US2026098660A1PendingUtilityA1

Water tank assembly and gas water heater

Assignee: WUHU MIDEA KITCHEN AND BATH APPLIANCES MFG CO LTDPriority: Oct 9, 2024Filed: Sep 10, 2025Published: Apr 9, 2026
Est. expiryOct 9, 2044(~18.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
F24H 1/20F24H 9/0036F24H 8/006
60
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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Claims

Abstract

A water tank assembly includes a tank body provided with a flue gas chamber, and a heat exchanger including a primary heat exchange tube bundle and a condensation tube bundle arranged in sequence along a flue gas inlet direction of the flue gas chamber. The condensation tube bundle includes a plurality of condensation tubes arranged in sequence along the flue gas inlet direction, and each of the plurality of condensation tubes bends and extends along a direction that forms an angle with the flue gas inlet direction.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water tank assembly comprising: 
 a tank body provided with a flue gas chamber; and   a heat exchanger including a primary heat exchange tube bundle and a condensation tube bundle arranged in sequence along a flue gas inlet direction of the flue gas chamber, the condensation tube bundle including a plurality of condensation tubes arranged in sequence along the flue gas inlet direction, and each of the plurality of condensation tubes bending and extending along a direction that forms an angle with the flue gas inlet direction.   
     
     
         2 . The water tank assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of condensation tubes includes: 
 a plurality of straight line segments extending along a first direction and arranged at intervals along a second direction, the first direction and the second direction being perpendicular to the flue gas inlet direction, and an angle being formed between the first direction and the second direction; and   one or more curved line segments each connected to adjacent two of the plurality of straight line segments.   
     
     
         3 . The water tank assembly of  claim 1 , wherein along the flue gas inlet direction, adjacent two of the plurality of condensation tubes are at least partially arranged in a staggered pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The water tank assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of condensation tubes are corrugated tubes. 
     
     
         5 . The water tank assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tank body is provided with a condenser inlet box and a condenser outlet box, and two ends of each of the plurality of condensation tubes respectively communicate with the condenser inlet box and the condenser outlet box, such that the plurality of condensation tubes are arranged in parallel. 
     
     
         6 . The water tank assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the condenser inlet box and the condenser outlet box are arranged at a same sidewall of the tank body. 
     
     
         7 . The water tank assembly of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the tank body includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall arranged opposite to each other and extending along the flue gas inlet direction, the first sidewall being provided with a first primary heat exchange water box, the second sidewall being provided with a second primary heat exchange water box, the primary heat exchange tube bundle including a plurality of primary heat exchange tubes, and two ends of each of the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes respectively communicating with the first primary heat exchange water box and the second primary heat exchange water box; and   one end of at least one of the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes communicates with the condenser inlet box.   
     
     
         8 . The water tank assembly of  claim 7 , wherein: 
 the first primary heat exchange water box is one of a plurality of first primary heat exchange water boxes provided at the first sidewall, and the second primary heat exchange water box is one of a plurality of second primary heat exchange water boxes provided at the first sidewall; and    one of the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes correspondingly communicates with one of the plurality of first primary heat exchange water boxes and one of the plurality of second primary heat exchange water boxes, such that the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes are connected in series to form a series-connected water circuit.   
     
     
         9 . The water tank assembly of  claim 7 , wherein along the flue gas inlet direction, the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes are arranged in at least two rows, and the at least two rows of primary heat exchange tubes are arranged in a staggered pattern. 
     
     
         10 . The water tank assembly of  claim 7 , wherein: 
 the plurality of primary heat exchange tubes are a plurality of first primary heat exchange tubes;   the tank body further includes a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall arranged opposite to each other and extending along the flue gas inlet direction, both the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall being positioned between the first sidewall and the second sidewall;   the tank body further includes a flue gas inlet communicating with the flue gas chamber;   the first sidewall is further provided with a third primary heat exchange water box, the second sidewall is further provided with a fourth primary heat exchange water box, and the primary heat exchange tube bundle further includes a plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes positioned on a side of the plurality of first primary heat exchange tubes near the flue gas inlet;   two opposite ends of each of the plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes respectively communicate with the third primary heat exchange water box and the fourth primary heat exchange water box, and at least one of the plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes communicates with the first primary heat exchange water box; and   the plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes are separately arranged at the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall.   
     
     
         11 . The water tank assembly of  claim 10 , wherein a radial cross section of each of the plurality of first primary heat exchange tubes and/or each of the plurality of second primary heat exchange tubes is an ellipse with a long axis extending along the flue gas inlet direction. 
     
     
         12 . The water tank assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger further includes a heat exchange fin, the heat exchange fin including: 
 a fin body provided with a plurality of tube pass-through holes that penetrate the fin body along a thickness direction of the fin body, the plurality of tube pass-through holes being provided for the primary heat exchange tube bundle to pass through, and an inflow end and an outflow end of the fin body being arranged with respect to each other along the flue gas inlet direction;   a turbulator connected to a surface of a side of the fin body along the thickness direction to obstruct part of flue gas flowing towards the outflow end; and   a guide structure connected to the fin body and positioned on a same surface of the fin body as the turbulator, the guide structure being positioned on a side of the turbulator near the inflow end to guide the flue gas towards the turbulator.   
     
     
         13 . The water tank assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the guide structure is an arched structure, and a flow guide channel extending along the flue gas inlet direction is formed inside the arched structure, the turbulator being positioned at an outlet of the flow guide channel. 
     
     
         14 . The water tank assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the flow guide channel has a cross section that gradually tapers from the inflow end to the outflow end. 
     
     
         15 . The water tank assembly of  claim 13 , wherein a surface of the fin body facing away from the guide structure is provided with a flue gas passage communicating with the flow guide channel. 
     
     
         16 . The water tank assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the turbulator includes a turbulator ring and a turbulator plate arranged in sequence along the flue gas inlet direction, an angle being formed between a length extension direction of the turbulator plate and the flue gas inlet direction. 
     
     
         17 . The water tank assembly of  claim 16 , wherein when viewed along the flue gas inlet direction, a projection plane of the turbulator ring is positioned within the turbulator plate. 
     
     
         18 . The water tank assembly of  claim 16 , wherein a surface of the fin body facing away from the guide structure is provided with a flue gas passage communicating with an inner ring of the turbulator ring. 
     
     
         19 . The water tank assembly of  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the heat exchange fin further includes collars each connected to the surface of the side of the fin body along the thickness direction and arranged around a circumference of each tube pass-through hole; or   the turbulator is one of a plurality of turbulators provided and the guide structure is one of a plurality of guide structures provided, and one of the plurality of guide structures is correspondingly positioned on a side of one of the plurality of turbulators near the inflow end.   
     
     
         20 . A gas water heater comprising: 
 a housing;   a water tank assembly arranged inside the housing and including: 
 a tank body provided with a flue gas chamber; and 
 a heat exchanger including a primary heat exchange tube bundle and a condensation tube bundle arranged in sequence along a flue gas inlet direction of the flue gas chamber, the condensation tube bundle including a plurality of condensation tubes arranged in sequence along the flue gas inlet direction, and each of the plurality of condensation tubes bending and extending along a direction that forms an angle with the flue gas inlet direction; and 
 a burner arranged inside the housing and configured to generate heat exchange flue gas flowing towards the flue gas chamber.

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