Electronic expansion valve

Abstract

The application discloses an electronic expansion valve, which comprises a valve body component and a sound attenuation component. The valve body component is provided with a valve port, a first valve cavity, a second valve cavity and a first interface. The first valve cavity is communicated with the second valve cavity through the valve port. The first interface is directly communicated with the second valve cavity. The first valve cavity is located above the second valve cavity. The sound attenuation component is located in the second valve cavity. The sound attenuation component comprises two or more porous components. Each porous component is arranged along the axial direction of the valve body component. The electronic expansion valve further comprises a flow channel. At least part of the flow channel penetrates through at least one porous component. The flow channel can communicate the valve port and the first interface. The minimum effective flow area of the flow channel is larger than the maximum equivalent flow area of the valve port. The valve body component comprises a valve body and a valve seat body. The upper end of the valve seat body is inserted into the valve body. The valve port, the first valve cavity and part of the second valve cavity are arranged in the valve body. The first interface is arranged in the valve seat body. The electronic expansion valve can reduce the noise caused by the flow of refrigerant.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of patent application number 202310461427.0, filed on April 24, 2023, entitled "Electronic Expansion Valve". Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of refrigeration control technology, and in particular to an electronic expansion valve. Background Technology

[0003] Electronic expansion valves, as throttling elements, have advantages such as high adjustment accuracy and precise temperature control, and are widely used in air conditioning, refrigeration and other fields.

[0004] During operation, when the refrigerant flows through the throttling section of the electronic expansion valve, the refrigerant pressure and flow rate change drastically due to the rapid changes in the throttling area and shape, which may cause refrigerant noise. In applications such as household air conditioners, the significant noise from electronic expansion valves can negatively impact the experience for people in the environment. Therefore, improving the noise comfort of electronic expansion valves in application has become a key focus in the industry.

[0005] In existing solutions, porous bodies are often installed inside the inlet and outlet pipes of the electronic expansion valve to homogenize the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the throttling section, thereby reducing refrigerant flow noise. However, because the flow area of ​​the porous body's pore structure is small, throttling easily occurs at the porous body location. At the same time, impurities in the system can easily clog the porous body, and since the porous body is located inside the pipe, blockage can lead to the failure of the entire machine's function. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this application is to provide an electronic expansion valve that, through structural optimization, can reduce the noise caused by refrigerant flow and improve the noise comfort of the electronic expansion valve in the system while ensuring its effective and reliable operation.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides an electronic expansion valve, including a valve body component and a silencing component;

[0008] The valve body component has a valve port, a first valve chamber, a second valve chamber, and a first interface. The first valve chamber is connected to the second valve chamber through the valve port, and the first interface is directly connected to the second valve chamber. The first valve chamber is located above the second valve chamber.

[0009] The silencing component is located in the second valve chamber, and the silencing component includes two or more porous components, each of which is arranged along the axial direction of the valve body component;

[0010] The electronic expansion valve further includes a flow channel, at least a portion of which penetrates at least one of the porous elements. The flow channel is capable of connecting the valve port and the first interface, and the minimum effective flow area of ​​the flow channel is greater than the maximum equivalent flow area of ​​the valve port.

[0011] The valve body component includes a separate valve body and a valve seat. The upper end of the valve seat is inserted into the valve body. The valve port, the first valve cavity, and part of the second valve cavity are located in the valve body. The first interface is located in the valve seat.

[0012] This electronic expansion valve incorporates a silencing component within the second valve chamber. During application, most of the refrigerant passes through this component, where air bubbles are dispersed and refined by the porous structure of the multi-part component. This results in a more uniform distribution of the gas and liquid phases within the refrigerant, improving the fluid state as it enters the throttling section or after throttling. Consequently, the sound performance of the refrigerant before and after throttling is smoother, and noise levels are significantly reduced, thus enhancing auditory comfort. Furthermore, the electronic expansion valve features the aforementioned flow channel, and the silencing component contains two or more porous parts. If one porous part becomes blocked, the refrigerant can still achieve noise reduction through the others, extending the effective operating time of the silencing component. Even if all porous parts are blocked by impurities, the refrigerant can still flow through the flow channel, avoiding functional failure caused by blockage of the silencing component. Setting the minimum effective flow area of ​​the flow channel greater than the maximum equivalent flow area of ​​the valve port prevents misalignment of the valve opening adjustment when the refrigerant can only flow through the flow channel, thus ensuring the electronic expansion valve's performance. The valve body is designed as a separate valve body and valve seat, facilitating processing and assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electronic expansion valve in the first embodiment provided in this application;

[0014] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of part A in the middle;

[0015] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional schematic diagram of the middle noise reduction component;

[0016] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Top view;

[0017] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A bottom view;

[0018] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first porous component;

[0019] Figure 7 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the second porous component;

[0020] Figure 8 for Figure 1 A magnified view of the valve port of the electronic expansion valve in the fully open state;

[0021] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the noise-reducing component in the second embodiment provided in this application;

[0022] Figure 10 for Figure 9 Top view;

[0023] Figure 11 for Figure 9 A bottom view;

[0024] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the noise reduction component in the third embodiment provided in this application;

[0025] Figure 13 for Figure 12 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the noise reduction component shown;

[0026] Figure 14 for Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the middle sleeve;

[0027] Figure 15 for Figure 12 Cross-sectional schematic diagram of the middle partition;

[0028] Figure 16 for Figure 15 The bottom view of the partition shown;

[0029] Figure 17 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electronic expansion valve in the fourth embodiment provided in this application.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] Valve body component 10, valve port 11, valve port 11a, first valve chamber 12, second valve chamber 13, first chamber 13a, second chamber 13b, third chamber 13c, first interface 14, second interface 15, valve body 101, first limiting surface 111, valve seat 102, second limiting surface 121, annular boss 122, flow channels S1, S2, clearance K;

[0032] Silencing components 20, 20', 20''; first porous components 21, 21'; first flow channels 211, 211'; second porous components 22, 22'; second flow channel 221; annular gasket 23; sleeves 24, 24'; bent portions 241, 241'; opening 242'; separator 25; ring body 251; connecting hole 2511; upper protrusion 252; lower protrusion 253.

[0033] First takeover 31, second takeover 32;

[0034] Drive component 40, valve needle 50. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This application provides an electronic expansion valve that can reduce the noise caused by refrigerant flow and improve noise comfort while ensuring the effective and reliable operation of the electronic expansion valve.

[0036] refer to Figure 1 Understandably, the electronic expansion valve provided in this application embodiment includes a valve body component 10, a first connecting pipe 31, a second connecting pipe 32, a drive component 40, and a valve needle 50.

[0037] The valve body component 10 includes a valve port portion 11, which has a valve port 11a. The valve body component 10 also has a first valve chamber 12, a second valve chamber 13, a first interface 14, and a second interface 15. The first valve chamber 12 is located above the second valve chamber 13 and is connected to the second valve chamber 12 through the valve port 11a. The first interface 14 is directly connected to the second valve chamber 13 and is generally located below the valve body component 10. The second interface 15 is directly connected to the first valve chamber 12 and is generally located on the periphery of the valve body component 10. The first interface 14 is used to connect to the first connecting pipe 31, and the second interface 15 is used to connect to the second connecting pipe 32.

[0038] The drive component 40 is used to drive the valve needle 50 to move up and down along the axial direction of the valve body component 10 to close or open the valve port 11a. Figure 1 In the illustrated perspective, the axial direction refers to the vertical direction. Thus, when valve port 11a is open, refrigerant flowing from the first connecting pipe 31 into the second valve chamber 13 can enter the first valve chamber 12 through valve port 11a and flow out through the second connecting pipe 32. Alternatively, refrigerant flowing from the second connecting pipe 32 into the first valve chamber 12 can enter the second valve chamber 13 through valve port 11a and flow out through the first connecting pipe 31. It can be understood that the electronic expansion valve can be configured as a valve that allows flow in both directions or as a valve that allows only unidirectional flow, depending on the application requirements.

[0039] Typically, a transmission component is also provided between the drive component 40 and the valve needle 50. In this application, the specific structure of the drive component 40 and the specific structure of the transmission component are not considered as the core inventive points and will not be described in detail here. Figure 1 The specific structure of an electronic expansion valve is only provided as an example. In other embodiments, the transmission connection between the drive component 40 and the valve needle 50 can be changed as needed, or other existing transmission designs can be used, and are not limited to those shown in the figure.

[0040] In applications such as home environments, to reduce the significant noise generated when refrigerant passes through valve port 11a (throttling point) and affects human comfort, the electronic expansion valve provided in this embodiment of the application also includes a silencing component 20. The silencing component 20 is located in the second valve cavity 13, and at least part of the outer peripheral wall of the silencing component 20 contacts the cavity wall of the second valve cavity 13. The silencing component 20 includes two or more porous elements, each of which is arranged along the axial direction of the valve body component 10. The electronic expansion valve also includes a flow channel, at least part of which penetrates at least one porous element. The flow channel can connect valve port 11a and the first interface 14, and the minimum effective flow area of ​​the flow channel is greater than the maximum equivalent flow area of ​​valve port 11a. Here, the porous element refers to a component with multiple micropore structures inside, the diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of valve port 11a. The specific diameter value can be determined according to actual needs, and no specific numerical limit is specified here.

[0041] The minimum effective flow area of ​​the flow channel refers to the minimum area in the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow channel that allows fluid to pass through. The cross-section of the flow channel is a section perpendicular to the axis of the flow channel. The maximum equivalent flow area of ​​valve port 11a refers to the maximum flow area of ​​fluid when the electronic expansion valve is in the fully open state and the fluid flows through valve port 11a.

[0042] As described above, the silencing component 20 is placed inside the second valve chamber 13. In application, during the process of the refrigerant flowing from the first pipe 31 to the second pipe 32, or from the second pipe 32 to the first pipe 31, most of the refrigerant will pass through the silencing component 20. The air bubbles in the refrigerant will be dispersed and refined by the porous structure of the porous component, making the gas phase and liquid phase distribution in the refrigerant more uniform. This improves the fluid state of the refrigerant when it enters the throttling section (i.e., valve port 11a) or after the refrigerant is throttled, thereby making the sound performance of the refrigerant more moderate before and after throttling, and the noise is also reduced significantly, thus improving the comfort of the human ear.

[0043] Meanwhile, the electronic expansion valve is also equipped with the aforementioned flow channel, and the silencing component 20 is equipped with two or more porous components. After one porous component is blocked, the refrigerant can achieve the purpose of noise reduction through other porous components, which can extend the effective working time of the silencing component 20. If all the porous components are blocked by impurities, the refrigerant can still flow through the flow channel to avoid functional failure caused by the blockage of the silencing component 20.

[0044] Setting the minimum effective flow area of ​​the flow channel to be greater than the maximum equivalent flow area of ​​the valve port 11a can prevent the opening adjustment of the valve port 11a from being inconsistent with the design when the refrigerant can only flow through the flow channel, thus affecting the working performance of the electronic expansion valve.

[0045] Therefore, the electronic expansion valve provided in this application embodiment can reduce the noise caused by refrigerant flow and improve noise comfort while ensuring its reliable and effective operation.

[0046] In practical applications, the silencing component 20 can be configured in various ways to achieve the above functions. The following describes in detail the specific structure of the silencing component 20 and its cooperation with the valve body component 10 using several specific embodiments.

[0047] In the following embodiments, the silencing component 20 is provided with two porous components as an example for illustrative purposes. Those skilled in the art can provide more than three porous components based on this, and the relevant structures can be adapted to each embodiment. For ease of understanding and description, the two porous components are referred to as the first porous component and the second porous component in each embodiment.

[0048] First embodiment:

[0049] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electronic expansion valve in the first embodiment provided in this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of part A in the middle; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the middle noise reduction component.

[0050] In this embodiment, the silencing component 20 is cylindrical in shape, and its outer peripheral wall is sealed to the cavity wall of the second valve cavity 13. That is, the silencing component 20 and the second valve cavity 13 are sealed to each other in the circumferential direction. In this way, the refrigerant can only flow through the silencing component 20 between the first pipe 31 and the second pipe 32. At this time, a flow channel is formed inside the silencing component 20.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the electronic expansion valve has a flow channel S1. The arrow in the figure shows the flow direction of the refrigerant in the flow channel S1, with the first connecting pipe 31 as the refrigerant outlet as an example.

[0052] The silencing component 20 includes a first porous component 21 and a second porous component 22. The first porous component 21 is located above the second porous component 22, that is, the first porous component 21 is relatively close to the valve port 11a, and the second porous component 22 is relatively close to the first interface 14. Both porous components are provided with flow channels. The first porous component 21 has a first flow channel 211, and the second porous component 22 has a second flow channel 221. The first flow channel 211 and the second flow channel 221 are both part of the flow channel S1. It should be understood that the equivalent diameter of the first flow channel 211 and the second flow channel 221 is larger than the pore size of the microporous structure of the porous component, and the flow area of ​​the first flow channel 211 and the second flow channel 221 is larger than the maximum equivalent flow area of ​​the valve port 11a. In the projection plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve body component 10, the projection of the first flow channel 211 does not coincide with the projection of the second flow channel 221. In other words, the first flow channel 211 and the second flow channel 221 are not in axial position on the valve body component 10. This can prevent the refrigerant from flowing directly into the second flow channel 221 after flowing through the first flow channel 211, or from flowing directly into the first flow channel 211 after flowing out of the second flow channel 221. This avoids the phenomenon that the refrigerant flows out without changing its state through the microporous structure of the porous component.

[0053] A first chamber 13a is provided between the first porous component 21 and the second porous component 22. This prevents throttling of the refrigerant as it flows through the first porous component 21 and the second porous component 22. At the same time, the first chamber 13a acts as a buffer, reducing the flow velocity of the refrigerant, resulting in more uniform and finer refrigerant bubbles and less flow noise. In this case, the aforementioned flow channel S1 also includes the first chamber 13a.

[0054] In a specific configuration, a second chamber 13b can be provided between the valve port 11a and the first porous component 21 (the uppermost porous component). In this way, the refrigerant flowing out of the valve port 11a or flowing through the first porous component 21 is buffered in the second chamber 13b, which can further reduce noise and avoid throttling. At this time, the aforementioned flow channel S1 also includes the second chamber 13b.

[0055] In a specific configuration, a third chamber 13c can be provided between the second porous element 22 (the lowermost porous element). This allows the refrigerant to be buffered when entering or exiting the second porous element 22, further reducing noise and avoiding throttling. In this case, the aforementioned flow channel S1 also includes the third chamber 13c.

[0056] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3When the microporous structures of the first porous component 21 and the second porous component 22 are blocked and the refrigerant cannot flow, the refrigerant can only flow through the flow channel S1. If the first port 14 is used as the refrigerant outlet, after the refrigerant flows out from the valve port 11a, it first enters the second chamber 13b, then flows out from the first flow channel 211, enters the first chamber 13a, then flows out from the second flow channel 221, enters the third chamber 13c, and finally flows out from the first port 14. If the first port 14 is used as the refrigerant inlet, after the refrigerant flows in from the first port 14, it first enters the third chamber 13c, then flows out from the second flow channel 221, enters the first chamber 13a, then flows out from the first flow channel 211, enters the second chamber 13b, and then flows out from the valve port 11a.

[0057] The first chamber 13a has a first axial dimension L1, exemplarily 0.3mm ≤ L1 ≤ 5mm, to ensure that the refrigerant can be adequately buffered between two adjacent porous components, and that the air bubbles dispersed by the porous components can be more uniformly distributed, thereby improving the noise reduction effect. In other embodiments, the first axial dimension L1 can be set according to the actual noise reduction requirements, and is not limited to the aforementioned range.

[0058] The second chamber 13b has a second axial dimension L2, exemplarily L2 ≥ 0.3 mm, to ensure that the refrigerant is adequately buffered between the valve port 11a and the first porous member 21, thereby improving the noise reduction effect. Similarly, the range of the second axial dimension L2 can be adjusted according to actual needs and is not limited to the aforementioned range.

[0059] For example, the maximum diameter d2 of the second chamber 13b is not less than 1.1 times the diameter of the valve port 11a, to prevent the refrigerant from being further throttled before and after passing through the valve port 11a, and to ensure the buffering effect of the refrigerant in the second chamber 13b. Generally, the second chamber 13b is set with a constant diameter.

[0060] For example, at least one of the porous components of the silencing component 20 has an equivalent diameter greater than the inner diameter d3 of the first connecting pipe 31, or at least one porous component has an equivalent diameter greater than twice the diameter of the valve port 11a. Experiments have shown that this arrangement of the electronic expansion valve provides better noise reduction. Compared to existing solutions that place the silencing structure within the first connecting pipe 31 or the second connecting pipe 32, the larger structure of the silencing component 20 results in a significantly improved noise reduction effect.

[0061] The equivalent diameter of a porous component is calculated based on the refrigerant's ability to flow through all the micropores in the component. However, since porous components may have flow channels or be partially obstructed during installation, their diameter is generally not the same as their equivalent diameter.

[0062] It should be noted that in other embodiments, when the silencing component 20 has three or more perforated parts, the aforementioned first chamber can be provided between two adjacent perforated parts, the aforementioned second chamber can be provided between the uppermost perforated part and the valve port 11a, and the aforementioned third chamber can be provided between the lowermost perforated part and the first interface 14.

[0063] The following is combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 This describes the changes in the refrigerant flow path and refrigerant state during operation.

[0064] When the refrigerant flows from the first pipe 31 into the third chamber 13c, a portion of the refrigerant directly enters the first chamber 13a through the second flow channel 221 of the second porous component 22. This portion of the refrigerant is defined as refrigerant X. Another portion of the refrigerant passes through the microporous structure of the second porous component 22. The bubbles in this other portion of the refrigerant are dispersed and refined by the microporous structure, making the gas phase and liquid phase in the refrigerant evenly distributed. Afterward, this other portion of the refrigerant passes through the microporous structure of the second porous component 22 into the first chamber 13a. This other portion of the refrigerant is defined as refrigerant X'.

[0065] Because the second flow channel 221 of the second porous component 22 corresponds directly above the microporous structure of the first porous component 21, most of the refrigerant X reaching the first chamber 13a will pass through the microporous structure of the first porous component 21. The bubbles in the refrigerant are broken down and refined by the microporous structure before entering the second chamber 13b. This part of the refrigerant is defined as Y. A portion of the refrigerant X' reaching the first chamber 13a will pass through the microporous structure of the first porous component 21. The bubbles in it will be further broken down and refined by the microporous structure before entering the second chamber 13b. This portion of the refrigerant is defined as Y'. The remaining portion of the refrigerant X' reaching the first chamber 13a will pass through the first flow channel 211 of the first porous component 21 and directly enter the second chamber 13b. This portion of the refrigerant is defined as Y''. In this way, the refrigerant Y, refrigerant Y', and refrigerant Y'' entering the second chamber 13b are all refrigerants refined by the microporous structure of the porous component, resulting in a more uniform distribution of gaseous and liquid states within the refrigerant.

[0066] The refrigerant (refrigerant Y, refrigerant Y' and refrigerant Y'') entering the second chamber 13b is throttled at valve port 11a, causing changes in the refrigerant pressure, temperature and phase. Because the refrigerant entering the second chamber 13b is in a uniform state, the noise continuity experience when it is throttled at valve port 11a is better, the sound performance is more moderate and the loudness can be greatly reduced.

[0067] When refrigerant flows in from the second connector 32 and out from the first connector 31, the refrigerant flow direction is reversed. The refrigerant first passes through the valve port 11a for throttling, then sequentially enters the second chamber 13b, the first porous element 21, the first chamber 13a, the second porous element 22, and the third chamber 13c, finally flowing out from the first connector 31. After throttling, the refrigerant is further refined by the microporous structure as it passes through the first and second porous elements 21 and 22, resulting in a more uniform refrigerant state and reduced noise during refrigerant flow.

[0068] It should be understood that since the silencing component 20 is located in the second valve chamber 13, the aforementioned first chamber 13a, second chamber 13b and third chamber 13c are all part of the second valve chamber 13.

[0069] Please refer to this as well. Figures 4 to 7 , Figure 4 for Figure 3 Top view; Figure 5 for Figure 3 A bottom view; Figure 6 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first porous component; Figure 7 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second porous component.

[0070] For example, the first flow channel 211 of the first porous component 21 is a through hole located at its center, and the second flow channel 221 of the second porous component 22 is a structure of five flow grooves, which are formed by radially inward recesses from the outer peripheral wall of the second porous component 22. In this case, the flow area of ​​the first flow channel 211 is the area of ​​the central through hole. When configured, the diameter d1 of the first flow through hole 211 is greater than the maximum equivalent flow area of ​​the valve port 11a, and the flow area of ​​the second flow channel 221 is the equivalent flow area of ​​the five flow grooves.

[0071] In the figure, the five flow grooves of the second porous component 22 are evenly arranged along its circumference, and the shape and size of each flow groove are the same. In other embodiments, the second porous component 22 may also be provided with other numbers of flow grooves as the second flow channel 221, and the size and shape of each flow groove may also be different. Alternatively, the second porous component 22 may also be provided with through holes that penetrate it as the second flow channel 221.

[0072] like Figure 2 As shown, the valve needle 50 of the electronic expansion valve is in the state of fully closing the valve port 11a. In the illustrated structural example, the valve needle 50 passes through the valve port 11a and extends into the second valve chamber 13, and extends into the first flow channel 211 of the first porous member 21. At this time, the first flow channel 211 also serves as a clearance hole for the valve needle 50 when the valve is fully closed.

[0073] In other embodiments, the first porous member 21 may also have through holes in other locations to form a first flow channel 211, or a flow groove may be provided in the same location as the second porous member 22 to form at least part of the first flow channel 211. In this case, if the valve needle 50 is fully closed, it will interfere with the first porous member 21. A blind hole may be provided at the center of the first porous member 21 to form a clearance hole to avoid the valve needle 50.

[0074] In this embodiment, the first porous component 21 and the second porous component 22 are separated by an annular pad 23 to form a first chamber 13a between them. It can be understood that the first axial dimension L1 of the first chamber 13a is related to the thickness of the annular pad 23. In specific configuration, the size of the annular pad 23 should, while ensuring support for the first porous component 21, minimize its impact on the equivalent diameter of the porous component.

[0075] In specific applications, the muffler component 20 also includes a sleeve 24. The first porous component 21 and the second porous component 22 are both installed inside the sleeve 24. The sleeve 24 is circumferentially sealed to the second valve chamber 13. The sleeve 24 is also axially upper limit connected to the valve body component 10 to prevent the relevant structures of the muffler component 20 from shifting.

[0076] In a specific configuration, the outer peripheral wall of the sleeve 24 can fit in circumferential direction with part of the cavity wall of the second valve cavity 13, thus ensuring that all refrigerant flows through the silencer component 20.

[0077] As shown above, after setting the sleeve 24, the silencer component 20 can be integrated into a whole, which facilitates the assembly with the valve body component 10.

[0078] For ease of assembly, the valve body component 10 is designed as a split structure, including a valve body 101 and a valve seat 102. As shown in the figure, the valve port 11a, the first valve chamber 12, and part of the second valve chamber 13 are located on the valve body 101, while part of the second valve chamber 13 and the first interface 14 are located on the valve seat 102. The valve body 101 has a downward-facing first limiting surface 111, and the valve seat 102 has an upward-facing second limiting surface 121. The upper end face of the sleeve 24 abuts against the first limiting surface 111, and the lower end face of the sleeve 24 abuts against the second limiting surface 121.

[0079] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 In a specific configuration, the top wall of the first porous component 21 is flush with the upper end face of the sleeve 24, allowing a portion of the first limiting surface 111 to press against the first porous component 211. Combined with the annular pad 23, this restricts the axial position of the first porous component 211 within the sleeve 24, avoiding the need for an additional axial limiting structure between the first porous component 211 and the sleeve 24. Similarly, the second porous component 22 can also be supported by the second limiting surface 121, and its axial position within the sleeve 24 can be restricted in conjunction with the annular pad 23.

[0080] It should be understood that in other embodiments, when the silencing component 20 has three or more porous components, adjacent porous components are separated by an annular pad, the uppermost porous component can be abutted against and limited by the first limiting surface 111, and the lowermost porous component can be supported by the second limiting surface 121.

[0081] In actual assembly, the muffler 20 is first installed inside the valve body 101 before the valve body 101 and valve seat 102 are fixed relative to each other. Usually, the valve body 101 and valve seat 102 are fixed by welding, generally by brazing. To prevent the solder from penetrating into the porous part of the muffler 20 during welding of the valve body 101 and valve seat 102 and affecting the microporous structure of the porous part, the lower end of the sleeve 24 has a bent portion 241 that bends inward along the radial direction. At this time, the second porous part 22 (the porous part located at the bottom) can be supported by the bent portion 241. During assembly, the bent portion 241 of the sleeve 24 abuts against the second limiting surface 121 of the valve seat 102 for limiting. Under the wrapping effect of the sleeve 24, the solder from welding the valve seat 102 and the valve body 101 can be prevented from entering the interior of the porous part.

[0082] refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 for Figure 1 A magnified view of the valve port of the electronic expansion valve in the fully open state.

[0083] like Figure 8 As shown, when the electronic expansion valve is in the fully open state, the valve needle 50 is not completely disengaged from the valve port 11a, forming a frustum-shaped structure B at the valve port 11a. At this time, the flow area when the valve is fully open is smaller than the diameter area of ​​the valve port 11a, and is actually the frustum area of ​​structure B. In other words, in this state, the maximum equivalent flow area of ​​the valve port 11a is not the diameter area of ​​the valve port 11a, but the frustum area of ​​structure B.

[0084] In some embodiments, the valve needle 50 is configured to be shorter in length. When the electronic expansion valve is in the fully open state, the valve needle 50 is completely disengaged from the valve port 11a. At this time, the maximum equivalent flow area of ​​the valve port 11a is its diameter area.

[0085] Based on this, the dimensions of the relevant structures of the silencer component 20 can be determined according to the actual fit between the valve port 11a and the valve needle 50.

[0086] Second embodiment:

[0087] Please refer to Figures 9 to 11 , Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the noise-reducing component in the second embodiment provided in this application; Figure 10 for Figure 9 Top view; Figure 11 for Figure 9 A bottom view.

[0088] In this embodiment, the silencing component 20' of the electronic expansion valve includes a first porous component 21', a second porous component 22, an annular pad 23, and a sleeve 24. The first porous component 21', the second porous component 22, and the annular pad 23 are all disposed inside the sleeve 24. The annular pad 23 is used to separate the first porous component 21' and the second porous component 22 to form a first chamber between them.

[0089] In this embodiment, the structure of the second porous component 22, the annular gasket 23 and the sleeve 24 of the silencing component 20' is similar to that of the first embodiment described above. The assembly and mating relationship between the silencing component 20' and the valve body component 10 is also similar to that of the first embodiment described above. All of these can be understood by referring to the foregoing description, and will not be repeated here.

[0090] In this embodiment, the first porous component 21' and the second porous component 22 adopt similar structures. Their first flow channel 211' is a structure of several flow grooves, which are formed by radially inward recesses from the outer peripheral wall of the first porous component 21'. During assembly, the first flow channel 211' of the first porous component 21' and the second flow channel 221 of the second porous component 22 are not axially corresponding and are staggered.

[0091] In the illustrated scheme, the first porous component 21' and the second porous component 22 both exemplarily illustrate the structure of three flow channels. In other embodiments, the specific shape, number, and arrangement of the flow channels can be set as needed.

[0092] The silencing component 20' provided in this embodiment is suitable for situations where the valve needle 50 and the silencing component 20' do not interfere with each other when the electronic expansion valve is in the fully closed state.

[0093] Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the first embodiment, when the electronic expansion valve is fully closed, the valve needle 50, being relatively long, will pass through the valve port 11a and interfere with the first porous component 21 of the muffler 20. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the first flow channel 211 of the first porous component 21 is designed as a through-hole structure located in the middle, serving both as a flow channel and allowing the valve needle 50 to pass through. However, in some embodiments, when the electronic expansion valve is fully closed, the valve needle 50 will not pass through the valve port 11a into the second valve chamber 13, or even if it does pass through the valve port 11a, it will not interfere with the first porous component 21 (the uppermost porous component). In this case, the uppermost porous component of the muffler 20 does not need to have a clearance hole to avoid the valve needle 50, so its structure can be designed as follows: Figures 9 to 10 The structure shown.

[0094] It should be understood that the silencer component 20 can still be used even when the valve needle 50 and the first porous component 21 do not interfere with each other. Figure 3 The structure shown.

[0095] In this embodiment, after the silencing component 20' is assembled with the valve body component 10, a second chamber 13b is also provided between the first porous component 21' and the valve port 11a, and a third chamber 13c is also provided between the second porous component 22 and the first interface 14. The relevant dimensions and other settings of each chamber are similar to those in the first embodiment described above, and will not be repeated.

[0096] Third embodiment:

[0097] Please refer to Figures 12 to 16 , Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the noise reduction component in the third embodiment provided in this application; Figure 13 for Figure 12 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the noise reduction component shown; Figure 14 for Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the middle sleeve; Figure 15 for Figure 12 Cross-sectional schematic diagram of the middle partition; Figure 16 for Figure 15 The bottom view of the partition shown.

[0098] In this embodiment, the silencing component 20'' of the electronic expansion valve includes a first porous component 21, a second porous component 22', a sleeve 24', and a separator 25. The first porous component 21, the second porous component 22', and the separator 25 are all disposed inside the sleeve 24'. The separator 25 is used to separate the first porous component 21 and the second porous component 22' to form a first chamber between them.

[0099] Compared with the first embodiment described above, the structural design of the sleeve 24', the separator 25, and the second porous component 22' is different in this embodiment, and the flow channel S2 of the corresponding electronic expansion valve is also different. The differences will be described in detail below.

[0100] The main structure of the electronic expansion valve can be referenced. Figure 1 and Figure 2 It is understood that the first porous component 21 of the silencing component 20'' has a first flow channel 211, and there is a gap between the second porous component 22' and the cavity wall of the second valve chamber 13. The separator 25 has a connecting hole 2511, which is used to connect the first flow channel 211 and the gap. The flow channel S2 of the electronic expansion valve includes the first flow channel 211, the connecting hole 2511 and the gap. In the projection plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve body component 10, the projection of the first flow channel 211 does not coincide with the projection of the connecting hole 2511, so as to avoid the refrigerant flowing through the first flow channel 211 from flowing directly through the connecting hole 2511.

[0101] As set up above, part of the structure of the flow channel S2 corresponding to the silencing component 20 is formed inside the first porous component 21, and part of the structure is formed between the second porous component 22' and the second valve chamber 13. In this way, the second porous component 22' does not need to be provided with a flow channel and is entirely a microporous structure.

[0102] In a specific configuration, the sleeve 24' has its cylindrical wall completely covering the first porous component 21, and the sleeve 24' has an opening 242' at the location corresponding to the second porous component 22', so as to form the aforementioned gap between the second porous component 22' and the cavity wall of the second valve chamber 13.

[0103] For example, such as Figure 14 As shown, the sleeve 24' has four openings 242' along the circumference near the lower part of the sleeve wall. The four openings 242' are evenly arranged along the circumference of the sleeve 24'. After assembly, the second porous component 22' has gaps between these openings 242' and the second valve chamber 13. The flow area of ​​the flow channel S2 corresponding to this part is the sum of the flow areas of all the gaps. Its size requirement is still the same as that of the first embodiment mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0104] Accordingly, to prevent solder from entering the microporous structure of the silencing component 20'' during welding between the valve body 101 and the valve seat 102 after the silencing component 20'' is assembled, the lower end of the sleeve 24' is also provided with a bent portion 241'. Compared with the annular bent portion 241 in the first embodiment, the bent portions 241' are discontinuous in this example because the opening 242' of the sleeve 24' is provided.

[0105] The limiting and matching structure between the silencing component 20'' and the valve body component 10 is similar to that in the first embodiment described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0106] Figure 13 Taking the direction of refrigerant flow to the first interface 14 as an example, the arrows indicate the direction of refrigerant flow in the flow channel S2.

[0107] In a specific configuration, the separator 25 includes a ring body 251, which has an annular structure. Its outer peripheral wall extends upward along the axial direction to form an upper protrusion 252, and its inner peripheral wall extends downward along the axial direction to form a lower protrusion 253. The upper protrusion 252 and the lower protrusion 253 respectively abut against the first porous member 21 and the second porous member 22'. The aforementioned connecting hole 2511 is provided on the ring body 251. In this way, when the first porous member 21 and the second porous member 22' cannot supply refrigerant due to blockage, the refrigerant can flow from the first flow channel 211 into the first chamber between the first porous member 21 and the second porous member 22', and then flow out through the connecting hole 2511 to the gap between the second porous member 22' and the second valve chamber 13, and then flow out from the first interface 14. When the first interface 14 is used as the refrigerant inlet, the refrigerant flow direction is opposite to the previous one.

[0108] For example, multiple connecting holes 2511 can be provided along the circumference of the ring body 251, such as... Figure 16 As shown.

[0109] In the illustrated example, the structure of the first porous component 21 is consistent with the first embodiment described above. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the first flow channel 211 of the first porous component 21 can also be set at other positions that are axially offset from the connecting hole 2511.

[0110] In other embodiments, the connecting hole 2511 may also be provided to at least partially penetrate the upper protrusion 252 or the lower protrusion 253.

[0111] In this embodiment, after the silencing component 20'' is assembled with the valve body component 10, a second chamber 13b is also provided between the first porous component 21 and the valve port 11a, and a third chamber 13c is also provided between the second porous component 22' and the first interface 14. The relevant dimensions and other settings of each chamber are similar to those in the first embodiment described above, and will not be repeated.

[0112] Fourth example:

[0113] Please refer to Figure 17 , Figure 17 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electronic expansion valve in the fourth embodiment provided in this application.

[0114] In this embodiment, the silencing component 20 of the electronic expansion valve includes a first porous component 21, a second porous component 22, and an annular pad 23. The annular pad 23 is used to separate the first porous component 21 and the second porous component 22 to form a first chamber 13a between them.

[0115] The difference from the first embodiment is that the silencing component 20 in this embodiment does not have a sleeve. The outer peripheral walls of the first porous component 21, the second porous component 22 and the annular pad 23 directly contact and cooperate with the second valve cavity 13. The upper end face of the first porous component 21 abuts and limits the first limiting surface 111, and the lower end face of the second porous component 22 abuts and cooperates with the second limiting surface 121.

[0116] To facilitate the assembly of the muffler component 20, the structure of the valve body component 10 is similar to that of the first embodiment described above, also including a valve body 101 and a valve seat 102. In this embodiment, in order to prevent the solder from entering the microporous structure of the muffler component 20 during the welding of the valve body 101 and the valve seat 102, a gap K is provided between the valve body 101 and the valve seat 102 for the accumulation of solder.

[0117] In a specific configuration, the upper end of the valve seat body 102 has an annular boss 122 extending upward along the axial direction. The upper surface of the annular boss 122 forms the aforementioned second limiting surface 121, and there is a gap K between the outer peripheral wall of the annular boss 122 and the valve body 101.

[0118] In this embodiment, other structural settings of the electronic expansion valve and the specific structural settings of the first porous component 21 and the second porous component 22 can be understood by referring to the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0119] The above embodiments are all illustrated with the example of a silencing component having two porous parts. It can be understood that, based on the above embodiments, the silencing component may also have three or more porous parts. The idea of ​​the related structure is the same as that of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here.

[0120] The electronic expansion valve provided in this application has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this application without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. Electronic expansion valve, characterized in that, The valve body component and the sound attenuation component are provided. The valve body component has a valve port, a first valve cavity, a second valve cavity and a first interface, the first valve cavity is communicated with the second valve cavity through the valve port, the first interface is directly communicated with the second valve cavity, and the first valve cavity is located above the second valve cavity. The sound attenuation component is located in the second valve cavity, and the sound attenuation component comprises two or more porous members, each of the porous members is arranged along the axial direction of the valve body component. The electronic expansion valve further comprises a flow channel, at least part of the flow channel penetrates through at least one of the porous members, the flow channel can communicate the valve port and the first interface, and the minimum effective flow area of the flow channel is greater than the maximum equivalent flow area of the valve port. The valve body component comprises a valve body and a valve seat body, the upper end of the valve seat body is inserted into the valve body, the valve port, the first valve cavity and part of the second valve cavity are arranged in the valve body, and the first interface is arranged in the valve seat body. The valve body has a body cavity section for accommodating the sound attenuation component, the second valve cavity comprises the body cavity section, the sound attenuation component comprises a sleeve, and the porous members are arranged inside the sleeve; the cavity peripheral wall of the body cavity section comprises a first peripheral wall section, a second peripheral wall section and a third peripheral wall section arranged in sequence from top to bottom along the axial direction, the sleeve is sealingly connected with the first peripheral wall section in the peripheral direction, the second peripheral wall section has a first radial gap with the outer peripheral wall of the sleeve, the third peripheral wall section has a second radial gap with the outer peripheral wall of the sleeve, and the first radial gap is greater than the second radial gap. The minimum effective flow area of the flow channel refers to the minimum area of the cross-sectional area of the flow channel that can pass fluid, and the maximum equivalent flow area of the valve port refers to the maximum flow area when fluid flows through the valve port when the electronic expansion valve is in a fully open valve state.

2. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, characterized in that The valve body has a downward stepped surface, part of the valve seat body is inserted into the valve body, and the valve seat body abuts against the stepped surface; the valve seat body has a valve seat cavity communicated with the first interface, the valve seat cavity is located above the first interface, and the second valve cavity comprises the valve seat cavity.

3. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 2, wherein The electronic expansion valve comprises a first connecting pipe, the valve seat body has an insertion hole located below the first interface, the first connecting pipe is inserted into the insertion hole, and the upper end surface of the first connecting pipe abuts against the valve seat body.

4. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 3, characterized in that The inner diameter of the first connecting pipe is greater than the diameter of the first interface, and the inner diameter of the valve seat cavity is greater than the diameter of the first interface.

5. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 2, wherein The third cavity between the lowermost porous member and the first interface comprises the valve seat cavity, the valve seat cavity is a constant-diameter cavity, or the diameter of the valve seat cavity gradually decreases from top to bottom along the axial direction.

6. Electronic expansion valve according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that The outer peripheral wall of the porous member at least partially contacts the cavity peripheral wall of the body cavity section.

7. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 6, characterized in that The valve body is welded with the valve seat body, part of the valve seat body is located in the valve body, the upper end of the valve seat body has an annular boss extending upward along the axial direction, the upper surface of the annular boss forms a second limiting surface abutting with the lower end surface of the sound attenuation component, the outer peripheral wall of the annular boss has a gap with the valve body, and the gap is used for accumulating the welding material.

8. Electronic expansion valve according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that The valve body has a second cavity between the body cavity section and the valve port, and a connection between the second cavity and the body cavity section forms a first limiting surface facing the valve seat body, and the upper end surface of the sound attenuation component abuts with the first limiting surface.

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