Keihin Thermal Technology Corporation

Showa Denko K.k.

Takashi Hirayama

Osamu Kamoshida

Motoyuki Takagi

Naohisa Higashiyama

Atsuo Ohashi

Hiroyuki Sudo

Takashi Yabe

Hirosaburo Hirano

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.

Evaporator

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.

Evaporator with cool storage function

An evaporator has a first longitudinal direction and includes first and second header tanks. The first header tank includes a first surrounding wall projecting from at least one of a first end portion and a second end portion along a first longitudinal direction to define a first recess to surround the first recess at at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion. The first surrounding wall has at least one first drain opening to drain water from the first recess. The second header tank has a second longitudinal direction and is disposed apart from the first header tank so that the first longitudinal direction is substantially parallel to the second longitudinal direction. The second header tank has a second surrounding wall having at least one second drain opening to drain water from the second recess.

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.

A heat exchanger includes a pair of header tanks and a plurality of heat exchange tubes. The header tank includes the three tank constituting members having laminated portions. Each of the laminated portions is composed of an outer vertical wall portion, an inner vertical wall portion, and an intermediate vertical wall portion. A fillet is formed between an outer surface of the intermediate vertical wall portion with respect to an air-passing direction and an inner surface of the outer vertical wall portion with respect to the air-passing direction. Another fillet is formed between an inner surface of the intermediate vertical wall portion with respect to the air-passing direction and an outer surface of the inner vertical wall portion with respect to the air-passing direction.

Heat exchanger with header tank including tank constituting members

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 method of manufacturing a heat exchanger includes forming elongated holes in two connection walls among a plurality of connection walls to be laminated, and forming paired notches on a claw forming portion of the remaining connection wall facing the elongated holes. A longitudinally intermediate portion of the claw forming portion is pressed toward the other end to break the claw forming portion at the longitudinal center and bend the claw forming portion at the notches to thereby form two claws forming pieces and form bent portions at the distal ends of the claws forming pieces. The claws forming pieces are bent at the notches to form claws. Distal end portions of the claws are bent outward to form fold-back portions, which are engaged with the outer surface of the connection wall at the other end, whereby all the connection walls are provisionally fixed together.

Method of manufacturing heat exchanger

A heat exchanger includes a pair of header tanks, a plurality of flat heat exchange tubes which are disposed between the two header tanks and whose opposite end portions are connected to the corresponding header tanks, and a plurality of corrugate fins each including wave crest portions, wave trough portions, and connection portions connecting together the corresponding wave crest portions and wave trough portions, and each disposed between the adjacent heat exchange tubes. Each connection portion has a plurality of louvers which extend in a width direction of the connection portion and are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the connection portion. The louver pitch is 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. The inclination angle of the louvers in relation to the connection portion is 20&#xb0; to 30&#xb0;.

Heat exchanger

Each header tank includes a tank body and a header plate. The tank body includes a top wall, shorter side walls, and longer side walls. Each shorter side wall has joining portions integrally formed via rounded connection portions and extending along the inner surfaces of the longer side walls. The header plate includes a closure wall, shorter side walls, and longer side walls. End portions of each longer side wall of the tank body are curved along the rounded connection portions to form first bent portions. End portions of each longer side wall of the header plate are curved along the first bent portions to form second bent portions. The shorter side walls of the header plate have deformation portions which enter recesses formed between the rounded connection portions of the tank body and tip end surfaces of the first bent portions.

Growing community of inventors

Oyama, Japan

Takashi Hirayama