Patent Grant
8590607
The invention relates to a heat exchanger with tubes and with an end piece which has a tube plate comprising a plurality of individual plates.
A heat exchanger of this type is described, for example, in EP 0 563 471 A1. The heat exchanger disclosed by that document is designed as a two-row flat-tube evaporator which has two flows of medium passing through it. Corrugated fins which have ambient air flowing over them are located between the flat tubes. The refrigerant first of all flows through the rear row of flat tubes, as seen in the main direction of flow of the air, from the top downward and is then collected and diverted, by means of a diverter device, in the opposite direction to the direction of flow of the air, entering the first, i.e. front row of flat tubes, through which it flows from the bottom upward. With this design, therefore, the refrigerant is diverted over the depth, i.e. counter to the direction of flow of the air. As a result, the flow paths for the refrigerant in each case comprise two sections, with each section corresponding to a tube length. The refrigerant is distributed and collected by a collection and distribution device, which is formed by a multiplicity of plates which are layered on top of one another and are soldered together. These plates substantially comprise a base plate, a distributor plate above it, with a partition running in the longitudinal direction, and a cover plate with feed and discharge openings for the refrigerant. In a similar way, the diverter device arranged on the opposite side is composed of individual plates. This results in a low overall height of this evaporator. In addition, there is optionally what is known as a stop plate, which is in each case laid onto the base plate and forms a stop for the tube ends. One drawback of this type of evaporator is that the refrigerant, on account of the distribution or collection chamber extending over the entire width of the evaporator, is distributed unevenly to the individual tubes. Furthermore, the two-row design requires increased assembly outlay.
What is known as a divider plate with individual openings for distributing the refrigerant between the individual tubes has been proposed for a similar evaporator in EP 0 634 615 A1. This results in more uniform distribution of the refrigerant to the tubes, but this is at the expense of an increased number of plates and therefore higher outlay on materials and assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,016 describes an evaporator with refrigerant distribution through passages in a large number of plates, which likewise contribute to a more uniform distribution of the refrigerant between heat-exchanger tubes. However, this requires a very large number of plates and high manufacturing costs.
DE 100 20 763 A1 has disclosed a further design of evaporator, which is intended for operation with CO2 as refrigerant and in which a pressure-resistant collector housing is to be achieved by virtue of the fact that a multiplicity of plates provided with apertures are stacked on top of one another and soldered together. This evaporator is of one-row design, specifically with multi-chamber flat tubes through which medium flows both upward and downward, which is made possible by a diverter device located at the lower end of the tubes. One drawback of this design of evaporator is the large number of plates with relatively narrow passages, which firstly entails additional weight and secondly involves the risk of the passages in the collector housing being closed up during soldering, i.e. becoming blocked by solder.
EP 1 221 580 A2 has described an evaporator for a fuel cell system, which comprises a header piece which includes a base plate and a cover plate secured to it. Fuel passes via a connection part into a fuel distributor chamber, and from there into guide passages and via apertures in the base plate into heat-uptake passages of the evaporator. In this fuel evaporator, there is a small number of plates in the header piece, but these plates are highly complex to manufacture. Moreover, supply of fuel to the heat-uptake passages is very uneven depending on the pressure distribution in the fuel distributor chamber and in the guide passages.
The object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger in which it is possible to realize a simple and/or lightweight design and if appropriate simultaneously a uniform distribution of a medium to a plurality of flow paths and/or a pressure-stable construction of the heat exchanger.
This object is achieved by a heat exchanger having the features of one of the embodiments described herein.
According to the embodiments described herein, a heat exchanger includes tubes through which a first medium can flow and around which a second medium can flow, so that heat can be transferred from the first medium to the second or vice versa through walls of the tubes. For this purpose, heat-exchange passages, through which the first medium can be passed, are located in the tubes, with an individual tube having either one heat-exchange passage or, as what is known as a multi-chamber tube, having a plurality of heat-exchange passages located next to one another. The tubes may in this case have a circular, oval, substantially rectangular or any other desired cross section. By way of example, the tubes are designed as flat tubes. To increase the heat transfer, it is if appropriate, possible to arrange fins, in particular corrugated fins, between the tubes, in which case the tubes and the fins can in particular be soldered to one another.
There are various conceivable uses for the heat exchanger, for example as an evaporator of a refrigerant circuit, in particular of a motor vehicle air-conditioning system. In this case, the first medium is a refrigerant, for example R134a or R744, and the second medium is air, with heat being transferred from the air to the refrigerant. However, the heat exchanger is also suitable for other media, in which case the heat can if appropriate also be transferred from the first medium to the second.
If appropriate, there are at least two collection chambers, it being possible for the first medium to be passed from a first collection chamber to a second collection chamber. The first medium can be passed along one or more flow paths which optionally comprise several sections. In the context of the invention, the term flow-path section is to be understood as meaning one or more heat-exchange passages which run from one side of the heat exchanger to an opposite side and are hydraulically connected in parallel with one another. The heat-exchange passages of a flow-path section are, for example, arranged in a single tube, although an arrangement of the heat-exchange passages of a flow-path section which is distributed between a plurality of tubes is also conceivable. Furthermore, the heat exchanger has an end piece with a tube plate which actually comprises a number of plates bearing against one another, namely a base plate, a diverter plate and a cover plate. The base plate can be connected to ends of the tubes by virtue of the base plate having, for example, cutouts, in which the tube ends can be received. Within the context of the invention, it is also conceivable to use other types of connection between tubes and the base plate, for example connections produced by extensions at the edges of cutouts in the base plate, so that the tubes can be plug-fitted onto the extensions. Cutouts in the diverter plate serve to form through-passages and/or diverter passages, which can be closed off in a fluid-tight manner with respect to an environment surrounding the heat exchanger by means of a cover plate. The plate structure of the tube plate allows the end piece and the entire heat exchanger to be of very pressure-stable construction.
A first basic idea of the invention is for the end piece which comprises the tube plate to be provided with a collection box which, in a housing, has at least one collection chamber for the first medium. In this way, a component which may in any case be required is integrated in the end piece, ensuring a compact and therefore simple design of the heat exchanger.
According to a second basic idea of the invention, flow-path sections are connected to one another by means of diverter passages in the diverter plate. The connection of the flow-path sections to form one or more hydraulically parallel flow paths can then be designed to satisfy any desired requirements, by virtue of a single plate, namely the diverter plate being configured so as to correspond to the required flow-path connection. Therefore, the heat exchanger can be constructed flexibly for different applications, on account of its modular structure.
According to another basic idea of the invention, a tube is introduced into the tube plate as far as a predetermined stop in order to achieve increased manufacturing reliability and therefore simplified production. The stop is realized by a web between two cutouts in the base plate, which web can be received in a cutout in a tube end, with the width of the web being substantially equal to that of the cutout in the tube end. It is advantageous for the cutout to be slightly wider than the web, in order to facilitate insertion of the tube into the base plate. The depth of insertion of the tube is determined by the height of the cutout in the tube end. It is particularly advantageous for the cutout to be higher than the web, thereby reducing the risk of one or more heat-exchange passages undesirably becoming blocked by solder which is present on the base plate during a soldering process. The difference in height is, for example, 1 mm or more, but should on the other hand be less than the thickness of the diverter plate, since the tube otherwise butts against the cover plate. A height difference which is approximately equal to half the thickness of the diverter plate is advantageous.
A further basic concept of the invention is for a plurality of individual plates of the tube plate to be configured integrally, in order to reduce the number, the manufacturing costs and if appropriate the materials costs. Under certain circumstances, the tube plate then comprises just one individual plate, into which the base plate, the diverter plate and the cover plate are integrated.
According to a further concept of the invention, the outlay on material for the tube plate and therefore also for the heat exchanger is reduced by one or more individual plates, and preferably all the individual plates, of the tube plate having additional cutouts between through-passages and/or diverter passages, which cutouts are formed, for example, as apertures or lateral notches. It is advantageous for the plates to be fully separated between through-passages and/or diverter passages, which means that under certain circumstances the plates may be broken down into many small partial plates. This allows a particularly lightweight design which has beneficial effects both on materials costs and on the weight of the heat exchanger.
According to a further basic concept of the invention, a simplified structure is also made possible by tubes which are deformed in a U shape, in which case the tubes are deformed once or, to produce an even simpler design, more than once. As a result, two tube-plate connections and if appropriate a diverter passage are recessed in the region of the U-shaped deformation. If exclusively V-tubes are used, it is even possible to eliminate one end piece, if all the diversions on one side of the heat exchanger are realized by tube deformations. In this case, the ends of in each case one tube can be connected to the same base plate.
A further concept of the invention is for the heat exchanger to be provided with precisely one end piece, in which in particular a collection box having two collection chambers is integrated. This can be realized not only by using U-tubes but also by any conceivable hydraulic connection of tubes on the opposite side of the heat exchanger from the precisely one end piece, for example by fitting suitably constructed caps onto in each case a plurality of, in particular two, tubes.
Preferred embodiments of the heat exchanger according to the invention form the subject matter of the dependent claims.
According to a preferred embodiment, a collection box which is optionally integrated in the end piece is soldered or welded in a fluid-tight manner to the cover plate. According to another advantageous embodiment, the collection box is formed integrally with the cover plate, thereby simplifying production. A particularly lightweight design is achieved by a tubular design of the collection box in accordance with a further configuration of the invention. It is particularly preferable for the cover plate, at edges of apertures, to have extensions which engage in apertures in a housing of the collection box. Conversely, according to a further embodiment, it is possible for apertures in the collection box housing to be provided with extensions which engage in apertures in the cover plate. In both cases, manufacturing reliability is increased by aligning the flush apertures in the cover plate and in the collection-box housing.
According to one preferred embodiment, the through-openings which are formed by the flush apertures in the cover plate and in the collection-box housing have different cross sections of flow. This allows simple matching of the distribution of the first medium to the flow conditions in the associated collection chamber. In particular, a uniform distribution between a plurality of flow paths is desirable in this context, but a deliberately nonuniform distribution is also conceivable, for example in the case of a nonuniform mass flow of the second medium over an end face of the heat exchanger. It is advantageous for the through-openings with different cross sections of flow to be arranged upstream of the heat-exchange passages, making it particularly simple to equalize the flow in the flow paths. If quantitative flows through the flow paths are controlled on an inlet side for the first medium, it is possible to make the through-openings on the outlet side larger, for example with a cross section of flow which corresponds to the cross section of flow of the respective flow path. If the heat exchanger is used, for example, as an evaporator in a refrigerant circuit, the pressure ratios along the circuit are more advantageous for the overall performance of the heat exchanger if cross sections of flow are narrowed before the refrigerant is heated than if the cross sections of flow are narrowed after this heating.
According to one configuration, the cross sections of flow of the through-openings can be adapted to a pressure distribution of the first medium within the collection chamber in question. In another configuration, the cross sections of flow can be matched to a density distribution of the first medium within the collection chamber in question. In the context of the invention, the density of a medium in the case of single-phase media is to be understood as meaning the physical density, whereas in the case of multi-phase media, for example in the case of media which are partially liquid and partially gaseous, it is to be understood as meaning a density averaged over the volume in question.
For similar reasons, in a preferred embodiment the cross-sectional areas of the first and second collection chambers are different than one another. It is particularly preferable for it to be possible to adapt the cross-sectional areas of the collection chambers to the density ratios of the first medium in the chambers.
Further embodiments of the heat exchanger according to the invention relate to the connection of the flow-path sections by means of diverter passages in the diverter plate.
According to one advantageous configuration, flow-path sections which are arranged next to one another in the main direction of flow of the second medium are connected to one another by a diverter passage. This is then referred to as a diversion over the width. This makes it possible for a plurality of or possibly all flow-path sections within a row or within a tube row to be connected to one another to form a flow path. This leads to an at least partially serpentine design of the heat exchanger. In another configuration, the interconnected flow-path sections are aligned in the main direction of flow of the second medium. This is then known as a diversion over the depth. This makes it possible for flow paths for the first medium to be connected in parallel or antiparallel with the main direction of flow of the second medium. This leads to an at least partially countercurrent design of the heat exchanger.
According to a further embodiment, two flow-path sections within a tube are connected to one another by a diverter passage. This means that the first medium flows through the tube in one direction and flows back through the same tube in the opposite direction. The use of tubes with a large number of heat-exchange passages therefore reduces the total number of tubes and therefore the manufacturing costs.
According to one preferred configuration, the number of sections of at least one flow path can be divided by two. This means that it is easy to connect up a two-row arrangement of the flow-path sections, by virtue of the first half of the sections of a flow path being arranged in a first row and being connected to one another by diversions over the width, whereas the second half of the sections are arranged in a second row and are likewise connected to one another by diversions over the width, with the two halves of the flow path being connected by a diversion over the depth. This diversion over the depth takes place, for example, in a diverter passage of a diverter plate of a 30 tube plate on the opposite side of the heat exchanger from the collection chambers. It is particularly preferable for the number of sections of the flow path to be divisible by four. This means that with a two-row arrangement of the flow-path sections connected up as described above, the diversion over the depth takes place on that side of the heat exchanger on which the collection chambers are located as well. As a result, it may be possible to configure just one diverter plate of the heat exchanger if the heat exchanger is designed for predetermined requirements, components are left unchanged.
In one configuration, the first and last flow-path sections within one or more tube rows are not acted on as hydraulically the first sections of flow paths, since the flow and/or pressure conditions of the first medium are unfavorable for application to flow paths in the edge region of collection chambers, which are usually arranged along tube rows.
According to an advantageous embodiment, two adjacent flow paths run mirror-symmetrically with respect to one another. It is particularly preferable for diverter passages of at least two flow paths to communicate. This results in additional compensation of the through-flow within the flow paths. With a mirror-symmetrical profile of the flow paths communicating with one another, communication between the then optionally adjacent diverter passages is particularly simple to realize, for example by omitting a web which may under certain circumstances otherwise be present between two diverter passages.
In a further preferred embodiment, a cross section of flow of a flow path changes over the course of its profile. This is very simple to realize, for example by flow-path sections with a small number of heat-exchange passages being connected, via correspondingly configured diverter passages, to flow-path sections with a large number of heat-exchange passages. It is particularly preferable to match the cross section of flow of one flow path to a density of the first medium which changes along the flow path.
A configuration in which all sections of at least one flow path are aligned with one another in the main direction of flow of the second medium is advantageous. It is particularly advantageous for all the flow paths of the heat exchanger to be designed in this way, so that a purely countercurrent construction of the heat exchange is made possible in a simple way, namely by correspondingly configured diverter passages in a diverter plate.
In a further embodiment, the heat exchanger comprises flat tubes which have a refrigerant in liquid and/or vapor form flowing through them, corrugated fins arranged between the flat tubes and acted on by ambient air, a collection and distribution device for supplying and discharging the refrigerant, the collection and distribution device comprising a plurality of interrupted plates which are layered on top of one another, so as to form refrigerant passages, with the ends of the flat tubes being held in receiving openings in a base plate, and a diverter device for diverting the refrigerant in the direction of flow of the ambient air, the heat exchanger comprising a series of flat tubes, with in each case one flat tube having two flow sections running parallel, through which medium flows in succession, these flow sections being connected by the diverter device, each flat tube, at the end side, having a groove between the two flow sections in the center of the flat-tube end, and the base plate, between the receiving openings, having webs, the dimensions of which, in terms of height and width, corresponding to the grooves, so as in each case to form a joined connection to the grooves.
It is particularly preferable for the diverter device to be formed by a further base plate with receiving openings and webs which form a joined connection to the end-side groove of the flat tubes.
It is particularly preferable for the diverter device additionally to have a passage plate with continuous slots and a closed cover plate.
It is particularly preferable for the collection and distribution device to have a passage plate with passage openings and webs between the passage openings, a cover plate with refrigerant inlet and outlet openings and a refrigerant feed and refrigerant discharge passage, which are arranged parallel to one another and in the longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger, with the base plate, the passage plate and the cover plate being arranged above one another in such a manner that the openings in the plates are aligned with the flat-tube ends.
It is particularly preferable for the refrigerant inlet openings to be designed as calibrated bores, with the diameter of the bores in particular being variable. It is also preferable for the cover plate and the refrigerant feed and discharge passages to be of single-part design.
According to a further configuration, the heat exchanger, which can be used in particular as an evaporator for motor vehicle air-conditioning systems, comprises flat tubes which have a refrigerant in liquid and/or vapor form flowing through them, corrugated fins arranged between the flat tubes and acted on by ambient air, a collection and distribution device for supplying and discharging the refrigerant, the collection and distribution device comprising a plurality of interrupted plates layered on top of one another, so as to form refrigerant passages, with the ends of the flat tubes being held in receiving openings in a base plate, and a diverter device for diverting the refrigerant in the direction of flow of the ambient air. The heat exchanger in this case comprises a row of flat tubes, with in each case one flat tube having two flow sections which run parallel, through which medium can flow in succession and which are connected via the diverter device, and the collection and distribution device having a calibration device which is arranged between refrigerant inlet and refrigerant outlet and is designed as a cover plate with calibration openings for the refrigerant distribution. It is preferable for the calibration openings to be arranged on the refrigerant inlet side.
According to an advantageous refinement, the calibration openings have different cross sections of flow. The cross sections of flow of the calibration openings preferably increase in size in the direction of the pressure drop of the refrigerant in the feed passage. It is particularly preferable for the cross sections of flow of the calibration openings to be variable as a function of the specific volume of the refrigerant and/or its vapor content.
In another embodiment of the heat exchanger, the flat ‘tubes are designed as serpentine segments, and the diverter device is arranged in the collection and distribution device.
According to a further configuration, the collection and distribution device has a passage plate with continuous passage openings for diverting the refrigerant, and passage openings with webs, a cover plate with refrigerant inlet and outlet openings and a refrigerant feed passage and a refrigerant discharge passage. The passage openings with webs are in this case each arranged flush with the first flat-tube end of the serpentine segment, whereas the continuous passage openings are arranged flush with the second flat-tube end of the serpentine segment, the refrigerant inlet and outlet openings being flush with the passage openings, and the continuous passage openings being covered by the cover plate. It is preferable for the serpentine segments to have two or three diversions over the width.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the heat exchanger, the flat tubes are designed as V-tubes, i.e. with in each case one diversion (over the width). It is preferable for in each case two U-tubes to be connected in series on the refrigerant side, and for in each case two adjacent passage openings, which are assigned to a V-tube outlet and a U-tube inlet, to be in refrigerant communication with one another through a transverse passage in the passage plate.
It is preferable for the width b of the passage openings in the passage plate to be greater than the width a of the receiving openings in the base plate. It is also advantageous for the depth of the groove in the flat-tube ends to be greater than the thickness of the base plate.
It is advantageous for one or more of the following dimensional stipulations to apply to the heat exchanger:
The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which:
In the drawing, a base plate 8, in which a first row of slot-like apertures 9a-9f and a second row of similar apertures 10a-10f are arranged, is illustrated above the flat tubes 2, 3. The openings 9a and 10a, 9b and 10b, etc. are located one behind the other in the depth direction (airflow direction L) and in each case leave between them webs 11a, 11b-11f. In terms of their width in the depth direction, these webs 11a-11f correspond to the width of the cutout 5 of the tube ends 2a. The number of openings 9a-9f and 10a-10f corresponds to the number of flat tubes 2, 3.
What is known as a diverter plate 12, in which two rows of apertures 13a-13f and 14a-14f (partially covered) are arranged, is illustrated above the base plate 8 in the drawing. The arrangement of the apertures 13a-f and 14a-f corresponds to the arrangement of the apertures 9a-9f and 10a-10f, respectively, but the width band depth of the apertures 13a-f and 14a-f are greater than the corresponding dimensions of the apertures 9a-9f and 10a-10f, respectively, which in each case only have a width a corresponding to the thickness of the flat tubes 2, 3. Webs 15a-15f are in each case left between the apertures 13a, 14a, 13b, 14b-13f and 14f. The dimensions of these webs 15a-15f in the depth direction are smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the webs 11a-11f of the base plate 8.
What is referred to as a cover plate 16, which includes a first row of refrigerant inlet apertures 17a-17f and a second row of refrigerant outlet apertures 18a-18f, is illustrated in the drawing above the diverter plate 12. These apertures 17a-17f and 18a-18f are preferably designed as circular bores with a diameter matched to the desired refrigerant distribution and quantitative flow.
Finally, a collection box 19 with a housing and in each case one collection chamber 20, 21 for supplying and discharging the refrigerant is located above the cover plate 16 in the drawing. The collection box has apertures 22a-f and 23a-f, illustrated by dashed lines, the position and size of which correspond to the apertures 17a-f and 18a-f, at the underside of both collection chambers.
In the drawing, a further base plate 24, which analogous to the first base plate 8 has two rows of slot-like apertures 25a-f and 26a-f, is illustrated beneath the flat tubes 2, 3 in the drawing. Between the apertures 25a and 26a to 25f and 26f there are likewise webs 27a-f (partially covered), the width of these webs in the depth direction corresponding to the width of the cutout 6 in the end of the flat tube 2. A further diverter plate 28, which has continuous diverter passages 29a-29f, is illustrated in the drawing below the second base plate 24. These diverter passages 29a-f extend over the entire depth t of the flat tubes 2, 3.
Finally, a cover plate 30, which does not have any apertures, but rather closes off the diverter passages 29a-29f with respect to the environment surrounding the heat exchanger, is illustrated at the bottom of the drawing.
The above-described individual parts of the evaporator 1 are assembled in the following way: the base plate 8 is fitted onto the flat-tube ends 2a, etc., so that the webs 11a-11f come to lie in the cutouts 5 in the flat-tube ends. Then, the diverter plate 12, the cover plate 16 and the collection box 19 with the collection chambers 20, 21 are stacked on top of the base plate 8. In a similar way, the lower base plate 24 is pushed onto the flat-tube ends 2b, so that the webs 27a-27f come to lie in the cutouts 6; then, the passage plate 28 and the cover plate 29 are attached. After the evaporator 1 has therefore been assembled, it is soldered to form a fixed block in a soldering furnace. During the soldering process, the plates are held in position with respect to one another by a positive or nonpositive clamping action. However, it is also possible firstly to assemble the end piece comprising base plate, diverter plate and cover plate, and then to connect it to flat tubes.
The profile of the refrigerant flow is illustrated by way of example on the basis of a row of arrows V1-V5 on the front side of the evaporator, by the diverter arrow U in the diverter passage 29c and the arrows R1, R2 and R3 on the rear side of the evaporator 1. The refrigerant, in this case therefore CO2, thus flows through the evaporator, starting on the front side from the top downward, specifically in the front section 2d 20 of the flat tube 2, is diverted over the depth in the lower tube plate, comprising the individual plates 24, 28, 30, and flows from the bottom upward on the rear side of the evaporator 1, i.e. in the rear flow section 2e of the flat tube 2, as indicated by the arrows R1, R2 and R3, into the collection chamber 21.
The refrigerant flow route is illustrated by arrows: first of all the refrigerant leaves the collection chamber 53 as indicated by the arrow E1, then follows the direction of the arrows E2, E3, E4 and passes into the front flow section of the flat-tube limb 42 and then flows through the entire serpentine segment 41 on its front side and emerges from the final limb E6, passes into the diverter passage 61, where 41 on 45 at it is diverted over the depth in accordance with arrow U, before then flowing through the rear side of the serpentine segment, as indicated by arrow R1, i.e. in the opposite direction to on the front side. Finally, this stream of refrigerant passes into the collection chamber 54 as indicated by the arrow R2, i.e. through the aperture 64.
This construction therefore diverts the refrigerant over the width of the evaporator, i.e. transversely to the main direction of flow of the air, specifically initially from the right to the left on the front side in the drawing, and then from the left to the right on the rear side. As has already been mentioned above, one or more serpentine segment sections which are not illustrated follow the serpentine segment section 41 illustrated in the drawing.
The flow of the refrigerant then follows the direction of the arrows, i.e. the refrigerant enters the front flow section of the U-tube 71a at E, initially flows downward, is diverted at the bottom, then flows upward and passes into the diverter passage 79, where it is diverted as indicated by arrow U before then flowing downward on the rear side, where it is diverted and then flows upward again in order to pass through the aperture 77 as indicated by arrow A. The supply and discharge of the refrigerant is described on the basis of the following figure, corresponding to sections IV-IV and V-V.
This mode of design of the evaporator shown in
To summarize, the invention allows the production of a heat exchanger which comprises a row of tubes (to realize heat-exchange passages), two plates (the tube plates) and two tubes (the collection boxes). This makes it possible to realize an extremely simple and, moreover, pressure-stable structure of the heat exchanger.
The tube plate 2010 in
The present invention has been described in part on the basis of the example of an evaporator. However, it should be noted that the heat exchanger according to the invention is also suitable for other uses.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 63 202 | Dec 2001 | DE | national |
| 102 34 118 | Jul 2002 | DE | national |
| 102 40 556 | Aug 2002 | DE | national |
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/499,440, filed Jun. 21, 2004, which is a U.S. national stage application of PCT/EP02/14581, filed Dec. 19, 2002, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10163202.9, filed Dec. 21, 2001, German Patent Application No. 10234118.4, filed Jul. 26, 2002, and German Patent Application No. 10240556.5, filed Aug. 29, 2002, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
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| 2001 059694 | Mar 2001 | JP |
| 2001-194087 | Jul 2001 | JP |
| 2001-248995 | Sep 2001 | JP |
| 2002-81795 | Mar 2002 | JP |
| WO 9923432 | May 1999 | WO |
| WO 0150080 | Jul 2001 | WO |
| WO 0188445 | Nov 2001 | WO |
| WO 03054465 | Jul 2003 | WO |
| WO 03054467 | Jul 2003 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| Search Report mailed May 22, 2012 in related European Application No. 08 018 381 (8 pgs.). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090126920 A1 | May 2009 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10499440 | US | |
| Child | 12318768 | US |
