IP Library Granted Patent US 12,638,088
Granted Patent B2
US 12,638,088 · App. 18/887,015 · Granted May 26, 2026

Circulation valve and air conditioner

Inventors: Peisen Cao (Foshan Guangdong, CN); Xing Liu (Foshan Guangdong, CN); Zhiheng Deng (Foshan Guangdong, CN)
Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
F16K11/0655F16K11/065F16K27/04F16K27/048F16K31/061F16K31/12F16K31/383F25B1/005F25B5/02F25B39/028F25B41/20F25B41/37F25B2313/02741
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,638,088
App. No.
18/887,015
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A circulation valve comprises a flow control assembly and a pressure control assembly, where a containing cavity and a plurality of sub-channels are formed in the flow control assembly, the plurality of sub-channels all communicate with the containing cavity, a slide block is disposed in the containing cavity, the slide block is configured to move in the containing cavity to control the number of the sub-channels communicating with the containing cavity, and the slide block divides the containing cavity into a first containing cavity and a second containing cavity that do not communicate with each other; and the pressure control assembly can control a ratio of a pressure of the first containing cavity to a pressure of the second containing cavity so as to drive the slide block to move in the containing cavity.

Claims (34)

1 . A circulation valve configured to control a flow of a refrigerant, comprising:

a flow control assembly in which a containing cavity and a plurality of sub-channels are formed, wherein the plurality of sub-channels all communicate with the containing cavity, a slide block is disposed in the containing cavity, the slide block is configured to move in the containing cavity to control the number of the sub-channels communicating with the containing cavity, and the slide block divides the containing cavity into a first containing cavity and a second containing cavity that do not communicate with each other; and

a pressure control assembly, configured to control a ratio of a pressure of the first containing cavity to a pressure of the second containing cavity so as to drive the slide block to move in the containing cavity, wherein the pressure control assembly comprises

a flow limiting member including at least a first capillary tube and a second capillary tube arranged in fluid communication with each other;

a main conduit configured to receive the refrigerant; and

a pressure-dividing conduit communicating with the second containing cavity, wherein the flow limiting member and the pressure-dividing conduit are arranged to establish a staged pressure drop between the main conduit and the second containing cavity.

2 . The circulation valve according to claim 1 , wherein the flow control assembly further comprises a second baffle and a connecting rod, which, together with the slide block, define the first containing cavity;

one end of the connecting rod is connected to the second baffle, and the other end is connected to the slide block; and

the second baffle is linked up with the slide block to maintain a constant space size of the first containing cavity.

3 . The circulation valve according to claim 2 , wherein the flow control assembly further comprises a spring having one end abutting against the second baffle and the other end abutting against an inner wall of the containing cavity, and configured to drive the baffle and the slide block to reset.

4 . The circulation valve according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure control assembly comprises:

a circulating conduit communicating with the first containing cavity, wherein:

the flow limiting member is configured to reduce a flow of the pressure-dividing conduit and/or the circulating conduit to control the ratio of the pressure of the first containing cavity to the pressure of the second containing cavity, and

the main conduit is configured such that, one end of the main conduit is for the refrigerant to flow into, and the other end communicates with the circulating conduit and/or the pressure-dividing conduit.

5 . The circulation valve according to claim 1 , wherein the flow limiting member is a capillary tube having one end connected to the main conduit and the other end communicating with the circulating conduit, and configured to reduce the flow of the refrigerant; and/or,

the ratio of the pressure of the first containing cavity to the pressure of the second containing cavity is (0.3-0.75):1.

6 . The circulation valve according to claim 1 , wherein

the pressure-dividing conduit comprises a first pressure-dividing conduit and a second pressure-dividing conduit;

one end of the first pressure-dividing conduit communicates with the main conduit, and the other end communicates with the second containing cavity;

one end of the first capillary tube communicates with the main conduit, and the other end communicates with the second pressure-dividing conduit and the second capillary tube;

the second pressure-dividing conduit communicates with the second containing cavity; and

one end of the second capillary tube communicates with the first capillary tube, and the other end communicates with the circulating conduit.

7 . The circulation valve according to claim 1 , wherein a moving direction of the slide block is a length direction, the number of the sub-channels is N, and Nis greater than 2; and

a length of the slide block is greater than a sum of lengths of N−1 sub-channels.

8 . An air conditioner, comprising a condenser, an evaporator, a compressor and the circulation valve according to claim 1 , wherein

the condenser is configured to convert a gaseous refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant, and one end of the condenser communicates with the compressor, and the other end communicates with the circulation valve;

one end of the evaporator communicates with the circulation valve, and the other end communicates with the compressor; and

the circulation valve is located between the evaporator and the condenser, and configured to control a flow of the liquid refrigerant.

9 . The air conditioner according to claim 8 , wherein the number of the evaporator is consistent with the number of a sub-channel; and

a plurality of sub-channels are respectively connected to a plurality of evaporators in a one-to-one correspondence form.

10 . A circulation valve configured to control a flow of a refrigerant, comprising:

a flow control assembly in which a containing cavity and a plurality of sub-channels are formed, wherein the plurality of sub-channels all communicate with the containing cavity, a slide block is disposed in the containing cavity, the slide block is configured to move in the containing cavity to control the number of the sub-channels communicating with the containing cavity, and the slide block divides the containing cavity into a first containing cavity and a second containing cavity that do not communicate with each other; and

a pressure control assembly, configured to control a ratio of a pressure of the first containing cavity to a pressure of the second containing cavity so as to drive the slide block to move in the containing cavity,

wherein the pressure control assembly further comprises an electromagnetic structure configured to selectively control communication or disconnection of a pressure-dividing conduit relative to the second containing cavity.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 5, 2025
From: CAO, PEISEN; LIU, XING; DENG, ZHIHENG
To: GUANGDONG CARRIER HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 072176/0710 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202311220575.X · Sep 20, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250092955A1 · Mar 20, 2025
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