Four-way valve and air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention provides a four-way valve and an air conditioner, relating to the technical field of air conditioners. The four-way valve comprises: a valve body having a cavity therein and provided with a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port sequentially arranged along the circumference of the valve body; and a connecting member disposed within the cavity and rotatable relative to the valve body to connect the first port with the second port and the third port with the fourth port, or to connect the first port with the fourth port and the second port with the third port. The four-way valve is not prone to getting stuck or refrigerant leakage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning, and in particular to a four-way valve and an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] Four-way valves are commonly used in air conditioners to switch the cooling and heating states of the air conditioner. The four-way valve is provided with four ports, which are respectively connected to the exhaust port of the compressor, the intake port of the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator.

[0003] The main valve of the four-way valve includes a valve body and a valve core inside the valve body. High-pressure refrigerant and low-pressure refrigerant can be respectively introduced on both sides of the valve core. The pressure difference between the high-pressure refrigerant and the low-pressure refrigerant pushes the valve core to move back and forth along the length of the valve body to achieve connection between different ports.

[0004] However, the valve core is easily stuck in the valve body. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a four-way valve and an air conditioner, so as to overcome the problem in the related art that a valve core is easily stuck in a valve body.

[0006] The present invention provides a four-way valve, which includes: a valve body, which has a cavity therein, and is provided with a first port, a second port, a third port and a fourth port arranged in sequence along the circumference of the valve body; a connecting piece, which is arranged in the cavity and can rotate relative to the valve body to connect the first port with the second port, the third port with the fourth port, or the first port with the fourth port, and the second port with the third port.

[0007] As described above, the four-way valve, wherein the outer wall surface of the connecting piece is in contact with the inner wall surface of the cavity, and the connecting piece has two first connecting channels that are not connected to each other; the connecting piece can rotate relative to the valve body so that the two ends of one first connecting channel are aligned with the first port and the second port, and the two ends of another first connecting channel are aligned with the third port and the fourth port; or the two ends of one first connecting channel are aligned with the first port and the fourth port, and the two ends of another first connecting channel are aligned with the second port and the third port.

[0008] As described above, the four-way valve, wherein the connecting member is provided with a second connecting channel, the second connecting channel has three ports, and the connecting member can rotate relative to the valve body so that the three ports of the second connecting channel are connected with any three of the first port, the second port, the third port and the fourth port.

[0009] The four-way valve as described above, wherein the four-way valve further includes a first driving member connected to the valve body, and the first driving member is connected to the connecting member to drive the connecting member to rotate relative to the valve body.

[0010] As described above, the four-way valve, wherein the first driving member includes a first magnet and a first coil surrounding the first magnet, the first magnet is connected to the connecting member, and the first magnet can rotate relative to the first coil to drive the connecting member to rotate around its own axis.

[0011] The four-way valve as described above, wherein the four-way valve also includes a valve core arranged in the cavity; a third connecting channel connecting the first port, the second port, the third port and the fourth port is formed between the valve core and the inner wall surface of the cavity, and the connecting member includes a first blocking member and a second blocking member arranged at intervals in the third connecting channel, the first blocking member and the second blocking member separate the third connecting channel into a first sub-connecting channel and a second sub-connecting channel that are not connected to each other; the first blocking member and the second blocking member can rotate relative to the valve body along the circumference of the valve body so that the first sub-connecting channel connects the first port and the second port, the second sub-connecting channel connects the third port and the fourth port, or the first sub-connecting channel connects the first port and the fourth port, and the second sub-connecting channel connects the second port and the third port.

[0012] The four-way valve as described above, wherein the four-way valve further includes a second driving member connected to the valve body, and the second driving member is connected to the first blocking member and the second blocking member to drive the first blocking member and the second blocking member to rotate relative to the valve body along the circumference of the valve body.

[0013] As described above, the four-way valve, wherein the second driving member includes a second magnet and a second coil surrounding the second magnet, the second magnet is connected to the first blocking member and the second blocking member, and the second magnet can rotate relative to the second coil to drive the first blocking member and the second blocking member to rotate around the axial direction of the valve core.

[0014] The four-way valve as described above, wherein the valve body includes four side walls arranged along its circumference, and two adjacent side walls are arranged vertically; the first port, the second port, the third port and the fourth port are arranged on the four side walls in sequence.

[0015] The present invention also provides an air conditioner, which includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and the four-way valve, wherein the air intake port of the compressor, the exhaust port of the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator are respectively connected to the first port, the second port, the third port and the fourth port.

[0016] The four-way valve and air conditioner provided by the present invention are provided with a valve body and a connecting piece provided in the valve body. The connecting piece can rotate relative to the valve body in the valve body so that the first port on the valve body is connected to the second port, the third port is connected to the fourth port, or the first port is connected to the fourth port, and the second port is connected to the third port. The connecting piece rotates in the valve body, which reduces the possibility of the valve core getting stuck compared to the related art in which the valve core relies on the pressure difference of the refrigerant to drive the reciprocating movement in the valve body. Moreover, since the driving member of the connecting piece is located outside the valve body, the rotation of the connecting piece does not rely on the refrigerant drive, which solves the problem in the related art that the valve core cannot move into place due to the change of the refrigerant pressure. Moreover, since there is no need to set a refrigerant pipeline for circulating the refrigerant, refrigerant leakage is avoided. The use safety and service life of the four-way valve and air conditioner are improved, and the maintenance cost is reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below.

[0018] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0019] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0020] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 3 ;

[0021] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 4 ;

[0022] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 5 ;

[0023] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of another four-way valve provided in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of another four-way valve provided in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0025] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of another four-way valve provided in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0026] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of another four-way valve provided in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 .

[0027] Description of reference numerals:

[0028] 10: valve body;

[0029] 11: First port;

[0030] 12: Second port;

[0031] 13: The third port;

[0032] 14: fourth port;

[0033] 15: side wall;

[0034] 16: Ontology;

[0035] 17: Capping;

[0036] 20: Connecting piece;

[0037] 21: first communication channel;

[0038] 22: second communication channel;

[0039] 23: first barrier;

[0040] 24: second barrier;

[0041] 30: valve core;

[0042] 41: first sub-communication channel;

[0043] 42: second sub-communication channel;

[0044] 51: first magnet;

[0045] 52: first coil;

[0046] 53: coil seat;

[0047] 54: first output shaft;

[0048] 541: Branch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below.

[0050] In related technologies, a four-way valve includes a main valve and a pilot valve. The high-pressure refrigerant and low-pressure refrigerant on either side of the main valve core are connected to the pilot valve through a refrigerant pipeline. The pilot valve core reciprocates based on the pressure difference between the refrigerant pressure and the spring force on the pilot valve. Both the main valve core and the pilot valve core reciprocate, making them susceptible to jamming. Furthermore, since the refrigerant flows in the refrigerant pipeline between the pilot valve and the main valve, refrigerant leakage is likely to occur. Furthermore, since the refrigerant pressure may fluctuate during flow, this can easily cause the main valve core and the pilot valve core to not move properly, leading to refrigerant cross-flow.

[0051] This embodiment changes the movement of the valve core into rotation, which solves the problem of the valve core being stuck. The rotation of the valve core does not rely on the refrigerant pressure, which solves the problem of easy refrigerant leakage and the problem of the valve core not moving into place due to changes in the refrigerant pressure.

[0052] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 , Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 , see Figures 1 to 2 This embodiment provides a four-way valve, which includes: a valve body 10, which has a cavity therein and is provided with a first port 11, a second port 12, a third port 13 and a fourth port 14 arranged in sequence along the circumference of the valve body 10; a connecting piece 20, which is arranged in the cavity and can rotate relative to the valve body 10 to connect the first port 11 with the second port 12, the third port 13 with the fourth port 14, or to connect the first port 11 with the fourth port 14, and the second port 12 with the third port 13.

[0053] Four-way valves can be applied to pipe connections, such as water distribution pipes, gas distribution pipes, etc. For example, four-way valves can be applied to heat exchange equipment such as heat pumps. Heat pumps can usually be applied to products such as water heaters, dryers, and air conditioners. Taking air conditioners as an example, air conditioners usually include a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator connected by a refrigerant pipe. When the compressor exhaust port is connected to the condenser, the air conditioner can be in a cooling state. When the compressor exhaust port is connected to the evaporator, the air conditioner can be in a heating state. The connection state switching at the compressor exhaust port can be achieved by a four-way valve.

[0054] The four-way valve includes a valve body 10 and a connecting piece 20 arranged in the valve body 10. The driving part of the connecting piece 20 can be located outside the valve body 10 or arranged in the valve body 10; the valve body 10 is in the shape of a container with a cavity. The valve body 10 can be made of metal material, has high strength, and is easy to connect with the refrigerant pipeline.

[0055] The valve body 10 is provided with a first port 11, a second port 12, a third port 13, and a fourth port 14 that pass through the side wall of the valve body 10. For example, when the first port 11 is connected to the fourth port 14 and the second port 12 is connected to the third port 13, the compressor exhaust port can be connected to the evaporator and the air conditioner is in a heating state. When the first port 11 is connected to the second port 12 and the third port 13 is connected to the fourth port 14, the compressor exhaust port can be connected to the condenser and the air conditioner is in a cooling state.

[0056] The first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14 can be respectively formed in the form of through holes on the valve body 10, or can be connecting tubes protruding from the outer wall of the valve body 10, and the other end of the connecting tube is connected to the refrigerant pipeline, and the material of the connecting tube can also be a metal part.

[0057] The distribution positions of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14 on the valve body 10 can be determined according to the movement form of the connecting member 20. In this embodiment, the connecting member 20 rotates in the valve body 10, and the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14 can be arranged along the circumference of the connecting member 20, that is, arranged at intervals along the circumference of the valve body 10. In this way, the second port 12 and the fourth port 14 are on both sides of the first port 11, and the second port 12 and the fourth port 14 are on both sides of the third port 13.

[0058] The first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 can be arranged at equal or unequal intervals along the circumference of the valve body 10. For example, the central angle between the first port 11 and the second port 12 can be an acute angle or an obtuse angle. To facilitate manufacturing, the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 can be arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the valve body 10. That is, the central angles between the first port 11 and the second port 12, the second port 12 and the third port 13, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14, and the fourth port 14 and the first port 11 are respectively 90°.

[0059] Furthermore, the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 may be spaced apart along the axis of the connecting member 20. To reduce the size of the four-way valve, in this embodiment, the axes of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 may be coplanar. In other words, a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to the axis of the connecting member 20 may simultaneously cut through the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14.

[0060] A refrigerant channel can be formed inside the connecting piece 20, or the connecting piece 20 can separate the cavity inside the valve body 10 into a refrigerant channel, so that when the connecting piece 20 rotates, the first port 11 is connected to the second port 12, the third port 13 is connected to the fourth port 14, or the first port 11 is connected to the fourth port 14, and the second port 12 is connected to the third port 13.

[0061] The four-way valve provided in this embodiment realizes the switching of the connection state by rotating the connecting piece 20 inside the valve body 10. Compared with the related art in which the valve core moves inside the valve body 10, it can avoid the connecting piece 20 from getting stuck in the valve body 10; and the connecting piece 20 is driven by the driving member, which does not rely on the pressure difference between the high-pressure refrigerant and the low-pressure refrigerant, and at the same time solves the problem in the related art that the valve core cannot move into place due to the change of the refrigerant pressure; further, since the rotation of the connecting piece 20 does not rely on the refrigerant, the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14 of the valve body 10 are directly connected to the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator, thereby avoiding refrigerant leakage.

[0062] When a refrigerant channel is formed inside the connecting piece 20, the outer wall surface of the connecting piece 20 can be fitted with the inner wall surface of the cavity, and the connecting piece 20 has two first connecting channels 21 that are not connected to each other; the connecting piece 20 can rotate relative to the valve body 10 so that the two ends of one first connecting channel 21 are aligned with the first port 11 and the second port 12, and the two ends of the other first connecting channel 21 are aligned with the third port 13 and the fourth port 14; or the two ends of one first connecting channel 21 are aligned with the first port 11 and the fourth port 14, and the two ends of the other first connecting channel 21 are aligned with the second port 12 and the third port 13.

[0063] The volume of the cavity within the valve body 10 can be larger than that of the connecting piece 20. Optionally, at least the circumferential outer wall of the connecting piece 20 conforms to the inner wall of the cavity. For example, the connecting piece 20 can be spherical, ellipsoidal, cylindrical, or conical, as long as it can rotate about its own axis within the cavity. A lubrication gap for accommodating lubricating oil can be provided between the outer wall of the connecting piece 20 and the inner wall of the cavity to prevent the connecting piece 20 from becoming stuck.

[0064] In order to connect the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14 in pairs, the refrigerant channel may include two first connecting channels 21. The two first connecting channels 21 are independently arranged inside the connecting member 20 and are arranged on both sides of the axis of the connecting member 20. That is to say, a central axis surface passing through the axis of the connecting member 20 may be provided between the two first connecting channels 21 to avoid cross-flow of refrigerant in the two first connecting channels 21.

[0065] Both ends of each first connecting channel 21 form a through-hole on the outer wall surface of the connecting piece 20. In order to avoid turbulence of the refrigerant at the through-hole, the diameter of each through-hole can be the same as the diameter of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14, so that after each through-hole is aligned with the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 on the valve body 10, the through-hole can smoothly transition with the corresponding port on the valve body 10.

[0066] In this embodiment, the cavity inside the valve body 10 is arranged to fit the outer wall of the connecting piece 20, and there is no additional space in the cavity, which avoids the refrigerant cross-flow problem caused by the connecting piece 20 not moving into place; and the connecting piece 20 is driven by the driving piece, and the driving piece and the connecting piece 20 do not need to be driven by refrigerant, which can also avoid refrigerant leakage.

[0067] Furthermore, when three pipelines need to be connected at the same time, for example, fluid needs to be injected from one pipeline and flushed into two pipelines, or flushed from two pipelines to another pipeline; when the four-way valve is applied to air conditioning, when the air conditioning system is depressurized, the air inlet and outlet of the compressor need to be connected at the same time, or when the air conditioning needs to be defrosted, the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor outlet needs to be directed to the frosted heat exchanger, and the high-temperature refrigerant needs to be used to neutralize the low-temperature refrigerant after defrosting and cooling. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of another four-way valve provided in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 , Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of another four-way valve provided in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 , see Figure 6 and Figure 7 A second communicating channel 22 may also be provided on the connecting member 20. The second communicating channel 22 has three ports. The connecting member 20 can rotate relative to the valve body 10 so that the three ports of the second communicating channel 22 are connected to any three of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14.

[0068] The second communicating channel 22 and the first communicating channel 21 can be spaced apart along the axial direction of the connecting piece 20. Accordingly, the through-opening formed by the first communicating channel 21 on the connecting piece 20 and the through-opening formed by the second communicating channel 22 on the connecting piece 20 are also spaced apart along the axial direction of the connecting piece 20. In this way, when the valve body 10 is connected with the second communicating channel 22 or the first communicating channel 21, the connecting piece 20 needs to move along its own axial direction.

[0069] Alternatively, to reduce the size of the four-way valve, the through-holes formed on the connecting member 20 by the first communicating channel 21 and the through-holes formed on the connecting member 20 by the second communicating channel 22 in this embodiment can be located on the same plane. That is, along the circumference of the valve body 10, the three through-holes formed on the outer wall of the connecting member 20 by the second communicating channel 22 are spaced apart from the four through-holes formed on the outer wall of the connecting member 20 by the two first communicating channels 21. In this case, the first communicating channel 21 or the second communicating channel 22 can extend obliquely along the axial direction of the connecting member 20, and the first communicating channel 21 and the second communicating channel 22 are not connected.

[0070] To further reduce the extension length of the connecting member 20 along its own axis and reduce the size of the four-way valve, the first connecting channel 21 and the second connecting channel 22 can be located in the same plane. In this case, any first connecting channel 21 can communicate with the second connecting channel 22. When the second connecting channel 22 is connected to any three of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14, the four through-holes formed by the two first connecting channels 21 all face the inner wall of the cavity, which closes the four through-holes formed by the two first connecting channels 21. At the same time, another one of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 is also closed by the inner wall of the cavity. When the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 are connected in pairs through the two first connecting channels 21, the three through-holes of the second connecting channel 22 are also closed by the inner wall of the cavity.

[0071] The four-way valve provided in this embodiment can realize the connection of two or three of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14, avoiding the need to disassemble the four-way valve when connecting three pipelines at the same time, thereby reducing the structural manufacturing cost and maintenance cost.

[0072] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 3 , Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 4 , Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the four-way valve provided in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 5 , see Figures 3 to 5 In order to drive the connecting member 20 to rotate, the four-way valve further includes a first driving member connected to the valve body 10 , and the first driving member is connected to the connecting member 20 to drive the connecting member 20 to rotate relative to the valve body 10 .

[0073] The first driving member may be disposed inside the valve body 10 or outside the valve body 10 .

[0074] For example, the first driving member can be a first motor, which can be connected to a control component such as a controller, and the output end of the first motor is connected to the connecting member 20 to drive the connecting member 20 to rotate. The first motor can include a first coil 52 and a first magnet 51. Depending on the type of the first motor, the first coil 52 can be surrounded by the first magnet 51, or the first coil 52 can be arranged inside the first magnet 51. The first magnet 51 is connected to a first output shaft 54, which passes through the side wall of the valve body 10 and is connected to the connecting member 20.

[0075] The first driving member can also use electromagnetic drive to drive the connecting member 20 to rotate. Exemplarily, the first driving member can include a coil base 53, with a first coil 52 disposed on the outer shell of the coil base 53. The first driving member can also include a first magnet 51, which can be inserted into the interior of the coil base 53. The first output shaft 54 of the first driving member connects the first magnet 51 and the connecting member 20. The material of the coil base 53 can be an insulating material such as polyoxymethylene.

[0076] In this embodiment, the connecting member 20 is driven to rotate by the first driving member, which makes it easy to control the rotation angle of the first output shaft 54, that is, the connecting member 20, so that the connecting member 20 can be rotated into place.

[0077] In some embodiments, the valve body 10 may include a main body 16 having an opening and a cover 17 that closes the opening. The main body 16 and the cover 17 enclose a cavity for accommodating the connecting member 20. Optionally, the cover 17 may be provided with a connecting hole for the first output shaft 54 to pass through. The end of the first output shaft 54 located within the cavity is connected to the connecting member 20, and the end of the first output shaft 54 located outside the cavity is connected to the first magnet 51.

[0078] The coil base 53 may be a barrel-shaped structure, with the first magnet 51 located within the coil base 53. The open end of the coil base 53 faces the cover 17, and is sealed by the cover 17. Optionally, an annular space may be provided between the outer wall of the cover 17 and the inner wall of the body 16, and the coil base 53 may be inserted into the annular space, thereby both securing the coil base 53 and forming a seal therewith.

[0079] The side surface of the cover 17 inside the coil seat 53 may also be provided with a protruding mounting portion for supporting the first magnet 51 to prevent the first magnet 51 from tilting, causing the connecting piece 20 to tilt and causing the connecting piece 20 to become stuck.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first output shaft 54 can be a rod-shaped structure. Optionally, when the volume of the cavity inside the valve body 10 is larger than the volume of the connecting piece 20, the end of the first output shaft 54 connected to the connecting piece 20 can have multiple branches 541, and the multiple branches 541 are arranged along the circumference of the first output shaft 54. One end of each branch 541 is connected to the first output shaft 54, and the other end of each branch 541 is fixedly connected to the connecting piece 20, so that the centering stability of the connecting piece 20 is high, and the connecting piece 20 is prevented from being skewed and stuck.

[0081] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of another four-way valve provided in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 , Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of another four-way valve provided in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 , see Figure 8 and Figure 9 When the connecting piece 20 separates the refrigerant channel from the cavity inside the valve body 10, the four-way valve further includes a valve core 30 disposed in the cavity; a third communication channel connecting the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14 is formed between the valve core 30 and the inner wall surface of the cavity. At this time, a flow gap is provided between the outer wall surface of the valve core 30 and the inner wall surface of the cavity. The flow gap is the third communication channel. The third communication channel is annular and surrounds the outside of the valve core 30.

[0082] To divide the third communication channel into two sections, thereby allowing for two-way communication between the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14, the communication member 20 further includes a first barrier 23 and a second barrier 24 spaced apart within the third communication channel. The first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 divide the third communication channel into a first sub-communication channel 41 and a second sub-communication channel 42, which are not interconnected. The circumferential spacing between the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 is preferably sufficient to separate the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14. In this embodiment, the line connecting the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 may intersect the axis of the valve core 30, and the central angle between the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 is 180°.

[0083] The first and second blocking members 23, 24 can be fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the valve core 30. They protrude from the outer wall of the valve core 30 and abut against the inner wall of the cavity. The sides of the first and second blocking members 23, 24 that contact the inner wall of the cavity can be curved surfaces that conform to the inner wall of the cavity. In this case, to drive the first and second blocking members 23, 24 to rotate, the valve core 30 must also be driven to rotate.

[0084] To reduce the input power of the driver, the first and second blocking members 23, 24 can be provided separately from the valve core 30. That is, the valve core 30 can be fixedly connected to the valve body 10, while the first and second blocking members 23, 24 are connected to the driver. The first and second blocking members 23, 24 can rotate relative to the valve body 10 along the circumference of the valve body 10, thereby connecting the first sub-communication channel 41 to the first port 11 and the second port 12, and connecting the second sub-communication channel 42 to the third port 13 and the fourth port 14, or connecting the first sub-communication channel 41 to the first port 11 and the fourth port 14, and connecting the second sub-communication channel 42 to the second port 12 and the third port 13.

[0085] The valve core 30, the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 can all be spherical, ellipsoidal, cylindrical, conical, etc. Correspondingly, the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 are in line contact with the valve core 30 and the valve body 10 respectively, the contact area becomes smaller, the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 are not easy to get stuck, and the input power of the driving part is further reduced.

[0086] For example, the four-way valve is in a state where the first port 11 and the second port 12 are connected, and the third port 13 and the fourth port 14 are connected. At this time, the first blocking member 23 and the second blocking member 24 are respectively located between the first port 11 and the fourth port 14, and the second port 12 and the third port 13. When it is necessary to switch the connection state, the first blocking member 23 and the second blocking member 24 are rotated so that the first blocking member 23 and the second blocking member 24 are respectively located between the first port 11 and the second port 12, and the third port 13 and the fourth port 14. At this time, the first port 11 and the fourth port 14 are connected, and the second port 12 and the third port 13 are connected.

[0087] In order to drive the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 to rotate, the four-way valve also includes a second driving member connected to the valve body 10, and the second driving member is connected to the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 to drive the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 to rotate relative to the valve body 10 along the circumference of the valve body 10.

[0088] The number of second driving members can also be two. The first blocking member 23 and the second blocking member 24 are respectively connected to a second driving member. The two second driving members can be started and stopped at the same time, or can be controlled to start and stop separately to achieve the adjustment of the circumferential spacing between the first blocking member 23 and the second blocking member 24.

[0089] Exemplarily, one of the second driving members can drive one of the first blocking member 23 and the second blocking member 24 to rotate until it closes any one of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14, and the other second driving member can drive the other of the first blocking member 23 and the second blocking member 24 to rotate to one side of the closed port to achieve connectivity with the other three of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14.

[0090] In this embodiment, the number of the second driving member can be one, and the second driving member drives the first blocking member 23 and the second blocking member 24 to rotate simultaneously, and the interval between the first blocking member 23 and the second blocking member 24 is constant.

[0091] The second driving member can also be a second motor, including a second magnet and a second coil surrounding the second magnet. The second magnet is connected to the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24. The second magnet can rotate relative to the second coil to drive the first barrier 23 and the second barrier 24 to rotate around the axis of the valve core 30, so that it can be selected according to the use conditions such as rotation speed and voltage.

[0092] The structure of the second driving member may be the same as that of the first driving member, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0093] Based on the above embodiment, the valve body 10 includes four side walls 15 arranged along its circumference, and two adjacent side walls 15 are arranged vertically; the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14 are sequentially arranged on the four side walls 15.

[0094] The circumferential spacing between the first port 11 , the second port 12 , the third port 13 and the fourth port 14 is large. Even if the connecting piece 20 is not rotated into place, cross-flow of refrigerant will not occur, and safety is high.

[0095] The axes of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 can be arranged obliquely with respect to the corresponding sidewall surface 15. Optionally, in this embodiment, the axes of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 are all arranged perpendicular to the corresponding sidewall surface 15, that is, the included angle between the axes of any two adjacent ones of the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13, and the fourth port 14 is 90°, which facilitates processing and manufacturing.

[0096] In this way, when a refrigerant channel is formed inside the connecting member 20 , the two first connecting channels 21 can be arranged in an arc shape, thereby reducing the flow resistance of the refrigerant in the two first connecting channels 21 .

[0097] The present invention also provides an air conditioner, which includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a four-way valve. The air intake of the compressor, the exhaust port of the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator are respectively connected to the first port 11, the second port 12, the third port 13 and the fourth port 14. The structure and working principle of the four-way valve have been described in the above embodiment and will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0098] The compressor is used to compress the refrigerant gas into a high-temperature and high-pressure state. The compressor can be a reciprocating compressor, a rotary compressor, an axial flow compressor, a centrifugal compressor, etc.

[0099] When heating is required, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor exhaust port passes through a four-way valve into the evaporator to dissipate heat, raising the temperature of the heated component. After cooling, the refrigerant enters the condenser, where it absorbs heat and evaporates. The refrigerant then passes through the four-way valve into the compressor intake port for the next cycle. Both the condenser and the evaporator are heat exchangers, and they can be of a type familiar to those skilled in the art.

[0100] When air conditioning is required, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor exhaust port can enter the condenser through the four-way valve to dissipate heat. The refrigerant after heat dissipation and cooling enters the evaporator to absorb heat and evaporate to reduce the temperature of the parts to be cooled; the refrigerant then enters the compressor intake port through the four-way valve for the next cycle.

[0101] The air conditioner provided in this embodiment adopts the above-mentioned four-way valve, which can solve the problems of four-way valve jamming, refrigerant leakage and the like in the related art.

[0102] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0103] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," and the like should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections, electrical connections, or communication between them; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0104] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0105] In the above description, reference to the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and integrate different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are mutually inconsistent.

[0106] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A four-way valve, characterized in that: include: A valve body having a cavity therein and provided with a first port, a second port, a third port and a fourth port sequentially arranged along the circumference of the valve body; a communication member disposed in the cavity and rotatable relative to the valve body to enable the first port to communicate with the second port, the third port to communicate with the fourth port, or to enable the first port to communicate with the fourth port, and the second port to communicate with the third port; The outer wall surface of the connecting piece is in contact with the inner wall surface of the cavity, and the connecting piece has two first connecting channels which are not connected to each other; The connecting piece is provided with a second connecting channel, and the second connecting channel has three ports; The through-opening formed on the communicating member by the first communicating channel and the through-opening formed on the communicating member by the second communicating channel are located on the same plane, and the first communicating channel and the second communicating channel are located in the same plane; The communication member is rotatable relative to the valve body to allow the three ports of the second communication passage to communicate with any three of the first port, the second port, the third port, and the fourth port.

2. The four-way valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting member can rotate relative to the valve body so that the two ends of one first connecting channel are aligned with the first port and the second port, and the two ends of another first connecting channel are aligned with the third port and the fourth port; or the two ends of one first connecting channel are aligned with the first port and the fourth port, and the two ends of another first connecting channel are aligned with the second port and the third port.

3. The four-way valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The four-way valve further includes a first driving member connected to the valve body, wherein the first driving member is connected to the connecting member to drive the connecting member to rotate relative to the valve body.

4. The four-way valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first driving member includes a first magnet and a first coil surrounding the first magnet. The first magnet is connected to the connecting member. The first magnet can rotate relative to the first coil to drive the connecting member to rotate around its own axis.

5. The four-way valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The valve body includes four side walls arranged along its circumference, and two adjacent side walls are arranged vertically; The first port, the second port, the third port and the fourth port are sequentially arranged on the four side wall surfaces.

6. An air conditioner, characterized in that: It comprises a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and the four-way valve according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the suction port of the compressor, the exhaust port of the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator are respectively connected to the first port, the second port, the third port and the fourth port.

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