Apparatus for taking out flattened tube fins

When taking out flattened tube fins that have been stacked in a stacker apparatus from the stacker apparatus while maintaining the stacked state, an apparatus is provided for taking out the stacked flattened tube fins from the stacker apparatus that stacks the flattened tube fins having cutaway portions into which flattened tubes are inserted. The apparatus includes a first member including a base plate and an erected portion, a second member that is disposed at a position facing the first member and together with the first member clamps the flattened tube fins, and a moving mechanism that causes the first member and the second member to move toward and away from the flattened tube fins on the stacker apparatus and moves the flattened tube fins and the stacker apparatus apart while the flattened tube fins of the stacker apparatus are clamped by the first member and the second member.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an apparatus for taking out flattened tube fins that takes out flattened tube fins, which are stacked and held on a stacker apparatus, from the stacker apparatus while maintaining the stacked state.

BACKGROUND ART

A heat exchanger, such as an air conditioner, includes tubes for supplying a cooling medium and heat exchanger fins for increasing the surface area of the tubes. Such heat exchanger fins are manufactured by integrally assembling the tubes and the heat exchanger fins that have been manufactured separately. As a manufacturing apparatus of such heat exchanger fins, a configuration such as that disclosed in PTL1 is known.

The manufacturing apparatus for a heat exchanger disclosed in PTL1 manufactures a heat exchanger by arranging a plurality of tubes at predetermined intervals so as to be parallel, disposing heat exchanger fins between the tubes, and fixing the heat exchanger fins and the tubes to one another.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

Aside from the configuration of the heat exchanger disclosed in Patent Document 1, a heat exchanger of a configuration that uses flattened tubes that are formed in a flattened shape and flattened tube fins as heat exchanger fins and is assembled so that the flattened tubes and the flattened tube fins intersect one another (so that the flattened tube fins are skewered by the flattened tubes) is also provided. When assembling a heat exchanger in this way in a state where the flattened tubes and the flattened tube fins intersect, since cutaway portions for attaching the flattened tubes are formed in the flattened tube fins, it is favorable to assemble the flattened tubes with flattened tube fins that have been stacked in the thickness direction. However, the reality is that a favorable manufacturing apparatus for a heat exchanger for use when performing assembly in this way has not been provided.

Solution to Problem

The present invention was conceived to solve the problem described above and has an object of providing an apparatus for taking out flattened tube fins which, by taking out a plurality of flattened tube fins that are stacked on a stacker apparatus from the stacker apparatus while maintaining the stacked state, can be favorably used when performing assembly by passing flattened tubes through the flattened tube fins.

As a result of intensive research into solving the above problem, the present inventors conceived the configuration described below which is capable of solving the problem. That is, the present invention is an apparatus for taking out flattened tube fins that takes out stacked flattened tube fins, in which a plurality of cutaway portions, into which flattened tubes used for heat exchanging are inserted, are funned from one side toward another side in a width direction, from a stacker apparatus, the stacker apparatus stacking the flattened tube fins and including a base portion, stacker pins that are erected on an upper surface of the base and inserted through the cutaway portions, and a stacking start position regulating portion for stacking the flattened tube fins from a position that is separated from an upper surface of the base portion, the apparatus for taking out flattened tube fins including: a first member including a base plate and an erected portion that is erected on the base plate in a state where the erected portion is positioned at at least an opening-side position of a cutaway portion, out of any of the cutaway portions aside from positions of the stacker pins; a second member disposed at a position that faces the first member with the flattened tube fins stacked in the stacker apparatus in between and together with the first member clamps the flattened tube fins stacked on the stacker apparatus; and a moving mechanism that causes the first member and the second member to move toward and away from the flattened tube fins stacked on the stacker apparatus and moves the flattened tube fins and the stacker apparatus apart in a state where the flattened tube fins stacked on the stacker apparatus are clamped by the first member and the second member.

By using the above configuration, it is possible to efficiently take a plurality of flattened tube fins, in a state where the flattened tube fins are stacked along stacker pins of a stacker apparatus, out of the stacker apparatus while maintaining the stacked state.

It is also preferable for the moving mechanism to clamp the flattened tube fins stacked on the stacker apparatus between the first member and the second member by moving the first member so that the base plate advances into a position between the base and the stacking start position regulating portion and the erected portion advances into an opening-side position of a cutaway portion and by moving the second member in a direction that approaches the first member, and to then move the first member and the second member along a direction in which the stacker pins are erected.

With this configuration, it is possible to hold the flattened tube fins in the stacked state on the stacker apparatus from the cutaway portions and the bottom surface of the flattened tube fins, which makes the stacked state even less likely to collapse and makes it possible to stably take out the flattened tube fins in a stacked state from the stacker apparatus.

It is also preferable for the apparatus to further include an accumulating unit including at least two guides that are positioned at formation positions of the cutaway portions of the flattened tube fins, are capable of advancing into the cutaway portions, and are disposed at positions that do not interfere with the erected portion, and for the moving mechanism to move the flattened tube fins clamped between the first member and the second member in a stacked state to a position of the accumulating unit, to cause the flattened tube fins to rotate so that opening sides of the cutaway portions of the flattened tube fins face the guides so as to allow the guides to advance into the cutaway portions of the flattened tube fins clamped in the stacked state by the first member and the second member and to cause the guides to advance into the cutaway portions of the flattened tube fins and then cause the first member and the second member to relatively move apart.

With the above configuration, it is possible to accumulate flattened tube fins in the stacked state that have been taken out of the stacker apparatus on the accumulating unit while maintaining the stacked state. By doing so, since it is possible, after the flattened tube fins in the stacked state have been taken out a plurality of times, to hold all of the flattened tube fins in an aligned state when advancing to the next process, it is possible to supply the flattened tube fins in a suitable state to a following process, such as a process that assembles the flattened tube fins and flattened tubes.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to take a plurality of flattened tube fins that are stacked on the stacker apparatus out of the stacker apparatus while maintaining the stacked state. This means that it is possible to efficiently perform a subsequent process which is an assembly process for the flattened tube fins and flattened tubes.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The overall manufacturing process of a flattened tube fin10handled in the present embodiments will now be described.FIG. 1AandFIG. 1Bare diagrams useful in explaining a flattened tube fin used in the present embodiments.FIG. 1Ais a plan view depicting an entire flattened tube fin andFIG. 1Bis an enlarged plan view of a principal part of a flattened tube fin.

A flattened tube fin10like that depicted inFIG. 1AandFIG. 1Bis formed by press machining a thin plate of metal, such as aluminum. The thin metal plate used as a raw material of the flattened tube fin10is supplied in a state where the metal plate has been wound into a coil. After being fed out by a feeder, the thin metal plate is intermittently conveyed to a press apparatus by a conveying apparatus. After being machined (pressed) into a predetermined shape by a mold apparatus provided inside the press apparatus (neither apparatus is illustrated), the thin metal plate is formed into metal strips of the product width by splitting the thin metal plate into product widths. The metal strips of product width are divided into lengths of a size that is set in advance in the conveying direction to form the flattened tube fins10, which are then stacked and held in a stacker apparatus.

As depicted inFIG. 1AandFIG. 1B, cutaway portions12, into which flattened tubes T for supplying coolant for heat exchanging are inserted, are formed in the flattened tube fin10. The cutaway portions12are formed at a plurality of positions that are separated by predetermined intervals along the length direction of the flattened tube fin10. Plate-like portions14are formed between the cutaway portions12of the flattened tube fin10, and a louver15is formed on each plate-like portion14. Folded-up portions16formed by cutting and folding up parts of the plate-like portions14are formed at both ends in the width direction of the louvers15. As should be clear fromFIG. 1AandFIG. 1B, two folded-up portions16are formed for one louver15on the flattened tube fin10according to the present embodiment.

The cutaway portions12are formed from only one side in the width direction of each flattened tube fin10. Accordingly, the plate-like portions14are joined in the length direction by a joining portion18that extends along the length direction. On the flattened tube fin10according to the present embodiment, out of the folded-up portions16for one louver15, the folded-up portion16on one side is formed at the front end of a plate-like portion14(an opening12A side of the cutaway portions12) and the other folded-up portion16is formed at a position on the joining portion18. Note that although an arrangement where the flattened tubes T that are to advance into the cutaway portions12are disposed at only two positions is depicted inFIG. 1AandFIG. 1Bto simplify the drawings, the flattened tubes T are inserted into all of the cutaway portions12.

A predetermined number of the flattened tube fins10formed in this way are stacked and held in the thickness direction in a stacker apparatus100depicted inFIGS. 2A to 2C.

First Embodiment

The configuration of an apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins according to the present embodiment will now be described with reference toFIGS. 2A to 2C.FIG. 2Ais a plan view,FIG. 2Bis a front view, andFIG. 2Cis a right side view. When not indicated otherwise, the symbols A, B, and C in the drawings fromFIGS. 3A to 3Conwards have the same meaning asFIGS. 2A to 2C.

As depicted inFIGS. 2A to 2C, the stacker apparatus100in which the flattened tube fins10according to the present embodiment are stacked and held includes a base102composed of a flat plate, stacker pins104and guide pins108that are erected on the upper surface of the base102, and spacers106as stacking start position restricting portions that ensure that the flattened tube fins10are stacked along the stacker pins104with a predetermined interval provided from the upper surface of the base102.

The stacker pins104are formed so as to be capable of advancing into the cutaway portions12from the openings12A of the cutaway portions12of the flattened tube fins10. The spacers106according to the present embodiment are disposed at positions that are outside the two stacker pins104when the stacker apparatus100is viewed from in front. Note that when three or more stacker pins104are erected on the base102, it is preferable for the spacer106to be disposed on the outside of the stacker pins104erected at both end positions.

The guide pins108contact end edges of the joining portions18of the flattened tube fins10and act together with the stacker pins104to position the flattened tube fins10in the plane of the flattened tube fins10above the base102. The stacker pins104and the guide pins108are disposed at the same positions in the length direction of the flattened tube fins10.

In the stacker apparatus100of this configuration, a plurality of flattened tube fins10that have been manufactured by a manufacturing apparatus for heat exchanger fins, not illustrated, are stacked and held in the height direction of the stacker pins104with upper surface positions of the spacers106as stacking start positions. The stacker apparatus100according to the present embodiment has a gap S with the same height as the height of the spacers106formed between the lowest surface of the plurality of flattened tube fins10that are stacked and held and the upper surface of the base102.

After a predetermined number of flattened tube fins10have been stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100described above, the flattened tube fins10are taken out of the stacker apparatus100by the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins while maintaining the stacked state.

As depicted inFIGS. 2A to 2C, the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins according to the present embodiment includes a first member210, a second member220, and a moving mechanism230for moving the first member210and the second member220.

The first member210includes a base plate212and erected portions214that are erected on an upper surface of the base plate212.

The base plate212is formed so as to have a narrower width than the inner width of the two stacker pins104erected on the stacker apparatus100and so as to be thinner than the height of the spacers106(the height of the spacers S) of the stacker apparatus100. Here, both end positions in the width direction of the base plate212and the positions of any two of the cutaway portions12, out of the cutaway portions12formed in the flattened tube fins10stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100, through which the stacker pins104have not been passed are set so as to match.

The erected portions214are erected at both end positions in the width direction of the base plate212. The width of the erected portions214is formed so as to be equal to or narrower than the width of the cutaway portions12of the flattened tube fins10. In addition, it is preferable to form the erected portions214with the same shape when viewed from above as the shape of the cutaway portions12when viewed from above. As depicted inFIG. 2B, the first member210is formed in a U shape (in the form of an open-topped channel) when viewed from in front.

The second member220is disposed at a position facing the first member210with the flattened tube fins10stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100in between, and is provided so as to be capable of acting together with the first member210and the erected portions214of the first member210to clamp the plurality of flattened tube fins10that are being stacked and held. The second member220in the present embodiment is formed of a flat plate with the same width as the base plate212of the first member210and the same height as the erected height of the erected portions214of the first member210and is disposed so as to not interfere with the guide pins108of the stacker apparatus100. The second member220extends in the stacking direction of the flattened tube fins10along the joining portion18of the flattened tube fins10that are stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100, and it is sufficient for the second member220to act together with the first member210to clamp the flattened tube fins10that are stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100. Accordingly, there are no particular limitations on the shape of the second member220.

The first member210and the second member220are provided so as to be capable of being moved by the moving mechanism230. The moving mechanism230is configured so as to be capable of moving the first member210and the second member220so as to at least move toward and away from the flattened tube fins10stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100. Here, a separate moving mechanism230is provided for each of the first member210and the second member220.

The moving mechanism230in the present embodiment makes it possible for the first member210and the second member220to move toward and away in the width direction of the flattened tube fins10stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100and to also move in the stacking direction of the flattened tube fins10. Note that as the moving mechanism230, as examples, it is possible to use a fluid driving apparatus or a motor driving apparatus or a combination of such driving apparatuses, with it being preferable to use air as the fluid and to use a servo motor as the motor.

The respective operations of the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins and the stacker apparatus100described above are controlled by a control unit, not illustrated. As one example of this control unit, it is possible to use an arrangement including a CPU, which is a control means, and a storage means, in which a control program referred to by the control means is stored. The control unit may be disposed independently of the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins but can also be integrally incorporated in an operation control unit for controlling the operations of a manufacturing apparatus for flattened tube fins, not illustrated.

Next, the operation of the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins according to the present embodiment will be described with reference toFIGS. 2A to 2C,FIGS. 3A to 3C,FIGS. 4A to 4C,FIGS. 5A to 5C,FIGS. 6A to 6C,FIG. 7A,FIG. 7C,FIG. 8A,FIG. 8C,FIG. 9A,FIG. 9C,FIG. 10A,FIG. 10C,FIG. 11A, andFIG. 11C. Note that to simplify the drawings, the configuration of the moving mechanism230is depicted inFIG. 2AtoFIG. 2Conly. The moving mechanism230is not illustrated in the drawings fromFIG. 3AtoFIG. 3Conward. As depicted inFIG. 2AtoFIG. 2C, when a number, set in advance, of flattened tube fins10are stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100, a control unit, not illustrated, operates the moving mechanism230so that the first member210and the second member220move toward the plurality of flattened tube fins10stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100from standby positions depicted inFIG. 2AtoFIG. 2C.

More specifically, as depicted by the arrows inFIGS. 3B and 3C, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so as to position the base plate212of the first member210at a gap S between the upper surface of the base102and a lowest surface of the plurality of flattened tube fins10that are stacked and held and to make the erected positions of the erected portions214face the positions of any two of the cutaway portions12where the stacker pins104have not been passed through. The control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that the second member220moves toward the joining portions18of the flattened tube fins10stacked and held at the same time as a movement operation of the first member210or before or after such movement operation to place the bottom end position of the second member220below a lowest surface position of the plurality of flattened tube fins10that are stacked and held.

Note that as depicted inFIGS. 2A to 2C, the standby position of the first member210may be a position where positions in the width direction of the erected portions214of the first member210(the width direction when the stacker apparatus100is viewed from in front) have been aligned with the positions of the cutaway portions12into which the erected portions214are to advance.

As depicted inFIG. 3AtoFIG. 3C, after the first member210and the second member220have reached predetermined positions in the height direction and the width direction, the control unit uses the moving mechanism230to bring the second member220into contact with the joining portions18of the flattened tube fins10as depicted by the arrows inFIG. 4AtoFIG. 4C.

Next, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that first member210moves toward the second member220as depicted by the arrows inFIGS. 5A to 5Cand the erected portions214of the first member210advance into the cutaway portions12of the flattened tube fins10. As described earlier, since the parts of the erected portions214in the present embodiment that advance into the cutaway portions12are formed with the same shape when viewed from above as the shape of the cutaway portions12when viewed from above, the flattened tube fins10that are stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100become reliably clamped in the width direction of the flattened tube fins10by the first member210and the second member220.

Next, as depicted by the arrows inFIG. 6A to 6C, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that the first member210and the second member220move in a synchronized state in the direction (height direction) in which the stacker pins104are erected. At this time, the flattened tube fins10are taken out from the stacker apparatus100with the state where the flattened tube fins10are stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100being maintained.

After this, as depicted inFIG. 7C, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so as to rotate the first member210and the second member220by 90° so that the openings12A of the cutaway portions12of the flattened tube fins10face downward.

However, as depicted inFIG. 8AandFIG. 8C, the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins according to the present embodiment further includes accumulating unit240disposed at a different position to the position where the stacker apparatus100is disposed. Here, the accumulating unit240is constructed of two guide members242that are disposed so as to be positioned at the positions of two cutaway portions12aside from the cutaway portions12into which the erected portions214of the first member210have advanced. As depicted inFIG. 8AandFIG. 8C, the two guide members242are disposed so as to correspond to cutaway portions12positioned at positions outside the erected positions of the erected portions214of the first member210. In the same way as the erected portions214of the first member210, the parts of these guide members242that advance into the cutaway portions12should preferably be formed with the same shape when viewed from above as the shape of the cutaway portions12when viewed from above.

As depicted inFIG. 7AandFIG. 7C, once the openings12A of the cutaway portions12of the flattened tube fins10face downward, as depicted inFIG. 8AandFIG. 8C, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that the first member210and the second member220move from the position of the stacker apparatus100to the position of the accumulating unit240. Next, as depicted inFIG. 9AandFIG. 9C, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that the guide members242of the accumulating unit240advance (i.e., are inserted) into other cutaway portions12into which the erected portions214have not advanced. As depicted inFIG. 9AandFIG. 9C, after the guide members242have advanced into predetermined cutaway portions12of the flattened tube fins10, as depicted by the arrows inFIG. 10AandFIG. 10C, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that the first member210becomes separated from the flattened tube fins10and the accumulating unit240(the guide members242).

In this way, while continuing to press down the flattened tube fins10using the second member220, the erected portions214of the first member210are pulled out from the cutaway portions12, which causes the guide members242of the accumulating unit240to advance into predetermined cutaway portions12. This makes it possible to transfer a predetermined number of flattened tube fins10from the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins to the accumulating unit240without collapsing the stacked state.

After this, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that as depicted by the arrows inFIG. 11AandFIG. 11C, the second member220is separated from the joining portions18to the flattened tube fins10, and as depicted by the arrows inFIG. 12AandFIG. 12C, the first member210and the second member220are returned to the standby positions depicted inFIG. 2AtoFIG. 2C. By doing so, the transferring of a predetermined number of flattened tube fins10that were stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100to the accumulating unit240is completed.

The length in the length direction of the guide members242is formed at a length that several times the height of the stacker pins104of the stacker apparatus100. By doing so, it is possible to transfer flattened tube fins10stacked in the stacker apparatus100to the accumulating unit240a plurality of times. The specific length in the length direction of the guide members242can be set as appropriate in keeping with the number of flattened tube fins10used in a heat exchanger.

The control unit repeatedly executes the operation described above until a predetermined number of flattened tube fins10have been accumulated on the guide members242of the accumulating unit240. In this way, after a predetermined number, which is set in advance, of flattened tube fins10have been accumulated on the guide members242of the accumulating unit240, the accumulating unit240is sent together with the flattened tube fins10to an assembly process of a heat exchanger.

Second Embodiment

In the first embodiment, a process until the plurality of flattened tube fins10stacked and held in the stacker apparatus100are transferred to the accumulating unit240is described. Also, although a configuration where the guide members242of the accumulating unit240are several times the length of the stacker pins104of the stacker apparatus100has been described above, no explanation has been given about the flattened tube fins10transferred to the accumulating unit240sliding along the guide members242.

For this reason, it is assumed that the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins according to the present embodiment includes the configuration of the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins according to the first embodiment and additionally includes a grouping unit244that causes the flattened tube fins10to slide on the accumulating unit240.

Note that in the present embodiment, since it is possible, aside from the configuration of the accumulating unit240, to use the same configuration as the first embodiment, detailed description is omitted here. Also, since the process up to the transferring of a plurality of flattened tube fins10that are stacked in the stacker apparatus100to the accumulating unit240using the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins can be executed with the same process as the first embodiment, detailed description is omitted here.

The grouping unit244constructs part of the accumulating unit240and causes the plurality of flattened tube fins10that have been transferred to the guide members242to slide in the length direction of the guide members242so that a second and following transferring operation that transfers the flattened tube fins10from the stacker apparatus100are executed smoothly. The specific operation of the grouping unit will now be described with reference toFIG. 13A,FIG. 13C,FIG. 14,FIG. 15, andFIG. 16.FIG. 13Ais a diagram where the accumulating unit is viewed in a length direction of the guide members andFIG. 13Cis a diagram where the view inFIG. 13Ais viewed from a direction that is perpendicular on a horizontal plane. The drawings inFIG. 14toFIG. 16are diagrams corresponding toFIG. 13C.

As depicted inFIG. 13AandFIG. 13C, the accumulating unit240according to the present embodiment includes the grouping unit244for grouping the plurality of flattened tube fins10that have been transferred to the guide members242at one end in the length direction of the guide members242. The grouping unit244according to the present embodiment is capable of being formed by two block members disposed so as to sandwich the guide members242. The grouping unit244is connected to a moving mechanism, not illustrated, so that the grouping unit244is capable of moving in an arbitrary direction relative to the guide members242. The grouping unit244may also be connected to the moving mechanism230that moves the first member210and the second member220.

As depicted inFIG. 13C, the grouping unit244has a position below the guide members242as a standby position. When flattened tube fins10have been transferred from the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins to the guide members242, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that the grouping unit244is caused to move in the direction of the arrow inFIG. 13C.

After the grouping unit244has moved to a height position where the guide members242are sandwiched as depicted inFIG. 14, the control unit controls the moving mechanism230so that the grouping unit244is moved in the direction of the arrow inFIG. 14, resulting in the plurality of flattened tube fins10held on the guide members242being caused to slide along the length direction of the guide members242by the grouping unit244.

When the flattened tube fins10held on the guide members242have slid to the predetermined position depicted inFIG. 15(one end of the guide members242), the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that after the grouping unit244has moved in the direction of the arrow A inFIG. 16, the grouping unit244is then moved in the direction of the arrow B inFIG. 16to return the grouping unit244to the standby position. In this way, after the sliding of the flattened tube fins10held on the guide members242by the grouping unit244has been completed, the grouping unit244returns to the standby position in a two-stage movement.

This moving operation (withdrawing operation) of the grouping unit244to the standby position of the grouping unit244is especially favorable when a compressing force acts in the stacking direction (the length direction of the guide members242) of the flattened tube fins10, especially during a second and following sliding operation of the flattened tube fins10. More specifically, this withdrawing operation has the intention of preventing damage, such as deformation of the flattened tube fins10due to a collision with the grouping unit244during a withdrawing operation, when the compressing force that acted on the flattened tube fins10becomes released due to the grouping unit244being withdrawn and the flattened tube fins10relax.

After the grouping unit244has returns to the standby position, the operation described above is repeated by the control unit until a predetermined number of flattened tube fins10have been moved to the guide members242. The control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that the amount by which the flattened tube fins10are slid by the grouping unit244gradually decreases in keeping with the number of flattened tube fins10that have been transferred to the guide members242. More specifically, the control unit controls the operation of the moving mechanism230so that the sliding completion position of the grouping unit244depicted inFIG. 15gradually moves to the left. Note that the dot-dot-dash lines inFIG. 15andFIG. 16depict the position immediately after the flattened tube fins10have been transferred to the guide members242.

As described above, a plurality of flattened tube fins10stacked on the stacker apparatus100are supplied in a plurality of operations to the guide members242of the accumulating unit240. When a number, which has been set in advance, of flattened tube fins10have been supplied to the accumulating unit240, the control unit operates a notification means, not illustrated, to notify the operator of the completion of accumulation. Separately to this, the control unit may control the operation of the moving mechanism230to transfer the flattened tube fins10held in the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins to another accumulating unit240.

Although the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and it should be obvious that various modifications can be made within a range that does not depart from the spirit of the invention. For example, although the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins according to the embodiments described above has been described by way of an example configuration including the accumulating unit240, the accumulating unit240is not an essential configuration. When the configuration of the accumulating unit240is omitted, the apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins may perform a process that feeds the flattened tube fins10taken out from the stacker apparatus100to the next process.

Also, in the embodiments described above, although an example arrangement where the spacers106disposed on the upper surface of the base102are used as a stacking start position restricting portion has been described, the present invention is not limited to this arrangement. The stacking start position restricting portion can be constructed of a flange portion formed by disposing a plate member at an intermediate height position of the stacker pins104by welding or the like.

In addition, although embodiments given above have been described by way of an example configuration where the first member210is formed in a U shape when viewed from the front due to the base plate212and the erected portions214that are erected at both end positions in the width direction of the first member210, the first member210is not limited to having this configuration. As one example, it is possible to use a configuration where the erected portions214are erected at intermediate positions in the width direction of the base plate212in the form of an inverted U shape (like the character “pi”). When doing so, the erected positions of the erected portions214may be aligned with the positions of cutaway portions12through which the stacker pins104are not passed, out of the cutaway portions12of the flattened tube fins10stacked and held on the stacker apparatus100.

In addition, although an example configuration where the flattened tube fins10that are stacked and held on the stacker apparatus100are pulled out by the first member210and the second member220moving in synchronization as depicted inFIG. 6AtoFIG. 6Chas been described, the present invention is not limited to the operation depicted inFIG. 6AtoFIG. 6C. For example, after the state depicted inFIG. 5AtoFIG. 5C, the control unit may move the stacker apparatus100so as to become separated from the first member210and the second member220. In this case, a moving mechanism in the form of a fluid moving mechanism or a motor moving mechanism is disposed for the stacker apparatus100also. That is, the first member210and second member220and the stacker apparatus100may be caused to move apart after the flattened tube fins10have been clamped by the first member210and the second member220.

Also, although a configuration where the grouping unit244in the second embodiment is composed of two blocks has been described, so long as it is possible to avoid interference with the guide members242, it is also possible to use a configuration where the grouping unit244is constructed of one block. With this configuration, a block that has been formed into a concave shape is used and the grouping unit244may stand by in a state where the concave part faces an upper or lower position of the guide members242.

In addition, it is possible to use an apparatus200for taking out flattened tube fins that is an appropriate combination of the various configurations described above.