Patent ID: 8313040

Claim:
A temperature sensing tube for an expansion valve comprising: a tubular member having an inner surface; a heat transfer delay member having opposite end portions having peripheral edge portions and an outer periphery extending between the opposite end portions thereof, and accommodated in the tubular member, gas pressure being output in correspondence to a temperature of said heat transfer delay member; and fixing springs provided between the tubular member and the heat transfer delay member, wherein the fixing springs are configured to support the heat transfer delay member resiliently at the peripheral edge portions of the opposite end portions and between the outer periphery of the heat transfer delay member with respect to the tubular member, wherein said fixing springs each comprises a tabular base portion and a plurality of leg portions extending from a periphery of said base portion, each of said plurality of leg portions having at least first and second bent portions, wherein said tabular base portion supports one of said opposite end portions of the heat transfer delay member, and said leg portions contacts the peripheral edge portions of the opposite end portions between the first and second bent portions and are resiliently engaged with the inner surface of said tubular member and the outer periphery of the heat transfer delay member, and wherein said heat transfer delay member is fixed so as to be spaced from the inner surface of said tubular member over the whole outer periphery of the heat transfer delay member.