Electronic expansion valve, refrigeration equipment and driving device

Abstract

This invention discloses an electronic expansion valve, a refrigeration device, and a driving device. The electronic expansion valve includes a valve body, a valve core, a drive assembly, and a fastening ring. The valve body has a valve cavity and a valve port. The valve core is used to seal the valve port and is placed within the valve cavity. The drive assembly drives the valve core to move axially back and forth to open or close the valve port. The drive assembly includes a lead screw, a rotor, and a bearing. One end of the lead screw is connected to the rotor, and the other end is connected to the valve core. The bearing is sleeved on the lead screw. The inner wall of the valve cavity has a support platform for supporting the bearing. The valve cavity also has a mounting platform for installing the fastening ring. The fastening ring is fixedly connected to the mounting platform, and the fastening ring abuts against the end of the bearing furthest from the support platform. This invention prevents bearing vibration caused by driving on bumpy roads, thus improving the structural stability of the bearing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration electrical technology, and in particular to an electronic expansion valve, refrigeration equipment, and a driving device. Background Technology

[0002] In the refrigeration equipment of new energy vehicles, electronic expansion valves are generally used for throttling. Electronic expansion valves have advantages such as easy valve core driving, miniaturized valve body, and precise and stable flow regulation.

[0003] Current automotive electronic expansion valves use bearings to support lead screws, and the bearings are fixed with snap rings. However, when the car is bumpy and vibrating too much while driving, the bearings may wobble, which may cause the bearings to be damaged and fail. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide an electronic expansion valve designed to prevent bearing wobble.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an electronic expansion valve comprising:

[0006] The valve body has a valve cavity formed inside and a valve port is provided.

[0007] A valve core, used to seal the valve port, is placed inside the valve cavity;

[0008] A drive assembly is used to drive the valve core to move back and forth axially to open or close the valve port; the drive assembly includes a lead screw, a rotor, and a bearing, one end of the lead screw is connected to the rotor, the other end of the lead screw is connected to the valve core, and the bearing is sleeved on the lead screw; the inner wall of the valve cavity is provided with a support platform for supporting the bearing;

[0009] A fastening ring is provided in the valve cavity, and a mounting platform is provided for installing the fastening ring. The fastening ring is fixedly connected to the mounting platform, and the fastening ring abuts against the end of the bearing away from the bearing platform.

[0010] Optionally, the mounting platform is provided with a slot that matches the position of the fastening ring, and the fastening ring is engaged in the slot.

[0011] Optionally, the outer wall of the fastening ring is provided with a welded body, which is connected to the end face of the mounting platform away from the bearing platform.

[0012] Optionally, the fastening ring protrudes from the end face of the mounting platform away from the bearing platform.

[0013] Optionally, the fastening ring is welded to the end face of the mounting platform away from the bearing platform.

[0014] Optionally, the diameter of the fastening ring is larger than the diameter of the slot.

[0015] Optionally, the difference between the diameter of the fastening ring and the diameter of the slot is greater than 0.02 mm.

[0016] Optionally, the distance from the bottom of the slot to the bearing end face of the bearing platform is less than the height of the bearing.

[0017] Optionally, the bearing includes an outer ring, balls, and an inner ring, with the balls disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and the fastening ring disposed on the end face of the outer ring.

[0018] Optionally, the rotor is provided with a connecting piece connected to the lead screw, the connecting piece is provided with a mounting through hole, and the end of the lead screw away from the valve core passes through the mounting through hole.

[0019] Optionally, a fixing member is provided in the valve cavity, the fixing member has a limiting hole, the end of the lead screw away from the valve core passes through the mounting through hole, and the end of the lead screw away from the valve core is inserted into the limiting hole to fix the lead screw axially.

[0020] Optionally, the valve core has a threaded hole extending towards the valve port, and the end of the lead screw away from the rotor is inserted into the threaded hole; an anti-rotation component is provided between the outer wall of the valve core and the inner wall of the valve cavity, the anti-rotation component includes an anti-rotation block and an anti-rotation groove, at least one of the anti-rotation block and the anti-rotation groove extends along the axial direction of the valve cavity, and the anti-rotation block and the anti-rotation groove are slidably connected to restrict the circumferential rotation of the valve core.

[0021] The present invention also proposes a refrigeration device, which includes the electronic expansion valve described above.

[0022] The present invention also proposes a driving device, which includes the refrigeration equipment described above.

[0023] The technical solution of this invention uses a fastening ring to lock the bearing. During bearing installation, the bearing is first placed on a support platform, and then the fastening ring is fixedly connected to the mounting platform, with the fastening ring abutting against the end of the bearing furthest from the support platform. This achieves the installation and fixation of the bearing. Compared to the traditional snap ring and slot method, where the slot is located on the inner wall of the valve cavity, the snap ring's height is necessarily less than the slot's height due to assembly requirements. After installation, the snap ring generates a radial outward elastic force, causing it to abut against the slot wall, thus creating friction between them. The frictional force can prevent the bearing from wobbling axially. However, when a car is driving, it may encounter bumpy road conditions that cause huge vibrations. Excessive vibration may cause the frictional force between the retaining ring and the retaining groove to be insufficient to restrain the bearing, causing the bearing to wobble axially, generating abnormal noise, leading to unstable car operation, or even bearing damage and failure. In this application, the fastening ring is directly fixedly connected to the mounting platform. At this time, the two end faces of the bearing abut against the bearing platform and the fastening ring respectively, which restricts the axial movement of the bearing and prevents the bearing from wobbling due to the car driving on bumpy roads, thus improving the structural stability of the bearing. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing electronic expansion valve.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the electronic expansion valve of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bearing structure of an embodiment of the electronic expansion valve of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bearing mounting location on the valve body of an embodiment of the electronic expansion valve of the present invention.

[0029] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0030] label name label name 10 Valve body 301 Lead screw 101 valve chamber 302 Rotor 102 valve port 303 bearings 103 support platform 303a Outer Ring 104 Mounting platform 303b ball bearings 104a Card slot 303c Inner Ring 105 Fasteners 304 Connecting piece 105a Limiting hole 304a Mounting through hole 20 valve core 40 Fastening ring 201 Threaded hole 401 welded body 30 Driver components 50 Snap ring

[0031] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0034] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0035] Current automotive electronic expansion valves use bearings to support lead screws, and the bearings are fixed with snap rings. However, when the car is bumpy and vibrating too much while driving, the bearings may wobble, which may cause the bearings to be damaged and fail.

[0036] In response, this invention proposes an electronic expansion valve.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to the following: Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The electronic expansion valve includes:

[0038] Valve body 10, with a valve cavity 101 formed inside the valve body 10, and valve port 102 provided in the valve body 10;

[0039] Valve core 20 is used to block valve port 102, and valve core 20 is placed inside valve cavity 101;

[0040] The drive assembly 30 is used to drive the valve core 20 to move back and forth axially to open or close the valve port 102. The drive assembly 30 includes a lead screw 301, a rotor 302 and a bearing 303. One end of the lead screw 301 is connected to the rotor 302 and the other end of the lead screw 301 is connected to the valve core 20. The bearing 303 is sleeved on the lead screw 301. The inner wall of the valve cavity 101 is provided with a support platform 103 for supporting the bearing 303.

[0041] When the valve core 20 moves back and forth along the axial direction, a variable cross-section exists between the valve core 20 and the valve port 102, thereby achieving throttling control. When the valve core 20 moves away from the valve port 102, the variable cross-section flow area increases, and the throttling pressure decreases; when the valve core 20 moves closer to the valve port 102, the variable cross-section flow area decreases, and the throttling pressure increases.

[0042] The valve cavity 101 is provided with a mounting platform 104 for mounting the fastening ring 40. The fastening ring 40 is fixedly connected to the mounting platform 104, and the fastening ring 40 abuts against the end of the bearing 303 away from the bearing platform 103.

[0043] When installing the fastening ring 40, the bearing 303 needs to be placed on the support platform 103 first, and then the fastening ring 40 is placed against the bearing 303. At the same time, the fastening ring 40 is fixed on the mounting platform 104 to limit the position of the bearing 303.

[0044] The technical solution of this invention uses a fastening ring 40 to lock the bearing 303. When installing the bearing 303, first place the bearing 303 on the support platform 103, and then fix the fastening ring 40 to the mounting platform 104. The fastening ring 40 abuts against the end of the bearing 303 away from the support platform 103, thus achieving the installation and fixation of the bearing 303. Compared with the traditional snap ring 50 with a slot, where the slot is located on the inner wall of the valve cavity 101, the height of the snap ring 50 must be less than the height of the slot due to assembly requirements. After installation, the snap ring 50 generates a radial outward elastic force, causing the snap ring 50 to abut against the slot wall, thereby creating a gap between the snap ring 50 and the slot wall. The friction force generated can prevent the bearing 303 from wobbling axially. However, when a car is driving, it may encounter bumpy road conditions that cause huge vibrations. Excessive vibration may cause the friction force between the retaining ring 50 and the retaining groove to be insufficient to restrain the bearing 303. As a result, the bearing 303 will wobble axially, generating abnormal noise, causing unstable car operation, or even damage and failure of the bearing 303. In this application, the fastening ring 40 is directly fixedly connected to the mounting platform 104. At this time, the two end faces of the bearing 303 abut against the bearing platform 103 and the fastening ring 40 respectively, which restricts the axial movement of the bearing 303 and prevents the bearing 303 from wobbling due to the car driving on bumpy road conditions, thereby improving the structural stability of the bearing 303.

[0045] Specifically, please refer to Figure 3 The bearing 303 includes an outer ring 303a, a ball 303b, and an inner ring 303c. The ball 303b is disposed between the outer ring 303a and the inner ring 303c. A fastening ring 40 is disposed on the end face of the outer ring 303a. The outer ring 303a, the ball 303b, and the inner ring 303c are generally made of steel. The outer ring 303a and the inner ring 303c have the same height. The diameter of the ball 303b is smaller than the height of the outer ring 303a and the inner ring 303c. Since the ball 303b is located between the outer ring 303a and the inner ring 303c, the fastening ring 40 disposed on the end face of the outer ring 303a can prevent the fastening ring 40 from interfering with the ball 303b, ensuring that the ball 303b can roll normally, and further improving the structural stability of the bearing 303.

[0046] Specifically, please refer to Figure 2 The rotor 302 is provided with a connecting piece 304 connected to the lead screw 301. The connecting piece 304 is provided with a mounting through hole 304a. The end of the lead screw 301 away from the valve core 20 passes through the mounting through hole 304a. Generally, a coil is provided outside the valve body 10. The coil and the rotor 302 constitute a motor. The connecting piece 304 and the rotor 302 are connected by a plug-in connection. The connecting piece 304 can rotate with the rotor 302, thereby driving the lead screw 301 to rotate, so as to drive the valve core 20 to move. The overall structure is simple and reliable.

[0047] In addition, please see Figure 2 The valve cavity 101 is provided with a fixing member 105, which has a limiting hole 105a. The end of the lead screw 301 away from the valve core 20 passes through the mounting through hole 304a, and the end of the lead screw 301 away from the valve core 20 is inserted into the limiting hole 105a to fix the lead screw 301 axially. When installing and fixing the lead screw 301, one end of the lead screw 301 can be passed through the mounting through hole 304a first and then inserted into the limiting hole 105a to limit the axial position of the lead screw 301 and complete the installation and fixing of the lead screw 301. The operation is simple and the installation is quick.

[0048] Specifically, please refer to Figure 2 The valve core 20 has a threaded hole 201 extending toward the valve port 102. The end of the lead screw 301 away from the rotor 302 is inserted into the threaded hole 201. An anti-rotation component (not shown in the figure) is provided between the outer wall of the valve core 20 and the inner wall of the valve cavity 101. The anti-rotation component includes an anti-rotation block and an anti-rotation groove. At least one of the anti-rotation block and the anti-rotation groove extends along the axial direction of the valve cavity 101. Generally, the anti-rotation block is provided in the valve core 20, while the anti-rotation groove is provided in the inner wall of the valve cavity 101. The anti-rotation block and the anti-rotation groove are slidably connected to restrict the circumferential rotation of the valve core 20. Since the valve core 20 cannot rotate axially due to the anti-rotation component, when the lead screw 301 rotates, it can drive the valve core 20 to move back and forth along the axial direction to open or close the valve port 102.

[0049] In one embodiment of this application, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 The mounting platform 104 is provided with a slot 104a that matches the position of the fastening ring 40. The fastening ring 40 is engaged in the slot 104a. When installing the fastening ring 40, simply insert the fastening ring 40 into the slot 104a of the mounting platform 104 to complete the installation and fixation of the fastening ring 40. The installation operation is simple and convenient, which can improve the installation efficiency of the fastening ring 40.

[0050] In another embodiment of this application, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The mounting platform 104 is provided with a slot 104a that matches the position of the fastening ring 40. The fastening ring 40 is engaged in the slot 104a. The outer wall of the fastening ring 40 is provided with a welded body 401. The welded body 401 is connected to the end face of the mounting platform 104 away from the bearing platform 103. When installing the fastening ring 40, it is necessary to first engage the fastening ring 40 in the slot 104a of the mounting platform 104, and then weld the outer wall of the fastening ring 40 to the end face of the mounting platform 104 away from the bearing platform 103. This can improve the firmness of the fastening ring 40, prevent the fastening ring 40 from falling off the mounting platform 104, and further improve the structural stability of the bearing 303.

[0051] The fastening ring 40 protrudes from the end face of the mounting platform 104 away from the bearing platform 103. Since welding is required between the outer wall of the fastening ring 40 and the end face of the mounting platform 104, the protrusion of the fastening ring 40 from the end face of the mounting platform 104 away from the bearing platform 103 can prevent welding slag from falling into the bearing 303 and having an adverse effect on the bearing 303.

[0052] Specifically, the diameter of the fastening ring 40 is larger than the diameter of the retaining groove 104a, and the difference between the diameters of the fastening ring 40 and the retaining groove 104a is greater than 0.02 mm. The fastening ring 40 is larger than the retaining groove 104a, meaning that the fastening ring 40 and the retaining groove 104a are in an interference fit. The interference fit can increase the fastening force between the fastening ring 40 and the retaining groove 104a. The difference between the diameters of the fastening ring 40 and the retaining groove 104a is the interference amount. A suitable interference amount can improve the assembly effect and further ensure that the fastening ring 40 will not loosen.

[0053] In addition, please see Figure 4The distance from the bottom of the slot 104a to the bearing end face of the support platform 103 is less than the height of the bearing 303. When installing the bearing 303, if the distance from the bottom of the slot 104a to the bearing end face of the support platform 103 is greater than the height of the bearing 303, the bearing 303 will be placed on the support platform 103. After the fastening ring 40 is inserted into the slot 104a, the fastening ring 40 cannot abut against the bearing 303, resulting in the bearing 303 becoming loose. However, since the distance from the bottom of the slot 104a to the bearing end face of the support platform 103 is less than the height of the bearing 303, the end face of the bearing 303 away from the support platform 103 can be higher than the bottom of the slot 104a. This ensures that the end face of the bearing 303 away from the support platform 103 can abut against the fastening ring 40, thus securing the bearing 303 and ensuring the fastening effect of the fastening ring 40.

[0054] In another embodiment of this application, the fastening ring 40 is welded to the end face of the mounting platform 104 away from the bearing platform 103. When installing the fastening ring 40, the fastening ring 40 can be placed directly on the mounting platform 104, and then the fastening ring 40 is welded to the mounting platform 104. Specifically, the outer wall of the fastening ring 40 is welded to the end face of the mounting platform 104 away from the bearing platform 103. The installation operation is simple and convenient, and at the same time, it can ensure the firmness of the connection between the fastening ring 40 and the mounting platform 104.

[0055] The present invention also proposes a refrigeration device, which includes an electronic expansion valve. The specific structure of the electronic expansion valve is as described in the above embodiments. Since the refrigeration device adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0056] Since the refrigeration equipment of new energy vehicles generally uses electronic expansion valves for throttling, and electronic expansion valves have advantages such as easy valve core driving, miniaturized valve body, and precise and stable flow regulation, electronic expansion valves can affect the performance of the refrigeration equipment of new energy vehicles.

[0057] Based on this, the present invention also proposes a driving device, which can be a new energy vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, etc. The driving device includes a refrigeration device, the specific structure of which is as described in the above embodiments. Since the driving device adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic expansion valve, characterized in that, include: The valve body has a valve cavity formed inside and a valve port is provided. A valve core, used to seal the valve port, is placed inside the valve cavity; A drive assembly is used to drive the valve core to move back and forth axially to open or close the valve port; the drive assembly includes a lead screw, a rotor, and a bearing, one end of the lead screw is connected to the rotor, the other end of the lead screw is connected to the valve core, and the bearing is sleeved on the lead screw; the inner wall of the valve cavity is provided with a support platform for supporting the bearing; A fastening ring is provided in the valve cavity, and a mounting platform is provided for installing the fastening ring. The fastening ring is fixedly connected to the mounting platform, and the fastening ring abuts against the end of the bearing away from the bearing platform. The mounting platform is provided with a slot that matches the position of the fastening ring, and the fastening ring is engaged in the slot; the outer wall of the fastening ring is provided with a welded body, which is connected to the end face of the mounting platform away from the support platform, and the fastening ring is welded to the end face of the mounting platform away from the support platform, and the fastening ring protrudes from the end face of the mounting platform away from the support platform; the diameter of the fastening ring is larger than the diameter of the slot, and the difference between the diameter of the fastening ring and the diameter of the slot is greater than 0.02 mm; The rotor is provided with a connecting piece connected to the lead screw, and the connecting piece is provided with a mounting through hole. The end of the lead screw away from the valve core passes through the mounting through hole. A fixing member is provided in the valve cavity, and the fixing member has a limit hole. The fixing member is located on the side of the connecting piece away from the bearing. The end of the lead screw away from the valve core passes through the mounting through hole, and the end of the lead screw away from the valve core is inserted into the limit hole to fix the lead screw axially.

2. The electronic expansion valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The distance from the bottom of the slot to the bearing end face of the bearing platform is less than the height of the bearing.

3. The electronic expansion valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing includes an outer ring, balls, and an inner ring. The balls are disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and the fastening ring is disposed on the end face of the outer ring.

4. The electronic expansion valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve core has a threaded hole extending toward the valve port, and the end of the lead screw away from the rotor is inserted into the threaded hole; an anti-rotation component is provided between the outer wall of the valve core and the inner wall of the valve cavity, the anti-rotation component includes an anti-rotation block and an anti-rotation groove, at least one of the anti-rotation block and the anti-rotation groove extends along the axial direction of the valve cavity, and the anti-rotation block and the anti-rotation groove are slidably connected to restrict the circumferential rotation of the valve core.

5. A refrigeration device, characterized in that, The refrigeration equipment includes an electronic expansion valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A driving device, characterized in that, The driving device includes the refrigeration equipment as described in claim 5.

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