Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A heat exchanger comprising: a housing defining a fluid inlet chamber and a fluid outlet chamber; means defining a plurality of heat exchange passages located between and communicating with the inlet and outlet chambers, the heat exchange passages having inlet passages defining an inlet flow manifold communicating with the inlet chamber; a separator located adjacent to the inlet flow manifold; and said separator defining a calibrated bypass orifice therethrough located remote from the inlet passages and communicating with the inlet flow manifold for the continuous flow out of the inlet flow manifold of a portion only of the fluid entering the inlet flow manifold.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
A heat exchanger comprising: a housing defining a fluid inlet chamber and a fluid outlet chamber; means defining a plurality of heat exchange passages located between and communicating with the inlet and outlet chambers, the heat exchange passages having inlet passages defining an inlet flow manifold communicating with the inlet chamber; a separator located adjacent to the inlet flow manifold; and said separator defining a calibrated bypass orifice therethrough located remote from the inlet passages and communicating with the inlet flow manifold for the continuous flow out of the inlet flow manifold of a portion only of the fluid entering the inlet flow manifold.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the separator is a plate, and wherein said orifice is a hole in the plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising a flow diverter located between the orifice and the fluid outlet chamber, said flow diverter including a bypass channel formed therein communicating between said orifice and the fluid outlet chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the separator is a baffle located in the inlet chamber to define a bypass chamber, said baffle having a hole formed therethrough to form said orifice, and further comprising means defining a bypass channel communicating between the bypass chamber and the fluid outlet channel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the orifice is shaped to minimize pressure losses therethrough when the fluid static pressure in the fluid inlet chamber adjacent to the orifice is highest.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bypass orifice is located so that it has minimal negative effect on the flow distribution through the heat exchange passages.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6 wherein the orifice is located remote from the heat exchange passages.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bypass orifice is dimensioned so that the heat transfer reduction in the heat exchanger caused by the flow through the bypass orifice does not exceed a minimum predetermined limit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 8 wherein the predetermined limit is between 5 and 10 percent of the heat transfer rate of the heat exchanger without an orifice.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 8 wherein the predetermined limit is between 5 and 25 percent of the heat transfer rate of the heat exchanger without an orifice.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bypass orifice is dimensioned so that it reduces the fluid pressure drop in the heat exchanger by a predetermined minimum amount compared to the same heat exchanger with no orifice.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 11 wherein the predetermined minimum amount is between 10 and 15 percent.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bypass orifice is dimensioned so that it reduces the fluid pressure drop in the heat exchanger thereby increasing fluid flow through the heat exchanger by a predetermined amount.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 13 wherein the predetermined amount is between 10 and 30 percent under normal steady state heat exchanger operating conditions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 13 wherein the predetermined amount is between 10 and 20 percent where hot engine oil is the fluid.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bypass orifice is dimensioned so that if oil is the fluid passing through the heat exchanger, the flow rate of oil through the heat exchanger is maintained above a predetermined lower limit at all normal operating temperatures.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 16 wherein said predetermined lower limit is 2 liters per minute.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the maximum bypass orifice diameter is between 1.5 and 3.6 mm where engine oil is the fluid.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 16, wherein the maximum bypass orifice diameter is between 1.5 and 3.6 mm where engine oil is the fluid.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 8 wherein the minimum bypass orifice diameter is between 0.2 and 1.5 mm where engine oil is the fluid.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 16 wherein the minimum bypass orifice diameter is between 0.2 and 1.5 mm where engine oil is the fluid.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 8 wherein the orifice diameter is less than 6.4 mm.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 16 wherein the orifice diameter is less than 6.4 mm.