Patent attributes
An evaporator 1 comprises a heat exchange core 10 comprising a plurality of tube groups 5 arranged in rows as spaced forwardly or rearwardly of the evaporator and each comprising a plurality of heat exchange tubes 4 arranged in parallel at a spacing laterally of the evaporator, and a lower tank 3 disposed at a lower end of the core 10 and having connected thereto lower ends of the heat exchange tubes 4 providing the tube groups 5. The lower tank 3 has a top surface 3a, front and rear opposite side surfaces 3b and a bottom surface 3c. The lower tank 3 is provided in each of front and rear opposite side portions thereof with grooves 29 formed between respective laterally adjacent pairs of heat exchange tubes 4 and extending from an intermediate portion of the top surface 3a with respect to the forward or rearward direction to the side surface 3b for causing water condensate to flow therethrough. Each of the grooves 29 includes a first portion 29a existing on the top surface 3a of the lower tank and having a bottom face which is gradually lowered from the intermediate portion of the top surface 3a toward a front or rear side edge thereof. The evaporator 1 can be diminished in the quantity of water condensate that will collect on the top surface 3a of the lower tank 3.
