JP7570962B2 - Valve mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a valve device.

Conventionally, a motorized valve has been proposed as a valve device in which piping for the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant is inserted and fixed to the side of a valve body made of processed pipe-shaped material (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the motorized valve described in Patent Document 1, a dimple is provided in the piping at a position where it abuts against the side wall of the valve body to ensure a reliable connection.

JP 2006-329347 A

Although Patent Document 1 does not describe the number of dimples (protrusions) formed on the pipe (joint member) inserted into the valve body (valve housing), it is preferable to provide multiple protrusions along the circumferential direction in order to suppress tilting of the joint member. However, when an opening is formed on the side of a cylindrical valve housing, the opening has a three-dimensional shape, unlike a configuration in which an opening is formed in a flat plate. Therefore, when multiple protrusions are provided in a circumferential line at a predetermined position in the extension direction of the joint member, some of the protrusions may abut against the inner surface of the opening, but other protrusions may not abut against the inner surface of the opening. In this case, the function of the protrusions cannot be obtained, and the joint member may become loose, making the fixing structure unstable.

The object of the present invention is to provide a valve device that can stabilize the fixing structure between the valve housing and the coupling member.

The valve device of the present invention is a valve device comprising a cylindrical valve housing with an opening formed on the side, a valve body provided in a valve chamber inside the valve housing, and a cylindrical coupling member that is connected to the valve housing by being inserted into the opening, and the outer circumferential surface of the coupling member has an opposing region that can face the inner circumferential surface of the opening when the coupling member is inserted to the normal depth, and an inner region that is disposed in the valve chamber on the tip side of the opposing region, and at least the opposing region of the outer circumferential surface is formed with multiple convex portions spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and each of the convex portions is composed of one or more convex parts and extends along the extension direction of the coupling member.

According to the present invention as described above, the convex portion extends along the extension direction of the coupling member, which makes it easier for the convex portion to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the opening of the valve housing. In other words, because the valve housing is cylindrical and has an opening formed on its side, when the coupling member is inserted to the correct depth, the position (extension direction position) of the opposing area that actually faces the inner circumferential surface depends on the circumferential position. Even if the opposing position with the inner circumferential surface changes in this way, the convex portion can be accommodated by extending along the extension direction of the coupling member. As the convex portion easily comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the opening in this way, the fixing structure between the valve housing and the coupling member can be stabilized.

In this case, in the valve device of the present invention, in a cross section of the valve housing cut along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, it is preferable that an imaginary line segment connecting a center portion of one end of the inner circumferential surface of the opening in the thickness direction of the valve housing and a center portion of the other end of the inner circumferential surface of the opening intersect with an imaginary arc corresponding to the position where the opening is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the valve housing, so that the dimension of the opening is maximized in the circumferential direction of the valve housing. With this configuration, even when the imaginary line segment intersects with the imaginary arc, that is, when the diameter of the opening is relatively large compared to the diameter of the valve housing and the thickness of the valve housing is thin, it is possible to easily bring the convex portion into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the opening.

In addition, in the valve device of the present invention, it is preferable that the convex portion extends along the extension direction so as to cover at least the entire facing region. With this configuration, it is possible to make it easier for the convex portion to abut against the inner peripheral surface of the opening.

In addition, in the valve device of the present invention, the outer peripheral surface of the coupling member may be formed with uneven portions by arranging the convex portions and the concave portions alternately in the circumferential direction. With this configuration, it is possible to further easily suppress rattling of the coupling member.

The valve device of the present invention can stabilize the fixing structure between the valve housing and the coupling member.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a valve device according to an embodiment that is an example of the present invention. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection portion between a valve housing and a coupling member in the valve device. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the joint member. FIG. FIG. 10 is a front view showing the joint member in a valve device according to a modified example. FIG.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The motor-operated valve 1 as a valve device of this embodiment is used in the refrigeration cycle system of an air conditioner such as a packaged air conditioner or a room air conditioner, and as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a valve housing 2, a guide member 3, a main valve body 4, a sub-valve body 5, and a drive unit 6. The main valve body 4 and the sub-valve body 5 are arranged to move along a predetermined axial direction, and in the following, this axial direction is referred to as the Z direction, and the two directions perpendicular to the Z direction are referred to as the X direction and the Y direction, with the top and bottom in the Z direction being based on FIG. 1.

The valve housing 2 is formed into a cylindrical shape from, for example, brass or stainless steel, and has a main valve chamber (valve chamber) 2R inside. Here, "cylindrical" includes not only a shape whose cross section is a perfect circle, but also a shape that is slightly distorted from a perfect circle. The valve housing 2 has a first port (opening) 21 that opens to one side in the X direction on its side, and a second port 22 that opens to the lower side in the Z direction. A cylindrical first coupling pipe (coupling member) 11 extending along the X direction is connected to the first port 21, and a cylindrical second coupling pipe 12 extending along the Z direction is connected to the second port 22, and the first coupling pipe 11 and the second coupling pipe 12 communicate with the main valve chamber 2R. The first coupling pipe 11 and the second coupling pipe 12 may be fixed to the valve housing 2 by, for example, brazing.

At the lower end of the valve housing 2, a cylindrical main valve seat 23 is formed that protrudes (upward) toward the main valve chamber 2R with the Z direction as the axial direction, and the inside of this main valve seat 23 is the main valve port 23a, which communicates with the second port 22. That is, the second joint pipe 12 is connected to the main valve chamber 2R via the main valve port 23a. In this embodiment, the motor-operated valve 1 is used such that the first port 21 is the primary side and the second port 22 is the secondary side, and the fluid (refrigerant) that flows from the first joint pipe 11 into the main valve chamber 2R flows out from the second joint pipe 12, but the motor-operated valve 1 may be incorporated into a cycle in which fluid can flow in both directions.

The guide member 3 is attached to the opening at the upper end of the valve housing 2, and has a press-fit portion 31 that is press-fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the valve housing 2, a roughly cylindrical guide portion 32 located inside the press-fit portion 31, a holder portion 33 that extends from the upper portion of the guide portion 32, a stopper portion 34 provided above the holder portion 33, and a ring-shaped flange portion 35 located on the outer periphery of the guide portion 32. The press-fit portion 31, guide portion 32, holder portion 33, and stopper portion 34 are configured as a single piece made of resin. The flange portion 35 is a metal plate made of, for example, brass or stainless steel, and this flange portion 35 is provided integrally with the resin press-fit portion 31 and holder portion 33 by insert molding.

The guide member 3 is assembled to the valve housing 2 and fixed to the upper end of the valve housing 2 at the flange portion 35 by welding. In addition, the guide member 3 has a cylindrical guide hole 32a with the axial direction in the Z direction formed in the guide portion 32, and an insertion hole 33a coaxial with the guide hole 32a formed in the center of the holder portion 33. In addition, a female thread portion (threaded hole) 34a coaxial with the guide hole 32a and the insertion hole 33a is formed in the center of the stopper portion 34.

The main valve body 4 is disposed in the guide hole 32a of the holder portion 33, and is formed as a cylinder with its axis in the Z direction. The main valve body 4 integrally includes a partition wall portion 41 that extends along the XY plane and to which the sub-valve body 5 approaches or moves away, a cylindrical portion 42 that extends from the partition wall portion 41 toward the opposite side (upward) from the main valve port 23a, and a main valve portion 43 that approaches or moves away from the main valve seat 23.

The partition wall 41 is an auxiliary valve seat provided at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 42, and is formed in a plate shape with a predetermined plate thickness (Z direction dimension). The partition wall 41 and the cylindrical portion 42 form a bottomed cylindrical portion, and the inside of this bottomed cylindrical portion becomes the auxiliary valve chamber 4R. A through hole, the auxiliary valve port 41a, is formed in the center of the partition wall 41.

The tubular portion 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and its inner peripheral surface becomes the needle guide hole 42a. A washer 53 and a guide boss portion 54 attached to the valve shaft 51 described later are inserted into the needle guide hole 42a of the tubular portion 42, and a ring-shaped retainer 44 is fixed to the upper end of the tubular portion 42 by fitting or welding. In addition, a main valve spring 4a is disposed between the retainer 44 and the upper end of the guide hole 32a, and the main valve body 4 is biased toward the main valve seat 23 (downward in the Z direction; closing direction) by this main valve spring 4a. A communication passage 421 that communicates between the inside and outside of the tubular portion 42 is formed in the tubular portion 42, and the main valve chamber 2R, the auxiliary valve chamber 4R, the auxiliary valve port 41a, and the main valve port 23a are communicated with each other.

The main valve portion 43 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape so that the tubular portion 42 extends downward beyond the partition portion 41. The main valve portion 43 is arranged to seat (contact) against the main valve seat 23 in the fully closed state.

The sub-valve body 5 is a needle valve that is provided at the lower end of the rotor shaft 61 described later, and integrally includes a valve shaft 51 that is connected to the rotor shaft 61 side, and a needle portion 52 that is connected to the lower end of the valve shaft 51. The sub-valve body 5 further includes an annular washer 53 disposed on the valve shaft 51, and a guide boss portion 54 that is fixed to the valve shaft 51. The guide boss portion 54 is fixed separately from the valve shaft 51, but the guide boss portion 54 may be formed integrally with the valve shaft 51. The washer 53 and the guide boss portion 54 are slidably inserted into the needle guide hole 42a.

The drive unit 6 is provided inside and outside the case 24 fixed to the upper end of the valve housing 2, and has a stepping motor 6A, a screw feed mechanism 6B that moves the sub-valve body 5 forward and backward by the rotation of the stepping motor 6A, and a stopper mechanism 6C that regulates the rotation of the stepping motor 6A. The case 24 is fixed airtightly to the valve housing 2, for example, by welding.

The stepping motor 6A is composed of a rotor shaft 61, a magnet rotor 62 rotatably arranged inside the case 24, a stator coil (not shown) arranged facing the magnet rotor 62 on the outer periphery of the case 24, and other components such as a yoke and exterior members (not shown). The rotor shaft 61 is attached to the center of the magnet rotor 62 via a bush, and a male thread 61a is formed on the outer periphery of the rotor shaft 61 on the guide member 3 side. This male thread 61a is screwed into the female thread 34a of the guide member 3, so that the guide member 3 supports the rotor shaft 61 on an axis along the Z direction. The female thread 34a of the guide member 3 and the male thread 61a of the rotor shaft 61 constitute the screw feed mechanism 6B.

Here, the details of the opening and closing operation of the main valve body 4 and the sub-valve body 5 in the motor-operated valve 1 will be described. When the magnet rotor 62 and the rotor shaft 61 rotate due to the driving of the stepping motor 6A, the rotor shaft 61 moves along the Z direction due to the screw feed mechanism 6B between the male thread portion 61a of the rotor shaft 61 and the female thread portion 34a of the guide member 3. As a result, the sub-valve body 5 moves forward and backward in the Z direction to approach or move away from the sub-valve port 41a, controlling the valve opening degree of the sub-valve port 41a. In addition, the sub-valve body 5 (washer 53) engages with the main valve body 4 (retainer 44), and the main valve body 4 moves together with the sub-valve body 5 to approach or move away from the main valve seat 23. This controls the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing from the first joint pipe 11 to the second joint pipe 12.

A male-threaded guide groove 34b is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the stopper portion 34 of the guide member 3, and a slider 63 is provided in this guide groove 34b. The slider 63 abuts against the magnet rotor 62, and rotates and moves up and down along the guide groove 34b as the magnet rotor 62 rotates. The slider 63 abuts against the upper or lower end of the guide groove 34b, thereby forming a stopper mechanism 6C that restricts the rotation of the magnet rotor 62. The lowermost and uppermost positions of the rotor shaft 61 and magnet rotor 62 are restricted by this stopper mechanism 6C.

Here, the details of the connection structure between the valve housing 2 and the first joint pipe 11 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Since the valve housing 2 has a circular first port 21 when viewed from the X direction, when the valve housing 2 is cut on a plane along the XY plane, if the cutting position changes in the Z direction, the opening dimension (Y direction dimension) of the first port 21 in the cross section changes. Figure 2 shows a cross section in which the opening dimension of the first port 21 is maximum. At this time, the end of the inner surface of the first port 21 on one side in the Y direction (upper side in the figure) is called one end 211, and the end on the other side (lower side in the figure) is called the other end 212. The line segment that virtually connects the center portion 211A of the one end 211 in the thickness direction of the valve housing 2 (X direction in Figure 2) and the center portion 212A of the other end 212 in the thickness direction of the valve housing 2 is called the virtual line segment L1. In addition, the arc of the inner circumferential surface of the valve housing 2 corresponding to the position where the first port 21 is formed (the portion that existed before the first port 21 was formed, and is an extension of the arc of the valve housing 2 other than the first port 21) is defined as a virtual arc C1. The virtual line segment L1 and the virtual arc C1 intersect.

When the first joint pipe 11 is inserted to the normal depth into the first port 21 of such a valve housing 2, the outer peripheral surface 11A of the first joint pipe 11 faces the inner peripheral surface of the first port 21 in the facing area A1 (the area surrounded by the dashed line) as shown in FIG. 4. Although the facing area A1 is formed in a curved band shape, it does not reach the tip of the first joint pipe 11. In addition, the shape of the facing area A1 is the same when the first joint pipe 11 is viewed from the rear of the paper in the Y direction.

The range in the X direction that includes the entire facing area A1 is the possible facing area A2 (the area surrounded by the two-dot chain line) that can face the inner circumferential surface of the first port 21. That is, by rotating the first joint pipe 11 with the X direction as the axial direction, the facing area A1 that actually faces the first joint pipe 11 changes and is formed into a curved belt shape, so the possible facing area A2 is the area that can become the possible facing area A1. The outer circumferential surface 11A of the first joint pipe 11 further has an inner area A3 that is located in the main valve chamber 2R on the tip side of the possible facing area A1. The inner area A3 is the area where the outer circumferential surface 11A is located in the main valve chamber 2R (not facing the inner circumferential surface of the first port 21) over the entire circumference.

On the outer peripheral surface 11A of the first joint pipe 11, a plurality of (three in this embodiment) protrusions 111 extending along the extension direction (X direction) of the first joint pipe 11 are formed over the entire facing region A2 and a part of the inner region A3. That is, on the outer peripheral surface 11A, one protrusion 111 forms one protruding portion extending along the X direction, and three protruding portions are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. The protrusions 111 are dimples, and at the formation position, recesses 112 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first joint pipe 11. In this embodiment, the protrusions 111 do not reach the end of the first joint pipe 11 on the insertion side (left side in FIG. 2), but the protrusions may reach the end of the first joint pipe (joint member) on the insertion side. In addition, the plurality of protrusions 111 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (120° intervals in this embodiment).

Since the protrusion 111 extends along the X direction and spans the entire opposing area A1, the entire inner circumferential surface of the first port 21 abuts against the protrusion 111 regardless of the orientation in which the first joint pipe 11 is inserted (the rotation angle when the first joint pipe 11 is rotated around the X direction as the axial direction). With the inner circumferential surface of the first port 21 and the protrusion 111 abutting in this manner, the first joint pipe 11 is fixed to the valve housing 2 by brazing.

On the other hand, consider the case where multiple dot-like protrusions are formed in a circumferential line. These dot-like protrusions will be positioned in the possible facing area A2, but not all of the protrusions will necessarily be positioned in the facing area A1. Even if all of the protrusions are positioned in the facing area A1 for a first joint pipe 11 in a certain orientation, the facing area A1 will also change when the orientation of the first joint pipe 11 changes, so the protrusions may fall outside the facing area A1.

According to the present embodiment described above, the convex portion formed by the convex portion 111 extends along the X direction, which is the extension direction of the first joint pipe 11, so that it is easy to abut against the inner circumferential surface of the first port 21 of the valve housing 2. This makes it possible to stabilize the fixing structure between the valve housing 2 and the first joint pipe 11.

In addition, in the valve housing 2, the imaginary line segment L1 and the imaginary arc C1 intersect, and even if the diameter of the first port 21 is relatively large compared to the diameter of the valve housing 2 and the wall thickness of the valve housing 2 is thin, the convex portion formed by the convex portion 111 can be easily brought into contact with the inner surface of the valve port 41a.

In addition, the convex portion formed by the convex portion 111 extends along the X direction so as to cover the entire facing area A2, which makes it easier for the convex portion formed by the convex portion 111 to abut against the inner surface of the first port 21.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but includes other configurations that can achieve the object of the present invention, and the following modifications are also included in the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, three convex portions are formed by three convex parts 111 and are arranged at 120° intervals, but multiple convex portions may be formed on the joint member.

That is, as a modified example, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the convex portions formed by the convex portions 131 and the concave portions 132 may be arranged alternately in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface 13A of the first joint pipe 13 as a joint member to form the uneven portion 133. As a result, the outer peripheral surface 13A of the first joint pipe 13 is subjected to flat knurling. In this case, the convex portions 131 are not dimples, and no concave portions are formed on the inner peripheral surface side. Also, in the first joint pipe 13, the opposing region, the possible opposing region, and the inner region are formed similarly to the first joint pipe 11 of the above embodiment.

In this modified example, the uneven portion 133 is formed on the outer peripheral surface 13A of the first joint pipe 13, which makes it easier to suppress rattling of the first joint pipe 13.

In addition, the joint member may have multiple convex portions formed along the circumferential direction, and the number of convex portions may be two or four or more. In addition, the multiple convex portions do not have to be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

In addition, in the above embodiment, one convex portion is formed by one convex portion 111, and the convex portion extends along the X direction as the convex portion 111 extends along the X direction, but one convex portion may be formed by multiple convex portions. For example, multiple point-like convex portions (dimples, etc.) may be arranged in a line along the extension direction of the joint member, so that the convex portion formed by these convex portions extends in the extension direction of the joint member.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the convex portion formed by the convex portion 111 extends along the X direction so as to cover the entire faceable area A2, but the convex portion does not have to cover the entire faceable area as long as it is formed in the faceable area and extends along the extension direction of the joint members. Even if the convex portion does not cover the entire faceable area, it is possible to easily bring the inner circumferential surface of the opening into contact with the convex portion.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the imaginary line segment L1 and the imaginary arc C1 intersect in the valve housing 2. However, even if the imaginary line segment and the imaginary arc do not intersect, for example, if the coupling member is inserted relatively deeply and an inner region disposed in the valve chamber is formed on the tip side of the opposing region of the coupling member, a convex portion extending along the extension direction of the coupling member may be formed as in the above embodiment.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the valve device is exemplified as an electric valve 1 that has a main valve body 4 and a sub-valve body 5 and can adjust the flow rate in two stages, but the valve device is not limited to this. In other words, the valve device may be any device in which a coupling member is connected to an opening on the side of a cylindrical valve housing, and may be an electric valve that has only one valve body and can adjust the flow rate in one stage, or may be a valve device with another drive method.

The above describes the embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

1... motor-operated valve (valve device), 2... valve housing, 21... first port (opening), 211... one end, 211A, 212A... center, 212... other end, 2R... main valve chamber (valve chamber), 4... main valve body (valve body), 11, 13... first coupling pipe (coupling member), 11A, 13A... outer periphery, 111, 131... convex portion, 132... concave portion, 133... concave-convex portion, A2... possible opposing area, A3... inner area, L1... imaginary line segment, C1... imaginary arc

Claims (3)

A valve device comprising: a cylindrical valve housing having an opening formed on a side surface; a valve body provided in a valve chamber inside the valve housing; and a cylindrical coupling member connected to the valve housing by being inserted through the opening,
an outer circumferential surface of the coupling member has a faceable region that can face the inner circumferential surface of the opening when the coupling member is inserted to a normal depth, and an inner region that is disposed within the valve chamber on a tip side of the faceable region,
A plurality of convex portions are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on at least the opposing region of the outer circumferential surface,
Each of the convex portions is formed by one or more convex portions and extends along an extension direction of the joint member ,
in a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to an axial direction of the valve housing, such that a dimension of the opening is maximized in a circumferential direction of the valve housing, an imaginary line segment connecting a central portion of one end of an inner circumferential surface of the opening in a thickness direction of the valve housing and a central portion of the other end of the opening in the thickness direction of the valve housing intersects with an imaginary arc corresponding to a position on the inner circumferential surface of the valve housing where the opening is formed,
The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion extends in an extension direction so as to cover at least the entire opposing region . The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that the convex portion does not reach the end of the coupling member on the insertion side. 3. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portions and the recessed portions are arranged alternately in a circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the coupling member, thereby forming an uneven portion.

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