| 摘要 |
<p>A liquid heating appliance, representatively a water heater, is provided with protective apparatus for preventing rupture of its liquid storage tank portion caused by overheating of pressurized liquid therein. Illustratively, the protective apparatus includes a length of thermoplastic tubing, preferably polybutylene tubing, whose interior is exposed to the tank interior so as to be pressurized by heated liquid therein. In the event of a liquid overheating condition in the tank, the tubing is heat-softened in a manner reducing its burst pressure and causing it to burst, at a pressure substantially below the tank burst pressure, and thereby form a pressure relief outlet passage for the tank. A shield structure with at least one fluid outlet opening therein extends outwardly around the thermoplastic tubing to diffuse pressurized fluid escaping from the burst tubing.</p> |
