The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 20, 1990
Filed:
Sep. 06, 1989
Timothy H Houle, Wauwatosa, WI (US);
Daher T Wardy, Milwaukee, WI (US);
A.O. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Abstract
The adverse effects of the exposed metal jacket on a heating element in an electric water heater on the life and performance of a protective anode are eliminated or substantially reduced with the system that imposes a low voltage differential between the heating element jacket and the tank wall while simultaneously providing a low resistance current path which will provide a direct coductive path between the jacket and tank wall (at ground) in the event of an overvoltage condition. The system includes a potentiometer control which may be adjusted to provide the appropriate low voltage differential sufficient to substantially reduce the anode current. The relatively low resistance path allows an overvoltage current to pass readily to ground.