Non-dilution blower apparatus for high efficiency water heater
View Patent ↗A blower housing of novel two-piece construction is comprised of first and second housing parts of stamped or drawn sheet metal that are attached together. The two-piece construction provides the housing with two interior portions separated by an interior wall. The interior wall has an opening that is spaced from the aligned exhaust opening of the heater and the output opening of the housing. This creates a winding exhaust gas flow path through the blower housing. The interior wall is also provided with a recessed cavity that receives a portion of a fan rotated by a motor supported by the blower housing. Positioning of at least a portion of the fan in the cavity reduces the overall height dimension of the blower housing and facilitates the retrofitting of the blower housing between an existing exhaust opening of a heater and an axially aligned flue pipe.
1. A heater blower apparatus that is attachable to an exterior surface of a heater having an exhaust opening on the exterior surface with the exhaust opening having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the heater, the apparatus comprising:
a motor, the motor having a shaft that is rotated on operation of the motor, the shaft having an axis of rotation that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the apparatus;
a fan connected to the motor shaft for rotation of the fan with rotation of the motor shaft, the fan having an axis of rotation and a circumference of rotation;
a blower housing having an interior containing the fan, the motor being supported by the blower housing with the motor shaft extending into the interior of the blower housing to the fan contained inside the blower housing interior, the blower housing having an output opening that communicates the blower housing interior with an exterior environment of the blower housing and is positioned on the blower housing at a radially spaced position from the fan contained in the blower housing interior, the blower housing output opening having a center axis, and the blower housing being attachable to the heater exterior surface with the heater exhaust opening contained inside the blower housing interior in a manner such that a center axis of the heater exhaust opening is substantially coaxial with the center axis of the blower housing output opening and with interior structure of the blower housing together with the heater exhaust opening and heater exterior surface defining an exhaust gas flow path that extends axially from the heater exhaust opening into the blower housing interior volume, then extends radially through the blower housing interior toward the fan, then extends axially through the blower housing interior outside of the fan circumference of rotation, then extends radially through the blower housing interior toward the motor shaft axis of rotation, then extends axially through the blower housing interior and into the fan circumference of rotation, then extends radially through the blower housing interior away from the motor shaft axis of rotation and through the fan circumference of rotation toward the blower housing output opening, and then extends axially through the blower housing interior and axially through the blower housing output opening to the exterior environment of the blower housing.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the center axis of the blower housing output opening being substantially parallel to and spaced radially from the motor shaft axis of rotation and the fan axis of rotation and the output opening being positioned axially above the heater exhaust opening when the blower housing is attached to the heater exterior surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the blower housing being attachable to the heater exterior surface to prevent dilution air from entering the blower housing interior.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the blower housing being attachable to the heater exterior surface with the blower housing sealing around the heater exhaust opening and thereby providing a non-dilution air blower housing on the heater.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the interior structure of the blower housing including an interior wall that extends radially through the blower housing interior and is positioned axially between the heater exhaust opening and the blower housing output opening when the blower housing is attached to the heater exterior surface.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
the interior wall having an opening through the interior wall that is spaced radially and axially from the blower housing output opening and is spaced radially and axially from the heater exhaust opening when the blower housing is attached to the heater exterior surface.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
the exhaust gas flow path passing through the interior wall opening.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
the interior wall opening being axially aligned with the fan axis of rotation.
9. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
the fan being positioned on one side of the interior wall and the heater exhaust opening being positioned on an opposite side of the interior wall when the blower housing is attached to the heater exterior surface.
10. A heater blower apparatus that is attachable to an exterior surface of a heater having an exhaust opening on the exterior surface and the exhaust opening having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the heater, the apparatus comprising:
a motor, the motor having a shaft that is rotated on operation of the motor, the shaft having an axis of rotation that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the apparatus;
a fan connected to the motor shaft for rotation of the fan with rotation of the motor shaft, the fan having an axis of rotation that is substantially parallel with the motor shaft axis of rotation; and,
a blower housing having an interior containing the fan, the blower housing supporting the motor with the motor shaft extending into the blower housing interior to the fan contained in the blower housing interior, the blower housing being attachable to the heater exterior surface with the heater exhaust opening contained in the blower housing interior and with the exhaust opening center axis being radially spaced from the motor shaft axis of rotation and the fan axis of rotation, and the blower housing having an output opening that communicates the blower housing interior with an exterior environment of the blower housing, the blower housing output opening having a center axis that is spaced radially from the motor shaft axis of rotation and the fan axis of rotation and is substantially coaxial with a center axis of the heater exhaust opening with the output opening being positioned axially above the heater exhaust opening when the blower housing is attached to the heater exterior surface.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
the motor shaft axis of rotation and fan axis of rotation being substantially coaxial and substantially parallel to the blower housing output opening axis and the heater exhaust opening center axis.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
the blower housing being attachable to the heater exterior surface to prevent dilution air from entering the blower housing interior.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
the blower housing being attachable to the heater exterior surface with the blower housing sealing around the heater exhaust opening and thereby providing a non-dilution air blower housing on the heater.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
the blower housing having an interior wall that extends radially through the blower housing interior and is positioned axially between the blower housing output opening and the heater exhaust opening when the blower housing is attached to the heater exterior surface.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
the interior wall having an opening with a center axis that is substantially coaxial with the fan axis of rotation.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
the fan being positioned on one side of the interior wall and the heater exhaust opening being positioned on an opposite side of the interior wall when the blower housing is attached to the heater exterior surface.