Heat exchanger, air-conditioning apparatus equipped with heat exchanger, and method for producing heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes plural heat exchanger cores, each of which includes plural tabular fins with notches formed therein and plural heat transfer tubes. The plural fins are disposed such that planes of the fins face each other. The plural heat transfer tubes are hairpin tubes each of which is bent in a U-shape. The hairpin tubes are placed in the notches in the fins so as to extend in a direction crossing the planes of the fins. The plural heat exchanger cores are placed side by side in a direction crossing the direction of the notches in the fins and at the same time a direction along the planes of the fins. A brazing sheet is disposed between adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores. The adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores are brazed together by the brazing sheet.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of heat exchanger cores, each of the plurality of heat exchanger cores including a plurality of tabular fins with notches formed therein and a plurality of heat transfer tubes, wherein:
 the fins are disposed such that planes of the fins face each other and the heat transfer tubes are placed in the notches in the fins so as to extend in a direction crossing the planes of the fins; and   the plurality of heat exchanger cores are placed side by side in a direction crossing a direction in which the notches are arranged along the fins and extending along the planes of the fins, and adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores are brazed together.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a brazing sheet placed between the adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores, wherein the adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores are brazed together by the brazing sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein at least either of the fins or the brazing sheet includes a brazing material. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the fins include a core and the brazing material. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein, in the fins in at least one of the adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores, end faces of the fins facing of the an other of the adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores are bent. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein, in the fins in at least one of the adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores, the heat transfer tubes are exposed on end faces facing an other of the adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7 , wherein a block element made of metal is disposed between the adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores and the adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores are joined together via the block element. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat transfer tubes are hairpin tubes each of which is bent in a U-shape, and in one of the hairpin tubes, one of a pair of straight-tube portions extending in a lateral direction of the heat exchanger is located on an end face, of one of the adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores, facing an other of the heat exchanger cores and an other of the pair of straight-tube portions is located on an end face, of the other of the heat exchanger cores, facing the one of the heat exchanger cores. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat transfer tubes are coupled together at one end by a header and coupled together at an other end by another header. 
     
     
         11 . An air-conditioning apparatus equipped with the heat exchanger of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A method for producing a heat exchanger that comprises a plurality of heat exchanger cores, each of the plurality of heat exchanger cores including a plurality of tabular fins with notches formed therein and a plurality of heat transfer tubes, the method comprising:
 forming the heat exchanger cores in which the fins are disposed such that planes of the fins are opposed to each other and that the heat transfer tubes are placed in the notches in the fins so as to extend in a direction crossing the planes of the fins;   placing the plurality of heat exchanger cores side by side in a direction crossing a direction in which the notches are arranged along the fins and extending along the planes of the notches; and   joining together adjacent ones of the heat exchanger cores by brazing.   
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a brazing sheet is used for brazing. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the brazing sheet is made up of only a brazing material.