water heater

Abstract

To provide a water heater capable of making a horizontal width of a housing compact.SOLUTION: A bracket fitting 58 to which an upper part of a neutralizer 55 is fixed via a mounting fitting 59, and a fixing bar 60 to which a lower part of the neutralizer 55 is fixed are attached in front of a lower casing 17 and a middle casing 18 of a combustion chamber 16. Also, the fixing bar 60 is provided with case installation holes 75, 75 to which an upper part of a controller 65 is fixed via the mounting fittings 59, 59. Then, on the front side of the lower casing 17 and the middle casing 18, the neutralizer 55 and the controller 65 are arranged vertically in parallel. Therefore, a horizontal width of a housing 2 of a water heater 1 can be made more compact than before.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present invention relates to a water heater in which a neutralizer for neutralizing drain generated in a combustion chamber is installed. 【Background Art】 【0002】 In conventional water heaters, a neutralizer for neutralizing drain generated in a combustion chamber is installed. For example, in the water heater described in Patent Document 1, the neutralizer is installed on the left or right side of the combustion chamber. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0003】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent No. 6814401 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0004】 However, in conventional water heaters, since the neutralizer is installed on the side of the combustion chamber as described above, there is a problem that the left-right width of the casing of the water heater becomes wide. 【0005】 Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a water heater capable of making the left-right width of the casing compact. 【Means for Solving the Problems】 【0006】 In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a water heater provided with a combustion chamber having a burner, a neutralizer for neutralizing drain generated in the combustion chamber, and a controller for controlling the operation of the burner inside a casing, wherein a fixing fitting to which the lower part of the neutralizer is fixed is attached to the front surface of the casing of the combustion chamber The fixing bracket is a fixing bar comprising a strip-shaped bar body extending in the left-right direction, legs extending rearward from both left and right ends of the bar body, and fixing pieces extending outward in the left-right direction from the tip of each leg, with the fixing pieces fixed to the front surface of the casing. and The bar body has an installation section to which the lower part of the neutralizer is fixed,The upper part of the controller is provided with a case mounting section to which it is fixed via a predetermined mounting bracket. The mounting bracket comprises a bracket body extending in the front-rear direction, a first mounting piece extending vertically from the rear end of the bracket body, and a second mounting piece extending vertically in the opposite direction from the first mounting piece from the front end of the bracket body, wherein the first mounting piece is fixed to the case mounting portion of the fixing bar, and the second mounting piece is fixed to the controller. The neutralizer and the controller are arranged side by side, vertically, at the front of the casing. The invention described in claim 2 is the invention described in claim 1. , take A mounting bracket of the same shape as the attachment bracket is interposed between the top of the neutralizer and the front of the casing, with the first mounting piece of the mounting bracket of the same shape fixed to the front side of the casing and the second mounting piece of the mounting bracket of the same shape fixed to the neutralizer. The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 1 or 2, the controller is provided with an engaging portion that protrudes downward, and the bottom plate of the housing is provided with an engaged portion that the engaging portion can engage with. [Effects of the Invention] 【0007】 According to the present invention, a fixing bracket is attached to the front of the combustion chamber casing to secure the lower part of the neutralizer. The fixing bracket is a fixing bar comprising a strip-shaped bar body extending in the left-right direction, legs extending rearward from both left and right ends of the bar body, and fixing pieces extending outward in the left-right direction from the tip of each leg, and the fixing pieces are fixed to the front of the casing for installation. And, The bar body has an installation section to which the lower part of the neutralizer is fixed, The controller has a case mounting section where the top of the controller is fixed via a predetermined mounting bracket. The mounting bracket comprises a bracket body extending in the front-rear direction, a first mounting piece extending vertically from the rear end of the bracket body, and a second mounting piece extending vertically in the opposite direction from the first mounting piece from the front end of the bracket body. The first mounting piece is fixed to the case mounting portion of the fixing bar, and the second mounting piece is fixed to the controller. The neutralizer and controller are arranged vertically side-by-side at the front of the casing. Therefore, the width of the water heater housing can be made more compact than in conventional designs. Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 2 , take A mounting bracket of the same shape as the attachment bracket is interposed between the top of the neutralizer and the front of the casing, with the first mounting piece of the same-shaped mounting bracket fixed to the front side of the casing and the second mounting piece of the same-shaped mounting bracket fixed to the neutralizer. Therefore, since the same-shaped mounting bracket is used for the installation of both the neutralizer and the controller, the number of parts can be reduced, and consequently, manufacturing management costs can be reduced. In addition, sufficient space can be secured between the neutralizer and the casing in the front-to-back direction, which prevents damage to the neutralizer due to heat from the combustion chamber. Furthermore, by utilizing the gap, for example, a resin sheet can be wrapped around the combustion chamber to install an overheat prevention device using a resin sheet. Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 3, the controller is provided with an engaging portion that protrudes downward, and the bottom plate of the housing is provided with an engaged portion that the engaging portion can engage with. As a result, the controller can be installed with a simple structure, and the number of parts can be further reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0008】 [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the water heater from the front. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the water heater from the front with the front cover removed. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the cross-section along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the inside of the enclosure, seen from the left rear, with the front cover, left and right side panels of the main body of the enclosure, back panel, and resin sheet omitted. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the inside of the enclosure, seen from the right rear, with the front cover, left and right side panels of the main body of the enclosure, back panel, and resin sheet omitted. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the inside of the enclosure, seen from the front right, with the front cover, left and right side panels of the box body, back panel, and resin sheet omitted. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view diagram showing the neutralizer, controller, mounting bracket, and fixing bar in a disassembled state, as seen from the front. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view diagram showing the neutralizer, controller, mounting bracket, and fixing bar in a disassembled state, as seen from the rear. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view diagram showing a fixed bar. [Figure 10] These are perspective diagrams illustrating the mounting brackets, with (a) showing the view from the front and (b) showing the view from the rear. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view illustrating the bracket fittings attached to the middle and upper casings. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0009】 Hereinafter, a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. (Description of the overall configuration of the water heater) FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the water heater 1 from the front side. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the water heater 1 with the front cover 4 removed from the front side. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a cross-section taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the interior of the housing 2 as seen from the left rear with the front cover 4 and the left and right side plates 7A, 7B, the back plate 8, and the resin sheet 50 of the box body 3 omitted. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the interior of the housing 2 as seen from the right rear with the front cover 4 and the left and right side plates 7A, 7B, the back plate 8, and the resin sheet 50 of the box body 3 omitted. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the interior of the housing 2 as seen from the right front with the front cover 4 and the left and right side plates 7A, 7B, the back plate 8, and the resin sheet 50 of the box body 3 omitted. FIG. 7 is a perspective explanatory view showing the neutralizer 55, the controller 65, the mounting brackets 59, 59··, and the fixing bar 60 in a disassembled state from the front side. FIG. 8 is a perspective explanatory view showing the neutralizer 55, the controller 65, the mounting brackets 59, 59··, and the fixing bar 60 in a disassembled state from the rear side. FIG. 9 is a perspective explanatory view showing the fixing bar 60. FIG. 10 is a perspective explanatory view showing the mounting bracket 59, with (a) showing it from the front side and (b) showing it from the rear side respectively. FIG. 11 is a perspective explanatory view showing the bracket 58 attached to the middle casing 18 and the upper casing 19. 【0010】 The water heater 1 has a vertically long box-shaped housing 2. The housing 2 includes a box body 3 and a front cover 4. The box body 3 has an open front and a deep bottom in the front and rear directions. The front cover 4 is screwed to the box body 3 from the front to close the front surface. A cylindrical exhaust port 37 provided on the front side of the upper casing 19, which will be described later, penetrates through the upper part of the front cover 4. 【0011】 The box body 3 includes a top plate 5, a bottom plate 6, left and right side plates 7A and 7B, and a back plate 8. On the bottom plate 6, there are a water inlet 9 for connecting to an external water pipe, a hot water outlet 10 for connecting to an external hot water faucet, a bath return port 11 and a bath supply port 12 for connecting to an external bathtub. In the central part of the bottom plate 6, there are a gas inlet 13 for connecting to an external gas pipe and a drain port 14 connected to a neutralizer 55 described later. On the upper and lower parts of the back plate 8, there are mounting plates 15, 15 for installation on a wall surface or the like. 【0012】 A combustion chamber 16 is provided on the inner back side of the box body 3. The combustion chamber 16 includes a lower casing 17, a middle casing 18, and an upper casing 19 that communicate in the vertical direction. The lower casing 17 houses a plurality of burner units 20, 20 ···. Each burner unit 20 is formed by arranging a plurality of flat burners 21 extending in the front-rear direction side by side in the left-right direction. The number of burners 21 is different for each burner unit 20. As shown in FIG. 4, a combustion fan 22 is connected to the lower surface of the lower casing 17. The combustion fan 22 rotates about the front-rear direction axis by a fan motor 23 provided on the rear side. The combustion fan 22 supplies combustion air to the burner units 20. A gas distribution unit 25 is provided on the front side of the lower casing 17. The gas distribution unit 25 includes a plurality of electromagnetic valves and can switch the burner units 20 to be burned by opening and closing each electromagnetic valve. A gas pipe 26 equipped with a main valve and a proportional valve is connected to the upstream end of the burner unit 20. The gas pipe 26 is connected to the gas inlet 13. 【0013】 The central casing 18 houses a primary hot water heat exchanger 27 and a bath heat exchanger 28. The primary hot water heat exchanger 27 has multiple fins 29, 29... arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction, and hot water side heat transfer pipes 30 that meander through each fin 29 in two stages, upper and lower. The bath heat exchanger 28 has each fin 29 and bath side heat transfer pipes 31 that meander through each fin 29 between the upper and lower hot water side heat transfer pipes 30. In other words, the water heater 1 is a one-boiler, two-channel type in which a primary hot water heat exchanger 27 and a bath heat exchanger 28 with different paths are placed side by side within a single central casing 18 and heated by a common burner unit 20. 【0014】 The upper casing 19 houses a secondary hot water heat exchanger 32. The secondary hot water heat exchanger 32 houses a plurality of heat absorption tubes 33, 33... formed in a meandering shape. As shown in Figure 4, both ends of each heat absorption tube 33 are connected to an inlet header 34 and an outlet header 35 provided front to back on the left side of the upper casing 19, so that the inlet ends and outlet ends are in communication with each other. The upper casing 19 is in communication with the middle casing 18 at their rear ends. The upper casing 19 is supported in a downward sloping position, and a flattened drain receiver 36 is provided on the front side. An exhaust port 37 is connected to the front of the drain receiver 36, facing forward. 【0015】 A water supply pipe 40 is connected to the water inlet 9. The water supply pipe 40 is routed upward on the left side of the combustion chamber 16 and connected to the inlet header 34 of the upper casing 19. A relay pipe 41 is connected to the outlet header 35. As shown in Figure 5, the relay pipe 41 runs from the left side of the combustion chamber 16, through the rear of the middle casing 18, and around to the right side of the middle casing 18. Then, the relay pipe 41 is routed forward on the right side of the middle casing 18 and connected to the upstream end of the lower hot water side heat transfer tube 30 of the hot water primary heat exchanger 27. 【0016】 A hot water outlet pipe 42 is connected to the downstream end of the upper section of the hot water supply side heat transfer pipe 30. As shown in Figure 6, the hot water outlet pipe 42 wraps around from the right side of the middle casing 18 to the front of the middle casing 18, crosses in front of the middle casing 18, and moves to the left side of the middle casing 18. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the hot water outlet pipe 42 bends downward at the left front of the middle casing 18, is routed in a straight line downwards, and is connected to the hot water outlet 10. The straight section 43 of the hot water outlet pipe 42 is connected to the water supply pipe 40 via a bypass pipe 44. 【0017】 A bath return pipe 45 is connected to the bath return port 11. As shown in Figures 4-6, the bath return pipe 45 is routed upward along the right side of the combustion chamber 16 via a pump 46. The bath return pipe 45 then crosses in front of the middle casing 18, wraps around to the left side of the middle casing 18, and connects to the upstream end of the bath-side heat transfer pipe 31 of the bath heat exchanger 28. The bath return pipe 45 is connected to the hot water outlet pipe 42 via a drop-off pipe 47. A bath supply pipe 48 is connected to the bath outlet 12. The bath supply pipe 48 is routed upward along the right side of the combustion chamber 16, and then connected to the downstream end of the bath-side heat transfer pipe 31 on the right side of the middle casing 18. 【0018】 A resin sheet 50 is wound around the combustion chamber 16. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the resin sheet 50 is a strip-shaped body that spans the lower casing 17 and the middle casing 18 and is wound around the combustion chamber 16. The resin sheet 50 is wound along the inner surfaces of the left and right side plates 7A, 7B and the back plate 8 on the outside of each pipe, so that it does not come into contact with the combustion chamber 16. 【0019】 The resin sheet 50 has a continuous conductive pattern 51 printed on it that extends longitudinally while meandering back and forth in the width direction, along its entire length. Both ends of the conductive pattern 51 are electrically connected to an electrical circuit board 66, which will be described later, to form an overheat prevention device. This overheat prevention device is designed so that if the lower casing 17 or the middle casing 18 overheats abnormally, causing cracks or holes to form and combustion exhaust to be ejected, the conductive pattern 51 will break along with the melting of the resin sheet 50, causing the resistance value to rapidly increase or become infinite. The electrical circuit board 66, detecting this change in resistance value, will stop the supply of fuel gas and extinguish the burner unit 20. 【0020】 A neutralizer 55 is positioned in front of the combustion chamber 16. The neutralizer 55 is a rectangular box-shaped body when viewed from the front, and is filled with a neutralizing agent (not shown) inside. Drain discharge pipes 56, 56 are connected to the top surface of the neutralizer 55, which are connected to the front bottom surface of the upper casing 19 and the drain receiver 36. A drain pipe 57 is connected to the bottom surface of the neutralizer 55, which is connected to the drain port 14. Below the neutralizer 55, a controller 65 is located. The controller 65 includes an electrical circuit board 66, a housing case 67, and a cover 68. 【0021】 (Explanation of water heater operation) In water heater 1, normal hot water supply is performed as follows: When the hot water tap on the external piping connected to the hot water outlet 10 is opened and water flows into the appliance, and the hot water flow sensor installed in the water supply pipe 40 detects this water flow, the controller 65 drives the combustion fan 22 for a predetermined time to discharge the combustion exhaust stored in the combustion chamber 16 (pre-purge). Subsequently, the controller opens the main valve of the gas piping 26 and the solenoid valve of the gas distribution unit 25, opens the proportional valve to a predetermined opening, supplies gas to the burner unit 20, and activates the igniter to ignite the burner unit 20. 【0022】 As a result, the water supplied from the water supply pipe 40 exchanges heat with the combustion exhaust from the burner unit 20 as it flows through the heat absorption pipe 33 of the hot water secondary heat exchanger 32, recovering latent heat. The condensate generated at this time is collected in the neutralizer 55 via the drain discharge pipe 56, neutralized with a neutralizing agent, and then discharged outside the appliance through the drain pipe 57. The hot water that has passed through the secondary heat exchanger 32 flows to the primary heat exchanger 32 via the relay pipe 41, and as it flows through the hot water side heat transfer pipe 30, it exchanges heat with the combustion exhaust from the burner unit 20 to recover sensible heat. The hot water thus heated is then discharged from the hot water tap through the outlet pipe 42 and external piping. 【0023】 The electrical circuit board 66 of the controller 65 monitors the outlet temperature, which is the temperature of the hot water dispensed immediately after the primary hot water heat exchanger 27, using an outlet temperature thermistor installed in the hot water outlet pipe 42. It then drives a distribution valve installed in the bypass pipe 44 to control the flow rate (bypass rate) to the bypass pipe 44 so that the outlet temperature is maintained within a temperature range that prevents the generation of condensate and overheating in the primary hot water heat exchanger 27. Furthermore, the electrical circuit board 66 monitors the hot water temperature using a hot water temperature thermistor installed in the hot water outlet pipe 42, and controls the opening and closing of each solenoid valve in the gas distribution unit 25 and adjusts the opening degree of the proportional valve so that the hot water temperature reaches the set temperature indicated by the external hot water remote control or bath remote control. It also continuously changes the amount of air by controlling the operation of the combustion fan 22. When the hot water tap is closed, the electrical circuit board 66, having confirmed the cessation of the signal from the hot water volume sensor, closes the main valve and the solenoid valve of the gas distribution unit 25 to extinguish the burner unit 20 and drives the combustion fan 22 for a predetermined time (post-purge). 【0024】 On the other hand, when the automatic switch on the hot water remote control or the bath remote control is pressed, the electrical circuit board 66 opens the drop water solenoid valve installed in the drop pipe 47, allowing water to flow to the primary hot water heat exchanger 27 and the secondary hot water heat exchanger 32, and igniting the burner unit 20. Hot water from the outlet pipe 42 is supplied to the external bathtub through the drop pipe 47 and the bath return pipe 45. When the amount of water detected by the bath water volume sensor installed in the drop pipe 47 reaches the set amount, the electrical circuit board 66 closes the drop water solenoid valve to stop the water flow and extinguishes the burner unit 20. Next, the electrical circuit board 66 operates the pump 46 to circulate hot water between the bath heat exchanger 28 and the bathtub. At this time, the electrical circuit board 66 monitors the temperature of the circulating water using thermistors installed in the bath return pipe 45 and the bath supply pipe 48. When it detects a drop from the set temperature, it ignites the burner unit 20, as in the hot water supply process, and supplies combustion air with the combustion fan 22. As a result, the circulating bath water between the bath heat exchanger 28 and the bathtub is heated to the set temperature by heat exchange with the combustion exhaust from the burner unit 20 as it flows through the bath-side heat transfer pipe 31. Once the set temperature is reached, the electrical circuit board 66 stops the combustion of the burner unit 20 and stops the pump 46. 【0025】 (Explanation of the installation structure of the neutralizer and controller) As an installation structure for mounting the neutralizer 55 and controller 65 in front of the combustion chamber 16, a metal fixing bar 60 is screwed to the front of the lower casing 17 of the combustion chamber 16. The fixing bar 60 comprises a strip-shaped bar body 71 extending in the left-right direction, legs 72, 72 extending rearward from both left and right ends of the bar body 71, and fixing pieces 73, 73 extending outward in the left-right direction from the tips of the legs 72, 72. Installation holes 74, 74 are drilled in the lower part of the bar body 71 for screwing the lower part of the neutralizer 55. Also, on the lower part of the bar body 71, case installation holes 75, 75 are drilled on the left-right outer side of the installation holes 74, 74 for screwing the storage case 67 of the controller 65. Furthermore, near each case installation hole 75, a positioning slit 93 is provided into which the tip of the positioning piece 91 of the mounting bracket 59, which will be described later, can be inserted. Each fixing piece 73 is provided with a screw hole 76 for screwing the fixing bar 60 to the front surface of the lower casing 17. 【0026】 Furthermore, a bracket fitting 58, which also functions as an installation structure for the neutralizer 55, is attached from the upper front end of the middle casing 18 to the lower surface of the upper casing 19. The bracket fitting 58 comprises a plate-shaped upper casing fixing portion 85 extending in the front-rear direction and a plate-shaped middle casing fixing portion 86 extending downward from the rear end of the upper casing fixing portion 85. This bracket fitting 58 fastens the two casings 18 and 19 together by spot welding the upper casing fixing portion 85 to the lower surface of the upper casing 19 and the middle casing fixing portion 86 to the front surface of the middle casing 18. Below the middle casing fixing portion 86, there is a mounting portion 87 for screwing the upper side of the neutralizer 55 in place, and a positioning slit 94 into which the tip of the positioning piece 91 of the mounting fitting 59 (described later) can be inserted. 【0027】 Furthermore, an upper mounting piece 77 with a screw insertion hole is provided protruding upward from the upper surface of the neutralizer 55. In addition, two lower mounting pieces 78, 78 with screw insertion holes are provided protruding downward from the lower surface of the neutralizer 55. The left-right spacing between the lower mounting pieces 78, 78 is the same as the left-right spacing between the mounting holes 74, 74. On the other hand, case mounting pieces 83, 83, each with screw insertion holes, are provided protruding upward from the top surface of the storage case 67 of the controller 65, at the same spacing as the left-right spacing of the case mounting holes 75, 75 in the fixing bar 60. Furthermore, engaging projections 88, 88 that protrude downward are provided on the bottom surface of the storage case 67. These engaging projections 88, 88 can be engaged with engaging holes 89, 89 provided in the bottom plate 6 of the housing 2 when inserted. 【0028】 Furthermore, the mounting bracket 59 used for installing the neutralizer 55 and controller 65 is made by bending a strip-shaped metal plate that extends vertically, and has a bracket body 80 that extends in the front-rear direction, a first mounting piece 81 that extends upward from the rear end of the bracket body 80, and a second mounting piece 82 that extends downward from the front end of the bracket body 80. A first mounting hole 90 is drilled at a position slightly to the left on the upper part of the first mounting piece 81 for screwing the mounting bracket 59 (especially the first mounting piece 81) to the bracket fitting 58 or the fixing bar 60. In addition, a positioning piece 91 is provided projecting to the rear of the first mounting piece 81 for positioning the mounting position of the mounting bracket 59 to the bracket fitting 58 or the fixing bar 60. On the other hand, a second mounting hole 92 is drilled in the second mounting piece 82 for screwing the mounting bracket 59 (especially the second mounting piece 82) to the neutralizer 55 or the storage case 67. 【0029】 In the installation structure described above, the upper part of the neutralizer 55 is fixed by connecting the upper mounting piece 77 and the bracket fitting 58 via a mounting fitting 59. At this time, the mounting fitting 59 is positioned at a predetermined mounting position by inserting the tip of the positioning piece 91 into the positioning slit 94, and then the first mounting piece 81 is attached to the mounting portion 87 of the bracket fitting 58 by screwing it, and the second mounting piece 82 is attached to the rear surface of the upper mounting piece 77. The lower part of the neutralizer 55 is fixed by screwing the lower mounting pieces 78, 78 to the fixing bar 60 with the lower mounting pieces 78, 78 in contact with the front surface of the fixing bar 60. A gap of a predetermined width in the front-to-back direction is formed between the neutralizer 55, which is installed in this manner, and the lower casing 17 and middle casing 18 of the combustion chamber 16. The resin sheet 50 is then wound around the combustion chamber 16, passing through this gap. 【0030】 Meanwhile, the controller 65 is installed by engaging the engaging protrusions 88, 88 of the storage case 67 with the engaging holes 89, 89, and then fixing the upper part of the storage case 67 to the fixing bar 60 via two mounting brackets 59, 59. At this time, each mounting bracket 59 is positioned in a predetermined mounting position by inserting the tip of the positioning piece 91 into the positioning slit 93, and then the first mounting piece 81 is attached to the front of the case mounting hole 75 portion of the fixing bar 60 by screwing it, and the second mounting piece 82 is attached to the rear surface of the case mounting piece 83. The controller 65, installed in this manner, is located below the neutralizer 55. In other words, the neutralizer 55 and the controller 65 are installed in a straight line vertically in front of the lower casing 17 and the middle casing 18. 【0031】 (Effects of the invention relating to the installation structure of the neutralizer and controller) In the water heater 1 having the above configuration, a bracket fitting 58 to which the upper part of the neutralizer 55 is fixed via a mounting bracket 59 and a fixing bar 60 to which the lower part of the neutralizer 55 is fixed are attached to the front of the lower casing 17 and middle casing 18 of the combustion chamber 16. Case mounting holes 75, 75 to which the upper part of the controller 65 is fixed via mounting brackets 59, 59 are provided in the fixing bar 60. The neutralizer 55 and the controller 65 are arranged side by side, vertically, on the front of the lower casing 17 and middle casing 18. Therefore, the width of the housing 2 of the water heater 1 can be made more compact than conventional models. In addition, since the same mounting bracket 59 is used for the installation of both the neutralizer 55 and the controller 65, the number of parts can be reduced, and consequently, manufacturing management costs can be reduced. Furthermore, the mounting bracket 59 and fixing bar 60 can also be reused for sensible heat type water heaters that do not have a neutralizer 55, and further reductions in manufacturing management costs can be expected due to the commonality of parts. 【0032】 Furthermore, since the controller 65 is provided with downward-projecting engagement protrusions 88, 88, and the bottom plate 6 of the housing 2 is provided with engagement holes 89, 89 into which the engagement protrusions 88, 88 can engage, the controller 65 can be installed with a simple structure, and the number of parts can be further reduced. Furthermore, the neutralizer 55 and the controller 65 are installed in a straight line vertically in front of the lower casing 17 and the middle casing 18, and the space in front of the lower casing 17 and the middle casing 18 is filled by the neutralizer 55 and the controller 65, thereby improving the strength of the housing 2. 【0033】 In addition, the neutralizer 55 is installed in front of the lower casing 17 and middle casing 18 using a fixing bar 60 which has a strip-shaped bar body 71 extending in the left-right direction, legs 72, 72 extending rearward from both left and right ends of the bar body 71, and fixing pieces 73, 73 which extend outward in the left-right direction from the tips of the legs 72, 72, respectively, and a mounting bracket 59 which has a metal fitting body 80 extending in the front-rear direction, a first mounting piece 81 extending upward from the rear end of the metal fitting body 80, and a second mounting piece 82 extending downward from the front end of the metal fitting body 80, thereby ensuring a sufficient gap between the neutralizer 55 and the lower casing 17 and middle casing 18 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, damage to the neutralizer due to heat from the combustion chamber can be prevented, and an overheat prevention device using a resin sheet 50 can be installed by wrapping the resin sheet 50 around the combustion chamber 16 using the gap. 【0034】 Furthermore, the first mounting piece 81 of the mounting bracket 59 is provided with a positioning piece 91 that protrudes to the rear, while the bracket fitting 58 and the fixing bar 60 are provided with positioning slits 93 and 94 into which the tip of the positioning piece 91 can be inserted. When installing the mounting bracket 59, the tip of the positioning piece 91 can be inserted into the positioning slits 93 and 94 to position the mounting bracket 59 in the appropriate mounting position. Therefore, the work involved in installing the mounting bracket 59, and consequently the assembly work of the water heater 1, can be easily carried out. Furthermore, by providing such a positioning piece 91, if an attempt is made to assemble the mounting bracket 59 with its orientation reversed (front-side or upside down), the positioning piece 91 will interfere with the upper mounting piece 77 of the neutralizer 55 or the case mounting piece 83 of the storage case 67, thus preventing assembly in such an incorrect orientation. Furthermore, since the first mounting hole 90 for screwing the first mounting piece 81 of the mounting bracket 59 is located to the left in the left-right direction on the first mounting piece 81, if the mounting bracket 59 is placed in the incorrect position as described above, the positions of the first mounting hole 90 and the second mounting hole 92 will be misaligned with the positions of the corresponding through holes (through holes in the upper mounting piece 77 and mounting section 94, and through holes in the case mounting hole 75 and case mounting piece 83). Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the mounting bracket 59 from being assembled in the incorrect position. 【0035】 Furthermore, the water heater according to the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and the overall configuration of the water heater, as well as the configuration related to the installation structure of the neutralizer and controller, can be modified as needed. 【0036】 For example, in the above embodiment, a bracket is attached to the combustion chamber casing and a mounting bracket is screwed to the bracket, but it is also possible to configure the mounting bracket to be screwed directly to the combustion chamber casing. Furthermore, the fixing bracket is not limited in any way to the fixing bar of the above embodiment, and the shape of the fixing bracket can be changed as appropriate. The specific configuration of the mounting bracket can also be changed as appropriate, for example, by reversing the direction in which the first mounting piece and the second mounting piece protrude from the bracket body. 【0037】 Furthermore, although the controller is included as a component of the overheat prevention device in the above embodiment, it is also possible to omit the function of the controller as an overheat prevention device. In addition, in the above embodiment, an engaging projection is provided on the lower surface of the controller as an engaging part, and an engaging hole is provided on the bottom plate of the housing as an engaged part. However, an elastic engaging claw may be provided as the engaging part, while an engaged boss with a recess formed on its front surface into which the engaging claw can engage may be provided as the engaged part. The specific configuration of the engaging part and the engaged part can also be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols] 【0038】 1. Water heater, 2. Housing, 16. Combustion chamber, 17. Lower casing, 18. Middle casing, 19. Upper casing, 20. Burner unit, 55. Neutralizer, 58. Bracket fittings, 60. Fixing bar (fixing fittings), 65. Controller, 67. Storage case, 68. Cover, 71. Bar body, 72. Legs, 73. Fixing piece, 74. Installation hole (installation part), 75. Case installation hole (case installation part), 80. Fitting body, 81. First mounting piece, 82. Second mounting piece, 88. Engaging projection (engaging part), 89. Engaging hole (engaged part).

Claims

[Claim 1] A water heater comprising, within its casing, a combustion chamber equipped with a burner, a neutralizer for neutralizing the drain generated in the combustion chamber, and a controller for controlling the operation of the burner, A fixing bracket is attached to the front surface of the casing of the combustion chamber, to which the lower part of the neutralizer is fixed. The aforementioned fixing bracket is a fixing bar comprising a strip-shaped bar body extending in the left-right direction, legs extending rearward from both left and right ends of the bar body, and fixing pieces extending outward in the left-right direction from the tip of each leg, wherein the fixing pieces are fixed to the front surface of the casing, The bar body is provided with an installation section to which the lower part of the neutralizer is fixed, and a case installation section to which the upper part of the controller is fixed via a predetermined mounting bracket. The mounting bracket comprises a bracket body extending in the front-rear direction, a first mounting piece extending vertically from the rear end of the bracket body, and a second mounting piece extending vertically from the front end of the bracket body in the opposite direction to the first mounting piece. The first mounting piece is fixed to the case mounting portion of the fixing bar, and the second mounting piece is fixed to the controller, A water heater characterized in that the neutralizer and the controller are arranged side by side vertically at the front of the casing. [Claim 2] A mounting bracket having the same shape as the mounting bracket is interposed between the upper part of the neutralizer and the front surface of the casing, The water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that the first mounting piece of the mounting bracket of the same shape is fixed to the front side of the casing, and the second mounting piece of the mounting bracket of the same shape is fixed to the neutralizer. [Claim 3] The controller is provided with an engaging portion that protrudes downward, The water heater according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bottom plate of the housing is provided with an engaged portion into which the engaging portion can engage.

Images