Evaporator

Abstract

In an evaporator, each fin is disposed between adjacent tubes in a tube stacking direction, and each of the tubes includes at least first and second tube parts lined to have a space therebetween in a flow direction of air passing between the adjacent tubes. The first tube part has therein a first refrigerant passage that is completely separately from a second refrigerant passage of the second tube part. Furthermore, the fin has at least one open portion that is opened from an end of the fin in the tube stacking direction to a predetermined portion, and the open portion is provided in the fin except for a position in the air flow direction, corresponding to the space. Therefore, the strength of the evaporator can be increased while condensed water on the evaporator can be effectively drained.

1 . An evaporator comprising: 
 a plurality of passage members having therein refrigerant passages in which refrigerant flows, the passage members being arranged in a flow direction of air flowing outside of the passage members; and    a fin having a heat exchanging surface extending along the flow direction of air at a position adjacent to the passage members, wherein:    the fin has an open portion at a position adjacent to one of the refrigerant passages, and a bridge portion joined to the passage members; and    the passage members are connected to each other in the flow direction of air by the bridge portion.    
   
   
       2 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the fin includes a plurality of fin parts arranged in the flow direction of air;    the open portion is a slit opening provided between adjacent fin parts adjacent to each other in the flow direction of air;    the slip opening extends partially in the fin in a direction approximately perpendicular to the flow direction of air such that the fin has a connection portion between the fin pars; and    the bridge portion is one of the fin parts.    
   
   
       3 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the fin includes a plurality of fin parts arranged in the flow direction of air;    the open portion is a clearance opening that is provided between adjacent fin parts to separate the adjacent fin parts from each other in the flow direction of air; and    the bridge portion is one of the fin parts.    
   
   
       4 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the fin is a corrugated fin having a wave shape with ridge portions and flat surfaces;    the fin is joined to the passage members at the ridge portions; and    the open portion is opened from the ridge portions to predetermined positions of the flat surfaces.    
   
   
       5 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , wherein the bridge portion is a part of the fin, without having the open portion.  
   
   
       6 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , wherein the open portion is provided in the fin at a portion in the flow direction of air, except for an area corresponding to a space portion between the passage members in the flow direction of air.  
   
   
       7 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , wherein the open portion includes a plurality of openings provided in the fin at plural positions in the flow direction of air, except for an area corresponding to a space portion between the passage members in the flow direction of air.  
   
   
       8 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the open portion includes at least one of a first opening and a second opening provided in the fin;    the first opening is provided at a position separated from a most upstream end by a distance X 1  in the flow direction of air;    the second opening is provided at a position separated from the most upstream end by a distance X 2  in the flow direction of air; and    the distances X 1  and X 2  are set such that X 1 /D is in a range between the 0.25 and 0.5 and X 2 /D is in a range between 0.5 and 0.75 when an entire dimension of the fin in the flow direction of air is D.    
   
   
       9 . The evaporator according to  claim 8 , wherein the distances X 1  and X 2  are set such that X 1 /D is in a range between the 0.25 and 0.35 and X 2 /D is in a range between 0.65 and 0.75.  
   
   
       10 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a core portion including: a plurality of tubes stacked in a tube stacking direction, wherein each of the tubes includes the passage members lined in the flow direction of air; and a plurality of the fins each of which is located between adjacent tubes in the tube stacking direction; and    a tank portion extending a direction parallel to the tube stacking direction and connected to one end of each tube to communicate with each tube.    
   
   
       11 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the passage members has therein a plurality of refrigerant paths separated from each other, through which refrigerant flows in parallel with each other.  
   
   
       12 . The evaporator according to  claim 11 , wherein the refrigerant paths of the passage member are formed by pushing.  
   
   
       13 . The evaporator according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the fin is a corrugated fin having a wave shape with ridge portions and flat surface portions each of which is positioned between the ridge portions;    the fin is joined to outer surfaces of the passage members at the ridge portions;    each of the flat surface portions of the fin has a plurality of louvers; and    the open portion is opened from the ridge portions in the flat surface portions.    
   
   
       14 . The evaporator according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the bridge portion is a part of the fin, without having the louvers and the open portion.    
   
   
       15 . An evaporator comprising: 
 a plurality of tubes stacked in a stacking direction, wherein each of the tubes extends in a tube longitudinal direction;    a plurality of fins each of which is located between adjacent tubes in the stacking direction; and    a tank portion extending to the stacking direction to be connected to one longitudinal end of each tube, wherein:    each of the tubes includes at least first and second tube parts lined to have a space therebetween in a flow direction of air passing between the adjacent tubes, the flow direction of air being perpendicular to the stacking direction and the tube longitudinal direction;    the first tube part has therein a first refrigerant passage through which refrigerant flows;    the second tube part has therein a second refrigerant passage through which refrigerant flows, the second refrigerant passage being separate from the first refrigerant passage;    the fin extends from the first tube part to the second tube part in the flow direction of air, and has at least one open portion that is opened from an end of the fin in the stacking direction to a predetermined portion; and    the open portion is provided in the fin except for a position in the air flow direction, corresponding to the space.    
   
   
       16 . The evaporator according to  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the fin continuously extends in the air flow direction as a single member; and    the open portion is opened from the end of the fin partially in the stacking direction.    
   
   
       17 . The evaporator according to  claim 15 , wherein the open portion is opened and extends from the end of the fin to the other end of the fin in the stacking direction.  
   
   
       18 . The evaporator according to  claim 15 , wherein the open portion has plural slit openings opened in the fin in areas except for the space in the flow direction of air.