Water heater bottom pad/foam dam apparatus with integrated tank support members
US6588378B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 28, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jul 8, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 28, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF24H1/182
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A water heater is provided with a specially designed molded bottom pad/foam dam member formed from a crushable material, such as polystyrene, which is received in a metal bottom pan and has concentric circular grooves formed in its top side to receive circular bottom end edge portions of the tank and outer jacket portions of the water heater. A circumferentially spaced plurality of rigid support members are imbedded in the bottom pad/foam dam member and underlie its tank groove to prevent the tank from crushing the member one of the support members is formed from an electrically conductive material and defines an electrical grounding path between the tank and the bottom pan, and the other support members are formed from a thermally insulative material to inhibit heat loss from the tank to the bottom pan.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.