Heat exchanger fin with ribbed hem
AssigneeCentrum Equities Acquisition, LLC
InventorJohn A. Kolb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A serpentine fin for assembly between tubes in a heat exchanger core, and a method of making same from a metal strip. The strip edges have a hem comprising a double thickness of the strip material extending inward from the edge. The metal strip has folds extending across the strip width such that the strip forms a serpentine shape, with the folds being adapted to contact the tubes in the heat exchanger core. Multiple rows of split louvers are disposed between adjacent folds. Each row of split louvers comprises louvers having openings extending in the direction of the strip length and formed in a pair of adjacent, spaced louver banks. Ribs are disposed parallel to the louver openings adjacent the strip edges and in at least one center portion of the strip between the strip edges, and extend across the pair of louver banks.
Claims12
A serpentine fin for assembly between tubes in a heat exchanger core comprising:
- a metal strip having a width between opposite strip edges and a length greater than the width, the strip edges having a hem formed thereon comprising a double thickness of the strip material extending a portion of the distance inward from the edge, the metal strip having folds extending across the strip width such that the strip forms a serpentine shape with adjacent folds residing along a length of the strip material, the folds being adapted to contact the tubes in the heat exchanger core;
- at least one row of split louvers residing between the adjacent folds, the at least one row of split louvers comprising louvers having openings extending in the direction of the strip length and formed in adjacent, spaced louver banks extending at least a portion across of the width of the strip, the split louvers residing one over the other between the adjacent folds across the strip width;
- and
- ribs substantially parallel to the louver openings adjacent the strip edges and in at least one center portion of the strip between the strip edges, the ribs extending across the spaced louver banks, the ribs adjacent the strip edges being end ribs each having an angled leg and a bent portion whereby the hem extends from the hem edge along the angled leg and at least partially follows along the contour of the end rib bent portion.
A plate-type flat fin for a heat exchanger core having:
- at least one hem along at least a portion of an edge of the fin wherein the hem comprises a double thickness of the strip material extending a portion of the distance inward from the edge;
- at least one rib in the hem along at least a portion of an edge of the fin formed by plastically deforming the metal strip, the at least one rib having an angled leg and a bent portion whereby the hem extends from the hem edge along the angled leg and at least partially follows along the contour of the rib bent portion;
- and
- split louvers comprising a pair of adjacent spaced louver banks each having a louver, the split louvers reside one over the other and are separated from each other by an unformed portion of the strip material and reside across at least a portion of a width of the strip material, the split louvers having openings extending in a direction of the strip material length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.