Liquid dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034593-B2
Application number	US-201916401542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2019
Priority date	Jul 26, 2016
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A water purifier according to an aspect includes: a cooling water tank that keeps cooling water; a cold water pipe provided in the cooling water tank; an evaporator provided in the cooling water tank; a separator on which the evaporator is provided and that is provided over the cold water pipe to divide the internal space of the cooling water tank into a first space and a second space; a stirring member that is provided in the cooling water tank and stirs the cooling water; a stirring motor that has a rotary shaft to which the stirring member is coupled; a stirring motor cap that covers the side and the top edge of the stirring motor; and a stirring motor support to which the stirring motor cap is fastened and that is provided at the top of the cooling water tank to seal the top of the cooling water tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid dispenser comprising:
a tank that holds a first liquid;
an evaporator that extends into the tank to contact the first liquid, the evaporator carrying a refrigerant that cools the first liquid;
a pipe that extends into the tank to contact the first liquid, the pipe carrying a second liquid that is cooled by the first liquid;
a perforated separator that divides an internal space of the tank into a first space that receives a portion of the evaporator and a second space that receives a portion of the pipe;
a stirring head that is at least partially provided in the tank;
a stirring motor coupled to the stirring head, the stirring motor moving the stirring head to circulate the first liquid;
a stirring motor cap provided on a side surface and a top surface of the stirring motor; and
a stirring motor support that is provided at a top of the tank and that is engaged to the stirring motor cap.

2. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the stirring motor includes:
a cylindrical motor body that has a rotary shaft provided at a bottom of the motor body, the rotary shaft being coupled to the stirring head to apply a force from the stirring motor to move the stirring head; and
a motor case that is coupled to a top portion of the stirring motor, and
wherein the stirring motor cap is positioned on an outer surface of the stirring motor and a top surface of the motor case.

3. The liquid dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the stirring motor support includes:
a bottom layer that extends horizontally and has a seating hole to receive the stirring motor;
a seating rib that protrudes upward from the bottom layer along an edge of the seating hole and supports an upper layer of the stirring motor cap; and
a plurality of fastening holes that are spaced from each other around the seating rib, the stirring motor cap engaging the fastening holes to couple the stirring motor to the stirring motor support,
wherein each of the seating hole and the seating rib has a circular shape, and
an inner diameter of the seating hole is larger than a diameter of the outer surface of the motor body.

4. The liquid dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the stirring motor cap includes:
an upper layer that is positioned on the top surface of the motor case;
an extension that protrudes downward from a bottom surface of the upper layer and covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the motor body; and
fasteners that protrude downward from a bottom surface of the upper layer and are positioned to be inserted into the fastening holes.

5. The liquid dispenser of claim 4 , wherein a retention hole having a smaller diameter than a diameter of the extension is formed through a top surface of the upper layer of the stirring motor cap.

6. The liquid dispenser of claim 4 , wherein retention ribs protruding inward are formed on an inner surface of the extension, and
the retention ribs are each formed in an annular ring shape extending from the inner surface of the extension.

7. The liquid dispenser of claim 6 , wherein the retention ribs protrude inward and upward at an angle from the inner surface of the extension.

8. The liquid dispenser of claim 4 , wherein each of the fasteners includes:
a body that protrudes downward from the bottom of the an upper layer;
an annular flange that circularly protrudes at a middle portion of the body; and
an inclined step that is circumferentially formed and inclined upward at a predetermined position from a lower end of the body.

9. The liquid dispenser of claim 8 , wherein when the fasteners are inserted into the fastening holes, a portion of the bodies between the annular ring and the inclined step is locked in the fastening hole by the annular ring and the inclined step.

10. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the separator includes:
a bottom layer that is horizontally formed and has a center hole through which the stirring head is inserted;
a first extension that extends upward from an edge of the center hole; and
a plurality of separation walls that extend upward from an upper surface of the bottom layer and are positioned around the center hole.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Jongwoo
• Kim Goeun
• An Kwangyong

Classifications

• C02F9/20

  Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems · CPC title

• B67D1/0889

  Supports · CPC title

• F25D31/002

  Liquid coolers, e.g. beverage cooler (receptacle coolers F25D31/006) · CPC title

• B67D2210/00163

  Agitators · CPC title

• B67D2210/00031

  Housing · CPC title