WO2019156367A1

WO2019156367A1 - Water purifier

Info

Publication number: WO2019156367A1
Application number: PCT/KR2019/000271
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jongwoo Park; Sangjoon Lee; Seonwoong Hwang
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2018-02-09
Filing date: 2019-01-08
Publication date: 2019-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2020-08-09
Also published as: KR20190096563A

Abstract

A water purifier includes a coolant tank, a tank cover covering the coolant tank, and a gasket placed on a portion where the coolant tank and the tank cover are coupled to prevent leakage of the coolant. The gasket includes a head seated on an upper end of the coolant tank, an outer extension end extending from an outer edge of a bottom surface of the head and contacting an outer surface of the coolant tank, and an inner extension end extending from an inner edge of the bottom surface of the head and contacting an inner surface of the coolant tank, such that a portion of the gasket is placed inside the coolant tank and the other portion thereof is placed outside the coolant tank.

Description

WATER PURIFIER

The present invention relates to a water purifier.

A water purifier is a device for filtering out harmful elements such as foreign materials or heavy metals contained in water using physical and/or chemical methods.

The prior art described below discloses a so-called direct type water purifier. The direct type water purifier means a water purifier for coolant supplied through a water tap to a set temperature through a cooling unit and directly supplying water to a consumer without using a water tank, when the consumer pressing a water supply button.

Since the direct type water purifier does not require the water tank, there is no problem that foreign materials are accumulated on the bottom of the water tank and that bacteria propagate in the water tank.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a coupling structure of a coolant tank and a tank cover configuring a conventional direct type water purifier.

Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional direct type water purifier may include a coolant tank 2 in which coolant is stored, an insulation case 1 surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the coolant tank, a tank cover 3 seated on the upper surface of the coolant tank 2, and a gasket 4 seated on a portion where the tank cover 3 and the coolant tank 2 are coupled to prevent water leakage. Cooling parts disclosed in the prior art are received in the coolant tank 2, an agitating motor is seated on the upper surface of the tank cover 3, and an agitator is connected to a motor shaft extending to the bottom surface of the tank cover 3.

A space in which the gasket 4 is seated is formed in the upper end of the coolant tank 2, and the outer diameter of the coolant tank 2 is increased by the space in which the gasket 4 is seated.

As a result, the thickness of the portion, in which the gasket 4 is seated, of the insulation case 1, is less than the other portions, thereby causing adiabatic loss. Further, power consumption increases due to adiabatic loss and condensation occurs in a portion in which adiabatic loss occurs.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-0024969 (March 8, 2017)

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems.

To achieve the above objects, there is provided a water purifier including a coolant tank, a tank cover covering the coolant tank, and a gasket placed on a portion where the coolant tank and the tank cover are coupled to prevent leakage of the coolant, wherein the gasket includes a head seated on an upper end of the coolant tank, an outer extension end extending from an outer edge of a bottom surface of the head and contacting an outer surface of the coolant tank, and an inner extension end extending from an inner edge of the bottom surface of the head and contacting an inner surface of the coolant tank, such that a portion of the gasket is placed inside the coolant tank and the other portion thereof is placed outside the coolant tank.

The water purifier according to the embodiment of the present invention including the above configuration has the following effects.

First, since a portion of the gasket provided between the coolant tank and the tank cover contacts the outer side surface of the coolant thank and the other portion thereof contacts the inner side surface of the coolant tank, it is possible to reduce the volume of the gasket accommodation part. Therefore, since the thickness of the portion of the insulation case covering the gasket increases, it is possible to improve insulation performance.

Second, since the size of the gasket accommodation part is reduced, it is possible to reduce the size of the cooling unit without reducing the storage volume of the coolant.

Third, since the thickness of the insulation case formed outside the gasket accommodation part increases to reduce adiabatic loss, it is possible to reduce power consumption.

Fourth, since the thickness of the insulation case in the vicinity of the gasket accommodation part increases to reduce adiabatic loss, it is possible to minimize the possibility in which condensation occurs in the vicinity of the gasket.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing a cooling unit configuring a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial cutaway perspective view showing the structure of a gasket according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view showing comparison in thickness of the insulation case between a coolant tank having a gasket installed therein according to the prior art and the coolant tank having a gasket installed therein according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a water purifier, to which a gasket is applied, according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 2, the water purifier having a cooling unit 10 installed therein according to the embodiment of the present invention is equal to a direct type water purifier disclosed in the prior art and thus the structure excluding the cooling unit 10 will be omitted.

Specifically, the cooling unit 10 including a gasket according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a coolant tank 13 in which coolant is stored, an insulation case 11 surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the coolant tank 13, a drain valve 12 installed in an inner lower end of the insulation case 11 and connected to the lower end of the coolant tank 13, a tank cover 17 covering an opened upper surface of the coolant tank 13, and a gasket 20 seated on an upper end of the coolant tank 13 and pressed by the tank cover 17.

The gasket 20 is interposed between the tank cover 17 and the coolant tank 13, and is pressed by the tank cover 17, thereby preventing coolant stored in the coolant tank 13 from leaking.

In addition, the cooling unit 10 may further include a partitioning member 16 placed inside the coolant tank 13, an evaporator 15 placed above the partitioning member 16, a coolant pipe 14 disposed below the partitioning member 16, an agitating motor 18 placed on the upper surface of the tank cover 17, a motor shaft extending from the agitating motor 18 into the coolant tank 13 through the tank cover 17, and an agitator 19 connected to the motor shaft.

The evaporator 15 is installed to cool the coolant stored in the coolant tank 13 to a set temperature. The coolant stored in the coolant tank 13 exchanges heat with drinking water flowing along the coolant pipe 14, thereby cooling the drinking water to the set temperature.

In addition, the agitator 19 agitates the coolant in the coolant tank 13 such that coolant located at the upper side of the partitioning member 16 and the coolant located at the lower side of the partitioning member 16 exchange heat with each other while the coolant circulates. That is, the coolant, the temperature of which is decreased by heat exchange with the evaporator 15, moves to the lower space of the coolant tank 13 and the coolant in the coolant tank 13 is maintained at a uniform temperature.

Meanwhile, a gasket accommodation part 134, in which a portion of the gasket 20 is accommodated, is formed in the outer space of the coolant tank 13, and the gasket accommodation part 134 is formed by a cover support rib 131 extending from the outer circumferential surface of the coolant tank 13. The cover support rib 131 circumferentially surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the coolant tank 13.

Specifically, the cover support rib 131 includes a first extension 132 extending in a radial direction of the coolant tank 13 at a point downwardly spaced apart from the upper end of the coolant tank 13 by a predetermined distance and a second extension 133 extending from an end of the first extension 132 in a direction crossing the first extension 132 (the upward direction of the coolant tank). The width of the gasket accommodation part 134 corresponds to the length of the first extension 132 and the height of the gasket accommodation part 134 corresponds to a length from the first extension 132 to the upper end of the coolant tank 13.

The cover support rib 131 is injection-molded integrally with the coolant tank 13 and thus may be regarded as a portion of the coolant tank 13. In the present embodiment, the upper end of the coolant tank 13 is not defined as the upper end of the second extension 133 but is defined as a portion where the head (described below) of the gasket 20 is seated, for convenience. The upper end of the second extension 133 may extend to a position higher than the upper end of the coolant tank 13 and the upper surface of the gasket 20, thereby preventing the gasket 20 from being exposed to the outside.

In addition, the bottom surface of the outer edge of the tank cover 17 is seated on the second extension 133, and the rotation shaft of the agitating motor 18 passes through the center of the bottom pat 171 of the tank cover 17.

In addition, the tank cover 17 further includes a side surface part 174 upwardly extending from the edge of the bottom pat 171 and a step part 172 extending from the upper end of the side surface part 174 outwardly (in the radial direction of the tank cover). In addition, the side surface part is further extended upwardly from the step part 172 and then is bent, thereby being seated on the second extension 133. That is, the side surface part 174 bent and upwardly extending from the edge of the bottom pat 171 may be defined as a first side surface part, a side surface part bent and upwardly extending from the step part 172 may be defined as a second side part, and a portion bent from the second side surface part outwardly (in the radial direction of the tank cover 17) may be defined as a second step part. The bottom surface of the second step part is seated on the upper end of the second extension 133.

In addition, a pressing rib 173 (or a sealing rib) may extend on the bottom surface of the step part 172 to press the upper surface of the gasket 20. When the upper surface of the gasket 20 is pressed, the gasket 20 is deformed such that the side surface part of the tank cover 17 and the inner surface of the second extension 133 are closely brought into contact with each other, thereby improving a sealing function.

Referring to FIG. 3, the gasket 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention is seated on the upper end of the coolant tank 13 and is formed of a closed annular band along the upper end of the coolant tank 13.

Specifically, the gasket 20 includes a head 21, an outer extension end 23 extending downwardly from the outer edge of the bottom of the head, and an inner extension end 24 extending from the inner edge of the head 21. In addition, a hollow part 22 is formed in the head 21.

The bottom surface of the head 21, that is, the portion excluding the outer extension end 23 and the inner extension end 24, is seated on the upper end of the coolant tank 13. The width and length of the gasket accommodation part 134 correspond to the thickness and length of the outer extension end 23, respectively.

In addition, the outer circumferential surface of the inner extension end 24 contacts the inner surface of the coolant tank 13, and the inner circumferential surface thereof contacts the side surface part 174 of the tank cover 17. In addition, the end of the inner extension end 24 further extends downwardly than the lower end of the side surface part 174 or extends by the same length as the lower end of the side surface part 174. When the length of the inner extension end 24 is too long, a portion which does not contact the side surface part 174 of the tank cover 17 may be rolled up.

In addition, the outer extension end 23 is longer than the inner extension end, such that the outer extension end 23 can be stably accommodated in the gasket accommodation part 134. Further, it is possible to prevent the gasket 20 from being separated from the gasket accommodation part 134 due to frictional force in the process of coupling the tank cover 17.

In addition, the thickness of the inner extension end 24 may be less than that of the outer extension end 23. When the inner extension end 24 is too thick, excessive force is applied to the tank cover 17 and thus assembling may be difficult.

In addition, the head 21 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape by the hollow part 22 and includes an upper portion, a lower portion, an outer portion and an inner portion, and the thickness T1 of the upper portion is less than the thickness T2 of the lower portion.

Specifically, since the upper portion is pressed and deformed by the pressing rib 174 to completely fill a gap between the tank cover 17 and the coolant tank 13, it is preferable that the upper portion is relatively thin and soft.

In contrast, the lower portion is thicker than the upper portion such that the upper end of the coolant tank 13 is easily inserted between the outer extension end 23 and the inner extension end 24 in the installation process. When the lower portion has a small thickness and thus high ductility, since the inner extension end 24 and the outer extension end 23 are attached to each other, it is difficult to seat the upper end of the coolant tank 13 on the bottom surface of the head 21.

The cross-sectional view of the upper side of FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 1 and the cross-sectional view of the lower side thereof is an enlarged view of a portion B of FIG. 2.

First, on the assumption that the prior art and the present invention are equal in the inner diameter D1 and outer diameter D2 of the coolant tank 13 and the outer diameter of the insulation case 11, in the present invention, the width of the gasket accommodation part 134 is decreased and thus the thickness of the insulation portion of the insulation case covering the gasket accommodation part 134 is decreased as compared to the prior art.

In other words, it can be seen that the thickness of the insulation portion of the insulation case 1 covering the gasket accommodation part of the coolant tank 2, in which the gasket 4 is installed, of the conventional water purifier is W1, and the thickness of the insulation portion of the gasket accommodation part of the coolant tank 13, in which the gasket 20 is installed, of the water purifier according to the present invention is W2, which is greater than the thickness of the insulation portion according to the conventional water purifier by W3.

As the thickness of the insulation portion is increased, adiabatic loss of the vicinity of the portion, in which the gasket is installed, is decreased, thereby reducing power consumption.

Claims

A water purifier comprising:

a coolant tank in which coolant is stored;

an insulation case surrounding the coolant tank;

an evaporator provided in the coolant tank to cool the coolant;

a coolant pipe provided inside the coolant tank to exchange heat with the coolant and having drinking water flowing therein;

a tank cover covering an opened upper surface of the coolant tank;

an agitating motor seated on an upper surface of the tank cover;

an agitator placed inside the coolant tank and connected to the agitating motor to stir the coolant; and

a gasket placed on a portion where the coolant tank and the tank cover are coupled to prevent leakage of the coolant,

wherein the gasket includes:

a head seated on an upper end of the coolant tank;

an outer extension end extending from an outer edge of a bottom surface of the head and contacting an outer surface of the coolant tank; and

an inner extension end extending from an inner edge of the bottom surface of the head and contacting an inner surface of the coolant tank.
The water purifier of claim 1,

wherein a hollow portion is formed in the head, and

wherein a thickness of a portion of the head defining an upper surface of the hollow portion is less than that of a portion of the head defining a lower surface of the hollow portion.
The water purifier of claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer extension end is thicker than the inner extension end.
The water purifier of claim 3, wherein the outer extension end is longer than the inner extension end.
The water purifier of claim 1, further comprising a cover supporting rib extending from an outer circumferential surface of the coolant tank to form a gasket accommodation part for accommodating the outer extension end,

wherein the cover supporting rib is formed integrally with the coolant tank.
The water purifier of claim 5, wherein the cover supporting rib includes:

a first extension extending in a radial direction of the coolant tank at a point downwardly spaced apart from an upper end of the coolant tank by a distance corresponding to a length of the outer extension end; and

a second extension upwardly extending from an end of the first extension.
The water purifier of claim 6,

wherein the first extension extends by a length corresponding to a thickness of the outer extension end and then is bent upward,

wherein the second extension further extends upward than an upper end of the coolant tank, and

a bottom surface of an outer edge of the tank cover is stead on an upper end of the second extension.
The water purifier of claim 1, wherein the tank cover includes:

a bottom part supporting the agitating motor;

a side surface part upwardly extending from an edge of the bottom part;

a step part bent from an end of the side surface part in a radial direction of the tank cover; and

a pressing rib downwardly extending from the bottom surface of the step part to press the head.
The water purifier of claim 8,

wherein an inner surface of the inner extension end contacts an outer surface of the side surface part, and

wherein an outer surface of the inner extension end is in contact with an inner surface of the coolant tank.
The water purifier of claim 8, wherein a lower end of the inner extension end is formed at the same height as a lower end of the side surface part or is further downwardly extended from the lower end of the side surface part.