# US 11,306,982 B2 · Heat exchanger, air intake system with a heat exchanger, and method for mounting a heat exchanger > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,982 B2 - Document ID: US11306982B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/401,393 - Filed: 2019-05-02 - Published: 2019-11-07 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-03 - Assignees: Mann+Hummel GmbH - Applicants: MANN+HUMMEL GmbH - Inventors: Stéphane Warnery; Philippe Trotin; Alexander Korn; Gerrit-Tobias Speidel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306982B2 ## CPC - F28F 9/0219: {Arrangements for sealing end plates into casing or header box; Header box sub-elements (F28F9/0236 takes precedence)} - F28F 9/26: Arrangements for connecting different sections of heat-exchange elements, e.g. of radiators (connecting different sections in water heaters F24H9/14 {, connecting headers with inlet or outlet fittings F28F9/0246}) - F02B 29/0462: {Liquid cooled heat exchangers} - F02B 29/0475: {the intake air cooler being combined with another device, e.g. heater, valve, compressor, filter or EGR cooler, or being assembled on a special engine location} - F02M 35/10144: {Connections of intake ducts to each other or to another device} - F28D 7/082: {with serpentine or zig-zag configuration} - F28D 7/1607: {with particular pattern of flow of the heat exchange media, e.g. change of flow direction (F28D7/1623, F28D7/1638, F28D7/1661, F28D7/1676, F28D7/1692 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 2021/0026: {for combustion engines, e.g. for gas turbines or for Stirling engines} - F28D 2021/0082: {Charged air coolers} - F28F 2275/00: Fastening; Joining - F28F 2275/122: by crimping, caulking or clinching - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - 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) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A heat exchanger for cooling intake air with a coolant is provided with a shell and first and second front faces, wherein one of the front faces is an inlet and the other an outlet for intake air. The shell has at least one coupling element disposed along a circumferential line of the shell that is spaced apart from the first front face by a predetermined distance. The shell has a port as an inlet or outlet for the coolant. The port is arranged at a spacing from the first front face. The spacing is larger than the predetermined distance. The shell has an insertion section between first front face and circumferential line. The shell has an internal duct system connected to the port for guiding the coolant into the insertion section. The coupling element can fixedly couple with at least one corresponding coupling element of an air duct. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat exchanger for cooling intake air with a coolant, the heat exchanger comprising: a first front face and a second front face, wherein one of the first and second front faces is an inlet for an intake air to be cooled and a different one of the first and second front faces is an outlet for the intake air; a shell comprising at least one first coupling element disposed along a first circumferential line of the shell, wherein the first circumferential line is spaced apart from the first front face by a predetermined first distance; the shell having a shell length (d3) extending axially from the first front face to the second front face of the heat exchanger; wherein axial, as used herein, is a direction from the first front face to the second front face of the heat exchanger; a coolant tube arrangement arranged in an interior of the shell, the coolant tube arrangement including: a coolant inlet port arranged on the shell; and a coolant outlet port arranged on the shell; wherein the coolant tube arrangement, as used herein, is selected from the group consisting of coolant tubes, flat coolant tubes or a plurality of coolant plates; the heat exchanger having active heat exchange region in which heat is actively exchanged between the coolant tube arrangement and the air to be cooled, the active heat exchange region defined as a portion of the shell length which is occupied by the coolant tube arrangement, such that the coolant tube arrangement extends over an entirety of the active heat region portion of the shell length; wherein the shell has a first insertion section defined as a portion of the shell length extending axially outwardly beyond the first coupling element of the shell to the first front face; wherein the active heat exchange region and the coolant tube arrangement extends axially outwardly beyond the first circumferential line and into the first insertion section in a direction towards the first front face of the heat exchanger, such that the coolant tube arrangement within the shell extends axially outwardly beyond the at least one first coupling element of the shell, such that a the coolant tube arrangement will be received into an interior of a first air duct together with the first front face when the first air duct is coupled to the at least one first coupling element of the shell; wherein the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port are arranged between and spaced axially way from both the first circumferential line and the second front face; wherein the at least one first coupling element is configured to fixedly couple with at least one first corresponding coupling element of the first air duct, wherein the coolant tube arrangement guides the coolant into the first insertion section of the shell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first coupling element of the heat exchanger comprises a deformable element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the deformable element is selected from the group consisting of a deformable projection configured for crimp coupling; a clip; a buckle; a lag; and an engagement element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first coupling element of the heat exchanger comprises a non-deformable element configured to couple with a deformable element of the first air duct. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the at least one first coupling element of the heat exchanger is configured to couple by a crimp connection, a clip connection, a buckle connection or an engaging connection with the deformable element of the inlet air duct or of the outlet air duct. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the shell further comprises at least one second coupling element along a second circumferential line of the shell, wherein the second circumferential line is spaced apart from the second front face by a predetermined second distance, wherein the shell include a second insertion section defined as a portion of the shell length extending axially outwardly beyond the second coupling element of the shell to the second front face; wherein the active heat exchange region and the coolant tube arrangement extends axially outwardly beyond the second circumferential line and into the second insertion section in a direction towards the second front face of the heat exchanger, such that the coolant tube arrangement within the shell extends axially outwardly beyond the at least one second coupling element of the shell, such that a the coolant tube arrangement will be received into an interior of the second air duct together with the second front face when the second air duct is coupled to the at least one second coupling element of the shell; wherein the at least one second coupling element is configured to fixedly couple with at least one second corresponding coupling element of a second air duct, wherein the coolant tube arrangement guides the coolant into the second insertion section of the shell. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is configured for cooling the intake air compressed by a turbocharger device. ### Claim 8 An air intake system for an internal combustion engine, the air intake system comprising: a heat exchanger for cooling an intake air with a coolant, the heat exchanger comprising: a first front face and a second front face, wherein one of the first and second front faces is an inlet for the intake air and the other one of the first and second front faces is an outlet for the intake air; a shell comprising at least one first coupling element disposed along a first circumferential line of the shell, wherein the first circumferential line is spaced apart from the first front face by a predetermined first distance; the shell having a shell length (d3) extending axially from the first front face to the second front face of the heat exchanger; wherein axial, as used herein, is a direction from the first front face to the second front face of the heat exchanger; a coolant tube arrangement arranged in an interior of the shell, the coolant tube arrangement including: a coolant inlet port arranged on the shell; and a coolant outlet port arranged on the shell; wherein the coolant tube arrangement, as used herein, is selected from the group consisting of coolant tubes, flat coolant tubes or a plurality of coolant plates; the heat exchanger having active heat exchange region in which heat is actively exchanged between the coolant tube arrangement and the air to be cooled, the active heat exchange region defined as a portion of the shell length which is occupied by the coolant tube arrangement, such that the coolant tube arrangement extends over an entirety of the active heat region portion of the shell length; wherein the shell has a first insertion section defined as a portion of the shell length extending axially outwardly beyond the first coupling element of the shell to the first front face; wherein the active heat exchange region and the coolant tube arrangement extends axially outwardly beyond the first circumferential line and into the first insertion section in a direction towards the first front face of the heat exchanger, such that the coolant tube arrangement within the shell extends axially outwardly beyond the at least one first coupling element of the shell, such that a the coolant tube arrangement will be received into an interior of a first air duct together with the first front face when the first air duct is coupled to the at least one first coupling element of the shell; wherein the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port are arranged between and spaced axially way from both the first circumferential line and the second front face; the air intake system include the first air duct for guiding intake air to or from the first front face of the heat exchanger, wherein the first air duct comprises at least one first corresponding coupling element configured to fixedly couple with the at least one first coupling element of the shell of the heat exchanger, wherein the at least one first coupling element of the shell of the heat exchanger and the at least one first corresponding coupling element of the first air duct are fixedly coupled to one another; wherein the first air duct receives the first front face and the first insertion section of the shell. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The air intake system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one first coupling element of the shell of the heat exchanger comprises a deformable element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The air intake system according to claim 9, wherein the deformable element is selected from the group consisting of a deformable projection configured for crimp coupling; a clip; a buckle; a lag; and an engagement element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The air intake system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one first coupling element of the shell of the heat exchanger comprises a non-deformable element configured to couple with a deformable element of the first air duct. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The air intake system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one first coupling element of the shell of the heat exchanger is configured to couple by a crimp connection, a clip connection, a buckle connection or an engaging connection with the deformable element of the first air duct. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The air intake system according to claim 8, further comprising a second air duct, wherein the shell of the heat exchanger further comprises at least one second coupling element arranged at an edge of the shell adjacent to the second front face, wherein the at least one second coupling element is configured to fixedly couple with at least one second corresponding coupling element of the second air duct. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The air intake system according to claim 8, further comprising a second air duct, wherein the shell of the heat exchanger comprises at least one second coupling element along a second circumferential line of the shell, wherein the second circumferential line is spaced apart from the second front face by a predetermined second distance, wherein the shell include a second insertion section defined as a portion of the shell length extending axially outwardly beyond the second coupling element of the shell to the second front face; wherein the active heat exchange region and the coolant tube arrangement extends axially outwardly beyond the second circumferential line and into the second insertion section in a direction towards the second front face of the heat exchanger, such that the coolant tube arrangement within the shell extends axially outwardly beyond the at least one second coupling element of the shell, such that a the coolant tube arrangement will be received into an interior of the second air duct together with the second front face when the second air duct is coupled to the at least one second coupling element of the shell; wherein the at least one second coupling element is configured to fixedly couple with at least one second corresponding coupling element of the second air duct, wherein the coolant tube arrangement guides the coolant into the second insertion section of the shell of the heat exchanger. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The air intake system according to claim 8, further comprising a turbocharger device for compressing the intake air, wherein the heat exchanger is arranged in an air flow path between the turbocharger device and a combustion engine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The air intake system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one first corresponding coupling element of the first air duct is a non-deformable element configured to fixedly couple with the at least one first coupling element of the heat exchanger. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The air intake system according to claim 16, wherein the at least one first corresponding coupling element of the air duct and the at least one first coupling element of the heat exchanger are connected by a crimp connection. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The air intake system according to claim 16, wherein the at least one first coupling element of the heat exchanger comprises a deformable element.