EP0691517B1 - Unit type expansion valve - Google Patents

Unit type expansion valve Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0691517B1
EP0691517B1 EP95110177A EP95110177A EP0691517B1 EP 0691517 B1 EP0691517 B1 EP 0691517B1 EP 95110177 A EP95110177 A EP 95110177A EP 95110177 A EP95110177 A EP 95110177A EP 0691517 B1 EP0691517 B1 EP 0691517B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
valve
valve casing
expansion valve
casing
thermo
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP95110177A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0691517A1 (en
Inventor
H. C/O Tgk Co. Ltd. Hirota
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
TGK Co Ltd
Original Assignee
TGK Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by TGK Co Ltd filed Critical TGK Co Ltd
Publication of EP0691517A1 publication Critical patent/EP0691517A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0691517B1 publication Critical patent/EP0691517B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B41/00—Fluid-circulation arrangements
    • F25B41/30—Expansion means; Dispositions thereof
    • F25B41/31—Expansion valves
    • F25B41/33—Expansion valves with the valve member being actuated by the fluid pressure, e.g. by the pressure of the refrigerant
    • F25B41/335—Expansion valves with the valve member being actuated by the fluid pressure, e.g. by the pressure of the refrigerant via diaphragms
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2341/00—Details of ejectors not being used as compression device; Details of flow restrictors or expansion valves
    • F25B2341/06—Details of flow restrictors or expansion valves
    • F25B2341/068—Expansion valves combined with a sensor
    • F25B2341/0683—Expansion valves combined with a sensor the sensor is disposed in the suction line and influenced by the temperature or the pressure of the suction gas
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2500/00—Problems to be solved
    • F25B2500/01—Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2500/00—Problems to be solved
    • F25B2500/21—Reduction of parts

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a unit type-expansion valve, particularly for an automotive air conditioning system, generally for a cooling circuit, according to the preamble part of claim 1.
  • thermo-sensitive chamber senses any change in temperature of refrigerant in the low-pressure refrigerant passage on the side of an evaporator outlet to hereby raise or lower the pressure therein accordingly.
  • the valve mechanism is driven by the raised or lowered pressuring the thermo-sensitive chamber to hereby open or close the high-pressure refrigerant passage on the side of the evaporator inlet.
  • the thermo-sensitive chamber and the valve mechanism form integrally prefabricated unit so that no re-adjustment is required once the interlocking relationship between the thermo-sensitive chamber and the valve mechanism is adjusted as well as facilitating the assembly, thereby reducing the assembly costs greatly.
  • thermo-sensitive chamber is encapsulated within a solid valve casing having thick casing walls and stepped connecting bores for the tubing. The opening for inserting the unit into the valve casing is closed by a costly airtightly closing lid.
  • An expansion valve as known from FR-A-2535483 comprises a solid, thick walled valve casing. Into the insertion opening of the valve casing the thermo-sensitive chamber is screwed in an airtight manner.
  • the design of the valve casing is bulky. Manufacturing the chamber component with a thread and providing a counter-thread in the casing is costly and require cost consuming assembly steps.
  • the prefabricated unit is inserted into a solid and thick-walled valve casing from the high-pressure side so that the thermo-sensitive chamber is completely encapsulated within the valve casing.
  • the insertion opening in the high-pressure region of the valve casing is air tightly closed by an inserted plug.
  • the prefabricated unit is received in a solid, thick-walled valve casing.
  • the unit is inserted into the valve casing from the low-pressure side.
  • the thermo-sensitive chamber at least partially is exposed to the surroundings and is screwed with a sealing member into the insertion opening.
  • Stepped connecting holes are provided in the thick wall of the valve casing for the tubing constituting the high-pressure and low-pressure passages.
  • thermo-sensitive chamber is disposed in the insertion opening at the inlet of the valve casing to close the opening. Hence, no special part for covering or closing the opening is required, thus greatly reducing the part costs.
  • the fixing arrangement used is a low cost but reliable fixing arrangement assuring the air tight closing of the valve casing. The fixing arrangement is easy to handle, is reliable and light-weight.
  • the embodiment according to claim 2 is easy to manufacture, easy to assemble and disassemble.
  • the mounting seat with its cylindrical collar only has to be shifted linearly into the opening of the valve casing until it reaches an airtight sliding fit.
  • the whole unit then is centred in the cavity of the valve casing. No costly to manufacture thread connection is necessary.
  • the additionally provided fixing arrangement secures the unit in the valve casing and maintains the airtight closing of the valve casing opening at the low-pressure side.
  • the airtight closing of the opening of the valve casing is easily achieved.
  • the O-ring co-operates with the collar.
  • the cylindrical centring portion co-operating with the collar centres the chamber and the unit in the correct position.
  • the assemble or disassembly needs only a linear pushing or pulling motion of the unit.
  • Claim 4 contains an embodiment of particular importance.
  • the barrel-shaped valve casing is easy to manufacture with precise dimensions and leads to a compact and space-saving design of the expansion valve, which is particularly important for automotive applications where space for the air conditioning system normally is extremely restricted.
  • the essentially constant all thickness moreover is advantageous in view to welding the tubing for the fluid passages into the valve casing.
  • the embodiment according to claim 5 is easy to manufacture.
  • the valve casing is rigid and lightweight. It can be manufactured with precise dimensions in a mass production with the help of simple tooling and machinery. The material of the valve casing can easily be recycled.
  • the embodiment according to claim 6 perfectly meets with the requirement of low cost manufacturing, facilitated assembly and disassembly, and easy installing of the expansion valve into an air conditioning system.
  • the stepped configuration of the valve casing leads to a slim and space saving design of the expansion valve.
  • the unit is easy to prefabricate and allows easy assembly or disassembly of the expansion valve because all active or passive components of the unit are connected with each other.
  • the embodiment of claim 8 is of particular importance, because it relates to a very simple reliable mounting of the valve spring, the pre load of which, can be varied upon demand.
  • the number of necessary parts for the valve mechanism is kept at a minimum which further reduces part costs and weight.
  • the embodiment of according to claim 9 is easy to manufacture and assures a reliable connection between both parts of the unit.
  • the embodiment according to claim 10 is important because it relates to a simple way to connect the thermo-sensitive chamber with the rest of the components of the unit with a minimum number of parts.
  • the mounting seat fulfils a dual-function, because it serves to airtightly close the opening of the valve casing and simultaneously connects the thermo-sensitive chamber with the other components of the unit.
  • the embodiment according to claim 11 further contributes to low manufacturing costs, because such welding connections can be made quickly and reliably without costly, time consuming preparation of the interconnected components.
  • the embodiment of claim 12 is of particular importance. When welding the evaporator, and special process for connecting the piping becomes unnecessary, since the piping constituting the refrigerant passages is welded to the valve casing and the evaporator at the same time thus greatly reducing the assembly costs.
  • said welding connections are made in a high temperature chamber and simultaneously, even by also welding the connections between the valve casing the tubing connecting the expansion valve with a compressor and/or the refrigerant reservoir.
  • the sub-assembly of the evaporator and the valve casing with the tubing can easily be prefabricated. This saves manufacturing costs. No costly pipe connecting elements or fittings are necessary.
  • the valve casing can be positioned extremely close to the evaporator.
  • Figure 1 shows a refrigerating cycle comprising an evaporator 1; a compressor 2; a condenser 3; a liquid receiver 4 containing high-pressure refrigerant; and an expansion valve 10.
  • a high-pressure refrigerant passage 12 connected to the outlet of the liquid receiver 4 is connected to the inlet of the evaporator 1.
  • a low-pressure refrigerant passage 13 connected to the outlet of the evaporator 1 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 2.
  • a barrel-shaped valve casing 11 is connected to the high-pressure refrigerant passage 12 and the low-pressure refrigerant passage 13 so as to penetrate them sideways. These connections are adhered, for example, by aluminium welding.
  • the high-pressure refrigerant passage 12 is connected to the valve casing 11 with the inlet side in deviated or offset relationship with the outlet side.
  • a bottom lid 14 or plug is adhered to the bottom of the valve casing 11 also by aluminium welding.
  • the high-pressure refrigerant passage 12, the low-pressure refrigerant passage 13, the bottom lid 14 and the like are also aluminium welded to the valve 11 in the high-temperature chamber at the same time.
  • valve casing 11 As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the end portion of the valve casing 11 on the side of the low-pressure refrigerant passage 13 is open. The other end portion is closed by lid 14.
  • the diameters of the intermediate portions is changed for each piping connection gradually so that the inside diameter on the opening side is large, and the inside diameter on the bottom side is small.
  • the valve casing 11 thus includes cylindrical wall sections of different diameters, but an essentially constant wall thickness.
  • the big diameter opening of the valve casing 11 is surrounded by an annular flange.
  • thermo-sensitive chamber 20 senses any change in temperature of refrigerant in the low-pressure refrigerant passage 13 to thereby raise or lower the pressure therein.
  • the valve mechanism 30 is driven by the raised/lowered pressure in the thermo-sensitive chamber 20 to open or close the high-pressure refrigerant passage 12.
  • a body barrel 32 with a valve seat 31 formed is fitted to the inside of the portion or cylindrical wall section of the valve casing 11, to which the high-pressure refrigerant passage 12 is connected, and the fitted surface is installed with O-rings 33 and 34 for sealing.
  • a spherical valve body 35 disposed facing to a valve seat 31 is biased toward the valve seat 31 by means of a valve spring 36 (compression coil spring with frusto-conical shape). Since the basic end or the last spring turns 37 of the compression coil spring 36 is threaded onto a helical groove (thread profile) formed on the inner surface of the body barrel 32, the compression coil spring 36 can be rotated about its axis to thereby adjust its biasing force against valve body 35.
  • a valve spring 36 compression coil spring with frusto-conical shape
  • a supporting barrel 38 as part of unit 15 disposed to traverse the low-pressure refrigerant passage 13 is fixed to the body barrel 32 by staking the upper end portion to the interior side.
  • a rod 40 is disposed at the central axis position so as to advance or retreat freely through the supporting barrel 38 and the body barrel 32.
  • the part at which the supporting barrel 38 and the body barrel 32 are joined with each other contains an O-ring 39 for sealing the outer peripheral surface of the rod 40. Said part is fitted with O-ring 34 into a second smaller diameter wall section of the valve casing 11.
  • the upper end of rod 40 extends towards the thermo-sensitive chamber 20.
  • the lower end thereof passes through valve seat 31 and abuts on the valve body 35.
  • the channel sectional area in the high-pressure refrigerant passage 12 changes to vary the amount of the refrigerant to be fed into the evaporator 1 while effecting adiabatic expansion.
  • thermo-sensitive chamber mounting seat 21 is airtightly welded thereto. As shown in Figure. 3, the section of a lower cylindrical collar of the thermo-sensitive chamber mounting seat 21 is circular, and therefore, there is partially clearance 16 (several gaps) between the head 38a of the supporting barrel 38 and the thermo-sensitive chamber mounting seat 21.
  • the refrigerant in the low-pressure refrigerant passage 13 passes through the clearance 16, reaching the rear side of the thermo-sensitive chamber 20.
  • thermo-sensitive chamber 20 is airtightly closed by a housing 22 made of a thick metallic plate, and contains a diaphragm 23 in the surface direction is transmitted to the valve body 35 via rod 40.
  • the refrigerant in the low-pressure refrigerant passage 13 passes through the clearance 16 to the rear side of the thermo-sensitive chamber 20.
  • the rear side of the diaphragm 23 receives the refrigerant pressure in the low-pressure refrigerant passage 13, so that the temperature of the low-pressure refrigerant is transmitted from the diaphragm 23 to the thermo-sensitive chamber 20 through the backup board 25.
  • the pressure of refrigerant in the thermo-sensitive chamber 20 changes to raise or lower the pressure in the thermo-sensitive chamber 20.
  • the diaphragm 23, the valve body 35 and the like stand still to control the amount of the refrigerant to be fed from the high-pressure refrigerant passage 12 to the evaporator 1.
  • thermo-sensitive chamber 20 is located in the opening at the inlet of the valve casing 11 with the opening closed airtightly.
  • Reference numeral 43 designates an O-ring for sealing in this region. O-ring 43 is seated on a radial shoulder in the opening and contacts the collar of mounting seat 21. The collar extends beyond the shoulder and can be centered there.
  • thermo-sensitive chamber 20 is interposed together with the head of the valve casing 11 by means of an externally provided fixing arrangement, e.g. a two-part bracket 44.
  • Reference numeral 45 designates a fixing screw for fixing the bracket 44.
  • the two parts of the bracket are releasably connected opposite to screw 45.
  • the bracket parts have slots for positively engaging at the rim of chamber 20 and a flange surrounding the opening of the valve casing 11.
  • the unit 15, in which the thermo-sensitive chamber 20 and the valve mechanism 30 are integrally assembled in advance, is inserted into the valve casing 11 as it is, and is fixed with the bracket 44. If the bracket 44 is removed and the thermo-sensitive chamber 20 portion is pulled outwardly, and then the unit 15 as a whole can be drawn out of the valve casing 11.
  • the unit 15 can be re-assembled to the valve casing 11 as it is without necessitating any adjustment or the like.
  • the unit 15 may be fixed with any member other than the bracket 44.
  • the barrel-shaped valve casing 11 preferably is a shaped piece of sheet metal. Any type of metal can be used. Preferable is to use aluminium or an aluminium alloy.
  • the valve casing can be secured to the laminated-type evaporator 1 ( Figure 2) within a high-temperature chamber at the same time when the evaporator in welded and by aluminium-welding the tubes for the passages 12, 13 by aluminium-welding into the evaporator 1 and into wall holes of the valve casing. At the same time also the further tubes of the passages 12, 13 for connecting the compressor 2 and the reservoir 4 can be aluminium welded to the valve casing 11.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Temperature-Responsive Valves (AREA)
  • Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)
EP95110177A 1994-06-29 1995-06-29 Unit type expansion valve Expired - Lifetime EP0691517B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP14757894 1994-06-29
JP6147578A JPH0814707A (ja) 1994-06-29 1994-06-29 ユニット型膨張弁
JP147578/94 1994-06-29

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0691517A1 EP0691517A1 (en) 1996-01-10
EP0691517B1 true EP0691517B1 (en) 1999-09-01

Family

ID=15433531

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95110177A Expired - Lifetime EP0691517B1 (en) 1994-06-29 1995-06-29 Unit type expansion valve

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0691517B1 (ja)
JP (1) JPH0814707A (ja)
DE (1) DE69511793T2 (ja)

Families Citing this family (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3785229B2 (ja) * 1996-09-12 2006-06-14 株式会社不二工機 膨張弁
JPH1089809A (ja) * 1996-09-18 1998-04-10 Fuji Koki:Kk 膨張弁
JP3372439B2 (ja) * 1996-10-11 2003-02-04 株式会社不二工機 膨張弁
JPH10288424A (ja) * 1997-04-11 1998-10-27 Fuji Koki Corp 温度式膨張弁
JPH11223425A (ja) 1998-02-10 1999-08-17 Fujikoki Corp 膨張弁
JP4294155B2 (ja) * 1999-04-16 2009-07-08 株式会社不二工機 温度膨張弁
JP3998887B2 (ja) * 2000-03-02 2007-10-31 株式会社不二工機 膨張弁
JP3525112B2 (ja) * 2000-11-21 2004-05-10 株式会社テージーケー 膨張弁
JP2004053060A (ja) 2002-07-17 2004-02-19 Fuji Koki Corp 膨張弁
BR0315325A (pt) 2002-10-18 2005-08-16 Parker Hannifin Corp Válvula de expansão de refrigeração com elemento de energia de massa térmica
JP4136597B2 (ja) * 2002-10-29 2008-08-20 株式会社不二工機 膨張弁
DE102004005379B3 (de) * 2004-02-03 2005-05-04 Otto Egelhof Gmbh & Co. Kg Expansionsventil für Kälteanlagen, insbesondere Klimaanlagen in Fahrzeugen
EP1598581B1 (en) * 2004-05-17 2007-06-06 Fujikoki Corporation Expansion valve
CN100404925C (zh) * 2004-05-17 2008-07-23 株式会社不二工机 膨胀阀
WO2014174954A1 (ja) * 2013-04-22 2014-10-30 株式会社鷺宮製作所 弁装置
KR101938281B1 (ko) * 2016-01-25 2019-01-14 (주)기하정밀 전자식 밸브, 그를 포함하는 배관시스템 및 공조설비
KR101909496B1 (ko) * 2016-05-10 2018-10-24 (주)신보이엔지 체크밸브 겸용 전자팽창밸브, 냉난방 시스템, 및 히트펌프 시스템
JP7045345B2 (ja) * 2019-04-25 2022-03-31 株式会社鷺宮製作所 膨張弁および冷凍サイクルシステム

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5356745A (en) * 1976-11-01 1978-05-23 Hitachi Ltd Evaporator
US4604653A (en) 1982-10-21 1986-08-05 Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Document filing system
US4819443A (en) 1987-06-30 1989-04-11 Fujikoki America, Inc. Expansion valve
JPH03100768U (ja) 1990-01-26 1991-10-21
JPH04113664A (ja) 1990-09-03 1992-04-15 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 半導体保護回路
US5074329A (en) * 1990-11-13 1991-12-24 Thermo King Corporation Three-way valve for a refrigeration system
ES2100972T3 (es) 1991-05-14 1997-07-01 T G K Co Ltd Valvula de expansion.
JP3224139B2 (ja) * 1992-03-11 2001-10-29 株式会社不二工機 温度膨脹弁の製造方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69511793T2 (de) 1999-12-23
EP0691517A1 (en) 1996-01-10
DE69511793D1 (de) 1999-10-07
JPH0814707A (ja) 1996-01-19

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