Refrigerant evaporator having a tank external refrigerant space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107532-B2
Application number	US-201414893434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	May 24, 2013
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerant evaporator includes a first evaporation unit and a second evaporation unit disposed in series in a flow direction of fluid to be cooled by evaporating refrigerant. An intermediate tank portion through which refrigerant flows is connected to an outer surface of one tank portion of the first evaporation unit and an outer surface of one tank portion of the second evaporation unit. A tank external refrigerant space through which refrigerant flows is defined by an outer wall of the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit, an outer wall of the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit, and an outer wall of the intermediate tank portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerant evaporator that exchanges heat between fluid flowing outside to be cooled and refrigerant, comprising
a first evaporation unit and a second evaporation unit disposed in series in a flow direction of the fluid, wherein:
each of the first evaporation unit and the second evaporation unit has
a heat-exchanging core portion in which a plurality of tubes are stacked, the refrigerant flowing through the plurality of tubes, and
a pair of tank portions connected to both ends of the plurality of tubes to collect or distribute the refrigerant flowing through the plurality of tubes;

the heat-exchanging core portion of the first evaporation unit has a first core portion defined by a part of the plurality of tubes and a second core portion defined by a rest of the plurality of tubes;
the heat-exchanging core portion of the second evaporation unit has a third core portion defined by a part of the plurality of tubes opposing at least a part of the first core portion in the flow direction of the fluid and a fourth core portion defined by a part of the plurality of tubes opposing at least a part of the second core portion in the flow direction of the fluid;
of the pair of tank portions of the first evaporation unit, one tank portion includes a first refrigerant collection portion to collect the refrigerant from the first core portion and a second refrigerant collection portion to collect the refrigerant from the second core portion;
of the pair of tank portions of the second evaporation unit, one tank portion includes a first refrigerant distribution portion to distribute the refrigerant to the third core portion and a second refrigerant distribution portion to distribute the refrigerant to the fourth core portion;
the first evaporation unit and the second evaporation unit are coupled via a first communication portion that introduces the refrigerant in the first refrigerant collection portion to the second refrigerant distribution portion and a second communication portion that introduces the refrigerant in the second refrigerant collection portion to the first refrigerant distribution portion;
an intermediate tank portion through which refrigerant flows is connected to an outer surface of the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit and an outer surface of the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit;
a tank external refrigerant space through which refrigerant flows is defined by an outer wall of the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit, an outer wall of the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit, and an outer wall of the intermediate tank portion; and
the intermediate tank portion defines the first communication portion and the tank external refrigerant space defines the second communication portion.

2. The refrigerant evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the intermediate tank portion has a recess portion recessed inward of the intermediate tank portion from an outer wall of the intermediate tank portion opposing both of the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit and the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit; and
the tank external refrigerant space is defined by the outer wall of the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit, the outer wall of the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit, and an outer wall of the recess portion of the intermediate tank portion.

3. The refrigerant evaporator according to claim 2 , wherein:
the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit has a first through-hole in a region opposing the intermediate tank portion;
the intermediate tank portion has a second through-hole in a region corresponding to the first through-hole;
an interior of the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit and an interior of the intermediate tank portion communicate with each other via the first through-hole and the second through-hole;
the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit has a third through-hole in a region opposing the intermediate tank portion;
the intermediate tank portion has a fourth through-hole in a region corresponding to the third through-hole;
an interior of the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit and the interior of the intermediate tank portion communicate with each other via the third through-hole and the fourth through-hole; and
a groove portion communicating with outside is provided to at least one of a region between the recess portion and the first through-hole or the second through-hole in a connection surface of the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit and the intermediate tank portion, and a region between the recess portion and the third through-hole or the fourth through-hole in a connection surface of the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit and the intermediate tank portion.

4. The refrigerant evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein refrigerant contacts at least one of the outer walls during refrigerant flow through the tank external refrigerant space.

5. The refrigerant evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein:
refrigerant contacts the outer wall of the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit, the outer wall of the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit and the outer wall of the intermediate tank portion during refrigerant flow through the tank external refrigerant space.

6. The refrigerant evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate tank portion has a single outer wall.

7. The refrigerant evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the tank external refrigerant space is generally triangularly shaped in cross section.

8. The refrigerant evaporator according to claim 7 , wherein the recess portion of the intermediate tank portion forms a base of the generally triangularly shaped tank external refrigerant space.

9. The refrigerant evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate tank portion is located below the one tank portion of the first evaporation unit and the one tank portion of the second evaporation unit.

10. A refrigerant evaporator that exchanges heat between fluid flowing outside to be cooled and refrigerant, comprising
a first evaporation unit and a second evaporation unit disposed in series in a flow direction of the fluid, wherein:
each of the first evaporation unit and the second evaporation unit has
a heat-exchanging core portion in which a plurality of tubes are stacked, the refrigerant flowing through the plurality of tubes, and
a pair of tank portions connected to both ends of the plurality of tubes to collect or distribute the refrigerant flowing through the plurality of tubes;

the heat-exchanging core portion of the first evaporation unit has a first core portion defined by a part of the plurality of tubes and a second core portion defined by a rest of the plurality of tubes;
the heat-exchanging core portion of the second evaporation unit has a third core portion defined by a part of the plurality of tubes opposing at least a part of the first core portion in the flow direction of the fluid and a fourth core portion defined by a part of the plurality of tubes opposing at least a part of the second core portion in the flow direction of the fluid;
of the pair of tank portions of the first evaporation unit, one tank portion includes a first refrigerant collection portion to collect the refrigerant from the first core portion and a second refrigerant collection portion to collect the refrigerant from the second core portion;
of the pair of tank portions of the second evaporation unit, one tank portion includes a first refrigerant distribution portion to distribute the refrigerant to the third core portion and a second refrigerant distribution portion to di

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Baba Norimasa

Classifications

• F28D1/05391

  with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits combined with a particular flow pattern, e.g. multi-row multi-stage radiators · CPC title

• F28F2009/0285

  Other particular headers or end plates · CPC title

• F28F9/0212

  the partitions being separate elements attached to header boxes · CPC title

• F28D2021/0085

  Evaporators · CPC title

• F28F9/0265

  by using guiding means or impingement means inside the header box · CPC title