Combined water cooler & distiller

Claim 1

A combination water distiller and cooler comprising: a boiler container and associated heating means for generating steam from water; a raw water supply conduit connected to said boiler container; a steam condensing coil in fluid flow communication with said boiler container; a distilled water accumulating tank in fluid flow communication with the outlet of said condensing coil, said condensing coil being disposed in heat exchange relation with distilled water accumulated in said tank; a refrigerant compressor, condenser and evaporator interconnected in refrigerant flow relationship in a closed refrigeration circuit, said evaporator being disposed in heat exchange relation with said accumulating tank so as to cool the water accumulating therein, the cooling effect of said evaporator and cooled distilled water serving to condense steam flowing through said steam condensing coil; an expansion chamber in the form of a vessel mounted on the top of said distilled water accumulating tank and having an outlet of reduced area at the bottom end thereof opening into the upper end of said accumulating tank, and said steam condensing coil terminating in a tubular segment extending upwardly within said vessel through said outlet at the bottom end thereof to a point adjacent the top of said vessel; and air flow passage means extending upwardly inside of said vessel through said outlet at the bottom thereof and having a first open end exposed to the surrounding atmosphere and a second open end within said vessel.