JP7792597B2 - 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 having a housing with 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, and further includes an electrical box, which includes an electrical box main body with a through opening and a cover member, and a lead wire relay module that draws in multiple lead wires is provided in the through opening, and the lead wire relay module includes a fixing frame with multiple insertion openings and insertion sleeves that are inserted into each of the insertion openings and come into close contact with the fixing frame, sealing and holding the lead wires drawn into the interior of the electrical box main body.

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 a 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; 1 is a cross-sectional view of a lead wire relay module according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a bottom view of the lead wire relay module according to the 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 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. 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 fixed frame 70 that is fixed to the bottom surface 34 of the electrical box, and an insertion sleeve 80 that is inserted into the fixed frame 70. The lead wire relay module 55 seals and holds the lead wires by tightly contacting the lead wires with the insertion sleeve 80, preventing refrigerant from entering the interior of the electrical box 30.

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

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 80 are made of rubber, and eight are arranged corresponding to the eight insertion openings S of the frame 71. Each insertion sleeve 80 has a hole 81 that penetrates the insertion sleeve 80 from top to bottom, and a slit 83 that connects the side surface 80a to the hole 81. The hole 81 is the part of the insertion sleeve 80 that seals and holds the lead wire. Each of the eight insertion sleeves 80 has a hole 81 with a cross-sectional shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of the lead wire it is designed to hold. The slit 83 is formed to penetrate the insertion sleeve 80 from top to bottom. Therefore, the insertion sleeve 80 can hold the middle portion of the lead wire in the hole 81 through the slit 83.

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

The side surface (outer periphery) 80a of the insertion sleeve 80 is tapered downward. In other words, the insertion sleeve 80 has a tapered structure that narrows in the insertion direction of the insertion sleeve 80. As a result, the cross-sectional area of the insertion sleeve 80 decreases in the insertion direction of the insertion sleeve 80. Furthermore, in the fixed frame 70, the outer frame portion 71a facing the insertion opening S and the inner surfaces 71e of the partition plate portions 71b and 71c have a tapered structure that slopes along the side surface 80a of the insertion sleeve 80. As a result, the insertion opening S narrows in the insertion direction of the insertion sleeve 80. Therefore, after the insertion sleeve 80 is inserted into the insertion opening S, the side surface 80a is pushed inward by the outer frame portion 71a and the inner surfaces 71e of the partition plate portions 71b and 71c when pressed in the insertion direction. This compresses the insertion sleeve 80 horizontally, making it easier for the inner surface of the hole 81 to fit tightly against the lead wire. Furthermore, surface pressure is applied between the side surface 80a of the insertion sleeve 80 and the outer frame portion 71a, as well as between the inner surfaces 71e of the partition plate portions 71b and 71c, resulting in closer contact between the side surface 80a and the inner surfaces 71e.

As shown in FIG. 9 , 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 opening S in the frame portion 71 to communicate with the through opening 34a, making it possible to route lead wires inside and outside the electrical box 30.

Figure 10 is a bottom view of the lead wire relay module 55. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, 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 having a through opening 34a formed therein and a cover member 33, and a lead wire relay module 55 that draws in multiple lead wires into the through opening 34a, and the lead wire relay module 55 includes a fixed frame 70 having multiple insertion openings S, and insertion sleeves 80 that are inserted into each insertion opening S and adhere to the fixed frame 70, sealing and holding the lead wires that are drawn into the interior of the electrical box main body 32.
This allows the lead wires to be drawn into the interior of the electrical box 30 while improving airtightness.

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

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

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

In this embodiment, the O-ring 77a is made of chloroprene rubber.
This makes it difficult for a flammable refrigerant, such as propane gas, to pass through the O-ring 77a. Therefore, the refrigerant is less likely to enter the electrical box 30.

In this embodiment, the length of the O-ring 77 a is set to be shorter than the length of the O-ring groove 77 .
As a result, 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 addition, in this embodiment, the electrical equipment 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 above-described embodiment, the lead wire relay module 55 is described as having eight insertion openings S and eight insertion sleeves 80, but this is just one example. The number of insertion openings S and insertion sleeves 80 may be one or more. There is also no limit to the number of holes 81 that one insertion sleeve 80 may have. Furthermore, one hole 81 may be configured to seal and hold two or more lead wires.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Technology 7) The heat pump apparatus according to any one of Technologies 1 to 6, wherein 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 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 suitable for use in heat pump devices that can suppress an increase in refrigerant concentration around electrical components housed in an electrical box in the event of a refrigerant leak.

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 Fixing frame 71 Frame portion 71d Edge 71e Inner surface 73 Flange portion 73a Fixing hole 76 Guide portion 77 O-ring groove 77a O-ring 80 Insertion sleeve 80a Side surface (outer periphery)
81 hole 83 slit 152 window opening 154 partition plate 155 window cover S insertion opening

Claims (7)

A heat pump device including a machine chamber in which a compressor and an expansion device are disposed, and a blower chamber in which a heat exchanger and a blower device are disposed,
Equipped with an electrical box,
The electrical box includes an electrical box body having a through-opening formed therein and a cover member,
a lead wire relay module for drawing in a plurality of lead wires is provided in the through opening;
The lead wire relay module includes a fixed frame having a plurality of insertion openings, and insertion sleeves that are inserted into the respective insertion openings and come into close contact with the fixed frame, sealing and holding the lead wires to be drawn into the electrical box body.
Heat pump equipment. the fixed frame and the insertion sleeve have a tapered structure that brings the outer periphery of the insertion sleeve into close contact with the fixed frame as the insertion sleeve is inserted into the fixed frame;
The heat pump device according to claim 1 . The fixing frame is made of resin, has an O-ring groove into which an O-ring is inserted, and is fixed to the through-opening of the electrical box body with the O-ring sandwiched therebetween.
The heat pump device according to claim 1 or 2. The O-ring is made of foam rubber.
The heat pump device according to claim 3 . The O-ring is made of chloroprene rubber.
The heat pump device according to claim 3 . The length of the O-ring is set shorter than the length of the O-ring groove.
The heat pump device according to claim 3 . 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.