Drainage structure of corrugated fin-type heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328975-B2
Application number	US-201013257230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2010
Priority date	Mar 17, 2009
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger, the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger being constituted by arranging a plurality of flat heat exchange tubes parallel to one another in a horizontal direction between a pair of opposing header pipes, and joining corrugated fins between the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes, the drain structure including a plurality of water flow passages for inducing water retained between the corrugated fins adjacent to an upper side and a lower side of each of the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes, the plurality of water flow passages being formed on an outer end surface of the each of the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes in a width direction thereof at a pitch along a longitudinal direction of the each of the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger, comprising:
a pair of opposing header pipes;
a plurality of flat heat exchange tubes, each having an upper surface, a lower surface, side surfaces, and the end portion;
a plurality of corrugated fins formed by repeatedly accordion-folding; and
a plurality of lug pieces on the side surfaces of each of the flat heat exchange tubes, wherein
each of the flat heat exchange tubes is connected to the pair of the opposing header pipes at the end portions of the flat heat exchange tube so that the flat heat exchange tube is disposed between the pair of the opposing header pipes, and parallel to one another in a horizontal direction,
the corrugated fins are disposed between the flat heat exchange tubes so that each of the corrugated fins is connected to the upper surface of the flat heat exchange tube beneath the corrugated fins and the lower surface of the flat heat exchange tube above the corrugated fins,
the lug pieces are disposed under a state of being cut and lugged obliquely via cutouts on each of the side surfaces of a flange portion of the flat heat exchange tubes, which extends along the flat heat exchange tubes in the width direction, each of the lug pieces directly and linearly extends from the side surface of the flat heat exchange tube, and each of the lug pieces is disposed beneath an upper side of each of the corrugated fins and above a lower side of each of the corrugated fins, so that water flow passages having edge portions are formed on the side surfaces of the flat heat exchange tubes, the edge portions being configured to induce, in contact with, water retained between valleys of the corrugated fins adjacent to an upper side and a lower side of each of the flat heat exchange tubes,
a plurality of the water flow passages are formed on each of the side surfaces of the flat heat exchange tubes at a pitch along a longitudinal direction extending from one of the pair of the opposing header pipes to the other of the pair of the opposing header pipes,
the edge portion of each of the water flow passages comprises a corner portion, at which two surfaces of each of the lug pieces that are inclined in proximity to a horizontal surface portion of each of the flat heat exchange tubes cross each other, and
at least part of each of the plurality of water flow passages is positioned on an inner side of a side end portion of each of the corrugated fins.

2. The drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the pitch of the plurality of water flow passages is in a range of four times or smaller than a pitch of each of the corrugated fins.

3. A drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger, comprising:
a pair of opposing header pipes;
a plurality of flat heat exchange tubes, each having an upper surface, a lower surface, side surfaces, and an end portion;
a plurality of corrugated fins formed by repeatedly accordion-folding; and
a plurality of linear drain assisting members arranged along the side surfaces of each of the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes, wherein
each of the flat heat exchange tubes is connected to the pair of the opposing header pipes at the end portions of the flat heat exchange tube so that the flat heat exchange tube is disposed between the pair of the opposing header pipes, and parallel to one another in a horizontal direction,
the corrugated fins are disposed between the flat heat exchange tubes so that each of the corrugated fins is connected to the upper surface of the flat heat exchange tube beneath the corrugated fins and the lower surface of the flat heat exchange tube above the corrugated fins,
each of the plurality of linear drain assisting members is arranged so as to be interposed between and held in contact with the corrugated fins adjacent to an upper side and a lower side of the each of the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes, to thereby form a water passage for inducing water droplets adhering to the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger,
the each of the plurality of linear drain assisting members has a shape in which a plurality of linear materials are twisted together, and
the water passage is formed in a clearance defined among the plurality of linear materials, and the clearance of the each of the plurality of linear drain assisting members is positioned on an inner side of a side end of each of the corrugated fins.

4. The drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger according to claim 3 , wherein the linear drain assisting member comprises a wire arranged to define a fine clearance so as to form the water passage between the wire and the each of the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes.

5. The drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger according to claim 3 , wherein the linear drain assisting member is formed of the same material forming the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger, and is integrally joined to the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger by brazing.

6. The drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger according to claim 3 ,
wherein the linear drain assisting member comprises wool or a chenille-laced linear material, and
wherein water droplets adhering to a surface of the wool or the chenille-laced linear material are induced to a water film or water droplets on a surface of the linear drain assisting member, and the water passage is formed in the surface.

7. The drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger according to any one of claims 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 , wherein the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger is vertically arranged or obliquely arranged with an upper end side of the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger positioned on a leeward side, and the linear drain assisting member is arranged on the leeward side.

8. The drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger according to any one of claims 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 , wherein the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger is vertically arranged or obliquely arranged with an upper end side of the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger positioned on a leeward side, and the linear drain assisting member is arranged on a windward side and the leeward side.

9. The drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger according to any one of claims 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 , wherein the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger is vertically arranged or obliquely arranged with an upper end side of the corrugated fin-type heat exchanger positioned on a windward side, and the linear drain assisting member is arranged on the windward side.

10. The drain structure for a corrugated fin-type heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the flange portion is thicker than that of the flat heat exchange tube.

Assignees

• Furumaki Masayuki
• Yoshida Takeshi
• Yamazaki Kazuhiko
• Nippon Light Metal Co
• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Furumaki Masayuki
• Yoshida Takeshi
• Yamazaki Kazuhiko

Classifications

• F28F1/022

  with multiple channels · CPC title

• F28F17/005 Primary

  Means for draining condensates from heat exchangers, e.g. from evaporators (F28B9/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F1/128

  Fins with openings, e.g. louvered fins · CPC title

• F28D1/05383

  with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits (F28D1/05391 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25B39/02 Primary

  Evaporators · CPC title