Patent Application
20250164148
The present disclosure relates to heat pump water heaters and more specifically to bendable tabs disposed on air inlets and/or air outlets of housings of heat pump water heaters for attaching venting conduit thereto.
Water heaters are generally used to provide a supply of heated water in a variety of applications, including residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Conventional water heaters use burners, electrical heating elements, and/or solar panels to heat water. Some water heaters use heat pumps that heat water by extracting heat from ambient air by using a refrigerant and vapor compression cycle system.
A conventional heat pump water heater includes an air inlet that intakes ambient air and an air outlet that exhausts cool and dehumidified air. The heat pump water heater may further include an evaporator heat exchanger that extracts heat from the ambient air by using the refrigerant and a compressor that may receive and compress the refrigerant. The compressed refrigerant may be used to heat water in a water storage tank via a condenser heat exchanger.
In some instances, it may be desirable to attach venting conduit to the air inlet of a heat pump water heater in order to draw ambient air from a location away from the heat pump water. Similarly, it may be desirable to attach venting to the air outlet of the heat pump water heater to vent the discharge air to a location away from the heat pump water heater. Conventional heat pump water heater designs do not enable the user to conveniently attach external venting conduit to the air inlet and outlet of the heat pump water heater.
The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and/or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and/or components may not be present in various embodiments. Elements and/or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably.
The present disclosure is directed to a heat pump water heater. The heat pump water heater may include a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet may be configured to receive ambient air, and the air outlet may be configured to output exhaust air. The air inlet and the air outlet may include perforations (or openings) to facilitate receiving of the ambient air and outputting of the exhaust air. The perforations may include a plurality of bendable tabs that may be configured to bend from a first position to a second position. In some embodiments, in the first position, a plane of a bendable tab may be aligned with (disposed substantially parallel to) a plane of the air inlet (or the air outlet). For example, a plane of the bendable tab may aligned with and curve along with a plane of the housing when in the first position. In the second position, the plane of the bendable tab may be disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the plane of the air inlet (or the air outlet). For example, in some instances, the plane of the bendable tab may be generally transverse to the plane of the air inlet (or the air outlet) in the second position. That is, the plane of the bendable tab may form an acute, orthogonal, or obtuse angle relative to the plane of the air inlet (or the air outlet).
In some embodiments, the plurality of bendable tabs may be disposed at a periphery of the perforations that form the air inlet (or the air outlet). In certain embodiments, the plurality of bendable tabs may be disposed at a top portion, a bottom portion, and side portions of the perforations. The plurality of bendable tabs may be disposed at any location along the perimeter of the air inlet (or the air outlet). In some instances, when the air inlet (or the air outlet) is circular, the plurality of bendable tabs may be diametrically opposed from one another.
The bendable tab may include an attachment mechanism that may enable a user to attach an external device to the housing. The external device may be, for example, a conduit or a duct for venting air to and/or from the evaporator heat exchanger of the heat pump. In certain embodiments, the attachment mechanism may include one or more holes that may be configured to receive a fastener, such as a screw, nail, rivet, and/or the like. In various implementations, the attachment mechanism may include a protrusion configured to facilitate a snap fit into a corresponding groove of the external device. In various implementations, the attachment mechanism may include a tab configured to be inserted into a slot on the external device. Other attachment mechanisms are contemplated by this disclosure.
In further embodiments, the plurality of bendable tabs may include one or more outer bendable tabs and one or more inner bendable tabs. The outer bendable tabs may be configured to bend away from a center position of the perforations associated with the air inlet/air outlet, and the inner bendable tabs may be configured to bend towards the center position of the perforations. For example, when the air inlet (or the air outlet) is circular, the outer bendable tabs may be configured to bend away from a center the air inlet/air outlet, and the inner bendable tabs may be configured to bend towards the center position of the air inlet/air outlet. In some instances, the air inlet (or the air outlet) may have shapes other than a circular shape, such as square, rectangular, triangular, or any other shape. Regardless of the shape of the air inlet (or air outlet), in some instances, the outer bendable tabs may be disposed outward of the perimeter of air inlet/air outlet, and the inner bendable tabs may be inward of the perimeter of the air inlet/air outlet. In some embodiments, the external device may be secured between the outer bendable tabs and the inner bendable tabs. For example, when in the second position, the outer bendable tabs and the inner bendable tabs may form a channel about the perimeter of the air inlet/air outlet in which the external device may be positioned.
The present disclosure discloses perforated bendable tabs disposed on the housing of the heat pump water heater. The perforated bendable tabs may enable a user to bend the tabs from the first position to the second position and attach the external device to the housing via the tabs. Thus, the user may not have to perform any cutting and may not need additional hardware to attach the external device to the housing.
Although certain examples of the disclosed technology are explained in detail herein, it is to be understood that other examples, embodiments, and implementations of the disclosed technology are contemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the disclosed technology is limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components expressly set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed technology can be implemented in a variety of examples and can be practiced or carried out in various ways. In particular, the presently disclosed subject matter is described in the context of being a system and method for conveniently attaching an external device to a heat pump water heater housing. The present disclosure, however, is not so limited, and can be applicable in other contexts. The present disclosure, for example and not limitation, can be applied to other types of water heaters. Furthermore, the present disclosure can include other fluid heating systems configured to heat a fluid other than water such as process fluid heaters used in industrial applications. Such implementations and applications are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, when the present disclosure is described in the context of being a system and method for conveniently attaching an external device to a heat pump water heater housing, it will be understood that other implementations can take the place of those referred to.
Although the term “water” is used throughout this specification, it is to be understood that other fluids may take the place of the term “water” as used herein. Therefore, although described as a system and method to attach an external device to a heat pump water heater, it is to be understood that the system and method described herein can apply to fluids other than water. Further, it is also to be understood that the term “water” can replace the term “fluid” as used herein unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Turning now to the drawings,
The water heating device 100 may include a housing 102 defining an interior chamber of the water heating device 100. The housing 102 may include a water storage tank 104 (or a fluid tank) for storing water or any fluid to be heated.
The water storage tank 104 (and/or the housing 102) may be of any suitable size, shape, or configuration based on the water heating device application. For example, the water storage tank 104 may be sized for common residential use or for commercial or industrial use that may require greater amounts of heated water. Furthermore, the water storage tank 104 may be made of any suitable material for storing and heating water, including copper, carbon steel, stainless steel, ceramics, polymers, composites, or any other suitable material. The water storage tank 104 may also be treated or lined with a coating to prevent corrosion and leakage. The water storage tank 104 may be treated or coated with any suitable coating that may be capable of withstanding temperature and pressure of the water heating device 100, and may include, as non-limiting examples, glass enameling, galvanizing, thermosetting resin-bonded lining materials, thermoplastic coating materials, cement coating, or any other suitable treating or coating for the application. Optionally, the water storage tank 104 may be insulated to retain heat. For example, the water storage tank 104 may be insulated using foam, fiberglass, aluminum foil, organic material, or any other suitable insulation material.
The housing 102 may further include an air inlet 106 and an air outlet 108. The air inlet 106 may be configured to receive ambient air from outside and pass the air to the interior portion of the housing 102, and the air outlet 108 may be configured to output exhaust air from the interior portion of the housing 102 to outside. The air inlet 106 may be disposed at the top wall of the housing 102 and the air outlet 108 may be disposed at a side wall of the housing 102. In other embodiments, the air inlet 106 may be disposed at the side wall opposite to the air outlet 108. The example arrangements of the air inlet 106 and the air outlet 108 in the housing 102 described here should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.
The air outlet 108 may include a first perforated pattern (shown as first perforated pattern 202 in
The water heating device 100 may further include a heating source 110 configured to heat water in the water storage tank 104. In an exemplary aspect, the heating source 110 may include a heat pump (or a heat pump assembly). Any suitable heating source may be used herein. Hereinafter, the heating source 110 is considered to be a heat pump.
The heat pump may include a plurality of components (not shown) including, but not limited to, an evaporator, a compressor, a heat exchanger/condenser (including a heat exchanger tube that may be disposed inside/outside the water storage tank 104) and an expansion valve connected in series by a refrigerant tubing through which, during heat pump operation, a refrigerant may flow. Specifically, the refrigerant may sequentially flow from a compressor outlet, through the heat exchanger tube, through the expansion valve, through the evaporator, and back to a compressor inlet. The refrigerant may be any suitable refrigerant, for example, R22 or R410A. The evaporator, the compressor, and the expansion valve of the water heating device 100 may be conventional evaporator, compressor and expansion valve, and hence their functions are not described here in detail.
While the description provided above is directed towards a water heater (or a heat pump water heater), the perforated pattern(s) and/or the bendable tabs may be used in any appliance to facilitate attachment to an external device. In some aspects, the appliance may include one or more air outlet/inlet to duct connections.
In some embodiments, the first portion 200 may include an upper sidewall of the housing 102 that may include the air outlet 108. The upper sidewall may be disposed in proximity to the top portion of the housing 102. As described above in conjunction with
The perforated pattern 202 may include holes of any shape, size, and/or design. For example, the perforated pattern 202 in the air outlet 108 may include holes of shapes including, but not limited to, round, square, hexagonal, slotted, diamond, and/or a combination thereof.
In accordance with the present disclosure, the perforated pattern 202 may include a plurality of bendable tabs 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d, 204e, 204f, 204g, and 204h (collectively referred as plurality of bendable tabs 204). Each bendable tab 204 may be configured to bend between a first position and a second position. In some embodiments, a user (not shown) may conveniently bend each bendable tab 204 from the first position to the second positon and vice-versa, by using a hand tool. In some embodiments, the bendable tab 204 may have a length in a range of 0.5-6 cm, a width in a range of 0.5-3 cm, a thickness in a range of 0.3-20 mm (or other typical sheet metal thicknesses). Other suitable dimensions are contemplated by this disclosure.
In some embodiments, each bendable tab 204 may be in a closed position as shown in
In some embodiments, the plurality of bendable tabs 204 may be disposed on a periphery or perimeter of the perforated pattern 202, as shown in
In certain embodiments, the plurality of bendable tabs 204 may include one or more outer bendable tabs (e.g., bendable tabs 204a, 204c, 204e, 204g) and one or more inner bendable tabs (e.g., bendable tabs 204b, 204d, 204f, 204h). The outer bendable tabs may be configured to bend away from a center portion “O” of the perforated pattern 202, and the inner bendable tabs may be configured to bend towards the center portion “O” of the perforated pattern 202, as depicted in
In some aspects, when the air outlet 108 is circular, the outer bendable tabs may be configured to bend away from the center portion “O”, and the inner bendable tabs may be configured to bend towards the center portion “O”. In some instances, the air outlet 108 may have shapes other than a circular shape, such as square, rectangular, triangular, or any other shape. Regardless of the shape of the air outlet 108, in some instances, the outer bendable tabs may be disposed outward of the perimeter of air outlet 108, and the inner bendable tabs may be inward of the perimeter of the air outlet 108.
In some embodiments, when the outer bendable tab and the inner bendable tab may be in the second position, a predefined gap “G” (as shown in
Although
Further, the outer bendable tabs and the inner bendable tabs may be disposed in any pattern/design on the perforated pattern 202. In some embodiments, the outer bendable tabs and the inner bendable tabs may be disposed in alternate arrangement (e.g., one inner bendable tab, then one outer bendable tab, then another inner bendable tab and so on). In further embodiments, one outer bendable tab and two inner bendable tabs may be disposed on each of the top portion 206a, the bottom portion 206b, and the side portions 206c, 206d of the air outlet 108. In further embodiments, one outer bendable tab and two inner bendable tabs may be disposed on each of the side portions 206c, 206d of the air outlet 108, and only the outer bendable tabs may be disposed on the top portion 206a and the bottom portion 206b.
In certain embodiments, one or more bendable tabs of the plurality of bendable tabs 204 may include an attachment mechanism 208 that may enable the bendable tabs (and hence the air outlet 108) to be attached to the external device 302 (as shown in
In some embodiments, each outer bendable tab may include the attachment mechanism 208 to secure the external device 302. Stated another way, each outer bendable tab may be configured to be attached to the external device 302 via the attachment mechanism 208, as shown in the view 304 of
In further embodiments, as described above, the attachment mechanism 208 may be the protrusion 306 configured to facilitate a snap fit into a corresponding groove 308 of the external device 302, as shown in the view 310 of
In accordance with the present disclosure, the air inlet 106 may also include a perforated pattern, e.g., a second perforated pattern 312, as shown in
In some embodiments, the second perforated pattern 312 may also include a plurality of bendable tabs 314 that may be similar to the plurality of bendable tabs 204 described above. For example, each bendable tab 314 may be configured to bend between the first position (the closed position) and the second position (the open position). In the first position, a plane of each bendable tab 314 in the second perforated pattern 312 may be disposed parallel to a plane of the second perforated pattern 312. In the second position, the plane of each bendable tab 314 in the second perforated pattern 312 may be disposed at a predefined non-zero angle (e.g., 90 degrees, greater than 90 degrees, or less than 90 degrees) relative to the plane of the second perforated pattern 312.
In further embodiments, the plurality of bendable tabs 314 may be disposed on a periphery of the second perforated pattern 312, in a manner similar to the perforated pattern 202. In addition, the plurality of bendable tabs 314 may also include one or more outer bendable tabs and one or more inner bendable tabs, as described above. Furthermore, one or more bendable tabs of the plurality of bendable tabs 314 may also include attachment mechanisms (same as the attachment mechanism 208) that enable attachment of the air inlet 106 with an external device 316. The external device 316 may be same as or similar to the external device 302 described above.
Specifically,
In some embodiments, each bendable tab 404 may be an outer bendable tab that may be configured to bend away from a center portion “P” of the perforated pattern 402, as described above in conjunction with
In further embodiments, each bendable tab 404 may include an attachment mechanism 406 that may be same as the attachment mechanism 208. Specifically, the attachment mechanism 406 may include a hole that may be configured to receive a fastener to secure the air inlet 106 with an external device (e.g., the external device 310).
In the exemplary aspect depicted in
The method 500 starts at step 502. At step 504, the method 500 may include bending the plurality of bendable tabs 204, 314 from the first position to the second position. The details of the first position and the second position may be understood in conjunction with
At step 506, the method 500 may include aligning the external device 302, 316 with the plurality of bendable tabs 204, 314 (e.g., between the predefined gap G) in the second position.
At step 508, the method 500 may include attaching the external device 302, 316 with the plurality of bendable tabs 204, 314. Specifically, the external device 302, 316 may be attached to the plurality of bendable tabs 204, 314 via the attachment mechanism 208 to secure the external device 302, 316 with the air inlet 106/air outlet 108.
The method 500 stops at step 510.
In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, which illustrate specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It is understood that other implementations may be utilized, and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, one skilled in the art will recognize such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
It should also be understood that the word “example” as used herein is intended to be non-exclusionary and non-limiting in nature. More particularly, the word “example” as used herein indicates one among several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is being directed to the particular example being described.
With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims.
Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the application is capable of modification and variation.
All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc., should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments could include, while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/600,923, filed Nov. 20, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63600923 | Nov 2023 | US |
