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US-20260126250-A1 - FIN ASSEMBLING METHOD

US20260126250A1US 20260126250 A1US20260126250 A1US 20260126250A1US-20260126250-A1

Abstract

Each of a plurality of fins has a fin slit for receiving a flat tube. A method for stacking the fins includes arranging each of the fins at a stacking spot with openings of the fin slits facing downward. The arranging of the fins includes sliding each of the fins down an inclined surface such that each of the fins changes from a horizontal orientation with the openings of the fin slits facing horizontally to a downward orientation with the openings of the fin slits facing downward. The arranging each of the fins further includes causing a support to enter into one or more of the fin slits and support the fins in the downward orientation as or after the fins slide down the incline surface.

Inventors

  • Hiroyuki KITAO
  • Yoshihiro Tsutsumi
  • Motofumi SHIMIZU
  • Takayuki Takahashi

Assignees

  • DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251201
Priority Date
20220331

Claims (8)

  1. 1 . A method for stacking fins each having a plurality of fin slits for receiving a flat tube, the method comprising: arranging each of the fins at a stacking spot for the fins with openings of the plurality of fin slits facing downward, the arranging each of the fins including sliding each of the fins down an inclined surface such that each of the fins changes from a horizontal orientation with the openings of the plurality of fin slits facing horizontally to a downward orientation with the openings of the plurality of fin slits facing downward, the arranging each of the fins further including causing a support to enter into one or more of the plurality of fin slits and support the fins in the downward orientation as or after the fins slide down the incline surface.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: changing a position of a fin with the opening facing horizontally to a position with the opening facing downward.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: dropping a fin to make the opening face downward.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: positioning a fin such that the support is located on a lower side of the plurality of fin slits portion.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: conveying a fin manufactured at a manufacturing spot for the fins to separate the fin from the manufacturing spot.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fins are stacked with a support inserted into the fin slits.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the fins are stacked to be arranged in a direction of extension of the support.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: stacking the fins horizontally.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/890,308, filed on Sep. 19, 2024, which is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2023/002279 filed on Jan. 25, 2023, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-060684, filed on Mar. 31, 2022. The entire disclosures of these applications are incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a method for stacking fins. Background Art Japanese Patent No. 5594674 discloses an apparatus for manufacturing a stack of fins for a heat exchanger. The apparatus can automatically perform the whole processes from the pressing of the fins for the heat exchanger to the taking out of the stack of the fins for the heat exchanger. Previously, multiple fins are vertically stacked. However, when the fins are stacked too high, the fins on the upper portion of the stack are more unstable. Thus, it has been difficult to stack the fins very high. SUMMARY A first aspect is directed to a method for stacking fins each having a plurality of fin slits for receiving a flat tube. The method includes arranging each of the fins at a stacking spot for the fins with openings of the plurality of fin slits facing downward. The arranging each of the fins includes sliding each of the fins down an inclined surface such that each of the fins changes from a horizontal orientation with the openings of the plurality of fin slits facing horizontally to a downward orientation with the openings of the plurality of fin slits facing downward. The arranging each of the fins further includes causing a support to enter into one or more of the plurality of fin slits and support the fins in the downward orientation as or after the fins slide down the incline surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a fin according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a configuration for changing the position of the fins that have been manufactured. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a configuration for stacking the fins that have changed the position. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a first bed. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a third bed. FIG. 4C is a perspective view of a support. FIG. 5A is a schematic view of a configuration of a position changing spot for the fins and a stacking spot for the fins. FIG. 5B is a side view of the support. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a configuration of a position changing spot for the fins and a stacking spot for the fins. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a configuration of a position changing spot for the fins and a stacking spot for the fins. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S) Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown below, and various changes can be made within the scope without departing from the technical concept of the present disclosure. Each of the drawings is intended to illustrate the present disclosure conceptually, and dimensions, ratios, or numbers may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary for the sake of ease of understanding. An exemplary embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Configuration of Fin FIG. 1 is a plan view of a fin (1) for a heat exchanger. In FIG. 1, an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction are perpendicular to each other. The heat exchanger is provided in, for example, an indoor unit or outdoor unit of an air conditioner. The heat exchanger is a device that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant using air as a cooling source or a heating source, and is, for example, a component of a refrigerant circuit of a vapor compression refrigeration apparatus. Examples of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circuit include a carbon dioxide refrigerant. The fin (1) includes a plurality of structural units (10). The structural units (10) are continuously arranged side by side in the X-axis direction. The structural unit (10) each include a plate-shaped portion (11), a continuous portion (12), a fin slit (13), a waffle portion (14), and fin tabs (15). The plate-shaped portion (11) is a plate-shaped member. The plate-shaped portions (11) are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction. The continuous portion (12) is provided between an adjacent pair of plate-shaped portions (11). The continuous portion (12) is a plate-shaped member. The continuous portion (12) is provided to be continuous with each of the adjacent plate-shaped portions (11). The continuous portion (12) has surfaces in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction that are flush with each of the adjacent plate-shaped portions (11). The continuous portion (12) is located between the plate-shaped portions (11) adjacent to each other. The continuous portion (12) is located on the other side of the fin (1) in the Y-axis direction. The fin slit (13