Heat exchanger and refrigeration cycle apparatus

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes: flat tubes; and a header including a first member that forms first spaces into which the flat tubes are inserted, a second member that forms a second space into which a refrigerant flows, and a first plate between the second space and the first spaces. The first plate has one or more openings through which the first spaces communicate with the second space and through which the refrigerant flows from the second space into the first spaces. At least one of the one or more openings is located within a predetermined distance from an end of the second space in a width direction of the flat tubes when viewed along an insertion direction of the flat tubes into the first spaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 flat tubes; and   a header comprising:
 a first member that forms first spaces into which the flat tubes are inserted; 
 a second member that forms a second space into which a refrigerant flows; and 
 a first plate between the second space and the first spaces, wherein 
   the first plate has one or more openings through which the first spaces communicate with the second space and through which the refrigerant flows from the second space into the first spaces, and   at least one of the one or more openings is located within a predetermined distance from an end of the second space in a width direction of the flat tubes when viewed along an insertion direction of the flat tubes into the first spaces.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein both ends of the second space in the width direction are within the predetermined distance from any of the one or more openings when viewed along the insertion direction. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the width direction, at least part of the one or more openings is within 15% of a width of the second space from an end of the second space. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more openings overlaps an end of the second space in the width direction when viewed along the insertion direction. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 4 , wherein the one or more openings overlap both ends of the second space in the width direction when viewed along the insertion direction. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein one of the one or more openings overlap an entirety of the second space in the width direction when viewed along the insertion direction. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second space has a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet,   the refrigerant moves in the second space from the refrigerant inlet to the refrigerant outlet, and   the second member further forms a sub-space that guides the refrigerant having reached the refrigerant outlet to a vicinity of the refrigerant inlet.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a width of each of the first spaces is greater than a width of the second space. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more openings are each 1 mm or more in a thickness direction of the flat tubes. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 only one of the flat tubes is inserted into each of the first spaces, and   each of the first spaces has the one or more openings.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the header includes a portion through which the refrigerant having flown through one of the flat tubes flows into the others of the flat tubes.   
     
     
         12 . A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising:
 the heat exchanger according to  claim 1  configured to function as an evaporator;   a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant;   a radiator configured to cool the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; and   an expansion device configured to expand the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator to the heat exchanger.