Abstract: A flow control valve includes a housing that includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a valve body that together with the housing, forms a first chamber with a variable volume and a second chamber with a variable volume; a communication passage that connects the first chamber and the second chamber together; and an urging portion that urges the valve body in a direction in which the volume of the first chamber decreases. When the valve body moves in a direction to increase the volume of the first chamber against urging force of the urging portion, the valve body moves closer to the fluid outlet and reduces a degree to which the second chamber is communicated with the fluid outlet.

Abstract: A valve for charging and purging a refrigerant into and out of an air conditioner, for example, includes a body with a hollow interior, a valve port defined in the body, a valve seat provided around the valve port and a ball provided in the body so as to be brought into contact with and parted from the valve seat so that the valve port is closed and opened. The ball is made from ceramic.

Abstract: A receiver is located in a refrigerating circuit that includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator. The receiver receives and temporarily reserves liquefied refrigerant sent from the compressor by way of the condenser. The expansion valve atomizes the liquefied refrigerant sent from the receiver and supplies the atomized refrigerant to the evaporator. The receiver includes a tank for reserving the liquefied refrigerant sent from the condenser and a head portion located on the tank. The head portion houses the expansion valve. The expansion valve includes a restricting mechanism for adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator from the tank and a control mechanism for controlling the restricting mechanism in accordance with the temperature of the refrigerant transferred to the compressor from the evaporator.