Electric water heater

• US 6,621,985 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Global Heating Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sherwood-Templeton Coal Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Thweatt, Carlisle Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, THOR S
• Application Number:
  US10/139,825
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 392/465, 392/485, 392/488, 392/466
• US Class Current: 392/485
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/225 electrical central heating boilers
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/242 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/37 of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2014 using electrical energy supply

Abstract

A spa system includes a tub, a pump, an electrical heater, and a tubing system interconnecting the tub, pump, and electric heater to provide recirculating flow of water through the spa system. The electrical heater includes a housing made of a polymer material and defining an internal passageway adapted for fluid flow through the housing. The housing has a first opening in fluid communication with the passageway, and a pair of access openings. The housing further includes a second opening in fluid communication with the tubing system. The heater also includes a heater tube defining a first end connected to the first opening in the housing. An elongated electrical heating element is at least partly disposed within the outer tube, and has opposite ends extending out of the first end of the heater tube and through the pair of access openings. The electrical heater includes compressions fittings sealingly connecting the heater tube and the elongated heating element to the housing.

Claims

1. A spa system, comprising:

a tub having sufficient size to accommodate an adult human;

a powered pump;

an electrical heater;

a tubing system interconnecting said tub, pump, and said electrical heater to provide recirculating flow of water through said spa system; and

wherein;

said electrical heater includes a housing made of a polymer material and defining an internal passageway adapted for fluid flow through said housing, said housing having a first and second openings in fluid communication with said passageway, and a pair of access openings, said heater further including a heater tube defining a first end connected to said first opening in said housing in fluid communication with said internal passageway, said heater including an elongated electrical heating element at least partially disposed within said heater tube and having opposite ends extending out of said first end of said heater tube and through said pair of access openings, and wherein;

said electrical heater includes a first compression fitting sealingly connecting said heater tube to said housing at said first opening, and a pair of compression fittings sealingly connecting said elongated heating element to said housing at said pair of access openings.

2. The spa system of claim 1, wherein:

said electrical heating element includes an outer sheath made of a titanium material, and an electrical resistance wire extending along said electrical heating element inside said outer sheath.

3. A spa system, comprising:

a tub having sufficient size to accommodate an adult human;

a powered pump;

an electrical heater

a tubing system interconnecting said tub, pump, and said electrical heater to provide recirculating flow of water through said spa system; and

wherein;

said electrical heater includes a housing made of a polymer material and defining an internal passageway adapted for fluid flow through said housing, said housing having a first opening in fluid communication with said passageway, and a pair of access openings, said heater further including a second opening in fluid communication with said tubing system and a heater tube defining a first end connected to said first opening in said housing, said heater including an elongated electrical heating element at least partially disposed within said outer tube and having opposite ends extending out of said first end of said heater tube and through said pair of access openings;

said electrical heater including a first compression fitting sealingly connecting said heater tube to said housing at said first opening, and a pair of compression fittings sealingly connecting said elongated heating element to said housing at said pair of access openings; and

wherein;

said first compression fitting includes a threaded compression member and an elastomeric ring;

said first opening includes a generally conical tapered wail portion;

said housing having an externally threaded extension defining said first opening; and

said heater tube extending through said elastomeric ring with said threaded compression member threadably engaging said externally threaded extension and compressing said elastomeric ring into sealing contact with tapered wall portion of said first opening.

4. The spa system of claim 3, wherein:

said pair of access openings each include tapered sidewall portions;

said pair of compression fittings includes a pair of resilient rings sealingly engaging said tapered sidewall portions, said pair of compression fittings further including at least one compression member compressing said resilient rings into sealing contact with said tapered sidewall portions.

5. The spa system of claim 4, wherein:

said electrical heating element has threaded connectors at said opposite ends adapted to electrically couple said electrical heating element to a source of electrical power.

6. The spa system of claim 5, wherein:

said heater tube is made of a titanium material.

7. The spa system of claim 6, wherein:

said housing is made of a polyvinyl chloride material.

8. An electrical heater, comprising:

a housing made of a polymer material, said housing having an internal passageway permitting fluid flow through said housing;

a tube having a first end connected to said housing in fluid communication with said passageway;

an elongated metallic electrical heating element having a portion disposed within said tube and having opposite ends extending out of said first end of said tube, said ends of said heating element having connectors adapted for coupling to an electrical power source;

said housing having a first sidewall portion with a first opening therethrough in fluid communication with said passageway, and a second sidewall portion having a pair of access openings therethrough, said first opening and said pair of access openings each having first and second portions, said first portions having a diameter that is larger than said second portion to form pockets;

at least a portion of said first end of said tube disposed in said first opening, and said opposite ends of said elongated metallic heating element extending through said access openings with said connectors disposed external of said housing;

a first resilient ring disposed in said pocket of said first opening;

a first compression member operably coupled to said housing to compress said first resilient ring and provide a seal between said tube and said housing;

a pair of resilient rings disposed in said pockets of said access openings; and

at least a second compression member operably coupled to said housing to compress said pair of resilient rings and provide a seal between said elongated metallic electrical heating element and said housing.

9. The electrical heater of claim 8, wherein:

said electrical heating element includes an outer sheath made of a titanium material, and an electrical resistance wire extending along said electrical heating element inside said outer sheath.

10. The electrical heater of claim 8, wherein:

said first opening and said access openings each include generally conical tapered sidewall portions.

11. The electrical heater of claim 10, wherein:

said housing includes an externally threaded portion at said first opening; and

said first compression comprises a threaded ring-like fitting engaging said externally threaded portion to compress said first resilient ring.

12. The electrical heater of claim 11, wherein:

said housing includes at least one threaded opening adjacent said access openings, said second compression member comprising a plate having a pair of clearance openings therethrough, said ends of said heating element extending through said clearance openings; and

including;

at least one threaded member engaging said threaded opening in said housing to push said second compression member into said pair of rings.

13. An electrical heater, comprising:

a housing made of a polymer material and having an internal passageway providing fluid flow through said housing, said housing having first and second openings to said passageway and at least one access opening open to said passageway;

an elongated tube having a first end secured to said first opening such that said elongated tube is in fluid communication with said internal passageway of said housing;

an elongated electrical heating element at least partially disposed in said elongated tube and having an end extending out of said first end and through said access opening such that said end is accessible from outside said housing to permit coupling of an electrical line to said end; and

a compression fitting sealingly coupling electrical heating element to said housing at said access opening.

14. The electrical heater of claim 13, wherein:

said electrical heating element includes an outer sheath made of a titanium material, and an electrical resistance wire extending along said electrical heating element inside said outer sheath.

15. The electrical heater of claim 13, wherein:

said compression fitting comprises a first compression fitting and said end of said electrical heating element comprises a first end, said electrical heating element defining a second end extending through said housing; and

including;

a second compression fitting sealingly coupling said electrical heating element to said housing at said second end.

16. The electrical heater of claim 15, wherein:

said access opening comprises a first access opening, said housing including a second access opening, said second end extending through said second access opening.

17. The electrical heater of claim 16, wherein:

said housing includes a threaded extension defining said first opening to said passageway, said first opening including a tapered sidewall portion; and

including;

said first end of said elongated tube at least partially disposed in said first opening;

an elastomeric ring disposed in said first opening;

a ring-like threaded compression fitting engaging said threaded extension and compressing said elastomeric ring.

18. The electrical heater of claim 17, wherein:

said heater tube is made of a titanium material; and

said electrical heating element includes an outer sheath made of a titanium material, and an electrical resistance wire extending along said electrical heating element inside said outer sheath.

19. The electrical heater of claim 18, wherein:

said passageway defines an axis; and

said heater tube extends from said housing transverse to said axis.

20. The electrical heater of claim 19, wherein:

said housing is made of a polyvinyl chloride material.