Expansion tank and refrigeration system

Abstract

An expansion tank (100) and a refrigeration system (200). The expansion tank (100) comprises a tank body (10), a balloon (20) and a flange assembly (30), wherein the balloon (20) is mounted in the tank body (10), a cavity (21) is constructed inside the balloon (20), the balloon (20) and the tank body (10) are coaxially arranged, the balloon (20) has an inner side close to an axial direction and an outer side away from the axial direction, the balloon (20) is provided with a neck (22), a side wall of the balloon (20) that forms the neck (22) is bent towards a radial outer side to form a first flange (23), and a rib (231) protrudes from a side surface of the first flange (23) away from the cavity (21); and the flange assembly (30) is connected to the first flange (23), and the rib (231) abuts against the flange assembly (30) in an interference fit manner.

Description

Expansion tank and refrigeration system

[0001] Related applications

[0002] The present application claims priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 202422219237.0, filed on September 10, 2024, and entitled “Expansion tank”, No. 202521051398.1, filed on May 26, 2025, and entitled “Expansion tank and refrigeration system”, No. 202520102254.8, filed on January 15, 2025, and entitled “Charging valve and expansion tank”, No. 202421729583.7, filed on July 19, 2024, and entitled “Protective structure and expansion tank”, and No. 202422185442.X, filed on September 5, 2024, and entitled “Expansion tank connecting structure and expansion tank”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of refrigeration systems, in particular to an expansion tank and a refrigeration system. BACKGROUND

[0004] The expansion tank generally comprises a tank body and a balloon, the balloon is arranged in the tank body, and there is gas (such as nitrogen) between the balloon and the tank body. When the water with pressure from outside enters the balloon of the expansion tank, the gas between the balloon and the tank body is compressed, and the volume of the compressed gas decreases and the pressure increases until the pressure of the gas and the pressure of the water reach a balance. When the water flow pressure decreases, the gas pressure is greater than the water pressure, at which time the gas generates pressure to squeeze the water in the balloon and flow to the outside pipeline.

[0005] The balloon generally has a port extending out of the tank body, and a flange is arranged at the port. The sealing structure in the related art forms a seal by extruding the axial two sides of the flange from the upper and lower flanges, but the sealing performance is insufficient and leakage still occurs. SUMMARY

[0006] Based on this, the present application provides an expansion tank and a refrigeration system.

[0007] An expansion tank comprises a tank body, a balloon and a flange assembly. The balloon is installed in the tank body, the balloon is internally structured with a balloon cavity, the balloon is coaxially arranged with the tank body, and the balloon has an inner side close to the axial direction and an outer side away from the axial direction. The balloon has a balloon port, the side wall of the balloon forming the balloon port is bent towards the radial outer side to form a first flange, and the side of the first flange away from the balloon cavity is provided with a protruding rib. The flange assembly is connected with the first flange, and the protruding rib is in interference abutment with the flange assembly.

[0008] The present application also provides a refrigeration system comprising the expansion tank.

[0009] The details of one or more embodiments of the application are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the application will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] To better describe and describe the embodiments and / or examples of the inventions disclosed herein, reference can be made to one or more drawings. Additional details or examples used to describe the drawings should not be considered as limiting the scope of any of the disclosed inventions, the presently described embodiments and / or examples, and the best mode presently understood of these inventions.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a structural cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the expansion tank provided by the present application.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic view of a balloon of one embodiment of the expansion tank provided by the present application.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic view of a first flange of one embodiment of the expansion tank provided by the present application.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a structural schematic view of one embodiment of the expansion tank provided by the present application.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of A in FIG. 4.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a structural schematic view of one embodiment of the expansion tank provided by the present application.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion tank in FIG. 6.

[0018] FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of position B in FIG. 7.

[0019] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional enlarged view of FIG. 8 in another perspective.

[0020] FIG. 10 is a structural schematic view of one embodiment of the protective shell provided by the present application.

[0021] FIG. 11 is a structural schematic view of the protective shell in FIG. 10 in another perspective.

[0022] FIG. 12 is a front view of the protective shell in FIG. 10.

[0023] FIG. 13 is a structural schematic view of one embodiment of the protective shell provided by the present application.

[0024] FIG. 14 is a structural schematic view of a cover in the protective shell in FIG. 13.

[0025] Fig. 15 is a structural schematic diagram of a valve cap of the protective shell in Fig. 13.

[0026] Fig. 16 is a structural schematic diagram of one of the embodiments of the protective shell provided in the present application.

[0027] Fig. 17 is a structural schematic diagram of one of the embodiments of the connecting structure of the expansion tank in the present application.

[0028] Fig. 18 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part C in Fig. 17.

[0029] Fig. 19 is a structural schematic diagram of the connecting structure in Fig. 1 before connection.

[0030] Fig. 20 is a structural schematic diagram of one of the embodiments of the connecting structure of the expansion tank in the present application.

[0031] Fig. 21 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part D in Fig. 19.

[0032] Fig. 22 is a structural schematic diagram of one of the embodiments of the connecting structure of the expansion tank in the present application.

[0033] Fig. 23 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration system in one of the embodiments of the present application.

[0034] The meanings of the symbols in the figures are as follows:

[0035] 100, expansion tank; 10, tank body; 101, chamber; 102, positioning protrusion; 103, positioning recess; 104, inclined portion; 105, vertical portion; 106, U-shaped portion; 11, through hole; 12, second flange; 13, first tank body; 14, second tank body; 15, air inlet; 16, connecting structure; 19, first limiting structure; 111, assembly portion; 112, annular protrusion; 131, first tank body butt joint portion; 141, second tank body butt joint portion; 132, first tank body bending portion; 142, second tank body bending portion; 20, balloon; 21, balloon cavity; 22, balloon opening; 221, inclined surface; 23, first flange; 231, protruding rib; 30, flange assembly; 31, first flange; 310, boss; 311, first boss; 3111, abutting surface; 312, third flange; 3121, drainage opening; 313, second boss; 314, connecting hole; 32, second flange; 40, inflation valve; 401, annular sealing area; 41, valve seat; 411, first fitting section; 412, transition section; 4121, first annular stop surface; 4121', first annular stop step; 413, second fitting section; 4131, second limiting structure; 42, valve cover; 421, adapter cylinder section; 422, annular abutting section; 4221, abutting sharp corner; 423, limiting section; 4201, second annular stop step; 4201', second annular stop surface; 43, valve needle assembly; 4301, valve port; 4302, gas injection port; 431, valve shell; 432, valve needle body; 433, obturator; 44, second annular sealing member; 50, protective shell; 51, cover body; 511, top surface; 512, bottom surface; 5121, accommodating cavity; 513, reinforcing rib; 5131, first side edge; 5132, second side edge; 5133, third side edge; 514, recessed portion; 515, connecting portion; 5151, anti-rotation fitting portion; 5152, accommodating groove; 52, valve cap; 521, internal thread; 522, anti-rotation portion; 200, refrigeration system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present application more apparent, specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be practiced in a number of different ways beyond the specific embodiments described herein and by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present application, and therefore the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0037] It is to be understood that where the terms specific, "fixed", or "set" are used herein with reference to one element being associated with another element, it can be directly secured or attached to the other element or intervening elements can also be present. As used herein, the terms "connected" and "coupled" and the like can mean the element is directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements can also be present. As used herein, the term "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "left", "right", and the like shall refer to the orientation as then typically understood and are not to be construed as limiting elevations based on a single embodiment.

[0038] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used herein only to describe various conditions, and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or a quantity of indicated features. Thus, the features with "first", "second", etc. can include at least one of the features, explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality" is at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited.

[0039] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the "on", "under", "above", and "over" of the first feature to the second feature can be that the first feature is directly in contact with the second feature, or the first feature is indirectly in contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the "on", "above", and "over" of the first feature to the second feature can be that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or only indicates that the first feature is horizontally higher than the second feature. The "under", "below", and "under" of the first feature to the second feature can be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or only indicates that the first feature is horizontally lower than the second feature.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present application are the same as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms used in the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application. The term "and / or" used in the present application includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0041] The present application provides an inflation tank 100, comprising a balloon 20 and a tank body 10, the convex rib 231 protruding at the balloon mouth 22 of the balloon 20 is in interference fit with the flange assembly 30, so as to improve the sealing performance of the balloon 20 and the flange assembly 30.

[0042] It needs to be explained that the working principle of the expansion tank 100 is that a gas is arranged between the tank body 10 and the balloon 20, when the water with pressure enters the balloon 20 in the expansion tank 100, the gas between the balloon 20 and the tank body 10 is compressed, the volume of the compressed gas is smaller and the pressure is higher, until the gas pressure and the water pressure reach the same, stop the water. When the water flow pressure decreases, the gas pressure is greater than the water pressure, at this time the gas expands and the water in the balloon 20 is squeezed out and flows to the external pipeline.

[0043] Please refer to FIG. 1-3, the expansion tank 100 provided by the application includes a tank body 10, a balloon 20 and a flange assembly 30, the balloon 20 is installed in the tank body 10, the balloon 20 is internally structured with a balloon cavity 21, the balloon 20 is coaxially arranged with the tank body 10 and the balloon 20 has an inner side close to the axis direction and an outer side away from the axis direction, the balloon 20 has a balloon port 22, the side wall of the balloon 20 forming the balloon port 22 is folded towards the radial outer side to form a first flange 23, the first flange 23 is provided with a convex rib 231 at one end away from the balloon cavity 21, the flange assembly 30 is connected with the first flange 23, and the convex rib 231 is in interference abutment with the flange assembly 30.

[0044] In this way, after the convex rib 231 is in interference abutment with the flange assembly 30, the convex rib 231 deforms to realize the effect of a sealing ring, can fill the gap between the flange assembly 30 and the first flange 23, thereby improving the airtightness between the flange assembly 30 and the first flange 23, to prevent the problem of medium leakage.

[0045] In an embodiment, the convex rib 231 is made of soft material, such as rubber, so that a greater deformation is generated to fill the gap in interference fit to improve the sealing performance.

[0046] Further, the convex rib 231 is arranged along the circumference of the first flange 23 and forms a ring-shaped convex structure. The ring-shaped convex structure can make the convex rib 231 form a circumferential abutment effect with the flange assembly 30, so as to ensure that there is a sealing structure and a stop structure between the convex rib 231 and the flange assembly 30 in all directions, so as to optimize the sealing effect.

[0047] It can be understood that in other embodiments, the convex rib 231 can not be arranged in a complete ring shape circumferentially, but can be arranged separately at positions and angles with high risk of leakage, so as to save materials, and the convex rib 231 has more deformation space.

[0048] The tank body 10 is provided with a through hole 11, and the balloon 20 has one end of a balloon port 22 extending out of the through hole 11. The edge of the tank body 10 forming the through hole 11 is bent towards the radial outside to form a second flange 12. The second flange 12 abuts against the side of the first flange 23 away from the convex rib 231. In this way, the second flange 12 and the first flange 23 increase the connection area, improve the contact area between the tank body 10 port and the balloon 20 port, and thus improve the connection sealing performance.

[0049] Further, the flange assembly 30 includes a first flange 31 and a second flange 32. The first flange 31 abuts against the side of the first flange 23 away from the tank body 10 and is in interference fit with the convex rib 231. The second flange 32 abuts against the side of the second flange 12 away from the first flange 23. The first flange 31 and the second flange 32 are connected by a plurality of connecting members (not shown in the figure). In the embodiment, the connecting members can be bolts, and in other embodiments, pins, screws, etc. can also be used.

[0050] The side of the tank body 10 provided with the through hole 11 is defined as the lower side, and the side of the tank body 10 away from the through hole 11 is defined as the upper side. Therefore, the first flange 31 and the second flange 32 abut against the upper side of the second flange 12 and the lower side of the first flange 23, respectively, providing compression force from the top and bottom directions to ensure the connection strength of the flange assembly 30 with the balloon 20 and the tank body 10. Moreover, since the second flange 32 is compressed against the second flange 12, that is, the second flange 32 is compressed against the tank body 10, compared with the related art in which the second flange is usually compressed against the first flange (i.e. the balloon), the structural strength of the tank body 10 is much greater than that of the balloon 20. Therefore, although the second flange 32 and the tank body 10 are likely to form a line contact with a large pressure during the compression process due to the 90° angle between them, the tank body 10 can still ensure the durability and structural strength, avoiding damage to the balloon 20 caused by the compression of the second flange 32 against the balloon 20.

[0051] In other embodiments, a groove (not shown in the figure) can also be provided on the first flange 31. The groove is arranged corresponding to the convex rib 231, and the groove width along the radial direction of the first flange 31 is smaller than the thickness of the convex rib 231, that is, the groove and the convex rib 231 are still in interference fit, to further improve the sealing effect.

[0052] The side of the first flange 31 facing the second flange 32 is provided with a plurality of bosses 310. The bosses 310 protrude towards the second flange 32, and at least one boss 310 abuts against the first flange 23. In this way, in addition to the abutment of the convex rib 231 and the first flange 31, the abutment structure of the above-mentioned bosses 310 and the first flange 23 can also increase the sealing effect.

[0053] Further, the at least part of the boss 310 is arranged along the radial direction to form a first boss 311 close to the inner side and a second boss 313 close to the outer side. In this way, a recess region is naturally formed between the first boss 311 and the second boss 313, which can accommodate the first flange 23, so that the flange assembly 30 is more closely matched with the balloon 20. In addition, the first boss 311 and the second boss 313 can also improve the torsional strength of the first flange 31.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the first flange 23 forms a face-to-face contact abutting effect with the first boss 311. In other embodiments, the first flange 23 can also abut against the first boss 311 and the second boss 313 at the same time to further improve the sealing effect.

[0055] Further, the first boss 311 is arranged along the circumference of the inner edge of the balloon mouth 22 to form an annular structure and abut against the inner edge of the balloon mouth 22; the second boss 313 is a plurality of bosses and is uniformly spaced along the axial direction of the first flange 31 and arranged around the first flange 31. Along the radial direction of the first flange 31, the second boss 313 is spaced apart from the outer circumferential side of the first flange 23 by a predetermined distance, and the predetermined distance is less than the deformation amount of the first flange 23 towards the radial outer side. In this way, the annular first boss 311 and the first flange 23 can form a circumferential abutting sealing effect, increase the contact area of the first boss 311 and the first flange 23, and further improve the sealing performance. Since the material of the balloon 20 is relatively soft, the first flange 23 of the balloon 20 will elastically deform during the abutting process with the first flange 31, which includes inward deformation and outward deformation along the radial direction. The deformation direction of the first flange 23 towards the radial inner side will tend to be towards the radial outer side due to the abutting of the first boss 311, and the predetermined distance provides a space for deformation and makes the first flange 23 abut against the second boss 313 after deformation to improve the sealing effect.

[0056] After the plurality of second bosses 313 are arranged at intervals, there is a space for processing and assembly between two adjacent second bosses 313. In the present embodiment, a connecting hole 314 is formed between every two adjacent second bosses 313, and a connecting member is arranged in the connecting hole 314 and connected to the first flange 31 and the second flange 32 at both ends, thereby reinforcing the connection between the first flange 31 and the second flange 32 and improving the overall structural strength of the flange assembly 30.

[0057] Specifically, the edge of the capsule mouth 22 is configured with an inclined surface 221, the first boss 311 is provided with an abutting surface 3111 on the circumferential outer side close to the second boss 313, the abutting surface 3111 is arranged correspondingly inclined to the inclined surface 221, and the inclined surface 221 abuts against the abutting surface 3111. In this way, the abutment between the first flange 23 and the first boss 311 is more close, and the mutual movement trend of the two can make the abutting surface 3111 and the inclined surface 221 more close, and the sealing performance is better. The "correspondingly inclined arrangement" means that the inclination of the abutting surface 3111 relative to the axis of the tank 10 is the same as the inclination of the inclined surface 221 relative to the axis of the tank 10.

[0058] The first flange 31 is bent towards the second flange 32 in the axial direction and forms a third flange 312, and the third flange 312 abuts against the second flange 32. In this way, the abutment between the third flange 312 and the second flange 32 fixes the spacing distance between the first flange 31 and the second flange 32, facilitates assembly, and when fixed by the connecting piece, the stress on the first flange 31 and the second flange 32 is uniform, and operation is facilitated.

[0059] Further, the third flange 312 is provided with a drainage port 3121, and the drainage port 3121 penetrates the third flange 312. In this way, considering that in the actual installation of the expansion tank 100, the third flange 312 is arranged upwards (i.e., the expansion tank 100 is placed according to FIG. 1), therefore, the third flange 312 arranged on the first flange 31 is easy to store water, and if the water is stored for a long time, it is easy to cause the flange assembly 30 to rust, affecting its durability, therefore, the addition of the drainage port can greatly reduce the risk of rust and prolong the service life of the expansion tank 100.

[0060] Compared with the related art, the present application adds a rib 231 to the first flange 31 at the capsule mouth 22 of the balloon 20, so that the rib 231 abuts against the first flange 31 to achieve an effect similar to that of a sealing ring, which can improve the connection sealing performance between the balloon 20 and the flange assembly 30, thereby avoiding the problem of medium leakage. And the first flange 31 and the second flange 32 abut against the first flange 23 of the balloon 20 and the second flange 12 of the tank 10 respectively, and when the second flange 32 is pressed towards the first flange 31, the stress generated will act on the tank 10 which has high structural strength, thereby avoiding damage to the balloon 20 and prolonging the service life of the expansion tank 100.

[0061] Further, the expansion tank is the core component of pressure buffering in the refrigeration system, and its sealing performance directly determines the long-term stability and safety of the system. The traditional expansion tank installs a valve needle assembly structure at the top of the cylinder body, and the body seal between the cylinder body and the valve needle assembly structure is usually a rubber seal ring or an O-ring compression structure, which fills the gap between the valve needle assembly structure and the gas inlet on the cylinder body through elastic deformation to achieve sealing. However, there is still a small gap in the sealing connection by the seal ring, and the pre-charged gas in the expansion tank still leaks very slowly, which requires the pre-charged gas in the expansion tank to be replenished every year; under low temperature conditions, the seal ring and the O-ring may also deform, which can easily lead to sealing failure; after the above sealing failure, the pre-charged gas in the expansion tank will leak, and the pre-charged gas leakage will cause the product performance to fail.

[0062] Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides an expansion tank 100, which further comprises a charging valve 40 connected with the tank body 10 by a welding process. Compared with the sealing method of the seal ring, the welding connection can avoid failure caused by vibration, temperature change, cold and hot impact, etc.; and the welding is connected through the mutual penetration of materials, and the connection effect is more firm and reliable.

[0063] Exemplarily, referring to FIGS. 4-5, an expansion tank 100 further comprises a charging valve 40, the tank body 10 has a cavity 101, and the tank body 10 is provided with an assembly part 111 at the top, the assembly part 111 is provided with a gas inlet 15 communicating with the cavity 101; the charging valve 40 comprises a valve seat 41 and a valve needle assembly 43, and a welding structure is arranged between the valve seat 41 and the assembly part 111, and the valve seat 41 and the assembly part 111 are sealingly connected through the welding structure; wherein the valve needle assembly 43 is movable in the valve seat 41 to open or block the gas inlet 15, so as to change the communication state or isolation state between the cavity 101 and the outside of the tank body 10.

[0064] In this way, the gas is charged into the cavity 101 through the charging valve 40 to complete the pre-charging process. The welding structure is formed by a welding process, and the solder melts to form the welding structure. The welding makes the sealing between the charging valve 40 and the top of the tank body 10 better. In addition, as described above, the welding is connected through the gap between the structures, so that the connection strength of the charging valve 40 and the tank body 10 is higher, and the ability to withstand vibration and temperature change during the working process of the expansion tank 100 is also stronger.

[0065] In the embodiment, the welding structure is formed by a high-frequency welding process, and in other embodiments, the high-frequency welding process can be replaced by laser welding. The welding sealing method can avoid internal gas leakage, which is quite different from the traditional expansion tank 100 using a soft sealing structure. The expansion tank 100 provided in the embodiment has a helium leakage rate of less than 4*10(-9) Pa*m3 / S at low temperature. High-frequency welding generates a skin effect at the welding interface through high-frequency induction current, and only the contact area between the filling valve 40 and the gas inlet 15 is rapidly heated, avoiding thermal damage to the internal diaphragm or balloon of the expansion tank 100.

[0066] Further, the top of the tank body 10 is inwardly recessed to form an assembly portion 111, the gas inlet 15 is formed at the bottom of the assembly portion 111, and the welding structure is formed on the side of the assembly portion 111 away from the chamber 101, and the valve seat 41 abuts against the welding structure. In this way, the assembly portion 111 can facilitate the penetration of solder into the gap between the two, and also can increase the actual welding area between the two, thereby improving the sealing and fixing effect.

[0067] Of course, in other embodiments, the assembly portion 111 can not be provided, and the gas inlet 15 is directly formed by the tank body 10 in a circular arc shape.

[0068] Further, the hole wall edge of the gas inlet 15 is bent away from the chamber 101 and forms an annular protrusion 112, and along the axis of the tank body 10, the end surface of the annular protrusion 112 away from the chamber 101 is higher than the top of the tank body 10. In this way, the annular protrusion 112 can stop the flow of solder, preventing the solder from flowing from the gas inlet 15 to the inside of the chamber 101, thereby affecting the use of the expansion tank 100. It should be explained that the top of the tank body 10 refers to the end of the tank body 10 closest to the filling valve 40 along the axial direction of the tank body 10, that is, the upper side of the tank body 10.

[0069] For example, at least part of the cross section of the assembly portion 111 is arc-shaped, trapezoidal or stepped. In this way, the flow of solder can be promoted, and the installation and abutment of the filling valve 40 can be facilitated.

[0070] Along the axis of the tank body 10, the depth of the assembly portion 111 is 0.5mm-2mm, and along the radial direction of the tank body 10, the width of the assembly portion 111 is 1mm-3mm. In this way, it can not only prevent the depth of the assembly portion 111 from being too shallow to guide the flow of solder, but also avoid the problem that the assembly portion 111 is too deep, causing the tank body 10 to be difficult to process and affecting the structural strength of the tank body 10. Similarly, by setting the width of the assembly portion 111 within a reasonable range, the technical effect is guaranteed while reducing the impact of the assembly portion 111 on the processing and structural strength of the tank body 10.

[0071] Exemplarily, the depth of the assembly portion 111 can be set to 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.7 mm, etc., and the width of the assembly portion 111 can be set to 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.4 mm, etc., without being limited to the end point values described above.

[0072] In the present embodiment, the tank body 10, the air inlet 15 and the assembly portion 111 are coaxially arranged. In this way, the integrity of the expansion tank 100 is better.

[0073] Further, the tank body 10 includes a first tank body 13 and a second tank body 14, which are oppositely arranged and are sealingly welded to form the tank body 10, and the balloon 20 is located in a cavity 101 formed by the first tank body 13 and the second tank body 14 and communicates with the external medium. Through the split composite structure of the first tank body 13 and the second tank body 14, separate processing is performed to reduce the process difficulty. When the liquid in the system is heated and expanded or the pressure rises, the excess liquid is pressed into the expansion tank 100, compressing the pre-charged gas (such as nitrogen) in the tank or extruding the balloon 20, and the gas or the balloon 20 shrinks to absorb the volume change, thereby buffering the pressure rise; when the system pressure drops, the compressed gas or balloon 20 expands, pushing the stored liquid back into the system, maintaining stable pressure. This process dynamically balances the system pressure through the balloon 20, preventing damage to the pipeline or equipment due to pressure fluctuations.

[0074] In an embodiment, the filling valve 40 further includes a valve cover 42, which is threadedly connected with the valve seat 41 and covers and seals one end of the valve seat 41 away from the tank body 10. In this way, the valve cover 42 can protect the filling valve 40 from the external environment and prolong its service life.

[0075] It can be understood that in other embodiments, the valve cover 42 can also be fixed by being connected with the tank body 10 to protect the internal valve seat 41 and valve needle assembly 43, or connected in an interference fit, clamping or other ways, without being limited to the threaded fit described above.

[0076] In some expansion tanks, when the filling valve with a valve cover is not in use, the valve cover is generally buckled on the side of the valve seat away from the tank body to block the valve seat. However, the filling valve in the related art is usually single-sealed, and the valve cover can only play a role in stopping the gas and cannot play an auxiliary sealing role. If the sealing of the filling valve itself fails, the leaked gas will still leak out from the gap between the valve cover and the valve seat, eventually leading to damage or failure of the expansion tank.

[0077] Therefore, referring further to FIGS. 6-9, the present application also provides that the top of the tank body 10 of the expansion tank 100 in some embodiments is provided with an air inlet 15, and the expansion tank 100 further includes a filling valve 40 installed at and communicated with the air inlet 15 for injecting gas into the tank body 10.

[0078] The filling valve 40 comprises a valve seat 41, a valve cover 42 and a valve needle assembly 43, the valve seat 41 is sealingly connected to the tank body 10, and the valve needle assembly 43 is movably installed in the valve seat 41 to open or block the air inlet 15.

[0079] Specifically, the valve needle assembly 43 is arranged in the valve seat 41 and has an openable and closable valve port 4301, and the outer periphery of the valve needle assembly 43 is sealingly matched with the inner wall of the cavity of the valve seat 41; the valve cover 42 is detachably buckled at one end of the valve seat 41, and in the case that the valve cover 42 is installed on the valve seat 41, the inner wall of the cavity of the valve cover 42 is sealingly matched with the outer periphery of the valve seat 41.

[0080] In the embodiment, when the filling valve 40 of the expansion tank 100 is not used, the valve cover 42 is installed on the valve seat 41, and the filling valve 40 is prevented from leaking gas through the double sealing of the valve seat 41, the valve needle assembly 43 and the valve cover 42, and when the filling valve 40 needs to be used, the operator removes the valve cover 42, and at this time the filling valve 40 is prevented from leaking gas during the charging process through the sealing of the valve seat 41 and the valve needle assembly 43. By this arrangement, the filling valve 40 can effectively prevent gas leakage when not in use through double sealing, avoiding the case that if the sealing fails when the filling valve 40 adopts single sealing (sealing fit between the valve seat 41 and the valve needle assembly 43), the filling valve 40 will leak, improving the self-sealing effect of the filling valve 40, being able to cope with various complex environments without leaking, improving the reliability of the filling valve 40 and the applicability to different application environments.

[0081] Among them, the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41 are separably abutted, and the two form an annular sealing area 401 around the cavity of the valve needle assembly 43 in the abutting case. In the embodiment, the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41 adopt hard sealing between them, which is more reliable in sealing effect than soft sealing, which is conducive to enhancing the sealing property of the filling valve 40, ensuring that gas under high pressure and the like will not leak from the connection between the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41, and improving the service life of the filling valve 40 and the overall stability of the system.

[0082] In the embodiment, the inner wall of the cavity of the valve cover 42 has internal threads, at least part of the outer periphery of the valve seat 41 has external threads, and the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41 are threadedly connected; the bottom wall of the cavity of the valve cover 42 and the end of the valve seat 41 abut to form the annular sealing area 401; or, the inner wall of the cavity of the valve cover 42 and the outer periphery of the valve seat 41 abut to form the annular sealing area 401. By this arrangement, the disassembly of the valve cover 42 and the tight abutment of the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41 are facilitated, the reliability of the formation of the annular sealing area 401 and the sealing effect between the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41 are guaranteed.

[0083] Exemplarily, the outer periphery of the valve seat 41 has a first annular stop step 4121' or a first annular stop surface 4121 which is arranged obliquely relative to the axis of the valve seat 41, and one side of the cavity opening of the valve cover 42 abuts against the first annular stop step 4121' or the first annular stop surface 4121 to form an annular sealing area 401.

[0084] In this way, the abutment sealing of the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41 in the axial direction is achieved, which is conducive to the limitation of the sealing position and ensures the reliability of the abutment sealing.

[0085] Specifically, one side of the cavity opening of the valve cover 42 has a second annular stop step 4201 or a second annular stop surface 4201' which is arranged obliquely relative to the axis of the valve seat 41; the second annular stop step 4201 abuts against the first annular stop step 4121' or the first annular stop surface 4121 to form the annular sealing area 401; or, the second annular stop surface 4201' abuts against the first annular stop step 4121' or the first annular stop surface 4121 to form the annular sealing area 401.

[0086] In this way, the abutment sealing of the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41 in the axial direction is further ensured, and the reliability of the abutment sealing is ensured, while the corresponding installation (i.e., the abutment of the first annular stop step 4121' or the first annular stop surface 4121 and the second annular stop step 4201 or the second annular stop surface 4201') of the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41 is facilitated, which ensures the installation effect and ensures the abutment sealing effect.

[0087] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the valve seat 41 includes a first fitting section 411, a transition section 412, and a second fitting section 413 connected in sequence, the outer diameter of the second fitting section 413 is greater than that of the first fitting section 411, and the outer diameter of at least part of the transition section 412 gradually decreases in the direction from the second fitting section 413 towards the first fitting section 411 and forms the first annular stop surface 4121, the valve cover 42 is detachably buckled at one end of the first fitting section 411 away from the second fitting section 413, and one side of the cavity opening of the valve cover 42 abuts against the first annular stop surface 4121 on the transition section 412 to form the annular sealing area 401. In this way, not only is the sealing effect ensured and improved, but also the formation of the first annular stop surface 4121 is facilitated, and the assembly process of the filling valve 40 is simplified, which is conducive to reducing the processing cost and the maintenance cost.

[0088] Further, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the valve cover 42 comprises a transition cylinder segment 421, an annular abutting segment 422 and a limiting segment 423 connected coaxially in sequence, the annular abutting segment 422 is arranged at the opening of the transition cylinder segment 421, the limiting segment 423 is arranged at the opening of the transition cylinder segment 421, the inner diameter of the annular abutting segment 422 is smaller than the inner diameter of the limiting segment 423 and larger than the inner diameter of the transition cylinder segment 421, the annular abutting segment 422 forms a second annular stop step 4201 and has an abutting sharp corner 4221 extending along the circumference thereof, the abutting sharp corner 4221 abuts against the first annular stop surface 4121 to form an annular sealing area 401, which is an annular sealing line.

[0089] In the embodiment, the cavity inner diameter of the transition cylinder segment 421 is adapted to the outer diameter of the first fitting segment 411, the cavity inner wall of the transition cylinder segment 421 has an internal thread, the outer circumference of the first fitting segment 411 has an external thread, the transition segment 412 is divided into a variable diameter segment and a constant diameter segment, the constant diameter segment is connected with the second fitting segment 413, the variable diameter segment is connected with the first fitting segment 411, the radial dimension of the variable diameter segment gradually increases in the direction of the first fitting segment 411 towards the second fitting segment 413 and forms the first annular stop surface 4121, the outer diameter of the constant diameter segment is adapted to the inner diameter of the limiting segment 423, when installing the valve cover 42, the annular abutting segment 422 is buckled at the top of the valve seat 41 and gradually screwed in until the abutting sharp corner 4221 abuts against the first annular stop surface 4121 and cannot continue to be screwed in and is tightened, the limiting segment 423 is limitedly fitted with the constant diameter segment of the transition segment 412, and the installation of the valve cover 42 is completed. In this way, by the close contact of the abutting sharp corner 4221 and the first annular stop surface 4121, a high-strength annular sealing line is formed, which effectively prevents gas leakage. In an embodiment, the structure at the second annular stop step 4201 and the first annular stop surface 4121 can be made of metal material, etc., which is beneficial to further improve the high temperature and high pressure performance of the sealing position.

[0090] It can be understood that the sealing between the valve cover 42 and the valve seat 41 can not be achieved by the hard abutting sealing described above, and alternatively, in other embodiments not shown in the drawings, the filling valve 40 further comprises a first annular sealing member, the cavity inner wall of the valve cover 42 is sealingly fitted with the outer circumference of the valve seat 41 through the first annular sealing member.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the filling valve 40 further comprises a second annular sealing member 44 arranged on the outer circumference of the valve needle assembly 43, the valve needle assembly 43 is sealingly fitted with the cavity inner wall of the valve seat 41 through the second annular sealing member 44. Among them, the second annular sealing member 44 is a structure with a certain flexibility, that is, the valve needle assembly 43 and the valve seat 41 are soft sealed through the second annular sealing member 44, which ensures the reliability of the sealing between the valve needle assembly 43 and the valve seat 41.

[0092] Specifically, the valve needle assembly 43 comprises a valve shell 431 and a valve needle body 432 movably arranged in the valve shell 431, the valve shell 431 is arranged in the valve seat 41 and sealingly cooperates with the inner wall of the valve seat 41, the valve port 4301 is located at the end position of the valve shell 431, and the end of the valve needle body 432 is provided with a plug 433 to block or open the valve port 4301.

[0093] In this embodiment, the top of the valve shell 431 of the valve needle assembly 43 is provided with a gas injection port 4302. When the charging valve 40 needs to be used, the valve cover 42 can be removed first, and then the valve needle body 432 and the plug 433 are pressed to open the valve port 4301, and gas is injected from the top opening of the valve seat 41 inwardly, and the gas enters the valve shell 431 through the gas injection port 4302 and flows out from the valve port 4301, and then enters the chamber 101 of the tank body 10 from the gas inlet 15. This design enables the valve needle assembly 43 to accurately control the charging and release of gas, and is suitable for occasions that require precise gas control.

[0094] In this embodiment, at least part of the outer periphery of the valve shell 431 is provided with external threads, and the inner wall of the cavity of the valve seat 41 is correspondingly provided with internal threads, and the valve shell 431 and the valve seat 41 are screwed together. In this way, the installation of the valve needle assembly 43 in the valve seat 41 is facilitated, and at the same time, the pressing of the second annular sealing member 44 is facilitated to ensure the sealing performance.

[0095] In one embodiment, an inflation tank is provided, wherein the inflation tank further comprises a protective shell 50, the top of the tank body 10 having the gas inlet 15 is outwardly convexly curved, the gas inlet is provided with a first limiting structure 19, and the end of the valve seat 41 of the charging valve 40 away from the valve cover 42 is provided with a second limiting structure 4131, the valve seat 41 of the charging valve 40 is installed at the gas inlet and the first limiting structure 19 and the second limiting structure 4131 are in limiting cooperation, and the protective shell 50 is buckled on the charging valve 40 and abuts against the top outer wall of the tank body 10.

[0096] In this embodiment, the cooperation of the first limiting structure 19 and the second limiting structure 4131 facilitates the positioning and installation of the charging valve 40 on the tank body 10, and the protective shell 50 can protect the charging valve 40 when not in use, avoiding damage caused by the influence of the external environment. Further, the top of the tank body 10 in this embodiment is outwardly convexly curved, which is beneficial to prevent the inflation tank 100 from being deformed due to excessive pressure, thereby ensuring the service life and quality of the inflation tank 100.

[0097] Further, for the equipment with the filling valve (valve core assembly), when the dustproof cap is used to prevent dust from entering the filling valve, the valve cover needs to be screwed on the outer thread of the valve seat first, and then the dustproof cap is sleeved on the valve cover; when the filling operation is performed, the valve cover needs to be disassembled first, if the rotating mode is used, the dustproof cap will rotate relative to the valve cover, which is not convenient for disassembling the valve cover and the dustproof cap at the same time, and the dustproof cap needs to be pulled off from the valve cover first, and then the valve cover is unscrewed from the valve seat, and the disassembly process is relatively complex.

[0098] Therefore, referring to Figs. 10-16, the application also provides some expansion tanks 100, which are provided with protective shells 50 in some embodiments, and the filling valve 40 of the expansion tank 100 comprises a valve seat 41 and a valve needle assembly 43; wherein the protective shell 50 comprises a cover body 51 and a valve cap 52, the cover body 51 and the valve cap 52 are fixedly connected to limit the relative rotation of the cover body 51 and the valve cap 52, and the valve cap 52 is provided with an inner thread 521 for connecting with the outer thread of the filling valve 40. That is, the valve cover and the dustproof cap which are independent of each other are arranged as a fixedly connected protective shell to effectively simplify the installation structure and facilitate assembly and disassembly.

[0099] In other words, the protective shell 50 provided in the embodiment can install the valve cap 52 on the outer thread of the valve seat 41 of the filling valve 40 by arranging the inner thread 521 on the valve cap 52, and since the cover body 51 and the valve cap 52 are fixedly connected, the cover body 51 and the valve cap 52 will not rotate relative to each other, and when installing, the cover body 51 and the valve cap 52 can be installed on the valve seat 41 together, and when disassembling, the cover body 51 and the valve cap 52 can be unscrewed from the valve seat 41 by rotating, which simplifies the installation process and improves the assembly efficiency.

[0100] Specifically, the top of the tank body 10 is provided with an air inlet 15, the filling valve 40 is installed at the air inlet 15 and is communicated with the air inlet 15, the valve seat 41 of the filling valve 40 is sealingly connected to the tank body 10, and the valve needle assembly 43 is movably installed in the valve seat 41 to open or block the air inlet 15, so as to change the communication state or isolation state between the cavity of the tank body 10 and the outside of the tank body 10.

[0101] In the embodiment, the outer thread is arranged on the outer peripheral wall of the valve seat 41, in other words, the inner thread of the valve cap 52 is connected with the outer thread of the valve seat 41 of the filling valve 40.

[0102] For example, the protective shell 50 in the embodiment is used to be installed on the valve seat 41 of the expansion tank 100 and can prevent dust and water. In other embodiments, the protective shell 50 can also be installed on the valve needle assembly 43 of other equipment.

[0103] It should be understood that the cover body 51 is fixedly connected with the bonnet 52, which can include detachable fixed connection or non-detachable fixed connection. For example, in an embodiment, the protective shell 50 includes the cover body 51 and the bonnet 52; the cover body 51 and the bonnet 52 are of one-piece structure, in other words, the cover body 51 and the bonnet 52 are integrally formed when manufactured. The bonnet 52 is provided with an internal thread 521 for external thread connection with the valve needle assembly 43.

[0104] In an embodiment, referring to FIGS. 10-12, the cover body 51 is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, the cover body 51 has a top surface 511 and a bottom surface 512, the diameter of the top surface 511 is smaller than that of the bottom surface 512, the top surface 511 is a plane, and the bottom surface 512 is provided with a receiving cavity 5121, at least part of the bonnet 52 is located in the receiving cavity 5121. After the user takes the protective shell 50 off the valve seat 41, the top surface 511 of the cover body 51 can be placed downward on a workbench or the ground, so as to prevent the protective shell 50 from rolling randomly, and at the same time, since the larger-diameter bottom surface 512 faces upward, it is convenient for the user to take.

[0105] For example, referring to FIG. 12, the bonnet 52 is entirely located in the receiving cavity 5121. In other embodiments, the bonnet 52 can also have a part extending to the outside of the cover body 51, that is, one end of the bonnet 52 is located outside the receiving cavity 5121.

[0106] It should be noted that whether the bonnet 52 extends to the outside of the cover body 51 can be selected according to the specific structure and installation form of the valve seat 41 in the equipment (such as the expansion tank 100) with the charging valve 40.

[0107] For example, referring to FIG. 10, a reinforcing rib 513 is arranged between the cover body 51 and the bonnet 52, the reinforcing rib 513 is in the shape of a triangular plate, a first side edge 5131 of the reinforcing rib 513 is attached to the inner surface of the cover body 51, a second side edge 5132 of the reinforcing rib 513 is attached to the outer surface of the bonnet 52, and a third side edge 5133 of the reinforcing rib 513 is supported between the cover body 51 and the bonnet 52.

[0108] By arranging the reinforcing rib 513 in the shape of a triangular plate, on the one hand, the compression resistance of the protective shell 50 can be improved, and the impact of external force on the expansion tank 100 can be reduced, and on the other hand, the connection strength between the bonnet 52 and the cover body 51 can be increased, so as to improve the overall structural strength of the protective shell 50.

[0109] For example, the bonnet 52 can be in the shape of a hollow cylinder. The bonnet 52 is coaxially arranged with the cover body 51. The reinforcing rib 513 is in the shape of a plate. The number of reinforcing ribs 513 is multiple. The multiple reinforcing ribs 513 are arranged along the circumference of the bonnet 52.

[0110] In the embodiment, the number of the reinforcing ribs 513 can be six, and the six reinforcing ribs 513 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the bonnet 52.

[0111] In an embodiment, the circumferential surface of the cover body 51 is provided with a plurality of recesses 514 recessed inwardly from the outer surface, and the plurality of recesses 514 are spaced along the circumference. In this way, not only ergonomics is met, but also the amount of material is reduced and the cost is lowered. For example, referring to FIGS. 11 and 13, in the embodiment, the number of the recesses 514 is six, and the six recesses 514 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the cover body 51. Exemplarily, the inner surface of the recess 514 can be a spherical cap surface.

[0112] In an embodiment, referring to FIGS. 13 to 15, the protective shell 50 includes the cover body 51 and the bonnet 52; the cover body 51 is provided with a connecting portion 515 provided with a receiving groove 5152; the bonnet 52 is mounted to the receiving groove 5152, the outer surface of the bonnet 52 is provided with an anti-rotation portion 522, the groove wall of the receiving groove 5152 is provided with an anti-rotation cooperating portion 5151, the anti-rotation cooperating portion 5151 cooperates with the anti-rotation portion 522 to limit the rotation of the cover body 51 relative to the bonnet 52; the bonnet 52 is provided with an inner thread 521 for connecting with the outer thread of the valve needle assembly 43.

[0113] In the embodiment, the connecting portion 515 is integrally formed with the cover body 51.

[0114] In an embodiment, referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the cover body 51 is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, the cover body 51 has a top surface 511 and a bottom surface 512, the diameter of the top surface 511 is smaller than that of the bottom surface 512, the top surface 511 is a plane, and the bottom surface 512 is provided with a receiving cavity 5121, at least part of the connecting portion 515 is located in the receiving cavity 5121. After the user takes the protective shell 50 off the valve needle assembly 43, the user can place the cover body 51 with the top surface 511 downward on a workbench or the ground, so that the protective shell 50 cannot roll randomly, and at the same time, since the bottom surface 512 with the larger diameter faces upward, it is convenient for the user to take the protective shell 50.

[0115] In an embodiment, the connecting portion 515 is located inside the cover body 51, and the end surface of the bonnet 52 away from the groove bottom of the receiving groove 5152 is flush with the end surface of the receiving groove 5152 provided with the connecting portion 515. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the end surface of the bonnet 52 away from the groove bottom of the receiving groove 5152 can also be located outside the receiving groove 5152.

[0116] It should be noted that whether the bonnet 52 extends to the outside of the receiving groove 5152 or not can be selected according to the specific structure and installation form of the valve seat 41 in the equipment (such as the expansion tank 100) provided with the charging valve 40.

[0117] In some embodiments, the anti-rotation part 522 and the anti-rotation matching part 5151 are mutually matching non-circular arc surfaces.

[0118] For example, at least a part of the circumferential outer surface of the bonnet 52 forms the anti-rotation part 522, and the cross section of the bonnet 52 can be in the shape of an ellipse. The profile of the groove wall of the accommodating groove 5152 is adapted to the ellipse, and after the bonnet 52 is installed on the connecting part 515, the bonnet 52 cannot rotate relative to the connecting part 515, i.e., the bonnet 52 cannot rotate relative to the cover 51.

[0119] It can be understood that in other embodiments, the cross section of the bonnet 52 is not limited to an ellipse, but can also be in the shape of a polygon or other special shape, as long as at least a part of the surface of the bonnet 52 is not a circular arc surface.

[0120] In this embodiment, referring to FIG. 15, the anti-rotation part 522 is a six-prism surface, and the cross section of the groove wall of the accommodating groove 5152 is in the shape of a hexagon. At least a part of the groove wall of the accommodating groove 5152 forms the anti-rotation matching part 5151, and the anti-rotation part and the anti-rotation matching part are arranged in abutment.

[0121] For example, the anti-rotation part 522 is the circumferential outer surface of the bonnet 52, and the bonnet 52 can be in the structure of a six-prism. The six-prism structure is provided with the internal thread 521. Of course, the anti-rotation part 522 can also be a part of the circumferential outer surface of the bonnet 52. For example, the bonnet 52 can include coaxially arranged six-prism structure and cylindrical structure, wherein the six-prism structure is located in the accommodating groove 5152, and the cylindrical structure can be located outside the accommodating groove 5152, or even outside the cover. The cylindrical structure and at least a part of the six-prism structure are provided with the internal thread.

[0122] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 13, a part of the bonnet 52 is located in the accommodating cavity 5121, and another part is located outside the cover 51. In other embodiments, the bonnet 52 can also be completely located in the accommodating cavity 5121.

[0123] It should be noted that whether the bonnet 52 extends to the outside of the cover or not can be selected according to the specific structure and installation form of the valve seat 41 in the equipment (such as the expansion tank 100) with the charging valve 40.

[0124] It should be noted that only a part of the groove wall of the accommodating groove 5152 can match the anti-rotation part 522, and this part of the groove wall forms the anti-rotation matching part 5151.

[0125] In other embodiments, one of the anti-rotation part 522 and the anti-rotation matching part 5151 is a protrusion, and the other is a groove.

[0126] For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the anti-rotation part 522 can be a protrusion arranged on the circumferential surface of the bonnet 52, and the anti-rotation matching part 5151 can be a groove arranged on the groove wall of the accommodating groove 5152. After assembly, the protrusion is limited in the groove, thereby preventing the cover 51 from rotating relative to the protective cover. The protective cover and the connecting part 515 can be in interference fit.

[0127] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, a reinforcing rib 513 is arranged between the cover 51 and the connecting part 515. The reinforcing rib 513 is in a triangular plate structure. A first side edge 5131 of the reinforcing rib 513 is attached to the inner surface of the cover 51, a second side edge 5132 of the reinforcing rib 513 is attached to the outer surface of the connecting part 515, and a third side edge 5133 of the reinforcing rib 513 is supported between the cover 51 and the connecting part 515.

[0128] By arranging the reinforcing rib 513 in a triangular plate structure, the structural strength of the protective shell 50 can be improved, thereby improving the compression resistance of the protective shell 50 and reducing the impact of external force on the expansion tank 100.

[0129] For example, the outer surface of the connecting part 515 is a cylindrical surface, the connecting part 515 is coaxially arranged with the cover 51, and the number of reinforcing ribs 513 is multiple. The multiple reinforcing ribs 513 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the connecting part 515.

[0130] In this embodiment, the number of reinforcing ribs 513 can be six, and the six reinforcing ribs 513 are uniformly arranged at intervals along the circumference of the connecting part 515.

[0131] The expansion tank 100 provided in this embodiment can install the cover 51 and the bonnet 52 together on the valve seat 41 of the charging valve 40 when installing the protective shell 50, and can also rotate the cover 51 and the bonnet 52 together to be screwed off from the valve seat 41 when disassembling the protective shell 50. This simplifies the installation process and improves the assembly efficiency.

[0132] In some embodiments, one end of the charging valve 40 extends into the interior of the tank body of the expansion tank 100, and the other end protrudes from the top of the tank body of the expansion tank 100. At this time, the bonnet 52 can be directly installed on the charging valve 40. At this time, the end of the bonnet 52 can not protrude from the cover 51.

[0133] In other embodiments, a groove is arranged on the top of the tank body 10, the charging valve 40 is arranged in the groove, and the part of the bonnet 52 protruding from the outside of the cover 51 extends into the groove to cooperate with the valve seat 41 of the charging valve 40.

[0134] Further, in order to reduce the difficulty of the processing technology of the inflation tank 100 and strengthen the protection of the balloon 20, some embodiments are provided. Please further refer to FIGS. 17-19, in an embodiment, the inflation tank 100 comprises a first tank body 13 and a second tank body 14, the open ends of the first tank body 13 and the second tank body 14 are connected into a cylindrical tank body through a connecting structure 16, the connecting structure 16 comprises a first tank body butt joint 131 and a second tank body butt joint 141, the first tank body butt joint 131 and the second tank body butt joint 141 are both extension rings extending away from the axis of the inflation tank 100, and the end face of the first tank body butt joint 131 is connected to the inner side face of the lower end port of the first tank body 13 through a smooth fillet transition, the end face of the second tank body butt joint 141 is connected to the inner side face of the upper end port of the second tank body 14 through a smooth fillet transition, and the opposite faces of the first tank body butt joint 131 and the second tank body butt joint 141 are fixedly connected. The inner side face of the connecting structure 16 of the embodiment has no protruding sharp corners, the connection between the first tank body butt joint 131 and the first tank body 13, and the connection between the second tank body butt joint 141 and the second tank body 14 are both designed with a fillet transition, and the connection is located in the area of the inner side face of the tank body of the inflation tank 100, which is close to the outer side of the tank body, reducing the contact area and friction force between the balloon 20 and the inner side of the connecting structure 16, and better avoiding the rupture of the balloon 20 due to long-time friction.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first tank body butt joint 131 is a lower end side wall of the first tank body 13 bent away from the inflation tank 100, the second tank body butt joint 141 is an upper end side wall of the second tank body 14 bent away from the axis of the inflation tank 100, the radial width of the first tank body butt joint 131 and the second tank body butt joint 141 is the same, and the width of the first tank body butt joint 131 and the second tank body butt joint 141 is not less than 2 times the wall thickness. It can be 3-4 times the wall thickness. In this way, the structural stability of the connecting structure 16 and the inflation tank 100 itself is ensured. The angle of the lower end side wall of the first tank body 13 bent away from the inflation tank 100 is the same as the angle of the upper end side wall of the second tank body 14 bent away from the inflation tank 100, and the angle of the bending can be selected by the person skilled in the art according to the actual situation. In this example, in order to facilitate welding, the angle of the bending can be selected as 90°.

[0136] In some embodiments, a plurality of sets of positioning protrusions 102 and positioning recesses 103 are arranged on opposite surfaces of the first tank body butt joint portion 131 and the second tank body butt joint portion 141, the positioning protrusions 102 and the positioning recesses 103 in each set are arranged opposite to each other in up-down direction, the positioning protrusions 102 and the positioning recesses 103 are matched and embeddedly connected. The embedded connection of the plurality of sets of positioning protrusions 102 and positioning recesses 103 can accurately fix and limit the relative position of the first tank body 13 and the second tank body 14 before welding, and ensure that the position of the first tank body 13 and the second tank body 14 does not change during the welding process, thereby facilitating the welding and improving the work efficiency. The number of sets of positioning protrusions 102 and positioning recesses 103 is not less than 2 sets, and the plurality of sets of positioning protrusions 102 and positioning recesses 103 are uniformly arranged on the outer peripheral side of the expansion tank 100, thereby further improving the positioning accuracy of the first tank body 13 and the second tank body 14. The positioning protrusions 102 can be of any shape as long as they can position the first tank body 13 and the second tank body 14 in cooperation with the positioning recesses 103, and a person skilled in the art can select and arrange them according to actual needs. In other embodiments, the positioning protrusions 102 can be hemispherical. The hemispherical positioning protrusions 102 have simple structure, and such arrangement can improve the production efficiency.

[0137] The size of the hemispherical positioning protrusions 102 is determined according to the radial width of the butt joint portion where the hemispherical positioning protrusions 102 are located and the wall thickness of the tank body of the butt joint portion where the positioning recesses 103 are located. In principle, the diameter of the hemispherical positioning protrusions 102 must be smaller than the radial width of the butt joint portion where the hemispherical positioning protrusions 102 are located.

[0138] In an embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the tank body 10 of the expansion tank 100 includes the first tank body 13 and the second tank body 14, the open ends of the first tank body 13 and the second tank body 14 are connected into a cylindrical tank body through the connecting structure 16, the connecting structure 16 includes the first tank body bending portion 132 and the second tank body bending portion 142, the bending point of the second tank body bending portion 142 is a smooth fillet transition, the second tank body bending portion 142 is located on the inner side of the first tank body bending portion 132, and the outer side surface of the second tank body bending portion 142 is fixedly connected with the inner side surface of the first tank body bending portion 132. In some embodiments, the second tank body bending portion 142 is configured to bend the upper side wall of the second tank body 14 outwardly of the tank body 10 by a certain angle, and the size of the angle is not limited in the present application as long as the bending angle and the bending direction of the part connected with the first tank body bending portion 132 are the same.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first tank body bending portion 132 comprises an inclined portion 104 inclined downwardly outside the expansion tank 100, and a vertical portion 105 located at the lower end of the inclined portion 104, the upper part of the inclined portion 104 is integrally connected with the lower end surface of the first tank body 13; the second tank body bending portion 142 is configured as a U-shaped portion 106 formed by bending the second tank body 14 180° outside the expansion tank 100, and the opposite side walls of the two side rods of the U-shaped portion 106 are closely arranged, one side rod of the U-shaped portion 106 is an integral connection structure 16 with the upper end surface of the second tank body 14, that is, integrally connected, the upper side wall of the second tank body bending portion 142 is bent 90° outside the tank body, and the free end of the outer rod of the U-shaped portion is fixedly connected with the free end of the vertical portion. In this way, the protruding portion on the connection structure 16 in contact with the balloon 20 is moved outward to the inner side wall of the expansion tank 100 close to the outside of the tank body, and the protruding portion is smooth and rounded, reducing the contact area and friction between the balloon 20 and the inner side wall of the connection structure 16, and better avoiding the rupture of the balloon 20 due to long-time friction.

[0140] In some embodiments, the inclined angle of the inclined portion 104 relative to the inner side wall of the first tank body or the second tank body is determined according to the thickness of the side wall of the first tank body and the second tank body, to ensure that the outer side wall of the outer rod of the U-shaped portion 106 is closely arranged with the inner side wall of the vertical portion.

[0141] In some other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 22, the structural positions of the first tank body bending portion 132 and the second tank body bending portion 142 can be interchangeably arranged, that is, the second tank body bending portion 142 comprises an inclined portion 104 inclined upwardly outside the expansion tank 100, and a vertical portion 105 located at the upper end of the inclined portion 104, the lower end of the inclined portion 104 is an integral connection structure 16 with the upper end surface of the second tank body 14, that is, integrally connected; the first tank body bending portion 132 is a U-shaped portion 106 formed by bending the lower part of the first tank body 13 180° outside the expansion tank 100, and the opposite side walls of the two side rods of the U-shaped portion 106 are closely arranged, one side rod of the U-shaped portion 106 is integrally connected with the lower end surface of the first tank body 13, and the free end of the outer rod of the U-shaped portion 106 is fixedly connected with the free end of the vertical portion 105.

[0142] Referring to FIG. 23, the application also provides a refrigeration system 200 comprising the expansion tank 100 as described above. It can be understood that the refrigeration system has the advantages of the expansion tank 100 in the above embodiments, and the service life and safety are more excellent.

[0143] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined in any manner. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described, but as long as the combinations of the technical features do not exist, they should be considered as the scope of the description.

[0144] The above embodiments only express several implementation ways of the present application, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as a limitation to the patent scope of the application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary skilled persons in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, which all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. An inflation tank characterized by, The application relates to an inflation tank. The inflation tank comprises a tank body, a balloon mounted in the tank body, an inner cavity of the balloon, the balloon being coaxially arranged with the tank body and having an inner side close to the axial direction and an outer side away from the axial direction, a balloon mouth, a side wall of the balloon mouth being bent towards the radial outer side to form a first flange, and a convex rib provided on the side of the first flange away from the inner cavity. A flange assembly is connected with the first flange, and the convex rib is in interference abutment with the flange assembly. The convex rib is arranged along the circumference of the first flange and forms a ring-shaped convex structure.

2. The expansion tank according to claim 1, wherein, The tank body is provided with a through hole, and one end of the balloon mouth extends out of the through hole.

3. The expansion tank according to claim 1, wherein, The edge of the tank body forming the through hole is bent towards the radial outer side to form a second flange, and the second flange is in abutment with the side of the first flange away from the convex rib. The flange assembly comprises a first flange and a second flange, the first flange is in abutment with the side of the first flange away from the tank body and is in interference fit with the convex rib, the second flange is in abutment with the side of the second flange away from the first flange, and the first flange and the second flange are connected through a plurality of connecting members.

4. The expansion tank according to claim 3, wherein, The side of the first flange towards the second flange is provided with a plurality of bosses, the bosses protrude towards the second flange, and at least one boss is in abutment with the first flange; at least part of the bosses are arranged along the radial direction to form a first boss close to the inner side and a second boss close to the outer side.

5. The expansion tank according to claim 4, wherein, The first boss is arranged along the circumferential direction of the inner edge of the balloon mouth to form a ring-shaped structure and is in abutment with the inner edge of the balloon mouth; 6. The inflation tank of claim 5, wherein, The second boss is a plurality of bosses and is uniformly spaced along the axial direction of the first flange and is arranged around the first flange, along the radial direction of the first flange, the second boss is spaced from the outer circumferential side of the first flange by a preset distance, and the preset distance is smaller than the deformation amount of the first flange towards the radial outer side. The edge of the balloon mouth is provided with an inclined surface, the first boss close to the circumferential outer side of the second boss is provided with an abutment surface, the abutment surface is correspondingly arranged in an inclined manner with the inclined surface, and the inclined surface is in abutment with the abutment surface.

7. The inflation tank of claim 6, wherein, The axial outer side of the first flange is bent towards the second flange to form a third flange, and the third flange is in abutment with the second flange; or 8. The inflation tank of claim 4, wherein, The axial outer side of the first flange is bent towards the second flange to form a third flange, the third flange is in abutment with the second flange, and the third flange is provided with a drainage port penetrating through the third flange. The tank body has a cavity, the top of the tank body is provided with an assembly part, and the assembly part is provided with an air inlet communicating with the cavity.

9. The keg of claim 1, wherein, The inflation tank further comprises a filling valve, the filling valve comprises a valve seat and a valve needle assembly, a welding structure is arranged between the valve seat and the assembly part, and the valve seat and the assembly part are sealingly connected through the welding structure. The valve needle assembly is movably mounted in the valve seat to open or block the air inlet, so as to change the communication state or the isolation state between the cavity and the outside of the tank body. ​ 10. The inflation tank of claim 9, wherein, The top of the tank body is inwardly recessed to form the assembly part, and the air inlet is arranged at the bottom of the assembly part.

11. The keg of claim 10, wherein, The hole wall edge of the air inlet is bent towards the direction away from the chamber and forms an annular protrusion, along the axis of the tank body, the end surface of the annular protrusion away from the chamber is higher than the top of the tank body; and / or, At least part of the cross section of the assembly part is arc-shaped, trapezoidal or stepped; and / or, The depth of the assembly part is 0.5mm-2mm along the axis of the tank body, and the width of the assembly part is 1mm-3mm along the radial direction of the tank body; and / or, the tank body, the air inlet and the assembly part are coaxially arranged.

12. The keg of claim 1, wherein, The top of the tank body is further provided with an air inlet, and the expansion tank further comprises a filling valve, which is installed at and communicated with the air inlet; The filling valve comprises a valve seat, a valve cover and a valve needle assembly, the valve seat is sealingly connected to the tank body, the valve needle assembly is arranged in the valve seat and has an openable and closable valve port, the outer periphery of the valve needle assembly sealingly cooperates with the inner wall of the cavity of the valve seat, and the valve cover is detachably buckled at one end of the valve seat; in the case that the valve cover is installed on the valve seat, the inner wall of the cavity of the valve cover sealingly cooperates with the outer periphery of the valve seat.

13. The inflation tank of claim 12, wherein, The valve cover and the valve seat abut separably, and form an annular sealing area around the cavity of the valve needle assembly when abutting; The bottom wall of the cavity of the valve cover abuts with the end of the valve seat to form the annular sealing area; or, the inner wall of the cavity of the valve cover abuts with the outer periphery of the valve seat to form the annular sealing area.

14. The keg of claim 12, wherein, The outer periphery of the valve seat has a first annular stop step or a first annular stop surface inclined relative to the axis of the valve seat, and one side of the cavity opening of the valve cover abuts with the first annular stop step or the first annular stop surface to form an annular sealing area.

15. The inflation tank of claim 14, wherein, One side of the cavity opening of the valve cover has a second annular stop step or a second annular stop surface inclined relative to the axis of the valve seat; The second annular stop step abuts with the first annular stop step or the first annular stop surface to form the annular sealing area; or, the second annular stop surface abuts with the first annular stop step or the first annular stop surface to form the annular sealing area.

16. The inflation tank of claim 14, wherein, The valve seat comprises a first fitting section, a transition section and a second fitting section connected in sequence, the outer diameter of the second fitting section is greater than that of the first fitting section, the outer diameter of at least part of the transition section gradually decreases in the direction from the second fitting section to the first fitting section and forms the first annular stop surface, the valve cover is detachably buckled at one end of the first fitting section away from the second fitting section, and one side of the cavity opening of the valve cover abuts with the first annular stop surface on the transition section to form the annular sealing area.

17. The inflation tank of claim 14, wherein, The valve cover comprises a transition cylinder segment, an annular abutting segment and a limiting segment which are coaxially connected in sequence, the annular abutting segment is arranged at the opening of the transition cylinder segment, the limiting segment is arranged at the opening of the transition cylinder segment, the inner diameter of the annular abutting segment is smaller than the inner diameter of the limiting segment and larger than the inner diameter of the transition cylinder segment, the annular abutting segment forms a second annular stop step and has an abutting sharp corner extending along the circumference thereof, the abutting sharp corner abuts against the first annular stop surface to form the annular sealing area, and the annular sealing area is an annular sealing line.

18. The keg of claim 12, wherein, The filling valve further comprises a first annular sealing element, and the inner wall of the cavity of the valve cover is sealingly connected with the outer periphery of the valve seat through the first annular sealing element; and / or, The filling valve further comprises a second annular sealing element arranged on the outer periphery of the valve needle assembly, and the valve needle assembly is sealingly connected with the inner wall of the cavity of the valve seat through the second annular sealing element.

19. The keg of claim 12, wherein, The valve needle assembly comprises a valve shell and a valve needle body movably arranged in the valve shell, the valve shell is arranged in the valve seat and sealingly connected with the inner wall of the valve seat, the valve port is located at the end position of the valve shell and communicates with the gas inlet, and the end of the valve needle body is provided with a blocking element to block or open the valve port.

20. The keg of claim 1, wherein, The top of the tank body is further provided with a gas inlet, and the expansion tank further comprises a filling valve which is mounted at and communicated with the gas inlet; the filling valve comprises a valve seat and a valve needle assembly, the valve seat is sealingly connected with the tank body, and the valve needle assembly is movably arranged in the valve seat to open or block the gas inlet. The expansion tank further comprises a protective shell, and the protective shell comprises a cover body and a valve cap. The cover body is provided with a connecting portion, the connecting portion is provided with a receiving groove, at least part of the valve cap is located in the receiving groove, the outer surface of the valve cap comprises an anti-rotation portion, the groove wall of the receiving groove comprises an anti-rotation matching portion, the anti-rotation matching portion abuts against the anti-rotation portion to limit the rotation of the cover body relative to the valve cap, or the cover body and the valve cap are in an integrated structure. The valve cap is provided with an internal thread for connecting with the external thread of the valve seat.

21. The inflation tank of claim 20, wherein, In the cover body provided with a connecting portion, the connecting portion is provided with a receiving groove, at least part of the valve cap is located in the receiving groove, the outer surface of the valve cap comprises an anti-rotation portion, the groove wall of the receiving groove comprises an anti-rotation matching portion, the anti-rotation matching portion abuts against the anti-rotation portion to limit the rotation of the cover body relative to the valve cap, One of the anti-rotation portion and the anti-rotation matching portion is a protrusion, and the other is a groove, or the anti-rotation portion and the anti-rotation matching portion are mutually matched non-circular arc surfaces.

22. The inflation tank of claim 20, wherein, In the cover body provided with a connecting portion, the connecting portion is provided with a receiving groove, at least part of the valve cap is located in the receiving groove, the outer surface of the valve cap comprises an anti-rotation portion, the groove wall of the receiving groove comprises an anti-rotation matching portion, the anti-rotation matching portion abuts against the anti-rotation portion to limit the rotation of the cover body relative to the valve cap, The anti-rotation part is a hexagonal prism, the cross section of the groove wall of the accommodating groove is a hexagon, at least part of the groove wall of the accommodating groove forms the anti-rotation matching part, and the anti-rotation part is arranged in abutment with the anti-rotation matching part.

23. The keg of claim 20, wherein, When the cover body and the bonnet are in an integrated structure, a reinforcing rib is arranged between the cover body and the bonnet, the reinforcing rib is in a triangular plate structure, a first side edge of the reinforcing rib is in abutment with an inner surface of the cover body, a second side edge of the reinforcing rib is in abutment with an outer surface of the bonnet, and a third side edge of the reinforcing rib is supported between the cover body and the bonnet.

24. The keg of claim 21 or 22, wherein, The reinforcing rib is arranged between the cover body and the bonnet, the reinforcing rib is in a triangular plate structure, a first side edge of the reinforcing rib is in abutment with an inner surface of the cover body, a second side edge of the reinforcing rib is in abutment with an outer surface of the bonnet or an outer surface of the connecting part, and a third side edge of the reinforcing rib is supported between the cover body and the connecting part; and / or, The connecting part is located inside the cover body, and an end surface of the bonnet away from a groove bottom of the accommodating groove is flush with an end surface of the accommodating groove.

25. The keg of any one of claims 20-23, wherein, The cover body is in a circular truncated cone shape, the cover body has a top surface and a bottom surface, the diameter of the top surface is smaller than the diameter of the bottom surface, the top surface is a plane, and the bottom surface is provided with an accommodating cavity, and at least part of the bonnet is located in the accommodating cavity.

26. The inflation tank of claim 25, wherein, The circumferential surface of the cover body is provided with a plurality of recesses recessed inward from the outer surface, and the plurality of recesses are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.

27. The keg of claim 1, wherein, The tank body includes a first tank body and a second tank body, the open ends of the first tank body and the second tank body are connected into a cylindrical tank body through a connecting structure, and the inflection points of the inner side surface of the connecting structure in contact with the balloon are all smooth fillet transitions.

28. The inflation tank of claim 27, wherein, The connecting structure includes a first tank body butt joint part and a second tank body butt joint part, the first tank body butt joint part and the second tank body butt joint part are both extension rings extending away from the tank axis, the lower end surface of the first tank body butt joint part is connected to the inner side surface of the lower end port of the first tank body through a smooth fillet transition, the upper end surface of the second tank body butt joint part is connected to the inner side surface of the upper end port of the second tank body through a smooth fillet transition, and the opposite surfaces of the first tank body butt joint part and the second tank body butt joint part are fixedly connected.

29. The keg of claim 28, wherein, The first tank body butt joint part is formed by bending the lower end side wall of the first tank body away from the inflation tank, the second tank body butt joint part is formed by bending the upper end side wall of the second tank body away from the inflation tank, the radial width of the first tank body butt joint part and the second tank body butt joint part is the same, and the width of the first tank body butt joint part and the second tank body butt joint part is not less than 2 times the wall thickness.

30. The keg of claim 29, wherein, At least two groups of positioning convex points and positioning concave points are arranged on the opposite surfaces of the first tank body butt joint part and the second tank body butt joint part, the positioning convex points and the positioning concave points in each group are arranged opposite to each other, the positioning convex points and the positioning concave points are matched, and the two are embedded and connected.

31. The inflation tank of claim 30, wherein, The at least two groups of positioning convex points and positioning concave points are uniformly arranged on the outer peripheral side of the inflation tank; and / or, the shape of the positioning convex point is hemispherical, and the diameter of the positioning convex point is smaller than the radial width of the butt joint part where the positioning convex point is located.

32. The inflation tank of claim 27, wherein, The expansion tank further comprises a first tank body bending part and a second tank body bending part, a bending point of the second tank body bending part is a smooth round corner transition, the second tank body bending part is located at the inner side of the first tank body bending part, and an outer side surface of the second tank body bending part is fixedly connected with an inner side surface of the first tank body bending part; or, The first tank body bending part is located at the inner side of the second tank body bending part, and an outer side surface of the first tank body bending part is fixedly connected with an inner side surface of the second tank body bending part.

33. The keg of claim 32, wherein, The first tank body bending part comprises an inclined part inclined downward to the outside of the expansion tank and a vertical part at the lower end of the inclined part, and an upper part of the inclined part is integrally connected with the lower end surface of the first tank body; the second tank body bending part is configured as a U-shaped part formed by bending the second tank body 180 degrees to the outside of the expansion tank, and opposite side walls of two side rods of the U-shaped part are closely arranged, one side rod of the U-shaped part is in an integral connection structure with the upper end surface of the second tank body, and the U-shaped part is fixedly connected with the vertical part; or, The second tank body bending part comprises an inclined part inclined upward to the outside of the expansion tank and a vertical part at the upper end of the inclined part, and a lower end of the inclined part is integrally connected with the upper end surface of the second tank body; the first tank body bending part is configured as a U-shaped part formed by bending the lower part of the first tank body 180 degrees to the outside of the expansion tank, and opposite side walls of two side rods of the U-shaped part are closely arranged, one side rod of the U-shaped part is in an integral connection structure with the lower end surface of the first tank body, and the U-shaped part is fixedly connected with the vertical part.

34. A refrigeration system characterized by, The expansion tank comprises the first tank body bending part and the second tank body bending part.

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