Water heater heat trap apparatus
US6745723B1 · kind B1 · utility
15Cited by
23References
29Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 2, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jun 8, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 2, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/7891
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Convective heat traps are installed at the cold water inlet and hot water outlet of a water heater. Each heat trap has a tubular body with two axially spaced apart resilient flapper members transversely extending across the interior of the body and being hinged on opposite sides thereof. The heat trap at the cold water inlet is coaxially disposed within a dip tube. In one alternate structure, flapper members are mounted directly on the dip tube, and in another alternate structure an external annular seal element is mounted on the dip tube or heat trap body, with a flapper member being integrally formed with the seal element.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.