JP7637092B2 - Slide type switching valve - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a slide-type switching valve.

Conventionally, as a switching valve for switching the flow path of a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle or the like, a slide-type switching valve is known that includes a cylindrical valve body, a bowl-shaped valve element slidably provided inside the valve body, a valve seat portion fixed to the valve body and having multiple valve ports, and a drive portion that drives the valve element to slide (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). The valve element is formed with an elliptical bowl-shaped recess that is long in the axial direction, and the opening edge of the bowl-shaped recess is a seal portion that slides against the seal surface of the valve seat portion. In the valve element described in Patent Document 1, a web (flow divider) is arranged between both side walls along the axial direction (long side direction) of the bowl-shaped recess, and the fluid flowing inside the bowl-shaped recess is divided by the web. In addition, the valve bodies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are provided with reinforcing members (webs, support rods, reinforcing pins) that extend widthwise (short side direction) between both side walls of the bowl-shaped recess, and the reinforcing members are designed to prevent both side walls of the bowl-shaped recess from deforming inward due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside.

Special Publication No. 2008-512609 JP 2012-82883 A

However, in the valve body described in Patent Document 1, the reinforcing effect of the web on the opening edge of the side wall cannot be expected, and in the valve bodies of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the reinforcing member is rod-shaped and connected to approximately the center of the axial direction of both side walls of the bowl-shaped recess, so there is a possibility that other parts of the opening edge of the side wall may deform.

The object of the present invention is to provide a sliding switching valve that can reinforce a specified range along the axial direction of the side wall of the valve body, suppress deformation of the side wall due to pressure differences, and improve pressure resistance.

The slide type switching valve of the present invention is a slide type switching valve comprising: a hollow cylindrical valve body; a valve seat portion provided in the valve body and having a plurality of valve ports; a valve element provided inside the valve body so as to be slidable in the axial direction; and a drive portion for driving the valve element to slide, wherein the valve element is formed with an elliptical bowl-shaped recess that is long in the axial direction, an opening edge portion of the bowl-shaped recess is a seal portion that is capable of slidingly contacting a seal surface of the valve seat portion, and reinforcing members are provided on the insides of both side walls of the bowl-shaped recess along the axial direction, the reinforcing members extending across the both side walls,
The reinforcing member is formed of a metal plate member and has a flat portion along the axial direction and the width direction, and both widthwise end edges of the flat portion extend in the axial direction near the opening edge along the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess by a distance greater than the distance between the axially closest positions of one peripheral portion and the other peripheral portion of adjacent ones of the plurality of valve ports .

According to the present invention described above, a reinforcing member is provided on the inside of both side walls along the axial direction of the bowl-shaped recess of the valve body. The reinforcing member has a flat portion, and both widthwise ends of the flat portion extend axially near the opening edge of the bowl-shaped recess along the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess. Therefore, even if a pressure difference occurs between the high-pressure valve body and the low-pressure valve body, and the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess tries to deform, for example, in a direction to close the opening, the deformation is suppressed in the axial direction near the opening edge, which is particularly susceptible to deformation. Therefore, by providing a reinforcing member having a flat portion, it is possible to reinforce a predetermined range along the axial direction of the side wall of the valve body, suppress deformation of the side wall of the valve body due to the pressure difference between the valve body and the valve body, and improve pressure resistance.

In this case, it is preferable that the flat surface of the reinforcing member has a bottom surface facing the valve seat portion, and the distance between the bottom surface and the seal portion is 25% or less of the inner dimension in the height direction of the bowl-shaped recess. According to this configuration, the flat surface is positioned so that its bottom surface is located near the opening edge at a distance from the seal portion that is less than a predetermined percentage of the inner dimension in the height direction of the bowl-shaped recess, specifically, less than 25%. Therefore, deformation of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess can be suppressed in the axial direction at a position closer to the opening edge.

The distance between the bottom surface of the reinforcing member and the seal portion is preferably 0.6% or more of the inner height dimension of the bowl-shaped recess. With this configuration, a clearance of a predetermined percentage of the inner height dimension of the bowl-shaped recess, specifically 0.6% or more, is provided between the bottom surface of the reinforcing member and the seal portion. This makes it difficult for the reinforcing member to get caught on the valve seat when the valve body moves in the axial direction, allowing the valve body to slide smoothly.

The reinforcing member preferably has a pair of rising surface portions rising from both end edges of the flat portion, and the pair of rising surface portions are each provided along the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess. With this configuration, the pair of rising surface portions of the reinforcing member are each provided along the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess, so that the area of the reinforcing member in contact with the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess can be increased. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess over a wide range from the vicinity of the opening edge where the flat portion is located to the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess.

It is also preferable that the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess has a fitting groove that fits into the rising surface of the reinforcing member, and that the rising surface fits into the fitting groove to position the reinforcing member in the bowl-shaped recess. With this configuration, the reinforcing member can be positioned in the bowl-shaped recess by fitting the reinforcing member into the fitting groove, thereby suppressing axial and vertical positional deviation of the reinforcing member and stabilizing the operation of the slide-type switching valve.

It is also preferable that a retaining protrusion is provided on one of the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess and the rising surface of the reinforcing member, and an engaging recess that engages with the retaining protrusion is provided on the other. With this configuration, the engagement between the retaining protrusion and the engaging recess further suppresses the positional deviation in the axial and vertical directions of the reinforcing member, stabilizing the operation of the slide-type switching valve.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the flat surface portion and the raised surface portion of the reinforcing member are integrally formed. With this configuration, the flat surface portion and the raised surface portion can be integrally formed, for example, by a method such as press molding, so that the number of steps required to manufacture the reinforcing member can be reduced, and thus the manufacturing costs can be reduced.

The axial edge of the flat portion is preferably recessed and concave so as not to overlap the opening of the valve port when the valve body is in the switching position. With this configuration, the axial edge of the flat portion is recessed and concave so as not to overlap the opening of the valve port, which prevents the reinforcing member from covering the valve port and obstructing the flow path. In addition, with this configuration, the axial edge of the flat portion is concave, which increases the axial length of both widthwise edges of the flat portion, and further prevents deformation of the side walls of the bowl-shaped recess.

It is also preferable that a chamfer is formed on the surface of the axial edge of the flat portion opposite the valve seat portion. According to this configuration, a chamfer is formed on the surface of the axial edge of the flat portion (i.e., the edge along the periphery of the valve port) opposite the valve seat portion (i.e., the surface facing the inside of the bowl-shaped recess). Since the portion where this chamfer is formed is located on the flow path of the fluid from the valve port to the inside and outside of the valve body, the reinforcing member is less likely to obstruct the fluid compared to a configuration where the chamfer is not formed. Therefore, it is possible to make it easier for the fluid to flow into the bowl-shaped recess and easier for the fluid to flow out of the bowl-shaped recess.

The reinforcing member is preferably provided with a reinforcing portion extending from the flat portion to the rising surface portion inside the bowl-shaped recess. With this configuration, the reinforcing portion can prevent the rising surface portion from deforming toward or away from the flat portion. This prevents deformation of the reinforcing member when pressure is applied to the inside or outside of the valve body, thereby preventing deformation of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess of the valve body, further improving pressure resistance and providing a valve body that prevents valve leakage even under high pressure.

It is preferable that the flat surface portion is inclined toward the inside of the bowl-shaped recess from both ends in the width direction toward the center in the width direction. Here, when pressure is applied from the outside to the inside of the bowl-shaped valve body, the top and side walls of the valve body may be deformed so as to be crushed from the outside to the inside in the width direction, and the opening edge of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess may deform so as to widen. At this time, the upright surface portion of the reinforcing member may bend toward the inside of the bowl-shaped recess, and the center of the flat surface portion in the width direction may be curved toward the outside of the bowl-shaped recess. However, according to this configuration, the flat surface portion is inclined toward the inside of the bowl-shaped recess from both ends in the width direction toward the center in the width direction. That is, the flat surface portion is inclined in advance in the opposite direction to the direction in which it may be curved due to the influence of the valve body that is pressured from the outside to the inside. Therefore, when the pressure is applied, the inclined portion is less likely to deform, and the pressure can be absorbed by the inclined portion that is less likely to deform. In this way, deformation of the flat surface portion can be suppressed compared to a configuration in which the flat surface portion is not inclined.

In addition, it is preferable that the valve body is provided with a reinforcing plate that faces the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess with a gap therebetween, and a fitting space into which the rising surface portion fits is provided between the reinforcing plate and the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess. With this configuration, the reinforcing member can be fixed to the valve body by fitting the rising surface portion into the fitting space. In this configuration, when pressure is applied to the valve body from the outside to the inside, the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess is pressed against the reinforcing member, thereby suppressing further deformation of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess from the outside to the inside. On the other hand, when pressure is applied to the valve body from the inside to the outside, the reinforcing plate that tries to deform from the inside to the outside is caught by the reinforcing member, thereby suppressing further deformation from the inside to the outside. This makes it difficult for the pressure to act on the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess. In this way, the side walls of the bowl-shaped recess are less likely to deform in the expansion direction as well as the contraction direction when pressure is applied to the valve body, further improving the pressure resistance of the valve body. Therefore, when pressure is applied to the valve body, deformation of the side walls of the bowl-shaped recess is suppressed, further suppressing the occurrence of valve leakage.

The valve body may be provided with a reinforcing plate that faces the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess with a gap therebetween, and a fitting space into which the widthwise end of the reinforcing member fits may be provided between the reinforcing plate and the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess, and the reinforcing member may have a fitting portion into which the reinforcing plate fits. With this configuration, the valve body and the reinforcing member can be fixed by providing a reinforcing plate on the valve body and a fitting portion (e.g., a hole or a notch) on the reinforcing member into which the reinforcing plate fits. In other words, the valve body and the reinforcing member can be fixed with a simple configuration that does not provide a configuration such as a raised surface portion on the reinforcing member. In addition, at this time, the widthwise end of the reinforcing member fits into the fitting space between the reinforcing plate and the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess. In this configuration, when pressure is applied to the valve body from the outside toward the inside, the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess is pressed against the reinforcing member, thereby preventing the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess from deforming further from the outside toward the inside. On the other hand, when pressure is applied to the valve body from the inside toward the outside, the reinforcing plate, which tries to deform from the inside toward the outside, is caught by the reinforcing member, thereby preventing further deformation from the inside toward the outside. This makes it difficult for the pressure to act on the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess. In this way, the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess is difficult to deform in the expansion direction as well as the contraction direction in response to pressure applied to the valve body, further improving the pressure resistance of the valve body. Therefore, when pressure is applied to the valve body, deformation of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess is prevented, and the occurrence of valve leakage can be further prevented.

The present invention makes it possible to obtain a sliding switching valve that can reinforce a specified range along the axial direction of the side wall of the valve body, suppress deformation of the side wall due to pressure differences, and improve pressure resistance.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a slide type switching valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a valve body in the slide type switching valve. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in a width direction of the slide type switching valve. FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of the valve body in FIG. 3 . FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the valve body with the reinforcing member removed. FIG. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a first switching position of the valve body, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a second switching position of the valve body. 13A is an axial cross-sectional view of a reinforcing member in one modified example, and FIG. 13B is an axial cross-sectional view of a reinforcing member in another modified example. 10A is a front view of a reinforcing member in a second embodiment, FIG. 10B is a plan view of the reinforcing member in the second embodiment, and FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 10B. 11A is a front view of a reinforcing member in a modified example of the second embodiment, FIG. 11B is a plan view of the reinforcing member in a modified example of the second embodiment, and FIG. 11C is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 11B. 12A is a front view of a reinforcing member in a third embodiment, FIG. 12B is a plan view of the reinforcing member in the third embodiment, and FIG. 12C is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 12B. 13A is a widthwise cross-sectional view of a valve body in a fourth embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a widthwise cross-sectional view of a reinforcing member in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a widthwise cross-sectional view of a valve body according to a fourth embodiment with a reinforcing member attached thereto. 15A is a widthwise cross-sectional view of a valve body in the fifth embodiment, FIG. 15B is a plan view of a reinforcing member in the fifth embodiment, and FIG. 15C is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 15B. FIG. 13 is a widthwise cross-sectional view of a valve body according to a fifth embodiment with a reinforcing member attached thereto.

The embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 9. The slide type switching valve 1 according to this embodiment is a switching valve that is connected to a compressor, an evaporator, and a condenser in a refrigeration cycle or the like, and switches the flow path of the refrigerant flowing through these devices. The slide type switching valve 1 includes a hollow cylindrical valve body 2, a valve seat portion 3 provided in the valve body 2 and having a plurality of valve ports, a valve body 4 provided inside the valve body 2 so as to be slidable in the axial line L direction, a drive portion 5 that drives the valve body 4 to slide, and a reinforcing member 6 installed in the valve body 4. Note that the slide type switching valve 1 of this embodiment has the drive portion 5 on one side in the axial line L direction and the inlet port A (described later) on the other side in the axial line L direction, so that one side in the axial line L direction may be referred to as the drive portion 5 side, and the other side in the axial line L direction may be referred to as the inlet port A side.

The valve body 2 is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape by resin molding so that the tip extends toward the drive unit 5, and its interior constitutes the valve chamber 2a. An inlet port A is formed in the bottom wall of the valve body 2, which communicates with the inside and outside of the valve chamber 2a. The inlet port A is a port that communicates with the discharge port of a compressor (not shown) via an inlet connection flow path 20 extending in the axial L direction. This inlet port A constitutes the inlet when high-pressure refrigerant sent from the compressor flows into the valve chamber 2a. In the side wall of the valve body 2, a first connection flow path 21, an outlet connection flow path 22, and a second connection flow path 23 are formed in this order from the drive unit 5 side along the axial L direction as multiple cylindrical flow paths that communicate with the inside and outside of the valve chamber 2a. The first connection flow path 21 is a flow path that communicates with the first port 30 described later. This first connection flow path 21 is connected to a condenser (or evaporator) and constitutes a flow path for a fluid that flows between the condenser (or evaporator) and the valve chamber 2a.

The outlet connection flow path 22 is a flow path that communicates with the outlet port 31 described later. This outlet connection flow path 22 is connected to the suction port of the compressor, and constitutes a flow path when the low-pressure refrigerant that has returned to the valve chamber 2a through the first connection flow path 21 (or the second connection flow path 23) is sent to the compressor. The second connection flow path 23 is a flow path that communicates with the second port 32 described later. This second connection flow path 23 is connected to the evaporator (or condenser) and constitutes a flow path for the fluid that flows between the evaporator (or condenser) and the valve chamber 2a. A metallic cylindrical case 24 is fixed to the end of the valve body 2 on the drive unit 5 side by insert molding, and a metallic, approximately disk-shaped fixed cover 25 that closes the opening of the case 24 is fixed to the outer periphery of the guide portion 53 described later by insert molding at the end of the case 24 on the drive unit 5 side by welding or the like. The valve body 2, case 24, and fixed lid 25 configured in this manner are accommodated in the housing 7, and a C-ring 26 that fixes the housing 7 and the valve body 2 to prevent them from coming loose is fitted between the end of the housing 7 on the drive unit 5 side and the fixed lid 25. In this embodiment, the valve body 2 is made of a resin such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), but it may be made of other appropriate materials such as metals such as brass, iron, aluminum, and stainless steel.

The housing 7 is formed by aluminum die casting into a bottomed tubular shape. The housing 7 has a substantially cylindrical accommodation chamber 7a centered on the axis L. The accommodation chamber 7a is adapted to accommodate the valve body 2 with the case 24 and the fixed lid 25 installed. Groove portions G that are recessed in the radial direction are arranged at a predetermined interval in a plurality of positions in the direction of the axis L on either the outer peripheral wall of the valve body 2 or the inner peripheral wall of the housing 7, and an O-ring 70 is fitted into the groove portion G. The O-ring 70 seals the gap between the valve body 2 and the housing 7. An inlet connection hole 71 that communicates with the inlet port A described above is formed in the bottom wall of the housing 7. A first housing flow path 72, an outlet housing flow path 73, and a second housing flow path 74 that communicate with the first connection flow path 21, the outlet connection flow path 22, and the second connection flow path 23 described above, respectively, are formed in the side wall of the housing 7.

The valve seat portion 3 is a portion of the side wall of the valve body 2 on which the first connection flow path 21, the outlet connection flow path 22, and the second connection flow path 23 are formed, and is configured to have a plurality of valve ports. The valve seat portion 3 is formed of a thin metal plate and is fixed to the side wall of the valve body 2 by insert molding, bonding, welding, or the like. The plate surface of the valve seat portion 3 is formed with a first port 30 communicating with the first connection flow path 21, an outlet port 31 communicating with the outlet connection flow path 22, and a second port 32 communicating with the second connection flow path 23. Each of the ports 30, 31, and 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter smaller than the first connection flow path 21, the outlet connection flow path 22, and the second connection flow path 23, and is arranged at a predetermined interval in the axial direction L. Specifically, the inner diameter of each of the ports 30, 31, and 32 is set to about 10 to 20 mm. The surface of the valve seat 3 opposite the side where the connecting flow paths 21, 22, and 23 are located forms a seal surface 33 that comes into sliding contact with the seal portion of the valve body 4, which will be described later.

The valve body 4 is mainly made of resin such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and is provided inside the valve body 2 so as to slide freely in the axial direction L. The valve body 4 is configured with a bowl-shaped valve body main body 40 that seats on the valve seat portion 3 to communicate or block each of the inlet port A, the first port 30, the outlet port 31, and the second port 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the valve body main body 40 is configured with an elliptical opening edge portion 40a that is long in the axial direction L and is provided to face the seal surface 33 of the valve seat portion 3, and a bowl-shaped portion 40b that protrudes from the opening edge portion 40a to the side opposite the valve seat portion 3, and the inside forms a bowl-shaped recess 40c that serves as a fluid flow path. In the following description, the direction perpendicular to the axial direction L at the opening edge portion 40a is defined as the width direction X of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. This width direction X is also the width direction of the slide-type switching valve 1. The depth direction of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is defined as the height direction Z of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. The dimension of the opening edge 40a of the bowl-shaped recess 40c in the axial direction L is set to a length sufficient to cover two adjacent ports among the first port 30, the outlet port 31, and the second port 32. The dimension of the opening edge 40a in the width direction X is set to a length sufficient to cover one port among the first port 30, the outlet port 31, and the second port 32. The dimension of the height direction Z of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is set in the range from 9 mm, which corresponds to -10% of the minimum dimension of the inner diameter of each port 30, 31, and 32 of the valve seat portion 3 described above, 10 mm, to 25 mm, which corresponds to +25% of the maximum dimension of the inner diameter of each port 30, 31, and 32, 20 mm. By setting the height dimension Z of the bowl-shaped recess 40c within this range, it is possible to suppress pressure loss when the fluid flows through the bowl-shaped recess 40c and to suppress an increase in the size of the valve body 4.

The opening edge 40a of the bowl-shaped recess 40c constitutes a seal portion S that can slide against the above-mentioned seal surface 33. When the seal portion S abuts against the seal surface 33, for example, the first port 30 and the outlet port 31 are surrounded by the bowl-shaped recess 40c and are cut off from the other ports A and 32. As a result, the first port 30 and the outlet port 31 are connected to each other, and the inlet port A and the second port 32 are connected to each other. When the seal portion S slides along the seal surface 33, the outlet port 31 and the second port 32 are surrounded by the bowl-shaped recess 40c and are cut off from the other ports A and 30. As a result, the outlet port 31 and the second port 32 are connected to each other, and the inlet port A and the first port 30 are connected to each other. That is, the valve body 40 slides and the seal portion S comes into sliding contact with the seal surface 33, switching between communication and blocking between the ports A, 30, 31, and 32.

The side walls 40f located at both ends of the width direction X of the bowl-shaped recess 40c are each formed long in the axial line L direction. As shown in FIG. 6, a seat 41 for installing the reinforcing member 6 described later is formed on the inner surface of each of the side walls 40f. The seat 41 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that rises inward in the width direction X and is long in the axial line L direction. The seat 41 is formed with a fitting groove 41a that opens inward in the width direction X and on the valve seat portion 3 side. Each fitting groove 41a has a groove width that is approximately the same as the plate thickness of the rising surface portion 61 described later of the reinforcing member 6 so that it can be fitted therein, and is formed to extend in the axial line L direction. A slip-out prevention protrusion 42 that protrudes inward in the width direction X is formed in the center of the axial line L direction of the surface on the outer side of the width direction X of each fitting groove 41a. The slip-out prevention protrusion 42 is a protrusion for engaging with an engagement recess 61a formed in the rising surface portion 61.

A spring member 43 is installed at the top of the bowl-shaped portion 40b of the valve body 40 to bias the valve body 40 toward the valve seat portion 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the spring member 43 is configured so that one end abuts against the inner wall of the valve body 2 and the other end abuts against the top of the valve body 40, and is interposed between the valve body 2 and the valve body 40. As shown in FIG. 2, a stopper 44 is formed at the end of the inlet port A side of the valve body 40, protruding in the axial direction L toward the inlet port A side. The stopper 44 is a protrusion for restricting the sliding movement of the valve body 4, and the protruding end abuts against the valve chamber 2a side surface of the bottom wall of the valve body 2 to restrict the movement of the valve body 4 toward the inlet port A side. In other words, the stopper 44 and the valve chamber 2a side surface of the bottom wall of the valve body 2 define the limit position of the valve body 4 that can move toward the inlet port A side. When the valve body 4 reaches this position, the communication between the above-mentioned ports A, 30, 31, and 32 is switched between open and closed, and this position is specifically designated as the first switching position P1 (switching position) as shown in FIG. 8 (A).

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the end of the valve body main body 40 on the drive unit 5 side is provided with a connection claw portion 45 that protrudes toward the drive unit 5 side. The connection claw portion 45 is a portion for connecting the valve body 4 and the drive unit 5. The connection claw portion 45 is configured with a protruding portion 45a protruding in the axial direction L and a claw portion 45b protruding from the protruding end of the protruding portion 45a toward the side opposite to the side where the valve seat portion 3 is located. The protruding portion 45a is configured as a plate-shaped member that is long in the width direction X. The claw portion 45b protrudes from both ends of the protruding portion 45a in the width direction X and is configured to be bifurcated into two branches in the approximately horizontal direction. The claw portion 45b has a thickness in the axial direction L and is configured to fit into a connection groove (not shown) formed in the female screw shaft 55 described later. The valve body 4 and the drive unit 5 are connected by the claw portion 45b fitting into the connection groove. At the end of the claw portion 45b on the drive portion 5 side, an abutment surface 45b1 is formed that is inclined so that it is positioned closer to the inlet port A as it approaches the tip, and this abutment surface 45b1 is adapted to abut against the restriction surface 53a of the guide portion, which will be described later.

The drive unit 5 is a part that drives the valve body 4 to slide, and includes a stepping motor 5a as an electric motor, and a linear motion mechanism 5b that converts the rotation of the stepping motor 5a into linear motion and transmits it to the valve body 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the stepping motor 5a is fixed to the drive unit 5 side of the fixed lid 25 and includes a metal cap 51 that seals the valve chamber 2a of the valve body 2 and the inside of the case 24, a magnet rotor 50 housed in the cap 51, and a stator coil 52 arranged to surround the outer periphery of the magnet rotor 50 in the circumferential direction of the axis L across the cap 51. The linear motion mechanism 5b includes the above-mentioned bottomed cylindrical guide portion 53 fixed to the fixed lid 25 by insert molding, a male screw shaft 54 as a rotor shaft that is guided forward and backward along the guide portion 53 in the axial direction L, and a female screw shaft 55 having a female screw portion 55a that screws into the male screw portion 54a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the male screw shaft 54. That is, the linear motion mechanism 5b is configured as a screw feed mechanism having a male threaded portion 54a and a female threaded portion 55a that screw together. The guide portion 53 is fixed to the fixed lid 25 with its tip side (inlet port A side) located inside the valve chamber 2a and its bottom wall side (drive portion 5 side) located outside the valve chamber 2a.

The guide portion 53 is provided to accommodate the male threaded shaft 54 and the female threaded shaft 55 therein, and the inner peripheral wall on which the wall surface of the outer peripheral wall of the female threaded shaft 55 slides is formed in a cross-sectional square tube shape. At the end of the guide portion 53 on the inlet port A side, a regulating surface 53a is formed on which the abutment surface 45b1 formed on the claw portion 45b can slide. This regulating surface 53a is inclined in the same direction as the inclination of the abutment surface 45b1 with respect to the axis L direction. When the claw portion 45b moves toward the drive portion 5 by the linear motion mechanism 5b, the abutment surface 45b1 abuts against the regulating surface 53a. Then, when the claw portion 45b tries to move further toward the drive portion 5, the abutment surface 45b1 slides toward the valve seat portion 3 while being guided by the regulating surface 53a. As a result, the valve body main body 40 is pressed toward the valve seat portion 3, and the movement of the valve body 4 toward the drive portion 5 is restricted. That is, the contact surface 45b1 of the claw portion 45b and the regulating surface 53a of the guide portion 53 are configured as surfaces that determine the limit position of the valve body 4 moving toward the drive portion 5 and guide the valve body 4 to press it against the valve seat portion 3. When the valve body 4 moving toward the drive portion 5 reaches the limit position, the above-mentioned ports A, 30, 31, and 32 are switched between communication and blocking, so as shown in FIG. 8(B), this position is particularly designated as the second switching position P2 (switching position) relative to the first switching position P1.

The male screw shaft 54 has an end on the drive unit 5 side fixed to the center of the magnet rotor 50 via a fixing member, and an end on the inlet port A side extending along the axis L toward the inlet port A side through the bottom wall of the guide section 53. This male screw shaft 54 is configured to rotate in the circumferential direction of the axis L together with the magnet rotor 50. The female screw shaft 55 is formed in a cross-sectional rounded corner cylindrical shape. The end of the female screw shaft 55 on the drive unit 5 side is accommodated in the guide section 53 so as to be slidable in the axial direction L. A female screw section 55a whose central axis is coaxial with the axial direction L is formed in the center of the female screw shaft 55. The female screw section 55a is screwed into the male screw section 54a of the male screw shaft 54, and is screwed and slid in the axial direction L by the rotation of the male screw section 54a. It is preferable to use a multiple thread as the thread that constitutes the male screw section 54a and the female screw section 55a.

At the end of the female screw shaft 55 on the inlet port A side, a connecting groove (not shown) is formed on the outer circumferential surface on both sides in the width direction X for fitting the above-mentioned claw portion 45b. The connecting groove is formed to extend in a direction intersecting the axis L with a groove width that is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the dimension of the claw portion 45b in the axial direction L so that the claw portion 45b can be fitted in. When the claw portion 45b is fitted in this connecting groove, the drive unit 5 and the valve body 4 are connected via the connecting claw portion 45. In this state, when the stepping motor 5a rotates the male screw shaft 54 and the linear motion mechanism 5b operates, the valve body 4 slides in the axial direction L together with the female screw shaft 55, which slides by the screw feed.

The reinforcing member 6 is a U-shaped member that prevents the side walls 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c from being deformed due to the pressure difference between the high pressure valve chamber 2a and the low pressure bowl-shaped recess 40c. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the reinforcing member 6 is provided on the inside of both side walls 40f (both side walls along the axis L direction) of the bowl-shaped recess 40c in the width direction X, across both side walls 40f. The reinforcing member 6 is configured to have a rectangular flat portion 60 along the axis L direction and the width direction X, and a pair of rising surface portions 61 rising from both ends of the flat portion 60 in the width direction X. The flat portion 60 and the rising surface portion 61 are integrally formed by a method such as press molding using a metal plate member. The flat portion 60 is arranged so that its bottom surface 60a faces the valve seat portion 3, and its back surface 60b, which is the surface opposite to the bottom surface 60a, faces the inside of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. As shown in FIG. 5, both widthwise X-direction edges of the flat portion 60 are provided so as to extend in the direction of the axis L near the opening edge portion 40a along the inner surface of each of the widthwise X-direction side walls 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c.

Both end edges 60c of the flat portion 60 in the axial direction are formed to have a concave shape so as not to overlap the openings of the first port 30, the outlet port 31, and the second port 32 (valve ports) in the first switching position P1 and the second switching position P2. That is, both end portions of the flat portion 60 in the axial direction are cut out in an arc shape toward each other, and have a shape that follows the periphery of each port 30, 31, and 32. The dimension of the part of the flat portion 60 with the shortest length in the axial direction L (i.e., the part on the line of the axial line L) is set to be about 70% or more of the separation distance of the closest position, which is the position where the distance in the axial direction L from one periphery to the other periphery of each adjacent port is the shortest. In addition, the length of the flat surface portion 60 that is the longest in the axial direction L, i.e., the length of the edges along both side walls 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c along the axial direction L, is set to be approximately 150 to 250% of the separation distance at the closest position described above.

The pair of rising surface portions 61 are provided along the inner surface of both side walls 40f in the width direction X of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. The rising surface portion 61 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the axial direction L so as to fit into the above-mentioned fitting groove 41a. When this rising surface portion 61 fits into the fitting groove 41a, the reinforcing member 6 is positioned in the bowl-shaped recess 40c. An engagement recess 61a that is cut out in the plate thickness direction is formed in the center in the axial direction L at the boundary portion between the rising surface portion 61 and the flat portion 60. This engagement recess 61a is a recess configured to engage with the above-mentioned anti-slip protrusion 42 when the rising surface portion 61 fits into the fitting groove 41a. When the retaining protrusion 42 and the engagement recess 61a are engaged, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, even if the reinforcing member 6 attempts to move outward in the height direction Z, the edge of the engagement recess 61a abuts against the end of the retaining protrusion 42 on the inner side in the height direction Z, restricting the movement, thereby preventing the reinforcing member 6 from falling out of the bowl-shaped recess 40c.

The arrangement of the reinforcing member 6 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the reinforcing member 6 is arranged so that the bottom surface 60a of the flat portion 60 has a predetermined clearance in the height direction Z with respect to the seal portion S, which is the opening edge portion 40a of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. Specifically, the separation dimension l, which is the length of the gap in the height direction Z between the bottom surface 60a of the flat portion 60 and the seal portion S, is set to about 0.1 mm to 1 mm. This separation dimension l corresponds to about 0.6% to 6.5% of the inner dimension h in the height direction Z of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. This ratio of about 0.6% to 6.5% of the inner dimension h in the height direction Z of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is set so that the reinforcing member 6 does not interfere with the sliding of the seal portion S against the seal surface 33 when the valve body 4 slides. The center value of the above ratio is about 4% of the inner dimension h in the height direction Z of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. It is preferable that the separation dimension l is set to at least 25% or less of the inner dimension h in the height direction Z of the bowl-shaped recess 40c (i.e., about 0.1 mm to 5 mm). It is more preferable that the separation dimension l is at least 10% or less of the inner dimension h in the height direction Z of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. The ratio of 25% of the inner dimension h in the height direction Z of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is set in order to suppress deformation of the opening edge portion 40a, which is most likely to deform when a high pressure is applied from the outside to the inside of the bowl-shaped recess 40c, by the flat portion 60. Therefore, even if the shape or size of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is different, it is preferable to arrange the reinforcing member 6 so that the separation dimension l is as described above. In order to arrange the reinforcing member 6 with the above-mentioned separation dimension l, the dimension in the height direction Z of the rising surface portion 61 may be adjusted while keeping the dimension in the height direction Z of the fitting groove 41a unchanged, or the dimension in the height direction Z of the rising surface portion 61 may be adjusted while keeping the dimension in the height direction Z of the fitting groove 41a unchanged. Also, both the dimension in the height direction Z of the rising surface portion 61 and the dimension in the height direction Z of the fitting groove 41a may be adjusted.

In the slide-type switching valve 1 having such a configuration, the valve body 4 slides in the direction of the axis L to switch the refrigerant flow path. First, the drive unit 5 is driven to slide the valve body 4 to the first switching position P1, and as shown in FIG. 8 (A), the second port 32 and the outlet port 31 are connected. Also, the inlet port A and the first port 30 are connected. At this time, high-pressure refrigerant flows into the valve chamber 2a through the inlet connection flow path 20 and the inlet port A, and the high-pressure refrigerant is sent to the condenser through the first port 30 and the first connection flow path 21. Meanwhile, low-pressure refrigerant sent from the evaporator flows into the bowl-shaped recess 40c through the second port 32 and the second connection flow path 23, and the low-pressure refrigerant is sent to the suction port of the compressor through the outlet port 31 and the outlet connection flow path 22. At this time, both end edges 60c of the reinforcing member 6 in the axial direction L are aligned along the edges of the ports 30, 31, and 32 so as not to block the fluid flow paths. Next, when the valve body 4 is slid to the second switching position P2, the outlet port 31 and the first port 30 are communicated with each other as shown in FIG. 8B. Also, the inlet port A and the second port 32 are communicated with each other. At this time, high-pressure refrigerant flows into the valve chamber 2a through the inlet connection flow path 20 and the inlet port A, and the high-pressure refrigerant is sent to the evaporator through the second port 32 and the second connection flow path 23. Meanwhile, low-pressure refrigerant sent from the condenser flows into the bowl-shaped recess 40c through the first port 30 and the first connection flow path 21, and the low-pressure refrigerant is sent to the suction port of the compressor through the outlet port 31 and the outlet connection flow path 22. Even in this case, both end edges 60c of the reinforcing member 6 in the direction of the axis L are aligned along the edges of the ports 30, 31, and 32 so as not to block the fluid flow path.

According to the above embodiment, the slide-type switching valve 1 is a slide-type switching valve 1 including a hollow cylindrical valve body 2, a valve seat portion 3 provided in the valve body 2 and having a plurality of valve ports 30, 31, 32, a valve body 4 provided inside the valve body 2 so as to be slidable in the axial direction L, and a drive portion 5 for driving the valve body 4 to slide. The valve body 4 is formed with an elliptical bowl-shaped recess 40c that is long in the axial direction L, and the opening edge portion 40 of the bowl-shaped recess 40c a is the seal portion S, which is capable of sliding contact with the seal surface 33 of the valve seat portion 3, and a reinforcing member 6 is provided on the inside of both side walls 40f along the axis L direction of the bowl-shaped recess 40c, spanning both side walls 40f, and the reinforcing member 6 has a flat portion 60 along the axis L direction and the width direction X, and both ends of the flat portion 60 in the width direction X are provided to extend in the axis L direction near the opening edge portion 40a along the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c.

According to the present invention as described above, a reinforcing member 6 is provided on the inside of both side walls 40f along the axial L direction of the bowl-shaped recess 40c of the valve body 4. The reinforcing member 6 has a flat portion 60, and both ends of the width direction X of the flat portion 60 extend in the axial L direction near the opening edge portion 40a of the bowl-shaped recess 40c along the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. Therefore, even if a pressure difference occurs between the high-pressure valve body 2 and the low-pressure valve body 4, and the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c tries to deform in a direction to close the opening, the deformation is suppressed in the axial L direction near the opening edge portion 40a, which is particularly susceptible to deformation. Therefore, by providing the reinforcing member 6 having the flat portion 60, a predetermined range of the side wall of the valve body 4 along the axial L direction can be reinforced, and deformation of the side wall of the valve body 4 due to the pressure difference between the valve body 2 and the valve body 4 can be suppressed, thereby improving pressure resistance.

In addition, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the bottom surface 60a of the flat portion 60 is positioned close to the opening edge portion 40a with a separation dimension l of less than a predetermined percentage of the inner dimension h of the bowl-shaped recess 40c in the height direction Z from the seal portion S, specifically, less than 25%. Therefore, deformation of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c can be suppressed in the axial direction L at a position closer to the opening edge portion 40a. In addition, a clearance of a predetermined percentage of the inner dimension h of the bowl-shaped recess 40c in the height direction Z, specifically 0.6% or more, is provided between the bottom surface 60a of the reinforcing member 6 and the seal portion S. Therefore, when the valve body 4 moves in the axial direction L, the reinforcing member 6 is less likely to get caught on the valve seat portion 3, and the valve body 4 can be smoothly slid.

In addition, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the pair of upright surface portions 61 of the reinforcing member 6 are provided along the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c, so that the area of the reinforcing member 6 in contact with the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c can be increased. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the bowl-shaped recess 40c over a wide range from the vicinity of the opening edge portion 40a where the flat portion 60 is located to the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. In addition, by fitting the reinforcing member 6 into the fitting groove 41a, the reinforcing member 6 can be positioned in the bowl-shaped recess 40c, so that the positional deviation of the reinforcing member 6 in the axial direction L and the height direction Z can be suppressed, and the operation of the slide-type switching valve 1 can be stabilized. In addition, the engagement between the retaining protrusion 42 and the engagement recess 61a can further suppress the positional deviation of the reinforcing member 6 in the axial direction L and the height direction Z, and the operation of the slide-type switching valve 1 can be stabilized.

In addition, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the flat surface portion 60 and the rising surface portion 61 can be integrally formed by, for example, press molding, so that the manufacturing man-hours for the reinforcing member 6 can be reduced, and thus the manufacturing costs can be reduced. In addition, the shape of both end edges 60c of the flat surface portion 60 in the axial direction L is recessed so as not to overlap the openings of the ports 30, 31, 32 (valve ports), so that the reinforcing member 6 can be prevented from covering the ports 30, 31, 32 and obstructing the flow path. In addition, in this configuration, by making both end edges 60c of the flat surface portion 60 in the axial direction L concave, the length of both end edges of the flat surface portion 60 in the width direction X in the axial direction L can be increased, and deformation of the bowl-shaped recess 40c can be further suppressed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and includes other configurations that can achieve the object of the present invention, and the following modified examples are also included in the present invention. Figure 9 (A) is a cross-sectional view in the axial direction L showing one modified example of the reinforcing member 6. As shown in Figure 9 (A), a chamfered portion 60b1 (chamfer) is formed on the back surface 60b at both ends 60c in the axial direction of the flat portion 60 of the reinforcing member 6. This chamfered portion 60b1 is a portion formed to allow the fluid entering and exiting the bowl-shaped recess 40c to flow smoothly, and is formed with rounded corners in the cross-sectional view in the axial direction L. Figure 9 (B) is a cross-sectional view in the axial direction L showing another modified example of the reinforcing member 6. As shown in Figure 9 (B), a chamfered portion 60b2 (chamfer) is formed on the back surface 60b at both ends 60c in the axial direction of the flat portion 60 of the reinforcing member 6. Like the chamfered portion 60b1 described above, the chamfered portion 60b2 is formed to allow the fluid to flow smoothly in and out of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. The chamfered portion 60b2 is formed in an inclined shape that is inclined with respect to the plate thickness direction when viewed in a cross-sectional view along the axis L.

The rounded corner chamfered portion 60b1 and the inclined chamfered portion 60b2 may be formed by forming a drooped surface, which is a smooth surface formed by pulling the surface of the processed material during shear processing such as press molding, or by using an appropriate method such as cutting processing by machining or plastic processing by pressing a jig. According to the configuration shown in one modified example or another modified example, the chamfered portions 60b1 and 60b2 are provided on the back surface 60b at both ends 60c in the axis L direction of the flat portion 60. The portion where the chamfered portions 60b1 and 60b2 are provided is located on the flow path of the fluid from the valve ports 30, 31, and 32 to the inside and outside of the valve body 4, so the reinforcing member 6 is less likely to obstruct the fluid compared to a configuration in which the chamfered portions 60b1 and 60b2 are not formed. Therefore, it is possible to make it easier for the fluid to flow into the bowl-shaped recess 40c and easier for the fluid to flow out of the bowl-shaped recess 40c.

In addition, in this embodiment, the retaining protrusion 42 is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c, and the engaging recess 61a is provided on the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6, but this relationship may be reversed. That is, a configuration equivalent to the engaging recess 61a may be provided on the inner surface of the side of the bowl-shaped recess 40c, and a configuration equivalent to the retaining protrusion 42 may be provided on the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6. In addition, in this embodiment, the reinforcing member 6 has a U-shaped cross section and the flat portion 60 is formed into a rectangular shape, but the shape of the reinforcing member 6 can be adjusted to match the shape and size of the valve body 4 and the inside of the valve body 4. For example, if the opening edge portion 40a of the valve body 4 is not oval but is a perfect circle or ellipse, the shape of the reinforcing member 6 can be adjusted to match that shape. In any case, according to the reinforcing member 6 of this embodiment, the reinforcing area near the opening edge portion 40a can be easily increased compared to a configuration using a rod-shaped reinforcing member, so that deformation of the side wall of the valve body 4 can be suppressed and pressure resistance can be improved.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 10(A) is a front view of the reinforcing member 6 in the second embodiment, Figure 10(B) is a plan view of the reinforcing member 6 in the second embodiment, and Figure 10(C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 10(B). Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate configurations similar to those in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, and descriptions thereof will be omitted or simplified. Also, the above-described engaging recess 61a will not be illustrated.

This second embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments and modifications in that a rib 62 (reinforcing portion) is formed on the reinforcing member 6. As shown in FIG. 10(A), the rib 62 is formed from the back surface 60b of the flat portion 60 to the inner surface of the rising surface portion 61. In other words, the reinforcing member 6 is provided with a rib 62 that extends from the flat portion 60 to the rising surface portion 61 inside the bowl-shaped recess 40c.

According to this configuration, the rib 62 can suppress the deformation of the rising surface portion 61 so that it approaches or moves away from the flat surface portion 60. Therefore, the deformation of the reinforcing member 6 when pressure is applied to the inside or outside of the valve body 4 is suppressed, and thus the deformation of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c of the valve body 4 can be suppressed. Therefore, the deformation of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c distorts the seal portion S formed by the opening edge portion 40a of the bowl-shaped recess 40c, and a gap is generated between the seal surface 33 of the valve seat portion 3, and it is prevented that it cannot abut against the seal surface 33. That is, for example, when the first port 30 and the outlet port 31 are surrounded by the bowl-shaped recess 40c and are cut off from the other ports A and 32, the occurrence of valve leakage in which fluid leaks from the gap between the seal portion S and the seal surface 33 between the outlet port 31 surrounded by the bowl-shaped recess 40c and the other port A not surrounded by the bowl-shaped recess 40c is prevented. This makes it possible to obtain a valve body 4 that further improves pressure resistance and suppresses valve leakage even at high pressures.

As shown in Figures 10(B) and 10(C), in the second embodiment, the ribs 62 are provided at both ends of the width direction X of the planar portion 60, and two ribs 62 are arranged side by side in the direction of the axis L with a gap therebetween on one side of the width direction X, but the number of each rib 62 is not limited to this. For example, the number of ribs 62 on one side of the width direction X may be one, or two or more.

Figure 11 (A) is a front view of the reinforcing member 6 in a modified example of the second embodiment, Figure 11 (B) is a plan view of the reinforcing member 6 in a modified example of the second embodiment, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 11 (B). In this modified example, the shape of the rib 62' differs from that of the second embodiment described above.

As shown in FIG. 11(C), the rib 62' is formed by bending the central portion of the plane portion 60 in the axial direction L toward the inside of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. As shown in FIG. 11(A) and (B), the rib 62' is formed extending in the width direction X from the inner surface of one rising surface portion 61 to the inner surface of the other rising surface portion 61. In this configuration, in addition to the same effect as in the second embodiment, deformation in the width direction X of the plane portion 60 can be suppressed. Note that, as shown in FIG. 11(B) and FIG. 11(C), in the modified example of the second embodiment, one rib 62' is provided in the central portion of the plane portion 60 in the axial direction L, but the number of ribs 62' is not limited to this. For example, two or more ribs 62' extending in the width direction X from the inner surface of one rising surface portion 61 of the plane portion 60 to the inner surface of the other rising surface portion 61 may be provided. In this way, deformation in the width direction of the plane portion 60 can be further suppressed.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 12(A) is a front view of the reinforcing member 6 in the third embodiment, FIG. 12(B) is a plan view of the reinforcing member 6 in the third embodiment, and FIG. 12(C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 12(B). In this third embodiment, the shape of the planar portion 60 is different from that of the above-described embodiment and modified example. As shown in FIG. 12(A), the planar portion 60 is formed with an inclined portion 60d on one side and the other side in the width direction X. The inclined portions 60d are inclined so as to be located on the upper side in the front view shown in FIG. 12(A) from the end edges in the width direction X of the planar portion 60 toward the center in the width direction X. In other words, the planar portion 60 is inclined toward the inside of the bowl-shaped recess 40c from both ends in the width direction X toward the center in the width direction X.

Although the flat surface portion 60 has the inclined portion 60d, as shown in FIG. 12(B), in plan view it extends along the axis L direction and the width direction X. That is, in the present invention, the "flat surface portion along the axis and width directions" includes the flat surface portion 60 having the inclined portion 60d in the third embodiment.

Here, when pressure is applied from the outside to the inside of the bowl-shaped valve body 4, the top and side walls of the valve body 4 may be deformed so as to be crushed from the outside to the inside in the width direction X, and the opening edge portion 40a of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c may deform so as to widen. At this time, the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6 may bend toward the inside of the bowl-shaped recess 40c, and the center portion in the width direction X of the flat portion 60 may be curved toward the outside of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. However, according to this configuration, the flat portion 60 is inclined toward the inside of the bowl-shaped recess 40c from both ends in the width direction X toward the center portion in the width direction X. In other words, the flat portion 60 is inclined in advance in the opposite direction to the direction in which it may be curved due to the influence of the valve body 4 that is pressured from the outside to the inside. Therefore, when the pressure is applied, the inclined portion is less likely to deform, and the pressure can be absorbed by the inclined portion that is less likely to deform. In this way, deformation of the planar portion 60 under pressure can be suppressed compared to a configuration in which the planar portion 60 is not inclined.

In the second embodiment, the modified second embodiment, and the third embodiment, the rib 62, the rib 62', and the inclined portion 60d are described as being adopted individually, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a combination of the rib 62, the rib 62', and the inclined portion 60d may be adopted. In addition, the engagement recess 61a shown in Figs. 2 to 5 and 7 may be formed on the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6 in the second embodiment, the modified second embodiment, and the third embodiment, and the engagement recess 61a may be engaged with the anti-slip protrusion 42 formed on the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c as shown in Figs. 1 to 6. By doing so, even if the reinforcing member 6 tries to move outward in the height direction Z, the edge of the engagement recess 61a abuts against the end of the anti-slip protrusion 42 on the inner side in the height direction Z, thereby restricting the movement, and the reinforcing member 6 is prevented from falling out of the bowl-shaped recess 40c.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 13(A) is a cross-sectional view in the width direction X of the valve body 4 in the fourth embodiment, and Fig. 13(B) is a cross-sectional view in the width direction X of the reinforcing member 6 in the fourth embodiment. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view in the width direction X of the valve body 4 of the fourth embodiment with the reinforcing member 6 assembled thereto.

In this fourth embodiment, the structure of the valve body 40 in the valve body 4 is different from the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications. As shown in FIG. 13(A), a reinforcing plate 40d is formed inside the valve body 40, facing the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c with a gap in the width direction X. This reinforcing plate 40d is formed by extending a part of the resin constituting the valve body 40 in the axial direction L in the bowl-shaped recess 40c in a plate shape within the bowl-shaped recess 40c. The space between this reinforcing plate 40d and the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is a fitting space 40e into which the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6 fits. That is, the valve body 4 is provided with a reinforcing plate 40d facing the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c with a gap, and a fitting space 40e into which the rising surface portion 61 fits is provided between the reinforcing plate 40d and the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the rising surface portion 61 is fitted into the fitting space 40e and the reinforcing member 6 is fixed to the valve body 4, the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c abuts against the outer surface of the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6. In addition, a small gap is provided between the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 40d in the width direction X and the inner surface of the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6 in consideration of ease of installation. In other words, the reinforcing member 6 is fitted into the fitting space 40e with a small gap between the reinforcing plate 40d and the rising surface portion 61.

According to this configuration, the reinforcing member 6 can be fixed to the valve body 4 by fitting the rising surface portion 61 into the fitting space 40e. In this configuration, when pressure is applied to the valve body 4 from the outside to the inside, the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is pressed against the reinforcing member 6, thereby suppressing the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c from deforming further from the outside to the inside. On the other hand, when pressure is applied to the valve body 4 from the inside to the outside (as described above, the pressure in the valve chamber 2a is usually greater than the pressure in the bowl-shaped recess 40c, but this pressure difference may be reversed when switching the valve body 4 or when vacuuming for system maintenance), the reinforcing plate 40d, which tries to deform from the inside to the outside, is caught by the reinforcing member 6 and is suppressed from deforming further from the inside to the outside. This makes it difficult for the above pressure to act on the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. In this way, the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is less likely to deform in the expansion direction as well as the contraction direction when pressure is applied to the valve body 4, further improving the pressure resistance of the valve body 4. Therefore, when pressure is applied to the valve body 4, deformation of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is suppressed, and the occurrence of valve leakage can be further suppressed.

In the fourth embodiment, the fitting space 40e is flat on the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c and on the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 40d in the width direction X, but the configuration of the fitting space 40e is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figures 1 to 6, a fitting groove 41a may be formed on the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c or on the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 40d in the width direction X, and a slip-out prevention protrusion 42 may be formed on the inner surface of the side wall 40f or on the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 40d in the width direction X. An engagement recess 61a as shown in Figures 2 to 5 and 7 may be formed on the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6, and the rising surface portion 61 may be fitted into the fitting groove 41a and the engagement recess 61a may be engaged with the slip-out prevention protrusion 42. In this way, the reinforcing member 6 is prevented from falling out of the bowl-shaped recess 40c.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 15(A) is a cross-sectional view in the width direction X of the valve body 4 in the fifth embodiment, Figure 15(B) is a plan view of the reinforcing member 6 in the fifth embodiment, and Figure 15(C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Figure 15(B). Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view in the width direction X of the valve body 4 of the fifth embodiment with the reinforcing member 6 assembled therein.

In this fifth embodiment, the configuration of the valve body 40 and the configuration of the reinforcing member 6 in the valve body 4 are different from the other embodiments. As shown in FIG. 15(A), a reinforcing plate 40d is formed inside the valve body 40, facing the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c with a gap in the width direction X. This reinforcing plate 40d is formed by extending a part of the resin constituting the valve body 40 in the axial direction L in the bowl-shaped recess 40c in a plate shape within the bowl-shaped recess 40c. The space between this reinforcing plate 40d and the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is the fitting space 40e into which the width direction X end of the reinforcing member 6 fits. That is, the valve body 4 is provided with a reinforcing plate 40d that faces the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c with a gap therebetween, and a fitting space 40e is provided between the reinforcing plate 40d and the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c, into which the end of the reinforcing member 6 in the width direction X fits.

As shown in Figs. 15(B) and (C), the reinforcing member 6 is composed of a flat portion 60, and unlike other embodiments, does not have a raised surface portion 61. At both ends in the width direction X of the flat portion 60, through holes 63 (fitting portions) are formed penetrating the plate thickness direction. The through holes 63 extend in the axial direction L along the width direction X edge of the reinforcing member 6. As shown in Fig. 16, one end in the height direction Z of the reinforcing plate 40d of the valve body 40 is fitted into the through hole 63. In other words, the reinforcing member 6 is formed with a fitting portion into which the reinforcing plate 40d fits.

When the width direction X end of the reinforcing member 6 is fitted into the fitting space 40e, the reinforcing plate 40d of the valve body 40 is fitted into the through hole 63, and the reinforcing member 6 is fixed to the valve body 4, as shown in FIG. 16, the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c abuts the outer surface of the width direction X end of the reinforcing member 6. Also, a small gap is provided between the outer surface of the width direction X of the reinforcing plate 40d and the outer surface of the through hole 63 in the width direction X to allow for ease of installation. In other words, the reinforcing member 6 is fitted into the fitting space 40e with a small gap between the reinforcing plate 40d and the surface of the through hole.

In the fifth embodiment, the through hole 63 is formed in the flat surface portion 60, but for example, the through hole 63 may be extended to one side in the direction of the axis L to form a notch. In other words, the fitting portion may be formed by the through hole 63 or a notch.

According to this configuration, the valve body 4 is provided with a reinforcing plate 40d, and the reinforcing member 6 is provided with a through hole 63 (fitting portion) into which the reinforcing plate 40d fits, so that the valve body 4 and the reinforcing member 6 can be fixed. That is, the valve body 4 and the reinforcing member 6 can be fixed with a simple configuration that does not provide the reinforcing member 6 with a configuration such as a raised surface portion 61. In addition, at this time, the width direction X end of the reinforcing member 6 fits into the fitting space 40e between the reinforcing plate 40d and the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. In this configuration, when pressure is applied to the valve body 4 from the outside toward the inside, the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is pressed against the reinforcing member 6, so that the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is prevented from further deforming from the outside toward the inside. On the other hand, when pressure is applied from the inside to the outside to the valve body 4, the reinforcing plate 40d, which tries to deform from the inside to the outside, is caught by the reinforcing member 6 and is prevented from further deforming from the inside to the outside. This makes it difficult for the pressure to act on the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. In this way, the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is less likely to deform in the expansion direction as well as the contraction direction in response to the pressure applied to the valve body 4, which further improves the pressure resistance of the valve body 4. Therefore, when pressure is applied to the valve body 4, the deformation of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is prevented, and the occurrence of valve leakage can be further suppressed.

In the fifth embodiment, the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c and the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 40d in the width direction X are flat in the fitting space 40e, but the configuration of the fitting space 40e is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figures 1 to 6, a fitting groove 41a may be formed on the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c or the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 40d in the width direction X, and a slip-out prevention protrusion 42 may be formed on the inner surface of the side wall 40f or the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 40d in the width direction X. The fitting groove 41a may be fitted with the outer surface of the width direction X end of the reinforcing member 6 or the outer surface of the width direction X of the through hole 63, and the slip-out prevention protrusion 42 may be engaged with the lower surface of the outer end of the width direction X of the reinforcing member 6 or the lower surface of the outer side of the width direction X of the through hole 63. By doing this, even if the reinforcing member 6 tries to move outward in the height direction Z, the underside of the reinforcing member 6 abuts against the end of the anti-slip protrusion 42 on the inner side in the height direction Z, restricting the movement, thereby preventing the reinforcing member 6 from falling out of the bowl-shaped recess 40c.

In the fourth and fifth embodiments, when the reinforcing member 6 is fixed to the valve body 4, the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is abutted against the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6 or the outer surface of the width direction X end of the reinforcing member 6, and a small gap is provided between the outer surface of the width direction X of the reinforcing plate 40d and the inner surface of the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6 or the outer surface of the width direction X of the through hole 63 of the reinforcing member 6 in consideration of ease of assembly, but this relationship may be reversed. In other words, a small gap may be provided between the inner surface of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c and the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6 or the outer surface of the width direction X end of the reinforcing member 6 in consideration of ease of assembly, and the outer surface of the width direction X of the reinforcing plate 40d may be abutted against the inner surface of the rising surface portion 61 of the reinforcing member 6 or the outer surface of the width direction X of the through hole 63 of the reinforcing member 6.

According to this configuration, when pressure is applied to the valve body 4 from the outside to the inside, the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c, which tries to deform from the outside to the inside, is caught by the reinforcing member 6 and is prevented from further deforming from the outside to the inside. On the other hand, when pressure is applied to the valve body 4 from the inside to the outside, the reinforcing plate 40d is pressed against the reinforcing member 6 and the reinforcing plate 40d is prevented from further deforming from the inside to the outside. This makes it difficult for the pressure to act on the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c. Therefore, similar to the action and effect of the fourth and fifth embodiments, when pressure is applied to the valve body 4, the deformation of the side wall 40f of the bowl-shaped recess 40c is prevented, and the occurrence of valve leakage can be prevented.

In the above-mentioned embodiments and modified examples, the sliding type switching valve 1 in which the valve body 4 is slid by the driving unit 5 having the stepping motor 5a and the linear motion mechanism 5b has been described as an example, but the method of driving the valve body 4 is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a sliding type switching valve in which the pressure of multiple compartments such as an auxiliary valve chamber provided in the valve body is switched by a pilot valve, and the valve body is slid by using a pressure difference.

Reference Signs List 1: Slide-type switching valve 2: Valve body 3: Valve seat portion 33: Sealing surface 4: Valve body 40a: Opening edge portion 40c: Bowl-shaped recess 5: Drive portion 6: Reinforcing member 60: Planar portion S: Sealing portion L: Axis

Claims (13)

A slide-type switching valve comprising: a hollow cylindrical valve body; a valve seat portion provided in the valve body and having a plurality of valve ports; a valve element provided inside the valve body so as to be slidable in an axial direction; and a drive portion that drives the valve element to slide,
the valve body is formed with an elliptical bowl-shaped recess that is long in the axial direction, an opening edge of the bowl-shaped recess serves as a seal portion, and the seal portion is capable of sliding contact with a seal surface of the valve seat portion,
A reinforcing member is provided on the inside of each of the two axially extending side walls of the bowl-shaped recess, the reinforcing member extending across the both axially extending side walls,
the reinforcing member is formed of a metal plate member and has a flat portion along the axial direction and the width direction, both end edges of the flat portion extending in the axial direction near the opening edge along the inner surface of a side wall of the bowl-shaped recess by a distance greater than the distance between the axially closest positions of one peripheral portion and the other peripheral portion of adjacent ones of the plurality of valve ports . The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the flat surface of the reinforcing member has a bottom surface facing the valve seat, and the distance between the bottom surface and the seal portion is 25% or less of the inner dimension of the bowl-shaped recess in the height direction. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the bottom surface of the reinforcing member and the seal portion is 0.6% or more of the inner dimension in the height direction of the bowl-shaped recess. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing member has a pair of rising surface portions rising from both end edges of the flat portion, and the pair of rising surface portions are each provided along the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess. The sliding switching valve according to claim 4, characterized in that a fitting groove is provided on the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess, which fits into the rising surface of the reinforcing member, and the rising surface fits into the fitting groove, thereby positioning the reinforcing member in the bowl-shaped recess. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 4, characterized in that a retaining protrusion is provided on one of the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess and the rising surface of the reinforcing member, and an engaging recess that engages with the retaining protrusion is provided on the other. The sliding switching valve according to claim 4, characterized in that the flat surface portion and the raised surface portion of the reinforcing member are integrally formed. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the axial edge of the flat surface portion is recessed so as not to overlap the opening of the valve port when the valve body is in the switching position. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 1, characterized in that a chamfer is formed on the surface of the flat surface portion on the side opposite the valve seat portion at the axial end edge. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 4, characterized in that the reinforcing member is provided with a reinforcing portion extending from the flat portion to the raised surface portion inside the bowl-shaped recess. The slide-type switching valve according to claim 4, characterized in that the flat surface portion is inclined toward the inside of the bowl-shaped recess from both widthwise ends toward the widthwise center portion. The valve body is provided with a reinforcing plate facing the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess with a gap therebetween,
5. The slide type switching valve according to claim 4, wherein a fitting space into which the rising surface portion fits is provided between the reinforcing plate and the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess. The valve body is provided with a reinforcing plate facing the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess with a gap therebetween,
a fitting space into which the width direction end of the reinforcing member is fitted is provided between the reinforcing plate and the side wall of the bowl-shaped recess,
2. The slide type switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member is formed with a fitting portion into which the reinforcing plate is fitted.

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