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US 6,460,349 B1Granted
Rotary valve unit in a pulse tube refrigerator
AssigneeAisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShin Kawano, Masahumi Nogawa, Shinji Katsuragawa, Tatsuo Inoue
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary valve unit in a pulse tube refrigerator is quiet, and has high durability and improved refrigeration efficiency by restricting the generation of unidirectional flow. A center hole is formed on a sliding plane side as a recessed space in the sliding surfaces between the sliding plane and another sliding plane. Since the second center hole is in communication with a low pressure input port via a communication passage, the leakage between the sliding surfaces of the sliding planes can be introduced to the low pressure input port with low pressure.
Claims21
A rotary valve unit comprising:
- a housing comprising a high pressure input port connectable with an outlet port of a compressor unit,
- a low pressure input port connectable with an inlet port of the compressor unit;
- a first output port connectable with a regenerator;
- a second output port connectable with a pulse tube;
- a middle pressure input port connectable with a reservoir;
- a first rotary valve disposed in the housing, the first rotary valve comprising a first valve seat with a first sliding plane, a first valve element with a second sliding plane opposing and contacting the first sliding plane;
- a second rotary valve disposed in the housing, the second rotary valve comprising a second valve seat with a third sliding plane and a second valve element with a fourth sliding plane opposing and contacting the third sliding plane;
- a motor disposed in the housing, the motor comprising a shaft for synchronously rotating the first valve element and the second valve element;
- and
- a recessed space formed in at least one of sliding surfaces between the third sliding plane and the fourth sliding plane;
- and
- a communication passage communication between the recessed space and the low pressure input port, whereby communication between the high pressure input port and the first output port, and communication between the low pressure input port and the first output port is established and interrupted upon rotation of the second sliding plane relative to the first sliding plane during rotation of the first valve element relative to the first valve seat, and whereby communication between the second output port and the middle pressure input port is established and interrupted when the fourth sliding plane slidingly rotates relative to the third sliding plane upon rotation of the second valve element relative to the second valve seat.
9 more elements
A pulse tube refrigerator comprising:
- a compressor unit;
- a regenerator;
- a pulse tube;
- a reservoir;
- and
- rotary valve unit comprising:
- a housing comprising a high pressure input port connected with an outlet port of the compressor unit;
- a low pressure input port connected with an inlet port of the compressor unit;
- a first output port connected with the regenerator;
- a second output port connected with the pulse tube;
- a middle pressure input port connected with the reservoir;
- a first rotary valve disposed in the housing, the first rotary valve comprising a first valve seat with a first sliding plane, a first valve element with a second sliding plane opposing and contacting the first sliding plane;
- a second rotary valve disposed in the housing, the second rotary valve comprising a second valve seat with a third sliding plane and a second valve element with a fourth sliding plane opposing and contacting the third sliding plane;
- a motor disposed in the housing, the motor comprising a shaft for synchronously rotating the first valve element and the second valve element;
- and
- a recessed space formed in at least one of sliding surfaces between the third sliding plane and the fourth sliding plane;
- and
- a communication passage communication between the recessed space and the low pressure input port, whereby communication between the high pressure input port and the first output port, and communication between the low pressure input port and the first output port is established and interrupted upon rotation of the second sliding plane relative to the first sliding plane during rotation of the first valve element relative to the first valve seat, and whereby communication between the second output port and the middle pressure input port is established and interrupted when the fourth sliding plane slidingly rotates relative to the third sliding plane upon rotation of the second valve element relative to the second valve seat.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.