(57) An evaporator (1) comprises at least one evaporator unit (1A) including a pair of
headers (2,3) arranged one above the other in parallel and spaced apart by a distance,
and parallel refrigerant tubes (4) having a width oriented in a front-rear direction
and opposite ends joined to the respect headers (2,3). The refrigerant tubes (4) are
each in the form of a flat tube (17) comprising flat left and right walls (11,12),
front and rear walls (13,14) positioned between and joined to front and rear side
edges of the left and right walls (11,12), and a plurality of reinforcing walls (15)
positioned between and joined to the left and right walls (11,12), extending longitudinally
thereof and arranged at a predetermined interval between the front and rear walls
(13,14), the flat tube (17) having parallel refrigerant channels (16) inside thereof.
The reinforcing walls (15) are formed with a plurality of communication holes (19)
for causing the parallel refrigerant channels (16) to communicate with one another.
The flat tube (17) is formed by a platelike left component (21) having a left wall
forming portion (23) and a platelike right component (22) having a right wall forming
portion (28). The front and rear walls (13,14) of the flat tube (17) comprise rightward
projecting walls (24) projecting rightward from the respective front and rear side
edges of the left component (21) integrally therewith and brazed to the right component
(22) and leftward projecting walls (29) projecting leftward from the respective front
and rear side edges of the right component (22) integrally therewith and brazed to
the left component (20). The reinforcing walls (15) of the flat tube each comprise
a reinforcing wall forming portion (25) projecting inward from the left wall forming
portion (23) of the left component (21) and having an outer end brazed to the right
wall (28) forming portion of the other component (22).
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