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US 5,522,523 AGranted
Water heater having flexible liner and method for making the same
AssigneeSouthcorp Water Heaters USA, Inc.
InventorThomas G. Nogles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lined water heater storage tank having a welded metallic shell and a bag-like liner within the shell. The welded metallic shell has ports for flow of water into and out of the storage tank, and the liner has fittings corresponding to the ports on the shell for the flow of water into and out of the liner. The fittings on the liner are mounted on the ports on the metallic shell. The bag-like liner prevents contact between water within the liner and the inner surface of the shell.
Claims7
An electric water heater comprising:
- a lined water heater storage tank having a metallic shell with water inlet and outlet ports for the flow of water into and out from said storage tank, one or more heater ports, and a flexible liner positioned within said shell and substantially conforming to an inner surface of said shell for preventing contact between said water and said inner surface of said shell, said liner having ports corresponding to said water inlet and outlet ports on said metallic shell for the flow of water into and out from said liner and ports corresponding to said heater ports on said metallic shell, said ports on said liner being mounted at said ports on said metallic shell;
- and
- one or more electric heaters mounted at said one or more heater ports in said metallic shell, each said electric heater extending through one of said ports in said liner.
An electric water heater comprising:
- at least one electric heater;
- a rigid shell having a plurality of water ports connected for flow of water between an interior region of said rigid shell and an exterior region of said rigid shell and one or more heater ports each receiving at least one said electric heater;
- and
- a flexible inner liner positioned within said interior region of said rigid shell and substantially conforming to an interior surface of said shell, said inner liner having a plurality of fittings mounted to a) said water ports in said rigid shell for the flow of water between an interior region of said inner liner and said exterior region of said rigid shell and b) said heater ports in said rigid shell, wherein said at least one electric heater extends through at least one of said fittings in said inner liner, said inner liner being sealed to prevent contact between said water in said interior region of said liner and said interior surface of said rigid shell.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.