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US 6,271,505 B1Granted
Field conversion electric water heater
AssigneeRheem Manufacturing Company
InventorDavid L. Henderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric water heater has upper and lower electric resistance type heating elements respectively controlled by a single pole, double throw upper thermostat and a single pole, single throw lower thermostat. The upper and lower thermostats are operatively interconnected by a wiring harness having outer wire end portions that may be connected in various orientations to the terminal block portion of an external junction box to provide the water heater with a variety of heating element operating modes without having to replace either of the thermostats or vary the wiring harness interconnections therebetween. The water heater may thus be advantageously manufactured in a single variant that may be easily and quickly modified in the field to selectively alter the heating element control mode of the water heater.
Claims16
Liquid heating apparatus comprising:
- a tank adapted to hold a quantity of liquid to be heated;
- first and second spaced apart electric heating elements extending into the interior of said tank and being operable to heat liquid therein;
- first and second electric thermostats respectively and controllingly associated with said first and second electric heating elements;
- and
- wiring operatively connected to said first and second thermostats and having portions variably connectable to a source of electrical power,
- said wiring being connected to said first and second thermostats in a manner such that, without replacing either of said first and second thermostats or altering the wiring connections to either of said first and second thermostats, said wiring may be variably connected to a source of electrical power to provide said liquid heating apparatus with a plurality of heating element control modes.
3 more elements
An electric water heater comprising:
- a tank adapted to hold a quantity of water to be heated;
- an upper electric resistance type heating element horizontally extending into the interior of said tank;
- a lower electric resistance type heating element horizontally extending into the interior of said tank;
- a first electric thermostat controllingly associated with said upper heating element, said first electric thermostat being a single pole double throw thermostat;
- a second electric thermostat controllingly associated with said lower heating element, said second electric thermostat being a single pole single throw thermostat;
- and
- a wiring harness operatively connected to said first and second electric thermostats and having lead portions variably connectable to a source of electrical power,
- said wiring harness being connected to said first and second thermostats in a manner such that, without replacing either of said first and second thermostats and/or altering the wiring connections to either of said first and second thermostats, said wiring harness may be variably connected to a source of electrical power to provide said electric water heater with a plurality of heating element control modes.
5 more elements
An electric water heater comprising:
- a tank adapted to hold a quantity of water to be heated;
- an upper electric resistance type heating element horizontally extending into the interior of said tank;
- a lower electric resistance type heating element horizontally extending into the interior of said tank;
- a first electric thermostat controllingly associated with said upper heating element, said first electric thermostat being a single pole double throw thermostat;
- a second electric thermostat controllingly associated with said lower heating element, said second electric thermostat being a single pole single throw thermostat;
- and
- a wiring harness operatively connected to said first and second electric thermostats and having lead portions variably connectable to a source of electrical power,
- said wiring harness being connected to said first and second thermostats in a manner such that, without replacing either of said first and second thermostats and/or altering the wiring connections to either of said first and second thermostats, said wiring harness may be variably connected to a source of electrical power to provide said electric water heater with a plurality of heating element control modes,
- said heating element control modes including:
- (1) a single phase simultaneous dual element control mode,
- (2) a single phase simultaneous dual element control mode with four wire outlet operation,
- (3) a single phase non-simultaneous dual element control mode,
- (4) a single phase non-simultaneous dual element control mode with four wire outlet operation,
- (5) a single phase non-simultaneous dual element control mode with three wire outlet operation,
- (6) a three phase simultaneous dual element control mode, and
- (7) a three phase non-simultaneous dual element control mode.
13 more elements
An electric water heater comprising:
- a tank adapted to hold a quantity of water to be heated;
- an upper electric resistance type heating element horizontally extending into the interior of said tank;
- a lower electric resistance type heating element horizontally extending into the interior of said tank;
- a first electric thermostat controllingly associated with said upper heating element, said first electric thermostat being a single pole double throw thermostat;
- a second electric thermostat controllingly associated with said lower heating element, said second electric thermostat being a single pole single throw thermostat;
- and
- a wiring harness operatively connected to said first and second electric thermostats and having lead portions variably connectable to a source of electrical power,
- said wiring harness being connected to said first and second thermostats in a manner such that, without replacing either of said first and second thermostats and/or altering the wiring connections to either of said first and second thermostats, said wiring harness may be variably connected to a source of electrical power to provide said electric water heater with a plurality of heating element control modes,
- said first electric thermostat having an ECO portion with first, second, third and fourth power supply terminals, and a switch portion with a switch power terminal and first and second switch contacts,
- said second electric thermostat having an ECO portion with first, second, third and fourth power supply terminals, a switch power terminal and a switch contact, and
- said wiring harness including:
- (1) a first wire interconnected between said third power supply terminal of said first thermostat ECO portion and said switch power terminal of said first thermostat switch portion,
- (2) a second wire interconnected between said first switch contact of said first thermostat switch portion and said upper heating element,
- (3) a third wire interconnected between said fourth power supply terminal of said first thermostat ECO portion and said upper heating element,
- (4) a fourth wire interconnected between said third power supply terminal of said second thermostat ECO portion and said switch power terminal of said second thermostat,
- (5) a fifth wire interconnected between said switch contact of said second thermostat switch portion and said lower heating element,
- (6) a sixth wire interconnected between said fourth power supply terminal of said second thermostat ECO portion and said lower heating element, and
- (7) a series of electrical leads each having a first end portion operatively connected to one of said first and second thermostats, and a second end connectable to said source of electrical power.
15 more elements
Liquid heating apparatus comprising:
- a tank adapted to hold a quantity of liquid to be heated;
- first and second spaced apart electric heating elements extending into the interior of said tank and being operable to heat liquid therein;
- first and second electric thermostats respectively and controllingly associated with said first and second electric heating elements;
- and
- wiring operatively connected to said first and second thermostats and having portions variably connectable to a source of electrical power,
- said wiring being connected to said first and second thermostats in a manner such that, without replacing either of said first and second thermostats or altering the wiring connections to either of said first and second thermostats, said wiring may be variably connected to a source of electrical power to provide said liquid heating apparatus with a plurality of heating element control modes including (1) thermostatically controlled simultaneous energization of said first and second heating elements and (2) thermostatically controlled sequential energization of said first and second heating elements.
3 more elements
An electric water heater comprising:
- a tank adapted to hold a quantity of water to be heated;
- an upper electric resistance type heating element horizontally extending into the interior of said tank;
- a lower electric resistance type heating element horizontally extending into the interior of said tank;
- a first electric thermostat controllingly associated with said upper heating element, said first electric thermostat being a single pole double throw thermostat;
- a second electric thermostat controllrngiv associated with said lower heating element, said second electric thermostat being a single pole single throw thermostat;
- and
- a wiring harness operatively connected to said first and second electric thermostats and having lead portions variably connectable to a source of electrical power,
- said wiring harness being connected to said first and second thermostats in a manner such that, without replacing either of said first and second thermostats and/or altering the wiring connections to either of said first and second thermostats, said wiring harness may be variably connected to a source of electrical power to provide said electric water heater with a plurality of heating element control modes including (1) thermostatically controlled simultaneous energization of said upper and lower heating elements and (2) thermostatically controlled sequential energization of said upper and lower heating elements.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.