Expansion valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11940191-B2
Application number	US-202117541231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2021
Priority date	Dec 3, 2020
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

An expansion valve includes a housing, a threaded bush, a valve body, and a permanent magnet body. The threaded bush is arranged in the housing and extends along an axial direction. The threaded bush includes an external thread. The valve body is partially adjustably received in the threaded bush along the axial direction. The permanent magnet body is of a pot-shaped design and arranged in the housing. The permanent magnet body extends the threaded bush along the axial direction such that the valve body is partially received in a valve body receptacle surrounded by the permanent magnet body. The permanent magnet body surrounds a radially outside of the threaded bush in a common transition portion. In the transition portion, the permanent magnet body is firmly connected to the threaded bush via a latching connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An expansion valve for an air-conditioning system, a battery cooler, and/or an oil cooler of a motor vehicle, the expansion valve comprising:
a housing delimiting a housing interior;
a threaded bush arranged in the housing interior and extending along an axial direction, the threaded bush including an external thread;
a valve body partially adjustably received in the threaded bush along the axial direction;
a permanent magnet body of a pot-shaped design;
the permanent magnet body arranged in the housing interior;
the permanent magnet body extending the threaded bush along the axial direction such that the valve body is partially received in a valve body receptacle surrounded by the permanent magnet body;
the permanent magnet body surrounding a radially outside of the threaded bush in a common transition portion; and
wherein, in the common transition portion, the permanent magnet body is connected to the threaded bush via a latching connection.

2. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the latching connection includes at least one latching hook disposed on the threaded bush, the at least one latching hook lying against the permanent magnet body and exerting a preload force against the permanent magnet body.

3. The expansion valve according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one latching hook is at least partially received in an indentation of the permanent magnet body forming a positive connection of the threaded bush with the permanent magnet body.

4. The expansion valve according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of:
the at least one latching hook is arranged on an axial longitudinal side of the threaded bush that axially faces the permanent magnet body; and
the at least one latching hook extends along the axial direction.

5. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein, at least via the latching connection in the common transition portion, a positive-locking connection between the threaded bush and the permanent magnet body is formed.

6. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnet body, in the common transition portion, is further connected to the threaded bush via a frictional connection.

7. The expansion valve according to claim 6 , wherein the latching connection is configured to provide the frictional connection between the threaded bush and the permanent magnet body.

8. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein, in the transition region, a knurling is disposed on the threaded bush.

9. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , further comprising (i) a valve seat connected to the housing and (ii) a bush guide, wherein:
the threaded bush is structured as a hollow shaft with an axially extending through-opening in which the valve body is received;
the valve seat surrounds a valve opening in which the threaded bush with the valve body is adjustably received;
the bush guide is disposed on the valve seat and includes an internal thread complementarily to the external thread of the threaded bush; and
the internal thread interacts with the external thread such that a rotary movement of the threaded bush along a rotary direction perpendicularly to the axial direction causes an adjustment of the valve body along the axial direction relative to at least one of the valve seat and the bush guide.

10. The expansion valve according to claim 9 , wherein the valve body includes:
a valve needle for fluid-tight closing of the through-opening; and
a spring-elastic element for axially preloading the valve needle.

11. The expansion valve according to claim 10 , wherein the valve body includes (i) a first support element via which the valve body is supported on the permanent magnet body and (ii) a second support element via which the valve body is supported on the threaded bush.

12. The expansion valve according to claim 11 , wherein the spring-elastic element is arranged axially between the first support element and the second support element.

13. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnet body is composed of at least one of a magnetic material and a magnetisable material.

14. The expansion valve according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one latching hook is configured as a spring-elastic latching hook.

15. The expansion valve according to claim 11 , wherein the valve body is supported on a pot bottom of the permanent magnet body via the first support element.

16. The expansion valve according to claim 11 , wherein the first support element, the second support element, the spring-elastic element, and the valve needle are integrally provided as a single piece.

17. An expansion valve for an air-conditioning system, a battery cooler, and/or an oil cooler of a motor vehicle, the expansion valve comprising:
a housing delimiting a housing interior;
a threaded bush arranged in the housing interior and extending along an axial direction, the threaded bush including an external thread;
a valve body partially adjustably received in the threaded bush along the axial direction;
a pot-shaped permanent magnet body arranged in the housing interior, the permanent magnet body defining a valve body receptacle in which the valve body is at least partially received;
the threaded bush arranged at least partially in the valve body receptacle such that the permanent magnet body surrounds a portion of the threaded bush on a radially outside in a transition portion;
the threaded bush protrudes from the permanent magnet body in the axial direction; and
wherein, in the common transition portion, the permanent magnet body is connected to the threaded bush via a latching connection.

18. The expansion valve according to claim 17 , wherein the valve body includes:
a first support element via which the valve body is supported on the permanent magnet body; and
a second support element via which the valve body is supported on the threaded bush.

19. The expansion valve according to claim 18 , wherein:
the threaded bush includes an axially extending through-opening; and
the valve body further includes:
a valve needle extending through and projecting out of the through-opening in the axial direction; and
a spring-elastic element connecting the first support element and the second support element.

20. An expansion valve for an air-conditioning system, a battery cooler, and/or an oil cooler of a motor vehicle, the expansion valve comprising:
a housing delimiting a housing interior;
a threaded bush arranged in the housing interior and extending along an axial direction, the threaded bush including an external thread;
a valve body partially adjustably received in the threaded bush along the axial direction;
a pot-shaped permanent magnet body arranged in the housing interior, the permanent magnet body defining a valve body receptacle in which the valve body is at least partially received;
the threaded bush arranged at least partially in the valve body receptacle and protruding from the permanent magnet body in the axial direction;
the permanent magnet body including at least one indentation disposed in a circumferential surface of the permanent magnet body that at least partially defines the valve body receptacle; and
the threaded bush including a plurality of spring-elastic latching hooks engaged with the at least one indentation such that the threaded bush is connected to the permanent magnet body via a latching connection.

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Van Delden Jeffrey
• Lindenberg Matthias
• Wetzel Florian

Classifications

• F25B41/35 Primary

  by rotary motors, e.g. by stepping motors · CPC title

• F16K31/04

  using a motor · CPC title

• F16K31/08 Primary

  using a permanent magnet · CPC title

• F16K31/50

  with screw-spindle {or internally threaded actuating means} · CPC title

• F25B41/345

  by solenoids · CPC title