Heat exchanger and air conditioner equipped with same

Abstract

The heat exchanger ( 1 ) comprises: two header pipes ( 2 ),( 3 ) arranged in parallel with an interval therebetween; a plurality of flat tubes ( 4 ) which are arranged between the header pipes and which place coolant paths ( 5 ) provided therein in communication with the interior of the header pipes; a plurality of fins ( 6 ) attached to the flat surface of each flat tube; and side sheets ( 10 U), ( 10 D) attached to an outside of the fins ( 6 a U), ( 6 a D), which are positioned farthest outward among the plurality of fins. The side sheet ( 10 D) positioned in the bottom part of the heat exchanger ( 1 ) has a plurality of notches ( 11 ) formed at intervals from each other on the edge of the side where condensed water collects in the heat exchanger ( 1 ). The notches are each provided with a width sufficient for covering the interval pitch (P) of the fin by several pitch lengths.

1 . A side-flow type parallel-flow heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of header pipes that are arranged parallel to each other at an interval therebetween;   a plurality of flat tubes that are arranged between the plurality of header pipes and each have therein a refrigerant passage communicating with interiors of the plurality of header pipes;   a plurality of fins that are mounted to flat surfaces of the plurality of flat tubes; and   a side sheet that is attached to an outside of each outermost positioned one of the plurality of fins,   wherein   one of the side sheets, which is positioned at a lower portion of said heat exchanger, is provided, at an edge thereof on a condensate water gathering side in said heat exchanger, with a plurality of notches formed at intervals from each other, and   each of the notches has a width extending over a length plural times a length of an interval pitch of the fins.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the notches have a shape having an angle of less than 180° inside from the edge of the one of the side sheets.   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the notches are tapered from the edge of the one of the side sheets.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the one of the side sheets is provided, at an edge thereof on a side opposite to the condensate water gathering side, with a plurality of notches formed at intervals from each other, and   each of the notches has a width extending over a length plural times a length of the interval pitch of the fins.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the notches formed in the one of the side sheets on the condensate water gathering side or the notches formed in the one of the side sheets on the side opposite to the condensate water gathering side have a depth exceeding half a depth of the one of the side sheets.   
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the notches formed on the condensate water gathering side and the notches formed on the side opposite to the condensate water gathering side are arranged so as to be mutually staggered.   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a part of said heat exchanger can be formed into a curved portion by bending, and a part of the one of the side sheets, which is to be subjected to the bending, is provided, at an edge thereof that is to be convex after the bending, with a plurality of slits formed by cutting at intervals from each other.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the one of the side sheets is provided, at an edge thereof that is to be concave after bending, with a plurality of the notches that have a width extending over a length plural times a length of the interval pitch of the fins and are formed at intervals from each other.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the one of the side sheets has a plurality of through holes formed at intervals from each other at portions thereof other than portions where the notches are formed.   
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein
 each of the through holes is formed to have a width extending over a length plural times a length of the interval pitch of the fins.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in a depth direction, the one of the side sheets has a width smaller than a width of the fins, and the fins are exposed to an outside of the one of the side sheets on each of the condensate water gathering side and a side opposite to the condensate water gathering side.   
     
     
         12 . An air conditioner comprising the heat exchanger according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the heat exchanger is incorporated in an outdoor unit or an indoor unit of said air conditioner.