Integrated valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520231-B2
Application number	US-201615743520-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Aug 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A first valve member switches between a first communication state, in which a first inlet passage communicates with a first outlet passage and a second inlet passage is closed, and a second communication state, in which the second inlet passage communicates with the first outlet passage and the first inlet passage is closed. A second valve member switches between an opening state and a throttle state in which a smaller volume of a fluid flows from the third inlet passage to the second outlet passage as compared to the opening state. A valve driving member switches between a first operation state, in which the first valve member sets the first communication state and the second valve member sets the opening state, and a second operation state, in which the first valve member sets the second communication state and the second valve member sets the throttle state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated valve that configures a part of a fluid circulation cycle in which a fluid circulates, the integrated valve comprising:
a body that has a first inlet passage, a second inlet passage, a third inlet passage, a first outlet passage, and a second outlet passage, the first, second, and third inlet passages from which the fluid flows into the body, the first and second outlet passages from which the fluid flows out of the body;
a first valve member that is housed in the body, the first valve member that is configured to switch between a first communication state and a second communication state by moving in an axial direction of an axis, the first communication state in which the first inlet passage communicates with the first outlet passage and the second inlet passage is closed, the second communication state in which the second inlet passage communicates with the first outlet passage and the first inlet passage is closed;
a second valve member that is housed in the body, the second valve member that is configured to switch between an opening state and a throttle state by moving in the axial direction, the opening state in which the fluid flows from the third inlet passage to the second outlet passage, the throttle state in which a smaller volume of the fluid flows from the third inlet passage to the second outlet passage as compared to the opening state; and
a valve driving member that is configured to switch between a first operation state and a second operation state by moving the first valve member and the second valve member in the axial direction, the first operation state in which the first valve member sets the first communication state and the second valve member sets the opening state, the second operation state in which the first valve member sets the second communication state and the second valve member sets the throttle state.

2. The integrated valve according to claim 1 , wherein
the fluid circulation circuit is a heat pump cycle in which a refrigerant serving as the fluid circulates,
the heat pump cycle has:
a compressor that draws the refrigerant, compresses the refrigerant, and discharges a compressed refrigerant;
a radiator that dissipates heat of the compressed refrigerant, which is discharged by the compressor, to air that is blown into an air conditioning target space;
a heat exchanger that performs a heat exchange between the refrigerant and a medium other than the refrigerant;
a gas-liquid separator that separates the refrigerant, which flows from the heat exchanger, into a gas-phase refrigerant and a liquid-phase refrigerant, the gas-liquid separator that has a gas-phase refrigerant outlet and a liquid-phase refrigerant outlet, the gas-phase refrigerant outlet from which the gas-phase refrigerant flows out of the gas-liquid separator, the liquid-phase refrigerant outlet from which the liquid-phase refrigerant flows out of the gas-liquid separator;
an expansion valve that decompresses and expands the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing from the liquid-phase refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator; and
an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant, which flows from the expansion valve, by performing a heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air,

the first inlet passage is connected to the evaporator,
the second inlet passage is connected to the gas-phase refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator,
the third inlet passage is connected to the radiator,
the first outlet passage is connected to the compressor, and
the second outlet passage is connected to the heat exchanger.

3. The integrated valve according to claim 1 , wherein
the body has an insert hole that is a through hole extending in the axial direction between the second inlet passage and the second outlet passage, the insert hole in which a part of the valve driving member is located, and
a pressure of the fluid flowing into the second inlet passage is closer to a pressure of the fluid flowing out of the second outlet passage than a pressure of the fluid flowing into the first inlet passage.

4. The integrated valve according to claim 1 , the integrated valve further comprising:
a first bias member that is housed in the body and biases the first valve member toward one side in the axial direction; and
a second bias member that is housed in the body and biases the second valve member toward the one side in the axial direction, wherein
the valve driving member switches from the second operation state to the first operation state by moving the first valve member and the second valve member toward an other side of the axial direction opposite to the one side in the axial direction.

5. The integrated valve according to claim 4 , wherein
the valve driving member has
a feed screw mechanism that is operated by an actuator to rotate about the axis and
a driving shaft that is connected to the feed screw mechanism, and

the driving shaft is moved in the axial direction in conjunction with a rotation of the feed screw mechanism and thereby applying a repelling force to the first valve member and the second valve member against a bias force from the first bias member and a bias force from the second bias member.

6. The integrated valve according to claim 1 , the integrated valve further comprising:
a first bias member that is housed in the body and biases the first valve member toward one side in the axial direction; and
a second bias member that is housed in the body and biases the second valve member toward the one side in the axial direction, wherein
the valve driving member has
a driving shaft that passes through the first valve member and has an end portion, the end portion that pushes the second valve member and
a pressing portion that moves in the axial direction integrally with the driving shaft, and

the driving shaft
pushes the first valve member toward an other side in the axial direction opposite to the one side in the axial direction through the pressing portion and presses the second valve member by the end portion, thereby operating the valve driving member to switch from the second operation state to the first operation state and
moves in the axial direction while the pressing portion is distanced from the first valve member toward the one side in the axial direction thereby changing a throttle degree of the third inlet passage through which the fluid flows into the body, when the valve driving device sets the second operation state.

7. The integrated valve according to claim 6 , wherein
the body has a valve seat provided with a passage communication hole, the passage communication hole that communicates with one passage of the third inlet passage and the second outlet passage,
the second valve member has a valve penetration passage that passes through the second valve member,
the second valve member is in contact with the valve seat in the throttle state and is distanced from the valve seat in the opening state, and
in the throttle state,
the passage communication hole communicates with an other passage of the third inlet passage and the second outlet passage through the valve penetration passage and
the driving shaft increases a volume of the fluid flowing through the valve penetration passage as moving toward the one side in the axial direction.

8. The integrated valve according to claim 1 , wherein
the body has a valve seat provided with a passage communication hole, the passage communication hole that communicates with one passage of the third inlet passage and the second outlet passage,
the second valve member has a throttle hole that passes through the second valve member,
the passage communication hole communicates with an other passage of the third inlet passage

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Itou Tetsuya
• Kawakubo Masaaki

Classifications

• F25B6/04

  arranged in series · CPC title

• F16K27/0263

  multiple way valves · CPC title

• B60H1/32281

  comprising a single secondary circuit, e.g. at evaporator or condenser side · CPC title

• F25B2500/18

  Optimization, e.g. high integration of refrigeration components · CPC title

• F25B5/04

  arranged in series · CPC title