BULB FOR A THERMOSTATIC EXPANSION VALVE, SET COMPRISING A BULB AND AT LEAST A PART OF A THERMOSTATIC EXPANSION VALVE CONNECTED TO A CAPILLARY AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING A BULB AND A CAPILLARY OF A THERMOSTATIC EXPANSION VALVE

Abstract

A bulb (5) for a thermostatic expansion valve is provided, said bulb (5) comprising a chamber (7), said chamber (7) being located within a metallic casing of said bulb and being filled with a filling adapted to influence a valve element of said thermostatic expansion valve. Service of a temperature controlled valve connected to a bulb should be facilitated. To this end said bulb (5) comprises a connection geometry (10) adapted to be connected to a capillary member (6) and said casing being provided with a closed opening zone located within said connection geometry (10), said opening zone being adapted to be opened upon mounting a counterpart (15) to said connection geometry (10).

Claims

1. A bulb for a thermostatic expansion valve, said bulb comprising a chamber, said chamber being located within a metallic casing of said bulb and being filled with a filling, adapted to influence a valve element of said thermostatic expansion valve, wherein said bulb comprises a connection geometry adapted to be connected to a capillary member and said casing being provided with a closed opening zone located within said connection geometry, said opening zone being adapted to be opened upon mounting a counterpart to said connection geometry.

2. The bulb according to claim 1, wherein said opening zone comprises an opening closed by a closing member held in said opening, in particular by a press-fit.

3. The bulb according to claim 1, wherein said opening has an area adapted to a size of said closing member allowing said closing member to be pushed into said chamber.

4. The bulb according to claim 1, wherein said opening is positioned centrally with respect to said connection geometry.

5. The bulb according to claim 1, wherein said opening zone is adapted to be perforated by a part of said counterpart.

6. A set comprising a bulb according to claim 1 and at least part of a thermostatic expansion valve connected to a capillary, said capillary having at one end a counterpart to said connection geometry of said bulb.

7. The set according to claim 6, wherein said counterpart comprises a pin at a front face, said pin being adapted to be pushed into said opening zone to produce an opening.

8. The set according to claim 7, wherein said pin has a cross section smaller than said area of said opening.

9. The set according to claim 7, wherein said counterpart comprises a groove in said front face surrounding said pin and a channel connected to said groove.

10. The set according to claim 6, wherein a metallic seal is arranged between said front face and said bulb.

11. The set according to claim 6, wherein a ring seal is located on a circumferential face of said counterpart, said ring seal sealing against said connection geometry.

12. A method for connecting a bulb and a capillary of a thermostatic expansion valve, wherein the following steps: selecting a bulb, said bulb having a chamber, said chamber being located within a metallic casing of said bulb and being filled with a filling adapted to influence a valve element of said thermostatic expansion valve, said bulb comprising a connection geometry, said casing comprising an opening zone within said connection geometry, in a connecting step connecting said connection geometry to a counterpart arranged at an end of said capillary, and producing an opening in said opening zone, in particular by pressing a closing member out of an opening of said opening zone into said chamber or by perforating said opening zone upon moving said counterpart towards said chamber during said connecting step.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said counterpart is connected to said connecting geometry by screwing.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein a sealing is established by inserting said counterpart into said connecting geometry.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein a metallic seal is positioned between a front face of said counterpart and said connecting geometry.

16. The bulb according to claim 2, wherein said opening has an area adapted to a size of said closing member allowing said closing member to be pushed into said chamber.

17. The bulb according to claim 2, wherein said opening is positioned centrally with respect to said connection geometry.

18. The bulb according to claim 3, wherein said opening is positioned centrally with respect to said connection geometry.

19. A set comprising a bulb according to claim 2 and at least part of a thermostatic expansion valve connected to a capillary, said capillary having at one end a counterpart to said connection geometry of said bulb.

20. A set comprising a bulb according to claim 3 and at least part of a thermostatic expansion valve connected to a capillary, said capillary having at one end a counterpart to said connection geometry of said bulb.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing, wherein:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an expansion valve connected to a bulb via a capillary,

[0029] FIG. 2 shows the bulb,

[0030] FIG. 3 is a section III-III according to FIG. 2,

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the capillary and a counterpart connected to the capillary,

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a section V-V according to FIG. 4,

[0033] FIG. 6 shows an assembly of bulb and capillary, and

[0034] FIG. 7 shows a section VII-VII according to FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows an expansion valve 1 as it is used in a refrigerant circuit. Since the inner construction of this expansion valve is of minor interest for the present invention the expansion valve 1 is shown from the outside only.

[0036] The expansion valve 1 has an inlet 2 and an outlet 3. A throttling resistance of the expansion valve 1 can be adjusted with help of driving means 4 which are controlled by the superheat of the vapour coming out of the evaporator of the refrigerant circuit. The superheat is determined by pressure within the valve and by the temperature of the location of a bulb 5. The driving means 4 are connected to the bulb 5 via a capillary 6. This makes it possible to position the bulb 5 remote from the expansion valve 1 in a location the temperature of which is used for controlling the expansion valve 1.

[0037] FIGS. 2 and 3 show the bulb 5. The bulb 5 comprises a chamber 7 which is filled with a heat expandable filling. This heat expandable filling can be pure gas or it can be a two phase filling of liquid and gas. The heat expandable filling increases its pressure when temperature rises and decreases its pressure when temperature is lowered.

[0038] The chamber 7 is located in a metallic casing. In most cases the casing and the bulb 5 are identical. The casing is provided with an opening zone which has an opening 8. A closing member 9 is arranged in the opening 8 and held in the opening 8 by a press-fit. The closing member 9 is in form of a ball or sphere. The opening 8 is of cylindrical form, i.e. it has a constant diameter over its length. The diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the closing member 9 so that the closing member 9 can be pressed into the opening 8 and seals the opening 8 in the absence of other forces. The ball has been given a thin layer of tin to ensure tightness.

[0039] Furthermore, the bulb comprises a connection geometry 10 in form of a hexagon 11 at its circumferential surface to allow a tool to engage the connection geometry. The connection geometry furthermore has an inner thread 12 and a smooth section 13 between the inner thread 12 and the opening 8. The section 13 can have a smaller diameter than the inner thread 12. Therefore, a step 14 is shown between the inner thread 12 and the section 13. The opening 8 is located within the connection geometry 10. The part of the bulb 5 surrounded by the connection geometry 10 is briefly termed “opening zone” since it is adapted to be opened as will be described below.

[0040] In the form shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the bulb 5 is produced in a factory, i.e. the chamber 7 is filled with the heat expandable filling and the opening 8 is closed by the closing member 9.

[0041] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the capillary 6. The capillary 6 has a counterpart 15 at one end. The counterpart 15 has a hexagon 16 to allow a tool to engage the counterpart 15. Furthermore, the counterpart 15 has an outer thread 17 adapted to the inner thread 12 of the connection geometry 10.

[0042] Furthermore, the counterpart 15 has a section 18 with a smaller diameter. A ring seal 19 is located at this section 18. The outer diameter of the section 18 is adapted to the inner diameter of section 13 of the connection geometry so that the ring seal 19 forms a seal between the connection geometry 10 and the counterpart 15 once the section 18 of the counterpart 15 has been inserted into section 13 of the connection geometry 10.

[0043] Furthermore, a pin 20 is provided at a front face 21 of the counterpart 15. This pin 20 has a length corresponding to the length of the opening 8. Furthermore, it has a diameter which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the opening 8.

[0044] A groove 22 in front face 21 surrounds pin 20. This groove 22 is connected to a channel 23 which forms a connection between the groove 22 and the interior of the capillary 6 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.

[0045] FIGS. 6 and 7 show the bulb 5 and the capillary 6 assembled together. The counterpart 15 is screwed into the connection geometry 10. Pin 20 has pushed the closing member 9 into the chamber 7 of the bulb 5. Pin 20 has a length corresponding approximately to a length of opening 8 to make sure that closing member 9 can completely be pushed out of opening 8. Pin 20 is thinner than opening 8 so that a ring shaped connection between chamber 7 and groove 22 remains.

[0046] In an alternative possibility which is not shown the opening zone can be designed in another way without prefabricated opening 8 and closing member 9. In this alternative embodiment the opening zone can be penetrated by pin 20 which can, for example, have a sharpened tip. In order to facilitate the penetration of the opening zone by the pin 20 the opening zone can have a somewhat thinner thickness of the wall of the casing

[0047] A metallic seal 24 is located between the front face 21 of the counterpart 15 and a bottom 25 (FIG. 3) of the connecting geometry 10. This metallic seal, for example a copper ring, prevents escape of the filling to the environment.

[0048] The ring seal 19 is slightly compressed between section 18 of the counterpart and section 13 of the connecting geometry. This ring seal 19 has two functions: a first function is to form a seal during assembly of the capillary 6 to the bulb 5. During assembly pin 20 pushes closing member 9 out of opening 8 into chamber 7. In this case there is a short moment in which opening 8 is open and metallic seal 24 does not seal. However, the ring seal 19 prevents that the filling out of chamber 7 escapes to the environment.

[0049] The second function of ring seal 19 is to prevent that moisture or other environmental disturbances reach the metallic seal 24 after mounting. In this way corrosion of the metallic seal 24 can be prevented.

[0050] The opening 8 is positioned centrally with respect to the connecting geometry 10. The pin 20 is arranged centrally with respect to the counterpart 15. Therefore, pin 20 is centered with respect to opening 8 and is therefore able to push closing member 9 out of opening 8 into chamber 7.

[0051] While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to this disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.