Module

AU2023433067B2Pending Publication Date: 2026-09-10MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
AU2023433067
Authority / Receiving Office
AU · AU
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-02-21
Publication Date
2026-09-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing modules require the support base to be pulled out for maintenance, which is cumbersome due to the weight and exposure of electrical components, and draining of water pipes, increasing worker workload and costs.

Method used

A module design where the control box is movable and rotatable, allowing access to internal components without pulling out the support base, facilitated by a first movable part that slides and rotates the control box, enabling maintenance of components and pipes without the need for support base extraction.

Benefits of technology

Reduces worker workload and maintenance costs by allowing internal components to be accessed and maintained without pulling out the support base, simplifying the process and eliminating the need for draining water from pipes.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

This module comprises: a housing that forms an outer shell; and an instrument group disposed inside the housing. The instrument group includes a control box in which a control device is housed. The control box is disposed on the forefront face of the housing and is configured to open the interior of the housing when moved outside the housing and turned by a first movable part.
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Description

Title of Invention MODULE Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a module that has a device group that includes a compressor and a heat exchanger. Background Art

[0002] As in, for example, Patent Literature 1, some module has been known that houses elements such as a group of devices of a refrigeration cycle. The elements include the group of devices such as a compressor, a control controller, two water heat exchangers, a pressure reducing device, and various sensors and refrigerant pipes, which connects devices with each other, wires used for the group of devices, and a device group support base, on which devices are placed. The control controller, the compressor, and the two water heat exchangers are located inside a casing in sequence from the front surface side toward the rear surface side and the front surface side is blocked by the control controller. The device group support base is installed in a state where it is placed on an element entrance-exit guide provided inside the casing and is structured to be pulled out toward the front surface side of the casing. When the group of devices, the refrigerant pipes, and the wires of the module are maintained, the device group support base is pulled out toward the front surface side of the casing and the maintenance is performed with the group of devices, the refrigerant pipes, and the wires thereby exposed to the outside. There may be a case where modules are installed such that they are aligned in the horizontal direction or stacked on top of each other in the vertical direction. Modules that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are connected by, for example, bolting. Citation List Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 5660873 Summary of Invention Technical Problem

[0004] The module disclosed in Patent Literature 1 requires the work of detaching a water pipe connected to a water heat exchanger and draining water to pull out the device group support base toward the front surface side of the casing. For example, even for minor work such as replacing electrical components, since the front surface of the casing is blocked by the control controller, the device group support base is pulled out and the work is being done with the electrical components thereby exposed to the outside. Furthermore, because the device group is heavy, the work of pulling out the device group support base is a burden for workers.

[0005] The present disclosure is made to solve such problems described above, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a module in which some components in a device group, refrigerant pipes, and wires are maintainable without a support base being pulled out. Solution to Problem

[0006] A module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided with a casing that forms an outer frame and a device group located inside the casing. The device group includes a control box that houses a controller inside. The control box is located at a frontmost surface of the casing and is structured such that the control box moves to an outside of the casing and rotates by a first movable part and thereby opens an inside of the casing. Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0007] ccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a structure is provided in which a control box is moved to an outside of a casing and rotated and the inside of the casing is thereby opened. Therefore, some components in a device group, refrigerant pipes, and wires are maintainable without a support base being pulled out. Brief Description of Drawings

[0008] [Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view that illustrates the appearance of a module according to an embodiment. [Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a perspective view that illustrates the internal structure of the module according to the embodiment. [Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the module according to the embodiment and its internal structure viewed from the side surface side. [Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the module according to the embodiment and its internal structure viewed from the front surface side. [Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a refrigerant circuit diagram that illustrates the module according to the embodiment. [Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram that partially illustrates the module according to the embodiment and a state where a control box is attached to a first movable part. [Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram that partially illustrates the module according to the embodiment and a state where the control box is slid by the first movable part. [Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram that partially illustrates the module according to the embodiment and a state where the control box is rotated by the first movable part. [Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a perspective view that illustrates the module according to the embodiment and a state where the control box is rotated by the first movable part. [Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a front view that illustrates the module according to the embodiment and a state where the control box is rotated by the first movable part. [Fig. 11] Fig. 11 is a front view that illustrates the control box of the module according to the embodiment. [Fig. 12] Fig. 12 is a front view that illustrates the module according to the embodiment and a state where the control box is attached to the first movable part. [Fig. 13] Fig. 13 is a perspective view that illustrates the first movable part of the module according to the embodiment. [Fig. 14] Fig. 14 is an enlarged view that illustrates part A illustrated in Fig. 13 viewed from the lower side. [Fig. 15] Fig. 15 is an enlarged view that illustrates part B illustrated in Fig. 9. [Fig. 16] Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates the module according to the embodiment and a modification of a holding component. [Fig. 17] Fig. 17 is a perspective view that illustrates fixation hardware of the module according to the embodiment. [Fig. 18] Fig. 18 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates the module according to the embodiment and a state where a power terminal block and a controller are connected to each other by a power cable. [Fig. 19] Fig. 19 is a perspective view that illustrates the module according to the embodiment and a state where a support base is moved and a device group is thereby exposed to the outside of the casing. [Fig. 20] Fig. 20 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a state where the module according to the embodiment is viewed from the front surface side and schematically illustrates a second movable part. [Fig. 21] Fig. 21 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates a state where a plurality of modules according to the embodiment are installed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. [Fig. 22] Fig. 22 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates a state where the plurality of modules according to the embodiment are installed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction and a state where the control boxes are rotated and the insides of the casings are thereby opened. [i.g. 23] Fig. 23 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates work spaces in a state where the plurality of modules according to the embodiment are installed in the horizontal direction. Description of Embodiments

[0009] An embodiment is described below with reference to drawings. Note that the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference signs in the drawings and their descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate. Also, the shapes, sizes, locations and other details of components illustrated in the drawings may be changed as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, while terms that represent directions (such as up, down, left, and right) are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding, such terms are provided for convenience in description and do not limit the location, direction, or orientation of the corresponding apparatus, device, or component.

[0010] Embodiment Fig. 1 is a perspective view that illustrates the appearance of a module 100 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view that illustrates the internal structure of the module 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and its internal structure viewed from the side surface side. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and its internal structure viewed from the front surface side. Fig. 5 is a refrigerant circuit diagram that illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment.

[0011] The module 100 according to the present embodiment is a water-cooling chiller as an example. As illustrated in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4, the module 100 is provided with a casing 1 that forms the outer frame, a device group 2 located inside the casing 1, pipes, wires, and a support base 3 on which components such as the device group 2 are placed. The device group 2 includes, for example, two compressors 20, a first water neat exchanger 21, two pressure reducing devices 22, a second water heat exchanger 23, a controller 24, temperature sensors 25, pressure sensors 26, and a power terminal block 8. As illustrated in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the controller 24 is housed inside the casing 1 in a state where the controller 24 is housed inside a control box 4, which is cuboid-shaped. Note that the device group 2 is not limited to these components and may include other component.

[0012] As illustrated in Fig. 5, the module 100 has a refrigerant circuit 200 in which the compressors 20, the first water heat exchanger 21, the pressure reducing devices 22, and the second water heat exchanger 23 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 27. The refrigerant circuit 200 is connected to a cooling water circuit 300, through which cooling water flows as a primary medium, and also to a cold water circuit 400, through which cold water flows as a secondary medium. The module 100 illustrated in Fig. 5 has the refrigerant circuit 200, which has two systems as an example. The two-system refrigerant circuit 200 shares the one first water heat exchanger 21 and the one second water heat exchanger 23. Note that the module 100 may also be structured with a one-system refrigerant circuit 200 and also be structured with a refrigerant circuit 200 that has three or more systems.

[0013] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the casing 1 is a cuboid-shaped box formed from metal sheets. As illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the casing 1 is structured such that, to a frame 10 that forms a frame body, a front panel 11, left and right side panels 12, and a top panel 13 are detachably attached by joining components such as screws.

[0014] The compressor 20 sucks in, compresses, and discharges refrigerant. The compressor 20 is driven by a device such as a compressor inverter drive device (unillustrated). The compressor 20 changes its driving frequency to any value in accordance with an instruction from the controller 24 and is thereby configured to vary the capacity of the compressor 20, which corresponds to the amount of refrigerant sent out per unit time. The first water heat exchanger 21 serves as a flow passage of the refrigerant circuit 200 and as a flow passage of the cooling water circuit 300. That is, the first water heat exchanger 21 serves as a device that forms a part of the refrigerant circuit 200 and also as a device that forms a part of the cooling water circuit 300. To the first water heat exchanger 21, the refrigerant pipe 27 of the refrigerant circuit 200 and cooling water pipes 300a of the cooling water circuit 300 are connected. The first water heat exchanger 21 functions as a condenser, which allows refrigerant that flows in from the compressors 20 and cooling water to exchange heat with each other, causes the refrigerant to condense and thus liquefy or transition into a two-phase gas-liquid state, and, as a result, heats the cooling water in the cooling water circuit 300.

[0016] The pressure reducing device 22 adjusts a parameter such as the pressure of refrigerant that flows out of the first water heat exchanger 21 by, for example, changing its opening degree. The pressure reducing device 22 includes an electronic expansion valve that changes its opening degree in accordance with an instruction from the controller 24.

[0017] The second water heat exchanger 23 serves as a flow passage of the refrigerant circuit 200 and as a flow passage of the cold water circuit 400. That is, the second water heat exchanger 23 serves as a device that forms a part of the refrigerant circuit 200 and also as a device that forms a part of the cold water circuit 400. To the second water heat exchanger 23, the refrigerant pipe 27 of the refrigerant circuit 200 and cold water pipes 400a of the cold water circuit 400 are connected. The second water heat exchanger 23 functions as an evaporator, which allows refrigerant that flows in from the pressure reducing devices 22 and water to exchange heat with each other, causes the refrigerant to evaporate and thus gasify, and, as a result, cools the water in the cold water circuit 400.

[0018] ™ so, around the refrigerant circuit 200, the plurality of temperature sensors 25 are provided, each of which detects the temperature of refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant pipe 27. Each temperature sensor 25 detects one of the following temperatures: the temperature of refrigerant discharged from one of the compressors 20, the temperature of refrigerant sucked into one of the compressors 20, and the temperature of refrigerant condensed in the first water heat exchanger 21. These temperature sensors 25 are, as an example, thermistors. Also, around the refrigerant circuit 200, the pressure sensors 26 are provided, each of which detects the pressure of refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant pipe 27. The pressure sensor 26 detects, for example, the pressure of high-pressure refrigerant discharged from one of the compressors 20 and the pressure of low-pressure refrigerant sucked into one of the compressors 20.

[0019] Also, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the refrigerant circuit 200 has injection circuits 28 that each branch from the part of the refrigerant pipe 27 between the first water heat exchanger 21 and the corresponding pressure reducing device 22 and are each connected to the corresponding compressor 20. To the injection circuits 28, respective control valves 29 are provided, each of which adjusts the flow rate of refrigerant that flows through the corresponding injection circuit 28. The control valve 29 is, for example, composed of a valve such as an electronic expansion valve.

[0020] The controller 24 is composed of a computer provided with a memory that stores data and programs required for control and a CPU that executes the programs, dedicated hardware such as an ASIC and an FPGA, or both. The controller 24 controls parts in the refrigerant circuit 200 in accordance with information detected by sensors such as the temperature sensors 25 and the pressure sensors 26 and an instruction from a remote control (unillustrated).

[0021] Note that the refrigerant circuit 200 described above is an example and is not limited to this specific structure. The refrigerant circuit 200 may also include other component and may alternatively have a structure in which, for example, the injection circuits 28 are omitted.

[0022] Next, the specific structure of the module 100 is described below on the basis of Fig. 6 to Fig. 20 with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram that partially illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and a state where the control box 4 is attached to a first movable part 5. Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram that partially illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and a state where the control box 4 is slid by the first movable part 5. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram that partially illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and a state where the control box 4 is rotated by the first movable part 5. Fig. 9 is a perspective view that illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and a state where the control box 4 is rotated by the first movable part 5. Fig. 10 is a front view that illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and a state where the control box 4 is rotated by the first movable part 5. Fig. 11 is a front view that illustrates the control box 4 of the module 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 12 is a front view that illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and a state where the control box 4 is attached to the first movable part 5. Fig. 13 is a perspective view that illustrates the first movable part 5 of the module 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 14 is an enlarged view that illustrates part A illustrated in Fig. 13 viewed from the lower side. Fig. 15 is an enlarged view that illustrates part B illustrated in Fig. 9. Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and a modification of a holding component 6. Fig. 17 is a perspective view that illustrates fixation hardware 7 of the module 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 18 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and a state where the power terminal block 8 and the controller 24 are connected to each other by a power cable 81.

[0023] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the module 100 houses the device group 2, pipes, wires, and the support base 3 inside the casing 1, which forms the outer frame. As illustrated in Fig. 2 to Fig. 4, inside the casing 1, the control box 4, the two compressors 20, and the pressure reducing devices 22 are located in sequence from the front surface side toward the rear surface side of the casing 1 and the first water heat exchanger 21 and the second water heat exchanger 23 are horizontally aligned and located at the rear surface side of the pressure reducing devices 22. These components, which are the device group 2, pipes, and wires, are housed inside the casing 1 in a state where these components are placed on the upper surface of the support base 3.

[0024] First, the structure of the control box 4 is described below. As illustrated in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the control box 4 is located at the frontmost side of the casing 1 such that the control box 4 blocks the front of the inside of the casing 1. The control box 4 is structured such that it opens the inside of the casing 1 by moving from the inside to the outside of the casing 1 by the first movable part 5 as illustrated in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 and by rotating like a single-leaf door as illustrated in Fig. 8 to Fig. 10. As illustrated in Fig. 11, to a side surface of the control box 4 that faces one of the side panels 12 of the casing 1, attachment hardware 40 is attached that is to be attached to the first movable part 5. As illustrated in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, in the attachment hardware 40, through holes 40a are formed through which joining components 41 such as screws are attached.

[0025] As illustrated in Fig. 9, the first movable part 5 is located inside the casing 1 such that the first movable part 5 faces the one of the side panels 12. As illustrated in Fig. 13, the first movable part 5 has a rail structure portion 50 fixed inside the casing 1 and a guide structure portion 55 that is movable along the rail structure portion 50. The rail structure portion 50 has a rail body portion 51, which is a flat plate that is substantially square-shaped, a rail portion 52a provided along the upper edge of the rail body portion 51, and a rail portion 52b provided along the lower edge of the rail body portion 51. The rail body portion 51 is located such that its flat surface .aces the inner surface of the one of the side panels 12 of the casing 1. As illustrated in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, to the rail body portion 51, a bent portion 53 is provided that is L-shaped and protrudes toward the rear surface side of the casing 1. The bent portion 53 has a first bent portion 53a that protrudes from the side edge of the rail body portion 51 that faces the rear surface side of the casing 1 toward the inside of the casing 1 and a second bent portion 53b that protrudes from the edge of the first bent portion 53a toward the rear surface side of the casing 1. The first bent portion 53a is provided to restrict the movement of the guide structure portion 55 at the rear surface side of the casing 1 and also to fix the position of the guide structure portion 55. In the first bent portion 53a, through holes 53c through which joining components pass to fix the guide structure portion 55 are formed along the vertical direction. The second bent portion 53b is provided to form the path of the power cable 81, which is described later and routed inside the casing 1. In the second bent portion 53b, through holes 53d are formed through which components that fix the power cable 81 pass.

[0026] The rail portions 52a and 52b are provided such that they extend along from the front surface side to the rear surface side of the casing 1. In the rail portions 52a and 52b, respective slits 54, each of which serves as a through hole with its periphery surrounded, are formed along which the guide structure portion 55 is slid and moved and extends along from the front surface side to the rear surface side of the casing 1.

[0027] As illustrated in Fig. 13, the guide structure portion 55 has a guide body portion 56, which is elongated in shape and provided along from the upper end to the lower end of the rail body portion 51 and respective guide portions 57, which are provided at the upper end and the lower end of the guide body portion 56 and slide and move in the slits 54 in the rail portions 52a and 52b. The guide body portion 56 is a hardware component, which is formed in a recessed shape and has a web 56a, which is flat-plate-shaped and located such that it faces the inner surface of the rail body portion 51 and a first flange portion 56b and a second flange portion 56c, each of which is flat-plate-shaped and formed such that it protrudes toward the inner surface of the rail body portion 51 from the corresponding one of the both left and right edges of the web 56a.

[0028] As illustrated in Fig. 12, the first flange portion 56b is provided to attach the control box 4. As illustrated in Fig. 13, in the first flange portion 56b, through holes 56g through which the joining components 41 such as screws pass are formed along the vertical direction. As illustrated in Fig. 12, the control box 4 is attached to the guide body portion 56 by bringing the attachment hardware 40 into contact with the first flange portion 56b and by passing the joining components 41 such as screws through the through holes 40a and the through holes 56g and by joining the joining components 41. Note that the control box 4 is easily detached from the guide body portion 56 by detaching the joining components 41. Also, in the first flange portion 56b, two notch portions 56h are formed, each of which is rectangular-shaped and extends along the vertical direction. The notch portion 56h is formed as a work space where the guide structure portion 55 is fixed at the rear surface side of the casing 1 or such a fixed state is released. Note that, as illustrated in Fig. 11, also in the attachment hardware 40, notch portions 40b, each of which is rectangular-shaped, are formed at positions that align with the notch portions 56h. The notch portion 40b is formed as a work space where the guide structure portion 55 is fixed at the rear surface side of the casing 1 or such a fixed state is released.

[0029] As illustrated in Fig. 6, the second flange portion 56c is provided to restrict the movement of the guide structure portion 55 by reaching the first bent portion 53a and also to fix the guide structure portion 55 at the rear surface side of the casing 1 at the position where the control box 4 is housed inside the casing 1. As illustrated in Fig. 8, in the second flange portion 56c, two through holes 56f through which joining components 58 such as screws pass are formed along the vertical direction. The guide structure portion 55 is fixed at the rear surface side of the casing 1 by bringing the second flange portion 56c into contact with the first bent portion 53a of the bent portion o3 and by passing the joining components 58 such as screws through the through holes 53c and the through holes 56f and by joining the joining components 58. The guide structure portion 55 is slid and moved along the rail portions 52a and 52b by detaching the joining components 58 and thereby releasing such a fixed state. Note that the joining components 58 are fixed and such a fixed state is released by use of the notch portions 56h of the first flange portion 56b and the notch portions 40b of the attachment hardware 40.

[0030] Also, as illustrated in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, the guide body portion 56 further has an upper flange portion 56d that protrudes from the upper edge of the web 56a upward above the rail portion 52a, which is located on the upper side, and a lower flange portion 56e that protrudes from the lower edge of the web 56a downward below the rail portion 52b, which is located on the lower side. To the upper flange portion 56d and the lower flange portion 56e, the respective guide portions 57 are provided.

[0031] As illustrated in Fig. 14, the guide portion 57 has a stopper component 57a, which slides and moves in the slit 54 of each of the rail portions 52a and 52b by being inserted into the slit 54, and a fixation component 57b, which attaches the corresponding stopper component 57a to each of the rail portions 52a and 52b. The stopper components 57a are each circular-cylindrical-shaped and are each provided such that it protrudes from the corresponding one of the lower surface of the upper flange portion 56d and the upper surface of the lower flange portion 56e toward the slit 54. The fixation component 57b is, as an example, an E-ring with a shape that is larger than the width dimension of the slit 54. The E-ring is an E-shaped retaining ring made from, for example, stainless steel. The fixation components 57b are attached to the distal end portions of the stopper components 57a, which are inserted into the slits 54, and thereby hold the stopper components 57a such that the stopper components 57a do not come out of the upper flange portion 56d and the lower flange portion 56e. The guide structure portion 55 is structured such that the stopper components 57a slide and move inside the slits 54 of the rail portions 52a and 52b and thereby the guide body portion 56 moves and, as a result, the control box 4 attached to the guide body portion 56 is moved and thereby exposed to the outside of the casing 1.

[0032] As illustrated in Fig. 7, with the guide structure portion 55, the stopper components 57a move to the front ends of the rail portions 52a and 52b and thereby the control box 4 is slid and moved and thereby exposed to the outside of the casing 1. Subsequently, as illustrated in Fig. 8 to Fig. 10, the stopper components 57a are rotated inside the slits 54 and thereby the control box 4 is rotated like a single-leaf door. The guide structure portion 55 is structured such that, when the control box 4, which is in a state where the control box 4 is exposed to the outside of the casing 1, is rotated by 90 degrees, the web 56a of the guide body portion 56 reaches the side edge of the rail body portion 51 and thereby restricts the rotation of the control box 4. That is, the guide structure portion 55 is structured such that it rotates the control box 4, which is slid and moved, within the range of 0 degrees to 90 degrees.

[0033] Also, as illustrated in Fig. 9 and Fig. 15, to the control box 4, the holding component 6 is provided that fixes the position of the control box 4, which is rotated by the first movable part 5. The holding component 6 rotates together with the control box 4 as the guide structure portion 55 rotates. The holding component 6 is, as an example, a recessed hardware component. The upper portion of the holding component 6 is attached to the portion of the frame 10 that forms the top surface of the casing 1 by use of a joining component 60 such that the holding component 6 is freely rotatable. The lower portion of the holding component 6 is attached and fixed to a handle portion 42 of the control box 4, which is provided at the top surface of the control box 4, by use of a joining component 61.

[0034] Note that the holding component 6 is not limited to the structure where it is attached to the frame 10 of the casing 1 and the handle portion 42 of the control box 4 and may also be attached to some other portions. Also, the holding component 6 is not limited to the structure illustrated in Fig. 9 and Fig. 15. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 16, the holding component 6 may also be a hanging strap that connects the portion of the frame 10 that forms the top surface of the casing 1 and the handle portion 42 and may also be in some other structure. In short, the holding component 6 may also be in any structure as long as it fixes the position of the control box 4, which is rotated.

[0035] Next, the structures of pipes, wires, the support base 3, and components in the device group 2 other than the control box 4 are described below. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the two compressors 20 are located such that they are horizontally aligned when they are viewed from the front surface side. The pressure reducing device 22 is provided at the height at which it is visible above one of the compressors 20 when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction with the front surface opened by the rotation of the control box 4. Note that the pressure reducing device 22 is not limited to the location illustrated in Fig. 4 and may also be provided at some other portion as long as the position of the pressure reducing device 22 is visible when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction.

[0036] Also, as illustrated in Fig. 10, the injection circuits 28 and the control valves 29 are provided at the height at which they are visible and located above one of the compressors 20 when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction with the front surface opened by the rotation of the control box 4. Note that the injection circuits 28 and the control valves 29 are not limited to the location illustrated in Fig. 10 and may also be provided at some other portions as long as the positions of the injection circuits 28 and the control valves 29 are visible when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction.

[0037] Also, the temperature sensors 25 are each attached to the refrigerant pipe 27 and, as illustrated in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the temperature sensors 25 are provided at the positions at which they are visible when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction with the front surface opened by the rotation of the control box 4. As an example, the temperature sensors 25 are each provided at the corresponding one of the positions above the compressors 20 and to the left and the right of the compressors 20 when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction. Note that the temperature sensors 25 are not limited to the locations illustrated in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 and may also be provided at some other portions as long as the positions of the temperature sensors 25 are visible when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction. Also, all the plurality of temperature sensors 25 may also be provided at the positions visible when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction and only one or some of the temperature sensors 25 may also be provided at such positions.

[0038] Also, as illustrated in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the pressure sensors 26 are provided at the height at which they are visible above the compressors 20 when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction with the front surface opened by the rotation of the control box 4. As an example, the pressure sensors 26 are provided between the compressors 20 and the second water heat exchanger 23 when the casing 1 is viewed in the lateral direction and above one of the compressors 20 when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction. As illustrated in Fig. 10 and Fig. 17, the plurality of pressure sensors 26 are in a state where they are attached to the fixation hardware 7, which is a single piece, and are detachably attached to a separate component in the device group 2. The fixation hardware 7 is, as an example, a metal sheet. In the fixation hardware 7, a plurality of through holes 70 are formed through which joining components such as screws pass. The separate component in the device group 2 is, as an example, the second water heat exchanger 23. To the second water heat exchanger 23, a metal sheet at which the fixation hardware 7 is supported is fixed. The fixation hardware 7 is attached to the second water heat exchanger 23 by joining the fixation hardware 7 to the metal sheet fixed to the second water heat exchanger 23 by the joining components such as screws. In a case where the pressure sensors 26 are detached, the entire fixation hardware 7 is detaci ied from the second water heat exchanger 23. Note that the target to which the fixation hardware 7 is attached is not limited to the second water heat exchanger 23 and may also be some other component.

[0039] Note that the pressure sensors 26 are not limited to the locations illustrated in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 and may also be provided at some other portions as long as the positions of the pressure sensors 26 are visible when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction. Also, all the plurality of pressure sensors 26 may also be provided at the positions visible when the casing 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction and only one or some of the pressure sensors 26 may also be provided at such positions. Also, the pressure sensors 26 may also be provided inside the casing 1 without being attached to the fixation hardware 7.

[0040] Furthermore, as illustrated in Fig. 18, the power terminal block 8 is provided between the top surface of the control box 4 and the top surface of the casing 1. The power terminal block 8 is connected to an external power device (unillustrated) via a power cable 80. Also, the power terminal block 8 is connected to the controller 24 housed in the control box 4 via the power cable 81. The control box 4 is structured such that it moves to the outside of the casing 1 and rotates by the first movable part 5 and thereby opens the inside of the casing 1 in a state where the controller 24 and the power terminal block 8 are connected to each other by the power cable 81. This structure eliminates the necessity of detaching the power cable 81 and thereby improves the workability of maintenance. Note that, as illustrated in Fig. 7 to Fig. 9, the power cable 81 is located at the path formed by the bent portion 53, which is L-shaped and protrudes from the rail body portion 51 toward the rear surface side of the casing 1 and is fixed by components provided at the through holes 53d formed in the second bent portion 53b.

[0041] Fig. 19 is a perspective view that illustrates the module 100 according to the embodiment and a state where the support base 3 is moved and the device group 2 is thereuy exposed to the outside of the casing 1. Fig. 20 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a state where the module 100 according to the embodiment is viewed from the front surface side and schematically illustrates a second movable part 9.

[0042] The support base 3 is, as an example, in a recessed shape with the side wall formed along an edge of the periphery of the flat-plate-shaped support surface. As illustrated in Fig. 19, the support base 3 is structured such that it moves in the forward and backward directions of the casing 1 by the second movable part 9 provided inside the casing 1 and the device group 2 is thereby exposed to the outside of the casing 1. Note that the support base 3 is not limited to a recessed shape and may also be in some other form as long as the support base 3 enables the device group 2 to be placed on the support base 3.

[0043] As illustrated in Fig. 18, to the front surface of the support base 3, a support metal sheet 30 is provided that fixes the support base 3. The support metal sheet 30 is, for example, L-shaped. One surface of the L-shape of the support metal sheet 30 is attached to the front surface of the support base 3 by joining components 31 such as screws and the other surface of the L-shape of the support metal sheet 30 is located on the top surface of the support base 3 and is attached to hardware components attached to the side surfaces of the casing 1 by joining components 32 such as screws. Note that the shape of the support metal sheet 30 is not limited to an L-shape and may also be some other shape. Also, the support metal sheet 30 may also be attached to some other portions by joining components such as screws as long as the support metal sheet 30 fixes the support base 3. Also, the support metal sheet 30 is not necessarily required and may also be omitted if the structure or other portions of the casing 1 fix the support base 3.

[0044] As illustrated in Fig. 19 and Fig. 20, the second movable part 9 is composed of a pair of metal sheets 90, which each have an L-shaped cross-section. The metal sheets 90 are each located along the corresponding one of the left and right surfaces of the casing 1 such that the metal sheets 90 extend from the front surface side toward the rear surface side of the casing 1. One outer surface of the L-shape of each metal sheet 90 is fixed to the inner surface of the corresponding side panel 12 of the casing 1 and the other outer surface of the L-shape is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the casing 1. Note that the second movable part 9 is not limited to the structure with the pair of metal sheets 90 and may also be in some other form as long as the second movable part 9 moves the support base 3 in the forward and backward directions of the casing 1 and thereby exposes the device group 2 to the outside of the casing 1. Also, a means to fix each of the metal sheets 90 to the casing 1 may also be in some other form.

[0045] When the support base 3 is moved and the device group 2 is thereby exposed to the outside of the casing 1, first, the front panel 11 of the casing 1 is detached and the control box 4 is thereby exposed and then the control box 4 is opened and the controller 24 is thereby exposed. The controller 24 is exposed by detaching the front panel of the control box 4. Then, the wires and grounding wires of the compressors 20 connected to the controller 24 are detached and the control box 4 is also detached from the first movable part 5. When the control box 4 is detached from the first movable part 5, the joining components 41 are detached from the four positions connected to the guide structure portion 55. Then, the support metal sheet 30 fixed to the front surface of the support base 3 is detached. The support metal sheet 30 is detached from the support base 3 by detaching the joining components 31 joined to the front surface of the support base 3 and the joining components 32 joined to the hardware components attached to the side surfaces of the casing 1. Lastly, the cooling water pipes 300a connected to the first water heat exchanger 21 are detached, the cold water pipes 400a connected to the second water heat exchanger 23 are detached, and water is then drained from each pipe. Then, the device group 2 is exposed to the outside of the casing 1 by pulling out the support base 3 toward the front surface side. Note that the work procedure described above is an example and the work steps may also be adjusted forward and backward and one or some work steps may also be omitted.

[0046] The module 100 according to the present embodiment is, as illustrated in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, structured such that the control box 4 is moved to the outside of the casing 1 and rotated by the first movable part 5 and the inside of the casing 1 is opened and the temperature sensors 25, the pressure reducing devices 22, the pressure sensors 26, the injection circuits 28, the control valves 29, and the compressors 20 are thereby made maintainable. For example, the temperature sensor 25 is detached from the casing 1 by detaching the wire and is thereby made maintainable. The wire of the pressure reducing device 22 is detached and the coil of the pressure reducing device 22 is thereby made replaceable. The entire fixation hardware 7 is detached from the casing 1 and the pressure sensors 26 are also detached along with the fixation hardware 7 and the pressure sensors 26 are thereby made maintainable. The compressor 20 is detached from the casing 1 by releasing its brazing state and is thereby made maintainable. That is, these components such as the device group 2 are maintainable without the support base 3 being pulled out. Therefore, the work of pulling out the support base 3, which bears the heavy weight, and the work of draining water from the cooling water pipes 300a and the cold water pipes 400a are no longer required and the workloads of workers are reduced and the work costs are also reduced.

[0047] On the other hand, the module 100 according to the present embodiment is, as illustrated in Fig. 19, structured such that the support base 3 is moved by the second movable part 9 and the device group 2 is thereby exposed to the outside of the casing 1 and the pressure reducing devices 22, the first water heat exchanger and the second water heat exchanger are thereby made maintainable. For example, the pressure reducing device 22 is detached from the casing 1 by releasing its brazing state and its main body is thereby made replaceable. The first water heat exchanger 21 and the second water heat exchanger 23 are detached from the casing 1 by releasing their brazing states and by detaching the cooling water pipes 300a and the cold waier pipes 400a and are thereby made maintainable.

[0048] Fig. 21 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates a state where a plurality of modules 100 according to the embodiment are installed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. Fig. 22 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates a state where the plurality of modules 100 according to the embodiment are installed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction and a state where the control boxes 4 are rotated and the insides of the casings 1 are thereby opened. Fig. 23 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates work spaces 101 in a state where the plurality of modules 100 according to the embodiment are installed in the horizontal direction.

[0049] The plurality of modules 100 according to the present embodiment are, as illustrated in Fig. 21, allowed to be installed such that they are aligned in the horizontal direction and stacked on top of each other in the vertical direction with the front surfaces of the casings 1 facing in the same direction. The modules 100 that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are connected to each other at their respective casings 1 by, for example, bolting. The modules 100 according to the present embodiment are, as illustrated in Fig. 22, structured such that the control boxes 4 are rotated like single-leaf doors in a state where the control boxes 4 are thereby fully exposed outside and the insides of the casings 1 are thereby opened. Therefore, even when the plurality of modules 100 are located in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, the presence of the adjacent module 100 does not obstruct the other and the modules 100 are each thereby made maintainable. Also, as illustrated in Fig. 22 and Fig. 23, the modules 100 according to the present embodiment are structured such that the control boxes 4 are rotated within the range of 90 degrees from a state where the control boxes 4 are slid and moved forward by the first movable parts 5. Therefore, the control boxes 4 are prevented from coming into contact with the adjacent modules 100 in the horizontal direction. Note that the work spaces 101 in a state where the plurality of modules 100 are installed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are, as illustrated in Fig. 23, spaces on the front surface side and the rear surface side of the casing 1 of each of the modules 100 and a space on an outer side surface side of each of the modules 100 that are positioned at both ends among the modules 100 aligned in the horizontal direction.

[0050] As described above, the module 100 according to the present embodiment is provided with the casing 1, which forms the outer frame, and the device group 2 located inside the casing 1. The device group 2 includes the control box 4, which houses the controller 24 inside. The control box 4 is located at the frontmost surface of the casing 1 and is structured such that the control box 4 moves to the outside of the casing 1 and rotates by the first movable part 5 and thereby opens the inside of the casing 1. Therefore, in the module 100, some components in the device group 2, pipes, and wires are maintainable without the support base 3 being pulled out. As a result, the work of pulling out the support base 3, which bears the heavy weight, and the work of draining water from the cooling water pipes 300a and the cold water pipes 400a are no longer required and the workloads of workers are reduced and the work costs are also reduced.

[0051] While the module 100 is described above with reference to the embodiment, the module 100 is not limited to the configurations of the embodiment described above. The configurations of the module 100 described above are an example and may also include other component and may alternatively have a configuration in which one or some components are omitted. The casing 1 is not limited to the illustrated cuboid shape and may also be in some other shape. In short, the module 100 includes, within the scope that does not deviate from its technical concept, the range of design changes and application variations that a person skilled in the art would typically make. Reference Signs List

[0052] 1: casing, 2: device group, 3: support base, 4: control box, 5: first movable part, 6: hoLmg component, 7: fixation hardware, 8: power terminal block, 9: second movable part, 10: frame, 11: front panel, 12: side panel, 13: top panel, 20: compressor, 21: first water heat exchanger, 22: pressure reducing device, 23: second water heat exchanger, 24: controller, 25: temperature sensor, 26: pressure sensor, 27: refrigerant pipe, 28: injection circuit, 29: control valve, 30: support metal sheet, 31, 32: joining 5      component, 40: attachment hardware, 40a: through hole, 40b: notch portion, 41: joining component, 42: handle portion, 50: rail structure portion, 51: rail body portion, 52a, 52b: rail portion, 53: bent portion, 53a: first bent portion, 53b: second bent portion, 53c, 53d: through hole, 54: slit, 55: guide structure portion, 56: guide body portion, 56a: web, 56b: first flange portion, 56c: second flange portion, 56d: upper 10       flange portion, 56e: lower flange portion, 56f, 56g: through hole, 56h: notch portion, 57: guide portion, 57a: stopper component, 57b: fixation component, 58: joining component, 60, 61: joining component, 70: through hole, 80, 81: power cable, 90: metal sheet, 100: module, 101: work space, 200: refrigerant circuit, 300: cooling water circuit, 300a: cooling water pipe, 400: cold water circuit, 400a: cold water pipe 15

Claims

1. A module comprising:a casing that forms an outer frame; anda device group located inside the casing,the device group including a control box that houses a controller inside,the control box being located at a frontmost surface of the casing and being structured such that the control box moves to an outside of the casing and rotates by a first movable part and thereby opens an inside of the casing.

2. The module of claim 1 further comprising a support base on which the device group is placed,wherein the support base is structured such that the support base moves in forward and backward directions of the casing by a second movable part and the device group is thereby exposed to the outside of the casing.

3. The module of claim 1 or 2, whereinthe device group hasa compressor configured to compress refrigerant,a first water heat exchanger that allows refrigerant and a primary medium to exchange heat with each other and thereby condenses the refrigerant,a pressure reducing device configured to adjust a pressure of refrigerant that flows out of the first water heat exchanger, anda second water heat exchanger that allows refrigerant and a secondary medium to exchange heat with each other and thereby evaporates the refrigerant, andthe compressor, the first water heat exchanger, the pressure reducing device, and the second water heat exchanger are connected in sequence by a refrigerant pipe.[Claim t]The module of claim 3, wherein,inside the casing, the control box, the compressor, and the pressure reducing device are located in sequence from a front surface side and the first water heat exchanger and the second water heat exchanger are aligned with each other and located behind the pressure reducing device, andthe pressure reducing device is provided at a height at which the pressure reducing device is visible above the compressor when the casing is viewed in a front-to-rear direction with a front surface opened by rotation of the control box.

5. The module of claim 3 or 4, whereinthe device group further has an injection circuit configured to inject a portion of refrigerant cooled at the first water heat exchanger into the compressor and a control valve provided to the injection circuit, andthe injection circuit and the control valve are provided at a height at which the injection circuit and the control valve are visible above the compressor when the casing is viewed in a front-to-rear direction with a front surface opened by rotation of the control box.

6. The module of any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein,inside the casing, a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant pipe is provided, andthe temperature sensor is provided at a height at which the temperature sensor is visible above the compressor when the casing is viewed in a front-to-rear direction with a front surface opened by rotation of the control box.

7. The module of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein,inside the casing, a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of the refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant pipe is provided, andthe pressure sensor is provided at a height at which the pressure sensor is visible above the compressor when the casing is viewed in a front-to-rear directionwith a front surface opened by rotation of the control box.

8. The module of claim 7, wherein the pressure sensor is in a state where the pressure sensor is attached to fixation hardware and is detachably attached to a separate component in the device group.

9. The module of any one of claims 1 to 8, whereinthe device group further has a power terminal block connected to an external power device by a power cable, andthe control box is structured such that the control box moves to the outside of the casing and rotates by the first movable part and thereby opens the inside of the casing in a state where the controller and the power terminal block are connected to each other by a power cable.

10. The module of any one of claims 1 to 9, whereinthe first movable part hasa rail structure portion fixed inside the casing, anda guide structure portion to which the control box is attached and that moves along the rail structure portion, andthe guide structure portion is structured such that the guide structure portion slides and moves the control box by moving along the rail structure portion and rotates the control box, which is slid and moved, like a single-leaf door.

11. The module of claim 10, wherein the guide structure portion is structured such that the guide structure portion rotates the control box, which is slid and moved, within a range of 0 degrees to 90 degrees.

12. The module of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, to the control box, a holding component is provided that fixes a position of the control box, which is rotated by the first movable part.

13. The module of any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a plurality of modules, wherein the casing comprises a plurality of casings that are structured such that the plurality of casings are installed such that the plurality of casings are aligned in a5       horizontal direction and stacked on top of each other in a vertical direction such thatfront surfaces of the plurality of casings face in the same direction.

Citation Information

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