Bulb for a thermostatic expansion valve, set comprising a bulb and at least a part of a thermostatic expansion valve connected to a capillary and method for connecting a bulb and a capillary of a thermostatic expansion valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10551102-B2
Application number	US-201615543268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2015
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A bulb (5) for a thermostatic expansion valve is provided, said bulb (5) comprising a chamber (7), said chamber (7) being located within a metallic casing of said bulb and being filled with a filling adapted to influence a valve element of said thermostatic expansion valve. Service of a temperature controlled valve connected to a bulb should be facilitated. To this end said bulb (5) comprises a connection geometry (10) adapted to be connected to a capillary member (6) and said casing being provided with a closed opening zone located within said connection geometry (10), said opening zone being adapted to be opened upon mounting a counterpart (15) to said connection geometry (10).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bulb for a thermostatic expansion valve, said bulb comprising a chamber, said chamber being located within a metallic casing of said bulb and being filled with a filling, adapted to influence a valve element of said thermostatic expansion valve, wherein said bulb comprises a connection geometry adapted to be connected to a capillary member and said metallic casing being provided with a closed opening zone located within said connection geometry, said closed opening zone being adapted to be opened upon mounting a counterpart to said connection geometry, such that during the connection of said bulb and said capillary member, said closed opening zone is opened to establish a connection between said chamber and said capillary member.

2. The bulb according to claim 1 , wherein said closed opening zone comprises an opening closed by a closing member held in said opening.

3. The bulb according to claim 1 , wherein an opening has an area adapted to a size of a closing member allowing said closing member to be pushed into said chamber.

4. The bulb according to claim 1 , wherein an opening is positioned centrally with respect to said connection geometry.

5. The bulb according to claim 1 , wherein said closed opening zone is adapted to be perforated by a part of said counterpart.

6. A set comprising said bulb according to claim 1 and at least part of the thermostatic expansion valve connected to said capillary member, said capillary member having at one end said counterpart.

7. The set according to claim 6 , wherein said counterpart comprises a pin at a front face, said pin being adapted to be pushed into said closed opening zone to produce an opening.

8. The set according to claim 7 , wherein said pin has a cross section smaller than said area of said opening.

9. The set according to claim 7 , wherein said counterpart comprises a groove in said front face surrounding said pin and a channel connected to said groove.

10. The set according to claim 6 , wherein a metallic seal is arranged between a front face of said counterpart and said bulb.

11. The set according to claim 6 , wherein a ring seal is located on a circumferential face of said counterpart, said ring seal sealing against said connection geometry.

12. The bulb according to claim 2 , wherein said opening has an area adapted to a size of said closing member allowing said closing member to be pushed into said chamber.

13. The bulb according to claim 2 , wherein said opening is positioned centrally with respect to said connection geometry.

14. The bulb according to claim 3 , wherein said opening is positioned centrally with respect to said connection geometry.

15. A set comprising said bulb according to claim 2 and at least part of said thermostatic expansion valve connected to said capillary member, said capillary member having at one end said counterpart.

16. A set comprising said bulb according to claim 3 and at least part of said thermostatic expansion valve connected to said capillary member, said capillary member having at one end said counterpart.

17. The bulb according to claim 2 , wherein said opening is closed by said closing member held in said opening by a press-fit.

18. A method for connecting a bulb and a capillary of a thermostatic expansion valve, wherein the following steps:
selecting said bulb, said bulb having a chamber, said chamber being located within a metallic casing of said bulb and being filled with a filling adapted to influence a valve element of said thermostatic expansion valve, said bulb comprising a connection geometry, said metallic casing comprising a closed opening zone within said connection geometry,
in a connecting step connecting said connection geometry to a counterpart arranged at an end of said capillary, and
opening said closed opening zone during the connection of said bulb and said capillary member to establish a connection between said chamber and said capillary member.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said counterpart is connected to said connecting geometry by screwing.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein a sealing is established by inserting said counterpart into said connecting geometry.

21. The method according to claim 18 , wherein a metallic seal is positioned between a front face of said counterpart and said connecting geometry.

Assignees

• Danfoss As

Inventors

• Rasmussen Jens Erik

Classifications

• F25B2500/05

  Cost reduction · CPC title

• F25B2341/068

  Expansion valves combined with a sensor · CPC title

• F25B2341/063

  Feed forward expansion valves · CPC title

• F25B2700/21

  Temperatures · CPC title

• F25B2341/062

  Capillary expansion valves · CPC title