HEAT EXCHANGER

• US 20150013950A1
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: AAF-McQuay Incorporated (Daikin Industries Ltd)
• Inventors: NUMATA, Mitsuharu, KASAI, Kazushige
• Granted Patent: US 9,658,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/157
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2339/024 Evaporators with refrigerant in a vessel in which is situated a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2339/0242 having tubular elements
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/02 Evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/028 having distributing means
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0071 Evaporators for vehicles F28D2021/0085, for compression systems F25B39/02
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 3/02 with tubular conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 3/04 Distributing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 5/02 in which the evaporating medium flows in a continuous film or trickles freely over the conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/163 with conduit assemblies having a particular shape, e.g. square or annular; with assemblies of conduits having different geometrical features; with multiple groups of conduits connected in series or parallel and arranged inside common casing F28D7/1615 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0275 with multiple branch pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/22 Arrangements for directing heat-exchange media into successive compartments, e.g. arrangements of guide plates

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a shell, a refrigerant distribution assembly, a heat transferring unit and a canopy member. The refrigerant distribution assembly receives a refrigerant that enters the shell and discharges the refrigerant. The refrigerant distribution assembly has at least one outermost lateral end. The heat transferring unit is disposed below the refrigerant distribution assembly so that the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant distribution assembly is supplied to the heat transferring unit. The heat transferring unit includes a plurality heat transfer tubes. The canopy member includes at least one lateral side portion extending laterally outwardly and downwardly from a position above the refrigerant distribution assembly. The lateral side portion has a free end disposed laterally further from a vertical plane than the refrigerant distribution assembly, and lower than an upper edge of the outermost lateral end of the refrigerant distribution assembly.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger adapted to be used in a vapor compression system, the heat exchanger comprising:

a shell with a longitudinal center axis extending generally parallel to a horizontal plane;

a refrigerant distribution assembly disposed inside the shell, the refrigerant distribution assembly extending generally parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the shell to receive a refrigerant that enters the shell and to discharge the refrigerant, and the refrigerant distribution assembly having at least one outermost lateral end;

a heat transferring unit disposed inside of the shell below the refrigerant distribution assembly so that the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant distribution assembly is supplied to the heat transferring unit, the heat transferring unit including a plurality heat transfer tubes extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; and

a canopy member disposed inside the casing, the canopy member including at least one lateral side portion extending laterally outwardly and downwardly from a position above the refrigerant distribution assembly, as viewed along the longitudinal center axis,

the lateral side portion having a free end disposed

further from a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal center axis than the refrigerant distribution assembly, as viewed along the longitudinal center axis, and

lower than an upper edge of the outermost lateral end of the refrigerant distribution assembly, as viewed along the longitudinal center axis.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein

the refrigerant distribution assembly has a pair of outermost lateral ends, and the canopy member includes a pair of lateral side portions extending laterally outwardly and downwardly from positions above the refrigerant distribution assembly;

and

each of the lateral side portion has a free end disposed

further from a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal center axis than the refrigerant distribution assembly, as viewed along the longitudinal center axis, and

lower than an upper edge of one of the outermost lateral ends, as viewed along the longitudinal center axis.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein

the canopy member includes a central portion attached at an upper end of the refrigerant distribution assembly, with the pair of lateral side portions extending laterally from opposite lateral ends of the central portion.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein

the outermost lateral ends of the refrigerant distribution assembly are disposed laterally further from the vertical plane than the heat the heat transfer tubes, as viewed along the longitudinal center axis.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein

each of the lateral side portions includes an inclined section that is inclined relative to the vertical plane.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein

each of the lateral side portions further includes a vertical section extending downwardly from the inclined section thereof to form one of the free ends at a lower end of the vertical section.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein

each of the lateral side portions further includes a flange section extending from the inclined section toward the refrigerant distribution assembly.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein

each of the further includes a flange section extending from the inclined section toward the refrigerant distribution assembly.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein

the refrigerant distribution assembly includes

a first tray part disposed inside of the shell and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the shell to receive a refrigerant that enters the shell, the first tray part having a plurality of first discharge apertures;

a second tray part disposed inside of the shell below the first tray part to receive the refrigerant discharged from the first discharge apertures, the second tray part having a plurality of second discharge apertures, and

the free ends of the lateral side portions are disposed lower than an upper end of the second tray part, and the second tray part forms the outermost lateral ends of the refrigerant distribution assembly.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein

the outermost lateral end of the refrigerant distribution assembly is disposed laterally further from the vertical plane than the heat the heat transfer tubes, as viewed along the longitudinal center axis.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein

the lateral side portion includes an inclined section that is inclined relative to the vertical plane.

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein

the lateral side portion further includes a vertical section extending downwardly from the inclined section to form the free end at a lower end of the vertical section.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein

the lateral side portion further includes a flange section extending from the inclined section toward the refrigerant distribution assembly.

14. The heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein

the lateral side portion further includes a flange section extending from the inclined section toward the refrigerant distribution assembly.

15. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein

the refrigerant distribution assembly includes

a first tray part disposed inside of the shell and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the shell to receive a refrigerant that enters the shell, the first tray part having a plurality of first discharge apertures;

a second tray part disposed inside of the shell below the first tray part to receive the refrigerant discharged from the first discharge apertures, the second tray part having a plurality of second discharge apertures, and

the free end is disposed lower than an upper end of the second tray part, and the second tray part forms the outermost lateral end of the refrigerant distribution assembly.

16. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein

the canopy member includes an attachment portion attached at an upper end of the refrigerant distribution assembly, with the lateral side portion extending laterally from a lateral end of the attachment portion.