WO2024160135A1 - Switching valve and air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a switching valve (100), comprising a main valve (10), a pilot valve (20), an adapter tube (30), and a first capillary tube (21). The main valve (10) comprises a valve body (11), a first connecting tube (12), a second connecting tube (13), and a third connecting tube (14), and a side wall of the valve body (11) is provided with an air outlet hole (111); one end of the first capillary tube (21) is connected to an end portion of the pilot valve (20), and the other end thereof partially extends into the adapter tube (30) and is connected to the adapter tube (30); and along an axial direction of the valve body (11), the farthest distance between an outer side surface of the first connecting tube (12) and an outer side surface of the third connecting tube (14) is defined as A, the shortest distance between the central axis of the second connecting tube (13) and the central axis of the air outlet hole (111) is B, and B ≤ 0.5 A is satisfied. Thus, the working procedure can be simplified and costs are reduced. Further disclosed is an air conditioning system using the switching valve.

Description

Switching valve and air conditioning system

Related Applications

This application claims priority to Chinese patent application number 202320186196.2, filed on February 1, 2023, entitled “Switching valve and air conditioning system”, the entire text of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the technical field of air conditioning, and in particular to a switching valve and an air conditioning system.

Background Art

In air conditioning systems, switching valves are mainly used to control the connectivity or isolation of pipelines to achieve directional flow of fluids.

The switching valve includes a main valve and a pilot valve. The main valve is provided with an inlet D-connector, and a high-pressure fluid flows in the inlet D-connector. The switching valve also includes an inlet capillary, which is respectively connected to the end of the pilot valve and the peripheral side of the inlet D-connector, so that part of the high-pressure fluid can flow into the pilot valve. However, this connection method results in a long inlet capillary, and it needs to be bent multiple times to achieve the connection, which is complicated in process and high in cost.

Summary of the invention

According to various embodiments of the present application, a switching valve and an air conditioning system capable of reducing costs are provided.

A switching valve comprises a main valve, a pilot valve, a transfer tube and a first capillary tube, wherein the main valve comprises a valve body, a first transfer tube, a second transfer tube and a third transfer tube, wherein the first transfer tube, the second transfer tube and the third transfer tube are arranged side by side on one side of the valve body and are all connected to the valve body, and the second transfer tube is located between the first transfer tube and the third transfer tube, and an air outlet is also provided on the side wall of the valve body; the pilot valve is connected to the main valve; the transfer tube is connected to the air outlet; the first capillary tube is located between the main valve and the pilot valve, and one end of the first capillary tube is connected to the end of the pilot valve, and the other end of the first capillary tube partially extends into the transfer tube and is connected to the transfer tube; along the axial direction of the valve body, the maximum distance between the outer side surface of the first transfer tube and the outer side surface of the third transfer tube is defined as A, and the shortest distance between the center axis of the second transfer tube and the center axis of the air outlet is defined as B, satisfying B≤0.5A.

In one embodiment, a central axis of the air outlet is perpendicular to a plane where the first connecting pipe, the second connecting pipe and the third connecting pipe are located.

In one embodiment, the first capillary is L-shaped.

In one embodiment, the material of the transfer tube is the same as that of the first capillary tube, and the material of the transfer tube is different from that of the valve body.

In one embodiment, the valve body is made of stainless steel, and the transfer tube and the first capillary are made of copper.

In one embodiment, the valve body has a valve cavity, and the circumference of the air outlet is provided with a valve body facing away from the valve. The flange extends in the cavity direction, and the transfer tube portion extends into the flange and is connected to the flange.

In one embodiment, the shortest distance between the end face of the transfer tube close to the valve cavity and the inner wall of the valve body is L, and the height of the flange is H, satisfying 0≤L≤H.

In one embodiment, the valve chamber includes a first chamber, a second chamber and a third chamber, and the switching valve also includes a second capillary and a third capillary, the second capillary is located between the pilot valve and the valve body, and one end of the second capillary is connected to the pilot valve, and the other end is connected to the first chamber; the third capillary is located between the pilot valve and the valve body, and one end of the third capillary is connected to the pilot valve, and the other end is connected to the third chamber; wherein the first capillary is connected to the second chamber.

In one embodiment, the main valve further includes a fourth connecting pipe, which is disposed on two sides of the valve body opposite to the first connecting pipe, the second connecting pipe and the third connecting pipe, and the fourth connecting pipe is connected to the second chamber.

The present application also provides an air conditioning system, comprising the above-mentioned switching valve.

The details of one or more embodiments of the present application are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to better describe and illustrate the embodiments and/or examples of the inventions disclosed herein, reference may be made to one or more drawings. The additional details or examples used to describe the drawings should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosed inventions, the embodiments and/or examples currently described, and any of the best modes of these inventions currently understood.

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a switching valve provided in the present application.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the valve body provided in the present application.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the valve body provided in the present application.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the valve body provided in the present application.

FIG5 is a cross-sectional view of a partial structure of a switching valve provided in the present application.

FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the air conditioning system provided in the present application.

The symbols in the figure represent the following meanings: 100, switching valve; 10, main valve; 11, valve body; 111, air outlet; 112, valve chamber; 1121, first chamber; 1122, second chamber; 1123, third chamber; 113, flange; 12, first connecting pipe; 13, second connecting pipe; 14, third connecting pipe; 15, fourth connecting pipe; 20, pilot valve; 21, first capillary; 22, second capillary; 23, third capillary; 24, fourth capillary; 30, transfer pipe; 200, air conditioning system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed on" or "disposed on" another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be a central component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be a central component at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in the specification of this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly in contact with the second feature, or the first feature and the second feature are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being “above”, “above” or “above” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “below”, “below” or “below” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the specification of this application have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and/or" used in the specification of this application includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , the present application provides a switching valve 100 , which includes a main valve 10 and a pilot valve 20 . The pilot valve 20 is connected to the main valve 10 , and is used to control the working mode of the main valve 10 .

The main valve 10 includes a valve body 11, a first connecting pipe 12, a second connecting pipe 13, a third connecting pipe 14 and a fourth connecting pipe 15. The first connecting pipe 12, the second connecting pipe 13 and the third connecting pipe 14 are arranged side by side on one side of the valve body 11 and are all connected to the valve body 11, and the second connecting pipe 13 is located between the first connecting pipe 12 and the third connecting pipe 14. The fourth connecting pipe 15 is arranged on both sides of the valve body 11 opposite to the first connecting pipe 12, the second connecting pipe 13 and the third connecting pipe 14.

Specifically, the switching valve 100 is connected to the air conditioning pipeline through the first connecting pipe 12, the second connecting pipe 13, the third connecting pipe 14 and the fourth connecting pipe 15. The switching valve 100 has a first state in which the first connecting pipe 12 is connected to the fourth connecting pipe 15 and the second connecting pipe 13 is connected to the third connecting pipe 14, and a second state in which the third connecting pipe 14 is connected to the fourth connecting pipe 15 and the second connecting pipe 13 is connected to the first connecting pipe 12. The switching valve 100 changes the working mode of the entire air conditioning system 200 by switching between the first state and the second state.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the side wall of the valve body 11 is further provided with an air outlet 111. The switching valve 100 further includes a transfer tube 30 and a first capillary tube 21. The transfer tube 30 is connected to the air outlet 111, the first capillary tube 21 is located between the main valve 10 and the pilot valve 20, and one end of the first capillary tube 21 is connected to the end of the pilot valve 20, and the other end of the first capillary tube 21 partially extends into the transfer tube 30 and is connected to the transfer tube 30.

The present application opens an air outlet 111 on the valve body 11, so that the first capillary 21 can be connected to the valve body 11. In this way, compared with the method of directly connecting the first capillary to the fourth connecting pipe in the related art, the length of the first capillary 21 in the present application is shorter and the number of bends is less, thereby reducing the process difficulty and reducing the cost. Moreover, since the first capillary 21 is connected to the valve body 11, when the fourth connecting pipe 15 is tilted and deformed due to a large force such as a collision, the problem of the first capillary and the fourth connecting pipe failing in the related art, resulting in the detachment of the first capillary, can be avoided, thereby reducing the risk of leakage and improving the safety of use.

Furthermore, along the axial direction of the valve body 11 , the maximum distance between the outer side surface of the first connecting pipe 12 and the outer side surface of the third connecting pipe 14 is defined as A, and the shortest distance between the central axis of the second connecting pipe 13 and the central axis of the air outlet 111 is defined as B, satisfying B≤0.5A.

It is understandable that, since the high-pressure fluid flows in the fourth connecting pipe 15, the chamber in the valve body 11 that is connected to the fourth connecting pipe 15 also flows in the high-pressure fluid. Specifically, a slider (not shown) and a piston assembly (not shown) are provided in the valve body 11. The piston assembly is connected to the slider and can drive the slider to slide, so that the switching valve 100 can be switched from the first state to the second state, or from the second state to the first state. During the movement of the piston assembly and the slider, the area in the chamber of the valve body 11 where the high-pressure fluid flows will change accordingly.

At this time, by setting B≤0.5A, it can be ensured that the air outlet 111 can always be connected to the chamber with high-pressure fluid, so that part of the high-pressure fluid can flow into the pilot valve 20 through the first capillary 21 connected to the air outlet 111, so as to meet the working requirements of the pilot valve 20. In other words, the movement of the slider, piston assembly or other parts will not hinder the air outlet 111, so that the working performance of the switching valve 100 can be better met.

The shortest distance between the central axis of the second connecting pipe 13 and the central axis of the air outlet 111 can be reasonably set according to actual needs. For example, the shortest distance between the central axis of the second connecting pipe 13 and the central axis of the air outlet 111 can be set to 0.5A, 0.45A, 0.4A or 0.3A, etc.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the central axis of the air outlet 111 is perpendicular to the plane where the first connecting pipe 12, the second connecting pipe 13 and the third connecting pipe 14 are located. And the air outlet 111 is opened on the side of the valve body 11 close to the pilot valve 20. In this way, the length of the first capillary tube 21 is shorter, which can reduce the material cost. It is also convenient to connect the first capillary tube 21. The first capillary tube 21 can be easily aligned with the mounting hole, thereby achieving quick connection and improving installation efficiency.

1 , the first capillary tube 21 is L-shaped. Thus, the connection between the pilot valve 20 and the valve body 11 of the main valve 10 can be achieved by only one bending, which is simpler to operate and can also reduce the risk of the first capillary tube 21 breaking due to multiple bending.

Usually, the first capillary tube 21 and the valve body 11 are made of different materials. When welding, on the one hand, the welding strength requirement needs to be met. On the other hand, due to the large differences in welding properties of different materials, and in some embodiments, the first capillary tube 21 has some parts that are not resistant to high temperatures, so it is not easy to weld directly. In this case, the connection of the first capillary tube 21 is facilitated by providing the adapter tube 30.

In one embodiment, the material of the transfer tube 30 is the same as that of the first capillary tube 21, and the material of the transfer tube 30 is different from that of the valve body 11. During the assembly of the switching valve 100, the transfer tube 30 can be firstly welded to the valve body 11. The structure of the transfer tube 30 is simple and can better meet the welding requirements. Then, the first capillary tube 21 is inserted into the transfer tube 30 for welding. Since the first capillary tube 21 and the transfer tube 30 are made of the same material, they can be directly welded, thereby reducing the welding difficulty and improving the welding efficiency.

In this application, the first capillary 21 is inserted into the transfer tube 30 for welding, which can not only ensure the connection strength, but also has better working performance. Specifically, since the diameter of the first capillary 21 is small, if the first capillary 21 is directly sleeved on the transfer tube 30, the fluid flow rate is reduced, which will affect the working efficiency of the entire switching valve 100. For this reason, the first capillary 21 is generally required to be expanded, but the difficulty of expanding the first capillary 21 is high, which increases the processing cost. In this application, the transfer tube 30 plays the role of expanding, which can increase the overall flow rate. By inserting the first capillary 21 into the transfer tube 30, it is only necessary to control the size of the transfer tube 30 at this time, so that the overall processing difficulty can be reduced on the basis of meeting the needs of fluid circulation. Moreover, the first capillary 21 is inserted into the transfer tube 30, and the contact area is larger, which can ensure the reliability of the connection.

Furthermore, in one embodiment, the valve body 11 is made of stainless steel, and the adapter tube 30 and the first capillary tube 21 are made of copper. In this way, the valve body 11 made of stainless steel has good strength and corrosion resistance, and the cost is lower. The copper first capillary tube 21 also has good corrosion resistance and good ductility, and is not easy to break when bent. Of course, the valve body 11, the adapter tube 30 and the first capillary tube 21 can also be made of other materials such as aluminum, as long as they can achieve the same effect of facilitating welding.

Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 . The valve body 11 has a valve cavity 112 . A flange 113 extending away from the valve cavity 112 is disposed around the air outlet 111 . The transfer tube 30 partially extends into the flange 113 and is connected to the flange 113 .

Exemplarily, the flange 113 is annular and is arranged around the circumference of the air outlet 111. In the related art, it is difficult to set the flange 113 on the fourth connecting pipe 15 for connection, resulting in a low connection strength between the first capillary tube 21 and the fourth connecting pipe 15. When the fourth connecting pipe 15 is tilted and deformed, the connection failure problem is very likely to occur, and there is a risk of leakage. However, the present application can further increase the contact area between the transfer pipe 30 and the valve body 11 by setting the flange 113, ensure the reliability of the connection, thereby improving the firmness of the connection of the first capillary tube 21 and reducing the risk of leakage.

In one embodiment, the flange 113 and the valve body 11 are integrally formed, so as to have a higher connection strength, further ensuring the stability of the connection of the transfer tube 30. Of course, the flange 113 and the valve body 11 can also be separated, and this is not limited to any more. Certainly.

Please refer to FIG. 5 . The shortest distance between the end surface of the transfer tube 30 close to the valve cavity 112 and the inner wall of the valve body 11 is L, and the height of the flange 113 is H, satisfying 0≤L≤H.

In this way, the transfer tube 30 can be prevented from excessively extending into the flange 113 and thus entering the interior of the valve cavity 112, thereby causing the transfer tube 30 to interfere with other structures in the valve cavity 112 or affecting the normal flow of the fluid in the valve cavity 112, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the switching valve 100.

Furthermore, the valve cavity 112 includes a first cavity 1121, a second cavity 1122, and a third cavity 1123, the first capillary tube 21 is connected to the second cavity 1122, and the fourth connecting pipe 15 is connected to the second cavity 1122. In this way, the high-pressure fluid in the fourth connecting pipe 15 enters the second cavity 1122 and flows into the pilot valve 20 through the first capillary tube 21, thereby realizing the smooth circulation of the high-pressure fluid.

The switching valve 100 further includes a second capillary tube 22 and a third capillary tube 23. The second capillary tube 22 is located between the pilot valve 20 and the valve body 11, and one end of the second capillary tube 22 is connected to the pilot valve 20, and the other end is connected to the first cavity 1121. The third capillary tube 23 is located between the pilot valve 20 and the valve body 11, and one end of the third capillary tube 23 is connected to the pilot valve 20, and the other end is connected to the third cavity 1123.

The switching valve 100 further includes a fourth capillary tube 24 , both ends of which are respectively connected to the pilot valve 20 and the second connecting pipe 13 , and are used to selectively discharge the fluid in the first chamber 1121 or the third chamber 1123 .

In this way, the high-pressure fluid flowing into the pilot valve 20 from the first capillary 21 is controlled and regulated by the pilot valve 20, and can flow into the first chamber 1121 through the second capillary 22, or flow into the third chamber 1123 through the third capillary 23, thereby controlling the pressure change at both ends of the piston assembly in the valve chamber 112, that is, the relatively high-pressure fluid in the second chamber 1122 is selectively conducted to one end of the piston assembly, so that the other end of the piston assembly has a relatively low pressure, and a pressure difference is formed at both ends of the piston assembly to drive the piston to slide in the valve body, thereby realizing the switching of the working mode of the switching valve 100. The switching is simple and easy to operate.

When the pilot valve 20 is connected to the first capillary tube 21 and the second capillary tube 22, the switching valve 100 is in the first state of operation mode, and the high-pressure fluid in the fourth connecting pipe 15 enters the pilot valve 20 through the second cavity 1122, the transfer pipe 30, and the first capillary tube 21 in sequence, and enters the first cavity 1121 through the second capillary tube 22. At this time, the fluid in the third cavity 1123 enters the pilot valve 20 through the third capillary tube 23, and is conducted to the second connecting pipe 13 through the fourth capillary tube 24, and is discharged from the second connecting pipe 13. At this time, the first cavity 1121 is relatively high pressure, and the third cavity 1123 is relatively low pressure. Under the action of pressure, the driving piston assembly slides in the valve body 11, thereby pushing the slider to move. At this time, the position of the slider can make the second connecting pipe 13 communicate with the third connecting pipe 14, and the fourth connecting pipe 15 communicates with the first connecting pipe 12 through the second cavity 1122, and the switching valve 100 is in the first state.

When the pilot valve 20 is connected to the first capillary tube 21 and the third capillary tube 23, the switching valve 100 is in the second state of operation mode, and the high-pressure fluid in the fourth connecting pipe 15 enters the pilot valve 20 through the second cavity 1122, the transfer pipe 30, and the first capillary tube 21 in sequence, and enters the third cavity 1123 through the third capillary tube 23. The fluid in the first cavity 1121 enters the pilot valve 20 through the second capillary tube 22, and is discharged into the second connecting pipe 13 through the fourth capillary tube 24, and is discharged from the second connecting pipe 13. At this time, the first connecting pipe 15 is in the second state of operation mode, and the high-pressure fluid in the fourth connecting pipe 15 enters the pilot valve 20 through the second cavity 1122, the transfer pipe 30, and the first capillary tube 21 in sequence, and enters the third cavity 1123 through the third capillary tube 23. The third chamber 1123 is at a relatively high pressure, and the first chamber 1121 is at a relatively low pressure. Under the action of the pressure, the piston assembly is driven to slide in the valve body 11, thereby pushing the slider to move. At this time, the position of the slider can make the first connecting pipe 12 communicate with the second connecting pipe 13, and the fourth connecting pipe 15 communicate with the third connecting pipe 14 through the second chamber 1122, and the switching valve 100 is in the second state.

Please refer to FIG6 , the present application also provides an air conditioning system 200, including the above-mentioned switching valve 100. The switching valve 100 is connected to the air conditioning pipeline through the first connecting pipe 12, the second connecting pipe 13, the third connecting pipe 14 and the fourth connecting pipe 15, and the switching valve 100 is used to control the connection or isolation of the fluid in the air conditioning pipeline to achieve the functional mode switching of the air conditioning system 200.

The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the scope of patent protection of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims (10)

1. A switching valve, characterized by comprising:

   A main valve, the main valve comprising a valve body, a first connecting pipe, a second connecting pipe and a third connecting pipe, the first connecting pipe, the second connecting pipe and the third connecting pipe being arranged side by side on one side of the valve body and connected to the valve body, and the second connecting pipe being located between the first connecting pipe and the third connecting pipe, and a vent hole being provided on a side wall of the valve body;

   A pilot valve connected to the main valve;

   A transfer tube connected to the air outlet;

   A first capillary tube, wherein the first capillary tube is located between the main valve and the pilot valve, and one end of the first capillary tube is connected to the end of the pilot valve, and the other end of the first capillary tube partially extends into the transfer tube and is connected to the transfer tube;

   Along the axial direction of the valve body, the maximum distance between the outer side surface of the first connecting pipe and the outer side surface of the third connecting pipe is defined as A, and the shortest distance between the central axis of the second connecting pipe and the central axis of the air outlet is defined as B, satisfying B≤0.5A.
2. The switching valve according to claim 1, wherein a central axis of the air outlet is perpendicular to a plane where the first connecting pipe, the second connecting pipe and the third connecting pipe are located.
3. The switching valve according to claim 2, wherein the first capillary tube is L-shaped.
4. The switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the material of the transfer tube is the same as that of the first capillary tube, and the material of the transfer tube is different from that of the valve body.
5. The switching valve according to claim 4, wherein the valve body is made of stainless steel, and the transfer tube and the first capillary are made of copper.
6. The switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve body has a valve cavity, a flange extending in a direction away from the valve cavity is provided on the peripheral side of the air outlet, and the transfer tube portion extends into the flange and is connected to the flange.
7. The switching valve according to claim 6, wherein the shortest distance between the end face of the transfer tube close to the valve cavity and the inner wall of the valve body is L, and the height of the flange is H, satisfying 0≤L≤H.
8. The switching valve according to claim 6, wherein the valve chamber includes a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber, and the switching valve further includes:

   a second capillary tube, the second capillary tube being located between the pilot valve and the valve body, one end of the second capillary tube being connected to the pilot valve, and the other end of the second capillary tube being connected to the first cavity;

   a third capillary tube, the third capillary tube being located between the pilot valve and the valve body, one end of the third capillary tube being connected to the pilot valve, and the other end of the third capillary tube being connected to the third chamber;

   Wherein, the first capillary is communicated with the second cavity.
9. The switching valve according to claim 8, wherein the main valve further comprises:

   A fourth connecting pipe is disposed on two sides of the valve body opposite to the first connecting pipe, the second connecting pipe and the third connecting pipe, and the fourth connecting pipe is connected to the second chamber.
10. An air conditioning system, characterized by comprising the switching valve according to any one of claims 1 to 9.