Multi-way valve and refrigerating machine with multi-way valve
AssigneeBSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
InventorsHans-Frieder Eberhardt, Rolf Kordon, Michael Neumann, Udo Wenning
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-way valve, particularly for a refrigerant circuit, includes a housing having a number of inlets and outlets and a chamber with a number of seats respectively associated with an inlet or outlet. The multi-way valve also includes a closing element that can move between the seats and at least one actuator, which is provided in the form of an element made of a shape-memory alloy and capable of being displaced from one of the seats when the closing element is heated. The direction of displacement is transversal to the normal direction of the seat.
Claims34
A multi-way valve, comprising:
- a housing having an inlet, a plurality of outlets and valve seats associated with a respective one of said outlets, said housing defining a chamber fluidically connected to said valve seats;
- a closing member movable between said valve seats, the valve directing fluid flow from the inlet to one of the plurality of outlets when the closing member is in a first condition and from the inlet to another of the plurality of outlets when the closing member is in a second condition;
- and
- at least one actuator of a form memory alloy that, under heating, displaces said closing member from one of said valve seats to another of said valve seats in a displacement direction transverse to a normal direction of at least one of said valve seats.
In a refrigerating machine having a refrigerant circuit with a plurality of evaporators, a switching device comprising:
- a multi-way valve disposed in the refrigerant circuit and fluidically connected to at least one of said evaporators, said multi-way valve having:
- a housing having an inlet, a plurality of outlets and valve seats associated with a respective one of said outlets, said housing defining a chamber fluidically connected to said valve seats, said inlet and outlets fluidically connected to said refrigerant circuit;
- a closing member movable between said valve seats, the valve directing fluid flow from the inlet to one of the plurality of outlets when the closing member is in a first condition and from the inlet to another of the plurality of outlets when the closing member is in a second condition;
- and
- at least one actuator of a form memory alloy that, under heating, displaces said closing member from one of said valve seats to another of said valve seats in a displacement direction transverse to a normal direction of at least one of said valve seats.
A multi-way valve, comprising:
- a housing forming a chamber and including an inlet, a first outlet having a first valve seat, and a second outlet having a second valve seat;
- a slide being movably supported within the chamber and defining a receptacle;
- a spherical closing member retained within the receptacle and being movable in response to movement of the slide between a first condition, in which the closing member engages the first valve seat to restrict fluid flow to the first outlet, and a second condition, in which the closing member engages the second valve seat to restrict fluid flow to the second outlet, the valve directing fluid flow from the inlet to the second outlet when the closing member is in the first condition and from the inlet to the first outlet when the closing member is in the second condition;
- and
- at least one actuator including a form memory alloy coupled between the housing and the slide and moving the closing member between the first and second conditions in response to selective heating of the form memory alloy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.