Heat exchange element and air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903669-B2
Application number	US-201214385286-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2012
Priority date	Apr 18, 2012
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a heat exchange element that suppresses an increase in air-flow resistance by suppressing deflection of a partition member caused by a change in temperature and humidity. The unit constituent members are stacked, each of which is formed of partition members that have heat-transfer properties and moisture permeability, and spacing members that hold the partition members. A primary air flow that passes along an upper-surface side of the partition member and a secondary air flow that passes along an undersurface side of the partition member cross each other so as to exchange heat and moisture via the partition member. The spacing member includes: spacing ribs that maintain the spacing between the partition members; and deflection suppressing ribs that have a height smaller than the spacing ribs so as to suppress deflection of the partition members.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat exchange element, comprising:
unit constituent members arranged in a stacked manner,
each unit constituent member is constituted of partition members, each partition member has heat-transfer properties and moisture permeability and spacing members that hold the partition members with a predetermined spacing, wherein the unit constituent members are configured so that
a primary air flow passes along upper-surface sides of the partition members and a secondary air flow passes through on under-surface sides of the partition members, and the primary air flow and the secondary air flow cross and exchange heat and moisture via the partition members, wherein

the spacing member comprises:
first spacing ribs provided on the upper surface of the partition member with a predetermined spacing parallel to a direction of the primary air flow;
second spacing ribs provided on the undersurface of the partition member with a predetermined spacing parallel to a direction of the secondary air flow;

first deflection-suppressing ribs connected to the second spacing ribs, the first deflection-suppressing ribs provided on the upper surface of the partition member between the first spacing ribs, the first deflection-suppressing ribs being parallel to the first spacing ribs with a predetermined spacing, and have a height smaller than the first spacing ribs; and
second deflection-suppressing ribs connected to the first spacing ribs, the second deflection-suppressing ribs provided on the undersurface of the partition member between the second spacing ribs, the second deflection-suppressing ribs being parallel to the second spacing ribs with a predetermined spacing, and have a height smaller than the second spacing ribs.

2. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
first sealing ribs provided on both sides of the upper surface of the partition member, being parallel to the direction of the primary air flow; and
second sealing ribs provided on both sides of the undersurface of the partition member, being parallel to the direction of the secondary air flow, wherein the first spacing ribs are connected to the second sealing ribs, provided between the first sealing ribs, and parallel to the first sealing ribs with a predetermined spacing,
the second spacing ribs are connected to the first sealing ribs, provided between the second sealing ribs, and parallel to the second sealing ribs with a predetermined spacing,
the first deflection-suppressing ribs are connected to the second sealing ribs and provided between the first spacing ribs and parallel to the first spacing ribs with a predetermined spacing, and
the second deflection-suppressing ribs are connected to the first sealing ribs and provided between the second spacing ribs and parallel to the second spacing ribs with a predetermined spacing.

3. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the first and second deflection-suppressing ribs is smaller than a width of the first and second spacing ribs.

4. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein
the unit constituent member has a rectangular shape, and
each of the first and second spacing ribs and each of the first and second deflection-suppressing ribs are formed into a continuous line that extends from one side of the unit constituent member to another opposite side.

5. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein
the unit constituent member has a square shape,
the spacing ribs and the deflection suppressing ribs are provided on both surfaces of the partition member,
the first and second spacing ribs are provided respectively on the upper surface of the partition member and on the undersurface of the partition member with a same pitch, and
the first and second spacing ribs are provided as being rotated by 90 degrees relative to each other.

6. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein
the unit constituent members are stacked alternately rotated by 90 degrees.

7. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein
the partition members and the spacing members of the unit constituent member are integrally molded.

8. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein
the spacing member is formed of resin.

9. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein in the heat exchange element in which the unit constituent members are stacked,
distal ends of the first and second spacing ribs formed on one of the unit constituent members come into contact respectively with other partition members formed on another of the unit constituent members.

10. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein in the heat exchange element in which the unit constituent members are stacked,
distal ends of the first and second spacing ribs, each of which is formed on one of the unit constituent members, come into contact with corresponding distal ends of the first and second spacing ribs, each of which is formed on the other of the unit constituent members.

11. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein in the heat exchange element in which the unit constituent members are stacked,
distal ends of some of the first and second spacing ribs formed on one of the unit constituent members come into contact respectively with the partition members formed on the other of the unit constituent members stacked, and
distal ends of some of the first and second spacing ribs formed on the other of the unit constituent members come into contact respectively with the partition members formed on one of the unit constituent members stacked.

12. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein
a height of the first and second deflection-suppressing ribs is smaller than half a height of the first and second spacing ribs.

13. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein
an air permeability resistance of the partition member is equal to or higher than 5,000 seconds/100 cc.

14. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein when a height of an air-flow path formed by stacking the unit constituent members is represented as g, a rate of change in dimension determined by dividing a length of an expanded portion of the partition member when it has expanded by its reference dimension before the expansion is represented as a, and an arrangement spacing between the deflection suppressing ribs is represented as p, the arrangement spacing p satisfies a relation expressed as
p<g/σ.

15. The heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein
when a height of an air-flow path formed by stacking the unit constituent members is represented as g, a rate of change in dimension determined by dividing a length of an expanded portion of the partition member when it has expanded by its reference dimension before the expansion is represented as a, and an arrangement spacing between the deflection suppressing ribs is represented as p, the arrangement spacing p satisfies a relation expressed as

p
=

g

σ
⁡

(

σ
+
2

)

.

Assignees

• Ishimaru Yuichi
• Sotokawa Hajime
• Takada Masaru
• Imai Takanori
• Ohira Mitsuhiko
• Baba Fumiaki
• Matsuo Yuichi
• Tokizaki Shinya
• Kise Koji
• Shinozaki Masaru
• Mitani Tetsuo
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Ishimaru Yuichi
• Sotokawa Hajime
• Takada Masaru
• Imai Takanori
• Ohira Mitsuhiko
• Baba Fumiaki
• Matsuo Yuichi
• Tokizaki Shinya
• Kise Koji
• Shinozaki Masaru
• Mitani Tetsuo

Classifications

• F28F2275/025

  by using adhesives · CPC title

• F28F21/06

  of plastics material · CPC title

• Y02B30/563

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F28F3/048 Primary

  in the form of ribs integral with the element or local variations in thickness of the element, e.g. grooves, microchannels · CPC title

• F28F9/00 Primary

  Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings · CPC title