Expansion valve using shape memory alloy spring and air conditioner system for vehicle using the same
AssigneesHyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
InventorSeong-Bin Jeong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expansion valve using a shape memory alloy spring includes: a valve housing having a first refrigerant flow passage and a second refrigerant flow passage passing through both sides of the valve housing and an opening/closing adjuster receiving space along an opened upper portion of the valve housing; an opening/closing adjuster configured to enter the opening/closing adjuster receiving space and to adjust an opening/closing degree of a valve using a shape memory alloy spring exerting an elastic force at a memory temperature; and a valve cover sealing the opened upper portion of the valve housing.
Claims16
An expansion valve using having a shape memory alloy spring, comprising:
- a valve housing having a first refrigerant flow passage and a second refrigerant flow passage passing through two sides of the valve housing, wherein the valve housing further includes an opening/closing adjuster receiving space along an opened upper portion of the valve housing;
- an opening/closing adjuster including a lift shaft, wherein the opening/closing adjuster is configured to enter through the opening/closing adjuster receiving space and to adjust flow in the second refrigerant flow passage with an elastic force generated by a lower spring and an upper spring which includes the shape memory alloy spring at a memory temperature;
- and
- a valve cover sealing the opened upper portion of the valve housing,
- wherein each of the first and the second refrigerant flow passages has a bilateral symmetrical structure and has a venturi tube shape having an orifice hole,
- wherein the lift shaft is configured to adjust an opening/closing degree of the orifice hole of the second refrigerant flow passage, and
- wherein the lower spring is arranged around a control bar of the opening/closing adjuster.
An air conditioner system for a vehicle comprising:
- a compressor configured to compress and deliver a refrigerant;
- a condenser configured to condense to liquefy the compressed refrigerant delivered from the compressor;
- an expansion valve configured to throttle the refrigerant condensed and liquefied by the condenser;
- and
- an evaporator configured to heat-exchange the refrigerant, which is throttled by the expansion valve, with air blown toward an indoor of a vehicle and to evaporate, so that the air discharged to the indoor of the vehicle is cooled by latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant,
- wherein the expansion valve comprises:
- a valve housing having a first refrigerant flow passage and a second refrigerant flow passage passing through both sides of the valve housing, wherein the valve housing further includes an opening/closing adjuster receiving space along an opened upper portion of the valve housing;
- an opening/closing adjuster including a lift shaft and configured to enter the opening/closing adjuster receiving space and to adjust flow in the second refrigerant flow passage with an elastic force generated by a lower spring and an upper spring which includes the shape memory alloy spring at a memory temperature;
- and
- a valve cover sealing the opened upper portion of the valve housing,
- wherein each of the first and the second refrigerant flow passages has a bilateral symmetrical structure and has a venturi tube shape having an orifice hole,
- wherein the lift shaft is configured to adjust an opening/closing degree of the orifice hole of the second refrigerant flow passage, and
- wherein the lower spring is arranged around a control bar of the opening/closing adjuster.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.