JP7045345B2 - Expansion valve and refrigeration cycle system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gas-filled expansion valve and a refrigeration cycle system including the expansion valve.

Conventionally, as a thermal expansion valve, a so-called block in which a flow path from a primary port through a valve port to a secondary port and a flow path through which a refrigerant that has exchanged heat with a heat source passes is formed in one valve body. A formula expansion valve has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the expansion valve described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, gas is sealed in the operating chamber, and the refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the heat source passes through the flow path, so that heat is transferred to the filled gas and the valve body is driven. , The opening of the valve port is adjusted.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 09-066733 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-053182 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 06-117731

However, in the block type expansion valve as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the number of pipes connected to the valve body increases in order to pass the refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the heat source. At this time, although it is necessary to provide an O-ring or the like between the pipe and the valve body to maintain airtightness, there is a possibility that the refrigerant may leak due to deterioration of the O-ring or the like. As the number of pipes increases, the possibility of refrigerant leakage increases.

On the other hand, as a temperature-type expansion valve, a gas-filled expansion valve including a diaphragm chamber (operation chamber of a drive element) and a temperature-sensitive cylinder has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 3). In the expansion valve described in Patent Document 3, a refrigerant (enclosed gas) is sealed in the diaphragm chamber, a temperature sensitive cylinder is provided on the outlet side of the evaporator, and the temperature sensitive cylinder and the diaphragm chamber are connected by a capillary tube. Will be done. As a result, the internal pressure of the diaphragm chamber changes according to the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator, and the amount of the refrigerant passing through the outflow hole (valve port) of the expansion valve is adjusted. Compared to the block type expansion valve, the expansion valve with a temperature sensitive tube has a smaller number of connected pipes, and refrigerant leakage is less likely to occur.

Various methods are known as charge (filling) methods in the temperature type expansion valve, and among them, there are an adsorption charge (C charge) type and a gas filling (G charge) type. The adsorption charge type has the advantage that the enclosed gas does not easily condense, but when used in an environment where the calorific value changes significantly, if the evaporation temperature change is large, the superheat deviation will increase, so overheating will occur due to the evaporation temperature. There was an inconvenience that the degree changed greatly and the refrigerating efficiency deteriorated.

Therefore, in order to keep the freezing efficiency high even in an environment where the calorific value changes greatly, it has been desired to adopt a gas-filled type having a small deviation in superheat degree. However, in order to accurately control the degree of superheat in the gas-filled type, the temperature of the drive element (the temperature of each part such as the upper lid, diaphragm, and lower lid) is always higher than the temperature of the temperature-sensitive cylinder, and the filled gas is felt. It was necessary to configure the structure so that it would condense only on the hot tube side.

An object of the present invention is to provide an expansion valve and a refrigeration cycle system capable of appropriately controlling the degree of superheat.

The expansion valve of the present invention is a gas-filled temperature expansion valve having a primary port for receiving a high-pressure refrigerant from a condenser, a valve body having a valve port for passing a refrigerant flowing in from the primary port, and the valve body. A valve body that is movably provided on the valve body to change the opening degree of the valve port, a drive element that has a diaphragm and an operation chamber to drive the valve body, and an enclosure according to the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator. It is provided with a temperature sensitive cylinder that changes the internal pressure of the operation chamber by gas and a secondary port that sends the refrigerant that has passed through the valve port to the evaporator, and heat of the refrigerant received from the primary port is transferred to the valve body and the valve body. It is provided with heat transfer means for transmitting heat to at least one of the drive elements, and includes a housing for accommodating the valve body and forming the primary port and the secondary port, and the housing is an accommodating portion for accommodating the valve body. A staying space in which the refrigerant continuously stays in the primary port, a communication flow path that communicates the staying space with the accommodating portion and sends the refrigerant to the accommodating portion, and the stagnant space and the accommodating portion. The heat transfer means includes a boundary wall for partitioning, and the heat transfer means transfers the heat of the refrigerant in the retention space to at least one of the valve body and the drive element through the boundary wall .

According to the present invention as described above, the heat of the refrigerant is transferred to at least one of the valve body and the drive element by the heat transfer means, so that the temperature in the operation chamber of the drive element is lower than the temperature of the temperature sensitive cylinder. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of the refrigerant and make it difficult for the refrigerant to condense in the operation chamber. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately deform the diaphragm according to the temperature change in the temperature sensitive cylinder to drive the valve body, adjust the opening of the valve port according to the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator, and appropriately control the degree of superheat. can.

Further, according to such a configuration, the refrigerant introduced into the housing from the primary port passes through the retention space, the communication flow path, and the accommodating portion in this order, and heads toward the secondary port. At this time, heat can be transferred to at least one of the valve body and the drive element by the refrigerant passing through the residence space, and the temperature drop in the operation chamber can be suppressed.

Further, in the expansion valve of the present invention, the accommodating portion extends along the introduction direction of the refrigerant in the primary port, communicates with the communication flow path on the primary port side, and communicates with the communication flow path on the side away from the primary port. It is preferable that the drive element is provided and the residence space extends from the communication flow path to a position away from the primary port. According to such a configuration, the refrigerant introduced into the housing from the primary port travels away from the primary port, then turns in the retention space, travels closer to the primary port, and then communicates. Go through the road to the containment area. In this way, instead of allowing the refrigerant to flow directly from the primary port toward the accommodating portion, the refrigerant is once advanced to a position away from the primary port so that the refrigerant is placed at a position away from the primary port. It is possible to suppress the temperature drop in the operation room of the drive element.

Further, in the expansion valve of the present invention, the stagnant space preferably extends to a position farther from the primary port than the valve port, and the stagnant space is farther from the primary port than the secondary port. It is more preferable that it extends to the above position. That is, the more the residence space extends to the vicinity of the drive element, the more the temperature drop in the operation room can be suppressed.

Further, in the expansion valve of the present invention, it is preferable that the housing is made of metal and the valve body is made of resin having a lower thermal conductivity than the metal of the housing. According to such a configuration, the refrigerant in the residence space and the drive element are easily heat-transferred through the housing, and the refrigerant that has expanded and lowered in temperature by passing through the valve port and the drive element are easily insulated. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in temperature in the operation room.

Further, the expansion valve of the present invention includes a plurality of valve assemblies having the valve body, the valve body, the drive element, and the temperature sensing cylinder as one set, and the housing has one. It is preferable that the primary port and the secondary port are formed for each valve assembly, and the accommodating portion is formed for each valve assembly. According to such a configuration, one of the valve body and the drive element in the plurality of valve assemblies can be heated by introducing the refrigerant into the residence space formed in the housing.

The refrigeration cycle system of the present invention evaporates a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve according to any one of the above that expands and decompresses the condensed refrigerant, and a decompressed refrigerant. It is characterized by comprising one or a plurality of evaporators. According to the present invention as described above, by heating the operation chamber in the expansion valve as described above, the opening degree of the valve port can be adjusted and the flow rate can be adjusted according to the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator, and the freezing can be performed. The degree of superheat can be appropriately controlled in the cycle system.

According to the expansion valve and refrigeration cycle system of the present invention, the heat of the refrigerant is transferred to at least one of the valve body and the drive element by the heat transfer means, so that the temperature in the operation chamber of the drive element is the temperature of the temperature sensitive cylinder. The opening degree of the valve port can be adjusted according to the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator, and the degree of superheat can be appropriately controlled.

It is a system diagram which shows the refrigeration cycle system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the expansion valve provided in the refrigeration cycle system. It is sectional drawing which shows the expansion valve of the modification of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the expansion valve of another modification of this invention.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration cycle system 100A of the present embodiment has an expansion valve 10 that expands and decompresses the refrigerant, a compressor 11 that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser 12 that condenses the refrigerant, and evaporation of the refrigerant. The evaporator 13 is provided. This refrigeration cycle system 100A is used in, for example, a refrigerator, a freezer, an air conditioner, and the like. In this embodiment, the vertical direction is the Z direction, and the two directions along the horizontal plane and orthogonal to each other are the X direction and the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the expansion valve 10 is a gas-filled temperature expansion valve having one housing 2 and two valve assemblies 3A and 3B. The housing 2 has a housing main body 21 and an inlet connector 22 separately. The number of valve assemblies provided in the expansion valve and the number of secondary ports described later may be 3 or more as long as they correspond to the number of evaporators.

The housing body 21 is entirely made of a metal member, and has an entrance opening 211 that opens downward in the Z direction, two accommodating portions 212 that open upward in the Z direction, and two openings that open in the Y direction. It has a next port 213, a recess 214, and a communication flow path 215. The two accommodating portions 212 are formed in a cylindrical shape extending along the Z direction (the direction in which the refrigerant is introduced in the primary port 221 described later), and have a small diameter portion 212A lower in the Z direction and a large diameter portion 212B above. The large diameter portion 212B communicates with the secondary port 213 corresponding to each accommodating portion 212.

The inlet connector 22 is entirely made of a metal member, and a primary port 221 connected to the outlet side of the condenser 12 is formed. The inlet connector 22 is attached to the inlet opening 211 of the housing body 21. An O-ring 23 is provided between the housing body 21 and the inlet connector 22, and the airtightness inside the housing 2 is maintained.

A recess 214 is formed in the housing main body 21 so as to extend from the inlet opening 211 toward the upper side in the Z direction (the side away from the primary port 221), and the inside of the recess 214 becomes a retention space. The recess 214 has a mortar shape in which the inner diameter decreases toward the bottom (upper side in the Z direction) 214A. The small diameter portion 212A of the accommodating portion 212 has an opening 212C at the end on the lower side (primary port 221 side) in the Z direction. The flow path extending toward the opening 212C along the upper surface of the inlet connector 22 on the opening side of the recess 214 is the communication flow path 215 that communicates the recess 214 and the accommodating portion 212. Further, the accommodating portion 212 and the recess 214 are arranged in the X direction, and the housing main body 21 has a boundary wall 216 for partitioning the accommodating portion 212 and the recess 214.

That is, the refrigerant introduced into the housing 2 from the primary port 221 stays in the recess 214 continuous with the primary port 221 and then passes through the communication flow path 215 and is sent to the accommodating portion 212, and is sent to the accommodating portion 212, which will be described later. It is designed to pass through to the secondary port 213. At this time, the housing 2 has a total of two communication flow paths 215 corresponding to the accommodating portions 212 of the valve assembly 3A and 3B, and one recess 214 communicating with all of the two communication flow paths 215. That is, the recess 214 is provided in common to the two housing portions 212. A part of the refrigerant introduced into the housing 2 from the primary port 221 may flow into the accommodating portion 212 without passing through the recess 214.

The valve assembly 3A and 3B all have the same configuration, and the valve assembly 3A will be described below. The valve assembly 3A is composed of a valve body 4, a valve body 5, a drive element 6, and a temperature sensing cylinder 7.

The valve body 4 is made of a resin member and is housed in the housing portion 212 of the housing body 21. The lower portion 41 of the valve body 4 housed in the small diameter portion 212A is formed in a cylindrical shape with the Z direction as the axial direction, has an opening 411 on the side surface, and is provided with an adjusting screw 51 at the lower end opening for adjustment. Accommodates the spring 52 and the valve body 5.

The upper portion 42 of the valve body 4 accommodated in the large diameter portion 212B is substantially orthogonal to the tubular guide portion 422 extending in the Z direction above the valve seat portion 43, which will be described later, and the guide portion 422. It has an extending refrigerant passage portion 423 and a groove-shaped spring accommodating portion 424 formed on the upper surface. The lower lid 62, which will be described later, is insert-molded into the valve body 4, so that the valve seat portion 43, which is a part of the lower lid 62, is arranged above the inner space of the lower portion 41. The spring accommodating portion 424 and the refrigerant passing portion 423 are communicated with each other by a pressure equalizing hole. The spring accommodating portion 424 and the refrigerant passing portion 423 may be communicated with each other by a minute gap between the guide portion 422 and the connecting rod 8 described later, and in this case, the pressure equalizing hole is not formed. You may. That is, the configuration may be such that an appropriate amount of refrigerant is introduced into the spring accommodating portion 424.

A connecting rod 8 is arranged inside the guide portion 422, and the connecting rod 8 is guided to move along the Z direction. The lower end of the connecting rod 8 is tapered so as to have an outer diameter capable of passing through the valve port 431.

The valve body 5 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape in which the upper surface is closed and the lower surface is open, and the needle portion 53 formed at the upper end approaches or separates from the valve seat portion 43 described later, whereby the valve port 431 has a valve body 5. The opening is adjusted. The adjusting spring 52 is provided downward with respect to the valve body 5 to apply an upward urging force, and the urging force can be adjusted by the adjusting screw 51. Further, a through hole 54 is formed in the upper surface portion of the valve body 5, so that the spaces on both sides of the upper surface portion (the space inside the cylinder and the space above the cylinder) communicate with each other. Since the tubular portion of the valve body 5 is guided by the upper portion of the lower portion 41, the valve body 5 is movable in the Z direction with respect to the valve body 4.

The tip of the connecting rod 8 always comes into contact with the tip of the needle portion 53 of the valve body 5. As will be described later, the connecting rod 8 is driven in the Z direction by the drive element 6, so that the valve body 5 is driven by the connecting rod 8 and moves in the Z direction. As a result, the position of the needle portion 53 with respect to the valve port 431 is adjusted.

O-rings 44 and 45 are provided between the valve body 4 and the housing body 21 at a position corresponding to the upper end portion of the lower portion 41 and a position corresponding to the upper end portion of the upper portion 42, respectively. There is. As a result, the airtightness of the accommodating portion 212 with respect to the external space is maintained. Further, the space in the small diameter portion 212A and the space in the large diameter portion 212B do not communicate with each other except for the valve port 431.

In the expansion valve 10, the primary port 221 receives the refrigerant from the condenser 12, and after the refrigerant is introduced into the accommodating portion 212, the opening 411 of the lower portion 41 of the valve body 4 and the through hole 511 of the adjusting screw 51 , The through hole 54 of the valve body 5, the valve port 431, and the refrigerant passing portion 423 pass in this order, and are sent out from the secondary port 213 to the evaporator 13. In the present embodiment, the refrigerant is introduced into the lower portion 41 by both the opening 411 of the lower portion 41 and the through hole 511 of the adjusting screw 51, but the opening 411 and the through hole 511 A configuration may be configured in which only one of them is formed and the refrigerant is introduced into the lower portion 41 by only one of them.

The drive element 6 has an upper lid 61, a lower lid 62, and a diaphragm 63, and drives the valve body 5 via the bucket 64 and the connecting rod 8. The outer edge of the diaphragm 63 having a circular shape in a plan view is sandwiched between the upper lid 61 and the lower lid 62 and welded to form an operation chamber 66 between the diaphragm 63 and the upper lid 61.

The lower lid 62 has a tubular portion with a hole that is formed by press working and extends along the Z direction, and a bottomed portion with a hole that constitutes the valve seat portion 43. The tubular portion and the bottomed portion are the valve main body 4. It is insert molded into. The prize 64 is provided on the lower surface of the diaphragm 63, and the upper end of the connecting rod 8 is connected by caulking or the like. That is, the deformation of the diaphragm 63 is transmitted to the connecting rod 8 via the winnings 64.

Further, a coil spring 65 is arranged in the valve body 4, and the coil spring 65 is housed in the spring accommodating portion 424 of the valve body 4, and the upper end portion thereof abuts on the prize 64. That is, the coil spring 65 applies an upward urging force to the diaphragm 63 via the money 64.

When the internal pressure of the operation chamber 66 increases or decreases, the diaphragm 63 is deformed so that the operation chamber 66 expands or contracts. As the diaphragm 63 is deformed, the connecting rod 8 moves in the Z direction. Specifically, for example, when the internal pressure of the operation chamber 66 decreases, the downward force (internal pressure equivalent load) applied to the diaphragm 63 from above decreases, and the upward force applied to the diaphragm 63 from below. When the force (the sum of the load equivalent to the secondary pressure, the load of the coil spring 65, and the load of the adjusting spring 52) is reduced, the diaphragm 63 is deformed so that the operation chamber 66 contracts. As a result, the connecting rod 8 moves upward in the Z direction, and the valve opening degree becomes smaller.

A retaining member 67 is attached to the housing body 21, and the upper surface of the outer edge portion of the upper lid 61 is locked by the retaining member 67 so that the drive element 6 and the valve body 4 do not fall off from the accommodating portion 212. It has become like. The retaining member 67 has elasticity, for example, because it is made of a spring material, so that a force that presses the drive element 6 against the housing body 21 in the Z direction is applied, whereby the drive element 6 is pressed against the housing body 21. It is preferable to bring it into close contact with 21 so that no gap is formed.

The temperature sensitive cylinder 7 is arranged near the outlet of the evaporator 13. The internal space of the temperature sensitive cylinder 7 and the internal space of the operation chamber 66 communicate with each other via a capillary tube 9, and an enclosed gas is enclosed. The filled gas may be the same gas as the apparatus refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle system 100A, the gas may have the same or similar temperature and pressure characteristics as the apparatus refrigerant, and the inert gas may be used. It may be mixed.

The temperature of the enclosed gas in the temperature-sensitive cylinder 7 changes according to the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator 13, and the internal pressure of the temperature-sensitive cylinder 7 changes. Along with this, the internal pressure of the operation chamber 66 also changes via the capillary tube 9, and the diaphragm 63 is deformed as described above.

The housing 2 has one primary port 221 and a secondary port 213 for each valve assembly 3A and 3B (having a total of two secondary ports 213), and the valve body of the two valve assembly 3A and 3B. 4. Accommodates the valve body 5 and the drive element 6. As a result, the housing 2 and the valve assemblies 3A and 3B form the expansion valve unit. In the present embodiment, the housing 2 has one primary port 221. However, the housing may have a plurality of primary ports. For example, the configuration may be such that two valve assemblies and two secondary ports (a total of four valve assemblies and a total of four secondary ports) are provided for each of the two primary ports. A configuration may be provided in which one valve assembly and one secondary port (a total of four valve assemblies and a total of four secondary ports) are provided for each of the primary ports. At this time, the housing may have (for example, the same number) of secondary ports according to the number of evaporators provided in the refrigeration cycle system.

The details of the flow of the refrigerant and the heat transfer in the housing 2 will be described below. The refrigerant introduced into the housing 2 from the primary port 221 travels upward in the Z direction while being diffused. This refrigerant collides with the bottom 214A of the recess 214 or the boundary wall 216, changes the traveling direction, or stays in place. When the refrigerant whose traveling direction has changed travels downward in the Z direction and reaches the communication flow path 215, it flows into the accommodating portion 212.

As the refrigerant flows or stays in the recess 214 in this way, the heat of the refrigerant is transferred to the portion of the housing body 21 located at the bottom 214A of the recess 214 and the boundary wall 216. When the housing body 21 and the lower lid 62 of the drive element 6 are in contact with each other, the heat of the refrigerant is transferred to the drive element 6 via the housing body 21, and the enclosed gas in the operation chamber 66 is heated.

That is, since the recess 214 is formed, the refrigerant can flow to the vicinity of the drive element 6, and heat can be easily transferred to the drive element 6. Therefore, the recess 214 functions as a heat transfer means for transferring the heat of the refrigerant received from the primary port 221 to the drive element 6.

The secondary port 213 has a large diameter portion 213A and a small diameter portion 213B, and an outlet connector is attached so as to be located inside each of the large diameter portion 213A and the small diameter portion 213B, and the inner diameter of the outlet connector is an effective secondary port. It becomes the diameter. The effective secondary port diameter is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the refrigerant passage portion 423. In the present embodiment, the bottom portion 214A of the recess 214 is located on the upper side in the Z direction with respect to the upper end of the large diameter portion 213A. That is, the residence space extends to a position farther from the primary port 221 than the secondary port 213.

The deeper the recess 214 is formed, the easier it is to transfer heat to the drive element 6, while the housing body 21 becomes thinner between the recess 214 and the drive element 6, and the strength tends to decrease. Therefore, the depth of the recess 214 may be appropriately set according to the balance between the heat transfer performance and the strength, and the bottom 214A may be arranged above the upper end of the small diameter portion 213B in the Z direction. The refrigerant passage portion 423 may be arranged above the upper end in the Z direction, or may be arranged above the valve port 431 in the Z direction.

Even if the refrigerant that has expanded and lowered in temperature by passing through the valve port 431 due to the transfer of the heat of the refrigerant to the drive element 6 as described above is introduced into the spring accommodating portion 424, it is inside the operation chamber 66. The temperature of the enclosed gas does not easily drop. Further, it is easy to keep the temperature of the enclosed gas in the operation chamber 66 higher than the temperature of the enclosed gas in the temperature sensitive cylinder 7 cooled on the outlet side of the evaporator 13.

Here, the detailed operation of the expansion valve 10 will be described. First, when the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator 13 decreases, the temperature of the enclosed gas in the temperature-sensitive tube 7 decreases, and the internal pressure of the temperature-sensitive tube 7 decreases. As a result, the internal pressure of the operation chamber 66 also decreases, and the diaphragm 63 is deformed upward so that the operation chamber 66 contracts. With the deformation of the diaphragm 63, the connecting rod 8 moves upward, and the valve body 5 also moves upward. That is, the needle portion 53 of the valve body 5 approaches the valve seat portion 43, the opening degree of the valve port 431 becomes smaller, and the flow rate of the passing refrigerant decreases. As described above, when the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator 13 decreases, the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the expansion valve 10 decreases, and the cooling action of the expansion valve 10 decreases.

On the other hand, when the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator 13 rises, the temperature of the enclosed gas in the temperature sensitive cylinder 7 rises, and the internal pressure of the temperature sensitive cylinder 7 rises. As a result, the internal pressure of the operation chamber 66 also increases, and the diaphragm 63 is deformed downward so that the operation chamber 66 expands. With the deformation of the diaphragm 63, the connecting rod 8 moves downward, and the valve body 5 also moves downward. That is, the needle portion 53 of the valve body 5 moves away from the valve seat portion 43, the opening degree of the valve port 431 increases, and the flow rate of the passing refrigerant increases. As described above, when the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator 13 rises, the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the expansion valve 10 increases, and the cooling action of the expansion valve 10 increases.

According to the above embodiment, in the gas-filled temperature expansion valve, the operation chamber 66 can be heated by transferring the heat of the refrigerant received from the primary port 221 to the drive element 6, and the operation chamber 66 can be heated. It is possible to prevent the temperature inside the temperature sensing cylinder 7 from becoming lower than the temperature of the temperature sensitive cylinder 7, and to make it difficult for the refrigerant to condense in the operation chamber 66. Therefore, the diaphragm 63 is appropriately deformed according to the temperature change in the temperature sensing cylinder 7 to drive the valve body 5, the opening degree of the valve port 431 is adjusted according to the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator 13, and the valve port 431 is appropriately overheated. The degree can be controlled.

Further, since the recess 214 whose inside is a retention space functions as a heat transfer means, when the refrigerant introduced into the housing 2 from the primary port 221 passes through the accommodating portion 212 and heads for the secondary port 213, The refrigerant can pass through the recess 214 and transfer heat to the drive element 6 to heat the operating chamber 66.

Further, since the accommodating portion 212 communicates with the communication flow path 215 on the lower side in the Z direction and the bottom portion 214A of the recess 214 is arranged on the upper side in the Z direction than the communication flow path 215, the inside of the housing 2 is from the primary port 221. The refrigerant introduced into is once moved away from the primary port 221, then turned in the recess 214, traveled closer to the primary port 221 and then passed through the communication flow path 215 to the accommodating portion 212. Head to. This makes it easy to heat the drive element 6 arranged on the upper side in the Z direction.

Further, since the housing 2 is made of metal and the valve body 4 is made of resin, the refrigerant in the recess 214 and the drive element 6 are easily heat-transferred through the housing 2 and pass through the valve port 431. The refrigerant that has expanded and the temperature has dropped and the drive element 6 are likely to be insulated. Thereby, the temperature drop of the operation chamber 66 can be suppressed.

Further, two accommodating portions 212 are formed in one housing 2, and one concave portion 214 is formed. In each accommodating portion 212, the valve body 4, the valve body 5, and the drive element 6 of the valve assembly 3A and 3B are formed. By being accommodated, the refrigerant can be introduced into the recess 214 formed in the housing 2 to heat the drive element 6 in the two valve assemblies 3A and 3B.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but includes other configurations and the like that can achieve the object of the present invention, and the present invention also includes modifications and the like as shown below. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the expansion valve unit is configured by one housing 2 and two valve assemblies 3A and 3B in the expansion valve 10, but as shown in FIG. 3, for example, one housing 2B. However, a configuration may be provided in which only one valve assembly 3A is provided. That is, an appropriate number of valve assemblies may be provided according to the number of evaporators.

Further, in the above embodiment, the recess 214 is formed in the housing body 21, and the refrigerant can enter the recess 214. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the recess 214 is larger than the metal of the housing body 21, for example. By filling the metal heat transfer member 200 having a high thermal conductivity, the refrigerant may not be able to enter. In such a configuration, the refrigerant introduced into the housing 2 from the primary port 221 collides with the heat transfer member 200, so that the heat of the refrigerant is transferred to the heat transfer member 200, and further, the heat transfer member 200 to the housing body 21 Heat is transferred to the drive element 6 via. That is, the heat transfer member 200 functions as a heat transfer means. The material of the heat transfer member 200 is not limited to metal as long as it has a higher thermal conductivity than the material of the housing body 21.

Further, in the above embodiment, the heat of the refrigerant received from the primary port 221 is transferred to the drive element 6, but the heat of the refrigerant may be transferred to the valve body. Since the refrigerant passes through the valve port and the temperature drops, the valve body is likely to be cooled, and the valve body may take heat from the drive element. Therefore, by transferring the heat of the refrigerant received from the primary port to the valve body, it is possible to prevent the heat from being taken away from the drive element. The heat of the refrigerant received from the primary port may be transferred to both the drive element and the valve body.

Further, in the above embodiment, the housing 2 is made of metal and the valve body 4 is made of resin, but the materials of the housing and the valve body are not limited to this. For example, when the residence space is formed in the vicinity of the drive element, the operation chamber can be heated even if the housing is made of a member having a low thermal conductivity. Further, when the valve body and the drive element are arranged apart from each other, or when a heat insulating member is provided between the valve body and the drive element, the valve body is made of a member having high thermal conductivity. Even if it is configured, it is possible to prevent the operation room from being cooled.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the design changes, etc. within the range not deviating from the gist of the present invention, etc. Even if there is, it is included in the present invention.

100A Refrigeration Cycle System 10 Expansion Valve 11 Compressor 12 Condensator 13 Evaporator 2 Housing 221 Primary Port 212 Accommodation 213 Secondary Port 214 Recess (retention space, heat transfer means)
215 Communication flow path 216 Boundary wall 3A, 3B Valve assembly 4 Valve body 5 Valve body 6 Drive element 63 Diaphragm 66 Operation room 7 Temperature sensing tube

Claims (7)

It is a gas-filled temperature expansion valve.
A primary port that accepts high pressure refrigerant from the condenser,
A valve body having a valve port through which the refrigerant flowing in from the primary port passes, and a valve body.
A valve body that is movably provided on the valve body and changes the opening degree of the valve port,
A drive element having a diaphragm and an operation chamber to drive the valve body,
A temperature-sensitive tube that changes the internal pressure of the operation chamber by the enclosed gas according to the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator.
A secondary port for sending the refrigerant that has passed through the valve port to the evaporator is provided.
A heat transfer means for transferring the heat of the refrigerant received from the primary port to at least one of the valve body and the drive element is provided .
A housing for accommodating the valve body and forming the primary port and the secondary port is provided.
The housing has an accommodating portion for accommodating the valve body, a stagnant space in which the refrigerant is continuously retained in the primary port, and a communication flow in which the stagnant space and the accommodating portion are communicated with each other to send the refrigerant to the accommodating portion. A road and a boundary wall separating the stagnant space and the accommodating portion are provided.
The expansion valve is characterized in that the heat transfer means transfers the heat of the refrigerant in the retention space to at least one of the valve body and the drive element through the boundary wall . The accommodating portion extends along the introduction direction of the refrigerant in the primary port, communicates with the communication flow path on the primary port side, and is provided with the drive element on the side away from the primary port.
The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the retention space extends from the communication flow path to a position away from the primary port. The expansion valve according to claim 2 , wherein the residence space extends from the valve port to a position distant from the primary port. The expansion valve according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the residence space extends from the secondary port to a position farther from the primary port. The expansion valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the housing is made of metal, and the valve body is made of a resin having a thermal conductivity lower than that of the metal of the housing. A plurality of valve assemblies having the valve body, the valve body, the drive element, and the temperature sensing cylinder as a set of valve assemblies are provided.
Claim 1 is characterized in that the housing is formed with one primary port and the secondary port for each valve assembly, and the accommodating portion is formed for each valve assembly. The expansion valve according to any one of 5 to 5 . The compressor for compressing the refrigerant, the condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant, the expansion valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6 for expanding and depressurizing the condensed refrigerant, and the decompressed refrigerant are evaporated. A refrigeration cycle system comprising one or more evaporators.

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