JP7784619B2 - Functional unit of water heater - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a functional unit of a water heater installed in a pipe shaft of a house.

Traditionally, fuel gas pipes and water supply pipes have been installed in accommodation spaces called pipe shafts or pipe spaces facing the common corridors of apartment buildings, for example, and hot water heaters have also been installed. If this hot water heater is a combustion-type hot water heater that heats the water supply by burning fuel gas, it is installed at the top of the pipe shaft so that the combustion exhaust emitted outside the pipe shaft does not directly hit people in the common corridor. Typically, a metal frame is fixed to the opening of the pipe shaft to support a door or panel that opens and closes this opening, and the hot water heater is fixed to this frame.

In order to install a water heater at the top of a pipe shaft, lifting the heavy water heater and securing it to the frame with, for example, screws places a great burden on the worker and is not an easy task. For this reason, a known technique, such as that described in Patent Document 1, involves hanging the top of the water heater in a tilted position by hooking it onto a screw temporarily fastened to the top edge of the frame, then using this screw as a fulcrum to rotate the water heater toward the rear and move it to the specified position, where it is then secured with multiple screws.

Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 5-29972

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

The water heater's functional units, such as the combustion unit and power generation unit, are small in size in the width direction of the pipe shaft and large in size in the depth direction so that they can fit above the opening of the pipe shaft, ensuring the size necessary to mount the functional components. The functional units are heavy and large in size in the depth direction, which shifts the center of gravity toward the back, so that they can be lined up and fixed to the frame. The frame is reinforced with horizontal bars that separate the middle section and vertical bars that connect this horizontal bar to the top edge of the frame, dividing the upper section into two.

Each functional unit is fitted with a fixing bracket, inserted into a designated compartment of the frame from the front of the pipe shaft, and fixed to the frame via the fixing bracket, for example with a screw. However, when rotating around a fulcrum as in Patent Document 1, the functional units cannot be rotated due to interference with the crossbars, as their size in the depth direction is large and a crossbar is provided, making it difficult to line up and install them on the frame.

The object of the present invention is to provide functional units for a water heater that can be easily arranged and installed in a frame provided at the opening of a pipe shaft.

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

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

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

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

The functional units of the hot water supply device of the present invention can be easily arranged and installed in a frame provided at the opening of the pipe shaft.

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

The following describes how to implement the present invention based on examples.

For example, in an apartment building, as shown in Figure 1, there is a space called a pipe shaft or pipe space where fuel gas pipes, water pipes, etc. are installed. The pipe shaft PS is installed facing a common corridor, for example, and a hot water heater is installed inside the pipe shaft PS. Note that the arrows F, L, and U in the figure indicate the front, left, and top of the pipe shaft PS, respectively.

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

The combustion exhaust from the combustion unit 4 is discharged toward the shared passage in front of the pipe shaft PS. The combustion unit 4 is installed at the top of the pipe shaft PS to prevent the combustion exhaust from directly hitting people in the shared passage. A metal frame 5 is fixed to the opening of the pipe shaft PS on the shared passage side to support a door (not shown) for opening and closing this opening, and the combustion unit 4 is fixed to this frame 5. Fuel gas piping, hot and cold water piping, communication cables, etc. are connected to the bottom of the combustion unit 4.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next, as shown in FIG. 7 , the power generation unit 2 is lifted and moved to the rear of the pipe shaft PS so that the mounting bracket 11 fits within the compartment of the frame body 5. The front side flange 13a and front upper surface protrusion 13c of the mounting bracket 11 are then engaged with the frame body 5 and secured, for example, with multiple screws. Although not shown, similar to the power generation unit 2, the combustion unit 4 is inserted into a designated compartment using the inclined portion 20g formed on the case 20 and rotated around the cross beam 5b, after which it is moved to the rear of the pipe shaft PS and secured to the frame body 5. Piping and other components are then connected to the connection portions 12 of the power generation unit 2 and combustion unit 4 secured to the frame body 5.

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

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

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

To install the case 10 of the power generation unit 2 in a designated section of the frame 5, the worker engages the case 10 or the mounting bracket 11 attached to the case 10 with the engagement portion (horizontal beam 5b or upper fixed piece 5d) provided on the frame 5, and then rotates the case 10 toward the rear of the pipe shaft PS using the engagement portion as a fulcrum to move it to the designated position. At this time, a sloped portion 10g is formed to prevent interference between the case 10 and the portion of the frame 5 opposite the engagement portion (the upper edge of the outer frame 5a where the upper fixed piece 5d is located, or the horizontal beam 5b). The power generation unit 2, inserted in an inclined position into the designated section of the frame 5, can be rotated toward the rear of the pipe shaft PS using the engagement portion as a fulcrum via the sloped portion 10g to prevent interference between the case 10 and the frame 5. The combustion unit 4 can also be rotated in a similar manner. Therefore, the worker can easily line up and install the functional units of the water heater 1 in the designated section of the frame 5, further reducing the burden on the worker.

The widthwise length W of each of the cases 10 and 20 is shorter than the depthwise length D, making it easy to line up and install the functional units of the water heater 1 in the opening of the pipe shaft PS, which has a limited width.

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

In a storage-type hot water supply system in which a heat pump heat source unit and a backup combustion heat source unit are separate functional units, they can also be configured to be installed in the frame 5 of the pipe shaft PS in the same manner as above. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will be able to implement the above embodiment in various modified forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention encompasses such modifications.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Water heater 2: Power generation unit 3: Water tank 4: Combustion unit 5: Frame 5a: Outer frame 5b: Horizontal beam 5c: Vertical beam 5d: Upper fixing piece 10, 20: Case 10a, 20a: Top surface 10b: Bottom surface 10c: Front surface 10d, 20d: Rear surface 10e, 10f: Side surface 10g, 20g: Inclined portion 11, 21: Mounting bracket 12: Connection portion 13: Upper mounting bracket 13a: Front side flange 13b: Rear side flange 13c: Front upper surface protrusion 13d: Rear upper surface flange 14: Lower mounting bracket PS: Pipe shaft

Claims (2)

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