Exterior case for hot water unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11466895-B2
Application number	US-201816137516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2018
Priority date	Sep 25, 2017
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

Provided is an exterior case for a hot water unit which can be produced in a simple operational process with high productivity and with low costs without environmental pollution even if a complex pattern or the like is formed, in which the overall design properties are favorable. There is provided an exterior case used for accommodating a hot water device for hot water production or hot water storage therein, and an ink jet printing layer representing at least one of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns is provided on a paint layer of a metal plate constituting the exterior case.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exterior case for a hot water unit used for accommodating a hot water device for hot water production or hot water storage therein,
wherein the exterior case comprises an exterior case main body having an opening and a cover body that is attached to the exterior case main body to block the opening,
the cover body has a multi-layer structure including a metal plate, and a front side paint layer laminated on a front surface of the metal plate,
the cover body comprises an ink jet printing layer that is laminated and provided on the front side paint layer, and the ink jet printing layer represents at least one of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns,
the cover body includes an outer peripheral flange part and a bulging part that is surrounded by the outer peripheral flange part, and a peripheral wall of the bulging part constitutes a drawing part, and
a plate thickness of the metal plate of a part of the drawn part is thinner than that of other parts of the drawn part, and a thickness of the ink jet printing layer at the part of the drawn part is thinner than that of the other parts, wherein the thickness of the metal plate of the part of the drawn part is a thickness of a corner of the peripheral wall of the bulging part.

2. The exterior case for a hot water unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein device related information of the hot water unit is displayed on the ink jet printing layer.

3. The exterior case for a hot water unit according to claim 2 ,
wherein, in addition to the device related information, a decoration pattern is additionally displayed on the ink jet printing layer.

4. The exterior case for a hot water unit according to claim 2 ,
wherein, as the ink jet printing layer, an ink jet printing layer on which at least one of an electrical wiring diagram and a piping diagram of the hot water unit and other diagrams for explaining installation of parts is displayed as the device related information is provided.

5. The exterior case for a hot water unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein, as the ink jet printing layer, an ink jet printing layer which is provided on a front part of the cover body and on which at least one of a manufacturer name, a distributor name, a model, a manufacture date, and instructions for use of the hot water unit is displayed as the device related information is provided.

6. The exterior case for a hot water unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein a burring hole having a burring part protruding from the drawn part is provided, and
in the burring part, an ink jet printing layer connected to an ink jet printing layer provided on a part surrounding the burring hole is provided.

7. The exterior case for a hot water unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least a part of component parts of the exterior case is a press working article, and
wherein a marker for positioning when the component parts are pressed is provided in the ink jet printing layer.

8. The exterior case for a hot water unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ink jet printing layer comprises a UV curable resin.

9. The exterior case for a hot water unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ink jet printing layer comprises a thermosetting resin.

10. The exterior case for a hot water unit according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral wall is a wall raised forward from the outer peripheral flange part.

Assignees

• Noritz Corp

Inventors

• Fukui Nobuhiro
• Fujii Hiroshi

Classifications

• F24H9/02 Primary

  Casings; Cover lids; Ornamental panels · CPC title

• F24D19/0097

  Casings or frame structures for hydraulic components · CPC title

• F24H1/181 Primary

  Construction of the tank · CPC title