Water heaters with sealed door assembly

Abstract

A water heater door assembly includes a base plate sized and shaped to substantially sealingly cover an access opening in a water heater combustion chamber and has at least one opening through which a fuel supply line extends at least partly between a burner in the combustion chamber and a gas control valve, and a flexible seal positioned at least partly within the opening including an engaging portion substantially sealed to an edge portion of the opening, and a through hole that is shaped to receive the fuel supply and has a size slightly smaller than the size of an outer dimension of the fuel supply line such that the flexible seal and the fuel supply line are friction fit together to form a seal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water heater door assembly comprising:
 a door sized and shaped to substantially sealingly cover an access opening in a water heater combustion chamber, the door having a door opening through which a burner fuel supply line extends at least partly between a burner in the combustion chamber and a gas control valve; and   a unitary flexible seal positioned at least partly within the door opening and comprising an engaging portion substantially sealed to an edge portion of the door opening and having a through hole that is shaped to receive the burner fuel supply line and having a size slightly smaller than the size of an outer dimension of the burner fuel supply line such that the flexible seal and the burner fuel supply line are friction fit together to form a seal, the flexible seal further comprising a first auxiliary opening sized and shaped to sealingly receive one of a pilot fuel supply line and at least one electrical wire extending through the door opening.   
     
     
         2 . The water heater door assembly of  claim 1 , the flexible seal further comprising a second auxiliary opening sized and shaped to sealingly receive the other of the pilot fuel supply line and the at least one electrical wire extending through the door opening. 
     
     
         3 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion includes a channel formed in a distal portion of the flexible seal, the channel sized and shaped to sealingly engage the edge portion. 
     
     
         4 . The door assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the channel is substantially U-shaped. 
     
     
         5 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible seal further comprises: a flattened, O-ring shaped base portion having a diameter larger than the burner fuel supply line and from which the engaging portion extends radially outwardly and a tapered portion extending radially inwardly from the base portion and containing the through hole. 
     
     
         6 . The door assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the auxiliary opening is formed in the base portion. 
     
     
         7 . The door assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the flange further comprises a beaded portion on its distal end that engages the burner fuel supply line. 
     
     
         8 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a radiation shield mounted on the burner fuel supply line, spaced from the flexible seal and sized to substantially block radiant heat generated by the burner in the combustion chamber from impacting the flexible seal. 
     
     
         9 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible seal is formed from silicon based material. 
     
     
         10 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the through hole in the flexible seal is located in a folded portion extending from the engaging portion. 
     
     
         11 . The door assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the through hole is formed in a rib extending radially inwardly from a portion of the folded portion. 
     
     
         12 . A water heater comprising:
 a water container;   a combustion chamber adjacent the water container and having an access opening;   a burner associated with the combustion chamber and arranged to combust fuel to heat water in the water container;   a control valve that regulates fuel flow from an external fuel source; and   a door assembly comprising:
 1) a door member sized and shaped to substantially sealingly cover an access opening in a water heater combustion chamber and having a door opening through which a fuel line extends at least partly between a burner in the combustion chamber and a gas control valve; and 
 2) a flexible seal positioned at least partly within the door opening comprising an engaging portion substantially sealed to an edge portion of the door opening, and having a through hole that is shaped to receive the fuel supply and having a size slightly smaller than the size of an outer dimension of the fuel supply line such that the flexible seal and the fuel supply line are friction fit together to form a seal, the flexible seal further defining an auxiliary opening shaped to receive one of a pilot fuel line and an electrical wire extending through the door opening. 
   
     
     
         13 . The water heater of  claim 12 , wherein the engaging portion has a channel formed in a distal portion of the flexible seal and is sized and shaped to sealingly engage the edge portion. 
     
     
         14 . The water heater of  claim 13 , wherein the channel is substantially U-shaped. 
     
     
         15 . The water heater of  claim 12 , wherein the flexible seal further comprises: a flattened, O-ring shaped flat base portion having a diameter larger than the fuel supply line and from which the engaging portion extends radially outwardly and a tapered portion extending radially inwardly from the base portion and containing the through hole. 
     
     
         16 . The water heater of  claim 15 , wherein the auxiliary opening is formed in the base portion. 
     
     
         17 . The water heater of  claim 15 , wherein the flange further comprises a beaded portion on its distal end that engages the fuel supply line. 
     
     
         18 . The water heater of  claim 12 , further comprising a radiation shield mounted on the fuel supply line, spaced from the flexible seal and sized to substantially block radiant heat generated by a burner in the combustion chamber from impacting the flexible seal. 
     
     
         19 . The water heater of  claim 12 , wherein the flexible seal is formed from silicon based material. 
     
     
         20 . A water heater comprising:
 a water tank for storing water to be heated;   a combustion chamber adjacent to the water tank and defined at least in part by a side wall that include an access opening;   a burner positioned in the combustion chamber, the burner combusting fuel to create products of combustion for heating the stored water;   an igniter positioned in the combustion chamber adjacent the burner to ignite the fuel;   a door removably sealed to the side wall to close the access opening, the door including a door opening;   a fuel line extending through the door opening and being connected to the burner for the delivery of fuel to the burner;   an ignitor line extending through the door and being connected to the ignitor; and   a flexible gasket positioned in the door opening and defining a first aperture around the fuel line to create a gasket seal between the fuel line and the door, and a second aperture around the igniter line to create a gasket seal between the igniter line and the door, to seal against ingress and egress of air between an exterior and interior of the combustion chamber.