AU2002300309B2

AU2002300309B2 - Frame For Hot Water Supplier

Info

Publication number: AU2002300309B2
Application number: AU2002300309A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Akira Kumagai
Original assignee: Rinnai Corp
Current assignee: Rinnai Corp
Priority date: 2001-07-26
Filing date: 2002-07-26
Publication date: 2007-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-26
Also published as: JP3979803B2; JP2003042571A; KR100448605B1; KR20030011602A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): RINNAI CORPORATION Invention Title: FRAME FOR HOT WATER SUPPLIER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: FRAME FOR HOT WATER SUPPLIER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a frame for a hot water supplier, and more particularly, to frames used for a hot water supply system composed of a plurality of hot water suppliers disposed in parallel with each other.

2. Description of the Related Art When a hot water supplier is used in a facility that must appropriately supply hot water to a multiplicity of places in hotels, general hospitals, and the like, the hot water supply capacity of the hot water supplier is designed on a safety side on the assumption that the hot water supplier is simultaneously used in all the places to which hot water is supplied. It is possible to newly design and make a large hot water supplier. In this case, however, a minimum amount of operation water by which a heat exchanger is not overheated by a minimum amount of heat is increased.

Thus, when a small amount of hot water is to be supplied, the hot water supplier cannot be used. To cope with this problem, there has been proposed to compose a hot water supply system of several sets of general-purpose small hot water suppliers disposed in parallel with each other.

In this case, each hot water supplier has a cabinet, a heat exchanger is disposed in the cabinet, and a water supply pipe for supplying clean water and a hot water outgoing pipe are connected to the heat exchanger. Further, a gas pipe for supplying a fuel gas is connected to a gas burner acting as a heat source of the heat exchanger. The other ends of these pipes are connected to pipe connection units disposed on the lower surface of the cabinet, respectively.

When the hot water supply system is installed, existing dedicated frames (a conventional frame is made to cause the area of the top board thereof to approximately correspond to the area of the lower surface of a cabinet) are disposed in parallel with each other in a predetermined place in accordance with, for example, the number of hot water suppliers to be used, and the main bodies of the respective hot water suppliers are placed on the top board of the frames. Then, respective pipes, that is, a source water supply pipe connected to a water source, a combined hot water outgoing pipe communicating with respective hot water outgoing places and a source gas pipe connected to a gas source are disposed in the inner spaces of the respective frames disposed in parallel with each other passing therethrough. Then, after respective branch pipes, that is, a branch water supply pipe, a branch hot water outgoing pipe and a branch gas pipe are connected between respective pipe 2

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o connecting sections projecting outward from the lower Z surface of the cabinet of each hot water supplier and the c- respective pipes, necessary electric wiring, and the like are performed.

In the above arrangement, however, since all the pipes 1 of the source water supply pipe, the combined hot water C outgoing pipe, and the source gas pipe are disposed in the (1 inner space of the frame, the space is very narrow.

CAccordingly, a problem arises in that a job for connecting the respective branch pipes is troublesome. Further, the respective branch pipes must be perfectly sealed through seal members when they are connected. However, there is a problem in that it is particularly difficult to inspect leakage of gas caused in the pipe connecting sections due to faulty sealing because a working space is narrow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it would be advantageous if the present invention would provide a frame for a hot water supplier which permits a piping job to be performed effectively and reliably when a hot water supplier is installed.

The present invention provides a frame for a hot water supplier, comprising a placing section formed on a top surface of the frame for placing thereon a main body of the hot water supplier having a cabinet accommodating therein a heat exchanger with a heat source to which one end of a gas pipe is connected, the heat exchanger having connected thereto one end of a water supply pipe and one end of a hot water outgoing pipe, opposite ends of the gas pipe, the water supply pipe, and the hot water outgoing pipe being 3 Kirstie/keep/retype/P466 07 14/11/2006

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respectively connected to pipe connecting units disposed on Z a lower surface of the cabinet, the frame having formed under the placing section a first space in which are disposed any of a source gas pipe connected to a gas source, Ch 5 a source water pipe connected to a water source, and a M combined hot water outgoing pipe communicating with each of C hot water outgoing places, wherein an area of the top C surface is set larger than an area of the lower surface of Cthe cabinet and wherein the placing section is disposed to a front surface side of the top surface so as to form a second space which permits at least one of the source gas pipe, the source water pipe, and the combined hot water outgoing pipe to be accommodated along a back surface of the hot water supplier as amounted in position on the frame.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the hot water supplier is placed on the frame, the second space, in which any of the source water supply pipe, the combined hot water outgoing pipe, and the source gas pipe can be disposed, is 4 Kiratie/keep/retype/P466 07 14/11/2006 formed on the back surface of the hot water supplier, in addition to the inner space of the frame, thereby a job space can be increased in the inside of the frame by reducing the number of pipes disposed in the in the frame.

As a result, a branch pipe connecting job can be easily performed as compared with a frame of a conventional art.

Further, it is preferable to dispose a joint section on the top surface of the frame facing the second space so as to connect a branch pipe branched from the pipe disposed in the second space to a connection pipe connected to one of the pipe connecting units disposed on the lower surface of the cabinet. In this case, when the connection pipe is connected between the pipe connecting unit and the joint unit before the pipes are disposed in the first space after the hot water supplier has been placed on the frame, a job for connecting the pipe disposed on the back surface of the hot water supplier to the branch pipe can be performed in a different large space. As a result, the piping job can be more effectively and reliably performed as well as faulty seal caused in the pipe connecting sections can be easily confirmed.

Here, at least two pipe support members may be disposed on the top surface of the frame facing the second space at a predetermined interval so as to support the pipe, and the extreme ends of the pipe support members may be 5 formed in a U-shaped cross-section to easily perform a job Z for installing the pipe in the space of the back surface of p- the hot water supplier.

S 5 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS SFIG. 1A is a front elevational view showing a frame of 0 an embodiment of the present invention on which a hot water C' supplier is placed; SFIG. 1B is a side elevational view of the frame on which the hot water supplier is placed; FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a hot water supply system composed of the hot water suppliers using the frames of embodiments of the present invention and disposed in parallel with each other; and FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the hot water supply system shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a frame of the preferred embodiment of the present invention for a hot water supplier. The frame 1 has a top board 11 formed as a placing section lla of the hot water supplier, and a general-purpose small hot water supplier (for example, hot water supplier No. 50) 2 is placed on the placing section lla. The hot water supplier 2 has a cabinet 21 in which a heat exchanger (not 6 Kirstie/keep/retype/P4660 7 14/11/2006 shown) having a gas burner acting as a heating source is disposed. A water supply pipe for supplying clean water and a hot water outgoing pipe are connected to the heat exchanger, respectively, and a gas pipe is also connected to the gas burner to supply a fuel gas thereto through a proportional valve. The other ends of these pipes are connected to pipe connection units 22, 23, and 24 disposed passing through the lower surface of the cabinet 21.

When the hot water supplier 2 is installed, respective pipes, that is, a source water supply pipe 3 connected to a water source, a combined hot water outgoing pipe 4 communicating with respective hot water outgoing places, and a source gas pipe 5 connected to a gas source must be disposed, and the respective pipes 3, 4, and 5 must also be connected to the pipe connection units 22, 23, and 24, to which the above pipes connected into the hot water supplier 2 are connected, through a branch water supply pipe 31, a branch hot water outgoing pipe 41, and a branch gas pipe 51, respectively.

In this case, if all the pipes of the source water supply pipe 3, the combined hot water outgoing pipe 4, and the source gas pipe 5 are disposed in the inner space (first space) 12 of the frame 1 as in the conventional arrangement, a working space in the first space 12 is narrow and a job for connecting the respective branch pipes 31, 41, and 51 is 7 troublesome, and it is particularly difficult to inspect leakage of gas caused at the connecting sections due to faulty sealing.

In this embodiment, the area of the top board 11 of the frame 1 is set larger than the area of the lower surface of the cabinet 21 of the hot water supplier 2, and the placing section 11a is disposed on the front surface side of the top board 11 so as to form a second space 13 which permits at least one of the source water supply pipe 3, the combined hot water outgoing pipe 4, and the source gas pipe 5 to be accommodated on the back surface of the hot water supplier 2 when the main body of the hot water supplier 2 is placed on the frame 1 (refer to FIG. IB).

Then, the section of the top board 11 excluding the placing section 11a located on the front surface side thereof is arranged as a pipe disposing section 11b. In the embodiment, the source gas pipe 5 is disposed in the second space 13 because it is otherwise difficult to inspect the faulty sealing of the source gas pipe 5 caused in the pipe connecting section thereof.

A joint section 14 passing through the top board 11 is disposed at approximately the center of the pipe disposing section 11b. The branch gas pipe 51, which is branched from the source gas pipe 5 disposed in the second space 13 located on the pipe disposing section 11b, and a connection 8pipe 24a, which is disposed in the first space 12 and can be connected to the fuel gas pipe connection unit 24 disposed on the lower surface of the cabinet 21, are connected to the joint section 14. In this case, a job for connecting an end of the branch gas pipe 51 to the source gas pipe 5 can be performed in a different large place.

Further, two pipe support members 15 are disposed on the pipe disposing section l1b at a predetermined interval.

The pipe support members 15 have extreme ends formed in a Ushape corresponding to the outside shape of the source gas pipe 5 and support the source gas pipe 5. Further, holes are made through the top surfaces of the extreme ends of the pipe support members 15 so that the source gas pipe 5 can be fixed through U-shaped bolts after it is placed on the pipe support members In the frame 1 of the embodiment, a water supply pipe piece 32 and a hot water outgoing pipe piece 42, which constitute the source water supply pipe 3 and the combined hot water outgoing pipe 4, are disposed in the first space 12 passing through a side board of the frame 1 so that a piping job can be effectively performed. Then, flanges 32a and 42a are disposed to the ends of the respective pipe pieces 32 and 42 projecting from the side board of the frame 1, thereby a job for connecting the source water supply pipe 3 and the combined hot water outgoing pipe 4 can be 9 performed outside of the frame 1. Note that the other ends of the respective pipe pieces 32 and 42 are opened, and when a hot water supplier 2 is installed as a single body, the pipe pieces 32 and 42 are used by attaching blind plates to the other ends. When the hot water supplier 2 is arranged to supply hot water to a hot water outgoing place at once even if the place is far from the hot water supplier 2, a circulation pump 6 and an expansion tank 7 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the frame 1 and may be connected to the respective pipe pieces 32 and 42.

Next, a procedure for installing a hot water supply system 10 using the hot water supply frames 1 of the present invention will be described referring to FIGS. 2 and 3.

Respective hot water suppliers 2 constituting the hot water supply system 10 are individually placed on and fixed to the placing sections 11a of the frames 1. The connection pipe 24a is connected between the joint section 14 and the fuel gas pipe connection unit 24 of the hot water supplier 2 in the first space 12 of the frame 1. Then, both the water supply pipe piece 32 and the hot water outgoing pipe piece 42 are connected to the pipe connection units 22 and 23 of each hot water supplier 2 through the branch pipes 31 and 41.

While the respective pipe pieces 32 and 42 are disposed to any one of the hot water suppliers 2 constituting the hot water supply system 10 as described above, they are not 10 disposed to the frames 1 of the other hot water suppliers 2.

Accordingly, in each of the frames 1 to which the pipe pieces 32 and 42 are not disposed, pipe pieces 32b and 42b are suspended in the first space 12 by connecting them to the other ends of the branch pipes 31 and 41 whose one ends are connected to the pipe connection units 22 and 23.

When the hot water supply system 10 is installed along, for example, a wall surface of a building, it is installed so as to provide a maintenance space on the back surface thereof in consideration of the maintenance thereof that will be performed later. Thus, first, the hot water supplier 2 having the water supply pipe piece 32 and the hot water outgoing pipe piece 42 is positioned at a predetermined position and installed. Then, another frame 1 on which the hot water supplier 2 is placed in confrontation with the side of the frame 1 from which the flanges 32a and 42a of the pipe pieces 32 and 42 project in parallel with the frame 1. At the time, the pipe piece 32 is connected to the pipe piece 32b through a flexible pipe 8 as well as a pipe piece 42 is connected to the pipe piece 42b also through a flexible pipe 8. The frames 1 are installed in parallel with each other as described above in the number that is needed to constitute the hot water supply system Then, the blind plates are attached to the ends of the respective pipe piece 32b and 42b in the first space 12 of 11 the frame 1 that has been coupled finally.

Subsequently, the single source gas pipe 5 is placed on the pipe support members 15 in the second spaces 13 formed on the back surfaces of the respective hot water suppliers 2 disposed in parallel with each other. In this case, one ends of the branch gas pipes 51 for fuel gas are previously connected to the source gas pipe 5 at different positions in correspondence to the positions of the joint sections 14 of the respective frames 1. Then, the source gas pipe 5, to which the respective branch gas pipes 51 are connected at predetermined intervals, is placed on the pipe support members 15, the other ends of the branch gas pipes 51 are connected to the respective joint sections 14, and then the source gas pipe 5 is fixed using the U-shaped bolts 9. The source gas pipe 5 to which a connection job has been completed may be covered with a sheet.

Note that while the source gas pipe 5 is disposed after the hot water supply system 10 has been installed in this embodiment, the pipe pieces used for the gas pipes, which constitute the source gas pipe 5, may be previously placed on the pipe support members 15 and fixed similarly to those of the source water supply pipe 3 and the combined hot water outgoing pipe 4 and may be connected with each other through the flexible pipes when the frames 1, on which the hot water suppliers 2 have been placed, are installed in parallel with 12

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o each other. Further, the hot water supplier 2 is placed on Z the frame 1 in the place where the hot water supply system is installed, and necessary pipes are connected thereto in the place. However, the frame 1 may be shipped in the >h 5 state that the hot water supplier 2 is placed thereon and C^ the connection pipe 24a is connected between the fuel gas 0 pipe connection unit 24 and the joint section 14.

CI As described above, according to the frames of the Spreferred embodiment of the present invention, a hot water supplier installation job can be effectively performed, and moreover a pipe connecting section confirming job can be easily executed.

13 Kiratie/keep/retype/P466 07 14/11/2006

Claims

1. A frame for a hot water supplier, comprising a placing section formed on a top surface of the frame for placing thereon a main body of the hot water supplier having a cabinet accommodating therein a heat exchanger with a heat source to which one end of a gas pipe is connected, the heat exchanger having connected thereto one end of a water supply pipe and one end of a hot water outgoing pipe, opposite ends of the gas pipe, the water supply pipe, and the hot water outgoing pipe being respectively connected to pipe connecting units disposed on a lower surface of the cabinet, the frame having formed under the placing section a first space in which are disposed any of a source gas pipe connected to a gas source, a source water pipe connected to a water source, and a combined hot water outgoing pipe communicating with each of hot water outgoing places, wherein an area of the top surface is set larger than an area of the lower surface of the cabinet and wherein the placing section is disposed to a front surface side of the top surface so as to form a second space which permits at least one of the source gas pipe, the source water pipe, and the combined hot water outgoing pipe to be accommodated along a back surface of the hot water supplier as amounted in position on the frame. 14

2. A frame for a hot water supplier according to claim 1, wherein a joint section is disposed on the top surface of the frame facing the second space so as to connect a branch pipe branched from the pipe disposed in the second space to a connection pipe connected to one of the pipe connecting units disposed on the lower surface of the cabinet.

3. A frame for a hot water supplier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least two pipe support members are disposed on the top surface of the frame facing the second space at a predetermined interval so as to support the pipe, and the extreme ends of the pipe support members are formed in a U-shaped cross section.

4. A frame for a hot water supplier substantially as herein described with reference to the'accompanying drawings. Dated this 25h day of July 2002 RINNAI CORPORATION By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK 15