Claims
- 1. A refrigerant reversing valve assembly comprising:
- (a) a fluid pressure actuatable reversing valve for reversing the direction of refrigerant flow in a refrigeration system;
- (b) a pilot valve unit for controlling actuation of said reversing valve comprising a pilot valve housing in fluid communication with said reversing valve, a pilot valving member in said housing, and pilot valve actuating means comprising a pilot valving member actuating plunger coupled to the pilot valving member, a guide tube surrounding said plunger connected to said pilot valve body and projecting therefrom, and a solenoid surrounding said guide tube for actuating said plunger; and
- (c) supporting means for interconnecting said reversing valve and said pilot valve unit, said supporting means comprising:
- (i) anchoring panel means fixed with respect to said reversing vaIve and attached to said pilot valve unit for securing said reversing valve and said pilot valve unit together with said plunger guide tube projecting away from said anchoring panel means, said anchoring panel means engageable with said solenoid and including a projecting hub extending into said solenoid for supporting said solenoid in position about said guide tube; and
- (ii) retainer panel means detachably connected to the guide tube projecting end region remote from said anchoring panel means, said retainer panel means detachable to enable placement of said solenoid about said guide tube and connected to said guide tube for maintaining said solenoid in position with respect to said guide tube and engaged between said anchoring and retaining panel means, said retainer panel means including a projecting hub extending into said solenoid for supporting said solenoid in position about said guide tube.
- 2. The reversing valve claimed in claim 1 wherein said anchoring and retainer panel means and said hubs are formed from magnetically permeable materials to form solenoid pole pieces and further including coupling panel means defining magnetic flux paths between the pole pieces.
- 3. A refrigerant reversing valve assembly comprising:
- (a) a fluid pressure actuatable reversing valve for reversing the direction of refrigerant flow in a refrigeration system;
- (b) a pilot valve unit for controlling actuation of said reversing valve comprising a pilot valve housing in fluid communication with said reversing valve, a pilot valving member in said housing, and pilot valve actuating means comprising a pilot valving member actuating plunger coupled to the pilot valving member, a guide tube surrounding said plunger connected to said pilot valve body and projecting therefrom, and a solenoid surrounding said guide tube for actuating said plunger; and
- (c) supporting means for interconnecting said reversing valve and said pilot valve unit, said supporting means comprising:
- (i) anchoring panel means fixed with respect to said reversing valve and attached to said pilot valve unit for securing said reversing valve and said pilot valve unit together with said plunger guide tube projecting away from said anchoring panel means, said anchoring panel means engageable with said solenoid;
- (ii) retainer panel means detachably connected to the guide tube projecting end region remote from said anchoring panel means, said retainer panel means detachable to enable placement of said solenoid about said guide tube and connected to said guide tube for maintaining said solenoid in position with respect to said guide tube and engaged between said anchoring and retaining panel means; and
- (iii) coupling panel means engaged between said anchoring panel means and said retainer panel means, said coupling panel means comprising first and second coupling panels formed continuously with said anchoring panel means and extending generally parallel to each other from said anchoring panel means along said guide tube.
- 4. The reversing valve claimed in claim 3 wherein said reversing valve further includes a reversing valve housing and one of said first and second coupling panels extends along and is fixed to said housing.
- 5. A refrigerant reversing valve assembly comprising:
- (a) a fluid pressure actuatable reversing valve for reversing the direction of refrigerant flow in a refrigeration system;
- (b) a pilot valve unit for controlling actuation of said reversing valve comprising a pilot valve housing in fluid communication with said reversing valve, a pilot valving member in said housing, and pilot valve actuating means comprising a pilot valving member actuating plunger coupled to the pilot valving member, a guide tube surrounding said plunger connected to said pilot valve body and projecting therefrom, and a solenoid surrounding said guide tube for actuating said plunger; and
- (c) supporting means for interconnecting said reversing valve and said pilot valve unit, said supporting means comprising:
- (i) anchoring panel means fixed with respect to said reersing valve and attached to said pilot valve unit for securing said reversing valve and said pilot valve unit together with said plunger guide tube projecting away from said anchoring panel means, said anchoring panel means engageable with said solenoid;
- (ii) retainer panel means detachably connected to the guide tube projecting end region remote from said anchoring means detachable to enable placement of said solenoid about said guide tube and connected to said guide tube for maintaining said solenoid in position with respect to said guide tube and engaged between said anchoring and retaining panel means; and
- (iii) coupling panel means engaged between said anchoring panel means and said retainer panel means, said coupling panel means comprising at least one coupling panel formed continuously with said anchoring panel means, said coupling panel extending along and connected to said reversing valve for fixing said anchoring panel means with respect to said reversing valve.
- 6. The reversing valve assembly claimed in claim 5 wherein said reversing valve further comprises a reversing valve housing and said coupling panel is connected to said reversing valve housing by a weld joint.
- 7. A refregerant reversing valve assembly comprising:
- (a) a fluid pressure actuatable refrigerant reversing valve for reversing the direction of refrigerant flow in a refrigeration system;
- (b) a pilot valve unit for controlling actuation of said reversing valve comprising a pilot valving member, and pilot valve actuating means comprising a pilot valving member actuating plunger coupled to the pilot valving member, a guide tube surrounding said plunger and projecting from said pilot valve unit, and a solenoid surrounding said guide tube for actuating said plunger; and
- (c) supporting means for interconnecting said reversing valve and said pilot valve unit, said supporting means comprising:
- (i) an anchoring panel attached to said pilot valve unit with said plunger guide tube projecting away from said anchoring panel;
- (ii) means for attaching said anchoring panel to said reversing valve so that said anchoring panel secures said reversing valve and pilot valve unit together;
- (iii) a retainer panel detachably connected to the guide tube remote from said anchoring panel, said retainer panel maintaining said solenoid in position with respect to said guide tube between said panels; and
- (iv) said retainer panel and said anchoring panel each including a hub element extending within said solenoid, said solenoid supported between said panels upon said hub elements.
- 8. The valve assembly claimed in claim 7 wherein said supporting means comprises coupling panel members extending between said anchoring and retainer panels, said coupling panels extending generally parallel to each other and to said guide tube.
- 9. The valve assembly claimed in claim 8 wherein said anchoring and retainer panels, together with the respective hub elements form pole pieces for said solenoid and said coupling panel members engage and conduct flux between said anchoring and retainer panels.
- 10. A refrigerant reversing valve assembly comprising:
- (a) a fluid pressure actuatable refregerant reversing valve for reversing the direction of refrigerant flow in a refregeration system;
- (b) a pilot valve unit for controlling actuation of said reversing valve comprising a pilot valving member, and pilot valve actuating means comprising a pilot valving member actuating plunger coupled to the pilot valving member, a guide tube surrounding said plunger and projecting from said pilot valve unit, and a solenoid surrounding said guide tube for actuating said plunger; and
- (c) supporting means for interconnecting said reversing valve and said pilot valve unit, said supporting means oomprising:
- (i) an anchoring panel attached to said pilot valve unit with said plunger guide tube projecting away from said anchoring panel;
- (ii) means for attaching said anchoring panel to said reversing valve so that said anohoring panel secures said reversing valve and pilot valve unit together;
- (iii) a retainer panel detachably connected to the guide tube remote from said anchoring paneI, said retainer panel maintaining said solenoid in position with respeot to aaid guide tube between said panels; and
- (iv) at least one coupling panel extending between said retainer panel and said anchoring panel, said coupling panel formed integrally with one of said anchoring and retainer panels and engaging the other of said anchoring and retainer panels to support said retainer panel independently from said guide tube and minimize transmission of bending forces from said retainer panel to said guide tube.
- 11. The refrigerant reversing valve assembly claimed in claim 10 further including a second coupling panell extending between said retainer and anchoring panels, said second coupling panel engaging and supporting siad retainer panel against transmission of bending forces from said retainer panel to said guide tube.
DESCRIPTION
This is a continuation of copending application Ser. No 652,833 filed on Sept. 20 1984 now abandoned.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to refrigerant reversing valve assemblies and more particularly to refrigerant reversing valve assemblies including integral solenoid operated pilot valves for controlling operation of the refrigerant reversing valves.
2. Background Art
Refrigerant flow reversing valves are widely used in refrigeration systems, such as heat pump units, where the flow direction of refrigerant through system heat exchangers is periodically reversed. The refrigerant flow reversing valves have commonly been operated by fluid pressure to reverse the refrigerant flow direction. Typically a fluid pressure controlling pilot valve unit was attached to the refrigerant reversing valve to form a refrigerant reversing valve assembly which was installed as a unit in the refrigeration system.
The pilot valve units included a pilot valve for supplying actuating fluid pressure to the reversing valve and an electric pilot valve actuator. The pilot valves have generally been multi-way, two position valves formed by a pilot valve housing containing a pilot valving member. The pilot valves supplied actuating refrigerant pressure to desired reversing valve housing locations depending on the pilot valve position.
Pilot valve actuators commonly included a solenoid having a plunger-like armature for shifting the pilot valving member and a solenoid coil for moving the plunger or armature. The plunger was mechanically connected to the pilot valving member and projected from the pilot valve housing within a sealed plunger guide tube. The guide tube was hermetically joined to the pilot valve housing and projected away from the valve housing for receiving and supporting the solenoid coil. In most constructions the guide tube had a hermetically closed projecting end region in which a plunger biasing spring was supported.
Pilot valve solenoids were usually constructed from a cylindrical wound coil encapsulated by dielectric plastic material to form a generally cylindrical body having a central cylindrical plunger guide tube receiving bore. The solenoid bore was sized to provide a snug yet slip fitting clearance with the guide tube. The solenoid body was tightly embraced by a generally rectangular metal framework covering both ends of the coil body and extending along diametrically opposed body sides. The framework served primarily to establish a flux path about the solenoid while incidentally providing some physical protection for the coil body. The framework was permanently assembled to the coil body and provided, in some cases, a structure for connection to the plunger guide tube.
The pilot valve housing was rigidly connected to the reversing valve by a bracket. The plunger guide tube projected away from the pilot valve housing and the mounting bracket to receive and support the solenoid coil body. The guide tube constructions carried a threaded stud at one end which projected through a conforming opening in the framework so that by threading a nut onto the guide tube stud the coil body and framework could be secured in place on the guide tube.
Although the prior art refrigerant reversing valve assemblies provided for effective, reliable reversing valve operation there were some drawbacks attendant the designs. Because the plunger guide tube supported the coil body and framework, the guide tube necessarily projected from the pilot valve housing and from the support bracket in cantilever fashion. Accordingly, the guide tube was subject to damage from impacts and more gradually applied bending loads. During the manufacturing process, as a result of handling, and during shipment, the guide tubes were occassionally subjected to forces sufficient to crimp or collapse the guide tubes enough to prevent movement of the pilot valve plunger.
The same disadvantage obtained after the reversing valve assembly was installed in a heat pump unit with the solenoid in place. If the solenoid or its framework was struck with a tool or was otherwise subjected to a load of some sort, the guide tube could experience excessive bending stress and crimped or collapsed thus wedging the plunger in place so that the pilot valve could not be operated. The kind of damage referred to was, for all intents and purposes, fatal to the reversing valve assembly and was more likely to occur after assembly of the solenoid to the pilot valve than prior to the assembly.
Secondly, the construction of the solenoid framework and its assembly to the solenoid body required a substantial number of manufacturing operations, yet did not provide for highly efficient magnetic coupling between the coil and the armature plunger. Furthermore the framework limited the orientation of the solenoid with respect to the reversing valve when the assembly was completed. That is to say, the solenoid coil was encapsulated with the lead wires projecting from the solenoid in a particular direction. Once a solenoid was assembled in its framework that solenoid could only be placed on a guide tube in a single orientation with respect to the reversing valve assembly. Depending on the particular installation, the coil leads could sometimes interfere with adjacent parts and equipment.
The present invention provides a new and improved refrigerant reversing valve assembly wherein the pilot valve unit is connected to the reversing valve housing by a supporting structure which provides a substantially simplified structurally strong interconnection while protecting the pilot valve plunger tube from damage and positively supporting the pilot valve solenoid.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the new supporting structure is provided by an anchoring panel fixed to the pilot valve unit and to the reversing valve with the pilot valve plunger guide tube projecting away from the anchoring panel. A retainer panel is detachably connected to the projecting guide tube end region remote from the anchoring panel for enabling assembly of the solenoid to the guide tube and maintaining the solenoid in place between the panels. Coupling panels rigidly extending between the anchoring and retainer panels protect the guide tube from impacts and bending loads and complete the supporting structure.
The respective anchoring and retainer panels each includes a fixed solenoid supporting hub surrounding the guide tube and extending into the solenoid. The solenoid is thus suspended between the panel hubs rather than being supported by the guide tube itself.
The panel hubs and their associated panels form pole pieces for the solenoid, and, with the coupling panels, serve to direct and conduct flux in a highly efficient manner about the solenoid. The hubs so significantly improve the magnetic coupling between the support structure panels and the solenoid that relatively smaller, lower current solenoids have been found to operate the pilot valve as effectively as the larger, higher current solenoids employed with the prior art pilot valves.
In a reversing valve assembly employing a pilot valve unit mounting structure constructed according to the invention the anchoring panel and the coupling panels are formed from a continuous sheet metal body with one coupling panel welded to the reversing valve housing, the anchoring panel extending transversely away from the coupling panel and the second coupling panel extending from the anchoring panel generally parallel to the first coupling panel so that the armature guide tube extends between and is protected by the coupling panels. The retainer panel is secured to the guide tube in firm engagement with the coupling panels to assure a rigid enclosure for the solenoid and an efficient solenoid flux conducting path.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention made with reference to the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
| Entry |
| Ranco Inc., "Bulletin 1919-1". |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
652833 |
Sep 1984 |
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Patent Grant
4712582
