Condensate trap

• US 5,115,798 A
• Filed: 08/08/1991
• Issued: 05/26/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fleet Capital Corporation (Bank of America Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MOR-FLO Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, Henry J. Jr., Gidanian, Bijan
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US07/742,329
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 126/110 R, 126/99 R, 126/362, 126/116 R, 126/360 R, 126/110 C, 126/351, 126/361, 137/192, 137/132, 137/314, 137/409, 122/17, 122/20 B, 122/121, 122/182 S
• US Class Current: 122/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 8/006 Means for removing condensate from the heater
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3068 Float

Abstract

A condensate trap in the exhaust gas conduit of a forced draft water and space heater comprises a housing providing a chamber open at its upper end to the exhaust conduit and having a condensate outlet below the inlet and controlled by a float valve in the chamber.

Claims

1. A trap for condensate in combustion gases flowing through an exhaust gas conduit from gas fired forced draft liquid heating apparatus comprising, housing means providing a chamber having a condensate inlet open to said conduit and a condensate outlet below said inlet, valve means for opening and closing said outlet, and means responsive to the level of condensate in said chamber for actuating said valve means to open and close said outlet, said valve means including a valve seat and a valve element displaceable to engage and disengage said valve seat respectively to close and open said outlet, and said level responsive means including float means in said chamber for displacing said valve element toward and away from said valve seat, and means separating and interconnecting said float means and said valve element.

2. A trap according to claim 1, wherein said level responsive means biases said valve means to close said outlet.

3. A trap according to claim 1, wherein said level responsive means provides for the level of condensate in said chamber to be above said outlet when said valve closes said outlet.

4. A trap according to claim 1, wherein said float means has end means adjacent said inlet to said chamber whereby said float means is biased by gases flowing through said exhaust gas conduit to displace said valve element toward said valve seat.

5. A trap according to claim 1, wherein said valve element and said valve seat are in said chamber.

6. A trap according to claim 5, wherein said means to displace said valve element includes float means in said chamber and means interconnecting said float means and valve element.

7. A trap according to claim 5, wherein said valve seat has a vertical axis and said means to displace said valve element includes vertically displaceable float means in said chamber above said valve seat and coaxial with said axis.

8. A trap according to claim 7, and means in said chamber to guide vertical movement of said float means.

9. A trap according to claim 7, wherein said float means has end means adjacent said inlet to said chamber whereby said float means is biased toward said valve seat by gases flowing through said exhaust gas conduit.

10. A trap according to claim 9, and means in said chamber to guide vertical movement of said float means.

11. A trap according to claim 10, and stop means to limit displacement of said float means away from said valve seat.

12. A trap according to claim 11, wherein said stop means includes pin means extending across said chamber adjacent said inlet.

13. A trap according to claim 7, and stop means to limit displacement of said float means away from said valve seat.

14. A trap for condensate in combustion gases flowing through exhaust gas conduit means from gas fired, forced draft, liquid heating apparatus comprising, cylindrical housing means having a vertical axis and upper and lower ends, said upper end being open and including means for connecting said housing means to said exhaust gas conduit means, said lower end including an end wall, means providing an outlet opening through said end wall coaxial with said axis, a float in said housing means between said upper and lower ends, said float being vertically displaceable toward and away from said outlet opening in response to the level of condensate in said housing means, a valve element and means separating and interconnecting said float and said valve element and movable therewith to actuate said valve element to close and open said outlet opening.

15. A trap according to claim 14, wherein said upper end of said housing means includes coupling means having opposite ends on an axis transverse to said vertical axis, said opposite ends providing means for connecting said trap to said exhaust conduit means.

16. A trap according to claim 14, wherein said housing means includes radially inwardly extending flange means between said upper and lower ends for guiding vertical displacement of said float.

17. A trap according to claim 14, wherein said means providing an outlet opening is a tubular fitting secured to said end wall and having an entrance end coaxial with said axis and facing said valve element.

18. A trap according to claim 17, wherein said entrance end provides a valve seat and said valve element has a spherical shape for engaging said seat to close said outlet opening.

19. A trap according to claim 18, wherein said upper end of said housing means includes coupling means having opposite ends on an axis transverse to said vertical axis, said opposite ends providing means for connecting said trap to said exhaust conduit means.

20. A trap according to claim 19, wherein said housing means includes radially inwardly extending flange means between said upper and lower ends for guiding vertical displacement of said float.

21. A trap according to claim 20, and means adjacent said open upper end of said housing means to limit displacement of said float away from said outlet opening.

22. A trap according to claim 21, wherein said means to limit displacement of said float away from said outlet opening includes pin means extending transverse to said vertical axis.

23. A trap according to claim 14, wherein said upper end of said housing means includes coupling means having a first end on an axis transverse to said vertical axis and a second end coaxial with said vertical axis, said first and second ends providing means for connecting said trap to said exhaust conduit means.

24. A trap according to claim 23, wherein said housing means includes radially inwardly extending flange means between said upper and lower ends for guiding vertical displacement of said float.

25. A trap according to claim 24, and means adjacent said open upper end of said housing means to limit displacement of said float away from said outlet opening.

26. A trap according to claim 25, wherein said means to limit displacement of said float away from said outlet opening includes pin means extending transverse to said vertical axis.

27. A trap for condensate in combustion gases flowing through an exhaust gas conduit from a gas fired, forced draft, liquid heating apparatus, said trap comprising:

a cylindrical housing means;

a chamber within said housing means adapted to collect said condensate, said housing means comprising a reducer coupling having a radially inwardly extending circumferential flange having an internal diameter, said chamber having a condensate inlet open to said conduit and a condensate outlet below said inlet, said housing means also including a stop pin interposed in said condensate inlet;

a valve seat located at said condensate outlet;

a valve element adapted to engage and disengage said valve seat to respectively open and close said outlet;

a float means disposed above said valve element in said chamber for displacing said valve element, said float means comprising an outer shell component having an external diameter closely corresponding to said internal diameter of said circumferential flange for guiding vertical movement of said float means, a flat upper end adjacent said condensate inlet of said chamber and a bottom end, said float means upward displacement limited by said stop pin; and

a stem secured to said bottom of said float and to said valve element for separating and interconnecting said float means and said valve element.

28. A trap according to claim 27, wherein said valve element, said float means, and said means separating and interconnecting said float means and said valve element form a unitary valve structure, said unitary valve structure has a weight, and said unitary valve structure is biased toward said valve seat by said weight.

29. A trap according to claim 28, wherein said float means is biased by gases flowing through said exhaust gas conduit to displace said unitary valve structure toward said valve seat.