Non-return valve for flue gas venting and damper assembly for use therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10401027-B2
Application number	US-201715471528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A non-return valve having an accumulation damper movable relative to a housing and shaped like a bowl to accumulate condensate running down from the chimney. The non-return valve has a smaller floating damper made of a material having a density less than water for resting against the accumulation damper when the appliance is in standstill and sealing the drainage holes in the accumulation damper when the condensate accumulation is below a threshold. Once condensate accumulates in the accumulation damper beyond the threshold, the floating damper is buoyed by the condensate thereby breaking the seal with the drainage holes and permitting the condensate to drain through drainage holes in the accumulation damper. When the appliance is operational, exhaust from the appliance lifts the floating damper and, in some cases, the accumulation damper also, to permit exhaust of combustion gases up the chimney.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A non-return valve for use in a chimney of an appliance, said valve comprising:
a housing having a lower opening in fluid communication with an upper opening;
an accumulation damper for accumulating condensate in a condensate accumulating area formed in part by a slanted surface and a central area, and, comprising drainage holes for draining the condensate, said condensate accumulation area located near the drainage holes;
an accumulation damper seat near the lower opening of the housing for receiving the accumulation damper and extending substantially across the lower opening; and
a floating damper formed of a material having a lower density than water for resting against the accumulation damper and sealing the drainage holes when a volume of condensate accumulated in the condensate accumulation area of the accumulation damper is below a threshold, and, wherein when the volume of condensate accumulated in the condensate accumulation area of the accumulation damper is above the threshold, the floating damper is buoyed by the condensate breaking the seal with the drainage holes to permit drainage of the condensate through the drainage holes.

2. The non-return valve as defined in claim 1 wherein, when the appliance is in standstill, the accumulation damper rests on the accumulation damper seat substantially across the lower opening, and the floating damper rests against the accumulation damper to seal the drainage holes blocking flue gas backflow.

3. The non-return valve as defined in claim 1 wherein, when the appliance is operational at a first level, air pressure generated by the exhaust gas of the appliance lifts the floating damper to permit exhaust gases from the operation of the application at the first level to pass through the drainage holes of the accumulation damper to the chimney.

4. The non-return valve as defined in claim 3 wherein, when the application is operational at a second level higher than the first level, air pressure generated by the exhaust gas of the appliance lifts the floating damper and the accumulation damper to permit exhaust gases from the operation of the appliance at the second level to pass through the lower opening of the housing.

5. The non-return valve as defined in claim 1 wherein air pressure generated by operation of the appliance lifts the floating damper or both the floating damper and the accumulation damper to permit exhaust of exhaust gases from the appliance.

6. The non-return valve as defined in claim 1 further comprising a guide structure permitting the floating damper and the accumulation damper to move relative to the housing.

7. The non-return valve as defined in claim 6 wherein the guide structure comprises a guide pin concentrically orienting the floating damper and the accumulation damper within the housing.

8. The non-return valve as defined in claim 7 wherein the guide structure further comprises a lower guide web located at the lower opening of the housing;
wherein the lower guide web orients the guide pin within the housing to guide movement of the floating damper and the accumulation damper relative to the housing; and
wherein the lower guide web comprises the accumulation damper seat for receiving the accumulation damper when the appliance is in stand still.

9. The non-return valve as defined in claim 8 wherein the housing is oriented with respect to gravity such that the upper opening is above the lower opening;
wherein, when the appliance stops operation and returns to standstill, the accumulation damper returns to the accumulation damper seat and the floating damper rests on the accumulation damper through gravity to seal the drainage holes.

10. The non-return valve as defined in claim 1 wherein the floating damper has a density of between 0.80 and 0.95 grams per cubic centimeter.

11. A damper assembly for use in a chimney of an appliance having a combustion device, said damper assembly comprising:
an accumulation damper for accumulating condensate from the chimney, said accumulation damper having drainage holes for draining the condensate and a condensate accumulation area formed in part by a slanted surface and a central area, said accumulation area located near the drainage holes;
a floating damper formed of a material having a density lower than the density of water;
a floating damper seat on the accumulation damper for receiving the floating damper and providing a seal with the drainage holes; and
wherein the floating damper rests on the floating damper seat of the accumulation damper when insufficient condensate has been accumulated in the condensate accumulation area of the accumulation damper to buoy the floating damper, and when sufficient condensate has been accumulated in the condensate accumulation area of the accumulation damper to buoy the floating damper, the floating damper floats above the accumulation damper breaking the seal and permitting condensate to drain through the drainage holes.

12. The damper assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein the floating damper has a density of between 0.80 and 0.95 grams per cubic centimeter.

13. The damper assembly as defined in claim 11 further comprising a guide structure permitting the floating damper and the accumulation damper to move relative to one another.

14. The damper assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein the guide structure comprises:
a guide pin concentrically orienting the floating damper with respect to the accumulation damper;
a lower guide for connection to a lower opening of the housing;
wherein the lower guide web orients the guide pin within the housing to guide movement of the floating damper and the accumulation damper relative to the housing; and
wherein the lower guide web comprises the accumulation damper seat for receiving the accumulation damper when the appliance is in stand still.

15. The damper assembly as defined in claim 14 wherein, when the appliance stops operation and returns to standstill, the accumulation damper returns to the accumulation damper seat and the floating damper returns to the floating damper seat on the accumulation damper through gravity to seal the drainage holes.

16. The damper assembly as defined in claim 11 further comprising a tapered seal formed between the accumulation damper and the floating damper when the appliance is in standstill to prevent flue gas from entering the appliance.

17. The damper assembly as defined in claim 11 further comprising an axially extending radial groove associated with the accumulation damper cooperating with a corresponding axially extending radial ridge associated with the floating damper;
wherein the axially extending radial ridge engages the axially extending radial groove when the floating damper is received in the floating damper seat of the accumulation damper to seal the drainage holes.

18. The damper assembly as defined in claim 17 wherein the axially extending radial ridge has tapered axially extending radial ridge surfaces which mate with corresponding tapered axially extending radial groove surfaces to create a tapered seal between the floating damper and the accumulation damper.

19. The non-return valve as defined in claim 1 further comprising an axially extending radial groove associated with the accumulation damper and cooperating with a corresponding axially extending radial ridge associated with the floating damper;
wherein the axially extending radial ridge engages the axially e

Assignees

• Ipex Tech Inc

Inventors

• Leung Martin Kwan Yu
• Martino Filippo

Classifications

• F23L11/005

  for closing the flue during interruption of burner function · CPC title

• F23J2900/13004

  Water draining devices associated with flues · CPC title

• F23J13/00

  Fittings for chimneys or flues  (side-supporting means for chimney stacks E04H12/20; ladders permanently attached to chimneys E06C9/00; draught-inducing apparatus associated with chimneys or flues F23L17/00; tops for chimneys, terminals for flues F23L17/02) · CPC title

• F16K31/22

  with the float rigidly connected to the valve · CPC title

• F16K15/18

  with actuating mechanism; Combined check valves and actuated valves · CPC title