Water heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015176861-A1
Application number	US-201414560085-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 4, 2014
Priority date	Dec 25, 2013
Publication date	Jun 25, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A water heater of a latent heat recovery type includes: a combustion apparatus including a burner having a plurality of burner port portions and generating combustion gas from openings at ends of the plurality of burner port portions; a heat exchanger heating water that flows through inside by heat exchange with combustion gas generated in the combustion apparatus; and a fan suctioning the combustion gas that has passed through the heat exchanger and emitting combustion gas to outside of the water heater. The fan includes a fan case, an impeller housed within the fan case, and a drive source connected to the impeller. At least a part of an upper surface of a bottom wall of the fan case is inclined with respect to a reference plane including the openings of the plurality of burner port portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A water heater of a latent heat recovery type capable of heating water by recovering latent heat of combustion gas, said water heater comprising:
a combustion apparatus including a burner that has a plurality of burner port portions and generating combustion gas from openings at ends of said plurality of burner port portions; a heat exchanger heating water flowing through inside by heat exchange with combustion gas generated in said combustion apparatus; and a fan suctioning combustion gas having passed through said heat exchanger and emitting combustion gas to outside of said water heater, said fan including a fan case, an impeller housed within said fan case so as to be rotatable, and a drive source provided outside said fan case and having a rotation shaft connected to said impeller, and at least a part of an upper surface of a bottom wall of said fan case being inclined with respect to a reference plane including said openings of said plurality of burner port portions.

2 . The water heater according to claim 1 , wherein
said fan includes an inlet port through which combustion gas is suctioned, said inlet port is provided at a position in the bottom wall of said fan case that is closest to said heat exchanger in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane including said openings of said plurality of burner port portions, and at least a part of the upper surface of said bottom wall has an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to said reference plane so as to be closer to said heat exchanger as coming closer to said inlet port.

3 . The water heater according to claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of said upper surface of said bottom wall of said fan case that overlaps with said impeller as seen from a shaft direction of said rotation shaft entirely has an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to said reference plane so as to be closer to said heat exchanger as coming closer to said inlet port.

4 . The water heater according to claim 2 , wherein a shaft direction of said rotation shaft is perpendicular to said reference plane.

5 . The water heater according to claim 2 , further comprising an exhaust box between said fan and said heat exchanger for introducing combustion gas from said heat exchanger into said fan, wherein
said heat exchanger has an upper wall that is partially opened to form a combustion gas exhaust port, and a flow path cross-sectional area in a cross section of said exhaust box that is parallel to said reference plane is larger than an opening area of said combustion gas exhaust port and an opening area of said inlet port.

6 . The water heater according to claim 5 , wherein
said exhaust box further includes a deflection plate between said combustion gas exhaust port of said heat exchanger and said inlet port of said fan case so as to be spaced apart from said combustion gas exhaust port and said inlet port, and said deflection plate blocks a portion where at least said inlet port and said combustion gas exhaust port overlap with each other as seen from a direction of said rotation shaft.

7 . The water heater according to claim 5 , wherein
said fan case has a first cylindrical portion formed of a circumferential wall protruding from a circumferential edge portion of said inlet port of said bottom wall toward said heat exchanger, said exhaust box has a ceiling wall having an opening and a second cylindrical portion formed of a circumferential wall protruding from a circumferential edge portion of said opening of said ceiling wall toward said fan case, said first cylindrical portion is fitted into said second cylindrical portion, and a seal member is interposed between an outer circumferential surface of said first cylindrical portion and an inner circumferential surface of said second cylindrical portion.

8 . The water heater according to claim 5 , wherein at least a part of said inlet port of said fan case does not overlap with said combustion gas exhaust port of said heat exchanger as seen from a direction of said rotation shaft.

9 . The water heater according to claim 2 , wherein said impeller is made of a resin material having acid resistance.

10 . The water heater according to claim 2 , wherein said reference plane is a horizontal plane in a state where said water heater is placed.

11 . The water heater according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion in the upper surface of the bottom wall of said fan case that is located on an outer circumferential side relative to said impeller is inclined with respect to said reference plane.

12 . The water heater according to claim 11 , wherein said rotation shaft is inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to said reference plane.

13 . The water heater according to claim 11 , wherein said bottom wall of said fan case is provided with a drainage water discharge port at least at a lowermost position in a vertical direction in a state where said water heater is placed.

14 . The water heater according to claim 12 , further comprising an exhaust box between said fan and said heat exchanger for introducing combustion gas from said heat exchanger into said fan, wherein
an upper wall of said exhaust box is inclined with respect to said reference plane, and said fan is fixed to said upper wall of said exhaust box such that said rotation shaft is inclined with respect to said reference plane.

15 . The water heater according to claim 11 , wherein
said fan case is formed of a fan case main body including said bottom wall and a circumferential wall of said fan case, and a fan case lid including an upper wall of said fan case, and a seal member is disposed at a joint portion between said fan case main body and said fan case lid.

16 . The water heater according to claim 11 , comprising an exhaust joint for connecting said fan case and an exhaust tube leading to the outside of said water heater, wherein
said exhaust joint has an opening in a portion connected to said exhaust tube, and said opening is located so as not to overlap with said impeller as seen from a direction perpendicular to said reference plane.

17 . The water heater according to claim 11 , wherein
said fan case is formed of a fan case main body including said bottom wall and a circumferential wall of said fan case, and a fan case lid including an upper wall of said fan case, said water heater comprises:
an exhaust box between said fan and said heat exchanger for introducing combustion gas from said heat exchanger into said fan; and
an exhaust joint for connecting said fan case and an exhaust tube leading to the outside of said water heater, and
at least said fan case main body, said exhaust box, and said exhaust joint are formed of an integrated structure.

18 . The water heater according to claim 17 , wherein
said integrated structure includes a drainage water collection chamber collecting drainage water and moisture that have flowed backward from said exhaust tube, and a bottom wall of said drainage water collection chamber is inclined with respect to said reference plane, and has a drainage water discharge port leading to said exhaust box and located at a lowermost position in a vertical direction in a state where said water heater is placed.

19 . The water heater according to claim 11 , wherein said impeller is made of a resin material having acid resistance.

20 . The water heater according to claim 11 , wherein said reference plane is a horizontal plane in a state wh

Assignees

• Noritz Corp

Inventors

• Karaki Tatsuya
• Kuriyama Yasutaka
• Wada Norihide
• Kameyama Shuji
• Fukunishi Keigo

Classifications

• F24H8/006 Primary

  Means for removing condensate from the heater · CPC title

• F24H1/145

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F24H9/0026

  in combustion gas channels · CPC title

• F23L17/005

  using fans · CPC title

• Y02B30/00

  Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] · CPC title