EP2963294B1 - Soupape de contrôle pour compresseur de déplacement variable - Google Patents

Soupape de contrôle pour compresseur de déplacement variable Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2963294B1
EP2963294B1 EP15172342.6A EP15172342A EP2963294B1 EP 2963294 B1 EP2963294 B1 EP 2963294B1 EP 15172342 A EP15172342 A EP 15172342A EP 2963294 B1 EP2963294 B1 EP 2963294B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
valve
chamber
control
pressure
communication port
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.)
Active
Application number
EP15172342.6A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP2963294A1 (fr
Inventor
Ryousuke Yoshihiro
Akinobu Wakabayashi
Shinji Saeki
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
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Filing date
Publication date
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Publication of EP2963294A1 publication Critical patent/EP2963294A1/fr
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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
    • F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
    • F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
    • F04B27/14—Control
    • F04B27/16—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders
    • F04B27/18—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders by varying the relative positions of a swash plate and a cylinder block
    • F04B27/1804—Controlled by crankcase pressure
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
    • F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
    • F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
    • F04B27/14—Control
    • F04B27/16—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders
    • F04B27/18—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders by varying the relative positions of a swash plate and a cylinder block
    • F04B27/1804—Controlled by crankcase pressure
    • F04B2027/1809—Controlled pressure
    • F04B2027/1813—Crankcase pressure
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
    • F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
    • F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
    • F04B27/14—Control
    • F04B27/16—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders
    • F04B27/18—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders by varying the relative positions of a swash plate and a cylinder block
    • F04B27/1804—Controlled by crankcase pressure
    • F04B2027/1822—Valve-controlled fluid connection
    • F04B2027/1827—Valve-controlled fluid connection between crankcase and discharge chamber
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
    • F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
    • F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
    • F04B27/14—Control
    • F04B27/16—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders
    • F04B27/18—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders by varying the relative positions of a swash plate and a cylinder block
    • F04B27/1804—Controlled by crankcase pressure
    • F04B2027/1822—Valve-controlled fluid connection
    • F04B2027/1831—Valve-controlled fluid connection between crankcase and suction chamber
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
    • F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
    • F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
    • F04B27/14—Control
    • F04B27/16—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders
    • F04B27/18—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders by varying the relative positions of a swash plate and a cylinder block
    • F04B27/1804—Controlled by crankcase pressure
    • F04B2027/184—Valve controlling parameter
    • F04B2027/185—Discharge pressure
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
    • F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
    • F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
    • F04B27/14—Control
    • F04B27/16—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders
    • F04B27/18—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders by varying the relative positions of a swash plate and a cylinder block
    • F04B27/1804—Controlled by crankcase pressure
    • F04B2027/184—Valve controlling parameter
    • F04B2027/1854—External parameters
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
    • F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
    • F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
    • F04B27/14—Control
    • F04B27/16—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders
    • F04B27/18—Control of pumps with stationary cylinders by varying the relative positions of a swash plate and a cylinder block
    • F04B27/1804—Controlled by crankcase pressure
    • F04B2027/184—Valve controlling parameter
    • F04B2027/1859—Suction pressure

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a control valve for controlling the discharging capacity of a variable displacement compressor.
  • An automotive air conditioner is generally configured by arranging and placing a compressor, a condenser, an expander, an evaporator, and so forth in a refrigeration cycle.
  • the compressor is, for example, a variable displacement compressor (hereinafter referred to simply as "compressor” also) capable of varying the refrigerant discharging capacity in order to maintain a constant level of cooling capacity irrespective of the engine speed.
  • compressor a variable displacement compressor
  • a piston for compression is linked to a wobble plate, which is mounted to a rotational shaft rotatingly driven by an engine.
  • the refrigerant discharging rate is regulated by changing the stroke of the piston through changes in the angle of the wobble plate.
  • crank pressure The pressure within this crankcase (hereinafter referred to as “crank pressure") Pc is controlled by a control valve for a variable displacement compressor (hereinafter referred to simply as “control valve” also), which is provided between the discharge chamber and the crankcase of the compressor.
  • control valve is a valve that controls the amount of refrigerant introduced into a crankcase according to a differential pressure (Pd - Ps) between a discharge pressure Pd and a suction pressure Ps of a compressor so as to control the crank pressure Pc (refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-132650 , for example).
  • This control valve is configured as an electromagnetic valve and has a valve hole, through which the discharge chamber and the crankcase communicate with each other, within a body thereof.
  • a valve seat is formed at an opening end of the valve hole.
  • the opening degree of a valve section is regulated by making a valve element, placed within the body, touch and leave the valve seat or by moving the valve element toward and away from the valve seat, thereby controlling the flow rate of refrigerant introduced into the crankcase.
  • the valve element operates autonomously so that the differential pressure (Pd - Ps) is kept at a preset differential pressure set according to an amount of current supplied to a solenoid.
  • Such a control valve can control the differential pressure (Pd - Ps) to be a desired value by adjusting the preset differential pressure, and can appropriately adjust the discharging capacity of refrigerant from the compressor. Since the capacity control is based on the discharge pressure Pd, this control valve also has an advantage of being highly responsive in changing the discharging capacity.
  • valve element of such a control valve often has a ball shape or a tapered shape to ensure the sealing property of the valve section when the valve section is closed. This improves the seating characteristics of the valve element on the valve seat. Verification conducted by the inventors, however, has shown that use of valve elements having such shapes increases occurrence of control hunting. In such a control valve, the effective pressure-receiving diameter of the valve element becomes smaller when the valve section is opened from the valve closed state while the solenoid is energized, which facilitates valve opening operation of the valve element. When this control valve is installed in a compressor, the sensitivity of the valve opening operation is increased, and this is considered to make the control hunting more likely to occur in the compressor.
  • chlorofluorocarbon which is conventionally used as the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle be replaced by carbon dioxide and the like.
  • CFC chlorofluorocarbon
  • the pressure of refrigerant is increased to a supercritical range exceeding the critical temperature thereof and therefore the discharge pressure of refrigerant gets very high. This raises concerns that the aforementioned control hunting will have greater impact.
  • the document EP 1 681 466 A2 which is considered the closest prior art, discloses a control valve for a variable displacement compressor, wherein a force applied to a valve element in a valve-closing direction increases when the valve element is in a pressure control area. The force is balanced with a force applied to the valve element in valve-opening direction by the refrigerant pressure. When the valve element moves past an end point of the pressure control area, the force in valve-closing direction decreases to increase the valve-opening degree when a valve portion is fully open. When the solenoid is deenergized, a sufficient flow rate is assured to quickly shift the compressor to an operation with the minimum displacement.
  • the document EP 1 630 419 A2 discloses a control valve for a variable displacement compressor.
  • a valve section of a control valve controls the flow rate between a discharge chamber and a crankcase, based on the differential pressure between discharge pressure and suction pressure.
  • a pressure-sensing section is provided in a high-pressure port.
  • the document EP 1 867 873 A1 discloses a capacity control valve, comprising a first valve chamber formed in a valve body, a first fluid passage communicating with the first valve chamber to flow a fluid with a discharge pressure therein, a valve seat formed around a valve port between the first valve chamber and the first fluid passage, a second fluid passage communicating with the first valve chamber to flow the fluid with the discharge pressure therefrom, a second valve chamber communicating with the first valve chamber through a guide hole, a third fluid passage communicating with the second valve chamber to flow the fluid with a suction pressure therein and therefrom, a valve element disposed in the first valve chamber and having a valve part separated from and brought into contact with the valve seat to flow the fluid with the discharge pressure therein and a stem part movably fitted to the guiding hole, and a solenoid having a solenoid rod connected to the connection face of the valve element and moving the solenoid rod with a current.
  • a discharge pressure receiving area in a connection surface between the valve part and the valve seat is set larger than the
  • a purpose of the present invention is to maintain a stable control characteristic of a control valve for controlling capacity according to a differential pressure between a discharge pressure and a suction pressure of a compressor.
  • the present invention according to claim 1 relates to a variable displacement compressor control valve which varies a discharging capacity of the compressor for compressing refrigerant led into a suction chamber and which discharges the compressed refrigerant from a discharge chamber, by regulating a flow rate of the refrigerant led into a control chamber from the discharge chamber.
  • the control valve includes: a body having a discharge chamber communication port communicating with the discharge chamber, a control chamber communication port communicating with the control chamber, a suction chamber communication port communicating with the suction chamber, and a valve hole provided in a passage connecting the discharge chamber communication port and the control chamber communication port; a valve element for opening and closing a valve section by touching and leaving a valve seat provided on an opening end of the valve hole; a solenoid, provided in the body, which generates a solenoidal force with which to drive the valve element in a valve closing direction according to an amount of current supplied to the solenoid; and a spring that applies a biasing force to the valve element in a valve opening direction, the biasing force opposing the solenoidal force.
  • the discharge chamber communication port, the control chamber communication port and the suction chamber communication port are formed in this order from one end side of the body, and the solenoid is provided on the other end side thereof.
  • the valve element autonomously operates so that a differential pressure between a discharge pressure of the discharge chamber and a suction pressure of the suction chamber is kept at a preset differential pressure according to a value of current supplied to the solenoid.
  • the valve seat has a surface perpendicular to an axis line of the valve hole, and the valve element is a flat valve having a flat surface that touches and leaves the valve seat and that is perpendicular to an axis line thereof.
  • a flat valve is used for the valve element, and the influence of the pressure in the control chamber therefore becomes greater in the valve closing direction when the valve section is opened from the valve closed state.
  • the degree of how easily the valve section can be opened i.e., an increase in the sensitivity
  • the control hunting can be prevented or suppressed, and a stable control characteristic of the control valve can be maintained.
  • FIG. 1 is a system chart showing a refrigeration cycle of an automotive air conditioner according to an embodiment.
  • the air conditioner according to the present embodiment includes a so-called supercritical refrigeration cycle that uses carbon dioxide, which operates under a high pressure, as the refrigerant.
  • This air conditioner includes a variable displacement compressor (hereinafter referred to simply as "compressor” also) 101, a gas cooler 102, an expander 103, an evaporator 104, and a receiver 105.
  • the compressor 101 compresses a gaseous refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle.
  • the gas cooler 102 functions as an external heat exchanger that cools a compressed high-pressure gaseous refrigerant.
  • the expander 103 adiabatically expands the cooled refrigerant so as to reduce the pressure thereof.
  • the evaporator 104 evaporates the expanded refrigerant and removes the evaporative latent heat so as to cool air inside a vehicle's compartment.
  • the receiver 105 separates the evaporated refrigerant into gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant and then returns the thus separated gaseous carbon dioxide to the compressor 101.
  • the compressor 101 has a not-shown rotational shaft, which is freely rotatably supported within crankcase 116, which functions as a "control chamber".
  • a wobble plate is tiltably provided in this rotational shaft.
  • an end of the rotational shaft extends outside the crankcase 116 and is connected to an output shaft of an engine by way of a pulley.
  • a plurality of cylinders 112 are arranged around the rotational shaft, and a piston, which performs a reciprocating motion by the rotational motion of the wobble plate, is provided in each cylinder 112.
  • Each cylinder 112 is connected to a suction chamber 110 through a suction valve and is connected to a discharge chamber 114 through a discharge valve.
  • the compressor 101 compresses the refrigerant, which has been led into the cylinders 112 through the suction chamber 110, and discharges the compressed refrigerant through the discharge chamber 114.
  • the angle of the wobble plate of the compressor 101 is kept in a position where, for example, the load of a spring biasing the wobble plate in the crankcase 116 and the load caused by the pressures working on both faces of the piston connected to the wobble plate are balanced.
  • This angle of the wobble plate can be changed continuously as follows. That is, a crank pressure Pc is changed as part of the discharged refrigerant is introduced into the crankcase 116, and the balance of pressures working on the both faces of the piston is changed, thereby changing continuously the angle thereof. Changing the stroke of the piston by varying the angle of the wobble plate regulates the discharging capacity of refrigerant.
  • the crank pressure Pc is controlled by a control valve 1, which is provided between the discharge chamber 114 and the crankcase 116 of the compressor 101.
  • the control valve 1 is configured as a solenoid-driven electromagnetic valve, and the electric conduction state and/or amount is controlled by a control unit 120.
  • the control unit 120 outputs a pulse signal, which has been set to a predetermined duty ratio, to a drive circuit 122. Then the control unit 120 has the drive circuit 122 output a current pulse associated with the duty ratio. In this manner, the solenoid is driven.
  • the control valve 1 regulates the flow rate of refrigerant delivered from the discharge chamber 114 to the crankcase 116 such that a differential pressure (Pd - Ps) between a discharge pressure Pd and a suction pressure Ps of the compressor 101 can be brought closer to a preset differential pressure, which is a control target value. Thereby, the discharging capacity of the compressor 101 varies. That is, the control valve 1 functions as a so-called (Pd - Ps) differential pressure regulating valve.
  • An orifice 119 is provided in a refrigerant passage 118 through which the crankcase 116 and the suction chamber 110 communicate.
  • the refrigerant inside the crankcase 116 is leaked to a suction chamber 110 side through the orifice 119, so that the crank pressure Pc will not be excessively high.
  • a check valve 130 is provided in a refrigerant passage provided between the discharge chamber 114 and a refrigerant outlet in the compressor 101.
  • the control unit 120 includes a CPU for performing various arithmetic processings, a ROM for storing various control programs, a RAM used as a work area for data storage and program execution, an I/O interface, and so forth.
  • the control unit 120 has a PWM output unit for outputting a pulse signal having a specified duty ratio.
  • a PWM output unit may be configured using a known art and therefore the detailed description thereof is omitted here.
  • the control unit 120 determines the aforementioned preset differential pressure, based on predetermined external information detected by various sensors (e.g., the engine speed, the temperatures inside and outside the passenger compartment, and the air-blowout temperature of the evaporator 104).
  • control unit 120 controls the electric conduction state of and/or amount to the control valve 1 in order to obtain a solenoidal force required to maintain the preset differential pressure.
  • a high load state e.g., while a vehicle is accelerating or running uphill.
  • the control unit 120 turns off the solenoid or suppresses the electric conduction amount to a predetermined lower limit, and thereby switches the variable displacement compressor to a minimum capacity operation mode where the compressor operates with the minimum capacity.
  • the expander 103 which is configured as a so-called thermostatic-expansion valve, regulates a valve opening degree by feeding back the temperature of refrigerant at an outlet side of the evaporator 104 and then supplies a liquid refrigerant, which meets a thermal load, to the evaporator 104.
  • the refrigerant, which has passed through the evaporator 104, is returned to the compressor 101 via the receiver 105 and is again compressed.
  • the check valve 130 maintains its opened state as long as the discharging capacity of the compressor 101 is large to a certain degree and a differential pressure (Pd - Pd1) between the discharge pressure Pd of the discharge chamber 114 and an outlet pressure Pd1 at the refrigerant outlet exceeds a valve opening differential pressure.
  • This valve opening differential pressure is set by the load of a built-in spring of the check valve 130. If, in contrast thereto, the discharging capacity of the compressor 101 is small and the discharge pressure Pd does not sufficiently get high (e.g., during the minimum capacity operation), the check valve 130 will be closed due to the biasing force of the spring and thereby the back-flow of refrigerant from a gas cooler 102 side to the discharge chamber 114 will be prevented.
  • FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of the control valve 1 according to an embodiment.
  • the control valve 1 is constituted by integrally assembling a valve unit 2 and a solenoid 3.
  • the valve unit 2 has a body 5 of stepped cylindrical shape.
  • the body 5 is formed of brass in the present embodiment, it may be formed of an aluminum alloy.
  • the body 5 has ports 10, 12, and 14 in this order from top down. Of these ports, the port 10 is provided in an upper end of the body 5, and the ports 12 and 14 are each provided on a lateral side thereof.
  • the port 10 functions as a "discharge chamber communication port” that communicates with the discharge chamber 114.
  • the port 12 functions as a "crankcase communication port” (corresponding to a "control chamber communication port”) that communicates with the crankcase 116.
  • the port 14 functions as a "suction chamber communication port” that communicates with the suction chamber 110.
  • the "control chamber” in the present embodiment is formed by a crankcase, it may be a pressure chamber separately provided within or outside the crankcase, in a modification.
  • a valve seat forming member 16 of stepped cylindrical shape is provided in a passage that communicates between the port 10 and the port 12.
  • the valve seat forming member 16 is formed by quenching a stainless steel (e.g., SUS420), and is formed of a metal whose hardness is higher than that of the body 5.
  • the valve seat forming member 16 is coaxially inserted into an upper portion of the body 5 and is secured such that the upper portion of the body 5 is swaged inward.
  • the valve seat forming member 16 has a through-hole along an axis line, and a lower half of the through-hole forms a valve hole 18.
  • a valve chamber 20, which communicates with the port 12, is formed below the valve seat forming member 16 in the body 5.
  • the lower half of the valve seat forming member 16 is of tapered shape such that the outside diameter thereof is gradually reduced from an upper part to a lower part of the lower half thereof, and the lower half thereof extends into the valve chamber 20.
  • a valve seat 22 is formed on a lower end surface of the valve seat forming member 16.
  • a valve element 24 is provided in the valve chamber 20 in such a manner as to face the valve seat 22 from below. The opening degree of a valve section is regulated by moving the valve element 24 toward and away from the valve seat 22.
  • a soft material is used for a material constituting the body 5 and thereby its high processability is kept.
  • a material or member constituting the valve seat 22 (the valve seat forming member 16) is formed of a material having a higher degree of hardness, so that the wear and deformation of the valve seat 22 are prevented or suppressed. This allows the seating characteristics of the valve element 24 to be satisfactorily maintained.
  • the control valve 1 is applied to the supercritical refrigeration cycle that uses carbon dioxide as the refrigerant, the discharge pressure Pd of the compressor 101 becomes extremely high.
  • valve seat 22 is more likely to be worn away and a deformation (erosion) is more likely to progress in the valve seat 22 if the valve seat 22 is formed of a soft material similar to the body 5. This in turn may possibly degrade the sealing property of the valve section and cause a variation in a control set value (set value).
  • the material strength (the degree of hardness) of the valve seat 22 and its surrounding area is raised, so that the aforementioned adverse effects can be prevented or suppressed.
  • the valve seat forming member 16 is formed of a material whose Vickers hardness is 500 or above (preferably 700 or above).
  • a partition wall 26 is so provided that an internal space of the body 5 is divided into an upper space and a lower space.
  • the valve chamber 20 is formed on an upper side of the partition wall 26, and a working chamber 28 is formed on a lower side thereof.
  • the valve chamber 20 communicates with the crankcase 116 through the port 12.
  • the working chamber 28 communicates with the suction chamber 110 through the port 14.
  • a guide portion 30, which extends in a direction of axis line, is provided in a center of the partition wall 26.
  • a guiding passage 32 is so formed as to run through the guide portion 30 along the axis line, and an elongated actuating rod 34 is slidably inserted to the guiding passage 32 in the direction of axis line.
  • the valve element 24 is provided coaxially on an upper end of the actuating rod 34.
  • the valve element 24 and the actuating rod 34 are formed integrally with each other by performing a cutting work on a stainless steel.
  • the guide portion 30 protrudes as a small bump on an upper surface side of the partition wall 26 and protrudes as a large protrusion on a lower surface side thereof.
  • the guide portion 30 is of tapered shape such that the outside diameter thereof is gradually reduced from an upper part to a lower part thereof, and the guide portion 30 extends into the working chamber 28. With this configuration and arrangement, a sufficient length of the guiding passage 32 is ensured and the actuating rod 34 is stably supported.
  • the valve element 24 and the actuating rod 34 operate and move integrally together with each other, and the valve element 24 closes and opens the valve section by touching and leaving the valve seat 22, respectively, on the upper end surface of the valve element 24.
  • the hardness of the valve seat forming member 16 is sufficiently high. Thus, the valve seat 22 is hardly deformed by repeated seating of the valve element 24 on the valve seat 22, thereby ensuring the durability of the valve section.
  • a retaining ring 36 (E-ring) is fitted to a lower part of the actuating rod 34, and a discoidal spring support 38 is provided such that the movement of the lower part of thereof in a downward direction is restricted.
  • a spring 40 which biases the actuating rod 34 downward (in a valve closing direction) (functioning as a "first biasing member"), is set between the spring support 38 and the partition wall 26.
  • the spring 40 is a tapered spring where the diameter thereof is reduced starting from the lower surface of the partition wall 26 toward the spring support 38 located therebelow. Having the guide portion 30 formed in a tapered shape as described above allows the tapered-shape spring 40 to be arranged as described above.
  • a lower part of the body 5 is a small-diameter part 42 and constitutes a coupling portion with the solenoid 3.
  • a filter member 44 which suppresses foreign materials from entering the port 10, is provided in an upper end opening of the body 5. Since the foreign material, such as metallic powders, may possibly be contained in the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 101, the filter member 44 prevents or suppresses the foreign material from entering the interior of the control valve 1.
  • the filter member 44 is configured such that two sheets of metal meshes are vertically superimposed on each other.
  • the solenoid 3 includes a cylindrical core 50, a bottomed cylindrical sleeve 52 inserted around the core 50, a plunger 54, which is contained in the sleeve 52 and which is disposed opposite to the core 50 in the direction of axis line, a cylindrical bobbin 56 inserted around the sleeve 52, an electromagnetic coil 58 wound around the bobbin 56, a cylindrical casing 60, which is so provided as to cover the electromagnetic coil 58 from outside, a connecting member 62 of stepped cylindrical shape, which is assembled, between the core 50 and the casing 60, in a position above the bobbin 56, and an end member 64, which is so provided as to seal off a lower end opening of the casing 60.
  • the sleeve 52 and the plunger 54 are each formed of electromagnetic soft iron (SUY) excellent in magnetic characteristics.
  • the electromagnetic soft iron is a material with low impurity content, high magnetic flux density, high magnetic permeability, and a small magnetic coercive force. More specifically, the electromagnetic soft iron as used herein is, for example, SUY-1 where the processability is excellent (because it has an appropriate degree of hardness) and a small magnetic coercive force (60 to 80 A/m) is obtained. Thereby, a necessary solenoidal force can be ensured even though the current supplied to the solenoid 3 is relatively low. This allows the electromagnetic coil 58 and eventually the control valve 1 to be downsized.
  • the sleeve 52 which is formed of a non-magnetic material, houses the plunger 54 in a lower half thereof.
  • a circular collar 66 is embedded in the end member 64.
  • the collar 66 is set, between the sleeve 52 and the casing 60, in a position below the bobbin 56.
  • the casing 60, the connecting member 62 and the collar 66 which are each formed of a magnetic material, form a yoke of the solenoid 3.
  • the valve unit 2 and the solenoid 3 are secured such that the small-diameter part 42 (lower end part) of the body 5 is press-fitted to an upper end opening of the connecting member 62.
  • the body 5, the valve seat forming member 16, the connecting member 62, the casing 60 and the end member 64 form a body for the whole control valve 1.
  • An insertion hole 67 is so formed as to run through the core 50 in a center thereof in the direction of axis line. And a shaft 68 is inserted into the insertion hole 67 in such a manner as to penetrate along the insertion hole 67.
  • the shaft 68 is formed coaxially with the actuating rod 34 and supports the actuating rod 34 from below.
  • the diameter of the shaft 68 is larger than that of the actuating rod 34.
  • the plunger 54 is assembled to a lower half of the shaft 68.
  • the shaft 68 and the actuating rod 34 constitute a "transmitting rod” that transmits the solenoidal force to the valve element 24.
  • the plunger 54 is coaxially supported by the shaft 68 in an upper portion of the plunger 54.
  • a retaining ring 70 (E-ring) is fitted to a predetermined position in an intermediate part of the shaft 68 in the direction of axis line, and the retaining ring 70 works to restrict the movement of the plunger 54 in an upward direction.
  • a communicating groove 71 formed in parallel with the axis line is provided on a lateral surface of the plunger 54. The communicating groove 71 forms a communicating path through which the refrigerant is made to pass between the plunger 54 and sleeve 52.
  • a ring-shaped shaft support member 72 is press-fitted in an upper end of the core 50, and an upper end of the shaft 68 is slidably supported by the shaft support member 72 in the direction of axis line.
  • An outer periphery of the shaft support member 72 is partially notched and thereby a communicating path is formed between the core 50 and the shaft support member 72. Through this communicating path, the suction pressure Ps of the working chamber 28 is led into the interior of the solenoid 3, too.
  • the diameter of a lower end of the sleeve 52 is slightly reduced, and a ring-shaped shaft support member 76 (functioning as a "supporting member") is press-fitted to a reduced diameter portion 74 of the sleeve 52.
  • the shaft support member 76 slidably supports a lower end part of the shaft 68.
  • the shaft 68 is two-point supported by both the shaft support member 72 in an upper side thereof and the shaft support member 76 in a lower side thereof, so that the plunger 54 can be stably operated in the direction of axis line.
  • An outer periphery of the shaft support member 76 is partially notched and thereby a communicating path is formed between the sleeve 52 and the shaft support member 76.
  • the suction pressure Ps introduced into the solenoid 3 fills the interior of the sleeve 52 through the communicating path between the core 50 and the shaft 68, the communicating path between the plunger 54 and the sleeve 52, and the communicating path between the shaft support member 76 and the sleeve 52.
  • a spring 78 (functioning as a "second spring") that biases the plunger 54 in an upward direction, namely in a valve closing direction, is set between the shaft support member 76 and the plunger 54.
  • the valve element 24 receives the net force of a force exerted by the spring 40 in a valve opening direction and a force exerted by the spring 78 in a valve closing direction.
  • the spring load of the spring 40 is larger than that of the spring 78.
  • the spring load thereof can be set by adjusting the press-fitting position of the shaft support member 76 in the sleeve 52.
  • the press-fitting position thereof can be fine-adjusted such that a bottom center of the sleeve 52 is deformed in the direction of axis line by using a predetermined tool after the shaft support member 76 has been temporarily press-fitted to the sleeve 52.
  • connection terminals 80 connected to the electromagnetic coil 58 extend from the bobbin 56 and are led outside by passing through the end member 64. Note that only one of the pair of connection terminals 80 is shown in FIG. 2 for convenience of explanation.
  • the end member 64 is mounted in such a manner as to seal the entire structure inside the solenoid 3 contained in the casing 60 from below.
  • the ends of the connection terminals 80 are led out from the end member 64 and connected to a not-shown external power supply.
  • the end member 64 also functions as a connector portion through which the connection terminal 80 is exposed.
  • the control valve 1 configured as above is secured into a not-shown mounting hole formed in the compressor 101 via a washer.
  • a plurality of O-rings which are set between the mounting holes and the control valve 1 and which achieve the sealing capability, are fitted on an outer peripheral surface of the control valve 1.
  • Annular grooves are formed on peripheries of the body 5 above and below the port 12, respectively, and O-rings 82 and 84 are fitted on the annular grooves.
  • An annular groove is also formed on a periphery of the connecting member 62 below the port 14, and an O-ring 86 is fitted on the annular groove.
  • an O-ring 88 is fitted on a connection area where the casing 60 and the end member 64 are connected.
  • FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper half of FIG. 2 .
  • the filter member 44 is configured such that the two sheets of metal meshes 46 and 48 are superimposed on each other in the thickness direction.
  • the mesh 46 is so arranged as to face the outer side of the body 5
  • the mesh 48 is so arranged as to face the inner side thereof.
  • the reason why the meshes 46 and 48 are made from metal is that the filter member 44 is placed on a high pressure side of the supercritical refrigeration cycle; thus, if resin-made meshes are used, the pressure resistance strength thereof will be insufficient.
  • the meshes 46 and 48 are both formed in a circular sheet shape, but differ in mesh size and in rigidity (stiffness properties) from each other.
  • the mesh 46 has a finer mesh size than the mesh 48; the mesh 46 has a smaller porosity than the mesh 48.
  • the mesh 48 has a larger wire diameter than the mesh 46 and has a higher rigidity than the mesh 46. This is to achieve a high filtering function by the mesh 46 and ensure (reinforce) the strength of the entire filter member 44 by the mesh 48.
  • the filter member 44 is placed in such a manner as to be inserted in the upper end opening of the body 5, and then the filter member 44 is secured such that an upper end of the body 5 is swaged inward.
  • the filter member 44 is of a simple structure such that the two sheets of meshes are directly placed on each other and are fixed directly to the body 5, so that the component cost and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. Since, as shown in FIG. 3 , the filter member 44 is placed inside the body 5, any deformation and/or damage caused through contact with an external structural object or the like can be prevented or suppressed.
  • the diameter of a through-hole 90 which is formed in a center of the valve seat forming member 16, is reduced in a lower half thereof.
  • This reduced diameter portion of the through-hole 90 forms the valve hole 18.
  • the upper half of the through-hole 90 is a large-diameter part 92, whereas the lower half thereof is a small-diameter part 94.
  • the small-diameter part 94 forms the valve hole 18.
  • a connection area in between the large-diameter part 92 and the small-diameter part 94 is a tapered surface where the inside diameter thereof is gradually reduced downward.
  • the diameter of the through-hole 90 is reduced in stages from an upstream side to a downstream side.
  • a bleed hole 96 in parallel with the through-hole 90 is formed in radially outward direction of the through-hole 90 in the valve seat forming member 16.
  • the bleed hole 96 is used to ensure the circulation of oil in the compressor 101 by delivering a minimum required amount of refrigerant to the crankcase 116 even when the valve section is closed.
  • the refrigerant contains a lubricating oil in order to ensure a stabilized operation of the compressor 101, and the bleed hole 96 is to ensure the oil circulation inside and outside the crankcase 116.
  • the bleed hole 96 is formed such that a leak passage 98 located in an upper part thereof and a communication passage 99 located in a lower part thereof are connected together.
  • the inside diameter of the leak passage 98 is of a size to a degree that the refrigerant is made to leak therethrough, and the inside diameter thereof is fairly smaller than that of the valve hole 18.
  • the inside diameter of the communication passage 99 is smaller than that of the large-diameter part 92 of the through-hole 90 and larger than that of the small-diameter part 94 thereof.
  • the inside diameter of the communication passage 99 may be greater than or equal to that of the large-diameter part 92 of the through-hole 90 or may be less than or equal to that of the small-diameter part 94 thereof.
  • a connection area of the leak passage 98 and the communication passage 99 is a tapered surface where the inside diameter thereof is gradually enlarged downward.
  • the diameter of the bleed hole 96 is enlarged in stages from an upstream side to a downstream side.
  • An annular raised portion 150 is formed on a top surface of the valve seat forming member 16 in such a manner as to surround the through-hole 90, and the raised portion 150 is of a stepped shape such that a radially inward portion and a radially outward portion of the valve seat forming member 16 are lower than the raised portion 150.
  • the width of the raised portion 150 is sufficiently small and is less than or equal to that of the valve hole 18 in the present embodiment.
  • the leak passage 98 is opened upward in a position of the raised portion 150.
  • the bleed hole 96 is formed such that an inlet of refrigerant has a small diameter and the inlet thereof is opened on the top surface of a stepped shape.
  • the entry of foreign material through the bleed hole 96 is prevented or suppressed.
  • a foreign material whose size is smaller than the mesh size (mesh width) of the filter member 44, enters the port 10, it is highly improbable that the foreign material will enter through the bleed hole 96. This is because the width of the raised portion 150 is sufficiently small and the size of the inlet of the bleed hole 96 is smaller than the width of the raised portion 150.
  • the foreign material hits the raised portion 150, it is highly probable that the foreign material is dropped to a lower position inside or outside the raised portion 150. In particular, even though the refrigerant flows through the bleed hole 96 when the valve section is closed, the foreign material contained in the refrigerant is unlikely to be led into the bleed hole 96. If the foreign material enters the port 10 when the valve section is open, most of such foreign material will pass through the valve hole 18 and be discharged from the port 12.
  • the guide portion 30 protrudes in a central part of the upper surface of the partition wall 26 and thereby an annular groove 152 is formed on the periphery of this protrusion (the guide portion 30).
  • the outside diameter of the valve element 24 is slightly larger than that of the actuating rod 34 located immediately beneath the valve element 24.
  • the remaining foreign material is less likely to enter a spacing or gap between the actuating rod 34 and the guiding passage 32.
  • the annular groove 152 can function to trap the foreign material therein.
  • this structure prevents the valve element 24 from being locked as a result of the entanglement of foreign material in the sliding portion of the actuating rod 34 relative to the guiding passage 32.
  • the pressure sensitivity of the valve element 24 is optimally set such that a seal section diameter a (the inside diameter of the valve hole 18) in the valve section of the valve element 24 is slightly (e.g., by a very small amount) larger than a diameter b of the sliding portion of the actuating rod 34 ( a > b ).
  • a seal section diameter a the inside diameter of the valve hole 18
  • a diameter b of the sliding portion of the actuating rod 34 a > b
  • the guide portion 30 protrudes as a larger protrusion on a working chamber 28 side than a valve chamber 20 side.
  • a lower end of the actuating rod 34 can protrude from a lower end position of the body 5 (i.e., a lower end opening of the small-diameter part 42).
  • the retaining ring 36 to be easily mounted to the actuating rod 34.
  • the actuating rod 34 must first be inserted from the valve chamber 20 side. This is because the outside diameter of the valve element 24 is larger than the size of the guiding passage 32.
  • the guide portion 30 is configured such that the guide portion 30 is positioned in a lower part of the body 5.
  • This configuration and arrangement ensure a more stabilized guiding function of the guide portion 30 and maintain an excellent workability when the retaining ring 36 is to be mounted. Since the actuating rod 34 will not be unnecessarily long, the body 5 and eventually the control valve 1 are made smaller-sized.
  • the guide portion 30 and the spring 40 are each taper-shaped such that the outside diameter thereof becomes gradually smaller downward.
  • a lower half of the spring 40 is contained in an upper end opening of the core 50, and the outside diameter of the small-diameter part 42 is made as small as possible.
  • the outside diameter of the connecting member 62 is made smaller, and an O-ring whose outside diameter is smaller can be selected as the O-ring 86.
  • an area below the O-ring 86 has an atmospheric air pressure; if the size of the O-ring 86 is large, a fixing structure having a high pressure withstanding property need be implemented in order to prevent the control valve 1 from fall off.
  • the O-ring 86 can be made small and therefore it suffices that the control valve 1 has a simple fixing structure such as a washer.
  • FIGS. 4A and 4B and FIGS. 5A to 5C are each a partially enlarged view of the control valve 1.
  • FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of a region A encircled in FIG. 2
  • FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of a region B encircled in FIG. 2
  • FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C and viewed on the arrows of FIG. 3
  • FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E on the arrows of FIG. 4A
  • FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F-F on the arrows of FIG. 4B .
  • a surface of the core 50 is disposed counter to a surface of the plunger 54 and vice versa, and these facing surfaces of the core 50 and the plunger 54 are generally complementary in shape to each other. Also, the outer circumferential edge of each facing surface thereof is formed in a tapered shape.
  • a lower end surface of the core 50 has a flat surface 160 in a central part thereof and a tapered surface 162 in an outer circumferential edge thereof.
  • the flat surface 160 is perpendicular to an axis line L1 of the core 50, the inside diameter of the tapered surface 162 is larger downward, and the tapered surface 162 forms an angle of ⁇ 1 relative to the axis line L1.
  • an upper end surface of the plunger 54 has a flat surface 164 in a central part thereof and a tapered surface 166 in an outer circumferential edge thereof.
  • the setting of the tapered surfaces adjusts the characteristics of the solenoid 3, and its detail will be discussed later.
  • a recess 168 having a predetermined depth is formed in a center of the flat surface 164, and a retaining ring 70 is received by the recess 168. In other words, the interference between the retaining ring 70 and the core 50 is prevented.
  • a recess-like pressing force adjustment part 170 is formed in a center of an underside of the reduced diameter portion 74 in the sleeve 52.
  • a tip of a tool is placed in position and then pressed on the pressing force adjustment part 170.
  • a bottom face of the sleeve 52 is deformed in an upward direction of axis line (an inward direction of the sleeve 52) and the press-fitting position of the shaft support member 76 is shifted while the bottom face thereof being deformed. This can fine-adjust the set load by the springs 40 and 78.
  • the shaft support member 76 is press-fitted to the sleeve 52, so that it can be maintained without varying the set load thereof in the event that the bottom face of the sleeve 52 is varied after the set load thereof has been adjusted.
  • carbon dioxide which operates in a high pressure, is used as the refrigerant and therefore even the suction pressure Ps is high.
  • the bottom portion of the sleeve 52 deformed by the pressing force adjustment part 170 will be deformed in a direction where the bottom portion thereof returns to the original position by the suction pressure Ps.
  • the shaft support member 76 will not be affected by the deformation of the bottom portion thereof because the shaft support member 76 has been firmly secured to the inner wall of the sleeve 52.
  • the configuration is such that the press-fitting position of the shaft support member 76 is regulated, so that the set load of the springs can be stably maintained even in a high-pressure environment.
  • a space is formed between the end member 64 and the sleeve 52.
  • a communicating hole 172 which communicates between the space and the exterior, is formed in a bottom portion of the end member 64.
  • the communicating hole 172 is an air hole through which to release air in the space to the exterior when the sleeve 52 and the end member 64 are assembled together, and functions as a passage through which a pressure occurring in the space is to be released when they are to be assembled.
  • the shaft support member 72 is formed such that a so-called D-cut process is performed on the outer periphery of a disk-shaped body thereof. And a pair of flat surfaces 180 are formed. A communicating path 182 is formed between the flat surface 180 and an inner circumferential surface of the core 50. As illustrated in FIG. 5B , the so-called D-cut process is performed on one side surface of the plunger 54 and thereby a flat surface 77 is formed thereon. A communicating path 183 is formed between the flat surface 77 and the sleeve 52. A communicating groove 71, having a predetermined width, formed in parallel with the axis line is provided on an opposite lateral surface 79 of the plunger 54.
  • a communicating path 185 is formed between the communicating groove 71 and the sleeve 52.
  • the shaft support member 76 is formed such that the so-called D-cut process is performed as well on the outer periphery of a disk-shaped body thereof.
  • a pair of flat surfaces 184 are formed.
  • a communicating path 186 is formed between the flat surface 184 and the sleeve 52. The suction pressure Ps of the working chamber 28 passes through the communicating paths 182, 183, 185, and 186 and then fills the interior of the sleeve 52.
  • the plunger 54 undergoes the D-cut process, and the cross section thereof is non-circular (not point-symmetrical relative to a shaft's center).
  • the flat surface 77 on which the D-cut process has been carried out, is made to differ from the opposite lateral surface 79 in a radially magnetic gap.
  • the opposite lateral surface 79 which is on a side where the magnetic gap with the sleeve 52 is smaller, is attracted more strongly in a radial direction, when the solenoid 3 is turned on. In other words, the plunger 54 can be radially pushed to one side.
  • PWM Pulse Width Modulation
  • the diameter of the actuating rod 34 is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the valve hole 18 but is of a size approximately identical thereto.
  • the effect of the crank pressure Pc acting on the valve element 24 in the valve chamber 20 is almost canceled out.
  • the differential pressure (Pd - Ps) between the discharge pressure Pd and the suction pressure Ps practically acts on the valve element 24 for a pressure-receiving area having approximately the same size as that of the valve hole 18.
  • the valve element 24 operates and moves such that the differential pressure (Pd - Ps) is kept at a preset differential pressure set by a control current supplied to the solenoid 3.
  • the value of current supplied to the solenoid 3 is the maximum and the plunger 54 is attracted by a maximum suction force of the core 50.
  • the actuating rod 34 (including the valve element 24), the shaft 68 and the plunger 54 operate and move integrally altogether in a valve closing direction, and the valve element 24 is seated on the valve seat 22.
  • the crank pressure Pc drops by this valve closing movement and therefore the compressor 101 carries out a maximum capacity operation where the discharging capacity is the maximum.
  • valve-lift position is a position where five loads/forces are all balanced thereamong.
  • the five loads/forces are the spring load of the spring 40 that biases the actuating rod 34 in a valve opening direction, the spring load of the spring 78 that biases the plunger 54 in a valve opening direction, the load of the solenoid 3 that biases the plunger 54 in a valve closing direction, the force by the discharge pressured Pd that the valve element 24 receives in a valve opening direction, and the force by the suction pressure Ps that the valve element 24 receives in a valve closing direction.
  • FIG. 6 is a graph showing control characteristic of the solenoid 3.
  • the horizontal axis of FIG. 6 indicates a value of current supplied to the solenoid 3 (Isol (A)), and the vertical axis thereof indicates a preset differential pressure (Pd - Ps) (Mpa) as the control target value.
  • the surface of the core 50, which faces the surface of the plunger 54, and the surface of the plunger 54, which faces the surface of the core 50 are formed in the tapered shapes complementary to each other, as described above. As a result, the resolution power in a high current domain is improved in a range of the control current values (hereinafter referred to as a "control current value range" also).
  • the characteristic after an intermediate value in the control current value range is varied.
  • the slope (rate of change or amount of change) of a preset differential pressure (Pd - Ps) relative to the value of current supplied thereto (Isol) is set smaller in a high current domain after the intermediate value than the slope of a low current domain before the intermediate value.
  • control current value range is the range of 0.2 A to 0.68 A, and the control characteristic is varied before and after an intermediate value between 0.2 A and 0.68 A, which is 0. 45 A, as a boundary value.
  • the resolution power in the high current domain improves.
  • the preset differential pressure (Pd - Ps) is increased, a finer adjustment of the preset differential pressure can be made.
  • the amount of change in the electromagnetic force of the solenoid 3 can be made smaller in the high current domain than in the other domain.
  • carbon dioxide which operates under a high pressure, is used as the refrigerant.
  • the variation in the characteristic before and after the intermediate value can be made larger by taking a larger taper angle.
  • the variation in the characteristic before and after the intermediate value can be made smaller by taking a smaller taper angle.
  • the optimum control characteristic can be achieved by varying the taper angle in accordance with the specifications.
  • FIGS. 7A to 7C schematically show structures, according to an embodiment and a modification, near the valve section.
  • FIGS. 7A and 7B show structures according to the present embodiment
  • FIG. 7C shows a structure of the modification.
  • FIGS. 8A to 8C schematically show structures, according to comparative examples, near the valve section.
  • FIG. 8A shows a structure of a first comparative example
  • FIGS. 8B and 8C show structures of a second comparative example.
  • a black arrow indicates the discharge pressure Pd
  • a gray arrow indicates the crank pressure Pc
  • a white arrow indicates the suction pressure Ps.
  • valve element 24 As shown in FIG. 7A , a so-called flat valve is used as the valve element 24, in the present embodiment.
  • an end surface (on the tip) of the valve element 24 is a flat surface perpendicular to the axis line, and the valve element 24 is seated on the valve seat 22 in a state, where the valve element 24 and the valve seat 22 come in surface contact with each other, when the valve section is closed.
  • the seal section diameter a (the inside diameter of the valve hole 18) in the valve section of the valve element 24 (hereinafter simply referred to as “seal section diameter a ”) is larger than the diameter b of the sliding portion of the actuating rod 34 (hereinafter simply referred to as “sliding portion diameter b ”) ( a > b ).
  • crank pressure Pc acts on a contact portion of the valve element 24 and the valve seat 22, in a valve opening direction.
  • the crank pressure Pc acting on an area of the valve element 24 surrounded by a rectangle marked with a two-dot chain line in FIG. 7A is cancelled out. In this manner, the forces acting on the valve element 24 are balanced.
  • Such a stabilizing effect of control gained by employing the flat valve can also be achieved to a greater or lesser extent by the modification shown in FIG. 7C .
  • the effect of the crank pressure Pc is almost completely canceled out while the valve section is closed.
  • the effective pressure-receiving diameter d gets large while the valve section is open, with the result that the force by the crank pressure Pc in a valve closing direction will act. Since the area where the crank pressure Pc acts in a valve closing direction is smaller than that of the present embodiment, the stabilizing effect of control achieved by the modification is relatively smaller than that of the embodiment.
  • the sliding portion diameter b of an actuating rod 234 is larger than the seal section diameter a in the valve section ( a ⁇ b ).
  • the force by the crank pressure Pc acts in a valve opening direction. This makes the valve section easily opened and therefore the hunting is more likely to occur.
  • a valve element 224 is not the flat valve but a tapered valve having a tapered surface where the outside diameter thereof is gradually increased toward a valve opening direction.
  • the valve element 224 is seated on the valve seat 22 in a state, where the valve element 224 and the valve seat 22 come in line contact with each other, when the valve section is closed. That is, the valve seat 22 is formed by an opening end edge on the valve hole 18.
  • valve element is a flat valve
  • seal section diameter a of the valve section is greater than or equal to the diameter b of the sliding portion of the actuating rod ( a ⁇ b ).
  • FIG. 9 is a graph showing differential pressure control characteristics according to an embodiment and its modification.
  • FIG. 9 shows a relation between the differential pressure (Pd - Ps) to be controlled and the valve opening degree, for each of the values of current supplied to the solenoid 3.
  • the horizontal axis of FIG. 9 indicates the differential pressure (Pd - Ps), and the vertical axis thereof indicates the differential pressure (Pc - Ps).
  • the differential pressure (Pc - Ps) practically represents the tendency of the valve opening degree.
  • FIG. 9 shows a relation between the differential pressure (Pd - Ps) to be controlled and the valve opening degree, for each of the values of current supplied to the solenoid 3.
  • the horizontal axis of FIG. 9 indicates the differential pressure (Pd - Ps), and the vertical axis thereof indicates the differential pressure (Pc - Ps).
  • the solid lines, the broken lines, the dashed lines, and the two-dot chain lines indicate the cases where the values of current supplied thereto are 250 mA, 390 mA, 530 mA, and 680 mA, respectively.
  • the thicker lines of these lines indicate the cases where the sliding portion diameter b is 1.2 mm, and the thinner lines thereof indicate the cases where the sliding portion diameter b is 1.0 mm.
  • the seal section diameter a in the valve section is 1.2 mm.
  • using the flat valve as the valve element 24 allows the crank pressure Pc to greatly act in a valve closing direction when the valve section is opened from the closed state.
  • the degree of how easily the valve section can be opened i.e., an increase in the sensitivity
  • the control hunting can be prevented or suppressed, and a stabilized control characteristic of the control valve can be maintained.
  • using the flat valve as the valve element 24 can achieve a relatively large flow rate of refrigerant relative to the valve opening degree (an uplift amount of the valve element 24 from the valve seat 22).
  • the electromagnetic soft iron for a material constituting the sleeve 52 and the plunger 54 achieves a high magnetic permeability and allows the magnetic coercive force to be suppressed to a small value.
  • the valve opening degree during an opened state of the valve section can be relatively made larger, and a sufficient flow rate of refrigerant can be ensured without enlarging the electromagnetic coil 58.
  • the valve section can be promptly changed to a fully opened state, so that the compressor can be quickly switched to an operation mode where the compressor operates with the minimum capacity.
  • the filter member 44 is constituted by the metal meshes instead of the resin-made meshes and therefore the pressure resistance strength can be ensured. Also, the filter member 44 is realized by a simple structure where the disk-shaped meshes 46 and 48 are directly placed on each other, and the filter member 44 is easily secured such that the tip of the body 5 is swaged inward. Thus, there is no need to provide a metal frame, having a high pressure resistance strength, as a filter structure, so that the number of components and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. As a result, the filter structure can be easily achieved at low cost.
  • FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B show structures of a control valve according to a modification.
  • FIG. 10A is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the lower half of the control valve.
  • FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G on the arrows of FIG. 10A .
  • the structures are shown where having the plunger 54 undergo the D-cut process enables the plunger 54 to be radially pushed to one side so as to suppress the plunger 54 from making a rattling movement.
  • a structure is employed where the plunger 254 is symmetrical with respect to the axis line.
  • a recessed collar 268 is formed in a specific position of an inner circumferential surface of a collar 266.
  • the suction force of the solenoid is biased toward one side when the solenoid is turned on. This can suppress the plunger 254 from making a rattling movement in a radial direction when the plunger 254 moves inside the sleeve 52 while the valve section is being opened. Also, an appropriate amount of sliding resistance between the plunger 254 and the sleeve 52 achieved by such a structure described above enables the micro-vibration of the valve element 24 due to the PWM control to be suppressed.
  • the filter member 44 is configured such that two sheets of metal meshes are superimposed on each other.
  • the filter member 44 may be configured such that three or more sheets of metal meshes are superimposed on each other.
  • at least either one of the mesh having a finer mesh size and the mesh having a coarser mesh size may be used and then two or more of them may be placed on each other.
  • valve seat forming member 16 is formed of a material having a high degree of hardness.
  • the valve seat 22 and a surrounding part thereof may be formed of a material having a high degree of hardness.
  • the valve seat forming member may be formed of a material having the same or equivalent softness as the body 5, a fitting hole may be formed in a center of end part thereof and then a valve seat member having a high degree of hardness may be press-fitted to the fitting hole. An end surface of this valve seat member may function as the valve seat 22.
  • the shaft support member 76 not only functions as a spring support for supporting the spring 78 but also functions as a shaft support for supporting the shaft 68.
  • a spring support for supporting the spring 78 and a shaft support for supporting the shaft 68 may be provided separately; and the above-described press-fitting adjustment structure may be applied to this spring support.
  • actuating rod 34 and the shaft 68 are manufactured as separate units and then they are coupled together such that both of them are coaxially abutted against each other in the direction of axis line, thereby constituting the thus coupled one as a transmitting rod for transmitting the solenoidal force to the valve element 24.
  • the actuating rod 34 and the shaft 68 may be integrally formed as a single element.
  • the raised portion 150 is formed annularly on the top surface of the valve seat forming member 16. It goes without saying that a shape other than this may be employed.
  • the raised portion may be formed only around the inlet of refrigerant of the bleed hole 96.
  • a plurality of bleed holes 96 may be formed in a plurality of positions. In such a case, too, the inlet of refrigerant of each bleed hole 96 may preferably be provided on the top surface of the raised portion (stepped shape).
  • annular groove 152 is formed such that an inward peripheral edge of the partition wall 26 is lowered in height by one step (see FIG. 3 ).
  • This structure markedly achieves the function of trapping the foreign material in the refrigeration cycle where the refrigerant pressure gets high as in the above-described embodiments.
  • the higher the discharge pressure Pd is the more it is likely that the foreign material enters the port 10 and eventually enters the valve chamber 20 by passing through the filter member 44.
  • this function of trapping the foreign material reduces at least the possibility that the foreign material will reach up to the gap between the actuating rod 34 and the guiding passage 32. This eventually leads to maintaining the excellent control characteristic of the control valve 1 in a high pressure environment.
  • a single annular groove is formed as a structure for trapping the foreign material.
  • Other structures than this may be employed, instead.
  • a plurality of annular grooves may be concentrically formed.
  • a small region on a center of the top surface of the guide portion 30 may have a raised portion and the guiding passage 32 may be opened on the top surface of this raised portion.
  • the diameter of this raised portion may be less than or equal to 1/3 of the inside diameter of the valve chamber 20, and so forth; in this manner, this raised portion may be sufficiently small-sized.
  • the diameter of this raised portion may be approximately equal to that of the valve element 24.
  • this configuration may be such that an upper-end position of the guide portion 30 is higher than its surrounding area, rather than the configuration where the groove is formed in the inward peripheral edge of the partition wall 26.
  • the communicating hole 172 shown in FIG. 4B may be positioned directly beneath the pressing force adjustment part 170, instead.
  • the communicating hole 172 may also function as an insertion hole for tools.
  • control valve 1 is configured as a so-called (Pd - Ps) differential pressure valve.
  • control valve 1 may be configured as a so-called (Pc - Ps) differential pressure valve, for instance.
  • Pc - Ps differential pressure valve
  • a differential pressure (Pc - Ps) between the crank pressure Pc and the suction pressure Ps is brought closer to a preset differential pressure, which is a control target value.
  • each of the above-described structures including the valve section, the filter, the solenoid and so forth according to the above-described embodiments may be applied to a control valve that varies the discharging capacity of the variable displacement compressor, for compressing the refrigerant led into the suction chamber and then discharging the compressed refrigerant from the discharge chamber, by regulating the flow rate of refrigerant led out to the suction chamber from the crankcase (control chamber).
  • the control valve 1 may be applied to a so-called Ps control valve in which the suction pressure Ps is brought closer to a preset pressure, which is a control target value.
  • Ps control valve in which the suction pressure Ps is brought closer to a preset pressure, which is a control target value.
  • control valve having the above-described respective structures is applied to the supercritical refrigeration cycle that uses carbon dioxide as the refrigerant.
  • a similar control valve may be applied to a supercritical refrigeration cycle that uses a substance other than carbon dioxide as the refrigerant.
  • a similar control valve may be applied to a refrigeration cycle that does not operate in a supercritical range but to the refrigeration cycle where the pressure of refrigerant gets high. For example, it may be applied to a refrigeration cycle where HFC-134a, HFO-1234yf or the like is used as the refrigerant.
  • the above-described configurations are each applied to a control valve for a variable displacement compressor.
  • the above-described configurations may be applied to electromagnetic valve for other uses, such as for a use with the hot water supply.
  • a notch may be formed in only a part thereof (e.g., an intermediate part thereof in the direction of axis line), so that the suction force of the solenoid may be biased toward one side.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Compressors, Vaccum Pumps And Other Relevant Systems (AREA)
  • Magnetically Actuated Valves (AREA)

Claims (4)

  1. Soupape de commande de compresseur à déplacement variable (1) pour faire varier une capacité de décharge du compresseur (101) pour comprimer un réfrigérant conduit dans une chambre d'aspiration (110) et décharger le réfrigérant comprimé à partir d'une chambre de décharge (114), ladite soupape de commande (1) régulant un débit du réfrigérant conduit dans une chambre de commande (116) à partir de la chambre de décharge (114), ladite soupape de commande (1) comprenant:
    un corps (5) comprenant un orifice de communication de chambre de décharge (10) communiquant avec la chambre de décharge (114), un orifice de communication de chambre de commande (12) communiquant avec la chambre de commande (116), un orifice de communication de chambre d'aspiration (14) communiquant avec la chambre d'aspiration (110), et un trou de soupape (18) disposé dans un passage raccordant l'orifice de communication de chambre de décharge (10) à l'orifice de communication de chambre de commande (12);
    un élément de soupape (24) pour ouvrir et fermer une section de soupape en touchant et quittant un siège de soupape (22) disposé sur une extrémité d'ouverture du trou de soupape (18);
    un solénoïde (3), disposé dans le corps (5), qui génère une force solénoïdale servant à entraîner l'élément de soupape (24) dans une direction de fermeture de soupape selon une quantité de courant fournie au solénoïde (3) ; et un ressort (40) qui applique une force de sollicitation à l'élément de soupape (24) dans une direction d'ouverture de soupape, la force de sollicitation étant opposée à la force solénoïdale,
    dans laquelle l'orifice de communication de chambre de décharge (10), l'orifice de communication de chambre de commande (12) et l'orifice de communication de chambre d'aspiration (14) sont formées dans l'ordre suivant : l'orifice de communication de chambre de décharge (10), l'orifice de communication de chambre de commande (12) et l'orifice de communication de chambre d'aspiration (14) à partir d'un côté d'extrémité du corps (5), et le solénoïde (3) est disposé sur un autre côté d'extrémité du corps (5),
    dans laquelle l'élément de soupape (24) fonctionne de manière autonome de sorte qu'une pression différentielle (Pd - Ps) entre une pression de décharge (Pd) de la chambre de décharge (114) et une pression d'aspiration (Ps) de la chambre d'aspiration (110) soit maintenue à une pression différentielle prédéterminée selon une valeur de courant fourni au solénoïde (3),
    caractérisée en ce que
    le siège de soupape (22) présente une surface perpendiculaire à une ligne d'axe du trou de soupape (18), l'élément de soupape (24) est une soupape plate présentant une surface plate qui touche et quitte le siège de soupape (22) et qui est perpendiculaire à la ligne d'axe de celui-ci, et l'élément de soupape (24) entre en contact de surface avec le siège de soupape (22) lorsque la section de soupape est fermée,
    dans laquelle un diamètre de section de joint d'étanchéité (a) de l'élément de soupape (24) au niveau du trou de soupape (18) est supérieur à un diamètre (b) d'une partie coulissante d'une tige de transmission (34, 68) dans un passage de guidage (32), et
    dans laquelle lorsque la section de soupape est ouverte à partir d'un état fermé de soupape lorsque le solénoïde (3) est alimenté, une force provoquée par une pression dans la chambre de commande (116) agissant sur l'élément de soupape (24) est supérieure dans une direction de fermeture de soupape à ladite pression lorsque la section de soupape est fermée.
  2. Soupape de commande de compresseur à déplacement variable (1) selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle la soupape de commande (1) est appliquée à un cycle de réfrigération dans lequel une opération de réfrigération est réalisée dans une plage surcritique dépassant une température critique du réfrigérant.
  3. Soupape de commande de compresseur à déplacement variable (1) selon la revendication 1 ou la revendication 2, comprenant la tige de transmission (34, 68) qui transmet la force solénoïdale à l'élément de soupape (24), la tige de transmission (34, 68) étant supportée de façon coulissante dans le corps (5) dans une direction d'une ligne d'axe,
    dans laquelle le solénoïde (3) comprend :
    un manchon non magnétique (52) fixé sur le corps (5) ;
    un noyau (50) fixé de façon coaxiale sur le manchon (52) ; et
    un piston (54) contenu dans le manchon (52) et disposé de manière à être opposé au noyau (50) dans la direction de la ligne d'axe, le piston (54) étant déplaçable d'un seul tenant avec la tige de transmission (34, 68) dans la direction de ligne d'axe,
    dans laquelle le corps (5) comprend une chambre de soupape (20) formée entre le trou de soupape (18) et l'orifice de communication de chambre de commande (12), une chambre de travail (28) à travers laquelle une partie intérieure du manchon (52) et l'orifice de communication de chambre d'aspiration (14) communiquent l'un avec l'autre, et une paroi de séparation (26) qui sépare la chambre de soupape (20) de la chambre de travail (28), et un passage de guidage (32) disposé dans la paroi de séparation (26),
    dans laquelle l'élément de soupape (24) est disposé dans la chambre de soupape (20), et
    dans laquelle la tige de transmission (34, 68) est supportée de façon coulissante dans le passage de guidage (32), un côté d'extrémité de la tige de transmission (34, 68) étant accouplé à l'élément de soupape (24) dans la chambre de soupape (20), et l'autre côté d'extrémité de celle-ci étant accouplé au solénoïde (3).
  4. Soupape de commande de compresseur à déplacement variable (1) selon la revendication 3, dans lequel le noyau (50) et le piston (54) sont composés de fer doux électromagnétique.
EP15172342.6A 2014-06-19 2015-06-16 Soupape de contrôle pour compresseur de déplacement variable Active EP2963294B1 (fr)

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JP3963619B2 (ja) 1999-11-05 2007-08-22 株式会社テージーケー 冷凍サイクルの圧縮容量制御装置
JP3943871B2 (ja) * 2001-07-25 2007-07-11 株式会社テージーケー 可変容量圧縮機および可変容量圧縮機用容量制御弁
JP2006057506A (ja) 2004-08-19 2006-03-02 Tgk Co Ltd 可変容量圧縮機用制御弁
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JP6340501B2 (ja) 2018-06-13
EP2963294A1 (fr) 2016-01-06
JP2016003747A (ja) 2016-01-12

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