Water heater with integral drainage catch pan structure
US5134683A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 12, 1991 |
| Grant date | Jul 28, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 12, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/5762
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An electric water heater is provided with a vertically enlarged, sealed bottom end cap which functions as an integral drainage catch basin to receive water leaking from the water heater's internal hot water storage tank into the annular space between the storage tank and the outer jacket of the water heater. A drain pipe extends through a sealed opening in the end cap and is used to drain away water entering the cap, thus eliminating the previous necessity of providing the water heater with a separate drainage catch pan structure. The storage tank is electrically grounded to the outer water heater jacket at a point above the bottom end cap, thus eliminating the necessity of forming this grounding interconnection with a grounding screw extending upwardly through the bottom end cap and forming a water leak path through the bottom of the end cap.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.