# US 9,518,788 B2 · Heat exchanger

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- Number: US 9,518,788 B2
- Document ID: US9518788B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/892,962
- Filed: 2014-05-20
- Published: 2016-06-16
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-05-22
- Assignees: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
- Inventors: Masanori Jindou; Yoshio Oritani; Takuya Kazusa; Junichi Hamadate; Yasutaka Ohtani
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518788B2

## CPC

- F28F 9/0273: {with multiple holes}
- F25B 39/00: Evaporators; Condensers
- F25B 39/028: {having distributing means}
- F28D 1/05325: {with particular pattern of flow, e.g. change of flow direction (F28D1/05341 takes precedence)}
- F28F 1/04: polygonal, e.g. rectangular {(F28F1/022 takes precedence)}
- F28F 1/325: {Fins with openings}
- F28F 9/0202: {Header boxes having their inner space divided by partitions}
- F28F 9/0212: {the partitions being separate elements attached to header boxes}
- F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02)
- F28D 1/0417: {with particular circuits for the same heat exchange medium, e.g. with the heat exchange medium flowing through sections having different heat exchange capacities or for heating/cooling the heat exchange medium at different temperatures}
- F28F 9/0204: {for elongated header box, e.g. with transversal and longitudinal partitions}
- F28F 9/0278: {in the form of stacked distribution plates or perforated plates arranged over end plates}
- F28F 9/028: {by using inserts for modifying the pattern of flow inside the header box, e.g. by using flow restrictors or permeable bodies or blocks with channels}
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)

## Abstract

A first header collecting pipe of an outdoor heat exchanger has three communication chambers and one mixing chamber. One auxiliary horizontal partition plate is disposed between two main horizontal partition plates. The mixing chamber is defined between the first main horizontal partition plate and the auxiliary horizontal partition plate. A gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger functioning as an evaporator flows into the mixing chamber, and is then distributed to the three communication chambers. This structure allows the refrigerant that is to be distributed from the mixing chamber to the communication chambers to have a uniform wetness.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of flat tubes;
a first header collecting pipe to which one end of each of the flat tubes is connected;
a second header collecting pipe to which the other end of each of the flat tubes is connected; and
a plurality of fins joined to the flat tubes,
the heat exchanger being capable of functioning as an evaporator by exchanging heat between a refrigerant flowing in the flat tubes and air, wherein
the first header collecting pipe and the second header collecting pipe stand upright,
the first header collecting pipe is provided with one connection port to which a pipe is connected to guide a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant into the first header collecting pipe, and
the first header collecting pipe has
main horizontal partition plates that define a plurality of communication chambers, each communicating with one or more of the flat tubes, by horizontally crossing an internal space of the first header collecting pipe,
a vertical partition plate that defines a mixing chamber, communicating with the connection port and all of the communication chambers, by vertically running through the internal space of the first header collecting pipe, and
an auxiliary horizontal partition plate that defines, along with the vertical partition plate, the mixing chamber by being disposed between a pair of the main horizontal partition plates, which are vertically adjacent to each other, and by horizontally crossing the internal space of the first header collecting pipe, and
the mixing chamber is shorter in height than one of the plurality of communication chambers, which is adjacent to the mixing chamber, with the vertical partition plate interposed between the mixing chamber and the adjacent communication chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein
the vertical partition plate is arranged opposite the flat tubes with respect to a central axis of the first header collecting pipe.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein
the mixing chamber is separated from the communication chambers by the vertical partition plate, one of the main horizontal partition plates which is arranged on one side of the mixing chamber, and the auxiliary horizontal partition plate arranged on the other side of the mixing chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein
each of the vertical partition plate, the main horizontal partition plate, and the auxiliary horizontal partition plate which separate the mixing chamber from the communication chambers is provided with a communication through hole through which the refrigerant in the mixing chamber is distributed to the respective communication chambers at a predetermined ratio.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein
the mixing chamber is separated from the communication chambers by the vertical partition plate and a pair of auxiliary horizontal partition plates arranged one above the other with the mixing chamber interposed between themselves.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The heat exchanger of claim 5, wherein
each of the pair of auxiliary horizontal partition plates and the vertical partition plate which separate the mixing chamber from the communication chambers is provided with a communication through hole through which the refrigerant in the mixing chamber is distributed to the respective communication chambers at a predetermined ratio.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein
the mixing chamber lies next to one or two of the communication chambers with the vertical partition plate interposed between the chambers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein
the vertical partition plate is provided with a communication through hole through which the mixing chamber communicates with the communication chamber which lies next to the mixing chamber with the vertical partition plate interposed between the chambers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein
the connection port is formed in a sidewall of the first header collecting pipe, and faces the vertical partition plate, and
the communication through hole of the vertical partition plate is arranged so as not to face the connection port.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein
the heat exchanger is divided into a main heat exchange region and an auxiliary heat exchange region which each have at least two of the flat tubes,
the auxiliary heat exchange region is arranged under the main heat exchange region,
the auxiliary heat exchange region is divided into a plurality of auxiliary heat exchange portions, each of which has a plurality of flat tubes and is associated with one of the communication chambers,
the flat tubes of the auxiliary heat exchange portions communicate with the communication chambers associated with the respective auxiliary heat exchange portions,
the main heat exchange region is divided into a plurality of main heat exchange portions, each of which has a plurality of flat tubes and is associated with one of the auxiliary heat exchange portions, and
the flat tubes of the main heat exchange portions communicate, through the second header collecting pipe, with the flat tubes of the auxiliary heat exchange portions associated with the main heat exchange portions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein
the mixing chamber is separated from the communication chambers by the vertical partition plate, one of the main horizontal partition plates which is arranged on one side of the mixing chamber, and the auxiliary horizontal partition plate arranged on the other side of the mixing chamber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein
each of the vertical partition plate, the main horizontal partition plate, and the auxiliary horizontal partition plate which separate the mixing chamber from the communication chambers is provided with a communication through hole through which the refrigerant in the mixing chamber is distributed to the respective communication chambers at a predetermined ratio.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein
the mixing chamber is separated from the communication chambers by the vertical partition plate and a pair of auxiliary horizontal partition plates arranged one above the other with the mixing chamber interposed between themselves.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein
each of the pair of auxiliary horizontal partition plates and the vertical partition plate which separate the mixing chamber from the communication chambers is provided with a communication through hole through which the refrigerant in the mixing chamber is distributed to the respective communication chambers at a predetermined ratio.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein
the mixing chamber lies next to one or two of the communication chambers with the vertical partition plate interposed between the chambers.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein
the vertical partition plate is provided with a communication through hole through which the mixing chamber communicates with the communication chamber which lies next to the mixing chamber with the vertical partition plate interposed between the chambers.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The heat exchanger of claim 16, wherein
the connection port is forming in a sidewall of the first header collecting pipe, and faces the vertical partition plate, and
the communication through hole of the vertical partition plate is arranged so as not to face the connection port.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein
the heat exchanger is divided into a main heat exchange region and an auxiliary heat exchange region which each have at least two of the flat tubes,
the auxiliary heat exchange region is arranged under the main heat exchange region,
the auxiliary heat exchange region is divided into a plurality of auxiliary heat exchange portions, each of which has a plurality of flat tubes and is associated with one of the communication chambers,
the flat tubes of the auxiliary heat exchange portions communicate with the communication chambers associated with the respective auxiliary heat exchange portions,
the main heat exchange region is divided into a plurality of main heat exchange portions, each of which has a plurality of flat tubes and is associated with one of the auxiliary heat exchange portions, and
the flat tubes of the main heat exchange portions communicate, through the second header collecting pipe, with the flat tubes of the auxiliary heat exchange portions associated with the main heat exchange portions.