Heat pump device

Abstract

The objective is to prevent an increase in the depth and height dimensions of the heat pump system while ensuring airflow to the evaporative heat exchanger and preventing rainwater from entering. [Solution] In the heat pump device, the inside of the outer casing is divided into a blower chamber where a fan and an evaporative heat exchanger are arranged, a machine chamber where a compressor and an expansion means are arranged, and a heating chamber formed to straddle the blower chamber and the machine chamber and where a condensing heat exchanger is arranged. Multiple partition plates are provided above the blower chamber and the machine chamber and partition the heating chamber, and vertical partition plates partition the blower chamber and the machine chamber. The upper partition plate on which the condensing heat exchanger is placed is positioned inside the evaporative heat exchanger, and the fixing part of the upper partition plate is fixed near the end of the evaporative heat exchanger. In a plan view, a gap of a predetermined width or more is formed between the upper partition plate and the evaporative heat exchanger, excluding the fixing part.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat pump device that achieves size reduction by improving the arrangement of a condensation heat exchanger in the device. [Background Art]

[0002] In a heat pump device used for a heat pump water heater, the interior of an outer case composed of a bottom plate, a top plate and side plates is divided by a plurality of partition plates into a blower chamber where a fan and an evaporation heat exchanger are disposed, a machine room where a compressor and an expansion means are disposed, and a heating chamber which is formed to span above the blower chamber and the machine room and where the condensation heat exchanger is disposed. The evaporation heat exchanger described above is formed in an L-shape in plan view along the inner surfaces of the left side surface and the rear side surface of the outer case, and the condensation heat exchanger may be disposed at a lower position inside the outer case or at an upper position inside the outer case.

[0003] Here, in the heat pump device of Patent Document 1, the condensation heat exchanger is disposed at a lower position inside the outer case, and inside the evaporation heat exchanger. In the heat pump devices of Patent Documents 2 and 3, the condensation heat exchanger is disposed at an upper position inside the outer case so as to cover above the evaporation heat exchanger. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 4651338 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 6160368 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent No. 7157920 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] When the condensing heat exchanger is placed at the bottom of the outer casing and inside the evaporative heat exchanger, as in the heat pump described in Patent Document 1, the hot and cold water piping extending from the condensing heat exchanger is connected to the equipment outlet on the right side of the outer casing via the front or rear of the compressor and expansion means in the machine room, which increases the depth dimension of the heat pump device.

[0006] On the other hand, if the condensing heat exchanger is positioned at the top of the outer casing and above the evaporative heat exchanger, as in the heat pump devices described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the height of the heat pump device becomes larger. The objective of this invention is to ensure airflow to the evaporative heat exchanger and prevent rainwater intrusion while preventing an increase in the depth and height dimensions of the heat pump device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The heat pump device according to claim 1 comprises, inside an outer case having a bottom plate, a top plate, and side plates, a plurality of partition plates, a blower chamber in which a fan and an evaporative heat exchanger are arranged, a machine chamber in which a compressor and an expansion means are arranged, and a heating chamber formed to straddle the blower chamber and the machine chamber and in which a condensing heat exchanger is arranged, wherein the plurality of partition plates include an upper partition plate provided above the blower chamber and the machine chamber to partition the heating chamber, and a vertical partition plate partitioning the blower chamber and the machine chamber, the upper partition plate on which the condensing heat exchanger is placed is positioned inside the evaporative heat exchanger, and the fixing portion of the upper partition plate is fixed near the end of the evaporative heat exchanger.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the multiple partition plates consist of an upper partition plate and vertical partition plates, and since the upper partition plate on which the condensing heat exchanger is placed is positioned inside the evaporative heat exchanger, the height dimension of the heat pump device does not increase. Furthermore, since the upper partition plate is positioned inside the evaporative heat exchanger, it becomes difficult to create a structure to fix the upper partition plate. However, by fixing the upper partition plate to the vicinity of the end of the evaporative heat exchanger, a fixing structure for the upper partition plate can be secured. Note that the vicinity of the end of the evaporative heat exchanger includes the vicinity of the left end of the evaporative heat exchanger and the vicinity of the right end of the evaporative heat exchanger.

[0009] The heat pump device of claim 2 is the heat pump device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in a plan view, a gap of a predetermined width or more is formed between the upper partition plate and the evaporative heat exchanger, excluding the fixed portion. According to the above configuration, a gap of a predetermined width or more is formed between the upper partition plate and the evaporative heat exchanger, excluding the fixed portion. Therefore, the airflow of outside air flowing from below the upper partition plate upwards can easily pass through the gap and flow upwards, thus preventing a decrease in the heat exchange performance of the evaporative heat exchanger.

[0010] The heat pump device of claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, a bent portion that rises upward is formed on the outer periphery of the upper partition plate, and the upper end of the portion of the bent portion that faces the inner periphery of the evaporative heat exchanger is formed to be located above the upper end of the evaporative heat exchanger. With the above configuration, rainwater that enters near the top of the evaporative heat exchanger on the outside airflow is less likely to enter the heating chamber by passing over the upper edge of the bent portion of the upper partition plate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As described above, the present invention offers various advantages. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is an external perspective view of a heat pump device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the main internal structure of a heat pump device. [Figure 3]It is a front view of a main part of the internal structure. [Figure 4] It is a right side view of a main part of the internal structure. [Figure 5] It is a plan view of a main part of the internal structure. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of an evaporation heat exchanger, a condensation heat exchanger and a top plate. [Figure 7] It is an enlarged view of section VII in Fig. 5. [Figure 8] It is an enlarged view of section VIII in Fig. 5. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the heat pump device (1) accommodates a condensation heat exchanger (2), an expansion means (not shown), an evaporation heat exchanger (3), a compressor (not shown), a refrigerant pipe (not shown), and a control unit (4) inside an outer case (5).

[0014] The outer case (5) includes a bottom plate (6), a left side plate (7), a right side plate (8), a front side plate (9), a rear side plate (10), and a top plate (11). The front side plate (9) is formed with a circular exhaust port (9a) for discharging outside air, and a mesh member (9b) is attached to the exhaust port (9a). Further, the right side plate (8) is provided with a device outlet plate (8a) for leading out pipes, harnesses and the like. Note that a large number of outside air introduction holes are formed in the left side plate (7) and the rear side plate (10).

[0015] The interior of the outer case (5) is partitioned into an air blowing chamber (12), a machine chamber (13), and a heating chamber (14) by a plurality of partition plates. Vertical partition plates (15A, 15B) partitioning the space between the air blowing chamber (12) and the machine chamber (13) comprise: a front-rear direction vertical partition plate (15A) located at a position dividing the left-right width of the outer case (5) from the left end at a ratio of about 2:1, the vertical partition plate (15A) being arranged such that a space larger than the thickness of the evaporation heat exchanger (3) is left between the vertical partition plate (15A) and the rear side plate (10); and a left-right direction vertical partition plate (15B) extending rightward from the rear end of the vertical partition plate (15A).

[0016] The air supply chamber 12 includes the space between the left side plate 7 and the vertical partition plate 15A, and the space between the rear side plate 10 and the vertical partition plate 15B. The machine room 13 is formed on the front side of the vertical partition plate 15B between the vertical partition plate 15A and the right side plate 8. The heating chamber 14 is formed to straddle above the air supply chamber 12 and the machine room 13, and is partitioned by a horizontal upper partition plate 16.

[0017] The evaporation heat exchanger 3, a fan (not shown) and a shroud (not shown) are accommodated in the air supply chamber 12. A compressor, an expansion means, other pipes and pipe accessory equipment (valves, sensors, etc.) are accommodated in the machine room 13. A condensation heat exchanger 2 and a heat insulating material 2a covering the same are accommodated in the heating chamber 14, and a top plate 11 is disposed above the heating chamber 14. Further, a control unit 4 is accommodated directly below the right half of the heating chamber 14.

[0018] The evaporation heat exchanger 3 is a fin-and-tube type heat exchanger, has a shape along the inner surfaces of the left side plate 7 and the rear side plate 10, and is formed into an L-shaped plate shape in a plan view. In addition, an extended air supply chamber 12A communicating with the air supply chamber 12 is formed by an auxiliary partition plate 17 at the rear part of the machine room 13, and a part of the evaporation heat exchanger 3 extending from the air supply chamber 12 is accommodated in the extended air supply chamber 12A.

[0019] The fan is attached to a fan support plate 18 provided at a central portion of a back surface of the air supply chamber 12, and a shroud not shown in the figure is also provided around the fan. As shown in Fig. 6, the condensation heat exchanger 14 has a double-pipe structure consisting of a refrigerant pipe through which refrigerant flows and a water pipe through which hot water to be heated flows, and is configured as an upper and lower two-stage spiral pipe body having an elliptical shape in a plan view.

[0020] The upper partition plate 16 on which the condensation heat exchanger 14 is placed is disposed inside the evaporation heat exchanger 3, and the first and second fixing portions 19 and 20 of the upper partition plate 16 are respectively fixed to the vicinity of the end portions of the evaporation heat exchanger 3. As shown in Figures 5 and 7, end plates 21 and 22, which are U-shaped cross-section members, are attached to the right and left ends of the evaporative heat exchanger 3, respectively. The first fixing part 19 at the rear end of the right end of the upper partition plate 16 is fixed to the right end of the evaporative heat exchanger 3.

[0021] The rear end of the end plate 21 is fixed to the rear side plate 10 with multiple screws 23, and the first fixing part 19 of the upper partition plate 16 is fixed to the front end of the upper end of the end plate 21 with screws 19a. As shown in Figures 5 and 8, the left end of the end plate 22 is fixed to the left side plate 7 with multiple screws 24, and the second fixing part 20 of the left end of the upper partition plate 16, located midway in the front-to-back direction, is fixed to the right end of the upper end of the end plate 22 with a screw 20a.

[0022] As shown in Figures 5, 7, and 8, in a plan view, a gap 25 of a predetermined width or more is formed between the upper partition plate 16 and the evaporative heat exchanger 3, except for the first and second fixing parts 19 and 20. As shown in Figures 2, 5, and 6, a bent portion 16a that rises upward is formed on the outer periphery of the upper partition plate 16, and the upper end 26 of the portion of the bent portion 16a that faces the inner periphery of the evaporative heat exchanger 3 is formed to be located above the upper end 3a of the evaporative heat exchanger 3.

[0023] Furthermore, the portion of the bent portion 16a near the right end above the machine room 13 is formed as a bent portion with a smaller vertical dimension. A predetermined gap 8b is formed between the right end of the upper partition plate 16 and the right side plate 8, and piping (not shown) extends downward from this gap 8b. Moreover, the front portion of the bent portion 16a facing the front side plate 9 has a smaller vertical dimension than the portion of the bent portion 16a facing the inner circumference of the evaporative heat exchanger 3, and a larger vertical dimension than the portion of the bent portion 16a near the right end.

[0024] Furthermore, a flange portion 11a is formed on the outer periphery of the top plate 11, which is bent downwards, and the lower end 27 of this flange portion 11a is positioned below the upper end 3a of the evaporative heat exchanger 3.

[0025] Next, we will explain the operation and effects of the heat pump device 1 described above. Since the upper partition plate 16 on which the condensing heat exchanger 2 is placed is located inside the evaporative heat exchanger 3, the height dimension of the heat pump device 1 does not increase. Furthermore, since the upper partition plate 16 is positioned inside the evaporative heat exchanger 3, it becomes difficult to create a structure to fix the upper partition plate 16. However, by fixing the first and second fixing parts 19 and 20 of the upper partition plate 16 to the vicinity of the end of the evaporative heat exchanger 3, a fixing structure for the upper partition plate 16 can be secured.

[0026] Since a gap 25 of a predetermined width or greater is formed between the upper partition plate 16 and the evaporative heat exchanger 3, except for the first and second fixing parts 19 and 20, the outside air flowing from below the upper partition plate 16 upwards can easily flow upwards through the gap 25, thus preventing a decrease in the heat exchange performance of the evaporative heat exchanger 3.

[0027] Since the upper end of the portion of the bent part 16a of the upper partition plate 16 that faces the inner circumference of the evaporative heat exchanger 3 is formed to be located above the upper end 3a of the evaporative heat exchanger 3, rainwater that has entered near the upper end of the evaporative heat exchanger 3 on the outside airflow is less likely to enter the heating chamber 14 beyond the upper end of the bent part 16a of the upper partition plate 16.

[0028] Furthermore, those skilled in the art can implement the above embodiments in various modified forms, and the present invention encompasses these modified forms. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 1. Heat pump system 2. Condensing heat exchanger 3. Evaporative heat exchanger 3a top edge 4. Control Unit 5. Outer case 6 Bottom plate 7 Left side plate 8 Right side plate 9 Front side panel 10 Back side plate 11 Top plate 12 Ventilation room 13 Machine room 14 Heating chamber 15A, 15B Vertical partition plates 16 Upper partition plate 16a Folded section 19,20 1st and 2nd fixed part 25 gaps 26 Upper end of the folded part

Claims

1. In a heat pump device comprising an outer case having a bottom plate, a top plate, and side plates, a blower chamber in which a fan and an evaporative heat exchanger are arranged, a machine chamber in which a compressor and an expansion means are arranged, and a heating chamber formed to span above the blower chamber and the machine chamber and in which a condensing heat exchanger is arranged, The multiple partition plates include an upper partition plate that is installed above the air blowing chamber and the machine room to separate the heating chamber, and a vertical partition plate that separates the air blowing chamber and the machine room. A heat pump device characterized in that the upper partition plate on which the condensing heat exchanger is placed is positioned inside the evaporative heat exchanger, and the fixing portion of the upper partition plate is fixed near the end of the evaporative heat exchanger.

2. The heat pump device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in a plan view, a gap of a predetermined width or more is formed between the upper partition plate and the evaporative heat exchanger, excluding the fixed portion.

3. The heat pump device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a bent portion rising upward is formed on the outer periphery of the upper partition plate, and the upper end of the portion of the bent portion facing the inner periphery of the evaporative heat exchanger is formed to be located above the upper end of the evaporative heat exchanger.

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