Patent Publication Number: US-2005138807-A1

Title: Evaporator manufacturing method and refrigerator with the evaporator

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-0102134, filed Dec. 31, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to an evaporator manufacturing method and a refrigerator with the evaporator, and in particular, to an evaporator manufacturing method and a refrigerator with the evaporator enhancing manufacturing process and improving cooling efficiency.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Generally, an evaporator includes a coolant tube through which coolant with high pressure and high temperature passes, and a coolant tube supporter supporting the coolant tube. The evaporator is installed in an air conditioning apparatus or a refrigerator and functions to generate cooling air. Also, a defrosting apparatus is generally provided on a position close to such evaporator to remove frost formed on the coolant tube and a cooling fin.  
       FIGS. 1 and 2  are a perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view, respectively, of a conventional evaporator. As shown therein, a conventional evaporator  120  includes coolant tubes  121  and  125  having bending parts along a vertical direction, at least one cooling fin  130  coupled to the coolant tubes  121  and  125 , and a coolant tube supporter  127  provided on opposite sides to support the coolant tubes  121  and  125 .  
      The coolant tubes  121  and  125  are provided as a pair in the front and rear. In other words, the coolant tubes  121  and  125  include a first coolant tube  121  provided in the front and having several bending parts along a vertical direction, and a second coolant tube  125  connected to the first coolant tube  121  and also having bending parts to the rear of the first coolant tube. Also, the second coolant tube  125  is spaced from the rear of the first coolant tube  121  and provided in parallel to the first coolant tube  121 .  
      The cooling fin  130  is shaped as a rectangular plate and coupled to the first coolant tube  121  and the second coolant tube  125  in parallel. Also, the cooling fin  130  is provided with a pair of coolant tube accommodating parts  131  to accommodate the first coolant tube  121  and the second coolant tube  125 .  
      The coolant tube supporter  127  includes tube supporters  128  having holes in the middle to accommodate ends of the coolant tubes  121  and  125  having bending parts on opposite sides of the evaporator  120 .  
      Accordingly, the conventional evaporator  120  can cool surrounding air by heat exchange of the surrounding air circulating around the coolant tubes  121  and  125  and the cooling fin  130  as the coolant with low pressure and low temperature passes through the coolant tubes  121  and  125 .  
      However, the cooling efficiency of the conventional evaporator  120  may deteriorate. A reason for deterioration of the cooling efficiency is that a small space between the first coolant tube  121  and the second coolant tube  125  may hinder smooth flow of the surrounding air when the second coolant tube  125  is provided in the rear of the first coolant tube  121 . Also, in the conventional evaporator  120 , a thickness of the evaporator  120  may increase because the first coolant tube  121  and the second tube  125  have to be spaced with a proper distance from each other to let the surrounding air flow through between the first coolant tube  121  and the second coolant tube  125 .  
      Also, because the cooling fin  130  provided in the conventional evaporator  120  is coupled to the first and second coolant tubes  121  and  125  horizontally, defrosted water formed by the defrosting apparatus cannot be discharged easily along the cooling fin  130 . Accordingly, there is another disadvantage that the defrosted water is frozen again, lowering the cooling efficiency.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide an evaporator manufacturing method and a refrigerator with the evaporator enhancing manufacturing process and improving cooling efficiency.  
      Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.  
      The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing an evaporator manufacturing method including providing at least one cooling fin formed with a pair of coolant tube accommodation parts, and expanding a first coolant tube and a second coolant tube after inserting the first coolant tube and the second coolant tube into the coolant tube accommodation parts of the cooling fin; providing a first jig and a second jig at different levels to bend the expanded first coolant tube and the expanded second coolant tube; bending the first coolant tube around the first jig alternately to form several first horizontal parts spaced from each other along a vertical direction, and at the same time bending the second coolant tube around the second jig alternately to form several second horizontal parts spaced from each other along the vertical direction so that the second horizontal parts are positioned in the rear of spaces between the respective first horizontal parts; and connecting a first end of the first coolant tube and a first end of the second coolant tube, in which the coolant tube accommodation parts of each cooling fin are coupled to the first horizontal part and the second horizontal part, and are inclined at an inclination angle to the vertical direction.  
      According to an aspect of the invention, each second horizontal part is provided in the rear center part between the respective first horizontal parts.  
      According to another aspect of the invention, each cooling fin has a bottom end provided on a bottom side of the cooling fin, and a round part rounded on upper opposite corners of the bottom end.  
      According to a further aspect of the invention, the inclination angle between a longitudinal direction of the cooling fin and the vertical direction is approximately between 50 and 75 degrees.  
      According to an additional aspect of the invention, the cooling fin has at least one protrusion protruding orthogonally from a surface of the cooling fin.  
      According to another aspect of the invention, the cooling fin is of a rectangular plate shape.  
      According to a further aspect of the present invention, the above and other aspects may also be achieved by providing a refrigerator including an evaporator manufactured by the evaporator manufacturing method thus described; a main body installed with the evaporator, and formed with at least one storage compartment supplied with cooling air generated from the evaporator; and at least one door opening/closing an opening of the storage compartment.  
      According to an additional aspect of the invention, the main body is provided with an evaporator accommodation part to accommodate the evaporator, and the cooling fin provided in the evaporator is adjacent to a wall of the evaporator accommodation part, and inclined toward the wall of the evaporator accommodation part. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the aspects, taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings of which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an evaporator installed in a conventional refrigerator;  
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the evaporator in  FIG. 1 , taken across line II-II;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an evaporator manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIGS. 4 and 5  are a partial front view of the evaporator in  FIG. 3  and a cross sectional view of the evaporator in  FIG. 3 , taken across line V-V, respectively;  
       FIGS. 6 through 8  illustrate manufacturing processes of the evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 9  is a front view of a refrigerator including the evaporator manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 10  is a partial exploded perspective view of the refrigerator in  FIG. 9 ; and  
       FIG. 11  is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator in  FIG. 10 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Reference will now be made in detail to aspects of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The aspects are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 3 through 5 , an evaporator  20  manufactured according to the embodiment of the present invention including a first set of coolant tubes  21  spaced from each other along a vertical direction and having first horizontal parts  22  formed along a transverse direction relative to the vertical direction, a second coolant tube  25  having second horizontal parts  26  positioned to the rear of a space between the first horizontal parts  22  of the first coolant tube  21 , at least one cooling fin  30  coupled to the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25  and forming an inclination angle to the vertical direction, and a pair of coolant tube supporters  28  provided on opposite sides to support the first and second coolant tubes  21  and  23 .  
      The first coolant tube  21  includes a first bending part  23  bent several times alternately to form the first horizontal parts  22 . Also, a first end of the first coolant tube  21  is connected to a first end of the second coolant tube  25  so that the coolant can pass through the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25  continuously. Also, the first coolant tube  21  is formed horizontally, and is accommodated in the first coolant tube accommodation part  31  of the cooling fin  30 .  
      The second coolant tube  25  has a second bending part  27  bent several times alternately to form the plurality of second horizontal parts  26 . Also, the second coolant tube  25  is provided to the rear of the first coolant tube  21 , spaced by a particular distance. Also, the second horizontal part  26  is formed horizontally, and is accommodated in the second coolant tube accommodation part  32  of the cooling fin  30 .  
      The cooling fin  30  includes the first coolant tube accommodation part  31  and the second coolant tube accommodation part  32  with holes in the middle to accommodate the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25 . Also, the cooling fin  30  has a bottom end  33  provided in a lower part of the cooling fin  30 , and a round part  35  rounded on upper opposite corners of the bottom end  33 . Also, the inclination angle ‘α’ that a longitudinal direction of the cooling fin  30  forms relative to a vertical direction is between 50 and 75 degrees. Further, the cooling fin  30  has a rectangular plate shape, and includes at least one protrusion  37  protruding in a transverse direction to a surface of the cooling fin.  
      The round part  35  is rounded to have a radius ranging approximately from 5 mm and 20 mm. However, the radius may be between 3 mm and 5 mm, or between 20 mm and 50 mm according to a size of the cooling fin  30  so that the water drops formed on the top area of the cooling fin  30  flow toward the bottom end  33  easily.  
      The protrusion  37  protrudes from the surface of the cooling fin  30  to prevent the cooling fin  30  from being bent easily. Also, the protrusion  37  may maximize cooling efficiency by creating turbulence in the surrounding air flow. Although the protrusion  37  is preferably provided in triplicate on the surface of the cooling fin  30 , it may be provided singly, in a pair, or in quadruplet.  
      The coolant tube supporter  28  has tube supporters  29  with holes in the middle to accommodate and support the first bending part  23  of the first coolant tube  21  and the second bending part  27  of the second coolant tube  25 , respectively, on opposite sides of the evaporator  20 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 , a manufacturing method of the evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes providing the at least one cooling fin  30  formed with a pair of coolant tube accommodation parts  31  and  32 , expanding the first and second coolant tubes after inserting the first and second coolant tubes  21  and  25  into the coolant tube accommodation parts  31  and  32  of the cooling fin  30 , respectively, providing a first jig  50  and a second jig  55  at different levels for bending the expanded first and second coolant tubes  21  and  25 , respectively, bending the first coolant tube  21  around the first jig  50  alternately to form the first horizontal parts  22  (refer to  FIG. 4 ) spaced apart from each other along a vertical direction and bending the second coolant tube  25  around the second jig  55  alternately to form the second horizontal parts  26  (refer to  FIG. 4 ) spaced apart from each other along the vertical direction and positioned to the rear of the space between the respective first horizontal parts  22 , and connecting the first end of the first coolant tube  21  and the first end of the second coolant tube  25 . Also, the coolant tube accommodation parts  31  and  32  of a respective cooling fin  30  are coupled to the first horizontal part  22  and the second horizontal part  26  and provided at an inclination angle to the vertical direction.  
      A manufacturing method of the evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below.  
      First, the coolant tube accommodation parts  31  and  32  passing through the cooling fin  30  is formed by a press work. Also, the cooling fin  30  is provided in a rectangular plate shape. Further, the first and second coolant tube accommodation parts  31  and  32  are inserted with coolant tubes having radii smaller than those of the coolant tube accommodation parts  31  and  32 . The coolant tube can be expanded by pushing a ball (not shown) having radius bigger than that of the coolant tube through the coolant tube. Herein, an outer surface of the expanded first and second coolant tubes  21  and  25  are pressed against the first and second coolant tube accommodation parts  31  and  32  of the cooling fin  30  so that the respective cooling fin  30  cannot move relative to the first and second coolant tubes  21  and  25 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 7 , the first jig  50  and the second jig  55  are provided opposed to each other so that the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  26  can be bent at the same time. Also, on ends of the first jig  50  and the second jig  55  opposed to each other, a first jig plate  51  and a second jig plate  56  are provided, respectively, to support the first jig  50  and the second jig  55 . Further, the first jig  50  and the second jig  55  are installed at different levels to bend the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25 , respectively, so that each second horizontal part  26  of the second coolant tube  25  can be positioned to the rear of space between the respective first horizontal parts  22  of the first coolant tube  21 . Also, the first jig  50  and the second jig  55  are movable to be separated from the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25  after bending the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25 . In other words, first ends of the first jig plate  51  and the second jig plate  56  are connected rotatably so that second ends thereof are movable toward and away from each other. Accordingly, by providing the first jig  50  and the second jig  55  on the second ends of the first jig plate  51  and the second jig plate  56 , respectively, the first jig  50  and the second jig  55  can be moved easily.  
      The first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25  are bent relative to the first jig  50  and the second jig  55  alternately to take a zigzag shape shown in  FIG. 4 . Also, on completion of bending the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25 , the first ends provided on the respective bottom of the first and second coolant tubes  21  and  25  are connected by welding. Accordingly, because the respective second horizontal parts  26  are positioned between the first horizontal parts  22 , a thickness can be reduced while keeping a proper distance between the first horizontal part  22  and second horizontal part  26 . Also, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the cooling efficiency can be improved by enhancing turbulent air current in the surrounding air flowing from a lower area to a higher area because the first horizontal part  22  and the second horizontal part  26  are formed in a zigzag shape at different levels.  
      Also, the cooling fin  30  coupled to the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25  is inclined by an inclination angle based on a difference of levels at which the first horizontal part  22  and the second horizontal part  26  are positioned. The inclination angle ‘α’ may be between 50 and 75 degrees as described above. Also, the turbulent air current surrounding the cooling fin  30  enhanced by the protrusion  37  formed on the cooling fin  30  improves the cooling efficiency more.  
      Accordingly, the manufacturing method of the evaporator according to the embodiment of the present invention is convenient as the first coolant tube  21  and the second coolant tube  25  are bent as one body without a connection part using the first jig  50  and the second jig  55 . Also, the manufacturing method of the evaporator according to the embodiment of the present invention can reduce the thickness by installing the first horizontal part  22  and the second horizontal part  26  in a zigzag shape, and can improve the cooling efficiency.  
       FIGS. 9 through 11  illustrate a refrigerator installed with the evaporator manufactured by an evaporator manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a partial perspective view of the refrigerator, and a cross sectional view of the refrigerator, respectively. As shown therein, a refrigerator  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body  10  having storage compartments such as a freezer compartment  13  and a refrigerator compartment  14 , a door  5  rotatably covering a front opening of the freezer compartment  13  and the refrigerator compartment  14 , a freezing apparatus provided in the rear of the main body  10  and having an evaporator  20  generating cooling air for cooling the freezer compartment  13  and the refrigerator compartment  14 , and a defrosting apparatus  40  removing frost formed on a surface of the evaporator  20 .  
      The freezer compartment  13  and the refrigerator compartment  14  of the main body  10  are provided with shelves  15  and holders  16  containing an inventory such as foods. Also, a rear area of the main body  10  is provided with an evaporator accommodation part  18  installed with the evaporator  20 , and an accommodation part cover  19  provided in the front of the evaporator accommodation part  18  and covering the evaporator accommodation part  18 .  
      Although the evaporator accommodation part  18  is provided on a rear area of the freezer compartment  13 , it may be provided on a rear area of the refrigerator compartment  14 , or on the rear areas of both the freezer compartment  13  and the refrigerator compartment  14 . Also, the evaporator accommodation part  18  is provided with bosses  18 A to couple the evaporator  20  and the accommodation part cover  19  with screws.  
      The refrigerator includes a compressor (not shown) compressing the coolant in a gaseous state into a state of high temperature and high pressure, a condenser (not shown) condensing the coolant in a gas state compressed by the compressor (not shown) into a liquid state, a capillary tube (not shown) converting the liquefied coolant into a state of low temperature and low pressure, the evaporator  20  cooling surrounding air by absorbing latent heat to evaporate the liquefied coolant converted into a state of low pressure and low temperature by the capillary tube, and a connection pipe  39  connecting the compressor, the capillary tube, and the evaporator  20  to circulate the coolant. Accordingly, the freezer compartment  13  and the refrigerator compartment  14  can be cooled as the cooled air surrounding the evaporator  20  is circulated into the freezer compartment  13  and the refrigerator compartment  14 .  
      Also, in the cooling fin  30  provided on the evaporator  20 , to enable the defrosted water defrosted by the defrosting apparatus  40  to flow downward to the bottom end  33 , an angle ‘α’ that a longitudinal direction of the cooling fin  30  forms with a vertical direction in which the defrosted water flows by gravity may be between 50 and 75 degrees. Also, each cooling fin  30  is inclined so that the bottom end  33  contacts an inner wall of the evaporator accommodation part  18 . Accordingly, the defrosted water which reaches the bottom end  33  of the cooling fin  30  can flow downward along a wall of the evaporator accommodation part  18 . Also, an outlet (not shown) is provided on a lower area of the evaporator accommodation part  18  to discharge the defrosted water which flows from the cooling fin  30 . However, an additional water accommodation part (not shown) may be provided to accommodate the defrosted water.  
      Also, on opposite corners of the cooling fin  30 , round parts  35  are provided to enable the defrosted water to flow down to the bottom end  33  along an edge of the cooling fin  30  easily as described above. At least one protrusion  37  protruding orthogonally to a surface of the cooling fin  30  is provided.  
      The bottom end  33  is adjacent to the wall of the evaporator accommodation part  18 .  
      The defrosting apparatus  40  includes a defrosting heater  41  heating by electricity, and a heater supporter  43  supporting the defrosting heater  41 . Also, the heater supporter  43  is installed on a bottom area of the evaporator accommodation part  18  so that the defrosting heater  41  can be positioned on a lower side of the evaporator  20 . However, such a defrosting apparatus  40  may be provided in the front or the rear of the evaporator  20 , and the defrosting heater  41  may be replaced by another heating device.  
      With such configurations, an operation process of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
      First, when the compressor (not shown) operates, the first horizontal part  22  of the first coolant tube  21  and the second horizontal part  26  of the second coolant tube  25  are provided in zigzag shape as shown in  FIG. 5 , to enhance the turbulent air current in the surrounding air. Accordingly, the cooling efficiency can be improved, and the thickness of the evaporator  20  is reduced compared to a conventional evaporator so that a volume of a storage compartment of a refrigerator can be increased. Also, when the defrosting apparatus  40  operates, the cooling fin  30  is inclined at an inclination angle and the round parts  35  are formed on the cooling fin  30  so that the defrosted water can be discharged easily.  
      In the embodiment of the present invention described above, the manufacturing method of the evaporator according to the embodiment of the present invention using a first coolant tube and a second coolant tube is described. However, a third coolant tube provided in the rear of the second coolant tube and coupled to the cooling fin may be provided.  
      An embodiment of the present invention describes a refrigerator with the evaporator manufactured by the manufacturing method of the evaporator described above. However, such an evaporator may be applied not only to a refrigerator, but also to various heat exchanging systems such as an air conditioning apparatus.  
      As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an evaporator manufacturing method reducing a thickness of an evaporator, improving the cooling efficiency, and bending each coolant tube as one body easily by without a connection part is provided.  
      Also, by installing the evaporator manufactured by the evaporator manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator can be improved and a volume of the storage compartment can be increased as the thickness of the evaporator is reduced while discharging defrosted water easily during a defrosting process.  
      Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these aspects without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.