Patent ID: 8596226

Claim:
A water heater comprising: a water storage tank; a combustion chamber having an access opening; a door adapted to cover the access opening, the door including a hole having a hole diameter, and including an inner surface facing the combustion chamber and an outer surface facing away from the combustion chamber; a burner tube including an enlarged diameter portion having a outer diameter larger than the hole diameter, a first end on a first side of the enlarged diameter portion and extending into the combustion chamber, and a second end on a second side of the enlarged diameter portion opposite the first side, the first end defining a fuel delivery orifice, the second end having an outer diameter smaller than the hole diameter and extending through the hole in the door; a burner mounted to the first end of the burner tube and adapted to receive fuel from the fuel delivery orifice to create products of combustion to heat water in the storage tank; a fuel supply line having a first end adapted for connection to a source of fuel and a second end extending into the second end of the burner tube to define a tube junction; and a lock ring having an outer diameter larger than the hole diameter, and including a first end, a second end, and a tapered bore that has a larger diameter at the first end than at the second end, the lock ring surrounding at least a portion of the tube junction and applying a radially-directed force around a circumference of the tube junction to resist removal of the fuel supply line from the burner tube; wherein the enlarged diameter portion of the burner tube resists movement of the first end of the burner tube out of the combustion chamber through the hole in the door; and wherein the lock ring resists movement of the supply line into the combustion chamber through the hole in the door.