Integrated valve device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225125-B2
Application number	US-202016774469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2017
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

An integrated valve includes a body portion, a flow rate adjustment valve body, a flow passage switching valve body, and a shaft member. The body portion has formed therein a plurality of passages. The flow rate adjustment valve body is provided inside the body portion that adjusts a flow rate of fluid. The flow passage switching valve body is provided inside the body portion configured to switch a flow path of the predetermined fluid in the fluid circulation circuit, the flow passage switching valve body being switchable between distinct communication states. The shaft member is provided inside the body portion that interlocks the flow rate adjustment valve body and the flow passage switching valve body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated valve device for a fluid circulation circuit through which a predetermined fluid circulates, comprising:
a body portion having formed therein a first inlet passage and a second inlet passage into which the predetermined fluid flows, and a first outlet passage, a second outlet passage and a third outlet passage through which the predetermined fluid flows out;
a flow rate adjustment valve body provided inside the body portion that adjusts a flow rate of fluid flowing from the first inlet passage to the first outlet passage;
a flow passage switching valve body provided inside the body portion configured to switch a flow path of the predetermined fluid in the fluid circulation circuit, the flow passage switching valve body being switchable between a first communication state that allows communication between the second inlet passage and the second outlet passage while closing the third outlet passage, and a second communication state that allows communication between the second inlet passage and the third outlet passage while closing the second outlet passage;
a shaft member provided inside the body portion that interlocks the flow rate adjustment valve body and the flow passage switching valve body; and
a switching biasing member that biases the flow passage switching valve body in a direction to close the third outlet passage, wherein
the flow passage switching valve body is maintained in the first communication state when the switching biasing member biases the flow passage switching valve body and the shaft member does not bias the flow passage switching valve body,
the flow rate adjustment valve body is configured to adjust the flow rate of the predetermined fluid during the first communication state due to the flow rate adjustment valve body being biased by the shaft member, and
the flow passage switching valve body is set to the second communication state when, going against the biasing force of the switching biasing member, the shaft member biases the flow passage switching valve body in a direction of opening the third outlet passage and closing the second outlet passage.

2. The integrated valve device of claim 1 , wherein
the shaft member includes a pressing portion that presses the flow passage switching valve body against the biasing force of the switching biasing member, and
when a position of the shaft member is within a range for the flow rate adjustment valve body to adjust the flow rate, the pressing portion is separated from the flow passage switching valve body.

3. The integrated valve device of claim 1 , wherein
the body portion includes a partition portion that partitions an inside of the body portion into a space on a first outlet passage side including the first outlet passage and a space on a second outlet passage side including the second outlet passage,
an insertion hole, through which the shaft member is inserted, is formed in the partition portion, and
the integrated valve device further comprises a sealing member that seals a gap between an inner wall surface of the insertion hole of the partition portion and the shaft member while allowing the shaft member to slide.

4. The integrated valve device of claim 1 , wherein
the fluid circulation circuit is a heat pump circuit in which a refrigerant circulates as the predetermined fluid,
the heat pump circuit includes:
a compressor that sucks in, compresses, and discharges the refrigerant,
a radiator that dissipates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor,
a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and a heat medium other than the refrigerant,
an expansion valve that decompresses and expands the refrigerant flowing out of the heat exchanger, and
an evaporator that causes the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve to evaporate,
the first inlet passage is connected to a flow passage into which the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator flows,
the first outlet passage is connected to a flow passage that guides the refrigerant to the heat exchanger,
the second inlet passage is connected to a flow passage into which the refrigerant flowing out of the heat exchanger flows,
the second outlet passage is connected to a flow passage that bypasses the expansion valve and the evaporator and guides the refrigerant to the compressor, and
the third outlet passage is connected to a flow passage that guides the refrigerant, having flowed through the expansion valve and then the evaporator, to the compressor.

5. The integrated valve device of claim 1 , wherein
the flow rate adjustment valve body is configured to be switchable between an open state in which an opening area of a flow rate adjustment passage between the first inlet passage and the first outlet passage is set to a predetermined size, and a throttled state in which the opening area of the flow rate adjustment passage is smaller than in the open state,
the flow rate adjustment valve body is further configured to be capable of adjusting the flow rate of the predetermined fluid during the throttled state by varying an opening area of the flow rate adjustment passage,
the shaft member is configured to move the flow rate adjustment valve body along an axial direction of the shaft member, and
a moving direction of the shaft member for switching the flow rate adjustment valve body from the throttled state to the open state is the same as a moving direction of the shaft member for the flow rate adjustment valve body to increase the flow rate of the predetermined fluid during the throttled state.

6. The integrated valve device of claim 5 , wherein
the flow rate adjustment valve body includes a main valve body and a sub valve body,
the body portion includes a flow valve seat forming portion that forms a main valve body valve seat with which the main valve body comes into contact with and separates from,
the first inlet passage is formed in the body portion on one side in the axial direction of the shaft member relative to the flow valve seat forming portion,
the first outlet passage is formed in the body portion on an other side in the axial direction relative to the flow valve seat forming portion,
the flow valve seat forming portion is formed with a passage communication hole for communicating the first inlet passage with the first outlet passage,
an insertion hole, through which the shaft member is inserted, is formed in the main valve body,
the sub valve body is fixed to the shaft member, and adjusts the opening area of a gap passage formed between an inner wall surface of the insertion hole and the shaft member,
the integrated valve device further comprises a flow rate biasing member that biases the main valve body toward the other side in the axial direction,
the flow rate adjustment passage is set to the open state when the shaft member moves from the other side in the axial direction to the one side in the axial direction and the shaft member biases the main valve body to the one side, whereby the main valve body is separated from the main valve body valve seat such that the first inlet passage and the first outlet passage are in communication with each other through a gap between the main valve body and the main valve body valve seat and through the passage communication hole,
the flow rate adjustment passage is set to the throttled state when the shaft member moves from the one side in the axial direction to the other side in the axial direction and the shaft member does not bias the main valve body while the biasing member biases the main valve body toward the other side, whereby the main valve body abuts the main valve body valve seat such that the gap between the main valve body and the main valve body valve seat is closed such that the

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Ito Tetsuya
• Kawakubo Masaaki
• Kato Daiki
• Sugimura Ryohei
• Kawase Yasuhiro

Classifications

• B60H1/3229 Primary

  characterised by constructional features, e.g. housings, mountings, conversion systems (B60H1/3227, B60H1/3233 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00485 Primary

  Valves for air-conditioning devices, e.g. thermostatic valves · CPC title

• F25B41/20

  Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) · CPC title

• B60H1/32281

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

• F16K11/14

  operated by one actuating member, e.g. a handle (with one plug turning in another F16K11/12) · CPC title