Heat pump heat source unit

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a heat source unit (1) of a heat pump having a refrigerant circuit. The heat source unit (1) includes a fan (2) and a heat source unit casing (10). The heat source unit casing (10) includes an air chamber (11) that houses the fan (2) and a machine chamber (12) that houses components of the heat pump's refrigerant circuit. A top plate (13) is disposed on the upper side of the heat source unit (1), a bottom plate (14) is disposed on the bottom side of the heat source unit (1), and a front grill (15) is disposed on the front side of the heat source unit (1) and extends across both the air chamber (11) and the machine chamber (12). The front grill (15) includes an air chamber portion (151) that covers at least a portion of the air chamber (11) and a machine chamber portion (152) that covers at least a portion of the machine chamber (12). The air chamber portion (151) and the machine room portion (152) are provided as two separate parts separated along the direction from the top plate (13) to the bottom plate (14), and the machine room portion (152) is detachably attached to the heat source unit casing (10) and can be removed from the heat source unit casing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat source unit of a heat pump and a heat pump having the heat source unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, in its simplest form, a heat pump consists of a refrigerant circuit that connects a user-side heat exchanger, a compressor, a heat source-side heat exchanger, and an expansion valve, and the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit to transport heat or cold from the heat source-side heat exchanger to the user-side heat exchanger.

[0003] The heat source unit of such a heat pump is usually installed outdoors and includes a heat source heat exchanger for exchanging heat between outside air and a refrigerant. For this purpose, the heat source unit includes a casing, a fan housed in the casing and rotatable about a central axis, and a bell mouth having an opening centered on the central axis of the fan so that the airflow induced by the fan passes through the heat source heat exchanger.

[0004] To comply with industry standards and regulations, a grill or fan guard is provided to cover the bellmouth opening and, therefore, the fan blades. In particular, the grill must be designed to comply with finger safety standards and regulations to protect a user's fingers from the rotating fan blades.

[0005] Heat source units are often installed outdoors, in front of homes, sometimes right next to the entrance. In light of this, there is a desire to improve the appearance of the outdoor unit. In many of these heat source units, the grille is vertically positioned to cover a portion of the front of the casing. Thus, the grille significantly impacts the overall appearance of the heat source unit. To improve the appearance of the heat source unit, a front grille is often provided that covers the entire front of the heat source unit, i.e., the portion of the heat source unit where the fan is located (e.g., the air chamber) and the portion of the heat source unit where the components of the heat pump's refrigerant circuit are typically located (e.g., the mechanical compartment). Such components are, for example, the compressor, expansion valve, heat pump controller, and / or other sensitive electronic components of the heat pump.

[0006] For example, such a heat source unit is disclosed in European Patent Application Publication No. 3705732 (EP3705732A1). The heat source unit includes a grill 100 disposed on the front side of the heat source unit, i.e., a front grill 100. The front grill 100 has a fan portion 110 that covers the air chamber and a machine chamber portion 111 that covers the machine chamber, and the fan portion 110 and the machine chamber portion 111 form an integral part, i.e., one piece.

[0007] However, the configuration disclosed in EP 3705732 has the following drawbacks. Maintenance of the components in the heat pump's refrigerant circuit requires access to the mechanical compartment. Therefore, in the device disclosed in EP 3705732, the mechanical compartment can be accessed by removing the rear panel 16. However, when the heat source unit is installed in front of a house, the rear panel 16 often faces the building wall and is not far from it. Therefore, there is little space between the building wall and the heat source unit, making it difficult to access and perform maintenance on the components in the mechanical compartment. On the other hand, the front grille 100 can be removed to allow access to the mechanical compartment from the front of the heat source unit, but in this case, the fan blades are also exposed. If the heat source unit is accidentally forgotten to be turned off before maintenance, removing the front grille 100 increases the risk to the user due to the rotating fan blades. summary In consideration of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a heat pump heat source unit that can improve maintenance work, in particular, a heat pump heat source unit that can improve maintenance work for a heat source unit that has a front grill that covers the entire front side of the heat source unit.

[0008] This object is achieved by a heat source unit according to claim 1. Optional features and preferred embodiments of the heat source unit are set out in the dependent claims.

[0009] In a first aspect, a heat source unit of a heat pump having a refrigerant circuit includes a fan and a heat source unit casing, and the heat source unit casing includes an air chamber that houses the fan and a machine chamber that houses components of the refrigerant circuit of the heat pump. A top plate is disposed above the heat source unit, a bottom plate is disposed on the bottom side of the heat source unit, and a front grill is disposed in front of the heat source unit and extends across both the air chamber and the machine chamber. The front grill includes an air chamber portion that covers at least a portion of the air chamber, and a machine chamber portion that covers at least a portion of the machine chamber. The air chamber portion and the machine chamber portion are provided as two separate components separated along a direction from the top plate to the bottom plate, and the machine chamber portion is detachably attached to the heat source unit casing and is removable from the heat source unit casing.

[0010] The front grille of the heat source unit includes an air chamber portion that covers at least a portion of the air chamber and a machine chamber portion that covers at least a portion of the machine chamber. The air chamber portion and the machine chamber portion are provided as two separate components separated along a direction from the top plate to the bottom plate. For maintenance work on the machine chamber, the machine chamber portion is detachably attached to the heat source unit casing and can be removed from the heat source unit casing, allowing the machine chamber portion of the front grille to be removed from the heat source unit. This allows access to the machine chamber from the front side of the heat source unit, improving access to the machine chamber compared to removing the back panel of the heat source unit for maintenance work, thereby ensuring sufficient space for maintenance work. It is also possible to detach only the machine chamber portion of the front grille for maintenance work. The air chamber portion of the front grille can be left attached to the heat source unit casing, leaving the air chamber and therefore the fan blades covered by the front grille. Furthermore, since the machine chamber can be accessed while ensuring safety during maintenance work, access to the machine chamber is improved, thereby facilitating maintenance work. This is completely different from devices that require the entire front grille to be removed from the heat source unit casing for maintenance work, which improves the overall maintenance work.

[0011] The air chamber houses a fan. The fan can be rotatable about a fan rotation axis. The air chamber can also house a bell mouth having an opening centered on the fan rotation axis of the fan so that airflow induced by the fan can flow through a heat source heat exchanger of the heat source unit.

[0012] The components of the heat pump's refrigerant circuit housed in the mechanical room may include the compressor, expansion valve, heat pump controller, and / or sensitive heat pump electronics, such as terminal blocks. Mechanical rooms are typically designed to protect these components from the elements. Mechanical rooms may also be designed to prohibit unauthorized personnel from accessing the room.

[0013] The "top" and "bottom" sides of the heat source unit can be referred to as the two sides of the heat source unit when the heat source unit is used or installed as part of a heat pump in a specific location or site, such as a home. In this example, the bottom plate located on the bottom side of the heat source unit is located closer to the ground than the top plate located on the top side of the heat source unit. The bottom plate can be the plate on which the compressor of the heat source unit is placed.

[0014] The top and bottom plates can be made of metal such as sheet metal and can cover the top and bottom of the interior space of the heat source unit, respectively.

[0015] The "front side" of the heat source unit can be defined as the side of the heat source unit from which air blows out when an airflow is generated by the fan. The front side of the heat source unit can also be defined as the side facing away from the building when the heat source unit is installed as part of a heat pump.

[0016] Generally, the heat source unit can have a rectangular or substantially rectangular structure. The use of the word "substantially" is intended to include structures in which the respective side walls do not form an exact 90° angle and / or are slightly curved. The front grille can be positioned at the front of the heat source unit so as to be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom plates. The top and bottom plates can be parallel and opposite to each other.

[0017] The front grille can extend over both the air chamber and the machinery compartment so that most of the air chamber and the machinery compartment are covered by the front grille, or so that the entire air chamber and the machinery compartment are covered by the front grille.

[0018] The front grille can be made of metal, plastic, or resin. The front grille has a plurality of airflow openings through which the airflow generated by the fan passes. The airflow openings can be configured with a plurality of horizontal ribs and a plurality of vertical ribs extending perpendicular to the horizontal ribs.

[0019] The front grill extends over both the air chamber and the machine chamber of the heat source unit casing, giving the front side of the heat source unit a uniform appearance, and achieving an improved appearance compared to devices in which the front grill covers only the air chamber and the machine chamber is covered from the outside with a metal plate or the like.

[0020] The front grille includes an air chamber portion and a mechanical compartment portion. The air chamber portion covers at least a portion of the air chamber. The mechanical compartment portion covers at least a portion of the mechanical compartment. The term "at least" is intended to include the case where the air chamber portion covers the entire air chamber, or the mechanical compartment portion covers the entire mechanical compartment.

[0021] Alternatively, the air chamber portion may cover the entire air chamber and part of the machine room, and the machine room portion may cover the remainder of the machine room. In either case, sufficient access to the machine room is reliably obtained for maintenance work after the machine room portion is removed from the heat source unit casing.

[0022] Similarly, the machine room section can cover the entire machine room and part of the fan room, and the fan room section can cover the remaining part of the fan room. In either case, even after removing the machine room section from the heat source unit casing, it is ensured that the fan blades are sufficiently covered from the outside by the air chamber section of the grill to reduce the risk of the fan blades rotating.

[0023] Typically, the air chamber portion, which covers at least a portion of the air chamber, has multiple airflow openings, while the machine compartment portion can have a closed surface without any openings. Horizontal and / or vertical ribs can also be provided across the machine compartment portion. This further enhances the uniformity of the appearance of the front side of the heat source unit and improves the overall appearance of the heat source unit.

[0024] The direction from the top plate to the bottom plate can also be referred to as the up-down direction. The direction from the top plate to the bottom plate can be perpendicular to the top plate and the bottom plate, or can be substantially perpendicular. The use of the term "substantially" is intended to include structures where the angle does not form an exact 90° angle, but includes angles of, for example, 85° to 95°.

[0025] Generally, the air chamber and the machine chamber can be arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction of the heat source unit. The left-right direction is intended to refer to the direction parallel to the top and bottom plates and parallel to the front grill of the heat source unit. In this case, the air chamber portion and the machine chamber portion are separated in the left-right direction, i.e., they form two separate parts, one located on the left side of the heat source unit and the other located on the right side. In other words, in this case, the air chamber portion and the machine chamber portion are separated in the direction from the top plate to the bottom plate, i.e., along the vertical direction.

[0026] The air chamber portion has an air chamber portion end face, and the machine chamber portion has a machine chamber portion end face. The air chamber portion and the machine chamber portion can be separated along a direction from the top plate to the bottom plate so that the air chamber portion end face and the machine chamber portion end face face each other at the separated position. This position can also be referred to as a separation line. The air chamber portion end face and the machine chamber portion end face can be parallel to the front-to-rear direction of the heat source unit and perpendicular to the left-to-right direction, and the front-to-rear direction is perpendicular to the up-down and left-to-right directions. Preferably, the air chamber portion end face and the machine chamber portion end face can be inclined relative to the front-to-rear direction of the heat source unit or the left-to-right direction. In this state, the machine chamber portion end face can overlap the air chamber portion end face at the separation line. This can better hide the position where the air chamber portion and the machine chamber portion are separated, further improving the appearance of the front grille.

[0027] In particular, the machine chamber portion is detachably attached to the heat source unit casing so as to be removable from the heat source unit casing independently of the air chamber portion, i.e., without the need to remove the air chamber portion or even partially remove the air chamber portion, and in particular independently of the top plate, i.e., without the need to remove the top plate or even partially remove the top plate. The machine chamber portion can be detachably attached to the heat source unit casing so as to be removable from the heat source unit casing by a screw connection. For example, one or more screws can be used to detachably attach the machine chamber portion to the heat source unit casing. For example, four screws can be used.

[0028] In a second aspect, the heat source unit casing can further include a cover plate that covers the machine compartment in front of the heat source unit, and the machine compartment portion of the front grill can be positioned in front of the cover plate when viewed from the front of the heat source unit and connected to the cover plate so that the cover plate can be removed from the heat source unit casing together with the machine compartment portion.

[0029] The cover plate may be a plate designed to protect components of the refrigerant circuit of the heat pump housed in the machine room. The cover plate may generally be made of metal or plastic. The cover plate may cover most or the entire machine room in front of the heat source unit.

[0030] The cover plate can be extended in the vertical direction from the top plate to the bottom plate, and can also be parallel to the machine room portion.

[0031] The machine compartment portion of the front grille can be disposed in front of the cover plate when viewing the heat source unit from the front side so that no additional parts or layers are disposed between the machine compartment portion and the cover plate.

[0032] According to this configuration, the machine room portion is connected to the cover plate so that the cover plate can be removed from the heat source unit casing together with the machine room portion, so that the machine room portion and the cover plate can be removed from the heat source unit casing at the same time for maintenance work, which further improves accessibility to the machine room and therefore makes maintenance work easier.

[0033] In a third aspect, the machine compartment portion and the cover plate may be connected to one another by a snap connection.

[0034] For example, the machine chamber section may have one or more protrusions or projections at its upper and lower ends, respectively, that protrude upward and downward, with the upper end of the machine chamber section facing the top plate and the lower end of the machine chamber section facing the bottom plate. The cover plate may have one or more receiving holes at its upper and lower ends that cooperate with the one or more protrusions of the machine chamber section to form a snap connection, with the upper end of the cover plate facing the top plate and the lower end of the cover plate facing the bottom plate. More specifically, the one or more protrusions of the machine chamber section are designed to fit into the one or more receiving holes of the cover plate.

[0035] This arrangement provides a simple mechanism for connecting the machine compartment portion and the cover plate.

[0036] Additionally, the machine chamber section and the cover plate can be connected to each other by one screw or at least one screw. A snap connection can be provided at the upper and lower ends of the machine chamber section and the cover plate, but at least one screw can also be provided between the upper and lower ends of the machine chamber section and the cover plate. The at least one screw can also be a thermoplastic screw. This at least one screw therefore prevents the cover plate from rattling when vibrating during operation of the heat pump.

[0037] In the fourth aspect, the machine chamber portion can be detachably attached to the heat source unit casing by screws, and the screws can be passed through the respective through holes provided in the cover plate.

[0038] The screws can be ordinary metal screws.

[0039] For example, the cover plate can be made of metal, and the machine compartment can be made of plastic or resin. In the event of a fire in the heat source unit, the machine compartment will melt, but the cover plate, being made of metal, will not. Because the screws are fastened to the heat source unit casing through the respective through-holes in the cover plate, even if the machine compartment melts in the event of a fire, the cover plate will remain in front of the machine compartment, protecting the components housed in the machine compartment.

[0040] In addition, the screws that attach the machine compartment section to the heat source unit casing pass through the through holes in the cover plate, so the total number of screws used to attach the machine compartment section of the front grille and the cover plate to the heat source unit casing can be reduced, improving maintenance work.

[0041] In a fifth aspect, the cover plate can be made of metal and the front grille can be made of resin.

[0042] In particular, the air chamber portion and the machine chamber portion can be formed from resin, and the air chamber portion and the machine chamber portion can be formed from the same resin.

[0043] For example, the front grille can be made of polypropylene.

[0044] This configuration allows for reduced manufacturing costs compared to when the front grille is made from sheet metal, etc. Furthermore, by using a resin front grille, the appearance of the grille, and therefore the appearance of the heat source unit, can be improved.

[0045] Additionally, some countries have strict regulations and requirements regarding the fire resistance of plastic or polymer parts that form enclosures containing exposed, uninsulated, current-carrying components. For example, such plastic or polymer parts must have a flammability rating of 5VA when tested according to specific standards. Plastic front grilles generally constitute such parts that enclose exposed, uninsulated, current-carrying components, at least in machinery compartments. Plastic or polymer parts with a flammability rating of 5VA are typically more expensive than plastic or polymer parts with lower flammability ratings.

[0046] Furthermore, since the heat source unit is equipped with a cover plate that is made of metal and covers the machine compartment of the heat source unit casing, as described above, in the unlikely event of a fire breaking out in the heat source unit, even if the machine compartment portion is melted and damaged by the fire, the cover plate remains in front of the machine compartment, protecting the components housed in the machine compartment. In this way, with this configuration, by providing a metal cover plate, the fire resistance of the machine compartment portion of the front grille does not necessarily have to comply with the above-mentioned strict regulations, thereby further reducing costs.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, the heat source unit casing may further include an insulating layer attached to the inner surface of the cover plate, and the inner surface of the cover plate may be oriented toward the inside of the machine chamber so that the insulating layer is removable from the heat source unit casing together with the cover plate and the machine chamber portion.

[0048] The insulating layer may also serve to insulate sound generated by components of the heat pump, such as the compressor, etc. The insulating layer may be made of flame-retardant polyester fibers.

[0049] For example, the barrier layer can be attached to the inner surface of the cover plate with an adhesive such as an acrylic emulsion adhesive along with a polyester scrim.

[0050] With this configuration, the insulating layer can be removed from the heat source unit casing together with the cover plate and the machine room portion, so that these parts can be removed at once, allowing for quick access to the machine room and further improving maintenance work.

[0051] In the seventh aspect, the machine chamber portion can be made removable from the heat source unit casing without removing the top plate.

[0052] For example, in prior art heat source units, in order to access the machine room from the front, it is necessary to first remove the top plate of the heat source unit due to the internal structure of the heat source unit, which therefore increases the burden of maintenance work.

[0053] By providing a machine room section that can be removed from the heat source unit casing without removing the top plate, accessibility to the machine room can be further improved, and therefore maintenance work can be further improved. In particular, since there is no need to remove the top plate, the inside of the heat source unit can be protected from rainwater, etc.

[0054] In the eighth aspect, a first flange extending upward from the bottom plate can be provided on at least the front end of the bottom plate, and the machine room portion can be arranged in the heat source unit casing so that the lower end of the machine room portion is positioned above the upper end of the first flange.

[0055] The front end of the bottom plate and the front end of the top plate are intended to be the ends of the bottom plate and the top plate on the front side of the heat source unit.

[0056] The upward direction will be understood as the direction from the bottom plate to the top plate, and the downward direction will be understood as the direction from the top plate to the bottom plate.

[0057] The first flange extending upward from the base plate can be a separate part. Preferably, the first flange is an integral part of the base plate. The first flange can also be understood as a rim of the base plate. For example, the first flange can be formed by bending a portion of the front side of a flat base plate upward so that the bent portion forms an angle of approximately 90° with the base plate.

[0058] With this configuration, when the machine room portion is placed in the heat source unit casing, the lower end of the machine room portion can be positioned higher than the upper end of the first flange of the bottom plate, allowing the machine room portion to be removed from the heat source unit casing without removing the top plate. For example, even if the upper end of the machine room portion is positioned rearward of the lower end of the second flange attached to the front end of the top plate when viewed from the front of the heat source unit, the machine room portion can be rotated outward and forward at its lower end, and then moved downward to remove the upper end of the machine room portion from the second flange of the top plate, eliminating the need to remove the top plate. This further improves accessibility to the machine room and facilitates maintenance.

[0059] According to a ninth aspect, the lower end of the machine chamber portion can be provided with a lip portion that protrudes further toward the front of the heat source unit than the first flange of the bottom plate.

[0060] The lip portion may be a separate part connected to the lower end of the machinery chamber portion, but preferably is an integral part of the machinery chamber portion.

[0061] The lip portion can be oriented toward the upper end of the first flange of the bottom plate in the vertical direction of the heat source unit. The lip portion can be in contact with the upper end of the first flange, and a gap such as an allowable gap can be provided between the lip portion and the upper end of the first flange. For example, such an allowable gap can take into account the thermal expansion of the component parts of the heat source unit. For example, the allowable gap can have an extension of 0.5 to 2.0 mm, preferably 1.2 mm.

[0062] This configuration prevents rainwater from flowing down the outside of the machine room section from entering the machine room section. Furthermore, the machine room section can be temporarily placed with the lip portion at the upper end of the first flange, for example, when removing the screws that secure the machine room section to the heat source unit casing. This also facilitates maintenance work.

[0063] In the tenth aspect, the heat source unit casing can further include a partition plate separating the air chamber and the machine chamber from each other, and a support pillar arranged at a corner of the machine chamber located on the side of the machine chamber opposite the partition plate and extending in a direction from the top plate toward the bottom plate, and the machine chamber portion can be detachably attached to the partition plate and the support pillar.

[0064] The partition plate can be made of sheet metal. The air chamber and the machine chamber can be arranged adjacent to each other when viewed in the left-right direction. The partition plate can be arranged inside the heat source unit casing so as to extend vertically or substantially vertically from the top plate to the bottom plate.

[0065] The support pillars can be made of metal such as sheet metal. When viewed from the front of the heat source unit, the support pillars can form part of the side of the heat source unit on the machine compartment side. In this way, the support pillars can be located at the front corners of the bottom plate and the top plate.

[0066] The machine room section can also be detachably attached to the partition plate and the support column by means of screws. In particular, two screws can be provided for attaching one side of the machine room section to the partition plate and two more screws can be provided for attaching the other side of the machine room section to the support column.

[0067] With this configuration, the machine compartment is not connected to the top plate and is attached to the heat source unit casing independently of the top plate, so the machine compartment can be removed from the heat source unit casing without having to remove the top plate. In this way, by providing the support pillars, specific parts of the heat source unit casing can be individually removed from the heat source unit casing without having to remove other parts, while ensuring the structural strength of the heat source unit.

[0068] In the eleventh aspect, a second flange extending downward from the top plate can be provided on at least the front end of the top plate, and the upper end of the machine room portion can be configured so that when the machine room portion is placed in the heat source unit casing, the second flange overlaps the upper end of the machine room portion when the heat source unit is viewed from the front.

[0069] The second flange extending downward from the top plate can be a separate part. Preferably, the second flange is an integral part of the top plate. The second flange can also be understood as a rim of the top plate. For example, the second flange can be formed by bending a portion of the front side of a flat top plate downward so that the bent portion forms an angle of approximately 90° with the top plate.

[0070] In this configuration, the upper end of the machine room portion is located behind the second flange of the top plate when the heat source unit is viewed from the front, so the inside of the machine room portion can be protected from rainwater.

[0071] Optionally, the upper end of the machine room portion can be configured so that when the machine room portion is placed in the heat source unit casing, the upper end of the machine room portion is located below the second flange of the top plate when viewed from the front of the heat source unit. With this configuration, the upper end of the machine room portion is not located behind the second flange of the top plate when viewed from the front of the heat source unit, making it easier to remove the machine room portion from the heat source unit casing. In this way, after removing the screws securing the machine room portion to the heat source unit casing, it is only necessary to pull the machine room portion forward; there is no need to first rotate it forward and then move the upper end of the machine room portion downward to remove it from the second flange of the top plate. This improves accessibility and facilitates maintenance.

[0072] In a twelfth aspect, the heat source unit casing can further include a side plate that covers the side of the machine chamber, and the side plate can be removable from the heat source unit casing without removing the top plate and the machine chamber portion.

[0073] The side plate can be made of metal such as sheet metal. If the machine room is located on the right side of the heat source unit casing, the side plate can form the right side plate of the heat source unit casing. If the machine room is located on the left side of the heat source unit casing, the side plate can form the left side plate of the heat source unit casing.

[0074] For example, in conventional heat source units, in order to access the machine room from the side of the heat source unit, for example from the right side, it is necessary to first remove the top panel and / or front grill of the heat source unit due to the internal structure of the heat source unit, which therefore increases the burden of maintenance work.

[0075] By providing a side panel that can be removed from the heat source unit casing without removing the top panel or the machine room, access to the machine room can be further improved, further facilitating maintenance work. In addition, since there is no need to remove the top panel, the inside of the heat source unit can be protected from rainwater, etc.

[0076] In order to further improve access to the machine compartment, it is also conceivable that both the side panels and the machine compartment portion, together with the cover plate and the insulating layer, can be removed from the heat source unit casing, thereby providing access from the front and sides of the heat source unit. The structural strength of the heat source unit can be ensured by providing support pillars.

[0077] In the thirteenth aspect, a second flange can be provided on at least the front end and side end of the top plate, and the side plate can have a first edge portion forming the upper end of the side plate, and the first edge portion can be configured so that when the side plate is placed in the heat source unit casing, the second flange overlaps with the first edge portion of the side plate when the heat source unit is viewed from the side, and the side plate can further have a first hook provided on the first side end of the side plate, and the first hook can be extended upward to engage with a first hole provided in the support.

[0078] The first edge of the side plate, which forms the upper end of the side plate, can be an integral part of the side plate. For example, a step can be formed on the outer surface of the side plate by offsetting the first edge of the side plate from the rest of the side plate toward the inside of the heat source unit casing. In this way, the side plate can be placed in the heat source unit casing, and the first edge can be configured so that the second flange overlaps the first edge when the heat source unit is viewed from the side. Then, the second flange of the top plate, which is provided at the side end of the top plate, can be placed on the step on the outer surface of the side plate.

[0079] The side plates can be screwed at their lower ends to the bottom plate, in particular to a first flange of the bottom plate which can also be provided at the side end of the bottom plate.

[0080] The side plate can have at least a first hook on its first side end. For example, the side plate can have at least two first hooks on its first side end, the two first hooks spaced apart in the vertical direction of the heat source unit. In this case, the support can also have at least two first holes spaced apart in the vertical direction. The first holes can be vertically elongated slits extending in the vertical direction. Because the first hooks extend upward to engage with the first holes provided in the support, removing the side plate from the machine chamber simply requires removing the screws from the side plate and then sliding the side plate downward. This allows the side plate to be removed from the heat source unit casing simply by removing the upper end of the side plate from the second flange provided on the side end of the top plate and then removing the first hooks from the first holes in the support. In particular, removing the side plate does not require removing the top plate.

[0081] This configuration improves accessibility to the machine room from the heat source unit side, further improving maintenance work.

[0082] In a fourteenth aspect, the heat source unit casing may further include a rear plate covering at least a portion of the rear side of the machine chamber, and the side plate may further include a second hook at its second side end, the second hook extending upward to engage with a second hole provided in the rear plate.

[0083] The back panel can be made of metal, such as sheet metal. The same features as for the first hook can be applied to the second hook at the second side edge of the side panel. Furthermore, the same features as for the first hole can be applied to the second hole provided in the back panel.

[0084] This configuration allows the side panels to be attached to the rear panel and can be easily removed from the heat source unit casing without the need to remove the top panel, thereby improving accessibility to the machine room and, as a result, maintenance work.

[0085] In the fifteenth aspect, the side panel can have an L-shape when the heat source unit is viewed from above, and the side panel covers the side of the machine room and part of the rear of the machine room, and the first hook and the second hook can be arranged parallel to the machine room part and the rear panel.

[0086] Since the first hook and the second hook can be positioned parallel to the machine compartment portion and the rear panel, to remove the side panel from the machine compartment, it is only necessary to remove the screws from the side panel and then slide the side panel downward, thereby removing the upper end of the side panel from the second flange provided on the side end of the top panel, and then simply removing the first hook from the first hole in the support and the second hook from the second hole in the rear panel, allowing the side panel to be removed from the heat source unit casing.

[0087] With this configuration, by providing hook hole connection portions at the first and second side ends of the side panels, the side panels can be attached to both the support columns and the rear panel, and the side panels can be easily removed from the heat source unit casing without having to remove the top panel in particular, thereby improving accessibility to the machine room and, as a result, improving maintenance work.

[0088] In a sixteenth aspect, the rear plate can be provided with a third flange extending forward from the rear plate toward the front side of the heat source unit and having a second hole for engaging with the second hook, the second hole being formed in the third flange. The rear plate can further be provided with a fourth flange extending forward from the first flange toward the front side of the heat source unit, a reinforcing member connecting the rear plate to the support column being fixed to the fourth flange, and the fourth flange can further be provided with a notch at its lower end extending in a direction from the top plate to the bottom plate.

[0089] The third flange extending forward from the rear plate may be a separate component. Preferably, the third flange is an integral component with the rear plate. For example, the third flange may be formed by bending a portion of a flat rear plate side forward so that the bent portion forms an angle of approximately 90° with the rear plate.

[0090] The fourth flange and the third flange may be formed as an integral part of the rear plate. For example, the fourth flange may be offset from the third flange in the left-right direction, for example, toward the outside of the heat source unit casing.

[0091] The reinforcing member can be made of metal such as sheet metal and can be connected to the fourth flange of the rear plate and the support column with screws. For example, the reinforcing member can be installed to extend along the front-to-rear direction of the heat source unit. The reinforcing member improves the structural strength of the heat source unit casing.

[0092] The notch can be formed by providing the fourth flange with a lower end portion that is positioned higher than the lower end portion of the third flange of the rear plate when the rear plate is attached.

[0093] According to this configuration, by providing a notch at the lower end of the fourth flange, accessibility to the interior of the machine room is further improved, and therefore maintenance work can be further improved.

[0094] In a seventeenth aspect, there is provided a heat pump comprising a heat source unit according to any of the preceding aspects.

[0095] Further aspects of the present disclosure will be understood from the following description of specific embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0096] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat source unit according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2(a)] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cover plate of the heat source unit of FIG. [Figure 2(b)] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a machine room portion of the heat source unit of FIG. [Figure 2(c)] 2(a) is a perspective view showing the cover plate of FIG. 2(a) connected to the machine chamber portion of FIG. 2(b) together with a barrier layer. [Figure 3]2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the lower part of the heat source unit of FIG. 1 taken along line AA of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the upper part of the heat source unit of FIG. 1 taken along line AA of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective top view of components of the heat source unit of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a top view of components of the heat source unit of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of the heat source unit of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective top view of components of the heat source unit of FIG. 1. [Figure 9]

[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective top view of the components of the heat source unit of FIG. 1.

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

[0025] In the following, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to explain the present disclosure by means of illustrative examples. Further variations of certain individual features described in this context can be combined with other features of the described embodiments to form further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0097] Throughout the drawings, the same reference numbers are used to refer to the same or similar elements.

[0098] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat source unit according to the present disclosure. The heat source unit 1 comprises a heat source unit housing (casing) 10. The heat source unit casing 10 comprises an air chamber 11 that houses a fan 2. In FIG. 1, the air chamber 11 is arranged on the left side of the heat source unit casing 10, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 5. The heat source unit casing 10 also comprises a machine chamber 12 that houses components of the refrigerant circuit of the heat pump. In FIG. 1, the machine chamber 12 is arranged on the right side of the heat source unit casing 10, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 5.

[0099] The top plate 13 is disposed on the top side of the heat source unit 1, the bottom plate 14 is disposed on the bottom side of the heat source unit 1, and the front grill 15 is disposed on the front side of the heat source unit 1. The front grill 15 extends across both the air chamber 11 and the machine chamber 12. The front grill has an air chamber portion 151 that covers the air chamber 11, and a machine chamber portion 152 that covers the machine chamber 12. As can be seen clearly in FIG. 5, the air chamber portion 151 and the machine chamber portion 152 are provided as two separate parts that are separated along the direction from the top plate 13 to the bottom plate 14. A separation line 153 between the air chamber portion 151 and the machine chamber portion 152 can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 8.

[0100] The front grille 15 is made of resin. The air chamber portion 151 of the front grille 15 has a plurality of airflow openings 1511. The airflow openings 1511 are composed of a plurality of horizontal ribs and a plurality of vertical ribs extending perpendicular to the horizontal ribs. The machine compartment portion 152 has a closed surface with no openings. The horizontal ribs also extend into the machine compartment portion 152. This further increases the uniformity of the appearance of the front side of the heat source unit 1, improving the overall appearance of the heat source unit 1.

[0101] The machine room portion 152 is detachably attached to the heat source unit casing 10 and is removable from the heat source unit casing 10. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, four screws 1522 are provided for detachably attaching the machine room portion 152 to the heat source unit casing 10. The removed machine room portion 152 is shown in Fig. 2(b) and Fig. 2(c).

[0102] With this configuration, only the machine room portion 152 of the front grill 15 can be removed from the heat source unit 1. This allows access to the machine room 12 from the front side of the heat source unit 1, thus improving accessibility to the machine room 12 and improving maintenance work. The air chamber portion 151 of the front grill 15 can be left attached to the heat source unit casing 10, and the air chamber 11, and therefore the fan 2, can be left covered by the front grill 15. Furthermore, since the machine room can be accessed while safety is ensured during maintenance work, access to the machine room 12 is improved, thereby facilitating maintenance work.

[0103] The heat source unit casing 10 further includes a cover plate 16. In FIG. 2(a), which is a perspective view of the cover plate 16 of the heat source unit 1 in FIG. 1, the cover plate 16 is shown separated. The cover plate 16 covers the machine room 12 on the front side of the heat source unit 1. In the assembled state, a machine room portion 152 is disposed in front of the cover plate 16 and connected to the cover plate 16, so that the cover plate 16 can be removed from the heat source unit casing 10 together with the machine room portion 152. In this embodiment, the machine room portion 152 and the cover plate 16, which are shown separated in FIG. 2(b), are connected to each other by a snap connection. This snap connection is achieved by the machine room portion 152 having convex portions 1521 that protrude upward and downward at its upper and lower ends, respectively. The cover plate 16 has receiving holes 161 at its upper and lower ends, respectively, which cooperate with the protruding portions 1521 of the machine chamber portion 152, thereby forming a snap connection. More specifically, the protruding portions 1521 of the machine chamber portion 152 are designed to enter the receiving holes 161 of the cover plate 16.

[0104] Figure 2(c) is a perspective view showing the cover plate 16 of Figure 2(a) connected to the machine room portion 152 of Figure 2(b). Figure 2(c) also shows the insulating layer 17 attached to the inner surface of the cover plate 16, and the insulating layer 17 is removable from the heat source unit casing 10 together with the cover plate 16 and the machine room portion 152. The insulating layer 17 can be attached to the inner surface of the cover plate 16 with an adhesive.

[0105] In this embodiment, the machine room section 152 is detachably attached to the heat source unit casing 10 by screws 1522. The screws 1522 pass through the respective through holes 162 provided in the cover plate 16. As shown in FIG. 1 , the machine room section 152, together with the cover plate 16 and the insulating layer 17, are fixed to the heat source unit casing 10 by the four screws 1522.

[0106] This configuration allows the entire assembly shown in Figure 2(c), i.e., the machine room section 152, the cover plate 16 and the insulating layer 17, to be removed from the heat source unit casing 10 at once, thereby facilitating access to the machine room and improving maintenance work.

[0107] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the lower part of the heat source unit 1 of Fig. 1 taken along line AA in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the upper part of the heat source unit 1 of Fig. 1 taken along line AA in Fig. 1.

[0108] 3, a first flange 141 is provided at the front end of the bottom plate 14, extending upward from the bottom plate 14. The machine room section 152 is arranged in the heat source unit casing 10 so that the lower end of the machine room section 152 is positioned higher than the upper end of the first flange 141.

[0109] 4, a second flange 131 is provided at the front end of the top plate 13, extending downward from the top plate 13. The upper end of the machine room portion 152 is configured so that the second flange 131 overlaps the upper end of the machine room portion 152 when the machine room portion 152 is placed in the heat source unit casing 10.

[0110] With this configuration, the machine room section 152 can be removed from the heat source unit casing 10 without removing the top plate 13. That is, to remove the machine room section 152, its lower end is rotated toward the front of the heat source unit 1, and the upper end of the machine room section 152 is moved downward to remove it from the second flange 131. In this way, it is not necessary to remove the top plate 13 to remove the machine room section 152, the cover plate 16, and the insulating layer 17. Therefore, access to the machine room 12 is improved, and therefore maintenance work can be improved.

[0111] 3, the lower end of the machine room portion 152 is provided with a lip portion 1523 that protrudes further forward of the heat source unit 1 than the first flange 141 of the bottom plate 14. This configuration makes it possible to prevent rainwater that runs down the outside of the machine room portion 152 from entering the machine room 12. Furthermore, the machine room portion 152 can be temporarily left stationary with the lip portion 1523 at the upper end of the first flange 141, for example, when removing the screws 1522 that secure the machine room portion 152 to the heat source unit casing 10. This also makes maintenance work easier.

[0112] 5 is a perspective top view of the components of the heat source unit 1 in FIG. 1. The top plate 13 is omitted. As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the air chamber 11 is arranged on the left side of the heat source unit casing 10, and the machine chamber 12 is arranged on the right side. As an example of a component of the refrigerant circuit of the heat pump, the compressor 30 is shown in the machine chamber 12. The fan 2 is housed in the air chamber 11.

[0113] The heat source unit casing 10 further includes a partition plate 18 that separates the air chamber 11 and the machine chamber 12 from each other. Furthermore, a support pillar 19 is disposed in the corner of the machine chamber 12 located on the right front side of the machine chamber 12. The support pillar 19 extends in a direction from the top plate 13 toward the bottom plate 14. As shown in FIG. 6, which is a top view of the components of the heat source unit 1 in FIG. 1, the machine chamber section 152 is attached to the partition plate 18 and the support pillar 19 with screws 1522, i.e., it is detachably attached. With this configuration, the machine chamber section 152 and the cover plate 16 are fixed to the heat source unit casing 10 independently of the top plate 13 and the air chamber section 151. This improves access to the machine chamber 12, facilitating maintenance work.

[0114] 7, which is a perspective rear view of the heat source unit 1 in FIG. 1, the heat source unit casing 10 further includes a side plate 20 that covers the right side of the machine chamber 12. The side plate 20 can be removed from the heat source unit casing 10 without removing the top plate 13 and the machine chamber portion 152.

[0115] 7, FIG. 8 which is a perspective top view of components of the heat source unit 1 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 9 which is a perspective top view of components of the heat source unit 1 of FIG. 1, the side plate 20 has a first edge portion 201 that forms the upper end portion of the side plate 20, and the first edge portion 201 is configured so that when the side plate 20 is placed in the heat source unit casing 10, the second flange 131 overlaps the first edge portion 201 of the side plate 20 when the heat source unit 1 is viewed from the side. The side plate 20 further has a first hook 202 at the first lateral end portion of the side plate, and the first hook 202 extends upward so as to engage with a first hole 192 provided in the support 19. As shown in FIG. 7, the side plate 20 is fixed to the bottom plate 14 with a screw 205. The lower end of the side plate 20 is configured so that when the side plate 20 is placed in the heat source unit casing 10, the lower end of the side plate 20 overlaps the first flange 141 of the bottom plate 14 when the heat source unit 1 is viewed from the side.

[0116] To remove the side panel 20 from the heat source unit casing 10, the screw 205 is loosened and the side panel 20 is slid downward, thereby disengaging the first hook 202 from the first hole 192, thereby allowing the side panel 20 to be removed from the heat source unit casing 10 without having to remove the top panel 13 of the heat source unit casing 10.

[0117] The heat source unit casing 10 further includes a rear plate 21 that covers a portion of the rear side of the machine chamber 12. The side plate 20 further includes a second hook 203 at a second side end thereof, and the second hook 203 extends upward so as to engage with a second hole 211 provided in the rear plate 21.

[0118] The side plate 20 has an L-shape when the heat source unit 1 is viewed from above, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, for example. In this way, the side plate 20 covers the side surface of the machine room 12 and part of the rear surface of the machine room 12. The side plate 20 also has a second edge portion 204 that forms the upper end portion of the side plate 20 on the rear side of the heat source unit 1. In this embodiment, the second flange 131 of the top plate 13 is provided at the rear end portion of the top plate 13 so as to overlap with the second edge portion 204 of the side plate 20 when the heat source unit 1 is viewed from the rear, as shown in Figure 7, for example.

[0119] The first hook 202 and the second hook 203 are arranged parallel to the machine room portion 152 and the rear plate 21. This allows the side plate 20 to be fixed to both the support 19 and the rear plate 21, and also allows the side plate 20 to be removed from the heat source unit casing 10 without having to remove the top plate 13 from the heat source unit casing 10. This improves access to the machine room 12, which ensures improved maintenance work.

[0120] The rear plate 21 is provided with a third flange 212 that extends forward from the rear plate 21 toward the front side of the heat source unit 1 and has a second hole 211 for engaging with the second hook 203, the second hole being formed in the third flange. The rear plate 21 is further provided with a fourth flange 213 that extends forward from the third flange 212 toward the front side of the heat source unit 1, and a reinforcing member 22 that connects the rear plate 21 to the support column 19 is fixed to the fourth flange. This configuration improves the structural strength of the heat source unit.

[0121] Furthermore, the fourth flange 213 has a notch 2131 formed at its lower end. The notch 2131 extends in a direction from the top plate 13 toward the bottom plate 14. The size of the notch 2131 in the vertical direction is preferably large enough to allow a person to reach their arm from the heat source unit 1 side to the back of the machine chamber 12 and work thereafter after removing the side plate 20. For example, the size of the notch 2131 can be 8 cm to 30 cm, preferably 10 cm to 25 cm, and more preferably 12 cm to 20 cm. The size of the notch 2131 in the vertical direction can be 12.5 cm. Providing this notch 2131 further improves accessibility to the machine chamber 12. List of reference numbers 1 Heat source unit 2 fans 10 Heat source unit casing 11 Air chamber 12 Machine room 13 Top plate 131 Second flange 14 Bottom plate 141 First flange 15 Front grill 151 Air chamber part 1511 Airflow opening 152 Machine room part 1521 Convex part 1522 Screw 1523 Lip part 153 Separation line 16 Cover plate 161 Receptacle 162 Through hole 17. Isolation Layer 18 Partition 19 Posts 20 Side Panel 201 First edge 202 First Hook 203 Second Hook 204 Second edge 205 screws 21 Rear plate 211 Hole 2 212 Third flange 213 4th flange 2131 Notch 22 Reinforcement member 30 Compressor [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0122] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Application Publication No. 3705732

Claims

1. A heat source unit (1) of a heat pump having a refrigerant circuit, the heat source unit (1) comprising: With fans (2), a heat source unit casing (10); The heat source unit casing (10) an air chamber (11) that houses the fan (2); a machine room (12) that houses components of the refrigerant circuit of the heat pump, The top plate (13) is disposed above the heat source unit (1), The bottom plate (14) is disposed on the bottom side of the heat source unit (1), a front grill (15) disposed in front of the heat source unit (1) and extending across both the air chamber (11) and the machine chamber (12); The front grill (15) includes an air chamber portion (151) that covers at least a part of the air chamber (11) and a machine chamber portion (152) that covers at least a part of the machine chamber (12), The air chamber portion (151) and the machine chamber portion (152) are provided as two separate parts separated along a direction from the top plate (13) toward the bottom plate (14), The heat source unit is such that the machine room portion (152) is detachably attached to the heat source unit casing (10) and is removable from the heat source unit casing.

2. The heat source unit casing (10) further includes a cover plate (16) that covers the machine room (12) on the front side of the heat source unit (1), and the machine room portion (152) of the front grill (15) is positioned in front of the cover plate (16) when viewed from the front side of the heat source unit (1) and is connected to the cover plate (16) so that the cover plate (16) can be removed from the heat source unit casing (10) together with the machine room portion (152).

3. The heat source unit (1) according to claim 2, wherein the machine chamber portion (152) and the cover plate (16) are connected to each other by a snap connection.

4. A heat source unit (1) as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the machine room portion (152) is removably attached to the heat source unit casing (10) by screws (1522), the screws (1522) passing through respective through holes (162) provided in the cover plate (16).

5. The heat source unit (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the cover plate (16) is made of metal, and the front grill (15) is made of resin.

6. A heat source unit (1) as described in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the heat source unit casing (10) further comprises an insulating layer (17) attached to the inner surface of the cover plate (16), the inner surface of the cover plate (16) facing toward the inside of the machine room (12) so that the insulating layer (17) can be removed from the heat source unit casing (10) together with the cover plate (16) and the machine room portion (152).

7. The heat source unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the machine room portion (152) is removable from the heat source unit casing (10) without removing the top plate (13).

8. A first flange (141) extending upward from the bottom plate (14) is provided at least on the front end of the bottom plate (14), The heat source unit (1) of claim 7, wherein the machine room portion (152) is arranged in the heat source unit casing (10) so that the lower end of the machine room portion (152) is positioned above the upper end of the first flange (141).

9. A heat source unit (1) as described in claim 8, wherein the lower end of the machine room portion (152) has a lip portion (1523) that protrudes toward the front side of the heat source unit (1) beyond the first flange (141) of the bottom plate (14).

10. The heat source unit casing (10) further includes a partition plate (18) that separates the air chamber (11) and the machine chamber (12) from each other, and a support column (19) that is arranged at a corner of the machine chamber (12) located on the side of the machine chamber (12) facing the partition plate (18) and that extends in a direction from the top plate (13) toward the bottom plate (14), The heat source unit (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the machine room portion (152) is detachably attached to the partition plate (18) and the support (19).

11. A second flange (131) extending downward from the top plate (13) is provided at least on the front end of the top plate (13), The heat source unit (1) of claim 10, wherein the upper end of the machine room portion (152) is configured so that when the machine room portion (152) is placed in the heat source unit casing (10), the second flange (131) overlaps the upper end of the machine room portion (152) when the heat source unit (1) is viewed from the front side.

12. A heat source unit (1) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat source unit casing (10) further comprises a side plate (20) covering the side of the machine room (12), and the side plate (20) is removable from the heat source unit casing (10) without removing the top plate (13) and the machine room portion (152).

13. The top plate (13) is provided with the second flange (131) at least on the front end and the side end. The side plate (20) has a first edge (201) that forms an upper end of the side plate (20); the first edge portion (201) is configured so that, when the side plate (20) is placed in the heat source unit casing (10), the second flange (131) overlaps the first edge portion (201) of the side plate (20) when the heat source unit (1) is viewed from the side; A heat source unit (1) as described in claim 12 dependent on claim 11, wherein the side plate (20) further comprises a first hook (202) at a first side end of the side plate, the first hook (202) extending upward to engage with a first hole (192) provided in the support (19).

14. The heat source unit casing (10) further includes a rear plate (21) that covers at least a part of the rear side of the machine chamber (12), The heat source unit (1) of claim 13, wherein the side plate (20) further comprises a second hook (203) at a second side end of the side plate, the second hook (203) extending upward to engage with a second hole (211) provided in the rear plate (21).

15. The heat source unit (1) described in claim 14, wherein the side plate (20) has an L-shape when the heat source unit (1) is viewed from above, the side plate (20) covers the side portion of the machine room (12) and a portion of the rear side of the machine room (12), and the first hook (202) and the second hook (203) are arranged parallel to the machine room portion (152) and the rear plate (21).

16. The rear plate (21) is provided with a third flange (212) extending forward from the rear plate (21) toward the front side of the heat source unit (1) and having a second hole (211) for engaging with the second hook (203), the second hole being formed in the third flange; The rear plate (21) is further provided with a fourth flange (213) extending forward from the third flange (212) toward the front side of the heat source unit (1), and a reinforcing member (22) connecting the rear plate (21) to the support (19) is fixed to the fourth flange, A heat source unit (1) as described in claim 14 or 15, wherein the fourth flange (213) has a notch (2131) at the lower end thereof extending in a direction from the top plate (13) toward the bottom plate (14).

17. A heat pump comprising a heat source unit (1) according to any of the preceding claims.

Images