Evaporator for an appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10012421-B2
Application number	US-201615006188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2016
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

An evaporator for an appliance includes a conduit extending between an inlet and an outlet. The conduit has a diameter. The diameter of the conduit is less than three-eighths of an inch. A vapor bypass is mounted to the conduit such that the vapor bypass extends between the inlet of the conduit and the outlet of the conduit. The vapor bypass has a diameter. The diameter of the vapor bypass is less than the diameter of the conduit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An evaporator for an appliance, comprising:
an elongated conduit extending longitudinally between an inlet and an outlet, the conduit configured for receiving refrigerant at the inlet of the conduit and directing the refrigerant through the conduit to the outlet of the conduit, the conduit having a diameter, the diameter of the conduit being less than three-eighths of an inch;
a vapor bypass mounted to the conduit such that the vapor bypass extends between the inlet of the conduit and the outlet of the conduit, the vapor bypass configured for directing vapor refrigerant through the vapor bypass such that the vapor refrigerant bypasses the conduit, the vapor bypass having a diameter, the diameter of the vapor bypass being less than the diameter of the conduit; and
a capillary tube mounted to the conduit at the inlet of the conduit, the capillary tube extending downwardly into the conduit such that an exit of the capillary tube is positioned below the vapor bypass within the conduit at the inlet of the conduit,
wherein the inlet of the conduit is positioned at a top portion of the conduit.

2. The evaporator of claim 1 , further comprising a spine fin heat exchanger wound about the conduit at an outer surface of the conduit.

3. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the conduit comprises a pair of jumper tubes, each jumper tube of the pair of jumper tubes positioned at a respective one of the inlet and outlet of the conduit, the vapor bypass to the mounted to the jumper tubes of the pair of jumper tubes.

4. The evaporator of claim 3 , wherein the vapor bypass is soldered to the jumper tubes of the pair of jumper tubes.

5. The evaporator of claim 3 , wherein the conduit further comprises aluminum tubing, the jumper tubes of the pair of jumper tubes comprising copper jumper tubes.

6. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the conduit defines a serpentine segment between the inlet and outlet of the conduit.

7. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the conduit is positioned at the top portion of the conduit.

8. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the bypass conduit and a length of the bypass conduit are selected such that a pressure drop of the vapor refrigerant through the vapor bypass is about equal to a pressure drop of the refrigerant through the conduit.

9. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the conduit is no greater than five-sixteenths of an inch and no less than three-sixteenths of an inch.

10. An evaporator for an appliance, comprising:
an elongated conduit extending longitudinally between an inlet and an outlet, the conduit having a serpentine segment between the inlet and outlet of the conduit, the conduit configured for receiving refrigerant at the inlet of the conduit and directing the refrigerant through the conduit to the outlet of the conduit, the conduit having a diameter, the diameter of the conduit being less than three-eighths of an inch;
a vapor bypass mounted to the conduit such that the vapor bypass extends between the inlet of the conduit and the outlet of the conduit, the vapor bypass configured for directing vapor refrigerant through the vapor bypass such that the vapor refrigerant bypasses the conduit, the vapor bypass having a diameter, the diameter of the vapor bypass being less than the diameter of the conduit;
a capillary tube mounted to the conduit, the capillary tube extending downwardly into the conduit such that an exit of the capillary tube is positioned below the vapor bypass within the conduit at the inlet of the conduit; and
a spine fin heat exchanger wound about the conduit at an outer surface of the conduit,
wherein the inlet of the conduit is positioned at a top portion of the conduit.

11. The evaporator of claim 10 , wherein the conduit comprises a pair of jumper tubes, each jumper tube of the pair of jumper tubes positioned at a respective one of the inlet and outlet of the conduit, the vapor bypass to the mounted to the jumper tubes of the pair of jumper tubes.

12. The evaporator of claim 11 , wherein the vapor bypass comprises tubing soldered to the jumper tubes of the pair of jumper tubes.

13. The evaporator of claim 11 , wherein the conduit further comprises aluminum tubing, the jumper tubes of the pair of jumper tubes comprising copper jumper tubes.

14. The evaporator of claim 10 , wherein the outlet of the conduit is positioned at the top portion of the conduit.

15. The evaporator of claim 10 , wherein the diameter of the bypass conduit and a length of the bypass conduit are selected such that a pressure drop of the vapor refrigerant through the vapor bypass is about equal to a pressure drop of the refrigerant through the conduit.

16. The evaporator of claim 10 , wherein the diameter of the conduit is no greater than five-sixteenths of an inch and no less than three-sixteenths of an inch.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Junge Brent Alden
• Kempiak Michael John
• Fenko Anna

Classifications

• F25B39/028 Primary

  having distributing means · CPC title

• F25B39/02 Primary

  Evaporators · CPC title

• F28F2250/06

  Derivation channels, e.g. bypass · CPC title

• F28D2021/0071

  Evaporators · CPC title

• F28D1/0477

  the conduits being bent in a serpentine or zig-zag · CPC title