Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger (27) is provided with: a plurality of fins (43) arranged at intervals from each other in the thickness direction; and a plurality of heat transfer tubes (41) having a flat cross-sectional shape that extend each of the plurality of fins (43) in the thickness direction and are arranged at intervals from each other in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. Each of the fins (43) is provided with: a plurality of cutout sections (53) which extend in an insertion direction orthogonal to the direction in which the plurality of heat transfer tubes (41) are disposed, and into which at least some of the heat transfer tubes (41) are inserted; and a plurality of tube peripheral protrusions (55) that are offset in the thickness direction of the fins (43) and that imitate the flat cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube (41) along each of the plurality of cutout sections (53).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to heat exchangers. Background Technology

[0002] A finned tube heat exchanger is provided, comprising: a plurality of fins arranged at intervals along the thickness direction; and a plurality of heat transfer tubes with a flat cross-sectional shape extending along the direction in which the plurality of fins are arranged, wherein the plurality of fins are respectively penetrated along their thickness direction and arranged at intervals along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the fins are arranged.

[0003] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-196158 Summary of the Invention The technical problem that the invention aims to solve Water formed by condensation sometimes adheres to the surface of the fins and heat transfer tubes of the heat exchanger in an operating air conditioner. This water reduces the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger and therefore needs to be quickly drained from it. However, in heat transfer tubes with a flat cross-sectional shape, water tends to remain around the tubes due to their shape.

[0004] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger with excellent drainage performance.

[0005] Solution to the above technical problems To solve the aforementioned technical problem, the heat exchanger according to the embodiments of the present invention includes: a plurality of fins arranged at intervals along the thickness direction; and a plurality of heat transfer tubes with a flat cross-section, wherein the plurality of fins extend through each other along the thickness direction and are arranged at intervals along a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, each fin including: a plurality of slits extending in an insertion direction orthogonal to the vertical direction when the direction in which the plurality of heat transfer tubes are arranged is set to vertical, for inserting at least a portion of the heat transfer tubes; and a plurality of tube-peripheral protrusions offset in the thickness direction of the fins and respectively mimicking the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tubes along the plurality of slits.

[0006] Preferably, the heat exchanger according to the embodiments of the present invention includes: a first peripheral protrusion disposed along the upper edge of the long side of the cut portion; a second peripheral protrusion disposed along the lower edge of the long side of the cut portion; and a curved third peripheral protrusion connecting the first peripheral protrusion and the second peripheral protrusion disposed along the terminal edge of the cut portion.

[0007] Preferably, in the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger has a tube-peripheral protrusion with a tube-peripheral protrusion flat portion that intersects with the flat surface of the heat transfer tube. When the shortest distance from the cut portion to the outer periphery of the tube-peripheral protrusion flat portion is set to W (mm), the distance between the opposing flat surfaces is set to TH (mm), and the distance between adjacent cut portions is set to TP (mm), the heat exchanger satisfies the following relationship (1).

[0008] 0.5 mm < W < (TP-TH) ÷ 3 ··· (1) Preferably, each fin of the heat exchanger according to the embodiment of the present invention has a flat plate portion as the portion other than the plurality of cut-out portions and the plurality of tube periphery protrusions. When the offset between the flat plate portion and the flat portion of the tube periphery protrusion is set to H (mm) and the interval between the plurality of fins is set to FP (mm), the heat exchanger satisfies the following relationship (2).

[0009] 0.1 mm < H < FP ÷ 2 ··· (2) Preferably, each fin of the heat exchanger according to the embodiments of the present invention has: at least one cut-out portion, which is provided by cutting off a portion of the fin and contacts the adjacent fin; and a cavity portion, which extends through the thickness direction of the fin when the at least one cut-out portion is cut off, the at least one cut-out portion having: a support portion, which contacts the adjacent fin; and a connecting portion, which connects the support portion and the surface of the fin, wherein a virtual line extending in the vertical direction through the center of the width direction of the heat transfer tube is designated as a first virtual line VL1, and a virtual line extending in the width direction of the heat transfer tube through the center between adjacent heat transfer tubes is designated as a second virtual line. VL2, where a virtual line extending parallel to the width direction of the heat transfer tube through the center between the uppermost and lowermost ends of the cavity is designated as the third virtual line VL3, and a line segment that is part of the third virtual line VL3 overlapping with the cavity is designated as a virtual line segment VLS, wherein the at least one cut portion includes a first cut portion, which is configured such that: in the region S between adjacent heat transfer tubes, the virtual line segment VLS is included in a divided region located on the terminal side of the cut portion bounded by the first virtual line VL1 and on the upper side of the heat transfer tube side bounded by the second virtual line, and the support portion and the connecting portion are located below the third virtual line VL3.

[0010] Preferably, in the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger has a tube-peripheral protrusion with a tube-peripheral protrusion flat portion that intersects with the flat surface of the heat transfer tube. When the shortest distance between the outer periphery of the tube-peripheral protrusion flat portion and the end of the cut portion is set as D1, the shortest horizontal distance between the outer periphery of the tube-peripheral protrusion flat portion and the cavity portion is set as D2, and the shortest distance from the end edge of the fin extending in the vertical direction and close to the end of the cut portion to the end of the cut portion is set as D3, the heat exchanger satisfies the following relationship (3).

[0011] D1 < D2 < D3 ... (3) Preferably, in the embodiments of the present invention, the cavity portion of the heat exchanger is part of the cut portion, and the at least one cut portion includes a second cut portion, which is disposed on at least one of the upper side edge in the long side direction of the cut portion and the lower side edge in the long side direction of the cut portion.

[0012] Preferably, when the length of the side of the support portion extending in the vertical direction is set to L1, the cutting length of the connecting portion is set to L2, and the length of the side of the cavity portion extending in the vertical direction is set to L3, the heat exchanger according to the embodiment of the present invention satisfies the following relationship (4).

[0013] L1+L2<L3···(4) Preferably, in the heat exchanger according to the embodiments of the present invention, each of the fins has a plurality of grids arranged in a region S between adjacent heat transfer tubes, with a portion of the fin cut off and arranged parallel to the insertion direction of the cut. A virtual line extending along the vertical direction through the center of the width direction of the heat transfer tube is designated as a first virtual line VL1. In the region S, the terminal side region of the cut is designated as region S1, with the first virtual line VL1 as the boundary, and the open end side region of the cut is designated as region S2. The region is designated as region S2. Among the plurality of gratings, each grating provided in region S1 is designated as a first grating, and each grating provided in region S2 is designated as a second grating. Each first grating is inclined at an angle θ (°) relative to the surface of the fin, and each second grating is inclined at an angle 180-θ (°) relative to the surface of the fin. Furthermore, each first grating is provided in more than 50% of the area of ​​region S1, and each second grating is provided in more than 50% of the area of ​​region S2.

[0014] Preferably, each fin of the heat exchanger according to the embodiments of the present invention has a rib, which is disposed in the region between the end edge of the fin and the end of the cut-out portion on the side of the fin extending in the vertical direction and close to the end of the cut-out portion, and extends in the vertical direction.

[0015] Invention Effects According to the present invention, a heat exchanger with excellent drainage performance is provided. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration cycle apparatus equipped with a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 (A) is a schematic diagram of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 (B) is Figure 2 A-direction view of (A).

[0018] Figure 3 (A) is Figure 2 (A) BB section view, Figure 3 (B) is Figure 3 Enlarged view of the CC section of (A), Figure 3 (C) is a perspective view showing a portion of the fins of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 (D) is a perspective view showing a portion of another example of fins in a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 (A) is a perspective view showing at least one cut-out portion of the fins of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 (B) is a top view showing at least one cut-out portion of the fins of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 (A) is a top view showing a plurality of fins in the fins of a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 (B) is Figure 5 (A) DD cross section view, Figure 5 (C) is Figure 5 EE section diagram of (A), Figure 5 (D) is viewed from the back. Figure 5 The diagram of (A), Figure 5 (E) is Figure 5 A three-dimensional diagram of (A). Figure 5 (F) is Figure 5 A three-dimensional diagram of (D). Detailed Implementation

[0021] Regarding the heat exchanger involved in this embodiment, refer to... Figure 1 to Figure 5 This will be explained. Furthermore, in multiple figures, the same or corresponding components will be labeled with the same reference numerals.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 equipped with the heat exchanger 27 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the refrigeration cycle device 1, which includes the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment, is configured as an air conditioner and includes an indoor unit 3 and an outdoor unit 5.

[0024] The indoor unit 3 includes: an indoor unit housing 11; an indoor heat exchanger 13 housed in the indoor unit housing 11; and an indoor fan 15 that generates airflow through the indoor heat exchanger 13.

[0025] The outdoor unit 5 includes: an outdoor unit housing 21; a compressor 23 housed in the outdoor unit housing 21; a four-way valve 25 housed in the outdoor unit housing 21; a heat exchanger 27 serving as an outdoor heat exchanger, housed in the outdoor unit housing 21; an expansion device 29; and an outdoor fan 31 housed in the outdoor unit housing 21, which generates airflow (outdoor air) through the heat exchanger 27. The expansion device 29 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve (Pulse Motor Valve, PMV).

[0026] The refrigeration cycle unit 1 includes a refrigerant pipe 33 that sequentially connects the compressor 23, the four-way valve 25, the heat exchanger 27, the expansion device 29, and the indoor heat exchanger 13 and allows the refrigerant to circulate.

[0027] The refrigeration circulation unit 1 operates by switching the flow path of the four-way valve 25 to switch to... Figure 1 The dashed line shows the refrigeration operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 with refrigerant flow, and the solid line shows the heating operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 with refrigerant flow.

[0028] During refrigeration operation, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, compressed by the compressor 23 of the refrigeration cycle unit 1, is sent to the heat exchanger 27 via the four-way valve 25. The heat exchanger 27 exchanges heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant, causing the refrigerant to condense into a high-pressure liquid phase. That is, the heat exchanger 27 functions as a condenser. The refrigerant after passing through the heat exchanger 27 is depressurized by the expansion device 29, becoming a low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, and reaches the indoor heat exchanger 13. The indoor heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat between the indoor air and the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, cooling the air blown into the indoor space and causing the refrigerant to evaporate, changing from a gas-liquid two-phase state to a gaseous state. That is, the indoor heat exchanger 13 functions as an evaporator. The refrigerant after passing through the indoor heat exchanger 13 is drawn back into the compressor 23 and returned.

[0029] During heating operation, the refrigeration cycle unit 1 reverses the four-way valve 25, creating a refrigerant flow in the refrigeration cycle that is opposite to the refrigerant flow direction during cooling operation. That is, the indoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a condenser, and the heat exchanger 27 functions as an evaporator. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, compressed by the compressor 23 of the refrigeration cycle unit 1, is sent to the indoor heat exchanger 13 via the four-way valve 25. The indoor heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat between the indoor air and the refrigerant, heating the air blown into the indoor space while simultaneously condensing the refrigerant into a high-pressure liquid phase. In other words, the indoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a condenser. The refrigerant after passing through the indoor heat exchanger 13 is depressurized by the expansion device 29, becoming a low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, and reaches the outdoor heat exchanger 27. The outdoor heat exchanger 27 exchanges heat between the outside air (outdoor air) and the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, causing the refrigerant to evaporate and change from a gas-liquid two-phase state to a gaseous state. That is, the outdoor heat exchanger 27 functions as an evaporator. The refrigerant after passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 27 is drawn into the compressor 23 and returned.

[0030] During heating operation, as the refrigerant evaporates in the heat exchanger 27, heat from the outside air is lost to the refrigerant. At this time, water vapor in the outside air condenses into water droplets and adheres to the heat exchange components of the heat exchanger 27. Because the outside air temperature is low, the adhered moisture may sometimes freeze, forming frost. Frost can hinder heat exchange, leading to a decrease in the heat exchange rate. Therefore, a defrosting operation is performed in the refrigeration cycle unit 1 to remove frost.

[0031] During defrosting operation, the refrigeration cycle unit 1 sets the four-way valve 25 to the same state as during cooling operation, allowing the refrigerant to flow in the same sequence as during cooling operation. At this time, the refrigeration cycle unit 1 stops both the indoor fan 15 and the outdoor fan 31, using the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant delivered from the compressor 23 to heat the heat exchange components of the heat exchanger 27. In this way, the refrigeration cycle unit 1 melts the frost adhering to the heat exchanger 27. The dissolved water flows downward along the surface of the heat exchange components of the heat exchanger 27 under the influence of gravity, for example, and is discharged from the drain hole located on the bottom of the outdoor unit 5.

[0032] Figure 2 (A) is a schematic diagram illustrating a heat exchanger 27 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 (B) is Figure 2 A-direction view of (A).

[0033] like Figure 2 (A) and Figure 2 As shown in (B), the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment is a finned tube heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 27 has, for example, a rectangular plate-like appearance. The heat exchanger 27 includes a plurality of fins 43, a plurality of heat transfer tubes 41, and manifolds 45, 47.

[0034] Multiple fins 43 are arranged at intervals in the thickness direction. Multiple heat transfer tubes 41 extend through the multiple fins 43 and are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. In addition, the thickness direction of the fins 43 is substantially the same as the stacking direction of the multiple fins 43.

[0035] The manifolds 45 and 47 are spaced apart and arranged parallel to each other in the stacking direction of the multiple fins 43. The manifolds 45 and 47 allow the refrigerant to flow through the multiple heat transfer tubes 41 installed between them. The manifolds 45 and 47 can be, for example, stacked manifolds made of stacked rectangular plates, or straight manifolds with a circular cross-section (annular cross-section).

[0036] The air that undergoes heat exchange by heat exchanger 27 Figure 2 In (A), the direction towards the front and back of the paper, that is... Figure 2 The air flows in the direction of arrow FL in (B). In other words, the air that undergoes heat exchange by heat exchanger 27 flows along the short side of fin 43. Furthermore, the direction of air flow that undergoes heat exchange by heat exchanger 27 is referred to as the "air flow direction FL" of heat exchanger 27.

[0037] Heat exchanger 27, for example, allows refrigerant to flow from refrigerant pipe 33 (see reference). Figure 1The refrigerant flowing into one manifold 45, 47 is distributed to multiple heat transfer tubes 41. During its flow within the heat transfer tubes 41, the refrigerant exchanges heat with external air flowing between the fins 43, and condenses or evaporates depending on the operating mode of the refrigeration cycle unit 1 equipped with heat exchanger 27. The heat exchanger 27 then reassembles the condensed or evaporated refrigerant in another manifold 47, 45, and re-flows it into the refrigerant pipe 33 (see reference). Figure 1 ) outflow.

[0038] Heat transfer tubes 41, fins 43, and manifolds 45 and 47 are typically made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. Heat transfer tubes 41, fins 43, and manifolds 45 and 47 are usually integrated by brazing.

[0039] Figure 3 (A) is Figure 2 (A) BB section view, Figure 3 (B) is Figure 3 Enlarged view of the CC section of (A), Figure 3 (C) is a perspective view showing a portion of the fins 43 of the heat exchanger 27 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 (D) is a perspective view showing a portion of another example of fins 43 provided by the heat exchanger 27 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] In addition, Figure 3 In (A), for ease of explanation of each component, a portion of the heat transfer tubes 41 are removed. Furthermore, in actual use, the heat exchanger 27 is configured such that multiple heat transfer tubes 41 are arranged along the long side of the fins 43. In other words, the heat exchanger 27 is configured such that multiple fins 43 are arranged horizontally and multiple heat transfer tubes 41 are arranged vertically. In this embodiment, the vertical direction is the same as the vertical direction.

[0041] Apart from Figure 2 (A) and Figure 2 In addition to (B), such as Figure 3 (A) to Figure 3 As shown in (D), the plurality of heat transfer tubes 41 are flat tubes with a flat, rounded rectangular cross-section. The plurality of heat transfer tubes 41 are arranged substantially at equal intervals in the X direction, which is the extension direction of the manifolds 45 and 47. The plurality of heat transfer tubes 41 are substantially orthogonal to the manifolds 45 and 47. The respective ends of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 41 are inserted into and fixed in the manifolds 45 and 47. The plurality of heat transfer tubes 41 extend along the thickness direction of the fins 43.

[0042] The cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube 41 extends along the airflow direction FL of the heat exchanger 27. In other words, the long side of the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube 41 extends along the short side of the fin 43. Furthermore, the direction of the long side of the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube 41, i.e., the direction of the long side of the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube 41, is substantially the same as the width direction of the heat transfer tube 41. The short side of the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube 41 extends along the direction in which the multiple heat transfer tubes 41 are arranged, i.e., the extension direction (X direction) of the manifolds 45 and 47. The length dimension of the short side of the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube 41 is substantially the same as the thickness dimension of the heat transfer tube 41. Adjacent pairs of heat transfer tubes 41 are positioned such that the wide surface, i.e., the flat surface 41a, corresponding to the extension direction of the long side of the cross-sectional shape is opposite each other.

[0043] Each heat transfer tube 41 has multiple refrigerant flow paths 51 arranged along the airflow direction FL of the heat exchanger 27. In other words, each heat transfer tube 41 has multiple refrigerant flow paths 51 arranged along the width direction of the heat transfer tube 41. The multiple refrigerant flow paths 51 extend substantially parallel to the extension direction of the heat transfer tube 41. Each of the multiple refrigerant flow paths 51 is connected to a manifold 45 at one end and to another manifold 47 at the other end. The heat transfer tubes 41 are typically manufactured by extrusion molding of aluminum.

[0044] Multiple fins 43 are thin plates with the same rectangular shape. Each fin 43 is a molded product formed by stamping a metal plate. They are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the direction of extension toward the multiple heat transfer tubes 41. The long side of the fin 43 extends vertically, and the short side of the fin 43 extends in the direction of airflow FL. The length of the short side of the fin 43 is generally greater than the length of the heat transfer tube 41 in the width direction. If the dimension of the fin 43 in the direction of extension of the heat transfer tube 41 is defined as the thickness dimension, then the thickness dimension of the fin 43 is smaller than the length dimension of its short side and the length dimension of its long side.

[0045] Multiple fins 43 have multiple cutouts 53 extending along an insertion direction orthogonal to the direction in which the multiple heat transfer tubes 41 are arranged, i.e., the direction of the short side of the fins 43, for at least a portion of the heat transfer tubes 41 to be inserted. The multiple cutouts 53 are spaced apart from each other along a vertical direction, i.e., the length direction of the fins 43. The heat transfer tubes 41 are inserted into the cutouts 53 formed on the multiple fins 43 respectively, and are brazed to the fins 43 in a manner that enables heat transfer to the fins 43, thereby increasing the heat transfer area of ​​the heat transfer tubes 41.

[0046] The cutout 53 is formed along the cross-sectional shape or outline of the heat transfer tube 41. In other words, the cutout 53 is longer in the short side direction of the fin 43. The length of the cutout 53 in the short side direction is approximately the same as the thickness of the heat transfer tube 41. Furthermore, the length of the cutout 53 in the long side direction, i.e., the insertion direction of the heat transfer tube 41, is generally approximately the same as the length in the width direction of the heat transfer tube 41.

[0047] Furthermore, the cutout 53 has: an open end 53a, which opens at one end edge 43a of the fin 43 extending in a direction orthogonal to the airflow direction FL; and a closed end 53b, which closes at the other end edge 43b of the fin 43. To facilitate the insertion of the heat transfer tube 41, the open end 53a of the cutout 53 may have a heat transfer tube inlet 53c, the closer the heat transfer tube inlet 53c is to one end edge 43a, the larger the length dimension of the cutout 53 in the short side direction becomes.

[0048] The cutout 53 is formed, for example, by punching the portion of the fin 43 where the cutout 53 is to be formed along the thickness direction of the fin 43 before the cutout 53 is formed.

[0049] However, in heat transfer tubes with a flat cross-section, water tends to remain around the tube due to its shape. This is especially true at the contact point between the heat transfer tube and the fins, where water can easily accumulate on the fin surface.

[0050] Therefore, each fin 43 has: a plurality of tube-peripheral protrusions 55 offset in the thickness direction of the fin 43 and respectively mimicking the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube 41 along the plurality of cut portions 53; and a flat plate portion 57, which is the portion of the fin 43 other than the plurality of cut portions 53 and the plurality of tube-peripheral protrusions 55.

[0051] Multiple peripheral protrusions 55 are offset relative to the flat plate 57 towards one side of the fin 43 in the thickness direction. In other words, as... Figure 3 (A) to Figure 3 As shown in (C), multiple peripheral protrusions 55 rise from one side plane 57a of the flat plate portion 57. Alternatively, as... Figure 3 As shown in (D), multiple peripheral protrusions 55 may also rise from the other side plane of the flat plate portion 57 (not shown). Water adhering to the fins 43 flows in a manner that follows the shape of the peripheral protrusions 55.

[0052] The tube-peripheral protrusion 55 may have a tube-peripheral protrusion connecting portion 58 connecting the tube-peripheral protrusion 55 and the flat portion 57. The tube-peripheral protrusion connecting portion 58 is formed obliquely to connect the raised portion of the tube-peripheral protrusion 55, namely the tube-peripheral protrusion flat portion 56 described later, and the flat portion 57. Water adhering to the fin 43 flows in a manner that follows the shape of the tube-peripheral protrusion 55 and the shape of the tube-peripheral protrusion connecting portion 58.

[0053] The plate portion 57 is a drainage area within the surface region of the fins 43. The plate portion 57 allows water flowing down through the peripheral protrusions 55 of each tube to converge. In other words, the space between adjacent fins 43 in the extending direction of the heat transfer tube 41 becomes the flow path for water flowing down through the peripheral protrusions 55 of each tube.

[0054] Multiple tube-peripheral protrusions 55 and flat plate portions 57 work together to facilitate the discharge of water moving to and near the upper surface of the heat transfer tube 41. Specifically, water generated by condensation on the surfaces of the heat transfer tube 41 and fins 43 of the heat exchanger 27 flows along the surface of the fins 43 and moves to and near the upper flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 while repeatedly condensing. The water moving to and near the upper flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 flows along the tube-peripheral protrusions 55 and the tube-peripheral protrusion connecting portions 58 present near the heat transfer tube 41. That is, the tube-peripheral protrusions 55 capture and collect water that is to be retained around the heat transfer tube 41. The flat plate portions 57 cause the water collected by each tube-peripheral protrusion 55 to flow downward while repeatedly merging.

[0055] Furthermore, the tube periphery protrusion 55 may include: a first tube periphery protrusion 55a, which is provided along the upper edge 53d of the long side direction of the cut portion 53, i.e. the insertion direction of the heat transfer tube 41; a second tube periphery protrusion 55b, which is provided along the lower edge 53e of the long side direction of the cut portion 53; and a curved third tube periphery protrusion 55c, which connects the first tube periphery protrusion 55a and the second tube periphery protrusion 55b and is provided along the terminal edge 53f, which is the edge of the terminal 53b of the cut portion 53.

[0056] The first peripheral protrusion 55a collects water that moves to the upper flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41, preventing water from stagnating on the upper flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41. The first peripheral protrusion 55a can be provided in the entire area of ​​the upper edge 53d of the cut portion 53, or for example, it can be provided in part in the upper edge 53d except near the open end 53a of the cut portion 53.

[0057] The second peripheral protrusion 55b collects water that flows back to the lower side of the heat transfer tube 41, preventing water from stagnating on the lower flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41. The second peripheral protrusion 55b can be provided in the entire area of ​​the lower edge 53e of the cut portion 53, or for example, it can be provided in part in the area of ​​the lower edge 53e except near the open end 53a of the cut portion 53.

[0058] The third tube circumferential protrusion 55c collects water flowing along the first tube circumferential protrusion 55a and water that moves to the side of the heat transfer tube 41, that is, near the end 53b of the cut portion 53, and guides the collected water downward through its curved shape.

[0059] The tube periphery protrusion 55 may have a tube periphery protrusion flat portion 56 that intersects with the flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41. In this case, when the shortest distance from the cut portion 53 to the outer periphery 56a of the tube periphery protrusion flat portion 56 of the tube periphery protrusion 55 is set as W (millimeters (mm)), the distance between the opposite flat surfaces 41a of the heat transfer tube 41, i.e. the thickness of the heat transfer tube 41, is set as TH (millimeters (mm)), and the distance between adjacent cut portions 53 is set as TP (millimeters (mm)), it is preferable that the heat exchanger 27 satisfies the following relationship (1).

[0060] 0.5 mm < (shortest distance W) < ((distance TP) - (distance TH)) ÷ 3 ··· (1) Furthermore, more preferably, the heat exchanger 27 satisfies the following relationship (1)'.

[0061] 1 mm < (shortest distance W) < ((distance TP) - (distance TH)) ÷ 4··· (1) More precisely, distance TP is the distance between the virtual lines VLt of adjacent cutouts 53, where a virtual line extending parallel to the long side (horizontal direction) of the cutout 53, passing through the center of the short side of the cutout 53, is designated as the virtual line VLt. Furthermore, distances TP and TH can be appropriately set according to the specifications of the heat exchanger 27. Distance TP is, for example, a value in the range of 10 mm to 15 mm. Distance TH is, for example, a value in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm.

[0062] By setting the shortest distance W within the range of relation (1), in other words, by setting the width of the flat portion 56 of the pipe circumference protrusion, the water collection effect of the pipe circumference protrusion 55 is improved. Furthermore, by setting the shortest distance W within the range of relation (1)', the water collection effect of the pipe circumference protrusion 55 is further improved. In the process of discovering relation (1) and relation (1)', the inventors provided the following analysis regarding the drainage performance of the heat exchanger 27.

[0063] As an example of analysis, Figure 3 Region P of (A) is designated as the analytical region, and the heat exchanger 27 is configured such that heat transfer tubes 41 are inserted into all cutouts 53 in region P. Furthermore, as... Figure 3 As shown in (B), the standing angle θb of the pipe circumferential protrusion 55 relative to the flat plate portion 57 is set to 150°, and the offset H of the pipe circumferential protrusion flat portion 56 relative to the flat plate portion 57 is set to 0.5 mm. In addition, the standing angle θb is the angle of the pipe circumferential protrusion connecting portion 58 that connects the pipe circumferential protrusion 55 and the flat plate portion 57.

[0064] Furthermore, as an initial state, water is attached to the surface of fin 43 in region P, and its total water volume is set to 1. Then, as time progresses, water is discharged from the lower end of region P, and the condition of the shortest distance W is changed. The residual amount of water (residual water rate) on the surface of fin 43 in region P is calculated respectively.

[0065] As a condition for the shortest distance W, the shortest distance W was set to 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2.0 mm, respectively. Furthermore, for comparison, the amount of water remaining on the fin surface was calculated when the fin did not have the tube periphery protrusion 55 and the tube periphery protrusion flat portion 56.

[0066] The analysis results show that the difference in residual water rate becomes significant 0.4 seconds after the initial state, under various conditions of the shortest distance W and without the pipe-peripheral protrusion flat portion 56, as follows: When the shortest distance W is 1.0 mm, the residual water rate is 0.713. When the shortest distance W is 1.5 mm, the residual water rate is 0.683. When the shortest distance W is 2.0 mm, the residual water rate is 0.695. Furthermore, without the pipe-peripheral protrusion flat portion 56, the residual water rate is 0.749. The inventors discovered that under the above-specified analysis conditions, when the pipe-peripheral protrusion 55 has the pipe-peripheral protrusion flat portion 56, and the width of the pipe-peripheral protrusion flat portion 56, i.e., the shortest distance W, is 1.5 mm, the residual water rate is the lowest, and the drainage performance is improved.

[0067] Furthermore, the circumferential raised flat portion 56 does not need to have a minimum distance W as a uniform width. For example, as long as it is greater than the lower limit of relation (1), i.e., 0.5 mm, and less than the upper limit of relation (1), i.e., (TP-TH) ÷ 3, it can also have a minimum distance W as a non-uniform width. In addition, the surface of the circumferential raised flat portion 56 does not need to be uniformly flat. For example, the surface of the circumferential raised flat portion 56 may have at least one of the following: at least one recess (not shown) and at least one protrusion (not shown).

[0068] Furthermore, when the spacing in the stacking direction of the plurality of fins 43 is set to FP (millimeters (mm)), it is preferable that the offset H satisfies the range of the following relationship (2).

[0069] 0.1 mm < (offset H) < (interval FP) ÷ 2 ··· (2) If the offset H is less than 0.1 mm, the water collection effect of the tube periphery protrusion 55 is excessively reduced, and water may easily cross the tube periphery protrusion flat portion 56 and move to the heat transfer tube 41. On the other hand, if the offset H is greater than (interval FP) ÷ 2, although it also depends on the material and thickness of the fin 43, it is sometimes difficult to set the tube periphery protrusion 55 on the fin 43 without deformation by stamping. Therefore, if the offset H is within the range of the above relationship (2), the tube periphery protrusion 55 can perform water collection without impairing processability and manufacturability.

[0070] Figure 4 (A) is a perspective view showing at least one cut-out portion 59 of the fins 43 of the heat exchanger 27 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 (B) is a top view showing at least one cutout 59 of the fins 43 of the heat exchanger 27 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] in addition, Figure 4 (A) and Figure 4 The fin 43 shown in (B) is a portion of the fin 43. The same applies in the figures described below. Furthermore, in Figure 4 In (B), for ease of explanation, the adjacent heat transfer tube 41 is installed on the fin 43.

[0072] like Figure 4 (A) and Figure 4 As shown in (B), each fin 43 may have: at least one cut-out portion 59, which is provided by cutting out a portion of the fin 43 and contacts the adjacent fin 43; and a cavity portion 61, which extends along the thickness direction of the fin 43 when the at least one cut-out portion 59 is cut out.

[0073] At least one cutout 59 maintains the spacing FP of the plurality of fins 43 in the stacking direction by contacting adjacent fins 43. That is, at least one cutout 59 maintains the spacing FP, suppressing the deflection of the fins 43. Moreover, the assembly of the heat exchanger 27 can be performed with the plurality of fins 43 arranged at a spacing FP. That is, the assembly of the heat exchanger 27 significantly reduces the time compared to the case where each fin 43 is installed on a heat transfer tube 41, by inserting fewer heat transfer tubes 41 than the number of fins 43 into the cutout 53 of the fins 43.

[0074] exist Figure 4 (A) and Figure 4 In example (B), at least one cut 59 is made on the fin 43, relative to the side opposite to the surface raised by the tube circumferential protrusion 55, but it can also be made relative to the side on the same side as the surface raised by the tube circumferential protrusion 55.

[0075] At least one cut-out portion 59 is integrally provided with the cavity portion 61. That is, at least one cut-out portion 59 and the cavity portion 61 are provided in pairs, and the number of cut-out portions 59 is the same as the number of cavity portions 61. In addition, the at least one cut-out portion 59 has: a support portion 63, which contacts the adjacent fin 43; and a connecting portion 65, which connects the support portion 63 and the surface of the fin 43.

[0076] The support portion 63 typically contacts the surface of adjacent fins 43, maintaining the spacing FP of the multiple fins 43 in the stacking direction. The support portion 63 is orthogonal to the connecting portion 65 and extends vertically downward from the connecting portion 65. The side of the support portion 63 extending vertically downward is typically the shorter side of the support portion 63. During the manufacturing process of the cutting portion 59, the support portion 63 is cut as a single elongated plate integrally with the connecting portion 65. After cutting, a portion of the elongated plate is trimmed from the front end to ensure an appropriate length along its long side. The support portion 63 is the part where a clamp is pressed against the elongated plate after the front end has been trimmed, causing the elongated plate to fold back midway.

[0077] The connecting portion 65 is cut from a portion of the fin 43 so that it is substantially perpendicular to the flat plate portion 57 of the fin 43. The edge of the connecting portion 65 extending perpendicularly to the flat plate portion 57 of the fin 43 is the cut length of the connecting portion 65. Furthermore, the cut length of the connecting portion 65 is approximately the same as the spacing FP of adjacent fins 43 in the stacking direction. During the manufacturing process of the cut portion 59, the connecting portion 65 is cut as a single elongated plate integrally with the support portion 63. The connecting portion 65 is the portion that remains in the cut state when the clamp presses against the elongated plate after the front end has been cut, preventing it from being folded back midway.

[0078] The cavity 61 is typically rectangular with a long side extending vertically. However, the shape of the cavity 61 is not limited to this shape; for example, it can be a trapezoid with different lengths of the long side extending vertically, or it can be a shape other than a quadrilateral. Furthermore, the cavity 61 can also be provided at an angle relative to the vertical direction.

[0079] Furthermore, since the cavity 61 is a through hole, it has no surface tension. Therefore, water moving to the vicinity of the cavity 61 in the flat plate portion 57 of the fin 43 moves in a manner that avoids the cavity 61. In other words, the cavity 61 controls the flow of water moving to the vicinity of the cavity 61. By defining the positions of the cavity 61 and at least one cutout 59 paired with the cavity 61 based on their positional relationship with the heat transfer tube 41, it is possible to improve the drainage around the heat transfer tube 41.

[0080] Therefore, preferably, at least one cutout 59 includes a first cutout 59a in the fin 43, the first cutout 59a being configured by the positional relationship of the following three virtual lines as virtual straight lines and one virtual line segment as a virtual line segment.

[0081] Specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown in (B), a virtual line extending vertically through the center of the width direction of the heat transfer tube 41 is designated as the first virtual line VL1. A virtual line extending parallel to the width direction of the heat transfer tube 41 through the center between adjacent heat transfer tubes 41, i.e., between the lower flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 located above the vertical direction and the upper flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 located below the vertical direction, is designated as the second virtual line VL2. A virtual line extending parallel to the width direction of the heat transfer tube 41 through the center between the uppermost end 61a and the lowermost end 61b of the cavity 61 in the vertical direction is designated as the third virtual line VL3. Then, a line segment that overlaps with the cavity 61 as part of the third virtual line VL3 is designated as the virtual line segment VLS.

[0082] Furthermore, the region between adjacent heat transfer tubes 41, namely the region enclosed by the lower flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 located in the upper vertical direction, the upper flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 located in the lower vertical direction, and the virtual line (not shown) connecting the terminals 53b of adjacent cut portions 53 in the vertical direction, is designated as region S. At this time, the first cut portion 59a is configured such that, in region S, the virtual line segment VLS is included in the segmented region bounded by the first virtual line VL1 on the side of the terminal 53b of the cut portion 53 and by the second virtual line VL2 on the side of the heat transfer tube 41 located in the upper vertical direction, and the support portion 63 and the connecting portion 65 are located in the vertical direction at a position lower than the third virtual line VL3. In other words, the first cut-out portion 59a and the cavity portion 61 paired with the first cut-out portion 59a are disposed in a specific region in region S, which is lower than the lower flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 located in the vertical direction. The cavity portion 61 intercepts water moving towards the lower side of the lower flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 located in the vertical direction of the adjacent heat transfer tube 41, preventing water from entering region S.

[0083] Furthermore, if the shortest distance between the outer periphery 56a of the tube-circumferential raised flat portion 56 and the end 53b of the cut portion 53 is set to D1, the shortest horizontal distance between the outer periphery 56a of the tube-circumferential raised flat portion 56 and the windward end 61c of the cavity portion 61 paired with the first cut portion 59a is set to D2, and the shortest distance between the other end edge 43b of the fin 43 located near the end 53b of the cut portion 53 and the end 53b of the cut portion 53 is set to D3, then preferably, the heat exchanger 27 satisfies the following relationship (3).

[0084] (Shortest distance D1) < (Horizontal shortest distance D2) < (Shortest distance D3) ... (3) If the first cut-out portion 59a and the pipe-peripheral protrusion 55 located vertically above and closest to the first cut-out portion 59a are too close to each other in the horizontal direction, the first cut-out portion 59a may sometimes obstruct the flow of water collected by the pipe-peripheral protrusion 55. That is, if the first cut-out portion 59a and the pipe-peripheral protrusion 55 are not properly positioned, the drainage performance may sometimes be reduced. The heat exchanger 27 optimizes the drainage path in the flat plate portion 57 by satisfying the above-described relationship (3) and properly positioning the first cut-out portion 59a and the pipe-peripheral protrusion 55.

[0085] In addition, Figure 4 In example (B), the shortest distance D1 is essentially the same as the shortest distance W, i.e., the width of the circumferential raised flat portion 56. Furthermore, the horizontal shortest distance D2 is more precisely the horizontal shortest distance between the windward end of the outer peripheral edge 56a of the circumferential raised flat portion 56, i.e., the outer peripheral end edge 56b, and the windward end 61c of the cavity portion 61 that is paired with the first cut portion 59a.

[0086] Furthermore, the cavity 61 of the fin 43 may be part of the cut portion 53, and at least one cut portion 59 may include a second cut portion 59b disposed on at least one of the upper side edge 53d and the lower side edge 53e of the cut portion 53. Additionally, when the cavity 61 is part of the cut portion 53, the length of the long side of the cavity 61 may be considered to be substantially the same as the length of the short side of the cut portion 53.

[0087] The second cutting section 59b contacts the adjacent fin 43 via its support portion 63, and together with the first cutting section 59a, more reliably maintains the spacing FP in the stacking direction of the plurality of fins 43. Furthermore, the second cutting section 59b is provided to address a portion of the fin 43 that would normally be removed during the process of providing at least one cut portion 53 on the fin 43. In other words, the second cutting section 59b is provided to effectively utilize a portion of the fin 43 that would otherwise be waste.

[0088] exist Figure 4 (A) and Figure 4 In example (B), the connecting portion 65 of the second cut portion 59b is integrally formed with the fin flange 67. The fin flange 67 is formed by protruding in the punching direction from the upper side edge 53d, lower side edge 53e, and terminal edge 53f surrounding the cut portion 53 when the cut portion 53 is provided on the fin 43. The fin flange 67 guides the heat transfer tube 41 into the cut portion 53 and supports the heat transfer tube 41 after insertion.

[0089] Furthermore, when the length of the vertically extending side of the support portion 63 of at least one cut-out portion 59 is set to L1, the cutting length of the connecting portion 65 of at least one cut-out portion 59 is set to L2, and the length of the vertically extending side of the cavity portion 61 is set to L3, it is preferable that the heat exchanger 27 satisfies the following relationship (4).

[0090] (Length L1) + (Length L2) < (Length L3) ... (4) In the manufacturing process of the cut section 59, the long side of the cut strip plate is aligned with the long side of the hollow section 61. If the strip plate is too long in the long side direction (vertical direction), it is sometimes impossible to control the bending at the appropriate position when pressing the clamp. Furthermore, even when the strip plate is bent into the support section 63 and the connecting section 65 in an excessively long state, the length L1 of the vertically extending side of the support section 63 remains excessive. The support section 63 with an excessively long length L1 is prone to getting caught on other fins 43, which may hinder the handling of the fins 43 or the manufacturing of the heat exchanger 27. Therefore, the front end of the cut strip plate is cut off, shortening it to a length that allows the strip plate to be reliably bent in the appropriate position. The clamp is pressed onto the shortened strip plate to form the support section 63 and the connecting section 65. At this time, the above relationship (4) holds. In addition, the position for bending the cut strip plate is usually determined by the spacing FP. That is, the cutting length L2 of the connecting part 65 is determined by the interval FP. Therefore, cutting off the front end of the cut strip plate and shortening the strip plate essentially means shortening the length L1 of the vertically extending side of the support part 63.

[0091] Furthermore, as long as relation (4) is satisfied, the length L1 of the vertically extending side of the support portion 63 of the first cut portion 59a and the second cut portion 59b can be different, and the cutting length L2 of their respective connecting portions 65 can also be different. In addition, the length L3 of the vertically extending side of the hollow portion 61 paired with the first cut portion 59a and the length L3 of the vertically extending side of the hollow portion 61 paired with the second cut portion 59b can also be different.

[0092] Figure 5 (A) is a top view showing a plurality of fins 69 in the fins 43 of the heat exchanger 27 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 (B) is Figure 5 (A) DD cross section view, Figure 5 (C) is Figure 5 EE section diagram of (A), Figure 5 (D) is viewed from the back. Figure 5 The diagram of (A), Figure 5 (E) is Figure 5 A three-dimensional diagram of (A).Figure 5 (F) is Figure 5 A three-dimensional view of (D). Additionally, for ease of explanation, adjacent heat transfer tubes 41 are... Figure 5 It was installed in (A), while Figure 5 (B) to Figure 5 It was removed from (F).

[0093] like Figure 5 (A) to ​ As shown in (F), preferably, each fin 43 has a plurality of grids 69 arranged in the region S between adjacent heat transfer tubes 41, with a portion of the fin 43 cut off and arranged parallel to the insertion direction of the cut portion 53. Furthermore, the plurality of grids 69 satisfy the following conditions.

[0094] Specifically, in region S, the region on the side of the terminal 53b of the cutout portion 53 is designated as region S1, and the region on the side of the open end 53a of the cutout portion 53 is designated as region S2, with the first virtual line VL1 as the boundary. The first virtual line VL1 divides region S into region S1 and region S2. Furthermore, among the plurality of gratings 69, each grating 69 provided in region S1 is designated as the first grating 69a, and each grating 69 provided in region S2 is designated as the second grating 69b. In this case, each first grating 69a is inclined at an angle θ (°) relative to the surface of the fin 43, and each second grating 69b is inclined at an angle 180-θ (°) relative to the surface of the fin 43.

[0095] Furthermore, each of the first grid plates 69a is provided in more than 50% of the area of ​​region S1, and each of the second grid plates 69b is provided in more than 50% of the area of ​​region S2. In addition, in this embodiment, the first grid plate 69a is provided on the upwind side and the second grid plate 69b is provided on the downwind side relative to the airflow direction FL of the heat exchanger 27, but it is also possible that the first grid plate 69a is provided on the downwind side and the second grid plate 69b is provided on the upwind side.

[0096] Multiple gratings 69 are cut off from both surfaces of the fin 43. The multiple gratings 69 increase the heat exchange capacity of the fin 43 by increasing the contact area with the airflow passing through adjacent heat transfer tubes 41. Assuming that the cut-off angles of the multiple gratings 69 remain constant and uniform in regions S1 and S2, the airflow passing through adjacent heat transfer tubes 41 is blocked by the first grating 69a on the upwind side, reducing the proportion of airflow contacting the second grating 69b on the leeward side. That is, the heat exchange capacity of the second grating 69b on the leeward side is reduced compared to the first grating 69a on the upwind side.

[0097] On the other hand, the heat exchanger 27 of this embodiment has multiple fins 69 that, by changing their shear angle in regions S1 and S2, cause the airflow passing between adjacent heat transfer tubes 41 to meander near the first virtual line VL1. The meandering airflow, after contacting the first fin 69a on the upwind side and passing through, also contacts the second fin 69b on the downwind side. Furthermore, since each fin 69 located in regions S1 and S2 occupies a high proportion of more than 50% of the area of ​​regions S1 and S2 respectively, the multiple fins 69 utilize the region S of the fins 43 to improve the heat exchange rate.

[0098] In addition, each fin 43 may also have a rib 71, which is disposed in the area between the end edge 43b of the fin 43 and the end 53b of the cutout portion 53, extending in the vertical direction and close to the end 53b of the cutout portion 53, and extending in the up-down direction.

[0099] Rib 71 is a step that protrudes from the surface of fin 43 in the thickness direction of fin 43. Rib 71 is continuously formed from the upper end to the lower end of fin 43. In this embodiment, the direction in which rib 71 protrudes relative to the surface of fin 43 is the same as the direction in which the tube peripheral protrusion 55 protrudes. However, the direction in which rib 71 protrudes relative to the surface of fin 43 may not be the same as the direction in which the tube peripheral protrusion 55 protrudes.

[0100] A portion of the water generated by condensation on the surfaces of fins 43 and heat transfer tubes 41 flows along ribs 71. In other words, ribs 71 collect the water flowing down the surface of fins 43, reducing the amount of water moving to and around the upper surface of heat transfer tubes 41.

[0101] As described above, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment has a plurality of tube-peripheral protrusions 55, which are offset in the thickness direction of each fin 43 and formed in a manner that mimics the cross-sectional shape of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 41 along the plurality of cut-out portions 53 respectively. Water generated by condensation on the surface of the heat transfer tubes 41 and fins 43 flows vertically downward under the action of gravity, and moves to the upper flat surface 41a and its vicinity of the heat transfer tubes 41 while repeatedly condensing. At this time, the water that has moved to the upper flat surface 41a and its vicinity of the heat transfer tubes 41 flows along the tube-peripheral protrusions 55 and the tube-peripheral protrusion connecting portions 58 that connect the tube-peripheral protrusions 55 and the flat plate portion 57, and merges with other flowing water at the flat plate portion 57, and is quickly discharged to the outside of the heat exchanger 27. Therefore, the heat exchanger 27 can suppress the retention of water around the heat transfer tubes 41. That is, the heat exchanger 27 can obtain excellent drainage performance through the water collection effect of the tube-peripheral protrusions 55.

[0102] Furthermore, by having multiple fins 43 with multiple peripheral protrusions 55, the heat exchanger 27 can improve the rigidity around the cut-out portion 53 of the fins 43. Due to the increased rigidity around the cut-out portion 53, the fins 43 are less prone to deformation when the heat transfer tube 41 is inserted into the cut-out portion 53 of the fins 43. Therefore, the heat exchanger 27 can improve manufacturability.

[0103] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment includes a tube-peripheral protrusion 55, which includes: a first tube-peripheral protrusion 55a, which is provided along the upper edge 53d of the long side direction of the cut portion 53; a second tube-peripheral protrusion 55b, which is provided along the lower edge 53e of the long side direction of the cut portion 53; and a curved third tube-peripheral protrusion 55c, which connects the first tube-peripheral protrusion 55a and the second tube-peripheral protrusion 55b and is provided along the terminal edge 53f of the cut portion 53. Therefore, the heat exchanger 27 can make water flow around the heat transfer tube 41 along the first tube periphery protrusion 55a, the second tube periphery protrusion 55b and the third tube periphery protrusion 55c, and make water flow along the tube periphery protrusion connection portion 58 connecting the first tube periphery protrusion 55a, the second tube periphery protrusion 55b and the third tube periphery protrusion 55c to the plate portion 57, which can further improve the drainage around the heat transfer tube 41.

[0104] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment includes a tube periphery protrusion 55, which intersects the flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 and has a tube periphery protrusion flat surface 56 whose shortest distance W from the cut portion 53 to the outer periphery 56a of the tube periphery protrusion flat surface 56 is set within the range of relation (1). Therefore, by setting the shortest distance W within the range of relation (1) based on the relationship between the distance TH between the flat surface 41a opposite to the heat transfer tube 41 and the interval TP between adjacent cut portions 53 in the vertical direction, the heat exchanger 27 can improve the water collection effect of the tube periphery protrusion 55 and obtain better drainage performance, corresponding to the analysis results on drainage performance in the heat exchanger 27.

[0105] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment includes a tube-peripheral protrusion 55, which is set such that the offset H between the flat portion 57 and the tube-peripheral protrusion flat portion 56 is within the range of equation (2). If the offset H becomes less than 0.1 mm, which is lower than the lower limit of equation (2), the water collection effect of the tube-peripheral protrusion 55 may be excessively reduced, and water may easily move across the tube-peripheral protrusion flat portion 56 to the heat transfer tube 41. On the other hand, if the offset H exceeds the upper limit of equation (2) and reaches FP÷2 or more, it may be difficult to set the tube-peripheral protrusion 55 on the fin 43 without deformation by stamping, depending on the material and thickness of the fin 43. Therefore, by satisfying equation (2), the heat exchanger 27 can perform water collection without compromising processability and manufacturability.

[0106] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment includes at least one cut-out portion 59, which is defined by the positional relationship of three virtual straight lines, namely the first virtual line VL1 to the third virtual line VL3, and one virtual line segment, namely the virtual line segment VLS. The first cut-out portion 59a and the cavity portion 61 paired with the first cut-out portion 59a are disposed in a specific region in the adjacent heat transfer tube 41 that is lower than the lower flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 in the vertical direction. At this time, the cavity portion 61, by virtue of its surface tension not being acted upon, intercepts water moving to the lower flat surface 41a of the heat transfer tube 41 in the vertical direction of the adjacent heat transfer tube 41, preventing water from intruding into the region S between the adjacent heat transfer tubes 41. That is, by defining the positions of the first cut portion 59a and the cavity portion 61 paired with the first cut portion 59a, the heat exchanger 27 can maintain the spacing FP of the multiple fins 43 in the stacking direction and have excellent manufacturability, while intercepting water that is to move to the upper surface and vicinity of the heat transfer tube 41, thereby further improving drainage performance.

[0107] Furthermore, when the shortest distance between the outer periphery 56a of the tube-circumferential protrusion flat portion 56 and the end 53b of the cut portion 53 is set to D1, the shortest horizontal distance between the outer periphery 56a of the tube-circumferential protrusion flat portion 56 and the windward end 61c of the cavity portion 61 is set to D2, and the shortest distance between the end edge 43b of the fin 43 extending vertically and close to the end 53b of the cut portion 53 and the end 53b of the cut portion 53 is set to D3, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment satisfies relation (3). Therefore, the heat exchanger 27 can optimize the drainage path in the flat plate portion 57 by setting the first cut portion 59a and the tube-circumferential protrusion 55 in an appropriate positional relationship. That is, the heat exchanger 27 can further improve drainage performance through the combination of the tube-circumferential protrusion 55 and the first cut portion 59a.

[0108] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of fins 43, each having: a cavity 61, which is a cavity 61 extending through the thickness direction of the fin 43 when at least one cut portion 59 is cut, and becoming part of the cut portion 53; and a second cut portion 59b, which is provided on at least one of the upper side edge 53d and the lower side edge 53e. Therefore, in addition to the first cut portion 59a, the heat exchanger 27 can more reliably maintain the spacing FP of the plurality of fins 43 in the stacking direction through the second cut portion 59b. In addition, the second cut portion 59b is formed by leaving a portion of the part that would normally be removed during the process of providing at least one cut portion 53 on the fin 43. Therefore, when processing the second cut portion 59b, the heat exchanger 27 can manage the spacing FP without compromising manufacturability.

[0109] Furthermore, regarding at least one cut-out portion 59, when the length of the side of the support portion 63 extending vertically is set to L1, the cut-out length of the connecting portion 65 is set to L2, and the length of the side of the cavity portion 61 extending vertically is set to L3, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment satisfies relation (4). Therefore, the heat exchanger 27 has a support portion 63 with a shortened length L1, which can suppress the decrease in manufacturability caused by a longer length L1.

[0110] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of fins 43 having a plurality of grates 69. These grates 69 are arranged in a region S between adjacent heat transfer tubes 41, with a portion of the fin 43 cut off and arranged parallel to the long side of the cut portion 53. The plurality of grates 69 satisfy the following conditions. Specifically, in region S, the region on the side of the terminal 53b of the cut portion 53 is designated as region S1, and the region on the side of the open end 53a of the cut portion 53 is designated as region S2, with the first virtual line VL1 as the boundary. Among the plurality of grates 69, each grates 69 provided in region S1 is designated as a first grates 69a, and each grates 69 provided in region S2 is designated as a second grates 69b. In this case, each first grates 69a is inclined at an angle θ (°) relative to the surface of the fin 43, and each second grates 69b is inclined at an angle 180-θ (°) relative to the surface of the fin 43. Furthermore, each of the first gratings 69a occupies more than 50% of the area of ​​region S1, and each of the second gratings 69b occupies more than 50% of the area of ​​region S2. Therefore, the heat exchanger 27 can utilize region S of the fins 43 to increase the amount of heat exchange between the airflow and the fins 43.

[0111] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of fins 43, each having ribs 71. These ribs 71 are disposed in the region between the end edge 43b of the fin 43 and the end 53b of the cutout 53, extending vertically and close to the end 53b of the cutout 53. Therefore, through the water collection effect of the ribs 71, the heat exchanger 27 can reduce the amount of water reaching the upper surface of the heat transfer tube 41 and its vicinity, thereby further improving drainage performance.

[0112] Therefore, the heat exchanger 27 according to this embodiment, by having a heat transfer tube 41 with a flat cross-sectional shape, can achieve a high heat exchange rate while having excellent drainage performance.

[0113] Furthermore, although this embodiment shows an example of heat exchanger 27 used as an outdoor heat exchanger, it is not limited to this. As another embodiment, heat exchanger 27 can also be used as an indoor heat exchanger 13. In addition, although in this embodiment, the wind blows from the terminal 53b side of the cutout 53 to the open end 53a side, it is not limited to this. The wind can also blow from the open end 53a of the cutout 53 to the terminal 53b side.

[0114] While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included within the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0115] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1. Air conditioner 3 Indoor unit 5 Outdoor units 11 Indoor unit casing 13 Indoor heat exchangers 15 Indoor ventilation fan 21 Outdoor unit casing 23 Compressor 25 Four-way valve 27. Heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger) 29. Expansion device 31 Outdoor ventilation fan 33 Refrigerant Pipeline 41 Heat transfer tube 41a Flat surface 43 Fins 43a, 43b end edges 45, 47 manifold 51 Refrigerant Flow Path 53. Incision site 53a Open Terminal 53b terminal 53c Heat transfer tube inlet section 53d upper lateral edge 53e Lower lateral edge 53f Terminal Edge 55 Pipe periphery protrusion 55a First circumferential protrusion 55b Second pipe circumferential protrusion 55c Third circumferential protrusion 56. Flat portion of the pipe periphery 56a peripheral edge 57 Flat Plate Section 58 Pipe periphery protrusion connecting part 59 Cutting section 59a First cutting section 59b Second cutting section 61. Hollow Section 61a Topmost 61b Bottom 61c Upwind end 63 Support section 65 Connecting part 67 Fin flange 69 grids 69a 1st grid plate 69b 2nd grid plate 71 ribs Shortest distances D1, D3, and W D2 Shortest horizontal distance FL airflow direction (arrow) FP interval H offset Areas P, S, S1, S2 TH and TP distances VLt virtual line VL1 Virtual Line 1 VL2 Virtual Line 2 VL3 Third Virtual Line VLS Virtual Lines X extension direction θ angle θb is the vertical angle.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger, characterized in that, have: Multiple fins are arranged at intervals along the thickness direction; and Multiple heat transfer tubes with a flat cross-section extend through the multiple fins along the thickness direction and are spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. Each of the aforementioned fins has: Multiple cuts extend along an insertion direction orthogonal to the vertical direction when the multiple heat transfer tubes are arranged in an up-down direction, for at least a portion of the heat transfer tubes to be inserted. as well as Multiple tube-peripheral protrusions are offset in the thickness direction of the fins and respectively mimic the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube along the multiple cuts.

2. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The circumferential protrusion includes: The first circumferential protrusion is provided along the upper edge of the long side of the cut portion; The second circumferential protrusion is provided along the lower edge of the long side of the cut portion; and A curved third circumferential protrusion connects the first circumferential protrusion and the second circumferential protrusion, and is arranged along the terminal edge of the cut portion.

3. The heat exchanger as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The circumferential protrusion has a flat portion that intersects with the flat surface of the heat transfer tube. When the shortest distance from the cut to the outer periphery of the tube-circumferential raised flat portion is defined as W, the distance between the opposing flat surfaces is defined as TH, and the distance between adjacent cuts is defined as TP, the heat exchanger satisfies the following relationship (1), wherein the units of W, TH, and TP are millimeters. 0.5 mm < W < (TP-TH) ÷ 3··· (1).

4. The heat exchanger as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the fins has a flat plate portion that is the portion other than the plurality of cutouts and the plurality of peripheral protrusions. When the offset between the flat plate and the circumferential raised flat portion is set as H, and the spacing between the plurality of fins is set as FP, the heat exchanger satisfies the following relationship (2), wherein the units of H and FP are millimeters. 0.1 mm < H < FP ÷ 2 ··· (2).

5. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned fins has: At least one cut-out portion is provided by cutting off a portion of the fin and contacts the adjacent fin; and The cavity extends along the thickness direction of the fin when the at least one cut portion is cut. The at least one cutting portion has: The support portion contacts the adjacent fin; and The connecting part connects the surface of the support part and the fin. In the case where a virtual line extending along the vertical direction through the center of the width direction of the heat transfer tube is designated as the first virtual line VL1, a virtual line extending parallel to the width direction of the heat transfer tube through the center between adjacent heat transfer tubes is designated as the second virtual line VL2, a virtual line extending parallel to the width direction of the heat transfer tube through the center between the uppermost and lowermost ends of the cavity is designated as the third virtual line VL3, and a line segment that is part of the third virtual line VL3 overlapping with the cavity is designated as a virtual line segment VLS, the at least one cut portion includes the first cut portion, which is configured such that: in the region S between adjacent heat transfer tubes, the virtual line segment VLS is included in the segmented region located at the end side of the cut portion bounded by the first virtual line VL1 and located on the upper side of the heat transfer tube side bounded by the second virtual line, and the support portion and the connecting portion are located below the third virtual line VL3.

6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, The circumferential protrusion has a flat portion that intersects with the flat surface of the heat transfer tube. When the shortest distance between the outer periphery of the tube-circumferential protrusion and the terminal of the cut portion is set as D1, the shortest horizontal distance between the outer periphery of the tube-circumferential protrusion and the cavity portion is set as D2, and the shortest distance from the end edge of the fin extending along the vertical direction and close to the terminal of the cut portion to the terminal of the cut portion is set as D3, the heat exchanger satisfies the following relationship (3). D1<D2<D3···(3) 7. The heat exchanger as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The cavity is part of the cut portion, and the at least one cut portion includes a second cut portion, which is disposed on at least one of the upper edge of the long side direction of the cut portion and the lower edge of the long side direction of the cut portion.

8. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, When the length of the side of the support extending in the vertical direction is set as L1, the cutting length of the connecting part is set as L2, and the length of the side of the cavity extending in the vertical direction is set as L3, the heat exchanger satisfies the following relationship (4). L1+L2<L3···(4).

9. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Each of the fins has a plurality of grids arranged in a region S between adjacent heat transfer tubes, with a portion of the fin cut off and arranged parallel to the insertion direction of the cut. A virtual line extending along the vertical direction from the center of the width of the heat transfer tube is designated as the first virtual line VL1. In region S, the terminal side region of the cut portion is designated as region S1, and the open end side region of the cut portion is designated as region S2, with the first virtual line VL1 as the boundary. Among the plurality of grates, each grates provided in region S1 is designated as the first grates, and each grates provided in region S2 is designated as the second grates. Each first grates is inclined at an angle θ relative to the surface of the fin, and each second grates is inclined at an angle 180-θ relative to the surface of the fin. Furthermore, each first grates is provided in more than 50% of the area of ​​region S1, and each second grates is provided in more than 50% of the area of ​​region S2, wherein the unit of θ is °.

10. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Each of the fins has a rib disposed in the region between the end edge of the fin and the end of the cut-out portion on the side of the fin extending in the vertical direction and close to the end of the cut-out portion, and extending in the vertical direction.

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