Slide type switch valve and refrigeration cycle system

Abstract

To provide a slide type switch valve and a refrigeration cycle system eliminating the need of difficult machining such as burring, and capable of reducing product costs.SOLUTION: A pilot valve 2 is equipped with a valve housing 20 made of stainless steel, a valve body 40 that can slide in the valve housing 20, and a D-capillary 11d through which a refrigerator passes. The D-capillary 11d is equipped with a tube expanding portion 11d1 that is provided on one end side in an axial direction L2, a tube contracting portion 11d2 that is provided closer to one end side than the tube expanding portion 11d1 and has diametrical dimensions smaller than the tube expanding portion 11d1, and a locking portion 11d3 that couples the tube expanding portion 11d1 and the tube contracting portion 11d2. The tube expanding portion 11d1 stores a strainer 11d4. The tube contracting portion 11d2 is inserted in a connection hole h5 of the valve housing 20, and while the locking portion 11d3 abuts on a peripheral edge h51 of the connection hole h5, the D-capillary 11d1 is connected to the valve housing 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a slide type switching valve and a refrigeration cycle system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a switching valve that communicates at least a pair of joint pipes among a plurality of joint pipes and enables switching of the joint pipes to be communicated, a slide type switching valve such as a four-way switching valve is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In a conventional slide type switching valve, a plurality of joint pipes are connected to the peripheral wall of a cylindrical main valve housing, and a slide valve body installed inside is slid in the axial direction to communicatively connect the joint pipes in a switchable manner. The sliding movement of the slide valve body is performed by circulating a driving fluid from a pilot valve to a pair of spaces that sandwich the slide valve body in the axial direction inside the main valve housing. The slide type switching valve and the pilot valve are connected by a plurality of copper-made thin pipes for circulating the driving fluid.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the main valve housing of a conventional slide type switching valve and the solenoid tube which is the housing of the pilot valve are generally cutting or pressing products using a copper alloy. However, when the material is switched from a copper alloy to stainless steel and made into a pressing product, burring processing or the like for fixing pipes such as joints is required, resulting in high processing difficulty and difficulty in suppressing processing costs.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a slide type switching valve and a refrigeration cycle system that eliminate the need for highly difficult processing such as flaring and can reduce product costs.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the slide type switching valve of the present invention is a slide type switching valve including a valve housing made of stainless steel, a valve body slidable within the valve housing, and a pipe through which fluid passes. The pipe includes an enlarged pipe portion provided at one end side in the axial direction, a reduced pipe portion provided on the one end side in the axial direction relative to the enlarged pipe portion and having a smaller dimension in the radial direction than the enlarged pipe portion, and a locking portion connecting the enlarged pipe portion and the reduced pipe portion. A strainer is accommodated in the enlarged pipe portion. The reduced pipe portion is inserted into a connection hole of the valve housing, and the pipe is connected to the valve housing with the locking portion in contact with the peripheral edge of the connection hole. The peripheral edge of the connection hole is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing, and the locking portion is in contact with the peripheral edge provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing.

[0007] According to such a present invention, the reduced pipe portion of the pipe can be inserted into the connection hole of the valve housing, and the pipe can be connected to the valve housing with the locking portion in contact with the peripheral edge of the connection hole. That is, for the processing for connecting the pipe, the stainless steel valve housing only needs to form a connection hole, and there is no need to perform processing with a high processing difficulty such as flaring processing, which is difficult to suppress the processing cost. Therefore, it is possible to provide a slide type switching valve that eliminates the need for highly difficult processing such as flaring and can reduce product costs. Further, since the pipe can be positioned in the valve housing by the contact between the peripheral edge of the connection hole and the locking portion, for example, when brazing or the like is performed in this state, the brazing process can be easily performed.

[0008] At this time, it is preferable that the valve housing is cylindrical. According to such a configuration, the pipe can be connected to the valve housing while making the locking portion of the pipe abut against the peripheral edge on the outer peripheral surface side of the valve housing of the connection hole. Therefore, compared with a configuration that requires a mechanism for fixing the pipe within the valve housing, the connection of the pipe can be easily performed.

[0009] Further, the connection hole preferably has a guide surface formed along the wall thickness of the valve housing, and the reduced diameter portion is preferably provided to penetrate the connection hole along the guide surface. According to such a configuration, since the reduced diameter portion of the pipe can be made to penetrate the connection hole along the guide surface, the pipe can be smoothly connected to the valve housing as compared with a configuration in which no guide surface is formed.

[0010] Also, it is preferable that the pipe is made of stainless steel. According to such a configuration, since the pipe is made of stainless steel, which is the same material as the valve housing, for example, when attempting to fix the pipe connected to the valve housing to the valve housing by welding or the like, the pipe can be more easily fixed to the valve housing as compared with a configuration using a material different from the valve housing for the pipe.

[0011] Further, at least one welding portion is formed across the pipe and the valve housing, and it is preferable that the pipe and the valve housing are joined by brazing that covers the welding portion and extends over the entire circumference of the pipe. According to such a configuration, since at least one welding portion is formed across the pipe and the valve housing, the pipe can be joined to the valve housing by brazing extending over the entire circumference of the pipe in a state where the pipe is temporarily fixed to the valve housing. Therefore, positioning during brazing is not required, and the man-hours for brazing can be reduced.

[0012] Further, a ring protruding toward one end side in the axial direction may be inserted into the inner diameter of the enlarged pipe portion, a protruding portion of this ring may constitute the reduced pipe portion, and an end surface on one end side in the axial direction of the enlarged pipe portion may constitute the locking portion. According to such a configuration, by inserting a ring into the inner diameter of the enlarged pipe portion, the reduced pipe portion can be constituted, and the end surface on one end side of the enlarged pipe portion can be used as the locking portion. Therefore, it is not necessary to form the reduced pipe portion by, for example, necking process or the like at the end portion on one end side in the axial direction of the pipe, and the man-hour for forming the pipe can be reduced.

[0013] Also, a frame-shaped retaining member may be inserted inside the strainer, and the strainer may be fixed to the enlarged pipe portion by being sandwiched between the retaining member and the inner peripheral wall of the enlarged pipe portion. According to such a configuration, even when the strainer is deformed or the like, the retaining member serves as a retaining means, and it is possible to prevent the strainer from passing through the reduced pipe portion and falling off. Further, when forming the reduced pipe portion by necking the enlarged pipe portion, it is desirable to adjust the necking amount so that the strainer does not fall out of the enlarged pipe portion and the contact portion between the above-described locking portion and the periphery of the connection hole can be secured. However, when using a retaining member as in this configuration, it is not always necessary to provide the locking portion with the function of retaining the strainer, so the necking process can be facilitated accordingly.

[0014] The refrigeration cycle system according to the present invention is characterized by including the slide type switching valve described in any one of the above. According to such a configuration, since the above-described slide type switching valve can be applied to the refrigeration cycle system, when connecting pipes, it is not necessary to perform a highly difficult process such as burring process, and it is possible to provide a refrigeration cycle system capable of reducing the product cost. Moreover, the connection structure of the present invention is a connection structure that connects a joint pipe connected to a slide-type switching valve for switching a fluid flow path and a thin pipe communicating with the joint pipe. The thin pipe includes an enlarged pipe portion provided at one end side in the axial direction, a reduced pipe portion provided at one end side in the axial direction closer to the axial direction than the enlarged pipe portion and having a smaller dimension in the radial direction than the enlarged pipe portion, and a locking portion connecting the enlarged pipe portion and the reduced pipe portion. A strainer is accommodated in the enlarged pipe portion. The reduced pipe portion is inserted into a connection hole of the joint pipe, and the thin pipe is connected to the joint pipe in a state where the locking portion abuts against the peripheral edge of the connection hole. The connection hole has a guide surface, and the guide surface is a flat surface extending along the wall thickness of the joint pipe so as to be orthogonal to the front and back surfaces of the joint pipe. Moreover, the length of the guide surface in the direction orthogonal to the front and back surfaces of the joint pipe is equal to the length of the wall thickness of the joint pipe. When the reduced pipe portion is inserted into the connection hole, the guide surface abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the reduced pipe portion to guide the reduced pipe portion in the insertion direction. The peripheral edge of the connection hole is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the joint pipe, and the locking portion abuts against the peripheral edge.

Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a slide-type switching valve and a refrigeration cycle system that do not require high-difficulty processing such as flanging processing and can reduce product costs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 shows a refrigeration cycle system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigeration cycle system 100 includes a four-way valve 1, a pilot valve 2, an indoor heat exchanger 3, a throttling device 4, an outdoor heat exchanger 5, and a compressor 6.

[0018] The four-way valve 1 is a valve device that switches the refrigerant flow path by switching the communication state of four pipes, and together with the pilot valve 2, constitutes a slide-type switching valve in the present invention. This four-way valve 1 has a structure in which a slide valve body 16 (valve body) that can slide is provided in a valve housing 10. The valve housing 10 is a tubular member with both ends closed, and includes a cylindrical valve body 10A and lid members 10B that close the openings at both ends of the valve body 10A, respectively. The valve body 10A and the lid members 10B are formed by pressing a metal plate made of stainless steel or the like, and each lid member 10B is fixed to the valve body 10A by welding. In this embodiment, the central axis of the valve body 10A is the axis L of the valve housing 10.

[0019] On the peripheral wall of the valve body 10A, that is, on the peripheral wall of the valve housing 10, there are connection holes h1, h2, h3, h4 for connecting four pipes, namely, a D joint pipe 11 (pipe), an E joint pipe 12 (pipe), an S joint pipe 13 (pipe), and a C joint pipe 14 (pipe), which are formed of stainless steel or the like, and are formed to penetrate so as to communicate inside and outside the valve housing 10. On the intermediate portion in the axial direction L of the inner peripheral surface of the valve body 10A, a valve seat portion 15 with which the slide valve body 16 is in sliding contact is provided to extend in the axial direction L. The connection holes h2, h3, h4 corresponding to the above-mentioned E joint pipe 12, S joint pipe 13, and C joint pipe 14 are respectively formed in a straight line in the axial direction L so as to penetrate through this valve seat portion 15. The connection hole h1 corresponding to the above-mentioned D joint pipe 11 is formed at a position facing the valve seat portion 15. And an E joint pipe 12 as a conduit is connected to the connection hole h2. A C joint pipe 14 as a conduit is connected to h4. An S joint pipe 13 as a low-pressure pipe is connected to the connection hole h3. A D joint pipe 11 as a high-pressure pipe is connected to the connection hole h1 facing the valve seat portion 15.

[0020] The slide valve body 16 is provided inside the valve body 10A so as to be slidable in the axial direction L, and is a member for switching the communication state of the above four pipes 11, 12, 13, 14. This slide valve body 16 includes a valve body 16A, a pair of pistons 16B, a connecting plate 16C, and a stopper plate 16D. The valve body 16A has a bowl-shaped recess 16A1 that opens toward the valve seat portion 15, and the opening edge of the bowl-shaped recess 16A1 is formed to be in sliding contact with the valve seat portion 15. In the left end position shown in FIG. 1, the valve body 16A communicates the E joint pipe 12 and the S joint pipe 13, and also communicates the D joint pipe 11 and the C joint pipe 14. And when it moves from this state to the right side in FIG. 1 and moves to a right end position (not shown), it communicates the C joint pipe 14 and the S joint pipe 13, and also communicates the D joint pipe 11 and the E joint pipe 12.

[0021] A pair of pistons 16B are arranged so as to sandwich the valve body 16A in the direction of the axis L. Due to the arrangement of these pistons 16B, the interior of the valve housing 10 is partitioned into a high-pressure chamber s1 sandwiched by each piston, a first working chamber s2 adjacent to the left side of the high-pressure chamber s1 in FIG. 1, and a second working chamber s3 adjacent to the right side of the high-pressure chamber s1 in FIG. 1. In the first working chamber s2 and the second working chamber s3, driving fluid (fluid) flows from the pilot valve 2 shown in FIG. 2. Through this driving fluid, the pistons 16B receive a driving force and reciprocate in the direction of the axis L while pressing the packing 16B1 against the inner peripheral surface of the valve body 10A. The connecting plate 16C is composed of a metal plate, is bridged between the pistons 16B so as to connect each piston 16B, and is arranged on the axis L. This connecting plate 16C holds the valve body 16A at the central portion. Further, a through-hole 16C1 through which the high-pressure refrigerant in the high-pressure chamber s1 can pass is formed in the connecting plate 16C. The stopper plate 16D is a plate member installed on the surface of each piston 16B on the side of the lid member 10B, and is provided so as to restrict the movement of the piston 16B in the direction of the axis L by contacting the lid member 10B.

[0022] In the refrigeration cycle system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the D joint pipe 11 is connected to the discharge port of the compressor 6, and the S joint pipe 13 is connected to the suction port of the compressor 6. Further, the C joint pipe 14 is a conduit connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 5, and the E joint pipe 12 is a conduit connected to the indoor heat exchanger 3. The outdoor heat exchanger 5 and the indoor heat exchanger 3 are connected via the throttling device 4. In this way, the refrigeration cycle system 100 is constituted by the path composed of the C joint pipe 14, the outdoor heat exchanger 5, the throttling device 4, the indoor heat exchanger 3, and the E joint pipe 12, and the path composed of the S joint pipe 13, the compressor 6, and the D joint pipe 11.

[0023] The pilot valve 2 shown in Fig. 2, together with the four-way valve 1, constitutes the slide type switching valve of the present invention. This pilot valve 2 is a direct-acting electromagnetic slide valve that circulates the driving fluid for moving the slide valve body 16 between the four-way valve 1. This pilot valve 2 includes a valve housing 20 formed by pressing a metal plate made of stainless steel or the like, an electromagnetic drive unit 30, and a valve body 40 that slides on the valve seat portion 20B1 of a valve seat member 20B described later by the electromagnetic drive unit 30 within the valve housing 2.

[0024] The valve housing 20 includes a valve body 20A formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and a valve seat member 20B that fits into the valve body 20A through a mounting hole 21 described later. Inside the valve body 20A, a partition plate 22 having a through hole 22A penetrating in the axial direction L at the center is installed. By this partition plate 22, the inside of the valve body 20A is partitioned into a plunger arrangement chamber 20A1 on the electromagnetic drive unit 30 side and a valve chamber 20A2 on the side opposite to the electromagnetic drive unit 30. A connection hole h5 communicating with the valve chamber 20A2 and a mounting hole 21 facing the connection hole h5 are formed in the peripheral wall of the valve body 20A.

[0025] The connection hole h5 is a hole to which a D-shaped thin pipe 11d (pipe) as a high-pressure pipe is connected. As shown in Fig. 4, it includes a guide surface h50 and a peripheral edge h51. The guide surface h50 is a flat surface extending along the wall thickness of the valve body 20A so as to be orthogonal to the front and back surfaces of the valve body 20A (valve housing 20). Since this guide surface h50 extends along the insertion direction of the D-shaped thin pipe 11d (in this embodiment, the radial direction of the valve body 20A), the entire surface thereof becomes a portion that contacts the outer peripheral surface of a reduced diameter portion 11d2 of the D-shaped thin pipe 11d described later. The peripheral edge h51 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve body 20A (valve housing 20) and is a portion that contacts a locking portion 11d3 of the D-shaped thin pipe 11d described later. When inserting the D-shaped thin pipe 11d into the connection hole h5, the guide surface h50 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the D-shaped thin pipe 11d to guide the D-shaped thin pipe 11d in the insertion direction, and the peripheral edge h51 contacts the locking portion 11d3, so that the D-shaped thin pipe 11d is positioned on the valve body 20A. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform burring or the like for fixing the pipe to the valve body 20A.

[0026] The D capillary tube 11d is a pipe through which the driving fluid passes, is formed using stainless steel or the like, and communicates with the above-described D joint pipe 11. A valve seat member 20B is fitted into the mounting hole 21. The valve seat member 20B is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a valve seat portion 20B1 is formed on the inner side of its valve chamber 20A2. In the valve seat portion 20B1, an E recess 12e1, an S recess 13s1, and a C recess 14c1, which are recesses opening into the valve chamber 20A2 in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the axis L, are formed.

[0027] The E recess 12e1, the S recess 13s1, and the C recess 14c1 are formed in a straight line in the axial direction of the axis L on the same plane in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2. The connection hole h6 is formed in the E recess 12e1 so as to communicate therewith. A connection hole (not shown) is formed in the S recess 13s1 so as to communicate therewith. This connection hole is the same as the connection hole h6. The connection hole h7 is formed in the C recess 14c1 so as to communicate therewith. Each of these connection holes h6, h7, and the connection hole (not shown) opens to the outside of the valve chamber 20A2.

[0028] Each of the connection holes h6, h7, and the connection hole (not shown) in the valve seat member 20B is formed in a straight line in the axial direction of the axis L in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2. Note that the leftmost connection hole h6 and the rightmost connection hole h7 in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2 are arranged on the same plane, and the middle connection hole (not shown) is arranged on the back side in FIG. 2 and is arranged in a so-called stepped manner. Further, a first actuating capillary tube 12e2 communicating with the above-described first actuating chamber s2 is connected to the leftmost connection hole h6 in FIG. 2. An S capillary tube 13s2 communicating with the above-described S joint pipe 13 is connected to the middle connection hole. A second actuating capillary tube 14c2 communicating with the above-described second actuating chamber s3 is connected to the rightmost connection hole h7.

[0029] The electromagnetic drive unit 30 includes a plunger 31 disposed in the plunger placement chamber 20A1, a connecting shaft 32 provided at the center of the plunger 31 and extending into the valve chamber 20A2 through the above-described through hole 22A, an attractor 33 disposed so as to face the opposite side of the plunger 31 and the connecting shaft 32, and a plunger spring 34 disposed between the plunger 31 and the attractor 33. Further, it includes an electromagnetic coil 36 around which a winding is wound around a bobbin 35 disposed on the outer periphery of the valve body 20A, and a case 37 that houses the bobbin 35 and the electromagnetic coil 36.

[0030] With such a configuration, when the electromagnetic drive unit 30 is not energized, the plunger 31 and the connecting shaft 32 are biased to the left side in FIG. 2 by the force of the plunger spring 34, and a valve body 40 described later moves to the left end position in FIG. 2. On the other hand, when energized, an attractive force is generated between the plunger 31 and the attractor 33 due to the excitation of the attractor 33, and the plunger 31, the connecting shaft 32, and the valve body 40 move to the right side.

[0031] The valve body 40 is connected to the tip portion on the left side of the connecting shaft 32 in FIG. 2, has a bowl-shaped recess 40A that opens toward the valve seat member 20B1, and the opening edge thereof is in sliding contact with the valve seat member 20B1. In the left end position shown in FIG. 2, this bowl-shaped recess 40A communicates the first working capillary 12e2 and the S capillary 13s2, and also communicates the D capillary 11d and the second working capillary 14c2. In this state, the high-pressure refrigerant flowing into the valve chamber 20A1 through the D capillary 11d flows into the second working chamber s3 through the second working capillary 14c2. On the other hand, the low-pressure refrigerant flowing into the bowl-shaped recess 40A through the S capillary 13s2 flows into the first working chamber s2 through the first working capillary 12e2. As a result, a pressure difference is generated between the first working chamber s2 and the second working chamber s3, and the slide valve body 16 of the four-way valve 1 moves to the left end position shown in FIG. 1.

[0032] Then, from this state, when the valve body 40 moves to the right end position (not shown in FIG. 2), the valve body 40 communicates the second working capillary 14c2 with the S capillary 13s2 and also communicates the D capillary 11d with the first working capillary 12e2. In this state, the high-pressure refrigerant flowing into the valve chamber 20A1 through the D capillary 11d flows into the first working chamber s2 through the first working capillary 12e2. On the other hand, the low-pressure refrigerant flowing into the bowl-shaped recess 40A through the S capillary 13s2 flows into the second working chamber s3 through the second working capillary 14c2. As a result, a pressure difference is generated between the first working chamber s2 and the second working chamber s3, and the slide valve body 16 of the four-way valve 1 moves to the right end position (not shown).

[0033] With the above configuration, the high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 6 flows into the high-pressure chamber s1 from the D joint pipe 11. In the state of the cooling operation (during the cooling mode), the high-pressure refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 5 from the C joint pipe 14. Also, in the state of the heating operation (during the heating mode) where the position of the slide valve body 16 is switched, the high-pressure refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger 3 from the E joint pipe 12. That is, during the cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 circulates as C joint pipe 14 → outdoor heat exchanger 5 → throttle device 4 → indoor heat exchanger 3 → E joint pipe 12, and the outdoor heat exchanger 5 functions as a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger 3 functions as an evaporator, and cooling is performed. The throttle device 4 expands and decompresses the refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger 5 and the indoor heat exchanger 3. Also, during the heating operation, the refrigerant circulates in the reverse direction, the indoor heat exchanger 3 functions as a condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger 5 functions as an evaporator, and heating is performed.

[0034] Next, taking the D capillary tube 11d shown in FIG. 3 as an example, the detailed structure of the pipe according to the present invention will be described. Note that the D capillary tube 11d is merely an example, and is a pipe connected to the four-way valve 1, and the pipe structure can be applied to any one or all of the above-described D joint pipes 11, E joint pipes 12, S joint pipes 13, and C joint pipes 14 through which a refrigerant (fluid) passes. As shown in FIG. 3, the D capillary tube 11d includes an expanded tube portion 11d1 provided at the tip side (one end side) in the axial direction L2, a reduced tube portion 11d2 provided on the tip side of the expanded tube portion 11d1 and having a smaller radial dimension than the expanded tube portion 11d1, a locking portion 11d3 connecting the expanded tube portion 11d1 and the reduced tube portion 11d2, and a strainer 11d4 accommodated in the expanded tube portion 11d1.

[0035] The expanded tube portion 11d1 is a portion that accommodates the strainer 11d4, and is formed by deforming the tip portion of the D capillary tube 11d so that its radial dimension is larger than the radial dimension of other portions of the D capillary tube 11d. In the present embodiment, the reduced tube portion 11d2 is formed by, for example, drawing the tip portion of the expanded tube portion 11d1 so that its radial dimension is smaller than the radial dimension of the expanded tube portion 11d1. The outer peripheral surface of the reduced tube portion 11d2 can come into contact with the guide surface h50 of the connection hole h5 described above. When connecting the D capillary tube 11d to the valve housing 20, the outer peripheral surface comes into contact with the guide surface h50, so that the D capillary tube 11d is guided in the insertion direction.

[0036] The locking portion 11d3 is constituted by a stepped portion between the expanded tube portion 11d1 and the reduced tube portion 11d2. This locking portion 11d3 functions as a retaining means for the strainer 11d4 and also functions as a stopper that defines the insertion amount of the D capillary tube 11d into the valve housing 20. Further, the locking portion 11d3 is configured to come into contact with the peripheral edge h51 of the connection hole h5 when fixing the D capillary tube 11d to the valve housing 20, facilitating positioning during brazing described later. When forming the above-described reduced tube portion 11d2, it is preferable to adjust the drawing amount so that the strainer 11d4 does not fall out of the expanded tube portion 11d1 and a contact portion between the locking portion 11d3 and the peripheral edge h51 can be ensured, so that the function of the locking portion 11d3 can be effectively exerted.

[0037] When connecting the D-tube 11d to the valve housing 20, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, first insert the reduced diameter portion 11d2 into the connection hole h5 and position the D-tube 11d by bringing the locking portion 11d3 into contact with the peripheral edge h51 of the connection hole h5. In this state, the reduced diameter portion 11d2 penetrates the connection hole h5 along the above-described guide surface h50. Then, in this state, as shown in FIG. 5, at least one location is welded across the D-tube 11d and the valve body 20A (valve housing 20) to form a welded portion w. This process is a so-called temporary fixing process. Next, the D-tube 11d and the valve housing 20 are joined by brazing that covers the welded portion w and extends over the entire circumference of the D-tube 11d. In the figure, the reference symbol b indicates a brazing material solidified by brazing. Thereby, the D-tube 11d is connected to the valve housing 20. In this way, the reduced diameter portion 11d2 is inserted into the connection hole h5 of the valve housing 20, and the D-tube 11d is connected to the valve housing 20 in a state where the locking portion 11d3 is in contact with the peripheral edge h51 of the connection hole h5.

[0038] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the reduced diameter portion 11d2 of the D-tube 11d (pipe) can be inserted into the connection hole h5 of the valve housing 20, and the D-tube 11d can be connected to the valve housing 20 in a state where the locking portion 11d3 is in contact with the peripheral edge h51 of the connection hole h5. That is, for the processing for connecting the pipe, it is only necessary to form the connection hole h5 in the stainless steel valve housing 20, and there is no need to perform processing with a high processing difficulty such as burring processing, which is difficult to suppress the processing cost. Therefore, it is possible to provide the four-way valve 1 and the pilot valve 2 (slide type switching valve) that do not require high-difficulty processing such as burring processing and can reduce the product cost. Further, since the D-tube 11d can be positioned with respect to the valve housing 20 by the contact between the peripheral edge h51 of the connection hole h5 and the locking portion 11d3, the brazing process can be easily performed.

[0039] In addition, since the D-shaped tube 11d can be connected to the valve housing 20 while bringing the locking portion 11d3 of the D-shaped tube 11d into contact with the peripheral edge h51 on the outer peripheral surface side of the valve housing 20 of the connection hole h5, compared with a configuration that requires a mechanism for fixing the piping within the valve housing 20, the connection of the piping can be easily performed.

[0040] In addition, since the reduced-diameter portion 11d2 of the D-shaped tube 11d can be passed through the connection hole h5 along the guide surface h50, compared with a configuration in which the guide surface h50 is not formed, the piping can be smoothly connected to the valve housing 20.

[0041] In addition, since the D-shaped tube 11d is made of stainless steel, which is the same material as the valve housing 20, for example, when attempting to fix the D-shaped tube 11d connected to the valve housing 20 to the valve housing 20 by welding or the like, compared with a configuration using a material different from the valve housing 20 for the D-shaped tube 11d, the D-shaped tube 11d can be easily fixed to the valve housing 20.

[0042] In addition, since at least one welded portion w is formed across the D-shaped tube 11d and the valve housing 20, the D-shaped tube 11d can be joined to the valve housing 20 by brazing over the entire circumference of the D-shaped tube 11d in a state where the D-shaped tube 11d is temporarily fixed to the valve housing 20. In this way, positioning during brazing is not required, so the man-hours for brazing can be reduced.

[0043] In addition, as described above, since the refrigeration cycle system 100 includes the four-way valve 1 and the pilot valve 2 according to the present invention, when connecting the piping, processing with a high degree of difficulty such as burring is not required, and a refrigeration cycle system capable of reducing the product cost can be provided.

[0044] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. FIGS. 6(A) and (B) are diagrams showing modified examples of the tip of the D-tube 11d. The D-tube 11d shown in FIG. 6(A) is different from this embodiment in that a washer, that is, a ring-shaped member R1 (a retaining member) is installed inside the strainer 11d4 within the expanded tube portion 11d1. By doing so, the strainer 11d4 is sandwiched between the ring-shaped member R1 and the inner peripheral wall of the expanded tube portion 11d1 and fixed to the expanded tube portion 11d1. Therefore, even when the strainer 11d4 is deformed or the like, the ring-shaped member R1 serves as a retaining member to prevent the strainer 11d4 from passing through the reduced tube portion 11d2 and falling off. Further, when forming the reduced tube portion 11d2 by necking down the expanded tube portion 11d1, it is not always necessary to provide the above-described function of preventing the strainer 11d4 from coming off. Therefore, it is only necessary to perform necking down by an amount having the above-described function of the stopper of the locking portion 11d3, and the necking down can be facilitated accordingly. In this modified example, the ring-shaped member R1 is formed in an annular shape, but the shape of the ring-shaped member R1 is not limited to this. For example, when the expanded tube portion 11d1 is formed in a square tube shape, the ring-shaped member R1 may be formed in a square tube shape along the inner peripheral shape thereof. That is, the ring-shaped member R1 only needs to be formed in a frame shape so as to function as a retaining member for the strainer 11d4 and not to block the inside of the expanded tube portion 11d1.

[0045] The D-shaped tube 11d shown in Fig. 6(B) is different from this embodiment in that the point where the ring R2 that abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the enlarged diameter portion 11d1 is inserted into the inner diameter of the enlarged diameter portion 11d1. This ring R2 is fixed to the enlarged diameter portion 11d1 by press-fitting, spot welding, or the like. The tip of the ring R2 protrudes in the axial direction L2 from the tip of the enlarged diameter portion 11d1, and this protruding portion constitutes the reduced diameter portion 11d2. And the end surface on the tip side of the enlarged diameter portion 11d1 constitutes the locking portion 11d3. According to such a configuration, by inserting the ring R2 into the inner diameter of the enlarged diameter portion 11d1, the reduced diameter portion 11d2 can be formed, and the end surface on the tip side of the enlarged diameter portion 11d1 can be used as the locking portion 11d3. Therefore, it is not necessary to form the reduced diameter portion 11d2 by drawing or the like, and the man-hour for forming the pipe can be reduced. In addition, in this modification, the ring R2 is formed in an annular shape, but the shape of the ring R2 is not limited to this. For example, when the enlarged diameter portion 11d1 is formed in a square tube shape, the ring R2 may be formed in a square tube shape along the inner peripheral shape thereof.

[0046] In addition, in the present embodiment and the modified example, as an example of the slide type switching valve, a four-way valve 1 that switches the communication state of four pipes and a pilot valve 2 that circulates the driving fluid for moving the slide valve body 16 of the four-way valve 1 between the four-way valve 1 are exemplified, and the details of the D pipe 11d, which is mainly the pipe of the pilot valve 2, have been described. However, as described above, the D pipe 11d is merely an example, and as described above, this pipe structure can be applied to any one or all of the D joint pipe 11, E joint pipe 12, S joint pipe 13, and C joint pipe 14. Therefore, it is of course possible to apply the pipe structure of the present invention to the above-described four-way valve 1. Further, the slide type switching valve is not limited to these four-way valve 1 and pilot valve 2. The slide type switching valve may be a three-way valve that switches the pipes to be communicated when communicating a pair of pipes among, for example, three pipes, using a slide valve body, as long as at least a pair of pipes are connected to the valve housing. Alternatively, it may be a two-way valve that opens and closes between two pipes using a slide valve body. Or, the number of pipes to be communicated may be further increased to form a multi-way valve. Thus, regarding the number of pipes in the slide type switching valve, the method of switching the communication state, etc., may be changed according to the application object of the slide type switching valve, etc.

[0047] In addition, in the present embodiment, the connection between the valve body 20A (valve housing 20) and the D pipe 11d has been particularly described. However, for example, the enlarged pipe portion 11d1, reduced pipe portion 11d2, locking portion 11d3, connection hole h5, guide surface h50, and peripheral edge h51 of the present embodiment may be provided at the connection portion between the D pipe 11d and the D joint pipe 11. That is, the present invention can also be applied to the connection between pipes.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0048] h5 Connection hole h51 Peripheral edge L2 Axial direction 1 Four-way valve (slide type switching valve) 2 Pilot valve (slide type switching valve) 20 Valve housing 11d D pipe (pipe) 11d1 Enlarged pipe portion 11d2 Shrinking tube part 11d3 Locking part 11d4 Strainer

Claims

1. A sliding switching valve comprising a valve housing made of stainless steel, a valve body slidably movable within the valve housing, and a pipe through which a fluid passes, wherein the pipe includes an enlarged pipe portion provided at one axial end side, a reduced pipe portion provided at one axial end side of the enlarged pipe portion and having a smaller radial dimension than the enlarged pipe portion, and a locking portion connecting the enlarged pipe portion and the reduced pipe portion, and a strainer is accommodated in the enlarged pipe portion, wherein the reduced pipe portion is inserted into a connection hole of the valve housing, and the pipe is connected to the valve housing with the locking portion abutting against the periphery of the connection hole, wherein the periphery of the connection hole is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing, and the sliding switching valve is characterized in that the locking portion abuts against the periphery provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing.

2. The sliding switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve housing is cylindrical.

3. The sliding switching valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection hole has a guide surface formed along the wall thickness of the valve housing, and the reduced pipe portion is provided to penetrate the connection hole along the guide surface.

4. The sliding switching valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pipe is made of stainless steel.

5. The sliding switching valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one welding portion is formed across the pipe and the valve housing, and the pipe and the valve housing are joined by brazing that covers the welding portion and extends over the entire circumference of the pipe.

6. The sliding switching valve according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a ring protruding toward one axial end side is inserted into the inner diameter of the enlarged pipe portion, a protruding portion of the ring constitutes the reduced pipe portion, and an end surface of the enlarged pipe portion at one axial end side constitutes the locking portion.

7. A frame-shaped retaining member is inserted inside the strainer, The sliding switching valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the strainer is fixed to the enlarged pipe portion by being sandwiched between the retaining member and the inner peripheral wall of the enlarged pipe portion.

8. A refrigeration cycle system comprising the sliding switching valve according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A connection structure connecting a joint pipe connected to a slide-type switching valve for switching a fluid flow path and a thin pipe communicating with the joint pipe, wherein the thin pipe includes an enlarged pipe portion provided on one end side in the axial direction, a reduced pipe portion provided on the one end side in the axial direction rather than the enlarged pipe portion and having a smaller dimension in the radial direction than the enlarged pipe portion, and a locking portion connecting the enlarged pipe portion and the reduced pipe portion, and a strainer is accommodated in the enlarged pipe portion, the reduced pipe portion is inserted into a connection hole of the joint pipe, and the thin pipe is connected to the joint pipe in a state where the locking portion abuts against the periphery of the connection hole, the connection hole has a guide surface, the guide surface is a flat surface extending along the wall thickness of the joint pipe so as to be orthogonal to the front and back surfaces of the joint pipe, and the length of the joint pipe in the direction orthogonal to the front and back surfaces is equal to the length corresponding to the wall thickness of the joint pipe, when the reduced pipe portion is inserted into the connection hole, the guide surface abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the reduced pipe portion to guide the reduced pipe portion in the insertion direction, the periphery of the connection hole is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the joint pipe, and the connection structure is characterized in that the locking portion abuts against the periphery.

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