GAS SUPPLY COUPLING FOR A WATER HEATER

RACCORD D'ALIMENTATION EN GAZ POUR CHAUFFE-EAU

English Abstract

A gas supply coupling and method of assembly for
the delivery of combustion gases to a combustion chamber of
a heating device.

French Abstract

Raccord d'alimentation en gaz et méthode d'assemblage visant à acheminer les gaz de combustion à la chambre de combustion d'un dispositif de chauffage.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A gas supply coupling for delivering combustion
gases to a combustion chamber of a heating device, said gas
supply coupling comprising:
a shield adapted to fit within an opening to a
combustion chamber;
a plate affixed to said shield;
a gas supply tube affixed to said plate;
a gas supply line; and
a crimp ring which interfaces with said gas supply
tube and said gas supply line to provide a seal between said
gas supply tube and said gas supply line.
2. The gas supply coupling as recited in claim 1,
wherein said plate includes a stepped non-circular perimeter
braised into said shield.
3. The gas supply coupling as recited in claim 1,
wherein said gas supply tube is received at least partially
within said gas supply line.
4. The gas supply coupling as recited in claim 1,
wherein said gas supply line is received at least partially
within said gas supply tube.
5. The gas supply coupling as recited in claim 1,
wherein said gas supply line and said gas supply tube are in
a telescoped relationship along an interface section.
6. The gas supply coupling as recited in claim 5,
wherein said crimp ring is located at said interface
section.
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7. The gas supply coupling as recited in claim 1,
wherein said gas supply line is flexible.
8. A water heater assembly comprising:
a water heater housing having an opening;
a shield adapted to fit within said opening;
a plate affixed to said shield;
a gas supply tube affixed to said plate;
a gas supply line; and
a crimp ring which interfaces with said gas supply
tube and said gas supply line to provide a seal between said
gas supply tube and said gas supply line.
9. The water heater assembly as recited in claim 8,
wherein said water heater housing is compartmentalized to
include a water tank and a combustion chamber.
10. The water heater assembly as recited in claim 9,
further comprising a burner within said combustion chamber
adjacent said water tank.
11. The water heater assembly as recited in claim 8,
wherein said gas supply line is flexible.
12. A method of assembling a gas supply for delivering
combustion gases to a combustion chamber of a heating device
comprising:
affixing a plate to a shield;
locating a gas supply tube through the plate;
telescoping the gas supply tube with a gas supply
line at an interface section; and
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connecting the gas supply tube and the gas supply
line with a crimp ring at the interface section.
13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the gas
supply tube and the gas supply line are manufactured of
metal, the crimp ring provides a metal-to-metal seal between
the gas supply tube and the gas supply line.
14. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the crimp
ring provides a permanent joint between the gas supply tube
and the gas supply line.
15. The gas supply coupling as recited in claim 1,
wherein said gas supply tube and said gas supply line are
manufactured of metal, said crimp ring provides a
metal-to-metal interface between said gas supply tube and
said gas supply line.
16. The water heater assembly as recited in claim 8,
wherein said gas supply tube and said gas supply line are
manufactured of metal, said crimp ring provides a
metal-to-metal interface between said gas supply tube and
said gas supply line.
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Description

CA 02653813 2009-02-12
68432-692
GAS SUPPLY COUPLING FOR A WATER HEATER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
100021 The present invention relates to a gas supply coupling for delivering
natural
gas to a combustion chamber of a water heater.
[00031 Domestic water heaters use either electricity or a combustible fuel to
heat a
supply of water for use on demand by the homeowner. The fuel may include
propane or natural
gas which is delivered to a combustion chamber proximate the water tank. The
fuel is combusted
within the combustion chamber to heat and maintain the water at a
predetermined temperature.
In order to service and deliver fuel to the combustion element, the combustion
chamber is
typically open to the exterior of the water heater. This may create a path for
other gases to reach
the combustion element.
100041 Water heater combustion chambers eliminate exterior combustion by
utilizing
a functionally sealed combustion chamber which controls the gas flow
exteriorly of the chamber.
The sealed chamber, however, may complicate manufacture and assembly of the
water heater. A
sealed chamber reduces many of the assembly tolerances between the control
unit/regulator and
the burner. In addition, the gas supply must pass through a sealed door for
delivery of the
combustion fuel. One such sealed door includes a flare connection and threaded
nut fitting
between a gas supply line which extends outside of the combustion chamber and
a gas supply
tube on the interior. Although effective, the connection components are rather
expensive which
further increases the per unit water heater manufacturing expense.
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CA 02653813 2010-12-01
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A gas supply coupling for delivering combustion
gases to a combustion chamber of a heating device according
to an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes a
shield adapted to fit within an opening to a combustion
chamber; a plate affixed to the shield; a gas supply tube
affixed to the plate; a gas supply line; and a crimp ring
which provides a metal-to-metal seal between the gas supply
tube and the gas supply line.
[0006] A method of assembling a gas supply coupling for
delivering combustion gases to a combustion chamber of a
heating device according to an exemplary aspect of the
present invention includes: locating a the gas supply tube
through the plate; telescoping the gas supply tube with a
gas supply line at an overlap; and connecting the gas supply
tube and the gas supply line with a crimp ring at the
overlap.
According to another aspect the present invention
provides a gas supply coupling for delivering combustion
gases to a combustion chamber of a heating device, said gas
supply coupling comprising: a shield adapted to fit within
an opening to a combustion chamber; a plate affixed to said
shield; a gas supply tube affixed to said plate; a gas
supply line; and a crimp ring which interfaces with said gas
supply tube and said gas supply line to provide a seal
between said gas supply tube and said gas supply line.
According to another aspect the present invention
provides a water heater assembly comprising: a water heater
housing having an opening; a shield adapted to fit within
said opening; a plate affixed to said shield; a gas supply
tube affixed to said plate; a gas supply line; and a crimp
ring which interfaces with said gas supply tube and said gas
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CA 02653813 2010-12-01
supply line to provide a seal between said gas supply tube
and said gas supply line.
According to another aspect the present invention
provides a method of assembling a gas supply for delivering
combustion gases to a combustion chamber of a heating device
comprising: affixing a plate to a shield; locating a gas
supply tube through the plate; telescoping the gas supply
tube with a gas supply line at an interface section; and
connecting the gas supply tube and the gas supply line with
a crimp ring at the interface section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The various features and advantages of this
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art
from the following detailed description of the currently
preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the
detailed description can be briefly described as follows:
[0008] Figure 1 is a general side view of a gas supply
coupling for a water heater embodied in the present
invention;
[0009] Figure 2A is an exploded view of the gas supply
coupling;
[0010] Figure 2B is a front view of the gas supply
coupling; and
[0011] Figure 2C is a sectional side view of the gas
supply coupling of Figure 2A mounted within an opening
defined in the housing of a water heater.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] Figure 1 illustrates a general perspective view of
a gas supply assembly 10 for use with a water heater
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CA 02653813 2011-09-28
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assembly 12. The water heater assembly 12 includes a water heater
housing 14 that may be compartmentalized to include a water tank 16 and
a combustion chamber 18. Disposed within the combustion chamber 18 is a
burner 20 in close proximity to the water tank 16. The gas supply
assembly 10 of the present invention is designed to deliver fuel to the
burner 20 for combustion proximate the water tank 16 thereby heating the
water within the tank 16 to a predetermined temperature. The gas supply
assembly 10 will be connected to a fuel supply F which in the preferred
embodiment is natural gas although it is contemplated that the gas
supply assembly 10 may be used with other fuel types including propane.
The combustion chamber 18 includes an opening 22 to the exterior of the
water heater 12 to facilitate access to the gas supply and combustion
elements. However, this opening 22 may also form a pathway for foreign
elements and gases to reach the burner 20.
[0013] The gas supply assembly 10 is disposed within and extends
through the opening 22 of the combustion chamber 18. The gas supply
assembly 10 includes a bulkhead shield 24 configured to seat within the
opening 22 thereby closing this pathway into the combustion chamber 18.
Mounted to the shield 24 is a gas supply coupling 26 which provides
interconnection between a gas supply line 28 and a gas supply tube 30.
The gas supply line 28, in one non-limiting embodiment, is a flexible
line which is connected to the fuel supply. The gas supply tube 30 is,
in one non-limiting embodiment, a rigid tube with an outlet port 32 at
the burner 20 for delivering the fuel to the burner 20.
[0014] Referring to Figure 2A, the gas supply coupling 26 includes
a fitting 34. The fitting 34 includes a plate 36 having a stepped outer
periphery 38 (Figure 2B) for receipt into the shield 24 (Figure 1). The
plate 36 has a non-circular profile and is staked or
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CA 02653813 2010-12-01
welded into the shield 24 and to the gas supply tube 30,
however other attachments may also be utilized.
[0015] Referring to Figure 2C, the gas supply tube 30
receives the gas supply line 28 directly therein in an
overlapped or telescoped relationship at an interface
section 40. It should be understood that other male/female
receipt arrangements may also be utilized.
[0016] A crimp ring 42 provides a metal-to-metal seal
between the supply tube 30 and the gas supply line 28 at the
interface section 40. One such crimp ring 42 may be a crimp
ring manufactured by Lokring of Bartow, Florida. The crimp
ring 42 provides contact stresses which are sufficiently
high to plastically yield a portion of the interface
section 40 between the gas supply tube 30 and the gas supply
line 28 forming a circumferential, permanent, metal-to-metal
seal. The crimp ring 42 facilitates a permanent joint and
avoids the usage of elastomeric or
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CA 02653813 2009-02-12
60,137-428PUS2
150-3242-U
rubber seals, O-rings or gaskets which may degrade and leak over time. The
crimp ring 42
essentially meets all criteria of a welded connection, except that no heat is
required to make the
connection.
100171 It should be understood that although a particular component
arrangement is
disclosed in the illustrated embodiment, other arrangements will benefit from
the instant
invention.
[0018] Although particular step sequences are shown, described, and claimed,
it
should be understood that steps may be performed in any order, separated or
combined unless
otherwise indicated and will still benefit from the present invention.
[0019] The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by the
limitations
within. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are
possible in light of the
above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been
disclosed, however,
one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications
would come within the
scope of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the
scope of the appended
claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically
described. For that reason
the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content
of this invention.
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Representative Drawing