Patents Assigned to A. O. Smith Corporation
  • Patent number: 10208953
    Abstract: A modulating burner apparatus includes a variable speed blower feeding a multi-chamber burner having first and second burner chambers. A manifold system communicates the blower with the burner, and a flow control valve member is located between the blower and the second chamber of the burner. The flow control valve is configured to provide fuel and air mixture from the blower to only the first burner chamber at lower blower speeds of the blower and to both the first and second burner chambers at higher blower speeds of the blower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventor: Jim C. Smelcer
  • Patent number: 10139129
    Abstract: A water heater includes a tank containing water to be heated and a thermal displacement conduit communicating between a portion of the tank and a receptacle. Water is displaced out of the portion of the tank, through the conduit, and to the receptacle during thermal expansion of the water during heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventors: Jianmin Yin, Matthew Critchley
  • Patent number: 10132770
    Abstract: A flame rod analysis system, methods for determining a condition of a flame and a flame rod, and circuits for determining a condition of a flame and a flame rod. The flame rod analysis system comprises energy storage connectable to a flame rod, a pulsed source connected to the energy storage and providing a voltage pulse or a current pulse, and a buffer to allow a processor to measure a buffered voltage at various time points. Flame rod analysis systems can distinguish between various flame conditions (no flame, low flame, etc.) while simultaneously characterizing the condition of the flame rod (shorted to ground, contaminated, etc.). Some flame rod analysis systems can directly measure the resistance of the flame rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian T. Branecky, Brian C. Dolder, Charles J. Koehler, III
  • Patent number: 10094592
    Abstract: A water heater including a thermal break in the form of an air pocket that moves into an air trap segment of the cold water pipe to reduce heat loss during standby. The air pocket is pushed back into the tank by incoming cold water during a hot water and reforms at the top of the tank. During standby, the air pocket moves into the air trap via an anti-siphon hole communicating with the cold water inlet. The anti-siphon hole can be, for example, in the top of the dip tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventors: John Robert Lowdermilk, Donald Irvin Pridemore, Jr., Bradley S. Yon, Steven Lawrence Tilson
  • Patent number: 9939172
    Abstract: A thermostatic condensing gas water heater, comprising a burner; a first heat exchanger (7), a second heat exchanger (4), a water inlet pipe (10), and a water outlet pipe (9) provided in succession along the flow direction of the burnt flue gas; a controller; and a water flow channel connecting the first heat exchanger (7) and the second heat exchanger (4) in parallel between the water inlet pipe (10) and the water outlet pipe (9), wherein flow control valves (3, 5) capable of adjusting the water flow distribution of the first heat exchanger (7) and the second heat exchanger (4) are provided on the water flow channel and controlled by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventors: Bu Qiu, Dayan Bi, Sujuan Zhou, Shiping Zhang, Yuehua Wu
  • Patent number: 9897333
    Abstract: A water heating system includes a first water heater having a first heating source of a first type, and a second water heater having a second heating source of a second type. The system further includes a valve having a first interface connected to the cold water source, a second interface connected to the first cold water inlet of the first water heater, a third interface connected to a second hot water outlet of the second water heater, and a fourth interface connected to the first hot water outlet of the first water heater. A motor positions the valve to one of at least three positions Finally, the system also includes a control circuit including a temperature sensor near the first hot water outlet of the first water heater, and a controller configured to control the motor based on a sensed temperature by the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventors: Xingpeng Ru, Dongwei Zhu, Xiaorong Shao, Jian Xu, Yinan Yang, Zhi Li
  • Patent number: 9791172
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present application disclose a dual sensor combustion system. The dual sensor combustion system comprises: a combustor; a stepless speed regulating fan that supplies air for the combustor; a fuel gas conduit that is in communication with the combustor; a proportional valve provided on the fuel gas conduit; a control unit electrically connected to the stepless speed regulating fan and the proportional valve; a first pressure sensor assembly that detects a first pressure signal of the gas flow passage; a second pressure sensor assembly that detects a second pressure signal of the fuel gas conduit; a storage that stores a correspondence relationship between a first target pressure signal of the gas flow passage and a second target pressure signal of the fuel gas conduit; and the control unit controlling at least one of the stepless speed regulating fan and the proportional valve based on the first pressure signal, the second pressure signal and the correspondence relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventors: Wei Wang, Dayan Bi
  • Patent number: 9651266
    Abstract: A gas hot water heating device and a system with heating function are disclosed. The device includes a combustion device (1), an inlet (E) and an outlet (G) of a hot water pipeline (2), an inlet (I) and an outlet (H) of a heating loop (3), and a water tank (4). The device also includes a first heat exchanger (5), a second heat exchanger (6) and a third heat exchanger (7). A flue gas outlet (1-2) of the combustion device (1) is connected with flue gas passages of the first heat exchanger (5) and the second heat exchanger (6) in order and in series. A first water flow passage (5-1) and a second water flow passage (5-2) are arranged in the first heat exchanger (5), and the water tank (4) and the first water flow passage (5-1) of the first heat exchanger (5) are communicated between the inlet (E) and the outlet (G) of the hot water pipeline (2) in series. The second heat exchanger (6) and the third heat exchanger (7) can exchange heat with water in the water tank (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dayan Bi, Baolin Liu, Bu Qiu
  • Patent number: 9604861
    Abstract: A method for providing a safe and healthy water and water-based product, comprising: testing pretreated reverse osmosis water to determine whether it meets a first set of pre-defined specifications; introducing a pre-defined nutrient composition into the water, wherein the predefined nutrient composition comprising one or more of mineral nutrients, trace elements and nutritional supplements; testing the water to determine whether it meets a second set of pre-defined specifications; and disinfecting the water along with its container by UV irradiation from a UV light source to obtain a water product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventor: Hai-Feng Zhang
  • Patent number: 9587854
    Abstract: A method of assembling multiple low NOx burners including the step of assembling multiple bodies, each body including a multiple first burner ports connected to a first burner inlet and multiple second burner ports connected to a second burner inlet. The method also including the step of selecting one of the bodies and inserting a first inlet tube into the second burner inlet to provide a fuel/air mixture to the second burner ports at a first rate. The method also including the step of selecting one of the bodies and inserting a second inlet tube into the second burner inlet to provide the fuel/air mixture to the second burner ports at a second rate different than the first rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yonghua Cheng, Liliang Dou, Larry Chanasyk, Dayan Bi, Hongfei Ma
  • Patent number: 9568213
    Abstract: A gas water heater includes a water tank, a combustion chamber, a burner, a heat exchanger tube at least partially within the water tank, and a fan. The burner receives fuel gas and primary air from a first air-supply channel to create a primary air-fuel mixture for combustion in the combustion chamber with secondary air. The primary air-fuel mixture has a gas concentration above the upper explosive limit of the fuel gas. Secondary air is supplied through a second air-supply channel to the combustion chamber. The secondary air creates a low excess air ratio (e.g., below 1.5) for combustion in the combustion chamber. A totally sealed channel is defined from the air inlet of the fan to the heat exchanger tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bu Qiu, Dayan Bi, Liliang Dou, Xiangcai Zeng, Chaojun Yang
  • Patent number: D771233
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Mitchel Smith, Chad Taylor Thompson, George W. Kraus, II
  • Patent number: D771234
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Mitchel Smith, Chad Taylor Thompson, George W. Kraus, II
  • Patent number: D771789
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Mitchel Smith, Chad Taylor Thompson, George W. Kraus, II
  • Patent number: D771790
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Mitchel Smith, Chad Taylor Thompson, George W. Kraus, II
  • Patent number: D771791
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Mitchel Smith, Chad Taylor Thompson, George W. Kraus, II
  • Patent number: D771792
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Mitchel Smith, Chad Taylor Thompson, George W. Kraus, II
  • Patent number: D771793
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Mitchel Smith, Chad Taylor Thompson, George W. Kraus, II
  • Patent number: D779650
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert Frederick Poehlman, Janice Fitzgerald
  • Patent number: D809645
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert Frederick Poehlman, Janice Fitzgerald