Water cooler abstract
A water cooler is provided with an improved chiller system of the
type having a thermoelectric chiller module for maintaining a supply
of water at a reduced and refreshing temperature level. The chiller
system comprises the thermoelectric chiller module having a cold
side thereof in thermal communication with a supply of water to
be chilled, and a hot side thereof exposed within a manifold defining
a heat transfer chamber filled with a heat exchange medium such
as water. An impeller located centrally within the heat transfer
chamber circulates the water directly against the hot side of the
thermoelectric module, from which the water then flows radially
outwardly through a plurality of hollow fin elements and is recirculated
back to the impeller. In the preferred form, the impeller is coupled
by a hermetically sealed magnetic coupling to an air flow fan disposed
outside the manifold for providing a cooling air flow over exterior
surfaces of the hollow fin elements.
Water cooler claims
What is claimed is:
1. A water chilling system for chilling a supply of water within
a storage reservoir of a water cooler or the like, said system comprising:
a thermoelectric heat transfer module having a hot side and a cold
side, and means for transferring thermal energy from said cold side
to said hot side;
means for mounting said module with said cold side in thermal communication
with a supply of water within a reservoir;
a manifold mounted over said module and defining a heat transfer
chamber having a fluid heat transfer medium therein in direct contact
with said hot side of said module, said manifold further including
a plurality of outwardly projecting fin elements; and
means within said heat transfer chamber for circulating the fluid
heat transfer medium along a closed loop path against said hot side
of said module and further into heat exchange relation with said
fin elements whereby heat energy from said module hot side is transferred
by the fluid heat transfer medium to said fin elements.
2. The water chilling system of claim 1 wherein said fluid heat
transfer medium comprises a liquid medium.
3. The water chilling system of claim 1 wherein said fluid heat
transfer medium comprises water.
4. The water chilling system of claim 1 further including a chiller
probe mounted in thermal communication between said cold side of
said module and the water supply.
5. The water chilling system of claim 4 including means for mounting
said cold side of said module against said chiller probe with a
selected compression force.
6. The water chilling system of claim 1 wherein said module mounting
means comprises means for mounting said module on a cooler frame
member, said manifold comprising a generally shell-shaped component
mounted onto said frame member and cooperating therewith to define
said heat transfer chamber.
7. The water chilling system of claim 1 wherein said circulating
means comprises an impeller for circulating the fluid heat transfer
medium with a direction of flow generally perpendicularly against
said hot side of said module.
8. The water chilling system of claim 1 wherein said fin elements
are internally hollow and radiate outwardly from said circulating
means.
9. The water chilling system of claim 8 further including fan means
for circulating air flow over the exterior of said hollow fin elements.
10. The water chilling system of claim 9 including common motor
means for driving said fan means and said circulating means within
said heat transfer chamber.
11. The water chilling system of claim 10 including a hermetically
sealed magnetic coupling connected between said fan means and said
circulating means.
12. The water chilling system of claim 8 wherein said circulating
means comprises an impeller housing mounted within said heat transfer
chamber, said impeller housing having an impeller mounted therein
for circulating the fluid heat transfer medium with a direction
of flow generally perpendicularly against said hot side of said
module, said impeller housing further cooperating with said manifold
to define said closed loop path for circulation of the fluid heat
transfer medium radially outwardly from said module hot side and
through said hollow fin elements for return flow to said impeller.
13. A water chilling system for chilling a supply of water within
a storage reservoir of a water cooler or the like, said system comprising:
a thermoelectric heat transfer module having a hot side and a cold
side, and means for transferring thermal energy from said cold side
to said hot side;
means for mounting said module with said cold side in thermal communication
with a supply of water within a reservoir;
a manifold mounted over said module and defining a heat transfer
chamber having a liquid heat transfer medium therein in thermal
communication with said hot side of said module, said manifold further
including a plurality of outwardly projecting fin elements; and
means within said heat transfer chamber for circulating the fluid
heat transfer medium along a closed loop path with a direction of
flow generally perpendicularly against said hot side of said module
and further into heat exchange relation with said fin elements whereby
heat energy from said module hot side is transferred by the fluid
heat transfer medium to said fin elements.
14. The water chilling system of claim 13 wherein said heat transfer
medium comprises water.
15. The water chilling system of claim 13 further including a chiller
probe mounted in thermal communication between said cold side of
said module and the water supply.
16. The water chilling system of claim 14 including means for mounting
said cold side of said module against said chiller probe with a
selected compression force.
17. The water chilling system of claim 13 wherein said module mounting
means comprises means for mounting said module on a cooler frame
member, said manifold comprising a generally shell-shaped component
mounted onto said frame member and cooperating therewith to define
said heat transfer chamber.
18. The water chilling system of claim 13 wherein said hot side
of said module is exposed within said heat transfer chamber to direct
contact with said heat transfer medium.
19. The water chilling system of claim 13 wherein said fin elements
are internally hollow and radiate outwardly from said circulating
means.
20. The water chilling system of claim 19 further including fan
means for circulating air flow over the exterior of said hollow
fin elements.
21. The water chilling system of claim 20 including common motor
means for driving said fan means and said circulating means within
said heat transfer chamber.
22. The water chilling system of claim 21 including a hermetically
sealed magnetic coupling connected between said fan means and said
circulating means.
23. The water chilling system of claim 19 wherein said circulating
means comprises an impeller housing mounted within said heat transfer
chamber, said impeller housing having an impeller mounted therein
for circulating the fluid heat transfer medium with a direction
of flow generally perpendicularly against said hot side of said
module, said impeller housing further cooperating with said manifold
to define said closed loop path for circulation of the fluid heat
transfer medium radially outwardly from said module hot side and
through said hollow fin elements for return flow to said impeller.
Water cooler description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to improvements in refrigeration
or chiller systems used to cool a supply of water in a water cooler
or the like. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved
chiller system of the type using a thermoelectric heat transfer
module, particularly with respect to an improved arrangement for
transferring and dissipating heat from a hot side of the thermoelectric
module.
Water coolers are well known in the art for containing a supply
of relatively purified water in a convenient manner and location
ready for substantially immediate dispensing and use. In one common
form, such water coolers include an upwardly open reservoir mounted
on a cooler housing and adapted to receive and support an inverted
water bottle of typically three to five gallon capacity. Water within
the inverted bottle flows downwardly into the reservoir for selective
dispensing therefrom through one or more faucet valves mounted on
the front of the cooler housing. In another common form, the water
cooler includes purification elements such as one or more water
filters and/or a reverse osmosis purification unit by which relatively
purified water is produced and supplied to a water reservoir mounted
on the cooler housing for selective dispensing via a faucet valve
or the like. In either case, such water coolers are widely used
to provide a clean and safe source of water for drinking and cooking,
especially in areas where the local water supply contains or is
suspected to contain undesired levels of contaminants.
In many water coolers, it is desirable to refrigerate the water
within the cooler reservoir to a relatively low temperature to provide
a highly pleasing and refreshing source of drinking water. However,
refrigeration equipment for such water coolers has normally included
conventional mechanical refrigeration apparatus which undesirably
increases the overall size, cost, complexity, operational noise
level, and power consumption requirements of the water cooler. Alternative
cooling system proposals have suggested the use of relatively compact
thermoelectric heat transfer cooling modules, but these proposals
have generally failed to provide adequate heat transfer from such
modules in a simple and cost-efficient arrangement. Instead, heat
transfer from the thermoelectric module has either been inadequate
to correspondingly result in inadequate water chilling, or complex
circulatory fluid cooling networks and/or large heat sinks and large
cooling fans have been required.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for further improvements
in thermoelectric chiller systems for use with water coolers, wherein
a simple and relatively low cost cooling arrangement is provided
for high efficiency transfer of heat from a thermoelectric chiller
module. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides
further related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, an improved water chilling system
is provided for cooling a water supply contained within a storage
reservoir of a water cooler. The chilling system comprises a thermoelectric
chiller module mounted on a cooler housing with a cold side thereof
oriented for chilling water within the reservoir. A hot side of
the thermoelectric module is exposed within a heat transfer chamber
defined by a manifold mounted on the cooler housing and filled with
a heat transfer medium such as water. The manifold supports an impeller
for circulating the water therein directly against the module hot
side for high-efficiency heat transfer therewith. From the module,
the water flows outwardly and through a plurality of fin elements,
and then recirculates back to the impeller.
The manifold comprises a generally shell-shaped structure adapted
for mounting onto the water cooler housing in a manner covering
the hot side of the thermoelectric chiller module and thus cooperating
therewith to define the heat transfer chamber. The impeller is mounted
centrally on the manifold and is oriented in close proximity to
the module hot side for delivering the heat transfer medium into
direct contact therewith and with a flow velocity generally perpendicular
to the plane of the module hot side. From the module, the water
flows radially outwardly and then passes down and through the fin
elements defined by the manifold, and returns to the impeller for
recirculation.
The impeller is rotatably driven in tandem with an air flow fan
mounted externally of the manifold for circulating air over the
exterior surfaces of the fin elements, thereby carrying heat from
the manifold. In the preferred form, the impeller is rotatably coupled
with the air flow fan by a hermetically sealed magnetic coupling.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become
more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by
way of example, the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a water cooler
adapted for use with the improved thermoelectric chiller system
embodying the novel features of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the water cooler
of FIG. 1 with a water storage reservoir removed therefrom;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged bottom perspective view depicting one preferred
form of the water storage reservoir;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmented sectional view showing the
improved chiller system of the present invention installed within
the water cooler; and
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating assembly of
chiller system components.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in the exemplary drawings, a water cooler referred to
generally in FIG. 1 by the reference numeral 10 is provided for
receiving and storing a supply of relatively purified water for
drinking and cooking use, etc. The illustrative cooler 10 is of
the type adapted for supporting a water bottle 12 in an inverted
position on a cooler housing 14 to provide the source of water
for downflow into a housing reservoir 16 (FIGS. 3 and 4). A chiller
system 18 (FIG. 4) is mounted within the cooler housing 14 and includes
a thermoelectric heat transfer chiller module 20 for reducing the
temperature level of water contained within the reservoir 16. In
accordance with the invention, the chiller system 18 further includes
an improved heat transfer arrangement for transferring heat from
a hot side of the chiller module 20 to result in relatively simple
and compact yet highly efficient refrigeration of the water.
The illustrative bottled water cooler 10 has a generally conventional
overall size and shape to include the upstanding cabinet or housing
14 adapted to support the reservoir 16 which is upwardly open for
receiving water downflow from the inverted water bottle 12. The
housing 14 supports the water bottle 12 in the inverted orientation
as shown, such that the water contained therein will flow by gravity
into the reservoir until the reservoir water level rises sufficiently
to cover the mouth of the inverted bottle. One or more faucet valves
are mounted on the housing 14 and/or directly on the reservoir 16
for use in dispensing water from the reservoir, with two faucets
22 and 24 being shown by way of example in FIGS. 1 and 3. Water
dispensing from the reservoir results in a lowering of the reservoir
water level sufficiently to uncover the bottle mouth and permit
additional make-up water to flow downwardly from the bottle to the
reservoir.
The reservoir 16 is depicted to be of the removable type for quick
and easy lift-out removal from and correspondingly quick and easy
drop-in placement into the cooler housing 14. More particularly,
as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3 the reservoir 16 may be constructed
from molded plastic or the like to provide a self-contained water
vessel having a size and shape for drop-in or slide-fit reception
into the upper end of the cooler housing, to fit relatively closely
within an upwardly open insulation shell 26. In a preferred form,
a bottom wall 27 of the reservoir 16 has an upwardly extending inverted
receiver cup 28 (FIG. 3) formed therein for slide-fit reception
of a chiller probe 30 (FIG. 2) upstanding within the insulation
shell 26. The chiller probe 30 comprises a heat transfer member
of relatively high thermal conductivity and functions, as will be
described in more detail, as a cold source for chilling water contained
within the reservoir 16. For more detail regarding the specific
construction of a removable reservoir type bottled water cooler,
see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5192004; 5289951; 5370276; 5395014; and
5449093 which are incorporated by reference herein. Moreover,
while the invention is shown and described by reference to a bottle-type
water cooler, persons skilled in the art will recognize and understand
that the invention may be applied to other style water coolers,
such as point-of-use coolers of the type using water filtration
and/or reverse osmosis purification devices.
FIG. 4 shows the cooler reservoir 16 installed into the cooler
housing, with a reservoir bottom wall 27 resting upon the corresponding
bottom wall of the insulation shell 26. The insulation shell 26
is supported in turn upon a generally horizontal platform 32 forming
a part of an internal frame of the cooler housing 14. The chiller
probe 30 is shown to extend upwardly through a central aperture
34 in the platform 32 and the insulation shell, for reception into
the inverted receiver cup 28 at the bottom of the reservoir.
The chiller probe 30 is secured by screws 36 or the like to a mounting
plate 38 which is adapted in turn for attachment to the housing
platform 32. More specifically, the chiller probe 30 includes a
radially enlarged lower base 30' seated within a central cylindrical
collar 40 extending upwardly from the mounting plate 38. An upper
retaining ring 42 is anchored by the screws 36 to retain the probe
base 30' seated firmly upon a cold side of the thermoelectric chiller
module 20 wherein the module 20 is in turn firmly seated upon a
short flange 44 radiating inwardly at a lower end of the collar
40. Importantly, the geometry of the components permits the chiller
probe base 30' to be retained against the module cold side with
a selected compression force to achieve efficient heat transfer
therebetween, thereby effectively mounting the cold side of the
module in thermal communication with the water supply within the
reservoir. The mounting plate 38 extends radially outwardly at a
lower end of the collar
40 and is attached to the housing platform 32 by additional screws
48 or the like.
The thermoelectric chiller module 20 comprises a compact solid
state heat transfer element having the upper cold side abutting
the chiller probe 30 and a lower hot side exposed through the open
collar 40 and the platform aperture 34 to the underside of the housing
platform 32. An exemplary chiller module 20 is available from Borg-Warner
Corporation under Model No. 920-31 and employs semi-conductor materials
with dissimilar characteristics (P-type and N-type materials) electrically
connected in series and thermally in parallel. The module 20 operates
to draw or extract thermal energy from the water within the reservoir
16 via the chiller probe 30 and to transfer the extracted heat
energy to the lower hot side of the module for dissipation.
The chiller system 18 of the present invention further includes
a generally shell-shaped manifold 50 mounted onto the mounting plate
38 by means of the screws 48. The manifold 50 cooperates with the
mounting plate 38 to define a closed heat transfer chamber 52 located
directly beneath the chiller module 20 and filled with a heat transfer
medium such as water in direct contact with the hot side of the
module. An impeller 54 is centrally mounted within the heat transfer
chamber 52 and is rotatably driven to cause the heat transfer medium
to flow directly and substantially perpendicularly against the hot
side of the chiller module, resulting in a high rate of heat transfer
between the cooling water and the module hot side.
From the module hot side, the cooling water flows radially outwardly
within a disk-shaped zone 56 of relatively narrow height within
an upper region of the manifold heat transfer chamber 52. The cooling
water then passes downwardly into a plurality of radially extending
fin elements 58 formed in the manifold 50 for return flow to the
impeller 54. A flow control ring 60 may optionally be provided at
the upper and radially inner marginal edges of the fin elements
58 to insure water flow radially outwardly to outer regions of the
fin elements before flowing downwardly therethrough. With this geometry,
the cooling water is circulated through a closed loop path within
the heat transfer chamber 52 with efficient heat pick-up from the
hot side of the chiller module 20 and efficient heat transfer in
turn to the extended surface areas defined by the fin elements 58
(FIGS. 4 and 5).
The impeller 54 is conveniently mounted within a generally cup-shaped
housing member 62 mounted generally centrally within the manifold
50 as shown best in FIGS. 4 and 5. In this regard, the cup-shaped
impeller housing 62 is adapted for sealed mounting within a central
port 64 formed in the manifold. The impeller housing 62 has a closed
lower end, and an open upper end exposed to and closely underlying
the hot side of the module 20. The impeller 54 is supported within
the housing 62 on a rotary shaft 66 having opposite ends carried
in suitable bearings 68. The bearing 68 at the upper end is supported
in an open web 70 to permit water flow upwardly from the impeller
housing to the chiller module, and the bearing 68 at the lower end
is supported in a driven member 72 of a hermetically sealed magnetic
coupling 74. A plurality of radially open intake ports 76 are formed
in the impeller housing 62 in alignment respectively with the plural
fin elements 58 for recirculatory water inflow as indicated by arrows
78 in FIG. 4.
A drive member 80 of the magnetic coupling 74 is carried at the
underside of the impeller housing 62 coaxial with an air flow fan
82 mounted for rotation therewith. In operation, the air flow fan
82 is rotatably driven by a motor 84 shown schematically in FIG.
4 for circulating cooling air over the exterior surfaces of the
fin elements 58 formed on the manifold 50. At the same time, the
magnetic coupling 74 is rotatably driven by the fan 82 to correspondingly
drive the impeller 54 for circulation of the cooling water within
the manifold heat transfer chamber 52. The combined result of the
direct water flow against the module hot side, together with the
circulation of the cooling water and cooling air respectively over
the interior and exterior surfaces of the fin elements 58 provides
a high efficiency heat transfer in a relatively simple and hermetically
sealed chiller system.
A variety of further modification and improvements in and to the
chiller system will be apparent to those persons skilled in the
art. Accordingly, no limitation on the invention is intended by
way of the foregoing description and accompanying drawings, except
as set forth in the appended claims. |