Hot water storage unit and hot water storage type water heater

Abstract

A hot water storage unit and a hot water storage type water heater according to the present invention each comprise a hot water storage tank for storing warm water, thermally insulating material covering an outer circumferential surface of the hot water storage tank, and a pipe disposed outward of the thermally insulating material, wherein: the pipe includes a non-vertical pipe portion which extends in a direction inclined from a vertical direction so as to follow a portion, in a circumferential direction, of an outer circumferential portion of the thermally insulating material; a pipe accommodating portion which accommodates a pipe part including the non-vertical pipe portion of the pipe is formed in the outer circumferential portion of the thermally insulating material; a minimum thickness of a thermally insulating material part of the thermally insulating material provided between the non-vertical pipe portion and the outer circumferential surface of the hot water storage tank is at least equal to an average thickness of the thermally insulating material in a region in the circumferential direction of the thermally insulating material other than a region in which the pipe accommodating portion is formed; and if a through-hole is provided penetrating through the thermally insulating material part to an inner circumferential surface thereof, the minimum thickness of the thermally insulating material part is the minimum thickness of a part of the thermally insulating material part excluding a part in which the through-hole is provided.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hot water storage unit and a hot water storage type water heater equipped with a thermal insulation material. [Background technology]

[0002] A hot water storage unit includes a hot water storage tank, a heat insulating material covering the outer periphery of the hot water storage tank, piping connected to the hot water storage tank, etc., and stores hot water heated by a heat source machine. Some such hot water storage units have the piping embedded in the heat insulating material to reduce heat loss due to heat radiation from the piping (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the hot water storage unit of Patent Document 1, a recess (hereinafter also referred to as a piping storage section) in which the piping is placed is formed on the outer periphery of the heat insulating material, and the piping section extending vertically and linearly is placed in this piping storage section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-142480 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while Patent Document 1 discloses that vertically extending linear piping sections are placed within the insulation, it does not disclose placing non-vertical piping sections, which extend in a direction inclined from the vertical, within the insulation. Furthermore, in the hot water storage unit of Patent Document 1, the piping storage section is configured as a groove formed on the outer surface of the insulation, so the thickness of the insulation in the area where the piping storage section is located is smaller than the thickness of the insulation in other areas. Therefore, in the hot water storage unit of Patent Document 1, if an attempt is made to suppress heat dissipation from the non-vertical piping sections by storing piping sections including the non-vertical piping sections in the piping storage section, the thickness of the insulation will be thinner, especially in the area where the non-vertical piping sections are stored, resulting in increased heat dissipation from the hot water storage tank. As a result, it is difficult to reduce heat loss due to heat dissipation from the non-vertical piping sections and the hot water storage tank.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a hot water storage tank and a hot water storage type water heater that reduce heat loss due to heat radiation from the hot water storage tank and non-vertical piping sections. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The hot water storage unit according to the present disclosure To , It has a cylindrical shape with a bottom that extends vertically, A hot water storage tank for storing hot water, curved The heat insulating material covers the outer peripheral surface, and the piping is arranged outside the heat insulating material, and the piping is arranged along a part of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral part of the heat insulating material. The aforementionedThe tank has a non-vertical piping section extending in a direction inclined from the vertical direction, and a piping storage section is formed on the outer periphery of the heat insulating material to store a piping section including the non-vertical piping section of the piping, and the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material section provided in the heat insulating material between the non-vertical piping section and the outer periphery of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness of the heat insulating material in a region other than the region where the piping storage section is formed in the circumferential direction of the heat insulating material, and when a through hole penetrating to the inner periphery surface is provided in the heat insulating material section, the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material section is the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material section excluding the portion where the through hole is provided, The piping storage section has a base section that protrudes outward in the insulation material, and a groove formed in the base section in which the piping section is stored, the piping section has the non-vertical piping section and a vertical piping section that extends in the vertical direction, the non-vertical piping section extending in a straight line, the piping storage section has a non-vertical storage section in which the non-vertical piping section is stored, and a vertical storage section in which the vertical piping section is stored, the non-vertical storage section of the piping storage section is arranged so that the bottom surface of the groove in the non-vertical storage section extends in a straight line in the pipe axis direction of the non-vertical piping section, and the thickness of the insulation section changes in the pipe axis direction of the non-vertical piping section. In addition, the hot water storage unit according to the present disclosure ToThe device comprises a hot water storage tank for storing hot water, a heat insulating material covering the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank, and piping arranged outside the heat insulating material, wherein the piping has a non-vertical piping section extending in a direction inclined from the vertical so as to follow a part of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral part of the heat insulating material, and a piping storage section is formed on the outer peripheral part of the heat insulating material in which a piping section including the non-vertical piping section of the piping is stored, and the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material section provided in the heat insulating material between the non-vertical piping section and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness of the heat insulating material in a region of the heat insulating material in the circumferential direction other than the region in which the piping storage section is formed, and the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material section is When a through hole that penetrates to the inner surface is provided in the insulation material portion, it is the minimum thickness of the portion of the insulation material portion excluding the portion where the through hole is provided, the piping portion has a first piping section and a second piping section that are connected to each other, and has a joint where the end of the second piping section is inserted into the end of the first piping section, the piping storage section has a pair of wall surfaces provided on both sides along the axial direction of the piping portion, and of the pair of wall surfaces, the wall surface portion that faces the second piping section when the piping portion is stored in the piping storage section and is provided on the opposite side to the insertion direction of the second piping section into the first piping section is provided so as to be separated from the second piping section. In addition, the hot water storage unit according to the present disclosure ToThe hot water storage tank includes a hot water storage tank for storing hot water, a heat insulating material covering an outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank, and a pipe arranged outside the heat insulating material, wherein the pipe has a non-vertical pipe portion extending in a direction inclined from the vertical so as to follow a part of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the heat insulating material, and a pipe storing portion is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the heat insulating material to store a piping portion including the non-vertical pipe portion of the piping, and the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material portion provided in the heat insulating material between the non-vertical pipe portion and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is The thickness is greater than the average thickness of the insulation material in areas other than the area where the piping storage section is formed, and when a through hole that penetrates to the inner surface is provided in the insulation material part, the minimum thickness of the insulation material part is the minimum thickness of the part of the insulation material part excluding the part where the through hole is provided, the piping storage section has a pair of protrusions provided on both sides along the axial direction of the piping part, and a recess is formed on the inner surface of the insulation material that faces the outer surface of the hot water storage tank, on the inner side of each of the pair of protrusions.

[0007] In addition, the hot water storage type water heater of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned hot water storage unit and a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates, which is composed of a compressor, a refrigerant-water heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a refrigerant-air heat exchanger connected by refrigerant pipes. Further, a hot water storage type water heater according to the present disclosure is a hot water storage type water heater including a hot water storage unit and a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant circulates, the refrigerant circuit being configured by connecting a compressor, a refrigerant-water heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a refrigerant-air heat exchanger by refrigerant pipes, the hot water storage unit including a hot water storage tank for storing hot water, a heat insulating material covering an outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank, and piping arranged outside the heat insulating material, the piping has a non-vertical piping section extending in a direction inclined from the vertical so as to follow a part of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral part of the heat insulating material, and a piping storage section is formed in the outer peripheral part of the heat insulating material to store a piping section including the non-vertical piping section of the piping, the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material section provided in the heat insulating material between the non-vertical piping section and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness of the heat insulating material in a region of the heat insulating material in the circumferential direction other than the region where the piping storage section is formed, and the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material section is equal to or greater than the average thickness of the heat insulating material in the region of the heat insulating material other than the region where the piping storage section is formed, the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion provided between one of the piping portions and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness, and when a through hole penetrating through to the inner peripheral surface is provided in the insulating material portion, the minimum thickness is the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion excluding the portion where the through hole is provided; the hot water storage unit has two piping portions through which the hot water flows, one of which is the non-vertical piping portion, and the two piping portions are arranged so that the other piping portion, through which hot water of a lower temperature flows than the hot water flowing in the one piping portion, crosses the outside of the one piping portion; the piping storage portion stores the two piping portions, and the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion provided between the one piping portion and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness, and when a through hole penetrating through to the inner peripheral surface is provided in the insulating material portion, the minimum thickness is the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion excluding the portion where the through hole is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In the hot water storage unit and hot water heater according to the present disclosure, a piping storage section is formed around the outer periphery of the insulation to store piping sections, including non-vertical piping sections, and the minimum thickness of the insulation section between the non-vertical piping section and the outer periphery of the hot water storage tank, excluding the penetrations, is equal to or greater than the average thickness of the insulation in the circumferential direction of the insulation in the area other than the area where the piping storage section is formed. This allows the non-vertical piping section to be disposed within the insulation, and ensures that the insulation section between the non-vertical piping section and the outer periphery of the hot water storage tank has a thickness equal to or greater than the average thickness of the insulation in the area other than the area where the piping storage section is formed, excluding the penetrations. As a result, heat loss due to heat radiation from the non-vertical piping section and the hot water storage tank can be reduced compared to conventional methods. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a hot water storage type water heater equipped with a hot water storage unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is an external front view showing the central part in the height direction of the hot water storage unit shown in FIG. 1 with the casing removed. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the pipe axis direction of the heat insulating material and the piping portion shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the cross section AA passing through the non-vertical storage section of the hot water storage unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing an example in which the non-vertical storage section of the hot water storage unit shown in FIG. 4 is configured by a base section and a groove. [Figure 6] 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the BB cross-section passing through the vertical storage section of the hot water storage unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a partial front view of the periphery of the piping storage section of the hot water storage unit according to embodiment 2 with the casing removed. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section taken along the line CC of the hot water storage unit shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the heat insulating material, piping portion, and heat insulating cover of the hot water storage unit according to embodiment 3. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the heat insulating material and piping portion in the hot water storage unit according to embodiment 4. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of pipes in a hot water storage unit according to embodiment 5. [Figure 12] A horizontal cross-sectional view showing the configuration around a pipe intersection in a hot water storage unit according to embodiment 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. The size relationships between components in the drawings may differ from those in reality. In the following description, directional terms (e.g., "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," etc.) are used as appropriate for ease of understanding. However, these terms are for explanatory purposes only and do not limit the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, these directional terms refer to the directions when the hot water storage unit 21 is viewed from the front side (front side) as shown in FIG. 2 , and indicate the front-to-rear direction (arrow Y direction), the up-down direction (arrow Z direction), and the left-to-right direction (arrow X direction) in FIG. 2 . In addition, in each drawing, parts with the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and this applies throughout the entire specification.

[0011] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a hot water storage type water heater 20 including a hot water storage unit 21 according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water storage type water heater 20 includes a heat source device 23 and a hot water storage unit 21, and has a water circuit Cw through which water circulates between the hot water storage unit 21 and the heat source device 23. The heat source device 23 is, for example, a heat pump outdoor unit, and has a refrigerant circuit Cr through which a refrigerant circulates. The hot water storage type water heater 20 performs a heating operation in which the heat source device 23 heats the water in the water circuit Cw. The hot water storage unit 21 has a casing 22 and a hot water storage tank 28 disposed within the casing 22 and storing hot water. The solid arrows in FIG. 1 conceptually show the flow of water in the water circuit Cw when the hot water storage type water heater 20 is performing a heating operation, and the dashed arrows in FIG. 1 conceptually show the flow of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit Cr when the hot water storage type water heater 20 is performing a heating operation.

[0012] The heat source machine 23 includes a compressor 40 that compresses a refrigerant, a refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and water, a refrigerant-air heat exchanger 42 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outside air, and an expansion valve 43 that adjusts the pressure of the refrigerant. The compressor 40, the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41, the expansion valve 43, and the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 42 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 44 to form a refrigerant circuit Cr. In the heat source machine 23, when the compressor 40 operates, a refrigeration cycle is performed in which the refrigerant circulates through the compressor 40, the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41, the expansion valve 43, and the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 42 while changing phases.

[0013] Although not shown, the heat source unit 23 is provided with a fan that forcibly passes outdoor air through the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 42. The refrigerant-air heat exchanger 42 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air supplied by the operation of the fan (not shown). Furthermore, although not shown, the water circuit Cw is provided with a pump, and the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and water supplied by the operation of the pump.

[0014] The hot water heater 20 includes a low-temperature pipe 25 and a high-temperature pipe 24 that connect the heat source device 23 and the hot water storage unit 21. Specifically, the low-temperature pipe 25 and the high-temperature pipe 24 connect the hot water storage tank 28 of the hot water storage unit 21 and the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41 of the heat source device 23, respectively. During heating operation of the hot water heater 20, water (hereinafter also referred to as low-temperature water) flows from the hot water storage tank 28 and before exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41. During heating operation of the hot water heater 20, hot water (hereinafter also referred to as high-temperature water) flows that returns to the hot water storage tank 28 and has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41. The low-temperature pipe 25, the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41, the high-temperature pipe 24, the hot water storage tank 28, and a pump (not shown) form a water circuit Cw. Note that the configuration of the water circuit Cw is not limited to the above configuration.

[0015] The high-temperature pipe 24 and the low-temperature pipe 25 are each made of, for example, copper, stainless steel, aluminum, or resin pipe. A portion of each of the low-temperature pipe 25 and the high-temperature pipe 24 on the hot water storage tank 28 side is arranged inside the casing 22 of the hot water storage unit 21. Although not shown, a hole is formed in the lower part of the casing 22 through which the low-temperature pipe 25 and the high-temperature pipe 24 pass. In the following description, the portion of the low-temperature pipe 25 arranged inside the casing 22 may be referred to as the low-temperature pipe section 25t, and the portion of the high-temperature pipe 24 arranged inside the casing 22 may be referred to as the high-temperature pipe section 24t.

[0016] The hot water storage tank 28 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the hot water storage tank 28 has a hollow, generally cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction (the direction of the arrow Z) and has a curved outer peripheral surface 28a. The hot water storage tank 28 is formed of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel or a resin. An upper pipe connection 50 to which the high-temperature pipe 24 is connected is provided at the top of the hot water storage tank 28, and a lower pipe connection 51 to which the low-temperature pipe 25 is connected is provided at the bottom of the hot water storage tank 28. The high-temperature pipe section 24t of the high-temperature pipe 24, which is disposed within the casing 22, is disposed between a hole (not shown) at the bottom of the casing 22 and the upper pipe connection 50 of the hot water storage tank 28. In other words, the high-temperature pipe section 24t is disposed generally in the height direction of the hot water storage unit 21 (the direction of the arrow Z). In addition, the low-temperature piping section 25t of the low-temperature piping 25, which is arranged inside the casing 22, is arranged between a hole (not shown) for passing the high-temperature piping 24 etc. provided at the bottom of the casing 22 and the lower piping connection section 51 of the hot water storage tank 28.

[0017] The hot water storage unit 21 also has a tank insulation 30 arranged on the outside of the hot water storage tank 28. The tank insulation 30 is made of a foam insulation material such as urethane insulation. The tank insulation 30 has an insulation material 31 covering the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28, an upper insulation material 32 covering the top surface of the hot water storage tank 28, and a lower insulation material 33 covering the bottom surface of the hot water storage tank 28. The tank insulation material 30 keeps the hot water storage tank 28 warm by suppressing heat radiation from the surface of the hot water storage tank 28 to the outside air, and suppresses a drop in the temperature of the hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 28. The high-temperature piping section 24t described above is arranged on the outside of the tank insulation material 30.

[0018] Fig. 2 is an external front view showing the central portion in the height direction (arrow Z direction) of the hot water storage unit 21 shown in Fig. 1 with the casing 22 removed. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the pipe axis direction of the heat insulating material 31 and the piping section 1 shown in Fig. 2. The schematic configurations of the heat insulating material 31 covering the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 and the high-temperature piping section 24t will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.

[0019] 2, a piping storage section 12 is formed in the outer peripheral portion 31a of the thermal insulation material 31. A part of the high-temperature piping section 24t, which is arranged in the casing 22 shown in FIG. 1 from the upper piping connection section 50 of the hot water storage tank 28 to a hole in the bottom of the casing 22, is embedded in this piping storage section 12. Specifically, a part of the high-temperature piping section 24t that is arranged to the side of the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 (hereinafter also referred to as piping section 1) is embedded in the piping storage section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31.

[0020] In the example of FIGS. 2 and 3, the piping storage section 12 is configured with two protrusions 4 (hereinafter also referred to as a pair of protrusions 4) provided on the outer periphery 31a of the heat insulating material 31. In the piping storage section 12, the piping section 1 is stored in a groove 5 formed by the opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4 (hereinafter also referred to as a pair of wall surfaces) and a bottom surface 6 connecting the two protrusions 4, i.e., the opposing inner surfaces 4i. The pair of protrusions 4 are provided on both sides of the piping section 1 along the axial direction of the piping section 1, and three sides around the piping section 1 are covered by the opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4 and the bottom surface 6. In the example of FIG. 3, three sides of the piping section 1, the left side, the right side, and the hot water storage tank 28 side, are covered. In the example of FIG. 3, two symmetrical protrusions 4 are provided on both sides of the groove 5. In FIG. 3 , the opposing inner surfaces 4i are inclined so that the width of the groove 5 is wider on the opening side than on the bottom surface 6 side, and the bottom surface 6 side of the opposing inner surfaces 4i is generally arc-shaped to fit the piping section 1. The opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4 may be parallel to each other from the bottom surface 6 side to the opening side. Alternatively, the tips of the two protrusions 4 may be formed close to each other to reduce the gap G between the piping section 1 and the inner surfaces 4i and suppress the generation of convection. The opening 12o of the piping storage section 12 may be configured to open in the same direction throughout the entire piping storage section 12. In this case, the piping section 1 can be fixed by being pushed into the piping storage section 12 from one direction (for example, the front side) regardless of the shape of the piping section 1.

[0021] The configuration of the piping storage section 12 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the piping storage section 12 may be configured with a plurality of protrusions 4 formed on the outer periphery 31a of the heat insulating material 31 so as to surround the piping section 1. Alternatively, for example, the bottom surface 6 of the groove 5 may not be provided in the piping storage section 12, and the opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4 may be tapered surfaces that are inclined to form a V-shaped groove 5, with the piping section 1 being sandwiched between the two tapered surfaces. In this case, the end of the two tapered surfaces closest to the hot water storage tank 28 is defined as corresponding to the bottom surface 6. In this case, the base of the protrusions 4 can be thickened, increasing its strength.

[0022] 2, the piping section 1 arranged to the side of the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 in the high-temperature piping section 24t has a non-vertical piping section 1a with a horizontal component in part. Here, the piping section 1 of the high-temperature piping section 24t having a non-vertical piping section 1a in part means that part of the axial direction of the piping section 1 extends in a direction inclined from the vertical direction (the direction of arrow Z) so as to follow the hot water storage tank 28, that is, so as to follow part of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion 31a of the thermal insulation material 31 described below. The direction inclined from the vertical direction (the direction of arrow Z) refers to a direction inclined obliquely from the vertical direction (the direction of arrow Z) or a horizontal direction.

[0023] 2, a non-vertical piping section 1a extending linearly in the horizontal width direction (arrow X direction) is formed in the middle of the high-temperature piping section 24t in the height direction (arrow Z direction). The piping section 1 has a vertical piping section 1b extending upward from one end of the non-vertical piping section 1a in the pipe axis direction (arrow X direction), and a vertical piping section 1b extending downward from the other end of the non-vertical piping section 1a in the pipe axis direction (arrow X direction). The piping section 1 including the non-vertical piping section 1a in the high-temperature piping section 24t is disposed in a piping storage section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the piping storage section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31 has a non-vertical storage section 12a with a horizontal component in part, corresponding to the shape of the piping section 1. In the example of FIG. 2, the non-vertical storage section 12a extending linearly in the width direction (arrow X direction) is formed in the middle of the piping storage section 12 in the height direction (arrow Z direction). The piping storage section 12 also has a vertical storage section 12b extending upward from one end of the non-vertical storage section 12a in the horizontal direction (arrow X direction) and a vertical storage section 12b extending downward from the other end of the non-vertical storage section 12a in the horizontal direction (arrow X direction). The non-vertical piping section 1a of the high-temperature piping section 24t is disposed in the non-vertical storage section 12a of the piping storage section 12, and the corresponding vertical piping section 1b is disposed in each vertical storage section 12b.

[0025] Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing an AA cross-section passing through the non-vertical storage section 12a of the hot water storage unit 21 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing an example in which the non-vertical storage section 12a of the hot water storage unit 21 shown in Fig. 4 is configured by a base portion 7 and a groove 75. Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing a BB cross-section passing through the vertical storage section 12b of the hot water storage unit 21 of Fig. 2. Below, the configurations of the non-vertical storage section 12a and the vertical storage section 12b of the heat insulating material 31 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 4 to 6.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, inner circumferential surface 31c of thermal insulation material 31 is curved to conform to outer circumferential surface 28a of hot water storage tank 28, and in the horizontal cross-section shown in FIG. 4, inner circumferential surface 31c has a circular cross-sectional shape. Furthermore, the horizontal shape (arrow X direction) of bottom surface 6 of groove 5 of non-vertical storage section 12a in thermal insulation material 31 matches the shape of non-vertical piping section 1a to be accommodated, so that non-vertical piping section 1a contacts bottom surface 6 along the pipe axis direction (arrow X direction in the example of FIG. 2) when accommodated in non-vertical storage section 12a. Specifically, in the example of FIG. 4, bottom surface 6 of groove 5 of non-vertical storage section 12a is also linear in the horizontal direction (arrow X direction) to conform to non-vertical piping section 1a, which extends linearly in the horizontal direction (arrow X direction). In addition, in a configuration in which the non-vertical storage section 12a has a V-shaped groove 5, the ends of the two tapered surfaces closest to the hot water storage tank 28 are arranged in a straight line in the horizontal direction (direction of arrow X) so as to follow the non-vertical piping section 1a.

[0027] 2 and 4, since non-vertical piping section 1a has a horizontal component, the range in which non-vertical piping section 1a is arranged in the circumferential direction of hot water storage tank 28 is wider than the range in which vertical piping section 1b (see FIG. 6) is arranged in the circumferential direction of hot water storage tank 28. Therefore, when non-vertical piping section 1a is stored in piping storage section 12 as shown in FIG. 4, the distance in the radial direction (the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 4) between non-vertical piping section 1a and outer peripheral surface 28a of hot water storage tank 28 changes in the circumferential direction (the direction of arrow X in FIG. 4). Specifically, when the outer surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is circular and the non-vertical piping section 1a is linear as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 4, the radial distance L0 between the non-vertical piping section 1a at the center position in the pipe axis direction (arrow X direction) of the non-vertical piping section 1a and the outer surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is smaller than the radial distance L1 between the non-vertical piping section 1a at one end in the pipe axis direction (arrow X direction) of the non-vertical piping section 1a and the outer surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28.

[0028] In this way, the radial distance between the non-vertical piping section 1a and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 changes in the circumferential direction depending on the combination of the shape of the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 and the shape of the non-vertical piping section 1a. Therefore, the thickness d of the insulating material portion 31b of the insulating material 31 arranged between the non-vertical piping section 1a and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 also changes in the circumferential direction depending on this distance.

[0029] 2 and 6, the bottom surface 6 of the groove 5 of the vertical storage section 12b is in contact with the stored vertical pipe section 1b in the pipe axis direction (arrow Z direction in the example of FIG. 2), so that the shape of the bottom surface 6 in the up-down direction (arrow Z direction) is linear along the vertical pipe section 1b extending in the vertical direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is approximately linear in the up-down direction in the longitudinal cross section, so that the distance between the vertical pipe section 1b and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is constant in the pipe axis direction of the vertical pipe section 1b. Therefore, the thickness of the portion of the thermal insulation material 31 located between the vertical pipe section 1b and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is constant in the pipe axis direction of the vertical pipe section 1b, i.e., in the up-down direction (arrow Z direction).

[0030] The thickness of the thermal insulation material 31 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the thickness of the thermal insulation material 31 is set to be equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the thermal insulation material 31 in the region R2 outside the region R1, even at the thinnest point in the circumferential direction of the thermal insulation material 31 (the direction of arrow X in FIG. 4) in the region R1 where the piping storage section 12 is provided. Even in the region R1, particularly between the two protrusions 4, the thickness d of the thermal insulation material is reduced by providing grooves 5 on the outer periphery. However, in the first embodiment, the piping storage section 12 is provided with a thickness greater than the average thickness da of the thermal insulation material 31 in the region R2, and the thermal insulation material 31 having the average thickness da or greater is secured on the inner periphery of the grooves 5 of the piping storage section 12. The thickness of the thermal insulation material 31 in the non-vertical storage section 12a and the thickness of the thermal insulation material 31 in the vertical storage section 12b will be described below.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 4, in the insulating material portion 31b disposed between the non-vertical piping portion 1a and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28, the thickness d of the insulating material portion 31b is thinnest at the center position in the horizontal direction (direction of arrow X) of the non-vertical storage section 12a, where the distance between the non-vertical piping portion 1a and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is the shortest. In the example of Fig. 4, in a region R2 other than the region R1 in the insulating material 31, the thickness of the insulating material 31 is approximately constant in the circumferential direction. Also, in the example of Fig. 4, the minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material portion 31b disposed between the non-vertical piping portion 1a and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is thicker than the thickness of the insulating material 31 in the region R2 (i.e., the average thickness da).

[0032] Note that it is sufficient that no thin portion of the insulation material 31 is formed in region R1 such that the thickness is less than the average thickness da in region R2. However, the piping storage section 12 may have through-holes extending to the inner circumferential surface 31c, and the thickness of the portion of the insulation material 31 where the through-holes are provided (hereinafter also referred to as the "through portion") may be less than the average thickness da in region R2. By setting the thickness d of the insulation material portion 31b between the non-vertical piping section 1a and the hot water storage tank 29, excluding the through-holes, to be equal to or greater than the average thickness da, heat loss due to heat radiation from the hot water storage tank 29 in the non-vertical piping section 1a and heat radiation from the hot water storage tank 29 can be suppressed. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the portions of the two protrusions 4 provided above and below the non-vertical piping section 1a suppress heat radiation from the above and below the non-vertical piping section 1a, thereby reducing heat loss due to this heat radiation.

[0033] As shown in the examples of Figures 2 to 4, the piping storage section 12 has two protrusions 4 with a groove 5 formed between the protrusions 4. In other words, as shown in Figure 5, the structure can be defined as being composed of a base portion 7 protruding outward from the thermal insulation material 31 and a groove 75 formed in the base portion 7. In Figure 5, the base portion 7 is indicated by a dashed line. The base portion 7 is provided in a circumferential region R1 of the thermal insulation material 31 and is formed to be thicker than a region R2 outside the region R1. The groove 75 is provided on the outer periphery of the base portion 7 and is provided so that the minimum thickness dmin of the bottom wall of the groove 75, i.e., the thermal insulation portion 31b, is equal to or greater than the thickness (average thickness da) of the thermal insulation material 31 in the region R2. The bottom surface 76 of the groove 75 of the base portion 7 in the non-vertical storage section 12a can be easily formed by simply making it linear.

[0034] The thickness of the thermal insulating material 31 in the vertical storage section 12b will be described below as shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 3, the minimum thickness d2min of the region R1 in which the vertical storage section 12b is provided in the thermal insulating material 31 is greater than the average thickness da of the region R2 of the thermal insulating material 31. Also, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the minimum thickness d2min of the region R1 in which the vertical storage section 12b is provided in the thermal insulating material 31 is greater than the minimum thickness dmin of the region R1 in which the above-mentioned non-vertical storage section 12a is provided in the thermal insulating material 31.

[0035] As described above, the piping storage section 12 is formed by multiple protrusions 4 protruding from the substantially cylindrical outer periphery 31a of the thermal insulation material 31. Therefore, the thickness d of the thermal insulation material 31, including the piping storage section 12, is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the region R1 excluding the region R1 where the piping storage section 12 is provided, in any cross section of the thermal insulation material 31 perpendicular to the pipe axis of the high-temperature piping section 24t. By forming the piping storage section 12 by multiple protrusions 4, it is easy to make the minimum thickness dmin in the region R1 where the piping storage section 12 is provided equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the region R2. Furthermore, this configuration prevents the thermal insulation material 31 from becoming extremely thin due to the grooves 5, thereby reducing the amount of heat dissipation from the region R1 where the piping storage section 12 is formed.

[0036] 3 to 6, the depth D12 of the groove 5 is predetermined with respect to the outer diameter D of the piping portion 1 so that the piping portion 1 does not protrude from the opening 12o when the piping portion 1 is disposed in the piping storage portion 12. For example, when the piping storage portion 12 is configured with two protrusions 4 as in the examples of FIGS. 4 and 6, the protrusions 4 are provided so that the depth D12 of the groove 5 formed between the two protrusions 4, i.e., the height from the bottom surface 6 of the groove 5 to the tip of the protrusion 4, is equal to or greater than the outer diameter D of the piping portion 1. By setting the depth D12 of the groove 5 to be equal to or greater than the outer diameter D of the piping portion 1 when the piping portion 1 is stored in the piping storage portion 12, the outer peripheral surface of the piping portion 1 is covered with the heat insulating material 31 on three sides, including the hot water storage tank 28 side and both sides thereof, and heat radiation from the piping portion 1 is suppressed compared to a conventional configuration in which a portion of the piping portion 1 is exposed from the heat insulating material 31.

[0037] In particular, when the depth D12 of the groove 5, i.e., the height from the bottom surface 6 of the groove 5 to the tip of the protrusion 4, is made larger than the outer diameter D of the piping portion 1, the distance from the opening 12o of the piping storage portion 12 to the surface of the piping portion 1 can be increased, thereby suppressing the occurrence of air convection. By suppressing the occurrence of convection, heat loss due to heat radiation from the surface of the piping portion 1 on the opening 12o side can be reduced.

[0038] 4 to 6, the height H12 of the piping storage section 12 based on the outer periphery 31a of the region R2 of the thermal insulation material 31 is determined in advance so that a groove 5 can be formed whose depth D12 is equal to or greater than the outer diameter D of the piping portion 1, and so that the minimum thickness dmin of the thermal insulation material 31 on the inner periphery of the groove 5 is equal to or greater than the average thickness da. Here, the height H12 of the piping storage section 12 based on the outer periphery 31a of the region R2 of the thermal insulation material 31 is the height from the outer periphery 31a of the region R2 of the thermal insulation material 31 to the tip of the base portion 7 in the example of FIG. 4.

[0039] The operation of the hot water storage type water heater 20 will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, during heating operation of the hot water storage type water heater 20, in the refrigerant circuit Cr, refrigerant compressed by the compressor 40 is sent to the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41. Furthermore, during heating operation of the hot water storage type water heater 20, in the water circuit Cw, low-temperature water in the hot water storage tank 28 is sent from the lower piping connection part 51 at the bottom of the hot water storage tank 28 through the low-temperature piping 25 to the heat source unit 23. Then, in the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41, the refrigerant releases heat to the low-temperature water in the water circuit Cw and is condensed.

[0040] The refrigerant that has condensed by releasing heat to low-temperature water in refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41 is sent to expansion valve 43, where it is decompressed and then sent to refrigerant-air heat exchanger 42. Thereafter, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the outdoor air in refrigerant-air heat exchanger 42 and evaporates, before returning to compressor 40. The above-described refrigeration cycle is repeated while storage type water heater 20 is performing heating operation.

[0041] The high-temperature water generated when the low-temperature water is heated by the refrigerant in the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41 returns to the hot water storage unit 21 through the high-temperature piping 24. The high-temperature water that has returned to the hot water storage unit 21 passes through the piping section 1 of the high-temperature piping section 24t arranged in the piping storage section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31, and returns to the hot water storage tank 28 from the upper piping connection section 50 at the top of the hot water storage tank 28.

[0042] The piping section 1 of the high-temperature piping section 24t is enclosed within the piping storage section 12 of the insulating material 31, and is therefore covered on three sides by the insulating material 31. This reduces heat loss due to heat radiation from the piping section 1 to the outside. Even in the non-vertical storage section 12a, where the thickness of the insulating material 31 varies circumferentially, the minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material portion 31b on the inner periphery of the groove 5 is set to be equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the region R2. This allows the non-vertical piping section 1a, which has a horizontal component, to be disposed within the insulating material 31 while ensuring thermal insulation between the piping section 1 and the hot water storage tank 28. In particular, when the piping section 1 is part of the high-temperature piping 24 through which high-temperature water flows, the high-temperature piping 24 can reduce a decrease in the temperature of the hot water in the hot water storage tank 28. Note that the high-temperature piping 24 is not always hot. When hot water is not flowing through the high-temperature piping 24, such as when the heat source device 23 is stopped, there is a concern that heat may be radiated from the hot water storage tank 28 via the piping storage section 12. However, in the present disclosure, as described above, the thickness of the insulating material 31 between the piping portion 1 and the hot water storage tank 28 is set to be equal to or greater than the average thickness da, so that the insulating performance between the piping portion 1 and the hot water storage tank 28 can be ensured. Therefore, even when hot water is not flowing through the high-temperature piping 24, heat loss due to heat radiation from the hot water storage tank 28 can be suppressed.

[0043] In this embodiment, the insulating material 31 is described as being urethane insulating material, but is not limited to this. For example, foam insulating material such as EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) or foamed polyethylene can be used as the insulating material 31. By using a highly conformable insulating material such as foam insulating material, it can be formed to fit the shapes of the piping section 1 and the hot water storage tank 28, improving the fixation, assembly, and strength of the piping section 1. Furthermore, by forming the insulating material 31 to fit the shapes of the piping section 1 and the hot water storage tank 28, the effect of suppressing heat radiation from the piping section 1 and the hot water storage tank 28 can be improved.

[0044] Furthermore, for example, a block-shaped urethane insulating material molded using a mold can be used as the insulating material 31. Block-shaped urethane insulating material molded using a mold has a higher degree of freedom in shape compared to fillable urethane insulating material used in refrigerators and the like, which is formed by injecting a raw material liquid into the product housing and foaming it. Therefore, by using a block-shaped urethane insulating material molded using a mold as the insulating material 31, the inner circumferential surface 31c and the piping storage section 12 can be formed with little dimensional error relative to the hot water storage tank 28 and the piping section 1, thereby improving the heat radiation suppression effect.

[0045] Furthermore, the heat source machine 23 is not limited to a heat pump outdoor unit. The heat source machine 23 may be, for example, a boiler. Furthermore, the heat medium stored in the hot water storage tank 28 of the hot water storage unit 21 may be, in addition to hot water, a heat storage material that is heated by heat exchange with hot water or a refrigerant. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, water is described as flowing inside the high-temperature pipe 24 and the low-temperature pipe 25, but the fluid flowing inside the high-temperature pipe 24 and the low-temperature pipe 25 is not limited to water and may be, for example, brine.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the case where a portion of the high-temperature pipe 24 is accommodated in the pipe accommodation section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31 has been described. However, a portion of the low-temperature pipe 25, for example, may also be accommodated in the pipe accommodation section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31. In the present embodiment, the heat source device 23 is defined as including the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41. However, the hot water storage unit 21 may also include the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41. In this case, the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41 and a portion of the refrigerant pipe 44 are provided in the casing 22 of the hot water storage unit 21, and therefore a portion of the refrigerant pipe 44 may also be accommodated in the pipe accommodation section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31. In addition, the pipe accommodation section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31 may accommodate a portion of the pipes, such as the high-temperature pipe 24, the low-temperature pipe 25, or the refrigerant pipe 44, as well as valves provided on these pipes or connectors for these pipes. In this case, heat radiation from the valves or connectors for the pipes can be suppressed, thereby reducing heat loss due to this heat radiation.

[0047] As described above, the hot water storage unit 21 according to the first embodiment includes the hot water storage tank 28 for storing hot water, the thermal insulation 31 covering the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28, and piping (e.g., the high-temperature piping 24) arranged outside the thermal insulation 31. The piping has a non-vertical piping section 1a extending in a direction inclined from the vertical direction (the direction of arrow Z) along a portion of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion 31a of the thermal insulation 31. The outer peripheral portion 31a of the thermal insulation 31 is formed with a piping storage section 12 for storing a piping section 1 including the non-vertical piping section 1a of the piping. The minimum thickness dmin of the thermal insulation section 31b of the thermal insulation 31 provided between the non-vertical piping section 1a and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the thermal insulation 31 in a region R2 of the thermal insulation 31 other than the region R1 in which the piping storage section 12 is formed. Here, the minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material portion 31b is the minimum thickness dmin of the portion of the insulating material portion 31b excluding the portion where the through hole is provided, when a through hole that penetrates through to the inner surface 31c is provided in the insulating material portion 31b.

[0048] This allows the non-vertical piping section 1a to be disposed within the thermal insulation 31, and ensures that the thickness d of the thermal insulation section 31b between the non-vertical piping section 1a and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28, excluding the penetration section, is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the thermal insulation 31 in the region R2 other than the region R1. As a result, heat loss due to heat radiation from the non-vertical piping section 1a and the hot water storage tank 28 can be reduced more than before.

[0049] The piping storage section 12 also has a base portion 7 that protrudes outward from the heat insulating material 31, and a groove 75 that is formed in the base portion 7 and that stores the piping portion 1. This makes it easy to mold the heat insulating material 31.

[0050] Furthermore, the piping section 1 has a non-vertical piping section 1a and a vertical piping section 1b extending in the vertical direction, with the non-vertical piping section 1a extending linearly. The piping storage section 12 has a non-vertical storage section 12a in which the non-vertical piping section 1a is stored, and a vertical storage section 12b in which the vertical piping section 1b is stored. Furthermore, the non-vertical storage section 12a of the piping storage section 12 is arranged so that the bottom surface 6 of the groove 5 in the non-vertical storage section 12a extends linearly in the pipe axis direction of the non-vertical piping section 1a, and the thickness d of the heat insulating material portion 31b varies in the pipe axis direction of the non-vertical piping section 1a.

[0051] This eliminates the need to make the bottom surface 6 of the groove 5 in the non-vertical storage portion 12a curved so as to fit the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28, making it easier to mold the heat insulating material 31.

[0052] The hot water storage type water heater 20 according to the first embodiment includes the above-mentioned hot water storage unit 21, and a refrigerant circuit Cr in which a refrigerant circulates, which is configured by connecting a compressor 40, a refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41, an expansion valve 43, and a refrigerant-air heat exchanger 42 by a refrigerant pipe 44. The piping including the non-vertical piping section 1a is connected to the hot water storage tank 28, and hot water generated in the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41 and returned to the hot water storage tank 28 circulates inside the piping.

[0053] By storing the piping through which hot water (i.e., high-temperature water) generated in the refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41 and returned to the hot water storage tank 28 flows in the piping storage section 12 of the insulation material 31, heat loss due to heat radiation from the piping and heat radiation from the hot water storage tank 28 can be efficiently suppressed.

[0054] Embodiment 2 7 is a partial front view of the periphery of the pipe housing section 12 with the casing 22 of the hot water storage unit 21 according to embodiment 2 removed. In embodiment 1, the two protrusions 4 are symmetrical with respect to the groove 5 throughout the pipe housing section 12, but in embodiment 2, the protrusions 4 on both sides of the groove 5 are asymmetrical in at least a part of the pipe housing section 12. Note that components having the same functions and actions as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0055] 7, in the second embodiment, the piping section 1 has a first piping section 101 and a second piping section 102 connected to each other, and has a joint 10 where an end 102e of the second piping section 102 is inserted into an end 101e of the first piping section 101. The piping section 1 including the joint 10 is stored in a piping storage section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31. The end 101e of the first piping section 101, i.e., the joint 10, has a predetermined length (hereinafter also referred to as an insertion length Lin), and the inner diameter De of the end 101e of the first piping section 101 is larger than the inner diameter of the portion other than the end 101e.

[0056] 7 is composed of an L-shaped first piping section 101 made up of the upper vertical piping section 1b and the right-hand portion of the non-vertical piping section 1a in the figure, and an L-shaped second piping section 102 made up of the lower vertical piping section 1b (see FIG. 2) and the left-hand portion of the non-vertical piping section 1a in the figure. Therefore, in the piping section 1, the joint 10 between the first piping section 101 and the second piping section 102 is provided in the non-vertical piping section 1a, which has a horizontal component, and is stored in the non-vertical storage section 12a in the piping storage section 12.

[0057] In the second embodiment, a pair of protrusions 4 provided on both sides of the piping section 1 along the pipe axis direction have asymmetric shapes with respect to the groove 5 in at least a part of the pipe axis direction. Specifically, of the opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4, a wall surface 4ix through which the second piping section 102 passes when the second piping section 102 is inserted with the first piping section 101 housed in the piping storage section 12 is provided so as to be separated from the second piping section 102. Here, the wall surface 4ix through which the second piping section 102 passes when the second piping section 102 is inserted is the wall surface 4ix of the opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4 that faces the second piping section 102 on the inserting side with the piping section 1 housed in the piping storage section 12 and is provided on the opposite side of the inserting direction (the direction of arrow X1) of the second piping section 102 into the first piping section 101 on the receiving side. In FIG. 7, the portion of the opposing inner surface 4i surrounded by a two-dot chain line is the wall surface portion 4ix, and the portion surrounded by a broken line is the wall surface portion 4iy opposing the wall surface portion 4ix.

[0058] In the example of Figure 7, the second piping section 102 is inserted into the first piping section 101 on the left side of the figure, so the wall surface section 4ix on the right side of the figure in the upper vertical storage section 12b, through which the second piping section 102 passes when it is inserted into the first piping section 101, is formed so as to be separated from the stored second piping section 102.

[0059] 8 is a schematic diagram showing the CC cross section of the hot water storage unit 21 shown in FIG. 7. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8, a configuration example in which the wall surface portion 4ix and the second piping portion 102 are spaced apart will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, the inclination angle θ of the wall surface portion 4ix through which the second piping portion 102 passes when the second piping portion 102 is inserted is B is the inclination angle θ of the wall surface portion 4iy on the side of the insertion direction (arrow X1 direction) that faces the wall surface portion 4ix. A is smaller than.

[0060] In Fig. 8, the path of the second piping section 102 when the second piping section 102 is connected to the first piping section 101 is indicated by a dashed arrow. As shown in Fig. 7, when the end 102e of the second piping section 102 is inserted into the end 101e of the first piping section 101, the vertical piping section 1b of the second piping section 102 moves along the wall surface section 4ix to the groove 5 on the left side in the drawing. At this time, the inclination angle θ of the wall surface section 4ix through which the vertical piping section 1b of the second piping section 102 passes is B (see FIG. 8) is smaller, the inclination of the wall surface portion 4ix in the front-rear direction (direction of arrow Y) of the non-vertical pipe portion 1a of the second pipe portion 102 can be smaller. B The smaller the distance 102e is, the easier it is to insert the end 102e of the second piping part 102 into the end 101e of the first piping part 101.

[0061] Here, the inclination angle θ of the wall surface portion 4ix B is set according to the length of the end 101e of the first piping part 101 (i.e., the insertion length Lin) and the inner diameter De of the end 101e of the first piping part 101. For example, if the length of the end 101e of the first piping part 101 is long or the inner diameter De is small, it is difficult to insert the end 101e. Therefore, the inclination angle θ of the wall surface part 4ix is ​​set according to the length of the end 101e of the first piping part 101 (i.e., the insertion length Lin) and the inner diameter De of the end 101e of the first piping part 101. BBy making the gap smaller, it becomes easier to insert the second piping part 102 into the first piping part 101.

[0062] As described above, in the hot water storage unit 21 according to the second embodiment, the piping portion 1 has the first piping portion 101 and the second piping portion 102 connected to each other, and has a joint 10 where the end portion 102e of the second piping portion 102 is inserted into the end portion 101e of the first piping portion 101. The piping storage portion 12 has a pair of wall surfaces (opposing inner surfaces 4i) provided on both sides along the axial direction of the piping portion 1. Of the pair of wall surfaces, the wall surface portion 4ix faces the second piping portion 102 when the piping portion 1 is stored in the piping storage portion 12, and is provided on the opposite side of the insertion direction (arrow X1 direction) of the second piping portion 102 into the first piping portion 101, and is provided so as to be spaced apart from the second piping portion 102.

[0063] This makes it less likely that the second piping section 102 will hit the wall surface section 4ix when the end section 102e of the second piping section 102 is inserted into the end section 101e of the first piping section 101, thereby improving workability when assembling the piping.

[0064] In addition, the inclination angle θ of the wall surface portion 4ix on the opposite side to the insertion direction (arrow X1 direction) of the pair of wall surfaces (opposing inner surfaces 4i) is B is the inclination angle θ of the wall surface portion 4iy on the side of the insertion direction opposite to the wall surface portion 4ix. A is smaller than.

[0065] This allows the front-to-back orientation of the end 102e of the second piping section 102 to be closer to the front-to-back orientation of the end 101e when the end 102e of the second piping section 102 is inserted into the end 101e of the first piping section 101, making insertion easier and improving workability when assembling the piping.

[0066] Embodiment 3 Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the heat insulating material 31, piping section 1, and insulating cover 8 of the hot water storage unit 21 according to embodiment 3. The hot water storage unit 21 of embodiment 2 differs from that of embodiment 1 in that it is provided with an insulating cover 8 arranged outside the piping storage section 12. Note that components having the same functions and actions as those of embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 9 , the piping storage section 12 of the third embodiment is also configured with two protrusions 4, as in the first embodiment. The piping storage section 12 has an opening 12o into which the piping section 1 is inserted and a storage section inner surface 12i facing the stored piping section 1. Here, the storage section inner surface 12i is a surface that forms the groove 5 in which the piping section 1 is placed, and more specifically, it is the opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4 and the bottom surface 6 connecting the opposing inner surfaces 4i. The opposing inner surfaces 4i are inclined so that the width of the groove 5 is wider on the opening side than on the bottom surface 6 side, and the bottom surface 6 side of the opposing inner surface 4i is generally arc-shaped to fit along the piping section 1.

[0068] The insulating cover 8 covers the opening 12o of the pipe storage section 12 in which the pipe section 1 is stored. The insulating cover 8 also has a cover protrusion 81 that protrudes toward the hot water storage tank 28 to fill the gap G between the pipe section 1 in the groove 5 and the storage section inner surface 12i. As described above, if the two inner surfaces 4i are inclined so that the width of the groove 5 is wider on the opening side than on the bottom surface 6 side, the gap G between the inner surface 4i and the circular cross-sectional pipe section 1 becomes larger on the opening 12o side of the groove 5. A large gap G generates convection, increasing the amount of heat dissipation. However, in the present disclosure, the insulating cover 8, which has the cover protrusion 81 that protrudes toward the hot water storage tank 28, covers the opening 12o of the pipe storage section 12, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the gap G and suppressing the generation of convection within the gap. Furthermore, the insulating material 31 and the insulating cover 8 cover the entire circumference of the pipe section 1, including the opening 12o side, thereby further reducing heat loss due to heat dissipation from the pipe section 1.

[0069] Alternatively, the bottom surface 6 of the groove 5 may not be provided in the piping storage section 12, and the opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4 may be tapered surfaces that are inclined to form a V-shaped groove 5, with the piping section 1 being sandwiched between the two tapered surfaces. Also, for example, the opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4 may be parallel to each other from the bottom surface 6 side to the opening side. However, by configuring the two inner surfaces 4i to be inclined so that the width of the groove 5 is wider on the opening 12o side than on the bottom surface 6 side (in a configuration without a bottom surface 6, the end of the opposing inner surfaces 4i on the hot water storage tank 28 side), formability is improved when molding the tank insulation material 30 using a mold.

[0070] As described above, the hot water storage unit 21 according to the third embodiment includes the insulating cover 8 disposed on the outside of the piping storage section 12. The piping storage section 12 also has an opening 12o into which the piping section 1 is inserted and a storage section inner surface 12i that faces the stored piping section 1. The insulating cover 8 covers the opening 12o of the piping storage section 12 and has a cover protrusion 81 that protrudes toward the hot water storage tank 28 so as to fill the gap G formed between the piping section 1 and the storage section inner surface 12i.

[0071] The cover protrusion 81 reduces the cross-sectional area of ​​the gap G, thereby suppressing the occurrence of convection within the gap G and suppressing an increase in the amount of heat radiation due to convection. Furthermore, the heat insulating material 31 and the heat insulating cover 8 cover the piping portion 1 on four sides, including the opening 12o side, so that heat loss due to heat radiation from the piping portion 1 can be further reduced.

[0072] Embodiment 4 Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the heat insulating material 31 and the piping portion 1 in the hot water storage unit 21 according to embodiment 4. In embodiment 4, the configuration of the inner circumferential surface 31c of the heat insulating material 31 is different from that in embodiment 1. Note that components having the same functions and actions as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0073] 10, in the fourth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the piping storage section 12 has a pair of protrusions 4 provided on both sides along the axial direction of the piping section 1. A groove 5 is formed by the opposing inner surfaces 4i of the two protrusions 4 and a bottom surface 6 connecting the opposing inner surfaces 4i, and the piping section 1 is stored in this groove 5. The opposing inner surfaces 4i are inclined so that the width of the groove 5 is wider on the opening side than on the bottom surface 6 side, and the bottom surface 6 side of the opposing inner surfaces 4i is formed in a substantially arc shape so as to fit along the piping section 1.

[0074] In the first embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 31c of the heat insulating material 31 is a curved surface that fits along the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28, but in the fourth embodiment, recesses 31cr are formed on the substantially cylindrical inner peripheral surface 31c of the heat insulating material 31. More specifically, the recesses 31cr are formed on the inner peripheral surface 31c of the heat insulating material 31 on the inner peripheral side of each protrusion 4.

[0075] In the fourth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material 31 in the region R1 where the piping storage section 12 is provided is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the insulating material 31 in the region R2 other than the region R1. Also, in the fourth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material portion 31b provided between the non-vertical piping section 1a and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the insulating material 31 in the region R2. In the fourth embodiment, as described above, the recess 31cr is formed on the inner peripheral surface 31c of the insulating material 31, but even in this case, the above thickness conditions are met.

[0076] As described above, in the hot water storage unit 21 of the fourth embodiment, the piping storage section 12 has a pair of protrusions 4 provided on both sides along the pipe axis direction of the piping section 1. Then, in the heat insulating material 31, on the inner peripheral surface 31c facing the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28, recesses 31cr are formed on the inner peripheral side of each of the pair of protrusions 4.

[0077] As a result, the recesses 31cr reduce the thickness of the insulating material 31 in the areas where the protrusions 4 are provided. This prevents the insulating material 31 from becoming excessively thick locally, even when the protrusions 4 are provided on the outer peripheral portion 31a of the insulating material 31 to accommodate the piping portion 1. Locally thickening the insulating material 31 would not efficiently improve its thermal insulation performance and would be wasteful. However, in the present disclosure, the recesses 31cr are formed on the inner periphery of the protrusions 4, which averages out the thickness of the insulating material 31 in the region R1 where the piping storage portion 12 is provided, thereby reducing the amount of material required for the insulating material 31 and reducing costs. Furthermore, averaging out the thickness of the insulating material 31 in the region R1 where the piping storage portion 12 is provided makes it easier for the region R1 of the insulating material 31 to bend and deform along the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28. As a result, the degree of adhesion between the insulating material 31 and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is improved, improving its thermal insulation performance.

[0078] Embodiment 5. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of piping in a hot water storage unit 21 according to embodiment 5. Figure 12 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the configuration around a piping intersection in a hot water storage unit 21 according to embodiment 5. The hot water storage unit 21 of embodiment 5 differs from embodiment 1 in that it has an intersection 59 where multiple piping sections 1, 2 intersect with each other and is arranged in a piping storage section 12. Note that components having the same functions and actions as those in embodiment 1 will be given the same symbols and their description will be omitted.

[0079] 11, the hot water storage unit 21 of the fourth embodiment includes, in addition to the configuration of the hot water storage unit 21 of the first embodiment, a mixing valve 55 for mixing water or hot water of different temperatures. An intermediate piping connection port 53 is provided in the middle of the hot water storage tank 28 in the height direction (direction of arrow Z). A water supply piping 54 connected to a water supply source (not shown) outside the hot water storage unit 21 is connected to the middle of the low-temperature piping section 25t, and a portion 54t of the water supply piping 54 on the low-temperature piping section 25t side is disposed inside the casing 22 of the hot water storage unit 21.

[0080] The hot water storage unit 21 also has a high-temperature branch pipe 57 that connects the middle of the high-temperature piping section 24t to the mixing valve 55, a water supply branch pipe 58 that connects the middle of the water supply pipe 54 to the mixing valve 55, and a medium-temperature pipe 52 that connects the intermediate pipe connection port 53 to the mixing valve 55. The mixing valve 55 is also connected to a hot water supply pipe 56 that is connected to an external hot water supply terminal (not shown), and a portion 56t of the hot water supply pipe 56 on the mixing valve 55 side is arranged inside the casing 22 of the hot water storage unit 21.

[0081] High-temperature water flows through high-temperature branch pipe 57 from high-temperature pipe section 24t to mixing valve 55, and water flows through water supply branch pipe 58 from water supply pipe 54 to mixing valve 55. Furthermore, medium-temperature water (e.g., hot water of about 40°C) taken out from an intermediate portion in the height direction (direction of arrow Z) of hot water storage tank 28 flows through medium-temperature pipe 52 to mixing valve 55. Hot water for hot water supply (e.g., hot water of about 40°C) generated by mixing high-temperature water, low-temperature water, and medium-temperature water in mixing valve 55 in response to a request from a hot water supply terminal (not shown) flows through hot water supply pipe 56 from mixing valve 55 to the hot water supply terminal.

[0082] In the hot water storage unit 21 of the fourth embodiment, a plurality of pipes, such as a low-temperature piping section 25t, a high-temperature piping section 24t, a high-temperature branch piping 57, a water supply branch piping 58, a medium-temperature piping 52, a portion 56t of the hot water supply piping 56, and a portion 54t of the water supply piping 54, are arranged in the casing 22. Therefore, an intersection 59 where the piping sections 1 and 2 shown in Fig. 12 intersect is formed in the casing 22. In the fourth embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, the two intersecting piping sections 1 and 2 are arranged in the piping storage section 12 of the thermal insulation material 31.

[0083] 12, two intersecting piping sections 1 and 2 are provided so that one piping section 2, through which hot water of a lower temperature flows than the hot water flowing in one piping section 1, intersects with the outside of one piping section 1. Here, one of the two intersecting piping sections 1 and 2 is the non-vertical piping section 1a described above.

[0084] 11, of the two intersecting piping sections 1 and 2, the piping section 1 arranged on the hot water storage tank 28 side is a vertical piping section 1b extending vertically in the high-temperature piping section 24t through which high-temperature water flows. Also, in the example shown in Fig. 11, of the two intersecting piping sections 1 and 2, the piping section 2 (see Fig. 12) arranged on the outer side is a medium-temperature piping 52 extending linearly in the horizontal direction (direction of arrow X) along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28.

[0085] Below, using Figures 11 and 12, we will explain the arrangement of the two intersecting piping sections 1 and 2, and the configuration of the piping storage section 12 in which the intersection section 59 is located, using an example where the two intersecting piping sections 1 and 2 are the vertical piping section 1b of the high-temperature piping section 24t and the medium-temperature piping 52.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 12, of the two intersecting pipes, the pipe through which hot water of a higher temperature flows (in the examples of Figs. 11 and 12, the vertical pipe section 1b of the high-temperature pipe section 24t) is arranged on the inner side of the intersection 59, i.e., on the hot water storage tank 28 side. Of the two intersecting pipes, the pipe through which hot water of a lower temperature flows (in the examples of Figs. 11 and 12, the medium-temperature pipe 52) is arranged on the outer side of the intersection 59.

[0087] The piping storage section 12 of the fourth embodiment accommodates an intersection 59 where two piping sections 1 and 2 overlap in the radial direction. Therefore, in the piping storage section 12 of the fourth embodiment, the height H12 of the two protrusions 4 (or the base section 7 shown in FIG. 5) constituting the piping storage section 12 is higher than in the first embodiment, and the piping storage section 12 is expanded in the axial direction of the piping section 2 so that the outer piping section 2 can be accommodated.

[0088] The pipe housing 12 of the fourth embodiment has a first groove 5o in which the outer pipe portion 2 of the two pipe portions 1 and 2 is housed, and a second groove 5i formed in a bottom surface 6o of the first groove 5o in which the inner pipe portion 1 is housed. That is, in the pipe housing 12 of the fourth embodiment, the width of the groove 5 varies between the opening 12o side and the hot water storage tank 28 side. Furthermore, the bottom surface 6i of the second groove 5i is provided closer to the hot water storage tank 28 than the bottom surface 6o of the first groove 5o. Here, the width and length of each of the first groove 5o and the second groove 5i are determined in advance depending on the shapes of the pipe portion 2 and the pipe portion 1, respectively.

[0089] 12, a valve housing recess 5v for housing a mixing valve 55 is formed in a bottom surface 6o of the first groove 5o. That is, the bottom surface 6v of the valve housing recess 5v is provided closer to the hot water storage tank 28 than the bottom surface 6o of the first groove 5o. Also, in the example of FIG. 12, a through hole 61 is formed in the piping housing portion 12 of the thermal insulation material 31. Specifically, the through hole 61 penetrates the piping housing portion 12 of the thermal insulation material 31 from the bottom surface 6o of the first groove 5o to the inner circumferential surface 31c, and is formed so as to communicate with the intermediate piping connection port 53 of the hot water storage tank 28 on the inner circumferential surface 31c side. One end 2e of the piping portion 2 extends toward the hot water storage tank 28, is disposed in the through hole 61, and is connected to the intermediate piping connection port 53 of the hot water storage tank 28.

[0090] The minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material portion 31d provided in the insulating material 31 between the piping portion 1 arranged on the inside and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the insulating material 31 in the region R2. Also, in the fourth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the minimum thickness of the insulating material 31 in the region R1 where the piping storage section 12 is provided is specified to be equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the insulating material 31 in the region R2 other than the region R1 in the circumferential direction.

[0091] Here, when the through hole 61 penetrating through the piping housing portion 12 to the inner circumferential surface 31c is provided, it is sufficient that the minimum thickness of the insulating material 31 in the region R1 excluding the region Rn where the through hole is provided is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the insulating material 31 in the region R2. That is, when the insulating material 31 in the region R1 is provided with a non-penetrating recess such as the second groove 5i and the valve housing recess 5v and a through hole 61 as shown in FIG. 12 , it is sufficient that the thickness of the portion of the insulating material 31 in the region R1 where the non-penetrating recess is provided is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the insulating material 31 in the region R2. Also, for example, when the through hole 61 is provided in the insulating material portion 31d and the piping portion 1 is configured to be connected to the hot water storage tank 28 via the through hole 61, it is sufficient that the minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material portion 31d excluding the portion where the through hole 61 is provided is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the insulating material 31 in the region R2. Hereinafter, the region Rn in which the through-hole 61 is provided in the region R1 and the portion in which the through-hole 61 is provided in the heat insulating material portion 31d may be referred to as a penetration portion.

[0092] In the case where the piping storage section 12 is a groove 5 formed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical insulating material 31 as in the conventional case, if the groove 5 is provided to store the intersection 59, the depth of the groove 5 becomes deep, and the thickness of the insulating material portion 31d between the inner piping section 1 and the hot water storage tank 28 becomes thin. On the other hand, in the present disclosure, the minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material 31 excluding the penetration portion in the region R1 where the piping storage section 12 is provided is specified to be equal to or greater than the average thickness of the insulating material 31 in the region R2.

[0093] As described above, the hot water storage type water heater 20 according to the fifth embodiment includes a hot water storage unit 21 and a refrigerant circuit Cr in which a refrigerant circulates, the refrigerant circuit Cr including a compressor 40, a refrigerant-water heat exchanger 41, an expansion valve 43, and a refrigerant-air heat exchanger 42 connected by a refrigerant pipe 44. The hot water storage unit 21 includes two piping sections 1 and 2, one of which is a non-vertical piping section (medium-temperature piping 52 in FIG. 11 or non-vertical piping section 1a of the high-temperature piping section 24t in FIG. 2), through which hot water flows. The two piping sections 1 and 2 are arranged such that the other piping section 2, through which hot water of a lower temperature flows than the hot water flowing in the first piping section 1, intersects with the outside of the first piping section 1. The piping storage section 12 stores the two piping sections 1 and 2. The minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material portion 31d in the insulating material 31 provided between the one piping section 1 and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of the insulating material 31 in the region R2. Here, when a through hole 61 that penetrates through to the inner peripheral surface 31c is provided in this insulating material portion 31d, the minimum thickness dmin of the insulating material portion 31d provided between the one piping section 1 and the outer peripheral surface 28a of the hot water storage tank 28 is the minimum thickness dmin of the portion of the insulating material portion 31d excluding the portion where the through hole 61 is provided.

[0094] As a result, the opening 12o side of piping section 1, through which the higher-temperature hot water of the two piping sections 1 and 2 flows at intersection 59, is covered by piping section 2, thereby reducing the exposed area of ​​piping section 1 and further reducing heat loss due to heat radiation from piping section 1. Here, even in piping storage section 12 that stores intersection 59, the minimum thickness dmin excluding the penetration portion of insulation section 31d provided between piping section 1 located inside and outer peripheral surface 28a of hot water storage tank 28 is equal to or greater than the average thickness da of insulation 31 in region R2. Therefore, even when hot water is not flowing through piping section 1, heat loss due to heat radiation from hot water storage tank 28 can be suppressed.

[0095] The configurations of the intersection 59 and the piping housing 12 are not limited to those described above. For example, the two piping sections 1 and 2 that form the intersection 59 and are arranged in the piping housing 12 may be a non-vertical piping section 1a having a horizontal component in the high-temperature piping section 24t, and a portion 56t of the hot water supply piping 56 that is arranged outside the non-vertical piping section 1a so as to intersect with the non-vertical piping section 1a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 piping portion, 1a non-vertical piping portion, 1b vertical piping portion, 2 piping portion, 2e one end portion, 4 protrusion portion, 4i inner surface, 4ix wall portion, 4iy wall portion, 5 groove, 5i second groove, 5o first groove, 5v valve storage recess, 6 bottom surface, 6i bottom surface, 6o bottom surface, 6v bottom surface, 7 base portion, 8 insulation cover, 10 joint, 12 piping storage portion, 12a non-vertical storage portion, 12b vertical storage portion, 12i storage portion inner surface, 12o opening, 20 hot water storage type water heater, 21 hot water storage unit, 22 casing, 23 heat source unit, 24 high temperature piping, 24t high temperature piping portion, 25 low temperature piping, 25t low temperature piping portion, 28 hot water storage tank, 28a outer peripheral surface, 29 hot water storage tank, 30 Tank insulation, 31 insulation, 31a outer periphery, 31b insulation portion, 31c inner periphery, 31cr recess, 31d insulation portion, 32 upper insulation, 33 lower insulation, 40 compressor, 41 water heat exchanger, 42 air heat exchanger, 43 expansion valve, 44 refrigerant pipe, 50 upper pipe connection portion, 51 lower pipe connection portion, 52 medium temperature pipe, 53 intermediate pipe connection port, 54 water supply pipe, 54t part, 55 mixing valve, 56 hot water supply pipe, 56t part, 57 high temperature branch pipe, 58 water supply branch pipe, 59 intersection portion, 61 through hole, 75 groove, 76 bottom surface, 81 cover protrusion portion, 101 first pipe portion, 101e end portion, 102 second pipe portion, 102e end portion, Cr refrigerant circuit, Cw water circuit, D Outer diameter, D12 depth, De inner diameter, G gap, H12 height, L0 distance, L1 distance, R1 area, R2 area, Rn area, d thickness, d2min minimum thickness, da average thickness, dmin minimum thickness, θA tilt angle, θB tilt angle.

Claims

1. A hot water storage tank having a cylindrical shape with a bottom extending vertically and storing hot water; a heat insulating material covering the curved outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank; a pipe disposed outside the thermal insulation material, The piping has a non-vertical piping portion extending in a direction inclined from the vertical direction so as to follow a part of the circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the thermal insulation material, a piping storage portion for storing a piping portion including the non-vertical piping portion of the piping is formed on the outer periphery of the heat insulating material, The minimum thickness of the insulating material portion provided between the non-vertical piping portion and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness of the insulating material in the circumferential direction of the insulating material in the area other than the area where the piping storage portion is formed, and when a through hole penetrating to the inner peripheral surface is provided in the insulating material portion, the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion is the minimum thickness of the part of the insulating material excluding the part where the through hole is provided, The piping storage section is a base portion protruding outward from the heat insulating material; a groove formed in the base portion and configured to accommodate the piping portion; The piping portion includes the non-vertical piping portion and a vertical piping portion extending in the vertical direction, The non-vertical piping portion extends linearly, The piping storage section has a non-vertical storage section in which the non-vertical piping section is stored and a vertical storage section in which the vertical piping section is stored, The non-vertical storage section of the piping storage section is provided so that the bottom surface of the groove in the non-vertical storage section extends linearly in the pipe axis direction of the non-vertical piping section, and the thickness of the heat insulating material portion varies in the pipe axis direction of the non-vertical piping section. Hot water storage unit.

2. a hot water storage tank for storing hot water; a heat insulating material covering the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank; a pipe disposed outside the thermal insulation material, The piping has a non-vertical piping portion extending in a direction inclined from the vertical direction so as to follow a part of the circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the thermal insulation material, a piping storage portion for storing a piping portion including the non-vertical piping portion of the piping is formed on the outer periphery of the heat insulating material, The minimum thickness of the insulating material portion provided between the non-vertical piping portion and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness of the insulating material in the circumferential direction of the insulating material in the area other than the area where the piping storage portion is formed, and when a through hole penetrating to the inner peripheral surface is provided in the insulating material portion, the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion is the minimum thickness of the part of the insulating material excluding the part where the through hole is provided, the piping portion includes a first piping section and a second piping section connected to each other, and a joint at which an end of the second piping section is inserted into an end of the first piping section; The piping storage section has a pair of wall surfaces provided on both sides along the axial direction of the piping portion, Of the pair of wall surfaces, the wall surface portion that faces the second piping portion when the piping portion is housed in the piping housing portion and is provided on the opposite side to the insertion direction of the second piping portion into the first piping portion is provided so as to be spaced apart from the second piping portion. Hot water storage unit.

3. The inclination angle of the wall surface portion of the pair of wall surfaces opposite to the insertion direction is smaller than the inclination angle of the wall surface portion facing the wall surface portion on the insertion direction side. The hot water storage unit according to claim 2.

4. a hot water storage tank for storing hot water; a heat insulating material covering the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank; a pipe disposed outside the thermal insulation material, The piping has a non-vertical piping portion extending in a direction inclined from the vertical direction so as to follow a part of the circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the thermal insulation material, a piping storage portion for storing a piping portion including the non-vertical piping portion of the piping is formed on the outer periphery of the heat insulating material, The minimum thickness of the insulating material portion provided between the non-vertical piping portion and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness of the insulating material in the circumferential direction of the insulating material in the area other than the area where the piping storage portion is formed, and when a through hole penetrating to the inner peripheral surface is provided in the insulating material portion, the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion is the minimum thickness of the part of the insulating material excluding the part where the through hole is provided, The piping storage portion has a pair of protrusions provided on both sides along the axial direction of the piping portion, The heat insulating material has an inner circumferential surface facing the outer circumferential surface of the hot water storage tank, and recesses are formed on the inner circumferential sides of the pair of protrusions. Hot water storage unit.

5. The piping storage section is a base portion protruding outward from the heat insulating material; a groove formed in the base portion and configured to accommodate the piping portion; The hot water storage unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. a heat insulating cover disposed outside the piping storage section; the piping storage section has an opening into which the piping section is inserted and an inner surface of the storage section facing the stored piping section, The heat insulating cover covers the opening of the piping storage section and has a cover protrusion that protrudes toward the hot water storage tank so as to fill a gap formed between the piping portion and the inner surface of the storage section. The hot water storage unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The hot water storage unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a refrigerant circuit in which the refrigerant circulates, the refrigerant being configured by connecting a compressor, a refrigerant-water heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a refrigerant-air heat exchanger by refrigerant pipes; Storage water heater.

8. The piping is connected to the hot water storage tank, and the hot water generated in the refrigerant-water heat exchanger and returned to the hot water storage tank flows through the piping. The hot water storage type water heater according to claim 7.

9. A hot water storage type water heater including a hot water storage unit, and a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant circulates, the refrigerant circuit being configured by connecting a compressor, a refrigerant-water heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a refrigerant-air heat exchanger by refrigerant pipes, The hot water storage unit is a hot water storage tank for storing hot water; a heat insulating material covering the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank; a pipe disposed outside the thermal insulation material, The piping has a non-vertical piping portion extending in a direction inclined from the vertical direction so as to follow a part of the circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the thermal insulation material, a piping storage portion for storing a piping portion including the non-vertical piping portion of the piping is formed on the outer periphery of the heat insulating material, The minimum thickness of the insulating material portion provided between the non-vertical piping portion and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness of the insulating material in the circumferential direction of the insulating material in the area other than the area where the piping storage portion is formed, and when a through hole penetrating to the inner peripheral surface is provided in the insulating material portion, the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion is the minimum thickness of the part of the insulating material excluding the part where the through hole is provided, The hot water storage unit is The hot water flows through each of the two piping sections, one of which is the non-vertical piping section; The two piping sections are provided so that one piping section, through which hot water of a temperature lower than that of the hot water flowing in the other piping section, crosses the outside of the one piping section, The piping storage section stores the two piping sections, The minimum thickness of the insulating material portion provided between the one piping portion and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is equal to or greater than the average thickness, and when a through hole penetrating to the inner peripheral surface is provided in the insulating material portion, the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion provided between the one piping portion and the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank is the minimum thickness of the insulating material portion excluding the portion where the through hole is provided. Storage water heater.

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