초록 ▼

A subcool flow control valve useful in a refrigerant system includes an enclosure having a fluid flow pathway for a controlled fluid between an inlet and an outlet. A thermally conductive flexible wall forms a sealed cavity within the enclosure for carrying a controlling fluid. A metering orifice op

A subcool flow control valve useful in a refrigerant system includes an enclosure having a fluid flow pathway for a controlled fluid between an inlet and an outlet. A thermally conductive flexible wall forms a sealed cavity within the enclosure for carrying a controlling fluid. A metering orifice operable between the pathway and the outlet port controls an amount of metered fluid passing through the outlet port in response to movement of the flexible wall toward and away from the metering orifice in response to temperature changes of the controlled fluid transmitting temperature and thus pressure changes to the controlling fluid in the sealed cavity. Inverse thermal feedback means is formed as part of the valve for stabilizing valve operation thus providing means for transmitting a thermal signal from the metered controlled fluid back to the controlling fluid.

대표청구항 ▼

That which is claimed is: 1. A flow control valve comprising:an enclosure having an inlet port and an outlet port for providing a fluid flow of a controlled fluid within a pathway extending therebetween;a sealed cavity formed by only a thermally conductive single flexible wall member and the enclosu

That which is claimed is: 1. A flow control valve comprising:an enclosure having an inlet port and an outlet port for providing a fluid flow of a controlled fluid within a pathway extending therebetween;a sealed cavity formed by only a thermally conductive single flexible wall member and the enclosure, the cavity formed within the enclosure for carrying a controlling fluid therein, wherein one side of the flexible wall member is in contact with the controlling fluid and an opposing side of the flexible wall member is in contact with the controlled fluid during operation of the valve as the controlled fluid flows through the pathway, and wherein pressure within the sealed cavity is responsive to temperature of walls forming the sealed cavity; andan orifice in the pathway positioned immediately proximate the flexible wall member, wherein the wall member makes direct physical contact with an orifice entrance when the orifice is in a fully closed position, and wherein the flexible wall member is away from the orifice entrance when in an open position, thereby forming a metering orifice directly responsive to the position of the flexible wall member relative to the orifice entrance, and wherein a decrease in temperature of the controlled fluid in the pathway results in a decrease in temperature and pressure of the controlling fluid thereby causing the pressure in the sealed cavity to decrease when the controlled fluid becomes cooler, thus causing the flexible wall member to move farther away from the metering orifice and increase a rate of fluid flow therethrough, and further causing the pressure in the sealed cavity to increase when the controlled fluid becomes warmer, thus causing the flexible wall member to move closer to the metering orifice and decrease the rate of fluid flow therethrough, with a result that the rate of the flow of the metered controlled fluid is determined by the temperature of the controlled fluid relative to the pressure of the controlled fluid for controlling a subcooling of the controlled fluid at the inlet port.