Low profile finned heat exchanger

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.

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 of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 1  wherein a turbulizer having rows of fluid flow augmenting convolutions is located in the fluid conducting chamber.  
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 9  wherein the fins are longitudinally curved in alternating directions to break a boundary layer of air flowing therethrough.  
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 1  wherein the inlet and outlet openings are formed through the cover plate in locations opposing the shim plate.  
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 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 of  claim 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.