Variable -capacity compressor control valve

Abstract

Provided is a variable-capacity compressor control valve where the size of a plunger can be reduced, the machining and assembly process can be simplified, weight reduction can be achieved, and cost reduction can also be achieved, for example. The plunger has a slit through which a valve element is assembled to the plunger by being inserted from a lateral side. The slit serves as a flow path for releasing the pressure Pc in the crank chamber to the suction chamber of the compressor from the Ps inlet/outlet port when the sub valve element has opened the in-valve release passage.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A variable-capacity compressor control valve comprising:
 a valve body including a valve chamber with a valve orifice, a Ps inlet/outlet port communicating with a suction chamber of a compressor, a Pd introduction port arranged upstream of the valve orifice and communicating with a discharge chamber of the compressor, and a Pc inlet/outlet port arranged downstream of the valve orifice and communicating with a crank chamber of the compressor;   a valve element adapted to open or close the valve orifice;   an electromagnetic actuator with a plunger for moving the valve element in a direction to open or close the valve orifice;   a pressure-sensitive chamber adapted to receive a suction pressure Ps from the compressor via the Ps inlet/outlet port; and   a pressure-sensitive reaction member adapted to urge the valve element in the direction to open or close the valve orifice in accordance with a pressure in the pressure-sensitive chamber, wherein   the plunger has a slit through which the valve element is adapted to be assembled to the plunger by being inserted from a lateral side.   
     
     
         2 . The variable-capacity compressor control valve according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the valve element includes a main valve element and a sub valve element, the main valve element being adapted to open or close the valve orifice and having formed therein an in-valve release passage for releasing a pressure Pc in the crank chamber to the suction chamber of the compressor via the Ps inlet/outlet port, and the sub valve element being adapted to open or close the in-valve release passage.   the main valve element is vertically movably assembled to the plunger through insertion into the slit from the lateral side, and the sub valve element is assembled to the plunger such that the sub valve element is vertically movable with the plunger, and   after the valve orifice is closed by the main valve element, the plunger is moved upward so that in a state in which the sub valve element has opened the in-valve release passage, the crank chamber and the suction chamber of the compressor communicate with each other via the Pc inlet/outlet port, the in-valve release passage, the slit, and the Ps inlet/outlet port.   
     
     
         3 . The variable-capacity compressor control valve according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the main valve element has a flanged latch portion at a top thereof, and   the plunger has a cut-in through which the flanged latch portion of the main valve element is adapted to be inserted, and an inner flanged latch portion to which the flanged latch portion of the main valve element is adapted to be latched to prevent slippery thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The variable-capacity compressor control valve according to  claim 3 , wherein a clearance in a vertical direction between the inner flanged latch portion of the plunger and the flanged latch portion of the main valve element is set at a lift amount that is an amount of movement of the plunger in the vertical direction after the valve orifice is closed by the main valve element.