Tankless water heater isolation valve assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12241640-B2
Application number	US-202318097761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2023
Priority date	May 14, 2020
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

An isolation valve assembly comprises a valve body defining a first fluid port and a second fluid port opposing the first fluid port and at least one drain port disposed between the first fluid port and the second fluid port, an isolation valve disposed within the valve body and a handle operatively coupled to the isolation valve. The handle is movable to cause corresponding movement of the isolation valve between a first normal position where the isolation valve fluidly couples the first fluid port and the second fluid port, and a second drain position where the isolation valve fluidly couples the first fluid port and the at least one drain port and isolates the second fluid port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An isolation valve assembly defining a fluid passage, which comprises:
a valve body defining a first fluid port comprising a fluid inlet port and a second fluid port comprising a fluid outlet port opposing the first fluid port and at least one drain port disposed between the first fluid port and the second fluid port;
an isolation valve disposed within the valve body; and
a handle operatively coupled to the isolation valve, the handle movable to cause corresponding movement of the isolation valve between a first normal position where the isolation valve fluidly couples the first fluid port and the second fluid port, and a second drain position where the isolation valve fluidly couples the first fluid port and the at least one drain port and isolates the second fluid port
wherein the isolation valve includes an outer plug seal portion at least partially circumscribing the fluid passage, the outer plug seal portion configured to seal the fluid outlet port in the second drain position of the isolation valve.

2. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein the handle is mounted for rotational relative to the valve body, the handle being rotatable to cause corresponding rotation of the isolation valve between the first normal position and the second drain position.

3. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 2 including a drain valve assembly mountable adjacent the at least one drain port of the valve body.

4. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 3 wherein the at least one drain port includes a first drain port and a second drain port opposing the first drain port.

5. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 4 including a removable plug seal disposed within one of the first drain port and the second drain port.

6. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 5 wherein the drain valve assembly is mounted adjacent the other of the first drain port and the second drain port.

7. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 6 wherein the handle is repositionable between first and second rotational orientations relative to the valve body to enable right or left hand movement of the handle to effect corresponding rotation of the isolation valve between the first normal position and the second drain position.

8. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 4 wherein the valve body includes a pressure relief port.

9. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 8 wherein:
the pressure relief port defines a fluid relief path; and
the first and second drain ports define respective first and second fluid drain paths.

10. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 9 wherein the first and second drain ports are positioned relative to the valve body whereby the first and second drain paths intersect the relief path.

11. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 9 wherein the first and second drain ports are positioned relative to the valve body whereby the first and second drain paths do not intersect the relief path.

12. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein the fluid inlet port is coupled to a tankless water heater.

13. The isolation valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein the isolation valve is configured to fluidly couple the drain port with the first fluid port and the second fluid port when in the first normal position.

14. A method, comprising:
coupling a fluid inlet port of a valve body of an isolation valve assembly to a tankless hot water heater;
rotating a handle of the isolation valve assembly to a first handle position to cause corresponding rotation of an isolation within the valve body to a first valve position to fluidly couple the fluid inlet port with a fluid outlet port of the isolation valve assembly;
rotating the handle of the isolation valve assembly to a second handle position to cause corresponding rotation of the isolation valve within the valve body to a second valve position to fluidly isolate the fluid second outlet port from the first inlet port;
when in the second handle position of the isolation valve, activating a drain valve assembly coupled to at least one drain port of the valve body to drain fluids delivered from the tankless water heater to drain the fluids, and
activating a pressure relief valve coupled to a pressure relief port of the valve body to relief pressure associated with the fluids.

15. The method according to claim 14 further including enabling the handle to be repositionable between first and second rotational orientations relative to the valve body to permit right or left hand movement of the handle between the first handle position and the second handle position.

16. A method, comprising:
coupling a fluid inlet port of a valve body of an isolation valve assembly to a tankless hot water heater;
rotating a handle of the isolation valve assembly to a first handle position to cause corresponding rotation of an isolation within the valve body to a first valve position to fluidly couple the fluid inlet port with a fluid outlet port of the isolation valve assembly;
rotating the handle of the isolation valve assembly to a second handle position to cause corresponding rotation of the isolation valve within the valve body to a second valve position to fluidly isolate the fluid second outlet port from the first inlet port;
when in the second handle position of the isolation valve, activating a drain valve assembly coupled to at least one drain port of the valve body to drain fluids delivered from the tankless water heater to drain the fluids, and
mounting the isolation valve assembly to one of first and second opposed drain ports of the valve body and sealing the other of the first and second drain ports.

Assignees

• Watts Regulator Co

Inventors

• Erhardt James
• Esmaili Mahyar

Classifications

• F24D19/1051 Primary

  for domestic hot water · CPC title

• F16K11/085

  with cylindrical plug · CPC title

• F16K5/04

  with plugs having cylindrical surfaces; Packings therefor · CPC title

• F16K37/005

  for measuring fluid parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24D19/088 Primary

  Draining arrangements · CPC title