Refrigerant pipe, method of manufacturing the refrigerant pipe, and heat exchanger including the refrigerant pipe

A refrigerant pipe comprising:

• a heat-exchanger-side pipe having a pipe component insertion flare formed at an end portion of the heat-exchanger-side pipe and at least one protrusion formed on an inner peripheral surface of the pipe component insertion flare;
• and
• a pipe component having a smaller outer diameter than an inner diameter of the pipe component insertion flare, wherein
• a protrusion diameter, which is defined by a radially innermost point of the protrusion, is less than the outer diameter of the pipe component,
• a distal end section of the pipe component is located inside the pipe component insertion flare and extends from a distal end of the pipe component to an entrance of the insertion flare when the pipe component is fully inserted in the pipe component insertion flare,
• the pipe component has a groove formed by the at least one protrusion,
• the pipe component is held by the heat-exchanger-side pipe with the at least one protrusion and the groove in contact with each other,
• the distal end section of the pipe component is cylindrical and has a uniform outer diameter prior to being inserted into the pipe component insertion flare, and
• the protrusion contacts the pipe component at a location spaced apart from the distal end of the pipe component.