HK1224005A1

HK1224005A1 - Gas water heater

Info

Publication number: HK1224005A1
Application number: HK16112098.8A
Authority: HK
Inventors: 江永強; 江永强
Original assignee: 香港中华煤气有限公司
Priority date: 2015-03-10
Filing date: 2016-10-20
Publication date: 2017-08-11
Also published as: CN105972816A; CN120593389A; HK1210574A2; CN205156315U

Abstract

A gas water heater (10) comprises a shell body (100), a water channel (200) and a combustor (300), wherein the shell body comprises a first tail end and a second tail end (110 & 120) and an axis (X) which spans the two tail ends to extend; the combustor generates heat by gas combustion; and the combustor (300) is adjacent to one segment (230) of the water channel (200) so as to heat water which flows along the channel. In addition, the invention provides an exhaust channel (E), a blower (400) and a ventilation channel (A), wherein the exhaust channel is used to discharge exhaust gas generated by the combustor (300); the blower pushes air to the combustor (300) so as to support combustion of the combustor and guide the heat generated from the combustor (300) to the water channel segment (230); and the ventilation channel is used to supplement air. The shell body (100) is installed in the manner that the shell body extends along the axis (X) direction of the shell body, passes a hole (22) in a wall (20) via the first tail end (110) and reaches the second tail end (120); and preferentially, the shell body is installed horizontally so as to be supported. The blower (400), the combustor (300) and the water channel segment (230) are arranged in order along the axis (X) from the first shell body tail end (110) to the second shell body tail end (120).

Description

Gas water heater

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a gas water heater installed through a wall or the like.

Background

Generally, a gas water heater used in a bathroom or the like must be installed on an outer wall, that is, a wall whose outside is exposed to outdoor air. Whereby a chimney can be inserted through the wall to access the outdoor air for discharge of exhaust air. At present, the demand for reducing the size of gas water heaters is increasing to achieve aesthetic or space saving objectives.

The invention provides a novel or additionally modified gas water heater, so that the size is more ideal.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a gas water heater comprising: a housing having opposed first and second ends and having an axis extending across the first and second ends; a water passage extending within the housing, the water passage having a water inlet and a water outlet; and a burner located within the housing and generating heat by combusting gas provided through the air inlet, the burner being adjacent to a section of the water passageway so as to heat water flowing from the water inlet along the water passageway to the water outlet. An exhaust passage is provided inside the housing for discharging exhaust gas generated by combustion of the burner. A blower is disposed in the housing for propelling air toward the burner to support combustion thereof and for directing heat generated by the burner to the section of the water passageway. An air passage is provided in the interior of the housing for supplemental air to support combustion by the burner. The housing is adapted to be mounted so as to extend in a direction along its axis from its first end through a hole in a wall or the like to its second end for support thereby. The blower, burner and water passage section are arranged in series along an axial direction from a first end to a second end of the housing.

Preferably, the housing is adapted to be supported by passing through a hole in said wall or the like, with its axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction.

More preferably, the housing has a rectangular shape with a length considerably greater than its width and height.

Preferably, the gas water heater comprises a heat exchanger having a housing and being arranged inside said housing, wherein said water passage section extends transversely inside said housing in a meandering manner.

More preferably, the housing has an outlet connected to the exhaust passage.

More preferably, the burner comprises a plurality of burner modules and a housing surrounding the burner modules, said housing being joined or integrated with the housing of the heat exchanger, whereby the two housings together define a through channel extending from the burner modules to the water channel section for maximum heat transfer.

More preferably, the blower includes a housing portion having an outlet joined to or integral with the housing of the burner for maximum air transfer, and an impeller within the housing portion.

More preferably, the housing portion has an inlet exposed to the interior of the housing.

It is highly advantageous that the exhaust channel has an outlet which is located relatively high compared to the inlet of the airway.

In a preferred embodiment, the interior of the housing has a first compartment for defining an airway.

More preferably, the blower, the burner and the water passage are housed in the first compartment.

More preferably, the blower, the burner and the water passage are exposed to the air in the air duct.

In a preferred embodiment, the interior of the housing has a second compartment for defining an exhaust passage.

More preferably, the first compartment extends across the first and second ends of the housing and the second compartment is located at the second end of the housing.

More preferably, the second compartment is located on or above the first compartment and within the outer cross-sectional perimeter of the first compartment transverse to the axis of the housing.

More preferably, the housing includes a partition dividing the interior of the housing into first and second compartments.

More preferably, the partition separates an upper portion of the interior space at the second end of the housing, thereby forming a second compartment.

More preferably, the partition has a first portion extending parallel to the housing axis and a second portion extending transversely to the housing axis.

In a preferred embodiment, the second end of the housing has an end wall common to the first and second compartments, said end wall having at least one opening serving as an inlet to the airway and at least one opening serving as an outlet to the exhaust passage.

More preferably, at least one of the airway inlet and exhaust passage outlet includes a baffle and a water trap within the at least one opening.

In a preferred embodiment, the blower, the burner and the water channel are mounted on a carriage which can be slid in and out of the housing in two opposite directions along the axis of the housing through the first end of the housing.

More preferably, the support comprises a horizontal planar member.

More preferably, the bracket includes a vertical frame that aligns with the first end of the housing when the bracket is slid into the housing.

More preferably, the water inlet, the water outlet and the air inlet are connected to a portion of the frame.

Preferably, the gas water heater comprises a heat exchanger having a housing and located in the casing, wherein the water passage section extends laterally in a meandering manner inside said housing. The heat exchanger has an outlet aligned with the inlet of the exhaust passage in the direction of movement of the support relative to the housing, whereby the heat exchanger can be easily connected to or disconnected from the exhaust passage.

Preferably, the housing body directly acts as a balance flue.

Drawings

The invention will now be described more particularly by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gas water heater having a housing mounted through a wall in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the gas water heater of FIG. 1, revealing its internal functional units; and

FIG. 3 is a right side view of the gas water heater of FIG. 2, revealing its internal functional units.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1-3, there is shown a gas water heater 10 for practicing the present invention, the heater 10 having a housing 100 with opposite first and second ends 110 and 120 and an axis X extending to the first and second ends 110 and 120. The water heater 100, which is disposed and/or provided inside the case 100, includes a water passage 200, a burner 300, a blower 400, an exhaust passage E for exhausting exhaust gas (e.g., smoke and hot gas) generated by combustion of the burner 300, and an air passage a for supplementing air to support combustion of the burner 300.

The housing 100 is rectangular in shape and has a length of about 400mm, which is considerably greater than the width and height of about 200mm, respectively, and is typically 2 to 3 times greater than the width and height.

For the gas water heater 10 designed, its housing 100 is adapted to extend on an axis X from its first end 110 through a rectangular aperture 22 in a wall 20 or the like to its second end 120 so as to be supported by the wall 20. The wall 20 is typically the exterior wall of the bathroom in which the water heater 10 is used, and its exterior is exposed to the atmosphere. In most cases, the housing 100 is adapted to be supported by a hole 22 through a wall 20 or the like, the axis x of which extends in a substantially or substantially horizontal direction. The first and second ends 110 and 120 of the housing 100 will then become their front and rear ends 110 and 120, and the rear end 120 will bulge outwardly or otherwise be exposed to the atmosphere outside the wall 20.

By way of example, the water passage 200 is provided by a copper tube extending inside the housing 100 and having a water inlet 210 and a water outlet 220. To achieve heat transfer efficiency, the water passageway 200 is associated with a heat exchanger 240 also located in the housing 100 and being part of the gas water heater 10. The heat exchanger 240 has a housing 250 with inlet and outlet ports 251 and 252. A section 230 of the water channel 200 traverses the housing 250, in particular it extends in a meandering manner across the interior of the housing 250, for example roundings or turns to the left and to the right several times.

The combustor 300 is constructed of a plurality (e.g., nine) of combustor modules 330 and a casing 350 surrounding or encasing the combustors 330 and has inlet and outlet ports 351 and 352. The burner 300 is located in the housing 100 to generate heat by burning gas supplied through the gas inlet 310 and the gas valve 320, and is located close to the section 230 of the water passage 200, thereby heating water flowing from the water inlet 210 to the water outlet 220 along the water passage 200.

The blower 400 has a housing portion 450 and, within the housing portion 450, is an impeller 410 (not specifically shown) that is rotated by a motor to deliver air from an inlet 451 to an outlet 452 of the housing portion 450. The blower 400 is also located in the housing 100, thereby propelling air through the burner housing 350 toward the burner 300 to support combustion by the burner 300 and to direct heat generated by the burner 300 and carried by the flame, flue gases and/or hot gases to the section 230 of the water passageway 200.

The blower 400, the burner 300 and the section 230 of the water passage 200 are arranged in order in the direction of the axis X from the front end 110 to the rear end 120 of the housing 100.

The outlet 452 of the blower housing portion 450 is engaged or integrated with the burner housing 350 to maximize air delivery. The outlet 352 of the combustor casing 350 is joined or integrated with the heat exchanger casing 250 such that the two casings 350 and 250 together define a through passage extending from the combustor module 330 to the section 230 of the water passage 200, thereby maximizing the transfer of heat. The outlet 252 of the heat exchanger housing 250 is connected to the exhaust passage E to discharge the exhaust gas from the burner 300 through the housing 250. The inlet of the blower case 450 is exposed to the inside of the case 100, thereby extracting (fresh) air replenished via the air duct a from the outside air into the case 100.

The air duct and the exhaust passages a and E are formed as follows: the housing 100 includes a substantially L-shaped partition 130 that divides the interior of the housing 100 into first and second compartments C1 and C2. The partition 130 has a first horizontal portion 131 extending parallel to the axis X of the shell 100, and a second vertical portion 132 extending transversely with respect to the shell axis X. In general, the partition 130 separates an upper portion of the interior space of the housing at the rear end 120 of the housing 100, thereby forming a second compartment C2.

The vertical portion 132 of the partition 130 is cut with an aperture 134 that serves as the inlet E1 of the exhaust passage E. The aperture 134 has a shape that matches the outlet 252 of the housing 240 of the heat exchanger 240 and is positioned to be horizontally aligned with the outlet 252, whereby the outlet 252 of the heat exchanger can be horizontally inserted into or removed from the aperture 134 in two opposite directions to facilitate connection or disconnection of the heat exchanger 240 to the exhaust passage E.

The first compartment C1 occupies a substantial portion of the interior of the housing and defines the airway a. The blower 400, the burner 300 and the water channel 200 are housed in the first compartment C1 along with the heat exchanger 240, wherein the blower 400, the burner 300 and the water channel 200 are exposed to air in the airway a. In contrast, the second compartment C2 is a much smaller portion of the interior of the housing and defines the exhaust passage E.

First/main compartment C1 extends across front and rear ends 110 and 120 of housing 100, whereby airway a occupies the entire length and effectively occupies 95% of the volume of the interior of housing 100. The second compartment C2 is a small rectangular chamber and is located at the rear end 120 of the housing 100 and thus on or above the main chamber C1 and within the outer cross-sectional perimeter of the main chamber C1 transverse to the axis X of the housing 100. By stowing the second compartment C2 inside the cross-section of the main compartment C1, the cross-sectional size of the housing 100, and in turn the size of the wall 20 hole 22 made to receive the housing 100, can be minimized.

At the rear end 120, the housing 100 has an end wall 121 shared by the first and second compartments C1 and C2. The end wall 121 is formed with one or more openings 121A for serving as an inlet a1 of the air duct a and one or more openings 121E for serving as an outlet E2 of the exhaust air duct E. The outlet E2 of the exhaust passage E is located at a relatively higher position than the inlet a1 of the air passage a. This arrangement helps to separate the exhaust air from the air taken in from the outside, since the exhaust air rises as it is hotter than the air.

Inside the second compartment C2 there is a central partition 133, not reaching the bottom, to act as a baffle 133 and prevent rainwater from entering directly through the opening 121E, behind the outlet E2 of the exhaust channel E. The bottom of compartment C2 acts as a trap for rainwater trapped inside opening 121E. Shortly behind opening 121A, main compartment C1 has an upstanding partition 123 to act as a baffle 123 to prevent rainwater from entering directly through opening 121A behind airway a entrance a 1. This partition 123 also defines a rain removal means immediately behind the opening 121A.

Returning to the blower 400, the burner 300, the water channel 200 and the heat exchanger 240 (collectively referred to as the functional unit), these devices are mounted on a carriage 500 that is slidable into and out of the housing 100 in two opposite directions along the axis x of the housing 100 through the front end 110 of the housing 100. The bracket 500 has a horizontal planar member in the form of a base plate 510 for supporting the functional unit and includes a vertical frame 520 that aligns with the front end 110 of the housing 100 when the bracket 500 is slid into the housing 100. The bottom of the frame 520 is folded by 90 deg. to form a ledge 530 that is connected to and holds the water inlet 210, the water outlet 220, and the air inlet 310 in place to facilitate connection of water and gas pipes.

A person can hold and slide the bracket 500, more specifically the base plate 510, by picking up the frame 520 to slide it into and out of the housing 100 along the bottom wall on the bottom wall of the housing like a drawer, whereby the functional unit can be slid out of the housing 100 for repair or maintenance without having to remove (including pull out) the housing 100 from the wall 20. In this way, the easy disconnection of the heat exchanger 240 from the exhaust channel E, and the subsequent reconnection to the exhaust channel E (which is a part of the casing 100 and is therefore fixed), is allowed by the alignment of the outlet 252 of the heat exchanger 240 with the inlet E1 of the exhaust channel E in the horizontal direction, i.e. the direction in which the carriage 500 slides with respect to the casing 100, as previously described.

The central opening of the frame 520 is used to house a controller 700 and the controller includes an ignition and temperature control circuit or the like for controlling the operation of the gas water heater 10.

The gas water heater 10 includes a front cover 600 that is mounted to and covers the frame 520 and thereby covers the front end 110 of the housing 100, thereby concealing all of the interior portions of the water heater 10. The front cover 600 also renders the interior of the housing, particularly the air passage a at the front end 110 of the housing 100, substantially air tight, thereby preventing air leakage and particularly preventing exhaust air (which may leak or leak into the main chamber C1) from the interior of the housing 100 to the bathroom.

By using the inner space, the casing 100 of the gas water heater 10 itself directly provides and defines the exhaust passage E and the air passage a. In addition to containing the internal functional units, the body of the housing 100 acts directly as a balance flue. The enclosure 100 provides both of these critical purposes while the housing is mounted by penetrating the wall 20, thereby taking advantage of the thickness of the wall 20. The size of the entire internal space (i.e., all internal spaces except the occupied space of the internal portion), the housing 100 (particularly, the sectional size thereof) can be minimized.

The present invention has been given by way of illustration only, and various modifications and/or alterations to the described embodiments may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gas water heater comprising:

a housing having opposed first and second ends and having an axis extending across the first and second ends;

a water passage extending within the housing, the water passage having a water inlet and a water outlet;

a burner located within the housing and generating heat by combusting gas provided through the air inlet, the burner being adjacent a section of the water passageway so as to heat water flowing along the water passageway from the water inlet to the water outlet;

an exhaust passage provided inside the housing for discharging exhaust gas generated by combustion of the burner;

a blower within the housing for propelling air toward the burner to support combustion thereof and for directing heat generated by the burner to the section of the water passageway; and

an air duct provided inside the housing for supplementing air to support combustion by the burner;

the method is characterized in that: the housing being adapted to be mounted so as to extend in a direction along its axis from a first end thereof through a hole in a wall or the like to a second end thereof for support thereby; and

the blower, the burner and the water passage section are arranged in sequence along an axial direction from the first end to the second end of the housing.

2. The gas water heater of claim 1, wherein: the housing is adapted to be supported by passing through a hole in said wall or the like, the axis of which extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

3. The gas water heater of claim 2, wherein: the housing has a rectangular shape with a length considerably greater than its width and height.

4. The gas water heater of claim 1, including a heat exchanger having an outer shell and disposed within said housing, wherein: the water passage section extends transversely inside the housing in a serpentine manner.

5. The gas water heater of claim 4, wherein: the housing has an outlet connected to the exhaust passage.

6. The gas water heater of claim 4, wherein: the burner comprises a plurality of burner modules and a housing surrounding the burner modules, said housing being joined or integrated with the housing of the heat exchanger, whereby the two housings together define a through channel extending from the burner modules to the water channel section for maximum heat transfer.

7. The gas water heater of claim 6, wherein: the blower includes a housing portion having an outlet joined to or integral with the housing of the burner for maximum air transfer, and an impeller within the housing portion.

8. The gas water heater of claim 7, wherein: the housing portion has an inlet exposed to an interior of the housing.

9. A gas water heater as claimed in any one of claims 1-8, wherein: the exhaust passage has an outlet located relatively higher than the inlet of the air passage.

10. The gas water heater of claim 1, wherein: the interior of the housing has a first compartment for defining an airway.

11. The gas water heater of claim 10, wherein: the blower, the burner and the water passage are housed in the first compartment.

12. The gas water heater of claim 11, wherein: the blower, the burner and the water passage are exposed to the air in the air passage.

13. A gas water heater as claimed in any one of claims 10-12, wherein: the interior of the housing has a second compartment for defining an exhaust passage.

14. The gas water heater of claim 13, wherein: the first compartment extends across the first and second ends of the housing and the second compartment is located at the second end of the housing.

15. The gas water heater of claim 13, wherein: the second compartment is located on or above the first compartment and within the first compartment external cross-sectional perimeter transverse to the housing axis.

16. The gas water heater of claim 13, wherein: the housing includes a partition dividing the interior of the housing into first and second compartments.

17. The gas water heater of claim 16, wherein: the partition separates an upper portion of the interior space at the second end of the housing, thereby forming a second compartment.

18. The gas water heater of claim 17, wherein: the partition has a first portion extending parallel to the housing axis and a second portion extending transverse to the housing axis.

19. The gas water heater of claim 13, wherein: the second end of the housing has an end wall common to the first and second compartments, said end wall having at least one opening that serves as an inlet to the airway and at least one opening that serves as an outlet to the exhaust passage.

20. The gas water heater of claim 19, wherein: at least one of the airway inlet and exhaust passage outlet includes a baffle and a water trap within the at least one opening.

21. The gas water heater of claim 1, wherein: the blower, burner and water passage are mounted on a carriage which is slidable into and out of the housing in two opposite directions along the axis of the housing through the first end of the housing.

22. The gas water heater of claim 21, wherein: the bracket includes a horizontal planar member.

23. A gas water heater as claimed in claim 21 or claim 22, wherein: the bracket includes a vertical frame that aligns with the first end of the housing when the bracket is slid into the housing.

24. The gas water heater of claim 23, wherein: the water inlet, water outlet and air inlet are connected to a portion of the frame.

25. A gas water heater as claimed in claim 21 or claim 22, including a heat exchanger having a housing and located within the casing, wherein the water passage section extends laterally in a serpentine manner inside said housing, characterized in that: the heat exchanger has an outlet aligned with the inlet of the exhaust passage in the direction of movement of the support relative to the housing, whereby the heat exchanger can be easily connected to or disconnected from the exhaust passage.

26. The gas fired water heater of any one of claims 1-8, 10-12, 21 and 22, wherein: the housing body directly acts as a balance flue.