Electric continuous flow heater having a plurality of heating channels

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTRIC CONTINUOUS FLOW WATER HEATER FOR USE WITH A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC CURRENT COMPRISING A BODY OF INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING A PASSAGEWAY FOR THE FLOW OF WATER THERETHROUGH IN A GIVEN DIRECTION WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY COMPRISING WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF WATER FLOW AN ELONGATED FIRST HEATING CHANNEL AND AN ELONGATED SECOND HEATING CHANNEL, AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF HEATING COILS OF EQUAL POWER CONSUMPTION INCLUDING A FIRST HEATING COIL IN SAID FIRST HEATING CHANNEL AND EXTENDING THE LENGTH THEREOF IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE WATER THEREIN AND A SECOND HEATING COIL IN THE SECOND HEATING CHANNEL AND EXTENDING THE LENGTH THEREOF IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE WATER THEREIN, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: THE HEATING COILS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED SUCH THAT THE HEAT OUTPUT OF THE SECOND HEATING COIL PER UNIT OF LENGTH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE HEAT OUTPUT OF THE FIRST HEATING COIL PER UNIT OF LENGTH, THEREBY REDUCING THE SURFACE TEMPEATURE OF THE SECOND HEATING COIL WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF THE FIRST HEATING COIL SO AS TO AMELIORATE THE PROBLEMS OF CALCAREOUS DEPOSIT AND EARLY DISTRUCTION OF THE SECOND HEATING COIL; AND MEANS CONNECTED TO THE COILS TO CONNECT THE COILS INDIVIDUALLY TO SAID SOURCE.