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Heat pump valve assembly

  • US 9,857,106 B1
  • Filed: 10/10/2016
  • Issued: 01/02/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A heat pump, comprising:

  • a magnet generating a magnetic field;

    a regenerator housing comprising a body and a stage, the body defining a chamber, the stage comprising a magneto-caloric material disposed within the chamber, the regenerator housing movable along a lateral direction between a first position and a second position relative to the magnet, the stage positioned within the magnetic field of the magnet when the regenerator housing is in the first position, the stage positioned remote from the magnetic field of the magnet when the regenerator housing is in the second position;

    a pump operable to flow working fluid through the chamber of the regenerator housing;

    a valve assembly for regulating a flow of the working fluid from the pump through the chamber of the regenerator housing, the valve assembly comprisinga pair of inlet conduits extending along the lateral direction from the regenerator housing, the inlet conduits of the pair of inlet conduits spaced apart from each other on the regenerator housing along a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the lateral direction;

    a pair of outlet conduits extending along the lateral direction from the regenerator housing, the outlet conduits of the pair of outlet conduits spaced apart from each other on the regenerator housing along the transverse direction;

    a valve body assembly defining a plurality of shafts, each shaft of the plurality of shafts receiving a respective conduit of the pair of inlet conduits and the pair of outlet conduits, the conduits of the pair of inlet conduits and the pair of outlet conduits slidable within the shafts of the plurality of shafts when the regenerator housing moves between the first and second positions.

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