Patent ID: 7299646

Claim:
An expansion valve having a solenoid relief valve equipped in an air conditioner for decompressing and expanding a refrigerant and supplying the same to an evaporator, the expansion valve comprising: a valve chamber into which a high-pressure refrigerant from a compressor enters; a first passage through which flows the refrigerant traveling toward the evaporator; a second passage through which flows the refrigerant returning from the evaporator toward the compressor; a valve seat disposed between the valve chamber and the first passage; a valve body having a refrigerant chamber disposed in parallel to the valve seat and communicating the valve chamber and the first passage; a valve means capable of coming into contact with and separating from the valve seat; a power element which is a driving mechanism for the valve means; and a solenoid relief valve disposed between the refrigerant chamber and the first passage, wherein the solenoid relief valve moves between a refrigerant retaining state and a refrigerant discharging state such that, in the refrigerant retaining state, the refrigerant is retained in the refrigerant chamber and the first passage and, in the refrigerant discharging state, the refrigerant is discharged to the atmosphere in an emergency.