Water heating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12410944-B2
Application number	US-202117547555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2021
Priority date	Dec 11, 2020
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A water heating system having a tank and one or more heat sources for heating water is provided. The water heating system includes a water outlet for allowing egress of water from the tank and a dip tube for allowing ingress of water into the tank. The dip tube includes a first end for coupling with a water source and a second end disposed proximate a base of the tank for discharging water into the tank through an array of holes. Each of the holes is defined in a side wall of the dip tube and laterally discharges water with respect to a longitudinal axis of the second end of the dip tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water heating system comprising:
a tank;
one or more heat sources in thermal communication with the tank and configured to heat water within the tank;
a water outlet configured to allow egress of water from the tank; and
a dip tube configured to allow ingress of water into the tank, comprising:
a body portion defining a first end configured to couple with a water source; and
an elongated portion defining a second end distal to the first end and disposed proximate a base of the tank and configured to discharge the water to the tank substantially along a horizontal plane through an array of circular holes, the second end comprising an end cap configured to terminally close the second end and prevent vertical discharge of the water therefrom;
wherein the array of holes comprises three rows of holes defined around a longitudinal axis of the dip tube, wherein each row of holes comprises three holes and is radially offset 60° from each adjacent row of holes; and
wherein the body portion is axially and vertically aligned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the elongated portion and the second end of the dip tube.

2. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein each of the three holes within each row of holes are defined at equilateral distances about a circumference of the second end of the dip tube.

3. The water heating system of claim 2 , wherein the rows of holes are evenly spaced.

4. The water heating system of claim 3 , wherein the adjacent holes of each row are positioned 120° apart.

5. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein each hole of the second row is aligned at an approximate middle of two adjacent holes of the first row.

6. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein the dip tube comprises one or more guide members disposed at an inner surface of a side wall thereof and configured to guide discharge of the water through the array of holes.

7. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein the elongated portion is detachably coupled with the body portion of the dip tube.

8. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein each hole of the array of holes defined in the elongated portion is positioned to direct water away from a wall of the tank.

9. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein a cross sectional area of the elongated portion tapers towards the base of the tank.

10. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein a sum of cross-sectional area of each hole of the array of holes is greater than a cross-sectional area of the second end of the dip tube.

11. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein a sum of cross-sectional area of each hole of the array of holes is at least 50 percent higher than a cross-sectional area of the second end of the dip tube.

12. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein the dip tube includes a conical protrusion extending inwardly from the second end.

13. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein a side portion of a side wall of the dip tube nearest an inner surface of the tank omits any of the array of holes.

14. The water heating system of claim 1 , wherein the dip tube is configured to discharge the water such that a first hour rating of the water heater system with the dip tube is from about 1 percent to about 10 percent greater than a first hour rating of a water heater system having an otherwise identical dip tube with an open second end and no holes.

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co

Inventors

• Beyhaghi Saman
• Manay Atilhan
• Srivastava Shubham
• Zhang Qian
• Fowler Tobey

Classifications

• F24H1/18

  Water-storage heaters · CPC title

• F24H9/133 Primary

  Storage heaters · CPC title