JP5561537B2 - Combustion device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a combustion apparatus that detects liquid fuel leakage using a liquid fuel sensor.

  Even now that city gas and propane gas have become widespread, in order to reduce running costs and the like, combustion apparatuses that use inexpensive liquid fuel such as kerosene are frequently used. Some combustion apparatuses using such liquid fuel incorporate a sensor inside the apparatus to detect fuel leakage, and perform a notification operation or a combustion operation interruption based on the detected information. In addition, the detection of leakage performed by the combustion apparatus is required to be performed accurately in a short time from the viewpoint of avoiding danger when liquid fuel leaks.

  As a combustion apparatus capable of performing such leak detection, a combustion apparatus proposed by the present applicant is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the combustion apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a fuel reservoir is provided below the fuel pipe connection part and the fuel system member on the fuel supply path of the combustion apparatus. A highly sensitive liquid fuel sensor is fixed to the fuel reservoir.

In the combustion apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, no matter which part of liquid fuel leaks, such as a fuel pipe connection part and a fuel system member on the fuel supply path, the liquid fuel leaks. The leaked liquid fuel collects in a fuel reservoir provided with a liquid fuel sensor. Therefore, the leaked liquid fuel does not come into contact with the liquid fuel sensor and the leak is not sensed. In addition, the combustion apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a highly sensitive liquid fuel sensor that can notify in a short time when liquid fuel comes into contact.
As a result, the combustion apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 enables accurate leak detection in a short time, that is, highly sensitive leak detection.

JP 2005-98873 A

  By the way, in a combustion apparatus that uses liquid fuel, a small amount of liquid fuel may be accidentally leaked into the combustion apparatus when laying or inspecting. At this time, if the sensitivity of the leak detection of the combustion apparatus is too high, such a slightly leaked liquid fuel may be detected. For this reason, there is a possibility that the notification operation or the shut-off operation of the combustion operation is executed even though there is no substantial abnormality in the internal equipment.

  Therefore, the present invention pays attention to the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and provides a combustion device that does not perform unnecessary sensing operation even when a small amount of liquid fuel leaks or drops due to laying or maintenance of the combustion device. It is an object to do.

The invention according to claim 1 for solving the above problem is a combustion apparatus having a combustion section and a fuel supply means for supplying liquid fuel to the combustion section, and has a tray and a liquid fuel sensor, The tray includes a fuel reservoir, and the liquid fuel sensor is provided on the tray at a position away from the fuel reservoir in a direction including a horizontal component, and the liquid fuel that has flowed out of the fuel reservoir is liquid. Liquid fuel leakage is detected by contacting the fuel sensor, the tray has a plurality of fuel reservoirs, at least one fuel reservoir is provided at a position away from the liquid fuel sensor, The combustion apparatus is characterized in that a liquid fuel sensor is disposed in at least one fuel reservoir different from the fuel reservoir .

In the combustion apparatus of the present invention, a fuel reservoir is formed on the tray, and a liquid fuel sensor is disposed at a position away from the fuel reservoir on the tray. Therefore, when the liquid fuel leaked in the combustion apparatus reaches the tray, the liquid fuel is first stored in the fuel reservoir. Only when the liquid fuel fills the fuel reservoir, the liquid fuel overflowing from the fuel reservoir flows toward the liquid fuel sensor, and the liquid fuel sensor detects the leakage of the liquid fuel. That is, the leakage of the liquid fuel can be detected only when the liquid fuel leaks more than a specified amount. Therefore, leaks that are not necessary to be detected such as leakage or dripping of a small amount of liquid fuel during installation or maintenance, etc. Can only sense.
Further, by providing the fuel reservoir and the liquid fuel sensor integrally with the tray, they can be attached to the combustion apparatus together with the tray. Here, the tray can be appropriately changed in size and shape, and is a member having a high degree of freedom in the installation position when attached to the combustion device. Therefore, the liquid fuel is located near the portion where the liquid fuel may leak. Sensors can be placed. Therefore, even if the liquid fuel leakage that is highly necessary to be detected occurs, it can be quickly detected.

In the combustion apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of fuel reservoirs may be provided between the fuel reservoir located at a position away from the liquid fuel sensor and the position where the liquid fuel sensor is provided. By increasing or decreasing the number of fuel reservoirs formed on the tray, the maximum storage amount in the entire fuel reservoir can be increased or decreased. Also, by providing several fuel reservoirs between the first fuel reservoir where the liquid fuel that has flowed into the tray first arrives and the liquid fuel sensor, the liquid fuel that has flowed out of the first fuel reservoir can be reduced. It is possible to change the flow direction and flow velocity of the liquid fuel until reaching the liquid fuel sensor.
  Here, as described above, the liquid fuel sensor senses the liquid fuel that has flowed out of the fuel reservoir as a leaked liquid fuel.
  That is, the combustion apparatus of the present invention can appropriately change the amount of liquid fuel necessary for sensing leakage and the time from when the leaked liquid fuel reaches the tray until the liquid fuel sensor senses the liquid fuel. This makes it possible to accurately detect leakage of liquid fuel regardless of the type of device that is subject to leakage detection.
  In the combustion apparatus of the present invention, a fuel reservoir may be formed at the lower part of the liquid fuel sensor. Providing a fuel reservoir in the lower part of the liquid fuel sensor allows the liquid fuel flowing in the tray to surely flow into the portion where the liquid fuel sensor is located. In addition, the liquid fuel in the tray can be reliably accumulated at the portion where the liquid fuel sensor is located. Accordingly, it is possible to more reliably prevent a detection error due to non-contact between the liquid fuel and the liquid fuel sensor.

The invention according to claim 2 is a combustion apparatus having a combustion part and a fuel supply means for supplying liquid fuel to the combustion part, and has a tray and a liquid fuel sensor, and the tray has a fuel reservoir part. The liquid fuel sensor is provided on the tray at a position away from the fuel reservoir in the direction including the horizontal component, and the liquid fuel flowing out of the fuel reservoir contacts the liquid fuel sensor. A liquid fuel leak is detected, and the liquid fuel sensor or a peripheral member of the liquid fuel sensor is formed with a first fitting portion, and the tray or the mounting member attached integrally with the tray has the above-mentioned A second fitting portion that is paired with the first fitting portion is formed, and the liquid fuel sensor is placed in a tray by fitting the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion. Mounted on The tray has a high position portion and a low position portion that is lower than the high position portion and is continuous with the high position portion, and the mounting member is flat and has a high position. A gap is formed between the liquid fuel sensor and a lower position part, and a part of the liquid fuel sensor or a peripheral member of the liquid fuel sensor or a part of the peripheral member of the liquid fuel sensor is fitted in the gap. The combustion device is characterized in that the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion are fitted .

According to such a configuration, since the liquid fuel sensor can be attached to the tray simply by fitting, it is not necessary to form holes such as screw holes in the tray. Therefore, liquid fuel does not leak from the hole provided in the tray. Further, unlike the attachment by screwing or the like, the liquid fuel sensor can be easily removed. Therefore, the replacement work of the liquid fuel sensor at the time of maintenance or the like can be simplified.

Further, according to such a configuration, the liquid fuel sensor can be attached by pushing the liquid fuel sensor (or a part thereof) so as to slide into the gap formed in the height direction of the tray. Therefore, it is possible to mount the tray strong against the force in the height direction of the tray. Here, according to the present invention, the liquid fuel sensor can be attached and detached more easily than the attachment by screwing or the like. That is, according to the present invention, the liquid fuel sensor can be easily attached and detached, and at the same time, the liquid fuel sensor can be firmly fixed to the tray.

The invention according to claim 3 is the combustion apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tray is located between the combustion section and the fuel supply means .

In the combustion apparatus of the present invention, it is desirable that the tray is located between the combustion section and the fuel supply means. As a result, it is possible to prevent an accident that occurs when the liquid fuel leaked from the fuel supply means falls on the combustion section.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the fuel reservoir portion is formed by deforming a part of the tray so that a part of the tray is depressed from the periphery and / or the periphery is surrounded by a weir .

The fuel reservoir portion of the tray employed in the combustion apparatus of the present invention can be formed by a method such as indenting a part of the tray or surrounding a range that becomes the fuel reservoir portion with a weir. In addition, the fuel reservoir can be formed by surrounding the recessed portion with a weir.
  At this time, according to the means for processing the tray to form the fuel reservoir, unlike the case of attaching an external member, the liquid fuel does not leak from the joint of the member. Therefore, liquid fuel can be more reliably stored in the fuel reservoir.

According to the present invention, the fuel supply means includes at least one of a pump, a flow rate control valve, and a pipe connected to the pump, and includes a connection portion between at least one member of the fuel supply means and an external device. It is preferable that the tray is arranged so that the fuel reservoir is located immediately below .

According to such a configuration, liquid fuel that leaks and drops from the pump, the flow rate control valve, and the pipe connected thereto, which are parts where liquid fuel is likely to leak, can be reliably guided to the fuel reservoir. Here, the external device includes a member for storing liquid fuel such as an oil tank, and the flow rate control valve is not limited to the flow rate control valve itself, but a flow rate control valve such as a check valve or an accumulator is appropriately used. It is assumed to include a unit in which various members are combined.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the tray has a discharge port for discharging liquid fuel to the outside, and the discharge port is provided at a position higher than the lowest part of the fuel detection mechanism in the liquid fuel sensor .

According to such a configuration, when the liquid fuel guided into the tray overflows from the fuel reservoir of the tray, the overflowing liquid fuel can be discharged to the outside.
  In addition, the detection mechanism of the liquid fuel sensor and the liquid fuel can be brought into contact with each other before the liquid fuel flows out. In other words, when the amount of liquid fuel guided into the tray exceeds the storage limit amount of the fuel reservoir, the liquid fuel reliably contacts the detection mechanism of the liquid fuel sensor. As a result, detection errors due to non-contact between the liquid fuel and the liquid fuel sensor are prevented, and the accuracy of leakage detection can be increased.

The combustion apparatus of the present invention can detect the leakage of the liquid fuel only when the liquid fuel leaks more than a specified amount. Therefore, leaks that do not need to be detected such as leakage or dripping of a small amount of liquid fuel during installation or maintenance, etc., and leaks that are highly necessary to be detected such as damage to equipment in the combustion device. Only has the effect of being able to detect
Further, since the liquid fuel sensor can be disposed at a position close to a portion where the liquid fuel may leak, there is an effect that it is possible to quickly detect leakage of the liquid fuel which is highly necessary to be detected.

It is a front view of the hot-water supply apparatus incorporating the combustion apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the tray employ | adopted with the combustion apparatus of FIG. 1, (a) shows the perspective view of the whole tray, (b) is AA sectional drawing of (a), (c) is (a) It is BB sectional drawing of). It is a front view which shows the tray employ | adopted with the combustion apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the liquid fuel sensor employ | adopted with the combustion apparatus of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the liquid fuel sensor of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the tray and liquid fuel sensor which are employ | adopted with the combustion apparatus of FIG. 1, and shows the state which attached the liquid fuel sensor to the tray. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment member of FIG. It is the front view which looked at the attachment member of FIG. 7 from the A direction. It is a perspective view explaining a mode that an attachment member is attached to a tray. It is a perspective view explaining a mode that a liquid fuel sensor is attached to the tray to which the attachment member was attached. It is a partially expanded perspective view of A part of FIG. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged perspective view of FIG. 6 viewed from the A direction. It is a circuit diagram which shows an example of the fuel supply circuit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. It is the perspective view which expanded the A section of the combustion apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view explaining a mode that the liquid fuel which leaked to the tray flows in, and a liquid fuel flows in order of (a) and (b). It is a perspective view explaining a mode that the liquid fuel which leaked to the tray flows in succession to FIG. 15, and liquid fuel flows in order of (c)-(e).

  Hereinafter, although embodiment of this invention is described in detail, this invention is not limited to these examples. For example, although the following description demonstrates the example which incorporates the combustion apparatus 1 in the hot water supply apparatus 2, it is natural that it is not essential to use the combustion apparatus 1 of this invention for a hot water supply apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply device 2 is formed by housing each member including the combustion device 1 inside a rectangular box 64, and heats the water supplied through the water supply port 65, This is a device having a function of sending hot water of a predetermined temperature from the hot water supply port 66.

  The combustion apparatus 1 includes a burner (combustion unit) 4, a fuel supply means 5, a fan 6, a tray 7, and a liquid fuel sensor 8.

  The burner 4 is a known gun type burner, and burns liquid fuel sprayed under pressure (using kerosene in this embodiment). Moreover, the burner 4 of this embodiment is what is called a reverse combustion type, and injects a flame toward the downward direction.

  The fuel supply means 5 is mainly formed by a flow control valve unit (flow control valve) 10, an electromagnetic pump (pump) 11, a fuel supply pipe 12 and a fuel circulation pipe 13, and supplies liquid fuel to the burner 4.

  The fan 6 is a known blower and sends combustion air into the burner 4.

The tray 7 is a characteristic component of the present invention and will be described in detail below.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tray 7 is a square plate-like member in which the edge portion of the bottom surface portion 18 is surrounded by the standing wall portion 20, and has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front (FIG. 3).
Here, when attention is paid to the bottom surface portion 18, the bottom surface portion 18 includes a first fuel reservoir portion (fuel reservoir portion) 21, a second fuel reservoir portion (fuel reservoir portion) 22, and a third fuel reservoir portion which are three concave portions having different shapes. (Fuel pools) 23 are formed respectively, and are partitioned into these three concave portions and a high position portion 19 that is at a higher position than the concave portions. A protrusion 24 is provided on a part of the high position portion 19.
When attention is paid to the standing wall portion 20, a discharge portion (discharge port) 25 that communicates the portion surrounded by the standing wall portion 20 of the tray 7 and the outside is provided in a part thereof.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first fuel reservoir portion 21 is formed by recessing a part of the bottom surface portion 18 into a substantially diamond shape. In the first fuel reservoir portion 21, an edge portion 71 continuous with the high position portion 19 is rounded, and the edge portion 71 is continuously continuous with the periphery.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second fuel reservoir portion 22 is a groove-shaped portion having a substantially semicircular cross section formed by recessing a part of the bottom surface portion 18. It extends in a gentle S shape from the vicinity of one end in the X direction in FIG. 2 to the vicinity of the other end. Specifically, a central portion 22a extending along the longitudinal direction (X direction in FIG. 2) of the tray 7 and a direction inclined from both ends of the central portion 22a with respect to the extending direction of the central portion 22a (X direction in FIG. 2). Formed by extending end portions 22b, 22c. These end portions 22b and 22c are substantially parallel to each other and extend in directions away from each other.
At this time, the end portion 22b on one side of the second fuel reservoir 22 has a rounded end portion 76 in the extending direction (FIG. 3).
Further, in the other end portion 22 c of the second fuel reservoir portion 22, the end portion at a position away from the central portion 22 a is continuous with the third fuel reservoir portion 23. A raised portion 26 is formed at a portion continuous with the third fuel reservoir portion 23, and the raised portion 26 is gently raised with respect to the other bottom portion of the second fuel reservoir portion 22, It has become a mountain.
In the entire second fuel reservoir portion 22, the edge portion 77 continuous with the high position portion 19 is rounded, and the edge portion is continuously continuous with the periphery.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the third fuel reservoir portion 23 is formed by recessing a part of the bottom surface portion 18 so that the shape is substantially T-shaped. 2 The edge portion 80 that is continuous with the fuel reservoir 22 is rounded. The edge portion 80 is smoothly continuous with the periphery. In addition, two middle stage portions (low position portions) 27 are formed in the third fuel reservoir portion 23.
The middle portion 27 is formed by raising a part of the bottom portion of the third fuel reservoir 23 in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. At this time, the top surface of the middle portion 27 is at a position higher than the other portions of the third fuel reservoir 23 and is lower than the high position portion 19. In addition, the edge portion 81 of the middle stage portion 27, that is, the portion continuing to the high position portion 19 and the other bottom portion of the third fuel reservoir portion 23 is also rounded, and the edge portion 81 is gently around the periphery. It is continuous.

  The protruding portion 24 is a protrusion in which a part of the bottom surface portion 18 protrudes in a hemispherical shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the discharge portion 25 is a so-called semi-cylindrical portion obtained by cutting the cylinder in half along a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction, and protrudes outward from the standing wall portion 20 in the horizontal direction. In order to do so, it is provided integrally with the standing wall portion 20. At this time, the discharge part 25 is provided so that the upper side is opened, and the cross-sectional shape is like a semicircular groove. And the outside and inside of standing wall part 20 are connected.

  Here, the positional relationship between the three recesses of the first fuel reservoir portion 21, the second fuel reservoir portion 22, and the third fuel reservoir portion 23 and the discharge portion 25 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  The first fuel reservoir portion 21 is located at a corner portion (the end portion in the longitudinal direction and the short direction of the tray 7) in the bottom surface portion 18 of the tray 7, and one half of the outer periphery is in a position in contact with the standing wall portion 20. . Here, the other half of the outer periphery of the first fuel reservoir portion 21 and located at a position away from the standing wall portion 20 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tray 7 (X direction in FIG. 3). Are formed by a first portion 21a extending in the direction and a second portion 21b extending in a direction inclined with respect to the first portion 21a. The second portion 21 b is close to the end portion 22 c of the second fuel reservoir portion 22.

At this time, the extending directions of the second portion 21 b of the first fuel reservoir 21 and the end portion 22 c of the second fuel reservoir 22 are substantially parallel. In other words, the end portion 22 c of the second fuel reservoir portion 22 extends along a part of the outer periphery of the first fuel reservoir portion 21. As described above, the end portion 22 c of the second fuel reservoir 22 is continuous with the third fuel reservoir 23.
The third fuel reservoir 23 is located at a corner of the bottom surface 18 of the tray 7 and adjacent to the corner where the first fuel reservoir 21 is located. Specifically, the corner portion where the first fuel reservoir 21 is located and the position of the tray 7 in the longitudinal direction (X direction in FIG. 3) are substantially the same, and the short direction (the direction orthogonal to the X direction in FIG. 3). Are located at different corners. Moreover, the discharge | release part 25 is formed in this corner | angular part.

  Further, at this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the depths of the first fuel reservoir 21 and the second fuel reservoir 22 are substantially the same, or the bottom portion of the first fuel reservoir 21 is the second fuel reservoir. It is formed so as to be slightly lower than the bottom portion of the portion 22. Further, the bottom portion of the third fuel reservoir portion 23, that is, the portion excluding the middle portion 27 of the third fuel reservoir portion 23 is located lower than the bottom portions of the first fuel reservoir portion 21 and the second fuel reservoir portion 22. . In other words, the third fuel reservoir 23 is deepest among the three recesses of the first fuel reservoir 21, the second fuel reservoir 22, and the third fuel reservoir 23.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid fuel sensor 8 is a sensor including a fuel detection mechanism 28 that detects the presence or absence of liquid fuel at the lower portion of the installation position.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fuel detection mechanism 28 includes an expansion member 30, a relay member 31, and a detection switch 32 that are fixed inside the frame member 29.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the frame member 29 is a substantially rectangular cylindrical member surrounded by four wall portions, and is manufactured by press-molding a pierced metal plate. A fixing portion 35 is provided on each of the lower edges of the two wall portions that are opposed to each other among the four wall portions. And the support part 36 is provided in the upper edge of two wall parts in which the fixing | fixed part 35 is not provided.

  The fixed portion 35 is a substantially rectangular flat plate-like member, and protrudes outward from the wall portion in the horizontal direction. And the through-hole (1st fitting part) 37 which penetrates a top | upper surface and a bottom face is provided in the protrusion front end side. The central axis of the through hole 37 extends in a direction perpendicular to the protruding direction of the fixed portion 35. At this time, the corner portion on the protruding front end side of the fixing portion 35 is cut off, which is a so-called corner cutting angle.

  4 and 5, the expansion member 30 includes a bottomed cylindrical housing portion 40 having a flange portion at one end, an expansion portion 41 disposed inside the housing portion 40, and a pressure receiving movement portion 42. Is formed by. The expanding portion 41 is arranged so that the peripheral surface thereof is in contact with the inner peripheral wall of the housing portion 40.

  The housing part 40 is made by sintering and molding a polypropylene resin particle material. The sintered and molded housing portion 40 is a porous body in which countless holes having an average diameter of about 50 μm are formed throughout, and has water repellency and lipophilicity.

  The expansion part 41 is a cylindrical member made by molding silicone rubber, and has the property of absorbing kerosene and expanding.

  The pressure receiving moving part 42 is a substantially disk-shaped member manufactured by molding a synthetic resin material, and the periphery thereof has a rounded shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the relay member 31 is inserted into and attached to a through hole provided in the base 45 of the detection switch 32. When a pressing force is applied from below, the relay member 31 is attached to the through hole. It can move relatively upward.

  4 and 5, the detection switch 32 is a general-purpose micro switch having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a small pressing piece (not shown) is provided protruding downward in the center of the lower surface. A signal can be generated by pressing the pressing piece from the lower side (Y direction lower side in FIG. 4) with the relay member 31.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid fuel sensor 8 is used while being attached to the tray 7 via an attachment member 50. The attachment member 50 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, the attachment member 50 is a plate-like member whose outer shape is formed by processing an elastic material such as a spring plate. A protrusion 51 is formed at the center of the inner edge of the attachment member 50. In addition, each of the distal end portions 55 which are two distal ends facing each other is provided with a bent portion 52 at the most distal end portion. The bent portion 52 of the distal end portion 55 is closer to the main body portion 56 side (in the Z direction in FIG. 7). The protrusions (second fitting portions) 53 are provided at the positions on the side. Two through holes 54 are formed in the main body portion 56 of the attachment member 50, and these through holes 54 are provided so as to form a line with the bent portion 52 and the protruding portion 53, respectively.
Here, the two protrusions 53 and the two through holes 54 are arranged symmetrically in the longitudinal direction (X direction in FIG. 7) of the attachment member 50, respectively. It has become.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the protruding portion 51 is a part having a substantially trapezoidal outer shape, and is formed by bending a part of the attachment member 50. The projecting portion 51 is provided so as to project substantially vertically from the main body portion of the attachment member 50 upward in the vertical direction (Y direction in FIG. 7). Specifically, it protrudes in a direction slightly inclined from the upper side in the vertical direction to the direction away from the main body portion 56 (the front side in the Z direction in FIG. 7).
In addition, a central portion of the protruding portion 51 is provided with a through hole that penetrates a surface facing in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the protruding direction and the Y direction in FIG. 7). The shape is trapezoidal.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the bent portion 52 bends the front end (front end in the Y direction in FIG. 7) of the mounting member 50 slightly upward (upward in the Y direction in FIG. 7) and rounds off the corner portion. Is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the protrusion 53 has a part of the top surface (upper surface in FIG. 7) of the mounting member 50 in a direction from the top surface to the bottom surface (lower side in the Y direction in FIGS. 7 and 8). It is a substantially hemispherical protrusion that protrudes from the bottom surface toward the lower side (the lower side in the Y direction in FIG. 8).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the through-hole 54 is a hole that penetrates from the top surface to the bottom surface of the mounting member 50.

  Next, an attachment method for attaching the liquid fuel sensor 8 to the tray 7 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Prior to the mounting of the liquid fuel sensor 8, the mounting member 50 is mounted integrally on the tray 7 as shown in FIGS. Here, paying attention to the tray 7, the mounting member 50 is placed on the upper side of the bottom surface portion 18 of the tray 7 with the protrusion 24 of the tray 7 being inserted into the through hole 54 of the mounting member 50 (FIG. 10). reference). At this time, an appropriate portion of the attachment member 50 is fixed to the tray 7 by spot welding S, and the attachment member 50 is attached to the tray 7 integrally.
By inserting the protrusion 24 and the through hole 54 in this way, the fixing work is facilitated when spot welding S or the like is performed. That is, positioning before the fixing operation is easy, and displacement of the member during the fixing operation can be prevented.

Here, as shown in FIG. 10, most of the main body portion 56 of the attachment member 50 is in contact with the high position portion 19, and each of the two tip portions 55 extends from the high position portion 19 to the third fuel reservoir 23. It protrudes like a eaves to the middle stage portion 27 of the head. That is, the two tip portions 55 of the attachment member 50 are disposed so as to cover the respective middle stage portions 27 of the third fuel reservoir portion 23. Thus, gaps 60 are formed between the attachment member 50 and the two middle stage portions 27, respectively.
At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the gap 60 formed between the attachment member 50 and the middle stage portion 27 is continuous with the outside by opening the distal end side (front side in FIG. 11) of the attachment member 50. Yes. At this time, a substantially rectangular surface (a surface surrounded by the attachment member 50, the middle step portion 27, and the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11) serving as a boundary between the gap 60 and the outside becomes the opening 59 of the gap 60.
At this time, the protrusion 53 of the attachment member 50 is located in the gap 60 and protrudes downward from the upper side (the Y direction upper side in FIG. 10) of the gap 60.
Further, the two middle stage portions 27 are located at a distance from each other, and a space is formed between them. In addition, the front end sides of the attachment members 50 are separated from each other, and a space is formed therebetween. Therefore, an accommodation space 61 is formed between the two gaps 60, the upper side (the Y direction upper side in FIG. 10) is opened, and the lower side is closed by the bottom portion of the third fuel reservoir 23.

  Next, the liquid fuel sensor 8 is attached to the tray 7 to which the attachment member 50 is attached. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the liquid fuel sensor 8 is slid from the distal end side (front side in FIG. 10) of the mounting member 50, and the distal end of the fixing portion 35 of the liquid fuel sensor 8 is opened 59. Fit into the gap 60. More specifically, at this time, a protrusion 53 (see FIGS. 8 and 10) that protrudes from the upper side (the Y direction upper side in FIG. 10) toward the lower side with the gap 60 is formed at the tip of the fixing portion 35 of the liquid fuel sensor 8. It fits so that it may be penetrated by the through-hole 37 (refer FIG. 10). As a result, the liquid fuel sensor 8 can be attached to the tray 7 so that the liquid fuel sensor 8 is positioned in the accommodation space 61.

  Here, the height of the gap 60 (the length in the Y direction in FIG. 10) is greater than the height of the fixing portion 35 of the liquid fuel sensor 8 (the thickness of the fixing portion 35 and the length in the Y direction in FIG. 10). Somewhat low is desirable. In this case, when the liquid fuel sensor 8 is attached (see FIG. 6), the attachment member 50, which is an elastic body, presses the liquid fuel sensor 8 from the upper side (upper side in the Y direction in FIG. 10). Can be attached strongly.

In the present embodiment, the protrusion 53 of the mounting member 50 protrudes in a hemispherical shape (see FIG. 8), so that the liquid fuel sensor 8 can be easily attached and detached. More specifically, when the liquid fuel sensor 8 is attached, the fixing portion 35 of the liquid fuel sensor 8 is slid from the outside into the gap 60 as described above (see FIG. 10). At this time, if the protruding portion 53 is hemispherical, it is possible to make point contact when the fixing portion 35 of the liquid fuel sensor 8 and the protruding portion 53 come into contact with each other. When the contact is made in this way, the protrusion 53 can be smoothly run on the upper surface of the fixing portion 35 by further sliding the fixing portion 35 of the liquid fuel sensor 8.
In addition, when the fixing portion 35 is further slid from this state (the state where the protruding portion 53 rides on the upper surface of the fixing portion 35), the contact area between the upper surface of the protruding portion 53 and the fixing portion 35 can be reduced. , Friction force can be reduced. As a result, when the liquid fuel sensor 8 is slid from the state in which the protruding portion 53 rides on the upper surface of the fixing portion 35 until the protruding portion 53 is dropped into the through hole 37 of the fixing portion 35, the sliding operation is easily performed. Can do.

When the liquid fuel sensor 8 is attached to the tray 7, the liquid fuel sensor 8 is positioned between the two tip portions 55 of the attachment member 50 as shown in FIG. 6. The lowermost part of the expansion member 30 of the liquid fuel sensor 8, that is, the lowermost part of the entire fuel detection mechanism 28 is located in the third fuel reservoir 23. At this time, the distal end portion of the fixing portion 35 of the liquid fuel sensor 8 is positioned below the distal end portion 55 of the attachment member 50 and is pressed from above by the distal end portion 55 of the attachment member 50. Further, the protrusion 53 of the attachment member 50 is located inside the through hole 37 (see FIG. 10) of the fixing portion 35.
Also, at this time, as shown in FIG. 12, one of the four wall portions of the frame member 29 is removed by the protruding portion 51 (see FIG. 7) of the mounting member 50 (the Z direction in FIG. 6). It is pressed to the front side.

  Here, it is desirable that the diameter of the through hole 37 of the fixing portion 35 and the diameter of the protrusion 53 of the mounting member 50 are substantially the same. If it does in this way, the wobble of the liquid fuel sensor 8 at the time of attachment can be prevented.

  However, in this embodiment, since the liquid fuel sensor 8 is pressed by the protruding portion 51 of the mounting member 50, the diameter of the through hole 37 of the fixing portion 35 is slightly larger than the diameter of the protruding portion 53 of the mounting member 50. Even so, the wobble of the liquid fuel sensor 8 at the time of attachment can be suppressed. More specifically, when the diameter of the through hole 37 of the fixing portion 35 is slightly larger than the diameter of the protruding portion 53 of the mounting member 50, the protruding portion 53 of the mounting member 50 is inserted into the through hole 37 of the fixing portion 35. However, the liquid sensor 8 is attached to the attachment member 50 in a state in which the liquid sensor 8 is relatively movable by a small distance in a direction other than the vertical direction (Y direction in FIG. 6). However, by pressing the liquid fuel sensor 8 with the protrusion 51, the state in which the protrusion 53 and the inner wall of the through hole 37 are in contact with each other can be maintained, so that the wobble of the liquid fuel sensor 8 at the time of attachment can be suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, since the liquid fuel sensor 8 can be attached to the tray 7 without providing a through hole such as a screw hole or a slit that cuts out the bottom surface portion 18, the liquid fuel introduced into the tray 7 can be reliably leaked. Can be prevented.

  Next, the operation of the combustion apparatus 1 of the present embodiment and the hot water supply apparatus 2 incorporating the combustion apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the combustion apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the flow control valve unit 10, the electromagnetic pump 11, and the burner 4 are connected by members such as a fuel circulation pipe 13 to form a circulation circuit (see FIG. 13). Then, liquid fuel is supplied to the circulation circuit from the outside via the fuel supply pipe 12. The liquid fuel supplied from the outside circulates in the circulation circuit and is used by the burner 4.

  Here, in the present embodiment, liquid fuel is supplied from the electromagnetic pump 11 to the burner 4, and the return amount of the liquid fuel from the bypass nozzle (return nozzle) of the burner 4 to the electromagnetic pump 11 is controlled by the flow control valve unit 10, Adjust the flow rate and flow rate of the liquid fuel in the circulation circuit. Thereby, the supply amount per hour of the liquid fuel supplied to the burner 4 is adjusted.

  In the burner 4, a combustion gas is generated by burning a fuel gas obtained by mixing the supplied liquid fuel (kerosene) and the air supplied from the fan 6. The combustion gas generated in the combustion device 1 is heat-exchanged with water in the downstream heat exchanger 15, and the heated hot water is mixed with water and the temperature is adjusted, and then the hot water supply terminal 66 (not shown) is provided. Sent to The heat exchanged combustion gas passes through the silencer 16 as exhaust gas and is discharged from the exhaust head 17 to the outside.

  Here, the operation when the liquid fuel leaks from the fuel supply means 5 as the characteristic operation of the combustion apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, in the combustion apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, a portion where fuel leakage may occur is considered. As shown in FIG. 14, the fuel supply pipe 12 for supplying fuel from the outside is connected to the flow rate control valve unit 10, the connection portion 68 between the flow rate control valve unit 10 and the electromagnetic pump 11, the flow rate. Various pipes such as the control valve unit 10 or the electromagnetic pump 11 and the burner 4 (not shown) and the fuel circulation pipe 13 connecting them may be cited as a portion where there is a risk of fuel leakage. In addition, the flow control valve unit 10 itself can be cited as a portion where there is a risk of fuel leakage.

  In the combustion apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the tray 7 is disposed below the portion where there is a risk of fuel leakage.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the flow control valve unit 10 and the electromagnetic pump 11 are placed adjacent to each other on the upper side of the tray 7, and each of them is a second fuel reservoir 22. It is provided so as to straddle another part. Further, the electromagnetic pump 11 is located at the end of the tray 7 in the longitudinal direction (X direction in FIG. 14) and away from the discharge portion 25. At this time, the fuel circulation pipe 13 protrudes from the upper part of the flow control valve unit 10, and the pipe connecting the electromagnetic pump 4 and the burner 4 protrudes from the upper part of the electromagnetic pump 11. These two pipes extend to the burner 4 (FIG. 1) located below the tray 7 while being bent in an appropriate direction. At this time, most of these pipes are located above the tray 7.

  Here, the flow control valve unit 10 has a cylindrical portion 83 which is a cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion 83 extends toward the electromagnetic pump 11, and a portion in contact with the electromagnetic pump 11 is a connection portion 67 with the electromagnetic pump 11. At this time, the cylindrical portion 83 extends along the central portion 22 a of the second fuel reservoir portion 22, and the connection portion 67 is positioned on the upper side in the vertical direction of the second fuel reservoir portion 22.

  Further, the flow control valve unit 10 is connected to a fuel supply pipe 12 that is used when liquid fuel is supplied from the outside. A first fuel reservoir 21 extends below the connection 68 between the flow control valve unit 10 and the fuel supply pipe 12.

  The liquid fuel sensor 8 is near the corner where the discharge port 25 of the tray 7 is provided, and the liquid fuel sensor 8 is detachably attached at a position adjacent to a part of the flow control valve unit 10.

  In the present embodiment, the tray 7 extends below the portion where there is a risk of fuel leakage. Therefore, it is possible to reliably introduce the liquid fuel leaked from the portion where there is a risk of fuel leakage into the tray 7.

  In this embodiment, the liquid fuel sensor 8 is located near the corner of the tray 7 and is located on the side of the flow control valve unit 10 that is a large member. That is, the liquid fuel sensor 8 is provided in a narrow portion with little space around it. However, as described above, the liquid fuel sensor 8 can be attached to and detached from the tray 7 only by sliding in the lateral direction (the Z direction in FIG. 14). It is not necessary to carry out the installation work. Therefore, the attaching / detaching operation can be easily performed even in a narrow portion.

  Further, consider the case where maintenance is performed on these parts where there is a risk of fuel leakage. In general, maintenance often involves removing the piping, and liquid fuel may leak from the connecting portion between the piping and the device, such as the connecting portion 68, during this operation.

  In the combustion apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the first fuel reservoir portion 21 is disposed below the connection portion 68 that is likely to cause leakage of liquid fuel during maintenance. Therefore, liquid fuel that leaks due to laying or maintenance can be introduced into the first fuel reservoir 21 of the tray 7.

  Here, the operation will be described by taking as an example a case where liquid fuel leaks from the connection portion 68.

  When the liquid fuel leaks from the connecting portion 68, the leaked liquid fuel stays in the first fuel reservoir portion 21 located immediately below the connecting portion 68, as shown in FIG. When the liquid fuel leaks beyond the maximum storage amount of the first fuel reservoir 21, the liquid fuel overflowing from the first fuel reservoir 21 is second fuel reservoir 22 as shown in FIG. It flows into.

  If the liquid fuel continues to leak in this state, the liquid fuel that has flowed into the second fuel reservoir 22 fills the second fuel reservoir 22 as shown in FIG. When the liquid fuel flowing into the second fuel reservoir 22 exceeds the maximum storage amount of the second fuel reservoir 22, the liquid fuel overflowing from the second fuel reservoir 22 flows into the third fuel reservoir 23. Go.

  If the leakage of the liquid fuel does not stop in this state, the liquid fuel fills the third fuel reservoir 23 as shown in FIG. That is, the liquid level in the third fuel reservoir 23 rises. When the liquid level in the third fuel reservoir 23 rises, the liquid fuel eventually comes into contact with the liquid fuel sensor 8 from below. Then, the liquid fuel sensor 8 senses the presence of the liquid fuel and transmits a signal notifying it.

  Thereafter, if the leakage does not stop, the tray 7 is filled with the leaked liquid fuel as shown in FIG. Then, the liquid fuel flows out from the discharge part 25 to the outside.

  In the present embodiment, the leaked liquid fuel does not enter the tray 7 by an amount sufficient to fill the first fuel reservoir 21 and the second fuel reservoir 22 and raise the liquid level of the third fuel reservoir 23 above a specified level. As long as the liquid fuel sensor 8 does not sense the leak. Therefore, the liquid fuel sensor 8 does not detect the leakage of the liquid fuel that has occurred due to laying or maintenance. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent malfunction due to a minute amount of leakage.

  In the present embodiment, the discharge portion 25 is located above the third fuel reservoir portion 23 where the liquid fuel sensor 8 is disposed. As a result, the liquid fuel introduced into the tray 7 does not contact the liquid fuel sensor 8 (below the fuel detection mechanism 28) and is not discarded to the outside. For this reason, if a specified amount of liquid fuel is introduced into the tray 7, leakage of the liquid fuel can always be detected.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the liquid fuel is allowed to flow out from the tray 7, it can be discharged to an appropriate external location. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, by attaching a guide member 69 such as a rubber hose to the discharge part 25, the outflow destination of the liquid fuel can be appropriately changed.

In the above-described embodiment, the liquid fuel leaked from a portion where there is a risk of fuel leakage on the tray 7 is directly guided (dropped) into the tray 7, but the method of introducing the liquid fuel into the tray 7 is limited to this. It is not a thing. Another member may be interposed between the portion where the fuel leak has occurred and the tray 7. For example, for the members on the tray 7 such as the liquid fuel sensor 8, the flow control valve unit 10, the electromagnetic pump 11, the fuel supply pipe 12, and the fuel circulation pipe 13, some of them are band-like tying bands (not shown). It is possible to have a configuration in which a plurality of members are bundled by winding. Moreover, the structure which wound the strip | belt-shaped binding band (not shown) around attachment members, such as an electric cord extended from the member on these trays 7, and bound the some attachment member may be sufficient. Then, the configuration may be such that the leaked liquid fuel flows or drops into the binding band, and then the liquid fuel is guided from the binding band to the tray 7.
In addition, you may wind a strip | belt-shaped binding band not only to a some member (attachment member) but only to one member (attachment member). Further, the members on the tray 7 and the attached members belonging to them may be bound. At this time, an appropriate material such as a metal wire covered with vinyl is used for the band-like binding band.

  In the above-described embodiment, the double weir structure in which the two fuel reservoir portions of the first fuel reservoir portion 21, the second fuel reservoir portion 22, and the third fuel reservoir portion 23 are provided in the tray 7 is used. It does not matter. The shape, number, and position of the fuel reservoir formed on the tray 7 are not limited to this.

  For example, a weir surrounding the periphery without denting the bottom surface portion 18 of the tray 7 may be provided as a fuel reservoir portion. Further, a weir surrounding the periphery after the bottom surface portion 18 of the tray 7 is depressed may be provided as a fuel reservoir portion.

  Furthermore, a plurality of first fuel reservoirs formed below the place where fuel leakage is likely to occur may be provided. For example, the liquid fuel may be formed so that it can flow from the two first fuel reservoirs to the second fuel reservoir. Alternatively, the liquid fuel may flow directly from the first fuel reservoir to the third fuel reservoir without providing the second fuel reservoir. Furthermore, the structure which provides two or more 2nd fuel reservoir parts located between the 1st fuel reservoir part and the 3rd fuel reservoir part may be sufficient. In addition, a configuration in which only the first fuel reservoir portion is provided and the second fuel reservoir portion and the third fuel reservoir portion are not provided may be employed.

Furthermore, the tray 7 and the fuel reservoir may be installed at a location that is not below the fuel supply means 5. Any device that may cause fuel leakage may be provided below any device. At that time, the shape of the tray 7 and the shape and position of the fuel reservoir may be appropriately changed according to the shape of the device.
Further, the tray 7 may be arranged at a position away from the equipment that may cause fuel leakage. In other words, the liquid fuel may be introduced into the tray 7 through another member such as a funnel or a jar.

In the above-described embodiment, the through hole 37 is formed in the fixing portion 35 of the liquid fuel sensor 8 as the first fitting portion, and the protrusion 53 is formed in the attachment member 50 as the second fitting portion. The first fitting portion and the second fitting portion are not limited to this.
For example, a protrusion is provided on the fixing portion 35 of the liquid fuel sensor 8 as the first fitting portion, and a through hole, a bottomed hole, a depression, or a groove that fits the protrusion on the mounting member 50 as the second fitting portion. The structure which forms etc. may be sufficient.

  In the above-described embodiment, the attachment member 50 is a member having a substantially C-shaped outer shape, but the shape and number of the attachment members 50 are not limited thereto. For example, two rectangular flat plate-like members may be attached to the tray 7 and the gap 60 may be formed between the bottom surface portion 18.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the liquid fuel sensor 8 is fitted between the tray 7 and the mounting member 50, but the mounting of the liquid fuel sensor 8 is not limited to this. For example, a protruding portion that protrudes perpendicular to the standing direction of the standing wall portion 20 may be provided, and attached so as to be sandwiched between the protruding portion and the bottom surface portion 18 of the tray 7.

1 Combustion device 4 Burner (combustion section)
5 Fuel supply means 7 Tray 8 Liquid fuel sensor 10 Flow control valve unit (flow control valve)
11 Electromagnetic pump (pump)
12 Fuel supply piping (piping)
13 Fuel circulation piping (piping)
18 bottom surface portion 19 high position portion 21 first fuel reservoir portion (fuel reservoir portion)
22 Second fuel reservoir (fuel reservoir)
23 Third fuel reservoir (fuel reservoir)
28 Fuel detection mechanism 37 Through hole (first fitting portion)
50 Mounting member 53 Protruding part (second fitting part)

Claims (3)

A combustion apparatus having a fuel supply means for supplying liquid fuel to a combustion section and a combustion section,
A tray and a liquid fuel sensor,
The tray includes a fuel reservoir, and the liquid fuel sensor is provided on the tray at a position away from the fuel reservoir in a direction including a horizontal component, and the liquid fuel that has flowed out of the fuel reservoir is liquid. It detects liquid fuel leaks by contacting the fuel sensor ,
The tray has a plurality of fuel reservoirs, at least one fuel reservoir is provided at a position away from the liquid fuel sensor, and the liquid fuel sensor is provided in at least one fuel reservoir different from the fuel reservoir. Combustion device characterized by being arranged . A combustion apparatus having a fuel supply means for supplying liquid fuel to a combustion section and a combustion section,
A tray and a liquid fuel sensor,
The tray includes a fuel reservoir, and the liquid fuel sensor is provided on the tray at a position away from the fuel reservoir in a direction including a horizontal component, and the liquid fuel that has flowed out of the fuel reservoir is liquid. It detects liquid fuel leaks by contacting the fuel sensor ,
A first fitting portion is formed on the liquid fuel sensor or a peripheral member of the liquid fuel sensor, and a first fitting portion that is paired with the first fitting portion is attached to the tray or an attachment member that is attached integrally to the tray. Two fitting parts are formed, and the liquid fuel sensor is attached to the tray by fitting the first fitting part and the second fitting part,
The tray has a high position portion and a low position portion that is lower than the high position portion and is continuous with the high position portion, and the mounting member has a flat plate shape and is attached to the high position portion to be low. A gap is formed between the first fitting part and a part of the liquid fuel sensor or a peripheral member of the liquid fuel sensor or a part of the peripheral member of the liquid fuel sensor fitted in the gap. And a second fitting portion are fitted to each other . The combustion apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tray is located between the combustion section and the fuel supply means.

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