FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to tankless water heaters and, in particular, to connectors for tankless water heaters.

BACKGROUND

Recent water heater designs have reduced the need for a large storage tank and heat the water only when heated water is demanded. These on-demand water heaters, also known as “instantaneous” or “tankless” water heaters, typically supply heat only when required, which can reduce the amount of energy lost by the water heating system when the water heater is not in use. These tankless water heaters are commonly used in residential and commercial applications to heat water. Because on-demand water heaters do not require a large storage tank, they can be considerably smaller than traditional water heaters. The reduced size allows on-demand water heaters to be placed closer to where the heated water is needed and further reduces heat loss from water traveling through cold pipes. Because traditional energy sources, like combustible matter and electrical heating elements, are generally known to heat water quicker than a heat pump, existing on-demand water heaters typically use combustible matter or electrical heating elements.

Due to the variety of available tankless water heaters, and their common uses in residential and commercial applications, it is rare to find two tankless water heaters that are alike in terms of size, fitment, capacity, and other parameters. As such, difficulties can arise when replacing, swapping, or maintaining a tankless water heater. Refitting various pipes in a home (e.g., air pipes for venting a tankless water heater) to accommodate a new tankless water heater can be costly and create several plumbing and/or structural issues. If an exhaust vent is needed to accompany a tankless water heater, users must remove and/or drastically alter existing vent lengths and/or install new vents to accommodate a new, dissimilar tankless water heater due to inconsistencies in vent spacing. As such, users of tankless water heaters can become limited in their selections of new tankless water heaters based on the fitment of their current tankless water heater.

What is needed, therefore, are connectors for tankless water heaters that can allow for a seamless connection with existing water plumbing systems of any size, shape, form, and/or fitment. The present disclosure addresses this need as well as other needs that will become apparent upon reading the description below in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates generally to tankless water heaters and, in particular, to connectors for tankless water heaters. The disclosed technology can include a connector for a tankless water heater, the connector comprising a flange, a aperture extending through the flange, one or more slots extending through the flange, and a connector portion substantially surrounding the aperture and extending outward from the flange away from the tankless water heater. The connector portion can be configured to attach to and seal with a vent for the tankless water heater.

The aperture can correspond to an air inlet extending into the tankless water heater. The aperture and the air inlet can have a first and a second diameter, respectively. The first diameter can be less than or equal to the second diameter. That is, the diameter of the connector's aperture can be less than or equal to the diameter of the air inlet.

The flange can have one or more slots extending through the flange. The one or more slots can be substantially parallel and on opposite sides of the aperture. Each of the one or more slots can correspond to one or more fastening holes in the tankless water heater. Each of the one or more slots can have a width to accommodate a fastener to fasten the flange to the tankless water heater. The connector can further comprise a gasket disposed between the flange and the tankless water heater.

The connector can be in an unsecured state when the one or more slots are not fastened to the one or more fastening holes, and the one or more slots can allow the flange to move laterally along the tankless water heater in the unsecured state. The connector can be in a secured state when the one or more slots are fastened to the one or more fastening holes.

The present disclosure can also provide a connector for a tankless water heater, the connector comprising: a cover plate, a connector member, and a bracing panel. The cover plate can have an aperture with a first diameter, the tankless water heater can have an air inlet with a second diameter, and the bracing panel can have a third aperture with a third diameter. The first diameter can be less than or equal to the second diameter, and the third diameter can be substantially similar to the first diameter. The connector member can fit within the aperture and extend between the aperture and the air inlet. The connector can also have an adhesive layer disposed between the cover plate and the tankless water heater. The adhesive layer can have a coefficient of friction to prevent the cover plate from moving when the cover plate contacts the adhesive layer.

The connector member can have a bottom portion and a top portion. The connector member can attach to the bracing panel at the bottom portion and attaches to the cover plate at the top portion. The top portion and the bottom portion of the connector member each have a raised lip to retain the cover plate and the bracing panel, respectively.

The connector can be in an unsecured state when the cover plate is not engaged with the adhesive layer. The connector member can allow the flange to move radially within the air inlet in the unsecured state. The connector can also be in a secured state when the cover plate is pressed against the adhesive layer, thereby preventing the cover plate from moving.

Also disclosed herein are tankless water heaters implementing the same.

These and other aspects of the present disclosure are described in the Detailed Description below and the accompanying figures. Other aspects and features of examples of the present disclosure will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the following description of specific examples of the present disclosure in concert with the figures. While features of the present disclosure may be discussed relative to certain examples and figures, all examples of the present disclosure can include one or more of the features discussed herein. Further, while one or more examples may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be used with the various examples of the disclosure discussed herein. In similar fashion, while examples may be discussed below as device, system, or method examples, it is to be understood that such examples can be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure.

