heat pump equipment

The heat pump device uses a lead wire relay module with a fixed frame and chloroprene rubber O-ring to prevent refrigerant leakage into the electrical box, addressing the risk of flammable refrigerant ingress and ensuring electrical safety.

JP7792597B2Active Publication Date: 2025-12-26PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022158738
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-09-30
Publication Date
2025-12-26
Estimated Expiration
2042-09-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Refrigerant leakage from the refrigerant circuit poses a risk of entering the electrical box in heat pump devices, potentially leading to hazardous situations due to the presence of flammable refrigerants.

Method used

The heat pump device incorporates a lead wire relay module with a fixed frame and insertion sleeves that tightly seal and hold lead wires, along with a resin-made fixing frame and chloroprene rubber O-ring to enhance airtightness, preventing refrigerant ingress into the electrical box.

Benefits of technology

This configuration effectively prevents refrigerant from entering the electrical box, ensuring safety and maintaining the integrity of electrical components by enhancing the airtightness of the electrical box.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a heat pump device which can inhibit a refrigerant from penetrating into an electrical equipment box when the refrigerant leaks from a refrigerant circuit.SOLUTION: A heat pump device includes, in a housing, a machine room in which a compressor and an expansion device are disposed and a blower room in which a heat exchanger and a blower are disposed. The heat pump device includes an electrical equipment box. The electrical equipment box includes an electrical equipment box body formed with a penetrating opening and a lid member. A lead wire relay module for drawing multiple lead wires is provided at the penetrating opening. The lead wire relay module includes: a fixed frame including multiple insertion openings; and insertion sleeves which are respectively inserted into the insertion openings, adhere to the fixed frame, and hold the lead wires drawn into the electrical equipment box body, sealing the lead wires.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat pump device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a heat pump device that includes a refrigerant circuit that circulates a flammable refrigerant, a heat medium circuit that circulates a heat medium, a heat medium heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the heat medium, an outdoor unit that houses the refrigerant circuit and the heat medium heat exchanger, and an indoor unit that houses a part of the heat medium circuit, wherein the outdoor unit has at least one of a pressure relief valve and an air vent valve that are provided in the heat medium circuit as a refrigerant release valve, and the refrigerant release valve is provided outside the housing of the outdoor unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Application Publication No. 3312531 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a heat pump device that can prevent refrigerant from leaking into an electrical box when refrigerant leaks from a refrigerant circuit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The heat pump device of the present disclosure is a heat pump device having a machine chamber in which a compressor and an expansion device are disposed, and a blower chamber in which a heat exchanger and a blower are disposed within a housing, and further includes an electrical box, the electrical box having an electrical box main body with a through opening formed therein and a cover member, the through opening being provided with a lead wire relay module that draws in a plurality of lead wires, the lead wire relay module having a fixed frame with a plurality of insertion openings, and insertion sleeves that are inserted into each of the insertion openings and come into close contact with the fixed frame, sealing and holding the lead wires drawn into the interior of the electrical box main body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, when refrigerant leaks from the refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant can be prevented from entering the interior of the electrical box. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a heat pump device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a heat pump device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a front panel of the heat pump device according to the first embodiment is removed. [Figure 4] Circuit diagram showing a refrigerant circuit according to the first embodiment [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electrical box according to a first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an electrical box according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an electrical box according to a first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lead wire relay module according to a first embodiment; [Figure 9] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a lead wire relay module according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] 1 is a bottom view of the lead wire relay module according to the first embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] (Findings that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time when the inventors arrived at the idea of ​​the present disclosure, there was a technique for preventing a flammable refrigerant from igniting in a heat pump device. The heat pump device includes a refrigerant circuit that circulates a flammable refrigerant, a heat medium circuit that circulates a heat medium, a heat medium heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the heat medium, an outdoor unit that houses the refrigerant circuit and the heat medium heat exchanger, and an indoor unit that houses a part of the heat medium circuit. The outdoor unit has at least one of a pressure relief valve and an air vent valve provided in the heat medium circuit as a refrigerant release valve, and the refrigerant release valve is provided outside the housing of the outdoor unit. In the heat pump system, the outdoor unit is provided with a machinery chamber, which houses devices such as a compressor and a heat medium heat exchanger that constitute a refrigerant circuit, and an electrical equipment box that houses electrical equipment. The electrical equipment in the electrical equipment box is electrically connected to the various devices in the machinery chamber by lead wires. However, the inventors discovered a problem with this configuration in that if refrigerant leaks from the refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant will fill the machine compartment and there is a risk that the refrigerant will enter the electrical box through the part where the lead wires are pulled into the electrical box.In order to solve this problem, they came up with the subject matter of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a heat pump device that can prevent refrigerant from leaking into an electrical box when refrigerant leaks from a refrigerant circuit.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary detailed description may be omitted. For example, detailed description of well-known matters or redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. [1-1.Configuration] [1-1-1. Configuration of heat pump device] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the heat pump unit 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the heat pump unit 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a front view showing the heat pump unit 1 according to embodiment 1 with a front panel 16 removed. The heat pump device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an outdoor unit that can be used as a so-called heat pump hot water heater. 1 to 3, the heat pump device 1 includes a box-shaped housing 10. In this embodiment, each part of the housing 10 is formed from a steel plate.

[0011] A partition plate 11 extending in the vertical direction is provided inside the housing 10. The partition plate 11 divides the internal space of the housing 10 into a fan chamber 12 and a machine chamber 13. The housing 10 comprises a bottom plate 14 that forms the bottom surface of the housing 10, a pair of side panels 15 that cover the machine chamber 13 of the housing 10 from the front and back, a front panel 16 that covers the front of the blower chamber 12, and a top plate 17 that covers the top surface of the housing 10. The front panel 16 is provided with a ventilation section 18 formed in a mesh shape to allow air to pass through.

[0012] In the blower chamber 12, a heat exchanger 20 and a blower 21 are provided. The heat exchanger 20 of this embodiment extends almost to the full height of the housing 10, and is formed in an approximately L-shape when viewed from above so as to face the back surface 10A and side surface 10B of the housing 10. The heat exchanger 20 is, for example, a fin-tube type heat exchanger. For example, an axial flow fan equipped with a propeller-shaped impeller is used as the blower 21. The blower 21 is disposed so that the axial flow direction faces the ventilation section 18.

[0013] The interior of the machine room 13 accommodates various devices that form a refrigerant circuit, such as a compressor 22, a water heat exchanger (heat medium heat exchanger) 23, and an expansion device 24 (see Figure 4), as well as refrigerant piping 25 that connects these devices to each other. The water heat exchanger 23 is, for example, a plate heat exchanger. A cutout portion 26 is formed in the upper portion of the partition plate 11, and an electrical equipment box 30 is installed in this cutout portion 26.

[0014] [1-1-2. Refrigerant circuit configuration] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a refrigerant circuit according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the compressor 22, four-way valve 27, water heat exchanger 23, expansion device 24, and heat exchanger 20 are connected in a ring shape via a predetermined refrigerant pipe 25 to form a refrigerant circuit. A predetermined water supply pipe 28 is connected to the water heat exchanger 23, and heat exchange occurs in the water heat exchanger 23 with the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant compressed by compressor 22 to a high temperature and high pressure flows as shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 4 and is sent to water heat exchanger 23, where it is cooled and condensed by heat exchange with water flowing through water supply pipe 28. The water receives heat from the refrigerant and becomes hot water, which is then supplied to, for example, user equipment (not shown). The refrigerant discharged from the water heat exchanger 23 is decompressed and evaporated in the expansion device 24, and is then heat exchanged in the heat exchanger 20 to become a gas refrigerant, which is returned to the compressor 22 again.

[0015] 4, the refrigerant flows, exchanges heat with the outside air in heat exchanger 20, is decompressed in expansion device 24, and is then sent to water heat exchanger 23, thereby cooling the water flowing through water supply pipe 28. The chilled water is supplied to user equipment (not shown). In this embodiment, a flammable refrigerant is used as the refrigerant, which may be R32 or a mixed refrigerant containing 70 weight percent or more of R32, or propane or a mixed refrigerant containing propane. It should be noted that a non-flammable refrigerant may be used as the refrigerant instead of a flammable refrigerant.

[0016] [1-1-3. Configuration of the electrical box] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the electrical box 30 of embodiment 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the electrical box 30 of embodiment 1. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the electrical box 30 of embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the electrical box 30 is disposed above the fan chamber 12 and the machine chamber 13, straddling the machine chamber 13 and the fan chamber 12. The electrical box 30 is installed in the notch 26 at the top of the partition plate 11 and is supported by the partition plate 11. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the electrical box 30 includes a box-shaped sheet metal electrical box body 32 having an opening 31 at the top, and a resin lid member 33 formed in a generally rectangular flat plate shape that closes the opening 31. The electrical box body 32 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as a metal material. The lid member 33 is attached to the electrical box body 32 via an O-ring 38.

[0017] In this embodiment, the entire electrical box body 32 is made of a metal material, but only the portion located in the blower chamber 12 may be made of a metal material.

[0018] 5 to 7, electrical box body 32 includes a rectangular fan side portion 32A located on the fan chamber 12 side and a substantially trapezoidal machine side portion 32B located on the machine chamber 13 side. Cover member 33 includes a rectangular fan side portion 33A located on the fan chamber 12 side and a substantially trapezoidal machine side portion 33B located on the machine chamber 13 side.

[0019] A control board 40 made of a printed circuit board is installed in the blower side portion 32A of the electrical box body 32.

[0020] Although not shown, electronic components such as semiconductor chips such as a CPU, transistors, capacitors, and resistors are mounted on the control board 40 to form an electric circuit. A heat sink 41 equipped with a plurality of fins is attached to the underside of the control board 40, and the control board 40 is installed so as to protrude downward from a bottom opening 35 provided in the bottom surface of the blower side section 32A. The heat sink 41 is disposed on the bottom surface of the blower side section 32A close to the machine side section 32B of the electrical box main body 32. In this embodiment, one end of the heat sink 41 is located at the boundary between the machine side section 32B and the blower side section 32A. In other words, it is located at the boundary separated by the partition plate 11. A sealant 42 is disposed around the periphery of the bottom opening 35, and the control board 40 is fixed in place with the bottom opening 35 closed via the sealant 42.

[0021] The machine-side section 32B of the electrical box body 32 is provided with a main power line relay section 50 located on the front side and a lead wire relay section 53 located on the back side. The main power line relay section 50 is provided with a terminal block 51 for connecting the main power line and a cable gland 52 for drawing in and sealing the main power line. The cable 45 drawn into the cable gland 52 is connected to a predetermined device such as the compressor 22. The lead wire relay section 53 is provided with a lead wire relay module 55 for drawing in the lead wire.

[0022] A terminal block 51 for connecting a cable (main power line) 45 is arranged in the main power line relay section (space) 50. The main power line relay section 50 in which the terminal block 51 is arranged is partitioned by a partition plate 154, and the main power line relay section 50 is sealed within the electrical box main body 32. The terminal block 51 is arranged on an obliquely formed partition plate 154A, and faces a window opening 152 formed in the side surface of the electrical box main body 32. A window cover 155 for sealing the main power line relay section 50 is screwed into the window opening 152 with a sealant (not shown) sandwiched therebetween.

[0023] A lid member 33 is fixed to the upper end of the electrical box main body 32 with fixing screws 37A to 37F via an O-ring 38. This makes the interior of the electrical box main body 32 a sealed space. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, a flange 32F formed by bending a metal plate is formed around the periphery of the upper end of the electrical box main body 32. As shown in FIG. 5, an O-ring groove 36 is formed around the periphery of the underside of the lid member 33, and an O-ring 38 is fitted into the O-ring groove 36, and the lid member 33 is fixed to the flange 32F with six fixing screws 37A to 37F. The O-ring 38 is made of foam rubber or chloroprene rubber.

[0024] The cover member 33 is fixed to the flange 32F of the machine side portion 32B of the electrical box main body 32 with four fixing screws 37A to 37D, and is fixed to the flange 32F of the blower side portion 32A of the electrical box main body 32 with two fixing screws 37E and 37F.

[0025] The electrical box body 32 is configured so that the volume occupied by the machine side portion 32B is smaller than the volume occupied by the blower side portion 32A, and the machine side portion 32B of the electrical box body 32 is formed into a trapezoidal shape by cutting the corners of the machine side portion 32B. As a result, the length of the seal between the electrical box body 32 and the cover member 33 in the machine side portion 32B of the electrical box body 32 (the length of the O-ring 38) is set short. Furthermore, the pitches P1 to P3 of the fixing screws 37A to 37D that fix the machine side portion 32B are set shorter than the pitches P4 to P6 of the fixing screws 37D to 37F that fix the fan side portion 32A. Because the machine side portion 32B has a short sealing length and the pitches P1 to P3 of the fixing screws 37A to 37D are set short, the sealing performance between the electrical box main body 32 and the lid member 33 in the machine side portion 32B can be improved.

[0026] The heat exchanger 20 is formed in an L-shape facing the rear surface 10A and the side surface 10B of the housing 10. As shown in Fig. 7, a shielding member 60 is provided between the header pipe of the heat exchanger 20 facing the rear surface 10A of the housing 10 and the machine side portion 32B of the electrical box main body 32. By providing the shielding member 60 near the seal portion of the machine side portion 32B near the header pipe, even if the refrigerant is ejected from the refrigerant circuit, the phenomenon of the refrigerant directly colliding with the vicinity of the seal portion is suppressed, and the mass transfer rate of the refrigerant permeating the O-ring 38 can be reduced.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 3, a ventilated space is formed between the underside of the top plate 17 of the housing 10 and the upper surface of the cover member 33. As shown in Fig. 2, a partition member 39 is provided on the upper surface of the cover member 33. The partition member 39 is arranged in a form that closes the space at the boundary between the fan side section 33A and the machine side section 33B. A plurality of openings (not shown) are formed at equal intervals in the partition member 39, and ventilation is possible between the machine chamber 13 and the fan chamber 12 through the openings.

[0028] During operation of the heat pump unit 1, the operation of the blower unit 21 creates a negative pressure inside the blower chamber 12. As a result, air from the machine chamber 13 flows through the multiple openings in the partition member 39 toward the blower chamber 12. This air flow cools the entire upper surface of the lid member 33.

[0029] [1-1-4. Lead Wire Relay Module Configuration] 5 to 7, a through opening 34a is formed in the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box 30 in the lead wire relay portion 53. The through opening 34a is a hole that communicates between the inside and outside of the electrical box 30 and is substantially rectangular in plan view. The through opening 34a is covered from above, i.e., from the inside of the electrical box 30, by a lead wire relay module 55.

[0030] 8 is a perspective view of the lead wire relay module 55. The lead wire relay module 55 is a module that draws multiple lead wires connecting the control board 40 and various devices such as the compressor 22 into the interior of the electrical box. The lead wire relay module 55 has a fixing frame 70 that is fixed to the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box, and an insertion sleeve 80 that is inserted into the fixing frame 70. The lead wire relay module 55 seals and holds the lead wires by tightly contacting the lead wires with the insertion sleeve 80, thereby preventing refrigerant from entering the interior of the electrical box 30.

[0031] The fixed frame 70 is a frame made of resin and has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. The fixed frame 70 has a frame portion 71 and a flange portion 73. The frame portion 71 is provided at the center of the fixed frame 70 and is the portion into which the insertion sleeve 80 is inserted. The frame portion 71 stands upward and has an outer frame portion 71a that is a rectangular cylindrical portion in a plan view, a plate-like partition plate portion 71b that divides the outer frame portion 71a into two, left and right, and a partition plate portion 71c that divides the outer frame portion 71a into four, front and rear. Eight insertion openings S that penetrate the fixed frame 70 from top to bottom are formed in the area surrounded by the outer frame portion 71a and the partition plates 71b and 71c. The upper ends of the insertion openings S open into the electrical box 30, and the lower ends communicate with the through-opening 34a. The lower ends of the outer frame portion 71a and the partition plates 71b and 71c are formed with edges 71d that protrude toward the insertion openings S.

[0032] The flange portion 73 is a plate-shaped portion that surrounds the frame portion 71, and has fixing holes 73a for screw fastening. The fixing frame 70 is fixed to the electrical box 30 by fastening the flange portion 73 to the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box with screws.

[0033] The insertion sleeves 80 are sleeves made of rubber, and eight of them are arranged corresponding to the eight insertion openings S of the frame portion 71. The insertion sleeves 80 have holes 81 that penetrate the insertion sleeve 80 from top to bottom, and slits 83 that connect the side surface 80a to the holes 81. The holes 81 are portions of the insertion sleeve 80 that seal and hold the lead wires. Each of the eight insertion sleeves 80 has a hole 81 with a cross-sectional shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of the lead wire that it is designed to hold. The slits 83 are formed to penetrate the insertion sleeve 80 from top to bottom. Therefore, the insertion sleeve 80 can hold the intermediate portion of the lead wire in the hole 81 through the slit 83.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the lead wire relay module 55. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the insertion sleeve 80 is inserted into the insertion opening S from above downward, and is fitted into the fixed frame 70 with its lower end abutting against the edge 71d.

[0035] The side surface (outer peripheral portion) 80a of the insertion sleeve 80 is inclined so as to narrow from top to bottom. In other words, the insertion sleeve 80 has a tapered structure that narrows in the insertion direction of the insertion sleeve 80. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the insertion sleeve 80 decreases in the insertion direction of the insertion sleeve 80. Furthermore, in the fixed frame 70, the outer frame portion 71a facing the insertion opening S and the inner side surfaces 71e of the partition plate portions 71b and 71c have a tapered structure that slopes along the side surface 80a of the insertion sleeve 80. As a result, the insertion opening S narrows in the insertion direction of the insertion sleeve 80. Therefore, after the insertion sleeve 80 is inserted into the insertion opening S, the side surface 80a is pushed inward by the outer frame portion 71a and the inner side surfaces 71e of the partition plate portions 71b and 71c when pressed in the insertion direction. This causes the insertion sleeve 80 to be compressed horizontally, making it easier for the lead wires to come into close contact with the inner surfaces of the holes 81. Furthermore, surface pressure is applied between the side surface 80a of the insertion sleeve 80 and the outer frame portion 71a and between the side surface 80a and the inner surfaces 71e of the partition plate portions 71b and 71c, so that the side surface 80a and the inner surfaces 71e come into closer contact with each other.

[0036] 9, the fixed frame 70 has a guide portion 76 that is inserted into the through opening 34a. The guide portion 76 is a cylindrical portion that protrudes downward and has approximately the same shape as the inner peripheral edge of the through opening 34a in a plan view. The guide portion 76 is formed in a position that surrounds the frame portion 71 in a plan view. Therefore, when the guide portion 76 is inserted into the through opening 34a from above downward, the frame portion 71 is positioned so that it overlaps the through opening 34a in the vertical direction. This allows the insertion opening S in the frame portion 71 to communicate with the through opening 34a, making it possible to route lead wires inside and outside the electrical box 30.

[0037] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the lead wire relay module 55. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , an O-ring groove 77 recessed upward is formed outside the guide portion 76 at the lower end of the fixing frame 70. The inner circumferential side of the O-ring groove 77 is formed along the outer surface of the guide portion 76. A rubber O-ring 77a is disposed in the O-ring groove 77. The O-ring 77a is positioned so as to surround the through-opening 34a when the guide portion 76 is inserted from above to below into the through-opening 34a. Furthermore, when the fixing frame 70 is fixed to the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box, the O-ring 77a is compressed between the O-ring groove 77 and the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box, thereby closing the gap between the fixing frame 70 and the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box. This makes it difficult for refrigerant to enter the electrical box 30 through the gap between the fixing frame 70 and the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box.

[0038] Furthermore, the rubber used for the O-ring 77a is chloroprene rubber, which has particularly low permeability to propane contained in the refrigerant.

[0039] Furthermore, the chloroprene rubber used for O-ring 77a is foamed rubber. Therefore, when O-ring 77a is crushed, O-ring 77a easily deforms along O-ring groove 77 and bottom surface 34 of the electrical box, allowing it to fit tightly against O-ring groove 77 and bottom surface 34 of the electrical box. Furthermore, because O-ring 77a is made of foamed rubber, even if the cross-sectional area of ​​O-ring 77a is increased, it easily fits into O-ring groove 77 when crushed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cross-section of O-ring 77a is set to a size that causes it to protrude downward from O-ring groove 77, thereby increasing the adhesion force.

[0040] Furthermore, the length of O-ring 77a is set shorter than the length of O-ring groove 77. Specifically, the length of the inner periphery of O-ring 77a when O-ring 77a is not stretched is shorter than the length of the inner periphery of O-ring groove 77. Therefore, when placed in O-ring groove 77, the inner periphery of O-ring 77a is in close contact with the side surface of the inner periphery of O-ring groove 77, making it less likely that a gap will form between O-ring 77a and O-ring groove 77.

[0041] [1-2. Operation] Next, the operation of the heat pump device 1 configured as above will be described. When the heat pump device 1 is driven, the compressor 22 and the blower device 21 are operated, and the axial flow fan also starts to operate. As a result, when hot water is used, the refrigerant compressed by compressor 22 to a high temperature and high pressure flows as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 4 and is sent to water heat exchanger 23, where it is cooled by heat exchange with water flowing through water supply pipe 28, and the water absorbs the heat of the refrigerant and becomes hot water, which is then supplied to a specified location. The refrigerant discharged from the water heat exchanger 23 is decompressed in the expansion device 24, undergoes heat exchange in the heat exchanger 20, and becomes a gas refrigerant, which is returned to the compressor 22 again.

[0042] When using chilled water, by switching the four-way valve 27, the refrigerant flows as shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 4, exchanges heat with the outside air in the heat exchanger 20, is decompressed in the expansion device 24, and is sent to the water heat exchanger 23, thereby cooling the water flowing through the water supply pipe 28. During these operations, the blower device 21 is operated, so that air flows toward the electrical box 30 located in the blower chamber 12 .

[0043] Furthermore, a space that allows ventilation is formed between the lower surface of the top plate 17 of the housing 10 and the upper surface of the cover member 33 of the electrical box 30, so that air also flows over the upper surface of the cover member 33. These air flows allow the entire surface of the electrical box 30 to be cooled by air, and the temperature rise of the electronic components housed inside the electrical box 30 can be suppressed.

[0044] Furthermore, the operation of the air blower 21 causes air to flow toward the heat sink 41. This allows the heat sink 41 to be cooled, and the control board 40 to be cooled.

[0045] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the heat pump device 1 includes an electrical box 30, which includes an electrical box main body 32 having a through opening 34a formed therein and a cover member 33, and a lead wire relay module 55 that draws in multiple lead wires into the through opening 34a, and the lead wire relay module 55 includes a fixed frame 70 having multiple insertion openings S, and insertion sleeves 80 that are inserted into each insertion opening S and adhere to the fixed frame 70, sealing and holding the lead wires that are drawn into the interior of the electrical box main body 32. This allows the lead wires to be drawn into the interior of the electrical box 30 while improving airtightness.

[0046] In this embodiment, the fixed frame 70 and the insertion sleeve 80 have a tapered structure that brings the side surface 80a of the insertion sleeve 80 into tight contact with the fixed frame 70 as the insertion sleeve 80 is inserted into the fixed frame 70. This allows the fixed frame 70 and the insertion sleeve 80 to be brought into closer contact with each other.

[0047] In this embodiment, the fixed frame 70 is made of resin and has an O-ring groove 77 into which an O-ring 77a is inserted, and is fixed to the through opening 34a of the electrical box body 32 with the O-ring 77a sandwiched therebetween. This improves the airtightness between the fixing frame 70 and the electrical box body 32 .

[0048] In this embodiment, the O-ring 77a is made of foam rubber. This allows the O-ring 77a to easily fit tightly into the O-ring groove 77 and the electrical box body 32, thereby improving the airtightness between the fixed frame 70 and the electrical box body 32.

[0049] In this embodiment, the O-ring 77a is made of chloroprene rubber. This makes it difficult for a flammable refrigerant, such as propane gas, to pass through the O-ring 77a.

[0050] In this embodiment, the length of the O-ring 77 a is set to be shorter than the length of the O-ring groove 77 . As a result, O-ring 77a is inserted in a stretched state into O-ring groove 77. This makes it easier for O-ring 77a to fit tightly into O-ring groove 77 without loosening, thereby preventing refrigerant from entering electrical box 30.

[0051] In this embodiment, the electrical box 30 is disposed above the machine room 13 and the blower room 12, straddling the machine room 13 and the blower room 12. This makes it easier for the electrical box 30 to be cooled by the air blown in the portion located in the blower room 12, and also allows the lead wires extending from each device in the machine room 13 to be drawn into the interior of the electrical box 30 via the lead wire relay module 55.

[0052] (Other embodiments) As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first embodiment above to create new embodiments. Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

[0053] In the first embodiment described above, the heat pump device 1 is an outdoor unit that can be used for a so-called heat pump hot water heater. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the heat pump device 1 can be applied to various devices that include a refrigerant circuit, such as a water heater or an air conditioner.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, O-ring 77a is described as being made of foamed chloroprene rubber, but this is merely an example. For example, O-ring 77a may be made of rubber other than chloroprene rubber, and may not be foamed. However, when foamed chloroprene rubber is used as O-ring 77a, as in this embodiment, O-ring 77a tends to adhere tightly to O-ring groove 77 and electrical box body 32, and is less likely to allow propane to pass through.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, the lead wire relay module 55 is described as having eight insertion openings S and eight insertion sleeves 80, but this is merely an example. The number of insertion openings S and insertion sleeves 80 may be one or more. There is no limit to the number of holes 81 that one insertion sleeve 80 has. Furthermore, one hole 81 may be configured to seal and hold two or more lead wires.

[0056] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0057] [Configuration supported by the above embodiment] The above embodiment supports the following configurations.

[0058] (Addendum) (Technology 1) A heat pump device having a machine chamber in which a compressor and an expansion device are disposed, and a blower chamber in which a heat exchanger and a blower are disposed within a housing, the heat pump device further comprising an electrical box, the electrical box comprising an electrical box main body having a through opening formed therein, and a cover member, the through opening being provided with a lead wire relay module that draws in a plurality of lead wires, the lead wire relay module comprising a fixing frame having a plurality of insertion openings, and insertion sleeves that are inserted into each of the insertion openings and come into close contact with the fixing frame, sealing and holding the lead wires drawn into the interior of the electrical box main body. According to this configuration, the lead wires can be drawn into the interior of the electrical box, while improving the airtightness of the electrical box.

[0059] (Technology 2) The heat pump device described in Technology 1, wherein the fixing frame and the insertion sleeve have a tapered structure that brings the outer periphery of the insertion sleeve into tight contact with the fixing frame as the insertion sleeve is inserted into the fixing frame. This configuration allows the fixed frame and the insertion sleeve to be brought into closer contact with each other.

[0060] (Technology 3) The heat pump device according to Technology 1 or 2, wherein the fixing frame is made of resin, has an O-ring groove into which an O-ring is inserted, and is fixed to the through opening of the electrical box body with the O-ring sandwiched between them. This configuration can improve the airtightness between the fixing frame and the electrical box body.

[0061] (Technology 4) The heat pump device according to Technology 3, wherein the O-ring is made of foam rubber. According to this configuration, the O-ring can easily fit tightly into the O-ring groove and the electrical box body, thereby improving the airtightness between the fixing frame and the electrical box body.

[0062] (Technology 5) The heat pump device according to Technology 3 or 4, wherein the O-ring is made of chloroprene rubber. With this configuration, a flammable refrigerant such as propane gas is less likely to permeate the O-ring, making it more difficult for the refrigerant to enter the electrical box.

[0063] (Technology 6) The heat pump device according to any one of Technologies 3 to 5, wherein the length of the O-ring is set shorter than the length of the O-ring groove. According to this configuration, the O-ring is more likely to fit tightly into the O-ring groove without loosening, and the intrusion of refrigerant into the electrical box can be suppressed.

[0064] (Technical Aspect 7) The heat pump apparatus according to any one of Technical Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the electrical box is disposed above the machine room and the blower room, straddling the machine room and the blower room. With this configuration, the electrical box is easily cooled by the air in the portion located in the blower room, and the lead wires extending from each device in the machine room can be drawn into the interior of the electrical box via the lead wire relay module. [Industrial Applicability]

[0065] The present disclosure is suitably applicable to a heat pump device that can suppress an increase in refrigerant concentration around electrical components housed in an electrical box in the event of a refrigerant leak. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1. Heat pump equipment 10. Cabinet 11 Divider 12 Blower room 13 Machine room 14 Bottom plate 15 Side Panel 16 Front Panel 17 Top plate 18 Ventilation section 20 Heat exchanger 21 Blower 22 Compressor 23 Water heat exchanger 24 Expansion Device 25 Refrigerant piping 26 Notch 27 Four-way valve 28 Water supply piping 30 Electrical box 31 Aperture 32 Electrical box body 33 Lid member 34 Bottom of electrical box 34a Through opening 35 Bottom opening 36 O-ring groove 38 O-ring 39 Partition material 40 Control board 41 Heat sink 42 Sealing material 45 Cable 50 Power line relay section 51 Terminal block 52 Cable gland 53 Lead wire relay section 55 Lead Wire Relay Module 60 Shielding member 70 fixed frames 71 Frame 71d Edge 71e Inside surface 73 Flange 73a Fixing hole 76 Guide part 77 O-ring groove 77a O-ring 80 Insertion sleeve 80a Side (periphery) 81 holes 83 Slit 152 Window Opening 154 Partition 155 Window cover S Insertion opening

Claims

1. A heat pump device including a machine chamber in which a compressor and an expansion device are disposed, and a blower chamber in which a heat exchanger and a blower device are disposed, Equipped with an electrical box, The electrical box includes an electrical box body having a through-opening formed therein and a cover member, a lead wire relay module for drawing in a plurality of lead wires is provided in the through opening; The lead wire relay module includes a fixed frame having a plurality of insertion openings, and insertion sleeves that are inserted into the respective insertion openings and come into close contact with the fixed frame, and that seal and hold the lead wires that are drawn into the interior of the electrical box body. Heat pump equipment.

2. the fixed frame and the insertion sleeve have a tapered structure that brings the outer periphery of the insertion sleeve into close contact with the fixed frame as the insertion sleeve is inserted into the fixed frame; The heat pump device according to claim 1 .

3. The fixing frame is made of resin, has an O-ring groove into which an O-ring is inserted, and is fixed to the through-opening of the electrical box body with the O-ring sandwiched therebetween. The heat pump device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The O-ring is made of foam rubber. The heat pump device according to claim 3 .

5. The O-ring is made of chloroprene rubber. The heat pump device according to claim 3 .

6. The length of the O-ring is set shorter than the length of the O-ring groove. The heat pump device according to claim 3 .

7. The electrical equipment box is disposed above the machine room and the blower room, straddling the machine room and the blower room. The heat pump device according to claim 1 or 2.

Citation Information

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