Evaporator

Abstract

A corrugate fin of an evaporator includes wave crest portions, wave trough portions, and flat connection portions connecting together the wave crest portions and the wave trough portions. Opposite end portions of a cutout extend to corresponding connection portions located at opposite ends of the wave crest portion and the wave trough portion. A projection projecting inward is formed integrally with end portions of the connection portions, the end portions of the connection portions corresponding to opposite ends of the cutout. The projection extends between the end portions of the connection portions located at the opposite ends of the wave crest portion and the wave trough portion. The projection projects inward in a shape resembling a lying letter V. The evaporator exhibits excellent drainage of condensed water and enables high work efficiency in manufacture thereof.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is an application filed under 35 U.S.C. §111(a) claiming the benefit pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e)(1) of the filing date of Provisional Application No. 60 / 619,009 filed Oct. 18, 2004 pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §111(b).TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present invention relates to an evaporator for use in a car air conditioner, which is a refrigeration cycle to be mounted on, for example, a vehicle. [0003] Herein and in the appended claims, the upper, lower, left-hand, and right-hand sides of FIGS. 1 and 2 will be referred to as “upper,”“lower,”“left,” and “right,” respectively. The downstream side of an air flow (a side represented by arrow X in FIG. 1, and a right-hand side in FIG. 3) is referred to as the “front,” and the opposite side as the “rear.”BACKGROUND ART [0004] A conventionally used evaporator for use in a car air conditioner includes a plurality of refrigerant flow members arranged in parallel, and corrugate fins each ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0038] With the evaporator of par. 11), condensed water which is collected, by the effect of surface tension, on the joint portions between the refrigerant flow members and the wave crest portions and the wave trough portions of the corrugate fins passes through the cutouts of the front projecting portions of the corrugate fins and flows while being attracted, by the effect of surface tension, toward internal corner portions each defined by the front end surface of the front-end flat, hollow member and the front projecting portion of the corrugate fin. Subsequently, the condensed water flows downward along the internal corner portions and is then drained away. Accordingly, drainage of condensed water is enhanced, thereby preventing splashing of condensed water from front end portions of the refrigerant flow members at the time of an abrupt change in air flow rate; a drop in cooling performance caused by an increase in air flow resistance which, in turn, is caused by surface tension causing condensed water to block openings between the louvers; and freezing of condensed water.

[0039] With the evaporator of par. 12), condensed water which is collected, by the effect of surface tension, on the joint portions between the refrigerant flow members and the wave crest portions and the wave trough portions of the corrugate fins passes through the cutouts; flows downward along the portions of the refrigerant flow members located between adjacent front and rear flat tubes of the refrigerant members; and is drained away. Accordingly, drainage of condensed water is enhanced, thereby preventing splashing of condensed water from front end portions of the refrigerant flow members at the time of an abrupt change in air flow rate; a drop in cooling performance caused by an increase in air flow resistance which, in turn, is caused by surface tension causing condensed water to block openings between the louvers; and freezing of condensed water.

[0040] With the evaporator of par. 13), condensed w

Problems solved by technology

However, in the case where the quantity of condensed water is large, drainage performance may become insufficient.

This, in manufacture of the evaporator, raises a problem that assembling together the refrigerant flow members and the separate fin members is troublesome.

Also, a

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