Refrigeration evaporator
AssigneeTI Group Automotive Systems, L.L.C.
InventorScot Reagen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An evaporator for disposition along an air flow for cooling the air. The evaporator comprises a continuous serpentine tube having an inlet and an outlet and a plurality of inner fins attached to the serpentine tube. The serpentine tube including at least one column of tube runs. The tube runs are grouped into tube run sets. Each tube run set is defined by at least one reverse bend and the tube runs extending from the ends of the at least one reverse bend. The centerline of each tube run set is not parallel to the centerline of an adjacent tube run set. Each inner fin extends between at least two tube runs of a tube run set.
Claims17
An evaporator for disposition along an air flow for cooling the air comprising:
- a continuous serpentine tube having an inlet and an outlet, said serpentine tube including at least one column of tube runs, said tube runs grouped into tube run sets, each tube run set defined by at least one reverse bend and the tube runs extending from the ends of said at least one reverse bend, each of said tube run sets defines a centerline, the centerline of one of said tube run set is not parallel to the centerline of an adjacent tube run set;
- a plurality of inner fins attached to said serpentine tube, each said inner fin extending between at least two tube runs of a tube run set.
An evaporator for disposition along an air flow for cooling the air comprising:
- a continuous serpentine tube having an inlet and an outlet, said serpentine tube including at least one column of tube runs;
- at least two rows of inner fins attached to said serpentine tube, each said inner fin extending between at least two tube runs;
- each of said rows of inner fins defines a centerline, the centerline of one of said row of inner fins is not parallel to the centerline of an adjacent row of inner fins.
A method of forming an evaporator comprising the steps of:
- providing a continuous tube;
- bending said tube into a serpentine tube pattern to include a plurality of inner reverse bends, a plurality of outer reverse bends and a plurality of parallel tube runs extending between said inner reverse bends and said outer reverse bends;
- providing a plurality of inner fins, each of said inner fin having a slot to receive one of said outer reverse bend;
- inserting one of said outer reverse bend of said serpentine tube through said slot in said plurality of inner fins;
- and
- bending said inner reverse bend such that one of said tube run defined at one end of said inner reverse bend is not parallel to another of said tube run defined at the other end of said inner reverse bend.
A method of forming an evaporator comprising the steps of:
- providing a continuous tube;
- bending said tube into a serpentine tube pattern to include a plurality of inner reverse bends, a plurality of outer reverse bends and a plurality of parallel tube runs extending between said inner reverse bends and said outer reverse bends;
- flatting a portion of said of serpentine tube,
- providing a plurality of inner fins, each of said inner fin having a slot to receive one of said outer reverse bend;
- inserting one of said outer reverse bend of said serpentine tube through said slot in said plurality of inner fins;
- and
- expanding said flattened portion of said serpentine tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.