A four-way valve with multi-channel independent control and its working method

Abstract

This invention relates to a four-way valve with multi-channel independent control and its operating method. The valve seat of the four-way valve includes an upper cover and a lower cover, and has a valve cavity and a flow channel inside. The upper cover has a water inlet. The valve core assembly includes a valve core, a sealing ring A, and a sealing ring B. The valve core is axially slidably disposed in the valve cavity, with one end of the valve core extending out of the lower cover as the driving end. The other end of the valve core is pressed against a return spring between itself and the inner end of the valve cavity of the upper cover. The valve cavity is divided into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber. The inlet chamber communicates with the flow channel, and the outlet chamber has a radially arranged outlet. A water passage gap is formed between the valve core and the outlet. Sealing ring A seals the gap between the driving end of the valve core and the lower cover. Sealing ring B, under the pressure of the return spring, seals and isolates the outlet chamber from the inlet chamber. The operating method is as follows: when the extended end of the valve core is pressed, compressing the return spring, sealing ring B releases the above-mentioned sealing isolation, and the inlet and outlet communicate. The above structure realizes one inlet and multiple outlets, with independent control of each channel, meeting the needs of independent output of multiple fluids.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of valves, specifically a four-way valve with multi-channel independent control and its operating method. Background Technology

[0002] A four-way valve is a control valve with four ports. Traditional four-way valves are mostly of a reversing structure, switching fluid paths by rotating or sliding the valve core. They can only achieve overall reversal of one inlet and one outlet or multiple inlets and one outlet, and cannot independently control the on / off state of each outlet. Alternatively, some multi-way valves adopt a multi-valve core split design, which is complex in structure, large in size, and has many sealing points, making them prone to leakage, jamming, and other problems, resulting in high maintenance costs. For example, Chinese patent publication number CN40406215819U, authorized on August 12, 2025, entitled "A Multi-way Control Valve"; and Chinese patent publication number CN201858389U, authorized on June 8, 2011, entitled "Multi-way Drainage Control Valve". Both of these solutions use a rotary switching method for the fluid path. The main disadvantages are: 1. Relatively simple function: It cannot achieve independent on / off switching of a single channel, but can only switch the entire channel, which cannot meet the needs of multi-channel independent control; 2. Poor sealing reliability: Multiple sealing points are prone to aging and leakage, and the risk of sealing failure is high under high pressure conditions; 3. Inconvenient maintenance: The integrated structure of the valve core cannot be disassembled and repaired separately. When a fault occurs, the entire valve core needs to be disassembled and replaced, which is costly.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a multi-channel four-way valve that is compact in structure, can independently control each outlet, has reliable sealing, and is easy to maintain. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the above shortcomings, the purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-channel independently controlled four-way valve and its operating method, thereby solving the technical problems of existing similar four-way valves, such as relatively simple functions, the need for overall path switching, difficulty in achieving multi-channel independent control, large overall size, poor sealing reliability, and difficulty in maintenance. This objective is achieved through the following technical solution.

[0005] A multi-channel independently controlled four-way valve includes a valve seat and a valve core assembly. The key structural feature is that the valve seat includes a sealing upper cover and a lower cover, and internally has several valve chambers for mounting the valve core assembly and flow channels connecting each valve chamber. The upper cover has an inlet communicating with the flow channels. The valve core assembly includes a valve core, a sealing ring A, a sealing ring B, and a return spring. The valve core is axially slidably disposed within the valve chamber, with one end of the valve core extending out of the valve chamber from the lower cover, and the other end of the valve core abutting against the inner end of the valve chamber of the upper cover with the return spring. The valve chamber is a stepped cylindrical cavity, with the larger cylindrical cavity serving as the inlet cavity and the smaller cylindrical cavity as the outlet cavity. The inlet chamber communicates with the flow channel, and the outlet chamber has a radial outlet. A water passage gap is formed between the valve core and the inner wall of the outlet chamber. The valve core's sealing ring A is in sliding sealing fit with the outlet chamber and forms a seal at the gap where the valve core's drive end extends out of the lower cover. The outer diameter of the valve core's sealing ring B is larger than the orifice diameter of the outlet chamber. Under the initial pressing action of the return spring, the sealing ring B abuts against the stepped surface of the valve chamber, sealing and isolating the outlet chamber from the inlet chamber. When the protruding end of the valve core is pressed, compressing the return spring, the sealing ring B releases the seal between the outlet chamber and the inlet chamber, and the inlet and outlet communicate. Multiple valve chambers are formed internally through the integral valve seat, each with an independently controlled valve core, thus achieving a multi-channel function with one inlet and multiple outlets. Each channel can be independently controlled, meeting the needs of independent output of multiple fluids.

[0006] The valve core comprises a coaxial pressing head, an annular sealing groove A, a middle section, an annular sealing groove B, a spring seat, and a tail section, forming a series of components from one end to the other. The annular sealing groove A connects to the sealing ring A, and the annular sealing groove B connects to the sealing ring B. The valve cavity end of the lower cover has an opening adapted for the sliding extension of the pressing head, and the inner end of the valve cavity of the upper cover has an inner guide seat that axially guides the tail section of the valve core and the return spring. This structure is a specific implementation of the valve core, and it is relatively simple and easy to assemble and use.

[0007] The valve seat has a fan-shaped structure, with each valve cavity distributed in an arc along the fan-shaped direction. The inlet is a water inlet connector perpendicular to the top cover, and the outlet is a water outlet connector arranged radially along the fan shape of the valve seat. This fan-shaped layout, with each valve cavity distributed in an arc, allows for compatibility with rotary drive devices.

[0008] The four-way valve includes a drive device that drives the valve core to move axially within the valve cavity. The drive device can be manually pressed or electrically pressed.

[0009] The electrically operated push-button drive device includes a servo motor, a reduction gear set, and an output gear disc. The output gear disc has at least one protruding abutment on its surface, with the abutment's end forming a double-sided bevel. When the valve seat and drive device are fixed relative to the external support, the driving ends of each valve core of the valve seat fall within the rotation path of the abutment as the output gear disc rotates. When the bevel of the abutment contacts the driving end of the valve core, it pushes the valve core to compress the return spring, and the inlet and outlet are connected. This structure is a specific implementation of the electrically operated push-button type, and the number of abutments is set according to the actual need for conduction.

[0010] The output gear disc has an integrated travel limit block on its circumferential surface. The drive device's housing is equipped with a limit switch that contacts the travel limit block. When the output gear disc rotates until the travel limit block contacts the limit switch, the corresponding abutment pushes the valve core into position. This structure facilitates accurate switching of the conduction state.

[0011] The output shaft of the drive unit is located at the center of the output gear plate. The output shaft is connected to the brewing chamber assembly of the coffee machine. That is, in addition to driving the valve core of the four-way valve, the drive unit also drives the brewing chamber assembly. This structure enables the drive unit to drive two machines simultaneously, saving space and improving the operation of the coffee machine.

[0012] The upper cover of the valve seat has a protruding post corresponding to the valve cavity, which serves as a positioning post for aligning the valve seat with the external bracket. This structure facilitates the fixed installation of the valve seat and the external bracket.

[0013] The upper cover of the valve seat forms a recessed cavity, and the lower cover of the valve seat has a boss that mates with the recessed cavity of the upper cover. The boss surface has the flow channel, and a sealing ring is embedded in the circumference of the boss. A seal is formed by the sealing ring engaging with the inner circumference of the recessed cavity of the upper cover. The upper cover and the lower cover are detachably fixed. This structure is a specific implementation structure for the assembly and connection of the upper cover and the lower cover.

[0014] The four-way valve operates as follows: In the initial state, under the pressure of the return spring, the valve core forms a sealed isolation between the inlet and outlet chambers of the valve cavity through the sealing ring B, and there is no connection between the inlet and outlet. When the drive device drives the output gear disc to rotate, the abutment of the output gear disc rotates to abut against the drive end of the valve core, pushing the valve core to compress the return spring, releasing the seal of the sealing ring B, and connecting the inlet and outlet chambers of the valve cavity, as well as the inlet and outlet. When the output gear disc rotates again and the abutment disengages from the drive end of the valve core, the valve core returns to its initial state under the action of the return spring.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. Independent on / off control: Each water outlet has an independent valve core, which can be controlled independently to achieve one inlet and multiple outlets, and each outlet can be controlled independently to meet the needs of multiple fluid independent output.

[0016] 2. Compact and integrated structure: The valve seat body is simple and integrates multiple passages internally, eliminating the need for a separate multi-valve structure. It is small in size and easy to assemble.

[0017] 3. Reliable sealing: Each passage is independently sealed, with fewer sealing points, and dual protection by dynamic and static seals, making it less prone to leakage under high pressure conditions.

[0018] 4. Easy maintenance: Each valve core is installed independently and can be disassembled and replaced individually. There is no need to replace the whole valve when it fails, which reduces maintenance costs.

[0019] 5. High versatility: It can be adapted to various fluids such as water and gas, and the interface specifications can be customized. It is suitable for many fields such as home appliances, sanitary ware, and industrial pipelines, and is especially suitable for coffee machines. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the explosion structure.

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A front structural diagram, with AA section shown in the diagram.

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The diagram shows the AA cross-sectional view of the valve core, which represents the passageway after the valve core is pressed.

[0024] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the valve core after reset.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the drive device structure of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the internal structure.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the driving state structure after the driving device and valve seat of the present invention are relatively fixed.

[0028] The numbers and names in the diagram are as follows: 1. Valve seat, 101. Upper cover, 102. Lower cover, 103. Inlet, 104. Outlet, 105. Valve chamber, 1051. Inlet chamber, 1052. Outlet chamber, 106. Flow channel, 107. Protrusion, 108. Inner guide seat, 2. Valve core assembly, 201. Valve core, 202. Sealing ring A, 203. Sealing ring B, 204. Return spring, 205. Spring seat, 206. Tail section, 3. Sealing ring, 4. Drive device, 401. Servo motor, 402. Reduction gear set, 403. Output gear plate, 4031. Output shaft, 404. Stroke limit block, 405. Limit switch, 406. Abutment, 5. Brewing component. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] like Figures 1-8 As shown, the multi-channel independently controlled four-way valve includes a valve seat 1 and a valve core assembly 2. The valve seat has a fan-shaped structure and includes an upper cover 101 and a lower cover 102. A sealing ring 3 is provided between the upper cover and the lower cover, forming three sets of valve chambers 105 for mounting the valve core assembly. Each valve chamber is distributed in an arc along the fan-shaped direction. Specifically, the upper cover forms a concave cavity, and the lower cover has a boss that mates with the concave cavity of the upper cover. The boss surface has a flow channel 106 that connects the three valve chambers. The upper cover has a water inlet 103 that communicates with the flow channel, and a water inlet connector perpendicular to the upper cover is formed at the water inlet. The sealing ring is embedded in the circumference of the boss of the lower cover, and a seal is formed by the sealing ring and the inner circumference of the concave cavity of the upper cover. Finally, the upper cover and the lower cover are fastened together to form a removable fixed structure.

[0031] The valve core assembly 2 includes a valve core 201, a sealing ring A 202, a sealing ring B 203, and a return spring 204. The valve core is axially slidably disposed within the valve cavity 105. From one end to the other, the valve core forms a coaxial pressing head, an annular sealing groove A, an intermediate section, an annular sealing groove B, a spring seat 205, and a tail section 206. The annular sealing groove A connects to the sealing ring A, and the annular sealing groove B connects to the sealing ring B. The pressing head of the valve core slides out of the opening at the end of the valve cavity of the lower cover 102 as the driving end. The spring seat at the other end of the valve core abuts against the inner end of the valve cavity of the upper cover 101, and a return spring is provided. The inner end of the valve cavity of the upper cover is provided with an inner guide seat 108 that axially guides the tail section of the valve core and the return spring, ensuring reliable axial movement of the valve core within the valve cavity.

[0032] The valve cavity 105 is a stepped cylindrical cavity, with the larger cylindrical cavity being the inlet cavity 1051 and the smaller cylindrical cavity being the outlet cavity 1052. The inlet cavity is connected to the flow channel 106, and the outlet cavity has a radial outlet 104, which forms an outlet connector along the fan-shaped radial direction of the valve seat 1. A water passage gap is formed between the valve core and the inner wall of the outlet cavity. The valve core's sealing ring A202 is in a sliding sealing fit with the outlet cavity and forms a seal at the opening where the valve core's drive end extends out of the valve cavity. The outer diameter of the valve core's sealing ring B203 is larger than the diameter of the outlet cavity. Under the initial pressing action of the return spring, the sealing ring B abuts against the stepped surface of the valve cavity, sealing and isolating the outlet cavity from the inlet cavity. When the protruding end of the valve core is pressed and the return spring is compressed, the sealing ring B releases the sealing isolation between the outlet cavity and the inlet cavity, and the inlet and outlet communicate.

[0033] The four-way valve includes a drive device 4 that drives the valve core 201 to move axially within the valve cavity 105. The drive device can be manual or electric. Manual operation involves directly pressing the drive end of the valve core manually. Electric operation involves a servo motor 401, a reduction gear set 402, and an output gear disc 403. The output end of the servo motor is connected to a worm gear, which drives the reduction gear set, which in turn drives the output gear disc to rotate. The output gear disc has at least one protruding abutment 406 on its surface. The number of abutments is designed according to actual control needs. For example, if simultaneous control of dual-path output is required, two abutments are designed; if simultaneous control of three-path output is required, three abutments are designed; if different dual-path combinations are needed, a reasonable stroke interval between the abutments can be designed. The aforementioned abutment end forms a double-sided inclined surface. When the valve seat 1 and the drive device are fixed relative to the external support, each valve core drive end of the valve seat falls into the rotation path of the abutment when the output gear disk rotates. When the inclined surface of the abutment contacts the valve core drive end, it pushes the valve core to compress the return spring 204, and the inlet 103 communicates with the outlet 104.

[0034] Furthermore, the output gear plate 403 is integrated with a stroke limit block 404 on its circumferential surface, and the cover of the drive device 4 is equipped with a limit switch 405 that contacts the stroke limit block when it is in position. When the output gear plate rotates to the point where the stroke limit block contacts the limit switch, the corresponding abutment 406 pushes the valve core 201 into position, the servo motor 401 stops rotating, and the inlet 103 and outlet 104 remain connected.

[0035] Furthermore, the output gear 403 of the drive device 4 has an output shaft 4031 at its center. The output shaft is connected to drive the brewing chamber assembly 5 of the coffee machine. That is, in addition to driving the valve core 201 of the four-way valve, the drive device also drives the brewing chamber assembly to work, so as to realize the coordinated work of the liquid supply and brewing chamber in the coffee machine.

[0036] Furthermore, to facilitate the installation of the valve seat 1, a protrusion 107 is formed on the upper cover 101 of the valve seat corresponding to the valve cavity 105. The protrusion serves as a positioning post for the valve seat to be installed and aligned with the external bracket.

[0037] The working method of this multi-channel independently controlled four-way valve is as follows: In the initial state, under the action of the return spring 204, the valve core 201 forms a sealed isolation between the water inlet chamber 1051 and the water outlet chamber 1052 of the valve cavity 105 through the sealing ring B203, and there is no connection between the water inlet 103 and the water outlet 104; when the drive device 4 drives the output gear disk 403 to rotate, the abutment 406 of the output gear disk rotates to abut against the drive end of the valve core, pushing the valve core to compress the return spring, releasing the seal of the sealing ring B, and the water inlet chamber and the water outlet of the valve cavity are connected; when the output gear disk rotates again, the abutment disengages from the drive end of the valve core, and the valve core returns to the initial state under the action of the return spring.

[0038] The above description is intended to illustrate the technical means of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any obvious improvements or substitutions made to the present invention by those skilled in the art based on existing common knowledge also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A four-way valve with multi-channel independent control, the four-way valve comprising a valve seat (1) and a valve core assembly (2), characterized in that... The valve seat (1) includes a sealing upper cover (101) and a lower cover (102), and has several valve chambers (105) for mounting valve core assemblies (2) and flow channels (106) connecting each valve chamber. The upper cover has an inlet (103) communicating with the flow channel. The valve core assembly includes a valve core (201), a sealing ring A (202), a sealing ring B (203), and a return spring (204). The valve core is axially slidably disposed in the valve chamber, and one end of the valve core is the end of the valve chamber that extends out of the lower cover. The other end of the valve core is abutted against the inner end of the valve chamber of the upper cover by the return spring. The valve chamber is a stepped cylindrical cavity, wherein the large cylindrical cavity is the inlet cavity (1051), and the small cylindrical cavity is the inlet cavity (1051). The cavity is an outlet cavity (1052), the inlet cavity is connected to the flow channel, and the outlet cavity is provided with an outlet (104) in the radial direction. A water passage gap is formed between the valve core and the inner wall of the outlet cavity. The sealing ring A of the valve core is in sliding sealing fit with the outlet cavity and forms a seal at the gap where the valve core drive end extends out of the lower cover. The outer diameter of the sealing ring B of the valve core is larger than the aperture of the outlet cavity. Under the initial pressing action of the return spring, the sealing ring B abuts against the stepped surface of the valve cavity to seal and isolate the outlet cavity from the inlet cavity. When the protruding end of the valve core is pressed and the return spring is compressed, the sealing ring B releases the seal between the outlet cavity and the inlet cavity, and the inlet and outlet are connected.

2. The four-way valve with multi-channel independent control according to claim 1, characterized in that... The valve core (201) forms a coaxial pressing head, an annular sealing groove A, an intermediate section, an annular sealing groove B, a spring seat (205), and a tail section (206) from one end to the other. The annular sealing groove A is connected to the sealing ring A (202), and the annular sealing groove B is connected to the sealing ring B (203). The valve cavity (105) end of the lower cover (102) is provided with an opening adapted to the sliding extension of the pressing head, and the valve cavity inner end of the upper cover (101) is provided with an inner guide seat (108) that provides axial guidance for the tail section of the valve core and the reset spring (204).

3. The four-way valve with multi-channel independent control according to claim 1, characterized in that... The valve seat (1) has a fan-shaped structure. Each valve chamber (105) of the valve seat is distributed in an arc along the fan-shaped direction. A water inlet connector perpendicular to the upper cover (101) is formed at the water inlet (103), and a water outlet connector arranged radially along the fan shape of the valve seat is formed at the water outlet (104).

4. The four-way valve with multi-channel independent control according to claim 1, characterized in that... The four-way valve includes a drive device (4) that drives the valve core (201) to move axially within the valve chamber (105). The drive device can be manually pressed or electrically pressed.

5. The four-way valve with multi-channel independent control according to claim 4, characterized in that... The electric push-type drive device (4) includes a servo motor (401), a reduction gear set (402), and an output gear disc (403). The surface of the output gear disc is provided with at least one protruding abutment (406). The end of the abutment forms a double-sided inclined surface. When the valve seat (1) and the drive device are fixed relative to the external support, the driving ends of each valve core (201) of the valve seat fall into the rotation path of the abutment when the output gear disc rotates. When the inclined surface of the abutment contacts the driving end of the valve core, it pushes the valve core to compress the reset spring (204). The inlet and outlet are connected.

6. The four-way valve with multi-channel independent control according to claim 5, characterized in that... The output gear plate (403) is integrated with a stroke limit block (404) on its circumferential surface. The cover of the drive device is equipped with a limit switch (405) that contacts the stroke limit block. When the output gear plate rotates to the point where the stroke limit block contacts the limit switch, the corresponding abutment (406) pushes the valve core (201) into place.

7. The four-way valve with multi-channel independent control according to claim 5, characterized in that... The output gear plate (403) of the drive device (4) has an output shaft (4031) at its center. The output shaft is connected to the brewing chamber assembly (5) of the coffee machine. That is, the drive device drives the valve core (201) of the four-way valve and drives the brewing chamber assembly to work.

8. The four-way valve with multi-channel independent control according to claim 1, characterized in that... The upper cover (101) of the valve seat (1) forms a protrusion (107) corresponding to the valve cavity (105), and the protrusion serves as a positioning post for the valve seat to be installed and aligned with the external bracket.

9. The four-way valve with multi-channel independent control according to claim 1, characterized in that... The upper cover (101) of the valve seat (1) forms a cavity, and the lower cover of the valve seat is provided with a boss that cooperates with the cavity of the upper cover. The boss surface is provided with the flow channel (106), and the circumferential surface of the boss is fitted with a sealing ring (3). The sealing ring is fitted with the inner circumferential surface of the cavity of the upper cover to form a seal. The upper cover and the lower cover (102) are detachably fixed.

10. A method for operating a four-way valve with multi-channel independent control as described in claim 5, characterized in that... The working method is as follows: In the initial state, under the action of the return spring (204), the valve core (201) forms a sealed isolation between the water inlet chamber (1051) and the water outlet chamber (1052) of the valve cavity (105) through the sealing ring B (203), and the water inlet (103) and the water outlet (104) are not connected; when the driving device (4) drives the output gear disk (403) to rotate, the abutment (406) of the output gear disk rotates to abut against the driving end of the valve core, pushes the valve core to compress the return spring, releases the seal of the sealing ring B, and the water inlet chamber and the water outlet of the valve cavity are connected; when the output gear disk rotates again and the abutment disengages from the driving end of the valve core, the valve core returns to the initial state under the action of the return spring.

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