Electronic expansion valves and refrigeration equipment

Abstract

This invention discloses an electronic expansion valve and a refrigeration device. The electronic expansion valve includes a valve body, a valve base, and a valve port seat. The valve body includes a housing and a valve needle assembly, which is movably mounted on the housing. One end of the valve base is connected to the housing, and the valve base has a first chamber and a second chamber that communicate with each other. The first chamber is used for the valve needle assembly to pass through. The valve port seat is made of plastic with a temperature resistance of not less than 240 degrees Celsius and is riveted to the second chamber. A valve port is provided on the valve port seat for the valve needle assembly to be inserted into. This invention optimizes the sealing performance of the valve needle assembly inserted into the valve port, thereby improving the performance of the electronic expansion valve.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In refrigeration systems, electronic expansion valves are used to regulate and control the flow of refrigerant entering the evaporator. With technological advancements, electronic expansion valves are increasingly used in automotive air conditioning systems, heat pump air conditioning systems, and battery cooling systems. In these technologies, the valve port of a common electronic expansion valve is machined from metal. Burrs and flanges are prone to form at the sealing point where the valve port contacts the valve needle assembly. When the valve is closed, these burrs and flanges can lead to poor sealing of the valve needle assembly at the valve port, potentially causing leakage and resulting in poor performance of the electronic expansion valve. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide an electronic expansion valve that optimizes the sealing performance of the valve needle assembly when inserted into the valve port, thereby improving the performance of the electronic expansion valve.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an electronic expansion valve comprising:

[0005] The valve body includes a housing and a valve needle assembly, the valve needle assembly being movably mounted to the housing;

[0006] A valve base, one end of which is connected to the housing, the valve base having a first chamber and a second chamber communicating with each other, the first chamber being for the valve needle assembly to pass through; and

[0007] The valve seat is made of plastic with a temperature resistance of not less than 240 degrees Celsius. The valve seat is riveted to the second chamber. The valve seat is provided with a valve port for the valve needle assembly to be inserted.

[0008] Optionally, the valve base has a mounting boss inside, and one end of the valve seat has a connecting part, which is interference-fitted with the mounting boss.

[0009] Optionally, the mounting boss is located at the connection between the first chamber and the second chamber. The mounting boss extends in a ring shape along the inner periphery of the second chamber. The mounting boss has a plug-in hole. The connecting part is located on the side of the valve seat facing the valve base. The connecting part is an annular protrusion protruding from the valve seat and is plugged into the plug-in hole.

[0010] Optionally, in the direction toward the first chamber, the upper end of the mounting boss protrudes beyond the upper end of the connecting portion.

[0011] Optionally, the valve seat is clearance-fitted with the second chamber.

[0012] Optionally, the electronic expansion valve further includes a sealing structure disposed between the valve port seat and the valve base.

[0013] Optionally, a sealing groove is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the valve seat, the sealing groove extends circumferentially along the valve seat, the sealing structure is a sealing ring, the sealing ring is disposed in the sealing groove, and the sealing ring is used to abut against the inner wall of the second chamber.

[0014] Optionally, the valve seat is integrally injection molded.

[0015] Optionally, the valve seat is made of PPS plastic with 10% to 20% glass fiber added or PTFE plastic with 10% to 20% glass fiber added.

[0016] The present invention also proposes a refrigeration device, including the electronic expansion valve as described above.

[0017] In this invention, the valve seat is made of plastic. Since the molecules on the surface of plastic typically exhibit a relatively regular arrangement, this regular arrangement gives the plastic surface a relatively smooth texture. Furthermore, after further processing, the surface of the plastic valve seat is smoother than that of a metal valve seat, and debris is less likely to remain inside. Therefore, when the electronic expansion valve is closed, no debris remains in the gap between the valve needle assembly and the valve port, allowing the valve needle assembly to completely seal the valve port. This design optimizes the sealing performance between the valve needle assembly and the valve port, thereby improving the performance of the electronic expansion valve. Simultaneously, the valve seat is made of plastic with a temperature resistance greater than or equal to 240 degrees Celsius, meaning it will not deform when the ambient temperature is below 240 degrees Celsius, ensuring reliable overall strength. The valve seat is connected to the valve base via riveting, ensuring the connection stability between the valve base and the valve seat. In addition, the plastic valve seat also has a certain degree of self-lubrication; after the valve needle assembly is repeatedly inserted into the valve port, the surface of the valve port remains smooth. Attached Figure Description

[0018] 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.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the electronic expansion valve of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the assembly of the valve base and valve seat;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the valve base and valve seat before assembly.

[0022] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0023] label name label name 10 Valve base 101 First chamber 102 Second chamber 103 Install boss 104 Socket 20 Valve seat 201 valve port 202 Connection part 203 Sealing groove 204 sealing ring 30 case 31 Valve needle assembly

[0024] 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

[0025] 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.

[0026] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0027] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] 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. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "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.

[0029] This invention proposes an electronic expansion valve.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the electronic expansion valve includes a valve body, a valve base 10, and a valve port seat 20. The valve body includes a housing 30 and a valve needle assembly 31, which is movably mounted on the housing 30. One end of the valve base 10 is connected to the housing 30. The valve base 10 has a first chamber 101 and a second chamber 102 that are interconnected. The first chamber 101 is used for the valve needle assembly 31 to pass through. The valve port seat 20 is made of plastic with a temperature resistance of not less than 240 degrees Celsius. The valve port seat 20 is riveted to the second chamber 102. A valve port 201 is provided on the valve port seat 20 for the valve needle assembly 31 to be inserted.

[0031] In related technologies, the valve port 201 is commonly made of metal SUS304 or SUS303Cu and is machined. After the metal parts are machined, some debris will remain in the valve port 201 and is difficult to clean. As a result, when the valve needle assembly 31 is inserted into the valve port 201, the debris will remain at the sealing position between the valve needle assembly 31 and the valve port 201, making it impossible to completely seal the valve port 201. As a result, liquid will leak from the valve port 201, making the electronic expansion valve perform poorly. In addition, the debris can easily enter the refrigeration equipment piping and cause blockage.

[0032] In this invention, the valve seat 20 is made of plastic. Since the molecules on the surface of plastic typically exhibit a relatively regular arrangement, this regular arrangement gives the plastic surface a relatively smooth texture. Furthermore, after further processing, the surface of the plastic valve seat 20 is smoother than that of the metal valve seat 20, and debris is less likely to remain inside the valve seat 20. Therefore, when the electronic expansion valve is closed, no debris will remain in the gap between the valve needle assembly 31 and the valve port 201, allowing the valve needle assembly 31 to completely seal the valve port 201. This design optimizes the relationship between the valve needle assembly 31 and the valve port 201. The sealing performance of 01 improves the performance of the electronic expansion valve. At the same time, the valve seat 20 is made of plastic with a temperature resistance of 240 degrees Celsius or higher. This means that the valve seat 20 will not deform when the ambient temperature is below 240 degrees Celsius, making the overall strength of the valve seat 20 reliable. The valve seat 20 is connected to the valve base 10 by riveting, which can ensure the connection stability between the valve base 10 and the valve seat 20. In addition, the plastic valve seat 20 also has a certain degree of self-lubrication. After the valve needle assembly 31 is repeatedly inserted into the valve port 201, the surface of the valve port 201 can remain smooth.

[0033] In this embodiment, the electronic expansion valve also includes a stator, a rotor component, and a nut component installed in the housing 30. The valve needle assembly 31 is rotatably connected to the nut component. By applying a certain regular electrical pulse to the stator, the rotor component is excited to rotate, thereby controlling the valve needle assembly 31 to rotate relative to the nut component. This enables the valve needle assembly 31 to move linearly along the axial direction, allowing the valve needle assembly 31 to move closer to or further away from the valve port 201.

[0034] In one embodiment, the valve base 10 has a mounting boss 103 inside, and one end of the valve seat 20 has a connecting part 202, which is interference-fitted with the mounting boss 103.

[0035] Specifically, the advantage of an interference fit is its high connection stability and simple structure compared to other connection methods. It also eliminates the need for additional structural components to connect the valve seat 20 and valve base 10, facilitating assembly, improving efficiency, and ensuring a stable connection. In other embodiments, the mounting boss 103 and the connecting portion 202 are clearance-fitted.

[0036] In one embodiment, a mounting boss 103 is provided at the connection between the first chamber 101 and the second chamber 102. The mounting boss 103 extends in a ring shape along the inner periphery of the second chamber 102. A insertion hole 104 is provided in the mounting boss 103. A connecting part 202 is provided on the side of the valve seat 20 facing the valve base 10. The connecting part 202 is an annular protrusion protruding from the valve seat 20. The connecting part 202 is inserted into the insertion hole 104.

[0037] Specifically, the valve seat 20 is first placed into the second chamber 102, so that the axis of the mounting boss 103 coincides with the axis of the connecting part 202. The connecting part 202 is pushed into the insertion hole 104 by a pressing tool. The edge of the connecting part 202 will deform to squeeze into the insertion hole 104 of the mounting boss 103. At this time, the friction between the insertion hole 104 and the connecting part 202 is large, so that the connecting part 202 and the insertion hole 104 can be relatively fixed, thereby connecting the valve seat 20 and the valve base 10 together. This setting ensures the connection stability of the valve seat 20 and the valve base 10. Moreover, the pressing is a cold working method, which does not require the use of a heat source for welding, thus avoiding waste of resources and saving costs. In some other embodiments, multiple mounting protrusions are provided, and the multiple mounting protrusions are distributed circumferentially along the second chamber 102. The mounting protrusions are in the shape of bosses, and the connecting part 202 is pressed into the hole formed by the multiple mounting protrusions so that the mounting boss 103 and the connecting part 202 are in an interference fit.

[0038] In one embodiment, the upper end of the mounting boss 103 protrudes from the upper end of the connecting portion 202 in the direction toward the first chamber 101.

[0039] Specifically, the upper surface of the mounting boss 103 is higher than the upper surface of the connecting portion 202, so that the connecting portion 202 does not extend into the first chamber 101. If the mounting boss 103 is lower than the connecting portion 202, the side wall of the connecting portion 202 will form an angle with the upper surface of the mounting boss 103. Some debris may remain at this angle. When refrigerant flows in the first chamber 101, it will mix with the debris and remain at the angle, thus affecting the performance of the electronic expansion valve. Therefore, this embodiment avoids this situation, thereby ensuring the performance of the electronic expansion valve. In some other embodiments, the upper end of the mounting boss 103 is flush with the upper end of the connecting portion 202.

[0040] In one embodiment, the valve seat 20 is clearance-fitted with the second chamber 102.

[0041] Specifically, in this embodiment, the valve seat 20 is cylindrical, and the second chamber 102 is a circular hole. The valve seat 20 and the second chamber 102 are clearance-fitted. This arrangement facilitates the installation of the valve seat 20 into the second chamber 102 and prevents excessively large impurities from entering the gap between the valve seat 20 and the second chamber 102 during installation. In other embodiments, the valve seat 20 and the second chamber 102 are interference-fitted.

[0042] In one embodiment, the electronic expansion valve further includes a sealing structure disposed between the valve port seat 20 and the valve base 10.

[0043] Specifically, a sealing structure is provided between the valve seat 20 and the second chamber 102. This arrangement can prevent external impurities from entering the valve seat 10 and also ensure that the medium inside the valve seat 10 will not leak from here, thus ensuring the sealing effect.

[0044] In one embodiment, a sealing groove 203 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the valve seat 20. The sealing groove 203 extends circumferentially along the valve seat 20. The sealing structure is a sealing ring 204, which is disposed in the sealing groove 203 and is used to abut against the inner wall of the second chamber 102.

[0045] Specifically, the valve seat 20 is cylindrical, and a sealing groove 203 is provided on the outer periphery of the valve seat 20. The sealing groove 203 extends along the outer periphery of the valve seat 20 to form an annular groove. The sealing structure is a sealing ring 204, which is fitted inside the sealing groove 203. The diameter of the sealing ring 204 is slightly larger than the depth of the sealing groove 203, so that part of the sealing ring 204 protrudes from the outer periphery of the valve seat 20. The protruding part of the sealing ring 204 can abut against the inner wall of the second chamber 102, thereby sealing the outer periphery of the valve seat 20 with the inner periphery of the second chamber 102 to achieve the sealing purpose. In some other embodiments, an installation groove is provided on the inner wall of the second chamber 102. The installation groove extends circumferentially, and the sealing ring 204 is disposed in the installation groove. The sealing ring 204 is fitted onto the valve seat 20, and abuts against the bottom wall of the installation groove.

[0046] In one embodiment, the valve seat 20 is integrally injection molded.

[0047] Specifically, the one-piece injection-molded valve seat 20 has no welding seams or cutting marks, so the surface of the valve port 201 formed inside the valve seat 20 is smooth with a low coefficient of friction, and no debris will remain inside the valve port 201. This ensures that when the valve needle is inserted into the valve port 201, the valve needle assembly 31 can completely seal the gap of the valve port 201, thereby ensuring the sealing effect and preventing the refrigerant from leaking out of the valve port 201 and causing internal leakage of the electronic expansion valve, thus ensuring the performance of the electronic expansion valve. In some other embodiments, the valve seat 20 is molded.

[0048] In one embodiment, the valve seat 20 is made of PPS plastic or PTFE plastic.

[0049] Specifically, PPS plastic has advantages such as high hardness, good heat resistance, good thermal stability, high mechanical strength, good chemical resistance, and low molding shrinkage; PTFE plastic has advantages such as good high temperature resistance, good low temperature resistance, good mechanical toughness, good corrosion resistance, and low coefficient of friction. Valve seat 20 made of PPS or PTFE plastic is dimensionally stable and not easily deformed. Furthermore, the surface of valve seat 20 is smooth, making it less prone to impurity adhesion and giving it a self-lubricating effect. Even after repeated insertions of the valve needle assembly 31 into valve seat 201, the surface of valve seat 201 remains smooth. This design improves the overall performance of valve seat 20, thereby ensuring the sealing performance of the electronic expansion valve and guaranteeing its effectiveness. In some other embodiments, valve seat 20 is made of PA plastic.

[0050] Furthermore, the valve seat 20 is made of PPS plastic with 10% to 20% glass fiber added or PTFE plastic with 10% to 20% glass fiber added.

[0051] Specifically, by adding glass fiber to modify plastics, these plastics can overcome their shortcomings such as high brittleness, poor toughness, and low impact strength. As a result, the valve seat 20 made of these two plastics can achieve excellent overall performance, thereby improving the performance of the electronic expansion valve.

[0052] According to the data in the table, the mechanical properties of PPS plastic will change to some extent when different amounts of glass fiber are added. The greater the amount of glass fiber added to PPS plastic, the greater the tensile strength, the better the toughness, and the less brittle it is. However, the surface friction coefficient will gradually increase. Among the parameters of PPS plastic with 10% to 20% glass fiber added, the increase in tensile strength is relatively large, while the increase in surface friction coefficient is relatively small. This increases the tensile strength while ensuring the self-lubricating properties of PPS plastic.

[0053]

[0054] This 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 this refrigeration device adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it possesses at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated further here. This refrigeration device can be applied to vehicles, used to cool the passenger compartment, and also to dissipate heat from vehicle components. The electronic expansion valve is used to control the flow rate of refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe, thereby controlling the cooling effect on the vehicle.

[0055] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All 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, used in refrigeration equipment, characterized in that, The electronic expansion valve includes: The valve body includes a housing and a valve needle assembly, the valve needle assembly being movably mounted to the housing; A valve base, one end of which is connected to the housing, the valve base having a first chamber and a second chamber communicating with each other, the first chamber being for the valve needle assembly to pass through; and The valve seat is made of plastic with a temperature resistance of not less than 240 degrees Celsius. The valve seat is riveted to the second chamber. A valve port is provided on the valve seat for the valve needle assembly to be inserted. The valve base has a mounting boss inside, and one end of the valve port seat has a connecting part, which is interference-fitted with the mounting boss. The mounting boss is located at the connection between the first chamber and the second chamber. The mounting boss extends in a ring shape along the inner periphery of the second chamber. The mounting boss has a plug-in hole. The connecting part is located on the side of the valve seat facing the valve base. The connecting part is an annular protrusion protruding from the valve seat and is plugged into the plug-in hole. In the direction of the first chamber, the upper end of the mounting boss protrudes beyond the upper end of the connecting portion; The valve seat is made of PPS plastic with 10% to 20% glass fiber added or PTFE plastic with 10% to 20% glass fiber added.

2. The electronic expansion valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve seat is fitted with the second chamber with a clearance.

3. The electronic expansion valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic expansion valve also includes a sealing structure disposed between the valve port seat and the valve base.

4. The electronic expansion valve as described in claim 3, characterized in that, A sealing groove is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the valve seat. The sealing groove extends circumferentially along the valve seat. The sealing structure is a sealing ring, which is located in the sealing groove and abuts against the inner wall of the second chamber.

5. The electronic expansion valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve seat is integrally injection molded.

6. A refrigeration device, characterized in that, Includes the electronic expansion valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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