Pilot valve and switching valve

Abstract

A pilot valve and a switching valve, wherein the pilot valve includes a valve body (1) and an inlet pipe (2), one end of the inlet pipe (2) being inserted into the valve body (1), and the valve body (1) and / or the inlet pipe (2) having a locking portion, the locking portion being located at the insertion point between the inlet pipe (2) and the valve body (1), and the locking portion being used to lock a welding ring (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Related Applications This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed on August 23, 2023, with application number 202322283753.5 and invention title "Pilot Valve and Switching Valve", the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the technical field of valves, and more specifically, to pilot valves and switching valves.

Background Art

[0003] Air conditioning equipment requires a switching valve to switch the flow direction of the refrigerant. The switching valve generally includes a main valve and a pilot valve. The pilot valve is communicated with the main valve through a capillary tube. The pilot valve is used to control the movement of the direction-changing structure in the main valve, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the flow direction of the refrigerant in the main valve.

[0004] The pilot valve includes a valve body and an inlet pipe. The inlet pipe needs to be welded to the valve body by brazing. In the brazing process, the welding ring is fitted on the outside of the inlet pipe and installed on the valve body. When the welding ring melts, it expands due to stress, so that the molten filler metal separates from the connection between the inlet pipe and the valve body, making it difficult for the filler metal to enter the connection between the inlet pipe and the valve body, and the connection between the inlet pipe and the valve body is unstable.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to various embodiments of the present application, a pilot valve and a switching valve are provided.

[0007] This application provides a pilot valve and a switching valve. The pilot valve includes a valve body and an inlet pipe, one end of the inlet pipe being inserted into the valve body, wherein the valve body and / or the inlet pipe have a locking portion formed thereon, the locking portion being located at the insertion point between the inlet pipe and the valve body, and the locking portion being used to lock a welding ring.

[0008] The engagement portion is optionally provided as a ring-shaped engagement groove. This makes the ring-shaped engagement groove easier to machine, thus simplifying the processing of the engagement portion. Furthermore, since both the ring-shaped engagement groove and the welded ring are ring-shaped, the contact surface between them is large, resulting in a good positional control effect of the ring-shaped engagement groove relative to the welded ring.

[0009] The ring-shaped engagement groove is optionally provided with an opening on the side of the ring-shaped engagement groove away from the end of the inlet pipe inserted into the valve body, and the welded ring can be engaged in the ring-shaped engagement groove along the axial direction of the inlet pipe by the opening after the inlet pipe and the valve body are inserted together.

[0010] The valve body is provided with a mounting hole, the inlet pipe is inserted into the mounting hole, the ring-shaped locking groove is provided at the opening of the mounting hole, and the ring-shaped locking groove is provided coaxially with the mounting hole.

[0011] Selectively, the valve body includes an end wall and a mounting wall, the mounting wall being formed by the end wall extending into the interior of the valve body, the mounting hole being formed within the mounting wall, and the ring-shaped engagement groove being provided between the mounting wall and the end wall.

[0012] Selectively, an annular transition wall is provided between the mounting wall and the end wall, and both ends of the annular transition wall smoothly transition to the mounting wall and the end wall, respectively, and the ring-shaped engagement groove is formed by the inward recession of the space between the ends of the annular transition wall in the valve body.

[0013] The end wall, the mounting wall, and the annular transition wall are selectively press-formed as a single unit.

[0014] Optionally, the cross-section of the ring-shaped engagement groove includes an arc-shaped segment, the diameter of which is less than or equal to the wire diameter of the welded ring.

[0015] The valve body is optionally provided with a mounting hole, the inlet pipe is inserted into the mounting hole, the inlet pipe has a ring-shaped engagement groove, and the side wall of the mounting hole provides radial positional restriction with respect to a welded ring located within the ring-shaped engagement groove.

[0016] This is a switching valve that includes the pilot valve mentioned above.

[0017] Details of one or more embodiments of this application are presented in the following drawings and description. Other features, purposes and advantages of this application will be apparent from the specification, drawings and claims.

[0018] One or more drawings may be referenced to better describe and illustrate these embodiments and / or examples of the inventions disclosed herein. Any additional details or examples used to describe the drawings should not be considered to limit the scope of the disclosed inventions, the embodiments and / or examples described herein, or the best embodiments of these inventions as currently understood. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the pilot valve configuration according to this application. [Figure 2] This is a magnified view of area A in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a partially enlarged view of the pilot valve in a state where the welded ring is not installed, according to this application. [Figure 4] This is a partially enlarged view of another embodiment of the pilot valve according to this application.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, the technical solution of this utility model will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with embodiments. It is clear that the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0021] In the description of this utility model, it must be noted that when terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. appear, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by them is the orientation or positional relationship based on the drawings, and is only for the convenience of the description of this utility model and to simplify the description, and does not indicate or imply that the shown device or element has a specific orientation and must be configured and operated in a specific orientation, so it should not be understood as limiting this utility model. Also, when terms such as "first", "second", "third" appear, they are only for the purpose of description and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0022] In the description of this utility model, it must be noted that when terms such as "attach", "connect", "couple" appear, they should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may be fixedly connected, removably connected, or integrally connected. Also, they may be mechanically connected, electrically connected. Furthermore, they may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and the interiors of two elements may be in communication. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model can be understood according to specific situations.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, this embodiment includes a valve body 1 and an inlet pipe 2, and provides a pilot valve in which one end of the inlet pipe 2 is inserted into the valve body 1.

[0024] Specifically, a mounting hole 13 is provided in the valve body 1. The mounting hole 13 penetrates both the inner and outer sides of the valve body 1. The inlet pipe 2 is inserted into the mounting hole 13 to achieve the insertion fit between the valve body 1 and the inlet pipe 2. Also, a columnar protrusion (not shown) is provided on the outer wall of the valve body 1, and the mounting hole 13 is provided in the protrusion. The mounting hole 13 penetrates both the inner and outer sides of the valve body 1. The protrusion can be inserted into the inlet pipe 2 to achieve the insertion fit between the valve body 1 and the inlet pipe 2.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, an engaging portion is formed on the valve body 1 and / or the inlet pipe 2. The engaging portion is located at the insertion position between the inlet pipe 2 and the valve body 1, and the engaging portion is used to engage the welding ring 3.

[0026] Specifically, the engaging portion may be formed on the valve body 1, may be formed on the inlet pipe 2, or may be formed by the cooperation between the valve body 1 and the inlet pipe 2. By engaging the welding ring 3 with the engaging portion, during the welding process, the engaging portion can position the welding ring 3 and limit the deformation and movement of the welding ring 3 due to stress. As a result, the welding ring 3 melts within the engaging portion. Also, since the engaging portion is located at the insertion position between the inlet pipe 2 and the valve body 1, the weld metal formed by melting the welding ring 3 is located at the insertion position between the inlet pipe 2 and the valve body 1. Due to capillary action, it becomes easier for the weld metal to enter between the inlet pipe 2 and the valve body 1, which is advantageous for improving the connection firmness between the inlet pipe 2 and the valve body 1.

[0027] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the engagement portion is provided as a ring-shaped engagement groove 11. The term "ring-shaped" in "ring-shaped engagement groove 11" means that both ends are connected and closed. This makes the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 easier to process, and thus facilitates the processing of the engagement portion. Furthermore, since the shapes of the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 and the welded ring 3 are similar, the contact surface between the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 and the welded ring 3 is large, and the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 can position-restrict the entire circumference of the welded ring 3, resulting in a good position-restricting effect on the welded ring 3.

[0028] Specifically, the engagement portion may be provided as a groove of other shapes, such as a U-shaped channel, or as any other engagement configuration, as long as the position of the welding ring 3 is restricted and stress does not cause the welding ring 3 to separate from the insertion point during the welding process.

[0029] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, an opening 12 is provided in the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 on the side away from the end of the inlet pipe 2 inserted into the valve body 1. That is, when the inlet pipe 2 is inserted into the valve body 1, the opening 12 is located away from the inside of the valve body 1. The welding ring 3 moves axially from the opening 12 of the inlet pipe 2 and engages with the ring-shaped engagement groove 11. Specifically, by providing the opening 12, the worker can insert the inlet pipe 2 into the valve body 1 and then move the welding ring 3 axially in the inlet pipe 2 to engage with the engagement groove, eliminating the need to engage the welding ring 3 while inserting the inlet pipe 2 into the valve body 1, making the work easier.

[0030] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the valve body 1 is provided with a mounting hole 13, and the inlet pipe 2 is inserted into the mounting hole 13. Specifically, if the wall thickness of the valve body 1 is relatively thick, the mounting hole 13 can be directly formed in the valve body 1, and the depth of the hole will be the same as the wall thickness. If the wall thickness of the valve body 1 is relatively thin, the valve body 1 can be recessed inward to form the mounting hole 13, and the depth of the hole will not be related to the wall thickness. In this embodiment, the valve body 1 is made of steel and has a relatively thin wall thickness, so the valve body 1 is recessed inward to form the mounting hole 13. The inlet pipe 2 is inserted into the mounting hole 13.

[0031] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the valve body 1 includes a housing 14, an end wall 15, and a mounting wall 16. The housing 14 is hollow and columnar, and the end wall 15 is located at one end of the housing 14 and connected to it. The mounting hole 13 may be provided in the housing 14 or in the end wall 15. In this embodiment, the mounting wall 16 extends from the end wall 15 into the interior of the valve body 1, and the mounting hole 13 is formed within the mounting wall 16.

[0032] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 is provided on the valve body 1 and at the opening of the mounting hole 13. In this embodiment, the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 is provided between the mounting wall 16 and the end wall 15, making it easy to manufacture. Furthermore, the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 is arranged coaxially with the mounting hole 13, which is advantageous for ensuring tight contact between the welding ring 3 and the outer wall of the inlet pipe 2 inserted into the mounting hole 13, and makes it easier for the filler material to enter between the inlet pipe 2 and the mounting hole 13.

[0033] Specifically, the mounting hole 13 may be provided as a stepped hole, and a ring-shaped engagement groove 11 may be formed at the stepped portion. Alternatively, an annular transition wall 17 may be provided between the mounting wall 16 and the end wall 15, with both ends of the annular transition wall 17 smoothly transitioning to the mounting wall 16 and the end wall 15 respectively, and the annular transition wall 17 forms a ring-shaped engagement groove 11 by being recessed inward towards the valve body 1 between its ends. The annular transition wall 17 having the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 is itself a smooth curved wall, and furthermore, since the annular transition wall 17 smoothly transitions to the mounting wall 16 and the end wall 15, stress concentration can be avoided and the life of the valve body 1 can be extended.

[0034] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the end wall 15, mounting wall 16, and annular transition wall 17 are integrally press-formed. Press working allows for the completion of the end wall 15, mounting wall 16, annular transition wall 17, and the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 of the annular transition wall 17, and the housing 14 can also be integrally press-formed with the end wall 15, mounting wall 16, and annular transition wall 17. This is advantageous for making the overall connection of the valve body 1 more secure, is easy to process, and has low manufacturing costs.

[0035] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cross-section of the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 includes an arc-shaped segment 18, and the plane on which the cross-section is located is an arbitrary plane on which the central axis of the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 is located. The welding ring 3 is engaged with the arc-shaped segment 18, and the arc-shaped segment 18 is for contacting the outer wall of the welding ring 3. By providing the arc-shaped segment 18, the welding ring 3 can be made more closely attached to the ring-shaped engagement groove 11, increasing the contact area and improving the positional control effect on the welding ring 3. At the same time, the spatial size of the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 can be reduced, allowing more filler material to enter between the inlet pipe 2 and the valve body 1. The diameter of the arc-shaped segment 18 is less than or equal to the wire diameter of the welding ring 3, which is advantageous in improving the engagement effect of the welding ring 3, thereby preventing the welding ring 3 from coming loose after being engaged with the ring-shaped engagement groove 11.

[0036] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the end of the mounting wall 16, which extends deep into the inner wall of the valve body 1, is bent in the axial direction of the mounting hole 13 to form a position restricting portion 19. The position restricting portion 19 is intended to contact the inlet pipe 2 inserted into the mounting hole 13, thereby limiting the length of the inlet pipe 2 inserted into the mounting hole 13. The position restricting portion 19 is ring-shaped and has a through hole in its center, which allows for electrical communication between the inside of the valve body 1 and the inlet pipe 2. A filter 4 is further provided inside the mounting hole 13. The filter 4 is located inside the inlet pipe 2 and filters out impurities from the fluid flowing from the inlet pipe 2 into the valve body 1. The position restricting portion 19 also contacts the filter 4 and restricts its position. Because the diameter of the through hole is smaller than the inner diameter of the end of the inlet pipe 2, the position restricting portion 19 can achieve a good position restricting effect on both the inlet pipe 2 and the filter 4.

[0037] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inlet pipe 2 includes a large-diameter segment 21, a transition segment 22, and a small-diameter segment 23, the diameter of the large-diameter segment 21 being larger than the diameter of the small-diameter segment 23, and the transition segment 22 connecting the large-diameter segment 21 and the small-diameter segment 23. The large-diameter segment 21 is used for insertion into the mounting hole 13, the inner diameter of the welding ring 3 is greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the large-diameter segment 21, the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 is provided corresponding to the large-diameter segment 21, and the filter 4 is provided inside the large-diameter segment 21.

[0038] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the ring-shaped locking groove 11 is formed in the inlet pipe 2. Specifically, the valve body 1 is provided with a mounting hole 13, the inlet pipe 2 is inserted into the mounting hole 13, the ring-shaped locking groove 11 is formed on the side wall of the inlet pipe 2, and the side wall of the mounting hole 13 radially restricts the position of the weld ring 3 located within the ring-shaped locking groove 11. When the ring-shaped locking groove 11 is provided in the inlet pipe 2 and the inlet pipe 2 is inserted into the mounting hole 13 of the valve body 1, the side wall of the mounting hole 13 can restrict the position of the outside of the weld ring 3, thereby preventing the weld ring 3 from expanding outward in response to the stress when it melts, and at the same time making it easier for the filler material after the weld ring 3 has melted to enter between the mounting hole 13 and the inlet pipe 2.

[0039] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 is provided in the following specific configuration. The inlet pipe 2 includes a large-diameter segment 21, a transition segment 22, and a small-diameter segment 23. The diameter of the large-diameter segment 21 is larger than the diameter of the small-diameter segment 23, and the transition segment 22 connects the large-diameter segment 21 and the small-diameter segment 23. The transition segment 22 is recessed into the interior of the inlet pipe 2 to form the ring-shaped engagement groove 11. The diameter of the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 is larger than the diameter of the small-diameter segment 23, allowing the welding ring 3 to engage with the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 from the small-diameter segment 23 along the axial direction of the inlet pipe 2. The large-diameter segment 21 and the transition segment 22 where the ring-shaped engagement groove 11 is located are inserted into the mounting hole 13, thereby allowing the side wall of the mounting hole 13 to position the outside of the welding ring 3.

[0040] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the pilot valve further includes a valve seat 5 and several capillaries 6, the valve seat 5 being located within the valve body 1 and welded to the housing 14, and the several capillaries 6 each having one end welded to the valve seat 5 through the housing 14.

[0041] This embodiment further provides a switching valve which includes the pilot valve provided in the above embodiment, and the switching valve may specifically be a four-way valve.

[0042] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are used merely to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not limiting. While the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art may further modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalent ones. However, it should be understood that such modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0043] The technical features of the embodiments described above can be combined in any way, and for the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the embodiments described above are described. However, as long as these combinations of technical features are not contradictory, they should all be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0044] The embodiments described above represent only a few embodiments of this application, and although their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be understood as limiting the scope of the claims. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art may make several modifications and improvements, provided they do not depart from the spirit of this application, and all of these fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be the same as the attached claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1 Valve body 11 Ring-shaped engagement groove 12 aperture 13 mounting holes 14 Housing 15 End wall 16 Mounting wall 17 Circular transition wall 18 Arc-shaped segments 19 Position regulation part 2 Inlet pipes 21 Large Diameter Segments 22 Transition Segments 23 Small Diameter Segments 3 Welding rings 4 filters 5 valve seats 6 Capillaries

Claims

1. A pilot valve comprising a valve body and an inlet pipe, wherein one end of the inlet pipe is inserted into the valve body, characterized in that the valve body and / or the inlet pipe have a locking portion formed thereon, the locking portion is located at the insertion point between the inlet pipe and the valve body, and the locking portion is used to lock a welding ring.

2. The pilot valve according to claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is provided as a ring-shaped engagement groove.

3. The pilot valve according to claim 2, wherein an opening is provided in the ring-shaped engagement groove on the side away from the end of the inlet pipe inserted into the valve body, and the welded ring can be engaged in the ring-shaped engagement groove along the axial direction of the inlet pipe by the opening after the inlet pipe and the valve body are inserted together.

4. The pilot valve according to claim 3, wherein the valve body is provided with a mounting hole, the inlet pipe is inserted into the mounting hole, the ring-shaped locking groove is provided at the opening of the mounting hole, and the ring-shaped locking groove is provided coaxially with the mounting hole.

5. The pilot valve according to claim 4, wherein the valve body includes an end wall and a mounting wall, the mounting wall extends from the end wall into the interior of the valve body, the mounting hole is formed in the mounting wall, and the ring-shaped engagement groove is provided between the mounting wall and the end wall.

6. The pilot valve according to claim 5, wherein an annular transition wall is provided between the mounting wall and the end wall, and both ends of the annular transition wall smoothly transition to the mounting wall and the end wall, respectively, and the space between both ends of the annular transition wall is recessed inward toward the valve body, thereby forming the ring-shaped engagement groove.

7. The pilot valve according to claim 6, wherein the end wall, the mounting wall, and the annular transition wall are integrally press-formed.

8. The pilot valve according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the cross-section of the ring-shaped engagement groove includes an arc-shaped segment, and the diameter of the arc-shaped segment is less than or equal to the wire diameter of the welded ring.

9. The pilot valve according to claim 3, wherein the valve body is provided with a mounting hole, the inlet pipe is inserted into the mounting hole, the inlet pipe has a ring-shaped locking groove formed therein, and the side wall of the mounting hole provides radial positional restriction with respect to a welded ring located within the ring-shaped locking groove.

10. A switching valve including a pilot valve according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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