Heat pump type heat source unit

Abstract

The present invention provides a heat pump type heat source unit that can efficiently absorb heat from the air and efficiently discharge the heat-absorbing air, even when the thickness of the enclosure in the front-to-back direction is increased. [Solution] A front cover is attached to the front of the enclosure. The air heat exchanger 24 is located on the rear side inside the enclosure. The case 50 is positioned in front of the air heat exchanger 24 and guides the air that has passed through the air heat exchanger 24 forward. The case 50 is equipped with a mounting plate 29. The mounting plate 29 is equipped with an opening 291. The fan 27 is positioned inside the case 50 with the air discharge direction facing forward and overlapping the opening 291 in the front-to-back direction. The fan 27 is equipped with four fixing legs. The four fixing legs are fixed to the rear surface of the mounting plate 29. A spacer 60 is placed between the case 50 and the front cover.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a heat pump type heat source machine.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a heat pump type heat source machine. The heat pump type heat source machine absorbs heat from the outside air and transfers the heat to the hot water storage tank side. The heat pump heat source machine includes a circulation path through which a refrigerant circulates. An air heat exchanger, a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expander, etc. are provided in the circulation path. A fan is provided in the air heat exchanger. The fan induces the outside air into the air heat exchanger. When the fan and the compressor are operated, the outside air is induced into the air heat exchanger by the fan, and the atmospheric heat is absorbed by the refrigerant in the air heat exchanger. The refrigerant that has absorbed the atmospheric heat is pressurized by the compressor and sent to the water heat exchanger. After heat is transferred to the hot water storage tank by the water heat exchanger, the refrigerant is transferred to the expander. After being depressurized by the expander, the refrigerant is transferred to the air heat exchanger again. [[ID=​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​This results in a gap between the air heat exchanger and the vents of the front cover attached to the front of the enclosure. This configuration presents a problem in that it becomes difficult to efficiently guide outside air to the air heat exchanger and to efficiently discharge the outside air after it has absorbed heat.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a heat pump type heat source unit that can absorb heat well from the air and discharge the heat-absorbing air well, even when the thickness of the housing in the front-to-back direction is increased. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The heat pump type heat source unit according to claim 1 is a heat pump type heat source unit comprising at least an air heat exchanger and a fan inside a housing to which a front cover is attached on the front side, wherein the front cover is provided with a ventilation opening that is inserted in the front-to-back direction, the air heat exchanger is provided on the rear side inside the housing, a box-shaped case is provided in front of the air heat exchanger having an opening that is inserted in the front-to-back direction and covering the area in front of the air heat exchanger from all sides, a spacer is provided between the case and the front cover, the spacer is provided with a ventilation path that connects the opening and the ventilation opening, and the area in which the fan is installed is provided in the area from the inside of the case to the ventilation path.

[0008] The case of the heat pump type heat source machine according to claim 2 comprises a front plate portion having the opening and facing in the front-rear direction, the fan comprises a fixing portion fixed to the rear surface of the front plate portion, the fan with the fixing portion fixed to the rear surface of the front plate portion is positioned so that the air discharge direction is forward and overlaps with the opening in the front-rear direction in the installation area, and the spacer between the case and the front cover may be positioned so as to be in contact with the front plate portion of the case.

[0009] The vent portion of the heat pump type heat source unit according to claim 3 is cylindrical in shape and protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the front cover, and may be in contact with the front end side of the vent path portion.

[0010] The spacer of the heat pump type heat source unit according to claim 4 may be made of expanded polystyrene or urethane sponge. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the heat pump type heat source unit of claim 1, the area from the air heat exchanger to the vent of the front cover is sealed from the outside, except for the air heat exchanger and the vent of the front cover. By arranging a fan in this area, outside air can be efficiently introduced towards the air heat exchanger. Furthermore, the outside air that has absorbed heat by the air heat exchanger can be efficiently discharged outside the housing through the vent.

[0012] According to the heat pump type heat source unit of claim 2, the cushioning material is placed between the case and the front cover. The cushioning material is in contact with the front panel of the case to which the fan is fixed. This allows the heat pump type heat source unit to suppress vibrations and noise from the fan.

[0013] According to the heat pump type heat source unit of claim 3, vibrations and noise from the fan can be suppressed more efficiently.

[0014] According to the heat pump type heat source unit of claim 4, the cushioning material can suppress vibrations of the case caused by the operation of the fan. Therefore, the heat pump type heat source unit can suppress vibrations and noise from the fan transmitted through the case. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a functional configuration diagram of the hot water supply system 1. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the hot water supply system 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the hot water heater 1 with the front cover removed. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the front cover 30, seen from the rear side. [Figure 5] This is a rear view of the hot water supply unit 1. [Figure 6] This is a bottom view of the hot water supply unit 1. [Figure 7]Perspective view of the water heater 1 with the front cover and various surrounding plates removed. [Figure 8] Perspective view of the water heater 1 with the piping connection plate removed from the state shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] Right side view of the water heater 1 in the state shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] Rear view of the water heater 1 in the state shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] Plan view of the middle bottom plate 45. [Figure 12] Perspective view of the middle bottom plate 45. [Figure 13] Perspective view of the water heater 1 with the upper cover plate removed from the state shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 14] Perspective view of the water heater 1 with the spacer 60 removed forward from the state shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] Perspective view of the water heater 1 with the fan assembly 28 removed forward from the state shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] Perspective view of the water heater 1 seen from a different angle from FIG. 15. [Figure 17] Perspective view of the case 50. [Figure 18] Perspective view of the fan assembly 28. [Figure 19] Right side view of the fan assembly 28. [Figure 20] Rear view of the fan assembly 28. [Figure 21] Perspective view of the spacer 60 seen from the back side. [Figure 22] Cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrow I-I shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 23] Partial enlarged view of the upper half of FIG. 22. [Figure 24] Cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrow II-II shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 25] Perspective view showing the state where the spacer 160 is disposed between the front cover 300 and the case 80. [Figure 26] Cross-sectional perspective view showing the state where the spacer 160 is disposed between the front cover 300 and the case 80. [Figure 27] This is a perspective view showing the case 80 with the spacer 160 fixed in place. [Figure 28] This is an exploded perspective view of case 80 and spacer 160. [Figure 29] This is a perspective view of spacer 160 from the right rear. [Figure 30] This is a perspective view showing the spacer assembly 370 positioned on the front wall 51 of the case 50. [Figure 31] This is a perspective view of spacer assembly 370. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 24. The devices, component configurations, etc., described below are not intended to be limiting unless specifically stated, but are merely illustrative examples. The drawings are used to explain the technical features that the present invention may adopt. In this embodiment, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down orientations shown in the figures will be used for explanation. The scales of the figures do not necessarily coincide with each other, and are enlarged or reduced as appropriate depending on the object being illustrated.

[0017] Referring to Figure 1, the functional configuration of the hot water supply system 1 will be explained. The hot water supply system 1 is a heat pump system that constitutes a cycle using, for example, CO2 as a refrigerant. The hot water supply system 1 comprises a housing 2, a hot water storage tank unit 3, and a heat pump unit 4. The housing 2 houses the hot water storage tank unit 3 and the heat pump unit 4 in its internal space. The hot water storage tank unit 3 comprises a hot water storage tank 5. The hot water storage tank 5 stores hot water. The heat pump unit 4 heats the hot water in the hot water storage tank 5.

[0018] The configuration of the hot water storage tank unit 3 will now be described. The hot water storage tank unit 3 includes a hot water storage tank 5, a water supply pipe 6, a hot water outlet pipe 7, a supply pipe 8, a return pipe 9, a first bypass pipe 11, a second bypass pipe 12, a relief pipe 13, drain pipes 14-17, a drain pipe 18, etc. The hot water storage tank 5 stores high-temperature hot water (e.g., 65-90°C) heated by the heat pump unit 4. A tank surface thermistor 5A is provided on the side of the hot water storage tank 5.

[0019] The water supply pipe 6 is connected to the middle section of the side of the hot water storage tank 5. The outlet pipe 7 is connected to the upper part of the side of the hot water storage tank 5. One end of the supply pipe 8 is connected to the bottom of the hot water storage tank 5, and the other end is connected to the inlet of the water heat exchanger 22 of the heat pump unit 4 (described later). One end of the return pipe 9 is connected to the outlet of the water heat exchanger 22, and the other end is connected to the top of the hot water storage tank 5. Therefore, the hot water supply device 1 stores the high-temperature hot water returned from the return pipe 9 in the hot water storage tank 5, and can supply the high-temperature hot water from the hot water storage tank 5 through the outlet pipe 7 when hot water is needed.

[0020] The first bypass pipe 11 branches off from the middle of the water supply pipe 6 and connects to the hot water outlet pipe 7. A solenoid valve 11A is provided in the first bypass pipe 11. The second bypass pipe 12 branches off upstream of the solenoid valve 11A in the first bypass pipe 11 and connects to the mixing valve 7B provided in the hot water outlet pipe 7. A check valve 12A is provided in the second bypass pipe 12. The mixing valve 7B is provided upstream of the point where the hot water outlet pipe 7 and the first bypass pipe 11 connect. A mixing valve motor 7D is connected to the mixing valve 7B. The relief pipe 13 is connected upstream of the mixing valve 7B in the hot water outlet pipe 7. A relief valve 13A is provided in the relief pipe 13.

[0021] Drain pipe 14 is connected to the second bypass pipe 12. A drain valve 14A is provided at the outlet of drain pipe 14. Drain pipe 15 is connected to the hot water outlet pipe 7. A drain valve 15A is provided at the outlet of drain pipe 15. Drain pipe 16 is connected to the return pipe 9. A drain valve 16A is provided at the outlet of drain pipe 16. Drain pipe 17 is connected to the supply pipe 8. A drain valve 17A is provided at the outlet of drain pipe 17. A solenoid valve 18A is provided in the drain pipe 18. Drain pipe 19 is connected upstream of the solenoid valve 18A in the drain pipe 18. A drain valve with a safety valve 19A is provided at the outlet of drain pipe 19.

[0022] The water supply pipe 6 is equipped with, in order from upstream where water flows, a pressure reducing valve 6A, a water flow sensor 6B, a thermistor 6C, and a check valve 6D. The hot water outlet pipe 7 is equipped with, in order from upstream where hot water flows, a tank hot water outlet thermistor 7A, a mixing valve 7B, and a mixed water thermistor 7C. The supply pipe 8 is equipped with, in order from upstream where hot water flows, a pump 8A, a water flow switch 8B, and an inlet water thermistor 8C. The return pipe 9 is equipped with a hot water outlet thermistor 9A.

[0023] The functional configuration of the heat pump unit 4 will now be described. The heat pump unit 4 includes a fan 27, an air heat exchanger 24, piping 25, a compressor 21, a water heat exchanger 22, an expansion valve 23, and a bypass pipe 26. The fan 27 takes in outside air into the housing 2 and supplies it to the air heat exchanger 24. The air heat exchanger 24 is equipped with refrigerant piping 241. Refrigerant passes through the refrigerant piping 241. The air heat exchanger 24 takes heat from the supplied outside air into the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant piping 241.

[0024] One end of the piping 25 is connected to the inlet of the air heat exchanger 24, and the other end is connected to the outlet. The piping 25 is equipped with a compressor 21, a water heat exchanger 22, and an expansion valve 23, in that order from upstream where the refrigerant flows. The compressor 21 compresses the refrigerant that has absorbed heat, making it high temperature and high pressure. The water heat exchanger 22 performs heat exchange between the high-temperature refrigerant and the hot water supplied from the supply pipe 8. The expansion valve 23 lowers the pressure of the refrigerant, making it low temperature again. These components—air heat exchanger 24, piping 25, compressor 21, water heat exchanger 22, and expansion valve 23—constitute a heat pump circuit. The heat pump circuit uses the refrigerant sealed in the piping 25 to perform hot water storage operation.

[0025] The bypass pipe 26 branches off from the piping 25 downstream of the compressor 21 and connects to the downstream of the expansion valve 23. A defrosting solenoid valve 26A is provided in the bypass pipe 26.

[0026] The piping 25 is equipped with an intake thermistor 25A, a discharge thermistor 25B, and an expansion valve outlet thermistor 25C. The intake thermistor 25A is installed between the air heat exchanger 24 and the compressor 21. The discharge thermistor 25B is installed between the water heat exchanger 22 and the expansion valve 23. The expansion valve outlet thermistor 25C is installed between the expansion valve 23 and the air heat exchanger 24.

[0027] Referring to Figures 2 to 23, the physical configuration of the hot water heater 1 will be described. The hot water heater 1 shown in Figure 2 has the functional configuration shown in Figure 1.

[0028] The structure of the enclosure 2 will now be described. As shown in Figure 2, the enclosure 2 is a vertically elongated, roughly rectangular parallelepiped. The enclosure 2 comprises a case body 20 and a front cover 30. As shown in Figure 3, the case body 20 is a vertically elongated, roughly rectangular parallelepiped with an open front. The case body 20 is positioned on the upper surfaces of the right leg 37 and the left leg 38, respectively. The right leg 37 and the left leg 38 are trapezoidal blocks extending in the front-to-back direction. The right leg 37 and the left leg 38 support the case body 20 from below. A gap is formed between the bottom of the case body 20 and the mounting surface.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the front cover 30 is detachable from the front of the case body 20. The front cover 30 is made of thin steel plate. A roughly circular ventilation opening 311 is provided on the upper half of the front cover 30, slightly to the left of the center. As shown in Figure 4, a protruding cylinder 312 is provided on the rear side of the front cover 30, around the periphery of the ventilation opening 311. The protruding cylinder 312 is a short-axis cylindrical shape that protrudes to the rear.

[0030] A grid-like filter 313 is provided on the outside of the ventilation opening 311 so as to cover the ventilation opening 311 from the front. With the front cover 30 attached to the front of the case body 20, a fan 27 (see Figure 3) supported within the housing 2 is positioned behind the ventilation opening 311. The ventilation opening 311 is positioned so as to overlap with the fan 27 (see Figure 3) in the front-to-back direction.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the case body 20 comprises a main frame 40 (see Figure 7), a right panel 32, a left panel 33 (see Figure 5), a top panel 34, a back panel 35, a bottom panel 36, and a middle bottom panel 45 (see Figures 7 and 11). The main frame 40 is a vertically elongated, roughly rectangular frame (see Figure 7). The right panel 32 is attached to the right side of the main frame 40. The left panel 33 (see Figure 5) is attached to the left side of the main frame 40. The top panel 34 is attached to the top of the main frame 40. The back panel 35 (see Figure 5) is attached to the back of the main frame 40. The bottom panel 36 is attached to the bottom of the main frame 40.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, a rectangular opening 351 is provided in the center of the back plate 35. A mesh filter 352 is attached to the opening 351. As shown in Figure 6, a groove 360 ​​is provided in the bottom plate 36. The groove 360 ​​is a groove that is recessed downwards and comprises one horizontal groove 361 and four vertical grooves 362. The four vertical grooves 362 are perpendicular to the one horizontal groove 361 and are spaced apart in the left-right direction. Five discharge holes 365 are provided in the horizontal groove 361, spaced apart on the left and right sides.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, a fixing bracket 341 is fixed to the rear center of the top surface of the top plate 34. The fixing bracket 341 is roughly L-shaped in side view, with one end fixed to the top surface of the top plate 34 and the other end fixed to, for example, the wall of the house. Therefore, the hot water heater 1 is fixed to the wall of the house (not shown) via the fixing bracket 341. A predetermined gap is provided between the case body 20 and the wall.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, a rectangular opening 321 is provided on the lower right side of the right plate 32. A pipe connection plate 39 (see Figure 7) is attached to the opening 321 from the inside of the case body 20. Various connection ports and drain plugs, etc., described later, are provided on the pipe connection plate 39. A cover 322 is attached to the opening 321 from the right. The cover 322 is box-shaped and opens towards the rear (see Figure 5).

[0035] Referring to Figure 7, the pipe connection plate 39 will be described. On the front end of the pipe connection plate 39, drain valves 14A, 15A, 16A, and 17A are arranged in order from top to bottom. Behind drain valve 14A is the heat source supply connection port 91. The heat source supply connection port 91 is the outlet of the hot water pipe 7 (see Figure 1). Behind drain valve 15A is the electrical wire connection port 92. A cable (not shown) is connected to the electrical wire connection port 92. Further behind the electrical wire connection port 92 is the water supply connection port 93. The water supply connection port 93 is the inlet of the water supply pipe 6 (see Figure 1).

[0036] A drain outlet 94 is provided behind the drain valve 16A, on the right end side of the pipe connection plate 39. The drain outlet 94 is the outlet for the drain pipe 10 (see Figure 10), which will be described later. A drain valve with a safety valve 19A is provided behind and near the drain valve 17A. An automatic tank drain outlet 95 is provided behind the drain valve with a safety valve 19A, approximately in the center of the pipe connection plate 39 in the front-to-back direction. The automatic tank drain outlet 95 is the outlet for the drain pipe 18 (see Figure 1).

[0037] Referring to Figure 8, the structure of the main frame 40 will be described. The main frame 40 comprises a lower frame 41 and an upper frame 42. The lower frame 41 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped frame. The lower frame 41 comprises a right frame section 411, a left frame section 412, a front upper beam section 413, a front lower beam section 414, a rear upper beam section 415, and a rear lower beam section 416.

[0038] The right frame section 411 is roughly U-shaped, opening downwards when viewed from the right side. A right fixing plate 417, which has a roughly L-shaped cross-section and protrudes to the right, is attached to the lower end of the right frame section 411. The right fixing plate 417 is screwed to the upper surface of the right leg section 37. The left frame section 412 is roughly U-shaped, opening downwards when viewed from the left side. A left fixing plate 418, which has a roughly inverted L-shaped cross-section and protrudes to the left, is attached to the lower end of the left frame section 412. The left fixing plate 418 is screwed to the upper surface of the left leg section 38.

[0039] The front upper beam section 413 is installed approximately horizontally between the upper end of the front column section 41A of the right frame section 411 and the upper end of the front column section 41C of the left frame section 412. The front lower beam section 414 is installed approximately horizontally between the lower end of the front column section 41A of the right frame section 411 and the lower end of the front column section 41C of the left frame section 412. The rear upper beam section 415 is installed approximately horizontally between the upper end of the rear column section 41B of the right frame section 411 and the upper end of the rear column section 41D of the left frame section 412. The rear lower beam section 416 is installed approximately horizontally between the lower end of the rear column section 41B of the right frame section 411 and the lower end of the rear column section (not shown) of the left frame section 412. The bottom plate 36 is fixed approximately horizontally to the bottom of the lower frame assembly 41.

[0040] The upper frame 42 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped frame. The upper frame 42 is fixed to the upper part of the lower frame 41. The upper frame 42 comprises a right frame section 421, a left frame section 422, a front upper beam section 423, and a rear upper beam section 425.

[0041] The right frame section 421 is roughly U-shaped, with an opening on the lower right side when viewed from the right. The lower part of the right frame section 421 is screwed to the upper part of the right frame section 411 of the lower frame assembly 41. The left frame section 422 is roughly U-shaped, with an opening on the lower left side when viewed from the left. The lower part of the left frame section 422 is screwed to the upper part of the left frame section 412 of the lower frame assembly 41.

[0042] The front upper beam section 423 is installed approximately horizontally between the upper end of the front column section 42A of the right frame section 421 and the upper end of the front column section 42C of the left frame section 422. The rear upper beam section 425 is installed approximately horizontally between the upper end of the rear column section 42B of the right frame section 421 and the upper end of the rear column section 42D of the left frame section 422. The middle bottom plate 45 is fixed approximately horizontally to the bottom of the upper frame assembly 42.

[0043] Two tongue-shaped pieces 43A and 43B are provided at the lower end of the rear upper beam section 425, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The tongue-shaped pieces 43A and 43B protrude forward from the lower end of the rear upper beam section 425. The tongue-shaped pieces 43A and 43B are screwed to the upper surface of the upper cover plate 59, which is attached to the upper part of the air heat exchanger 24. A non-contact portion 44 is provided between the tongue-shaped pieces 43A and 43B at the lower end of the rear upper beam section 425. The non-contact portion 44 is located above the tongue-shaped pieces 43A and 43B and is a portion that does not come into contact with the upper cover plate 59.

[0044] Referring to Figures 11 and 12, the inner bottom plate 45 will be explained. The inner bottom plate 45 divides the internal space of the case body 20 into upper and lower sections (see Figure 7). The space below the inner bottom plate 45 is the storage space S1. The space above the inner bottom plate 45 is the storage space S2.

[0045] The inner base plate 45 is a roughly rectangular sheet metal that is horizontally elongated in plan view. A front projection piece 45A is provided at the front end of the inner base plate 45, a right projection piece 45B at the right end, a left projection piece 45C at the left end, and a rear projection piece 45D at the rear end, all projecting upward. A notched discharge hole 468 is provided at the left rear corner of the inner base plate 45, between the rear end of the left projection piece 45C and the left end of the rear projection piece 45D. Two discharge holes 466 are provided side by side near the left front corner of the inner base plate 45. The discharge holes 466 are circular in shape.

[0046] The upper surface of the middle base plate 45 is provided with a first region 46, a second region 47, and a main body region 48. The first region 46 is located on the rear end side of the upper surface of the middle base plate 45, excluding the right end side. The first region 46 is roughly rectangular in shape, elongated in the left-right direction in plan view. The first region 46 is located directly below the air heat exchanger 24, which will be described later. The second region 47 is provided adjacent to the front side of the first region 46. The second region 47 is roughly trapezoidal in plan view, with a longer front-to-back width than the first region 46. The front end of the second region 47 is located slightly forward of the midpoint of the middle base plate 45 in the front-to-back direction. When the second region 47 is viewed from above, the right end 47A of the second region 47 slopes to the right as it moves from the front to the rear in plan view. The second region 47 is located directly below the case 50, which will be described later. The main body region 48 is the region on the upper surface of the middle base plate 45 other than the first region 46 and the second region 47.

[0047] The first region 46 includes a guide groove 461, an inclined section 462, and a deep-drawn section 463 overflow. The guide groove 461 is located on the rear end side of the first region 46 and is a long, strip-shaped section in the left-right direction in plan view. The guide groove 461 is recessed below the main body region 48. The inclined section 462 is located between the front end of the first region 46 and the front end of the guide groove 461. The inclined section 462 slopes diagonally downward from the front end of the first region 46 toward the front end of the guide groove 461. The first region 46 is located lower than the second region 47.

[0048] The deep-drawn portion 463 is located slightly to the right of the center of the guide groove 461 in the left-right direction. The deep-drawn portion 463 is roughly rectangular in shape and protrudes forward in a plan view. The left and right corners of the front end of the deep-drawn portion 463 are roughly arc-shaped. The front end of the deep-drawn portion 463 protrudes forward beyond the front end of the first region 46. The bottom surface of the deep-drawn portion 463 is at the same height as the bottom surface of the guide groove 461.

[0049] Steps 464 are formed along both the left and right ends and the front end of the deep-drawn section 463. The steps 464 include steps with respect to the inclined section 462 and steps with respect to the second region 47. A through hole 465 is provided on the front side of the bottom surface of the deep-drawn section 463. The through hole 465 is approximately rectangular in plan view. The through hole 465 penetrates the bottom of the deep-drawn section 463 in the vertical direction. One upstream end of the drain pipe 10 (see Figure 10) is connected to the through hole 465. One downstream end of the drain pipe 10 is connected to the drain outlet 94 (see Figure 7).

[0050] One end of the overflow path 467 is connected to the left end of the first region 46, excluding the guide groove 461. The overflow path 467 is formed in a groove shape. The other end of the overflow path 467 is connected to the discharge hole 468. The bottom of the overflow path 467 is positioned higher than the inclined portion 462 and lower than the main body region 48.

[0051] The second region 47 comprises a U-shaped protrusion 471 and an inclined portion 472. The U-shaped protrusion 471 is formed in a substantially U-shape that opens toward the rear in a plan view and protrudes above the upper surface of the second region 47. The U-shaped protrusion 471 comprises a central portion 474, a right inclined portion 475, and a left inclined portion 476. The central portion 474 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends in the left-right direction. The right inclined portion 475 extends substantially in a straight line from the right end of the central portion 474, inclined diagonally backward to the right. The left inclined portion 476 extends substantially in a straight line from the left end of the central portion 474, inclined diagonally backward to the left. The upper surface of the U-shaped protrusion 471 is flat. Four fixing holes 491 are provided in a row along the length of the upper surface of the right inclined portion 475.

[0052] The inclined portion 472 is provided in the region surrounded by the U-shaped raised portion 471 and slopes downward from the front to the rear. Four fixing holes 492 are provided at the left end of the second region 47, arranged in the front-to-back direction.

[0053] The main body region 48 comprises a base portion 49, a base portion 481, and a base portion 482. The base portion 49 is located in the right-hand region of the upper surface of the middle base plate 45 and is provided adjacent to the right side of the U-shaped protrusion 471. The base portion 49 is approximately triangular in shape when viewed from above. The base portion 49 rises above the main body region 48, and its upper surface is flat. The compressor 21 is screwed to the upper surface of the base portion 49 (see Figure 9).

[0054] The base portion 481 is provided in front of the base portion 49. The base portion 481 rises above the main body region 48, and its upper surface is flat. The support plate 70 (see Figure 3), described later, is screwed to the upper surface of the base portion 481. The base portion 482 is provided near the left front corner of the middle bottom plate 45. The base portion 482 rises above the main body region 48, and its upper surface is flat. The bottom surface of the spacer 60 (described later) is placed on the upper surface of the base portion 482 (see Figure 14). In the main body region 48, six fixing holes 493 are provided side by side in the left-right direction, adjacent to the front end of the central portion 474 of the U-shaped protrusion 471.

[0055] Furthermore, a pair of front and rear fixing holes 479, 479 are provided near the right and left ends of the first region 46, respectively. These four fixing holes 479 are for screwing in the air heat exchanger 24, which will be described later.

[0056] Next, the configuration of the hot water storage tank unit 3 housed in the storage space S1 will be described. In this embodiment, the positional relationships of the main devices among the multiple devices and various pipes that constitute the hot water storage tank unit 3 will be described in detail.

[0057] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, in a front view, a tank assembly 150 is provided on the left side of the storage space S1. The tank assembly 150 occupies approximately the left half of the storage space S1. The tank assembly 150 comprises a hot water storage tank 5 (see Figure 1) and a tank case 151. The hot water storage tank 5 is a roughly cylindrical metal case that extends vertically (see Figure 1). As shown in Figure 24, the tank case 151 surrounds the hot water storage tank 5 and is formed in a roughly octagonal prism shape. The tank assembly 150 is positioned to the left of the upper surface of the bottom plate 36, and an empty space A1 is formed below the discharge hole 468 located at the left rear corner of the bottom plate 36, i.e., the left rear corner of the middle bottom plate 45.

[0058] The tank case 151 is a cushioning material and is made of, for example, expanded polystyrene. The tank case 151 protects the area around the hot water storage tank 5 and also keeps the hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 5 warm. The bottom surface of the tank case 151 is in contact with the base portion 482 of the inner bottom plate 45.

[0059] The space to the right of the tank assembly 150 houses the aforementioned supply pipe 8, pump 8A, water flow switch 8B, water volume sensor 6B, outlet pipe 7, relief valve 13A (see Figure 9), etc., which constitute the hot water storage tank unit 3. Electrical components such as the pump 8A, water flow switch 8B, and water volume sensor 6B are arranged in this space. The other components and their respective positions are not described here.

[0060] Next, the configuration of the heat pump unit 4 housed in the containment space S2 will be described. In this embodiment, the description will focus on the shapes and relative positions of the main devices and components among the multiple devices and various pipes that constitute the heat pump unit 4.

[0061] The housing space S2 shown in Figure 8 houses the air heat exchanger 24, case 50, fan assembly 28, spacer 60, compressor 21, water heat exchanger 22, support plate 70, etc.

[0062] The structure of the air heat exchanger 24 will now be described. As shown in Figures 9, 10, and 13, the air heat exchanger 24 is positioned at the rearmost part of the housing space S2. The air heat exchanger 24 is positioned in front of the opening 351 (see Figure 5) provided in the back plate 35. The air heat exchanger 24 is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped plate, with a short front-to-back width and extending in the up-down, left-to-right, and right directions. The lower left and right ends of the air heat exchanger 24 are screwed into four fixing holes 479 (see Figure 11) provided near the left and right ends of the first region 46 of the middle bottom plate 45. This fixes the air heat exchanger 24 directly above the first region 46 of the middle bottom plate 45.

[0063] The air heat exchanger 24 comprises a plurality of fins (not shown) and refrigerant piping 241. The plurality of fins are stacked between a pair of left and right side plates 242, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The plurality of fins are arranged along the front-rear direction. Refrigerant passes through the refrigerant piping 241. The refrigerant piping 241 penetrates the plurality of fins in the left-right direction. The refrigerant piping 241 extends in the left-right direction and folds back to the opposite side on both the left and right sides, forming a series of pipes that are connected in a meandering manner in the up-down direction. Piping 25 (see Figure 1) is connected to the refrigerant piping 241.

[0064] Referring to Figure 17, the structure of case 50 will be described. Case 50 is positioned in front of the air heat exchanger 24 (see Figure 13). Case 50 is formed in a box shape with the top, bottom, and back open. Case 50 comprises a front wall 51, a right wall 52, and a left wall 53. The front wall 51, right wall 52, and left wall 53 are made of sheet metal. In a plan view, the right wall 52 and left wall 53 extend inclined from both the left and right ends of the front wall 51 toward each other.

[0065] The front wall 51 is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed from the front. A large, roughly rectangular opening 511 is provided in the center of the front wall 51 when viewed from the front. The front wall 51 comprises an upper front wall 55 and a lower front wall 56. The upper front wall 55 is roughly inverted U-shaped and opens downward when viewed from the front. The lower front wall 56 is roughly U-shaped and opens upward when viewed from the front. The opening 511 is provided between the upper front wall 55 and the lower front wall 56.

[0066] Five fixing holes 551 are provided side-by-side at the upper end of the upper front wall 55. Four fixing holes 552 are provided at the lower end of the upper front wall 55. Four fixing holes 562 are provided at the upper end of the lower front wall 56. A fixing piece 54 is provided at the lower end of the lower front wall 56, protruding forward. The fixing piece 54 is roughly rectangular in shape, elongated in the left-right direction in a plan view. Six fixing holes 541 are provided side-by-side at the fixing piece 54. When viewing the front wall 51 from the front, a retaining member 512 is fastened from the front to the right end of the upper front wall 55 with a bolt 97. The retaining member 512 is formed by bending a roughly rectangular plate member into a roughly L-shape. The retaining member 512 has a roughly L-shaped bent portion 515. The tip of the bent portion 515 extends toward the opening 511.

[0067] A locking hole 555 is provided on the right end of the upper front wall 55, approximately in the middle in the vertical direction. A locking hole 556 is provided on the left end of the upper front wall 55, approximately in the middle in the vertical direction. These locking holes 555 and 556 are rectangular pores (slits) that extend in the left-right direction when viewed from the front.

[0068] The right wall 52 is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed from the right side. Three fixing holes 521 are provided at the upper end of the right wall 52. A fixing piece 57 is provided at the rear end of the right wall 52, protruding to the right. Three fixing holes 571 are provided in the fixing piece 57, arranged vertically. A fixing piece 525 is provided at the lower end of the right wall 52, protruding to the left. Four fixing holes 526 are provided in the fixing piece 525.

[0069] The left wall 53 is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed from the left side. Three fixing holes 531 are provided at the upper end of the left wall 53. A fixing piece 58 is provided at the rear end of the left wall 53, protruding to the left. Three fixing holes (not shown) are provided in the fixing piece 58. A fixing piece 535 is provided at the lower end of the left wall 53, protruding to the left. Four fixing holes 536 are provided in the fixing piece 535.

[0070] Referring to Figures 18 to 20, the structure of the fan assembly 28 will be described. The fan assembly 28 comprises a fan 27 and a mounting plate 29. The mounting plate 29 is roughly rectangular in front view. An opening 291 is provided in the center of the mounting plate 29. The opening 291 is roughly circular in front view. A protruding cylinder 293 is provided on the periphery of the opening 291. The protruding cylinder 293 is cylindrical and protrudes forward.

[0071] In the mounting plate 29, overlapping portions 294, 295, 296, and 297 are provided around the opening 291. The overlapping portions 294 to 297 are the parts that overlap with the front wall 51 of the case 50. The overlapping portions 294 and 295 are provided on the upper side of the opening 291 and are regions that overlap with the upper front wall 55. The overlapping portions 296 and 297 are provided on the lower side of the opening 291 and are regions that overlap with the lower front wall 56.

[0072] Two fixing holes 29A are provided in the overlapping section 294. Two fixing holes 29A are also provided in the overlapping section 295. Two fixing holes 29B are provided in the overlapping section 296. Two fixing holes 29B are provided in the overlapping section 297. Furthermore, in the mounting plate 29, four fixing holes 290 are provided on the upper right, lower right, upper left, and lower left sides of the opening 291.

[0073] An insertion hole 298 is provided near the lower right corner of the mounting plate 29. The insertion hole 298 allows the first harness 276 (see Figure 19), which extends from the motor case 273 (described later), to be pulled forward of the mounting plate 29 and inserted through it. A packing 299 is provided on the inner periphery of the insertion hole 298. The packing 299 seals the gap between the inner periphery of the insertion hole 298 and the first harness 276.

[0074] The fan 27 comprises five blades 271, a rotating shaft 272, a motor case 273, a connecting section 274, and four fixed legs 275. The five blades 271 are fixed radially to the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 272. A fan motor (not shown) is housed inside the motor case 273. The rotating shaft 272 extends in the front-rear direction and is fixed coaxially with the drive shaft (not shown) of the fan motor. The drive shaft protrudes forward from the front end of the motor case 273. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the connecting section 274 is provided at the rear end of the motor case 273. The connecting section 274 is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed from the rear. The four fixed legs 275 extend radially from the four corners of the connecting section 274 and curve in a roughly L-shape toward the front. In other words, the rear ends, which are the base ends of each of the four fixed legs 275, are connected to the connecting section 274.

[0075] The front end of each of the four fixing legs 275 abuts against the rear surface of the mounting plate 29, specifically the upper right, lower right, upper left, and lower left areas of the opening 291. A bolt 98 is provided at the front end of each of the four fixing legs 275. The four bolts 98 are inserted from rear to front into four fixing holes 290 provided in the mounting plate 29 and secured with nuts 99. This fixes the fan 27 to the mounting plate 29, completing the fan assembly 28. In the fan assembly 28, the five blades 271 of the fan 27 are rotatably supported inside the opening 291 of the mounting plate 29.

[0076] The structure of the spacer 60 will be described with reference to Figures 15, 16, and 21-23. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the spacer 60 is a roughly cylindrical shape with a short axis extending in the front-to-back direction. The spacer 60 is roughly rectangular in front view. The material of the spacer 60 is expanded polystyrene. The spacer 60 has a ventilation path 61 in the center. The ventilation path 61 is a roughly circular opening in front view.

[0077] The roughly cylindrical inner surface of the ventilation passage 61 comprises, in order from the front to the rear, a front section 611, an enlarged diameter section 612, and a rear section 613. The front section 611 is a surface parallel to the axis of the ventilation passage 61, or a tapered surface that expands in diameter toward the front. The enlarged diameter section 612 is a tapered surface that expands in diameter toward the rear from the rear end of the front section 611. The rear section 613 extends rearward from the rear end of the enlarged diameter section 612 and is a surface parallel to the axis.

[0078] A receiving portion 615 is provided at the front end of the front side portion 611. The receiving portion 615 is a portion with a diameter larger than that of the front side portion 611. The rear end of the protruding cylinder 312 of the front cover 30 (see Figures 4 and 23) is inserted into the receiving portion 615 from the front. A notched groove 62, which is roughly L-shaped in front view, is provided at the upper right corner of the spacer 60. A locking surface 621 is provided on the inner side of the notched groove 62. The locking surface 621 faces forward. A rib 68 is provided at the left end of the rear surface of the spacer 60, protruding rearward along the left end. A constricted portion 65 is provided at the lower part of the right side of the spacer 60, constricting toward the ventilation path portion 61.

[0079] As shown in Figure 21, a relief section 66 is provided at the lower right corner of the rear surface of the spacer 60. The relief section 66 is an inverted L-shaped groove when viewed from the rear. The relief section 66 comprises a vertical section 661 and a horizontal section 662. The vertical section 661 extends in the vertical direction. The lower end of the vertical section 661 is located at the lower end of the rear surface of the spacer 60. The horizontal section 662 extends from the lower end of the vertical section 661 to the right end of the rear surface of the spacer 60. The right end of the horizontal section 662 connects to the rear end of the constricted section 65. When the rear surface of the spacer 60 is viewed from the rear, the relief section 66 opens downwards and to the right.

[0080] As shown in Figure 9, the compressor 21 is screwed to the upper surface of the base portion 49 of the middle bottom plate 45. On the middle bottom plate 45, the base portion 49 is located to the right of the U-shaped protrusion 471 (see Figure 11). Therefore, the compressor 21 is positioned to the right of the case 50. The compressor 21 is roughly cylindrical in shape and extends in the vertical direction. The water heat exchanger 22 is mounted to the right front of the compressor 21.

[0081] The support plate 70 is screwed to the base portion 481. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the support plate 70 is positioned to the right of the spacer 60. The support plate 70 extends upward and is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed from the front. The support surface of the support plate 70 faces forward. The control board 100 is fixed to the support surface in an upright position. The control board 100 controls the operation of the hot water storage tank unit 3 and the heat pump unit 4, respectively. A resin cover 110 is attached to the front of the support plate 70. The resin cover 110 covers the front of the control board 100 from the front. A capacitor 105 is fixed to the rear side of the support plate 70. The capacitor 105 is for the compressor 21.

[0082] Referring to Figures 15 to 18, the method of fixing the case 50 and the fan assembly 28 will be explained. The worker assembling the hot water supply device 1 positions the fan assembly 28 from the front relative to the case 50 with the motor case 273 facing rear. The motor case 273 is placed inside the case 50 through the opening 511 in the front wall 51. Then, the overlapping portions 294, 295, 296, and 297 on the rear surface of the mounting plate 29 of the fan assembly 28 are brought into contact with the front surface of the front wall 51. The four fixing holes 29A provided in the overlapping portions 294 and 295 overlap with the four fixing holes 552 provided in the front wall 51. Four screws 96 are fastened to the four fixing holes 552 via the four fixing holes 29A.

[0083] Furthermore, the four fixing holes 29B provided in the overlapping sections 296 and 297 overlap with the four fixing holes 562 provided in the front wall 51. Four screws 96 are fastened to the four fixing holes 562 via the four fixing holes 29B. This fixes the fan assembly 28 to the case 50. The first harness 276 is pulled out from the insertion hole 298 of the mounting plate 29 of the fan assembly 28. A connector 277 is connected to one end of the first harness 276.

[0084] Referring to Figures 11, 15 to 17, the method of fixing the case 50 to the inner base plate 45 will be explained. The worker fixes the case 50 with the fan assembly 28 attached to the inner base plate 45. First, the worker places the case 50 shown in Figure 17 on the upper surface of the U-shaped raised portion 471 (see Figure 11) of the inner base plate 45. The fixing piece 54 of the front wall 51 of the case 50 is placed between the central portion 474 and the base portion 482 of the U-shaped raised portion 471. The fixing piece 525 of the right wall 52 of the case 50 is placed on the upper surface of the right inclined portion 475 of the U-shaped raised portion 471. The fixing piece 535 of the left wall 53 of the case 50 is placed at the right end of the second region 478.

[0085] Six fixing holes 493 are provided in the middle bottom plate 45, and six fixing holes 541 are provided in the fixing piece 54 of the front wall 51 of the case 50, which are then screwed in by overlapping them. Four fixing holes 491 are provided in the middle bottom plate 45, and four fixing holes 526 are provided in the fixing piece 525 of the right wall 52 of the case 50, which are then screwed in by overlapping them. Four fixing holes 492 are provided in the middle bottom plate 45, and four fixing holes 536 are provided in the fixing piece 535 of the left wall 53 of the case 50, which are then screwed in by overlapping them. This fixes the case 50 to the second region 47 of the middle bottom plate 45 (see Figures 15 and 16).

[0086] Furthermore, a fixing piece 57 provided at the rear end of the right wall 52 of case 50 is positioned at the right end of the front surface of the air heat exchanger 24 and secured with screws through three fixing holes 571 provided in the fixing piece 57. Additionally, a fixing piece 58 provided at the rear end of the left wall 53 is positioned at the left end of the air heat exchanger 24 and secured with screws through three fixing holes (not shown) provided in the fixing piece 58. This secures case 50 to the front surface of the air heat exchanger 24 (see Figures 15 and 16).

[0087] The top cover plate 59 will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 17. As shown in Figure 8, the top cover plate 59 is attached to the top of the air heat exchanger 24 and the case 50. The top cover plate 59 is a metal plate that is roughly trapezoidal in plan view. A cover piece 591 is provided at the front end of the top cover plate 59, protruding downward. Five fixing holes (not shown) are provided on the cover piece 591, arranged side by side in a front view. These five fixing holes correspond to five fixing holes 551 (see Figure 17) provided at the upper end of the upper front wall 55 of the case 50. The five fixing holes of the cover piece 591 overlap with the five fixing holes 551 of the upper front wall 55, and the cover piece 591 is fixed to the upper end of the upper front wall 55 by screwing them together.

[0088] A cover piece 592 is provided at the right end of the top cover plate 59, protruding downward. Three fixing holes (not shown) are provided in the cover piece 592, arranged side by side in a right-side view. These three fixing holes correspond to three fixing holes 521 (see Figure 17) provided at the upper end of the right wall 52 of the case 50. The three fixing holes of the cover piece 592 are aligned with the three fixing holes 521 of the right wall 52, and the cover piece 592 is fixed to the upper end of the right wall 52 by screwing them together.

[0089] A cover piece 593 is provided at the left end of the top cover plate 59, protruding downward. Three fixing holes (not shown) are provided in a horizontal line on the left side view of the cover piece 593. These three fixing holes correspond to three fixing holes 531 (see Figure 17) provided at the upper end of the left wall 53 of the case 50. The three fixing holes of the cover piece 593 are aligned with the three fixing holes 531 of the left wall 53 and secured with screws, thereby fixing the cover piece 593 to the upper end of the left wall 53. In this way, the top cover plate 59 is integrally attached so as to cover the upper parts of both the air heat exchanger 24 and the case 50.

[0090] Referring to Figure 8, the support structure of the air heat exchanger 24 and case 50 will be described. An upper cover plate 59 is integrally attached to the top of both the air heat exchanger 24 and the case 50. Two tongue-shaped pieces 43A and 43B that protrude forward from the lower end of the rear upper beam 425 are screwed to the upper cover plate 59. As a result, the air heat exchanger 24 is stably supported by the rear column 42B of the right frame 421 and the rear column 42D of the left frame 422 via the two tongue-shaped pieces 43A and 43B and the rear upper beam 425. This prevents the air heat exchanger 24 from shifting position due to impacts during transport of the hot water supply device 1, for example. In addition, vibrations from the compressor 21 transmitted through the middle bottom plate 45 can be suppressed. This prevents the air heat exchanger 24 from vibrating and hitting other metal parts, thereby preventing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0091] Furthermore, as described above, the top cover plate 59 is integrally attached to the top of both the air heat exchanger 24 and the case 50. The two tongue-shaped pieces 43A and 43B are screwed to the top cover plate 59, thereby stably supporting the fan assembly 28 fixed to the case 50. As a result, the hot water heater 1 can cancel out vibrations from the fan 27. Therefore, the hot water heater 1 can suppress the generation of abnormal noises from the air heat exchanger 24 due to the vibrations of the fan 27.

[0092] Furthermore, as described above, a non-contact portion 44 is provided between the two tongue portions 43A and 43B that does not come into contact with the upper cover plate 59. This allows the hot water heater 1 to minimize the transmission of vibrations from the compressor 21 to the air heat exchanger 24 via the rear upper beam portion 425. Thus, the hot water heater 1 can effectively suppress the generation of abnormal noises from the air heat exchanger 24 due to the vibrations of the fan 27.

[0093] Referring to Figures 13, 14, and 21, the method for installing the spacer 60 will be explained. As shown in Figure 14, the air heat exchanger 24, case 50, and fan assembly 28 are already installed on the upper frame 42. The worker places the spacer 60 from the front relative to the mounting plate 29 fixed to the front wall 51 of the case 50. At this time, the ventilation path portion 61 of the spacer 60 is positioned coaxially with respect to the opening 291 of the mounting plate 29.

[0094] Furthermore, the rib 68 provided on the left end of the rear surface of the spacer 60 is locked to the left end of the mounting plate 29 from the left. Then, the worker inserts the protruding cylinder 293 that protrudes forward from the periphery of the opening 291 into the inside of the rear part 613 of the ventilation path 61. This allows the worker to easily position the spacer 60 to the mounting position on the mounting plate 29 in the front-rear and left-right directions, and to temporarily fasten it in that state.

[0095] Next, with the spacer 60 temporarily fixed to the mounting plate 29, the worker fixes the retaining member 512 to the upper front wall 55 of the case 50 with bolts 97. At this time, the tip of the bent portion 515 of the retaining member 512 is locked from the front to the locking surface 621 on the far side of the notched groove 62 provided in the spacer 60. This allows the retaining member 512 to press the case 50 toward the mounting plate 29. The rear surface of the spacer 60 contacts the mounting plate 29 fixed to the front wall 51 of the case 50. Since the spacer 60 is a cushioning material, it absorbs some of the vibration and noise of the fan 27 transmitted through the mounting plate 29. In this way, the spacer 60 can suppress the vibration and noise of the fan 27. In this manner, the worker can attach the spacer 60 to the case 50 on which the fan assembly 28 is fixed.

[0096] Here, the insertion hole 298 of the mounting plate 29 is positioned opposite the vertical portion 661 (see Figure 21) of the relief portion 66. Therefore, the vertical portion 661 communicates with the insertion hole 298 in the front-rear direction.

[0097] The connector 277 of the first harness 276, which is pulled forward from the insertion hole 298 of the mounting plate 29, is connected to the second harness. The second harness extends downward along the vertical portion 661 of the relief portion 66, and is pulled out by bending to the right along the horizontal portion 662. The second harness is pulled forward along the constricted portion 65 and extends toward the control board 100. The connector of the second harness pulled toward the control board 100 is connected to the control board 100 which is fixed to the support plate 70. As a result, the fan 27 is operated under the control of the control board 100. Alternatively, the connector 277 of the first harness 276 may be connected directly to the control board 100.

[0098] Next, the front cover 30 is attached to the open front of the case body 20. A protruding cylinder 312 is provided on the periphery of the ventilation opening 311 of the front cover 30, which protrudes to the rear. The worker inserts the protruding cylinder 312 from the front into the receiving portion 615 provided at the front end of the ventilation path portion 61 of the spacer 60. This reduces the step between the ventilation path portion 61 and the protruding cylinder 312. As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of air vortices around the step, so that air from the fan 27 can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the housing 2.

[0099] Furthermore, the step between the front portion 611 and the receiving portion 615 should be approximately the same as the plate thickness of the protruding cylinder 312. This eliminates the step between the ventilation path portion 61 and the protruding cylinder 312 in the hot water supply device 1. As a result, the hot water supply device 1 can more smoothly discharge air from the fan 27 to the outside of the housing 2 via the ventilation path portion 61 and the ventilation opening portion 311.

[0100] With the front cover 30 attached to the front of the case body 20, the protruding cylinder 312 of the front cover 30 comes into contact with the receiving portion 615 of the ventilation path portion 61 of the spacer 60. As a result, the spacer 60 is sandwiched between the mounting plate 29 fixed to the front wall 51 of the case 50 and the front cover 30. Therefore, the spacer 60 can more efficiently suppress vibrations and noise from the fan 27 transmitted through the mounting plate 29.

[0101] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 23, in the hot water heater 1 having the above configuration, the protruding cylinder 293 of the mounting plate 29 is inserted slightly inward from the inner circumferential surface of the rear end of the ventilation path portion 61. This allows the hot water heater 1 to rectify the air flowing from the opening 291 of the case 50 toward the ventilation path portion 61 of the spacer 60 in a forward direction. Thus, the hot water heater 1 can smoothly discharge the air sent from the fan 27 to the outside of the housing 2 via the ventilation path portion 61 of the spacer 60 and the ventilation opening portion 311 of the front cover 30.

[0102] Furthermore, at the lower part of the ventilation path 61 of the spacer 60, the protruding cylinder 293 of the mounting plate 29 is positioned higher than the inner circumferential surface of the rear end of the ventilation path 61. This allows the hot water heater 1 to prevent rainwater that has entered the inside of the ventilation path 61 through the protruding cylinder 293 from flowing forcefully into the case 50.

[0103] Referring to Figures 15 and 16, the method for removing the fan assembly 28 will be explained. First, the worker pulls the spacer 60 forward from the case 50. At this time, the bent portion 515 of the retaining member 512 is removed from the locking surface 621 of the spacer 60. This makes it easy to remove the spacer 60 from the case 50.

[0104] Next, the worker removes the four nuts 99 that fasten the mounting plate 29 to the front wall 51, and removes the mounting plate 29 from the front wall 51. At this time, the first harness 276, which is inserted through the insertion hole 298 of the mounting plate 29, can also be removed forward together with the mounting plate 29. As a result, the worker can easily remove the fan assembly 28 together with the first harness 276 without removing the case 50 from the upper frame 42. Thus, the hot water supply device 1 can improve the maintainability of the heat pump unit 4.

[0105] Next, after removing the mounting plate 29 from the case 50, the worker disconnects the connector of the second harness from the control board 100. This allows the worker to separate the fan assembly 28 from the heat pump unit 4. Thus, the hot water supply system 1 can further improve the maintainability of the heat pump unit 4.

[0106] Referring to Figures 11 to 16, the drainage structure for drains and other fluids in the middle bottom plate 45 will be explained. During operation of the heat pump unit 4, the air is cooled by the air heat exchanger 24, causing moisture in the air to condense on the surface of the refrigerant pipes 241. The condensed water formed on the surface of the refrigerant pipes 241 falls into the first region 46 of the middle bottom plate 45. On the other hand, rainwater that falls into the housing 2 through the opening 351 of the back plate 35 comes into contact with the refrigerant pipes 241 of the air heat exchanger 24 and falls into the first region 46 of the middle bottom plate 45.

[0107] The bottom plate 45 allows condensation and rainwater that falls into the first region 46 to be guided into the guide groove 461 by the inclined section 462. The condensation and rainwater that falls into the guide groove 461 is guided towards the deep-drawn section 463 as drain. The drain that flows into the deep-drawn section 463 falls into the through hole 465. The drain that falls into the through hole 465 flows through the drain drain pipe 10 (see Figure 10) and is discharged outside the housing 2 from the drain outlet 94.

[0108] Furthermore, the inclined portion 462 of the middle bottom plate 45 guides the drain towards the rear of the housing 2, thereby preventing the drain from flowing towards electrical components such as the control board 100 and compressor 21 located on the right side of the housing space S2.

[0109] Furthermore, since the inclined section 462 and the deep-drawn section 463 are connected via a step 464, it is possible to suppress the backflow of drain water forward from the deep-drawn section 463 side.

[0110] Furthermore, the front end of the deep-drawn section 463 protrudes into the second region 47, which is located in front of the front end of the first region 46. The deep-drawn section 463 and the second region 47 are connected via a step 464. This allows the middle bottom plate 45 to add the volume of the deep-drawn section 463 to the volume of the guide groove 461. In addition, the inclined sections 462 and 472 of the middle bottom plate 45 can guide the drain that has fallen onto the upper surfaces of the first region 46 and the second region 47 towards the deep-drawn section 463.

[0111] Furthermore, even if drain overflows from the guide groove 461, the drain will drip through the overflow path 467 and out of the discharge hole 468 into space A1 formed in the left rear corner of the housing space S1 of the lower frame 41. The drain that falls onto the upper surface of the bottom plate 36 through space A1 flows into the groove 360. The drain that flows into the groove 360 ​​falls out of the four discharge holes 365 provided in the lateral groove 361 and is discharged outside the housing 2. This prevents the drain from adhering to electrical components such as the control board 100 and compressor and the tank assembly 150.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, two drain holes 466, 466 are provided near the left front corner of the middle bottom plate 45. This allows the drain to drip from the two drain holes 466, 466 into the space A2 formed at the left front corner of the housing space S1 of the lower frame 41, even if drain overflows from the upper surface of the middle bottom plate 45. Therefore, the hot water supply device 1 can prevent the drain from flowing towards electrical components such as the pump 8A, water flow switch 8B, water volume sensor 6B, and mixing valve motor 7D, which are located on the right side of the housing space S1. In addition, by allowing the drain to drip into space A2, the hot water supply device 1 can prevent the drain from adhering to the tank assembly 150.

[0113] Referring to Figures 3, 22, and 23, the waterproofing function of the spacer 60 in the event of rainwater intrusion will be explained. Rainwater enters the inside of the ventilation path 61 of the spacer 60 through the ventilation opening 311 of the front cover 30. Here, the ventilation path 61 is surrounded by the spacer 60 except in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the hot water heater 1 can prevent rainwater that has entered the ventilation path 61 from adhering to the control board 100 and other electrical components located to the right of the spacer 60.

[0114] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 22 and 23, rainwater that penetrates to the back of the ventilation path 61 enters the inside of the case 50 through the opening 511 of the case 50 (see dotted arrow R1 in Figure 23) and drips onto the second region 47 of the bottom plate 45 (see Figures 11 and 12). The rainwater that drips onto the second region 47 flows towards the first region 46 via the inclined portion 472, falls through the through hole 465 via the guide groove 461 and the deep-drawn portion 463, and is discharged to the outside of the housing space S2 (towards the housing space S1). In this way, rainwater can be discharged to the outside of the housing space S2 through the drainage through hole 465, which more effectively prevents rainwater from entering the right side of the housing space S2 where the control board 100 and other electrical components are located.

[0115] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 23, an enlarged diameter section 612 is provided in the middle of the ventilation path section 61. The enlarged diameter section 612 allows the spacer 60 to guide rainwater that has entered the back of the ventilation path section 61 towards the case 50 (see the dotted arrow R2 in Figure 23). This prevents rainwater from accumulating inside the ventilation path section 61.

[0116] In the above description, the hot water supply device 1 is an example of the "heat pump type heat source unit" of the present invention. The ventilation opening 311 and protruding cylinder 312 of the front cover 30 are examples of the "ventilation opening" of the present invention. Spacer

[0117] As described above, the hot water supply device 1 of the first embodiment includes a heat pump unit 4. The heat pump unit 4 includes an air heat exchanger 24 and a fan 27 inside a housing 2. A front cover 30 is attached to the front of the housing 2. The air heat exchanger 24 is located on the rear side inside the housing 2. The heat pump unit 4 includes a case 50. The case 50 is box-shaped and is positioned in front of the air heat exchanger 24. The case 50 guides the air that has passed through the air heat exchanger 24 forward. The case 50 includes a mounting plate 29. The surface direction of the mounting plate 29 is oriented in the front-to-back direction. The mounting plate 29 includes an opening 291. The fan 27 is positioned inside the case 50 with its air discharge direction facing forward and overlapping the opening 291 in the front-to-back direction. The fan 27 includes four fixing legs 275 fixed to the rear surface of the mounting plate 29. Between the case 50 and the front cover 30, a spacer 60, which acts as a buffer, is positioned in a manner that it is in contact with the mounting plate 29 of the case 50. The spacer 60 absorbs vibrations and noise transmitted from the fan 27. As a result, the hot water heater 1 can suppress vibrations and noise from the fan 27.

[0118] The front cover 30 is provided with a ventilation opening 311 at a position that overlaps with the fan 27 in the front-rear direction. A protruding cylinder 312 is provided on the periphery of the ventilation opening 311. The protruding cylinder 312 is a short-axis cylindrical shape that protrudes to the rear. The spacer 60 is provided with a ventilation path 61. The ventilation path 61 connects the fan 27 and the ventilation opening 311 in the front-rear direction. The protruding cylinder 312 is in contact with the front end of the ventilation path 61. As a result, the spacer 60 can more effectively absorb vibrations and noise transmitted from the fan 27. Therefore, the hot water supply device 1 can more efficiently suppress vibrations and noise from the fan 27. In addition, since the spacer 60 is provided with a ventilation path 61 that connects the fan 27 and the ventilation opening 311 in the front-rear direction, it can properly guide the air from the fan 27 toward the ventilation opening 311 while rectifying the airflow.

[0119] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 25 to 29. The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the hot water heater 1 has a spacer 60 placed between the front cover 30 and the case 50. The spacer 60 is made of expanded polystyrene. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the hot water heater has a spacer 160 placed between the front cover 300 and the case 80 (see Figures 25 and 26). The other configurations are basically the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0120] The second embodiment will be described primarily in terms of its differences from the first embodiment. Parts common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

[0121] The structure of the front cover 300 will now be described. As shown in Figure 25, the front cover 300, like the front cover 30 of the first embodiment, is equipped with a ventilation opening 311 and a protruding cylinder 312. The positions of the ventilation opening 311 and the protruding cylinder 312 are located slightly closer to the center in the left-right direction than the positions of the ventilation opening 311 and the protruding cylinder 312 of the first embodiment, but these positions are not particularly limited.

[0122] The structure of case 80 will now be described. As shown in Figure 28, case 80, like case 50 of the first embodiment (see Figure 17), comprises a front wall 81, a right wall 82, a left wall 83, and a fixing piece 84. An opening 811 is provided in the center of the front wall 81. The opening 811 is a large-diameter circular shape when viewed from the front. Four fixing holes 812 are provided around the opening 811 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0123] The structure of the spacer 160 will now be described. As shown in Figures 28 and 29, the spacer 160 is substantially cylindrical in shape and extends in the front-rear direction. The material of the spacer 160 is metal. A ventilation path portion 167 is formed inside the spacer 160. The ventilation path portion 167 is a circular opening in front view through which air passes. A receiving portion 165 is provided at the front end of the spacer 160. The receiving portion 165 has a substantially L-shaped cross-section. The receiving portion 165 has a shape that protrudes radially outward from the front end of the spacer 160 and then bends forward in a substantially L-shape.

[0124] A cylindrical portion 164 is provided at the rear end of the spacer 160. The cylindrical portion 164 has a diameter that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the rest of the spacer 160, and is large enough to be inserted into the opening 811.

[0125] A flange 161 is provided on the rear end of the outer circumferential surface of the spacer 160, and in front of the cylindrical portion 164. The flange 161 extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface. Four fixing holes 162 are provided in the flange 161 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. A fan assembly 170 is attached to the rear end of the spacer 160 having this structure.

[0126] The configuration of the fan assembly 170 will now be described. As shown in Figure 29, the fan assembly 170 comprises a fan 171 and eight fixing legs 172.

[0127] The fan 171 comprises multiple blades 173, a rotating shaft 174, and a main body 175. The multiple blades 173 are fixed radially to the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 174. The main body 175 is roughly cylindrical and extends in the front-to-back direction. A fan motor (not shown) is housed inside the main body 175. The drive shaft (not shown) of the fan motor protrudes forward from the center of the front end surface of the main body 175. The rotating shaft 174 is fixed to the front end of the drive shaft of the fan motor. A harness 176 connecting to the fan motor is routed laterally from the side of the main body 175.

[0128] The eight fixing legs 172 are positioned between the cylindrical section 164 and the side of the main body 175, and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The fixing legs 172 protrude radially outward from the side of the main body 175, bend forward in a roughly L-shape, and connect to the cylindrical section 164. These eight fixing legs 172 support the fan 171 on the rear end side of the spacer 160. The multiple blades 173 and the rotating shaft 174 are positioned on the inside of the rear end side of the spacer 160.

[0129] The method for attaching the spacer 160 to the case 80 will now be described. As shown in Figure 28, the fan assembly 170 is attached to the rear end of the spacer 160 as described above. In this state, the spacer 160 is attached to the front wall 81 of the case 80 from the front. The rear end of the fan assembly 170 is positioned inside the case 80 through the opening 811. Next, the cylindrical portion 164 of the spacer 160 is inserted into the opening 811 from the front and positioned inside the case 80. The flange 161 of the spacer 160 is locked to the periphery of the opening 811 from the front.

[0130] The four fixing holes 162 in the flange 161 are aligned with the four fixing holes 812 located around the opening 811 in the front wall 81, and screws (not shown) are fastened from the front. This attaches the spacer 160 and the fan assembly 170 to the front wall 81 of the case 80.

[0131] Furthermore, through-holes (not shown) for inserting an external harness may be provided in the front wall 81 or right wall 82 of the case 80. The external harness is a harness extending from the controller (not shown). The external harness is inserted into the through-hole, and the gap between the through-hole and the external harness is filled with a gasket or the like. This allows the harness 176 extending from the fan 171 to be connected to the external harness inside the case 80. Of course, other methods of connection are also possible; for example, the harness 176 may be pulled out from the through-hole to the outside of the case 80 and connected to the external harness on the outside of the case 80.

[0132] The connection structure between the front cover 300 and the spacer 160 will now be described. The front cover 300 is attached to the front side of the housing 2 of the hot water heater (see Figure 2), similar to the front cover 30 of the first embodiment. At this time, as shown in Figures 26 and 27, the rear end of the protruding cylinder 312 of the front cover 30 is inserted into the inside of the receiving portion 165 provided at the front end of the spacer 160. A packing (not shown) is attached between the front end of the spacer 160 and the receiving portion 165. The packing prevents rainwater and other liquids from entering from the outside.

[0133] Then, as shown in Figure 26, the inner circumferential surface of the receiving portion 165 of the spacer 160 comes into close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the protruding cylinder 312. This connects the protruding cylinder 312 of the front cover 300 to the spacer 160.

[0134] With a spacer 160 positioned between the front wall 81 of the case 80 and the front cover 300, a ventilation path 167 formed inside the spacer 160 connects the opening 811 of the front wall 81 of the case 80 (see Figure 2) and the ventilation opening 311 of the front cover 300 in the front-to-back direction. A fan 171 is supported within the area from the inside of the case 80 to the ventilation path 167.

[0135] The hot water supply system of the second embodiment, by having the above configuration, has a region from the air heat exchanger 24 (see Figure 15) to the vent 311 of the front cover 300 that is sealed from the outside except for the air heat exchanger 24 and the vent 311. By arranging the fan 171 in this region, outside air can be efficiently introduced towards the air heat exchanger 24. Furthermore, the outside air that has absorbed heat in the air heat exchanger 24 can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the vent 311.

[0136] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the fan assembly 170 can be directly fixed to the spacer 160, eliminating the need for the mounting plate 29, which in the first embodiment had to be removed along with the fan assembly 28 for replacement of the fan 27.

[0137] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 30 and 31. The third embodiment is also a modification of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the mounting plate 29 and the spacer 60 attached to the front wall 51 of the case 50 are separate (see Figure 15), but the mounting plate and the spacer may be integrated. In the third embodiment, as shown in Figure 31, a spacer assembly 370, which integrates the mounting plate 329 and the spacer 450, is attached to the front side of the front wall 51 of the case 50.

[0138] The configuration of the spacer assembly 370 will now be described. The spacer assembly 370 comprises a mounting plate 329, a spacer 450, and a fan 371.

[0139] The mounting plate 329 is roughly rectangular in front view, similar to the mounting plate 29 of the first embodiment (see Figure 18). The mounting plate 329 is made of metal. A circular opening (not shown) is provided in the center of the mounting plate 329. A hook 331 that bends backward is provided on the right end of the upper end of the mounting plate 329. A hook 332 that bends backward is provided on the left end of the upper end of the mounting plate 329. Although not described in detail here, the mounting plate 329 has multiple fixing holes, similar to the mounting plate 29.

[0140] The spacer 450 is roughly cylindrical and protrudes forward from the periphery of an opening provided in the center of the mounting plate 329. The spacer 450 is made of metal. A ventilation path 457 is formed inside the spacer 450. The ventilation path 167 is a circular opening in front view through which air passes.

[0141] A receiving portion 455 is provided at the front end of the spacer 450. The receiving portion 455 has a roughly L-shaped cross-section. The receiving portion 455 protrudes radially outward from the front end of the spacer 450 and then bends forward in a roughly L-shape. A hole portion 456 is provided in the lower right region of the spacer 450.

[0142] The fan 371 comprises multiple blades 373, a rotating shaft (not shown), and a main body 375. The main body 375 is a roughly cylindrical shape with a short axis extending in the front-rear direction. A fan motor (not shown) is housed inside the main body 375. The drive shaft of the fan motor protrudes forward from the center of the rear end surface of the main body 375. The rotating shaft is connected to the rear end of the drive shaft. The multiple blades 373 are fixed radially to the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft.

[0143] Inside the spacer 450, multiple support columns 452 are provided, extending radially from the main body 375 of the fan 371. The multiple support columns 452 are installed between the side surface of the main body 375 and the inner surface of the spacer 450, and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. As a result, the fan 371 is supported by the multiple support columns 452 approximately in the center inside the spacer 450.

[0144] The harness 376, which connects to the fan motor, is routed laterally from the front end surface of the main body 375. A terminal 377 is provided at the tip of the harness 376. An external harness (not shown) can be connected to terminal 377 via hole 456. Therefore, the external harness can be electrically connected to harness 376.

[0145] The case of attaching the spacer assembly 370 to the front wall 51 of the case 50 will now be described. To attach the spacer assembly 370 to the front wall 51 of the case 50, the mounting plate 329 of the spacer 450 is attached to the front wall 51 of the case 50, similar to the first embodiment. In this case, as shown in Figure 30, the hooks 331 and 332 provided on both the left and right sides of the upper end of the mounting plate 329 are engaged with the locking holes 555 and 556 provided on the upper front wall 55 of the front wall 51. This allows the worker to easily position the mounting plate 329 to the front wall 51 even with one hand.

[0146] After positioning the mounting plate 329 relative to the front wall 51, the mounting plate 329 can be screwed to the front wall 51 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In this way, the worker can easily attach the spacer assembly 370 to the front wall 51 of the case 50.

[0147] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the first to third embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. In the first embodiment, the material of the spacer 60 is expanded polystyrene, but any cushioning material may be used, such as urethane sponge.

[0148] In the first embodiment described above, the mounting plate 29 is screwed to the front wall 51 of the case 50 to constitute the "front plate portion" of the present invention, but the front wall 51 and the mounting plate 29 may be integrally formed.

[0149] The spacer 60 is a roughly cylindrical shape with a short axis extending in the front-to-back direction, but is not limited to this shape. If the spacer 60 is positioned between the case 50 and the front cover 30 and is in contact with the mounting plate 29 of the case 50, the ventilation path 61 may be omitted.

[0150] In the first embodiment described above, the ventilation path portion 61 of the spacer 60 and the protruding cylinder 293 of the mounting plate 29 are in contact, and the ventilation path portion 61 and the protruding cylinder 312 of the front cover 30 are in contact. However, it is sufficient if at least one of these is in contact, and preferably the ventilation path portion 61 and the protruding cylinder 293 of the mounting plate 29 are in contact.

[0151] The connecting portion 274 of the fan assembly 28 is equipped with four fixing legs 275, but the number and shape of the fixing legs 275 are not limited to the above embodiment.

[0152] In the first embodiment described above, the inner circumferential surface of the front portion 611 provided on the front end side of the ventilation path 61 is parallel to the axis. For example, at least on the front end side of the front portion 611, an enlarged diameter portion may be provided, the diameter of which increases as it moves towards the front. In this way, rainwater that enters the ventilation path 61 can be guided in both the front and rear directions. As a result, the spacer 60 can more effectively suppress the retention of rainwater in the ventilation path 61.

[0153] In the second embodiment, the front wall 81 of the case 80 and the spacer 160 are separate, but they may be integrated. The support structure for the fan 171 on the spacer 160 may be different from the structure in the second embodiment. The number of fixing legs 172 is not limited to the number in the second embodiment. For example, as in the third embodiment, multiple support columns may be provided inside the spacer 160, and the main body 175 of the fan 171 may be supported by these multiple support columns.

[0154] In the spacer assembly 370 of the third embodiment, the number of support columns 452 provided inside the spacer 450 can be any number, and is not limited to the number in the third embodiment. Also, when attaching the spacer assembly 370 to the front wall 51 of the case 50, the hooks 331 and 332 provided at the upper end of the mounting plate 329 are engaged with the locking holes 555 and 556 provided in the upper front wall 55 of the front wall 51 to position it, but in the first embodiment, the same method of engagement and positioning may be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0155] 1. Hot water supply system 2 cabinets 4 Heat pump unit 24 Air heat exchanger 27 Fans 30 Front cover 50 cases 51 Front wall 60 Spacer 61 Ventilation path section 311 Ventilation section 312 Projecting tube

Claims

1. In a heat pump type heat source unit, which has at least an air heat exchanger and a fan inside a housing with a front cover attached to the front, The aforementioned front cover is provided with a ventilation opening that is inserted in the front-to-back direction, The air heat exchanger is provided on the rear side inside the housing, In front of the air heat exchanger, a box-shaped case is provided that has an opening through which it is inserted in the front-to-back direction and covers the front area of ​​the air heat exchanger from the surroundings. A spacer is provided between the case and the front cover. The spacer includes a ventilation path connecting the opening and the ventilation opening, The area from the inside of the case to the ventilation path is provided with the area where the fan is to be installed. A heat pump type heat source unit characterized by the following.

2. The case comprises a front plate having the opening and having a surface direction oriented in the front-to-back direction, The fan is equipped with a fixing part that is fixed to the rear surface of the front panel, The fan, with the fixing part fixed to the rear surface of the front plate, is positioned so that the air is discharged in a forward-facing orientation and overlaps with the opening in the front-rear direction within the installation area. The spacer is positioned between the case and the front cover in a manner that it is in contact with the front panel portion of the case. A heat pump type heat source machine according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The aforementioned vent portion is cylindrical in shape and protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the front cover, and is in contact with the front end of the ventilation path portion. A heat pump type heat source machine according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The spacer is made of expanded polystyrene or urethane sponge. A heat pump type heat source machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by the above.

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