Multiple Bank Flattened Tube Heat Exchanger

Abstract

A multiple bank, flattened tube, finned heat exchanger includes a first tube bank including a plurality of flattened heat exchange tube segments extending longitudinally and arrayed in spaced parallel relationship between a first manifold and a second manifold and a second tube bank including a plurality of flattened tube segments extending longitudinally and arrayed in spaced parallel relationship between a first manifold and a second manifold, the second tube bank disposed in spaced relationship with and behind the first tube bank. A folded fin is disposed between each set of adjacent heat exchange tube segments of the first and second tube banks. Each folded fin extends between a respective set of adjacent heat exchange tube segments of both the first tube bank and the second tube bank, spanning the spacing gap between the tube banks. A plurality of fin notches protrude outwardly from each folded fin into the spacing gap.

1 . A multiple bank, flattened tube heat exchanger comprising:
 a first tube bank including at least a first flattened heat exchange tube segment and a second flattened heat exchange tube segment extending longitudinally and arrayed in spaced parallel relationship between a first manifold and a second manifold;   a second tube bank including at least a first flattened heat exchange tube segment and a second flattened heat exchange tube segment extending longitudinally and arrayed in spaced parallel relationship between a first manifold and a second manifold, the second tube bank disposed in spaced relationship at a spacing gap behind the first tube bank;   a longitudinally extending folded fin disposed between said first and second heat exchange tube segments of the first tube bank and between said first and second heat exchange tube segments of the second tube bank and spanning said spacing gap, said folded fin having a plurality of spaced fin faces extending between said first and second heat exchange tube segments of the first tube bank and between said first and second heat exchange tube segments of the second tube bank and a plurality of fin caps interconnecting the fin faces and abutting said first and second heat exchange tube segments of the first tube bank and said first and second heat exchange tube segments of the second tube bank; and   a plurality of fin notches protruding outwardly from said folded fin into said spacing gap, each fin notch protruding outwardly from a respective one of said plurality of fin caps into said spacing gap;   wherein each fin notch has a height equal to at least a half of a thickness of said heat transfer tube segments.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein each fin notch has a dimension defining the width of said spacing gap. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein each fin notch has a height in the range from at least a half of the thickness of said heat transfer tube segments up to the thickness of the heat transfer tube segments. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein each fin notch has a height in the range from at least a half of the thickness of said heat transfer tube segments to less than the thickness of the heat transfer tube segments. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein a fin notch in provided in each fin cap of the plurality of fin caps of said folded fin. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein each fin notch is formed during a process of rolling said folded fin from a sheet of fin material. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7  wherein each fin notch is formed by stamping said folded fin. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchange of  claim 7  wherein the sheet of fin material comprises a ribbon of aluminum or an aluminum alloy material. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein each notch further defines an opening in a portion of a respective fin cap spanning the spacing gap, the opening in the fin cap disrupting conductive heat transfer between the abutting heat exchange tube segments of the first and second heat exchange tube banks. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein each notch further defines an opening in a portion of a respective fin cap spanning the spacing gap, the opening in the cap providing a condensate drain port. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein each notch further provides additional structural rigidity to said heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein each notch interrupts a heat conductive flow path along the fin cap of said folded. 
     
     
         14 . A multiple bank, flattened tube heat exchanger comprising:
 a first tube bank including a plurality of flattened heat exchange tube segments extending longitudinally and arrayed in spaced parallel relationship between a first manifold and a second manifold;   a second tube bank including a plurality of flattened heat exchange tube segments extending longitudinally and arrayed in spaced parallel relationship between a first manifold and a second manifold, the second tube bank disposed in spaced relationship at a spacing gap behind the first tube bank with the arrayed plurality of heat exchange tube segments of the second bank aligned with the arrayed plurality of heat exchange tube segments of the first tube bank;   a plurality of longitudinally extending folded fins with a folded fin disposed between each respective set of neighboring heat exchange tube segments of the first tube bank and between each respective aligned set of neighboring heat exchange tube segments of the second tube bank and spanning said spacing gap, each folded fin of said plurality of folded fins having a plurality of spaced fin faces extending between said first and second heat exchange tube segments of the first tube bank and between said first and second heat exchange tube segments of the second tube bank and a plurality of fin caps interconnecting the fin faces and abutting said aligned sets of heat exchange tube segments of the first tube bank and the second tube bank; and   a fin notch protruding outwardly from at least some of the fin caps of each fin of said plurality of folded fins into said spacing gap;   wherein each fin notch has a height equal to at least a half of a thickness of said heat transfer tube segments.