Abstract:
An instantaneous water heater comprises a sealed enclosed tank having a top portion, a bottom portion, a first end, and a second end, and an inlet, a baffle tube, and a baffle segregating said tank into a baffle chamber and a main heating and storage chamber. The baffle chamber receives unheated water from said baffle tube. The baffle has baffle openings between said baffle chamber and said main heating and storage chamber providing for intermixing of water therebetween. The tank has a plurality of heating elements and a plurality of temperature sensors and activators. The main heating and storage chamber has an outlet and a safety valve attached thereto, said outlet discharging heated water from said tank and being located in said top portion of said first end of said tank and said safety valve preventing over-heating and over-pressurization in said tank.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to water heaters, and more particularly to an instantaneous water heater assembly designed to provide instantaneous hot water and to heat a continuous supply of water. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of tankless or instantaneous water heaters is known. These heaters generally provide for rapid heating of water as it flows through the heater only when hot water is demanded, in contrast to other types of heaters that heat water at a relatively slow rate and provide storage for heated water. More specifically, apparatus&#39; heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of providing instantaneous hot water are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     By way of example, note U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,558 to White, Jr. et al. directed to a very compact flow-through tankless water heater with flow switch and heater control system. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,642 to Posen teaches an instantaneous water heater, including a main body having plural vertical upwardly opening chambers and a plurality of combination heating and chamber partition assemblies. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,822 to Fernandez teaches an electric, modular tankless fluids heater having serially connected modules defining the path of the fluid being heated through the heater from inlet to outlet, and with each module having two separate chambers and each chamber having an electric immersion type heating assembly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,578 to Bolivar teaches a tankless water heater assembly requiring no storage tank and having an entrance chamber and a plurality of heating elements each of which are at least partially segregated by being removably mounted within separate heating chambers. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,373 to Lutz et al. teaches an electronic temperature control system for a tankless water heater having a closed loop, electronic temperature control system for a tankless water heater. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,793 to Hurko teaches a tankless electric water heater which provides instantaneous hot water output and includes an open-ended folded tubular conduit having a separate metal sheathed immersion heating element inserted into each end of the conduit. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,782 to Takai et al. teaches an electric instantaneous water heater with enhanced temperature control having an output hot water pipe extending into a heating tank, and surrounded by a coiled sheath electric heater for heating the water in the tank the outlet pipe extending to the tank bottom and provided with an inlet thereat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,515 to Davidson teaches a tankless electric water heater having a housing with a plurality of separate serially connected heating chambers defining a water flow path from a cold water inlet port to a heated water outlet port, and having each chamber being provided with a separate electric immersion heating element and a separate temperature sensor. The heating element of each chamber is independently controlled by a control system responsive to signals from each of the temperature sensors and the signal produced by an water outlet temperature selector so that the heating element in a chamber is energized only if the sensed water temperature in that chamber is less than the desired outlet water temperature. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,350 to Todd, Jr. teaches a compact high flow rate electric instantaneous water heater and includes a plurality of individual heating chambers connected in series flow relationship between a cold water inlet and a hot water outlet and a metallic mixing coil disposed between each adjacent pair of chambers to promote even mixing. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,475 to Giorgetti teaches an automatic device for quick heating of liquids having at least two containers having conduits for supplying cold water and each having heating means, and a tank into which warm water is alternatively supplied from outlets of the single containers. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,087 to Giraud teaches a miniature water heater system having electric immersion heaters in a heating enclosure which forms a compact monoblock composite unit resistant to high pressures. Several horizontal tubes are connected at or near their ends by two vertical distributing tubes, one of which is upwardly extended by a circulating pump and the other by a water-mixing turbulator. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,346 to Cooksley teaches a compact, fast acting tankless heater having an elongated casing with water inlet and outlet conduits at opposite ends and an elongated generally helically twisted inner tube disposed coaxially within the casing to define helical channel means between the tube and casing for conducting water longitudinally from the casing inlet to the casing outlet. An elongated electric heating means is disposed within the inner tube for heating the water therein. 
     In this respect, the instantaneous water heater according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an instantaneous water heater, said instantaneous water heater of the present invention as claimed not being described by the above patents, taken either singly or in combination. 
     Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved instantaneous water heater. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of instantaneous water heater apparatus now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved construction and apparatus. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved instantaneous water heater which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
     To attain this, the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention comprises a tank, said tank being a sealed enclosure and having a top portion, a bottom portion, a first end, and a second end. The tank has an inlet, said inlet conducting unheated water into said tank and being located in said bottom portion of said first end of said tank. The tank has a baffle tube, said baffle tube attaching to said inlet and conducting unheated water from said inlet to said top portion of said second end of said tank. The tank has a baffle, said baffle segregating said tank into a baffle chamber and a main heating and storage chamber. The baffle chamber receives unheated water from said baffle tube and is located in said top portion of said second end of said tank. The baffle has baffle openings, said baffle openings being between said baffle chamber and said main heating and storage chamber and providing for intermixing of water therebetween. The tank has a plurality of heating elements, said plurality of heating elements being located in apertures located in said first end of said tank. The tank has a plurality of temperature sensors and activators, said plurality of temperature sensors and activators being located on the exterior of said second end of said tank, immediately exterior of said baffle chamber. The main heating and storage chamber has an outlet and a safety valve, said outlet discharging heated water from said tank and being located in said top portion of said first end of said tank, and said safety valve preventing over pressurization in said tank and being located in said outlet. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection of the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved instantaneous water heater which may be easily, readily and safely placed in either an “open” or “closed” water system and has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved instantaneous water heater which heats water only when hot water is demanded. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved instantaneous water heater which provides sufficient minimal water storage within such unit to absorb water heating and the energy of the heated water therein after such water heating has been discontinued. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved instantaneous water heater wherein energization of heating elements is sequentially accomplished based upon threshold temperature sensors. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved instantaneous water heater which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved instantaneous water heater which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved instantaneous water heater which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both material and labor and which accordingly is susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a new and improved instantaneous water heater economically available to the buying public. 
     These together with other objects of the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of the instantaneous water heater of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the instantaneous water heater of the present invention showing the components thereof. 
     FIG. 3 is an end view of the instantaneous water heater of the present invention showing the placement of the heating elements therein. 
     FIG. 4 is an end view of the instantaneous water heater of the present invention showing the placement of the temperature sensors and activators therein 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     While the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which particular embodiments are shown, it is to be understood at this outset that persons skilled in the art may modify the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention while still achieving the favorable results of the invention. Accordingly, the description which follows is to be understood as a broad teaching disclosure directed to persons of skill in the appropriate arts and not as limiting upon the new and improved instantaneous water heater of the present invention. 
     With reference now to the drawings, and as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new and improved instantaneous water heater embodying the principals and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     The new and improved instantaneous water heater  10  of the present invention is seen in FIGS. 1 through 4, although not including an outer support housing, and includes a tank  12  having an inlet  14 , a baffle tube  16 , a baffle  18 , a baffle chamber  20 , baffle openings  22 , a plurality of heating elements  24 , a plurality of temperature sensors and activators  26 , a main heating and storage chamber  28 , an outlet  30 , and a safety valve  32 . 
     Tank  12  optimally contains from one-half (½) to five (5) gallons of water at all times, dependent upon the particular usage for which the instantaneous water heater  10  is intended to be used, with three (3) gallons being generally appropriate for most usages. In use, the tank  12  always retains a volume of water, which water remains at an established minimum temperature, as further described hereinbelow. The water stored in the tank  12  provides instant heated water upon demand. The water stored in the tank  12  further provides a reservoir of heated water to mix with and raise the temperature of the incoming water. The temperature of the incoming water is raised as the heating elements are initially activated upon the demand for heated water, and thus provides for instantaneously heated water leaving the tank  12 . The tank  12  is constructed of strong durable material such as welded 316 L stainless steel sufficient to withstand the pressure and corrosive effects of heated water and may be configured as a round, tubular tank, a square tank or a rectangular tank. In one embodiment, a second end  12   d  may be constructed of copper or other such highly temperature conductive material. 
     In all physical shape configurations, the tank  12  is a sealed enclosure and has a top portion  12   a , a bottom portion  12   b , a first end  12   c , and a second end  12   d  which provide for specific functional relationship of the other elements of the instantaneous water heater  10 . The tank  12  has an inlet  14  by which cold water enters the instantaneous water heater  10 . The inlet  14  is located in the bottom portion  12   b  of the first end  12   c  of the tank  12 . The inlet  14  is of a size to accommodate an incoming water supply (not shown). The inlet  14  is secured to the tank  12  in sealed manner, such as welding. 
     The inlet  14  is securely attached to a baffle tube  16  in the interior of the tank  12 . The baffle tube  16  extends from the inlet  14  the length of the tank  12  to the top portion  12   a  of the second end  12   d  of the tank  12 . At the top portion  12   a  of the second end  12   d  of the tank  12 , the baffle tube  16  opens into a baffle chamber  20 . The baffle tube  16  transports incoming water from the inlet  14  into the baffle chamber  20 . 
     The baffle chamber  20  is created in the interior top portion  12   a  at the second end  12   d  of the tank  12  by means of a baffle  18 . The baffle  18  is a semi-partition of the interior top portion  12   a  of the second end  12   d  of the tank  12 . The baffle  18  has baffle openings  22  on the sides of the semi-partition into the interior of the tank  12 . The baffle openings  22  on the sides of the semi-partition allow water incoming into the baffle chamber  20  from the baffle tube  16  to exit the baffle chamber  20  into the main heating and storage chamber  28  of the tank  12 . The incoming water is thus directed from the baffle chamber  20  down the sides of the interior of the tank  12  into the main heating and storage chamber  28  of the tank  12  allowing the incoming water to be commingled, mixed and further heated with the water in the main heating and storage chamber  28  of the tank  12  and thus prevent what is commonly known as “streaming”. 
     On the exterior of the second end  12   d  of tank  12  are located a plurality of one (1) to four (4) temperature sensors and activators  26 . The plurality of temperature sensors and activators  26  are located on the exterior of the second end  12   d  of tank  12  directly adjacent the baffle tube  16  exit exits in the interior of tank  12 . Such location of the plurality of temperature sensors and activators  26  allows the temperature sensors and activators  26  to immediately register the temperature of the water incoming into the main heating and storage chamber  28  from the baffle tube  16 . 
     The first end  12   c  of the tank  12  has apertures  36  for removably attaching in sealed manner a plurality of one (1) to four (4) electric heating elements  24 . The plurality of heating elements  24  are removably attached to the first end  12   c  of the tank  12  such that the heating element cores  38  of the heating elements  24  are located within the interior of the tank  12  and the electrical contacts  40  are located on the outside of the first end  12   c  of the tank  12 . 
     The plurality of heating elements  24  are electrically connected one each to one each of the plurality of temperature sensors and activators  26 . The plurality of temperature sensors and activators  26  are preset to activate at certain temperatures and are each individually connected to one each of the plurality of heating elements  24 . For example, a first temperature sensor and activator  26  may be preset to activate when the ambient water temperature in the baffle chamber  20  is at a certain temperature, for example 115 F. When the ambient water temperature of the water in the baffle chamber  20  is at 115 F., the first temperature sensor and activator  26  will be deactivated, shutting off power to a first heating element  24 . But, when the ambient water temperature in the baffle chamber  20  falls below 115 F., the first temperature sensor and activator  26  will activate and energize the first heating element  24  causing the first heating element  24  to heat the water in the main heating and storage chamber  28  of the tank  12  until the first temperature sensor and activator  26  again senses that the ambient temperature of the water in the baffle chamber  20  is at 115 F. The remaining plurality of temperature sensors and activators  26  can be preset to activate at a temperature lower than of the first temperature sensor and activator  26 , such as at 110 F. By such presetting of all of the temperature sensors and activators  26 , when the ambient temperature of the water in the baffle chamber  20  is between 110 F. and 115 F., only the first temperature sensor and activator  26  will be activated and only the first heating element  24  will be heating the water in the main heating and storage chamber  28  of the tank  12 . But, when the ambient temperature of the water in the baffle chamber  20  falls below 110 F., such as when heated water is being demanded, the other temperature sensors and activators  26  will be activated thus energizing the other heating elements  24  to raise the temperature of the water in the main heating and storage chamber  28 . The temperature sensors and activators  26  may be preset sequentially to sense and activate individually at different temperatures or may be preset to sense and activate as groups dependent upon the application desired. It will be appreciated that the electrical components employed herein are well known within the art, are readily available, and need not be explained in detail herein. 
     The tank  12  has an outlet  30  by which heated water exits the instantaneous water heater  10 . The outlet  30  is located in the top portion  12   a  of the fist end  12   c  of the tank  12 . The outlet  30  is of a size to accommodate hot water distribution plumbing (not shown). The outlet  30  is secured to the tank  12  in sealed manner, such as welding. The outlet  30  further has attached thereto a temperature and pressure activated safety valve  32 . 
     As to the manner of usage and operation of the new and improved instantaneous water heater  10 , the instantaneous water heater  10  is securely attached to an incoming water supply at the inlet  14  and to a hot water distribution pipe at the outlet  30 . The tank  12  is filled to capacity and the temperature sensors and activators  26  are connected to a standard electrical source. The temperature sensors and activators  26  sense the ambient temperature of the water in the baffle chamber  20  and if the ambient temperature of the water stored in the baffle chamber  20  is below a preset temperature, the temperature sensors and activators  26  energize the heating elements  24  to raise the ambient temperature of the water in the tank  12 , and thus the baffle chamber  20  to a certain preset temperature at which time the temperature sensors and activators  26  will deactivate thus de-energizing the heating elements  24 . The ambient temperature in the tank  12  will be maintained by one of the temperature sensors and activators  26  having a preset temperature higher than the other temperature sensors and activators  26 . 
     When heated water is demanded, the water at the ambient temperature in the main heating and storage chamber  28  of the tank  12  is drawn out the outlet  30 , and incoming water enters the inlet  14  into the baffle tube  16  and exits the baffle tube  16  into the baffle chamber  20  immediately adjacent to the temperature sensors and activators  26 . The relatively cooler temperature of the incoming water being discharged from the baffle tube  16  against the interior sides of the tank  12  in the baffle chamber  20  immediately adjacent to the temperature sensors and activators  26  activates the temperature sensors and activators  26  which in turn energize the heating elements  24  in the main heating and storage chamber  28  of the tank  12 . The incoming relatively cooler water in the baffle chamber  20  is discharged from the baffle chamber  20  through the baffle openings  22  into the main heating and storage chamber  28  of the tank  12 , which baffle openings  22  force the relatively cooler water being discharged from the baffle chamber  20  down both of the interior sides of the tank  12  mixing the relatively cooler water with the heated water in the main heating and storage chamber  28  of the tank  12  at the second end  12   d  of the tank  12 . This manner of mixing the relatively cooler incoming water with the heated water at the second end  12   d  of the tank  12 , the end away from the outlet  30 , causes uniform mixing between the differing temperature water and results in heated water at a constant temperature exiting from the outlet  30 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principals of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.