JP5059625B2 - Electric water heater - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric water heater, and more particularly to an electric water heater that is provided with a heat insulating member and is characterized by its support structure.

  Conventionally, as an electric water heater, one having a configuration in which the periphery of an inner container is covered with a vacuum heat insulating material and the vacuum heat insulating material is supported by a heat shield provided on the bottom member or the bottom surface of the inner container is known (for example, a patent Reference 1).

JP 2001-161565 A

  However, in the conventional electric water heater, when the vacuum heat insulating material is supported by the bottom member, it is necessary to extend the bottom member to the vicinity of the heating means, which makes the structure complicated and difficult to process. In consideration of the heat effect from the heating means, it is necessary to use a flame-retardant material for the bottom member. For this reason, the appearance of the bottom member is deteriorated and the cost is increased. Further, when the vacuum heat insulating material is supported by the heat insulating plate, the heat insulating plate is completely exposed from the vacuum heat insulating material due to the structure, and the heat radiation from the heat insulating plate cannot be sufficiently prevented.

  Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the electric water heater which can manufacture the support structure of a heat insulation member easily and cheaply, and can fully exhibit the heat insulation performance by a heat insulation member.

As a means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides:
The inner container is accommodated in the space formed by the bottom member and the outer body, the upper opening of the inner container is closed by the lid, and the inner container is accommodated by the heating means provided on the bottom surface of the inner container. An electric water heater that heats the liquid
A cylindrical heat insulating member is disposed between the inner container and the outer body,
The bottom member holds a substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and is attached with a substrate box made of a flame retardant material for supporting the heating means,
The lower end portion of the heat insulating member is supported by a support portion formed on the substrate box at a lower side than the heating means ,
The support portion is constituted by a metal support member attached to the substrate box .

With this configuration, since the heat insulating member is supported by a part of the substrate box made of a flame retardant material, even if the heat insulating member is supported in the vicinity of the heating member, there is no problem due to the influence of heat. In addition, since the heat insulating member is supported below the heating means, it is possible to suppress not only the inner container but also heat radiation from the heating means to the outside by the heat insulating member. In addition, the support portion can be easily formed without complicating the configuration of the substrate box.

  The support part may be constituted by a metal support member attached to the substrate box.

  With this configuration, the support portion can be easily formed without complicating the configuration of the substrate box.

The upper opening of the exterior body is provided with a shoulder member that supports the upper opening of the inner container and to which the lid is rotatably attached.
The shoulder member is formed with an annular groove on the inner peripheral side lower surface of the exterior body, in which an upper end opening of the heat insulating member is disposed,
It is preferable that the substrate box has a heat insulating structure at least on the heating member side.

  With this configuration, most of the periphery of the inner container and the heating means can be surrounded by a heat insulating structure, and the heat retention can be further enhanced.

  The substrate box is preferably capable of holding communication means for communicating with the outside.

  With this configuration, it is possible to select whether or not to provide the communication means with the same board box configuration, and while maintaining the heat retaining property of the inner container, the communication means is accommodated and the use state of the electric water heater is transmitted to the outside. It is also possible to function as a so-called life monitor.

  According to the present invention, since the heat insulating member is supported by the support portion formed on a part of the substrate box made of a flame retardant material, there is no problem caused by the heat effect of the heating member. In addition, since the support position is below the heating means, the heat insulating member can be supported in a state excellent in heat retention while suppressing the amount of heat released to the outside.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric water heater according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof. This electric water heater generally includes a bottom member 1, an exterior body 2, a shoulder member 3, an inner container 4, a lid body 5, a heating unit 6 (heating means), a substrate box 7, and a vacuum jacket 8 ( A heat insulating member).

  The bottom member 1 includes a bottom body 9 and a bottom plate 10. A bottom plate 10 is fixed to the inner peripheral side of the bottom barrel 9.

  The exterior body 2 is made of a metal plate material in a cylindrical shape, and an annular cylindrical portion 2a having a cylindrical cross section is formed by curling the lower end opening end.

  The shoulder member 3 is formed by molding a synthetic resin material. An annular groove 13 is formed by the outer peripheral portion 11 and the inner peripheral portion 12, and is attached to the upper opening of the exterior body 2. The annular groove 13 can support the upper end opening of the vacuum jacket 8 described later from inside and outside.

  The inner container 4 is a bottomed cylindrical material made of a thin metal material having excellent heat transfer properties, and contains liquid (mainly water) inside. One end of a pumping pipe 14 is connected to the bottom surface of the inner container 4. The pumping pipe 14 extends upward along the side surface of the inner container 4. The upper opening of the inner container 4 is formed with a flange 4a whose opening end is widened toward the outer diameter side. A constricted portion 4b bulging inward is formed below the flange portion 4a by a predetermined dimension.

  The lid 5 is rotatably attached to the shoulder member 3 and opens and closes the upper opening of the inner container 4. The lid 5 has a heat insulating structure, and a packing 15 that is pressed against the flange 4 a of the inner container 4 is attached to the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the lid 5. Moreover, the center part of the lower surface of the lid 5 is a lid 16 having a double structure, and enters the inside of the upper opening of the inner container 4 and is arranged inside the constricted portion 4b.

  The heating unit 6 is configured by a heater or the like disposed in a space formed by the heat shield plate 17 between the bottom surface of the inner container 4. Electric power is supplied to the heating unit 6 via a power supply circuit of a first substrate 7a provided in a substrate box 7 described later.

  The board box 7 is configured to house the first board 7a, the second board 20, the mobile phone 21 and the like in an internal space formed by the upper half 7A and the lower half 7B. The substrate box 7 (particularly the upper half portion 7A) is formed by molding a synthetic resin material, in particular, a material excellent in flame retardancy and preferably heat resistance. Thereby, in spite of presence of the heat shield plate 17, adverse effects such as deformation due to heat transmitted from the heating unit 6 are prevented. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper half portion 7 </ b> A is provided with a recess 18 in which the first substrate 7 a is disposed at the center of the bottom surface, thereby forming a pedestal portion 18 that protrudes upward. Support portions 19 are respectively formed at four locations around the pedestal portion 18. The support portion 19 includes a first support piece 19a having a substantially U-shaped cross section that comes into contact with a lower end opening edge of the vacuum jacket 8 to be described later, and a second support piece 19b having a guide portion on the outer diameter side. . In the lower half 7B, the second substrate 20, the mobile phone 21 and the like are arranged. The state of use of the electric water heater is so-called that the safety can be confirmed by detecting whether or not the elderly are regularly using the second substrate 20 through the mobile phone 21 and detecting whether or not it is regularly used. It can be used for a life monitoring system.

  The vacuum jacket 8 is formed, for example, by sticking stick-shaped cores made of a material having low heat conductivity at predetermined intervals, vacuum-laminating the outer periphery thereof with a laminate film, and forming a cylindrical shape (for example, a special one) The vacuum heat insulating material etc. which were indicated by Kai 2002-65461 gazette can be used.

(Assembly method)
Then, the assembly method of the electric water heater which consists of the said structure is demonstrated.

  An inner container 4 is attached to the shoulder member 3 from above and a lid 5 is attached. On the bottom surface of the inner container 4, a heating unit 6 is disposed in advance and a heat shield plate 17 is attached. Then, the shoulder member 3 and the inner container 4 are turned upside down, and the vacuum jacket 8 is disposed on the outer periphery of the inner container 4. The vacuum jacket 8 is in a state where the joint portion of the upper opening is disposed in the annular groove 13 of the shoulder member 3.

  Next, the handle 3 a and the pumping pipe 14 are attached to the shoulder member 3, the exterior body 2 is attached, and then the substrate box 7 and the bottom member 1 are attached to the lower ends of the inner container 4 and the exterior body 2. In the substrate box 7, the first substrate 7a, the second substrate 20, the mobile phone 21 and the like are accommodated in advance. After the electrical connection between the first substrate 7 a and the heating unit 6 is achieved, the substrate box 7 is positioned with respect to the bottom surface of the inner container 4. At this time, the lower end opening edge portion of the vacuum jacket 8 is supported by the support portion 19 of the substrate box 7. Further, in attaching the bottom member 1, the annular cylindrical portion 2 a formed at the lower end portion of the exterior body 2 is temporarily fixed by being disposed on the step portion of the peripheral wall of the bottom member 1. Then, the bottom member 1 is attached to the heat shield plate 17 via the support member 22 with a screw (not shown). As a result, the inner container 4 with the collar portion 4 a supported by the upper opening of the shoulder member 3 is pulled from the bottom member 1 via the heat shield plate 17 and the substrate box 7, and between the shoulder member 3 and the bottom member 1. The exterior body 2 is integrated in a sandwiched state. The vacuum jacket 8 is supported at the upper end opening by the shoulder member 3 and at the lower end opening by the support portion 19 of the substrate box 7.

  Next, an operation when the inner container 4 is heated by the heating unit 6 in the electric water heater having the above-described configuration will be described.

  When the liquid is accommodated in the inner container 4 and the power is turned on, power is supplied to the heating unit 6 via the power circuit of the first substrate 7a to heat the liquid. At this time, the heat from the heating unit 6 is transmitted not only to the inner container 4 but also to the surroundings. The lower side of the heating unit 6 is covered with a heat shield plate 17, and further located on the lower side is a substrate box 7 made of a flame retardant material. Therefore, even if the substrate box 7 receives a thermal effect transmitted from the heating unit 6 to the lower side, problems such as deformation do not occur. For this reason, the support state of the vacuum jacket 8 by the support part 19 formed in the board | substrate box 7 can be stabilized. The lower end opening edge of the vacuum jacket 8 is located below the heating unit 6. Therefore, the heat transmitted in the radial direction is substantially blocked by the vacuum jacket 8 and does not heat the surroundings.

(Other embodiments)
In addition, the electric water heater which concerns on this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various change is possible.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the vacuum jacket 8 is supported by the support portion 19 formed in a part of the substrate box 7. However, the following configuration is also possible.

  That is, the support portion 19 may be configured by a support member 22 fixed to the upper half portion 7A of the substrate box 7 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5B, the support member 22 has a lower end portion 22a fixed to the substrate box 7 and a fixed portion 22b fixed to the heat shield plate 17 at the upper end portion by bending the metal piece into a substantially U shape. And a support portion 22c that supports the vacuum jacket 8 are formed. According to this configuration, the structure of the substrate box 7 can be manufactured at low cost without complicating the structure.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the support portion 19 may be formed not on the substrate box 7 but on a part of the exterior body 2. For example, what is necessary is just to comprise the exterior body 2 with resin and to be comprised with the hook-shaped support piece 23 which protrudes inside from the lower end side internal peripheral surface. The support pieces 23 are provided at a plurality of locations (for example, three locations) in the circumferential direction, and each support piece 23 may be formed in a desired range in the circumferential direction. Further, when the exterior body 2 is made of metal, the support piece may be formed by cutting and raising the inner periphery side or welding. According to these structures, the support part 19 can be formed in a desired location and the position which supports the vacuum jacket 8 can be set freely.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the vacuum jacket 8 was demonstrated as an example of a heat insulation member, even if it is a member provided with other heat insulation structures, such as urethane, it can employ | adopt and was equipped with the reflecting plate on the inner surface. A configuration or the like may be used. In short, any structure that can insulate at least the outer peripheral side of the inner container 4 may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the board | substrate box 7 was only comprised with the flame-retardant material, it is good also as a structure provided with the heat insulation structure, such as making the base part 18 of the upper half part 7A into a double structure. According to this, it is possible not only to prevent the substrate box 7 from being deformed due to the thermal influence from the heating unit 6, but also to prevent the electronic components housed in the substrate box 7 from being damaged or malfunctioning. . Moreover, it becomes possible to set it as the structure excellent in heat retention.

  In the above-described embodiment, the substrate box 7 is provided with a communication means with the outside such as the second substrate 20 and the mobile phone 21. However, a configuration without the communication means is also possible. That is, it is preferable to configure so that other components can be shared between the case where the communication means is installed and the case where the communication means is not. In this case, the substrate box 7 may have only the upper half portion 7A, and the bottom surface side of the upper half portion 7A may be covered with the bottom plate 10 of the bottom member 1. According to this, even if the capacity is the same, the overall height can be kept low and a compact configuration can be achieved.

It is a front view of the electric water heater which concerns on this embodiment. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is a top view which shows the upper half part of the board | substrate box of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of FIG. 3. (A) is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the structure of the support part which concerns on other embodiment, (b) is a perspective view which shows the support member of (a). It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the structure of the support part which concerns on other embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bottom member 2 ... Exterior body 2a ... Cylindrical cylinder part 3 ... Shoulder member 3a ... Handle 4 ... Inner container 4a ... Gutter part 4b ... Constriction part 5 ... Lid body 6 ... Heating part 7 ... Substrate box 7a ... First board 7A ... Upper half 7B ... Lower half 8 ... Vacuum jacket 9 ... Bottom trunk 10 ... Bottom plate 11 ... Outer peripheral part 12 ... Inner peripheral part 13 ... Annular groove 14 ... Pumping pipe 15 ... Packing 16 ... Lid 17 ... Heat shield 18 ... pedestal part 19 ... support part 19a ... first support piece 19b ... second support piece 20 ... second substrate 21 ... mobile phone 22 ... support member 22a ... lower end part 22b ... fixed part 22c ... support part 23 ... support piece

Claims (3)

The inner container is accommodated in the space formed by the bottom member and the outer body, the upper opening of the inner container is closed by the lid, and the inner container is accommodated by the heating means provided on the bottom surface of the inner container. An electric water heater that heats the liquid
A cylindrical heat insulating member is disposed between the inner container and the outer body,
The bottom member holds a substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and is attached with a substrate box made of a flame retardant material for supporting the heating means,
The lower end portion of the heat insulating member is supported by a support portion formed on the substrate box at a lower side than the heating means ,
The electric water heater is characterized in that the support portion is constituted by a metal support member attached to the substrate box . The upper opening of the exterior body is provided with a shoulder member that supports the upper opening of the inner container and to which the lid is rotatably attached.
The shoulder member is formed with an annular groove on the inner peripheral side lower surface of the exterior body, in which an upper end opening of the heat insulating member is disposed,
The electric water heater according to claim 1, wherein the substrate box has a heat insulating structure at least on the heating member side. The electric water heater according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate box can hold communication means for communicating with the outside.

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