Patent Application
20250002322
The present invention relates to a cold water tank, and more particularly, to a cold water tank that improves the performance of extracting cold water while reducing manufacturing costs by making the cold water tank not large in order to extract a lot of cold water, and improves user satisfaction by extracting cold water in a direct water manner.
In general, a cold water tank is a device that cools water supplied from a faucet, a water bottle, or purified water storage device and provides it to the user. These cold water tanks are mainly installed for the generation of low-temperature drinking water for water purifiers, carbonated water purifiers, and cold and hot water purifiers, but can be used in various fields that require the generation of cold water.
Coway Co., Ltd.'s Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2020-0008263 discloses a conventional cold water tank. Such a cold water tank is provided with a tank body and a cooling unit that cools the water stored in the tank body to become cold water. In this case, ice is generated on the outer surface of the cooling unit, preventing sufficient chilliness from being delivered to the water stored inside the tank body, resulting in poor cold water extraction efficiency.
The cooling device for a water purifier disclosed in Haewon Electric Industrial Controls Co., Ltd.'s Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1658496 includes a cold water tank and a cooling pipe that cools the water stored in the cold water tank by contacting the outer circumferential surface of the cold water tank. In such a cooling device, as the cooling pipe is arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the cold water tank, the chilliness of the cooling pipe is not transmitted only to the cold water tank but is discharged to the outside, so there is a problem of degrading cooling efficiency.
The cold water tank for a water purifier disclosed in Won Bong Co., Ltd.'s Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2053784 is equipped with a tank body, a cooling coil surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the tank body, and a heat insulating material surrounding the cooling coil. In the cold water tank for a water purifier, the cooling coil is not exposed to the outside by the heat insulating material, but the cooling coil does not directly contact water stored in the tank body, thereby degrading cooling efficiency. In addition, there is a problem that the tank body is formed in a cylindrical shape, limiting the design space of the water purifier, and increasing the manufacturing cost by increasing the size of the entire water purifier to design the tank body in a large capacity.
To solve the above problems, a cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to minimize the design space of the water purifier while extracting a large amount of cold water by dividing the accommodation space for accommodating the fluid into partition walls so that the fluid moves directly along the partition walls and the evaporator is placed in the accommodation space to exchange heat with the fluid.
The cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to improve the performance of cold water extraction by increasing the contact area heat-exchanged with fluid in the accommodation space by including m evaporation pipes and m−1 connection pipes connecting m evaporation pipes in which the evaporator forms an offset.
The cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to prevent excessive proximity of the connection pipes and the partition walls to each other by alternately arranging the partition walls in the transverse direction in the accommodation space, thereby preventing the performance of cold water extraction from deteriorating due to excessive ice generation on the outer circumferential surface of the connection pipe.
The cold water tank for a direct water purifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to prevent the body part from being rapidly expanded and damaged by fluid as the discharge of internal air is controlled.
The cold water tank for a direct water purifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to improve power consumption efficiency while providing cold water corresponding to a temperature range desired by a user by precisely measuring the temperature of the refrigerant.
To achieve the above objects, a cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a body part having an accommodation space for accommodating a fluid; a partition wall part composed of n partition walls that laterally divide the accommodation space of the body part into n+1 zones (n is an integer equal to or greater than 1); an evaporator disposed in the accommodation space of the body part to cool a fluid moving through the n+1 zones, wherein the evaporator includes m evaporation pipes (m is an integer of 2 or more) that are arranged to face the partition walls, wherein at least some of the evaporation pipes are arranged in a first direction; and m−1 connection pipes connecting a kth evaporation pipe and a [k+1]th evaporation pipe so that the [k+1]th evaporation pipe forms a first offset with the kth evaporation pipe in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and forms a second offset with the kth evaporation pipe in the longitudinal direction, and connecting the [k+1]th evaporation pipe and a [k+2]th evaporation pipe so that the [k+2]th evaporation pipe forms a first offset with the [k+1]th evaporation pipe in a third direction, which is the reverse direction of the second direction, and forms a second offset with the [k+1]th evaporation pipe in the longitudinal direction (k is an odd number equal to or greater than 1 and less than m−1), wherein the partition wall includes an opening through which the connection pipe passes.
In the cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one evaporation pipe may be disposed in each of the zones except for the uppermost zone and the lowermost zone among the zones of the accommodation space.
In the cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the m−1 connection pipes may include a plurality of first connection pipes connecting the kth evaporation pipe and the [k+1]th evaporation pipe; and a plurality of second connection pipes connecting the [k+1]th evaporation pipe and the [k+2]th evaporation pipe.
In the cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of first connection pipes may be disposed in parallel and at equal intervals to each other on a first plane of the accommodation space.
In the cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of second connection pipes may be disposed in parallel and at equal intervals to each other on a second plane parallel to the first plane in the accommodation space.
In the cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each of the n partition walls may be formed at a height through which any one of the plurality of first connection pipes and the plurality of second connection pipes passes.
In the cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the n partition walls may include a first partition wall part through which any one of the plurality of first connection pipes passes, and a second partition wall part through which any one of the plurality of second connection pipes passes, and the first partition wall part and the second partition wall part may be alternately arranged in the transverse direction in the accommodation space.
In the cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a third plane including any one of the plurality of first connection pipes and a plane including the partition wall part may be formed to have an angle greater than 0° and less than 90° from each other.
In the cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a fourth plane including any one of the plurality of second connection pipes and a plane including the partition wall part may be formed to have an angle greater than 0° and less than 90° from each other.
In the cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the opening may be located at a regular interval from the inner surface of the body part.
The cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include an air discharge part formed on an upper side of the body part and controlling whether the air inside the body part is discharged to the outside of the body part according to a water level of a fluid accommodated in the body part.
The cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include a water level sensor disposed on an upper side of the body part and sensing the level of the fluid accommodated in the body part, and the water level sensor may control the air discharge part according to the level of the fluid accommodated in the body part.
The cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include a temperature sensor that senses the internal temperature of the body part.
The cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can minimize the design space of the water purifier while extracting a large amount of cold water by dividing the accommodation space for accommodating the fluid into partition walls so that the fluid moves directly along the partition walls and the evaporator is placed in the accommodation space to exchange heat with the fluid.
The cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can improve the performance of cold water extraction by increasing the contact area heat-exchanged with fluid in the accommodation space by including m evaporation pipes and m−1 connection pipes connecting m evaporation pipes in which the evaporator forms an offset.
The cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can prevent excessive proximity of the connection pipes and the partition walls to each other by alternately arranging the partition walls in the transverse direction in the accommodation space, thereby preventing the performance of cold water extraction from deteriorating due to excessive ice generation on the outer circumferential surface of the connection pipe.
The cold water tank for a direct water purifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can prevent the body part from being rapidly expanded and damaged by fluid as the discharge of internal air is controlled.
The cold water tank for a direct water purifier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can improve power consumption efficiency while providing cold water corresponding to a temperature range desired by a user by precisely measuring the temperature of the refrigerant.
Terms and words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their usual or dictionary definition. They should be interpreted as meaning and concepts consistent with the technical idea of the present invention, based on the principle that inventors may appropriately define the terms and concepts to describe their invention in the best way.
Accordingly, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings correspond to preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not represent all the technical idea of the present invention, so the configurations may have various examples of equivalent and modification that can replace them at the time of filing the present invention.
It should be understood that the terms “comprise” or “have” or the like when used in this specification, are intended to describe the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or a combination thereof but not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or a combination thereof.
The presence of an element in/on “front”, “rear”, “upper or above or top” or “lower or below or bottom” of another element includes not only being disposed in/on “front”, “rear”, “upper or above or top” or “lower or below or bottom” directly in contact with other elements, but also cases in which another element being disposed in the middle, unless otherwise specified. In addition, unless otherwise specified, that an element is “connected” to another element includes not only direct connection to each other but also indirect connection to each other.
Hereinafter, a cold water tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The body part 110 is formed in a cube shape and is disposed inside a water purifier (not shown). However, the body part 110 is not limited to being disposed inside the water purifier, and may be disposed outside the water purifier. In addition, the partition wall part 120 and the evaporator 130 are provided in the accommodation space 119 of the body part 110. In addition, the body part 110 is formed in the form of a cube including an upper surface 111, a lower surface 112 formed parallel to the upper surface 111, a first side surface 113 connected between the upper surface 111 and the lower surface 112, and a second side surface 114 formed parallel to the first side surface 113. In this way, since the body part 110 is formed in the form of a cube, it accommodates a large amount of the fluid in the accommodation space 119 compared to the cylindrical shape in the same space, which has an advantage of extracting a large amount of cold water without increasing the size of the water purifier itself. In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the body part 110 is not limited to being in the form of a cube, but may be in various forms that can be installed inside a water purifier according to the installation space inside the water purifier. In addition, the material of the body part 110 is stainless steel. However, the material of the body part 110 is not limited to stainless steel, and may be various materials such as metal or plastic that are strong in corrosion resistance and have rigidity. In addition, an inlet pipe 117 through which the fluid flows in from the outside of the body part 110 is formed on the upper surface 111. In this case, the inlet pipe 117 includes a first inlet member 117a penetrating the upper surface 111, a second inlet member 117b extending from the first inlet member 117a, and a third inlet member 117c extending from the second inlet member 117b so that the fluid moves to the accommodation space 119. In addition, the second inlet member 117b is formed in a U-shape, and the fluid does not fall directly in the direction of gravity, but is discharged toward the upper surface 111, thereby preventing the fluid's speed from increasing excessively. In addition, a discharge pipe 118 is formed in the lower portion of the second side surface 114 to discharge the fluid in the accommodation space 119 to the outside. Accordingly, the fluid flowing in through the inlet pipe 117 moves in the accommodation space 119 and is then discharged into the discharge pipe 118.
The partition wall part 120 is composed of n partition walls that laterally divide the accommodation space 119 of the body part 110 into n+1 zones (n is an integer equal to or greater than 1). For example, n may be 5, the n partition walls are 5 partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, and the n+1 zones are 6 zones 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g. However, n is not limited to 5, and n may be 1 to 4 or 6 or more. In addition, the n partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 include a first partition wall 121, a second partition wall 122, a third partition wall 123, a fourth partition wall 124, and a fifth partition wall 125, which are arranged parallel to each other along the transverse direction. In addition, openings 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a through which the fluid moves downward are formed in the n partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125. In addition, the openings 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a are formed in a slit shape. However, the openings 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a are not limited to being formed in a slit shape, and may have various shapes through which the fluid moves. In this case, the n partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 are spaced apart from each other at different gaps. That is, the first partition wall 121 is spaced apart from the upper surface 111 of the body part 110 at a first gap G1. In addition, the second partition wall 122 is spaced apart from the first partition wall 121 at a second gap G2. In this case, the second gap G2 is longer than the first gap G1. In addition, the third partition wall 123 is spaced apart from the second partition wall 122 at a third gap G3. In this case, the third gap G3 is smaller than the first gap G1. In addition, the fourth partition wall 124 is spaced apart from the third partition wall 123 at a fourth gap G4. In this case, the fourth gap G4 is equal to the second gap G2. In addition, the fifth partition wall 125 is spaced apart from the fourth partition wall 124 at a fifth gap G5. In this case, the fifth gap G5 is equal to the third gap G3. In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the n partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 are not limited to being spaced apart at different gaps, but may be spaced apart at equal gaps. In addition, the material of the partition wall part 120 is stainless steel, just like the material of the body part 110. However, the material of the partition wall part 120 is not limited to stainless steel, and may be various materials such as metal or plastic that are strong in corrosion resistance and have rigidity. In addition, the n+1 zones 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g include a first zone 110b, a second zone 110c, a third zone 110d, a fourth zone 110e, a fifth zone 110f, and a sixth zone 110g partitioned by the n partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125. The first zone 110b is formed between the upper surface 111 of the body part 110 and the first partition wall 121. In addition, a first opening 121a for the fluid moving through the first zone 110b to move downward is formed in the first partition wall 121. The second zone 110c is formed between the first partition wall 121 and the second partition wall 122. In addition, a second opening 122a for the fluid moving through the second zone 110c to move downward is formed in the second partition wall 122. The third zone 110d is formed between the second partition wall 122 and the third partition wall 123. In addition, a third opening 123a for the fluid moving through the third zone 110d to move downward is formed in the third partition wall 123. The fourth zone 110e is formed between the third partition wall 123 and the fourth partition wall 124. In this case, the size of the fourth zone 110e is the same as the size of the second zone 110c. In addition, a fourth opening 124a for the fluid moving through the fourth zone 110e to move downward is formed in the fourth partition wall 124. The fifth zone 110f is formed between the fourth partition wall 124 and the fifth partition wall 125. In this case, the size of the fifth zone 110f is the same as the size of the third zone 110d. In addition, a fifth opening 125a for the fluid moving through the fifth zone 110f to move downward is formed in the fifth partition wall 125. The sixth zone 110g is formed between the fifth partition wall 125 and the sixth partition wall 126.
The evaporator 130 is disposed in the accommodation space 119 of the body part 110 to cool the fluid moving through the n+1 zones 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g. In addition, a refrigerant heat-exchanged with the fluid is moved to the evaporator 130. In this case, a refrigerant supply pipe 145 through which the refrigerant is supplied from the outside is provided on one side of the evaporator 130. The refrigerant supply pipe 145 penetrates the upper portion of the first side surface 113 of the body part 110. In addition, a refrigerant discharge pipe 146 through which the refrigerant is discharged to the outside is provided on the other side of the evaporator 130. The refrigerant discharge pipe 146 penetrates the lower portion of the first side surface 113 of the body part 110. In addition, the evaporator 130 includes m evaporation pipes (m is an integer of 2 or more) that are arranged to face the partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, wherein at least some of the evaporation pipes are arranged in the first direction ({circle around (1)}, see
In addition, the m−1 connection pipes connect the kth evaporation pipe (k is an odd number of 1 or more and m−1 or less) and the [k+1]th evaporation pipe, and connect the [k+1]th evaporation pipe and the [k+2]th evaporation pipe. The m−1 connection pipes have a U-shape. However, the m−1 connection pipes are not limited to being formed in a U-shape, and may have various shapes connecting the m evaporation pipes to each other. In this case, the [k+1]th evaporation pipe forms a first offset with the kth evaporation pipe in a second direction ({circle around (2)}, see
In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 may be disposed in each of the zones except for the uppermost zone 110a and the lowermost zone 110h among the zones of the accommodation space 119. Since the uppermost zone 110a is adjacent to the upper surface 111 and the lowermost zone 110h is adjacent to the lower surface 112, the at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 is not disposed in the uppermost zone 110a and the lowermost zone 110h, thereby preventing the chilliness of the evaporator 130 from being rapidly transmitted to the upper surface 111 and the lower surface 112. In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 may not be disposed in the lowermost zone 110h while being disposed in the uppermost zone 110a. In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 may be disposed in the lowermost zone 110h without being disposed in the uppermost zone 110a. In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 may be disposed in the lowermost zone 110h while being disposed in the uppermost zone 110a.
In addition, as shown in
In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cold water tank 100 is equipped with a temperature sensor 170 that senses the internal temperature of the body part 110. In this case, the temperature sensor 170 includes a first temperature sensor 171 disposed in the fourth zone 110e and a second temperature sensor 172 disposed in the fifth zone 110f. The first temperature sensor 171 is disposed adjacent to the upper side of the ninth connection pipe 159, and the second temperature sensor 172 is disposed adjacent to the lower side of the ninth connection pipe 159. There is a problem in that if ice is excessively generated on the outer circumferential surface of the ninth connection pipe 159, the fourth opening 124a may become clogged. To solve this problem, the first temperature sensor 171 and the second temperature sensor 172 measure the ambient temperature of the ninth connection pipe 159 to prevent excessive ice generation on the outer circumferential surface of the ninth connection pipe 159. In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an air discharge part 115 penetrating the upper portion of the second side surface 114 of the body part 110 is provided in the cold water tank 100. The air discharge part 115 controls the discharge of air inside the body part 110 to the outside of the body part 110 according to the level of fluid accommodated in the body part 110. For example, the air discharge part 115 is closed so that the air inside the body part 110 is not discharged to the outside of the body part 110 to prevent the leakage of chilliness, and when the level of fluid accommodated in the body part 110 rises, the air discharge part 115 allows the air inside the body part 110 to be discharged to the outside of the body part 110, preventing the body part 110 from being damaged by the internal pressure of the body part 110. In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a water level sensor 116 disposed on the upper side of the body part 110 is provided in the water cold water tank 100. The water level sensor 116 senses the water level of the fluid accommodated in the body part 110. In addition, the water level sensor 116 is provided to control the supply of the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the body part 110 according to the level of the fluid accommodated in the body part 110. In addition, the water level sensor 116 controls the air discharge part 115 according to the level of fluid accommodated in the body part 110. Accordingly, the water level sensor 116 prevents the body part 110 from being damaged by an increase in the internal pressure of the body part 110 by the fluid accommodated in the body part 110.
In addition, Table 1 is a table comparing the cold water efficiency of the conventional cold water tank and the cold water tank according to the embodiment of the present invention. The cold water tank of the conventional invention 1 generates cold water in a state of storing cold water, not a direct water type, and the cold water tank of the conventional invention 2 has a cylindrical structure to generate cold water in a direct water type. Here, the tank cold water efficiency is a value obtained by dividing the cold water extraction amount by the tank capacity.
Referring to Table 1, the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank of the conventional invention 1 is 84%, the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank of the conventional invention 2 is 100%, and the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank according to the present invention is 127%. In this case, the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank according to the present invention shows that the amount of cold water extracted is greater than that of the fluid supplied because ice is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the evaporator. As such, it can be seen that the cold water tank according to the present invention has improved tank cold water efficiency compared to the conventional invention 1 and the conventional invention 2. In addition, it can be seen that since the cold water tank according to the present invention does not need to be limited to a cylindrical structure, the size of the cold water tank according to the present invention is smaller than the size of the cold water tank of the conventional invention 2, but rather the tank cold water efficiency is improved. In addition, since the minimum temperature of cold water in the cold water tank according to the present invention is 3.2° C., the minimum temperature of cold water in the cold water tank of conventional invention 1 is 3.3° C., and the minimum temperature of cold water in the cold water tank of conventional invention 2 is 4.3° C., the cold water tank according to the present invention can improve user satisfaction by extracting cold water at a lower temperature than conventional invention 1 and conventional invention 2. In addition, comparing the cold water tank according to the present invention with the cold water tank in which the evaporators are arranged in parallel in two rows, the refrigerant of the evaporator moves downward along the partition wall part and then moves upward again, thereby reducing the cooling efficiency by the refrigerant, so the cooling efficiency of the cold water tank according to the present invention is improved compared to the cold water tank in which the evaporators are arranged in parallel in two rows.
Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, the idea of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Those of ordinary skill in the art who understand the idea of the present invention may easily propose other embodiments through supplement, change, removal, addition, etc. of elements within the same idea, but the embodiments will be also within the idea scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2021-0146992 | Oct 2021 | KR | national |
| 10-2021-0146996 | Oct 2021 | KR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2022/015503 | 10/13/2022 | WO |
