Patent ID: 6889909
Filing Date: 2005-05-10
Classification: F25B

Abstract:
1. An expansion valve to be equipped in an air conditioner to control the flow of a refrigerant, comprising: a piping member having a bore extending along a longitudinal axis and into but not completely through the piping member and having a first refrigerant path portion, a second refrigerant path portion and a third refrigerant path portion extending transversely to the longitudinal axis and in communication with the bore; a cassette unit inserted into the bore of the piping member; the cassette unit comprising a tube member formed integrally with a flange member, the tube member having an interior surface defining a hollow interior of the tube member and at least a first through hole, a second through hole, a third through hole and a fourth through hole; a guide member, an orifice member and a plate member fixed to the interior surface of the tube member; a valve member disposed within a valve chamber defined, in part, by the orifice member; a plate member defining, in part, the valve chamber; a spring disposed between the plate member and the valve member and biasing the valve member toward the orifice member; a shaft member for driving the valve member; a lid member welded onto the flange member; a diaphragm sandwiched between the lid member and the flange member and defining a gas charge chamber; and a stopper for transmitting a displacement of the diaphragm to the shaft member; a ring for fixing to the piping member the lid member of the cassette unit inserted to the piping member; and a first seal member and a second seal member, the first and second seal members being disposed between an outer diameter of the cassette unit and an inner diameter of the piping member, wherein the guide member and the stopper are disposed apart from one another in a facially-opposing relationship to define, at least in part, a first refrigerant flow-through chamber of the tube member being in fluid communication with the first refrigerant path portion via the first and second through holes; the guide member and the orifice member are disposed apart from one another in a facially-opposing relationship to define, at least in part, a second refrigerant flow-through chamber of the tube member being in fluid communication with the second refrigerant path portion via the third through hole; and the orifice member and the plate member are disposed apart from one another in a facially-opposing relationship to define, at least in part, the valve chamber in fluid communication with the third refrigerant path portion via the fourth through hole.