Flame arrestor assembly for a gas water heater appliance

Abstract

A gas water heater appliance includes a tank for storage of water for heating, a combustion chamber wall positioned below the tank and defining a combustion chamber and a pilot air inlet, a gas burner positioned within the combustion chamber to heat the water in the tank, and an arrestor assembly mounted to the combustion chamber wall above the pilot air inlet and below the gas burner. The arrestor assembly includes a flame arrestor and a restrictor plate positioned adjacent the flame arrestor, the restrictor plate defining a bottom of the combustion chamber and comprising one or more apertures that provide fluid communication between the pilot air inlet and the combustion chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gas water heater appliance, comprising:
 a tank for storage of water for heating;   a combustion chamber wall positioned below the tank and defining a combustion chamber and a pilot air inlet;   a gas burner positioned within the combustion chamber to heat the water in the tank; and   an arrestor assembly mounted to the combustion chamber wall above the pilot air inlet and below the gas burner, the arrestor assembly comprising:
 a flame arrestor; and 
 a restrictor plate positioned adjacent the flame arrestor, the restrictor plate defining a bottom of the combustion chamber and comprising one or more apertures that provide fluid communication between the pilot air inlet and the combustion chamber. 
   
     
     
         2 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the restrictor plate defines an arcuate profile within a vertical plane. 
     
     
         3 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the restrictor plate is formed as a hyperbolic paraboloid. 
     
     
         4 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more apertures are defined proximate a center of the restrictor plate. 
     
     
         5 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more apertures are defined on a raised embossment of the restrictor plate. 
     
     
         6 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the gas water heater appliance further comprises:
 a pilot light, wherein the raised embossment is defined directly below the pilot light.   
     
     
         7 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 1 , wherein a gap is formed between the restrictor plate and the combustion chamber wall. 
     
     
         8 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 7 , wherein a total cross-sectional area of the one or more apertures and the gap is between about 3 and 8 square inches. 
     
     
         9 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 7 , wherein a nominal gap length of the gap is between about 0.03 and 0.07 inches. 
     
     
         10 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a burner support bracket mounted on a top of the restrictor plate for supporting the gas burner.   
     
     
         11 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the burner support bracket is welded to the arrestor assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the flame arrestor is rolled formed along with the combustion chamber wall to secure the arrestor assembly within the combustion chamber wall. 
     
     
         13 . The gas water heater appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the flame arrestor is a mesh screen or a perforated plate. 
     
     
         14 . An arrestor assembly for a gas water heater, the gas water heater comprising a combustion chamber, the arrestor assembly comprising:
 a flame arrestor; and   a restrictor plate positioned adjacent the flame arrestor, the restrictor plate defining a bottom of the combustion chamber and comprising one or more apertures that provide fluid communication between a pilot air inlet and the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         15 . The arrestor assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the restrictor plate defines an arcuate profile within a vertical plane. 
     
     
         16 . The arrestor assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the restrictor plate is formed as a hyperbolic paraboloid. 
     
     
         17 . The arrestor assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more apertures are defined proximate a center of the restrictor plate. 
     
     
         18 . The arrestor assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more apertures are defined on a raised embossment of the restrictor plate. 
     
     
         19 . The arrestor assembly of  claim 14 , wherein a gap is formed between the restrictor plate and a combustion chamber wall. 
     
     
         20 . The arrestor assembly of  claim 19 , wherein a total cross-sectional area of the one or more apertures and the gap is between about 3 and 8 square inches.