WATER HEATING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20070246556A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
• Original Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
• Inventors: Patterson, Wade, Phillips, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 8,887,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 237/8.A
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2014 using electrical energy supply

Abstract

A water heating system, comprises a tank, a bracket, a heating element, and a controller. The bracket has a hole and a notch. The heating element is mounted on the tank, and the heating element passes through the hole. The controller is inserted into the notch. Further, the controller comprises a relay coupled to the heating element and logic configured to control a state of the relay. The logic resides in a portion of the controller that is inserted into the notch.

Claims

1. A water heating system, comprising:

a tank;

a bracket having a hole and a notch;

a heating element mounted on the tank, the heating element passing through the hole; and

a controller having a relay coupled to the heating element and logic configured to control a state of the relay, wherein the logic resides in a portion of the controller that is inserted into the notch.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the relay resides in a portion of the controller outside of the notch.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller has a temperature sensor coupled to the logic, and wherein the temperature sensor resides in the portion that is inserted into the notch.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller has an emergency shut-off apparatus residing in the portion that is outside of the notch.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller has a transformer residing in the portion that is outside of the notch.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the bracket has a first arm and a second arm defining the notch, wherein a width of the notch from the first arm to the second arm is less than a width of the portion outside of the notch.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller has a printed circuit board (PCB), and wherein the emergency shut-off apparatus, the relay, and the transformer are positioned on an opposite side of the PCB relative to the temperature sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the bracket has a first arm and a second arm defining the notch, wherein a width of the notch from the first arm to the second arm is less than a width of the portion outside of the notch.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the relay resides in the portion that is outside of the notch.

10. A water heating system, comprising:

a tank;

a bracket having a hole, a first arm, and a second arm, the first and second arms defining a notch;

a heating element mounted on the tank, the heating element passing through the hole; and

a controller inserted into the notch, the controller having a relay coupled to the heating element and logic configured to control a state of the relay, wherein a width of a first portion of the controller is less than a width of the notch from the first arm to the second arm, wherein a width of a second portion of the controller is greater than the width of the notch, wherein the control logic resides in the first portion.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the relay resides in the second portion.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller has a temperature sensor coupled to the logic, and wherein the temperature sensor resides in the first portion.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller has an emergency shut-off apparatus residing in the second portion.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller has a transformer residing in the second portion.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller has a printed circuit board (PCB), and wherein the emergency shut-off apparatus, the relay, and the transformer are positioned on an opposite side of the PCB relative to the temperature sensor.

16. A method, comprising the steps of:

mounting a heating element on a tank of a water heating system;

inserting the heating element through a hole in a bracket;

controlling the heating element via logic in the controller; and

inserting, into a notch in the bracket, a portion of the controller containing the logic, wherein a relay resides in a portion of the controller that is not inserted into the notch by the inserting step.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling step is based on a temperature sensor, and wherein the portion contains the temperature sensor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bracket has a first arm and a second arm defining the notch, wherein a width of the notch from the first arm to the second arm is less than a width of the portion that is not inserted into the notch.