Diverter plate for furnace of HVAC system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11460221-B2
Application number	US-202016804864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Dec 24, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a heat exchanger tube including a tube inlet and a tube outlet, such that the heat exchanger tube is configured to receive combustion products via the tube inlet, circulate the combustion products through the heat exchanger tube, and discharge the combustion products via the tube outlet. Additionally, the furnace includes a collector box coupled to the heat exchanger tube and having a cavity configured to receive the combustion products via the tube outlet. The furnace includes a diverter plate disposed within the cavity, where the diverter plate overlaps the tube outlet to disperse the combustion products received via the tube outlet throughout the collector box.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a heat exchanger tube including a tube inlet and a tube outlet, such that the heat exchanger tube is configured to receive combustion products via the tube inlet, circulate the combustion products through the heat exchanger tube, and discharge the combustion products via the tube outlet;
a collector box coupled to the heat exchanger tube and having a cavity configured to receive the combustion products via the tube outlet; and
a diverter plate disposed within the cavity, wherein the diverter plate overlaps the tube outlet to disperse the combustion products received via the tube outlet throughout the collector box, and wherein the diverter plate defines a plurality of openings configured to direct the combustion products therethrough and throughout the collector box.

2. The furnace of claim 1 , comprising a gap between an outermost edge of the tube outlet and the diverter plate.

3. The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the collector box has a mounting surface, wherein the diverter plate is coupled to the mounting surface, and wherein the diverter plate is configured to disperse the combustion products over at least a portion of the mounting surface.

4. The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the diverter plate includes a deflecting surface and first and second flanges extending from the deflecting surface, wherein the first and second flanges are mounted to the collector box, and wherein the deflecting surface intersects a tube axis of the heat exchanger tube.

5. The furnace of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of openings comprises first and second side passages formed by the deflecting surface and the first and second flanges within the cavity, and wherein the diverter plate is configured to disperse the combustion products throughout the cavity via the first and second side passages.

6. The furnace of claim 5 , wherein the diverter plate includes a first side flange extending from the deflecting surface and into the first side passage and a second side flange extending from the deflecting surface and into the second side passage.

7. The furnace of claim 4 , wherein the first flange includes a mounting portion configured to mount to the collector box and a mounting extension extending from the deflecting surface to the mounting portion, wherein the plurality of openings comprises a plurality of holes formed in the mounting extension, and wherein the plurality of holes is configured to flow at least a portion of the combustion products therethrough.

8. The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the cavity has a first depth at an outermost portion of the cavity relative to the tube outlet, the diverter plate has a second depth at an outermost portion of the diverter plate relative to the tube outlet, and the second depth is approximately half of the first depth.

9. The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger tube includes a diameter, and wherein the diverter plate extends laterally from the tube outlet and beyond the tube outlet by a dimension that is greater than the diameter.

10. The furnace of claim 9 , wherein the dimension is at least twice the diameter.

11. The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings comprises a plurality of passages formed between the diverter plate and the collector box, a plurality of holes formed in the diverter plate, or both.

12. A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, wherein each heat exchanger tube of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes includes a tube inlet and a tube outlet, such that the heat exchanger tube is configured to receive combustion products via the tube inlet, circulate the combustion products through the heat exchanger tube, and discharge the combustion products via the tube outlet;
a collector box coupled to the plurality of heat exchanger tubes such that a cavity of the collector box is configured to receive the combustion products via the tube outlet of each heat exchanger tube of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes; and
a diverter plate disposed within the cavity, wherein the diverter plate overlaps the tube outlet of each heat exchanger tube of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes, with respect to a flow direction of combustion products through the tube outlet of each heat exchanger tube, to disperse the combustion products received via the tube outlet throughout the cavity, and wherein the diverter plate defines a plurality of openings configured to direct the combustion products therethrough and throughout the cavity.

13. The furnace of claim 12 , wherein the diverter plate includes a deflecting surface and first and second flanges extending from the deflecting surface, wherein the first and second flanges are mounted to the collector box, and wherein the deflecting surface intersects a respective tube axis of each heat exchanger tube of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes.

14. The furnace of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of openings comprises first and second side passages formed by the deflecting surface and the first and second flanges within the cavity, and wherein the diverter plate is configured to disperse the combustion products throughout the cavity via the first and second side passages.

15. The furnace of claim 14 , wherein the diverter plate includes a first side flange extending from the deflecting surface and into the first side passage and a second side flange extending from the deflecting surface and into the second side passage.

16. The furnace of claim 13 , wherein the first flange includes a mounting portion configured to mount to the collector box and a mounting extension extending from the deflecting surface to the mounting portion, wherein the plurality of openings comprises a plurality of holes formed in the mounting extension, and wherein the plurality of holes is configured to flow at least a portion of the combustion products therethrough.

17. The furnace of claim 12 , wherein the collector box has a mounting surface, wherein the diverter plate is coupled to the mounting surface, and wherein the diverter plate is configured to disperse the combustion products over at least a portion of the mounting surface.

18. The furnace of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of heat exchanger tubes includes five heat exchanger tubes, seven heat exchanger tubes, or nine heat exchanger tubes.

19. The furnace of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of heat exchanger tubes is arrayed laterally along the collector box.

20. The furnace of claim 12 , comprising a draft inducer blower configured to draw the combustion products through the plurality of heat exchanger tubes.

21. The furnace of claim 20 , wherein the diverter plate is disposed between the draft inducer blower and the tube outlet of each heat exchanger tube of the plurality of heat exchanger tubes.

22. A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a heat exchanger tube including a tube inlet, a tube outlet, and a tube flow path extending from the tube inlet to the tube outlet, wherein the heat exchanger tube is configured to receive combustion products via the tube inlet, circulate the combustion products along the tube flow path, and discharge the combustion products via the tube outlet;
a collector box coupled to the heat exchanger tube such that a cavity of the collector box is configured to receive the combustion products via

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co
• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP

Inventors

• Ouabdenbi Hamid
• Harris William M
• Muley Kirankumar A
• Suryawanshi Sumedh J

Classifications

• F24H3/087 Primary

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F24D5/12

  using heat pumps · CPC title

• Y02B30/13

  Hot air central heating systems using heat pumps · CPC title

• F24D5/02 Primary

  operating with discharge of hot air into the space or area to be heated · CPC title

• F24D2200/04

  Gas or oil fired boiler · CPC title