Distributor for plate type heat exchanger having side headers

Claim 1

In an elongated plate type heat exchanger having a plurality of elongated plates of generally similar peripheral configuration contraposed in spaced substantially parallel relationship wherein the distances between adjacent plates individually are substantially less than the width of said plates thereby defining a plurality of relatively thin spatial layers therebetween, sealing means sealingly bridging between and extending along the margins of adjacent plates whereby said spatial layers are substantially enclosed to define a plurality of elongated passages each having a thickness less than its width and a width less than its length at least one of said passages having first and second longitudinal edges spaced by the width of said one passage and first and second end edges spaced by the length of said passage, said one passage having an inlet and outlet openings for ingress and egress of a heat exchange fluid, one of said openings being a port communicating with said one passage through saiD first longitudinal edge adjacent said first end edge of said one passage, and metallic corrugated sheet fin material extending substantially throughout said one passage between said inlet and outlet openings; the improvement comprising: an improved fluid distributor wherein said fin material includes an elongated wedge section of said material having its longest extent extending transversely of the flow path in said one passage and having its wider end terminating adjacent to said port and longitudinally inwardly of said one passage beyond said port at said first longitudinal edge; said section having a comparatively higher resistance to fluid flow therethrough per unit length in the direction of fluid flow than the average resistance to fluid flow per unit length in the direction of fluid flow for the remainder of said fin material in said one passage.