Abstract: A heat exchanger is constructed by tubes, corrugated fins and head pipes, which are assembled together. Herein, the tube is constructed by bending a flat plate whose surfaces are clad with brazing material to form a first wall and a second wall, which are arranged opposite to each other with a prescribed interval of distance therebetween to provide a refrigerant passage. Before bending, a number of swelling portions are formed to swell from an interior surface of the flat plate by press. By bending, the swelling portions are correspondingly paired in elevation between the first and second walls, so their top portions are brought into contact with each other to form columns each having a prescribed sectional shape corresponding to an elliptical shape or an elongated circular shape each defined by a short length and a long length.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is constructed by tubes, corrugated fins and head pipes, which are assembled together. Herein, the tube is constructed by bending a flat plate whose surfaces are clad with brazing material to form a first wall and a second wall, which are arranged opposite to each other with a prescribed interval of distance therebetween to provide a refrigerant passage. Before bending, a number of swelling portions are formed to swell from an interior surface of the flat plate by press. By bending, the swelling portions are correspondingly paired in elevation between the first and second walls, so their top portions are brought into contact with each other to form columns each having a prescribed sectional shape corresponding to an elliptical shape or an elongated circular shape each defined by a short length and a long length.

Abstract: To provide a heat exchanger capable of installing the side plate to the header pipe accurately without improper joining and errors respectively is disclosed. In a heat exchanger in which both end portions of the side plate are inserted into end portions of a pair of header pipes respectively, a large number of tubes are provided between the header pipes between the side plates, and fins are provided between the large number of tubes, a pair of pawls for pinching the header pipe wall therebetween are provided on both sides of both end portions of the side plates respectively so that the pair of pawls regulate the angle of installation and the insertion position of the side plate to the header pipe. This enables the side plate to be accurately installed to the header pipes in a state free from improper joining and errors, and the header pipes are accurately positioned, thus eliminating any possibility of causing obstruction to piping or the like.

Abstract: A stacked heat exchanger includes separate flow paths 54 and 55 which are formed by corrugated inner fins 52 and 53, disposed in chambers 48 and 49 of a flat tube 41, and also separate U-shaped flow paths 56 are formed at the U-turn portion 50 to make the flow of refrigerant smooth, increase the area of flow paths, and eliminate the stagnation of refrigerant at the U-turn portion 50. The separation of refrigerant into two phases of gas and liquid due to centrifugal forces at the U-turn portion 50 is limited to the inside of each divided U-shaped flow path 56, thereby the distribution of the gas and liquid phases can be decreased. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a stacked heat exchanger, in which the reliability of flat tube 41 is improved, and the leakage of refrigerant is prevented.

Abstract: The stacked heat exchanger of the present invention has a structure wherein grooves are brazed together to seal the external surface of the coolant passage, further grooves are brazed together to form a partition between the straight incoming and outgoing flow passages, and least one groove in the straight incoming and outgoing flow passage section which groove runs in parallel with the grooves earlier mentioned is formed on the formed plates. With this structure, drain water flows down promptly through these grooves and the splashing of the drain water into the downstream area of the heat exchanger can be prevented.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a stacked heat exchanger in which separate flow paths 54 and 55 which are formed by corrugated inner fins 52 and 53 are disposed in chambers 48 and 49 of a flat tube 41, and also separate U-shaped flow paths 56 are formed at the U-turn portion 50 to make the flow of refrigerant smooth, increase the area of flow paths, and eliminate the stagnation of refrigerant at the U-turn portion 50. The separation of refrigerant into two phases of gas and liquid due to centrifugal forces at the U-turn portion 50 is limited to the inside of each divided U-shaped flow path 56, thereby the distribution of the gas and liquid phases can be decreased. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a stacked heat exchanger, in which the reliability of flat tube 41 is improved, and the leakage of refrigerant is prevented.