Patent ID: 6223740
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: F04D,F24H

Abstract:
Fuel-fired heating apparatus comprising:a wall structure defining a chamber for receiving a fluid to be heated;a heat exchanger disposed in said chamber and operative to receive a throughflow of hot combustion products and transfer combustion heat to the received fluid;a fuel burner operative to introduce a flame and resulting hot combustion products into said heat exchanger;a draft inducer fan coupled to said heat exchanger and operative to force therethrough combustion products received from said fuel burner, said draft inducer fan having a housing side from which a motor outwardly projects, said motor being coupled to a drive shaft having outboard and inboard end portions respectively and rotationally carried by outboard and inboard bearing structures;a cooling fan secured to said outboard end of said drive shaft and rotatable thereby to create a flow of cooling air which is directed toward said housing side and sequentially passes and cools said outboard bearing structure, a portion of said motor, and said inboard bearing structure; anda baffle structure associated with said housing side and operative to receive air discharged from said cooling fan and facilitate contact between the received air and said inboard bearing structure,said draft inducer fan being disposed adjacent said fuel burner, andsaid baffle structure being further operative to deflect the received air away from said fuel burner.