A thermal management system for a vehicle

Abstract

This invention provides a vehicle thermal management system, comprising: a housing having a first receiving cavity, a second receiving cavity, and a four-way valve mounting cavity; a heating mechanism disposed in the first receiving cavity for heating water; an evaporation mechanism disposed on top of the heating mechanism; a four-way valve mechanism disposed within the four-way valve mounting cavity; and a control board disposed in the second receiving cavity, electrically connected to the heating mechanism and the four-way valve mechanism. The housing, heating mechanism, evaporation mechanism, four-way valve mechanism, and control board are interconnected to form an integrated unit. The technical problem solved by this invention is that the dispersed arrangement of the heater, evaporator, and four-way valve in existing technologies leads to a complex structure and numerous components in the entire thermal management system, making the installation process cumbersome and technically challenging, thus increasing the installation difficulty of the thermal management system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of new energy vehicles, and more specifically, to a vehicle thermal management system. Background Technology

[0002] With the booming development of the new energy vehicle industry, the thermal management system has become a key component of vehicle performance, and its quality directly affects the vehicle's range, ride comfort, and even driving safety.

[0003] Currently, vehicle thermal management systems typically include core components such as water heaters, evaporators, and four-way valves, which are usually arranged independently.

[0004] However, the relevant technology has at least one of the following problems: the heater, evaporator and four-way valve in the existing technology are arranged in a decentralized manner, which makes the entire thermal management system complex and has many parts, making the installation process cumbersome and increasing the technical difficulty, thus increasing the installation difficulty of the thermal management system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem solved by this invention is that the heater, evaporator and four-way valve are scattered in the prior art, which makes the entire thermal management system complex and has many parts, making the installation process cumbersome and increasing the technical difficulty, thus increasing the installation difficulty of the thermal management system.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a vehicle thermal management system, comprising: a housing having a first receiving cavity, a second receiving cavity, and a four-way valve mounting cavity; a heating mechanism disposed in the first receiving cavity for heating water; an evaporation mechanism disposed on top of the heating mechanism and fixedly connected to it; a four-way valve mechanism disposed in the four-way valve mounting cavity; and a control board disposed in the second receiving cavity, electrically connected to the heating mechanism and the four-way valve mechanism; wherein the housing, heating mechanism, evaporation mechanism, four-way valve mechanism, and control board are interconnected to form an integrated unit.

[0007] Compared with existing technologies, the technical effects achieved by this solution are as follows: This solution connects the housing, heating mechanism, evaporation mechanism, four-way valve mechanism, and control board to form an integrated unit within the housing. The control board provides unified control, enabling modular design of the thermal management system. This simplifies the overall structure of the thermal management system, improving its reliability and integration. Furthermore, installation only requires installing the entire integrated unit into the vehicle, reducing the installation difficulty of the thermal management system.

[0008] Furthermore, by integrating the heating mechanism, evaporation mechanism, and four-way valve mechanism into a single unit within the housing, the complex piping and wiring connections within the thermal management system are reduced, thereby saving on piping material costs. At the same time, the installation space required for the heating mechanism, evaporation mechanism, and four-way valve mechanism within the vehicle is also reduced, thus saving on vehicle design costs.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the four-way valve mounting cavity includes a first cavity and a second cavity arranged adjacent to each other. The four-way valve mechanism includes: a valve core, which is mounted in the first cavity and has multiple ports; a drive assembly, which is mounted in the second cavity and electrically connected to a control board, and is used to drive the valve core to rotate to change the flow direction of fluid in the multiple ports; and a valve stem shaft, one end of which is connected to the valve core and the other end of which is connected to the drive assembly for transmission. A shaft hole is provided between the first cavity and the second cavity for the valve stem shaft to pass through, so that one end of the valve stem shaft is located in the first cavity and the other end is located in the second cavity.

[0010] Compared with existing technologies, the technical effects achieved by adopting this technical solution are as follows: This solution improves the ease of installation by setting up a first cavity and a second cavity to install the valve core and drive assembly separately.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the four-way valve mechanism includes: a bushing, which is sleeved outside the valve stem shaft to allow the valve stem shaft to rotate in conjunction with the shaft hole; and a sealing ring, which is sleeved outside the valve stem shaft and located between the bushing and the valve core.

[0012] Compared with existing technologies, the technical effects achieved by this solution are as follows: By setting a bushing, this solution enables a rotatable connection between the valve stem shaft and the shaft hole, thereby reducing friction between the valve stem shaft and the shaft hole and extending the service life of the valve stem shaft; furthermore, by setting a sealing ring, dynamic sealing is achieved between the valve stem shaft and the shaft hole during the rotation of the valve core, thus improving the sealing performance.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first cavity is disposed on top of a second cavity, and a first opening is provided on the top of the first cavity. The four-way valve mechanism further includes: a first cover, which is detachably installed on the top of the first cavity to cover the first opening; a second cover, which is detachably connected to the bottom wall of the first cavity, and the second cavity is formed between the second cover and the bottom wall; wherein, a first mounting groove is provided on the side of the second cover near the first cavity, and the drive assembly is installed in the first mounting groove.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the technical effects achieved by adopting this technical solution are as follows: Firstly, by setting a first cover to be detachably installed on the top of the first cavity, this solution facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the first cover by maintenance personnel, thereby improving the convenience of valve core maintenance; Secondly, by detachably connecting the second cover to the bottom wall of the first cavity, it facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the second cover by maintenance personnel, thereby improving the convenience of drive component maintenance.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first limiting part and a second limiting part are provided on the side of the first cover near the first cavity; a positioning protrusion is provided on the top of the valve core; wherein, when the first cover is installed on the top of the first cavity and the driving assembly drives the valve core to rotate, the positioning protrusion moves between the first limiting part and the second limiting part.

[0016] Compared with the existing technology, the technical effects achieved by adopting this technical solution are as follows: This solution achieves precise control of the rotation angle of the valve core by setting a positioning protrusion to cooperate with the first limiting part and the second limiting part, and provides hard stop protection for the valve core between the first limiting part and the second limiting part.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, a sealing groove is provided circumferentially on the side of the second cover near the first cavity, and a first sealing element is installed in the sealing groove; when the second cover is fixedly connected to the bottom wall, the upper end face of the first sealing element abuts against the bottom wall, and the lower end face of the first sealing element abuts against the sealing groove.

[0018] Compared with the existing technology, the technical effect achieved by adopting this technical solution is as follows: This solution improves the sealing performance when the second cover is fitted with the bottom wall by setting a sealing groove in the second cover and installing a first sealing element in the sealing groove, thereby preventing water vapor from entering the second cavity and damaging the drive component, and thus extending the service life of the drive component.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the thermal management system further includes: a low-pressure drive interface, which is disposed on the side of the housing near the four-way valve mounting cavity; wherein the low-pressure drive interface is electrically connected to the drive assembly and electrically connected to the control board.

[0020] Compared with existing technologies, the technical effects achieved by adopting this technical solution are as follows: This solution achieves unified control of the four-way valve mechanism and heating mechanism by setting the drive component to be electrically connected to the low-voltage drive interface and setting the low-voltage drive interface to be electrically connected to the control board, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the thermal management system.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the top of the housing is provided with a second mounting groove and a third cover for mounting a heating mechanism. The third cover is detachably mounted on the top of the second mounting groove to form a first receiving cavity. The heating mechanism includes: at least one electric heating tube, which is installed in the second mounting groove and is meandering and horizontally arranged; a first partition plate, which is disposed outside the at least one electric heating tube; wherein the second mounting groove is also provided with a water inlet for connecting water to the heating mechanism.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the technical effects achieved by adopting this technical solution are as follows: This solution facilitates the installation of at least one electric heating tube by setting a third cover that can be detachably installed on the top of the second mounting groove; furthermore, by setting the first partition plate outside the at least one electric heating tube, the heat exchange efficiency of the heating mechanism is improved.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the evaporation mechanism includes: an evaporation base plate disposed on top of a third cover; a second partition plate disposed between the evaporation base plate and the third cover, and the second partition plate and the third cover are fixedly connected; multiple evaporation intermediate plates disposed on top of the evaporation base plate, the multiple evaporation intermediate plates being vertically stacked and fixedly connected to each other; an evaporation top plate disposed on top of the multiple evaporation intermediate plates; a water outlet disposed on top of the evaporation top plate; a refrigerant inlet disposed on top of the evaporation top plate and adjacent to the water outlet; and a refrigerant outlet disposed on top of the evaporation top plate and opposite to the refrigerant inlet; wherein, one end of the third cover located outside the second mounting groove is provided with an evaporation through hole for connecting the evaporation mechanism and the four-way valve, the second partition plate is provided with a first through hole, and the multiple evaporation intermediate plates are provided with third through holes, the evaporation through hole, the first through hole, and the third through hole are connected.

[0024] Compared with the existing technology, the technical effects achieved by adopting this technical solution are as follows: This solution sets up an evaporation mechanism including an evaporation bottom plate, a second partition plate, multiple evaporation intermediate plates, an evaporation top plate, a water outlet, a refrigerant inlet, and a refrigerant outlet. The third cover is provided with an evaporation through hole for connecting the evaporation mechanism and the four-way valve at one end outside the second mounting groove. The second partition plate is provided with a first through hole, the evaporation bottom plate is provided with a second through hole, and the multiple evaporation intermediate plates are provided with third through holes. The evaporation through holes, the first through hole, the second through hole, and the third through hole are interconnected, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporation mechanism.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the drive assembly includes: a drive motor having a drive shaft for providing driving force; a gear assembly being driveably connected to the drive motor; and a drive worm having one end connected to the drive shaft and the other end connected to the gear assembly.

[0026] Compared with the existing technology, the technical effect achieved by adopting this technical solution is as follows: This solution sets up a drive motor, a drive worm gear and a gear assembly to cooperate with each other, so as to transmit the driving force of the drive motor to the valve core, control the rotation of the valve core, and change the flow direction of the fluid in multiple ports.

[0027] By adopting the technical solution of the present invention, the following technical effects can be achieved:

[0028] This invention provides a vehicle thermal management system that integrates a housing, a heating mechanism, an evaporation mechanism, a four-way valve mechanism, and a control board into a single integrated unit within the housing. This modular design, achieved through unified control via the control board, simplifies the overall structure of the thermal management system, enhancing its reliability and integration. Furthermore, installation is simplified by simply fitting the entire integrated unit into the vehicle, reducing the complexity of the installation process.

[0029] Furthermore, by integrating the heating mechanism, evaporation mechanism, and four-way valve mechanism into a single unit within the housing, the complex piping and wiring connections within the thermal management system are reduced, thereby saving on piping material costs. At the same time, the installation space required for the heating mechanism, evaporation mechanism, and four-way valve mechanism within the vehicle is also reduced, thus saving on vehicle design costs. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings to be used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 A perspective view of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A cross-sectional view along the middle of PP;

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of region A in the middle;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of region B in the middle;

[0037] Figure 7 A third schematic diagram of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second cover of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first cover of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 A fourth schematic diagram of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 11 Fifth schematic diagram of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the housing of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 6.

[0044] Figure 14 for Figure 13 A magnified view of region C in the middle;

[0045] Figure 15 This is the seventh schematic diagram of a vehicle thermal management system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 16 for Figure 15 A magnified view of region D in the middle.

[0047] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0048] 100. Housing; 110. First receiving cavity; 120. Second receiving cavity; 121. Control panel; 130. Third cover; 131. Evaporation through hole; 140. Fourth cover; 150. Low-pressure drive interface; 160. High-pressure drive interface; 200. Four-way valve mounting cavity; 210. First cover; 211. Arc-shaped protrusion; 211a. First limiting part; 211b. Second limiting part; 220. Shaft hole; 23. 0. Second cover; 231. First mounting groove; 232. First seal; 233. First terminal block; 234. Second terminal block; 240. First flow channel; 250. Second flow channel; 260. Third flow channel; 261. First interface; 270. Fourth flow channel; 271. Second interface; 300. Heating mechanism; 310. Heating element; 320. First partition plate; 330. Water inlet; 400. Evaporation mechanism 410. Evaporator base plate; 411. Second through hole; 420. Second partition plate; 421. First through hole; 430. Evaporator intermediate plate; 431. Third through hole; 440. Evaporator top plate; 441. Water outlet; 442. Refrigerant inlet; 443. Refrigerant outlet; 500. Four-way valve mechanism; 510. Valve core; 511. Positioning protrusion; 512. First port; 513. Third port; 514. Fourth port 520, Drive assembly; 521, Drive motor; 522, Drive worm; 530, Valve stem shaft; 540, Bushing; 550, Sealing ring; 600, Output gear; 700, First transmission gear set; 710, First rotating shaft; 720, First transmission gear; 730, Second transmission gear; 800, Second transmission gear set; 810, Second rotating shaft; 820, Third transmission gear; 830, Fourth transmission gear. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] like Figures 1 to 16 As shown, the present invention provides a vehicle thermal management system, which includes a housing 100, a heating mechanism 300, an evaporation mechanism 400, a four-way valve mechanism 500, and a control board 121. Specifically, the housing 100 is made of aluminum and has a first receiving cavity, a second receiving cavity 120, and a four-way valve mounting cavity 200, as shown. Figure 1As shown, the heating mechanism 300 is disposed in the first receiving cavity for heating water. The evaporation mechanism 400 is disposed on top of the heating mechanism 300 and is fixedly connected to the heating mechanism 300 (in this embodiment, the evaporation mechanism 400 is fixed to the top of the heating mechanism 300 by welding. Compared with the prior art, which uses multiple screws to fix the evaporation mechanism 400, this embodiment uses welding, which omits the design of screws, thereby reducing the design cost of the evaporation mechanism 400. In addition, during the installation of the evaporation mechanism 400, it is not necessary to fix multiple screws one by one, saving time costs during the installation process). The four-way valve mechanism 500 is disposed in the four-way valve mounting cavity 200. The control plate 121 is disposed in the second receiving cavity 120 and is electrically connected to the heating mechanism 300 and the four-way valve mechanism 500. The housing 100, the heating mechanism 300, the evaporation mechanism 400, the four-way valve mechanism 500 and the control plate 121 are interconnected to form an integrated body.

[0051] Specifically, this solution interconnects the housing 100, heating mechanism 300, evaporation mechanism 400, four-way valve mechanism 500, and control board 121 to form an integrated unit within the housing 100, and achieves unified control via the control board 121 (e.g., Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the control board 121 is a PCB board, the second receiving cavity 120 is disposed at the bottom of the first receiving cavity, the bottom wall of the first receiving cavity is provided with a third mounting groove, and the PCB board is installed horizontally in the third mounting groove, thereby realizing the modular setting of the thermal management system, making the structure of the entire thermal management system simpler, improving the reliability and integration of the vehicle thermal management system; and during installation, only the entire integrated unit needs to be installed into the vehicle, thereby reducing the installation difficulty of the thermal management system during the installation process.

[0052] Furthermore, in existing technologies, the heater and four-way valve of a thermal management system are separate units. Typically, one circuit board controls the heater, and another circuit board controls the four-way valve, requiring the design of two circuit boards. In this embodiment, by electrically connecting the control board 121 to both the heating mechanism 300 and the drive assembly for driving the four-way valve mechanism 500, unified control of both the heating mechanism 300 and the four-way valve mechanism 500 is achieved, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the thermal management system.

[0053] More specifically, by integrating the heating mechanism 300, the evaporation mechanism 400, and the four-way valve mechanism 500 into a single unit within the housing 100, the complex piping and wiring connections within the thermal management system are reduced, thereby saving on piping material costs. Simultaneously, the installation space required for the heating mechanism 300, the evaporation mechanism 400, and the four-way valve mechanism 500 within the vehicle is reduced, thus saving on vehicle design costs.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the evaporation mechanism 400 is welded to the top of the heating mechanism 300. A second opening is provided on the side of the second receiving cavity 120 away from the first receiving cavity. The housing 100 also includes a fourth cover 140, which is detachably connected to the housing 100 (e.g., snap-fit, screw-fit) to cover the second opening and seal the control plate 121 within the second receiving cavity 120. In this embodiment, the fourth cover 140 is screw-fitted to the housing 100 (e.g., snap-fit, screw-fit) to seal the second opening and the control plate 121 within the second receiving cavity 120. Figures 1 to 3 (As shown).

[0055] Furthermore, such as Figures 5 to 10 As shown, the four-way valve mounting cavity 200 includes a first cavity and a second cavity arranged adjacent to each other. The four-way valve mechanism 500 includes a valve core 510, a drive assembly 520, and a valve stem shaft 530. Specifically, the valve core 510 is installed in the first cavity and has four ports. The drive assembly 520 is installed in the second cavity and is electrically connected to the control board 121. The drive assembly 520 is used to drive the valve core 510 to rotate to change the flow direction of the fluid in the four ports. One end of the valve stem shaft 530 is connected to the valve core 510, and the other end is connected to the drive assembly 520 for transmission. A shaft hole 220 is provided between the first cavity and the second cavity for the valve stem shaft 530 to pass through, so that one end of the valve stem shaft 530 is located in the first cavity and the other end is located in the second cavity.

[0056] Specifically, this solution improves the ease of installation by setting up a first cavity and a second cavity to install the valve core 510 and the drive assembly 520 in separate cavities.

[0057] like Figures 5 to 10As shown, four ports are evenly arranged circumferentially along the valve core 510. The four ports, arranged clockwise around the valve core 510, are designated as the first port 512, the second port (not shown), the third port 513, and the fourth port 514. It should be noted that the second port (not shown) is positioned opposite the fourth port 514, and the first port 512 communicates with the fourth port 514, while the third port 513 communicates with the second port (not shown). The first cavity is evenly arranged circumferentially with four channels corresponding to the four ports. These four channels include a first flow channel 240, a second flow channel 250, a third flow channel 260, and a fourth flow channel 270. The first flow channel 240 communicates with the first receiving cavity, and the second flow channel 250 communicates with the evaporation mechanism 400. Specifically, the second flow channel 250 is connected from bottom to top to the evaporation through-hole 131, the first through-hole 421, the second through-hole 411, and the third through-hole 431 to realize the transport of the cold medium. As shown in the figure, the first cavity is also provided with a first interface 261 for the third flow channel 260 to communicate with the outside world and a second interface 271 for the fourth flow channel 270 to communicate with the outside world.

[0058] Furthermore, such as Figures 7 to 14 As shown, the four-way valve mechanism 500 includes a bushing 540 and a sealing ring 550. Specifically, the bushing 540 is sleeved on the outside of the valve stem shaft 530 so that the valve stem shaft 530 is rotatably engaged with the shaft hole 220, and the sealing ring 550 is sleeved on the outside of the valve stem shaft 530 and located between the bushing 540 and the valve core 510.

[0059] Specifically, this solution uses a bushing 540 to enable a rotatable connection between the valve stem shaft 530 and the shaft hole 220, thereby reducing friction between the valve stem shaft 530 and the shaft hole 220 and extending the service life of the valve stem shaft 530. Furthermore, by using a sealing ring 550, dynamic sealing is achieved between the valve stem shaft 530 and the shaft hole 220 during the rotation of the valve core 510, thus improving the sealing performance.

[0060] Furthermore, such as Figures 3 to 14 As shown, a first cavity is disposed on top of a second cavity, and a first opening is provided on the top of the first cavity. The four-way valve mechanism 500 also includes a first cover 210 and a second cover 230. Specifically, the first cover 210 is detachably installed on the top of the first cavity to cover the first opening, and the second cover 230 is detachably connected to the bottom wall of the first cavity. The second cavity is formed between the second cover 230 and the bottom wall. A first mounting groove 231 is provided on the side of the second cover 230 near the first cavity, and the drive assembly 520 is installed in the first mounting groove 231.

[0061] Specifically, firstly, this solution provides a first cover 210 that is detachably installed on the top of the first cavity, facilitating the disassembly and assembly of the first cover 210 by maintenance personnel, thereby improving the convenience of inspecting and maintaining the valve core 510; secondly, the second cover 230 is detachably connected to the bottom wall of the first cavity, facilitating the disassembly and assembly of the second cover 230 by maintenance personnel, thereby improving the convenience of inspecting and maintaining the drive assembly 520.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first cover 210 is snap-fitted onto the top of the first cavity, and the second cover 230 is snap-fitted onto the bottom wall.

[0063] In another embodiment provided by the present invention, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the first cover 210 is screwed onto the top of the first cavity, and the second cover 230 is screwed to the bottom wall, or the second cover 230 is connected to the bottom wall in the form of a binding ring.

[0064] Furthermore, such as Figures 5 to 10 As shown, the first cover 210 is provided with a first limiting part 211a and a second limiting part 211b on the side near the first cavity, and the valve core 510 is provided with a positioning protrusion 511 on the top. When the first cover 210 is installed on the top of the first cavity and the driving assembly 520 drives the valve core 510 to rotate, the positioning protrusion 511 moves between the first limiting part 211a and the second limiting part 211b.

[0065] Specifically, this solution achieves precise control of the rotation angle of the valve core 510 by setting a positioning protrusion 511 to cooperate with the first limiting part 211a and the second limiting part 211b, and provides hard stop protection for the valve core 510 between the first limiting part 211a and the second limiting part 211b.

[0066] like Figures 5 to 10 As shown, the first cover 210 has an arc-shaped protrusion 211 on the side near the first cavity, and the arc-shaped protrusion 211 has a second opening, with the two ends of the second opening being a first limiting part 211a and a second limiting part 211b, respectively. When the first cover 210 is installed on the top of the first cavity, the positioning protrusion 511 is located in the second opening. When the driving assembly 520 drives the valve core 510 to rotate, the positioning protrusion 511 limits the rotation between the first limiting part 211a and the second limiting part 211b, and causes the valve core 510 to form a 90° back-and-forth limiting rotation.

[0067] Furthermore, such as Figures 3 to 10As shown, a sealing groove is provided circumferentially on the side of the second cover 230 near the first cavity. A first sealing element 232 is installed in the sealing groove. When the second cover 230 is fixedly connected to the bottom wall, the upper end face of the first sealing element 232 abuts against the bottom wall, and the lower end face of the first sealing element 232 abuts against the sealing groove.

[0068] Specifically, this solution improves the sealing performance of the second cover 230 when it is fitted with the bottom wall by setting a sealing groove in the second cover 230 and installing a first sealing element 232 in the sealing groove, thereby preventing water vapor from entering the second cavity and damaging the drive assembly 520, and thus extending the service life of the drive assembly 520.

[0069] Furthermore, Figures 12 to 16 As shown, the thermal management system also includes a low-pressure drive interface 150. Specifically, the low-pressure drive interface 150 is located on the side of the housing 100 near the four-way valve mounting cavity 200. The low-pressure drive interface 150 is electrically connected to the drive assembly 520 and to the control board 121. This enables the control board 121 to uniformly control the four-way valve mechanism 500 and the heating mechanism 300, reducing the manufacturing cost of the thermal management system.

[0070] Furthermore, such as Figures 12 to 16 As shown, a first terminal block 233 is provided on the side of the second cover 230 away from the first cavity; wherein, the end of the first terminal block 233 away from the second cover 230 is connected to the low-voltage drive interface 150 by a plug-in connection to realize the electrical connection between the drive assembly 520 and the low-voltage drive interface 150; a second terminal block 234 is welded on the side of the control board 121 away from the first cavity, and the second terminal block 234 is connected to the second cover 230 by a plug-in connection to realize the electrical connection between the drive assembly 520 and the control board 121, and the electrical connection between the low-voltage drive interface 150 and the control board 121.

[0071] Specifically, in existing technologies, the heater and four-way valve of a thermal management system are separate units, requiring two circuit boards and thus two low-voltage interfaces. In this embodiment, a first terminal 233 electrically connects the drive assembly 520 to the low-voltage drive interface 150, and a second terminal 234 connects the drive assembly 520 to the control board 121 and the low-voltage drive interface 150 to the control board 121. Therefore, only one low-voltage drive interface 150 needs to be connected to the drive assembly 520 to uniformly control the heating mechanism 300 and the four-way valve mechanism 500. This allows the control board 121 to uniformly control both the four-way valve mechanism 500 and the heating mechanism 300, reducing the manufacturing cost of the thermal management system.

[0072] Figures 12 to 16As shown, a high-voltage drive interface 160, which is electrically connected to the control board 121, is also provided at a position adjacent to the low-voltage drive interface of the housing 100, so as to facilitate the connection and control of the external control system and the thermal management system.

[0073] Furthermore, such as Figures 1 to 11 As shown, the top of the housing 100 is provided with a second mounting groove for mounting the heating mechanism 300 and a third cover 130. The third cover 130 is detachably mounted on the top of the second mounting groove to form a first receiving cavity. The heating mechanism 300 includes at least one heating element 310 and a first partition plate 320. Specifically, at least one heating element 310 is installed in the second mounting groove, and the at least one heating element 310 is meandering and horizontally arranged. The first partition plate 320 is disposed outside the at least one heating element 310. The second mounting groove is also provided with a water inlet 330 for connecting water to the heating mechanism 300.

[0074] Specifically, this solution facilitates the installation of at least one heating element 310 by setting a third cover 130 that can be detachably installed on the top of the second mounting groove; furthermore, by setting the first partition plate 320 outside the at least one heating element 310, the heat exchange efficiency of the heating mechanism 300 is improved.

[0075] Furthermore, such as Figures 1 to 11As shown, the evaporation mechanism 400 includes an evaporation base plate 410, a second partition plate 420, multiple evaporation intermediate plates 430, an evaporation top plate 440, a water outlet 441, a refrigerant inlet 442, and a refrigerant outlet 443. Specifically, the evaporation base plate 410 and the second partition plate 420 are disposed between the evaporation base plate 410 and the third cover 130, and the second partition plate 420 and the third cover 130 are fixedly connected (in this embodiment, the second partition plate 420 and the third cover 130 are fixedly connected by brazing). The multiple evaporation intermediate plates 430 are disposed on top of the evaporation base plate 410, and the multiple evaporation intermediate plates 430 are vertically stacked and fixedly connected (in this embodiment, the multiple evaporation intermediate plates 430 are fixedly connected as a whole by brazing). The evaporation top plate 440 is disposed on top of the multiple evaporation intermediate plates 430, and the water outlet 441 is disposed on the evaporation base plate 410. At the top of the top plate 440, a refrigerant inlet 442 is located at the top of the evaporation top plate 440 and is adjacent to the water outlet 441. A refrigerant outlet 443 is located at the top of the evaporation top plate 440 and is opposite to the refrigerant inlet 442. The third cover 130 is provided with an evaporation through hole 131 for connecting the evaporation mechanism 400 and the four-way valve at one end outside the second mounting groove. The second partition plate 420 is provided with a first through hole 421. The evaporation bottom plate 410 is provided with a second through hole 411. Multiple evaporation intermediate plates 430 are provided with third through holes 431. The evaporation through holes 131, the first through hole 421, the second through hole 411 and the third through hole 431 are interconnected.

[0076] Specifically, this solution improves the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporation mechanism 400 by setting the evaporation mechanism 400 to include an evaporation base plate 410, a second partition plate 420, multiple evaporation intermediate plates 430, an evaporation top plate 440, a water outlet 441, a refrigerant inlet 442, and a refrigerant outlet 443. The third cover 130 is provided with an evaporation through hole 131 for connecting the evaporation mechanism 400 and the four-way valve at one end outside the second mounting groove. The second partition plate 420 is provided with a first through hole 421, the evaporation base plate 410 is provided with a second through hole 411, and the multiple evaporation intermediate plates 430 are provided with a third through hole 431. The evaporation through holes 131, 421, 411, and 431 are interconnected.

[0077] Furthermore, the second partition plate 420 is welded between the evaporator base plate 410 and the third cover 130 to provide heat insulation. Figure 11 As shown, the second partition plate 420 is designed with a hollow shape, which reduces the contact area between the evaporator base plate 410 and the third cover 130. Thus, when the evaporator mechanism 400 is in cooling mode, the heat transferred from the heating mechanism 300 to the evaporator mechanism 400 is reduced, thereby improving the cooling effect of the coolant in the evaporator mechanism 400.

[0078] Furthermore, such as Figures 7 to 10 As shown, the drive assembly 520 includes a drive motor 521, a gear assembly, and a drive worm 522. Specifically, the drive motor 521 is provided with a drive shaft for providing driving force, the gear assembly is connected to the drive motor 521 in a transmission connection, and one end of the drive worm 522 is connected to the drive shaft, while the other end is connected to the gear assembly.

[0079] Specifically, this solution uses a drive motor 521, a drive worm gear 522, and a gear assembly to work together to transmit the driving force of the drive motor 521 to the valve core 510, thereby controlling the rotation of the valve core 510 and changing the flow direction of fluid in multiple ports.

[0080] like Figure 10 As shown, the gear assembly includes an output gear 600 and a reduction gear set. The reduction gear set is driven by a worm gear 522. The output gear 600 is connected to the reduction gear set and the valve core 510 through the valve stem shaft 530, so as to drive the valve core 510 to rotate and change the flow direction of the fluid in multiple ports.

[0081] like Figure 10 As shown, the reduction gear set includes a first transmission gear set 700 and a second transmission gear set 730. The first transmission gear set 700 includes a first rotating shaft 710 and a first transmission gear 720 and a second transmission gear 730 sleeved on the outside of the first rotating shaft 710. The first transmission gear 720 meshes with the drive worm gear 522, and the second transmission gear 730 is located at the bottom of the first transmission gear 720, and the second transmission gear 730 is integrally formed with the first transmission gear 720. The second transmission gear set 730 includes a second rotating shaft 810 and a third transmission gear 820 and a fourth transmission gear 830 sleeved on the outside of the second rotating shaft 810. The third transmission gear 820 meshes with the second transmission gear 730, and the fourth transmission gear 830 meshes with the output gear 600. The third transmission gear 820 is located at the bottom of the fourth transmission gear 830, and the third transmission gear 820 and the fourth transmission gear 830 are integrally formed.

[0082] While the present invention has been disclosed above, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for a vehicle, characterized in that, The thermal management system includes: The housing (100) is provided with a first receiving cavity (110), a second receiving cavity (120) and a four-way valve mounting cavity (200). A heating mechanism (300) is disposed in the first receiving cavity (110) for heating water; An evaporation mechanism (400) is disposed on top of the heating mechanism (300) and is fixedly connected to the heating mechanism (300); A four-way valve mechanism (500) is disposed within the four-way valve mounting cavity (200); A control board (121) is disposed in the second receiving cavity (120), and the control board (121) is electrically connected to the heating mechanism (300) and the four-way valve mechanism (500); The housing (100), the heating mechanism (300), the evaporation mechanism (400), the four-way valve mechanism (500), and the control board (121) are interconnected to form an integrated unit. The four-way valve mounting cavity (200) includes a first cavity and a second cavity arranged adjacent to each other, and the four-way valve mechanism (500) includes: A valve core (510) is installed in the first cavity and has multiple ports. A drive assembly (520) is installed in the second cavity and electrically connected to the control board (121). The drive assembly (520) is used to drive the valve core (510) to rotate to change the flow direction of the fluid in the plurality of ports. A valve stem shaft (530) is provided, one end of which is connected to the valve core (510), and the other end is connected to the drive assembly (520) for transmission. Wherein, a shaft hole (220) is provided between the first cavity and the second cavity for the valve stem shaft (530) to pass through, so that one end of the valve stem shaft (530) is located in the first cavity and the other end is located in the second cavity; The first cavity is disposed on top of the second cavity, and the top of the first cavity has a first opening. The four-way valve mechanism (500) further includes: A first cover (210) is detachably mounted on the top of the first cavity to cover the first opening; The second cover (230) is detachably connected to the bottom wall of the first cavity, and the second cavity is formed between the second cover (230) and the bottom wall; The second cover (230) has a first mounting groove (231) on the side near the first cavity, and the drive assembly (520) is installed in the first mounting groove (231). The top of the housing (100) is provided with a second mounting groove and a third cover (130) for mounting the heating mechanism (300). The third cover (130) is detachably mounted on the top of the second mounting groove to form the first receiving cavity (110). The heating mechanism (300) includes: At least one heating element (310) is installed in the second mounting groove, and the at least one heating element (310) is meandering and horizontally arranged; A first partition plate (320) is disposed outside the at least one heating element (310); The second mounting groove is also provided with a water inlet (330) for connecting water to the heating mechanism (300). The evaporation mechanism (400) includes: An evaporation base plate (410) is disposed on the top of the third cover (130); The second partition plate (420) is disposed between the evaporation base plate (410) and the third cover (130), and the second partition plate (420) is fixedly connected to the third cover (130); Multiple evaporation intermediate plates (430) are disposed on top of the evaporation base plate (410), the multiple evaporation intermediate plates (430) are vertically stacked, and the multiple evaporation intermediate plates (430) are fixedly connected to each other; An evaporation top plate (440) is disposed on top of the plurality of evaporation intermediate plates (430); Water outlet (441), the water outlet (441) is provided on the top of the evaporation top plate (440); A refrigerant inlet (442) is provided at the top of the evaporator top plate (440) and is provided adjacent to the water outlet (441); A refrigerant outlet (443) is provided at the top of the evaporator top plate (440) and is disposed opposite to the refrigerant inlet (442); The third cover (130) is provided with an evaporation through hole (131) at one end outside the second mounting groove for connecting the evaporation mechanism (400) and the four-way valve. The second partition plate (420) is provided with a first through hole (421). The evaporation base plate (410) is provided with a second through hole (411). The plurality of evaporation intermediate plates (430) are provided with a third through hole (431). The evaporation through hole (131), the first through hole (421), the second through hole (411) and the third through hole (431) are interconnected.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The four-way valve mechanism (500) includes: A bushing (540) is fitted around the outside of the valve stem shaft (530) so that the valve stem shaft (530) rotates with the shaft hole (220); A sealing ring (550) is sleeved on the outside of the valve stem shaft (530) and located between the bushing (540) and the valve core (510).

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first cover (210) is provided with a first limiting part (211a) and a second limiting part (211b) on the side near the first cavity. The valve core (510) is provided with a positioning protrusion (511) on its top. When the first cover (210) is installed on the top of the first cavity and the drive assembly (520) drives the valve core (510) to rotate, the positioning protrusion (511) moves between the first limiting part (211a) and the second limiting part (211b).

4. The thermal management system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second cover (230) has a sealing groove along the circumferential direction on the side near the first cavity, and a first sealing element (232) is installed in the sealing groove. When the second cover (230) is fixedly connected to the bottom wall, the upper end face of the first seal (232) abuts against the bottom wall, and the lower end face of the first seal (232) abuts against the sealing groove.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal management system also includes: A low-pressure drive interface (150) is provided on the side of the housing (100) near the four-way valve mounting cavity (200); The low-voltage drive interface (150) is electrically connected to the drive assembly (520), and the low-voltage drive interface (150) is electrically connected to the control board (121).

6. The thermal management system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive component (520) includes: A drive motor (521) is provided with a drive shaft for providing driving force; A gear assembly, which is connected in transmission to the drive motor (521); A drive worm (522) is provided, one end of which is connected to the drive shaft and the other end of which is connected to the gear assembly.

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