EP3026363A1

EP3026363A1 - Heat exchanger, air conditioner and method of manufacturing heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: EP3026363A1
Application number: EP15190764.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yoshinori Nunome
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2014-10-28
Filing date: 2015-10-21
Publication date: 2016-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2035-10-21
Also published as: JP2016085009A; ES2628577T3; JP6455074B2; EP3026363B1

Abstract

An air conditioner (1) is equipped with a sub-heat exchange unit (41) and a main heat exchange unit (31). A sub-side engagement section (46) is provided on a sub-plate (43) of the sub-heat exchange unit (41) to protrude away from the sub-fins (42) of the sub-heat exchange unit (41) along the surface of the sub-plate (43). A main plate (33) of the main heat exchange unit (31) is provided with a main-side engagement section (36) with which a sub-side engagement section (46) is engaged from a stacking direction of the main fins (32) of the main heat exchange unit (31), in a state in which the sub-heat exchange unit (41) is disposed adjacent to the main heat exchange unit (31).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger provided in an indoor unit of an air conditioner, an air conditioner having the same, and a method of manufacturing the heat exchanger.
Conventionally, an air conditioner which houses a blower, a heat exchanger or the like inside a housing, and performs indoor air-conditioning by suctioning in indoor air and then ejecting the air to perform adjustment of a temperature and humidity is known. An example of such a heat exchanger provided in the air conditioner is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.
The heat exchanger disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is confgured to include a main heat exchanger, and a sub-heat exchanger (an auxiliary heat exchanger) which is attached to the main heat exchanger to perform supercooling.
When the heat exchanger is manufactured, an operator assembles the sub-heat exchanger to the main heat exchanger. At this time, in order to facilitate the assembly, in some cases, a structure in which a claw section of the sub-heat exchanger as described in Patent Literature 1 is engaged with the main heat exchanger without using bolts or the like is adopted.

[Prior Art]

[Patent Literature]

Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2007-78265
However, an individual difference due to a manufacturing dimensional error (i.e., a defect in the size or shape of a product) is present in the main heat exchanger and the sub-heat exchanger. Further, under the influence of such an individual difference, in some cases, it is not possible to smoothly attach the sub-heat exchanger to the main heat exchanger. In the structure of the claw section described in Patent Literature 1, it is difficult to eliminate the difficulty of assembly due to such a dimensional error.
The present invention provides a heat exchanger, an air conditioner, and a method of manufacturing the heat exchanger capable of being easily assembled regardless of the manufacturing dimensional errors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A heat exchanger according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a sub-heat exchange unit which has a plurality of sub-fins stacked at intervals, a sub-plate disposed on one end side in a stacking direction of the sub-fins, and a sub-pipe disposed to penetrate the sub-fins and the sub-plate; and a main heat exchange unit which has a plurality of main fins stacked at intervals, a main plate disposed on one end side in a stacking direction of the main fins, and a main pipe disposed to penetrate the main fins and the main plate, wherein a sub-side engagement section is provided in the sub-plate to protrude away from the sub-fins along a surface of the sub-plate, and the main plate is provided with a main-side engagement section with which the sub-side engagement section is engaged from the stacking direction of the main fins, in a state in which the sub-heat exchange unit is disposed adjacent to the main heat exchange unit.
According to such a heat exchanger, the sub-side engagement section is provided in the sub-heat exchange unit, the main-side engagement section is provided in the main heat exchange unit, and by engagement between the sub-side engagement section and the main-side engagement section, it is possible to attach the sub-heat exchange unit to the main heat exchange unit without using a fastener such as a bolt. Thus, when an operator attaches the sub-heat exchange unit to the main heat exchange unit, there is no need for a task such as using one hand to fasten the sub-heat exchange unit and the main heat exchange unit with a fastener while supporting the sub-heat exchange unit with the other hand. Further, the sub-side engagement section is provided to protrude from the sub-plate. Thus, even when the length (the length of the main fin in the stacking direction) of the main heat exchange unit is greater than the length (a length of the sub-fin in the stacking direction) of the sub-heat exchange unit, it is possible to engage the sub-side engagement section with the main-side engagement section to be lifted onto the main plate, thereby attaching the sub-heat exchange unit to the main heat exchange unit.
In the heat exchanger according to a second aspect of the present invention, the sub-side engagement section of the first aspect may have an opening main body section which is provided with a hole section penetrating in the stacking direction and extends along the surface of the sub-plate, and the main-side engagement section is a claw section which protrudes from the main plate in the stacking direction and is inserted into the hole section of the opening main body section.
Since the claw section of the main engagement section is inserted into the hole section of the sub-side engagement section, it is possible to easily engage the sub-side engagement section with the main-side engagement section, and further it is possible to easily attach the sub-heat exchange unit to the main heat exchange unit.
Also, in the heat exchanger according to a third aspect of the present invention, the claw section of the second aspect may be inclined to be separated from the main fins in the stacking direction as being separated from the side on which the sub-heat exchange unit is disposed along the main plate.
Since the claw section is provided to be inclined, when the sub-side engagement section is engaged with the main-side engagement section, the opening main body section of the sub-side engagement section moves to slide on the surface of the claw section of the main engagement section, and it is possible to smoothly insert the claw section into the hole section. Further, since the claw section is inclined, it is possible to prevent the claw section inserted into the hole section from being pulled out of the hole section, and it is possible to maintain a locked state of the sub-side engagement section and the main-side engagement section. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sub-heat exchange unit from falling off of the main heat exchange unit.
In the heat exchanger according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the sub-side engagement section in the second or third aspect may have a front end inclined section which is provided at a front end portion of the opening main body section, and the front end inclined section is inclined to be separated from the sub-fins in the stacking direction as being separated from the sub-fins along the sub-plate.
Since the front end inclined section is provided on the sub-side engagement section, when the sub-side engagement section is engaged with the main-side engagement section, by smoothly guiding the claw section into the hole section of the opening main body section while bringing the front end inclined section into contact with the claw section, it is possible to insert the claw section into the hole section.
In addition, in the heat exchanger according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the sub-side engagement sections in any one aspect of the first to fourth aspects may be provided to be spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the sub-heat exchange unit which intersects with the stacking direction of the sub-fins and a direction away from the sub-fins along the surface of the sub-plate.
Since a plurality of sub-side engagement sections are provided on the sub-plate, it is possible to reduce the width of each sub-side engagement section. Therefore, it is possible to easily deform each sub-side engagement section and to easily engage each sub-side engagement section with the main-side engagement section. Accordingly, it is possible to more easily attach the sub-heat exchange unit to the main heat exchange unit.
Further, an air conditioner according to a sixth aspect of the present invention includes the heat exchanger of one of the first to fifth aspects, and a housing which houses the heat exchanger inside.
According to such an air conditioner, by engaging the sub-side engagement section of the sub-heat exchange unit with the main-side engagement section of the main heat exchange unit, the sub-heat exchange unit can be attached to the main heat exchange unit without the use of fasteners such as bolts. Even if the length dimension of the main heat exchange unit (the dimension of the main fin in the stacking direction) is larger than the length dimension of the sub-heat exchange unit (the dimension of the sub-fin in the stacking direction), by engaging the sub-side engagement section with the main-side engagement section to be lifted onto the main plate, it is possible to attach the sub-heat exchange unit to the main heat exchange unit.
Further, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger which includes a sub-heat exchange unit which has a plurality of sub-fins stacked at intervals, a sub-plate disposed on one end side in a stacking direction of the sub-fins, and a sub-pipe disposed to penetrate the sub-fins and the sub-plate; a main heat exchange unit which has a plurality of main fins stacked at intervals, a main plate disposed on one end side in a stacking direction of the main fins, and a main pipe disposed to penetrate the main fins and the main plate, the method including: a forming process of separately forming the main heat exchange unit and the sub-heat exchange unit; a main heat exchange unit disposing process of disposing the main heat exchange unit so that the stacking direction extends in a vertical direction and the one end side is located at the top; a lower end portion engaging process of disposing the sub-heat exchange unit so that the stacking direction extends in the vertical direction and the one end side is located at the top, bringing the sub-heat exchange unit close to the main heat exchange unit disposed in the vertical direction from the front, and engaging the lower end portion of the sub-heat exchange unit with a support section provided at the lower end portion of the main heat exchange unit; an upper end portion approaching process of rotating the sub-heat exchange unit with respect to the lower end portion of the main heat exchange unit after the lower end portion engaging process, and bringing the upper end portion of the sub-heat exchange unit close to the upper end portion of the main heat exchange unit; and an upper end portion engaging process of engaging a sub-side engagement section provided on the sub-plate disposed at the upper end portion of the sub-heat exchange unit to protrude away from the sub-fins along the surface of the sub-plate with a main-side engagement section provided on the main plate disposed at the upper end portion of the main heat exchange unit.
According to the method of manufacturing the heat exchanger, when an operator attaches the sub-heat exchange unit to the main heat exchange unit, there is no need for a task such as using one hand to fasten the sub-heat exchange unit to the main heat exchange unit with a fastener while supporting the sub-heat exchange unit with the other hand. Further, even if the length (a length of the main fin in the stacking direction) of the main heat exchange unit is greater than the length (a length of the sub-fin in the stacking direction) of the sub-heat exchange unit, it is possible to engage the sub-side engagement section with the main-side engagement section to be lifted onto the main plate, thereby attaching the sub-heat exchange unit to the main heat exchange unit.

Effect of the Invention

According to the heat exchanger, the air conditioner and the method of manufacturing the heat exchanger, by the engagement between the sub-side engagement section and the main-side engagement section, it is possible to easily assemble the heat exchanger regardless of the manufacturing dimensional error of the main heat exchange unit and the sub-heat exchange unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view illustrating an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention and illustrating a section A-A in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a heat exchanger in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the heat exchanger in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention and illustrating an arrow B of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5A is a side view illustrating a process of manufacturing the heat exchanger in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention and illustrating a lower end portion engaging process.
Fig. 5B is a side view illustrating a process of manufacturing the heat exchanger in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention and illustrating an upper end portion engaging process.
Fig. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a process of manufacturing the heat exchanger in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The air conditioner 1 includes an indoor unit provided indoors and an outdoor unit (not shown) provided outdoors. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described that the air conditioner 1 is the indoor unit.
The air conditioner 1 is a device that discharges air A after suctioning the air A in and adjusting the temperature and humidity to air-condition the room.
As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the air conditioner 1 is equipped with a housing 2 which has an oblong rectangular parallelepiped shape in a direction which is a horizontal direction when the air conditioner 1 is installed, and an air conditioning device 20 housed in the housing 2.
Hereinafter, a direction as the horizontal direction when the air conditioner 1 is installed is set as a lateral direction, a direction as the vertical direction when the air conditioner 1 is installed is simply set as a vertical direction, and a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction and the vertical direction is set as a longitudinal direction. A front side of the air conditioner 1 when the air conditioner 1 is installed is a longitudinal front side.
The housing 2 is equipped with a front panel 11 disposed on the front side when the air conditioner 1 is installed, a housing main body 10 which defines a space S for housing the air conditioning device 20 inside along with the front panel 11, and a suction panel 12 which covers the front panel 11 from the front.
Furthermore, a blowout grill 13 which blows the air A out of the space S is provided at the bottom of the housing main body 10 between the housing main body 10 and the front panel 11. Also, a suction grill 14 which suctions the air A into the space S is provided at the top of the housing main body 10.
As the air conditioning device 20, a heat exchanger 22 housed in the space S, and a blower fan 21 provided in the space S to be surrounded by the heat exchanger 22 are provided. In addition, although the detailed illustration is omitted, as the air conditioning device 20, a filter 23 through which the air A sucked in from the suction grill 14 passes or the like is provided.
The blower fan 21 is a cross flow fan which has a cylindrical shape extending in the lateral direction. The blower fan 21 is driven by a motor (not shown) provided in the housing main body 10.
Next, the heat exchanger 22 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 4.
The heat exchanger 22 is disposed in the space S to surround the blower fan 21 from an outer peripheral side, and has a rectangular shape extending in the lateral direction.
As illustrated in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, as the heat exchanger 22, a first heat exchanger 22A disposed in front of the blower fan 21, a second heat exchanger 22B disposed obliquely above the front of the blower fan 21 and connected to the first heat exchanger 22A, and a third heat exchanger 22C disposed obliquely above the rear of the blower fan 21 and connected to the second heat exchanger 22B are provided.
Since each of the first heat exchanger 22A, the second heat exchanger 22B and the third heat exchanger 22C has the same structure, hereinafter, the third heat exchanger 22C will be described as a representative.
The third heat exchanger 22C has a main heat exchange unit 31 in which main fins 32 are stacked (parallelly disposed), and a sub-heat exchange unit 41 attached to the main heat exchange unit 31.
The main heat exchange unit 31 has a plurality of main fins 32 stacked at intervals in the lateral direction, a main plate 33 disposed on one end side in the stacking direction of the main fins 32, a main pipe 34 disposed to penetrate the main fins 32 and the main plate 33, and a sub-heat exchange unit support section (support section) 38 disposed on the other end side in the stacking direction of the main fins 32.
A gap is formed between the main fins 32 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction, and the air A sucked into the space S of the housing 2 from the suction grill 14 flows through the gap.
The main plate 33 is disposed to cover the surface of the main fins 32 disposed furthest on the one end side in the lateral direction serving as the stacking direction of the main fins 32 further from the one end side.
A main-side engagement section 36 is provided on the surface of the main plate 33.
In this embodiment, the main-side engagement section 36 is a claw section 37 which further protrudes toward the one end side in the lateral direction from the main plate 33.
The claw section 37 serving as the main-side engagement section 36 has a plate shape which is inclined to be spaced away from the main fins 32 in the lateral direction (the stacking direction of the main fins 32) as going toward the blower fan 21 along the main plate 33.
The main pipe 34 is a conduit into which the refrigerant from a refrigerant supply source (not illustrated) is introduced and circulated. Further, the heat exchange between the air A and the refrigerant is performed via the main fins 32.
As illustrated in Figs. 5A and 5B, the sub-heat exchange unit support section 38 is attached to the main fins 32 disposed furthest on the other end side in the lateral direction serving as the stacking direction of the main fin 32 further from the other end side. The sub-heat exchange unit support section 38 is a member which fixes the sub-heat exchange unit 41 to the main heat exchange unit 31, when attaching the sub-heat exchange unit 41 to the main heat exchange unit 31. Although the detailed description of the sub-heat exchange unit support section 38 will be omitted, for example, the sub-heat exchange unit support section 38 is formed of a resin or the like so that the claw or the like of the sub-heat exchange unit support section 38 to be described later is caught.
The sub-heat exchange unit 41 is disposed adjacent to the side spaced apart from the blower fan 21 with respect to the main heat exchange unit 31, and is fixed to the main heat exchange unit 31.
The sub-heat exchange unit 41 has a plurality of sub-fins 42 stacked at intervals in the lateral direction, a sub-plate 43 disposed on one end side in the stacking direction of the sub-fins 42, and a sub-pipe 44 disposed to penetrate the sub-fins 42 and the sub-plate 43.
A gap is formed between the sub-fins 42 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction, and the air A sucked into the space S of the housing 2 from the suction grill 14 flows through the gap.
The stacking direction of the sub-fins 42 is consistent with the stacking direction of the main fins 32, and the air A passing through between the sub-fins 42 is sent to the blower fan 21 between the main fins 32.
The sub-plate 43 is disposed to cover the surface of the sub-fin 42 disposed furthest on the one end side in the lateral direction serving as the stacking direction of the sub-fins 42 further from the one end side. Thus, the surface of the sub-plate 43 is orthogonal to the stacking direction.
A sub-side engagement section 46 is provided on the surface of the sub-plate 43.
In this embodiment, the sub-side engagement section 46 is provided to protrude toward the blower fan 21, i.e., away from the sub-fins 42 along the surface of the sub-plate 43.
More specifically, the sub-side engagement section 46 has an opening main body section 47 extending in parallel along the surface of the sub-plate 43 with a hole section 47a penetrating in the lateral direction (the stacking direction of the sub-fins 42), and a front end inclined section 48 which is continuously provided at the front end portion of the opening main body section 47, and is inclined away from the sub-fins 42 in the lateral direction as being separated from the sub-fins 42 along the sub-plate 43.
Further, in a state in which the sub-heat exchange unit 41 is disposed adjacent to the main heat exchange unit 31, the opening main body section 47 of the sub-side engagement section 46 overlaps in the stacking direction of the main fins 32 and is engaged with the claw section 37 as the main-side engagement section 36 in the stacking direction. In a state in which the opening main body section 47 is engaged with the claw section 37, the surface of the main plate 33 is parallel to the opening main body section 47.
In addition, a plurality of the sub-side engagement sections 46 are provided apart from each other, in the width direction of the sub-heat exchange unit 41 that intersects with the stacking direction of the sub-fins 42 and the direction away from the sub-fins 42 along the surface of the sub-plate 43, that is, in the tangential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the blower fan 21.
Further, the shape of the opening main body section 47 in each sub-side engagement section 46 may be different, as in the sub-side engagement section 46A of the third heat exchanger 22C, the opening main body section 47 may be formed in a straight line shape, and as in the sub-side engagement section 46B of the second heat exchanger 22B, the opening main body section 47 may be formed to be curved or bent so as not to interfere with the main pipe 34.
Also, although it is not illustrated in detail, a claw section or the like is formed on furthest the other end side of the lateral direction serving as the stacking direction of the sub-tins 42, and the claw section is engaged with the sub-heat exchange unit support section 38 provided in the main heat exchange unit 31 to be caught by the sub-heat exchange support section.
Here, the first heat exchanger 22A and a second heat exchanger 22B are connected to each other by connection of each of the main plates 33 with a bolt 50. Similarly, the second heat exchanger 22B and the third heat exchanger 22C are connected to each other by connection of each of the main plates 33 with a bolt 50.
In this embodiment, the main-side engagement section 36 and the sub-side engagement section 46 are not formed in the first heat exchanger 22A, and the sub-heat exchange unit 41 is simply attached to the main heat exchange unit 31 with a bolt 51. However, similarly to the second heat exchanger 22B and the third heat exchanger 22C, the main-side engagement section 36 and the sub-side engagement section 46 may also be formed in the first heat exchanger 22A.
Next, a method of manufacturing the heat exchanger 22 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and. 6.
The manufacturing method is directed to the second heat exchanger 22B and the third heat exchanger 22C.
The manufacturing method of the heat exchanger 22 includes a forming process S1 of forming the main heat exchange unit 31 and the sub-heat exchange unit 41, a main heat exchange unit disposing process S2 of disposing the main heat exchange unit 31 at a predetermined position and a lower end portion engaging process S3, an upper end portion approaching process S4, and an upper end portion engaging process S5 of bringing the main heat exchange unit 31 and the sub-heat exchange unit 41 close to each other.
First, the forming process S1 performed. In the forming process S1, the main heat exchange unit 31 and the sub-heat exchange unit 41 are each individually formed. When forming the main heat exchange unit 31, the main fins 32 are stacked, and the main plate 33 is disposed on the one end side in the stacking direction of the main fins 32 after being stacked. Thereafter, the main pipe 34 is disposed to penetrate the main fins 32 and the main plate 33. The sub-heat exchange unit 41 is also the same.
In the forming process S1, the sub-heat exchange unit support section 38 is attached to the main heat exchange unit 31 on the other end side in the stacking direction of the main fin 32.
Next, the main heat exchange unit disposing process S2 is performed. In the main heat exchange unit disposing process S2, the main heat exchange unit 31 is disposed so that the stacking direction of the main plate 33 extends in the vertical direction and one end side in the stacking direction is located at the top.
The vertical direction used when explaining the manufacturing method is a direction that coincides with the lateral direction when the air conditioner 1 is installed, and is different from the vertical direction after the installation.
Further, as illustrated in Fig. 5A, the lower end portion engaging process S3 is performed. In the lower end portion engaging process S3, the sub-heat exchange unit 41 is disposed so that the stacking direction of the sub-fins 42 extends in the vertical direction and one end side in the stacking direction is located at the top. Further, the sub-heat exchange unit 41 is brought close to the main heat exchange unit 31 disposed in the vertical direction from the front, and a claw section (not illustrated) or the like formed at the lower end portion of the sub-heat exchange unit 41 is engaged with the sub-heat exchange unit support section 38 provided at the lower end portion of the main heat exchange unit 31.
Further, the upper end portion approaching process S4 is performed. In the upper end portion approaching process S4, based on the lower end portion of the main heat exchange unit 31, the sub-heat exchange unit 41 is rotated, and the upper end portion of the sub-heat exchange unit 41 is brought close to the upper end portion of the main heat exchange unit 31 (see, an arrow of Fig. 5A).
Finally, as illustrated in Fig. 5B, the upper end portion engaging process S5 is performed. In the upper end portion engaging process S5, the sub-side engagement section 46 disposed at the upper end portion of the sub-heat exchange unit 41 is engaged with the main-side engagement section 36 disposed at the upper end portion of the main heat exchange unit 31 to manufacture the heat exchanger 22.
Finally, by connecting the first heat exchanger 22A to the second heat exchanger 22B and the third heat exchanger 22C manufactured by the above-mentioned manufacturing method with the bolt 50, and by the process of assembling the heat exchangers in the housing 2 being performed, the air conditioner 1 is manufactured.
According to the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, the sub-side engagement section 46 is provided in the sub-heat exchange unit 41 of the heat exchanger 22, the main-side engagement section 36 is provided in the main heat exchange unit 31, and the sub-side engagement section 46 and the main-side engagement section 36 are engaged with each other. Therefore, the sub-heat exchange unit 41 can be attached to the main heat exchange unit 31 without using fasteners such as bolts.
Thus, when an operator attaches the sub-heat exchange unit 41 to the main heat exchange unit 31, there is no need for a task such as using one hand to fasten the sub-heat exchange unit 41 and the main heat exchange unit 31 with a fastener such as a bolt while supporting the sub-heat exchange unit 41 with the other hand.
Further, in some cases, the length (a length of the main fins in the stacking direction) of the main heat exchange unit 31 may be greater than the length (a length of the sub-fins in the stacking direction) of the sub-heat exchange unit 41 due to manufacturing dimensional errors In such a case, since the sub-side engagement section 46 is provided to protrude from the sub-plate 43, by engaging the sub-side engagement section 46 with the main-side engagement section 36 to be lifted onto the main plate 33, it is also possible to attach the sub-heat exchange unit 41 to the main heat exchange unit 31.
Therefore, it is possible to easily assemble and manufacture the heat exchanger 22, regardless of the manufacturing dimensional errors of the main heat exchange unit 31 and the sub-heat exchange unit 41.
Also, since there is a structure in which the claw section 37 of the main-side engagement section 36 is inserted into the hole section 47a of the sub-side engagement section 46, it is possible to easily engage the sub-side engagement section 46 with the main-side engagement section 36. Therefore, it is possible to more easily attach the sub-heat exchange unit 41 to the main heat exchange unit 31 to manufacture the heat exchanger 22.
Further, since the claw section 37 serving as the main-side engagement section 36 is provided to be inclined, when the sub-side engagement section 46 is engaged with the main-side engagement section 36, the opening main body section 47 of the sub-side engagement section 46 moves to slide on the surface of the claw section 37, and it is possible to smoothly insert the claw section 37 into the hole section 47a.
Moreover, since the claw section 37 is inclined, it is possible to prevent the claw section 37 inserted into the hole section 47a from being pulled out of the hole section 47a, and thus it is possible to maintain the locking state between the sub-side engagement section 46 and the main-side engagement section 36. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sub-heat exchange unit 41 from falling off of the main heat exchange unit 31.
Further, since the sub-side engagement section 46 is provided with the front end inclined section 48 which is continuous to the opening main body section 47, when the sub-side engagement section 46 is engaged with the main-side engagement section 36, it is possible to smoothly guide the claw section 37 into the hole section 47a while bringing the front end inclined section 48 into contact with the claw section 37, thereby inserting the claw section 37 into the hole section 47a.
Moreover, since a plurality of sub-side engagement sections 46 are provided in the sub-plate 43, it is possible to reduce the width of each sub-side engagement section 46. Therefore, the sub-side engagement section 46 can be easily deformed, and the sub-side engagement section 46 can easily be engaged with the main-side engagement section 36. Accordingly, it is possible to more easily attach the sub-heat exchange unit 41 to the main heat exchange unit 31.
Furthermore, since it is possible to form a plurality of sub-side engagement sections 46 to cut out the end surface of the sub-plate 43, the sub-side engagement section 46 can be provided without attaching a separate member to the sub-plate 43. That is, it is possible to easily provide the sub-side engagement section 46 while suppressing an increase in the cost.
While the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, slight design changes are possible within the scope that does not depart from the technical idea of the present invention.
The sub-side engagement section 46 and the main-side engagement section 36 may not have the above-described structure in which the claw section 37 and the hole section 47a are engaged with each other, and for example, may have a structure in which a convex portion and the hole section are engaged with each other. That is, the convex portion may be formed on at least one of the sub-side engagement section 46 and the main-side engagement section 36, and a hole section may be formed on at least one of the sub-side engagement section 46 and the main-side engagement section 36 to correspond to the convex portion.
Also, the claw section 37 serving as the main-side engagement section 36 may not necessarily be inclined, and the sub-side engagement section 46 may not have the front end inclined section 48.

[Industrial Applicability]

According to the heat exchanger, the air conditioner and the method of manufacturing the heat exchanger, it is possible to easily assemble the heat exchanger, regardless of the manufacturing dimensional errors of the main heat exchange unit and the sub-heat exchange unit.

Description of Reference Numerals

1 Air conditioner
2 Housing
10 Housing main body
11 Front panel
12 Suction panel
13 Blowout grill
14 Suction grill
20 Air-conditioning device
21 Blower fan
22 Heat exchanger
22A First heat exchanger
22B Second heat exchanger
22C Third heat exchanger
23 Filter
31 Main heat exchange unit
32 Main fin
33 Main plate
34 Main pipe
36 Main-side engagement section
37 Claw section
38 Sub-heat exchange unit support section (support section)
41 Sub-heat exchange unit
42 Sub-fin
43 Sub-plate
44 Sub pipe
46, 46A, 46B Sub-side engagement section
47 Opening main body section
47a Hole section
48 Front end inclined section
50 Bolt
S1 Forming process
S2 Main heat exchange unit disposing process
S3 Lower end portion engaging process
S4 Upper end portion approaching process
S5 Upper end portion engaging process
A Air
S Space

Claims

A heat exchanger comprising:
a sub-heat exchange unit which has a plurality of sub-fins stacked at intervals, a sub-plate disposed on one end side in a stacking direction of the sub-fins, and a sub-pipe disposed to penetrate the sub-fins and the sub-plate; and

a main heat exchange unit which has a plurality of main fins stacked at intervals, a main plate disposed on one end side in a stacking direction of the main fins, and a main pipe disposed to penetrate the main fins and the main plate,

wherein a sub-side engagement section is provided in the sub-plate to protrude away from the sub-fins along a surface of the sub-plate, and

the main plate is provided with a main-side engagement section with which the sub-side engagement section is engaged from the stacking direction of the main fins, in a state in which the sub-heat exchange unit is disposed adjacent to the main heat exchange unit.
The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the sub-side engagement section has an opening main body section which is provided with a hole section penetrating in the stacking direction and extends along the surface of the sub-plate, and
the main-side engagement section is a claw section which protrudes from the main plate in the stacking direction and is inserted into the hole section of the opening main body section.
The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein the claw section is inclined to be separated from the main fins in the stacking direction as being separated from the side on which the sub-heat exchange unit is disposed along the main plate.
The heat exchanger of claim 2 or 3, wherein the sub-side engagement section has a front end inclined section which is provided at a front end portion of the opening main body section, and the front end inclined section is inclined to be separated from the sub-fins in the stacking direction as being separated from the sub-fins along the sub-plate.
The heat exchanger of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of the sub-side engagement sections are provided to be spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the sub-heat exchange unit which intersects with the stacking direction of the sub-fins and a direction away from the sub-fins along the surface of the sub-plate.
An air conditioner comprising:
the heat exchanger of any one of claims 1 to 5; and

a housing which houses the heat exchanger inside.
A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger which comprises a sub-heat exchange unit which has a plurality of sub-fins stacked at intervals, a sub-plate disposed on one end side in a stacking direction of the sub-fins, and a sub-pipe disposed to penetrate the sub-fins and the sub-plate; a main heat exchange unit which has a plurality of main fins stacked at intervals, a main plate disposed on one end side in a stacking direction of the main fins, and a main pipe disposed to penetrate the main fins and the main plate, the method comprising:
a forming process of separately forming the main heat exchange unit and the sub-heat exchange unit;

a main heat exchange unit disposing process of disposing the main heat exchange unit so that the stacking direction extends in a vertical direction and the one end side is located at the top;

a lower end portion engaging process of disposing the sub-heat exchange unit so that the stacking direction extends in the vertical direction and the one end side is located at the top, bringing the sub-heat exchange unit close to the main heat exchange unit disposed in the vertical direction from the front, and engaging the lower end portion of the sub-heat exchange unit with a support section provided at the lower end portion of the main heat exchange unit;

an upper end portion approaching process of rotating the sub-heat exchange unit with respect to the lower end portion of the main heat exchange unit after the lower end portion engaging process, and bringing the upper end portion of the sub-heat exchange unit close to the upper end portion of the main heat exchange unit; and

an upper end portion engaging process of engaging a sub-side engagement section provided on the sub-plate disposed at the upper end portion of the sub-heat exchange unit to protrude away from the sub-fins along the surface of the sub-plate with a main-side engagement section provided on the main plate disposed at the upper end portion of the main heat exchange unit.