Corrugated fin cutting method and corrugated fin cutting apparatus

Abstract

A corrugated fin cutting method includes continuously conveying a fin material formed into a corrugated shape having a plurality of ridge sections and a plurality of valley sections while regulating a number of the ridge sections and positioning the valley sections; and cutting the fin material at a bottom portion of one of the valley sections between a stationary blade member and a rotating blade member as the rotating blade member rotates in one direction with respect to the stationary blade member while the fin material is being conveyed.

1 . A corrugated fin cutting method comprising:
 continuously conveying a fin material formed into a corrugated shape having a plurality of ridge sections and a plurality of valley sections while regulating a number of the ridge sections and positioning the valley sections; and   cutting the fin material at a bottom portion of one of the valley sections between a stationary blade member and a rotating blade member as the rotating blade member rotates in one direction with respect to the stationary blade member while the fin material is being conveyed.   
   
   
       2 . The corrugated fin cutting method recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 the cutting of the fin material includes stabilizing a movement path of the rotating blade member with respect to the stationary blade member by slidably supporting both sides of the rotating blade member in a vicinity of the stationary blade member at least during cutting of the fin material.   
   
   
       3 . The corrugated fin cutting method recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 the cutting of the fin material includes cutting the bottom portion of the one of the valley sections when the rotating blade member is in a rotational position downward of a rotational center of the rotating blade member, and   the cutting of the fin material also includes placing a positioning guide portion of the rotating blade member provided adjacent to a blade portion of the rotating blade member in an end portion of the one of the valley sections before the blade portion of the rotating blade member enters the one of the valley sections to guide the blade portion into the one of the valley sections.   
   
   
       4 . A corrugated fin cutting apparatus comprising:
 a conveying device configured and arranged to continuously convey in a conveying direction a fin material formed into a corrugated shape having a plurality of ridge sections and a plurality of valley sections while regulating a number of the ridge sections and positioning the valley sections; and   a cutting device having a stationary blade member and a rotating blade member, the rotating blade member being configured and arranged to rotate in one direction with respect to the stationary blade member to cut a bottom portion of one of the valley sections of the fin material between the stationary blade member and the rotating blade member while the fin material is being conveyed by the conveying device.   
   
   
       5 . The corrugated fin cutting method recited in  claim 4 , wherein
 the cutting device further includes a rotating blade positioning guide unit disposed adjacent to the stationary blade member with respect to the conveying direction, the rotating blade positioning guide unit being configured and arranged to slidably contact against both sides of the rotating blade member at least during cutting of the fin material to stabilize a movement path of the rotating blade member with respect to the stationary blade member.   
   
   
       6 . The corrugated fin cutting apparatus recited in  claim 5 , wherein
 the rotating blade positioning guide unit includes
 an upstream guide piece disposed on an upstream side with respect to the conveying direction of the fin material, the upstream guide piece being fixedly coupled to the stationary blade member, and 
 a downstream guide piece disposed on a downstream side with respect to the conveying direction, the downstream guide piece being coupled to a biasing device that pushes the downstream guide piece toward the upstream guide piece. 
   
   
   
       7 . The corrugated fin cutting apparatus recited in  claim 5 , wherein
 the rotating blade member includes a protruding section disposed on a downstream side surface of a blade portion of the rotating blade member, the protruding section being configured and arranged to abut against a widthwise side portion of the fin material that is free of a louver to prevent the blade portion of the rotating blade member from contacting the louver of the fin material.   
   
   
       8 . The corrugated fin cutting apparatus recited in  claim 5 , wherein
 the rotating blade positioning guide unit includes
 an upstream guide piece disposed on an upstream side with respect to the conveying direction of the fin material, and 
 a downstream guide piece disposed on a downstream side with respect to the conveying direction, the downstream guide piece including a roller disposed on a sliding contact surface of the downstream guide piece. 
   
   
   
       9 . The corrugated fin cutting apparatus recited in  claim 4 , wherein
 the cutting device is configured and arranged to cut the bottom portion of the one of the valley sections when the rotating blade member is in a rotational position downward of a rotational center of the rotating blade member, and   the rotating blade member includes a fin positioning guide portion disposed adjacent to a blade portion of the rotating blade member, the fin positioning guide portion being configured and arranged to enter an end portion of the one of the valley sections before the blade portion of the rotating blade member enters the one of the valley sections to guide the blade portion of the rotating blade member into the one of the valley sections.   
   
   
       10 . The corrugated fin cutting apparatus recited in  claim 9 , wherein
 the fin positioning guide portion is beveled to have a radius on a side of the rotating blade member from which the fin positioning guide portion enters the end portion of the one of the valley sections of the fin material.   
   
   
       11 . The corrugated fin cutting apparatus recited in  claim 9 , wherein
 the rotating blade member is configured and arranged such that a cutting edge of the blade portion forms a prescribed angle with respect to the bottom portion of the one of the valley sections of the fin material when the bottom portion of the one of the valley sections is cut between the rotating blade member and the stationary blade member.   
   
   
       12 . The corrugated fin cutting apparatus recited in  claim 9 , further comprising
 a fin guide unit configured and arranged to guide transferring of the fin material after the fin material has been cut between the rotating blade member and the stationary blade member,   the stationary blade member and the fin guide unit being arranged so that a gap formed between the stationary blade member and the fin guide unit is set to be wider than a blade thickness of the blade portion of the rotating blade member and narrower than a ridge pitch of the ridge sections of the fin material.