Granted Patent B2

US 12,222,172 · App. 18/796,010 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Inventors: Yasumitsu Omi (Kariya, JP); Yoshiyuki Adachi (Kariya, JP); Hefeng Liang (Kariya, JP)

Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION

F28F27/02F16K27/029F16K27/102F16K31/02F16K31/046

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. An expansion valve comprising:

a body that forms a refrigerant flow passage;

a valve element that is configured to adjust an opening degree of the refrigerant flow passage;

a rotor that is configured to drive the valve element;

an electric circuit board that is configured to control rotation of the rotor;

a partition member that is shaped in a cylindrical tubular form and is fixed to the body, wherein the partition member receives the rotor;

a case that is placed at an outside of the partition member and receives the electric circuit board, wherein the case has a cylindrical tubular portion that is coaxial with the partition member;

an O-ring that is placed between the cylindrical tubular portion and the partition member and is configured to limit intrusion of a liquid into an inside of the case;

a bracket that has:

a body-side portion that extends in a direction parallel to an axial direction of the partition member and is securely fastened to the body; and

a case-side portion that extends in a direction different from the axial direction of the partition member and is installed to the case; and

a fastener member that is configured to securely fasten the bracket to the body through the body-side portion, wherein:

the case and the bracket form an enabler structure that is configured to enable movement of the bracket relative to the case in a fastening direction in which the bracket is fastened to the body by the fastener member.

2. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket has a protruding portion that protrudes from the case in a view taken in the axial direction of the partition member.

3. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein:

the enabler structure includes an insertion groove that is formed at the case, where the bracket is inserted into the insertion groove; and

a fit between the bracket and the insertion groove is a clearance fit that enables the movement of the bracket relative to the case in the fastening direction.

4. The expansion valve according to claim 3 , wherein:

the insertion groove is formed at an outer peripheral surface of the case; and

the bracket has a cutout that is shaped to correspond with a shape of the insertion groove.

5. The expansion valve according to claim 4 , wherein the insertion groove and the cutout form a rotation limiter structure that is configured to limit rotation of the bracket relative to the case in a circumferential direction about a central axis of the partition member.

6. The expansion valve according to claim 3 , wherein:

the insertion groove extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the partition member;

the bracket is shaped in a plate form and is bent at a bending location between a portion of the bracket, which is securely fastened to the body, and another portion of the bracket, which is installed to the case; and

a bending angle of the bracket, which is bent at the bending location, is an acute angle.

7. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket has an urging portion that is bent to urge the case toward the body.

8. The expansion valve according to claim 1 , comprising:

a coil that is received in the case and is configured to generate a magnetic field to rotate the rotor; and

a magnetic flux sensor that is configured to sense a change in a magnetic flux generated in response to the rotation of the rotor, wherein:

the coil has a holder that holds the magnetic flux sensor.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (33)