WO2008150107A2

WO2008150107A2 - Apparatus for supercooling

Info

Publication number: WO2008150107A2
Application number: PCT/KR2008/003140
Authority: WO
Inventors: Su-Cheong Kim; Jong-Min Shin; Deok-Hyun Youn; Cheol-Hwan Kim; Won-Young Chung; Hoon-Bong Lee
Original assignee: Lg Electronics, Inc.
Priority date: 2007-06-04
Filing date: 2008-06-04
Publication date: 2008-12-11
Also published as: WO2008150107A3

Abstract

A supercooling apparatus includes: a water container (106) for storing water at a low temperature by using chilled air provided thereto; a water supply passage (104a) having one end connected to a lower portion of the water container (106), for supplying water to the water container (106); a water withdrawal passage (104b) through which the water in the container (106) is withdrawn outside; and an electric field generating section positioned around the water container (106), for applying an electric field to the water container (106). Through this configuration, water in the container (106) does not undergo a phase transition even below the water phase transition temperature, but stays in a non-frozen liquid state. Since the water supply passage (104a) is connected to a lower portion of the container (106), the supercooled water kept inside container (106) does not freeze due to a shock from the fall of water being supplied to the container (106) from outside.

Description

APPARATUS FOR SUPERCOOLING

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a supercooling apparatus with a dispenser for intaking supercooled water, so a user can get chilled water directly from outside without opening the door for the supercooling apparatus. Background Art

[2] Supercooling is a phenomenon that a liquid is not transited to a solid even below its phase transition temperature but maintained in a high temperature phase, i.e. a liquid phase. For example, water drops are supercooled in natural conditions. Incidentally, water or a beverage does not freeze but may remain in a supercooled state even in a freezer compartment of the ordinary refrigerator. A freezing method disclosed under Japan Laid-Open Patent Official Gazette S59-151834 and a freezing method and a refrigerator disclosed under Japan Laid-Open Patent Official Gazette 2001-086967 incorporate supercooling principles into the refrigerator. Both provide a technique for keeping foods in a supercooled state below the phase transition temperature by applying an electric field or a magnetic field to the foods in the refrigerator. Mareover, an electrostatic field treatment method disclosed under International Publication Official Gazette WO/98#1115 suggests diverse types of electrode structures that are suitable for freezing and thawing foods.

[3] Fig. 1 shows one example of a conventional refrigerator with a dispenser. A refrigerator 10 includes a freezer compartment 11 and a refrigerator compartment 12. The freezer compartment 1 1 has an ice maker 13, and a dispenser 15 is installed at a freezer compartment door 14. The ice maker 13 and the dispenser 15 are provided with a passage 16 through which liquid flows, and the passage 16 is connected to an external water supply (not shown). A first valve 17, a filter 18, and a second valve 19 are arranged along the passage 16. The first valve 17 controls water supply from the external water supply to the refrigerator 10, the filter 18 filters water, and the second valve 19 with a passage 16a controls water supply to the dispenser 15 as water in the passage 16a is cooled down through heat exchange with the freezer compartment 11 and outflows through an outlet 16b of the passage 16a or is taken out through an exit 15a of the dispenser 15.

[4] Meanwhile, the water dispenser of the conventional refrigerator uses a heater to prevent the water from freezing as well as to melt the frozen water. Ironically enough, this contradicts the purpose of the refrigerator, i.e. lowering the temperature, by increasing temperature of water.

[5] To diminish such disadvantages, a supercooling apparatus to prevent freezing of water by applying an energy field, such as an electric field, to a water container, instead of using a heater, tbwever, in case of the conventional supercooling apparatus, the container is refilled with water provided from outside, so there is a possibility that the supercooled state of water in the container could be released by the fall of water or by the introduction of outside water relatively warmer than the phase transition temperature.

[6]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[7] The present invention is conceived to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a supercooling apparatus with a dispenser for intaking supercooled water from outside.

[8] Another object of the present invention is to provide a supercooling apparatus with a water container for storing supercooled water and a water supply passage through which water flows into the container.

[9] A further object of the present invention is to provide a supercooling apparatus that can effectively prevent the release of a supercooled state of water caused by the water being introduced via a water supply passage. Technical Solution

[10] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a supercooling apparatus, including: a water container for storing water at a low temperature by using chilled air provided thereto; a water supply passage having one end connected to a lower portion of the water container, for supplying water to the water container; a water withdrawal passage through which the water in the container is withdrawn outside; and an electric field generating section positioned around the water container, for applying an electric field to the water container. Through this configuration, water in the container does not undergo a phase transition even below the water phase transition temperature, but stays in a non-frozen liquid state. IVbreover, because the water supply passage is connected to a lower portion of the container, the supercooled water kept inside container does not freeze due to a shock from the fall of water being supplied to the container from outside. [11] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the water supply passage has a gentle slope. As such, water does not inflow into the container very rapidly.

[12] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the water supply passage is formed in a spiral shape. With this configuration, water from outside can be introduced smoothly into the container, without releasing the supercooled state of the water kept in the container.

[13] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the water supply passage winds around the water container to carry out heat exchange with the same. With this configuration, the relatively warm water from outside is sufficiently cooled off to a low temperature through heat exchange before entering to the container. Thus, it does not increase the temperature of the supercooled water kept in the container, or causes the release of the supercooled state.

[14] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the water supply passage undergoes heat exchange with the water container as an upper stream of the passage which is connected to the lower portion of the water container comes into contact with the water container. Therefore, the water from outside undergoes heat exchange first before entering to the container.

[15] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the water supply passage is in form of a pipe connecting the water container outside.

[16] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electric field generating section includes an electrode unit positioned outside the water supply passage, and a power supply for applying high voltage to the electrode block. Through this configuration, a high-voltage AC power is applied to the electrodes to generate an electric field between them. This in turn prevents freezing of the water supply passage positioned between the electrodes.

[17] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the water supply passage has the other end being located above at least the top of the water container. As such, the water from outside can easily be poured into the container even after a very small amount of the supercooled water has escaped.

[18] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the water supply passage has one end being connected to the lower portion of the water container is below at least the middle height of the container. Through this configuration, the difference in elevation between the supercooled water in the container and one end of the water supply passage can be reduced. Advantageous Effects

[19] The supercooling apparatus of the present invention allows a user to get chilled water directly from the outside of the supercooling apparatus without opening the door for the supercooling apparatus.

[20] The supercooling apparatus of the present invention has a gently curved water supply passage connected to a lower portion of the container for storing supercooled water, so that the water being introduced into the container may not give a shock or cause the supercooled water to freeze.

[21] The supercooling apparatus of the present invention ensures that the water from the external water supply is sufficiently cooled off through heat exchange before it is introduced into the container where the supercooled water is kept, so there is no possibility that the water from the external water supply warms up the supercooled water in the container to release its supercooled state.

[22] The supercooling apparatus of the present invention applies an electric field to the water supply passage arranged around the water, and the water withdrawal passage. In so doing, water passing through the water supply passage around the container, or water existing in the passage does not freeze. Brief Description of the Drawings

[23] Fig. 1 shows one example of a conventional refrigerator having a dispenser;

[24] Fig. 2 shows a water container, a water supply passage, and electrodes used for a supercooling apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

[25] Fig. 3 shows a supercooling apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[26]

Mode for the Invention

[27] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[28] Fig. 2 shows a water container, a water supply passage, and electrodes used for a supercooling apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 shows a supercooling apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. A supercooling apparatus 100 includes a refrigerator compartment 101 and a door 102 to open/close the refrigerator compartment 101. The door 102 is filled with an insulation material 103, and a flow passage 104 is formed in the door 102. The flow passage 104 is connected to an external water supply. The supercooling apparatus farther includes a valve 105 installed on the flow passage 104, for controlling the inflow of water; a water container 106; an electrode block 107 applying an electric field to lower the phase transition temperature of water stored in the container 106; a power supply (not shown) for applying a high-voltage AC power to the electrode block 107; a temperature sensor 108 for detecting temperature of the container; and an outlet 104a through which water is withdrawn. A user can open the cutlet 104a by pressing an operation lever 109.

[29] The electrode unit (or the electrodes as shown in the drawing) 107 is connected to a power supply (not shown) supplying a high-voltage AC power. Receiving the high- voltage AC power from the power supply (not shown), the electrodes 107 create an electric field in the container 106 positioned between them and provide energy through the electric field, so that water in the container does not freeze.

[30] The flow passage 104 can be divided into a water supply passage 104a and a water withdrawal passage 104b, in which the water supply passage 104a is a feed line through which water from the external water supply is provided to the container 106 and the water withdrawal passage 104b is a take-out line through which water is taken out from the container 106 to the outside of the supercooling apparatus 100. One end (pr the first end) of the water supply passage 104a is connected to the container 106, while the other end £>r the second end) of the water supply passage 104a is connected to the external water supply. The valve 105 is installed between the external water supply and the other end (Le. the second end) of the water supply passage 104a. One end (i.e. the first end) of the water supply passage 104a is located below the container 106. An electric field applied by the electrodes 107 interrupts the occurrence of a phase transition inside the container 106, so the water inside the container can stay in a supercooled state, or a non-frozen state. With the water level in the container 106 being lowered, if the external water supply provides water to the container 106 via the water supply passage 104a and if one end of the water supply passage 104a being connected to the container 106 is located above the supercooled water level, the difference in elevation may cause a shock to the supercooled water in the container 106. Because the supercooled water is not that highly stable in its non-frozen state, it can easily be frozen by such a shock. To avoid this problem, one end of the water supply passage 104a is connected to a lower portion of the container 106.

[31] The water supply passage 104a and the water withdrawal passage 104b can be hoses or pipes made of diverse materials. Here, the water supply passage 104a comes in contact with the outer face of the container 106, winding, in a spiral form, around the container 106, and has one end connected to a lower portion of the container 106. Water that inflows through the water supply passage 104a has almost the same temperature as of liquid in an external water supply, but is usually warmer than the phase transition temperature of water. If this relatively warm water flows into the container 106 as it is, it is possible that temperature of the supercooled water goes up to release the supercooled state. Therefore, it is important that water from the external water supply is sufficiently cooled off through heat exchange before being introduced into the container 106. As illustrated in the drawing, if one end of the water supply passage 104a is connected to a lower portion of the container 106, there is more time for water to have heat exchange with the cool air that circulates in the container 106 and refrigerator compartment 101.

[32] In addition, the electrodes 107 are positioned outside the water supply passage 104a to let the electric field apply to the water supply passage 104a also. Through this configuration, the electric field generated by the electrodes 107 influences not only the water supply passage 104a but also part of the water withdrawal passage 104b. As a result, the supercooled water stored in the container 106 as well as the water passing through the water supply passage 104a and water withdrawal passage 104b are not frozen.

[33] The water withdrawal passage 104b is positioned above the container 106 in such a manner that part of it is extended into the container 106. For the user to be able to withdraw the supercooled water from the container 106 with easiness, the supercooled water level should be monitored and controlled properly by opening/closing the valve 105.

[34] As has been explained so far, the supercooling apparatus of the present invention allows a user to get chilled water directly from the outside of the supercooling apparatus without opening the door for the supercooling apparatus.

[35] The supercooling apparatus of the present invention connects a gently curved water supply passage to a lower portion of the supercooled water container. In this way, the water being introduced into the container does not give a shock or causes the supercooled water to freeze.

[36] The supercooling apparatus of the present invention is designed that the water from the external water supply is sufficiently cooled off through heat exchange before it is introduced into the container where the supercooled water is kept. In result, there is no possibility that the water from the external water supply warms up the supercooled water in the container to release its supercooled state. [37] The supercooling apparatus of the present invention applies an electric field not only to the water supply passage arranged around the water, but also to the water withdrawal passage. In so doing, water passing through the water supply passage around the container, or water existing in the passage can stay in a non-frozen state.

[38]

[39] The present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments and the attached drawings, tbwever, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and the drawings, but defined by the appended claims.

Claims

[1] A supercooling apparatus, comprising: a water container for storing water at a low temperature by using chilled air provided thereto; a water supply passage having one end connected to a lower portion of the water container, for supplying water to the water container; a water withdrawal passage through which the water in the container is withdrawn outside; and an electric field generating section positioned around the water container, for applying an electric field to the water container. [2] The supercooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water supply passage has a gentle slope. [3] The supercooling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the water supply passage is formed in a spiral shape. [4] The supercooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water supply passage winds around the water container to carry out heat exchange with the same. [5] The supercooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water supply passage undergoes heat exchange with the water container as an upper stream of the passage which is connected to the lower portion of the water container comes into contact with the water container. [6] The supercooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water supply passage is in form of a pipe connecting the water container outside. [7] The supercooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electric field generating section includes an electrode unit positioned outside the water supply passage, and a power supply for applying high voltage to the electrode unit. [8] The supercooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water supply passage has the other end being located above at least the top of the water container. [9] The supercooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water supply passage has one end being connected to the lower portion of the water container is below at least the middle height of the container.