Fin for heat exchanger, guide, and method of using the guide

Abstract

A heat exchanger-use fin includes a fin body, collars and erect portions. The fin body has a plurality of holes. The collars surround the holes. The collars are disposed between two straight lines on a surface of the fin body. Outer peripheries of the collars contact the straight lines. The erect portions are positioned outside the two straight lines. Distal ends of the erect portions are in higher positions than distal ends of the collars relative to the surface of the fin body. A guide used with the fin includes first and second alternately arranged grooves. The second grooves are deeper than the first grooves. A method of using the guide includes slidably fitting the collars into one of the first grooves, and fitting the erect portions into the second groove adjacent to the first groove having the collars fitted therein.

1 . A heat exchanger-use fin comprising:
 a fin body extending in a predetermined direction and having a plurality of holes arranged along the predetermined direction, each hole being configured to receive a heat transfer part therein;   a plurality of annular collars extending from the fin body and surrounding the holes such that one of the collars surrounds each hole on a same side of the fin body; and   a plurality of erect portions extending from the fin body on the same side as the collars,   the collars being disposed between two straight lines that extend along the predetermined direction on a surface of the fin body, with outer peripheries of the collars contacting the two straight lines as viewed from a collar side of the fin body,   the erect portions being positioned outside the two straight lines, and   the erect portions having distal ends that are in higher positions than distal ends of the collars relative to the surface of the fin body.   
   
   
       2 . A heat exchanger including the heat exchanger-use fin according to  claim 1 , the heat exchanger further comprising:
 a plurality of heat transfer tubes inserted into the holes the heat exchanger-use fin.   
   
   
       3 . A guide used with the heat exchanger-use fin according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the guide includes first and second grooves that extend in a first direction and are alternately arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, with the second grooves being deeper than the first grooves.   
   
   
       4 . The guide according to  claim 3 , wherein
 a depth of the first grooves of the guide is substantially equivalent to a height of the collars relative to the surface of the fin body.   
   
   
       5 . The guide according to  claim 3 , wherein
 a depth of the second grooves of the guide is larger than a height of the erect portions relative to the surface of the fin body.   
   
   
       6 . A method of using the guide according to  claim 3 , the method comprising:
 slidably fitting the plurality of collars of the heat exchanger-use fin into one of the first grooves of the guide; and   fitting the erect portions of the heat exchanger-use fin into the second groove that is adjacent to the first groove having the plurality of collars slidably fitted therein.   
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising
 evacuating air from a space that is enclosed by
 the collars of the heat exchanger-use fin mutually adjacent to each other in the predetermined direction and 
 an inner wall of the first groove. 
   
   
   
       8 . The guide according to  claim 4 , wherein
 a depth of the second grooves of the guide is larger than a height of the erect portions relative to the surface of the fin body.   
   
   
       9 . A method of using the guide according to  claim 8 , the method comprising:
 slidably fitting the plurality of collars of the heat exchanger-use fin into one of the first grooves of the guide; and   fitting the erect portions of the heat exchanger-use fin into the second groove that is adjacent to the first groove having the plurality of collars slidably fitted therein.   
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising
 evacuating air from a space that is enclosed by
 the collars of the heat exchanger-use fin mutually adjacent to each other in the predetermined direction and 
 an inner wall of the first groove. 
   
   
   
       11 . A method of using the guide according to  claim 4 , the method comprising:
 slidably fitting the plurality of collars of the heat exchanger-use fin into one of the first grooves of the guide; and   fitting the erect portions of the heat exchanger-use fin into the second groove that is adjacent to the first groove having the plurality of collars slidably fitted therein.   
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising
 evacuating air from a space that is enclosed by
 the collars of the heat exchanger-use fin mutually adjacent to each other in the predetermined direction and 
 an inner wall of the first groove. 
   
   
   
       13 . A method of using the guide according to  claim 5 , the method comprising:
 slidably fitting the plurality of collars of the heat exchanger-use fin into one of the first grooves of the guide; and   fitting the erect portions of the heat exchanger-use fin into the second groove that is adjacent to the first groove having the plurality of collars slidably fitted therein.   
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising
 evacuating air from a space that is enclosed by
 the collars of the heat exchanger-use fin mutually adjacent to each other in the predetermined direction and 
 an inner wall of the first groove.