Cold water tank

Abstract

The cold water tank has an improved cold water extraction performance, in which a storage space for storing a fluid is divided into partitions arranged alternately in the horizontal direction, the fluid is moved along the partitions in a direct water supply manner, and an evaporator having m evaporator tubes forming an offset and m-1 connecting tubes connecting the m evaporator tubes is arranged in the storage space facing the partitions to exchange heat with the fluid, thereby increasing the contact area for heat exchange with the fluid and preventing excessive ice generation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cold water tank, which is made without enlarging the cold water tank to extract a large amount of cold water, reduces the manufacturing cost, improves the performance of extracting cold water, and relates to a cold water tank that can extract cold water by a direct water supply method to improve user satisfaction.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a cold water tank is a device that cools water supplied from a faucet, a mineral water bottle, or a water purification storage device and provides it to a user. Such a cold water tank is mainly installed for generating low-temperature drinking water such as a water purifier, a carbonated water machine, a cold and hot water machine, etc., but can be used in various fields where cold water generation is required.

[0003] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0008263 of Coreway Co., Ltd. discloses a conventional cold water tank. Such a cold water tank is provided with a tank body and a cooling unit for cooling the water stored inside the tank body to become cold water. At this time, ice is generated on the outer surface of the cooling unit, and sufficient cold air is not transmitted to the water stored inside the tank body, resulting in a problem that the cold water extraction efficiency is reduced.

[0004] The cooling device for a water purifier disclosed in Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1658496 of He Won Electric Co., Ltd. includes a cold water tank and a cooling pipe that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the cold water tank and cools the water stored in the cold water tank. Such a cooling device has a problem that the cooling efficiency is reduced because the cold air of the cooling pipe is not only transmitted to the cold water tank but also discharged to the outside due to the cooling pipe being disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the cold water tank.

[0005] The cold water tank for a water purifier disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2053784 of Wonbon Co., Ltd. includes a tank body, a cooling coil that wraps around the outer peripheral surface of the tank body, and a heat insulating material that wraps around the cooling coil. In the cold water tank for the water purifier, although the cooling coil is not exposed to the outside by the heat insulating material, since the cooling coil does not directly contact the water stored in the tank body, there is a problem that the cooling efficiency is reduced. In addition, since the tank body has a cylindrical shape, there is a problem of restricting the design space of the water purifier, and in order to design the tank body with a large capacity, there is a problem that the size of the entire water purifier increases and the manufacturing cost increases.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention partitions an accommodation space for accommodating a fluid with a partition wall, the fluid moves along the partition wall in a direct connection water supply method, and an evaporator is arranged in the accommodation space so as to exchange heat with the fluid, so as to minimize the design space of the water purifier while extracting a large amount of cold water.

[0008] The cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention includes m evaporation pipes in which the evaporator forms an offset and m - 1 connection pipes that connect the m evaporation pipes, and the contact area for heat exchange with the fluid in the accommodation space is increased, so as to improve the performance of cold water extraction.

[0009] The cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention aims to prevent the connecting pipe and the partitions from being excessively close to each other by arranging the partitions alternately horizontally within the storage space, thereby preventing a decrease in cold water extraction performance due to excessive ice formation on the outer circumferential surface of the connecting pipe.

[0010] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The cold water tank for a direct-supply water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention aims to prevent the main body from being damaged due to sudden expansion caused by fluid by controlling the discharge of internal air.

[0011] A cold water tank for a direct-supply water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention aims to improve the efficiency of power consumption while providing cold water within a temperature range desired by a user by precisely measuring the temperature of a refrigerant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, a cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body having a storage space for storing a fluid, a partition wall portion composed of n partition walls that laterally divide the storage space of the main body into n+1 sections (n is an integer of 1 or more), and an evaporator disposed in the storage space of the main body for cooling the fluid moving through the n+1 sections, the evaporator being disposed to face the partition walls and including m evaporator tubes (m is an integer of 2 or more) at least a portion of which extends in a first direction, and a k+1th evaporator tube (k+1) disposed in a direction opposite the partition walls. The kth evaporation tube (k is an odd number between 1 and m-1) is connected to the k+1th evaporation tube such that the kth evaporation tube forms a first offset with the kth evaporation tube in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and forms a second offset with the kth evaporation tube in a vertical direction, and the k+2th evaporation tube is connected to the k+1th evaporation tube such that the k+2th evaporation tube forms a first offset with the k+1th evaporation tube in a third direction opposite to the second direction and forms a second offset with the k+1th evaporation tube in the vertical direction. - and one connecting pipe, and the partition includes an opening through which the connecting pipe passes.

[0013] In the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, among the areas of the accommodation space, the areas excluding the uppermost area and the lowermost area each have at least one evaporation pipe arranged therein.

[0014] In the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, the m - 1 connecting pipes include a plurality of first connecting pipes that connect the k-th evaporation pipe and the (k + 1)-th evaporation pipe, and a plurality of second connecting pipes that connect the (k + 1)-th evaporation pipe and the (k + 2)-th evaporation pipe.

[0015] In the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of first connecting pipes are arranged side by side on the first plane of the accommodation space at the same interval.

[0016] In the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of second connecting pipes are arranged side by side on the second plane arranged side by side with the first plane in the accommodation space at the same interval.

[0017] In the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the n partition walls is formed at a height through which any one of the plurality of first connecting pipes and the plurality of second connecting pipes passes.

[0018] In the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, the n partition walls include a first partition wall portion through which any one of the plurality of first connecting pipes passes, and a second partition wall portion through which any one of the plurality of second connecting pipes passes, and the first partition wall portion and the second partition wall portion are alternately arranged in the lateral direction in the accommodation space.

[0019] In the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, a third plane including any one of the plurality of first connecting pipes and a plane including the partition wall portion are formed to have an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to each other.

[0020] In the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, a fourth plane including any one of the plurality of second connecting pipes and a plane including the partition portion are formed to have an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to each other.

[0021] In the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, the opening is located at a certain interval from the inner surface of the main body portion.

[0022] The cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed above the main body portion, and further includes an air discharge portion that adjusts whether the air inside the main body portion can be discharged to the outside of the main body portion according to the water level of the fluid stored in the main body portion.

[0023] The cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed above the main body portion, and further includes a water level sensor that senses the water level of the fluid stored in the main body portion, and the water level sensor controls the air discharge portion according to the water level of the fluid stored in the main body portion.

[0024] The cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a temperature sensor that senses the temperature inside the main body portion.

Effects of the Invention

[0025] The cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention divides the accommodation space for accommodating the fluid by a partition, and the fluid moves along the partition in a direct connection water supply method, and the evaporator is arranged in the accommodation space so as to exchange heat with the fluid, thereby providing an effect of minimizing the design space of the water purifier while extracting a large amount of cold water.

[0026] The cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention includes m evaporation pipes that form an offset and m - 1 connecting pipes that connect the m evaporation pipes, and the contact area for heat exchange with the fluid in the accommodation space is increased, thereby providing an effect of improving the performance of cold water extraction.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the cold water tank, by arranging the partition walls alternately in the horizontal direction within the accommodation space, it is possible to prevent the connecting pipe and the partition walls from being overly close to each other, and to prevent the performance of cold water extraction from deteriorating due to excessive ice formation on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cold water tank for the directly connected water supply purifier can prevent the main body from expanding and being damaged suddenly by fluid by adjusting the discharge of the internal air.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cold water tank for the directly connected water supply purifier can precisely measure the temperature of the refrigerant and improve the efficiency of power consumption while providing cold water within the temperature range desired by the user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0031] The words and terms used in this specification and the claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of the present invention in accordance with the principle that the inventor can define the terms and concepts in order to explain his invention in the best way.

[0032] 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, the said configurations can have various equivalents and modifications that replace them at the time of filing of the present invention.

[0033] 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 be understood not to preclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0034] When a component is in the "front", "rear", "upper" or "lower" of another component, unless there are special circumstances, it is not only arranged in the "front", "rear", "upper" or "lower" in direct contact with the other component, but also includes the case where other components are arranged in between. Also, when a component is "connected" to another component, unless there are special circumstances, it not only includes the case where they are directly connected to each other, but also the case where they are indirectly connected to each other.

[0035] Hereinafter, a cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a front view showing the inside of the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the evaporator of the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a front view showing the evaporator of the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a side view showing the evaporator of the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a cold water tank 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body portion 110 having an accommodation space 119 for accommodating a fluid, a partition portion 120 partitioning the accommodation space 119 of the main body portion 110, and an evaporator 130 disposed in the accommodation space 119 of the main body portion 110.

[0038] The main body 110 is formed in the shape of a regular hexahedron and is disposed inside a water purifier (not shown). However, the main body 110 is not limited to being disposed inside the water purifier and can be disposed outside the water purifier. Further, the accommodation space 119 of the main body 110 is provided with the partition portion 120 and the evaporator 130. Further, the main body 110 includes an upper surface 111, a lower surface 112 formed side by side with the upper surface 111, a first side surface 113 connected between the upper surface 111 and the lower surface 112, and a second side surface 114 formed side by side with the first side surface 113, and is formed in the shape of a regular hexahedron. Thus, since the main body 110 is formed in the shape of a regular hexahedron, there is an advantage that a large amount of the fluid can be accommodated in the accommodation space 119 compared to a cylindrical shape in the same space, and a large amount of cold water can be extracted without increasing the size of the water purifier itself. Further, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the main body 110 is not limited to being formed in the shape of a regular hexahedron and can be formed in various shapes that can be installed inside the water purifier according to the installation space inside the water purifier. Further, the material of the main body 110 is stainless steel. However, the material of the main body 110 is not limited to stainless steel, and various materials such as a metal or plastic having strong corrosion resistance and rigidity can be used. Further, an inflow pipe 117 through which the fluid flows in from the outside of the main body 110 is formed on the upper surface 111. At this time, the inflow pipe 117 includes a first inflow member 117a penetrating the upper surface 111, a second inflow member 117b extending from the first inflow member 117a, and a third inflow member 117c extending from the second inflow member 117b and formed such that the fluid moves to the accommodation space 119. Further, since the second inflow member 117b has a U shape and the fluid does not immediately fall along the gravitational direction but is discharged toward the upper surface 111, it is possible to prevent the speed of the fluid from excessively increasing. Further, a discharge pipe 118 for discharging the fluid in the accommodation space 119 to the outside is formed at a lower portion of the second side surface 114. Thereby, the fluid that has flowed in through the inflow pipe 117 is discharged to the discharge pipe 118 after moving from the accommodation space 119.

[0039] The partition portion 120 is composed of n partitions that horizontally partition the accommodation space 119 of the main body portion 110 into n + 1 areas (n is an integer of 1 or more). For example, the n may be 5, the n partitions are five partitions 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, and the n + 1 areas are six areas 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g. However, the n is not limited to 5, and n may be 1 to 4 or 6 or more. Also, the n partitions 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 include a first partition 121, a second partition 122, a third partition 123, a fourth partition 124, and a fifth partition 125 arranged side by side along the horizontal direction. Further, openings 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a through which the fluid moves downward are formed in the n partitions 121, 122, 123, 124, 125. Also, the openings 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a are in the shape of slits. However, the openings 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a are not limited to being in the shape of slits, and can be in various shapes through which the fluid moves. At this time, the n partitions 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 are arranged at different intervals from each other. That is, the first partition 121 is arranged at a first interval G1 from the upper surface 111 of the main body portion 110. Also, the second partition 122 is arranged at a second interval G2 from the first partition 121. At this time, the second interval G2 is longer than the first interval G1. Also, the third partition 123 is arranged at a third interval G3 from the second partition 122. At this time, the third interval G3 is smaller than the first interval G1. Also, the fourth partition 124 is arranged at a fourth interval G4 from the third partition 123. At this time, the fourth interval G4 is the same as the second interval G2. Also, the fifth partition 125 is arranged at a fifth interval G5 from the fourth partition 124. At this time, the fifth interval G5 is the same as the third interval G3. Also, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the n partitions 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 are not limited to being arranged at different intervals from each other, and may be arranged at equal intervals.Also, the material of the partition portion 120 is stainless steel, similar to the material of the main body portion 110. However, the material of the partition portion 120 is not limited to stainless steel, and various materials such as metals or plastics with strong corrosion resistance and rigidity can be used. Also, the n + 1 regions 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g include a first region 110b, a second region 110c, a third region 110d, a fourth region 110e, a fifth region 110f, and a sixth region 110g partitioned by the n partitions 121, 122, 123, 124, 125. The first region 110b is formed between the upper surface 111 of the main body portion 110 and the first partition 121. Also, a first opening 121a is formed in the first partition 121 for the fluid moving through the first region 110b to move in the downward direction. The second region 110c is formed between the first partition 121 and the second partition 122. Also, a second opening 122a is formed in the second partition 122 for the fluid moving through the second region 110c to move in the downward direction. The third region 110d is formed between the second partition 122 and the third partition 123. Also, a third opening 123a is formed in the third partition 123 for the fluid moving through the third region 110d to move in the downward direction. The fourth region 110e is formed between the third partition 123 and the fourth partition 124. At this time, the size of the fourth region 110e is the same as the size of the second region 110c. Also, a fourth opening 124a is formed in the fourth partition 124 for the fluid moving through the fourth region 110e to move in the downward direction. The fifth region 110f is formed between the fourth partition 124 and the fifth partition 125. At this time, the size of the fifth region 110f is the same as the size of the third region 110d. Also, a fifth opening 125a is formed in the fifth partition 125 for the fluid moving through the fifth region 110f to move in the downward direction. The sixth region 110g is formed between the fifth partition 125 and the sixth partition 126.

[0040] The evaporator 130 is disposed in the accommodation space 119 of the main body 110 to cool the fluid moving through the n + 1 zones 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g. Further, a refrigerant that exchanges heat with the fluid is moved through the evaporator 130. At this time, a refrigerant supply pipe 145 for supplying the refrigerant from the outside is provided on one side of the evaporator 130. The refrigerant supply pipe 145 penetrates the upper portion of the first side surface 113 of the main body 110. Also, a refrigerant discharge pipe 146 through which the refrigerant is discharged to the outside is provided on the other side of the evaporator 130. The refrigerant discharge pipe 146 penetrates the lower portion of the first side surface 113 of the main body 110. Further, the evaporator 130 is disposed to face the partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, and includes m evaporator tubes (m is an integer of 2 or more) at least partially arranged in the first direction (“1”, see FIG. 4) and m - 1 connecting pipes connecting the m evaporator tubes. For example, m is 12, the m evaporator tubes are 12 evaporator tubes 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, and the m - 1 connecting pipes are 11 connecting pipes 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161. For example, the 12 evaporator tubes 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 are composed of the first to twelfth evaporator tubes 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142. However, m is not limited to 12, and m may be 2 to 11 or 13 or more.

[0041] Further, the m - 1 connecting pipes connect the k-th evaporation pipe (k is an odd number from 1 to m - 1) and the (k + 1)-th evaporation pipe, and connect the (k + 1)-th evaporation pipe and the (k + 2)-th evaporation pipe. The m - 1 connecting pipes are in a U shape. However, the m - 1 connecting pipes are not limited to being in a U shape, and can be configured in various shapes that connect the m evaporation pipes to each other. At this time, the (k + 1)-th evaporation pipe forms a first offset with the k-th evaporation pipe in a second direction (“2”, see FIG. 4) perpendicular to the first direction (“1”, see FIG. 4), and forms a second offset with the k-th evaporation pipe in the vertical direction. Also, the (k + 2)-th evaporation pipe forms a first offset with the (k + 1)-th evaporation pipe in a third direction (“3”, see FIG. 4) which is the reverse direction of the second direction “2”, and forms a second offset with the (k + 1)-th evaporation pipe in the vertical direction. For example, when m is 2 and k is 1, the second evaporation pipe 132 forms a first offset a1 (see FIG. 4) with the first evaporation pipe 131 in the second direction “2”, and forms a second offset a2 (see FIG. 4) with the first evaporation pipe 131 in the vertical direction. Also, the third evaporation pipe 133 forms a first offset a1 with the second evaporation pipe 132 in the third direction “3”, and forms a second offset a2 with the second evaporation pipe 132 in the vertical direction. At this time, the m - 1 connecting pipes include a plurality of first connecting pipes 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161 that connect the k-th evaporation pipe and the (k + 1)-th evaporation pipe, and the (k + 1)-th evaporation pipe and the k + 2A plurality of second connecting pipes 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 for connecting the nth evaporation pipes, are included. For example, the plurality of first connecting pipes 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161 include a first connecting pipe 151 connecting the first evaporation pipe 131 and the second evaporation pipe 132, a third connecting pipe 153 connecting the third evaporation pipe 133 and the fourth evaporation pipe 134, a fifth connecting pipe 155 connecting the fifth evaporation pipe 135 and the sixth evaporation pipe 136, a seventh connecting pipe 157 connecting the seventh evaporation pipe 137 and the eighth evaporation pipe 138, a ninth connecting pipe 159 connecting the ninth evaporation pipe 139 and the tenth evaporation pipe 140, and an eleventh connecting pipe 161 connecting the eleventh evaporation pipe 141 and the twelfth evaporation pipe 142. Also, the plurality of second connecting pipes 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 include a second connecting pipe 152 connecting the second evaporation pipe 132 and the third evaporation pipe 133, a fourth connecting pipe 154 connecting the fourth evaporation pipe 134 and the fifth evaporation pipe 135, a sixth connecting pipe 156 connecting the sixth evaporation pipe 136 and the seventh evaporation pipe 137, an eighth connecting pipe 158 connecting the eighth evaporation pipe 138 and the ninth evaporation pipe 139, and a tenth connecting pipe 160 connecting the tenth evaporation pipe 140 and the eleventh evaporation pipe 141. At this time, since the first evaporation pipe 131, the first connecting pipe 151, and the second evaporation pipe 132 are arranged in the first area 110b, the first evaporation pipe 131 and the second evaporation pipe 132 cool the fluid moving through the first area 110b, so the cooling efficiency of the fluid is improved. Also, the second evaporation pipe 132 forms a first offset a1 with the first evaporation pipe 131 in the second direction "2" and a second offset a2 with the first evaporation pipe 131 in the vertical direction, thereby preventing the fluid between the first evaporation pipe 131 and the second evaporation pipe 132 from being excessively cooled and preventing the space between the first evaporation pipe 131 and the second evaporation pipe 132 from being blocked by ice.In addition, the second evaporation pipe 132 forms the first offset a1 with the first evaporation pipe 131 in the second direction "2" and forms the second offset a2 with the first evaporation pipe 131 in the vertical direction, so that the first connecting pipe 151 is not overly bent and can smoothly connect the first evaporation pipe 131 and the second evaporation pipe 132. Also, the second connecting pipe 152 passes through the first opening 121a of the first partition wall 121. At this time, the third evaporation pipe 133, the third connecting pipe 153, the fourth evaporation pipe 134, the fourth connecting pipe 154, and the fifth evaporation pipe 135 are arranged in the second area 110c to cool the fluid moving from the second area 110c. At this time, the size of the second area 110c is larger than the size of the first area 110b, so that the amount of the fluid accommodated in the second area 110c is larger than the amount of the fluid accommodated in the first area 110b. That is, while the fluid moving through the second area 110c moves downward through the second opening 152a, the fluid moving through the first area 110b smoothly moves into the second area 110c through the first opening 151a, preventing the water level in the accommodation space 119 from increasing rapidly. Also, the fifth connecting pipe 155 passes through the third opening 123a. At this time, the sixth evaporation pipe 136 is arranged in the third area 110d. The size of the third area 110d is smaller than the size of the second area 110c, so that the amount of the fluid accommodated in the third area 110c is smaller than the amount of the fluid accommodated in the second area 110b. That is, while the fluid moving through the third area 110c moves downward through the third opening 153a, the fluid moving through the second area 110c continuously moves into the third area 110c, improving the cooling efficiency of the fluid cooled by the sixth evaporation pipe 136. Also, the sixth connecting pipe 156 passes through the third opening 123a. At this time, the seventh evaporation pipe 137, the seventh connecting pipe 157, the eighth evaporation pipe 138, the eighth connecting pipe 158, and the ninth evaporation pipe 139 are arranged in the fourth area 110e to cool the fluid moving from the fourth area 110e.At this time, since the size of the fourth area 110e becomes the same as the size of the second area 110c, the amount of the fluid moving the fourth area 110e becomes the same as the amount of the fluid moving the second area 110c. Therefore, the fluid in the second area 110c smoothly moves to the fourth area 110d through the third area 110d. Further, the ninth connecting pipe 159 passes through the fourth opening 124a. At this time, the tenth evaporation pipe 140 is disposed in the fifth area 110f. Since the size of the fifth area 110f is smaller than the size of the fourth area 110e, the amount of the fluid accommodated in the fifth area 110f becomes smaller than the amount of the fluid accommodated in the fourth area 110e. That is, while the fluid moving through the fifth area 110f moves downward through the fourth opening 124a, the fluid moving through the fourth area 110e continuously moves to the fifth area 110f, and the cooling efficiency in which the fluid is cooled by the tenth evaporation pipe 140 is improved. Further, the tenth connecting pipe 160 passes through the fifth opening 125a. At this time, the eleventh evaporation pipe 141, the eleventh connecting pipe 161, and the twelfth evaporation pipe 142 are disposed in the sixth area 110g to cool the fluid moving from the sixth area 110g. As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the fluid is cooled by heat-exchanging with the evaporator 130 in a direct water supply method along the partition wall portion 120 partitioning the accommodation space 119 of the main body portion 110, the large-capacity cold water extraction performance is improved.

[0042] Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, among the areas of the accommodation space 119, the areas excluding the uppermost area 110a and the lowermost area 110h can each be provided with at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142. Since the uppermost area 110a is adjacent to the upper surface 111 and the lowermost area 110h is adjacent to the lower surface 112, the at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 is not arranged in the uppermost area 110a and the lowermost area 110h, thereby preventing the cold air of the evaporator 130 from being rapidly transmitted to the upper surface 111 and the lower surface 112. Also, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 may be arranged in the uppermost area 110a and not in the lowermost area 110h. Also, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 may be arranged in the lowermost area 110h without being arranged in the uppermost area 110a. Also, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the at least one evaporation pipe 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 may be arranged in the uppermost area 110a and also in the lowermost area 110h.

[0043] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of first connecting pipes 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161 are arranged side by side at the same interval on a first plane V1 which is a virtual plane of the accommodation space 119. Further, the plurality of second connecting pipes 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 are arranged side by side at the same interval on a second plane V2 arranged on the first plane V1 in the accommodation space 119. Thereby, the plurality of first connecting pipes 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161 and the plurality of second connecting pipes 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 are arranged in the accommodation space 119 of the main body portion 110 having a regular hexahedron shape while connecting the m evaporation pipes to each other and being maximally dispersed, so that there is an advantage of ensuring the maximum area where the evaporator 130 exchanges heat with the fluid. Also, each of the n partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 is formed at a height through which any one of the plurality of first connecting pipes 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161 and any one of the plurality of second connecting pipes 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 passes. Thereby, the evaporator 130 has an advantage of being cooled in a direct water supply manner with the fluid while passing through the n partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125. Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the n partition walls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 include a first partition wall portion 122, 124 through which any one of the plurality of first connecting pipes 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161 passes, and a second partition wall portion 121, 123, 125 through which any one of the plurality of second connecting pipes 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 passes. Also, the first partition wall portions 122, 124 and the second partition wall portions 121, 123, 125 are alternately arranged in the lateral direction in the accommodation space. Thereby, the openings 122a, 124a of the first partition wall portions 122, 124 and the openings 121a, 123a, 125a of the second partition wall portions 121, 123, 125 are arranged apart from each other, preventing cold air from concentrating between the openings 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a and preventing excessive ice formation around the openings 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a.Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a third plane 151a (see FIG. 6) including any one of the plurality of first connecting pipes 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161 and a plane 120a (see FIG. 2) including the partition portion 120 are formed to have an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to each other. For example, the angle may be about 30 degrees. Further, a fourth plane 152a (see FIG. 6) including any one of the plurality of second connecting pipes 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 and the plane 120a (see FIG. 2) including the partition portion 120 are formed to have an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to each other. For example, the angle may be about 30 degrees. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, a first angle α1 between any one 151 of the plurality of first connecting pipes and any one 152 of the plurality of second connecting pipes may be about 60 degrees. Also, a second angle α2 between any one 152 of the plurality of second connecting pipes and any one 153 of the plurality of first connecting pipes is the same as the first angle α1 between any one 151 of the plurality of first connecting pipes and any one 152 of the plurality of second connecting pipes. For example, the second angle α2 may be about 60 degrees. Thus, by forming the plurality of first connecting pipes 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161 and the plurality of second connecting pipes 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 to have an angle of about 60 degrees with respect to each other, the plurality of first connecting pipes 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161 and the plurality of second connecting pipes 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 can stably connect the m evaporation pipes 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142 without being excessively bent.

[0044] Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cold water tank 100 is provided with a temperature sensor 170 for sensing the temperature inside the main body 110. At this time, the temperature sensor 170 includes a first temperature sensor 171 disposed in the fourth area 110e and a second temperature sensor 172 disposed in the fifth area 110f. The first temperature sensor 171 is disposed adjacent to the upper side of the ninth connecting pipe 159, and the second temperature sensor 172 is disposed adjacent to the lower side of the ninth connecting pipe 159. There is a problem that when ice is excessively generated on the outer peripheral surface of the ninth connecting pipe 159, the fourth opening 124a is blocked. To solve this problem, the first temperature sensor 171 and the second temperature sensor 172 measure the ambient temperature around the ninth connecting pipe 159 to prevent excessive ice formation on the outer peripheral surface of the ninth connecting pipe 159. Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cold water tank 100 is provided with an air discharge portion 115 that penetrates the upper portion of the second side surface 114 of the main body 110. The air discharge portion 115 adjusts the discharge of the air inside the main body 110 to the outside of the main body 110 according to the water level of the fluid accommodated in the main body 110. For example, the air discharge portion 115 is closed so that the air inside the main body 110 is not discharged to the outside of the main body 110 in order to prevent the outflow of cold air, and when the water level of the fluid accommodated in the main body 110 rises, the air inside the main body 110 is discharged to the outside of the main body 110 to prevent the main body 110 from being damaged by the internal pressure of the main body 110. Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cold water tank 100 is provided with a water level sensor 116 disposed above the main body 110. The water level sensor 116 senses the water level of the fluid accommodated in the main body 110. Also, the water level sensor 116 is provided to control the supply of the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the main body 110 according to the water level of the fluid accommodated in the main body 110. Also, the water level sensor 116 controls the air discharge portion 115 according to the water level of the fluid accommodated in the main body 110. Thereby, the water level sensor 116 prevents the internal pressure of the main body 110 from rising due to the fluid accommodated in the main body 110 and the main body 110 from being damaged.

[0045] Also, [Table 1] is a table comparing the cold water efficiency of a conventional cold water tank and the cold water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cold water tank of the conventional invention 1 generates cold water in a state where cold water is stored, rather than a direct water supply type, and the cold water tank of the conventional invention 2 has a cylindrical structure and generates cold water in a direct water supply type. Here, the cold water efficiency of the tank is the value obtained by dividing the cold water extraction amount by the tank capacity.

[0046]

Table 1

[0047] Referring to Table 1, the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank of the conventional invention 1 is 84%, the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank of the conventional invention 2 is 100%, and the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank according to the present invention is 127%. At this time, since ice is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the evaporator, the amount of cold water extracted is larger than the supplied fluid, so it can be seen that the cold water efficiency of the cold water tank according to the present invention is higher. Thus, it can be seen that the cold water tank according to the present invention has improved cold water efficiency of the tank compared to the conventional invention 1 and the conventional invention 2. Also, since the cold water tank according to the present invention does not need to be limited to a cylindrical structure, it can be seen that the size of the cold water tank according to the present invention can be made smaller than the size of the cold water tank of the conventional invention 2 while rather improving the cold water efficiency of the tank. Further, the minimum temperature of the cold water of the cold water tank according to the present invention is 3.2 °C, the minimum temperature of the cold water of the cold water tank of the conventional invention 1 is 3.3 °C, and the minimum temperature of the cold water of the cold water tank of the conventional invention 2 is 4.3 °C. Therefore, the cold water tank according to the present invention can extract colder cold water than the conventional invention 1 and the conventional invention 2 to improve the user's satisfaction. Also, when comparing the cold water tank according to the present invention with a cold water tank in which the evaporator and the cold water tank are arranged in two parallel rows, the refrigerant of the evaporator moves downward along the partition portion and then moves upward again, so the cooling efficiency by the refrigerant decreases. Therefore, the cold water tank according to the present invention has improved cooling efficiency compared to a cold water tank in which the evaporator is arranged in two parallel rows.

[0048] 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 components, etc. within the scope of the same idea, and it can be said that this also falls within the scope of the idea of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0049] 100: Cold water tank 110: Body main body part 110a: Uppermost area 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g: n areas 110h: Lowermost area 119: Accommodation space 120: Partition part 121, 122, 123, 124, 125: n partitions 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a: Openings 130: Evaporator 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142: m evaporation tubes 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161: m - 1 connecting tubes

Claims

1. A main body portion having an accommodation space for accommodating a fluid, A partition portion composed of n partitions (n is an integer of 1 or more) that horizontally partition the accommodation space of the main body portion into n + 1 regions, An evaporator disposed in the accommodation space of the main body portion for cooling the fluid moving through the n + 1 regions, and The evaporator is, m evaporation tubes (m is an integer of 2 or more) disposed so as to face the partition and at least a part of which extends in a first direction, The (k + 1)-th evaporation tube (k is an odd number from 1 to m - 1) forms a first offset with the k-th evaporation tube in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and forms a second offset with the k-th evaporation tube in the vertical direction, and connects the k-th evaporation tube and the (k + 1)-th evaporation tube so that the (k + 2)-th evaporation tube forms a first offset with the (k + 1)-th evaporation tube in a third direction which is the reverse direction of the second direction and forms a second offset with the (k + 1)-th evaporation tube in the vertical direction, and connects the (k + 1)-th evaporation tube and the (k + 2)-th evaporation tube, and m - 1 connecting tubes, The partition includes an opening through which the connecting tube penetrates, The m - 1 connecting tubes include a plurality of first connecting tubes connecting the k-th evaporation tube and the (k + 1)-th evaporation tube and a plurality of second connecting tubes connecting the (k + 1)-th evaporation tube and the (k + 2)-th evaporation tube, The n partitions include a first partition portion through which any one of the plurality of first connecting tubes penetrates and a second partition portion through which any one of the plurality of second connecting tubes penetrates, The first partition portion and the second partition portion are alternately arranged horizontally in the accommodation space, and characterized by a chilled water tank.

2. Among the regions of the accommodation space, the regions excluding the uppermost region and the lowermost region each have at least one evaporation tube disposed therein, and characterized by the chilled water tank according to Claim 1.

3. The plurality of first connecting tubes are arranged side by side at the same interval on a first plane of the accommodation space, and characterized by the chilled water tank according to Claim 1.

4. The plurality of second connecting tubes are arranged side by side at the same interval on a second plane arranged parallel to the first plane in the accommodation space, and characterized by the chilled water tank according to Claim 3.

5. Each of the n partitions is formed at a height through which any one of the plurality of first connecting tubes and the plurality of second connecting tubes penetrates, and characterized by the chilled water tank according to Claim 1.

6. The cold water tank according to claim 1, wherein a third plane including any one of the plurality of first connecting pipes and a plane including the partition portion are formed to have an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to each other.

7. The cold water tank according to claim 1, wherein a fourth plane including any one of the plurality of second connecting pipes and a plane including the partition portion are formed to have an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to each other.

8. The cold water tank according to claim 1, wherein the opening is located at a certain distance from the inner surface of the main body portion.

9. The cold water tank according to claim 1, further comprising an air discharge portion formed on the upper side of the main body portion for adjusting whether the air inside the main body portion can be discharged to the outside of the main body portion according to the water level of the fluid accommodated in the main body portion.

10. The cold water tank according to claim 9, further comprising a water level sensor disposed on the upper side of the main body portion for sensing the water level of the fluid accommodated in the main body portion, wherein the water level sensor controls the air discharge portion according to the water level of the fluid accommodated in the main body portion.

11. The cold water tank according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature inside the main body portion.

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