Multi-way valve

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of valves, and discloses a multi-way valve which comprises a valve body and two valve elements, two symmetrical containing cavities are formed in the valve body, valve covers are installed at openings of the containing cavities in a sealed mode, four water passing structures are arranged on the side walls of the containing cavities, three water passing structures are arranged to be through holes, and the other water passing structure is arranged to be a water passing groove. The water passing grooves of the two accommodating cavities are integrally communicated; the two valve elements are correspondingly contained in the two containing cavities respectively, the valve elements are provided with two water passing channels, the two ends of each water passing channel can correspondingly communicate with the two adjacent water passing structures, the valve elements are provided with valve rods, and the valve rods are connected with the valve deck in a sealed mode and can rotate relative to the valve deck. By arranging the water passing groove and the two valve elements, the problem of internal leakage is avoided, the valve element structure is simplified, the utilization rate of the internal space of the valve body is increased, the overall size of the multi-way valve is reduced, and the practicability of the multi-way valve is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of valves, and in particular to a multi-way valve. Background Art

[0002] For some complex water systems, such as vehicle air conditioning pipelines, ordinary four-way valves cannot smoothly realize the connection and switching control of multiple water channels, and multi-way valves with more inlets and outlets are needed to connect the water channels. In order to adapt to the multiple outlets around the valve body, the existing multi-way valves generally use spliced ​​valve cores to form channels. However, the sealing of such multi-way valves at the valve core joints is difficult to ensure, and internal leakage problems are prone to occur. In addition, the spliced ​​valve core flow channel structure is relatively fixed, and the water inlet and outlet directions are relatively single, which is difficult to adapt to the requirements of multi-directional water inlet and outlet pipeline connection. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a multi-way valve with a simple structure, high space utilization, small size, no internal leakage problem and multiple water inlet and outlet modes in different directions.

[0004] To achieve this purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: a multi-way valve, comprising a valve body, two valve cores and two valve covers, two symmetrical accommodating chambers are formed inside the valve body, two openings are arranged on opposite sides of the two accommodating chambers, and a valve cover is sealed and installed at the opening of the accommodating chamber, and the side wall of the accommodating chamber is provided with four water-passing structures, and the four water-passing structures are arranged equidistantly along the circumference of the accommodating chamber, wherein three of the water-passing structures are arranged as through holes, and the other water-passing structure is arranged as a water-passing groove opened on the inner wall of the valve body, and the water-passing grooves on the side walls of the two accommodating chambers are connected in an integrated manner; two valve cores are correspondingly accommodated in the two accommodating chambers and are respectively rotatably connected to the two sides of the support member, the valve core is provided with two arc-shaped water-passing channels, and the two ends of the water-passing channels can be correspondingly connected with the two adjacent water-passing structures in the same accommodating chamber, the valve core is provided with a valve stem, the valve stem is sealed and connected to the valve cover and can rotate relative to the valve cover, and the end of the valve stem away from the valve core passes through the valve cover and is connected to a driving member.

[0005] Preferably, the outer peripheral wall of the valve core is spherical or ellipsoidal, and the cross-section of the water passage is circular.

[0006] Preferably, the bottom wall of the water channel and the inner wall of the valve body are transitioned by a continuous arc surface.

[0007] Preferably, a support member is further provided in the valve body, and the support member is located between the two accommodating chambers, and the two valve cores are rotatably connected to two sides of the support member respectively.

[0008] Preferably, the support member comprises a crossbeam, and the crossbeam is arranged across one side of the water channel.

[0009] Preferably, a ceramic bearing is installed on the crossbeam, and an insertion portion is provided at one end of the valve core away from the valve stem, and the insertion portion is plug-fitted with the ceramic bearing.

[0010] Preferably, the four water passing structures corresponding to one of the accommodating cavities and the four water passing structures corresponding to another of the accommodating cavities are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the valve body.

[0011] Preferably, the multi-way valve further comprises a plurality of connectors, all of which are sealedly connected to the valve body, and the connectors are connected to the through holes in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0012] Preferably, the driving member comprises an electric actuator, and the electric actuator is detachably connected to the valve cover.

[0013] Preferably, an O-ring is abutted between the valve cover and the valve body.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: by setting a water flow groove, the gap space between the inner wall of the valve body and the outer wall of the valve core is used to form a channel for fluid flow, thereby connecting the water flow channels in two independent valve cores, avoiding internal leakage problems, and eliminating the splicing structure between the valve cores, simplifying the valve core structure, improving the internal space utilization of the valve body and reducing the overall volume of the multi-way valve. The two valve cores are rotatably connected to the support member and independently connected to the driving member, and the rotation of any valve core can be controlled separately to change the water flow channel corresponding to the water flow groove, thereby changing the water inlet direction or water outlet direction of the multi-way valve, adapting to the pipe connection requirements of multi-directional water inlet and outlet, and effectively improving the practicality of the multi-way valve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a multi-way valve according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 is an exploded view of a multi-way valve according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a fluid flow path of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Cross-sectional view at point A.

[0019] In the figure: 100, valve body; 110, accommodating chamber; 111, through hole; 112, water channel; 120, valve cover; 121, O-ring; 122, protrusion; 200, valve core; 210, water channel; 220, valve stem; 300, driving member; 400, connector; 410, clamping part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only parts related to the present invention, rather than all structures, are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0021] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected", and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0022] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0023] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", etc., directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplification of operation, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish in the description and have no special meaning.

[0024] Reference Figures 1 to 4As shown, a multi-way valve provided according to an embodiment of the present application includes a valve body 100 and two valve cores 200. The valve body 100 is in the shape of an elongated cylinder. Two symmetrical accommodating chambers 110 are formed inside the valve body 100. The two accommodating chambers 110 are provided with openings on opposite sides. A valve cover 120 is installed at the opening of the accommodating chamber 110 through a sealing ring for sealing. Four water flow structures are provided on the side wall of the accommodating chamber 110. The four water flow structures are equidistantly arranged along the circumference of the accommodating chamber 110, three of which are arranged as through holes 111, and the other water flow structure is arranged as a water flow groove 112 opened on the inner wall of the valve body 100. The water flow grooves 112 on the side walls of the two accommodating chambers 110 are connected in an integrated manner. In other words, the two water flow grooves 112 corresponding to the two accommodating chambers 110 cooperate to form a sink opened on the inner wall of the valve body 100.

[0025] The two valve cores 200 are correspondingly accommodated in the two accommodating chambers 110 and are rotatably connected to the two sides of the support respectively. There is a gap between the outer peripheral wall of the valve core 200 and the cavity wall of the accommodating chamber 110 (i.e., the inner wall of the valve body 100) for the rotation of the valve body 100. The valve core 200 is symmetrically provided with two arc-shaped water passages 210, and the central angle of the water passage 210 is 90°. The two ends of the water passage 210 can be connected to the two adjacent water passage structures in the same accommodating chamber 110; the two ends of the two water passages 210 can be connected to four water passage structures grouped in pairs at the same time.

[0026] In particular, in some embodiments, the depth of the water groove 112 is 0. At this time, the water groove 112 actually refers to the gap space formed by the inner wall of the valve body 100 and the valve cover 120 at the opening of the water passage 210 that is not connected to the through hole 111. The water groove 112 is a part of the accommodating cavity 110, and the outer wall of the valve body 100 corresponding to the position of the water groove 112 is equal to the outer diameter of the outer wall of the rest of the valve body 100.

[0027] The two valve cores 200 are provided with valve stems 220 on opposite sides, the valve stems 220 are sealed and connected to the valve cover 120 and can rotate relative to the valve cover 120, and one end of the valve stem 220 away from the valve core 200 passes through the valve cover 120 and is connected to a driving member 300. Optionally, the valve cover 120 is fixedly connected to the valve body 100 through a flange structure or a threaded structure, and the driving member 300 can be a valve for manual operation by a user, or an electrically controlled driving member, which will not be described in detail here.

[0028] The user can rotate the valve core 200 to switch the water passage 210 connected to the water passage groove 112, thereby changing the water inlet and outlet direction of the multi-way valve. Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the length direction of the valve body 100 is defined as the up-down direction, and the side of the valve body 100 provided with the water groove 112 is defined as the rear side. Then, the first fluid a in the multi-way valve has the following eight flow modes:

[0029] Mode 1: The first fluid a flows from the through hole 111 at the upper right of the valve body 100 into the water passage 210 of the upper valve core 200 . After passing through the water passage 210 , the first fluid a flows into the water passage 210 of the lower valve core 200 , and flows out from the through hole 111 at the lower left of the valve body 100 .

[0030] Mode 2: Rotate the lower valve core 200 in Mode 1 by 90° (since the two water passages 210 on the valve core 200 are symmetrically arranged, the rotation of the valve core 200 does not distinguish between clockwise and counterclockwise directions, which is specially explained here and will not be repeated hereafter). At this time, the first fluid a flows from the through hole 111 on the upper right side of the valve body 100 into the water passage 210 of the upper valve core 200, and the first fluid a flows into the water passage 210 of the lower valve core 200 after passing through the water passage 210, and flows out from the through hole 111 on the lower right side of the valve body 100;

[0031] Mode 3: The upper valve core 200 in mode 2 is rotated 90°. At this time, the first fluid a flows into the water passage 210 of the upper valve core 200 from the through hole 111 at the upper left of the valve body 100. After passing through the water passage 210, the first fluid a flows into the water passage 210 of the lower valve core 200 and flows out from the through hole 111 at the lower right of the valve body 100.

[0032] Mode 4: Rotate the lower valve core 200 in mode 3 by 90°. At this time, the first fluid a flows from the through hole 111 at the upper left of the valve body 100 into the water passage 210 of the upper valve core 200. After passing through the water passage 210, the first fluid a flows into the water passage 210 of the lower valve core 200 and flows out from the through hole 111 at the lower left of the valve body 100.

[0033] By swapping the water inlet and outlet directions of the above four modes, we can obtain mode 5 of water inlet from the lower left and water outlet from the upper right, mode 6 of water inlet from the lower right and water outlet from the upper right, mode 7 of water inlet from the lower right and water outlet from the upper left, or mode 8 of water inlet from the lower left and water outlet from the upper left. In addition, in any water inlet and outlet mode, the water passage 210 in the two valve cores 200 that is not connected to the water passage groove 112 can also additionally pass the second fluid b and the third fluid c, thereby realizing multi-fluid input and output of the multi-way valve.

[0034] It is understandable that by setting the water passage groove 112, the gap space between the inner wall of the valve body 100 and the outer wall of the valve core 200 is used to form a channel for fluid flow, thereby connecting the water passage channels 210 in the two independent valve cores 200, avoiding internal leakage problems, and eliminating the splicing structure between the valve cores 200, simplifying the structure of the valve core 200, improving the internal space utilization of the valve body 100 and reducing the overall volume of the multi-way valve. The two valve cores 200 are rotatably connected to the support member and independently connected to the driving member 300, and the rotation of any valve core 200 can be controlled separately to change the water passage channel 210 corresponding to the water passage groove 112, thereby changing the water inlet direction or water outlet direction of the multi-way valve, adapting to the pipe connection requirements of multi-directional water inlet and outlet, and effectively improving the practicality of the multi-way valve.

[0035] It should be noted that, in order to ensure the sealing between the valve core 200 and the through hole 111, a valve seat is installed at one end of the through hole 111 close to the accommodating chamber 110, and the valve seat is provided with a flange, which is located in the accommodating chamber 110 and forms a sealing surface matching the shape of the valve core 200, and the valve seat is provided with a water hole for fluid to flow through the flange. The valve seat can fill the gap between the outer wall of the valve core 200 and the inner wall of the valve body 100 around the through hole 111, avoiding fluid leakage in the valve body 100 or fluid cross-flow in different water channels 210. In addition, the three valve seats corresponding to the three through holes 111 in the same accommodating chamber 110 cooperate to position the valve core 200 circumferentially, thereby improving the installation stability of the valve core 200.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment of the present application, the four water flow structures corresponding to the two accommodating cavities 110 are arranged correspondingly up and down, that is, the four water flow structures corresponding to one of the accommodating cavities 110 and the four water flow structures corresponding to the other accommodating cavities 110 overlap in the circumferential direction of the valve body 100. At this time, the groove body formed by the two water flow grooves 112 is a long groove structure arranged along the length direction of the valve body 100.

[0037] Reference Figure 1 As shown, in another embodiment of the present application, the four water flow structures corresponding to the two accommodating cavities 110 are staggered in an upper and lower arrangement, that is, the four water flow structures corresponding to one of the accommodating cavities 110 and the four water flow structures corresponding to the other accommodating cavities 110 are staggered in the circumferential direction of the valve body 100. At this time, the groove body formed by the two water flow grooves 112 is an inclined groove structure inclined relative to the length direction of the valve body 100.

[0038] Since the valve cores 200 in the two accommodating chambers 110 are independent of each other, the water passages 210 of the two valve cores 200 only need to be connected to the water passage groove 112 to achieve mutual communication between the two valve cores 200. By staggering the water passage structures corresponding to the two accommodating chambers 110, the water inlet and outlet directions of the multi-way valve can be changed, which facilitates the connection of pipelines and further improves the practicality of the multi-way valve.

[0039] It should be noted that after the fluid passes through the water passage 210 of one of the valve cores 200 and enters the water groove 112, most of the fluid will flow at high speed toward the place with the lowest pressure (i.e., the other water passage 210 connected to the water groove 112 and the outlet pipe), while a small part of the fluid will flow at a low speed to the gap between the valve core 200 and the valve body 100 outside the water groove 112, and after passing through the surface of the valve core 200, it will return to the water groove 112 and enter the water passage 210 connected to the outlet pipe, and then be discharged from the valve core 200.

[0040] Reference Figure 2 As shown, it can be understood that the outer peripheral wall of the valve core 200 is spherical or ellipsoidal (in this case, the sealing surface of the flange of the valve seat is a spherical or ellipsoidal surface that fits and seals with the valve core 200), the inner wall of the accommodating cavity 110 and the bottom wall of the valve cover 120 facing the valve body 200 are both spherical or ellipsoidal matching the outer shape of the valve core 200, and the cross-section of the water passage 210 is circular.

[0041] Setting the cross-section of the water passage 210 to a circle, that is, setting the water passage 210 to a tubular channel, can significantly reduce the flow resistance and reduce the fluid friction loss. At the same time, setting the outer peripheral wall of the valve core 200 to a spherical or ellipsoidal shape can reduce the flow resistance of the low-speed fluid that is not in the water groove 112, and further reduce the fluid friction loss. The spherical or ellipsoidal valve core 200 and the circular water passage 210 cooperate to effectively reduce the flow resistance inside the multi-way valve and improve the water outlet efficiency of the multi-way valve.

[0042] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, it can be understood that the bottom wall of the water channel 112 and the inner wall of the valve body 100 are transitioned by a continuous arc surface, and the R angle or curvature of the arc surface can be set according to the specific size of the valve body 100, which will not be repeated here.

[0043] By providing a continuous arc surface, the fluid is guided to flow stably and smoothly from the water groove 112 to the water passage 210, or the fluid on the surface of the valve core 200 is guided to enter the water passage 210, so as to further reduce the flow resistance inside the multi-way valve.

[0044] Continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, it can be understood that an O-ring 121 is abutted between the valve cover 120 and the valve body 100. Specifically, the valve cover 120 is provided with an annular protrusion 122 matching the opening shape of the valve body 100 on the side facing the valve body 100, and the O-ring 121 is sleeved on the protrusion 122 and abuts against the inner circumferential wall of the opening of the valve body 100.

[0045] By setting the O-ring 121, when the valve cover 120 is connected to the valve body 100, the protrusion 122 is inserted into the opening of the valve body 100 and squeezes the O-ring 121, so that the O-ring 121 abuts between the valve cover 120 and the valve body 100, effectively improving the overall sealing of the multi-way valve and avoiding fluid leakage in the valve body 100.

[0046] It is understandable that, in some embodiments, a support member is further provided in the valve body 100, and the support member is located between the two accommodating chambers 110. In other words, the support member is a plate structure arranged at the connection point of the two accommodating chambers 110, and the two valve cores 200 are rotatably connected to the two sides of the support member respectively.

[0047] By providing a support member rotatably connected to the valve core, the support member can support the valve core 200, disperse the stress of the valve core 200, reduce the load of the driving member 300, improve the installation stability of the valve core 200 and extend the service life of the driving member 300.

[0048] Furthermore, the support member includes a crossbeam, which is arranged along the radial direction of the valve body, and both ends of the crossbeam are respectively connected to the inner wall of the valve body 100, and the connection between the crossbeam and the inner wall of the valve body 100 is transitioned through a rounded corner.

[0049] By providing a crossbeam, the connecting area between the two accommodating chambers 110 is increased while facilitating the installation of the valve core 200, thereby further reducing the flow resistance inside the multi-way valve and improving the flow efficiency of the fluid inside the multi-way valve.

[0050] In some embodiments, the cross beam is disposed across one side of the water channel 112 . In other words, the cross beam is located between the water channel 112 and the water flow structure opposite to the water channel 112 .

[0051] The crossbeam is arranged at one side of the water channel 112 to prevent one end of the crossbeam from being connected to the bottom wall of the water channel 112 and affecting the flow of fluid in the water channel 112, thereby effectively improving the structural rationality of the support member.

[0052] Optionally, in some embodiments, ceramic bearings are symmetrically installed on both sides of the crossbeam, and an insert portion is provided at one end of the valve core 200 away from the valve stem 220, and the insert portion is plug-fitted with the ceramic bearing.

[0053] By setting a ceramic bearing, the rotation stability of the valve core 200 can be effectively improved, and the friction of the valve core 200 can be reduced, thereby reducing the torque required for the valve core 200 to rotate. At the same time, the wear of the sealing surface of the valve core 200 and the valve seat can be reduced, further improving the sealing performance of the multi-way valve.

[0054] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, it can be understood that the multi-way valve further includes a plurality of connectors 400, which are all sealed and connected to the valve body 100, and the connectors 400 are connected to the through holes 111 in a one-to-one correspondence. A conical clamping portion 410 is provided at one end of the connector 400 away from the valve body 100, and the outer diameter of the clamping portion 410 gradually decreases in a direction away from the valve body 100. Optionally, the connector 400 can be threadedly connected to the multi-way valve, or can be bolted to the multi-way valve through a flange structure.

[0055] In this embodiment, a mounting sleeve is arranged inside the through hole 111, and two ends of the mounting sleeve are respectively engaged with the valve seat and the connector 400, thereby improving the sealing performance of the multi-way valve and the structural stability of the multi-way valve.

[0056] By providing the connector 400, the user can conveniently connect the external water inlet pipeline and the water outlet pipeline, thereby improving the convenience of loading and unloading the multi-way valve.

[0057] Furthermore, the driving member 300 includes an electric actuator, the electric actuator is detachably connected to the valve cover 120, and the valve stem 220 is spline-connected to the electric actuator.

[0058] By setting up an electric actuator, the controllability and intelligence of the multi-way valve can be greatly improved, which is convenient for users to control and debug, and further improves the practicality of the multi-way valve.

[0059] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, various obvious changes, readjustments and substitutions can be made without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-way valve, characterized in that: include: A valve body (100) is provided with two symmetrical accommodating chambers (110) formed therein, the two accommodating chambers (110) are provided with openings on opposite sides, a valve cover (120) is sealed and installed at the opening of the accommodating chamber (110), a side wall of the accommodating chamber (110) is provided with four water flow structures, the four water flow structures are arranged equidistantly along the circumference of the accommodating chamber (110), three of the water flow structures are arranged as through holes (111), and the other water flow structure is arranged as a water flow groove (112) opened on the inner wall of the valve body (100), and the water flow grooves (112) on the side walls of the two accommodating chambers (110) are connected in an integrated manner; Two valve cores (200) are correspondingly accommodated in the two accommodating chambers (110); the valve core (200) is provided with two arc-shaped water passages (210); the two ends of the water passages (210) can be correspondingly communicated with two adjacent water passage structures in the same accommodating chamber (110); the valve core (200) is provided with a valve stem (220); the valve stem (220) is sealedly connected to the valve cover (120) and can rotate relative to the valve cover (120); one end of the valve stem (220) away from the valve core (200) passes through the valve cover (120) and is connected to a driving member (300).

2. The multi-way valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer peripheral wall of the valve core (200) is spherical or ellipsoidal, and the cross section of the water passage (210) is circular.

3. The multi-way valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom wall of the water channel (112) and the inner wall of the valve body (100) are transitioned via a continuous arc surface.

4. The multi-way valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A support member is also provided in the valve body (100), and the support member is located between the two accommodating chambers (110). The two valve cores (200) are rotatably connected to two sides of the support member respectively.

5. The multi-way valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: The support member comprises a crossbeam, and the crossbeam is arranged across one side of the water channel (112).

6. The multi-way valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The crossbeam is installed with a ceramic bearing, and an insertion portion is provided at one end of the valve core (200) away from the valve stem (220), and the insertion portion is plug-fitted with the ceramic bearing.

7. The multi-way valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The four water flow structures corresponding to one of the accommodating cavities (110) and the four water flow structures corresponding to the other accommodating cavity (110) are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the valve body (100).

8. The multi-way valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The multi-way valve further comprises a plurality of connectors (500), each of the plurality of connectors (500) being sealedly connected to the valve body (100), and the connectors (500) being connected to the through holes (111) in a one-to-one correspondence.

9. The multi-way valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The driving member (300) comprises an electric actuator, and the electric actuator is detachably connected to the valve cover (120).

10. The multi-way valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: An O-ring (310) is abutted between the valve cover (120) and the valve body (100).

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