Patent ID: 11953232
Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 10:
11. A water heating device comprising:
a tank having an inlet for delivering water into the tank and an outlet for outputting heated water from the tank;
a combustion chamber in thermal communication with the tank, the combustion chamber having a single burner disposed therein; and
a heat exchanger assembly including a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, each heat exchanger tube being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, each heat exchanger tube including a baffle comprising:
a first end and a second end, a length of the baffle being defined as a distance between the first end and the second end;
a body having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the body having a first width;
a hanging portion located proximate the second end, the hanging portion having a second width that is greater than the first width; and
a plurality of fins disposed along the body, each fin of the plurality of fins extending outwardly from the body and upwardly towards the second end at an angle relative to a central axis of the body, wherein (i) a first fin of the plurality of fins is positioned proximate the first end and has a first angle and (ii) a second fin of the plurality of fins is positioned proximate the second end and has a second angle, the first angle being less than the second angle;

wherein a central heat exchanger tube is disposed along a central axis of the tank, and wherein the remaining plurality of heat exchanger tubes are arranged in a pattern within the tank around the central heat exchanger tube; and
wherein an orientation of each baffle within each respective heat exchanger tube is alternated relative to an orientation of a baffle of an adjacent heat exchanger tube.