Trapezoidal air distribution baffle

Abstract

The disclosed technology includes an air distribution baffle for distributing a flow of air from an air moving device to a burner assembly within a fluid heating device. The air distribution baffle can include a substantially flat portion and a raised portion extending upwardly from the substantially flat portion. The raised portion can include one or more faces having one or more apertures. The apertures can be arranged in a predetermined pattern or arrangement designed to provide a more uniform distribution of air flow and thus increase the combustion efficiency of the fluid heating device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air distribution baffle configured to uniformly distribute a flow of air within a burner assembly of a fluid heating device, the air distribution baffle comprising:
 a substantially flat portion extending along a base plane associated with the air distribution baffle; and   a raised portion extending upwardly from the base plane, the raised portion including apertures formed therethrough.   
     
     
         2 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the raised portion has a first face, a second face, and a third face such that the raised portion has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 2 , wherein each of the first face and the third face extends from the base plane at an approximately 45 degree angle. 
     
     
         4 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the raised portion has a substantially semicylindrical cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         5 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the apertures has a diameter between approximately 3 millimeters and approximately 5 millimeters. 
     
     
         6 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the apertures has a common diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 1 , wherein a first aperture has a first diameter and a second aperture has a second diameter that is different from the first diameter. 
     
     
         8 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the raised portion includes one or more faces and at least some of the apertures form a predetermined pattern on at least one of the one or more faces. 
     
     
         9 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined pattern includes one or more rows of apertures disposed on at least a portion of the raised portion. 
     
     
         10 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 1 , wherein a first face of the raised portion has a first predetermined pattern and a second face of the raised portion has a second predetermined pattern that is identical to the first predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         11 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the raised portion has a maximum height of between approximately 10 millimeters and approximately 14 millimeters. 
     
     
         12 . The air distribution baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one face includes between approximately 15 and 20 apertures. 
     
     
         13 . A fluid heating device comprising:
 an outer shell having a fluid inlet, fluid outlet, and a fuel inlet;   a burner assembly including an ignitor;   a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the burner assembly;   a fluid inlet pipe extending from the fluid inlet to the heat exchanger;   a fluid outlet pipe extending from the heat exchanger to the fluid outlet;   a fuel inlet pipe extending from a fuel inlet to the burner assembly;   an air moving device disposed proximate the burner assembly and configured to move combustion gases from the burner assembly toward the heat exchanger;   an air distribution baffle disposed between the air moving device and the ignitor and configured to distribute a flow of air flowing from the air moving device to the burner assembly, the air distribution baffle having a flat portion and a raised portion; and   an exhaust vent.   
     
     
         14 . The fluid heating device of  claim 13 , wherein the burner assembly comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including the air distribution baffle and the second portion including the ignitor. 
     
     
         15 . The fluid heating device of  claim 14 , wherein the air distribution baffle is attached to a bottom surface of the first portion of the burner assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The fluid heating device of  claim 15 , wherein the flat portion of the air distribution baffle includes one or more openings configured to attach the air distribution baffle to the bottom surface. 
     
     
         17 . The fluid heating device of  claim 13 , wherein the raised portion of the air distribution baffle has a predetermined cross-sectional shape and a plurality of apertures disposed thereon. 
     
     
         18 . The fluid heating device of  claim 13 , wherein the raised portion of the air distribution baffle is aligned with at least a portion of an outlet of the air moving device. 
     
     
         19 . A fluid heating device kit comprising:
 a fluid heating device having a burner assembly; and   a first air distribution baffle and a second air distribution baffle, each having a respective substantially flat portion and a respective raised portion, the first air distribution baffle being different from the second air distribution baffle such that the first air distribution baffle is configured to increase combustion efficiency of the fluid heating device when the fluid heating device is operating at a first elevation and the second air distribution baffle is configured to increase combustion efficiency of the fluid heating device when the fluid heating device is operating at a second elevation that is different from the first elevation.   
     
     
         20 . The fluid heating device kit of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the raised portion of the first air distribution baffle has a first shape and a first size and includes a first number of first apertures arranged in a first arrangement, at least some of the first apertures having a first diameter,   the raised portion of the second air distribution baffle has a second shape and a second size and includes a second number of second apertures arranged in a second arrangement, at least some of the second apertures having a second diameter, and   at least one of the first shape, first size, first number of first apertures, first diameter, and first arrangement differs from the second shape, second size, second number of second apertures, second diameter, and second arrangement, respectively.