JP7794474B2 - Heat exchanger fin separation device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a separation device that separates a large number of stacked heat exchanger fins into a predetermined number of fins.

2. Description of the Related Art A heat exchanger such as a cooler is configured by inserting heat exchange tubes, through which a heat medium flows, into stacked fins.
Heat exchanger fins include round tube heat exchanger fins that have multiple through holes for inserting round heat exchange tubes, and flat tube fins that use flat tubes as heat exchange tubes.
A heat exchanger is constructed by stacking a plurality of these heat exchanger fins.

Below, a conventional technique in which flat tube fins are stacked will be described as an example of a heat exchanger fin.
For example, Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2016/125309) discloses an apparatus for removing a plurality of stacked flat tube fins from a stacking device while maintaining the stacked state after flat tube fins manufactured by a flat tube fin manufacturing apparatus are stacked on a stacking device.

Furthermore, Cited Document 2 (International Publication No. 2016/203593) discloses a flat tube insertion device that inserts flat tubes into cutouts in a fin stack in which a predetermined number of flat tube fins are stacked.
The flat tube insertion device is disclosed to have a fin stack arrangement section in which a fin stack in which multiple flat tube fins are stacked horizontally in the thickness direction (the flat tube fins are arranged so that the width direction of the flat tube fins faces up and down) is formed, and a long guide body is inserted in the stacking direction so that the cutout portions of the multiple flat tube fins are connected to at least one of the multiple cutout portions lined up in the longitudinal direction.

International Publication No. 2016/125309 International Publication No. 2016/203593

As in Patent Document 1, after removing a large number of flat tube fins stacked in a stacking device of a flat tube fin manufacturing apparatus, it is necessary to separate the required number of flat tube fins for the heat exchanger from the large number of flat tube fins before placing the required number of flat tube fins in the fin stack placement section provided in the flat tube insertion device of Patent Document 2.

When separating a certain number of heat exchanger fins from a fin stack in which a large number of heat exchanger fins are stacked, it is possible to insert some kind of member between adjacent heat exchanger fins to separate them.

On the other hand, in recent years, efforts have been made to make heat exchanger fins thinner, resulting in extremely low rigidity.
In order to separate a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from a fin stack in which a large number of heat exchanger fins with low rigidity are stacked, if multiple members of some kind are inserted between adjacent heat exchanger fins, there is a risk that the heat exchanger fins will be deformed.

Furthermore, when the fin stack 30 is constructed by stacking the heat exchanger fins 40 having low rigidity as described above, there is a possibility that undulations with concaves and convexes may occur in the stacking direction as shown in FIG.
When separating a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from a fin stack that has such undulations, even if you try to insert multiple members into the gaps between adjacent heat exchanger fins along the length of the heat exchanger fins, it is difficult to insert the multiple members because the gaps are undulating.

The present invention was made to solve the above problem, and its purpose is to provide a device for separating a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from a stack of many heat exchanger fins without deforming them.

The heat exchanger fin separation device of the present invention is a device for separating a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from a fin stack in which a plurality of heat exchanger fins are stacked in the plate thickness direction, and includes an arrangement section for arranging the fin stack with the stacking direction oriented horizontally; a separation unit that is arranged above the fin stack arranged in the arrangement section and extends in the length direction of the heat exchanger fins, which is a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction in a horizontal plane; a moving device that moves the separation unit in the stacking direction of the fin stack; a first claw that is provided on the separation unit and is movable in the length direction of the heat exchanger fins and is vertically movable, and that widens the upper gap between predetermined heat exchanger fins; and a second claw that is provided on the separation unit and is vertically movable, The system further comprises a plurality of second claws that enter the gaps whose upper spacing has been widened by the first claws; and a control unit. The control unit controls the first claws to enter upper gaps between a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins and the remaining heat exchanger fins in the fin stack to widen the gaps at the upper portions of the gaps, move the first claws in the lengthwise direction of the heat exchanger fins while they are in the upper portions of the gaps, widen the gaps at the upper portions of the gaps in the lengthwise direction of the flattened tube fins, sequentially enter the second claws into the gaps whose upper spacing has been widened by the first claws, and drive the moving device to press the heat exchanger fins with each second claw, separating the predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from the remaining heat exchanger fins.

By adopting this configuration, the first claw first moves along the length of the flattened tube fins in the upper part of the gap between the heat exchanger fins, widening it, and then the second claw is allowed to enter the gap as the upper part is widened. This allows the second claw to enter even heat exchanger fins with low rigidity without deforming them. Furthermore, even if the fin stack is undulating, the first claw moves along the length of the upper part of the gap between the heat exchanger fins, straightening the undulation to some extent and facilitating the subsequent entry of the second claw.

The separation unit may also be provided with a plurality of third claws that can move up and down, and the control unit may control the second claws to sequentially enter the gap whose upper spacing has been widened by the first claws, then drive the moving device to press the heat exchanger fins with the second claws to widen the gap, and then raise each of the second claws, cause each of the third claws to enter the gap widened by each of the second claws, and drive the moving device to press the heat exchanger fins with each of the third claws to separate a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from the remaining heat exchanger fins.
With this configuration, the first claw widens the spacing at the top of the gap, making it easier for the second claw to enter, the second claw widens the spacing of the gap, and the third claw presses against a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins, so that the predetermined number of heat exchanger fins can be separated from the remaining fin stack without deforming the heat exchanger fins.

The separation unit may also be provided with a sensor that detects each of the heat exchanger fins that make up the fin stack, and the control unit may drive the moving device to detect the heat exchanger fins one by one from one end of the fin stack using the sensor to detect the position where a predetermined number of fins have been detected, and when moving the first claw in the lengthwise direction of the heat exchanger fin, control the moving device to drive so that the first claw is always at the position where the predetermined number of fins has been detected, even if the fin stack is undulating.
With this configuration, the position of the first claw can be constantly adjusted to match the undulations of the fin stack, while the first claw can be moved along the length of the flattened tube fin. Therefore, even if the undulations of the fin stack are large, the spacing above the gaps between the flattened tube fins can be reliably widened without deforming the flattened tube fins.

The heat exchanger fin may be a flat tube fin having a plurality of notches cut out from one side of the width direction to the other side in the longitudinal direction, the positioning portion being two or more guide bodies extending in the stacking direction that are inserted into two or more of the plurality of notches in the fin stack to hold the fin stack, and the control portion may be characterized in that it moves the first claw above the guide body and then causes the first claw to enter an upper portion of a gap between a predetermined number of flat tube fins in the fin stack and the remaining flat tube fins.
With this configuration, when the first claw descends to a location where no guide body is provided, the pressing force of the first claw will cause the fins for the flattened tube to deform, but when the first claw descends to a location where a guide body is provided, the pressing force of the first claw is absorbed by the guide body, preventing the fins for the flattened tube from being deformed.

The heat exchanger fin may be a flat tube fin having a plurality of notches cut out from one side to the other in the width direction along the length, the positioning portion being two or more guide bodies extending in the stacking direction that are inserted into two or more of the plurality of notches in the fin stack to hold the fin stack, and the control unit may be characterized in that it controls the first claw to move in the length direction of the flat tube fin so as to widen the upper gap on the inside of both guide bodies that are arranged at both ends of the length direction of the flat tube fin, and then to move the first claw in the length direction of the flat tube fin so as to widen the upper gap on the outside of both guide bodies, out of the two or more guide bodies.
The effect of this configuration is as follows: The fin stacks on the outer sides of the guide bodies located at both ends of the multiple guide bodies are held by the guide body only on one side, which may result in large undulations, and the ends of the flattened tube fins are not held by the guide body, making it difficult for the first claws to enter.
Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, the spacing above the gap between the flattened tube fins located inside the guide bodies located at both ends is first widened, thereby correcting the undulations to a certain extent, and then the spacing above the gap between the flattened tube fins located outside the guide bodies located at both ends can be reliably widened.

The first claw may also be formed in a double conical shape, with the direction connecting the apexes of the two cones facing the stacking direction of the fin stack, and be configured to be freely rotatable around the straight line connecting the apexes of the two cones as the center of rotation.
With this configuration, the first claw rotates while moving in the longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger fin, thereby reducing the contact resistance between the first claw and the heat exchanger fin it comes into contact with, allowing the first claw to move smoothly and preventing deformation of the heat exchanger fin.

The second claws and the third claws may each have a tip formed to be bifurcated or more.
With this configuration, the contact resistance between the second and third claws and the heat exchanger fins when they enter can be reduced, allowing for smooth entry and preventing deformation of the heat exchanger fins.

According to the present invention, when separating a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from a stack of many heat exchanger fins, the heat exchanger fins can be separated without deforming them.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a heat exchanger fin. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a heat exchanger fin separation device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of a heat exchanger fin separation device. FIG. 2 is a front view of a heat exchanger fin separation device. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the attachment structure of the first claw. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the configuration and operation of a first claw. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the configuration and operation of a second claw. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the configuration and operation of a third claw. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a second embodiment of a control method. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a third embodiment of a control method. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the first claw. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a fin stack having unevenness and undulations in the stacking direction.

(Configuration of heat exchanger fins)
First, the heat exchanger fin 40 will be described with reference to FIG.
The heat exchanger fins include round tube heat exchanger fins 46, which have through holes 44 for inserting round heat exchange tubes, as shown in Fig. 1(A), and flat tube fins 40, which have multiple notches 42 formed at predetermined intervals along the length for inserting flat tubes (not shown) as heat exchange tubes, as shown in Fig. 1(B). The notches 42 are cut out from one side of the flat tube fin 40 to the other side in the width direction.
In the following embodiment, a flattened tube fin 40 will be described as an example of a heat exchanger fin.

The flattened tube fins manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus for the flattened tube fins 40 are stacked in a plurality of layers, which is called a fin stack 30 .
The separation device 10 according to the present invention is a device for arranging the fin stack 30 and separating a predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40 required for a heat exchanger from the fin stack 30 .

(Overall device configuration)
Next, the separation device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 7. Here, the left side of the drawing is defined as the front side and the right side as the rear side in the stacking direction of the fin stack, and the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the fin stack in the horizontal plane is defined as the length direction of the flattened tube fins.

The separating device 10 includes a base 14 on which a plurality of guide bodies 12 are arranged, and a separating unit 16 arranged on the upper part of the base 14 .
The fin stack 30 held by the guide body 12 is configured by stacking a large number of flattened tube fins 40 in the plate thickness direction. Note that in Figures 2 and 5, the upper surface of the fin stack 30 is not shown as if multiple flattened tube fins 40 were stacked.

The fin stack 30 is arranged so that the opening side of the notch 42 of each flattened tube fin 40 faces downward, and the guide body 12 is inserted into this notch 42 and held by the base 14.
The guide body 12 is a long, plate-like member extending along the stacking direction of the fin stack 30 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the stacking direction), and its thickness (the width in the longitudinal direction of the flattened tube fin 40) is formed to be slightly narrower than the width of the cutout portion 42 (the width in the longitudinal direction of the flattened tube fin 40), allowing it to easily enter the cutout portion 42 of the fin stack 30.
In this embodiment, six guide bodies 12 are arranged at equal intervals on the upper surface of the base 14. That is, the fin stack 30 is held to the base 14 by six guide bodies 12. However, the number of guide bodies 12 is not limited to six.

Guide members 22 are arranged on the upper surface of the base 14 near both ends of the flattened tube fins 40 in the longitudinal direction, respectively, to support the separation units 16 so that they can move in the stacking direction.
At both longitudinal ends of the flattened tube fin 40 of the separation unit 16, there are provided gripping portions 24 for gripping the guide member 22, and the separation unit 16 is configured so as to be movable in the stacking direction on the upper surface of the base 14.

In addition, a moving device 20 that moves the separation unit 16 in the stacking direction is provided on the outside of one of the two guide members 22 on the upper surface of the base 14 (on the longitudinal end side of the flattened tube fin 40).
The movement device 20 in this embodiment employs a ball screw. The ball screw has a screw shaft 28, a motor 26 that rotates the screw shaft 28, and a nut portion 32 that moves linearly as the screw shaft 28 rotates. The nut portion 32 is fixed to the separation unit 16.
However, the moving device 20 is not limited to a ball screw, and a cylinder or the like may also be used.

The separation unit 16 is provided with a plurality of types of claw members each having a plurality of pieces.
The claw members have different thicknesses (lengths in the stacking direction), different lengths in the up-down direction, and different angles at the tips.
Of the multiple types of claw members, the claw members with the shortest vertical length advance into the gaps between predetermined flat tube fins 40 in the fin stack 30 in order to widen the gaps, and finally the claw member with the longest vertical length advances into the gaps between the flat tube fins 40, pressing against a predetermined number of flat tube fins 40 and separating them from the remaining flat tube fins 40.

In this embodiment, three types of claw members, namely, a first claw 50, a second claw 52, and a third claw 54, are provided as the plurality of types of claw members.
7, the first claw 50 is attached to a first claw vertical movement device 63 provided on the first plate 60 so as to be movable up and down. The first claw vertical movement device 63 is attached to the front side of the first plate 60 and is composed of a linear motion device such as a cylinder.

The first plate 60 is disposed on the front side of the separation unit 16 and is movable in the length direction of the flattened tube fins 40 by a first claw moving device 62 .
In this embodiment, the first jaw moving device 62 employs a ball screw. The ball screw has a screw shaft 64, a motor 65 that rotates the screw shaft 64, and a nut portion 66 that moves linearly as the screw shaft 64 rotates. The nut portion 66 is fixed to the first plate 60.
However, the first pawl moving device 62 is not limited to a ball screw, and a cylinder or the like may also be used.

A sensor 36 is provided near the first claw 50 of the first plate 60. The sensor 36 is composed of a sensor head 36a and an amplifier 36b, and can detect the flattened tube fins 40 one by one and count a predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40.

The mounting position of the sensor 36 is not limited to the vicinity of the first claw 50 .
For example, a plurality of sensors 36 may be attached to the first plate 60 above each guide body 12 .

Each second claw 52 is attached to a second plate 70. The second plate 70 is attached to a second claw vertical movement device 72, and is driven by the second claw vertical movement device 72 to move the second plate 70 up and down.
The second claw vertical movement device 72 is configured by a linear motion device such as a cylinder, and has a main body 72a attached to a third plate 74 (described later) and a rod 72b to which the second plate 70 is attached at the lower end. Therefore, the second plate 70 can move up and down independently even when the third plate 74 is not operating.

The third claws 54 are attached to a third plate 74. The third plate 74 is an elongated member extending along the length of the flattened tube fin 40, and a plurality of third claws 54 are arranged on the lower end surface of the third plate 74.
The third plate 74 is provided so as to be movable up and down by a third claw vertical movement device 76. A plurality of third claw vertical movement devices 76 are arranged on the rear side of the third plate 74, and move the third plate 74 up and down relative to the separation unit 16.

(Configuration and operation of each claw member)
The separation procedure using the first claw 50, the second claw 52, and the third claw 54 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 8 shows a process of lowering the first claws to widen the upper portions of the gaps 55 between the flattened tube fins 40 at predetermined positions in the fin stack 30 .
The first claw 50 is formed from a block-shaped main body 50a to a pointed tip 50b at the lower end thereof that faces downward.
Compared to the second claw 52 and the third claw 54, the angle θ1 of the tip 50b (the angle when viewed from the longitudinal end of the flat tube fin 40) is the largest, the thickness t1 (the length in the stacking direction) is the thickest, and the length h1 in the vertical direction is the shortest.

The first claw 50 is moved in the lengthwise direction of the flattened tube fin 40 by the first claw movement device 62, but the movement of the first claw 50 in the lengthwise direction of the flattened tube fin 40 is stopped above the guide body 12, and the first claw 50 descends toward the guide body 12. If the first claw 50 descends in a position where the guide body 12 is not present, there is a risk that the flattened tube fin 40 that comes into contact with the first claw 50 will deform. However, if the first claw 50 descends in a position where the guide body 12 is present, the rigidity of the guide body 12 prevents deformation of the flattened tube fin 40.

As shown in FIG. 8B, when the tip 50b of the first claw 50 enters the gap 55, the space above the gap 55 is widened.
8(C), the tip 50b of the first claw 50 is moved along the length of the flattened tube fin 40 while remaining inserted into the gap 55. By moving the first claw 50 along the length of the flattened tube fin 40 in this manner, the spacing at the top of the gap 55 can be widened along the length of the flattened tube fin 40.

FIG. 9 shows a process in which the second claw 52 is inserted into the portion of the gap 55 where the upper space has been widened by the first claw 50, thereby widening the entire gap 55.
The second claw 52 has a thickness t2 (length in the stacking direction) thinner than the first claw 50 and the third claw 54, and is thick enough to enter the wider upper part of the gap 55. The vertical length h2 of the second claw 52 is about half the length of the flattened tube fin 40 in the width direction (vertical direction), and is longer than the first claw 50 and shorter than the third claw 54.
The tip of the second claw 52 is slightly tapered but has a thickness that is approximately the same as the plate thickness.

9B , the second claw 52 is inserted into the portion of the gap 55 where the upper space has been widened by the first claw 50. The second claw 52 is inserted into the gap 55 up to about halfway in the width direction (vertical direction) of the flattened tube fin 40.
9C, the second claw 52 is moved along the stacking direction, thereby further widening the gap 55.

Figure 10 shows a process in which the third claw 54 is inserted into the area where the gap 55 has been widened by the second claw 52, completely separating a predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40 from the remaining fin stack 30.
The third claw 54 has a thickness t3 (length in the stacking direction) greater than that of the first claw 50 and the second claw 52, but is thick enough to be able to penetrate the entire gap 55 in the vertical direction, the gap being widened by the second claw 52.
In addition, the vertical length h3 of the third claw 54 is approximately the same as or longer than the widthwise (vertical) length of the flattened tube fin 40, and is longer than the first claw 50 and the second claw 52.
The angle θ3 of the tip of the third claw 54 (as viewed from the longitudinal end of the flattened tube fin 40) is smaller than the angle θ1 of the tip of the first claw 50, making it sharper.

10B , the third claws 54 are inserted into the gaps 55 widened by the second claws 52. The third claws 54 are inserted into the gaps 55 across the entire width (vertical direction) of the flattened tube fin 40.
10C, the third claw 54 is moved along the stacking direction, thereby separating a predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40 from the remaining fin stack 30.

Note that, unlike the first claw 50, the third claw 54 is located away from above the guide body 12. This is because if the guide body 12 is present when the third claw 54 is lowered, the guide body 12 will get in the way and prevent it from descending any further.

(First embodiment of control method)
Next, the control by the control unit 80 will be described with reference to FIG.
The separating device 10 is provided with a control unit 80 that controls the operation of the entire device. The control unit 80 includes a CPU and memory consisting of ROM and RAM, and controls each component of the separating device 10 based on a preset operating program. The number of flattened tube fins 40 detected by the sensor 36 is input to the control unit 80, and the control unit 80 outputs control signals to the moving device 20, the first jaw moving device 62, the first jaw vertical movement device 63, the second jaw vertical movement device 72, and the third jaw vertical movement device 76.

As described above, a sensor 36 that detects the flattened tube fins 40 is provided near the first claw 50 or above each guide body 12 of the first plate 60. As the separation unit 16 moves using the movement device 20, the amplifier 36b counts the flattened tube fins 40 detected by the sensor head 36a, and the counted number is input to the control unit 80.

First, the control unit 80 drives the moving device 20 to move the separation unit 16 to the frontmost side in the stacking direction.
Next, the control unit 80 drives the moving device 20 to move the separation unit 16 rearward in the stacking direction, while checking the number of flattened tube fins 40 detected by the sensor 36 .
The control unit 80 checks the number of flat tube fins 40 detected by the sensor 36 and controls the moving device 20 so that the tip 50b of the first claw 50 is positioned above the gap 55 between a predetermined number of flat tube fins 40 and a flat tube fin 40 located behind the predetermined number of flat tube fins 40.

Next, the control unit 80 drives the first claw up-and-down device 63 to lower the first claw 50, causing the tip 50b of the first claw 50 to enter the upper part of the gap 55 between the predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40 and the flattened tube fin 40 located behind the predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40, widening the space at the top of the gap 55.

Next, with the tip 50b of the first claw 50 inserted into the upper part of the gap 55, the control unit 80 drives the first claw moving device 62 to move the first claw 50 along the length of the flattened tube fin 40.

When the first claw 50 moves along the length of the flattened tube fin 40 and widens the upper gap of the gap 55, the control unit 80 drives the second claw up/down movement device 72 to lower the second claw 52 and allow the second claw 52 to enter the gap 55 whose upper gap has been widened by the first claw 50.

While the first claw 50 moves along the length of the flattened tube fin 40, the control unit 80 drives the second claw up-and-down movement device 72 corresponding to the second claw 52 located at the point where the first claw 50 passed, lowering the second claw 52 and allowing the second claw 52 to enter the gap 55 whose upper space has been widened by the first claw 50.

After the last second claw 52 enters the gap 55, the control unit 80 stops the first claw moving device 62 and drives the first claw up/down movement device 63 to raise the first claw 50 and move the tip 50b of the first claw 50 away from the gap 55.

Next, the control unit 80 drives the moving device 20, and while the second claw 52 remains inserted into the gap 55, the second claw 52 presses the flattened tube fin 40 forward in the stacking direction, widening the gap 55.

Next, the control unit 80 drives the second claw up-and-down movement device 72 to raise the second claw 52 and move the second claw 52 away from the gap 55.

Next, the control unit 80 drives the moving device 20 to move the separation unit 16 so that the third claw 54 is positioned above the gap 55 widened by the second claw 52.

Next, the control unit 80 drives the third claw up-and-down movement device 76 to lower the third claw 54 and allow the third claw 54 to enter the gap 55.

Next, the control unit 80 drives the moving device 20, and while the third claws 54 remain inserted into the gaps 55, the third claws 54 press the flat tube fins 40 forward in the stacking direction, separating a predetermined number of flat tube fins 40 from the remaining fin stack 30.

By controlling the above-described operations, the control unit 80 can reliably separate a predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40 from the fin stack 30 without deforming the flattened tube fins 40.

In the first embodiment of the control method described above, a predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40 are separated at the front of the stacking direction, but a configuration in which a predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40 are separated at the rear of the stacking direction may also be used. This is also true for the second and third embodiments of the control method described below.

(Second embodiment of control method)
A schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the control method is shown in Fig. 12. Note that the position of the first claw 50 indicated by the dashed line shows an example in which only the first claw moving device 62 is moved without driving the moving device 26. In this embodiment, the operations of the second claw 52 and the third claw 54 are the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description of the operations of the second claw 52 and the third claw 54 will be omitted.

In the first embodiment of the control method described above, when the first claw 50 moves in the longitudinal direction of the flattened tube fin 40, the moving device 20 is not driven and the separation unit 16 is fixed in its position.
However, if the fin stack 30 is significantly undulated, it becomes difficult for the first claws 50 to move in the length direction of the flattened tube fins 40, and there is a risk that the flattened tube fins 40 may be deformed.
Therefore, in the second embodiment of the control method, the control unit 80 drives the first claw moving device 62 while driving the moving device 26, thereby moving the first claw 50 along the swell, thereby reliably widening the spacing above the gap 55 without deforming the flattened tube fin 40.

Since a sensor 36 is provided near the first claw 50 or above each guide 12 of the first plate 60, the control unit 80 can always grasp the position of the gap 55 by the sensor 36.
When the control unit 80 drives the first claw moving device 62 to move the first claw 50 along the length of the flat tube fin 40, it also constantly detects the position of the gap 55 and drives the moving device 26 to control the movement of the first claw 50 in the stacking direction so that the first claw 50 is always positioned in the gap 55.
Therefore, the first claws 50 can move in the length direction of the flattened tube fins 40 along the undulations of the gaps 55 .

(Third embodiment of control method)
A schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the control method is shown in Fig. 13. In this embodiment, the operations of the second claw 52 and the third claw are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description of the operations of the second claw 52 and the third claw will be omitted.
Of the multiple guide bodies 12 that hold the fin stacks 30, the fin stacks 30 that are located outside the guide bodies 12a at both ends are held by the guide body 12 on only one side, which may result in large swells, and since the ends of the flattened tube fins 40 are not held by the guide body 12, it is difficult to insert the first claws 50.

Therefore, the control unit 80 drives the first claw moving device 62 and controls the first claw 50 to widen the spacing above the gap 55 between the flat tube fins 40 that are located inside the guide bodies 12a at both ends.
The control unit 80 widens the gap above the gap 55 between the flat tube fins 40 that are inside the guide bodies 12a at both ends, and then controls the first claw moving device 62 so that the first claw 50 is positioned in the gap 55 between the flat tube fins 40 that are outside the guide bodies 12a at both ends, widening the gap above the gap 55 between the flat tube fins 40 that are outside the guide bodies 12a at both ends.
In addition, when widening the spacing above the gap 55 between the flat tube fins 40 that are outside the guide bodies 12a at both ends, the control unit 80 needs to control the first claw 50 to move from the inside to the outside of the guide bodies 12a at both ends.

According to this third embodiment of the control method, the spacing above the gaps 55 between the flattened tube fins 40 located inside the guide bodies 12a at both ends is first widened, thereby correcting the undulations to a certain extent, and then the spacing above the gaps 55 between the flattened tube fins 40 located outside the guide bodies 12a at both ends can be reliably widened.

Note that the various embodiments of the control method described above may be implemented in combination with each other.

(Second embodiment of first claw)
A second embodiment of the first claw is shown in Fig. 14. Note that the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.
The first claw 50 in the first embodiment described above has a shape in which the sharp tip portion 50b protrudes downward from the block-shaped main body portion 50a.
On the other hand, the first claw 90 of the second embodiment is formed in a double cone shape, with the direction connecting the apexes of the double cones facing the stacking direction. A rotation shaft 92 is disposed, with its axis facing the linear direction connecting the apexes of the double cones (i.e., the stacking direction), and the first claw 90 is freely rotatable around the rotation shaft 92.

The rotating shaft 92 is mounted on a shaft mounting block 94, which is mounted to the first claw up/down movement device 63 so that it can move up and down. The first claw up/down movement device 63 is mounted on the front side of the first plate 60 and is composed of a linear motion device such as a cylinder.

In this way, by employing a first claw 90 that rotates freely relative to the rotation shaft 92, after the first claw 90 enters the gap 55 between the flattened tube fins 40, the first claw 90 moves while rotating as it is moved in the lengthwise direction of the flattened tube fins 40. This reduces the contact resistance between the first claw 90 and the flattened tube fin 40 it comes into contact with, preventing deformation of the flattened tube fins 40.

According to the above-described embodiment, three types of claw members are used to sequentially enter the gaps between the flattened tube fins to separate a predetermined number of flattened tube fins 40 from the remaining fin stack 30, but the number of types of claw members is not limited to three.
For example, without providing the third claw 54, the first claw 50 widens the upper part of the gap 55, and then the second claw 52 enters the gap 55, and by driving the moving device 20, the second claw 52 presses a predetermined number of flat tube fins 40 and separates them from the remaining fin stack 30.

Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the flattened tube fins 40 are used as heat exchanger fins.
However, the configurations of the first and second embodiments can be employed even when a predetermined number of round tube heat exchanger fins 46 are separated from the fin stack 30 in which a plurality of round tube heat exchanger fins 46 are stacked. However, in the case of round tube heat exchanger fins 46, the guide body 12 is not necessary, and the fin stack 30 in which the round tube heat exchanger fins 46 are stacked is arranged in a flat arrangement section.

10 Separation device 12 Guide body 14 Base 16 Separation unit 20 Moving device 22 Guide member 24 Grip portion 26 Motor 28 Screw shaft 30 Fin stack 32 Nut portion 36 Sensor 36a Sensor head 36b Amplifier 40 Flat tube fin 42 Notch portion 46 Round tube heat exchanger fin 50 First claw 50a Main body portion 50b Tip portion 52 Second claw 54 Third claw 55 Gap 60 First plate 62 First claw moving device 63 First claw up and down movement device 64 Screw shaft 65 Motor 66 Nut portion 70 Second plate 72 Second claw up and down movement device 72a Main body portion 72b Rod portion 74 Third plate 76 Third claw up and down movement device 80 Control unit 90 First claw 92 Rotation shaft 94 Shaft mounting block

Claims (7)

An apparatus for separating a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from a fin stack in which a plurality of heat exchanger fins are stacked in the plate thickness direction,
an arrangement section that arranges the fin stack so that the stacking direction is horizontal;
a separation unit disposed above the fin stack disposed in the arrangement section and extending in a length direction of the heat exchanger fin, which is a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction in a horizontal plane;
a moving device that moves the separation unit in a stacking direction of the fin stack;
a first claw provided on the separation unit, movable in the length direction of the heat exchanger fins and movable up and down, for widening the upper gap between predetermined heat exchanger fins;
a plurality of second claws provided on the separation unit, movable up and down, and adapted to enter the gap whose upper space is widened by the first claws;
a control unit;
The control unit
The first claws are inserted into an upper portion of a gap between a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins and the remaining heat exchanger fins of the fin stack to widen the gap at the upper portion of the gap;
The first claw is moved in the length direction of the heat exchanger fin while being inserted into the upper part of the gap, and the gap at the upper part of the gap is widened in the length direction of the flat tube fin,
The second claws are sequentially inserted into the gap whose upper space has been widened by the first claws,
A heat exchanger fin separation device characterized by controlling the moving device to press the heat exchanger fins with each of the second claws to separate a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from the remaining heat exchanger fins. a plurality of third claws provided on the separation unit and movable up and down;
The control unit
The second claws are sequentially inserted into the gaps whose upper intervals have been widened by the first claws, and then the moving device is driven to press the heat exchanger fins with the second claws to widen the intervals, and then the second claws are raised;
The third claws are inserted into the gaps widened by the second claws,
2. The heat exchanger fin separating device according to claim 1, wherein the moving device is controlled to press the heat exchanger fins with each of the third claws to separate a predetermined number of heat exchanger fins from the remaining heat exchanger fins. The separation unit is provided with a sensor that detects each of the heat exchanger fins that constitute the fin stack,
The control unit
The moving device is driven to detect the heat exchanger fins one by one from one end of the fin stack using the sensor, and detect a position where a predetermined number of fins has been detected;
A heat exchanger fin separation device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that when the first claw is moved in the longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger fin, the moving device is driven and controlled so that the first claw is always located at the position where the specified number of fins is reached, even if the fin stack is undulating. The heat exchanger fin is a flat tube fin having a plurality of notches cut out from one side to the other side in the width direction, the notches being formed in the length direction,
the arrangement portion is two or more guide bodies extending in a stacking direction and inserted into two or more of the plurality of cutout portions of the fin stack to hold the fin stack,
The heat exchanger fin separation device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the control unit moves the first claw above the guide body and then inserts the first claw into the upper part of the gap between a predetermined number of flattened tube fins in the fin stack and the remaining flattened tube fins. The heat exchanger fin is a flat tube fin having a plurality of notches cut out from one side to the other side in the width direction, the notches being formed in the length direction,
the arrangement portion is two or more guide bodies extending in a stacking direction and inserted into two or more of the plurality of cutout portions of the fin stack to hold the fin stack,
The control unit
the first claw is moved in the longitudinal direction of the flattened tube fin so as to widen the upper portion of the gap on the inner side of both guide bodies, which are arranged at both ends of the flattened tube fin in the longitudinal direction of the flattened tube fin, among the two or more guide bodies;
A heat exchanger fin separation device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the first claw is then controlled to move in the longitudinal direction of the flat tube fin so as to widen the upper part of the gap outside both guide bodies. The first claw is
A heat exchanger fin separation device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the fin is formed in a double conical shape, the direction connecting the apexes of the two cones faces the stacking direction of the fin stack, and the fin is freely rotatable around the straight line connecting the apexes of the two cones as the center of rotation. A heat exchanger fin separation device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the tip of each of the second claws and each of the third claws is formed to be bifurcated or more.