Heat exchanger and air-conditioning apparatus having the same

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of fins stacked with a predetermined fin pitch between them, and a plurality of heat transfer tubes which extend through the fins in the stack direction and have a flat cross-sectional shape, wherein the fins have a plurality of notches in a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube on an end portion in the longitudinal direction, a collar is formed on an edge of the plurality of notches, the heat transfer tubes are inserted into the notches, a fin pitch between a portion of the plurality of fins is larger than a fin pitch between the other portion of the fins, and the larger fin pitch is larger than at least the height of the collar.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of fins stacked with a predetermined fin pitch therebetween; and   a plurality of heat transfer tubes which are disposed with a predetermined pitch therebetween in a longitudinal direction of the fins and extend through the fins in a direction in which the fins are stacked,   wherein each of the plurality of heat transfer tubes has a flat cross-sectional shape,   each of the plurality of fins includes a plurality of notches conforming to the cross-sectional shape of each heat transfer tube on an end portion of each fin in the longitudinal direction,   each of the plurality of notches includes a collar formed on an edge thereof,   the heat transfer tubes are respectively inserted into the notches,   the plurality of fins include one set of fins having a fin pitch larger than a fin pitch of another set of fins, and   the larger fin pitch is larger than at least a height of the collar corresponding to an amount of extension of the collar from a plate surface of the fin.   
     
     
         2 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a housing which is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet;   the heat exchanger of  claim 1  as disposed in the housing; and   a fan disposed in the housing.   
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the housing accommodates an accommodation object in an air flow passage between the heat exchanger and the fan, and   in the heat exchanger, a fin pitch in an area having a distance from the accommodation object, which is not more than a predetermined distance, is the larger fin pitch.   
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the housing is provided with the air inlet formed in at least one side face thereof and the air outlet formed in a top face thereof,   the heat exchanger faces the air inlet,   the fan includes a propeller fan and faces the air outlet, and   in the heat exchanger, a fin pitch in an area which satisfies L/D≦0.15 is the larger fin pitch, where D is a diameter of the propeller fan, and L is a distance between the heat exchanger and the accommodation object.   
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 in the heat exchanger, letting fp2 be the larger fin pitch, and fp1 be the fin pitch of the other set of fins,   the fin pitch fp2 is set so that a coefficient of performance of the air-conditioning apparatus equipped with the heat exchanger having both the fin pitches fp1 and fp2 in two fin areas respectively defined by the one set of fins and the other set of fins is not less than 95% of a coefficient of performance of an air-conditioning apparatus equipped with a heat exchanger having only the fin pitch fp1 in the two fin areas.   
     
     
         6 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the accommodation object includes a control panel which is disposed on one side face of the housing,   the air inlet is formed at least in a side face of the housing which is adjacent to the one side face thereof on which the control panel is disposed,   the heat exchanger faces the air inlet, and   the fin pitch on an end portion of the heat exchanger on a side of the control panel is the larger fin pitch.   
     
     
         7 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the heat exchanger is divided into a plurality of heat exchanger portions in a direction in which an air stream flows through the heat exchanger, and   in at least one of the plurality of divided heat exchanger portions, the fin pitch of the heat exchanger portion disposed on a downstream side is larger than the fin pitch of the heat exchanger portion disposed on an upstream side.   
     
     
         8 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the heat exchanger is divided into a plurality of heat exchanger portions in a direction in which an air stream flows through the heat exchanger, and   in at least one of the plurality of divided heat exchanger portions, the fin pitch of the heat exchanger portion disposed on an upstream side is larger than the fin pitch of the heat exchanger portion disposed on a downstream side.   
     
     
         9 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the heat exchanger has a bent portion, and   the fin pitch between adjacent fins disposed at the bent portion is larger than the fin pitch between adjacent fins disposed at a straight portion of the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         10 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the heat exchanger has a bent portion, and   the fin pitch between adjacent fins disposed at a straight portion of the heat exchanger is larger than the fin pitch between adjacent fins disposed at the bent portion.   
     
     
         11 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the housing is provided with the air inlet formed in at least one side face thereof and the air outlet formed in a top face thereof,   the fan includes a propeller fan and faces the air outlet,   the heat exchanger faces the air inlet and is divided into a plurality of vertically aligned heat exchanger portions, and   in at least one of the plurality of divided heat exchanger portions, the fin pitch of the heat exchanger portion disposed at a lower position is larger than the fin pitch of the heat exchanger portion disposed at an upper position.   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the fins and the heat transfer tubes are bonded to each other by one of brazing and adhesion.