HEAT EXCHANGER AND AIR CONDITIONER

• US 20130306285A1
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Jindou, Masanori, Oritani, Yoshio, Fujino, Hirokazu, Kamada, Toshimitsu
• Granted Patent: US 9,651,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/173
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/00 Evaporators; Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05391 with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits combined with a particular flow pattern, e.g. multi-row multi-stage radiators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0068 for refrigerant cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/126 consisting of zig-zag shaped fins F28F1/105 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2215/12 with U-shaped slots for laterally inserting conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2250/06 Derivation channels, e.g. bypass
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/02 Header boxes; End plates
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0209 having only transversal partitions
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0275 with multiple branch pipes

Abstract

A first header collecting pipe is divided into an upper space corresponding to an upper heat exchange region and a lower space corresponding to a lower heat exchange region. The lower space is divided into a plurality of communication spaces corresponding respectively to auxiliary heat exchange parts of the lower heat exchange region. A second header collecting pipe is divided into a communication space corresponding to both of a first main heat exchange part and the third auxiliary heat exchange part, and into communication spaces corresponding respectively to other main heat exchange parts and the other auxiliary heat exchange parts. Each of pairs of communication space and communication space is connected to an associated one of communication pipes.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising:

a standing first header collecting pipe and a standing second header collecting pipe;

a plurality of flat tubes which are arranged one above the other, which are each connected to the first header collecting pipe at one end and connected to the second header collecting pipe at the other end, and which are each formed with a passage of refrigerant; and

a plurality of fins each configured to divide part of the heat exchanger between adjacent ones of the flat tubes into a plurality of air passages through each of which air flows,

wherein the flat tubes are divided for

an upper heat exchange region divided into a plurality of heat exchange parts arranged one above the other, and

a lower heat exchange region divided into one or more heat exchange parts arranged one above the other,

an internal space of the first header collecting pipe is divided into an upper space which is for gas refrigerant and which corresponds to the upper heat exchange region, and

a lower space which is for liquid refrigerant and which corresponds to the lower heat exchange region,

in the lower space of the first header collecting pipe, one or more communication spaces corresponding respectively to the one or more heat exchange parts are formed such that the one or more communication spaces are as many as the one or more heat exchange parts,

an internal space of the second header collecting pipe is divided such that communication spaces corresponding respectively to the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region are formed such that the communication spaces are as many as the heat exchange parts, and

one or more communication spaces corresponding respectively to the one or more heat exchange parts of the lower heat exchange region are formed such that the one or more communication spaces are as many as the one or more heat exchange parts, and each communication space corresponding to the upper heat exchange region communicates with an associated one of the one or more communication spaces corresponding to the lower heat exchange region.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein

the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region are each divided into the heat exchange parts such that the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region are as many as the one or more heat exchange parts of the lower heat exchange region, the internal space of the second header collecting pipe is divided such that some of the communication spaces corresponding respectively to some heat exchange parts, other than a lowermost one of the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and an uppermost one of the heat exchange parts of the lower heat exchange region are formed such that the some of the communication spaces are as many as the some heat exchange parts, and

the other one of the communication spaces corresponding to both of the lowermost one of the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the uppermost one of the heat exchange parts of the lower heat exchange region is formed, and in the second header collecting pipe, some of the communication spaces corresponding respectively to some heat exchange parts other than the lowermost one of the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region are each paired with an associated one of the other ones of the communication spaces corresponding respectively to some heat exchange parts other than the uppermost one of the heat exchange parts of the lower heat exchange region, and

a communication pipe connecting between each pair of communication spaces is provided.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein

the upper heat exchange region is divided into the heat exchange parts, and the lower heat exchange region forms the heat exchange part, the internal space of the second header collecting pipe is divided such that

the communication spaces corresponding respectively to the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region are formed such that the communication spaces are as many as the heat exchange parts, and

in the second header collecting pipe, a communication member branching into some of the communication spaces corresponding respectively to the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region from the other one of the communication spaces corresponding to the heat exchange part of the lower heat exchange region is provided.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein

the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region are each divided into the heat exchange parts such that the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region are as many as the heat exchange parts of the lower heat exchange region, and

the internal space of the second header collecting pipe is divided such that each heat exchange part of the upper heat exchange region is paired with an associated one of the heat exchange parts of the lower heat exchange region, and

the communication spaces corresponding respectively to the pairs of heat exchange parts are formed such that the communication spaces are as many as the pairs of heat exchange parts.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein

the upper space of the first header collecting pipe is a single space corresponding to all of the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region, and

in the first header collecting pipe, a gas connection member connected to the upper space at a position close to an upper end of the upper space and a liquid connection member connected to each communication space of the lower space at a position close to a lower end of the each communication space.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein

a heat transfer reduction structure configured to reduce heat transfer from one of adjacent ones of the flat tubes to the other one of the adjacent ones of the flat tubes is provided between the adjacent ones of the flat tubes which are adjacent to each other across a boundary between the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region.

7. An air conditioner comprising:

a refrigerant circuit including the heat exchanger of claim 1,

wherein refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit to perform a refrigeration cycle.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein

the upper space of the first header collecting pipe is a single space corresponding to all of the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region, and

in the first header collecting pipe, a gas connection member connected to the upper space at a position close to an upper end of the upper space and a liquid connection member connected to each communication space of the lower space at a position close to a lower end of the each communication space.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein

the upper space of the first header collecting pipe is a single space corresponding to all of the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region, and

in the first header collecting pipe, a gas connection member connected to the upper space at a position close to an upper end of the upper space and a liquid connection member connected to each communication space of the lower space at a position close to a lower end of the each communication space.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 4, wherein

the upper space of the first header collecting pipe is a single space corresponding to all of the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region, and

in the first header collecting pipe, a gas connection member connected to the upper space at a position close to an upper end of the upper space and a liquid connection member connected to each communication space of the lower space at a position close to a lower end of the each communication space.

11. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein

a heat transfer reduction structure configured to reduce heat transfer from one of adjacent ones of the flat tubes to the other one of the adjacent ones of the flat tubes is provided between the adjacent ones of the flat tubes which are adjacent to each other across a boundary between the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein

a heat transfer reduction structure configured to reduce heat transfer from one of adjacent ones of the flat tubes to the other one of the adjacent ones of the flat tubes is provided between the adjacent ones of the flat tubes which are adjacent to each other across a boundary between the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 4, wherein

a heat transfer reduction structure configured to reduce heat transfer from one of adjacent ones of the flat tubes to the other one of the adjacent ones of the flat tubes is provided between the adjacent ones of the flat tubes which are adjacent to each other across a boundary between the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region.

14. The heat exchanger of claim 5, wherein

a heat transfer reduction structure configured to reduce heat transfer from one of adjacent ones of the flat tubes to the other one of the adjacent ones of the flat tubes is provided between the adjacent ones of the flat tubes which are adjacent to each other across a boundary between the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region.

15. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein

a heat transfer reduction structure configured to reduce heat transfer from one of adjacent ones of the flat tubes to the other one of the adjacent ones of the flat tubes is provided between the adjacent ones of the flat tubes which are adjacent to each other across a boundary between the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region.

16. The heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein

a heat transfer reduction structure configured to reduce heat transfer from one of adjacent ones of the flat tubes to the other one of the adjacent ones of the flat tubes is provided between the adjacent ones of the flat tubes which are adjacent to each other across a boundary between the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region.

17. The heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein

a heat transfer reduction structure configured to reduce heat transfer from one of adjacent ones of the flat tubes to the other one of the adjacent ones of the flat tubes is provided between the adjacent ones of the flat tubes which are adjacent to each other across a boundary between the heat exchange parts of the upper heat exchange region and the lower heat exchange region.