The present disclosure relates to a cooling device that can produce cold water through instantaneously cooling water to be cooled that requires cooling, such as in a water purifier, a hot/cold water dispenser, or a refrigerator.
In a water purifier, a hot/cold water dispenser, or the like, a cold water tank is used to cool room temperature water, which is raw water. The water stored in the cold water tank is cooled and stored, and then the cold water stored in the cold water tank can be discharged to the outside by a cold water discharge operation.
In a case where the cold water tank is used to cool the water to be cooled stored inside, there are disadvantages that there is a risk that the water stored inside the cold water tank is contaminated, electrical energy is required for cooling even when the cold water is not discharged, it takes time to make cold water again in a case where water stored in the cold water tank is used up, and the like.
Accordingly, there is an increasing demand for a technology that can instantaneously cool and discharge room temperature water that is water to be cooled, and to this end, the present inventors have proposed a device capable of instantaneous cooling in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1804385.
However, the present inventors would like to propose another method of making cold water by instantaneously cooling the water to be cooled.
The present disclosure provides a cooling device for instantaneous cooling to make cold water by cooling water to be cooled flowed in from the outside within a short period of time.
The present disclosure provides a cooling device for instantaneous cooling, the cooling device including a water inflow pipe having an inlet into which water to be cooled requiring cooling flows; a housing having an outlet through which cold water cooling the water to be cooled flowing in through the inlet is discharged; a refrigerant circulation pipe provided to spirally wrap an outer surface of the housing; and a screw-shaped ice spiral formed by the refrigerant circulation pipe on an inner wall of the housing.
The cooling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can make cold water by cooling the water to be cooled flowed in from the outside in a short period of time by flowing along the spiral ice.
Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, identical or similar components will be assigned the same reference numbers regardless of drawing numerals, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes “module” and “portion” for the components used in the following description are given or used interchangeably only for the ease of preparing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed descriptions will be omitted. In addition, it should be understood that the attached drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical idea disclosed in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings, and includes all changes, equivalents or substitutes included in the gist and technical scope of the present disclosure are not limited.
When a component is said to be “connected” or “coupled” to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected to or coupled to another component, but other components may exist therebetween. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components therebetween.
Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
In this specification, it should be understood that terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and the presence or the addition possibility of one or more other features, elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof are not excluded in advance.
As shown in
However, since the components shown in
Below, each component will be considered.
The housing 10 forms the appearance of the cooling device, in which a water inflow pipe 110 having the inlet 11 is inserted into one side, and which may have the outlet 12 on the other side through which cold water cooling the water to be cooled flowing in through the inlet 11 is discharged.
In this case, the outlet 12 may be provided on the other side of the housing 10 to form a flow path through which the cold water formed inside the housing 10 is discharged. However, the outlet 12 may be provided in the same direction as the inlet 11 depending on the number of pipes provided inside the housing 10, and in the present disclosure, the positions of the inlet 11 and the outlet 120 are not particularly limited.
The water inflow pipe 110 is shaped like a tube with openings at both end portions, and may have the inlet 11 at one end portion through which the water to be cooled flows. In this case, the inlet 11 may be provided outside the housing 10, but the present disclosure does not specifically limit this.
The other end portion of the water inflow pipe 110 inserted into one side of the housing 10 may be provided inside the housing 10. In this case, the other end portion of the water inflow pipe 110, that is, the end on the outlet 12 side, may be formed of a first opening 111, and thus the water to be cooled flowing in through the inlet 11 may flow along the water inflow pipe 110 and then be discharged through the first opening 111.
In addition, the other end portion of the water inflow pipe 110 may be provided with a cooling pipe 120 with one end portion closed and spaced apart therefrom.
The tubular cooling pipe 120 is provided inside the housing 10, and the water inflow pipe 110 may be provided to be inserted into the interior of the cooling pipe 120 along a longitudinal direction. In this case, the cooling pipe 120 with one end portion closed may be provided such that the closed one end portion covers the first opening 111 of the water inflow pipe 110.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cooling pipe 120 with one end portion closed may have a separate cover member 50 combined to either one of both open end portions (see
However, the separate cover member 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure covers and combines to at least one end portion of a plurality of concentric pipes, thereby selectively closing or opening at least one end portion of the plurality of pipes.
Specifically, a plurality of grooves 51 into which the plurality of pipes may be combined are formed on one surface of the circular or square cover member 50 corresponding to a cross-section of the pipe, and the cooling pipe 120 and a second inner pipe 125 may be completely fitted to a part of the plurality of grooves 51. Therefore, closed other end portions may be formed in the cooling pipe 120 and the second inner pipe 125.
In this case, the water inflow pipe 110 or the first inner pipe 115 is inserted into another part of the plurality of grooves 51, and at least a part of the circumference of the groove 51 into which the water inflow pipe 110 or the first inner pipe 115 is inserted is deeper than other parts. Therefore, a first opening 111 or a second opening 115a may be formed as flow paths through which a fluid may flow.
Accordingly, as shown in
The water to be cooled flowing along the inner wall of the cooling pipe 120 may flow in a radial direction through the first passage formed through the end portion on the inlet 11 side in an outward direction, that is, toward the inner wall of the housing 10. The water to be cooled passing through the first passage flows in the opposite direction again along the inner wall of the housing 10, and may rotate along an ice spiral 30 as will be described later.
That is, the inner wall of the housing 10 may include the screw-shaped ice spiral 30 in a form of wrapping an inner peripheral surface of the housing 10.
For this end, the refrigerant circulation pipe 20 formed along the ice spiral 30, that is, in a spiral form wrapping the housing 10, may be provided on the outer surface of the housing 10.
As the refrigerant flows inside the refrigerant circulation pipe 20, a surrounding area thereof can be cooled. As an example, among a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion valve that constitute a refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant circulation pipe 20 corresponds to the evaporator. The evaporator may evaporate a liquid refrigerant in low-temperature and low-pressure flowing in from the expansion valve to exchange heat with the surrounding. In other words, the compressor, which sucks the gaseous refrigerant in low-temperature and low-pressure evaporated from the evaporator, pressurizes the refrigerant to a saturation pressure corresponding to the condensation temperature so that the pressurized refrigerant can be condensed and liquefied in the condenser. The condenser heat-exchanges between the gaseous refrigerant in high-temperature and high-pressure, which is pressurized in the compressor and discharged, and the surrounding air. Therefore, the gaseous refrigerant in high temperature can be condensed and liquefied by releasing heat. The expansion valve can exert a throttling action on the liquid refrigerant in high-temperature and high-pressure, which is condensed and liquefied by the condenser, to be converted into a liquid refrigerant in low-temperature and low-pressure.
As a result, the water to be cooled flowing in through the inlet 11 is cooled on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 10 by the refrigerant circulation pipe 20 provided to spirally wrap the outer peripheral surface of the housing 10, and spiral ice, that is, the ice spiral 30 may be formed depending on the wrapped form of the refrigerant circulation pipe 20.
Accordingly, the water to be cooled flowing in the radial direction through the first passage formed at one end portion of the cooling pipe 120 may come into contact with the screw-shaped ice spiral 30 and flow while rotating according to its shape.
That is, the water to be cooled flowing in the radial direction of the cooling pipe 120 through the first passage flows along the screw-shaped ice spiral 30, that is, along a flow path f3 shown in
Here, the ice spiral 30 formed by the refrigerant circulation pipe 20 is spaced apart between adjacent ices formed along the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 in cross section, as shown in
In other words, it is preferable that the refrigerant circulation pipe 20 is disposed and formed on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 10 so that the ice spiral 30 is formed to be spaced apart between adjacent ices formed along the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 in the longitudinal cross-section.
Accordingly, the water to be cooled flows toward the outlet 12 in a state of coming into contact with the surface of the screw-shaped ice spiral 30. Therefore, a contact time of the water to be cooled with ice increases and a contact area with ice expands. As a result, heat exchange efficiency is increased, and the cooling efficiency of the water to be cooled can be increased.
In addition, as shown in
Meanwhile, the present disclosure is not particularly limited, but the first passage (not shown) formed at one end portion of the cooling pipe 120, that is, at the end portion on the inlet 11 side, is formed through the pipe wall, and the first passage may form the flow path through which the water to be cooled can flow in the radial direction toward the inner wall of the housing 10 along the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe 120.
In this case, the first passage may be in a form of a plurality of fine holes perforated, and accordingly, it is preferable to allow the water to be cooled passing through the first passage to be finely sprayed.
The area of the water to be cooled coming in contact with the surface of the ice spiral 30, which passes through the first passage and is finely sprayed, increases, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the water to be cooled.
When the water to be cooled flowing in through the inlet 11 from the cooling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is discharged through the outlet 12, the flow path of the water to be cooled formed in the process is as shown in
As shown in
The water to be cooled flowing in through the inlet 11 provided at one end portion of the water inflow pipe 110 may flow along the longitudinal direction of the water inflow pipe 110 and be discharged through the first opening 111 at the other end portion. The water to be cooled discharged through the first opening may 111 flow again in the opposite direction along the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe 120 by the cooling pipe 120 covering the other end portion, thereby forming a flow path f2.
The water to be cooled flowing on the inside along the water inflow pipe 110 and the cooling pipe 120 does not directly come into contact with the ice spiral 30, but may be roll-cooled by the cold air formed by the refrigerant circulation pipe 20 and the ice spiral 30.
Thereafter, the water to be cooled flowing in the radial direction through the first passage formed at the end portion of the cooling pipe 120 on the inlet 11 side rotates toward the outlet 12 side along the screw-shaped ice spiral 30, thereby forming the flow path f3. In this case, the water to be cooled can be intensively cooled by directly contact with the ice spiral 30.
The water to be cooled that flows into the housing 10 through the inlet 11 can be cooled in a short period of time by going through the roll-cooling and concentrated-cooling processes.
Meanwhile,
As shown in
In this case, a second opening 115a may be formed at the other end of the first inner pipe 115, that is, the end portion on the outlet 12 side, and second passage formed through the pipe wall may be provided on one end of the second inner pipe 125, that is, the end portion on the inlet 11 side. Here, the second passage, like the first passage, may also be in a form of a plurality of fine holes perforated.
In addition, it is preferable that the ice spiral 30 according to the present embodiment is formed to protrude in the inner direction on the inner wall of the housing 10, and the inner end portion of the protruding ice spiral 30 passes through the second inner pipe 125 to be formed up to the outer wall of the first inner pipe 115.
Accordingly, when the water to be cooled flowing in through the inlet 11 in the cooling device according to the present embodiment is discharged through the outlet 12, the flow path of the water to be cooled formed in the process is as shown in
As shown in
The water to be cooled flowing in through the inlet 11 provided at one end portion of the water inflow pipe 110 flows along the longitudinal direction of the water inflow pipe 110, and may be discharged through the first opening 111 provided at the other end portion. In this case, the direction of the water to be cooled is changed in the opposite direction by the closed other end portion of the cooling pipe 120, which covers the other end portion of the water inflow pipe 110, and flows along the longitudinal direction of the cooling pipe 120 to form the flow path f2.
Thereafter, the water to be cooled flowing in the radial direction through the first passage formed at the end portion of the cooling pipe 120 on the inlet 11 side may flow into the first inner pipe 115. The water to be cooled flowing in the first inner pipe 115 flows along the longitudinal direction of the first inner pipe 115 to form the flow path f3, and then may be discharged through the second opening 115a provided at the other end of the first inner pipe 115.
Here, the water to be cooled flowing inside the water inflow pipe 110, the cooling pipe 120, and the first inner pipe 115 does not directly come into contact with the ice spiral 30, but may be roll-cooled by the cold air formed by the refrigerant circulation pipe 20 and the ice spiral 30.
The water to be cooled discharged through the second opening 115a provided at the other end of the first inner pipe 115 flows along the longitudinal direction of the inner wall of the second inner pipe 125 and can rotate along the ice spiral 30 formed in the inner wall of the second inner pipe 125 to form a flow path f41. Thereafter, the water to be cooled can flow into the inner wall of the housing 10 through the second passage formed through the pipe wall at one end of the second inner pipe 125.
The water to be cooled flowing into the inner wall of the housing 10 through the second passage flows along the longitudinal direction of the inner wall of the housing 10, and rotates along the ice spiral 30 formed on the inner wall of the housing 10 to form a flow path f42, and then can be discharged into the outlet 12.
In this way, in the cooling device according to the present embodiment, after roll-cooling, since the water to be cooled can flow back and forth along the flow paths f41 and f42 in direct contact with the ice spiral 30, the cooling efficiency can be further improved by the repeated concentrated-cooling process.
In addition, since the first and second inner pipes 115 and 125, the cooling pipe 120, and the water inflow pipe 110 are provided in layers inside the housing 10, even if supercooling occurs with the refrigerant circulation pipe 20, the ice may not completely freeze up to the water inflow pipe 110.
Meanwhile, as shown in
The present disclosure does not specifically limit a material of the thermal insulation material 40, as long as it can form heat insulation to prevent heat from being transferred between the inside and the outside.
Meanwhile, the outlet 12 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can discharge cold water in which the water to be cooled is cooled, but it is necessary to adjust the temperature of the cold water discharged through the outlet 12.
Accordingly, a valve (not shown) may be provided in the outlet 12 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this case, the valve can mix the cold water discharged through the outlet 12 with a fluid with a temperature higher than that of the cold water, specifically the water to be cooled, and discharge mixed water whose temperature is adjusted by mixing.
In this case, a flow rate of the fluid mixed with the cold water can be adjusted by an opening/closing rate of the valve to adjust the temperature of the mixed water discharged from the valve.
Meanwhile, when the water to be cooled flows into the inlet 11 of the housing 10 according to the previous embodiment, the cold water with which the water to be cooled is cooled may be discharged through the outlet 12. However, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, conversely, the water to be cooled can flow into the outlet 12 and the cold water can be discharged through the inlet 11.
That is, in the reverse order, rather than in the order of roll-cooling and then intensively cooling, the water to be cooled can flow in through the outlet 12 so that the water to be cooled first comes into contact with the surface of the ice spiral 30 and intensively cooled, and then the cold water can be discharged to the inlet 11 through the water inflow pipe 11. In this case, there is an effect of reducing the temperature deviation of the cold water being discharged.
Accordingly, the water to be cooled can flow into or the cooled cold water can be discharged from the inlet 11 of the housing 10, and simultaneously, the cooled cold water can be discharged from or the water to be cooled can flow into the outlet 12 of the housing 10.
In addition, the housing 10 of the cooling device according to the previous embodiments may be provided with the inlet 11 on one side and the outlet 12 on the other side, but the housing 10 of the cooling device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 on one side.
As shown in
In a case where both the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 are provided on one side of the housing 10, an odd number of third inner pipes 130 can be provided inside the housing 10 in addition to the water inflow pipe 110 and the cooling pipe 120.
As a basic example, as shown in
Accordingly, the water to be cooled flowing along the water inflow pipe 110, the third inner pipe 130, and the cooling pipe 120 can be roll-cooled, and be rotated along the ice spiral 30 formed in a screw shape on the inner wall of the housing 10 to be intensively cooled, and then be discharged through the outlet 12 provided outside the cooling pipe 120.
As described above, in a case where the water to be cooled flows into the outlet 12, in the reverse order, the water to be cooled can be rotated along the ice spiral 30 formed in the screw shape on the inner wall of the housing 10, be roll-cooled, and then flow along the cooling pipe 120, the third inner pipe 130, and the water inflow pipe 110 to be intensively cooled, and then be discharged through the inlet 11 of the water inflow pipe 110.
In this way, the water inflow pipe 110, the third inner pipe 130, and the cooling pipe 120 are provided inside the housing 10. In this case, in order to form a flow of the water to be cooled as shown in
In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing 10 may include at least one air hole to exhaust the air filled inside to the outside, and according to a preferred embodiment, at least one air hole may be formed in the cover members 50a and 50b.
As an example, in a case where the cooling water flows into the housing 10 and is pressurized, the air inside the housing 10 may be exhausted to the outside through the air hole.
In this case, for the air hole, according to a specific embodiment, as shown in
Accordingly, when the air inside the housing 10 exhausts to the outside through the air hole, it can exhausts through the inlet 11 or the outlet 12 located around it.
In this case, according to a more preferred embodiment, a plurality of air holes may be provided in the cover member 50a, and the plurality of air holes can be connected with an airline in the form of a groove or conduit as a passage through which air can flow therebetween them, as shown in
That is, the air inside the housing 10 can be exhausted to the outside along the air hole and airline, and through the inlet 11 or the outlet 12.
Meanwhile, the housing 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with at least one of drain pipes 13a and 13b for discharging the water stored inside to the outside, as shown in
At least one of drain pipes 13a and 13b is provided to enable communication between the inside and the outside at any position of the housing 10, so that the water stored inside the housing 10 can be discharged to the outside when the valve is opened.
Above, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. The description of the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing its technical idea or essential features.
Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims described later rather than the detailed description above, and it must be interpreted that all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts are included in the scope of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2021-0164330 | Nov 2021 | KR | national |
This application is a continuation application of International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2022/018897, filed on Nov. 25, 2022, which claims the priority of KR Application No. 10-2021-0164330, filed Nov. 25, 2021, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/KR2022/018897 | Nov 2022 | WO |
Child | 18597122 | US |