Electric valve and vehicle thermal management system

Abstract

An electric valve, comprising a motor assembly and a valve core, wherein the motor assembly comprises: a stator assembly, comprising: a coil bracket; a coil winding wound on the coil bracket; a plurality of silicon steel sheets fixed to the coil bracket and stacked; a circuit board electrically connected to the coil winding; and a rotor connected to the valve core to drive the valve core to move; wherein the electric valve further comprises a grounding assembly, and the circuit board is electrically connected to the silicon steel sheets through the grounding assembly so that the silicon steel sheets can be grounded through the circuit board.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] ELECTRIC VALVE AND VEHICLE THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

[0003] Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure relates to an electric valve, and more specifically, to an electric valve for a vehicle thermal management system.

[0005] Background Art

[0006] An electric valve is a valve that realizes fluid flow regulation through the control of a motor assembly. A circuit board on the motor assembly applies a driving signal to a coil winding, so that a regular magnetic field change is generated on an iron core to drive the rotor to rotate, thereby realizing the control of the valve core. However, there may be parasitic capacitance between the coil winding and the iron core, resulting in the formation of common-mode current on the iron core, which has an adverse effect on the normal operation of the electric valve. Further, silicon steel sheets have been increasingly commonly used as iron cores due to their excellent performance.

[0007] Therefore, it is expected to propose an improved electric valve using silicon steel sheets as iron cores to overcome the adverse effects caused by common-mode currents that may exist on silicon steel sheets.

[0008] Summary of the Disclosure

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an electric valve is provided. The electric valve comprises a motor assembly and a valve core, wherein the motor assembly comprises: a stator assembly, comprising: a coil bracket; a coil winding wound on the coil bracket; a plurality of silicon steel sheets fixed to the coil bracket and stacked; a circuit board electrically connected to the coil winding; and a rotor connected to the valve core to drive the valve core to move; wherein the electric valve further comprises a grounding assembly, and the circuit board is i electrically connected to the silicon steel sheets through the grounding assembly so that the silicon steel sheets can be grounded through the circuit board.

[0010] According to the solution, the circuit board is electrically connected to the silicon steel sheets through the grounding assembly, and the common-mode currents on the silicon steel sheets can be introduced into the circuit board, and then grounded from a grounding element on the circuit board, which greatly reduces the common-mode currents on the silicon steel sheets.

[0011] In some solutions, the grounding assembly may elastically abut against the silicon steel sheets.

[0012] According to the solution, in view of the structural characteristics of the silicon steel sheets, the grounding assembly and the silicon steel sheets are electrically connected by means of elastic abutment, and the electrical connection manner is simple to operate and relatively reliable.

[0013] In some solutions, the grounding assembly may elastically abut against circumferential edges of the silicon steel sheets.

[0014] In some solutions, the coil bracket may have a cylindrical main body portion and a connecting portion protruding radially along the main body portion; the coil winding and the silicon steel sheets are separately fixed to the main body portion; and the grounding assembly is fixed to the connecting portion.

[0015] In some solutions, the plurality of stacked silicon steel sheets and the coil bracket may be fixed by means of injection moulding.

[0016] In some solutions, the grounding assembly may comprise: a pin having a long strip shape, a first end of the pin being electrically connected to the circuit board; and a spring sheet having a long strip shape and elasticity, a first end of the spring sheet being electrically connected to a second end of the pin, and a second end of the spring sheet being electrically connected to the silicon steel sheets.

[0017] In some solutions, the spring sheet comprises: a spring sheet main body extending along a straight line, a first end of the spring sheet main body being electrically connected to the second end of the pin; a spring sheet bending portion extending from a second end of the spring sheet main body along a smooth curve bent towards the silicon steel sheets; and a spring sheet hook bent from a second end of the spring sheet bending portion in a direction opposite to the bending direction of the spring sheet bending portion to form a hook-shaped structure; wherein the spring sheet hook is inserted into the silicon steel sheets to contact and fix the silicon steel sheets.

[0018] According to the solution, the electrical connection operation between the grounding assembly and the silicon steel sheets is further simplified and more reliable by inserting the spring sheet hook into the silicon steel sheets.

[0019] In some solutions, the first end of the pin may be fixed to the coil bracket by means of injection moulding.

[0020] In some solutions, the second end of the pin may be welded together with the first end of the spring sheet.

[0021] In some solutions, a grounding element of the circuit board is grounded, and the grounding element is electrically connected to the silicon steel sheets through the grounding assembly.

[0022] In some solutions, the circuit board has an insertion hole, and the first end of the pin is inserted into the circuit board through the insertion hole, so that the first end of the pin is electrically connected to the circuit board.

[0023] In some solutions, the pin and / or the spring sheet are / is made of metal material.

[0024] In some solutions, the pin and / or the spring sheet are / is made of copper or aluminium.

[0025] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle thermal management system is provided. The vehicle thermal management system comprises the electric valve according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0026] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of an electric valve as a whole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a grounding part in FIG. 1 ;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a grounding assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a coil bracket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0031] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a silicon steel sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Reference numerals: 100 electric valve, 110 circuit board, 112 insertion hole, 120 coil bracket, 122 main body portion, 124 connecting portion, 130 coil winding, 140 silicon steel sheet, 142 circumferential edge, 150 grounding assembly, 152 pin, 154 spring sheet, 154- A spring sheet main body, 154-B spring sheet bending portion, 154-C spring sheet hook.

[0033] Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0034] To make the objective, technical solutions and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of specific embodiments of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, the terms used herein have common meanings in the art. In the drawings, identical reference numerals denote identical components.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of an electric valve 100 as a whole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric valve 100 mainly includes a motor assembly and a valve core (not shown). The motor assembly includes a circuit board 110, a coil bracket 120, a coil winding 130 and a plurality of silicon steel sheets 140. The coil winding 130 is wound on the coil bracket 120, the plurality of silicon steel sheets 140 are stacked and fixed to the coil bracket 120, and the circuit board 110 is electrically connected to the coil winding 130 and grounded. The motor assembly further includes a rotor (not shown) connected to the valve core. A driving signal is applied to the coil winding 130 through the circuit board 110 so that a magnetic field is generated around the silicon steel sheets 140, thereby causing the rotor to rotate, and further driving the valve core connected to the rotor to move, so as to achieve control of the valve core.

[0036] There may be parasitic capacitance between the silicon steel sheets 140 and the coil winding 130, resulting in common-mode currents on the silicon steel sheets 140. To eliminate the common-mode currents on the silicon steel sheets 140, the silicon steel sheets 140 are grounded. Specifically, the silicon steel sheets 140 are electrically connected to the circuit board 110 through the grounding assembly 150 (as shown in FIG. 2). Since the circuit board 110 is grounded, the electrical connection between the silicon steel sheets 140 and the circuit board 110 means that the silicon steel sheets 140 are grounded. The grounding of the silicon steel sheet 140 allows the common-mode currents on the silicon steel sheets 140 to be guided to the earth, so that the electric valve 100 is not adversely affected by the common-mode currents on the silicon steel sheets 140. In addition, in view of the structural characteristics of the silicon steel sheets 140, the grounding assembly 150 is electrically connected to the silicon steel sheets 140 by means of elastic abutment, and the electrical connection manner is simple to operate and relatively reliable. Preferably, the grounding assembly 150 may elastically abut against circumferential edges 142 of the silicon steel sheets 140 (as shown in FIG. 5).

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a grounding assembly 150 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The grounding assembly 150 may include a pin 152 and a spring sheet 154 which have a long strip shape, wherein a first end of the pin 152 is electrically connected to the circuit board 110, the spring sheet 154 has elasticity, a first end of the spring sheet 154 is electrically connected to a second end of the pin 152, and a second end of the spring sheet 154 is electrically connected to the silicon steel sheets 140.

[0038] Preferably, the spring sheet 154 includes a spring sheet main body 154- A, a spring sheet bending portion 154-B and a spring sheet hook 154-C, wherein the spring sheet main body 154- A extends in a straight line and its first end is electrically connected to the second end of the pin 152; the spring sheet bending portion 154-B extends from the second end of the spring sheet main body 154- A along a smooth curve bent towards the silicon steel sheets 140; and the spring sheet hook 154-C is bent in a direction opposite to the bending direction of the spring sheet bending portion 154-B (that is, if the spring sheet bending portion 154-B extends in a counterclockwise direction towards the silicon steel sheets 140, the spring sheet hook 154-C extends in a clockwise direction from the second end of the spring sheet bending portion 154-B; and if the spring sheet bending portion 154-B extends in a clockwise direction towards the silicon steel sheets 140, the spring sheet hook 154-C extends in a counterclockwise direction from the second end of the spring sheet bending portion 154-B) to form a hook-like structure. The spring sheet hook 154-C elastically abuts against the circumferential edges 142 of the silicon steel sheets 140.

[0039] Preferably, the first end of the pin 152 may be fixed to the coil bracket 120 by means of injection moulding. Preferably, the second end of the pin 152 may be welded together with the first end of the spring sheet 154. Preferably, the pin 152 and / or the spring sheet 154 are made of metal material (for example, copper, aluminium or the like).

[0040] Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, the coil bracket 120 may have a cylindrical main body portion 122 and a connecting portion 124 protruding radially along the main body portion 122. The coil winding 130 and the silicon steel sheets 140 are separately fixed to the main body portion 122, and the grounding assembly 150 is fixed to the connecting portion 124. Further, the plurality of stacked silicon steel sheets 140 may be fixed to the coil bracket 120 by means of injection moulding.

[0041] Preferably, a grounding element of the circuit board 110 is grounded, and the grounding element is electrically connected to the silicon steel sheets 140 through the grounding assembly. In other words, the silicon steel sheets 140 are directly electrically connected to the grounding element of the circuit board 110 through the grounding assembly 150, so that a better grounding effect can be obtained, and the performance of the electric valve 100 is further improved.

[0042] An assembly process of the motor assembly of the present disclosure is described as follows: first, the plurality of silicon steel sheets 140 are press- assembled into a silicon steel sheet assembly, and then the silicon steel sheet assembly, the coil bracket 120 and the pin 152 are injection-moulded together; the coil winding 130 is then wound on the coil bracket 120; next, the spring sheet 154 is attached to the silicon steel sheets 140, and then the above-mentioned assembly is hot-melted and assembled with a housing; and finally the circuit board 110 and the motor are assembled to the above-mentioned assembly. In this way, the silicon steel sheets 140 are grounded through the pin 152 and the spring sheet 154, so that the electric valve 100 is not adversely affected by the common-mode currents on the silicon steel sheets 140. Moreover, such a grounding manner occupies a small space (only the space occupied by the pin 152 and the spring sheet 154), and does not affect the normal arrangement and use of other components. In addition, the elastic abutment between the spring sheet 154 and the silicon steel sheets 140 and the injection moulding of the pin 152 and the coil bracket 120 make the grounding of the grounding assembly 150 more reliable. In addition, the assembly process of the elastic abutment between the spring sheet 154 and the silicon steel sheets 140 is particularly suitable for the laminated structure of the silicon steel sheets 140.

[0043] The electric valve 100 of the present disclosure can be used in a vehicle thermal management system, and the flow rate of a coolant in the thermal management system is adjusted by the electric valve 100 to control the heat dissipation and other heat-related performance of components in the vehicle.

[0044] A plurality of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variants can be made to the above-mentioned specific embodiments without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, and various technical features and structures proposed in the present disclosure can also be combined without exceeding the scope of protection of the present disclosure, the scope of protection of the present disclosure being determined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims1. Electric valve (100), characterized by comprising a motor assembly and a valve core, wherein the motor assembly comprises: a stator assembly, comprising: a coil bracket (120); a coil winding (130) wound on the coil bracket (120); a plurality of silicon steel sheets (140) fixed to the coil bracket (120) and stacked; a circuit board (110) electrically connected to the coil winding (130); and a rotor connected to the valve core to drive the valve core to move; wherein the electric valve (100) further comprises a grounding assembly (150), and the circuit board (110) is electrically connected to the silicon steel sheets (140) through the grounding assembly (150), so that the silicon steel sheets (140) can be grounded through the circuit board (110).

2. Electric valve (100) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the grounding assembly (150) elastically abuts against the silicon steel sheets (140).

3. Electric valve (100) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the grounding assembly (150) elastically abuts against circumferential edges (142) of the silicon steel sheets (140).

4. Electric valve (100) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the coil bracket (120) has a cylindrical main body portion (122) and a connecting portion (124) protruding radially along the main body portion (122); the coil winding (130) and the silicon steel sheets (140) are separately fixed to the main body portion (122); and the grounding assembly (150) is fixed to the connecting portion (124).

5. Electric valve (100) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of stacked silicon steel sheets (140) are fixed to the coil bracket (120) by means of injection moulding.

6. Electric valve (100) according to Claim 1, characterized in that thegrounding assembly (150) comprises: a pin (152) having a long strip shape, a first end of the pin (152) being electrically connected to the circuit board (110); and a spring sheet (154) having a long strip shape and elasticity, a first end of the spring sheet (154) being electrically connected to a second end of the pin (152), and a second end of the spring sheet (154) being electrically connected to the silicon steel sheet (140).

7. Electric valve (100) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the spring sheet (154) comprises: a spring sheet main body (154- A) extending along a straight line, a first end of the spring sheet main body (154- A) being electrically connected to the second end of the pin (152); a spring sheet bending portion (154-B) extending from a second end of the spring sheet main body (154- A) along a smooth curve bent towards the silicon steel sheet (140); and a spring sheet hook (154-C) bent from a second end of the spring sheet bending portion (154-B) in a direction opposite to a bending direction of the spring sheet bending portion (154-B) to form a hook-shaped structure; wherein the spring sheet hook (154-C) elastically abuts against the silicon steel sheet (140).

8. Electric valve (100) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the pin (152) is fixed to the coil bracket (120) by means of injection moulding.

9. Electric valve (100) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the pin (152) is welded to the spring sheet (154).

10. Electric valve (100) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the circuit board (110) has an insertion hole (112), and the first end of the pin (152) is inserted into the circuit board (110) through the insertion hole (112), so that the first end of the pin (152) is electrically connected to the circuit board (110).

11. Vehicle thermal management system, comprising the electric valve (100) according to any one of Claims 1 to 10.

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