Heat exchanger

A heat exchanger comprising:

• a plurality of tubes with each tube having an oblong longitudinal cross-section of a predetermined thickness, a first end connected to a first straight section, a second end connected to a second straight section, and a middle section located between said first and second straight sections and including a bent and twisted portion which has been bent and twisted to a predetermined angle relative to each of said first and second straight sections, wherein each of said tubes is arranged in said heat exchanger at regular, spaced apart intervals from and in parallel with an adjacent tube at a predetermined distance in a direction parallel to said thickness of said tubes;
• a pair of hollow headers wherein a first header is disposed at said first ends of said tubes, a second header is disposed at said second ends of said tubes and wherein each header is connected to said tubes so as to be in fluid communication therewith;
• a plurality of fins with each fin interposed between said straight sections of said adjacent tube;
• additional fins disposed outside an outermost pair of tubes of said heat exchanger wherein said outermost pair of tubes have only one said adjacent tube instead of a pair of said adjacent tubes as all inner tubes have;
• and
• reinforcing strips with each strip including a middle section and end sections continuing therefrom,
• wherein said middle section of each reinforcing strip has formed therethrough apertures each fitting on a boundary present between said straight section and said bent and twisted portion of each tube, and each end section of said reinforcing strip extending along and fixedly adjoined to an outer surface of said corresponding additional fin.

A heat exchanger comprising:

• a plurality of tubes with each tube having an oblong longitudinal cross-section of a predetermined thickness, a first end connected to a first straight section, a second end connected to a second straight section, and a middle section located between said first and second straight sections and including a bent and twisted portion which has been bent and twisted to a predetermined angle relative to each of said first and second straight sections, wherein each of said tubes is arranged in said heat exchanger at regular, spaced apart intervals from and in parallel with an adjacent tube at a predetermined distance in a direction parallel to said thickness of said tubes and said bent and twisted portion of each tube is located adjacent said bent and twisted portion of said adjacent tube so that said bent and twisted portion contacts and overlaps said bent and twisted portion of said adjacent tube in order to reinforce said middle section of said tubes by said bent and twisted portion of each of said tubes being brazed to said bent and twisted portion of said adjacent tube in order for said bent and twisted portions to be integral;
• a pair of hollow headers wherein a first header is disposed at said first ends of said tubes, a second header is disposed at said second ends of said tubes wherein each header is connected to said tubes so as to be in fluid communication therewith, wherein said headers are disposed approximately horizontally and said straight sections are disposed approximately vertically so as to render the heat exchanger adapted to operate as an evaporator and wherein each of said headers has a unitary interior which is not divided into compartments so that a heat exchanging medium flowing into said first or second header advances as tributaries flowing in harmony through all said tubes at once and into another of said first or second header, whereby the heat exchanger is formed as an evaporator being of a one pass type;
• a plurality of fins with each fin interposed between said straight sections of said adjacent tubes;
• additional fins disposed outside an outermost pair of tubes of said heat exchanger wherein said outermost pair of tubes have only one said adjacent tube instead of a pair of said adjacent tubes as all inner tubes have;
• and
• reinforcing strips with each strip including a middle section and end sections continuing therefrom, wherein said middle section of each reinforcing strip has formed therethrough apertures each fitting on a boundary present between said straight section and said bent and twisted portion of each tube, and each end section of said reinforcing strip extending along and fixedly adjoined to an outer surface of said corresponding additional fin.

A heat exchanger comprising:

• a plurality of tubes with each tube having an oblong longitudinal cross-section of a predetermined thickness, a first end connected to a first straight section, a second end connected to a second straight section, and a middle section located between said first and second straight sections and including a bent and twisted portion which has been bent and twisted to a predetermined angle relative to each of said first and second straight sections, wherein each of said tubes is arranged in said heat exchanger at regular, spaced apart intervals from and in parallel with an adjacent tube at a predetermined distance in a direction parallel to said thickness of said tubes and
• wherein one of said first or second straight sections of each tube is disposed windward, one of said first or second straight sections is disposed leeward, so that a heat exchanging medium flowing into said leeward straight sections advance into said windward sections;
• a pair of hollow headers wherein a first header is disposed at said first ends of said tubes, a second header is disposed at said second ends of said tubes wherein each header is connected to said tubes so as to be in fluid communication therewith and wherein each header is of a cross-sectional shape having a flat bottom continuing to a rounded section in order for said flat bottom to contain apertures means for receiving said tubes inserted therein;
• a plurality of fins with each fin interposed between said straight sections of said adjacent tubes;
• additional fins disposed outside an outermost pair of tubes of said heat exchanger wherein said outermost pair of tubes have only one said adjacent tube instead of a pair of said adjacent tubes as all inner tubes have;
• and
• reinforcing strips with each strip including a middle section and end sections continuing therefrom, wherein said middle section of each reinforcing strip has formed therethrough apertures each fitting on a boundary present between said straight section and said bent and twisted portion of each tube, and each end section of said reinforcing strip extending along and fixedly adjoined to an outer surface of said corresponding additional fin.

A heat exchanger comprising:

• a plurality of tubes with each tube having an oblong longitudinal cross-section of a predetermined thickness, a first end connected to a first straight section, a second end connected to a second straight section, and a middle section located between said first and second straight sections and including a bent and twisted portion which has been bent and twisted to a predetermined angle relative to each of said first and second straight sections, wherein each of said tubes is arranged in said heat exchanger at regular, spaced apart intervals from and in parallel with an adjacent tube at a predetermined distance in a direction parallel to said thickness of said tubes
• wherein each tube is bent at said middle section so as to be U-shaped and said straight sections of said tubes are in parallel;
• a pair of hollow headers wherein a first header is disposed at said first ends of said tubes, a second header is disposed at said second ends of said tubes and wherein each header is connected to said tubes so as to be in fluid communication therewith;
• a plurality of fins with each fin interposed between said straight sections of said adjacent tubes;
• additional fins disposed outside an outermost pair of tubes of said heat exchanger wherein said outermost pair of tubes have only one said adjacent tube instead of a pair of said adjacent tubes as all inner tubes have;
• and
• reinforcing strips with each strip including a middle section and end sections continuing therefrom, wherein said middle section of each reinforcing strip has formed therethrough apertures each fitting on a boundary present between said straight section and said bent and twisted portion of each tube, and each end section of said reinforcing strip extending along and fixedly adjoined to an outer surface of said corresponding additional fin.

A heat exchanger comprising:

• a plurality of tubes with each tube having an oblong longitudinal cross-section of a predetermined thickness, a first end connected to a first straight section, a second end connected to a second straight section, and a middle section located between said first and second straight sections and including a bent and twisted portion which has been bent and twisted to a predetermined angle relative to each of said first and second straight sections, wherein each of said tubes is arranged in said heat exchanger at regular, spaced apart intervals from and in parallel with an adjacent tube at a predetermined distance in a direction parallel to said thickness of said tubes;
• wherein each tube has an interior which is divided into windward and leeward unit paths located side by side and longitudinally of said tubes, so that a heat exchanging medium flowing through said leeward unit path in one of said first or second straight sections located leeward is guided by said bent and twisted portion into said windward unit path in another of said first or second straight section located windward;
• a pair of hollow headers wherein a first header is disposed at said first ends of said tubes, a second header is disposed at said second ends of said tubes and wherein each header is connected to said tubes so as to be in fluid communication therewith;
• a plurality of fins with each fin interposed between said straight sections of said adjacent tubes;
• additional fins disposed outside an outermost pair of tubes of said heat exchanger wherein said outermost pair of tubes have only one said adjacent tube instead of a pair of said adjacent tubes as all inner tubes have;
• and
• reinforcing strips with each strip including a middle section and end sections continuing therefrom, wherein said middle section of each reinforcing strip has formed therethrough apertures each fitting on a boundary present between said straight section and said bent and twisted portion of each tube, and each end section of said reinforcing strip extending along and fixedly adjoined to an outer surface of said corresponding additional fin.

A heat exchanger comprising:

• a plurality of tubes with each tube having an oblong longitudinal cross-section of a predetermined thickness, a first end connected to a first straight section, a second end connected to a second straight section, and a middle section located between said first and second straight sections and including a bent and twisted portion which has been bent and twisted to a predetermined angle relative to each of said first and second straight sections, wherein each of said tubes is arranged in said heat exchanger at regular, spaced apart intervals from and in parallel with an adjacent tube at a predetermined distance in a direction parallel to said thickness of said tubes and said bent and twisted portion of each tube is located near said bent and twisted portion of said adjacent tube so that said bent and twisted portion contacts and overlaps said bent and twisted portion of said adjacent tube in order to reinforce said middle section of said tubes;
• wherein each tube has an interior which is divided into windward and leeward unit paths located side by side and longitudinally of said tubes, so that a heat exchanging medium flowing through said leeward unit path in one of said first or second straight sections located leeward is guided by said bent and twisted portion into said windward unit path in another of said first or second straight section located windward;
• a pair of hollow headers wherein a first header is disposed at said first ends of said tubes, a second header is disposed at said second ends of said tubes and wherein each header is connected to said tubes so as to be in fluid communication therewith;
• and
• a plurality of fins with each fin interposed between said straight sections of said adjacent tubes.