Air funnel for a heat pump system of a water heater

Abstract

A water heating appliance includes a heat exchanger that draws heat from process air and delivers the heat to a heat exchange media. The heat exchanger has a polygonal cross-section defining a first area. The water heating appliance also includes a blower that delivers the process air through the heat exchanger. The water heating appliance further includes a funnel that directs the process air from the heat exchanger to the blower. The funnel manages an air pressure of the process air to be consistent within the heat exchanger, and the funnel regulates the air pressure of the process air to decrease evenly and consistently between a downstream surface of the heat exchanger and a port that directs the process air into the blower.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water heating appliance comprising:
 a blower that delivers process air through a heat exchanger; and   an air funnel that directs the process air from the heat exchanger to the blower, wherein the air funnel manages an air pressure of the process air to be consistent within the heat exchanger, and wherein the air funnel regulates the air pressure of the process air to decrease evenly and consistently between a downstream surface of the heat exchanger and a port that directs the process air into the blower, wherein the air funnel includes a transition section that engages the heat exchanger, the transition section having a pressure maintenance portion and a pressure regulation portion, and wherein the pressure regulation portion of the air funnel includes a plurality of parabolic panels that extend from the heat exchanger to the port.   
     
     
         2 . The water heating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the port is a rounded port. 
     
     
         3 . The water heating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the transition section of the air funnel at least partially surrounds an outer edge of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         4 . The water heating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulation portion includes a plurality of tapered fillets that are respectively positioned between adjacent parabolic panels of the plurality of parabolic panels. 
     
     
         5 . The water heating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the blower is downstream of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . The water heating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the port is in an off-center position within the air funnel with respect to the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         7 . The water heating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the air funnel includes a plate that is configured to engage a blower housing of the blower. 
     
     
         8 . The water heating appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the heat exchanger, the blower and the air funnel are positioned within an outer housing, and wherein the plate extends outward from the port and engages walls of the outer housing. 
     
     
         9 . The water heating appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the plate divides an interior of an upper housing into a heat exchange section and a blower section. 
     
     
         10 . The water heating appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the blower is positioned within the blower section and the heat exchanger is positioned within the heat exchange section, wherein the plate prevents the process air from traveling from the heat exchange section to the blower section outside of the port. 
     
     
         11 . A water heating appliance comprising:
 a blower that delivers process air through a heat exchanger having a cross-section that defines a first area; and   an air funnel that is configured to direct the process air from the heat exchanger to the blower, wherein the air funnel regulates an air pressure of the process air to decrease evenly and consistently between a downstream surface of the heat exchanger and a port that directs the process air into the blower, wherein the air funnel includes a transition section that engages the heat exchanger and a convergence section that directs the process air from the transition section to the port, wherein the transition section includes a concave curvature that tapers toward the convergence section, and wherein the convergence section includes a convex curvature that tapers toward the port, wherein the port includes an inner perimeter that defines a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area.   
     
     
         12 . The water heating appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the port is a circular port. 
     
     
         13 . The water heating appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the transition section of the air funnel at least partially engages an outer edge of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . The water heating appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the port is in an off-center position within the air funnel with respect to the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         15 . The water heating appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the air funnel includes a plate that is configured to engage a blower housing of the blower. 
     
     
         16 . The water heating appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger, the blower and the air funnel are positioned within a housing, and wherein the plate extends outward from the port and engages walls of the housing and divides an interior of the housing into a heat exchange section that houses the heat exchanger and a blower section that houses the blower, and wherein the plate prevents the process air from traveling from the heat exchange section to the blower section outside of the port. 
     
     
         17 . A water heating appliance comprising:
 a blower that delivers process air through a heat exchanger; and   an air funnel that is configured to direct the process air from the heat exchanger to the blower, wherein the air funnel includes a pressure maintenance portion that maintains an air pressure of the process air through the heat exchanger and a pressure regulation portion that regulates the air pressure of the process air to decrease evenly and consistently between a downstream surface of the heat exchanger and a port that directs the process air into the blower, wherein the pressure regulation portion of the air funnel includes a plurality of parabolic panels that extend from the heat exchanger to the port and a plurality of tapered fillets that are respectively positioned between adjacent parabolic panels of the plurality of parabolic panels.   
     
     
         18 . The water heating appliance of  claim 17 , wherein the port is a circular port. 
     
     
         19 . The water heating appliance of  claim 17 , wherein a transition section of the air funnel at least partially engages an outer edge of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         20 . The water heating appliance of  claim 17 , wherein the port is in an off-center position within the air funnel with respect to the heat exchanger.