Patent Publication Number: US-8523561-B2

Title: Combustor of water heater

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a water heater, and more particularly to a combustor of a water heater. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
       FIG. 1  shows a conventional combustor  50  of a water heater which includes a burner member  52  and a flame cover  54 . The burner member  52  has two pressed plates connected together having a passageway  56  therein and a main outlet  58  at an end of the passageway  56 . The main outlet is at a top of the burner member  52  and under the flame cover  54 . A mixture of gas and air flows through the passageway  56  and flows out via the main outlet  58  for burning. The flame cover  54  is provided on the top of the burner member  52  having a plurality of flame holes. 
     For completing a full combustion, the burner member  52  is provided with side outlets  60  on a top sidewall of the passageway  56  that some mixed gas flows out via the side outlets  60 . Burning of the mixed gas from the main outlet  58  generates main flames, and burning of the mixed gas from the side outlets  60  generates side flames. The side flames may separate burning and reduce burning temperature. 
     In the conventional combustor  50 , there are gaps  66  between the burner member  52  and the flame cover  54  that air will come into the combustor  50  via the gaps  66  and cause too much air in the mixed gas, so the side flames usually get incomplete combustion. Besides, the edges of the side outlet  60  are easily broken or deformed during the pressing process when they are made. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a combustor of a water heater, which has no problem of leakage. 
     The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a combustor of a water heater, which has no broken or deformed side outlet. 
     According to the objectives of the present invention, a combustor of a water heater includes a burner member having a passageway therein with an inlet and an outlet and a room at a top thereof. The room is open at a top of the burner member and the outlet is communicated with the room. A separating device is received in the room of the burner member having a main outlet and a side outlet. A flame cover has a plurality of flame holes connected to the burner member to cover the separating device. The main outlet and the side outlet of the separating device are under the flame holes of the flame cover. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view of the conventional combustor; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention in the closed condition; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the closed condition; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view the separating device of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the opened condition; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the opened condition. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , a combustor  10  of a water heater of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a burner member  12 , a separating device  26  and a flame cover  40 . 
     The burner member  12  has two pressed plates  14  connected together to form a U-shaped passageway  16  with an inlet  18  and an outlet  20 . A gas supply (not shown), which supplies a mixture of gas and air, is connected to the inlet  18 . The outlet  20  is at a top of the passageway  16 . Between the plates  14  further has a room  22  above the outlet  20  of the passageway  16  and two slots  24  at opposite sides of the room  22 . The room  22  is open at the top of the burner member  12 , and the outlet  20  of the passageway  16  is at a bottom of the room  22 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the separating device  26  has two U-shaped plates connected side-by-side by several pieces  28 . Each U-shaped plate has several openings  30  in a line at a bottom thereof and two vertical sidewalls  32  at opposite of the openings  30 . Between each pair of the sidewalls  32  is a side outlet  34 , and between the U-shaped plates is a main outlet  36  with the pieces  28  crossing, i.e., the separating device  26  has two side outlets  34  and the main outlet  36  between the side outlets  34 . The separating device  26  further has two plugs  38  at opposite ends, each of which is formed by protrusions extended from ends of the inner sidewall  32  connected together. The separating device  26  is put in the room  22  of the burner member  12  with the plugs  38  engaged with the slots  24 . 
     The flame cover  40  has a similar structure to the conventional device, having a U-shaped plate with flame holes  42 . The flame cover  40  has two sidewalls  44  with their distal ends bent inwards to match a shape of the room  22 . The flame cover  40  is transversely fitted to the burner member  12  to cover the room  22  and the separating device  26 , and two connectors  45  are engaged with the burner member  12  to fix the flame cover  40  to the burner member  12 . The separating device  26  is right under the flame holes  42  of the flame cover  40 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the mixed gas (not shown) enters the passageway  16  via the inlet  16  and flows into the room  22  through the outlet  20 . Most of the mixed gas flows through the main outlet  36  of the separating device  26  for burning and generates main flames  46 , and some of mixed gas flows through the openings  30  and the side outlets  34  for burning and generates side flames  48 . 
     The advantages of the present invention are: 
     1. The separating device is installed in the room of the burner member and the flame cover totally covers the separating device and the room to prevent the leakage. Besides, the sidewalls of the separating device also help to prevent leakage. 
     2. The separating device is an independent element which will reduce the possibility of opening being deformed or broken. 
     3. With a specific design of the separating device, it may easily adjust amounts of the mixed gas flowing through the main outlet and the side outlets at a referred ratio. 
     The description above is a few preferred embodiments of the present invention and the equivalence of the present invention is still in the scope of claim construction of the present invention.