Gas fueled water heater appliance and methods to mitigate lint, dust, and oil events

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12535245-B2
Application number	US-202318466490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2023
Priority date	Sep 13, 2023
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

The gas fueled water heater appliance may include a tank, a chamber wall, a gas burner, a chamber sensor, and a controller. The chamber sensor may be configured to detect temperature within the combustion chamber. The controller may be mounted to the gas fueled water heater appliance in operable communication with the gas burner and the chamber sensor. The controller may be configured to direct a water heating operation. The water heating operation may include detecting an ambient temperature (AT) value during a contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner, selecting, based on the detected AT value, a set temperature threshold from a plurality of temperature thresholds, detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value at the chamber sensor during the contemporaneous cycle, comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold, and directing heating at the gas burner based on comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gas fueled water heater appliance, comprising:
a tank for storage of water for heating; a chamber wall defining a combustion chamber; a gas burner positioned adjacent to the tank and within the combustion chamber to heat the water in the tank; a chamber sensor attached to the chamber wall, the chamber sensor being configured to detect temperature within the combustion chamber; and a controller mounted to the gas fueled water heater appliance in operable communication with the gas burner, and the chamber sensor, the controller being configured to direct a water heating operation comprising
detecting an ambient temperature (AT) value during a contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner,
selecting, based on the detected AT value, a set temperature threshold from a plurality of temperature thresholds,
detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value at the chamber sensor during the contemporaneous cycle,
comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold, and
directing heating at the gas burner based on comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold,
wherein selecting the set temperature threshold comprises selecting, according to the detected AT value, a corresponding range category from a plurality of range categories, each range category corresponding to a predetermined AT range, and wherein each temperature threshold of the plurality of temperature thresholds corresponds to a discrete range category of the plurality of range categories, wherein the water heater operation further comprises determining, prior to the contemporaneous cycle, the set temperature threshold, determining the set temperature threshold comprising detecting a preliminary AT value during a preliminary cycle of the gas burner, selecting, according to the detected preliminary AT value, the corresponding range category from the plurality of range categories, detecting a preliminary CCT value during the preliminary cycle, recording the preliminary CCT value within the corresponding range category, and calculating the set temperature threshold based on the recorded preliminary CCT value.

2 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
an ambient sensor spaced apart from the chamber sensor and attached to the tank, the ambient sensor being configured to detect temperature outside of the combustion chamber; wherein the AT value is detected at the ambient sensor during the contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner.

3 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the calculated set temperature threshold is based on a plurality of preliminary cycles within a set time period.

4 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the water heating operation further comprises calculating one or more additional temperature thresholds of the plurality of temperature thresholds based on the set temperature threshold and a programmed coefficient.

5 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold comprises
determining the detected CCT value is greater than the set temperature threshold, and wherein directing the water heater operation comprises halting burner activation in response to determining the detected CCT value is greater than the set temperature threshold.

6 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold comprises
determining the detected CCT value is less than or equal to the set temperature threshold, and wherein directing the water heater operation comprises permitting burner activation in response to determining the detected CCT value is less than or equal to the set temperature threshold.

7 . A method of operating a gas fueled water heater appliance comprising a tank, a chamber wall defining a combustion chamber, a gas burner, and a chamber sensor, the method comprising:
detecting an ambient temperature (AT) value during a contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner; selecting, based on the detected AT value, a set temperature threshold from a plurality of temperature thresholds; detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value at the chamber sensor during the contemporaneous cycle; comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold; and directing heating at the gas burner based on comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold, wherein selecting the set temperature threshold comprises selecting, according to the detected AT value, a corresponding range category from a plurality of range categories, each range category corresponding to a predetermined AT range, and wherein each temperature threshold of the plurality of temperature thresholds corresponds to a discrete range category of the plurality of range categories, wherein the method further comprises determining, prior to the contemporaneous cycle, the set temperature threshold, determining the set temperature threshold comprising detecting a preliminary AT value during a preliminary cycle of the gas burner, selecting, according to the detected preliminary AT value, the corresponding range category from the plurality of range categories, detecting a preliminary CCT value during the preliminary cycle, recording the preliminary CCT value within the corresponding range category, and calculating the set temperature threshold based on the recorded preliminary CCT value.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the AT value is detected at an ambient sensor attached to the tank during the contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the calculated set temperature threshold is based on a plurality of preliminary cycles within a set time period.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
calculating one or more additional temperature thresholds of the plurality of temperature thresholds based on the set temperature threshold and a programmed coefficient.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold comprises
determining the detected CCT value is greater than the set temperature threshold, and wherein directing the water heater operation comprises halting burner activation in response to determining the detected CCT value is greater than the set temperature threshold.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold comprises
determining the detected CCT value is less than or equal to the set temperature threshold, and wherein directing the water heater operation comprises permitting burner activation in response to determining the detected CCT value is less than or equal to the set temperature threshold.

13 . A gas fueled water heater appliance, comprising:
a tank for storage of water for heating; a chamber wall defining a combustion chamber; a gas burner positioned within the combustion chamber to heat the water in the tank; a chamber sensor configured to detect temperature within the combustion chamber; an ambient sensor spaced apart from the chamber sensor, the ambient sensor being configured to detect temperature outside of the combustion chamber; and a controller mounted to the gas fueled water heater appliance in operable communication with the gas burner, the ambient sensor, and the chamber sensor, the controller being configured to direct a water heating operation comprising
detecting an ambient temperature (AT) value at the ambient sensor during a contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner,
selecting, based

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Sweatt Corey
• Champion Michael
• Elder Gary
• Strader Jacob
• Thenappan Subbu

Classifications

• F24H15/25

  Temperature of the heat-generating means in the heater · CPC title

• F24H9/2035 Primary

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F24H1/186 Primary

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F24H15/414

  using electronic processing, e.g. computer-based · CPC title

• F24H15/281

  Input from user · CPC title