Functional unit of water heater

Abstract

To provide a functional unit of a hot water supply apparatus that can be easily aligned on a frame body provided at an opening portion of a pipe shaft.SOLUTION: A functional unit (2) of a hot water supply apparatus (1) stores a functional component in a box-shaped case (10). The functional unit (2) of the hot water supply apparatus (1) is installed in a pipe shaft (PS) in which a fuel gas pipe and a water service pipe are piped, by fixing the case (10) to a frame body (5) having a plurality of sections fixed to an opening portion of the pipe shaft (PS) through an attaching fitting (11). The case (10) has an inclined portion (10g) that connects a top surface portion (10a) or a bottom surface portion (10b) and a rear surface portion (10d) on a deep side of the pipe shaft (PS).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a functional unit of a hot water supply device installed in a pipe shaft of a house. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, fuel gas pipes and water supply pipes have been installed in a storage space called a pipe shaft or pipe space facing a common passageway in an apartment building, for example, and a hot water supply system has also been installed. When this hot water supply system is a combustion-type hot water supply system that heats the water supply by burning fuel gas, it is installed at the top of the pipe shaft so that the combustion exhaust emitted outside the pipe shaft does not directly hit people in the common passageway. Typically, a metal frame is fixed to the opening of the pipe shaft to support a door or panel that opens and closes the opening, and the hot water supply system is fixed to this frame.

[0003] Lifting the water heater, which is a heavy object, and fixing it to the frame with screws, for example, in order to install it at the top of the pipe shaft is a burden on the worker and is not an easy task. For this reason, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example, a technique is known in which the top of the water heater in a tilted position is hooked onto screws temporarily fixed to the top edge of the frame, and the water heater is then rotated toward the back using these screws as a fulcrum to move it to a predetermined position, and then fixed with multiple screws. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-29972 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, this pipe shaft may be equipped with a storage-type hot water supply system that includes, for example, a heat source (power generation unit) that utilizes heat generated during power generation by the fuel cell, a hot water storage tank, and a backup combustion-type hot water supply system (combustion unit). In this case, too, the combustion unit is installed at the top of the pipe shaft. The power generation unit is then installed alongside the combustion unit at the top of the pipe shaft, for example, to allow for exhaust during power generation.

[0006] The functional units of the water heater, such as the combustion unit and power generation unit, are narrowed in the width direction of the pipe shaft and widened in the depth direction so that they can fit into the upper part of the opening of the pipe shaft, ensuring the size necessary for installing the functional parts.The functional units are heavy and their center of gravity has shifted to the back because they are widened in the depth direction, so in order to be able to line up and fix them to the frame, the frame is reinforced with a horizontal bar that separates the middle section and a vertical bar that connects this horizontal bar to the upper edge of the frame, dividing the upper section into two.

[0007] Fixing brackets are attached to each functional unit, which are inserted into predetermined compartments of the frame from the front of the pipe shaft and fixed to the frame via the fixing brackets with, for example, screws. In this case, when rotating around a fulcrum as in Patent Document 1, the functional units cannot be rotated due to interference with the crossbars because they are larger in size in the depth direction and have crossbars, making it difficult to install them side by side on the frame.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide functional units of a water heater that can be easily arranged and installed in a frame provided at the opening of a pipe shaft. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The functional unit of a water heater according to the invention of claim 1 is a functional unit of a water heater in which functional parts are housed in a box-shaped case, and the functional unit is installed in a pipe shaft through which a fuel gas pipe and a water pipe are arranged by fixing the case via mounting brackets to a frame having a plurality of compartments fixed to an opening of the pipe shaft through which a fuel gas pipe and a water pipe are arranged. In this functional unit of a water heater, the case has an inclined portion connecting a top surface or a bottom surface with a rear surface at the back side of the pipe shaft, In order to install the case in a predetermined section of the frame body, the case or the mounting bracket attached to the case is engaged with an engaging portion provided on the frame body, and when the case is rotated toward the back of the pipe shaft using the engaging portion as a fulcrum to move it to a predetermined position, the inclined portion is formed to prevent interference between the case and the frame body.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the functional unit of the water heater has a sloped portion where the rear of the case connects to the top or bottom. This makes the rear of the case shorter in the vertical direction than the front of the case, resulting in a shape that tapers vertically toward the rear. Therefore, the lifted functional unit of the water heater can be easily inserted into the designated compartment of the frame even when tilted forward or backward. This allows the worker to easily line up and install the functional units of the water heater on the frame, reducing the burden on the worker.

[0011] and, When the case is rotated around the engaging portion as a fulcrum, the inclined portion prevents interference between the case and the frame. Therefore, the functional unit of the water heater inserted into a predetermined compartment of the frame in an inclined position can be rotated toward the back of the pipe shaft around the engaging portion as a fulcrum, allowing the worker to easily line up and install the functional unit of the water heater on the frame, further reducing the burden on the worker.

[0013] Claim 2 The functional unit of the hot water supply device of the invention is as follows: 1 In the invention, the inclined portion is formed to connect the top surface and the rear surface of the case, and the bottom surface of the case or the mounting bracket attached to the case is placed on and engaged with the engaging portion provided on the lower edge of the compartment of the frame body. With this configuration, the case is inserted into the specified compartment in a forward-tilted position and placed on the engaging portion. At this time, the engaging portion can be engaged when the lower end of the mounting bracket is positioned lower than the bottom edge of the compartment, so the water heater functional unit can be raised to a lower height and rotated toward the back of the pipe shaft using the engaging portion as a fulcrum. This allows the worker to easily line up the water heater functional unit on the frame, further reducing the burden on the worker. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the functional units of the hot water supply apparatus of the present invention, they can be easily arranged and installed in a frame provided at the opening of the pipe shaft. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a water heater installed in a pipe shaft according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a frame body installed at the opening of the pipe shaft. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the mounting bracket is attached to the power generation unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a power generation unit to be inserted into a predetermined compartment of the frame body. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state where the engaging portion is engaged. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the rotation of the power generation unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the power generation unit installed in a predetermined position. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the rotation of a power generating unit having an inclined portion at the bottom of the rear surface. [Figure 9] 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which the power generation unit of FIG. 8 is engaged with an engaging portion. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, the mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on examples. [Example]

[0017] For example, in an apartment building, a space called a pipe shaft or pipe space is provided in which fuel gas pipes, water pipes, etc. are laid, as shown in Figure 1. The pipe shaft PS is provided facing, for example, a common corridor, and a hot water supply device is installed inside the pipe shaft PS. Note that the arrows F, L, and U in the figure indicate the front, left, and upper sides of the pipe shaft PS, respectively.

[0018] The water heater installed in this pipe shaft PS may be a water heater 1 made up of multiple functional units. For example, a storage-type water heater 1 having a heat source (power generation unit 2) that uses heat generated when a fuel cell generates electricity, a hot water storage tank 3, and a backup combustion-type water heater (combustion unit 4) may be installed as functional units. This water heater 1 stores hot water heated by the power generation unit 2 in the hot water storage tank 3, adjusts the temperature of this stored water, and supplies hot water. If the heat quantity of the hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 3 is insufficient, the combustion unit 4 heats the water and supplies hot water.

[0019] The combustion exhaust from the combustion unit 4 is discharged toward the shared passage in front of the pipe shaft PS. At this time, the combustion unit 4 is installed at the top of the pipe shaft PS so that the combustion exhaust does not directly hit people in the shared passage. A metal frame 5 is fixed to the opening of the pipe shaft PS on the shared passage side to support a door (not shown) that opens and closes this opening, and the combustion unit 4 is fixed to this frame 5. Fuel gas piping, hot and cold water piping, communication cables, etc. are connected to the bottom of the combustion unit 4.

[0020] The power generation unit 2 is fixed to a frame 5 alongside the combustion unit 4 and installed at the top of the pipe shaft PS for exhaust during power generation and for connecting fuel gas piping and the like to the bottom. To fit the combustion unit 4 and power generation unit 2 at the top of the pipe shaft PS, the size of the combustion unit 4 and power generation unit 2 is reduced in the width direction (left to right) of the pipe shaft PS, but the size of the depth direction (front to back) is made larger than the width direction, ensuring the size necessary to install functional components. The hot water tank 3 is installed behind the power generation unit 2 and the combustion unit 4.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the frame 5 has an outer frame 5a formed to fit the opening of the pipe shaft PS, horizontal beams 5b that separate the vertical middle section of the outer frame 5a, and vertical beams 5c that connect the horizontal beams 5b to the upper edge of the outer frame 5a. To support the power generation unit 2 and combustion unit 4 side by side, which are heavy and have a center of gravity shifted rearward due to their increased depth, the frame 5 is reinforced by the horizontal beams 5b and vertical beams 5c and is divided into two sections at the top. Upper fixing pieces 5d for fastening functional units with screws are provided on the upper edge of the outer frame 5a, one for each section.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the power generation unit 2 has a box-shaped case 10 whose depth D is longer than its width W. Functional components such as a fuel cell stack and an exhaust heat recovery system are housed within the case 10. The case 10 has a top surface 10a, a bottom surface 10b, a front surface 10c facing the common passage, a rear surface 10d at the rear of the pipe shaft PS, left and right side surfaces 10e and 10f, and an inclined portion 10g connecting the top surface 10a and the rear surface 10d. The bottom surface 10b is provided with a plurality of connectors 12 for connecting piping and the like. The combustion unit 4 also has a box-shaped case 20 whose depth is longer than its width and houses functional components such as a burner and a heat exchanger. The case 20 also has an inclined portion 20g connecting the top surface and the rear surface.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, a mounting bracket 11 is fixed to the case 10 of the power generation unit 2. The mounting bracket 11 has a gate-shaped upper mounting bracket 13 formed so as not to interfere with the multiple connection portions 12 on the bottom surface portion 10b, and a lower mounting bracket 14. The upper mounting bracket 13 is attached to the case 10 and secured thereto with, for example, multiple screws, and the lower mounting bracket 14 is attached to the upper mounting bracket 13 from below and secured thereto with multiple screws.

[0024] The upper mounting bracket 13 has front side flanges 13a extending outward in the width direction from the front ends of the left and right side surfaces, rear side flanges 13b extending inward in the width direction from the rear ends of the left and right side surfaces, front upper surface protrusions 13c extending upward from the front end of the top surface, and a rear upper surface flange (not shown) extending downward from the rear end of the top surface. The case 10 has a case flange portion 10h formed on the top surface 10a, side surfaces 10e and 10f, and bottom surface 10b so as to surround the outer periphery of the case 10 on the front surface 10c side. The upper mounting bracket 13 is fixed to the case 10 with the rear side flange 13b and the rear upper surface flange (not shown) abutting against this case flange portion 10h from behind.

[0025] The lower mounting bracket 14 is formed so as to connect the lower end of the upper mounting bracket 13 and to close the gap between the cross beam 5b and the power generation unit 2 when the power generation unit 2 is installed in a predetermined compartment. This lower mounting bracket 14 has two protrusions 14a extending rearward from the middle in the vertical direction of the lower mounting bracket 14 so as not to interfere with the multiple connection portions 12 formed on the bottom surface portion 10b of the case 10. A mounting bracket 21 having a structure similar to that of the mounting bracket 11 is also fixed to the combustion unit 4.

[0026] Next, the installation and fixing of the functional units in the predetermined compartments of the frame 5 will be described using the power generating unit 2 as an example. As shown in Fig. 4, the power generation unit 2 with the mounting bracket 11 fixed thereto is lifted by an operator and tilted forward so that the upper part protrudes forward. The power generation unit 2 is then inserted into a predetermined compartment in the upper part of the frame 5, from the rear of the power generation unit 2, moving from the front of the pipe shaft PS toward the rear. Then, as shown in Fig. 5, the lower mounting bracket 14 and the protruding part 14a of the lower mounting bracket 14 are moved toward the rear of the pipe shaft PS until they abut against the cross beam 5b that corresponds to the bottom edge of the compartment, and the protruding part 14a is placed on and engaged with the cross beam 5b.

[0027] At this time, in order for a worker to support the power generation unit 2, which is a heavy object, at the front of the pipe shaft PS, it is preferable that the center of gravity G of the power generation unit 2 be located at the front of the pipe shaft PS. Therefore, by tilting the power generation unit 2 as shown in Figure 4, the center of gravity G of the power generation unit 2 can be kept at the front of the pipe shaft PS until the lower mounting bracket 14 and the protrusion 14a abut against the cross beam 5b. Furthermore, tilting the power generation unit 2 moves the multiple connectors 12 provided on the bottom surface 10b of the case 10 upward toward the rear, preventing these connectors 12 from being damaged or broken due to a collision with the cross beam 5b.

[0028] The vertical length L0 of the compartment is longer than the vertical length L1 of the case 10 so that a power generation unit 2 having a plurality of connection portions 12 on the bottom surface portion 10b can be disposed. However, if the vertical length L2 of the case 10 in an inclined position is longer than the vertical length L0 of the compartment, the power generation unit 2 cannot be inserted into this compartment. Therefore, an inclined portion 10g is formed on the case 10 so that the vertical length L2 of the case 10 in an inclined position is shorter than the vertical length L0 of the compartment, and the power generation unit 2 in an inclined position can be inserted into this compartment.

[0029] Furthermore, due to inclined portion 10g, vertical length L3 of rear surface 10d of case 10 is shorter than vertical length L1 of case 10, resulting in a shape in which the vertical size decreases toward rear surface 10d. Similarly, combustion unit 4 has inclined portion 20g on case 20. Therefore, the lifted functional units of water heater 1 can be easily inserted into the designated compartments of frame 5 in an inclined position. This allows the worker to easily line up and install the functional units of water heater 1 on frame 5, reducing the burden on the worker.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, when a power generation unit 2 is inserted in a forward-tilted position, the rear side of the lower mounting bracket 14 and the underside of the protruding portion 14a abut against the horizontal crosspiece 5b at the bottom of the compartment. If there is no connecting portion 12 near the lower mounting bracket 14, the protruding portion 14a may be omitted, and the rear side of the lower mounting bracket 14 and the bottom portion 10b of the case 10 may abut against and engage with the horizontal crosspiece 5b. If the lower end of the mounting bracket 11 attached to the tilted case 10 is lower than the horizontal crosspiece 5b at the bottom of the compartment, the horizontal crosspiece 5b can be used as an engaging portion to engage the power generation unit 2. Therefore, the height to which the power generation unit 2 is raised during insertion can be lower than the final height at which the power generation unit 2, including the mounting bracket 11, is installed in the specified compartment, reducing the burden on the worker.

[0031] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the case 10 of the power generation unit 2 is rotated toward the back of the pipe shaft PS, using the horizontal bar 5b (engagement portion) with which the lower mounting bracket 14 and the protrusion 14a are engaged as a fulcrum. During this rotation, the case 10 is rotated so that it fits inside an arc A1 whose center is the fulcrum and whose radius is the vertical length L0 of the compartment. The inclined portion 10g formed on the case 10 allows the worker to rotate the case 10 without interfering with the upper edge of the frame 5.

[0032] Because the power generation unit 2 is supported by the horizontal beams 5b when rotating, the worker can easily rotate the power generation unit 2, and even if the center of gravity G of the power generation unit 2 moves into the pipe shaft PS due to rotation, the burden on the worker supporting the power generation unit 2 is reduced. After the power generation unit 2 has been rotated to the rear, the front side flange 13a of the mounting bracket 11 engages with the outer frame 5a and vertical beams 5c of the frame body 5, restricting further rotation of the power generation unit 2 to the rear.

[0033] Next, as shown in Figure 7, the power generation unit 2 is lifted and moved to the rear of the pipe shaft PS so that the mounting bracket 11 fits within the compartment of the frame body 5. Then, the front side flange 13a and the front upper surface protrusion 13c of the mounting bracket 11 are engaged with the frame body 5 and fixed with, for example, a plurality of screws. Although not shown, similar to the power generation unit 2, the combustion unit 4 is inserted into a predetermined compartment using the inclined portion 20g formed on the case 20 and rotated around the cross beam 5b as a fulcrum, and then moved to the rear of the pipe shaft PS and fixed to the frame body 5. Then, piping and the like are connected to the connection portions 12 of the power generation unit 2 and combustion unit 4 fixed to the frame body 5.

[0034] For example, as shown in Fig. 8, an inclined portion 10g may be formed to connect the bottom surface 10b and rear surface 10d of the case 10 of the power generation unit 2. In this case, the power generation unit 2 is lifted in a position tilted backward and inserted into a predetermined compartment of the frame body 5, and an upper fixing piece 5d provided on the upper edge of the outer frame 5a with an L-shaped cross section is inserted into and engaged with the front upper surface protrusion 13c of the mounting bracket 11, as shown in Fig. 9, for example.

[0035] Then, as shown in Fig. 8, the power generation unit 2 is rotated toward the back of the pipe shaft PS using the engagement between the front upper surface protrusion 13c and the upper fixing piece 5d as a fulcrum and fixed to the frame body 5. During this rotation, the case 10 is rotated so as to fit inside an arc A2 having a radius equal to the vertical length L0 of the compartment, with the fulcrum as the center, and an inclined portion 10g is formed so as not to interfere with the horizontal beam 5b of the frame body 5. The inclined portion 10g allows the power generation unit 2 to be inserted and rotated without the case 10 interfering with the horizontal beam 5b, which corresponds to the bottom edge of the compartment.

[0036] The operation and effect of the functional units (power generation unit 2, combustion unit 4) of the water heater 1 will be described. The power generation unit 2 of the water heater 1 is installed in the pipe shaft PS by fixing the case 10 to a frame 5 with multiple compartments fixed to the opening of the pipe shaft PS via mounting brackets 11. The case 10 has a sloped portion 10g connecting the top surface 10a to the rear surface 10d or connecting the bottom surface 10b to the rear surface 10d. As a result, the vertical length L3 of the rear surface 10d of the case 10 is shorter than the vertical length L1 of the front surface 10c of the case 10, resulting in a shape that tapers vertically toward the rear surface 10d. The combustion unit 4 also has a sloped portion 20g. Therefore, the lifted functional units of the water heater 1 can be easily inserted into the designated compartments of the frame 5 in a tilted position toward the front or rear. This allows the operator to easily align and install the functional units of the water heater 1 in the frame 5, reducing the operator's burden.

[0037] To install the case 10 of the power generating unit 2 in a predetermined compartment of the frame 5, the worker engages the case 10 or the mounting bracket 11 attached to the case 10 with an engagement portion (horizontal beam 5b or upper fixing piece 5d) provided on the frame 5, and then rotates the case 10 toward the rear of the pipe shaft PS using the engagement portion as a fulcrum to move it to a predetermined position. At this time, a sloped portion 10g is formed to prevent interference between the case 10 and the portion of the frame 5 opposite the engagement portion (the upper edge portion of the outer frame 5a on which the upper fixing piece 5d is disposed or the horizontal beam 5b). The power generating unit 2 inserted in an inclined position into the predetermined compartment of the frame 5 can be rotated toward the rear of the pipe shaft PS using the engagement portion as a fulcrum, using the sloped portion 10g as a fulcrum, so that the case 10 and the frame 5 do not interfere with each other. The combustion unit 4 can also be rotated in a similar manner. Therefore, the worker can easily arrange and install the functional units of the water heating device 1 in the predetermined compartment of the frame 5, further reducing the burden on the worker.

[0038] Since the width W of each of cases 10 and 20 is shorter than the depth D, it is possible to easily arrange the functional units of water heater 1 side by side in the opening of pipe shaft PS having a limited width.

[0039] An inclined portion 10g is formed connecting the top surface 10a and rear surface 10d of the case 10. The horizontal crosspiece 5b, which corresponds to the lower edge of the compartment of the frame 5, serves as an engaging portion for placing and engaging the bottom surface 10b of the case 10 or the mounting bracket 11 attached to the case 10. This allows the case 10 to be inserted into a predetermined compartment in a forward-tilted position and placed on and engaged with the engaging portion. At this time, if the lower end of the mounting bracket 11 attached to the tilted case 10 is positioned lower than the horizontal crosspiece 5b, the functional unit can be engaged with the horizontal crosspiece 5b. This reduces the height at which the functional unit of the water heater 1 is lifted, allowing it to be rotated toward the back of the pipe shaft PS using the horizontal crosspiece 5b (engaging portion) as a fulcrum. This allows the worker to easily arrange and install the functional units of the water heater 1 on the frame 5, further reducing the burden on the worker.

[0040] In a hot water storage type water heater in which a heat pump type heat source unit and a backup combustion type heat source unit are each functional units, they can also be configured to be installed in the frame 5 of the pipe shaft PS in the same manner as above. In addition, a person skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various forms by adding various modifications to the above embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention includes such modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1: Hot water supply equipment 2: Power generation unit 3: Hot water tank 4: Combustion unit 5: Frame 5a: Outer frame 5b: Horizontal bar 5c:Vertical beam 5d: Upper fixed piece 10,20:Case 10a, 20a: Top part 10b: Bottom part 10c: Front part 10d,20d: Rear part 10e,10f: Side part 10g, 20g: Inclined part 11,21: Mounting bracket 12: Connection part 13: Upper mounting bracket 13a: Front side flange 13b: Rear side flange 13c: Anterior superior projection 13d: Rear upper flange 14: Lower mounting bracket PS: Pipe shaft

Claims

1. A functional unit of a water heater in which functional parts are housed in a box-shaped case, the functional unit being installed in a pipe shaft through which a fuel gas pipe and a water pipe are laid by fixing the case to a frame having a plurality of compartments fixed to the opening of the pipe shaft via mounting brackets, the case has an inclined portion connecting a top surface or a bottom surface to a rear surface that is the back side of the pipe shaft, A functional unit of a water heater, characterized in that when the case or the mounting bracket attached to the case is engaged with an engaging portion provided on the frame body in order to install the case in a predetermined compartment of the frame body, and the case is rotated toward the back of the pipe shaft using the engaging portion as a fulcrum to move it to a predetermined position, the inclined portion is formed to prevent interference between the case and the frame body.

2. The inclined portion is formed to connect the top surface and the rear surface of the case, A functional unit of a water heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that the bottom surface of the case or the mounting bracket attached to the case is placed on and engaged with the engaging portion provided on the lower edge of the compartment of the frame body.

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