Heat exchanger and air-conditioning apparatus including the heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes: a plurality of flat tubes each of which has a refrigerant flow passage through which refrigerant flows in an up-down direction, the plurality of flat tubes being arranged parallel to each other at intervals; a plurality of fins each of which is provided between adjacent flat tubes of the plurality of flat tubes; an upper header to which an upper end portion of each of the plurality of flat tubes is connected; and a lower header to which an a lower end portion of each of the plurality of flat tubes is connected. Lower end portions of the plurality of fins are not joined to the lower header, and a lower gap is formed between the lower end portions of the plurality of fins and the lower header.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of flat tubes each of which has a refrigerant flow passage through which refrigerant flows in an up-down direction, the plurality of flat tubes being arranged parallel to each other at intervals;   a plurality of fins each of which is provided between adjacent flat tubes of the plurality of flat tubes;   an upper header to which an upper end portion of each of the plurality of flat tubes is connected; and   a lower header to which a lower end portion of each of the plurality of flat tubes is connected, wherein   lower end portions of the plurality of fins are not joined to the lower header, and a lower gap is formed between the lower end portions of the plurality of fins and the lower header,   upper end portions of the plurality of fins are not joined to the upper header, and an upper gap is formed between the upper end portions of the plurality of fins and the upper header, and   the vertical width dimension of the upper gap is one third or less of the vertical width dimension of the lower gap.   
     
     
         2 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the plurality of fins is formed by bending into a corrugated shape extending in the up-down direction, and includes a portion with a small pitch of waveform and a portion with a large pitch of waveform, and   the portion with the small pitch of the waveform is disposed at a position higher than the portion with the large pitch of the waveform.   
     
     
         5 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising an outdoor unit including the heat exchanger of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         6 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the outdoor unit further comprises a casing including an air outlet provided at an upper surface thereof, and an outdoor fan disposed at a position directly below the air outlet. 
     
     
         7 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a heat exchanger;   a casing including an air outlet provided at an upper surface thereof;   an outdoor unit including a fan disposed at a position directly below the air outlet, wherein   the heat exchanger includes   a plurality of flat tubes each of which has a refrigerant flow passage through which refrigerant flows in an up-down direction, the plurality of flat tubes being arranged parallel to each other at intervals;   a plurality of fins each of which is provided between adjacent flat tubes of the plurality of flat tubes;   an upper header to which an upper end portion of each of the plurality of flat tubes is connected; and   a lower header to which a lower end portion of each of the plurality of flat tubes is connected, wherein   lower end portions of the plurality of fins are not joined to the lower header, and a lower gap is formed between the lower end portions of the plurality of fins and the lower header,   upper end portions of the plurality of fins are not joined to the upper header, and an upper gap is formed between the upper end portions of the plurality of fins and the upper header, and the vertical width dimension of the upper gap is less than the vertical width dimension of the lower gap.