JPH04316931A - Manufacture of heat exchanger and air conditioner equipped with the exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a heat exchanger that enables an improvement of workability in bending fins into nearly a dogleg-shape and a reduction in production cost, and an air conditioner that encloses the heat exchanger, restorable from the dogleg-state to the original rectangular state, and is easy to maintain. CONSTITUTION:A heat exchanger 20 is assembled in such a way that heat transfer tubes 22 are put through and fixed on fins 21 each having a notch S, the ends of tubes 22 protruding beyond both sides of the fins 21 are connected together by U-bent pipes 23 and 23A, the twisting U-bent pipes 23A laid across the notches S are twisted, and the fins 21 are bent into a nearly dogleg-shape. The fins 21 of the heat exchanger 20 can be bent into a dogleg-shape at the notches and also restored to original rectangular shape, and the heat exchanger 20 is mounted in an air conditioner.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a heat exchanger used in, for example, an air conditioner having a refrigeration cycle circuit, and an air conditioner housing the heat exchanger.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an indoor unit Y of an air conditioner used, for example, for general household use is constructed as shown in FIG.

[0003] Specifically, a heat exchanger 2 constituting a refrigeration cycle circuit is housed inside a housing 1, and a drain pan 3 is disposed at the bottom thereof. A blower 4, which is a cross-flow fan, is arranged on the lower side, and an air purifier 5 is often attached to the front surface of the heat exchanger 2 in close contact with it. Suction ports 6, 6 are provided on the upper part and part of the upper surface of the front panel 1a of the casing 1, and an air outlet 7 is provided on the lower front surface.

[0004] As described above, the above-mentioned indoor unit Y is a wall-mounted type that is directly attached to the upper part of the wall of the room. Therefore, the depth dimension D of the housing 1 is reduced as much as possible to reduce the feeling of pressure, and the It is desirable to reduce the height dimension H as much as possible to minimize the installation space.

[0005] Therefore, the heat exchanger 2 is made thin and has an enlarged heat exchange area to ensure the necessary heat exchange efficiency. The arrangement structure is also that the lower end is located in front of the blower 4, the upper end is located behind the lower end, and the housing is tilted backwards as a whole, rather than simply standing vertically. This is in line with the reduction in the cross-sectional area of body 1.

[0006] Further, to explain the heat exchanger 2, a fin and tube type as shown in FIG. 7 is often used. That is, a is an extremely thin plate and a rectangular fin, and a large number of fins a are arranged with narrow gaps between them. Here, a row of pipe penetration holes b are provided at predetermined intervals in the fins a, and a plurality of rows of heat exchange pipes c are penetrated and fixed from one end of the fin a.

[0007] Normally, the heat exchange pipe c has a central portion bent into a U-shape, and is inserted into the pair of pipe penetration holes b from the pair of opposite ends. The heat exchange pipe c is inserted until only the curved portion c1 of the heat exchange pipe protrudes from the end on the insertion side and both ends of the heat exchange pipe c protrude from the end of the fin a on the opposite side. Finally, fin a
The ends of the U-shaped pipes d are connected to the ends of the heat exchange pipes c protruding from the ends by means such as brazing.

Indoor heat exchanger 2 constructed in this way
Although the cross-sectional area of the casing 1 is reduced by arranging the casing 1 at an angle, there is a limit to the angle of inclination, and therefore the casing 1 cannot be reduced beyond a certain level.

As a result of various developments, an indoor unit Ya having a structure as shown in FIG. 3, for example, has become available. That is, a heat exchanger 2A having the same heat exchange area as the conventional heat exchanger 2A is used, and a notch S is provided in a part of the side surface of the heat exchanger 2A. The lower heat exchanger 2a is vertically erected from the notch S of the heat exchanger 2A, and the upper heat exchanger 2b is tilted backward.

[0010] Then, even if other components such as the blower 4 and the air purifier 5 remain as they are, the new housing 1a has the following features:
The depth dimension D is substantially the same as that shown above, and the reduced height dimension Ha can be obtained, resulting in a reduction in the installation space.

[0011]

However, such a heat exchanger 2A has problems with its molding means and maintenance when it is assembled into an indoor unit. That is, in order to form the dogleg-shaped heat exchanger 2A, a large number of strip-shaped fins having cut portions S are arranged in advance, and multiple rows of heat exchange pipes bent in a U-shape are fixed through the holes. do.

[0012] Then, U-shaped pipes are joined by means such as brazing to the ends of the heat exchange pipes protruding from the fin ends, excluding the ends of the heat exchange pipes on both sides of the notch, and the above-mentioned At least one of the cut portions of the fin is pressed and biased to widen the cut portion.

In this state, the fin is bent into a substantially dogleg shape. Finally, the heat exchanger 2A is completed by joining the U-shaped pipes by brazing or other means across the ends of the heat exchange pipes along both sides of the widened cut.

[0014] Therefore, in order to form such a heat exchanger 2A, joining work such as brazing to connect the heat exchange pipe and the U-shaped pipe to each other requires expanding the notches S of the fins and bending them. It is necessary to do this twice, once before and after molding.

[0015] As a result, the work efficiency is extremely low, and it is inevitable that the bending angle of the fins will vary to some extent. There are some problems, such as in many cases not being available.

Furthermore, in any case, the heat exchanger 2A is fixed in a doglegged state. However, in the indoor unit of the air conditioner, maintenance must be performed such as removing and removing not only the heat exchanger 2A but also the blower 4 from the housing 1 and cleaning it.

[0017] In order to attach and detach only such a blower 4,
Even after removing the front panel 1a and drain pan 3,
Since there is no space between the lower heat exchanger 2a and the back wall of the housing 1, the heat exchanger 2A fixed in a dogleg shape is removed once, and then the blower 4 is attached and detached. Therefore, the workability is poor for one person to perform maintenance work.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to bend the fins into a substantially dogleg shape, and to connect the ends of the heat exchange pipes to each other in a U-shaped pipe. The present invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing a heat exchanger that improves manufacturing workability and reduces costs when joining the heat exchangers.

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to form the refrigeration cycle into a substantially dogleg shape during normal refrigeration cycle operation, and to return to the original rectangular shape when necessary, such as during maintenance. The present invention aims to provide an air conditioner containing a heat exchanger.

[0020]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides an extremely thin plate,
A large number of fins, which are strip-shaped and have a notch at one end in the longitudinal direction, are arranged side by side with narrow gaps between them, and a heat exchange pipe is passed through and fixed to these fins at a predetermined interval. After joining the U-shaped pipe across the ends of the heat exchange pipe protruding from the fin end including the ends of the heat exchange pipe along both sides of the notch, at least the notch of the fin is joined. A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger, characterized in that the cut portion and the U-shaped pipe extending on both sides of the cut portion are expanded by pressing one side of the cut portion, and the fin is bent into a substantially dogleg shape. .

[0021] Furthermore, in the present invention, a large number of fins that are extremely thin and strip-shaped and have a notch at one end in the longitudinal direction are arranged side by side with a narrow gap between them,
Heat exchange pipes are fixed through these fins at predetermined intervals, and the ends of the heat exchange pipes protruding from the ends of the fins are connected to each other by a U-shaped pipe. This air conditioner is characterized in that it is equipped with a heat exchanger that can be bent into a substantially dogleg shape and can be returned to its original rectangular shape.

[0022]

[Operation] In manufacturing the above heat exchanger, regardless of whether the ends of the heat exchange pipes along both sides of the notch are mutually connected, the ends of all the heat exchange pipes protruding from the fin ends are mutually extended. Then, join the U-shaped pipes in advance. Then, the fins are pressed and biased to expand the cut portion and the U-shaped pipe extending on both sides of the cut portion, and bend the fin into a substantially dogleg shape. Therefore, the work of joining the heat exchange pipe and the U-shaped pipe can be completed in one time, and a certain degree of variation in expansion can be tolerated.

Furthermore, by providing an air conditioner with a heat exchanger that can be bent into a notch shape and returned to its original rectangular shape, it is possible to easily attach and detach a blower, etc. During maintenance, you can secure space for attaching and detaching the blower, and there is no need to attach or detach the heat exchanger from the housing, making the work much easier.

[0024]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Heat exchanger 20 manufactured by the method described below
The indoor unit, which is an air conditioner that houses the
What is shown in can be applied as is. Therefore, new explanation will be omitted here.

The heat exchanger 20 is shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B).
It is shown in the figure below. That is, 21... is a fin, which is an extremely thin plate, and its original shape is partially rectangular as shown by the two-dot chain line. A notch S is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction, and a large number of fins 21 are arranged side by side with narrow gaps between them.

Heat exchange pipes 22 whose ends are bent into a U-shape are penetrated and fixed into pipe penetration holes 21a provided at predetermined intervals in these fins 21. Note that one side of a different heat exchange pipe passes through the pipe penetration holes 21a, 21a along both sides of the notch S.

Only the U-shaped bent portion of the heat exchange pipe 22 protrudes from one end of the fin 21, and both ends of each heat exchange pipe 22 protrude from the end of the fin 21 on the opposite side. Then stop this insertion.

Then, the ends of the U-shaped pipes 23 are connected to the ends of the different heat exchange pipes 22, 22 protruding from the ends of the fins 21 by brazing or the like. Of course,
At this time, the fins 21 still remain in the shape of a strip.

Both ends of the U-shaped pipes 23 are joined to the ends of different heat exchange pipes 22, except for the uppermost and lowermost heat exchange pipes 22, 22. However, the heat exchange pipes 22, 2 along both sides of the notch S
What is joined across the two ends is a deformable U-shaped pipe 23A, as shown in the same figure and in FIG.

Both base ends of the deformable U-shaped pipe 23A extend in the same direction as the axial direction of the heat exchange pipe 22, like the other U-shaped pipes 23. Then, they are bent in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction from these tip portions, and communicate in a substantially U-shaped state at these tip portions.

From this, the above-mentioned U-shaped pipe for deformation 2
Only in the case of 3A, the distance between the base end portions of the heat exchange pipe 22 is variable in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the heat exchange pipe 22. The direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the heat exchange pipe 22 corresponds to the direction in which the cut portions S of the fins 21 expand.

When the ends of the heat exchange pipes 22 protruding from the ends of the fins 21 and the ends of the U-shaped pipes 23 and the deformable U-shaped pipes 23A are all joined together, for example, the lower part of the notch S The back side of the fin 21 is fixed by some means, and the fin 21 above the notch S is pressed and biased from the front side.

As shown by the solid lines in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B),
The cut portion S widens, and the upper part of the fin 21 assumes a backward tilted position. That is, it is bent and formed into a substantially dogleg shape. Along with this, heat exchange pipes 22 along both sides of the notch S
The above deformable U-shaped pipe 23 whose ends are joined together
A expands. The connecting portion of the deformable U-shaped pipe 23A is easily deformed, and the distance between the base end portions thereof is increased.

As a result, the lower heat exchanger 2a is vertically erected, as shown in FIG.
A heat exchanger 20 is obtained which is bent into a generally doglegged shape with the notch S as a boundary, with b inclined backward by a predetermined angle.

In this manner, when manufacturing the heat exchanger 20, the ends of the heat exchange pipes 22 are connected to each other by the U-shaped pipes 2.
3 and the deformable U-shaped pipe 23A are all joined together before the cut S is expanded, so even if there are variations in the backward tilt angle of the upper heat exchanger 2b with respect to the lower heat exchanger 2a, , there is no problem with the manufacturing work itself.

Note that the heat exchange pipe for deformation and the connection pipe that connects the end of the heat exchange pipe on the inlet side and the end of the heat exchange pipe on the outlet side of the heat exchanger are made of materials that can be extremely easily deformed, such as flexible tubes. By selecting, you can improve your maintenance work.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, in order to attach and detach the blower 4 from the housing 1, first remove the front panel 1a and the drain pan 3, then leave the upper heat exchanger 2b as it is and adjust it to the slope. The lower heat exchanger 2a is urged to rotate. By maintaining this state, the blower 4
A large space is secured on the attachment/detachment side, making this attachment/detachment work easier.

After completing the necessary work, return the blower 4 to its original position, and then move the lower heat exchanger 2a of the heat exchanger 20A.
is again rotated around the notch S to return to its original state. That is, the position and posture of the upper heat exchanger 2b do not change at this time either, and the work is extremely easy compared to the conventional method of attaching and detaching the entire heat exchanger.

For example, a heat exchanger 20A as shown in FIG. 5 is used here. That is, the fins 21a are provided with two rows of heat exchange pipes aligned with each other in the width direction, and are inserted in a so-called zigzag pattern with positions shifted in the step direction with respect to each row.

The U-shaped pipes 23 are joined to the ends of the different heat exchange pipes, and the U-shaped pipes 23B for deformation are joined to the ends of the heat exchange pipes along both sides of the notch S. consists of flexible tubing.

The shape of the deformable U-shaped pipe 23B is as follows:
It is sufficient if it is approximately the same as that described above, in short, the center of rotation of the pipe insertion portion of the deforming U-shaped pipe 23B,
By setting the bending center of this U-shaped pipe 23B for deformation, the shape can be changed. Similar settings may be made for the connection pipes connecting the inlet side heat exchange pipe and the outlet side heat exchange pipe of the heat exchanger 20A (not shown).

[0043]

As explained above, according to the present invention, a heat exchange pipe is fixed through a plurality of fins having cut portions, and the fins including the ends of the heat exchange pipes on both sides of the cut portion are fixed to each other. After joining the U-shaped pipes across the ends of the heat exchange pipes protruding from the ends, the fins are pressed and biased to expand the notch and the U-shaped pipes extending on both sides of the cut, and then Since the U-shaped heat exchanger is manufactured, the work of joining the heat exchange pipe and the U-shaped pipe can be done in one step, regardless of whether the ends of the heat exchange pipe on both sides of the notch are connected to each other. This has the effect of reducing manufacturing costs by allowing for a certain degree of variation in expansion, improving manufacturing workability.

Further, according to the present invention, the heat exchange pipe is fixed to pass through the fin having the cut portion at a predetermined interval, and the ends of the heat exchange pipe protruding from the fin end are formed into a U-shape. This is an air conditioner equipped with a heat exchanger that is connected by a pipe, and the fins can be bent into a dogleg shape with the cut portions bent, and can be returned to the original rectangular shape. For example, it is no longer necessary to attach and detach the heat exchanger from the housing each time maintenance is performed, such as attaching and detaching the blower.
This has the effect that even a human operator can easily perform the work, and maintenance workability can be greatly improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 (A) is a front view of a heat exchanger showing one embodiment of the present invention. (B) is its side view.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the deformable U-shaped pipe of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of an air conditioner equipped with a heat exchanger according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of work during maintenance of the air conditioner in the same embodiment.

FIG. 5(A) is a partial side view of a substantially dogleg-shaped heat exchanger according to another embodiment. (B) is a partial side view of the straight heat exchanger.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional air conditioner equipped with a heat exchanger.

FIG. 7(A) is a front view of the conventional heat exchanger. (B) is its side view.

[Explanation of symbols]

S... cut portion, 21... fin, 22... heat exchange pipe, 2
3...U-shaped pipe, 23A...U-shaped pipe for transformation, 20
, 20A...heat exchanger.

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: An extremely thin plate and strip-shaped,
A large number of fins each having a notch at one end in the longitudinal direction are arranged side by side with a narrow gap between each other, and a heat exchange pipe is fixed to pass through these fins at a predetermined interval, and is attached to both sides of the notch. After joining the U-shaped pipes across the ends of the heat exchange pipes protruding from the fin ends, including the ends of the heat exchange pipes along the fins, at least one of the notches of the fins is pressed and biased. The notch and the U that spans both sides of the notch.
A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger, characterized in that a letter-shaped pipe is expanded and the fins are bent into a substantially dogleg shape. Claim 2: An extremely thin plate and strip-shaped,
A large number of fins each having a notch at one end in the longitudinal direction are arranged side by side with a narrow gap between them, and a heat exchange pipe is fixed to pass through these fins at a predetermined interval, and from the fin end. The ends of the protruding heat exchange pipes are connected to each other by a U-shaped pipe, and the above-mentioned fins can be formed by bending the above-mentioned notches into a substantially dogleg shape, and can be returned to the original rectangular shape. An air conditioner characterized by being equipped with a heat exchanger.