Plate heat exchanger

Claim 1

A heat exchanger comprising a first series of plates, a frame-work in which the plates are clamped adjacent to each other, peripheral gaskets located between adjacent plates and forming therewith a first series of heat exchanging passages for heat exchanging fluids, each plate being generally rectangular in shape and having at each of its corner portions an opening which forms with corresponding openings of adjacent plates a first manifold duct for one of said fluids, a second series of plates clamped adjacent to each other in said frame-work and each being generally rectangular in shape, peripheral gaskets located between adjacent plates of said second series and forming therewith a second series of heat exchanging passages for said fluids, each plate of said second series having one of its corners cut away to form a recess corresponding to a said opening in the plates of the first series, said recesses forming a space aligned with a said manifold duct, and a connection piece sealingly clamped in said space between said plates and communicating with said manifold duct, the plates of both said series each having a separate opening forming a second manifold duct, said first manifold duct being connected to heat exchanging passages of both series through said second manifold duct.