Throttling device and refrigeration apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to a throttling device and a refrigeration equipment, wherein the throttling device comprises a shell, a conical body, a driving mechanism and an elastic piece; the shell is provided with a refrigerant input hole and a refrigerant output hole which are communicated with each other; the conical body is movably arranged in the shell, a throttling gap is formed between the conical body and the inner wall of the shell, the refrigerant input hole is communicated with the refrigerant output hole through the throttling gap; the elastic piece is arranged in the shell and elastically supported between the conical body and the shell; the driving mechanism is connected with the conical body and can drive the conical body to move so as to adjust the size of the throttling gap. The throttling device provided by the application can solve the problem that the single-aperture throttling orifice plate in the prior art can only provide a single throttling flow and throttling temperature, thereby failing to adapt to the dynamic change requirement of an evaporation temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, and in particular to a throttling device and refrigeration equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the improvement of people's living standards, refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators and freezers have become widely used in people's lives. Refrigeration equipment achieves cooling through changes in the state of the refrigerant. During the cooling process, it is necessary to regulate the flow of the refrigerant.

[0003] In existing technologies, refrigeration equipment is equipped with orifice plates for regulating the refrigerant flow. Currently, the commonly used orifice plates are single-orifice plates, designed for refrigerant expansion at a single evaporation temperature. However, the orifice size of such single-orifice plates is fixed, thus only providing a single throttling flow rate and temperature. In some refrigeration equipment, the evaporation temperature needs to change dynamically. Existing single-orifice plates, due to their limited throttling flow rate and temperature, are unsuitable for dynamically changing evaporation temperatures, ultimately affecting the normal operation of the refrigeration equipment. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a throttling device and a refrigeration equipment to solve the problem that the single-aperture throttling orifice plate described in the background art can only provide a single throttling flow rate and throttling temperature, which makes it unable to adapt to the dynamic changes in evaporation temperature.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a throttling device, comprising:

[0006] The housing has a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet that are interconnected.

[0007] A conical body is movably disposed within the housing, and a throttling gap is formed between the conical body and the inner wall of the housing. The refrigerant inlet is connected to the refrigerant outlet through the throttling gap.

[0008] An elastic element is disposed within the housing and elastically supported between the cone and the housing;

[0009] A drive mechanism is connected to the cone and can drive the cone to move in order to adjust the size of the throttling gap.

[0010] Optionally, the first end of the cone with a larger cross-sectional area is connected to the drive mechanism, and the second end of the cone with a smaller cross-sectional area extends into the refrigerant inlet. The cone and the inner port of the refrigerant inlet together form the throttling gap.

[0011] Optionally, the elastic element is sleeved on the cone, and the first end of the elastic element is positioned at the first end of the cone with a larger cross-sectional area, and the second end of the elastic element is positioned on the inner wall of the housing.

[0012] Optionally, the first end of the elastic element is engaged with the first end of the cone; the inner wall of the housing has a tapered section, and the second end of the elastic element abuts against the tapered section.

[0013] Optionally, a flow sensor extending into the refrigerant outlet is installed on the wall of the refrigerant outlet; the flow sensor is used to detect the actual refrigerant flow rate through the throttling device.

[0014] Optionally, the housing has a first mounting hole, the through direction of the first mounting hole being consistent with the through direction of the refrigerant inlet hole and intersecting with the through direction of the refrigerant outlet hole respectively. The housing includes a plug installed in the first mounting hole. The plug has a first threaded hole. The driving mechanism includes a power source and a transmission mechanism connected together. The transmission mechanism includes a lead screw threaded into the first threaded hole. The lead screw is connected to the first end of the cone. The power source is used to drive the lead screw to rotate so that the lead screw drives the cone to move.

[0015] Optionally, the end face of the first end of the cone is fitted with the plug for limiting.

[0016] Optionally, the transmission mechanism includes a gear and a rack, the gear is fixedly connected to the lead screw, the gear meshes with the rack, the power source is connected to the rack, and the power source is used to drive the rack to move so as to drive the gear to rotate the lead screw.

[0017] Optionally, the power source is a hydraulic drive unit, which is connected to the rack.

[0018] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a refrigeration device, including the throttling device described above.

[0019] The technical solutions provided in this application have the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0020] The throttling device disclosed in this application, during operation, can drive a conical body to move via a drive mechanism, thereby adjusting the size of the throttling gap formed between the conical body and the inner wall of the housing. This is equivalent to an adjustable throttling orifice size. Adjusting the size of the throttling gap allows for flexible regulation of the refrigerant flow through the throttling device, achieving stepless adjustment of the refrigerant flow. This flexible adjustment of the refrigerant flow allows for flexible control of the throttling temperature of the refrigeration equipment, ultimately adapting to the dynamic changes in evaporation temperature. Simultaneously, the elastic element, elastically supported between the conical body and the housing, generates damping, preventing the conical body from colliding with the housing or moving too quickly when moving close to the inner wall. This avoids the impact of collisions or excessively rapid movement on the refrigerant flow regulation, resulting in better flow regulation by the throttling device (e.g., improved throttling accuracy). Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the throttling device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 The black arrow in the middle indicates the direction of refrigerant flow;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the drive mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the refrigeration equipment provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0028] 01. Throttling device; 10. Housing; 11. Housing body; 111. Refrigerant inlet port; 112. Refrigerant outlet port; 113. Throttling gap; 114. Conical section; 115. Inner cavity; 116. First mounting hole; 117. Second mounting hole; 12. Plug; 121. First threaded hole; 20. Conical body; 21. First end; 22. Second end; 30. Drive mechanism; 31. Power source; 311. Piston rod; 3111, Piston; 3112, Rod; 312, Cylinder; 3121, Rod chamber; 3122, Rodless chamber; 32, Transmission mechanism; 321, Lead screw; 322, Gear; 323, Rack; 40, Elastic element; 50, Flow sensor; 02, Expansion valve; 03, First switching valve; 04, Second switching valve; 05, First main pipe section; 06, Second main pipe section; 07, First branch pipe; 08, Second branch pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of this application. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0031] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used in this text to describe the relative position or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature, as shown in the figure. These relative terms include, for example, "inside," "outside," "middle," "outer," "below," "below," "above," "front," "back," etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation, other than those depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure undergoes a positional flip, orientation change, or change of motion, these directional indications will change accordingly. For instance, an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features." Therefore, the example term "below" can include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions), and the spatial relative descriptions used in this text will be interpreted accordingly.

[0032] To address the problem that existing orifice plates can only provide a single throttling flow rate and throttling temperature, thus failing to adapt to dynamic changes in evaporation temperature, this application provides a throttling device 01, which can be applied to refrigeration equipment. The provided throttling device 01 includes a housing 10, a conical body 20, a drive mechanism 30, and an elastic element 40.

[0033] The housing 10 is the peripheral structure of the throttling device 01. The housing 10 provides direct or indirect mounting positions for the cone 20, drive mechanism 30, and elastic element 40. Simultaneously, the housing 10 also forms some functional structures. In this embodiment, the housing 10 is provided with a refrigerant inlet 111 and a refrigerant outlet 112. The refrigerant inlet 111 and the refrigerant outlet 112 are interconnected. Specifically, the housing 10 has an inner cavity 115, through which the refrigerant inlet 111 communicates with the refrigerant outlet 112. During the refrigerant flow through the throttling device 01, the refrigerant can enter the inner cavity 115 of the housing 10 from the refrigerant inlet 111 and finally flow out of the throttling device 01 from the refrigerant outlet 112. The refrigerant inlet 111 and the refrigerant outlet 112 can be equal-diameter holes (e.g.,...). Figure 1 (As shown), it can also be a non-uniform diameter hole, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0034] The cone 20 is the core component of the throttling device 01 for regulating refrigerant flow. The cone 20 can be a regular cone structure, such as a circular cone or a square cone, or it can be an irregular cone structure. This application embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the cone 20. The cone 20 is movably disposed within the housing 10, forming a throttling gap 113 between the cone 20 and the inner wall of the housing 10. The refrigerant inlet 111 is connected to the refrigerant outlet 112 through the throttling gap 113. The flow area of ​​the throttling gap 113 is smaller than the flow area of ​​the refrigerant inlet 111, thereby allowing the refrigerant entering the housing 10 from the refrigerant inlet 111 to be throttled by the throttling gap 113, ultimately achieving a throttling effect.

[0035] The drive mechanism 30 is connected to the cone 20 and can drive the cone 20 to move to adjust the size of the throttling gap 113. Driven by the drive mechanism 30, the cone 20 moves within the housing 10. Since different parts of the cone 20 have different cross-sectional areas, as the cone 20 moves, the parts with different cross-sectional areas will cooperate with preset parts on the inner wall (e.g., the inner port of the refrigerant inlet 111) to adjust the size of the throttling gap 113. It should be noted that the cross-sectional area of ​​the cone 20 refers to the area of ​​the cross-section of the cone 20 perpendicular to its direction of movement. Furthermore, this embodiment does not limit the specific location of the preset part within the housing 10, nor does it limit the specific shape of the housing 10, as long as it can form a throttling gap 113 that changes size with the movement of the cone 20 during its movement.

[0036] In this embodiment, the inner cavity 115, refrigerant inlet 111, and refrigerant outlet 112 of the housing 10 are all internal spaces of the housing 10. In this embodiment, the cone 20 may be entirely located in the inner cavity 115 of the housing 10, or partially located in the inner cavity 115 of the housing 10 with another part located in the refrigerant inlet 111, or partially located in the inner cavity 115 of the housing 10 with another part located in the refrigerant outlet 112. This embodiment does not impose any limitations, as long as the cone 20 can be moved to change the size of the throttling gap 113 formed between the cone 20 and the inner wall of the housing 10.

[0037] An elastic element 40 is disposed within the housing 10 and elastically supported between the conical body 20 and the housing 10. Specifically, the elastic element 40 is elastically supported between the conical body 20 and the inner wall of the housing 10, and the elastic element 40 applies a spring force to the conical body 20 based on the housing 10. In this embodiment, the direction of the spring force applied by the elastic element 40 to the conical body 20 can be parallel to the direction of movement of the conical body 20. The elastic element 40 plays a damping role; specifically, the spring force applied by the elastic element 40 is used to prevent the conical body 20 from colliding with the interior of the housing 10 or moving too quickly when moving in a direction close to a predetermined part of the inner wall, thereby avoiding refrigerant flow fluctuations caused by vibrations from collisions or excessively rapid movement of the conical body 20. The direction of movement of the conical body 20 can include a first direction and a second direction, the first direction being opposite to the second direction. When the conical body 20 moves along the first direction, the throttling gap 113 gradually decreases. Conversely, when the conical body 20 moves along the second direction, the throttling gap 113 gradually increases. The elastic element 40 can apply an elastic force to the cone 20 in the opposite direction of its movement when the cone 20 moves along the first direction.

[0038] When the throttling device 01 disclosed in this application is in operation, the driving mechanism 30 can drive the conical body 20 to move, thereby adjusting the size of the throttling gap 113 formed between the conical body 20 and the inner wall of the housing 10, which is equivalent to the size of the throttling orifice being adjustable. The adjustment of the size of the throttling gap 113 can flexibly adjust the refrigerant flow rate through the throttling device 01, thereby achieving stepless adjustment of the refrigerant flow rate. The flexible adjustment of the refrigerant flow rate can flexibly control the throttling temperature of the refrigeration equipment, ultimately adapting to the needs of dynamic changes in evaporation temperature. At the same time, the elastic element 40, which is elastically supported between the conical body 20 and the housing 10, can generate damping, thereby preventing the conical body 20 from colliding with the housing 10 or moving too fast when moving close to the inner wall of the housing 10. This can prevent collisions or excessively fast movement from affecting the refrigerant flow rate adjustment, thus making the throttling device 01 more effective in regulating the flow rate (e.g., improving throttling accuracy).

[0039] Meanwhile, single-orifice throttling plates, due to their inability to change the orifice size during use, experience significant pressure loss. This not only increases the energy consumption of refrigeration equipment but also reduces its efficiency. Furthermore, because the orifice size cannot be changed, single-orifice throttling plates are only suitable for refrigerant throttling within a limited range. In contrast, the throttling device 01 disclosed in this application can flexibly adjust the size of the throttling gap 113, essentially adjusting the orifice size, thereby enabling refrigerant throttling over a wider range. Moreover, the size of the throttling gap 113 is infinitely adjustable, allowing for more precise regulation of the refrigerant flow rate. Simultaneously, the throttling device 01 provided in this application can reduce unnecessary pressure loss by optimizing the size of the throttling gap 113, thus improving the energy efficiency of refrigeration equipment. The throttling device 01 disclosed in this application can regulate the flow rate of various fluid types, including gases, liquids, and steam, offering the advantage of a wide range of applicability.

[0040] As described above, the conical body 20 may be partially located in the inner cavity 115 and partially located in the refrigerant outlet port 112. Based on this, in one embodiment, the first end 21 of the conical body 20 with a larger cross-sectional area may be connected to the drive mechanism 30. The second end 22 of the conical body 20 with a smaller cross-sectional area may extend into the refrigerant outlet port 112, and a throttling gap 113 may be formed between the conical body 20 and the inner port of the refrigerant outlet port 112. During the throttling process, refrigerant enters the inner cavity 115 of the housing 10 through the refrigerant inlet port 111, and then flows out from the refrigerant outlet port 112 through the throttling gap 113.

[0041] In another embodiment, the first end 21 of the cone 20 with a larger cross-sectional area can be connected to the drive mechanism 30. The second end 22 of the cone 20 with a smaller cross-sectional area can extend into the refrigerant inlet 111, and the cone 20 and the inner port of the refrigerant inlet 111 form a throttling gap 113. This method allows the refrigerant to be throttled before it enters the inner cavity 115 of the housing 10, thus enabling timely throttling adjustment. At the same time, it also avoids excessive refrigerant filling the housing 10 and causing excessive pressure on the housing 10, which helps ensure the structural stability of the throttling device 01.

[0042] In this embodiment, the elastic element 40 can be elastically supported between the cone 20 and the housing 10 in various ways. In one embodiment, there can be multiple elastic elements 40, which can be distributed around the cone 20. The first end of each elastic element 40 is connected to the cone 20, and the second end of each elastic element 40 is connected to the inner wall of the housing 10. The multiple elastic elements 40 can be evenly distributed in the direction surrounding the cone 20, thereby providing balanced elastic support for the cone 20. This structure requires a relatively large number of elastic elements 40. Based on this, in another embodiment, the elastic element 40 can be sleeved on the cone 20. The first end of the elastic element 40 can be positioned at the first end 21 of the cone 20 with a larger cross-sectional area. The second end of the elastic element 40 can be positioned on the inner wall of the housing 10. In this embodiment, the elastic element 40 is essentially a cylindrical component. The elastic element 40 is installed via a fitted assembly, still providing balanced elastic support along the circumference of the conical body 20. Furthermore, this structure requires only one elastic element 40, reducing the need for multiple elements and simplifying the structure of the throttling device 01. It also improves the stability of the elastic element 40 after installation and deformation. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the elastic element 40 is located within the housing 10, but it should not obstruct the flow of refrigerant within the housing 10.

[0043] In the embodiments of this application, there are various types of elastic elements 40. For example, the elastic element 40 can be a spring or a hollow elastic cylinder. Any elastic structure that does not block the flow of refrigerant in the throttling device 01 can be applied to the throttling device 01 disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0044] As described above, the first end of the elastic element 40 is positioned at the first end 21 of the cone 20 with a larger cross-sectional area. In one embodiment, the first end of the elastic element 40 can be welded to the first end 21 of the cone 20 with a larger cross-sectional area. In another embodiment, the first end of the elastic element 40 can be snapped onto the first end 21 of the cone 20 with a larger cross-sectional area. This method allows the first end of the elastic element 40 to fit tightly against the conical surface of the cone 20 after it is fitted onto the cone 20. This achieves the positioning of the first end of the elastic element 40 on the first end 21 of the cone 20, offering advantages such as convenient positioning and simple operation.

[0045] The elastic element 40 is a compression element with a certain preload. To improve the installation stability of the elastic element 40, the inner wall of the housing 10 may have a tapered section 114, and the second end of the elastic element 40 may abut against the tapered section 114. This structure allows the second end of the elastic element 40 to extend into the tapered section 114, which gradually narrows, thereby achieving stable contact between the elastic element 40 and the inner wall of the housing 10.

[0046] In the throttling device 01 disclosed in this application embodiment, a flow sensor 50 extending into the refrigerant outlet port 112 can be installed on the port wall. The flow sensor 50 is used to detect the actual refrigerant flow rate through the throttling device 01. The throttling device 01 disclosed in this application embodiment can regulate the refrigerant flow rate. By setting the flow sensor 50 in the refrigerant outlet port 112, the throttling of the throttling device 01 can be detected in a timely manner. In one embodiment, a second mounting hole 117 can be provided in the port wall of the refrigerant outlet port 112, and the flow sensor 50 can be detachably installed in the second mounting hole 117. This structure facilitates the installation and removal of the flow sensor 50. Specifically, the flow sensor 50 can be detachably installed on the port wall of the refrigerant outlet port 112 by means of snap-fit, threaded connection, etc. This application embodiment does not limit the specific installation method of the flow sensor 50. When the flow sensor 50 is detachably installed in the second mounting hole 117 by means of threaded connection, the second mounting hole 117 can be a second threaded hole.

[0047] The flow sensor 50 is configured to detect the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet 112 and obtain the measured flow rate value (i.e., the actual refrigerant flow rate mentioned above). The measured flow rate value can be compared with the theoretical flow rate value under the same opening degree (i.e., the theoretical flow rate value under the same size of the throttling gap 113). This allows it to be determined whether the throttling device 01 has been worn or damaged due to impurities or corrosion in the refrigerant after long-term use, thus affecting the throttling effect. If the deviation between the measured flow rate value and the theoretical flow rate value is within the preset deviation range, the drive mechanism 30 can be controlled to move the cone 20 to adjust the flow rate value so that it tends towards the theoretical flow rate value. If the deviation between the measured flow rate value and the theoretical flow rate value exceeds the preset deviation range, the throttling device 01 needs to be inspected or replaced. Compared to a single-orifice throttling plate, the throttling device 01 disclosed in this application can adjust the flow rate when the deviation between the measured flow rate and the theoretical flow rate is within a preset deviation range. This eliminates the need for maintenance and replacement of the throttling device 01, ultimately reducing maintenance costs and downtime. It should be noted that the theoretical flow rate can be calculated experimentally or using a preset calculation model after the throttling device is designed and finalized. This is not an innovation of this application and will not be elaborated upon further.

[0048] In one embodiment, the housing 10 may be a structure in which only the refrigerant inlet 111 and the refrigerant outlet 112 communicate with the external environment, and the drive mechanism 30 may be installed inside the housing 10. Considering that the drive mechanism 30 is generally large and that a part of the drive mechanism 30 (e.g., the electrical structure) needs to be separated from the refrigerant, in another embodiment, the housing 10 may have a first mounting hole 116. The through direction of the first mounting hole 116 may be consistent with the through direction of the refrigerant inlet 111, and the through directions of the first mounting hole 116 and the refrigerant inlet 111 may intersect the through direction of the refrigerant outlet 112, respectively. In one embodiment, the through directions of the first mounting hole 116 and the refrigerant inlet 111 may be perpendicular to the through direction of the refrigerant outlet 112, respectively.

[0049] The housing 10 can be a one-piece structure or a split structure. For ease of assembly, the housing 10 may include a main body 11 and a plug 12. The main body 11 has a first mounting hole 116, a refrigerant inlet hole 111, a refrigerant outlet hole 112, an inner cavity 115, and a tapered section 114, etc. The plug 12 is installed in the first mounting hole 116 and can seal with it. Specifically, the plug 12 can be detachably installed on the main body 11 by means of snap-fit, pin connection, etc. In this case, the housing 10 is a split structure.

[0050] The drive mechanism 30 may include a power source 31 and a transmission mechanism 32. The power source 31 is located outside the housing 10, and the transmission mechanism 32 is connected to the power source 31. The transmission mechanism 32 passes through the plug 12 and is connected to the first end 21 of the cone 20. The power source 31 drives the cone 20 to move within the housing 10 through the transmission mechanism 32. This design allows the drive mechanism 30, with the power source 31 located outside the housing 10, to drive the movement of the cone 20. This eliminates the need for the drive mechanism 30 to occupy a large space within the housing 10, and also isolates the power source 31 from the refrigerant, thus preventing adverse effects of the refrigerant on the power source 31.

[0051] In this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 32 can have various structures, such as a crank-slider mechanism or other mechanisms. In one embodiment, the plug 12 may have a first threaded hole 121. The transmission mechanism 32 may include a lead screw 321, which is threaded into the first threaded hole 121. The lead screw 321 may be connected to the first end 21 of the conical body 20. Specifically, the lead screw 321 may be fixedly connected to the first end 21 of the conical body 20 by welding, bonding, or connecting with connectors. The power source 31 is connected to the transmission mechanism 32 and drives the lead screw 321 to rotate, thereby causing the lead screw 321 to move the conical body 20. The movement of the conical body 20 ultimately adjusts the size of the throttling gap 113. In this structure, the lead screw 321 is threaded into the first threaded hole 121. The power source 31 drives the lead screw 321 to rotate, thereby causing the lead screw 321 to move relative to the plug 12 while rotating relative to the plug 12, which in turn drives the conical body 20 to move relative to the housing 10. The threaded engagement between the lead screw 321 and the first threaded hole 121 enables more precise movement of the lead screw 321, ultimately achieving more precise movement of the conical body 20. This more precise movement of the conical body 20 allows for more precise adjustment of the size of the throttling gap 113.

[0052] As described above, the first end 21 of the conical body 20 is connected to the lead screw 321. In one embodiment, the end face of the first end 21 of the conical body 20 is used for a limiting engagement with the plug 12. Specifically, the projection of the lead screw 321 in the direction perpendicular to the end face of the first end 21 of the conical body 20 is located within the end face of the first end 21 of the conical body 20 and is smaller than the area of ​​the end face of the first end 21, so that the part of the first end 21 not connected to the lead screw 321 will engage with the plug 12 for limiting engagement, thereby preventing excessive movement of the conical body 20. In this case, the plug 12 not only serves as part of the housing 10 for engagement with the housing body 11, but also additionally restricts excessive movement of the conical body 20, achieving a multi-purpose effect.

[0053] As mentioned above, the transmission mechanism 32 can have various specific structures. In one embodiment, the transmission mechanism 32 may include a gear 322, a rack 323, and the lead screw 321 described above.

[0054] Power source 31 is connected to rack 323, and power source 31 drives rack 323 to move. Gear 322 is fixedly connected to lead screw 321, and gear 322 meshes with rack 323. Specifically, the rotation axis of gear 322 and the rotation axis of lead screw 321 are coaxial. Power source 31 drives rack 323 to move, and the movement of rack 323 drives the rotation of gear 322, which in turn drives the rotation of lead screw 321, ultimately driving the rotation of lead screw 321. This type of drive mechanism 30 has advantages such as simple structure and ease of design.

[0055] The power source 31 can be a linear motor, a hydraulic drive, or a pneumatic drive. This application does not limit the specific type of the power source 31.

[0056] When the power source 31 is a hydraulic drive, it is connected to the rack 323. The hydraulic drive may include a piston rod 311 and a cylinder 312. The piston rod 311 may include a piston 3111 and a rod body 3112. The piston 3111 is slidably disposed within the cylinder 312. One end of the rod body 3112 extends into the cylinder 312 and is fixedly connected to the piston 3111, while the other end of the rod body 3112 is located outside the cylinder 312 and is fixedly connected to the rack 323. The piston 3111 divides the cylinder 312 into a rod chamber 3121 and a rodless chamber 3122. The rod chamber 3121 and the rodless chamber 3122 can be filled with hydraulic fluid and are isolated from each other. A hydraulic circuit is also provided in conjunction with the power source 31. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Taking the perspective shown as an example, during the process of hydraulic fluid flowing out of the rod chamber 3121 and into the rodless chamber 3122, the piston rod 311 moves to the left, thereby driving the gear 322 to rotate counterclockwise via the rack 323. The counterclockwise rotation of the gear 322 drives the lead screw 321 to rotate counterclockwise, and also drives the cone 20 downward (in... Figure 1 (From a certain perspective) the piston moves, thus reducing the throttling gap 113. Conversely, as the hydraulic fluid flows into the rod chamber 3121 and out of the rodless chamber 3122, the piston rod 311 moves to the right, which in turn drives the gear 322 to rotate clockwise via the rack 323. The clockwise rotation of the gear 322 drives the lead screw 321 to rotate clockwise and causes the cone 20 to move upward (in the direction of rotation). Figure 1 (From a certain perspective) the movement causes the throttling gap 113 to increase. Because hydraulic drive components have advantages such as stable drive and less vibration, the drive mechanism 30 can drive the cone 20 to move more stably, thus producing less fluctuation or no fluctuation during the flow regulation process.

[0057] When the saturation pressure P1 corresponding to the throttling temperature is less than the saturation pressure P2 corresponding to the evaporation temperature, it indicates that the refrigeration capacity of the refrigeration equipment is too high and the refrigerant flow needs to be reduced, that is, the throttling gap 113 needs to be reduced. In this case, the drive mechanism 30 drives the lead screw 321 to rotate counterclockwise, which in turn drives the cone 20 to move downward to reduce the throttling gap 113, and finally reduces the refrigerant flow.

[0058] When the saturation pressure P1 corresponding to the throttling temperature is greater than the saturation pressure P2 corresponding to the evaporation temperature, it indicates that the cooling capacity of the refrigeration equipment is too low and the refrigerant flow needs to be increased, that is, the throttling gap 113 needs to be increased. In this case, the drive mechanism 30 drives the lead screw 321 to rotate clockwise, which in turn drives the cone 20 to move upward to increase the throttling gap 113, ultimately increasing the refrigerant flow.

[0059] Based on the throttling device 01 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, the embodiments of this application also provide a refrigeration device, the disclosed refrigeration device including the throttling device 01 described in the above embodiments.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 3 In one embodiment, the refrigeration equipment may include an expansion valve 02, a first main pipe section 05, a second main pipe section 06, a first branch pipe 07, and a second branch pipe 08. The first branch pipe 07 and the second branch pipe 08 are connected in parallel between the first main pipe section 05 and the second main pipe section 06, with both ends of the first branch pipe 07 and the second branch pipe 08 respectively connected to the first main pipe section 05 and the second main pipe section 06. The expansion valve 02 is located on the first branch pipe 07, and the throttling device 01 is located on the second branch pipe 08. This configuration allows the expansion valve 02 and the throttling device 01 to be connected in parallel, thereby controlling the refrigerant in the refrigeration equipment separately. The expansion valve 02 controls the refrigerant by opening and closing. The throttling device 01 achieves more precise control of the refrigerant flow rate through stepless control of the throttling gap 113.

[0061] Furthermore, the first main pipe section 05 may be equipped with a first switching valve 03, which controls the on / off state of the first main pipe section 05. The second main pipe section 06 may be equipped with a second switching valve 04, which controls the on / off state of the second main pipe section 06. During the maintenance of the refrigeration equipment, the first switching valve 03 and the second switching valve 04 are closed, thereby enabling maintenance of the area located between them. The first switching valve 03 and the second switching valve 04 may be ball valves or other types of switching valves. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific types of the first switching valve 03 and the second switching valve 04.

[0062] In this application embodiment, the refrigeration equipment may be a refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner, or other equipment. This application embodiment does not limit the specific type of refrigeration equipment.

[0063] It should be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” as used herein may also include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and “having” are inclusive and therefore indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not construed as requiring them to be performed in a particular order described or illustrated unless the order of performance is explicitly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0064] Although terms such as first, second, third, etc., may be used in this document to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or segment from another. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms used herein do not imply order or sequence. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer, or segment discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or segment without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0065] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A throttling device, characterized in that, include: The housing (10) is provided with a refrigerant inlet (111) and a refrigerant outlet (112) that are in communication with each other; A conical body (20) is movably disposed within the housing (10), and a throttling gap (113) is formed between the conical body (20) and the inner wall of the housing (10). The refrigerant inlet (111) is connected to the refrigerant outlet (112) through the throttling gap (113). An elastic element (40) is disposed inside the housing (10) and elastically supported between the cone (20) and the housing (10); A drive mechanism (30) is connected to the cone (20) and can drive the cone (20) to move in order to adjust the size of the throttling gap (113).

2. The throttling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first end (21) of the cone (20) with a larger cross-sectional area is connected to the drive mechanism (30), and the second end (22) of the cone (20) with a smaller cross-sectional area extends into the refrigerant inlet (111). The cone (20) and the inner port of the refrigerant inlet (111) form the throttling gap (113).

3. The throttling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic element (40) is sleeved on the cone (20), and the first end of the elastic element (40) is positioned at the first end (21) of the cone (20) with a larger cross-sectional area, and the second end of the elastic element (40) is positioned on the inner wall of the housing (10).

4. The throttling device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first end of the elastic element (40) is engaged with the first end (21) of the cone (20); the inner wall of the housing (10) has a tapered section (114), and the second end of the elastic element (40) abuts against the tapered section (114).

5. The throttling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A flow sensor (50) extending into the refrigerant outlet (112) is installed on the wall of the outlet. The flow sensor (50) is used to detect the actual refrigerant flow rate through the throttling device (01).

6. The throttling device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing (10) has a first mounting hole (116), the through direction of the first mounting hole (116) is consistent with the through direction of the refrigerant inlet hole (111) and intersects with the through direction of the refrigerant outlet hole (112). The housing (10) includes a plug (12) installed in the first mounting hole (116). The plug (12) has a first threaded hole (121). The drive mechanism (30) includes a power source (31) and a transmission mechanism (32) connected together. The transmission mechanism (32) includes a lead screw (321) threaded with the first threaded hole (121). The lead screw (321) is connected to the first end (21) of the cone (20). The power source (31) is used to drive the lead screw (321) to rotate so that the lead screw (321) drives the cone (20) to move.

7. The throttling device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The end face of the first end (21) of the cone (20) is fitted with the plug (12) for limiting.

8. The throttling device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism (32) includes a gear (322) and a rack (323). The gear (322) is fixedly connected to the lead screw (321). The gear (322) meshes with the rack (323). The power source (31) is connected to the rack (323), and the power source (31) is used to drive the rack (323) to move so as to drive the gear (322) to drive the lead screw (321) to rotate.

9. The throttling device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The power source (31) is a hydraulic drive unit, which is connected to the rack (323).

10. A refrigeration device, characterized in that, The throttling device (01) includes any one of claims 1-9.

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