JP2006132881A - Expansion valve - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive expansion valve and capable of coping with joints of every shape and every sealing type while reducing the kinds of bodies. <P>SOLUTION: The expansion valve is composed of an expansion valve body 11 having the function of the expansion valve, and a high pressure side joint member 12 and a low pressure side joint member 13 having functions of joints of pipes connected thereto. The kinds of the expansion valve bodies 11 are thereby reduced, and various shapes demanded for the joints are all coped with by the shape change of the high pressure side joint member 12 and low pressure side joint member 13. Since the high pressure side joint member 12 and low pressure side joint member 13 are formed as separate components from a body 14 of the expansion valve body 11, the most expensive body 14 among the components can be made small to reduce a material cost. Since the high pressure side joint member 12 and the low pressure side joint member 13 are easily machined or molded, a manufacturing cost can be reduced, and when the necessity of shape change or the like occurs, what is necessary is to change only the joint member at a required part of change. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an expansion valve, and in particular, supplies high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant to a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant in an refrigeration cycle of an automobile air conditioner system, and supplies the evaporator with a predetermined refrigerant state at an evaporator outlet. The present invention relates to a temperature type expansion valve that controls the flow rate of refrigerant so as to achieve a degree of superheat.

  In automotive air conditioner systems, high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by a compressor is condensed by a condenser, and the condensed liquid refrigerant is adiabatically expanded by an expansion valve to produce a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, which is evaporated by an evaporator. A refrigeration cycle is formed so as to be returned to the compressor. The evaporator supplied with the low-temperature refrigerant is cooled by exchanging heat with the air in the passenger compartment.

  The expansion valve senses the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant at the evaporator outlet and controls the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator so that the state of the refrigerant reaches a predetermined superheat level. A block type (for example, see Patent Document 1) or a capsule type (for example, see Patent Document 2) in which the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are sensed inside through the inside is known. Yes.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional block type expansion valve, where (A) shows an example in which a pipe is connected to the expansion valve by the first sealing method, and (B) shows a pipe connected to the expansion valve. Shows an example of connection by the second sealing method.

  The expansion valve is provided in the body 101 and controls the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing from the receiver / dryer to the evaporator, and is attached to the body 101 to sense the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant at the evaporator outlet. And a power element 103 for controlling the opening of the unit. The body 101 is connected to a pipe 104 that receives the refrigerant from the receiver / dryer, a pipe 105 that supplies the refrigerant to the evaporator, a pipe 106 that receives the refrigerant returned from the evaporator, and a pipe 107 that supplies the refrigerant to the compressor. 101 itself has the function of the joint of these pipes 104-107.

  The compressor-side pipes 104 and 107 and the evaporator-side pipes 105 and 106 are respectively provided with plates 108 and 109 at their tips. For pipe connection to the body 101, the pipes 104 and 107 and the pipes 105 and 106 are inserted into the corresponding ports of the body 101, and bolts are passed through holes formed in the plates 108 and 109 and the body 101 so as to penetrate the plate. This is done by tightening 108 and 109 from both sides.

At this time, an O-ring is inserted between the pipes 104 to 107 and the joint portion of the body 101 to seal the refrigerant from leaking outside. Two methods are known as the sealing method. According to the sealing method shown in FIG. 6A, the port of the body 101 is tapered so that the diameter is reduced toward the back side, while the ends of the pipes 104 to 107 are a predetermined distance from the end face. It is processed so as to form a bead that protrudes outward in the radial direction at a position separated by a distance. When the pipes 104 and 107 and the pipes 105 and 106 are inserted into the corresponding ports of the body 101, the O-ring is sandwiched and deformed between the reduced-diameter surface of the port and the bead to seal the joint portion. ing. Further, according to the sealing method shown in FIG. 6 (B), the port of the body 101 is drilled straight toward the back side, while the tips of the pipes 104 to 107 are separated from the end face by a predetermined distance. A bead projecting radially outward is formed at a position, and a groove recessed radially inward is formed between the end surface and the bead. The O-ring is fitted in the groove, and the pipes 104 and 107 and the pipes 105 and 106 are pushed into the corresponding ports of the body 101 to seal the joint portion. In the above example, the case where all the pipes 104 to 107 are of any one of the sealing methods is shown as an example, but different sealing methods are adopted for the pipes 104 and 107 and the pipes 105 and 106. Sometimes.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-222268 (FIG. 1 etc.) JP 2001-235259 A (FIG. 2 etc.)

  However, the pipe diameter, the length of the pipe inserted, the pitch between the two pipes fixed by the plate, and the sealing method may differ depending on the vehicle model to which the automotive air conditioner system is applied. Therefore, with conventional expansion valves, the body must be changed each time the dimensions are changed, which increases the type of body and increases management costs. Each time the required shape is changed, there is a problem that setup of the tool change of the body processing machine occurs.

  Moreover, in the expansion valve in which the expansion valve body is inserted into the body, the body size becomes large. Since the body is the most expensive of the parts, there is a problem that the material cost is increased as the size is increased, and the cost of the expansion valve is increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost expansion valve that can be used for joints of any shape and seal type even if the type of body is reduced.

  In the present invention, in order to solve the above-described problem, the introduced high-temperature / high-pressure liquid refrigerant is expanded to sense a low-temperature / low-pressure refrigerant, and the pressure and temperature of the evaporated refrigerant are sensed and detected. An expansion valve comprising a power element for controlling a flow rate of refrigerant flowing through the valve portion, and an expansion valve body in which the valve portion is accommodated in a body having four ports through which refrigerant is introduced and led out and to which the power element is attached; There are provided an expansion valve comprising: four joint members connected to respective corresponding ports of the body while inserting and connecting pipes into which refrigerant is introduced or led out, respectively.

  According to such an expansion valve, the function of the expansion valve and the function of the joint are separated, and various dimensions and sealing methods required for the expansion valve are supported by the joint member. Thereby, the kind of body which comprises an expansion-valve main body can be decreased, and when one body is used, since the setup of the tool change of a body processing machine does not generate | occur | produce, manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Since the expansion valve of the present invention has separated the joint function that the body has, the type of the expansion valve body can be greatly reduced, thereby reducing or eliminating the processing setup cost. There is an advantage.

  In addition, when the expansion valve is assembled and inspected on the line, the port of the expansion valve body is limited, so that it is possible to eliminate the need for line setup such as replacing the inspection jig. is there.

  Furthermore, since the joint member is a separate part from the body of the expansion valve body, the body can be made smaller and the material cost of the body can be reduced. In addition, since the joint member can be easily processed or molded, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and when the shape or the like needs to be changed, only the joint member at the place where the change is required needs to be changed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the expansion valve according to the first embodiment.
The expansion valve according to the first embodiment includes an expansion valve main body 11, a high-pressure side joint member 12, and a low-pressure side joint member 13. The expansion valve body 11 has a body 14 in which the thickness in the pipe insertion direction is minimized. The body 14 has a port 15 for introducing a high-pressure refrigerant arranged so that the axes are offset from each other, and a low-pressure refrigerant. Are provided, and ports 17 and 18 arranged on the same axis are provided. The high-pressure port 15 and the low-pressure port 16 are communicated with each other by a passage that forms a valve hole inside the body 14. A peripheral portion of the passage on the high pressure port 15 side constitutes a valve seat 19, and a ball-shaped valve body 20 is disposed so as to face the valve seat. The valve part is configured. The valve body 20 is held by a holder 21, and the holder 21 is urged by a spring 22 in the valve closing direction. The lower end of the spring 22 in the figure is received by an adjusting screw 23 screwed to the body 14. The adjustment screw 23 is used to adjust the set value of the expansion valve.

  A power element 24 is screwed onto the top of the body 14. The power element 24 has a sealed chamber and an open chamber, the interior of which is partitioned by a diaphragm, and the open chamber communicates with the port 17 and the port 18 through a passage formed in the body 14. It is open to. In the open chamber of the power element 24, a disk whose upper surface is in contact with the diaphragm is arranged, and this disk controls the displacement of the diaphragm via a shaft 25 arranged in the axial direction of the body 14. It is configured to transmit to the body 20.

  The high-pressure side joint member 12 is made of metal or resin, and connection holes 26 and 27 are provided on the surface opposite to the surface on which the ports 15 and 18 of the body 14 are provided, and the connection holes 26 and 27 are provided on the opposite surface. Pipe insertion holes 28 and 29 communicating with 26 and 27 are provided, respectively. The connection holes 26 and 27 on the side facing the body 14 have the same pitch as the ports 15 and 18 of the body 14, and guides 30 and 31 are provided around the connection holes 26 and 27. Seal portions 32 and 33 are provided around the base portions of the guides 30 and 31. The seal portions 32 and 33 can be O-rings, gaskets, and metal seals. When the high-pressure side joint member 12 is made of metal, for example, it can be a seal by projection welding. The pipe insertion holes 28 and 29 into which the pipes are inserted are provided on the same axis as the connection holes 26 and 27 in this example, and the inside is shaped according to the sealing method, in this example It is formed in a taper shape that reduces the diameter in the insertion direction.

  The low-pressure side joint member 13 is made of metal or resin like the high-pressure side joint member 12, and connection holes 34 and 35 are provided on the surface of the body 14 that faces the surface on which the low-pressure side ports 16 and 17 are provided. On the opposite surface, pipe insertion holes 36 and 37 for inserting pipes are provided, respectively. The connection holes 34 and 35 on the side facing the body 14 have the same pitch as the ports 16 and 17 of the body 14, and guides 38 and 39 project around the base holes of the guides 38 and 39. Are provided with seal portions 40 and 41. Further, in this example, the pipe insertion holes 36 and 37 for inserting the pipes are provided on the same axis as the connection holes 34 and 35, and the inside is formed in a tapered shape so that the diameter is reduced in the pipe insertion direction. Has been.

2A and 2B are views showing an assembled state of the expansion valve according to the first embodiment, wherein FIG. 2A is a left side view, FIG. 2B is a central longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 2C is a right side view.
The expansion valve is assembled by closely contacting the high-pressure side joint member 12 and the low-pressure side joint member 13 from both sides with the expansion valve main body 11 interposed therebetween. At this time, the guides 30 and 31 of the high-pressure side joint member 12 are inserted into the corresponding ports 15 and 18 drilled in the body 14, and the guides 38 and 39 of the low-pressure side joint member 13 are drilled in the body 14. It is inserted into the corresponding ports 16 and 17 and positioned.

  The expansion valve main body 11, the high-pressure side joint member 12, and the low-pressure side joint member 13 are coupled to each other when incorporated in an automotive air conditioner system. That is, the compressor-side and evaporator-side pipes are inserted into the corresponding holes of the high-pressure side joint member 12 and the low-pressure side joint member 13, and are formed in the holes and the body 14 formed in the plate attached to the tip of the pipe. The expansion valve main body 11, the high pressure side joint member 12, and the low pressure side joint member 13 are coupled to each other by passing a bolt through the formed hole 42 and tightening the plate from both sides with the bolt.

  FIG. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the expansion valve according to the second embodiment. 2, the same components as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The expansion valve according to the second embodiment differs from the expansion valve according to the first embodiment in the shapes of the pipe insertion holes of the high-pressure side joint member 12 and the low-pressure side joint member 13. According to the expansion valve of the second embodiment, the high-pressure side joint member 12 and the low-pressure side joint member 13 have pipe insertion holes 28 and 29 for inserting pipes and pipe insertion holes 36 and 37 on the back side. It is formed into a joint shape that has been drilled in a straight direction. As a result, this expansion valve corresponds to a sealing method in which an O-ring is fitted on the outer periphery of the pipe tip.

  4A and 4B are diagrams showing a configuration of an expansion valve according to a third embodiment, wherein FIG. 4A is a left side view showing an assembled state, FIG. 4B is a central longitudinal sectional view showing a state before assembly, C) is a right side view showing an assembled state. In FIG. 4, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the expansion valve according to the third embodiment, compared to the expansion valve according to the second embodiment, joint members are individually formed corresponding to the ports 15 to 18 of the body 14, The difference is that the shape of the lower end of the body 14 is changed. That is, this expansion valve includes an expansion valve main body 11 and joint members 12 a, 12 b, 13 a, 13 b, a guide 30 of the joint member 12 a is inserted into a port 15 provided in the body 14, and a joint member is inserted into the port 16. The guide 38 of the joint member 13 b is inserted into the port 17, and the guide 31 of the joint member 12 b is inserted into the port 18. The joint members 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b are made, for example, by processing a cylindrical metal material or by resin molding.

  Further, in this expansion valve, the shape of the lower end portion of the body 14 is changed to be narrowed inward. Thereby, since the volume of the body 14 can be reduced, the material cost of the most expensive body 14 among the parts can be saved, and the cost of the expansion valve can be reduced correspondingly.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the expansion valve according to the fourth embodiment, wherein (A) is a left side view showing an assembled state, (B) is a central longitudinal sectional view showing a state before assembly, C) is a right side view showing an assembled state. In FIG. 5, the same components as those shown in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The expansion valve according to the fourth embodiment is different from the expansion valve according to the third embodiment in that the pitch between two pipes inserted on the same side is the ports 15 and 18 of the body 14 and the ports. It differs in that the joint members 12a and 13a are formed corresponding to the case where the pitch is different from the pitches 16 and 17, and the outer shape of the body 14 is changed. That is, in this expansion valve, the joint members 12a and 13a connected to the ports 15 and 16 provided in the body 14 are pipes into which the connection holes 26 and 34 corresponding to the ports 15 and 16 of the body 14 and pipes are inserted. The axes of the insertion holes 28 and 36 are offset. Since the connection holes 26 and 34 and the pipe insertion holes 28 and 36 are not on the same axis, when the joint members 12a and 13a are attached to the corresponding ports 15 and 16 of the body 14, the pipe insertion on the side where the pipe is inserted is inserted. In order to make the holes 28 and 36 offset in a predetermined direction with respect to the connection holes 26 and 34, positioning projections 43 and 44 are provided on the surfaces of the joint members 12a and 13a facing the body 14, Recesses 45 and 46 for fitting the projections 43 and 44 are provided at corresponding positions of the body 14.

  Further, this expansion valve has an outer shape in which the body 14 is further slimmed. That is, the body 14 has a wall thickness of a portion that forms a port 15 through which high-pressure refrigerant is introduced, a port 16 through which low-pressure refrigerant is led out, and a portion that forms a passage through which the refrigerant from the evaporator passes. Each part is thinned and slimmed, and a notch 47 is formed in the portion where the fixing bolt is located.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, the case where the sealing method on the compressor side and the evaporator side is the same is shown as an example, but different sealing methods may be used. Moreover, although the case where the joint member was integrated on both the compressor side and the evaporator side and the case where it was made separate were illustrated, a combination in which one is integrated and the other is made separate may be used. Further, the integrated high-pressure side joint member 12 and low-pressure side joint member 13 are connected to the connection holes 26, 27 and 34, 35 on the side connected to the expansion valve body 11, and pipe insertion holes 28, 29 into which pipes are inserted. Although the case where 36 and 37 are formed on the same axis is illustrated, they may be formed offset from each other as necessary.

It is a center longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the expansion valve which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the assembly state of the expansion valve which concerns on 1st Embodiment, (A) is a left view, (B) is a center longitudinal cross-sectional view, (C) is a right view. It is a center longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the expansion valve which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the expansion valve which concerns on 3rd Embodiment, (A) is a left view which shows an assembly state, (B) is a center longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state before an assembly, (C) is It is a right view which shows an assembly state. It is a figure which shows the structure of the expansion valve which concerns on 4th Embodiment, (A) is a left view which shows an assembly state, (B) is a center longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state before an assembly, (C) is It is a right view which shows an assembly state. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional block type expansion valve, Comprising: (A) shows the example by which the pipe was connected to the expansion valve by the 1st sealing method, (B) shows the pipe to the expansion valve 2nd The example connected by the sealing method of is shown.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Expansion valve main body 12 High pressure side joint member 12a, 12b Joint member 13 Low pressure side joint member 13a, 13b Joint member 14 Body 15-18 Port 19 Valve seat 20 Valve body 21 Holder 22 Spring 23 Adjustment screw 24 Power element 25 Shaft 26, 27 Connection hole 28, 29 Pipe insertion hole 30, 31 Guide 32, 33 Seal part 34, 35 Connection hole 36, 37 Pipe insertion hole 38, 39 Guide 40, 41 Seal part 42 Hole 43, 44 Projection 45, 46 Recess 47 Cut Notch

Claims (5)

A power element that controls the flow rate of refrigerant flowing through the valve section by sensing the pressure and temperature of the evaporated refrigerant and the valve section that is led out as a low-temperature / low-pressure refrigerant by expanding the introduced high-temperature / high-pressure liquid refrigerant In an expansion valve with
An expansion valve main body in which the valve portion is accommodated in a body having four ports into which refrigerant is introduced and led out and the power element is attached;
Four joint members connected by inserting and connecting pipes into which refrigerant is introduced or led out respectively and corresponding ports of the body;
An expansion valve characterized by comprising:   The joint member includes a pipe insertion hole into which the pipe is inserted, a connection hole communicating with the pipe insertion hole and connected to the port of the body, and projecting around the connection hole. The expansion valve according to claim 1, further comprising a guide that is fitted into the guide.   The direction in which the pipe insertion hole is offset with respect to the connection hole when connecting the joint member in which the axis of the pipe insertion hole and the axis of the connection hole are offset to the corresponding port of the body 3. The expansion valve according to claim 2, further comprising positioning means for defining   The expansion valve according to claim 3, wherein the positioning means is a recess and a protrusion that are provided on opposite end surfaces of the body and the joint member and fit to each other. The expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the two joint members respectively connected to the two ports formed on the same surface of at least one of the bodies are integrally formed.

Images