Heat exchanger and refrigerant cycle device using the same

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of fluid passages through which a heat-exchanger fluid including a liquid-phase fluid passes, a tank disposed above inlet parts of the fluid passages for distributing a flow of the heat-exchanger fluid to the fluid passages, and a retention member that is located above the inlet parts within the tank, for temporarily storing therein the liquid-phase fluid flowing into the tank. The retention member is constructed such that the liquid-phase fluid overflowing from the retention member falls toward the inlet part. Accordingly, the heat-exchanger fluid can be uniformly distributed into the fluid passages from the tank. For example, the heat exchanger can be used as an evaporator for a refrigerant cycle device having an ejector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments when taken together with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit in the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporator tank in the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the evaporator tank in the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a connection block and an intervening plate in the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an ejector fixing plate in the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an upper and lower partition plate in the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a spacer in the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a refrigerant retention plate in the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lower space in an evaporator tank of the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing an entire refrigerant flow path in the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit in an example 1 of the first embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporator tank of the integrated unit of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the evaporator tank of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit in an example 2;

FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporator tank of the integrated unit of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the evaporator tank of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit in an example 3;

FIG. 20 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an evaporator tank of the integrated unit of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the evaporator tank of the integrated unit of FIG. 19;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit in an example 4;

FIG. 23 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an evaporator tank of the integrated unit of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a side view of the evaporator tank of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit in an example 5, together with a sectional view of an external cassette;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit in an example 6, together with a sectional view of an external cassette;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a refrigerant retention plate according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lower space of an evaporator tank of an integrated unit according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a refrigerant retention plate according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of a lower space of an evaporator tank of an integrated unit according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view of a lower space of an evaporator tank of an integrated unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 32 is a longitudinal sectional view of an evaporator tank of an integrated unit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 33 is a longitudinal sectional view of an evaporator tank of an integrated unit according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 34 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 35 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 36 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 37 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 38 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 39 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising: a plurality of tubes defining fluid passages through which a heat-exchanger fluid including at least a liquid-phase fluid passes;a tank disposed above an inlet part of the plurality of fluid passages for distributing a flow of the heat-exchanger fluid to the fluid passages; anda retention member, located above the inlet part within the tank, for temporarily storing therein the liquid-phase fluid flowing into the tank,wherein the retention member is constructed such that the liquid-phase fluid overflowing from the retention member falls toward the inlet part.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the retention member has a mountain section protruding from a horizontal surface,wherein the mountain section and an inner wall surface of the tank extending in a vertical direction define a recessed retention portion in which the liquid-phase fluid is temporarily stored, andwherein the mountain section of the retention member includes an apex area having a hole through which the liquid-phase fluid stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein a flexed angle (θ) of the mountain section is in a range from 30 degrees to 170 degrees.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the hole is provided in the mountain section to be superimposed over the inlet part.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein an edge of the hole is formed in a wave shape.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein an edge of the hole is formed in a wave shape, andwherein an apex of the wave shape recessed toward an outside of the hole is superimposed over the inlet part.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the retention member includes a tilt plate tilted in the tank with respective to a horizontal direction, andwherein the tilt plate has: a lower part, which forms a retention portion in which the liquid-phase fluid is temporarily stored, together with an inner wall surface of the tank; and an upper part having a hole through which the liquid-phase fluid stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the retention member includes a plate member having a recessed part for defining a retention portion in which the liquid-phase fluid is temporarily stored, andwherein the plate member is separated from an inner wall of the tank to form a hole through which the liquid-phase fluid stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the retention member has a plurality of holes each of which overlaps with at least one of the inlet parts of the tubes.

10. A refrigerant cycle device comprising a compressor for compressing refrigerant;a radiator for cooling the refrigerant from the compressor;an ejector which has a nozzle part for decompressing the refrigerant from the radiator, and a refrigerant suction port from which refrigerant is drawn by a high-speed refrigerant flow jetted from a jet port of the nozzle part;a one evaporator in which the refrigerant to be drawn into the refrigerant suction port is evaporated, wherein the one evaporator includes a plurality of tubes defining refrigerant passages through which refrigerant including at least a liquid-phase refrigerant passes, and a tank disposed above an inlet part of the plurality of refrigerant passages for distributing a flow of the refrigerant to the refrigerant passages; anda retention member, located in the tank above the inlet part, for temporarily storing therein the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing into the tank,wherein the retention member is provided to form a hole through which the liquid-phase refrigerant overflowing from the retention member falls toward the inlet part.

11. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 10, further comprising another evaporator for evaporating refrigerant,wherein the another evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet coupled to a refrigerant outlet of the ejector and a refrigerant outlet coupled to a refrigerant suction side of the compressor, andwherein the one evaporator and the another evaporator are integrated with the ejector.

12. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 10, wherein the ejector is integrated with at least the one evaporator.

13. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 12, wherein the ejector is located in the tank of the one evaporator.

14. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 12, wherein the ejector is integrated with the one evaporator outside of the one evaporator.

15. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 10, further comprising a decompression member, integrated with the one evaporator, for decompressing the refrigerant flowing into the one evaporator.

16. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 10, further comprising a gas-liquid separator, integrated with the one evaporator, for separating the refrigerant after passing through the tubes of the one evaporator into gas-phase refrigerant and the liquid-phase refrigerant.

17. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 10, wherein the retention member has a mountain section protruding from a horizontal surface,wherein the mountain section and an inner wall surface of the tank extending in a vertical direction define a recessed retention portion in which the liquid-phase refrigerant is temporarily stored, andwherein the mountain section of the retention member includes an apex area having the hole through which the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.

18. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 10, wherein the retention member includes a tilt plate tilted in the tank with respective to a horizontal direction, andwherein the tilt plate has: a lower part, which forms a retention portion in which the liquid-phase refrigerant is temporarily stored, together with an inner wall surface of the tank; and an upper part having the hole through which the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.

19. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 10, wherein the retention member includes a plate member having a recessed part for defining a retention portion in which the liquid-phase refrigerant is temporarily stored, andwherein the plate member is separated from an inner wall of the tank to form the hole through which the liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the retention portion falls toward the inlet part due to the overflowing.

20. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 15, wherein the decompression member and the ejector are integrated with the one evaporator.