Tooling and method for flexible through connection between double liners of water heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12276440-B2
Application number	US-202318354871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2023
Priority date	Jan 16, 2023
Publication date	Apr 15, 2025
Grant date	Apr 15, 2025

Abstract

A tooling and method for flexible through connection of a double-liner water heater. The tooling includes a transition shaft, a tooling connecting plate and a fastening screw. The method includes: allowing a shaft head of the transition shaft to be in fit with an inner surface of an outer flange of a lower liner for welding; allowing an end hole to be in fit with an outer surface of an inner flange of an upper liner for welding; after welding seams are cooled, removing the tooling, and enameling the upper and liners; forming through-flexible connection between the inner and outer flanges; and firmly fitting the upper and lower liners together with two steel strips to ensure that a gap between the upper and lower liners is not greater than 7 mm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tooling for flexible through connection of a double-liner water heater, comprising:
a tooling connecting plate;
wherein the tooling is configured for connection of an upper liner and a lower liner of the double-liner water heater with a gap there between less than or equal to 7 mm; two ends of the tooling connecting plate are each provided with a through hole; a transition shaft is arranged in the through hole; the transition shaft is in clearance fit with the tooling connecting plate; and the transition shaft is screwedly fastened to the tooling connecting plate; and
one end of the transition shaft is provided with an end hole, and the end hole is configured to fit an inner flange of the upper liner; and the other end of the transition shaft is configured as a shaft head fitting an outer flange of the lower liner.

2. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein a center distance between two transition shafts is equal to a center distance of water-passing holes of the upper liner and the lower liner.

3. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the shaft head is in centering clearance fit with an inner surface of the outer flange; and the end hole is in centering clearance fit with an outer surface of the inner flange.

4. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein the upper liner is provided with a first welding assembly hole, and the lower liner is provided with a second welding assembly hole; a central axis of the first welding assembly hole and a central axis of the second welding assembly hole are located in the same line; the first welding assembly hole is configured for welding assembly of the inner flange; and the second welding assembly hole is configured for welding assembly of the outer flange; and
central axes of the transition shaft, the end hole and the shaft head coincide with each other, and coincide with a central axis of the outer flange and a central axis of the inner flange.

5. The tooling of claim 4 , wherein the inner flange is welded to the upper liner; and the outer flange is welded to the lower liner.

6. The tooling of claim 4 , wherein the first welding assembly hole and the inner flange are in clearance fit; the second welding assembly hole and the outer flange are in clearance fit.

7. The tooling of claim 1 , wherein a fitting length between the shaft head of the transition shaft and the outer flange and a fitting length between the end hole of the transition shaft and the inner flange are set such that the gap between the lower liner and the upper liner satisfies a welding process requirement.

8. A method for flexible through connection of a double-liner water heater by using the tooling of claim 1 , comprising:
(a) allowing the shaft head to be in centering clearance fit with an inner surface of the outer flange; and allowing the end hole to be in centering clearance fit with an outer surface of the inner flange;
(b) adjusting a position of the tooling such that the inner flange is aligned with a first welding assembly hole on the upper liner, and the outer flange is aligned with a second welding assembly hole on the lower liner; welding the inner flange with the first welding assembly hole, and welding the outer flange with the second welding assembly hole;
wherein a central axis of the first welding assembly hole and a central axis of the second welding assembly hole are kept on the same line; central axes of the transition shaft, the end hole and the shaft head are collinear, and coincide with a central axis of the outer flange and a central axis of the inner flange; a first welding seam formed from the welding of the inner flange with the first welding assembly hole is located at an outer side of the upper liner; and a second welding seam formed from the welding of the outer flange and the second welding assembly hole is located at an outer side of the lower liner; and
(c) after the first welding seam and the second welding seam are cooled to room temperature, removing the tooling; enameling the upper liner and the lower liner; placing a first seal ring in a groove at a bottom surface of the inner flange, placing a second seal ring in a groove at a cylindrical surface of the inner flange; inserting the inner flange into the outer flange to realize flexible through connection between the lower liner and the upper liner; and firmly fitting the upper liner and the lower liner together by using two steel strips, wherein the two steel strips offer a pre-tightening force to ensure that the gap between the upper liner and the lower liner is less than or equal to 7 mm.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the bottom surface of the inner flange is provided with a recess structure.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the bottom surface of the inner flange is matched with a bottom surface of the outer flange; and the bottom surface of the inner flange is perpendicular to the central axis of the inner flange, and the bottom surface of the outer flange is perpendicular to the central axis of the outer flange.

Assignees

• Univ Qingdao Technology

Inventors

• Liang Sen
• Sun Ruijun
• Che Qinglun
• Wu Long

Classifications

• F24H9/0005

  for water heaters · CPC title

• F24H1/181 Primary

  Construction of the tank · CPC title

• F24H9/14 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting different sections, e.g. in water heaters  (arrangements for connecting heaters to circulation pipes F24H9/12) · CPC title