Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a heat exchanging portion, a reservoir that performs gas-liquid separation on a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that flows out from the heat exchanging portion into a gas-phase refrigerant and a liquid-phase refrigerant and stores the liquid-phase refrigerant, and an inflow passage that allows the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing out from the heat exchanging portion to flow into the reservoir. The inflow passage is connected so as to be in communication with an inlet port of the reservoir which is disposed above a liquid surface of the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the reservoir.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger for a refrigeration cycle, comprising:
 a heat exchanging portion that exchanges heat between a refrigerant passing through therein and air;   a reservoir that performs gas-liquid separation on a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that flows out from the heat exchanging portion into a gas-phase refrigerant and a liquid-phase refrigerant, the reservoir storing the liquid-phase refrigerant;   an inflow passage that allows the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing out from the heat exchanging portion to flow into the reservoir;   a gas-phase outflow passage that allows the gas-phase refrigerant to flow out from the reservoir; and   a liquid-phase outflow passage that allows the liquid-phase refrigerant to flow out from the reservoir;   
       wherein
 the inflow passage is connected so as to be in communication with an inlet port of the reservoir disposed above a liquid surface of the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the reservoir, 
 the gas-phase outflow passage is connected so as to be in communication with a gas-phase outlet port of the reservoir disposed above the liquid surface of the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the reservoir, the gas-phase outlet port being disposed so as to be connected to a compressor included in the refrigeration cycle, and 
 the liquid-phase outflow passage is connected so as to be in communication with a liquid-phase outlet port of the reservoir disposed below the liquid surface of the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the reservoir. 
 
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the reservoir includes a partition portion between the inlet port and the gas-phase outlet port.   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the partition portion is disposed such that at least a portion thereof faces the inlet port.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a buffer portion is disposed between the inlet port and the liquid surface of the liquid-phase refrigerant.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein
 at least part of the buffer portion is arranged between the inlet port and the liquid-phase outlet port, and the buffer portion is disposed closer toward the liquid surface as compared to the inlet port.   
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the reservoir includes a substantially cylindrical main body portion in which the liquid-phase refrigerant can be stored, and   an average distance from the buffer portion to an inner wall of the main body portion is equal to or less than one-third of a radius of the main body portion.   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the reservoir includes a substantially cylindrical main body portion in which the liquid-phase refrigerant can be stored, and   the main body portion is formed with a main reservoir space and an auxiliary reservoir space, the auxiliary reservoir space having a smaller liquid surface area than the main reservoir space.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the inflow passage is disposed such that if a center line of the inflow passage is extended, the center line reaches an inner wall surface of the reservoir without passing through a center of the reservoir.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the inflow passage is provided such that the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant which flows through the inflow passage then flows in from the inlet port collides with the inner wall surface of the reservoir and then falls into the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the reservoir.   
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein a distance from the inlet port to an inner wall surface portion of the reservoir that faces the inlet port is shorter than a distance between the farthest portions of the inner wall surface of the reservoir.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the inner wall surface of the reservoir has a substantially circular cross section, and   the distance from the inlet port to the inner wall surface portion of the reservoir that faces the inlet port is shorter than a diameter of the reservoir.   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein
 a part of an inner wall surface of the inflow passage is disposed so as to follow the tangent of the inner wall surface of the reservoir.