Description:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
[39 OF 1970]
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See Section 10, Rule 13]

A WATER COOLER;

BLUE STAR LIMITED A COMPANY INCORPORATED UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT, 1956, WHOSE ADDRESS IS BLUE STAR LIMITED, BLUE STAR INNOVATION CENTRE, NEXT TO VIHANG’S INN HOTEL, KAPURBAVDI, GHODBUNDER ROAD, THANE WEST – 400 607, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED

A WATER COOLER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a water cooler and components of the water cooler.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A water cooler, also known as water dispenser, is a machine that cools and dispenses water with a refrigeration unit. Generally, the water cooler includes a water tank made up of SS304 material and coiled with a copper tube for a refrigerant flow therethrough.
In conventional design, the copper tubes are fixedly coupled to the water tank by a lead soldering process for better heat transfer when the refrigerant flows inside the copper tube. The lead soldering process involves the use of materials containing lead, which poses significant environmental hazards. The release of lead compounds during the soldering process contributes to soil and water pollution, impacting ecosystems and human health. Lead exposure poses serious health risks to those involved in the soldering process. Inhalation of lead fumes or ingestion of lead particles can lead to lead poisoning, causing neurological and developmental issues. Further, lead soldering processes can be intricate, requiring precise control of temperature, flux application, and soldering technique. Achieving uniform and reliable solder joints is challenging, especially in mass production settings. This complexity can lead to increased production costs, longer production times, and potential quality control issues.
The alternative to this is lead-free soldering process. The above-mentioned drawbacks may be prevented by usage of the following lead-free solders:
1.Tin-Silver solder
2.Tin-Copper solder
3.Tin-Zinc solder
However, these lead-free solders are costly and are not suitable for nickel plated steels. Further, the drawbacks of lead-free soldering process include oxidization of the solder used in this process while soldering. Furthermore, oxidization of the solder leads to weaker joints.
The conventional copper tubes of the refrigeration unit often rely on point contact between the water tanks and the copper tubes, leading to inefficiencies and uneven heat distribution. Further, when SS304 and copper come into contact, there is a risk of galvanic corrosion. SS304 and copper have different coefficients of thermal expansion which can lead to mechanical stresses and potential structural issues over time.
Therefore, there is a need for an alternative cost effective design and more efficient method to overcome the above-mentioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, a water cooler is provided. The water cooler includes a water tank having a plurality of side curved surfaces and a plurality of side flat surfaces. The water cooler also includes a roll bond panel surrounding the side curved surfaces and the side flat surfaces of the water tank. The roll bond panel includes an inlet tube configured to allow entry of a refrigerant into the roll bond panel. The roll bond panel also includes an outlet tube configured to allow exit of the refrigerant from the roll bond panel. The roll bond panel further includes a channel disposed between the inlet tube and the outlet tube. The channel is fluidly coupled to the inlet tube and the outlet tube. The channel has a plurality of lines and/or a plurality of capsules. The roll bond panel further includes a second portion having the capsules and a portion of the lines. The roll bond panel is disposed on outer periphery of the water tank in such a manner that the second portion of the roll bond panel covers the side flat surface of the water tank.
According to the invention, the roll bond panel has a first portion having the lines.
According to the invention, the first portion of the roll bond panel covers the side curved surface of the water tank.
According to the invention, the line is a continues depression on the channel.
According to the invention, the capsule is a spot depression on the channel.
According to the invention, a length of the line is greater than or equal to a length of the first portion.
According to the invention, the inlet tube and the outlet tube of the roll bond panel are disposed on upper side of the water tank.
According to the invention, the roll bond panel covers entire height of the water tank.
According to the invention, the roll bond panel is fixedly disposed over the water tank by a double side adhesive tape.
According to the invention, the water tank has four side curved surfaces and four side flat surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a water tank and copper tubes of a conventional water cooler;
FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a water tank of a water cooler, according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a roll bond panel of the water cooler, according to the present disclosure; and
FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the roll bond panel of the water cooler, according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Embodiments are provided to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth relating to specific components to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
References in the present disclosure to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” mean that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or function described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in an embodiment” or “in an implementation” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or implementation.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “consists,” “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a water tank (100) of a conventional water cooler (not shown). The water tank (100) is made up of SS304 material. The water tank (100) has a substantially square shaped cross-section. The water tank (100) has four side flat surfaces (102) and four side curved surfaces (104). The water cooler includes a copper tube (106) spirally wounded around the water tank (100). Further, the copper tube (106) covers approximately half a height of the water tank (100). The copper tube (106) is fixedly coupled to the side surfaces (102, 104) of the water tank (100) using a lead soldering process. The lead soldering process is a process in which two or more metals are joined together by melting and putting a filler metal, known as solder, into the joint. The solder having a lower melting point than the adjoining metals. The solder used is lead based soldering process includes 60% tin and 40% lead.
The copper tube (106) wounded around the water tank (100) consists of an inlet (108) and an outlet (110) both disposed at the bottom of the water tank (100). The copper tube (106) is in point contact with the water tank (100). The water cooler also includes a refrigerant unit (not shown) for allowing a refrigerant to flow within the copper tube (106). The refrigerant flows spirally through the copper tube (106) in a bottom to top direction. The flow of refrigerant cools the water tank (100) and water therein. The region of the water tank (100) in point contact with the copper tube (106) is a cooling area.
FIG. 2 illustrates a water tank (200) of a water cooler (not shown) of the present invention. The water tank (200) is made up of SS304 material. The water tank (200) has a substantially square shaped cross-section with a plurality of curved corners. The water tank (200) includes a plurality of side curved surfaces (202) and a plurality of side flat surfaces (204). In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the water tank (200) has four side flat surfaces (204) and four side curved surfaces (202). It should be noted that the water tank (200) may include any number of side flat surfaces (204) and any number of side curved surfaces (202) without limiting the scope of the present disclosure.
As shown in FIGS.3 and 4, the water cooler includes a roll bond panel (206). The roll bond panel (206) is manufactured by a roll bonding process in which two aluminium sheets are roll bonded together to form a channel (208) therebetween for fluid flow. Further, the fluid includes a refrigerant from a refrigerant unit (not shown) of the water cooler. In roll bonding process, two aluminium sheets are passed through a pair of flat rollers under sufficient pressure to bond the aluminium sheets. The aluminium sheets are first cut according to dimensions of the water tank (200). Then the aluminium sheets undergo different processes such as brushing, flattening, and printing. Thereafter curing process of the aluminium sheets is done for hardening and toughening. After the curing process, a clinching process is carried out on the aluminium sheets. Further, to soften the aluminium sheets an annealing process is carried out, in which the aluminium sheets are heated to a certain temperature lower than its melting point. Furthermore, a number of processes are carried out on the aluminium sheets for preparing the final roll bond panel (206) such as bonding, rerolling, flattening, inflating, size cutting, punching, mouth opening, and air flushing.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the roll bond panel (206) includes an inlet tube (210) made up of aluminium. The inlet tube (210) allows the flow of refrigerant into the roll bond panel (206). The inlet tube (210) is disposed at the top of the water tank (200). The inlet tube (210) is connected to a copper tube by an epoxy joint. The roll bond panel (206) also includes an outlet tube (212). The outlet tube (212) allows flow of refrigerant out of the roll bond panel (206). The outlet tube (212) is disposed at the top of the water tank (200). The outlet tube (212) is connected to another copper tube by an epoxy joint. A channel (208) is disposed between the inlet tube (210) and the outlet tube (212). The channel (208) is fluidly coupled to the inlet tube (210) and the outlet tube (212). The channel (208) has a plurality of lines (216) and a plurality of capsules (220). The line (216) is a continues depression on the channel (208). The capsule (220) is a spot depression on the channel (208). In another embodiment, the channel (208) may include the line (216), the capsules (220), or combination thereof.
The roll bond panel (206) further includes a first portion (214) having the lines (216). A length of the line (216) is greater than or equal to a length of the first portion (214). The roll bond panel (206) includes a second portion (218) having the capsules (220) and a portion of the lines (216) . The inlet tube (210) and outlet tube (212) are connected to the channel (208) on the second portion (218). The first portion (214) has only horizontal lines (216) whereas the second portion (218) has the capsules (220) and some portion of lines (216). Furthermore, the curved and bend portions of the lines (216) are disposed on the second portion (218) of the roll bond panel (206).
The roll bond panel (206) is disposed on outer periphery of the water tank (200) in such a manner that the first portion (214) of the roll bond panel (206) covers the side curved surface (202) of the water tank (200), and the second portion (218) of the roll bond panel (206) covers the side flat surface (204) of the water tank (200). The roll bond panel (206) covers the entire height of the water tank (200). The roll bond panel (206) has uniform surface contact with the water tank (200). The refrigerant in the roll bond panel (206) flows sideways and then from bottom to top. Moreover, the roll bond panel (206) is fixedly disposed over the water tank (200) by a double side adhesive tape (222). The double side adhesive tape (222) is used to fixedly attach the roll bond panel (206) to the water tank (200).
The absence of soldered joints between the roll bond panel and water tank can contribute to increased durability and resistance to wear and tear. The roll bond panel provides a surface contact to the water tank in place of point contact as compared to the conventional designs with soldering for heat transfer. Hence water cool down time can be reduced.
The uniform surface contact between the roll bond panel and the water tank optimizes heat transfer across the entire cooling area and enhances overall system performance by minimizing heat loss and improving thermal conductivity. The larger contact area between the roll bond panel and the water tank significantly reduces the likelihood of liquid flood back at a compressor of the refrigerant unit. This addresses a common issue associated with point contact systems, enhancing system reliability, and minimizing the risk of the compressor damage due to liquid refrigerant entering a suction line.
The channel enclosed in the roll bond panel facilitates the flow of refrigerant through the roll bond panel. The part of the water tank in contact with this channel is the cooling area. The cooling area in the proposed invention is larger than the cooling area of the prior art. The refrigerant flow in the channel covers the complete area efficiently. This ensures that cooling is evenly distributed, preventing localized temperature variations, and improving the overall effectiveness of the heat exchange process. The capsules are provided for better surface contact of the roll bond panel with the side flat surface of the water tank. The lines are provided for better surface contact with the side curved surfaces of the water tank.
The roll bond panel provides a bottom to top cooling distribution without soldering in commercial water cooler application. It eliminates the lead from water coolers and makes use of roll bond panels of aluminium to cool water inside the water tank in place of copper and lead, therefore, providing an environment friendly solution. The channel consists of capsules and line to ensure larger and more uniform surface contact of roll bond panel with the water tank. The uniform surface contact between the roll bond panel and the water tank optimizes heat transfer across the entire cooling area and enhances overall system performance by minimizing heat loss and improving thermal conductivity. Moreover, the present invention eliminates the cost of soldering process which provides an economic advantage over the existing water coolers.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
Any discussion of devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
, Claims:
1. A water cooler comprising:
a water tank (200) having a plurality of side curved surfaces (202) and a plurality of side flat surfaces (204); and
a roll bond panel (206) surrounding the side curved surfaces (202) and the side flat surfaces (204) of the water tank (200), the roll bond panel (206) having:
an inlet tube (210) configured to allow entry of a refrigerant into the roll bond panel (206);
an outlet tube (212) configured to allow exit of the refrigerant from the roll bond panel (206);
a channel (208) disposed between the inlet tube (210) and the outlet tube (212), the channel (208) is fluidly coupled to the inlet tube (210) and the outlet tube (212), the channel (208) has a plurality of lines (216) and a plurality of capsules (220); and
a second portion (218) having the capsules (220) and/or a portion of the lines (216),
the roll bond panel (206) is disposed on outer periphery of the water tank (200) in such a manner that the second portion (218) of the roll bond panel (206) covers the side flat surface (204) of the water tank (200).
2. The water cooler as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roll bond panel (206) has a first portion (214) having the lines (216).
3. The water cooler as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first portion (214) of the roll bond panel (206) covers the side curved surface (202) of the water tank (200).
4. The water cooler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the line (216) is a continues depression on the channel (208).
5. The water cooler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the capsule (216) is a spot depression on the channel (208).
6. The water cooler as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein a length of the line (216) is greater than or equal to a length of the first portion (214).
7. The water cooler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inlet tube (210) and the outlet tube (212) of the roll bond panel (206) are disposed on upper side of the water tank (200).
8. The water cooler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the roll bond panel (206) covers entire height of the water tank (200).
9. The water cooler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the roll bond panel (206) is fixedly disposed over the water tank (200) by a double side adhesive tape (222).
10. The water cooler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the water tank (200) has four side curved surfaces (202) and four side flat surfaces (204).