JP7744971B2 - Electronic expansion valves and air conditioning equipment - Google Patents

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed on December 28, 2020, bearing application number 202023222957.0 and entitled "ELECTRONIC EXPANSION VALVE AND AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

This application relates to the technical field of valves, and in particular to electronic expansion valves and air conditioning equipment.

An electronic expansion valve is a throttle element that controls the flow rate of refrigerant entering a cooling system according to a preset program. As a new control element, the electronic expansion valve is an important link in the smartification of cooling systems and an important means and guarantee for actually optimizing cooling systems, and is therefore being applied in an increasing number of fields.

An electronic expansion valve includes a screw, a first connecting plate, a second connecting plate, and a rotor. The rotor rotates the screw in conjunction with the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate. However, the connection between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate is typically not robust enough, making it easy for the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate to slide relative to each other.

In light of this, there is a need to provide an electronic expansion valve and air conditioning equipment that resolves the issue of insufficient robustness of the connection between the conventional first and second connecting plates.

This application provides an electronic expansion valve that includes a rotor, a screw, a first connecting plate, and a second connecting plate, where the first connecting plate is fixedly connected to the rotor and the second connecting plate is fixedly connected to the screw. The second connecting plate is a metal member, the first connecting plate is a plastic member, and the first connecting plate is molded over the outside of the second connecting plate. The rotor rotates the screw in conjunction with the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate.

In one embodiment of the present application, the electronic expansion valve further includes a guide sheet made of a plastic member and integrally molded with the first connecting plate. The first connecting plate and the guide sheet have an integrally molded structure. This integrally molded structure ensures structural stability between the first connecting plate and the guide sheet, uniformly dispersing external force when the guide sheet is subjected to it, and preventing breakage of the guide sheet due to stress concentration. Furthermore, because the first connecting plate and the guide sheet have an integrally molded structure, the guide sheet and the first connecting plate do not need to be connected by welding, which reduces the number of welding steps and eliminates any connection gaps between the guide sheet and the first connecting plate. Therefore, it is clear that the connection in which the first connecting plate and the guide sheet are integrally molded is more robust than a connection in which the first connecting plate and the guide sheet are welded, and the guide sheet will not shift from its original position relative to the first connecting plate.

In one embodiment of the present application, the first connecting plate and the guide sheet are injection-molded structures. The injection molding process is suitable for mass production of parts with complex shapes, and has fast production speeds, high production efficiency, and high processing accuracy. Injection-molded structures processed using the injection molding process have the advantages of high accuracy and low manufacturing costs.

In one embodiment of the present application, the first connecting plate has an attachment portion on one side away from the guide sheet, and an attachment groove is drilled in the attachment portion toward the side away from the first connecting plate, and the second connecting plate is attached to the attachment groove. By attaching the second connecting plate to the attachment groove of the first connecting plate, the contact area between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate is relatively large, and at this time, the connection between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate is relatively tight, which is advantageous for the structural stability of the electronic expansion valve.

In one embodiment of the present application, a protrusion is provided on the inner wall of the engagement groove, and a groove corresponding to the protrusion is provided on the outer periphery of the second connecting plate, with the protrusion engaged in the groove so that the second connecting plate is engaged with the first connecting plate. A protrusion is provided on the inner wall of the engagement groove, and a groove corresponding to the protrusion is provided on the outer periphery of the second connecting plate, with the protrusion engaged in the groove. This further increases the contact area between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate, resulting in a tighter connection between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate. Furthermore, the presence of the protrusion and the groove prevents the second connecting plate from rotating relative to the first connecting plate, further improving the structural stability of the electronic expansion valve.

In one embodiment of the present application, there are multiple grooves, which are uniformly distributed around the circumference of the second connecting plate. By providing multiple grooves, the connection between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate can be made more robust, and the uniform distribution of multiple grooves around the circumference of the second connecting plate is advantageous for processing and manufacturing the grooves.

In one embodiment of the present application, the first and second connecting plates are both disk-shaped, with a first through-hole at the center of the second connecting plate and a second through-hole at the center of the first connecting plate, one end of a screw inserted sequentially into the second through-hole and the first through-hole, with a clearance fit between the screw and the first through-hole and a clearance fit between the screw and the second through-hole, and the screw and the second connecting plate connected by welding. With this design, when the rotor rotates the first and second connecting plates in conjunction with each other, the screw is positioned at the center of rotation, preventing eccentricity from occurring during screw rotation and affecting the opening and closing of the electronic expansion valve.

In one embodiment of the present application, the cross-sectional contour of the first connecting plate is non-circular. This design is advantageous in further preventing relative rotation between the first connecting plate and the rotor.

In one embodiment of the present application, the outer cross-sectional contour of the second connecting plate is non-circular. This design is advantageous in further preventing relative rotation between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate.

The present application further provides an air conditioning device including an electronic expansion valve described in any of the above examples.

In the electronic expansion valve and air conditioning equipment provided in this application, the first and second connecting plates can be processed separately, greatly improving the flexibility of processing the first and second connecting plates. Furthermore, the fact that the first connecting plate is molded over the outside of the second connecting plate ensures that the second connecting plate can be securely connected to the first connecting plate, making the structure of the connecting plate assembly more stable. In other words, the electronic expansion valve provided in this application solves the problem of insufficient connection strength between the conventional first and second connecting plates.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic expansion valve according to an embodiment of the present application; 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the connection between a connecting plate assembly and a guide sheet according to an embodiment of the present application; 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the connection between the first connecting plate and the guide sheet in one embodiment of the present application; FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a second connecting plate according to an embodiment of the present application;

Reference sign:
1 valve body, 11 valve chamber, 12 valve port, 2 first connecting pipe, 3 second connecting pipe, 4 rotor, 5 connecting plate assembly, 51 first connecting plate, 511 engaging portion, 512 engaging groove, 513 protrusion, 514 second through hole, 52 second connecting plate, 521 recessed groove, 522 first through hole, 6 screw, 7 nut sleeve, 8 limiting member, 81 guide seat, 82 limiting spring, 83 retaining ring, 9 valve head.

The technical aspects of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of this application. However, it is clear that the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute all of the embodiments. All other embodiments that can be obtained by a person skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without any creative effort fall within the scope of protection of this application.

It should be noted that when an assembly is said to be "attached" to another assembly, it may be directly attached to the other assembly, or there may be intervening assemblies present. When an assembly is said to be "mounted" to another assembly, it may be directly mounted to the other assembly, or there may be intervening assemblies present. When an assembly is said to be "secured" to another assembly, it may be directly secured to the other assembly, or there may be intervening assemblies present.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein are merely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and/or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The electronic expansion valve provided in this application is applied to a refrigeration system to perform throttling or pressure reduction functions. The refrigeration system may be, for example, an automotive air conditioning system, a cold chain system, or an industrial air conditioning system. Of course, in other embodiments, the electronic expansion valve may also be applied to other systems.

Referring to FIG. 1, the electronic expansion valve provided in this application includes a valve body 1, a rotor 4, and a stator assembly (not shown), with a first connecting pipe 2 and a second connecting pipe 3 connected to the valve body 1. In this embodiment, the electronic expansion valve is a two-way valve. When the first connecting pipe 2 is the inlet pipe, the medium enters the electronic expansion valve through the first connecting pipe 2 and then flows out through the second connecting pipe 3. When the second connecting pipe 3 is the inlet pipe, the medium enters the electronic expansion valve through the second connecting pipe 3 and then flows out through the first connecting pipe 2. Of course, in other embodiments, the electronic expansion valve may be a one-way valve, and this application is not limited to this.

The valve disc 1 is provided with a valve chamber 11, a rotor 4 is provided inside the valve chamber 11, and a stator assembly is provided outside the valve chamber 11. When energized, the stator assembly generates a magnetic field, which drives the rotor 4, made of magnetic material, to rotate. The electronic expansion valve further includes a connecting plate assembly 5, a screw 6, and a nut sleeve 7. The screw 6 and rotor 4 are fixedly connected via the connecting plate assembly 5, and rotation of the rotor 4 rotates the screw 6 in conjunction with the rotor 4. The nut sleeve 7 is fixedly provided on the valve disc 1, and a nut-screw engagement is formed between the screw 6 and the nut sleeve 7. Therefore, rotation of the screw 6 relative to the nut sleeve 7 causes the screw 6 to move in the axial direction of the valve disc 1. This achieves a working process in which the stator assembly drives the rotor 4 to move, and then the rotor 4 drives the screw 6 to move.

The electronic expansion valve further includes a limiting member 8 for limiting the rotation angle of the rotor 4. The limiting member 8 includes a guide seat 81, a limiting spring 82, a retaining ring 83, and a stop member (not shown). The limiting spring 82 is fitted to the outside of the nut seat, and the retaining ring 83 is fitted to the limiting spring 82, allowing the retaining ring 83 to perform spiral motion along the limiting spring 82. One end of the guide seat 81 is connected to the connecting plate assembly 5, allowing the rotor 4 to rotate synchronously with the guide seat 81 via the connecting plate assembly 5. During rotation, the guide seat 81 drives the retaining ring 83 to perform spiral motion along the limiting spring 82, thereby controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. The stop members are provided on both ends of the limiting spring 82 and limit the movement of the retaining ring 83 on the limiting spring 82, thereby limiting the maximum opening degree of the electronic expansion valve.

The electronic expansion valve further includes a valve head 9 connected to one end of the screw 6 remote from the connecting plate assembly 5. The extension and contraction movement of the screw 6 in the axial direction of the valve body 1 moves the valve head 9 in conjunction with the movement, and the valve head 9 moves relative to the valve orifice 12 drilled in the valve body 1 as the screw 6 is driven.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, in the electronic expansion valve provided in this application, the connecting plate assembly 5 includes a first connecting plate 51 and a second connecting plate 52. The first connecting plate 51 is fixedly connected to the rotor 4, and the second connecting plate 52 is fixedly connected to the screw 6. The second connecting plate 52 is a metal member, and the first connecting plate 51 is a plastic member, with the first connecting plate 51 overmolded onto the outside of the second connecting plate 52. The rotor 4 rotates the screw 6 in conjunction with the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52.

In this way, the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52 can be processed separately, greatly improving the flexibility of processing the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52. Furthermore, the fact that the first connecting plate 51 is molded over the outside of the second connecting plate 52 also ensures that the second connecting plate 52 can be securely connected to the first connecting plate 51, making the structure of the connecting plate assembly 5 more stable. In other words, the electronic expansion valve provided in this application solves the problem of insufficient strength in the connection between the conventional first connecting plate 51 and second connecting plate 52.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the electronic expansion valve further includes a guide sheet 81 made of a plastic material and integrally molded with the first connecting plate 51. This integrally molded structure ensures structural stability between the first connecting plate 51 and the guide sheet 81. When the guide sheet 81 is subjected to an external force, the external force can be uniformly dispersed, preventing breakage of the guide sheet 81 due to stress concentration. Furthermore, because the first connecting plate 51 and the guide sheet 81 are integrally molded, the guide sheet 81 and the first connecting plate 51 do not need to be connected by welding, which reduces the number of welding steps and eliminates any connection gaps between the guide sheet 81 and the first connecting plate 51. Therefore, it is clear that the connection in which the first connecting plate 51 and the guide sheet 81 are integrally molded is more robust than a connection in which the first connecting plate 51 and the guide sheet 81 are welded, and the guide sheet 81 will not shift from its original position relative to the first connecting plate 51.

Furthermore, the first connecting plate 51 and guide sheet 81 are injection-molded structures. An injection-molded structure is a part processed using a conventional injection molding process, which is a molding method that combines injection molding and die casting. At a certain temperature, a stirring device stirs molten plastic material, and a pressure device is used to inject the plastic material into the internal cavity of a mold. The injection-molded structure is obtained after the plastic material cools and solidifies in the internal cavity of the mold. The injection molding process is suitable for mass production of parts with complex shapes, and offers fast production speeds, high production efficiency, and high processing precision. Injection-molded structures processed using the injection molding process have the advantages of high precision and low manufacturing costs.

Optionally, the first connecting plate 51 is a thermoplastic engineering plastic member, and the guide sheet 81 is a thermoplastic engineering plastic member. Thermoplastic engineering plastics are a type of plastic that has excellent heat resistance, cold resistance, machinability, structural stability, electrical insulation, chemical resistance, and adhesive properties. Therefore, if the first connecting plate 51 and the guide sheet 81 are made of thermoplastic engineering plastic members, the first connecting plate 51 and the guide sheet 81 can be more easily processed and molded, and the connection between the first connecting plate 51 and the guide sheet 81 will be more robust.

2 to 4, in one embodiment, an engagement portion 511 is provided on one side of the first connecting plate 51 away from the guide sheet 81, and an engagement groove 512 is drilled in the engagement portion 511 toward the side away from the first connecting plate 51, and the second connecting plate 52 is engaged in the engagement groove 512. In this manner, the second connecting plate 52 is machined, and then placed in a mold. The first connecting plate 51 is machined by injection molding, and the second connecting plate 52 is engaged in the first connecting plate 51. However, this is not limited to this, and it is also possible to machine the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52 separately, and then engage the second connecting plate 52 in the engagement groove 512 of the first connecting plate 51 by pressing. However, regardless of the method used to process the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52, the second connecting plate 52 is engaged within the engaging groove 512 of the first connecting plate 51, resulting in a relatively large contact area between the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52. At this time, the connection between the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52 is relatively tight, which is advantageous for the structural stability of the electronic expansion valve.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a protrusion 513 is provided on the inner wall of the engagement groove 512, and a groove 521 corresponding to the protrusion 513 is provided on the outer periphery of the second connecting plate 52, with the protrusion 513 engaged in the groove 521 so that the second connecting plate 52 is engaged with the first connecting plate 51. The protrusion 513 is provided on the inner wall of the engagement groove 512, and a groove 521 corresponding to the protrusion 513 is provided on the outer periphery of the second connecting plate 52, with the protrusion 513 engaged in the groove 521. This further increases the contact area between the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52, resulting in a tighter connection between the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52. Furthermore, the presence of the protrusion 513 and the groove 521 prevents the second connecting plate 52 from rotating relative to the first connecting plate 51, further improving the structural stability of the electronic expansion valve.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, there are multiple grooves 521, and the multiple grooves 521 are uniformly distributed around the circumference of the second connecting plate 52. By providing multiple grooves 521, the connection between the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52 can be made more robust, and the uniform distribution of the multiple grooves 521 around the circumference of the second connecting plate 52 is advantageous for processing and manufacturing the grooves 521.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52 are both disk-shaped, with a first through hole 522 formed at the center of the second connecting plate 52 and a second through hole 514 formed at the center of the first connecting plate 51. One end of the screw 6 is inserted sequentially into the second through hole 514 and the first through hole 522, with a clearance fit between the screw 6 and the first through hole 522 and between the screw 6 and the second through hole 514, and the screw 6 is connected to the second connecting plate 52 by welding. With this design, when the rotor 4 rotates the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52 in conjunction with each other, the screw 6 is positioned at the center of rotation, preventing eccentricity from occurring during the screw 6 rotation process and affecting the opening and closing of the electronic expansion valve.

In one embodiment, the cross-sectional contour of the first connecting plate 51 is non-circular. This design is advantageous in further preventing relative rotation between the first connecting plate 51 and the rotor 4.

In one embodiment, the cross-sectional contour of the second connecting plate 52 is non-circular. This design is advantageous in further preventing relative rotation between the first connecting plate 51 and the second connecting plate 52.

The present application further provides an air conditioning device including an electronic expansion valve described in any of the above examples.

The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any manner. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features of the above embodiments have been described. However, as long as there are no contradictions in the combination of these technical features, they should all be considered within the scope of the present specification.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments are used merely to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any appropriate modifications and variations made to the above embodiments within the essential spirit of the present application fall within the scope of the protection claimed by the present application.

Claims (7)

The rotor includes a rotor, a screw, a first connecting plate , a second connecting plate, and a guide sheet integrally formed with the first connecting plate , the first connecting plate being fixedly connected to the rotor, and the second connecting plate being fixedly connected to the screw,
the second connection plate is a metal member, the first connection plate and the guide sheet are plastic members, and the first connection plate is molded to cover the outside of the second connection plate so as to cover at least a part of an upper surface and a bottom surface of the second connection plate;
a locking portion is provided on one side of the first connecting plate away from the guide sheet, and a locking groove is formed in the locking portion toward one side away from the first connecting plate, and the second connecting plate is locked in the locking groove;
the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate are both disk-shaped, a first through hole is provided at the center of the second connecting plate, a second through hole is provided at the center of the first connecting plate, one end of the screw is inserted into the second through hole and the first through hole, one end of the screw is clearance-fitted between the screw and the first through hole and the screw is clearance-fitted between the screw and the second through hole, the screw and the second connecting plate are connected by welding, and the rotor rotates the screw in conjunction with the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting plate and the guide seat are injection molded structures. 2. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion is provided on an inner wall of the engaging groove, and a recess is provided on an outer circumferential side of the second connecting plate corresponding to the protrusion, and the protrusion is engaged in the recess so that the second connecting plate is engaged with the first connecting plate. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 3 , wherein the number of the grooves is plural, and the plural grooves are uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction of the second connecting plate. The electronic expansion valve of claim 1, wherein the outer cross-sectional shape of the first connecting plate is non-circular. The electronic expansion valve of claim 1, wherein the outer cross-sectional shape of the second connecting plate is non-circular. An air conditioning device comprising the electronic expansion valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .