Evaporator Having Crimped End Plates

Abstract

A evaporator provides an evaporator that includes an evaporator core, an evaporator tank attached to the evaporator core, at least one baffle incorporated into the evaporator tank, and multi-piece end plate assemblies attached to the tank. Each end plate assembly includes inner and an outer end plate layers. Each of the layers includes crimps. The inner end plate layer is preliminarily attached to the open end of the evaporator tank, during which proper alignment of the plate to the tank is made. The crimps of the inner end plate layer are crimped over. The outer end plate layer is then preliminarily attached to the inner end plate layer by crimping, thereby allowing preliminary attachment of the end plates to the tank to assure proper alignment prior to the end plates being fixed in position by a method such as brazing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An evaporator for use with a refrigerant, the evaporator comprising:
 an evaporator core;   an evaporator tank attached to said core, said evaporator tank having an open end;   a two-piece end plate assembly attached to said open end of said evaporator tank, said assembly including an inner plate layer attached to said open end and an outer plate layer attached to said inner plate layer.   
     
     
         2 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 1 , wherein two-piece end plate assembly includes at least a pair of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         3 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 1 , wherein said inner plate layer includes a pair of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         4 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 3 , wherein said inner plate layer includes two pairs of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         5 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 4 , wherein said outer plate layer includes a pair of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         6 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 5 , wherein said outer plate layer includes two pairs of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         7 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 6 , wherein each of said spaced apart crimps of said outer layer has a length and wherein each of said spaced apart crimps of said inner layer having a length, said length of at least some of said crimps of said outer layer being greater than said length of said crimps of said inner layer. 
     
     
         8 . An evaporator for use with a refrigerant, the evaporator comprising:
 an evaporator core;   an evaporator tank attached to said core, said evaporator tank having an open end;   a two-piece end plate assembly attached to said open end of said evaporator tank, said assembly including an inner plate layer attached to said open end and an outer plate layer attached to said inner plate layer, wherein at least one of said plate layers includes attachment crimps, whereby said attachment crimps are crimped to said open end of said evaporator tank.   
     
     
         9 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 8 , wherein said attachment crimps defines at least a pair of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         10 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 9 , wherein said inner plate layer includes a pair of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         11 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 10 , wherein said inner plate layer includes two pairs of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         12 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 11 , wherein said outer plate layer includes a pair of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         13 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 12 , wherein said outer plate layer includes two pairs of spaced apart crimps. 
     
     
         14 . The evaporator for use with a refrigerant of  claim 13 , wherein each of said spaced apart crimps of said outer layer has a length and wherein each of said spaced apart crimps of said inner layer having a length, said length of at least some of said crimps of said outer layer being greater than said length of said crimps of said inner layer. 
     
     
         15 . A method of attaching an end plate assembly to an evaporator for use with a refrigerant, the method comprising:
 forming an evaporator core having an evaporator tank attached to said core, said evaporator tank having an open end;   forming a two-piece end plate assembly comprising an inner plate layer and an outer plate layer;   attaching said inner plate layer to said open end of said evaporator tank; and   attaching said outer plate layer to said inner plate layer.   
     
     
         16 . The method of attaching an end plate assembly to an evaporator of  claim 1 , wherein said inner plate layer includes at least a pair of spaced apart inner plate crimps, and wherein the step of attaching said inner plate layer to said open end of said evaporator tank includes crimping said inner plate crimps to said open end. 
     
     
         17 . The method of attaching an end plate assembly to an evaporator of  claim 16 , wherein said outer plate layer includes a pair of spaced apart outer plate crimps, and wherein the step of attaching said outer plate layer to said inner plate includes cramping said inner plate crimps to said inner plate layer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of attaching an end plate assembly to an evaporator of  claim 17 , wherein when said crimps of said outer plate layer are crimped to said inner plate layer, said crimps of said outer plate layer are also crimped to said open end of said evaporator tank. 
     
     
         19 . The method of attaching an end plate assembly to an evaporator of  claim 18 , wherein said two-piece end plate assembly is fixed to said evaporator tank by a heat-induced metal joining process. 
     
     
         20 . The method of attaching an end plate assembly to an evaporator of  claim 19 , wherein said heat-induced metal joining process is brazing.