Flow path switching valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow path switching valves in heat-pump type air conditioning systems face issues with deformation of the sealing surface due to high pressure, leading to valve leakage and reduced efficiency, necessitating improved rigidity to prevent such leakage.
Innovation Solution
A flow path switching valve with a high-pressure side slide valve body featuring a bridge structure that enhances rigidity, coupled with an annular sealing member and differential pressure mechanism to maintain sealing integrity and reduce pressure loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a slide-type valve body is used to switch flow paths, then the valve can effectively control refrigerant flow, but the sealing surface deforms under high pressure causing valve leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is divided into a high-pressure side slide valve body and a low-pressure side slide valve body that are coupled together. This segmentation allows the high-pressure side to be specifically reinforced with a bridge structure to prevent deformation, while the low-pressure side can maintain a simpler design. The segmentation enables targeted reinforcement without unnecessarily complicating the entire valve body structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A bridge structure is added to the high-pressure side slide valve body at the specific location where reinforcement is needed. This local quality enhancement provides the necessary rigidity to prevent sealing surface deformation under high pressure, while other parts of the valve body maintain their original design for simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
2Ease of manufacture
If the valve body structure is simplified for ease of manufacture, then production cost decreases, but rigidity under high pressure is insufficient leading to deformation
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the valve body into high-pressure and low-pressure sides, the invention allows the high-pressure side to have the additional bridge structure for rigidity, while the low-pressure side remains simple for easy manufacture. This segmentation enables differential design where complexity is applied only where necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge structure is added locally to the high-pressure side slide valve body only where structural reinforcement is needed to prevent deformation. This localized enhancement maintains ease of manufacture for the majority of the valve body while providing necessary strength where required.
3Reliability
If reinforcement structures are added to improve rigidity, then sealing property improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is segmented into two independent slide valve bodies (high-pressure and low-pressure sides) that can be manufactured separately and then coupled. This segmentation allows the reinforcement bridge to be added only to the high-pressure side, minimizing the increase in overall device complexity while achieving the necessary sealing improvement.
Data Source
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AI summary
A flow path switching valve (1) that can suppress deformation of the sealing surface and prevent valve leakage by improving rigidity of the high-pressure side slide valve body, and that contributes to improvement of efficiency of the heat-pump type air conditioning system is provided. In the flow path switching valve, a bridge (19) which connects inner circumferential surfaces of the high-pressure side slide valve body (15A) facing each other in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of a main valve chamber (12), is provided on the inner circumferential surfaces. Therefore, rigidity of the high-pressure side slide valve body (15A) can be improved, and even if refrigerants with high pressure flows and high pressure is applied to high-pressure side slide valve body (15A), deformation of a sealing surface can be suppressed. Therefore, valve leakage in the flow path switching valve (1) can be suppressed, and further improvement of efficiency of the heat-pump type air conditioning system can be achieved.