Heat exchanger

Claim 2

A heat exchanger, comprising a heat exchanger network having a plurality of tubes with tube ends; at least one base plate mounted on said tube ends by expanding said tube ends and having a plurality of passages for said tubes, said passages of said base plate being substantially triangular, said substantially triangular passages in said base plates being arranged so that corners of adjacent passages are offset relative to one another in the peripheral direction by substantially 180° in an alternating order; and a plurality of sealing elements having throughgoing openings corresponding to said passages of said base plate and provided with sealing collars which are located in said passages and surround said tube ends, said tube ends which extend through said sealing openings of said sealing elements while maintaining their triangular shape and are expanded from inside-outwardly, and also in the region of a longitudinal center of at least one triangle side being further expanded from inside outwardly so as to bulge out.

Claim 3

A heat exchanger, comprising a heat exchanger network having a plurality of tubes with tube ends; at least one base plate mounted on said tube ends by expanding said tube ends and having a plurality of passages for said tubes, said passages of said base plate being substantially triangular, said substantially triangular passages in said base plates being arranged so that corners of adjacent passages are offset relative to one another in the peripheral direction by substantially 180° in an alternating order; and a plurality of sealing elements having throughgoing openings corresponding to said passages of said base plate and provided with sealing collars which are located in said passages and surround said tube ends, said tube ends extending through said throughgoing openings of said sealing elements while maintaining their triangular shape and are expanded from inside outwardly, and also in the region of a longitudinal center of all triangle sides are expanded further inside outwardly and bulged out to provide a substantially tulip shape.

Claim 4

A heat exchanger, comprising a heat exchanger network having a plurality of tubes with tube ends; at least one base plate mounted on said tube ends by expanding said tube ends and having a plurality of passages for said tubes, said passages of said base plate being substantially triangular, said substantially triangular passages in said base plates being arranged so that corners of adjacent passages are offset relative to one another in the peripheral direction by substantially 180° in an alternating order; and a plurality of sealing elements having throughgoing openings corresponding to said passages of said base plate and provided with sealing collars which are located in said passages and surround said tube ends, said tube ends extending through said throughgoing openings of said sealing elements while maintaining their triangular shape and are expanded from inside outwardly, and also in the region of a longitudinal center of all triangle sides are expanded further inside outwardly and bulged out to provide a substantially tulip shape.

Claim 5

A heat exchanger, comprising a heat exchanger network having a plurality of tubes with tube ends; at least one base plate mounted on said tube ends by expanding said tube ends and having a plurality of passages for said tubes, said passages of said base plate being substantially triangular; and a plurality of sealing elements having throughgoing openings corresponding to said passages of said base plate and provided with sealing collars which are located in said passages and surround said tube ends, said tube ends which extend through said sealing openings of said sealing elements while maintaining their triangular shape and are expanded from inside outwardly, and also in the region of a longitudinal center of at least one triangle side being further expanded from inside outwardly so as to bulge out.

Claim 6

A heat exchanger, comprising a heat exchanger network having a plurality of tubes with tube ends; at least one base plate mounted on said tube ends by expanding said tube ends and having a plurality of passages for said tubes, said passages of said base plate being substantially triangular; and a plurality of sealing elements having throughgoing openings corresponding to said passages of said base plate and provided with sealing collars which are located in said passages and surround said tube ends, said tube ends which extend through said sealing openings of said sealing elements while maintaining their triangular shape and are expanded from inside outwardly, and also in the region of a longitudinal center of at least one triangle side being further expanded from inside outwardly so as to bulge out.

Claim 7

A heat exchanger, comprising a heat exchanger network having a plurality of tubes with tube ends; at least one base plate mounted on said tube ends by expanding said tube ends and having a plurality of passages for said tubes, said passages of said base plate being substantially triangular; and a plurality of sealing elements having throughgoing openings corresponding to said passages of said base plate and provided with sealing collars which are located in said passages and surround said tube ends, said tube ends extending through said throughgoing openings of said sealing elements while maintaining their triangular shape and being expanded from inside outwardly, and also in the region of a longitudinal center of all triangle sides are expanded further inside outwardly and bulged out to provide a substantially tulip shape.

Claim 8

A heat exchanger, comprising a heat exchanger network having a plurality of tubes with tube ends; at least one base plate mounted on said tube ends by expanding said tube ends and having a plurality of passages for said tubes, said passages of said base plate being substantially triangular; and a plurality of sealing elements having throughgoing openings corresponding to said passages of said base plate and provided with sealing collars which are located in said passages and surround said tube ends, said tube ends extending through said throughgoing openings of said sealing elements while maintaining their triangular shape and being expanded from inside outwardly, and also in the region of a longitudinal center of all triangle sides are expanded further inside outwardly and bulged out to provide a substantially tulip shape.

Claim 9

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said throughgoing openings of said sealing elements are substantially triangular.

Claim 10

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said sealing collars of said sealing elements have a substantially triangular cross-section.

Claim 11

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said base plates in the region of said passages have collars which extend toward one side of each of said base plates and have a substantially triangular cross-section.

Claim 12

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said substantially triangular passages are arranged in two substantially parallel rows so that they are offset by a half passages as considered in a longitudinal direction of said rows.

Claim 13

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3; and further comprising a sealing plate which at least partially overlaps said base plate and formed so that said sealing elements are of one piece with said sealing plate and so that said sealing collars having a substantially triangular cross-section have the same shape as said passages and engage in said passages.

Claim 14

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said sealing elements at a side which is opposite to said sealing collars are provided with a substantially circular depression which extends substantially along a triangle line following a triangular outer contour of said sealing collars.

Claim 15

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said base plate in the region of said passages has collars which project at one side and have a substantially triangular cross-section, said sealing collars of said sealing element extending outwardly beyond said collars of said base plate.

Claim 16

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 11, wherein said sealing collars which during expansion of said tube ends are deformed from inside outwardly and pressed against said passage have an end which engages over an edge of a passage.

Claim 17

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 12, wherein said sealing collar is pressed against said collars of said base plate and engage over said collars of said base plate.

Claim 18

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 13, wherein said sealing collars have an outer side at least substantially corresponding to an inner side of said collars of said base plate.

Claim 19

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 12, wherein said sealing collars have an outer size at least substantially corresponding to an inner size of said passages of said base plate.

Claim 20

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said passages of said base plate have substantially the shape of an isosceles triangle.

Claim 21

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 16, wherein said isosceles triangle has corners which are rounded.

Claim 22

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said throughgoing openings of said sealing elements have substantially the shape of an isosceles triangle.

Claim 23

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 18, wherein said isosceles triangle has corners which are rounded.

Claim 24

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 18, wherein each of said throughgoing openings of said sealing elements in not deformed condition has the shape of a triangle with a ratio of a height to a base of greater than 1.

Claim 25

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 20, wherein said triangle has the ratio of the height to the base of between 1.01 and 1.1.

Claim 26

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said passages of said base plate has the shape of a triangle with a ratio of a height to a base greater than 1.

Claim 27

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 22, wherein said triangle has the ratio of the height to the base between 1.01 and 1.1.

Claim 28

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said tube ends have a substantially triangular cross-section.

Claim 29

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said tubes have an oval cross-section and said tube ends are deformed so as to have a triangular shape.

Claim 30

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said tube ends extend through said throughgoing openings of said sealing elements while maintaining their triangular shape and are expanded from inside outwardly so that each of said sealing elements is compressed substantially by at least 30-50%.

Claim 31

A heat exchanger as defined in claim 3, wherein said substantially triangular passages in said base plates are arranged so that corners of adjacent passages are offset relative to one another in the peripheral direction by substantially 180° in an alternating order.