Electric valve

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric valve. According to the technical scheme, the valve seat assembly is provided with the boss part, the boss part is provided with the step face, in the axial direction of the valve element assembly, the sealing assembly is limited between the lower end of the nut assembly and the step face, in the radial direction of the valve element assembly, the peripheral wall of the valve element assembly makes contact with the sealing assembly, and through the arrangement, the installation structure of the electric valve can be simplified easily; production efficiency is improved, and machining cost of the electric valve is reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of fluid control, in particular to an electric valve. BACKGROUND

[0002] The electric valve comprises a valve seat assembly, a nut assembly and a valve core assembly, the valve seat assembly has a valve port part, the valve core assembly can be in sealing cooperation with the valve port part, the nut assembly and the valve seat assembly have a sealing assembly, the sealing assembly generally has a part with hard material and small friction, which is used for abutting and sealing with the outer peripheral wall of the valve core assembly, therefore, in the related art, the valve seat assembly is a split structure, the two split valve seat assemblies form a containing cavity, and the sealing assembly is located in the containing cavity, so that the part with hard material of the sealing assembly can be prevented from being deformed and damaged, but such a structure needs to be fixed by welding or the like after the sealing assembly is assembled, the installation of the sealing assembly is relatively complex, and the production efficiency is not improved. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application aims to provide an electric valve, which is beneficial to simplify the installation structure of the electric valve, improve the production efficiency and reduce the processing cost of the electric valve.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides a technical scheme as follows:

[0005] An electric valve, comprising a valve seat assembly and a valve core assembly, the valve seat assembly has a valve seat inner cavity, at least part of the valve core assembly is located in the valve seat inner cavity, the valve seat assembly comprises a valve port part, the valve core assembly can be in sealing cooperation with the valve port part, the electric valve further comprises a nut assembly and a sealing assembly, the valve seat assembly comprises a boss part, the boss part has a stepped surface, along the axial direction of the valve core assembly, the sealing assembly is limited between the lower end of the nut assembly and the stepped surface, along the radial direction of the valve core assembly, the outer peripheral wall of the valve core assembly is in contact with the sealing assembly.

[0006] In the technical scheme of the present application, the valve seat assembly comprises a boss part, the boss part has a stepped surface, along the axial direction of the valve core assembly, the sealing assembly is limited between the lower end of the nut assembly and the stepped surface, along the radial direction of the valve core assembly, the outer peripheral wall of the valve core assembly is in contact with the sealing assembly, which is beneficial to simplify the installation structure of the electric valve, improve the production efficiency and reduce the processing cost of the electric valve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a front view structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the electric valve provided by the present application;

[0008] Figure 2 is Figure 1Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electrically operated valve along the plane A-A;

[0009] Figure 3 Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electrically operated valve along the plane A-A; Figure 2 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the nut assembly of the electrically operated valve shown in Fig. 1 without the connecting plate;

[0010] Figure 4 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the nut assembly of the electrically operated valve shown in Fig. 1 without the connecting plate; Figure 2 Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the nut assembly of the electrically operated valve shown in Fig. 1 without the connecting plate;

[0011] Figure 5 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the connecting plate of the electrically operated valve shown in Fig. 1 ; Figure 2

[0012] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the connecting plate of the electrically operated valve shown in Fig. 1 ; Figure 6 Figure 2 Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the valve seat assembly of the electrically operated valve shown in Fig. 1 ;

[0013] Figure 7 Figure 2 Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the electrically operated valve shown in Fig. 1 ;

[0014] Figure 8 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the connecting plate of the electrically operated valve shown in Fig. 1 ; Figure 7

[0015] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the electrically operated valve provided by the present application. Figure 9 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present application will be further described with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments, in which numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. Those skilled in the art will understand, however, that the present application is not limited to the specific components, devices, and features described herein and illustrated in the drawings.

[0017] The electrically operated valve 100 includes an electronic expansion valve and can be applied to a refrigerant system such as a commercial, residential, or vehicle thermal management system or other system requiring thermal management. The electrically operated valve 100 generally functions as a throttling element or an on-off element. Referring to Fig. 1, the electrically operated valve 100 includes a valve body 102, a valve seat assembly 104, a nut assembly 106, a connecting plate 108, and a valve core 110. Figures 1-2 ​​​The electric valve 100 includes a valve component 1, a valve body 2, and a coil component (not shown in the figure). The coil component is located on the outer periphery of the valve component 1 and is fixedly or partially connected to the valve component 1. The two are sealed together to prevent moisture or other impurities from the external environment from entering the valve component 1, thus preventing corrosion or failure of the component. The valve component 1 is electrically and / or signal connected to the outside world through the coil component. Of course, in other embodiments, the coil component can be fixedly or partially connected to the valve body 2. The valve body 2 has a valve body cavity 21, and at least a portion of the valve component 1 is located in the valve body cavity 21. The valve component 1 is fixedly connected to the valve body 2, and the connection method includes snap-fit ​​fixing, adhesive fixing, or threaded engagement fixing, etc. In this embodiment, the valve body 2 is a separate valve block. In other embodiments, the valve body 2 can also be part of a system, such as part of a heat exchanger or flow channel plate.

[0018] refer to Figures 1-8 The diagram schematically illustrates a first embodiment of the electric valve 100. The valve component 1 includes a rotor assembly 11, a nut assembly 14, a rod component 15, and a sleeve 16. The rotor assembly 11 is located in the inner cavity formed by the sleeve 16. The rotor assembly 11 is fixedly connected to the rod component 15, and the connection method includes snap-fit ​​fixing, welding fixing, or adhesive fixing. The nut assembly 14 is located on the outer periphery of the rod component 15. The nut assembly 14 includes a main body 141, which includes a first main body 1411 and a second main body 1412. The rod component 15 has an external thread, and the inner peripheral wall of the second main body 1412 is provided with an internal thread that can cooperate with the rod component 15. The coil component drives the rotor assembly 11 to rotate, and the rotor assembly 11 drives the rod component 15 to rotate and move up and down relative to the second main body 1412. Valve component 1 also includes a valve seat assembly 12 and a valve core assembly 13. The valve seat assembly 12 has a valve seat cavity 122, and at least a portion of the valve core assembly 13 is located within the valve seat cavity 122. A rod component 15 is connected to the valve core assembly 13, and the rod component 15 enables the valve core assembly 13 to move axially relative to the valve seat assembly 12. The valve seat assembly 12 includes a valve port 1211, and the valve core assembly 13 can seal against the valve port 1211 to achieve flow control and on / off control of the refrigerant flow. The valve seat assembly 12 includes an inlet channel 124 and an outlet channel 125; of course, the flow directions of the two can be opposite.

[0019] refer to Figures 2-8The valve component 1 includes a sealing assembly 17, and the valve seat assembly 12 includes a boss portion 123. In this embodiment, the boss portion 123 is a portion of the wall forming the valve seat cavity 122 that protrudes inward along the radial direction of the valve component 1. The boss portion 123 has a stepped surface 123a, which forms the upper end surface of the boss portion 123. Along the axial direction of the valve core assembly 13, the sealing assembly 17 is located between the lower end of the nut assembly 14 and the stepped surface 123a. The sealing assembly 17 is located in the valve seat cavity 122 and is sealed to the inner circumferential surface forming the valve seat cavity 122. Along the radial direction of the valve core assembly 13, the outer circumferential wall of the valve core assembly 13 contacts the sealing assembly 17, and the sealing assembly 17 is sealed to the valve core assembly 13. This design avoids deformation and damage to the sealing component 17 during installation and simplifies the installation structure and process of the electric valve 100. It also helps reduce processing and assembly time, improves production efficiency, and lowers processing costs. Furthermore, the optimized structure enhances the flexibility of the sealing component 17 installation, allowing it to be assembled after the valve seat component 12 is formed. This avoids the potential for the sealing component 17 to be deformed due to the heat generated during welding of the two separate parts of the valve seat component 12, which could negatively impact its sealing performance.

[0020] In this embodiment, the nut assembly 14 has a first end face 14a located at the lower end of the nut assembly 14. The first end face 14a includes a plane; however, in other embodiments, the first end face 14a may also have other shapes. (See reference) Figures 2-6Along the axial direction of valve component 1, the first main body 1411 of nut assembly 14 is away from the sleeve 16 relative to the second main body 1412. The outer diameter of the first main body 1411 is larger than that of the second main body 1412. The first main body 1411 and the second main body 1412 are integral structures. The first main body 1411 is cylindrical and includes a generally cylindrical or similar cylindrical structure. The first end face 14a is located on the lower end face of the first main body 1411. The valve seat assembly 12 has a receiving groove 121b, and a stepped surface 123a forms the bottom surface of the receiving groove 121b. The sealing assembly 17 is located in the receiving groove 121b. Along the axial direction of the valve component 1, the first end face 14a restricts the displacement of the sealing assembly 17. The receiving groove 121b forms an inward and upward opening. The first end face 14a blocks the upward opening of the receiving groove 121b, restricting the upper displacement of the sealing assembly 17. The outer peripheral wall of the valve core assembly 13 blocks the inward opening of the receiving groove 121b, and the sealing assembly 17 and the valve core assembly 13 are sealed together. The sealing assembly 17 includes a first sealing ring 171 and a first annular member 172. The first sealing ring 171 is made of rubber material, such as a sealing ring. The first sealing ring 171 is pressed between the inner peripheral wall of the receiving groove 121b and the first annular member 172. The first sealing ring 171 has greater elasticity than the first annular member 172. The first sealing ring 171 can deform under force to ensure the sealing performance between the outer peripheral wall of the valve core assembly 13 and the inner peripheral wall of the receiving groove 121b. The first annular component 172 is made of resin material, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). A groove 1721 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the first annular component 172 to restrict the position of the first sealing ring 171. The first end portion 14a seals the first annular component 172 and abuts against the upper end surface of the first annular component 172. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the first end portion 14a can be clearance-fitted with the upper end surface of the first annular component 172. The inner circumferential wall of the first annular component 172 contacts and seals against the valve core assembly 13. The presence of the receiving groove 121b prevents deformation and damage to the first annular component 172. In this embodiment, the first sealing ring 171 is first installed in the groove 1721 of the first annular component 172, then the sealing assembly 17 is placed in the receiving groove 121b, and finally the nut assembly 14 is pressed in to achieve the installation and fixation of the sealing assembly 17, greatly simplifying the assembly process.

[0021] In this embodiment, the nut assembly 14 further includes a connecting plate 142. The connecting plate 142 is fixed to the main body 142 of the nut assembly 14 by injection molding. The nut assembly 14 is formed by injection molding with the connecting plate 142 as an insert. The connecting plate 142 is fixedly connected to the valve seat assembly 12. The connection method includes laser welding, riveting, etc. A portion of the inner periphery of the connecting plate 142 is injection molded and covered by the main body 141. The connecting plate 142 is fixedly connected to the sleeve 16. The connection method includes laser welding, brazing, etc. Of course, in other embodiments, the sleeve 16 is fixedly connected to the valve seat assembly 12. The connection method includes welding, riveting, or bonding, etc. The first main body 1411 includes a first positioning part 1411c and a second positioning part 1411d. Both the first positioning part 1411c and the second positioning part 1411d are located on the outer peripheral surface of the first main body 1411. The first positioning part 1411c is farther away from the valve seat assembly 12 relative to the second positioning part 1411d. The outer peripheral wall of the first positioning part 1411c is press-fitted, clearance-fitted, or transition-fitted with the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve 16. In this embodiment, the first positioning part 1411c is press-fitted with the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 16, which can provide guidance for the installation of the nut assembly 14 and position the valve seat assembly 12. The second positioning part 1411d is press-fitted, clearance-fitted, or transition-fitted with the inner peripheral wall forming the valve seat cavity 122. In this embodiment, the second positioning part 1411d is press-fitted with the wall forming the valve seat cavity 122, which can simplify the installation of the nut assembly 14 and ensure the coaxiality of the nut assembly 14 and the valve seat assembly 12 during press-fitting, ensuring the consistency of welding positioning. The second positioning part 1411d can be provided with a relief groove 1411e, which is located in the second positioning part 1411d. This arrangement helps to further reduce the material used in the first main body part 1411 and reduce the weight of the main body part 1411. The valve core assembly 13 includes a valve core body 131. The first main body part 1411 has a guide groove 1411b. Part of the valve core body 131 is located in the guide groove 1411b. The valve core body 131 is guided and engaged with the wall forming the guide groove 1411b. Here, the guide engagement refers to providing guidance for the installation of the valve core assembly 13. The guide engagement includes contact or small clearance engagement, etc. The valve core body 131 can move up and down relative to the guide groove 1411b along the axial direction of the valve component 1. This arrangement helps to improve the coaxiality of the nut assembly 14 and the valve core assembly 13.

[0022] refer to Figures 2-8In this embodiment, the valve seat assembly 12 includes a valve seat portion 121 and a valve port portion 1211 located in the valve seat portion 121. The valve seat assembly 12 is integrally formed. In this embodiment, the valve seat assembly 12 can be made of aluminum or stainless steel, etc. In other embodiments, the valve seat assembly 12 is welded separately from the valve seat assembly 12. In this case, the valve seat assembly 12 can be made of aluminum or stainless steel, or a combination of both. The integral setting of the valve seat assembly 12 can simplify the assembly steps of the valve seat assembly 12 and reduce production and assembly costs. The boss portion 123 has a first guide section 123b, which is located on the inner peripheral wall of the boss portion 123 and on the outer periphery of the valve core body 131. The first guide section 123b and the valve core body 131 are guided and fitted, specifically with clearance fit. The valve core body 131 can move up and down relative to the valve seat assembly 12 along the axial direction of the valve component 1. This arrangement can improve the coaxiality of the valve core assembly 13 and the valve port portion 1211, thereby improving the control accuracy of the valve component 1.

[0023] In this embodiment, the valve seat assembly 12 is fixed to the valve body 2 by threads, and a first external thread 121a is provided on a portion of the outer peripheral wall of the valve seat portion 121. A certain distance is reserved between the first external thread 121a and the upper end face of the valve seat portion 121. This distance can ensure the distance between the valve seat portion 121 and the connecting plate 142 for laser welding. This distance can be set to 1-2mm, or other feasible heights. The valve body 2 is provided with an internal thread that can cooperate with the first external thread 121a, and the upper end face of the valve seat portion 121 is abutted and fixed to the lower end face of the connecting plate 142. The valve component 1 also includes a first seal 3 and a second seal 4. The first seal 3 may be located between the lower end face of the connecting plate 142 and the upper end face of the valve body 2, or the first seal 3 may be located between the valve seat portion 121 and the wall forming the valve body cavity 21. The first seal 3 may be located above or below the first external thread 121a. The valve seat portion 121 has a mounting groove that mates with the first seal 3. The first seal 3 can prevent refrigerant from leaking to the outside of the electric valve 100. The second seal 4 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the valve seat portion 121. The valve seat portion 121 has a mounting groove that mates with the second seal 4, thereby achieving a seal between the inlet channel 124 and the outlet channel 125 and preventing refrigerant from diffusing from the inlet channel 124 area to the outlet channel 125. Valve component 1 has a balance channel 5, which is located on the central axis of valve core body 131. The balance channel 5 has an opening at the lower end of valve core body 131. The balance channel 5 can balance the pressure on the upper and lower sides of valve core body 131. In this embodiment, the main body 141 of nut assembly 14 also includes a first balance hole 51. Through the cooperation of balance channel 5 and first balance hole 51, the pressure balance between the cavity formed by outlet channel 125 and the cavity formed by rotor assembly 11 can be achieved, which is beneficial to reduce valve opening resistance and thus reduce the driving force for valve component 1 operation.

[0024] refer to Figures 7-8 In another embodiment, the connecting plate 142 includes an axially extending portion 142b that extends along the axial direction of the connecting plate 142. A limiting groove 142a is provided on the inner peripheral wall of the connecting plate 142. The shape of the limiting groove 142a includes a sawtooth, square, or hexagonal shape. The main body 141 fills the limiting groove 142a, and a portion of the inner periphery of the connecting plate 142 is injection molded and covered by the main body 141. This arrangement ensures the bonding strength between the connecting plate 142 and the main body 141, preventing the connecting plate 142 from detaching from the main body 141 under stress. In this case, the first end face 14a can be formed by the main body 141, the connecting plate 142, or a combination of both. The axially extending portion 142b is interference-fitted with the inner peripheral wall forming the receiving groove 121b. The connecting plate 142 is made of metal, allowing for higher machining precision on the outer peripheral surface of the axially extending portion 142b. After the nut assembly 14 and the valve seat assembly 12 are press-fitted, the coaxiality is better, which is beneficial for improving the control precision of the valve component 1.

[0025] refer to Figure 9 In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment of the electric valve 100 is that, in this embodiment, the sealing component 17 is located at the end of the nut assembly 14, and the sealing component 17 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the nut assembly 14. The first main body portion 1411 of the nut assembly 14 has a limiting groove 1411a, which is located at the end of the first main body portion 1411 away from the sleeve 16. The limiting groove 1411a is arranged to expand radially outward from the inner peripheral wall of the first main body portion 1411. The sealing component 17 is located in the limiting groove 1411a. 1a. The first sealing ring 171 is pressed between the inner peripheral wall forming the limiting groove 1411a and the first annular member 172. The inner peripheral wall forming the limiting groove 1411a contacts and seals with the first sealing ring 171. The limiting groove 1411a forms an inward and downward opening. The sealing assembly 17 is located between the upper end face of the limiting groove 1411a and the stepped surface 123a. The stepped surface 123a blocks the downward opening of the limiting groove 1411a, restricting the lower displacement of the sealing assembly 17. The first annular member 172 is sealed and fitted with the valve core assembly 13. In this embodiment, the sealing assembly 17 is pre-installed into the limiting groove 1411a, and then the nut assembly 14 is pressed into the valve seat assembly 12 to achieve the installation and fixation of the sealing assembly 17. This setting can greatly simplify the assembly process.

[0026] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical solutions described in the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still make modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present invention. All technical solutions and improvements that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrically operated valve characterised in that, The electric valve comprises a valve seat assembly (12) and a valve core assembly (13), the valve seat assembly (12) has a valve seat inner cavity (122), at least part of the valve core assembly (13) is located in the valve seat inner cavity (122), the valve seat assembly (12) comprises a valve port part (1211), the valve core assembly (13) can be in sealing cooperation with the valve port part (1211), the electric valve further comprises a nut assembly (14) and a sealing assembly (17), the valve seat assembly (12) comprises a boss part (123), the boss part (123) has a stepped surface (123a), along the axial direction of the valve core assembly (13), the sealing assembly (17) is limited between the lower end of the nut assembly (14) and the stepped surface (123a), along the radial direction of the valve core assembly (13), the outer peripheral wall of the valve core assembly (13) is in contact with the sealing assembly (17).

2. The motorized valve of claim 1, wherein, The nut assembly (14) has a first end face part (14a), the first end face part (14a) is located at the lower end of the nut assembly (14), along the axial direction of the electric valve, the first end face part (14a) limits the displacement of the sealing assembly (17).

3. The motorized valve of claim 2, wherein, The valve seat assembly (12) comprises a containing groove (121b), the stepped surface (123a) forms the bottom surface of the containing groove (121b), the sealing assembly (17) is located in the containing groove (121b), the containing groove (121b) forms an inward and upward opening, the first end face part (14a) blocks the upward opening of the containing groove (121b), and limits the downward displacement of the sealing assembly (17).

4. The motorized valve of claim 1, wherein, The nut assembly (14) has a limiting groove (1411a), the sealing assembly (17) is located in the limiting groove (1411a), the limiting groove (1411a) forms an inward and downward opening, the inner peripheral wall forming the limiting groove (1411a) is in abutment with the sealing assembly (17), and the stepped surface (123a) blocks the downward opening of the limiting groove (1411a) and limits the downward displacement of the sealing assembly (17).

5. Motorised valve according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that The sealing assembly (17) comprises a first sealing ring (171) and a first annular part (172), the first sealing ring (171) is made of rubber material, the first sealing ring (171) is compressed between the inner peripheral wall forming the containing groove (121b) and the first annular part (172), or the first sealing ring (171) is compressed between the inner peripheral wall forming the limiting groove (1411a) and the first annular part (172), the first annular part (172) is made of resin material, and the inner peripheral wall of the first annular part (172) is in sealing cooperation with the valve core assembly (13).

6. The motorized valve according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The main body (141) includes a first main body (1411) in a cylindrical shape, and a part of the outer peripheral wall of the first main body (1411) is in interference fit, clearance fit or interference fit with the inner peripheral wall forming the valve seat inner cavity (122); or the nut assembly (14) further includes a connecting plate (142) fixed with the main body (141) by injection molding, the inner peripheral part of the connecting plate (142) is injection molded by the first main body (1411), the connecting plate (142) includes an axial extension (142b) extending in the axial direction of the connecting plate (142), the inner peripheral wall of the connecting plate (142) is provided with a limiting groove (142a), the first main body (1411) fills the limiting groove (142a), and the axial extension (142b) is in interference fit, clearance fit or interference fit with the inner peripheral wall forming the valve seat inner cavity (122).

7. Motorised valve according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that The valve core assembly (13) includes a valve core body (131), the first main body (1411) has a guide groove (1411b), and a part of the valve core body (131) is located in the guide groove (1411b), and the valve core body (131) is in guide fit with the wall forming the guide groove (1411b).

8. Motorized valve according to claim 5 or 6 or 7, characterized in that The boss part (123) is a protrusion formed by a part of the wall forming the valve seat inner cavity (122) inward along the radial direction of the electric valve, the boss part (123) includes a first guide section (123b) located on the inner peripheral wall of the boss part (123), the first guide section (123b) is located on the outer peripheral wall of the valve core body (131), and the first guide section (123b) is in guide fit with the valve core body (131).

9. The motorized valve according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The electric valve has a balance channel (5) penetrating through the valve core body (131) along the axial direction of the electric valve, the balance channel (5) is located on the central axis of the valve core body (21), the balance channel (5) has an opening at the lower end of the valve core body (131), and the balance channel (5) can balance the pressure on both sides of the valve core body (131).

10. The motorized valve of claim 9, wherein, The electric valve further includes a valve body (2) having a valve body cavity (21), at least a part of the valve seat assembly (12) is located in the valve body cavity (21), the valve seat assembly (12) includes a valve seat part (121), the valve port part (1211) is located in the valve seat part (121), the valve seat assembly (12) is integrally formed, the valve seat part (121) is fixedly connected with the valve body (2), and the connection mode includes clamping fixation or threaded fit fixation.

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