Heat pump water heater appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016109155-A1
Application number	US-201414519581-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2014
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present subject matter provides a heat pump water heater appliance with a mounting assembly for coupling a compressor to a plate within a casing of the heat pump water heater appliance. The mounting assembly includes a post that extends through a foot of the compressor and a fastener that extends through the bracket and the plate into the post in order to secure the bracket and the post together. An attachment mechanism secures the post and the foot of the compressor together.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat pump water heater appliance, comprising:
a casing; a tank disposed within the casing, the tank defining an interior volume; a sealed system configured for heating water within the interior volume of the tank, the sealed system having a compressor disposed within the casing at a top portion of the casing; a plate disposed within the casing at the top portion of the casing, the plate having a top surface and a bottom surface; and a mounting assembly coupling the compressor to the plate, the mounting assembly comprising
a post extending from the plate through a foot of the compressor;
an attachment mechanism attached to the post in order to secure the post and the foot of the compressor together;
a dampener positioned between the plate and the foot of the compressor; and
a rigid spacer positioned adjacent to the dampener and between the plate and the foot of the compressor, the rigid spacer configured to limit movement of the compressor relative to the plate.

2 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the attachment mechanism is a clip attached to the post.

3 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 2 , wherein the clip is a C-clip.

4 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the dampener is a grommet extending about the post.

5 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 4 , wherein a leg of the grommet extends through the foot of the compressor.

6 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the rigid spacer is a cylindrically shaped spacer extending about the dampener.

7 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the rigid spacer defines a gap between a top of the rigid spacer and the foot of the compressor.

8 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 7 , wherein the gap is between fifteen (15) thousandths of an inch and one hundred (100) thousandths of an inch.

9 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the post extends through the plate.

10 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein the mounting assembly further comprises
a bracket positioned on the bottom surface of the plate; and a fastener extending through the bracket and the plate into the post in order to secure the bracket and the post together

11 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 10 , wherein the bracket comprises
a base plate positioned on the bottom surface of the plate; a pair of support plates spaced apart from the bottom surface of the plate and positioned at opposite sides of the base plate; and a pair of connection plates, each connection plate of the pair of connection plates extending between and connecting a respective one of the pair of support plates and the base plate.

12 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 11 , wherein the bracket is formed with a single continuous sheet of metal having a thickness greater than three hundredths of an inch.

13 . A heat pump water heater appliance, comprising:
a casing; a tank disposed within the casing, the tank defining an interior volume; a sealed system configured for heating water within the interior volume of the tank, the sealed system having a compressor disposed within the casing at a top portion of the casing; a plate disposed within the casing at the top portion of the casing, the plate having a top surface and a bottom surface; and a mounting assembly coupling the compressor to the plate, the mounting assembly comprising
a bracket positioned on the bottom surface of the plate, the bracket comprising a base plate positioned on the bottom surface of the plate and a pair of support plates spaced apart from the bottom surface of the plate and positioned at opposite sides of the base plate;
a post positioned at the top surface of the plate, the post extending through a foot of the compressor;
a fastener extending through the bracket and the plate into the post in order to secure the bracket and the post together; and
a clip attached to the post in order to secure the post and the foot of the compressor together.

14 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 13 , wherein the bracket further comprises
a pair of connection plates, each connection plate of the pair of connection plates extending between and connecting a respective one of the pair of support plates and the base plate.

15 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 13 , wherein the mounting assembly further comprises
a dampener positioned between the plate and the foot of the compressor configured to dampen movement of the compressor.

16 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 13 , wherein the mounting assembly further comprises
a rigid spacer positioned adjacent to the dampener and between the plate and the foot of the compressor, the rigid spacer configured to limit movement of the compressor relative to the plate.

17 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 15 , wherein the rigid spacer defines a gap between a top of the rigid spacer and a bottom of the foot of the compressor.

18 . The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 13 , wherein the dampener is a grommet disposed on the post.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Rissler Christopher Bryan
• Nelson Jonathan D
• Aguilar Noel Gabriel
• Constance Alan George

Classifications

• F24H1/182

  Insulation · CPC title

• F24H4/04 Primary

  Storage heaters · CPC title