Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger may include a plurality of refrigerant tubes through which a refrigerant flows and a plurality of fins disposed between adjacent refrigerant tubes of the plurality of refrigerant tubes to transfer heat. Each of the plurality of fins may include an inner portion located to overlap the plurality of refrigerant tubes in a vertical direction, and an outer portion located so as not to overlap the plurality of refrigerant tubes in the vertical direction, and a lower end of at least a portion of the outer portion may be located higher than a lower end of the inner portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of refrigerant tubes through which a refrigerant flows; and   a plurality of fins disposed, respectively, between adjacent refrigerant tubes of the plurality of refrigerant tubes to transfer heat, wherein each of the plurality of fins includes:
 an inner portion located to overlap the plurality of refrigerant tubes in a vertical direction, and an outer portion located so as not to overlap the plurality of refrigerant tubes in the vertical direction, and wherein a lower end of at least a portion of the outer portion is located higher than a lower end of the inner portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the lower end of the outer portion is formed by cutting and bending a portion of the fin. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the inner portion includes:
 a plurality of first inner bodies that extends in an upward-downward direction, a plurality of second inner bodies that extends in the upward-downward direction and located between the plurality of first inner bodies, a plurality of upper inner bodies that connects upper ends of the plurality of first inner bodies and upper ends of the plurality of second inner bodies adjacent to each other, and contacting any one of the plurality of refrigerant tubes, and plurality of lower inner bodies that connects lower ends of the first inner bodies and lower ends of the plurality of second inner bodies adjacent to each other and contacting another refrigerant tube of the plurality of refrigerant tubes.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein the outer portion includes:
 a plurality of first outer bodies that extends in an upward-downward direction and connected to the plurality of first inner bodies, a plurality of second outer bodies that extends in the upward-downward direction, located between the plurality of first outer bodies, and connected to the plurality of second inner bodies, a plurality of upper outer bodies that connects upper ends of the plurality of first outer bodies and upper ends of the second outer bodies adjacent to each other, and a plurality of lower outer bodies that connects lower ends of the plurality of first outer bodies and lower ends of the second outer bodies adjacent to each other.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of lower outer bodies is located higher than the plurality of lower inner bodies. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the lower ends of the plurality of first outer bodies are located higher than the lower ends of the plurality of first inner bodies. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the lower ends of the second outer bodies are located higher than the lower ends of the plurality of second inner bodies. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of lower outer bodies is spaced apart from the plurality of lower inner bodies in the upward-downward direction. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of lower outer bodies has an inclination with respect to a horizontal direction, and the plurality of lower inner bodies extends parallel to the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of lower outer bodies includes:
 a first folding portion located at a higher position than the lower ends of the plurality of first outer bodies and the lower ends of the plurality of second outer bodies, a second folding portion that connects a first end of the first folding portion and the lower end of a respective one of the plurality of first outer bodies, and a third folding portion that connects a second end of the first folding portion and the lower end of a respective one of the plurality of second outer bodies.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of upper outer bodies is located so as not to overlap the plurality of lower outer bodies in the vertical direction. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein the inner portion further includes:
 lower tension bodies that connect the lower ends of the plurality of first inner bodies and the lower ends of the second inner bodies adjacent to each other and spaced apart from the plurality of refrigerant tubes.   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of lower tension bodies is located higher than the plurality of lower inner bodies. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein the inner portion further includes:
 upper tension bodies that connect the upper ends of the plurality of first inner bodies and the upper ends of the plurality of second inner bodies adjacent to each other and spaced apart from the plurality of refrigerant tubes.   
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of upper tension bodies is located lower than the plurality of upper inner bodies. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 15 , wherein the upper tension bodies are located lower than the plurality of upper outer bodies. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of upper inner bodies is located so as not to overlap the plurality of lower inner bodies in the vertical direction. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fins further includes:
 a plurality of penetrating portions formed by penetrating a portion of the inner portion, and a plurality of louvers that covers a portion of the plurality of penetrating portions.   
     
     
         19 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of refrigerant tubes through which a refrigerant flows; and   a plurality of fins disposed between adjacent refrigerant tubes of the plurality of refrigerant tubes to transfer heat, wherein each of the plurality of fins includes:
 an inner portion located to overlap the plurality of refrigerant tubes in a first direction, and an outer portion located so as not to overlap the refrigerant tubes in the first direction, wherein a length of the inner portion in the first direction is longer than a length of at least a portion of the outer portion in the first direction. 
   
     
     
         20 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of refrigerant tubes through which a refrigerant flow; and   a plurality of fins disposed between adjacent refrigerant tubes of the plurality of refrigerant tubes to transfer heat, wherein each of the plurality of fins includes:
 an inner portion located to overlap the plurality of refrigerant tubes in a vertical direction, an outer portion located so as not to overlap the plurality of refrigerant tubes in the vertical direction, a plurality of first bodies that extends in an upward-downward direction, a plurality of second bodies that extends in the upward-downward direction and located between the plurality of first bodies, a plurality of upper bodies that connects upper ends of the plurality of first bodies and upper ends of the plurality of second bodies adjacent to each other, and a plurality of lower bodies that connects lower ends of the plurality of first bodies and lower ends of the plurality of second bodies adjacent to each other, and wherein a portion of the plurality of lower bodies located in the outer portion is located at a higher position than a portion of the plurality of lower bodies located in the inner portion.