Outdoor unit of a water heater

Abstract

We provide the outdoor unit for the water heater. [Solution] The outdoor unit of a water heater according to the present disclosure is an outdoor unit of a water heater having a resin pipe connection part to which external piping is connected, wherein a drain plug is attached to the pipe connection part, the pipe connection part has a pair of spanner fixing surfaces for attaching a spanner when connecting external piping to the pipe connection part, the pipe connection part has a reinforcing rib adjacent to the mounting part of the drain plug, and the reinforcing rib has an inclined portion having a different slope from the spanner fixing surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit of a water heater.

Background Art

[0002] The outdoor unit of a water heater is connected with a water pipe for taking in water, heating the water and discharging it (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). The pipe connection portion, which is the part for connecting this water pipe to the outdoor unit, is made of resin, and the pipe connection portion is provided with a drain plug for discharging the water inside.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the pipe connection portion and the drain plug of a conventional outdoor unit for a water heater are made of resin, there is a risk of cracking or breakage due to the tightening torque of the union nut used when connecting the water pipe.

[0005] To solve this problem, work instructions are given to suppress breakage by using two spanners during tightening to support the pipe connection portion main body while tightening the union nut. However, if the position for applying the spanner to the pipe connection portion main body is incorrect, the spanner may be applied so as to pinch the drain plug, and tightening in that state may damage the drain plug. In addition, in order to avoid the breakage of the drain plug as described above, carefully checking the spanner application position on the pipe connection portion main body is troublesome for workers.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide an outdoor unit of a water heater that can suppress breakage of the pipe connection portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The outdoor unit of the water heater according to this disclosure is an outdoor unit of a water heater having a resin pipe connection part to which external piping is connected, the pipe connection part is fitted with a drain plug, the pipe connection part has a pair of spanner fixing surfaces for attaching a spanner when connecting external piping to the pipe connection part, the pipe connection part has a reinforcing rib adjacent to the mounting part of the drain plug, the reinforcing rib has an inclined portion having a different slope from the spanner fixing surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an outdoor unit for a water heater that can suppress damage to the piping connection. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the outdoor unit of the water heater according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the exterior of the outdoor unit with the water circuit cover removed. [Figure 3] This is a magnified perspective view of the water inlet and outlet. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged perspective view of the hot water outlet piping connection. [Figure 5] This is a simplified diagram illustrating the water circulation inside the outdoor unit. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the water inlet pipe connection and the hot water outlet pipe connection, which are attached to the pipe connection mounting plate with screws, and the lower drain plug located at the bottom. [Figure 7] This is a view of the hot water outlet piping connection shown in Figure 4, taken from the direction of arrow A. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view showing the BB cross-section of the hot water outlet piping connection. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing the CC section of the hot water outlet piping connection. [Figure 10]This is a perspective view showing the water inlet pipe connection and the hot water outlet pipe connection, which are fixed to the pipe connection mounting plate with screws. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing a detailed diagram of the water inlet piping connection. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the mounting plate for the pipe connection. [Figure 13] This is a view of the hot water outlet piping connection section from the side that contacts the piping connection mounting plate. [Figure 14] This is a view of the water inlet pipe connection section from the side that contacts the pipe connection mounting plate. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Common or corresponding elements in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are simplified or omitted. The configurations shown in the embodiments below are examples of the technical ideas related to this disclosure and can be combined with other known technologies, or multiple technical ideas described in this disclosure can be combined. Furthermore, it is possible to omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0011] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the outdoor unit 1 of a water heater according to Embodiment 1. The outdoor unit 1 of the water heater heats the incoming water and dispenses hot water. For this purpose, the outdoor unit 1 is provided with a water circuit connection part 2. The water circuit connection part 2 is covered with a resin water circuit cover 3.

[0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the outdoor unit 1 with the water circuit cover 3 removed. The outdoor unit 1 of the water heater is equipped with a water inlet 4 for drawing water into the interior of the outdoor unit 1 and a hot water outlet 5 for heating the drawn-in water and discharging hot water.

[0013] Figure 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of the water inlet 4 and the hot water outlet 5. The water inlet 4 and the hot water outlet 5 are respectively connected to a water inlet connection pipe 6 and a hot water outlet connection pipe 7, which are connected to a tank unit (not shown). The water inlet connection pipe 6 and the hot water outlet connection pipe 7 are connected to the outdoor unit 1 by tightening and fixing the union nut 8 having a hexagonal nut to the water inlet pipe connection portion 9 and the hot water outlet pipe connection portion 10 of the outdoor unit 1, whereby the outdoor unit 1 is connected to the water inlet connection pipe 6 and the hot water outlet connection pipe 7.

[0014] Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the hot water outlet pipe connection portion 10. The water inlet pipe connection portion 9 and the hot water outlet pipe connection portion 10 are made of resin. The hot water outlet pipe connection portion 10 has a hot water outlet pipe connection portion nut thread portion 10-1 to which the union nut 8 is attached. The hot water outlet pipe connection portion 10 is provided with a hot water outlet pipe connection portion stopper plate 10-2 against which the union nut 8 abuts and stops when being tightened when the hot water outlet connection pipe 7 is attached. The hot water outlet pipe connection portion stopper plate 10-2 is an example of an abutment portion with which the end face of the union nut 8 abuts when the union nut 8 at the end of the hot water outlet connection pipe 7 is tightened and fixed to the hot water outlet pipe connection portion 10. In addition, a drain plug attachment portion 10-3 is provided on the hot water outlet pipe connection portion 10. A drain plug 11 for draining internal water at the time of relocation or maintenance of the water heater is attached to the drain plug attachment portion 10-3.

[0015] Figure 5 is a diagram schematically showing the water circulation inside the outdoor unit 1. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the water inlet pipe connection portion 9 and the hot water outlet pipe connection portion 10 which are screw-fixed to the pipe connection portion mounting plate 12, and the lower drain plug 11-1 provided at the lower part. The drain plug 11 provided on the hot water outlet pipe connection portion 10 is located above the water and hot water retained in the outdoor unit 1. A lower drain plug 11-1 is provided on the pipe connection portion mounting plate 12 below the water inlet 4. By opening the drain plug 11 and the lower drain plug 11-1, water is drained from the lower drain plug 11-1, air enters the inside of the water pipe from the drain plug 11, and the water inside the outdoor unit 1 is efficiently drained.

[0016] The hot water outlet pipe connection section 10 is provided with two screw holes 10-4 for screw fastening to the pipe connection section mounting plate 12. As shown in Figure 3, the hot water outlet pipe connection section 10 is fixed to the outdoor unit 1 with screws 13 attached to the screw holes 10-4.

[0017] When attaching the outlet pipe connection pipe 7 to the outlet pipe connection part 10, a wrench is used to tighten the union nut 8. At this time, the torque force from turning the wrench is applied to the outlet pipe connection part 10, which may cause the main body of the outlet pipe connection part 10 to crack. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, the outlet pipe connection part 10 is provided with outlet pipe connection part wrench fixing surfaces 10-5, which have opposing surfaces parallel to each other, to fix the outlet pipe connection part 10 with a wrench, in addition to tightening the union nut 8. When tightening the union nut 8, the wrench is also hooked onto the outlet pipe connection part wrench fixing surface 10-5, and by supporting the outlet pipe connection part 10 with one wrench while tightening the union nut 8 with the other wrench, cracking of the outlet pipe connection part 10 is suppressed.

[0018] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing the stopper plate 10-2 for the hot water outlet pipe connection, cracking of the hot water outlet pipe connection 10 can be suppressed more reliably.

[0019] Furthermore, the screw portion for fixing the outlet pipe connection part 10 to the pipe connection part mounting plate 12 is provided with at least two outlet pipe connection part screw hole ribs 10-6 facing the outer circumference of the screw hole 10-4. The outlet pipe connection part screw hole ribs 10-6 are an example of reinforcing ribs. In the illustrated example, two outlet pipe connection part screw hole ribs 10-6 are arranged so as to sandwich the screw hole 10-4. When the union nut 8 is installed, stress is applied around the screw hole 10-4, so providing the outlet pipe connection part screw hole ribs 10-6 prevents cracking of the outlet pipe connection part 10. The screw hole 10-4 shown in the embodiment is a through hole made in the resin, but it may also be a U-shaped opening connected to the outer casing.

[0020] As described above, in this embodiment, in order to prevent cracking of the outlet pipe connection part 10, the union nut 8 is tightened while supporting the outlet pipe connection part 10 with two wrenches. When supporting the outlet pipe connection part 10 with the wrenches, if the wrenches come into contact with the drain plug 11, it may lead to damage to the drain plug 11. For this reason, the outlet pipe connection screw hole rib 10-6, which is a reinforcing rib for the part of the outlet pipe connection part 10 that comes into contact with the drain plug mounting part 10-3 of the outlet pipe connection part, is provided with an inclined portion 10-6-1 on at least one of the opposing ribs. The inclined portion 10-6-1 has a different inclination than the outlet pipe connection wrench fixing surface 10-5.

[0021] Figure 7 is a view of the outlet pipe connection part 10 of Figure 4 from the direction of arrow A. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the BB section of the outlet pipe connection part 10. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the CC section of the outlet pipe connection part 10. The outlet pipe connection part 10 has an inclined portion 10-6-1 on the outlet pipe connection screw hole rib 10-6, which also serves as a screw hole rib in the part adjacent to the drain plug mounting part 10-3. The outlet pipe connection part 10 also has an inclined portion 10-7 on a rib that does not serve as a screw hole rib. When tightening the union nut 8, if one tries to support the outlet pipe connection part 10, the wrench will get caught on the inclined portion 10-6-1 and the inclined portion 10-7, causing the wrench to slip out and making it impossible to fix the wrench near the drain plug 11. Therefore, when supporting the outlet pipe connection 10 with a wrench, the outlet pipe connection 10 will be supported by the pre-provided wrench fixing surface 10-5, thus preventing damage to the drain plug 11 when tightening the union nut 8. In this embodiment, the upper rib of the BB section is provided with an inclined portion and the lower part of the CC section is provided with an inclined portion, but it is sufficient to provide an inclined portion on at least one of the opposing ribs, and inclined portions may be provided in both upper and lower directions, and there is no problem if the arrangement of the inclined portions is reversed between the upper and lower parts.

[0022] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the inlet pipe connection 9 and outlet pipe connection 10, which are fixed to the pipe connection mounting plate 12 with screws. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a detailed view of the inlet pipe connection 9. The inlet pipe connection 9 has an inlet pipe connection nut thread portion 9-1 to which a union nut 8 is attached. The inlet pipe connection 9 is provided with an inlet pipe connection stopper plate 9-2 that abuts against and stops when tightening the union nut 8 when attaching the inlet connection pipe 6. The inlet pipe connection stopper plate 9-2 is an example of a contact portion to which the end face of the union nut 8 abuts when tightening and fixing the union nut 8, which is the end of the inlet connection pipe 6, to the inlet pipe connection 9. The inlet pipe connection 9 is provided with two inlet pipe connection screw holes 9-3 for screw fixing to the pipe connection mounting plate 12. As shown in Figure 10, the water inlet pipe connection part 9 is fixed to the outdoor unit 1 with screws 13.

[0023] The stopper plate 9-2 for the water inlet pipe connection is integrally provided with one of the pair of ribs 9-5 for the water inlet pipe connection screw hole, which are located on either side of the water inlet pipe connection screw hole 9-3.

[0024] When attaching the inlet pipe connection pipe 6 to the inlet pipe connection part 9, a wrench is used to tighten the union nut 8. At this time, the torque applied when turning the wrench is applied to the inlet pipe connection part 9, which may cause the main body of the inlet pipe connection part 9 to crack. Therefore, the inlet pipe connection part 9 is provided with inlet pipe connection part wrench fixing surfaces 9-4, which have opposing surfaces parallel to each other, to fix the inlet pipe connection part 9 with a wrench, in addition to tightening the union nut 8. When tightening the union nut 8, the wrench is also hooked onto the inlet pipe connection part wrench fixing surface 9-4, and by supporting the inlet pipe connection part 9 with one wrench while tightening the union nut 8 with the other wrench, cracking of the inlet pipe connection part 9 is suppressed.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing the stopper plate 9-2 for the water inlet pipe connection, cracking of the water inlet pipe connection 9 can be suppressed more reliably.

[0026] Furthermore, a rib 9-5 for the inlet pipe connection screw hole 9-3, which is a threaded portion for fixing the inlet pipe connection part 9 to the pipe connection mounting plate 12, is provided on the outer circumference of the inlet pipe connection screw hole 9-3. When the union nut 8 is installed, stress is applied around the inlet pipe connection screw hole 9-3, so the inlet pipe connection screw hole rib 9-5 is provided, and the inlet pipe connection stopper plate 9-2 is extended to the screw tightening surface to prevent cracking of the inlet pipe connection part 9. The inlet pipe connection screw hole 9-3 shown in the embodiment is a through hole made in resin, but it may also be a U-shaped opening connected to the outer casing.

[0027] A drain plug 11 is not located at the water inlet pipe connection 9. This is because the lower drain plug 11-1 is located at the lowest position to drain the water inside the outdoor unit 1, and the air vent hole for draining water only needs to be at the top, so there is no need to place a drain plug at the height of the water inlet pipe connection 9. Therefore, there is no need to place the drain plug mounting part 10-3 provided at the hot water outlet pipe connection 10 at the water inlet pipe connection 9, which simplifies the structure and reduces the amount of resin material used.

[0028] Figure 12 shows the pipe connection mounting plate 12. The water inlet pipe connection 9 and the water outlet pipe connection 10 are attached to the pipe connection mounting plate 12 by screw fixing, but due to the arrangement of the drain plug 11, the pipe connections to be attached at the top and bottom are different. Therefore, in order to prevent incorrect installation, guide grooves 12-1 for the water outlet pipe connection and guide grooves 12-2 for the water inlet pipe connection are provided on the pipe connection mounting plate 12, corresponding to the protrusions provided on the back side of the water inlet pipe connection 9 and the water outlet pipe connection 10.

[0029] Figure 13 is a view of the outlet pipe connection part 10 from the side that contacts the pipe connection part mounting plate 12. Around the screw hole 10-4 of the outlet pipe connection part, there is an outlet pipe connection part positioning projection 10-8 that fits into the outlet pipe connection part mounting position guide groove 12-1 provided on the mounting plate 12 to position it.

[0030] Figure 14 is a view of the inlet pipe connection 9 from the side that contacts the pipe connection mounting plate 12. Around the screw hole 9-3 of the inlet pipe connection, there is an inlet pipe connection positioning projection 9-6 that fits into the inlet pipe connection mounting position guide groove 12-2 provided on the mounting plate 12 to position it. This prevents incorrect installation, as the pipe connection will not fit into the wrong mounting position.

[0031] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0032] (Note 1) An outdoor unit of a water heater having a resin pipe connection part to which external piping is connected, A drain plug is installed at the aforementioned pipe connection. The aforementioned pipe connection portion has a pair of wrench fixing surfaces for applying a wrench when connecting the external pipe to the pipe connection portion. The aforementioned pipe connection portion has a reinforcing rib adjacent to the mounting portion of the drain plug, The reinforcing rib has an inclined portion that has a different inclination from the wrench fixing surface. An outdoor unit for a water heater, characterized by the following features. (Note 2) It has two pipe connection points, one above and one below, to which external piping is connected. The outdoor unit of the water heater according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the pipe connection portion equipped with the drain plug is at least the upper pipe connection portion in the vertical direction. (Note 3) The outdoor unit of a water heater according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, characterized in that the reinforcing ribs are arranged so as to sandwich the screw holes for fixing the pipe connection portion to the outdoor unit. (Note 4) The outdoor unit of a water heater according to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, characterized in that the pipe connection portion has a contact portion into which the end face of the union nut, which is the end of the external pipe, abuts when the union nut is tightened and fixed to the pipe connection portion. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 1 Outdoor unit, 2 Water circuit connection, 3 Water circuit cover, 4 Water inlet, 5 Hot water outlet, 6 Water inlet connecting pipe, 7 Hot water outlet connecting pipe, 8 Union nut, 9 Water inlet piping connection, 9-1 Threaded part of the nut for the water inlet piping connection, 9-2 Stopper plate for the water inlet piping connection, 9-3 Screw hole for the water inlet piping connection, 9-4 Spanner fixing surface for the water inlet piping connection, 9-5 Rib for the screw hole of the water inlet piping connection, 9-6 Positioning projection for the water inlet piping connection, 10 Hot water outlet piping connection, 10-1 Threaded part of the nut for the hot water outlet piping connection, 10-2 Stopper plate for the hot water outlet piping connection, 10-3 Drain plug mounting part, 10-4 Screw hole, 10-5 Spanner fixing surface for the hot water outlet piping connection, 10-6 Ribs for screw holes in outlet pipe connection, 10-6-1 Inclined section, 10-7 Inclined section, 10-8 Positioning projection for outlet pipe connection, 11 Drain plug, 11-1 Lower drain plug, 12 Pipe connection mounting plate, 12-1 Mounting position guide groove for outlet pipe connection, 12-2 Mounting position guide groove for inlet pipe connection, 13 Screw

Claims

1. An outdoor unit of a water heater having a resin pipe connection part to which external piping is connected, A drain plug is installed at the aforementioned pipe connection. The aforementioned pipe connection portion has a pair of wrench fixing surfaces for applying a wrench when connecting the external pipe to the pipe connection portion. The aforementioned pipe connection portion has a reinforcing rib adjacent to the mounting portion of the drain plug, The reinforcing rib has an inclined portion that has a different inclination from the wrench fixing surface. An outdoor unit for a water heater, characterized by the following features.

2. It has two pipe connection points, one above and one below, to which external piping is connected. The outdoor unit of the water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that the pipe connection portion equipped with the drain plug is at least the upper pipe connection portion in the vertical direction.

3. The outdoor unit of a water heater according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the reinforcing ribs are arranged so as to sandwich the screw holes for fixing the pipe connection portion to the outdoor unit.

4. The outdoor unit of a water heater according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pipe connection portion has a contact portion into which the end face of the union nut, which is the end of the external pipe, abuts when the union nut is tightened and fixed to the pipe connection portion.

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