JP7269054B2 - Fuel flow adjustment valve device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel flow control valve device, and more particularly to a fuel flow control valve device capable of easily adjusting a large flow rate and a small flow rate of fuel with a simple configuration.

A typical aircraft often has multiple fuel tanks rather than a single fuel tank. Typical fuel tanks include an integral tank having a structure in which the inside of the wing and part of the fuselage are sealed. It is Among the plurality of partitioned fuel tanks, the fuel tank that directly supplies fuel to the engine is the "main tank", and the other tanks are the "auxiliary tanks".

When refueling a plurality of fuel tanks, basically, refueling to the main tank is given priority, but refueling is also performed simultaneously to a plurality of fuel tanks having different capacities. Further, when the fuel in the left and right main tanks is consumed while the aircraft is flying, fuel is sequentially transferred (or replenished) from the auxiliary tanks to the main tanks.

Here, for example, the flow rate of fuel when refueling the main tank is larger than when transferring fuel from the auxiliary tank to the main tank. Conversely, the flow rate of the fuel during transfer is smaller than that during refueling of the main tank. The flow rate (small flow rate) during transfer varies depending on various conditions, but is generally in the range of about 1/10 to 1/20 of the flow rate (large flow rate) during refueling. Further, when fuel is supplied to a plurality of fuel tanks in parallel, if the capacities of these fuel tanks are different, it is necessary to individually set the flow rate of fuel to each fuel tank.

Conventionally, various methods have been used to switch the flow rate of fuel between a large flow rate and a small flow rate, or to individually set the flow rates to a plurality of fuel tanks. For example, (1) a method in which an orifice is attached before and after the valve provided in each fuel tank to adjust the flow rate, (2) a plurality of valves with a similar flow rate are provided in each fuel tank, and these valves are opened and closed appropriately. and (3) a method in which each fuel tank is provided with a large flow valve and a small flow valve.

By the way, as a valve used for refueling an aircraft, for example, a surge control provided in a pipeline for pumping and refueling fuel to an aircraft via a refueling vehicle as disclosed in Patent Document 1 Valves are known.

JP-A-2001-114399

However, in the above-described conventional technique, there arises a problem that the number of parts increases for refueling or transfer of fuel, and the configuration of the piping system becomes complicated. For example, in the method (1), additional orifices are required before and after the valve, which increases the number of parts and also requires prior setting to adjust the flow rate by the orifices. In addition, in the configuration of (2) or (3), it is necessary to provide a plurality of valves in each fuel tank for flow rate adjustment, so there is a risk that the number of parts will increase and the configuration of the piping system will become complicated. .

Furthermore, the surge control valve disclosed in Patent Document 1 aims at suppressing the generation of surge pressure when refueling fuel. Therefore, although it is possible to adjust the corresponding control pressure for a given flow rate, the flow rate cannot be suitably adjusted. Further, in Patent Document 1, it is assumed that fuel is supplied via a refueling vehicle, and transfer of fuel from the auxiliary tank to the main tank during flight is not assumed.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such problems, and can easily switch between a large flow rate and a small flow rate of fuel with a simple configuration, and has different capacities. An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel flow control valve device that can easily set the flow rate to a fuel tank.

In order to solve the above problems, the fuel flow control valve device according to the present invention is used for supplying fuel to a fuel tank or transferring fuel from another fuel tank, and is provided with a main flow path provided with a valve seat; A shut-off valve that shuts off or opens the main flow path by bringing the poppet into contact with or away from the valve seat, a sub-flow path branching from the main flow path, a return flow path branching from the sub-flow path, and the shut-off valve. a flow rate adjustment unit that adjusts the flow rate of the off-valve, wherein the shut-off valve includes the poppet and a piston mechanism that is provided to be in contact with the poppet and defines the position of the poppet, When the direction in which the head of the poppet comes into contact with the valve seat is defined as the closing direction, and the direction in which the head of the poppet moves away from the valve seat is defined as the opening direction, the poppet and the piston mechanism each move in the closing direction. and the opening direction, the secondary flow path is provided to branch from the primary flow path on the upstream side of the valve seat to allow fuel to flow into the piston mechanism, and the return flow path is configured to flow into the secondary flow path. The flow rate adjusting unit includes at least one control valve and a valve control unit that controls the switching operation of the control valve. The control valve, when switched by the valve control unit, causes fuel to flow into the piston mechanism from the sub-flow path, moves the piston mechanism in the closing direction, and causes the fuel to flow back from the piston mechanism. At least one of the secondary flow path and the return flow path is provided so as to flow back the flow path to move the piston mechanism in the opening direction.

According to the above configuration, the shutoff valve has a piston mechanism that defines the position of the poppet, and the movement of this piston mechanism is controlled by the flow control section. The flow rate adjusting unit causes the fuel to flow into the piston mechanism from the sub-flow path, and the fuel to flow back from the piston mechanism to the recirculation path. Therefore, the position of the poppet can be adjusted by operating the piston mechanism using the fuel flowing through the main flow path of the shut-off valve as the working fluid. The opening of the poppet, etc. can be adjusted.

As a result, when refueling the fuel tank, for example, by controlling at least the piston mechanism, the fuel can be circulated at a large flow rate. Further, for example, when transferring fuel from another fuel tank, the fuel can be circulated at a small flow rate by controlling at least the piston mechanism. Further, even when fuel is supplied to or transferred to tanks having different capacities at the same time, the flow rate of fuel to each tank can be easily set by controlling the piston mechanism.

In the fuel flow rate adjustment valve device having the above configuration, the control valve is provided between the sub-flow path and the return flow path, and connects the sub-flow path to the piston mechanism at a sub-flow path connection position and the sub-flow path. A piston mechanism control valve that can be switched to a return path connection position that blocks a path and connects the return path to the piston mechanism, wherein the piston mechanism is provided so as to contact or separate from the back surface of the poppet. When reducing the flow rate of fuel in the main flow path, the flow rate adjusting section switches the piston mechanism control valve to the secondary flow path connection position to allow fuel to flow into the piston mechanism from the secondary flow path. By moving the poppet in the opening direction while the piston mechanism is moved in the closing direction, the degree of opening of the poppet is reduced and the flow rate of fuel in the main flow path is increased. When opening the valve, the piston mechanism control valve is switched to the recirculation path connection position, fuel is recirculated from the piston mechanism to the recirculation path, and the piston mechanism is moved in the opening direction. The opening of the poppet may be increased by moving it in the opening direction.

According to the above configuration, the piston mechanism abuts on or separates from the rear surface of the poppet while the poppet is open. Therefore, when refueling the fuel tank, for example, by separating the piston mechanism and increasing the opening of the poppet, the fuel can be circulated at a large flow rate. Further, for example, when transferring fuel from another fuel tank, the fuel can be circulated at a small flow rate by bringing the piston mechanism into contact with the poppet to reduce the opening degree of the poppet. In addition, even when fuel is simultaneously supplied to or transferred to tanks of different capacities, the flow rate of fuel to each tank can be easily set by changing the opening of the poppet.

Further, in the fuel flow rate adjusting valve device having the above configuration, the control valve is provided between the return path and the rear portion of the poppet, and has a connection position for connecting the return path and a cutoff position for blocking the return path. and a return line connection position provided between the secondary flow path and the return flow path for connecting the return flow path to the piston mechanism and blocking the return flow path to close the secondary flow path. A piston mechanism control valve capable of switching a passage to a secondary passage connection position for connecting a passage to the piston mechanism, wherein a head portion of the poppet is formed with a through hole for allowing the inflow of the fuel, and the piston mechanism is provided so as to be able to close the through hole by coming into contact with the poppet inside the poppet on the opening direction side, and the flow rate adjusting section is configured to reduce the flow rate of the fuel in the main flow path when the By switching the poppet control valve to the connected position and allowing fuel to flow into the rear side of the poppet, the poppet is brought into contact with the valve seat to block the main flow path, and the piston mechanism control valve is closed. By switching to the recirculation path connection position and recirculating the fuel from the piston mechanism to the recirculation path, the piston mechanism is moved in the opening direction to open the through hole and increase the flow rate of the fuel in the main flow path. When increasing the flow rate, the piston mechanism control valve is switched to the recirculation path connection position to recirculate the fuel from the piston mechanism to the recirculation path, thereby moving the piston mechanism in the opening direction and controlling the poppet. The opening of the poppet may be increased by switching the valve to the shutoff position, recirculating the fuel from the rear side of the poppet to the recirculation path, and moving the poppet in the opening direction. .

According to the above configuration, the piston mechanism can open and close the through hole provided in the head of the poppet. Therefore, when refueling the fuel tank, for example, by separating the piston mechanism and increasing the opening of the poppet, the fuel can be circulated at a large flow rate. Further, for example, when transferring fuel to another fuel tank, the fuel can be circulated at a small flow rate by moving only the piston mechanism in the opening direction while the poppet is closed and circulating the fuel through the through hole. . Alternatively, the degree of opening of the poppet can be adjusted by moving the poppet in the opening direction while the piston mechanism is in contact with the poppet. In addition, even when refueling or transferring fuel to tanks with different capacities at the same time, by adjusting the movement of the piston mechanism and changing the opening of the poppet, the flow rate of fuel to each tank can be easily adjusted. can be set.

Further, in the fuel flow control valve device having the above configuration, the control valve may be configured to be switchable between a plurality of stages by the valve control section.

Further, in the fuel flow control valve device having the above configuration, a poppet flow path connected to the rear side of the poppet is provided so that the fuel from the poppet can be returned to the return path, and the control valve a poppet control valve provided in the poppet flow path for switching between a connection position for connecting the poppet flow path to the return flow path and a blocking position for blocking the poppet flow path; When shutting off, the valve control unit switches the poppet control valve to the shutoff position, and when opening the main flow path, the valve control unit switches the poppet control valve to the connected position regardless of the opening of the poppet. It may be a configuration.

Further, in the fuel flow control valve device having the above configuration, the piston mechanism control valve is provided between the sub-flow path and the return flow path, and is transmitted from the main flow path through the sub-flow path. A cracking valve that is actuated by cracking pressure to switch between the sub-channel connection position connecting the sub-channel to the poppet channel and the return channel connection position connecting the return channel to the poppet channel. may be a configuration.

Further, the fuel flow control valve device having the above configuration further includes a stopper mechanism that adjusts the opening degree of the poppet, and the stopper mechanism is configured to operate when the shut-off valve opens the main flow path. The position of the poppet head within the main flow path may be adjustable regardless of the flow rate of fuel in the passage.

Further, in the fuel flow control valve device having the above configuration, the stopper mechanism is provided rotatably with respect to the valve shaft in a state in which a valve shaft extending from the poppet or the piston mechanism toward the rear side is inserted therein. One end of the stopper member serves as an operating end exposed to the outside of the fuel tank, and the stopper member rotates the operating end to prevent the poppet from moving in the opening direction. may be configured to change the position of the head of the valve shaft along the extending direction of the valve shaft.

Further, in the fuel flow rate adjustment valve device having the above configuration, the stopper mechanism further includes a stopper locking portion that is provided on the valve shaft and that locks to the locking end, which is the other end of the stopper member, and The locking end of the member is provided with a plurality of stepped portions that come into contact with the stopper locking portion, and the stopper mechanism rotates the operating end of the stopper member to move the stepped portion of the locking end. The position of the head of the poppet may be changed when the poppet is moved in the opening direction by switching the step to be engaged with the stopper engaging portion.

Further, in the fuel flow control valve device having the above configuration, the stopper mechanism is provided on the valve shaft and includes a stopper locking portion that locks to the locking end that is the other end of the stopper member, and a stopper exterior body that is exteriorized on the locking end side, wherein a projection is provided on the locking end side of the stopper member, and the stopper exterior body has a plurality of steps that abut on the projection. is provided, and the stopper mechanism rotates the operation end of the stopper member to switch the step that abuts on the protrusion of the stopper engaging portion in the stepped portion of the stopper outer body. It may be configured to change the position of the head of the poppet when the poppet moves in the opening direction.

Further, in the fuel flow control valve device having the above configuration, one end of the valve shaft is a fixed end fixed to the poppet or the piston mechanism, and the other end of the valve shaft is a fixed end fixed to the stopper member together with the operating end of the stopper member. At least one of the operating end of the stopper member and the exposed portion of the valve shaft, which is an exposed end exposed to the outside of the fuel tank, is provided with a marking for identifying the rotational position of the stopper member. It may be a configuration with

Further, in the fuel flow control valve device having the above configuration, the fuel tank includes a main tank for storing fuel to be supplied to the engine of the aircraft, and an auxiliary tank for storing the fuel for transferring the fuel to the main tank. At least one of the tanks may be configured.

According to the present invention, with the above configuration, it is possible to easily switch between a large fuel flow and a small fuel flow with a simple configuration, and to easily set the flow rates to fuel tanks of different capacities. It is possible to provide a fuel flow control valve device capable of

(A) and (B) are schematic diagrams showing typical configuration examples of an aircraft fuel tank to which the fuel flow control valve device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied, and (A) is a 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of the flow of fuel when fuel is supplied, and FIG. 9B is a diagram showing an example of the flow of fuel when transferring fuel. (A) is a schematic diagram showing a typical configuration example of a fuel flow rate control valve device used in the fuel tank shown in FIG. 1, and (B) is a poppet and a schematic diagram for explaining the moving direction of the piston mechanism. (A) to (C) are schematic diagrams for explaining the positions of the poppet and the piston mechanism when they are moved in the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 2(A). (A) to (C) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation at the start of fuel transfer in the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 2(A). 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams showing the operation from the fuel transfer to the end of the fuel transfer subsequent to the operation at the start of the fuel transfer shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C; FIG. (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams showing another example of the operation at the start of fuel transfer in the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 2(A). 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 2A at the start of fuel supply; FIG. 7(A) and (B) are schematic diagrams showing the operation at the time of fuel supply subsequent to the start of fuel supply shown in FIGS. 7(A) and (B). 8A and 8B are schematic diagrams showing the operation at the end of fuel supply subsequent to the fuel supply shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B; FIG. 3(A) and 3(B) are schematic diagrams showing another example of the operation of the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a typical configuration example of a fuel flow control valve device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; (A) is a schematic diagram showing a standby state in the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 11, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation during fuel transfer. 12A and 12B are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 11 during refueling; FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a typical configuration example of a fuel flow control valve device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention; 15A is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation during fuel transfer in the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 14, and FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of operation|movement. 15(A) and 15(B) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 14 at the end of fuel supply subsequent to fuel supply. FIG. 15(A) and 15(B) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 14 when removing fuel. FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a typical configuration example of a stopper mechanism included in a fuel flow control valve device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention; FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a difference in opening degree of the poppet due to operation of the stopper mechanism in the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 18; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a typical configuration example of a stopper mechanism included in a fuel flow control valve device according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention; FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a difference in opening degree of the poppet due to operation of the stopper mechanism in the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 20; (A) is a schematic diagram showing a typical configuration example of a stopper mechanism provided in a fuel flow rate adjustment valve device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention, and (B) is a main part of the stopper mechanism shown in (A). It is a schematic diagram which shows a part structure. FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a difference in opening degree of the poppet due to operation of the stopper mechanism in the fuel flow control valve device shown in FIG. 22;

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout all the drawings, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
Although the application target of the fuel flow control valve device according to the present invention is not particularly limited, it can be preferably applied to an aircraft as a representative. In Embodiment 1, the present invention will be specifically described by taking an example in which the fuel flow control valve device according to the present invention is applied to a fuel tank of an aircraft.

[Aircraft fuel tank]
First, a representative example of an aircraft fuel tank to which the fuel flow control valve device according to the present invention is applied will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B). In the following description, the fuel flow control valve device is abbreviated as "valve device" for convenience.

The specific configuration of the fuel tank to which the valve device according to the present invention is applied is not particularly limited, and examples include various known fuel tanks provided in known aircraft. Typical fuel tanks are, for example, integral tanks in which the wing and a part of the fuselage themselves are used as tank containers, or structures in which a synthetic rubber or resin tank container is stored inside the wing or fuselage. and the like.

An aircraft fuel tank may consist of a single tank vessel, but typically consists of a plurality of tank vessels. The multiple tank containers include main tanks that store fuel for supplying fuel directly to each engine, and auxiliary tanks (or auxiliary tanks) other than the main tanks, but tank containers other than these are also included. may The auxiliary tank normally stores fuel for transferring (or replenishing) fuel to the main tank as needed.

In Embodiment 1, an integral tank provided inside the main wing of the aircraft and inside the root portion of the main wing in the fuselage is exemplified as the fuel tank. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), the integral tank in the present embodiment includes at least three tank containers, a center tank 11, a starboard tank 12, and a port tank 13. partitioned. The tank container that constitutes the fuel tank may be provided not only inside the main wing but also inside the tail wing, or may be additionally installed outside the aircraft (for example, under the wing or under the fuselage). That is, the fuel tanks to which the present invention is applied include not only main wing tanks but also tail tanks, outboard tanks, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the center tank 11, the starboard tank 12, and the port tank 13 are each connected to an oil transfer pipe 40, and the starboard tank 12 is connected to a starboard engine pipe 52. is connected, and a port side engine pipe 53 is connected to the port side tank 13 . The oil supply transfer pipe 40 is composed of at least a general oil supply pipe 40a and an inter-tank pipe 40b. The general lubricating pipe 40a extends from the lubricating port 46 and is connected to the inter-tank pipe 40b. The inter-tank pipe 40b is connected to the overall lubrication pipe 40a and interconnects the three tank vessels.

In addition, the fuel supply transfer pipe 40 (the general fuel supply pipe 40a and the inter-tank pipe 40b), the starboard engine pipe 52 and the port engine pipe 53 (collectively, the engine pipes 52 and 53) are pipes that supply, transfer, or supply fuel. For convenience of description, the piping configuration is functionally classified. Therefore, the refueling transfer piping 40 and both engine piping 52, 53 illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B do not faithfully reflect the specific piping configuration of an actual aircraft, but rather the present invention. Needless to say, the specific aircraft configuration applied is not limited by the contents shown in FIG. 1(A) or (B).

The center tank 11 functions as an auxiliary tank and is provided inside the root portion of the main wing in the fuselage of the aircraft. Connected to the center tank 11 are a center tank oil supply pipe 41a and a center tank transfer pipe 41b, which constitute a part of the inter-tank pipe 40b. A center tank fueling valve 21 is provided on the center tank fueling pipe 41a, and fuel is supplied to or transferred to the center tank 11 when the center tank fueling valve 21 is open. A center tank transfer pump 31 is connected to the center tank transfer pipe 41b, and when the center tank transfer pump 31 operates, the fuel in the center tank 11 is transferred to the center tank transfer pipe 41b (and the inter-tank pipe including this). 40b) to another tank vessel.

The starboard tank 12 is provided on the right side of the center tank 11 and serves as a main tank that directly supplies fuel to the right engine 61 provided on the right main wing. The starboard tank 12 is connected to a starboard tank oil supply pipe 42 forming part of the inter-tank pipe 40b and the aforementioned starboard engine pipe 52 . A starboard tank fueling valve 22 is provided in the starboard tank fueling pipe 42 , and fuel is supplied to or transferred to the starboard tank 12 when the starboard tank fueling valve 22 is open. A starboard booster pump 32 is provided inside the starboard tank 12 , and a starboard engine pipe 52 is connected to the starboard booster pump 32 . A right engine 61 is connected to the starboard engine pipe 52 , and the fuel in the starboard tank 12 is directly supplied to the starboard engine 61 by operating the starboard booster pump 32 . Further, a transfer pipe and a transfer valve (not shown) are installed between the starboard booster pump 32 and the inter-tank pipe 40b. The fuel inside is transferred to another tank container.

The port side tank 13 is provided on the left side of the center tank 11 and serves as a main tank that directly supplies fuel to the left engine 62 provided on the left main wing. The port side tank 13 is connected to the port side tank oil supply line 43 that constitutes a part of the inter-tank line 40b and the aforementioned port side engine line 53 . A port tank fueling valve 23 is provided in the port tank fueling pipe 43 , and fuel is supplied to or transferred to the port tank 13 when the port tank fueling valve 23 is open. A port side booster pump 33 is provided inside the port side tank 13 , and a port side engine pipe 53 is connected to the port side booster pump 33 . A port side engine pipe 53 is connected to the port side engine 62 , and the fuel in the port side tank 13 is directly supplied to the port side engine 62 by operating the port side booster pump 33 . Further, a transfer pipe and a transfer valve (not shown) are installed between the port booster pump 33 and the inter-tank pipe 40b. The fuel inside is transferred to another tank container.

When fuel is supplied from the fuel filler port 46 to the integral tank configured as described above, and particularly when fuel is simultaneously supplied to each of the three tank containers, as shown in FIG. As indicated by the block arrows, the center tank fuel valve 21, the starboard tank fuel valve 22, and the port tank fuel valve 23 are opened.

On the other hand, when the fuel is transferred from the center tank 11, which is an auxiliary tank, to the starboard tank 12 and the port tank 13, which are main tanks, during the flight of the aircraft, as indicated by the block arrows in FIG. , the center tank refueling valve 21 is closed, the starboard tank refueling valve 22 and the port side tank refueling valve 23 are opened, and the center tank transfer pump 31 operates.

The valve device according to the present invention can be applied as the center tank fuel valve 21, the starboard tank fuel valve 22, and the port tank fuel valve 23 provided in each tank container. Moreover, the more specific configuration of the integral tank and the specific configuration of the pipes connected to each tank container are not particularly limited, and various known configurations can be suitably used.

[Configuration of valve device]
Next, a representative example of the configuration of the valve device according to Embodiment 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B) and FIGS. explained in detail. As shown in FIG. 2A, the valve device 200A according to the present embodiment includes a main flow path 201, a sub flow path 202, a reflux flow path 203, a poppet flow path 204, and a piston flow path 205 as fuel flow paths. and a shut-off valve 210 that opens and closes the main flow path 201, and a flow rate adjusting section 220 that adjusts the flow rate when the shut-off valve 210 is open.

The shutoff valve 210 is a poppet valve, and includes a manifold 211, a poppet 212, a valve seat 213, a piston mechanism 214, a poppet shaft 215 (indicated by dotted lines in the figure), a valve spring 216, and the like. The manifold 211 constitutes a branching point of the main flow path 201 and the sub-flow path 202 and is configured as one member integrated with the valve seat 213 . It should be noted that the valve seat 213 may be constructed as an independent member without being integrated with the manifold 211 .

As schematically shown in FIG. 2A, the main flow path 201 is configured to bend, for example, at a substantially right angle from upstream to downstream of the fuel flow, and the poppet 212 blocks or blocks the main flow path 201. It is provided downstream of the manifold 211 for opening. When looking at the positional relationship with the valve seat 213 as a reference, the branch point of the main flow path 201 and the sub-flow path 202 is positioned upstream of the valve seat 213 and the poppet 212 is positioned downstream of the valve seat 213 . Therefore, from the upstream side of the main flow path 201 to the downstream side, the order is the branch point of the sub-flow path 202 , the valve seat 213 , and the poppet 212 .

The upstream end of the poppet 212 is a poppet head 212a that can come into contact with the valve seat 213. When the poppet head 212a comes into contact with the valve seat 213, the main flow path 201 is blocked. Further, the main flow path 201 is opened by the poppet head 212a being separated from the valve seat 213. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the poppet 212 is provided movably within the main flow passage 201 so that at least the poppet head 212 a contacts or separates from the valve seat 213 .

In this embodiment, the poppet 212 has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the internal shape of the main flow path 201 and has a hollow interior. For convenience of explanation, this cavity will be referred to as an intra-poppet space 212c. A piston mechanism 214 is provided so as to contact the poppet rear portion 212b when the rear portion of the poppet 212 (opposite side of the poppet head portion 212a) is a poppet rear portion 212b. A poppet head portion 212a, which is one end of the poppet 212, has a sealed shape so as to protrude toward the valve seat 213, while a poppet rear portion 212b, which is the other end, has an open shape. ing. Further, the poppet head portion 212a is formed with a head through hole 212d that connects the main flow path 201 and the poppet internal space 212c. This head through-hole 212d has an orifice function.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the poppet 212 is configured to be movable in a direction L1 on the side contacting the valve seat 213 and a direction L2 on the side away from the valve seat 213 . Therefore, the direction L1 and the direction L2 are directions opposite to each other. In FIG. 2B, the L1 direction is indicated by a black block arrow, and the L2 direction is indicated by a white block arrow.

Also, the L1 direction is the direction in which the poppet 212 comes into contact with the valve seat 213 to block and close the main flow path 201, so for convenience of explanation, the L1 direction will be referred to as the "closing direction L1". Similarly, since the L2 direction is the direction in which the poppet 212 is separated from the valve seat 213 to open the main flow path 201, the L2 direction will be referred to as the "opening direction L2" for convenience of explanation.

The piston mechanism 214 is provided to define the limit position when the poppet back surface portion 212b is separated from the valve seat 213, as shown in FIG. 2(A). The piston mechanism 214 has a piston 214a, which is configured to be movable within a piston cylinder 214b. Since the piston cylinder 214b is positioned on the opening direction L2 side when viewed from the poppet 212, it is adjacent to the poppet internal space 212c. Like the poppet 212, the piston 214a is configured to be movable in the closing direction L1 and the opening direction L2.

A piston closing top surface 214c, which is a surface on the closing direction L1 side of the piston 214a, can come into contact with the poppet back surface portion 212b. A piston open top surface 214d, which is a surface on the opening direction L2 side of the piston 214a, can contact a cylinder bottom surface 214e, which is a bottom surface of the piston cylinder 214b in the opening direction L2. Therefore, the piston closed top surface 214c and the piston open top surface 214d face opposite sides. For convenience of illustration, in the drawings showing the piston mechanism 214 including FIGS.

Further, as described above, in the present embodiment, the poppet 212 is cylindrical, so the poppet back surface portion 212b has an open shape. Therefore, the piston 214a also has an annular shape corresponding to the poppet back surface portion 212b, and the piston cylinder 214b also has a cylindrical internal space corresponding to the shape of the piston 214a. A piston closed top surface 214c that abuts against the poppet rear surface portion 212b also has an annular shape corresponding to the shape of the opening of the poppet rear surface portion 212b.

A piston flow path 205 is connected to the piston mechanism 214, and the fuel from the main flow path 201 flows from the sub-flow path 202 through the piston flow path 205 to the cylinder bottom surface 214e of the piston mechanism 214 (that is, in the opening direction L2 in the piston cylinder 214b). from the side). Therefore, the piston mechanism 214 operates using fuel as the working fluid. As will be described later, when fuel flows from the piston flow path 205, the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 moves in the closing direction L1. Further, when the fuel in the piston mechanism 214 is caused to flow into the return path 203 via the piston flow path 205, the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 moves in the opening direction L2.

Fuel flows into the poppet internal space 212c from a head through-hole 212d provided in the poppet head 212a. Therefore, the poppet internal space 212c is filled with fuel. A poppet shaft 215 indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 2A is provided in the poppet internal space 212c, and a valve spring 216 is provided along the direction in which the poppet 212 operates. The poppet shaft 215 is a shaft that extends from the poppet head 212 a toward the rear side (opening direction L2 side) and supports the poppet 212 . A valve spring 216 biases poppet 212 toward valve seat 213 .

As described above, the sub-flow path 202 has one upstream end branched from the main flow path 201 at a position upstream of the valve seat 213 , and the other downstream end of the sub-flow path 202 to the piston mechanism via the piston flow path 205 . 214. The return path 203 branches from the poppet flow path 204 or the piston flow path 205 and is directly or indirectly connected to a fuel tank (tank container) not shown in FIG. 2(A). The indirect connection here means a connection with another pipe, valve, fuel rectifier or the like interposed between the fuel tank and the fuel tank. The return path 203 is provided to return the working fluid (fuel) in the piston mechanism 214 to the fuel tank, as described above.

The flow rate adjusting section 220 includes a valve control section 221, a piston mechanism control valve 222, a poppet control valve 223, and the like. As shown in FIG. 2A, the piston mechanism control valve 222 is provided at a location where the piston flow path 205 branches into the secondary flow path 202 and the return flow path 203 . The piston mechanism control valve 222 can be switched to a sub-channel connection position where the piston channel 205 is connected to the sub-channel 202 or a return channel connection position where the piston channel 205 is connected to the return channel 203 under the control of the valve control unit 221. is configured to When the piston mechanism control valve 222 is switched to the secondary flow path connection position, the secondary flow path 202 is connected to the piston flow path 205 and fuel from the secondary flow path 202 flows into the piston mechanism 214 . On the other hand, when the piston mechanism control valve 222 is switched to the return path connection position, the piston flow path 205 is connected to the return path 203 and the fuel from the piston mechanism 214 is returned to the return path 203 .

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a poppet channel 204 is connected to a position on the rear side of the poppet 212 . This poppet channel 204 is connected to the return channel 203 via a poppet control valve 223 . The poppet control valve 223 is configured to be switchable between a connection position for connecting the poppet flow path 204 to the return flow path 203 and a cutoff position for blocking the poppet flow path 204 from the return flow path 203 under the control of the valve control unit 221 .

The valve control unit 221 switches the poppet control valve 223 to the blocking position when blocking the main flow path 201 (blocking the main flow path 201 by bringing the poppet head 212a into contact with the valve seat 213). On the other hand, when opening the main flow path 201 (opening the main flow path 201 by separating the poppet head 212a from the valve seat 213), the poppet control valve 223 is switched to the connection position regardless of the opening degree of the poppet 212, which will be described later. .

Here, in FIG. 2(A) and FIGS. 4(A) to 10(C) which will be referred to when explaining the operation of the valve device 200A described later, for the sake of convenience, the valve control unit 221 to the poppet control valve 223 and the control commands for the piston mechanism control valve 222 are indicated by dashed lines. A dotted line C<b>1 is a control command output from the valve control section 221 to the piston mechanism control valve 222 , and a dotted line C<b>2 is a control command output from the valve control section 221 to the poppet control valve 223 . A state in which these control commands C1 or C2 are not output from the valve control unit 221 is shown as a dotted line, and C1 or C2 is shown in parentheses. (B) or see FIG. 7(B)). This point is the same for the second or third embodiment described later (control command C3 or C4).

In the configuration shown in FIG. 2A, the upstream side of the main flow path 201 and the sub-flow path 202, the downstream side of the return flow path 203, the upstream side of the poppet flow path 204, the upstream side of the piston flow path 205, and the shut The off-valve 210 is located inside the tank partition 101 and includes a flow control section 220 including a valve control section 221, a piston mechanism control valve 222, and a poppet control valve 223. The upstream side of channel 203 , the downstream side of poppet channel 204 , and the downstream side of piston channel 205 are located outside tank bulkhead 101 . However, the valve device 200A according to the present invention is not limited to this, and a suitable form can be adopted according to the configuration of the fuel tank (or individual tank container) in which the valve device 200A is provided.

In addition, the main flow path 201, the sub-flow path 202, the return flow path 203, the poppet flow path 204, the piston flow path 205, and the specific configurations of these branching points are not particularly limited. A well-known flow-path structure can be used suitably. In FIG. 2A, the main flow path 201 is bent at a substantially right angle, but the configuration of the main flow path 201 is not limited to this. Alternatively, it may be configured to extend without bending. Similarly, the specific configurations of the manifold 211, poppet 212, valve seat 213, piston mechanism 214, poppet shaft 215, and valve spring 216 that constitute the shutoff valve 210 are not particularly limited, and known configurations are preferably used. be able to.

Furthermore, the specific configurations of the valve control unit 221, the piston mechanism control valve 222, and the poppet control valve 223 that constitute the flow rate adjustment unit 220 are not particularly limited. The valve control unit 221 may be configured with a known control circuit, or may have a functional configuration in which a known arithmetic unit operates according to a program stored in a storage unit (not shown). As the piston mechanism control valve 222 and the poppet control valve 223, for example, solenoid valves can be preferably used, but other known valves may be used.

In addition, the valve mechanism other than the piston mechanism 214 used in the valve device 200A according to the present invention is not limited to the shutoff valve 210 shown in FIG. You can also Therefore, the configuration for operating the poppet 212 is not limited to valve mechanisms using fuel as the working fluid, such as the poppet control valve 223 and the poppet flow path 204, and valve mechanisms using other known methods are also suitably used. be able to.

Here, in the valve device 200A, as described above, the poppet 212 and the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 are movable in the closing direction L1 or the opening direction L2. Therefore, for the convenience of explaining the operation of the valve device 200A, the position of the piston 214a is referred to as the "open dead center" or "closed dead center" as follows with reference to FIGS. , and the positions of poppet 212 shall be referred to as the "closed position," the "maximum open position," or the "intermediate open position." 3(A) to (C) (as well as FIGS. 4(A) to 10(C) which will be referred to when explaining the operation of the valve device 200A to be described later) are the same as FIG. 2(B). , the closing direction L1 is indicated by a black block arrow, and the opening direction L2 is indicated by a white block arrow.

First, the designation of the position of the piston 214a will be described. In the state shown in FIG. 3(A) or FIG. 3(B), the piston 214a has reached the limit position in the opening direction L2, and the piston open top surface 214d is in contact with the cylinder bottom surface 214e. Therefore, such a position of the piston 214a is referred to as an "open dead point" for convenience in the sense that it has reached the "dead point" in the opening direction L2. On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 3C, the piston 214a has reached the limit position on the closing direction L1 side. Therefore, such a position of the piston 214a is referred to as a "closed dead point" for convenience in the sense that it has reached the "dead point" in the closing direction L1.

Next, the designation of the position of the poppet 212 will be described. In the state shown in FIG. 3A, the poppet 212 is in contact with the valve seat 213 . At this position, the main flow path 201 is blocked, and the poppet 212 has moved to the limit in the closing direction L1. Therefore, this position of the poppet 212 is called the "closed position". When the poppet 212 is in the closed position, the poppet back surface 212b does not come into contact with the piston closed top surface 214c even if the piston 214a is at the closed dead center.

Next, in the state shown in FIG. 3B, the piston 214a is positioned at the open dead center, the poppet 212 is separated from the valve seat 213, and the poppet rear portion 212b contacts the piston closed top surface 214c. ing. At this position, the main flow path 201 is open, and the poppet 212 has moved to the limit in the opening direction L2. Therefore, this position of the poppet 212 is called the "maximum open position".

Next, in the state shown in FIG. 3(C), the piston 214a is positioned at the closed dead center, the poppet 212 is separated from the valve seat 213, and the poppet back surface 212b contacts the piston closed top surface 214c. ing. At this position, the main flow path 201 is open as in the maximum open position, but the movement of the poppet 212 in the opening direction L2 side is restricted by the piston mechanism 214 . In other words, the opening of the main flow path 201 by the poppet 212 is limited and moderately open compared to the maximum open position. Therefore, this position of the poppet 212 is called an "intermediate open position".

2A, the poppet shaft 215 is illustrated with a dotted line, but FIG. 3A to 3C, the illustration of the poppet shaft 215 is omitted for the sake of convenience. Similarly, in FIGS. 4A to 10C, which will be referred to when explaining the operation of the valve device 200A, which will be described later, the poppet shaft The illustration of 215 is omitted.

[Operation of valve device during fuel transfer]
Next, the operation of the valve device 200A described above will be specifically described. The valve device 200A according to the present invention not only satisfactorily switches between the case where the fuel flows at a small flow rate and the case where the fuel flows at a large flow rate, but also satisfactorily changes the flow rate at both the small flow rate and the large flow rate. can be adjusted. Therefore, first, the operation of the valve device 200A when the fuel flows at a small flow rate will be described with reference to FIGS. will be described specifically with reference to.

As described above, in this embodiment, the integral tank shown in FIG. 1(A) or FIG. 1(B) includes the center tank 11, the starboard side tank 12, and the port side tank 13, and these tanks are They are connected by an oil transfer pipe 40 . Therefore, the case where the fuel is transferred between the tanks via the fuel supply transfer pipe 40 corresponds to the case where the fuel flows at a small flow rate.

Here, in the standby state, the valve device 200A blocks the main flow path 201, so the poppet 212 is in the closed position. In this state, the position of the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 can be either the open dead center or the closed dead center. Therefore, first, the case where the piston 214a is at the open dead center will be described.

First, in the state shown in FIG. 4A, since the poppet 212 is in the closed position, the main flow path 201 is blocked, and the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 is at the open dead center. Since the poppet 212 is urged in the closing direction L<b>1 (upstream side) by the valve spring 216 , the poppet head 212 a contacts the valve seat 213 . At this time, the valve control unit 221 sets the piston mechanism control valve 222 to the sub-flow path connecting position and sets the poppet control valve 223 to the blocking position. In this state, the piston channel 205 is connected to the secondary channel 202 and the poppet channel 204 is blocked from the return channel 203 .

Here, in the diagrams for explaining the operation including FIG. 4(A), the pressure state of each flow path is divided into two types of shading, and the relatively high pressure state is illustrated with thick shading. , a relatively low pressure state is illustrated by light shading. In the state shown in FIG. 4A, pressure is applied to the main flow path 201 by the center tank transfer pump 31 to transfer the fuel. At this time, the pressure in the upstream side of the main flow path 201, the poppet inner space 212c, the piston cylinder 214b, the sub-flow path 202, the poppet flow path 204, and the piston flow path 205 is relatively high, and the pressure in the return flow path 203 is relatively low. It has become. Therefore, poppet 212 remains in the closed position.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the valve control section 221 outputs a control command C2 (thick line arrow in the figure) to the poppet control valve 223. As shown in FIG. This switches the poppet control valve 223 from the closed position to the connected position. The poppet flow path 204 is connected to the return flow path 203 when the poppet control valve 223 is in the connected position. At this time, the pressure loss of the head through-hole 212 d having an orifice function is greater than that of the poppet channel 204 and the return channel 203 . Therefore, the fuel filled in the poppet internal space 212c flows from the poppet channel 204 into the return channel 203 and returns to the fuel tank. As a result, the return path 203, the poppet flow path 204, the piston cylinder 214b, and the poppet internal space 212c become relatively low pressure.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4C, the piston 214a moves from the open dead center to the closed dead center due to the high pressure from the sub-channel 202 via the piston channel 205. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the fuel filling the poppet inner space 212 c functions as a working fluid for the poppet 212 . At this time, since the poppet head portion 212a is in contact with the valve seat 213, there is a gap between the poppet rear surface portion 212b and the piston closed top surface 214c of the piston 214a. Thus, if the main flow path 201 is blocked, the piston closed top surface 214c does not affect the position of the poppet 212.

Here, in the state shown in FIG. 4C, the upstream side of the main flow path 201 is at high pressure, and the poppet internal space 212c and the poppet flow path 204 are at low pressure. Therefore, the high pressure for fuel transfer in the main flow path 201 causes the poppet 212 to move from the closed position in the open direction L2 as shown in FIG. 5(A). At this time, the piston mechanism 214 restricts the movement of the poppet 212 in the opening direction L2 because the piston 214a is positioned at the closed dead center. As a result, the position of poppet 212 is adjusted to the intermediate open position by piston mechanism 214 . In this state, the valve device 200A is opened to a moderate degree corresponding to the small flow rate of the main flow path 201, so that the fuel is transferred well from upstream to downstream in the main flow path 201.

After that, when the transfer of fuel is completed, the valve control section 221 stops outputting the control command C2 to the poppet control valve 223 . As a result, the poppet control valve 223 is brought to the blocking position, so that the poppet flow path 204 and the poppet internal space 212c are blocked from the return flow path 203, and the pressure returns to a relatively high pressure state, as shown in FIG. 5(B). Therefore, the bias of the valve spring 216, the pressure difference between the front surface and the back surface of the poppet 212, and the force derived from the area difference between the front surface and the back surface of the poppet 212 move the poppet 212 from the intermediate open position toward the closing direction L1. The poppet head 212 a contacts the valve seat 213 . As a result, the poppet 212 returns to the closed position similar to the state shown in FIG. 4(A). At this time, the poppet 212 gently moves due to the inflow of fuel from the head through-hole 212d having an orifice function, so that the generation of surge pressure due to the abrupt closure of the main flow passage 201 is suppressed.

Next, the case where the piston 214a is at the closed dead center will be described. In the state shown in FIG. 6A, similar to the state shown in FIG. 4A, the poppet 212 is in the closed position and the main flow path 201 is blocked, but the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 is closed dead center. position. After that, as shown in FIG. 6B, the valve control section 221 outputs a control command C2 (thick line arrow in the figure) to the poppet control valve 223 . This switches the poppet control valve 223 from the closed position to the connected position.

When the poppet control valve 223 is in the connected position, the poppet channel 204 is connected to the return channel 203, so the fuel filling the poppet inner space 212c flows from the poppet channel 204 into the return channel 203, and the fuel tank is discharged. Reflux to As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the return path 203, the poppet flow path 204, and the poppet internal space 212c become relatively low pressure. In this state, the piston 214a is already at the closed dead center. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the poppet 212 moves from the closed position in the opening direction L2 due to the high pressure in the main flow path 201, the position of the poppet 212 is adjusted to the intermediate open position by the piston mechanism 214. and a small flow of fuel is transferred.

After that, when the transfer of fuel is completed, the valve control section 221 stops outputting the control command C2 to the poppet control valve 223 . As a result, the poppet control valve 223 is brought to the closed position, so that the poppet 212 returns to the closed position as shown in FIG. 5(B), similar to the state shown in FIG. 6(A).

[Operation of the valve device during refueling]
Next, regarding the operation of the valve device 200A when the fuel flows at a large flow rate, FIGS. A specific description will be given with reference to FIGS.

As described above, in the integral tank shown in FIG. 1(A) or FIG. 1(B), when the fuel flows at a small flow rate, the fuel is transferred between the tanks via the fuel transfer pipe 40. corresponds to On the other hand, when the fuel flows at a large flow rate, there is a case where the fuel is supplied from the outside to the integral tank. As described above, in the standby state in which the poppet 212 is in the closed position, the position of the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 can be either open dead center or closed dead center. Therefore, as in the case of the small flow rate, first, the case where the piston 214a is at the open dead center will be described.

First, in the state shown in FIG. 7A, since the poppet 212 is in the closed position and the main flow path 201 is blocked, the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 is at the open dead point. Since the poppet 212 is urged in the closing direction L<b>1 (upstream side) by the valve spring 216 , the poppet head 212 a contacts the valve seat 213 . At this time, the valve control unit 221 sets the piston mechanism control valve 222 to the sub-flow path connecting position and sets the poppet control valve 223 to the blocking position. In this state, the piston channel 205 is connected to the secondary channel 202 and the poppet channel 204 is blocked from the return channel 203 .

Here, in the state shown in FIG. 7A, pressure is applied to the main flow path 201 from the outside for supplying fuel. Therefore, each flow path (the upstream side of the main flow path 201, the poppet inner space 212c, the piston cylinder 214b, the sub-flow path 202, the poppet flow path 204, and the piston flow path 205) other than the return flow path 203 becomes relatively high pressure. , only the return path 203 has a relatively low pressure.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the valve control section 221 outputs a control command C1 (thick line arrow in the figure) to the piston mechanism control valve 222 . As a result, the piston mechanism control valve 222 is switched from the secondary channel connection position to the return channel connection position. When the piston mechanism control valve 222 is in the return path connection position, the piston flow path 205 is connected to the return path 203, so the fuel filled in the piston flow path 205 flows into the return path 203 and is returned to the fuel tank. do. As a result, the opening direction L2 side of the piston cylinder 214b (or the cylinder bottom surface 214e side) becomes relatively lower pressure than the closing direction L1 side of the piston cylinder 214b.

After that, as shown in FIG. 8A, the valve control section 221 outputs a control command C2 (thick line arrow in the figure) to the poppet control valve 223 . Thereby, the poppet channel 204 is also connected to the return channel 203 . As a result, the inner poppet space 212c and the piston cylinder 214b also change from a high pressure state to a low pressure state, and in the piston mechanism 214, the position of the piston 214a is maintained at the open dead center. Poppet 212 therefore moves from the closed position shown in FIG. 8A to the maximum open position shown in FIG. 8B.

After that, when the fuel supply is completed, the valve control unit 221 stops outputting the control command C2 to the poppet control valve 223, as shown in FIG. 9(A). As a result, the poppet control valve 223 is brought to the blocking position, so that the poppet flow path 204 and the poppet internal space 212c are blocked from the return flow path 203 and return to a relatively high pressure state. Therefore, the bias of the valve spring 216, the pressure difference between the front surface and the rear surface of the poppet 212, and the force derived from the area difference between the front surface and the rear surface of the poppet 212 cause the poppet 212 to move from the maximum open position toward the closing direction L1. The poppet head 212 a contacts the valve seat 213 . At this time, the poppet 212 gently moves due to the inflow of fuel from the head through-hole 212d having an orifice function, so that the generation of surge pressure due to the abrupt closure of the main flow passage 201 is suppressed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the valve control section 221 stops outputting the control command C1 to the piston mechanism control valve 222 . Therefore, the piston mechanism control valve 222 is in the secondary flow path connection position so that the piston flow path 205 returns to a relatively high pressure state. Since the poppet 212 moves in the closing direction L1 and returns to the closed position, the valve device 200A returns to the state shown in FIG. 7A.

Next, the case where the piston 214a is at the closed dead center will be described. In the state shown in FIG. 10A, similar to the state shown in FIG. 7A, the poppet 212 is in the closed position and the main flow path 201 is blocked, but the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 is closed dead center. position. After that, as shown in FIG. 10B, the valve control section 221 outputs a control command C1 (thick line arrow in the figure) to the piston mechanism control valve 222 . As a result, the piston mechanism control valve 222 is switched from the secondary channel connection position to the return channel connection position.

When the piston mechanism control valve 222 is in the return path connection position, the piston flow path 205 is connected to the return path 203 . Therefore, the fuel filled in the piston flow path 205 and the piston cylinder 214b flows into the return path 203 and returns to the fuel tank. As a result, the opening direction L2 side of the piston cylinder 214b (or the cylinder bottom surface 214e side) becomes relatively lower pressure than the closing direction L1 side of the piston cylinder 214b. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10(C), the piston 214a moves from the closing dead center in the opening direction L2 and is positioned at the opening dead center.

After that, as shown in FIG. 8A, the valve control section 221 outputs a control command C2 (thick line arrow in the figure) to the poppet control valve 223 . As a result, the poppet channel 204 is also connected to the return channel 203, so the poppet 212 moves from the closed position to the maximum open position as shown in FIG. 8B.

After that, when the fuel supply is completed, the valve control unit 221 stops outputting the control command C2 to the poppet control valve 223, as shown in FIG. 9(A). This causes the poppet control valve 223 to be in the closed position so that the force from the bias of the valve spring 216, the pressure difference across the front and back of the poppet 212, and the area difference between the front and back of the poppet 212 will cause the poppet to 212 moves from the maximum open position to the closing direction L1 side, and the poppet head 212 a contacts the valve seat 213 . At this time, the poppet 212 gently moves due to the inflow of fuel from the head through-hole 212d having an orifice function, so that the generation of surge pressure due to the abrupt closure of the main flow passage 201 is suppressed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, the valve control unit 221 stops outputting the control command C1 to the piston mechanism control valve 222, and the piston flow path 205 returns to a relatively high pressure state. The poppet 212 moves in the closing direction L1 and returns to the closed position. As a result, the valve device 200A returns to the state shown in FIG. 7(A).

Thus, in the valve device 200A according to the present invention, the fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 of the shutoff valve 210 can be used as the working fluid of the piston mechanism 214 to adjust the position of the poppet 212. Therefore, the opening and closing of the poppet 212 or the degree of opening of the poppet 212 can be adjusted with a simple configuration that suppresses an increase in the number of parts. In particular, in the present embodiment, the poppet rear portion 212b of the poppet 212 contacts or separates from the piston 214a when the poppet 212 is open.

Therefore, when refueling the fuel tank, for example, by positioning the piston 214a at the open dead center and increasing the opening of the poppet 212, a large flow rate of fuel can be circulated. Further, for example, when transferring fuel to another fuel tank, by positioning the piston 214a at the open dead center and reducing the opening of the poppet 212, the fuel can be circulated at a small flow rate. In addition, even when fuel is simultaneously supplied to or transferred to tanks of different capacities, the flow rate of fuel to each tank can be easily set by changing the opening degree of poppet 212 .

[Modification]
In the present embodiment, the control valves included in the flow rate adjustment unit 220 are the piston mechanism control valve 222 and the poppet control valve 223, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the control valves are used to control the piston mechanism 214. Only the piston mechanism control valve 222 may be utilized. Alternatively, the single piston mechanism control valve 222 may be replaced with a plurality of control valves to control the piston mechanism 214, or control valves other than the piston mechanism control valve 222 and the poppet control valve 223 may be provided. good too.

Further, in the present embodiment, poppet 212 is configured to move by the pressure of fuel flowing through main flow path 201, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, poppet 212 may be configured to move in closed direction L1 or open direction L2 by known mechanical or electrical techniques.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the opening degree of the poppet 212 is set to a smaller opening degree (intermediate open position, see FIG. degree (maximum open position, see FIG. 3B), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, by using a known valve device that can adjust the pressure of the fuel (working fluid) applied to the piston mechanism 214 as the piston mechanism control valve 222, the movement position of the poppet 212 in the opening direction L2 can be set in multiple stages. can be changed to

As a result, the opening degree of the poppet 212 (intermediate open position) when the piston 214a is positioned at the closed dead center and the opening degree (maximum open position) of the poppet 212 when the piston 214a is positioned at the open dead center At least one intermediate opening can be set. As a result, a lower pressure can be applied from the piston flow path 205 to the inside of the piston cylinder 214b on the connection side of the piston flow path 205, so that the position of the poppet 212 can be defined at an intermediate stage. Become. As a result, not only can the fuel flow rate in the main flow path 201 be reduced or increased, but at least one step of intermediate flow rate can be realized.

Furthermore, the center tank 11, the starboard tank 12, and the port tank 13 shown in FIG. 1A do not all have the same capacity. 12 and the port side tank 13 and the center tank 11 are assumed to have different capacities.

In this case, as described above, by setting the sub-channel connection position of the piston mechanism control valve 222 in a plurality of stages and setting intermediate openings, the flow rate of fuel in the main channel 201 can be set to a small flow rate or Various intermediate flow rates can be set as well as large flow rates. This makes it possible to easily set the fuel flow rate according to the capacity of each tank container. Therefore, the control valve such as the piston mechanism control valve 222 may be configured to be switchable between multiple stages by the valve control section 221 .

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the valve device 200A is used for transferring fuel or refueling. It can also handle oil extraction.

Furthermore, in this embodiment and each embodiment described later, a configuration in which the fuel flow control valve device according to the present invention is applied to an aircraft fuel tank is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to the aircraft field. , and can be suitably used for fuel tanks in various other fields.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the poppet control valve 223, which is a control valve, is configured to operate based on the control command C2 from the valve control unit 221. It may be configured to operate with the pressure of the fuel at the time of . An example of such a configuration will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13(A) and (B).

[Configuration of valve device]
As shown in FIG. 11, the valve device 200B according to the second embodiment has a main flow channel 201, secondary flow channels 202a and 202b, It has return channels 203a and 203b, a poppet channel 204 and a piston channel 205, and also has a shut-off valve 230 that opens and closes the main channel 201, and a flow control unit 240.

The shutoff valve 230 has the same configuration as the shutoff valve 210 according to the first embodiment, and includes a manifold 231, a poppet 232, a valve seat 233, a piston mechanism 234, a poppet shaft 235, a valve spring 236, and the like. . The basic configuration of the poppet 232 is also the same as that of the poppet 212 according to the first embodiment, and has a poppet head portion 232a on the closing direction L1 side, a poppet rear portion 232b on the opening direction L2 side, and a poppet inner space 232c. ing. As in the first embodiment, the poppet 232 is provided with a head through-hole 232d extending from the poppet head 232a to the poppet internal space 232c. is provided.

The basic configuration of the piston mechanism 234 is also similar to that of the piston mechanism 214 according to the first embodiment, and is composed of at least a piston 234a and a piston cylinder 234b. The top surface of the piston 234a on the closing direction L1 side is the piston closed top surface 234c, and the top surface of the piston 234a on the opening direction L2 side is the piston open top surface 234d. Further, the bottom surface of the piston cylinder 234b on the opening direction L2 side is the cylinder bottom surface 234e (indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow in the figure).

The basic configuration of the flow rate adjusting section 240 is also the same as that of the flow rate adjusting section 220 according to the first embodiment, and includes a valve control section 241, a piston mechanism control valve 242, and a poppet control valve 243. there is The valve control section 241 can output a control command C3 to the poppet control valve 243 .

As with the piston mechanism control valve 222 according to the first embodiment, the piston mechanism control valve 242 is provided at a location where the piston flow path 205 branches into the secondary flow path 202a and the return flow path 203a. It is configured to be switchable between a sub-channel connection position where it connects to the sub-channel 202a and a return channel connection position where the piston channel 205 is connected to the return channel 203a. In this embodiment, the piston mechanism control valve 242 is a cracking valve that is operated by a preset pressure of fuel during refueling or transfer.

In addition, unlike the poppet control valve 223 according to the first embodiment, the poppet control valve 243 has the poppet flow path 204 replaced with the secondary flow path 202b or the return flow path 203b as shown in FIG. It is provided at the connecting point. As described above, unlike the valve device 200A according to the first embodiment, the valve device 200B according to the present embodiment includes two sub-channels 202a and 202b, and two return channels. 203a and 203b.

The sub-flow path 202a is connected to the piston mechanism 234 via the piston mechanism control valve 242 and the piston flow path 205, as in the first embodiment. It is connected to control valve 242 . On the other hand, the secondary flow path 202b is branched from the secondary flow path 202a and connected to the poppet control valve 243, and the return flow path 203b is branched from the return flow path 203a and connected to the poppet control valve 243. .

The poppet control valve 243 is capable of switching between a return path connection position where the poppet flow path 204 is connected to the return path 203b and a sub-flow path connection position where the poppet flow path 204 is connected to the sub-flow path 202b. Although a solenoid valve is exemplified as the poppet control valve 243, it is not limited to this, and other known valves can be used.

[Operation of valve device]
Next, an example of the operation of the valve device 200B according to this embodiment will be described. First, in the state shown in FIG. 12A, since the poppet 232 is in the closed position, the main flow path 201 is blocked. Note that the piston 234a of the piston mechanism 234 is at the closed dead point. Since the poppet 232 is urged in the closing direction L<b>1 by the valve spring 236 , the poppet head 232 a contacts the valve seat 233 .

Thus, when the poppet 232 abuts against the valve seat 233 to block the main flow path 201, the piston mechanism control valve 242 is in the secondary flow path connection position, and the poppet control valve 243 is also in the secondary flow path connection position. . In this state, no control command is output to the poppet control valve 243 . Also, the main flow path 201, the poppet internal space 232c, the piston cylinder 234b, the sub-flow paths 202a and 202b, the poppet flow path 204, and the piston flow path 205 are all in a relatively high pressure state.

12(A), (B) and FIGS. 13(A), (B), the pressure states of the respective flow paths and the like are divided into three shaded areas. For example, in the main channel 201 and the like shown in FIGS. 12(A), 13(A) and (B), the state of relatively high pressure is illustrated by dark shading, and FIGS. 12(B) and 13(A) In the poppet internal space 232c and the like shown in FIG. Further, in the main flow path 201 and the like shown in FIG. 12(B), a relatively low pressure state for transferring fuel is illustrated by intermediate hatching.

Next, when the fuel flows at a small flow rate, such as when transferring fuel, the center tank transfer pump 31 pumps the main flow path 201 at a relatively low pressure to transfer the fuel, as shown in FIG. 12(B). fuel flows into (illustrated by intermediate hatching). In this state, the valve control unit 241 outputs a control command C3 to the poppet control valve 243 (thick line arrow in the figure). As a result, the poppet control valve 243 is switched from the secondary flow path connection position to the return flow path connection position, so that the fuel in the poppet inner space 232c is returned to the fuel tank via the poppet flow path 204 and the return flow path 203b. . Therefore, the poppet internal space 232c has a lower pressure than the main flow path 201, so the poppet 232 moves in the opening direction L2.

At this time, the pressure in the piston mechanism 234 (inside the piston cylinder 234b) is approximately the same as the pressure in the main flow path 201 (illustrated by intermediate hatching), and the pressure in the poppet inner space 232c is lower (illustrated by light hatching). ). Therefore, since the pressure in the piston cylinder 234b remains relatively higher than that in the poppet inner space 232c, the piston 234a is positioned at the closed dead center. As a result, the poppet 232 is in the intermediate open position and the main flow path 201 is opened relatively small, allowing a small flow of fuel to flow.

Next, when the fuel flows at a large flow rate such as when refueling, as shown in FIG. shown with darker shading). In this state, the valve control section 241 outputs a control command C3 to the poppet control valve 243 . Also, at this time, the cracking pressure (high pressure in the main flow path 201) when the poppet 232 moves is transmitted to the piston mechanism control valve 242 via the sub-flow path 202a, and the piston mechanism control valve 242 operates to operate the sub-flow path. It switches from the path connection position to the return path connection position.

The poppet control valve 243 is switched from the secondary channel connection position to the return channel connection position by the control command C3, and the pressure in the poppet inner space 232c becomes lower than that of the main channel 201. FIG. Further, when the piston mechanism control valve 242 is in the return path connection position, the fuel in the piston mechanism 234 is returned to the fuel tank through the return path 203a, so the piston 234a moves from the closed dead point to the open dead point. . As a result, the poppet 232 is kept moving in the opening direction L2, and the poppet back surface 232b comes into contact with the piston closed top surface 234c of the piston 234a positioned at the open dead center. Therefore, the poppet 232 is at its maximum open position, the main flow path 201 is opened at its maximum opening, and a large amount of fuel flows.

After that, as shown in FIG. 13(B), the valve control unit 241 stops outputting the control command C3 to the poppet control valve 243 when the fuel supply is completed. This places the poppet control valve 243 in the secondary flow connection position, resulting in forces resulting from the bias of the valve spring 236, the pressure differential across the front and back surfaces of the poppet 232, and the area difference between the front and back surfaces of the poppet 232. , the poppet 232 moves in the closing direction L1 from the maximum open position.

This causes the poppet 232 to be in the closed position, blocking the main flow path 201 . In addition, since the poppet 232 gently moves due to the inflow of fuel from the head through-hole 232d having the check valve 232e, generation of surge pressure due to abrupt closure of the main flow passage 201 is suppressed. Further, by switching the poppet control valve 243 to the secondary flow path connection position, the pressures above and below the piston mechanism control valve 242, which is a cracking valve, become equal. Therefore, the bias of the spring switches the piston mechanism control valve 242 from the return path connection position to the sub-path connection position. As a result, the operation of the piston mechanism 234 also stops. At this time, the piston 234a is positioned at the open dead center in FIG. 13(B), but may be positioned at the closed dead center.

Thus, in this embodiment, a cracking valve is used as the piston mechanism control valve 242 . In the valve device 200A according to the first embodiment, both the piston mechanism control valve 222 and the poppet control valve 223 use solenoid valves controlled by the valve control unit 241. In the present embodiment, the poppet control valve 243 Since only one solenoid valve can be used, the number of solenoid valves used as control valves can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the valve device 200B is explained by taking the case of fuel transfer or fuel refueling as an example. In addition, it can handle not only fuel transfer or refueling, but also removal of oil from the fuel tank.

(Embodiment 3)
In Embodiments 1 and 2, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path is adjusted only by adjusting the opening of the poppet. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in order to achieve a small flow rate, it is possible to achieve a small flow rate even when the poppet is closed by using a through hole provided in the poppet head. . An example of such a configuration will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17(A) and (B).

[Configuration of valve device]
As shown in FIG. 14, the valve device 200C according to the third embodiment differs from the valve device 200A according to the first embodiment or the valve device 200B according to the second embodiment in that the piston mechanism 254 is a poppet It is configured to be fitted from the opening direction L2 side of the poppet head portion 252a so as to close the head through hole 252d provided in the head portion 252a.

Specifically, the valve device 200C includes, as fuel flow paths, a main flow path 201, two sub flow paths 202c and 202d, two return flow paths 203c and 203d, two poppet flow paths 204a and 204b, and a piston flow path. 205, and an oil removal passage 206 is further provided. The valve device 200</b>C also includes a shutoff valve 250 that opens and closes the main flow path 201 and a flow rate adjusting section 260 .

The configuration of the shutoff valve 250 is the same as the shutoff valve 210 according to the first embodiment or the shutoff valve 230 according to the second embodiment, and includes a manifold 251, a poppet 252, a valve seat 253, a piston mechanism 254, a piston It has a shaft 255, a valve spring 256, and the like. The poppet 252 has a poppet head portion 252a on the closing direction L1 side, a poppet rear portion 252b on the opening direction L2 side, and a piston fitting portion 252c. A piston fitting portion 252c is provided on the opening direction L2 side of the poppet head portion 252a, and a concave portion into which the piston mechanism 254 can be fitted is formed.

Further, a head through hole 252d is formed in the poppet head 252a so as to penetrate from the closing direction L1 side to the opening direction L2 side to enable communication between the main flow path 201 and the piston fitting portion 252c. Further, the poppet 252 has a side through-hole 252e that allows communication between the inner space (inside the recess) of the piston fitting portion 252c and the downstream side of the main flow path 201. As shown in FIG. The head through-hole 252d and the side through-hole 252e are closed by fitting the piston mechanism 254 into the piston fitting portion 252c, and are opened by separating the piston mechanism 254 from the piston fitting portion 252c. .

The poppet 252 has an inner poppet space 252f therein, similarly to the poppet 212 according to the first embodiment or the poppet 232 according to the second embodiment. However, unlike the poppet inner space 212 c or the poppet inner space 232 c , the poppet inner space 252 f does not substantially contribute to the opening and closing of the poppet 252 . Further, the poppet back surface portion 252b has a configuration in which the poppet 212 according to the first embodiment and the piston 214a of the piston mechanism 214 are integrated, and has a cylindrical shape surrounding the piston mechanism 254. are doing. A poppet rear space 252g is formed on the opening direction L2 side of the poppet rear portion 252b.

Unlike the piston mechanism 214 according to the first embodiment or the piston mechanism 234 according to the second embodiment, the piston mechanism 254 is not annular and is not configured to contact the poppet back surface portion 252b. The piston mechanism 254 includes a rod-shaped piston 254a and a piston cylinder 254b, and the piston shaft 255 is provided on the piston 254a so as to extend from the opening direction L2 side of the piston 254a. The piston 254a can be fitted into a piston fitting portion 252c provided on the opening direction L2 side of the poppet head portion 252a.

A piston rear portion 254c is provided at the end of the piston 254a on the opening direction L2 side. The piston back surface portion 254c is configured as a step between the main body of the piston 254a and the piston shaft 255. As shown in FIG. The end of the piston 254a on the closing direction L1 side forms a piston top surface 254d, so that when the piston 254a is fitted into the piston fitting portion 252c, the head through hole 252d of the poppet head 252a is closed. configured to A piston spring 254e that biases the piston 254a in the closing direction L1 is provided on the opening direction L2 side of the piston back surface portion 254c.

The piston cylinder 254b is configured to accommodate only the opening direction L2 side of the piston 254a (near the piston back surface portion 254c), rather than accommodating the entire piston 254a. This is because the closing direction L1 side of the piston 254a (that is, the vicinity of the piston top surface 254d) fits into the piston fitting portion 252c of the poppet head portion 252a. Further, the piston flow path 205 is connected to the opening direction L2 side of the piston cylinder 254b. Further, the piston 254a is provided with a piston through-hole 254f that penetrates from the piston top surface 254d to reach the side portion of the piston rear surface portion 254c. This piston through hole 254f has an orifice function.

The basic configuration of the flow rate adjusting section 260 is the same as that of the flow rate adjusting section 240 according to the second embodiment, and includes a valve control section 261, a piston mechanism control valve 262, and a poppet control valve 263. . Furthermore, the flow rate adjusting unit 260 includes an oil removal valve 264 and check valves 265 , 266 and 267 . The valve control section 261 can output a control command C4 to the piston mechanism control valve 262 .

The piston mechanism control valve 262 is provided between the piston flow path 205 and the return path 203c, and has a connection position connecting the piston flow path 205 to the return path 203c and a blocking position blocking the piston flow path 205 and the return path 203c. configured to be switchable. In addition, in the present embodiment, the piston mechanism control valve 262 is configured as a solenoid valve, but is not particularly limited.

Also, the poppet control valve 263 is provided at a location connecting the poppet flow path 204a, the sub-flow path 202c, and the piston flow path 205, and has a sub-flow path connection position at which the poppet flow path 204a is connected to the sub-flow path 202c, It is possible to switch between the piston flow channel connection position where the flow channel 204a is connected to the piston flow channel 205. FIG. In the present embodiment, poppet control valve 263 is exemplified by a cracking valve, but is not particularly limited.

The oil removal valve 264 does not operate during fuel transfer or fuel supply, but operates when removing fuel from the fuel tank. The oil removal valve 264 is provided at a location connecting the oil removal passage 206, the secondary flow passage 202d, and the poppet flow passage 204b. It is configured to be switchable between a blocking position for blocking and a connecting position for connecting the poppet channel 204 b to the piston channel 205 .

The sub-channels 202c and 202d branch off from the main channel 201, respectively. One secondary channel 202c can be connected to the poppet channel 204a via a poppet control valve 263. As shown in FIG. A sub-channel check valve 267 is provided in the sub-channel 202c.

Of the return paths 203 c and 203 d , one return path 203 c branches off from the piston flow path 205 and the other return path 203 d is connected to the oil removal path 206 . The return path 203c and the return path 203d merge on the downstream side as in the second embodiment, and a return path check valve 266 is provided on the downstream side of the junction. An oil removal passage check valve 265 is interposed between the return passage 203 d and the oil removal passage 206 .

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, as described above, the poppet channels 204a and 204b are provided, and both are connected to the back side of the poppet 252 (opening direction L2 side). One poppet flow path 204a is connected to the secondary flow path 202c or the piston flow path 205 via a poppet control valve 263, and the other poppet flow path 204b is connected to the piston flow path 205 via an oil removal valve 264. It is

The downstream side of the oil removal passage 206 is connected to the return passage 203 d through the oil removal passage check valve 265 , and the upstream side of the oil removal passage 206 is connected to the downstream side of the main flow passage 201 . Further, a sub-flow path 202 d branched from the upstream of the main flow path 201 and a piston flow path 205 are branched and connected to the oil removal valve 264 . Furthermore, the poppet flow path 204 b is connected to the piston flow path 205 via an oil removal valve 264 . The oil removal passage check valve 265 releases the pressure in the oil removal passage 206 when the oil removal valve 264 is in the connected position and the oil removal is completed.

[Operation of valve device]
Next, an example of the operation of the valve device 200C according to this embodiment will be described. First, in the state shown in FIG. 14, since the poppet 252 is in the closed position, the main flow path 201 is blocked. Since the poppet 252 is biased in the closing direction L<b>1 by the valve spring 256 , the poppet head 252 a is in contact with the valve seat 253 . Also, the piston 254a of the piston mechanism 254 is at the closed dead point. Since the piston 254a is biased in the closing direction L1 by the piston spring 254e, the piston 254a is fitted in the piston fitting portion 252c of the poppet head 252a and contacts the inner surface of the head through hole 252d. .

Thus, when the poppet 252 abuts the valve seat 253 to block the main flow path 201, the piston mechanism control valve 262 is in the blocking position and the poppet control valve 263 is in the secondary flow path connection position. Although not shown in FIG. 14 by hatching, the main flow path 201, the piston cylinder 254b, the poppet rear space 252g, and the sub-flow paths 202c and 202d are all in a relatively high pressure state.

15(A) to 17(B) for explaining the operation, the pressure states of the respective flow paths and the like are divided into four types of shading. For example, in the main flow path 201 and the like shown in FIGS. 16(A) and 17(B), the return passages 203c and 203d, the piston passage 205, and the poppet rear space 252g shown in FIGS. A state of relatively low pressure is illustrated by thin shading.

Furthermore, in the main flow passage 201 and the like shown in FIG. 15(A), similar to FIG. showing. In addition, in the main flow path 201, the poppet rear space 252g, the piston flow path 205 shown in FIG. 17A, and the upstream side of the main flow path 201 shown in FIG. The resulting negative pressure is illustrated with lighter shading that differs from the lower pressure shading.

Next, when the fuel flows at a small flow rate, such as when transferring fuel, the center tank transfer pump 31 pumps the main flow path 201 at a relatively low pressure to transfer the fuel, as shown in FIG. 15(A). fuel flows into (illustrated by intermediate hatching). At this time, the poppet control valve 263 is in the secondary flow channel connection position, and the poppet rear space 252g on the opening direction L2 side of the poppet rear portion 252b has the same pressure as the main flow channel 201 through the secondary flow channel 202c. The poppet 252 does not move in the opening direction L2.

From this state, the valve control unit 261 outputs a control command C4 to the piston mechanism control valve 262 (thick line arrow in the figure). As a result, the piston mechanism control valve 262 is switched from the closed position to the connected position, and the pressure inside the piston cylinder 254b becomes even lower than that of the main flow path 201 . Therefore, the piston 254a moves in the opening direction L2.

By moving the piston 254a in the opening direction L2, the head through-hole 252d and the side through-hole 252e, which were closed by the piston 254a at the dead center, are opened. As a result, a small amount of fuel flows from the upstream of the main flow path 201 to the downstream of the main flow path 201 via the head through-hole 252d, the piston fitting portion 252c and the side through-hole 252e.

Next, when the fuel flows at a large flow rate such as when refueling, as shown in FIG. shown with darker shading). From this state, the valve control section 261 outputs a control command C4 to the piston mechanism control valve 262. As shown in FIG. Also, at this time, the cracking pressure (high pressure in the main flow path 201) when the piston 254a moves is transmitted to the poppet control valve 263 via the sub-flow path 202c, and the poppet control valve 263 operates to connect the sub-flow path. position to the piston flow connection position.

Since the piston mechanism control valve 262 is switched from the closed position to the closed position by the control command C4, the pressure inside the piston cylinder 254b becomes lower than that of the main flow path 201. FIG. Therefore, the piston 254a moves from the closing dead point in the opening direction L2 and reaches the opening dead point. Further, when the poppet control valve 263 is at the piston flow passage connecting position, the fuel in the poppet rear space 252g on the opening direction L2 side as viewed from the poppet rear portion 252b is returned to the return passage 203c via the piston flow passage 205. be. Therefore, the pressure in the poppet rear space 252g becomes lower than that of the main flow path 201 (illustrated by light hatching), and the poppet 252 moves in the opening direction L2 as shown in FIG. 16(A). Therefore, the poppet 252 is at its maximum open position, the main flow path 201 is opened at its maximum opening, and a large amount of fuel flows.

After that, as shown in FIG. 16B, when refueling is completed, the valve control section 261 stops outputting the control command C4 to the piston mechanism control valve 262 . As a result, the piston mechanism control valve 262 is placed in the blocking position, so that the piston flow path 205 and the piston cylinder 254b are blocked from the return flow path 203c, returning to a relatively high pressure state. Therefore, the biasing force of the piston spring 254e and the force derived from the pressure difference between the front surface and the back surface of the piston 254a move the piston 254a in the closing direction L1, so that the state shown in FIG. located at the dead point. Therefore, the piston 254a is fitted into the piston fitting portion 252c to close the head through-hole 252d and the side through-hole 252e. At this time, the piston 254a is gently moved by the inflow of fuel from the piston through-hole 254f having an orifice function, so that the generation of surge pressure due to the abrupt closing of the main flow path 201 is suppressed.

In addition, since the high pressure during refueling is lost in the main flow path 201, the poppet control valve 263 switches from the piston flow path connection position to the secondary flow path connection position. Therefore, the poppet flow path 204 a and the poppet internal space 252 f have the same pressure as the main flow path 201 . At this time, in addition to the urging force of the valve spring 256, the poppet 252 is also subjected to a force due to the movement of the piston 254a in the closing direction L1. Therefore, the poppet 252 also moves in the closing direction L<b>1 and the poppet head 252 a comes into contact with the valve seat 253 . As a result, the poppet 252 returns to the closed position, similar to the state shown in FIG. 14, and the main flow path 201 is blocked.

Both the valve device 200A according to the first embodiment and the valve device 200B according to the second embodiment can handle fuel transfer, oil supply, and oil removal, but the valve device 200C according to the present embodiment , the above-described oil removal valve 264, secondary flow path 202d, oil removal path 206, and the like are required when removing fuel.

Specifically, a negative pressure is applied from downstream to upstream of the main flow path 201 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17(A), the oil removal valve 264 operates to switch from the shutoff position to the connected position. As a result, the poppet flow path 204b is connected to the piston flow path 205, so that both the piston cylinder 254b and the poppet rear space 252g are in the same negative pressure state as the main flow path 201 (illustrated by light hatching, which is different from low pressure). , the poppet 252 and the piston 254a move to the open position L2. At this time, the piston mechanism control valve 262 is not operated (is in the blocking position), so fuel does not recirculate from the recirculation passage 203c. As a result, the fuel can be drained from the fuel tank.

After that, when the oil removal is completed, the piston mechanism control valve 262 is operated and switched to the connected position as shown in FIG. 17(B). In addition, since the oil removal passage 206 is connected to the downstream side of the main flow path 201, the main flow path 206 is connected to the main flow path 206 via the oil removal valve 264, the return paths 203d and 203c, the piston mechanism control valve 262, and the piston flow path 205. Fuel flows from passage 201 to actuate piston 254a and poppet 252. As a result, the piston 254a and the poppet 252 move in the closing direction L1 to block the main flow path 201. As shown in FIG.

Specifically, since the oil removal valve 264 is in the connected position, the fuel from the oil removal passage 206 flows through the oil removal valve 264, the return passages 203d and 203c, the piston mechanism control valve 262, and the piston passage 205, to the poppet passage. 204b into the poppet rear space 252g. This causes the poppet 252 to move in the closing direction L1. Further, when the oil removal valve 264 is in the connected position, the fuel from the oil removal passage 206 passes through the oil removal valve 264, the return passages 203d and 203c, the piston mechanism control valve 262, and the piston passage 205, and flows through the piston back surface of the piston cylinder 254b. It also flows into the portion 254c side (opening direction L2 side). This causes the piston 254a to move in the closing direction L1.

Here, a return passage check valve 266 is provided downstream of the return passages 203 c and 203 d, and an oil removal passage check valve 265 is provided downstream of the oil removal passage 206 . Therefore, these check valves 265 and 266 prevent air from flowing into the return passages 203c and 203d (which are open to the fuel tank).

Furthermore, since the poppet control valve 263 is in the sub-channel connection position as shown in FIG. 17B, the poppet rear space 252g and the sub-channel 202c are in a connected state. Here, since the sub-flow path 202c is also provided with the sub-flow path check valve 267, the fuel that has flowed into the poppet back surface space 252g from the downstream side of the main flow path 201 flows upstream of the main flow path 201 via the sub-flow path 202c. Backflow to the side is prevented.

Thus, in the valve device 200C according to the present invention, the fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 of the shutoff valve 250 is used as the working fluid for the poppet 252 and the piston mechanism 254, and the piston mechanism 254 is provided on the poppet head 252a. The head through hole 252d can be opened and closed. Therefore, when refueling the fuel tank, for example, by separating the piston mechanism 254 and increasing the opening of the poppet 252, a large flow rate of fuel can be circulated. Further, for example, when transferring fuel to another fuel tank, only the piston mechanism 254 is moved in the opening direction with the poppet 252 closed, and the fuel is circulated through the head through hole 252d, whereby the fuel is supplied at a small flow rate. can be circulated.

In this embodiment, as the position of the poppet 252, only the closed position (eg, FIG. 14, FIG. 15(A), etc.) and the maximum open position (eg, FIG. 16(A), etc.) are exemplified. Intermediate open positions can also be achieved by varying the position of the piston mechanism 254 . For example, by controlling the piston mechanism control valve 262, if the piston 254a can be positioned between the closed dead center and the open dead center, the poppet 252 can be opened while the piston mechanism 254 is in contact. The opening of the poppet 252 can be adjusted by moving in the direction L2. Further, even when fuel is supplied to or transferred to tanks having different capacities at the same time, by adjusting the movement of the piston mechanism 254 and changing the opening degree of the poppet 252, the flow rate of fuel to each tank can be adjusted. Can be easily set.

(Embodiment 4)
In Embodiments 1 to 3, a small flow rate and a large flow rate are switched by combining a piston mechanism with the poppet. is further provided with a stopper mechanism. This stopper mechanism will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 23. FIG. In this embodiment, the case where the stopper mechanism is applied to the configuration of the valve device 200A according to the first embodiment is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[Structure of Stopper Mechanism]
First, a representative configuration example of a valve device having a stopper mechanism will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19. FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, the stopper mechanism 270A of the valve device 200D according to the fourth embodiment includes a stopper member 271 provided to cover the poppet shaft 215, and a stopper engaging mechanism provided on the side surface of the poppet shaft 215. 272 at least. The poppet shaft 215 is a shaft extending rearward from the poppet head 212a. One end of the poppet shaft 215 is a fixed end fixed to the poppet head 212a, and the other end of the poppet shaft 215 is an exposed end exposed to the outside of the fuel tank.

The stopper member 271 has, for example, a shape (for example, a cylindrical shape) that covers the periphery of the poppet shaft 215 , and is rotatable with respect to the poppet shaft 215 with the poppet shaft 215 inserted therein. Also, the stopper engaging portion 272 is a protrusion projecting from the side surface of the poppet shaft 215 . One end of the stopper member 271 is a stopper operating end 271b exposed to the outside of the fuel tank, and the other end of the stopper member 271 is a stopper locking end 271a that contacts the stopper locking portion 272. As shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the stopper engaging portion 272 is configured as a protrusion as described above and configured to engage the other end (stopper engaging end 271a) of the stopper member 271. The configuration of the stopping portion 272 is not limited to this. The stopper engaging portion 272 is provided on the poppet shaft 215 or 235 or the piston shaft 255, and does not have to be a protrusion as long as it is configured to be engaged with the stopper engaging end 271a. For example, if the contact portion of the stopper member 271 has a flat surface (contact surface), the locking portion of the stopper locking portion 272 has a flat surface that can receive the contact surface. (see stopper mechanism 270C, which will be described later).

The stopper locking end 271a is provided with a plurality of stepped portions that come into contact with the stopper locking portion 272. As shown in FIG. In the stopper mechanism 270A, the stepped portion has a shape in which the locking end side of the stopper member 271 protrudes stepwise, and in the example shown in FIGS. It is configured. The stopper engaging portion 272 regulates the relative position of the stopper member 271 with respect to the poppet shaft 215 by coming into contact with the stepped portion of the stopper engaging end 271a.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, among the three stepped portions, the stepped portion closest to the closing direction L1 side is an upper step 273a, the next stepped portion is a middle step 273b, and the rearmost stepped portion is the rearmost stepped portion. The stepped portion located at is referred to as a lower step 273c. In addition, the number of steps of the stepped portion and the degree of the stepped portion (difference in height of each stepped portion) are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set according to the stage of the position of the poppet head 212a to be adjusted, as described later. can.

The stopper operating end 271b is exposed to the outside together with the exposed end of the poppet shaft 215. As shown in FIG. At least one of the exposed end of the poppet shaft 215 and the stopper operating end 271b is provided with a marking for identifying the rotational position of the stopper member 271. As shown in FIG.

Although the specific configuration of the marking is not particularly limited, as the marking provided at the exposed end of the poppet shaft 215, for example, as shown in FIG. , 215b. These shaft markings 215a and 215b may have a configuration in which the periphery of the poppet shaft 215 is painted with a known paint or the like, or may have a groove-like configuration protruding or recessing from the periphery of the poppet shaft 215. .

Of the two shaft markings 215a and 215b, one shaft marking 215a is positioned on the exposed end side (outside) of the poppet shaft 215, and the other shaft marking 215b is positioned on the fixed end side (inner side) than the shaft marking 215a. To position. Although the shaft marking 215a is shown in both FIGS. 18 and 19, the shaft marking 215b is shown only in FIG. 19 and hidden inside the stopper member 271 in FIG. Further, in the present embodiment, the outer shaft marking 215a is illustrated with a thick white line, and the inner shaft marking 215b is illustrated with a thick black line.

Markings provided at the rear end of the stopper member 271 include, for example, a cutout portion 271c formed by cutting out a portion of the outer circumference of the stopper operating end 271b. The shape or depth of the notch is not particularly limited as long as it can be visually confirmed. Also, the markings may be formed with a known paint instead of notches, or may be formed as protrusions. In this embodiment, the shape is such that a part of the outer periphery is notched in a rectangular shape.

As described above, the stepped portion provided at the stopper locking end 271a is composed of three stepped portions, an upper step 273a, a middle step 273b, and a lower step 273c. As shown in the upper view of FIG. 19, when the stopper engaging portion 272 is in contact with the upper step 273a, the two shaft markings 215a and 215b are hidden inside the stopper member 271, and the notch portion 271c is opened from the outside. Looking upwards. For convenience of explanation, this state is referred to as an upper contact state.

19, when the stopper engaging portion 272 is in contact with the middle stage 273b, only the shaft marking 215a on the rear end side of the two shaft markings 215a and 215b is exposed to the outside. The shaft marking 215b of is hidden in the stopper member 271 (same state as shown in FIG. 18). In addition, the notch portion 271c is positioned so as to be inclined upward when viewed from the outside. For convenience of explanation, this state will be referred to as a middle stage contact state.

19, when the stopper engaging portion 272 is in contact with the lower step 273c, the two shaft markings 215a and 215b are both exposed to the outside, and the notch portion 271c is visible from the outside. It is located laterally. For convenience of explanation, this state is referred to as a lower contact state.

Here, in FIG. 19, for convenience of explanation, only the poppet 212, the poppet shaft 215, and the stopper member 271 are illustrated with solid lines, and the manifold 211 and part of the main flow path 201 are illustrated with dashed lines. Also, in FIG. 19, the reference position of poppet 212 is illustrated by a dotted line, and the poppet 212 whose position is restricted by stopper mechanism 270A is illustrated by a solid line. Furthermore, in FIG. 19, the position of the stopper operation end 271b and the reference position of the poppet head 212a (indicated by a dotted line in the drawing) are associated with each other by a dashed line between the upper, middle and lower drawings.

As shown in FIG. 18, the configuration of the valve device 200D other than the stopper mechanism 270A is the same as that of the valve device 200A according to the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the specific configurations of the stopper member 271 and the stopper engaging portion 272 that constitute the stopper mechanism 270A are not particularly limited, and known configurations can be suitably used.

[Poppet opening adjustment]
Next, the adjustment of the opening degree of the poppet 212 in the valve device 200D including the stopper mechanism 270A described above will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

For example, when the operator rotates the stopper operating end 271b to switch to the upper contact state shown in FIG. 19, the stopper engaging portion 272 contacts the upper step 273a of the stopper engaging end 271a as described above. At this time, if the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2, the position of the poppet shaft 215 is regulated by the stopper member 271 closest to the closing direction L1. Therefore, although not shown in FIG. 19, if the piston mechanism 214 is positioned at the open dead center, the poppet head 212a can be separated from the valve seat 213 with the minimum degree of opening. In this case, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 is the minimum amount.

At this time, as described above, the two shaft markings 215a and 215b are hidden inside the stopper member 271, and the notch 271c is positioned upward when viewed from the outside. Thus, when the shaft markings 215a and 215b are not exposed but hidden and the notch 271c faces upward, the stopper mechanism 270A is in the upper contact state, and the poppet 212 is opened to the minimum opening. It turns out that it is possible.

Next, when the operator rotates the stopper operating end 271b to switch to the middle stage contact state shown in the central view of FIG. 19, the stopper locking portion 272 contacts the middle stage 273b of the stopper locking end 271a as described above. . At this time, if the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2, the position of the poppet shaft 215 is moderately restricted by the stopper member 271 in the closing direction L1. Therefore, although not shown in FIG. 19, if the piston mechanism 214 is positioned at the open dead center, the poppet head 212a can be separated from the valve seat 213 at an intermediate degree of opening. In this case, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 is an intermediate amount.

At this time, of the two shaft markings 215a and 215b, only one shaft marking 215a is exposed outside the stopper member 271, and the other shaft marking 215b is hidden inside the stopper member 271, as described above. Further, the notch portion 271c is positioned so as to be inclined upward when viewed from the outside. In this way, when only the shaft marking 215a is exposed and the notch 271c is slanted sideways from above, the stopper mechanism 270A is in an intermediate contact state, and the poppet 212 is opened at an intermediate opening. It turns out that it is possible.

Next, when the operator rotates the stopper operating end 271b to switch to the lower contact state shown in the lower view of FIG. 19, the stopper engaging portion 272 contacts the lower step 273c of the stopper engaging end 271a as described above. At this time, if the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2, the position of the poppet shaft 215 is regulated by the stopper member 271 closest to the opening direction L2. Therefore, although not shown in FIG. 19, if the piston mechanism 214 is positioned at the open dead center, the poppet head 212a can be separated from the valve seat 213 at the maximum degree of opening. In this case, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 becomes maximum.

At this time, as described above, the two shaft markings 215a and 215b are exposed to the outside of the stopper member 271, and the notch 271c is positioned laterally when viewed from the outside. Thus, when the shaft markings 215a and 215b are exposed and the notch 271c faces sideways, the stopper mechanism 270A is in a state of contact with the lower stage, and the poppet 212 can be opened to the maximum opening. I understand.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by rotating the stopper operating end 271b of the stopper mechanism 270A, one of the plurality of stepped portions of the stopper engaging end 271a comes into contact with the stopper engaging portion 272. . Thereby, when the main flow path 201 is opened, the position to which the poppet 212 moves downstream can be restricted by the stopper member 271 . Therefore, the position of the poppet head 212a within the main flow path 201 can be adjusted in multiple steps. As a result, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 can be changed in multiple stages. Moreover, since the stopper mechanism 270A has a simple structure, it is possible to easily adjust the opening degree of the poppet 212 while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

In particular, in this embodiment, the stopper mechanism 270A can be operated from the outside of the tank bulkhead 101, so that, for example, the center tank 11, the starboard tank 12, and the port tank 13 shown in FIG. When refueling in parallel, even if the capacities of these tank containers are different, by operating the stopper mechanism 270A from the outside of the tank container, the flow rate of the fuel can be easily set according to the capacity of each tank container. It becomes possible to

If the opening degree of the poppet 212 is adjusted inside the tank container (fuel tank), it is necessary not only to drain all the fuel from the tank container, but also to prepare an environment in which the operator can work inside the tank container. necessary (for example, preparation of lighting equipment and ventilation equipment, etc.). As a result, just adjusting the opening is very complicated and takes a long time. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, not only can the opening be easily adjusted by operating the stopper mechanism 270A from the outside of the tank container during fuel transfer or refueling, but also various By providing the marking, the degree of opening of the poppet 212 can also be easily judged from the outside of the tank container.

Moreover, the valve device 200D according to the present embodiment includes the piston mechanism 214 and the flow rate adjusting section 220, like the valve device 200A according to the first embodiment. Therefore, not only can the stopper mechanism 270A easily adjust a suitable fuel flow rate for each of the plurality of tank containers, but also when fuel is supplied to each tank container at a large flow rate, or between the tank containers. When the fuel is transferred at a small flow rate, it can be easily handled by operating the piston mechanism 214 with the flow rate adjusting section 220 .

Furthermore, as described in the first embodiment, if an intermediate opening degree can be set as the opening degree of the piston mechanism 214, the flow rate of the fuel in the main flow path 201 can be a small flow rate, an intermediate flow rate, or a large flow rate. can be set. Therefore, by combining with the multi-stage adjustment of the flow rate by the stopper mechanism 270A, it becomes possible to adjust the flow rate of the fuel in the main flow path 201 in a further multi-stage.

[Modification 1]
Next, modified examples of the stopper mechanism 270A will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 23. FIG. In the stopper mechanism 270A described above, only one end of the stopper member 271 (stopper engaging end 271a) is provided with a stepped portion, but the present invention is not limited to this. , a stopper mechanism 270B in which stepped portions are provided at both ends of the stopper member 271 may be used.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 20, the stopper mechanism 270B basically has the same configuration as the stopper mechanism 270A described above, but the stopper operating end 271d is also provided with a stepped portion. there is This stepped portion has a three-step structure similar to the stepped portion of the stopper engaging end 271a. Since the configuration other than the stopper operation end 271d is the same as that of the breakthrough mechanism 270A, the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, in the valve device 200D including the stopper mechanism 270B, the point of adjusting the opening degree of the poppet 212 will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

Here, in FIG. 19 for explaining the opening degree of poppet 212 when stopper mechanism 270A is used, the reference position of poppet 212 is illustrated by dotted lines, and the position of poppet 212 whose position is restricted by stopper mechanism 270A is illustrated by solid lines. rice field. However, in FIG. 21, poppet 212 and poppet shaft 215 at the reference position are illustrated by solid lines, and poppet 212 and poppet shaft 215 whose positions are restricted by stopper mechanism 270B are illustrated by dotted lines. In addition, in FIG. 21, the reference position of the poppet shaft 215 and the reference position of the poppet head 212a are associated with one-dot chain lines among the upper, middle and lower drawings.

For example, the operator rotates the stopper operation end 271d to switch to the upper contact state shown in the upper diagram of FIG. When the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2, the stopper engaging portion 272 of the poppet shaft 215 abuts on the upper stage 273a of the stopper engaging end 271a, which is located closest to the closing direction L1. This allows the poppet head 212a to be spaced apart from the valve seat 213 with a minimum degree of opening. In this case, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 is the minimum amount.

At this time, in the stopper mechanism 270A described above, the two shaft markings 215a and 215b are hidden inside the stopper member 271. When viewed from above, the two shaft markings 215a, 215b are visible due to the steps. Note that the notch portion 271c is positioned so as to be inclined upward when viewed from the outside. Therefore, when the stopper operating end 271d is in such a state, the stopper mechanism 270B is in the upper contact state, and the poppet 212 can be opened with the minimum opening.

Next, the operator rotates the stopper operating end 271d to switch to the intermediate contact state shown in the central view of FIG. When the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2, the stopper engaging portion 272 of the poppet shaft 215 abuts on the intermediate stage 273b of the stopper engaging end 271a. Thereby, the poppet head 212a can be separated from the valve seat 213 at an intermediate degree of opening. In this case, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 is an intermediate amount.

At this time, in the stopper mechanism 270B, only one shaft marking 215a of the two shaft markings 215a and 215b is exposed outside the stepped portion, and most of the other shaft marking 215b is hidden inside the stepped portion. . The notch 271c is positioned laterally when viewed from the outside. Therefore, when the stopper operating end 271d is in such a state, the stopper mechanism 270B is in the intermediate contact state, and the poppet 212 can be opened at an intermediate opening.

Next, the operator rotates the stopper operating end 271d to switch to the lower contact state shown in the lower diagram of FIG. When the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2, the stopper engaging portion 272 of the poppet shaft 215 abuts the lower stage 273c of the stopper engaging end 271a closest to the opening direction L2. As a result, the poppet head 212a can be separated from the valve seat 213 with the maximum degree of opening. In this case, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 becomes maximum.

At this time, in the stopper mechanism 270B, the two shaft markings 215a and 215b are hidden in the stepped portion of the stopper operating end 271d, and the notch portion 271c is located inclined downward when viewed from the outside. there is Therefore, when the stopper operating end 271d is in such a state, the stopper mechanism 270B is in the lower contact state, and the poppet 212 can be opened to the maximum opening.

[Modification 2]
As another example, as shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, a stopper mechanism 270C may be provided with a stopper member 274 configured to be rotatable while being pushed. The stopper mechanism 270</b>C includes a stopper outer body 275 and a stopper engaging portion 276 in addition to the stopper member 274 .

Like the stopper member 271 of the stopper mechanism 270A or 270B described above, the stopper member 274 has a shape (for example, a cylindrical shape) that covers the periphery of the poppet shaft 215. With the poppet shaft 215 inserted therein, the stopper member 274 can be closed. 215 is rotatable. Also, like the stopper member 271, one end of the stopper member 274 is a stopper operating end 274b, and the other end of the stopper member 274 is a stopper engaging end 274a. The stopper operating end 274b is provided with a notch 274c like the stopper mechanism 270A or 270B, and the side surface of the stopper locking end 274a is provided with a stopper protrusion 274d.

The stopper outer body 275 is positioned outside the stopper member 274 and rotatably holds the inserted stopper member 274 . A flat portion 275a and a stepped concave portion 275b as a stepped portion are provided on the stopper locking end 274a side of the stopper outer body 275 . As shown in FIG. 22(B), the step recess 275b is composed of two recesses, a first recess step 277a and a second recess step 277b. Therefore, the stepped concave portion 275b and the flat portion 275a form a three-stepped portion. If the flat portion 275a is the "upper step" of the stepped portion, the recessed first step 277a is the "middle step" of the stepped portion, and the recessed second step 277b is the "lower step" of the stepped portion.

22(B) is an enlarged view of a main part of the stopper mechanism 270C shown in FIG. 22(A), and FIG. However, in FIG. 22(A), for convenience of illustration of the entire stopper mechanism 270C, only the step recess 275b is shown with reference numerals, and the recess first step 277a and the recess second step 277b are not shown. . Also, in FIG. 23, for the convenience of explaining the opening degree adjustment, the upper diagram shows the reference numerals for the flat portion 275a and the stepped recess portion 275b, and the central diagram shows the reference numerals for the stepped recess portion 275b and the recessed first step 277a. In the lower figure, reference numerals are shown for the step recess 275b and the recess second winding 277b.

The stopper locking portion 276 is mounted on the poppet shaft 215 on the support end side of the poppet 212 , and is capable of coming into contact with the stopper locking end 274 a of the stopper member 274 . Unlike the stopper engaging end 271a described above, the stopper engaging end 274a has no step and has a flat surface. Therefore, the shape of the locking portion of the stopper locking portion 276 is likewise flat so that it can abut on the flat stopper locking end 274a. In addition, since the configuration of the stopper mechanism 270C other than these is the same as that of the stopper mechanism 270A or 270B, description thereof will be omitted.

Next, in the valve device 200D including the stopper mechanism 270C, the point of adjusting the opening degree of the poppet 212 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. Here, in FIG. 23, as in FIG. 21, poppet 212 and poppet shaft 215 at the reference position are illustrated by solid lines, and poppet 212 and poppet shaft 215 whose positions are restricted by stopper mechanism 270C are illustrated by dotted lines. . 23, in addition to the reference position of the poppet shaft 215 and the reference position of the poppet head 212a, the stopper protrusion 274d is positioned at the recess first step 277a of the stepped recess 275b between the upper, middle, and lower views. The stopper locking ends 274a when they are positioned are associated with each other by dashed-dotted lines.

For example, the operator rotates the stopper operating end 274b of the stopper member 274, and as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 274d is switched to a contactable state (upper contact state). At this time, the position of the stopper locking end 274a has moved to a position (closed side position) closest to the closing direction L1 side of the reference position. Therefore, when the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2, the stopper engaging portion 276 comes into contact with the stopper engaging end 274a earlier. As a result, the position of the poppet shaft 215 is restricted by the stopper member 274 to the side closest to the closing direction L1, so that the poppet head 212a can be separated from the valve seat 213 with the minimum degree of opening. In this case, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 is the minimum amount.

At this time, the two shaft markings 215a and 215b are exposed to the outside of the stopper member 274, and the notch 274c is positioned laterally when viewed from the outside. Therefore, when the stopper operating end 274b is in such a state, the stopper mechanism 270C is in the upper contact state, and the poppet 212 can be opened with the minimum opening. In addition, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 23, the interval until the stopper engaging portion 276 moves from the reference position to the closing side position is illustrated as a movable range m1.

Next, the operator rotates the stopper operating end 274b of the stopper member 274 so that the first recessed portion 277a (the middle step of the stepped portion) of the stepped recessed portion 275b of the stopper outer body 275, as shown in the center view of FIG. The stopper protrusion 274d of the stopper member 274 is switched to a contactable state (middle contact state). At this time, the position of the stopper locking end 274a moves to a position (intermediate open side position) closer to the opening direction L2 than the closing side position shown in the upper diagram of FIG.

Here, as shown in the central view of FIG. 23, the step of the recessed first step 277a has a gap n1, and the gap from the reference position to the intermediate open side position of the stopper engaging portion 276 can be changed to a movable position. Assuming that the range is m2, this movable range m2 is the sum of the movable range m1 and the interval n1 shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 23 (m2=m1+n1).

In this way, the movable range m2 of the stopper engaging portion 276 is larger than the movable range m1 by one step of the step recess 275b. In this state, when the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2, the stopper engaging portion 272 of the poppet shaft 215 comes into moderate contact with the stopper engaging end 274a. As a result, the position of the poppet shaft 215 is moderately restricted in the closing direction L1 by the stopper member 274, so that the poppet head 212a can be separated from the valve seat 213 at an intermediate degree of opening. . In this case, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 is an intermediate amount.

At this time, only one of the two shaft markings 215 a and 215 b is exposed outside the stopper member 274 , and the other shaft marking 215 b is hidden inside the stopper member 274 . Moreover, the notch portion 274c is positioned so as to be inclined upward when viewed from the outside. Therefore, if the stopper operating end 274b is in such a state, the stopper mechanism 270C is in the intermediate stage contact state, and it can be seen that the poppet 212 can be opened at an intermediate opening degree.

Next, the operator rotates the stopper operation end 274b of the stopper member 274, and as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. The stopper protrusion 274d of the member 274 is switched to a contactable state (lower contact state). At this time, the position of the stopper engaging end 274a has moved to a position (maximum opening side position) that matches the reference position.

Here, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 23, the step of the recessed second step 277b has an interval n2, and the interval until the stopper engaging portion 276 moves from the reference position to the maximum open position is defined as the movable range. m3, this movable range m3 is the sum of the movable range m1 and the interval n2 shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 23 (m3=m1+n2). The interval n2 is larger than the interval n1 between the recessed first step 277a and the recessed first step 277a (n2>n1) because the interval n2 corresponds to the two steps of the recessed first step 277a and the recessed second step 277b when viewed from the flat portion 275a. Therefore, the movable range m3 is larger than the movable range m2 (m3>m2>m1).

In this way, the movable range m3 of the stopper engaging portion 276 is increased by two steps of the stepped recess 275b when the movable range m1 is used as a reference, and is one step of the stepped recess 275b when the movable range m2 is used as a reference. It gets bigger. In this state, when the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2, the stopper engaging portion 276 comes into contact with the stopper engaging end 274a closest to the opening direction L2. As a result, the position of the poppet shaft 215 is regulated by the stopper member 274 on the side closest to the opening direction L2, so that the poppet head 212a can be separated from the valve seat 213 with the maximum degree of opening. In this case, the flow rate of fuel flowing through the main flow path 201 becomes maximum.

At this time, the two shaft markings 215a and 215b are hidden inside the stopper member 274, and the notch 274c is positioned upward when viewed from the outside. Therefore, when the stopper operating end 274b is in such a state, the stopper mechanism 270C is in the lower contact state, and the poppet 212 can be opened to the maximum opening.

[Other Modifications]
Here, in the fourth embodiment, the operator manually rotates the stopper operation ends 271b, 271d, or 274b directly in any of the stopper mechanisms 270A to 270C, but the present invention is not limited to this. . For example, it may be configured such that the stopper operation end 271b, 271d, or 274b is automatically rotated by an operator operating the operating device using a known operating device. A known operating device includes a button or switch that rotates the stopper member 271 or 274 .

Further, the stopper mechanisms 270A to 270C according to the present embodiment are configured to be applied to the valve device 200A according to the first embodiment. In other words, the valve device 200D according to the fourth embodiment is similar to the valve device 200A according to the first embodiment except for the stopper mechanisms 270A-270C. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stopper mechanisms 270A-270C may be applied to the valve device 200B according to the second embodiment or the valve device 200C according to the third embodiment.

Here, valve device 200C does not have a configuration corresponding to poppet shafts 215 or 235, but piston mechanism 254 includes piston shaft 255 instead. In the valve device 200C, the opening of the poppet 252 can be regulated by the piston mechanism 254. Therefore, by regulating the movement of the piston mechanism 254 in the closing direction L1 with the stopper mechanisms 270A to 270C, the opening of the poppet 252 can be adjusted. It is possible to

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the stopper member 271 or 274 is provided on the valve shaft of the shutoff valve 210, 230 or 250 (the poppet shaft 215 in the shutoff valve 210, the poppet shaft 235 in the shutoff valve 230, the shutoff valve 250 corresponds to the piston shaft 255). Also, since the markings need only be provided on the valve shaft, they can be provided on the piston shaft 255 instead of the poppet shafts 215 or 235 .

The stopper mechanism 270A or 270B in the valve device 200D has a plurality of stepped portions that come into contact with the stopper engaging portion 272 at the stopper engaging end 271a. Therefore, the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2 by rotating the stopper operating end 271b to switch the steps (for example, the upper step 273a, the middle step 273b, and the lower step 273c) that are engaged with the stopper engaging portion 272 in the stepped portion. The position of the poppet head 212a can be changed.

Further, the stopper mechanism 270C in the valve device 200D includes a stopper exterior body 275 that is exteriorized on the side of the stopper locking end 274a of the stopper member 274 and provided with a plurality of stepped portions (a flat portion 275a and a stepped recess portion 275b). . Therefore, by rotating the stopper operating end 274b to switch the steps (for example, the lower step 277a, the middle step 277b, and the upper step 277c) in the step recess 275b of the stopper outer body 275, the poppet 212 moves in the opening direction L2. It is configured to change the position of the poppet head 212a.

However, the stopper mechanism of the valve device according to the present invention is not limited to the stopper mechanisms 270A to 270C described above. is changed along the extending direction of the valve shaft. As a result, the opening of the poppet can be adjusted favorably with a simple configuration.

Moreover, each of the stopper mechanisms 270A to 270C includes a stepped portion composed of a plurality of steps, and each step of the stepped portion may have the same interval or different intervals. For example, the stopper mechanism 270C illustrated in FIGS. 22A, 22B, and 23 includes a flat portion 275a and a stepped recess 275b as the stepped portion. The step difference (interval n2-interval n1) of the second step 277b may be the same interval or a different interval. Moreover, the stepped portions of the stopper mechanisms 270A to 270C are all illustrated as having three steps, but may have four steps or more, or may have two steps.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the description of the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, and different embodiments and multiple modifications are disclosed respectively. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the above technical means are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely and suitably used in various fuel tank fields regardless of the type of fuel tank.

11 center tank (auxiliary tank)
12 starboard tank (main tank)
13 Port side tank (main tank)
21 Center tank lubrication valve (valve device)
22 Starboard tank lubrication valve (valve device)
23 Port side tank lubrication valve (valve device)
40 oil transfer pipe 52 starboard engine pipe 53 port engine pipe 61 right engine 62 left engine 200A-200D valve device 201 main flow paths 202, 202a, 202b sub-flow path 203 return flow paths 204, 204a, 204b poppet flow path 205 piston flow path 210 , 230, 250 Shutoff valves 211, 231, 251 Manifolds 212, 232, 252 Poppets 212a, 232a, 252a Poppet heads 212b, 232b, 252b Poppet rear portions 213, 233, 253 Valve seats 214, 234, 254 Piston mechanism 216 , 236 poppet shaft (valve shaft)
215a, 215b Shaft markings 220, 240, 260 Flow control units 221, 241, 261 Valve control units 222, 242, 262 Piston mechanism control valves 223, 243, 263 Poppet control valve 255 Piston shaft (valve shaft)
270A to 270C stopper mechanism 271, 274 stopper member 271a stopper locking end (including stepped portion)
274a Stopper engaging ends 271b, 274b Stopper operating end 271d Stopper operating end (including stepped portion)
271c, 274c notch (marking)
274d stopper protrusions 272, 276 stopper engaging portion 275 stopper outer body 275a flat portion (stepped portion)
275b stepped recess (stepped portion)

Claims (12)

A fuel flow control valve device used to refuel a fuel tank or transfer fuel from another fuel tank, comprising:
a main flow path provided with a valve seat ;
a poppet movable in a closing direction, which is a direction in which it abuts against the valve seat, and an opening direction, which is a direction away from the valve seat; a shutoff valve that blocks or opens the main flow path by moving the poppet in the closing direction and the opening direction, the valve including a piston mechanism that abuts to restrict movement of the poppet in the opening direction ;
a sub-flow path that branches from the main flow path upstream of the valve seat of the main flow path and allows fuel to flow into the piston mechanism ;
a return path that branches from the sub-flow path and recirculates the fuel from the piston mechanism to a location other than the piston mechanism ;
a control valve provided in at least one of the sub-flow path and the return flow path; and a flow rate adjustment section that has a valve control section that controls switching operation of the control valve and adjusts the flow rate of the shut-off valve. , and
By switching the control valve, the valve control unit causes the fuel to flow into the piston mechanism from the secondary flow path and moves the piston mechanism in the closing direction, and the state in which the piston mechanism is moved in the closing direction. A fuel flow control valve device for switching between a state in which the fuel is returned to a recirculation path and the piston mechanism is moved in the opening direction. The control valve is provided between the sub-flow path and the return flow path, and is provided at a sub-flow path connection position that connects the sub-flow path to the piston mechanism and blocks the sub-flow path to switch the return flow path to the piston mechanism. A piston mechanism control valve that can be switched to a return path connection position that connects to the mechanism,
The piston mechanism is provided so as to contact or separate from the back surface of the poppet,
The flow rate adjustment unit is
When the flow rate of fuel in the main flow path is reduced, the piston mechanism control valve is switched to the secondary flow path connection position to allow fuel to flow into the piston mechanism from the secondary flow path. is moved in the closing direction, the opening degree of the poppet is reduced by moving the poppet in the opening direction,
When the flow rate of fuel in the main flow path is increased, the piston mechanism control valve is switched to the recirculation path connection position, the fuel is recirculated from the piston mechanism to the recirculation path, and the piston mechanism is moved in the opening direction. The opening degree of the poppet is increased by moving the poppet in the opening direction while the poppet is moved to
The fuel flow control valve device according to claim 1. the control valve
a poppet control valve provided between the return channel and the rear portion of the poppet and switchable between a connected position connecting the return channel and a blocking position blocking the return channel;
a return path connection position provided between the sub-flow path and the return path to connect the return path to the piston mechanism; and a sub-path to block the return path and connect the sub-flow path to the piston mechanism. A piston mechanism control valve switchable to a connected position,
A through hole is formed in the head of the poppet to allow the inflow of the fuel,
The piston mechanism is provided so as to be able to close the through hole by contacting the poppet inside the poppet on the opening direction side,
The flow rate adjustment unit is
When the flow rate of fuel in the main flow path is reduced, the poppet control valve is switched to the connection position and the fuel flows into the rear side of the poppet, thereby causing the poppet to come into contact with the valve seat. to block the main flow path, switch the piston mechanism control valve to the recirculation path connection position, and recirculate the fuel from the piston mechanism to the recirculation path, thereby moving the piston mechanism in the opening direction. opening the through hole,
When increasing the flow rate of the fuel in the main flow path, the piston mechanism control valve is switched to the recirculation path connection position to recirculate the fuel from the piston mechanism to the recirculation path, thereby opening the piston mechanism. direction, the poppet control valve is switched to the shutoff position, the fuel is recirculated from the rear side of the poppet to the return path, and the poppet is moved in the opening direction to change the opening degree of the poppet. characterized by increasing
The fuel flow control valve device according to claim 1. The control valve is configured to be switchable in a plurality of stages by the valve control unit,
The fuel flow control valve device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. a poppet flow path connected to the back side of the poppet so as to allow the fuel from the poppet to flow back to the flow path;
a poppet control valve provided in the poppet flow path as the control valve and switching between a connection position for connecting the poppet flow path to the return flow path and a blocking position for blocking the poppet flow path;
The flow rate adjusting section switches the poppet control valve to a blocking position by the valve control section when blocking the main flow path, and switches the poppet control valve to a blocking position when opening the main flow path, regardless of the opening degree of the poppet. switching the poppet control valve to the connected position by
The fuel flow control valve device according to claim 2. The piston mechanism control valve is provided between the secondary flow path and the return flow path,
By operating with cracking pressure transmitted from the main flow path through the sub flow path, the sub flow path connection position connecting the sub flow path to the poppet flow path and the return flow path are connected to the poppet flow path. It is a cracking valve that allows switching of the return path connection position to be connected,
The fuel flow control valve device according to claim 5. further comprising a stopper mechanism for adjusting the opening of the poppet,
The stopper mechanism is capable of adjusting the position of the head of the poppet within the main flow path when the shut-off valve opens the main flow path, regardless of the amount of fuel flow in the main flow path. characterized by being configured as
The fuel flow control valve device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The stopper mechanism is provided rotatably with respect to the valve shaft in a state in which the valve shaft extending rearward from the poppet or the piston mechanism is inserted therein, and one end of the stopper mechanism is exposed to the outside of the fuel tank. Equipped with a stopper member serving as an operating end,
The stopper member is configured to change the position of the head of the poppet along the extending direction of the valve shaft when the poppet moves in the opening direction by rotating the operating end. characterized by
The fuel flow control valve device according to claim 7. The stopper mechanism further includes a stopper locking portion that is provided on the valve shaft and that locks to a locking end that is the other end of the stopper member,
The locking end of the stopper member is provided with a plurality of stepped portions that come into contact with the stopper locking portion,
The stopper mechanism rotates the operating end of the stopper member to switch the step of locking the stopper locking portion at the stepped portion of the locking end, so that when the poppet moves in the opening direction. configured to change the position of the head of the poppet,
The fuel flow control valve device according to claim 8. The stopper mechanism is
a stopper locking portion provided on the valve shaft and locked to a locking end that is the other end of the stopper member;
a stopper exterior body that is exteriorized on the locking end side of the stopper member;
with
A projection is provided on the locking end side of the stopper member, and the stopper outer body is provided with a plurality of stepped portions that contact the projection,
The stopper mechanism rotates the operating end of the stopper member to switch the step of the stepped portion of the stopper outer body that abuts on the protrusion of the stopper engaging portion, thereby moving the poppet in the opening direction. configured to change the position of the head of the poppet when
The fuel flow control valve device according to claim 8. One end of the valve shaft is a fixed end fixed to the poppet or the piston mechanism, and the other end of the valve shaft is an exposed end exposed to the outside of the fuel tank together with the operating end of the stopper member,
At least one of the operating end of the stopper member and the exposed portion of the valve shaft is provided with a marking for identifying the rotational position of the stopper member,
The fuel flow control valve device according to any one of claims 8 to 10. The fuel tank is at least one of a main tank that stores fuel to be supplied to the engine of the aircraft, and an auxiliary tank that stores the fuel to transfer the fuel to the main tank.
The fuel flow control valve device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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