Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3~
The present invention relates to a lining of non-metallic
material for lining of inlet ports and outlet ports of a frame
plate and/or a pressure plate of plate heat e~changers and compris-
ing a cylindrical part and at least one, but preferably two, flanges
which in the use of the lining are positioned on each side of the
frame plate and/or the pressure plate.
A plate heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat
exchanger plates which ar,e fastened between a frame plate and a
pressure plate. In the frame plate and/or the pressure plate
there are inlet ports and outlet ports for the heat exchange media.
In these inlet ports and ou~let ports linings are often inserted
which can be made of different materials. The insertion of such
linings ensures that the frame plate and/or the pressure plate
will not come into contact with the heat exchanging medium which
can be corrosive. Thus, the frame plate and/or the pressure plate
can be made of an inexpensive material. The use of conventional
linings, however, has involved machining of the'inlet ports and
the outlet ports of the frame plate and/or the pressure plate~
because the thickness of the flange of the lining is so large
~0 that without machining in the form of recesses around the inlet
ports and the outlet ports of the frame plate and/or the pressure
plate the flange would encroach too much upon the structure of
the heat exchanger. Moreover, problems would have arisen regarding
the contact between a heat exchanger plate and the frame plate and/
or the pressure plate.
British patent No. 1.041.805 discloses a lining that is
made of an elastic material and is intended to be inserted into an
inlet port or an outlet port of a frame plate or a pressure plate.
The lining comprises a c~lindrical part having a flange in each
end. In this connection the flange that is intended to rest against
the heat exchanger plate is so thick that machining in the form of
a recess around the inlet ports and the outlet ports has had to be
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done in the frame plata. Such a machlning is both expensive
and time-consuming.
German patent publication No. 23 57 059 also dls-
closes a lining made of an elastic material for use ln a plate
heat exchanger. In Fig. 3 of the patent publlcation there is
shown a schematic sketch of the position of the lining in a
frame plate. In this case a relatively thick flange of the
lining is outlined between the frame plate and the first heat
exchanger plate, the frame plate appearing to be unmachined.
This will, however, probably depend on the fact that the draw-
ing is of a schematic nature, because the apparatus according
to the drawing would hardly function with such a large dis-
tance between the frame plate and the heat exchanger plate.
That the drawing only shows a schematic and not a practical
picture of the apparatus is clear from the specification,
which states that fox increasing the sealing effect a recess
for the flange of the lining should be done in the frame
plate. That means that this patent publication discloses an
apparatus that is impaired by the same prohlems as that
according to the British patent No. 1.041.805.
The present invention removes the disadvantages that
are conn0cted with known techniques. Accordlng to the present
inventi.on the flange that ls positioned between the frame
plate and/or the pressure plate on the one hand and a heat
exchanger plate on the other hand is so thin that it does not
require recesses around the inlet ports and the outlet ports
of the frame plate and/or the pressure plate, and the flange
is provided with a bulge, which functions as a seal between
the heat exchanger plate on one hand and the frame plate
and/or the pressure plate on the other hand.
Thus, according to the present invention there is
provided ln a combination with a plate heat exchanger havlng a
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plate member which i~ a frame plate or a pressure plate with
opposite side surfaces, a connecting tube ~or passage o~ a
fluid to or rom the heat exchanger by way of a port in said
plate member, and a heat exchange plate ad;acent one of said
side sur~aces and having an opening through which said tube
and port communicate with the lnterior of the heat exchanger,
a lining of non-metallic material for lining said port and
comprising a cylindrical portion and thin annular flange
extending radially from one end of the cylindrical portion and
lntegral therewith, said cylindrical portion covering the wall
of said port and forming a passage interconnecting said tube
and said opening in the heat exchange plate, sald flange being
interposed between the heat exchange plate and said plate mem-
ber and resting against an unmachined part of said one sur-
face, and an annular bulge lntegral with said flange and
engaging said heat exchange plate around its said opening to
form a seal between sald plate member and the heat exchange
plate. Suitably the heat exchange plate has a gasket groove,
said bulge forming a ring gasket fitting into said groove.
Desirably the lining also comprises a second annular flange
extending radially from the other end of the cylindrical por-
tion and integral therewith, the second flange engaging the
other of said side surfaces. Preferably the combination also
comprises spacer means associatad with said second flange to
limit compression thereof between the connecting tube and said
member. More desirably the combination also comprises a bolt
connecting said tube with said member, said spacer means
including a washer applied to said bolt. Suitably said spacer
means include pins fastened in said second flange. Desirably
said second flange has a groove ln a peripheral part thereof,
said spacer means including a metal rlng located in sald
groove. Preferably part o~ said second flange has a graater
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wall thickness at one part thereof than at the part adjacent
said one part.
In one embodiment of the present invention the com-
bination also comprises an annular metal plate secured to said
flange opposita the heat exchange plate and having an opening
substantially aligned with said passage in said cylindrical
portion. Suitably part of the bulge is in overlying engage-
ment with said plate to secure the plate to said flange.
The present invention will be further illustrated by
way of the accompanying drawings, ln which:-
Fig. 1 is a section through a lining according to a
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preferred embodiment o~ the present invention divided into halves;
and
FIGS. 2a-c disclose different connections bet~een the
one flange o~ the lining and the ~lange o~ a connecting tube-
The lining is made of a non-metallic material and compri-
ses a cylindrical part 10 with a flange 11, 12 on each side of the
cylindrical part.
The flange 11 which is to rest against a heat exchanger
plate is so thin that is can be applied on the outside of the side
surface of the frame plate or the pressure plate without encroach-
ing materially upon the structure of the heat exchanger. This is
of extremely great importance, since due to that the usual machin-
ing in the form of a recess in the side surface of the frame plate
and/or the pressure plate is eliminated.
The flange 11 has at its periphery a part that is thicker
than the remaining part of the flange. This thick part comprises
a bulge 13 that extends around the flange 11 and functions as a
ring gasket of the closest heat exchanger plate. In this connec~ion
the heat exchanger plates are oriented such that the gasket grooves
~0 with the gasket are directed towards the frame plate. Thus, the
ring gasket 13 is intended to fit into the pressed gasket groove
of the first heat exchanger plate and functions as a seal between
the heat exchanger plate and the frame plate. By this arrangement
the flange 11 is locked in radial direction at the same time as
the lining is centered in the right position in the hole cut out
in the frame plate, which hole of tolerance reasons must be made
with a certain excess.
The device can be provided with an annular disc 14, pre-
ferably a sheet made of steel, that rests against and protects the
thin flange 11. In this connection the plate 14 is provided with a
circular opening which essentially corresponds to the hole section
of the lining 10.
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The plate 14 is kept in place by the fact that its outer
part projects by a similar amount in under the bulge 13 and as an
extra security measure can be glued or vulcanized onto the flange
11 .
The other flange 12 of the lining 10 is to rest against
a connecting flange of a connecting tube. In order to prevent the
flange 12 beina compressed too much and run the risk of being crushed
during the mounting of the connecting tube, at least one distance
means can be applied between the connecting tube flange on one
hand and the frame plate and/or the pressure plate on the other
hand (see Figs. 2a-c).
This distance means may comprise a loose or glued washer
21 on at least some of the pin bolts that connect the connecting
tube 22 with the frame plate and/or the pressure plate 23 (Fig.
2a). In this case the diameter of the flange gasket 24 has to be
coordinated with the diameter of the washer such that the distance
means 21 gives the intended effe~t. Another distance means may
comprise a plurality of pins 25 inserted in the flange 24. In
this connection the pins are suitably applied at the mounting pro-
cedure by gluing or press fit. Alternatively the pins can be vul-
canized into the rubber. In the embodiment according to Fig. 1
the distance means comprises pins 15 fastened in the flange 12.
A third dis~ance means comprises a metal ring 26 that is
applied in a groove in the peripheral part of the flange 24. The
ring that can be made of round iron, square iron or hexagon iron
can be open and resilient or closed. The ring is fastened in the
groove of the flange in a suitable way, for instance by means of
vulcanization. In order to make a reasonable compression of the
outer part 16 of the flange 12 possible this part may have a larger
wall thickness than the inner part.
The lining is preferably made of an elastic material,
for instance rubber, the two flanges of the lining being made in
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one piece with the remaining part of the lining.
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