Heat exchange – Radiator core type – Deformed sheet forms passages between side-by-side tube means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-28
2001-11-27
Leo, Leonard (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Radiator core type
Deformed sheet forms passages between side-by-side tube means
C165S174000, C165S176000, C062S525000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321834
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminate-type heat exchanger preferably used as a heat exchanger such as an evaporator for use in an automobile air conditioning system.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a so-called laminate-type heat exchanger is well known as an evaporator for use in an automobile air conditioning system. As shown in
FIGS. 23
to
25
, the evaporator has a core
1
comprised of a plurality of tubular elements
2
laminated in the thickness direction thereof. Each tubular element is formed by coupling a pair of plate-shaped formed plates
5
and
5
in a face-to-face manner. In the intermediate portion of the tubular element
2
, two refrigerant passages
3
a
and
3
b
extending in the direction of height of the core
1
are formed in parallel with each other, wherein one of the refrigerant passages
3
b
is located at the front side of the core
1
and the other
3
a
at the rear side of the core
1
. At the upper and lower end portions of the tubular element
2
, tank portions
4
a
and
4
b
communicating with the corresponding refrigerant passage
3
a
and
3
b
, respectively, are formed.
Furthermore, in the evaporator, the adjacent tubular elements
2
are communicated with each other via the predetermined tank portions
4
a
and
4
b
, whereby a first pass P
1
, a second pass P
2
, a third pass P
3
and a fourth pass P
4
are formed at the rear left portion, the rear right portion, the front right portion and the front left portion of the core
1
, respectively. Between the second pass P
2
and the third pass P
3
, the upper tank portions
4
a
and
4
b
of each tubular element
2
are communicated with each other to form a turn portion T.
The refrigerant flowed into the upper tank portions
4
a
of the first pass P
1
flows downward through the first pass P
1
to reach the lower tank portions
4
a
. Then, the refrigerant is introduced into the lower tank portions
4
a
of the second pass P
2
, and then flows upward through the second pass P
2
to reach the upper tank portions
4
a
. Thereafter, the refrigerant is introduced into the upper tank portion
4
b
of the third pass P
3
through the turn portion T between the second pass P
2
and the third pass P
3
. Subsequently, the refrigerant flows downward through the third pass P
3
to reach the lower tank portion
4
b
of the third pass P
3
, and then is introduced into the lower tank portion
4
b
of the fourth pass P
4
. Then, the refrigerant flows upward through the fourth pass P
4
, and flows out of the evaporator via the upper tank portions
4
b.
In the meantime, while passing through each pass P
1
to P
4
, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the air passing through the core
1
from the front side thereof toward the rear side to be evaporated by absorbing heat from the air.
In the aforementioned conventional evaporator, as shown in
FIGS. 24 and 25
, when the refrigerant is introduced into the lower tank portions
4
a
of the second pass P
2
from the lower tank portions
4
a
of the first pass P
1
, the refrigerant flows through the lower tank portions
4
a
of the second pass P
2
toward the other side (i.e., in the right direction R shown in FIG.
24
). As a result, the refrigerant tends to pass through the right side region of the second pass P
2
as shown by the oblique lines in
FIG. 25
because of the fluidity and/or the inertia of the refrigerant. Then, the biased refrigerant is introduced into the turn portion T between the second pass P
2
and the third pass P
3
it: to reach the third pass P
3
. In the third pass P
3
, the biased state of the refrigerant flow further increases. This prevents an efficient heat exchanging at the entire area of the third pass P
3
, resulting in deterioration of the cooling performance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above backgrounds, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laminate-type heat exchanger which can prevent a biased refrigerant flow and enhance the cooling performance.
To achieve the aforementioned object, a laminate-type heat exchanger according to the present invention includes a core formed by a plurality of plate-shaped tubular elements laminated in a thickness direction thereof, wherein a laminate direction of the plurality of tubular elements is defined as a width direction of the core, one side of the core in the laminating direction is defined as a first side, and the other side thereof is defined as a second side. Each of the plurality of plate-shaped tubular elements is provided with at least two refrigerant passages extending in a longitudinal direction thereof, the at least two refrigerant passages are arranged in a fore and aft direction of the core. The core includes a plurality of passes, a turn portion and a refrigerant flow resisting portion. Each of the plurality of passes is formed by a prescribed number of the refrigerant passages arranged in the width direction of the core. The turn portion is formed by one longitudinal end portions of the tubular elements constituting a prescribed pass among the plurality of passes and located between the prescribed pass and an adjacent pass facing to the prescribed pass in the fore and aft direction of the core to introduce a refrigerant flowed through the prescribed pass into the adjacent pass. The refrigerant flow resisting portion is provided at the turn portion to restrict a refrigerant flow in the turn portion.
With this laminate-type heat exchanger according to the present invention, since the refrigerant flow resisting portion is provided at the turn portion, the refrigerant passes through the turn portion in an equally distributed manner, and then the equally distributed refrigerant is introduced into the subsequent pass. Therefore, the refrigerant passes through the entire region of the pass in an equally distributed manner, which enhances heat exchanging ability and cooling ability of the heat exchanger.
In a conventional laminate-type heat exchanger, a refrigerant flowed from one side end of a prescribed pass tends to flow through the other side of the prescribed pass in a biased manner and then flows through a turn portion in the biased manner. Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the prescribed pass includes a refrigerant inlet portion for introducing a refrigerant therein so as to be located at the one side of the prescribed pass on the first side of the core, and that the refrigerant flow resisting portion is provided at a side portion of the turn portion on the second side of the core. In this case, since the refrigerant flow resisting portion is provided at a side portion of the turn portion on the second side of the core, the refrigerant flow at the side portion of the turn portion is restricted by the refrigerant flow resisting portion, which causes a refrigerant flow at the other side portion of the turn portion. As a result, the refrigerant can be distributed assuredly and equally in the turn portion, which improves the heat exchanging efficiency of the heat exchanger.
Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable to employ the following structural features in order to easily realize the aforementioned refrigerant flow resisting portion.
A part of the turn portion constitutes a restricting pass which restricts a refrigerant flow, and the remaining part of the turn portion constitutes a free pass which does not restrict a refrigerant flow, and wherein the restricting pass constitutes the refrigerant flow restricting portion.
Furthermore, the restricting pass includes a semi-restricting passage which partially restricts a refrigerant flow and/or an interrupting passage which interrupts a refrigerant flow.
Furthermore, the semi-restricting passage has one half a cross-sectional area of the free passage.
Furthermore, a passage of the turn portion located at a side of the prescribed pass on the first side of the core constitutes the free pass.
Furthermore, each of the plurality of tubular elements is provided with two refrigerant passages, wherei
Leo Leonard
Showa Denko K.K.
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