Burner Plate and Gasket for Water Heater

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to water heaters and more particularly to burner plates and corresponding gaskets for water heaters.

BACKGROUND

Typical fuel-fired water heaters use fuels, such as natural gas, propane, or oil, to heat water contained in a water tank. With such water heaters, a combustion system having a burner may combust hot gasses. The hot gasses may be provided to a heat exchanger. In some instances, the heat exchanger may be disposed in the tank and configured to exchange heat between the combustion gasses and the water within the tank. In this manner, water heaters may include a burner mounting plate used to mount the combustion system of the water heater to the top cover assembly and/or the water tank of the water heater. In some instances, a gasket may be disposed on a bottom side of the burner mounting plate to form a seal between the bottom surface of the burner mounting plate and the top cover assembly and/or the water tank of the water heater. In typical water heaters, a groove may be provided on the burner mounting plate that corresponds to and is configured to receive the burner gasket and hold the burner gasket in place using friction. However, given that the burner gasket is disposed on the bottom of the burner mounting plate, there is the potential for the burner gasket to move with respect to the burner mounting plate or fall off the burner mounting plate while the burner mounting plate is being installed on the water heater. Thus, in some instances, the seal formed between the burner mounting plate and top cover assembly and/or the water tank may be compromised.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. In some instances, 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. Throughout this disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a water heater.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded disassembled view of the combustion system of the water heater of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a burner mounting plate and burner gasket.

FIG. 4 illustrates another exploded disassembled view of a combustion system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5A illustrates a top-down view of a burner mounting plate.

FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of a top portion of the burner mounting plate of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A illustrates a bottom-up view of the burner mounting plate of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6B illustrates a close-up view of a mechanical stop of the burner mounting plate of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C illustrates a cross-section of an example protrusion on which a burner gasket hole is provided.

FIG. 7A illustrates a top-down view of a burner gasket.

FIG. 7B illustrates a perspective view of the burner gasket of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C illustrates a close-up view of the burner gasket of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A illustrates another example burner mounting plate of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 8B illustrates another example burner mounting plate of FIG. 5A including a gasket.

FIG. 9A illustrates an example diverter of the water heater of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9B illustrates a close up view of the igniter mounting hole of the diverter of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C illustrates a close up view of the flame sensor mounting hole of the diverter of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9D illustrates an example igniter mounting element of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 9E illustrates an example flame sensor mounting element of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 10A illustrates a cross-section view of a combustion system.

FIG. 10B illustrates a top-down view of a refractory ring for the combustion system of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10C illustrates a bottom-up view of a ring of the combustion system of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10D illustrates a perspective view of a ring of the combustion system of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10E illustrates a top-down view of a ring of the combustion system of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10F illustrates a bottom-up view of a burner mounting plate of the combustion system of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10G illustrates a perspective view of a burner mounting plate of the combustion system of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10H illustrates a top-down view of a burner mounting plate of the combustion system of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10I illustrates an exploded view of the combustion system of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11A illustrates a cross-section view of another combustion system.

FIG. 11B illustrates a perspective view of a ring for the combustion system of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11C illustrates a top-down view of a burner mounting plate of the combustion system of FIG. 11A.

11D illustrates a bottom-up view of a burner mounting plate of the combustion system of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11E illustrates a perspective view of a burner mounting plate of the combustion system of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11F illustrates a perspective of an upper refractory element of the combustion system of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11G illustrates a perspective of a lower refractory element of the combustion system of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11H illustrates an exploded view of the combustion system of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12A illustrates a cross-section view of another combustion system.

FIG. 12B illustrates a top-down view of a ring for the combustion system of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12C illustrates a perspective view of a ring for the combustion system of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12D illustrates a bottom-up view of a ring for the combustion system of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12B illustrates a top-down view of a refractory element for the combustion system of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12B illustrates a perspective view of a refractory element for the combustion system of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12B illustrates a bottom-up view of a refractory element for the combustion system of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12H illustrates an exploded view of the combustion system of FIG. 12A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A water heater is described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/428,163, the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. This will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 1-2.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a water heater 100 that includes a water tank 102, a top cover assembly 104, and a bottom assembly 106. The water heater 100 also includes a combustion system 108 at the top end of the water heater 100. The combustion system 108 may include a down-fired burner, where hot gas flows downward into a multi-pass heat exchanger disposed in the water tank 102. The water heater 100 also includes a water inlet 112 that may be disposed, for example, closer to the bottom end of the water tank 102. The water tank 102 also includes a top water outlet 110 through the top cover assembly 104.

During operation of the water heater 100, unheated water enters the water tank 102 through the water inlet 112, and gas is heated by the combustion system 108. The unheated water gets heated inside the water tank by hot gas flowing through the multi-pass heat exchanger. The resulting heated water exits the water tank 102 through the top water outlet 110 in the top cover assembly 104. The hot gas that flows through the multi-pass heat exchanger may exit the water tank through a hot gas outlet in the bottom assembly 106.

The water heater 100 provides a top water outlet location along with the high efficiency of a multi-pass heat exchanger. By providing the top water outlet 110, the water heater 100 provides a fuel-fired water heater with a top water outlet location that is preferable in some installations.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded disassembled view of the combustion system 108 of the water heater 100 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the combustion system 108 includes a low air/gas pressure switch 202, a street tee 204, a combustion assembly label 206, a blower 208, a plurality of screws 210, a blower gasket 212, a plurality of screws 214, a blower collar 216, a burner gasket 218, a flame sensor rod 220, an igniter (with cable) 222, a sightglass fitting 224, a burner mounting plate 226, a gasket 228, a burner plate 230, and a burner mesh 232.

The low air/gas pressure switch 202 is used to confirm gas line pressure. Some embodiments may include an alarm when there is very low, or even no, pressure in the line. The low air/gas pressure switch 202 provides a user with confirmation of gas supply. The street tee 204 may be made of brass (or any other material) to properly fit into a gas valve connection and connect to the gas line. The gas connection may be enlarged to provide sufficient gas to the combustion system 108 and prevent issues with ignition. Brass may be used to reduce rust without having the expense of stainless steel, however, this is not intended to be limiting. The combustion assembly label 206 warns a user or service person of the combustion function of this part of water heater 100. The blower 208 is a system that blows a mixture of air and a combustible gas as mixed by an internal valve. The blower 208 has a circular cross-sectional output so as to match the circular cross-sectional input of the burner mesh 232. The plurality of screws 210 are used to fasten the blower 208 to the blower collar 216. The blower gasket 212 prevents the air/gas mixture from the blower 208 from escaping between the blower 208 and the blower collar 216. The plurality of screws 214 are used to fasten the blower collar 216 to the burner mounting plate 226. Any other type of fastening element may also be used (for example, bolts, etc.). The blower collar 216 is used to mount the blower 208 to the burner mounting plate 226. The burner gasket 218 prevents combusted gases from escaping between the burner mounting plate 226 and the burner plate 230. The flame sensor rod 220 detects whether the air/gas mixture as provided by the blower 208 has been ignited. The igniter (with cable) 222 ignites the air/gas mixture as provided by the blower 208. The sightglass fitting 224 enables an installer to see and verify flame in the main flue. The installer can also see the color of the flame and make some changes based on color and also how it is igniting. The burner mounting plate 226 receives the blower collar 216, having the blower 208 fastened thereon. The gasket 228 prevents combusted gas from expelling from between the burner mounting plate 226 and the burner plate 230. The burner mounting plate 226 is the actual plate that mounts the combustion system 108 to the top cover assembly 104 as shown in FIG. 1. The burner plate 230 is an insulation refractory to reduce the heat exposure of the burner mounting plate 226. The burner mesh 232 distributes the gas mixture further than just the ports on the burner and allows the flame a place to “sit” while combustion is occurring. The burner mesh 232 helps with flame stability. Further the burner mesh 232 increases distribution of the burn and lowers nitrogen oxide numbers.

The burner mounting plate 226 includes passthroughs 234, 236 and 238, whereas the burner plate 230 has passthroughs 240, 242, and 244.

The passthrough 234 of burner mounting plate 226 aligns with the passthrough 240 of the burner plate 230 and is configured to receive the flame sensor rod 220. In this way, the flame sensor rod 220 may be positioned below the burner plate 230, when assembled, so as to detect combustion within the burner mesh 232.

The passthrough 236 of burner mounting plate 226 aligns with the passthrough 242 of the burner plate 230 and is configured to receive the igniter 222. In this way, the igniter 222 may be positioned below the burner plate 230, when assembled, so as to ignite the air/gas mixture below the burner plate 230.

The passthrough 238 of burner mounting plate 226 aligns with the passthrough 244 of the burner plate 230 and is configured to receive the sightglass fitting 224. In this way, as mentioned above, the sightglass fitting 224 enables an installer to see and verify flame in the main flue. Further, the sightglass fitting 224 lets the installer see the color of the flame and make some changes based on color and also how it is igniting.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a bottom portion of a burner mounting plate 226. As shown in FIG. 3, the burner gasket 218 is provided within a groove formed proximate to an outer circumference of the burner mounting plate 226. The groove is provided on the burner mounting plate 226 and is configured to receive the burner gasket 218 and hold the burner gasket 218 in place within the groove using friction.

A water heater in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure provides improved thermal efficiency over that of the water heater discussed above with reference to FIGS. 1-3.

In certain embodiments, a water heater includes a burner mounting plate and a burner gasket. A bottom portion of the burner mounting plate includes a groove configured to receive the burner gasket. The burner mounting plate also includes one or more mechanical stops protruding from the groove at various intervals. Windows may be formed along the perimeter of the burner mounting plate between each of the mechanical stops. The burner gasket is shaped such that the burner gasket fits within the groove around the mechanical stops. The mechanical stops are configured to prevent over compression of the burner gasket. The burner mounting plate also includes one or more protrusions corresponding to one or more apertures provided on the burner gasket. Further, an adhesive may be provided on the burner mounting plate and/or the burner gasket. This all serves to secure the burner gasket to the burner mounting plate to prevent the burner gasket from moving within the groove or falling out of the groove during installation.

An example water heater in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 4-9E.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded disassembled view of another combustion system 408 of a water heater.

Referring to FIG. 4, the combustion system 408 includes a blower 402, a compressible blower gasket 404, a plurality of screws 406, a blower collar 408, a flow sensor 410, the plurality of screws 214, the burner gasket 218, the flame sensor rod 220, the igniter (with cable) 222, the sightglass fitting 224, the burner mounting plate 226, the gasket 228, the burner plate 230, a burner plate gasket 231, and the burner mesh 232.

The blower 402 is a system that blows a mixture of air and a combustible gas as mixed by an internal valve. In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the blower 402 is configured to have a non-circular cross-sectional output. In some instances, the non-circular cross-sectional output of the blower 402 is rectangular with rounded edges. However, any non-circular shape may be used, such as ellipses and polyhedrons. This is to be contrasted with circular cross-sectional output of the blower 208 of the combustion system 108 discussed above with reference to FIG. 2.

The compressible blower gasket 404 prevents the air/gas mixture from the blower 402 from escaping between the blower 402 and the blower collar 408. The compressible blower gasket 404 may be any known compressible heat resistant material, non-limiting examples of which include silicone or ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM). The plurality of screws 406 are used to fasten the blower 402 to the blower collar 408. The blower collar 408 is used to mount the blower 402 to the burner mounting plate 226. The burner gasket 218 prevents combusted gases from escaping between the burner mounting plate 226 and the burner plate 230. The flame sensor rod 220 detects whether the air/gas mixture as provided by the blower 408 has been ignited. The igniter (with cable) 222 ignites the air/gas mixture as provided by the blower 408. The burner mounting plate 226 receives the blower collar 408, having the blower 402 fastened thereon. The gasket 228 prevents combusted gas from expelling from between the burner mounting plate 226 and the burner plate 230. The burner mounting plate 226 is configured to mount the combustion system 408 to the top cover assembly 104. The burner gasket 231 seals the burner plate 230 to the water heater tank head preventing combustion products from escaping. The burner gasket 231 may be a type of silicone for safety but EPMD could be used if the temperatures are sufficiently low.

The blower 402 blows out a mixture of air and a combustible gas past the blower collar 408 and into the burner mesh 232 to be ignited by the igniter 222. The ignited mixture of air and gas is used to heat water stored in the water heater 100. The flow sensor 410 detects flow of the mixture of air and the combustible gas from the blower 402 and outputs a signal when the flow drops below a predetermined threshold.

In one or more embodiments, the combustion system 408 may also include a blower 402 has a non-circular cross-sectional output (with a corresponding non-circular cross-sectional compressional blower gasket 404 to match). The blower collar 408 may also have a non-circular cross-sectional input and a circular cross-sectional output.

FIG. 5A illustrates a top-down view of a burner mounting plate 502. FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of a top portion of the burner mounting plate 502 of FIG. 5A. As shown in FIG. 5A, the burner mounting plate 502 may include one or more first apertures 504. The one or more first apertures 504 may be configured to receive fastening elements, such as bolts, screws, etc. The fastening elements may be provided through the one or more first apertures 504 and also through corresponding holes provided on the top cover assembly 104 of the water heater 100 and/or the water tank of the water heater 100. That is, the one or more first apertures 504 may be mounting holes. In some instances, bolts may be provided through the one or more first apertures and may be received by standoffs that are affixed to a top portion of the water tank (however, this is not intended to be limiting). Although FIG. 5A shows the burner mounting plate 502 as including five first apertures 504, this is not intended to be limiting.

The top portion of the burner mounting plate 502 may also include one or more second apertures 506. Similar to the one or more first apertures 504, the one or more second apertures 506 may be provided through the entirety of the burner mounting plate 502. The one or more second apertures 506 may form “windows” through the burner mounting plate 502. The one or more second apertures 506 may specifically be provided in line with the groove 602 (shown and described in at least FIG. 6A) of the bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502. Given this arrangement, a burner plate gasket that is provided within the groove 602 may be visible through the windows formed by the one or more second apertures 506. In this manner, when the burner plate gasket is provided on the bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502 an installer of the water heater 100 may be able to view the burner plate gasket from the top portion of the burner mounting plate 502 to verify whether the burner plate gasket is properly aligned with the groove 602 of the burner mounting plate 502 during and/or after installation of the burner mounting plate 502 in the water heater 100. Although FIG. 5A shows the burner mounting plate 502 as including ten second apertures 506, this is not intended to be limiting.

In embodiments, windows to view the alignment of the burner plate gasket with the burner mounting plate 502 may be provided at various other locations on the burner mounting plate 502. For example, the burner mounting plate 502 may include one or more cut-outs 511 provided around the outer perimeter of the burner mounting plate 502. The outer perimeter of the gasket may align with the outer perimeter of the burner mounting plate 502 such that a portion of the gasket may be visible through the cut-outs 511. In some embodiments, the outer perimeter of the gasket may also extend beyond the outer perimeter of the burner mounting plate 502.

Although FIG. 5B only references one cut-out 511 provided at one location, any other number of cut-outs 511 may be provided at various intervals around the perimeter of the burner mounting plate 502. These cut-outs 511 may also be provided in any other size and/or shape as well. Additionally, the burner mounting plate 502 may include both the one or more second apertures 506 and the cut-outs 511 or only the one or more second apertures 506 or the cut-outs 511. Furthermore, in some embodiments, portion of the burner mounting plate 502 corresponding to the one or more second apertures 506 may not be apertures that extend through the entirety of the burner mounting plate 502 but may instead be only partial cavities (for example, to provide for material reduction in the burner mounting plate 502).

The burner mounting plate 502 may also include an igniter mounting element 508 (also shown in FIG. 9D) including a third aperture 510 and a flame sensor mounting element 512 (also shown in FIG. 9E) including a fourth aperture 514. The burner mounting plate 502 may also include a sixth aperture 518. The sixth aperture 518 may be used receive the burner mesh 232 (shown in FIG. 4).

In one example: the burner mounting plate 502 may have an outer diameter of 8.125 inches as represented by arrow 520. The igniter mounting element 508 and flame sensor mounting element 512 may be provided on an imaginary circle having a diameter of approximately 4.750 inches, shown by arrow 521. The one or more first apertures 504 may be provided at 0 degrees, 72 degrees, 108 degrees, 216 degrees, and 292 degrees, shown by arrows 525-529, respectively. The igniter mounting element 508 may be provided at 27 degrees, shown by arrow 530. The flame sensor mounting element 512 may be provided at 297 degrees as shown by arrow 531. It should be noted that any of the dimensions depicted and described herein are merely exemplary approximations and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Additionally, the locations of any of the elements shown are also merely exemplary.

In one example (as shown in FIG. 9D), the igniter mounting element 508 may include one or more mounting apertures 902 and 903. A distance between the one or more mounting apertures 902 and 903 may be 1.343 inches. The igniter mounting element 508 may also include a first edge 930 parallel to a second edge 931. The first edge and second edge may be 0.625 inches long. A distance between the one or more mounting apertures 920 may be 0.787 inches. A distance between a center of the first edge 930 (or the second edge 931) and a center of the mounting apertures 902 or 903 may be 0.671 inches.

In one example (as shown in FIG. 9E), the flame sensor mounting element 512 may also include one or more mounting apertures 904 and 905. The fourth aperture 514 may be 0.386 inches in diameter. A distance between a center of the fourth aperture 514 and the mounting apertures 904 or 905 may be 0.394 inches. A distance between the mounting aperture 904 and mounting aperture 905 may be 0.787 inches.

FIG. 6A illustrates a bottom-up view of the burner mounting plate 502 of FIG. 5A. The bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502 includes a groove 602 that is provided along a portion of the burner mounting plate 502 proximate to an outer circumference of the burner mounting plate 502. A perspective view of the groove 602 is also shown in FIGS. 8A-8B. As shown in FIG. 8A, the groove 602 may be a continuous circumferential shape that extends around an outer portion of the burner mounting plate 502.

The groove 602 is configured to receive the burner gasket (shown in FIGS. 7A-7C) such that the burner gasket may be compressed between the bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502 and the top cover assembly 104. The burner gasket may also be adhered to the groove 602, limiting the ability of the gasket to move within the groove 602 or fall from the groove 602 during installation of the burner mounting plate 502 and burner gasket in the water heater 100. For example, an adhesive may be applied to the groove 602 and/or the gasket. The burner gasket may also be removably affixed to the groove 602 in any other suitable manner.

The bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502 may also include one or more mechanical stops 604 (a close-up view of a mechanical stop is shown in FIG. 6B) provided at various intervals around the outer circumference of the burner mounting plate 502. The one or more mechanical stops 604 may be provided within the groove 602 such that the groove 602 is not perfectly circular in shape, but rather includes a circular inner portion and an outer portion with several “cut-out” regions in between the one or more mechanical stops 604 protruding from the groove 602. The one or more mechanical stops may prevent over compression of the burner gasket when the burner mounting plate 502 is secured to the top cover assembly 104 of the water heater 100. This is because the one or more mechanical stops 604 may prevent the top cover assembly 104 and/or the water tank from compressing the burner gasket towards the surface of the groove 602 beyond the surface of the one or more mechanical stops 604.

In one or more embodiments, the locations at which the one or more mechanical stops 604 are provided within the groove 602 may be such that the burner gasket is only able to be provided within the groove 602 in one orientation (as shown in FIG. 6A). However, this is not intended to be limiting, and the one or more mechanical stops 604 may also be provided in the groove 602 in any other arrangement.

FIG. 6A also shows that the one or more first apertures 504 provided on the top surface of the burner mounting plate 502 may extend through the burner mounting plate 502 and the one or more mechanical stops 604.

The bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502 may also include one or more protrusions 640. The one or more protrusions 640 may be configured to align with one or more corresponding holes within the gasket (shown in FIGS. 7A-7C and 8B) and may be inserted into the one or more corresponding apertures 704 when the burner gasket is provided on the bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502. Similar to the one or more mechanical stops 604, the one or more protrusions 640 may be provided on the bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502 in an arrangement such that the burner gasket is only able to be provided within the groove 602 in one orientation. However, this is not intended to be limiting, and the one or more protrusions 640 may also be provided in the groove 602 in any other arrangement. Additionally, the one or more protrusions 640 may be provided at any other location on the burner mounting plate 502.

In one example, the sides of corresponding mechanical stops may be provided at 16 and 56 degrees (shown by arrows 620 and 621), 88 and 128 degrees (shown by arrows 622 and 632), 160 and 200 degrees (shown by arrows 624 and 625), 230 and 268 degrees (shown by arrows 626 and 627), and 304 and 344 degrees (shown by arrows 628 and 629).

FIG. 6C illustrates a cross-section of an example protrusion 640 on which a gasket hole is provided.

FIG. 7A illustrates a top-down view of a burner gasket 700. FIG. 7B illustrates a perspective view of the burner gasket 700 of FIG. 7A. FIG. 7C illustrates a close up view of the burner gasket 700 of FIG. 7A. As shown in FIG. 7A, the burner gasket 700 is shaped and sized such that it may be inserted into the groove 602 within the bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502. To ensure that the gasket 700 fits within the groove 600 given the one or more mechanical stops 604 provided within the groove 602, the burner gasket 700 includes one or more cut-outs 702 provided at intervals around the burner gasket 700 corresponding to the locations of the one or more mechanical stops 602. The size and shape of the cut-outs 702 may correspond to the size and shape of the one or more mechanical stops 602 such that the size and shape of the burner gasket corresponds to the size and shape of the groove 602 and the gasket 700 securely fits within the groove 602. As aforementioned, an adhesive may also be provided on the burner gasket 700 and/or the groove 602 to further secure the burner gasket 700 to the groove 602. Although five cut-outs 702 are shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, this is not intended to be limiting and any other number of cut-outs 702 may be provided depending on the number of mechanical stops 604 provided on the burner mounting plate 502.

In some instances, the gasket 700 may also be configured such that the gasket 700 may be secured to the burner mounting plate 502 in any orientation to provide for ease of installation. That is, the size, shape, and spacing of the cut-outs 702 may be the same.

In one or more embodiments, the burner gasket 700 may also include one or more apertures 704. The one or more apertures 704 may be provided at a location (or locations) on the burner gasket 700 that correspond to the location (or locations) of the one or more protrusions 640 provided on the bottom portion of the burner mounting plate 502. The use of the one or more apertures 704 and the one or more protrusions 640 serve as a further mechanism by which the burner gasket 700 may be secured within the groove 602 of the burner mounting plate 502.

In one example: the outer diameter of the burner gasket may be 8.626 inches as shown by the arrow 720. The inner diameter of the burner gasket may be 6.687 inches as shown by the arrow 721. The sides of the cut-outs 702 may be provided at 17 and 57 degrees (shown by arrows 722 and 723), 85 and 127 degrees (shown by arrows 724 and 725), 157 degrees and 199 degrees (shown by arrows 726 and 727), 229 and 271 degrees (shown by arrows 728 and 729) and 301 and 343 degrees (shown by arrows 730 and 731).

FIG. 8A illustrates another example burner mounting plate 502 of FIG. 5A. FIG. 8B illustrates another example burner mounting plate 502 of FIG. 5A including a burner gasket 700 provided within a groove 602 of the burner mounting plate 502.

FIG. 9A illustrates an example diverter of the water heater of FIG. 1. FIG. 9B illustrates a close up view of the igniter mounting hole 510 of the diverter of FIG. 9A. FIG. 9C illustrates a close up view of the flame sensor mounting hole 510 of the diverter of FIG. 9A. FIG. 9D illustrates an example igniter mounting element of FIG. 5A. FIG. 9E illustrates an example flame sensor mounting element of FIG. 5A.

In one example, the angle between an imaginary axis through a center of the igniter mounting hole 510 (shown by line 920) and a mounting surface of the igniter hole 510 (shown by line 921) is 85 degrees. A distance between an imaginary axis through a center of the igniter mounting hole 510 (shown by line 920) and an imaginary axis through a center of the diverter 900 (shown by line 922) may be 2.491 inches. The angle between an imaginary axis through a center of the flame sensor mounting hole 514 and a surface 924 of the diverter 900 may be 89 degrees.

FIG. 10A illustrates a cross-section view of a combustion system 1000. The combustion system 1000 may be similar to any other combustion system described herein (for example, the combustion system may include a burner 1018, a center tube 1001, a center flue 1005, etc.). An exploded view of the combustion system 1000 is shown in FIG. 10I.

In contrast with some water heaters that may include a top surface that is flat (or substantially flat), the water heater in which the combustion system 1000 is provided includes a rounded or “dome-shaped” top surface 1003 (a non-flat surface). Given the shape of the top surface 1003 of the water heater, it may be difficult to directly mount the combustion system 1000 directly to the top surface 1003 (for example, standoffs may be required to perform this mounting). Therefore, rather than the combustion system 1000 being directly mounted to the top surface 1003 of the water heater, the combustion system 1000 is instead shown in FIG. 10A as being mounted to the center tube 1001 of the water heater.

Particularly, a ring 1008 (FIGS. 10C-10E provide various views of the ring 1008) may be secured to the center tube 1001 of the water heater. For example, at least a portion of the ring 1008 may be welded to the center tube 1001 (however, the ring 1008 may also be secured to the center tube 1001 in any other manner). The burner mounting plate 1004 (FIGS. 10F-H provide various views of the burner mounting plate 1004) may then be secured against the ring 1008 to secure the combustion system 1000 to the water heater. A gasket 1006 may also be provided between the burner mounting plate 1004 and the ring 1008. The burner mounting plate 1004 may be similar to the burner mounting plate 502, the burner mounting plate, or any other burner mounting plate described herein. Similarly, the gasket 1006 may be similar to the gasket 700 or any other gasket described herein.

Additionally, a flange 1014 may be provided on the burner mounting plate 1004 that receives the burner 1018. A gasket 1016 may also be provided on top of the flange 1014. A downward force is exerted on the gasket 1016 by the burner 1018.

The combustion system 1000 may also include a refractory element 1010. The refractory element 1010 may be an element used to provide insulation to ensure that as much heat as possible is retained in the water heater (for example, heat loss from the center flue 1105 is mitigated or prevented using the refractory element 1010). Given the mounting point of the ring 1008 above the top surface 1003 of the water heater, the refractory element 1010 may include a lip 1012 on the interior portion of the refractory element 1010. The lip allows the refractory element 1010 to protrude downwards towards the top surface 1003 of the water heater such that the refractory element 1010 is closer to the top surface 1003 of the water heater to provide for more effective heat retention of the water heater. A top-down view of the refractory element 1010 including the lip 1012 is shown in FIG. 10B.

FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-section view of another combustion system 1100. The combustion system 1100 is similar to combustion system 1000 shown in FIG. 10A but illustrates another approach for securing the combustion system 1100 to the water heater. The combustion system 1100 provides the advantage of consolidating the included components into a smaller number of pieces (for ease of installation and to reduce the amount of heat loss from the water heater) and removes some of the fastening elements required in the combustion system 1000. An exploded view of the combustion system 1100 is shown in FIG. 11H.

Particularly, FIG. 11 the burner mounting plate 1104 (FIGS. 11C-11E provide various views of the burner mounting plate 1104) is combined with the collar (for example, blower collar 216, blower collar 408, or any other collar) that is used to provide a downward force on the burner 1118 to form a single structure. In this embodiment, the ring 1108 is also secured against the center tube 1101 (for example, the ring 1108 is welded to the center tube 1101 or secured to the center tube 1101 in any other manner). To be secured against the center tube 1101 in this embodiment, the ring 1108 extends over the center flue 1105. A gasket 1106 may also be provided between the burner mounting plate 1104 and the ring 1108.

The combustion system 1100 may also include one or more refractory elements (for example, upper refractory element 1111 and lower refractory element 1110). However, given that the lower refractory element 1110 is provided above the center flue 1105 to mitigate heat loss from the water heater, the lower refractory element 1110 may be installed before the ring 1108 is welded against the center tube 1101. Further views of the upper refractory element 1111 and lower refractory element 1110 are shown in FIGS. 11F-11G.

FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-section view of another combustion system 1200. The combustion system 1200 is also similar to combustion system 1000 shown in FIG. 10A but illustrates yet another approach for securing the combustion system 1200 to the water heater. In this embodiment, the burner mounting plate is removed entirely from the combustion system 1200. The ring 1208 (FIGS. 12B-12D provide various views of the ring 1008) is secured to the collar 1211 of the burner using one or more fasteners 1209 (for example, bolts, etc.). The ring 1208 may also be secured in any other manner as well. This embodiment also eliminates the need for a gasket that would otherwise be provided between the burner mounting plate and the ring 1208. An exploded view of the combustion system 1200 is shown in FIG. 12H.

To allow for insulation (for example, a refractory element 1210) to be provided below the ring 1208, a flexible fiber insulation may be used. To secure the insulation in place, a number of different approaches may be taken. A first approach may involve providing barbs (or like structures) on the bottom of the ring 1208 to hold the insulation. A second approach may involve using one or more fasteners to fasten the insulation to the ring 1208. A third approach may involve providing a “roll form” or indent in the exterior of the center tube 1201 and providing the insulation within the indent. A fourth approach may involve providing a “twist” geometry on the bottom of the ring 1208 to hold the insulation in place. Further views of the refractory element 1210 are shown in FIGS. 12E-12G.

It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and that numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Although specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described, numerous other modifications and alternative embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, any of the functionality described with respect to a particular device or component may be performed by another device or component. Further, while specific device characteristics have been described, embodiments of the disclosure may relate to numerous other device characteristics. Further, although embodiments have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the embodiments. 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.

Burner Plate and Gasket for Water Heater

Information

Publication Number

Date Filed

Date Published

Inventors

Original Assignees

CPC

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Applications (1)