Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2062015
WATER HEATER BOTTOM INSULATION MEMBER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rigid
insulation member to be fitted internally at the bottom of
a water heater.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVFNTION
Proper insulation in up-to-date water heaters is
extremely important to both protect the end user and to
reduce heat losses from the water heater. Many different
methods have been used to insulate the walls of a water
heater. Most of these methods involve the injection of
foam material between the inner tank and the outer shell.
The foam material, however, does not generally reach the
bottom of the water heater resulting in significant heat
loss in this area.
Suggestions have been made to provide insulation
means, internally of, and at the bottom of the water
heater. According to one suggestion the water heater is
placed atop a bag-like insulation member which has shape
change characteristics to conform to the bottom of the
water heater. This type of bag, however, does not
guarantee a positive fit to the bottom of the inner tank,
~ SJ-8469A
- 2 - 206201 5
-
and may further provide an improper seat for the tank so
that it does not sit perfectly up-right within the water
heater.
According to a further suggested design, a rigid
insulation member having a u-shape configuration is seated
immediately beneath the inner tank with the walls of the
insulation member extending upwardly between the tank and
the shell. This type of design, however, does not fit with
the conventional inner tank design where the base of the
tank is upwardly convex, furthermore, the u-shaped rigid
insulation member described above may once again not
provide a proper seat for the tank where the insulation
member, typically made of foam, is relatively thick where
it meets the lower tank edge, giving rise to a possible
collapse of the foam material with a resultant tilting of
the tank within the outer shell.
Presently available water heater insulation
members make it very difficult to ground the tank to the
shell which is necessary in an electric water heater.
SU~MARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a rigid
insulation member for fitting internally at the bottom end
of a water heater where the inner tank has an upwardly
concave base and the water heater includes an outer shell
separated by an insulation gap from the inner tank. The
insulation member itself has a one piece construction
comprising an upwardly convex center portion for mating
with the concave base of the inner tank, a peripheral ring
for spanning the insulation gap and an annual channel
between the center portion and the peripheral ring for
seating the inner tank such that it sits essentially
vertically within the water heater.
SJ--8469A
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 2 ~ ~ ~15
The above as well as other advantages of and
features of the present invention will be described in
greater detail according to the preferred embodiments of
the present invention in which;
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a
water heater to be fitted with a bottom insulation member
according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view after assembly of
the bottom end of the water heater of figure 1;
Figure 3 is a further exploded bottom
perspective view of the water heater of figure 1;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED
FMRODIMFNTS OF T~F. p~F.SF.NT INVFNTION:
Figure 1 shows the overall water heater
generally indicated at 1. This water heater comprises an
inner tank 3, having an upwardly concave base 5 surrounded
by a downwardly extending tank edge or lip 7 which supports
the tank internally of the water heater. Tank 3 includes
electrical fittings 11 which are used to control
temperature of water in the electrically heated tank.
The upper end of tank 3 is provided with typical
fittings generally indicated at 13. The bottom end of the
tank, is provided with a combination insulation guide and
grounding bracket 9 which will be described later in
detail.
SJ-8469
_ 4 _ 2 0 62 01 5
_
Tank 3 fits within an outer shell comprising a
shell wall 15, a bottom pan 17, and a shell top 23. The
shell top as shown includes a series of openings 24 which
align with the fittings 13 at the upper end of the tank.
The shell bottom or pan 17 includes an opening 19 for
receiving a grounding connector 21 which grounds tank 3 to
the outer shell, again to be described later in detail.
As best seen in figure 2 of the drawings, when
the water heater is assembled there is a gap 16 between the
tank and the shell. This gap is typically filled with foam
insulation material.
The key to the present invention is in the form
of a bottom insulation member 25 which fits internally of
the water heater, directly beneath the inner tank.
Insulation member 25 is molded in a preset configuration of
what will be referred to as rigid insulation material, i.e.
insulation material which does not change shape as a result
of the tank being placed on the insulation member. A
product sold under the trade mark STYROPOUR is particularly
suitable for forming the insulating member. This
particular material has high insulating properties, is
light in weight, and is capable of standing extremely high
pressures without crushing of the material. This latter
feature is very important since the weight of the inner
tank is supported by the insulation member in a manner to
maintain the tank upright, or at least essentially upright
within the water heater.
It is, however, to be appreciated that other
types of materials and in a particular expanded foam
materials can be used in forming the insulating member.
The insulating member 25 is molded to provide
its accurate preset configuration. This configuration
includes a center upwardly convex portion 27, a peripheral
ring or ledge 31, and an annular channel 29 between ring 31
SJ-8469A
_ 5 _ 2 0 62 01 S
and center portion 27. The annular channel does not
completely penetrate the insulation member so that it has a
one piece construction.
Insulation member 25 further includes a recess
33 downwardly through center portion 27 adjacent annular
channel 29. Opening 35 is located at the bottom of recess
33.
When the overall water heater is assembled
insulation member 25 is located immediately beneath tank 3
as best seen in figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. As
earlier described, the tank has an upwardly concave base 5
which causes any sediment within the tank to collect
around the edge of the tank where it generally will not be
drawn up with water taken from the tank.
The center portion 27 of insert 25 mates flushly
with the concave base 5 of the tank and the downwardly
extending bottom edge or lip 7 of the tank seats within
annular recess 29 of the insulation member. As earlier
noted the particular material chosen for the insulation
member resists crushing to maintain the tank in an upright
position, furthermore, beca~se the material in the
insulation member at the channel is very thin, there is
very little travel at the bottom of the tank even if it
should crush the insulation member.
The annular channel 29 adds the further benefit
that it provides an extremely accurate centering of the
insulation member relative to the tank.
When the tank is properly seated in channel 29,
ring 31 of the insulation member spans the insulation gap
between the tank and the outer shell. This again, provides
a very positive locater for the insulation member within
the water heater. It also assists in blocking the escape
SJ--8469A
2û~ 15
- 6 -
,.,
of foam past the insulation member at the bottom of the
tank.
Shell bottom 17 fits outwardly over the shell
wall 15 as shown. The tank is then grounded to the shell
bottom by fitting ground member 21 which is in the form of
a threaded bolt upwardly through opening 19 in the shell
bottom. Opening 19 is aligned with opening 35 which is in
turn aligned with a threaded bore provided in grounding
bracket 9, as best seen in figure 3 of the drawings. The
bolt threads into the bore in the bracket connecting and
grounding the tank to the shell.
The proper positioning of insulation member 25
at the bottom of the inner tank to assure the alignment of
the openings as described immediately above, is provided as
a result of recess 33 which receives bracket 9 as a guide
between the insulation member and the bottom of the water
heater tank.
In molding insulation member 25, it is provided
with a hollow region generally indicated at 37 immediately
below the upwardly convex center portion 27. The
insulation member is also ribbed as indicated at 39 for
mAX;m;zing strength without adding to the bulk of the
insulation member. The center portion as shown, although
rising well above peripheral ring 25 is of substantially
the same thickness as the peripheral ring, so that there is
a generally uniform cooling of the molded material. This
ensures common structural characteristics throughout the
molded insulation member.
Although various preferred embodiments of the
present invention have been described herein in detail, it
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that
variations may be made thereto without departing from the
SJ-8469A
2062015
. -- 7 --
spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended
claims.
SJ--8469A
