Patent Publication Number: US-2022228664-A1

Title: Electronic Expansion Valve

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present invention is a national stage application of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2020/090039, which is filed on May 13, 2020, and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201920903057.0, filed on Jun. 14, 2019 and entitled “Electronic Expansion Valve”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a technical field of valves, and in particular, to an electronic expansion valve. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An electronic expansion valve is provided with a rod member for driving a valve head to move and a valve sleeve achieving limiting cooperation between the valve head and the rod member. During production, an end of the rod member needs to be fixedly connected with the valve sleeve. During operation, a circumference direction of the rod member is not easily positioned, which tends to cause poor connection between the rod member and the valve sleeve, thereby affecting a yield of products. 
     SUMMARY 
     Some embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic expansion valve, so as to solve a problem of low yield of electronic expansion valves in the art known to inventors. 
     In order to solve the described problem, some embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic expansion valve, including: a valve body, the valve body having a valve port; a valve head, movably provided in the valve body, the valve head being configured for blocking the valve port; a rod member, the rod member having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, wherein the first end is provided in a cavity of the valve head in a penetrating manner, the second end has a positioning structure, the positioning structure is configured for positioning a circumference of the rod member, the positioning structure is a positioning flat surface, and the positioning flat surface is parallel to an axis of the rod member; a valve sleeve, provided in the cavity of the valve head, wherein the first end of the rod member is fixedly connected with the valve sleeve, and the valve sleeve is in limiting fit with the valve head; and an elastic member, provided in the cavity of the valve head, wherein one end of the elastic member is cooperated with the valve head, and the other end of the elastic member is able to be compressed by the rod member. 
     In some embodiments, a first channel is provided between the rod member and the valve sleeve, and the first channel and the cavity of the valve head together form a balancing channel penetrating through the valve head. 
     In some embodiments, the valve head includes a barrel and a limiting ring provided on an inner wall of the barrel, wherein one end of the elastic member is abutted against one side of the limiting ring, the valve sleeve is in limiting fit with the other side of the limiting ring, a second channel is provided between the limiting ring and the rod member, and the first channel is in communication with the second channel. 
     In some embodiments, the rod member includes a first rod section, a second rod section and a third rod section which are connected in sequence; the second end is located at the third rod section, the first end is located at the first rod section, the first rod section has a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the second rod section, the first rod section is provided in the limiting ring and the valve sleeve in a penetrating manner, the first channel is provided between an inner wall of the valve sleeve and the first rod section, and the second channel is provided between an inner wall of the limiting ring and the first rod section. 
     In some embodiments, the first rod section has a radial cross-section which is of arc-shaped. 
     In some embodiments, a first limiting step is provided on a side wall of the rod member, and an end face of the valve sleeve is abutted against the first limiting step. 
     In some embodiments, a second limiting step is provided on the side wall of the rod member. The electronic expansion valve further includes: a gasket, sleeved on the rod member, wherein the gasket is abutted against the second limiting step, and the other end of the elastic member is abutted against the gasket. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic expansion valve further includes: a guide sleeve, provided in the valve body, the valve head being provided in the guide sleeve in a penetrating manner; and a sealing member, the sealing member being provided between the valve head and the guide sleeve. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic expansion valve further includes: a rotor assembly, the rotor assembly being in drive connection with the rod member. 
     In some embodiments, the rod member has external threads. The electronic expansion valve further includes: a nut assembly, the nut assembly having internal threads, wherein the external threads are fit with the internal threads. 
     By applying the technical solutions of some embodiments of the present embodiment, the positioning structure is provided at the second end of the rod member, so that when the rod member and the valve sleeve are connected, a circumference of the rod member can be positioned by means of the positioning structure, and thus a precise connection between the rod member and the valve sleeve can be achieved at a required position, thereby improving a quality of connection between the rod member and the valve sleeve, and further increasing a yield of electronic expansion valves. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings of the description, constituting a part of some embodiments of the present invention, are used for providing further understanding of some embodiments of the present invention, and the illustrative embodiments of the present invention and illustrations thereof are used for explaining some embodiments of the present invention, rather than constituting inappropriate limitation on some embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a sectional view of an electronic expansion valve provided in some embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the electronic expansion valve in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an assembly view of a rod member in  FIG. 1  with some parts; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a structural schematic view of the rod member in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     The described accompanying drawings include the following reference signs:
           10 . valve body;  20 . valve head;  21 . barrel;  22 . limiting ring;  30 . rod member;  31 . positioning structure;  32 . first rod section;  33 : second rod section;  34 : third rod section;  41 . valve sleeve;  42 . elastic member;  43 . gasket;  51 . first channel;  52 . second channel;  61 . guide sleeve;  62 . sealing member;  70 . rotor assembly;  80 . nut assembly.       

     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments as described are only parts of embodiments rather than all the embodiments of the present invention. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit some embodiments of the present invention and any applications or uses thereof. On the basis of the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without inventive effort shall all belong to the scope of protection of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , some embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic expansion valve, including: a valve body  10 , the valve body  10  having a valve port; a valve head  20 , movably provided in the valve body  10 , the valve head  20  being configured for blocking the valve port; a rod member  30 , the rod member  30  having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, wherein the first end is provided in a cavity of the valve head  20  in a penetrating manner, the second end has a positioning structure  31 , the positioning structure  31  is configured for positioning a circumference of the rod member  30 , the positioning structure  31  is a positioning flat surface, and the positioning flat surface is parallel to an axis of the rod member  30 ; a valve sleeve  41 , provided in the cavity of the valve head  20 , wherein the first end of the rod member  30  is fixedly connected with the valve sleeve  41 , and the valve sleeve  41  is in limiting cooperated with the valve head  20 ; and an elastic member  42 , provided in the cavity of the valve head  20 , wherein one end of the elastic member  42  is fitted with the valve head  20 , and the other end of the elastic member  42  is able to be compressed by the rod member  30 . 
     By applying the technical solution of the present embodiment, the positioning structure  31  is provided at the second end of the rod member  30 , so that when the rod member  30  and the valve sleeve  41  are connected, a circumference of the rod member  30  can be positioned by means of the positioning structure  31 , and thus a precise connection between the rod member  30  and the valve sleeve  41  can be achieved at a required position, thereby improving a quality of connection between the rod member  30  and the valve sleeve  41 , and further increasing a yield of electronic expansion valves. In this embodiment, the first end of the rod member  30  is able to be connected with the valve sleeve  41  by welding. 
     In some embodiments, a first channel  51  is provided between the rod member  30  and the valve sleeve  41 , and the first channel  51  and the cavity of the valve head  20  together form a balancing channel penetrating through the valve head  20 . By means of the balancing channel which is formed by the first channel  51  and the cavity of the valve head  20  and penetrates through the valve head  20 , pressures at two end regions of the valve head  20  can be kept balanced. By providing the balancing channel, the fluid pressures at two end regions of the valve head  20  can be consistent, and in this way, after the valve head  20  blocks the valve port, loose blocking caused by a pressure difference between two sides of the valve head  20  can be avoided. Moreover, this facilitates the opening of the valve port. 
     In some embodiments, the positioning structure  31  is a positioning flat surface, the positioning flat surface is parallel to an axis of the rod member  30 . The positioning structure  31  being set as a positioning flat surface both facilitates machining and facilitates positioning of the rod member  30 . The positioning structure  31  can be machined by cutting a part of material at the second end of the rod member  30 . During production, a tool or a clamp can be used to fit the positioning flat surface, so as to achieve positioning. In some embodiments, a plurality of positioning flat surfaces are provided. 
     In solutions not shown, the positioning structure  31  can also be set as structures such as a spline, a groove and a hole. 
     In some embodiments, the valve head  20  includes a barrel  21  and a limiting ring  22  provided on an inner wall of the barrel  21 ; one end of the elastic member  42  is abutted against one side of the limiting ring  22 , the valve sleeve  41  is in limiting fit with the other side of the limiting ring  22 , a second channel  52  is provided between the limiting ring  22  and the rod member  30 , and the first channel  51  is in communication with the second channel  52 . By providing the limiting ring  22 , the elastic member  42  is abutted against the limiting ring  22 , so that the elastic member  42  applies an elastic force to the valve head  20 . The second channel  52  is provided between the limiting ring  22  and the rod member  30 , and the second channel  52  is in communication with the first channel  51 , thereby maintaining pressures at two end regions of the valve head  20  balanced. The second channel  52  belongs to a part of the cavity of the valve head  20 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the rod member  30  includes a first rod section  32 , a second rod section  33  and a third rod section  34  which are connected in sequence; the second end is located at the third rod section  34 , the first end is located at the first rod section  32 , the cross-sectional area of the first rod section  32  is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the second rod section  33 , the first rod section  32  is provided in the limiting ring  22  and the valve sleeve  41  in a penetrating manner, the first channel  51  is provided between an inner wall of the valve sleeve  41  and the first rod section  32 , and the second channel  52  is provided between an inner wall of the limiting ring  22  and the first rod section  32 . The arrangement above facilitates forming of the first channel  51  and the second channel  52 . The use of this arrangement manner facilitates machining the balanced channel. 
     In particular, in the present embodiment, the first rod section  32  has a radial cross-section which is of arc-shaped. During machining, an integrally formed rod is used as the rod member  30 , and the first rod section  32  is manufactured by axially cutting off a part of one end of the rod member  30 , which facilitates machining and has a low manufacturing cost. 
     In some embodiments, a first limiting step is provided on a side wall of the rod member  30 , and an end face of the valve sleeve  41  is abutted against the first limiting step. By providing the first limiting step, the valve sleeve  41  and the rod member  30  can be axially limited. 
     In some embodiments, a second limiting step is provided on the side wall of the rod member  30 . The electronic expansion valve further includes: a gasket  43 , sleeved on the rod member  30 , wherein the gasket  43  is abutted against the second limiting step, and the other end of the elastic member  42  is abutted against the gasket  43 . The axial direction of the gasket  43  can be limited by the second limiting step. The axial direction of the elastic member  42  can be limited by the gasket  43 , and the wear of the rod member  30  can be reduced. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic expansion valve further includes: a guide sleeve  61 , provided in the valve body  10 , the valve head  20  being provided in the guide sleeve  61  in a penetrating manner; and a sealing member  62 , the sealing member  62  being provided between the valve head  20  and the guide sleeve  61 . 
     The valve head  20  can be guided by means of the guide sleeve  61 . The sealing member  62  can improve the sealing performance and avoid internal leakage. Specifically, an annular groove is provided on an inner wall of the guide sleeve  61 , the annular sealing member  62  is provided in the annular groove, and an outer wall of the valve head  20  can be sealed by means of the annular sealing member  62 , so as to ensure the sealing performance of the electronic expansion valve. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic expansion valve further includes: a rotor assembly  70 , the rotor assembly  70  being in drive connection with the rod member  30 . The rotor assembly  70  can drive the rod member  30  to move. The rotor assembly  70  is welded to the second end of rod member  30 . 
     In some embodiments, the rod member  30  has external threads. The electronic expansion valve further includes: a nut assembly  80 , the nut assembly  80  having internal threads, wherein the external threads are fit the internal threads. By fitting of the rotor assembly  70 , the nut assembly  80  and the rod member  30 , rotation and up-and-down movement of the rod member  30  can be achieved. 
     By applying the technical solutions in some embodiments of the present invention, the positioning structure  31  is provided at the second end of the rod member  30 , so that when the rod member  30  and the valve sleeve  41  are connected, a circumference of the rod member  30  can be positioned by means of the positioning structure  31 , and thus a precise connection between the rod member  30  and the valve sleeve  41  can be achieved at a required position, thereby improving the quality of connection between the rod member  30  and the valve sleeve  41 , and further increasing a yield of electronic expansion valves. Furthermore, by means of the balancing channel which is formed by the first channel  51  and the cavity of the valve head  20  and penetrates through the valve head  20 , the pressures at two end regions of the valve head  20  can be kept balanced. By providing the balancing channel, the fluid pressures at two end regions of the valve head  20  can be consistent, and in this way, after the valve head  20  blocks the valve port, loose blocking caused by a pressure difference between two sides of the valve head  20  can be avoided. Moreover, this facilitates the opening of the valve port. In some embodiments, the first end of the rod member  30  can be connected with the valve sleeve  41  by welding. 
     The content above only relates to preferred embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to limit some embodiments of the present invention. For a person skilled in the art, some embodiments of the present invention can have various modifications and changes. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements and the like made within the spirit and principle of some embodiments of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.