Expansion valve and vibration-proof spring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9909793-B2
Application number	US-201414203460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

An expansion valve includes a vibration-proof spring that develops the sliding resistance by biasing a shaft. The vibration-proof spring includes a base portion constituted by a circular plate having a hole, through which the actuating rod can be inserted, in the central region, a plurality of spring portions, which is installed upright on the base portion and which is so formed as to come in contact with the periphery of the actuating rod, and a plurality of supporting pieces, which extend outward from the base portion and which is formed so that the supporting pieces can be stopped by the body. The supporting piece is structured such that the supporting piece includes a low-rigidity portion whose rigidity is lower than that of the base portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An expansion valve configured for interfacing with an external evaporator, the expansion valve throttles and expands refrigerant introduced from an upstream side of a refrigeration cycle by allowing the refrigerant to pass through a valve section in a body so as to deliver the refrigerant to a downstream side thereof, the expansion valve comprising:
the body having:
a refrigerant passage, which is formed in such a manner as to run through the body, having a lead-in port of the refrigerant at one end thereof and having a lead-out port of the refrigerant at the other end thereof; and
a valve hole provided midway along the refrigerant passage;

a valve element configured to open and close the valve section by moving toward and away from the valve hole;
a drive section configured to generate drive force used to open and close the valve section;
an actuating rod, supported by the body, configured to transmit the drive force of the drive section to the valve element; and
a vibration-proof spring, which is set between the body and the actuating rod, configured to develop a sliding resistance by biasing the actuating rod,
the vibration-proof spring including:
a base portion comprised of a plate having a hole, through which the actuating rod is insertable, in a central region;
a plurality of spring portions, which are installed upright on the base portion and which are so formed as to come in contact with a periphery of the actuating rod; and
a plurality of supporting pieces, which extend outward from the base portion and which is so formed as to be stoppable by the body,

wherein each of the supporting pieces is structured such that the supporting piece includes a low-rigidity portion whose rigidity is lower than that of the base portion,
wherein the low-rigidity portion is a part where a width in a direction perpendicular to a direction of extension of the supporting piece is narrower than a plate width of the base portion lateral to the hole,
wherein the body has a holding hole that holds the vibration-proof spring, and the holding hole is a circular hole formed in a stepped shape having a larger-diameter part and a smaller-diameter part provided in a position deeper than the larger-diameter part,
wherein the larger-diameter part has a diameter greater than or equal to an outer edge diameter between outer edge parts of the supporting pieces,
wherein the smaller-diameter part has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the larger-diameter part, and
wherein the smaller-diameter part has a length smaller than the larger-diameter part in a depth direction of the holding hole;
wherein the sliding resistance in between the plurality of spring portions and the actuating rod is balanced due to a minimum deformation of the base portion when the support pieces are press-fitted into the smaller-diameter part.

2. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein each of the supporting pieces partially has a hole or a cut-out portion.

3. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting piece has a thin part whose thickness is smaller than a plate thickness of the base portion.

4. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration-proof spring is in contact with a periphery of the actuating rod at three or more points.

5. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the expansion valve is configured as a thermostatic expansion valve which delivers the throttled and expanded refrigerant, having passed through the valve section, from the lead-out port and supplies the throttled and expanded refrigerant toward the external evaporator and which controls a valve opening degree of the valve section by sensing a pressure and a temperature of the refrigerant returned from the external evaporator,
the expansion valve including:
a return passage, formed separately from the refrigerant passage in such a manner as to run through the body, the return passage having the refrigerant returned from the external evaporator pass therethrough; and
a power element, provided as the drive section, configured to be enabled upon sensing the temperature and the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the return passage,
wherein the actuating rod is so provided as to penetrate a dividing wall between the refrigerant passage and the return passage, and
wherein the power element varies the valve opening degree of the valve section by transmitting the drive force to the valve element via the actuating rod.

6. The expansion valve according to claim 5 , wherein the holding hole has an opening end in the return passage, and
depth of the holding hole in an axial direction of the actuating rod is longer than or equal to length of the vibration-proof spring in the axial direction of the actuating rod.

Assignees

• Tgk Co Ltd

Inventors

• Satake Ryosuke

Classifications

• F25B2500/13

  Vibrations · CPC title

• F25B2341/0683

  the sensor is disposed in the suction line and influenced by the temperature or the pressure of the suction gas · CPC title

• Y10T137/6579

  Circulating fluid in heat exchange relationship · CPC title

• F16F1/025 Primary

  characterised by having a particular shape (F16F1/04, F16F1/14, F16F1/18, F16F1/32, F16F1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• F25B41/062 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic