Integrated unit for refrigerant cycle device and manufacturing method of the same

Abstract

An integrated unit for a refrigerant cycle device includes an ejector having a nozzle part for decompressing refrigerant, and an evaporator located to evaporate the refrigerant to be drawn into a refrigerant suction port of the ejector or the refrigerant discharged from an outlet of the ejector. The evaporator includes a plurality of tubes defining refrigerant passages through which refrigerant flows, a tank that is disposed at one end side of the tubes for distributing refrigerant into the tubes and for collecting the refrigerant from the tubes. The tank extends in a tank longitudinal direction that is parallel to an arrangement direction of the tubes, and is provided with an end portion in the tank longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the end portion has a hole portion for inserting the ejector, and the ejector is inserted into an inner space of the tank from the hole portion.

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 present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit for the ejector refrigerant cycle device in the first embodiment;

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

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporator tank of the integrated unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to a comparison example of the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of an evaporator tank in the integrated unit of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporator tank of the integrated unit of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of an evaporator tank in the integrated unit of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the evaporator tank of the integrated unit of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of an evaporator tank in the integrated unit of FIG. 12;

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

FIG. 15 is a disassembled perspective view showing a schematic structure of an integrated unit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of the integrated unit according to the fifth embodiment

FIG. 17 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a part of an evaporator tank of the integrated unit at a side of a connection block, according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a part of the evaporator tank of the integrated unit at a side opposite to the connection block, according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the evaporator tank of the integrated unit taken along the line XIX-XIX in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a schematic perspective view showing the connection block and an intervening plate of the integrated unit according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a side view of the connection block from the arrow XXI of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing an ejector fixing plate of the integrated unit according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a spacer of the integrated unit according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing a partition plate of the integrated unit according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a refrigerant retention plate of the integrated unit according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 26 is a sectional view showing a part of an evaporator tank according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 29 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 30 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an ejector refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 31 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. 32 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. An integrated unit for a refrigerant cycle device, comprising: an ejector that has a nozzle part which decompresses refrigerant, and a refrigerant suction port from which refrigerant is drawn by a high-speed refrigerant flow jetted from the nozzle part, wherein the refrigerant jetted from the nozzle part and the refrigerant drawn from the refrigerant suction port are mixed and discharged from an outlet of the ejector; andan evaporator located to evaporate the refrigerant to be drawn into the refrigerant suction port or the refrigerant discharged from the outlet of the ejector, wherein:the evaporator includes a plurality of tubes defining refrigerant passages through which refrigerant flows, a tank that is disposed at one end side of the tubes for distributing refrigerant into the tubes and for collecting the refrigerant from the tubes, wherein the tank extends in a tank longitudinal direction that is parallel to an arrangement direction of the tubes;the tank is provided with an end portion in the tank longitudinal direction, and the end portion has a hole portion for inserting the ejector; andthe ejector is inserted into an inner space of the tank from the hole portion.

2. The integrated unit according to claim 1, wherein: the evaporator includes an evaporator part located to evaporate the refrigerant to be drawn into the refrigerant suction;the inner space of the tank includes a space part for collecting the refrigerant from the tubes; andthe ejector is inserted into the space part of the inner space of the tank, and the refrigerant suction port directly communicates with the space part.

3. The integrated unit according to claim 2, wherein the evaporator is a downstream evaporator located at a downstream side in an air flow direction to evaporate the refrigerant to be drawn into the refrigerant suction port, the integrated unit further comprising an upstream evaporator that is located upstream of the downstream evaporator in the air flow direction, wherein:the upstream evaporator is arranged for evaporating the refrigerant discharged from the outlet of the ejector;the inner space of the tank includes a space part that is positioned at a refrigerant outlet side for collecting the refrigerant from the tubes; andthe ejector is inserted into the space part of the inner space of the tank.

4. The integrated unit according to claim 1, wherein: the inner space of the tank is partitioned into a collecting space part for collecting the refrigerant from the tubes, and a distributing space part for distributing the refrigerant into the tubes;the ejector is inserted into the collecting space part of the tank; anda number of the tubes communicating with the collecting space part of the tank is larger than a number of the tubes communicating with the distributing space part.

5. The integrated unit according to claim 1, wherein: the inner space of the tank has a tank space part for distributing the refrigerant into the tubes and for collecting the refrigerant from the tubes, and an ejector inserting space part separated from the tank space part; andthe ejector is inserted into the ejector inserting space part of the tank.

6. The integrated unit according to claim 1, wherein the tank has a refrigerant inlet in the end portion where the hole portion is provided.

7. The integrated unit according to claim 1, further comprising a connection block located at the end portion of the tank in the tank longitudinal direction, wherein:the connection block is provided with a refrigerant inlet for introducing the refrigerant, and a refrigerant outlet for discharging the refrigerant; andthe hole portion is provided in the connection block.

8. The integrated unit according to claim 7, wherein the connection block defines a passage hole for defining the refrigerant inlet, and the hole portion is provided by the passage hole.

9. The integrated unit according to claim 7, wherein the hole portion is provided separately from the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet.

10. The integrated unit according to claim 9, wherein the connection block has a recess portion recessed from an inner surface to form a refrigerant path through which the refrigerant inlet communicates with an inlet of the nozzle part.

11. The integrated unit according to claim 10, further comprising an intervening plate located between the connection block and the end portion of the tank in the tank longitudinal direction, wherein:the intervening plate has an opening provided concentrically with the hole portion;the ejector is inserted into the tank from the hole portion through the opening of the intervening plate; andthe refrigerant path is defined by combining the connection block and the intervening plate.

12. The integrated unit according to claim 10, further comprising a throttle mechanism for decompressing refrigerant,wherein the recess portion is provided to define a branch passage branched from the refrigerant path; andthe branch passage communicates with an inlet side of the throttle mechanism.

13. The integrated unit according to claim 12, wherein the inlet side of the throttle mechanism is positioned in the branch passage at a position that is downstream from the inlet of the nozzle part in the refrigerant path.

14. The integrated unit according to claim 12, wherein the throttle mechanism is a capillary tube located along the tank longitudinal direction and integrated with the tank.

15. The integrated unit according to claim 7, wherein the connection block has a screw hole for connecting a member of the refrigerant cycle device.

16. The integrated unit according to claim 1, further comprising an ejector fixing member for fixing the ejector concentrically with the hole portion, wherein the ejector is fastened and fixed to the ejector fixing member.

17. The integrated unit according to claim 16, wherein the ejector fixing member includes a fixing plate that is located in the tank for fixing the ejector.

18. The integrated unit according to claim 16, further comprising an intervening plate located between the connection block and the end portion of the tank in the tank longitudinal direction, wherein:the intervening plate includes a cylindrical portion having therein an opening provided concentrically with the hole portion;the ejector is inserted into the tank from the hole portion of the connection block through the opening of the intervening plate; andthe ejector fixing member is constructed of the cylindrical portion.

19. The integrated unit according to claim 16, wherein the cylindrical portion is provided with a rotation preventing portion as the ejector fixing member, for regulating an assembled position of the ejector in a circumferential direction.

20. The integrated unit according to claim 1, further comprising an integrated member located in the tank and integrated with the tank, wherein the ejector is air-tightly fixed to the integrated member.

21. The integrated unit according to claim 20, wherein: the ejector further has a pressure increasing portion in which a mixed refrigerant stream of the refrigerant jetted from the nozzle part and the refrigerant drawn from the refrigerant suction port is decelerated so as to increase pressure of the mixed refrigerant stream; andthe pressure increasing portion of the ejector is integrated with the integrated member.

22. The integrated unit according to claim 1, further comprising a plug member which is screw-inserted into the hole portion to seal the hole portion.

23. The integrated unit according to claim 22, further comprising a spacer located between the plug member and the ejector to regulate a distance between the plug member and the ejector.

24. A refrigerant cycle device comprising: a compressor for compressing refrigerant;a radiator for cooling the refrigerant from the compressor;an ejector that 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 the nozzle part, wherein the refrigerant jetted from the nozzle part and the refrigerant drawn from the refrigerant suction port are mixed and discharged from an outlet of the ejector; andan evaporator located to evaporate the refrigerant to be drawn into the refrigerant suction port or the refrigerant discharged from the outlet of the ejector, wherein:the evaporator includes a plurality of tubes defining refrigerant passages through which refrigerant flows, a tank that is disposed at one end side of the tubes for distributing refrigerant into the tubes and for collecting the refrigerant from the tubes, wherein the tank extends in a tank longitudinal direction that is parallel to an arrangement direction of the tubes;the tank is provided with a hole portion for inserting the ejector, at an end portion in the tank longitudinal direction; andthe ejector is inserted into an inner space of the tank from the hole portion.

25. A manufacturing method of an integrated unit for a refrigerant cycle device, the method comprising: assembling evaporator members to form a heat exchanger structure that includes a plurality of tubes defining refrigerant passages through which refrigerant flows, a tank that is disposed at one end side of the tubes and extends in a tank longitudinal direction for distributing refrigerant into the tubes and for collecting the refrigerant from the tubes;integrally brazing the heat exchanger structure; andinserting an ejector into the tank from a side of an end portion of the tank in a tank longitudinal direction, after the brazing.

26. The manufacturing method according to claim 25, further comprising connecting a connection block having a hole portion to the end portion of the tank before the brazing, wherein:the connection block and the heat exchanger structure are integrally brazed in the brazing; andthe ejector is inserted into the tank through the hole portion of the connection block, after the brazing.

27. The manufacturing method according to claim 25, wherein: the ejector has a nozzle part which decompresses refrigerant, and a refrigerant suction port from which refrigerant is drawn by a high-speed refrigerant flow jetted from the nozzle part, wherein the refrigerant jetted from the nozzle part and the refrigerant drawn from the refrigerant suction port are mixed and discharged from an outlet of the ejector; andthe heat exchanger structure is an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant to be drawn into the refrigerant suction port or the refrigerant discharged from the outlet of the ejector.