JPH0670476B2 - Four-way valve for refrigeration cycle - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a refrigeration cycle, and more particularly to a four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle used for switching between cooling and heating of a heat pump type air conditioner.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the demand for four-way valves for refrigeration cycles has increased rapidly as heat pumps for air conditioners have progressed.
The demand for cost reduction is increasing.

Hereinafter, an example of a conventional four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 shows a cross section of a conventional four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle. Reference numeral 1 is a cylindrical valve body, 2 is a discharge pipe connected to a substantially central wall surface of the valve body 1, and 3 is connected to a wall surface of the valve body 1 on a side opposite to a connecting portion between the valve body 1 and the discharge pipe 2. It is a suction pipe. 4 and 5 are suction pipes 3 on the wall surface of the valve body 1.
Of the valve body 1 are first and second conduits connected to both sides in the axial direction, and the first conduit 4 is connected to an outdoor heat exchanger (hereinafter, referred to as an outdoor unit) (not shown), and The second conduit 5 is connected to an indoor heat exchanger (hereinafter referred to as an indoor unit) (not shown). The discharge pipe 2, the suction pipe 3, the first conduit 4, and the second conduit 5 are respectively opened in the valve body 1, and the suction pipe 3, the first conduit 4, and the second conduit 5 are arranged in parallel. The open end of is fixed to the valve body 1 with a seat 6 so as to be flush with the valve body 1 in the axial direction.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a slide valve which is inside the valve body 1 and slides the seat 6 surface in the axial direction of the valve body 1, and includes a suction pipe 3 and a first conduit 4
And a U-shaped concave surface 7a for selectively connecting the suction pipe 3 and the second conduit 5 to each other. 8 and 9 are sliding valves 7
Piston bodies connected to each other by connecting plates 10 are provided, and have fine holes 8a and 9a for communicating the space on the sliding valve 7 side and the space on the end side of the valve body 1 with each other. Reference numerals 11 and 12 are lids that seal the end openings of the valve body 1.

Spaces 13 and 14 open in spaces R ₁ and R ₂ between the piston bodies 8 and 9 and the lids 11 and 12, and are selectively switched and communicated with the intake pipe 3 by energizing the electromagnetic pilot valve 15. It is an extraction pipe for leading the gas in R ₁ or the space R ₂ into the suction pipe 3. Further, the piston bodies 8 and 9 are provided with elastic protrusions 8b and 9b capable of closing the communication points between the bleed pipes 13 and 14 and the spaces R ₁ and R ₂ .

The operation of the four-way valve for the refrigeration cycle configured as above will be described.

First, when switching to air conditioning, use the electromagnetic pilot valve
By energizing 15, the space R ₂ and the suction pipe 3 are selectively communicated with each other via the bleeder pipe 14 to reduce the pressure in the space R ₂ and through the minute holes 8a of the piston body 8. The sliding valve 7 which is connected to the piston bodies 8 and 9 by the pressure difference between the two spaces R ₁ and R ₂ is introduced into the space R ₁ by the discharge side pressure in the valve body 1 to make the pressure high. move to the side, an elastic protrusion 9b formed in the piston body 9 closes the communicating portion between the extraction pipe 14 and the space R _2, the space outside the inner and slide valve 7 of the valve body 1 between the piston 8, 9 The discharge pipe 2 and the first conduit 4 are communicated with each other, and the suction pipe 3 and the second conduit 5 are communicated with each other through the space defined by the concave surface 7a of the slide valve 7, and the outdoor unit is used as a condenser. The room is cooled by using the container as an evaporator.

Next, when switching to heating, the electromagnetic pilot valve
By disconnecting electricity to 15
With reducing the space pressure in the space R ₁ through alternatively connects the R ₁ and suction pipe 3, through a small hole 9a of the piston body 9 the discharge-side pressure in the valve body 1 to the space R ₂ By introducing high pressure to the piston body, the pressure difference between the two spaces R ₁ and R ₂ causes a piston body
The sliding valve 7 connected to 8, 9 is moved to the lid 11 side, and the communicating portion between the bleeding pipe 13 and the space R ₁ is closed by the elastic protrusion 8b provided on the piston body 8, and the valve between the piston bodies 8, 9 is closed. The discharge pipe 2 and the second conduit 5 are communicated with each other through a space inside the main body 1 and outside the slide valve 7, and a suction pipe 3 is formed through a space defined by the concave surface 7a of the slide valve 7.
And the first conduit 4 are communicated with each other to heat the room by using the outdoor unit as an evaporator and the indoor unit as a condenser. -Problems to be solved by the invention However, in the conventional four-way valve for the refrigeration cycle, the opening ends of the suction pipe 3, the first conduit 4, and the second conduit 5 are provided in one seat 6 in the axial direction of the valve body 1. The concave surface 7a of the sliding valve 7 that is arranged in parallel and is open in one direction on the seat 6 side has the suction pipe 3 and the first conduit 4,
Alternatively, since the suction pipe 3 and the second conduit 5 are communicated with each other, the internal space of the concave surface 7a of the sliding valve 7 is at a low pressure during the operation of the refrigeration cycle, and the internal surface of the valve body 1 and the outside of the sliding valve 7 are outside. The space formed by the surface of and the piston bodies 8 and 9 becomes high pressure,
As a result, the sliding valve 7 is pushed to the seat 6 side by a strong force due to the pressure difference, the frictional force between the sliding valve 7 and the seat 6 becomes large, and the sliding valve 7 moves, that is, the four-way valve is switched. Power is needed. Therefore, the electromagnetic pilot valve 15
By using the bleed pipes 13 and 14, the spaces R ₁ and R between the piston bodies 8 and 9 connected to the slide valve 7 and the lids 11 and 12 that seal the end opening of the valve body 1 A mechanism for moving the sliding valve 7 connected to the piston bodies 8 and 9 with a pressure difference between the _two , that is, a pilot valve mechanism is required. Therefore, the structure is complicated and there is a risk of gas leakage due to poor connection, and the manufacturing cost is low. It was expensive.

Further, a space for moving the piston bodies 8 and 9 is required between the lids 11 and 12 for sealing the end opening of the valve body 1 and the seat 6, so that the valve body 1 and the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant flow in. The internal space of the valve body 1 that emerges becomes longer in the axial direction of the valve body 1,
At the time of heating, the space inside the valve body 1 where the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows in and out, the space R ₁ and the inside of the extraction pipe 13 are the minute holes 8a of the piston body 8.
Since it is communicated via, the heat loss was large and the heating capacity of the system was reduced.

Furthermore, the switching of the four-way valve is performed by the electromagnetic pilot valve 15
The internal pressure of the discharge pipe 2 and the internal pressure of the suction pipe 3 can be adjusted
Since leading the R _1, R ₂ and performs by moving the slide valve by the pressure difference between the space R _1, R _2, refrigeration pressure differential between the discharge pipe 2 in pressure and the suction pipe 3 in the pressure caused The four-way valve could not be switched unless the cycle was in operation, resulting in an operating loss from the start of the refrigeration cycle operation to the completion of the four-way valve switching.

In view of the above problems, the present invention has a simple configuration that does not require a pilot valve mechanism, and can switch four-way valves regardless of the start / stop of the refrigeration cycle, which can reduce the size of the valve body and reduce heat loss. It is an object of the present invention to provide a four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle that can reduce the above.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, a four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle according to the present invention includes a cylinder forming a valve body, a sheet surface provided on the inner wall of the cylinder and parallel to the axis of the cylinder. A first valve seat having an outlet, and a first and a second valve provided on the inner wall of the cylinder with their seat surfaces facing each other in parallel with the seat surface of the first valve seat and arranged side by side in the axial direction of the cylinder. A second valve seat having an opening, an inlet provided in the cylinder while avoiding the first and second valve seats, and seats of the first and second valve seats through elastic bodies at both ends. A pair of sliding seat rings that are long in the axial direction of the cylinder and are in pressure contact with the surface to seal the inside and outside, and move in the axial direction of the cylinder in the cylinder to be the first and second outlet ports. Or a slender cylindrical slider having an elliptical passage elongated in the axial direction of the cylinder for selectively communicating the second passage, and a drive source for reciprocating the slider in the axial direction of the cylinder. It is equipped.

Action In the four-way valve for the refrigeration cycle of the present invention, the seat surface of the first valve seat provided on the inner wall of the cylinder forming the valve body and having the outlet, and the first arranged in parallel in the axial direction of the cylinder,
While making the seat surface of the second valve seat having the second passage parallel to the seat surface and also parallel to the axis of the cylinder, the inlet is provided in the cylinder avoiding the first and second valve seats, A slider that moves in the cylinder in the axial direction of the cylinder to selectively communicate the outlet port and the first or second through port with the sliders in opposite directions on the first valve seat side and the second valve seat side. When the inside of the slider becomes low and the outside of the slider becomes high due to the operation of the refrigeration cycle, the slider is parallel to the seat surface on the outer peripheral surface perpendicular to the seat surface. Even if a force is applied almost uniformly to the slider, a force that moves the slider in the axial direction of the cylinder or in the direction of the first and second valve seats does not act on the slider. Therefore, the slide seat ring overcomes the frictional force between the slide seat ring and the seat surfaces of the first and second valve seats due to the surface pressure required to seal the space inside the slider and the space outside the slider. Since the slider can be moved in the axial direction of the cylinder with only a small force, the switching of the four-way valve requires a comparatively small force, and even without using the pilot valve mechanism, for example, it can be projected and retracted by the electromagnetic coil and the return spring. The slider can be moved directly by the drive source composed of the plunger.Since the pilot valve mechanism is eliminated, the structure can be simplified, and whether there is a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the slider will cause the slider to move in the axial direction of the cylinder. That is, since it does not affect the switching of the four-way valve, the operation of the refrigeration cycle
It is possible to switch the four-way valve regardless of the stop.

Also, since the equivalent of the conventional piston body is unnecessary,
It is not necessary to provide a space for the piston body to move between the cylinder end portion and the cylinder axial direction side end portions of the first and second valve seats, and the cylinder and the cylinder internal space through which the high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flows in and out are provided. By making the slider short in the axial direction of the cylinder, and by making the slider an oblong shape with an elliptical passage that is long in the axial direction of the cylinder, the flow passage cross-sectional area inside the slider can be made large, while The width of the valve seat can be narrowed, the diameter of the cylinder can be reduced by narrowing the width of the first and second valve seats, and the valve body can be downsized by shortening the length and diameter of the cylinder. The heat loss is reduced by downsizing the valve body, and since the one equivalent to the conventional extraction pipe is not needed, the heat loss corresponding to the heat radiation in the extraction pipe can be further reduced.

Embodiment Hereinafter, a four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle in a non-energized state according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX ′ of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a refrigeration cycle according to the same embodiment. 4 is a sectional view of the refrigeration cycle four-way valve in the same embodiment when energized, and FIG. 5 is YY 'in FIG. It is a line sectional view.

In the figure, 16 is a cylinder that forms the valve body, and a discharge pipe connected to the discharge side of the compressor is provided at the center of the side surface.
The inlet 17a of 17 is open. Reference numeral 18 is a lid fitted and welded to the opening 16a at one end of the cylinder 16. 19, 20 are seat surfaces 19a, 20a parallel to the axis of the cylinder 16 on the inner wall of the cylinder 16.
Of the first and second valve seats 19 and 20 which are fixed parallel to each other and face each other, and the first and second valve seats 19 and 20 are respectively displaced from the inlet 17a in the circumferential direction of the cylinder 16 by approximately 90 °. It is located in. A lead-out port 19b of a suction pipe 21 connected to the suction side of the compressor is opened at approximately the center of the first valve seat 19. The second valve seat 20 has first and second connection pipes 22 and 23 connected to an outdoor coil and an indoor coil that reversibly function as a condenser or an evaporator, respectively. The second through holes 20b, 20c are opened side by side in the axial direction of the cylinder 16, and the second valve seat 20
The portion between the first communication port 20b and the second communication port 20c in is opposed to the outlet 19b.

Reference numeral 24 denotes an oblong slider having an oval passage that is long in the axial direction of the cylinder 16. Openings at both ends of the slider 24 oppose the seat surfaces 19a, 20a of the first and second valve seats 19, 20. Is arranged between the seat surfaces 19a and 20a so that the cylinder 16
The inside is moved in the axial direction of the cylinder 16 to selectively communicate the outlet 19b with the first passage 20b or the second passage 20c.
25 and 26 are slide seat rings housed in outer step portions 24a and 24b formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of both ends of the slider 24 so as to be slidably movable toward the seat surfaces 19a and 20a, respectively. It has an oval shape that is long in the axial direction of 16. 27,2
8 is a seat surface 19a on the outer step portion 24a, 24b of the slider 24,
The slide seat ring 25.26 is formed of a pair of elastic bodies having cutout projections 27a, 28a interposed between a plane parallel to 20a and the slide seat rings 25, 26.
By pressing against the seat surface 19a, 20a side of the second valve seat 19, 20 and press contact, the space inside the slider 24 constituted by the inner peripheral surface of the slider 24 and the seat surface 19a, 20a,
The space outside the slider 24 is sealed. 29 for lid 18
Is a lid for closing the opening at the other end of the cylinder 16 on the side opposite to.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a drive source composed of a solenoid fixedly attached to the center of the lid 29 outside the cylinder 16, and has a fixed iron core 31,
It is composed of an electromagnetic coil 32, a return spring 33, and a plunger 34 connected to the slider 24. The fixed iron core 31, the return spring 33, and the plunger 34 are sequentially arranged in the axial direction of the cylinder 16, and the return spring 33 urges the plunger 34 in a direction away from the fixed iron core 31 between the plunger 34 and the fixed iron core 31. The electromagnetic coil 32 is arranged around the fixed iron core 31, the return spring 33, and the plunger 34. Then, by controlling the energization of the electromagnetic coil 32, the plunger 34 is attracted to the fixed iron core 31 side by magnetic force when energized and the slider 24 slides to the lid 29 side, and when de-energized, the lid 18 side is urged by the return spring 33. Slide to.

The positions of the slide seat rings 25 and 26 provided at the openings at both ends of the slider 24 are the outlets 19b at the first position of the slider 24 shown in FIG. 1 (when the electromagnetic coil 32 is not energized). Is located in the slide seat ring 25,
The first opening 20b is located in the slide seat ring 26,
The second passage 20c is located outside the slide seat ring 26, the slider 24 and the slide seat rings 25, 26 communicate the lead-out port 19b and the first passage 20b, and the electromagnetic coil 32 is energized to cause the plunger to move. At the second position (FIG. 4) where the slider 34 and the slider 24 are sucked, the outlet 19b is located inside the slide seat ring 25, and the first through hole 20b is located outside the slide seat ring 26. The through hole 20c is located inside the slide seat ring 26, and the slider 24 and the slide seat rings 25, 26 are designed so that the outlet 19b and the second through hole 20c communicate with each other.

The operation of the four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.
1 to 3 show a mode when the electromagnetic coil 32 is not energized. The plunger 34 is urged toward the lid 18 by the action of the return spring 33, and the slider 24 slides, so that the slider 24
Comes into contact with the lid 18 and stops. As a result, the slider 24 and the slide seat rings 25, 26 allow the outlet 19b and the first passage 20b to communicate with each other through the space inside the slider 24,
On the other hand, the introduction port 17a and the second communication port 20c communicate with each other through the space inside the cylinder 16 and outside the slider 24. Therefore, the refrigerant gas flows from the compressor → the discharge pipe 17 → the second connection pipe 23 → the indoor coil → the expansion valve → the outdoor coil → the first connection pipe 22 → the suction pipe 21 → the compressor, and becomes a heating cycle circuit. .

Next, when the electromagnetic coil 32 is energized (FIG. 4), the magnetic force of the electromagnetic coil 32 causes the plunger 34 to be attracted to the side of the fixed iron core 31 and abut on the fixed iron core 31 to stop. As a result, the slider
The outlet 24b and the slide seat rings 25, 26 allow the outlet 19b and the second passage 20c to communicate with each other through the space inside the slider 24, while the inlet 17a and the first passage 20b communicate with each other in the cylinder 16
Through the space inside and outside the slider 24. Therefore, the refrigerant gas flows from the compressor → the discharge pipe 17 → the first connecting pipe 22 → the outdoor coil → the expansion valve → the indoor coil → the second connecting pipe 23 → the suction pipe 21 → the compressor to form a cooling cycle circuit. .

As described above, in this embodiment, the cylinder forming the valve body
The seat surface 19a of the first valve seat 19 provided on the inner wall 16 and having the outlet 19b, and the second valve seat 2 having the first and second passages 20b and 20c arranged side by side in the axial direction of the cylinder 16.
The seat surface 20a of 0 is parallel to the axis of the cylinder 16, and the inlet 17a is provided in the cylinder 16 while avoiding the first and second valve seats 19 and 20.
A slider 24, which moves in the axial direction of the cylinder 16 to selectively communicate the outlet 19b and the first passage 20b or the second passage 20c, with the first valve seat 19 side and the second. Since the valve seat 20 has a tubular shape that is open in two directions opposite to each other, when the inside of the slider 24 becomes low pressure and the outside of the slider 24 becomes high pressure due to the operation of the refrigeration cycle, the slider 24 is seated. Simply by applying force almost uniformly to the outer peripheral surface perpendicular to the surfaces 19a, 20a in parallel to the seat surfaces 19a, 20a,
A force that moves the slider 24 in the axial direction of the cylinder 16 or in the direction toward the first and second valve seats 19 and 20 does not act on the slider 24. Therefore, slide seat ring 2
5, 26 are slide seat rings 25, 26 and the seat surfaces 19a of the first and second valve seats 19, 20 due to the surface pressure required to seal the space inside the slider 24 and the space outside the slider 24. Since the slider 24 can be moved in the axial direction of the cylinder 16 with a slight force that overcomes the frictional force with the 20a, the switching of the four-way valve can be performed with a relatively small force and even without using the pilot valve mechanism. Electromagnetic coil 32 and return spring
The slider 24 can be moved directly by the drive source equipped with the plunger 34 that projects and retracts by 33, and the configuration can be simplified by eliminating the pilot valve mechanism.
The presence or absence of a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of 24 does not affect the movement of the slider 24 in the axial direction of the cylinder 16, that is, the switching of the four-way valve, so that the four-way valve can be switched regardless of the operation / stop of the refrigeration cycle. .

Also, since the equivalent of the conventional piston body is unnecessary,
There is no need to provide a space for the piston body to move between the end of the cylinder 16 and the ends of the first and second valve seats 19 and 20 in the cylinder axial direction. The inner space of the cylinder 16 can be shortened in the axial direction of the cylinder 16, and the slider 24 and the slide seat rings 25, 26 are formed into an elongated cylindrical shape having an elongated oval passage in the axial direction of the cylinder 16 to form the slider 24. The width of the first and second valve seats 19 and 20 can be reduced while increasing the internal flow passage cross-sectional area, and the width of the first and second valve seats 19 and 20 can be reduced. The diameter of the cylinder 16 can be made smaller, and the length and diameter of the cylinder 16 can be shortened to reduce the size of the valve body, which reduces heat loss due to the size reduction of the valve body and eliminates the need for a conventional bleed pipe. , The heat loss due to the heat dissipation in the extraction tube is reduced. The heat loss can be reduced to.

The height difference of the system is also increased by the action of the elastic bodies 27, 28 made of leaf springs having the protrusions 27a, 28a for urging the slide seat rings 25, 26 directly toward the first and second valve seats 19, 20. Even if the pressure is small, high sealing performance can be obtained, and the valve leakage amount of the refrigerant gas can be made extremely small.

Further, since the flow passage cross-sectional area inside the slider 24 is large and the change in the flow direction of the refrigerant gas flowing from the first passage 20b or the second passage 20c to the outlet 19b is small, the first passage 20b is formed.
Alternatively, the pressure loss of the refrigerant gas flowing from the second passage 20c to the outlet 19b can be reduced.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle of the present invention is a first valve having a cylinder forming a valve body, a seat surface provided on the inner wall of the cylinder and parallel to the axis of the cylinder, and an outlet. A second valve having a seat and a first and a second passage provided on the inner wall of the cylinder such that the seat surface faces the seat surface of the first valve seat in parallel and is arranged in parallel in the axial direction of the cylinder. The seat, the introduction port provided in the cylinder avoiding the first and second valve seats, and the inner and outer sides are pressed against the seat surfaces of the first and second valve seats through elastic bodies at both ends. Having a pair of oval-shaped slide seat rings that are long in the axial direction of the cylinder to be sealed, and moving in the cylinder in the axial direction of the cylinder to select the outlet port and the first or second through port. In communication with Since the slider is provided with an oblong cylindrical slider having an oval passage that is long in the axial direction of the cylinder, and a drive source that reciprocates the slider in the axial direction of the cylinder, the slide seat ring is installed inside the slider. Cylinder the slider with a slight force that overcomes the frictional force between the slide seat ring and the seat surfaces of the first and second valve seats due to the surface pressure required to seal the space and the space outside the slider. Since it can move in the axial direction of, the switching of the four-way valve requires a relatively small force, and even without using the pilot valve mechanism, for example, a drive source composed of a plunger that projects and retracts by an electromagnetic coil and a return spring can be used directly. The slider can be moved.

By eliminating the pilot valve mechanism, the structure can be simplified, and the presence or absence of a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the slider does not affect the movement of the slider in the axial direction of the cylinder, that is, the switching of the four-way valve.・ The four-way valve can be switched regardless of stop.

Also, since the equivalent of the conventional piston body is unnecessary,
It is not necessary to provide a space for the piston body to move between the cylinder end portion and the axial side end portions of the first and second valve seat cylinders, and the cylinder and the cylinder inner space where the high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flows in and out are provided. By making the slider short in the axial direction of the cylinder, and by making the slider an oblong shape with an elliptical passage that is long in the axial direction of the cylinder, the flow passage cross-sectional area inside the slider can be made large, while The width of the valve seat can be narrowed, the diameter of the cylinder can be reduced by narrowing the width of the first and second valve seats, and the valve body can be downsized by shortening the length and diameter of the cylinder. The heat loss is reduced by downsizing the valve body, and since the one equivalent to the conventional extraction pipe is not needed, the heat loss corresponding to the heat radiation in the extraction pipe can be further reduced.

In addition, since the flow passage cross-sectional area inside the slider is large and the change in the flow direction of the refrigerant gas flowing from the first opening or the second opening to the outlet is small, the first opening or the second opening The pressure loss of the refrigerant gas flowing from the outlet to the outlet can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a non-energized state of a four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an X- line in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X ', FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an essential part showing a valve switching mechanism when the four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle of the same embodiment is not energized, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line YY ′ of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a conventional four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle. 16 …… Cylinder, 17a …… Inlet, 19 …… First valve seat, 19a …… Seat surface, 19b …… Outlet, 20 …… Second valve seat, 20a …… Seat surface, 20b …… 1st opening, 20c ...... 2nd opening, 24 ... slider, 25,26 ... slide seat ring, 27,28 ... elastic body, 30 ... driving source.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first valve seat having a cylinder forming a valve body, a seat surface provided on an inner wall of the cylinder and parallel to an axis of the cylinder, and a lead-out port, and the seat surface having the first valve seat. A second valve seat provided on the inner wall of the cylinder so as to face the seat surface in parallel and arranged side by side in the axial direction of the cylinder;
An inlet provided in the cylinder avoiding the first and second valve seats, and an inner and outer seal by press-contacting the seat surfaces of the first and second valve seats through elastic bodies at both ends. It has a pair of oval-shaped slide seat rings that are long in the axial direction of the cylinder, and moves in the cylinder in the axial direction of the cylinder to selectively communicate the outlet port and the first or second through port. A four-way valve for a refrigeration cycle, comprising: an oblong slider having an oval passage that is long in the axial direction of the cylinder, and a drive source that reciprocates the slider in the axial direction of the cylinder.