FIN, HEAT EXCHANGER AND WATER HEATER

A fin includes a substrate having a plurality of heat exchange tube holes and a vent hole penetrating the substrate along a thickness direction of the substrate, and a guide section provided on the substrate and located at the vent hole. The vent hole is provided between two adjacent heat exchange tube holes adjacent to a downstream side of the substrate. The guide section and the substrate together form a guide channel, the guide channel communicates with the vent hole, the guide channel has an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet faces an upstream side of the substrate, and the air outlet faces the downstream side.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202520359052.1, filed on February 28, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to the technical field of water heaters, and in particular to a fin, a heat exchanger and a water heater.

BACKGROUND

Heat exchanger is the core component of a water heater, and in gas water heaters, it plays a crucial role in the efficient utilization of gas. The core component of the heat exchanger is the fins. In related art, an unreasonable structural design of fins results in low heat exchange of flue gas.

SUMMARY

The main objective of the present application is to provide a fin, a heat exchanger and a water heater, which aims to increase heat exchange of flue gas.

To achieve the above objective, the present application provides a fin including a substrate. The substrate is penetrated with a plurality of heat exchange tube holes and vent holes along a thickness direction of the substrate, the substrate has an upstream side and a downstream side, and a vent hole is provided between any two adjacent heat exchange tube holes adjacent to the downstream side. The fin further includes a guide section provided on the substrate and located at the vent hole. The guide section and the substrate together form a guide channel, the guide channel communicates with the vent hole, the guide channel has an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet faces the upstream side, and the air outlet faces the downstream side.

The present application further provides a heat exchanger including the fin described above.

The present application further provides a water heater including the heat exchanger as described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to explain the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the existing technology more clearly, the accompanying drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments or the existing technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on the provided accompanying drawings without exerting creative efforts for those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a fin according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the structure in FIG. 1 from another perspective.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of point A in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the connection between two fins.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SIGNS

10, fin;

100, substrate; 101, upstream side; 102, downstream side; 103, first end; 104, second end; 105, first side surface; 106, second side surface; 110, heat exchange tube hole; 120, notch; 130, process notch; 140, mounting portion; 150, positioning flange; 160, guide notch; 161, converge part; 162, diverge part; 1621, first flange; 163, notch section; 1631, second flange; 1632, third flange; 164, cutout; 170, guide plate; 180, vent hole;

200, guide section; 201, first sub guide section; 202, second sub guide section; 203, third sub guide section; 210, guide channel; 220, air inlet; 230, air outlet.

The present application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The technical solutions in the embodiments according to the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments according to the present application, and it is clear that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments according to the present application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative labor fall within the scope of the present application.

It should be noted that if there are directional instructions (such as up, down, left, right, front, rear or the like) involved in the embodiments of the present application, the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement and so on between various components in a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

In addition, if there are descriptions involving “first,” “second” or the like, the descriptions of “first,” “second” or the like are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined as “first” and “second” may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of these features. In addition, the meaning of “and/or” appearing in the entire text includes three parallel solutions, taking “A and/or B” as an example, it includes solution A, or solution B, or a solution that satisfies both A and B at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it is based on that those skilled in the art can realize. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be realized, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the protection scope claimed by the present application.

The present application provides a fin, a heat exchanger including the fin, and a water heater including the heat exchanger.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, in an embodiment of the present application, the fin 10 includes a substrate 100 and a guide section 200. The substrate 100 is penetrated with a plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 and vent holes 180 along a thickness direction of the substrate 100. The substrate 100 has an upstream side 101 and a downstream side 102 (upstream and downstream with respect to the flow of the smoke). A vent hole 180 is provided between any two adjacent heat exchange tube holes 110 adjacent to the downstream side 102. The guide section 200 is provided on the substrate 100 and located at the vent hole 180. The guide section 200 and the substrate 100 together form a guide channel 210. The guide channel 210 communicates with the vent hole 180. The guide channel 210 has an air inlet 220 and an air outlet 230. The air inlet 220 faces the upstream side 101, and the air outlet 230 faces the downstream side 102.

It can be understood that, the substrate 100 is of a plate-shape. The substrate 100 can also be configured according to requirements, and no limitation is imposed herein. The heat exchange tube holes 110 are used for installation of heat exchange tubes. Arrangement of a plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 enables simultaneous fixation of a plurality of heat exchange tubes. The plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 on the substrate 100 can be provided in an inline manner, that is, the heat exchange tube holes 110 are aligned regardless of being provided in a row or in a column. This arrangement is easy to clean, and resistance is small when flue gas or other media flow through the substrate 100. However, compared with a staggered arrangement under identical conditions, a heat transfer coefficient is smaller and a heat exchange area is larger. In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 on the substrate 100 of the fin 10 can be provided in a staggered manner, that is, the heat exchange tube holes 110 are not all aligned in a row direction or a column direction. This arrangement enhances disturbance to flue gas or other media and provides a larger heat transfer coefficient, which is beneficial to reducing a heat exchange area under identical conditions. It should be noted that the heat exchange tube holes 110 can be circular or elliptical, and can also have other shapes. Further, a flange can be provided at an edge of each heat exchange tube hole 110, which facilitates connection between the heat exchange tube hole 110 and a heat exchange tube and improves connection strength therebetween.

In an embodiment, a shape and a size of the vent hole 180 are not limited. For example, the vent hole 180 is circular, square, or in other shapes. A structure and a shape of the guide section 200 are not limited. For example, the guide section 200 is integrated with the substrate 100, or the guide section 200 is detachably provided on the substrate 100. The guide section 200 is arc-shaped or plate-shaped. An extending direction of the guide channel 210 is not limited. The guide channel 210 extends along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102, or the guide channel 210 is provided in a tortuous and bent manner.

In the technical solution of the present application, high-temperature flue gas flows between two opposite side surfaces of the substrate 100 through the vent hole 180. The air inlet 220 of the guide channel 210 faces the upstream side 101, and the air outlet 230 of the guide channel 210 faces the downstream side 102. The guide channel 210 guides flue gas from the upstream side 101 toward the downstream side 102, such that heat exchange between the flue gas and the heat exchange tube and the substrate 100 is smoother. Under an effect of the guide channel 210, more high-temperature flue gas flows toward the heat exchange tube holes 110, thereby increasing heat exchange between the high-temperature flue gas and the substrate 100 and the heat exchange tube holes 110.

In an embodiment, the heat exchange tube hole 110 adjacent to the downstream side 102 has an upper side edge, a middle side edge, and a lower side edge. The guide section 200 is provided adjacent to the lower side edge and/or the middle side edge. With this arrangement, a distance is formed between the guide channel 210, which is formed by the guide section 200 and the substrate 100, and the downstream side 102 of the substrate 100, such that flue gas guided by the guide channel 210 performs more heat exchange with a heat exchange tube inside the heat exchange tube hole 110, thereby helping increase heat exchange.

In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in multiple rows on the substrate 100. Two heat exchange tube holes 110 in adjacent two rows are staggered along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102. The heat exchange tube hole 110 adjacent to the upstream side 101 and the guide section 200 are arranged along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102. The air inlet 220 faces an end of the heat exchange tube hole 110 adjacent to the upstream side 101.

It can be understood that the heat exchange tube hole 110 adjacent to the upstream side 101 and the guide section 200 are arranged opposite to each other, and the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in multiple rows in a staggered manner. In this case, the guide section 200 is located at a junction where flue gas converges. A flow field at the junction is complex and is prone to forming turbulence or a local vortex region, resulting in poor flue gas flow. In the present solution, the guide section 200 is provided at the junction where flue gas converges, that is, the guide channel 210 is provided at the junction of flue gas, such that guiding flue gas and disrupting a vortex flow field are achieved, thereby improving smoothness of flue gas flow and further increasing heat exchange between flue gas and the substrate 100 and the heat exchange tube.

In an embodiment, the guide section 200 and the substrate 100 together form one guide channel 210. A width of the guide channel 210 has an increasing trend along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102, or the width of the guide channel 210 is constant along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102.

It can be understood that the increasing trend of the width of the guide channel 210 is a gradual increase, a stepwise increase, or a combination of a gradual increase and a stepwise increase.

When the width of the guide channel 210 has an increasing trend, the guide channel 210 is capable of guiding flue gas. When the width of the guide channel 210 is constant, a structure of the guide section 200 is regular, which helps reduce resistance of the guide section 200 to flue gas flow.

In an embodiment, the guide section 200 and the substrate 100 together form a plurality of guide channels 210. A plurality of vent holes 180 are provided, and one guide channel 210 communicates with one vent hole 180. Widths of the plurality of guide channels 210 all have an increasing trend along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102; or widths of a part of the plurality of guide channels 210 have an increasing trend along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102, and widths of another part of the plurality of guide channels 210 are constant along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102. With this arrangement, the plurality of guide channels 210 are capable of guiding more flue gas, such that heat exchange between the flue gas and the heat exchange tube and the substrate 100 is smoother, thereby increasing heat exchange between high-temperature flue gas and the substrate 100 and the heat exchange tube holes 110.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, in an embodiment, the guide section 200 includes a first sub guide section 201. The first sub guide section 201 and the substrate 100 together form a first sub guide channel 210. The first sub guide channel 210 communicates with one vent hole 180. A width of the first sub guide channel 210 has an increasing trend along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102.

It can be understood that the first sub guide section 201 is located in a vortex region. By providing the first sub guide section 201, the first sub guide section 201 and the substrate 100 together form the first sub guide channel 210. The first sub guide channel 210 guides flue gas, and the first sub guide section 201 disrupts a vortex flow field, thereby improving smoothness of flue gas flow and further increasing heat exchange between flue gas and the substrate 100 and the heat exchange tube.

In an embodiment, the first sub guide section 201 includes a plurality of sequentially connected flat plates, or the first sub guide section 201 includes one or more arc-shaped plates. In an embodiment, the first sub guide section 201 is formed by directly stamping the substrate 100 along a thickness direction of the substrate 100. By stamping along the thickness direction, the vent hole 180 and the guide channel 210 are directly formed, which increases heat exchange and helps simplify a processing procedure of the fin 10.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, in an embodiment, the guide section 200 includes a second sub guide section 202. The second sub guide section 202 and the substrate 100 together form a second sub guide channel 210. The second sub guide channel 210 communicates with one vent hole 180. A width of the second sub guide channel 210 is constant along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102. The second sub guide channel 210 is spaced apart from the first sub guide channel 210 and is located at a side of the first sub guide channel 210 adjacent to the downstream side 102.

It can be understood that the second sub guide section 202 is located at a side of the first sub guide section 201 adjacent to the downstream side 102. A flow field at the second sub guide section 202 is less complex than a flow field at the first sub guide section 201. By reducing resistance to flue gas flow, smoothness of flue gas flow is further improved.

Further, the second sub guide section 202 and the substrate 100 together form the second sub guide channel 210. The width of the second sub guide channel 210 is constant. A structure of the second sub guide section 202 is regular, which helps reduce resistance of the guide section 200 to flue gas flow.

The second sub guide section 202 includes a plurality of sequentially connected flat plates, or the second sub guide section 202 includes one or more arc-shaped plates. In an embodiment, the second sub guide section 202 is formed by directly stamping the substrate 100 along a thickness direction of the substrate 100. By stamping along the thickness direction, the vent hole 180 and the guide channel 210 are directly formed, which increases heat exchange and helps simplify a processing procedure of the fin 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, in an embodiment, the guide section 200 includes a third sub guide section 203. The third sub guide section 203 and the substrate 100 together form a third sub guide channel 210. A width of the third sub guide channel 210 has an increasing trend along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102. The third sub guide channel 210 is spaced apart from the first sub guide channel 210 and is located at a side of the first sub guide channel 210 adjacent to the downstream side 102. A maximum width of the third sub guide channel 210 is smaller than a maximum width of the first sub guide channel 210.

It can be understood that a structure of the third sub guide section 203 is similar to a structure of the first sub guide section 201. The third sub guide section 203 and the substrate 100 together form the third sub guide channel 210. The third sub guide channel 210 guides high-temperature flue gas toward the heat exchange tube holes 110, thereby increasing heat exchange between flue gas and the substrate 100 and the heat exchange tube.

The third sub guide section 203 includes a plurality of sequentially connected flat plates, or the third sub guide section 203 includes one or more arc-shaped plates. In an embodiment, the third sub guide section 203 is formed by directly stamping the substrate 100 along a thickness direction of the substrate 100. By stamping along the thickness direction, the vent hole 180 and the guide channel 210 are directly formed, which increases heat exchange and helps simplify a processing procedure of the fin 10.

In an embodiment, at least one notch 120 is provided at one of the upstream side 101 and the downstream side 102 of the substrate 100, and a contour of another one of the upstream side 101 and the downstream side 102 is adapted to a shape of the notch 120.

When the downstream side 102 is provided with the notch 120, a notch wall of the notch 120 is adapted to a shape of a part of the heat exchange tube holes 110; and/or a contour of the upstream side 101 of the substrate 100 is adapted to a shape of a part of the heat exchange tube holes 110. This arrangement is beneficial for guiding flue gas, thereby improving a heat exchange effect.

During processing of the fin 10, continuous stamping of the fin 10 is performed using a progressive die. A contour of one fin 10 is received in a notch 120 of another fin 10, thereby reducing waste of stamping material, improving material utilization, and thus reducing a production cost of the fin 10.

In an embodiment, an edge of the notch 120 is provided with a process notch 130 for placing solder. The process notch 130 is spaced apart from the heat exchange tube hole 110.

A position of the process notch 130 in the notch 120 is not limited. The process notch 130 can be provided at a bottom of the notch 120, or can be provided on a side wall of the notch 120, as long as a solder bar can be conveniently placed into the process notch 130 from the notch 120. Compared with a process hole, the process notch 130 does not require an end of the solder bar to be aligned and inserted, and the process notch 130 is easy to process.

The technical solution of the present application provides that at least one notch 120 is provided at one of the upstream side 101 and the downstream side 102 of the substrate 100, and a contour of another one of the upstream side 101 and the downstream side 102 is adapted to a shape of the notch 120.

An edge of the notch 120 is provided with a process notch 130 to place solder. During assembly of the fin 10 and a heat exchange tube, a solder bar can be placed into the process notch 130 from an opening of the notch 120, which facilitates placement of the solder bar and thereby improves soldering efficiency. The process notch 130 is spaced apart from the heat exchange tube holes 110, which ensures structural strength around the heat exchange tube holes 110. After melting, the solder bar can flow along the substrate 100 into a gap between a hole wall of the heat exchange tube hole 110 and the heat exchange tube, so as to fix the heat exchange tube to the fin 10. Accordingly, the fin 10 of the present application has high assembly efficiency and low production cost.

In an embodiment, the downstream side 102 is provided with a plurality of the notches 120, and a contour of the upstream side 101 is adapted to contours of the notches 120. The process notch 130 is provided between any two adjacent heat exchange tube holes 110. With this arrangement, a plurality of process notches 130 can be used to place a plurality of solder bars, thereby facilitating soldering and fixation of a plurality of heat exchange tubes.

In an embodiment, the substrate 100 has a first end 103 and a second end 104 provided opposite to each other. The plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in a single row or in multiple rows along a direction from the first end 103 to the second end 104. The process notch 130 is provided between the first end 103 and a heat exchange tube hole 110 adjacent to the first end 103; and/or the process notch 130 is provided between the second end 104 and a heat exchange tube hole 110 adjacent to the second end 104.

With this arrangement, at least one process notch 130 is provided in each notch 120. When the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in a single row, a number of the process notches 130 can be greater than a number of the heat exchange tube holes 110. In this manner, positions for placing solder bars can be selected as required, thereby facilitating soldering and fixation between the fin 10 and heat exchange tubes. When the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in multiple rows, the process notch 130 provided between the first end 103 and/or the second end 104 of the substrate 100 and the heat exchange tube hole 110 adjacent thereto also facilitates placement of solder bars, thereby improving soldering convenience of the fin 10.

In an embodiment, the process notch 130 is provided at a bottom of the notch 120; and/or an opening of the process notch 130 faces the downstream side 102. With this arrangement, processing of the process notch 130 is facilitated, and flue gas is guided to flow toward the downstream side 102, thereby improving a heat exchange effect.

In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in a single row on the substrate 100. The upstream side 101 and/or the downstream side 102 are provided with mounting portions 140 to place solder. The mounting portions 140 are mounting holes or mounting notches.

In an embodiment, a shape and a position of the mounting portion 140 are not limited. The mounting portion 140 is a mounting hole or a mounting notch. The mounting portion 140 can be provided to be spaced apart from or communicated with the heat exchange tube hole 110. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 140 is a mounting notch, and the mounting notch is spaced apart from the heat exchange tube hole 110. A groove-shaped structure facilitates placement of solder, thereby improving soldering efficiency, and also helps ensure structural strength around the heat exchange tube hole 110.

In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in multiple rows on the substrate 100. The substrate 100 is provided with a plurality of mounting portions 140 to place solder. The mounting portions 140 are mounting holes or mounting notches. At least one mounting portion 140 is provided at a periphery of one heat exchange tube hole 110.

In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 on the substrate 100 can be provided in double rows, triple rows, or multiple rows. At least one mounting portion 140 is provided at a periphery of one heat exchange tube hole 110, thereby facilitating soldering and fixation of a plurality of heat exchange tubes to the fin 10.

In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in a double row on the substrate 100. The upstream side 101 and the downstream side 102 are both provided with the mounting portions 140. With this arrangement, soldering and fixation of heat exchange tubes installed in each heat exchange tube hole 110 are facilitated, and a structure of the fin 10 is regular and easy to process.

In any of the above embodiments, the mounting portion 140 is a mounting notch, and the mounting notch is spaced apart from the heat exchange tube hole 110.

In an embodiment, a flange is provided at a periphery of the heat exchange tube hole 110, and a positioning flange 150 is provided at an edge of the flange. A bending angle of the positioning flange 150 with respect to the flange is adjustable, so as to adjust a height by which the positioning flange 150 protrudes from the substrate 100.

It can be understood that, a number of the positioning flanges 150 is not limited and can be one, two, or more. In this embodiment, each flange is provided with four positioning flanges 150, and the four positioning flanges 150 are arranged at intervals along a circumferential direction of the flange. The positioning flanges 150 can have different bending angles with respect to the flange, so that different distances are formed between the positioning flanges 150 and the substrate 100. Adjacent fins 10 can abut against each other through the positioning flanges 150, so that a spacing between adjacent fins 10 can be conveniently adjusted, enabling spacings among a plurality of fins 10 to be more uniformly distributed, thereby helping ensure stability of heat exchange efficiency of a heat exchanger.

In an embodiment, the substrate 100, the flange, and the positioning flange 150 are integrally formed by stamping.

In an embodiment of the present application, the fin 10 includes a substrate 100. The substrate 100 is opened with a plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110. The substrate 100 has an upstream side 101 and a downstream side 102. A guide notch 160 is provided between any two adjacent heat exchange tube holes 110 on the upstream side 101. The guide notch 160 includes a converge part 161 and a diverge part 162 that are sequentially arranged and communicated along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102.

It can be understood that, the substrate 100 is of a plate-shape. The substrate 100 can also be configured according to requirements, and no limitation is imposed herein. The heat exchange tube holes 110 are used for installation of heat exchange tubes. Arrangement of a plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 enables simultaneous fixation of a plurality of heat exchange tubes. The plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 on the substrate 100 can be provided in an inline manner, that is, the heat exchange tube holes 110 are aligned regardless of being provided in a row or in a column. This arrangement is easy to clean, and resistance is small when flue gas or other media flow through the substrate 100. However, compared with a staggered arrangement under identical conditions, a heat transfer coefficient is smaller and a heat exchange area is larger. In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 on the substrate 100 of the fin 10 can be provided in a staggered manner, that is, the heat exchange tube holes 110 are not all aligned in a row direction or a column direction. This arrangement enhances disturbance to flue gas or other media and provides a larger heat transfer coefficient, which is beneficial to reducing a heat exchange area under identical conditions. It should be noted that the heat exchange tube holes 110 can be circular or elliptical, and can also have other shapes. Further, a flange can be provided at an edge of each heat exchange tube hole 110, which facilitates connection between the heat exchange tube hole 110 and a heat exchange tube and improves connection strength therebetween.

Further, a specific shape of the guide notch 160 is not limited, as long as the guide notch 160 includes a converge part 161 and a diverge part 162 that are provided in communication with each other. The converge part 161 and the diverge part 162 are sequentially arranged along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102 of the substrate 100.

The converge part 161 refers to a portion of the guide notch 160 in which a notch width shows a decreasing tendency along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102 of the substrate 100. The decreasing tendency can be a gradual decrease, a stepwise decrease, or a combination of a gradual decrease and a stepwise decrease, and no limitation is imposed herein.

The diverge part 162 refers to a portion of the guide notch 160 in which a notch width shows an increasing tendency along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102 of the substrate 100. The increasing tendency can be a gradual increase, a stepwise increase, or a combination of a gradual increase and a stepwise increase, and no limitation is imposed herein.

In an embodiment, a notch width of at least a part of the guide notch 160 decreases first and then increases along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102.

The technical solution of the present application provides that the guide notch 160 is provided between any two adjacent heat exchange tube holes 110 on the upstream side 101 of the substrate 100. The guide notch 160 guides high-temperature flue gas so as to increase a heat exchange amount of heat exchange tubes. In addition, the guide notch 160 includes the converge part 161 and the diverge part 162 that are sequentially arranged and communicated along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102. The converge part 161 accelerates a flow speed of the high-temperature flue gas, thereby increasing a heat exchange amount of adjacent heat exchange tubes within a same time period. The diverge part 162 enables the high-temperature flue gas to diffuse toward the downstream side 102, and the diverge part 162 further reduces a weight of the fin 10, thereby reducing heat storage of the heat exchanger. After the water heater stops combustion, a water temperature decreases. Provision of the diverge part 162 reduces heat storage of the heat exchanger, thereby preventing excessive stored heat of the heat exchanger from continuously transferring heat to the heat exchange tubes, avoiding excessively high heat in the heat exchange tubes. When the water heater is used again, a risk of scalding a user caused by an excessively high outlet water temperature of the water heater is reduced. Accordingly, the technical solution of the present application increases heat exchange of flue gas and reduces a risk of scalding a user when the water heater is used again after shutdown.

In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in multiple rows on the substrate 100. Two heat exchange tube holes 110 in adjacent two rows are provided in a staggered manner along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102. An edge of the diverge part 162 is provided with a first flange 1621. The first flange 1621 is provided with a cutout 164. The cutout 164 and the heat exchange tube hole 110 in another row are arranged along the direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102.

It can be understood that, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in multiple rows in a staggered manner, which enhances disturbance to flue gas, provides a larger heat transfer coefficient, and increases heat exchange between flue gas and heat exchange tubes.

Further, by providing the cutout 164 on the first flange 1621, high-temperature flue gas is guided to the heat exchange tube hole 110 in another row through the cutout 164, which is beneficial to increasing heat exchange between flue gas and heat exchange tubes. In an embodiment, the cutout 164 and the heat exchange tube hole 110 in another row are arranged to face each other.

In an embodiment, the guide notch 160 further includes a notch section 163. The diverge part 162 is communicated with the notch section 163 and is sequentially arranged along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102. An edge of the notch section 163 is provided with a second flange 1631. The cutout 164 is provided on the second flange 1631. The notch section 163 is provided with a constant width.

It can be understood that, by providing the notch section 163 with a constant width, a weight of the fin 10 is further reduced, thereby further reducing heat storage of the heat exchanger. This arrangement is beneficial to reducing a risk of scalding a user when the water heater is used again after shutdown.

In an embodiment, the substrate 100 has a first side surface 105 and a second side surface 106 opposite to the first side surface 105. The first flange 1621 and the second flange 1631 are folded toward the first side surface 105. An edge of the notch section 163 is provided with a third flange 1632. The third flange 1632 is folded toward the second side surface 106. The third flange 1632 is provided opposite to the cutout 164.

It can be understood that, to simplify a processing procedure of the fin 10, the third flange 1632 is formed by stamping. Specifically, the cutout 164 is stamped on the second flange 1631, and a stamped flange is folded toward the second side surface 106 to form the third flange 1632. By providing the third flange 1632, adjacent fins 10 can abut against each other through the third flange 1632 to form a spacing, which is beneficial to flue gas flow, thereby ensuring stability of heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

In an embodiment, the substrate 100, the first flange 1621, and the second flange 1631 are integrally formed by stamping.

In an embodiment of the present application, a guide plate 170 is provided between a side edge of the substrate 100 and a heat exchange tube hole 110 adjacent to the side edge. The guide plate 170 extends along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102 and is inclined toward the heat exchange tube hole 110 adjacent to the side edge.

In an embodiment, the inclined guide plate 170 guides flue gas toward the heat exchange tube hole 110, so as to reduce direct discharge of flue gas toward the downstream side 102, thereby increasing contact time between the flue gas and the substrate 100 as well as the heat exchange tube, so that the substrate 100 and the heat exchange tube can perform sufficient heat exchange.

Further, the guide plate 170 can be formed by a stamping and flanging process performed on the substrate 100. After stamping, a vent hole 180 can be formed on the substrate 100. The vent hole 180 allows flue gas to pass through and contact substrates 100 of other fins 10 for heat exchange.

In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tube holes 110 are provided in a double-row staggered manner on the substrate 100, and the guide plate 170 and the guide notch 160 are provided in a staggered manner along a direction from the upstream side 101 to the downstream side 102. With this arrangement, the guide plate 170 and the guide notch 160 cooperate to guide flue gas, so that the substrate 100 and the heat exchange tube can fully exchange heat with high-temperature flue gas, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.

In an embodiment, a flange is provided at a periphery of the heat exchange tube hole 110. An edge of the flange is provided with a positioning flange 150. A bending angle of the positioning flange 150 with respect to the flange is adjustable, so as to adjust a height of the positioning flange 150 protruding from the substrate 100.

It can be understood that a quantity of the positioning flanges 150 is not limited and is one, two, or more. In this embodiment, four positioning flanges 150 are provided on each flange, and the four positioning flanges 150 are arranged at intervals around a circumferential direction of the flange. The positioning flanges 150 have different bending angles with respect to the flange, such that different distances are formed between the positioning flanges 150 and the substrate 100. Adjacent two fins 10 abut against each other through the positioning flanges 150, such that a spacing between the adjacent two fins 10 is conveniently adjusted, and spacings among a plurality of fins 10 are more uniformly distributed, thereby helping ensure stability of heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

In an embodiment, the substrate 100, the flange, and the positioning flange 150 are integrally formed by stamping.

The present application further provides a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes the fin 10 described above. A specific structure of the fin 10 refers to the foregoing embodiments. Since the heat exchanger adopts all technical solutions of the foregoing embodiments, the heat exchanger has at least all beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the foregoing embodiments, which are not repeated herein.

In an embodiment, the heat exchanger includes a plurality of fins 10. The plurality of fins 10 are arranged side by side, which helps improve space utilization and enhance a heat exchange effect.

The present application further provides a water heater. The water heater includes the heat exchanger described above. A specific structure of the heat exchanger refers to the foregoing embodiments. Since the water heater adopts all technical solutions of the foregoing embodiments, the water heater has at least all beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the foregoing embodiments, which are not repeated herein.

The above are only some embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Under the concept of the present application, any equivalent structure transformation made by using the description and accompanying drawings of the present application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, is included within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A fin comprising: wherein the guide section and the substrate together form a guide channel, the guide channel communicates with the vent hole, the guide channel has an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet faces an upstream side of the substrate, and the air outlet faces the downstream side.

a substrate having a plurality of heat exchange tube holes and a vent hole penetrating the substrate along a thickness direction of the substrate, the vent hole being provided between two adjacent heat exchange tube holes adjacent to a downstream side of the substrate; and
a guide section provided on the substrate and located at the vent hole;

2. The fin according to claim 1, wherein:

the heat exchange tube hole adjacent to the downstream side has an upper side edge, a middle side edge, and a lower side edge; and
the guide section is provided adjacent to at least one of the lower side edge or the middle side edge.

3. The fin according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of heat exchange tube holes are provided in a plurality of rows on the substrate, and two heat exchange tube holes in adjacent two rows are staggered along a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side; and
the heat exchange tube hole adjacent to the upstream side and the guide section are arranged along the direction from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the air inlet faces an end of the heat exchange tube hole adjacent to the upstream side.

4. The fin according to claim 1, wherein a width of the guide channel has an increasing trend along a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side.

5. The fin according to claim 1, wherein a width of the guide channel is constant along a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side.

6. The fin according to claim 1, wherein:

the guide channel is one of a plurality of guide channels formed by the guide section and the substrate, the vent hole is one of a plurality of vent holes provided, and one guide channel communicates with one vent hole.

7. The fin according to claim 6, wherein:

widths of the plurality of guide channels all have an increasing trend along a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side.

8. The fin according to claim 1, wherein:

a width of each of one or more of the plurality of guide channels has an increasing trend along a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side; and
a width of each of other one or more of the plurality of guide channels is constant along the direction from the upstream side to the downstream side.

9. The fin according to claim 1, wherein:

the guide section includes a sub guide section;
the sub guide section and the substrate together form a sub guide channel;
the sub guide channel communicates with the vent hole; and
a width of the sub guide channel has an increasing trend along a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side.

10. The fin according to claim 9, wherein:

the sub guide section is a first sub guide section, the sub guide channel is a first sub guide channel, and the vent hole is a first vent hole;
the substrate further has a second vent hole penetrating through the substrate along the thickness direction of the substrate;
the guide section further includes a second sub guide section;
the second sub guide section and the substrate together form a second sub guide channel;
the second sub guide channel communicates with the second vent hole;
a width of the second sub guide channel is constant along the direction from the upstream side to the downstream side; and
the second sub guide channel is spaced apart from the first sub guide channel and is located at a side of the first sub guide channel adjacent to the downstream side.

11. The fin according to claim 9, wherein:

the sub guide section is a first sub guide section, and the sub guide channel is a first sub guide channel;
the guide section further includes a second sub guide section;
the second sub guide section and the substrate together form a second sub guide channel;
a width of the second sub guide channel has an increasing trend along the direction from the upstream side to the downstream side;
the second sub guide channel is spaced apart from the first sub guide channel and is located at a side of the first sub guide channel adjacent to the downstream side; and
a maximum width of the second sub guide channel is smaller than a maximum width of the first sub guide channel.

12. The fin according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the upstream side and the downstream side is provided with a notch; and
a contour of another one of the upstream side and the downstream side is adapted to a shape of the notch.

13. The fin according to claim 12, wherein:

an edge of the notch is provided with a process notch to place solder; and
the process notch is spaced apart from the heat exchange tube holes.

14. A heat exchanger comprising a fin including: wherein the guide section and the substrate together form a guide channel, the guide channel communicates with the vent hole, the guide channel has an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet faces an upstream side of the substrate, and the air outlet faces the downstream side.

a substrate having a plurality of heat exchange tube holes and a vent hole penetrating the substrate along a thickness direction of the substrate, the vent hole being provided between two adjacent heat exchange tube holes adjacent to a downstream side of the substrate; and
a guide section provided on the substrate and located at the vent hole;

15. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein:

the heat exchange tube hole adjacent to the downstream side has an upper side edge, a middle side edge, and a lower side edge; and
the guide section is provided adjacent to at least one of the lower side edge or the middle side edge.

16. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein:

the plurality of heat exchange tube holes are provided in a plurality of rows on the substrate, and two heat exchange tube holes in adjacent two rows are staggered along a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side; and
the heat exchange tube hole adjacent to the upstream side and the guide section are arranged along the direction from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the air inlet faces an end of the heat exchange tube hole adjacent to the upstream side.

17. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein a width of the guide channel has an increasing trend along a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side.

18. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein a width of the guide channel is constant along a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side.

19. The heat exchanger according to claim 14, wherein:

the guide channel is one of a plurality of guide channels formed by the guide section and the substrate, the vent hole is one of a plurality of vent holes provided, and one guide channel communicates with one vent hole.

20. A water heater comprising a heat exchanger including a fin that includes. a substrate having a plurality of heat exchange tube holes and a vent hole penetrating the substrate along a thickness direction of the substrate, the vent hole being provided between two adjacent heat exchange tube holes adjacent to a downstream side of the substrate; and a guide section provided on the substrate and located at the vent hole; wherein the guide section and the substrate together form a guide channel, the guide channel communicates with the vent hole, the guide channel has an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet faces an upstream side of the substrate, and the air outlet faces the downstream side.

Patent History
Publication number: 20260259015
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 11, 2026
Publication Date: Sep 3, 2026
Inventors: Jiqing MA (Foshan), Ruitao ZHANG (Foshan), Liuyang XIONG (Foshan)
Application Number: 19/536,752
Classifications
International Classification: F28F 9/02 (20060101); F28F 1/12 (20060101); F28F 1/30 (20060101); F28F 1/32 (20060101);