JP7302468B2 - valve device, refrigeration cycle device - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a valve device and a refrigeration cycle device including the valve device.

Conventionally, there is known a refrigeration cycle device in which an air cooling evaporator provided with an expansion valve and a battery cooler provided with an expansion valve are connected in parallel downstream of an outdoor heat exchanger (for example, Patent Document 1 reference). The battery cooler consists of a plurality of evaporators connected in parallel downstream of the expansion valve. Between the expansion valve and the plurality of evaporators, a distributor is provided for distributing the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve. State refrigerant is dispensed.

JP 2012-111486 A

By the way, in a configuration in which a distributor is arranged between an expansion valve and a plurality of evaporators as in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to adjust the flow rate of refrigerant flowing through the plurality of evaporators. As a countermeasure, for example, an electric expansion valve driven by an electric motor such as a stepping motor is placed upstream of each of the multiple evaporators, and the electric expansion valve adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing to the multiple evaporators. can be considered.

However, in this case, an increase in the number of large-sized actuators such as electric motors is unavoidable, and the size of the valve device as a whole becomes very large, deteriorating the mountability. This can occur not only in vapor compression refrigeration cycle devices, but also in other devices with multiple valves. These were found after the studies of the present inventors.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a valve device and a refrigeration cycle device capable of controlling a plurality of valves while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

The invention according to claim 1,
A valve device,
a plurality of valves (160, 180) in which the throttle opening of internal flow paths (162, 182) through which the target fluid flows changes according to the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the pressure chambers (PC1, PC2);
an actuator (130) for driving each of the plurality of valves;
The actuator
a pressure adjustment unit (131) for adjusting the pressure of the control fluid;
a pressure introduction part (132) for introducing the control fluid pressure-regulated by the pressure adjustment part into the pressure chambers of the plurality of valves ,
The pressure adjustment unit includes a valve component (Y1) having a fluid chamber (Y19) for adjusting the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the pressure chamber,
valve parts
a base (Y121, Y11, Y13) in which the fluid chamber (Y19) is formed;
a drive unit (Y123, Y124, Y125) that is displaced when its own temperature changes;
Amplification units (Y126, Y127) for amplifying displacement caused by temperature changes of the driving unit;
a movable part (Y128) that adjusts the pressure of the coolant flowing through the fluid chamber by transmitting the displacement amplified by the amplifying part and moving,
When the drive section is displaced due to temperature changes, the drive section biases the amplifier section at the biasing position, thereby displacing the amplifier section with the hinge as a fulcrum, and at the connection position between the amplifier section and the movable section. energizes the moving part,
The distance from the hinge to the connection position is greater than the distance from the hinge to the bias position.

In this way, by using an actuator capable of introducing the control fluid whose pressure has been adjusted by the pressure adjusting unit into the pressure chambers of a plurality of valves, it is possible to change the throttle opening of the internal flow passages of the plurality of valves with a single actuator. can be done. Therefore, it is possible to realize a valve device capable of controlling a plurality of valves while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

The invention according to claim 6 ,
A vapor compression refrigeration cycle device,
a compressor (11) for compressing and discharging the sucked refrigerant;
a condenser (12) for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor;
a valve device (13) for decompressing the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser;
A plurality of evaporators (15, 17, 19) that evaporate the refrigerant decompressed by the valve device,
The plurality of evaporators are arranged in parallel with respect to the refrigerant flow,
The valve device is
Internal passages (162, 182) arranged upstream of the refrigerant flow of at least two or more evaporators among the plurality of evaporators, through which the refrigerant flows according to the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the pressure chambers (PC1, PC2). ) with a plurality of valves (160, 180) whose throttle opening changes,
an actuator (130) for driving each of the plurality of valves;
The actuator
a pressure adjustment unit (131) for adjusting the pressure of the control fluid;
and a pressure introduction section (132) for introducing the control fluid pressure-regulated by the pressure regulation section into the pressure chambers of the plurality of valves.

In this way, by using an actuator capable of introducing the control fluid whose pressure has been adjusted by the pressure adjusting unit into the pressure chambers of a plurality of valves, it is possible to change the throttle opening of the internal flow passages of the plurality of valves with a single actuator. can be done. Therefore, it is possible to distribute the refrigerant at a desired ratio to two or more evaporators connected in parallel by controlling a plurality of valves while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

It should be noted that the reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component etc. indicate an example of the correspondence relationship between the component etc. and specific components etc. described in the embodiments described later.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic block diagram of the refrigerating-cycle apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electronic control part of the refrigerating-cycle apparatus of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which each valve of the first embodiment has a small throttle opening; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which each valve of the first embodiment has a large throttle opening; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between the control pressure and the throttle opening of each valve; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a pressure regulating portion of the valve device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded view of a microvalve used in the pressure regulator; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a microvalve used in the pressure regulator; FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the IX-IX section of FIG. 8 and showing a non-energized state to the microvalve. FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the XX section of FIG. 9; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8 and showing a state of energization to the microvalve. FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the XII-XII section of FIG. 11; It is an explanatory view for explaining a control pressure adjustment method. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification of the valve apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the valve apparatus of 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same or equivalent parts as those described in the preceding embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof may be omitted. Moreover, when only some of the components are described in the embodiments, the components described in the preceding embodiments can be applied to the other parts of the components. The following embodiments can be partially combined with each other, even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no problem with the combination.

(First embodiment)
This embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. FIG. In the present embodiment, an example in which the refrigeration cycle device 10 of the present disclosure is applied to an electric vehicle that obtains driving force for driving the vehicle from an electric motor will be described.

An electric vehicle is equipped with a battery BT that stores electric power to be supplied to an electric motor for running. The battery BT is configured as a rechargeable secondary battery. Specifically, the battery BT is composed of a plurality of battery modules M1 and M2 electrically connected in series. The battery BT of this embodiment is composed of a first battery module M1 and a second battery module M2. Note that each of the battery modules M1 and M2 is composed of a series connection body in which a plurality of cells C are electrically connected in series.

Battery BT generates heat when power is supplied to the electric motor for running. When the temperature of the battery BT rises excessively, the battery BT deteriorates or its output is limited. Therefore, battery BT needs to be appropriately cooled so that its temperature is maintained at a predetermined reference temperature (eg, 50° C.) or lower.

In consideration of such a background, in the present embodiment, the cooling target of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is the air supplied into the vehicle compartment and the battery BT. That is, the refrigerating cycle device 10 is configured to adjust the temperature of the air supplied into the vehicle interior and the battery BT to desired temperatures.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration cycle device 10 includes a compressor 11, a condenser 12, a valve device 13, a cooling evaporator 15, a first battery evaporator 17, a second battery evaporator 19, and an evaporation pressure A regulating valve 20 is provided. These constituent devices are connected to each other by refrigerant pipes. The refrigeration cycle apparatus 10 also includes a control device 100 that controls the operation of each component.

The refrigeration cycle device 10 employs an HFC-based refrigerant (specifically, R134a) as a refrigerant. The refrigerant contains refrigerating machine oil for lubricating the compressor 11, and part of the refrigerating machine oil circulates in the cycle together with the refrigerant. As the refrigerant, an HFO-based refrigerant (eg, R1234yf), a natural refrigerant (eg, R744), or the like may be employed.

The compressor 11 in the refrigeration cycle device 10 sucks, compresses, and discharges the refrigerant. The compressor 11 is an electric compressor in which a fixed displacement type compression mechanism with a fixed displacement is driven by an electric motor. The compressor 11 is arranged inside the hood of the vehicle. The operation (for example, the number of rotations) of the electric motor that constitutes the compressor 11 is controlled by a control signal output from a control device 100, which will be described later.

A refrigerant inlet side of the condenser 12 is connected to the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 11 . The condenser 12 is a heat exchanger that radiates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 and condenses it. Specifically, the condenser 12 includes a refrigerant passage portion 121 through which the refrigerant flows and a heat medium passage portion 122 through which the heat medium of the heater circuit HC flows. A heating heat exchanger is configured to heat the heat medium by exchanging the heat medium. The heater circuit HC is a circuit that is used as a heat source for heating air that blows the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 into the vehicle interior, warming up the battery BT, and the like. Although not shown, the heater circuit HC is provided with a heater core for dissipating heat from the heat medium to the air blown into the vehicle interior, a radiator for dissipating heat from the heat medium to the battery BT, and the like.

A valve device 13 is connected to the refrigerant outlet side of the condenser 12 as a pressure reducing device for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 12 . Specifically, the refrigerant outlet side of the condenser 12 is connected to a cooling decompression unit 14 that constitutes a part of the valve device 13 . The cooling decompression unit 14 is a decompression unit that decompresses the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 12 when the vehicle interior is air-conditioned. The cooling decompression unit 14 is composed of an electric expansion valve whose valve body is driven by an electric motor such as a stepping motor. Note that the cooling decompression unit 14 is not limited to an electric expansion valve, and may be configured by a mechanical expansion valve or a fixed throttle.

The refrigerant inlet side of the cooling evaporator 15 is connected to the refrigerant outlet side of the cooling decompression unit 14 . The cooling evaporator 15 is an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed by the cooling decompression unit 14 . The cooling evaporator 15 is arranged inside an air conditioning case (not shown), exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air blown from the indoor fan 151, and evaporates the refrigerant. In other words, the cooling evaporator 15 is an air cooler that cools the air blown from the indoor fan 151 by exchanging heat with the refrigerant. Note that the indoor fan 151 is a blower that blows the air cooled by the cooling evaporator 15 into the passenger compartment.

A first battery decompression unit 16 and a second battery decompression unit 18 are connected to the refrigeration cycle device 10 so as to be parallel to the cooling decompression unit 14 on the refrigerant outlet side of the condenser 12 . . Specifically, the refrigeration cycle device 10 is provided with a first branch portion 21 between the condenser 12 and the cooling decompression portion 14 . The first branch portion 21 is for causing part of the refrigerant flowing from the condenser 12 toward the cooling pressure reducing portion 14 to flow toward the first battery pressure reducing portion 16 and the second battery pressure reducing portion 18 .

Furthermore, on the refrigerant flow downstream side of the first branching portion 21, a second branching portion 22 for distributing the refrigerant branched at the first branching portion 21 to the first battery pressure reducing portion 16 and the second battery pressure reducing portion 18 is provided. The second branch portion 22 has one refrigerant outlet side connected to the first battery pressure reducing portion 16 , and the other refrigerant outlet side connected to the second battery pressure reducing portion 18 .

The first battery decompression unit 16 is a decompression unit that decompresses the refrigerant flowing through the branch portions 21 and 22 when the battery BT is cooled. The first battery decompression unit 16 has a first valve 160 in which the throttle opening of a first internal flow path 162 through which the refrigerant flows changes according to the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the first pressure chamber PC1. . The details of the first battery decompression unit 16 will be described later.

The refrigerant inlet side of the first battery evaporator 17 is connected to the refrigerant outlet side of the first battery pressure reducing section 16 . The first battery evaporator 17 is an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed in the first battery decompression unit 16 . The first battery evaporator 17 is a heat absorber that absorbs heat from the first battery module M1 of the battery BT to evaporate the refrigerant. In other words, the first battery evaporator 17 is a battery cooler that cools the first battery module M1 by exchanging heat with the refrigerant.

Further, the second battery decompression unit 18 is a decompression unit that decompresses the refrigerant flowing through the branch portions 21 and 22 when the battery BT is cooled. The second battery decompression unit 18 has a second valve 180 in which the throttle opening of a second internal flow path 182 through which the coolant flows changes according to the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the second pressure chamber PC2. .

The first battery pressure reducing section 16 and the second battery pressure reducing section 18 together with the cooling pressure reducing section 14 constitute a valve device 13 that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 12 . Of the pressure reducing units that constitute the valve device 13 , the first battery pressure reducing unit 16 and the second battery pressure reducing unit 18 are different from the cooling pressure reducing unit 14 in that the first valve 160 and the second valve 160 and the second valve 160 and the second valve 160 are controlled by a common actuator 130 . 180 is driven. The actuator 130 includes a pressure regulating section 131 that regulates the pressure of the control fluid, and the control pressure regulated by the pressure regulating section 131 to the first pressure chamber PC1 of the first valve 160 and the second pressure chamber PC2 of the second valve. and a pressure introducing portion 132 for introducing. The details of the first battery pressure reducing section 16 and the second battery pressure reducing section 18 will be described later.

The refrigerant inlet side of the second battery evaporator 19 is connected to the refrigerant outlet side of the second battery pressure reducing section 18 . The second battery evaporator 19 is an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed in the second battery decompression unit 18 . The second battery evaporator 19 is a heat absorber that absorbs heat from the second battery module M2 of the battery BT to evaporate the refrigerant. In other words, the second battery evaporator 19 is a battery cooler that cools the second battery module M2 by exchanging heat with the refrigerant.

At the refrigerant flow downstream side of each of the first battery evaporator 17 and the second battery evaporator 19, the refrigerant that has passed through the first battery evaporator 17 and the refrigerant that has passed through the second battery evaporator 19 are merged. A first junction 23 is provided to allow the A second merging portion 24 is provided downstream of the first merging portion 23 in the flow of refrigerant to merge the refrigerant merged at the first merging portion 23 with the refrigerant that has passed through the cooling evaporator 15 . The refrigerant flow downstream side of the second junction portion 24 is connected to the refrigerant suction side of the compressor 11 .

Here, between the first merging portion 23 and the second merging portion 24, an evaporating pressure regulating valve 20 is arranged. The evaporation pressure control valve 20 maintains the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the first battery evaporator 17 and the second battery evaporator 19 at a predetermined set pressure value or higher. The evaporation pressure regulating valve 20 is composed of, for example, a bellows type valve.

The refrigerating cycle device 10 is provided with the evaporating pressure regulating valve 20, so that, for example, when cooling the battery BT and cooling the vehicle interior at the same time, the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the battery evaporators 17 and 19 is maintained. , the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the cooling evaporator 15 can be reduced.

Next, the control device 100 that constitutes the electronic control section of the refrigeration cycle device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 100 comprises a processor, a microcomputer including memory such as ROM and RAM, and its peripheral circuits. The memory of the control device 100 is composed of a non-transitional physical storage medium.

An air conditioning sensor 101 and a battery sensor 102 are connected to the input side of the control device 100 . The air-conditioning sensor 101 is composed of a plurality of types of sensors used for controlling the cooling process. The air conditioning sensor 101 includes, for example, a temperature sensor (such as an evaporator temperature sensor) that detects the refrigerant temperature on the low-pressure side of the cycle, a high-pressure sensor that detects the refrigerant pressure on the high-pressure side of the cycle, and a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the high-pressure refrigerant. contains. The battery sensor 102 is composed of a plurality of types of sensors used for controlling the cooling process of the battery BT. The battery sensor 102 includes, for example, temperature sensors that detect battery temperatures of the battery modules M1 and M2.

The control device 100 performs various arithmetic processing based on various information acquired from the air conditioning sensor 101 and the battery sensor 102 and control programs stored in the memory, and controls the operation of each component connected to the output side. do.

Specifically, actuators 130 of the compressor 11, the cooling decompression unit 14, the indoor fan 151, the first battery decompression unit 16, and the second battery decompression unit 18 are connected to the output side of the control device 100. there is The control device 100 can adjust the refrigerant discharge performance (for example, refrigerant pressure) of the compressor 11, the opening degrees of the throttles of the decompression units 14, 16, and 18, and the air blowing performance of the indoor fan 151 according to the situation. That is, the refrigeration cycle device 10 controls the operation of the compressor 11, the decompressing units 14, 16, 18, and the indoor fan 151 by the control device 100, so that the air supplied to the passenger compartment and the battery BT are each controlled as desired. temperature can be adjusted.

In particular, the refrigeration cycle device 10 is provided with an evaporation pressure regulating valve 20 downstream of the first battery evaporator 17 and the second battery evaporator 19 in the refrigerant flow. According to this, for example, when cooling the battery BT and cooling the vehicle interior at the same time, the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the battery evaporators 17 and 19 is maintained while the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the cooling evaporator 15 is increased. Pressure can be lowered.

In addition, the refrigeration cycle device 10 includes a cooling decompression unit 14, a first battery decompression unit 16, a second A two-battery decompression unit 18 is provided. According to this, compared to the configuration in which the gas-liquid two-phase state refrigerant containing the gas phase and the liquid phase refrigerant after passing through the decompression part is distributed to the plurality of evaporators as in the conventional technology, each evaporator The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant can be appropriately distributed to 15, 17, and 19. As a result, deterioration of battery performance due to temperature distribution in battery BT can be suppressed. In addition, with the above configuration, the refrigerating machine oil contained in the refrigerant is also distributed to each of the evaporators 15, 17, 19. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of poor lubrication of No. 11.

Here, the first battery pressure reducing unit 16 and the second battery pressure reducing unit 18 are configured to include an electromagnetic valve whose valve body is driven by a solenoid actuator and an electric valve whose valve body is driven by an electric motor such as a stepping motor. can be considered.

However, in this case, it is necessary to use a large-sized actuator in each of the first battery pressure reducing section 16 and the second battery pressure reducing section 18, and the valve device 13 and the refrigerating cycle device 10 become large. In particular, in the refrigeration cycle device 10 of the present embodiment, the decompression units 14, 16, and 18 are provided corresponding to the evaporators 15, 17, and 19, respectively, so the size of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is significantly increased. becomes.

In consideration of these, in the refrigeration cycle device 10 of the present disclosure, the actuator 130 is shared by the first battery pressure reducing section 16 and the second battery pressure reducing section 18 . The details of the first battery pressure reducing section 16 and the second battery pressure reducing section 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

First, the first battery pressure reducing section 16 will be described. As shown in FIGS. The first valve 160 changes the opening degree of the first internal flow path 162 formed inside the first body portion 161 to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing out to the inlet side of the first battery evaporator 17. It is.

The first valve 160 has a first body portion 161 and a first valve mechanism portion 163 . The first body portion 161 forms the outer shell of the first valve 160 . The first body portion 161 is, for example, a metal block made of an aluminum alloy that has undergone hole drilling or the like. The first body portion 161 is formed with a first internal flow path 162 through which the refrigerant after passing through the condenser 12 flows, a first valve chamber 164, a first pressure chamber PC1, and the like.

The first internal channel 162 is a coolant channel for reducing the pressure of the coolant that has passed through the condenser 12 . The first internal flow path 162 communicates with a first inlet portion 161 a and a first outlet portion 161 b that are opened on the side surface of the first body portion 161 . The first inlet portion 161 a is connected to the refrigerant outlet side of the condenser 12 . The first outlet 161b is connected to the first battery evaporator 17 on the refrigerant inlet side.

A first valve chamber 164 is formed in the middle of the first internal flow path 162 . A portion of the first valve mechanism portion 163 is accommodated in the first valve chamber 164 . The first valve chamber 164 extends in the axial direction DRa1 of the axis CL1 of the first body portion 161 .

The first valve chamber 164 communicates with the first inlet portion 161a and the first outlet portion 161b. The first valve chamber 164 is provided with a first narrowed portion 164a in which a flow path through which the refrigerant flows is narrowed. The first narrowed portion 164a is a flow path that guides the refrigerant that has flowed into the first valve chamber 164 from the first inlet portion 161a to the first outlet portion 161b while decompressing and expanding the refrigerant. A first valve seat 164b with which the first valve body 163a contacts and separates is formed on the refrigerant inlet side of the first throttle portion 164a.

Here, in the present embodiment, the flow path through which the coolant flows before passing through the first narrowed portion 164a in the first internal flow path 162 constitutes the inlet flow path 162a, and the first narrowed portion in the first internal flow path 162 A channel through which the coolant flowing out from 164a forms an outlet channel 162b. The inlet channel 162a is a channel through which the liquid-phase refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 12 flows as the target fluid. The outlet channel 162b is a channel through which the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant before flowing into the first battery evaporator 17 flows as the target fluid.

The first valve mechanism portion 163 has a first valve body 163a, a first support portion 163b, a pair of first springs 163c and 163d, a first adjusting screw 163e, and a first operating rod 163f.

The first valve body 163a adjusts the passage area of the first throttle portion 164a by being displaced in the axial direction DRa1. The first valve body 163a is composed of a spherical valve body. In the first valve 160 of the present embodiment, the first valve body 163a is displaced in a direction intersecting the first valve seat 164b (for example, in a direction orthogonal to the first valve seat 164b), and the throttle opening degree of the first internal flow path 162 changes. It has a poppet valve structure.

The first valve body 163a is arranged in the first valve chamber 164 together with the first support portion 163b and one first spring 163c. The first support portion 163b is fixed to the other side of the first valve body 163a in the axial direction DRa1. One first spring 163c is a biasing member that biases the first valve body 163a in the valve closing direction via the first support portion 163b.

A load applied by the first spring 163c to the first valve body 163a can be adjusted by a first adjustment screw 163e provided on the first body portion 161. As shown in FIG. The first adjustment screw 163e is screwed into a screw hole that opens in a portion of the first body portion 161 facing the first spring 163c. By rotating the first adjustment screw 163e to change the mounting length of the first spring 163c, the load that the first spring 163c biases against the first valve body 163a can be adjusted.

A first operating rod 163f is arranged on one side of the first valve body 163a in the axial direction DRa. The first operating rod 163f is a substantially cylindrical metal rod. The first operating rod 163f is arranged inside the first narrowed portion 164a in a posture extending along the axial direction DRa1.

A first stopper 163g is fixed to one side of the first operating rod 163f in the axial direction DRa. The first stopper 163g limits displacement of the first operating rod 163f in the axial direction DRa.

At one end of the first operating rod 163f in the axial direction DRa, an internal space formed on one side of the first body portion 161 in the axial direction DRa1 relative to the first narrowed portion 164a is defined as a first pressure chamber PC1. and the first low-pressure space 166 is provided.

Refrigerant whose pressure is adjusted by the pressure adjusting portion 131 is introduced into the first pressure chamber PC1 as a control fluid that presses the first valve body 163a toward the valve opening side or the valve closing side. The first partition 163h receives the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the first pressure chamber PC1.

The other first spring 163d is arranged in the first pressure chamber PC1. The other first spring 163d is a biasing member that biases the first valve body 163a in the valve opening direction via the first partition 163h, the first stopper 163g, and the first operating rod 163f.

The first body portion 161 has a first concave portion 167 in which a first projecting portion Y21, a second projecting portion Y22, and a third projecting portion Y23 of the valve module Y0, which will be described later, are fitted in a portion adjacent to the first pressure chamber PC1. , a second recess 168 and a third recess 169 are formed.

The first recessed portion 167, the second recessed portion 168, and the third recessed portion 169 are arranged in the order of the second recessed portion 168, the first recessed portion 167, and the third recessed portion 169 when the first body portion 161 is viewed from one side in the axial direction DRa1. They are arranged in a straight line.

A first through hole 167a is formed in the bottom of the first recess 167 to communicate the first recess 167 and the first pressure chamber PC1. A second through hole 168a is formed in the bottom of the second recess 168 to allow the second recess 168 and the inlet channel 162a of the first internal channel 162 to communicate with each other. A third through-hole 169a is formed in the bottom of the third recess 169 to allow the third recess 169 and the outlet channel 162b of the first internal channel 162 to communicate with each other.

Here, the first body portion 161 is formed with a fourth through hole 161c that communicates between the first pressure chamber PC1 and the inside of the pressure equalizing pipe 133, which will be described later. One end of a pressure equalizing pipe 133, which will be described later, is connected to the fourth through hole 161c.

In the first battery decompression unit 16 configured as described above, the flow area (that is, throttle opening) of the first internal flow path 162 changes depending on the position of the first valve body 163a. The position of the first valve body 163a is determined by the force acting on the first valve body 163a.

Specifically, the position of the first valve body 163a is determined by the load Fm due to the pressure of the control fluid in the first pressure chamber PC1 (that is, the control pressure Pm) and the loads Fs1 and Fs2 from the pair of first springs 163c and 163d. , the load Fc due to the refrigerant pressure in the first valve chamber 164, and the like.

When the control pressure Pm is equivalent to the refrigerant pressure (that is, the low pressure Pl) on the downstream side of the first throttle portion 164a, the first battery decompression portion 16 has a pressure difference between the high pressure Ph and the control pressure Pm. is maximum. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the first valve body 163a is displaced to the position where the throttle opening is minimized.

When the control pressure Pm becomes higher than the low pressure Pl from this state, the pressure difference between the high pressure Ph and the control pressure Pm becomes smaller, so that the first valve body 163a is displaced to a position where the throttle opening becomes larger. Then, when the control pressure Pm becomes equal to the high pressure Ph, as shown in FIG. 4, the first valve body 163a is displaced to the position where the throttle opening is maximized.

As described above, in the first battery pressure reducing unit 16, as shown in FIG. It is designed to grow.

Here, in the first battery pressure reducing section 16 of the present embodiment, the control pressure Pm is adjusted by the pressure adjusting section 131 . The pressure adjustment section 131 is configured by the valve module Y0. This valve module Y0 is attached to the first valve 160 . That is, the first battery pressure reducing section 16 includes the first valve 160 and the pressure adjusting section 131 . The details of the valve module Y0 that constitutes the pressure adjustment unit 131 will be described later.

Next, the second battery pressure reducing section 18 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the second battery pressure reducing section 18 includes a second valve 180 . Since the second valve 180 is configured in the same manner as the first valve 160, hereinafter, mainly the parts of the second valve 180 that are different from the first valve 160 will be described. It should be noted that portions of the second valve 180 that are not described can be interpreted by referring to descriptions of corresponding or similar portions of the first valve 160 .

The second valve 180 changes the throttle opening of a second internal flow path 182 formed inside the second body portion 181 to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing out to the inlet side of the second battery evaporator 19. It is.

The second valve 180 has a second body portion 181 and a second valve mechanism portion 183 . The second body portion 181 is formed with a second internal flow path 182, a second valve chamber 184, a second pressure chamber PC2, and the like.

The second internal channel 182 continues to a second inlet portion 181 a connected to the refrigerant outlet side of the condenser 12 and a second outlet portion 181 b connected to the second battery evaporator 19 to the refrigerant inlet side. A second valve chamber 184 is formed in the middle of the second internal flow path 182 . A portion of the second valve mechanism portion 183 is accommodated in the second valve chamber 184 . The second valve chamber 184 extends in the axial direction DRa2 of the axis CL2 of the second body portion 181 .

The second valve chamber 184 communicates with the second inlet portion 181a and the second outlet portion 181b. The second valve chamber 184 is provided with a second throttle portion 184a. A second valve seat 184b is formed on the refrigerant inlet side of the second throttle portion 184a.

The second valve mechanism portion 183 has a second valve body 183a, a second support portion 183b, a pair of second springs 183c and 183d, a second adjusting screw 183e, and a second operating rod 183f. In the second valve 180 of the present embodiment, the second valve body 183a is displaced in the direction (for example, orthogonal direction) intersecting the second valve seat 184b, and the throttle opening degree of the second internal flow path 182 changes. It has a poppet valve structure.

A second stopper 183g and a second partition 183h are provided on one side of the second operating rod 183f in the axial direction DRa2. The internal space formed in the second body portion 181 on one side in the axial direction DRa2 of the second throttle portion 184a is partitioned into a second pressure chamber PC2 and a second low-pressure space 186 by a second partition portion 183h. there is

Refrigerant whose pressure is adjusted by the pressure adjusting portion 131 is introduced into the second pressure chamber PC2 as a control fluid that presses the second valve body 183a toward the valve opening side or the valve closing side. The second partition 183h receives the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the second pressure chamber PC2.

A communication passage 187 is formed in the second body portion 181 adjacent to the second pressure chamber PC2 to communicate the second pressure chamber PC2 with the inside of the pressure equalizing pipe 133, which will be described later. A control fluid introduced into the first pressure chamber PC1 of the first valve 160 is introduced into the second pressure chamber PC2 via a pressure equalizing pipe 133 and a communication passage 187, which will be described later.

In the second battery decompression unit 18 configured in this manner, the channel area (that is, throttle opening) of the second internal channel 182 changes depending on the position of the second valve body 183a. The position of the second valve body 183a is determined by the force acting on the second valve body 183a.

When the control pressure Pm is equivalent to the refrigerant pressure (that is, the low pressure Pl) on the downstream side of the second throttle portion 184a, the second battery decompression portion 18 controls the pressure difference between the high pressure Ph and the control pressure Pm. is maximum. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the second valve body 183a is displaced to the position where the throttle opening is minimized.

When the control pressure Pm becomes higher than the low pressure Pl from this state, the pressure difference between the high pressure Ph and the control pressure Pm becomes smaller, so that the second valve body 183a is displaced to a position where the throttle opening is increased. Then, when the control pressure Pm becomes equal to the high pressure Ph, as shown in FIG. 4, the second valve body 183a is displaced to the position where the throttle opening is maximized.

The control pressure Pm of the first pressure chamber PC1 is introduced through the pressure introducing portion 132 into the second pressure chamber PC2 of the second battery decompression portion 18 of the present embodiment. Therefore, in the second battery pressure reducing unit 18, as in the first battery pressure reducing unit 16, the throttle opening of the second internal flow path 182 decreases as the control pressure Pm decreases, and the throttle opening increases as the control pressure Pm increases. It is designed to have a large opening.

Here, the pressure adjustment part 131 is attached to the first valve 160 of this embodiment. Then, the control fluid whose pressure is adjusted by the pressure adjusting portion 131 is introduced into the first pressure chamber PC1 through the first through hole 167a. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first through hole 167a constitutes a part of the pressure introducing portion 132. As shown in FIG.

Also, the control fluid whose pressure has been adjusted by the pressure adjusting section 131 is introduced into the second pressure chamber PC2 via the pressure equalizing pipe 133 . Therefore, in this embodiment, the pressure equalizing pipe 133 constitutes a part of the pressure introducing portion 132 .

Next, the details of the valve module Y0 that constitutes the pressure adjustment section 131 will be described.

[Configuration of valve module Y0]
As shown in FIG. 6, the valve module Y0 has a microvalve Y1, a valve casing Y2, a sealing member Y3, three O-rings Y4, Y5a, Y5b, two electrical wires Y6, Y7, and a conversion plate Y8. ing.

The microvalve Y1 is a valve component having a fluid chamber Y19 for adjusting the pressure of the control fluid (refrigerant in this example) introduced into the first pressure chamber PC1 and the second pressure chamber PC2. The microvalve Y1 has a plate shape and is entirely composed of a semiconductor chip.

The length of the microvalve Y1 in the thickness direction is, for example, 2 mm. is, for example, 5 mm, but is not limited to this. Fluctuations in the power supplied to the microvalve Y1 change the channel configuration of the microvalve Y1. The microvalve Y1 functions as a pilot valve that drives the first valve body 163a and the second valve body 183a.

The electric wires Y6 and Y7 extend from the surface opposite to the valve casing Y2 of the two plate surfaces of the microvalve Y1, pass through the sealing member Y3 and the valve casing Y2, and exit the valve module Y0. connected to a power supply located in As a result, power is supplied from the power supply to the microvalve Y1 through the electric wires Y6 and Y7.

The conversion plate Y8 is a plate-shaped member arranged between the microvalve Y1 and the valve casing Y2. Conversion plate Y8 is a glass substrate. One side of the two plate surfaces of the conversion plate Y8 is fixed to the microvalve Y1 with an adhesive, and the other side is fixed to the valve casing Y2 with an adhesive. Flow paths Y81, Y82, and Y83 are formed in the conversion plate Y8 to connect the three coolant holes of the microvalve Y1, which will be described later, and the three communication holes of the valve casing Y2. These flow paths Y81, Y82, and Y83 are members for absorbing the difference between the pitch of the three coolant holes arranged in a row and the pitch of the three communication holes arranged in a row. The channels Y81, Y82, and Y83 penetrate from one of the two plate surfaces of the conversion plate Y8 to the other.

The valve casing Y2 is a resin casing that accommodates the microvalve Y1 and the conversion plate Y8. The valve casing Y2 is formed by resin molding using polyphenylene sulfide as a main component. The valve casing Y2 is configured to have a coefficient of linear expansion between the coefficient of linear expansion of the microvalve Y1 and the coefficient of linear expansion of the first body portion 161 . The valve casing Y2 constitutes a part mounting portion for mounting the microvalve Y1 to the first body portion 161. As shown in FIG. The valve casing Y2 is a box having a bottom wall on one side and an open side on the other side. A bottom wall of the valve casing Y2 is interposed between the first body portion 161 and the microvalve Y1 so that the microvalve Y1 and the conversion plate Y8 are not in direct contact with the first body portion 161. As shown in FIG. One surface of the bottom wall is in contact with and fixed to the first body portion 161, and the other surface is in contact with and fixed to the conversion plate Y8.

With this configuration, the valve casing Y2 can absorb the difference in linear expansion coefficient between the microvalve Y1 and the first body portion 161. As shown in FIG. This is because the coefficient of linear expansion of the valve casing Y2 is between the coefficient of linear expansion of the microvalve Y1 and the coefficient of linear expansion of the first body portion 161 . Note that the linear expansion coefficient of the conversion plate Y8 is a value between the linear expansion coefficient of the microvalve Y1 and the linear expansion coefficient of the valve casing Y2.

The bottom wall of the valve casing Y2 includes a plate-shaped base portion Y20 facing the microvalve Y1, a columnar first protrusion Y21 protruding from the base portion Y20 in a direction away from the microvalve Y1, and a second protrusion Y21. It has a portion Y22 and a third projecting portion Y23.

The first projecting portion Y21, the second projecting portion Y22, and the third projecting portion Y23 are fitted in the first recessed portion 167, the second recessed portion 168, and the third recessed portion 169 formed in the first body portion 161, respectively. The first projection Y21 is formed with a first communication hole YV1 penetrating from the microvalve Y1 side end to the opposite side end. The second protrusion Y22 is formed with a second communication hole YV2 penetrating from the end on the microvalve Y1 side to the end on the opposite side. The third protrusion Y23 is formed with a third communication hole YV3 penetrating from the microvalve Y1 side end to the opposite side end. The first communication hole YV1, the second communication hole YV2, and the third communication hole YV3 are arranged in a line, and the first communication hole YV1 is positioned between the second communication hole YV2 and the third communication hole YV3.

The microvalve Y1 side end of the first communication hole YV1 communicates with the valve casing Y2 side end of the channel Y81 formed in the conversion plate Y8. The microvalve Y1 side end of the second communication hole YV2 communicates with the valve casing Y2 side end of the channel Y82 formed in the conversion plate Y8. The microvalve Y1 side end of the third communication hole YV3 communicates with the valve casing Y2 side end of the channel Y83 formed in the conversion plate Y8.

The sealing member Y3 is a member made of epoxy resin that seals the other open side of the valve casing Y2. The sealing member Y3 covers the entire plate surface on the side opposite to the conversion plate Y8 side of the two plate surfaces on the front and back sides of the microvalve Y1. Further, the sealing member Y3 covers a part of the plate surface of the conversion plate Y8 on the side opposite to the bottom wall side of the valve casing Y2. In addition, the sealing member Y3 covers the electric wires Y6 and Y7, thereby realizing waterproofing and insulation of the electric wires Y6 and Y7. The sealing member Y3 is formed by resin potting molding or the like.

The O-ring Y4 is attached to the outer periphery of the first projecting portion Y21, and seals between the first body portion 161 and the first projecting portion Y21, so that the outside of the first battery decompression portion 16 and the outside of the refrigerant circuit suppress refrigerant leakage to The O-ring Y5a is attached to the outer circumference of the second projecting portion Y22, and seals between the first body portion 161 and the second projecting portion Y22, so that the outside of the first battery decompression portion 16 and the outside of the refrigerant circuit suppress refrigerant leakage to The O-ring Y5b is attached to the outer circumference of the third projecting portion Y23, and seals between the first body portion 161 and the third projecting portion Y23, so that the outside of the first battery pressure reducing portion 16 and the outside of the refrigerant circuit suppress refrigerant leakage to

[Configuration of Microvalve Y1]
Here, the configuration of the microvalve Y1 will be further described. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the microvalve Y1 is a MEMS including a first outer layer Y11, an intermediate layer Y12, and a second outer layer Y13, all of which are semiconductors. "MEMS" is an abbreviation for Micro Electro Mechanical Systems.

The first outer layer Y11, the intermediate layer Y12, and the second outer layer Y13 are rectangular plate-shaped members each having the same outer shape, and are laminated in order of the first outer layer Y11, the intermediate layer Y12, and the second outer layer Y13. Among the first outer layer Y11, the intermediate layer Y12, and the second outer layer Y13, the second outer layer Y13 is arranged on the side closest to the bottom wall of the valve casing Y2. The structures of a first outer layer Y11, an intermediate layer Y12, and a second outer layer Y13, which will be described later, are formed by semiconductor manufacturing processes such as chemical etching.

The first outer layer Y11 is a semiconductor member. As shown in FIG. 7, the first outer layer Y11 is formed with two through holes Y14 and Y15 penetrating from front to back. The ends of the electric wires Y6 and Y7 on the side of the microvalve Y1 are inserted into the through holes Y14 and Y15, respectively.

The second outer layer Y13 is a semiconductor member. As shown in FIGS. 7, 9, and 10, the second outer layer Y13 is formed with a first coolant hole Y16, a second coolant hole Y17, and a third coolant hole Y18 penetrating from the front and back. The first coolant hole Y16, the second coolant hole Y17, and the third coolant hole Y18 correspond to the first fluid hole, the second fluid hole, and the third fluid hole, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 10, the first coolant hole Y16, the second coolant hole Y17, and the third coolant hole Y18 respectively communicate with flow paths Y81, Y82, and Y83 of the conversion plate Y8. The first coolant hole Y16, the second coolant hole Y17, and the third coolant hole Y18 are arranged in a line. A first coolant hole Y16 is arranged between the second coolant hole Y17 and the third coolant hole Y18.

The intermediate layer Y12 is a conductive semiconductor member and sandwiched between the first outer layer Y11 and the second outer layer Y13. As shown in FIG. 9, the intermediate layer Y12 includes a first fixed portion Y121, a second fixed portion Y122, a plurality of first ribs Y123, a plurality of second ribs Y124, a spine Y125, an arm Y126, a beam Y127, a movable It has a portion Y128.

The first fixing portion Y121 is a member fixed to the first outer layer Y11 and the second outer layer Y13. The first fixed portion Y121 is formed so as to surround the second fixed portion Y122, the first rib Y123, the second rib Y124, the spine Y125, the arm Y126, the beam Y127, and the movable portion Y128 within the same single fluid chamber Y19. there is The fluid chamber Y19 is a chamber surrounded by the first fixing portion Y121, the first outer layer Y11, and the second outer layer Y13. A coolant to be introduced into the first pressure chamber PC1 flows through the fluid chamber Y19. The first fixed portion Y121, the first outer layer Y11, and the second outer layer Y13 as a whole correspond to the base. The electrical wirings Y6 and Y7 are electrical wirings for changing the temperature of the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124 and displacing them.

The fixing of the first fixing portion Y121 to the first outer layer Y11 and the second outer layer Y13 is such that the coolant flows from the fluid chamber Y19 through the first coolant hole Y16, the second coolant hole Y17, and the third coolant hole Y18 to the microvalve Y1. It is done in a form that prevents it from leaking.

The second fixing portion Y122 is fixed to the first outer layer Y11 and the second outer layer Y13. The second fixed part Y122 is surrounded by the first fixed part Y121 and is arranged apart from the first fixed part Y121.

The plurality of first ribs Y123, the plurality of second ribs Y124, the spine Y125, the arm Y126, the beam Y127, and the movable portion Y128 are not fixed to the first outer layer Y11 and the second outer layer Y13. It is displaceable with respect to the outer layer Y11 and the second outer layer Y13.

The spine Y125 has an elongated bar shape extending in the lateral direction of the rectangular intermediate layer Y12. One longitudinal end of the spine Y125 is connected to the beam Y127.

The plurality of first ribs Y123 are arranged on one side of the spine Y125 in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the spine Y125. The plurality of first ribs Y123 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the spine Y125. Each first rib Y123 has an elongated bar shape and can expand and contract according to temperature.

Each first rib Y123 is connected to the first fixing portion Y121 at one end in the longitudinal direction and connected to the spine Y125 at the other end. Each first rib Y123 is oblique to the spine Y125 so as to be offset toward the beam Y127 in the longitudinal direction of the spine Y125 as it approaches the spine Y125 from the first fixing portion Y121 side. . The multiple first ribs Y123 extend parallel to each other.

The plurality of second ribs Y124 are arranged on the other side of the spine Y125 in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the spine Y125. The plurality of second ribs Y124 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the spine Y125. Each second rib Y124 has an elongated rod shape and can expand and contract according to temperature.

Each second rib Y124 is connected to the second fixed portion Y122 at one end in the longitudinal direction, and connected to the spine Y125 at the other end. Each second rib Y124 is oblique to the spine Y125 so as to be offset toward the beam Y127 in the longitudinal direction of the spine Y125 as it approaches the spine Y125 from the second fixing portion Y122 side. . The plurality of second ribs Y124 extend parallel to each other.

The plurality of first ribs Y123, the plurality of second ribs Y124, and the spine Y125 as a whole correspond to the drive section.

The arm Y126 has an elongated rod shape extending non-perpendicularly and parallel to the spine Y125. One end of the arm Y126 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the beam Y127, and the other end is connected to the first fixing portion Y121.

The beam Y127 has an elongated rod shape extending in a direction intersecting the spine Y125 and the arm Y126 at approximately 90°. One end of the beam Y127 is connected to the movable portion Y128. The arm Y126 and the beam Y127 as a whole correspond to the amplification section.

A connection position YP1 between the arm Y126 and the beam Y127, a connection position YP2 between the spine Y125 and the beam Y127, and a connection position YP3 between the beam Y127 and the movable portion Y128 are arranged in this order along the longitudinal direction of the beam Y127. Assuming that the connection point between the first fixing portion Y121 and the arm Y126 is the hinge YP0, the linear distance from the hinge YP0 to the connection position YP2 in the plane parallel to the plate surface of the intermediate layer Y12 is longer than the linear distance from the hinge YP0 to the connection position YP2. The straight line distance to YP3 is longer. For example, the value obtained by dividing the former linear distance by the latter linear distance may be 1/5 or less, or may be 1/10 or less.

The movable portion Y128 adjusts the pressure of the coolant flowing through the fluid chamber Y19. The movable portion Y128 has a rectangular outer shape extending in a direction approximately 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the beam Y127. The movable portion Y128 can move integrally with the beam Y127 within the fluid chamber Y19. The movable portion Y128 has a frame shape that surrounds the through hole Y120 penetrating through the intermediate layer Y12 from the front to the back. Therefore, the through hole Y120 also moves integrally with the movable portion Y128. The through hole Y120 is part of the fluid chamber Y19.

By moving as described above, the movable portion Y128 changes the degree of opening of the second coolant hole Y17 with respect to the through hole Y120 and the degree of opening of the third coolant hole Y18 with respect to the through hole Y120. The first coolant hole Y16 is always fully open and communicates with the through hole Y120.

Further, in the first fixing portion Y121, the electric wiring Y6 passing through the through holes Y14 of the first outer layer Y11 shown in FIG. is connected to the microvalve Y1 side end of . The second application point Y130 of the second fixed portion Y122 is connected to the microvalve Y1 side end of the electrical wiring Y7 passing through the through hole Y15 of the first outer layer Y11 shown in FIG.

[Operation of valve module Y0]
The operation of the valve module Y0 will now be described. When the microvalve Y1 is energized, a voltage is applied from the electric wires Y6 and Y7 to the first application point Y129 and the second application point Y130. Then, current flows through the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124. This current causes the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124 to generate heat. As a result, each of the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124 expands in its longitudinal direction.

As a result of such thermal expansion, the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124 urge the spine Y125 toward the connection position YP2. The biased spine Y125 pushes the beam Y127 at the connection position YP2. Thus, the connection position YP2 corresponds to the urging position and the pressure regulating urging position.

The member consisting of the beam Y127 and the arm Y126 integrally changes its posture with the hinge YP0 as the fulcrum and the connection position YP2 as the force. As a result, the movable portion Y128 connected to the end of the beam Y127 opposite to the arm Y126 also moves in the longitudinal direction to the side where the spine Y125 pushes the beam Y127.

Further, when the energization to the microvalve Y1 is stopped, the voltage application from the electric wires Y6 and Y7 to the first application point Y129 and the second application point Y130 is also stopped. Then, no current flows through the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124, and the temperatures of the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124 decrease. As a result, each of the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124 contracts in its longitudinal direction.

As a result of such thermal contraction, the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124 urge the spine Y125 to the side opposite to the connection position YP2. The energized spine Y125 pulls on the beam Y127 at the connection position YP2. As a result, the member consisting of the beam Y127 and the arm Y126 integrally changes its posture with the hinge YP0 as the fulcrum and the connection position YP2 as the force. As a result, the movable portion Y128 connected to the end of the beam Y127 opposite to the arm Y126 also moves in the longitudinal direction to the side where the spine Y125 pulls the beam Y127. As a result of the movement, the movable portion Y128 stops at a predetermined non-energized position.

When the microvalve Y1 is energized, the larger the electric power supplied to the microvalve Y1 from the electric wires Y6 and Y7 via the first application point Y129 and the second application point Y130, the more the movable portion moves relative to the non-energized position. The amount of movement of Y128 also increases. This is because the higher the power supplied to the microvalve Y1, the higher the temperature of the first rib Y123 and the second rib Y124, and the greater the degree of expansion.

For example, when the voltages applied from the electric wires Y6 and Y7 to the first application point Y129 and the second application point Y130 are PWM-controlled, the larger the duty ratio, the larger the amount of movement of the movable portion Y128 when not energized.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the movable portion Y128 is in the non-energized position, the through holes Y120 extend in the direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the intermediate layer Y12 as the first coolant hole Y16 and the third coolant hole Y18. Although it overlaps, it does not overlap with the second coolant hole Y17 in that direction. The second coolant hole Y17 overlaps the movable portion Y128 in a direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the intermediate layer Y12. That is, at this time, the first coolant hole Y16 and the third coolant hole Y18 are fully opened with respect to the through hole Y120, and the second coolant hole Y17 is fully closed. Therefore, in this case, the first coolant hole Y16 communicates with the third coolant hole Y18 via the movable portion Y128, and the second coolant hole Y17 is blocked from both the first coolant hole Y16 and the third coolant hole Y18. As a result, the coolant flows between the first communication hole YV1 and the third communication hole YV3 through the flow path Y81, the first coolant hole Y16, the through hole Y120, the third coolant hole Y18, and the flow path Y83. It becomes possible.

11 and 12, when the microvalve Y1 is energized and the movable portion Y128 is at the farthest position from the non-energized position, the position of the movable portion Y128 at that time is called the maximum energized position. . When the movable portion Y128 is at the maximum energization position, the power supplied to the microvalve Y1 becomes the maximum within the control range. For example, when the movable portion Y128 is at the maximum energization position, the duty ratio becomes the maximum value (for example, 100%) within the control range in the PWM control described above.

When the movable portion Y128 is at the maximum energization position, the through hole Y120 overlaps the first coolant hole Y16 and the second coolant hole Y17 in the direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the intermediate layer Y12, but the third coolant hole It does not overlap with Y18. The third coolant hole Y18 overlaps the movable portion Y128 in a direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the intermediate layer Y12. That is, at this time, the first coolant hole Y16 and the second coolant hole Y17 are fully opened with respect to the through hole Y120, and the third coolant hole Y18 is fully closed. Therefore, in this case, the first coolant hole Y16 communicates with the second coolant hole Y17 via the movable portion Y128, and the third coolant hole Y18 is blocked from both the first coolant hole Y16 and the second coolant hole Y17. As a result, the coolant flows between the first communication hole YV1 and the second communication hole YV2 through the flow path Y81, the first coolant hole Y16, the through hole Y120, the second coolant hole Y17, and the flow path Y83. It becomes possible.

Further, by adjusting the power supplied to the microvalve Y1, for example, by PWM control, the movable portion Y128 can be stopped at any intermediate position between the non-energized position and the maximum energized position. For example, in order to stop the movable portion Y128 at a position equidistant from the maximum energized position and the non-energized position (that is, the central position), the electric power supplied to the microvalve Y1 is set to the maximum value within the control range. It should be half. For example, the duty ratio of PWM control should be 50%.

When the movable portion Y128 is stopped at the intermediate position, the first coolant hole Y16, the second coolant hole Y17, and the third coolant hole Y18 all communicate with the through hole Y120. However, the second coolant hole Y17 and the third coolant hole Y18 are not fully opened with respect to the through hole Y120, but have an opening degree of less than 100% and greater than 0%. As the movable portion Y128 approaches the maximum energized position at the intermediate position, the degree of opening of the third coolant hole Y18 with respect to the through hole Y120 decreases and the degree of opening of the second coolant hole Y17 increases.

The beam Y127 and the arm Y126 of the microvalve Y1 function as a lever with the hinge YP0 as a fulcrum, the connection position YP2 as a power point, and the connection position YP3 as an action point. As described above, the linear distance from the hinge YP0 to the connection position YP3 is longer than the linear distance from the hinge YP0 to the connection position YP2 in the plane parallel to the plate surface of the intermediate layer Y12. Therefore, the amount of movement of the connection position YP3, which is the point of action, is greater than the amount of movement of the connection position YP2, which is the point of effort. Therefore, the amount of displacement due to thermal expansion is amplified by the lever and transmitted to the movable portion Y128.

Further, the flow path of the coolant in the microvalve Y1 has a U-turn structure. Specifically, the refrigerant flows into the microvalve Y1 from one surface of the microvalve Y1, passes through the microvalve Y1, and flows out of the microvalve Y1 from the same surface of the microvalve Y1. Similarly, the refrigerant passage in the valve module Y0 also has a U-turn structure. Specifically, the refrigerant flows into the valve module Y0 from one side surface of the valve module Y0, passes through the valve module Y0, and flows out of the valve module Y0 from the same side surface of the valve module Y0. The direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the intermediate layer Y12 is the stacking direction of the first outer layer Y11, the intermediate layer Y12, and the second outer layer Y13.

Here, in the valve module Y0, the first coolant hole Y16 communicates with the first pressure chamber PC1 via the first communication hole YV1 and the first through hole 167a of the first recess 167. As shown in FIG. Also, the second coolant hole Y17 communicates with the inlet flow path 162a via the second communication hole YV2 and the second through hole 168a of the second recess 168 . The third coolant hole Y18 communicates with the outlet channel 162b via the third communication hole YV3 and the third through hole 169a of the third recess 169. As shown in FIG.

Therefore, for example, when the movable portion Y128 of the microvalve Y1 is in the non-energized position, the first coolant hole Y16 and the third coolant hole Y18 communicate with each other, and the first pressure chamber PC1 is in the first internal flow path 162. It communicates with the outlet channel 162b. As a result, the pressure in the first pressure chamber PC1 (that is, the control pressure Pm) drops to the low pressure Pl equivalent to the outlet flow path 162b in the first internal flow path 162. FIG.

When the movable portion Y128 approaches the maximum energized position from the non-energized position by energizing the microvalve Y1 from this state, the coolant holes Y16, Y17, and Y18 communicate with each other, and the first pressure chamber PC1 becomes the first internal flow. Communicates with inlet channel 162 a and outlet channel 162 b in channel 162 . As a result, the pressure in the first pressure chamber PC1 (that is, the control pressure Pm) becomes an intermediate pressure that is higher than the low pressure Pl and lower than the high pressure Ph.

When the movable portion Y128 is at the maximum energized position due to the energization of the microvalve Y1, the first coolant hole Y16 and the second coolant hole Y17 communicate with each other, and the first pressure chamber PC1 is formed in the first internal flow path 162. It communicates with the inlet channel 162a. As a result, the pressure in the first pressure chamber PC1 (that is, the control pressure Pm) becomes a high pressure Ph equivalent to that on the upstream side of the first narrowed portion 164a in the first internal flow path 162 .

In consideration of these, in the refrigeration cycle apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the control pressure Pm is changed by changing the voltage applied to the microvalve Y1 by PWM control. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the refrigeration cycle apparatus 10 increases the control pressure Pm by increasing the duty ratio of PWM control, and decreases the control pressure Pm by decreasing the duty ratio of PWM control.

In the control device 100 of the present embodiment, for example, when it is necessary to prioritize cooling of the battery BT over cooling of the vehicle interior, the refrigerant flow rates of the first battery evaporator 17 and the second battery evaporator 19 are large. Each decompression unit 14, 16, 18 is controlled so that

Specifically, when it is necessary to prioritize cooling of the battery BT over cooling of the vehicle interior, the control device 100 energizes the microvalve Y1 to is increased, and the throttle opening of the cooling decompression unit 14 is decreased. According to this, the battery cooling capacity of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is enhanced, so cooling of the battery BT can be prioritized over cooling of the vehicle interior.

Further, when it is necessary to prioritize the cooling of the passenger compartment over the cooling of the battery BT, the control device 100 adjusts the pressure reducing units 14, 16, and 18 so that the refrigerant flow rate of the cooling evaporator 15 becomes large. Control. Specifically, when it is necessary to prioritize the cooling of the vehicle interior over the cooling of the battery BT, the control device 100 stops energizing the microvalve Y1 to The aperture opening degree of the decompression unit 18 is decreased, and the aperture opening degree of the cooling decompression unit 14 is increased. According to this, the cooling capacity of the refrigerating cycle device 10 is increased, so the cooling of the vehicle interior can be prioritized over the cooling of the battery BT.

In the valve device 13 described above, the first valve 160 of the first battery pressure reducing section 16 and the second valve 180 of the second battery pressure reducing section 18 are driven by a common actuator 130 . Specifically, the actuator 130 adjusts the pressure of the control fluid, and the pressure adjustment unit 131 adjusts the pressure of the control fluid by adjusting the pressure in the first pressure chamber PC1 of the first valve 160 and the pressure of the second valve 180 . and a pressure introducing portion 132 for introducing into the second pressure chamber PC2. According to this, the throttle opening degree of each of the first internal flow path 162 of the first valve 160 and the second internal flow path 182 of the second valve 180 can be changed by the single actuator 130 . Therefore, according to the valve device 13, it is possible to control the first valve 160 and the second valve 180 while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

In particular, the valve device 13 of this embodiment is applied to the decompression device of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle device 10 . According to this, while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, by controlling the first valve 160 and the second valve 180, the first battery evaporator 17 and the second battery evaporator 19 connected in parallel can be controlled as desired. It becomes possible to distribute the refrigerant in proportion.

The pressure adjustment unit 131 of this embodiment is configured by the valve module Y0. The valve module Y0 is configured to displace the respective valve elements 163a and 183a to the valve opening side or the valve closing side by adjusting the pressure of the first pressure chamber PC1 and the second pressure chamber PC2 by the microvalve Y1. It can be made smaller than a valve or an electric valve. One of the reasons is that the microvalve Y1 is formed of a semiconductor chip as described above. In addition, as described above, levers are used to amplify the amount of displacement due to thermal expansion, so that the valve can be made smaller than electromagnetic valves and motor-operated valves that do not use such levers.

Specifically, the microvalve Y1 is configured to adjust the opening degrees of the second coolant hole Y17 and the third coolant hole Y18 by the movable portion Y128 to change the pressures of the first pressure chamber PC1 and the second pressure chamber PC2. It's becoming According to this, the first valve body 163a and the second valve body 183a can be displaced to the valve closing side and the valve opening side by adjusting the pressure of the first pressure chamber PC1 and the second pressure chamber PC2 by the microvalve Y1. .

Therefore, the flow rate of the refrigerant can be adjusted appropriately according to the load conditions and the like by changing the aperture opening degrees of the first battery pressure reducing section 16 and the second battery pressure reducing section 18 . That is, in the refrigerating cycle device 10 of the present embodiment, the refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil can be distributed at substantially equal proportions to the first battery evaporator 17 and the second battery evaporator 19 that are connected in parallel. .

In addition, since the micro valve Y1 uses a lever, the amount of displacement due to thermal expansion can be suppressed more than the amount of movement of the movable portion Y128, so the power consumption for driving the movable portion Y128 can also be reduced. can. In addition, noise can be reduced because impact noise generated when the solenoid valve is driven can be eliminated. Moreover, since the displacement of the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124 is caused by heat, the noise reduction effect is high.

In addition, since the microvalve Y1 and the valve module Y0 have a coolant flow path with a U-turn structure, the first body portion 161 can be reduced in digging. That is, the depth of the recess formed in the first body portion 161 for arranging the valve module Y0 can be suppressed. The reason is as follows.

For example, the valve module Y0 does not have a U-turn structure coolant flow path, the valve module Y0 has a coolant inlet on the first body portion 161 side, and a coolant outlet on the opposite side of the valve module Y0. Suppose there was In that case, it is necessary to form coolant channels on both sides of the valve module Y0. Therefore, if the first body portion 161 accommodates the refrigerant passages on both sides of the valve module Y0, the recess that must be formed in the first body portion 161 to dispose the valve module Y0 becomes deep. In addition, since the microvalve Y1 itself is small, the amount of digging into the first body portion 161 can be further reduced.

Further, when the electrical wirings Y6 and Y7 are arranged on the surface of the microvalve Y1 opposite to the surface on which the first coolant hole Y16 and the second coolant hole Y17 are formed, the electrical wirings Y6 and Y7 are connected to the atmosphere. It can be placed closer to the atmosphere. Therefore, a sealing structure such as a hermetic for reducing the influence of the refrigerant atmosphere on the electric wirings Y6 and Y7 is not required. As a result, miniaturization of the actuator 130 can be realized.

Also, since the microvalve Y1 is lightweight, the actuator 130 is lightened. Since the power consumption of the microvalve Y1 is small, the power consumption of the actuator 130 is reduced.

In addition, the second coolant hole Y17 of the microvalve Y1 communicates with the inlet channel 162a via the second communication hole YV2 and the second through hole 168a of the second recess 168 . The inlet channel 162a is a channel through which the liquid-phase refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 12 flows.

A refrigerant in a liquid state has a higher density than a refrigerant in a gas state or a gas-liquid two-phase state. Therefore, if the refrigerant in the liquid state that has passed through the condenser 12 flows through the inlet passage 162a, a bulk amount of refrigerant can be supplied as a fluid in a short time through the inlet passage 162a and the second refrigerant hole Y17. It can be introduced into the chamber Y19 and the first pressure chamber PC1 and the second pressure chamber PC2. Therefore, even if the control fluid is introduced into the first pressure chamber PC1 of the first valve 160 and the second pressure chamber PC2 of the second valve 180, respectively, the response performance of the first valve 160 and the second valve 180 is ensured. It becomes possible to

In the microvalve Y1, the third coolant hole Y18 communicates with the outlet channel 162b via the third communication hole YV3 and the third through hole 169a of the third recess 169. As shown in FIG. The outlet channel 162b is a channel through which the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant before flowing into the first battery evaporator 17 flows.

With such a configuration, for example, when the pressure in the first pressure chamber PC1 and the second pressure chamber PC2 is lowered, the refrigerant in the first pressure chamber PC1 and the second pressure chamber PC2 flows through the fluid chamber Y19 and the third refrigerant hole Y18. , to the refrigerant inlet of the first battery evaporator 17 via the outlet channel 162b. In this case, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the first battery evaporator 17 increases, so the heat absorption performance of the first battery evaporator 17 can be ensured.

(Modified example of the first embodiment)
In the above-described first embodiment, the refrigeration cycle device 10 including two battery coolers such as the first battery evaporator 17 and the second battery evaporator 19 connected in parallel was illustrated, but the number of battery coolers is not limited to this. The refrigeration cycle device 10 may include three or more battery coolers.

For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the refrigeration cycle device 10 includes a third battery evaporator 25 that cools the third battery module M3 in addition to the first battery evaporator 17 and the second battery evaporator 19. may be provided.

In this case, the third battery pressure reducing section 26 provided upstream of the third battery evaporator 25 is driven by the actuator 130 common to the first battery pressure reducing section 16 and the second battery pressure reducing section 18. preferably configured. That is, the third battery pressure reducing section 26 has a third pressure chamber PC3 that communicates with the first pressure chamber PC1 of the first battery pressure reducing section 16 via the pressure equalizing pipe 133, similarly to the second battery pressure reducing section 18. It is desirable to configure with a third valve 260 having.

In the above-described first embodiment, the pressure adjustment part 131 is attached to the first valve 160, but the valve device 13 is not limited to this. The valve device 13 may have, for example, the pressure regulating portion 131 attached to the second valve 180 .

In the first embodiment described above, the second refrigerant hole Y17 of the microvalve Y1 communicates with the inlet passage 162a through which the liquid-phase refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 12 flows. 131 is not limited to this. In the pressure adjustment unit 131, the second refrigerant hole Y17 of the microvalve Y1 may communicate with an inlet channel through which the vapor-phase refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 and before passing through the condenser 12 flows.

A gas-phase refrigerant is less susceptible to gravity than a liquid-phase refrigerant. Therefore, if the refrigerant in the vapor state before passing through the condenser 12 flows through the second refrigerant hole Y17 of the microvalve Y1, deterioration of distribution of the control fluid due to the influence of gravity can be suppressed. This also applies to the following embodiments.

In the above-described first embodiment, the third refrigerant hole Y18 of the microvalve Y1 communicates with the outlet passage 162b through which the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant before flowing into the first battery evaporator 17 flows. is exemplified, the pressure adjustment unit 131 is not limited to this. In the pressure adjusting section 131, the third refrigerant hole Y18 of the microvalve Y1 may communicate with an outlet flow path through which the vapor-phase refrigerant flows after passing through the first battery evaporator 17.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, portions different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 15, in the actuator 130 of the present embodiment, the pressure regulating portion 131 is not attached to the first valve 160 and is configured as a component separate from the first valve 160 and the second valve 180. ing.

The pressure adjusting unit 131 has a pressure equalizing pipe 133 connected to the first communication hole YV1, a refrigerant introduction pipe 134 connected to the second communication hole YV2, and a refrigerant outlet pipe 135 connected to the third communication hole YV3. It is connected.

One end of the pressure equalizing pipe 133 is connected to the first communication hole YV1 of the pressure adjusting section 131 . The pressure equalizing pipe 133 branches from one end to the other end into a first branch pipe 133a and a second branch pipe 133b. The pressure equalizing pipe 133 has a first branch pipe 133 a connected to a first through hole 167 a formed in the first body portion 161 of the first valve 160 , and a second branch pipe 133 b connected to the second body portion 181 of the second valve 180 . is connected to a communicating passage 187 formed in the .

As a result, the control fluid whose pressure has been adjusted by the pressure adjustment section 131 is introduced into each of the first pressure chamber PC1 and the second pressure chamber PC2 via the pressure equalizing pipe 133 . In this embodiment, the pressure equalizing pipe 133 constitutes the pressure introducing portion 132 .

One end of the refrigerant introduction pipe 134 is connected to the second communication hole YV2 of the pressure adjustment portion 131 . Although not shown, the other end of the refrigerant introduction pipe 134 is connected to a flow path through which the liquid-phase refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 12 flows.

One end of the refrigerant lead-out pipe 135 is connected to the third communication hole YV3 of the pressure adjustment section 131 . Although not shown, the other end of the refrigerant lead-out pipe 135 is connected to a flow of gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant before flowing into one of the first battery evaporator 17 and the second battery evaporator 19. connected to the road.

Here, the first valve 160 of the present embodiment is not attached with the pressure adjusting section 131 . The first valve 160 is not provided with the second through hole 168a, the third through hole 169a, and the fourth through hole 161c. Therefore, the first valve 160 has substantially the same configuration as the second valve 180 .

Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. The valve device 13 of the present embodiment can obtain the same effects as those of the first embodiment due to the same or equivalent structure as that of the first embodiment.

In the valve device 13 of this embodiment, the pressure regulating portion 131 of the actuator 130 is not attached to the first valve 160, and can be configured by substantially the same valves as the first valve 160 and the second valve 180. is. When the first valve 160 and the second valve 180 are configured by substantially the same valve, it is possible to reduce the number of man-hours required for managing parts during manufacturing, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. Note that "substantially the same" means being the same to the extent that manufacturing technology at the time of filing this application can produce it. Therefore, differences caused by possible errors in manufacturing technology at the time of filing this application can be interpreted as being the same.

(Modification of Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment described above, the first valve 160 and the second valve 180 are substantially the same valve, but the valve device 13 is not limited to this. The valve device 13 may be composed of different valves for the first valve 160 and the second valve 180 .

(Other embodiments)
Although representative embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various ways, for example, as follows.

The microvalve Y1 in the above-described embodiment may be configured as a normally open valve in which the throttle opening is maximized when de-energized instead of a normally closed valve in which the throttle opening is minimized when de-energized.

In the above-described embodiment, when the plurality of first ribs Y123 and the plurality of second ribs Y124 are energized, heat is generated, and the generated heat increases the temperature of the ribs Y123 and causes the ribs to expand. However, these members may also be constructed from a shape memory material that changes length with changes in temperature.

In the above-described embodiment, the control fluid pressure is adjusted using the refrigerant pressure difference in the refrigeration cycle device 10, but the pressure adjustment unit 131 is not limited to this. The pressure adjustment unit 131 may adjust the pressure of the control fluid using, for example, a fluid pressure difference that occurs in equipment different from the refrigeration cycle apparatus 10 .

Although it is desirable to use the microvalve Y1 as the pressure regulating portion 131 of the actuator 130 as in the above embodiment, the valve device 13 is not limited to this. The valve device 13 may use an actuator 130 that adjusts the pressures of the pressure chambers PC1 and PC2 using the output of an electric motor, magnetic coupling, or the like.

In the above-described embodiment, the first valve 160 and the second valve 180 have a poppet valve structure, but the valve structures of the first valve 160 and the second valve 180 are not limited to this. For example, at least one of the first valve 160 and the second valve 180 may have a spool valve structure or a slide valve structure.

In the above-described embodiment, the refrigerating cycle device 10 is exemplified to cool the air supplied into the vehicle interior and the battery BT, but the refrigerating cycle device 10 is not limited to this. In the refrigeration cycle device 10, for example, objects other than the air supplied into the vehicle compartment and the battery BT may be cooled.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the coolant, which is the target fluid, is distributed to the plurality of battery coolers at substantially equal ratios was illustrated, but the valve device 13 is not limited to this. The valve device 13 may be configured, for example, to distribute the coolant unevenly to some of the plurality of battery coolers, or may be configured as a channel switching valve that switches the flow of the coolant.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the valve device 13 of the present disclosure is applied to the refrigeration cycle device 10 is illustrated, but the application target of the valve device 13 is not limited to this. The valve device 13 is widely applicable to various systems that include multiple valves. The valve device 13 is applicable, for example, to a water circulation circuit in which a plurality of valves are arranged corresponding to each of a plurality of battery coolers connected in parallel. The valve device 13 is not limited to a plurality of valves connected in parallel with respect to the flow of the target fluid. It is possible.

In the above-described embodiments, it goes without saying that the elements that make up the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless explicitly stated as essential or clearly considered essential in principle.

In the above-described embodiments, when numerical values such as the number, numerical value, amount, range, etc. of the constituent elements of the embodiment are mentioned, when it is explicitly stated that they are essential, and in principle they are clearly limited to a specific number It is not limited to that particular number, unless otherwise specified.

In the above-described embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, etc., the shape, positional relationship, etc., unless otherwise specified or limited in principle to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. etc. is not limited.

The controller and techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by the computer program. may be Alternatively, the controls and techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring the processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. The control units and techniques described in this disclosure comprise a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. It may also be implemented by one or more dedicated computers. The computer program may also be stored as computer-executable instructions on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium.

(summary)
According to the first aspect shown in part or all of the above-described embodiments, the valve device is configured such that the throttle opening degree of the internal flow path through which the target fluid flows depends on the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the pressure chamber. and an actuator for driving each of the plurality of valves. The actuator includes a pressure adjustment section that adjusts the pressure of the control fluid, and a pressure introduction section that introduces the control fluid whose pressure has been adjusted by the pressure adjustment section into the pressure chambers of the plurality of valves.

According to a second aspect, the pressure regulator includes a valve component having a fluid chamber for regulating the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the pressure chamber. The valve component includes a base portion in which a fluid chamber is formed, a driving portion that is displaced when its own temperature changes, an amplifying portion that amplifies the displacement caused by the temperature change of the driving portion, and a displacement amplified by the amplifying portion. and a movable portion that moves with the fluid chamber to adjust the pressure of the coolant flowing through the fluid chamber. In the valve component, when the driving portion is displaced due to temperature changes, the driving portion biases the amplifying portion at the biasing position, thereby displacing the amplifying portion with the hinge as a fulcrum and connecting the amplifying portion and the movable portion. At the position, the amplifier section biases the movable section. The distance from the hinge to the connecting position is longer than the distance from the hinge to the urging position.

According to this, the amplifying part of the valve part acts as a lever. Therefore, the amount of displacement of the drive section according to the temperature change is amplified by the lever and transmitted to the movable section. In this way, a valve part that uses a lever to amplify the amount of displacement due to thermal expansion can be made smaller than a solenoid valve or an electric valve that does not use such a lever. becomes. Therefore, according to the valve device of the present disclosure, it is possible to control a plurality of valves while suppressing deterioration of mountability.

According to the third aspect, the base has a first fluid hole that communicates the fluid chamber and the pressure chamber, and a second fluid that communicates the fluid chamber with the inlet channel through which the target fluid flowing into the throttle portion of the valve flows. A third fluid hole is formed to communicate between the fluid chamber and an outlet channel through which the target fluid flowing out from the hole and throttle portion flows. The pressure adjusting portion is configured to change the pressure in the pressure chamber by adjusting the opening degree of at least one of the second fluid hole and the third fluid hole by the movable portion. According to this, the pressure in the pressure chamber can be finely adjusted, so that the flow rate of the target fluid can be adjusted to an appropriate amount according to the load conditions and the like.

According to a fourth aspect, the valve device constitutes a pressure reducing device of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle device including a compressor, a condenser, and a plurality of evaporators arranged in parallel with respect to refrigerant flow. The plurality of valves are arranged upstream of the refrigerant flow of at least two evaporators out of the plurality of evaporators, and the refrigerant as the target fluid changes depending on the pressure of the refrigerant as the control fluid introduced into the pressure chamber. It has a valve structure in which the throttle opening of the internal flow path changes. According to this, it is possible to distribute the refrigerant at a desired ratio to two or more evaporators connected in parallel by controlling a plurality of valves while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

According to the fifth aspect, the inlet channel is a channel through which liquid-phase refrigerant that has passed through the condenser flows. A refrigerant in a liquid phase state has a higher density than refrigerants in a gas phase state and a gas-liquid two-phase state. Therefore, if the liquid-phase refrigerant that has passed through the condenser flows through the inlet passage, a large amount of refrigerant can be quickly dissipated into the fluid chamber and the pressure chamber via the inlet passage and the second fluid hole. can be introduced into Therefore, even with a configuration in which the control fluid is introduced into the pressure chambers of a plurality of valves, it is possible to ensure the responsiveness of the plurality of valves.

According to the sixth aspect, the outlet channel is a channel through which the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows before flowing into the evaporator. In such a configuration, for example, when the pressure in the pressure chamber is reduced, the refrigerant in the pressure chamber flows to the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator through the fluid chamber, the third fluid hole, the outlet flow path, etc., thereby reducing the pressure in the evaporator. Since the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the evaporator increases, the heat absorption performance of the evaporator can be ensured.
According to a seventh aspect, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle device includes a compressor, a condenser, a valve device, and a plurality of evaporators. A plurality of evaporators are arranged in parallel with respect to the refrigerant flow. The valve device is arranged upstream of at least two evaporators out of the plurality of evaporators in the refrigerant flow, and the throttle opening degree of the internal flow path through which the refrigerant flows is adjusted according to the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the pressure chamber. It has a plurality of variable valves and an actuator for driving each of the plurality of valves. The actuator includes a pressure adjustment section that adjusts the pressure of the control fluid, and a pressure introduction section that introduces the control fluid whose pressure has been adjusted by the pressure adjustment section into the pressure chambers of the plurality of valves.

13 valve device 130 actuator 131 pressure regulating section 132 pressure introduction section 160 first valve 162 first internal flow path 180 second valve 182 second internal flow path PC1 first pressure chamber PC2 second pressure chamber

Claims (6)

A valve device,
a plurality of valves (160, 180) in which the throttle opening of internal flow paths (162, 182) through which the target fluid flows changes according to the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the pressure chambers (PC1, PC2);
an actuator (130) for driving each of the plurality of valves;
The actuator is
a pressure adjustment unit (131) for adjusting the pressure of the control fluid;
a pressure introduction section (132) for introducing the control fluid whose pressure has been adjusted by the pressure adjustment section into the pressure chambers of the plurality of valves;
The pressure adjustment unit includes a valve component (Y1) having a fluid chamber (Y19) for adjusting the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the pressure chamber,
The valve component is
a base portion (Y121, Y11, Y13) in which the fluid chamber (Y19) is formed;
a drive unit (Y123, Y124, Y125) that is displaced when its own temperature changes;
Amplifying units (Y126, Y127) for amplifying the displacement due to the temperature change of the driving unit;
a movable part (Y128) that adjusts the pressure of the coolant flowing through the fluid chamber by being transmitted with the displacement amplified by the amplifying part and moving,
When the driving section is displaced due to a change in temperature, the driving section biases the amplifying section at the biasing position, so that the amplifying section is displaced with the hinge as a fulcrum, and the amplifying section and the movable section are displaced. The amplifying section biases the movable section at the connection position of
A valve device wherein the distance from the hinge to the connected position is longer than the distance from the hinge to the biased position . The base portion has a first fluid hole (Y16) for communicating the fluid chamber and the pressure chamber, an inlet channel (162a) through which the target fluid flows before flowing into the throttle portion of the valve, and the fluid chamber. and a third fluid hole (Y18) for communicating the fluid chamber with an outlet channel (162b) through which the target fluid flowed out from the narrowed portion is formed,
The pressure adjusting portion is configured to change the pressure of the pressure chamber by adjusting the opening degree of at least one of the second fluid hole and the third fluid hole by the movable portion. Item 1. The valve device according to item 1 . A decompression device for a vapor compression refrigeration cycle device including a compressor (11), a condenser (12), and a plurality of evaporators (15, 17, 19) arranged in parallel with respect to a refrigerant flow,
The plurality of valves are arranged upstream of at least two or more of the evaporators (17, 19) among the plurality of evaporators, and the pressure of the refrigerant as the control fluid introduced into the pressure chamber is 3. The valve device according to claim 2 , having a valve structure in which the throttle opening degree of the internal flow path through which the refrigerant as the target fluid flows changes depending on the condition. 4. The valve device according to claim 3 , wherein the inlet channel is a channel through which liquid-phase refrigerant that has passed through the condenser flows. 5. The valve device according to claim 3 , wherein the outlet channel is a channel through which refrigerant in a gas-liquid two-phase state before flowing into the evaporator flows. A vapor compression refrigeration cycle device,
a compressor (11) for compressing and discharging the sucked refrigerant;
a condenser (12) for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor;
a valve device (13) for decompressing the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser;
a plurality of evaporators (15, 17, 19) for evaporating the refrigerant decompressed by the valve device,
The plurality of evaporators are arranged in parallel with respect to the refrigerant flow,
The valve device is
An internal flow path (162) arranged upstream of the refrigerant flow of at least two or more of the evaporators of the plurality of evaporators and through which the refrigerant flows according to the pressure of the control fluid introduced into the pressure chambers (PC1, PC2). , 182) with varying throttle openings (160, 180);
an actuator (130) for driving each of the plurality of valves;
The actuator is
a pressure adjustment unit (131) for adjusting the pressure of the control fluid;
a pressure introducing section (132) that introduces the control fluid whose pressure has been adjusted by the pressure adjusting section into the pressure chambers of the plurality of valves.

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