# US 9,518,761 B2 · Heat pump water heater appliance

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- Number: US 9,518,761 B2
- Document ID: US9518761B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/495,261
- Filed: 2014-09-24
- Published: 2016-03-24
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-09-24
- Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Christopher Bryan Rissler; Jonathan D. Nelson; Noel Gabriel Aguilar; Alan George Constance
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518761B2

## CPC

- F24H 9/06: Arrangement of mountings or supports
- F24H 4/04: Storage heaters
- F25B 1/005: {of the single unit type (F25B1/10 takes precedence)}
- F25B 30/02: of the compression type
- F25B 2341/00: Details of ejectors not being used as compression device; Details of flow restrictors or expansion valves
- F25B 2400/071: Compressor mounted in a housing in which a condenser is integrated
- F24H: FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL (steam generation F22)
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS

## Abstract

The present subject matter provides a heat pump water heater appliance with a mounting assembly for coupling a compressor to a plate within a casing of the heat pump water heater appliance. The mounting assembly includes a post that extends through a foot of the compressor and a fastener that extends through the bracket and the plate into the post in order to secure the bracket and the post together. A nut is threaded onto the post in order to secure the post and the foot of the compressor together.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A water heater appliance, comprising:
a casing;
a tank disposed within the casing, the tank defining an interior volume;
a sealed system configured for heating water within the interior volume of the tank, the sealed system having a compressor disposed within the casing at a top portion of the casing;
a plate disposed within the casing at the top portion of the casing, the plate having a top surface and a bottom surface; and
a mounting assembly coupling the compressor to the plate, the mounting assembly comprising
a bracket positioned on the bottom surface of the plate;
a post positioned at the top surface of the plate, the post extending through a foot of the compressor;
a grommet extending about the post, the grommet positioned between the plate and the foot of the compressor on the post, a leg of the grommet extending through the foot of the compressor such that the leg of the grommet is positioned between the foot of the compressor and the post;
a fastener extending through the bracket and the plate into the post in order to secure the bracket and the post together; and
a nut threaded onto the post at a threaded portion of the post in order to secure the post and the foot of the compressor together;
a washer positioned on the threaded portion of the post, the washer extending between the nut and the leg of the grommet, the nut compressing the leg of the grommet between the nut and the foot of the compressor, the washer and a cylinder portion of the post spaced apart by a gap within the leg of the grommet.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises:
a base plate positioned on the bottom surface of the plate;
a pair of support plates spaced apart from the bottom surface of the plate and positioned at opposite sides of the base plate; and
a pair of connection plates, each connection plate of the pair of connection plates extending between and connecting a respective one of the pair of support plates and the base plate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 2, wherein the bracket is formed with a single continuous sheet of metal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 3, wherein the single continuous sheet of metal has a thickness greater than three hundredths of an inch.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 2, wherein the support plates of the pair of support plates are positioned coplanar with each other.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 1, further comprising foam insulation, the plate and the tank defining an insulated volume therebetween, the foam insulation disposed within the insulated volume, the bracket at least partially encased within the foam insulation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 1, wherein the fastener is threaded to the post.

### Claim 8

A heat pump water heater appliance, comprising:
a casing extending between a top portion and a bottom portion, the easing having a shroud positioned at the top portion of the casing;
a tank disposed within the casing, the tank defining an interior volume;
a sealed system configured for heating water within the interior volume of the tank, the sealed system having a compressor disposed within shroud;
a plate positioned over the tank within the casing, the plate having a top surface and a bottom surface; and
a mounting assembly coupling the compressor to the plate, the mounting assembly comprising
a bracket positioned on the bottom surface of the plate, the bracket comprising a base plate, a pair of support plates and a pair of connection plates, the base plate positioned on the bottom surface of the plate, the pair of support plates spaced apart from the bottom surface of the plate and positioned at opposite sides of the base plate, each connection plate of the pair of connection plates extending between and connecting a respective one of the pair of support plates and the base plate;
a post extending through the bracket and the plate towards a foot of the compressor;
a grommet disposed on the post, the grommet positioned between the plate and the foot of the compressor on the post, a leg of the grommet extending through the foot of the compressor such that the leg of the grommet is positioned between the foot of the compressor and the post;
a nut threaded onto the post at the bracket;
a fastener extending into the post at the foot of the compressor, the fastener attached to the post in order to secure the foot of the compressor and the post together.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 8, wherein the bracket is formed from a single continuous sheet of metal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 9, wherein the single continuous sheet of metal has a thickness greater than three hundredths of an inch.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The heat pump water heater appliance of claim 8, further comprising foam insulation disposed within an insulated volume defined between the plate and the tank, the bracket at least partially encased within the foam insulation.