Bent heat exchanger and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9891007-B2
Application number	US-201414778509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2014
Priority date	Mar 21, 2013
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A bent heat exchanger and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The bent heat exchanger includes: a first header and a second header spaced apart from each other, a plurality of flat tubes and a plurality of fins. A plurality of flat tubes are disposed between the first header and the second header, two ends of each flat tube are connected with the first header and the second header respectively. Each flat tube has straight segments and a bent segment between the straight segments, the bent segment is twisted by a predetermined angle relative to the straight segment around a longitudinal direction of the flat tube. The bent segments of a plurality of the flat tubes form a bent segment row extending in a thickness direction of the flat tube. A plurality of the flat tubes are divided into a plurality of groups.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bent heat exchanger, comprising:
first and second headers spaced apart from each other;
a plurality of flat tubes disposed between the first and second headers and divided into a plurality of groups, each flat tube defining two ends connected with the first and second headers respectively, each flat tube having straight segments and a bent segment which is between the straight segments and twisted by a predetermined angle relative to the straight segment around a longitudinal direction of the flat tube, the bent segments of the plurality of the flat tubes forming a bent segment row extended in a thickness direction of the flat tube, twisting directions of the bent segments of the flat tubes in a same group being identical, and the twisting direction of the bent segment of the flat tube in one group being opposite to that of the bent segment of the flat tube in another group adjacent to the one group; and
a plurality of fins each disposed between the straight segments of adjacent flat tubes.

2. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein each of the flat tubes has one bent segment and the bent segments of the plurality of the flat tubes form one bent segment row.

3. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein an interrupted flat tube is disposed between adjacent groups of the flat tubes and defines first and second segments, a first end of the first segment is connected with the first header, a second end of the first segment is closed, a first end of the second segment is connected with the second header, a second end of the second segment is closed and spaced apart from the second end of the first segment by a predetermined distance equal to or greater than a length of the bent segment.

4. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein a distance between two adjacent flat tubes belonging to different groups is greater than that between two adjacent flat tubes belonging to a same group.

5. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein a separation flat tube is disposed between adjacent groups of the flat tubes and has straight segments and a bent segment located between the straight segments and corresponding to the bent segment of the flat tube, a width of the separation flat tube is smaller than that of the flat tube.

6. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein a separation flat tube is disposed between adjacent groups of the flat tubes and has straight segments and a bent segment located between the straight segments and corresponding to the bent segment of the flat tube, a length of the bent segment of the separation flat tube is greater than that of the bent segment of the flat tube.

7. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein each of the flat tubes has a plurality of the bent segments spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the flat tube, the bent segments of the plurality of the flat tubes form a plurality of bent segment rows.

8. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein an interrupted flat tube is disposed between adjacent groups of the flat tubes and defines first and second segments, a first end of the first segment is connected with the first header, a second end of the first segment is closed, a first end of the second segment is connected with the second header, a second end of the second segment is closed and spaced apart from the second end of the first segment by a predetermined distance equal to or greater than a length of the bent segment.

9. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein a distance between two adjacent flat tubes belonging to different groups is greater than that between two adjacent flat tubes belonging to a same group.

10. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein a separation flat tube is disposed between adjacent groups of the flat tubes and has straight segments and a bent segment located between the straight segments and corresponding to the bent segment of the flat tube, a width of the separation flat tube is smaller than that of the flat tube.

11. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein a separation flat tube is disposed between adjacent groups of the flat tubes and has straight segments and a bent segment located between the straight segments and corresponding to the bent segment of the flat tube, a length of the bent segment of the separation flat tube is greater than that of the bent segment of the flat tube.

12. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein an interrupted flat tube is disposed between adjacent groups of the flat tubes and defines first and second segments, a first end of the first segment is connected with the first header, a second end of the first segment is closed, a first end of the second segment is connected with the second header, a second end of the second segment is closed and spaced apart from the second end of the first segment by a predetermined distance equal to or greater than a length of the bent segment.

13. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between two adjacent flat tubes belonging to different groups is greater than that between two adjacent flat tubes belonging to a same group.

14. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a separation flat tube is disposed between adjacent groups of the flat tubes and has straight segments and a bent segment located between the straight segments and corresponding to the bent segment of the flat tube, a width of the separation flat tube is smaller than that of the flat tube.

15. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 14 , wherein a distance between the separation flat tube and the flat tube adjacent to the separation flat tube is greater than that between adjacent flat tubes.

16. The bent heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a separation flat tube is disposed between adjacent groups of the flat tubes and has straight segments and a bent segment located between the straight segments and corresponding to the bent segment of the flat tube, a length of the bent segment of the separation flat tube is greater than that of the bent segment of the flat tube.

17. A method for manufacturing a bent heat exchanger, comprising the steps of:
a) twisting a portion of a flat tube by a predetermined angle relative to a remaining portion of the flat tube around a longitudinal direction of the flat tube so as to form a bent segment, forming a bent segment row extended in a thickness direction of the flat tube by the bent segments of a plurality of the flat tubes, dividing the plurality of the flat tubes into a plurality of groups, twisting directions of the bent segments of the flat tubes in a same group being identical, and the twisting direction of the bent segment of the flat tube in one group being opposite to that of the bent segment of the flat tube in another group adjacent to the one group;
b) connecting the flat tube between first and the second headers;
c) disposing a plurality of fins between the remaining portions of adjacent flat tubes; and
d) bending the flat tubes at the bent segments.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the steps a)-d) can be performed in any order and the step a) is performed prior to the step d).

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein each of the flat tubes has a plurality of the bent segments spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the flat tube, the bent segments of the plurality of the flat tubes form a plurality of bent segment rows.

Assignees

• Sanhua Hangzhou Micro Channel Heat Exchanger Co Ltd

Inventors

• He Yan
• Gao Qiang
• Liu Huazhao

Classifications

• F25B39/00

  Evaporators; Condensers · CPC title

• B21D53/06

  of metal tubes · CPC title

• F28F2280/00

  Mounting arrangements; Arrangements for facilitating assembling or disassembling of heat exchanger parts · CPC title

• F28D2001/0273

  having special shape, e.g. curved, annular · CPC title

• F28F2215/04

  Assemblies of fins having different features, e.g. with different fin densities · CPC title