Electric water heater with simplified phase conversion apparatus
US6239512A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 28, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 29, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 28, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF24H9/1818
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An electric water heater is provided with simplified phase conversion apparatus including a terminal structure having replaceable line lug portions which are wired to a single phase row of multi-pin connector sockets by single phase routing circuitry, and to a three phase row of multi-pin connector sockets by three phase routing circuitry. Electrical supply wires from sets of fuse holders connected to multiple thermostat/heating element sets are grouped and connected to associated multi-pin connector plugs. To ready the water heater for single phase operation, the plugs are connected to the single phase row of sockets, and to convert the water heater to three phase operation the plugs are simply disconnected from the single phase sockets and connected to the three phase sockets. In this manner the necessity of individually repositioning all of the fuse holder wires on the terminal structure to change from single to three phase operation, or vice versa, is eliminated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.