HEAT EXCHANGER NETWORK

Abstract

A heat exchanger grid includes a stack including and arranged between end plates and further includes dividing plates and spacers arranged between the end plates to form sealed chambers for at least two heat exchange media. The end plates include one or both of inlet and outlet openings for the at least two media. The dividing plates including first passages aligned with the one or both of the inlet and outlet openings. The first passages are delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and form collecting channels for the at least two media. The spacers include frames which are delimited circumferentially by rails and which spacers include second and third passages which are aligned at least partly with respect to the one or both of the inlet and outlet openings. The first, second, and third passages are arranged as slots with a part of the second and third passages being delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and another part of the second and third passages including pass-through gaps facing toward the sealed chambers and except for the gaps, the second and third passages are enclosed.

Description

This application is a claims benefit of and priority to German Patent Application No. 20 2009 015 586.2, filed Nov. 12, 2009, the content of which application is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger grid. The grid includes a stack of end plates and dividing plates, and spacers arranged between them for forming mutually sealed chambers for at least two heat exchange media.

Heat exchanger grids are frequently built in plate design, for example, see DE 20 2004 011 489 U1, in that a stack is formed from plates and spacers which keep them apart and are provided in form of individual sections or rails. The stack comprises chambers which are sealed against each other and through which at least two heat-exchanging media flow, especially fluid ones. The various components of the stack are connected by soldering, for example, and are sealed against each other. The finished grid is then fastened by welding to collecting chambers which are used for feeding or discharging the media. Such a configuration requires much mounting work due to the numerous different components and leads to comparatively high material costs and requires more space due to the additional attachment of the collecting chambers.

In order to avoid these disadvantages, heat exchanger grids are known which are provided in the manner of shell coolers with integrated collecting chambers, for example, see DE 196 28 561 D1 and DE 202 10 209 U1. The integrated collecting chambers are formed by passages which are disposed in the plates and are aligned with respect to each other and which are in flow connection only with associated chambers determined for receiving one of the media. The sealing of the chambers and the passages occurs in this case by annular or disk-like spacers which are arranged between the plates and act simultaneously as a sealing means. Heat exchanger grids of this kind also consist of numerous individual parts and are also problematic with respect to their positional stability unless additional or specially designed turbulator inserts or the like are provided between the plates.

Finally, a heat exchanger grid of the kind described above is known, for example, see DE 10 2007 021 708 A1, whose stack of plates is formed in an alternating fashion of punched dividing plates and spacers which are arranged between the same, act as a sealing means and are also punched, and consist of integral frames which each delimit one chamber determined for the one or other medium. The frames for the one medium, for example, cooling water, are also provided with inwardly protruding rails, for example, protruding into the chambers, in order to thus forcibly deflect the respective medium several times while flowing through said chambers. Passages arranged in the dividing plates are used as collecting chambers for these media, as in the other heat exchanger grids which are produced in an analogous fashion to the shell configuration. Whereas, for the second medium, for example, the intake air of a motor vehicle engine, there are no collecting chambers or only such that are usually required. The material costs and the labor in the assembly of the stack are comparatively low in this case because only a plurality of plates needs to be placed on top of one another and then needs to be connected with each other by soldering or the like.

Although the heat exchanger grids, as described above, and similar ones ensure a consistently good heat exchange, they still always cause problems in their application. That is so, when for actually identical exchanger grids, different demands are placed on the position of the inlet and/or discharge openings through which the media are to be supplied to or removed from the heat exchanger grid as a result of special installation situations in different types of motor vehicles or the like. As a result of the frequently limited available space, heat exchanger grids are required, in such cases whose inlet and discharge openings are adjusted individually, to the respective application. For this purpose, at least the end plates and dividing plates need to be provided with individually provided passages. This requires the provision of different tools for the production of the end plates and dividing plates, which is why the advantages of the heat exchanger grids provided with integrated collecting chambers are offset by undesirable disadvantages in production.

On the basis of this state of the art and the technical problems mentioned, the present disclosure arranges the heat exchanger grid, of the kind as mentioned above, in such a way that although it is composed of a few different components it can be provided with inlet and/or discharge openings whose position can be changed in a simple manner according to the respective requirements. Moreover, the heat exchanger grid of the present disclosure is configured to be set up with small changes for the heat exchange between two, three or more media.

The heat exchanger grid according to the present disclosure includes a stack including and arranged between end plates and further including dividing plates and spacers arranged between the end plates to form sealed chambers for at least two heat exchange media. The end plates include one or both of inlet and outlet openings for the at least two media. The dividing plates include first passages aligned with the one or both of the inlet and outlet openings, the first passages being delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and form collecting channels for the at least two media. The spacers include frames which are delimited circumferentially by rails and which spacers include second and third passages which are aligned at least partly with respect to the one or both of the inlet and outlet openings. The first, second, and third passages are arranged as slots with a part of the second and third passages being delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and another part of the second and third passages including pass-through gaps facing toward the sealed chambers and except for the gaps, the second and third passages are enclosed.

The present disclosure provides, on the one hand, that spacers are provided between the dividing plates which includes integral frames delimited circumferentially by rails, and, on the other hand, that the dividing plates and the rails are provided with slotted passages which either form enclosed collecting chambers for the various media or are opened towards chambers to be flowed through by the media and formed between the dividing plates in order to enable the inflow of the media into the chambers and discharge of the media from the chambers. The slotted passages allow providing the end plates with inlet and/or discharge openings, the positions of which can be changed within the boundaries of the respective lengths of the slits. That is why the stack of dividing plates and spacers can be combined with numerous different arrangements of inlet and/or discharge openings. Moreover, heat exchanger grids for more than two media can, in accordance with the present disclosure, thus be created in a simple manner in such a way that the spacers and frames can be subdivided into two or more chambers by dividing rails.

Additional advantageous features, in accordance with the present disclosure, are disclosed therein.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the spacers are arranged in several parts made of two mutually spaced end pieces and at least two rails which connect the end pieces with each other. As a result of the multipart arrangement, the cuttings and thus also the material consumption in punching out the spacers can be reduced substantially. Moreover, the lengths of the rails can be adjusted as required in a simple manner without having to produce a separate tool for each further length of a spacer. The required pressing forces for punching out the individual parts are substantially lower as compared with an integral embodiment. Moreover, there is less warping in punching out the individual parts, especially in the region of the radii of the end pieces.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the end pieces and the rails are arranged to be engaged with each other in an interlocking manner in at least one direction.

Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 each show a perspective view, of a first embodiment according to the present disclosure, from the top and the bottom of a heat exchanger grid for two media and having connecting elements.

FIGS. 3 and 4 each show an upper and bottom end plate of the heat exchanger grid according to FIGS. 1 and 2 on a reduced scale.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a dividing plate of the heat exchanger grid which is reduced in scale in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show top views of a spacer of the heat exchanger grid which is reduced in scale in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 8 shows the heat exchanger grid in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2 in an exploded view.

FIGS. 9 to 16 show views, similar to FIGS. 1 to 8, of a second embodiment of a heat exchanger grid, in accordance with the present disclosure, for three media and its individual parts.

FIGS. 17 to 24 show views, similar to FIGS. 1 to 8, of a third embodiment of a heat exchanger grid, in accordance with the present disclosure, for four media and its individual parts.

FIGS. 25 to 32 show views of variants of the heat exchanger grid shown in FIGS. 9 to 16 in perspective top and bottom views, with connecting elements for the media being provided at different places.

FIG. 33 shows a further embodiment of a heat exchanger grid, in accordance with the present disclosure, in an exploded view.

FIGS. 34a) to 34f) show parts of the heat exchanger grid shown in FIG. 33.

FIG. 35 shows a further embodiment of a heat exchanger grid, in accordance with the present disclosure, in an exploded view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a heat exchanger grid, in accordance with the present disclosure. The grid comprises a stack 1 which includes stacked dividing plates 2, as shown in FIG. 5, and spacers 3 and 4, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, which spacers 3, 4 are arranged in an alternating manner between two dividing plates 2 each, and which stack is provided at the ends with end plates 5 and 6 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The dividing plates 2, the spacers 3, 4 and end plates 5, 6 may have equally large and square or rectangular outer contours and longitudinal axes 7 to 11 which extend through their middle and, in the case of rectangular contours, extend parallel to their long rectangular side, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7.

The end plates 5 and/or 6 are provided with inlet and/or discharge openings 12a to 12d, as shown in FIG. 8, on which connecting elements 14, in form of pipe sockets or the like, are placed in order to supply or discharge the media flowing through the heat exchanger grid. In the embodiment, the end plate 5 is provided with two each of such inlet openings 12a and 12c and two discharge openings 12b and 12d, whereas the end plate 6 does not have any such openings 12.

The dividing plates 2 comprise first passages 16 in opposite boundary regions which are parallel to the longitudinal axes 9 and are adjacent to the side edges 15, with the number of the passages thereof depending on the number of the media flowing through the heat exchanger grid. Two such first passages 16 are provided in the embodiment in each boundary region. All first passages 16 are delimited by edges 17 which are enclosed circumferentially.

Spacers 3 are arranged between two dividing plates 2 and each includes, as shown in FIG. 6, integral frames which are delimited circumferentially by rails 18 and 19, with the rails 18 being arranged parallel to the longitudinal axes 10 and the rails 19 perpendicular to the longitudinal axes 10, and jointly forming a circumferentially enclosed frame.

Whereas the rails 19 are comparatively narrow, the rails 18 have a larger width. Furthermore, two passages 20 and 21 are arranged in these rails 18, with one second passage 20 and 21 each being provided in each rail 18, in analogy to the dividing plates 2. Two mutually opposite second passages, for example, passages 20, are each delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges 22. Conversely, the two other second passages, for example, passages 21, are delimited by edges 23, which are also substantially enclosed circumferentially but are provided with pass-through gaps 24 which lead to the interior spaces of the frames or chambers 25, which are enclosed, on the one hand, by the rails 18, 19 of the frames and are delimited, on the other hand, upwardly and downwardly by dividing or end plates 2, 5 or 6 which are adjacent in the stack 1. In other words, the pass-through gaps 24 each represent openings which produce a flow connection between the second passages 21 and the chambers 25 which are flowed through by a first medium, for example, the cooling water of a motor vehicle.

The spacers 4 of a second kind are arranged in a substantially analogous manner in relation to the spacers 3 and include integral frames formed by the rails 26, 27. Two third passages 28 and 29 are each formed in the comparatively wide rails 26, with two mutually opposite third passages, for example, passages 28, being delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges 30. Conversely, the two other passages, for example, passages 29, are delimited by edges 31 which are also substantially enclosed circumferentially but are provided with pass-through gaps 32 which lead to the insides of the frames or chambers 33, which are enclosed, on one hand, by the rails 26, 27 of the frames and are delimited, on the other hand, upwardly and downwardly by dividing or end plates 2, 5 or 6 which are adjacent in the stack 1. The pass-through gaps 32 thus provide flow connections between the second passages 29 and the chambers 33 which are flowed through by a second medium, for example, motor oil of a motor vehicle. Apart from that, all slotted passages 16, 20, 21, 28 and 29 may comprise longitudinal axes which are arranged parallel to the longitudinal axes 10 and 11 of spacers 3, 4 and, in the finished stack 1, are also parallel to the longitudinal axes 7 to 9 of the dividing plates 2 and the end plates 5, 6.

As is further shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the two pass-through gaps 24 of the spacer 3 and the two pass-through gaps 32 of the spacer 4 may be disposed diagonally opposite of one another. In the embodiment, the pass-through gap 24 is arranged, for example, at the top left and the bottom right in FIG. 6, whereas the pass-through gap 32 is arranged at the top right and the bottom left, so that the media can flow, for example, in the direction of the illustrated arrows through the chambers 25, 33. Finally, FIGS. 5 and 7 show that the slotted passages 16, 20, 21, 28 and 29 are all substantially equally large and have such a length that they extend not quite over half the length of the dividing plates 2 and spacers 3, 4. Moreover, the position of the passages 16, 20, 21, 28 and 29 is chosen in such a way that they come to lie in a flush manner and coaxially above one another when the stack is formed. In total, the spacers 3 and 4 may be identical in their structure, as is shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, but are arranged in the stack to be twisted by 180° about a longitudinal axis 10 or 11.

The formation of the stack may occur, as shown in FIG. 8, in such a way, for example, that successively a dividing plate 2, then a spacer 3, then a further dividing plate 2, then a spacer 4, and then, in an alternating manner, a dividing plate 2 and a spacer 3 or 4 are placed on the bottom end plate 6 until finally the upper end plate 5 is placed on uppermost dividing plate 2 of stack 1. The longitudinal axes 7 to 11 come to lie above one another in one plane. Thereafter, the described parts are connected with each other in a liquid-tight manner by soldering or the like. The end plates 5 and 6, the dividing plates 2 and the spacers 3 and 4 are advantageously made of sheet metal, especially aluminum sheet, and the dividing plates 2 are clad-brazed on both sides, so that no further soldering agents are required. Furthermore, the end plates 5 and 6, the dividing plates 2 and the spacers 3 and 4 are preferably integrally formed from sheet metal, e.g. by punching, lasing, or jet cutting.

In a finished heat exchanger grid, both the slotted second passages 20 and 21 and the slotted third passages 28 and 29 are aligned in a flush and coaxial manner with the slotted first passages 16. As a result, and as shown in FIG. 8, for example, one part of the passages 16 and the passages 21 and 28, on the one hand, and the other part of the passages 16 and the passages 22 and 29, on the other hand, are arranged above one another in such a way that each form a collecting chamber for one of the two heat exchanger media. The collecting chamber formed by the passages 16, 21 and 28 is opened through the pass-through gap 24 only towards the chambers 25 and the collecting chamber formed by the passages 16, 22 and 29 is opened through the pass-through gap 32 only towards the chambers 33. Furthermore, the end plate 5 is provided in the embodiment with the inlet and/or discharge openings 12a and 12d in such a way that they are also aligned towards one first passage 16 of the adjacent dividing plate 2, whereas the other end plate 6 does not have any inlet or discharge opening 12. As a result of this arrangement, the first medium can be supplied, for example, through the inlet opening 12a and be discharged again through the discharge opening 12b again. It successively flows through first, third and second passages 16, 28 and 21 which are aligned towards the inlet openings 12a. This medium then reaches the associated chambers 25 from the passages 21 by the pass-through gap 24, flows through the same and leaves it again through the pass-through gap 24 in the diagonally opposite passages 21. The medium then reaches the discharge opening 12b in the end plate 5 through these passages and the passages 16 and 28 which are connected with them and are circumferentially enclosed. The second medium can be respectively introduced through the inlet opening 12c, for example, from where it flows through the collecting chambers formed by the passages 16, 29 and 20, reaches the associated chambers 33 by the pass-through gap 32 and leaves the same again through the diagonally opposite pass-through gap 32, in order to flow back to the discharge opening 12d and from there through the passages 29, 20 and 16 which are arranged on this site. As a result, the enclosed passages 20 take part in the formation of the collecting chambers for the second medium and the enclosed passages 28 in the formation of the collecting chambers for the first medium, where as the passages 21, 29, which are provided with a pass-through gaps 24, 32, are each used for guiding the first and second medium through the chambers 25, 33 which are formed by the spacers 3, 4 and the adjacent dividing plates 2 and are enclosed in a liquid-tight manner.

In order to increase the mechanical stiffness of the spacers 3 and 4 and thus the entire heat exchanger grid, at least some of the circumferentially enclosed second passages 20 and 28 may be subdivided by connecting webs into two halves, which connecting webs extend transversely to the longitudinal axes 10 and 11 and act as a tie rod. This is shown in FIG. 6 at the bottom left for a passage 20 provided with a connecting web 34 and in FIG. 7 at the top left for a passage 28 provided with a connecting web 35. The thus caused reduction in the cross sections of the passages 20, 28 is not critical because the inlet and discharge openings 12a to 12d, the connecting elements 14, and the pass-through gaps 24, 32 have flow cross sections that are smaller than the slotted passages.

Whereas the heat exchanger grid according to FIGS. 1 to 8 is set up for the exchange of heat between two media such as the motor oil of an automotive engine and the cooling water of the motor vehicle, the heat exchanger grid according to FIGS. 9 to 16 is used for the exchange of heat between three media. The transmission oil of the motor vehicle is added as the third medium for example, which shall be cooled with the same cooling water as the motor oil.

FIGS. 9 to 16 essentially have the same components as in FIGS. 1 to 8. That is why these components in FIGS. 9 to 16 are provided with the same reference numerals but are supplemented with the letter “a”, which applies especially to the dividing plates 2a, end plates 5a, 6a and spacers 3a and 4a. In contrast to FIGS. 1 to 8, the upper end plate 5a has three, instead of two, inlet openings 12a, 12c and 12e and three discharge openings 12b, 12d and 12f, and connecting elements 14 which are connected with these, as shown in FIG. 16. Furthermore, the dividing plates 2a are provided, in each boundary region adjacent to the side edges 15a, as shown in FIG. 13, with three first slotted passages 16a each instead of two of these, which are the limited by circumferentially enclosed edges 17a.

Furthermore, two types of frame-like spacers 3a and 4a are provided.

The first kind of spacers 3a corresponds substantially to the spacers 3, but with the difference that two passages 20a each are present in rails 18a which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis 10a. The passages 20a are delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges 22a, and one second passage 21a is present, which is provided with a pass-through gap 24a and is thus open towards the chamber 25a enclosed by the frame. The two passages 21a may be disposed diagonally opposite of one another, as is shown in FIG. 14.

A second kind of frame-like spacers 4a is provided in rails 26a which are parallel to the longitudinal axis 11a with a third passage 28a which is delimited circumferentially by enclosed edges 30a and with two passages 29a1 and 29a2, which each comprise a pass-through gap 32a1 and 32a2 which is opened towards the inside of the frame. The pass-through gap 32a1 leads into a first chamber 33a1, whereas the pass-through gap 32a2 leads into a second chamber 33a2. The two chambers 33a1, 33a2 are separated from one another in a liquid-tight manner by a dividing rail 36 which extends between the rails 26a, as is shown in FIG. 15, and apart from that are sealed in a liquid-tight manner by dividing plates 2a resting on both sides like the chambers 25 and 33. The arrangement may also be made in such a way that the two chambers 33a1 and 33a2 have the same size and both the two passages 32a1 and two passages 32a2 are disposed diagonally opposite of one another within said chambers 33a1 and 33a2, as is also shown by FIG. 15. Possible directions of flow for the three media flowing through the chambers 25a, 33a1 and 33a2 are shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 by arrows, for example.

The assembly of the components, according to FIGS. 11 to 15, occurs in the manner as shown in FIG. 16. A dividing plate 2a, a spacer 4a, then a dividing plate 2a, and then a spacer 3a are placed successively on an end plate 6a, and then, by way of the same successive application, further dividing plates 2a and spacers 3a, 4a, until the stack 1a is completed by the upper end plate 5a which rests on the last dividing plate 2a. The various components of the stack 1a thus formed are then connected with each by, for example, soldering and in the same manner into a compact heat exchanger grid, as described above by reference to FIG. 8.

In the finished heat exchanger grid, the second and third passages 20a, 21a, 28a, 29a1 and 29a2 may be aligned in a flush manner and co-axially to the first passages 16a. In this way, the passages 20a, 29a1, with associated passages 16a, each form a respective collecting chamber for a first medium. The passages 29a2 with further passages 20a and associated passages 16a form a respective collecting chamber for a second medium. The passages 21a with associated passages 28a and 16a form a respective collecting chamber for the third medium. In analogy to FIGS. 1 to 8, the first medium, for example, oil, can flow through the pass-through gap 32a1 through the chambers 33a1. The second medium, e.g. oil, can flow through the pass-through gap 32a2 through the chambers 33a2, and third medium, for example, cooling water, can flow through the pass-through gap 24a to the chambers 25a.

At least selected second passages 20a are appropriately provided with connecting webs 34 (see FIG. 14), in analogy to FIGS. 1 to 8.

The described construction of the heat exchanger grid, in accordance with the present disclosure, allows for numerous further configurations. FIGS. 17 to 24 show a heat exchanger grid whose components are provided with the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 8, and are provided additionally with the letter “b”. The heat exchanger grid, according to FIGS. 17 to 24, differs mainly from the heat exchanger grid according to FIGS. 9 to 16 in such a way that it is arranged for the flow of four media, with the clutch oil of a motor-vehicle being added as the fourth media, for example. That is why, in accordance with FIGS. 17 to 24, the end plates 5b and 6b each comprise four inlet and discharge openings 12, as shown in FIG. 24, which are connected with connecting elements 14, and the dividing plates 2b comprise four slotted passages 16b in each boundary region adjacent to the side edges 15b. Furthermore, two types of frame-like spacers 3b and 4b are provided. The spacers 3b, as shown in FIG. 22, correspond to the spacers 3a, as shown in FIG. 14, with the difference that they comprise four instead of three second passages 20b and 21b in each rail 18b. The passages 21b are disposed diagonally opposite of one another and are delimited by edges which comprise the pass-through gap 24b which leads to the chambers 25b enclosed by the spacers 3b. Conversely, the spacers 4b differ from those of FIG. 15 in such a way that in each rail 26b they each comprise four instead of three third passages 28b, 29b1, 29b2 and 29b3. The passage 28b is circumferentially enclosed, whereas the passages 29b1 to 29b3 are each delimited by an edge provided with a pass-through gap 32b1, 32b2 and 32b3. The pass-through gaps 32b1 to 32b3 lead into one chamber 33b1, 33b2 and 33b3 each, with the chambers 33b1 and 33b2 being separated from one another in a liquid-tight manner by a dividing rail 37 which connects the opposing rails 26b and the chambers 33b2 and 33b3 are separated from one another in a liquid-tight manner by a respective dividing rail 38.

Analogously, the second kind of spacers 4b could be provided with more than three chambers for more than three different media. For example, the spacers 4a, 4b can be provided with at least two or more chambers, as required.

The mounting of the described parts occurs, in analogy to FIG. 16, as shown in FIG. 24 by stacking the dividing plates 2b and the various spacers 3b and 4b in a successive and alternating manner. Thus provides the obtained stack 1b with the end plates 5b and 6b, and subsequent soldering of the components by forming a heat exchanger grid which is suitable for the through-flow of four media and, like the other embodiments, in accordance with the present disclosure, comprises integrated collecting chambers for the four media which are formed by the first, second and third passages.

It is advantageous, according to the present disclosure, that the inlet and discharge openings 12 can be provided at entirely different locations of the end plates 5 and 6 as a result of the slotted passages 16, 20, 21, 28 and 29 within the limits which are given by the respective length of the slot. Moreover, the inlet and discharge openings 12 and the connecting elements 14 can be provided optionally on the upper and/or bottom end plate 5 and 6. This is shown in FIGS. 25 to 32 by way of the embodiment according to FIGS. 9 to 16.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 25 and 26, the upper end plate 5a is provided with two connecting elements 39a, 39b for the inlet and discharge of the first medium and with connecting elements 39c, 39d for the inlet and discharge of the second medium. Conversely, the two connecting elements 39e, 39f for the inlet and discharge of a third medium are connected with the bottom end plate 6a. FIGS. 27 and 28 show the connecting elements 40a, 40c and 40e for the inlet of three media on the upper end plate 5a and the connecting elements 40b, 40d and 40f for the discharge of three media on the bottom end plate 6a, with the connecting elements 40a, 40b and 40c, 40d and 40e, 40f being associated in pairs with the first, second and third medium. Further possibilities for the positioning of connecting elements, and naturally also the inlet and discharge openings 12, are shown in FIGS. 29, 30 and FIGS. 31, 32. Furthermore, all connecting elements 39, 40 and the inlet and discharge openings 12 in the end plates 5a and 6a associated with them can be arranged to be offset to such an extent in the direction of the longitudinal axis 9, as was already mentioned, as is possible as a result of the lengths of the slotted first passages 16a, as shown in FIG. 13, and the second and third passages 20a, 21a and 28a, 29a which are aligned with the former. This leads to the advantage that numerous different arrangement patterns are possible for the connecting elements 39, 40 with the same dividing plates 2a and spacers 3a and 4a, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, so that end plates 5a, 6a need to be produced only when adjusted to certain specific cases. The same applies, analogously, for the other embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 8 and 17 to 24.

In order to facilitate the mounting of the finished heat exchanger grids in a motor vehicle or the like, the dividing wall and end plates 2, 5 and 6 and the rails 28, 26 of the spacers 3, 4 may be provided with mounting holes 41, for example, 1-7, which in the stack 1 form a continuous channel for receiving a fastening screw or the like. The mounting holes 41 are appropriately arranged as elongated holes.

It is further appropriate, in order to improve the heat exchange performance, to provide the chambers 25 and 33, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 6 and 7, with turbulator inserts 42, as shown in FIGS. 8, 16 and 24. One advantage of the described construction is that the turbulator inserts 42 can be provided with a square or rectangular outside contour which respectively corresponds to the size of the chambers 25, 33, thus avoiding complex tools and work steps in production.

It is provided, for further easing the mounting when packing the stack 1, 1a and 1b, that each dividing and end plate 2, 5 and 6 and each spacer 3, 4 is provided with at least one specially formed outside corner which has a different contour than the other outside corners, as is indicated, for example, in FIGS. 5 to 7 by one acute outside corner 43 instead of the otherwise rounded or bevelled outside corners 44. These outside corners 43 must lie directly above one another in the finished stack. In this way, errors in placing the stack are avoided in a very simple manner, on the one hand, whereas on the other hand it can be checked easily even after the formation of the stack through the externally visible outside corners 43, 44 whether all components were placed correctly.

FIGS. 33 to 35 show two further embodiments of a heat exchanger grid, in accordance with the present disclosure, whose components are provided with the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 8, provided additionally with the letter “c”, as shown in FIGS. 33 and 34a-f, and with the letter “d”, as shown in FIG. 35. The heat exchanger grids according to FIGS. 33 to 35 differ mainly in such a way from the heat exchanger grids as described above that the frame-like spacers 3c and 3d are arranged in several parts. It is thus possible to avoid having to punch out the spacers from a solid sheet metal. This advantageously leads to a reduction in the cuttings and thus also to a reduction in the consumption of material when punching out the spacers. Furthermore, the required pressing forces for punching out the individual parts are lower as compared with the integral embodiment.

The spacers 3c and 3d include two mutually spaced end pieces 31c, 31d and at least two rails 33c, 34c, 35c, 33d, 34d which connect the end pieces 31c, 31d with each other. The end pieces comprise their respective passages 36c, 37c and 36d, 37d which correspond to the above spacers. The end pieces 31c, 31d and the rails 33c, 34c, 33d, 34d may be arranged to engage in an interlocking manner into each other in at least one direction. As shown in FIGS. 33 and 34a) to f), the rails 33c, 34c, 35c are placed for this purpose in respective U-shaped recesses of the end pieces 31c, 32c and are thus fixed in an interlocking manner transversely to the longitudinal extension of the spacers 3c. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 35, the ends of the rails 33d, 34d are provided with enlarged portions 331d which can be placed in respectively formed recesses 38d of the end pieces 31d, 32d and are thus held in an interlocking manner not only transversely to the longitudinal extension of the spacers 3d but also in the direction of the longitudinal extension. In this way, the lengths of the rails can be adjusted in a simple manner without having to produce a separate tool for each further length of a spacer.

The end plates 5c and the dividing plates 2c, 2d comprise passages corresponding to the passages 36c, 37c and 36d, 37d. The turbulator inserts 42c are provided with longitudinal slits which accommodate the middle rail 34c.

The described embodiments, in accordance with the present disclosure, may be modified in numerous ways. For example, the chambers 33a1, 33a2 and 33b1 to 33b3 which are shown in FIGS. 15 and 23 with the same size can also have different sizes, especially in the direction of the longitudinal axes 11a, 11b. The size of these chambers may be chosen individually, depending on the desired cooling performance. Furthermore, it can substantially be chosen at will in which direction the media shall flow through the various chambers and collecting chambers. For example, the arrows in FIGS. 6 and 7, 14 and 15 as well as 22 and 22 only represent examples. Furthermore, the first, second and third passages need not necessarily be arranged on mutually opposite longitudinal edges. It would be possible, for example, to position at least two passages for the same medium, for example, the passages 29 in FIG. 7, in a rail 27 which is arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 11 and is provided with a sufficiently wide configuration. It is also possible to provide a dividing rail between the two associated pass-through gaps 32 in such a way that the medium flowing through a pass-through gap 32 into the chamber 33 flows at first into a chamber half parallel to the longitudinal axis 11 up to the opposite rail 27, is deflected there by a dividing rail and then flows back through the other chamber half to the second pass-through gap 32. The passages in the dividing plates 2 and the other spacers 3 could be arranged in such a respective manner. Media other than those described above can be used as heat exchange media. For example, coolants, water with or without the addition of antifreeze agents, and gaseous media, especially air, both as cooling media and media to be cooled. It is further possible that in the application of dividing plates 2 which are not plated, the end plates 5, 6 can be connected directly with a spacer 3 or 4 and can be fastened to the same by an additional soldering agent or the like. It is further possible to arrange the embodiment according to FIGS. 8 to 16 in such a way that the spacers 3a are provided with two chambers each in order to use two different cooling media for cooling two different media to be cooled. It can further be provided to arrange the passages 16, 20, 21, 28 and 29 at least partly not behind one another or not only parallel to the longitudinal axes 9 to 11 behind one another, but also transversely to the longitudinal axes 9 to 11 next to one another. Moreover, the length of the passages 16, 20, 21, 28 and 29, as measured in the longitudinal direction, may only be slightly smaller than the length of the dividing and end plates, divided by the number of the media flowing through the heat exchanger grid, for example, slightly smaller than ⅓ of the plate length in FIGS. 9 to 24. Furthermore, it is within the scope of the present disclosure that more than two kinds of spacers can be provided if this is necessary or appropriate for the purpose of heat exchange. It is finally understood to be within the scope of the present disclosure that the various features can also be applied in combinations other than those described and illustrated in the above embodiments.

Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that this is done by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The scope of the present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger grid comprising:

a stack including and arranged between end plates and further including dividing plates and spacers arranged between the end plates to form sealed chambers for at least two heat exchange media;

the end plates including one or both of inlet and outlet openings for the at least two media;

the dividing plates including first passages aligned with the one or both of the inlet and outlet openings, the first passages being delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and form collecting channels for the at least two media;

the spacers including frames which are delimited circumferentially by rails and which spacers include second and third passages which are aligned at least partly with respect to the one or both of the inlet and outlet openings; and

the first, second, and third passages being arranged as slots with a part of the second and third passages being delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and another part of the second and third passages including pass-through gaps facing toward the sealed chambers and except for the gaps, the second and third passages are enclosed.

2-21. (canceled)

22. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein the end plates include two inlet openings and two outlet openings each, and the dividing plates and the spacers each include four first, second and third passages.

23. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 22, wherein the dividing plates include a square or rectangular outside contour and include first longitudinal axes which are arranged parallel with respect to each other, and the first passages are arranged in boundary regions of the dividing plates which are adjacent to side edges of the dividing plates which are parallel to the first longitudinal axes.

24. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 23, wherein the spacers include frames having square or rectangular outside contours and second longitudinal axes, and the second and third passages are arranged in rails of the frames which are arranged parallel to the second longitudinal axes.

25. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 24, wherein the first, second and third passages are arranged successively behind one another in the direction of the first and second longitudinal axes.

26. The heat exchanger grid according claim 25, wherein the first, second and third passages have passage longitudinal axes which are arranged substantially parallel to the first and second longitudinal axes, respectively, of the dividing plates and the spacers.

27. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 25, wherein the first, second and third passages have lengths which are slightly smaller than a length of an end of the dividing plates divided by the number of the at least two heat exchanging media.

28. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein at least one or both of the first and second passages are penetrated by connecting webs configured as tie rods.

29. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 24, wherein the spacers are arranged to form at least one of the sealed chambers for two different media, and are arranged in the stack in a position twisted with respect to one another by 180° about the second longitudinal axis.

30. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein two types of spacers are provided, a first type being arranged to form one of the sealed chambers for a first medium and a second type arranged to form at least two of the sealed chambers for at least two media.

31. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 30, wherein the second type of spacers include at least three third passages each in opposite rails, and that the at least two sealed chambers are separated from one another by dividing rails arranged between selected third passages.

32. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein the spacers are made integrally from a sheet metal.

33. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 32, wherein the spacers are produced by punching, lasing or jet cutting.

34. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein the spacers are arranged in several parts.

35. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 34, wherein the spacers are made of two mutually spaced end pieces and at least two rails which connect the end pieces with one another.

36. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 35, wherein the end pieces and the rails are arranged to engage into each other in an interlocking manner in at least one direction.

37. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein the end plates, the dividing plates and the spacers are connected with one another in a liquid-tight manner by soldering.

38. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 37, wherein the dividing plates are clad-brazed on both sides.

39. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein the sealed chambers include turbulator inserts.

40. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein the end plates, the dividing plates and the spacers include mounting holes which are aligned respect to one another in the stack.

41. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 40, wherein one or more of the end plates, the dividing plates, and the spacers include outside corners configured for mounting in the stack and include a contour which deviates from a contour of outer edges of one or more of the end plates, the dividing plates, and the spacers.