WATER HEATER

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0196643, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Dec. 26, 2024, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0187300, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Dec. 1, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a water heater, and more particularly, to a water heater having an assembly structure, in which an inlet/outlet pipe provided on an upper side of a tank is separable.

BACKGROUND

A water heater is a device that heats water in a tank to heat a desired area or to form hot water by using the heated water to provide to a demand site. Accordingly, to heat water, a water heater generally has a structure capable of heating water through heat generated in a heating part.

As an example, a heat pump may be considered as the heating part. In the case of a heat pump, a refrigerant may circulate along a cycle that progresses in a sequence of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, so that water in the tank may be heated by utilizing heat generated in the condenser.

A case may be considered in which the heat pump is disposed at an upper portion of the tank and a pipe for water inlet and outlet is disposed at the upper side. When a pipe is disposed at an upper side, the pipe may be coupled to an upper plate of a case that accommodates the tank and an upper plate of a cover that accommodates the heat pump, but according to such a structure, when deformation occurs in the upper plate due to water pressure, it may also affect the pipe.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art while advantages achieved by the prior art are maintained intact.

An aspect of the present disclosure provides a water heater, in which an inlet/outlet pipe provided on an upper side is separated from an upper plate or a cover to have a non-fixed assembly structure so that a stable pipe structure may be secured.

The technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned problems, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a water heater includes a tank part including a tank, in which water is stored in an interior thereof, and that extends in an upward/downward direction, and a case, in which the tank is accommodated, a cover part that is coupled to an upper portion of the case to define an accommodation part at an upper portion of the tank part, and a pipe part disposed in the accommodation part, and at least a portion of which passes through the cover part to be exposed to an upper side of the cover part, the cover part includes a guide cap, in which a non-circular guide hole is formed such that an upper end portion of the pipe part is inserted thereinto, and the upper portion of the pipe part may be inserted into an interior of the guide hole to be spaced apart from the guide hole by a specific interval.

In an embodiment, the case may include a body that extends in the upward/downward direction, and opposite ends of which are opened, an upper plate that is coupled to an upper end of the body, and a lower plate that is coupled to a lower end of the body, a lower end portion of the pipe part may be coupled to an upper inlet/outlet port provided at an upper portion of the tank, and a through-hole may be formed in the upper plate such that the upper inlet/outlet port passes therethrough.

In an embodiment, the pipe part may include a pipe that extends in the upward/downward direction, an upper adapter that is coupled to an upper end of the pipe, and a lower adapter that is coupled to a lower end of the pipe, and the upper adapter may be inserted into the guide hole and the lower adapter may be coupled to the upper inlet/outlet port.

In an embodiment, the lower adapter may be welded and coupled to a lower end of the pipe.

In an embodiment, the upper adapter may be coupled to the upper end of the pipe through a nut and may be provided to be rotatable with respect to the pipe.

In an embodiment, the through-hole may have a larger diameter than an outer diameter of the upper inlet/outlet port such that the upper plate is spaced apart from the upper inlet/outlet port.

In an embodiment, the pipe part may be assembled to the tank part while not being fixed to the upper plate, and may be separated from deformation or movement of the upper plate.

In an embodiment, the tank part may further include a buffer member disposed between the upper plate and the tank and partially surrounding an outer peripheral surface of the upper inlet/outlet port.

In an embodiment, the upper adapter may include a coupling part, to which a nut is coupled, and an insertion part that is located at an upper portion of the coupling part and is inserted into the guide hole, and the insertion part may be formed in a shape corresponding to the guide hole.

In an embodiment, the cover part may further include an upper cover that is disposed to face the upper plate, and to which the guide cap is coupled, and a side cover that extends from the upper cover and is coupled to the case, and the insertion part may be configured to protrude to an upper side of the guide cap.

In an embodiment, the pipe part may be assembled to the cover part while not being fixed to the upper cover, and may be separated from deformation or movement of the upper cover.

In an embodiment, the guide hole may be hexagonal, and the insertion part that is inserted into the guide hole has six peripheries spaced apart from the guide hole by the same interval when the upper cover is viewed from a top.

In an embodiment, the upper inlet/outlet port may include an inlet port and an outlet port, and wherein the pipe part may include an inlet pipe that is connected to the inlet port, and an outlet pipe that is connected to the outlet port.

In an embodiment, the water heater may further include a heating part, at least a portion of which is disposed in an interior of the accommodation part, and that heats water in an interior of the tank.

In an embodiment, the heating part may be a heat pump system.

In an embodiment, an interval between the upper end portion of the pipe part and the guide hole may be 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a tank and an upper plate of a tank part of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates an upper portion of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating an upper adapter and a guide cap of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates a process of assembling a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 10 illustrates some processes in detail in the assembling process illustrated in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In adding reference numerals in the drawings, the same reference numerals will be used throughout to designate the same or equivalent components. In describing embodiments of the present disclosure, detailed descriptions associated with well-known functions or configurations will be omitted if they may make subject matters of the present disclosure unnecessarily obscure.

In the specification, a forward/rearward direction, a leftward/rightward direction, and an upward/downward direction are referred for convenience, and may be directions that are perpendicular to each other. However, the directions are determined relatively to a direction, in which the components of a water heater are arranged, and the upward/downward direction necessarily mean a vertical direction.

Additionally, terms including ordinal numbers, such as “first,” “second,” etc., used herein may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms, and the terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may be referred to as the first component. The term “and/or” includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any one of the plurality of related listed items.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a water heater according to an embodiment may include a tank part 100, a heating part 200, a cover part 300, and a pipe part 400.

The tank part 100 may include a tank 110, in which fluid is stored in an interior thereof, and a case 120 that surrounds the tank 110.

The tank 110 may extend in an upward/downward direction. Water may be stored in an interior of the tank 110, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The tank 110 is connected to the pipe part 400 and may communicate with an outside of the water heater 10 through the pipe part 400. For example, the tank 110 may be configured such that water is introduced or discharged through the pipe part 400.

The case 120 may be configured to provide a specific space, in which the tank 110 is accommodated in an interior thereof. The case 120 may include a body 121 that extends in the upward/downward direction and opposite ends of which are opened, an upper plate 122 that is coupled to an upper end portion of the body 121, and a lower plate 123 that is coupled to a lower end portion of the body 121. For example, the body 121 may be in a shape having an empty interior to accommodate the tank 110, the lower plate 123 may be coupled to a lower end of the body 121 to support the tank 110, and the upper plate 122 may be coupled to an upper end of the body 121 such that the tank 110 is substantially covered by the case 120. According to various embodiments, the case 120 may also be referred to as a tank housing or a tank cover.

The case 120 may be configured such that a portion of the tank 110 passes through at least a portion of the case 120 and is exposed to an outside of the case 120. For example, one or more ports 130 that extend from the tank 110 may pass through the case 120 and be exposed to an outside of the case 120. In particular, an upper inlet/outlet port 133, to which the pipe part 400 is connected, may be provided at an upper portion of the tank 110, and the upper inlet/outlet port 133 may pass through the upper plate 122 of the case 120 and be exposed to an outside of an upper portion of the case 120.

The tank 110 may be provided with a plurality of ports 130, in addition to the upper inlet/outlet port 133, and at least some of them may pass through the body 121 and be exposed in a lateral direction of the case 120.

Meanwhile, according to the illustrated embodiment, the case 120 is formed in a cylindrical shape, but a shape of the case 120 is not particularly limited and may be modified into various forms within a range, in which the tank 110 may be accommodated.

The heating part 200 may be configured to transfer heat to the tank 110 to heat fluid (particularly, water) stored in an interior of the tank 110. The heating part 200 may include a compressor 210, a condenser 220, an expansion valve 230, and an evaporator 240. For example, the heating part 200 may be a heat pump system.

The heating part 200 is a system that exchanges heat with water by using a refrigerant compression cycle, the compressor 210 may compress a refrigerant, the condenser 220 may heat water in the interior of the tank 110 by exchanging heat between the high-temperature/high-pressure refrigerant supplied from the compressor 210 and the water, the expansion valve 230 may decompress the refrigerant condensed through the condenser 220, and the evaporator 240 may evaporate the low-temperature/low-pressure refrigerant decompressed through the expansion valve 230 by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and outside air. That is, in the evaporator 240, an endothermic reaction may occur to heat the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve 230 after heat exchange with water.

The condenser 220 may be configured to heat water in the interior of the tank 110 through heat generated in a process of condensing the refrigerant. For example, water in the interior of the tank 110 may receive heat from the refrigerant that flows through the condenser 220 and may be heated. The condenser 220 may at least partially surround an outer peripheral surface of the tank 110, to exchange heat with water in an interior of the tank 110. For example, the condenser 220 may be disposed such that at least a portion thereof surrounds an outer peripheral surface of the tank 110, and opposite ends 220a thereof may be provided in a form of a pipe that extends to be connected to the compressor 210 and the expansion valve 230.

In the heating part 200, the compressor 210, the expansion valve 230, and the evaporator 240 may be disposed at an upper portion (particularly, an upper surface of the upper plate 122) of the tank part 100, and opposite ends 220a of the condenser 220 that is disposed to surround an outer peripheral surface of the tank 110 may be provided to extend to an upper side of the tank 110 to be connected to the compressor 210 and the expansion valve 230.

The heating part 200 may further include a refrigerant pipe 250 that is disposed at an upper portion of the upper plate 122, and through which a refrigerant flows. The refrigerant pipe 250 may be connected to at least some of the compressor 210, the condenser 220, the expansion valve 230, and the evaporator 240, and may be provided to form a refrigerant cycle, in which compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation are performed, while the refrigerant flows therethrough.

The heating part 200 may further include a fan 260 that generates a flow of air such that the air passes through the evaporator 240. The fan 260 may be disposed adjacent to the evaporator 240 to form an airflow that passes through the evaporator 240.

In the heating part 200, the compressor 210, the expansion valve 230, the evaporator 240, the refrigerant pipe 250, and the fan 260 may be assembled to constitute a heat-pump assembly 270. As the heat-pump assembly 270 is disposed on the upper plate 122, the heating part 200 is located substantially in an interior of the cover part 300 at an upper portion of the tank part 100. Through this, a dynamic load by the heating part 200 may be stably accommodated, and an installation area occupied by the water heater 10 may be reduced.

As an example, the compressor 210 may be an inverter compressor, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the evaporator 240 may be a parallel-flow heat exchanger, but is not limited thereto, and various types of heat exchangers, such as a fin-tube heat exchanger and an A-coil parallel-flow heat exchanger, may be used as the evaporator 240.

Meanwhile, as a water heater (or hot-water heater), to which a heat-pump system is applied, is well known in the art, a detailed description of the heating part 200 will be omitted.

The cover part 300 may be disposed at an upper portion of the tank part 100 and may be provided to cover the heating part 200 (particularly, the heat-pump assembly 270) seated on the upper plate 122. A specific accommodation part (e.g., see the accommodation part 350 of FIG. 5), a lower side of which is opened and that may accommodate the heat-pump assembly 270 in an interior thereof, may be provided in the cover part 300. A pipe part 400 may also be accommodated in the accommodation part formed by the cover part 300.

The cover part 300 may be coupled to the case 120 of the tank part 100. The cover part 300 may include an upper cover 310, and a side cover 320 that extends downward from the upper cover 310. When the cover part 300 is coupled to the case 120, the upper cover 310 may be disposed to face the upper plate 122 of the case 120, and the side cover 320 may be connected to the body 121 of the case 120 to form an external appearance of the water heater 10 together with the case 120.

The upper cover 310 of the cover part 300 may be configured such that at least a portion of the pipe part 400 passes therethrough. For example, at least a portion of the pipe part 400 may protrude from an upper side of the upper cover 310.

A display part 330 may be provided in the cover part 300. For example, the display part 330 may be provided at at least a portion of the side cover 320 of the cover part 300. The display part 330 may be configured to display information related to an operation of the water heater 10 or to receive a user input for operating the water heater 10.

The pipe part 400 may be coupled to the tank part 100, and may extend such that at least a portion thereof is exposed to an upper side of the water heater 10. The pipe part 400 may be connected to the upper inlet/outlet port 133 of the tank 110 and may communicate with an interior of the tank 110. The pipe part 400 may extend upward from the tank 110 and may pass through the upper cover 310 of the cover part 300.

The pipe part 400 may include an inlet pipe 400a for supplying water into an interior of the tank 110, and an outlet pipe 400b for discharging water in the interior of the tank 110 to an outside. The inlet pipe 400a and the outlet pipe 400b may be substantially the same configurations or components, and may serve as passages, through which water is introduced or discharged, depending on coupling positions.

The pipe part 400 may include a pipe 410, a lower adapter 430 that is coupled to a lower portion of the pipe 410, and an upper adapter 420 that is coupled to an upper portion of the pipe 410. The lower adapter 430 may be coupled to the tank 110. The upper adapter 420 may be inserted into the upper cover 310 of the cover part 300 to have a specific gap and may be supported thereby. The pipe part 400 may be configured such that a cap 440 is coupled to the upper adapter 420.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a tank and an upper plate of a tank part of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating only the upper plate 122 of the case 120 and the tank 110 separated from the tank part 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Hereinafter, in a description of FIG. 3, FIGS. 1 and 2 may be referenced together, and a repeated description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 3, the tank part 100 of the water heater 10 according to an embodiment may include the tank 110, and the upper plate 122 that is disposed at an upper portion of the tank 110.

The tank 110 may be provided with an upper inlet/outlet port 133 including an inlet port 131 and an outlet port 132 on surfaces that face the upper plate 122. The inlet port 131 and the outlet port 132 may be formed to communicate with an interior space of the tank 110, in which water is stored.

A through-hole 122h may be formed in the upper plate 122 such that the inlet port 131 and the outlet port 132 pass therethrough. For example, as in the tank part 100 illustrated in FIG. 2, in a state, in which the tank 110 is disposed in an interior of the case 120 and the tank part 100 is completely assembled, the inlet port 131 and the outlet port 132 may pass through the through-hole 122h and protrude to an upper side of the upper plate 122.

The tank part 100 may further include a buffer member 140 that surrounds a portion of the inlet port 131 and the outlet port 132. The buffer member 140 may be disposed between an upper surface of the tank 110 and the upper plate 122 in a state, in which the tank part 100 is completely assembled. The buffer member 140 may be formed of various types of foam materials, but materials of the buffer member 140 are not particularly limited.

FIG. 4 illustrates an upper portion of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a view illustrating an upper adapter and a guide cap of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates cross-section A-A′ of the water heater 10 illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged view of portion B in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 illustrates an enlarged view of portion C in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. FIG. 8 illustrates the upper adapter 420 and a guide cap 340, viewed from an upper side of the upper cover 310.

FIGS. 5 to 8 illustrate a coupling and assembling structure of the pipe part 400 in the water heater 10 of the present disclosure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and hereinafter, in a description of FIGS. 4 to 8, FIGS. 1 and 2 may be referenced together, and a repeated description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 8, the water heater 10 according to an embodiment may be configured to have an assembly structure, in which the pipe part 400 disposed at an upper side of the tank part 100 is not fixed to the upper plate 122 of the tank part 100 and the upper cover 310 of the cover part 300.

Meanwhile, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, in which other components accommodated in an accommodation part 350, such as a heat pump assembly 270, are omitted, to describe assembly structures between the pipe part 400 and the cover part 300 and between the pipe part 400 and the tank part 100.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the pipe part 400 will be described first, and a lower assembly structure (that is, an assembly structure between the pipe part 400 and the tank part 100) and an upper assembly structure (that is, an assembly structure between the pipe part 400 and the cover part 300) of the pipe part 400 will be described, respectively.

First, a configuration (or structure) of the pipe part 400 will be described. The following description may be equally applied to the inlet pipe 400a and the outlet pipe 400b.

As described above, the pipe part 400 may include the pipe 410, the upper adapter 420, and the lower adapter 430. For example, the upper adapter 420 and the lower adapter 430 may be components for assembling the pipe part 400 with the cover part 300 and the tank part 100. The pipe part 400 may be disposed in an interior of the accommodation part 350, and may be configured such that the upper adapter 420 passes through the upper cover 310 and is exposed to an upper side of the upper cover 310.

The upper adapter 420 and the lower adapter 430 may communicate with the pipe 410 to form a passage, in which water flows, together with the pipe 410, and upper and lower ends thereof may be opened.

The upper adapter 420 may be rotatably coupled to an upper end portion of the pipe 410. For example, the upper adapter 420 may be designed to be coupled to an upper end portion of the pipe 410 through a nut 450 and be rotatable with respect to the pipe 410. A cap 440 may be detachably coupled to the upper adapter 420, and the cap 440 may open and close an upper opening of the upper adapter 420.

The upper adapter 420 may include a coupling part 421, to which the nut 450 is coupled, and an insertion part 422 that is formed at an upper portion of the coupling part 421 and is inserted into a guide hole 341 of the upper cover 310. The insertion part 422 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the guide hole 341. For example, the insertion part 422 and the guide hole 341 may be formed in polygonal shapes such that rotation thereof is restricted in a state, in which the insertion part 422 is inserted into an interior of the guide hole 341.

The lower adapter 430 may be fixedly coupled to a lower end portion of the pipe 410. For example, the lower adapter 430 may be welded and coupled to a lower end portion of the pipe 410. However, a coupling scheme of the lower adapter 430 to the pipe 410 is not limited to welding, and they may be fixed through various schemes.

Next, a lower assembly structure of the pipe part 400 will be described.

The lower adapter 430 of the pipe part 400 may be coupled to the upper inlet/outlet port 133 provided in the tank 110. In this case, the upper inlet/outlet port 133 may pass through the through-hole 122h of the upper plate 122 and may be exposed to an upper side of the upper plate 122. For example, the upper inlet/outlet port 133 may protrude by a specific height from an upper surface of the upper plate 122.

The lower adapter 430 and the upper inlet/outlet port 133 may be assembled or fastened through a screw coupling. For example, corresponding screw threads may be formed on an outer peripheral surface of the lower adapter 430 and an inner surface of the upper inlet/outlet port 133. However, a coupling scheme between the lower adapter 430 and the upper inlet/outlet port 133 is not limited to a screw coupling.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the lower adapter 430 may be assembled in a structure that is not fixed to the upper plate 122 and is separated from the upper plate 122. For example, the upper inlet/outlet port 133 may be configured such that it is not coupled to and/or fixed to the upper plate 122, and the lower adapter 430 may be coupled to the upper inlet/outlet port 133 not to be fixed to the upper plate 122. To this end, the through-hole 122h of the upper plate 122 may be formed to have an inner diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the upper inlet/outlet port 133. Accordingly, a specific interval may be formed between the upper plate 122 and the upper inlet/outlet port 133, so that interference or restraint may not occur between the upper inlet/outlet port 133 and the upper plate 122. That is, the upper inlet/outlet port 133 and the pipe part 400 (in particular, the lower adapter 430) may be separated or independent from movement and/or deformation of the upper plate 122.

Meanwhile, according to the illustrated embodiment, the through-hole 122h is spaced apart from the lower adapter 430 by a specific interval, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the through-hole 122h may at least partially contact an outer peripheral surface of the lower adapter 430, and may have a diameter in a range, in which the lower adapter 430 is movable upward and downward within the through-hole 122h, such that the lower adapter 430 is separated from the upper plate 122.

The upper inlet/outlet port 133 may be configured to communicate with an interior space 111 of the tank 110. For example, the upper inlet/outlet port 133 may be fitted into and coupled to a hole (not illustrated) formed on an outer surface of the tank 110. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the upper inlet/outlet port 133 may be formed to extend integrally with the tank 110 or may be welded to surround a periphery of the hole.

The buffer member 140 may be disposed between the upper plate 122 and the tank 110. The buffer member 140 may be disposed between the upper plate 122 and the tank 110 while surrounding at least a portion of the upper inlet/outlet port 133. For example, the buffer member 140 may be disposed in a state of being partially press-fitted between the upper plate 122 and the tank 110. The buffer member 140 may buffer physical deformation of the upper plate 122. That is, when the upper plate 122 swells upward or sinks downward, the buffer member 140 may be deformed correspondingly and may stably support the upper plate 122. The buffer member 140 may be exposed to the outside through an interval between the through-hole 122h of the upper plate 122 and the upper inlet/outlet port 133.

Next, an upper assembly structure of the pipe part 400 will be described.

The upper adapter 420 of the pipe part 400 may be assembled to the guide cap 340 provided in the cover part 300. The guide cap 340 may be inserted into and assembled to the upper adapter 420. The upper adapter 420 may be assembled to the cover part 300 in a form, in which the insertion part 422 is inserted into the guide cap 340 and an upper portion of the insertion part 422 protrudes to an upper side of the guide cap 340. The cap 440 may be coupled to an upper end portion of the upper adapter 420, which is exposed to an upper side of the guide cap 340.

The cover part 300 may further include a guide cap 340 that is coupled to an upper surface of the upper cover 310. The guide cap 340 may be screw-coupled to an upper surface of the upper cover 310. A guide hole 341 may be formed at a central portion of the guide cap 340 such that the insertion part 422 of the upper adapter 420 is inserted thereinto. For example, the guide hole 341 may be formed in a hexagonal shape, and the insertion part 422 may also be formed in a hexagonal shape corresponding to the guide hole 341.

Meanwhile, shapes of the guide hole 341 and the insertion part 422 are not limited to hexagonal shapes. According to various embodiments, the guide hole 341 and the insertion part 422 may be modified into a non-circular shape including a polygonal shape (e.g., a quadrangular shape, a pentagonal shape, etc.) or an elliptical shape that may restrict the insertion part 422 from being rotated in a specific range or more in an interior of the guide hole 341.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the insertion part 422 of the upper adapter 420 may be spaced apart from the guide hole 341 by a specific interval G. For example, the insertion part 422 may be inserted into an interior of the guide hole 341 and may be spaced (G) apart from the guide hole 341 to be movable in a specific range in the interior of the guide hole 341. That is, as a gap G is provided between the hexagonal insertion part 422 and the guide hole 341, insertion of the insertion part 422 may be guided while the insertion part 422 is rotated when being inserted into the guide hole 341, and the insertion part 422 may be restricted from being rotated in a state, in which the insertion part 422 is inserted into the guide hole 341.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper adapter 420 is configured to be rotatable within a specific range in an interior of the guide hole 341 and be rotatable with respect to the pipe 410 as well, so that it may be easily aligned while being inserted into the guide hole 341. Accordingly, as will be described later, coupling may be easily performed while the guide cap 340 is mounted on the upper adapter 420 after the pipe part 400 is inserted into the upper cover 310.

According to various embodiments, the upper adapter 420 and the guide hole 341 may be configured such that an interval G therebetween has a range of about 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

As an example, the guide hole 341 may be formed in a hexagonal shape, and the insertion part 422 may be configured such that six peripheries of the insertion part 422 are spaced apart from the guide hole 341 at the same interval when the upper cover 310 is viewed from a top, while the insertion part 422 is inserted into the guide hole 341. Meanwhile, such spacing at the same interval is not limited to cases, in which the guide hole 341 is hexagonal, and may be equally applied even when the guide hole 341 is another polygonal shape or an elliptical shape.

The upper adapter 420 may be assembled in a structure that is separated from the upper cover 310 as it is inserted into the guide hole 341 of the upper cover 310 to have a gap G. For example, because the upper adapter 420 is not directly coupled or fixed to the upper cover 310, it may be separated or independent from movement and/or deformation of the upper cover 310.

Because the water heater 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has an assembly structure, in which an upper portion (e.g., the upper adapter 420) and a lower portion (e.g., the lower adapter 430) of the pipe part 400 are separated from the cover part 300 (particularly, the upper cover 310) and the case 120 (particularly, the upper plate 122), an influence thereof on the pipe part 400 may be limited or minimized even when the upper cover 310 and/or the upper plate 122 is deformed by an external force. For example, even when the upper cover 310 or the upper plate 122 swells due to water pressure, such deformation is not transmitted to the pipe part 400, so that a stable piping structure may be secured and quality may be improved.

FIG. 9 illustrates a process of assembling a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 illustrates some processes in detail in the assembling process illustrated in FIG. 9.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are views illustrating a process of assembling the water heater 10 of the present disclosure, which has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. Hereinafter, in a description of FIGS. 9 and 10, FIGS. 1 to 8 may be referenced together, and a repeated description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9, the tank part 100 may be assembled first. In this case, the condenser 220 may surround an outer peripheral surface of the tank 110, and opposite ends (e.g., the opposite ends 220a of FIG. 2) of the condenser 220 and the upper inlet/outlet port 133 of the tank 110 may be exposed to an upper side of the upper plate 122 (e.g., FIG. 2). The pipe part 400 may be assembled as the lower adapter 430 is coupled to the upper inlet/outlet port 133. Next, the heat pump assembly 270 may be disposed on the upper plate 122, and the refrigerant pipe 250 and the condenser 220 may be connected to each other. Thereafter, the pipe part 400 may be inserted into the guide cap 340 while the cover part 300 is coupled to the tank part 100, and assembly of the cover part 300 may be completed. This may simplify an assembling process and improve workability.

Referring to FIG. 10, an upper portion of the pipe part 400 may be assembled in a process of a body (i.e., the upper cover 310 and the side cover 320) of the cover part 300 being coupled to the tank part 100 first and coupling the guide cap 340 thereafter.

Specifically, the body of the cover part 300 may be coupled to the tank part 100 after a lower portion of the pipe part 400 and the heat pump assembly 270 are completely assembled, and in this case, an upper portion (i.e., the insertion part 422) of the pipe part 400 passes through an opening of the upper cover 310 and is exposed to an upper side of the upper cover 310.

Thereafter, the guide cap 340 may be screw-coupled to the upper cover 310 such that the insertion part 422 is inserted into the guide hole 341. In this case, as the upper adapter 420 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the pipe 410, the upper adapter 420 may be aligned at and guided to a position, at which the insertion part 422 may be inserted into the guide cap 340 while being rotated in a specific range in a process of inserting the insertion part 422 into the guide cap 340.

Meanwhile, the assembling process of FIG. 10 is exemplary, and according to various embodiments, the cover part 300 may be assembled to the tank part 100 while the guide cap 340 is coupled to the upper cover 310.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, even when the upper cover or the tank upper plate is swollen upward due to water pressure, the deformation is not transmitted to the pipe part, so that a stable pipe structure may be secured and quality may be improved.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an overall assembling process including the pipe part may be simplified, and accordingly, workability may be improved.

The above description is merely an example of the technical idea of the present disclosure, and various modifications and variations may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristic of the present disclosure. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are intended not to limit but to explain the technical idea of the present disclosure, and the scope and spirit of the present disclosure is not limited by the above embodiments. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be construed by the attached claims, and all equivalents thereof should be construed as being included within the scope of the present disclosure.