Water heater appliance and methods for model identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water heater appliances require multiple control boards or programs tailored to different models, increasing manufacturing complexity and maintenance burdens, particularly when replacing a damaged control board.
Innovation Solution
A water heater appliance with a universal controller that detects the appliance model through a diagnostic heating cycle, selects a predetermined model setting based on detected temperatures, and directs a functional heating cycle accordingly, eliminating the need for model-specific control boards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple different control boards or programs are provided for different models of water heater appliances, then each model can have optimized performance, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single control board is designed to universally support multiple water heater appliance models by automatically detecting the specific model type and loading the corresponding control program from memory, eliminating the need for multiple different control boards while maintaining model-specific optimization
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple model-specific control programs are pre-loaded into the control board's memory during manufacturing, allowing the controller to automatically select and execute the appropriate program based on detected appliance characteristics without requiring external programming or manual configuration
2Reliability
If multiple different control boards are used for different models, then each model has tailored control, but maintenance burden increases when replacing damaged control boards
Solution Approach 1:
A universal control board design allows service professionals to replace any damaged control board with a single standard replacement unit that automatically adapts to the specific appliance model through detection and program selection, eliminating the need to carry or remember programming details for multiple different control boards
Solution Approach 2:
The control board contains copied versions of multiple model-specific control programs within its memory, allowing a single physical control board to function as multiple model-specific control boards, simplifying replacement while maintaining accurate model-specific control
3Device complexity
If a single universal controller is used for all models, then manufacturing complexity reduces, but the controller must accommodate all model variations
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into separate functional components: model detection mechanisms, program storage memory, and execution control logic, allowing a single universal controller to accommodate multiple models through automatic program selection rather than hardware variation
Solution Approach 2:
The control board dynamically adapts its behavior by automatically detecting appliance model characteristics and loading the appropriate control program from memory, transforming a static control device into a dynamic system that adjusts its control strategy based on the specific appliance model
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient operation of different water heater models with a single controller, reducing manufacturing complexity and simplifying maintenance by automatically adapting to model-specific settings.
Implementation Method 1
The heating element may be configured to heat water in the tank
Implementation Method 2
The one or more temperature sensors may be attached to the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A water heater appliance may include a housing, a tank, a heating element, one or more temperature sensors, and a controller. The tank may be attached to the housing. The tank may define an interior volume. The heating element may be configured to heat water in the tank. The one or more temperature sensors may be attached to the housing. The controller may be mounted to the housing in operable communication with the heating element and the one or more temperature sensors. The controller may be configured to direct a water heating operation. The water heating operation may include directing a programmed diagnostic heating cycle, detecting an appliance temperature during the programmed diagnostic heating cycle, selecting an appliance model based on the detected appliance temperature, applying a predetermined model setting based on the selected appliance model, and directing a functional heating cycle according to the predetermined model setting.