Electronic expansion valve

Abstract

An electronic expansion valve (100). The electronic expansion valve (100) comprises a valve body assembly (10), a nut sleeve (20), a sleeve (30), and a valve core assembly (40), wherein the valve body assembly (10) has a valve cavity (101) and a first valve port (102); the nut sleeve (20) is disposed in the valve cavity (101) and is fixedly connected to the valve body assembly (10), and a nut inner bore (201) is provided at the end of the nut sleeve (20) close to the first valve port (102); one end of the sleeve (30) is inserted into the nut inner bore (201), an outer wall of the sleeve (30) is in sliding guide fit with an inner wall of the nut inner bore (201), and the sleeve (30) is provided with a flow chamber (301) and a second valve port (302); and the valve core assembly (10) is movably mounted in the nut sleeve (20), and one end of the valve core assembly (10) extends into the flow chamber (301).

Description

Electronic expansion valve

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202520106114.8, filed on January 16, 2025, entitled "Electronic Expansion Valve", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of valve technology, and in particular to an electronic expansion valve. Background Technology

[0004] Electronic expansion valves are key components in air conditioning systems, primarily used for regulating flow and throttling / pressure reduction. Currently, some electronic expansion valves incorporate a check valve function. In these types of electronic expansion valves, the valve typically includes a valve needle assembly, a nut sleeve, and a check valve. The check valve has a sleeve structure, with its outer wall engaging with the nut sleeve for guidance, and its inner wall engaging with the valve needle assembly for guidance.

[0005] However, in this guide connection method, the coaxiality of the nut sleeve, valve needle assembly, and check valve is insufficient. When the refrigerant impacts the check valve, it can easily cause the check valve and valve needle assembly to deflect together. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to various embodiments of this application, an electronic expansion valve is provided.

[0007] This application provides an electronic expansion valve, which includes a valve body assembly, a nut sleeve, a sleeve, and a valve core assembly. The valve body assembly has a valve cavity and a first valve port. The nut is sleeved in the valve cavity and fixedly connected to the valve body assembly. The nut sleeve has an inner hole at one end near the first valve port. One end of the sleeve is inserted into the inner hole of the nut, and the outer wall of the sleeve slides and guides the inner wall of the inner hole of the nut. The sleeve has a flow cavity and a second valve port. The valve core assembly is movably installed in the nut sleeve, and one end of the valve core assembly extends into the flow cavity. The outer wall of the valve core assembly has a guide surface, and the guide surface slides and guides the inner wall of the inner hole of the nut.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first inner hole and the second inner hole are coaxially arranged.

[0009] In one embodiment, the nut bore includes a first inner bore and a second inner bore, the outer wall of the sleeve slides and guides with the inner wall of the second inner bore, and the guide surface slides and guides synchronously with the inner walls of the first inner bore and the flow cavity.

[0010] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the first inner hole and the inner wall of the flow cavity are flush.

[0011] In one embodiment, the nut sleeve includes a first connecting portion, the outer wall of which is interference-fitted or transition-fitted with the inner wall of the valve cavity.

[0012] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the valve cavity is formed with a stepped surface, and along the axial direction of the first valve port, the end face of the first connecting portion near the first valve port abuts against the stepped surface.

[0013] In one embodiment, the nut sleeve further includes a second connecting portion, which is located on the side of the nut sleeve near its own axis, and the inner hole of the nut is opened in the second connecting portion; a first connecting pipe is connected to the side wall of the valve body assembly, the first connecting pipe having a first opening communicating with the valve cavity, and along the axial direction of the first valve port, the end face of the second connecting portion near the first valve port is not higher than the inner wall of the first opening on the side away from the first valve port.

[0014] In one embodiment, along the axial direction of the first valve port, the end face of the second connecting portion near the first valve port is not higher than the axis of the first opening.

[0015] In one embodiment, the valve core assembly includes a screw, a valve needle, and a spring sleeve. The screw passes through the spring sleeve and is movably engaged with it. One end of the spring sleeve is connected to the screw, and the other end is connected to the valve needle. The outer wall of the spring sleeve forms the guide surface.

[0016] In one embodiment, the valve core assembly further includes an elastic element mounted within the spring sleeve and located between the screw and the valve needle.

[0017] In one embodiment, the valve core assembly further includes a bearing disposed between the screw and the spring sleeve, wherein one of the screw and the spring sleeve is connected to the outer ring of the bearing and the other is connected to the inner ring of the bearing.

[0018] In one embodiment, the valve body assembly includes a main valve seat and an outer cover, the outer cover being sleeved on one end of the main valve seat and forming the valve cavity with the main valve seat; wherein, the nut is fixedly installed on the main valve seat, and the first valve port is opened on the main valve seat.

[0019] Details of one or more embodiments of this application are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To better describe and illustrate embodiments and / or examples of the inventions disclosed herein, reference may be made to one or more accompanying 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 currently described embodiments and / or examples, or the best mode of these inventions as currently understood.

[0021] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic expansion valve according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 1.

[0023] The symbols in the diagram represent the following meanings: 100, Electronic expansion valve; 10, Valve body assembly; 101, Valve cavity; 102, First valve port; 103, Stepped surface; 11, Main valve seat; 12, Outer cover; 20, Nut sleeve; 201, Nut inner hole; 2011, First inner hole; 2012, Second inner hole; 21, First connecting part; 22, Second connecting part; 30, Sleeve; 301, Flow cavity; 302, Second valve port; 303, Flow hole; 40, Valve core assembly; 401, Guide surface; 41, Screw; 42, Valve needle; 43, Spring sleeve; 44, Elastic element; 45, Bearing; 50, First connecting pipe; 501, First opening; 60, Second connecting pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0025] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0026] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0027] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0029] Electronic expansion valves are key components in air conditioning systems, primarily used for regulating flow and throttling / pressure reduction. Currently, some electronic expansion valves incorporate a check valve function. In these types of electronic expansion valves, the structure typically includes a valve needle assembly, a nut sleeve, and a check valve. The check valve has a sleeve structure, with its outer wall engaging with the nut sleeve for guidance, and its inner wall engaging with the valve needle assembly for guidance.

[0030] However, in this guide connection method, the coaxiality of the nut sleeve, valve needle assembly, and check valve is insufficient. When the refrigerant impacts the check valve, it can easily cause the check valve and valve needle assembly to deflect together.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. This application provides an electronic expansion valve 100, which includes a valve body assembly 10, a nut sleeve 20, a sleeve 30, and a valve core assembly 40. The valve body assembly 10 has a valve cavity 101 and a first valve port 102. A first connecting pipe 50 is connected to the side wall of the valve body assembly 10, and a second connecting pipe 60 is connected to the valve body assembly 10 at the position of the first valve port 102.

[0032] The electronic expansion valve 100 provided in this application can be used as a two-way valve, that is, refrigerant can flow into the valve chamber 101 through the first connector 50 and flow out through the second connector 60, which is the forward flow of refrigerant. Alternatively, refrigerant can flow into the valve chamber 101 through the second connector 60 and flow out through the first connector 50, which is the reverse flow of refrigerant.

[0033] Further, as shown in Figure 2, the nut sleeve 20 is disposed in the valve cavity 101 and fixedly connected to the valve body assembly 10. The end of the nut sleeve 20 near the first valve port 102 has a nut inner hole 201. One end of the sleeve 30 is inserted into the nut inner hole 201, and the outer wall of the sleeve 30 slides and guides the inner wall of the nut inner hole 201, so that the sleeve 30 can move axially toward or away from the first valve port 102. The sleeve 30 has a flow cavity 301, a second valve port 302 and a flow hole 303. The second valve port 302 is opened at one end of the flow cavity 301 along the axial direction, and the flow hole 303 is opened on the side wall of the flow cavity 301. The valve core assembly 40 is movably installed inside the nut sleeve 20, and one end of the valve core assembly 40 extends into the flow cavity 301. The outer wall of the valve core assembly 40 is provided with a guide surface 401, which slides and guides the inner wall of the nut inner hole 201, so that the valve core assembly 40 can move axially toward or away from the second valve port 302.

[0034] Understandably, this application, by setting the outer wall of the sleeve 30 to slide guide the inner wall of the nut inner hole 201, and the guide surface 401 of the valve core assembly 40 to slide guide the inner wall of the nut inner hole 201, allows the nut sleeve 20 to guide the valve core assembly 40 and the sleeve 30 respectively during their movement. This improves the coaxiality among the nut sleeve 20, the sleeve 30, and the valve core assembly 40, thereby reducing the probability of the sleeve 30 and the valve core assembly 40 becoming misaligned when the refrigerant impacts the sleeve 30, effectively improving the stability of the electronic expansion valve.

[0035] When the refrigerant flows in the forward direction, the sleeve 30 will press against the first valve port 102 under the action of pressure difference or valve core assembly 40. At this time, the second valve port 302 on the sleeve 30 actually performs the flow function, and the valve core assembly 40 can move axially under the drive of the rotor or other driving components, thereby opening or closing the second valve port 302. Specifically, when the second valve port 302 is open, the refrigerant flowing into the valve chamber 101 from the first connecting pipe 50 can flow sequentially through the flow hole 303, the flow chamber 301, the second valve port 302, and the first valve port 102 to the second connecting pipe 60. During this process, the flow rate at the second valve port 302 is adjusted by the axial movement of the valve core assembly 40.

[0036] When the refrigerant flows in reverse, the pressure at the second connector 60 will be greater than the pressure inside the valve chamber 101. Under the action of the pressure difference, the sleeve 30 will move away from the first valve port 102, thereby opening the first valve port 102. At the same time, the valve core assembly 40, driven by the rotor, also moves away from the first valve port 102. In this way, the refrigerant in the second connector 60 can directly enter the valve chamber 101 through the first valve port 102 and flow out through the first connector 50. At this time, the electronic expansion valve 100 does not regulate the refrigerant flow rate, achieving the effect of full refrigerant flow during reverse flow, thereby increasing the refrigerant flow efficiency.

[0037] Specifically, the nut inner bore 201 includes a first inner bore 2011 and a second inner bore 2012. The second inner bore 2012 is located at the end of the first inner bore 2011 near the first valve port 102 and communicates with the first inner bore 2011. The sleeve 30 is inserted into the second inner bore 2012, and the outer wall of the sleeve 30 slides and guides the inner wall of the second inner bore 2012. The guide surface 401 slides and guides the inner walls of the first inner bore 2011 and the flow cavity 301 synchronously. That is, the valve core assembly 40 and the sleeve 30 also guide each other, thereby further improving coaxiality.

[0038] The first inner hole 2011 and the second inner hole 2012 are coaxially arranged, which is simple in structure, easy to process, and can improve the coaxiality of the movement of the sleeve 30 and the valve core assembly 40.

[0039] Furthermore, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG2, the inner wall of the first inner hole 2011 is flush with the inner wall of the flow cavity 301. That is, the inner diameter of the first inner hole 2011 and the inner diameter of the flow cavity 301 are basically equal in size, which allows the guide surface 401 on the valve core assembly 40 to be directly machined into a cylindrical surface, which helps to reduce the machining difficulty of the guide surface 401.

[0040] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG2, the valve body assembly 10 includes a main valve seat 11 and an outer cover 12. The outer cover 12 is sleeved on one end of the main valve seat 11 and together with the main valve seat 11, forms a valve cavity 101, so as to protect the components inside the valve cavity 101 through the outer cover 12, thereby improving safety. A nut sleeve 20 is fixedly installed on the main valve seat 11, and a first valve port 102 is opened on the main valve seat 11.

[0041] Specifically, in this embodiment, the main valve seat 11 is a one-piece design, and the first valve port 102 is directly machined on the main valve seat 11. Of course, in other embodiments, a separate valve seat core can be connected to the main valve seat 11, and the first valve port 102 can be opened on the valve seat core. The specific configuration can be reasonably set according to actual needs.

[0042] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG2, the nut sleeve 20 includes a first connecting portion 21, the outer wall of which is press-fitted or transition-fitted with the inner wall of the valve cavity 101. Thus, by press-fitting the nut sleeve 20 to the main valve seat 11 through the interference or transition fit, the connection strength of the nut sleeve 20 can be guaranteed, and the coaxiality of the nut sleeve 20 can be improved.

[0043] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the inner wall of the valve cavity 101 is formed with a stepped surface 103. Along the axial direction of the first valve port 102, the end face of the first connecting part 21 near the first valve port 102 abuts against the stepped surface 103, thereby limiting the assembly of the nut sleeve 20, which is beneficial to improving the assembly efficiency between the nut sleeve 20 and the main valve seat 11.

[0044] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG2, the nut sleeve 20 further includes a second connecting portion 22, which is disposed on the side of the nut sleeve 20 near its own axis, and the nut inner hole 201 is formed in the second connecting portion 22. The first connecting pipe 50 has a first opening 501 communicating with the valve cavity 101. Along the axial direction of the first valve port 102, the end face of the second connecting portion 22 near the first valve port 102 is not higher than the side of the inner wall of the first opening 501 away from the first valve port 102.

[0045] That is, in the axial direction of the first valve port 102, the part of the nut sleeve 20 that mates with the sleeve 30 extends at least to the position of the first connecting pipe 50, thereby increasing the contact area between the nut sleeve 20 and the sleeve 30, improving the stability of the movement of the sleeve 30, effectively preventing the refrigerant flowing in from the first opening 501 from impacting the sleeve 30 and causing it to tilt, ensuring the fit between the sleeve 30 and other components, preventing the valve core assembly 40 from jamming and reducing the probability of internal leakage.

[0046] In some embodiments, along the axial direction of the first valve port 102, the end face of the second connecting portion 22 near the first valve port 102 is not higher than the axis of the first opening 501. Thus, the nut sleeve 20 can further mitigate the impact of the refrigerant flowing in from the first opening 501 on the sleeve 30, thereby ensuring the reliability of the sleeve 30 during operation.

[0047] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG2, the valve core assembly 40 includes a screw 41, a valve needle 42, and a spring sleeve 43. The screw 41 passes through the spring sleeve 43 and is movably engaged with it. One end of the spring sleeve 43 is connected to the screw 41, and the other end is connected to the valve needle 42. The outer wall of the spring sleeve 43 forms a guide surface 401. Here, the spring sleeve 43 not only connects the screw 41 and the valve needle 42, but also protects the components housed within it, improving the reliability of the electronic expansion valve.

[0048] Furthermore, the valve core assembly 40 also includes an elastic element 44, which is installed within the spring sleeve 43 and located between the screw 41 and the valve needle 42. The elastic element 44 acts as a buffer, and the electronic expansion valve can reduce the impact of the refrigerant on the valve needle 42 through the deformation of the elastic element 44, thereby reducing noise.

[0049] Since the screw 41 is driven by the nut sleeve 20 through a threaded engagement, the circumferential rotation of the screw 41 is converted into the axial movement of the valve core assembly 40. Therefore, in order to reduce the probability that the valve needle 42 rotates with the rotation of the screw 41, and thus prevent the valve needle 42 and the second valve port 302 from generating large frictional wear due to rotation, in one embodiment, the valve core assembly 40 further includes a bearing 45. The bearing 45 is disposed between the screw 41 and the spring sleeve 43, and one of the screw 41 and the spring sleeve 43 is connected to the outer ring of the bearing 45, and the other of the screw 41 and the spring sleeve 43 is connected to the inner ring of the bearing 45.

[0050] Specifically, in this embodiment, the screw 41 is connected to the inner ring of the bearing 45, and the screw 41 and the inner ring of the bearing 45 can be fixed by welding or riveting. At the same time, the spring sleeve 43 is axially limited to the outer ring of the bearing 45.

[0051] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0052] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electronic expansion valve characterized by, include: A valve body assembly having a valve cavity and a first valve port; A nut sleeve is provided inside the valve cavity and is fixedly connected to the valve body assembly. The end of the nut sleeve near the first valve port has an inner nut hole. A sleeve, one end of which is inserted into the inner hole of the nut, and the outer wall of the sleeve is slidably guided to the inner wall of the inner hole of the nut. The sleeve is provided with a flow cavity and a second valve port. A valve core assembly is movably installed inside the nut sleeve, with one end of the valve core assembly extending into the flow cavity. The outer wall of the valve core assembly is provided with a guide surface, which slides and guides the inner wall of the nut's inner hole.

2. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein, The nut's inner bore includes a first inner bore and a second inner bore. The outer wall of the sleeve slides and guides the inner wall of the second inner bore. The guide surface slides and guides synchronously with the inner walls of the first inner bore and the flow cavity.

3. The electronic expansion valve of claim 2, wherein, The first inner hole and the second inner hole are coaxially arranged.

4. The electronic expansion valve of claim 2, wherein, The inner wall of the first inner hole is flush with the inner wall of the flow cavity.

5. The electronic expansion valve of claim 1, wherein, The nut sleeve includes a first connecting portion, the outer wall of which is interference-fitted or transition-fitted with the inner wall of the valve cavity.

6. The electronic expansion valve of claim 5, wherein, The inner wall of the valve cavity is formed with a stepped surface, and along the axial direction of the first valve port, the end face of the first connecting part near the first valve port abuts against the stepped surface.

7. The electronic expansion valve of claim 1, wherein, The nut sleeve also includes a second connecting part, which is located on the side of the nut sleeve close to its own axis, and the inner hole of the nut is opened in the second connecting part; A first connecting pipe is connected to the side wall of the valve body assembly. The first connecting pipe has a first opening that communicates with the valve cavity. Along the axial direction of the first valve port, the end face of the second connecting portion near the first valve port is not higher than the inner wall of the first opening on the side away from the first valve port.

8. The electronic expansion valve of claim 7, wherein, Along the axial direction of the first valve port, the end face of the second connecting portion near the first valve port is not higher than the axis of the first opening.

9. The electronic expansion valve of claim 1, wherein The valve core assembly includes a screw, a valve needle, and a spring sleeve. The screw passes through the spring sleeve and is movably engaged with the spring sleeve. One end of the spring sleeve is connected to the screw, and the other end is connected to the valve needle. The outer wall of the spring sleeve forms the guide surface.

10. The electronic expansion valve of claim 9, wherein, The valve core assembly also includes an elastic element, which is installed inside the spring sleeve and located between the screw and the valve needle.

11. The electronic expansion valve of claim 9, wherein, The valve core assembly also includes a bearing, which is disposed between the screw and the spring sleeve, with one of the screw and the spring sleeve connected to the outer ring of the bearing and the other connected to the inner ring of the bearing.

12. The electronic expansion valve of claim 1, wherein, The valve body assembly includes a main valve seat and an outer cover, wherein the outer cover is fitted over one end of the main valve seat and together with the main valve seat forms the valve cavity; The nut sleeve is fixedly installed on the main valve seat, and the first valve port is opened on the main valve seat.

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