Keihin Thermal Technology Corporation

Showa Denko K.k.

Mahle Behr Thermal Systems (japan) Company Limited

Osamu Kamoshida

Naohisa Higashiyama

Yoshihiko Seno

Takashi Hirayama

Motoyuki Takagi

Keiji Yamazaki

Yasuhiro Takahashi

Mitsuru Nobusue

Takayuki Yasutake

Tatsuhiro Mizo

An evaporator with a cool storage function includes a first refrigerant flow tube, a second refrigerant flow tube, a cold storage material container, and a heat conductor. The cold storage material container is provided between the first refrigerant flow tube and the second refrigerant flow tube. The heat conductor is provided in the cold storage material container. The heat conductor includes a base plate, first projections, and second projections. The base plate is apart from a first container wall and a second container wall of the cold storage material container. The first projections project from the base plate toward the first container wall to contact the first container wall. The second projections project from the base plate toward the second container wall to contact the second container wall.

Evaporator with cool storage function

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.

An evaporator with a cool storage function includes a plurality of refrigerant flow tubes. The flow tubes are spaced apart from one another in a thickness direction to form spaces among the plurality of refrigerant flow tubes. Outer fins are disposed in a first part of the spaces and are joined to the plurality of refrigerant flow tubes. The cool storage material container contains a cool storage material and is disposed in a second part of the spaces other than the first part. An inner fin is disposed within the cool storage material container and has crest portions extending along a longitudinal direction of the flow tubes, trough portions extending along the longitudinal direction, and connection portions connecting the crest portions and the trough portions.

A cylindrical hole is formed between peripheral belt portions of two container constituent plates of a thermal storage material container of an evaporator with a cool storage function. A cylindrical portion of a thermal storage material charging member having a thermal storage material charging passage is disposed in the cylindrical hole and brazed to the two container constituent plates. That portion of the thermal storage material charging member which protrudes from the cylindrical hole includes a crushed portion and a cylindrical uncrushed portion. The crushed portion seals the thermal storage material passage. The cylindrical portion of the thermal storage material charging member is smaller in outside diameter than the uncrushed portion, and the cylindrical portion and the uncrushed portion have the same inside diameter. The cylindrical portion has an inward protrusion protruding into a thermal storage material containing space, and the inward protrusion has a radially expanding engagement portion.

Heat exchanger with thermal storage function

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.

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 heat exchanger with a thermal storage function includes a plurality of heat exchange tubes, a plurality of thermal storage material containers, and a first thermal storage material charging member. A circumferential wall of the first thermal storage material charging member is deformed such that a collapsed portion is formed on the first thermal storage material charging member and the thermal storage material charging passage is closed and sealed. The collapsed portion of the first thermal storage material charging member includes a first collapsed part and a second collapsed part. A relation T&#x3c;T1&#x2266;t is satisfied where 't' represents a thickness of the circumferential wall of an uncollapsed portion of the first thermal storage material charging member, 'T' represents a thickness of the first collapsed part, and &#x201c;T&#x201d; represents a thickness of the second collapsed part.

Heat exchanger with thermal storage function and method of manufacturing the same

An evaporator with a cool storage function includes a plurality of flat refrigerant flow tubes and at least one cool storage material container. The at least one cool storage material container includes a container main body and a plurality of convex portions. The container main body has a first wall and a second wall opposite to the first wall which are substantially parallel to a plane including a longitudinal direction and a width direction. The first wall and the second wall are connected to adjacent refrigerant flow tubes among the plurality of refrigerant flow tubes, respectively. The plurality of convex portions are provided on the first wall and the second wall to protrude outwardly from the first wall and the second wall. Two adjacent convex portions among the plurality of convex portions form each of condensed water drain passages therebetween.

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 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.

Growing community of inventors

Oyama, Japan

Osamu Kamoshida