# US 10,480,871 B2 · Heat exchanger flange plate with supercooling function > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,871 B2 - Document ID: US10480871B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/099,905 - Filed: 2017-06-09 - Published: 2019-05-23 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-10 - Assignees: Modine Manufacturing Company - Applicants: Modine Manufacturing Company - Inventors: Tobias Mueller; Stefan Mueller-Lufft - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480871B2 ## CPC - F28F 9/0253: {with multiple channels, e.g. with combined inflow and outflow channels} - F28D 1/00: Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators (F28D5/00 takes precedence) - F28D 1/03: with plate-like or laminated conduits {(stacked plates having one or more openings therein to form tubular heat-exchange passages F28F3/086)} - F28D 1/0308: {the conduits being formed by paired plates touching each other (F28D1/0358 takes precedence)} - F28D 1/0341: {with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside the conduits} - F28D 1/035: {with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside the conduits (F28D1/0341 takes precedence)} - F28D 5/00: Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, using the cooling effect of natural or forced evaporation - F28D 9/00: Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall {(F28F3/083, F28F3/086 take precedence)} - F28D 9/0031: {the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being formed by paired plates touching each other (F28D9/0012, F28D9/0025, F28D9/0081, F28D9/04 take precedence)} - F28D 9/005: {the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media} - F28D 9/0081: {the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being formed by a single plate-like element (F28D9/0012 takes precedence); the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being integrated in one single plate-like element (F28D9/0012 takes precedence)} - F28F 3/00: Plate-like or laminated elements; Assemblies of plate-like or laminated elements (specially adapted for movement F28F5/00) - F28F 3/005: {Arrangements for preventing direct contact between different heat-exchange media (F28F3/10 takes precedence)} - F28F 3/02: Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations (F28F3/08 takes precedence) - F28F 3/083: {capable of being taken apart} - F28F 3/12: Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels {(F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence)} - F28F 9/02: Header boxes; End plates - F28D 2021/0063: {Condensers} - F28D 2021/008: {for vehicles} - F28F 2009/0287: {having passages for different heat exchange media} - F28F 2250/06: Derivation channels, e.g. bypass - F28F 2280/06: Adapter frames, e.g. for mounting heat exchanger cores on other structure and for allowing fluidic connections - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) ## Abstract A heat exchanger having a heat exchanger core which is configured as a plate stack has a flange plate including at least one upper partial plate facing the heat exchanger core and at least one lower partial plate facing away from the heat exchanger core. The flange plate can include a supercooling passage which is bounded by at least one partial plate in the stacking direction of the partial plates and which receives a flow of refrigerant during the operation of the heat exchanger. A high variability can be provided thanks to the compact and flexible design, by means of which the most diverse of requirements can be achieved with no major design changes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat exchanger comprising: a heat exchanger core configured as a stack of plates, alternating ducts for a flow of refrigerant and a flow of a liquid coolant defined between adjacent ones of the plates; a flange plate joined to a lowermost plate of the stack of plates, the flange plate comprising an upper plate facing the heat exchanger core to which the lowermost plate of the stack of plates is joined, and a lower plate facing away from the heat exchanger core, wherein a connection region is defined as that portion of the upper plate where the lowermost plate of the stack of plates is joined to the upper plate; and a supercooling passage for the flow of refrigerant arranged within the flange plate and bounded by at least one of the upper and lower plates of the flange plate, the supercooling passage extending directly below the heat exchanger core to allow for the transfer of heat between refrigerant passing through the supercooling passage and liquid coolant passing through that duct of the heat exchanger core bounded by said lowermost plate of the stack of plates, wherein the flange plate further comprises: a first refrigerant inlet, arranged in the upper plate within the connection region; a first refrigerant outlet arranged outside of the connection region; a fluid transfer line extending between the first refrigerant inlet and the first refrigerant outlet; a second refrigerant inlet arranged outside of the connection region and fluidly connected to the supercooling passage; and a second refrigerant outlet arranged outside of the connection region and fluidly connected to the supercooling passage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the second refrigerant inlet and the second refrigerant outlet are diagonally arranged with respect to the supercooling passage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising a collecting device coupled to the flange plate to receive a flow of refrigerant from the flange plate by way of the first refrigerant outlet and to deliver a flow of refrigerant to the flange plate by way of the second refrigerant inlet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein the collecting device is removably coupled to the flange plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the first refrigerant inlet is fluidly coupled to a refrigerant manifold provided within the heat exchanger core. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising a plug connection joined to the flange plate, the plug connection providing fluid access from and to the first refrigerant outlet port and the second refrigerant inlet port. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising a flow-guiding insert arranged within the supercooling passage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The heat exchanger of claim 7, wherein the flow-guiding insert is a turbulence-producing insert. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the supercooling passage is bounded by a surface located between the supercooling passage and the heat exchanger core and arranged perpendicular to a stacking direction of the stack of plates, and wherein said surface covers more than 10% of that duct of the heat exchanger core bounded by the lowermost plate of the stack of plates. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein said surface covers more than 30% of that duct of the heat exchanger core bounded by the lowermost plate of the stack of plates. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein said surface covers more than 50% of that duct of the heat exchanger core bounded by the lowermost plate of the stack of plates. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein said surface is provided by the lowermost plate of the stack of plates. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the flange plate further comprises a middle plate arranged between the upper and lower plates, the middle plate having a recess to at least partially define the subcooling passage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the upper plate is provided with a recess directly underneath the core so that refrigerant passing through the supercooling passage is able to directly contact the lowermost plate of the stack of plates. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The heat exchanger of claim 14, wherein the recess is located within the connection region by which the heat exchanger core is joined to the flange plate.