Refrigeration evaporator

Abstract

A method of making an evaporator and the resultant evaporator. The resultant evaporator comprises a continuous serpentine tube having an inlet and an outlet. The serpentine tube includes at least one column of parallel tube runs. Each tube run is defined by at least one reverse bend. The column of parallel tube runs has an overall length defined by the distance between the outermost tube runs. The evaporator further comprises a plurality of inner fins attached to the individual tubes. Each inner fin extends between two tube runs defined by opposite ends of a reverse bend. The inner fins have a length less than the overall length the column of tube runs.

1 . An evaporator for disposition along an air flow for cooling the air comprising: 
 a continuous serpentine tube having an inlet and an outlet, said serpentine tube including at least one column of parallel plural tube runs, each tube run being defined by at least one reverse bend, said column of parallel tube runs having an overall length defined by the distance between the outermost tube runs of said column; and    a plurality of inner fins attached to at least one of said tube runs, each said inner fin extending between at least two tube runs defined by opposite ends of a reverse bend, said inner fins having an overall length less than the overall length of said column of tube runs.    
     
     
         2 . The evaporator according to  claim 1  wherein said plurality of inner fins are arranged in at least two rows, wherein the inner fins within each row are equally spaced.  
     
     
         3 . The evaporator according to  claim 2  wherein said evaporator has first and second rows of inner fins, said first row of inner fins being off-set from said second row of inner fins to provide a staggered inner fin pattern.  
     
     
         4 . The evaporator according to  claim 2  wherein said evaporator has a first and second rows of inner fins, the spacing between said first row of inner fins being greater than the spacing between said second row of inner fins.  
     
     
         5 . The evaporator according to  claim 1  further comprising an outer fin attached to said serpentine tube, said outer fin having a length greater than the overall length of the column of tube runs.  
     
     
         6 . The evaporator according to  claim 1  wherein said parallel tube runs defined by opposite ends of a reverse bend are off-set to provide a staggered tube run pattern.  
     
     
         7 . The evaporator according to  claim 1  wherein said tubing is made of aluminum.  
     
     
         8 . A method of forming an evaporator comprising the steps of: 
 providing a continuous tube;    bending said tube into a serpentine tube pattern to include at least one column of parallel tube runs, each tube run defined by at least one reverse bend, said column of parallel runs having an overall length defined by the distance between the outermost tube runs;    providing a plurality of inner fins having a length less than the overall length of said column of tube runs, each said inner fin having at least one slot, wherein the slots in adjacent inner fins are aligned and oriented in identical directions to receive said reverse bend of said serpentine tube;    inserting at least one reverse bend of said serpentine tube through said aligned set of slots in said plurality of inner fins; and    wherein each inner fin is retained on the tube runs of the opposite ends of the inserted reverse bend such that each inner fin extends between the tube runs of the opposite ends of the inserted reverse bend.    
     
     
         9 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 8  wherein said step of inserting reverse bend through said slots in said plurality of inner fins further comprising inserting a first reverse bend through the slots of a first set of inner fins and a second reverse bend through the slots of a second set of inner fins, the inner fins retained on the tube runs defined by the opposite ends of said first reverse bend being off-set with the inner fins retained on the tube runs defined by the opposite ends of said second reverse bend to provide a staggered inner fin pattern.  
     
     
         10 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 8  wherein said step of inserting reverse bend through said slots in said plurality of inner fins further comprising inserting a first reverse bend through the slots of a first set of inner fins and a second reverse bend through the slots of a second set of inner fins, each inner fin retained on the tube runs defined by the opposite ends of said first reverse bend being equally spaced with the adjacent inner fins retained on the tube runs defined by the opposite ends of said first reverse bend, each inner fin retained on the tube runs of the opposite ends of said second reverse bend being equally spaced with the adjacent inner fins retained on the tube runs defined by the opposite end of said second reverse bend, the spacing between the inner fins retained on the tube runs of the opposite ends of said first reverse bend being greater than the spacing between the inner fins retained on the tube runs of the opposite end of said second reverse bend.  
     
     
         11 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 8  wherein said step of bending said tube further comprising bending said tube such that the tube runs defined by the opposite ends of a reverse bend are off-set to provide a staggered tube pattern.  
     
     
         12 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 8  further comprising the steps of providing an outer fin having a length greater than the overall length of the column of tube run and inserting said tube with inner fins attached into said outer fin.  
     
     
         13 . A method of forming an evaporator comprising the steps of: 
 providing a continuous tube;    bending said tubing into a serpentine tube pattern; said serpentine tube including at least one column of parallel tube runs, each tube run defined by at least one reverse bend;    providing a plurality of inner fins, each said inner fin having at least one slot;    providing a fin fixture having at least one channel, said channels having a plurality of fin retainer formed therein;    inserting and retaining said inner fins in said fin retainers, wherein the slots in adjacent inner fins are aligned and oriented in identical directions to receive said reverse bend of said reverse bend of said serpentine tube;    inserting at least one reverse bend of said serpentine tube through said aligned set of slots in said plurality of inner fins retained in said fin retainer;    removing said inner fins having said serpentine tube inserted therein from said fin fixture.    
     
     
         14 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 13  wherein said fin fixture has a first and second channel wherein the fin retainers of said first channel are offset from the fin retain retainers of said second channel.  
     
     
         15 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 13  further comprising the step of providing an outer fin and inserting said serpentine tube into said outer fin.  
     
     
         16 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 13  wherein said fin retainers formed in each channel are equally spaced.  
     
     
         17 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 16  wherein said fixture has a first channel and a second channel, the spacing between the fin retainers of said first channel being greater than the spacing between the fin retainers of said second channel.  
     
     
         18 . A method of forming an evaporator comprising the steps of: 
 providing a continuous tube;    bending said tubing into a serpentine tube pattern; said serpentine tube including at least one column of parallel tube runs, each tube run defined by at least one reverse bend;    providing a fin fixture having at least one channel, said channels having a plurality of fin retainer formed therein;    providing a continuous strip of fins for each said channel, said continuous strip of fins comprising a plurality of inner fins, said each inner fin having at least one slot;    separating said inner fins;    inserting and retaining said inner fins in said fin retainers, wherein the slots in adjacent inner fins are aligned and oriented in identical directions to receive said reverse bend of said serpentine tube;    inserting at least one reverse bend of said serpentine tube through said aligned set of slots in said plurality of inner fins retained in said fin retainer;    removing said inner fins having said serpentine tube inserted therein from said fin fixture.    
     
     
         19 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 18  wherein said fin fixture has a first and second channel wherein the fin retainers of said first channel are offset from the fin retain retainers of said second channel.  
     
     
         20 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 18  further comprising the step of providing an outer fin and inserting said serpentine tube into said outer fin.  
     
     
         21 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 18  wherein said fin retainers formed in each channel are equally spaced.  
     
     
         22 . The method of forming an evaporator according to  claim 21  wherein said fixture has a first channel and a second channel, the spacing between the fin retainers of said first channel being greater than the spacing between the fin retainers of said second channel.