Condenser for vehicle

Abstract

A condenser for a vehicle is used in an air conditioning having an expansion valve, an evaporator, and a compressor, is provided between the compressor and the expansion valve, and circulates coolant supplied from a radiator so as to condense refrigerant supplied from the compressor through heat-exchange with the coolant and the refrigerant. The condenser may include a main heat-radiating portion connected to the radiator to circulate coolant, and adapted to circulate refrigerant from the compressor to condense the refrigerant through heat-exchange with the coolant, a receiver-drier portion integrally formed with the main heat-radiating portion to receive the condensed refrigerant perform gas-liquid separation and moisture removal of the refrigerant, and an overcooling heat-radiating portion circulating low temperature and low pressure gas refrigerant supplied from the evaporator, and overcooling the refrigerant supplied from the receiver-drier portion through heat-exchange with the low temperature and low pressure gas refrigerant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A condenser for a vehicle which is used in an air conditioning having an expansion valve, an evaporator, and a compressor, is provided between the compressor and the expansion valve, and circulates coolant supplied from a radiator to condense refrigerant supplied from the compressor through heat-exchange with the coolant and the refrigerant, the condenser comprising:
 a main heat-radiating portion including a stacked a plurality of plates, connected to the radiator to circulate the coolant, and adapted to circulate the refrigerant supplied from the compressor to condense the refrigerant through heat-exchange with the coolant and the refrigerant;   a receiver-drier portion integrally formed with the main heat-radiating portion to receive the condensed refrigerant from the main heat-radiating portion and to perform gas-liquid separation and moisture removal of the refrigerant, and connected to the main heat-radiating portion; and   an overcooling heat-radiating portion integrally formed at a lower portion of the main heat-radiating portion, circulating low temperature and low pressure gas refrigerant supplied from the evaporator, and overcooling the refrigerant supplied from the receiver-drier portion through heat-exchange with the low temperature and low pressure gas refrigerant;   wherein the main heat-radiating portion includes:
 a first refrigerant line formed at a middle portion in the main heat-radiating portion along a length direction, the refrigerant flowing into an end portion of the main heat-radiating portion passing through the first refrigerant line; 
 a gas-liquid separating portion formed at the other end portion in the main heat-radiating portion, connected to the first refrigerant line, and adapted to separate the refrigerant flowing therein through the first refrigerant line into gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant; 
 at least one second refrigerant line formed above the first refrigerant line for the light gas refrigerant separated at the gas-liquid separating portion to flow therein; and 
 at least one third refrigerant line formed below the first refrigerant line for the heavy liquid refrigerant separated at the gas-liquid separating portion to flow therein. 
   
     
     
         2 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein the gas-liquid separating portion is connected to the second and third refrigerant lines close to an upper portion and a lower portion of the gas-liquid separating portion among the second and third refrigerant lines, and is not connected to the other second and third refrigerant lines by the plates. 
     
     
         3 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein the main heat-radiating portion causes the coolant and the refrigerant to exchange heat with each other by means of counterflow of the coolant and the refrigerant. 
     
     
         4 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein the main heat-radiating portion further comprises a first connecting line formed at an upper portion of the main heat-radiating portion to be connected with the second refrigerant line, and a second connecting line formed at a lower portion of the main heat-radiating portion to be connected with the third refrigerant line, and
 the main heat-radiating portion supplies the condensed refrigerant to the receiver-drier portion through the first connecting line and the second connecting line.   
     
     
         5 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein the overcooling heat-radiating portion causes the low temperature and low pressure gas refrigerant and the refrigerant supplied from the receiver-drier portion to exchange heat with each other by means of counterflow of the low temperature and low pressure gas refrigerant and the refrigerant. 
     
     
         6 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein the overcooling heat-radiating portion is connected to the receiver-drier portion through a third connecting line, and the refrigerant in which gas-liquid separation and moisture removal is performed at the receiver-drier portion flows into the overcooling heat-radiating portion through the third connecting line. 
     
     
         7 . The condenser of  claim 6 , wherein the overcooling heat-radiating portion comprises:
 a refrigerant line in which the refrigerant supplied from the receiver-drier portion through the third connecting line flows; and   a gas refrigerant line formed alternately with the refrigerant line, the low temperature and low pressure gas refrigerant supplied from the evaporator flowing in the gas refrigerant line, and   wherein the overcooling heat-radiating portion is adapted to overcool the condensed refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant line through heat-exchange with the gas refrigerant flowing in the gas refrigerant line.   
     
     
         8 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein a heat-isolating portion for preventing heat-exchange with the refrigerant passing through the main heat-radiating portion and the overcooled refrigerant passing through the overcooling heat-radiating portion is formed between the main heat-radiating portion and the overcooling heat-radiating portion. 
     
     
         9 . The condenser of  claim 8 , wherein the heat-isolating portion receives nitrogen therein easily through a plurality of brazing holes formed along a length direction thereof between the main heat-radiating portion and the overcooling heat-radiating portion in a case of welding. 
     
     
         10 . The condenser of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper and lower covers mounted respectively on an upper surface and a lower surface of the main heat-radiating portion, the receiver-drier portion and the overcooling heat-radiating portion. 
     
     
         11 . The condenser of  claim 10 , wherein the upper cover is provided with a coolant outlet formed at an end portion thereof and adapted to discharge the coolant from the main heat-radiating portion, a coolant inlet formed at the other end portion thereof and connected to the radiator to receive the coolant from the radiator, and a refrigerant inlet formed at the end portion thereof and connected to the compressor to receive the refrigerant from the compressor. 
     
     
         12 . The condenser of  claim 10 , wherein the lower cover is provided with a refrigerant outlet formed at the end portion thereof corresponding to the refrigerant inlet and connected to the expansion valve, a gas refrigerant inlet formed at the end portion thereof and connected to the evaporator, and a gas refrigerant outlet formed at the other end portion thereof and connected to the compressor. 
     
     
         13 . The condenser of  claim 10 , wherein an end portion of the plates forming the second refrigerant line is bent to form a wall. 
     
     
         14 . The condenser of  claim 10 , wherein the third refrigerant line is not directly communicated with the coolant inlet by the top plate among the plates forming the third refrigerant line. 
     
     
         15 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver-drier portion is provided with a space formed therein, and an insertion hole is formed at the lower cover corresponding to the space. 
     
     
         16 . The condenser of  claim 15 , wherein a desiccant is inserted in the space through the insertion hole. 
     
     
         17 . The condenser of  claim 16 , wherein a fixing cap for preventing escape of the desiccant inserted in the space and for preventing leakage of the refrigerant supplied to the receiver-drier portion is mounted at the insertion hole. 
     
     
         18 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein the radiator is connected to a reserve tank and a cooling fan is provided at a rear portion of the radiator. 
     
     
         19 . The condenser of  claim 1 , comprising a heat exchanger formed by stacking a plurality of plates.