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US 5,393,221 AGranted
Heat-activated flue damper actuator
OwnerWilliam P. McNallyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat activated flue damper actuator employing an assembly of shape memory alloy springs with linkages to a conventionally designed contemporary flue damper. The combination of the spring material, spring configuration and dimensions, linkage/fastening scheme to the flue damper shaft and placement in the water heater's heating chamber are all controlled to optimize the energy efficiency of a conventionally designed, pilot-lit or pilotless ignition, contemporary gas water heater.
Claims19
A gas-fired water heater comprising
- a water reservoir,
- structure defining a heating chamber in heat communication with said water reservoir and an exhaust flue for exhausting heated gases from said chamber,
- a gas-fired burner in said heating chamber,
- a damper mounted in said exhaust flue for movement between open and closed positions,
- a first heat deformable member in said heating chamber that changes shape as a function of whether said burner is fired or not fired, and
- a first connector between said first heat deformable member and said damper that tends to move said damper from one position to another as a function of shape of said deformable member.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.