valve

Abstract

This application discloses a valve, comprising: a housing having a housing cavity and at least two housing openings; a valve body rotatably disposed within the housing cavity, the valve body including a valve body top, a valve body bottom, and valve body sidewalls, the valve body sidewalls including an upper valve body sidewall and a lower valve body sidewall connected to each other, the outer surface of the upper valve body sidewall being a partially cylindrical surface, and the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall having a gradually decreasing diameter from top to bottom; and a sealing element disposed on the valve body sidewall, the sealing element being configured to cooperate with the housing so that the valve body sidewall can sealably close at least one housing opening. The valve of this application has a compact structure and small size. Furthermore, given a fixed required housing opening size, the volume of the valve body and the sealing element can be minimized. Simultaneously, the valve body and the sealing element can be installed together into the housing through the mounting port, facilitating assembly, automated assembly, and mass production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a valve, and more particularly to a coolant control valve for use inside a battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] The battery pack of an electric vehicle includes several battery modules. These modules need to be kept within a certain temperature range when supplying power to or charging the internal combustion engine. Existing battery packs also include coolant passages, through which the flow of coolant can be controlled using control valves or temperature regulating valves, thereby regulating the temperature of the battery modules. Summary of the Invention

[0003] At least one object of this application is to provide a valve comprising: a housing having a housing cavity and at least two housing openings communicating with the housing cavity; and a valve body rotatably disposed within the housing cavity of the housing, the valve body including a valve body top, a valve body bottom, and a valve body sidewall, the valve body top being connected to a rotation axis, the valve body sidewall being connected between the valve body top and the valve body bottom, and the valve body sidewall extending circumferentially around an axis of the rotation axis, the valve body being configured to open or close the at least two housing cavities via the valve body sidewall as the valve body rotates about the rotation axis. At least one housing opening in the body opening; and a seal disposed on the valve body sidewall, the seal being configured to cooperate with the housing such that the valve body sidewall can sealably close at least one of the at least two housing openings; wherein the valve body sidewall includes an upper valve body sidewall and a lower valve body sidewall connected to each other, the upper valve body sidewall being connected to the top of the valve body, the lower valve body sidewall being connected to the bottom of the valve body, and wherein the outer surface of the upper valve body sidewall is a partially cylindrical surface, and the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall has a gradually decreasing diameter shape from top to bottom.

[0004] According to the above, the housing has a housing bottom and a housing sidewall, the housing sidewall forming the housing cavity, the housing opening being disposed on the housing sidewall, the bottom of the housing sidewall being connected to the housing bottom, and the top of the housing sidewall forming an installation port communicating with the housing cavity, the valve body being installed in the housing cavity through the installation port; wherein, the housing sidewall includes an upper housing sidewall and a lower housing sidewall, the upper housing sidewall being disposed above the lower housing sidewall, the housing sidewall being configured to fit the shape of the valve body sidewall, and the sealing element being configured to abut against the housing sidewall.

[0005] Based on the above, the valve further includes at least two fluid conduits, which are disposed on the outside of the housing corresponding to the housing opening and integrally formed with the housing.

[0006] According to the above, the bottom of the housing is provided with a support shaft extending into the housing cavity, and the bottom of the valve body is provided with a shaft hole for receiving the support shaft. The support shaft is coaxially arranged with the rotating shaft.

[0007] According to the above, the sealing element is integrally formed on the side wall of the valve body by injection molding.

[0008] Based on the above, the sealing element is an annular sealing element, and the shape and size of the annular sealing element are configured such that when the housing opening is closed by the valve body sidewall, the annular sealing element can surround the housing opening and abut against the housing sidewall surrounding the housing opening.

[0009] Based on the above, the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall is a partially spherical surface, and the inner surface of the lower housing sidewall is a hemispherical surface.

[0010] Based on the above, the thickness of the valve body sidewall and the housing sidewall is uniform.

[0011] According to the above, the valve further includes: an actuator mechanism, the actuator mechanism including a transmission assembly, the transmission assembly including: a worm gear for connection to a drive shaft; a first gear having an upper gear and a lower gear capable of synchronous rotation, the lower gear having fewer teeth than the upper gear, the upper gear meshing with the worm gear; and a second gear having more teeth than the lower gear, the second gear meshing with the lower gear of the first gear; wherein the second gear is connected to the rotating shaft of the valve body to drive the rotating shaft to rotate.

[0012] According to the above, the actuator mechanism further includes a housing, which is connected above the housing. The transmission component is disposed in the housing, and the rotating shaft passes through the housing and is connected to the second gear. A first sealing ring is provided between the rotating shaft and the housing, and a second sealing ring is provided between the second gear and the housing.

[0013] According to the above, the valve further includes: a valve cover, which is welded to the mounting port of the housing to close the mounting port; a housing is disposed above the valve cover; and the rotation axis of the valve body passes through the valve cover to extend into the housing.

[0014] According to the above, the bottom of the box or the valve cover is connected to two blocking walls that can contact the top of the valve body, and the top of the valve body rotates between the two blocking walls. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a perspective structural diagram of a valve according to an embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 2A for Figure 1 The valve shown is a cross-sectional view along line AA.

[0017] Figure 2B for Figure 1 The exploded three-dimensional structure diagram of the valve shown;

[0018] Figure 3A for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the valve body shown in the diagram.

[0019] Figure 3B for Figure 3A The front view;

[0020] Figure 4A for Figure 1 The diagram shows a top view of the three-dimensional structure of the valve housing.

[0021] Figure 4B for Figure 4A The front view;

[0022] Figure 5A and 5B for Figure 1 Exploded three-dimensional views of the actuator mechanism in the valve shown at two angles;

[0023] Figure 6A for Figure 5A A top view of the transmission components and motor shown;

[0024] Figure 6B for Figure 5A The front view of the transmission assembly and motor shown;

[0025] Figure 7A and Figure 7B for Figure 1 The diagram shows the partial explosion three-dimensional structure of the valve when the fluid pipeline is closed at two angles.

[0026] Figure 8A and Figure 8B for Figure 1 The diagram shows the partial explosion three-dimensional structure of the fluid pipeline at two angles when the valve is opened.

[0027] Figure 9This is a perspective view of a valve according to another embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 10A for Figure 9 The valve shown is a cross-sectional view along line AA.

[0029] Figure 10B and Figure 10C for Figure 9 The diagram shows the exploded three-dimensional structure of the valve at two angles. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Various specific embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification. It should be understood that although terms indicating direction, such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," are used herein to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements, their use is merely for illustrative purposes and is based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in this application can be arranged in different orientations, these terms indicating direction are illustrative only and should not be considered limiting.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a perspective structural diagram of a valve 100 according to an embodiment of this application, used to illustrate the overall structure of the valve 100. Figure 1 As shown, valve 100 includes housing 101 and valve body 208 (see...). Figure 2A and Figure 2B (As shown) and actuator mechanism 110, which is located above housing 101. Housing 101 has two fluid conduits 105 and 106, fluid conduit 106 being an inlet conduit for connection to a coolant source, and fluid conduit 105 being an outlet conduit for connection to a cooling channel inside the battery pack. As an example, fluid conduits 105 and 106 are integrally formed with housing 101. Valve body 208 is rotatably disposed within housing 101 and can be rotated to open fluid conduits 105 and 106, allowing coolant from the coolant source to flow into valve 100 through fluid conduit 106 and out of valve 100 through fluid conduit 105 into the cooling channel inside the battery pack to regulate the temperature of battery components (not shown) in the battery pack, or rotated to close fluid conduits 105 or 106, disconnecting the coolant from the cooling channel inside the battery pack. The actuator mechanism 110 includes a housing 102, within which a motor 550 and a transmission assembly 581 are housed. This will enable the actuator to operate in conjunction with the 5A and... Figure 5BThe exploded view of actuator mechanism 110 shows it in detail. Motor 550 and transmission assembly 581 are used to drive valve body 208 to rotate. A communication connector 107 is connected to one side of actuator mechanism 110 for transmitting power and control signals to motor 550 inside actuator mechanism 110.

[0032] Figure 2A for Figure 1 The valve 100 shown is a cross-sectional view along line AA. Figure 2B for Figure 1 The exploded three-dimensional structure diagram of valve 100 shown is as follows. Figure 2A and Figure 2B Used to illustrate the internal structure of valve 100.

[0033] like Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the housing 101 has a housing cavity 213, and the top of the housing 101 has a mounting port 217 communicating with the housing cavity 213. The valve body 208 is rotatably mounted in the housing cavity 213 through the mounting port 217. Fluid pipes 105 and 106 can communicate with each other through the housing cavity 213. The housing 101 has a housing opening 238 communicating with the fluid pipe 105. In this embodiment, rotation of the valve body 208 can open or close the housing opening 238 corresponding to the fluid pipe 105. In other embodiments, rotation of the valve body 208 can also open or close the housing opening corresponding to the fluid pipe 106. Specifically, the valve body 208 has an open position and a closed position, and can rotate between the open position and the closed position. Figure 2A In the indicated state, valve body 208 is in the closed position, capable of shutting off fluid conduit 105 by blocking (or closing) housing opening 238. Valve 100 also includes a seal 218 disposed on valve body 208 and capable of abutting against the housing sidewall surrounding housing opening 238 (see [link to valve body]). Figure 4A and Figure 4B The valve body 208 seals (or closes) the housing sidewall 433, thereby ensuring that the housing opening 238 is sealed and closed, preventing liquid from flowing into the fluid conduit 105 from the gap between the valve body 208 and the housing sidewall. Thus, when the valve body 108 closes the housing opening 238 and the fluid conduit 105, even if coolant flows into the valve 100 from the fluid conduit 106, it cannot flow out from the fluid conduit 105.

[0034] A rotating shaft 215 is provided at the top of the valve body 208. A support shaft 209 extending into the housing cavity 213 is provided at the bottom of the housing 101, and the support shaft 209 is connected to the bottom of the valve body 208. The rotating shaft 215 and the support shaft 209 are coaxially arranged, that is, the rotating shaft 215 and the support shaft 209 have a common axis, and the valve body 208 can rotate about this common axis to close the housing opening 238 in its closed position or open the housing opening 238 in its open position. In the example shown, the rotating shaft 215 extends into the housing 102 of the actuator mechanism 110 to be driven by the transmission assembly 581 of the actuator mechanism 110 (see Figure 100). Figure 5A (As shown) receives the rotating shaft 215, thereby enabling the actuator mechanism 110 to drive the rotating shaft 215 to rotate. To prevent coolant in the housing cavity 213 from seeping into the actuator mechanism 110, a first sealing ring 211 is provided at the connection between the rotating shaft 215 and the housing 102. Furthermore, a second gear 557 (see...) in the transmission assembly 581 for receiving the rotating shaft 215... Figure 5A and Figure 5B A second sealing ring 212 is also provided between the first sealing ring 211 and the box body 102. In this embodiment, the first sealing ring 211 is an X-shaped sealing ring, and the second sealing ring 212 is an O-shaped sealing ring.

[0035] Figure 3A and Figure 3B The specific structure of valve body 208 is shown, wherein Figure 3A This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the valve body 208 viewed from the side. Figure 3B for Figure 3A The front view. For example... Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the valve body 208 includes a valve body top 321, a valve body bottom 322, and a valve body sidewall 323. A rotating shaft 215 is connected above the valve body top 321, and a support shaft hole 319 for accommodating a support shaft 209 is provided on the valve body bottom 322. The valve body top 321 and valve body bottom 322 are generally parallel, and their outlines are generally fan-shaped, for example, a 90° fan. Two limiting sidewalls 328 and 329 are formed in the two radial directions of the fan shape of the valve body top 321. These two limiting sidewalls 328 and 329 are used to form a limiting structure that limits the valve body 208 to the valve body closed position and the valve body open position.

[0036] A valve body sidewall 323 connects the top 321 and bottom 322 of the valve body. The valve body sidewall 323 extends circumferentially around the axis x of the rotation shaft 215 at a certain angle, for example, approximately 90°. That is, in any section perpendicular to the axis x, the outer surface of the valve body sidewall 323 is arc-shaped. To facilitate processing and save material, the valve body sidewall 323 has a uniform thickness; that is, the outer surface shape of the valve body sidewall 323 is approximately the same as the inner surface shape. The valve body sidewall 323 includes an upper valve body sidewall 325 connected to the top 321 and a lower valve body sidewall 326 connected to the bottom 322. The upper and lower valve body sidewalls are smoothly connected to each other at the middle of the valve body sidewall 323, with the upper valve body sidewall 325 connected above the lower valve body sidewall 326. Specifically, the upper valve body sidewall 325 is a roughly cylindrical straight wall that extends vertically from the outer edge of the valve body top 321 towards the valve body bottom 322. The bottom of the upper valve body sidewall 325 smoothly tapers inward along the axis x until it connects with the edge of the valve body bottom 322, forming the lower valve body sidewall 326. That is, in the axial section passing through the axis x of the valve body sidewall 323 and the rotation shaft 215, the outer surface of the upper valve body sidewall 325 is at the same distance from the axis, while the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall 326 has a gradually decreasing diameter, meaning the distance between the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall 326 and the axis gradually decreases. In this embodiment, the outer surface of the upper valve body sidewall 325 is a partially cylindrical surface, and the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall 326 is a partially spherical shape. Because the valve body sidewall 323 extends approximately 90° circumferentially around the axis x, the upper valve body sidewall 325 and the lower valve body sidewall 326 form an incomplete cylindrical shape and an incomplete spherical shape in the circumferential direction. In some other embodiments, the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall 326 may also be a partially conical shape, etc.

[0037] The seal 218 is an annular seal, integrally formed on the valve body sidewall 323 by injection molding, and protrudes slightly outward from the valve body sidewall 323 to contact the housing sidewall of the housing 101. In this embodiment, the shape and size of the seal 218 correspond to the shape and size of the valve body sidewall 323; that is, the sealing surface of the seal 218 is closed and its shape matches that of the valve body sidewall 323. The height of the seal 218 is approximately equal to the distance between the top 321 and bottom 322 of the valve body, and the width of the seal 218 is approximately equal to the width of the valve body sidewall 323. Furthermore, the shape and size of the seal 218 approximately correspond to the shape and size of the housing opening 238. Therefore, according to the required shape and size of the housing opening 238, the seal 218 and the valve body 208 can be designed to almost match the shape and size of the housing opening 238, resulting in a compact structure without wasting space. In this embodiment, the seal 218 is integrally formed on the valve body sidewall 323 by insert injection molding, eliminating the need for a separate sealing component installation structure, which further facilitates the installation process of the valve body 208 and the seal 218.

[0038] Figure 4A and Figure 4B The specific structure of housing 101 is shown, wherein Figure 4A This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the shell 101 as seen from the top. Figure 4B This is a front view of the housing 101.

[0039] like Figure 4A and 4B As shown, the housing 101 includes a housing sidewall 433 and a housing bottom 432. The housing bottom 432 is connected to the bottom of the housing sidewall 433, and the top of the housing sidewall 433 forms a generally circular mounting opening 217. The housing sidewall 433 and the housing bottom 432 together form a housing cavity 213 communicating with the mounting opening 217. The housing sidewall 433 has housing openings 238 and 439. The housing opening 238 communicates with the fluid conduit 105, and the housing opening 439 communicates with the fluid conduit 106. A support shaft 209 extends from the housing bottom 432 into the housing cavity 213 to connect with a support shaft hole 319 on the valve body 208.

[0040] The housing sidewall 433 includes an upper housing sidewall 435 and a lower housing sidewall 436, with the upper housing sidewall 435 smoothly connected above the lower housing sidewall 436. To facilitate processing and save material, the housing sidewall 433 has a uniform thickness; that is, the outer surface shape of the housing sidewall 433 is approximately the same as the inner surface shape. As an example, the upper housing sidewall 435 is cylindrical, and its bottom smoothly extends into the housing cavity 213 to connect with the edge of the housing bottom 432, thus forming the lower housing sidewall 436. In this embodiment, the shape and size of the housing sidewall 433 match the shape and size of the valve body sidewall 323. For example, the inner surface of the upper housing sidewall 435 and the outer surface of the upper valve body sidewall 325 are coaxially arranged cylindrical surfaces, and the inner surface of the lower housing sidewall 436 and the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall 326 are concentrically arranged partially spherical surfaces, so that the seal 218 on the valve body sidewall 323 can abut against the housing sidewall 433. In this embodiment, when the valve body 208 is in the closed position, the seal 218 surrounds the housing opening 238 and abuts against the housing sidewall 433 surrounding the housing opening 238, so that the valve body sidewall 323 can sealably close the housing opening 238. When the valve body 208 is in the open position, the seal 218 abuts against other parts of the housing sidewall 433, and the valve body sidewall 323 no longer closes the housing opening 238, so that the housing openings 238 and 439 are interconnected through the housing cavity 213 inside the housing 101, thereby connecting the fluid conduit 105 and the fluid conduit 106. It should be noted that in some other embodiments, the shape and size of the housing sidewall 433 do not need to match the shape and size of the valve body sidewall 323, but only the shape and size of the seal 218 need to match the shape and size of the housing opening 238.

[0041] In the embodiments of this application, since the housing sidewall 433 and the valve body sidewall 323 are cylindrical in the upper half and spherical in the lower half, the radial dimension of the housing cavity 213 gradually decreases from top to bottom, facilitating the direct installation of the valve body 208 into the housing cavity 213 of the housing 101 through the mounting port 217. Since the seal 218 is integrally formed with the valve body 208 via injection molding, after the valve body 208 is inserted into the housing cavity 213 of the housing 101, the sealing function of the seal 218 can be achieved through dimensional matching, without the need for additional components to install the seal. This simplifies the manufacturing process and results in a compact structure. Furthermore, the spherical shape of the housing sidewall 433 and the valve body sidewall 323 can reduce the flow resistance of the coolant fluid in the housing cavity 213.

[0042] Figure 5A and 5BThis is an exploded three-dimensional view of the actuator mechanism 110 from two angles, used to illustrate the specific structure of the actuator mechanism 110. For example... Figure 5A and 5B As shown, the actuator mechanism 110 includes a housing 102, which comprises an upper housing 551 and a lower housing 552, forming a space between the upper and lower housings 551 for accommodating internal components. These internal components include a motor 550 and a transmission assembly 581. The motor 550 is connected to an external power supply and control circuit via a communication connector 107, and drives a rotating shaft 215 extending into the housing 102 to rotate via the transmission assembly 581, thereby driving the valve body 208 to rotate.

[0043] Specifically, the transmission assembly 581 includes a worm gear 559, a first gear 553, and a second gear 557. The worm gear 559 is sleeved on the drive shaft 558 of the motor 550 and rotates with the rotation of the drive shaft 558. The first gear 553 includes an upper gear 554 and a lower gear 556, which are connected by the same shaft 563 to achieve synchronous rotation of the two gears. In this embodiment, the upper gear 554 is used to mesh with the worm gear 559 to be driven by the worm gear 559, and causes the lower gear 556 to rotate synchronously. The second gear 557 includes teeth 567 and a hollow cylindrical portion 568 extending downward from the lower side of the teeth 567. The teeth 567 and the hollow cylindrical portion 568 rotate together. In this embodiment, the teeth 567 is used to mesh with the lower gear 556 of the first gear 553 to be driven by the lower gear 556, and the hollow cylindrical portion 568 also rotates together. The hollow cylindrical portion 568 is provided with a receiving channel 560 for receiving the rotating shaft 215 and driving the rotating shaft 215 to rotate together, thereby causing the valve body 208 to rotate. As an optional example, the rotating shaft 215 and the inner wall of the receiving channel 560 are provided with matching cross-sections so that the hollow cylindrical portion 568 can drive the rotating shaft 215 to rotate.

[0044] like Figure 5A and 5B As shown, the lower housing 552 has a through hole 561 extending through it. The through hole 561 can accommodate the hollow cylindrical portion 568 of the second gear 557, thereby fixing the second gear 557 in a predetermined position within the housing 102. A second sealing ring 212 is provided between the hollow cylindrical portion 568 and the wall of the through hole 561. The second sealing ring 212 further prevents coolant in the housing 101 from seeping into the housing 102 through the through hole 561, thus preventing it from affecting the operation of the motor 550 and the transmission assembly 581. The top of the second gear 557 has a protrusion 555, which engages with the cylindrical portion 565 extending downward from the bottom of the upper housing 551 to press the second gear 557 against the second sealing ring 212 and fix the second gear 557 axially.

[0045] A base 571 extending downwards and surrounding the through hole 561 is provided on the lower surface of the lower housing 552. The housing 101 is fixedly connected to the actuator mechanism 110 via the base 571 to prevent coolant leakage from the housing 101. As an example, the housing 101 is fixedly connected to the base 571 by welding, which eliminates the need for an additional sealing structure between the housing 101 and the actuator mechanism 110. A semi-circular limiting boss 575 protruding further downwards is provided on the lower surface of the base 571, with blocking walls 572 and 573 at both ends of the limiting boss 575 that are substantially perpendicular to the lower surface of the base 571. When the rotating shaft 215 of the valve body 208 passes through the through hole 561 and is received by the hollow cylindrical portion 568 of the second gear 557, the rotation of the second gear 557 drives the rotating shaft 215 to rotate, thereby causing the valve body 208 to rotate. When the valve body 208 rotates, the valve body top 321 of the valve body 208 rotates between the blocking walls 572 and 573 of the limiting boss 575. When the valve body 208 rotates to its closed position, the limiting side wall 328 of the valve body top 321 abuts against the blocking wall 573 of the limiting boss 575 (see...). Figure 7A and Figure 7B When the valve body 208 rotates to its open position, the limiting sidewall 329 of the valve body top 321 abuts against the blocking wall 572 of the limiting boss 575 (see...). Figure 8A and Figure 8B As those skilled in the art will know, a matching positioning structure, such as a concave-convex fit, can also be provided between the housing 101 and the lower box 552, so that the housing 101 and the lower box 552 can be connected in a predetermined position. In this way, when the valve body 208 is restricted to the closed position by the blocking wall 573, it can precisely close the housing opening 238 on the housing 101.

[0046] The upper housing 551 and the lower housing 552 are respectively provided with holes 564 and 562 at corresponding positions for fixing the upper and lower ends of the shaft 563. This allows the shaft 563 to be fixed inside the housing 102, thereby fixing the position of the first gear 553. In this embodiment, the motor 550 does not require additional structural fixing; a portion of the housing 102 is simply shaped to accommodate the motor 550. Therefore, the motor 550, the first gear 553, and the second gear 557 can all be fixedly mounted inside the housing 102 without the need for a complex installation structure, and installation is convenient.

[0047] Figure 6A A top view of the transmission assembly 581 and the motor 550 is shown. Figure 6B A front view of the transmission assembly 581 and the motor 550 is shown to illustrate the specific working process of the transmission assembly 581.

[0048] like Figure 6A and6B As shown, the first gear 553 is disposed on the side of the worm 559, and the second gear 557 is disposed in front of the worm 559 and the first gear 553, and is located below the worm 559 and the first gear 553, so that the worm 559, the first gear 553 and the second gear 557 are arranged in a roughly triangular pattern. In this embodiment, the meshing of the worm 559 and the second gear 557 achieves the first stage of speed reduction for the rotation of the drive shaft 558. In the first gear 553, the diameter of the upper gear 554 is larger than the diameter of the lower gear 556, and the number of teeth of the upper gear 554 is greater than the number of teeth of the lower gear 556. The number of teeth of the second gear 557 is also greater than the number of teeth of the lower gear 556. Therefore, when the first gear 553 rotates, the upper gear 554 and the lower gear 556 rotate synchronously around the shaft 563, and the lower gear 556, with its fewer teeth, drives the second gear 554 to rotate, thus achieving the second stage of speed reduction for the rotation of the drive shaft 558.

[0049] By designing the transmission assembly 581 as a worm gear and two gears arranged in a triangle and using flat gears, two-stage reduction of the drive shaft 558 can be achieved. This ensures the reduction requirement of the drive shaft 558 while minimizing the space required for the arrangement and simplifying the structure of the transmission assembly 581.

[0050] Figure 7A and Figure 7B The diagram shows a partially exploded three-dimensional structure at two angles when the fluid conduit 105 is closed, illustrating the closed position of the valve body 208 when the housing opening 238 is closed. Figure 8A and Figure 8B The diagram shows a partially exploded three-dimensional structure at two angles when the fluid conduit 105 is opened, illustrating the open position of the valve body 208 when the housing opening 238 is opened.

[0051] like Figure 7A and Figure 7B As shown, when the valve body 208 is in its closed position, the valve body sidewall 323 of the valve body 208 aligns with the housing opening 238 on the housing sidewall 433 of the housing 101 to close the housing opening 238. In the state shown, the seal 218 on the valve body sidewall 323 aligns with and abuts against the housing sidewall 433 surrounding the housing opening 238, so the valve body sidewall 323 and the seal 218 can sealably close the housing opening 238, and thus close the fluid conduit 105.

[0052] In the state shown in the figure, the limiting sidewall 328 on the valve body 208 abuts against the blocking wall 573 on the lower box 552. The valve body 208 cannot rotate toward the blocking wall 573, but can only rotate toward the blocking wall 572.

[0053] When the actuator mechanism 110 receives the control signal to open the valve 100, the drive shaft 558 of the motor 550 rotates in the reverse direction (or counterclockwise), and the valve body 208 rotates toward the blocking wall 572 until the valve body 208 moves to the position indicated by the control signal. Figure 8A and 8B The opening position is shown.

[0054] like Figure 8A and Figure 8B As shown, when the valve body 208 is in its open position, the valve body sidewall 323 of the valve body 208 is offset from the housing opening 238 on the housing sidewall 433 of the housing 101, thereby opening the housing opening 238. In the state shown, the seal 218 on the valve body sidewall 323 moves with the valve body 208 to align with other parts on the housing sidewall 433, without affecting the flow of coolant from the fluid conduit 106 through the housing cavity 213 in the housing 101 to the fluid conduit 105.

[0055] In the state shown in the figure, the limiting sidewall 329 on the valve body 208 abuts against the blocking wall 572 on the lower box 552. The valve body 208 cannot rotate in the direction of the blocking wall 572, but can only rotate in the direction of the blocking wall 573.

[0056] Similarly, when the actuator mechanism 110 receives a control signal from the closing valve 100, the drive shaft 558 of the motor 550 rotates forward (or clockwise), and the valve body 208 rotates toward the blocking wall 573 until the valve body 208 moves to the position indicated by the closing valve 100. Figure 7A and 7B The indicated closing position.

[0057] The valve 100 in this embodiment includes an actuator mechanism 110, a valve body 208, and a housing 101. The connection structure between the actuator mechanism 110 and the housing 101 is located inside the housing 101, and the connection structure between the valve body 208 and the housing 101 is also located inside the housing 101. This arrangement makes the valve 100 compact in structure and small in size. Furthermore, the dimensions of the valve body 208 and the seal 218 correspond to the dimensions of the housing opening, allowing for a smaller volume of the valve body 208 and the seal 218 given a fixed housing opening size. Simultaneously, the valve body 208 and the seal 218 of the valve 100 can be installed together into the housing 101 through the mounting port 217, facilitating assembly, automated assembly, and mass production.

[0058] It should be noted that although valve 100 in this embodiment only includes two fluid pipes, more fluid pipes can be provided according to actual needs, and the shell opening, valve body structure, and valve body rotation angle can be set accordingly.

[0059] Figure 9This is a perspective structural diagram of a valve 900 according to another embodiment of this application, used to illustrate the overall structure of the valve 900. (See diagram below.) Figure 9 As shown, valve 900 also includes an actuator mechanism 910 and a housing 901. The actuator mechanism 910 includes a housing 902 and a communication connector 107, and fluid conduits 105 and 106 are provided on the housing 901. The structure of valve 900 is generally the same as that of valve 100. The difference between valve 900 and valve 100 is that a valve cover 903 is also included between the actuator mechanism 910 and the housing 901. The actuator mechanism 910 is mounted on the housing 901 through the valve cover 903.

[0060] Figures 10A-10C This is used to illustrate the specific structure of valve 900, wherein Figure 10A for Figure 9 The valve 900 shown is a cross-sectional view along line AA. Figure 10B and Figure 10C This is a three-dimensional exploded view of valve 900 at two angles.

[0061] like Figures 10A-10C As shown, valve 900 also includes valve body 208 and seal 218. Valve body 208 is installed into housing cavity 1013 of housing 901 through mounting port 1017. The structure of valve body 208 and seal 218 is the same as that of valve body 208 and seal 218 in valve 100, and will not be described again here. Housing 901 also has housing opening 1038 communicating with fluid pipe 105, and a support shaft 1009 connected to valve body 208. In this embodiment, first sealing ring 1011 is disposed between the rotating shaft 215 of valve body 208 and valve cover 903 to prevent coolant fluid in housing 901 from leaking out between valve cover 903 and valve body 208. Second sealing ring 1012 is still disposed between the rotating shaft 215 of valve body 208 and the transmission assembly in housing 902.

[0062] like Figure 10B and Figure 10CAs shown, the housing 902 also includes an upper housing 1051 and a lower housing 1052, with the transmission assembly 581 and the motor housed between the upper housing 1051 and the lower housing 1052. The valve cover 903 has a through hole 1088, through which the rotating shaft 215 of the valve body 208 can pass and extend into the actuator mechanism 910 to connect with the transmission assembly 581. In this embodiment, the mounting base 1071 is no longer located at the bottom of the lower housing 1052, but rather at the bottom of the valve cover 903. The housing 901 is welded to the mounting base 1071 at the bottom of the valve cover 903, allowing the valve cover 903 to close the mounting opening 1017 of the housing 901. The mounting base 1071 is also provided with blocking walls 1072 and 1073, which engage with the limiting sidewalls 328 and 329 of the valve body 208 to restrict the valve body 208 from rotating between the open and closed positions. In this embodiment, the edge of the valve cover 903 is also provided with a downwardly extending positioning post 1091, and correspondingly, the top of the housing 901 is provided with an outwardly protruding ear 1082, which is provided with a positioning hole 1083. When the valve cover 903 is connected to the housing 901, the valve cover 903 and the housing 901 can be positioned and installed by inserting the positioning post 1091 into the positioning hole 1083, so that the blocking walls 1072 and 1073 on the valve cover 903 can precisely restrict the valve body 208 from rotating to the corresponding position when it abuts against the blocking walls 1072 and 1073, thereby closing or opening the housing opening on the housing 901.

[0063] In this embodiment, the lower housing 1052 and the valve cover 903 are connected by a fastening structure. As an example, the valve cover 903 has upwardly extending protruding bosses at both ends, with mounting holes 1085a and 1085b in the bosses. Fasteners 1086a and 1086b are connected to corresponding positions on the head and side of the lower housing 1052, respectively. By cooperating with the fasteners 1086a and 1086b and the mounting holes 1085a and 1085b, the lower housing 1052 and the valve cover 903 can be connected together.

[0064] In this embodiment, although valve 900 has an additional component, valve cover 903, compared to valve 100, and occupies slightly more space, the actuator mechanism 910 is detachable because the valve cover 903 is fastened to the actuator mechanism 910. Furthermore, the valve cover 903 and the housing 901 can be positioned and connected, making installation easier.

[0065] There is usually not much free space inside a battery pack, but in order to ensure the cooling effect of the coolant on the battery components, the flow rate of the coolant cannot be too small. Therefore, when embedding the valve inside the battery pack, it is necessary to make the valve as small as possible while ensuring the necessary flow area of ​​the coolant inside the valve and good sealing performance.

[0066] In this application, the support axis on the valve body protrudes into the interior of the housing, while the drive axis on the valve body extends into the actuator mechanism, reducing the valve's height. Furthermore, this valve requires only three seals to achieve its sealing performance, resulting in fewer parts, a more compact structure, and no redundant structures. With a fixed valve body and housing wall thickness, the valve occupies less space. In addition, this application further reduces the valve body size by designing both the valve body sidewall and the housing sidewall in a hemispherical, semi-cylindrical shape. The dimensions of the valve body sidewall are almost identical to the housing opening size, thus reducing the overall valve body size while maintaining the housing opening dimensions. Moreover, the seals can be integrated into the valve body sidewall, allowing for direct insertion into the mounting port for easy installation. This ensures both sealing performance and a more compact structure. Therefore, the valve of this application possesses the advantages of small size, excellent sealing performance, simple structure, and ease of assembly.

[0067] Although this application will be described with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the valves and seals of this application can be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit, scope, and context of the teachings of this application. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that there are different ways to modify the structures in the embodiments disclosed in this application, all of which fall within the spirit and scope of this application and the claims.

Claims

1. A valve, characterized in that... include: A housing having a housing cavity and at least two housing openings communicating with the housing cavity; A valve body rotatably disposed within the housing cavity of the housing, the valve body including a valve body top, a valve body bottom, and valve body sidewalls, the valve body top being connected to a rotation shaft, the valve body sidewalls connecting the valve body top and bottom, and extending circumferentially around the axis of the rotation shaft, wherein the valve body sidewalls include an upper valve body sidewall and a lower valve body sidewall connected to each other, the upper valve body sidewall being connected to the valve body top, and the lower valve body sidewall being connected to the valve body bottom, wherein the outer surface of the upper valve body sidewall is a partially cylindrical surface, and the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall has a gradually decreasing diameter shape from top to bottom, and wherein the upper valve body sidewall and the lower valve body sidewall, which has a different shape from the upper valve body sidewall, are at least partially aligned with the housing opening; and A sealing element, a portion of which is disposed on the upper valve body sidewall, and another portion of which is disposed on the lower valve body sidewall, which has a different shape from the upper valve body sidewall; The valve body is configured such that, as the valve body rotates about the rotation axis, at least one of the at least two housing openings is opened or closed jointly by the upper valve body sidewall and the lower valve body sidewall, which has a different shape from the upper valve body sidewall. The sealing element is configured to cooperate with the housing such that the upper valve body sidewall and the lower valve body sidewall, which has a different shape from the upper valve body sidewall, jointly and sealingly close the at least one housing opening.

2. The valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing has a housing bottom and a housing sidewall. The housing sidewall forms the housing cavity. The housing opening is provided on the housing sidewall. The bottom of the housing sidewall is connected to the housing bottom. The top of the housing sidewall forms a mounting port that communicates with the housing cavity. The valve body is installed in the housing cavity through the mounting port. The housing sidewall includes an upper housing sidewall and a lower housing sidewall. The upper housing sidewall is disposed above the lower housing sidewall. The housing sidewall is configured to fit the shape of the valve body sidewall, and the seal is configured to abut against the housing sidewall.

3. The valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The valve further includes at least two fluid conduits, which are disposed on the outside of the housing corresponding to the housing opening and integrally formed with the housing.

4. The valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the housing is provided with a support shaft extending into the housing cavity, and the bottom of the valve body is provided with a shaft hole for receiving the support shaft. The support shaft is coaxially arranged with the rotating shaft.

5. The valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sealing element is integrally formed on the side wall of the valve body by injection molding.

6. The valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The seal is an annular seal, and the shape and size of the annular seal are configured such that when the housing opening is closed by the valve body sidewall, the annular seal can surround the housing opening and abut against the housing sidewall surrounding the housing opening.

7. The valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall is a partially spherical surface, and the inner surface of the lower housing sidewall is a hemispherical surface.

8. The valve according to claim 7, characterized in that: The valve body sidewall and the housing sidewall have uniform thickness.

9. The valve according to claim 2, characterized in that... Also includes: An actuator mechanism, the actuator mechanism including a transmission assembly, the transmission assembly including: A worm gear, which is used to connect to a drive shaft; A first gear, comprising an upper gear and a lower gear capable of synchronous rotation, wherein the lower gear has fewer teeth than the upper gear, and the upper gear meshes with the worm gear; and The second gear has more teeth than the lower gear, and the second gear meshes with the lower gear of the first gear; The second gear is connected to the rotating shaft of the valve body to drive the rotating shaft to rotate.

10. The valve according to claim 9, characterized in that: The actuator mechanism further includes a housing connected above the casing, the transmission assembly disposed in the housing, and the rotating shaft passing through the housing and connected to the second gear. A first sealing ring is provided between the rotating shaft and the housing, and a second sealing ring is provided between the second gear and the housing.

11. The valve of claim 10, wherein Also includes: A valve cover, which is welded to the mounting port of the housing to close the mounting port, a housing disposed above the valve cover, and the rotation axis of the valve body passing through the valve cover to extend into the housing.

12. The valve according to claim 11, characterized in that: The bottom of the housing or the valve cover is connected to two blocking walls that can contact the top of the valve body, and the top of the valve body rotates between the two blocking walls.

13. A valve characterized by include: A housing having a housing cavity and at least two housing openings communicating with the housing cavity; A valve body rotatably disposed within the housing cavity of the housing, wherein the valve body includes a valve body top, a valve body bottom, and valve body sidewalls, the valve body top being connected to a rotation axis, the valve body sidewalls connecting the valve body top and bottom, the valve body sidewalls extending circumferentially around the axis of the rotation axis, wherein the valve body sidewalls include an upper valve body sidewall and a lower valve body sidewall connected to each other, the upper valve body sidewall being connected to the valve body top, and the lower valve body sidewall being connected to the valve body bottom, wherein the outer surface of the upper valve body sidewall is a partially cylindrical surface, and the shape of the outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall is curved inward toward the axis in a top-to-bottom direction such that the distance between the axis and the lower valve body sidewall is less than the distance between the axis and the upper valve body sidewall, and wherein the upper valve body sidewall and the lower valve body sidewall, which have different shapes from the upper valve body sidewall, are at least partially aligned with the housing opening; and A sealing element, a portion of which is disposed on the upper valve body sidewall, and another portion of which is disposed on the lower valve body sidewall, which has a different shape from the upper valve body sidewall; The upper valve body sidewall and the lower valve body sidewall, which has a different shape from the upper valve body sidewall, are configured to open or close at least one of the at least two housing openings together as the valve body rotates about the rotation axis; and The seal is configured to cooperate with the housing such that the upper valve body sidewall and the lower valve body sidewall, which has a different shape from the upper valve body sidewall, jointly seal and close the at least one housing opening.

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