Evaporator

Abstract

An evaporatorcomprises a heat exchange corecomprising a plurality of tube groupsarranged in rows as spaced forwardly or rearwardly of the evaporator and each comprising a plurality of heat exchange tubesarranged in parallel at a spacing laterally of the evaporator, and a lower tankdisposed at a lower end of the coreand having connected thereto lower ends of the heat exchange tubesproviding the tube groups. The lower tankhas a top surface, front and rear opposite side surfacesand a bottom surface. The lower tankis provided in each of front and rear opposite side portions thereof with groovesformed between respective laterally adjacent pairs of heat exchange tubesand extending from an intermediate portion of the top surfacewith respect to the forward or rearward direction to the side surfacefor causing water condensate to flow therethrough. Each of the groovesincludes a first portionexisting on the top surfaceof the lower tank and having a bottom face which is gradually lowered from the intermediate portion of the top surfacetoward a front or rear side edge thereof. The evaporatorcan be diminished in the quantity of water condensate that will collect on the top surfaceof the lower tank