Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger configured to cause a refrigerant to exchange heat with a heat medium, includes: plates stacked on top of one another. A first flow path and a second flow path are formed between the plates. The refrigerant in a two phase state flows through the first flow path and the heat medium flows through the second flow path. Each of the plates includes: a first inlet from which the refrigerant flows into the first flow path; and a first outlet from which the refrigerant flows out of the first flow path. In each of the plates, when viewed in a direction in which the plates are stacked, the first inlet has line symmetry with respect to a center line in a width direction of the each of the plates, and the first outlet has line symmetry with respect to the center line.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger configured to cause a refrigerant to exchange heat with a heat medium, comprising:
 plates stacked on top of one another, wherein   a first flow path and a second flow path are formed between the plates, wherein the refrigerant in a two phase state flows through the first flow path and the heat medium flows through the second flow path,   each of the plates comprises:
 a first inlet from which the refrigerant flows into the first flow path; and 
 a first outlet from which the refrigerant flows out of the first flow path, and 
   in each of the plates, when viewed in a direction in which the plates are stacked,
 the first inlet has line symmetry with respect to a center line in a width direction of the each of the plates, and 
 the first outlet has line symmetry with respect to the center line. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first inlet of one of the plates has one or more through holes. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein, between two adjacent ones of the plates,
 a first inlet header is formed between the first inlet of one of the two adjacent plates and the first flow path formed between the two adjacent plates, and   a first outlet header is formed between the first outlet of the one of the two adjacent plates and the first flow path formed between the two adjacent plates.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the first flow path includes flow paths extending in a longitudinal direction of the plates and spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the plates further comprises:
 a second inlet from which the heat medium flows into the second flow path; and 
 a second outlet from which the heat medium flows out of the second flow path, and 
   an angle formed by a line connecting the first inlet to the first outlet and another line connecting the second inlet to the second outlet is less than 25 degrees.   
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the plates further comprises:
 a second inlet from which the heat medium flows into the second flow path; and 
 a second outlet from which the heat medium flows out of the second flow path, and 
   in each of the plates, when viewed in the direction in which the plates are stacked,
 the second inlet has line symmetry with respect to the center line, and 
 the second outlet has line symmetry with respect to the center line. 
   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the plates further comprises:
 a second inlet from which the heat medium flows into the second flow path; and 
 a second outlet from which the heat medium flows out of the second flow path, and 
   in a longitudinal direction of the plates, both the first inlet and the first outlet are disposed between the second inlet and the second outlet.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the plates further comprises:
 a second inlet from which the heat medium flows into the second flow path; and 
 a second outlet from which the heat medium flows out of the second flow path, 
   in a longitudinal direction of the plates, both a low-pressure-side inlet and a low-pressure-side outlet are disposed between a high-pressure-side inlet and a high-pressure-side outlet,   the low-pressure-side inlet is either the first inlet or the second inlet that is an inlet for the refrigerant or for the heat medium that has lower pressure,   the low-pressure-side outlet is either the first outlet or the second outlet that is an outlet for the refrigerant or for the heat medium that has lower pressure,   the high-pressure-side inlet is either the first inlet or the second inlet that is an inlet for the refrigerant or for the heat medium that has higher pressure, and   the high-pressure-side outlet is either the first outlet or the second outlet that is an outlet for the refrigerant or for the heat medium that has higher pressure.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first inlet is disposed below the first outlet.