Water heater with an integrated leak detection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12313499-B2
Application number	US-202318203000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2023
Priority date	Dec 18, 2019
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

A water heater includes a tank assembly that defines an insulation cavity between an inner storage tank and an outer jacket. The water heater includes a bottom pad that supports the tank assembly thereon. The bottom pad is disposed in a bottom pan. Gaskets are disposed between the bottom pad and the bottom pan of the water heater. The bottom pad and at least one of the gaskets include apertures that are configured to internally route a leak sensor assembly of the water heater from the bottom pan to a controller of the water heater through the insulation cavity while preventing a leak of insulation material from the insulation cavity to the bottom pan. The water heater also includes a mounting bracket that is coupled to the inner storage tank to securely hold and route a portion of the leak sensor assembly disposed in the insulation cavity to the controller.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A water heater comprising:
a tank assembly comprising:
an inner storage tank; and
an outer jacket disposed peripherally around the inner storage tank such that an insulation cavity is defined between the inner storage tank and the outer jacket;

a bottom pan disposed below the tank assembly such that the bottom pan serves as a base of the water heater;
a leak sensor assembly extending from the bottom pan, through the insulation cavity, and to a controller of the water heater, wherein the controller is configured to operate the water heater; and
a bottom pad that is disposed between the tank assembly and the bottom pan, wherein the bottom pad comprises an aperture that is configured to internally route part of the leak sensor assembly from the bottom pan, through a mounting bracket coupled to the inner storage tank, through the insulation cavity, and to the controller; and
wherein the mounting bracket is configured to securely hold and route a portion of the leak sensor assembly that is disposed in the insulation cavity towards the controller of the water heater.

2. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the leak sensor assembly comprises:
a wicking tube that is disposed in the bottom pan and extends about a periphery of the bottom pan;
a sensor guiding tube coupled to the wicking tube; and
a leak sensor disposed in the sensor tube and extending into the wicking tube at a first end thereof, wherein an opposite second end of the leak sensor is operably coupled to the controller.

3. The water heater of claim 2 , wherein the sensor guiding tube is part of the leak sensor assembly that extends through the aperture in the bottom pad.

4. The water heater of claim 2 , wherein the wicking tube comprises wicking material disposed partially inside the bottom pan and partially disposed outside the bottom pan effective to capture leaks from both the outer jacket and the inner storage tank.

5. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the bottom pad comprises a recessed portion in which the aperture is located.

6. The water heater of claim 5 , further comprising a first gasket within the recessed portion of the bottom pad.

7. The water heater of claim 6 , further comprising a second gasket wherein the sensor guiding tube extends in between the first and second gaskets.

8. The water heater of claim 6 , wherein the first gasket comprises an aperture that is smaller than the aperture in the bottom pad.

9. The water heater of claim 8 , wherein the aperture of the first gasket is axially aligned with the aperture of the bottom pad.

10. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the water heater is a fuel fired water heater.

11. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the water heater is an electric water heater.

12. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket is installed adjacent to a heating element of the water heater.

13. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket is configured to retain a thermistor in contact with or against the inner storage tank of the water heater.

14. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the inner storage tank and the outer jacket are substantially cylindrical and the end of the leak sensor assembly that is disposed in the bottom pan extends along a perimeter of the bottom pan to create a circumferential area of leak detection around the water heater.

15. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein the leak sensor assembly has a leak sensor that is long enough to extend circumferentially around the bottom pan and to the controller.

16. A water heater comprising:
a tank assembly comprising:
an inner storage tank; and
an outer jacket disposed peripherally around the inner storage tank such that an insulation cavity is defined between the inner storage tank and the outer jacket;

a bottom pan disposed below the tank assembly such that the bottom pan serves as a base of the water heater;
a leak sensor assembly extending from the bottom pan, through the insulating cavity, and to a controller of the water heater, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the leak sensor assembly and configured to operate the water heater; and
a bottom pad that is disposed between the tank assembly and the bottom pan,
wherein the bottom pad comprises an aperture that is configured to internally route part of the leak sensor assembly from the bottom pan, through a mounting bracket coupled to the inner storage tank, through the insulation cavity, and to the controller,
wherein the mounting bracket is configured to securely hold and route a portion of the leak sensor assembly that is disposed in the insulation cavity towards the controller of the water heater, and
wherein the leak sensor assembly comprises (i) a leak sensor operatively coupled to a wicking tube that is disposed in the bottom pan and extends about a periphery of the bottom pan, or (ii) an elongate leak sensor extending circumferentially around the bottom pan and to the controller.

17. The water heater of claim 16 , wherein a sensor guiding tube is coupled to and between the wicking tube and the leak sensor.

18. The water heater of claim 16 , wherein the bottom pad comprises a recessed portion in which an aperture is located, and wherein part of the leak sensor assembly extends through the aperture.

19. The water heater of claim 18 , further comprising a gasket within the recessed portion of the bottom pad.

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co

Inventors

• Weitherspoon Damian
• Dixon Jessie L
• Maciulewicz Nahoko
• Gharia Shreya

Classifications

• G01M3/188 Primary

  for radiators · CPC title

• F24H9/17

  Means for retaining water leaked from heaters · CPC title

• G01M3/002 Primary

  by using thermal means · CPC title