Heat exchanger and unit cooler comprising the same

Abstract

To provide a heat exchanger with high rigidity capable of suppressing deformation of an intermediate plate, and a unit cooler comprising the heat exchanger.SOLUTION: A heat exchanger of a unit cooler has: an intermediate plate formed by joining a plurality of intermediate plate pieces, which support pipes with a plurality of fins attached thereto, along a surface direction; and a frame that is connected to the intermediate plate, and to which an upper structure can be attached, where a connection member for connecting the intermediate plate piece to the upper structure is arranged at a position of the intermediate plate piece facing the upper structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat exchanger and a unit cooler including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] A unit cooler has the function of lowering the temperature inside a large refrigerator or freezer by cooling the outside air taken in from outside the housing through a heat exchanger located inside the housing and supplying the cooled air into the refrigerator or freezer.

[0003] A typical unit cooler heat exchanger has pipes through which a refrigerant flows and fins attached around the pipes. Both ends of the pipes are supported by tube plates, but to improve the cooling performance of the coil, long pipes and numerous fins are required, and their weight can cause the pipes to bend in the center. Therefore, intermediate plates are placed between the tube plates to support the weight of the pipes. Intermediate plates are available in one-piece and split types.

[0004] The intermediate plate of the unit cooler disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a so-called split type, and is formed by joining multiple intermediate plate pieces, each supporting a pipe with multiple fins attached, by welding along the surface direction, and at least one of the intermediate plate pieces has a claw portion that abuts against an adjacent intermediate plate piece in the plate thickness direction. The claw portion can prevent the intermediate plate piece from bending in the plate thickness direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-154785 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Here, it is preferable that the four sides of the intermediate plate are connected to a rigid body such as a housing, etc. However, in one type of unit cooler, a water spray pan is installed above the intermediate plate to spray water for cleaning and defrosting the heat exchanger, making it difficult to fix the upper end of the intermediate plate.

[0007] For this reason, when the weight of the pipes containing the refrigerant is applied to the intermediate plate, the center of the upper edge of the intermediate plate may bend downward. This may result in uneven defrosting or cleaning effects depending on the position of the heat exchanger, for example. Furthermore, when transporting a coil unit or heat exchanger with fins and pipes attached to the intermediate plate, it would be advantageous to lift the intermediate plate in the middle position with a lifting tool, but there is also the problem that the intermediate plate of the prior art is not designed to be lifted with a lifting tool.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger that can suppress deformation of intermediate plates and has high rigidity, and a unit cooler including the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the coil according to the present invention comprises: an intermediate plate formed by joining a plurality of intermediate plate pieces along a surface direction, the intermediate plate supporting the pipe having a plurality of fins attached thereto; a frame connected to the intermediate plate and capable of mounting an upper structure; A connecting member for connecting the intermediate plate piece and the upper structure is disposed at a position of the intermediate plate piece facing the upper structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat exchanger that can suppress deformation of an intermediate plate and has high rigidity, and a unit cooler including the heat exchanger. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an outline of a unit cooler according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger and a spray pan used in a unit cooler. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchanger and the water spray pan. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchanger and the water spray pan. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing one coil unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the first intermediate plate piece and the second intermediate plate piece. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper part of the first intermediate plate piece. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first intermediate plate piece and the second intermediate plate piece are joined together. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the state in which the third intermediate plate piece and the fourth intermediate plate piece are joined together. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first and second intermediate plate pieces and the third and fourth intermediate plate pieces are joined together. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the state in which the ninth intermediate plate piece and the tenth intermediate plate piece are joined together. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the seventh and eighth intermediate plate pieces and the ninth and tenth intermediate plate pieces joined together. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an intermediate plate formed by joining the first to tenth intermediate plate pieces. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] (Unit cooler structure) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an outline of a unit cooler 10 according to this embodiment. In an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system, the X axis direction is the width direction of the unit cooler 10 (the left-right direction in FIG. 1), the Y axis direction is the length direction of the unit cooler 10 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1), and the Z axis direction is the height direction of the unit cooler 10.

[0013] 1, the unit cooler 10 of this embodiment includes a housing 12 that forms a closed space therein, a heat exchanger 20 disposed inside the housing 12, an intake hood 14 attached to the housing 12, a fan unit 30 attached to the housing 12, and a spray pan (upper structure) 40 disposed above the heat exchanger 20. However, the intake hood 14 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0014] The housing 12 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is composed of a bottom surface 12c, a ceiling surface 12d facing the bottom surface 12c and spaced apart in the Z-axis direction, a back surface 12a to which the intake hood 14 is attached, a front surface 12b spaced apart in the X-axis direction from the back surface 12a and to which the fan unit 30 is attached, and a pair of side surfaces 12e (only one of which is shown in Figure 1) connected to the ends of the bottom surface 12c, the ceiling surface 12d, the back surface 12a, and the front surface 12b, respectively, and spaced apart in the Y-axis direction.

[0015] In this embodiment, the housing 12 is installed on the floor B of a large refrigerator, freezer, etc. (not shown), for example, via legs 16, but it may also be suspended from the ceiling of the refrigerator or freezer using appropriate means.

[0016] Heat exchanger 20, which will be described in detail later, is, for example, a cooler, and has the function of directly contacting the air (outside air) drawn in through intake hood 14 and exchanging heat with the air. Heat exchanger 20 may also be equipped with a defrosting mechanism that removes frost and the like that has adhered to heat exchanger 20 during defrosting operation. Note that spray pan 40 in this embodiment has the function of defrosting or cleaning heat exchanger 20.

[0017] The heat exchanger 20 is placed on the bottom surface of the housing 12 via a base 26. A drain mechanism (not shown) that discharges water resulting from melted frost during defrosting operation is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 12. With this configuration, water resulting from melted frost during defrosting operation is discharged to the outside.

[0018] The fan device 30 has an exhaust duct 32 attached to the front surface 12b of the housing 12, and a blower motor 34 attached to the exhaust duct 32 via a stay 36.

[0019] The sprinkler pan 40 has a function of sprinkling water to remove dust, frost, etc. adhering to the heat exchanger 20. Details of the sprinkler pan 40 will be described later.

[0020] When power is supplied from the outside, the blower motor 34 drives the fan 34a to rotate, and outside air is drawn into the housing 12 in the direction of arrow A1 from the lower opening 14a of the intake hood 14. Furthermore, the air that has been cooled by passing through the heat exchanger 20 in the X-axis direction (the direction of arrow A3) is discharged through the exhaust duct 32 in the direction of arrow A2, and the cool air is supplied to the interior of the refrigerator, freezer, etc.

[0021] (Structure of each part) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heat exchanger 20 and the spray pan 40 used in the unit cooler 10. FIGS. 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the heat exchanger 20 and the spray pan 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the heat exchanger 20 is formed by combining a plurality of (here, ten) coil units. Specifically, the heat exchanger 20 has coil units C1 to C10, an intermediate plate 25, a frame (21, 22, 26, 29), and a connecting member 27. The tube plates 21 and 22, the base 26, and the support pillars 29 that serve as the frame support the spray pan 40. The support pillars 29 connect the base 26 and the spray pan 40, and support the spray pan 40.

[0022] The tube sheet 21 has a flat plate portion 21a extending along the XZ plane and a frame portion 21b surrounding the flat plate portion 21a, and holes 21c through which the straight ends of the pipes 23 can pass are formed in a matrix along the X-axis and Z-axis directions in the flat plate portion 21a.

[0023] Sprinkler pan 40 has rectangular outer frame 41, bottom wall 42 located at the lower end of outer frame 41 in the Z-axis direction, and reinforcing member 43 with an L-shaped cross section that is located inside outer frame 41 and extends in the X-axis direction. Bottom wall 42 has multiple slits 42a that penetrate in the Z-axis direction and extend in the Y-axis direction, and five through-holes 42b that penetrate in the Z-axis direction between slits 42a, and reinforcing member 43 has openings 43a that correspond to through-holes 42b.

[0024] 5 is a perspective view showing one coil unit (C3 in this example). Coil unit C3 has a pipe 23 that extends straight in the Y-axis direction, a number of metal fins 24 that extend along the XZ plane and are attached to the outer periphery of pipe 23, and a third intermediate plate piece 25C that is installed at the middle position of pipe 23 in the Y-axis direction and extends along the XZ plane.

[0025] One end of each of the multiple pipes 23, each having a circular cross section, is folded back into a U-shape, and the other end is connected to another pipe, a distributor, or the like via a joint (not shown). However, it is also possible to arrange straight pipes 23 in parallel and connect adjacent ends with a U-shaped joint by welding; here, the pipes 23 are shown in a state before the joint is welded. The length of the pipes 23 is, for example, 1.5 m or more.

[0026] Each fin 24 has a circular opening 24a through which the pipe 23 is inserted. When joining the pipes 23 and the fins 24, for example, the pipes 23 are inserted into the circular openings 24a of all the fins 24, and then a high-pressure fluid is introduced into the inside of the pipe 23 to expand it in the longitudinal direction, thereby bringing the outer periphery of the pipe 23 into tight contact with the inner periphery of the circular opening 24a, thereby attaching a large number of fins 24 at once. However, the joining of the pipes 23 and the fins 24 is not limited to this method.

[0027] In this embodiment, ten intermediate plate pieces 25A-25J are combined to form one intermediate plate 25. Here, the intermediate plate pieces 25A-25J are classified into six types (a total of ten pieces), but are not limited to this. The thickness direction of the intermediate plate 25 is the Y-axis direction, and the surface directions are the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the first intermediate plate piece 25A and the second intermediate plate piece 25B.

[0028] (Configuration of the first intermediate plate piece and the second intermediate plate piece) The first intermediate plate piece 25A can be formed by press-forming or laser processing a metal plate, etc. The first intermediate plate piece 25A has a rectangular main body portion 25Aa that extends elongatedly in the Z-axis direction, ear portions 25Ab that are connected to the positive side edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Aa in the X-axis direction along the Z-axis direction, first claw portions 25Ac and second claw portions 25Ad that are connected to the negative side edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Aa in the X-axis direction near the upper end and the lower end, respectively, and third claw portions 25Ae and fourth claw portions 25Af that are connected to and spaced apart from each other at the lower edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Aa in the Z-axis direction.

[0029] The upper end of ear 25Ab in the Z-axis direction is displaced downward in the Z-axis direction by a distance Δ1 relative to the upper end of rectangular main body 25Aa in the Z-axis direction. Third claw 25Ae and fourth claw 25Af may be spaced apart as shown in FIG. 6, or may not be spaced apart. The upper side of first claw 25Ac in the Z-axis direction preferably coincides with the upper end of rectangular main body 25Aa in the Z-axis direction, the side of third claw 25Ae preferably coincides with the side of rectangular main body 25Aa in the X-axis direction, and fourth claw 25Af is preferably formed on rectangular main body 25Aa rather than on ear 25Ab. In the figure, rectangular main body 25Aa and ear 25Ab are separated by a dashed line, but they are actually on the same plane (the same applies below).

[0030] The rectangular main body 25Aa has circular openings 25Ag arranged in, for example, 2 columns and 10 rows. One of the openings 25Ag in the second to eighth rows and the ninth row from the top is burred to form a cylindrical shape around the opening, improving the retention of the pipe 23 when it is expanded. On the other hand, the other openings 25Ag in the first, tenth, and ninth rows from the top are simply punched openings. This is because welding, which will be described later, is performed on both sides in the Z-axis direction. If burring were performed on the openings 25Ag close to the welded portion, there is a risk of damaging the pipe 23 due to effects such as thermal distortion. This is to avoid this.

[0031] The rectangular first claw portion 25Ac is shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Aa by the amount of the plate thickness toward the positive side in the Y-axis direction (toward the back in Figure 6), while the rectangular second claw portion 25Ad is shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Aa by the amount of the plate thickness toward the negative side in the Y-axis direction (toward the front in Figure 6).

[0032] The rectangular third claw portion 25Ae is also shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Aa by the amount of the plate thickness toward the positive side in the Y-axis direction (toward the back in Figure 6), while the rectangular fourth claw portion 25Af is also shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Aa by the amount of the plate thickness toward the negative side in the Y-axis direction (toward the front in Figure 6).

[0033] The ear portion 25Ab has three elongated holes 25Ah spaced apart in the Z-axis direction. After being formed, the first intermediate plate piece 25A is assembled into the coil unit C1 by assembling the pipe 23 and the fins 24 thereto.

[0034] FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper portion of first intermediate plate piece 25A, showing eye nut 28 and nut NT. A battledore-shaped fastening member (connecting member) 27 is attached to one surface of rectangular main body 25Aa near the upper end of rectangular main body 25Aa (at a position facing sprinkler pan 40). In this embodiment, fastening member 27 is made of metal and includes plate portion 27a, which is a substantially rectangular flat plate with two holes, and bolt portion 27b provided at one end of plate portion 27a. As will be described in detail below, by threading nut NT onto bolt portion 27b, which is a fastening force generating portion, and tightening it, a fastening force can be generated that brings the intermediate plate piece and sprinkler pan 40 closer together.

[0035] The plate portion 27a has a thickness thinner than the fin pitch and a width greater than the outer diameter of the bolt portion 27b. Here, the plate portion 27a constitutes an attachment portion that comes into surface contact with the rectangular main body portion 25Aa, and therefore the attachment portion is not limited to a flat plate portion, and it is sufficient if it has a flat surface that comes into surface contact with the intermediate plate piece.

[0036] Plate portion 27a is fixed to rectangular main body portion 25Aa by welding between the four openings 25Ag in the first and second rows. However, fastening member 27 may be fixed to rectangular main body portion 25Aa with rivets using holes in plate portion 27a. With plate portion 27a attached to rectangular main body portion 25Aa, bolt portion 27b extends and protrudes in the Z-axis direction from the upper end of rectangular main body portion 25Aa in the Z-axis direction.

[0037] A nut NT or an eye nut (engagement member) 28 can be threaded onto the bolt portion 27b. The eye nut 28 has an annular portion 28a that can be engaged with a hook-shaped hanging tool or the like, and a nut portion 28b that can be threaded onto the bolt portion 27b.

[0038] 6, the second intermediate plate piece 25B can also be formed by press-forming or laser processing a metal plate. The second intermediate plate piece 25B has a rectangular main body portion 25Ba extending in the Z-axis direction, a tab portion 25Bb extending from the positive side edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Ba along the Z-axis, and a first claw portion 25Bc and a second claw portion 25Bd extending from the negative side edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Ba near the upper end and the lower end, respectively. It is preferable that the first claw portion 25Bc be shifted downward from the upper end of the rectangular main body portion 25Ba in the Z-axis direction by at least the length of the third claw portion 25Ae in the Z-axis direction, to avoid interference during welding.

[0039] Rectangular body 25Ba also has circular openings 25Bg arranged in, for example, 2 columns and 10 rows. As with rectangular body 25Aa, some of openings 25Bg are formed by burring to extend the periphery of the opening into a cylindrical shape, while the remaining openings 25Bg are simply punched openings.

[0040] The first claw portion 25Bc is also shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Ba by the amount of the plate thickness toward the positive side in the Y axis direction (toward the rear in FIG. 6), while the second claw portion 25Bd is also shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Ba by the amount of the plate thickness toward the negative side in the Y axis direction (toward the front in FIG. 6). The shift amounts and shapes of the first claw portion 25Bc and the second claw portion 25Bd are similar to those of the first claw portion 25Ac and the second claw portion 25Ad.

[0041] Ear portion 25Bb has three elongated holes 25Bh spaced apart in the Z-axis direction. When assembling heat exchanger 20 to housing 12, fastening bolts (not shown) or the like can be inserted through elongated holes 25Ah and 25Bh to fix heat exchanger 20 to support posts 29 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) arranged on one side of intermediate plate 25. The upper end of support post 29 is fixed to sprinkle pan 40 while supporting bottom wall 42 of sprinkle pan 40, and the lower end of support post 29 is fixed to base 26. After molding, pipes 23 and fins 24 are attached to second intermediate plate piece 25B, and the second intermediate plate piece 25B is assembled into coil unit C2.

[0042] An insertion hole 25Be is formed near the lower end of the rectangular main body 25Ba of the second intermediate plate piece 25B. The insertion hole 25Be can be used as a hole through which a fastening bolt is inserted when fixing the second intermediate plate piece 25B to the base 26.

[0043] (Joining the first intermediate plate piece and the second intermediate plate piece) 8 is a perspective view showing the state in which the first intermediate plate piece 25A and the second intermediate plate piece 25B are joined together. As shown in FIG. 5, in a state in which the coil units C1 and C2 are assembled including the pipes 23 and the fins 24, the lower end of the rectangular main body 25Aa and the upper end of the rectangular main body 25Ba are aligned so as to face each other, and the two are brought relatively close together along the Z-axis direction. Then, the upper end of the rectangular main body 25Ba in the Z-axis direction enters between the third claw 25Ae and the fourth claw 25Af and abuts against the lower end of the rectangular main body 25Aa in the Z-axis direction.

[0044] In this state, the surface (front side in the Y-axis direction) of the third claw portion 25Ae abuts against the back surface (rear side in the Y-axis direction) of the rectangular main body portion 25Ba, and the back surface (rear side in the Y-axis direction) of the fourth claw portion 25Af abuts against the surface (front side in the Y-axis direction) of the rectangular main body portion 25Ba.

[0045] Here, the right side in the X-axis direction of third claw 25Ae abutting rectangular main body 25Ba is aligned with the right side in the X-axis direction of rectangular main body 25Ba of second intermediate plate piece 25B, and the tip of a welding torch (not shown) is placed here to weld them together along that side. Also, because the left sides in the X-axis direction of ear 25Ab and ear 25Bb are aligned, the tip of a welding torch (not shown) is placed here to weld them together along that side.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the front surface of the third claw 25Ae abuts against the rear surface of the rectangular main body 25Ba, and the rear surface of the fourth claw 25Af abuts against the front surface of the rectangular main body 25Ba. This prevents misalignment between the first intermediate plate piece 25A and the second intermediate plate piece 25B in the Y-axis direction. This eliminates the need to temporarily fix the two intermediate plate pieces using a jig or other tool during welding, making welding easy. Additionally, welding is performed over the entire right side of the third claw 25Ae in the X-axis direction while the third claw 25Ae and the rectangular main body 25Ba are in surface contact, ensuring high welding strength. Note that one of the third claw 25Ae and the fourth claw 25Af may be omitted.

[0047] (Configuration of the third and fourth intermediate plate pieces) FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the state in which the third intermediate plate piece 25C and the fourth intermediate plate piece 25D are joined together. The third intermediate plate piece 25C can also be formed by press-forming a metal plate or by laser processing, etc. The third intermediate plate piece 25C has a rectangular main body portion 25Ca that extends in an elongated manner in the Z-axis direction, a first claw portion 25Cc and a second claw portion 25Cd that are connected to each other near the upper end and the lower end of the X-axis direction negative side edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Ca, and a third claw portion 25Ce and a fourth claw portion 25Cf that are connected to each other and spaced apart from each other at the lower edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Ca in the Z-axis direction.

[0048] Similar to rectangular main body 25Aa, a battledore-shaped fastening member 27 is welded to one surface of rectangular main body 25Ca near the upper end of rectangular main body 25Ca, with bolt portion 27b protruding in the Z-axis direction from the upper end of rectangular main body 25Ca along the Z axis. Since the configuration of fastening member 27 is the same, a redundant description will be omitted.

[0049] Rectangular body portion 25Ca also has circular openings 25Cg arranged in, for example, 2 columns and 10 rows. As with rectangular body portion 25Aa, some of openings 25Cg are formed by burring to extend the periphery of the opening into a cylindrical shape, while the remaining openings 25Cg are simply punched openings.

[0050] The first claw portion 25Cc also shifts parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Ca by the amount of the plate thickness toward the positive side in the Y-axis direction (toward the back in Figure 9), and the second claw portion 25Cd also shifts parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Ca by the amount of the plate thickness toward the negative side in the Y-axis direction (toward the front in Figure 9).

[0051] The rectangular third claw portion 25Ce is also shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Ca in the Y-axis direction positive side (toward the rear in FIG. 9) by the amount of its plate thickness, while the rectangular fourth claw portion 25Cf is also shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Ca in the Y-axis direction negative side (toward the front in FIG. 9) by the amount of its plate thickness. The shift amounts and shapes of the first claw portion 25Cc, the second claw portion 25Cd, the third claw portion 25Ce, and the fourth claw portion 25Cf are the same as those of the first claw portion 25Ac, the second claw portion 25Ad, the third claw portion 25Ae, and the fourth claw portion 25Af. After forming, the third intermediate plate piece 25C is assembled into the coil unit C3 by assembling the pipe 23 and the fins 24 (see FIG. 3).

[0052] The fourth intermediate plate piece 25D can also be formed by press-forming a metal plate or by laser processing, etc. The fourth intermediate plate piece 25D has a rectangular main body portion 25Da that extends in an elongated manner in the Z-axis direction, and a first claw portion 25Dc and a second claw portion 25Dd that are connected to the upper and lower ends of the rectangular main body portion 25Da on the negative side edge in the X-axis direction.

[0053] Rectangular body portion 25Da also has circular openings 25Dg arranged in, for example, 2 columns and 10 rows. As with rectangular body portion 25Aa, some of openings 25Dg are formed by burring to extend the periphery of the opening into a cylindrical shape, while the remaining openings 25Dg are simply punched openings.

[0054] An insertion hole 25De is formed near the lower end of the fourth intermediate plate piece 25D. The insertion hole 25De can be used as a hole through which a fastening bolt is inserted when fixing the fourth intermediate plate piece 25D to the base 26.

[0055] The first claw portion 25Dc is also shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Da by the amount of the plate thickness toward the positive side in the Y-axis direction (toward the rear in FIG. 9), and the second claw portion 25Dd is also shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Da by the amount of the plate thickness toward the negative side in the Y-axis direction (toward the front in FIG. 9). The shift amount and shape of the first claw portion 25Dc and the second claw portion 25Dd are the same as those of the first claw portion 25Ac and the second claw portion 25Ad. After molding, the pipe 23 and the fins 24 are attached to the fourth intermediate plate piece 25D, and the coil unit C4 is assembled.

[0056] The third intermediate plate piece 25C and the fourth intermediate plate piece 25D differ from the first intermediate plate piece 25A and the second intermediate plate piece 25B in that they do not have lugs.

[0057] (Joining the third and fourth intermediate pieces) During assembly, with the coil units C3 and C4 assembled, the lower end of rectangular main body 25Ca and the upper end of rectangular main body 25Da are aligned so as to face each other, and the two are brought relatively close together along the Z-axis direction, causing the upper end of rectangular main body 25Da to enter between third claw 25Ce and fourth claw 25Cf and abut against the lower end of rectangular main body 25Ca.

[0058] Here, the right side in the X-axis direction of third claw 25Ce abutting against rectangular main body 25Da is aligned with the right side in the X-axis direction of rectangular main body 25Da of fourth intermediate plate piece 25D, and the tip of a welding torch (not shown) is placed here to weld them together along that side. At this time, the left side in the X-axis direction of fourth claw 25Cf abutting against rectangular main body 25Da is aligned with the left side in the X-axis direction of rectangular main body 25Db of second intermediate plate piece 25B, so the tip of a welding torch (not shown) is placed here to weld them together along that side.

[0059] In this embodiment, the front surface of the third claw 25Ce abuts against the rear surface of the rectangular main body 25Da, and the rear surface of the fourth claw 25Cf abuts against the front surface of the rectangular main body 25Da. This prevents misalignment between the third and fourth intermediate plate pieces 25C and 25D in the Y-axis direction. This eliminates the need to temporarily fix the two intermediate plate pieces using a jig or other tool during welding, making welding easy. Additionally, welding is performed over the entire right side of the third claw 25Ce in the X-axis direction while the third claw 25Ce and the rectangular main body 25Da are in surface contact, and welding is performed over the entire left side of the fourth claw 25Cf in the X-axis direction while the fourth claw 25Cf and the rectangular main body 25Da are in surface contact, ensuring high weld strength. At least one of the third claw 25Ce and the fourth claw 25Cf may be omitted.

[0060] (Joining of the first and second intermediate plates with the third and fourth intermediate plates) FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first intermediate plate piece 25A and the second intermediate plate piece 25B are joined to the third intermediate plate piece 25C and the fourth intermediate plate piece 25D.

[0061] With the coil units C1, C2, C3, and C4 assembled including the pipes 23 and fins 24, the left ends (positive ends in the X-axis direction) of rectangular main body portion 25Ca and rectangular main body portion 25Da are aligned so that the right ends (negative ends in the X-axis direction) of rectangular main body portion 25Aa and rectangular main body portion 25Ba face the left ends (positive ends in the X-axis direction) of rectangular main body portion 25Ca and rectangular main body portion 25Da, and the two are brought relatively close together along the X-axis direction. Then, the left end of rectangular main body portion 25Ca enters between first claw portion 25Ac and second claw portion 25Ad and hits the right end of rectangular main body portion 25Aa, and the left end of rectangular main body portion 25Da enters between first claw portion 25Bc and second claw portion 25Bd and hits the right end of rectangular main body portion 25Ba.

[0062] At this time, the upper side in the Z-axis direction of first claw 25Ac abutting against rectangular main body 25Ca extends along the upper end (outer edge) of rectangular main body 25Ca, so the tip of a welding torch (not shown) is brought into contact with this and welding is performed along the upper side. Note that second claw 25Ad, first claw 25Bc, and second claw 25Bd are not welded because they are located on the back side of the coil unit.

[0063] In this embodiment, the surfaces of the first claws 25Ac and 25Bc abut against the back surfaces of the rectangular main bodies 25Ca and 25Da, and the back surfaces of the second claws 25Ad and 25Bd abut against the surfaces of the rectangular main bodies 25Ca and 25Da, thereby suppressing misalignment of the third and fourth intermediate plate pieces 25C and 25D relative to the first and second intermediate plate pieces 25A and 25B in the Y-axis direction. This eliminates the need to temporarily fix the two intermediate plate pieces using a jig or the like during welding, and allows for easy welding. In addition, welding is performed over the entire upper portion of the first claw 25Ac while the first claw 25Ac and the rectangular main body 25Ca are in surface contact, ensuring high weld strength. Furthermore, the surface contact between the second claw 25Bd and the rectangular main body 25Da suppresses misalignment.

[0064] (Regarding the 5th to 8th intermediate boards) The configuration and joining of the fifth intermediate plate piece 25E and the sixth intermediate plate piece 25F (coil units C5, C6), and the seventh intermediate plate piece 25G and the eighth intermediate plate piece 25H (coil units C7, C8) are similar to the configuration and joining of the third intermediate plate piece 25C and the fourth intermediate plate piece 25D (coil units C3, C4), so redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0065] Referring to Figure 13 described below, as described above, the left end of the fifth intermediate plate piece 25E abuts and is joined to the right end of the third intermediate plate piece 25C, the left end of the seventh intermediate plate piece 25G abuts and is joined to the right end of the fifth intermediate plate piece 25E, the left end of the sixth intermediate plate piece 25F abuts and is joined to the right end of the fourth intermediate plate piece 25D, and the left end of the eighth intermediate plate piece 25H abuts and is joined to the right end of the sixth intermediate plate piece 25F.

[0066] (Configuration of the 9th and 10th intermediate plates) FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the state in which the ninth intermediate plate piece 25I and the tenth intermediate plate piece 25J are joined together. The ninth intermediate plate piece 25I can also be formed by press-forming a metal plate or by laser processing, etc. The ninth intermediate plate piece 25I has a rectangular main body portion 25Ia that extends in an elongated manner in the Z-axis direction, a tab portion 25Ib that is connected to the negative side edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Ia in the X-axis direction along the Z-axis direction, and a third claw portion (not shown) and a fourth claw portion 25If that are connected to and spaced apart from each other at the lower edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Ia in the Z-axis direction.

[0067] The upper end of ear 25Ib in the Z-axis direction is displaced downward in the Z-axis direction by a distance Δ1 relative to the upper end of rectangular main body 25Ia. As with rectangular main body 25Aa, a battledore-shaped fastening member 27 is welded to one surface of rectangular main body 25Ia near the upper end of rectangular main body 25Ia, with bolt portion 27b protruding in the Z-axis direction from the upper end of rectangular main body 25Ia in the Z-axis direction. Since the configuration of fastening member 27 is the same, repeated explanation will be omitted.

[0068] The rectangular main body 25Ia also has circular openings 25Ig arranged in, for example, 2 columns and 10 rows. As with the rectangular main body 25Aa, some of the openings 25Ig are formed by burring the periphery of the opening into a cylindrical shape, while the remaining openings 25Ig are simply punched openings.

[0069] The rectangular third claw portion is shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Ia by the amount of the plate thickness toward the positive side in the Y-axis direction (toward the back in Figure 11), while the rectangular fourth claw portion 25If is shifted parallel to the rectangular main body portion 25Ia by the amount of the plate thickness toward the negative side in the Y-axis direction (toward the front in Figure 11).

[0070] The ear portion 25Ib has three elongated holes 25Ih spaced apart in the Z-axis direction. After molding, the ninth intermediate plate piece 25I is assembled into the coil unit C9 by assembling the pipe 23 and the fins 24 thereto.

[0071] The tenth intermediate plate piece 25J can also be formed by press-forming a metal plate or by laser processing, etc. The tenth intermediate plate piece 25J has a rectangular main body portion 25Ja that extends in an elongated manner in the Z-axis direction, and a tab portion 25Jb that is connected to the negative edge of the rectangular main body portion 25Ja in the X-axis direction.

[0072] The ear portion 25Jb has three elongated holes 25Jh spaced apart in the Z-axis direction. After being formed, the tenth intermediate plate piece 25J is assembled with the pipe 23 and the fins 24 to form the coil unit C10.

[0073] When assembling heat exchanger 20 to housing 12, fastening bolts (not shown) or the like can be inserted through elongated holes 25Ih and 25Jh and fixed to support posts 29 (FIGS. 2 to 4) arranged on one side of intermediate plate 25. The upper ends of support posts 29 are fixed to sprinkler pan 40 while supporting bottom wall 42 of sprinkler pan 40, and the lower ends of support posts 29 are fixed to base 26.

[0074] An insertion hole 25Je is formed near the lower end of the tenth intermediate plate piece 25J. The insertion hole 25Je can be used as a hole through which a fastening bolt is inserted when fixing the tenth intermediate plate piece 25J to the base 26.

[0075] The rectangular main body 25Ja also has circular openings 25Jg arranged in, for example, 2 columns and 10 rows. As with the rectangular main body 25Aa, some of the openings 25Jg are formed by burring to extend the periphery of the opening into a cylindrical shape, while the remaining openings 25Jg are simply punched openings.

[0076] The ninth intermediate plate piece 25I and the tenth intermediate plate piece 25J differ from the first intermediate plate piece 25A and the second intermediate plate piece 25B in that they have ear portions 25Ib and 25Jb on opposite sides and do not have first claw portions and second claw portions.

[0077] (Joining the 9th and 10th intermediate pieces) During assembly, with the coil units C9 and C10 assembled including the pipe 23 and the fins 24, the lower end of the rectangular main body 25Ia and the upper end of the rectangular main body 25Ja are aligned so as to face each other, and the two are brought relatively close together along the Z-axis direction, so that the upper end of the rectangular main body 25Ja enters between the third and fourth claws 25If and butts against the lower end of the rectangular main body 25Ia.

[0078] In this state, the left side portions of rectangular main body portion 25Ia and rectangular main body portion 25Ja in the X-axis direction are aligned, and the tip of a welding torch (not shown) is placed here to weld them together along that side. At this time, the right side portions of ear portion 25Ib and ear portion 25Jb in the X-axis direction are aligned, so the tip of a welding torch (not shown) is placed here to weld them together along that side.

[0079] In this embodiment, too, the surface of the third claw portion abuts against the back surface of the rectangular main body portion 25Ja, and the back surface of the fourth claw portion 25If abuts against the surface of the rectangular main body portion 25Ja, thereby suppressing misalignment between the ninth intermediate plate piece 25I and the tenth intermediate plate piece 25J in the Y-axis direction, and therefore welding can be easily performed without the need to temporarily fix both intermediate plate pieces using a jig or the like during welding. Note that one of the third claw portion and the fourth claw portion 25If may be omitted.

[0080] (Joining of the seventh and eighth intermediate plate pieces with the ninth and tenth intermediate plate pieces) 12 is a perspective view showing the seventh and eighth intermediate plate pieces 25G and 25H joined to the ninth and tenth intermediate plate pieces 25I and 25J. Here, explanations of the fifth and sixth intermediate plate pieces 25E and 25F joined to the seventh and eighth intermediate plate pieces 25G and 25H will also be omitted.

[0081] During assembly, with the pipe 23 and the fin 24 assembled into coil units C7, C8, C9, and C10, the left ends (positive ends in the X-axis direction) of rectangular main body portion 25Ia and rectangular main body portion 25Ja are aligned so that the right ends (negative ends in the X-axis direction) of rectangular main body portion 25Ga and rectangular main body portion 25Ha face the left ends (positive ends in the X-axis direction) of rectangular main body portion 25Ia and rectangular main body portion 25Ja, and the two are brought relatively close together along the X-axis direction. Then, the left ends of rectangular main body portion 25Ia and rectangular main body portion 25Ja enter between first claw portions 25Gc, 25Hc and second claw portions 25Gd, 25Hd and butt against the right ends of rectangular main body portion 25Ga and rectangular main body portion 25Ha.

[0082] At this time, the upper side in the Z-axis direction of the first claw 25Gc abutting against the rectangular main body 25Ia extends along the upper end of the rectangular main body 25Ia, so the tip of a welding torch (not shown) is placed against this and the two are welded along the upper side. Note that the second claw 25Gd, the first claw 25Hc, and the second claw 25Hd are located on the rear side of the coil unit and are not welded. If necessary, the lower ends in the Z-axis direction of the rectangular main body 25Ha and the rectangular main body 25Ja may be extended and bolted when installed in the housing 12.

[0083] In this embodiment, the surfaces of the first claws 25Gc and 25Hc abut the back surfaces of the rectangular main bodies 25Ia and 25Ja, and the back surfaces of the second claws 25Gd and 25Hd abut the surfaces of the rectangular main bodies 25Ia and 25Ja. This prevents misalignment of the ninth and tenth intermediate plate pieces 25I and 25J relative to the seventh and eighth intermediate plate pieces 25G and 25H in the Y-axis direction. This eliminates the need to temporarily fix the two intermediate plate pieces using a jig or other tool during welding, making welding easy. Additionally, welding is performed over the entire upper portion of the first claw 25Gc while the first claw 25Gc and the rectangular main body 25Ja are in surface contact, ensuring high weld strength. Furthermore, the surface contact between the second claw 25Hd and the rectangular main body 25Ja prevents misalignment.

[0084] 13 is a perspective view of an intermediate plate 25 formed by joining the first intermediate plate piece 25A to the tenth intermediate plate piece 25J, and in the joined state, the pipes 23 and fins 24 are also assembled (see FIG. 3). The pitch of the fins 24 can be changed arbitrarily for each coil unit.

[0085] (Assembly of heat exchanger) Referring to Figures 2 to 4, coil units C1 to C10, each consisting of an intermediate plate 25 to which a pipe 23 and fins 24 are attached, are assembled to tube sheets 21 and 22 so that the straight end of pipe 23 passes through the holes in tube sheets 21 and 22, and the lower ends of tube sheets 21 and 22 are fixed to both ends of base 26 in the Y-axis direction.

[0086] Furthermore, bolts are inserted into the insertion holes 25Be, 25De, 25Fe, 25He, and 25Je, respectively, and screwed into the screw holes or nuts of the base 26, thereby connecting the intermediate plate 25 and the base 26 together.

[0087] Furthermore, bolts are inserted into the elongated holes 25Ah and 25Bh and screwed into the screw holes or nuts of the support 29 on one side, thereby connecting the intermediate plate 25 to the support 29 on one side, and bolts are inserted into the elongated holes 25Ih and 25Jh and screwed into the screw holes or nuts of the support 29 on the other side, thereby connecting the intermediate plate 25 to the support 29 on the other side.

[0088] 3, spray pan 40 is brought close from above heat exchanger 20, and both ends of spray pan 40 in the Y-axis direction are fixed to the upper ends of tube sheets 21 and 22, and the upper ends of support columns 29 are fixed to spray pan 40. In this state, bolt portions 27b of five fastening members 27 protrude from the upper end of intermediate plate 25 in the Z-axis direction. Bolt portions 27b pass through through holes 42b in bottom wall 42 and protrude from bottom wall 42.

[0089] Next, reinforcing member 43 is lowered from above sprinkler pan 40 and installed so that protruding bolt portion 27b passes through opening 43a. Thereafter, both ends of reinforcing member 43 are fixed to sprinkler pan 40 by bolting or the like, and nuts NT (FIG. 7) are screwed onto bolt portion 27b that has passed through opening 43a. As a result, intermediate plate 25 is fastened to reinforcing member 43 and sprinkler pan 40 via fastening member 27 and nut NT.

[0090] Tightening nut NT generates axial force in bolt portion 27b, which pulls intermediate plate 25 upward toward reinforcing member 43 and sprinkler pan 40. This eliminates any gap between the underside of bottom wall 42 of sprinkler pan 40 and the upper ends of fins 24, bringing them into tight contact with each other. This rigidly supports all four sides of intermediate plate 25, ensuring a flat state along the X-axis and Z-axis directions. This also increases the rigidity of the structure including sprinkler pan 40 and intermediate plate 25. Because the upper ends of ears 25Ab and 25Ib are displaced downward in the Z-axis direction relative to the upper ends of rectangular main bodies 25Aa and 25Ia, rectangular main bodies 25Aa and 25Ia can be tightly fitted to the underside of bottom wall 42 while avoiding interference with the ears.

[0091] If bolt portion 27b were not provided, the support rigidity of intermediate plate 25 would decrease. In addition, the weight of pipes 23, fins 24, and the refrigerant inside pipes 23 would be applied, which could cause intermediate plate 25 to bend so that the center of the upper end of intermediate plate 25 is displaced downward in the Z-axis direction. If intermediate plate 25 bends, gaps would form between the underside of bottom wall 42 of spray pan 40 and the upper ends of some of fins 24, which could prevent water from flowing evenly to fins 24 and reduce the effectiveness of cleaning, etc. Furthermore, the bending of intermediate plate 25 could cause deformation, such as warping, of fins 24.

[0092] In contrast, according to this embodiment, the underside of bottom wall 42 of watering pan 40 and the upper ends of fins 24 are in contact with each other without any gaps, so that when a sufficient amount of water is supplied to watering pan 40 during cleaning, the water that flows down from slits 42a is uniformly distributed across fins 24, thereby improving the effectiveness of cleaning, etc. Furthermore, by suppressing the deflection of intermediate plate 25, tension is imparted to fins 24, suppressing deformation.

[0093] Further, necessary piping and the like are attached to complete the heat exchanger 20. The pipe 23 may have one end U-shaped.

[0094] Furthermore, eye nuts 28 (FIG. 7) can be screwed onto bolt portions 27b before nuts NT are attached to bolt portions 27b. By engaging a lifting tool or the like with eye nuts 28 connected to bolt portions 27b, coil unit or heat exchanger 20 can be easily and safely lifted and transported using a lifting machine.

[0095] Instead of sprinkler pan 40, a ceiling plate may be placed across tube plates 21, 22 as the upper structure, and bolt portion 27b may be threaded through the ceiling plate and tightened with nuts NT to connect it to intermediate plate 25. Also, while fastening members 27 are provided on all of the intermediate plate pieces that contact sprinkler pan 40, it is sufficient to provide them on at least one intermediate plate piece (for example, central intermediate plate piece 25E). Furthermore, reinforcing member 43 is not necessarily required, and fastening members 27 may be fastened directly to bottom wall 42 of sprinkler pan 40.

[0096] This specification includes the disclosure of the following inventions. (First aspect) an intermediate plate formed by joining a plurality of intermediate plate pieces along a surface direction, the intermediate plate supporting the pipe having a plurality of fins attached thereto; a frame connected to the intermediate plate and capable of mounting an upper structure; a connecting member for connecting the intermediate plate piece and the upper structure is disposed at a position of the intermediate plate piece facing the upper structure; A heat exchanger characterized by:

[0097] (Second aspect) the frame includes a tube plate through which the pipe is inserted, a base connected to the tube plate, and a support column connected to the base, a lower end of the intermediate plate is fixed to the base; Both side portions of the intermediate plate are fixed to the support posts. 10. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein:

[0098] (Third aspect) The connecting member has a fastening force generating portion that generates a fastening force so that the intermediate plate piece and the upper structure approach each other. The heat exchanger according to the first or second aspect,

[0099] (Fourth aspect) the upper structure is a watering pan having a bottom wall with a plurality of slits; The fastening force brings the intermediate plate piece and the bottom wall closer together, and the fins come into contact with the bottom wall. A heat exchanger according to a third aspect, characterized in that:

[0100] (Fifth aspect) the connecting member has an attachment portion that is in surface contact with the intermediate plate piece, and a bolt portion that is connected to the attachment portion and protrudes from the intermediate plate piece, The intermediate plate piece is connected to the upper structure by threading a nut onto the bolt portion. The heat exchanger according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, characterized in that:

[0101] (Sixth aspect) Instead of the nut, an engagement member for engaging a lifting tool can be connected to the bolt portion. A heat exchanger according to a fifth aspect, characterized in that:

[0102] (Seventh aspect) The connecting members are arranged on all of the intermediate plate pieces that contact the superstructure. The heat exchanger according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, characterized in that:

[0103] (Eighth aspect) A heat exchanger according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein at least one of the intermediate plate pieces has a claw portion that abuts against an adjacent intermediate plate piece in the plate thickness direction.

[0104] (Ninth aspect) A unit cooler comprising the heat exchanger of any one of the first to eighth aspects and the above-mentioned upper structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 10 Unit Cooler 12. Case 14 Intake hood 20 Heat exchanger 21,22 tube sheet 23 Pipe 24 Finn 25 Intermediate plate 25A~25J Intermediate plate piece 26 base 27 Fastening members 28 Ainat 29 Post 30 Fan unit 32 Exhaust duct 34 Blower motor 34a Fan 36 Stay 40 Watering Pan 42 Bottom wall

Claims

1. an intermediate plate formed by joining a plurality of intermediate plate pieces along a surface direction, the intermediate plate supporting the pipe having a plurality of fins attached thereto; a frame connected to the intermediate plate and capable of mounting an upper structure; a connecting member for connecting the intermediate plate piece and the upper structure is disposed at a position of the intermediate plate piece facing the upper structure; A heat exchanger characterized by:

2. the frame includes a tube plate through which the pipe is inserted, a base connected to the tube plate, and a support column connected to the base, a lower end of the intermediate plate is fixed to the base; Both side portions of the intermediate plate are fixed to the support posts.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1.

3. The connecting member has a fastening force generating portion that generates a fastening force so that the intermediate plate piece and the upper structure approach each other.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1.

4. the upper structure is a watering pan having a bottom wall with a plurality of slits; The fastening force brings the intermediate plate piece and the bottom wall closer together, and the fins come into contact with the bottom wall.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 3.

5. the connecting member has an attachment portion that is in surface contact with the intermediate plate piece, and a bolt portion that is connected to the attachment portion and protrudes from the intermediate plate piece, The intermediate plate piece is connected to the upper structure by threading a nut onto the bolt portion.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1.

6. Instead of the nut, an engagement member for engaging a lifting tool can be connected to the bolt portion.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 5.

7. The connecting members are arranged on all of the intermediate plate pieces that contact the superstructure.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1.

8. 2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the intermediate plate pieces has a claw portion that abuts against an adjacent intermediate plate piece in the plate thickness direction.

9. A unit cooler comprising the heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and the upper structure.

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