SUPERCOOLING APPARATUS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a supercooling apparatus which maintains an object and liquid in a supercooled state. According to the present invention, a supercooling apparatus includes a cooling chamber supplied with cool air, and a heating device (100) for preventing freezing of water by heating air over a container (200) storing an object or liquid and cooled in the cooling chamber. In this configuration, the air over the container (200) where ice crystals are easily formed is heated to prevent freezing of water stored in the container (200) and store water in a supercooled state.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a supercooling apparatus which can maintain an object in a supercooled state, and more particularly, to a supercooling apparatus which can maintain water in a supercooled state, wherein, when a user imparts an impact to a container containing water, water in the container is phase-transited into a slush state where ice crystals and liquid coexist.

In addition, the present invention relates to a supercooling apparatus applied to a freezing chamber of a general refrigerator so as to maintain water in a supercooled state.

BACKGROUND ART

Supercooling means a phenomenon where a molten object or a solid cooled to below a phase transition temperature in a balanced state is not changed. A material has stable states by temperatures. In a case where a temperature is slowly changed, elements composing the material keep pace with the temperature variations, maintaining stable states at each temperature. However, in a case where the temperature is sharply changed, the elements can not enter stable states at each temperature. Therefore, the elements maintain a stable state of a start point temperature, or some of the elements fail to enter a state of a final point temperature.

For example, when water is slowly cooled, it is not frozen temporarily below 0° C. However, when an object enters a supercooled state, it has a kind of quasi-stable state. Since such an unstable balanced state is easily broken by slight stimulation, the object tends to be transited into a more stable state. That is, if a small piece of material is put into the supercooled liquid, or if the liquid is suddenly shaken, the liquid is frozen at once, so that a temperature of the liquid reaches a freezing point. The liquid maintains a stable balanced state at the temperature.

Normally, in a state where an electrostatic field atmosphere is made in a refrigerator, meat and fish are thawed at a minus temperature in the refrigerator. Moreover, fruit is freshly maintained in the refrigerator.

This technology adopts the supercooling phenomenon. According to the supercooling phenomenon, although a molten object or a solid is cooled below a phase transition temperature in a balanced state, it is not changed.

Examples using the technology include an electrostatic field processing method, an electrostatic field processing apparatus, and electrodes therefor in Korean Laid-Open Patent 2000-0011081.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an implementation of a conventional thawing and freshness-keeping apparatus. A heat insulation apparatus 1 is constructed by a heat insulating material 2 and an cuter wall 5. A temperature control device (not shown) is installed in the apparatus 1. A metal shelf 7 installed in the apparatus 1 has a two-layered structure. Vegetable, meat and marine products are mounted on each layer to be thawed or freshness-kept and ripened. The metal shelf 7 is insulated from the bottom of the apparatus 1 by an insulator 9. A high voltage generation device 3 can generate 0 to 5000 V of DC and AC voltages. Thus, an insulation plate 2a such as vinyl chloride is coated on the inside of the heat insulating material 2. A high voltage cable 4 for outputting the voltage of the high voltage generation device 3 passes through the cuter wall 5 and the heat insulating material 2 to be connected to the metal shelf 7.

When a user opens a door 6 installed at the front of the heat insulation apparatus 1, a safety switch 13 (not shown; refer to FIG. 2) is turned off to block the output of the high voltage generation device 3.

FIG. 2 is a circuit view illustrating a circuit configuration of the high voltage generation device 3. 100 V of AC is supplied to a primary side of a voltage regulation transformer 15. Reference numeral 11 denotes a power lamp and 19 denotes an operation state indication lamp. When the door 6 is closed and the safety switch 13 is on, a relay 14 is operated. The operation state of the relay 14 is displayed by a relay operation lamp 12. Relay contact points 14a, 14b and 14c are closed by the operation of the relay 14, and 100 V of AC is applied to the primary side of the voltage regulation transformer 15.

The applied voltage is regulated by an regulation knob 15a on a secondary side of the voltage regulation transformer 15. The regulated voltage value is displayed on a voltmeter. The regulation knob 15a is connected from the secondary side of the voltage regulation transformer 15 to a primary side of a boosting transformer 17. For example, the boosting transformer 17 boosts a voltage at a ratio of 1:50. If 60 V of voltage is applied, the voltage is boosted to 3000 V.

One end O₁ of an output on the secondary side of the boosting transformer 17 is connected to the metal shelf 7 insulated from the heat insulation apparatus 1 through the high voltage cable 4, and the other end O₂ of the output is grounded. Since the cuter wall 5 is grounded as well, even if the user touches the cuter wall 5 of the heat insulation apparatus 1, he/she does not get an electric shock. In addition, when the metal shelf 7 is exposed in the apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 1, the metal shelf 7 needs to be maintained in an insulated state in the apparatus 1, and thus needs to be separated from an inner wall of the apparatus 1 (air functions as an insulator). Meanwhile, when an object 8 protrudes from the metal shelf 7 and reaches the inner wall of the apparatus 1, since a current flows to the ground through the wall of the apparatus 1, the insulation plate 2a is adhered to the inner wall so as to prevent drop of the applied voltage. On the other hand, when the metal shelf 7 is not exposed in the apparatus 1 but coated with vinyl chloride or the like, an electric field atmosphere is created in the entire apparatus 1.

In the conventional art, an electric or magnetic field is applied to a stored cooled object so that the object can enter a supercooled state. A complicate apparatus for generating the electric or magnetic field is required to maintain the object in the supercooled state. In addition, power consumption considerably increases in the generation of the electric or magnetic field. Moreover, the apparatus for generating the electric or magnetic field further needs a user safety device (e.g., an electric or magnetic field shielding structure, a cutoff device, etc.) in the generation or cutoff of the electric field or magnetic field the to high power.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

An object of the present invention is to provide a supercooling apparatus which can prevent liquid from being frozen at a temperature below a freezing point.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a supercooling apparatus which can be applied to a structure of a general refrigerator so as to maintain liquid contained in food or liquid in a supercooled state in the refrigerator.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a supercooling apparatus which can maintain an object (or food) in a supercooled state in a refrigeration apparatus with a simple configuration and low power.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a supercooling apparatus which can maintain an entire object in a supercooled state by locally heating a freezing portion of the object in a process of freezing the object in a container.

Technical Solution

According to the present invention, there is provided a supercooling apparatus, including: a cooling chamber supplied with cool air; and a heating device for preventing freezing of water by heating air over a container storing an object mostly composed of liquid or liquid and cooled in the cooling chamber. In this configuration, the air over the container where ice crystals are easily formed is heated to prevent freezing of the liquid stored in the container and store the liquid in a supercooled state. Particularly, food containing a large amount of moisture, such as kimchi or watery radish kimchi can be freshly maintained for an extended period of time.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the heating device includes a main body formed in the shape of a cylinder with at least one open face. In this configuration, the heating device can be easily coupled to an upper portion of the water storage container mostly formed in a circular shape.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the heating device includes a heating wire to heat the container or the air which is in contact with the main body. In this configuration, the heating device can safely heat only the air over the storage container.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the heating device includes an inductor spaced apart from an upper portion of the main body, and the main body is made of metal.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the heating device is attached and detached to/from the container. In this configuration, a user can maintain an object or liquid of a target container in a supercooled state.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the main body is formed to surround a top and/or a side surface of the container.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the heating device includes a sealing member positioned at a lower portion of the cylinder-shaped main body to seal up the container and the heating device. In this configuration, cooling efficiency of the supercooling apparatus can be improved and power consumption for maintaining the supercooling can be reduced by intercepting the air of the heating device with a relatively high temperature and the air of the cooling chamber with a relatively low temperature.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the sealing member is an adhesive pad. In this configuration, the sealing member can reliably seal up the heating device and the container and can be recycled a few times.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the supercooling apparatus includes: a door for opening and closing the cooling chamber; and a separate room, which is a part of the cooling chamber, positioned on the door and opened and closed by a portion of the door. In this configuration, the user can take cut an object stored in the separate room of the cooling chamber to the outside of the cooling chamber without opening the door.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the heating device is positioned in the separate room. In this configuration, in a state where the cooling chamber is rarely affected by the heating device, the user can conveniently take out liquid and food stored in a supercooled state from the cooling chamber.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the cooling chamber includes a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, and the heating device is positioned in the freezing chamber. In this configuration, liquid stored in the container can be stored at a temperature lower than a temperature of a maximum ice crystal formation zone without defining a separate cool air passage.

In addition, according to the present invention, there is provided a supercooling apparatus, including: a cooling chamber for maintaining a cooling state at a temperature below zero; a container for storing an object mostly composed of liquid or liquid in the cooling chamber; and a heating device for preventing freezing of the liquid in at least a portion contacting the container containing the object or liquid.

Moreover, according to the present invention, there is provided a supercooling apparatus, including: a cooling chamber for maintaining a cooling state at a temperature below zero; a container for storing an object mostly composed of liquid or liquid in the cooling chamber; a heating device for preventing freezing of the liquid in the container; and a control device for controlling a temperature of the heating device to be over zero.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the supercooling apparatus further includes: a door for opening and closing the cooling chamber; and a separate room, which is a part of the cooling chamber, positioned on the door and opened and closed by a portion of the door, wherein the container and the heating device are positioned in the separate room. In this configuration, a user can take cut food or liquid stored in a supercooled state without opening the door of the cooling chamber.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the heating device is attached and detached to/from the container. In this configuration, the user can separate the heating device and take cut the container, selectively attach the heating device to the container, and decide whether to maintain foods stored in the respective containers in the supercooled state.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the heating device further includes a sealing member formed at a lower portion of the heating device to seal up a gap between the container and the heating device, when the heating device is attached to the container. In this configuration, heated air can be prevented from being transferred to the cooling chamber that should be maintained at a temperature below zero.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a supercooling apparatus, including: a first storage space maintained in a temperature range below zero; a second storage space maintained in a temperature range higher than the temperature range of the first storage space; and a container positioned over the first and second storage spaces to store an object mostly composed of liquid or liquid. In this configuration, the supercooling apparatus maintains the object or liquid of the container in a supercooled state.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the second storage space is maintained in a temperature range higher than a temperature range of a maximum ice crystal formation zone, or maintained in a normal temperature range. In this configuration, heat energy is applied to easily maintain the liquid and object in the supercooled state.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the second storage space is positioned in the first storage space, and sealed up with respect to the first storage space. As the second storage space is hermetically sealed to keep a constant temperature of maintaining the object and liquid in the supercooled state, the supercooled state can be provided with minium energy and high reliability.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

According to the present invention, a supercooling apparatus can be easily applied to a general refrigerator without changing a structure of the refrigerator.

In addition, according to the present invention, a supercooling apparatus can store water in a supercooled state below a phase transition temperature without freezing water.

Moreover, according to the present invention, a supercooling apparatus can transit water stored in a supercooled state into a slush state by slight physical stimulation of a user.

Further, according to the present invention, a supercooling apparatus can improve power efficiency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an implementation of a conventional thawing and freshness-keeping apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a circuit view illustrating a circuit configuration of a high voltage generation device;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a process of forming ice crystal cores in cooled liquid;

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a process of preventing ice crystal core formation in a supercooling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a supercooled state of water by FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views illustrating a heating device provided in a supercooling apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a heating device provided in a supercooling apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a supercooling apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a process of forming ice crystal cores in cooled liquid.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a container C containing liquid L is cooled in a cooling space S.

For example, it is assumed that a cooling temperature of the cooling space S is lowered from a normal temperature to a temperature below 0° C. (a phase transition temperature of water) or a phase transition temperature of the liquid L. While the cooling is carried cut, it is intended to maintain the water or liquid L in a supercooled state below a temperature (−1 to −5° C.) of a maximum ice crystal formation zone of water where ice crystal formation is maximized, or below a temperature of a maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L.

The liquid L is evaporated during the cooling, so that vapor W1 flows into gas Lg (or space) in the container C. In a case where the container C is closed by a cover Ck, the gas Cg may be supersaturated the to the evaporated vapor W1. In this embodiment, the container C may selectively include the cover Ck. If the container C includes the cover Ck, it is possible to prevent direct inflow of cool air from the cooling space S, or to prevent a temperature of a surface Ls of the liquid L or a temperature of the gas Lg on the surface Ls of the liquid L from being lowered die to cool air.

When the cooling temperature reaches or exceeds the temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L, the liquid L forms ice crystal cores F1 in the gas Lg or ice crystal cores F2 on an inner wall of the container C. Otherwise, the liquid L is condensed in a contact portion between the surface Ls of the liquid L and the inner wall of the container C (almost same as the cooling temperature of the cooling space S). The condensed liquid L may form ice crystal cores F3.

For example, when the ice crystal cores F1 in the gas Lg are lowered and infiltrated into the liquid L through the surface Ls of the liquid L, the liquid L is released from the supercooled state and caused to be frozen.

In addition, since the ice crystal cores F3 are in contact with the surface Ls of the liquid L, the liquid L is released from the supercooled state and caused to be frozen.

As described above, according to the process of forming the ice crystal cores F1 to F3, when the liquid L is maintained below the temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone thereof, the liquid L is released from the supercooled state die to freezing of the vapor evaporated from the liquid L and existing on the surface Ls of the liquid L and freezing on the inner wall of the container C adjacent to the surface Ls of the liquid L.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a process of preventing ice crystal core formation in a supercooling apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 4, to prevent freezing of the vapor W1 in the gas Lg, i.e., to continuously maintain the state of the vapor W, the temperature of the gas Lg or the surface Ls of the liquid L is set higher than the temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L, preferably, higher than the phase transition temperature of the liquid L. In addition, so as to prevent freezing of the surface Ls of the liquid L even if it is in contact with the inner wall of the container C, the temperature of the surface Ls of the liquid L is set higher than the temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L, preferably, higher than the phase transition temperature of the liquid L.

Accordingly, the liquid L in the container C maintains the supercooled state below the phase transition temperature or the maximum ice crystal formation zone temperature thereof.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the supercooled state of water by FIG. 4. The graph of FIG. 5 shows temperatures measured under the principle of FIG. 4, in a case where the liquid L is water.

In FIG. 5, line I is a cooling temperature curve of the cooling space S, line II is a temperature curve of the gas Lg (air) on the surface of water in the container C, and line III is a temperature curve of an cuter surface of the container C. The temperature of the cuter surface of the container C is substantially identical to the temperature of water in the container C.

As shown in FIG. 5, in a case where the cooling temperature ranges from about −13 to −14° C. (refer to line I) when the gas Lg on the surface of water in the container C maintains about 4 to 6° C. that is higher than the temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of water, water in the container C maintains about −11° C. that is lower than the temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of water, and stably maintains the supercooled state keeping the liquid state for an extended period of time.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views illustrating a heating device provided in a supercooling apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A heating device 100 is attached to an upper portion of a container 200 stored in a cooling chamber so as to prevent ice crystal formation of liquid stored in the container 200. The heating device 100 includes a main body 110 formed in the shape of a container such as a cylinder, bell, circular truncated cone, etc., with one open side, a heating wire 120 attached to an inner or outer surface of the main body 110, and a sealing member 130 for helping the main body 110 and the container 200 to be attached to each other, and preventing hot air of the main body 110 and cool air of the cooling chamber from being mixed with each other.

A heating wire fixing member 122 for helping the heating wire 120 to be attached and fixed to the main body 110 is further provided at an upper portion of the main body 110. The main body 110 may be formed in various sizes. The supercooling apparatus may include a plurality of heating devices 100, e.g., a heating device 100 having a main body 110 with a small inner diameter according to a size of a container 200 storing liquid, and a heating device 100 having a main body 110 with a large inner diameter according to a size of a container 200 storing kimchi containing a large amount of liquid, etc. The container 200 accommodates liquid, and an object mostly composed of liquid or containing liquid at a high rate. The liquid and object are maintained in a supercooled state due to a heating operation of the heating device 100 and a cooling operation of the cooling chamber.

The heating device 100 heats the air existing in an inner space 140 of the heating device 100, i.e., in a space over the container 200. As set forth above, the heating device 100 can prevent freezing of vapor on a surface of the liquid and freezing on an inner wall of the container adjacent to the surface of the liquid. Accordingly, the heating device 100 can be installed in a cooling chamber of a general refrigerator to maintain liquid in a supercooled state without modifying a structure of the refrigerator.

The main body 110 should be sufficiently deep to surround the container 200 so as to heat at least an upper portion of the container 200. The depth of the main body 110 is set to heat the air over the object or liquid contained in the container 200, i.e., to apply most or entire heat energy to the upper portion of the object or liquid. Here, even if heat transfer occurs due to a convection or the like in the object or liquid, in a case where the container 200 is continuously cooled below a temperature range of a maximum ice crystal formation zone, a temperature of the object or liquid (e.g., an average temperature or a central point temperature of the object or liquid) can be maintained below the temperature range of the maximum ice crystal formation zone.

In a case where the main body 110 surrounds the entire container 200, heating may be stronger than cooling in the container 200. Therefore, the main body 110 preferably applies heat energy through a top of the container 200 and a side surface adjacent to the top. For example, the depth of the main body 110 is preferably set to be equivalent to a depth of an air layer on the object or liquid in the container 200, or a depth of a top surface of the object or liquid. The depth of the main body 110 surrounding the container 200 may be actively varied according to a height of the object or liquid in the container 200. Otherwise, a height of an object or liquid that can be contained in the general container 200 is estimated, and the main body 100 has a depth equivalent to the estimated height, i.e., a fixed depth.

Meanwhile, in a case where hot air of the inner space 140 and cool air of the cooling chamber are mixed, since a temperature of the upper portion of the container 200 is not sufficiently raised, ice crystals may be formed. In addition, as a temperature inside the cooling chamber is raised, cooling efficiency may be degraded. Therefore, the heating device 100 includes the sealing member 130 positioned at a lower portion of the main body 110, i.e., a portion being in contact with the container 200, thereby sealing up the inner space 140 from the cooling chamber. The sealing member 130 may be an adhesive pad (e.g., a rubber pad) with an excellent adhesion property. In the first embodiment of the present invention of FIGS. 6 and 7, the sealing member 130 is the adhesive pad.

The main body 110 can be attached and detached to/from the top and side surface of the container 200. When the main body 110 is attached to the container 200, the inner space 140 surrounded by the main body 110 is sealed up by the sealing member 140.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a heating device provided in a supercooling apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, a heating device 100 for heating a container for storing liquid is embodied by means of an induction heater principle. The heating device 100 includes an indictor 150 positioned over a container storage space, a main body 110 made of metal to cover an upper portion of the container, and a sealing member 130 for adhering and sealing up the main body 110 and the container. The indictor 150 is spaced apart from the upper portion of the main body 110 to induction-heat the main body 110 by eddy current. As in the first embodiment, the main body 110 is heated to raise a temperature of air existing over the container coupled to the inside of the main body 110, thereby preventing ice crystal formation. Moreover, since power supply for the main body 110 is not necessary in use of the inductor 150, the main body 110 can be freely moved. In the second embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 8 the sealing member 130 is a ring-shaped member made of an elastic material, such as rubber. The sealing member 130 may be formed in a corrugated shape to improve heat insulation and elasticity.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a supercooling apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. A supercooling apparatus 1000 is entirely similar in structure to a general refrigerator. The supercooling apparatus 1000 includes a cooling chamber composed of a freezing chamber 1100 and a refrigerating chamber 1200, and a freezing chamber door 1300 and a refrigerating chamber door 1400 for opening and closing the freezing chamber 1100 and the refrigerating chamber 1200, respectively. The freezing chamber door 1300 and the refrigerating chamber door 1400 include separate doors 1310 and 1410, respectively, so that a user can put in and take out an object on the outside without opening the freezing chamber door 1300 and the refrigerating chamber door 1400. The separate doors 1310 and 1410 are parts of the freezing chamber door 1300 and the refrigerating chamber door 1400, respectively. A separate space opened and closed by the separate door 1410 formed on the refrigerating chamber door 1400 is generally called a home bar. A separate chamber 1110 opened and closed by the separate door 1310 formed on the freezing chamber door 1300 is used for supercooling storage. A heating device 100 is positioned in the separate chamber 1110. As described above, the heating device 100 is attached to an upper portion of a container 200 to raise a temperature of air existing over the container 200, thereby preventing ice crystal formation of liquid. In this configuration, the user can easily take out the container 200 storing supercooled liquid or food containing supercooled liquid on the outside without opening the freezing chamber door 1300.

The supercooling apparatus 1000 including the home bar has been explained by way of example. However, the present invention can be implemented into a supercooling apparatus 1000, wherein a heating device 100 is not positioned on the side of a freezing chamber door 1310 but in a cooling chamber.

In case of an object or liquid in the container 200 maintained in a supercooled state, when the user separates the container 200 from the heating device 100 and releases the supercooled state of the object or liquid by external force (e.g., external impact, shaking or taping of the container, electric impact, stimulation, etc.) the object or liquid is transited into a slush state. The user can drink the slush-state object or liquid.

The heating device 100 of FIGS. 6 and 7, the heating device of FIG. 8 and the heating device 100 of FIG. 9 are controlled by a microcomputer (or control device; not shown) of the refrigerator, and supplied with power by a power device of the refrigerator. The microcomputer controls application and interception of power with respect to the heating device 100. Moreover, the microcomputer controls a temperature of preventing ice core formation by adjusting the size of the applied power (level and frequency of a voltage) and heating the inner space 140 and the air layer in the container 200 by means of the heating device 100. That is, as the microcomputer controls heat energy generated by the heating device 100, it can adjust temperatures of the inner space 140 and the air layer in the container 200. Particularly, the microcomputer controls the heating device 100 to maintain a temperature over zero, so that the temperature of the air layer in the container 200 corresponding in position to the heating device 100 can be maintained over a temperature range of a maximum ice crystal formation zone.

The configuration for controlling the heating device 100 and the power device by means of the microcomputer and the configuration for applying power from the power device to the heating device 100 are easily understood by those skilled in the art.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and the drawings, but defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A supercooling apparatus, comprising:

a cooling chamber supplied with cool air; and

a heating device for preventing freezing of water by heating air over a container storing an object mostly composed of liquid or liquid and cooled in the cooling chamber.

2. The supercooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating device comprises a main body formed in the shape of a cylinder with at least one open face.

3. The supercooling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heating device comprises a heating wire to heat the container or the air which is in contact with the main body.

4. The supercooling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heating device comprises an inductor spaced apart from an upper portion of the main body, and the main body contains metal.

5. The supercooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating device is attached and detached to/from the container.

6. The supercooling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the main body is formed to surround a top and/or a side surface of the container.

7. The supercooling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heating device comprises a sealing member positioned at a lower portion of the cylinder-shaped main body to seal up the container and the heating device.

8. The supercooling apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sealing member is an adhesive pad.

9. The supercooling apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a door for opening and closing the cooling chamber; and

a separate room, which is a part of the cooling chamber, positioned on the door and opened and closed by a portion of the door.

10. The supercooling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the heating device is positioned in the separate room.

11. The supercooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling chamber comprises a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, and the heating device is positioned in the freezing chamber.

12. A supercooling apparatus, comprising:

a cooling chamber for maintaining a cooling state at a temperature below zero;

a container for storing an object mostly composed of liquid or liquid in the cooling chamber; and

a heating device for preventing freezing of the liquid in at least a portion contacting the container containing the object or liquid.

13. A supercooling apparatus, comprising:

a cooling chamber for maintaining a cooling state at a temperature below zero;

a container for storing an object mostly composed of liquid or liquid in the cooling chamber;

a heating device for preventing freezing of the object or liquid in the container; and

a control device for controlling a temperature of the heating device to be over zero.

14. The supercooling apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a door for opening and closing the cooling chamber; and

a separate room, which is a part of the cooling chamber, positioned on the door and opened and closed by a portion of the door, wherein the container and the heating device are positioned in the separate room.

15. The supercooling apparatus of claim 12, wherein the heating device is attached and detached to/from the container.

16. The supercooling apparatus of claim 15, wherein the heating device further comprises a sealing member formed at a lower portion of the heating device to seal up a gap between the container and the heating device, when the heating device is attached to the container.

17. A supercooling apparatus, comprising:

a first storage space maintained in a temperature range below zero;

a second storage space maintained in a temperature range higher than the temperature range of the first storage space; and

a container positioned over the first and second storage spaces to store an object containing liquid or liquid.

18. The supercooling apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second storage space is maintained in a temperature range higher than a temperature range of a maximum ice crystal formation zone.

19. The supercooling apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second storage space is maintained in a normal temperature range.

20. The supercooling apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second storage space is positioned in the first storage space, and sealed up with respect to the first storage space.