CN221121023U - Multi-way valve and thermal management system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a multi-way valve and a thermal management system having the same. The multi-way valve includes a first valve cover, a second valve cover, and a valve disc assembly. The first valve cover is provided with a plurality of inflow openings. The second valve cover is provided with a plurality of outflow openings and defines a valve cavity together with the first valve cover. The valve disc assembly is arranged in the valve cavity and can be rotatably switched between a plurality of positions so as to change the communication relation between the plurality of inflow openings and the plurality of outflow openings. At least two of the plurality of inflow ports are in fluid communication with one of the plurality of outflow ports when the valve disc assembly is in at least one of the plurality of positions. In a thermal management system provided with such a multi-way valve, fluid media having different temperatures flowing in from two inflow openings will be mixed and flow out from one outflow opening, which achieves the objective of regulating the temperature of the fluid media without increasing or only with a minor increase in the cost and complexity of the thermal management system.

Description

Multi-way valve and thermal management system

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of multi-way valves, and in particular, to a multi-way valve and a thermal management system having the same suitable for an automobile.

Background

The thermal management system is an important component of an automobile, particularly a new energy automobile, and realizes heat exchange through a fluid medium, and finally each functional area is in a target temperature range, so that the performance of the automobile in various aspects such as economy, comfort, safety and the like is improved.

In some situations, it may be desirable to regulate the temperature of the fluid medium, such as to raise or lower the temperature of the fluid medium. For the purpose of temperature regulation, it is often necessary to add additional temperature regulating devices to the thermal management system, or to add additional temperature regulating mechanisms to some device in the system, which increases the cost and complexity of the system.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure provides a multi-way valve and a thermal management system having the same, which aims to at least improve the problem that the cost and complexity of the thermal management system are increased for achieving the purpose of adjusting the temperature of the fluid medium.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a multi-way valve suitable for use in a thermal management system. The multi-way valve includes a first valve cover, a second valve cover, and a valve disc assembly. The first valve cover is provided with a plurality of inflow openings. The second valve cover is provided with a plurality of outflow openings and defines a valve cavity together with the first valve cover. The valve disc assembly is arranged in the valve cavity and can be rotatably switched between a plurality of positions so as to change the communication relation between the plurality of inflow openings and the plurality of outflow openings. At least two of the plurality of inflow ports are in fluid communication with one of the plurality of outflow ports when the valve disc assembly is in at least one of the plurality of positions.

In a thermal management system provided with such a multi-way valve, fluid media having different temperatures, which flow in from two inflow ports, will be mixed and flow out from the same outflow port by the function of "multiple-in single-out" of the multi-way valve. By mixing fluid media of different temperatures, the purpose of regulating the temperature of the fluid medium is achieved such that the fluid medium flowing out of the outflow opening has the desired temperature. This implementation does not require the addition of a thermostat in the thermal management system nor the addition of a thermostat in the multi-way valve. Thus, such an implementation facilitates the cost and complexity of the thermal management system without or with little increase in achieving the purpose of fluidic medium temperature regulation.

In one possible embodiment, the second valve cover is provided with a plurality of flow passages including two flow passages each in fluid communication with the outflow opening. The two flow inlets are in fluid communication with the two flow passages, respectively, when the valve disc assembly is in the at least one position.

According to the implementation mode, the purpose of multiple inlet and single outlet can be achieved by only arranging the outflow port communicated with the two flow passages on the second valve cover, and fluids with different temperatures from the two inflow ports are mixed at the same outflow port, so that the purpose of temperature regulation is achieved. The implementation mode does not require adding complex structures to the multi-way valve and does not require greatly changing the structures of the multi-way valve, so that the multi-way valve adopting the implementation mode has the advantages of simple structure, easiness in implementation and the like.

Furthermore, in such an implementation, the position where the mixing flow occurs is at the outflow port and the outflow port is at a position near the downstream end of the flow path from the two inflow ports to the outflow port, which will allow fluid from the two inflow ports to flow out through two different outflow ports, respectively, when the valve disc assembly is in other than the at least one position, thereby helping to expand the operational mode of the multi-way valve.

In one possible embodiment, the second valve cover is provided with a plurality of partition walls dividing the plurality of flow passages. A partition wall separating the two flow channels extends through the outflow opening such that the two flow channels are in fluid communication with the outflow opening (or such that the two flow channels share the outflow opening).

In this implementation, the dividing wall separating the two flow passages is preserved, which enables the second valve cover to share a set of dies with the valve cover of a conventional multi-way valve without requiring additional die opening. Specifically, after the valve cover main body of the unprocessed outflow port is manufactured by the die, if two outflow ports respectively positioned at two sides of the partition wall are processed on the valve cover main body, the valve cover applicable to the traditional multi-way valve can be obtained; if one outflow port, which is penetrated by the partition wall and is respectively communicated with two flow passages positioned at both sides of the partition wall, is processed on the valve cover main body, a second valve cover suitable for the multi-way valve provided by the present disclosure can be obtained. Thus, this implementation helps to reduce the number of dies and thus the production cost.

Furthermore, this embodiment also helps to better meet the expectations of the temperature of the fluid medium flowing out of the outflow opening. Specifically, since the partition wall that partitions the two flow passages extends through the outflow port, the communication area between each of the two flow passages and the outflow port is affected, thereby affecting the ratio of the two temperatures of the fluid medium flowing to the outflow port and thus affecting the temperature of the fluid medium after mixing. Thus, a reasonable setting of the relative position of the partition wall and the outflow opening contributes to a better meeting of the expectations of the temperature of the fluid medium flowing out of the outflow opening.

In one possible embodiment, the separating wall separating the two flow channels is provided with a notch adjacent to the outflow opening.

By the notch portion adjacent to the outflow opening, the fluids from the two flow passages will start to mix from the notch portion and thereafter pass through the outflow opening, which results in a longer mixing time, a larger mixing space and a more sufficient mixing.

In one possible embodiment, a partition wall that partitions the two flow passages is movable under drive to change a communication area of each of the two flow passages with the outflow port.

Thus, by driving the partition wall to move, the communication area between the two flow passages and the outflow port can be changed, and the ratio of the fluid medium of two temperatures flowing to the outflow port can be changed, thereby changing the temperature of the fluid medium after mixing. It follows that this implementation allows the purpose of regulating the temperature of the fluid medium to be achieved.

In one possible embodiment, when the valve disc assembly is in the at least one position, the two flow inlets are in fluid communication with the two passages of the valve disc assembly, respectively, and the two passages are in fluid communication with the two flow passages, respectively.

In this way, the fluid medium from the two inflow openings will flow through the two passages of the valve disc assembly, respectively, into the two flow passages of the second valve cover, respectively, and eventually mix and flow out through the one outflow opening.

In one possible embodiment, the two channels are spaced apart in the direction of rotation of the valve disk assembly, and the channel openings of the two channels are not the same size.

Because the channel openings of the two channels are different in size, the flow rates of the fluid media flowing into the two channels respectively are different, the proportion of the fluid media with two temperatures in mixed flow is influenced, the temperature of the fluid media after mixed flow is influenced, and the temperature of the fluid media after mixed flow can be expected better.

In one possible embodiment, one of the two channels is located radially outside the other channel.

In order to ensure that when the valve disc assembly is rotated to a certain position, the two passages thereon are in communication with the two flow passages on the second valve cover, respectively, which share one of the outflow openings, it is necessary that the two passages have a smaller spacing in the direction of rotation. However, if the separation of the two channels in the direction of rotation is too small, a seal that avoids leakage of fluid medium between the two channels will be difficult to achieve. In the above-described implementations provided by the present disclosure, the two passages are spaced in the rotational direction of the valve disc assembly, and one passage is located radially outward of the other passage. According to the implementation mode, on the premise that the distance between the two channels in the rotation direction is smaller, the integral distance between the two channels is larger, so that the implementation difficulty of sealing is reduced.

In one possible embodiment, the second valve cover is provided with a plurality of flow passages including a flow passage communicating with the outflow opening. The two flow inlets are in communication with the flow passage through the two passages of the valve disc assembly, respectively, when the valve disc assembly is in the at least one position.

In this way, the fluid media from the two inlets will mix within the flow channel, which increases the length of time for the mixing process, expands the space in which the mixing process occurs, and will allow for more thorough mixing of the fluid media.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a thermal management system for an automobile, the thermal management system comprising the multi-way valve described above.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings that are required to be used in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be briefly described below.

It is appreciated that the following drawings depict only certain embodiments of the disclosure and are not to be considered limiting of its scope.

It should be understood that the same or similar reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements.

It should be understood that the drawings are merely schematic and that the dimensions and proportions of the elements in the drawings are not necessarily accurate.

FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic view of a multi-way valve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is another exploded schematic view of the multi-way valve of fig. 1 showing the second valve cover from another perspective.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural view of a first valve cover of the multi-way valve of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of a second valve cover of the multi-way valve of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-way valve of fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural view of a second valve cover according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural view of a portion of a second valve cover according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

In order to not increase or less increase the cost and complexity of the thermal management system on the premise of realizing the purpose of regulating the temperature of the fluid medium, the present disclosure provides a multi-way valve of 'multiple-inlet single-outlet', that is, a multi-way valve capable of mixing and outputting the fluid mediums with different temperatures. The multi-way valve provided by the present disclosure will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent that the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure provides a multi-way valve 100, an exploded schematic view of which is shown in fig. 1 and 2. For clarity of the drawing, some components of the multi-way valve 100 are omitted from fig. 1 and 2. The multi-way valve 100 may be applied to a thermal management system of an automobile. Of course, in other examples, the multi-way valve 100 may also be applied to other scenarios.

First, referring to fig. 1 and 2, the present disclosure provides a multi-way valve 100 including a first valve cover 10, a second valve cover 20, and a valve disc assembly 30. The first valve cover 10 and the second valve cover 20 together define a valve cavity within which the valve disc assembly 30 is disposed. Next, referring to fig. 3 and 4, the first valve cover 10 is provided with a plurality of inflow openings 11, and the second valve cover 20 is provided with a plurality of outflow openings 21. The valve disc assembly 33 is driven to rotate to switch between a plurality of different positions, thereby changing the communication relationship between the plurality of inflow openings 11 and the plurality of outflow openings 21. When the valve disc assembly 30 is in at least one of the plurality of positions, two of the plurality of inflow ports 11a, 11b are in fluid communication with one of the plurality of outflow ports 21a such that fluid medium (e.g., refrigerant) entering from the two inflow ports 11a, 11b flows out of the one outflow port 21a, i.e., such that the multi-way valve 100 has a "multiple-inlet single-outlet" function.

In the thermal management system provided with the multi-way valve 100, fluid media having different temperatures, which have flowed in from the two inflow ports 11a, 11b, are mixed and flow out from the outflow port 21a by the function of "multi-inlet single-outlet" of the multi-way valve 100. By mixing fluid media of different temperatures, the purpose of adjusting the temperature of the fluid media is achieved such that the fluid media flowing out from the outflow opening 21a has a desired temperature. This implementation does not require the addition of a temperature regulating device in the thermal management system nor does it require the addition of a temperature regulating mechanism in the multi-way valve 100. Thus, such an implementation facilitates the cost and complexity of the thermal management system without or with little increase in achieving the purpose of fluidic medium temperature regulation.

When the valve disc assembly 30 is in a position other than at least one of the above positions, the two inflow ports 11a and 11b may be in fluid communication with the other outflow port 21 other than the outflow port 21a, may be in fluid communication with the other two outflow ports 21 other than the outflow port 21a, or may be in fluid communication with the outflow port 21a and the other one is in fluid communication with the other outflow port 21 other than the outflow port 21 a. In this regard, the present disclosure is not particularly limited.

It should also be noted that while in the present embodiment only two flow inlets 11a, 11b are in fluid communication with the flow inlet 21a when the valve disc assembly 30 is in at least one position as described above, in other embodiments three or more flow inlets 11 may be in fluid communication with the flow inlet 21a simultaneously when the valve disc assembly 30 is in at least one position as described above. The number of inflow ports 11 communicating with the inflow port 21a at the same time is not particularly limited in the present disclosure.

With continued reference to fig. 1 and 4, the second valve cover 20 may be provided with a plurality of flow passages 22, the plurality of flow passages 22 including two flow passages 22a, 22b each in fluid communication with the flow outlet 21 a. When the valve disc assembly 30 is in at least one of the positions described above, the two inflow ports 11a, 11b are in fluid communication with the two flow passages 22a, 22b, respectively.

According to this implementation, only one outflow port 21a communicating with both the two flow passages 22a, 22b is required to be provided on the second valve cover 20, so that the purpose of "multiple inlet and single outlet" can be achieved, and fluids with different temperatures from the two inflow ports 11a, 11b are mixed at one outflow port 21a, so that the purpose of temperature regulation is achieved. This implementation does not require an additional complex structure on the multi-way valve 100, nor does it require a large modification to the structure of the multi-way valve 100, so that the multi-way valve 100 using this implementation has many advantages such as simple structure and easy implementation.

Furthermore, in this implementation, where the mixing flow occurs at the outflow port 21a and the outflow port 21a is located near the downstream end of the flow path from the two inflow ports 11a, 11b to the outflow port 21a, this will allow fluid from the two inflow ports 11a, 11b to flow out through the two different outflow ports 21, respectively, when the valve disc assembly 30 is located in other than at least one of the positions described above, thereby helping to expand the operational mode of the multi-way valve 100.

With continued reference to fig. 1 and 4, the second valve cover 20 may be provided with a plurality of partition walls 23 that separate the plurality of flow passages 22. Among the plurality of partition walls 23, a partition wall 23a that partitions the two flow passages 22a, 22b extends through the outflow port 21a so that both flow passages 22a, 22b are in fluid communication with the outflow port 21a. That is, the partition wall 23a of the second valve cover 20 divides the two flow passages 22a, 22b such that the two flow passages 22a, 22b share the outflow port 21a. In this way, the fluid medium flowing through the two flow channels 22a, 22b will mix at the outflow opening 21a.

In this implementation, the partition wall 23a separating the two flow passages 22a, 22b is preserved, which enables the second valve cover 20 to share a set of dies with the valve cover of a conventional multi-way valve without requiring additional die opening. Specifically, after the valve cover main body of the unprocessed outflow inlet is manufactured by a die, if two outflow inlets respectively positioned at two sides of the partition wall are processed on the valve cover main body, the valve cover applicable to the traditional multi-way valve can be obtained; if one outflow port, which is penetrated by the partition wall and is respectively communicated with two flow passages positioned at both sides of the partition wall, is processed on the valve cover main body, the second valve cover 20 suitable for the multi-way valve 100 provided in the present disclosure can be obtained. Thus, this implementation helps reduce the number of dies required, which in turn reduces production costs.

Furthermore, this implementation also contributes to the desired temperature of the fluid medium flowing out of the outflow opening 21 a. Specifically, since the partition wall 23a that separates the two flow passages 22a, 22b extends through the outflow port 21a, the communication area between each flow passage 22a/22b and the outflow port 21a is affected, and the flow rate ratio of the fluid medium from the two flow passages 22a, 22b to the outflow port 21a, and the temperature of the fluid medium after mixing flow are affected. Therefore, reasonably setting the relative positions of the partition wall 23a and the outflow port 21a helps to make the temperature of the fluid medium flowing out of the outflow port 21a satisfactory to the expectation.

The position of the partition wall 23a relative to the outflow opening 21a can be reasonably designed according to actual requirements so as to be suitable for different actual situations. The position of the partition wall 23a with respect to the outflow port 21a is not particularly limited.

The space formed by one partition wall 23 and the adjacent partition wall 23 is the space of the flow passage 22. Thus, the shape of the partition wall 23 determines the shape of the flow passage 22 in the second valve cover 20. The partition wall 23 may take various forms, and may be rectangular in shape with a single plane, curved or rectangular in shape with a plurality of bends, etc., and may be configured to have a space capable of receiving the fluid medium from the passage of the valve disc assembly 30. In the present embodiment, the shape of the partition wall is not limited.

Referring to fig. 1, the partition wall 23a that separates the two flow passages 22a, 22b may be provided with a notch 231 adjacent to the outflow port 21 a. By the notch 231 adjacent to the outflow port, the flow boundary of the fluid medium will be changed, and the fluid medium will flow between the two flow passages 22a, 22b through the notch 231 and will flow from the two flow passages 22a, 22b to the outflow port 21a to be mixed, which will allow the fluid medium with different temperatures to be mixed more fully. In addition, by the notch 231 adjacent to the outflow port, the fluids from the two flow passages 22a, 22b will start mixing from the notch 231 and then pass through the outflow port 21a, which lengthens the mixing time, enlarges the mixing space, and will be more sufficient.

It should be noted that, the length of the notch 231 in the radial direction of the second valve cover 20 may be greater than the length of the outflow port 21a in the radial direction, so as to provide sufficient space for the flow of the fluid medium from the flow passages 22a/22b to the outflow port 21 a; while in the axial direction, the notch 231 may be lower than the partition wall 23a. Of course, the dimensions of the notch 231 in the various directions described herein are merely exemplary, and the present disclosure does not specifically limit the dimensions of the notch 231 as long as the fluid medium can be allowed to flow through the notch 231.

It is noted that in the present disclosure, the azimuth description "axial" may refer to the extending direction of the rotation axis a30 (shown in fig. 5) of the valve disc assembly 30; correspondingly, the azimuth description "radial" may refer to the direction of extension of a straight line through the rotation axis a30 in a radial plane (i.e. a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis a 30). It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the azimuthal descriptions are true to the meaning of "axial" and "radial".

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the valve disc assembly 30 may be provided with a plurality of passages 31. For example, the plurality of passages 31 may extend axially through the valve disc assembly 30. When the valve disc assembly 30 is in the at least one position, the two inflow ports 11a, 11b are in fluid communication with two passages 31a, 31b, respectively, of the plurality of passages 31, and the two passages 31a, 31b are in fluid communication with the two flow passages 22a, 22b, respectively, on the second valve cover 20.

In this way, the fluid medium from the two inflow ports 11a, 11b will flow into the two flow passages 22a, 22b of the second valve cover 20 through the two passages 31a, 31b of the valve disc assembly 30, respectively, and finally mix and flow out through the one outflow port 21 a.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the two passages 31a, 31b may be spaced in the direction of rotation of the valve disc assembly 30. In one example, the port sizes of the two channels 31a, 31b may be different, i.e. the flow areas of the two channels 31a, 31b may be different.

Because the passage openings of the two passages 31a, 31b are different in size, the flow rates of the fluid medium flowing into the two passages 22a, 22b through the passages will be different, which affects the proportion of the fluid medium at the two temperatures during mixing, thereby affecting the temperature of the fluid medium after mixing, and helping to make the temperature of the fluid medium after mixing better reach the expectations.

It should be noted that the ratio of the port sizes of the two channels 31a and 31b is not particularly limited in the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art may set the ratio according to actual requirements. In addition, although the port sizes of the two passages 31a, 31b are different in the above example, the port sizes of the two passages 31a, 31b may be the same in other examples.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the passage 31a may be radially outward of the passage 31b on the basis of the two passages 31a, 31b being spaced apart in the direction of rotation of the valve disc assembly 30.

In order to ensure that the two passages 31a, 31b on the valve disc assembly 30 can communicate with the two flow passages 22a, 22b on the second valve cover 20, respectively, which share the one outflow opening 21a, when the valve disc assembly 30 is rotated to a certain position, it is necessary that the two passages 31a, 31b have a small interval in the rotation direction. However, if the two channels 31a, 31b have a smaller spacing in the direction of rotation, a seal that avoids leakage of fluid medium between the two channels 31a, 31b will be more difficult to achieve. In the above-described implementation, the two passages 31a, 31b are spaced in the rotational direction of the valve disc assembly 30, and one passage 31a of the two passages 31a, 31b is located radially outside the other passage 31 b. By the implementation mode, on the premise that the distance between the two channels 31a and 31b in the rotation direction is smaller, the integral distance between the two channels 31a and 31b is larger, so that the implementation difficulty of sealing is reduced.

Referring to fig. 3, the first valve cover 10 may be provided with a plurality of flow passages 12, and the plurality of flow passages 12 may be partitioned by a plurality of partition walls 13. The plurality of flow passages 12 includes two flow passages 12a, 12b communicating with the two inflow ports 11a, 11b, respectively. Referring to fig. 2, when the valve disc assembly 30 is in the at least one position described above, the fluid medium flowing in from the inflow port 11a may pass through the flow passage 12a, the passage 31a, the flow passage 22a in order and finally flow out from the inflow port 21 a; the fluid medium flowing in from the inflow port 11b may pass through the flow path 12b, the passage 31b, the flow path 22b in this order, and finally also flow out from the inflow port 21 a. For ease of understanding, both fluid media are shown with short arrows ending in the end-to-end in fig. 2. As can be seen from fig. 2, the two fluid media merge into the same outflow opening 21a, so that a mixed flow is achieved.

The "multiple-inlet single-outlet" function of the multi-way valve 100 is illustrated above with reference to fig. 1-4, and the remainder of the multi-way valve 100 is illustrated below with reference to fig. 5.

Referring to fig. 5, the valve disc assembly 30 may be located between the first and second valve caps 10 and 20, and the valve disc assembly 30 may include a packing 33, a packing 34, and a valve disc 35, the packing 33 being located between the first valve cap 10 and the valve disc 35, the packing 34 being located between the second valve cap 20 and the valve disc 35. The valve disc 35 can be driven to rotate the gaskets 33, 34 together about the rotation axis a 30.

In one non-limiting example, the gasket 331 and the gasket 34 may be fitted with the valve disc 35 to effect rotation with the valve disc 35. Of course, in other examples, the gasket 33 and the gasket 34 may also cooperate with the valve disc 35 in other ways, so long as they are rotatable with the valve disc 35. For example, these means may include, but are not limited to: bonding, joining or integrating by fasteners, etc.

With continued reference to fig. 5, the side of the first valve cover 10 facing the valve disc assembly 30 is axially bulged to form a plurality of partition walls 13, the plurality of partition walls 13 being pressed against the packing 33 to ensure that the plurality of flow passages 12 are separated from each other. Correspondingly, the side of the second valve cover 20 facing the valve disc assembly 30 is axially bulged to form a plurality of partition walls 23, and the plurality of partition walls 23 are pressed against the packing 34 to ensure that the plurality of flow passages 22 are partitioned from each other.

There are a variety of ways in which the disc assembly 30 may be rotatably achieved relative to the valve covers 10, 20, and this disclosure is not particularly limited. As an example, referring to fig. 1, the valve disc assembly 30 may be provided with a support hole 36 extending axially through the valve disc assembly 30. Referring to fig. 5, the multi-way valve 100 may further include a support shaft 40, both ends of the support shaft 40 being fixed to the first and second valve caps 10 and 20, and the support shaft 40 passing through the support hole 36 such that the valve disc assembly 30 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 40. In this way, the disc assembly 30 is rotatable relative to the valve covers 10, 20. It should be noted that in such an implementation, the rotational axis a30 of the valve disc assembly 30 may be defined by the support shaft 40.

It will be appreciated that the manner in which the disc assembly 30 is rotatably disposed relative to the valve covers 10, 20 is not limited to that described above. For example, in some examples, the valve disc 35 may be provided with a shaft portion integrally formed with other portions, and both ends of the shaft portion may be rotatably supported by the first and second valve covers 10 and 20, respectively, to thereby realize that the valve disc assembly 30 is rotatable with respect to the first and second valve covers 10 and 20.

There are a variety of ways to drive the rotation of the valve disc assembly 30, which the present disclosure is not particularly limited to. As an example, referring to fig. 1, the outer circumference of the valve disc 35 may be provided with a plurality of gear teeth 351. Referring to fig. 5, the multi-way valve 100 may further include a driving member 50 located at an outer side of the valve disc 35, and the driving member 50 may be provided with a plurality of gear teeth to engage with a plurality of gear teeth 351 of the valve disc 35. Thus, the valve disc assembly 30 can be driven to rotate by the rotation of the rotation driving member 50 (for example, by a motor), and the communication relationship between the plurality of inflow ports 11 and the plurality of outflow ports 21 is established.

It will be appreciated that the manner in which the valve disc assembly 30 is driven to rotate is not limited to that described above. For example, in some embodiments, the inner side of the support hole 36 may be provided with a plurality of gear teeth, and the outer circumference of the support shaft 40 may be provided with a plurality of gear teeth, and the gear teeth of the support shaft 40 are engaged with the gear teeth of the support hole 36, so that the valve disc assembly 30 may be further driven to rotate by driving the support shaft 40 to rotate.

In the above-described embodiment, the two fluid media from the inflow ports 11a, 11b meet (or, in other words, mix) at the outflow port 21 a. It is understood that in other embodiments of the present disclosure, the location where two fluid media meet may be offset in an upstream direction. One possible implementation is given below in connection with fig. 6.

It is noted that in this disclosure, the same element (component or section) may be present in different embodiments. For the sake of brevity, in different embodiments, the same elements will be given the same reference numerals to omit duplicate descriptions as appropriate.

Referring to fig. 6, in this example, the partition wall extending through the inflow port 21a (i.e., the partition wall 23a in the foregoing embodiment) is eliminated, so that the two flow passages sharing the inflow port 21a (i.e., the flow passages 22a, 22b in the foregoing embodiment) merge into one flow passage 22c. Obviously, the flow passage 22c communicates with the inflow port 21 a.

Thus, when the valve disc assembly 30 is in the at least one position, the two inflow ports 11a, 11b will be in fluid communication with the flow passage 22c through the two passages 31a, 31b of the valve disc assembly 30, respectively. That is, the two streams from the inlets 11a, 11b will meet at the flow passage 22 c.

In this way, the fluid media from the two inlets 11a, 11b will mix in the flow channel 22c, which increases the length of time for the mixing process and enlarges the space in which the mixing process takes place, which will result in a more thorough mixing of the fluid media.

In addition to eliminating the partition wall 23a extending through the inflow port 21a, in some embodiments, the partition wall 23a may be provided to be movable with respect to the outflow port 21a so that the partition wall 23a can be moved by driving to change the communication area of each of the two flow passages 22a, 22b with the outflow port 21 a.

By driving the partition wall 23a to move, the communication area between the two flow passages 22a, 22b and the outflow port 21a can be changed, and the ratio of the fluid medium of two temperatures flowing to the outflow port 21a can be changed, thereby changing the temperature of the fluid medium after mixing. It follows that this implementation allows the purpose of regulating the temperature of the fluid medium to be achieved.

As an exemplary implementation, referring to fig. 7, one end of the partition wall 23a may be fixed to the pivot shaft 232, the other end may be a free end, and the pivot shaft 232 may be pivotably supported by the body of the second valve cover 22. In this way, the partition wall 23a can be moved by manually or mechanically driving the pivot shaft 232 in rotation, for example, by moving the partition wall 23a from the current position in fig. 7 to an alternative position shown by a broken line.

The present disclosure is not particularly limited as to how to move the partition wall 23a, as long as the communication area of each of the two flow passages 22a, 22b with the outflow port 21a can be changed by moving the partition wall 23 a. For example, in some examples, the divider wall 23a may move relative to the flow outlet 21a in a manner that slides entirely relative to the second valve cover 20, rather than pivoting about an axis.

The present disclosure also provides a thermal management system comprising the multi-way valve 100 provided by the present disclosure. For example, the thermal management system may be applied to an automobile. Of course, in other examples, the thermal management system may also be applied to other scenarios.

It should be understood that the term "include" and variations thereof as used in this disclosure are intended to be open-ended, i.e., including, but not limited to. The term "according to" is based, at least in part, on. In the present disclosure, the term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

The protective scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any person skilled in the art should conceive of changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present disclosure, which are intended to be covered in the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims (10)

1. A multi-way valve adapted for use in a thermal management system, comprising:

a first valve cover provided with a plurality of inflow openings;

The second valve cover is provided with a plurality of outflow openings and defines a valve cavity together with the first valve cover; and

A valve disc assembly disposed within the valve cavity and rotatably switchable between a plurality of positions to change a communication relationship between the plurality of inflow ports and the plurality of outflow ports, wherein at least two of the plurality of inflow ports are in fluid communication with one of the plurality of outflow ports when the valve disc assembly is in at least one of the plurality of positions.

2. The multi-way valve of claim 1, wherein the second valve cover is provided with a plurality of flow passages including two flow passages each in fluid communication with the outflow port, wherein the two inflow ports are in fluid communication with the two flow passages, respectively, when the valve disc assembly is in the at least one position.

3. The multi-way valve of claim 2, wherein the second valve cover is provided with a plurality of dividing walls separating the plurality of flow passages, wherein the dividing walls separating the two flow passages extend through the outflow opening to place the two flow passages in fluid communication with the outflow opening.

4. A multi-way valve according to claim 3, wherein the partition wall that separates the two flow passages is provided with a notched portion adjacent to the outflow port.

5. A multi-way valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein the partition wall separating the two flow passages is movable under drive to change the communication area of each of the two flow passages with the outflow port.

6. The multi-way valve of claim 2, wherein when the valve disc assembly is in the at least one position, the two flow inlets are in fluid communication with two passages of the valve disc assembly, respectively, and the two passages are in communication with the two flow passages, respectively.

7. The multi-way valve of claim 6, wherein the two passages are spaced in a rotational direction of the valve disc assembly and the passage openings of the two passages are not the same size.

8. The multi-way valve of claim 7 wherein one of the two passages is radially outward of the other passage.

9. The multi-way valve of claim 1, wherein the second valve cover is provided with a plurality of flow passages including a flow passage communicating with the outflow port, wherein the two inflow ports communicate with the flow passage through the two passages of the valve disc assembly, respectively, when the valve disc assembly is in the at least one position.

10. A thermal management system adapted for use in an automobile, comprising a multi-way valve according to any one of claims 1 to 9.