An electrically operated valve

Abstract

An electric valve comprises a valve body assembly and a valve core, the valve body assembly has a valve cavity, and at least part of the valve core is located in the valve cavity; the electric valve comprises a valve seat, the valve seat is integrally formed with the valve body assembly or is fixedly connected or limitingly connected with the valve body assembly; the valve core can rotate relative to the valve seat, the valve core comprises a matching surface, the matching surface faces the valve seat and is in sliding fit with the valve seat; the electric valve comprises an adjusting component, the adjusting component comprises a connecting part and a limiting part, the connecting part is in threaded connection with the valve body assembly, the valve core comprises a back surface, the back surface is arranged opposite to the matching surface in a direction perpendicular to the matching surface, the electric valve comprises an elastic member, one side of the elastic member is in direct or indirect abutment with the limiting part in the direction perpendicular to the matching surface, the other side of the elastic member is in direct or indirect abutment with the back surface, the adjusting component can adjust the distance between the limiting part and the back surface, so as to adjust the compression degree of the elastic member, to adjust the force of the elastic member on the back surface, and further to adjust the pressure between the sliding surface and the valve seat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle thermal management technology, and more particularly to an electric valve. Background Technology

[0002] Electric valves can be used in thermal management systems to control the opening, closing, or reversing of fluid channels. In related technologies, electric valves include a seal and a valve core, with the seal abutting against the valve core. A certain pressure is required between the sealing surface and the valve core to achieve a seal; however, the required pressure between the seal and the valve core varies in systems with different fluid pressures. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One object of this application is to provide an electric valve capable of adjusting the pressure between the sealing surface and the valve core.

[0004] Another technical solution of this application provides an electric valve, including a valve body assembly and a valve core. The electric valve includes a valve seat, which is integrally structured with the valve body assembly or fixedly connected or limitedly connected. The valve core includes a mating surface facing the valve seat and slidingly engaging with it; and / or, the mating surface can abut against the valve seat. The electric valve includes an adjusting component, which includes a connecting portion and a limiting portion. The connecting portion is threadedly connected to the valve body assembly. The valve core includes a back side surface, which is disposed opposite to the mating surface along a direction perpendicular to the mating surface. The electric valve includes an elastic element, which abuts directly or indirectly against the limiting portion on one side and directly or indirectly against the back side surface on the other side along a direction perpendicular to the mating surface. The adjusting component can adjust the distance between the limiting portion and the back side surface.

[0005] In the electric valve provided by the technical solution of this application, the connecting part is threadedly connected to the valve body assembly, the valve core includes a back side surface, and the back side surface is arranged opposite to the mating surface in a direction perpendicular to the mating surface. The electric valve includes an elastic element, and one side of the elastic element directly or indirectly abuts against the limiting part in a direction perpendicular to the mating surface, and the other side of the elastic element directly or indirectly abuts against the back side surface. The adjusting component can adjust the distance between the limiting part and the back side surface, thereby adjusting the degree of compression of the elastic element, thereby adjusting the force of the elastic element on the back side surface, and further adjusting the pressure between the sliding surface and the valve seat. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the electric valve of this application is shown;

[0007] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the electric valve at one angle.

[0008] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 The diagram shows the exploded structure of the electric valve.

[0009] Figure 4 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the electric valve of this application is shown;

[0010] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 An exploded schematic diagram of a portion of the electric valve shown.

[0011] Figure 6 It shows Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the second housing of the electric valve shown.

[0012] Figure Labels

[0013] 1. Drive assembly; 11. Rotor housing; 12. Valve stem; 13. Coil assembly; 14. Rotor; 2. Valve body assembly; 21. First housing; 211. Abutment surface; 22. Second housing; 221. Receiving cavity; 222. First cavity; 223. Second cavity; 224. First opening; 225. Second opening; 226. Third opening; 227. Rotor cavity; 228. Internal threaded hole; 24. Valve cavity; 25. First interface; 26. Second interface; 27. ... 28. Third interface; 29. ​​Fourth interface; 3. Fifth interface; 3. Valve core; 31. Disc assembly; 311. Mating surface; 312. Back side; 32. Transmission part; 321. Groove; 33. Connecting part; 34. Internal threaded hole; 35. Cup part; 4. Valve seat; 41. First through hole; 42. Second through hole; 43. Third through hole; 44. Fourth through hole; 45. Fifth through hole; 5. Adjusting part; 51. Connecting part; 52. Limiting part; 9. Elastic element; 7. Thrust bearing; Detailed Implementation

[0014] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. In this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one component from another with the same name, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these components. It should be noted that "limiting connection" in this application includes snap-fit, hinge, etc., and "fixed connection" in this application includes threaded connection, welding, bonding, vulcanization fixing, riveting, insert injection molding, interference fit, etc.

[0015] Please refer to Figure 1This embodiment discloses an electric valve 100, which can be applied in refrigerant circuits such as automotive air conditioning systems. This electric valve is a five-way switching valve.

[0016] like Figures 1-4 As shown, an electric valve 100 includes a drive assembly 1, a valve body assembly 2, and a valve core 3. The valve body assembly 2 has a valve cavity 24, and at least a portion of the valve core 3 is located in the valve cavity 24. The electric valve 100 includes a valve seat 4, which is fixedly connected to, limited by, or integrally formed with the valve body assembly 2. The drive assembly is capable of driving the valve core 3 to rotate, and the valve core 3 is capable of rotating relative to the valve seat 4. The valve core 3 includes a mating surface 311, which faces the valve seat 4 and slides with it. In other embodiments, the valve seat 4 may be integrally formed with the valve body assembly 2. In some other embodiments, the valve core 3 may also be of the type that moves axially up and down during switching, and the mating surface 311 of the valve core 3 can abut against the valve seat 4 when the switching is completed.

[0017] Specifically, the valve body assembly 2 includes a first housing 21 and a second housing 22, which are fixedly connected by screws. At least a portion of the valve cavity 24 is located in the second housing 22, and the valve seat 4 is fixedly connected to or limited by the first housing 21. In other embodiments, the first housing 21 and the second housing 22 may also be an integral structure.

[0018] like Figures 4-6 As shown, the electric valve includes an adjusting component 5, which includes a connecting part 51 and a limiting part 52; the valve core 3 includes a back side 312, which is arranged opposite to the mating surface 311 in a direction perpendicular to the mating surface 311; the electric valve includes an elastic element 9, which abuts directly or indirectly with the limiting part 52 on one side and directly or indirectly with the back side 312 on the other side in a direction perpendicular to the mating surface 311; the connecting part 51 is threadedly connected to the valve body assembly 2; the adjusting component 5 can adjust the distance between the limiting part 52 and the back side 312, thereby adjusting the compression degree of the elastic element 9, thereby adjusting the force transmitted from the adjusting component 5 to the back side 312, and thus adjusting the pressure between the mating surface 311 and the valve seat 4. This solution can adapt to the pressure needs between the mating surface 311 and the valve seat 4 of more parts without changing the individual components of the electric valve 100, and has stronger versatility, especially when the pressure is different in different refrigeration systems. Figure 4 As shown, the axial direction of the valve core 3 is indicated by H in the figure. The valve core 3 can rotate about its rotation axis, and the axial direction of the valve core 3 is the same as the extension direction of its rotation axis. It should be noted that "indirect contact" in this application refers to the insertion of some intermediate components between the two, but the two can transmit pressure through these intermediate components. In this embodiment, "along the direction perpendicular to the mating surface 311" refers to the axial direction of the valve core 3.

[0019] like Figures 4-6 As shown, the elastic element 9 can compensate for the wear when the mating surface 311 of the valve core is worn. Similarly, the adjusting element 5 can also be used to compensate for the wear.

[0020] In some other embodiments of the electric valve, the elastic element 9 may not be provided. The limiting part 52 and the back side 312 directly abut against each other in a direction perpendicular to the mating surface 311. The adjusting member 5 can adjust the position of the limiting part 52 relative to the valve body assembly. At this time, the sealing element provided between the valve seat 3 and the first housing 21 can be adjusted to a certain degree of compression within a range, so that the adjusting member 5 can adjust the abutment force between the limiting part 52 and the back side 312.

[0021] The connecting part 51 includes an external threaded portion, and the valve core 3 includes an internal threaded hole 34. The internal threaded hole 34 extends axially along the valve core 3, and the wall of the internal threaded hole 34 engages with the external threaded portion. That is, by rotating the adjusting component 5, the distance between the limiting part 52 and the abutment surface 211 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the pressure between the mating surface 311 and the valve seat 4. In another embodiment, the connecting part 51 includes an internal threaded hole 34, which extends axially along the valve core 3. The valve core 3 includes an external threaded portion, and the wall of the internal threaded hole 34 engages with the external threaded portion. By rotating the adjusting component 5, the distance between the limiting part 52 and the abutment surface 211 can be adjusted. In still some embodiments, the connecting part 51 and the valve core 3 can be other adjustable structures that are easily conceived by those skilled in the art. For example, the connecting part 51 has multiple snaps arranged axially, and the connecting part 51 snaps with the valve core 3; or the connecting part 51 has multiple transverse holes arranged axially, and the connecting part 51 is connected to the valve core 3 by a pin.

[0022] The electric valve 100 includes a drive assembly 1, which can drive the valve core 3 to rotate; the back side 312 is close to the drive assembly 1 relative to the valve core 3; the adjusting component 5 is located in the valve cavity 24; and the limiting part 52 is close to the drive assembly 1 relative to the mating surface 311. The adjusting component 5 is located in the valve cavity 24, so that the electric valve 100 in this technical solution does not need to use an additional sealing structure such as a cap.

[0023] The drive assembly 1 includes a valve stem 12 and a housing 11. A portion of the valve stem 12 extends from the housing 11 toward the valve core 3 and can drive the valve core 3 to rotate. The adjusting component 5 is generally annular and surrounds the outer periphery of the valve stem 12. The external thread portion is located on the outer periphery of the adjusting component 5 and engages with the internal threaded hole 34 of the valve body assembly 2. This ensures that the connecting component 33 does not occupy too much axial space within the valve cavity 24, thus making fuller use of the space within the valve cavity 24, resulting in a compact structure and reduced size of the electric valve. Specifically, the adjusting component 5 is a clamping nut, and the adjusting component 5 has two grooves recessed into the inner sidewall of the adjusting component, which facilitates rotation of the adjusting component 5.

[0024] like Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the elastic element 9 includes one or more wave springs, which can achieve a large pressure adjustment amount with a small adjustment amount of the limiting portion 52. In another embodiment, the elastic element 9 includes a helical spring. In yet another embodiment, the elastic element 9 is made of rubber.

[0025] like Figures 4-6 As shown, the valve body assembly 2 has a rotor cavity 227, which communicates with the valve cavity 24. A portion of the drive assembly 1 is located in the rotor cavity 227. The rotor cavity 227 has a third opening 226 on the outside of the valve body assembly 2. An internally threaded hole 228 is located between the rotor cavity 227 and the valve core 3. The radial dimension of the rotor cavity 227 is larger than the radial dimension of the internally threaded hole 228. Thus, the third opening 226 is used to insert the drive assembly 1 into the rotor cavity 227. When assembling the adjusting component 5, it is also convenient to insert the adjusting component 5 into the valve cavity 24 through the third opening 226, making the assembly of the adjusting component 5 convenient and eliminating the need for a separate insertion channel for the adjusting component 5 on the valve body assembly 2. The drive assembly 1 is sealed to the wall forming the rotor cavity 227, thus fluidly separating the valve cavity 24 from the third opening 226, eliminating the need for a separate sealing structure for the adjusting component 5.

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

Claims

1. An electric valve, characterized in that, The electric valve includes a valve body assembly (2) and a valve core (3). The electric valve includes a valve seat (4), which is integrally formed with the valve body assembly (2) or fixedly connected or limitedly connected. The valve core (3) includes a mating surface (311), which faces the valve seat (4) and slides with the valve seat (4). And / or, the mating surface (311) can abut against the valve seat (4). The electric valve includes an adjusting component (5), which includes a connecting part (51) and a limiting part (52). The connecting part (51) is threadedly connected to the valve body assembly (2). The valve core (3) includes a back side (312) in a direction perpendicular to the mating surface (311), and the back side (312) is disposed opposite to the mating surface (311). The electric valve includes an elastic element (9) in a direction perpendicular to the mating surface (311). One side of the elastic element (9) directly or indirectly abuts against the limiting part (52), and the other side of the elastic element (9) directly or indirectly abuts against the back side (312). The adjusting component (5) can adjust the distance between the limiting part (52) and the back side (312).

2. The electric valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting part (51) includes an external threaded part, and the valve body assembly (2) includes an internal threaded hole (34), which extends axially along the valve core (3) and forms a wall that engages with the external threaded part; or, the connecting part (51) includes an internal threaded hole (34), which extends axially along the valve core (3), and the valve body assembly (2) includes an external threaded part, which forms a wall that engages with the external threaded part.

3. The electric valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electric valve includes a drive assembly (1), the valve core (3) is rotatable relative to the valve seat (4), and the drive assembly (1) is able to drive the valve core (3) to rotate; the back side (312) is close to the drive assembly (1) relative to the valve core (3), the valve body assembly (2) has a valve cavity (24), at least part of the valve core (3) is located in the valve cavity (24); the adjusting member (5) is located in the valve cavity (24), and the limiting part (52) is close to the drive assembly (1) relative to the mating surface (311).

4. The electric valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive assembly (1) includes a valve stem (12) and a housing (11). A portion of the valve stem (12) extends from the housing (11) toward the valve core (3) and can drive the valve core (3) to rotate. The adjusting component (5) is generally annular and surrounds the outer periphery of the valve stem (12). The external thread portion is located on the outer periphery of the adjusting component (5) and engages with the internal thread hole (34) of the valve body assembly (2).

5. The electric valve according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The elastic element (9) includes one or more wave springs; Alternatively, the elastic element (9) may include a helical spring; Alternatively, the material of the elastic element (9) may include rubber.

6. The electric valve according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The valve body assembly (2) has a rotor cavity (227) that communicates with the valve cavity (24). A portion of the drive assembly (1) is located in the rotor cavity (227). The rotor cavity (227) has a third opening (226) on the outside of the valve body assembly (2). The internal threaded hole (228) is located between the rotor cavity (227) and the valve core (3). The radial dimension of the rotor cavity (227) is greater than the radial dimension of the internal threaded hole (228).

7. The electric valve according to claim 6, characterized in that, The drive assembly (1) is sealed to the wall forming the rotor cavity (227), such that the valve cavity (24) is fluidly separated from the third opening (226).

8. The electric valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The electric valve includes a thrust bearing (7) along the axial direction of the valve core (3). At least a portion of the thrust bearing (7) is located between the elastic member (9) and the limiting member. One side of the thrust bearing (7) abuts against the elastic member (9), and the other side of the thrust bearing (7) abuts against the limiting part (52). Alternatively, along the axial direction of the valve core (3), at least a portion of the thrust bearing (7) is located between the elastic element (9) and the abutment surface (211), with one side of the thrust bearing (7) abutting the elastic element (9) and the other side of the thrust bearing (7) abutting the abutment surface (211).

Images