Refrigerated Cold Plate Water Dispenser for Compact Multi-Drink Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water dispensers lack a compact, self-contained solution for efficiently dispensing carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, including chilled and ambient water, without requiring extensive installation or complex plumbing.
Innovation Solution
A portable, modular tabletop system utilizing a refrigerated cold plate cooled by refrigerant evaporation, with multiple fluid circuits that include a compressor, condenser, pump, and carbonator to chill, carbonate, and dispense water through separate valves, powered by AC electricity and pressurized CO2, allowing for easy handling and setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a water dispenser system is made compact and portable for easy handling, then ease of operation is improved, but the system complexity and installation requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional modules: a portable dispensing unit with cold plate and valves, an external water source connection, and an electrical power connection. This segmentation allows the main dispensing mechanism to be compact and movable while external infrastructure handles the complex connections.
Solution Approach 2:
Complex functions such as water storage, main water supply, and electrical power supply are extracted from the portable unit and placed in external sources. The portable unit retains only the essential dispensing mechanism, making it easier to handle while reducing overall installation complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple beverage types (carbonated and non-carbonated, chilled and ambient) are dispensed from a single system, then versatility is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate serves multiple functions: it chills water for carbonated beverages, chills water for non-carbonated beverages, and can be bypassed to dispense ambient temperature water. The same hardware infrastructure supports four different beverage types through valve control and circuit configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Water is pre-chilled in the cold plate before dispensing, and the system is configured in advance with multiple valves and circuits to handle different beverage types. The cold plate is pre-positioned to serve multiple fluid circuits that will be activated based on the desired beverage type.
3Temperature
If a cold plate is used to chill dispensed beverages, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the system requires additional components (refrigerant circuit, compressor, condenser) which increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration components (compressor, condenser, refrigerant circuit) are merged into a single integrated cold plate assembly. This consolidation provides efficient cooling while maintaining a relatively compact structure that can be incorporated into the portable dispensing unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plate acts as an intermediary heat exchanger between the refrigerant circuit and the beverage water. It transfers thermal energy efficiently without requiring direct contact between the refrigerant and the beverage, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and versatile dispensing of chilled carbonated, chilled non-carbonated, and ambient water from a compact, self-contained unit, requiring only a power source and external water supply, addressing the need for a user-friendly and space-efficient beverage dispensing system.
Implementation Method 1
The cold plate is chilled by evaporation of a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
Cold plates act as heat exchangers, providing the chilling of a fluid passing therethrough
Implementation Method 3
a compressor and a condenser
Implementation Method 4
a compressor and a condenser
Implementation Method 5
A pump and a motor move non-carbonated water through the cold plate
Data Source
AI summary
Applicants provide a portable, modular table top system for dispensing chilled carbonated water, chilled non-carbonated water, and ambient (non-chilled) non-carbonated water therefrom. The table top water dispenser includes a cold plate that is chilled by evaporation of a refrigerant, which is part of a cold plate cooling circuit, which includes a compressor and a condenser. A pump and a motor move non-carbonated water through the cold plate to a dispensing valve engaged therewith. The same motor and pump typically drive non-carbonated water through the cold plate, through the carbonator where it becomes carbonated, and through the cold plate again, and out a second dispensing valve. A third dispensing valve is engaged to the remote source of pressurized water and bypasses the cold plate and, also, typically the pump for dispensing from a third dispensing valve.