Patent ID: 9739392
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: F16K,F24D,F24F,F24H,Y02B

Claim:
1. A heat pump water heater appliance, comprising: a casing; a tank positioned within the casing and defining an interior volume; a sealed system configured for heating water within the interior volume of the tank, the sealed system having an evaporator positioned within the casing; an intake duct extending from a remote location to the casing and configured for directing a flow of air towards the evaporator within the casing; an exhaust duct extending from the casing to the remote location and configured for directing the flow of air out of the casing; a first damper valve coupled to the intake duct and a second damper valve coupled to the exhaust duct, the first and second damper valves each comprising wherein the plurality of axial openings of the inner sleeve of the first damper valve are not aligned with the plurality of axial openings of the outer sleeve of the first damper valve when the inner sleeve is in the first position such that the flow plate of the outer sleeve of the first damper valve and the flow plate of the inner sleeve of the first damper valve block the flow of air to the water heater appliance from the remote location when the inner sleeve of the first damper valve is in the first position, whereby ambient air about the water heater appliance is directed towards the evaporator within the casing via the intake duct when the inner sleeve of the first damper valve is in the first position; and wherein the plurality of axial openings of the inner sleeve of the second damper valve are not aligned with the plurality of axial openings of the outer sleeve of the second damper valve when the inner sleeve of the second damper valve is in the first position such that the flow plate of the outer sleeve of the second damper valve and the flow plate of the inner sleeve of the second damper valve block the flow of air from the water heater appliance to the remote location when the inner sleeve of the second damper valve is in the first position, whereby the flow of air from the water heater appliance is directed into the ambient air about the water heater appliance via the exhaust duct when the inner sleeve of the second damper valve is in the first position.