Flexible connectors for water heater
AssigneeA. O. Smith Corporation
InventorMark Murphy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A water heater includes a tank defining an interior space adapted to contain water and a shroud over the water heater and defining a component space inside the shroud. A first pipe nipple is coupled to a spud of the water heater, the first pipe nipple and spud defining a non-collinear axis that is non-collinear with a pipe axis of a pipe to be fluidly connected to the tank. A flexible connector is connected at one end to the first pipe nipple along the non-collinear axis. A second end of the flexible connector is positioned collinear with the pipe axis. A second pipe nipple is coupled at one end to the second end of the flexible connector and coupled at an opposite end with the pipe. Fluid communication is established between the pipe and the interior space of the tank through the pipe nipple and flexible connector.
Claims19
A water heater plumbing connection system, comprising:
- a top surface of a water heater;
- a torque carrier secured to the top surface of the water heater;
- a fluid connection assembly having a first portion arranged within the torque carrier and a threaded end arranged outside of the torque carrier;
- and
- a plurality of fasteners that secure the torque carrier to the top surface, wherein a connection between the plurality of fasteners and the top surface is configured to resist a torque applied to the threaded end of the fluid connection assembly during an installation of the water heater.
A water heater plumbing connection system, comprising:
- a shroud top of a water heater at least partially defining a component space;
- a torque carrier arranged at a top surface of the shroud top, the torque carrier defining a plurality of loadbearing surfaces;
- and
- a fluid connection assembly extending through the torque carrier and comprising a threaded end arranged outside of the component space, wherein a torque applied to the threaded end during installation of the water heater is distributed to the shroud top by way of the plurality of loadbearing surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.