Abstract:
Fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner including tubes for flow of a refrigerant therethrough, and fins each having a plurality of collars for coupling with the tubes, and a plurality of slits formed between the collars, wherein drain means of a predetermined form is formed between the collars, thereby draining the condensed water smoothly and reducing an air flow resistance, and leakage of condensed water out of the air conditioner.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to a fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner, for cooling down air by using a heat absorption action of an evaporating refrigerant. 
     2. Background of the Related Art 
     The evaporator used in the air conditioner is one kind of heat exchanger, in general of a fin-tube type, which is shown in FIGS. 1,  2 A, and  2 B, and with reference to which a related art fin tube type evaporator will be explained. 
     The related art fin tube type evaporator is provided with a plurality of fins  20  of metal plate, and tubes  10  passing through the fins  20  for flowing the refrigerant. That is, the plurality of fins  20  are arranged perpendicular to the tubes  10  at fixed intervals. FIG. 1 shows one of such fins  20  including the tubes  10 . As shown in FIG. 1, there are a plurality of collars  22  fitted to a base plate  21  of the fins  20  along a long side direction of the fins  20  for coupling with the tubes  10 . In general, the collars  22  are arranged in a zigzag form in two columns of a first column and a second column along a direction of advance of external air for improvement of a cooling efficiency. According to this, the tubes  20  are also arranged identical to the arrangement of the collars  22  perpendicular to the fins  20 . And, there are a slit group including a plurality of slits between adjacent collars  22  in the same column for improving a heat exchange efficiency. As shown in FIG. 2, the slits  23  are formed as upper slits  23   a  and lower slits  23   b  alternatively with reference to the base plate  21 . And, depending on conditions of use, a number, shape and arrangement of the slits  23  may be adjusted, for guiding an air flow and enhancing heat transfer. External air is introduced into the evaporator when the air conditioner is in operation, and cooled down by heat exchange, i.e., a heat absorption. The external air becomes turbulent by the slits during the external air passes through the evaporator, that enhances the heat exchange effect. 
     However, the related art evaporator in the air conditioner has a complex fin surface form due to the slits  23  such that water condensed from moist in the air during the heat exchange can not be drained with easy, but remained on the tube  10  or the fin  20  surface, which sharply increases flow resistance , that in turn increases a load on a blower in the air conditioner. And, a portion of which is blown out of the evaporator carried on the air flow. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner, which can enhance draining capability of condensed water. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner, which can reduce an air flow resistance. 
     Other object of the present invention is to provide a fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner, which can prevent the condensed water carried out of the evaporator. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner includes tubes for flow of a refrigerant therethrough, and fins each having a plurality of collars for coupling with the tubes, and a plurality of slits formed between the collars, wherein drain means of a predetermined form is formed between the collars. 
     The drain means is grooves each with fixed width and a fixed length having symmetric convex/concave sections. 
     The drain means may have a fixed width throughout the length of an entire drain means, but, preferably, have a width increased gradually along the length of the drain means, and, preferably, the length of the drain means is the same with a distance between adjacent collars in the fin. 
     The section of the drain means includes a pair of symmetric portions of one peak portion and a bottom portion, and preferably, includes a plurality of symmetric portions. And, the symmetric portion preferably has a height lower than a height of the slit, and the section of the symmetric portion is a circular arc, trapezoidal, triangular, or rectangular. 
     The fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner of the present invention can improve a drain capability, reduce a flow resistance caused by remained condensed water, and prevent leakage of the condensed water out of the air conditioner. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention: 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a section of a portion of a related art evaporator in an air conditioner; 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate sections across line I—I, and II—II in FIGS. 1, respectively; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a section of a portion of an evaporator in an air conditioner in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4A illustrates drain means of the present invention, schematically; 
     FIG. 4B illustrates a variation of the drain means in FIG. 4A, schematically; 
     FIG. 5A illustrates a section of the drain means of the present invention in FIG. 3 across line III—III; 
     FIG. 5B illustrates a variation of the drain means in FIG. 5A, schematically; 
     FIG. 6 illustrates sections of various forms of symmetric portions of drain means, schematically; and, 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate variations of a fin structure in an evaporator of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In explanation of the present invention, identical part will be given the same name and reference symbols, and explanations for which will be omitted. FIG. 3 illustrates a section of a portion of an evaporator in an air conditioner in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Since a shape and an arrangement of the tubes are identical to FIG. 1, a detailed explanation for which will be omitted. The fin will be explained in detail. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the fin  30  in the evaporator in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of collars  32 , a plurality of slits  33  between the collars  32 , and drain means  34  of a fixed form, in a metallic base plate  31 , a body of the fin  30 . As explained with reference to FIG. 1, the collars  32  are arranged in two columns of a first column and a second column along a direction of advance of the air, with the collars  32  in each of the columns arranged in zigzag over the entire base plate  31 . And, the slits  33  form a slit group between adjacent collars  32 . In more detail, the slits  33  form a forward slit group  34   a  and a backward slip group  34   b  for an air inflow direction centered on the drain means  34 . And, as explained, an upper slit and a lower slit are formed alternatively with reference to the base plate  31  within respective slit groups  34   a  and  34   b  for making a uniform heat exchange in overall. In the evaporator of the present invention, the shape and arrangement of the slits  33  may differ depending on conditions of use, and the evaporator in FIG. 3 is one of many variations of the slits  33  with respect to the shape and arrangement thereof. 
     Under the foregoing basic system, the drain means  34  is formed in an intermediate region existing between the collars  32  in each column, and in, more detail, in a central portion of the intermediate region. Such drain means is shown in FIGS.  4 A˜ 5 A, referring to which the drain means will be explained, in detail. In the fin-tube type evaporator of the present invention, the drain means  34  is preferably grooves each with a fixed width/a fixed length for easy formation. The width and length of the drain means  34  are determined according to shapes and sizes of the collars  32  and the slits  33 , appropriately. As shown in FIG. 4A, in a most general shape of the drain means  34 , the drain means  34  may have a fixed width ‘W’ over an entire length ‘L’ of the drain means  34 . As shown in FIG. 4B which shows a variation of the drain means  34 , it is preferable that the drain means  34  has a width ‘W’ which is increased gradually as the length ‘L’ of the drain means  34  is increased. That is, in the drain means  3 , a lower end width W 2  is formed greater than an upper end width W 1 . Accordingly, the drain means  34  can drain the condensed water more smoothly. And, as explained before, though the length ‘L’ of the drain means  34  may be determined appropriately, it is preferable that the length is actually determined to be identical to a distance ‘D’ between adjacent collars  32  within the same column, which is a length of the intermediate region. Such a length ‘L’ of the drain means  34  is favorable for direct drain of the condensed water formed on the tube  10 . And, the drain means  34  preferably has a symmetric convex/concave section for uniform drain of condensed water both from an upper surface and a lower surface of the fin  30 . According to this, as shown in FIG. 5A, the section of the drain means  34  may have one pair of symmetric portions, substantially of one peak portion  34   a  and one bottom portion  34   b . Preferably, as shown in FIG. 5B, the section of the drain means  34  has a plurality of symmetric portions, i.e., a plurality of peak portions  34   a  and bottom portions  34   b . Since such sections dispersed and drained, a drain capability of the drain means  34  is enhanced. It is preferable that heights of the symmetric portions, i.e., heights ‘H’ of the peak portion  34   a  and the bottom portion  34   b  is lower than heights ‘h’ of the forward or backward slit groups  33   a  or  33   b . If the heights ‘H’ of the symmetric portions  34   a  and  34   b  are higher than the heights ‘h’ of the slit groups  33   a  and  33   b , a flow resistance greater than initially set value is occurred. Such a setting of the height ‘H’ of the symmetric portions prevents occurrence of the flow resistance caused by formation of the drain means. 
     In the meantime, as shown in FIG. 6, the section of the drain means  34  may be semicircular, trapezoidal, triangular, or rectangular, of which semicircular section is applied to the drain means shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. 
     On the whole, the fin-tube type evaporator in an air conditioner of the present invention has a condensed water drain capability improved by the drain means  34 . The operation of the evaporator of the present invention will be explained. 
     Upon putting the air conditioner into operation, high pressure, and high temperature refrigerant from a compressor circulates through the tube  10  in the evaporator, and, on the same time, room air is blown into the evaporator, more precisely, between the fins  30  in the evaporator by a blower in the air conditioner. An heat exchange is made between the evaporator and the air passing through the evaporator, to cool down the air by a heat absorption caused by the heat exchange, which is then returned to a room. As explained, the heat exchange is occurred at the entire evaporator, i.e., both at the fins  30  and the tubes  10 , wherein the fin  30  provided with a large heat absorption area enhances a heat exchange efficiency. And, the slit groups  33  increase an area the fins  30  are brought into contact with the air, for improving the heat exchange efficiency. During operation of the air conditioner, the condensed water is formed on the surface of the evaporator continuously by cooled moist in the air, flows on the surface of the evaporator upon collected to a certain amount. First, a portion of the condensed water formed on a surface of the fin  30 , even if it is a small amount, is collected to the drain means  34  between the collars  32 , and flows down. And, since the drain means  34  is formed at a central portion of adjacent collars  32 , and to be in communication with the collars  32  if required, most of the condensed water formed on a surface of the tubes  10  flows along the drain means  34 . In this instance, the condensed water on an upper portion of the evaporator flows down along the drain means  34  through circumferences of the tubes  10  on the same column, and induces the condensed water on surfaces of the lower tubes to flow along the drain means  34 , smoothly. In the foregoing series of drain steps, since the condensed water is formed at the tube  10  in which the refrigerant flows directly more than the fin  30  surface, the drain means  34  between the tubes  10  can drain much condensed water, effectively. As explained, since the evaporator of the present invention has a substantially enhanced drain capability, an amount of the condensed water remained on a surface of the evaporator, i.e., a surface of the tubes  10  and fins  30  when the air conditioner is in operation is reduced significantly. According to this, the flow resistance and the pressure loss of the air cooled down at the evaporator are reduced, and drain of an excessive condensed water out of the air conditioner is prevented. 
     In the meantime, there can be structural variations of the evaporator of the present invention for improving an air cooling performance. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate structural variations of the fins. As shown in FIG. 7A, in the evaporator of the present invention, the fin  30  may only have the backward slit groups  33   b  with reference to the drain means  34  in the first column. And, in the variation shown in FIG. 7B, the forward slit groups  33   a  in the second column are simplified, together with the first column which has a structure identical to a structure shown in FIG.  7 A. Even though there is almost no reduction of an overall heat exchange amount in the forgoing variations, the reduction of a number of slits substantially reduces the air flow resistance. In the evaporator, when the first column the air is introduced thereto and the second column the air is discharged therefrom are compared, the heat exchange is made at the first column more than the second column. In other words, the air is involved in a temperature drop at the first column greater than at the second column due to a greater temperature difference between the air and the surface of the evaporator. Accordingly, there is an excessive condensed water formation at the first column, which causes an external leakage of the condensed water and the increased flow resistance of the air. However, in the foregoing variation, either by eliminating forward slit groups  33   a  or by reducing a concentration of the slits, the heat exchange of the evaporator can be made uniform throughout the first and second columns. Therefore, by inhibiting the formation of the excessive condensed water at the first column, the external leakage of the condensed water and the increase of the flow resistance can be prevented. 
     Thus, the fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner of the present invention can reduce a flow resistance and a pressure loss of an introduced air because the drain of the condensed water is made easy by the drain means  34 , that reduces both a noise from the evaporator and a load on the blower. And, the leakage of excessive condensed water out of the air conditioner carried on the air can be prevented because the drain capability is improved. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the fin tube type evaporator in an air conditioner of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.