Manufacturing method for heat exchanger and device therefor, and air conditioner and/or external unit thereof equipped with heat exchanger manufactured using said method

A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger,

• the heat exchanger comprising;
• a plurality of heat radiating fins;
• end plates sandwiching the plurality of heat radiating fins;
• and
• a tube inserted to each of the end plates,
• the method comprising:
• a step of causing a gripping body base having a gripping body to move toward the heat exchanger, the gripping body having a plurality of tube contacting members, the tube contacting members capable of covering the tube and capable of expanding and shrinking radially in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the tube from a tube opening portion side of the tube protruded from the end plates;
• a step of stopping the movement of the gripping body base toward the heat exchanger by causing the gripping body base to come into contact with a reference platform, the reference platform setting a protrusion length of the tube protruded from the end plates;
• a step of firmly fixing and holding the gripping body base and the reference platform through a locking means;
• a step of forming a tube expansion portion having a predetermined length by pressing a tube expansion mandrel into the tube opening portion of the tube protruded from the end plates, the tube expansion mandrel being located in the gripping body in freely reciprocating fashion;
• a step of gripping the tube expansion portion by the plurality of tube contacting members by causing a sliding base to move toward the heat exchanger, the sliding base having a gripping body sliding means fitting onto and sliding on the gripping body, the sliding base being provided between the end plates and the gripping body base;
• a step of conducting a predetermined flaring process, while further expanding the tube, by pressing a flare punch into the tube expansion portion at the tube opening side by pulling a flare base toward the gripping body base, which is firmly fixed and held to the reference platform through the locking means, via a connecting and tensile force generating means that connects the flare base and the gripping body base toward each other and generates a tensile force in a direction of pulling the flare base and the gripping body base toward each other, the flare base being located more apart from the heat exchanger than the gripping body base, the flare base having a flare pipe, the flare pipe having a predetermined length so that the flare pipe is fitted on the tube expansion mandrel within the gripping body base, the flare pipe having the flare punch at a tip;
• a step of releasing the tube expansion portion from a gripping of the tube contacting member by causing the sliding base to retreat from the heat exchanger;
• and
• a step of retracting each of the flare base, the gripping body base and the sliding base from the heat exchanger.

A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger,

• the heat exchanger comprising:
• a plurality of heat radiating fins;
• end plates sandwiching the plurality of heat radiating fins;
• and
• a tube inserted to each of the end plates,
• the method comprising:
• a step of causing a gripping body base having a gripping body to move toward the heat exchanger, the gripping body having a plurality of tube contacting members, the tube contacting members capable of covering the tube and capable of expanding and shrinking radially in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the tube from a tube opening portion side of the tube protruded from the end plate;
• a step of stopping the movement of the gripping body base toward the heat exchanger by causing the gripping body base to come into contact with a reference platform, the reference platform setting a protrusion length of the tube protruded from the end plates;
• a step of firmly fixing and holding the gripping body base and the reference platform through a locking means;
• a step of forming a tube expansion portion having a predetermined length by pressing a tube expansion mandrel into the tube opening portion of the tube protruded from the end plates and causing a part of a tip of a flare punch to enter into the tube opening portion by moving a flare base having a flare pipe toward the heat exchanger and maintaining a contact between the flare punch and the tube opening portion, the tube expansion mandrel being located in the gripping body in freely reciprocating fashion, the flare pipe having the flare punch for a flaring process at a tip of the tube opening portion
• a step of gripping the tube expansion portion by the plurality of tube contacting members by causing a sliding base having a gripping body sliding means fitting onto and sliding on the gripping body, the sliding base being provided between the end plates and the gripping body base;
• a step of conducting a predetermined flaring process, while or after further expanding the tube, by pressing the flare punch into the tube expansion portion at the tube opening portion side by pulling the flare base toward the gripping body base, which is firmly fixed and held to the reference platform through the locking means, via a connecting and tensile force generating means that connects the flare base and the gripping body base and generates a tensile force in a direction of pulling the flare base and the gripping body base toward each other, the flare base being located more apart from the heat exchanger than the gripping body base, the flare pipe having a predetermined length so that the flare pipe is fitted on the tube expansion mandrel within the gripping body base, the flare pipe having the flare punch at a tip;
• and
• a step of releasing the tube expansion portion from a gripping of the tube contacting member by causing the sliding base to retreat from the heat exchanger, retracting each of the flare base, the gripping body base and the sliding base from the heat exchanger.