Patent Publication Number: US-2022234879-A1

Title: Liquid dispenser

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0010595, filed in Korea on Jan. 26, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a liquid dispenser, such as a water purifier, that may prevent dew condensation in inside and outside of a cover provided therein. 
     2. Background 
     A water purifier means a device that filters harmful elements such as foreign substances or heavy metals contained in water by physical and/or chemical methods. A water ionizer and a water softener also belong to such a water purifier in a broad sense. 
     The water purifier may filter raw water and provide purified water to the user, and also provide hot and cold water. To provide the hot and cold water, the water purifier may include a heating device and a cooling device that are provided separately therein. The heating device is configured to provide hot water to the user by heating the purified water, and the cooling device is configured provide cold water to the user by cooling the purified water. 
     Meanwhile, to generate cold water, the cooling device may heat-exchange a coolant with a refrigerant inside an evaporator using an evaporator. However, when the cooling device operates, dew may be generated outside the cooling device and on a case of the water purifier adjacent to the cooling device. In other words, dew condensation occurs. The generated dew causes malfunction of electronic components installed inside the water purifier and also causes mold. Accordingly, dew condensation has to be prevented. 
     Related to such dew condensation, Korean Patent No. 10-1977676 (hereinafter, referred to as “the prior art”) is disclosed.  FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating structure of a water purifier according to the prior art.  FIG. 1  is an extract of  FIG. 3  of the prior art. The reference numerals shown in  FIG. 1  are limited to only the components of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to FIG.  FIG. 1 , a cold water tank assembly (or cold liquid tank assembly)  1200  may be provided in the water purifier, and the cold water tank assembly  1200  may be corresponding to the cooling device mentioned above. In this instance, a foam insulation member  1210  may be provided to surround the outer peripheral surface of the cold water tank assembly  1200 . The foam insulation member  1210  may suppress heat transfer from the coolant accommodated in the cold water tank assembly  1200  to air, thereby lowering the rate at which the temperature of the coolant approaches room temperature, and thus preventing dew formation to some extent. 
     In addition, the foam insulation member  1210  may be spaced a preset distance apart from a rear cover (or cover)  1014  and a certain space, that is, an air gap  1230  may exist between the foam insulation member  1210  and the rear cover  1014 . The air gap  1230  may be formed for additional cooling of the cold water tank assembly  1200 . 
     However, according to the prior art, the thickness of the form insulation member  1210  is not large due to the miniaturization of the water purifier. Accordingly, there is a problem in that dew is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the foam insulation member  1210 . In addition, vibration and noise might be generated due to the air gap  1230  during the operation of the water purifier, which might cause inconvenience to the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating the structure of a water purifier according to the prior art; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective diagram illustrating the exterior of a water purifier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the water purifier according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional diagram of a cold water tank assembly and a rear cover shown in  FIG. 3  along A-A′; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective diagram illustrating a rigid insulator according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a plane view illustrating a soft insulator disposed in a space between the rear cover and the rigid insulator according to one embodiment; and 
         FIGS. 7 a  and 7 b    are a sectional diagram of the shape along A-A′ of which a heat diffusion material attached to at least predetermined portion of the other end of the soft insulator. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.  FIG. 2  is a perspective diagram illustrating the exterior of a water purifier  1000  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The water purifier  1000  may include a cover  1010 , a water discharge part  1020 , a base assembly  1030  and a tray  1040 . 
     The cover  1010  may define the exterior of the water purifier  1000 . Most of the components for filtering raw water may be provided in the cover  1010 . The cover  1010  may cover the components to protect them. The term of the cover  1010  may be changed into the case or housing when explaining it. 
     The cover  1010  may be formed as a single component or by combining several components. As one example, the cover may include a front cover  1011 , a rear cover (or cover)  1014 , a side cover  1013   a  and an upper cover  1012  and a top cover  1015  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The front cover  1011  may be provided in a front portion of the water purifier  1000  and the rear cover  1014  may be provided in a rear portion of the water purifier  1000 . In this instance, the terms of the front and rear may be determined based on the direction in which the water discharge part  1020  is viewed from the user&#39;s look, respectively. However, since the concept of the front and rear portions of the water purifier  1000  is not absolute, it may vary based on a method of describing the water purifier  1000 . In addition, it is shown in  FIG. 2  that the front cover  1011  and the rear cover  1014  have curved surfaces, respectively, and the present disclosure may not be limited thereto. 
     The side cover  1013   a  may be provided in each of the left and right sides of the water purifier  1000 . The side covers  1013   a  may be disposed between the front cover  1011  and the rear cover  1014 . The side cover  1013   a  may be coupled to the front cover  1011  and the rear cover  1014 . The side cover  1013   a  may substantially define the lateral surfaces of the water purifier  1000 . 
     The upper cover  1012  may be provided in the front portion of the water purifier  1000 . The upper cover  1012  may be installed higher than the front cover  1011 . The water discharge part  1020  may be exposed to a space between the upper cover  1012  and the front cover  1011 . The upper cover  1012  together with the front cover  1011  may define the exterior of the front surface of the water purifier  1000 . 
     The top cover  1015  may define an upper surface of the water purifier  1000 . An input/output unit  1016  may be formed in the top cover  1015 . The input/output unit  1016  may be a concept including an input unit and an output unit. The input unit may be configured to receive a control command input by the user through a touch input method, a physical pressure method, or the like. The output unit may provide the user with audio-video information about the state of the water purifier  1000 . 
     The water discharge part (also referred to as a liquid discharge part or cock assembly)  1020  may supply a liquid, such as purified water, cold water and/or hot water to the user based on the control command input by the user. The water discharge part  1020  may be protruded from the water purifier  1000  to supply water. The water discharge part  1020  may be rotatable based on the user&#39;s manipulation. The water discharge part  1020  may be rotated within a rotatable range formed between the front cover  1011  and the upper cover  1012 . 
     The base assembly  1030  may define the bottom of the water purifier  1000 . The internal components of the water purifier  1000  may be supported by the base assembly  1030 . When the water purifier  1000  is put on the floor or shelf, the base assembly  1030  may face the floor or shaft. Accordingly, the structure of the base assembly  1030  may not be exposed outside when the water purifier  1000  is placed on the floor, the shelf or the like. 
     The tray  1040  may be provided in opposite, while facing each other. Based on the case in which the water purifier  1000  is installed as shown in  FIG. 2 , the tray  1040  may face the water discharge part  1020  in the vertical direction. The tray  1040  may support the container or the like for containing the purified water discharged through the water discharge part  1020  and the tray  1040  may receive the remaining water falling from the water discharge part  1020 . Alternatively, the tray  1040  may be embodied to be rotatable together with the water discharge part  1020 . 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the internal configuration of the water purifier  1000  according to one embodiment. A filter part  1060  may be provided inside the front cover  1011 . The filter part  1060  may be configured to filter raw water and generate purified water. Since it can be difficult to generate purified water suitable for driving with only one filter, the filter part  1060  may include a plurality of unit filters  1061  and  1062 . For example, the unit filters  1061  and  1062  may include a pre-filter such as a carbon block or an adsorption filter, and a high-performance filter such as a HEPA filter or a UF filter. 
     The purified water generated by the filter part  1060  may be provided through the water discharge part  1020 . In this instance, the temperature of the purified water provided to the user may be room temperature. Alternatively, the purified water generated by the filter part  1060  may be turned into hot water or by an induction heating module  1100  or cold water by the cold water tank assembly  1200 . 
     A filter bracket assembly  1070  may be the structure for secure the unit filters  1061  and  1062  of the filter part  1060 , the water outlet path for purified water or cold water, a valve and the like. A lower end of the filter bracket assembly  1070  may be coupled to the tray  1040 . The lower end of the filter bracket assembly  1070  may accommodate a protrusion coupling portion  1041 . As the protruded coupling portion  1041  of the tray  1041  is inserted in the lower end  1071  of the filter bracket assembly  1070 , the filter bracket assembly  1070  and the tray  1040  may be coupled to each other. 
     The lower end  1071  of the filter bracket assembly  1070  and the tray  1040  may have curved surfaces corresponding to each other. The lower end  1071  of the filter bracket assembly  1070  may be rotatable independently from the other parts. 
     An upper end  1072  of the filter bracket assembly  10070  may support the water discharge part  1020 . The upper end  1072  of the filter bracket assembly  1070  may form a rotation path of the water discharge part  1020 . The water discharge part  1020  may be divided into a first portion  1021  protruded outside the water purifier  1000  and a second portion  1022  disposed in the water purifier  1000 . The second portion  1022  may be mounted on the upper end  1072  of the filter bracket assembly  1070 . The upper end  1072  of the filter bracket assembly  1070  may be rotatable independently from the other parts. 
     The lower end  1071  and the upper end  1072  of the filter bracket assembly  1070  may be connected with each other by a vertical connection portion  1073 . A filter installation area  1074  may be formed between the lower end  1071  and the upper end  1072  to accommodate the unit filters  1061  and  1062  of the filter part  1060 . 
     A support  1075  protruding toward the rear surface of the water purifier  1000  may be formed on the opposite side of the filter installation area  1074 . The support  1075  may support the control module  1080  and the induction heating module  1100 . The control module  1080  and the induction heating module  1100  may be mounted on the support  1075 . The support  1075  may prevent heat formed in the induction heating module  1100  from being conducted to the compressor assembly  1050  or the like. 
     A control module  1080  may be configured to implement overall control of the water purifier  1000 . Various circuit boards for controlling the operation of the water purifier  1000  may be embedded in the control module  1080 . 
     The induction heating module  1100  may heat the purified water generated by the filter part  1060  and generate hot water. The induction heating module  1100  may include components for heating the purified water in an induction heating method. The induction heating module  1100  may be supplied the purified water from the filter part  1060  and the hot water generated by the induction heating module  1100  may be discharged through the water discharge part  1020 . 
     The induction heating module  1100  may include a printed circuit board configured to control the hot water generation. A protection cover  1161  may be coupled to one side of the induction heating module  1100  to prevent water from penetrating into the printed circuit board and protecting the printed circuit board if a fire occurs. 
     A compressor assembly  1050  may include a compressor and disposed under the support  1075 . The compressor may be driven for the compression process of a refrigeration cycle performed in the cold water tank assembly  1200 . A refrigerant path and the like may be connected to the compressor to connect the components for the refrigeration cycle with each other. The mechanisms including the compressor, the refrigerant path and the like may be connected with each other, and thus form the compressor assembly  1050 . 
     The compressor assembly  1050  may be supported by the base assembly  1030 . The base assembly  1030  may support not only the compressor assembly  1050  but also the front cover  1011 , the rear cover  1014 , the side cover  1013  and  1013   b,  the filter bracket assembly  1070 , a condenser  1032 , a fan  1033  and the like. To support those components, the base assembly  1030  may have high rigidity. 
     Especially, the condenser  1032  and the fan  1033  may be provided in the rear area of the water purifier  1000 . The base assembly  1030  may have an air inlet hole  1034  for dissipate heat from the condenser  1032 . The air drawn via the air inlet hole  1034  may be moved toward the condenser  1032  by the fan  1033  and then cool the condenser  1032 . 
     A pedestal  1031  may be provided on the condenser  1032  to support the cold water tank assembly  1200 . The pedestal  1031  may include a first hole  1031   a  in a rear area and the rear cover  1014  may have a second hole  1014   a.  The first hole  1031   a  and the second hole  1014   a  may be formed in the positions corresponding to each other. The first hole  1031   a  and the second hole  1014   a  may be configured to arrange a discharge valve for discharging the coolant filled in the cold water tank assembly  1200 . 
     The condenser  1032  together with the compressor of the compressor assembly  1050  may realize the refrigeration cycle. The condensation of the refrigerant may be performed in the condenser  1032 . 
     The cold water tank assembly  1200  may cool the purified water (the filtered raw water) supplied from the filter part  1060 , and then generate cold water. For that, the cold water tank assembly  1200  may accommodate the coolant and an evaporator  1202  (see  FIG. 4 ) may be provided in the cold water tank assembly  1200 . 
     The temperature of the coolant filled in the cold water tank assembly  1200  may be lowered by the operation of the refrigeration cycle. The coolant circulated not stored in the cold water tank assembly  1200 , so that the degree of contamination of the coolant is likely to increase after a long time. Accordingly, the coolant water accommodated in the cold water tank assembly  1200  has to be periodically replaced for hygiene, and for this purpose, a valve and a pipe for discharging the cold water may be provided. 
     A rigid insulator (also referred to as a first insulator or a rigid insulation member)  1210  may be disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the cold water tank assembly  1200 . Specifically, the rigid insulator  1210  may be provided to surround the outer circumferential surface of the cold water tank assembly  1200 . The outer circumferential surface of the cold water tank assembly  1200  may have the same shape as that of the rigid insulator. 
     Due to the low temperature of the coolant filled in the cold water tank assembly  1200 , a large temperature difference might occur between the inside and the outside of the cold water tank assembly  1200 . The large temperature difference may result in dew condensation (a phenomenon in which dew is generated) occurring on the outer circumferential surface of the cold water tank assembly  1200 . Accordingly, the rigid insulator  1210  may be provided to surround the cold water tank assembly  1200  to prevent such the dew condensation. In addition, the rigid insulator  1210  may prevent the temperature of the coolant from increasing, and also prevent the temperature of the cold water from increasing. 
     The rigid insulator  1210  may be made of a PU (Polyurethane) material, and formed by a forming process. A conventional EPS (Expandable Polystyrene) heat insulating material has been used for cooling water purifies, etc., but since holes exist in EPS, air contact cannot be blocked. However, PU has better thermal insulation performance than EPS, because there are no holes. 
     The rigid insulator  1210  may include a first surface S 1  and a second surface S 2 . The first surface S 1  of the rigid insulator  1210  may be provided in opposite to the rear cover  1014 . Since the rear cover  1014  is curved, the first surface S 1  of the rear cover  1014  may be also curved. The second surface S 2  of the rigid insulator  1210  may be arranged toward the induction heating module  1100 . 
     A soft insulator (also referred to as a second insulator or a soft insulation member)  1300  may be provided between the rear cover  1014  and the rigid insulator  1210 . A space may exist between the rigid insulator  1210  and the rear cover  1014 , and the soft insulator  1300  may be disposed inside the space. The space corresponding to the air gap shown in  FIG. 1 . The soft insulator  1300  may have the same shape as the rear cover  1014  and the first surface of the rigid insulator  1210 . That is, the soft insulator  1300  may also have the curved shape. Since the soft insulator  1300  is disposed in the space, the space can be removed. The soft insulator  1300  may be replaceable. 
     The soft insulator  1300  may also prevent the occurrence of the dew condensation together with the hard insulation member  1210 , and keep the temperature of the cold water cool. The soft insulator  1300  may be made of the same or similar material as the rigid insulator  1210 , and it may be an insulation material with a difference in strength. As one example, the soft insulator  1300  and the hard insulation member  1210  may be made of Polyurethane (PU). The soft insulator  1300  may have somewhat lower thermal conductivity than the hard insulation member  1210 , but have a property of being easily restored even if it is deformed by an external force. 
     Hereinafter, the configuration of the cold water tank assembly  1200 , the rigid insulation  1210  and the soft insulator  1300  will be described in detail.  FIG. 4  is a sectional diagram of the cold water tank assembly  1200  and the rear cover  1014  shown in  FIG. 3  along A-A′. A thermistor  1201  may be provided in the cold water tank assembly  1200  and configured to measure the temperature of the coolant. The thermistor  1201  may measure the temperature of an object, that is, the coolant by using the characteristic that the resistance value changes based on the temperature. The temperature of the coolant measured by the thermistor  1201  may be compared with the reference temperature, and it may be determined whether the refrigeration cycle operates based on the result of the comparison. 
     An agitator (or stirrer)  1204  may be provided in the cold water tank assembly  1200  and the agitator  1204  may be rotatable about an axis in the cold water tank assembly. The agitator  1204  may be a mechanism configured to promote heat exchange between fluids inside the cold water tank assembly  1200 . 
     A cooling coil  1203  may be a path through which the purified water passes. The cooling coil  1203  may be disposed in the cold water tank assembly  1200  and submerged in the coolant. The purified water passing through the cooling coil  1203  is heat-exchanged with the coolant. The heat is transferred from the purified water to the coolant, and the purified water becomes cold water within a short time by heat-exchanging with the coolant. The agitator  1204  rotates about its axis to promote heat-exchange between the purified water and the coolant. 
     A supporting portion (or support)  1207   a  may be provided to support the cooling coil  1203 . The supporting portion  1207   a  may be protruded from the inner bottom surface  1207  of the cold water tank assembly  1200  toward the cooling coil  1203 . The supporting portion  1207   a  may include a groove having the same size as the outer circumferential surface of the cooling coil  1203 . The cooling coil  1203  may be mounted in the groove of the supporting portion  1207   a  and supported by the supporting portion  1207   a.    
     A coolant discharge valve  1220  may be configured to discharge the coolant to replace the coolant. The coolant discharge valve  1220  may be connected to the cold water tank assembly  1200 . The coolant discharge valve  1220  may be protruded from the cold water tank assembly  1200  to form the discharge channel of the coolant filled in the cold water tank assembly  1200 . 
     The cold water tank assembly  1200  may include protruded water discharge path  1206 . The protruded water discharge path  1206  may be protruded from the lower area of the cold water tank assembly  1200  to be connected to the coolant discharge valve  1220 . When the protruded water discharge path  1206  is inserted in the coolant discharge valve  1220 , the path for discharging the coolant stored in the cold water tank assembly  1200  may be formed. 
     The coolant discharge valve  1220  may be secured by a securing portion (or securing opening)  1205 . The inner bottom surface  1207  of the cold water tank assembly  1200  may be inclined for smooth discharge. 
     A stagnant prevention discharge portion (or stagnant prevention discharge recess)  1208  may form the water discharge path together with the coolant discharge valve  1220 . The stagnant prevention discharge portion  1208  may have a lower bottom surface than the inner bottom surface  1207  and have an inclination, so that the coolant may not accumulate or be stagnant in the inner bottom surface  1207 . The coolant may be collected in the stagnant prevention discharge portion  1208  and discharged through the coolant discharge valve  1220 . 
     The rigid insulator  1210  may primarily insulate the cold water tank assembly  1200 . The rigid insulator  1210  may surround the outer circumferential surface of the cold water tank assembly  1200 .  FIG. 5  is a perspective diagram of the rigid insulator  1210 . The thickness of the rigid insulator  1210  may be determined in consideration of the temperature of the coolant and the size of the water purifier  1000  or the cold water tank assembly  1200 . As one example, when the temperature of the coolant is −2.5° C.˜1.0° C., the thickness of the rigid insulator  1210  may be 17 mm. 
     The soft insulator  1300  may secondarily insulate the cold water tank assembly  1200 . The soft insulator  1300  may be provided between the rigid insulator  1210  and the rear cover  1014 .  FIG. 6  is a plane view of the soft insulator  1300  provided in the space between the rigid insulator  1210  and the rear cover  1014 . 
     Especially, one end (or first surface) of the soft insulator  1300  may be in contact with the first surface S 1  of the rigid insulator  1210  and the other end (or second surface) of the soft insulator  1300  may be in contact with the inner surface of the rear cover  1014 . In other words, the soft insulator  1300  may be inserted in the space. Accordingly, the space may be removed by the soft insulator  1300  and the rigid insulator  1210  may not be contact with air. 
     As one example, the soft insulator  1300  may be attached to the first surface S 1  of the rigid insulator  1210  or the inner surface of the rear cover  1014 . The attachment of the soft insulator  1300  may be realized by an adhesive. Due to the disassembling for maintenance of the water purifier  1000  and the structure of the inner surface composing the rear cover  1014 , it may be preferred that the soft insulator  1300  is attached to the first surface S 1  of the rigid insulator  1210 . 
     The soft insulator  1300  may be attached to the first surface S 1  of the rigid insulator  1210  or at least predetermined area of the inner surface of the rear cover  1014 . Especially, when it is attached to the first surface S 1  of the rigid insulator  1210 , the soft insulator  1300  may be attached to the entire area of the first surface S 1  or a predetermined area of the first surface S 1 . 
     In this instance, the temperature of an area (i.e., an upper area) of the cold water tank assembly  1200  in which the evaporator  1202  is provided may be the lowest and dew condensation could occur most in that area. Accordingly, when the soft insulator  1300  is attached to the predetermined area of the first surface S 1  of the rigid insulator  1210 , the attached area of the soft insulator  1210  may be a first area (i.e., the upper area) of the first surface of the rigid insulator  1210  corresponding to the installation position of the evaporator  1202 . 
     Hereinafter, aspects of using the rigid insulator  121  and the soft insulator  1300  at the same time will be described as follows. Assuming that the average temperature of the water in the cold water tank provided in the water purifier according to the prior art shown in  FIG. 1 , the thickness of the form insulation member should be 26 mm or more. However, due to the miniaturization of the water purifier, the form insulation member will not be formed thickly, but formed to be about 17 mm. Dew condensation might occur due to the non-thick foam insulation material, and the water purifier of the prior art may additionally cool the cold water tank assembly by using an air gap formed between the foam insulation member and the rear cover. 
     However, there was a problem in that dew was generated on the outer circumferential surface of the foam insulation member once the foam insulation member meets the air present in the air gap. Also, there was a problem in that the air gap is likely to generate vibration and noise when the water purifier was driven. 
     Accordingly, in the water purifier  1000  according to one embodiment, the soft insulator  1300  may be provided in the space between the rigid insulator  1210  and the rear cover  1014 . Then, the space may be removed and the dew condensation inside the water purifier  1000  can be fundamentally blocked. Since the soft insulator  1300  has lower thermal conductivity than air, the cooling effect of the cold water tank assembly  1200  may be increased. 
     In addition, the soft insulator  1300  may contact with the rear cover  1014  and the space may be removed. Accordingly, there may be an advantage in that vibration and noise may be reduced when the water purifier  1000  is driven. Also, the assembling of the rear cover  1014  and the cold water tank assembly  1200  may be facilitated due to the characteristic of the soft insulator  1300  that is easily restored even after being deformed. In addition, since the soft insulator  1300  is attached with an adhesive or the like, there is an advantage in that is easy to replace the soft insulator  1300  during A/S of the water purifier  1000 . 
     As mentioned above, the temperature of the area (i.e., the upper area) of the cold water tank assembly  1200  in which the evaporator  1202  is installed may be the lowest, and the temperature of the predetermined area of the rear cover  1013  may be also lowered. In this instance, dew could be generated on the outer circumferential surface of the rear cover  1014 . To prevent such dew generation, a thermal diffusion member (or thermal diffusion layer)  1310  (see  FIG. 7 ) may be attached to at least predetermined area of the one or the other end of the soft insulator  1300 . Especially, it may be preferred that the terminal diffusion member  1310  is attached to the other end of the soft insulator  1300 . 
     According to one embodiment, the thermal diffusion member  1310  may be a metal tape having high thermal conductivity. As one example, the metal tape may be an aluminum tape having excellent workability. 
       FIGS. 7 a  and 7 b    are sectional diagrams of the thermal diffusion member  1310 , in other words, the aluminum tape attached to at least predetermined area of the other end of the soft insulator  1300  along A-A′. At this time, the aluminum tap shown in  FIGS. 7 a  and 7 b    is somewhat thick but it is only for easy description. The aluminum tape may be thin. 
       FIG. 7 a    illustrates that the aluminum tap is attached to the entire area of the other end of the soft insulator  1300 .  FIG. 7 b    illustrates that the aluminum tape is attached to the area of the soft insulator  1300  corresponding to the upper area of the other end (i.e., the installation position of the evaporation  1202 ) of the soft insulator  1300 . 
     The aluminum tape may be attached to at least predetermined area of the one end or the other end of the soft insulator  1300 , so that heat may be diffused from the area of the cold tank assembly  1200  in which the evaporator  1202  is installed and the temperature of the area may be heat-diffused. Accordingly, the temperature of the area may be heightened enough to prevent the dew condensation generated on the outer circumferential surface of the rear cover  1014 . 
     In brief, the water purifier  1000  according to one embodiment may have the soft insulator  1300  disposed between the rigid insulator  1210  and the rear cover  1014 , and the heat diffusion member  1310  attached to at least predetermined area of the one or other end of the soft insulator  1300 . Accordingly, the cooling effect of the cold water tank assembly  1200  may be enhanced even without increasing the thickness of the rigid insulator  1210 . Also, the problems caused by the formation of the air gap, that is, the dew condensation the rear cover  1014  and the vibration and noise during the driving of the water purifier  1000  may be prevented. In addition, the dew condensation generated on the outside of the rear cover  1014  may be prevented by using the thermal diffusion member  1310 . 
     One aspect of the present disclosure provides a water purifier that may prevent the dew condensation generated inside and outside the cover provided therein. A further aspect of the present disclosure provides a water purifier that may reduce vibration and noise generated during the operation of the water purifier. A still further aspect of the present disclosure provides a water purifier that may improve cooling efficiency of a cooling tank assembly provided therein. A still further aspect of the present disclosure provides a water purifier that may facilitate the assembly of the cold water tank assembly and the cover. Aspects according to the present disclosure are not limited to the above ones, and other aspects and advantages that are not mentioned above can be clearly understood from the following description and can be more clearly understood from the embodiments set forth herein. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a water purifier having a soft insulator installed in a space between a rigid insulator surrounding a cold water tank assembly and a cover, thereby removing the space and improving a cooling effect. In addition, the water purifier according to one embodiment may include a thermal diffusion member provided in at least predetermined area of the soft insulator, thereby increasing the temperature of the outside of the cold water tank assembly or rigid insulator. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure may also provide a water purifier including a case comprising a plurality of covers; a filter provided in the case and configured to filter raw water; a cold water tank assembly provided in the case and configured to accommodate coolant therein and cool the filtered raw water by using the coolant and generate cold water; a rigid insulator surrounding an outer surface of the cold water tank assembly; and a soft insulator provided in a space formed between the rigid insulator and a first cover disposed adjacent to the cold water tank assembly among the plurality of covers, wherein one end of the soft insulator is in contact with the rigid insulator and the other end of the soft insulator is in contact with the first cover. 
     According to the present disclosure, the soft insulator may be provided in the space (i.e., the air gap) formed between the rigid insulator and the cover and heat may be suppressed from being transferred to air, thereby preventing the dew condensation generated in the water purifier. In addition, a vibration and noise generated during the operation of the water purifier may be suppressed by removing the air gap. 
     Further, according to the present disclosure, the thermal diffusion member may be attached to at least predetermined area of the soft insulator, so that the temperature of the cold water tank assembly or the rigid insulator may be increased, thereby preventing the dew condensation more. Still further, according to the present disclosure, the soft insulator may be disposed in the space (i.e., the air gap) between the rigid insulator and the cover, thereby facilitating the assembling of the cold water tank assembly having the rigid insulator surrounding the outer surface thereof to the cover. 
     The embodiments are described above with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof. However, the present disclosure is not intended to limit the embodiments and drawings set forth herein, and numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by one skilled in the art. Further, the effects and predictable effects based on the configurations in the disclosure are to be included within the range of the disclosure though not explicitly described in the description of the embodiments. 
     It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on” another element or layer, the element or layer can be directly on another element or layer or intervening elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention. 
     Spatially relative terms, such as “lower”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “lower” relative to other elements or features would then be oriented “upper” relative to the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “lower” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     Embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures). As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
     Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments. 
     Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.