JP5009413B2 - Heat exchanger and air conditioner equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a side flow parallel flow heat exchanger and an air conditioner equipped with the heat exchanger.

  A parallel flow type heat in which a plurality of flat tubes are arranged between a plurality of header pipes so that a plurality of refrigerant passages in the flat tubes communicate with the inside of the header pipe, and fins such as corrugated fins are arranged between the flat tubes. Exchangers are widely used in outdoor units of car air conditioners and building air conditioners.

  In parallel flow type heat exchangers, the corrugated fins may be installed only between flat tubes, or the corrugated fins on the outermost surface of the flat tubes that are located on the outermost side. A fin may be attached. Examples of the latter can be seen in US Pat.

  The heat exchanger described in Patent Document 1 is a parallel flow type heat exchanger in which a flat tube is horizontal, and corrugated fins are also attached to a flat surface facing the outside of the outermost flat tube. A fin protecting side plate is disposed outside the outer corrugated fin.

  The heat exchanger described in Patent Document 2 is also a parallel flow type heat exchanger in which the flat tubes are horizontal, and corrugated fins are attached to the flat surfaces facing the outer sides of the outermost flat tubes, and the outermost corrugated fins. A side plate for reinforcing a core portion formed by alternately laminating flat tubes and corrugated fins is disposed on the outside.

  The heat exchanger described in Patent Document 3 is also a parallel flow type heat exchanger in which flat tubes are horizontal, and side sheets are brazed to the outside of the corrugated fins at both ends.

  When the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, moisture in the atmosphere condenses on the surface of the heat exchanger that has become a low temperature, and condensed water is generated. In the side flow type parallel flow heat exchanger, when the condensed water accumulates on the surface of the flat tube or the corrugated fin, the area of the air flow passage is narrowed by the water, and the heat exchange performance is deteriorated. For this reason, in the parallel flow type heat exchanger, it is necessary to drain quickly so that the generated condensed water does not stay inside.

  When the temperature is low, the condensed water turns into frost on the surface of the heat exchanger. Frost can travel to ice. In the present specification, the term “condensed water” is used to include water in which such frost and ice are melted, so-called defrosted water.

  Like the one described in the above-mentioned patent document, a parallel flow type heat exchanger having a side seat outside the outermost fin is a so-called side flow system in which the header pipe is arranged vertically and the flat tube is arranged horizontally. If it uses, the problem that condensed water is hold | maintained by the lower side sheet | seat will generate | occur | produce. Devices for dealing with this problem are disclosed in Patent Documents 4 and 5.

  In the heat exchanger described in Patent Document 4, at least a part of the outermost corrugated fin located in the lower portion is an exposed portion when viewed from below. The exposed portion appears by narrowing the width of the side plate located outside the outermost corrugated fin.

  In the heat exchanger described in Patent Document 5, a condensate drain hole is provided in a side plate as a bottom plate. The drain holes are provided in the lower side plate so as to have a size and a number that do not reduce the mechanical strength.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-79788 JP 2006-64194 A JP 2007-139376 A JP 2010-249388 A JP-A-61-223465

  An object of the present invention is to provide a structure capable of draining condensed water from a lower outermost fin as quickly as possible in a side flow parallel flow heat exchanger.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of header pipes arranged in parallel at intervals, and a plurality of refrigerant pipes arranged between the plurality of header pipes are provided inside the header pipes. A side flow system comprising: a flat tube in communication; a plurality of fins attached to the flat surfaces of the plurality of flat tubes; and a side seat attached to the outside of the fin located on the outermost side among the plurality of fins. In the parallel flow type heat exchanger, a plurality of notches are formed on the side sheet located at the lower part of the heat exchanger at intervals on the side of the heat exchanger where condensed water is collected. Are each provided with a width that covers a plurality of pitches between the fins.

  In the heat exchanger configured as described above, it is preferable that the notch has a shape having an angle of less than 180 ° behind the edge of the side sheet.

  In the heat exchanger configured as described above, it is preferable that the notch has a shape that becomes narrower as it goes from the edge of the side seat to the back.

  In the heat exchanger configured as described above, a plurality of notches are formed at intervals on the edge of the side sheet opposite to the side on which the condensed water is collected, and the notches each have an interval pitch between the fins. It is preferable to provide a width that covers a plurality of pitches.

  In the heat exchanger configured as described above, it is preferable that a notch formed on the side sheet where condensed water is collected or a notch formed on the opposite side has a depth exceeding half of the depth of the side sheet. .

  In the heat exchanger having the above configuration, it is preferable that the notches formed on the side where condensed water is collected and the notches formed on the opposite side are alternately arranged.

  In the heat exchanger configured as described above, the heat exchanger can be bent so that a part thereof is a curved portion, and a part of the side sheet that receives the bending process is convex after the bending process. It is preferable that a plurality of slits are formed by cutting the edges at intervals.

  In the heat exchanger having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that a plurality of notches having a width to cover a plurality of pitches of the fins are formed on the edge that is concave after the bending process.

  In the heat exchanger configured as described above, it is preferable that a plurality of through holes are formed in the side sheet at intervals other than the notches.

  In the heat exchanger configured as described above, it is preferable that each of the through holes is formed to have a width that covers a plurality of pitches between the fins.

  In the heat exchanger configured as described above, in the depth direction, the width of the side seat is narrower than that of the fins, and the fin is located outside the side seat on the side where condensed water collects and the opposite side. It is preferable that it is exposed.

  Further, the present invention is an air conditioner in which the heat exchanger configured as described above is mounted on an outdoor unit or an indoor unit.

  According to the present invention, even if condensed water is generated at the outermost fin located at the lower part of the heat exchanger or condensed water generated at the upper part flows down to the lower part of the heat exchanger, it is quickly dropped, that is, drained.

It is a front view of the heat exchanger which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the heat exchanger of FIG. It is a bottom view of the heat exchanger of FIG. It is the elements on larger scale of FIG. It is a fragmentary perspective view of the heat exchanger of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the relationship between the space | interval pitch of a fin, and the width | variety of a notch. It is explanatory drawing of the relationship between the space | interval pitch of a fin, and the width | variety of a through-hole. It is a 1st figure explaining the shape of a notch. It is a 2nd figure explaining the shape of a notch. It is a 3rd figure explaining the shape of a notch. It is a 4th figure explaining the shape of a notch. It is a 5th figure explaining the shape of a notch. It is a 6th figure explaining the shape of a notch. It is a 1st figure explaining the shape of a through-hole. It is a 2nd figure explaining the shape of a through-hole. It is a 3rd figure explaining the shape of a through-hole. It is a figure explaining the notch formation method in the curved part of a heat exchanger. It is a figure explaining the deformation | transformation aspect of a side seat | sheet. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner carrying the heat exchanger which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the air conditioner carrying the heat exchanger which concerns on this invention, and shows the state at the time of heating operation. It is a schematic block diagram of the air conditioner carrying the heat exchanger which concerns on this invention, and shows the state at the time of air_conditionaing | cooling operation. It is a vertical sectional view explaining the basic structure of a side flow type parallel flow type heat exchanger. It is the vertical sectional view cut | disconnected in the location of the AA line of FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  The basic structure of a side flow parallel flow heat exchanger is shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the upper side of the drawing is the upper side in the vertical direction, and the lower side of the drawing is the lower side of the vertical direction. In the heat exchanger 1, two vertical header pipes 2 and 3 are arranged in parallel with a horizontal interval, and a plurality of horizontal flat tubes 4 are predetermined between the header pipes 2 and 3 in the vertical direction. Arranged at the pitch. The flat tube 4 is an elongated molded product obtained by extruding a metal, and a refrigerant passage 5 through which a refrigerant flows is formed. Since the flat tube 4 is disposed so that the extrusion direction, which is the longitudinal direction, is horizontal, the refrigerant flow direction of the refrigerant passage 5 is also horizontal. A plurality of refrigerant passages 5 having the same cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional area are arranged in the depth direction of FIG. 22, and therefore the vertical cross section of the flat tube 4 has a harmonica shape as shown in FIG. 23. Each refrigerant passage 5 communicates with the inside of the header pipes 2 and 3. Fins 6 are attached to the flat surface of the flat tube 4. Here, corrugated fins are used as the fins 6, but plate fins may be used. In the actual mounting stage, the parallel flow heat exchanger 1 is installed at various angles according to the design requirements, and it is needless to say that there are many cases where exact “vertical” and “horizontal” do not apply. Yes.

  The header pipes 2 and 3, the flat tubes 4, and the fins 6 are all made of a metal having good heat conductivity such as aluminum, the flat tubes 4 are brazed to the header pipes 2 and 3, and the fins 6 are brazed to the flat tubes 4. Or it is fixed by welding.

  The fins 6 arranged between the flat tubes 4 are fixed to the flat surfaces of the upper and lower flat tubes 4 at both upper and lower ends. Among the flat tubes 4 in which a plurality of tubes are arranged vertically, the fins arranged on the flat surface facing the outer side of the flat tube 4 located on the outermost side (uppermost or lowermost) have only one upper and lower ends. Is fixed to the flat surface of the tube. This fin is called the outermost fin. The outermost fin located at the top of the heat exchanger 1 is labeled with 6aU, and the outermost fin located at the bottom of the heat exchanger 1 is labeled with 6aD.

  A side seat 10U is disposed outside the outermost fin 6aU, and a side seat 10D is disposed outside the outermost fin 6aD. The side sheets 10U and 10D are made of a metal plate such as aluminum, and are fixed to the outermost fins 6aU and 6aD by brazing or welding.

  The heat exchanger 1 is a side flow system, and the refrigerant inlets 7 and 8 are provided only on the header pipe 3 side. Two partition plates 9a and 9c are provided in the header pipe 3 at intervals in the vertical direction. Inside the header pipe 2, the partition plates are located at a height intermediate between the partition plates 9a and 9c. 9b is provided.

  When the heat exchanger 1 is used as an evaporator, the refrigerant flows in from the lower refrigerant inlet / outlet port 7 as indicated by solid line arrows in FIG. The refrigerant entering from the refrigerant inlet / outlet 7 is blocked by the partition plate 9 a and travels toward the header pipe 2 via the flat tube 4. This refrigerant flow is represented by a left-pointing block arrow. The refrigerant that has entered the header pipe 2 is blocked by the partition plate 9 b and travels to the header pipe 3 via another flat tube 4. This refrigerant flow is represented by a right-pointing block arrow. The refrigerant that has entered the header pipe 3 is dammed up by the partition plate 9 c, and further travels toward the header pipe 2 via another flat tube 4. This refrigerant flow is represented by a left-pointing block arrow. The refrigerant that has entered the header pipe 2 is folded back and travels again to the header pipe 3 via another flat tube 4. This refrigerant flow is represented by a right-pointing block arrow. The refrigerant that has entered the header pipe 3 flows out from the refrigerant inlet / outlet 8. In this way, the refrigerant follows the zigzag path and flows from the bottom to the top. Although the case where the number of partition plates is 3 is shown here, this is only an example, and the number of partition plates and the number of times the resulting refrigerant flow may be folded may be set as desired. it can.

  When the heat exchanger 1 is used as a condenser, the refrigerant flow is reversed. That is, the refrigerant enters the header pipe 3 from the refrigerant inlet / outlet 8 as shown by a dotted arrow in FIG. 22, is dammed by the partition plate 9c and goes to the header pipe 2 via the flat tube 4, and is dammed by the partition plate 9b in the header pipe 2. It heads to the header pipe 3 via another flat tube 4, and the header pipe 3 is dammed by a partition plate 9 a, then goes to the header pipe 2 again via another flat tube 4, and is folded back by the header pipe 2 to make another flat It flows from the top to the bottom following the zigzag path in which it goes to the header pipe 3 again via the tube 4 and flows out from the refrigerant inlet / outlet 7 as indicated by the dotted line arrow.

  The configuration of the heat exchanger 1 is not limited to the above. A configuration in which the refrigerant inlet / outlet is provided in both the header pipes 2 and 3 is possible, and a configuration in which the partition plate is not provided in the header pipes 2 and 3 is also possible.

  The structure of the heat exchanger 1 which is embodiment of this invention is shown in the figure from FIG. 1 to FIG. Components common to the basic structures shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 are denoted by the same reference numerals used in FIGS. 22 and 23, and description thereof is omitted.

  When the heat exchanger 1 is used as an evaporator, moisture in the atmosphere condenses on the surface of the heat exchanger 1 having a low temperature, and condensed water is generated. The meaning of “condensed water” is as described above. In a parallel flow type heat exchanger such as the heat exchanger 1, if the condensed water accumulates on the surface of the flat tube or the fin, the cross-sectional area of the air flow passage is narrowed by the water, and the heat exchange performance is deteriorated. In addition, since the heat exchanger 1 is a side flow type, the condensed water generated in the upper flat tubes 4 and fins 6 flows down to the lower stage one after another, and the outermost fin 6aD has the most condensate water retention. It becomes a place that is likely to occur.

  The staying condensed water narrows the area of the air flow passage of the heat exchanger 1 and inhibits ventilation, thereby reducing the heat exchange performance. Further, when the heat exchanger 1 is mounted on an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the condensed water may be frozen and the heat exchanger 1 may be damaged when the outside air temperature is below freezing. For this reason, it is necessary to drain the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger 1 as quickly as possible.

  In the present invention, in order to cope with the above problem, the side seat 10D located at the lower part of the heat exchanger 1 is configured as follows. That is, a plurality of notches 11 are formed on the side seat 10 </ b> D at intervals from each other at the edge on the side where the condensed water is collected in the heat exchanger 1.

  When the heat exchanger 1 is mounted on an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the windward side of the heat exchanger 1 is the condensed water condensing side. This is due to the following reason. In the outdoor unit, the heat exchanger 1 is installed substantially vertically without being inclined. When the heat exchanger 1 is used as an evaporator (for example, the heating operation corresponds to this), heat exchange is actively performed on the windward side rather than the leeward side, and condensed water accumulates there. Therefore, the windward side is the condensed water condensing side.

  The heat exchanger 1 is designed to be mounted on an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, there is a curved portion 1 a in the middle, and the planar shape is substantially L-shaped. It has become. The side on which the curved portion 1a is convex is the windward side of the outdoor unit. Therefore, in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower side of the figure is the condensed water condensing side, and the side sheet 10D has a notch 11 at the edge on this side.

  It is preferable that each notch 11 has an angle of less than 180 ° behind the edge of the side sheet 10D and becomes narrower as it goes from the edge of the side sheet 10D to the back. In the embodiment, the V shape is selected as the shape that satisfies the condition. As shown in FIG. 6, the notch 11 has a width W1 that covers a plurality of pitches P between the fins 6 at the widest portion.

  Since the notch 11 has a shape that becomes narrower as it goes from the edge of the side sheet 10D to the back, the condensed water that has touched the edge is guided to the back of the notch 11 as shown by the arrow in FIG. , Merge at the back of the notch 11 to form water droplets. The water droplets quickly grow and drip, ie drain. Since the notch 11 has a width that covers the pitch P of the fins 6 by a plurality of pitches, it takes a short time until the condensed water gathers to form a large water droplet, and the condensed water can be drained efficiently.

  The shape of the notch 11 in the present invention is not limited to the V shape. Various shapes illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 12 or other shapes are possible.

  The notch 11 shown in FIG. 9 is semicircular or U-shaped. The notch 11 does not have a corner at the back, but satisfies the condition that the width becomes narrower as it goes from the edge of the side sheet 10D to the back.

  The notch 11 shown in FIG. 10 is trapezoidal. The notch 11 has a condition that it has an angle of less than 180 ° behind the edge of the side sheet 10D in a form of having an angle of less than 180 ° and an angle of more than 90 °, that is, an obtuse angle 11a. Fulfill. Further, the condition that the width becomes narrower as it goes from the edge of the side sheet 10D to the back is also satisfied.

  The notch 11 shown in FIG. 11 is an inverted M-shape. This notch 11 satisfies the condition of having an angle of less than 180 ° behind the edge of the side sheet 10D in the form of having an angle of less than 90 °, that is, two acute angles 11b. Further, the condition that the width becomes narrower as it goes from the edge of the side sheet 10D to the back is also satisfied.

  The notch 11 shown in FIG. 12 is an inverted trapezoid, and the entrance provided at the edge of the side seat 10D has a narrow width, and the width becomes wider as it goes deeper. This notch 11 satisfies the condition of having an angle of less than 180 ° behind the edge of the side sheet 10D in the form of having an angle of less than 90 °, that is, two acute angles 11b.

  In any shape of the notch 11 of FIGS. 8 to 12, the condensed water touching the edge of the notch 11 is guided to the back of the notch 11, and merges at the back to form a large water droplet and drops.

  A plurality of notches 12 are also formed on the side sheet 10D at intervals on the opposite side of the side of the heat exchanger 1 from the side where the condensed water is collected. That is, notches are formed on the edges on both sides of the side sheet 10D. 3 and 4, the upper side of the figure is the side opposite to the side on which condensed water is collected. When the heat exchanger 1 is mounted on an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the side opposite to the side where condensed water is collected is the leeward side of the heat exchanger 1. Similarly to the notch 11, the notch 12 has a width that covers a plurality of pitches P between the fins 6, and has a shape that becomes narrower as it goes from the edge of the side seat 10 </ b> D to the back.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the notch 11 and the notch 12 have the same shape (V shape) and the same size, but this need not necessarily be the case. The notch 12 may have a shape different from the notch 11 (the shape illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 12 or other shapes), and the notch 11 and the notch 12 may have different widths.

  In this way, when the heat exchanger 1 is mounted on an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the notch 12 is also formed on the edge of the heat exchanger 1 on the opposite side (leeward side) to the side where the condensed water is concentrated (leeward side). By forming, a notch is formed in the edge of both sides of side sheet 10D. Thereby, the condensed water drainage capability of the side sheet 10D is further enhanced, and the condensed water of the outermost fin 6aD can be drained quickly.

  In the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 1 has a configuration in which notches are formed on the edge on the side where condensed water collects and the opposite edge, in other words, notches are formed on both edges of the side sheet 10D. Although the configuration is adopted, a configuration in which a notch is formed only at an edge on the side where condensed water collects may be employed.

  The notches 11 and 12 may be made larger so that the depth of each of the notches 11 and 12 exceeds half of the depth of the side seat 10D. Such a side seat 10D has the shape shown in FIG. 13, and quickly drains condensed water from the outermost fins 6aD.

  In FIG. 13, the notches 11 and 12 are alternately arranged one by one, but this configuration is not limited. For example, one notch 12 may be configured for two notches 11.

  A through hole 13 is formed in the side sheet 10 </ b> D at locations other than the notches 11 and 12. In the embodiment, a plurality of through holes 13 are formed at intervals between the notches 11 and 12 at intervals. The through-hole 13 has an oval (track circle) shape in which the major axis coincides with the length direction of the flat tube 4, and has a width W2 that covers the interval pitch P of the fins 6 by a plurality of pitches as shown in FIG. ing.

  Due to the presence of the through-hole 13, the condensed water accumulated in the outermost fin 6aD is drained better.

  The shape of the through hole 13 is not limited to an oval shape. Various shapes such as an ellipse shown in FIG. 14 can be selected.

  Only oval and elliptical shapes without corners are not preferable as the shape of the through hole 13. A shape having an angle of less than 180 ° is also a preferable shape for the through hole 13.

  For example, the rectangle shown in FIG. 15 has right-angled corners at the four corners. In the case of the rhombus shown in FIG. 16, it has an angle of less than 180 ° and more than 90 ° at two diagonals, that is, an obtuse angle, and less than 90 ° at two diagonals perpendicular to the diagonal. That is, an acute angle.

  As described above, in the through-hole 13 having a shape with an angle of less than 180 °, the condensed water is guided toward the corner and merges to form a large water droplet. For this reason, condensed water is drained quickly.

  The through holes 13 do not necessarily have a width that covers the pitch P of the fins 6 by a plurality of pitches. However, by setting the interval pitch P of the fins 6 to a width that covers a plurality of pitches, a large amount of condensed water can be aggregated and drainage can be speeded up.

  In the side sheet 10D shown in FIG. 18, the through holes 13 are formed, but the notches 11 and 12 are not formed. Even such a side sheet 10D has a function of promoting drainage of condensed water from the outermost fins 6aD.

  When the depth direction of the outermost fin 6aD, that is, the width in the ventilation direction is compared with the width of the side seat 10D in the same direction, the side seat 10D is narrower. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the outermost fins 6aD are exposed to the outside of the side seat 10D on the side where condensed water collects and on the opposite side. As a result of the presence of the exposed portion in this way, the exposed portion becomes a drain outlet, and the condensed water is quickly drained from the outermost fin 6aD. Note that the side seat 10U does not need to be narrower than the outermost fin 6aU. For example, it may be the same width.

  As described above, the heat exchanger 1 has one curved portion 1a in the middle, and the planar shape is substantially L-shaped. The bending portion 1a is formed by forming the heat exchanger 1 with the straight flat tube 4 and then bending it, and the bending can also be used for forming the notch 11.

  As shown in a rectangular box at the bottom of FIG. 17, in a part of the side sheet 10D that is subjected to bending, a plurality of slits 14 are spaced from each other at edges that become convex after bending. Is formed by cutting. When the slit 14 is bent, the slit 14 opens in a V shape as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 17, and becomes a notch 11 having a width that covers a plurality of pitches P between the fins 6. For this reason, the notch 11 can be formed easily.

  In the side sheet 10D, a notch 12 is formed at the edge on the side that becomes concave after bending. When the bending process is performed, the opening angle of the notch 12 becomes narrow, but even in that state, the opening angle is equal to that of the notch 12 where the bending process is not performed, that is, the interval pitch P of the fins 6 is covered by a plurality of pitches. The V-shaped angle before bending is set wide so as to provide a width.

  The heat exchanger 1 can be mounted on an outdoor unit or an indoor unit of a separate air conditioner. FIG. 19 shows an example of mounting on an outdoor unit.

  The outdoor unit 20 shown in FIG. 19 includes a sheet metal housing 20a having a substantially rectangular planar shape. The long side of the housing 20a is a front surface 20F and a back surface 20B, and the short side is a left side surface 20L and a right side surface 20R. An exhaust port 21 is formed on the front surface 20F, a rear intake port 22 is formed on the rear surface 20B, and a side intake port 23 is formed on the left side surface 20L. The exhaust port 21 is made up of a set of a plurality of horizontal slit-like openings, and the rear intake port 22 and the side intake ports 23 are made up of lattice-like openings. A top plate and a bottom plate (not shown) are added to the four sheet metal members of the front surface 20F, the back surface 20B, the left side surface 20L, and the right side surface 20R to form a hexahedral-shaped housing 20a.

  Inside the housing 20a, a heat-planar L-shaped heat exchanger 1 is disposed just inside the rear intake port 22 and the side intake port 23. In order to force heat exchange between the heat exchanger 1 and the outdoor air, a blower 24 is disposed between the heat exchanger 1 and the exhaust port 21. The blower 24 is a combination of an electric motor 24a and a propeller fan 24b. In order to improve the blowing efficiency, a bell mouth 25 surrounding the propeller fan 24b is attached to the inner surface of the front surface 20F of the housing 20a. A space inside the right side surface 20R of the housing 20a is isolated by a partition wall 26 from an air flow flowing from the rear intake port 22 to the exhaust port 21, and a compressor 27 is accommodated therein.

  When condensed water is generated in the heat exchanger 1 of the outdoor unit 20, the area of the air flow passage is narrowed by the condensed water, so that not only the heat exchange performance is lowered, but also a cold district where the outside air temperature below freezing continues. In such a case, the condensed water may freeze and cause damage to the heat exchanger 1. Therefore, in the outdoor unit 20, the drainage of the condensed water from the heat exchanger 1 becomes an important issue.

  For the reason described above, in the outdoor unit 20, the windward side of the heat exchanger 1 is the condensed water condensing side. The condensed water condensed on the windward side reaches the lower part of the heat exchanger 1 on the windward side without much flowing on the leeward side. When the outside air temperature is low, the condensed water adheres to the heat exchanger 1 as frost. If the amount of frost increases, the defrosting operation will be forced, but during the defrosting operation, the blower 24 is stopped, so that the water in which the frost has melted flows and accumulates exclusively under gravity without being affected by the wind. . From this, the side sheet 10D at the lower part of the heat exchanger 1 is configured as the present invention, so that the condensate can be drained quickly, and the adverse effects caused by the condensate can be reduced.

  That is, a plurality of notches 11 are formed at intervals from each other on the edge of the side sheet 10D attached to the outside of the outermost fin 6aD on the side where condensed water is collected. Each notch 11 has a width that covers a plurality of pitches between the fins. With these configurations, it is assumed that condensed water is generated at the outermost fin 6aD located at the lower part of the heat exchanger 1 or the condensed water generated above flows down to the outermost fin 6aD. It aggregates and drops quickly, that is, drained. For this reason, it is possible to avoid a situation in which condensed water stays at the outermost fins 6aD located in the lower part of the heat exchanger 1 and the air permeability is impaired and the heat exchange performance is lowered.

  20 and 21 show an example in which the heat exchanger 1 is mounted on an indoor unit of a separate type air conditioner. The outdoor unit of the separate type air conditioner shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 includes a compressor, a four-way valve, an expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, etc., and the indoor unit is an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan. Etc. The outdoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator during heating operation and functions as a condenser during cooling operation. The indoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser during heating operation and functions as an evaporator during cooling operation.

  FIG. 20 shows a basic configuration of a separate air conditioner that uses a heat pump cycle as a refrigeration cycle. The heat pump cycle 101 includes a compressor 102, a four-way valve 103, an outdoor heat exchanger 104, a decompression / expansion device 105, and an indoor heat exchanger 106 connected in a loop. The compressor 102, the four-way valve 103, the heat exchanger 104, and the decompression / expansion device 105 are accommodated in the casing of the outdoor unit 110, and the heat exchanger 106 is accommodated in the casing of the indoor unit 120. An outdoor fan 107 is combined with the heat exchanger 104, and an indoor fan 108 is combined with the heat exchanger 106. The blower 107 includes a propeller fan 107a for forming a blown airflow, and the blower 108 includes a cross flow fan 108a for forming a blown airflow. The cross flow fan 108a is disposed below the heat exchanger 106 with its axis line horizontal.

  The heat exchanger 1 which concerns on this invention can be used as a component of the heat exchanger 106 of an indoor unit. The heat exchanger 106 is a combination of three heat exchangers 106A, 106B, and 106C like a roof that covers the blower 108, and any or all of the heat exchangers 106A, 106B, and 106C are combined with the heat exchanger 1. It can be.

  FIG. 20 shows a state during heating operation. At this time, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 102 enters the indoor heat exchanger 106 where it dissipates heat and condenses. The refrigerant exiting the heat exchanger 106 enters the outdoor heat exchanger 104 from the decompression / expansion device 105 and expands there, takes heat from the outdoor air, and returns to the compressor 102. The airflow generated by the indoor fan 108 promotes heat dissipation from the heat exchanger 106, and the airflow generated by the outdoor fan 107 accelerates heat absorption of the heat exchanger 104.

  FIG. 21 shows a state during cooling operation or defrosting operation. At this time, the four-way valve 103 is switched so that the refrigerant flow is reversed from that during the heating operation. That is, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 102 enters the outdoor heat exchanger 104, where it dissipates heat and condenses. The refrigerant exiting the heat exchanger 104 enters the heat exchanger 106 on the indoor side from the decompression / expansion device 105 and expands there, takes heat from the indoor air, and returns to the compressor 102. The air flow generated by the outdoor air blower 107 promotes heat dissipation from the heat exchanger 104, and the air flow generated by the indoor air blower 108 promotes heat absorption of the heat exchanger 106.

  When the heat exchanger 1 according to the present invention is used as a constituent element of the heat exchanger 106 of the indoor unit, the surface that is the leeward side of the heat exchanger 1 and also the lower surface side depending on the posture of the heat exchanger 1 is condensed water. The rally side. If the heat exchanger 1 according to the present invention is used, even if condensed water is generated, it can be quickly drained, and the phenomenon that the condensed water drops on the cross flow fan 108a and water jumps is reduced. Can do.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention is widely applicable to side flow parallel flow heat exchangers.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat exchanger 2, 3 Header pipe 4 Flat tube 5 Refrigerant passage 6 Fin 6aU, 6aD Outermost side fin 10U, 10D Side seat 11, 12 Notch 13 Through-hole 20 Outdoor unit 110 Outdoor unit 120 Indoor unit 120 Indoor unit

Claims (12)

A plurality of header pipes arranged in parallel at intervals, a plurality of flat tubes arranged between the plurality of header pipes and having refrigerant passages provided therein communicated with the inside of the header pipes, In a parallel flow type heat exchanger of a side flow type comprising a plurality of fins attached to a flat surface of a flat tube and a side sheet attached to the outside of the fins located on the outermost side among the plurality of fins,
A plurality of notches are formed in the side sheet located at the lower part of the heat exchanger at intervals on the side of the heat exchanger where condensed water gathers, and the notches are spaced apart from each other. A heat exchanger comprising a width that covers a plurality of pitches.   2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the notch has a shape having an angle of less than 180 ° behind the edge of the side sheet. 3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the notch has a shape that becomes narrower as it goes from the edge of the side seat to the back.   A plurality of notches are formed at intervals on the edge of the side sheet opposite to the side on which condensed water collects, and the notches each have a width that covers the pitch of the fins by a plurality of pitches. The heat exchanger according to claim 3.   The notch formed on the side of the side sheet where condensed water condenses, or the notch formed on the opposite side thereof has a depth exceeding half of the depth of the side sheet. Heat exchanger.   The heat exchanger according to claim 4 or 5, wherein notches formed on a side where condensed water collects and notches formed on the opposite side are alternately arranged.   The heat exchanger can be bent so that a part thereof is a curved portion, and a part of the side sheet that receives the bending process includes a plurality of edges spaced apart from each other by edges that become convex after the bending process. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the slit is cut and formed.   8. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of notches having a width that covers a plurality of pitches of the fins are formed at intervals on the edge that is concave after the bending process.   The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in the side sheet at intervals other than the notch.   The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein each of the through holes is formed to have a width that covers a plurality of pitches between the fins.   In the depth direction, the width of the side seat is narrower than that of the fin, and the fin is exposed to the outside of the side seat on the side where condensed water collects and the opposite side. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 10.   An air conditioner in which the heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is mounted on an outdoor unit or an indoor unit.

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