Water heater monitor/diagnostic display apparatus

• US 8,069,013 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company (Paloma Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company (Paloma Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Trant, Troy E., Hotton, Bruce A., Boros, Jozef, Castleberry, Walter T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano; Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/760,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20100193593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 73/10.1, 734/321, 738/658, 738/659, 738/663, 122/4.R, 122/4.A, 122/13.01, 122/14.1, 122/14.2, 122/14.21, 122/14.22, 122/17.1, 122/18.5, 122/19.1, 122/19.2, 122/448.1, 126/344, 165/11.1, 165/200, 165/201, 165/253, 165/287, 210/143, 210/149, 210/175, 210/194, 210/200, 210/481, 210/482, 210/490, 210/492, 210/494, 210/496, 210/497, 236/20.R, 237/2.R, 237/2.B, 237/8.R, 237/8.A, 340/500, 340/540, 340/603, 340/679, 340/870.01, 340/870.07, 340/870.09, 340/870.16, 340/870.17, 374/1, 374/100, 374/101, 374/141, 392/441, 392/444, 392/447, 392/449, 392/451, 392/454, 392/463, 392/465, 392/478, 392/485, 392/494, 392/497, 700/1, 700/90, 700/299, 700/300, 700/306, 702/1, 702/33, 702/34, 702/85, 702/105, 702/127, 702/130, 702/136, 702/182, 702/183, 702/184, 702/187, 702/188, 702/189
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5037 the characteristics being an electrical parameter, e.g. voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/556 for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/16 Transferring device, details

Abstract

A water heater is provided with monitor/diagnostic display apparatus that selectively provides a user with visual or other type of indicia of the recovery time for the water heater. The apparatus includes a monitoring unit that may be mounted on the water heater, and a display unit that may be mounted either on the water heater or remotely therefrom.

Claims

1. For use with a water heater in which heated water is stored for on-demand delivery therefrom, the water heater having a predetermined heated water setpoint temperature T_max and a predetermined minimum water temperature T_min, monitor/diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a monitoring portion operable to detect the temperature T_meas of the stored water and responsively generate an output signal indicative of its magnitude; and

a diagnostic portion operable to;

(1) determine successive time periods, during heating of the stored water from T_min to T_max, required to respectively heat the stored water from each of a series of progressively lower temperatures to the next higher temperature in said series thereof, and then

(2) utilize said output signal, and the total magnitude(s) of an associated one or more of the determined successive time periods, to generate a diagnostic signal indicating to a user an estimated time for the water heater to recover from T_meas to T_max.

2. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the magnitude of said estimated recovery time signal is a predetermined function of T_meas, T_max, T_min and the total time of one or more of the determined successive time periods.

3. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said estimated recovery time signal is a visual display.

4. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said monitoring portion is mountable on the water heater.

5. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said diagnostic portion is mountable on the water heater.

6. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said diagnostic portion is mountable remotely from the water heater.

7. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said monitoring portion and said diagnostic portion are operative to communicate with one another via a wired connection.

8. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said monitoring portion and said diagnostic portion are operative to wirelessly communicate with one another.

9. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said diagnostic portion is operable to disregard the determined successive time periods, and utilize a set of previously determined successive time periods, if the total of their time exceeds a predetermined total time.

10. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the magnitude of said estimated recovery time signal is related in a predetermined manner to T_meas, T_max, and T_min.

11. The monitor/diagnostic apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

the magnitude of said estimated recovery time signal is incrementally varied as a function of predetermined incremental relationships between (1) T_meas and (2) T_max and T_min.

12. Water heating apparatus comprising:

a water heater operative to heat water stored therein for on-demand delivery therefrom, the water heater having a predetermined heated water setpoint temperature T_max and a predetermined minimum water temperature T_min; and

monitor/diagnostic apparatus operatively associated with said water heater and having;

a monitoring portion operable to detect the temperature T_meas of the stored water and responsively generate an output signal indicative of its magnitude; and

a diagnostic portion operable to;

(1) determine successive time periods, during heating of the stored water from T_min to T_max, required to respectively heat the stored water from each of a series of progressively lower temperatures to the next higher temperature in said series thereof, and then

(2) utilize said output signal, and the total magnitude(s) of an associated one or more of the determined successive time periods, to generate a diagnostic signal indicating to a user an estimated time for the water heater to recover from T_meas to T_max.

13. The water heating apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

said water heater is a fuel-fired water heater.

14. The water heating apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

said water heater is an electric water heater.

15. The water heating apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

said diagnostic signal is a visual display.

16. The water heating apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the magnitude of said diagnostic signal is related in a predetermined manner to T_meas, T_max, and T_min.

17. The water heating apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the magnitude of said diagnostic signal is incrementally varied as a function of predetermined incremental relationships between (1) T_meas and (2) T_max and T_min.

18. The water heating apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

said diagnostic portion is operable to disregard the determined successive time periods, and utilize a set of previously determined successive time periods, if the total of their time exceeds a predetermined total time.