JP4690883B2 - Heat exchanger and air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat exchanger and an air conditioner, and more particularly to a heat exchanger and an air conditioner of an air conditioner operated in a supercritical cycle.

Conventionally, various refrigerants have been used as refrigerants used in air conditioners using a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. However, in order to prevent global warming in recent years, development of an air conditioner that uses carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) as a refrigerant instead of the above-mentioned various types of chlorofluorocarbons has been promoted.
Since CO ₂ has considerably different thermodynamic characteristics from CFCs, various heat exchangers different from conventional types have been proposed in heat exchangers that exchange heat between CO ₂ and outside air (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-3810 (page 7, FIG. 2) JP 2003-172592 A (page 3, FIG. 2) JP 2000-81294 A (page 3-4, FIG. 3)

In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a multi-flow type heat exchanger including a plurality of stacked tubes and a tank portion disposed at an end of the tube, the position when the refrigerant flows through the plurality of tubes, and A configuration of a heat exchanger that can be oriented is disclosed.
According to this heat exchanger, it is described that an increase in pressure loss can be suppressed with a relatively simple configuration, and the temperature distribution of the external fluid to be heat exchanged can be adjusted.
However, in the above-described heat exchanger, the tank portion formed by press working has a shape protruding in a convex shape. Due to the projecting shape, there is a problem that it is difficult to mount the heat exchanger in the casing of the air conditioner. Furthermore, when the above heat exchanger is used in an air conditioner for a vehicle, there is a problem that it is difficult to attach a bracket used for fixing to the vehicle to the above heat exchanger.

In the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, it is a multi-flow type heat exchanger having a header tank and a plurality of flat tubes inserted into the header tank, and a tank reinforcing member is inserted into the space in the header tank. The structure of the heat exchanger which uses the clearance gap between a reinforcement member and a header tank as a refrigerant flow path is disclosed.
According to this heat exchanger, it is described that high pressure resistance can be realized by using a tank reinforcing member. Furthermore, since there is no part which protruded convexly like the heat exchanger of the above-mentioned patent document 1, it describes that the mounting property in the casing of an air conditioner can be improved.
However, in the above-described heat exchanger, since the tank reinforcing member is provided in the header tank and the gap is used as the refrigerant flow path, the dimension in the width direction of the header is large. Therefore, the above-described heat exchanger has a problem that it is difficult to mount it in the casing of the air conditioner.

In the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, a multi-flow type heat exchanger including a plurality of tubes through which refrigerant flows and a header tank that collects and collects refrigerant flowing out of the tubes, the header tank includes a header plate and a plate The structure of the heat exchanger provided with a cover is disclosed.
According to this heat exchanger, it is described that an increase in size of the heat exchanger can be suppressed while improving pressure resistance and mountability.
However, in the above heat exchanger, the outer peripheral wall of the header tank is composed of two members, a header plate and a plate cover. In the case of this configuration, in order to ensure a predetermined pressure resistance, the header plate and the plate cover have the same thickness along the longitudinal direction of the header. For this reason, there is a problem that the weight of the header tank increases and the weight of the heat exchanger also increases. When the weight of the heat exchanger is increased, there is a problem that the mountability of the heat exchanger to a vehicle air conditioner that is strongly demanded to be reduced in weight.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and is capable of improving the strength and improving the mountability to an air conditioner, particularly the mountability to a vehicle air conditioner. An object is to provide an air conditioner and an air conditioner.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention and reference examples provide the following means.
The heat exchanger according to the present invention is a heat exchanger including a plurality of tubes through which a refrigerant flows and a header tank communicating with the plurality of tubes, wherein the header tank is an outer frame of the header tank. And a flat insertion plate that constitutes the header tank together with the casing by being inserted into the casing, and the casing includes the plurality of tubes. The insertion plate is provided at an end in the longitudinal direction of the insertion plate, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the header tank, and a cap portion that closes the opening of the housing. and a coolant flow path is provided in which the refrigerant from the tube through an insertion hole flows, said insert plate being inserted in parallel to the insertion holes are formed face in the housing With features That.

According to the present invention, since the header tank is constituted by the cylindrical casing and the insertion plate, the pressure resistance and mountability of the heat exchanger can be improved. Furthermore, the enlargement of the heat exchanger can be suppressed.
By configuring the outer frame of the header tank from a cylindrical housing and an insertion plate that are integrally formed, compared to the case of forming a header tank by stacking a plurality of plate members, Bonding can be reduced and the pressure resistance can be improved. For example, it is possible to prevent a decrease in pressure resistance due to bonding failure such as brazing. Further, since the refrigerant flow path is formed by inserting and brazing the insertion plate into the casing, the ribs are arranged in the casing, and the pressure resistance of the header tank can be improved.
Since the coolant channel is formed by the housing and the insertion plate, the coolant channel can be secured without increasing the size of the housing. Therefore, the enlargement of the heat exchanger can be suppressed, and the mountability of the heat exchanger, particularly the mountability on the vehicle can be improved.
The housing is provided with an insertion hole through which a tube is inserted, and the insertion plate is provided with a refrigerant flow path. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing through the tube can flow into and out of the refrigerant flow path in the header tank via the insertion hole.

In the reference example of the above invention , it is desirable that the insertion plate is provided with a cap portion that closes the opening of the housing.

According to the reference example of the present invention , the opening of the cylindrical casing can be closed by the cap portion of the insertion plate, and the pressure resistance and mountability of the heat exchanger can be improved.
For example, the pair of openings of the housing is closed by a pair of caps provided on the insertion plate. In such a case, since the pair of cap portions are provided at both ends of the insertion plate, it is possible to prevent the cap portions from being detached from the heat exchanger when a bonding failure such as brazing occurs. Therefore, the safety of the heat exchanger can be improved as compared with a conventional method in which only the cap portion is directly brazed to the opening of the housing. Moreover, since the opening can be closed without causing the cap to protrude from the housing, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the heat exchanger, and to improve the mountability of the heat exchanger, particularly the mountability to the vehicle. be able to.

  In the above invention, a joining plate provided with a through-hole through which the tube is inserted at the same position as the insertion hole is provided, and the joining plate is inside the housing or the insertion hole in the housing. It is desirable to be disposed on the surface on which is formed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate the joining of the tube and the header tank by providing the joining plate inside the housing or on the surface of the housing where the insertion hole is formed.
The through hole formed in the joining plate is arranged at the same position as the insertion hole formed in the housing. Therefore, the tube is inserted into the insertion hole and the through hole and fixed to the header tank. Compared to the case where the tube is inserted only into the insertion hole, the configuration in which the tube is inserted into the insertion hole and the through hole makes it easier to maintain the posture of the tube during insertion. As a result, the tube and the header tank can be easily fixed, and the relative positional accuracy between the tube and the header tank can be improved.

  In the said invention, it is desirable for the said housing | casing to be provided with the temporary fix part which temporarily fixes the said joining plate.

According to the present invention, since the housing is provided with the temporary fixing portion for temporarily fixing the joining plate, the assemblability of the heat exchanger can be improved.
When attaching the joining plate to the housing, the joining plate can be temporarily fastened to the temporarily fastening portion and positioned, and then brazed to the housing. Therefore, it is possible to facilitate the joining between the housing and the joining plate and to improve the relative positional accuracy between the housing and the joining plate.

The heat exchanger according to the present invention is characterized in that a thickness of the header tank around the refrigerant flow path varies in the longitudinal direction.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the pressure resistance of the header tank and prevent an increase in the weight of the heat exchanger by changing the thickness around the refrigerant flow path in the header tank along the longitudinal direction of the header tank. it can.
By changing the thickness around the refrigerant flow path in the header tank in the longitudinal direction, the thickness necessary for securing the strength of the header tank can be secured, and the pressure resistance can be improved. On the other hand, by reducing the thickness of a portion that is not necessary for securing the strength of the header tank, it is possible to prevent an increase in the weight of the header tank and an increase in the weight of the heat exchanger.

  In the above-mentioned invention, it is preferable that a reinforcing plate provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the header tank is provided, and the reinforcing plate is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the header tank. .

According to the present invention, the pressure resistance of the header tank can be improved by providing the reinforcing plate provided with the reinforcing rib on the outer peripheral surface of the header tank.
The reinforcing plate is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the header tank. Therefore, the reinforcing plate can support a force acting in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. That is, since this reinforcing plate is provided in the header tank, even if pressure is applied to the header tank, the reinforcing plate supports a part of the force acting on the header tank, so that the pressure resistance of the header tank is improved. be able to.

In the above invention, before Symbol reinforcing plate, wherein the insertion hole of the header tank is disposed on the other surface facing the one surface formed, looking at the one side from the other surface, the reinforcing It is desirable that the rib is disposed at the same position as the insertion hole.

According to the present invention, since the reinforcing rib is disposed at the same position as the insertion hole as viewed from one surface where the insertion hole is formed from the other surface where the reinforcing plate is disposed, the pressure resistance of the header tank is reduced. Can be improved.
Since the reinforcing rib is arranged at the same position as the insertion hole, the strength reduction of the header tank due to the formation of the insertion hole can be prevented by the reinforcing rib. At the same time, the strength of the header tank can be improved. That is, by disposing the reinforcing plate in the header tank, it is possible to prevent the header tank from being lowered in strength and to improve the pressure resistance of the header tank.

In the above invention, the reinforcing plate is preferably provided with a reinforcing Li Bed extending along the longitudinal direction of the header tank.

According to the present invention, the pressure resistance of the header tank can be improved by providing the reinforcing plate provided with the reinforcing rib on the outer peripheral surface of the header tank.
The reinforcing plate is provided with reinforcing ribs extending in the direction along the longitudinal direction of the header tank. Therefore, the reinforcing plate can support the force acting in the direction along the longitudinal direction. That is, since this reinforcing plate is provided in the header tank, even if pressure is applied to the header tank, the reinforcing plate supports a part of the force acting on the header tank, so that the pressure resistance of the header tank is improved. be able to.

In the above invention, provided with a reinforcing plate reinforcing ribs are provided which are arranged around the front Symbol insertion hole, it is desirable that the reinforcing plate is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the header tank.

According to the present invention, the pressure resistance of the header tank can be improved by providing the reinforcing plate provided with the reinforcing rib on the outer peripheral surface of the header tank.
The reinforcing plate is provided with reinforcing ribs arranged around the insertion hole. Therefore, the reinforcing plate can improve the strength in the vicinity of the insertion hole in the header tank. In other words, since this reinforcement plate is provided in the header tank, even if pressure is applied to the header tank, the reinforcement plate supports a part of the force acting in the vicinity of the insertion hole in the header tank. Can be improved.

In the said invention, it is desirable for the said housing | casing to be provided with the temporary fix part which temporarily fixes the said reinforcement plate.

According to the present invention, since the housing is provided with the temporary fixing portion for temporarily fixing the reinforcing plate, the assembly of the heat exchanger can be improved.
When the reinforcing plate is attached to the housing, the reinforcing plate can be temporarily fixed to the temporary fixing portion and positioned, and then brazed to the housing. For this reason, it is possible to facilitate the joining of the housing and the reinforcing plate and to improve the relative positional accuracy between the housing and the reinforcing plate.

An air conditioner of the present invention includes a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a radiator that releases the heat of the compressed refrigerant to the outside, a decompressor that decompresses the pressure of the radiated high-temperature refrigerant, and a decompressed low-temperature refrigerant. An evaporator that evaporates, and at least one of the radiator and the evaporator uses the heat exchanger according to any one of the above .

According to the present invention, since at least one of the radiator and the evaporator uses the heat exchanger of the present invention and the reference example , the strength of at least one of the radiator and the evaporator is improved, and the air conditioner Can be improved. In particular, it is possible to improve the mountability of at least one of the radiator and the evaporator on the vehicle air conditioner.

According to the heat exchanger and the air conditioner of the present invention and the reference example, since the header tank is configured by the cylindrical casing and the insertion plate, it is possible to improve the pressure resistance and mountability of the heat exchanger. Furthermore, the enlargement of a heat exchanger can be suppressed. Therefore, the effect of improving the strength and improving the mountability to the air conditioner, particularly the mountability to the vehicle air conditioner is achieved.
Further, by changing the thickness around the refrigerant flow path in the header tank along the longitudinal direction of the header tank, it is possible to improve the pressure resistance of the header tank and to prevent an increase in the weight of the heat exchanger. Therefore, the effect of improving the strength and improving the mountability to the air conditioner, particularly the mountability to the vehicle air conditioner is achieved.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a vehicle air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present embodiment.
The vehicle air conditioner (air conditioner) 1 in this embodiment is operated by a supercritical cycle, and as a refrigerant, for example, carbon dioxide (hereinafter referred to as CO ₂ ), which is a natural refrigerant, is used. It is what is used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle air conditioner 1 cools a compressor 3 that compresses a refrigerant, a gas cooler (heat radiator) 5 that radiates heat of the compressed refrigerant, and a refrigerant that has flowed out of the gas cooler 5. An internal heat exchanger 7, a pressure control valve (decompressor) 9 for reducing the pressure of the cooled refrigerant, and an evaporator (evaporator, heat exchanger) 11 for evaporating the reduced refrigerant are provided.
The vehicle air conditioner 1 is mounted on a vehicle C, and components other than the evaporator 11 are mounted in an engine room 13. The evaporator 11 is mounted in the passenger compartment 15.

The compressor 3 sucks the low-pressure gas refrigerant flowing out from the internal heat exchanger 7, compresses the refrigerant to a supercritical state, and discharges the refrigerant toward the gas cooler 5. The compressor 3 is rotationally driven by the engine 17 via a driving belt (not shown), and compresses the refrigerant by this rotational driving force.
The gas cooler 5 cools the refrigerant by dissipating the heat of the supercritical refrigerant to the outside air. The gas cooler 5 is disposed on the front side of the vehicle C with respect to the radiator 25 (the left side in FIG. 1). The radiator 25 radiates the heat of the cooling water of the engine 17 to the outside air. A fan 27 is disposed behind the radiator 25 (rightward in FIG. 1) to allow the outside air to flow through the heat exchanging unit 23 from the front to the rear.

The internal heat exchanger 7 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant that has flowed out of the gas cooler 5 and the refrigerant that has flowed out of the evaporator 11. The refrigerant flowing out of the gas cooler 5 is deprived of heat by the refrigerant flowing out of the lower temperature evaporator 11 and cooled.
The pressure control valve 9 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant cooled in the internal heat exchanger 7.

The evaporator 11 exchanges heat between the decompressed refrigerant and the air in the passenger compartment 15. The refrigerant absorbs the heat of the air in the passenger compartment 15 and evaporates to become a gas refrigerant. The air in the passenger compartment 15 is cooled by the heat absorbed by the refrigerant. Note that the refrigerant is in a gas-liquid two-layer state in the evaporator 11.
An accumulator 29 is disposed between the evaporator 11 and the internal heat exchanger 7. The accumulator 29 is a gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant that have flowed out of the evaporator 11, only a gas refrigerant is passed through, and the liquid refrigerant is stored.

Next, the configuration of the evaporator, which is a characteristic part of the present embodiment, will be described.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the evaporator 11 includes an upper header tank (header tank) 31A, a lower header tank (header tank) 31B, and a plurality of tubes 33 arranged between the header tanks 31A and 31B. ing.
The upper header tank 31A and the lower header tank 31B are formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and are arranged in parallel to each other. The upper header tank 31A is provided with an inflow portion 35 into which a refrigerant flows from the outside and an outflow portion 37 from which the refrigerant flows out.
The tube 33 is formed in a substantially plate shape, and is arranged between the upper header tank 31A and the lower header tank 31B at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the header tanks 31A and 31B. Corrugated fins 39 are provided between the tubes 33.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the upper header tank in the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper header tank 31A includes a substantially cylindrical main plate (housing) 41A having a rectangular cross section, an insertion plate 43A arranged in the main plate 41A, and one surface of the main plate 41A. A tube joining plate (joining plate) 45A and a reinforcing plate 47 placed on the other surface of the main plate 41A.

The main plate 41A is a substantially cylindrical member in which a hole 49 having a rectangular cross section is formed.
In one surface (one surface) 51 (the lower surface in FIG. 3) of the main plate 41A facing the lower header tank 31B, a plurality of insertion holes 53 into which the tubes 33 (see FIG. 2) are inserted, and the refrigerant flows. A through hole 55 </ b> A that forms the inflow channel 55 and a through hole 57 </ b> A that forms the outflow channel 57 through which the refrigerant flows out are formed.
The insertion holes 53 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the main plate 41A, and are arranged in two rows in the width direction. The insertion hole 53 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the insertion hole 53 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main plate 41A.
The through holes 55A and 57A are substantially circular holes, and are arranged side by side in the width direction of the main plate 41A (a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction).
On one surface 51 and the other surface (other surface) 59 (upper surface in FIG. 3) opposite to the one surface 51, a temporary fixing portion 61 for temporarily fixing the tube joining plate 45 </ b> A and the reinforcing plate 47 is provided. ing. The temporary fixing portion 61 is a convex portion protruding from the one surface 51 and the other surface 59, and extends in the direction along the longitudinal axis of the main plate 41A in the vicinity of the end portions of the one surface 51 and the other surface 59. Is formed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the insertion plate in FIG.
The insertion plate 43A is inserted into the hole 49 of the main plate 41A and closes the opening of the hole 49.
As shown in FIG. 4, the insertion plate 43A has longitudinal flow paths (refrigerant flow paths) 63A and 63B extending along the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 4) of the insertion plate 43A, and the width direction of the insertion plate 43A (FIG. 4 in the longitudinal direction), and a cap portion 67 provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the insertion plate 43A. The longitudinal flow paths 63A and 63B and the lateral flow path 65 are formed in a state where the insertion plate 43A is inserted into the main plate 41A.
The longitudinal flow paths 63A and 63B extend in the longitudinal direction from the end portion (left end portion in FIG. 4) on the side where the inflow portion 35 of the insertion plate 43A is provided, and extend to the middle of the insertion plate 43A (for example, a substantially central portion). Until) is formed. In the present embodiment, two longitudinal flow paths 63A are formed on the side communicating with the inflow portion 35 (upper side in FIG. 4) in the width direction of the insertion plate 43A, and the side communicating with the outflow portion 37 (FIG. This is applied to a case where two vertical flow paths 63B are formed on the lower side of 4 (see FIG. 3). That is, the vertical flow path 63A is in communication with the inflow flow path 55, and the vertical flow path 63B is in communication with the outflow flow path 57. Further, the longitudinal flow path 63A communicates with a part of the insertion holes 53 constituting one row among the insertion holes 53 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the main plate 41A. On the other hand, the longitudinal flow path 63B communicates with a part of the insertion holes 53 constituting the other row.
The horizontal flow path 65 is formed in an end portion (right end portion in FIG. 4) region on the side where the inflow portion 35 of the insertion plate 43A is not provided, and in a region where the vertical flow paths 63A and 63B are not provided. Yes. The transverse flow path 65 is formed so as to be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the insertion plate 43A at the same interval as the interval in the longitudinal direction of the insertion hole 53 formed in the main plate 41A. Further, one horizontal flow path 65 is formed to communicate with a pair of insertion holes 53 arranged in the width direction of the main plate 41A.
The cap portion 67 closes the opening portion of the hole 49 and is formed to be slightly larger than the opening portion of the hole 49.
When inserting the insertion plate 43A into the main plate 41A, it is preferable to perform so-called shrink fitting, in which the insertion plate 43A is inserted in a state in which the main plate 41A is heated to widen the holes 49. This is because, when the temperature of the main plate 41A decreases after the insertion plate 43A is inserted, the hole 49 shrinks and the insertion plate 43 is fixed to the main plate 41A. Furthermore, the insertion plate 43A and the main plate 41A may be fixed by brazing or the like. Alternatively, when the insertion plate 43A is inserted into the main plate 41A, it is also preferable to perform a so-called cold fitting in which the insertion plate 43A is inserted into the main plate 41A while being cooled and contracted. This is because when the temperature of the insertion plate 43A rises after the insertion plate 43A is inserted, the insertion plate 43A expands and the insertion plate 43A is fixed to the main plate 41A.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tube joining plate 45A is a plate-like member disposed on one surface 51 of the main plate 41A.
The tube joining plate 45A has a through hole 69 through which the tube 33 is inserted, a through hole 55A that forms an inflow channel 55 through which the refrigerant flows, and a through hole 57A that forms an outflow channel 57 through which the refrigerant flows out. Is formed.
The through holes 55A are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the tube bonding plate 45A, and are arranged in two rows in the width direction. The through hole 55A is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 is inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the through hole 55A is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the tube joining plate 45A. The through holes 55A and 57A are holes formed in a substantially circular shape, and are arranged side by side in the width direction of the tube bonding plate 45A (a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction).

The reinforcing plate 47 is disposed on the other surface 59 of the main plate 41A and improves the strength of the main plate 41A.
The reinforcing plate 47 includes vertical ribs (reinforcing ribs) 71 extending along the longitudinal direction of the main plate 41A, and lateral ribs (reinforcing ribs) extending along the width direction (a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction) of the main plate 41A. 73). A plurality of the lateral ribs 73 are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the main plate 41A. The vertical rib 71 extends along the longitudinal direction of the main plate 41 </ b> A so as to connect the plurality of horizontal ribs 73.

The inflow part 35 and the outflow part 37 are connected to piping for allowing the refrigerant to flow into and out of the upper header tank 31A.
The inflow part 35 and the outflow part 37 are each formed in a cubic shape. The inflow portion 35 is formed with a through hole 55A that forms an inflow passage 55 through which the refrigerant flows in, and the outflow portion 37 is formed with a through hole 57A that forms an outflow passage 57 through which the refrigerant flows out.
The inflow part 35 and the outflow part 37 may be formed in a cubic shape as described above, or may be formed in a cylindrical shape, and are not particularly limited.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the lower header tank in the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the lower header tank 31B includes a substantially cylindrical main plate (housing) 41B having a rectangular cross section, an insertion plate 43B disposed in the main plate 41B, and one surface of the main plate 41B. And a reinforcing plate 47 disposed on the other surface of the main plate 41B.

The main plate 41B is a substantially cylindrical member in which a hole 49 having a rectangular cross section is formed.
A plurality of insertion holes 53 into which the tubes 33 are inserted are formed on one surface (one surface) 51 (upper surface in FIG. 5) of the main plate 41B facing the upper header tank 31A. The insertion holes 53 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the main plate 41B, and are arranged in two rows in the width direction. The insertion hole 53 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the insertion hole 53 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main plate 41B.
On one surface 51 and the other surface (the other surface) 59 (the lower surface in FIG. 5) opposite to the one surface 51, a temporary fixing portion 61 for temporarily fixing the tube joining plate 45B and the reinforcing plate 47 is provided. ing. The temporary fixing portion 61 is a convex portion protruding from the one surface 51 and the other surface 59, and extends in the direction along the longitudinal axis of the main plate 41B in the vicinity of the end portions of the one surface 51 and the other surface 59. Is formed.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the insertion plate in FIG.
The insertion plate 43B is inserted into the hole 49 of the main plate 41B and closes the opening of the hole 49.
As shown in FIG. 6, the insertion plate 43B includes longitudinal flow paths (refrigerant flow paths) 75A and 75B extending along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 6) of the insertion plate 43B, and both longitudinal ends of the insertion plate 43B. And a cap portion 67 provided in the. The longitudinal channels 75A and 75B are formed in a state where the insertion plate 43B is inserted into the main plate 41B.
The longitudinal channels 75A and 75B are formed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the insertion plate 43B. In the present embodiment, two longitudinal channels 75A are formed on the side communicating with the inflow portion 35 (upper side in FIG. 6) in the width direction of the insertion plate 43B, and the side communicating with the outflow portion 37 (FIG. 6 is applied to the case where two longitudinal flow paths 75B are formed (see FIG. 5). That is, the longitudinal flow path 75A is communicated with the inflow flow path 55 via the longitudinal flow path 63A and the tube 33, and the vertical flow path 75B is communicated with the outflow flow path 57 via the vertical flow path 63B and the tube 33. Further, the longitudinal flow path 75A communicates with the insertion holes 53 constituting one row among the insertion holes 53 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the main plate 41B. On the other hand, the longitudinal flow path 75B communicates with the insertion holes 53 constituting the other row.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tube joining plate 45B is a plate-like member disposed on one surface 51 of the main plate 41B.
A through hole 69 through which the tube 33 is inserted is formed in the tube bonding plate 45B. The through holes 69 are arranged in two rows at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the tube bonding plate 45B. The through hole 69 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 (see FIG. 2) can be inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the through hole 69 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the tube joining plate 45B.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tube 33 circulates the refrigerant between the upper header tank 31 </ b> A and the lower header tank 31 </ b> B, and exchanges heat between the outside air flowing between the tubes 33 and the refrigerant.
The tube 33 includes a plurality of heat exchange channels (not shown) extending along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). An example in which the plurality of heat exchange channels are arranged in a line in the cross section of the tube 33 can be given.

Next, the operation | movement at the time of air_conditionaing | cooling operation in the vehicle air conditioner 1 which consists of said structure is demonstrated, referring FIG.
The compressor 3 is rotationally driven by the engine 17 as shown in FIG. The rotationally driven compressor 3 sucks the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing out from the internal heat exchanger 7, compresses it to a supercritical state, and discharges it toward the gas cooler 5.
The discharged high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows into the gas cooler 5 and radiates a part of the heat to the air outside the passenger compartment 15. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant that has been radiated and cooled flows out toward the internal heat exchanger 7.
The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing into the internal heat exchanger 7 is further cooled by exchanging heat with the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 11. The cooled high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows out from the internal heat exchanger 7 toward the pressure control valve 9.
The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant that has flowed into the pressure control valve 9 is decompressed and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant. The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows out from the pressure control valve 9 toward the evaporator 11. The pressure control valve 9 is a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant that flows out from the internal heat exchanger 7 and flows into the pressure control valve 9 based on the temperature of the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant that flows out from the gas cooler 5 and flows into the internal heat exchanger 7. Is controlling the pressure.

The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 11 takes the heat of the air in the passenger compartment 15 and evaporates and vaporizes. The air in the passenger compartment 15 is cooled by the refrigerant and returned to the passenger compartment 15 again. The vaporized gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant flow out from the evaporator 11 toward the accumulator 29.
Of the gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant flowing into the accumulator 29, the gas refrigerant (low temperature and low pressure refrigerant) flows out from the accumulator 29 toward the internal heat exchanger 7. The liquid refrigerant is stored in the accumulator 29.
The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant that has flowed into the internal heat exchanger 7 takes heat from the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant that has flowed out of the gas cooler 5, and flows out of the internal heat exchanger 7 toward the compressor 3.
The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant sucked into the compressor 3 is compressed again into the supercritical state and discharged toward the gas cooler 5. Thereafter, the refrigerant circulates repeatedly in the above cycle.

Next, the refrigerant flow and heat exchange in the evaporator 11 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the refrigerant flow in the evaporator of FIG. 2.
Note that F1 to F10 described in the description of the refrigerant flow in the evaporator described below are reference numerals indicating the corresponding portions in the schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow described in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant flows into the evaporator 11 from the inflow portion 35 (F1). As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerant that has flowed into the inflow portion 35 flows into the longitudinal flow path 63 </ b> A in the upper header tank 31 </ b> A via the inflow flow path 55. The refrigerant flows in the longitudinal flow path 63A along the longitudinal direction of the upper header tank 31A (F2) and flows into the tube 33 inserted in the insertion hole 53 (F3).
The refrigerant flowing into the tube 33 exchanges heat with the air flowing outside the tube 33. That is, a part of the refrigerant takes heat from the air and evaporates, and the air takes heat and is cooled. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows out of the tube 33 and flows into the longitudinal flow path 75A of the lower header tank 31B (see FIG. 5). The refrigerant flowing into the longitudinal flow path 75A flows in the left direction in FIG. 6 (F4) and flows into the tube 33 inserted into the insertion hole 53 (F5).

The refrigerant flowing into the tube 33 exchanges heat with the air flowing outside the tube 33. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows out from the tube 33 and flows into the horizontal flow path 65 of the upper header tank 31A (see FIG. 4). The refrigerant flowing into the lateral flow path 65 flows downward (F6) in FIG. 4 and flows into the tube 33 inserted into the insertion hole 53 (F7).
The refrigerant flowing into the tube 33 exchanges heat with the air flowing outside the tube 33. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows out from the tube 33 and flows into the longitudinal flow path 75B of the lower header tank 31B (see FIG. 6). The refrigerant flowing into the longitudinal flow path 75B flows in the left direction of FIG. 6 (F8) and flows into the tube 33 inserted into the insertion hole 53 (F9).
The refrigerant flowing into the tube 33 exchanges heat with the air flowing outside the tube 33. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows out from the tube 33 and flows into the longitudinal flow path 63B of the upper header tank 31A (see FIG. 4). The refrigerant flowing into the longitudinal flow path 63B flows in the left direction in FIG. 4 (F10), and flows out from the outflow portion 37 to the outside of the evaporator 11.

According to the above configuration, since the upper header tank 31A and the lower header tank 31B are configured by the main plates 41A and 41B and the insertion plates 43A and 43B, respectively, the pressure resistance and mountability of the evaporator 11 can be improved. Can do. Furthermore, the enlargement of the evaporator 11 can be suppressed.
When the outer frames of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B are respectively composed of integrally formed main plates 41A and 41B and insertion plates 43A and 43B, a plurality of plate members are stacked to form a header tank. As compared with the above, it is possible to reduce the joining of the constituent members in the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B and to improve the pressure resistance. For example, it is possible to prevent a decrease in pressure resistance due to bonding failure such as brazing.
In addition, in order to insert and braze the insertion plates 43A and 43B into the main plates 41A and 41B, respectively, ribs are arranged in the main plates 41A and 41B, and the pressure resistance of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B. Can be improved.

Since the vertical flow paths 63A and 63B and the horizontal flow path 65 are formed by the main plate 41A and the insertion plate 43A, the vertical flow paths 63A and 63B and the horizontal flow path 65 can be secured without increasing the size of the main plate 41A. . On the other hand, since the longitudinal channels 75A and 75B are formed by the main plate 41B and the insertion plate 43B, the longitudinal channels 75A and 75B can be secured without increasing the size of the main plate 41B.
Therefore, the enlargement of the evaporator 11 can be suppressed, and the mountability of the evaporator 11, particularly the mountability on a vehicle can be improved.

The caps 67 of the insertion plates 43A and 43B can close the openings of the main plates 41A and 41B, respectively, and the pressure resistance and mountability of the evaporator 11 can be improved.
For example, the pair of openings of the main plate 41A are closed by a pair of caps 67 provided on the insertion plate 43A. In such a case, since the pair of cap portions 67 are provided at both ends of the insertion plate 43A, it is possible to prevent the cap portions from being detached from the heat exchanger when a bonding failure such as brazing occurs. Therefore, the safety of the evaporator 11 can be improved as compared with the conventional method of brazing only the cap portion directly to the opening of the main plate.
Further, since the opening can be closed without causing the cap portion 67 to protrude from the main plates 41A and 41B, the enlargement of the evaporator 11 can be suppressed, and the mountability of the evaporator 11, particularly the mountability to the vehicle can be improved. Can be improved.

By providing the tube joining plates 45A and 45B on the one surface 51 of the main plates 41A and 41B, respectively, the joining of the tube 33 and the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be facilitated.
The through holes 69 formed in the tube bonding plates 45A and 45B are arranged at the same positions as the insertion holes 53 formed in the main plates 41A and 41B. Therefore, the tube 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 53 and the through hole 69, and is fixed to the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B. Compared to the case where the tube 33 is inserted only into the insertion hole 53, the tube 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 53 and the through hole 69, so that the posture of the tube 33 during insertion can be easily maintained. As a result, the tube 33 and the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be easily fixed, and the relative positional accuracy between the tube 33 and the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be improved.

The main plate 41A is provided with a temporary fixing portion 61 for temporarily fixing the tube joining plate 45A and the reinforcing plate 47. On the other hand, since the main plate 41B is provided with a temporary fixing portion 61 for temporarily fixing the tube joining plate 45B and the reinforcing plate 47, the assemblability of the evaporator 11 can be improved.
For example, when the tube bonding plate 45A is attached to the main plate 41A, the tube bonding plate 45A can be temporarily fixed to the temporary fixing portion 61 for positioning, and then brazed to the main plate 41A. Therefore, the main plate 41A and the tube joining plate 45A can be easily joined, and the relative positional accuracy between the main plate 41A and the tube joining plate 45A can be improved.

By providing the reinforcing plate 47 provided with the vertical ribs 71 and the horizontal ribs 73 on the other surface 59 of the upper and lower header tanks 31A, 31B, the pressure resistance of the upper and lower header tanks 31A, 31B can be improved. it can.
The reinforcing plate 47 is provided with a plurality of lateral ribs 73 extending in the width direction (direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction) of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B. Therefore, the reinforcing plate 47 can support the force acting in the width direction. That is, since the reinforcing plate 47 is provided in the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B, it acts on the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B even if pressure is applied to the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B. Since the reinforcing plate 47 supports a part of the force, the pressure resistance of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be improved.
Similarly. The reinforcing plate 47 is provided with vertical ribs 71 extending in the longitudinal direction of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B. Since the reinforcing plate 47 is provided in the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B, even if pressure is applied to the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B, the force acting on the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B is reduced. Since the reinforcing plate 47 supports a part, the pressure resistance of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be improved.

As described above, the arrangement position of the horizontal rib 73 is not particularly limited, and the horizontal rib 73 is arranged at a position where the insertion hole 53 is formed when the other surface 59 is viewed from the one surface 51. There is no particular limitation.
With this configuration, the pressure resistance of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be improved. Since the horizontal rib 73 is disposed at the same position as the insertion hole 53, the strength reduction of the upper and lower header tanks 31A, 31B due to the formation of the insertion hole 53 can be prevented by the horizontal rib 73. At the same time, the strength of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be improved.

As described above, the arrangement position and shape of the lateral rib 73 do not have to be particularly limited, and the lateral rib 73 surrounds the insertion hole 53 when viewed from one surface 51 to the other surface 59. It may be formed and arranged, and is not particularly limited.
With this configuration, the pressure resistance of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be improved. The reinforcing plate 47 is provided with lateral ribs 73 arranged around the insertion hole 53 when viewed from one surface 51 to the other surface 59. Therefore, the reinforcing plate 47 can improve the strength in the vicinity of the insertion hole 53 in the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B. That is, since the reinforcing plate 47 is provided in the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B, the insertion holes in the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be used even when pressure is applied in the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B. Since the reinforcing plate 47 supports a part of the force acting in the vicinity of 53, the pressure resistance of the upper and lower header tanks 31A and 31B can be improved.

  As described above, the tube joining plate 45 may be disposed on one surface 51 of the main plates 41A and 41B, and the tube joining plate 45 is inserted into the holes 49 of the main plates 41A and 41B together with the insertion plates 43A and 43B. There is no particular limitation. When the tube bonding plate 45 and the insertion plates 43A and 43B are disposed in the hole 49, the tube bonding plate 45 is preferably disposed on the one surface 51 side.

FIG. 8 is a partially exploded perspective view for explaining another example of the gas cooler in the present embodiment.
As described above, for example, the tube joining plate 45A may be disposed on one surface 51 of the main plate 41A, and the reinforcing plate 47 may be disposed on the other surface 59. As shown in FIG. The tube joining plate 45A may be disposed on one surface 51 of the plate 41A, and the reinforcing plate 47A may be disposed thereon, and is not particularly limited. The reinforcing plate 47A in the present embodiment is described as being applied to a plate in which a slit 73A through which the tube 33 is inserted is formed.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view for explaining an example of a gas cooler using the heat exchanger in the present embodiment.
Note that the heat exchanger of the present invention may be applied to the evaporator 11 as described above, or may be applied to a heat exchanger such as the gas cooler 5 as shown in FIG. It is not a thing.

First of Reference Example]
Next, a reference example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The basic configuration of the vehicle air conditioner of this reference example is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the header dunk in the evaporator is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in this reference example , only the vicinity of the configuration of the header tank will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13 and description of other compressors and the like will be omitted.
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the vehicle air conditioner according to the present reference example .
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the component same as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle air conditioner (air conditioner) 101 cools the compressor 3 that compresses the refrigerant, the gas cooler 5 that radiates the heat of the compressed refrigerant, and the refrigerant that has flowed out of the gas cooler 5. An internal heat exchanger 7, a pressure control valve 9 for reducing the pressure of the cooled refrigerant, and an evaporator (evaporator, heat exchanger) 111 for evaporating the reduced refrigerant.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11, the evaporator 111 includes an upper header tank (header tank) 131A, a lower header tank (header tank) 131B, and a plurality of tubes 33 disposed between the header tanks 131A and 131B. Yes.
The upper header tank 131A and the lower header tank 131B are formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and are arranged in parallel to each other. The upper header tank 131A is provided with an inflow portion 35 into which a refrigerant flows in from the outside and an outflow portion 37 through which the refrigerant flows out.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the upper header tank in the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 12, the upper header tank 131A includes a cover plate 139A, a first intermediate plate 141A, a second intermediate plate 143A, and a tube joining plate 145A.
The cover plate 139A forms the upper surface of the upper header tank 131A, and forms the vertical flow paths (refrigerant flow paths) 163A and 163B and the horizontal flow path (refrigerant flow path) 165 together with the first intermediate plate 141A. . The cover plate 139A is a plate-like member formed in a substantially rectangular shape.

As shown in FIG. 12, the first intermediate plate 141A forms vertical flow paths 163A and 163B and a horizontal flow path 165 together with the cover plate 139A and the second intermediate plate 143A.
The first intermediate plate 141A includes vertical flow paths 163A and 163B extending along the longitudinal direction of the first intermediate plate 141A, and a horizontal flow path 165 extending along the width direction of the first intermediate plate 141A.
The longitudinal flow paths 163A and 163B extend in the longitudinal direction from the end portion (the left end portion in FIG. 12) of the first intermediate plate 141A on the side where the inflow flow path 55 is provided, up to the middle of the first intermediate plate 141A ( For example, it is formed up to a substantially central portion). In the present reference example , two longitudinal channels 163A are formed on the side (upper side in FIG. 12) communicating with the inflow channel 55 in the width direction of the first intermediate plate 141A, and communicated with the outflow channel 57. A description will be given by applying to the case where two longitudinal channels 163B are formed on the side to be operated (lower side in FIG. 12). That is, the longitudinal flow path 163A communicates with the inflow flow path 55, and the vertical flow path 163B communicates with the outflow flow path 57.
Further, the longitudinal flow path 163A communicates with a part of the insertion holes 53 constituting one row among the insertion holes 53 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the second intermediate plate 143A. On the other hand, the longitudinal flow path 163B communicates with a part of the insertion hole 53 constituting the other row.
The horizontal flow path 165 is an end portion (right end portion in FIG. 12) area of the first intermediate plate 141A on the side where the inflow flow path 55 is not provided, and the vertical flow paths 163A and 163B.
It is formed in a region where is not provided. The transverse flow path 165 is formed to be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the first intermediate plate 141A at the same interval as the interval in the longitudinal direction of the insertion hole 53 formed in the second intermediate plate 143A. Further, one horizontal flow path 165 is formed to communicate with a pair of insertion holes 53 arranged in the width direction of the second intermediate plate 143A.

As shown in FIG. 12, the second intermediate plate 143A forms vertical flow paths 163A, 163B and a horizontal flow path 165 together with the first intermediate plate 141A.
The second intermediate plate 143A has a plurality of insertion holes 53 into which the tubes 33 are inserted, a through hole 55A that forms an inflow channel 55 through which the refrigerant flows, and a through hole that forms an outflow channel 57 through which the refrigerant flows out. 57A is formed.
The insertion holes 53 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the second intermediate plate 143A, and are arranged in two rows in the width direction. The insertion hole 53 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and is formed so that the longitudinal axis of the insertion hole 53 is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the second intermediate plate 143A.

As shown in FIG. 12, the tube joining plate 145A is a plate-like member disposed on the surface of the second intermediate plate 143A on the side where the tube 33 is disposed.
The tube joining plate 145A has a through hole 69 through which the tube 33 is inserted, a through hole 55A that forms an inflow channel 55 through which refrigerant flows, and a through hole 57A that forms an outflow channel 57 through which refrigerant flows out. Is formed.
The through holes 69 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the tube bonding plate 145A, and are arranged in two rows in the width direction. The through hole 69 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the through hole 69 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the tube bonding plate 145A. The through holes 55A and 57A are substantially circular holes and are arranged side by side in the width direction of the tube bonding plate 145A (a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction).

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the lower header tank in the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 13, the lower header tank 131B includes a cover plate 139B, a first intermediate plate 141B, a second intermediate plate 143B, and a tube joining plate 145B.
The cover plate 139B forms the lower surface of the lower header tank 131B, and forms the longitudinal flow paths 175A and 175B together with the first intermediate plate 141B. The cover plate 139A is a plate-like member formed in a substantially rectangular shape.

As shown in FIG. 13, the first intermediate plate 141B forms longitudinal channels 175A and 175B together with the cover plate 139B and the second intermediate plate 143B.
The first intermediate plate 141B includes longitudinal channels (refrigerant channels) 175A and 175B that extend along the longitudinal direction of the first intermediate plate 141B.
The longitudinal channels 175A and 175B are formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the first intermediate plate 141B. In the present reference example , two longitudinal channels 175A are formed on the upper side of FIG. 13 and two longitudinal channels 175B are formed on the lower side of FIG. 13 with respect to the width direction of the first intermediate plate 141B. It applies to what is being described. That is, the vertical flow path 175A is communicated with the inflow flow path 55 via the tube 33 and the vertical flow path 163A, and the vertical flow path 174B is communicated with the outflow flow path 57 via the tube 33 and the vertical flow path 163B ( FIG. 11).
Further, the longitudinal flow path 175A communicates with the insertion holes 53 constituting one row among the insertion holes 53 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the second intermediate plate 143B. On the other hand, the longitudinal flow path 175B communicates with the insertion holes 53 constituting the other row.

As shown in FIG. 13, the second intermediate plate 143B forms longitudinal channels 175A and 175B together with the first intermediate plate 141B.
A plurality of insertion holes 53 into which the tubes 33 are inserted are formed in the second intermediate plate 143B.
The insertion holes 53 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the second intermediate plate 143B, and are arranged in two rows in the width direction. The insertion hole 53 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and is formed so that the longitudinal axis of the insertion hole 53 is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the second intermediate plate 143B.

As shown in FIG. 13, the tube joining plate 145B is a plate-like member disposed on the surface of the second intermediate plate 143B on the side where the tube 33 is disposed.
A through hole 69 through which the tube 33 is inserted is formed in the tube bonding plate 145B.
The through holes 69 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the tube bonding plate 145A, and are arranged in two rows in the width direction. The through hole 69 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the through hole 69 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the tube bonding plate 145A.

Next, the operation at the time of cooling operation in the vehicle air conditioner having the above-described configuration, the flow of refrigerant in the evaporator, and heat exchange will be described.
In addition, since the operation | movement at the time of the air_conditionaing | cooling operation in a vehicle air conditioner is the same as that of 1st Embodiment, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

Next, the refrigerant flow and heat exchange in the evaporator will be described.
Note that F1 to F10 described in the description of the refrigerant flow in the evaporator described below are reference numerals indicating the corresponding portions in the schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow described in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11, the refrigerant flows into the evaporator 111 from the inflow portion 35 (F1). As shown in FIG. 12, the refrigerant that has flowed into the inflow portion 35 flows into the longitudinal flow path 163A in the upper header tank 131A via the inflow flow path 55. The refrigerant flows in the longitudinal flow path 163A along the longitudinal direction of the upper header tank 131A (F2) and flows into the tube 33 inserted in the insertion hole 53 (F3).
The refrigerant flowing into the tube 33 exchanges heat with the air flowing outside the tube 33. That is, a part of the refrigerant takes heat from the air and evaporates, and the air takes heat and is cooled. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows out from the tube 33 and flows into the longitudinal flow path 175A of the lower header tank 131B (see FIG. 5). The refrigerant flowing into the longitudinal flow path 175A flows in the left direction in FIG. 13 (F4) and flows into the tube 33 inserted into the insertion hole 53 (F5).

The refrigerant flowing into the tube 33 exchanges heat with the air flowing outside the tube 33. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows out from the tube 33 and flows into the horizontal flow path 165 of the upper header tank 131A (see FIG. 12). The refrigerant flowing into the transverse flow path 165 flows downward (F6) in FIG. 11 and flows into the tube 33 inserted into the insertion hole 53 (F7).
The refrigerant flowing into the tube 33 exchanges heat with the air flowing outside the tube 33. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows out from the tube 33 and flows into the vertical flow path 175B of the lower header tank 131B (see FIG. 13). The refrigerant flowing into the longitudinal flow path 175B flows in the left direction in FIG. 13 (F8) and flows into the tube 33 inserted into the insertion hole 53 (F9).
The refrigerant flowing into the tube 33 exchanges heat with the air flowing outside the tube 33. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows out from the tube 33 and flows into the longitudinal flow path 163B of the upper header tank 131A (see FIG. 12). The refrigerant that has flowed into the longitudinal channel 163B flows in the left direction in FIG. 12 (F10), and flows out of the evaporator 111 from the outflow portion 37.

According to the above configuration, the tube joining plates 145A and 145B are provided in the second intermediate plates 143A and 143B, respectively, so that the joining of the tube 33 and the upper and lower header tanks 131A and 131B can be facilitated.
The through holes 69 formed in the tube joining plates 145A and 145B are disposed at the same positions as the insertion holes 53 formed in the second intermediate plates 143A and 143B. Therefore, the tube 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 53 and the through hole 69 and fixed to the upper and lower header tanks 131A and 131B. Compared to the case where the tube 33 is inserted only into the insertion hole 53, the tube 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 53 and the through hole 69, so that the posture of the tube 33 during insertion can be easily maintained. As a result, the tube 33 and the upper and lower header tanks 131A and 131B can be easily fixed, and the relative positional accuracy between the tube 33 and the upper and lower header tanks 131A and 131B can be improved.

Second Embodiment
Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment of the present invention from FIG. 14 with reference to FIG. 20.
The basic configuration of the vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the header dunk in the evaporator is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, only the periphery of the configuration of the header tank will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 20, and description of other compressors and the like will be omitted.
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the vehicle air conditioner according to the present embodiment.
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the component same as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the vehicle air conditioner (air conditioner) 201 cools the compressor 3 that compresses the refrigerant, the gas cooler 5 that dissipates the heat of the compressed refrigerant, and the refrigerant that flows out of the gas cooler 5. An internal heat exchanger 7, a pressure control valve 9 for reducing the pressure of the cooled refrigerant, and an evaporator (evaporator, heat exchanger) 211 for evaporating the reduced refrigerant.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 15, the evaporator 211 includes an upper header tank (header tank) 231A, a lower header tank (header tank) 231B, and a plurality of tubes 33 arranged between the header tanks 231A and 231B. Yes.
The upper header tank 231A and the lower header tank 231B are formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and are arranged in parallel to each other. The upper header tank 231A is provided with an inflow portion 35 into which the refrigerant flows in from the outside and an outflow portion 37 through which the refrigerant flows out.

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the upper header tank in the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 16, the upper header tank 231A is inserted into the main plate (housing) 241A, two first insertion plates (insertion plates) 243A inserted into the main plate 241A, and the main plate 241A. Two second insertion plates (insertion plates) 244A and a tube joining plate 245A.

The main plate 241A is a substantially cylindrical member in which two holes 249 having a rectangular cross section are formed, and is formed from a metal material such as aluminum. The hole 249 is a hole extending in the longitudinal direction of the main plate 241A, and is disposed symmetrically with respect to the central axis in the longitudinal direction.
The hole 249 may have a rectangular cross section as described above or a circular cross section, and is not particularly limited.
On one surface (one surface) 51 (the lower surface in FIG. 16) of the main plate 241A facing the lower header tank 231B, a plurality of insertion holes 53 into which the tubes 33 are inserted, and an inflow channel 55 into which the refrigerant flows. And a through hole 257A that forms an outflow passage 57 through which the refrigerant flows out are formed. The through holes 255A and 257A are holes formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and are arranged side by side in the width direction of the main plate 241A (a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction). The through hole 255A communicates with one hole 249, and the through hole 257A communicates with the other hole 249.
The insertion holes 53 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the main plate 241A, and are arranged in two rows in the width direction. The insertion hole 53 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the insertion hole 53 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main plate 241A. Of the insertion holes 53 arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction, the insertion holes 53 in one row communicate with one hole 249 and the insertion holes 53 in the other row communicate with the other hole 249.

The first insertion plate 243A is formed of a so-called clad material including a structural member formed of a metal such as aluminum and a brazing layer made of a brazing material disposed on both surfaces thereof. The first insertion plate 243A is disposed in the hole 249 of the main plate 241A together with the second insertion plate 244A. The first and second insertion plates 243A and 244A are overlapped so that the second insertion plate 244A is disposed on the one surface 51 side of the main plate 241A.
As shown in FIG. 16, the first insertion plate 243A includes three vertical grooves (refrigerant flow paths) 263A and two vertical grooves (refrigerant flow paths) 263B extending along the longitudinal direction of the first insertion plate 243A. And a cap portion 67 provided at an end portion of the first insertion plate 243A. The longitudinal groove 263A is disposed on the center side in the longitudinal direction of the first insertion plate 243A, and is disposed so as to face the inflow channel 55 or the outflow channel 57 at one end thereof. The longitudinal groove 263B is formed to have a length in the longitudinal direction shorter than that of the longitudinal groove 263B, and is disposed at an edge portion in the longitudinal direction of the first insertion plate 243A.

The second insertion plate 244A is formed of a so-called clad material provided with a structural member made of a metal such as aluminum and a brazing layer made of a brazing material disposed on one surface thereof. The second insertion plate 244A is disposed in the hole 249 of the main plate 241A together with the first insertion plate 243A.
As shown in FIG. 16, the second insertion plate 244 </ b> A includes an opening (refrigerant channel) 265. The opening 265 has a recess (refrigerant channel) 267 at a position facing the inflow portion 35 or the outflow portion 37 at one end of the second insertion plate 244A (see FIG. 15).

The tube bonding plate 245A is formed of a so-called clad material provided with a structural member formed of a metal such as aluminum and a brazing layer made of a brazing material disposed on both surfaces thereof. As shown in FIG. 16, the tube joining plate 245A is a plate-like member disposed on one surface 51 of the main plate 241A.
A through hole 69 through which the tube 33 is inserted is formed in the tube bonding plate 245A. The through holes 69 are arranged in two rows at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the tube bonding plate 245A. The through hole 69 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the through hole 69 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the tube joining plate 245A. The through holes 255B and 257B are holes formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and are arranged side by side in the width direction of the tube bonding plate 245A (a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction). An inflow portion 35 and an outflow portion 37 are disposed in the through holes 255B and 257B, respectively.

17 is a cross-sectional view of a portion where the inflow portion and the outflow portion are arranged in the upper header tank of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 17, an inflow portion 35 and an outflow portion 37 are arranged in the through holes 255B and 257B of the tube joining plate 245A, respectively. The inflow portion 35 and the outflow portion 37 are in contact with the main plate 241A, whereby the positions in the depth direction (vertical direction in FIG. 17) are determined.
The inflow channel 55 is formed by the through hole 255A of the main plate 241A, the recess 267 of the second insertion plate 244A, and the vertical groove 263A of the first insertion plate 243A, and the outflow channel 57 is formed by the through hole 257A, The recess 267 and the longitudinal groove 263A are formed.

18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shape of the flow path in the upper header tank of FIG. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shape of another position of the flow path in the upper header tank of FIG. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a position where a tube is connected in the upper header tank of FIG.
In the upper header tank 231A, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a flow path (refrigerant flow path) 269 is formed by the main plate 241A, the first insertion plate 243A, and the second insertion plate 244A.
Specifically, the upper and lower openings of the groove formed by the longitudinal grooves 263A and 263B of the first insertion plate 243A and the opening 265 and the recess 267 of the second insertion plate 244A are formed in the holes 249 of the main plate 241A. A flow path 269 is formed by closing the inner peripheral surface.
As shown in FIG. 20, the tube 33 is inserted through the insertion hole 53 and the through hole 69, and is fixed to the main plate 241A and the tube joining plate 245A by brazing or the like.

[ Second Reference Example ]
Next, a second reference example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The basic configuration of the vehicle air conditioner of this reference example is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the header dunk in the evaporator is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in this reference example , only the periphery of the configuration of the header tank will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 27, and description of other compressors and the like will be omitted.
FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the vehicle air conditioner according to the present reference example .
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the component same as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 21, the vehicle air conditioner (air conditioner) 301 cools the compressor 3 that compresses the refrigerant, the gas cooler 5 that radiates the heat of the compressed refrigerant, and the refrigerant that has flowed out of the gas cooler 5. An internal heat exchanger 7, a pressure control valve 9 for reducing the pressure of the cooled refrigerant, and an evaporator (evaporator, heat exchanger) 311 for evaporating the reduced refrigerant.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 21, the evaporator 311 includes an upper header tank (header tank) 331A, a lower header tank (header tank) 331B, and a plurality of tubes 33 disposed between the header tanks 331A and 331B. Yes.
The upper header tank 331A and the lower header tank 331B are formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and are arranged in parallel to each other. The upper header tank 331A is provided with an inflow portion 35 into which a refrigerant flows from the outside and an outflow portion 37 through which the refrigerant flows out.

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the upper header tank in the evaporator of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 23, the upper header tank 331A includes a main plate (housing) 34141A, a tube joining plate (joining plate) 345A, and a reinforcing plate 347.

The main plate 341A is a substantially cylindrical member in which two flow paths (refrigerant flow paths) 349 having a rectangular cross section are formed, and is formed from a metal material such as aluminum. The flow path 349 is a hole extending in the longitudinal direction of the main plate 341A, and is disposed symmetrically with respect to the central axis in the longitudinal direction.
On one surface (one surface) 51 (the lower surface in FIG. 23) of the main plate 341A facing the lower header tank 331B, a plurality of insertion holes 53 into which the tubes 33 are inserted, and an inflow channel 55 into which refrigerant flows. And a through hole 357A that forms an outflow passage 57 through which the refrigerant flows out are formed. The through holes 355A and 357A are holes formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and are arranged side by side in the width direction of the main plate 341A (a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction). The through hole 355A communicates with one flow path 349, and the through hole 357A communicates with the other flow path 349.
The through holes 355A and 357A may be formed in a substantially rectangular shape as described above, or may be formed in a circular shape, and are not particularly limited.
The insertion holes 53 are arranged at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the main plate 341A, and are arranged in two rows in the width direction. The insertion hole 53 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the insertion hole 53 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main plate 341A. Of the insertion holes 53 arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction, the insertion holes 53 in one row communicate with one flow path 349 and the insertion holes 53 in the other row communicate with the other flow path 349. .

The tube joining plate 345A is formed of a so-called clad material provided with a structural member made of a metal such as aluminum and a brazing layer made of a brazing material disposed on both surfaces thereof. As shown in FIG. 23, the tube joining plate 345A is a plate-like member disposed on one surface 51 of the main plate 341A.
A through hole 69 through which the tube 33 is inserted is formed in the tube bonding plate 345A. The through holes 69 are arranged in two rows at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the tube bonding plate 345A. The through hole 69 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so that the tube 33 can be inserted, and the longitudinal axis of the through hole 69 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the tube bonding plate 345A. The through holes 355A and 357A are holes formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and are arranged side by side in the width direction of the tube bonding plate 345A (a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction).

The reinforcing plate 347 is formed of a so-called clad material provided with a structural member formed of a metal such as aluminum and a brazing layer made of a brazing material disposed on one surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 23, the reinforcing plate 347 is a plate-like member disposed on the other surface 59 of the main plate 341A.
A rectangular hole 369 is formed in the reinforcing plate 347. The rectangular holes 369 are arranged in two rows at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing plate 347. The rectangular holes 369 are formed so as to have substantially the same arrangement position as between the insertion holes 53 of the main plate 314A.

24 is a cross-sectional view of a portion where the inflow portion and the outflow portion of the upper header tank of FIG. 23 are arranged.
As shown in FIG. 24, the inflow portion 35 is inserted through the through hole 355A of the tube joining plate 345A and the main plate 314A, and the outflow portion 37 is inserted through the through hole 357A of the tube joining plate 345 and the main plate 314A. .
The inflow channel 55 is in communication with one channel 349 of the main plate 314 </ b> A, and the outflow channel 57 is in communication with the other channel 349.

25 is a cross-sectional view of a portion where the tube is not connected in the upper header tank of FIG. FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of a portion to which a tube is connected in the upper header tank of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 25, the rectangular hole 369 of the reinforcing plate 347 is formed in a region where the insertion hole 53 of the main plate 314A and the through hole 69 of the tube joining plate 345A are not formed. For this reason, the strength reduction of the upper header tank 331A due to the formation of the insertion hole 53 and the through hole 69 can be prevented.
As shown in FIG. 26, the tube 33 is inserted through the insertion hole 53 and the through hole 69, and is fixed to the main plate 341A and the tube joining plate 345A by brazing or the like.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and reference examples , and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment and reference examples , description has been made by applying to a configuration using CO ₂ gas as a refrigerant. However, the present invention is not limited to the configuration using this CO ₂ gas, and is operated in other supercritical cycles. It can apply to the structure using the refrigerant | coolant made.
In the above-described embodiment and reference examples , the present invention has been described as applied to a vehicle air conditioner. However, the present invention is not limited to a vehicle air conditioner, and other various air conditioners, etc. Is applicable.

It is a mimetic diagram explaining the whole air conditioner composition for vehicles concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the structure of the evaporator of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view explaining the structure of the upper header tank in the evaporator of FIG. It is a figure explaining the structure of the insertion plate of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view explaining the structure of the lower header tank in the evaporator of FIG. It is a figure explaining the structure of the insertion plate of FIG. It is a schematic diagram explaining the refrigerant | coolant flow in the evaporator of FIG. It is a partial exploded perspective view explaining the other Example of the gas cooler in this embodiment. It is a perspective view explaining the Example of the gas cooler using the heat exchanger in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the whole structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 1st reference example of this invention. It is a perspective view explaining the structure of the evaporator of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view explaining the structure of the upper header tank in the evaporator of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view explaining the structure of the lower header tank in the evaporator of FIG. It is a schematic diagram explaining the whole structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view explaining the structure of the evaporator of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view explaining the structure of the upper header tank in the evaporator of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the part by which the inflow part and the outflow part in the upper header tank of FIG. 16 are arrange | positioned. It is sectional drawing explaining the shape of the flow path in the upper header tank of FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining the shape of the other position of the flow path in the upper header tank of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the position where the tube in the upper header tank of FIG. 16 is connected. It is a schematic diagram explaining the whole structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 2nd reference example of this invention. It is a perspective view explaining the structure of the evaporator of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view explaining the structure of the upper header tank in the evaporator of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the part in which the inflow part and the outflow part in the upper header tank of FIG. 23 are arrange | positioned. It is sectional drawing of the part to which the tube in the upper header tank of FIG. 23 is not connected. It is sectional drawing of the part to which the tube in the upper header tank of FIG. 23 was connected.

1, 101, 201, 301 Vehicle air conditioner (air conditioner)
3 Compressor 5 Gas cooler (heat radiator)
9 Pressure control valve (pressure reducer)
11, 111, 211, 311 Evaporator (evaporator, heat exchanger)
31A, 131A, 231A, 331A Upper header tank (header tank)
31B, 131B, 231B, 331B Lower header tank (header tank)
33 Tube 41A, 41B, 241A, 314A Main plate (housing)
43A, 43B Insertion plate 45A, 45B, 145A, 145B, 245A, 245A Tube joint plate (joint plate)
47,347 Reinforcement plate 51 One surface (one surface)
53 Insertion hole 59 The other surface (other surface)
61 Temporary fixing part 63A, 63B, 75A, 75B, 163A, 163B, 175A, 175B Longitudinal channel (refrigerant channel)
65 Horizontal channel (refrigerant channel)
67 Cap part 71 Vertical rib (reinforcing rib)
73 Horizontal rib (Reinforcement rib)
243A First insertion plate (insertion plate)
244A Second insertion plate (insertion plate)
263A, 263B Vertical groove (refrigerant flow path)
265 opening (refrigerant flow path)
267 Concavity (refrigerant flow path)
269,349 channel (refrigerant channel)

Claims (10)

A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of tubes through which a refrigerant flows and a header tank communicating with the plurality of tubes,
The header tank includes a cylindrical casing that forms an outer frame of the header tank, and a flat insertion plate that constitutes the header tank together with the casing by being inserted into the casing.
The housing is provided with an insertion hole into which the plurality of tubes are inserted,
The insertion plate is provided at an end portion in the longitudinal direction, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the header tank and a cap portion that closes the opening of the housing, and the coolant is supplied from the tube through the insertion hole. provided a refrigerant passage flows is,
The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the insertion plate is inserted so as to be parallel to a surface of the housing in which the insertion hole is formed . A joining plate provided with a through hole through which the tube is inserted at the same position as the insertion hole;
2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the joining plate is disposed inside the housing or on a surface of the housing where the insertion hole is formed. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the housing is provided with a temporary fixing portion for temporarily fixing the joining plate. A reinforcing plate provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the header tank;
The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reinforcing plate is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the header tank. Before SL reinforcing plate is disposed on the other surface facing the one surface of the insertion hole is formed in the header tanks,
The heat exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein the reinforcing rib is disposed at the same position as the insertion hole when the one surface is viewed from the other surface. The reinforcing plate heat exchanger according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a reinforcing Li Bed extending along the longitudinal direction of the header tank. Comprising a reinforcing plate reinforcing ribs are provided which are arranged around the front Symbol insertion hole,
The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reinforcing plate is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the header tank. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 4 to 7 , wherein the housing is provided with a temporary fixing portion for temporarily fixing the reinforcing plate. Thickness around the coolant flow path before SL header tank, heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that vary over the longitudinal direction. A compressor for compressing the refrigerant;
A radiator that releases the heat of the compressed refrigerant to the outside;
A decompressor for reducing the pressure of the dissipated high-temperature refrigerant;
An evaporator for evaporating the decompressed low-temperature refrigerant,
An air conditioner using at least one of the radiator and the evaporator using the heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 9 .

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