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:
Dec. 14, 2010
Filed:
Apr. 12, 2007
Jacob A. Peart, Wetumpka, AL (US);
Gary A. Elder, Montgomery, AL (US);
William J. Hall, Prattville, AL (US);
William T. Harrigill, Montgomery, AL (US);
Jacob A. Peart, Wetumpka, AL (US);
Gary A. Elder, Montgomery, AL (US);
William J. Hall, Prattville, AL (US);
William T. Harrigill, Montgomery, AL (US);
Rheem Manufacturing Company, Atlanta, GA (US);
Abstract
A fuel-fired water heater is provided with a premixing type main burner and an associated pilot burner for igniting it. A specially designed protective system is operative to detect a flame flashback burning condition in the main burner and responsively shut down the water heater. In one embodiment thereof, the protective system uses main burner body heat to melt a portion of a fuel supply line connected to the pilot burner during a flame flashback condition in the main burner. Such melting responsively causes an associated fuel supply valve to close and terminate water heater operation. In a second protective system embodiment a normally closed pressure switch is opened, thereby shutting down the water heater, when the switch detects a pressure indicative of a flame flashback condition in the main burner.