Heat exchanger

Abstract

Provided is a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant tubes through which a refrigerant flows, the plurality of refrigerant tube being disposed to be spaced apart from each other in one direction and a plurality of fins disposed between the plurality of refrigerant tubes. A distance between the fins disposed on a front end-side of the plurality of refrigerant tubes is greater than that between the fins disposed on a rear end-side of the plurality of refrigerant tubes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of refrigerant tubes through which a refrigerant flows, the plurality of refrigerant tubes spaced apart from each other in one direction; and   a plurality of fins disposed between the plurality of refrigerant tubes,   wherein a distance between fins disposed on a front end-side of the plurality of refrigerant tubes is greater than a distance between fins disposed on a rear end-side of the plurality of refrigerant tubes.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the front end-side of the plurality of refrigerant tubes defines an upstream side with respect to a flow direction of air, and
 the rear end-side of the plurality of refrigerant tubes defines a downstream side with respect to the flow direction of air.   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of refrigerant tubes comprise:
 a plurality of first tubes defining a first row; and   a plurality of second tubes disposed on one side of the plurality of first tubes to define a second row,   wherein the flow direction of air is directed from the plurality of first tubes to the plurality of second tubes.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fins comprise:
 a plurality of first fins coupled to the plurality of first tubes; and   a plurality of second fins coupled to the plurality of second tubes,   wherein a distance between the plurality of first fins is greater than a distance between the plurality of second fins.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fins comprises:
 a ruled surface extending in one direction between the plurality of refrigerant tubes; and   a curved surface bent or curved from the ruled surface, the curved surface comprising a tube coupling part coupled to one of the plurality of refrigerant tubes.   
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of refrigerant tubes comprise a first tube defining the front end-side thereof and a second tube defining the rear end-side thereof, and
 an FPI number of ruled surfaces of fins coupled to the first tube is less than an FPI number of ruled surfaces of fins coupled to the second tube in predetermined lengths of the first and second tubes,   wherein an FPI number is defined as the number of fins per inch.   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , wherein the FPI number of ruled surfaces of fins coupled to the first tube is about 15 to about 17, and
 the number of ruled surfaces of fins coupled to the second tube is about 20 to about 22.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the ruled surface and the curved surface is provided in plurality, and
 a distance between tube coupling parts disposed on two curved surfaces adjacent to each other is twice as much as a distance between two ruled surfaces adjacent to each other.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of fins comprises:
 a first fin comprising a first fin-side louver; and   a second fin disposed on one side of the first fin, the second fin comprising a second fin-side louver.   
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein the first fin-side louver comprises first and second louvers, and
 a pitch of the second louver is greater than a pitch of the first louver.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 10 , wherein a distance between the first fin-side louver and the second fin-side louver at the upstream side is greater than a distance between the first fin-side louver and the second fin-side louver at the downstream side. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 11 , wherein the distance between the first fin-side louver and the second fin-side louver gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the fins comprises a fin body and a plurality of louvers extending from one surface of the fin body to an opposite surface of the fin body, and
 the plurality of louvers comprises a plurality of first side louvers having a louver angle angled with respect to the fin body, which gradually increases from the upstream side to the downstream side.   
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of louvers comprises a plurality of second side louvers having a louver angle angled with respect to the fin body, which gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side with respect to the flow direction of the air. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of first side louvers and the plurality of second side louvers are spaced apart from each other by a central portion. 
     
     
         16 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 first and second headers spaced apart from each other;   a plurality of first tubes extending between the first and second headers to guide a flow of a refrigerant;   a plurality of second tubes extending between the first and second headers to guide the flow of the refrigerant and disposed on a side of the plurality of first tubes;   a first fin disposed in a space between the plurality of first tubes and extending in a curved pattern; and   a second fin disposed in a space between the plurality of second tubes and extending in a curved pattern,   wherein the first fin has a curvature radius different from a curvature radius of the second fin.   
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of first tubes define an upstream side in a flow direction of air, and the plurality of second tubes define a downstream side in the flow direction of the air, and
 the curvature radius of the first fin is greater than the curvature radius of the second fin.   
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of louvers disposed on the first and second fins,
 wherein a pitch of a first louver disposed at an upstream side is less than a pitch of the second louver disposed at a downstream side with respect to a flow direction of air.   
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of louvers comprises a first fin-side louver disposed on the first fin and a second fin-side louver disposed on the second fin, and
 a distance between the first fin-side louver and the second fin-side louver at the downstream side is less than a distance between the first fin-side louver and the second fin-side louver at the upstream side.   
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 16 , wherein each of the first and second fins comprises a fin body and a plurality of louvers extending from one surface of the fin body to an opposite surface of the fin body,
 wherein the plurality of louvers comprises:   a plurality of first side louvers having a louver angle angled with respect to the fin body,   which gradually increases from an upstream side to a downstream side with respect to a flow direction of air; and   a plurality of the second side louvers having a louver angle angled with respect to the fin body, which gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side with respect to the flow direction of air.   
     
     
         21 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , wherein each of the ruled surface and the curved surface is provided in plurality, and
 a distance between tube coupling parts disposed on two curved surfaces adjacent to each other is twice as much as a distance between two ruled surfaces adjacent to each other.   
     
     
         22 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the ruled surface and the curved surface is provided in plurality, and
 a distance between tube coupling parts disposed on two curved surfaces adjacent to each other is twice as much as a distance between two ruled surfaces adjacent to each other.