Mounting stand and hot water system equipped therewith

Abstract

This provides a stand that appropriately improves strength and other aspects, while also ensuring that fastening points such as screws to the frame of the side panels do not appear unsightly, thereby improving the appearance and design. [Solution] The first and second side plate portions 31a and 31b of the front support column 3A and rear support column 3B of the frame F of the stationary base A are provided with stepped portions 33 extending in the vertical direction, where the portion closer to the center in the front-rear direction of the frame F is offset towards the center in the width direction compared to the portion closer to the edge, forming an offset plate portion 35, and the portion closer to the edge is formed as a non-offset plate portion 34. Each side panel 8 is set so that the side panel body portion 80 is in opposition to or close to the non-offset plate portion 34 of the front support column 3A and rear support column 3B. The front bent portion 81 and rear bent portion 82 connected to the front and rear of the side panel body portion 80 are positioned opposite to the front plate portion 30a and rear plate portion 30b and fastened to the frame F using first fastening members 91a to 91d.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a stand and a hot water system including the same.

Background Art

[0002] As a specific example of the stand, the applicant has previously proposed the one described in Patent Document 1. The stand described in the same document includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped frame and a plurality of panels such as a front panel and side panels for covering the front surface and left and right side surfaces of the frame. The frame is configured such that a plurality of columns extending in the vertical height direction stand on a rectangular frame-shaped base portion. A rectangular frame-shaped upper frame portion is continuously provided on the upper portions of the plurality of columns, and a hot water device can be placed on the upper frame portion. According to such a configuration, the stand is constructed with a relatively simple configuration using the frame and the plurality of panels, and weight reduction and manufacturing cost reduction can be achieved. The inside of the stand can also be effectively used as a piping space for the hot water device or the like.

[0003] However, in the above prior art, as described below, there is still room for improvement.

[0004] That is, although the side panel of the above-described stand is screwed to the column of the frame, the screwed portion is visible from the side or the diagonal front of the stand. On the other hand, when installing the stand, the side surface of the stand may be installed in a prominent state, and in such a case, the screwed portion of the side panel is prominent. Such a thing is not very preferable in enhancing the commercial value by making the appearance and design of the stand good, and there is room for improvement. In addition, as the stand, while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, it is also desired to further promote overall weight reduction and strength improvement compared to the above prior art, and there is also room for improvement in this regard.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7155611 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 7205250 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] This invention was conceived under the circumstances described above, and its objective is to provide a mounting base and a hot water system equipped therewith that appropriately improve overall strength and other aspects, while also ensuring that fastening points such as screws to the frame of the side panels do not appear unsightly, thereby improving appearance and design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following technical measures.

[0008] A stand provided by a first aspect of the present invention comprises a three-dimensional frame-like structure including a pair of front support columns and a pair of rear support columns located at the four corners and standing upright in the vertical direction, and a pair of left and right side panels having side panel bodies for covering both left and right side portions of the frame, wherein in a plan cross-sectional view, each of the front support columns has a first side panel portion extending rearward from the outer end of a front plate portion extending in the left-right width direction, and each of the rear support columns has a first side plate portion extending rearward in the left-right width direction A stationary stand having a configuration in which a second side plate extends forward from the outer end of an extending rear plate, wherein the first and second side plate portions are provided with stepped portions extending in the vertical height direction, where the portion of the frame closer to the front-rear center is an offset plate portion offset towards the center in the lateral direction compared to the portion closer to the edge, and the portion closer to the edge is a non-offset plate portion, and each side panel is set in a configuration where the side panel body portion is in opposing contact with or approaching the non-offset plate portion of each front support column and each rear support column, and the front and rear portions of the side panel body portion are provided with a front bend portion and a rear bend portion that are bent or curved closer to the center of the frame in the lateral direction, and these front bend portion and rear bend portion are fastened to the frame using a first fastening member in a configuration facing the front plate portion and the rear plate portion.

[0009] This configuration yields the following effects: In other words, the front and rear support columns that constitute the frame of the stand are configured with predetermined stepped sections extending in the vertical direction on their first and second side plates. This makes it possible to increase the rigidity of the front and rear support columns, effectively enhancing the strength of the frame and, consequently, the strength of the entire stand. Since it is not necessary to increase the thickness of each part of the front and rear support columns, the overall weight can be reduced, and the increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed. On the other hand, the side panels covering the sides of the frame are fastened to the frame using the first fastening member, with the front and rear bends facing the front plate portion of the front support column and the rear plate portion of the rear support column. Therefore, there are no fastening points for the side panels to the frame on the sides of the frame itself. Consequently, it is possible to improve the appearance and design of the sides of the stand. Furthermore, although the side panels are not fastened to the frame using the first fastening member on the side of the frame, the side panel body is positioned on the side of the frame in a configuration that is in direct contact with or close to the non-offset plate portions of the front and rear support columns. Therefore, it is possible to stabilize the relative positional relationship between the side panel and the frame on the side of the frame, preventing deformation such as large bulges or dents in the side panel, and thus stabilizing the side panel.

[0010] In the present invention, preferably, the stepped portion is provided in a form that extends in a continuous manner across the entire length in the vertical height direction of each of the first and second side plate portions.

[0011] With this configuration, the stepped section increases the rigidity of the front and rear support columns, making it optimal, or nearly optimal, for increasing the strength of the frame.

[0012] In the present invention, preferably, the frame further comprises connecting members that connect the front and rear support columns to each other, wherein the front and rear ends of the connecting members are fastened to the respective offset plate portions of the front and rear support columns using second fastening members, and the connecting members and the second fastening members do not protrude outward beyond the respective non-offset plate portions, thus avoiding interference with the side panels.

[0013] With this configuration, the front and rear support columns are connected using a connecting member, which is even more advantageous in increasing the strength of the frame. Furthermore, since the connecting member is attached to the offset plate section using a second fastening member, interference between the connecting member and the second fastening member and the side panel is avoided, making it possible to properly attach the side panel to the side of the frame. Moreover, the offset plate section is formed by providing stepped sections on the front and rear support columns to improve strength, and its configuration is rational.

[0014] In the present invention, preferably, the frame further comprises a base portion, the base portion comprising a mounting portion on which each of the front support columns and each of the rear support columns is placed, and a first mounting projection that protrudes upward from the mounting portion or its periphery and is intended to connect and fix to each of the front support columns and each of the rear support columns, the lower part of the stepped portion of at least one of the front support columns or each of the rear support columns is provided with a notch, the first mounting projection enters into the notch, and the first mounting projection is sandwiched between the offset plate portion and the non-offset plate portion in the lateral direction.

[0015] With this configuration, at least one of the front or rear support columns can be placed on the base and accurately connected and fixed to the base using the first mounting projection of the base. When connecting and fixing, the position of the front or rear support column relative to the base can also be controlled by inserting the first mounting projection of the base into the notch of the stepped portion.

[0016] In the present invention, preferably, the base portion further comprises a second mounting projection that protrudes upward from the above-described mounting portion or its surrounding portion and forms a gap between it and the first mounting projection in the front-rear direction, and at least one of the front support column or the rear support column is connected and fixed to the second mounting projection with the front plate portion or the rear plate portion entering the gap and overlapping the second mounting projection.

[0017] According to such a configuration, when at least one of the front struts or the rear struts is placed on the base portion, in addition to the first mounting protrusion of the base portion, the second mounting protrusion can also be utilized to achieve a firm connection and fixation to the base portion. When making this connection and fixation, since the front plate portion or the rear plate portion enters the gap between the first and second mounting protrusions, it is also possible to more accurately regulate the position of the front strut or the rear strut with respect to the base portion.

[0018] In the present invention, preferably, as the base portion, there is provided a front base portion that extends in the width direction and on which the pair of front struts are placed and fixed at both left and right ends, and a rear base portion that is located behind the front base portion, extends in the width direction, and on which the pair of rear struts are placed and fixed at both left and right ends.

[0019] According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the entire base portion or an increase in the number of parts, which is preferable for reducing the weight of the entire frame and suppressing the manufacturing cost.

[0020] In the present invention, preferably, there is further provided a front panel for covering the front portion of the frame, and the front panel is attached to the frame so as to cover the front bending portion of the side panel and the first fastening member used for its attachment.

[0021] According to such a configuration, since the front bending portion of the side panel and the first fastening member used for its attachment can be covered and hidden by the front panel, it is even more preferable for improving the appearance of the placement table.

[0022] The hot water system provided by the second aspect of the present invention is characterized by including the placement table provided by the first aspect of the present invention and the hot water equipment placed on this placement table.

[0023] ​According to such a configuration, the same effects as those described for the placement table provided by the first aspect of the present invention can be obtained.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] It is a partially broken schematic perspective view showing an example of a hot water system provided with a placement table according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic perspective view of the placement table shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIa-IIIa of FIG. 2, (b) is an enlarged view of part IIIb of (a), and (c) is an enlarged view of part IIIc of (a). [Figure 4] (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVa-IVa of FIG. 2, (b) is an enlarged view of part IVb of (a), (c) is an enlarged plan cross-sectional view of the main part at a location where the height is lower than (b) and a cut-in part is provided, (d) is an enlarged view of part IVd of (a), and (e) is an enlarged plan cross-sectional view of the main part at a location where the height is lower than (d) and a cut-in part is provided. [Figure 5] It is an exploded perspective view of the placement table shown in FIG. 2 with the front panel removed. [Figure 6] It is an exploded perspective view of the placement table shown in FIG. 5 with the side panel further removed. [Figure 7] It is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the main part (upper part) of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] (a) is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the main part (lower part) of FIG. 6, and (b) is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of (a). [Figure 9] It is an exploded perspective view of the main part of FIG. 8(b). [Figure 10] It is a perspective view of the main part from the rear side indicated by arrow Da in the same figure of the part shown in FIG. 8(b). [Figure 11] It is an exploded perspective view of the main part of FIG. 10. [Figure 12](a) is a schematic perspective view showing the front support column of the stand frame shown in Figure 1, (b) is a schematic front view, (c) is a schematic side view, (d) is a cross-sectional view of (c) from XIId-XIId, and (e) is a cross-sectional view of (c) from XIIe-XIIe. [Figure 13] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the connecting members of the stand. [Figure 14] This is a schematic side view of section XIV in Figure 1. [Figure 15] (a) and (b) are schematic perspective views of key parts illustrating other examples of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0027] The hot water system SY shown in Figure 1 comprises a mounting base A, a water heater 1 mounted on the mounting base A, and a hot water storage tank unit 19, and is capable of supplying hot water to a predetermined destination via piping (not shown). The water heater 1 is, for example, an instantaneous gas water heater, which corresponds to an example of a "hot water equipment" as defined in this invention. The hot water system SY is installed, for example, close to the exterior wall 90 of a house, with the mounting base A and water heater 1 located in front of the hot water storage tank unit 19 (left side in Figure 1). The mounting base A is oriented so that not only its front surface 2a but also its side surface 2b is visible from the outside. Therefore, in order to improve the appearance of the mounting base A, it is required that not only the front surface 2a but also the side surface 2b be well-proportioned.

[0028] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the mounting base A comprises a roughly rectangular parallelepiped frame F, a front panel 7 attached to this frame F, and a pair of left and right side panels 8.

[0029] Frame F comprises a pair of front support columns 3A and rear support columns 3B (referred to as "multiple support columns 3A, 3B" as appropriate) located at the four corners of Frame F and extending in the vertical direction, a front base section 4A and a rear base section 4B that serve as base sections on which these multiple support columns 3A, 3B are placed, a rectangular frame-shaped upper frame section 5 connected to the top of the multiple support columns 3A, 3B, and multiple first and second connecting members 6A, 6B. All of these components are made of metal, but the specific material is not limited. The same applies to the front panel 7 and side panels 8.

[0030] The front support column 3A has, in a plan view, a front plate portion 30a extending in the left-right lateral direction of the frame F (mounting base A), and a first side plate portion 31a extending rearward from the outer end of the front plate portion 30a. Its basic form is approximately L-shaped or close to it in plan view (see also Figure 12). The rear support column 3B is front-to-back symmetrical to the front support column 3A and has a rear plate portion 30b extending in the lateral direction, and a second side plate portion 31b extending forward from the outer end of the rear plate portion 30b. The left and right pairs of front support columns 3A and the left and right pairs of rear support columns 3B are left-right symmetrical. Preferably, these multiple support columns 3A, 3B are constructed as members with substantially the same shape and size, and are used in a left-right or up-down inversion.

[0031] The front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and the first and second side plate portions 31a and 31b are provided with stepped portions 33, which are bent portions. The stepped portion 33 is a portion of the first and second side plate portions 31a and 31b that is offset by an appropriate dimension La from the center of the frame F in the front-rear direction relative to the stepped portion 33, and from the center of the frame F in the lateral direction relative to the end portion (see also Figure 12). The center portion is the offset plate portion 35, and the end portion is the non-offset plate portion 34. The stepped portion 33 is provided in a form that extends continuously across the entire length in the vertical direction of the first and second side plate portions 31a and 31b, respectively.

[0032] The first connecting member 6A is a member for connecting the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B to each other. As is clearly shown in Figure 13, mounting pieces 63 having fastening holes 61 and locking projections 62 are provided at both ends of a plate-shaped main body portion 60 extending in the front-rear direction of the frame F. The main body portion 60 is configured such that, for example, reinforcing ribs 60b are bent and formed above and below a vertical plate portion 60a.

[0033] Each of the multiple first connecting members 6A is fastened to the offset plate portion 35 of the first and second side plate portions 31a and 31b using a fastening member 92 (corresponding to a specific example of the "second fastening member" in this invention), as is clearly shown in Figure 3. The offset plate portion 35 is provided with holes 68a and 68b for the insertion of the fastening member 92 and the locking projection 62. The fastening member 92 is, for example, a screw, and this is also true for the other fastening members 91, 93 to 95 which will be described later. The first connecting members 6A and the fastening members 92 are set so as not to protrude outward beyond the non-offset plate portion 34. This has the effect of preventing the first connecting members 6A and the fastening members 92 from unduely interfering with the side panel 8.

[0034] Each of the multiple second connecting members 6B is a member for connecting the front support columns 3A to each other and the rear support columns 3B to each other, as is clearly shown in Figures 5 to 7. The basic shape of this second connecting member 6B is the same as that of the first connecting member 6A described earlier, and its details are omitted. The left and right ends of this second connecting member 6B are fastened to the front plate portion 30a of the front support column 3A or the rear plate portion 30b of the rear support column 3B using fastening members 93.

[0035] The upper frame section 5 is a rectangular frame-shaped part provided on the upper part of the multiple support columns 3A and 3B, and is formed in a shape and size suitable for mounting the water heater 1. This upper frame section 5 is constructed using four upper frame forming members 51 to 54 that connect the upper parts of the multiple support columns 3A and 3B in a series. However, of the upper frame forming members 51 to 54, two upper frame forming members 51 and 52 can be the same shape and size as the first connecting member 6A described above. The upper frame forming member 53 is equipped with bracket parts 55 and 56 for the side panel and the front panel, respectively, as will be described later.

[0036] The front base portion 4A is plate-shaped and extends in the width direction, and mounting portions 40 on both the left and right ends are provided on which a pair of front support columns 3A are placed (see also Figures 8 to 12). Upward-projecting first and second mounting portions 41 and 42 are provided on or around the mounting portions 40 for connecting and fixing to the front support columns 3A. The first mounting portion 41 is rib-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction, and is the part that raises the outer end of the front base portion 4A upward. The second mounting portion 42 is the part that raises the front edge of the front base portion 4A upward, and is located in front of the first mounting portion 41 so as to form a gap 43 between them, and extends in the width direction. Bracket portions 44 and 45 for the side panel and front panel, which will be described later, are connected to the upper end of this second mounting portion 42.

[0037] The rear base section 4B differs from the front base section 4A in that it does not have bracket sections 44 and 45 for the side and front panels, but its other basic configuration is the same as that of the front base section 4A (front and rear symmetrical). Therefore, in the drawings, the parts of the rear base section 4B that correspond to the front base section 4A are given the same reference numerals as those for the front base section 4A, and their explanation is omitted.

[0038] A downward-facing opening notch 36 is provided at the lower part of the stepped portion 33 of the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B (at the lower part of the first and second side plate portions 31a and 31b). When the front support column 3A is placed on the front base portion 4A, the first mounting projection 41 of the front base portion 4A enters the notch 36 of the first side plate portion 31a (see also Figures 4(a) and (b)). As a result, in the lateral direction, the first mounting projection 41 is sandwiched between the offset plate portion 35 and the non-offset plate portion 34. The non-offset plate portion 34 and the first mounting projection 41 are fastened together using a fastening member 94. The front plate portion 30a of the front support column 3A enters the gap portion 43 and overlaps with the second mounting projection portion 42, and is fastened to the second mounting projection portion 42 using a fastening member 95. This ensures that the front support column 3A is fixedly connected to the front base portion 4A. The state in which the rear support column 3B is placed on the rear base portion 4B is the same as the state in which the front support column 3A is placed on the rear base portion 4B (front-to-back symmetrical) (see also Figures 4(a) and (d)), and therefore the explanation is omitted.

[0039] Each of the pair of side panels 8 includes a side panel body 80 for covering the side of the frame F, as well as a front bend 81 and a rear bend 82 connected to its front and rear ends, which are bent or curved toward the center of the frame F in the lateral direction. Each side panel 8 is positioned such that the side panel body 80 is in direct contact with or approaching the non-offset plate portions 34 of the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B, respectively. The front bend 81 and the rear bend 82 are positioned opposite the front plate portion 30a of the front support column 3A and the rear plate portion 30b of the rear support column 3B, and are fastened to the frame F using fastening members 91a to 91d (corresponding to specific examples of the "first fastening member" as referred to in this invention).

[0040] More specifically, the lower portion of the rear bend 82 of the side panel 8 is fastened to the rear plate portion 30b of the rear support column 3B using a fastening member 91a, as shown in Figure 4(c). Also, as shown in Figure 5, the upper portion and the intermediate height portion of the rear bend 82 are fastened to the rear plate portion 30b using a fastening member 91b.

[0041] On the other hand, the lower portion of the front bent portion 81 is fastened to a bracket portion 44 for the side panel provided on the front base portion 4A using a fastening member 91c, as shown in Figure 3(b). The upper portion of the front bent portion 81 is fastened to a bracket portion 55 for the side panel, which is a protruding bent piece provided on the upper frame forming member 53, using a fastening member 91d, as shown in Figures 5 to 7.

[0042] The front panel 7 is a component that covers the front portion of the frame F, and is attached to the frame F so as to cover the front side of the front bent portion 81 of the side panel 8 and the fastening members 91c and 91d used for its attachment. The front panel 7 is attached to the frame F by inserting the upward projection 45a of the bracket portion 45 for attaching the front panel of the front base portion 4A into a hole 70 provided in the lower part of the front panel 7, thereby supporting the lower part of the front panel 7. The upper portion of the front panel 7 is fixed to a bracket portion 56 for the front panel, which is a protruding bent piece provided on the upper frame forming member 53, using a fastener 98. The fastener 98 is conspicuous on the front of the stand A, and its fixed state is released each time the front panel 7 is opened and closed, so it is preferable that it is aesthetically pleasing and easy to fix and release compared to fastening members such as screws.

[0043] Preferably, the left and right sides of the front panel 7 are configured to have flange portions 72 that overlap the front bent portions 81 of the side panels 8 (see Figure 3(b)). More preferably, the configuration is as shown in Figure 14. In this figure, the cross-hatched portion is the front panel 7, and the halftone pattern portion is the side panel 8. In this figure, the front portion of the water heater 1 and the front portion of the front panel 7 of the mounting base A are set to be substantially flush. Furthermore, the boundary between the front panel 7 and the side panel 8 is set to be located directly below (on the extension line of) the boundary 12 between the front cover 10 of the water heater 1 and the main body case 11.

[0044] Next, the operation of the aforementioned mounting base A and the hot water system SY equipped therewith will be explained.

[0045] First, the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B that constitute the frame F of the base A have a basic form that is approximately L-shaped in cross-section, and their first and second side plate portions 31a and 31b are provided with stepped portions 33 that extend in the vertical direction. As a result, the presence of these stepped portions 33 increases the rigidity of the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B, thereby increasing the strength of the frame F and, consequently, the overall strength of the base A. Since it is not necessary to increase the thickness of each part of the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B, the overall weight can be reduced, and it is possible to suppress an increase in manufacturing costs.

[0046] As previously mentioned, in this hot water system SY, the side portion 2b of the mounting base A is conspicuous. In contrast, the side panel 8 is attached to the frame F with the front bend portion 81 and rear bend portion 82 of the side panel 8 facing the front plate portion 30a of the front support column 3A and the rear plate portion 30b of the rear support column 3B, so there are no fastening points for the side panel 8 on the side portion 2b of the mounting base A. Furthermore, the front bend portion 81 and the fastening members 91c and 91d used for its attachment are covered by the front panel 7 and are not conspicuous. Therefore, it is possible to improve the appearance of the side portion 2b of the mounting base A and increase its commercial value. Furthermore, since the main body portion 80 of the side panel 8 can be aligned with the non-offset plate portion 34 of the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B, it is possible to prevent deformation such as bulging or denting of the main body portion 80 of the side panel and stabilize the side panel 8.

[0047] Furthermore, the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B are connected via a first connecting member 6A. As previously described, the first connecting member 6A is attached to the offset plate portion 35, and the first connecting member 6A and the second fastening member 92 used for its attachment are designed not to interfere with the side panel 8. Therefore, there is no hindrance to attaching the side panel 8 to the frame F.

[0048] As a means of fixing and connecting the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B to the front base portion 4A and the rear base portion 4B, the first mounting projection 41 is inserted into a notch 36 provided in the stepped portion 33 of the front support column 3A and the rear support column 3B. Furthermore, the front plate portion 30a of the front support column 3A and the rear plate portion 30b of the rear support column 3B are inserted into the gap portion 43 formed between the first and second mounting projections 41 and 42. With this configuration, the positional restriction between the front support column 3A and the front base portion 4A, and the positional restriction between the rear support column 3B and the rear base portion 4B are accurately achieved, and it is preferable to increase the strength of the connection and fixing.

[0049] Figure 15 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the first mounting projection 41 of the rear base portion 4B is provided with an upward-facing opening notch 41a. The rear support column 3B and the rear base portion 4B are connected and fixed in such a state that the first mounting projection 41 enters the notch 36 of the rear support column 3B, and the lower part of the rear support column 3B enters the notch 41a of the first mounting projection 41. With this configuration, the rear base portion 4B and the rear support column 3B can be positioned in both the front-to-back and lateral directions. The same means can be used when connecting the front base portion 4A and the front support column 3A.

[0050] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The specific configuration of the mounting base according to the present invention, and the parts of the hot water system equipped therewith, can be modified in various ways within the scope intended by the present invention.

[0051] The frame of the stand can be any three-dimensional frame with a pair of front support columns and a pair of rear support columns at the four corners, and can be any shape other than a roughly rectangular frame. The stepped portion is preferably provided in a form that extends continuously across the entire length in the vertical direction of each of the first and second side plate portions, but is not limited to this, and may be shorter than the entire length. Furthermore, while it is desirable to provide the stepped portion on all of the pair of front support columns and the pair of rear support columns, it is not limited to this. As long as it is provided on at least one of the columns, it is included within the technical scope of the present invention. The base section can also be configured as a rectangular frame-shaped base section, for example, instead of being separated into a front base section and a rear base section.

[0052] Hot water equipment placed on a stand is equipment related to hot water, such as equipment capable of generating or storing hot water. Therefore, it is not limited to water heaters, but also includes, for example, heat pumps for heating hot water. The front and left and right sides of the mounting base refer to the front and left and right sides of the mounting base itself, and do not necessarily coincide with the front and left and right sides of the hot water system (for example, the front of the mounting base may correspond to the side or rear of the entire hot water system). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] SY Hot Water System A Stand F Frame 1. Water heater (hot water equipment) 3A Front strut 3B Rear strut 30a Front plate section (of the front support column) 30b Rear panel section (of the rear support column) 33 Stepped section 34 Non-offset plate section 35 Offset plate section 36 Cut section 4A Front base section (base section) 4B Rear base section (base section) 41,42 First and second mounting protrusions 43 Gap 6A First connecting member (connecting member) 7 Front Panel 8 Side Panels 80 Side panel main unit 81 Front bend 82 Rear bend 91a~91d Fastening members (first fastening members) 92 Fastening member (second fastening member)

Claims

1. A three-dimensional frame-like structure including a pair of front support columns and a pair of rear support columns located at the four corners and standing upright in the vertical direction, This frame has a pair of left and right side panels, each having a side panel body to cover both the left and right sides, It is equipped with, In a plan view of the cross section, each of the front support columns has a configuration in which a first side plate portion extends rearward from the outer end of a front plate portion that extends in the left-right width direction, and each of the rear support columns has a configuration in which a second side plate portion extends forward from the outer end of a rear plate portion that extends in the width direction, in a stand. The first and second side plates are provided with stepped portions extending in the vertical direction, where the portion closer to the center in the front-to-rear direction of the frame is offset towards the center in the lateral direction compared to the portion closer to the edge, and the portion closer to the edge is formed as a non-offset plate portion. Each of the aforementioned side panels is configured such that the main body of the side panel is in opposing contact with or approaching the non-offset plate portion of each of the front and rear support columns. A mounting base characterized in that the front and rear of the main body of the side panel are connected, with a front bend and a rear bend that are bent or curved towards the center of the frame in the lateral direction, and these front bend and rear bends are fastened to the frame using a first fastening member in a position opposite to the front plate and the rear plate.

2. A stand according to claim 1, The stepped portion is provided in a manner that extends continuously across the entire length in the vertical direction of each of the first and second side plate portions, in a mounting base.

3. A stand according to claim 1, The frame further comprises connecting members that connect each of the front support columns and each of the rear support columns to each other. A mounting base wherein the front and rear ends of the connecting member are fastened to the offset plate portions of the respective front and rear support columns using a second fastening member, and the connecting member and the second fastening member do not protrude outward beyond the respective non-offset plate portions, thus avoiding interference with the respective side panels.

4. A stand according to claim 1, The frame further comprises a base portion as a component of the frame. The base portion comprises a mounting section on which each of the front and rear support columns is placed, and a first mounting projection that protrudes upward from the mounting section or its surrounding area and is intended to connect and fix to each of the front and rear support columns. A mounting base wherein a notch is provided at the lower part of the stepped portion of at least one of the front support column or each rear support column, and the first mounting projection enters into this notch, and the first mounting projection is sandwiched between the offset plate portion and the non-offset plate portion in the lateral direction.

5. A stand according to claim 4, The base portion further includes a second mounting projection that protrudes upward from the previously described mounting portion or its surrounding portion and forms a gap between it and the first mounting projection in the front-rear direction. A mounting base in which at least one of the front support columns or the rear support columns is connected and fixed to the second mounting projection, with the front plate portion or the rear plate portion entering the gap portion and overlapping the second mounting projection.

6. A stand according to claim 4, A mounting stand comprising, as the base portion, a front base portion extending in the lateral direction and on which the pair of front support columns are placed and fixed at both left and right ends, and a rear base portion located behind the front base portion and extending in the lateral direction, on which the pair of rear support columns are placed and fixed at both left and right ends.

7. A stand according to claim 1, The frame further comprises a front panel for covering the front portion of the frame, The front panel is attached to the frame such that it covers the front bent portion of the side panel and the first fastening member used for its attachment, and is a mounting base.

8. A mounting base according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The hot water equipment placed on this stand, A hot water system characterized by having the following features.

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