Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger used as an evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet header section and a refrigerant outlet header section. The refrigerant inlet and outlet header sections each include a header section body having opened opposite ends and two caps closing opposite end openings of the header section body. The header section body of the refrigerant inlet header section and the header section body of the refrigerant outlet header section are integral with each other. The caps are fitted into the corresponding opposite end openings of the header section bodies. Projections formed at peripheral portions of the caps are fitted into corresponding mating holes formed in tubular walls of the header section bodies. In this condition, the caps are joined to the header section bodies. This heat exchanger allows relatively easy practice of the work of preventing detachment of caps in manufacture thereof.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising two header sections spaced apart from each other and a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending between the two header sections and arranged at predetermined intervals in a longitudinal direction of the two header sections with opposite end portions thereof connected to the two header sections, the two header sections each comprising a hollow header section body having opened opposite ends, and two caps closing opposite end openings of the header section body, 
 wherein the caps are fitted into the corresponding opposite end openings of the header section bodies; a projection is formed at a peripheral portion of each of the caps; a mating hole into which the projection of the cap is fitted is formed in a tubular wall of each of the header section bodies; and while the projections of the caps are fitted into the corresponding mating holes of the header section bodies, the caps are joined to the header section bodies.    
   
   
       2 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the header section bodies each comprise a first member which forms a portion of the header section body on a side toward the heat exchange tubes and to which the heat exchange tubes are connected, and a second member which forms the remaining portion of the header section body and is joined to the first member, and 
 the mating holes into which the corresponding projections of the caps are fitted are formed in the first and second members.    
   
   
       3 . A heat exchanger comprising: 
 a heat exchange core section comprising: 
 a plurality of rows of heat exchange tube groups arranged in an air flow direction, each heat exchange tube group consisting of a plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged in a left-right direction at predetermined intervals; and  
 a plurality of fins disposed between and joined to the adjacent heat exchange tubes;  
   a first header section which is disposed on a first-end side of the heat exchange tubes and to which the heat exchange tubes of at least a single heat exchange tube group are connected;    a second header section which is disposed on the first-end side of the heat exchange tubes and upstream of the first header section with respect to the air flow direction and to which the heat exchange tubes of the remaining heat exchange tube group(s) are connected;    a third header section which is disposed on a second-end side of the heat exchange tubes and to which the heat exchange tubes connected to the first header section are connected; and    a fourth header section which is disposed on the second-end side of the heat exchange tubes and to which the heat exchange tubes connected to the second header section are connected;    the first to fourth header sections each comprising a hollow header section body having opened opposite ends, and two caps closing opposite end openings of the header section body,    the header section body of the first header section and the header section body of the second header section being integral with each other, and the header section body of the third header section and the header section body of the fourth header section being integral with each other,    wherein the caps are fitted into the corresponding opposite end openings of the header section bodies; a projection is formed at a peripheral portion of each of the caps; a mating hole into which the projection of the cap is fitted is formed in a tubular wall of each of the header section bodies; and while the projections of the caps are fitted into the corresponding mating holes of the header section bodies, the caps are joined to the header section bodies.    
   
   
       4 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the header section body of the first header section and the header section body of the second header section are formed by a first member which forms portions of the header section bodies on a side toward the heat exchange tubes and to which the heat exchange tubes are connected, and a second member which forms the remaining portions of the header section bodies and is joined to the first member, and 
 the mating holes into which the corresponding projections of the caps are fitted are formed in the first and second members.    
   
   
       5 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein the two caps which close one end opening of the header section body of the first header section and one end opening of the header section body of the second header section, respectively, are integral with each other, and the two caps which close the other end opening of the header section body of the first header section and the other end opening of the header section body of the second header section, respectively, are integral with each other.  
   
   
       6 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein the header section body of the third header section and the header section body of the fourth header section are formed by a first member which forms portions of the header section bodies on a side toward the heat exchange tubes and to which the heat exchange tubes are connected, and a second member which forms the remaining portions of the header section bodies and is joined to the first member, and 
 the mating holes into which the corresponding projections of the caps are fitted are formed in the first and second members.    
   
   
       7 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 6 , wherein the two caps which close one end opening of the header section body of the third header section and one end opening of the header section body of the fourth header section, respectively, are integral with each other, and the two caps which close the other end opening of the header section body of the third header section and the other end opening of the header section body of the fourth header section, respectively, are integral with each other.  
   
   
       8 . A heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein a refrigerant inlet is formed on the cap which closes one end opening of the header section body of the first header section; a refrigerant outlet is formed on the cap which closes one end opening of the header section body of the second header section located on the same side as the refrigerant inlet; and the third header section and the fourth header section communicate with each other.