Patent ID: 6505647
Filing Date: 2003-01-14
Classification: F16K,F25B,Y10T

Abstract:
A four-way selector valve comprising a motor having a stator and a rotor, a case, and a main body including a main valve and a valve seat, the main valve and the valve seat are arranged in a valve chest within the case;the valve seat comprises a suction pressure passage a discharge pressure passage and first and second passage holes, the suction pressure passage is connected to a suction port of a compressor, the discharge pressure passage is connected to a discharge port of the compressor, the first and second passage holes are connected to indoor and outdoor heat exchangers respectively; the main valve comprises a connecting part which leads the suction pressure passage to one of the first and second passage holes and a pressure equalization orifice which links the connecting part and the valve chest; the rotor comprises a rotor sleeve comprising an auxiliary valve in slidable contact with the main valve and an operating pin disposed in the valve chest, the auxiliary valve opens or closes the pressure equalization orifice that opening the auxiliary valve equalizes pressure between the connecting part and the valve chest and closing the auxiliary valve results in a pressure difference between the connecting part and the valve chest, and operating pin moves the position of the main valve; and the rotor rotates to change the four-way selector valve from a first selector valve operating state to a second selector valve operating state, wherein, upon changing from the first selector valve operating state to the second selector valve operating state, the rotor rotates causing both the auxiliary valve and the operating pin to rotate simultaneously in a manner that the auxiliary valve in a closed pressure equalization orifice condition immediately rotates to move away from the pressure equalization orifice to an open pressure equalization orifice condition and the operating pin initially rotates without contacting the main valve and, after the auxiliary valve moves to the open pressure equalization orifice condition, the operating pin continues rotation and subsequently contacts the main valve to move the main valve from a first valve position to a second valve position and, when the main valve is in the second valve position, the rotor rotates in a reverse direction to simultaneously move the auxiliary valve to the closed pressure equalization orifice position and the operating pin out of contact with the main valve resulting in the four-way selector valve to be in the second selector valve operating state.