Patent Grant
11067311
Embodiments described herein relate to a terminal block for a dual element water heater.
The present invention generally relates to electric heating apparatus and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to a specially designed dual element electric water heater which is easily field convertible among various heating element control modes without the previous necessity of changing either of the heating element control thermostats or altering the wiring interconnections therebetween.
In a common construction thereof a vertically oriented dual element electric water heater has spaced apart upper and lower resistance type electric heating elements which horizontally extend into the interior of the water storage tank portion of the heater. The operation of these upper and lower heating elements is controlled by upper and lower electric thermostats which are respectively associated with the upper and lower heating elements.
Various modes of operating the upper and lower heating elements, with either single or three phase electric power supply to the water heater, are typically available. Representatively, these heating element operational modes include (1) dual independent branch circuit installation; (2) single phase simultaneous element operation, in which the two heating elements are controlled independently by their associated thermostats allowing upper, lower, or both elements to operate; (3) single phase non-simultaneous element operation, in which the upper thermostat turns off the lower thermostat when the upper element turns on allowing either upper or lower element to operate but not both simultaneously; (4) single phase non-simultaneous element operation with 4 wire outlet operation; (5) single phase non-simultaneous element operation with 3 wire outlet operation; (6) three phase simultaneous element operation; and (7) three phase non-simultaneous element operation. The two heating element-controlling thermostats are typically disposed in openings formed in the jacket insulation structure of the water heater that surrounds its storage tank portion. The electrical wiring that operatively interconnects the thermostats is, for the most part, disposed between the tank and the insulation structure.
In the past, in order to provide these seven representative element control modes seven separate embodiments or “variants” of the water heater needed to be built, with each water heater variant having different thermostat wiring configurations and/or combinations of thermostat types. The need to build separate variants to provide all of the representative types of heating element control listed above carries with it several problems, limitations and disadvantages.
For example, the construction of the water heater is made more complex since, in essence, it needs to be constructed in seven different ways—each having a different thermostat type combination and/or thermostat wiring interconnection configuration. Additionally, and quite importantly, once the water heater is constructed to provide a predetermined element control mode, it is not practical or economical to alter this selected control mode. This is due to the fact that to alter the originally built-in element control mode, changes must be made to the thermostat wiring and/or the types of thermostats used must be altered. Because the thermostat interconnection wiring is disposed between the jacket insulation structure and the water heater storage tank portion such wiring is, as a practical matter, inaccessible for such conversion.
Accordingly, if a dual element water heater constructed in this conventional manner does not provide the desired heating element control mode, it has to be replaced with another manufactured variant of the water heater that has the desired heating element control mode incorporated therein during its original manufacture. In view of this it can be readily seen that a need exists for a dual element electric water heater which eliminates or at least substantially reduces the above-mentioned problems, limitations and disadvantages typically associated with conventionally constructed dual element electric water heaters.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,505 describes a dual element water heater constructed with upper and lower thermostats operatively interconnected by a wiring harness having outer wire end portions that may be connected in various orientations to a terminal block portion of an external junction box to provide the water heater with a variety of heating element operating modes without having to replace either of the thermostats or the interconnections between the thermostats. Connecting outer wire end portions in varying orientations to the terminal block requires a need for capping or taping of wire end portions not used, and may complicate the field conversion process to change the control mode of the water heater. It is to this need that the present invention is directed.
In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, a liquid heating apparatus having first and second spaced apart liquid heating elements is provided. The apparatus is representatively in the form of an electric water heater having vertically spaced apart upper and lower electric resistance type heating elements that horizontally extend into the interior of a water storage tank portion of the water heater. First and second electric thermostats are respectively and controllingly associated with the upper and lower heating elements, and wiring, representatively in the form of a wiring harness, is operatively connected to the first and second thermostats and has conductor end portions variably connectable to a source of electrical power through a junction box having a terminal block portion with line side terminals to which electrical power supply conductors may be variably connected, and water heater side terminals to which the aforementioned wiring harness conductor end portions are connected in a fixed arrangement.
The first electric thermostat, which controls the upper heating element, is of a single pole double throw configuration, and the second electric thermostat, which controls the lower heating element, is of a single pole single throw configuration. The wiring harness is connected to the first and second thermostats, and to the terminal block, in a manner such that, without replacing either of the first and second thermostats and/or altering the wiring connections to either thermostat or the terminal block, a plurality of heating element control modes may be provided simply by changing the electrical power supply connections to the terminal block or by connecting either line side terminals or water heater side terminals using jumpers or other similar connectors.
Representatively, these element control modes include (1) dual independent branch circuit installation, (2) single phase simultaneous dual element control mode, (3) a single phase non-simultaneous dual element control mode, (4) a single phase non-simultaneous dual element control mode with four wire outlet operation, (5) a single phase non-simultaneous dual element control mode with three wire outlet operation, (6) a three phase simultaneous dual element control mode, and (7) a three phase non-simultaneous dual element control mode.
In an illustrated preferred embodiment of the electric water heater, the first electric thermostat has an ECO portion with first, second, third and fourth power supply terminals, and a switch portion with a switch power terminal and first and second switch contacts. The second electric thermostat has an ECO portion with first, second, third and fourth power supply terminals, a switch power terminal and a switch contact.
Additionally, the wiring harness includes (1) a first conductor interconnected between the third power supply terminal of said first thermostat ECO portion and the switch power terminal of the first thermostat switch portion, (2) a second conductor interconnected between the first switch contact of the first thermostat switch portion and the upper heating element, (3) a third conductor interconnected between the fourth power supply terminal of the first thermostat ECO portion and the upper heating element, (4) a fourth conductor interconnected between the third power supply terminal of the second thermostat ECO portion and the switch power terminal of the second thermostat, (5) a fifth conductor interconnected between the switch contact of the second thermostat switch portion and the lower heating element, (6) a sixth conductor interconnected between the fourth power supply terminal of the second thermostat ECO portion and said lower heating element, and (7) a series of electrical conductors each having a first end portion operatively connected to one of the first and second thermostats, and a second end connected to the water heater side of the terminal block.
The series of wiring harness conductors connected to the water heater side of the terminal block preferably include (1) a first conductor connected at one end to the first power supply terminal of the second thermostat ECO portion and connected at the other end to the water heater side of the terminal block, (2) a second conductor connected at one end to the first power supply terminal of the first thermostat ECO portion and connected at the other end to the water heater side of the terminal block, (3) a third conductor connected at one end to the second power supply terminal of the first thermostat ECO portion and connected at the other end to the water heater side of the terminal block, (4) a fourth conductor connected at one end to the second switch contact of the first thermostat switch portion and connected at the other end to the water heater side of the terminal block, and (5) a fifth conductor connected at one end to the second power supply terminal of the second thermostat ECO portion and connected at the other end to the water heater side of the terminal block.
In a preferred embodiment of the dual element electric water heater, the water heater has an external well area in which the terminal block ends of the wiring harness conductors may be disposed prior to their operative connection to the terminal block, and the junction box is removably connectable to the water heater and may be shipped loose therewith for subsequent mounting thereon and operative connection to external power supply conductors and the terminal block ends of the wiring harness conductors.
While the liquid heating apparatus of the present invention is representatively an electric water heater, it could alternatively be a variety of other types of liquid heating apparatus. Additionally, while the outer ends of the aforementioned wiring harness conductors are representatively connectable to a terminal block portion of a junction box, it will be readily appreciated by those of skill in this particular art that they could alternatively be variably connected to an electrical power source in a variety of other manners if desired.
Schematically illustrated in
Extending along a vertical side portion 12a of the tank through which the upper and lower heating elements 18 and 20 inwardly extend is an insulating structure 28, such as a bag or another type of construction, which is designed to incorporate the insulating material 26 and provides a vertically spaced pair of peripherally sealed access openings 30 and 32 extending therethrough and respectively positioned somewhat above the outer ends of the upper and lower heating elements 18 and 20. Openings 30, 32 are respectively aligned with sidewall access openings formed in the jacket metal skin portion 24 and covered by removable access plates 34 and 36. Upper and lower electric thermostats 38 and 40 are respectively received in the access openings 30 and 32 and may be accessed by removing the plates 34 and 36.
The upper and lower thermostats 38 and 40 are respectively and controllingly coupled to the upper and lower heating elements 18 and 20 and are electrically interconnected to one another by a subsequently described wiring harness 42 which is disposed between the insulation 28 and a vertical sidewall portion of the tank 12. During shipment of the water heater 10, upper end portions of various individual conductors which make up the harness 42 are placed in a top end well area 44 in the water heater 10 for subsequent operative connection to a terminal block portion 46 of a junction box 48. The term “conductor” as used in this patent application refers to electrical conductors and can include, as non-limiting examples, a wire, a lead, a cable, or a busbar. Representatively, the junction box 48 is shipped loose with the water heater and is subsequently attached to a top end portion thereof as schematically depicted in
Turning now to
The upper thermostat ECO portion 38a has power supply terminals 50, 52, 54, and 56, and the upper thermostat switch portion 38b has a switch power terminal 58 and switch contacts 60 and 62. The lower thermostat ECO portion 40a has power supply terminals 64, 66, 68, and 70, and the lower thermostat switch portion 40b has a switch power terminal 72 and a switch contact 74.
Wiring harness 42 includes a conductor 76 interconnected between the power supply terminal 54 and the switch power terminal 58; a conductor 78 interconnected between the switch contact 60 and the upper heating element 18; a conductor 80 interconnected between the power supply terminal 56 and the upper heating element 18; a conductor 82 interconnected between the power supply terminal 68 and the switch power terminal 72; a conductor 84 interconnected between the switch contact 74 and the lower heating element 20; and a conductor 86 interconnected between the power supply terminal 70 and the lower heating element 20.
The wiring harness 42 also includes five water heater power connection conductors WH1, WH2, WH3, WH4, and WH5 which are connected to the terminal block portion 46 of the junction box 48. As subsequently described, selectively variable connections or using jumpers or other connectors in the terminal block 46 provide the upper and lower heating elements with a variety of control modes without the necessity of removing and replacing either of the thermostats 38 and 40, altering any of the wiring that interconnects the thermostats 38 and 40, or altering the wiring that interconnects the five water heater power connection conductors WH1, WH2, WH3, WH4, and WH5 to the terminal block 46. The power connection conductors WH1, WH2, WH3, WH4, and WH5 extend upwardly from the thermostats 38 and 40 behind the insulation structure 28 (see
As schematically depicted in
Turning now to
In a preferred embodiment, on the water heater side 46b of the terminal block 46 wiring harness conductor WH1 is connected to terminal HB, wiring harness conductor WH2 is connected to terminal HC, wiring harness conductor WH3 is connected to terminal HD, wiring harness conductor WH4 is connected to terminal HA, and wiring harness conductor WH5 is connected to terminal HE. Representatively, there are seven different dual heating element operational control modes available for the water heater 10 simply by adding wiring connections to the terminal block 46, and without changing the wiring interconnection between the thermostats 38 and 40, replacing either thermostat with another type of thermostat, or changing the wiring interconnection from the thermostats 38 and 40 to the terminal block 46. The seven heating element operational control modes, and the terminal block wiring configurations that yield them, are as follows:
Dual Independent Branch Circuit Installation Mode
As schematically depicted in
Single Phase Simultaneous Dual Element Control Mode
As schematically depicted in
Single Phase Non-Simultaneous Dual Element Control Mode
As schematically depicted in
Single Phase Non-Simultaneous Dual Element Control Mode with 4 Wire Outlet Operation
As schematically depicted in
Single Phase Non-Simultaneous Dual Element Control Mode with 3 Wire Outlet Operation
As schematically depicted in
Three Phase Simultaneous Dual Element Control Mode
As schematically depicted in
Three Phase Non-Simultaneous Dual Element Control Mode
As schematically depicted in
As can readily be seen from the foregoing, the water heater 10 may uniquely be field-converted selectively among its seven representative dual heating element operational control modes simply by appropriately altering the electrical connections in the terminal block 46. In contrast to conventionally constructed dual element electric water heaters, there is simply no need to either (1) replace either of the upper and lower thermostats 38 and 40 with another type of thermostat, or (2) change the wiring connections to the two thermostats or from the thermostats to the terminal block. This advantageously makes the representatively listed seven dual heating element operational control modes available with the single illustrated variant of the dual element electric water heater 10. In addition, as can readily be seen from the foregoing preferred embodiments, the connections of terminals in the terminal block 46 are to adjacent terminals and can be made using connections such as additional wiring or a jumper of a uniform size. While the present invention has been illustratively incorporated in an electric water heater, it will be readily appreciated that principles of the invention could also be incorporated in dual element liquid heating devices of other types if desired. It will additionally be appreciated that while the terminals HA, HB, HC, HD, and HE are representatively connectable in selectively variable manners using jumpers or other similar connectors to a terminal block portion of a junction box, the outer ends of the wiring harness conductors WH1, WH2, WH3, WH4, and WH5 could alternatively be variably connected to an external electrical power source in a variety of other manners, including, for example, the use of connections between LA, LB, LC, LD, and LE, if desired.
The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6271505 | Henderson | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 10670302 | Hazzard | Jun 2020 | B2 |
| 20160195284 | Chaudhry | Jul 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200018521 A1 | Jan 2020 | US |
