WO2024114101A1

WO2024114101A1 - Expansion valve

Info

Publication number: WO2024114101A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/123411
Authority: WO
Inventors: 卢音波
Original assignee: 比亚迪股份有限公司
Priority date: 2022-11-30
Filing date: 2023-10-08
Publication date: 2024-06-06
Also published as: CN218992389U

Abstract

An expansion valve comprises a housing (10), a valve core (20), a valve needle (30), a screw rod assembly (40), an elastic member (50) and a drive member (60). An accommodating cavity (11) is defined inside the housing; the valve core (20) is fixed in the accommodating cavity (11); and the valve needle (30) is movably arranged in the accommodating cavity (11), and the valve needle (30) is provided with a fitting portion (31) and an adjusting portion. The screw rod assembly (40) comprises a screw rod (41) and a limiting member (42), the screw rod (41) being in thread fit with a through hole (21). The end of the screw rod (41) adjacent to an outlet (13) is provided with a screw rod cavity (43), the fitting portion (31) being movably fitted in the screw rod cavity (43). The limiting member (42) is at least partially arranged in the screw rod cavity (43), so as to prevent the fitting portion (31) from disengagement from the screw rod cavity (43). The elastic member (50) abuts between the screw rod (41) and the valve needle (30), and the drive member (60) drives the screw rod (41) to rotate relative to the valve core (20), so as to drive the valve needle (30) to open or close the outlet (13). By means of the expansion valve, the connection of the screw rod and the valve needle is facilitated, and the sealing at the outlet provided by the valve needle is increased.

Description

Expansion valve

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application entitled “Expansion Valve” filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 30, 2022, with application number 202223243552.4, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in this application.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the technical field of expansion valves, and in particular to an expansion valve.

Background technique

Electronic expansion valves are mainly used in refrigeration systems. The electromagnetic coil controls the rotation of the rotor. Through the cooperation of the screw and the nut, the valve needle is moved close to or away from the valve port, and the flow area of the valve port is adjusted to adjust the flow of the refrigerant. In the prior art, the structure of the connection between the screw and the valve needle is relatively complex. The stability and reliability of the movement of the valve needle and the screw in the accommodating cavity after assembly cannot be guaranteed. The assembly efficiency is low, and it is easy to cause the valve needle to rotate relative to the outlet, affecting the service life of the valve needle and the outlet.

Summary of the invention

The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, one purpose of the present application is to provide an expansion valve that can facilitate the connection between the screw and the valve needle and increase the sealing of the valve needle to the outlet.

An expansion valve according to an embodiment of the present application includes: a housing, a valve core, a valve needle, a screw assembly, an elastic member and a driving member. The housing defines an accommodating chamber, the housing is provided with an outlet and at least one inlet, the inlet is communicated with the accommodating chamber, the valve core is fixedly arranged in the accommodating chamber, the valve core is provided with a through hole, at least part of the inner wall of the through hole is formed with an internal thread; the valve needle is movably arranged in the accommodating chamber, and the valve needle is provided with a matching portion and an adjusting portion; the screw assembly comprises a screw and a stopper, the screw is provided with an external thread matching with the internal thread, the screw is rotatably matched with the through hole, one end of the screw adjacent to the outlet is provided with a screw chamber, the matching portion is movably matched in the screw chamber, at least part of the stopper is arranged in the screw chamber to prevent the matching portion from escaping from the screw chamber, and the adjusting portion is arranged outside the screw chamber; the elastic member stops between the screw and the valve needle; the driving member is used to drive the screw to rotate relative to the valve core, so that the screw moves along the axial direction of the screw and drives the valve needle to approach or move away from the outlet, so as to adjust the fluid flow of the outlet through the adjusting portion.

According to the expansion valve of the present application, a limit piece is provided at one end of the screw adjacent to the outlet, so that after the valve needle cooperates with the screw cavity, the limit piece can penetrate the side wall of the screw cavity to form a limit for the valve needle, so as to prevent the valve needle from escaping from the screw cavity along the axial direction of the screw, thereby facilitating the installation of the valve needle and the screw, increasing the reliability of the installation of the valve needle and the screw, improving the efficiency of the assembly of the valve needle and the screw assembly, and simplifying the structure of the expansion valve.

In some embodiments, the valve needle has a first guide portion, which is located on a side of the matching portion adjacent to the outlet, a connecting portion is connected between the first guide portion and the matching portion, and the first guide portion cooperates with the inner wall of the screw cavity along the axial guide of the screw.

In some embodiments, when the mating portion and the limiting member are stopped, an end of the mating portion away from the outlet and an inner wall of the screw chamber away from the outlet are spaced apart from each other, and an end of the first guide portion away from the outlet and a side of the limiting member adjacent to the outlet are spaced apart from each other.

In some embodiments, a cross-sectional area of the matching portion is larger than a cross-sectional area of the connecting portion, and a cross-sectional area of the first guiding portion is larger than a cross-sectional area of the connecting portion.

In some embodiments, the valve needle has a second guide portion, the second guide portion is provided at an end of the adjusting portion away from the outlet, and the second guide portion cooperates with the housing along the axial guide of the screw.

In some embodiments, the elastic member stops between the end surface of the screw rod adjacent to the outlet and the end surface of the second guide portion away from the outlet.

In some embodiments, the end surface of the screw rod adjacent to the outlet is an arc surface.

In some embodiments, a mounting opening is formed at the end of the screw adjacent to the outlet; the limiting member includes: a mounting portion and at least one limiting rod, the mounting portion is engaged in the mounting opening, one end of the limiting rod is connected to the mounting portion, and the other end of the limiting rod extends into the screw cavity to prevent the engaging portion from escaping from the screw cavity.

In some embodiments, at least one mounting hole is formed at the end of the screw rod adjacent to the outlet, and the other end of the limiting rod is fitted in the mounting hole.

In some embodiments, there are two mounting holes, and the two mounting holes are spaced apart along the circumference of the screw;

There are two limit rods, one end of each of the limit rods is connected to the mounting portion, the other ends of the two limit rods are respectively fitted in the two mounting holes, and the two limit rods are respectively located on both sides of the valve needle.

In some embodiments, the mounting portion includes: a mounting body and a mounting boss, the mounting body fits in the mounting opening, the mounting boss is connected to a side surface of the mounting body adjacent to the center of the screw cavity, one end of the limit rod is connected to the mounting boss, the mounting boss and the mounting body have a step surface on at least one side in the axial direction of the screw, a side surface of the limit rod corresponding to the step surface along the axial direction of the screw is flush with the step surface, and the mating portion is suitable for abutting against the step surface and the limit rod.

In some embodiments, a surface of a side of the mounting portion away from the limiting rod is formed as an arc surface, and the arc surface is matched with an outer peripheral surface of the screw rod.

In some embodiments, the outlet includes a first outlet section and a second outlet section connected to each other along the axial direction of the screw, the second outlet section is connected to the side of the first outlet section away from the screw, and the cross-sectional area of the first outlet section gradually decreases in the direction away from the screw; the adjustment part has a valve port sealing section and a valve port adjustment section connected to each other along the axial direction of the screw, when the valve needle closes the outlet, the valve port sealing section is sealed with the first outlet section and the valve port adjustment section is located in the second outlet section.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become apparent from the description below, or will be learned through the practice of the present application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an expansion valve according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional exploded view of an expansion valve according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a screw assembly and a valve needle according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a screw according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a valve needle according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a position limiting member according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a position limiting member according to another embodiment of the present application.

Reference numerals:
100. Expansion valve;
10. housing; 11. accommodating chamber; 12. inlet; 13. outlet; 131. first outlet section; 132. second outlet section;
20. valve core; 21. through hole; 211. internal thread;
30. Valve needle; 31. Matching part; 32. First guide part; 33. Connecting part; 34. Second guide part; 35. Valve port sealing section; 36. Valve port regulating section; 37. Regulating part
40. Screw assembly; 41. Screw; 411. External thread; 42. Stopper; 421. Mounting portion; 4211. Mounting body; 4212. Mounting boss;
4213, step surface; 422, limit rod; 43, screw cavity; 431, installation opening; 432, installation hole;
50. Elastic parts;
60. Driving parts.

Detailed ways

Embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and the embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary.

The expansion valve 100 according to an embodiment of the present application is described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 . The expansion valve 100 includes: a housing 10 , a valve core 20 , a valve needle 30 , a screw assembly 40 , an elastic member 50 and a driving member 60 .

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 , a housing 10 defines a housing chamber 11, and an outlet 13 and at least one inlet 12 are formed on the housing 10, and the inlet 12 is connected to the housing chamber 11. The valve core 20 is fixedly arranged in the housing chamber 11, and a through hole 21 is formed on the valve core 20, and an internal thread 211 is formed on at least part of the inner wall of the through hole 21. The valve needle 30 is movably arranged in the housing chamber 11 to open and close the outlet 13. The valve needle 30 is provided with a matching portion 31 and an adjusting portion 37. The screw assembly 40 includes a screw 41 and a stopper 42, and the screw 41 is provided with an external thread 411 that matches the internal thread 211, and the end of the screw 41 away from the outlet 13 is rotatably matched with the through hole 21 through the external thread 411 and the internal thread 211. The end of the screw 41 adjacent to the outlet 13 is provided with a screw cavity 43, and the fitting portion 31 is movably fitted in the screw cavity 43 along the axial direction of the screw 41. After the fitting portion 31 is fitted with the screw cavity 43, when the valve needle 30 moves toward the outlet 13 in the accommodating cavity 11, the fitting portion 31 and the screw cavity 43 are relatively stationary. When the valve needle 30 abuts against the outlet 13, the fitting portion 31 moves in the screw cavity 43 in a direction away from the outlet 13. The stopper 42 is provided at one end of the screw 41 adjacent to the outlet 13, and the stopper 42 is at least partially provided in the screw cavity 43, that is, the part of the stopper 42 adjacent to the center of the housing 10 is located in the screw cavity 43, and abuts against one side of the fitting portion 31 adjacent to the outlet 13 to prevent the fitting portion 31 from escaping from the screw cavity 43. The adjusting portion 37 is located outside the screw cavity 43 and movably fits with the outlet 13 to realize opening and closing of the outlet 13. The elastic member 50 is sleeved on the end of the valve needle 30 away from the outlet 13, and stops between the screw 41 and the valve needle 30, so that the screw 41 and the valve needle 30 are in contact through the elastic member 50, avoiding the screw 41 and the valve needle 30 from directly stopping in the axial direction of the screw 41. The driving member 60 is used to drive the screw 41 to rotate relative to the valve core 20. Since the valve core 20 is fixedly connected to the housing 10, the screw 41 moves relative to the valve core 20 in the axial direction of the screw 41 in the direction away from the outlet 13 or in the direction close to the outlet 13, driving the valve needle 30 to approach or away from the outlet 13 to open and close the outlet 13, and the fluid flow at the outlet 13 can be adjusted by the adjusting portion 37.

According to the expansion valve 100 of the embodiment of the present application, a limit piece 42 is provided at one end of the screw 41 adjacent to the outlet 13, so that after the valve needle 30 cooperates with the screw cavity 43, the limit piece 42 can penetrate the side wall of the screw cavity 43 to form a limit for the valve needle 30, so as to prevent the valve needle 30 from slipping out of the screw cavity 43 along the axial direction of the screw 41, facilitate the installation of the valve needle 30 and the screw 41, increase the reliability of the installation of the valve needle 30 and the screw 41, improve the efficiency of assembling the valve needle 30 and the screw assembly 40, and simplify the structure of the expansion valve 100.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 , the valve needle 30 has a first guide portion 32, the first guide portion 32 is located on a side of the matching portion 31 adjacent to the outlet 13, a connecting portion 33 is connected between the first guide portion 32 and the matching portion 31, and the first guide portion 32 is matched with the inner wall of the screw cavity 43 along the axial direction of the screw 41. For example, when the matching portion 31 and the stopper 42 are stopped, an end of the matching portion 31 away from the outlet 13 and an inner wall of the screw cavity 43 away from the outlet 13 are spaced apart from each other, and an end of the first guide portion 32 away from the outlet 13 and a side of the stopper 42 adjacent to the outlet 13 are spaced apart from each other. That is, after the valve needle 30 is matched with the screw cavity 43, the stopper 42 penetrates the side wall of the screw cavity 43 and matches with the connecting portion 33 to limit the movement of the matching portion 31 toward the outlet 13, and when the valve needle 30 stops at the outlet 13, the screw cavity 43 matches with the first guide portion 32 along the axial direction of the screw 41, and the first guide portion 32 can increase the guidance and accuracy of the movement of the screw 41, so that the screw assembly 40 and the valve needle 30 move more stably in the accommodating cavity 11. After the valve needle 30 stops at the outlet 13, the screw 41 squeezes the elastic member 50 to stop the matching portion 31 and the side wall of the screw cavity 43 away from the outlet 13, and the stopper 42 stops at one end of the connecting portion 33 adjacent to the outlet 13 or the gap is reduced.

Thus, the connection part 33 is provided to facilitate the cooperation between the stopper 42 and the valve needle 30, so as to limit the position of the valve needle 30 in the axial direction of the screw 41, and to increase the convenience of connecting the screw 41 and the valve needle 30. At the same time, the matching part 31 is spaced apart from the side wall of the screw cavity 43 away from the outlet 13, and the stopper 42 is spaced apart from the end of the connection part 33 adjacent to the outlet 13, so that when the valve needle 30 stops at the outlet 13, the screw 41 continues to move toward the outlet 13, thereby increasing the squeezing of the screw 41 on the valve needle 30, and increasing the reliability and sealing of the stop of the valve needle 30 with the outlet 13.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the cross-sectional area of the matching portion 31 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the connecting portion 33, and the cross-sectional area of the first guide portion 32 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the connecting portion 33. Thus, the cross-sectional area of the connecting portion 33 is smaller than the cross-sectional areas of the matching portion 31 and the first guide portion 32, so that The limiting member 42 abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the connecting portion 33 in the radial direction of the screw 41, preventing the limiting member 42 from protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the matching portion 31 and interfering with the movement of the matching portion 31 inside the screw cavity 43, thereby facilitating the limiting of the screw 41 by the limiting member 42. At the same time, the space occupied by the limiting member 42 inside the screw cavity 43 is reduced, thereby improving the compactness of the connection between the screw 41 and the valve needle 30, and facilitating the miniaturized design of the connection between the screw assembly 40 and the valve needle 30.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , the valve needle 30 has a second guide portion 34, which is disposed at one end of the adjusting portion 37 away from the outlet 13, that is, one end of the first guide portion 32 away from the matching portion 31, and the second guide portion 34 cooperates with the housing 10 along the axial direction of the screw 41. The cross-sectional area of the second guide portion 34 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the first guide portion 32, and the valve needle 30 cooperates with the housing 10 along the axial direction of the screw 41 under the drive of the screw assembly 40, so as to ensure that the central axis of the valve needle 30 coincides with the central axis of the housing 10 and the outlet 13. For example, when the valve needle 30 is located in the accommodating chamber 11, the outer peripheral surface of the second guide portion 34 contacts the inner wall surface of the accommodating chamber 11, and the second guide portion 34 moves toward the outlet 13 or away from the outlet 13 along the axial direction of the screw 41 and the inner wall of the accommodating chamber 11. Thus, the second guide portion 34 cooperates with the inner wall of the accommodating chamber 11 to increase the guidance of the valve needle 30 in the accommodating chamber 11, so that the valve needle 30 can accurately stop at the outlet 13 to form a seal for the outlet 13, thereby increasing the stability of the valve needle 30 in the accommodating chamber 11.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , the elastic member 50 is sleeved outside the first guide portion 32, and the elastic member 50 abuts between the end surface of the screw rod 41 adjacent to the outlet 13 and the end surface of the second guide portion 34 away from the outlet 13. That is, the end of the elastic member 50 away from the outlet 13 abuts against the screw rod 41, and the end of the elastic member 50 adjacent to the outlet 13 abuts against the end surface of the second guide portion 34 away from the outlet 13, and the second guide portion 34 facilitates the installation of the elastic member 50. The elastic member 50 is in line contact with the screw rod 41. Therefore, an elastic member 50 is provided between the screw 41 and the second guide portion 34 of the valve needle 30, which can facilitate elastic contact between the screw 41 and the valve needle 30, so that when the valve needle 30 stops at the outlet 13, the elastic member 50 can be squeezed and deformed by the screw 41, so that the valve needle 30 stops at the side wall of the screw chamber 43 away from the outlet 13, which is convenient for increasing the sealing of the valve needle 30 when it stops at the outlet 13. At the same time, the integrity of the screw assembly 40 and the valve needle 30 is ensured during the movement toward and away from the outlet 13, which can effectively improve the abnormal noise generated during the use of the expansion valve 100.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the end surface of the screw rod 41 adjacent to the outlet 13 is an arc surface. When the end of the screw rod 41 abuts against the elastic member 50, the screw rod 41 and the elastic member 50 are kept in line contact. Thus, the arc surface of the end of the screw rod 41 adjacent to the outlet 13 can reduce the contact area between the screw rod 41 and the elastic member 50, reduce the influence of the circumferential force generated during the rotation of the screw rod 41 on the elastic member 50, and thus effectively reduce the possibility of the valve needle 30 rotating relative to the outlet 13.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4-7 , an installation opening 431 is formed at one end of the screw 41 adjacent to the outlet 13. The stopper 42 includes: a mounting portion 421 and at least one stopper rod 422, wherein the mounting portion 421 fits in the installation opening 431, one end of the stopper rod 422 is connected to the mounting portion 421, and the other end of the stopper rod 422 extends into the screw cavity 43 to prevent the fitting portion 31 from escaping from the screw cavity 43. The installation opening 431 may be formed on the side wall of the screw cavity 43 and penetrate the side wall of the screw cavity 43 and connect the screw cavity 43 and the accommodating cavity 11. When installing, the stopper 42 may be provided with the installation opening 431 from the outer peripheral surface of the screw cavity 43 so that the mounting portion 421 is located in the installation opening 431. One end of the limiting rod 422 is connected to one side of the mounting portion 421 adjacent to the center of the screw cavity 43, and the other end of the limiting rod 422 is stopped between the connecting portion 33 and the matching portion 31 in the radial direction of the screw 41 and is penetrated on the side wall of the screw cavity 43, so as to form the limiting member 42 to limit the matching portion 31 in the axial direction of the screw 41. Therefore, the limiting member 42 includes the mounting portion 421 and the limiting rod 422, which facilitates the fixing of the limiting member 42 and the screw cavity 43 and the limiting of the valve needle 30, increases the assembly efficiency of the limiting member 42 and the screw cavity 43, and can effectively prevent the valve needle 30 from slipping out of the screw cavity 43.

Optionally, referring to FIG. 4 , at least one mounting hole 432 is formed at one end of the screw rod 41 adjacent to the outlet 13, and the other end of the limiting rod 422 is fitted in the mounting hole 432. The mounting hole 432 is opposite to the mounting opening 431 in the radial direction of the screw rod 41, and the limiting rod 422 extends in the radial direction of the screw rod 41. Thus, the provision of the mounting hole 432 can facilitate the fitting of the limiting rod 422 and the mounting hole 432 after the limiting member 42 is fitted with the mounting opening 431, thereby increasing the position limiting of the limiting member 42, facilitating the installation of the limiting member 42, and improving the stability of the limiting member 42 when installed on the screw rod 41.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 2 and in combination with FIG. 4 , there are two mounting holes 432, and the two mounting holes 432 are spaced apart along the circumference of the screw rod 41, and there are two corresponding limit rods 422, one end of each of the two limit rods 422 is connected to the mounting portion 421, and the other ends of the two limit rods 422 are respectively fitted in the two mounting holes 432, and the two limit rods 422 are respectively located on both sides of the valve needle 30. Specifically, the two limit rods 422 are respectively located on both sides of the connecting portion 33. The cross-section of the limit rod 422 can be circular or polygonal, and is illustrated here as a circle. Thus, the two mounting holes 432 and The setting of the two limit rods 422 can limit the position of the valve needle 30 in the radial direction of the screw 41, so that the valve needle 30 is located in the center of the screw cavity 43, ensuring that the valve needle 30 can be opposite to the opening in the axial direction of the screw 41, and avoiding the valve needle 30 approaching the side wall of the screw cavity 43, causing the valve needle 30 and the outlet 13 to be misaligned, affecting the sealing at the outlet 13 when the valve needle 30 and the outlet 13 stop.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , the mounting portion 421 includes a mounting body 4211 and a mounting boss 4212, the mounting body 4211 is fitted in the mounting opening 431, the mounting boss 4212 is connected to a side surface of the mounting body 4211 adjacent to the center of the screw cavity 43, one end of the limiting rod 422 is connected to the mounting boss 4212, the mounting boss 4212 and the mounting body 4211 have a step surface 4213 on at least one side in the axial direction of the screw 41, the side surface of the limiting rod 422 corresponding to the step surface 4213 along the axial direction of the screw 41 is flush with the step surface 4213, and the matching portion 31 is suitable for abutting against the step surface 4213 and the limiting rod 422. For example, the step surface 4213 is formed on both sides of the mounting boss 4212 along the axial direction of the screw 41, or at least formed on a side of the mounting boss 4212 away from the outlet 13. When the stopper 42 abuts against the valve needle 30, the matching portion 31 abuts against the step surface 4213, the mounting body 4211 forms a limit to the matching portion 31 in the radial direction of the screw 41, and the side of the stopper rod 422 away from the outlet 13 is flush with the mounting boss 4212. Thus, the formation of the mounting boss 4212 facilitates the abutment and limiting of the stopper 42 and the matching portion 31, and increases the stability of the matching portion 31 and the stopper 42 when they abut.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , the side surface of the mounting portion 421 away from the limiting rod 422 is formed as an arc surface, which is matched with the outer peripheral surface of the screw 41, extends along the circumference of the screw 41 and is flush with the outer peripheral surface of the screw cavity 43; or the side surface of the mounting portion 421 away from the limiting rod 422 is formed as a plane, and the mounting portion 421 is located in the mounting opening 431. Therefore, the side surface of the mounting portion 421 away from the limiting rod 422 can be an arc surface or a plane, both of which can realize the cooperation between the limiting member 42 and the screw 41. Under the premise of not affecting the movement of the screw 41 along the accommodating cavity 11, the shape of the side surface of the mounting portion 421 away from the limiting rod 422 is not specifically limited, and is selected according to the actual needs and costs of production.

In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1-3, the outlet 13 includes a first outlet section 131 and a second outlet section 132 connected to each other along the axial direction of the screw 41, the second outlet section 132 is connected to the end of the first outlet section 131 away from the screw 41, and the cross-sectional area of the first outlet section 131 gradually decreases in the direction away from the screw 41; the adjusting portion 37 has a valve port sealing section 35 and a valve port adjusting section 36 connected to each other along the axial direction of the screw 41, when the valve needle 30 closes the outlet 13, the valve port sealing section 35 is sealed with the first outlet section 131 and the valve port adjusting section 36 is located in the second outlet section 132.

As the valve port sealing section 35 and the valve port regulating section 36 of the regulating part 37 contact different outlet sections, the gap between the valve needle 30 and the outlet 13 gradually decreases, and the flow rate gradually decreases until the valve needle 30 closes the outlet 13. For example, when the valve port regulating section 36 is located in the first outlet section 131, the gap between the valve needle 30 and the through hole decreases, and the flow rate from the inlet 12 to the outlet 13 decreases. When the valve port regulating section 36 is located in the second outlet section 132, the valve needle 30 stops against the outlet 13 to cut off the connection between the inlet 12 and the outlet 13. Therefore, the setting of the first outlet section 131 and the second outlet section 132 can facilitate the matching of the outlet 13 with the valve port regulating section 36 and the valve port sealing section 3543 of the valve needle 30, and increase the sealing performance when the valve needle 30 stops against the opening, so that the expansion valve 100 can adjust the flow rate according to the actual use scenario.

Further, in conjunction with FIG. 1 , the expansion valve 100 further includes a driving member 60, the driving member 60 includes a stator assembly (not shown) and a rotor assembly, the stator assembly is located outside the housing 10, the rotor assembly is arranged in the accommodating chamber 11, the rotor assembly is connected to one end of the screw 41 away from the outlet 13, and when the driving member 60 is working, the rotor assembly drives the screw 41 to move relative to the housing 10 under the magnetic field of the stator assembly. The stator assembly may include a driving motor and a controller having a stator coil, and the controller may send a pulse drive signal to the stator coil when powered on, so that the stator coil generates a periodically changing magnetic field. The rotor assembly is fixedly connected to the screw 41, so that the rotor assembly arranged inside the housing 10 is controlled to rotate forward or reverse around the central axis of the screw 41 through the change of the magnetic field. Under the action of the driving member 60, the screw 41 drives the valve needle 30 to move toward the outlet 13 and away from the outlet 13 along the axial direction of the screw 41, so as to close and open the outlet 13.

In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

In the description of the present application, "first feature" and "second feature" may include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, "plurality" means two or more. In the description of the present application, a first feature "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. In the description of the present application, a first feature "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or the first and second features being in contact through another feature between them. When a feature is “on”, “above” or “over” a second feature, it includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature.

In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

An expansion valve (100), characterized by comprising:

A housing (10), wherein a receiving chamber (11) is defined in the housing (10), an outlet (13) and at least one inlet (12) are formed on the housing (10), and the inlet (12) is communicated with the receiving chamber (11);

A valve core (20), the valve core (20) being fixedly disposed in the accommodating cavity (11), the valve core (20) being formed with a through hole (21), and at least a portion of an inner wall of the through hole (21) being formed with an internal thread (211);

A valve needle (30), the valve needle (30) being movably disposed in the accommodating cavity (11), the valve needle (30) being provided with a matching portion (31) and an adjusting portion (37);

A screw assembly (40), the screw assembly (40) comprising a screw (41) and a stopper (42), the screw (41) being provided with an external thread (411) cooperating with the internal thread (211), the screw (41) being rotatably engaged with the through hole (21), the end of the screw (41) adjacent to the outlet (13) being provided with a screw cavity (43), the engaging portion (31) being movably engaged in the screw cavity (43), the stopper (42) being at least partially disposed in the screw cavity (43) to prevent the engaging portion (31) from falling out of the screw cavity (43), and the adjusting portion (37) being located outside the screw cavity (43);

an elastic member (50), the elastic member (50) being abutted between the screw rod (41) and the valve needle (30); and

A driving member (60) is used to drive the screw (41) to rotate relative to the valve core (20), so that the screw (41) moves along the axial direction of the screw (41) and drives the valve needle (30) to approach or move away from the outlet (13), so as to adjust the fluid flow of the outlet (13) through the adjusting portion (37).
The expansion valve (100) according to claim 1 is characterized in that the valve needle (30) has a first guide portion (32), the first guide portion (32) is located on a side of the matching portion (31) adjacent to the outlet (13), a connecting portion (33) is connected between the first guide portion (32) and the matching portion (31), and the first guide portion (32) is matched with an inner wall of the screw cavity (43) along the axial guide of the screw (41).
The expansion valve (100) according to claim 2 is characterized in that, when the matching portion (31) and the limiting member (42) are stopped, an end of the matching portion (31) away from the outlet (13) and an inner wall of the screw chamber (43) away from the outlet (13) are spaced apart from each other, and an end of the first guide portion (32) away from the outlet (13) and a side of the limiting member (42) adjacent to the outlet (13) are spaced apart from each other.
The expansion valve (100) according to claim 2 or 3 is characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the fitting portion (31) is larger than the cross-sectional area of the connecting portion (33), and the cross-sectional area of the first guide portion (32) is larger than the cross-sectional area of the connecting portion (33).
The expansion valve (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is characterized in that the valve needle (30) has a second guide portion (34), the second guide portion (34) is arranged at an end of the adjusting portion (37) away from the outlet (13), and the second guide portion (34) cooperates with the outer casing (10) along the axial guide of the screw (41).
The expansion valve (100) according to claim 5 is characterized in that the elastic member (50) stops between the end surface of the end of the screw (41) adjacent to the outlet (13) and the end surface of the end of the second guide portion (34) away from the outlet (13).
The expansion valve (100) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the end surface of the one end of the screw (41) adjacent to the outlet (13) is an arc surface.
The expansion valve (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a mounting opening (431) is formed at the end of the screw (41) adjacent to the outlet (13);

The limiting member (42) comprises:

a mounting portion (421), the mounting portion (421) being fitted in the mounting opening (431); and

At least one limiting rod (422), one end of the limiting rod (422) is connected to the mounting portion (421), and the other end of the limiting rod (422) extends into the screw cavity (43) to prevent the matching portion (31) from falling out of the screw cavity (43).
The expansion valve (100) according to claim 8 is characterized in that at least one mounting hole (432) is formed at the one end of the screw (41) adjacent to the outlet (13), and the other end of the limiting rod (422) is fitted in the mounting hole (432).
The expansion valve (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that there are two mounting holes (432), and the two mounting holes (432) are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the screw (41); and

There are two limit rods (422), one end of each of the limit rods (422) is connected to the mounting portion (421), the other ends of the two limit rods (422) are respectively engaged in the two mounting holes (432), and the two limit rods (422) are respectively located on both sides of the valve needle (30).
The expansion valve (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the mounting portion (421) comprises:

A mounting body (4211), the mounting body (4211) being fitted in the mounting opening (431); and

A mounting boss (4212) is connected to a side surface of the mounting body (4211) adjacent to the center of the screw cavity (43), one end of the limiting rod (422) is connected to the mounting boss (4212), the mounting boss (4212) and the mounting body (4211) have a step surface (4213) on at least one side in the axial direction of the screw (41), a side surface of the limiting rod (422) corresponding to the step surface (4213) along the axial direction of the screw (41) is flush with the step surface (4213), and the matching portion (31) is suitable for abutting against the step surface (4213) and the limiting rod (422).
The expansion valve (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 11 is characterized in that a surface of the mounting portion (421) on one side away from the limiting rod (422) is formed as an arc surface, and the arc surface is adapted to the outer peripheral surface of the screw rod (41).
The expansion valve (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that:

The outlet (13) comprises:

a first outlet section (131); and

a second outlet section (132), the second outlet section (132) and the first outlet section (131) being connected to each other along the axial direction of the screw (41), the second outlet section (132) being connected to a side of the first outlet section (131) away from the screw (41), and a cross-sectional area of the first outlet section (131) gradually decreasing in a direction away from the screw (41);

The adjusting unit (37) comprises:

A valve port sealing section (35); and

A valve port regulating section (36), wherein the valve port regulating section (36) and the valve port sealing section (35) are connected to each other along the axial direction of the screw rod (41); when the valve needle (30) closes the outlet (13), the valve port sealing section (35) is sealed with the first outlet section (131) and the valve port regulating section (36) is located in the second outlet section (132).