Electric expansion valve and refrigeration cycle device

Abstract

The electric expansion valve is provided with a driving part (10), an output shaft (44), a main body part (60), a valve body (41) and a joint part (50). The driving unit receives power supply and generates driving force. The output shaft rotates around the shaft by the driving force output from the driving part and translates along with the rotation. The main body has a first inflow / outflow port (64), a second inflow / outflow port (65), a valve chamber (62), and a valve seat (63). The first inflow / outflow port allows the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle to flow in and out. The second inflow / outflow port is formed at a different position from the first inflow / outflow port. The valve chamber is disposed in a refrigerant passage (66) connecting the first inflow / outflow port and the second inflow / outflow port. The valve seat is disposed inside the valve chamber. The valve body is disposed inside the valve chamber so as to be capable of opening and closing the opening of the valve seat. The joint portion connects the end portion of the output shaft and the valve body so as to be integrally displaceable.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-165362 filed on October 14, 2022, and incorporates its disclosure herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an electric expansion valve that reduces the pressure of a refrigerant flowing between a first inflow outlet and a second inflow outlet, and a refrigeration cycle device using the electric expansion valve. Background Art

[0004] Conventionally, as a technique related to an electric expansion valve used in a refrigeration cycle, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has been disclosed. In the electric expansion valve described in Patent Document 1, the rotational driving force generated by a motor is transmitted to a threaded shaft via an output shaft formed on an output gear of a planetary gear reduction device.

[0005] Then, the threaded shaft is configured as an external thread of a threaded mechanism, and the rotational driving force transmitted from the output shaft is converted into a power that moves in the axial direction by a mating operation with an internal thread formed on a bearing. Since a valve stem and a valve core are arranged via balls at the end of the threaded shaft, it is configured that the valve stem and the valve core approach and separate from a valve seat according to the displacement of the threaded rod in the axial direction.

[0006] Prior Art Documents

[0007] Patent Documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5022960 Gazette

[0009] Here, in the case of the electric expansion valve described in Patent Document 1, the refrigerant flows from an inflow port located below the valve seat to an outflow port arranged above the valve seat. Since the structure of the refrigeration cycle using the electric expansion valve is complex, it is desired to diversify the flow of the refrigerant between a first inflow outlet corresponding to the inflow port located below the valve seat and a second inflow outlet corresponding to the outflow port arranged above the valve seat. For example, for either the case where the refrigerant flows from the first inflow outlet to the second inflow outlet or the case where the refrigerant flows from the second inflow outlet to the first inflow outlet, it is desired to allow the flow while maintaining the performance as an expansion valve.

[0010] Research is conducted on the electric expansion valve described in Patent Document 1. When the electric expansion valve described in Patent Document 1 is closed, the ball is pressed down due to the displacement of the output shaft. Along with this, the valve stem and the valve core come into contact with the valve seat to close the valve. That is, when closing the valve, the driving force generated by the motor is transmitted to the valve stem and the valve core via the threaded rod and the ball. Therefore, the displacement amount of the valve core etc. corresponding to the drive control of the motor can be achieved.

[0011] However, when the electric expansion valve in Patent Document 1 is opened, due to the driving force generated by the motor, the threaded rod is displaced in a direction away from the valve seat. For the ball and the valve core etc., due to the biasing force of the coil spring disposed on the valve core, they follow the displacement in an amount proportional to the threaded rod. The driving force of the motor acts directly on the threaded rod but indirectly on the ball and the valve core etc. Therefore, when opening the valve, the valve core is displaced due to the biasing force of the coil spring. Thus, it is considered that the accuracy related to the control of the displacement amount of the valve core etc. is reduced with respect to the drive control of the motor.

[0012] In addition, research is conducted on the case where the electric expansion valve described in Patent Document 1 is arranged in such a way that the refrigerant flows from the outlet side located above the valve seat toward the inlet side located below the valve seat. As described above, when opening the valve, the driving force of the motor is not transmitted to the valve core, and the biasing force of the coil spring acts in the opening direction. Therefore, when the electric expansion valve is arranged under the above conditions, the valve core cannot overcome the pressure difference of the refrigerant and be displaced in a direction away from the valve seat, and the electric expansion valve cannot be opened. Summary of the Invention

[0013] In view of the above, a first object of the present disclosure is to provide an electric expansion valve that can cope with multiple forms of the refrigerant flow between the first inflow / outflow port and the second inflow / outflow port formed in the main body portion. In addition, a second object of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigeration cycle device that compactly constitutes the refrigeration cycle device by making the refrigerant flow between the first inflow / outflow port and the second inflow / outflow port cope with multiple forms by means of the electric expansion valve.

[0014] The electric expansion valve according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a drive unit, an output shaft, a main body portion, a valve core, and a connection portion. The drive unit receives power supply and generates a driving force. The output shaft rotates around an axis using the driving force output from the drive unit and translates as it rotates. The main body portion has a first inflow / outflow port, a second inflow / outflow port, a valve chamber, and a valve seat. The first inflow / outflow port allows the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle to flow in and out. The second inflow / outflow port is formed at a position different from the first inflow / outflow port. The valve chamber is disposed in the refrigerant passage connecting the first inflow / outflow port and the second inflow / outflow port. The valve seat is disposed inside the valve chamber. The valve core is disposed inside the valve chamber so as to be able to open and close the opening of the valve seat. The connection portion connects the end of the output shaft and the valve core so as to be displaceable integrally.

[0015] In the case of an electric expansion valve, the end portion of the output shaft is connected to the valve element by the joint portion so as to be displaceable integrally. Therefore, the driving force output from the drive portion can be transmitted to the output shaft, the joint portion, and the valve element to cause them to be displaced integrally. As a result, the electric expansion valve can correspond to either the case where the refrigerant flows from the first inflow / outflow port to the second inflow / outflow port or the case where the refrigerant flows from the second inflow / outflow port to the first inflow / outflow port, and can adjust the decompression amount of the refrigerant and the refrigerant flow rate.

[0016] In addition, a refrigeration cycle device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a radiator, an electric expansion valve, and an evaporator. The compressor compresses and discharges the refrigerant. The radiator dissipates the heat of the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor. The electric expansion valve decompresses the refrigerant flowing out from the radiator. The evaporator evaporates the refrigerant decompressed by the electric expansion valve.

[0017] Moreover, the electric expansion valve includes a drive portion, an output shaft, a main body portion, a valve element, and a joint portion. The drive portion receives the supply of electric power and generates a driving force. The output shaft rotates about the axis by the driving force output from the drive portion and translates as it rotates. The main body portion has a first inflow / outflow port, a second inflow / outflow port, a valve chamber, and a valve seat. The first inflow / outflow port allows the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle to flow in and out. The second inflow / outflow port is formed at a position different from the first inflow / outflow port. The valve chamber is disposed in the refrigerant passage connecting the first inflow / outflow port and the second inflow / outflow port. The valve seat is disposed inside the valve chamber. The valve element is disposed inside the valve chamber so as to be able to open and close the opening of the valve seat. The joint portion connects the end portion of the output shaft to the valve element so as to be displaceable integrally.

[0018] Furthermore, the refrigeration cycle device is configured to be able to switch between a first operation mode and a second operation mode. The first operation mode is an operation mode in which the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle flows in from the first inflow / outflow port and flows out from the second inflow / outflow port via the refrigerant passage and the valve chamber. The second operation mode is an operation mode in which the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle flows in from the second inflow / outflow port and flows out from the first inflow / outflow port via the same refrigerant passage and valve chamber as the first operation mode.

[0019] According to the refrigeration cycle device, the end portion of the output shaft is connected to the valve element by the joint portion of the electric expansion valve so as to be displaceable integrally. Therefore, in the electric expansion valve, the driving force output from the drive portion can be transmitted to the output shaft, the joint portion, and the valve element to cause them to be displaced integrally. As a result, the refrigeration cycle device can reliably achieve the first operation mode and the second operation mode.

[0020] In addition, in a refrigeration cycle device, when the flow of refrigerant in an electric expansion valve is limited to flow from a first inflow / outflow port toward a second inflow / outflow port, the structure for guiding the refrigerant flowing out from the component device on the second inflow / outflow port side to the component device on the first inflow / outflow port side via the electric expansion valve becomes complicated. That is, under this condition, as a refrigeration cycle device, a structure for guiding the refrigerant flowing out from the component device on the second inflow / outflow port side to the first inflow / outflow port of the electric expansion valve, and a structure for guiding the refrigerant flowing out from the second inflow / outflow port of the electric expansion valve to the component device on the first inflow / outflow port side are required.

[0021] In this regard, in the refrigeration cycle device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, since the electric expansion valve is configured to be able to cope with a first operation mode and a second operation mode, a compact structure can be achieved as compared with the refrigeration cycle device configured under the above-described conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The above object and other objects, features, or advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an electric expansion valve according to a first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 2 It is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the structure of a joint portion and an alignment mechanism portion in the electric expansion valve according to the first embodiment.

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigeration cycle device according to the first embodiment.

[0026] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of an indoor air-conditioning unit according to the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram showing a refrigeration mode of the refrigeration cycle device according to the first embodiment.

[0028] Figure 6 It is an explanatory diagram showing a heating mode of the refrigeration cycle device according to the first embodiment.

[0029] Figure 7 It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a refrigeration mode when an existing expansion valve is applied to a refrigeration cycle device.

[0030] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a heating mode when an existing expansion valve is applied to a refrigeration cycle device.

[0031] Figure 9It is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the structure of the joint part in the electric expansion valve according to the second embodiment.

[0032] Figure 10 It is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the structure of the joint part in the electric expansion valve according to the third embodiment.

[0033] Figure 11 It is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the structure of the alignment mechanism part in the electric expansion valve according to the fourth embodiment.

[0034] Figure 12 It is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the structure of the alignment mechanism part in the electric expansion valve according to the fifth embodiment. Detailed Embodiments

[0035] Hereinafter, multiple modes for implementing the present disclosure will be described while referring to the attached Figure 1 figures. In each embodiment, parts corresponding to those described in the previous embodiment may be denoted by the same reference numerals and repeated descriptions may be omitted. In each embodiment, when only a part of the structure is described, other previously described embodiments can be applied to other parts of the structure. Not only can the specifically described combinable parts be combined with each other in each embodiment, but also the embodiments can be partially combined with each other as long as there is no particular obstacle to the combination, even if not explicitly stated.

[0036] (First Embodiment)

[0037] The first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The electric expansion valve according to the present disclosure is applied to a refrigerant circuit that constitutes a refrigeration cycle of a vehicle air conditioner. The electric expansion valve 1 has a drive unit 10, a non-contact connection unit 20, a valve element unit 40, and a main body unit 60. By transmitting the driving force generated by the driving motor 11 as a driving source using electricity and moving the valve element 41, the flow rate of the refrigerant is adjusted and the refrigerant is decompressed.

[0038] In addition, the electric expansion valve 1 is arranged longitudinally in the vehicle. The longitudinal arrangement means that the axial direction of the valve element unit 40 is substantially parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle and the drive unit 10 is arranged on the upper side of the vehicle with respect to the driven side mechanism unit.

[0039] First, the structure of the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As Figure 1As shown, the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment has a drive unit 10, and this drive unit 10 includes a drive motor 11 as a drive source. The drive unit 10 has a drive motor 11 and a motor housing 15. The drive motor 11 is a motor that can be driven by speed feedback control, and has a stator 12, a rotor 13, and a shaft 14. The drive motor 11 is, for example, a three-phase brushless motor, a DC brushed motor, or the like.

[0040] The shaft 14 is the output shaft of the drive motor 11 and rotates integrally with the rotor 13. The motor housing 15 is formed of a thermoplastic resin (such as polyphenylene sulfide) and is mounted on the main body portion 60 so as to cover the drive motor 11 and the like. The motor housing 15 houses the drive motor 11 in an internal space formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 60. The stator 12 is fixed to the motor housing 15. Although not shown, the stator 12 has a stator coil. In the first embodiment, the number of slots Ns of the stator 12 is 6.

[0041] The rotor 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the stator 12 is disposed inside the rotor 13. A plurality of pairs of magnets formed by N poles and S poles are arranged along the circumferential direction of the rotor 13. In the first embodiment, there are four N poles and four S poles each, so the number of poles Pr of the rotor 13 is 8. The stator 12 and the rotor 13 output the driving force for rotating the shaft 14 through electromagnetic force.

[0042] A drive circuit portion 16 is housed inside the motor housing 15. The drive circuit portion 16 has a circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components for controlling the drive motor 11 are mounted. In addition, although not shown, an axis alignment portion is formed in the motor housing 15, and this axis alignment portion is used to align the axis of the shaft 14 of the drive unit 10 with a rotating member 30 to be described later (so-called centering). The axis alignment portion is fitted with the main body portion 60.

[0043] In addition, as Figure 1 shown, the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment includes a non-contact connection portion 20. The non-contact connection portion 20 has a magnetic gear and a partition wall 23. The magnetic gear includes a drive-side magnet 21, a pole piece 24, and a fixed magnet 25.

[0044] The drive-side magnet 21 is a magnet on the input shaft side that rotates integrally with the shaft 14 of the drive motor 11. The pole piece 24 is a magnetic flux modulation portion that modulates the magnetic flux between the drive-side magnet 21 and the fixed magnet 25, and rotates integrally with the rotating member 30. The fixed magnet 25 is fixed to the main body portion 60 side of the electric expansion valve 1.

[0045] The drive-side magnet 21 is cylindrical and is joined to the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 13 of the drive motor 11 via a cylindrical intermediate member 22. That is, the drive motor 11 is disposed inside the drive-side magnet 21. The intermediate member 22 is formed of a magnetic material.

[0046] At least one set of paired magnets formed by an N pole and an S pole are disposed along the circumferential direction of the drive-side magnet 21. In the first embodiment, there is one N pole and one S pole each, and thus the number of poles Pin of the drive-side magnet 21 is 2.

[0047] The number of poles Pin of the drive-side magnet 21 is the same as the value obtained by subtracting the number of slots Ns of the stator 12 from the number of poles Pr of the rotor 13. In the first embodiment, the number of poles Pr of the rotor 13 is 8 and the number of slots Ns of the stator 12 is 6. Therefore, the number of poles Pin of the drive-side magnet 21 is 2.

[0048] The partition wall 23 is a closing member that divides the internal space of the electric expansion valve 1 into a drive-side space on the drive unit 10 side and a driven-side space on the main body unit 60 side and closes the driven-side space. The partition wall 23 prevents the refrigerant (high-pressure refrigerant) existing on the main body unit 60 side from leaking into the drive-side space. In the first embodiment, the partition wall 23 is a member having a prescribed magnetic permeability. For example, the partition wall 23 is formed of stainless steel in which austenitic stainless steel such as SUS305 is transformed into martensite by work hardening and thereby magnetized.

[0049] Moreover, the partition wall 23 is joined to the main body unit 60. The partition wall 23 and the main body unit 60 constitute a pressure vessel having pressure resistance. The partition wall 23 is disc-shaped with its central portion recessed downward and has a closing cylindrical portion 23a and a closing bottom portion 23b. The closing cylindrical portion 23a is cylindrical and is located on the outer diameter side of the drive-side magnet 21. The closing bottom portion 23b is located below the drive-side magnet 21 and closes the closing cylindrical portion 23a from the main body unit 60 side.

[0050] The closing bottom portion 23b is formed in a shape of a circular plate whose central portion is curved downward. In order to improve the pressure resistance, the partition wall 23 integrally forms the closing cylindrical portion 23a and the closing bottom portion 23b. The corner portion forming the boundary between the closing cylindrical portion 23a and the closing bottom portion 23b is not a right angle but has a shape rounded with a prescribed radius of curvature, thereby improving the pressure resistance of the partition wall 23. As Figure 1 shown, the closing bottom portion 23b is disposed in the gap between the shaft rod 14 and the rotating member 30 in the axial direction of the shaft rod 14 and the rotating member 30.

[0051] The pole piece 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape and joined to the rotating member 30. Moreover, the pole piece 24 has a plurality of magnetic body portions and a plurality of non-magnetic body portions. In the pole piece 24, the frustum-shaped magnetic body portions are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the frustum-shaped non-magnetic body portions are arranged between the magnetic body portions. Therefore, the pole piece 24 forms a cylindrical shape in which the magnetic body portions and the non-magnetic body portions are alternately arranged, and as Figure 1 shown, the pole piece 24 is located on the outer shape side of the closed cylindrical portion 23a.

[0052] In addition, as the magnetic body portion constituting the pole piece 24, a soft magnetic body (e.g., an iron-based metal) can be used, and as the non-magnetic body portion, a non-magnetic body (e.g., stainless steel or resin) can be used.

[0053] The fixed magnet 25 is formed in a cylindrical shape and, as Figure 1 shown, is arranged on the outer diameter side of the pole piece 24. The fixed magnet 25 is inserted into the housing cylindrical portion via a cylindrical back yoke (not shown), and the housing cylindrical portion is formed in a cylindrical shape in the main body portion 60. The back yoke and the housing cylindrical portion are formed of a magnetic body.

[0054] Moreover, a plurality of pairs of magnets formed of an N pole and an S pole are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the fixed magnet 25. The number of poles Pf of the fixed magnet 25 is larger than the number of poles Pin of the drive-side magnet 21. In the first embodiment, each of the N poles and S poles constituting the fixed magnet 25 is 20, so the number of poles Pf of the fixed magnet 25 is 40. The fixed magnet 25 is a multi-pole magnet having a larger number of poles than the drive-side magnet 21.

[0055] Here, in the first embodiment, the number of poles Pp of the pole piece 24 is the same as the sum of the number of poles Pin of the drive-side magnet 21 and the number of poles Pf of the fixed magnet 25. As described above, the number of poles Pin of the drive-side magnet 21 is 2, and the number of poles Pf of the fixed magnet 25 is 40, so the number of poles Pp of the pole piece 24 is 42. That is, each of the magnetic body portions and the non-magnetic body portions of the pole piece 24 is 21. In other words, the number Npp of the magnetic body portions in the pole piece 24 is equal to the value obtained by dividing the sum of the number of poles Pin of the drive-side magnet 21 and the number of poles Pf of the fixed magnet 25 by 2.

[0056] In addition, the axial length of the pole piece 24 is shorter than the axial length of the fixed magnet 25. Thereby, magnetic flux leakage of the pole piece 24 in the axial direction can be reduced, and the transmission torque can be improved.

[0057] As Figure 1 shown, the electric expansion valve 1 has a rotating member 30, and the rotating member 30 is configured to cover the lower side and the side of the partition wall 23. The rotating member 30 is an output member for outputting a driving force to the valve element portion 40. The rotating member 30 is rotated by the driving force transmitted from the driving motor 11 of the driving portion 10 via the non-contact connecting portion 20.

[0058] An output portion 30a is formed on the lower surface of the rotating member 30. The output portion 30a is formed in a rod shape extending downward from the rotation center of the rotating member 30 and is arranged coaxially with the shaft 14 of the drive motor 11. The output portion 30a is supported by a bearing member 31 so as to be rotatable, and the bearing member 31 is fixed to the mounting portion 61 formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 60. Therefore, the rotating member 30 is supported so as to be rotatable below the partition wall 23 and above the mounting portion 61 in the main body portion 60.

[0059] The lower end of the output portion 30a is connected to the upper end of the output shaft 44 constituting the upper portion of the valve element portion 40. Therefore, the driving force output from the output portion 30a of the rotating member 30 is transmitted to the output shaft 44 of the valve element portion 40.

[0060] Here, as Figure 1 shown, a shaft housing 32 is mounted on the upper surface of the main body portion 60. The shaft housing 32 is mounted to the mounting portion 61 formed above the main body portion 60 via a holding member 33, and the shaft housing 32 has a communication hole 32a through which the valve element portion 40 is inserted.

[0061] The holding member 33 is formed of stainless steel, and in a state where the shaft housing 32 is held inside, the holding member 33 is mounted to the mounting portion 61 formed on the main body portion 60. The mounting portion 61 opens on the upper surface of the main body portion 60 to communicate with the valve chamber 62. Therefore, the holding member 33 holds the shaft housing 32 in such a manner that the communication hole 32a, the shaft 14 of the drive motor 11, and the output portion 30a of the rotating member 30 are coaxial. Thus, the valve element portion 40 determines the moving direction through the communication hole 32a and moves coaxially with the shaft 14 and the output portion 30a.

[0062] As Figure 1 shown, the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment has a valve element portion 40 that is displaced by the driving force transmitted through the output portion 30a of the rotating member 30 via the drive portion 10 and the non-contact coupling portion 20. The valve element portion 40 is formed in a rod shape integrally including a valve element 41, a cap member 42, and an output shaft 44.

[0063] The output shaft 44 is a shaft-like member disposed inside the communication hole 32a formed in the shaft housing 32 and has an abutting convex portion 44a, a locking portion 45, and an external thread portion 46. As described above, the end portion of the output shaft 44 on the drive portion 10 side is engaged with the output portion 30a of the rotating member 30. Therefore, the driving force generated by the drive portion 10 is transmitted to the output shaft 44 via the non-contact coupling portion 20 and the output portion 30a of the rotating member 30. Thus, the output shaft 44 rotates around the axis inside the communication hole 32a of the shaft housing 32.

[0064] Here, the external thread portion 46 is configured to form an external thread on the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 44 and is screwed with an internal thread portion 32b formed on a part of the communication hole 32a of the shaft rod housing 32. That is, in the electric expansion valve 1, the external thread portion 46 of the output shaft 44 and the internal thread portion 32b in the communication hole 32a constitute a threaded mechanism portion.

[0065] Moreover, the rotational movement of the output shaft 44 transmitted via the output portion 30a is converted into a forward and backward movement along the axial direction inside the communication hole 32a by the threaded mechanism portion. That is, by using the external thread portion 46 of the output shaft 44 and the internal thread portion 32b in the communication hole 32a, the output shaft 44 rotates around the axis by the driving force output from the drive portion, and translates along with the rotation.

[0066] As Figure 1 、 Figure 2 shown, an abutting convex portion 44a and a locking portion 45 are formed at the end of the output shaft 44 according to the first embodiment. The abutting convex portion 44a and the locking portion 45 constitute a joint portion 50 and an alignment mechanism portion 55 through cooperative actions with the valve element 41 and the cap member 42.

[0067] The joint portion 50 is a structure that connects the end of the output shaft 44 and the valve element 41 so as to be displaceable integrally while ensuring the translation accompanying the rotation of the output shaft 44 and the displacement of the valve element 41 in the valve chamber 62. The alignment mechanism portion 55 is a structure that adjusts the axis of the output shaft 44 to be aligned with the axis of the valve element 41 in a state where the output shaft 44 is connected to the valve element 41 and the cap member 42 through the joint portion 50. The specific structures of the joint portion 50 and the alignment mechanism portion 55 will be described in detail below.

[0068] As described above, the valve element 41 is mounted on the end of the output shaft 44 through the joint portion 50 and is disposed inside the valve chamber 62 formed in the main body portion 60. The valve element 41 is configured to approach and separate from the valve seat 63 inside the valve chamber 62 along with the displacement of the output shaft 44 in the communication hole 32a of the shaft rod housing 32, and is configured to be able to open and close the opening of the valve seat 63.

[0069] The cap member 42 is a cylindrical member integrally mounted on the upper surface side (i.e., the output shaft 44 side) of the valve element 41. An insertion through hole 42a is formed on the upper surface side of the cap member 42, and the end of the output shaft 44 is inserted through the insertion through hole 42a. A predetermined internal space is formed between the upper surface of the cap member 42 and the upper surface of the valve element 41, and the abutting convex portion 44a and the locking portion 45 formed at the end of the output shaft 44 are accommodated inside the internal space.

[0070] Moreover, a spiral spring 47 is disposed between the lower end of the shaft rod housing 32 forming the upper surface of the valve chamber 62 and the valve element 41. The spiral spring 47 is installed in a state of being inserted through the output shaft 44, the cap member 42, and the valve element 41. The spiral spring 47 applies a force to the valve element portion 40 in a direction to bring the valve element 41 closer to the valve seat 63.

[0071] Accordingly, by the force applied by the spiral spring 47, it is possible to eliminate the backlash in the output shaft 44 of the valve element portion 40 and the internal thread portion 32b of the shaft rod housing 32, and it is possible to make the flow rate characteristics of the refrigerant in the electric expansion valve 1 uniform.

[0072] As Figure 1 shown, the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment includes a main body portion 60 having a valve chamber 62 and the like. The main body portion 60 forms a part of the housing of the electric expansion valve 1. The main body portion 60 is formed of a casting material (e.g., AC4C) of an aluminum-silicon-magnesium-based aluminum alloy and has a valve chamber 62, a valve seat 63, a first inflow / outflow port 64, a second inflow / outflow port 65, and the like.

[0073] In the main body portion 60, the valve chamber 62 is a portion through which the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle flows and also forms a space for the valve element 41 of the valve element portion 40 to move. In addition, an installation portion 61 is formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 60. The installation portion 61 communicates with the upper portion of the valve chamber 62 and is for installing the shaft rod housing 32 and the holding member 33.

[0074] As Figure 1 , Figure 2 shown, a valve seat 63 is formed inside the valve chamber 62. As described above, since the installation portion 61 located above the valve chamber 62 is for installing the shaft rod housing 32 and the holding member 33, the valve chamber 62 communicates with the drive motor 11, the non-contact connection portion 20, and the rotating member 30 of the drive portion 10 via the communication hole 32a.

[0075] In addition, the first inflow / outflow port 64 and the second inflow / outflow port 65, which are part of the refrigerant passage 66 formed inside the main body portion 60, are connected to the valve chamber 62. The first inflow / outflow port 64 is connected to the inflow / outflow port in one of the components (e.g., the outdoor heat exchanger 103) in the refrigeration cycle via a refrigerant pipe. Inside the main body portion 60, the first inflow / outflow port 64 is connected to a position above the valve seat 63 in the valve chamber 62 via the refrigerant passage 66.

[0076] On the other hand, the second inflow / outflow port 65 is connected to the inflow / outflow port of other components (e.g., the third connection portion 116c, the evaporator 107) in the refrigeration cycle via a refrigerant pipe. Moreover, inside the main body portion 60, the second inflow / outflow port 65 is connected to a position below the valve seat 63 in the valve chamber 62 via the refrigerant passage 66.

[0077] Therefore, in the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment, when the refrigerant flows in from the first inflow and outflow port 64 and flows out from the second inflow and outflow port 65, the refrigerant flows in the order of the first inflow and outflow port 64, the refrigerant passage 66, the valve chamber 62 (valve seat 63), the refrigerant passage 66, and the second inflow and outflow port 65. On the other hand, when the refrigerant flows in from the second inflow and outflow port 65 and flows out from the first inflow and outflow port 64, the refrigerant flows in the order of the second inflow and outflow port 65, the refrigerant passage 66, the valve chamber 62 (valve seat 63), the refrigerant passage 66, and the first inflow and outflow port 64. That is, for the path connecting the first inflow and outflow port 64 and the second inflow and outflow port 65 formed in the main body portion 60, the flow direction of the refrigerant is the opposite direction.

[0078] Moreover, in the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment, in the valve chamber 62, by moving the valve element 41 away from the valve seat 63, the refrigerant flows between the first inflow and outflow port 64 and the second inflow and outflow port 65 and decompresses and expands.

[0079] Next, the specific structure of the joint portion 50 in the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The joint portion 50 of the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment is constituted by a cap member 42, an abutting convex portion 44a formed on the lower end side (i.e., the valve element 41 side) of the output shaft 44, and a locking portion 45.

[0080] As described above, the cap member 42 is a cylindrical member integrally mounted on the upper surface side (i.e., the output shaft 44 side) of the valve element 41. The upper surface of the valve element 41 and the lower end surface of the output shaft 44 are opposing surfaces. As Figure 2 shown, an insertion hole 42a is formed on the upper surface side of the cap member 42, and the end portion of the output shaft 44 is inserted through the insertion hole 42a.

[0081] An abutting convex portion 44a is formed at the lowermost end of the output shaft 44, and the abutting convex portion 44a is hemispherical and bent so that the axial center portion of the output shaft 44 is at the lowermost position. The abutting convex portion 44a is a portion that abuts against the upper surface of the valve element 41 when the output shaft 44 is displaced downward to approach the valve seat 63.

[0082] A locking portion 45 is formed at the lower end portion of the output shaft 44. The locking portion 45 is disposed above the abutting convex portion 44a in the output shaft 44 and is formed in a flange shape that extends in a direction intersecting the axis of the output shaft 44. The flange-shaped locking portion 45 extends larger than the opening of the insertion hole 42a in the cap member 42 and has a portion that extends at least larger than the maximum diameter of the insertion hole 42a.

[0083] AsFigure 2 As shown, a predetermined internal space is formed between the upper surface of the cap member 42 and the upper surface of the valve element 41, and the abutting convex portion 44a and the locking portion 45 formed at the end of the output shaft 44 are accommodated inside the internal space.

[0084] Therefore, when the driving force from the drive motor 11 is transmitted to the output shaft 44 and the output shaft 44 moves upward to move away from the valve seat 63, the locking portion 45 of the output shaft 44 abuts against the opening edge of the insertion through hole 42a in the cap member 42 from below. As described above, since the cap member 42 and the valve element 41 are integrally mounted, the driving force of the drive motor 11 is transmitted to the valve element 41 through the contact between the locking portion 45 of the output shaft 44 and the cap member 42. Thus, in the electric expansion valve 1, the driving force of the drive motor 11 can be transmitted to the valve element 41 via the joint portion 50, and the valve element 41 can be lifted upward to move away from the valve seat 63.

[0085] In addition, when the driving force from the drive motor 11 is transmitted to the output shaft 44 and the output shaft 44 moves downward to approach the valve seat 63, the abutting convex portion 44a of the output shaft 44 abuts against the upper surface of the valve element 41 in the internal space between the upper surface of the cap member 42 and the upper surface of the valve element 41. Thus, in the electric expansion valve 1, the driving force of the drive motor 11 can be transmitted to the valve element 41, and the valve element 41 can be pressed against the valve seat 63 located below.

[0086] That is, according to the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment, the driving force generated by the drive unit 10 can be transmitted to the valve element 41 via the joint portion 50, and the displacement amount of the valve element 41 relative to the valve seat 63 can be appropriately controlled.

[0087] In addition, when performing the opening operation of the electric expansion valve 1 in which the valve element 41 is moved away from the valve seat 63, the driving force of the drive motor 11 can also be transmitted to the valve element 41 to displace the valve element 41. Therefore, the influence of the pressure difference of the refrigerant and the like can be suppressed, and the opening operation of the electric expansion valve 1 can be realized. Thus, in any of the cases where the refrigerant flows out from the first inflow / outflow port 64 through the valve chamber 62 to the second inflow / outflow port 65 and where the refrigerant flows out from the second inflow / outflow port 65 through the valve chamber 62 to the first inflow / outflow port 64, the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment can function as an expansion valve.

[0088] Next, the specific structure of the alignment mechanism portion 55 in the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The alignment mechanism portion 55 of the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment is constituted by an abutting convex portion 44a formed on the top end side (i.e., the valve element 41 side) of the output shaft 44 and a concave portion 41a formed on the upper surface of the valve element 41.

[0089] As described above, the abutting convex portion 44a of the output shaft 44 according to the first embodiment is formed at the lower end of the output shaft 44 into a hemispherical shape that is bent such that the axial center portion of the output shaft 44 is at the lowest position.

[0090] On the other hand, a concave portion 41a for the abutting convex portion 44a of the output shaft 44 to abut against is formed on the upper surface of the valve element 41 according to the first embodiment. The concave portion 41a is formed by depressing the upper surface of the valve element 41 downward, and the portion located on the axial center of the valve element 41 is the deepest. The inner peripheral surface of the concave portion 41a is configured as a tapered surface that is inclined at a predetermined angle. Therefore, the inner shape of the concave portion 41a is in a conical shape having a vertex on the axial center of the valve element 41, and is configured to be able to fit the abutting convex portion 44a.

[0091] In the alignment mechanism portion 55 configured in this way, when the valve element 41 is pressed by the output shaft 44 (i.e., in the case of the valve closing operation), the position of the output shaft 44 is adjusted so that the axial center of the output shaft 44 coincides with the axial center of the valve element 41.

[0092] Specifically, in the case of the valve closing operation of the electric expansion valve 1, when the output shaft 44 moves downward toward the valve element 41 due to the driving force of the drive motor 11, the abutting convex portion 44a abuts against the concave portion 41a formed on the upper surface of the valve element 41. A tapered surface is formed inside the concave portion 41a, and the position corresponding to the axial center of the valve element 41 is the deepest.

[0093] Therefore, in a state where the abutting convex portion 44a abuts against the tapered surface of the concave portion 41a, when the output shaft 44 moves downward, the position of the output shaft 44 is adjusted so that the lowermost end in the hemispherical abutting convex portion 44a is located at the deepest position of the conically recessed concave portion 41a.

[0094] As described above, the lowermost end of the abutting convex portion 44a is arranged on the axial center of the output shaft 44, and the deepest position in the concave portion 41a is located on the axial center of the valve element 41. Therefore, by the cooperative action of the abutting convex portion 44a and the concave portion 41a constituting the alignment mechanism portion 55, during the valve closing operation of the electric expansion valve 1, the position of the output shaft 44 can be adjusted so that the axial center of the output shaft 44 coincides with the axial center of the valve element 41.

[0095] Moreover, in a state where the axial center of the valve element 41 coincides with the axial center of the output shaft 44, since the valve element 41 is pressed by the output shaft 44, the driving force transmitted to the output shaft 44 can be appropriately transmitted to the valve element 41, and the pressure reducing function and the flow rate adjusting function of the electric expansion valve 1 can be reliably exerted.

[0096] Next, the operation of the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment, when the rotor 13 is rotated by electric power using the drive motor 11, the rotating member 30 rotates via the non-contact connection portion 20. Then, the driving force is transmitted from the output portion 30a of the rotating member 30 to the output shaft 44 of the valve element portion 40.

[0097] When the output shaft 44 of the valve element portion 40 rotates, the rotational movement of the output shaft 44 is converted into a forward and backward movement in the axial direction of the valve element portion 40 by the cooperation of the external thread portion 46 of the output shaft 44 and the internal thread portion 32b of the shaft rod housing 32. Therefore, by switching the rotational direction of the output shaft 44 through drive control of the drive motor 11 or the like, the moving direction in the axial direction of the output shaft 44 can be changed.

[0098] For example, when the rotational direction of the rotor 13 is rotated in a specified direction, the output shaft 44 can be moved closer to the valve seat 63. In this case, by rotating the rotational direction of the rotor 13 in the direction opposite to the specified direction, the output shaft 44 can be moved away from the valve seat 63.

[0099] When the output shaft 44 is moved closer to the valve seat 63, the abutting convex portion 44a of the output shaft 44 abuts against the concave portion 41a of the valve element 41, and presses the valve element 41 closer to the valve seat 63. At this time, the hemispherical abutting convex portion 44a and the conical concave concave portion 41a cooperate with each other, whereby the position of the output shaft 44 is adjusted so that the axis of the output shaft 44 coincides with the axis of the valve element 41.

[0100] In this way, according to the electric expansion valve 1, when the output shaft 44 is moved closer to the valve seat 63, the driving force from the drive motor 11 can be appropriately applied to the valve element 41 via the output shaft 44 to perform the valve closing operation.

[0101] On the other hand, when the output shaft 44 is moved away from the valve seat 63, the positional relationship between the end portion of the output shaft 44 and the valve element 41 is maintained by the connection portion 50. As Figure 2 shown, the lower end portion of the output shaft 44 is inserted through the insertion hole 42a of the cap member 42 integrally mounted with the valve element 41, and the locking portion 45 constituting the connection portion 50 is disposed in the internal space between the upper surface of the cap member 42 and the upper surface of the valve element 41.

[0102] The locking portion 45 is formed in a flange shape that is expanded to be larger than the maximum diameter of the insertion through-hole 42a. Therefore, when the output shaft 44 is moved away from the valve seat 63, the locking portion 45 can abut against the opening edge of the insertion through-hole 42a in the cap member 42. Since the cap member 42 is integrally mounted with the valve element 41, the driving force transmitted to the output shaft 44 acts on the valve element 41 via the joint portion 50, and the valve element 41 can be moved away from the valve seat 63.

[0103] Thus, according to the electric expansion valve 1, when the output shaft 44 is moved away from the valve seat 63, the driving force from the drive motor 11 can act on the valve element 41 via the joint portion 50 appropriately to perform an opening operation.

[0104] Moreover, according to the electric expansion valve 1, in either the closing operation of moving the valve element 41 closer to the valve seat 63 or the opening operation of displacing the valve element 41 away from the valve seat 63, the driving force generated by the drive motor 11 can be transmitted to the valve element 41 to move it. Thus, in either the case where the refrigerant flows from the first inflow / outflow port 64 to the second inflow / outflow port 65 or the case where the refrigerant flows from the second inflow / outflow port 65 to the first inflow / outflow port 64, the electric expansion valve 1 can achieve the displacement of the valve element 41 in response to the control of the drive motor 11 and can be applied to any form.

[0105] As described above, the electric expansion valve 1 is configured to be able to cope with either the case where the refrigerant flows from the first inflow / outflow port 64 to the second inflow / outflow port 65 or the case where the refrigerant flows from the second inflow / outflow port 65 to the first inflow / outflow port 64.

[0106] Here, as one of the application examples of the above electric expansion valve 1, refer to Figures 3 - 5 Describe a refrigeration cycle device 100 that forms a part of a vehicle air conditioner. The refrigeration cycle device 100 adjusts the temperature of the supply air blown into the vehicle interior for air conditioning of the vehicle interior. For air conditioning of the vehicle interior, the refrigeration cycle device 100 is configured to be able to switch the refrigerant circuit according to the respective operating modes described later.

[0107] In the refrigeration cycle device 100, an HFO-based refrigerant (specifically, R1234yf) is used as the refrigerant. The refrigeration cycle device 100 constitutes a subcritical refrigeration cycle in which the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 101 does not exceed the critical pressure of the refrigerant. Refrigerant oil for lubricating the compressor 101 is mixed in the refrigerant. The refrigerant oil is PAG oil that is compatible with the liquid-phase refrigerant. A part of the refrigerant oil circulates in the cycle together with the refrigerant.

[0108] As Figure 3As shown, the refrigeration cycle device 100 includes a compressor 101, an indoor condenser 102, an outdoor heat exchanger 103, a first expansion valve 104, a second expansion valve 105, a third expansion valve 106, an evaporator 107, a cooler 108, a liquid receiver 109, etc. The compressor 101 sucks in, compresses, and discharges the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device 100. The rotational speed (i.e., the refrigerant discharge capacity) of the compressor 101 is controlled by a control signal output from a control device (not shown).

[0109] The discharge port of the compressor 101 is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the indoor condenser 102. The indoor condenser 102 is a condenser that causes the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 101 to exchange heat with the supply air blown into the vehicle interior. The indoor condenser 102 is provided inside the indoor air conditioning unit 120, and the indoor air conditioning unit 120 is arranged inside the instrument panel (instrument panel) at the frontmost part of the vehicle interior.

[0110] The indoor air conditioning unit 120 constitutes an air passage for supplying the supply air blown by the indoor blower 122 to the vehicle interior. In the indoor condenser 102, the heat of the discharged refrigerant is dissipated to the supply air to heat the supply air. Therefore, the indoor condenser 102 is an example of a radiator that dissipates the heat of the discharged refrigerant discharged from the compressor 101.

[0111] The refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 102 is connected to the inlet side of the first connection part 116a. The first connection part 116a is a three-way joint having three inflow / outflow ports communicating with each other. As described later, the refrigeration cycle device 100 also includes a second connection part 116b to a sixth connection part 116f. The basic structures of the second connection part 116b to the sixth connection part 116f are the same as that of the first connection part 116a.

[0112] One outflow port of the first connection part 116a is connected to one inlet of the second connection part 116b via the first electromagnetic valve 110. On the other hand, the other outflow port of the first connection part 116a is connected to the first bypass flow path 113. The first electromagnetic valve 110 is an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes the refrigerant passage between one outflow port of the first connection part 116a and one inlet of the second connection part 116b. The operation of the first electromagnetic valve 110 is controlled by the control voltage output from the above control device.

[0113] As described above, the outlet side of the first electromagnetic valve 110 is connected to one inflow / outflow port of the second connection part 116b. The second connection part 116b is formed in the shape of a three-way joint similar to the first connection part 116a. The other inflow / outflow port of the second connection part 116b is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 103. Moreover, another inflow / outflow port of the second connection part 116b is connected to the second bypass flow path 114.

[0114] The outdoor heat exchanger 103 is an outdoor heat exchange unit that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing out from the second connection portion 116b or the first expansion valve 104 and the outside air blown by an outside air fan (not shown). The outdoor heat exchanger 103 is disposed on the front side of the drive unit chamber in the vehicle. Therefore, when the vehicle is running, the running air flowing into the drive unit chamber via the grille can come into contact with the outdoor heat exchanger 103.

[0115] When the outside air temperature is higher than the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 103, the outdoor heat exchanger 103 functions as a radiator that dissipates the heat possessed by the refrigerant to the outside air. On the other hand, when the outside air temperature is lower than the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 103, in order to make the refrigerant absorb the heat possessed by the outside air and evaporate the refrigerant, it functions as an evaporator (heat absorber).

[0116] Moreover, the other inflow / outflow port in the outdoor heat exchanger 103 is connected to the first expansion valve 104. The above-described electric expansion valve 1 is used as the first expansion valve 104 of the refrigeration cycle device 100. As Figure 3 shown, the other inflow / outflow port in the outdoor heat exchanger 103 is connected to the first inflow / outflow port 64 in the first expansion valve 104. Since the structure of the first expansion valve 104 has been described, a repeated description thereof is omitted.

[0117] The second inflow / outflow port 65 side in the first expansion valve 104 is connected to one inflow / outflow port in the third connection portion 116c. The third connection portion 116c is also configured in the shape of a tee joint. The other inflow / outflow port in the third connection portion 116c is connected to one inflow / outflow port in the evaporator 107. Moreover, another inflow / outflow port in the third connection portion 116c is connected to the third expansion valve 106.

[0118] The evaporator 107 is disposed in the above-described indoor air conditioning unit and is a cooling heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air blown into the vehicle interior and the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 107. In the evaporator 107, by evaporating the low-pressure refrigerant, it exerts a heat absorption effect, thereby cooling the blown air. The other inflow / outflow port in the evaporator 107 is connected to one inflow / outflow port side of the fourth connection portion 116d.

[0119] The fourth connection portion 116d is formed in the shape of a tee joint in the same manner as the above-described first connection portion 116a and the like. The other inflow / outflow port in the fourth connection portion 116d is connected to the first bypass flow path 113. Moreover, another inflow / outflow port in the fourth connection portion 116d is connected to the third bypass flow path 115.

[0120] The first bypass flow path 113 is a refrigerant flow path connecting the first connection portion 116a and the fourth connection portion 116d. A second expansion valve 105 is disposed in the first bypass flow path 113. The second expansion valve 105 is a pressure reducing portion that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the first bypass flow path 113 and adjusts the flow rate (mass flow rate) of the refrigerant flowing out to the downstream side. The specific structure of the second expansion valve 105 may be the same as that of the above-described electric expansion valve 1, but a known mechanical expansion valve or the like may also be employed.

[0121] As Figure 3 shown, another inflow / outflow port in the third connection portion 116c is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the third expansion valve 106. The third expansion valve 106 is a pressure reducing portion that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from another inflow / outflow port of the third connection portion 116c and adjusts the flow rate (mass flow rate) of the refrigerant flowing out to the downstream side. The specific structure of the third expansion valve 106 may be the same as that of the above-described electric expansion valve 1, but a known mechanical expansion valve or the like may also be employed.

[0122] The refrigerant outlet of the third expansion valve 106 is connected to the cooler 108. The cooler 108 is a component of the refrigerant circuit and also a component of a heat medium circuit (not shown). The cooler 108 is a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by the third expansion valve 106 and the heat medium circulating in the heat medium circuit. In the cooler 108, the low-pressure refrigerant evaporates to exert a heat absorption effect, thereby cooling the heat medium.

[0123] Here, the heat medium circuit is connected to a battery and in-vehicle devices mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, in the heat medium circuit, the temperature of the battery and in-vehicle devices can be adjusted by circulating the temperature-adjusted heat medium. The refrigerant outlet of the cooler 108 is connected to an inflow / outflow port in the fifth connection portion 116e.

[0124] The fifth connection portion 116e is formed in a tee joint shape similar to the above-described first connection portion 116a and the like. Another inflow / outflow port in the fifth connection portion 116e is connected to the third bypass flow path 115. Moreover, another inflow / outflow port in the fifth connection portion 116e is connected to another inflow / outflow port of the inflow / outflow port in the sixth connection portion 116f.

[0125] The third bypass flow path 115 is a refrigerant flow path connecting the fourth connection portion 116d and the fifth connection portion 116e. A third solenoid valve 112 is disposed in the third bypass flow path 115. The third solenoid valve 112 is a solenoid valve that opens and closes the third bypass flow path 115. The operation of the third solenoid valve 112 is controlled by a control voltage output from the above-described control device.

[0126] The sixth connecting portion 116f is formed in a tee joint shape in the same manner as the above-described first connecting portion 116a and the like. As described above, one of the inflow / outflow ports in the sixth connecting portion 116f is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the cooler 108. As Figure 3 shown, the other inflow / outflow port in the sixth connecting portion 116f is connected to the second bypass flow path 114.

[0127] The second bypass flow path 114 is a refrigerant flow path connecting the second connecting portion 116b and the sixth connecting portion 116f, and has a second electromagnetic valve 111. The second electromagnetic valve 111 is an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes the second bypass flow path 114. The operation of the second electromagnetic valve 111 is controlled by the control voltage output from the above-described control device.

[0128] Moreover, another inflow / outflow port in the sixth connecting portion 116f is connected to the inlet side of the accumulator 109. The accumulator 109 is a gas-liquid separator on the low-pressure side that separates the refrigerant flowing into the interior into gas and liquid and stores the remaining liquid-phase refrigerant in the cycle. The gas-phase refrigerant outlet of the accumulator 109 is connected to the suction port side of the compressor 101.

[0129] Next, the interior air conditioner unit 120, which forms a part of the vehicle air conditioner unit together with the refrigeration cycle device 100, will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The interior air conditioner unit 120 is a unit for distributing air that integrates a plurality of component devices in order to blow the supply air, which has been adjusted to an appropriate temperature for air conditioning in the vehicle interior, to an appropriate part in the vehicle interior. The interior air conditioner unit 120 is disposed inside the instrument panel (instrument panel) at the foremost part in the vehicle interior.

[0130] As Figure 4 shown, the interior air conditioner unit 120 is formed by housing an interior blower 122, an evaporator 107, an interior condenser 102, etc. in an air conditioner housing 121 that forms an air passage for supply air. The air conditioner housing 121 is formed of a resin (e.g., polypropylene) having a certain degree of elasticity and excellent strength.

[0131] An inside / outside air switching device 123 is disposed on the most upstream side of the supply air flow in the air conditioner housing 121. The inside / outside air switching device 123 switches the introduction of inside air (i.e., vehicle interior air) and outside air (i.e., vehicle exterior air) into the air conditioner housing 121. The operation of the inside / outside air switching device 123 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device.

[0132] Moreover, an interior blower 122 is disposed on the downstream side of the supply air flow of the inside / outside air switching device 123. The interior blower 122 is an interior air supply unit that blows the air sucked through the inside / outside air switching device 123 toward the vehicle interior. The rotational speed (i.e., air supply capacity) of the interior blower 122 is controlled by the control voltage output from the control device.

[0133] The evaporator 107 and the indoor condenser 102 are arranged on the downstream side of the air flow of the indoor blower 122. The evaporator 107 is arranged on the upstream side of the air flow compared with the indoor condenser 102. A cold air bypass passage 125 is formed in the air conditioner housing 121 so that the air flow after passing through the evaporator 107 flows around the indoor condenser 102.

[0134] An air mixing door 124 is arranged on the downstream side of the air flow of the evaporator 107 in the air conditioner housing 121 and on the upstream side of the air flows of the indoor condenser 102 and the cold air bypass passage 125.

[0135] The air mixing door 124 is an air volume ratio adjustment unit that adjusts the air volume ratio between the air volume of the air flow passing through the indoor condenser 102 side and the air volume of the air flow passing through the cold air bypass passage 125 in the air flow of the air after passing through the evaporator 107. The operation of the actuator for driving the air mixing door 124 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device.

[0136] A mixing space is formed on the downstream side of the air flows of the indoor condenser 102 and the cold air bypass passage 125 in the air conditioner housing 121. The mixing space is a space where the air flow heated by the indoor condenser 102 is mixed with the air flow that has passed through the cold air bypass passage 125 and has not been heated.

[0137] Therefore, in the indoor air conditioner unit 120, the air volume ratio is adjusted by the air mixing door 124, so that the temperature of the air flow (i.e., the air conditioner air) mixed in the mixing space and blown into the vehicle interior is adjusted.

[0138] Furthermore, an opening hole is arranged in the downstream part of the air flow of the air conditioner housing 121, and this opening hole is used to blow the air flow whose temperature has been adjusted by mixing in the mixing space into the vehicle interior. As the opening holes, a face opening hole, a foot opening hole, and a defrosting opening hole (all not shown) are provided.

[0139] The face opening hole is an opening hole for blowing the air conditioner air toward the upper body of the occupants in the vehicle interior. The foot opening hole is an opening hole for blowing the air conditioner air toward the feet of the occupants. The defrosting opening hole is an opening hole for blowing the air conditioner air toward the inner surface of the front window glass of the vehicle.

[0140] In addition, a face door, a foot door, and a defrosting door (all not shown) are respectively arranged on the upstream side of the air flows of the face opening hole, the foot opening hole, and the defrosting opening hole. The face door adjusts the opening area of the face opening hole. The foot door adjusts the opening area of the foot opening hole. The defrosting door adjusts the opening area of the defrosting opening hole.

[0141] The face section, the foot section, and the defrost door are the outlet mode switching sections for switching the outlet mode. These doors are connected to a common electric actuator for driving the outlet mode door via a link mechanism or the like, and are rotationally operated in conjunction. The operation of the electric actuator for driving the outlet mode door is controlled by a control signal output from the control device.

[0142] Therefore, in the indoor air-conditioning unit 120, by switching the opening holes opened and closed by the outlet mode switching section, the outlet mode is switched, and thus conditioned air adjusted to an appropriate temperature can be blown from the mixing space to an appropriate part of the vehicle interior.

[0143] As the first expansion valve 104, in the refrigeration cycle device 100 employing the electric expansion valve 1, by switching the structure of the refrigerant circuit, the operation mode is changed, and thus various changes can be made to the air-conditioning form in the vehicle interior and the temperature adjustment forms of the battery and in-vehicle equipment.

[0144] Specifically, the refrigeration cycle device 100 can switch between various operation modes including a refrigeration mode and a heating mode. The refrigeration mode is an operation mode in which the supply air to the vehicle interior is cooled by the refrigeration cycle, and the heating mode is an operation mode in which the supply air to the vehicle interior is heated by the refrigeration cycle.

[0145] Regarding the operation of the refrigeration mode, which is one of the operation modes in the refrigeration cycle device 100, refer to Figure 5 for the description. In the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the refrigeration mode, the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 101 and the air supply capacity of the blower are respectively controlled to exhibit a predetermined capacity.

[0146] In addition, the first expansion valve 104 is controlled to a throttling state that exerts a pressure-reducing effect, and the second expansion valve 105 and the third expansion valve 106 are controlled to a fully closed state. Moreover, the first solenoid valve 110 and the third solenoid valve 112 are controlled to an open valve state, and the second solenoid valve 111 is controlled to a closed valve state. In addition, the indoor air-conditioning unit 120 is controlled such that the air mixing door 124 closes the downstream side of the indoor condenser 102, and the supply air flows through the cold air bypass passage 125.

[0147] Therefore, in the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the refrigeration mode, the refrigerant discharged from the discharge port of the compressor 101 flows in the order of the indoor condenser 102, the first connection portion 116a, the first solenoid valve 110, the second connection portion 116b, and the outdoor heat exchanger 103. In the refrigeration mode, by controlling the air mixing door 124, the flow of the supply air bypasses the indoor condenser 102. Therefore, in the indoor condenser 102, the heat possessed by the refrigerant is not dissipated, but is dissipated to the outside air in the outdoor heat exchanger 103.

[0148] The refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 103 flows from the first inflow and outflow port 64 of the first expansion valve 104 constituted by the electric expansion valve 1 to the valve chamber 62, and flows out from the second inflow and outflow port 65 in a depressurized state.

[0149] Then, the refrigerant flowing out from the second inflow and outflow port 65 of the first expansion valve 104 flows in the order of the evaporator 107, the fourth connection part 116d, the third electromagnetic valve 112, the fifth connection part 116e, the accumulator 109, and the compressor 101, and circulates in the refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration cycle device 100. When the refrigerant flows through the evaporator 107, it absorbs heat from the supply air flowing through the indoor air conditioner unit 120 and evaporates.

[0150] Thus, in the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the refrigeration mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 103 is configured to function as a radiator for dissipating heat of the high-pressure refrigerant, and the evaporator 107 functions as an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant depressurized by the first expansion valve 104, forming a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. Moreover, in the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the refrigeration mode, the supply air cooled by the refrigeration cycle can be supplied into the vehicle interior, and refrigeration in the vehicle interior can be achieved.

[0151] As described above, in the refrigeration mode of the refrigeration cycle device 100, the refrigerant flows into the valve chamber 62 from the first inflow and outflow port 64 of the first expansion valve 104, and after being depressurized by the valve chamber 62, it flows out from the second inflow and outflow port 65. That is, the refrigeration mode corresponds to the first operation mode in which the refrigerant flows through the electric expansion valve 1 in the order of the first inflow and outflow port 64, the valve chamber 62, and the second inflow and outflow port 65.

[0152] Next, the operation of the heating mode, which is another operation mode in the refrigeration cycle device 100, will be described with reference to Figure 6 In the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the heating mode, the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 101 and the air supply capacity of the blower are respectively controlled to exert a predetermined capacity.

[0153] In addition, the first expansion valve 104 and the second expansion valve 105 are controlled to be in a throttling state that exerts a pressure-reducing effect, and the third expansion valve 106 is controlled to be in a fully closed state. Moreover, the second electromagnetic valve 111 is controlled to be in an open valve state, and the first electromagnetic valve 110 and the third electromagnetic valve 112 are controlled to be in a closed valve state. In addition, the indoor air conditioner unit 120 is controlled to close the cold air bypass passage 125 by the air mixing door 124 and allow the supply air to flow through the indoor condenser 102.

[0154] Therefore, in the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the refrigeration mode, the refrigerant discharged from the discharge port of the compressor 101 flows in the order of the indoor condenser 102, the first connection part 116a, the second expansion valve 105, the fourth connection part 116d, the evaporator 107, and the third connection part 116c. In the heating mode, by controlling the air mixing door 124, the flow of the supply air passes through the indoor condenser 102. Therefore, in the indoor condenser 102, the heat possessed by the refrigerant is dissipated, and the supply air is heated.

[0155] Then, the refrigerant flowing out of the indoor condenser 102 is decompressed by the second expansion valve 105 and then flows through the evaporator 107. The refrigerant flowing out of the second expansion valve 105 absorbs heat from the supply air flowing through the indoor air conditioning unit 120 in the evaporator 107 and flows into the third connection part 116c.

[0156] The refrigerant flowing out of the third connection part 116c flows from the second inflow and outflow port 65 of the first expansion valve 104 constituted by the electric expansion valve 1 to the valve chamber 62 and flows out from the first inflow port 64 in a decompressed state.

[0157] Then, the refrigerant flowing out of the first inflow port 64 of the first expansion valve 104 flows in the order of the outdoor heat exchanger 103, the second connection part 116b, the second solenoid valve 111, the sixth connection part 116f, the accumulator 109, and the compressor 101, and circulates in the refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration cycle device 100. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the outside air and evaporates when flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 103.

[0158] Thus, in the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the heating mode, the indoor condenser 102 functions as a radiator for dissipating heat of the high-pressure refrigerant, and the outdoor heat exchanger 103 and the evaporator 107 function as evaporators for evaporating the decompressed refrigerant, forming a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. Moreover, in the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the refrigeration mode, the supply air heated by the refrigeration cycle can be supplied into the vehicle interior, and heating of the vehicle interior can be achieved.

[0159] As described above, in the refrigeration mode of the refrigeration cycle device 100, the refrigerant flows into the valve chamber 62 from the second inflow and outflow port 65 of the first expansion valve 104, and after being decompressed by the valve chamber 62, it flows out from the first inflow port 64. That is, the heating mode is equivalent to the second operation mode in which the refrigerant flows through the electric expansion valve 1 in the order of the second inflow and outflow port 65, the valve chamber 62, and the first inflow port 64.

[0160] By adopting the electric expansion valve 1 as the first expansion valve 104, it is possible to cope with the refrigerant flow from the outdoor heat exchanger 103 to the third connection part 116c and the refrigerant flow from the third connection part 116c to the outdoor heat exchanger 103 without adding complex refrigerant piping and structure. As the refrigeration cycle device 100, not adding complex refrigerant piping and composition is related to reducing the space occupied by the refrigeration cycle device 100. That is, the refrigeration cycle device 100 can contribute to realizing a compact vehicle air conditioner with a small occupied space in the vehicle.

[0161] Here, a case where a known electric expansion valve (for example, the expansion valve described in Japanese Patent No. 5022960) is adopted as the first expansion valve 104 in the refrigeration cycle device 100 is studied.

[0162] As described above, in the refrigeration mode of the refrigeration cycle device 100, in addition to decompressing the refrigerant through the first expansion valve 104, it is also necessary to make the refrigerant flow from the outdoor heat exchanger 103 to the third connection part 116c via the first expansion valve 104. On the other hand, in the heating mode of the refrigeration cycle device 100, in addition to decompressing the refrigerant through the first expansion valve 104, it is also necessary to make the refrigerant flow from the third connection part 116c to the outdoor heat exchanger 103 via the first expansion valve 104.

[0163] In a conventionally known electric expansion valve (hereinafter referred to as a conventional expansion valve), it must be configured such that the refrigerant flows from the first inflow / outflow port 64 through the valve chamber 62 to the second inflow / outflow port 65. In the conventional expansion valve, a ball is arranged between the valve core and the output shaft. Thus, during the valve opening operation, the driving force is not directly transmitted to the valve core. Therefore, the valve is opened by the action of the biasing force of the spiral spring. Therefore, in the conventional expansion valve, when it is arranged such that the refrigerant flows from the second inflow / outflow port 65 through the valve chamber 62 to the first inflow / outflow port 64, the accuracy of the movement control of the valve core becomes coarser, and the pressure reducing performance and flow rate regulating performance of the first expansion valve 104 cannot be fully exerted.

[0164] When a conventional expansion valve is adopted as the first expansion valve 104 in the refrigeration cycle device 100, the refrigeration cycle device 100 needs to set the flow direction of the refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger 103 and the third connection part 116c to be suitable for the refrigeration mode and the heating mode. At the same time, in order to exert the pressure reducing performance of the first expansion valve 104 formed by the conventional expansion valve, the refrigeration cycle device 100 needs to arrange the conventional expansion valve such that the refrigerant flows from the first inflow / outflow port 64 through the valve chamber 62 to the second inflow / outflow port 65.

[0165] If the structure between the outdoor heat exchanger 103 and the third connection part 116c in the refrigeration cycle device 100 is changed to meet the above conditions, it becomes Figure 7 , Figure 8 the structure shown. That is, as the structure between the outdoor heat exchanger 103 and the third connection part 116c, it is necessary to add the first three-way valve 131 to the third three-way valve 133, the three-way joint 134, the first bypass passage 135, and the second bypass passage 136.

[0166] The structure between the outdoor heat exchanger 103 and the third connection part 116c will be specifically described. The inflow / outflow port in the outdoor heat exchanger 103 is connected to one of the inflow / outflow ports in the three-way joint 134. The three-way joint 134 has, for example, the same structure as the first connection part 116a and the like. The other inflow / outflow port in the three-way joint 134 is connected to the second bypass passage 136. In addition, another inflow / outflow port in the three-way joint 134 is connected to one of the inflow / outflow ports in the first three-way valve 131.

[0167] The first three-way valve 131 has three inflow / outflow ports and is a multi-way valve capable of switching the flow path by selectively connecting at least two inflow / outflow ports. The operation of the first three-way valve 131 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device of the refrigeration cycle device 100. The other inflow / outflow port in the first three-way valve 131 is connected to the first bypass passage 135. Another inflow / outflow port in the first three-way valve 131 is connected to the first inflow port 64 of the first expansion valve 104 composed of a conventional expansion valve.

[0168] The first expansion valve 104 composed of a conventional expansion valve can adopt the same structure as the above-described electric expansion valve 1 except for the structure of the valve core part 40. The structure of the valve core part in the conventional expansion valve can adopt, for example, the structure described in Japanese Patent No. 5022960.

[0169] Moreover, the second inflow port 65 in the first expansion valve 104 is connected to one of the inflow / outflow ports in the second three-way valve 132. The second three-way valve 132 has the same structure as the first three-way valve 131. The other inflow / outflow port in the second three-way valve 132 is connected to the second bypass passage 136. The second bypass passage 136 is a passage for allowing the refrigerant to flow between the three-way joint 134 and the second three-way valve 132 while bypassing the first three-way valve 131 and the first expansion valve 104.

[0170] Another inflow / outflow port in the second three-way valve 132 is connected to an inflow / outflow port in the third three-way valve 133. The third three-way valve 133 has the same structure as the first three-way valve 131 and the second three-way valve 132. Another inflow / outflow port in the third three-way valve 133 is connected to the first bypass passage 135. The first bypass passage 135 is a passage for allowing the refrigerant to flow around the second three-way valve 132 and the first expansion valve 104 between the first three-way valve 131 and the third three-way valve 133. Another inflow / outflow port in the third three-way valve 133 is connected to an inflow / outflow port in the third connection portion 116c.

[0171] Regarding the refrigeration mode in the refrigeration cycle device 100 when a conventional expansion valve is used as the first expansion valve 104, the flow of the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 103 through the first expansion valve 104 to the third connection portion 116c will be mainly described.

[0172] In addition, as described above, in the refrigeration mode of the refrigeration cycle device 100, the refrigerant flows in the order of the outdoor heat exchanger 103, the first expansion valve 104, and the third connection portion 116c. The flow of the refrigerant in other parts has been described, so the repeated description is omitted.

[0173] In the refrigeration mode of the refrigeration cycle device 100 when a conventional expansion valve is used as the first expansion valve 104, in addition to the operations of the above-described respective constituent devices, the operations of the first three-way valve 131 to the third three-way valve 133 are also controlled. For the first three-way valve 131, the inflow / outflow port on the side of the three-way joint 134 is communicated with the inflow / outflow port on the side of the first expansion valve 104, and the inflow / outflow port on the side of the first bypass passage 135 is closed.

[0174] Moreover, in the second three-way valve 132, the inflow / outflow port on the side of the first expansion valve 104 is communicated with the inflow / outflow port on the side of the third three-way valve 133, and the inflow / outflow port on the side of the second bypass passage 136 is closed. In the third three-way valve 133, the inflow / outflow port on the side of the second three-way valve 132 is communicated with the inflow / outflow port on the side of the third connection portion 116c, and the inflow / outflow port on the side of the first bypass passage 135 is closed.

[0175] As Figure 7As shown, by controlling the operations of the first three-way valve 131 to the third three-way valve 133, in the refrigeration mode in this case, the refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 103 flows in the order of the three-way joint 134 and the first three-way valve 131. Then, the refrigerant flowing out of the first three-way valve 131 flows into the valve chamber from the first inflow / outflow port 64 of the conventional expansion valve, and after being decompressed by the valve chamber, it flows out from the second inflow / outflow port 65. The refrigerant flowing out of the second inflow / outflow port 65 flows into the third connection portion 116c through the second three-way valve 132 and the third three-way valve 133.

[0176] When a conventional expansion valve is used as the first expansion valve 104, by adding structures such as the first three-way valve 131 and controlling the operations, it is also possible to achieve the refrigeration mode in the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the same manner as in the case where the electric expansion valve 1 is used as the first expansion valve 104.

[0177] Next, the heating mode in the refrigeration cycle device 100 when a conventional expansion valve is used as the first expansion valve 104 will be described centering on the flow of the refrigerant flowing from the third connection portion 116c through the first expansion valve 104 to the outdoor heat exchanger 103.

[0178] In addition, as described above, in the heating mode in the refrigeration cycle device 100, the refrigerant flows in the order of the third connection portion 116c, the first expansion valve 104, and the outdoor heat exchanger 103. The flow of the refrigerant in other parts has been described, so the repeated description is omitted.

[0179] In the heating mode in the refrigeration cycle device 100 when a conventional expansion valve is used as the first expansion valve 104, in addition to the operations of the above-described respective constituent devices, the operations of the first three-way valve 131 to the third three-way valve 133 are also controlled. For the first three-way valve 131, the inflow / outflow port on the first bypass path 135 side is communicated with the inflow / outflow port on the first expansion valve 104 side, and the inflow / outflow port on the three-way joint 134 side is closed.

[0180] Moreover, in the second three-way valve 132, the inflow / outflow port on the first expansion valve 104 side is communicated with the inflow / outflow port on the second bypass path 136 side, and the inflow / outflow port on the third three-way valve 133 side is closed. In the third three-way valve 133, the inflow / outflow port on the first bypass path 135 side is communicated with the inflow / outflow port on the third connection portion 116c side, and the inflow / outflow port on the second three-way valve 132 side is closed.

[0181] As Figure 8As shown, by controlling the operations of the first three-way valve 131 to the third three-way valve 133, in the heating mode in this case, the refrigerant flowing out from the third connection part 116c flows in the order of the third three-way valve 133, the first bypass passage 135, and the first three-way valve 131. Then, the refrigerant flowing out from the first three-way valve 131 flows into the valve chamber from the first inflow and outflow port 64 of the conventional expansion valve. After being decompressed by the valve chamber, it flows out from the second inflow and outflow port 65. The refrigerant flowing out from the second inflow and outflow port 65 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 103 through the second three-way valve 132, the second bypass passage 136, and the three-way joint 134.

[0182] When a conventional expansion valve is used as the first expansion valve 104, by adding structures such as the first three-way valve 131 and controlling the operations, it is also possible to achieve the heating mode in the refrigeration cycle device 100 in the same way as when the electric expansion valve 1 is used as the first expansion valve 104.

[0183] In other words, when a conventional expansion valve is used as the first expansion valve 104, in order to make the refrigeration cycle device 100 exhibit the same effect as when the electric expansion valve 1 is used as the first expansion valve 104, it is necessary to add structures such as the first three-way valve 131. That is, when the electric expansion valve 1 is used as the first expansion valve 104, the first three-way valve 131 etc. are not required, so the refrigeration cycle device 100 can be constructed compactly.

[0184] In addition, when a conventional expansion valve is used as the first expansion valve 104, in order to make the refrigeration cycle device 100 exhibit the same effect as when the electric expansion valve 1 is used as the first expansion valve 104, it is necessary to control the operations of the first three-way valve 131 to the third three-way valve 133. In other words, when the electric expansion valve 1 is used as the first expansion valve 104, the operation control of the first three-way valve 131 etc. is not required, so the processing burden of the control device on the operation of the refrigeration cycle device 100 can be reduced.

[0185] As described above, according to the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment, the end part of the output shaft 44 and the valve core 41 are connected by the joint part 50 so as to be displaceable integrally. Therefore, the driving force output from the drive motor 11 is displaced integrally as the valve core part 40. Thus, the electric expansion valve 1 can correspond to both the case where the refrigerant flows in the order of the first inflow and outflow port 64, the valve chamber 62, and the second inflow and outflow port 65 and the case where the refrigerant flows in the order of the second inflow and outflow port 65, the valve chamber 62, and the first inflow and outflow port 64, and adjust the decompression amount of the refrigerant and the refrigerant flow rate.

[0186] As Figure 2As shown, the joint part 50 of the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment has a cap member 42 and a locking part 45. The cap member 42 is integrally mounted on the valve element 41 and has an insertion hole 42a. The locking part 45 is formed at the end of the output shaft 44. The locking part 45 has a portion that expands to at least a diameter larger than the maximum diameter of the insertion hole 42a.

[0187] When the driving force from the driving motor 11 is transmitted to the output shaft 44 and the output shaft 44 moves upward away from the valve seat 63, the locking part 45 of the output shaft 44 abuts against the opening edge of the insertion hole 42a in the cap member 42 from below. Thus, in the electric expansion valve 1, the driving force of the driving motor 11 can be transmitted to the valve element 41 via the joint part 50, and the valve element 41 can be lifted upward to move away from the valve seat 63.

[0188] In addition, when the driving force from the driving motor 11 is transmitted to the output shaft 44 and the output shaft 44 moves downward to approach the valve seat 63, the abutting convex part 44a abuts against the upper surface of the valve element 41 in the internal space between the upper surface of the cap member 42 and the upper surface of the valve element 41. Thus, in the electric expansion valve 1, the driving force of the driving motor 11 can be transmitted to the valve element 41, and the valve element 41 can be pressed against the valve seat 63 located below.

[0189] That is, according to the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment, the driving force generated by the driving part 10 can be transmitted to the valve element 41 via the joint part 50, and the displacement amount of the valve element 41 relative to the valve seat 63 can be appropriately controlled.

[0190] Moreover, the valve element part 40 of the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment has an alignment mechanism part 55, and the alignment mechanism part 55 adjusts to make the axis of the output shaft 44 coincide with the axis of the valve element 41. As Figure 2 shown, the alignment mechanism part 55 of the electric expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment is constituted by a concave part 41a formed on the upper surface of the valve element 41 and an abutting convex part 44a formed at the lower end of the output shaft 44.

[0191] Therefore, when the output shaft 44 moves downward to approach the valve seat 63 and presses the valve element 41, the abutting convex part 44a constituting the alignment mechanism part 55 fits into the concave part 41a formed on the upper surface of the valve element 41. Thus, in a state where the axis of the output shaft 44 coincides with the axis of the valve element 41, the valve element 41 can be pressed against the valve seat 63 by the output shaft 44. As a result, the electric expansion valve 1 can appropriately transmit the driving force transmitted to the output shaft 44 to the valve element 41, and can reliably exert the pressure reducing function and the flow rate adjusting function of the electric expansion valve 1.

[0192] Moreover, in the refrigeration cycle device 100 according to the first embodiment, the electric expansion valve 1 is adopted as the first expansion valve 104, and by using the joint portion 50, the driving force of the drive motor 11 can be directly transmitted to the valve element portion 40 to displace it integrally. Therefore, the refrigeration cycle device 100 according to the first embodiment can Figure 5 switch between the refrigeration mode as the first operation mode shown in Figure 6 and the heating mode as the second operation mode shown in

[0193] As Figure 7 、 Figure 8 shown, in the case of adopting a conventional expansion valve as the first expansion valve 104, it is necessary to add structures such as the first three-way valve 131 to the third three-way valve 133, the three-way joint 134, the first bypass passage 135, and the second bypass passage 136. Furthermore, in order to achieve the same effect as the refrigeration cycle device 100 using the electric expansion valve 1, it is also necessary to control the operations of the first three-way valve 131 to the third three-way valve 133. For this reason, in the refrigeration cycle device 100 according to the first embodiment, by adopting the electric expansion valve 1 as the first expansion valve 104, the structure of the refrigeration cycle device 100 can be made compact, and at the same time, the burden related to the operation of the refrigeration cycle device 100 can be reduced.

[0194] (Second Embodiment)

[0195] Next, for a second embodiment different from the above-described embodiments, an explanation will be given with reference to Figure 9 . In the second embodiment, the structure of the joint portion 50 in the valve element portion 40 of the electric expansion valve 1 is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the structure of the joint portion 50 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail. Moreover, for other structures related to the electric expansion valve 1 and the refrigeration cycle device 100, since they are the same as those of the first embodiment, the repeated description will be omitted.

[0196] As Figure 9 shown, the joint portion 50 of the electric expansion valve 1 according to the second embodiment is composed of a cap member 42 integrally mounted on the valve element 41, a locking portion 45 formed at the lower end of the output shaft 44, and a restricting member 43 mounted on the cap member 42.

[0197] Similar to the first embodiment, the cap member 42 according to the second embodiment is a cylindrical member integrally mounted on the upper surface side of the valve element 41. As Figure 9As shown, an insertion through-hole 42a is formed on the upper surface side of the cap member 42, and the end portion of the output shaft 44 is inserted through the insertion through-hole 42a. Here, the opening area of the insertion through-hole 42a according to the second embodiment is formed to be larger than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the spherical locking portion 45 formed at the lower end of the output shaft 44.

[0198] In addition, on the side surface of the cap member 42, a pair of mounting openings 42c are formed so as to face each other in the horizontal direction. A restricting member 43 is mounted in the pair of mounting openings 42c. One end portion of the restricting member 43 is fixed to one of the pair of mounting openings 42c, and the other end portion of the restricting member 43 is fixed to the other of the pair of mounting openings 42c. By mounting the restricting member 43 in the pair of mounting openings 42c, in the axial direction of the output shaft 44, the opening area of the insertion through-hole 42a of the cap member 42 is made smaller than the maximum outer shape of the locking portion 45 of the output shaft 44.

[0199] Moreover, the locking portion 45 according to the second embodiment is the outer edge portion in the horizontal direction in the spherical portion formed at the lower end of the output shaft 44. In addition, the lower side portion of the spherical portion in the output shaft 44 corresponds to the abutting convex portion 44a in the second embodiment.

[0200] Thus, when the output shaft 44 is transmitted with the driving force from the drive motor 11 and moves upward away from the valve seat 63, the locking portion 45 of the output shaft 44 abuts against the restricting member 43 mounted in the mounting opening 42c of the cap member 42 from below. As described above, the restricting member 43 is mounted on the cap member 42, and the cap member 42 is integrally mounted with respect to the valve element 41. Therefore, the driving force of the drive motor 11 is transmitted to the valve element 41 through the contact between the locking portion 45 of the output shaft 44 and the restricting member 43.

[0201] As a result, in the electric expansion valve 1 according to the second embodiment, the driving force of the drive motor 11 can be transmitted to the valve element 41 via the joint portion 50, and the valve element 41 can be lifted upward away from the valve seat 63.

[0202] In addition, for the case where the output shaft 44 is transmitted with the driving force from the drive motor 11 and moves downward toward the valve seat 63, since it is the same as the above-described first embodiment, a repeated description is omitted.

[0203] Thus, in either case of flowing out from the first inflow / outflow port 64 via the valve chamber 62 to the second inflow / outflow port 65 and flowing out from the second inflow / outflow port 65 via the valve chamber 62 to the first inflow / outflow port 64, the electric expansion valve 1 according to the second embodiment can function as an expansion valve.

[0204] As described above, in the case where the electric expansion valve 1 according to the second embodiment is configured by the spherical locking portion 45, the cap member 42, and the restricting member 43, the effects obtained by the structure and operation common to the above-described embodiment can also be obtained.

[0205] (Third Embodiment)

[0206] Next, a third embodiment different from the above-described embodiments will be described with reference to Figure 10 FIGS. In the third embodiment, the structure of the joint portion 50 in the valve element portion 40 of the electric expansion valve 1 is different from that of the above-described embodiments. Therefore, the structure of the joint portion 50 according to the third embodiment will be described in detail. Moreover, since the other structures related to the electric expansion valve 1 and the refrigeration cycle device 100 are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0207] As Figure 10 shown, the joint portion 50 of the electric expansion valve 1 according to the second embodiment is constituted by a cap member 42 integrally mounted on the valve element 41, a locking portion 45 formed at the lower end of the output shaft 44, and a cylindrical member 43a mounted on the cap member 42.

[0208] Similar to the above-described embodiment, the cap member 42 according to the third embodiment is a cylindrical member integrally mounted on the upper surface side of the valve element 41. As Figure 10 shown, the upper portion of the cap member 42 according to the third embodiment is tapered so that the horizontal cross-sectional area becomes smaller toward the upper side, and an insertion hole 42a and a cutout portion 42b are formed on the upper surface of the cap member 42.

[0209] Similar to the above-described embodiment, the end portion of the output shaft 44 is inserted through the insertion hole 42a. The opening area of the insertion hole 42a according to the third embodiment is formed to be larger than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the spherical locking portion 45 formed at the lower end of the output shaft 44.

[0210] In addition, the cutout portion 42b is formed by cutting the opening edge of the insertion hole 42a in a direction extending radially outward on the upper surface of the cap member 42. In the third embodiment, the lower end portion of the output shaft 44 is disposed inside the cylindrical cap member 42 via the cutout portion 42b, and a state is formed in which the lower end of the output shaft 44 passes through the insertion hole 42a.

[0211] Moreover, similar to the second embodiment, the locking portion 45 according to the third embodiment is constituted by the outer edge portion in the horizontal direction in the spherical portion formed at the lower end of the output shaft 44. In addition, the lower side portion of the spherical portion in the output shaft 44 corresponds to the abutting convex portion 44a in the third embodiment.

[0212] The cylindrical member 43a according to the third embodiment is formed in a cylindrical shape and is installed in such a manner as to house the cap member 42 therein. By means of the cylindrical member 43a, the radially outer side of the cutout portion 42b of the cap member 42 is closed, and thus, the cylindrical member 43a restricts the movement of the output shaft 44 to maintain the state in which the lower end of the output shaft 44 passes through the insertion through-hole 42a.

[0213] Accordingly, when the driving force from the drive motor 11 is transmitted to the output shaft 44 and the output shaft 44 moves upward away from the valve seat 63, the engaging portion 45 of the output shaft 44 abuts against the periphery of the opening edge of the insertion through-hole 42a in the cap member 42 from below. As described above, since the cap member 42 is integrally mounted with the valve element 41, the driving force of the drive motor 11 is transmitted to the valve element 41 through the contact between the engaging portion 45 of the output shaft 44 and the cap member 42.

[0214] As a result, in the electric expansion valve 1 according to the third embodiment, the driving force of the drive motor 11 can be transmitted to the valve element 41 via the joint portion 50, and the valve element 41 can be lifted upward away from the valve seat 63.

[0215] In addition, for the case where the driving force from the drive motor 11 is transmitted to the output shaft 44 and the output shaft 44 moves downward toward the valve seat 63, since it is the same as the above-described embodiment, the description thereof is omitted here.

[0216] Accordingly, in either the case of flowing out from the first inflow / outflow port 64 through the valve chamber 62 to the second inflow / outflow port 65 or the case of flowing out from the second inflow / outflow port 65 through the valve chamber 62 to the first inflow / outflow port 64, the electric expansion valve 1 according to the second embodiment can function as an expansion valve.

[0217] As described above, according to the electric expansion valve 1 according to the third embodiment, even when it is constituted by the spherical engaging portion 45, the cap member 42 having the insertion through-hole 42a and the cutout portion 42b, and the cylindrical member 43a, the effects achieved by the structure and operation common to the above-described embodiments can also be obtained.

[0218] (Fourth Embodiment)

[0219] Next, for a fourth embodiment different from the above-described embodiments, reference is made to Figure 11 for description. In the electric expansion valve 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the specific structure of the alignment mechanism portion 55 is different from that of the above-described embodiments. For other structures in the electric expansion valve 1, since they are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, the description thereof is omitted here.

[0220] The alignment mechanism portion 55 of the above-described embodiment is constituted by a contact convex portion 44a and a concave portion 41a. The contact convex portion 44a is bent at the lower end portion of the output shaft 44 such that the axial center portion of the output shaft 44 is at the lowest position and is hemispherical, and the concave portion 41a has a conical internal shape on the upper surface of the valve element 41 with the axial center portion of the valve element 41 being the deepest.

[0221] Regarding this point, the alignment mechanism portion 55 according to the fourth embodiment is constituted by a cylindrical contact convex portion 44a formed to protrude downward at the lower end portion of the output shaft 44 and a concave portion 41a formed on the upper surface of the valve element 41.

[0222] As Figure 11 shown, the contact convex portion 44a of the output shaft 44 according to the fourth embodiment protrudes downward at the lower end of the output shaft 44 and is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on the axial center portion of the output shaft 44.

[0223] On the other hand, a concave portion 41a into which the contact convex portion 44a of the output shaft 44 is fitted is formed on the upper surface of the valve element 41 according to the fourth embodiment. The concave portion 41a is formed by recessing the upper surface of the valve element 41 downward and has a cylindrical internal space centered on the axis of the valve element 41. The internal space of the concave portion 41a is formed in a cylindrical shape slightly larger than the contact convex portion 44a of the output shaft 44.

[0224] In the alignment mechanism portion 55 according to the fourth embodiment configured as described above, when the valve element 41 is pressed by the output shaft 44 (i.e., in the case of the valve closing operation), the cylindrical contact convex portion 44a is fitted into the concave portion 41a having a cylindrical internal space. The contact convex portion 44a is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on the output shaft 44, and the concave portion 41a has a cylindrical internal space centered on the axis of the valve element 41. Therefore, by fitting the contact convex portion 44a into the concave portion 41a, the position of the output shaft 44 can be adjusted so that the axis of the output shaft 44 coincides with the axis of the valve element 41.

[0225] Moreover, in a state where the axis of the valve element 41 coincides with the axis of the output shaft 44, since the valve element 41 is pressed by the output shaft 44, the driving force transmitted to the output shaft 44 can be appropriately transmitted to the valve element 41, and the pressure reducing function and the flow rate adjusting function of the electric expansion valve 1 can be reliably exhibited.

[0226] As described above, according to the electric expansion valve 1 according to the fourth embodiment, even when the alignment mechanism portion 55 is constituted by the cylindrical contact convex portion 44a and the concave portion 41a, the effects achieved by the structure and operation common to the above-described embodiment can also be obtained.

[0227] (Fifth Embodiment)

[0228] Next, for the fifth embodiment different from the above-described embodiments, reference is made to Figure 12 and described in detail. In the electric expansion valve 1 according to the fifth embodiment, the specific structure of the alignment mechanism portion 55 is different from that of the above-described embodiments. For other structures in the electric expansion valve 1, since they are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, repeated description thereof is omitted.

[0229] The alignment mechanism portion 55 according to the fifth embodiment is composed of an abutment recess 44b formed on the lower surface of the output shaft 44 and a cylindrical convex portion 41b formed on the upper surface of the valve element 41 so as to protrude upward.

[0230] As Figure 12 shown, the abutment recess 44b of the output shaft 44 according to the fifth embodiment is formed by depressing the lower surface of the output shaft 44 upward, and has a cylindrical inner space centered on the axial center portion of the output shaft 44.

[0231] On the other hand, a convex portion 41b into which the abutment recess 44b of the output shaft 44 is fitted is formed on the upper surface of the valve element 41 according to the fourth embodiment. The convex portion 41b is formed by protruding the upper surface of the valve element 41 upward, and is cylindrical with the axis of the valve element 41 as the center. The convex portion 41b is formed into a cylindrical shape slightly smaller than the inner space of the abutment recess 44b of the output shaft 44.

[0232] In the alignment mechanism portion 55 according to the fifth embodiment configured as described above, when the valve element 41 is pressed by the output shaft 44 (that is, in the case of the closing valve operation), the cylindrical convex portion 41b is fitted into the abutment recess 44b having the cylindrical inner space. The inner space of the abutment recess 44b is formed into a cylindrical shape centered on the output shaft 44, and the convex portion 41b is formed into a cylindrical shape centered on the axis of the valve element 41. Therefore, by fitting the convex portion 41b into the abutment recess 44b, the position of the output shaft 44 can be adjusted so that the axis of the output shaft 44 coincides with the axis of the valve element 41.

[0233] Moreover, in a state where the axis of the valve element 41 coincides with the axis of the output shaft 44, since the valve element 41 is pressed by the output shaft 44, the driving force transmitted to the output shaft 44 can be appropriately transmitted to the valve element 41, and the pressure reducing function and the flow rate adjusting function of the electric expansion valve 1 can be reliably exhibited.

[0234] As described above, according to the electric expansion valve 1 according to the fifth embodiment, even when the alignment mechanism portion 55 is constituted by the abutment recess 44b having the cylindrical inner space and the convex portion 41b, the effects obtained by the structures and operations common to the above-described embodiments can also be obtained.

[0235] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as follows within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0236] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as follows within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0237] In the above-described embodiment, the electric expansion valve 1 and the refrigeration cycle device 100 are applied to the refrigeration cycle of the vehicle air conditioner, but are not limited to this mode. As long as it is a refrigeration cycle, the electric expansion valve 1 can be applied. For example, the electric expansion valve 1 can be applied to the refrigeration cycle for residential facilities.

[0238] In addition, the shape of the locking portion 45 of the output shaft 44 constituting the joint portion 50 is not limited to the shape of the locking portion 45 in the above-described embodiment. As the locking portion 45 of the present disclosure, as long as it has a portion that expands to at least larger than the maximum diameter of the insertion hole 42a in the cap member 42, various forms can be adopted.

[0239] For example, the locking portion 45 may be formed by a plurality of protruding portions that are configured to protrude in a direction crossing the axis of the output shaft 44 and extend radially from the axis of the output shaft 44. In this case, the protruding amount of the protruding portion is set to be larger than the maximum diameter of the insertion hole 42a.

[0240] The alignment mechanism portion 55 in the present disclosure is constituted by a concave portion formed on one of the lower end of the output shaft 44 or the upper surface of the valve element 41 and a convex portion formed on one of the lower end of the output shaft 44 or the upper surface of the valve element 41. The shapes of the concave portion and the convex portion constituting the alignment mechanism portion 55 are not limited to the shapes of the above-described embodiment. As long as the shapes of the concave portion and the convex portion in the alignment mechanism portion 55 can adjust the position of the output shaft 44 so that the axis of the output shaft 44 coincides with the axis of the valve element 41 by the fitting of the concave portion and the convex portion, various shapes can be adopted.

[0241] Although the present disclosure has been described according to the embodiments, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and structures. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent scope. Furthermore, various combinations or modes, as well as other combinations or modes including only one element, more than one element or less than one element, also fall within the scope or the scope of the idea of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An electric expansion valve, characterized in that, it has: a drive unit (10) that receives power supply to generate a driving force; an output shaft (44) that rotates about an axis using the driving force output from the drive unit and translates as it rotates; a main body portion (60) having a first inflow / outflow port (64), a second inflow / outflow port (65), a valve chamber (62), and a valve seat (63), where the first inflow / outflow port allows refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle to flow in and out, the second inflow / outflow port is formed at a position different from the first inflow / outflow port, the valve chamber is disposed in a refrigerant passage (66) connecting the first inflow / outflow port and the second inflow / outflow port, and the valve seat is disposed inside the valve chamber; a valve element (41) disposed inside the valve chamber to be able to open and close the opening of the valve seat; and a connection portion (50) that connects the end of the output shaft and the valve element to be able to displace integrally.

2. The electric expansion valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, the connection portion (50) has: a cap member (42) that is integrally mounted on the valve element (41) and has an insertion hole (42a) for inserting the output shaft; and a locking portion (45) having a portion at the end of the output shaft (44) that expands to be at least larger than the maximum diameter of the insertion hole, when the output shaft displaces toward the valve seat, in a state where the insertion hole is inserted, the end of the output shaft presses the valve element to approach the valve seat, when the output shaft displaces away from the valve seat, the valve element is separated from the valve seat by the contact between the opening edge of the insertion hole and the locking portion.

3. The electric expansion valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, it has an alignment mechanism portion (55) that adjusts to align the axis of the output shaft with the axis of the valve element, the alignment mechanism portion has: a convex portion (41b, 44a) formed on either the end of the output shaft or the surface of the valve element opposite to the end of the output shaft; and a concave portion (41a, 44b) formed on the other of the end of the output shaft and the surface of the valve element opposite to the end of the output shaft so as to be able to engage with the convex portion, by engaging the convex portion with the concave portion, the axis of the output shaft is adjusted to be aligned with the axis of the valve element.

4. A refrigeration cycle device having a refrigeration cycle including a compressor (101), a radiator (102, 103), an electric expansion valve (1, 104), and an evaporator (103, 107), where the compressor compresses and discharges refrigerant, the radiator dissipates heat of the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor, the electric expansion valve decompresses the refrigerant flowing out from the radiator, and the evaporator evaporates the refrigerant decompressed by the electric expansion valve, characterized in that, the electric expansion valve has: A drive unit (10) that receives power supply to generate a driving force; An output shaft (44) that rotates about an axis by using the driving force output from the drive unit and translates as it rotates; A main body portion (60) having a first inflow / outflow port (64), a second inflow / outflow port (65), a valve chamber (62), and a valve seat (63). The first inflow / outflow port allows the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle to flow in and out. The second inflow / outflow port is formed at a position different from the first inflow / outflow port. The valve chamber is disposed in the refrigerant passage (66) connecting the first inflow / outflow port and the second inflow / outflow port. The valve seat is disposed inside the valve chamber; A valve element (41) disposed inside the valve chamber to be able to open and close the opening of the valve seat; And A connection portion (50) that connects the end of the output shaft and the valve element to be able to displace integrally, The refrigeration cycle device is configured to be able to switch between a first operation mode and a second operation mode, The first operation mode is an operation mode in which the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle flows in from the first inflow / outflow port and flows out from the second inflow / outflow port through the refrigerant passage and the valve chamber, The second operation mode is an operation mode in which the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle flows in from the second inflow / outflow port and flows out from the first inflow / outflow port through the same refrigerant passage and valve chamber as the first operation mode.

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