Slide-type switching valve and refrigeration cycle system

Abstract

To provide a slide type switching valve and a refrigeration cycle system, capable of suppressing generation of cutting burrs during machining of a valve seat member, and capable of preventing failure of a refrigeration cycle due to foreign matter.SOLUTION: A valve seat member 40 of a slide type switching valve comprises a sliding surface 41, a joint surface 42, and a first through hole 43 that penetrates from the sliding surface 41 to the joint surface 42. The first through hole 43 has a first porthole 43a that opens into the sliding surface 41, a first joint hole 43b that opens on the joint surface 42, and a first communication hole 43c that communicates between the first porthole 43a and the first joint hole 43b. The first communication hole 43c is inclined with respect to a perpendicular direction X of the sliding surface 41, and its inner diameter is larger than an inner diameter of the first porthole 43a. The entire circumference of the first porthole 43a is located within the circumference of the first communication hole 43c at a continuous portion with the first communication hole 43c.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A known selector valve for switching the flow path of a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle or the like includes a cylindrical valve body, a valve element slidably mounted within the valve body, a valve seat mounted on the valve body, and a drive mechanism for axially driving the valve element (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The valve seat has multiple (e.g., three) ports opening on a sliding contact surface along which the valve element slides, and coupling holes communicating with each port from the opposite side of the sliding contact surface. Pipes serving as coupling members are inserted into each coupling hole. In this slide-type selector valve, the multiple ports are aligned in the axial direction, but the coupling holes connecting the pipes are too large in diameter to be coaxial with the ports. Therefore, the ports and the coupling holes are offset from each other in the axial direction or in a direction intersecting the axial direction. That is, when viewed perpendicular to the sliding contact surface, the ports and the coupling holes overlap at portions of their circumferences, and are connected by the overlapping portions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-133663 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional slide-type switching valves, when forming the port and the coupling hole in the valve seat, cutting burrs are likely to be produced in the overlapping area described above, and these cutting burrs may become foreign matter and cause malfunctions in the refrigeration cycle.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a slide-type switching valve and a refrigeration cycle system that can suppress the generation of cutting burrs when machining a valve seat member and make it less likely that malfunctions in the refrigeration cycle will occur due to foreign matter. [Means for solving the problem]

[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 comprising a hollow cylindrical valve body, a valve seat member provided in the valve body, a valve element provided inside the valve body so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and a drive unit that drives the valve element to slide, wherein the valve seat member has a sliding surface on which the valve element slides, a joint surface located on the opposite side of the sliding surface, and a plurality of through holes that penetrate from the sliding surface to the joint surface, and the through holes have a porthole that opens on the sliding surface and a porthole that opens on the joint surface and is larger than the porthole. a coupling hole that opens at an inner diameter and into which a coupling member is inserted, and a communication hole that communicates the porthole with the coupling hole, the portholes of the plurality of through holes being arranged side by side in the axial direction, a first through hole constituting at least one of the plurality of through holes having a first porthole as the porthole, a first communication hole as the communication hole, and a first coupling hole as the coupling hole, the first communication hole being arranged at an angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to the sliding surface, and having an inner diameter larger than that of the first porthole, the first porthole being provided along the direction perpendicular to the surface, the entire circumference of the portion continuing to the first communicating hole is located within the circumference of the first communicating hole, a continuous portion between the first porthole and the first communication hole is inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the plane, The inner diameter of the first joint hole is set to be equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the first communication hole.

[0007] According to the present invention, the first porthole and the first joint hole communicate with each other through a first communication hole provided at an angle with respect to the direction perpendicular to the sliding surface. The inner diameter of the first porthole is smaller than that of the first communication hole, and the entire circumference of the first porthole at the connecting portion between the first porthole and the first communication hole is located within the circumference of the first communication hole. The inner diameter of the first joint hole is set to be equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the first communication hole. Therefore, the first through hole can be formed without interference between the first porthole, the first communication hole, and the first joint hole. Therefore, unlike the conventional slide-type switching valve described above, there is no overlap between the port and the joint hole, and cutting burrs can be suppressed when forming the through hole. Therefore, cutting burrs can be suppressed when machining the valve seat member, and a slide-type switching valve can be obtained that is less likely to cause malfunctions in the refrigeration cycle due to foreign matter.

[0008] In this case, it is preferable that a second porthole, which is the porthole of a second through hole different from the first through hole among the plurality of through holes, extends in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the sliding surface and has an inner diameter smaller than that of a second communicating hole, which is the communicating hole of the second through hole, and that the second communicating hole extends in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the sliding surface, the entire circumference of the second porthole at a connecting portion between the second porthole and the second communicating hole is located within the circumference of the second communicating hole, and the length of the first porthole in the through-hole direction is shorter than the length of the second porthole in the through-hole direction. With this configuration, the valve seat member can be provided with communicating holes extending in different directions, namely, the first communicating hole inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the surface and the second communicating hole extending in the direction perpendicular to the surface, thereby preventing interference between the plurality of communicating holes and the coupling holes connected to the plurality of communicating holes. Furthermore, by forming the length of the first porthole in the through-direction shorter than the length of the second porthole in the through-direction, the continuous portion between the first porthole and the first communicating hole and the continuous portion between the second porthole and the second communicating hole can be offset in the direction perpendicular to the plane. That is, the portion where the inner diameter increases from the first porthole to the first communicating hole and the portion where the inner diameter increases from the second porthole to the second communicating hole can be offset in the direction perpendicular to the plane. Therefore, even when the first porthole and the second porthole are brought close to each other, interference between the first communicating hole and the second communicating hole can be prevented.

[0009] Preferably, the inner diameter of the first communicating hole is smaller than the inner diameter of the first joint hole, the entire circumference of the first communicating hole at a portion connected to the first joint hole is located within the circumference of the first joint hole, the inner diameter of the second communicating hole is smaller than the inner diameter of the second joint hole that is the joint hole of the second through hole, the entire circumference of the second communicating hole at a portion connected to the second joint hole is located within the circumference of the second joint hole, and the length of the first joint hole in the through-hole direction is longer than the length of the second joint hole in the through-hole direction. With this configuration, the porthole or communication hole of the through-hole adjacent to the first through hole can be brought closer to the first through hole by the difference between the inner diameter of the first communicating hole and the inner diameter of the first joint hole. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the inner diameter of the first communicating hole is the same as the inner diameter of the first joint hole, the portion of the valve seat member for forming the through hole can be smaller, contributing to a reduction in the size of the valve seat member. Similarly, the portholes and communication holes of the through holes adjacent to the second through hole can be positioned closer to the second through hole by the difference between the inner diameter of the second communicating hole and the inner diameter of the second joint hole. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the inner diameter of the second communicating hole is the same as the inner diameter of the second joint hole, the portion of the valve seat member for forming the through hole can be smaller, contributing to a more compact valve seat member. Furthermore, by making the length of the first joint hole in the through-hole direction longer than the length of the second joint hole in the through-hole direction, the continuous portion between the first joint hole and the first communicating hole and the continuous portion between the second joint hole and the second communicating hole can be offset in the plane-orthogonal direction. That is, the portion where the inner diameter increases from the first communicating hole to the first joint hole and the portion where the inner diameter increases from the second communicating hole to the second joint hole can be offset in the plane-orthogonal direction. Therefore, even when the first porthole and the second porthole are brought close to each other, it is possible to prevent the first joint hole and the second joint hole from interfering with each other.

[0010] Furthermore, it is preferable that the joint holes of the plurality of through holes are aligned in the axial direction and open to the joint surface. With this configuration, since the plurality of joint holes are aligned in the axial direction and open to the joint surface, the width dimension of the valve seat member can be reduced, which can contribute to a more compact valve seat member, compared to a configuration in which one joint hole and another joint hole do not overlap each other when viewed in the axial direction and extend to one side and the other side in the width direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the valve seat member.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable that the first joint hole is provided parallel to and coaxial with the first communicating hole, and that the joint surface is provided with a tapered surface extending in a direction intersecting the sliding surface and into which the first joint hole opens. With this configuration, when machining the first communicating hole inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the sliding surface, the tapered surface is first cut using a machining tool to form the first joint hole, and then the first communicating hole can be formed by cutting at the same angle. This facilitates the formation of the first joint hole and the first communicating hole. Furthermore, because the tapered surface extends in a direction intersecting the sliding surface, it can also be formed so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the penetration direction of the first communicating hole. In this case, the machining tool can be brought into contact with the tapered surface perpendicularly. This prevents the tool from slipping relative to the tapered surface, allowing the first joint hole and the first communicating hole to be formed easily and accurately.

[0012] Furthermore, a plurality of first through holes may be provided, and the first joint hole may extend parallel to the first porthole and open into the joint surface, and a virtual periphery of the inclined first communicating hole extending to the joint surface may be located within the circumference of the opening of the first joint hole. With this configuration, when machining the first communicating hole inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the sliding surface, the first joint hole is first formed by cutting the joint surface using a machining tool, and then the first communicating hole is cut at a different angle. However, because the virtual periphery of the virtual extension of the first communicating hole to the joint surface is located within the circumference of the opening of the first joint hole, the first communicating hole can be formed without the machining tool coming into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the first joint hole. This makes it possible to obtain a slide-type switching valve that facilitates the formation of the first communicating hole and suppresses the generation of cutting burrs during machining of the valve seat member, thereby reducing the likelihood of malfunctions in the refrigeration cycle due to foreign matter.

[0013] The valve seat member may be made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is more likely to produce cutting burrs during processing than materials such as brass, which are used for valve seat members in conventional slide-type switching valves. However, as described above, this configuration can suppress the generation of cutting burrs when forming the through hole. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to valve seat members made of materials that are more likely to produce cutting burrs.

[0014] Furthermore, the center-to-center distance, which is the distance in the axial direction from the center of one of the portholes communicating with adjacent coupling holes to the center of the other porthole, is preferably smaller than the inner diameter of the adjacent coupling holes. With this configuration, the center-to-center distance of adjacent portholes can be reduced so that the distance from the center of one porthole to the center of the other porthole in the axial direction, i.e., the sliding direction of the valve disc, is within a range smaller than the inner diameter of the coupling holes, thereby reducing the sliding distance of the valve disc. Therefore, for example, if the drive unit is configured as a device including a plunger and a suction element, the distance between the plunger and the suction element can be reduced, which contributes to the miniaturization of the drive unit and the associated labor savings.

[0015] The present invention also provides a refrigeration cycle system including the above-described slide-type switching valve. With this configuration, it is possible to configure a refrigeration cycle system using the slide-type switching valve, which can suppress the generation of cutting burrs during processing of the valve seat member and make it difficult for malfunctions in the refrigeration cycle due to foreign matter to occur. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a slide-type switching valve and a refrigeration cycle system that can suppress the generation of cutting burrs when processing a valve seat member and make it less likely that malfunctions in the refrigeration cycle will occur due to foreign matter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a refrigeration cycle system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the axis of a slide-type switching valve according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a valve seat member that constitutes the slide-type switching valve. [Figure 4] 4A is a plan view of the valve seat member, FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the valve seat member, and FIG. 4C is a rear view of the valve seat member. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the dimensional relationship of a valve seat member. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a connecting portion between a porthole and a communication hole in the valve seat member. [Figure 7] 10A is a plan view of a modified valve seat member, FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the modified valve seat member, and FIG. 10C is a rear view of the modified valve seat member. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the dimensional relationship of a valve seat member according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In the following description, the direction in which the axis L of a plunger 61 (described later) extends will be referred to as the "axial L direction," and the direction perpendicular to the axial L direction will be referred to as the "perpendicular direction X." The perpendicular direction X is also the direction perpendicular to a sliding surface 41 of a valve seat member 40 (described later), and is the surface-perpendicular direction in the present invention. The definitions of these directions are merely for the convenience of description, and do not necessarily coincide with the directions in the actual use state of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the directions. 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 (slide-type switching valve), an indoor heat exchanger 3, a throttle device 4, an outdoor heat exchanger 5, and a compressor 6.

[0019] The four-way valve 1 is a valve device that switches the flow path of a refrigerant by switching the communication state of four pipes. The four-way valve 1 includes a housing 10 and a slide valve element 20 slidably disposed within the housing 10. The housing 10 includes a cylindrical main body 11 whose both ends are closed with cover members. The main body 11 is formed by pressing a metal plate made of stainless steel or the like. A D joint pipe 12, which serves as a high-pressure pipe through which a refrigerant flows, is fixed to the side wall of the main body 11 by brazing or the like while inserted in the thickness direction and communicating with the interior of the main body 11. An E joint pipe 13, an S joint pipe 14, and a C joint pipe 15 are fixed to the side wall of the main body 11, from the left in FIG. 1 , by brazing or the like while inserted in the thickness direction and each communicates with the interior of the main body 11.

[0020] The E joint pipe 13, S joint pipe 14, and C joint pipe 15 are pipes through which a refrigerant flows, similar to the D joint pipe 12, and function as high-pressure or low-pressure pipes. The interior of the main body 11 is divided into three spaces by a piston 23, which will be described later, and is composed of a high-pressure chamber 16 that is constantly in communication with the D joint pipe 12, and a first working chamber 17 and a second working chamber 18 that are adjacent to the high-pressure chamber 16. The slide valve body 20 is provided inside the main body 11 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the main body 11, and switches the communication state of the D joint pipe 12, E joint pipe 13, S joint pipe 14, and C joint pipe 15. The slide valve body 20 includes a valve body 21, a connecting plate 22 that holds the valve body 21 and extends in the axial direction of the main body 11, and a pair of pistons 23 provided at both ends of the connecting plate 22 in the extending direction.

[0021] The valve body 21 is bowl-shaped and opens toward the E joint pipe 13, the S joint pipe 14, and the C joint pipe 15. The openings of the valve body 21 are large enough to cover two adjacent openings among the E joint pipe 13, the S joint pipe 14, and the C joint pipe 15. When the valve body 21 is in the leftmost position shown in FIG. 1 , it connects the E joint pipe 13 and the S joint pipe 14, and also connects the D joint pipe 12 and the C joint pipe 15. When the valve body 21 is moved from this state to the right in FIG. 1 to the rightmost position (not shown), it connects the C joint pipe 15 and the S joint pipe 14, and also connects the D joint pipe 12 and the E joint pipe 13. The connecting plate 22 holds the valve body 21 in the axial center of the main body 11 and extends to one and the other axial sides. A sealing member such as a packing is attached to the piston 23, which divides the inside of the main body 11 into the three spaces described above.

[0022] Specifically, the space sandwiched between the pair of pistons 23 forms a high-pressure chamber 16, the space adjacent to the high-pressure chamber 16 on the left in FIG. 1 forms a first working chamber 17, and the space adjacent to the high-pressure chamber 16 on the right in FIG. 1 forms a second working chamber 18. In the refrigeration cycle system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the D joint pipe 12 is connected to the discharge port of the compressor 6, and the S joint pipe 14 is connected to the suction port of the compressor 6. The C joint pipe 15 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 5, and the E joint pipe 13 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 3. The outdoor heat exchanger 5 and the indoor heat exchanger 3 are connected to each other via the expansion device 4. In this way, the refrigeration cycle system 100 is constituted by a path consisting of the C joint pipe 15, the outdoor heat exchanger 5, the expansion device 4, the indoor heat exchanger 3, and the E joint pipe 13, and a path consisting of the S joint pipe 14 to the compressor 6 and the D joint pipe 12.

[0023] The pilot valve 2 is a slide-type switching valve of the present invention, and is a direct-acting electromagnetic slide valve that circulates a drive fluid between the four-way valve 1 and the pilot valve 2 for moving the slide valve element 20 of the four-way valve 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the pilot valve 2 includes a valve housing 30 formed by pressing a stainless steel metal plate or the like, a valve seat member 40 attached to the valve housing 30, a valve element 50 that slides on the valve seat member 40, and an electromagnetic drive unit 60 (drive unit) that drives the valve element 50 to slide. The valve housing 30 includes a cylindrical (i.e., hollow) valve body 31 with a bottom that extends in the direction of axis L. The interior of the valve body 31 defines a valve chamber 32 on one side (left side in FIG. 2) of a plunger 61 (described later) in the direction of axis L, and a plunger placement chamber 33 on the other side (right side in FIG. 2) of the plunger 61 in the direction of axis L. A first mounting hole 34 is formed through the side wall of the valve body 31 in the orthogonal direction X, and a D thin tube 35 serving as a high-pressure pipe is inserted into the first mounting hole 34 and fixed thereto by brazing or the like, thereby communicating with the interior of the valve body 31. As shown in FIG. 1 , the D thin tube 35 communicates with the D joint pipe 12 of the four-way valve 1 described above.

[0024] A second mounting hole 36 is formed in the orthogonal direction X in a portion of the side wall of the valve body 31 facing the D capillary tube 35. A valve seat member 40 is fitted into the second mounting hole 36. The valve seat member 40 is a member that allows the valve element 50 to slide, and is made of stainless steel and has a cylindrical shape extending in the orthogonal direction X. As shown in FIG. 2 , the end face of the valve seat member 40 on the inner side in the orthogonal direction X forms a sliding surface 41 on which the valve element 50 slides. The sliding surface 41 is a flat surface parallel to the axis L. On the other hand, the portion of the valve seat member 40 on the outer side in the orthogonal direction X, i.e., the portion opposite the sliding surface 41, forms a coupling surface 42 that connects coupling members (a first actuation capillary tube 45, a second actuation capillary tube 46, and an S capillary tube 47) described below. As shown in FIG. 3, the joint surface 42 includes a flat surface 42a extending parallel to the sliding surface 41, and a tapered surface 42b continuing from the flat surface 42a and extending in a direction intersecting the sliding surface 41.

[0025] The valve seat member 40 is formed with a plurality of through holes that penetrate from the sliding surface 41 to the joint surface 42. For example, in this embodiment, the through holes are configured with two first through holes 43 that are aligned at an interval in the direction of the axis L and a second through hole 44 that is formed between the two first through holes 43. That is, the valve seat member 40 is provided with the first through hole 43 that constitutes at least one of the plurality of through holes, and the second through hole 44 that is different from the first through hole 43. The first through hole 43 includes a first porthole 43a (porthole) that opens to the sliding surface 41 (i.e., opens into the valve chamber 32), a first joint hole 43b (joint hole) that has an inner diameter larger than that of the first porthole 43a and opens to the joint surface 42 (i.e., opens to the outside of the valve chamber 32), and a first communication hole 43c (communication hole) that communicates between the first porthole 43a and the first joint hole 43b. 3, first porthole 43a is formed to extend in orthogonal direction X. First porthole 43a is formed such that the entire circumference of the portion continuous with first communicating hole 43c is located within the circumference of first communicating hole 43c.

[0026] The position of the first porthole 43a can be selected as appropriate, as long as the entire circumference of the first porthole 43a is located within the circumference of the first communicating hole 43c at the connecting portion between the first porthole 43a and the first communicating hole 43c. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6(A), the first porthole 43a may be formed so that its central axis a is continuous with the central axis c of the first communicating hole 43c at the connecting portion between the first porthole 43a and the first communicating hole 43c, and its entire circumference is located within the circumference of the first communicating hole 43c. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 6(B), the first porthole 43a may be formed eccentrically at a position where its central axis a is not continuous with the central axis c of the first communicating hole 43c, as long as the entire circumference is located within the circumference of the first communicating hole 43c.

[0027] 6(B), if the central axis a is offset from the central axis c so as to approach an adjacent porthole (in this embodiment, a second porthole 44a, described later), the first porthole 43a can be brought closer to the other portholes, making it easier to ensure the area of ​​the sliding surface 41, which is more preferable because it contributes to reducing the size of the valve seat member 40. On the other hand, if the entire circumference of the porthole 80a is not located within the circumference of the communicating hole 80c, as in the case of a continuous portion between a porthole 80a and a communicating hole 80c formed in a conventional member other than the valve seat member 40 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6(C), a portion of the circumference of the porthole 80a and a portion of the circumference of the communicating hole 80c overlap each other when viewed from the orthogonal direction X, as in a conventional sliding selector valve, and cutting burrs are likely to occur when the through hole is formed, which makes it impossible to solve the problem of the present invention.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the first communication hole 43c continues from the end of the first porthole 43a in the orthogonal direction X and is inclined with respect to the orthogonal direction X. The first communication hole 43c has an inner diameter larger than that of the first porthole 43a and smaller than that of the first joint hole 43b. The first communication hole 43c is formed so that the entire circumference of the connecting portion with the first joint hole 43b is located within the circumference of the first joint hole 43b. The first joint hole 43b is formed parallel to and coaxial with the first communication hole 43c and opens to the tapered surface 42b of the joint surface 42. In FIG. 3, a first actuation capillary tube 45 communicating with the first actuation chamber 17 of the four-way valve 1 is inserted into the left first joint hole 43b and fixed thereto by brazing or the like. In FIG. 3, a second actuation capillary tube 46 communicating with the second actuation chamber 18 of the four-way valve 1 is inserted into the first joint hole 43b on the right side and fixed thereto by brazing or the like.

[0029] In the present embodiment, as described above, the inner diameter of the first communicating hole 43c is larger than the inner diameter of the first porthole 43a and smaller than the inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b, and the first communicating hole 43c is formed so that the entire circumference of the connecting portion with the first joint hole 43b is located within the circumference of the first joint hole 43b. However, this configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the first communicating hole 43c and the first joint hole 43b may be integrally formed coaxially with the same inner diameter, so that a portion of the first joint hole 43b functions as the first communicating hole 43c and the first joint hole 43b is connected to the first port 43a. Therefore, the inner diameter of the first communicating hole 43c does not necessarily have to be smaller than the inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b and may be formed to be the same size as the inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b. Therefore, the inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b only needs to be set to be equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the first communication hole 43c.

[0030] The second through-hole 44 includes a second porthole 44a (porthole) that opens to the sliding surface 41 (i.e., opens into the valve chamber 32), a second joint hole 44b (joint hole) that has a larger inner diameter than the second porthole 44a and opens to the joint surface 42 (i.e., opens to the outside of the valve chamber 32), and a second communication hole 44c (communication hole) that communicates between the second porthole 44a and the second joint hole 44b. As shown in FIG. 4 , the second porthole 44a is formed to extend in the orthogonal direction X. The second porthole 44a is formed such that the entire circumference of the second porthole 44a, at the portion where it connects to the second communication hole 44c, is located within the circumference of the second communication hole 44c. The second communication hole 44c is continuous with the end of the second porthole 44a in the orthogonal direction X and extends in the orthogonal direction X. That is, unlike the first communicating hole 43c, the second communicating hole 44c is formed without being inclined with respect to the orthogonal direction X. The second communicating hole 44c is formed so that its inner diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the second porthole 44a and smaller than the inner diameter of the second joint hole 44b. The second communicating hole 44c is formed so that the entire circumference of the portion connecting to the second joint hole 44b is located within the circumference of the second joint hole 44b.

[0031] The second joint hole 44b is formed parallel to and coaxial with the second communication hole 44c and opens to the flat surface 42a of the joint surface 42. As shown in Fig. 3, an S capillary tube 47 communicating with the S joint pipe 14 of the four-way valve 1 is inserted into the second joint hole 44b and fixed thereto by brazing or the like. Note that, in this embodiment, as described above, the inner diameter of the second communication hole 44c is larger than the inner diameter of the second porthole 44a but smaller than the inner diameter of the second joint hole 44b, and the second communication hole 44c is formed such that the entire circumference of the continuous portion with the second joint hole 44b is located within the circumference of the second joint hole 44b. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the second communicating hole 44c and the second joint hole 44b may be integrally formed coaxially and with the same inner diameter, so that a portion of the second joint hole 44b functions as the second communicating hole 44c and the second joint hole 44b is continuous with the second porthole 44a. Therefore, the inner diameter of the second communicating hole 44c does not necessarily have to be smaller than the inner diameter of the second joint hole 44b, and may be formed to be the same size as the inner diameter of the second joint hole 44b. Therefore, the inner diameter of the second joint hole 44b only needs to be equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the second communicating hole 44c.

[0032] In the first through hole 43 and the second through hole 44 thus formed, as shown in FIG. 4(A), the center of the first porthole 43a and the center of the second porthole 44a are aligned in a straight line in the direction of the axis L. That is, the first porthole 43a and the second porthole 44a (portholes in the plurality of through holes) are arranged side by side in the direction of the axis L. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the first communicating hole 43c and the second communicating hole 44c are arranged side by side in the direction of the axis L. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4(C), the first joint hole 43b and the second joint hole 44b (joint holes in the plurality of through holes) are arranged side by side in the direction of the axis L. In this way, the first through hole 43 and the second through hole 44 are arranged side by side in the direction of the axis L.

[0033] 5, the length A of the first porthole 43a in the through-direction (perpendicular direction X) is shorter than the length B of the second porthole 44a in the through-direction (perpendicular direction X). The length C of the first joint hole 43b in the through-direction (the tilt direction of the first communicating hole 43c) is longer than the length D of the second joint hole 44b in the through-direction (perpendicular direction X). The center-to-center distance E, which is the distance in the axial direction L from the center of the first porthole 43a to the center of the second porthole 44a, is smaller than the inner diameter F of the joint hole (in this embodiment, the inner diameter F of the second joint hole 44b). In other words, the center-to-center distance E, which is the distance in the axial direction L from the center of one of the portholes (the first porthole 43a and the second porthole 44a) communicating with the adjacent joint holes (the first joint hole 43b and the second joint hole 44b) to the center of the other porthole, is smaller than the inner diameter F of the adjacent joint hole.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the valve element 50 is formed in a columnar shape extending in the orthogonal direction X and is provided so as to be slidable in the direction of the axis L. A recess 51 that opens toward the sliding surface 41 is formed in the surface of the valve element 50 facing the sliding surface 41. As shown in FIG. 3, the opening of the recess 51 is sized to cover the openings of two adjacent portholes (the first porthole 43a and the second porthole 44a). The recess 51 is configured so that its opening edge slides on the sliding surface 41, and sliding movement in the direction of the axis L switches the communication state of the portholes (the first porthole 43a and the second porthole 44a). This switches the communication state of the D capillary tube 35, the first working capillary tube 45, the second working capillary tube 46, and the S capillary tube 47.

[0035] Specifically, when the recess 51 is in the leftmost position shown in FIG. 2 , it connects the first working capillary tube 45 and the S capillary tube 47, and also connects the D capillary tube 35 and the second working capillary tube 46. In this state, the high-pressure driving fluid that has flowed into the valve chamber 32 through the D capillary tube 35 flows toward the valve seat member 40 through the second pressure equalizing hole 66 (described later), and then flows through the first porthole 43a (not covered by the recess 51) and the second working capillary tube 46 into the second working chamber 18 of the four-way valve 1. On the other hand, the low-pressure driving fluid that has flowed into the recess 51 through the S capillary tube 47 flows through the first porthole 43a and the first working capillary tube 45 into the first working chamber 17 of the four-way valve 1. This generates a pressure difference between the first working chamber 17 and the second working chamber 18, causing the sliding valve element 20 of the four-way valve 1 to move to the leftmost position shown in FIG. 1.

[0036] On the other hand, when the valve element 50 moves from the left end position to the right end position (not shown), the recess 51 connects the second actuation capillary tube 46 and the S capillary tube 47, and connects the D capillary tube 35 and the first actuation capillary tube 45. In this state, the high-pressure driving fluid that flows into the valve chamber 32 through the D capillary tube 35 flows through the second pressure equalizing hole 66 toward the valve seat member 40, and then flows through the first porthole 43a, which is not covered by the recess 51, and the first actuation capillary tube 45 into the first actuation chamber 17 of the four-way valve 1. On the other hand, the low-pressure driving fluid that flows into the recess 51 through the S capillary tube 47 flows through the first porthole 43a, the second actuation capillary tube 46, and the second actuation chamber 18 of the four-way valve 1. This generates a pressure difference between the first actuation chamber 17 and the second actuation chamber 18, and the sliding valve element 20 of the four-way valve 1 moves rightward from the left end position shown in FIG. 1 .

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2 , the electromagnetic drive unit 60 includes a plunger 61 disposed in the plunger placement chamber 33, an attractor 62 disposed at a distance from the plunger 61 in the axial direction L, an electromagnetic coil 63, and a case 64. The plunger 61 includes a large-diameter portion 61a that slides in the axial direction L relative to the inner circumferential surface of the valve body 31, and a small-diameter portion 61b that is continuous with the large-diameter portion 61a and extends toward the valve chamber 32. A first pressure-equalizing hole 65 is formed in the large-diameter portion 61a, penetrating the large-diameter portion 61a in the axial direction L. A second pressure-equalizing hole 66 is formed in the small-diameter portion 61b, penetrating the small-diameter portion 61b in the orthogonal direction X, intersecting the first pressure-equalizing hole 65. With this configuration, the first pressure-equalizing hole 65 and the second pressure-equalizing hole 66 are in communication with each other. Furthermore, with this configuration, the driving fluid that flows into the valve chamber 32 from the D capillary tube 35 serving as the high-pressure piping described above flows through the second pressure equalizing hole 66 toward the valve seat member 40, and then flows into the first porthole 43a or the second porthole 44a that opens into the valve chamber 32.

[0038] Furthermore, the driving fluid that has flowed into the valve chamber 32 flows from the second pressure equalizing hole 66 through the first pressure equalizing hole 65 to the plunger placement chamber 33. As a result, the valve chamber 32 and the plunger placement chamber 33 are in communication via the first pressure equalizing hole 65 and the second pressure equalizing hole 66, and the same pressure is applied to the valve chamber 32 and the plunger placement chamber 33. A concave holding portion 67 that opens toward the valve seat member 40 is formed in the small diameter portion 61b of the plunger 61. The holding portion 67 houses the valve disc 50. The valve disc 50 is pressed against the sliding surface 41 of the valve seat member 40 by a biasing member 67a installed inside the holding portion 67. The attractor 62 is disposed at a distance from the plunger 61 in the axial direction L and is fixed within the valve body 31. A plunger spring 68 is disposed between the suction element 62 and the plunger 61, and biases the plunger 61 toward the valve body 50 side.

[0039] The electromagnetic coil 63 is disposed on the outer periphery of the valve body 31 and surrounds the plunger 61 and the attractor 62 in the circumferential direction about the axis L. The electromagnetic coil 63 is configured to include a bobbin 69 and a winding 69a wound around the bobbin 69. With this configuration, when the electromagnetic drive unit 60 is not energized, the force of the plunger spring 68 urges the plunger 61 to the left in FIG. 2, causing the plunger 61 and the valve body 50 to move to the leftmost position in FIG. 2. On the other hand, when energized, the attractor 62 is excited, generating an attractive force between the plunger 61 and the attractor 62, causing the plunger 61 and the valve body 50 to move to the right.

[0040] With the above configuration, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 6 flows into the high-pressure chamber 16 through the D joint pipe 12, and in cooling operation (cooling mode), the high-pressure refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 5 through the C joint pipe 15. Furthermore, in heating operation (heating mode) with the position of the slide valve body 20 switched, the high-pressure refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger 3 through the E joint pipe 13. That is, in cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 circulates through the C joint pipe 15, the outdoor heat exchanger 5, the throttling device 4, the indoor heat exchanger 3, and the E joint pipe 13, with the outdoor heat exchanger 5 functioning as a condenser and the indoor heat exchanger 3 functioning as an evaporator, thereby performing cooling. The throttling device 4 expands and decompresses the refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger 5 and the indoor heat exchanger 3. During heating operation, the refrigerant is circulated in the reverse direction, with the indoor heat exchanger 3 functioning as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 5 functioning as an evaporator, thereby providing heating.

[0041] According to the embodiment described above, the first porthole 43a and the first joint hole 43b communicate with each other through the first communication hole 43c, which is inclined with respect to the orthogonal direction X (the direction orthogonal to the surface) of the sliding surface 41. The inner diameter of the first porthole 43a is smaller than the inner diameter of the first communication hole 43c, and the entire circumference of the first porthole 43a at the connecting portion between the first porthole 43a and the first communication hole 43c is located within the circumference of the first communication hole 43c. The inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b is set to be equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the first communication hole 43c. This allows the first through hole 43 to be formed without interference between the first porthole 43a, the first communication hole 43c, and the first joint hole 43b. This prevents overlapping between the port and the joint hole, as occurs in the conventional slide-type switching valve described above, and reduces the occurrence of cutting burrs when forming the through hole. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the generation of cutting burrs when machining the valve seat member 40, and to obtain a pilot valve 2 (slide type switching valve) that is less likely to cause problems in the refrigeration cycle due to foreign matter.

[0042] Furthermore, the valve seat member 40 can be provided with communication holes extending in different directions, namely, the first communication hole 43c inclined with respect to the orthogonal direction X and the second communication hole 44c extending in the orthogonal direction X, thereby preventing interference between the multiple communication holes (first communication hole 43c, second communication hole 44c) and the multiple joint holes (first joint hole 43b, second joint hole 44b). Furthermore, by forming the length A of the first porthole 43a in the through-direction to be shorter than the length B of the second porthole 44a in the through-direction, the continuous portion between the first porthole 43a and the first communication hole 43c and the continuous portion between the second porthole 44a and the second communication hole 44c can be offset in the orthogonal direction X. That is, the portion where the inner diameter increases from first porthole 43a to first communicating hole 43c and the portion where the inner diameter increases from second porthole 44a to second communicating hole 44c can be offset in the orthogonal direction X. Therefore, even when first porthole 43a and second porthole 44a are brought closer to each other, first communicating hole 43c and second communicating hole 44c can be prevented from interfering with each other.

[0043] In the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the first communicating hole 43c is smaller than the inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b, and the entire circumference of the first communicating hole 43c is located within the circumference of the first joint hole 43b at the continuous portion with the first joint hole 43b. With this configuration, the porthole (e.g., the second porthole 44a) and the communicating hole (e.g., the second communicating hole 44c) of the through hole (e.g., the second through hole 44) adjacent to the first through hole 43 can be brought closer to the first through hole 43 by the difference between the inner diameter of the first communicating hole 43c and the inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the inner diameter of the first communicating hole 43c is the same as the inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b, the portion of the valve seat member 40 for forming the through holes (first through hole 43, second through hole 44) can be made smaller, which contributes to a reduction in the size of the valve seat member 40.

[0044] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the second communication hole 44c is smaller than the inner diameter of the second joint hole 44b, and the entire circumference of the second communication hole 44c at the continuous portion with the second joint hole 44b is located within the circumference of the second joint hole 44b. With this configuration, the porthole (e.g., first porthole 43a) and communication hole (e.g., first communication hole 43c) of a through hole (e.g., first through hole 43) adjacent to the second through hole 44 can be brought closer to the second through hole 44 by the difference between the inner diameter of the second communication hole 44c and the inner diameter of the second joint hole 44b. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the inner diameter of the second communication hole 44c is the same as the inner diameter of the second joint hole 44b, the portion of the valve seat member 40 for forming the through holes (first through hole 43, second through hole 44) can be made smaller, which contributes to a reduction in the size of the valve seat member 40.

[0045] Furthermore, by forming the length C of the first joint hole 43b in the through-direction to be longer than the length D of the second joint hole 44b in the through-direction, the continuous portion between the first joint hole 43b and the first communicating hole 43c and the continuous portion between the second joint hole 44b and the second communicating hole 44c can be offset in the orthogonal direction X. In other words, the portion where the inner diameter increases from the first communicating hole 43c to the first joint hole 43b and the portion where the inner diameter increases from the second communicating hole 44c to the second joint hole 44b can be offset in the orthogonal direction X. Therefore, even when the first porthole 43a and the second porthole 44a are brought close to each other, the first joint hole 43b and the second joint hole 44b can be prevented from interfering with each other.

[0046] As described above, the configuration in which the length A in the through-direction of the first porthole 43a is shorter than the length B of the second porthole 44a in the through-direction and the configuration in which the length C in the through-direction of the first joint hole 43b is longer than the length D of the second joint hole 44b in the through-direction can be independent of each other. However, by making the length A in the through-direction of the first porthole 43a shorter than the length B of the second porthole 44a in the through-direction and further making the length C in the through-direction of the first joint hole 43b longer than the length D of the second joint hole 44b in the through-direction, it is preferable to set the lengths A, B, C, and D as in this embodiment, because interference between the first communicating hole 43c and the second communicating hole 44c and between the first joint hole 43b and the second joint hole 44b can be prevented.

[0047] Furthermore, since the first joint hole 43b and the second joint hole 44b (joint holes in the multiple through holes) are aligned in the axial direction L and open to the joint surface 42, the width dimension of the valve seat member 40 can be reduced, which contributes to making the valve seat member 40 more compact, compared to a configuration in which the first joint hole 43b and the second joint hole 44b extend to one side and the other side in the width direction perpendicular to the axial direction L of the valve seat member without overlapping each other when viewed from the axial direction L.

[0048] The first joint hole 43b is parallel to and coaxial with the first communicating hole 43c, and the joint surface 42 is provided with a tapered surface 42b that extends in a direction intersecting the sliding surface 41 and into which the first joint hole 43b opens. Therefore, when machining the first communicating hole 43c that is inclined with respect to the orthogonal direction X of the sliding surface 41, the tapered surface 42b is first cut using a machining tool to form the first joint hole 43b, and then the first communicating hole 43c can be formed by cutting at the same angle. This facilitates the formation of the first joint hole 43b and the first communicating hole 43c. Furthermore, because the tapered surface 42b extends in a direction intersecting the sliding surface 41, the tapered surface 42b can also be formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the penetration direction of the first communicating hole 43c. In this case, the machining tool can be brought into contact with the tapered surface 42b perpendicularly. This prevents the tool from slipping against the tapered surface 42b, and allows the first joint hole 43b and the first communication hole 43c to be formed easily and accurately.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the valve seat member 40 is made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is more likely to produce cutting burrs during processing than materials such as brass, which are used to make valve seat members in conventional slide-type switching valves. However, as described above, this configuration makes it possible to suppress the generation of cutting burrs when forming the first through hole 43 (through hole) and the second through hole 44 (through hole). Therefore, the present invention can also be applied to a valve seat member 40 made of a material that is more likely to produce cutting burrs.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the center-to-center distance E, which is the distance in the axial direction L from the center of one of the first porthole 43a (porthole) and the second porthole 44a (porthole), which communicate with the adjacent first joint hole 43b (joint hole) and the second joint hole 44b (joint hole), respectively, to the center of the other, is smaller than the inner diameter F of the second joint hole 44b (adjacent joint hole). With this configuration, the center-to-center distance E of the first porthole 43a and the second porthole 44a (adjacent portholes) can be made small enough in the axial direction L, i.e., the sliding direction of the valve disc 50, that the distance from the center of the first porthole 43a to the center of the second porthole 44a is within a range smaller than the inner diameter F of the second joint hole 44b, and therefore the sliding distance of the valve disc 50 can be shortened. Therefore, for example, if the electromagnetic drive unit 60 is configured as a device equipped with a plunger 61 and an aspirator 62, the distance between the plunger 61 and the aspirator 62 can be reduced, which can contribute to the miniaturization of the electromagnetic drive unit 60 and the associated labor savings.

[0051] Furthermore, by reducing the center-to-center distance E as described above, it becomes easier to ensure a sufficient area for the sliding surface 41 to slide against the opening edge of the valve element 50 and seal the recess 51. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the center-to-center distance E is equal to or greater than the inner diameter of the adjacent fitting hole, the outer diameter of the sliding surface 41 can be reduced, thereby enabling the valve seat member 40 itself to be made more compact. This miniaturization is particularly advantageous when the valve body 31 is formed into a cylindrical, bottomed shape, as in this embodiment. Specifically, when the valve body 31 is formed into a cylindrical, bottomed shape, a hole like the second mounting hole 36 described above must be formed in the valve body 31 to fit the valve seat member 40. However, because the valve body 31 is cylindrical, the larger the second mounting hole 36, the more difficult it is to process it. However, with this configuration, the valve seat member 40 itself can be made smaller, eliminating the need to enlarge the second mounting hole 36, thereby facilitating the manufacture of the pilot valve 2.

[0052] In this way, the refrigeration cycle system 100 can be constructed using a slide-type switching valve that can suppress the generation of cutting burrs when processing the valve seat member 40 and make it less likely that malfunctions in the refrigeration cycle will occur due to foreign matter.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes and the like within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Figure 7(A) is a plan view of a modified valve seat member 70, Figure 7(B) is a cross-sectional view of the modified valve seat member 70, and Figure 7(C) is a rear view of the modified valve seat member 70. Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the dimensional relationship of the modified valve seat member 70.

[0054] The valve seat member 70 is made of stainless steel and is formed into a cylindrical shape extending in the orthogonal direction X. As shown in FIG. 7, the end face of the valve seat member 70 on the inner side in the orthogonal direction X forms a sliding surface 71 on which the valve body 50 slides, similar to the sliding surface 41 described above. On the other hand, a joint surface 72 is formed on the outer side in the orthogonal direction X of the valve seat member 70. Unlike the joint surface 42 described above, the joint surface 72 does not include a tapered surface 42b and is formed as a flat surface. Three (plural) first through holes 73 are formed in the valve seat member 70, penetrating from the sliding surface 71 to the joint surface 72. The first through hole 73 has a first porthole 73a (porthole) that opens to the sliding surface 71, a first joint hole 73b (joint hole) that opens to the joint surface 72 with an inner diameter larger than that of the first porthole 73a, and a first communicating hole 73c (communicating hole) that connects the first porthole 73a and the first joint hole 73b.

[0055] The first porthole 73a, the first joint hole 73b, and the first communicating hole 73c correspond to the first porthole 43a, the first joint hole 43b, and the first communicating hole 43c, but in this modified example, as shown in Fig. 7(B), the first joint hole 73b does not extend parallel to the first communicating hole 73c but extends in the orthogonal direction X and opens to the joint surface 72, which is different from the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, with this configuration, to prevent interference between adjacent first joint holes 73b and other first joint holes 73b, as shown in Fig. 7(C), when the joint surface 72 is viewed from the orthogonal direction X, the centers of the first joint holes 73b and the other first joint holes 73b are arranged so as to be alternately offset from each other in the width direction perpendicular to the axis L. 7(B), in the modified example, an imaginary periphery 73d formed by imaginarily extending the inclined first communicating hole 73c to the joint surface 72 is positioned within the circumference of the opening of the first joint hole 73b. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the imaginary periphery 73d does not come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the first joint hole 73b within the range of the dimension G of the first joint hole 73b in the orthogonal direction X (the depth dimension of the first joint hole 73b).

[0056] According to this configuration, when machining the first communicating hole 73c that is inclined with respect to the orthogonal direction X of the sliding surface 71, first the first connecting hole 73b is cut from the joint surface 72 using a machining tool, and then the first communicating hole 73c is cut at a different angle. However, because the imaginary periphery 73d formed by imaginarily extending the first communicating hole 73c to the joint surface 72 is located within the circumference of the opening of the first connecting hole 73b, the first communicating hole 73c can be formed without the machining tool coming into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the first connecting hole 73b. This makes it possible to obtain a pilot valve 2 that is easy to form the first communicating hole 73c and that is less likely to cause burrs during machining of the valve seat member 70, thereby reducing the likelihood of malfunctions in the refrigeration cycle due to foreign matter.

[0057] In this embodiment, the valve body 31 of the pilot valve 2 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom, but the present invention can also be applied to a pilot valve 2 having a valve body without a bottom. However, in such a configuration, since a hole is opened in the bottom of the valve body 31, the valve seat member 40 can be assembled through the hole in the bottom, and the second mounting hole 36 described above may not necessarily be necessary, and the problem of difficulty in making the second mounting hole 36 large as described above may not occur. For this reason, the present invention is more effective when the valve body 31 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom.

[0058] In addition, in the present embodiment and the modified examples, as an example of a slide-type switching valve, a pilot valve 2 that circulates a driving fluid between the four-way valve 1 and the slide valve element 20 of the four-way valve 1, which switches the communication state of four pipes, and the valve seat member 40 of the pilot valve 2 has been exemplified, and the description has been mainly focused on the valve seat member 40 of the pilot valve 2. However, for example, the present invention may be applied to a valve seat member on which the E joint pipe 13, the S joint pipe 14, and the C joint pipe 15 are disposed in the four-way valve 1. Furthermore, the slide-type switching valve is not limited to the four-way valve 1 and the pilot valve 2. As long as at least one pair of pipes is connected to the valve housing, the slide-type switching valve may be a three-way valve that uses a valve element to switch the pipes to be connected when connecting one pair of pipes out of three pipes. Alternatively, the number of pipes to be connected may be increased to form a multi-way valve. In this way, the number of pipes in the slide-type switching valve, the method of switching the communication state, and the like may be changed depending on the application of the slide-type switching valve.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, one second through hole 44 is disposed between two first through holes 43. However, even in the embodiment, the first through holes 43 can be adjacent to each other as in the modified example. In this case, the first joint holes 43b of the first through holes 43 can extend in the orthogonal direction X, as in the modified example. In this case, as in the above-described configuration, the center-to-center distance E of adjacent portholes can be made smaller than the inner diameter of the joint holes. That is, the center-to-center distance E of adjacent first portholes 43a can be made smaller than the inner diameter of the first joint holes 43b. In this case, the size of the inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b is equal to the sum of the radii of the first joint holes 43b. The closer the distance from the center of one first porthole 43a to the center of the other first porthole 43a falls within this range, the smaller the center-to-center distance E of adjacent first portholes 43a can be.

[0060] According to this configuration, for example, when one first joint hole 43b and another first joint hole 43b are aligned without any gap in the axial direction L, adjacent first portholes 43a can be arranged so that their center-to-center distance is smaller than the joint-side center-to-center distance, which is the axial distance from the center of one first joint hole 43b to the center of the other first joint hole 43b. Even in this configuration, the inner diameter of the first joint hole 43b is larger than the inner diameter of the first porthole 43a, so the first porthole 43a and the first joint hole 43b are not coaxial. However, in the present invention, the first porthole 43a and the first joint hole 43b can be connected by the inclined first communication hole 43c, thereby preventing overlapping between the ports and the joint holes as occurs in conventional slide-type switching valves. Therefore, even when adjacent first portholes 43a and adjacent first joint holes 43b are positioned close to each other, the generation of cutting burrs during machining of the valve seat member 40 can be suppressed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] L axis X perpendicular direction (plane perpendicular direction) 2 Pilot valve (slide type switching valve) 31 Valve body 40 Valve seat member 41 Sliding surface 42 Joint surface 43 First through hole (plural through holes) 43a First porthole (porthole) 43c 1st communication hole (communication hole) 43b First joint hole (joint hole) 45 First working capillary tube (joint member) 50 Valve body 60 Electromagnetic drive unit (drive unit)

Claims

1. A slide-type switching valve comprising: a hollow cylindrical valve body; a valve seat member provided in the valve body; a valve element provided inside the valve body so as to be slidable in an axial direction; and a drive unit that drives the valve element to slide, the valve seat member has a sliding surface on which the valve body slides, a joint surface located on the opposite side to the sliding surface, and a plurality of through holes extending from the sliding surface to the joint surface, the through hole has a porthole that opens into the sliding surface, a coupling hole that opens into the coupling surface with an inner diameter larger than that of the porthole and into which a coupling member is inserted, and a communication hole that communicates the porthole with the coupling hole, the portholes in the plurality of through holes being arranged side by side in the axial direction, a first through hole constituting at least one of the plurality of through holes includes a first porthole as the porthole, a first communicating hole as the communicating hole, and a first joint hole as the joint hole; the first communication hole is provided at an angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to the sliding surface, and the inner diameter thereof is larger than the inner diameter of the first porthole, the first porthole is provided along the direction orthogonal to the plane, and the entire circumference of the continuous portion with the first communicating hole is located within the circumference of the first communicating hole, a continuous portion between the first porthole and the first communication hole is inclined with respect to the direction orthogonal to the plane, A slide-type switching valve, wherein the inner diameter of the first joint hole is set to be equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the first communication hole.

2. a second porthole that is the porthole of a second through hole different from the first through hole among the plurality of through holes is provided to extend in a direction perpendicular to the sliding surface and has an inner diameter smaller than that of a second communicating hole that is the communicating hole of the second through hole, The second communication hole is provided to extend in a direction perpendicular to the sliding surface, the entire circumference of the second porthole is located within the circumference of the second communicating hole at a portion where the second porthole and the second communicating hole are continuous with each other, 2. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the length of the first porthole in the penetrating direction is shorter than the length of the second porthole in the penetrating direction.

3. The inner diameter of the first communicating hole is smaller than the inner diameter of the first joint hole, the first communicating hole has an entire periphery located within the circumference of the first joint hole at a portion connected to the first joint hole, The inner diameter of the second communication hole is smaller than the inner diameter of the second joint hole which is the joint hole of the second through hole, the second communicating hole has an entire periphery located within the circumference of the second joint hole at a portion connected to the second joint hole, 3. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 2, wherein the length of the first joint hole in the through direction is longer than the length of the second joint hole in the through direction.

4. 2. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the joint holes of the plurality of through holes are aligned in the axial direction and open to the joint surface.

5. 2. The slide type switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the first joint hole is arranged parallel to and coaxial with the first communication hole, and the joint surface is provided with a tapered surface that extends in a direction intersecting the sliding surface and into which the first joint hole opens.

6. a plurality of the first through holes are provided, and the first joint hole extends parallel to the first porthole and opens into the joint surface; 2. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, wherein an imaginary periphery of the inclined first communication hole extended to the coupling surface is located within a circumference of an opening of the first coupling hole.

7. 2. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve seat member is made of stainless steel.

8. 8. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, wherein a center-to-center distance, which is a distance in the axial direction from a center of one of the portholes communicating with adjacent joint holes to a center of the other of the portholes, is smaller than an inner diameter of the adjacent joint hole.

9. A refrigeration cycle system comprising the slide type switching valve according to claim 1.

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