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US 11,054,173 B2Granted
Water heater with organic polymer coating
AssigneeA. O. Smith Corporation
InventorsMing C. Kuo, Nathaniel Arnell Rose, Brittney Nicole Voss, David Andrew Wallace, Bandar M. Hamada, John L. Porter, IV
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of constructing a water heater includes the steps of providing a tank having a metal interior tank wall and a heat exchanger positioned within the tank, coating the interior tank wall and the heat exchanger with a first layer comprising glass enamel, and coating a portion of the first layer with a second layer comprising an organic polymer to protect the portion of the first layer from exposure to water in the tank.
Claims24
A method of constructing a water heater comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a tank having a metal interior tank wall and a heat exchanger positioned within the tank;
- (b) after step (a) coating the interior tank wall and the heat exchanger with a first layer comprising glass enamel and forming bubbles proximate a surface of the first layer while coating the interior tank with the first layer;
- (c) after step (b) coating a portion of the first layer with a second layer comprising an organic polymer to protect the portion of the first layer from exposure to water in the tank, heating the second layer such that the bubbles are compromised, thereby creating recessed areas within the first layer, and melting the second layer into the recessed areas.
A water heater comprising:
- a tank including a metal interior tank wall;
- a heat exchanger positioned within the tank;
- a first layer positioned on the interior tank wall and the heat exchanger, the first layer including glass enamel having bubbles proximate a surface of the first layer;
- and
- a second layer positioned on a portion of the first layer, the second layer including an organic polymer,
- wherein the second layer is configured to protect the portion of the first layer from exposure to water in the tank and is configured to be heated such that the bubbles are compromised to create recessed areas within the first layer, and wherein the second layer is configured to be received into the recessed areas.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.