet opening in communication with the fluid conducting chamber to permit a fluid to pass into, through, and out of the fluid conducting chamber, wherein the first side of the fin plate is mounted to the shim plate to permit thermal transfer therebetween and the second side of the fin plate is exposed.

Description

LOW PROFILE FINNED HEAT EXCHANGER
• This application claims priority to Canadian Patent Application No. 2,372,399, filed Feb. 19, 2002.[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates to low profile finned heat exchangers used for cooling fluid.[0002]
• Low profile heat exchangers are typically used in applications where the height clearance for a heat exchanger is quite low, for example, slush box coolers in snow mobiles, and under-body mounted fuel coolers in automotive applications. One style of known low profile heat exchangers include a louvred plate that is exposed to air flow, snow and general debris, with a serpentine tube affixed to and passing back and forth across the plate. The fluid to be cooled passes through the serpentine tube. Another style of known low profile heat exchanger includes fins running transverse to and integrally extruded with top and bottom walls that are connected along opposite side edges to define a cavity that is welded shut at opposite ends after extrusion to provide a fluid cooling container.[0003]
• Known low profile heat exchangers can be heavy and can be relatively expensive to manufacture. Thus, there is a need for a low profile heat exchanger that is relatively light weight and relatively cost efficient to manufacture. Also desired is a low profile heat exchanger that has an improved fluid temperature drop for its relative size.[0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• According to the present invention there is provided a low profile heat exchanger that includes a fin plate having opposite facing first and second sides and including a plurality of spaced apart elongate fins that extend outward from the first side and define a plurality of elongate passages that are open facing on the second side, and a low profile container having spaced apart cover and shim plates sealably joined about peripheral edges thereof and defining a fluid conducting chamber, the container having an inlet opening and an outlet opening in communication with the fluid conducting chamber. The first side of the fin plate is mounted to the shim plate to permit thermal transfer therebetween and the second side of the fin plate is exposed.[0005]
• According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a low profile heat exchanger that includes an extruded fin plate having a planar support wall with opposite facing first and second sides and including a plurality of spaced apart elongate fins that extend outward from the second side and define a plurality of passages that are open facing away from the second side, and a separately formed low profile cover plate having a substantially planar central portion that is spaced apart from the first side of the support wall, the cover plate and support wall being joined about peripheral edges thereof and defining a fluid conducting chamber therebetween with an inlet opening and an outlet opening in communication with the fluid conducting chamber to permit a fluid to pass into, through, and out of the fluid conducting chamber.[0006]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described, by way of example with reference to the following drawings.[0007]
• FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the invention.[0008]
• FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines II-II of FIG. 1.[0009]
• FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the heat exchanger of FIG. 1.[0010]
• FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the turbulizer plate of the heat exchanger of FIG. 1[0011]
• FIG. 5 is an enlarged scrap view of the portion of FIG. 4 indicated by[0012]circle5 in FIG. 4.
• FIG. 6 is a plan view of the turbulizer plate of FIG. 4.[0013]
• FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the heat exchanger of FIG. 1[0014]
• FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a shim plate used in an embodiment of the heat exchanger.[0015]
• FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the lines IX-IX of FIG. 8.[0016]
• FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a skeletal barrier plate used in an embodiment of the heat exchanger.[0017]
• FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the lines XI-XI of FIG. 10.[0018]
• FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the invention.[0019]
• FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the lines XIII-XIII of FIG. 12.[0020]
• FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view of the heat exchanger of FIG. 12.[0021]
• FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of an alternative fin plate for use with embodiments of the heat exchanger of the present invention.[0022]
• FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the fin plate of FIG. 15.[0023]
• FIG. 17 is a bottom plan view of a further alternative fin plate.[0024]
• FIG. 18 is a top plan view of yet a further cover plate for use with the heat exchanger of the present invention.[0025]
• FIG. 19 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present invention.[0026]
• FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken along the lines XX-XX of FIG. 19.[0027]
• FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present invention ad FIG. 21A is a partial sectional view of an assembled portion of the heat exchanger taken along lines XXIA-XXIA of FIG. 21.[0028]
• FIG. 22 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the present invention.[0029]
• FIGS.[0030]23A-23C are sectional views taken along the line XXIII-XXIII of FIG. 22, each showing a different possible cover plate and shim plate combination according to embodiments of the present invention.
• FIG. 24 is a top plan view of a further embodiment. of a heat exchanger according to the present invention.[0031]
• FIGS.[0032]25 is sectional views taken along the line XXV-XXV of FIG. 24.
• FIG. 26 is a side elevational view of the heat exchanger of FIG. 24.[0033]
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown an exploded view of a heat exchanger, indicated generally by[0034]reference numeral10, according a preferred embodiment of the invention. Theheat exchanger10 includes abottom fin plate12, ashim plate14, aturbulizer plate16, and acover plate18. The plates are shown vertically arranged in FIG. 1, but this is for the purposes of explanation only. The heat exchanger can have any orientation desired.
• Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the[0035]cover plate18 together with theshim plate14 define a flattened, low profile container having an internalfluid conducting chamber24. Thecover plate18 includes a centralplanar portion20 that is generally rectangular in the illustrated embodiment. Asidewall flange22 is provided around all four peripheral edges of thecentral planar portion20. Thesidewall flange22 extends towards theshim plate14 providing a continuous sidewall about thefluid conducting chamber24 that is defined between thecover plate18 and theshim plate14. Outwardly extending connectingflanges26 are preferably provided along the bottom edges of at least one pair of opposing wall portions of thesidewall flange22. Each connectingflange26 has aplanar surface27 that abuts against and is secured to theshim plate14.
• A pair of[0036]fluid flow openings28 and30, one of which functions as a fluid inlet and the other of which is a fluid outlet, are provided through the centralplanar portion20 in communication with thefluid conducting chamber24. In one embodiment,cylindrical fittings32,34 having flow passages therethrough are provided foropenings28,30. The fittings -32,34 may haveannular flanges36 sealably connecting the fittings to thecover plate18.
• In a preferred embodiment the[0037]cover plate18 is of unitary construction and made of roll formed or stamped aluminum alloy that is braze clad.
• The[0038]shim plate14 is simply a flat plate having a first planar side that faces an inner side of the centralplanar portion20 of thecover plate18, and an oppositeplanar side37 that faces and is connected to thefin plate12. Theshim plate14 is substantially rectangular in the illustrated embodiment, having a footprint that is approximately the same as the footprint of thecover plate18.Shim plate14 is, in a preferred embodiment, made from a braze clad aluminum or aluminum alloy sheet.
• The[0039]fin plate12 is, in one preferred embodiment, a unitary structure formed from extruded aluminum or aluminum alloy. Thefin plate12 includes aflat support wall38 having a firstplanar side40 facing and secured to theshim plate14, and an opposite facingside42 on which is provided a plurality of elongate,parallel fins44. Mountingflanges46 having securingopenings48 therethrough may be provided along opposite side edges of thesupport wall38 to allow the heat exchanger to be mounted to a surface.
• With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the[0040]fins44 each run substantially from a first end to a second end of thesupport wall38, and define a plurality ofelongate passages50 therebetween. The side of thefin plate12 facing away from theshim plate14 is open such that alternatingfins44 andpassages50 are exposed so that ,in use, air can flow through thepassages50 and overfins44. In some applications, other substances such as water and snow and other debris may be thrown against the exposed fins and passages. In the heat exchanger shown in FIGS.1-3, thefins44 are straight fins, that each extend a uniform distance at a perpendicular angle from the outerplanar side42 of thefin support wall38, and which run from one end to an opposite end of the heat exchanger.
• The[0041]turbulizer plate16 is located in thefluid conducting chamber24 to augment fluid flow therein and thereby increase the efficiency of heat removal from the fluid. With reference to FIGS. 4,5,6 and7, in a preferred embodiment, theturbulizer plate16 is formed of expanded metal, namely aluminum, either by roll forming or a stamping operation. Staggered or offset transverse rows ofconvolutions64 are provided onturbulizer plate16. The convolutions have flat bottoms and tops66 to provide good bonds withcover plate18 andshim plate14, although they could have round tops, or be in a sine wave configuration, if desired. Part of one of the transverse rows ofconvolutions64 is compressed or roll formed or crimped together to form transversecrimped portions68 and69 (crimped, as used herein, is intended to include crimping, stamping, roll forming or any other method of closing up the convolutions in the turbulizer plate16) .Crimped portions68,69 form abarrier62 to reduce short-circuit flow inside thefluid conducting chamber24. Thebarrier62 is represented using phantom lines in FIG. 7, and runs between theflow openings28 and30 so that fluid entering at oneopening28 or30 simply cannot take a straight path through theconvolutions64 in thefluid chamber24 and exit at the other flow opening30 or28, but rather must take a more circuitous route. In the illustrated embodiment in which the twoflow openings28,30 are located near acommon end60, thebarrier62 extends from close to thecommon end60 to a point72 that is set off from theopposite end58 of theheat exchanger10 such that a substantial portion of the fluid flowing into thechamber24 from opening28 must flow in a U-shaped flow path around point72, as indicated byarrow74, prior to exiting thechamber24 through opening30 (in the case whereopening28 is the inlet andopening30 is the outlet for chamber24). In a preferred embodiment, thecover plate18 and theshim plate14 are formed from braze clad aluminum, and theheat exchanger10 is constructed by assembling the parts in the order shown in FIG. 1, clamping the parts together and applying heat to the assembled components in a brazing oven, thereby sealably brazing the cover plateside wall flange22 about its lower end to theshim plate14 with theturbulizer plate16 sandwiched between thecover plate18 andshim plate14, and brazing theshim plate14 to thesupport wall38 of thefin plate12. Soldering could, in some applications, be used in place of brazing fro connecting the components together. Other metallic materials, for example steel, and non-metallic polymer materials could be used to form some or all of the components of the heat exchanger for some embodiments. Polymer components could be thermally bonded together, ultrasonically bonded, or bonded using adhesive or other means.
• The[0042]heat exchanger10 can conveniently be used as a low-profile device for cooling a fluid that passes through the fluid flow container defined by thecover plate18 andshim plate14, with heat from fluid being conducted away from the fluid to exposedfins44, which in turn are cooled by air passing there through. In some applications, the cooling of exposedfins44 is assisted by other substances such as snow and water that gets thrown against the exposedfins44. Theheat exchanger10 can be used, for example, as an engine coolant cooler in a snowmobile, or as an underbody mounted fuel cooler in an automotive application, although these examples are not exhaustive.
• The[0043]heat exchanger10 can be manufactured in different sizes relatively easily by extrudinglonger fin plates12 and roll forming correspondingly longer shim and coverplates14,18. Although thecover plate18 has been described above as having an integrally formedsidewall flange22, in some embodiments, separate sidewalls may be used. Furthermore, in some embodiments,shim plate14 could be omitted, and in its place the upper side of thesupport wall38 used as the bottom wall for thefluid conducting chamber24. Although theheat exchanger10 has been illustrated as being rectangular, it could also have different shapes - for example it could have a circular disc-like configuration in some applications.
• A variety of different types of turbulizers or flow augmentation means can be used in the[0044]fluid conducting chamber24, and in some applications, theturbulizer plate16 may not be present. Furthermore, a short-circuit barrier different than crimpedbarrier62 could be used in some embodiments. In this regard, FIGS. 8 and 9 show afurther shim plate78 that could be used in place ofshim plate14 in theheat exchanger10. Theshim plate78 has a centralelongate baffle wall80 extending transversely upward therefrom to the cover plate18 (not shown in FIG. 8). Thebaffle wall80 is positioned between locations at which theflow openings28 and30 are provided through the cover plate18 (such locations being illustrated by the phantom lines28′ and30′ in FIG. 8) such that baffle wall causes the fluid inchamber24 to follow an indirect U-shaped flow path as indicated byflow arrow82. Thebaffle80 is preferably formed from a portion of theshim plate78 that has been stamped out along three side. edges and then pivoted upwards about a fourth side edge that remains connected to the rest of theshim plate78, leaving arectangular opening84 through theshim plate78 that is sealably blocked by thesupport wall38. Separate turbulizer plates can be located on opposite sides of thebaffle wall80.
• FIGS. 10 and 11 show a[0045]skeletal baffle plate86 that can be used inplace turbulizer plate16 between shim plate15 andcover plate18 in a further alternative embodiment ofheat exchanger10. The positions offlow openings28 and30 relative to theskeletal baffle plate86 are illustrated byphantom lines28′and30′in FIG. 10. Theskeletal baffle plate86 includes an outerrectangular frame88 that is dimensioned to snugly fit within thesidewall flange22 of thecover plate18. Theskeletal baffle plate86 has a height H (see FIG. 11) that conforms to the height of thefluid chamber24, and includes alternating substantiallyparallel baffle walls90,92.Baffle walls90 extend from afirst end wall94 near where theflow openings28,30 are positioned, to close to anopposite end wall96. Alternatingbaffle walls92 extend from theopposite end wall96 to close to thefirst end wall94, such thatbaffle walls90 and92 collectively define a serpentine back and forth flow path through thefluid chamber24, as illustrated byflow arrows98 in FIG. 10 (which assume that opening28 is the higher pressure opening). In alternative embodiments, baffle walls such as those provided byskeletal baffle plate86 could instead be provided by embossed ribs formed on theshim plate14 or on thecover plate18 or on both, and in many applications embossed ribs on the cover and/or shim plate will be preferred to a separate baffle plate as it reduces the number of components that need to be assembled. Numerous examples of embossed cover plate configurations suitable for use with theheat exchanger10 are presented below.
• In some applications, it may be desirable to use a fin plate that is lighter weight than extruded[0046]fin plate12. With reference to Figure.12-14, a further embodiment of a low profile heat exchanger, indicated generally byreference numeral100, is shown in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention. Theheat exchanger100 is similar toheat exchanger10, except for differences that will be apparent from the following description.Heat exchanger100 has a generally rectangular footprint, and as best seen in Figure.13, similar toheat exchanger10, is a lamination of afin plate102, ashim plate104, and acover plate106. In the illustrated embodiment, thecover plate106 includes a rectangular central planarribbed portion108 that is roll formed or stamped from braze clad aluminum or aluminum alloy. Asidewall flange110 extends continuously about an outer periphery of the centralplanar portion108 towards theshim plate104, with an out-turnededge112 of thesidewall flange110 having a planer portion facing and sealably connected to theshim plate104. Theshim plate104 andcover plate106 of theheat exchanger100 collectively define therebetween afluid conducting chamber113 that includes a flow path between a first flow opening114 and a second flow opening116 that are provided through thecover plate106 at diagonally opposite corners thereof. On of theflow openings114,116 is a fluid inlet into thefluid conducting chamber113, and the other is a fluid outlet. In the embodiment illustrated, eachopening114,116 is provided with acorresponding fitting122 that is brazed to thecover plate106 and which has a flow passage through it that is parallel to the plane ofcentral portion108.
• The flow path between the[0047]openings114,116 is broken up into a serpentine back and forth route by alternating embossedbaffle ribs118 and120 formed in thecentral portion108 of thecover plate106. In particular spaced apartparallel ribs118 extend from afirst end124 of thecover plate106 to close to, but spaced apart from theopposite end126 of thecover plate106. Alternatingparallel ribs120 extend from theend126 to close to, but spaced apart from thefirst end124. As best seen in FIG. 13, each of theribs118,120 includes a pair of opposedelongated sidewalls128 that are joined together along their distal edges by aflat portion130 having a planar surface for forming a good bond with theshim plate104.
• [0048]Brackets132 may be brazed to thecover plate108 to permit theheat exchanger100 to be fastened in place. Thebrackets132 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 each have a substantially rectangular central body with a portion that extends beyond the cover plate having a securinghole134 therethrough. Thebracket center body132 located on thecover plate108 is dimensioned to run between twoadjacent ribs120,118, and preferably includes opposedpositioning tabs136 that extend into theribs120,118 to assist in positioning and securing thebracket132 in place. In some applications, due to its lightweight configuration, the heat exchanger may be sufficiently supported by tubing connected to the inlet and outlet fittings, and additional brackets not required.
• The[0049]shim plate112 is simply a flat rectangular plate formed from braze clad aluminum or aluminum alloy. Thefin plate102 is secured to a side of theshim plate112 that is opposite thefluid chamber113 for drawings heat away from the fluid chamber, and is substantially rectangular, covering substantially the entire shim plate. Thefin plate102 has one side that is secured to theshim plate104 and an opposite side that is exposed. As best seen in the sectional view of FIG. 13 and the bottom plan view of FIG. 14, thefin plate102 includes a plurality of spaced apart elongatedhollow fins138 that extend outward from and run the length of theshim plate104, each formed by a generally U-shaped wall. Thefins138 define a plurality of openfaced air passageways140, that are spaced apart by closed-face passageways142 located within eachfin138. The transverse ends of thefin plate102 may be open so that the closed-face passageways142 are open at opposite ends thereof. Each of theU-shaped fins138 is connected to anadjacent fin138 by a planar connectingwall144 that is secured by brazing to theshim plate104. In effect, theU-shaped fins138 and connectingwalls144 collectively form a square-corner corrugation. As seen in FIG. 14, thefins138 are formed to have a uniform size, but with soft undulating curves along their length to assist in interrupting the boundary layer of any air flowing therethrough. Thefins138 are preferably light-weight and roll-formed or stamped from aluminum or aluminum alloy. In the illustrated embodiment, the alternating open-faced and closed-face passages140,142 each have substantially the same cross-sectional area , however different relative areas could be used depending on the application. Also, different fin profiles could also be used, for example, V-shaped fins could be used.
• FIG. 15 shows an example of a further[0050]fin plate structure146 that could be used on the underside ofshim plate14,104 of theheat exchangers10,100. Thefin plate146 has afirst side148 that is brazed to the shim plate, and a second exposedside150. A plurality of open-facedair passageways152 run from afirst end154 to asecond end156 of thefin plate146 between elongate fin structures that are made up of staggered or offset transverse rows ofconvolutions158. The convolutions haveflat tops160 to provide good bonds with theshim plate14,104, although they could have round tops, or be in a sine wave configuration, if desired. In a preferred embodiment, thefin plate146 is formed of expanded metal, namely aluminum, either by roll forming or a stamping operation.
• FIG. 17 shows a bottom view of yet another possible fin plate configuration. The[0051]fin plate162 of FIG. 17 is the same asfin plate102, except that the hollow U-shaped fins164 (which define spaced-apart open-faced passages166), are arranged in back and forth herringbone pattern.
• In addition to the[0052]cover plates18,106 described above, many other planar cover plate configurations are possible. By way of example, FIG. 18 illustrates a furtherpossible cover plate168 according to the present invention that is identical to thecover plate18, with the exception that the alternating embossedribs170 and172 extend in a direction that is relatively perpendicular to theribs118 and120 ofcover plate106, and theribs118 and120 each formed with undulating curves along there length, defining a transverse serpentine flow path as illustrate byarrows174 betweenflow openings114 and116. Instead of the embossed baffle ribs being formed on the cover plate, they could alternatively be formed on the shim plate, in which case the shim plate would have a plan view similar to that shown in FIG. 18, but without flow openings formed therethrough. Alternatively, both the cover plate and shim plate could have embossed ribs formed thereon that sealably abut together to define the flow path through the fluid chamber, in which case both the cover and shim plate would have a top and bottom plan view, respectively, similar to the plan view of FIG. 18 (with the shim plate not having flow openings therethrough), with theembossed ribs170,172 on each of the cover and shim plate each having a depth of about one-half the fluid chamber height. It will be appreciated that many different patterns of embossed ribs. and other types of embossed flow augmenters or barriers could be provided the cover or shim plates.
• By way of example, FIGS. 19 and 20 show a[0053]further heat exchanger190 that is substantially identical toheat exchanger100, except that it has acover plate192 in which are embossed a plurality ofdimples194. Thedimples194 extend to and engage theshim plate104, thereby providing flow augmentation in thefluid chamber113.
• Yet another heat exchanger, indicated generally by[0054]reference numeral200, is shown in exploded view in FIG. 21.Heat exchanger200 is substantially identical toheat exchanger100, with the exception of differences that are apparent from the drawings and the following description. Thecover plate202 ofheat exchanger200 does not include embossed ribs thereon for defining the flow path withinfluid chamber113, but rather, a corrugated baffle plate204 (formed from aluminum of another suitable material) is secured in thefluid chamber113 between thecover plate202 andshim plate104. Thecorrugated baffle plate204 includes a plurality of substantially parallel pairs of first andsecond barrier walls206A,206B that run from oneend208 to anopposite end210 of thefluid chamber113. Thebarrier walls206A and206B in each pair are joined together along upper first longitudinal edges thereof by a planar wall that abuts against and is secured to the inside of thecover plate202. (Orientational terms like “upper” and “horizontal” being used herein for explanatory purposes only as the heat exchanger can have any orientation in use). The pairs of barrier walls are joined together along their lower edges by afurther wall214 that abuts against and is secured to the shim plate104 - in particular, thebarrier wall206B of one pair is connected at the lower edge thereof to lower edge of thebarrier wall206A of the adjacent barrier wall pair. A transverse flow opening216 is provided at the end of eachbarrier wall206A near theend208 of the heat exchanger, and a transverse flow opening218 is provided. at the end of eachbarrier wall206B near theopposite end210 of theheat exchanger200. Thus, parallel alternating flow passages are defined influid chamber113 by thebarrier walls206A,206B, with thebarrier wall openings216,218 permitting serpentine back and forth fluid flow through the passages form one flow opening116 to the other flow opening114 (or vice versa, depending on which is the high pressure. opening).
• With reference to FIG. 21A, in one embodiment, the[0055]corrugated barrier plate204 includes planarhorizontal portions220 forming its outer longitudinal edges, and theportions220 are sandwiched between the lower connectingflange26 of thecover plate202 and theshim plate104. [0055] With reference to FIGS.22-23C, further alternative cover plate and shim plate configurations for theheat exchanger200 will now be discussed. Turning first to FIGS. 22 and 23A, in one embodiment thecover plate230 is dish shaped, having a centralplanar portion240 having an integral, peripheral, downwardly extendingflange242 that defines an angle of slightly greater than 90 degrees with respect to an inner surface of centralplanar portion240. Theshim plate236 is identical, except that it does not haveopenings116,114 formed therethrough, and the downwardly extendingflange244 of theshim plate236 is nested within and supported by theflange242 of thecover plate240, withfluid chamber113 being defined between the planar central portions ofcover plate240 andshim plate236. The fin plate102 (shown having fins with rounded corrugations rather than square) is secured to a lower surface of the planar central portion of theshim plate244. Theshim plate flange244 could be truncated just at or under the bottom edge ofcover plate flange242 to minimize any adverse effect on air flow throughfin plate102.
• FIG. 23B shows a similar configuration, except that the[0056]shim plate238 has an upwardly turnedperipheral flange246 that extends in the opposite direction ofcover plate flange242, and which has an outer surface that is nested within and brazed to an inner surface ofcover plate flange242. The configurations shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B could be easily “flipped over” with the fin plate being placed on the opposite side, as shown byphantom line102′ in FIG. 23B. Furthermore, in some embodiments, fin plates may be used on both sides of the heat exchanger.
• FIG. 23C shows a further configuration in which the[0057]cover plate234 andshim plate248 are identical (except that there are no flow openings in the shim plate), each having an abuttingflange250,252 formed about a central planar portion thereof.
• FIG. 24 shows a[0058]further heat exchanger260 that is identical toheat exchanger100 except for the differences noted below. Thecover plate262 ofheat exchanger260 includes a plurality ofair flow openings264 punched therethrough. Each of theopenings264 is aligned with arespective opening268 provided through theshim plate266. Each cover plate air flow opening264 is surrounded by awall265 about its peripheral edge that extends from the cover plate to the shim plate to seal the air opening off from thefluid chamber113. Thewalls265 are preferably extruded from the cover plate material when theopenings264 are punched. Alignedopenings264,268 are located at areas where thefin plate102 does not contact the shim plate, so that the aligned openings are not completely blocked by thefin plate102. In some embodiments, corresponding openings may be punched through thefin plate102. As illustrated in FIG. 26, in use, air can flow through theopenings268,264, thereby allowing air to flow through sealed off sections of the fluid container defined by the shim and cover plates. As indicated in FIG. 26, the heat exchanger may be angled relative to the direction of travel (arrow270) in some applications to improve performance by increasing the attack angle at which air hits thefin plate102.
• Many components of the heat exchanger of the present invention have been described as being made from aluminum or aluminum alloy, however it will be appreciated that other metals could suitably be used to form the components, and in some applications non-metallic materials might be used, including for example thermally bondable, ultrasonically bondable, and adhesive bondable polymers. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.[0059]

Claims (21)

What is claimed is:

1. A low profile heat exchanger comprising:

a fin plate having opposite facing first and second sides and including a plurality of spaced apart elongate fins that extend outward from the first side and define a plurality of elongate passages that are open facing on the second side; and

a low profile container having spaced apart cover and shim plates sealably joined about peripheral edges thereof and defining a fluid conducting chamber, the container having an inlet opening and an outlet opening in communication with the fluid conducting chamber,

wherein the first side of the fin plate is mounted to the shim plate to permit thermal transfer between the low profile container and the fin plate, and the second side of the fin plate is exposed.

2. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein the shim plate is a planar sheet and the cover plate has a substantially planar central portion and an integral sidewall flange provided about a peripheral edge of the central portion extending towards and sealably connected to the shim plate.

3. The heat exchanger ofclaim 2 wherein a lateral connecting flange is provided at a peripheral edge of the sidewall flange, the connecting flange having a planar surface that abuts and is connected to the shim plate.

4. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein a turbulizer having rows of fluid flow augmenting convolutions is located in the fluid conducting chamber.

5. The heat exchanger ofclaim 4 wherein a plurality of the convolutions are crimped to provide a barrier to direct fluid flow between the inlet and outlet openings.

6. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein a skeletal frame having a plurality of barrier walls is located in the fluid conducting chamber providing a serpentine flow path therethrough between the inlet and outlet openings.

7. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein at least one of the cover plate and the shim plate has a plurality of embossed ribs formed thereon that extend into the fluid conducting chamber providing a serpentine flow path therethrough between the inlet and outlet openings.

8. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein the fin plate is a corrugated plate with the elongate fins defining open-ended passages that face the shim plate and that alternate with the passages that are open facing.

9. The heat exchanger ofclaim 8 wherein the fins are U-shaped in transverse cross-section, and are joined by connecting walls that are brazed or soldered to the shim plate.

10. The heat exchanger ofclaim 9 wherein the fins are longitudinally curved in alternating directions to break a boundary layer of air flowing therethrough.

11. The heat exchanger ofclaim 9 wherein the fins are longitudinally angled in alternating directions in a herringbone-type pattern to break a boundary layer of air flowing therethrough.

12. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein each fin is a longitudinal row of generally U-shaped transverse convolutions provided in the fin plate, at least some of the convolutions in each row being transversely offset along the row relative to other convolutions in the row.

13. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein the inlet and outlet openings are formed through the cover plate in locations opposing the shim plate.

14. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein the fin plate includes a planar support wall defining the first side from which the fins extend, the shim plate having a portion that is partially separated from a rest of the shim plate and bent to project into the fluid conducting chamber for providing flow circuiting therein.

15. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein a plurality of dimples extend inwardly from the cover plate into the fluid conducting chamber for augmenting fluid flow therein.

16. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 including a corrugated baffle plate located in the fluid conducting chamber for circuiting flow therethrough, the baffle plate including a plurality of parallel baffle walls extending substantially from a first end to a second end of the fluid conducting chamber defining a plurality of parallel flow paths therethrough, a flow opening being provided in each of the baffle walls to circuit fluid through the fluid conducting chamber.

17. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein the cover plate and shim plate each have planar central portions peripherally surrounded by an integral sidewall flange, the sidewall flange of one of the cover and shim plate being nested within and sealably connected to the sidewall flange of the other.

18. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein the cover plate and shim plate each have a planar central portion peripherally surrounded by an integral sidewall flange that is peripherally surrounded by a lateral connecting flange, the connecting flanges of the cover plate and shim plate having sealably connected abutting planar surfaces.

19. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein a plurality of air flow passages that extend through the shim plate, the fluid conducting chamber and the cover plate, are provided through the low profile container, the air flow passages each being sealed from the fluid conducting chamber.

20. The heat exchanger ofclaim 19 wherein the fin plate defines air passages which are in flow communication with the air flow passages through the low profile container.

21. A low profile heat exchanger comprising:

an extruded fin plate having a planar support wall with opposite facing first and second sides and including a plurality of spaced apart elongate fins that extend outward from the second side and define a plurality of passages that are open facing away from the second side; and

a separately formed low profile cover plate having a substantially planar central portion that is spaced apart from the first side of the support wall, the cover plate having an integral sidewall flange about a peripheral edge thereof, the sidewall flange extending towards the support wall and having a lateral connecting flange at an extending edge thereof, the connecting flange having a substantially planar surface that is sealably connected to the first side of the support wall, a fluid conducting chamber being defined between the cover plate and the support wall with an inlet opening and an outlet opening in communication with the fluid conducting chamber to permit a fluid to pass into, through, and out of the fluid conducting chamber.

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