Louvered fin for heat exchanger
A louvered fin for a heat exchanger is disclosed, wherein the louvers include a rib formed thereon to maximize a strength and rigidity thereof and to minimize an amount of material required for production thereof.
1 . A heat exchanger fin comprising:
a base wall having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion;
a turnaround louver disposed in the middle portion of said base wall, said turnaround louver having a first edge and a second edge;
a plurality of spaced apart entrance louvers disposed between the first end of said base wall and said turnaround louver, said spaced entrance louvers having a first edge and a second edge;
a plurality of spaced apart exit louvers disposed between said turnaround louver and the second end of said base wall, said exit louvers having a first edge and a second edge; and
at least one rib formed on at least one of said turnaround louver, said entrance louvers, and said exit louvers.
2 . The fin according to claim 1 , wherein said rib is formed between the first edge and the second edge of the at least one of said turnaround louver, said entrance louvers, and said exit louvers.
3 . The fin according to claim 2 , wherein said rib is formed substantially parallel to the first edge and the second edge of at least one of said turnaround louver, said entrance louvers, and said exit louvers.
4 . The fin according to claim 1 , wherein said rib is formed from a first end to a second end of the at least one of said turnaround louver, said entrance louvers, and said exit louvers.
5 . The fin according to claim 1 , wherein said rib is formed to extend laterally outwardly from one of a first surface and a second surface of the at least one of said turnaround louver, said entrance louvers, and said exit louvers.
6 . The fin according to claim 1 , further comprising a leading edge louver and a trailing edge louver, the leading edge louver disposed between the first end of said base wall and said entrance louvers, and having a first edge, a second edge, and a rib formed thereon, the trailing edge louver disposed between said exit louvers and the second end of said base wall and having a first edge, a second edge, and a rib formed thereon.
7 . A heat exchanger fin comprising:
a base wall having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion;
at least one turnaround louver disposed in the middle portion of said base wall, said turnaround louver having a laterally extending first edge, a laterally extending second edge, and at least one rib formed between the first edge and the second edge;
a plurality of spaced apart entrance louvers disposed between the first end of said base wall and said turnaround louver, said entrance louvers having a laterally extending first edge, a laterally extending second edge, and at least one rib formed between the first edge and the second edge; and
a plurality of spaced apart exit louvers disposed between said turnaround louver and the second end of said base wall, said exit louvers having a laterally extending first edge, a laterally extending second edge, and at least one rib formed between the first edge and the second edge.
8 . The fin according to claim 7 , wherein the ribs formed on said turnaround louver, said entrance louvers, and said exit louvers are formed to extend laterally outwardly from one of a first surface and a second surface of said turnaround louver, said entrance louvers, and said exit louvers.
9 . The fin according to claim 7 , further comprising a leading edge louver and a trailing edge louver, the leading edge louver disposed between the first end of said base wall and said entrance louvers, and having a laterally extending first edge, a laterally extending second edge, and a rib formed thereon, the trailing edge louver disposed between said exit louvers and the second end of said base wall and having a laterally extending first edge, a laterally extending second edge, and a rib formed thereon.
10 . The fin according to claim 7 , wherein the ribs extend from a first end to a second end of the fin on said base wall.
11 . The fin according to claim 10 , wherein the ribs extend laterally outwardly from one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the fin.
12 . The fin according to claim 7 , wherein the ribs of said entrance louvers are substantially parallel to the first edge and the second edge thereof.
13 . The fin according to claim 7 , wherein the ribs of said exit louvers are substantially parallel to the first edge and the second edge thereof.
14 . A method of producing a heat exchanger fin, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a substantially planar sheet of material;
forming a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs in the sheet of material;
forming a plurality of laterally extending corrugations in the sheet of material; and
forming a plurality of rows of longitudinally extending louvers in the sheet of material.
15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the ribs formed in the sheet of material are continuous.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the steps of providing a set of rib forming rolls and a set of corrugations forming rolls to respectively form the ribs and corrugations in the sheet of material.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of flattening the sheet of material between adjacent rows of louvers.
18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the second set of rolls is used to flatten the sheet of material between adjacent rows of louvers.
19 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising the step of providing a density station to further process the sheet of material.
20 . The method according to claim 19 , further comprising the step of providing a cutoff station for cutting the fin to a desired length.