Patents by Inventor Timothy David Gantt

Timothy David Gantt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11592206
    Abstract: A method for insulating a gas-fueled water heater includes providing a tank for storage of water for heating and a combustion chamber adjacent to the tank. The method includes providing a compressed foam barrier circumferentially around the tank. Further, the method includes positioning a covering around the tank from a top end to a bottom end, the covering extending over the compressed foam barrier. Moreover, the method includes decompressing the compressed foam barrier such that an outer diameter of the foam barrier expands up to and seals against the covering so as to separate an internal volume defined between an outer surface of the tank and the covering into a first section and a second section. Then, the method includes injecting a foam material into the first section so as to provide a foam barrier around at least a portion of an outer surface of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Nelson, Timothy David Gantt, Gregory L. Hutchison, Gary Allen Elder
  • Patent number: 11280519
    Abstract: A water heater appliance includes a tank extending along a vertical direction between a top end wall and a bottom end wall and a dip tube extending from an inlet end to an outlet end. The inlet end of the dip tube is coupled to a cold water inlet in the top end wall of the tank. The outlet end of the dip tube may be positioned in a bottom corner of the tank and/or positioned at an outer perimeter of the bottom end wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory L. Hutchison, Craig Iung-Pei Tsai, Timothy David Gantt, Alan George Constance, Jonathan D. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20220026107
    Abstract: A method for insulating a gas-fueled water heater includes providing a tank for storage of water for heating and a combustion chamber adjacent to the tank. The method includes providing a compressed foam barrier circumferentially around the tank. Further, the method includes positioning a covering around the tank from a top end to a bottom end, the covering extending over the compressed foam barrier. Moreover, the method includes decompressing the compressed foam barrier such that an outer diameter of the foam barrier expands up to and seals against the covering so as to separate an internal volume defined between an outer surface of the tank and the covering into a first section and a second section. Then, the method includes injecting a foam material into the first section so as to provide a foam barrier around at least a portion of an outer surface of the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Nelson, Timothy David Gantt, Gregory L. Hutchison, Gary Allen Elder
  • Publication number: 20220011016
    Abstract: A water heater appliance includes a tank extending along a vertical direction between a top end wall and a bottom end wall and a dip tube extending from an inlet end to an outlet end. The inlet end of the dip tube is coupled to a cold water inlet in the top end wall of the tank. The outlet end of the dip tube may be positioned in a bottom corner of the tank and/or positioned at an outer perimeter of the bottom end wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Gregory L. Hutchison, Craig lung-Pei Tsai, Timothy David Gantt, Alan George Constance, Jonathan D. Nelson
  • Patent number: 10921024
    Abstract: A water heater appliance is provided that includes features for removing water from a junction box of the water heater appliance. More particularly, a water heater is provided that includes a draining feature that drains or removes water that has seeped or leaked into a junction box that is at least partially encased in an insulation material. In one exemplary aspect, the drain feature includes a drain conduit connected to an outlet defined by the junction box. The drain conduit may drain the water from the junction box to a number of suitable locations. For instance, the water may be drained to a dedicated drain port or a cavity defined in part by an access panel removably mounted to a casing of the water heater appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory L. Hutchison, Timothy David Gantt
  • Patent number: 10890357
    Abstract: A water heater appliance is provided that includes features that facilitate centering a tank within a casing of the water heater while also diminishing heat loss through the bottom of the water heater. More particularly, a water heater is provided that includes a bottom cover that has an integral centering feature that facilitates centering of the tank within the casing. A method for assembling a water heater appliance is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory L. Hutchison, Neil Kent McDonald, Timothy David Gantt, Jonathan D. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20200049376
    Abstract: A water heater appliance is provided that includes features for removing water from a junction box of the water heater appliance. More particularly, a water heater is provided that includes a draining feature that drains or removes water that has seeped or leaked into a junction box that is at least partially encased in an insulation material. In one exemplary aspect, the drain feature includes a drain conduit connected to an outlet defined by the junction box. The drain conduit may drain the water from the junction box to a number of suitable locations. For instance, the water may be drained to a dedicated drain port or a cavity defined in part by an access panel removably mounted to a casing of the water heater appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Gregory L. Hutchison, Timothy David Gantt
  • Publication number: 20200025414
    Abstract: A water heater appliance is provided that includes features that facilitate centering a tank within a casing of the water heater while also diminishing heat loss through the bottom of the water heater. More particularly, a water heater is provided that includes a bottom cover that has an integral centering feature that facilitates centering of the tank within the casing. A method for assembling a water heater appliance is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Gregory L. Hutchison, Neil Kent McDonald, Timothy David Gantt, Jonathan D. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20200025416
    Abstract: A water heater appliance is provided that includes features for preventing water incursion into an access point or ingress of water heater appliance. More particularly, a water heater is provided that includes a boot that stretches around an incoming supply conduit to form an impermeable seal at the interface between the boot and the supply conduit. The boot has a canopy that extends from the impermeable seal to a canopy edge contacting at least a portion of the casing. The boot sheds water away from the access point and thus prevents water from entering the water heater appliance through the access point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Gregory L. Hutchison, Timothy David Gantt
  • Publication number: 20170146268
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides chiller apparatus including a storage tank for storing the liquid and a refrigerant cooling system. The refrigerant cooling system includes a compressor attached to the storage tank, a condenser positioned downstream from the compressor to condense a refrigerant received therefrom, and at least one evaporator positioned downstream of the condenser and wrapped about the outer surface of the storage tank. The evaporator includes a negative pitch coil configured to direct refrigerant flow from a position near a top of the storage tank to a position near a bottom of the storage tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Timothy Scott Shaffer, Noel Aguilar, Craig lung-Pei Tsai, Alan George Constance, Christopher Bryan Rissler, Michelle Diana Gross, Timothy David Gantt, Jonathan D. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20160033167
    Abstract: A dam assembly for positioning around a fitting in a water heater defines an axial direction and includes a hollow extension. The hollow extension extends along the axial direction and includes a body portion positioned at a first end, a frangible section positioned at a second end, and a detachment band extending along the axial direction between the body portion and the frangible section. The frangible section is configured to be removed from the body portion along the detachment band to reduce an effective length of the hollow extension and allow the dam assembly to be used in various locations in a single water heater appliance and/or in various size water heater appliances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventor: Timothy David Gantt
  • Patent number: 9206996
    Abstract: Water heater appliances are provided. A water heater appliance includes a tank defining a chamber, the tank further defining an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture. The water heater appliance further includes a cold water conduit extending through the inlet aperture and in fluid communication with the chamber of the tank, the cold water conduit configured for directing a flow of water into the chamber of the tank. The water heater appliance further includes an alignment feature configured on the cold water conduit for orienting the cold water conduit within the chamber, the alignment feature corresponding to a mating alignment feature configured on the inlet aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Noel Gabriel Aguilar, Jonathan D. Nelson, Timothy David Gantt
  • Publication number: 20150192326
    Abstract: Water heater appliances are provided. A water heater appliance includes a tank defining a chamber, the tank further defining an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture. The water heater appliance further includes a cold water conduit extending through the inlet aperture and in fluid communication with the chamber of the tank, the cold water conduit configured for directing a flow of water into the chamber of the tank. The water heater appliance further includes an alignment feature configured on the cold water conduit for orienting the cold water conduit within the chamber, the alignment feature corresponding to a mating alignment feature configured on the inlet aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Noel Gabriel Aguilar, Jonathan D. Nelson, Timothy David Gantt