Intercooler for turbocharged internal combustion engine

Claim 1

An intercooler for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold and a turbocharger which delivers pressurized air, said intercooler comprising: a heat exchanger core having: (a) a plurality of elongated, substantially straight pipes for conducting a coolant, (b) means for passing the coolant through the pipes of the core, and (c) a plurality of heat conducting fins on said pipes extending transverse to the pipes closely spaced apart along the pipes to define passages for air across the pipes; a housing enclosing said heat exchanger core and having: (a) a first side wall on one side of the core extending next to the core at an intermediate point along the length of the core and diverging laterally from the core in each direction along the core from said intermediate point, (b) a second side wall on the opposite side of the core from said first side wall, said second side wall extending next to said core at each end and diverging laterally from the core from each end to said intermediate point and (c) additional walls closely confining the core from said first side wall to said second side wall to form a first space between said first side wall and the core from one end of the core to said intermediate point along the core, second and third, adjoining spaces between the core and said second side wall from one end of the core to its opposite end, and a fourth space between the core and said first side wall from said intermediate point to said opposite end of the core; means for introducing pressurized air from the turbocharger into said first space; and means for passing air from said fourth space into the engine intake manifold after the air flows from said first space across the core between the fins into said second space, and from said second space into said third space, and from said third space back across the core between the fins into said fourth space.