Electric resistance heating devices – Heating devices – Immersion heater details
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-11
2001-08-28
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Electric resistance heating devices
Heating devices
Immersion heater details
C392S449000, C392S501000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282372
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to apparatus for heating liquid and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly provides a specially designed multi-position point of use electric water heater.
Point-of-use electric water heaters are relatively small capacity water heaters which are typically capable of storing, for on-demand supply, heated water quantities in the representative range of from about two gallons to about thirty gallons. A small water heater of this type is customarily used to serve a single hot water-using plumbing fixture, such as a sink, or only a few plumbing fixtures, and is operatively positioned relatively close to the fixture(s) that it serves—thus the designation “pointof-use” water heater—as opposed to being located remotely from the fixture(s) which it serves.
The compact size of the typical point-of-use electric water permits it to be conveniently tucked away in a concealed space adjacent its associated plumbing fixture(s) such as, for example, in the cabinet area beneath a sink served by the water heater, in a nearby closet, or above the ceiling area near the fixture(s). Alternatively, the point of use water heater may be mounted in an exposed area near the fixture(s) such as on a wall or ceiling.
To accommodate the space available for the point of use electric water heater, it may be necessary to position the water heater in one of a variety of manners including supporting it in (1) a vertical orientation on the floor or on a wall, with the nominal top end of the water heater facing upwardly, (2) an inverted vertical orientation on a wall, with the top end of the water heater facing downwardly, or (3) a horizontal orientation on a wall, ceiling or other horizontal support structure, with the top end of the water heater facing horizontally.
As conventionally manufactured, a point-of-use electric water heater must be built in several separate configurations to accommodate these differing installation orientations without undesirably degrading the water heating efficiency of the unit or presenting installation difficulties of various types. The need to provide these different configurations, of course, undesirably adds to the manufacturing cost of a given water heater product line and correspondingly limits the installation and performance flexibility of a given water heater configuration.
From the foregoing it can be readily seen that a need exists for a point-of-use electric water heater that eliminates, or at least substantially reduces, these problems, limitations and disadvantages typically associated with conventionally configured point-of-use electric water heaters. It is to this need that the present invention is directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, a point of use electric water heater is provided with a unique configuration that permits it to be mounted in a selectively variable one of several horizontal and vertical orientations without having to substantially vary the configuration of the water heater to accommodate variation in its mounting orientation, or reducing its water heating efficiency to an unacceptable extent. This desirably permits the point of use water heater to be manufactured in a single configuration useable in each of its potential mounting orientations.
In its preferred embodiment, the water heater comprises an insulated tank structure adapted to hold a quantity of water, the insulated tank structure having opposite first and second end portions spaced apart along a central axis, the insulated tank structure further having front and rear side portions disposed on opposite sides of a reference plane containing the central axis. Water inlet and outlet tubes longitudinally extend parallel to the central axis and into the interior of the rear side portion of the insulated tank structure through its first end portion. Additionally, an elongated electric resistance type immersion heating structure longitudinally extends through the tank interior at least generally parallel to the central axis, the heating structure being operative to heat water disposed within the insulated tank structure.
A first opening is disposed in the front side portion of the insulated tank structure at its first end portion and extends into the interior of the insulated tank structure. A second opening is disposed in the front side portion of the insulated tank structure at its second end portion and extends into the interior of the insulated tank structure. A temperature and/or pressure relief structure is removably secured to one of the first and second opening and is removably securable to the other of the first and second openings. Additionally, a drain valve structure is removably secured to the other of the first and second openings and is removably securable to the aforementioned one of the first and second openings.
Representatively, the water heater has first and second reference lines extending through its first end portion, with the first reference line being rearwardly offset from the reference plane and transverse to the central axis, and the second reference line being forwardly offset from the reference plane and transverse to the central axis. Preferably, the inlet and outlet tubes are spaced apart along the first reference line, and the heating structure and the first opening are spaced apart along the second reference line. An electrical junction box is mounted on the first end and is preferably rearwardly offset from the inlet and outlet tubes.
According to another feature of the invention, the insulated tank structure has secured thereto a mounting structure which facilitates the vertical and horizontal mounting of the water heater on an adjacent support structure. Preferably, the mounting structure includes an axially spaced pair of elongated mounting bracket members which longitudinally extend transversely to the central axis and have longitudinally central portions secured to the rear side of the insulated tank structure at axially spaced locations on the rear side thereof. Projecting outwardly from these longitudinally central bracket portions are opposite end portions with side edges through which generally L-shaped mounting slots extend, the slots being adapted to receive outwardly projecting portions of support members secured to the support structure on which the water heater is to be mounted vertically or horizontally.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the electric resistance type immersion heating structure representatively includes a body portion which is securable to the tank at an opening therein, and first and second elongated electrical resistance type heating elements which longitudinally project from the inner side of the body portion axially into the interior of the tank, one of the first and second heating elements being substantially longer than the other heating element. A temperature control structure is operative to control the operation of the first and second heating elements and representatively includes a heating tube longitudinally projecting outwardly from the inner side of the body portion parallel to the first and second heating elements. First and second thermistors are disposed within the tube, in an axially spaced relationship therein, and are respectively associated with the first and second heating elements.
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Boros Jozef
Thenappan Subbu
Campbell Thor
Konneker & Smith P.C.
Rheem Manufacturing Company
Walberg Teresa
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