US 5,205,138 AGranted

Spine fin refrigerator evaporator

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsJohn K. Besore, Bruce L. Ruark, Jerry C. Martin

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Abstract

A spine fin refrigerator evaporator is formed of lower and upper sections of elongated straight runs, which have fins thereon and have their ends connected to each other by return bent ends. The lower section is formed with two rows of the elongated straight runs in an A shape to provide a passage therebetween through which air initially flows through the evaporator so that frost can be gathered without blocking air flow therethrough. The upper section has three rows of the elongated straight runs with the fins of adjacent rows overlapping each other to provide an efficient heat transfer from the refrigerant in the elongated straight runs to the air whereby the lower and upper sections combine to provide a practical and efficient evaporator. If desired, the upper and lower sections can be vertically spaced from each other to have a defrost heater disposed therebetween.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A refrigerator including:

an evaporator chamber;
means for causing air to flow through said evaporator chamber in a predetermined direction;
a refrigerant evaporator disposed within said evaporator chamber;
said refrigerant evaporator including:
an elongated tube having elongated straight runs and return bent ends joining said elongated straight runs in a serpentine arrangement;
a plurality of heat exchange fins disposed along at least each of said elongated straight runs, said fins projecting outwardly therefrom;
said elongated straight runs being arranged in said evaporator chamber in a plurality of passes extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of air flow through said evaporator chamber;
said refrigerant evaporator having a first section of said elongated straight runs initially exposed to air flow through said evaporator chamber;
said elongated straight runs of said first section being arranged in two rows extending generally in the direction of air flow through said first section in which said fins on said elongated straight runs in one of said rows are spaced from said fins of said elongated straight runs in the other of said rows to form an air passage therebetween for air flowing through said evaporator chamber;
and said refrigerant evaporator having a second section of said elongated straight runs connected to said first section of said elongated straight runs and exposed to air flow after it has passed through said first section of said elongated straight runs, said elongated straight runs of said second section being arranged in a plurality of rows extending generally in the direction of air flow through said evaporator chamber, said rows being so positioned relative to one another that said fins on said elongated straight runs in each of said rows overlap said fins on said elongated straight runs in each of said rows adjacent thereto.

7 more elements

A refrigerator including:

substantially vertically extending walls defining an evaporator chamber;
fan means for causing air to flow generally upwardly through said evaporator chamber;
a refrigerant evaporator disposed within said evaporator chamber;
said refrigerant evaporator including:
an elongated tube having elongated straight runs and return bent ends joining said elongated straight runs in a serpentine arrangement;
and a plurality of heat exchange spine fins disposed along at least each of said elongated straight runs, said fins projecting outwardly therefrom;
said elongated straight runs being arranged in said evaporator chamber in a plurality of passes extending substantially vertical and lying closely adjacent to corresponding ones of said vertically extending walls;
said refrigerant evaporator having a first section of said elongated straight runs at its lower end;
said elongated straight runs of said first section being arranged in two substantially vertical rows in which said fins on said elongated straight runs in one of said rows are spaced from said fins of said elongated straight runs in the other of said rows to form an air passage therebetween for air flowing through said evaporator chamber;
and said refrigerant evaporator having a second section of said elongated straight runs connected to said first section of said elongated straight runs and disposed above said first section of said elongated straight runs, said elongated straight runs of said second section being arranged in a plurality of substantially vertical rows in which said fins on said elongated straight runs in each of said rows overlap said fins on said elongated straight runs in each of said rows adjacent thereto so that frost build up between said elongated straight runs of said second section is significantly lower than frost build up between said elongated straight runs of said first section.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.