Bypass valves for pool heaters
AssigneeRheem Manufacturing Company
InventorsRyan Joseph Valencia, Alexander Stephen Chow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Bypass valves for pool heaters are disclosed. Embodiments may include pool heaters with a heat exchanger, a support, and an automatic bypass valve coupled to the support. The automatic bypass valve may include a cylindrical bypass shaft, and a bypass valve having a non-circular opening configured to receive the bypass shaft, where the bypass valve is configured to slide along the cylindrical bypass shaft responsive to water pressure in the heat exchanger, and where water and debris can flow through the non-circular opening when the bypass valve is in a closed position.
Claims18
A pool heater comprising:
- a header;
- a heat exchanger;
- a support;
- and
- an automatic bypass valve coupled to the support, the automatic bypass valve comprising:
- a cylindrical bypass shaft;
- a bypass valve comprising a non-circular opening configured to receive the bypass shaft, wherein the bypass valve is configured to slide along the cylindrical bypass shaft responsive to water pressure in the header, and wherein water can flow through the non-circular opening when the bypass valve is in a closed position, and wherein the bypass valve is flush with the support in the closed position;
- and
- a spring disposed about the cylindrical bypass shaft, the spring configured to bias the bypass valve toward the closed position.
A heater comprising:
- a heat exchanger;
- and
- an automatic bypass valve comprising:
- a bypass shaft;
- a spring disposed about the bypass shaft;
- and
- a bypass valve comprising an aperture configured to receive the bypass shaft, wherein water can flow through at least a portion of the aperture when the bypass valve is in a closed position, and wherein the aperture is a hexagonal shaped aperture comprising a plurality of semi-circular cutouts.
A pool heater comprising:
- a heat exchanger;
- a support;
- and
- an automatic bypass valve coupled to the support, the automatic bypass valve comprising:
- a bypass shaft;
- a spring disposed about the bypass shaft;
- and
- a bypass valve comprising a non-circular aperture configured to receive the bypass shaft, wherein debris can flow through at least a portion of the non-circular aperture when the bypass valve is in a closed position;
- wherein the non-circular aperture comprises at least six regions of contact between the bypass valve and the bypass shaft, and wherein each region of contact is separated by 60° from adjacent regions of contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.