Motor/damper assembly for fuel-fired water heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10436476-B2
Application number	US-201615394945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 1, 2010
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A motor/damper assembly installable on the top end of a fuel-fired water heater includes a support plate structure upon which a flue collar with a pivotally supported flue damper, a drive motor, and a drive shaft interconnecting the motor damper are mounted. The assembly is installed by placing the collar over the upper end of the water heater flue, securing the support plate structure to the top end of the water heater, and positioning a top cover housing on the support plate structure. Using the assembly provides improved support rigidity and alignment for the motor and shaft relative to the damper, improved repeatable precise manufacturing placement of the motor and shaft, improved construction aesthetics, with the cover also protecting the shaft from shipping and handling damages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor/damper assembly for a fuel-fired water heater, the motor/damper assembly comprising:
a support plate structure comprising:
a base plate portion formed of a sheet having a planar bottom surface and having an opening extending therethrough sized and shaped to receive a flue extending from a top surface of the water heater, the planar bottom surface of the sheet extending around a complete perimeter of the opening and being shaped and arranged to rest flat on the top surface of the water heater when the flue is extending through the opening, and
first and second side support plates connected to opposing sides of the base plate portion and extending substantially perpendicular to the planar bottom surface of the base plate portion; and
an open-ended collar extending upwardly from the opening of the base plate portion, the collar being sized and shaped to cooperate with the flue so that combustion exhaust products pass from the flue through the collar when the support plate structure is disposed on the water heater;
a damper member pivotally supported within the collar;
a motor supported by the support plate structure and arranged to rotate the damper member in the collar; and
a housing having an open bottom portion shaped to receive and cover the base plate portion, the first and second side support plates, and the motor.

2. The motor/damper assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing is attachable to the first and second side support plates to connect the housing to the support plate structure.

3. The motor/damper assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support plate structure comprises a motor support plate connected to and extending substantially perpendicular to the planar bottom surface of the base plate portion, the motor being supported by the support plate structure.

4. The motor/damper assembly of claim 3 , wherein the motor support plate comprises an upturned end portion of the base plate portion and the motor is supported on said upturned end portion.

5. The motor/damper assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a drive shaft connecting the motor and the damper member, the motor support plate and the collar each comprising an aperture formed therein, the drive shaft extending from the motor through the aperture in the motor support plate and through the aperture in the collar to the damper member.

6. The motor/damper assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a drive shaft connecting the motor and the damper member, the housing being disposed above and covering the drive shaft.

7. The motor/damper assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a top wall with an opening therein configured to complementarily receive an upper portion of the collar.

8. The motor/damper apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a draft hood structure securable to the top of the housing overlying the collar.

9. The motor/damper assembly of claim 1 , wherein the side support plates comprise an upturned end portion of the base plate portion, and the housing is fixedly attached to the side support plates via fasteners.

10. A motor/damper assembly for a fuel-fired water heater, the motor/damper assembly comprising:
a support structure having a base plate portion having an opening extending therethrough sized and shaped to receive a flue extending from a top surface of the water heater, the base plate portion extending around a complete perimeter of the opening and being shaped and arranged to rest on the top surface of the water heater when the flue is extending through the opening;
a housing having an open bottom portion forming a chamber shaped to receive and cover the support structure, the housing being fixedly attachable to the support structure, the housing having an upper portion having an opening therethrough, the opening in the housing being located to overlay the opening in the support structure;
an open-ended collar fixed in place relative to the support structure and extending between the opening of the base plate portion and the opening in the housing, the collar being sized and shaped to cooperate with the flue so that combustion exhaust products pass from the flue through the collar when the motor/damper assembly is disposed on the water heater;
a damper member rotationally supported within the collar; and
a motor having an output shaft configured to rotate the damper member within the collar, the motor and the output shaft being disposed within the chamber of the housing, the support structure or housing rigidly fixing the motor in place relative to the collar to provide stability to the output shaft.

11. The motor/damper assembly of claim 10 , wherein the base plate portion is formed of a sheet having a planar bottom surface and having an opening extending therethrough, the planar bottom surface being disposed to lie on the top surface of the water heater.

12. The motor/damper assembly of claim 11 , wherein the opening in the housing is smaller than the opening in the base plate portion.

13. The motor/damper assembly of claim 12 , wherein the collar has a lower portion at the base plate portion with a first diameter and has an upper portion at the housing opening with a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.

14. The motor/damper assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a draft hood structure securable to the housing and overlying the collar.

15. The motor/damper assembly of claim 10 , wherein the support structure comprises upturned side support plates and the housing is fixedly attached to the side support plates via fasteners.

16. A motor/damper assembly for a fuel-fired water heater, the motor/damper assembly comprising:
a support plate structure comprising:
a base plate portion formed of a sheet having a planar bottom surface and having an opening extending therethrough sized and shaped to receive a flue extending from a top surface of the water heater, the planar bottom surface of the sheet extending around a complete perimeter of the opening and being shaped and arranged to rest flat on the top surface of the water heater when the flue is extending through the opening, and
an end plate connected to and extending substantially perpendicular to the base plate portion, the end plate having an aperture extending therethrough,

an open-ended collar connected to and extending only upwardly from the base plate portion, the collar being sized and shaped to cooperate with the flue so that combustion exhaust products that pass through said opening also pass through said collar;
a damper member pivotally supported within said collar; and
a motor supported above the top surface of the water heater radially in line with the end plate and having an output shaft extending through the aperture of the end plate, over a portion of the sheet forming the base plate portion, and into the collar to drive rotation of the damper member relative to the collar.

17. The motor/damper assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a housing having an open bottom portion forming a chamber shaped to receive and cover the support plate structure, the housing being fixedly attachable to the support plate structure, and having an upper portion with an opening therethrough, the opening in the housing being located to overlay the opening in the support structure.

18. The motor/damper assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a draft hood structure securable to the housing and overlying the collar.

19. The motor/damper assembly of claim 17 , wherein the support plate structure comprises upturned side support plates and the housing is

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co
• Field Controls Llc

Inventors

• Boros Jozef
• Donastorg Hector
• Rao Ashwin
• Weiss Cory Allan

Classifications

• F24H9/1836

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F24H1/205

  with furnace tubes · CPC title

• F24H9/0031 Primary

  with means for changing or adapting the path of the flue gas · CPC title