Evaporator with cool storage function

Abstract

An evaporator with a cool storage function includes a plurality of flat refrigerant flow tubes spaced apart from one another, and a plurality of flat cool storage material containers each of which contains a cool storage material and is disposed on one side of the corresponding refrigerant flow tube, and is brazed to the corresponding refrigerant flow tube. The cool storage material container includes a container body brazed to the corresponding refrigerant flow tube, and an internal-volume-increasing portion which extends downstream from the container body, which projects downstream from the refrigerant flow tube, and which is greater in dimension in a thickness direction than the container body. An inner fin extending from the container body to the internal-volume-increasing portion is disposed in the cool storage material container. This evaporator is suitable for a refrigeration cycle which constitutes a car air conditioner.

1 . An evaporator with a cool storage function comprising a plurality of flat refrigerant flow tubes disposed in parallel such that the refrigerant flow tubes extend vertically, the width direction of the refrigerant flow tubes coincides with an air flow direction, and the refrigerant flow tubes are spaced apart from one another; and a plurality of flat cool storage material containers each of which contains a cool storage material and is disposed on one side of the corresponding refrigerant flow tube such that the cool storage material container extends vertically, the width direction of the cool storage material container coincides with the air flow direction, and the cool storage material container is in thermal contact with the corresponding refrigerant flow tube, wherein
 each of the cool storage material containers includes a container body in thermal contact with the corresponding refrigerant flow tube, and an internal-volume-increasing portion which extends from the container body toward the upstream side or downstream side with respect to the air flow direction, which projects outward, with respect to the air flow direction, from the refrigerant flow tube, and which is greater in dimension in a thickness direction than the container body; and   each of the cool storage material containers includes an inner fin disposed therein and extending from the container body to the internal-volume-increasing portion.   
     
     
         2 . An evaporator with a cool storage function according to  claim 1 , wherein the interiors of the cool storage material containers are connected with one another at the internal-volume-increasing portions thereof. 
     
     
         3 . An evaporator with a cool storage function according to  claim 2 , wherein the interiors of all the cool storage material containers are connected with one another. 
     
     
         4 . An evaporator with a cool storage function according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner fin is a corrugated fin having crest portions extending in the air flow direction, trough portions extending in the air flow direction, and connection portions connecting the crest portions and the trough portions. 
     
     
         5 . An evaporator with a cool storage function according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner fin is a staggered fin composed of a plurality of wavy strips which are arranged in the air flow direction and are unitarily connected to one anther, each of the strips having crest portions extending in the air flow direction, trough portions extending in the air flow direction, and connection portions connecting the crest portions and the trough portions, wherein the crest portions and trough portions of one of two strips adjacent to each other in the air flow direction are vertically shifted in position from those of the other of the two strips. 
     
     
         6 . An evaporator with a cool storage function according to  claim 4 , wherein the inner fin has a constant fin height over the entirety of the inner fin, the fin height being equal to the height of the interior of the container body of the cool storage material container and less than the height of the interior of the internal-volume-increasing portion. 
     
     
         7 . An evaporator with a cool storage function according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flow tubes and the cool storage material containers are formed separately; a plurality of assemblies each composed of a refrigerant flow tube and a cool storage material container whose container body is brazed to the refrigerant flow tube are disposed at intervals in a direction perpendicular to the width direction of the refrigerant flow tubes; spaces each formed between adjacent assemblies serve as air-passing clearances; outer fins are disposed in the air-passing clearances; portions of the outer fins on the side toward the internal-volume-increasing portions of the cool storage material containers project outward, with respect to the air flow direction, from the refrigerant flow tubes; and the outer fins are brazed to opposite surfaces of the internal-volume-increasing portions of the cool storage material containers. 
     
     
         8 . An evaporator with a cool storage function according to  claim 7 , wherein the refrigerant flow tube of each of the assembly comprises a plurality of refrigerant flow tubes disposed such that the refrigerant flow tubes are spaced apart from each other in the air flow direction; and the container body of the cool storage material container of each assembly is disposed to extend over and is brazed to all the refrigerant flow tubes of the assembly. 
     
     
         9 . An evaporator with a cool storage function according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of each cool storage material container on the downstream side with respect to the air flow direction projects outward, with respect to the air flow direction, from the refrigerant flow tubes; and the internal-volume-increasing portion is provided on the portion of the cool storage material container that projects from the refrigerant flow tubes. 
     
     
         10 . An evaporator with a cool storage function according to  claim 5 , wherein the inner fin has a constant fin height over the entirety of the inner fin, the fin height being equal to the height of the interior of the container body of the cool storage material container and less than the height of the interior of the internal-volume-increasing portion.