Adjustable thermostatic valve

Abstract

The utility model discloses an adjustable thermostatic valve which comprises a valve body, a valve core and a memory alloy spring. The valve body is provided with a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, a liquid mixing cavity and a mixed water outlet which communicate with one another. The valve element is contained in the liquid mixing cavity and provided with a hot water opening corresponding to the hot water inlet and a cold water opening corresponding to the cold water inlet, and a clamping area is arranged between the valve element and the mixed water outlet. The memory alloy spring is assembled in the clamping area and configured to be capable of driving the valve element to move in the direction away from the mixed water outlet, and in the moving process of the valve element, the difference value of the amount of hot water entering from the hot water opening and the amount of cold water entering from the cold water opening is gradually increased or decreased. Compared with the prior art, the proportion of hot water and cold water can be adjusted, so that the temperature of mixed water flowing out is within a controllable range.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to a kind of adjustable thermostatic valves, belong to valve technical field. BACKGROUND

[0002] In industrial and civil fields, thermostatic valves are widely used. Its basic function is to connect two-way medium of high temperature and low temperature, and the mixed medium flows out from the drain port at constant temperature. The unique feature of thermostatic valve is that even if the inflow temperature and pressure of high and low temperature medium change, the temperature of outflow medium can still remain constant.

[0003] However, the existing thermostatic valve technology has some problems and limitations in these application scenarios. On the one hand, many thermostatic valves have slow response speed to temperature changes and low control accuracy, which cannot meet the process requirements sensitive to temperature, thereby affecting product quality and production efficiency. On the other hand, the adaptability of existing thermostatic valves is poor, and when facing different caliber, water pressure, flow and temperature requirements, the entire valve often needs to be replaced, which undoubtedly increases the use cost and maintenance workload. SUMMARY

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides an adjustable thermostatic valve, which can adjust the proportion of hot water and cold water, so that the temperature of the outflow mixed water is within a controllable range.

[0005] The technical scheme of the utility model is:

[0006] An adjustable thermostatic valve, comprising:

[0007] A valve body having a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, a mixed liquid chamber and a mixed water outlet in communication with each other;

[0008] A valve core housed in the mixed liquid chamber and having a hot water port corresponding to the hot water inlet and a cold water port corresponding to the cold water inlet, a clamping area being provided between the valve core and the mixed water outlet;

[0009] A memory alloy spring assembled in the clamping area and configured to move the valve core away from the mixed water outlet, and the difference between the amount of hot water entering from the hot water port and the amount of cold water entering from the cold water port gradually increases or decreases during the movement of the valve core.

[0010] As a further improvement of the utility model, the valve core has a first end and a second end, the clamping area is formed between the first end and the mixed water outlet, and the adjustable thermostatic valve further comprises a reset spring abutting against the second end.

[0011] As a further improvement of this utility model, the adjustable thermostatic valve further includes a temperature regulating element located at least partially within the mixing chamber, and the other end of the reset spring abuts against the temperature regulating element, wherein the temperature regulating element is configured as a driveable compression reset spring.

[0012] As a further improvement of this utility model, the temperature regulating member includes a driveable part that is at least partially exposed to the valve body and an abutting part that abuts against the return spring, wherein the driveable part is movably connected to the valve body.

[0013] As a further improvement of this utility model, the valve body is provided with a threaded portion, and the driveable portion is provided with a corresponding mating portion. The driveable portion is configured to move along the threaded portion toward or away from the return spring.

[0014] As a further improvement of this utility model, the valve body is provided with a limiting member in the mixing chamber near the mixing outlet, and the holding area is formed between the first end and the limiting member.

[0015] As a further improvement of this utility model, the adjustable thermostatic valve has a mixing mode and a pure water mode. In the mixing mode, the hot water inlet and the cold water outlet are always connected. In the pure water mode, one of the hot water outlet and the cold water outlet is aligned with the corresponding hot water inlet or the cold water inlet, and the other is offset from the corresponding hot water inlet or the cold water inlet.

[0016] As a further improvement of this utility model, the sum of the diameter of the hot water inlet, the diameter of the cold water inlet, and the distance between the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet is less than or equal to the distance between the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet.

[0017] As a further improvement of this utility model, the cold water inlet, the hot water inlet, and the mixing outlet are arranged sequentially along the direction from the second end to the first end of the valve body.

[0018] As a further improvement of this utility model, a plurality of sealing rings are provided between the valve core and the inner wall surface of the valve body. The first sealing ring is close to the memory alloy spring, the second sealing ring is close to the reset spring, and the third sealing ring is located between the hot water port and the cold water port.

[0019] The beneficial technical effects of this utility model are as follows: The adjustable thermostatic valve of this utility model sets a retaining area between the valve core and the mixing outlet, so that the shape memory alloy spring is assembled in the retaining area and configured to drive the valve core to move away from the mixing outlet. During the movement of the valve core, the difference between the amount of hot water entering from the hot water inlet and the amount of cold water entering from the cold water inlet gradually increases or decreases. In this way, the flow ratio of cold water and hot water can be automatically adjusted according to the temperature of the liquid in the mixing chamber, so that the temperature of the mixed water is always within a controllable range. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustable thermostatic valve conforming to a preferred embodiment of the present utility model.

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the adjustable thermostatic valve after the valve body is concealed.

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The figure shows a cross-sectional view of the adjustable thermostatic valve.

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the adjustable thermostatic valve in another state. Detailed Implementation

[0024] In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this utility model, but are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0025] Please see Figures 1 to 4 As shown, this utility model discloses an adjustable thermostatic valve 100, including a valve body 1, a valve core 2, and a shape memory alloy spring 3. The valve body 1 is made of a corrosion-resistant, high-temperature resistant, and wear-resistant metallic or non-metallic material, and has interconnected hot water inlet 11, cold water inlet 12, mixing chamber, and mixing outlet 13.

[0026] The valve core 2 is housed within the mixing chamber and has a hot water inlet 21 corresponding to the hot water inlet 11 and a cold water inlet 22 corresponding to the cold water inlet 12. A retaining area 20 is provided between the valve core 2 and the mixing outlet 13. The shape memory alloy spring 3 is assembled within the retaining area 20 and configured to drive the valve core 2 to move away from the mixing outlet 13. During the movement of the valve core 2, the difference between the amount of hot water entering from the hot water inlet 21 and the amount of cold water entering from the cold water inlet 22 gradually increases or decreases.

[0027] Specifically, the adjustable thermostatic valve 100 has a mixing mode and a pure water mode. In the mixing mode, the hot water inlet 11 and the hot water outlet 21, and the cold water inlet 12 and the cold water outlet 22 are always connected. In the pure water mode, one of the hot water outlet 21 and the cold water outlet 22 is aligned with the corresponding hot water inlet 11 or the cold water inlet 12, and the other is misaligned with the corresponding hot water inlet 11 or the cold water inlet 12.

[0028] Typically, the adjustable thermostatic valve 100 is in mixing mode. The hot water inlet 11 and the hot water outlet 21, as well as the cold water inlet 12 and the cold water outlet 22, are always connected. The hot water entering from the hot water outlet 21 and the cold water entering from the cold water outlet 22 mix to form mixed water. When the temperature of the mixed water is low, the valve core 2 moves towards the hot water inlet 11 under the drive of the memory alloy spring 3. At this time, the intersection area of ​​the hot water outlet 21 and the hot water inlet 11 gradually increases, and the amount of hot water flowing into the hot water outlet 21 also gradually increases. Meanwhile, the intersection area of ​​the cold water outlet 22 and the cold water inlet 21 gradually decreases, and the amount of cold water flowing into the cold water outlet 22 also gradually decreases. At this time, the temperature of the mixed water gradually increases. Conversely, when the temperature of the mixed water is high, the valve core 2 moves toward the cold water inlet 12 under the drive of the shape memory alloy spring 3. At this time, the area of ​​intersection between the hot water inlet 21 and the hot water inlet 11 gradually decreases, and the amount of hot water flowing into the hot water inlet 21 also gradually decreases. Meanwhile, the area of ​​intersection between the cold water inlet 22 and the cold water inlet 21 gradually increases, and the amount of cold water flowing into the cold water inlet 22 also gradually increases. At this time, the temperature of the mixed water gradually decreases.

[0029] When the hot water inlet 21 and the hot water inlet 11 are aligned, meaning they completely intersect, the cold water inlet 22 and the cold water inlet 12 are misaligned, and the adjustable thermostatic valve 100 is in pure water mode, i.e., pure water heating mode. When the cold water inlet 22 and the cold water inlet 12 are aligned, meaning they completely intersect, the hot water inlet 21 and the hot water inlet 11 are misaligned, and the adjustable thermostatic valve 100 is in pure water mode, i.e., pure water cooling mode.

[0030] Preferably, the sum of the diameter of the hot water inlet 21, the diameter of the cold water inlet 22, and the distance between the hot water inlet 21 and the cold water inlet 22 is less than or equal to the distance between the hot water inlet 11 and the cold water inlet 12. This ensures that the adjustable thermostatic valve 100 can switch from the mixed water mode to the pure water mode.

[0031] In this embodiment, the shape memory alloy spring 3 is made of an alloy material with shape memory effect. Its grains are austenitic at high temperatures, with high shear modulus and elastic modulus; and martensitic at low temperatures, with low shear modulus and elastic modulus. The elastic force of the shape memory alloy spring 3 is several times greater at high temperatures than at low temperatures. Therefore, the shape memory alloy spring 3 can sense the external temperature and thus make a driving response.

[0032] Because the shape memory alloy spring 3 has a force sensitivity of up to 0.1℃ to water temperature, meaning it can respond to a temperature difference of 0.1℃, and its response speed to rapid changes in water temperature is as high as 0.2 seconds, the adjustable thermostatic valve 100 of this invention places the shape memory alloy spring 3 between the valve core 2 and the mixing outlet 13. This allows the shape memory alloy spring 3 to directly contact the temperature of the mixed water to be discharged, enabling precise sensing and rapid response to the outlet water temperature, thereby achieving accurate control of the outlet water temperature.

[0033] The valve core 2 has a first end 23 and a second end 24, and the retaining area 20 is formed between the first end 23 and the mixing outlet 13. Along the direction from the second end 24 to the first end 23 on the valve body 1, the cold water inlet 12, the hot water inlet 11, and the mixing outlet 13 are arranged sequentially. That is, the shape memory alloy spring 3 is closer to the hot water inlet 11 than to the cold water inlet 12.

[0034] Preferably, the valve body 1 is provided with a limiting member 14 located near the mixing outlet 13 within the mixing chamber, and the holding area 20 is formed between the first end 23 and the limiting member 14. That is, one end of the shape memory alloy spring 3 abuts against the limiting member 14, and the other end abuts against the first end 23.

[0035] The adjustable thermostatic valve 100 also includes a return spring 4 abutting against the second end 24. That is, the return spring 4 and the shape memory alloy spring 3 are respectively located on both sides of the valve core 2. The position of the valve core 2 is limited by the balance of the elastic forces of the return spring 4 and the shape memory alloy spring 3. By setting the return spring 4, when the temperature of the mixed water decreases, the return spring 4 can push the valve body 10 to move closer to the hot water inlet 11, thereby gradually increasing the intersection area of ​​the hot water outlet 21 and the hot water inlet 11, and gradually increasing the amount of hot water entering from the hot water outlet 21.

[0036] The adjustable thermostatic valve 100 also includes a temperature regulating element 5 located at least partially within the mixing chamber. The other end of the return spring 4 abuts against the temperature regulating element 5, and the temperature regulating element 5 is configured as a driveable compression return spring 4. By setting the temperature regulating element 5, manual intervention is possible in the temperature regulation process. When the temperature regulating element 5 compresses the return spring 4, the balance between the return spring 4 and the memory alloy spring 3 is broken, the return spring 4 is compressed, and it can push the valve core 2 to move towards the hot water inlet 11, thereby increasing the intersection area between the hot water outlet 21 and the hot water inlet 11, that is, increasing the amount of hot water entering from the hot water outlet 21, and thus directly increasing the temperature of the mixed water discharged from the mixing outlet 13. Conversely, when the temperature regulating element 5 moves away from the return spring 4, the balance between the return spring 4 and the shape memory alloy spring 3 is broken. The valve core 2 is pushed by the shape memory alloy spring 3 and moves towards the cold water inlet 12, thereby increasing the intersection area between the cold water inlet 22 and the cold water outlet 12, thus increasing the amount of cold water entering from the cold water inlet 22, and directly reducing the temperature of the mixed water discharged from the mixing outlet 13. In this way, the error tolerance is increased through manual intervention, and the water temperature can be adjusted in real time according to actual needs, making it more convenient.

[0037] Specifically, the temperature regulating component 5 includes a driveable portion 51 at least partially exposed to the valve body 1 and an abutting portion 52 that abuts against the return spring 4. The driveable portion 51 is movably connected to the valve body 1. The valve body 1 has a threaded portion 15, and the driveable portion 51 has a corresponding mating portion 511. The driveable portion 51 is configured to move along the threaded portion 15 toward the return spring 4.

[0038] In this embodiment, the drivable part 51 is provided with a drive groove 510 at one end exposed to the valve body 1. The user can insert a screwdriver or other tool into the drive groove 510 to control the engagement part 511 to rotate along the threaded part 15, thereby driving the temperature regulating member 5 to move along the threaded part 15 toward or away from the reset spring 4.

[0039] A plurality of sealing rings 6 are provided between the valve core 2 and the inner wall surface of the valve body 1. The first sealing ring 61 is close to the shape memory alloy spring 3, the second sealing ring 62 is close to the return spring 4, and the third sealing ring 63 is located between the hot water port 21 and the cold water port 22. Preferably, a sealing ring 6 is also provided between the temperature regulating component 5 and the inner wall surface of the valve body 1. By providing sealing rings 6, a sealing and waterproof function can be further achieved.

[0040] In summary, the adjustable thermostatic valve 100 of this invention provides a retaining area 20 between the valve core 2 and the mixing outlet 13, allowing the shape memory alloy spring 3 to be mounted within the retaining area 20 and configured to drive the valve core 2 to move away from the mixing outlet 13. During the movement of the valve core 2, the difference between the amount of hot water entering from the hot water inlet 21 and the amount of cold water entering from the cold water inlet 22 gradually increases or decreases. This allows for automatic adjustment of the flow ratio of cold and hot water according to the temperature of the liquid in the mixing chamber, ensuring that the temperature of the mixed water remains within a controllable range. The adjustable thermostatic valve 100 of this invention requires no external power supply or complex control signals; it achieves constant temperature regulation solely through the mechanical action of the shape memory alloy spring 3 and the valve core 2. It features a simple and compact structure with high reliability and stability. When adapting to different inlet diameters, water pressures, flow rates, and temperature requirements, the basic mechanism of the adjustable thermostatic valve 100 does not need to be changed; only the shape memory alloy spring 3 and the return spring 4 need to be replaced, resulting in low cost and simple operation.

[0041] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An adjustable thermostatic valve, characterized in that, include: The valve body has interconnected hot water inlet, cold water inlet, mixing chamber and mixing outlet; The valve core is housed in the mixing chamber and has a hot water inlet corresponding to the hot water inlet and a cold water inlet corresponding to the cold water inlet. A retaining area is provided between the valve core and the mixing outlet. A shape memory alloy spring is fitted into the holding area and configured to drive the valve core to move away from the mixing outlet. During the movement of the valve core, the difference between the amount of hot water entering from the hot water outlet and the amount of cold water entering from the cold water outlet gradually increases or decreases.

2. The adjustable thermostatic valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve core has a first end and a second end, the holding area is formed between the first end and the mixing outlet, and the adjustable thermostatic valve also includes a return spring abutting against the second end.

3. The adjustable thermostatic valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The adjustable thermostatic valve further includes a temperature regulating element located at least partially within the mixing chamber, and the other end of the return spring abuts against the temperature regulating element, wherein the temperature regulating element is configured as a driveable compression return spring.

4. The adjustable thermostatic valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The temperature regulating component includes an actuable portion at least partially exposed to the valve body and an abutting portion that abuts against the return spring, the actuable portion being movably connected to the valve body.

5. The adjustable thermostatic valve according to claim 4, characterized in that, The valve body is provided with a threaded portion, and the driveable portion is provided with a corresponding mating portion. The driveable portion is configured to move along the threaded portion toward or away from the return spring.

6. The adjustable thermostatic valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The valve body is provided with a limiting member in the mixing chamber near the mixing outlet, and the holding area is formed between the first end and the limiting member.

7. The adjustable thermostatic valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustable thermostatic valve has a mixing mode and a pure water mode. In the mixing mode, the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet are always connected. In the pure water mode, one of the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet is aligned with the corresponding hot water inlet or the cold water inlet, and the other is offset from the corresponding hot water inlet or the cold water inlet.

8. The adjustable thermostatic valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sum of the diameter of the hot water inlet, the diameter of the cold water inlet, and the distance between the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet is less than or equal to the distance between the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet.

9. The adjustable thermostatic valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, Along the direction from the second end to the first end of the valve body, the cold water inlet, the hot water inlet, and the mixing outlet are arranged sequentially.

10. The adjustable thermostatic valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, A plurality of sealing rings are provided between the valve core and the inner wall surface of the valve body. The first sealing ring is close to the memory alloy spring, the second sealing ring is close to the reset spring, and the third sealing ring is located between the hot water port and the cold water port.

Images