Furnace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018259221-A1
Application number	US-201815974946-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A furnace is disclosed. The furnace may include an enclosure having a vertical support column formed by a heat exchanger compartment panel and a blower compartment panel. The furnace may include a window assembly having venting openings hidden by a viewing window. The furnace may also include a rail to support a removable heat exchanger system. The furnace may further include a wire retaining fin assembly to retain a wire. A heat exchanger header design including features to retain a sealant is also disclosed.

First claim

1 . A furnace, comprising:
a heat exchanger compartment housing a heat exchanger system; a blower compartment housing a blower system; and a combustion compartment housing a burner system, wherein the combustion compartment is separated from the heat exchanger compartment by a panel of the heat exchanger compartment, the combustion compartment is separated from the blower compartment by a panel of the blower compartment, and the panel of the heat exchanger compartment and the panel of the blower compartment form a vertical support column within the enclosure.

2 . The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the combustion compartment includes a height the same as a combined height of the combustion compartment and the blower compartment.

3 . The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger compartment is vertically aligned with the blower compartment, and the combustion compartment is positioned in front of the heat exchanger compartment and the blower compartment.

4 . The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the combustion compartment is bound by panels and extends a vertical dimension of the furnace.

5 . The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger compartment is positioned above the blower compartment in a vertical direction, and the heat exchanger compartment, the blower compartment, and the combustion compartment are arranged and configured such that the furnace has a greater height than length.

6 . The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the panel of the heat exchanger compartment includes a side, the panel of the blower compartment includes a side, the side of the panel of the heat exchanger compartment is vertically aligned with the side of the panel of the blower compartment.

7 . The furnace of claim 1 , further comprising a window assembly in front of the combustion compartment, the window assembly includes a window support having an air vent; a viewing window panel supported by the window support, the viewing window panel covering the air vent so that vent openings are hidden by the viewing window panel; and one or more windows supported by the viewing window panel.

8 . The furnace of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the one or more windows is a tinted glass.

9 . The furnace of claim 7 , wherein the air vent includes openings that are recessed relative to the window support, and are covered by the viewing window panel defining an air gap between the air vent and the viewing window panel.

10 . The furnace of claim 7 , wherein the viewing window panel includes a frame configured to support the one or more windows, the frame is attached to the window support, the window support includes openings sized to allow an inside view of the furnace through the one or more windows.

11 . The furnace of claim 1 , further comprising a rail connected to a wall of the heat exchanger compartment, the rail is configured to support the heat exchanger system.

12 . The furnace of claim 11 , wherein the rail includes a heat exchanger support separately attached to a header of the heat exchanger system and supported by the rail.

13 . The furnace of claim 11 , wherein the rail includes a heat exchanger support integrated into a header of the heat exchanger system and supported by the rail.

14 . The furnace of claim 12 , wherein the heat exchanger support includes a notch configured to engage the rail, such that the heat exchange support is slidable along the rail.

15 . The furnace of claim 12 , wherein the rail includes a sloped baffle portion connected to a flange, the flange is connected to the wall of the heat exchanger compartment, the sloped baffle portion reflects airflow from the blower system back toward a center of the heat exchanger compartment, and blocks airflow to reduce airflow leakage from a gap between the wall of the heat exchanger compartment and a side of the header.

16 . The furnace of claim 1 , further comprising a wire retaining assembly on a housing of the blower system, the wire retaining assembly is configured to retain a wire on the blower system.

17 . The furnace of claim 16 , wherein the wire retaining assembly includes a first fin oppositely positioned from a second fin, the first fin and second fin have an offset space therebetween, the first fin and the second fin define a wire retaining space, whereby the offset space is receivable of a wire, and the wire retaining space is configured to retain the wire when the wire is twisted within the offset space and then positioned into the wire retaining space.

18 . The furnace of claim 17 , wherein the first fin and the second fin respectively have a first tip and a second tip, the first and second fins are arranged so that the first tip and the second tip face each other and overlap each other from a side view.

19 . The furnace of claim 17 , wherein the first and second fins are molded onto the housing of the blower system.

20 . The furnace of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger system includes a header having a base and a cover, the base includes a recessed region configured to retain a sealant between the base and the cover, the recessed region surrounds a tube installation region of the base, the sealant is a material that settles into the recessed region , such that when the cover and the base are pressed against each other, the recessed region creates a channel of the sealant that prevents the sealant from being squeezed out.

Assignees

• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Hanks Andrew Hamilton
• Wagers Nathan
• Gort Thomas

Classifications

• F24H9/06

  Arrangement of mountings or supports · CPC title

• F24H3/006

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F28F9/013

  for tubes or tube-assemblies · CPC title

• F28F2280/02

  Removable elements · CPC title

• F24D5/02

  operating with discharge of hot air into the space or area to be heated · CPC title