Heat exchanger and heat exchange unit including the same

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes: flat pipes vertically arrayed; and fins that partition a space between adjacent ones of the flat pipes into air flow passages. Each of the flat pipes includes a passage for a refrigerant. The flat pipes are divided into heat exchange sections vertically arranged side by side. Each of the heat exchange sections includes: a main heat exchange section that communicates with a gas-side entrance communication space, and a sub heat exchange section that is connected in series to the main heat exchange section below the main heat exchange section and communicates with a liquid-side entrance communication space.

1 .- 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 flat pipes vertically arrayed and each including a passage for a refrigerant; and   fins that partition a space between adjacent ones of the flat pipes into air flow passages, wherein   the flat pipes are divided into heat exchange sections of the heat exchanger vertically arranged side by side,   each of the heat exchange sections includes:
 a main heat exchange section that communicates with a gas-side entrance communication space, and 
 a sub heat exchange section that:
 is connected in series to the main heat exchange section below the main heat exchange section, and 
 communicates with a liquid-side entrance communication space of the heat exchanger, and 
 
   a main-sub number ratio is a ratio of a number of the flat pipes constituting the main heat exchange section to a number of the flat pipes constituting the sub heat exchange section in each of the heat exchange sections, and   the main-sub number ratio of a lowermost one of the heat exchange sections is larger than a mean of the main-sub number ratios of the other heat exchange sections.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein the main-sub number ratio of the lowermost heat exchange section is largest among the heat exchange sections. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 7 , wherein
 each of the fins comprises:
 cutouts into which the flat pipes are inserted, wherein the cutouts extend from a leeward side toward a windward side in an air flow direction of air passing through the air flow passages; 
   fin main parts each interposed between adjacent ones of the cutouts; and   a fin windward part that extends continuously with the fin main parts on the windward side in the air flow direction relative to the cutouts.   
     
     
         10 . A heat exchange unit comprising:
 a casing including an inlet port for air formed on a side face and a blow-out port for air formed on a top face;   a fan disposed facing the blow-out port inside the casing; and   the heat exchanger according to  claim 7  disposed below the fan inside the casing.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchange unit according to  claim 10 , wherein the number of the flat pipes of a first heat exchange section, among the heat exchange sections, corresponding to a first part with a first velocity of the air obtained by the fan is larger than the number of the flat pipes of a second heat exchange section, among the heat exchange sections, corresponding to a second part with a second velocity of the air obtained by the fan that is larger than the first velocity. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchange unit according to  claim 11 , wherein the number of the flat pipes constituting the sub heat exchange section in a lowermost heat exchange section is less than the number of the flat pipes constituting the sub heat exchange section in a second lowermost one of the heat exchange sections.