Electrically operated valve and thermal management system

Abstract

An electrically operated valve, comprising an actuator and a valve body. The valve body faces the actuator in a first direction; the actuator comprises a first body portion and a first connecting member; the first connecting member is arranged on the side of the first body portion facing the valve body; the valve body comprises a second body portion and a second connecting member; the second connecting member is arranged on the side of the second body portion facing the actuator; the first connecting member and the second connecting member are matched and connected to connect the actuator and the valve body, and the first connecting member and the second connecting member at least partially overlap in the first direction.

Description

An electric valve and thermal management system Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric valve, and more particularly, to an electric valve driven by an actuator. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, when the actuator of an electric valve is large and the valve body of the electric valve is small, a mounting bracket is required that is fixedly connected to the actuator and the valve body to secure the actuator to the valve body. However, this connection method increases the space occupied by the electric valve.

[0003] Therefore, it is desirable to provide an electric valve capable of reducing the space occupied by the electric valve.

[0004] Public content

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an electric valve is proposed, comprising an actuator and a valve body; the valve body faces the actuator along a first direction; the actuator has a first main body and a first connecting member; the first connecting member is arranged on a side of the first main body facing the valve body; the valve body has a second main body and a second connecting member; the second connecting member is arranged on a side of the second main body facing the actuator; wherein the first connecting member is cooperatively connected with the second connecting member to connect the actuator to the valve body, and the first connecting member and the second connecting member at least partially overlap in the first direction.

[0006] According to this solution, the first connecting member and the second connecting member at least partially overlap in the first direction, so that the first connecting member and the second connecting member are fixedly connected by cooperation in the second direction, thereby avoiding unnecessary increase in the size of the electric valve in the second direction caused by the connecting members.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first connecting member and the second connecting member may be respectively provided with a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion at least partially overlap in the first direction, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are respectively provided with a first connecting hole and a second connecting hole, and the line between the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0008] According to this solution, the first connecting member and the second connecting member are fixedly connected by the cooperation related to the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first connector may have a cylindrical first body extending along a first direction, having an opening at one end facing the second connector, the first connecting portion being arranged on the side wall of the first body, and the first connector being arranged radially outside the second connector.

[0010] According to this solution, the first connecting member can be installed to the second connecting member by sleeve-arranging the first connecting member on the outside of the second connecting member, and then the first connecting member and the second connecting member are fixedly connected by other means. This installation method is easy to operate.

[0011] In some aspects, the second connector may have a second body at a center of the second connector, with the second connection portion protruding radially outward from the second body.

[0012] In some aspects, the first body and the second body may have a cylindrical shape, and an axis of the first body is aligned with an axis of the second body.

[0013] According to this solution, the axis of the first body is aligned with the axis of the second body, so that the operation of mounting the first connecting member on the second connecting member is simplified.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first connecting member may be provided with three first connecting portions, and the second connecting member may be provided with three second connecting portions corresponding to the first connecting portions, and the three first connecting portions are arranged at intervals around the first body.

[0015] In some solutions, the first connecting member and the second connecting member can be fixedly connected by screws passing through the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first connecting member may be provided with a buckle, which is inserted into the second connecting hole to fixedly connect the first connecting member to the second connecting member.

[0017] In some embodiments, a reinforcing rib may be provided between the first connecting member and the first main body portion of the actuator.

[0018] According to this solution, the connection strength between the first connecting member and the actuator can be enhanced by the reinforcing ribs.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a thermal management system is provided, comprising the electric valve according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of an electric valve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of an electric valve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of another portion of the electric valve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure markings: 100 electric valve, 110 first main body, 120 second main body, 130 first connecting piece, 132 first body, 134 first connecting part, 136 first connecting hole, 138 opening, 140 second connecting piece, 142 second body, 144 second connecting part, 146 second connecting hole, 150 reinforcing rib, 160 screw, A first direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, scheme and advantages of the technical solution of the present disclosure more clear, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the specific embodiments of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, the terms used herein have the common meanings in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same components.

[0025] For clarity, unless otherwise specified, the meanings of directional terms used in this document are as follows: a first direction refers to the direction from the actuator toward the valve body, and a second direction refers to a direction perpendicular to the first direction. The actuator is integrally assembled with the valve body along the first direction.

[0026] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of an electric valve 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric valve 100 primarily includes an actuator and a valve body facing the actuator in a first direction A. The actuator has a first main body 110, and the valve body has a second main body 120. The actuator controls the movement of the valve body via an output shaft (not shown) coupled to the valve body, thereby controlling the operating state of the electric valve 100. The actuator of the present disclosure may be a motor, but the present disclosure is not intended to limit the type of actuator; the actuator may also be any other suitable device having a driving function.

[0027] In the prior art, in order to securely connect the actuator to the valve body, specialized mounting brackets, each securely connected to the actuator and the valve body, are required. Screws are inserted through mounting holes in the mounting brackets extending along a first direction A to securely connect the actuator to the valve body. Because the mounting brackets require mounting holes in the first direction, the presence of the mounting brackets inevitably increases the overall dimensions of the electric valve 100 (particularly the dimensions in the second direction), hindering the use of the electric valve 100. Specifically, in one embodiment, the first direction A may be the direction of the rotational axis of the valve core of the electric valve. In another embodiment, the first direction A may be the direction of the rotational axis of the actuator's rotor and / or output shaft.

[0028] To improve the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a first connecting member 130 and a second connecting member 140 are respectively provided on the first main body 110 of the actuator and the second main body 120 of the valve body. The first connecting member 130 and the second connecting member 140 cooperate to connect to fix the actuator to the valve body. More importantly, the first connecting member 130 and the second connecting member 140 at least partially overlap in the first direction A. Since the first connecting member 130 and the second connecting member 140 at least partially overlap in the first direction A, the first connecting member 130 and the second connecting member 140 can be fixedly connected by cooperation in the second direction, rather than by cooperation in the first direction A as in the prior art. This can avoid unnecessary increase in the size of the electric valve 100 in the second direction caused by the connecting members 130 and 140.

[0029] Optionally, the first connecting member 130 and the second connecting member 140 may each be provided with a first connecting portion 134 and a second connecting portion 144, wherein the first connecting portion 134 and the second connecting portion 144 at least partially overlap in the first direction A. The first connecting portion 134 and the second connecting portion 144 may each be provided with a first connecting hole 136 and a second connecting hole 146, respectively, wherein the line connecting the first connecting hole 136 and the second connecting hole 146 is perpendicular to the first direction A. The mating connection between the first connecting portion 134 and the second connecting portion 144 enables the connection between the first connecting member 130 and the second connecting member 140, thereby achieving a fixed connection between the actuator and the valve body. The first connecting hole 136 and the second connecting hole 146 can be used for connection with screws 160, i.e., the screws 160 pass through the first connecting hole 136 and the second connecting hole 146 to securely connect the first connecting portion 134 and the second connecting hole 144. Alternatively, the first connecting member 130 may also be provided with a buckle, which is inserted into the second connecting hole 146 to securely connect the first connecting portion 134 to the second connecting portion 144. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not intended to limit the specific connection method between the first connecting portion 134 and the second connecting portion 144, and any other suitable connection method may be used to secure the first connecting portion 134 to the second connecting portion 144.

[0030] Preferably, the first connector 130 may include a first body 132 having a cylindrical shape and extending along the first direction A. The first body 132 may have an opening 138 at one end facing the second connector 140. The first connecting portion 134 may be disposed on a sidewall of the first body 132, and the first connector 130 may be disposed radially outward of the second connector 140. Thus, the first connector 130 may be mounted to the second connector 140 by sleeved thereon, and then the first connector 130 and the second connector 140 may be fixedly connected by other means. This mounting method is easy to operate.

[0031] Preferably, the second connector 140 may include a second body 142 at the center of the second connector 140, with a second connecting portion 144 protruding radially outward from the second body 142. The first body 132 and the second body 142 may have a cylindrical shape, with the axis of the first body 132 aligned with the axis of the second body 142. In this way, by aligning the axis of the first body 132 with the axis of the second body 142, the operation of mounting the first connector 130 to the second connector 140 is simplified.

[0032] Alternatively, the first connecting member 130 may be provided with three first connecting portions 134, and the second connecting member 140 may be provided with three second connecting portions 144 corresponding to the first connecting portions 134, with the three first connecting portions 134 spaced apart around the first body 132. In this manner, the first connecting portion 134 can be secured to the second connecting portion 144 by three screws 160 passing through the three corresponding first and second connecting holes. Increasing the number of securing components helps improve the stability of the fixed connection between the actuator and the valve body. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not intended to limit the number of first and second connecting portions 134, 144; two, four, or any other suitable number of first and second connecting portions 134, 144 may also be employed.

[0033] Preferably, a reinforcing rib 150 may be provided between the first connecting member 130 and the first main body portion 110 of the actuator, and the reinforcing rib 150 can enhance the connection strength between the first connecting member 130 and the first main body portion 110 of the actuator.

[0034] In the embodiment disclosed in Figure 3, the second connection parts 144 are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral wall of the second body. The number of second connection parts can be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. Through such an arrangement, the radial orientation of the actuator can be adjusted as needed. The number of first connection parts can be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc., and does not have to be consistent with the number of second connection parts. When installed on the thermal management integrated module, it can be adjusted as needed, with high installation flexibility. It can be understood that the more the number of connection parts, the more adjustable options. Of course, in order to achieve the above-mentioned adjustment function, the second connection parts 144 can also be unevenly arranged. In this case, the number of first connection parts only needs to be one, that is, one screw is installed.

[0035] Furthermore, the electric valve 100 of the present disclosure may be used in a system employing the electric valve 100 , such as a thermal management system.

[0036] This document describes in detail several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to preferred embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the above-mentioned specific embodiments without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, and that the various technical features and structures proposed in the present disclosure may be combined without exceeding the scope of protection of the present disclosure, which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electric valve (100) includes an actuator and a valve body; the valve body faces the actuator along a first direction (A); characterized in that, the actuator has a first main body portion (110) and a first connecting member (130); the first connecting member (130) is disposed on a side of the first main body portion (110) facing the valve body; the valve body has a second main body portion (120) and a second connecting member (140); the second connecting member (140) is disposed on a side of the second main body portion (120) facing the actuator; wherein, the first connecting member (130) is cooperatively connected with the second connecting member (140) to connect the actuator and the valve body, and the first connecting member (130) and the second connecting member (140) at least partially overlap in the first direction (A).

2. The electric valve (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first connecting portion (134) and a second connecting portion (144) are respectively provided on the first connecting member (130) and the second connecting member (140), the first connecting portion (134) and the second connecting portion (144) at least partially overlap in the first direction (A), and a first connecting hole (136) and a second connecting hole (146) are respectively provided on the first connecting portion (134) and the second connecting portion (144).

3. The electric valve (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, A line connecting the first connecting hole (136) and the second connecting hole (146) is perpendicular to the first direction (A).

4. The electric valve (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first connecting member (130) has a cylindrical first main body (132), the first main body (132) extends along the first direction (A), an opening (138) is provided at one end of the first main body (132) facing the second connecting member (140), the first connecting portion (134) is disposed on a side wall of the first main body (132), and the first connecting member (130) is disposed outside the second connecting member (140) in a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction (A).

5. The electric valve (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second connecting member (140) has a second main body (142), the second main body (142) is at the center of the second connecting member (140), and the second connecting portion (144) protrudes radially outward from the second main body (142).

6. The electric valve (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first main body (132) and the second main body (142) have a cylindrical shape, and an axis of the first main body (132) is aligned with an axis of the second main body (142).

7. The electric valve (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that, Three first connecting portions (134) are provided on the first connecting member (130), three second connecting portions (144) corresponding to the first connecting portions (134) are provided on the second connecting member (140), and the three first connecting portions (134) are arranged at intervals around the first main body (132).

8. The electric valve (100) according to claim 7, wherein, The first connecting member (130) and the second connecting member (140) are fixedly connected by a screw (160) passing through the first connecting hole (136) and the second connecting hole (146).

9. The electric valve (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first connecting member (130) is provided with a buckle, and the buckle is inserted into the second connecting hole (146) to fixedly connect the first connecting member (130) and the second connecting member (140).

10. The electric valve (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, A reinforcing rib (150) is provided between the first connecting member (130) and the first main body portion (110).

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

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