BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments relate to a water dispenser.

2. Background

A water dispenser is a device that provides drinking water to users. Water dispensers may dispense purified water by removing materials included in raw water, such as, e.g., tap water or underground water, through various water purification methods such as precipitation or settlement, filtering, and sterilization. A water discharger may be provided in a main body of a water dispenser to provide purified water to a user.

FIG. 1is a perspective view of a related art water dispenser. Referring toFIG. 1, a coupling hole11may be formed on an upper end portion of a main body10, and a water discharger20may be coupled to the upper end portion of a main body10through the coupling hole11. A plurality of recess portions11amay be spaced apart from one another at an angle of 90° in a circumferential direction of the coupling hole11. The water discharger20may have a plurality of positioners25athat protrude and may be spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction of an outer circumferential surface of a coupling column25. As the positioners25aare coupled to the recess portions11a, the water discharger20may be rotated in a clockwise direction or counterclockwise direction at a set angle so as to be fixed.

A plurality of coupling housings13may be spaced apart from one another at an angle of 90° such that a water trap30may be coupled to a lower portion of the main body10. The water trap30may have a protrusion31that protrudes from a back of a water trap housing. When the protrusion31is inserted into an interior of the coupling housing13and rotated in a clockwise direction or counterclockwise direction, the water trap30may be fixed.

The water discharger20and the water trap30may be detachably coupled to upper and lower portions of the main body10, respectively. The user may change a position from which water is discharged as desired, and the water dispenser may be installed without spatial restrictions. Such a water dispenser may have a few problems.

In order to change a direction of the water discharger21or the water trap30, for example, from a forward/backward direction of the main body10to a horizontal direction, the water discharger20or the water trap30may need to be separated from the main body10and subsequently reassembled, which may be inconvenient. Unless the recess portion11aformed on an upper portion of the main body10and the positioner25aof the water discharger20are separated from each other, the water discharger20may not be freely rotated. When the water discharger20is rotated, the user may feel that the positioner25amay be caught by or on the recess portion11a.

The water discharger20may include a first water discharge pipe22connected to a water discharge port21and horizontally provided, a second water discharge pipe24connected to a water purification filter installed within the main body10and vertically provided, and a pipe fitting23that connects the first and second water discharge pipes22and24. An O-ring may be provided within the pipe fitting23to maintain airtightness between the pipe fitting23and the water discharge pipes22and24. The first and second water discharge pipes22and24may be formed of the same type of material, for example, an ABS resin material.

When the water discharger20is rotated and the water discharge pipes22and24formed of the same material are connected to each other, the first water discharge pipe22and the pipe fitting23may be rotated together with the second water discharge pipe24fixed, and the O-ring installed in the pipe fitting23may make a frictional contact with the fixed second water discharge pipe24as it is rotated. This may abrade the O-ring and cause water leakage between the second water discharge pipe24and the pipe fitting23.

Korean Patent Registration No. 1381803, registered on Mar. 31, 2014, provides a water purifier, and is incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.

