Cold water tank assembly and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a cold water tank assembly capable of enhancing a user's satisfaction by increasing a cold water extraction amount by maximizing heat exchange efficiency while downsizing, completely shielding intrusion of a foreign material into purified water extracted, and optimally performing an original function of the cold water tank, and a method for manufacturing the same.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a cold water tank assembly related to one embodiment of the current invention may include: a cold water tank preparation step; an evaporator preparation step; a partition wall part preparation step; a first assembly step; a second assembly step; and a third assembly step. The cold water tank assembly may include: a cold water tank provided with a body part and a cap part; an evaporator which has a spiral shaft pipe and a spiral tube that forms N first spirals at a set pitch around the spiral shaft pipe and extends; and a partition wall part having a shaft body and a partition that extends while forming N second spirals at pitch around the shaft body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cold water tank assembly and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a cold water tank assembly and a manufacturing method thereof that can maximize heat exchange efficiency while being compact and increase the amount of cold water extracted. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Generally, water purifiers, carbonated water dispensers, hot and cold water dispensers, etc. are provided with a cold water tank so that purified water at room temperature can be cooled to produce low-temperature purified water (water) and supplied to a user.

[0003] Taking a water purifier as an example, such a cold water tank includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe that communicate with the internal space, and room temperature purified water that has been filtered through one or more filters flows in and is stored in the internal space.

[0004] The room temperature purified water stored in the cold water tank is cooled to a set temperature through an evaporator (cooling pipe) to be extracted as low-temperature purified water, allowing the user to drink or use the purified water at a temperature lower than room temperature.

[0005] As an example, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1658496 discloses a structure in which an evaporator (cooling pipe) is wrapped around the outer periphery of a cylindrical cold water tank using an indirect cooling method to cool the stored purified water.

[0006] However, such a cold water tank has a problem in that the evaporator is arranged to wrap around the outer periphery of the cold water tank, so the cold air from the evaporator is not only transferred to the cold water tank but is discharged to the outside, reducing the cooling efficiency.

[0007] In addition, ice is generated around the evaporator due to a temperature drop. However, when the generated ice forms outside the cold water tank, the melted ice flows outside the cold water tank, which may sometimes affect other components (modules) of the water purifier.

[0008] On the other hand, in order to solve such problems, a structure has been disclosed in which the purified water stored in the internal space of the cold water tank is cooled by providing a cooling unit (evaporator, cooling pipe) as in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0008263.

[0009] However, such a cold water tank has a form in which the cooling unit is arranged on the internal space extended without a partition wall, and the cooling rates of the purified water at a position close to the cooling unit and the purified water at a position far from the cooling unit are different, resulting in a problem that the overall cooling efficiency decreases.

[0010] Furthermore, while current water purifiers are pursuing miniaturization, such cold water tanks have poor cold water efficiency (the value obtained by dividing the cold water extraction amount by the tank capacity), and it is difficult to quickly obtain cold purified water (cold water) at a low temperature as desired by the user, resulting in a problem of decreased user satisfaction.

[0011] On the other hand, the evaporator arranged inside or outside the cold water tank is usually made of a metal material, and its shape is determined through a bending process before being coupled to the cold water tank. After its shape is determined, it is arranged in the cold water tank through an electrolytic polishing process for surface polishing.

[0012] Such an electrolytic polishing process removes fine scratches and contaminants on the outer peripheral surface of the evaporator while also serving as a coating to prevent the entry of any foreign matter and the generation of rust in the internal space of the cold water tank.

[0013] However, in the conventional cold water tank, due to the stable arrangement above the internal accommodation space of the evaporator and the connection relationship with other external connection flow paths, the process of bending the evaporator part after the electrolytic polishing process may be carried out again.

[0014] At this time, cracks may occur in the part of the evaporator to be bent later (the part that bends and breaks), and there may be problems such as scratches and fine foreign matters due to crack generation penetrating into the inside of the cold water tank and being contained in the purified water.

[0015] Also, in the case of the evaporator arranged in the internal accommodation space of the cold water tank, since the crack generation point is always in contact with purified water (water), problems such as foreign matter penetration and rust generation may occur.

[0016] Therefore, in constructing a cold water tank for a water purifier or the like, while miniaturizing, it is possible to increase the cold water extraction amount by maximizing the heat exchange efficiency and improve the user's satisfaction. At the same time, there is an urgent need for a cold water tank assembly that can completely block the intrusion of foreign matter into the extracted purified water and optimally exert the original function of the cold water tank, and a manufacturing method thereof.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0017]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0018] The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to increase the amount of cold water extracted by maximizing the heat exchange efficiency while miniaturizing, thereby enhancing user satisfaction, and completely blocking the intrusion of foreign substances into the purified water extracted, and providing a cold water tank assembly that can optimally exert the original function of the cold water tank and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0019] Further, in the case of an evaporator disposed inside the cold water tank, it is to provide a cold water tank assembly capable of blocking the occurrence of cracks and rust in the evaporator by eliminating the process of post-bending and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0020] Also, it is to provide a cold water tank assembly and a manufacturing method thereof that can maximize the cold water extraction amount by applying a spiral evaporator and a spiral partition structure inside the cold water tank while miniaturizing the conventional cold water tank capacity-to-size ratio.

[0021] Furthermore, it is to provide a cold water tank assembly and a manufacturing method thereof that can be miniaturized while maximizing the cold water tank capacity-to-cold water efficiency (value obtained by dividing the cold water extraction amount by the tank capacity), and can minimize the design space of the water purifier.

[0022] The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains from the following description.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0023] According to one aspect of the present invention, a manufacturing method of a cold water tank assembly is provided.

[0024] A method for manufacturing a cold water tank assembly is a method for manufacturing a cold water tank assembly in which normal temperature purified water passes through N heat exchange chambers having a spiral orbit and is extracted as low temperature purified water. The method includes a cold water tank preparation step including a step of preparing a cylindrical body portion having an open inlet and an accommodation space therein, and a step of preparing a cap portion for sealing the open inlet of the body portion. An evaporator preparation step including a step of preparing a spiral shaft tube having a predetermined length, and bending one side of the spiral shaft tube to form N first spirals at a set pitch along the length around the spiral shaft tube, and having an extension line that extends without bending so that the end portion has a directionality in the first direction or the second direction. An evaporator preparation step including a step of performing an electrolytic polishing process on the evaporator. A partition wall portion preparation step including a step of preparing a tubular shaft body having a predetermined length, and a partition wall portion having a plate shape extended in the first direction and the second direction around the shaft body, and forming a partition wall so as to extend in the third direction while forming N second spirals at a set pitch. A position setting step of positioning a lower hole of the shaft body at an upper end portion of the spiral shaft tube. A first assembly step of assembling a first assembly including a rotation assembly step of rotating the evaporator or the partition wall portion so that the spiral shaft tube passes through the shaft body, passes through the partition wall, and passes through the spiral tube between the partition wall and the partition wall adjacent in the second direction. A flange fastening step of thermally fusing a flange to one side of the spiral shaft tube and the spiral tube. A second assembly step of assembling a second assembly including a cap portion assembly step of assembling the cap portion to the first assembly so that the spiral shaft tube and the spiral tube penetrate through the cap portion and are exposed to the outside. A third assembly step of assembling a cold water tank assembly including an insertion step of inserting and arranging the second assembly into the accommodation space of the body portion so as to form N heat exchange chambers in the accommodation space of the body portion.

[0025] And further includes a post-assembly step including a sensor mounting step of mounting a temperature sensor on the cap portion of the cold water tank assembly, and a bending step after bending one side of the extension line of the spiral shaft tube and the spiral tube disposed outside the cold water tank through the cap portion.

[0026] At this time, in the rotational assembly process of the first assembly step, the extension line of the spiral tube is assembled while sequentially passing between the partition forming the second spiral and the partition adjacent to the partition in the second direction.

[0027] At this time, in the first assembly step, the spiral tube is assembled such that a first interval between the partition disposed at the lower part of the heat exchange chamber and a second interval between the partition disposed at the upper part are equal to or smaller than each other.

[0028] At this time, the cap portion includes a first hole into which a first flange fused to the spiral shaft tube is closely fitted, and a second hole into which a second flange fused to the spiral tube is closely fitted.

[0029] And in the second assembly step, it further includes a screw fastening step of coupling fastening screws to screw threads respectively formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the first flange exposed outside the first hole and the second flange exposed outside the second hole.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cold water tank assembly is provided.

[0031] The cold water tank assembly is cylindrical with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe through which purified water flows, and includes a body portion that forms an accommodation space with an inlet extended in a first direction and a second direction and having a set length in a third direction, a cold water tank provided with a cap portion for sealing the inlet, a spiral shaft tube disposed in the third direction in the accommodation space, a spiral tube in which one end of the spiral shaft tube extends in the third direction while forming N first spirals with a set pitch around the spiral shaft tube, an evaporator through which a refrigerant flows, a shaft body disposed to surround the spiral shaft tube, and a partition wall portion having a plate shape extended in the first direction and the second direction around the shaft body and provided with a partition that extends in the third direction while forming N second spirals with a set pitch.

[0032] At this time, the partition is arranged such that the inner peripheral surface and the edge of the accommodation space of the cold water tank are in close contact, and N heat exchange chambers are formed in the accommodation space by a flow path communicating with the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe in the third direction.

[0033] And the spiral tube is arranged to continuously pass through the N heat exchange chambers. After forming the Nth first spiral, the extension line that extends without bending so that the end portion has a directionality in the first direction or the second direction is arranged to be exposed outside the cold water tank.

[0034] At this time, the body portion includes an inner cylinder that houses the evaporator and the partition portion, and an outer cylinder that surrounds the inner cylinder to form a space.

[0035] At this time, the body portion may have a circular cross-section or a closed cross-sectional shape having a major axis in the first direction and a minor axis in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0036] At this time, the extension line is formed longer than the radius of the second spiral of the partition and is exposed outside the cold water tank.

[0037] At this time, the pitch of the spiral tube and the pitch of the partition are formed to be the same.

[0038] At this time, the cap portion includes a first hole into which a first flange fused to the spiral shaft tube is closely fitted, and a second hole into which a second flange fused to the spiral tube is closely fitted. And the first flange and the second flange further include a sealing member along one side in contact with the cap portion.

[0039] On the other hand, a part or all of the partition is formed of a soft material, and the edge is arranged while pressing the inner peripheral surface of the accommodation space of the body portion.

[0040] On the one hand, the cold water tank has a plurality of support ribs and is arranged to have a space from the lower bottom surface of the accommodation space, and further includes a separation spacer in which the end portion and the upper side of the evaporator are in contact.

[0041] At this time, as an example, the separation spacer may include a ring-shaped first support base, a ring-shaped second support base that wraps around the first support base, and a plurality of the support ribs that are plate-shaped and connect the first support base and the second support base and are arranged radially.

[0042] On the one hand, the cap portion may include a plate body sized to cover the inlet of the body portion, a first wall protruding downward in the third direction such that a part of the plate body contacts the inner peripheral surface on the upper side of the body portion, and a second wall protruding downward in the third direction such that another part of the plate body has a space from the first wall and contacts the outer peripheral surface on the upper side of the body portion.

[0043] At this time, the cap portion is coupled to seal the inlet of the body portion from the third direction. And the first wall, the upper edge of the body portion, and the second wall form a sealing space therebetween, and a packing member may be provided in the sealing space.

[0044] At this time, the plate body can form a convex round surface at the upper part in the third direction.

[0045] At this time, the cap portion further includes a temperature sensor coupled to penetrate and seal the plate body on one side.

[0046] At this time, the temperature sensor has a length and is arranged while penetrating a set number of the partitions downward in the third direction from the upper part of the body portion.

[0047] On the one hand, the cap portion includes a water inlet pipe through which normal temperature purified water flows in on one side and communicates with the first heat exchange chamber of the accommodation space.

[0048] And the body part includes a water outlet pipe that communicates with the Nth heat exchange chamber of the accommodation space on the bottom surface and from which low-temperature purified water is extracted.

Advantages of the Invention

[0049] With the above configuration, the cold water tank assembly and its manufacturing method according to the present invention connect the evaporator disposed inside the cold water tank where contact with purified water (water) occurs while keeping it in the first manufacturing state. After the connection, since there is no post-bending process inside the cold water tank, it has the effect of preventing crack generation and rust generation due to post-bending.

[0050] Also, by partitioning the accommodation space inside the cold water tank into a plurality (N) of heat exchange chambers that are continuously communicated with each other using a spiral evaporator and a spiral partition part, the inflowing purified water undergoes heat exchange while sequentially passing through the N heat exchange chambers, maximizing the heat exchange efficiency and cooling the purified water at room temperature to low-temperature purified water (cold water) having a set temperature within a short time.

[0051] Also, by forming a plurality (N) of heat exchange chambers having a spiral shape through a spiral evaporator and a spiral partition part in the cylindrical accommodation space, it has the effect of maximizing the cold water extraction amount while miniaturizing the size of the cold water tank.

[0052] Also, the N heat exchange chambers formed by the spiral evaporator and the spiral partition part on the accommodation space of the cold water tank each have a spiral track and form a continuous flow path, guiding the purified water flowing into the accommodation space through the water inlet pipe to have a natural flow without colliding or clogging, and having the effect of increasing the cold water generation rate while maintaining a constant cooling speed.

[0053] Also, it is a structure in which a plurality (N) of spiral heat exchange chambers are formed in the accommodation space of the cold water tank through a spiral evaporator and a spiral partition part. While miniaturizing the overall cold water tank, it maximizes the cold water tank capacity-to-cold water efficiency (the value obtained by dividing the cold water extraction amount by the tank capacity), and has the effect of minimizing the design space of the water purifier.

[0054] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects, and it should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description or claims of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0055]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0056] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can easily implement it. The present invention may be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts not related to the explanation are omitted in the drawings, and the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0057] The words and terms used in this specification and the claims are not to be construed as limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical idea of the present invention in accordance with the principle that those skilled in the art can define terms and concepts in order to best explain their own inventions.

[0058] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings correspond to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention. Thus, there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace this at the time of filing the present invention.

[0059] In this specification, terms such as "including" or "having" are intended to describe the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should not be construed as precluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0060] When a certain component is "in front of", "behind", "above", or "below" another component, unless there are special circumstances, it not only means that it is arranged "in front of", "behind", "above", or "below" in direct contact with the other component, but also includes the case where other components are arranged in between. Also, when a certain component is "connected" to another component, unless there are special circumstances, it not only means that they are directly connected to each other, but also includes the case where they are indirectly connected to each other.

[0061] The terms "X-axis", "Y-axis", and "Z-axis" used in the description will be understood with reference to the coordinate system shown in the drawings. And in the description, the X-axis direction is referred to as the first direction, the Y-axis direction as the second direction, and the Z-axis direction as the third direction. However, this is only an example from a relative perspective. The first to third directions and the coordinate axes (X, Y, Z axes) are only introduced to explain the relative positions between components and do not limit the absolute positions of each component.

[0062] And when explaining the present invention, specific descriptions of related known functions or configurations are omitted in order not to obscure the gist of the present invention.

[0063] And when explaining the present invention, it is explicitly stated in advance that the spiral structure formed by the spiral tube 220 of the evaporator 200 is referred to as the first spiral, and the spiral structure formed by the partition 320 of the partition wall portion 300 is referred to as the second spiral and is a spiral structure that is classified. Also, it is explicitly stated in advance that N or n described later means an integer of 1 or more.

[0064] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a cold water tank assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same will be described.

[0065] As shown through FIGS. 1 to 11, a method for manufacturing a cold water tank assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention presents a method for manufacturing a cold water tank assembly 1 in which normal-temperature purified water passes through N heat exchange chambers H / A having a spiral orbit and is extracted as low-temperature purified water.

[0066] At this time, the manufacturing method of the cold water tank assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is to place the evaporator 200, which is disposed above the internal accommodation space S (Figs. 1 and 3) of the cold water tank 100 and is always in contact with purified water (water), in the first manufacturing state after undergoing the electrolytic polishing process step S22 (Fig. 6) and couple it with the cold water tank 100. After coupling the evaporator 200 and the cold water tank 100, since there is no post-bending process for the portion of the evaporator 200 disposed within the internal accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cracks and rust due to post-bending.

[0067] Also, it is possible to block the intrusion of foreign matter on the accommodation space S in case of crack occurrence.

[0068] On the other hand, the cold water tank assembly 1 manufactured through this is configured by partitioning the internal accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100 into a plurality (N) of heat exchange chambers H / A (H / A1 to H / An) that are continuously communicated using the spiral evaporator 200 and the spiral partition portion 300. The purified water that has flowed in undergoes heat exchange while sequentially passing through the N heat exchange chambers H / A, maximizing the heat exchange efficiency and cooling the purified water at room temperature to low-temperature purified water (cold water) having a set temperature within a short time.

[0069] First, looking at the structure and configuration of the cold water tank assembly 1 manufactured through the manufacturing method of the cold water tank assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is as follows.

[0070] As shown in the figure, the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly includes a cold water tank 100, an evaporator 200, and a partition portion 300.

[0071] At this time, the evaporator 200 has a spiral shape, and the partition portion 300 also has a spiral shape corresponding to the evaporator 200.

[0072] Such a spiral evaporator 200 and a spiral partition wall portion 300 are combined through a first assembly step S40 to form one assembly (hereinafter referred to as the "first assembly"), and are arranged on the internal accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100 through a third assembly step S60, and N (N is an integer of 1 or more) heat exchange chambers H / A that are connected as a spiral flow path are formed in the accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100.

[0073] At this time, the N heat exchange chambers H / A also have a spiral structure due to the spiral evaporator 200 and the spiral partition wall portion 300.

[0074] First, the cold water tank 100 constituting the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a water inlet pipe 130 and a water outlet pipe 140 through which purified water flows on one side, and a body portion 110 having an internal accommodation space S in which the evaporator 200 and the partition wall portion 300 are arranged, and a cap portion 120 that is openably coupled to an inlet 114 (FIG. 3) of the body portion 110.

[0075] As an example, the body portion 110 of the cold water tank 100 has an inlet that extends in a first direction and a second direction on one side, which is the upper side in the drawing, and such an inlet extends while having a length set in a third direction to form the accommodation space S.

[0076] And the cold water tank 100 preferably has a cylindrical shape so that the heat exchange efficiency can be increased and it can be further miniaturized.

[0077] For this purpose, the body portion 110 preferably has a cylindrical shape. However, it goes without saying that it is not limited to a cylindrical shape and may have a polygonal cylindrical shape as needed. It goes without saying that the inlet may also be circular or polygonal according to the shape of such a body portion 110.

[0078] In other words, it goes without saying that the body part 110 can have a cross-sectional shape that is circular, or a closed surface cross-sectional shape having a major axis in the first direction and a minor axis in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction (for example, an ellipse, a rectangle, etc.).

[0079] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the body part 110 of the cold water tank 100 has a double structure of an inner cylinder 111 and an outer cylinder 112.

[0080] The inner cylinder 111 forms an accommodation space S so that the spiral evaporator 200 and the spiral partition part 300 can be accommodated and arranged, and the outer cylinder 112 is arranged with a space from the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 111 and has a structure that forms a space V / A while surrounding the inner cylinder 111.

[0081] At this time, the space V / A formed by the inner cylinder 111 and the outer cylinder 112 preferably forms a vacuum insulation space.

[0082] In other words, the vacuum insulation space V / A formed by the inner cylinder 111 and the outer cylinder 112 forms an insulation space by making the wall surface of the body part 110 in a vacuum state lower than the atmospheric pressure, blocking heat transfer, and preventing the temperature of the generated low-temperature cold water from rising through heat exchange with the outside.

[0083] On the other hand, it goes without saying that the space V / A formed by the inner cylinder 111 and the outer cylinder 112 does not necessarily have to be a vacuum insulation space, and an insulating material or the like can be filled in the above-mentioned space V / A as necessary.

[0084] Heat transfer can be blocked through processes such as insulation. In the embodiments of the present invention, for enhancing the heat transfer blocking effect, the formation of the space V / A formed by the inner cylinder 111 and the outer cylinder 112 as a vacuum insulation space will be described.

[0085] On the one hand, the body portion 110 of such a cold water tank 100 is made of a highly corrosion-resistant stainless steel material, but it is not limited to this. Needless to say, it can be made of various materials such as metal or plastic having high corrosion resistance and rigidity.

[0086] And the upper inlet in the opened third direction of the body portion 110 is sealed through the cap portion 120.

[0087] Such a cap portion 120 is coupled to the first assembly through the second assembly step S50 described later. Through this, the coupled assembly (hereinafter referred to as the "second assembly") is coupled to the body portion 110 while the cap portion 120 seals the inlet of the body portion 110.

[0088] On the other hand, a water inlet pipe 130 can be formed in the cap portion 120 so as to communicate with the accommodation space S of the body portion 110, and it can include a temperature sensor 160 and an air vent pipe 150.

[0089] As described above, the cap portion 120 has a structure that can seal the accommodation space S of the body portion 110 while insulating it.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 10 together with FIGS. 2 to 4 as an embodiment for this, the cap portion 120 includes a plate body 121 sized to cover the inlet of the body portion 110, a first wall 122 protruding downward in the third direction such that a part of the plate body 121 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the upper side of the body portion 110 - the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 111 -, and a second wall 123 protruding downward in the third direction such that another part of the plate body 121 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the upper side of the body portion 110 - the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 112 -.

[0091] Such a cap portion 120 is supported and fixed through the body portion 110 and the fixing bracket 113.

[0092] On the one hand, the body part 110 and the cap part 120 include a sealing structure so as to be able to insulate while sealing the accommodation space S.

[0093] In other words, when the cap part 120 is coupled so as to seal the inlet 114 of the body part 110 of the cold water tank 100 from the third direction, the first wall 122 of the cap part 120, the upper end edge 115 of the body part 110 (FIG. 4), and the second wall 123 of the cap part 120 form a sealing space S / A therebetween, and the sealing space S / A is provided with a rubber or silicon packing member 124.

[0094] The cap part 120 is coupled while pressing downward from above in the third direction of the body part 110 while completely sealing the inlet 114 of the body part 110, and the accommodation space S of the body part 110 can be formed in a vacuum state through the packing member 124 that blocks such a sealing space S / A.

[0095] On the one hand, while forming the accommodation space S of the body part 110 in a vacuum state, only pressure is generated upward in the third direction in the cap part 120.

[0096] Preferably, the plate body 121 (FIG. 4) of the cap part 120 forms a convex round surface at the upper part in the third direction so as to maintain the shape of the cap part 120 while offsetting such pressure.

[0097] As described above, the cold water tank 100 constituting the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is composed of the connection between the body part 110 and the cap part 120.

[0098] And, as an example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a water inlet pipe 130 is formed in the cap part 120 so as to communicate with the accommodation space S of the body part 110, and a water outlet pipe 140 is formed at the lower part in the third direction of the body part 110 so as to communicate with the accommodation space S.

[0099] In other words, the cap portion 120 includes an intake pipe 130 through which normal-temperature purified water flows into one side and communicates with a first heat exchange chamber H / A1 (FIG. 2) of the accommodation space S to be described later. The body portion 110 has a structure including an outlet pipe 140 that communicates with the last, i.e., the Nth heat exchange chamber H / An of the accommodation space S at the bottom surface and from which low-temperature purified water is extracted.

[0100] The intake pipe 130 is a flow path for allowing normal-temperature purified water to flow into the accommodation space S. The intake pipe 130 has a position communicating with the first heat exchange chamber H / A1 where the end penetrating the cap portion 120 is located at the uppermost part in the third direction so that the flowing normal-temperature purified water can sequentially pass through N heat exchange chambers H / A to be described later.

[0101] In the drawing, the intake pipe 130 is shown as a structure that penetrates only the plate body 121 of the cap portion 120, but it is not limited thereto. Needless to say, it may have a shape in which the end extends into the first heat exchange chamber H / A1 while having a set length.

[0102] The outlet pipe 140 is a flow path through which the cooled low-temperature purified water is discharged to the outside while sequentially passing through N heat exchange chambers H / A formed in the accommodation space S. The outlet pipe 140 is arranged on the bottom surface of the lower part in the third direction of the body portion 110 of the cold water tank 100 so that the purified water cooled to the lowest temperature can be discharged to the outside. At this time, the outlet pipe 140 has a position where the end communicates with the last heat exchange chamber, i.e., the Nth heat exchange chamber H / An, located at the lowermost part in the accommodation space S.

[0103] Accordingly, in the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, normal-temperature purified water flows into the accommodation space S through the intake pipe 130, is cooled to a set temperature by an evaporator 200 to be described later while passing through N heat exchange chambers H / A, is generated into low-temperature purified water, and is then discharged to the outside through the outlet pipe 140.

[0104] As described above, the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to maximize the cold water extraction amount while miniaturizing the conventional cold water tank capacity comparison size.

[0105] For this purpose, a spiral evaporator 200 and a spiral partition portion 300 are disposed in the internal accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100.

[0106] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 again, the spiral evaporator 200 mainly includes a spiral shaft tube 210 and a spiral tube 220.

[0107] The spiral shaft tube 210 is disposed in the third direction on the accommodation space S of the body portion 110, extends into the accommodation space S while passing through the cap portion 120, preferably extends in a straight line shape in the third direction, and its end extends to near the bottom surface of the body portion 110.

[0108] Then, the spiral tube 220 is formed such that one end portion of the spiral shaft tube 210, specifically the end portion extending to near the bottom surface of the body portion 110, forms N (N is an integer of 1 or more) first spirals at a set pitch h1 (FIG. 4) around the spiral shaft tube 210 and then extends in the third direction again. And the extended end portion of the spiral tube 220 passes through the cap portion 120 and exits to the outside of the body portion 110 again.

[0109] Ultimately, the spiral evaporator 200 is formed by a single extended tube having the same diameter to form the spiral shaft tube 210 and the spiral tube 220, but the spiral shaft tube 210 passes through the cap portion 120 and extends into the accommodation space S, and its end portion has a shape that forms the first spiral on the spiral tube 220 and passes through the cap portion 120 and exits to the outside.

[0110] Then, refrigerant flows into the spiral shaft tube 210 and the spiral tube 220 that constitute the spiral evaporator 200, and the evaporator 200 cools the normal temperature purified water flowing into the accommodation space S of the body portion 110 to low temperature purified water at a set temperature.

[0111] On one hand, the end portion of the spiral tube 220 on the second direction side is arranged with a gap from the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 111 of the body portion 110, so that the spiral tube 220 is positioned above the space of the heat exchange chamber H / A described later.

[0112] On one hand, preferably, the spiral shaft tube 210 of the evaporator 200 applied to the cold water tank assembly 1 of the present invention has a shaft extension line 210a (Fig. 8) that can penetrate the cap portion 120 at the upper part in the third direction and project and extend to the outside. The spiral tube 220 has an extension line 220a (Fig. 8) that extends without bending so as to penetrate the above-mentioned cap portion 120 and project and extend to the outside, and the terminal end has a directionality in the first direction or the second direction. The shaft extension line (210a) has a length of a1 set, and the extension line (220a) has a length of a2 set.

[0113] The spiral shaft tube 210 and the spiral tube 220 of such an evaporator 200 are subjected to electrolytic polishing so as to be coated while removing fine scratches and dirt on the outer peripheral surface through the execution step S22 of the electrolytic polishing process in the evaporator preparation step S20 described later.

[0114] And it is combined through the partition portion 300 and the first assembly step S40 described later. Since the shaft extension line 210a has a straight shape in the third direction without bending and the extension line 220a has a straight shape in the first direction or the second direction, it can be smoothly combined with the partition portion 300 through the rotation assembly step S42.

[0115] In other words, the evaporator 200 applied to the present invention is composed of a spiral shaft tube 210 having a predetermined length, and a spiral tube 220 formed by bending one side of the spiral shaft tube 210 to form N first spirals at a set pitch along the length around the spiral shaft tube 210, and having an extension line 220a that extends without bending so that the terminal end has a directionality in the first direction or the second direction.

[0116] On the one hand, as described above, the axial extension line 210a of such a spiral shaft tube 210 and the extension line 220a of the spiral tube 220 penetrate through the cap portion 120 constituting the cold water tank 100 and extend to the outside of the body portion 110 of the cold water tank 100, and further have a post-bending process outside the cold water tank 100 as needed through the post-assembly step S70.

[0117] At this time, the extension line 220a is preferably formed longer than the radius r1 (FIG. 4) of the second spiral formed by the partition 320 of the partition wall portion 300 to be described later, so as to extend to the outside of the cold water tank 100 and be exposed.

[0118] At this time, the axial extension line 210a of the spiral shaft tube 210 and the extension line 220a of the spiral tube 220 have a structure that is coupled to be sealed with the cap portion 120 through the flange 10.

[0119] For this purpose, referring to FIGS. 2 to 4 and FIG. 10, the cap portion 120 includes a first hole 121a (FIG. 10) into which the first flange 11 (FIG. 4) fused to the spiral shaft tube 210 is closely fitted, and a second hole 121b (FIG. 10) into which the second flange 12 (FIG. 2) fused to the spiral tube 220 is closely fitted.

[0120] At this time, the first hole 121a has a directionality in the upper direction of the third direction, similar to the axial extension line 210a of the spiral shaft tube 210, and the second hole 121b has a directionality in the first direction or the second direction, similar to the extension line 220a of the spiral tube 220.

[0121] On the other hand, the above-described flange 10 - first flange 11, second flange 12 - includes a sealing member 13 along one side in contact with the cap portion 120 to enhance the sealing property. At this time, preferably, the sealing member 13 may be in the shape of an O-ring, and it goes without saying that it may have a planar shape as needed.

[0122] Then, the flange 10 described above fastens the fastening screw 20 to the threads 10a (Fig. 4) formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the first flange 11 exposed outside the first hole 121a and the second flange 12 exposed outside the second hole 121b through the second assembly step S50 to enhance the bonding property and airtightness.

[0123] Subsequently, referring to the drawings again, the spiral partition portion 300 applied to the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention divides the accommodation space S of the body portion 110 into a plurality of heat exchange chambers H / A.

[0124] For this purpose, the spiral partition portion 300 includes a shaft body 310 and a partition 320.

[0125] The shaft body 310 of the partition portion 300 has a tubular shape with a predetermined length so as to surround the spiral shaft tube 210 of the evaporator 200 described above.

[0126] At this time, as long as the shaft body 310 surrounds the spiral shaft tube 210, it may have a cross-section of various shapes such as circular or elliptical.

[0127] And the partition 320 of the partition portion 300 has a plate shape extended in the first direction and the second direction around the shaft body 310, but has a structure extended in the third direction while forming an N-turn second spiral with a set pitch h2 (Fig. 4).

[0128] In other words, the partition portion 300 has a structure in which a plurality of plate-shaped partitions 320 extend in the third direction while forming an N-turn second spiral around the shaft body 310.

[0129] At this time, preferably, the partition 320 constituting the spiral partition portion 300 is arranged in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100, that is, the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 111 and the edge 321 (see Fig. 4).

[0130] Then, the pitch h2 of the partition 320 that forms the Nth second helix is preferably formed to be the same as the pitch h1 of the spiral tube 220 of the evaporator 200 that forms the Nth first helix.

[0131] And, by arranging the end portion on the second direction side of the spiral tube 220 with a gap from the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 111 of the body portion 110, the radius of the first helix of the spiral tube 220 is formed to be smaller than the radius of the second helix of the partition 320.

[0132] As a result, the partition 320 is formed such that N heat exchange chambers H / A having a spiral structure are formed as flow paths communicating with the water inlet pipe 130 and the water outlet pipe 140 in the third direction in the accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100. In each of such N heat exchange chambers H / A, the spiral tube 220 of the spiral evaporator 200 is arranged while continuously passing through (see FIG. 3).

[0133] On the other hand, part or all of the partition 320 of the partition wall portion 300 described above is formed of a soft material, and the edge 321 of the partition 320 is arranged while pressing the inner peripheral surface of the accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100 (see FIG. 4).

[0134] As a result, the purified water flowing into the heat exchange chamber H / A is completely blocked from passing downward through the edge gap of the partition 320, and the N heat exchange chambers H / A form a continuous spiral flow path. Then, the purified water flowing in through the water inlet pipe 130 always exchanges heat with the spiral tube 220 of the heat exchange chamber H / A and flows while being cooled to a set temperature.

[0135] In this way, the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can maximize the heat exchange efficiency and cool the normal-temperature purified water to the low-temperature purified water having a set temperature within a short time.

[0136] As described above, the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a spiral evaporator 200 and a spiral partition portion 300 in the accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100. By the spiral tube 220 of the evaporator 200 forming the first spiral and the partition 320 of the partition portion 300 forming the second spiral, N heat exchange chambers H / A having a flow path flow in the third direction are formed in the above-described accommodation space S while having a spiral structure.

[0137] Then, in each heat exchange chamber H / A, the spiral tube 220 of the evaporator 200 is arranged while forming a spiral, so that the normal-temperature purified water flowing in through the water inlet pipe 130 is continuously passed through the N heat exchange chambers H / A while drawing a spiral and heat-exchanged with the evaporator 200.

[0138] As a result, the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention discharges the rapidly cooled low-temperature purified water through the water outlet pipe 140 while reducing the cooling time compared to a conventional cold water tank of the same size.

[0139] And ice is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the evaporator 200 provided in the accommodation space S in the cold water tank 100. The flowing-in normal-temperature purified water is turned into low-temperature purified water by the evaporator 200 while passing through the heat exchange chamber H / A. The ice formed on the outer peripheral surface of such an evaporator 200 melts and is extracted to the outside together with the low-temperature purified water, so that the amount of cold water extracted is larger than the amount of the supplied normal-temperature purified water. From this, it can be seen that the cold water efficiency immediately increases.

[0140] On the other hand, referring again to FIGS. 2 to 4, the cold water tank 100 includes a temperature sensor 160 that measures the temperature in the accommodation space S.

[0141] As described above, in the cap portion 120 constituting the cold water tank 100, the water inlet pipe 130 and the spiral shaft tube 210 and the spiral tube 220 of the evaporator 200 are arranged so as to communicate with the outside.

[0142] And, it further includes a temperature sensor 160 on one side of the cap part 120. The temperature sensor 160 has a set length and is arranged to penetrate one side of the plate body 121 of the cap part 120 and extend to one side of the accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100.

[0143] Such a temperature sensor 160 is arranged while being supported through a sensor placement table 125 (FIGS. 1 and 10) provided on one side of the cap part 120.

[0144] Preferably, the temperature sensor 160 is arranged close to the spiral tube 220 of the evaporator 200 so that the temperature change in the accommodation space S can be measured quickly.

[0145] As an example, the temperature sensor 160 has a set length and can be arranged while penetrating a set number of heat exchange chambers H / A downward in the third direction from the upper part of the body part 110.

[0146] At this time, the partition 320 of the partition wall part 300 forms a through hole 322 (FIG. 9) that penetrates the temperature sensor 160. Preferably, the through hole 322 is formed smaller than the diameter of the temperature sensor 160, and since the partition 320 is a soft material, it is preferable that the partition 320 is in close contact with the temperature sensor 160 so that purified water does not leak into fine gaps.

[0147] On the other hand, if the distance between the temperature sensor 160 and the evaporator 200 is too close, a rapid temperature change near the evaporator 200 is measured by the temperature sensor 160, so accurate temperature control may not be easy.

[0148] Thereby, the temperature sensor 160 accurately measures the temperature change in the accommodation space S, that is, in the heat exchange chamber H / A, by the evaporator 200, and is arranged to have a certain distance inside the evaporator 200 and the heat exchange chamber H / A so that temperature control based on the temperature change can be easily performed.

[0149] For this purpose, in the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the spiral tube 220 constituting the evaporator 200 is arranged to pass through the central portion of the heat exchange chamber H / A. Preferably, the spiral tube 220 is arranged such that a first interval d1 with the partition 320 arranged in the lower part of the heat exchange chamber H / A is equal to or smaller than a second interval d2 with the partition 320 arranged in the upper part (see FIG. 4).

[0150] When the first interval d1 is smaller than the second interval d2, the temperature sensor 160 has its end portion arranged in the above-described second interval d2, has an interval from the ice generated in the evaporator 200, does not directly contact the ice, and can more stably measure the temperature change.

[0151] And when the first interval d1 and the second interval d2 are the same, a predetermined interval is formed between the upper and lower portions of the spiral tube 220 and the partition 320, ice is generated in such an interval, and the incoming purified water makes contact with the upper and lower portions of the ice generated in the heat exchange chamber H / A generated by the partition 320. By the temperature of the purified water becoming lower earlier, the generation rate of the low-temperature purified water can be increased.

[0152] On the other hand, the cap portion 120 can include the air vent tube 150 as described above.

[0153] Such an air vent tube 150 adjusts so that the air inside the body portion 110 of the cold water tank 100 is discharged to the outside of the body portion 110 according to the water level of the purified water accommodated in the body portion 110.

[0154] For example, the air vent tube 150 is closed so that the air inside the accommodation space S of the body portion 110 is not discharged to the outside of the body portion 110 in order to prevent the outflow of cold air. When the water level of the purified water accommodated in the body portion 110 becomes high, the air inside the accommodation space S of the body portion 110 is discharged to the outside of the body portion 110, preventing the body portion 110 from being damaged by the internal pressure of the body portion 110.

[0155] On the other hand, it goes without saying that the air vent tube 150 may be in the shape of a hole.

[0156] On the one hand, as described above, the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a water outlet pipe 140 for extracting low-temperature purified water cooled inside the internal accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100 to the outside.

[0157] As an example, the water outlet pipe 140 may be provided on the bottom surface of the body portion 110 and formed to communicate with the Nth heat exchange chamber H / An in which the accommodation space S is formed upward in the third direction.

[0158] In this way, since the water outlet pipe 140 is provided at the lower part of the body portion 110, the cold water tank 100 can be manufactured in a smaller size.

[0159] On the other hand, as described above, in the cold water tank assembly 1 according to the present invention, the evaporator 200 and the partition portion 300 are inserted and arranged inside the accommodation space S of the body portion 110 of the cold water tank 100.

[0160] And usually, while the temperature inside the accommodation space S is lowered by the evaporator 200, ice is first generated below the evaporator 200, and the generated ice has a form that expands outward from the evaporator 200 including the outer peripheral surface of the evaporator 200.

[0161] As a result, the ice generated by the evaporator 200 in the last heat exchange chamber, that is, the Nth heat exchange chamber H / An, located at the lowermost part in the accommodation space S of the body portion 110 may expand downward and come into contact with the bottom surface of the body portion 110 to be formed.

[0162] As a result, the water outlet 141 (FIG. 3) of the water outlet pipe 140 arranged in the Nth heat exchange chamber H / An may be clogged by the ice generated by the evaporator 200, or the flow of purified water (cold water) may be obstructed.

[0163] The length of the evaporator 200 is set such that its end has a set interval from the bottom surface. However, since the cold water tank assembly 1 tends to be miniaturized, it may be difficult to arrange the positions of the bottom surface of the body portion 110 and the end of the evaporator 200 so as to have the most optimal interval due to manufacturing tolerances of the evaporator 200, the partition portion 300, and the cap portion 120.

[0164] Also, by the third assembly step S60 described later, a force is applied while assembling the cap portion 120 of the cold water tank 100 to the evaporator 200, and the position of the end of the evaporator 200 in the third direction may change.

[0165] Therefore, the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a separation spacer 400 so that the end of the evaporator 200 in the third direction and the bottom surface of the accommodation space S are arranged to have an accurate interval.

[0166] As an example, referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 11, the separation spacer 400 has a plurality of support ribs 410 and is arranged to have an interval from the lower bottom surface of the accommodation space S. And the end of the evaporator 200 passing through the Nth heat exchange chamber H / An is arranged to contact one side of the upper part of the separation spacer 400 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0167] In other words, the operator inserts and couples the assembly of the evaporator 200 and the partition portion 300 into the body portion 110, and inserts until the end of the evaporator 200 contacts the separation spacer 400. Always, the end of the evaporator 200 has a set interval from the bottom surface.

[0168] Such a separation spacer 400 may have a rectangular or polygonal pallet shape having a plurality of support ribs 410, or may have a circular or elliptical pedestal shape.

[0169] As an example, as shown in FIG. 11, the separation spacer 400 may have a structure including a ring-shaped first support base 420, a ring-shaped second support base 430 that wraps around the first support base 420, and a plurality of support ribs 410 that are plate-shaped and connect the first support base 420 and the second support base 430 and are arranged radially.

[0170] However, for such a separation spacer 400, since its shape is not determined, it goes without saying that various shapes and structures can be applied as long as it can maintain the distance between the end portion and the bottom surface of the evaporator 200.

[0171] On the other hand, the ice generated in the evaporator 200 expands while spreading along the outer peripheral surface of the separation spacer 400 that contacts the end portion of the evaporator 200 and is first expanded, thereby preventing the water outlet 141 of the water outlet pipe 140 arranged in the Nth heat exchange chamber H / An from being blocked by the ice generated in the evaporator 200 and facilitating the flow of purified water (cold water).

[0172] Thereby, while miniaturizing the cold water tank 100, it is possible to maximize the cold water tank capacity-to-cold water efficiency (the value obtained by dividing the cold water extraction amount by the tank capacity) and minimize the design space of the water purifier.

[0173] On the other hand, as described above, the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention combines the evaporator 200 arranged inside the cold water tank 100 where contact with purified water (water) is made while remaining in the initial manufacturing state. After being combined, since there is no post-bending process inside the cold water tank 100, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cracks and rust due to post-bending.

[0174] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 11 again, the manufacturing method of the cold water tank assembly described above is a manufacturing method of the cold water tank assembly 1 in which normal-temperature purified water passes through N heat exchange chambers H / A having a spiral orbit and is extracted as low-temperature purified water, and mainly includes a cold water tank preparation step S10, an evaporator preparation step S20, a partition part preparation step S30, a first assembly step S40, a second assembly step S50, and a third assembly step S60.

[0175] First, the cold water tank preparation step S10 is a step of producing and preparing the components that make up the cold water tank 100 including the body part 110 and the cap part 120.

[0176] In other words, it includes the step of preparing the cylindrical body part 110 with an open inlet and an accommodation space S inside, and the step of preparing the cap part 120 for sealing the open inlet of the body part 110.

[0177] Such a body part 110 and cap part 120 can be manufactured through various molding methods and can be made of various materials such as stainless steel materials or plastics with high heat insulation and strong corrosion resistance.

[0178] And the evaporator preparation step S20 includes the evaporator preparation process S21 having a spiral shaft tube and a spiral tube, and the execution process S22 of the electrolytic polishing process (see FIG. 6).

[0179] At this time, as described in detail through the structure of the cold water tank assembly 1, the evaporator preparation process S21 includes a spiral shaft tube 210 having a predetermined length, and one side of the spiral shaft tube 210 is bent to form N first spirals at a set pitch along the length around the spiral shaft tube 210, and an evaporator 200 is prepared that includes a spiral tube 220 having an extension line 220a that extends without bending so that the end portion has a directionality in the first direction or the second direction.

[0180] Such an evaporator 200 is made of a metal material such as copper or stainless steel, and prepares the structure of the spiral shaft tube 210 and the spiral tube 220 having the first spiral including the bending process.

[0181] And such an evaporator 200 is coated while removing fine scratches and dirt on the outer peripheral surface through the execution process S22 of the electrolytic polishing process.

[0182] On the other hand, the partition part preparation step S30 includes a step of preparing a partition part 300 that forms a partition 320 having a plate shape that extends in the third direction while forming N second spirals at a set pitch, with a tubular shaft body 310 having a predetermined length and extending in the first and second directions centered on the shaft body 310.

[0183] At this time, the partition part 300 can be manufactured through various molding methods, can be manufactured using silicon or rubber, and can also be partially or entirely manufactured from a soft material as needed.

[0184] Subsequently, the evaporator 200 and the partition part 300 prepared as described above are assembled in a first assembly shape through a first assembly step S40 in order to be coupled to the cold water tank 100.

[0185] For this purpose, the first assembly step S40 includes a position setting step S41 and a rotational assembly step S42 as shown in FIG. 7.

[0186] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, first, the position setting step S41 is a step of positioning a lower hole 312 of a shaft body 310 constituting the partition part 300 at an upper end portion 211 of a spiral shaft tube 210 constituting the evaporator 200.

[0187] At this time, the spiral shaft tube 210 has a form that can be included in the internal hollow of the shaft body 310 including a shaft extension line 210a.

[0188] And the rotational assembly step S42 is a step of rotating the evaporator 200 or the partition part 300 in one direction so that the spiral shaft tube 210 passes through the shaft body 310 and the spiral tube 220 passes between the partitions 320.

[0189] Needless to say, such a rotational assembly step S42 can be performed automatically or manually, and through such a rotational assembly step S42, the evaporator 200 and the partition part 300 have the shape of a first assembly as shown in FIG. 9.

[0190] At this time, since the extension line 220a has a directivity in the first direction or the second direction in the same manner as the direction in which the partition 320 forms a helix and has a straight shape without bending, the extension line 220a can be coupled to the partition wall portion 300 while rotating along the shape of the second helix without being caught or clogged by the partition 320 in the rotational assembly step S42.

[0191] In other words, the extension line 220a of the spiral tube 220 is assembled while sequentially passing between the partitions 320 that form the second helix.

[0192] At this time, the spiral tube 220 is assembled so that the first interval d1 (FIG. 4) from the partition 320 disposed at the lower part of the heat exchange chamber H / A is equal to or smaller than the interval from the second interval d2 (FIG. 4) from the partition 320 disposed at the upper part, as described in the structure of the cold water tank assembly 1 above.

[0193] Subsequently, the second assembly step S50 is a step of assembling by coupling the cap portion 120 (FIG. 10) to the first assembly so as to have the shape of the second assembly.

[0194] For this purpose, the second assembly step S50 includes a flange fastening step of thermally fusing the flange 10 to one side of the spiral shaft tube 210 and the spiral tube 220, and an assembly step of the cap portion of assembling the cap portion to the first assembly so that the spiral shaft tube 210 and the spiral tube 220 penetrate through the cap portion 120 and are exposed to the outside.

[0195] The cap portion 120 includes a first hole 121a (FIG. 10) into which the first flange 11 (FIG. 4) fused to the spiral shaft tube 210 is closely fitted, and a second hole 121b (FIG. 10) into which the second flange 12 (FIG. 2) fused to the spiral tube 220 is closely fitted.

[0196] At this time, the first hole 121a has a directivity in the upper direction of the third direction, similar to the axial extension line 210a of the spiral shaft tube 210, and the second hole 121b has a directivity in the first direction or the second direction, similar to the extension line 220a of the spiral tube 220.

[0197] In the state where the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 are heat - fused through the flange fastening process, a cap - part assembling process is performed to assemble the cap part to the first assembly so that the spiral shaft tube 210 and the spiral tube 220 penetrate through the cap part 120 and are exposed to the outside. The first flange 11 is fitted into the first hole 121a and sealed, and the second flange 12 is fitted into the second hole 121b and sealed.

[0198] And the second assembling step S50 further includes a screw - fastening process of coupling the fastening screw 20 to the threads 10a formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the first flange 11 exposed outside the first hole 121a and the second flange 12 exposed outside the second hole 121b, thereby constituting the second assembly.

[0199] Subsequently, the third assembling step S60 includes an inserting process of inserting and arranging the second assembly into the accommodation space S of the body part 110 so as to form N heat - exchange chambers H / A in the accommodation space S of the body part 110, thereby completely assembling the cold - water tank assembly 1.

[0200] At this time, the partition 320 of the partition wall part 300 is arranged such that the edge 321 presses the inner surface of the accommodation space of the body part 110 (see FIG. 4).

[0201] Subsequently, the manufacturing method of the cold - water tank assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a post - assembling step S70 to facilitate the connection with other external connection flow paths constituting the water purifier while stably arranging the cold - water tank assembly 1 passed through the third assembling step S60 on the internal accommodation space S.

[0202] Such a post - assembling step S70 includes a sensor - mounting process of mounting the temperature sensor 160 on the cap part 120 of the cold - water tank assembly 1, and a bending process of bending one side of the axial extension line 210a of the spiral shaft tube 210 and the extension line 220a of the spiral tube 220, which are arranged outside the cold - water tank 100 through the cap part 120, as shown by "a" in FIG. 2.

[0203] The axial extension line 210a of the spiral shaft tube 210 and the extension line 220a of the spiral tube 220 that are bent backward in this way are parts arranged outside the cold water tank 100. Since contact with the purified water (cold water) does not occur in the process of extracting low-temperature purified water (cold water), even if bending is performed later, it is possible to completely block the intrusion of foreign matter into the cold water tank 100 due to crack generation.

[0204] As described above, in the cold water tank assembly 1 manufactured by the manufacturing method of the cold water tank assembly according to the present invention, the evaporator 200 arranged inside the cold water tank 100 where contact with the purified water (water) occurs is coupled as it is in the initial manufacturing state. After being coupled, since there is no backward bending process on the internal accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100, it is possible to prevent crack generation and rust generation due to backward bending.

[0205] Further, by partitioning the internal accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100 into a plurality (N) of heat exchange chambers H / A that are continuously communicated using the spiral evaporator 200 and the spiral partition portion 300, the inflowing purified water performs heat exchange while sequentially passing through the N heat exchange chambers H / A, maximizing the heat exchange efficiency, and cooling the purified water at normal temperature to low-temperature purified water (cold water) having a set temperature within a short time.

[0206] In addition, by forming a plurality (N) of heat exchange chambers having a spiral shape through the spiral evaporator 200 and the spiral partition portion 300 in the cylindrical accommodation space, the size of the cold water tank 100 can be miniaturized while maximizing the cold water extraction amount.

[0207] Furthermore, the N heat exchange chambers H / A formed by the spiral evaporator 200 and the spiral partition portion 300 on the accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100 each have a spiral track to form a continuous flow path, guiding the purified water flowing into the accommodation space through the water inlet pipe 130 to have a natural flow without being hit or clogged, and increasing the cold water generation rate while maintaining a constant cooling speed.

[0208] Also, a structure is provided in which a plurality (N) of spiral heat exchange chambers H / A are formed in the accommodation space S of the cold water tank 100 through a spiral evaporator 200 and a spiral partition portion 300. While miniaturizing the overall cold water tank 100, the cold water efficiency (the value obtained by dividing the cold water extraction amount by the tank capacity) in terms of the cold water tank capacity can be maximized, and the design space of the water purifier can be minimized.

[0209] [Table 1] and [Table 2] are tables comparing the cold water efficiency of a conventional cold water tank assembly and the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a graph comparing the cold water efficiency of a conventional cold water tank assembly and the cold water tank assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0210] Conventionally, for comparison, it is a cold water tank assembly having an evaporator in a square tank structure. The cooling time is the time during which cold purified water at 10°C or lower is extracted. The minimum cold water temperature is the lowest temperature of the cold purified water extracted. The number of cold water extraction cups indicates the number of cups of cold purified water at 10°C or lower when the amount of cold water extracted at one time is based on 129 ml. And the cold water efficiency is the value obtained by dividing the cold water extraction amount by the tank capacity (tank water volume).

[0211]

Table 1

[0212]

Table 2

[0213] Referring to [Table 1], [Table 2], and FIG. 12, in the conventional cold water tank assembly, the tank water volume is 1 L, and the cooling time required for operating the evaporator to extract cold water (low-temperature purified water) at 10°C or lower is 58 minutes. At this time, it can be seen that the number of cups of cold water extracted is 5 cups. And it can be seen that the lowest temperature of the cold water is 4.4°C. On the other hand, in the cold water tank assembly according to the present invention, when the tank water volume is 0.545 L, which is 45.5% less than the conventional one, and the cooling time is 38 minutes (the first embodiment of the present invention), the number of cups of cold water extracted can be 5 cups as in the conventional case. At this time, it can be seen that the lowest temperature of the cold water is 1.6°C. Also, in the cold water tank assembly according to the present invention, when the cooling time is 43 minutes (the second embodiment of the present invention), it can be seen that 6 cups of cold water, which is 1 cup more than the conventional case, are extracted. At this time, it can be seen that the lowest temperature of the cold water is 1.5°C. Thus, it can be confirmed that the cold water efficiency of the conventional cold water tank assembly is 65.5%, the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention is 118.3%, and the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank assembly of the second embodiment of the present invention is 142%.

[0214] As described above, it can be seen that the cold water tank assembly 1 produced through the manufacturing method of the cold water tank assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention has a tank capacity (tank water volume) 45.5% less than that of the conventional cold water tank assembly, but rather the cold water efficiency of the tank is clearly improved.

[0215] Accordingly, the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be made smaller in size than the conventional one, so that the design space of the water purifier can be minimized.

[0216] And the cold water tank assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention has the lowest temperature of the low-temperature purified water being 1.5°C, and can extract low-temperature purified water at a lower temperature than the conventional one earlier. Needless to say, the satisfaction of the user can be improved.

[0217] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described, the idea of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments presented in this specification. Those skilled in the art who understand the idea of the present invention can easily propose other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, adding, etc. of components within the scope of the same idea, and this can also be said to be within the scope of the idea of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0218] 1: Cold water tank assembly 100: Cold water tank 110: Body part 111: Inner cylinder 112: Outer cylinder 113: Fixed bracket 120: Cap part 121: Plate body 122: First wall 123: Second wall 130: Inlet pipe 140: Outlet pipe 150: Air vent pipe 160: Temperature sensor 200: Evaporator 210: Spiral shaft tube 220: Spiral tube 300: Partition part 310: Shaft body 320: Partition 321: Edge 400: Spacing spacer S: Accommodation space S / A: Sealing space V / A: Space H / A: Heat exchange chamber h1: Pitch of the spiral tube h2: Pitch of the partition

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a cold water tank assembly in which purified water at room temperature passes through N heat exchange chambers having a spiral track to be extracted as purified water at low temperature, comprising the steps of: A cold water tank preparation step including a step of preparing a cylindrical body portion having an open inlet and an internal storage space, and a step of preparing a cap portion for sealing the open inlet of the body portion; An evaporator preparation step includes: preparing an evaporator having a helical tube having a predetermined length; forming N first spirals at a set pitch along the length of the helical tube by bending one side of the helical tube, and having an extension line extending without bending such that an end portion has a directionality in a first direction or a second direction; and performing an electrolytic polishing process on the evaporator; a partition portion preparation step including a step of preparing a tubular shaft body having a predetermined length, and a partition portion having a plate shape expanding in a first direction and a second direction centered on the shaft body, the partition portion forming a partition so as to extend in a third direction while forming N second spirals at a set pitch; a first assembly step including a positioning step of positioning a lower hole of the shaft body at an upper end of the helical shaft tube, and a rotation assembling step of rotating the evaporator or the partition wall so that the helical shaft tube penetrates the shaft body and the helical tube passes between the partition and a partition adjacent to the partition in the second direction, a second assembly step of assembling a second assembly, the second assembly including a flange fastening step of heat-sealing a flange to one side of the helical tube and the helical tube, and a cap assembly step of assembling the cap to the first assembly such that the helical tube and the helical tube are exposed to the outside through the cap; and a third assembly step of assembling a cold water tank assembly, the third assembly including an insertion step of inserting and positioning the second assembly into the accommodation space of the body part so as to form N heat exchange chambers in the accommodation space of the body part.

2. a sensor mounting step of mounting a temperature sensor on the cap portion of the cold water tank assembly; 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a post-assembly step of bending one side of the helical shaft pipe and the extension line of the helical pipe that pass through the cap portion and are disposed outside the cold water tank.

3. In the rotation assembly process of the first assembly step, The extension line of the spiral tube is The method for manufacturing a cold water tank assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly is performed while passing between the partition forming the second spiral and a partition adjacent to the partition in the second direction in sequence.

4. In the first assembly step, The spiral tube is The method for manufacturing a cold water tank assembly according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchange chamber is assembled such that a first gap between the heat exchange chamber and a partition disposed at a lower portion of the heat exchange chamber is equal to or smaller than a second gap between the heat exchange chamber and a partition disposed at an upper portion of the heat exchange chamber.

5. The cap portion is a first hole into which a first flange fused to the helical tube is closely fitted, and a second hole into which a second flange fused to the helical tube is closely fitted, In the second assembly step, 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a screw fastening step of fastening a fastening screw to threads formed on outer peripheral surfaces of a first flange exposed outside the first hole and a second flange exposed outside the second hole.

6. a cold water tank having a cylindrical shape with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe through which purified water flows, the tank having a body portion having an inlet expanded in a first direction and a second direction and a set length in a third direction to form a storage space, and a cap portion for sealing the inlet; an evaporator through which a refrigerant flows, the evaporator including a helical tube disposed in a third direction in the accommodation space, and a helical tube having one end portion extending in the third direction while forming N first spirals at a set pitch around the helical tube; The present invention includes a shaft body that is disposed to surround the helical shaft tube, and a partition portion that has a plate shape that is expanded in a first direction and a second direction centered on the shaft body and is provided with partitions that extend in a third direction while forming N second spirals at a set pitch. the partition is disposed so that an inner circumferential surface and an edge of the storage space of the cold water tank are closely arranged to form N heat exchange chambers in the storage space by flow paths communicating with the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe in a third direction; The spiral tube is arranged to pass through the N heat exchange chambers in succession, and after forming an Nth first spiral, an extension line extending without bending so that an end portion has a direction in a first direction or a second direction is exposed to the outside of the cold water tank.

7. The body portion is an inner cylinder that accommodates the evaporator and the partition wall; 7. The cold water tank assembly according to claim 6, further comprising an outer cylinder that encloses the inner cylinder to form a space.

8. The body portion is The cross section has a circular shape, or 7. The cold water tank assembly of claim 6, having a cross-sectional shape of a closed surface having a major axis in a first direction and a minor axis in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The extension line is 7. The cold water tank assembly according to claim 6, wherein the second spiral of the partition is formed longer than the radius thereof and is exposed to the outside of the cold water tank.

10. 7. The cold water tank assembly according to claim 6, wherein the pitch of the spiral tube and the pitch of the partition are formed to be the same.

11. The cap portion is a first hole into which a first flange fused to the helical tube is closely fitted, and a second hole into which a second flange fused to the helical tube is closely fitted, The first flange and the second flange are 7. The cold water tank assembly of claim 6, further comprising a sealing member along one side that interfaces with the cap portion.

12. The partition is 7. The cold water tank assembly according to claim 6, wherein a part or the whole of the body is made of a soft material, and an edge of the body is disposed while applying pressure to an inner peripheral surface of the storage space of the body.

13. The cold water tank is 7. The cold water tank assembly of claim 6, further comprising a spacer having a plurality of support ribs, spaced from a lower bottom surface of the storage space, and in contact with an end of the evaporator and one side of the upper portion.

14. The spacing spacer is A ring-shaped first support base; A ring-shaped second support base that surrounds the first support base; The cold water tank assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising: a plurality of support ribs each having a plate shape and arranged radially to connect the first support base and the second support base.

15. The cap portion is A plate having a size capable of covering the inlet of the body portion; a first wall protruding downward in a third direction so that a portion of the plate body contacts an inner circumferential surface of an upper portion of the body portion; 7. The cold water tank assembly of claim 6, further comprising: a second wall protruding downward in a third direction so as to be spaced apart from the first wall and to contact the outer peripheral surface of the upper side of the body portion.

16. The cap portion is The inlet of the body portion is connected to the inlet so as to seal the inlet from a third direction. the first wall, the upper edge of the body portion, and the second wall form a sealing space therebetween; The cold water tank assembly according to claim 15, wherein the sealing space is provided with a packing member.

17. The plate body is The cold water tank assembly according to claim 15, further comprising a convex rounded surface formed on an upper portion in the third direction.

18. The cap part further includes a temperature sensor that is connected to the plate body on one side so as to penetrate the plate body and be sealed. The temperature sensor is The cold water tank assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the cold water tank assembly has a length and is disposed from an upper portion of the body portion downward in a third direction while passing through a set number of the partitions.

19. The cap part includes a water inlet pipe on one side through which purified water at room temperature flows and which communicates with a first heat exchange chamber of the receiving space, 7. The cold water tank assembly according to claim 6, wherein the body portion includes the outlet pipe on a bottom surface thereof, the outlet pipe communicating with the Nth heat exchange chamber of the accommodation space and through which low-temperature purified water is extracted.

20. The spiral tube is 7. The cold water tank assembly according to claim 6, wherein a first distance between the partition disposed at the lower portion of the heat exchange chamber and the partition disposed at the upper portion of the heat exchange chamber is set equal to or smaller than a second distance between the partition disposed at the upper portion of the heat exchange chamber and the partition disposed at the lower portion of the heat exchange chamber.

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