Heat exchanger, coating tool and air conditioner

Abstract

A heat exchanger (20), comprising a plurality of fins (23), a plurality of heat exchange tubes (24) and a moisture-absorbing material (251). The plurality of heat exchange tubes (24) are mounted in contact with the plurality of fins (23). The moisture-absorbing material (251) is provided at least on surfaces of the plurality of fins, and the moisture-absorbing material (251) comprises a polymer moisture-absorbing material (2511) and a binder (2513). The polymer moisture-absorbing material (2511) can absorb moisture. The binder (2513) and the polymer moisture-absorbing material (2511) are bonded to each other. The polymer moisture-absorbing material (2511) and the binder (2513) are connected to each other by means of chemical bonding.

Description

Heat exchangers, coating fixtures and air conditioning

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411219082.9, filed on August 30, 2024; Chinese patent application No. 202422141520.6, filed on August 30, 2024; Chinese patent application No. 202411220337.3, filed on August 30, 2024; Chinese patent application No. 202411220362.1, filed on August 30, 2024; and Chinese patent application No. 202411219020.8, filed on August 30, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and more particularly to a heat exchanger, coating tooling, and air conditioner. Background Technology

[0003] As people's demands for home comfort increase, the demand for dehumidification products is also rising. Current air conditioning systems primarily utilize dehumidification technologies including refrigeration dehumidification, rotary adsorption dehumidification, and heat exchanger coating dehumidification.

[0004] Here, heat exchanger coating dehumidification technology refers to coating the surface of the air conditioner's heat exchanger with a layer of moisture-absorbing material, which works in conjunction with the heat exchanger to absorb and release moisture, thereby achieving dehumidification of the air. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a heat exchanger, a coating tooling, and an air conditioner, which can solve the problems of heat exchangers easily cracking when exposed to water and the potential fin blockage when coating the moisture-absorbing layer of the heat exchanger.

[0006] In a first aspect, a heat exchanger is provided, comprising a plurality of fins, a plurality of heat exchange tubes, and a moisture-absorbing material. The plurality of heat exchange tubes are mounted in contact with the plurality of fins. The moisture-absorbing material is disposed at least on the surface of the plurality of fins, and the moisture-absorbing material comprises a polymeric moisture-absorbing material and a binder. The polymeric moisture-absorbing material is capable of absorbing moisture. The binder is bonded to the polymeric moisture-absorbing material. Here, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material and the binder are interconnected by chemical bonding.

[0007] In this way, the moisture-absorbing material of the heat exchanger, including the polymer moisture-absorbing material and the binder, can make the moisture-absorbing layer on the surface of the heat exchanger firmly adhere to the surface of the heat exchanger, and ensure the moisture absorption performance and strength of the moisture-absorbing layer itself.

[0008] In a second aspect, a coating fixture is provided, the coating fixture including a receiving member. The receiving member has an interior cavity capable of accommodating a heat exchanger according to the first aspect. The receiving member has a first air inlet and a first air outlet. Both the first air inlet and the first air outlet communicate with the receiving cavity. The receiving member has a placement surface, and the receiving member allows the heat exchanger to be inclined relative to the placement surface within the receiving cavity, and the angle between the plane containing the heat exchanger and the plane containing the placement surface is an acute angle.

[0009] In this way, the coating fixture ensures that the angle between the plane of the heat exchanger placed in the receiving cavity and the placement surface is acute, and the moisture-absorbing material carried away by the airflow leaves the receiving cavity from the first air outlet. After passing through an appropriate amount of airflow, a suitable amount of moisture-absorbing material will remain on the surface of the heat exchanger, forming a moisture-absorbing layer of appropriate thickness on the surface of the finned heat exchanger.

[0010] Thirdly, an air conditioner is provided, comprising a housing and a heat exchanger according to the first aspect, wherein an installation cavity is formed inside the housing; the housing also has a second air inlet and a second air outlet, both of which communicate with the installation cavity. The heat exchanger is disposed within the installation cavity; airflow flowing in from the second air inlet exchanges heat with refrigerant in the heat exchanger, and the heat-exchanged airflow flows out from the second air outlet.

[0011] The effect of the air conditioner provided in the third aspect is similar to that of the heat exchanger coated with moisture-absorbing material in the first aspect, and will not be elaborated further here. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a centrifuge device in the related art;

[0013] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0014] Figure 3 is a partial schematic diagram of a heat exchanger according to some embodiments;

[0015] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a coating moisture-absorbing material according to some embodiments;

[0016] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of a vacuum coating apparatus according to some embodiments;

[0017] Figure 6 is a flowchart of another coating of a moisture-absorbing material according to some embodiments;

[0018] Figure 7 is a flowchart of a process for degreasing the surface of a heat exchanger according to some embodiments to remove oil stains from the surface of the heat exchanger.

[0019] Figure 8 is a flowchart of another degreasing treatment of a heat exchanger surface according to some embodiments to remove oil stains from the heat exchanger surface.

[0020] Figure 9 is a flowchart of curing and drying a moisture-absorbing material on the surface of a heat exchanger according to some embodiments;

[0021] Figure 10 is a flowchart of another method for curing and drying the moisture-absorbing material on the surface of a heat exchanger according to some embodiments;

[0022] Figure 11 is a structural diagram of a moisture-absorbing layer according to some embodiments;

[0023] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the chemical equation for the reaction of a polymeric moisture-absorbing material with an adhesive according to some embodiments;

[0024] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the chemical equations for the reaction of the polymeric hygroscopic material with the crosslinking agent according to some embodiments;

[0025] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the chemical equation for the reaction of a polymeric moisture-absorbing material with another binder according to some embodiments;

[0026] Figure 15 is a structural diagram of another moisture-absorbing layer according to some embodiments;

[0027] Figure 16 is a structural diagram of an apparatus for evaluating water resistance according to some embodiments;

[0028] Figure 17A is a reference diagram showing the results of evaluating the adhesion of the moisture-absorbing layer according to some embodiments;

[0029] Figure 17B is a reference diagram showing the results of evaluating the adhesion of the moisture-absorbing layer according to some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 17C is a reference diagram showing the results of evaluating the adhesion of the moisture-absorbing layer according to some embodiments;

[0031] Figure 17D is a reference diagram showing the results of evaluating the adhesion of the moisture-absorbing layer according to some embodiments;

[0032] Figure 17E is a reference diagram showing the results of evaluating the adhesion of the moisture-absorbing layer according to some embodiments;

[0033] Figure 18 is a process diagram of coating slurry for three-way catalytic converters in related technologies;

[0034] Figure 19 is a structural diagram of a coating tooling in the related technology;

[0035] Figure 20 is a structural diagram of another coating tooling in the related technology;

[0036] Figure 21 is a structural diagram of another coating fixture according to some embodiments;

[0037] Figure 22 is a magnified view of a portion of circle B in Figure 21;

[0038] Figure 23 is a structural diagram of the coating tooling in Figure 21 from another perspective;

[0039] Figure 24 is a front view of the coating fixture in Figure 21;

[0040] Figure 25 is a magnified view of a portion of circle A in Figure 24;

[0041] Figure 26 is a structural diagram of the coating fixture in Figure 21 from another perspective. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, clearly and completely describes some embodiments of this disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided in this disclosure are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0043] The use of “applies to” or “configured to” in this article implies an open and inclusive language that does not preclude applicability to or configuration to devices that perform additional tasks or steps.

[0044] Unless the context otherwise requires, in the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and its other forms, such as the third-person singular "comprises" and the present participle "comprising," are interpreted as open-ended and encompassing, meaning "including, but not limited to." In the description of the specification, terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics mentioned may be included in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0045] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0046] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure.

[0047] In describing some embodiments, the terms "coupled" and "connected," and their derivative expressions, are used. For example, the term "connected" may be used in describing some embodiments to indicate that two or more components have direct physical or electrical contact with each other. Similarly, the term "coupled" may be used in describing some embodiments to indicate that two or more components have direct physical or electrical contact. However, the terms "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" may also refer to two or more components that do not have direct contact with each other but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the content of this document.

[0048] As people's demands for home comfort increase, many products that can regulate indoor air humidity have appeared on the market, such as air conditioners. A typical air conditioner includes a heat exchanger, which can improve and maintain the temperature of indoor air. When the heat exchanger of an air conditioner is equipped with moisture-exchanging components and materials, the air conditioner can also improve and maintain the humidity of indoor air.

[0049] In some embodiments, a moisture-absorbing material is coated on the surface of the heat exchanger. As the heat exchanger absorbs or releases heat, the moisture-absorbing material can absorb or release water molecules to achieve the function of air conditioning in regulating the humidity of the air.

[0050] In related technologies, moisture-absorbing materials are applied to the surface of heat exchanger fins through methods such as impregnation, spraying, electrostatic spraying, or centrifugation to form a moisture-absorbing layer, thereby achieving the function of air conditioning to regulate humidity.

[0051] Here, the impregnation method refers to immersing the heat exchanger in a prepared moisture-absorbing material to form a moisture-absorbing layer of predetermined thickness on the surface of the heat exchanger. However, the overall thickness of the moisture-absorbing material formed using the impregnation method is relatively uniform, and the thickness of the moisture-absorbing material on different parts of the heat exchanger surface is poor. For example, due to gravity, the thickness of the moisture-absorbing layer on the side of the heat exchanger closer to the ground will be greater than that on the side farther from the ground. This can cause the fins of the moisture-absorbing layer on the side of the heat exchanger closer to the ground to become clogged, reducing the moisture exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

[0052] Spraying refers to using specialized equipment (such as spray guns or atomizers) to disperse the moisture-absorbing material into uniform and fine droplets and spray them onto the surface of the fins. This method allows for uniform coating of the moisture-absorbing material without cracking, but it cannot be used on assembled heat exchangers.

[0053] Understandably, the small gaps between the fins of the assembled heat exchanger prevent the sprayed moisture-absorbing material from covering every corner of the fins. Spraying the fins before assembly would alter their thickness, potentially causing the fin dimensions to be incompatible with the original assembly tools, making assembly impossible.

[0054] Electrostatic spraying involves negatively charging a powder of a moisture-absorbing material and placing it in a high-intensity electrostatic field. Under the influence of electrostatic force and the driving force of a carrier gas, the moisture-absorbing material powder is evenly propelled onto the surface of the heat exchanger, forming a uniform powder layer. This powder layer is then heated to solidify and transform into a film.

[0055] The film layer coated by electrostatic spraying is uniform and crack-free, but the coating equipment is complex and the overall cost is high.

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, centrifugal coating requires first immersing the heat exchanger in a prepared moisture-absorbing material, and then placing the immersed heat exchanger in a centrifugal device 200 to use centrifugal force to throw off excess moisture-absorbing material.

[0057] This coating method can coat all angles of the heat exchanger, but it requires the fabrication of complex clamping fixtures. Furthermore, the centrifugal force experienced by the heat exchanger varies at different distances from the centrifugal center, leading to inconsistent coating amounts at different locations and uneven distribution of the hygroscopic material.

[0058] To address the aforementioned issues, as shown in Figure 2, some embodiments of this disclosure provide an air conditioner 100. The air conditioner 100 may include a housing 10, with an installation cavity 101 formed inside the housing 10. The housing 10 is provided with a second air inlet 102 and a second air outlet 103, which are respectively connected to the installation cavity 101.

[0059] In some embodiments, the mounting cavity 101 includes a first sub-mounting cavity 11 and a second sub-mounting cavity 12. The first sub-mounting cavity 11 and the second sub-mounting cavity 12 are disposed opposite to each other and separated.

[0060] The second air inlet 102 includes a first sub-air inlet 14 (first air inlet), which is connected to the first sub-mounting cavity 11. The second air inlet 102 also includes a second sub-air inlet 16 (second air inlet), which is connected to the second sub-mounting cavity 12.

[0061] The second air outlet 103 includes a first sub-air outlet 13 (fresh air outlet), which is connected to the first sub-mounting cavity 11. The second air outlet 103 also includes a second sub-air outlet 15 (return air outlet), which is connected to the second sub-mounting cavity 12.

[0062] In some embodiments, the air conditioner 100 further includes a compressor disposed within the mounting cavity 101 for providing power for refrigerant circulation.

[0063] In some embodiments, the air conditioner 100 further includes an expansion valve disposed within the mounting cavity 101 and configured to throttle and depressurize the refrigerant flowing through it.

[0064] The air conditioner 100 also includes a heat exchanger 20 (e.g., a finned heat exchanger), which is disposed within the mounting cavity 101.

[0065] The compressor, expansion valve, and heat exchanger form a refrigerant circulation inside the air conditioner to cool, heat, or dehumidify the indoor environment.

[0066] In some embodiments, the surface of the heat exchanger 20 is coated with a moisture-absorbing material 251 (shown in FIG11), and the moisture-absorbing material 251 forms a moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 (shown in FIG11).

[0067] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 20 may include a first sub-heat exchanger 21 (first heat exchanger), which may be installed in a first sub-mounting cavity 11; the heat exchanger 20 may also include a second sub-heat exchanger 22 (second heat exchanger), which may be installed in a second sub-mounting cavity 12. Thus, both the second air inlet 102 and the air outlet 103 are connected to the heat exchanger 20.

[0068] In summer, when indoor air needs to be dehumidified and cooled, fresh outdoor air enters the air conditioner 100 through the first sub-inlet 14, undergoes heat exchange and dehumidification through the first sub-heat exchanger 21, and then flows to the first sub-outlet 13 and enters the room. At this time, the first sub-heat exchanger 21 can be an evaporator. Thus, the first sub-heat exchanger 21, with a moisture-absorbing layer 25 on its surface (shown in Figure 15), can cool the fresh air flow and absorb moisture from it, thereby pre-cooling and dehumidifying the fresh air.

[0069] In some embodiments, the indoor return airflow can flow from the second sub-inlet 16 through the second sub-heat exchanger 22 and be discharged outdoors through the second sub-outlet 15. In this case, the second sub-heat exchanger 22 can be a condenser. In this way, the second sub-heat exchanger 22, with a moisture-absorbing layer 25 on its surface, can heat the return airflow and release moisture to increase the humidity of the return airflow.

[0070] Therefore, the heat exchanger 20 can independently control the temperature and humidity of the airflow passing through it, so as to achieve precise regulation of the temperature and humidity of the indoor environment.

[0071] In the above process, since the first sub-heat exchanger 21 is an evaporator, the heat released by the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the first sub-heat exchanger 21 when absorbing water vapor is absorbed by the refrigerant in the first sub-heat exchanger 21, thus not increasing the temperature of the fresh air flow. Since the second sub-heat exchanger 22 is a condenser, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the second sub-heat exchanger 22 can absorb the heat released by the refrigerant in the second sub-heat exchanger 22 when releasing water vapor, thus not lowering the temperature of the return air flow. Therefore, the heat exchanger 20 does not affect the indoor air temperature during the process of regulating air humidity.

[0072] In winter, when indoor air needs to be humidified and heated, fresh air enters the air conditioner 100 through the first sub-inlet 14, flows sequentially through the first sub-heat exchanger 21 and the first sub-outlet 13 before entering the room. At this time, the first sub-heat exchanger 21 acts as a condenser. In this way, the first sub-heat exchanger 21, with a moisture-absorbing layer 25 on its surface, can heat the fresh air and release moisture to increase the humidity of the fresh air.

[0073] The return airflow from the room can enter the air conditioner 100 through the second sub-inlet 16, flow through the second sub-heat exchanger 22 and the second sub-outlet 15 in sequence, and then be discharged outdoors. At this time, the second sub-heat exchanger 22 can be an evaporator. In this way, the second sub-heat exchanger 22, which has a moisture-absorbing layer 25 on its surface, can cool the return airflow and absorb moisture in the return airflow to achieve a dehumidification effect.

[0074] In the above process, since the second sub-heat exchanger 22 is an evaporator, the heat released by the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the second sub-heat exchanger 22 when absorbing water vapor is absorbed by the refrigerant in the second sub-heat exchanger 22, thus not increasing the temperature of the fresh air flow. Since the first sub-heat exchanger 21 is a condenser, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the first sub-heat exchanger 21 can absorb the heat released by the refrigerant in the first sub-heat exchanger 21 when releasing water vapor, thus not lowering the temperature of the return air flow. Therefore, the heat exchanger 20 does not affect the indoor air temperature during the process of regulating air humidity.

[0075] It is understood that the air conditioner 100 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure may have different structures, and the air conditioner 100 may also be a combination of other structures. The above-described air conditioner 100 structure is only an example.

[0076] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the heat exchanger 20 may include a plurality of fins 23, which are spaced apart.

[0077] The heat exchanger 20 may also include multiple heat exchange tubes 24, which are mounted in contact with multiple fins 23.

[0078] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11, the heat exchanger 20 may further include a moisture-absorbing layer 25, which is disposed at least on the surface of the fins 23.

[0079] The moisture-absorbing layer 25 can absorb water molecules in the airflow passing through it, and can also release the water molecules it absorbs or stores into the airflow passing through it. In this way, the heat exchanger 20 with the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on its surface has the function of moisture exchange.

[0080] In some embodiments, a moisture-absorbing material may also be disposed on the surface of the heat exchange tube 24.

[0081] For example, in actual operation, when the moisture-absorbing material is coated onto the surface of the fins 23, the fins 23 and the heat exchange tubes 24 are already assembled. Therefore, the surface of the heat exchange tubes 24 is also coated with moisture-absorbing material, forming a moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchange tubes 24. In this way, the area covered by the moisture-absorbing layer 25 is increased, and the amount of water molecules that can be absorbed or released is increased, thereby improving the moisture exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 20.

[0082] This disclosure also provides a method for coating a heat exchanger 20 with a moisture-absorbing material, used to coat the surface of the heat exchanger 20 with a moisture-absorbing material to improve the moisture absorption performance of the heat exchanger 20. As shown in FIG4, in some embodiments, the method includes steps S100 to S300.

[0083] S100: Immerse the heat exchanger in a moisture-absorbing material solution and remove it after a preset time.

[0084] In some embodiments, the preset time range is, for example, [1 min, 3 min]. When the preset time is within this range, the surface of the heat exchanger 20 can be sufficiently covered with moisture-absorbing material, that is, the surface of the fins 23 of the heat exchanger 20 is coated with a sufficient amount of moisture-absorbing material by impregnation.

[0085] S200: The heat exchanger is placed in a vacuum environment for material extraction to remove excess moisture-absorbing material from the surface of the heat exchanger.

[0086] Placing the heat exchanger 20, which is impregnated with moisture-absorbing material, into a vacuum environment for material extraction can prevent impurities in the air from affecting the moisture-absorbing material and causing changes in its performance. Furthermore, in a vacuum environment, the pressure on all parts of the heat exchanger 20 is uniform, which can ensure that the thickness of the moisture-absorbing material covering all parts of the heat exchanger 20 is the same, thus ensuring the uniformity of the thickness of the moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0087] S300: Curing and drying the moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the heat exchanger.

[0088] This allows the moisture-absorbing material to adhere firmly to the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0089] In some embodiments, the amount of moisture-absorbing material coated per unit area can be greater than or equal to 0.5 g / 100 cm². 2 And less than or equal to 1.5g / 100cm 2 .

[0090] For example, the coating amount of the moisture-absorbing material per unit area can be 0.5 g / 100 cm². 2 0.6g / 100cm 2 0.8g / 100cm 2 0.9g / 100cm 2 1g / 100cm 2 1.2g / 100cm 2 1.4g / 100cm 2 Or 1.5g / 100cm 2 .

[0091] It should be noted that if the coating amount of the moisture-absorbing material per unit area is too low (e.g., less than 0.5 g / 100 cm²), 2 If the amount of moisture-absorbing material coated on fin 23 is too small, the heat exchanger's moisture exchange capacity will be poor. If the amount of moisture-absorbing material coated per unit area is too high (e.g., greater than 1.5 g / 100 cm²), the heat exchanger will have poor moisture exchange capacity. 2If the thickness of the moisture-absorbing material coated on the fin 23 is too high (e.g., greater than the preset thickness), the space between adjacent fins 23 will be reduced, resulting in a decrease in the amount of airflow between adjacent fins 23, which will reduce the heat exchange and moisture exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 20.

[0092] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, a heat exchanger 20 impregnated with moisture-absorbing material can be placed in a vacuum coating apparatus 40 for material extraction. The vacuum coating apparatus 40 may include a vacuum buffer tank 41, which provides a preset vacuum volume for the coating environment of the heat exchanger 20. The vacuum coating apparatus 40 also includes a water ring vacuum unit 42, which creates a vacuum environment inside the vacuum buffer tank 41. The vacuum coating apparatus 40 further includes a coating host 43, which is an operating table that carries the coating fixtures and the device to be coated. The vacuum coating apparatus 40 also includes a storage tank, which can store and recycle excess moisture-absorbing material extracted from the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0093] For example, when the vacuum coating equipment 40 is operating, the water ring vacuum unit 42 pre-evacuates the internal environment of the vacuum buffer tank 41 to a preset negative pressure vacuum level. When a vacuum operating environment is required, the control panel of the vacuum coating equipment 40 is operated to start the vacuuming action. Excess moisture-absorbing material on the heat exchanger 20 is instantly evacuated. Under the action of airflow, the excess moisture-absorbing material is carried into the storage tank to achieve the recycling of the moisture-absorbing material.

[0094] In other embodiments, the heat exchanger 20 impregnated with moisture-absorbing material can also be placed in other equipment, as long as the equipment can provide a vacuum environment and perform material extraction.

[0095] In some embodiments, when the heat exchanger 20 is being evacuated using the vacuum coating equipment 40, in the step of evacuating the heat exchanger in a vacuum environment to remove excess moisture-absorbing material from the surface of the heat exchanger (i.e., S200), the vacuum level of the vacuum environment may be greater than or equal to -70 kPa and less than or equal to -50 kPa.

[0096] For example, the vacuum level of a vacuum environment can be -70 kPa, -65 kPa, -60 kPa, -55 kPa, or -50 kPa.

[0097] It should be noted that if the vacuum is too low (e.g., less than -70 kPa), the interactions between molecules will decrease, thus affecting the effectiveness of practical applications. If the vacuum is too high (e.g., greater than -50 kPa), impurities cannot be reduced, and the pressure on all parts of the surface of the heat exchanger 20 cannot be made equal.

[0098] For example, when the vacuum level is greater than -50 kPa, the force required to create the vacuum is relatively small, resulting in insufficient removal of the moisture-absorbing material coated on the surface of the heat exchanger 20, thus reducing the moisture absorption efficiency of the air conditioner 100. When the vacuum level is less than -70 kPa, the force required to create the vacuum is relatively large, resulting in the removal of a significant amount of moisture-absorbing material from the surface of the heat exchanger 20, thus reducing the efficiency of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 formation on the heat exchanger 20.

[0099] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, before the heat exchanger 20 is immersed in the moisture-absorbing material solution and removed after a preset time, i.e. before step S100, the method of coating the heat exchanger 20 with the moisture-absorbing material further includes step S010.

[0100] S010: Perform degreasing treatment on the surface of the heat exchanger to remove oil stains from the surface of the heat exchanger.

[0101] It should be noted that during the assembly and stamping process of heat exchanger 20, stamping oil is applied to the surface of heat exchanger 20 to prevent the components from cracking. The main components of stamping oil are, for example, some low-boiling-point organic solvents with alkanes as the main component. However, stamping oil can cause hygroscopic materials to fail to adhere to the surface of heat exchanger 20 or to adhere unevenly.

[0102] Therefore, the surface of the heat exchanger 20 needs to be degreased to remove the oil stains adhering to the surface of the heat exchanger 20, so as to facilitate the adhesion of the moisture-absorbing material to the surface of the heat exchanger 20 and ensure its uniformity.

[0103] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7, degreasing the heat exchanger surface to remove oil stains (i.e., S010) includes step S011.

[0104] S011: Heat the heat exchanger at high temperature to evaporate the oil on the surface of the heat exchanger.

[0105] It should be noted that since the main components of stamping oil are low-boiling-point organic solvents with alkanes as the main component, high-temperature heating will cause the organic solvents to evaporate, thereby achieving the purpose of degreasing the surface of heat exchanger 20.

[0106] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8, after heating the heat exchanger at a high temperature to evaporate the oil on the surface of the heat exchanger (i.e., S011), the heat exchanger surface is degreased to remove the oil stains on the surface of the heat exchanger (i.e., S010), and the process further includes step S012.

[0107] S012: Place the heat exchanger in an aqueous solution of alcohol or surfactant and treat it with ultrasound to further remove residual oil stains.

[0108] It should be noted that, to prevent some of the stamping oil from not completely evaporating under high temperature conditions, the heat exchanger 20, after high-temperature degreasing, can be soaked and rinsed in an alcohol or surfactant aqueous solution to further remove the stamping oil from the surface of the heat exchanger 20. Furthermore, ultrasonic waves can be emitted onto the alcohol or surfactant aqueous solution soaking the heat exchanger 20 to increase the speed and extent of degreasing.

[0109] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9, curing and drying the moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the heat exchanger (i.e., S300) may further include the step of S310.

[0110] S310: Dry the heat exchanger in an environment with a temperature greater than or equal to 20°C and less than or equal to 50°C.

[0111] For example, the heat exchanger 20 can be dried at 20°C, 30°C, 33°C, 42°C or 50°C.

[0112] It is understandable that drying and curing the moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 in a low-temperature environment (e.g., less than or equal to 50°C) can ensure that the material on the side of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 closest to the heat exchanger 20 can also be cured, thus ensuring the adhesion of the moisture-absorbing layer 25.

[0113] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG10, curing and drying the moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the heat exchanger (i.e., S300) may further include step S320.

[0114] S320: The dried heat exchanger is cured in an environment with a temperature greater than or equal to 100°C and less than or equal to 140°C.

[0115] For example, the heat exchanger 20 can be re-cured at temperatures of 100°C, 110°C, 120°C, 130°C, or 140°C.

[0116] It should be noted that after the heat exchanger 20 is cured at low temperature, it also needs to be cured at high temperature. High-temperature curing can further enhance the curing degree of the moisture-absorbing layer 25, making the moisture-absorbing layer 25 bond more firmly to the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0117] The moisture-absorbing layer 25 in some embodiments of this disclosure may have different structures. The structure of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 in some embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0118] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 may include a moisture-absorbing material 251.

[0119] In some embodiments, the moisture-absorbing material 251 may include a polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511, which is configured to absorb moisture. It should be noted that the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 can absorb and release water molecules.

[0120] In some embodiments, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 has hydrophilic groups. For example, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 can be a polymer with a three-dimensional cross-linked network structure.

[0121] The polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511 has good moisture absorption performance and can quickly absorb moisture in the airflow flowing through the heat exchanger 20, thereby improving the moisture absorption efficiency of the heat exchanger 20.

[0122] For example, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 may include one or more of polyvinyl alcohol, sodium polyacrylate, polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, polyvinylamide, polyamide, polylactic acid, polyether polyol, povidone, or polymer hydrogel.

[0123] It should be noted that the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511 will expand its molecular chains during the water absorption process, which may cause the overall volume to increase, thereby leading to cracking of the moisture-absorbing layer 25.

[0124] Therefore, in some embodiments, the moisture-absorbing material 251 may further include an inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512. The inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 is configured to enhance the strength of the moisture-absorbing material 251, and the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 can also absorb and release water molecules.

[0125] The inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 may have a porous structure, so that its volume does not change after absorbing water. In this way, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 and the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 work together to ensure the moisture absorption performance and strength of the moisture-absorbing layer 25.

[0126] For example, inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 may include one or more of molecular sieves, activated alumina, or metal-organic framework materials.

[0127] In other embodiments, the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 may be other types of materials, as long as its volume does not change after absorbing moisture. For example, the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 may also include silica gel, bentonite, activated carbon, or calcium carbonate.

[0128] Inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512, due to its inherent properties, can improve the overall hardness and wear resistance of the moisture-absorbing layer 25, and also enhance the scratch resistance and impact resistance of the moisture-absorbing layer 25. Some of the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 can also enhance the adhesion between the moisture-absorbing material 251 and the fins 23, thereby enhancing the adhesion of the moisture-absorbing material 251.

[0129] In some embodiments, the mass ratio of the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 to the mass of the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 is greater than or equal to 1 / 20 and less than or equal to 1.

[0130] For example, the mass ratio of the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 to the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 can be 1 / 20, 1 / 15, 1 / 10, 1 / 5, 1 / 3, 1 / 2, or 1. When the proportion of inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 is low, the volume of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 formed by coating the fin surface with moisture-absorbing material 251 after water absorption will still change significantly compared to its volume before water absorption, which may lead to cracking of the moisture-absorbing layer 25. When the proportion of inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 is high, the moisture absorption performance of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 will decrease. In some embodiments, the mass ratio of the molecular sieve to the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 is greater than or equal to 1 / 10 and less than or equal to 4 / 10. For example, the mass ratio of the molecular sieve to the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 can be 1 / 10, 2 / 10, 3 / 10, or 4 / 10.

[0131] At this point, when the mass ratio of the molecular sieve to the mass of the polymer hygroscopic material 2511 is 1 / 10, the moisture absorption effect is relatively good.

[0132] Alternatively, the mass ratio of the molecular sieve material to the mass of the polymeric hygroscopic material 2511 is greater than or equal to 6 / 10 and less than or equal to 9 / 10. For example, the mass ratio of the molecular sieve to the mass of the polymeric hygroscopic material 2511 can also be 6 / 10, 7 / 10, 8 / 10, and 9 / 10.

[0133] At this point, when the mass ratio of the molecular sieve to the polymer hygroscopic material 2511 is 9 / 10, the moisture absorption effect is relatively good.

[0134] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11, the moisture-absorbing material 251 may further include an adhesive 2513. The adhesive 2513 enables the polymeric material and the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 to adhere stably to the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0135] In some embodiments, the adhesive 2513 may include an aqueous resin. The aqueous resin is bonded to the polymeric hygroscopic material 2511.

[0136] Waterborne resin refers to polymer resin that can be dispersed or dissolved in water. Waterborne resin has a certain viscosity and can combine with the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511, so that the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511 adheres to the surface of the fin 23 and is not easily detached.

[0137] In some embodiments, the adhesive 2513 may further comprise an aqueous emulsion. The aqueous emulsion is bonded to the polymeric hygroscopic material 2511.

[0138] Aqueous emulsions are adhesives that use water as the primary dispersion medium. They exhibit good water resistance, making them suitable for use in humid environments. This enhances the adaptability of the moisture-absorbing material 251 and extends its service life.

[0139] In some embodiments, the adhesive 2513 may also comprise both an aqueous resin and an aqueous emulsion. The aqueous resin and the aqueous emulsion are respectively bonded to the polymeric hygroscopic material 2511.

[0140] Understandably, in order to enable the moisture-absorbing layer 25 to adapt to a wider range of environments, both water-based resin and water-based emulsion binders 2513 can be added to the moisture-absorbing material 251. Furthermore, both water-based resins and water-based emulsions use water as the dispersion medium, reducing the use of organic solvents, lowering the emission of volatile organic compounds, meeting environmental protection requirements, and protecting the health of people indoors.

[0141] In some embodiments, the adhesive 2513 may include one or more of the following: aqueous acrylic emulsion, aqueous polyurethane, aqueous epoxy resin, styrene-butadiene latex, or aqueous polycarbonate emulsion.

[0142] In other embodiments, the adhesive 2513 may be made of other materials, as long as it can firmly fix the polymeric material and the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 to the surface of the fin 23.

[0143] In some embodiments, the ratio of the mass of the adhesive 2513 to the mass of the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 is greater than or equal to 1 / 5 and less than or equal to 1.

[0144] For example, the mass ratio of adhesive 2513 to polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511 can be 1 / 5, 2 / 5, 3 / 5, 4 / 5 or 1.

[0145] If the proportion of binder 2513 is too low, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 and the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 will not be stably fixed to the surface of the fins 23. If the proportion of binder 2513 is too high, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 will be too dense, and the relative proportions of the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 and the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 will be too small, resulting in a decrease in the moisture absorption efficiency of the heat exchanger 20. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11, the moisture-absorbing material 251 may further include a crosslinking agent 2514. The crosslinking agent 2514 can crosslink with the binder 2513, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511, and the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512, and the crosslinking agent 2514 can crosslink with the substances it contacts in at least one of the physical or chemical aspects, so that it is combined with other substances to achieve the effect of not detaching.

[0146] In some embodiments, crosslinking agent 2514 may include one or more of isocyanate crosslinking agents, aziridine crosslinking agents, carbodiimide or epoxy silane compounds.

[0147] In other embodiments, the crosslinking agent 2514 may also include other materials, as long as they are capable of crosslinking with the binder 2513, the polymeric hygroscopic material 2511, and the inorganic hygroscopic material 2512.

[0148] In some embodiments, the ratio between the mass of the adhesive 2513 and the mass of the crosslinking agent 2514 is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 15.

[0149] For example, the ratio between the mass of adhesive 2513 and the mass of crosslinking agent 2514 can be 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13 and 15.

[0150] If the proportion of crosslinking agent 2514 is too small, it will not provide a strong adhesive effect, causing the moisture-absorbing material 251 to be unable to be stably fixed on the surface of the fin 23. If the proportion of crosslinking agent 2514 is too large, it will result in a small proportion of adhesive 2513, making it unable to effectively perform both adhesive effects.

[0151] As described above, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 has hydrophilic groups. In some embodiments, the binder 2513 has active groups. Here, the active groups react with the hydrophilic groups to form chemical bonds, thereby connecting the binder 2513 to the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511.

[0152] The hydrophilic groups can chemically react and connect with the active groups, making the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 and the adhesive 2513 bonded together and not easily separated. The adhesive 2513 can adhere to the surface of the fin 23, and the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 is also adhered to the surface of the fin 23. In this way, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 is not easily detached from the surface of the fin 23.

[0153] In some embodiments, the hydrophilic group includes at least one of a carboxyl group or a hydroxyl group. The active group includes at least one of an isocyanate group or an epoxy group.

[0154] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14, the isocyanate groups and epoxy groups in the adhesive 2513 can react with carboxyl groups or hydroxyl groups to form chemical bonds, thereby connecting the adhesive 2513 and the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511 molecules together.

[0155] In other embodiments, the active groups of the adhesive 2513 may also include other types of groups, as long as the groups can be chemically bonded to hydroxyl or carboxyl groups so that the adhesive 2513 and the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 can be connected together.

[0156] For example, when the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511 has a cross-linked network structure, the polymer inside the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511 has a rich cross-linked network structure. When these cross-linked network structures come into contact with water, they can undergo capillary action, which promotes the rapid diffusion of water inside the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511.

[0157] Furthermore, the main chain or grafted side chain of the polymer in the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511 contains hydrophilic groups (such as hydroxyl, carboxyl or amide groups). These hydrophilic groups can react with polar water molecules to form hydrogen bonds, allowing water molecules to continuously penetrate into the cross-linked network structure of the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511.

[0158] When the 2511 polymeric hygroscopic material comes into contact with water, it generates a large number of ions, creating a certain ion concentration difference between the inside and outside of the hygroscopic polymer. This creates a potential difference in the electrical potential of the solutions inside and outside the polymer. This potential difference promotes the accumulation of water from the outside of the polymer to the inside, thereby increasing the hygroscopic performance of the 2511 polymeric hygroscopic material.

[0159] In some embodiments, the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 has a lightly cross-linked spatial network structure, which is composed of chemical cross-linking and the intertwining and cross-linking between resin molecular chains. Here, the lightly cross-linked spatial network structure refers to the polymer chains being interconnected through a small number of cross-linking points, forming a three-dimensional network.

[0160] Before a polymer material absorbs water, the long chains of adjacent polymers will come together and become intertwined, forming a network structure and achieving overall tightness.

[0161] For example, before absorbing water, the hygroscopic polymer is a solid network and has not yet ionized into ion pairs. When the hygroscopic polymer encounters water, the hydration of the hydrophilic groups with water molecules causes the polymer network to unfold, and the ionized particles create osmotic pressure inside and outside the hygroscopic polymer. Water molecules move into the hygroscopic polymer under the influence of osmotic pressure.

[0162] Therefore, when the adsorbed solution contains salts, the osmotic pressure decreases, thus reducing the water absorption capacity. This demonstrates that the hydrophilic groups in the hygroscopic polymer network structure are indispensable; they function to enable the hygroscopic polymer network structure to unfold and generate osmotic pressure.

[0163] Understandably, the pore size of the network structure of hygroscopic polymers is also related to water absorption efficiency. For example, the larger the pore size, the higher the water absorption efficiency; conversely, the smaller the pore size, the lower the water absorption efficiency.

[0164] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG15, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 includes an adhesive layer 252 disposed on the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0165] In some embodiments, the adhesive layer 252 may include the adhesive 2513 and the crosslinking agent 2514 described above.

[0166] The moisture-absorbing layer 25 may also include a moisture-absorbing material layer 253, which is stacked on the side of the adhesive layer 252 away from the heat exchanger 20 and connected to the heat exchanger 20 through the adhesive layer 252.

[0167] In some embodiments, the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 may include the aforementioned polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 and inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512.

[0168] In some embodiments, the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 may further include the aforementioned adhesive 2513 and crosslinking agent 2514.

[0169] When the moisture-absorbing layer 25 only contains the moisture-absorbing material layer 253, the moisture-absorbing material 251 will affect the adhesive strength between the moisture-absorbing layer 25 and the fin 23, causing the moisture-absorbing layer 25 to easily detach from the surface of the fin 23. Therefore, adding an adhesive layer 252 without moisture-absorbing material 251 between the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 and the fin 23 can enhance the adhesive strength between the moisture-absorbing layer 25 and the fin 23.

[0170] In some embodiments, the adhesive 2513 in the adhesive layer 252 is configured to bond the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 to the surface of the heat exchanger 20. The crosslinking agent 2514 in the adhesive layer 252 can crosslink with the adhesive 2513 in the adhesive layer 252 and the adhesive 2513 in the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 to improve the bond strength between the adhesive layer 252 and the moisture-absorbing material layer 253.

[0171] This ensures a tight fit between the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 and the adhesive layer 252, thereby ensuring that the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 can be firmly bonded to the surface of the fin 23 through the adhesive layer 252.

[0172] In the adhesive layer 252, the adhesive 2513 and the crosslinking agent 2514 can crosslink to form a dense network structure, allowing it to adhere to the surface of the heat exchanger 20. Furthermore, the adhesive layer 252 provides a certain number of anchor points for the moisture-absorbing material layer 253; that is, the adhesive layer 252 can react and bond with the substances in the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 to form functional groups.

[0173] Through the aforementioned anchor points, the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 can establish a precise and stable connection with the adhesive layer 252, increasing the connection stability between the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 and the adhesive layer 252, and thus increasing the stability of the connection between the moisture-absorbing layer 25 and the heat exchanger 20.

[0174] It should be noted that the adhesive layer 252 and the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 are connected by anchor points, enabling the formation of cross-linked molecular bonds. Furthermore, at locations on the heat exchanger 20 where the moisture-absorbing material 251 needs to be coated, some active functional groups may exist due to particle activation. In this case, an adhesive 2513 capable of binding with these active functional groups can be selected, allowing the adhesive layer 252 to chemically bond with the surface of the heat exchanger 20, also forming cross-linked molecular bonds.

[0175] Furthermore, the molecules of the adhesive 2513 in the adhesive layer 252 have van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds with the molecules on the surface of the heat exchanger 20. Although these forces are smaller than the forces connecting functional groups, they can still bond the adhesive layer 252 to the surface of the heat exchanger 20, thereby enhancing the stability of the bond between the adhesive layer 252 and the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0176] It is understandable that when the distance between the molecules of adhesive 2513 and the molecules being bonded is less than or equal to 10 angstroms, the two types of molecules can generate mutual attraction. Under the influence of this attraction, the distance between the molecules shortens until the two molecules reach a state of maximum stability. Here, an angstrom is a unit of length; 10 angstroms equals 1 nm.

[0177] In related technologies, since the moisture-absorbing layer 25 does not include an adhesive layer 252, there are fewer anchor points for the moisture-absorbing layer 25 to connect with the surface of the heat exchanger 20, resulting in a weak connection between the moisture-absorbing layer 25 and the surface of the heat exchanger 20. Furthermore, the moisture-absorbing material 251 of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 increases the distance between the molecules of the adhesive 2513 and the molecules on the surface of the heat exchanger 20, reducing the van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds between the molecules of the adhesive 2513 and the molecules on the surface of the heat exchanger 20. Consequently, the bonding force between the moisture-absorbing layer 25 and the heat exchanger 20 is insufficient, and the moisture-absorbing layer 25 easily detaches from the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0178] In some embodiments, in the moisture-absorbing material layer 253, the ratio between the sum of the mass of the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 and the mass of the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 and the mass of the adhesive 2513 can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 3.

[0179] For example, the ratio between the sum of the mass of the polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 and the mass of the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 and the mass of the adhesive 2513 can be 1, 1.5, 1.7, 2, 2.3, 2.6, 2.8 or 3.

[0180] When the proportion of binder 2513 is low, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 is easily detached under external influences. When the proportion of binder 2513 is high, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 becomes dense, and the proportion of polymeric moisture-absorbing material 2511 and inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512 is too small, resulting in a decrease in the moisture absorption efficiency of the heat exchanger 20.

[0181] When applying the adhesive layer 252 and the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 to the heat exchanger 20 using the above method, the adhesive layer 252 is first applied to the surface of the heat exchanger 20, and after the adhesive layer 252 is applied and dried, the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 is applied to the surface of the adhesive layer 252 away from the heat exchanger 20.

[0182] In some embodiments, the adhesive coating used to coat the adhesive layer 252 includes the aforementioned adhesive 2513, crosslinking agent 2514, and solvent. The above components are added to a container while stirring until all components are dissolved in the solvent and the entire adhesive coating reaches a stable state.

[0183] When applying the adhesive layer 252, the heat exchanger 20 is immersed in the adhesive coating. After a first preset time, the heat exchanger 20 is removed at a certain angle to the ground. When the adhesive coating on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 no longer flows, the heat exchanger 20 is placed into the coating fixture in the vacuum coating equipment 40 for vacuum extraction.

[0184] The first preset time here is greater than or equal to 1 minute and less than or equal to 3 minutes. For example, the soaking time can be 1 minute, 1.2 minutes, 1.5 minutes, 2.8 minutes, or 3 minutes.

[0185] It should be noted that if the immersion time is too short (e.g., less than 1 minute), there will be less adhesive material adhering to the surface of the heat exchanger 20, causing the moisture-absorbing layer 25 to easily detach from the surface of the heat exchanger 20. If the immersion time is too long (e.g., more than 3 minutes), there will be too much material adhering to the surface of the heat exchanger 20, making it difficult to control the thickness of the adhesive layer 252 within a suitable range.

[0186] After removing excess adhesive coating from the surface of heat exchanger 20, heat exchanger 20 is dried at low temperature to allow adhesive layer 252 to dry completely. Then, heat exchanger 20 is cured at high temperature to further strengthen the connection between adhesive layer 252 and heat exchanger 20.

[0187] In some embodiments, before immersing the heat exchanger 20 in the adhesive coating, the heat exchanger 20 needs to be weighed and its weight recorded before the adhesive coating is applied. After the adhesive material has dried and cured, the heat exchanger 20 is weighed again to determine whether the weight of the adhesive layer 252 meets the standard (e.g., equal to a preset weight). If the weight of the adhesive layer 252 does not meet the standard (e.g., less than the preset weight), it can be coated multiple times until the weight of the adhesive layer 252 meets the standard.

[0188] In some embodiments, the ambient temperature for high-temperature curing of the adhesive layer 252 can be adjusted according to the properties of the selected materials, such as the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511, the inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512, the adhesive 2513, and the crosslinking agent 2514, to ensure that the adhesive layer 252 can be stably attached to the surface of the heat exchanger 20 through the curing process without damaging the chemical structure of the adhesive 2513.

[0189] After the adhesive layer 252 is coated, the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 can be coated. First, the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511, inorganic moisture-absorbing material 2512, adhesive 2513, crosslinking agent 2514 and solvent can be added to a container while stirring until all materials are dissolved in the solvent, so that the entire moisture-absorbing material reaches a stable state.

[0190] Then, the heat exchanger 20 with the adhesive layer 252 formed on its surface is immersed in the moisture-absorbing material, and after a second preset time, the heat exchanger 20 is removed at a certain angle to the ground. When the moisture-absorbing material on the heat exchanger 20 no longer flows, the heat exchanger 20 is placed into the coating fixture in the vacuum coating equipment 40 for vacuum material extraction.

[0191] Here, the second preset time ranges from 1 minute to 3 minutes. For example, the soaking time can be 1 minute, 1.2 minutes, 1.5 minutes, 2.8 minutes, or 3 minutes.

[0192] It should be noted that if the immersion time is too short (e.g., less than 1 minute), less moisture-absorbing material 251 will adhere to the heat exchanger 20, resulting in a reduction in the moisture absorption effect of the heat exchanger 20. If the immersion time is too long (e.g., more than 3 minutes), the thickness of the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 will be too thick, causing some of the moisture-absorbing material 251 to fail to adhere tightly to the surface of the heat exchanger 20 and easily fall off.

[0193] After removing excess moisture-absorbing material from the surface of heat exchanger 20, heat exchanger 20 is dried at low temperature to ensure that the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 is completely dry. Then, heat exchanger 20 is cured at high temperature to further strengthen the connection between the moisture-absorbing layer 25 and the adhesive layer 252.

[0194] In some embodiments, the viscosity of the moisture-absorbing material needs to be controlled when coating the moisture-absorbing material layer 253.

[0195] In some embodiments, the viscosity of the moisture-absorbing material 251 is greater than or equal to 200 mPa·s and less than or equal to 300 mPa·s.

[0196] For example, the viscosity of the hygroscopic material 251 can be 200 mPa·s, 220 mPa·s, 222 mPa·s, 260 mPa·s, 280 mPa·s, 290 mPa·s or 300 mPa·s.

[0197] If the viscosity of the moisture-absorbing material 251 is too high (e.g., greater than 300 mPa·s) during the process of coating the moisture-absorbing material 251 onto the heat exchanger 20, the flow rate of the moisture-absorbing material 251 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 will be slow, making it difficult to extract excess moisture-absorbing material 251.

[0198] If the viscosity of the moisture-absorbing material 251 is too low (e.g., less than 200 mPa·s), the amount of moisture-absorbing material 251 coated on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 each time will be too low. In order to make the thickness of the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 meet the standard (e.g., equal to the preset thickness), the number of coatings needs to be increased, which leads to increased manufacturing time and cost.

[0199] Here, the preset thickness range is greater than or equal to 200um and less than or equal to 300um.

[0200] It should be noted that weighing can be performed before and after coating the heat exchanger 20 with the moisture-absorbing material, or the thickness of the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 can be measured after the moisture-absorbing material has been dried and cured. When the thickness of the moisture-absorbing material layer 253 is within the aforementioned preset thickness range, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 can achieve a better humidity control effect. To achieve this effect, in some embodiments, the number of times the moisture-absorbing material coating step is repeated can be greater than or equal to 3 times and less than or equal to 5 times.

[0201] Furthermore, the vacuum level needs to be controlled during vacuum coating when applying the adhesive coating and the moisture-absorbing material. In some embodiments, the vacuum level can be the same when applying the adhesive coating and the moisture-absorbing material; for example, the vacuum level of the vacuum environment can be greater than or equal to -70 kPa and less than or equal to -50 kPa.

[0202] For example, the vacuum level of a vacuum environment can be -70 kPa, -65 kPa, -60 kPa, -55 kPa, or -50 kPa.

[0203] In some embodiments, the moisture-absorbing material 251 may further include a curing agent. The curing agent is configured to accelerate the curing speed of the moisture-absorbing material 251.

[0204] Without adding a curing agent to the moisture-absorbing material 251, the curing time of the moisture-absorbing material 251 on the surface of the fin 23 is relatively long. During the long curing process, the moisture-absorbing material 251 may be affected by the external environment, resulting in the deformation of the moisture-absorbing layer 25.

[0205] After adding a curing agent to the moisture-absorbing material 251, the moisture-absorbing material 251 can be quickly cured after being coated onto the surface of the fin 23, increasing the strength and stability of the moisture-absorbing layer 25. Furthermore, the curing agent can also react with the binder 2513 to form a stronger and more stable polymer network, further enhancing the strength of the moisture-absorbing layer 25.

[0206] In some embodiments, the curing agent may include an epoxy curing agent.

[0207] For example, epoxy curing agents can include polyamine curing agents, polyamide curing agents, amine adduct curing agents, phenolic amine curing agents, and water-based curing agents. Here, polyamide curing agents can be polyamide resins. Polyamide curing agents have good toughness and chemical resistance, and the cured coating has good mechanical properties.

[0208] In some embodiments, the ratio of the mass of the epoxy curing agent to the mass of the adhesive 2513 is greater than or equal to 2 / 5 and less than or equal to 3 / 5.

[0209] For example, the ratio of the mass of epoxy curing agent to the mass of adhesive 2513 can be 2 / 5, 9 / 20, 1 / 2, 11 / 20 or 3 / 5.

[0210] If the curing agent content is too low, the moisture-absorbing material 251 will still cure slowly, and the moisture-absorbing material 251 may be affected by the external environment during curing, affecting the strength of the moisture-absorbing layer 25. If the curing agent content is too high, the content of the adhesive 2513 will decrease, making it difficult for the polymer moisture-absorbing material 2511 to adhere to the surface of the fin 23, which in turn makes the moisture-absorbing material 251 easy to fall off the surface of the fin 23.

[0211] To verify the performance of the heat exchanger 20 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure, the performance of the coated heat exchanger 20 can be evaluated.

[0212] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 20 can be tested for water resistance. The test method can refer to standard GB / T 1733-93, that is, after the sample (i.e. the heat exchanger 20 after coating) is immersed in water for 48 hours, the state of the sample surface is observed.

[0213] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG16, a method for evaluating the water resistance of heat exchanger 20 may include adding water 31 (e.g., distilled water or deionized water) to a water tank 30 (glass water tank). Here, the material of the water tank 30 is, for example, glass.

[0214] In some embodiments, the temperature of water 31 can be adjusted to a preset temperature range and maintained at that temperature throughout the evaluation process. In some embodiments, the preset temperature range is [21°C, 25°C].

[0215] Then, the three coated heat exchangers 20 are placed in the water tank 30, with 2 / 3 of the length of each heat exchanger 20 immersed in the water 31.

[0216] After the soaking time specified in the above product standard is completed, remove the three heat exchangers 20 from the water tank 30 and use filter paper to absorb excess moisture from the surface of the heat exchangers 20. Then immediately visually inspect the three heat exchangers 20 and record whether there is any loss of gloss, discoloration, blistering, wrinkling, peeling or rusting, and the time it takes for them to return to normal after at least one of the aforementioned phenomena occurs.

[0217] In some embodiments, if the test structure of at least two of the three heat exchangers 20 meets the product standard requirements, the water resistance of the heat exchanger 20 is deemed to be qualified.

[0218] In some embodiments, the adhesion of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 can also be evaluated, and the evaluation method can refer to the standard GB / T 9286-2021.

[0219] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 17A to 17E, six parallel cuts can be made on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 coated with the moisture-absorbing coating. At the first cut, another six parallel cuts are made perpendicular to the length of the first cut. Loose coating fragments are then removed from the surface. Finally, the cut areas are visually inspected and compared with a 6-level grading standard to determine the adhesion level of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0220] For example, as shown in Figure 17A, if the cut edge is smooth and there is no peeling within the grid, the adhesion level of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 is determined to be level 0.

[0221] As shown in Figure 17B, if a small amount of coating peels off at the intersection of the cuts, but the affected cross-cut area is less than or equal to 5% of the total area, then the adhesion level of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 is determined to be level 1.

[0222] As shown in Figure 17C, if at least one of the following locations—the intersection of cuts or along the edge of the cuts—has coating peeling off, and the affected cross-cut area is greater than 5% of the total area but less than or equal to 15% of the total area, then the adhesion level of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the heat exchanger 20 is determined to be level 2.

[0223] As shown in Figure 17D, if the moisture-absorbing layer 25 satisfies at least one of the following: the coating is partially or completely peeled off in large fragments along the cut edge; or, partially or completely peeled off at different locations, and the affected cross-cut area is greater than 15% of the total area and less than or equal to 35% of the total area, then the adhesion level of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 is determined to be level 3.

[0224] As shown in Figure 17E, if the moisture-absorbing layer 25 meets at least one of the following conditions: large fragments of the coating peel off along the cut edge; or, some or all of the coating peels off, and the affected cross-cut area is greater than 35% of the total area and less than or equal to 65% of the total area, then the adhesion level of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 is determined to be level 4.

[0225] If the degree of detachment exceeds the level corresponding to level 4, the adhesion level of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 is determined to be level 5.

[0226] Understandably, when the adhesion level is 0, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 has the best adhesion to the surface of the heat exchanger 20; when the adhesion level is 5, the moisture-absorbing layer 25 has the worst adhesion to the surface of the heat exchanger 20.

[0227] It should be noted that the percentages specified above are based on the visual impression given by the image, and the same percentage of affected cross-cutting area may not necessarily appear with the digital image.

[0228] In some embodiments, the water permeability of the moisture-absorbing layer 25 on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 can also be evaluated. For example, 10 μl of water can be dropped onto the surface of the heat exchanger 20 coated with the moisture-absorbing layer 25, and the time required for the water droplet to completely penetrate the moisture-absorbing layer 25 can be recorded.

[0229] Four control groups were set up: Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4.

[0230] The first group consists of a moisture-absorbing layer 25 coated on an aluminum plate, which comprises an adhesive layer 252 and a moisture-absorbing material layer 253. The adhesive layer 252 includes an adhesive 2513 and a crosslinking agent 2514. The adhesive 2513 is an aqueous acrylic emulsion, used in an amount of 1 unit dry weight; the crosslinking agent 2514 is an isocyanate crosslinking agent, used in an amount of 0.2 units dry weight.

[0231] The moisture-absorbing material layer 253 includes an adhesive 2513, a crosslinking agent 2514, and a moisture-absorbing material 251. The adhesive 2513 is water-based polyurethane, with an amount of 1 unit of dry weight; the crosslinking agent 2514 is carbodiimide, with an amount of 0.1 unit of dry weight; and the moisture-absorbing material 251 is inorganic silica gel, with an amount of 0.5 units.

[0232] The second group consists of a moisture-absorbing layer 25 coated on an aluminum plate, which comprises only a moisture-absorbing material layer 253. The moisture-absorbing material layer 253 includes an adhesive 2513, a crosslinking agent 2514, and moisture-absorbing material 251. The adhesive 2513 is water-based polyurethane, used in an amount of 1 unit dry weight. The crosslinking agent 2514 is carbodiimide, used in an amount of 0.1 unit dry weight. The moisture-absorbing material 251 is inorganic silica gel, used in an amount of 0.5 units.

[0233] The third group consists of a moisture-absorbing layer 25 coated on an aluminum plate, which is composed of an adhesive layer 252 and a moisture-absorbing material layer 253.

[0234] Adhesive layer 252 includes adhesive 2513. Adhesive 2513 includes an aqueous acrylic emulsion, used in an amount of 1 unit by dry weight.

[0235] The moisture-absorbing material layer 253 includes an adhesive 2513, a crosslinking agent 2514, and a moisture-absorbing material 251. The adhesive 2513 is water-based polyurethane, used in an amount of 1 unit dry weight. The crosslinking agent 2514 is carbodiimide, used in an amount of 0.1 unit dry weight. The moisture-absorbing material 251 is inorganic silica gel, used in an amount of 0.5 units.

[0236] The fourth group consists of a moisture-absorbing layer 25 coated on an aluminum plate, which is composed of an adhesive layer 252 and a moisture-absorbing material layer 253.

[0237] The adhesive layer 252 includes an adhesive 2513 and a crosslinking agent 2514. The adhesive 2513 is an aqueous acrylic emulsion, used in an amount of 1 unit by dry weight. The crosslinking agent 2514 is an isocyanate crosslinking agent, used in an amount of 0.2 units by dry weight.

[0238] The moisture-absorbing material layer 253 includes an adhesive 2513 and a moisture-absorbing material 251. The adhesive 2513 is water-based polyurethane, and the amount used is 1 unit by dry weight. The moisture-absorbing material 251 is inorganic silicone, and the amount used is 0.5 units.

[0239] The test results of water resistance, adhesion and seepage time of the above four control groups are shown in Table 1 below.

[0240] Table 1

[0241] In some embodiments, three additional control groups may be set up, namely the fifth group, the sixth group, and the seventh group.

[0242] The fifth group consists of: a moisture-absorbing layer 25 coated on an aluminum plate, comprising a moisture-absorbing polymer containing hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, an aqueous polyurethane, an isocyanate, a molecular sieve, and water. Here, the amount of the moisture-absorbing polymer is 1 unit dry weight, the amount of the aqueous polyurethane is 0.5 units dry weight, the amount of the isocyanate is 0.05 units dry weight, the amount of the molecular sieve is 0.1 units dry weight, and the amount of water is 2 units dry weight.

[0243] The sixth group consists of: a moisture-absorbing layer 25 coated on an aluminum plate, comprising a moisture-absorbing polymer containing hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, an aqueous epoxy resin, an epoxy curing agent, a molecular sieve, and water. Here, the amount of the moisture-absorbing polymer is 1 unit dry weight, the amount of the aqueous epoxy resin is 0.5 units dry weight, the amount of the epoxy curing agent is 0.25 units dry weight, the amount of the molecular sieve is 0.1 units dry weight, and the amount of water is 2 units dry weight.

[0244] The seventh group consists of: coating an aluminum plate with a moisture-absorbing layer 25, which comprises a moisture-absorbing polymer containing hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, polyvinyl alcohol, a molecular sieve, and ethanol. Here, the amount of moisture-absorbing polymer is 1 unit dry weight, the amount of polyvinyl alcohol is 0.5 units dry weight, the amount of molecular sieve is 0.1 units dry weight, and the amount of ethanol is 2 units dry weight.

[0245] The test results of water resistance, adhesion and seepage time of the three control groups are shown in Table 2 below.

[0246] Table 2

[0247] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 20 may be a finned heat exchanger 20.

[0248] In related technologies, as shown in Figure 18, the three-way catalytic converter 60 is a cylindrical structure with multiple small through-holes inside. During the manufacturing of the three-way catalytic converter 60, a slurry can be added to its upper part, and then air can be drawn from the other side of the slurry, allowing the slurry to enter the interior of the three-way catalytic converter 60 under the action of airflow.

[0249] Based on this, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a coating fixture 50, in which a finned heat exchanger 20 with a surface soaked in moisture-absorbing material is placed into the coating fixture 50, and then air is drawn off on the other side of the coating fixture 50 so that the airflow carries away the excess moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20.

[0250] As shown in Figure 19, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a coating fixture 50A, which includes a receiving member 53A (placement member). The receiving member 53A has an inlet through which airflow enters the receiving member 53A; the receiving member 53A also has an outlet through which airflow within the receiving member 53A flows out of the receiving member 53A.

[0251] The finned heat exchanger 20, whose surface is covered with moisture-absorbing material, is placed at the inlet of the housing 53A, and a suction force is applied at the outlet of the housing 53A so that the airflow can flow from the inlet to the outlet to remove the excess moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20, thereby forming a moisture-absorbing layer of appropriate thickness on the finned heat exchanger 20.

[0252] Here, the finned heat exchanger 20 is placed flat on the receiving part 53A, and the angle between the plane where the finned heat exchanger 20 is located and the plane where the bottom surface of the coating tooling 50A is located is 0°.

[0253] The finned heat exchanger 20 coated using the coating tool 50A will have burrs formed by the moisture-absorbing material, which will affect the moisture absorption effect of the finned heat exchanger 20.

[0254] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG20, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a coating fixture 50B, which includes a receiving member 53B (accommodating member). The receiving member 53B has an inlet through which airflow enters the receiving member 53B; the receiving member 53B also has an outlet through which airflow within the receiving member 53B flows out of the receiving member 53B.

[0255] The finned heat exchanger 20, whose surface is soaked with moisture-absorbing material, is placed at the inlet of the housing 53B, and a suction force is applied at the outlet of the housing 53B so that the airflow can flow from the inlet to the outlet to remove the excess moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20, thereby forming a moisture-absorbing layer of appropriate thickness on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20.

[0256] Here, the finned heat exchanger 20 is placed vertically inside the housing 53B, and the angle between the plane where the finned heat exchanger 20 is located and the plane where the bottom surface of the coating fixture 50B is located is 90°.

[0257] When the heat exchange tube 24 of the finned heat exchanger 20 coated by the coating tool 50B is coated, the hygroscopic material at the end away from the outlet will be blocked and cannot be drawn away from the outlet by the airflow. This part of the hygroscopic material will remain on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20, resulting in material accumulation.

[0258] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 21 and 23, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a coating fixture 50, including a receiving member 53.

[0259] The interior of the receiving member 53 forms a receiving cavity 5301. The receiving cavity 5301 is configured to house the finned heat exchanger 20. The receiving member 53 has a first air inlet 5302, which communicates with the receiving cavity 5301; the receiving member 53 also has a first air outlet 5303, which communicates with the receiving cavity 5301.

[0260] In some embodiments, the receiving member 53 has a placement surface 5304, and the receiving member 53 enables the finned heat exchanger 20 to be inclinedly disposed in the receiving cavity 5301 relative to the placement surface 5304, and the angle between the plane where the finned heat exchanger 20 is located and the plane where the placement surface 5304 is located is an acute angle.

[0261] When further coating the finned heat exchanger 20 using the coating fixture 50 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure, the finned heat exchanger 20, which has been impregnated with moisture-absorbing material, is placed into the receiving cavity 5301 from the first air inlet 5302. Then, a suction force is applied from the first air outlet 5303, which is connected to the receiving cavity 5301, so that the airflow flows into the receiving cavity 5301 from the first air inlet 5302, passes through the finned heat exchanger 20, and is then blown out from the first air outlet 5303.

[0262] When airflow passes through the heat exchanger 20, whose surface is covered with moisture-absorbing material, some of the moisture-absorbing material is carried away. Because this portion of the moisture-absorbing material is not tightly adhered to the surface of the heat exchanger 20, it can be easily carried away. The moisture-absorbing material carried away by the airflow leaves the receiving cavity 5301 at the first air outlet 5303. After passing through a suitable amount of airflow, a suitable amount of moisture-absorbing material will remain on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20, forming a moisture-absorbing layer of suitable thickness on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20.

[0263] Furthermore, after the heat exchanger 20 is placed into the receiving cavity 5301, due to the constraint of the receiving member 53, the angle between the plane where the finned heat exchanger 20 is located and the plane where the placement surface 5304 is located is an acute angle. In this way, when the moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20 leaves the finned heat exchanger 20 with the airflow, it will not be blocked by the structure of the finned heat exchanger 20 itself, and there will be no situation where too much moisture-absorbing material accumulates in one place, causing blockage of the gaps between the fins 23 of the finned heat exchanger 20.

[0264] Here, the placement surface 5304 can be connected to other devices, and the coating fixture 50 can be set on other devices to increase the stability of the coating fixture 50 itself.

[0265] In some embodiments, the first air outlet 5303 may be located on the placement surface 5304. In this case, a suction force can be applied to the cavity 5301 from the side of the placement surface 5304 away from the cavity 5301 at the first air outlet 5303, so that the airflow can flow through the entire finned heat exchanger 20, so that excess moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20 can be fully extracted.

[0266] In some other embodiments, the first air outlet 5303 may not be located on the placement surface 5304. As long as the excess moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20 can leave the finned heat exchanger 20 in the direction in which the airflow is drawn away after the suction force is applied at the first air outlet 5303.

[0267] In some embodiments, the angle between the plane where the finned heat exchanger 20 is located and the plane where the placement surface 5304 is located refers to the acute angle among the two angles after they intersect.

[0268] In some embodiments, the angle between the finned heat exchanger 20 and the placement surface 5304 can be greater than 0° and less than 90°.

[0269] For example, the angle between the finned heat exchanger 20 and the placement surface 5304 can be 1°, 10°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 50°, 60°, 75°, 80° or 89°.

[0270] It should be noted that if the angle between the plane where the finned heat exchanger 20 is located and the plane where the placement surface 5304 is located is 0°, then the finned heat exchanger 20 is in a flat position in the receiving cavity 5301.

[0271] In some embodiments, the coating fixture 50 can be placed in a vacuum environment, and then the finned heat exchanger 20 can be placed inside the coating fixture 50 in a vacuum environment, and excess moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20 can be extracted.

[0272] This prevents impurities in the air from affecting the moisture-absorbing material and avoids changes in its performance. Furthermore, the vacuum environment ensures consistent pressure throughout the finned heat exchanger 20, guaranteeing a uniform thickness of the moisture-absorbing material across the entire finned heat exchanger 20.

[0273] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 21 and 24, the receiving member 53 may include a first plate 531, which has a first air inlet 5302.

[0274] The receiving member 53 may also include a second plate 532, which is connected to the first plate 531 and is located on one side of the first plate 531, arranged around the first plate 531.

[0275] The receiving member 53 may also include a third plate 533, which is located on the side of the second plate 532 away from the first plate 531. The third plate 533 has a first air outlet 5303 and a placement surface 5304.

[0276] In some embodiments, the second plate 532 forms a limiting portion 534. The limiting portion 534 is configured to fix the finned heat exchanger 20 such that the finned heat exchanger 20 is inclined relative to the third plate 533, and the plane containing the finned heat exchanger 20 forms an acute angle with the plane containing the third plate 533.

[0277] The first plate 531, the second plate 532, and the third plate 533 together define the receiving cavity 5301. The finned heat exchanger 20 is inserted into the receiving cavity 5301 through the opening on the first plate 531 and its position is restricted by the limiting part 534 on the second plate 532. After the finned heat exchanger 20 is inserted into the receiving cavity 5301, due to the restriction of the limiting part 534, the finned heat exchanger 20 is inclined relative to the third plate 533, and the plane on which the finned heat exchanger 20 is located forms an acute angle with the plane on which the third plate 533 is located.

[0278] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG21, the second plate 532 includes two first sub-plates 5321, which are arranged at a distance from each other. At least one of the two first sub-plates 5321 has a limiting groove 5341. In some embodiments, the limiting portion 534 is the limiting groove 5341.

[0279] The limiting groove 5341 extends along the first direction X, and one end of the limiting groove 5341 near the first air inlet 5302 penetrates at least one of the two first sub-plates 5321. The first air inlet 5302 penetrates the first plate 531 along the arrangement direction of the two first sub-plates 5321, with its first end communicating with the limiting groove 5341 of one first sub-plate 5321 and its second end communicating with the limiting groove 5341 of the other first sub-plate 5321. Here, the angle between the first direction X and the plane containing the third plate 533 is an acute angle.

[0280] When the finned heat exchanger 20 is inserted into the receiving cavity 5301 from the opening, the heat exchange tubes 24 at both ends of the finned heat exchanger 20 along the third direction Z can be respectively located in the limiting grooves 5341 of the two first sub-plates 5321. The finned heat exchanger 20 moves along the first direction X towards the first air outlet 5303 within the limiting grooves 5341 until the heat exchange tubes 24 abut against the bottom of the limiting grooves 5341.

[0281] The limiting grooves 5341 on the two first sub-plates 5321 can limit the placement position of the finned heat exchanger 20 in the receiving cavity 5301. By limiting the extension direction of the limiting grooves 5341, i.e. the first direction X, the angle between the plane where the finned heat exchanger 20 is located and the plane where the third plate 533 is located can be limited.

[0282] Therefore, the angle between the first direction X and the plane containing the third plate 533 is an acute angle, which also makes the angle between the finned heat exchanger 20, which is confined within the limiting groove 5341, and the plane containing the third plate 533 acute. This ensures the stability of the finned heat exchanger 20 within the housing 53 and allows excess moisture-absorbing material on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20 to be removed, preventing excess moisture-absorbing material from accumulating on the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20.

[0283] In other embodiments, the limiting portion 534 may be a groove, and the limiting portion 534 is located on the side of the two first sub-plates 5321 that are close to each other. The extending direction of the groove is a first direction X.

[0284] At this time, the heat exchange tubes 24 at both ends of the finned heat exchanger 20 can be slidably connected to the sliding grooves on the two first sub-plates 5321 respectively. In this way, the finned heat exchanger 20 can slide from the first air inlet 5302 along the first direction X toward the first air outlet 5303 until it contacts the bottom of the sliding groove, at which point the finned heat exchanger 20 stops moving.

[0285] Thus, under the constraint of the sliding groove, the angle between the plane of the finned heat exchanger 20 and the plane of the third plate 533 is an acute angle.

[0286] In some embodiments, the angle between the first direction X and the plane containing the third plate 533 can be greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60°.

[0287] For example, the angle between the first direction X and the plane containing the third plate 533 can be 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50° or 60°.

[0288] It should be noted that if the angle between the first direction X and the plane containing the third plate 533 is too small (e.g., less than 30°), when removing excess moisture-absorbing material from the finned heat exchanger 20 after it is placed in the receiving cavity 5301, the effect is similar to the case where the finned heat exchanger 20 is placed horizontally in Figure 19. If the angle between the first direction X and the plane containing the third plate 533 is too large (e.g., greater than 60°), when removing excess moisture-absorbing material from the finned heat exchanger 20 after it is placed in the receiving cavity 5301, the effect is similar to the case where the finned heat exchanger 20 is placed vertically in Figure 20.

[0289] Neither of the above two situations can achieve a good moisture-absorbing layer on the finned heat exchanger 20. Therefore, it is necessary to select an appropriate angle between the first direction X and the plane where the third plate 533 is located.

[0290] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 21 and 23, the first air inlet 5302 and the first air outlet 5303 can be located on both sides of the limiting groove 5341 along the first direction X.

[0291] In this way, the finned heat exchanger 20 can enter from the first air inlet 5302, so that the heat exchange tube 24 enters the receiving cavity 5301 in the limiting groove 5341 along the first direction X. When the moisture-absorbing material is extracted from the first air outlet 5303, the airflow enters the receiving cavity 5301 from the first air inlet 5302 and is then blown out from the first air outlet 5303.

[0292] In other embodiments, the finned heat exchanger 20 can also be tilted by other structures.

[0293] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG25, the coating fixture 50 further includes a reinforcement member 54, which is located at one end of the limiting groove 5341 away from the first plate 531, and at least a portion of the reinforcement member 54 obscures a portion of the limiting groove 5341.

[0294] In some embodiments, the coating fixture 50 further includes a plurality of connectors 55. The plurality of connectors 55 pass through the reinforcement member 54 and are respectively connected to the first sub-board 5321. In some embodiments, a portion of the plurality of connectors 55 is connected to one of the first sub-boards 5321; another portion of the plurality of connectors is connected to one of the first sub-boards 5321.

[0295] Here, along the second direction Y, multiple connectors 55 are located on the first sub-plates 5321 on both sides of the limiting groove 5341, and the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X.

[0296] The reinforcement member 54 can be fixed to the first sub-plate 5321 via the connector 55. At least a portion of the reinforcement member 54 can cover a part of the limiting groove 5341, so that the length of the limiting groove 5341 of the first sub-plate 5321 is not too long, which would cause structural instability of the first sub-plate 5321. Since the finned heat exchanger 20 can move within the limiting groove 5341, it can move until the entire finned heat exchanger 20 is within the receiving space.

[0297] Therefore, the length of the limiting groove 5341 in the first direction X should be greater than or equal to the length of the finned heat exchanger 20 in the first direction X, so that the distance between the bottom of the limiting groove 5341 and the third plate 533 is shorter, causing the first sub-plate 5321 to be easily separated into two structures by the limiting groove 5341, resulting in deformation and damage.

[0298] When a pulling force is applied to the receiving member 53, the structures on both sides of the limiting groove 5341 of the first sub-plate 5321 are prone to deformation under the action of the pulling force.

[0299] Furthermore, when the airflow flows from the first air inlet 5302 to the first air outlet 5303 within the receiving cavity 5301, the airflow velocity is relatively high, resulting in lower air pressure within the receiving cavity 5301. At this time, the air pressure on the side of the two first sub-plates 5321 that is far apart from each other will force the two first sub-plates 5321 to move towards each other, causing the two first sub-plates 5321 to deform.

[0300] Therefore, the reinforcement 54 can stabilize the strength of the limiting groove 5341 of the first sub-plate 5321, making the first sub-plate 5321 less susceptible to deformation due to external influences. This prevents the first sub-plate 5321 from affecting the extraction of moisture-absorbing material from the finned heat exchanger 20 inside the receiving cavity 5301.

[0301] Meanwhile, the reinforcement member 54 can also adjust the position of the finned heat exchanger 20 within the receiving cavity 5301. The heat exchange tube 24 of the finned heat exchanger 20 moves along the first direction X within the limiting groove 5341 and eventually comes into contact with the reinforcement member 54, then stops moving, thus determining the position of the finned heat exchanger 20.

[0302] Therefore, by adjusting the position of the reinforcing member 54 on the limiting groove 5341, the position where the finned heat exchanger 20 stops moving can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the position of the finned heat exchanger 20 in the receiving cavity 5301.

[0303] For example, multiple connectors 55 can be screws and nuts. The screw and nut connection method is simple and robust, suitable for the connection between the reinforcement 54 and the first sub-board 5321.

[0304] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG22, the coating fixture 50 may further include a blocking member 56. The blocking member 56 is detachably mounted to the first subplate 5321 and is located at one end of the limiting groove 5341 near the first air inlet 5302. The blocking member 56 is configured to block a portion of the limiting groove 5341, and the blocking member 56 is offset from the limiting groove 5341 along the third direction Z.

[0305] After the finned heat exchanger 20 is placed into the receiving cavity 5301, the end of the limiting groove 5341 near the first air inlet 5302 can be sealed with the blocking member 56. In this way, the heat exchange tubes 24 of the finned heat exchanger 20 cannot move outside the receiving cavity 5301 along the first direction X. Therefore, the blocking member 56 can further fix and restrict the position of the finned heat exchanger 20 after it is installed.

[0306] In some embodiments, the blocking member 56 can be connected to the first sub-plates 5321 on both sides of the limiting groove 5341 simultaneously. In this way, the blocking member 56 can achieve the same effect as the reinforcing member 54, making the first sub-plate 5321 less susceptible to deformation due to external influences.

[0307] In other embodiments, the blocking member 56 may also be mounted on the first plate 531, located at one end of the first air inlet 5302 of the first plate 531 near the first sub-plate 5321. The blocking member 56 is configured to block a portion of the first air inlet 5302.

[0308] At this time, the blocking member 56 can also restrict the position of the finned heat exchanger 20 after it is placed into the receiving cavity 5301. The blocking member 56 can also strengthen the first plate 531, making it less susceptible to deformation due to external influences.

[0309] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG22, the coating fixture 50 may further include a rotating shaft 57, which is disposed at one end of the first subplate 5321 near the first air outlet 5303 in the limiting groove 5341 and located on one side of the limiting groove 5341 along the second direction Y.

[0310] The coating fixture 50 may also include a limiting member 58, which is disposed on the first subplate 5321, located at one end of the limiting groove 5341 near the first air outlet 5303, and located on the side of the limiting groove 5341 away from the first rotation axis 57 along the second direction Y.

[0311] Here, the first end of the blocking member 56 passes through the rotating shaft 57 and is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 57, and the second end is located on the side of the limiting member 58 near the first plate 531. The blocking member 56 is provided with a relief groove on the side near the limiting member 58, and the limiting member 58 is engaged in the relief groove.

[0312] The blocking member 56 is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 57, allowing the blocking member 56 to open and close the limiting groove 5341. When the clearance groove of the blocking member 56 engages with the limiting member 58, the blocking member 56 is in a state of closing the limiting groove 5341 on the side near the first air inlet 5302, thus strengthening the first sub-plate 5321 itself.

[0313] When the blocking member 56 does not block the limiting groove 5341, the blocking member 56 is in a state where the limiting groove 5341 is open on the side near the first air inlet 5302, so that the finned heat exchanger 20 can be inserted into the receiving cavity 5301 from the first air inlet 5302.

[0314] In other embodiments, the two first sub-plates 5321 may have snap-fit ​​grooves at their ends near the first air inlet 5302, and at their sides along the second direction Y of the limiting groove 5341. Correspondingly, the limiting member 58 may have snap-fit ​​members. After the snap-fit ​​grooves and snap-fit ​​members engage, the blocking member 56 can close the end of the limiting groove 5341 near the first air inlet 5302, thus restricting the position of the finned heat exchanger 20.

[0315] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG26, the second plate 532 may further include two second sub-plates 5322 and a plurality of reinforcing plates 5323. The two second sub-plates 5322 are located between the two first sub-plates 5321 and are disposed opposite to each other, but the two second sub-plates 5322 do not contact each other. The plurality of reinforcing plates 5323 are disposed on the side of the two second sub-plates 5322 that are far apart from each other. A portion of the reinforcing plate 5323 is connected to the second sub-plate 5322, and another portion is connected to the third plate 533.

[0316] Two second sub-plates 5322 are located between two first sub-plates 5321, and together with the first plate 531 and the third plate 533, they form a receiving cavity 5301. In order to minimize the space within the receiving cavity 5301, the angle between the plane containing the two second sub-plates 5322 and the plane containing the third plate 533 can be the same as the angle between the first direction X and the plane containing the third plate 533.

[0317] Therefore, the two second sub-plates 5322 need to be tilted. To ensure the stability of the tilted second sub-plates 5322, multiple reinforcing plates 5323 can be provided on the side of the two second sub-plates 5322 that are far apart from each other. The reinforcing plates 5323 are connected to the second sub-plates 5322 and the third plate 533 respectively, which can firmly fix the second sub-plates 5322 to the third plate 533, strengthen the strength of the second sub-plates 5322, and enable them to maintain positional stability even at the tilted angle.

[0318] In some embodiments, the second sub-plate 5322 may form a receiving groove with the two first sub-plates 5321, the first plate 531, and the third plate 533. The surface of the second sub-plate away from the receiving cavity is the bottom of the receiving groove. The reinforcing plate 5323 is located within the mounting groove.

[0319] At this time, the reinforcing plate 5323 is located in the receiving groove and can simultaneously contact and connect with the first plate 531, the second sub-plate 5322, and the third plate 533. In this way, the reinforcing plate 5323 can further enhance the positional stability of the two second sub-plates 5322.

[0320] In some embodiments, when coating the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20 with a moisture-absorbing layer using the coating fixture 50, the finned heat exchanger 20 can be weighed first, and the weighing result recorded. Then, the finned heat exchanger 20 is placed into the immersion chamber containing the moisture-absorbing material. After the fins 23 are completely immersed in the moisture-absorbing material, the fins 23 are removed, and excess moisture-absorbing material is drained.

[0321] Then, the finned heat exchanger 20 is placed into the coating fixture 50 within the vacuum coating equipment 40. The vacuum coating equipment 40 is started to remove excess moisture-absorbing material from the surface of the finned heat exchanger 20. After a preset time, the vacuum coating is completed. The finned heat exchanger 20 is then removed and weighed. The weight of the moisture-absorbing material coated on the finned heat exchanger 20 is calculated, and the coating amount is determined to be acceptable based on the weight of the finned heat exchanger 20 before and after vacuum coating.

[0322] If the coating amount is acceptable, the coating of the moisture-absorbing layer on the finned heat exchanger 20 is complete. If the coating amount is insufficient, continue to coat the finned heat exchanger 20 further according to the above process.

[0323] It should be noted that any one of the technical solutions disclosed in this disclosure can solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems and achieve a certain disclosure purpose to a certain extent; multiple technical disclosures can also be combined into an overall solution to solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems and achieve a certain disclosure purpose; some technical disclosures can also be selected and combined into an overall solution, while adopting related technologies and deteriorating solutions, but the deterioration trend can be compensated by the means of this technical disclosure, and the overall solution can solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems and achieve a certain disclosure purpose to a certain extent; each technical disclosure combined into a complete technical solution constitutes an organic and indivisible overall solution, which solves the technical problems and achieves a certain disclosure purpose as a whole.

[0324] Any technical disclosure in this disclosure, as well as the recombination of multiple technical disclosures, can form a complete technical solution and solve one or more of the aforementioned technical problems, thereby achieving the purpose of disclosure. All of these are part of the content of this disclosure and are directly and unambiguously determined based on the content of this disclosure.

[0325] Those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and that modifications and substitutions can be made to certain elements of the embodiments without departing from the spirit of this application. The scope of this application is limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger, comprising: Multiple fins; Multiple heat exchange tubes, wherein the multiple heat exchange tubes are connected to the multiple fins; as well as, Moisture-absorbing material, wherein the moisture-absorbing material is disposed at least on the surface of the plurality of fins, the moisture-absorbing material comprising: A polymeric moisture-absorbing material, wherein the polymeric moisture-absorbing material is capable of absorbing moisture; and An adhesive, wherein the adhesive is bonded to the polymeric moisture-absorbing material; The polymeric moisture-absorbing material and the adhesive are interconnected by chemical bonding.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein, The polymeric moisture-absorbing material has hydrophilic groups; The adhesive has active groups; The active groups react with the hydrophilic groups to form chemical bonds, thereby connecting the adhesive with the polymeric moisture-absorbing material.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein, The hydrophilic group includes at least one of carboxyl or hydroxyl groups; the active group includes at least one of isocyanate or epoxy groups.

4. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The moisture-absorbing material also includes: Crosslinking agent, said crosslinking agent having carbodiimide groups; The carbodiimide group reacts with at least one of the carboxyl group or the hydroxyl group to link the crosslinking agent with the polymeric moisture-absorbing material.

5. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The moisture-absorbing material also includes a curing agent, which can accelerate the curing speed of the moisture-absorbing material.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein, The curing agent includes an epoxy curing agent; The ratio of the mass of the epoxy curing agent to the mass of the adhesive is greater than or equal to 2 / 5 and less than or equal to 3 / 5.

7. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The moisture-absorbing material also includes: Inorganic moisture-absorbing material, wherein the inorganic moisture-absorbing material can enhance the strength of the moisture-absorbing material.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein, The ratio of the sum of the masses of the polymeric moisture-absorbing material and the inorganic moisture-absorbing material to the mass of the adhesive is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 3.

9. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The moisture-absorbing material satisfies at least one of the following: The moisture-absorbing material is also disposed on the surface of the heat exchange tube; The amount of the moisture-absorbing material applied per unit area is greater than or equal to 0.5 g / 100 cm². 2 And less than or equal to 1.5g / 100cm 2 ; or, The viscosity of the hygroscopic material is greater than or equal to 200 mPa·s and less than or equal to 300 mPa·s.

10. A coating fixture, comprising: A receiving element, the interior of which forms a receiving cavity; the receiving cavity is capable of accommodating a heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The receiving component is provided with a first air inlet and a first air outlet; the first air inlet and the first air outlet are respectively connected to the receiving cavity; The receiving member has a placement surface, and the receiving member enables the heat exchanger to be inclined relative to the placement surface within the receiving cavity, and the angle between the plane where the heat exchanger is located and the plane where the placement surface is located is an acute angle.

11. The coating fixture according to claim 10, wherein, The accommodating member includes: The first plate has the first air inlet; A second plate, located to one side of the first plate, is arranged circumferentially around the first plate and connected to it; and The third plate is located on the side of the second plate away from the first plate; the third plate has the first air outlet and the placement surface; The second plate forms a limiting part; the limiting part can fix the heat exchanger, so that the heat exchanger is inclined relative to the third plate, and the angle between the plane where the heat exchanger is located and the plane where the third plate is located is an acute angle.

12. The coating fixture according to claim 11, wherein, The second plate includes: Two first sub-plates are arranged at a distance from each other; at least one of the two first sub-plates has a limiting groove; the limiting part is the limiting groove; the limiting groove extends along a first direction, and the end of the limiting groove near the first air inlet passes through at least one of the two first sub-plates. The first air inlet penetrates the first plate along the arrangement direction of the two first sub-plates. The first end of the first air inlet is connected to the limiting groove of one of the two first sub-plates, and the second end of the first air inlet is connected to the limiting groove of the other of the two first sub-plates. Wherein, the angle between the first direction and the plane where the third plate is located is an acute angle.

13. The coating fixture according to claim 12, further comprising: The reinforcement is located at the end of the limiting groove away from the first plate, and at least a portion of the reinforcement obscures a portion of the limiting groove; as well as Multiple connectors, which penetrate the reinforcement and are respectively connected to the two first sub-boards; In this configuration, along the second direction, the plurality of connectors are respectively located on both sides of the limiting groove; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

14. The coating fixture according to claim 12, further comprising: A blocking member is detachably installed on the two first sub-plates. The blocking member is located at one end of the limiting groove near the first air inlet and is offset from the limiting groove. The blocking member can block a part of the limiting groove.

15. The coating fixture according to claim 14, further comprising: A rotating shaft is disposed on the first sub-plate, located at one end of the limiting groove near the first air outlet, and located on one side of the limiting groove along the second direction; as well as A limiting member is disposed on the first sub-plate, located at one end of the limiting groove near the first air outlet, and along the second direction on the side of the limiting groove away from the rotation axis; The first end of the blocking member passes through the rotating shaft and is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft; the second end of the blocking member is located on the side of the limiting member near the first plate, and the side of the blocking member near the limiting member is provided with a clearance groove, and the limiting member is engaged in the clearance groove.

16. The coating fixture according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein, The side plate also includes: Two second sub-boards, the two second sub-boards being located between the two first sub-boards, the two second sub-boards being arranged opposite to each other; and Multiple reinforcing plates are disposed on the side of the two second sub-plates that are far apart from each other; a portion of each reinforcing plate is connected to the second sub-plate, and another portion of each reinforcing plate is connected to the third plate.

17. The coating fixture according to claim 16, wherein, The second sub-plate, together with the two first sub-plates, the first plate, and the third plate, forms a receiving groove; the surface of the second sub-plate away from the receiving cavity is the bottom of the receiving groove; the reinforcing plate is located inside the receiving groove.

18. The coating fixture according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein, The angle between the first direction and the plane containing the third plate is greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60°.

19. The coating fixture according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein, Along the first direction, the first air inlet and the first air outlet are located on both sides of the limiting groove.

20. An air conditioner, comprising: The housing has an internal mounting cavity; the housing also has a second air inlet and a second air outlet, the second air inlet and the second air outlet being respectively connected to the mounting cavity; The compressor is disposed within the mounting cavity; An expansion valve is disposed within the mounting cavity; as well as The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is disposed in the mounting cavity; the airflow flowing in from the second air inlet exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger, and the airflow after heat exchange flows out from the second air outlet.

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