Multi-port valve and thermal management system having multi-port valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12404940-B2
Application number	US-202318538131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2023
Priority date	Jun 15, 2021
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A multi-port valve includes a valve housing and a valve core. The valve housing comprises a cylindrical main body defining an inner cavity to rotatably accommodate the valve core and a plurality of ports in fluid communication with the inner cavity. The valve core defines a plurality of flow channels, each extending through a sidewall of the valve core to form two opposite open ends. The valve housing is provided with a guider passage, and the plurality of flow channels include a first flow channel, a second flow channel and a third flow channel. The multi-port valve is operable to be switched between a plurality of work modes in response to the valve core rotating to different positions relative to the valve housing. The first flow channel is connected in series with the second flow channel via the guider passage in response to a first work mode of the plurality of work modes. The first flow channel is connected in series with the third flow channel via the guider passage in response to a second work mode of the plurality of work modes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-port valve, comprising:
a valve housing comprising a cylindrical main body defining an inner cavity and a plurality of ports in fluid communication with the inner cavity;
a valve core rotatably accommodated in the inner cavity, the valve core defining a plurality of flow channels, each extending through a sidewall of the valve core to form two opposite open ends;
wherein the flow channels are in fluid isolation with each other inside the valve core, the valve housing is provided with a guider passage, and the plurality of flow channels include a first flow channel, a second flow channel and a third flow channel; the multi-port valve is operable to be switched between a plurality of work modes in response to the valve core rotating to different positions relative to the valve housing, the first flow channel is connected in series with the second flow channel via the guider passage but kept in fluid isolation with the third flow channel in response to one of the work modes; the first flow channel is connected in series with the third flow channel via the guider passage but kept in fluid isolation with the second flow channel in response to another one of the work modes wherein at least two of the ports of the plurality of ports are always in communication with the guider passage.

2. The multi-port valve of claim 1 , wherein the guider passage is defined in a protruding portion integrally formed with the main body of the valve housing, two of the flow channels of the valve core are configured to be both aligned and in fluid communication with the guider passage, thereby being connected in series within the valve housing.

3. The multi-port valve of claim 1 , wherein a fluid guider is attached to the main body of the valve housing, the guider passage is defined in the fluid guider, two of the plurality of ports are covered by the fluid guider and in fluid communication with each other through the fluid guider.

4. The multi-port valve of claim 2 , wherein the fluid guider is integrally formed with the main body of the valve housing.

5. The multi-port valve of claim 3 , wherein the fluid guider is independently formed with respect to the main body of the valve housing, and then connected to the main body of the valve housing in a detachable or non-detachable manner.

6. The multi-port valve of claim 4 , wherein the valve housing further includes a plurality of arm portions integrally formed on the circumferential wall of the main body, the ports are respectively defined in the arm portions, the fluid guider is attached to two of the arm portions to cover two of the ports.

7. The multi-port valve of claim 6 , wherein the fluid guider is shaped as a hollow box with an open side, the open side of the fluid guider is aligned and communicates with two of the ports.

8. The multi-port valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve core includes n flow channels, and the valve housing includes 2n ports, and n≥3.

9. The multi-port valve of claim 1 , wherein in different working modes, each of the flow channels is configured to selectively communicate with two different ports.

10. A thermal management system, wherein the thermal management system comprises the multi-port valve of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Johnson Electric Int Ag

Inventors

• Chen Anbang
• Liu Xiaoyu
• Qin Ruifeng

Classifications

• F16K27/065

  with cylindrical plugs · CPC title

• B60H1/00485

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

• F16K11/0853 Primary

  having all the connecting conduits situated in a single plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug · CPC title