Heat Exchanger with Self-Retaining Bypass Seal

A gas/liquid heat exchanger comprising:

• (a) a core having a length, a height, and a pair of opposed sides extending throughout the length and the height of the core,
• wherein the core comprises a plurality of flat tubes arranged in a stack with a space provided between each adjacent pair of said flat tubes, each of the flat tubes having a hollow interior defining a liquid flow passage, and each of the spaces defining a gas flow passage;
• wherein each of the flat tubes has a pair of peripheral edges extending along the length of the core, the peripheral edges of the flat tubes partly defining the sides of the core;
• wherein each of the gas flow passages has a pair of open ends and a pair of opposed sides, wherein a width of each said gas flow passage is defined between the opposed sides, the opposed sides of the gas flow passages partly defining the sides of the core;
• wherein the core comprises a first portion in which the flat tubes have a first width which is greater than the width of each of the gas flow passages, wherein the first width is defined between the peripheral edges of the flat tubes in said first portion;
• wherein the core has a second portion in which the flat tubes have a second width which is substantially the same as the width of each of the gas flow passages, wherein the second width is defined between the peripheral edges of the flat tubes in said second portion;
• (b) a housing surrounding the core, wherein the housing comprises an inlet end portion with a gas inlet opening and an outlet end portion with a gas inlet opening, wherein the gas inlet and outlet opening communicate with the open ends of the gas flow passages of the core;
• wherein the housing includes at least one side cover extending along, and spaced from, the at least one side of the core, wherein a first gap between the side cover and the side of the core in the first portion of the core is less than a second gap between the side cover and the side of the core in the second portion of the core;
• and
• (c) a side seal at least partly received in the gap between the side cover of the housing and the second portion of the core;
• wherein the side seal extends throughout the height of the core and has a thickness which is greater than the first gap.