Watercooler
AssigneeThermovonics Co., Ltd.
InventorsHideo Watanabe, Motohiro Sakai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A watercooler is provided with a vessel for storing water therein; a heater for boiling the water in the vessel; a pump for lifting the boiled water; a primary cooling unit (e.g., air-cooled heat exchanger tube and a fan) for subjecting to primary cooling the boiled water lifted by the pump; a secondary cooling unit (e.g., the fan, a heat-dissipating-side thermal conductor, a thermoelectric module, a heat-absorbing-side thermal conductor, and a cold water pipe) for subjecting the water, which has been subjected to the primary cooling, to secondary cooling by using the thermoelectric module; and a service unit for dispensing the cold water subsequent to the secondary cooling.
Claims12
A watercooler comprising:
- a vessel for storing water therein;
- a heater for boiling said water in said vessel;
- a pump for lifting said boiled water;
- a primary cooling unit for subjecting said boiled water, which has been lifted by said pump, to primary cooling;
- a secondary cooling unit for subjecting said water, which has been subjected to said primary cooling, to secondary cooling by using a thermoelectric module, whereby cold water is obtained;
- and
- a service unit for dispensing said cold water subsequent to said secondary cooling.
A watercooler comprising:
- a vessel for storing water therein;
- a heater for boiling said water in said vessel;
- a condenser unit for condensing water vapor produced by said boiling;
- a cooling unit for chilling condensed water, which has been obtained from said condenser unit, into cold water by using a thermoelectric module;
- a service unit for dispensing said cold water obtained by said cooling unit;
- a cold water reservoir for receiving cold water from said cooling unit and storing therein cold water prepared by said cooling unit;
- and
- a unit for setting said water stored in said reservoir at a desired temperature.
A watercooler comprising:
- a vessel for storing water therein;
- a heater for boiling said water in said vessel;
- a condenser unit for condensing water vapor produced by said boiling;
- a cooling unit for chilling condensed water, which has been obtained from said condenser unit, into cold water by using a thermoelectric module;
- a service unit for dispensing said cold water obtained by said cooling unit;
- and
- a single fan arranged commonly for said condenser unit and said cooling unit to promote dissipation of heat therefrom.
A watercooler comprising:
- a vessel for storing water therein;
- a heater for boiling said water in said vessel;
- a condenser unit for condensing water vapor produced by said boiling;
- a cooling unit for chilling condensed water, which has been obtained from said condenser unit, into cold water by using a thermoelectric module;
- a service unit for dispensing said cold water obtained by said cooling unit;
- and
- a cold preserving layer arranged on a heat-absorbing side of said cooling unit and maintained beforehand in a low-temperature state, wherein said condensed water is caused to pass through said cold preserving layer.
A watercooler comprising:
- a vessel for storing water therein;
- a heater for boiling said water in said vessel;
- a condenser unit for condensing water vapor produced by said boiling:
- a cooling unit for chilling condensed water, which has been obtained from said condenser unit, into cold water by using a thermoelectric module;
- a service unit for dispensing said cold water obtained by said cooling unit;
- a heat pipe arranged upright on a bottom part of said vessel, and
- a heater arranged above said heat pipe;
- wherein a working fluid evaporating part of said heat pipe is located in close contact with a heat-dissipating side of said cooling unit.
A watercooler comprising:
- a vessel for storing water therein;
- a heater for boiling said water in said vessel;
- a condenser unit for condensing water vapor produced by said boiling;
- a cooling unit for chilling condensed water, which has been obtained from said condenser unit, into cold water by using a thermoelectric module;
- a service unit for dispensing said cold water obtained by said cooling unit;
- and
- a cold water reservoir for storing therein cold water prepared by said cooling unit, wherein a part of a heat-absorbing-side thermal conductor of said cooling unit is in contact with said cold water reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.