Refrigerant flow amount control valve and refrigerating apparatus therewith

A refrigerating apparatus with a refrigerating cycle comprising:

• a compressor, a condenser, an expansion means and an evaporator, wherein said expansion means has a refrigerant flow amount control valve having an input and output, said valve being adjustable between a reduced flow condition and an open state and including
• adjusting means for reducing the amount of flow of refrigerant in a flow path from the input through said valve in a predetermined reduced range of flow in a single flow path direction thereof, and
• means for establishing a bypass for said adjusting means when said valve is in the open state,
• wherein, when said valve is in the reduced flow condition the refrigerant flows only through said adjusting means and when said valve is in the open state the refrigerant flows through both of said adjusting means and said bypass.

A refrigerating apparatus, comprising:

• a refrigerating cycle that includes a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, an expansion means, and a user-side heat exchanger;
• refrigerant flow control switching means for causing a refrigerant to flow in order through the compressor, the heat-source-side heat exchanger, the expansion means, and the user-side heat exchanger in a cooling operation state and in order through the compressor, the user-side heat exchanger, the expansion means, and the heat-source-side heat exchanger in a heating operation state,
• wherein said refrigerant flow path switching means is adapted for switching a refrigerant flow path so as to have a direction of the refrigerant flow path in the heat-source-side heat exchanger and/or the user-side heat exchanger to be in the same direction, and
• wherein the expansion means includes:
• first and second refrigerant flow amount control valves for adjusting the flow amount of the refrigerant and for allowing the refrigerant to flow with substantially no pressure loss in the same refrigerant flow direction, said first refrigerant flow amount control valve being connected to the refrigerant entrance-side of the user-side heat exchanger in the refrigerating cycle and adapted for adjusting the flow amount of the refrigerant in the cooling operation state and for allowing the refrigerant to flow with substantially no pressure loss in the heating operation state;
• and
• said second refrigerant flow amount control valve being connected to the refrigerant exit side of the user-side heat exchanger in the refrigerating cycle and adapted for adjusting the flow amount of the refrigerant in the heating operation state and for allowing the refrigerant to flow with substantially no pressure loss in the cooling operation state.

A refrigerant flow amount control valve, comprising:

• a first valve seat disposed on an output side in a single flow direction of a refrigerant;
• a second valve seat disposed on an input side of the single flow direction of the refrigerant;
• and
• a valve body for adjusting the amount of flow of the refrigerant of a second refrigerant flow path formed in said second valve seat,
• the second refrigerant flow path being formed at a position that is aligned with a first refrigerant flow path formed in said first valve seat;
• a third refrigerant flow path being formed on the outer periphery of the second valve set as an independent refrigerant flow path, the third refrigerant flow path being formed at a position that is not aligned with the second refrigerant flow path of said second valve seat;
• and
• means for moving said second valve seat with and against the refrigerant flow direction.

A refrigerant amount of flow control valve, comprising:

• a first valve seat disposed on an output side in a single flow direction of a refrigerant;
• a second valve seat tensioned toward said first valve seat so as to close said first refrigerant flow path;
• a second refrigerant flow path formed in said second valve seat with a smaller flow path area than said first refrigerant flow path of said first valve seat, and formed aligned with said first refrigerant flow path;
• a valve body adapted for moving with and against the refrigerant flow direction so as to vary the amount of flow of the refrigerant in the said second refrigerant flow path;
• a third refrigerant flow path formed on the outer periphery of said second second valve seat as an independent refrigerant flow path formed at a position that is not aligned with said second refrigerant flow path of said second valve seat;
• and
• means for causing said second valve seat tensioned toward said first valve seat to be separated from said first valve seat when the valve body moves a predetermined amount in the direction to cause the amount of flow of the refrigerant of said second refrigerant flow path to increase.

A refrigerant flow amount control valve, comprising:

• a valve seat disposed in a refrigerant flow path;
• a first valve body for adjusting the amount of flow of the refrigerant in a first refrigerant flow path of the valve seat;
• a second valve body for adjusting the amount of flow of the refrigerant of a second refrigerant flow path disposed on the outer periphery of said second valve body, said second refrigerant flow path being different from the first refrigerant flow path of said valve seat;
• and
• means for causing said second valve body to move in the direction to cause the amount of flow of the refrigerant that flows in the second refrigerant flow path to increase when said first valve body moves a predetermined amount in the direction to cause the flow amount of the refrigerant in the first refrigerant flow path to increase.

A refrigerating apparatus with a refrigerating cycle having a compressor, a condenser, two expansion means, and an evaporator, wherein said both expansion means each have a refrigerant flow amount control valve having an input and output, each said valve being adjustable between a reduced flow condition and an open state, including:

• adjusting means for reducing the amount of flow of refrigerant in a flow path from the input through said valve in a predetermined reduced range of flow in a single flow path direction thereof;
• and
• means for bypassing said adjusting means when said valve is in the open state,
• wherein when said valve is in a reduced flow condition, the refrigerant flow is controlled only by said adjusting means, and when said valve is in the open state, the refrigerant flow is controlled both by said adjusting means and said bypass, and during air-conditioning operation, one of said expansion means is in the reduced flow condition, and the other of said expansion means is in the open state.

A refrigerating apparatus, comprising:

• a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, a first and second expansion means, and a user-side heat exchanger;
• a refrigerant flow path switching means for causing a refrigerant to flow in a refrigerating cycle that includes in order the compressor, the heat-source-side heat exchanger, the first expansion means and the user-side heat exchanger in a cooling operation state and in order the compressor, the user-side heat exchanger, the second expansion means, and the heat-source-side heat exchanger in a heating operation state,
• said refrigerant flow path switching means adapted for switching a refrigerant flow path so that the direction of the refrigerant flow path in the heat-source-side heat exchanger and/or the user-side heat exchanger is always in the same direction, and
• said first expansion means including a first refrigerant flow amount control valve for adjusting the flow amount of the refrigerant and for allowing the refrigerant to flow with substantially no pressure loss in the same refrigeration flow direction and said second expansion means including a second refrigerant flow amount control valve for adjusting the flow amount of the refrigerant and for allowing the refrigerant to flow with substantially no pressure loss in same refrigeration flow direction,
• said first refrigerant flow amount control valve being connected to the refrigerant entrance side of the user-side heat exchanger in the refrigerating cycle and adjusting the flow amount of the refrigerant in the cooling operation state and allowing the refrigerant to flow with substantially no pressure loss in the heating operation state, and
• said second refrigerant flow amount control valve being connected to the refrigerant exit side of the user-side heat exchanger in the refrigerating cycle and adjusting the flow amount of the refrigerant in the heating operation state and allowing the refrigerant to flow with substantially no pressure loss in the cooling operation state.