Water heater assembly for a recreation vehicle and method for operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12584656-B2
Application number	US-202217972222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2022
Priority date	Oct 24, 2022
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A water heater for a recreation vehicle and method for control are provided. The water heater includes a tank including a plenum configured to hold water within the tank. A flue forms a flowpath including an inlet opening and an outlet opening. A flow control device is positioned to selectively allow flow through the outlet opening from the flowpath. The flow control device forms a closed position and an open position. A motor is operably coupled to the flow control device and configured to articulate the flow control device to the closed position and the open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method for operating a water heater for a recreation vehicle, the method comprising:
delaying operation of a heater assembly in a gas heater mode until a position signal corresponding to an open position is obtained, wherein the position signal corresponds to whether a flow control device at a flue forming a flowpath through which exhaust gases egress is substantially in the closed position or substantially in the open position; transmitting a heater control signal to the heater assembly of the water heater to generate thermal energy for heating water, the heater control signal comprising a first heater control signal corresponding to an electric heating mode, the heater control signal comprising a second heater control signal corresponding to a gas heating mode; transmitting a motor control signal to a motor configured to selectively articulate the flow control device, wherein the motor is configured to articulate the flow control device to the closed position and the open position based on whether the first heater control signal or the second heater control signal is transmitted, wherein transmitting the motor control signal to the motor comprises:
after elapse of a predetermined period of time after discontinuing operation of the heater assembly in the gas heating mode or the gas and electric heating mode, transmitting a first motor control signal to command the motor to articulate the flow control device to the closed position after the controller transmits the first heater control signal; and
transmitting a second motor control signal to command the motor to articulate the flow control device to the open position after the controller transmits the second heater control signal and after the position signal corresponding to the open position is obtained.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the first motor control signal comprises transmitting the first motor control signal to the motor to articulate the flow control device to the closed position when the heater assembly is not operating in a gas heating mode or not operating in a gas and electric heating mode.

3 . A controller for a water heater, the controller configured to execute instruction that cause the water heater to perform operations, the operations comprising:
transmitting a heater control signal to a heater assembly of the water heater to generate thermal energy for heating water, the heater control signal comprising a first heater control signal corresponding to an electric heating mode, the heater control signal comprising a second heater control signal corresponding to a gas heating mode; transmitting a motor control signal to a motor configured to selectively articulate a flow control device at a flue forming a flowpath through which exhaust gases egress, wherein the motor is configured to articulate the flow control device to the closed position and the open position based on whether the first heater control signal or the second heater control signal is transmitted, wherein transmitting the motor control signal to the motor comprises:
after elapse of a predetermined period of time after discontinuing operation of the heater assembly in the gas heating mode or the gas and electric heating mode, transmitting a first motor control signal to command the motor to articulate the flow control device to the closed position after the controller transmits the first heater control signal; and
transmitting a second motor control signal to command the motor to articulate the flow control device to the open position after the controller transmits the second heater control signal.

4 . The controller of claim 3 , the operations comprising:
obtaining a position signal corresponding to whether the flow control device is substantially in the closed position or substantially in the open position.

5 . The controller of claim 4 , the operations comprising:
delaying operation of the heater assembly in the gas heater mode until the position signal corresponding to the open position is received at the controller.

6 . The controller of claim 3 , wherein transmitting the first motor control signal comprises:
transmitting the first motor control signal to the motor to articulate the flow control device to the closed position when the heater assembly is not operating in a gas heating mode or not operating in a gas and electric heating mode.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Strader Jacob
• Thenappan Subbu

Classifications

• F24H1/009 Primary

  for vehicle systems · CPC title

• F24H9/2035

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F24H15/31

  of valves having only one inlet port and one outlet port, e.g. flow rate regulating valves · CPC title

• F24H9/2007 Primary

  for water heaters · CPC title