JP7769979B2 - heat pump equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a heat pump device.

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

EP 3312531

This disclosure provides a heat pump device that can prevent refrigerant from entering the interior of an electrical box in the event of a refrigerant leak from the refrigerant circuit.

The heat pump device disclosed herein is a heat pump device that uses a flammable refrigerant and includes a machine chamber in which a compressor and an expansion device are located, and a blower chamber in which a heat exchanger and a blower are located, all within a housing. The heat pump device also includes an electrical box, which includes an electrical box main body and a cover member. A through opening is formed in the electrical box main body, and a lead wire relay module is provided in the through opening to draw in multiple lead wires. The lead wire relay module has multiple insertion openings into which lead wire blocks are inserted. The lead wire block includes a fixing sleeve and an insertion sleeve that is positioned in close contact with the fixing sleeve and seals and holds the lead wires.

This disclosure makes it possible to prevent refrigerant from leaking from the refrigerant circuit and preventing the refrigerant from entering the interior of the electrical box.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a heat pump device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a heat pump device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a front panel of the heat pump device according to a first embodiment is removed; Circuit diagram showing a refrigerant circuit according to the first embodiment FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an electrical box according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an electrical box according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an electrical box according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lead wire relay module according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lead wire relay module according to a first embodiment; 1 is a cross-sectional view of a lead wire relay module according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lead wire relay module according to a first embodiment;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the electrical box body 32 has a rectangular blower side portion 32A located on the blower chamber 12 side, and a generally trapezoidal machine side portion 32B located on the machine chamber 13 side. The cover member 33 has a rectangular blower side portion 33A located on the blower chamber 12 side, and a generally trapezoidal machine side portion 33B located on the machine chamber 13 side.

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

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

The machine side portion 32B of the electrical box body 32 is equipped with a main power line relay unit 50 located on the front side and a lead wire relay unit 53 located on the back side. The main power line relay unit 50 is equipped with a terminal block 51 for connecting the main power line and a cable gland 52 that draws in and seals the main power line. The cable 45 drawn into the cable gland 52 is connected to a specified device such as the compressor 22. The lead wire relay unit 53 is equipped with a lead wire relay module 55 for drawing in the lead wire.

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

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

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

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

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

As shown in FIG. 3, a ventilated space is formed between the underside of the top plate 17 of the housing 10 and the upper surface of the cover member 33. As shown in FIG. 2, a partition member 39 is provided on the upper surface of the cover member 33. The partition member 39 is arranged at the boundary between the blower side portion 33A and the machine side portion 33B in a manner that closes the space. The partition member 39 has multiple openings (not shown) formed at equal intervals, allowing ventilation between the machine chamber 13 and the blower chamber 12 through the openings.

When the heat pump unit 1 is operating, the blower unit 21 operates, creating a negative pressure inside the blower chamber 12. This causes air from the machine chamber 13 to flow through the multiple openings in the partition member 39 toward the blower chamber 12. This air flow cools the entire top surface of the lid member 33.

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

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the lead wire relay module 55. Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the lead wire relay module. The lead wire relay module 55 is a module that pulls multiple lead wires connecting the control board 40 and various devices such as the compressor 22 into the interior of the electrical box. The lead wire relay module 55 has a fixing frame 70 that is fixed to the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box and lead wire blocks 100a, 100b that are inserted into the fixing frame 70. The lead wire blocks 100a, 100b have insertion sleeves 80a, 80b that fit closely to the lead wires and fixing sleeves 90a, 90b that fit closely to the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b. By tightly fitting the lead wires to the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b, the lead wire relay module 55 seals and holds the lead wires, preventing refrigerant from entering the interior of the electrical box 30.

The fixed frame 70 is a frame made of resin and has a generally rectangular shape with one corner cut off in a plan view. The fixed frame 70 has a frame portion 71 and a flange portion 73.
The frame portion 71 is located in the center of the fixed frame 70 and is the portion into which the lead wire blocks 100a, 100b are inserted. The frame portion 71 is erected upward and includes an outer frame portion 71a, which is a rectangular cylindrical portion in a plan view, and a plate-like partition plate portion 71b, which divides the outer frame portion 71a into two portions, front and rear. Two insertion openings Sa, Sb that penetrate the fixed frame 70 from top to bottom are formed in the area surrounded by the outer frame portion 71a and the partition plate portion 71b. The upper ends of the insertion openings Sa, Sb open into the electrical box 30, and the lower ends communicate with the through opening 34a. The frame portion 71 also has a substantially horizontally protruding edge 71d formed along the inner circumferential surface 71a1 and the lower end of the partition plate portion 71b.

The flange portion 73 is a plate-shaped portion that surrounds the frame portion 71 and has fixing holes 73a for screw fastening. The flange portion 73 is screwed to the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box, thereby fixing the fixing frame 70 to the electrical box 30.

The insertion sleeves 80a, 80b are made of rubber and are placed in the insertion openings Sa, Sb of the frame 71. The insertion sleeves 80a, 80b have main body portions 85a, 85b that extend in the front-to-rear direction and whose ends abut the inner circumferential surface 71a1 of the frame 71. Furthermore, protrusions 81A, 81B and protrusions 81C, 81D that protrude left and right are formed at the center of the main body portions 85a, 85b in the front-to-rear direction. Each of the protrusions 81A-81D is roughly trapezoidal in plan view, and the protrusions 81A-81D have the same external shape. Holes 81A1-81D1 are formed at the tips of the protrusions 81A-81D, respectively, penetrating them vertically. Holes 81A1-81D1 are open at the tips of the protrusions 81A-81D, and lead wires are sandwiched front and rear through the open portions. Each of the holes 81A1 to 81D1 has a cross-sectional shape that matches the shape of the lead wire to be clamped.

Fixing sleeves 90a, 90b are sleeves placed in the insertion openings Sa, Sb of frame 71, and each includes a pair of sleeve bodies 91A, 91B, and sleeve bodies 91C, 91D. Sleeve bodies 91A-91D are made of resin and have recesses 93A-93D into which protrusions 81A-81D of insertion sleeves 80a, 80b fit. Recesses 93A-93D penetrate sleeve bodies 91A-91D vertically and are recessed in the same shape as protrusions 81A-81D, respectively. Therefore, each sleeve body 91A-91D can fit with any one of protrusions 81A-81D. This allows for combinations other than those shown in Figure 8, such as protrusion 81A and sleeve body 91B, improving assembly ease. Additionally, grooves 95A-95D that penetrate vertically through the sleeve bodies 91A-91D are formed in the recesses 93A-93D. The grooves 95A-95D connect with the holes 81A1-81D1 when the protrusions 81A-81D and recesses 93A-93D are fitted together.

10 is a cross-sectional view of the lead wire relay module 55, showing a vertical cross section taken along the left-right direction of the insertion opening Sa. The inside of the insertion opening Sa will be described below with reference to FIG. 10, but the same applies to the insertion opening Sb.
10 , the sleeve bodies 91A and 91B are inserted from above downward into the insertion opening Sa and are fixed to the fixed frame 70 while abutting against the edge 71d. The insertion sleeve 80a is also inserted from above downward into the insertion opening Sa, and is fixed to the fixed frame 70 by fitting the protrusions 81A and 81B into the recesses 93A and 93B of the sleeve bodies 91A and 91B.

The side surface (outer periphery) 87a of the insertion sleeve 80a has a tapered structure that narrows from top to bottom, i.e., in the insertion direction of the insertion sleeve 80a. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of the insertion sleeve 80a decreases in the insertion direction of the insertion sleeve 80a. Furthermore, the side surfaces (outer peripheries) 92A and 92B of the sleeve bodies 91A and 91B have a tapered structure that slopes along the side surface 87a of the insertion sleeve 80a, and the recesses 93A and 93B narrow from top to bottom. Therefore, when the insertion sleeve 80a is pushed in the insertion direction, the side surface 87a is pushed inward by the side surfaces 92A and 92B. This compresses the insertion sleeve 80a horizontally, making it easier for the inner surfaces of the holes 81A1 and 81B1 to adhere to the lead wires. Furthermore, because surface pressure is applied between the side surface 87a of the insertion sleeve 80a and the side surfaces 92A and 92B of the sleeve bodies 91A and 91B, the side surface 87a and the side surfaces 92A and 92B are in closer contact with each other.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the fixed frame 70 also has a guide portion 76 that is inserted into the through opening 34a. The guide portion 76 is a cylindrical portion that protrudes downward and is formed in approximately the same shape as the inner peripheral edge of the through opening 34a in a plan view. The guide portion 76 is formed in a position that surrounds the frame portion 71 in a plan view. Therefore, when the guide portion 76 is inserted into the through opening 34a from above downward, the frame portion 71 is positioned so that it overlaps the through opening 34a vertically. This allows the insertion openings Sa and Sb in the frame portion 71 to communicate with the through opening 34a, making it possible to route lead wires inside and outside the electrical box 30.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the lead wire relay module 55, showing the lead wire relay module 55 as viewed from below. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, an O-ring groove 77 recessed upward is formed on the outer side of the guide portion 76 at the lower end of the fixing frame 70. The inner circumferential side of the O-ring groove 77 is formed along the outer surface of the guide portion 76. A rubber O-ring 77a is placed in the O-ring groove 77. The O-ring 77a is positioned so that it surrounds the through-opening 34a when the guide portion 76 is inserted from above to below into the through-opening 34a. Furthermore, when the fixing frame 70 is fixed to the electrical box bottom surface 34, the O-ring 77a is compressed between the O-ring groove 77 and the electrical box bottom surface 34, sealing the gap between the fixing frame 70 and the electrical box bottom surface 34. This makes it difficult for refrigerant to enter the electrical box 30 through the gap between the fixing frame 70 and the electrical box bottom surface 34.

The rubber used for the O-ring 77a is chloroprene rubber, which has particularly low permeability to the propane contained in the refrigerant. This makes it even more difficult for the refrigerant to enter the electrical box 30.

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

The length of the O-ring 77a is also set to be shorter than the length of the O-ring groove 77. Specifically, the length of the inner circumference of the O-ring 77a when it is not stretched is shorter than the length of the inner circumference of the O-ring groove 77. Therefore, when placed in the O-ring groove 77, the inner circumference of the O-ring 77a is in close contact with the side surface of the inner circumference of the O-ring groove 77, making it less likely that a gap will form between the O-ring 77a and the O-ring groove 77.

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

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

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

In addition, the operation of the air blower 21 causes air to flow toward the heat sink 41. This allows the heat sink 41 to be cooled, thereby cooling the control board 40.

[1-3. Effects, etc.]
As described above, in this embodiment, the heat pump device 1 includes an electrical box 30, which includes an electrical box main body 32 and a cover member 33, and the electrical box main body 32 includes a lead wire relay module 55 that draws in multiple lead wires into the through opening 34a, and the lead wire relay module 55 includes multiple insertion openings Sa, Sb into which the lead wire blocks 100a, 100b are inserted, and the lead wire blocks 100a, 100b include fixing sleeves 90a, 90b and insertion sleeves 80a, 80b that are arranged in close contact with the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b and seal and hold the lead wires.
This allows the lead wires to be drawn into the electrical box 30 while improving the airtightness of the electrical box 30. This prevents refrigerant from entering the electrical box 30. In this embodiment, each lead wire block 100a, 100b seals and holds multiple lead wires. This simplifies assembly of the lead wire relay module 55.

In this embodiment, the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b are divided into a plurality of sleeve bodies 91A to 91D, and the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b are clamped and fastened by the plurality of sleeve bodies 91A to 91D.
This improves the adhesion between the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b and the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b, and prevents the refrigerant from entering the electrical box 30. In this embodiment, the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b are clamped by pairs of sleeve bodies 91A, 91B and sleeve bodies 91C, 91D so as to sandwich them from both the left and right sides. This makes it easier to improve the adhesion between the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b and the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b and the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b have a tapered structure that brings the side surfaces 92A, 92B and the side surface 87a into close contact with each other as the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b are inserted into the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b.
As a result, the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b and the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b come into closer contact with each other as the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b are inserted, thereby preventing the refrigerant from entering the electrical box 30. In addition, in this embodiment, as the insertion sleeve 80a is inserted further into the holes 81A1, 81B1 that come into close contact with the lead wires, the insertion sleeve 80a tends to come into close contact with the lead wires in the holes 81A1.

In addition, in this embodiment, the insertion openings Sa, Sb are formed in a fixed frame 70 made of resin, and the fixed frame 70 has an O-ring groove 77 into which an O-ring 77a is inserted, and the fixed frame 70 is fixed to the through opening 34a of the electrical box main body 32 with the O-ring 77a sandwiched between them.
As a result, the gap between the fixed frame 70 and the electrical box body 32 is closed by the O-ring 77a, which prevents the refrigerant from entering the electrical box 30. In the present embodiment, the fixed frame 70 also has a guide portion 76, which makes it easy to position the fixed frame 70 relative to the through-opening 34a.

In this embodiment, the O-ring 77a is made of foam rubber.
This makes the O-ring 77a more easily deformable, and the gap between the fixed frame 70 and the electrical box main body 32 is more easily blocked by the O-ring 77a, thereby preventing refrigerant from entering the electrical box 30. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the O-ring 77a is made of foam rubber, which is easily deformable, so even if the cross-sectional area of the O-ring 77a is large, the O-ring 77a can easily fit into the O-ring groove 77 when it is crushed by the electrical box main body 32. Therefore, an O-ring 77a with a large cross-sectional area that protrudes from the O-ring groove 77 can be used, increasing the adhesion of the O-ring 77a.

In this embodiment, the O-ring 77a is made of chloroprene rubber.
This makes it difficult for a flammable refrigerant, such as propane gas, to pass through the O-ring, making it more difficult for the refrigerant to enter the electrical box.

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

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

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

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

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

In the embodiment described above, the fixed frame 70 has two insertion openings Sa and Sb, and the lead wire relay module 55 has two lead wire blocks 100a and 100b, but this is just an example. For example, the fixed frame 70 may have one or three or more insertion openings, and the lead wire relay module 55 may have one or three or more lead wire blocks.

In the above-described embodiment, the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b are each composed of two sleeve bodies 91A-91D, but this is just one example. For example, the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b may each be composed of one sleeve body, or three or more sleeve bodies. However, if the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b are each composed of one sleeve body, it is difficult to sandwich the insertion sleeves 80a, 80b between the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b. Furthermore, if the fixing sleeves 90a, 90b are each composed of three or more sleeve bodies, installation of the lead wire blocks 100a, 100b becomes more complicated than in the above-described embodiment.

Note that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology disclosed herein, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

(Additional Note)
(Technology 1) A heat pump device using a flammable refrigerant, the heat pump device having a housing including a machine chamber in which a compressor and an expansion device are disposed, and a blower chamber in which a heat exchanger and a blower are disposed, the heat pump device further comprising an electrical box, the electrical box including an electrical box main body and a cover member, a through opening formed in the electrical box main body, a lead wire relay module for drawing in a plurality of lead wires being provided in the through opening, the lead wire relay module including a plurality of insertion openings into which lead wire blocks are inserted, the lead wire block including a fixing sleeve and an insertion sleeve disposed in close contact with the fixing sleeve and sealingly holding the lead wires.
This configuration allows the lead wires to be drawn into the electrical box while improving the airtightness of the electrical box, thereby preventing the refrigerant from entering the electrical box.

(Technology 2) A heat pump device according to Technology 1, characterized in that the fixing sleeve is divided into a plurality of sleeve bodies, and the insertion sleeve is clamped and fastened by the plurality of sleeve bodies.
This configuration allows the sleeve body and the insertion sleeve to be tightly attached to each other from multiple directions, improving the tightness of the attachment sleeve and the insertion sleeve, and preventing the refrigerant from entering the electrical box.

(Technology 3) A heat pump device described in Technology 1 or 2, characterized in that the fixing sleeve and the insertion sleeve have a tapered structure that causes their outer peripheries to adhere to each other as the insertion sleeve is inserted into the fixing sleeve.
With this configuration, the fixing sleeve and the insertion sleeve come into closer contact with each other as the insertion sleeve is inserted, thereby making it possible to prevent the refrigerant from entering the electrical box.

(Technology 4) A heat pump device described in any one of Technologies 1 to 3, characterized in that the insertion opening is formed in a fixed frame made of resin, the fixed frame has an O-ring groove into which an O-ring is inserted, and the fixed frame is fixed to the through opening of the electrical box main body with the O-ring sandwiched between them.
With this configuration, the gap between the fixing frame and the electrical box body is sealed by the O-ring, thereby preventing the refrigerant from entering the electrical box.

(Technology 5) The heat pump device according to Technology 4, characterized in that the O-ring is made of foam rubber.
This configuration allows the O-ring to deform easily, so that the gap between the fixing frame and the electrical box body is easily closed by the O-ring, thereby preventing the refrigerant from entering the electrical box.

(Technology 6) The heat pump device according to Technology 4 or 5, characterized in that the O-ring is made of chloroprene rubber.
This configuration makes it difficult for a flammable refrigerant, such as propane gas, to permeate through the O-ring, making it more difficult for the refrigerant to infiltrate into the electrical box.

(Technology 7) The heat pump device according to any one of Technologies 4 to 6, characterized in that the length of the O-ring is set shorter than the length of the O-ring groove.
With this configuration, the O-ring is inserted into the O-ring groove in a stretched state, which makes it easier for the O-ring to fit tightly into the O-ring groove without loosening, thereby preventing refrigerant from entering the electrical box.

(Technology 8) A heat pump device according to any one of technologies 1 to 7, characterized in that the electrical box is arranged above the machine room and the blower room, straddling the machine room and the blower room.
With this configuration, the electrical box is easily cooled by the air blown in the portion located in the blower room, and the lead wires extending from each device in the machine room can be drawn into the interior of the electrical box via the lead wire relay module.

This disclosure is particularly applicable to heat pump devices that use flammable refrigerants.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 heat pump device 10 housing 11 partition plate 12 blower chamber 13 machine chamber 14 bottom plate 15 side panel 16 front panel 17 top plate 18 ventilation section 20 heat exchanger 21 blower device 22 compressor 23 water heat exchanger 24 expansion device 25 refrigerant piping 26 notch 27 four-way valve 28 water supply piping 30 electrical box 31 opening 32 electrical box body 33 cover member 34 electrical box bottom 34a through opening 35 bottom opening 36 O-ring groove 38 O-ring 39 partition member 40 control board 41 heat sink 42 sealing material 45 cable 50 power line relay section 51 terminal block 52 cable gland 53 lead wire relay section 55 Lead wire relay module 60 Shielding member 70 Fixed frame 71 Frame portion 73 Flange portion 76 Guide portion 77 O-ring groove 77a O-ring 80a Insertion sleeve 80b Insertion sleeve 87a Side surface (outer periphery)
90a Fixing sleeve 90b Fixing sleeve 91A Sleeve body 91B Sleeve body 91C Sleeve body 91D Sleeve body 92A Side surface (outer periphery)
92B Side (outer periphery)
100a Lead wire block 100b Lead wire block 152 Window opening 154 Partition plate 155 Window cover Sa Insertion opening Sb Insertion opening

Claims (8)

A heat pump device using a flammable refrigerant, the heat pump device comprising: a machine chamber in which a compressor and an expansion device are disposed; and a blower chamber in which a heat exchanger and a blower are disposed, the machine chamber being housed within a housing;
Equipped with an electrical box,
The electrical box includes an electrical box body and a cover member,
A through opening is formed in the electrical box body,
a lead wire relay module for drawing in a plurality of lead wires is provided in the through opening;
the lead wire relay module has a plurality of insertion openings into which the lead wire blocks are inserted;
The lead wire block includes a fixing sleeve and an insertion sleeve that is disposed in close contact with the fixing sleeve and seals and holds the lead wire.
A heat pump device characterized by: The fixing sleeve is divided into a plurality of sleeve bodies, and the insertion sleeve is clamped and fastened by the plurality of sleeve bodies.
The heat pump device according to claim 1 . the fixing sleeve and the insertion sleeve have a tapered structure that brings their outer peripheries into close contact with each other as the insertion sleeve is inserted into the fixing sleeve;
The heat pump device according to claim 1 or 2. The insertion opening is formed in a fixed frame made of resin,
the fixing frame has an O-ring groove into which an O-ring is inserted, and the fixing frame is fixed to the through-opening of the electrical box body with the O-ring sandwiched between them.
The heat pump device according to claim 1 . The O-ring is made of foam rubber.
The heat pump device according to claim 4 . The O-ring is made of chloroprene rubber.
The heat pump device according to claim 4 . The length of the O-ring is set shorter than the length of the O-ring groove.
The heat pump device according to any one of claims 4 to 6. The electrical equipment box is disposed above the machine room and the blower room, straddling the machine room and the blower room.
The heat pump device according to claim 1 or 2.