Electronic expansion valve
The electronic expansion valve addresses the issue of fluid leakage by employing a soft gasket and a transition structure to ensure axial movement of the spindle, enhancing sealing and service life.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHEJIANG DUNAN ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENT CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-12
AI Technical Summary
The existing electronic expansion valves in cooling and heating devices suffer from high internal leakage due to the use of metal spindle and valve core engagement, leading to a decrease in sealing effect and potential fluid leakage.
An electronic expansion valve design incorporating a soft gasket and a spindle with a transition structure, where the spindle moves axially without rotating, and a soft gasket is used to enhance sealing, preventing fluid leakage and improving service life by using a non-metallic or soft metal material for the gasket.
The design effectively prevents fluid leakage and enhances the service life of the expansion valve by utilizing a soft gasket and a transition structure that ensures the spindle moves axially without rotating, thereby avoiding wear and improving sealing efficiency.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application claims the priority of a patent application with the application number 202221510246.X and the invention title "Electronic Expansion Valve", which was filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on June 16, 2022.
[0002] This application relates to the technical field of electronic expansion valves, specifically to electronic expansion valves.
Background Art
[0003] Currently, in various cooling and heating devices such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and heat pump water heaters, the flow rate of the fluid is usually adjusted using an electronic expansion valve. The electronic expansion valve generally consists of structures such as a valve seat assembly, a spindle, and a drive assembly, and realizes flow control by adjusting the opening degree of the valve port through the movement of the spindle. The electronic expansion valve in the prior art usually uses a line seal engagement between a metal spindle and a metal valve core to prevent internal leakage. However, due to factors such as the processing accuracy of parts and the surface roughness of the metal, the defective rate of internal leakage is high. As a result, the sealing effect of the valve port decreases, and the problem of fluid leakage is likely to occur. Summary of the Application
[0004] This application provides an electronic expansion valve to solve the problem of the low sealing effect of the electronic expansion valve in the prior art.
[0005] To solve the above problems, this application provides an electronic expansion valve comprising a valve seat assembly, a soft gasket, a spindle, and a drive assembly, wherein the valve seat assembly comprises a valve seat and a valve core seat connected to each other, the valve core seat having a flow hole, the soft gasket is located at one end of the valve core seat facing the valve seat, both the valve seat and the valve core seat are restrictedly engaged with the soft gasket, the soft gasket has a valve opening communicating with the flow hole, the spindle is provided in the valve seat so as to be axially movable to open and close the valve opening, and when the spindle closes the valve opening, the spindle abuts against the soft gasket and there is a gap between the spindle and the inner wall of the valve core seat, and the drive assembly comprises a screw and a transition structure, the screw is connected to the spindle via the transition structure, the screw is rotatable relative to the spindle, and when the screw moves axially, it drives the spindle to move axially, thereby providing an electronic expansion valve.
[0006] Furthermore, when the spindle closes the valve opening, a portion of the spindle penetrates into the valve opening, and the outer wall of the spindle comes into contact with the inner wall of the valve opening.
[0007] Furthermore, the inner wall of the valve opening is either straight or tapered.
[0008] Furthermore, the spindle includes a body segment, a first tapered segment, and a second tapered segment connected in order, the taper angle of the first tapered segment being greater than the taper angle of the second tapered segment, and when the spindle closes the valve opening, the outer wall of the first tapered segment abuts against the inner wall of the valve opening, and the second tapered segment penetrates into the flow hole.
[0009] Furthermore, one end of the valve core seat facing the valve seat has a mounting groove, and the soft gasket is positioned within the mounting groove, or the one end of the valve seat facing the valve core seat has a mounting groove, and the soft gasket is positioned within the mounting groove.
[0010] Furthermore, there is a positioning step on the inner wall of the valve seat, a portion of the valve core seat penetrates into the positioning step, and the stepped surface of the positioning step abuts against the side of the soft gasket away from the valve core seat.
[0011] Furthermore, the valve core seat includes a first annular cylinder, a second annular cylinder, and a third annular cylinder connected in sequence, with the diameters of the first, second, and third annular cylinders increasing in order, a soft gasket located within the first annular cylinder, the first annular cylinder penetrating into a positioning step, and the end face of the second annular cylinder abutting against the end face of the valve seat.
[0012] Furthermore, the transition structure includes a rotating member, a guide sleeve, and an elastic member, the inner ring of the rotating member being connected to a screw, the outer ring of the rotating member being connected to the inner wall of the guide sleeve, one end of the spindle away from the valve port being restrictedly engaged with the guide sleeve, the elastic member being located within the guide sleeve, and the elastic member being located between the rotating member and the spindle.
[0013] Furthermore, the transition structure further includes a bush and a limiting sleeve, the bush being located within the guide sleeve and in contact with the outer ring of the rotating member, the elastic member being fitted into the bush, the limiting sleeve being fixedly connected to one end of the guide sleeve facing the valve opening, the spindle passing through the limiting sleeve, the spindle having a limiting ring, both sides of the limiting ring in contact with the elastic member and the limiting sleeve, respectively.
[0014] Furthermore, the side wall of the valve seat has a flow hole, and the valve opening communicates with the flow hole when opened. The electronic expansion valve further includes a connecting seat, a valve pipe, and an actuation unit, both of which are connected to the connecting seat. The flow hole and valve core seat are both located on the side of the connecting seat away from the valve pipe. The actuation unit is provided inside the valve pipe and moves by driving a screw.
[0015] Applying the technical aspects of this application, an electronic expansion valve is provided comprising a valve seat assembly, a soft gasket, a spindle, and a drive assembly, wherein the valve seat assembly comprises a valve seat and a valve core seat connected to each other, the valve core seat having a flow hole, the soft gasket is located at one end of the valve core seat facing the valve seat, both the valve seat and the valve core seat are restrictedly engaged with the soft gasket, the soft gasket has a valve opening communicating with the flow hole, the spindle is provided in the valve seat so as to be axially movable to open and close the valve opening, and when the spindle closes the valve opening, the spindle abuts against the soft gasket and there is a gap between the spindle and the inner wall of the valve core seat, and the drive assembly comprises a screw and a transition structure, the screw is connected to the spindle via the transition structure, the screw is rotatable relative to the spindle, and when the screw moves axially, it drives the spindle to move axially. In this embodiment, instead of using the conventional method in which a metal spindle and a metal valve core are linearly sealed by engagement, a soft gasket is provided at one end of the valve core seat facing the valve seat, and both the valve seat and the valve core seat are restrictedly engaged with the soft gasket, and the soft gasket has a valve opening that communicates with the flow hole, thereby further improving the sealing effect of the electronic expansion valve, effectively preventing fluid leakage, and improving the service life of the electronic expansion valve. Furthermore, although the screw rotates relative to the spindle when it moves axially, in this embodiment, by providing a transition structure to connect the screw and the spindle, the spindle does not rotate when the screw moves axially, but only moves axially, thus avoiding the problem of wear of the soft gasket due to the rotation of the spindle and improving the service life of the soft gasket. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0016] The drawings in the specification, which constitute part of this application, are provided for further understanding of this application, and the schematic embodiments and descriptions thereof are for interpretation purposes only and do not improperly limit this application.
[0017] [Figure 1]This diagram shows a cross-sectional view of an electronic expansion valve provided by an embodiment of this application, in which the valve port is in the shape of a straight cylinder. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a magnified view of the electronic expansion valve. [Figure 3] This diagram shows a cross-sectional view of an electronic expansion valve provided by an embodiment of this application, in which the valve port has a tapered cylindrical shape. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows a magnified view of the electronic expansion valve.
[0018] The above diagram includes the following reference numerals: 10 Valve seat assembly, 11 Valve seat, 111 Positioning step, 112 Flow hole, 12 Valve core seat, 121 Flow hole, 122 First annular tube, 123 Second annular tube, 124 Third annular tube, 20 soft gaskets, 21 valve openings, 30 Spindle, 31 Main segment, 32 First tapered segment, 33 Second tapered segment, 34 Limiting ring, 40 Drive assembly, 41 Screw, 42 Transition structure, 421 Rotating member, 422 Guide sleeve, 423 Elastic member, 424 Bushing, 425 Restriction sleeve, 50 connection seats, 60 valve pipes, 70 Drive unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0019] The following describes the technical aspects of the embodiments of this application clearly and completely with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of this application, although it is clear that the embodiments described are only a selection of the embodiments of this application and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is, in practice, merely descriptive and does not imply any limitation on this application or its application or use. All other embodiments that a person skilled in the art could obtain without creative effort based on the embodiments of this application are all within the scope of protection of this application.
[0020] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the embodiment of the present application includes a valve seat assembly 10, a soft gasket 20, a spindle 30, and a drive assembly 40, wherein the valve seat assembly 10 includes a valve seat 11 and a valve core seat 12 connected to each other, the valve core seat 12 having a flow hole 121, the soft gasket 20 is located at one end of the valve core seat 12 facing the valve seat 11, both the valve seat 11 and the valve core seat 12 are restrictedly engaged with the soft gasket 20, the soft gasket 20 has a valve opening 21 communicating with the flow hole 121, and the spindle 30 opens and closes the valve opening 21 The electronic expansion valve is provided, which is provided in which the spindle 30 is mounted within the valve seat 11 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and when the spindle 30 closes the valve port 21, the spindle 30 is in contact with the soft gasket 20 and there is a gap between the spindle 30 and the inner wall of the valve core seat 12, and the drive assembly 40 includes a screw 41 and a transition structure 42, the screw 41 is connected to the spindle 30 via the transition structure 42, the screw 41 is rotatable relative to the spindle 30, and the screw 41 drives the spindle 30 to move in the axial direction when moving in the axial direction.
[0021] Using this embodiment, instead of using the method in the prior art where a metal spindle and a metal valve core are linearly sealed by engagement, a soft gasket 20 is provided at one end of the valve seat 11 of the valve core seat 12 facing the valve seat 11. Both the valve seat 11 and the valve core seat 12 are restrictively engaged with the soft gasket 20, and the soft gasket 20 has a valve port 21 communicating with the flow hole 121, so as to further improve the sealing effect of the electronic expansion valve, effectively avoid fluid leakage, and at the same time improve the service life of the electronic expansion valve. Moreover, when the screw 41 moves axially, it will rotate relative to the spindle. However, in this embodiment, a transition structure 42 is provided to connect the screw 41 and the spindle 30, so that when the screw 41 moves axially, the spindle 30 will only move axially without rotating, thus avoiding the problem that the soft gasket 20 is worn due to the rotation of the spindle 30 and improving the service life of the soft gasket 20. Here, the soft gasket 20 is made of a soft material such as a non-metallic material or a soft metal material. It is preferable to use a material with excellent wear resistance and a lower material hardness than the spindle 30 and the valve core seat 12. In this embodiment, the material of the soft gasket 20 may be rubber or plastic.
[0022] Here, when the spindle 30 closes the valve port 21, a part of the spindle 30 penetrates into the valve port 21, and the outer wall of the spindle 30 abuts against the inner wall of the valve port 21. By doing so, a sealing method in which the spindle 30 and the soft gasket 20 are engaged is realized. By using the soft seal method, the sealing effect of the electronic expansion valve is further improved, and fluid leakage is effectively avoided.
[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inner wall of the valve port 21 is in a straight cylinder shape. By making the inner wall of the valve port 21 in a straight cylinder shape, when the spindle 30 closes the valve port 21, the seal between the spindle 30 and the valve port 21 becomes a linear seal. By using the linear seal method, the sealing effect is ensured, and fluid leakage is effectively avoided.
[0024] Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner wall of the valve port 21 has a tapered cylinder shape. By making the inner wall of the valve port 21 have a tapered cylinder shape, when the spindle 30 closes the valve port 21, the sealing between the spindle 30 and the valve port 21 becomes surface sealing. By using the surface sealing method, the sealing effect is further ensured and the leakage of fluid is effectively avoided. Here, the end face or the inner wall face of the soft gasket 20 forms a contact surface. When the soft gasket 20 uses the inner wall face as the contact surface, the inner wall of the soft gasket 20 may have a single-segment structure with the same inclination or may be formed by a multi-segment structure with different inclinations. When the inner wall of the soft gasket 20 has a multi-segment structure, one of the tapered surfaces of the multi-segment structure on the inner wall forms a contact surface for contacting the spindle 30 when the valve port 21 is closed.
[0025] In this embodiment, the spindle 30 includes a main body segment 31, a first tapered segment 32, and a second tapered segment 33 that are connected in sequence. The taper angle of the first tapered segment 32 is larger than the taper angle of the second tapered segment 33. When the spindle 30 closes the valve port 21, the outer wall of the first tapered segment 32 contacts the inner wall of the valve port 21, and the second tapered segment 33 penetrates into the flow hole 121. By providing the first tapered segment 32 and the second tapered segment 33 and making the taper angle of the first tapered segment 32 larger than the taper angle of the second tapered segment 33, when the spindle 30 closes the valve port 21, the second tapered segment 33 penetrates into the flow hole 121 so that the outer wall of the first tapered segment 32 contacts the inner wall of the valve port 21, thereby realizing the closing of the valve port 21. By doing so, it is also possible to adapt to valve ports 21 with different pore diameters and improve the versatility of the electronic expansion valve.
[0026] Specifically, one end of the valve core seat 12 facing the valve seat 11 has a mounting groove, and the soft gasket 20 is located within the mounting groove, or one end of the valve seat 11 facing the valve core seat 12 has a mounting groove, and the soft gasket 20 is located within the mounting groove. When the soft gasket 20 is placed within the mounting groove, the mounting groove acts as a restraint for the soft gasket 20, preventing it from falling out and ensuring the stability and reliability of the sealing effect of the electronic expansion valve. Here, the mounting groove may be provided on the valve core seat 12 or on the valve seat 11.
[0027] In this embodiment, the inner wall of the valve seat 11 has a positioning step 111, a portion of the valve core seat 12 penetrates into the positioning step 111, and the stepped surface of the positioning step 111 abuts against the side of the soft gasket 20 away from the valve core seat 12. By providing the positioning step 111, when the valve core seat 12 penetrates into the valve seat 11, the positioning step 111 plays a positioning role relative to the valve core seat 12, thereby limiting the insertion depth of the valve core seat 12. At the same time, it also abuts against the side of the soft gasket 20 away from the valve core seat 12, further ensuring that the soft gasket 20 does not fall off.
[0028] Here, the valve core seat 12 includes a first annular cylinder 122, a second annular cylinder 123, and a third annular cylinder 124 connected in order, with the diameters of the first annular cylinder 122, the second annular cylinder 123, and the third annular cylinder 124 increasing in order, the soft gasket 20 being located inside the first annular cylinder 122, the first annular cylinder 122 penetrating into the positioning step 111, and the end face of the second annular cylinder 123 abutting against the end face of the valve seat 11. By using the above installation method, the soft gasket 20 is provided inside the first annular cylinder 122 to ensure that the soft gasket 20 does not fall out, and by bringing the end face of the second annular cylinder 123 into contact with the end face of the valve seat 11, the end face of the second annular cylinder 123 can act as a limiting force against the end face of the valve seat 11. The flow hole 121 within the valve core seat 12 is provided through the valve core seat 12, and the flow hole 121 is provided as a flared hole with increasing diameter along the direction away from the spindle 30, or as a columnar hole with a constant diameter, and the minimum diameter of the flow hole 121 is set to be equal to the minimum inner diameter of the soft gasket 20, thereby supporting the soft gasket 20 and at the same time making it easy to prevent throttling of the valve opening 21.
[0029] Specifically, the transition structure 42 includes a rotating member 421, a guide sleeve 422, and an elastic member 423. The inner ring of the rotating member 421 is connected to the screw 41, the outer ring of the rotating member 421 is clearance-fitted to the inner wall of the guide sleeve 422, one end of the spindle 30 away from the valve port 21 is restrictedly engaged with the guide sleeve 422, and the elastic member 423 is located inside the guide sleeve 422 and between the rotating member 421 and the spindle 30. With this connection method, when the screw 41 moves axially, it rotates relative to the spindle, and because the outer ring of the rotating member 421 is clearance-fitted to the inner wall of the guide sleeve 422 and one end of the spindle 30 away from the valve port 21 is restrictedly engaged with the guide sleeve 422, the screw 41 does not rotate when the spindle 30 is moved axially, thus avoiding the problem of the soft gasket 20 wearing down due to the rotation of the spindle 30 and improving the service life of the soft gasket 20. By providing the guide sleeve 422, it can act as a guide for the movement of the spindle 30. Here, it is preferable that the rotating member 421 is a rotating member.
[0030] Here, the transition structure 42 further includes a bush 424 and a limiting sleeve 425, the bush 424 being located inside the guide sleeve 422 and in contact with the outer ring of the rotating member 421, the elastic member 423 being fitted into the bush 424, the limiting sleeve 425 being fixedly connected to one end of the guide sleeve 422 facing the valve port 21, the spindle 30 passing through the limiting sleeve 425, the spindle 30 having a limiting ring 34, both sides of the limiting ring 34 in contact with the elastic member 423 and the limiting sleeve 425, respectively. By providing the bush 424, and by providing the bush 424 inside the guide sleeve 422 and in contact with the outer ring of the rotating member 421, it is possible not only to restrict the rotating member 421 but also to ensure the stability of the elastic member 423 during operation. By providing the limiting sleeve 425, it acts as a limiter for the spindle 30, preventing the spindle 30 from rattling. Furthermore, by providing the limiting ring 34 and bringing both sides of the limiting ring 34 into contact with the elastic member 423 and the limiting sleeve 425, respectively, the stability of the spindle 30 during movement is further ensured.
[0031] Specifically, the valve seat 11 has a flow hole 112 on its side wall, and when the valve opening 21 is opened, it communicates with the flow hole 112. The electronic expansion valve further includes a connecting seat 50, a valve pipe 60, and a drive unit 70. Both the valve seat 11 and the valve pipe 60 are connected to the connecting seat 50, and both the flow hole 112 and the valve core seat 12 are located on the side of the connecting seat 50 away from the valve pipe 60. The drive unit 70 is provided inside the valve pipe 60 and moves by driving a screw 41. By providing the flow hole 112, when the valve opening 21 is opened, the valve opening 21 communicates with the flow hole 112, that is, the flow function of the electronic expansion valve is realized. By providing the connecting seat 50, connection to the external structure is made easier. By providing the valve pipe 60, a protective role can be played for the internal structure of the electronic expansion valve. By providing the drive unit 70 and driving the screw 41 to move it, the opening and closing function of the electronic expansion valve is realized.
[0032] The foregoing describes only preferred embodiments of this application and is not intended to limit it. Those skilled in the art will know that this application is subject to various modifications and changes. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection.
Claims
1. The assembly includes a valve seat assembly (10), a soft gasket (20), a spindle (30), and a drive assembly (40), The valve seat assembly (10) includes a valve seat (11) and a valve core seat (12) connected to each other, the valve core seat (12) having a flow hole (121), The soft gasket (20) is located at one end of the valve core seat (12) facing the valve seat (11), and both the valve seat (11) and the valve core seat (12) are restrictedly engaged with the soft gasket (20), and the soft gasket (20) has a valve opening (21) that communicates with the flow hole (121). The spindle (30) is provided within the valve seat (11) so as to be movable in the axial direction to open and close the valve port (21), and when the spindle (30) closes the valve port (21), the spindle (30) comes into contact with the soft gasket (20), and there is a gap between the spindle (30) and the inner wall of the valve core seat (12). The drive assembly (40) includes a screw (41) and a transition structure (42), the screw (41) is connected to the spindle (30) via the transition structure (42), the screw (41) is rotatable relative to the spindle (30), and the screw (41) drives the spindle (30) to move axially without rotating it when moving axially. The transition structure (42) includes a rotating member (421), a guide sleeve (422), and an elastic member (423), wherein the inner ring of the rotating member (421) is connected to the screw (41), the outer ring of the rotating member (421) is clearance-fitted to the inner wall of the guide sleeve (422), one end of the spindle (30) away from the valve port (21) is restrictedly engaged with the guide sleeve (422), the elastic member (423) is located within the guide sleeve (422), and the elastic member (423) is located between the rotating member (421) and the spindle (30), in an electronic expansion valve.
2. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein when the spindle (30) closes the valve opening (21), a portion of the spindle (30) penetrates into the valve opening (21), and the outer wall of the spindle (30) abuts against the inner wall of the valve opening (21).
3. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 2, wherein the inner wall of the valve port (21) is in the shape of a straight cylinder or a tapered cylinder.
4. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 2, wherein the spindle (30) includes a body segment (31), a first tapered segment (32), and a second tapered segment (33) connected in order, the taper angle of the first tapered segment (32) is greater than the taper angle of the second tapered segment (33), and when the spindle (30) closes the valve opening (21), the outer wall of the first tapered segment (32) abuts against the inner wall of the valve opening (21), and the second tapered segment (33) penetrates into the flow hole (121).
5. The valve core seat (12) has a mounting groove at one end facing the valve seat (11), and the soft gasket (20) is located within the mounting groove, Alternatively, the electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein one end of the valve seat (11) facing the valve core seat (12) has a mounting groove, and the soft gasket (20) is located within the mounting groove.
6. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the valve seat (11) has a positioning step (111), a part of the valve core seat (12) penetrates into the positioning step (111), and the stepped surface of the positioning step (111) abuts against the side of the soft gasket (20) away from the valve core seat (12).
7. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 6, wherein the valve core seat (12) includes a first annular cylinder (122), a second annular cylinder (123), and a third annular cylinder (124) connected in order, the diameters of the first annular cylinder (122), the second annular cylinder (123), and the third annular cylinder (124) increasing in order, the soft gasket (20) is located inside the first annular cylinder (122), the first annular cylinder (122) penetrates into the positioning step (111), and the end face of the second annular cylinder (123) abuts against the end face of the valve seat (11).
8. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the transition structure (42) further includes a bush (424) and a limiting sleeve (425), the bush (424) being located within the guide sleeve (422) and in contact with the outer ring of the rotating member (421), the elastic member (423) being fitted into the bush (424), the limiting sleeve (425) being fixedly connected to one end of the guide sleeve (422) facing the valve port (21), the spindle (30) passing through the limiting sleeve (425), the spindle (30) having a limiting ring (34), and both sides of the limiting ring (34) in contact with the elastic member (423) and the limiting sleeve (425), respectively.
9. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the side wall of the valve seat (11) has a flow hole (112), the valve opening (21) communicates with the flow hole (112) when opened, the electronic expansion valve further includes a connecting seat (50), a valve pipe (60), and a drive unit (70), both of which are connected to the connecting seat (50), the flow hole (112) and the valve core seat (12) are both located on the side of the connecting seat (50) away from the valve pipe (60), the drive unit (70) is provided inside the valve pipe (60), and the drive unit (70) drives the screw (41) to move.