Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
274 words
A furnace comprising: a combustion chamber, burner means in the combustion chamber for providing a gas flame, a first heat exchanger adjacent the combustion chamber and having a combustion gas inlet and a combustion gas outlet, one of said gas inlet and gas outlet being positioned above the other to cause combustion gases to flow in a counterflow direction, connecting means extending between the combustion chamber and the combustion gas inlet of the first heat exchanger for permitting combustion gases to flow form the combustion chamber to the first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger adjacent the first heat exchanger and having a combustion gas inlet and a combustion gas outlet, one of said gas inlet and gas outlet of the second heat exchanger being positioned below the other to cause combustion gases to flow in a counterflow direction, connecting means extending between the combustion gas outlet of the first heat exchanger and the combustion gas inlet of the second heat exchanger for permitting combustion gases to flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger, and a baffle having an inverted U-shape within each of the first and second heat exchangers for preventing direct flow of combustion gases from the combustion gas inlet to the combustion gas outlet of the heat exchanger, each of the U-shaped baffles including a midportion between the gas inlet and gas outlet of the heat exchanger and a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from the midportion whereby combustion gases flowing between the gas inlet and gas outlet of each heat exchanger must flow downwardly around the leg portions of the baffle in the heat exchanger.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
274 words
A furnace comprising: a combustion chamber, burner means in the combustion chamber for providing a gas flame, a first heat exchanger adjacent the combustion chamber and having a combustion gas inlet and a combustion gas outlet, one of said gas inlet and gas outlet being positioned above the other to cause combustion gases to flow in a counterflow direction, connecting means extending between the combustion chamber and the combustion gas inlet of the first heat exchanger for permitting combustion gases to flow form the combustion chamber to the first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger adjacent the first heat exchanger and having a combustion gas inlet and a combustion gas outlet, one of said gas inlet and gas outlet of the second heat exchanger being positioned below the other to cause combustion gases to flow in a counterflow direction, connecting means extending between the combustion gas outlet of the first heat exchanger and the combustion gas inlet of the second heat exchanger for permitting combustion gases to flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger, and a baffle having an inverted U-shape within each of the first and second heat exchangers for preventing direct flow of combustion gases from the combustion gas inlet to the combustion gas outlet of the heat exchanger, each of the U-shaped baffles including a midportion between the gas inlet and gas outlet of the heat exchanger and a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from the midportion whereby combustion gases flowing between the gas inlet and gas outlet of each heat exchanger must flow downwardly around the leg portions of the baffle in the heat exchanger.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
89 words
The furnace of claim 1 in which each of the heat exchangers includes a pair of spaced-apart generally flat walls which are connected around the peripheries thereof, the baffle means of each heat exchanger being formed by indentations in the flat walls which extend toward each other into abutting contact, each of the flat walls of each heat exchanger having additional turbulence-providing indentations which extend laterally from the U-shaped baffle for providing turbulence to the combustion gases as the gases flow from the gas inlet to the gas outlet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The furnace of claim 2 in which the turbulence-providing indentations in each flat wall of each heat exchanger extend adjacent to but offset from a turbulence-providing indentation in the other flat wall of the heat exchanger.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The furnace of claim 1 in which each of the first and second heat exchangers is a relatively flat clamshell-type heat exchanger.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The furnace of claim 1 in which each of the heat exchangers includes a pair of spaced-apart generally flat walls which are connected around the peripheries thereof and the baffle of each heat exchanger comprises an obstruction which extends between the spaced-apart flat wall of the heat exchanger between the combustion gas inlet and the combustion gas outlet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The furnace of claim 5 in which the obstruction is provided by an indentation formed in at least one of said flat walls which extends toward the other flat wall.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The furnace of claim 5 in which the baffle further includes means for providing turbulence to the combustion gases as the gas flow form the combustion gas inlet to the combustion gas outlet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
the furnace of claim 7 in which the tubulence means are provided by a plurality of indentations formed in at least one of said flat walls which extends toward the other flat wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The furance of claim 8 in which said turbulence means indentations are provided in each of the walls of each heat exchanger, each turbulence means indentation of each wall being adjacent to but offset from a turbulence means indentation of the other wall.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
The furnace of claim 1 in which each of the heat exchangers is provided with a recess at the bottom thereof between the leg portions of the U-shaped baffle, said burner means extending through said recesses to the combustion chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
The furnace of claim 1 in which each of the heat exchangers is provided with a recess at the bottom thereof between the leg portions of the U-shaped baffle and a combustion air inlet tube extends through said recesses and is connected to the combustion chamber, said burner means extending through said combustion air inlet tube in the combustion chamber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
The furnace of claim 11 in which the combustion air inlet tube is connected to the combustion chamber in an airtight manner and supplies combustion air from outside of the room in which the furnace is located.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The furnace of claim 11 including a gas control valve mounted on the furnace adjacent the combustion air inlet tube for supplying gas to the burner means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The furnace of claim 11 including a combustion gas exhaust blower connected to the combustion gas outlet of the second heat exchanger for exhausting combustion gases.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The furnace of claim 1 in which said burner means includes a flame spreader plate for deflecting a gas flame toward the bottom of the combustion chamber, the spreader plate being a segment of a sphere.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The furnace of claim 1 including a combustion gas exhaust blower connected to the combustion gas outlet of the second heat exchanger for exhausting combustion gases.