Showa Denko K.k.

Keihin Thermal Technology Corporation

Showa Aluminum Corporation

Naohisa Higashiyama

Osamu Kamoshida

Motoyuki Takagi

Takashi Hirayama

Nobuyuki Okuda

Shinobu Yamauchi

Sumitaka Watanabe

Hokuto Mine

Yukihiro Tsurumi

Makoto Numasawa

Masayuki Tsukahara

Hideo Ohashi

Yoshinori Nakata

Tatsuhiro Mizo

Daisuke Mori

Kenji Tsunoda

Hisashi Ide

A liquid receiver of a condenser has a liquid receiver main body and a plug removably fitted thereinto. The liquid receiver main body has a refrigerant inflow hole into which refrigerant flows from a condensation section and a refrigerant outflow hole from which refrigerant flows into a supercooling section. The liquid receiver has a first space formed above the upper end of the plug and communicating with the refrigerant inflow hole and a second space formed below the upper end of the plug and communicating with the refrigerant outflow hole. The plug has a flow passage which is open to the first space and the second space at opposite ends. The first-space-side opening of the flow passage is located below the refrigerant inflow hole. The flow passage has a throttle portion whose cross-sectional area is smaller than a hole area of the refrigerant inflow hole.

Condenser with liquid receiver

An evaporator includes a first descending flow tube group between a first upper header and a first lower header, and a second descending flow tube group between a second upper header and a second lower header to be located windward of the first descending flow tube group. The first upper header includes a first compartment, and the second upper header includes a third compartment. A flow distribution control section for reinforcement having a refrigerant passage section for communication between the first and third compartments is disposed between the two compartments to extend over the entire lengths and heights of the two compartments. The refrigerant passage section is composed of a plurality of through holes formed in the flow distribution control section for reinforcement. The total area of the through holes is greater than that of the refrigerant passages of the heat exchange tubes of the first descending flow tube group.

Evaporator

An evaporator includes a first descending flow tube group provided between a first upper header and a first lower header, and a second descending flow tube group provided between a second upper header and a second lower header to be located windward of the first descending flow tube group. The first upper header includes a first compartment communicating with the upper end of the first descending flow tube group, and the second upper header includes a third compartment communicating with the upper end of the second descending flow tube group. A first flow distribution control section having a first refrigerant passage section for communication between the first and third compartments is disposed between these compartments. The area of a portion of the first refrigerant passage section on the upstream side is larger than the area of a portion of the first refrigerant passage section on the downstream side.

An evaporator includes a leeward upper header portion, a leeward lower header portion, a refrigerant inlet, leeward heat exchange tubes, a windward upper header portion, a windward lower header portion, a refrigerant outlet, windward heat exchange tubes, and a resistance divider. The resistance divider has at least one refrigerant passage hole and at least one communication path and is provided in the leeward upper header portion or the leeward lower header portion at a position corresponding to a first row of the leeward heat exchange tubes. The refrigerant inlet is in communication with the first row via the at least one refrigerant passage hole. The refrigerant inlet is in communication with the second row via the at least one communication path.

A leeward tube row of an evaporator includes first to third tube groups, and a windward tube row thereof includes fourth and fifth tube groups. Within a third section of a leeward upper header portion with which heat exchange tubes of the third tube group communicate, a resistance member for flow division is provided so as to divide the interior of the third section into a first space which the heat exchange tubes face, and a second space which is separated from the first space and into which refrigerant flows. The resistance member for flow division has a plurality of refrigerant passage holes. The leeward upper header portion has a flow cutoff member for preventing flow of refrigerant into the first space of the third section. The third section of the leeward upper header portion communicates with the fourth section of the windward upper header portion via refrigerant communication passages.

A cool storage material container of an evaporator with a cool storage function includes a container main body portion located within the range of a heat exchange core section in the air-passing direction and an outward projecting portion projecting from the container main body portion. A cool storage material containing portion provided in the cool storage material container has a first containing portion which is present in a region where only the container main body portion is provided, and a second containing portion which extends upward from the first containing portion and is present in a region where the container main body portion and the outward projecting portion are provided. The level of a cool storage material is located within the vertical range of the second containing portion in the case where the cool storage material is in liquid phase at ordinary temperature.

Evaporator with cool storage function

An evaporator includes a cool storage material container. The cool storage material container contains a cool storage material and is disposed in a second part of the spaces. The cool storage material container includes a container main body portion joined to the refrigerant flow tubes. The outward projecting portion extends from an upper end of the leeward edge or windward edge of the container main body portion. The outward projecting portion has an expansion portion projecting from the container main body portion and projecting thickness of the expansion portion is greater than a thickness of the container main body portion. The expansion portion is located outward of the fins. At least one of left and right side walls of the expansion portion is so constructed to deform when an internal pressure in the cool storage material container increases beyond a predetermined pressure.

An evaporator with a cool storage function includes flat refrigerant flow tubes, a cool storage material container disposed in at least one of all air-passing clearances each formed between adjacent refrigerant flow tubes, and an inner fin disposed in the cool storage material container. Each of left and right side walls of the cool storage material container has a contact portion in contact with the inner fin and a noncontact portion not in contact with the inner fin. In an overlap region where the left and right side walls of the cool storage material container overlap with the corresponding refrigerant flow tubes when the container is viewed from the left side or right side thereof, the area of the contact portion of each of the left and right side walls is greater than the area of the noncontact portion of each of the left and right side walls.

A leeward upper header portion of an evaporator includes first through third sections which communicate with upper ends of heat exchange tubes of first through third tube groups of a leeward tube row. The second tube group, which is an upward flow tube group, and the third tube group, which is a downward flow tube group, form a tube group set. A baffle plate is provided in the second section to be located on the side toward the third section. The baffle plate divides a portion of the interior of the second section into upper and lower spaces and prevents flow of refrigerant toward the upper space. A flow prevention member is provided below the baffle plate so as to prevent flow of refrigerant from the second section into the third section. These two sections communicate with each other in a region above the baffle plate.

A cooling unit includes an evaporator with a cool storage function, and a drain case disposed below the evaporator. Cool storage material containers and outer fins of the evaporator have respective outward projecting portions which project from the refrigerant flow tubes toward the leeward side. The drain case includes a condensed water drain portion which drains condensed water generated on the evaporator from at least one of the lower end of the outward projecting portion of each cool storage material container and the lower end of the outward projecting portion of each outer fin. The cooling unit is preferably used in a refrigeration cycle which constitutes an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle in which an engine serving as a drive source for a compressor is temporarily stopped when the vehicle is stopped.

Cooling unit of air conditioning apparatus for vehicle

A cool storage material container is formed by brazing together peripheral edge portions of two aluminum plates. A cool storage material for storing cool is charged into a cool storage material accommodation space. The cool storage material container has a seal portion provided by closing a thermal storage material charging inlet which is formed at the peripheral edge portions of the two aluminum plates and is used to charge the cool storage material into the cool storage material accommodation space. The seal portion includes two outward protrusions which are formed by pressing and collapsing the thermal storage material charging inlet such that they project outward from the two aluminum plates and are brought into close contact with each other. The outward protrusions are bonded together by an anaerobic adhesive and are bent in the thickness direction of the aluminum plates such that their bent portions have a V-shaped cross section.

Thermal storage material container and heat exchanger

A double-wall-tube heat exchanger has outer and inner tubes. A clearance between the outer and inner tubes and the interior of the inner tube serve as refrigerant flow paths. Opposite end portions of the inner tube project from opposite ends of the outer tube. The outer tube includes expanded portions formed near the opposite ends. Contracted portions are formed on the outer tube to be located on the outer sides of the expanded portions, and are brazed to the inner tube. Longitudinally extending ridges project radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube at predetermined circumferential intervals. The ridges on the inner circumferential surfaces of the expanded portions and the contracted portions are crushed. The clearances between the inner tube and portions of the contracted portions of the outer tube where the ridges are not formed are filled with a brazing filler metal.

Double-wall-tube heat exchanger

An evaporatoris configured such that two heat exchange tube groups, each composed of a plurality of heat exchange tubes, are provided between a pair of header tanks, while being separated from each other in a front-rear direction. Each of the header tanksincludes two header sections. Each header tankincludes a first memberto which the heat exchange tubesare connected, and a second memberwhich is joined to the first memberand covers the side of the first memberopposite the heat exchange tubes. Partition portionsfor dividing the interiors of the header sectioninto upper and lower spacesare provided on the second memberof the header tank. Through holesA,for establishing communication between the upper and lower spacesof the header sectionare formed in the partition portions. The second memberis formed by bending a metal plate. This evaporatorrequires a reduced number of components and facilitates production work.

Heat exchanger

An evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet header section, a refrigerant outlet header section, and a refrigerant circulation path connecting the two header sections. A refrigerant inlet-outlet member composed of a first plate, a second plate, and an intermediate plate is joined to the two header sections. The refrigerant inlet-outlet member has an inflow channel whose one end communicates with the refrigerant inlet of the refrigerant inlet header section and whose other end is opened to a rear edge of the refrigerant inlet-outlet member, and an outflow channel whose one end communicates with the refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant outlet header section and whose other end is opened to the rear edge. The first and second plates each have inflow-channel-forming and outflow-channel-forming outward swelled portions. Cutouts and a through hole are formed in the intermediate plate such that the inflow channel and the outflow channel cross each other.

A heat exchanger used as an evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet header section having a refrigerant inlet at a right end portion, and a plurality of heat exchange tubes connected to the refrigerant inlet header section. The interior of the refrigerant inlet header section is divided by a partition plate into an upper space into which refrigerant flows via the refrigerant inlet and a lower space into which the heat exchange tubes project. A communication opening is formed in the partition plate on the left side of a heat exchange tube at the left end so as to establish communication between the upper and lower spaces. A guide portion is formed at a left edge portion of the communication opening such that the guide portion projects from a lower surface of the partition member into the lower space so as to guide the refrigerant toward the right end side.

Growing community of inventors

Oyama, Japan

Naohisa Higashiyama