Outdoor unit of heat pump device

Abstract

To provide an outdoor unit of a heat pump device capable of improving maintainability of a solenoid valve by appropriately arranging a plurality of solenoid valves in a housing.SOLUTION: An outdoor unit of a heat pump device comprises: an outdoor heat exchanger 13 and a four-way valve 12 housed within a housing 40; an operating valve 10 for connecting connection pipes leading to each indoor unit; a port panel 45A attached so that the operating valve 10 is exposed to the outside of the housing 40; electromagnetic on-off valves 15A, 15B provided in an outdoor gas pipe between the four-way valve 12 and the operating valve 10; and electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B provided in an outdoor liquid pipe between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the operating valve 10. When viewed from a direction in which the operating valve 10 is attached to the port panel 45A, the electromagnetic on-off valves 15A, 15B and the electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B are arranged around the port panel 45A so as not to overlap with the port panel 45A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an outdoor unit of a heat pump device that is provided with an operating valve connected to an indoor unit via a refrigerant pipe. [Background technology]

[0002] Typically, the outdoor unit of a heat pump system includes a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air, and a four-way valve for controlling the refrigerant flow path, all housed within a housing. Known outdoor units include an operating valve connected to the indoor unit via refrigerant piping (also called connection piping) and an operating valve mounting fixture for attaching the operating valve to the side panel of the housing so that it is exposed to the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Other known heat pump systems include an outdoor unit housing to which multiple indoor units are connected, and in which the same number of electronic expansion valves as the indoor units are installed. Electronic expansion valves are a type of solenoid valve whose valve opening is controlled by electromagnetic force, and the solenoid that generates the electromagnetic force may be detached during maintenance. To improve maintainability, a technology is known for arranging electronic expansion valves (solenoid valves) so that they do not overlap when viewed from above within the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Solenoid valves with detachable solenoid parts include, in addition to the electronic expansion valves described above, solenoid valves whose opening and closing is controlled by electromagnetic force. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-74543 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-159580 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when there are multiple solenoid valves placed inside the housing, even if the solenoid valves are arranged so that they do not overlap when viewed from above, if the solenoid valves are hidden by the operating valves or operating valve mounting fixtures, there is a risk that maintainability will be impaired.

[0005] The disclosed technology has been developed in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an outdoor unit of a heat pump device that can appropriately arrange multiple solenoid valves within a housing, thereby improving the maintainability of the solenoid valves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the outdoor unit of the heat pump device disclosed in the present application comprises an outdoor heat exchanger and a four-way valve stored within a housing, an operating valve for connecting a connecting pipe leading to an indoor unit, an operating valve mounting fixture to which the operating valve is attached so that it is exposed to the outside of the housing, an electromagnetic on-off valve provided in an outdoor gas pipe between the four-way valve and the operating valve, and an electronic expansion valve provided in an outdoor liquid pipe between the outdoor heat exchanger and the operating valve, and when viewed from the direction in which the operating valve is attached to the operating valve mounting fixture, the electromagnetic on-off valve and the electronic expansion valve are each arranged around the operating valve mounting fixture so as not to overlap with the operating valve mounting fixture. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the outdoor unit of the heat pump device disclosed in the present application, a plurality of solenoid valves including an electromagnetic on-off valve and an electronic expansion valve are appropriately arranged within a housing, thereby improving the maintainability of these solenoid valves. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram showing an example of a refrigerant circuit of a heat pump device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exterior of the outdoor unit as seen from the front side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the outdoor unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the internal structure of the machine chamber of the outdoor unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the electronic expansion valve, as seen from the right rear side of the machine chamber of the outdoor unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the electromagnetic on-off valve when the machine chamber of the outdoor unit is viewed from the right front side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the outdoor unit of the heat pump device disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the disclosed technology is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the embodiments described below may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Example]

[0010] <Configuration of heat pump device> FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a refrigerant circuit of a heat pump device according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the heat pump device 1 includes one outdoor unit 2 and two indoor units, a first indoor unit 3A and a second indoor unit 3B, connected to the outdoor unit 2. The first indoor unit 3A and the second indoor unit 3B are connected in parallel. The first indoor unit 3A is connected to the outdoor unit 2 via a first liquid pipe 4L and a first gas pipe 4G. The second indoor unit 3B is connected to the outdoor unit 2 via a second liquid pipe 5L and a second gas pipe 5G. In this embodiment, the first liquid pipe 4L, the first gas pipe 4G, the second liquid pipe 5L, and the second gas pipe 5G function as connecting pipes connecting the outdoor unit 2 to the first indoor unit 3A and the second indoor unit 3B.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the first indoor unit 3A includes an air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A and an indoor fan 32A. One refrigerant inlet / outlet end of the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A is connected to the first liquid pipe 4L via a first indoor liquid pipe 33A. The other refrigerant inlet / outlet end of the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A is connected to the first gas pipe 4G via a first indoor gas pipe 34A. The air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A may be a fin-tube heat exchanger, for example. The indoor fan 32A is a cross-flow fan made of, for example, a resin material, and is disposed near the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A. The indoor fan 32A is driven to rotate by a fan motor (not shown). The first indoor unit 3A has an intake port and an outlet port, and as the indoor fan 32A rotates, indoor air is taken into the first indoor unit 3A through the intake port and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A, and the indoor air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant is blown out into the room from the outlet port.

[0012] The second indoor unit 3B is equipped with a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B. One refrigerant inlet / outlet end of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B is connected to the second liquid pipe 5L via a second indoor liquid pipe 33B. The other refrigerant inlet / outlet end of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B is connected to the second gas pipe 5G via a second indoor gas pipe 34B. The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B may be, for example, a plate heat exchanger. A water circuit 35B is connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B, through which water flows that exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B. Therefore, the hot water heated and produced in the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B can be used for hot water supply or heating via the water circuit 35B.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the outdoor unit 2 includes a compressor 11, a four-way valve 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 13, a first electronic expansion valve 14A, a second electronic expansion valve 14B, a first solenoid on-off valve 15A, a second solenoid on-off valve 15B, an accumulator 16, an outdoor fan 17, a first liquid refrigerant operation valve 18L, a first gas refrigerant operation valve 18G, a second liquid refrigerant operation valve 19L, and a second gas refrigerant operation valve 19G. The first liquid refrigerant operation valve 18L, the first gas refrigerant operation valve 18G, the second liquid refrigerant operation valve 19L, and the second gas refrigerant operation valve 19G are all operation valves 10 (Fig. 2) for connecting the respective connection pipes leading to the first indoor unit 3A and the second indoor unit 3B. Specifically, the first liquid refrigerant operation valve 18L is connected to the first liquid pipe 4L leading to the first indoor unit 3A. Furthermore, the first gas pipe 4G connected to the first indoor unit 3A is connected to the first gas refrigerant operation valve 18G. Similarly, the second liquid pipe 5L connected to the second indoor unit 3B is connected to the second liquid refrigerant operation valve 19L, and the second gas pipe 5G connected to the second indoor unit 3B is connected to the second gas refrigerant operation valve 19G.

[0014] The compressor 11 is, for example, a high-pressure vessel type variable capacity compressor whose operating capacity can be changed, compresses sucked low-pressure gas refrigerant, and discharges high-pressure gas refrigerant. A four-way valve 12 is connected to a discharge pipe 21 provided on the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 11, and an accumulator 16 is connected to a suction pipe 22 provided on the refrigerant suction side.

[0015] The four-way valve 12 is a valve for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant and has a first port 12A to a fourth port 12D. The first port 12A is connected to a discharge pipe 21 of the compressor 11. The second port 12B is connected to one of the refrigerant inlets and outlets of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 via a refrigerant pipe 23. The third port 12C is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the accumulator 16 via a refrigerant pipe 26. One end of an outdoor gas pipe 25 is connected to the fourth port 12D. The other end of the outdoor gas pipe 25 is branched into a first gas branch pipe 25A and a second gas branch pipe 25B. The first gas branch pipe 25A is connected to a first gas refrigerant operation valve 18G via a first solenoid on-off valve 15A. The second gas branch pipe 25B is connected to a second gas refrigerant operation valve 19G via a second solenoid on-off valve 15B.

[0016] The outdoor heat exchanger 13 may be, for example, a finned tube heat exchanger. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outside air drawn into the outdoor unit 2 by the rotation of the outdoor fan 17. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a condenser to condense (liquefy) the gas refrigerant when the heat pump unit 1 is in cooling operation. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 also functions as an evaporator to evaporate (vaporize) the liquid refrigerant when the heat pump unit 1 is in heating operation. One end of an outdoor liquid pipe 24 is connected to the other refrigerant inlet / outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 13, and the other end of the outdoor liquid pipe 24 is branched into a first liquid branch pipe 24A and a second liquid branch pipe 24B. The first liquid branch pipe 24A is connected to a first liquid refrigerant operation valve 18L via a first electronic expansion valve 14A. The second liquid branch pipe 24B is connected to the second liquid refrigerant operation valve 19L via a second electronic expansion valve 14B.

[0017] The first electronic expansion valve 14A corresponds to the first indoor unit 3A, and is provided in a first liquid branch pipe 24A (outdoor liquid pipe 24) between the other refrigerant inlet / outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the first liquid refrigerant operation valve 18L. Furthermore, the second electronic expansion valve 14B corresponds to the second indoor unit 3B, and is provided in a second liquid branch pipe 24B (outdoor liquid pipe 24) between the other refrigerant inlet / outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the second liquid refrigerant operation valve 19L. In this embodiment, two first electronic expansion valves 14A and second electronic expansion valves 14B are provided, the same in number as the first indoor unit 3A and the second indoor unit 3B. These first electronic expansion valves 14A and second electronic expansion valves 14B reduce the pressure (expand) the liquid refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B by adjusting the valve opening degree using electromagnetic force, respectively.

[0018] The first solenoid on-off valve 15A corresponds to the first indoor unit 3A and is provided in the first gas branch pipe 25A (outdoor gas pipe 25) between the fourth port 12D and the first gas refrigerant operation valve 18G. Furthermore, the second solenoid on-off valve 15B corresponds to the second indoor unit 3B and is provided in the second gas branch pipe 25B (outdoor gas pipe 25) between the fourth port 12D and the second gas refrigerant operation valve 19G. In this embodiment, two first solenoid on-off valves 15A and second solenoid on-off valves 15B are provided, the same number as the first indoor unit 3A and the second indoor unit 3B. These first solenoid on-off valves 15A and second solenoid on-off valves 15B regulate the flow of refrigerant in the first gas branch pipe 25A and the second gas branch pipe 25B by controlling the opening and closing of the valve using electromagnetic force, respectively. Therefore, by selectively opening one of the first electromagnetic on-off valve 15A and the second electromagnetic on-off valve 15B, it is possible to flow the refrigerant selectively to the first indoor unit 3A or the second indoor unit 3B.

[0019] The refrigerant inlet side of the accumulator 16 is connected to the third port 12C of the four-way valve 12 via a refrigerant pipe 26, and the refrigerant outlet side is connected to the refrigerant suction side of the compressor 11 via a suction pipe 22. The accumulator 16 is formed as a hollow pressure vessel, and separates the refrigerant that has flowed into it into gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant, and allows only the gas refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor 11.

[0020] The outdoor fan 17 is disposed near the outdoor heat exchanger 13, takes in outside air into the outdoor unit 2, and releases the outside air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 to the outside of the outdoor unit 2.

[0021] <Operation during operation> Next, we will explain the flow of refrigerant during operation of the heat pump device 1. In Fig. 1, dashed arrows indicate the flow of refrigerant during heating operation, and solid arrows indicate the flow of refrigerant during cooling operation.

[0022] When the heat pump unit 1 performs heating operation, the four-way valve 12 is switched so that the first port 12A and the fourth port 12D are connected and the second port 12B and the third port 12C are connected. The first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are both opened. This causes the heat pump unit 1 to operate in a heating operation cycle in which the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A of the first indoor unit 3A and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B of the second indoor unit 3B function as condensers, and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 functions as an evaporator.

[0023] In the heating operation cycle, when the compressor 11 is driven, high-temperature gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows into the four-way valve 12, and then flows from the four-way valve 12 into the outdoor gas pipe 25. The gas refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor gas pipe 25 branches into a first gas branch pipe 25A and a second gas branch pipe 25B, and then flows through a first gas pipe 4G and a second gas pipe 5G into the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A of the first indoor unit 3A and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B of the second indoor unit 3B, respectively.

[0024] In the first indoor unit 3A, the gas refrigerant flowing through the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A exchanges heat with the indoor air drawn into the first indoor unit 3A by the operation of the indoor fan 32A, causing the refrigerant to condense. Meanwhile, the air passing through the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A is heated by the gas refrigerant flowing through the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A, and is then blown into the room in which the first indoor unit 3A is installed, thereby heating the room.

[0025] In the second indoor unit 3B, the gas refrigerant flowing through the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B exchanges heat with the water flowing (circulating) through the water circuit 35B of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B, causing the refrigerant to condense. Meanwhile, the water flowing through the water circuit 35B is heated by the refrigerant in the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B and becomes hot water. This hot water is passed through the water circuit 35B and used for hot water supply and heating.

[0026] The liquid refrigerant condensed by heat exchange in the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A of the first indoor unit 3A and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B of the second indoor unit 3B flows into the first liquid branch pipe 24A and the second liquid branch pipe 24B of the outdoor unit 2 through the first liquid pipe 4L and the second liquid pipe 5L, respectively. The liquid refrigerant then passes through the first electronic expansion valve 14A and the second electronic expansion valve 14B, respectively, where it is reduced in pressure, and then joins together in the outdoor liquid pipe 24 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The refrigerant that flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat with outside air that has flowed into the outdoor unit 2 due to the rotation of the outdoor fan 17, and evaporates. The gas refrigerant that evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 passes through the four-way valve 12 and the accumulator 16 in this order, and is sucked into the compressor 11 and compressed again.

[0027] As described above, in this embodiment, the heat pump device 1 can simultaneously perform heating operation using the first indoor unit 3A and hot water supply or heating operation using the second indoor unit 3B. Furthermore, the heat pump device 1 includes a first solenoid on-off valve 15A provided in the first gas branch pipe 25A (outdoor gas pipe 25) between the fourth port 12D of the four-way valve 12 and the first gas refrigerant operation valve 18G, and a second solenoid on-off valve 15B provided in the second gas branch pipe 25B (outdoor gas pipe 25) between this fourth port 12D and the second gas refrigerant operation valve 19G. By selectively opening either the first solenoid on-off valve 15A or the second solenoid on-off valve 15B, the first indoor unit 3A can selectively perform heating operation, and the second indoor unit 3B can selectively perform hot water supply or heating operation.

[0028] When the heat pump unit 1 performs cooling operation, the four-way valve 12 is switched so that the first port 12A and the second port 12B are connected and the third port 12C and the fourth port 12D are connected. The first solenoid on-off valve 15A is opened, while the second solenoid on-off valve 15B is closed. This causes the heat pump unit 1 to operate in a cooling mode, with the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A of the first indoor unit 3A functioning as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 functioning as an evaporator.

[0029] In the cooling operation cycle, when the compressor 11 is driven, the high-temperature gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows into the four-way valve 12, and then flows from the four-way valve 12 through the refrigerant pipe 23 into the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The high-temperature gas refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 condenses by exchanging heat with the outdoor air that has been drawn into the outdoor unit 2 by the rotation of the outdoor fan 17.

[0030] The liquid refrigerant condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 flows into the outdoor liquid pipe 24. Here, in this embodiment, the second solenoid on-off valve 15B is closed, so the flow of liquid refrigerant to the second liquid branch pipe 24B is restricted. Therefore, the liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor liquid pipe 24 flows into the first liquid branch pipe 24A and is decompressed by the first electronic expansion valve 14A, and then flows into the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A of the first indoor unit 3A through the first liquid pipe 4L.

[0031] In the first indoor unit 3A, the liquid refrigerant flowing through the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A exchanges heat with the indoor air drawn into the first indoor unit 3A by the operation of the indoor fan 32A, causing the refrigerant to evaporate. Meanwhile, the air passing through the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A is cooled by the latent heat generated when the liquid refrigerant flowing through the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A evaporates, and is then blown out into the room in which the first indoor unit 3A is installed, thereby cooling the room.

[0032] The gas refrigerant evaporated by heat exchange in the air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A of the first indoor unit 3A flows through the first gas pipe 4G into the first gas branch pipe 25A of the outdoor unit 2. After flowing into the outdoor gas pipe 25, the gas refrigerant passes through the four-way valve 12 and accumulator 16 in this order, and is sucked into the compressor 11 and compressed again.

[0033] As described above, in this embodiment, the heat pump device 1 includes a first solenoid on-off valve 15A provided in the first gas branch pipe 25A (outdoor gas pipe 25) between the fourth port 12D of the four-way valve 12 and the first gas refrigerant operation valve 18G, and a second solenoid on-off valve 15B provided in the second gas branch pipe 25B (outdoor gas pipe 25) between the fourth port 12D and the second gas refrigerant operation valve 19G. By closing the second solenoid on-off valve 15B, it is possible to select and perform only cooling operation using the first indoor unit 3A. Note that in this embodiment, closing the second solenoid on-off valve 15B restricts refrigerant from flowing to the second indoor unit 3B, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the second electronic expansion valve 14B provided in the second liquid branch pipe 24B (outdoor liquid pipe 24) between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the second liquid refrigerant operation valve 19L may be closed.

[0034] <Outdoor unit structure> Next, the outdoor unit 2 will be described. Note that the directions such as front-rear, up-down, and left-right described below refer to the direction when the outdoor unit 2 is viewed from the front side, with the side on which a front panel 42, which will be described later, is located being the front, in the position of the outdoor unit 2 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the outdoor unit 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 40. The housing 40 has a bottom plate (base plate) 41, a front panel 42, a right side panel (side panel) 45, and a top plate 46. The top and bottom portions of the front panel 42 and the right side panel 45 are screwed to screw fastening portions provided in appropriate positions on the bottom plate 41 and the top plate 46, respectively.

[0035] 2, the right side panel 45 of the casing 40 is provided with an operation valve 10 for connecting the connection pipes (first liquid pipe 4L, first gas pipe 4G, second liquid pipe 5L, and second gas pipe 5G (see FIG. 1)) that are connected to the first indoor unit 3A and second indoor unit 3B (see FIG. 1). This operation valve 10 includes the first liquid refrigerant operation valve 18L, first gas refrigerant operation valve 18G, second liquid refrigerant operation valve 19L, and second gas refrigerant operation valve 19G, and is covered by a cover member 48. The cover member 48 is a box-shaped member made of synthetic resin that covers the operation valve 10 and is detachably attached to the right side panel 45. The interior of the casing 40 is also partitioned into a heat exchange chamber RA and a machine chamber RB by a partition plate 47 that is erected on the bottom plate 41, as shown in FIG.

[0036] The bottom plate 41 is a substantially rectangular steel plate, and has flange portions 41A where the peripheral edge is bent upward at a substantially right angle, as shown in Fig. 3. Two legs 41B are provided on the underside of the bottom plate 41, spaced apart in the left-right direction, and extend in the front-to-rear direction of the housing 40, for installing the outdoor unit 2 on the ground or the like.

[0037] The front panel 42 also serves as part of the left side surface of the housing 40, and is configured with a grill 42A and a service panel 42B. The grill 42A is formed in a lattice shape using a resin material or steel material, and is arranged so as to cover the air outlet (not shown) of the outdoor unit 2 provided on the front side of the heat exchange chamber RA (see FIG. 3), as shown in FIG. 2. The service panel 42B is a substantially rectangular steel plate, and is arranged so as to cover the front side of the machine chamber RB (see FIG. 3). The service panel 42B is detachably attached to allow easy access to the machine chamber RB during maintenance work on the outdoor unit 2.

[0038] The right side panel 45 also serves as part of the back surface of the housing 40 and is configured to be separable from a port panel (operation valve mounting fixture) 45A. The port panel 45A is formed of steel plate and is fixed to a flange portion 41A of the bottom plate 41 on the right side of the housing 40. The above-mentioned operation valves 10 (first liquid refrigerant operation valve 18L, first gas refrigerant operation valve 18G, second liquid refrigerant operation valve 19L, and second gas refrigerant operation valve 19G) are arranged on the port panel 45A so that they protrude outward to the right. In other words, when the cover member 48 is removed, the operation valves 10 are attached to the port panel 45A so that they are exposed to the outside of the housing 40. The right side panel 45 is a substantially rectangular steel plate and is attached to the right side of the housing 40 so as to cover the peripheral opening of the port panel 45A. Like the service panel 42B, the right side panel 45 is detachable to facilitate access to the machine chamber RB during maintenance work on the outdoor unit 2.

[0039] In the heat exchange chamber RA, an outdoor heat exchanger 13 is disposed on the rear side of the heat exchange chamber RA, and an outdoor fan 17 is disposed on the front side. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 is bent in an L-shape when viewed from above (the top plate 46 side), and is disposed on the bottom plate 41 so as to cover the entire surface of the housing 40 (FIG. 2) from the left side to the rear.

[0040] The outdoor fan 17 is a propeller fan made of resin, and is disposed in front of the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The outdoor fan 17 is attached to the output shaft of a fan motor 17A, which is attached to a support member 49 standing on the bottom plate 41. As the outdoor fan 17 rotates, outside air is drawn into the heat exchange chamber RA through intake ports (not shown) formed on the rear and left side surface of the housing 40. Then, the outside air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is blown forward from an outlet (not shown) formed on the front side of the heat exchange chamber RA.

[0041] Meanwhile, the machine room RB accommodates the compressor 11, four-way valve 12, first electronic expansion valve 14A, second electronic expansion valve 14B, first solenoid on-off valve 15A, second solenoid on-off valve 15B, and accumulator 16. As shown in FIG. 3 , the compressor 11 is cylindrical and disposed on the bottom plate 41 with its cylindrical axis aligned in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the compressor 11 is disposed on the front side of the machine room RB and on the heat exchange chamber RA side. Specifically, the compressor 11 is disposed near the service panel 42B on the front side of the machine room RB in the front-to-back direction and near the partition plate 47 near the heat exchange chamber RA in the left-to-right direction.

[0042] The accumulator 16 is cylindrical and has a smaller outer diameter and height than the compressor 11, and is disposed next to the right side of the compressor 11 (the side opposite the partition plate 47). The accumulator 16 is fixed to the compressor 11 by a fixing member with the cylindrical axis aligned in the vertical direction. The four-way valve 12 is disposed closer to the rear of the machine chamber RB than the compressor 11 and the accumulator 16, and at a position higher than the top of the accumulator 16.

[0043] As described above, in this embodiment, the heat pump device 1 has two indoor units 3A, 3B, and the outdoor unit 2 has the same number of first and second electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B, and two first and second solenoid on-off valves 15A, 15B. Therefore, the two first and second electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B, and the two first and second solenoid on-off valves 15A, 15B must be arranged in the available space in the machine room RB, i.e., the space between the compressor 11, four-way valve 12, and accumulator 16 in the machine room RB and the right side panel 45. Furthermore, because this type of electronic expansion valve and solenoid on-off valve both use electromagnetic force to control the valve opening and closing, they must be arranged in an appropriate location that allows for maintenance such as replacement of a solenoid unit (described later) that generates this electromagnetic force.

[0044] 4, in this embodiment, when viewed from the right side of the housing 40 (the direction in which the operation valves are attached to the operation valve fixture), the first electronic expansion valve 14A, the second electronic expansion valve 14B, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A, and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are arranged around the port panel 45A so as not to overlap with the port panel 45A. Specifically, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are arranged closer to the front panel 42 than the port panel 45A. In other words, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are arranged side by side in the vertical direction of the machine chamber RB between the port panel 45A and the front service panel 42B in the front-to-rear direction of the machine chamber RB, with the first solenoid on-off valve 15A located higher than the second solenoid on-off valve 15B. The first electronic expansion valve 14A and the second electronic expansion valve 14B are disposed at positions farther from the front panel 42 than the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B. That is, the second electronic expansion valve 14B is disposed between the port panel 45A and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 in the front-to-rear direction of the machine room RB. Furthermore, the first electronic expansion valve 14A is disposed above and forward of the second electronic expansion valve 14B, and above the upper edge of the port panel 45A.

[0045] According to this configuration, for example, when the right side panel 45 is removed, all of the first electronic expansion valve 14A, the second electronic expansion valve 14B, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B can be seen without being hidden behind the port panel 45A, so the first electronic expansion valve 14A, the second electronic expansion valve 14B, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B can be positioned appropriately, thereby improving the maintainability of the first electronic expansion valve 14A, the second electronic expansion valve 14B, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first electronic expansion valve 14A and the first solenoid on-off valve 15A form a first valve set 50A, and the second electronic expansion valve 14B and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B form a second valve set 50B. These first valve set 50A and second valve set 50B are arranged side by side in the vertical direction in the machine chamber RB (housing 40), as shown in FIG. 4. As described above, the first electronic expansion valve 14A and the first solenoid on-off valve 15A are provided in the refrigerant circuit corresponding to the first indoor unit 3A. The second electronic expansion valve 14B and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are provided in the refrigerant circuit corresponding to the second indoor unit 3B. Therefore, by arranging the first valve set 50A including the first electronic expansion valve 14A and the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second valve set 50B including the second electronic expansion valve 14B and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B side by side in the vertical direction within the machine room RB (housing 40), it becomes easier to identify the valve set corresponding to the indoor units 3A, 3B that are the subject of maintenance, thereby improving the maintainability of each valve set.

[0047] The first electronic expansion valve 14A and the second electronic expansion valve 14B are coil-type electromagnetic valves driven by built-in solenoids. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the electronic expansion valves 14A and 14B includes an expansion valve body 61 connected to a liquid branch pipe and a solenoid unit 62 that drives a valve element (not shown) in the expansion valve body 61 so that the valve element can slide along an axis L1. In FIG. 5, the first electronic expansion valve 14A is shown with the solenoid unit 62 removed from the expansion valve body 61 and shifted upward. A movable shaft 61a that houses the valve element is formed on the top of the expansion valve body 61, and the solenoid unit 62 is attached to the movable shaft 61a. The first electronic expansion valve 14A and the second electronic expansion valve 14B are arranged so that the movable shaft 61a is oriented in the vertical direction of the machine chamber RB. According to this configuration, the solenoid parts 62 of the electronic expansion valves 14A and 14B can be manually attached and detached by an operator from the upper space of the machine room RB, thereby improving the maintainability of the first electronic expansion valve 14A and the second electronic expansion valve 14B.

[0048] Similarly, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are also coil-type solenoid valves driven by built-in solenoids. As shown in FIG. 6, each of these solenoid on-off valves 15A and 15B includes an on-off valve body 71 connected to a gas branch pipe and a solenoid unit 72 that drives a valve element (not shown) in the on-off valve body 71 so that the valve element can slide along an axis L2. FIG. 6 also shows the second solenoid on-off valve 15B with the solenoid unit 72 removed from the on-off valve body 71 and shifted upward. A movable shaft 71a that houses the valve element is formed at the top of the on-off valve body 71, and the solenoid unit 72 is fixed to the movable shaft 71a with a screw (fixing member) 73. Furthermore, the tops of the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are inclined toward the front panel 42 relative to the bottom plate 41. That is, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are provided such that the axis L2 of the movable shaft 71a is inclined toward the front panel 42 with respect to the bottom plate 41. With this configuration, a space can be provided above each solenoid on-off valve 15A, 15B for operating a tool (e.g., a screwdriver) for attaching and detaching the screw 73. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both a reduction in the maintenance space for the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B and improved maintainability.

[0049] As described above, the outdoor unit 2 of the heat pump device 1 according to this embodiment comprises an outdoor heat exchanger 13 and a four-way valve 12 housed within a housing 40, an operating valve 10 for connecting the connecting pipes leading to each indoor unit 3A, 3B, a port panel 45A on which the operating valve 10 is mounted so as to be exposed to the outside of the housing 40, electromagnetic on-off valves 15A, 15B provided in the outdoor gas pipe 25 (25A, 25B) between the four-way valve 12 and the operating valve 10, and electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B provided in the outdoor liquid pipe 24 (24A, 24B) between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the operating valve 10, and when viewed from the direction in which the operating valve 10 is mounted on the port panel 45A, the electromagnetic on-off valves 15A, 15B and the electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B are arranged around the port panel 45A so as not to overlap with the port panel 45A. According to this configuration, all of the first electronic expansion valve 14A, the second electronic expansion valve 14B, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B can be seen without being hidden behind the port panel 45A, thereby improving the maintainability of the first electronic expansion valve 14A, the second electronic expansion valve 14B, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B.

[0050] In the outdoor unit 2 of the heat pump apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the housing 40 includes a bottom plate 41, a front panel 42, and a right side panel 45, and the port panel 45A is fixed to a flange portion 41A on the side of the bottom plate 41 where the right side panel 45 is located. The right side panel 45 and the port panel 45A are also provided separably. Therefore, during maintenance, the right side panel 45 can be removed without removing the port panel 45A and the operating valve 10, facilitating maintenance of the first electronic expansion valve 14A, the second electronic expansion valve 14B, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A, and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B.

[0051] In the outdoor unit 2 of the heat pump apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are disposed closer to the front panel 42 than the port panel 45A, and the solenoid units 72 located at the top of the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B are inclined toward the front panel 42 with respect to the bottom plate 41, so that space can be provided above each solenoid on-off valve 15A, 15B for operating a tool for attaching and detaching the screws 73 that secure the solenoid units 72. This makes it possible to achieve both a reduction in the maintenance space for the first solenoid on-off valve 15A and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B and improved maintainability.

[0052] In the outdoor unit 2 of the heat pump apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, a plurality of indoor units 3A, 3B are connected to the outdoor unit 2, and the outdoor unit 2 is equipped with a plurality of electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B, the same number as the indoor units 3A, 3B, and a plurality of solenoid on-off valves 15A, 15B, the same number as the indoor units 3A, 3B. The plurality of electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B are arranged so that their movable shafts 61a are oriented vertically and are positioned farther from the front panel 42 than the plurality of solenoid on-off valves 15A, 15B. Therefore, the solenoid units 62 of the electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B can be manually attached and detached by an operator from the upper space of the machine chamber RB. This improves the maintainability of the electronic expansion valves 14A, 14B.

[0053] In the outdoor unit 2 of the heat pump apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the indoor units include a first indoor unit 3A having an air-refrigerant heat exchanger 31A and a second indoor unit 3B having a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 31B, the electronic expansion valves include a first electronic expansion valve 14A corresponding to the first indoor unit 3A and a second electronic expansion valve 14B corresponding to the second indoor unit 3B, the solenoid on-off valves include a first solenoid on-off valve 15A corresponding to the first indoor unit 3A and a second solenoid on-off valve 15B corresponding to the second indoor unit 3B, the first electronic expansion valve 14A and the first solenoid on-off valve 15A form a first valve set 50A, and the second electronic expansion valve 14B and the second solenoid on-off valve 15B form a second valve set 50B, and the first valve set 50A and the second valve set 50B are arranged vertically within the housing 40. This configuration makes it easy to identify the valve set corresponding to the indoor unit 3A, 3B that is the target of maintenance, thereby improving the maintainability of each valve set.

[0054] In the outdoor unit 2 of the heat pump device 1 according to this embodiment, either the first solenoid on-off valve 15A or the second solenoid on-off valve 15B can be selectively opened to selectively supply refrigerant to the first indoor unit 3A and the second indoor unit 3B, so that the first indoor unit 3A can alternatively perform heating operation and the second indoor unit 3B can alternatively perform hot water supply. Also, it is possible to selectively perform only cooling operation of the first indoor unit 3A. In order to achieve this configuration, multiple solenoid valves (first solenoid on-off valve 15A and second solenoid on-off valve 15B) are newly installed, and by appropriately arranging these solenoid valves, it is possible to improve the maintainability of the solenoid valves.

[0055] Although one embodiment of the outdoor unit of the heat pump device according to the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, in this embodiment, a configuration including two indoor units 3A and 3B has been described, but the number of indoor units can be changed as appropriate as long as the configuration includes the same number of electronic expansion valves and solenoid on-off valves as the indoor units. Furthermore, the indoor units 3A and 3B may be used only for air conditioning or only for hot water supply and heating, as long as they are used in the heat pump device 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Heat pump equipment 2 Outdoor unit 3A 1st indoor unit (indoor unit) 3B 2nd indoor unit (indoor unit) 4G No. 1 gas pipe (connection pipe) 4L 1st liquid pipe (connection pipe) 5G Second gas pipe (connection pipe) 5L Second liquid pipe (connecting pipe) 10. Control valve 11 Compressor 12 Four-way valve 13 Outdoor heat exchanger 14A First Electronic Expansion Valve 14B Second electronic expansion valve 15A First solenoid valve 15B Second solenoid valve 18G First gas refrigerant operating valve 18L 1st liquid refrigerant control valve 19G Second gas refrigerant operating valve 19L Second liquid refrigerant control valve 24 Outdoor liquid pipe 24A First liquid branch pipe 24B Second liquid branch pipe 25 Outdoor gas pipe 25A First gas branch pipe 25B Second gas branch pipe 31A Air-Refrigerant Heat Exchanger 31B Water refrigerant heat exchanger 40 cabinets 41 Bottom plate (base plate) 42 Front Panel 42A Grill 42B Service Panel 45 Right side panel (side panel) 45A Port Panel (Operating Valve Mounting Fixture) 50A 1st valve assembly 50B 2nd valve set 61 Expansion valve body 61a Movable axis 62 Solenoid section 71 On-off valve body 71a Movable axis 72 Solenoid section RA heat exchange room RB Mechanical Room

Claims

1. an outdoor heat exchanger and a four-way valve housed in a housing; an operating valve for connecting a connecting pipe leading to the indoor unit; an operation valve mounting fixture to which the operation valve is attached so as to be exposed to the outside of the housing; an electromagnetic on-off valve provided in an outdoor gas pipe between the four-way valve and the operating valve; an electronic expansion valve provided in an outdoor liquid pipe between the outdoor heat exchanger and the operating valve; An outdoor unit for a heat pump apparatus, characterized in that, when viewed from the direction in which the operating valve is attached to the operating valve attachment fixture, the electromagnetic on-off valve and the electronic expansion valve are each arranged around the operating valve attachment fixture so as not to overlap with the operating valve attachment fixture.

2. the housing includes a base plate, a front panel, and a side panel; The outdoor unit of the heat pump apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operating valve attachment fixture is fixed to the side of the base plate where the side panel is arranged.

3. 3. The outdoor unit of a heat pump apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic on-off valve is arranged closer to the front panel than the operating valve mounting bracket, and an upper portion of the electromagnetic on-off valve is inclined toward the front panel relative to the base plate.

4. A plurality of the indoor units are connected to the outdoor unit, a plurality of electronic expansion valves, the number of which is the same as the indoor units; and a plurality of electromagnetic on-off valves, the number of which is the same as the indoor units; 3. The outdoor unit of the heat pump apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of electronic expansion valves are arranged so that their movable axes are oriented in the vertical direction, and are arranged at positions farther from the front panel than the plurality of electromagnetic on-off valves.

5. The indoor units include a first indoor unit having an air-refrigerant heat exchanger and a second indoor unit having a water-refrigerant heat exchanger, The electronic expansion valve includes a first electronic expansion valve corresponding to the first indoor unit and a second electronic expansion valve corresponding to the second indoor unit, the electromagnetic on-off valves include a first electromagnetic on-off valve corresponding to the first indoor unit and a second electromagnetic on-off valve corresponding to the second indoor unit; the first electronic expansion valve and the first electromagnetic on-off valve form a first valve set, and the second electronic expansion valve and the second electromagnetic on-off valve form a second valve set; The outdoor unit of the heat pump apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first valve assembly and the second valve assembly are arranged side by side in the vertical direction within the housing.

6. The outdoor unit of the heat pump apparatus according to claim 5, wherein either the first electromagnetic on-off valve or the second electromagnetic on-off valve is selectively opened to allow refrigerant to be selectively supplied to the first indoor unit or the second indoor unit.

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