# US 2026/0098693 A1 · Heat exchange fin, heat exchanger, water tank assembly, and gas water heater > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0098693 A1 - Document ID: US20260098693A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/329,133 - Filed: 2025-09-15 - Published: 2026-04-09 - Earliest claimed: 2024-10-09 - Assignees: Wuhu Midea Kitchen and Bath Appliances Mfg. Co., Ltd.; Guangdong Midea Kitchen and Bath Appliances Mfg. Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Wuhu Midea Kitchen and Bath Appliances Mfg. Co., Ltd.; Guangdong Midea Kitchen and Bath Appliances Mfg. Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jiqing MA; Ruitao ZHANG; Feng LIU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260098693A1 ## CPC - F28F 13/12: by creating turbulence, e.g. by stirring, by increasing the force of circulation (F28F13/08 takes precedence) - F28F 1/12: the means being only outside the tubular element - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract A heat exchange fin includes a fin body provided with a plurality of tube pass-through holes, a turbulator connected to a surface of a side of the fin body along the thickness direction, and a guide structure connected to the fin body and positioned on a same surface of the fin body as the turbulator. The tube pass-through holes penetrate the fin body along a thickness direction of the fin body and are provided for a primary heat exchange tube bundle to pass through. An inflow end and an outflow end of the fin body are arranged with respect to each other along a flue gas inlet direction. The turbulator obstructs part of flue gas flowing towards the outflow end. The guide structure is positioned on a side of the turbulator adjacent to the inflow end to guide the flue gas to the turbulator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat exchange fin comprising: a fin body provided with a plurality of tube pass-through holes that penetrate the fin body along a thickness direction of the fin body, the plurality of tube pass-through holes being provided for a primary heat exchange tube bundle to pass through, and an inflow end and an outflow end of the fin body being arranged with respect to each other along a flue gas inlet direction; a turbulator connected to a surface of a side of the fin body along the thickness direction to obstruct part of flue gas flowing towards the outflow end; and a guide structure connected to the fin body and positioned on a same surface of the fin body as the turbulator, the guide structure being positioned on a side of the turbulator adjacent to the inflow end to guide the flue gas to the turbulator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat exchange fin of claim 1, wherein the guide structure is an arched structure, and a flow guide channel extending along the flue gas inlet direction is formed inside the arched structure, the turbulator being positioned at an outlet of the flow guide channel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The heat exchange fin of claim 2, wherein the flow guide channel has a cross section that gradually tapers from the inflow end to the outflow end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The heat exchange fin of claim 2, wherein a surface of the fin body facing away from the guide structure is provided with a flue gas passage communicating with the flow guide channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The heat exchange fin of claim 1, wherein the turbulator includes a turbulator ring and a turbulator plate arranged in sequence along the flue gas inlet direction, an angle being formed between a length extension direction of the turbulator plate and the flue gas inlet direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The heat exchange fin of claim 5, wherein a projection plane of the turbulator ring is positioned within the turbulator plate, the projection plane being formed along the flue gas inlet direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The heat exchange fin of claim 5, wherein a surface of the fin body facing away from the guide structure is provided with a flue gas passage communicating with an inner ring of the turbulator ring. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The heat exchange fin of claim 1, further comprising: collars each connected to the surface of the side of the fin body along the thickness direction and arranged around a circumference of each tube pass-through hole. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The heat exchange fin of claim 1, wherein: the turbulator is one of a plurality of turbulators provided and the guide structure is one of a plurality of guide structures provided; and one of the plurality of guide structures is correspondingly positioned on a side of one of the plurality of turbulators adjacent to the inflow end. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A heat exchanger comprising: the heat exchange fin of claim 1; and a primary heat exchange tube bundle and a condensation tube bundle arranged in sequence along the flue gas inlet direction, the primary heat exchange tube bundle being threaded through the tube pass-through holes. ### Claim 11 A water tank assembly comprising: a tank body provided with a flue gas chamber; and a heat exchanger arranged inside the flue gas chamber and including: a heat exchange fin including: a fin body provided with a plurality of tube pass-through holes that penetrate the fin body along a thickness direction of the fin body, an inflow end and an outflow end of the fin body being arranged with respect to each other along a flue gas inlet direction of the flue gas chamber; a turbulator connected to a surface of a side of the fin body along the thickness direction to obstruct part of flue gas flowing towards the outflow end; and a guide structure connected to the fin body and positioned on a same surface of the fin body as the turbulator, the guide structure being positioned on a side of the turbulator adjacent to the inflow end to guide the flue gas to the turbulator; and a primary heat exchange tube bundle and a condensation tube bundle arranged in sequence along the flue gas inlet direction, the primary heat exchange tube bundle being threaded through the tube pass-through holes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The water tank assembly of claim 11, wherein the tank body is provided with a condenser inlet box and a condenser outlet box, the condensation tube bundle includes a plurality of condensation tubes, and two ends of each of the plurality of condensation tubes respectively communicate with the condenser inlet box and the condenser outlet box, such that the plurality of condensation tubes are arranged in parallel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The water tank assembly of claim 12, wherein the condenser inlet box and the condenser outlet box are arranged at a same sidewall of the tank body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The water tank assembly of claim 12, wherein: the tank body includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall arranged opposite to each other and extending along the flue gas inlet direction, the first sidewall being provided with a first primary heat exchange water box, the second sidewall being provided with a second primary heat exchange water box, the primary heat exchange tube bundle including a plurality of primary heat exchange tubes, and two ends of each of the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes respectively communicating with the first primary heat exchange water box and the second primary heat exchange water box; and one end of at least one of the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes communicates with the condenser inlet box. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The water tank assembly of claim 14, wherein: the first primary heat exchange water box is one of a plurality of first primary heat exchange water boxes provided at the first sidewall, and the second primary heat exchange water box is one of a plurality of second primary heat exchange water boxes provided at the first sidewall; and one of the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes correspondingly communicates with one of the plurality of first primary heat exchange water boxes and one of the plurality of second primary heat exchange water boxes, such that the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes are connected in series to form a series-connected water circuit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The water tank assembly of claim 14, wherein along the flue gas inlet direction, the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes are arranged in at least two rows, and the at least two rows of primary heat exchange tubes are arranged in a staggered pattern. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The water tank assembly of claim 14, wherein: the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes are a plurality of first primary heat exchange tubes; the tank body further includes a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall arranged opposite to each other and extending along the flue gas inlet direction, both the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall being positioned between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; the tank body further includes a flue gas inlet communicating with the flue gas chamber; the first sidewall is further provided with a third primary heat exchange water box, the second sidewall is further provided with a fourth primary heat exchange water box, and the primary heat exchange tube bundle further includes a plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes positioned on a side of the plurality of first primary heat exchange tubes adjacent to the flue gas inlet; two opposite ends of each of the plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes respectively communicate with the third primary heat exchange water box and the fourth primary heat exchange water box, and at least one of the plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes communicates with the first primary heat exchange water box; and the plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes are separately arranged at the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The water tank assembly of claim 17, wherein a radial cross section of each of the plurality of first primary heat exchange tubes and/or each of the plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes is an ellipse with a long axis extending along the flue gas inlet direction. ### Claim 19 A gas water heater comprising: a housing; a water tank assembly arranged inside the housing and including: a tank body provided with a flue gas chamber; and a heat exchanger arranged inside the flue gas chamber and including: a heat exchange fin including: a fin body provided with a plurality of tube pass-through holes that penetrate the fin body along a thickness direction of the fin body, an inflow end and an outflow end of the fin body being arranged with respect to each other along a flue gas inlet direction of the flue gas chamber; a turbulator connected to a surface of a side of the fin body along the thickness direction to obstruct part of flue gas flowing towards the outflow end; and a guide structure connected to the fin body and positioned on a same surface of the fin body as the turbulator, the guide structure being positioned on a side of the turbulator adjacent to the inflow end to guide the flue gas to the turbulator; and a primary heat exchange tube bundle and a condensation tube bundle arranged in sequence along the flue gas inlet direction, the primary heat exchange tube bundle being threaded through the tube pass-through holes; and a burner arranged inside the housing and configured to generate flue gas flowing towards the flue gas chamber.