Tankless hot water heater

[0002] 1. Technical Field

[0003] This device relates to heating devices that utilize friction coefficients to generate heat and more particularly to fluid heating devices for domestic hot water use.

[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0005] Prior art within this field has been directed to a variety of heat generating devices utilizing friction to heat fluid, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,312,322, 4,387,701, 4,554,906, 4,596,209 and 5,392,737.

[0006] In U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,322 a disk friction heater is disclosed wherein a plurality of disks are driven by a motor. The disks are spaced within a housing and surrounded by oil which heats as the disks rotate.

[0007] A fluid friction furnace is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,701 having a plurality of rotating disks and stationery plates within an enclosure filled with heat transfer fluid. An external motor drives the disk producing heat between the disks and the plates.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,906 discloses a tankless friction boiler system having rotary members slidably engaged in a housing. An electric motor drives the members producing heat within a fluid transfer environment.

[0009] In U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,209 a wind turbine heat generating device is disclosed wherein a wind driven turbine drives a positive displacement pump with adjustable outlets causing fluid to be heated as it passes through the restricted outlets.

[0010] Finally, a friction heater is claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,737 in which a motor rotates a stator that generates heat transfer through a fluid filled housing in communication therewith.

[0011] An economical point of use hot water heating device that requires no outboard energy input utilizing the fluid flow dynamics to generate heat that is in turn transferred to the fluid flow. A pair of turbine assemblies are placed within a restricted fluid flow path rotating outboard friction heating elements generating heat with a thermal heat sink within the fluid's path. The friction engagement elements are configured to maximize thermal generation and transfer to the fluid.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a partial exploded perspective view of the tankless hot water heater of the invention;

[0013] FIG. 2 is an enlarged end plan view thereof;

[0014] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on lines 3—3 of FIG. 1;

[0015] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on lines 4—4 of FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on lines 5—5 of FIG. 4;

[0017] FIG. 6 is an enlarged front elevational view of a friction disk and spider spring assembly of the invention;

[0018] FIG. 7 is an enlarged right side elevational view thereof; and

[0019] FIG. 8 is an enlarged rear elevational view thereof;

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a friction fluid heating device 10 of the invention can be seen having a main cylindrical body member 11 with oppositely disposed open ends at 12 and 13. The cylindrical body member 11 has pairs of longitudinally spaced transversely aligned openings at 14 and 15 therein. Each of the opening pairs 14 and 15 define annular outlets 14A and 14B, 15A and 15B for receiving identical thermal generating assemblies 16A and 16B, 17A and 17B, best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

[0021] A cylinder insert 18 best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings has an elongated body member 19 with a tapered end portion 20 and a pair of longitudinally spaced arcuate recesses at 21 and 22 therein. The recesses 21 and 22 are aligned between the respective annular outlets 14A and 14B, 15A and 15B as will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter.

[0022] Each of the thermal generating assemblies comprises a thermal engagement transfer housing 23 with a cylindrical side wall 24 and integral end cap portion 25 thereon. The side wall 24 is cut along its perimeter free edge in a contoured pattern at 26 to conform with respective curved surfaces 27 of the main cylindrical body member 11 around the perimeter of the respective annular outlet openings 14A and 14B, 15A and 15B over which the housing 23 will enclose as best seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

[0023] A friction disk assembly 28 is engageable against the outer surface 29 of the end cap portion 25. The friction disk assembly 28 has a centrally apertured grinding wheel 30 with an engagement surface 31, best seen in FIGS. 6 and 8 of the drawings. The engagement surfaces 31 registerably engage respective end cap portions 25 each of which has an annular wear band 32 embedded within that provides for enhanced frictional engagement therewith. Oppositely disposed surface 33 of the disk assembly 28 have a plurality of annularly spaced mounting sockets 34 therein for registerably receiving a spider spring 35 as seen in FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings.

[0024] The spider spring 35 has a dual centered apertured hubs 36 and 37 with multiple aligned openings therein for holding individual spring conductor wire and elements 38. The spider spring 35 acts as a resilient chuck maintaining the grinding wheel 30 in frictional contact while diminishing initial rotational torque upon starting up as will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

[0025] The friction disk assemblies 28 are secured to respective drive shafts 39 that extend through aligned apertures 40 in the housings 23 from turbine blade assemblies 41 within the cylindrical body member 11.

[0026] The turbine blade assemblies 41 each have a plurality of half arcuate blades 42 mounted radially on respective drive shafts 39. The turbine blade assemblies 41 are positioned within the respective cylinder insert recesses 21 and 22, best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

[0027] The cylindrical insert 18 as thus described acts as a fluid flow diverter to channel the fluid flow across one-half of the respective turbine blade assemblies 41 indicated by directional arrows A and FF. The frictional disk assemblies 28 are enclosed in a secondary fluid tight cylinder housing 43 that is registerably positioned over the hereinbefore described first housing 18 and against the respective curved surfaces 27 of the cylinder 11.

[0028] Apertured integral end closures caps 44 have pressure relief valves 45 on each respectively which provide a safety relief for cylinder housing 43. The relief valves 45 have graduated pressure setting dependent on their position with the system, best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

[0029] In use, the direct fluid flow FF spins the blades 42 and attached drive shafts 39 rotating the respective friction disk assemblies 28 against the outer end caps 25 surfaces 29 of the housing 23. The kinetic energy inherent therein is converted to thermal output in the form of heat within the transfer housing 23. As a portion of the fluid flow FF passes through the transfer housing 23, the heat generated is given up to heat the fluid F as it passes.

[0030] In the preferred embodiment the two respective turbine blade assemblies 41 and multiple interconnected thermal generating assemblies 16A and 16B, 17A and 17B assemblies act in an inline manner providing hot fluid HF from the exit end 13 of the heating device 10 of the invention.

[0031] It will thus be seen that the rotating disk assemblies 28 with their configured engagement surfaces define frictional heating that is given up to the constant fluid flow within and across the heat transfer housing 23 as hereinbefore described.

[0032] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.