JP7738163B2 - Valve equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a valve device applied to an automatic height adjustment valve of a railway vehicle.

Patent Document 1 discloses a leveling valve 100 (valve device) for a railway vehicle equipped with an oil damper 60 that generates a predetermined operation delay time from the displacement input to the lever 4 until the intake valve 31 and exhaust valve 32 open. The oil damper 60 of this leveling valve 100 is provided with orifices 69a, 69b that impart resistance to the flow of hydraulic oil discharged from the first damper chamber 64a and the second damper chamber 64b to the oil chamber 12 when the first damper chamber 64a and the second damper chamber 64b are compressed as the piston 61 moves.

JP 2013-173438 A

In the valve device described in Patent Document 1, the passage area of the orifice located in the center of the valve is small. Therefore, if a foreign object becomes lodged in the orifice, the passage area of the orifice decreases, increasing the resistance of the piston. This causes a delay in the air intake or exhaust of the valve device, extending the time it takes for the horizontal lever of the valve device to return to its neutral position, and ultimately the time it takes for the vehicle height to return to its normal position, potentially reducing the running stability of the railway vehicle.

The objective of this invention is to improve the reliability of the valve device.

In order to solve the above problems, the valve device of the present invention is a valve device that is provided between a fluid source or the outside and a fluid-operated device and controls the supply and discharge of fluid to the fluid-operated device, and includes: a housing in which an oil chamber is formed; a cylinder provided in the oil chamber; a piston provided in the cylinder and defining a damper chamber; a communication passage provided in the piston that connects the damper chamber and the oil chamber; and a valve provided in the piston that controls the flow of hydraulic fluid through the communication passage. The valve has an annular seat portion that protrudes from the piston and into which the communication passage opens; a valve member that abuts the seat portion so as to be able to seat and disengage from it; a biasing member that biases the valve member in a valve-closing direction; and a plurality of orifice passages that restrict the flow path of hydraulic fluid flowing between the damper chamber and the communication passage, and the orifice passage is characterized in that the flow path area inside the seat portion is smaller than the flow path area outside the seat portion.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, clogging of the orifice passage is prevented, thereby improving the reliability of the valve device.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a first embodiment, and is a conceptual diagram of a system including a valve device. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the valve device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an oil damper according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an oil damper according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an oil damper according to a third embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a valve member according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a valve member according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a valve member according to a third embodiment.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a conceptual diagram of a system 11 including a valve device 1 (an automatic height control valve for railway vehicles). For convenience, the up-down direction in FIG. 1 will be referred to as the up-down direction. Also, the left-right direction in FIG. 1 will be referred to as the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system 11 has a compressor 12 (fluid source), an air spring 13 (fluid-operated device), and a passage 14 that forms a flow path for air (fluid) flowing between the compressor 12 and the air spring 13. A valve device 1 that automatically adjusts the height of the car body 16 relative to the bogie 15 is provided in the passage 14. The valve device 1 has a housing 2 attached to the car body 16 and a driven shaft 3 provided in the center of the housing 2. The driven shaft 3 is connected to the bogie 15 via a horizontal lever 17 and a connecting bar 18.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, when the vehicle height changes, i.e., when the air spring 13 contracts or expands and the carbody 16 displaces up and down relative to the bogie 15, the valve device 1 converts this displacement into rotational motion of the driven shaft 3. Here, when the vehicle height decreases, i.e., when the air spring 13 contracts, the horizontal lever 17 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 1 from the neutral position (see Figure 1) around the driven shaft 3. As a result, the driven shaft 3 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 1 in conjunction with the horizontal lever 17, and as a result, the air intake valve 21 opens and the passage 14 between the compressor 12 and the air spring 13 is connected.

When the air intake valve 21 opens and the passage 14 is connected, compressed air from the compressor 12 is supplied to the air spring 13, causing the air spring 13 to expand. When the air spring 13 expands, the horizontal lever 17 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 around the driven shaft 3, causing the driven shaft 3 to rotate clockwise in FIG. 1 in conjunction with the horizontal lever 17. When the vehicle height reaches the reference height, i.e., when the horizontal lever 17 returns to the neutral position (see FIG. 1), the air intake valve 21 closes and the passage 14 is shut off.

On the other hand, when the vehicle height rises, i.e., the air spring 13 expands, the horizontal lever 17 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 from the neutral position (see FIG. 1) around the driven shaft 3. As a result, the driven shaft 3 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 in conjunction with the horizontal lever 17, opening the exhaust valve 81 and connecting the air spring 13 to the exhaust port 19 (see FIG. 1).

When the exhaust valve 81 opens and the air spring 13 communicates with the exhaust port 19, the air stored in the air spring 13 is released into the atmosphere, causing the air spring 13 to contract. As the air spring 13 contracts, the horizontal lever 17 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1 around the driven shaft 3, causing the driven shaft 3 to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 1 in conjunction with the horizontal lever 17. When the vehicle height reaches the reference height, i.e., when the horizontal lever 17 returns to the neutral position (see FIG. 1), the exhaust valve 81 closes, blocking communication between the air spring 13 and the exhaust port 19 (atmosphere).

In this way, in the system 11, when the horizontal lever 17 rotates around the driven shaft 3 in response to the relative displacement of the car body 16 with respect to the bogie 15, the driven shaft 3 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise in conjunction with the horizontal lever 17. The valve device 1 connects the air spring 13 to the compressor 12 (fluid source) or the exhaust port 19 (atmosphere) depending on the rotation direction of the driven shaft 3 (rotation direction of the horizontal lever 17). As a result, the relative displacement of the car body 16 with respect to the bogie 15 is automatically adjusted, and the vehicle height is maintained at the reference height.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the valve device 1. As shown in Figure 2, the housing 2 is provided with a driven shaft 3, which is the rotation axis of the horizontal lever 17. The driven shaft 3 is provided with an operating arm 4 and a torsion spring 5. When the operating arm 4 is rotated around the driven shaft 3 toward the air intake side (counterclockwise in Figure 2) or the exhaust side (clockwise in Figure 2), the torsion spring 5 generates a biasing force (spring force) that returns the operating arm 4 to its neutral position (see Figure 2). A non-return valve 6 is provided in the center of the top of the housing 2.

An air intake valve 21 is provided on the upper left side of the housing 2. The air intake valve 21 has a case 24 that is attached to a case hole 23 provided in the housing 2. The case hole 23 has a large diameter hole portion 25 whose left end opens to the left side surface 22 of the housing 2, and a small diameter hole portion 26 whose right end opens to the oil chamber 7 in the center of the housing 2. The small diameter hole portion 26 of the case hole 23 is fitted with the small diameter shaft portion 28 of the case 24. The large diameter hole portion 25 of the case hole 23 is fixed to the large diameter shaft portion 27 of the case 24.

An annular flow path 29 is provided between the small diameter shaft portion 28 of the case 24 and the large diameter hole portion 25 of the case hole 23. An annular flow path 30 is provided between the small diameter shaft portion 28 of the case 24 and the small diameter hole portion 26 of the case hole 23. The annular flow path 30 is sealed by seal rings 31 and 32 provided on the small diameter shaft portion 28 of the case 24. The annular flow path 29 is sealed by seal rings 32 and 33.

A valve stem 44 is provided in the hollow portion of the case 24, coaxial with the case hole 23 and the case 24. The valve stem 44 is slidably fitted into the first hole 35 of the case 24. The first hole 35 of the case 24 is sealed from the oil chamber 7 by a seal ring 46 provided on the small diameter shaft portion 28 of the case 24. The tip 45 of the valve stem 44 protrudes into the oil chamber 7 from the end face inside the case 24 (the "right side" in Figure 2). The spherical surface of the tip 45 abuts against the operating arm 4, causing the valve stem 44 to move axially (horizontally) in conjunction with the rotation of the operating arm 4.

A second hole 36 is provided in the hollow portion of the case 24, at the bottom, where the left end of the first hole 35 opens. The second hole 36 is connected to the annular flow path 30 by multiple passages 37 (shown as "two" in Figure 2) provided in the small diameter shaft portion 28 of the case 24. A third hole 38 is also provided in the hollow portion of the case 24, where the left end of the second hole 36 opens. The third hole 38 is connected to the annular flow path 29 by multiple passages 39 (shown as "two" in Figure 2) provided in the small diameter shaft portion 28 of the case 24. The hole diameters of the hollow portion of the case 24 increase in the order of the first hole 35, the second hole 36, and the third hole 38.

An intake side port 51 is attached to the left end of the case 24. The third hole 38 is sealed from the atmosphere by a seal ring 46 provided on the intake side port 51. A retaining ring 53 attached to the case 24 prevents the intake side port 51 from coming loose from the case 24. The intake side port 51 is connected to one end of a passage 14A (see Figure 1), the other end of which is connected to the compressor 12 (fluid source). The intake side port 51 is also connected to the annular flow path 29 via a passage (not shown) provided in the housing 2.

The intake valve 21 is provided with a valve 41 that connects or disconnects the compressor 12 (fluid source) and the air spring 13 (fluid-operated device) in response to the movement of a valve stem 44. The valve 41 has an annular seat portion 42 on the inside of which the left end of the second hole portion 36 opens, and a valve element 43 that is removably seated against the seat portion 42. The valve element 43 is integral with the valve stem 44, but may also be configured separately. The valve element 43 is biased in the valve closing direction ("to the right" in Figure 2) by a valve spring 47 provided between the valve element 43 and the intake side port portion 51.

An exhaust valve 61 is provided on the upper right side of the housing 2. The exhaust valve 61 has a case 64 that is attached to a case hole 63 provided in the housing 2. The case hole 63 has a large diameter hole portion 65 whose right end opens to the right side surface 62 of the housing 2, and a small diameter hole portion 66 whose left end opens to the oil chamber 7 in the center of the housing 2. A small diameter shaft portion 68 of the case 64 is fitted into the small diameter hole portion 66 of the case hole 63. A large diameter shaft portion 67 of the case 64 is fixed to the large diameter hole portion 65 of the case hole 63.

An annular flow path 69 is provided between the small diameter shaft portion 68 of the case 64 and the large diameter hole portion 65 of the case hole 63. An annular flow path 70 is provided between the small diameter shaft portion 68 of the case 64 and the small diameter hole portion 66 of the case hole 63. The annular flow path 70 is sealed by seal rings 71 and 72 provided on the small diameter shaft portion 68 of the case 64. The annular flow path 69 is sealed by seal rings 72 and 73.

A valve stem 84 is provided in the hollow portion of the case 64, coaxial with the case hole 63 and the case 64. The valve stem 84 is slidably fitted into the first hole 75 of the case 64. The first hole 75 of the case 64 is sealed from the oil chamber 7 by a seal ring 86 provided on the small diameter shaft portion 68 of the case 64. The tip 85 of the valve stem 84 protrudes into the oil chamber 7 from the end face inside the case 64 (the "left side" in Figure 2). The spherical surface of the tip 85 abuts against the operating arm 4, causing the valve stem 84 to move axially (horizontally) in conjunction with the rotation of the operating arm 4.

A second hole 76 is provided in the hollow portion of the case 64 at the bottom, where the right end of the first hole 75 opens. The second hole 76 is connected to the annular flow path 70 via multiple passages 77 (shown as "two" in Figure 2) provided in the small diameter shaft portion 68 of the case 64. A third hole 78 is also provided in the hollow portion of the case 64, where the right end of the second hole 76 opens. The third hole 78 is connected to the annular flow path 69 via multiple passages 79 (shown as "two" in Figure 2) provided in the small diameter shaft portion 68 of the case 64. The hole diameters of the hollow portion of the case 64 increase in the order of the first hole 75, the second hole 76, and the third hole 78.

An exhaust-side port portion 91 is attached to the right end of the case 64. The third hole portion 78 is sealed from the atmosphere by a seal ring 92 provided on the exhaust-side port portion 91. A retaining ring 93 attached to the case 64 prevents the exhaust-side port portion 91 from coming loose from the case 64. The exhaust-side port portion 91 is connected to one end of a passage 14B (see Figure 1), the other end of which is connected to the air spring 13 (fluid-operated device). The exhaust-side port portion 91 is also connected to the exhaust port 19 via a passage (not shown) provided in the housing 2.

The exhaust valve 61 is provided with a valve 81 that connects or disconnects the compressor 12 (fluid source) and the air spring 13 (fluid-operated device) in response to the movement of a valve stem 84. The valve 81 has an annular seat portion 82, into which the right end of the second hole portion 76 opens, and a valve element 83 that is removably seated against the seat portion 82. The valve element 83 is integral with the valve stem 84, but may also be configured separately. The valve element 83 is biased in the valve closing direction ("leftward" in Figure 2) by a valve spring 87 provided between the valve element 83 and the exhaust-side port portion 91.

An oil damper 100 is provided at the bottom of the housing 2, which generates a predetermined operational delay between the displacement input to the horizontal lever 17 and the opening of the intake valve 21 and exhaust valve 61. As shown in Figure 2, the oil damper 100 is configured symmetrically, so only the configuration of the side that generates an operational delay in the opening of the intake valve 21 (the "right side" in Figure 2) will be described, and the configuration of the side that generates an operational delay in the opening of the exhaust valve 61 (the "left side" in Figure 2) will be omitted. Note that for the configuration on the left side of the oil damper 100, the reference numerals of the elements corresponding to the configuration on the right side of the oil damper 100 will be added by "30" and used as appropriate in the drawings.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the oil damper 100 has a cylinder 101 provided in the oil chamber 7. The axis of the cylinder 101 is arranged parallel to the axes of the case holes 23, 63. A piston 102 is slidably fitted into the cylinder 101. The piston 102 is connected to the left piston 132 by a connecting rod 103. The connecting rod 103 is connected to the lower end of the operating arm 4 via a roller (not shown).

The opening on the right end of the cylinder 101 is closed by a plug 104. A damper chamber 105 filled with hydraulic oil (hydraulic fluid) is provided between the piston 102 and the plug 104. The damper chamber 105 is sealed from the atmosphere by a seal ring 106 provided on the plug 104. The plug 104 is prevented from coming loose from the housing 2 by a retaining ring 107 attached to the housing 2.

The housing 2 is provided with a through-hole 124 that connects the outside of the housing 2 with the inside of the cylinder 101, and a communication passage 125 that connects the inside of the cylinder 101 with the oil chamber 7. The through-hole 124 and the communication passage 125 are arranged coaxially. The through-hole 124 is constantly closed by a closing member 126 made of a sphere. When the operating arm 4 is in the neutral position (see Figure 2), the lower end opening of the communication passage 125 is closed by the piston 102.

The piston 102 is provided with a recess 109 that opens into the end face 108 of the piston 102. The recess 109 is formed so that its cross section, taken along a plane perpendicular to the axis of the piston 102, is circular (see Figure 6). That is, the recess 109 has an inner cylindrical surface 110. A communication passage 112 that connects the damper chamber 105 and the oil chamber 7 opens at the center of the circular bottom surface 111 of the recess 109. The communication passage 112 is formed so that its cross section, taken along a plane perpendicular to the axis of the piston 102, is circular (see Figure 6). That is, the communication passage 112 has a circular flow path.

A valve 113 is provided in the recess 109 of the piston 102 to control the flow of hydraulic oil between the damper chamber 105 and the oil chamber 7. The valve 113 has an annular seat portion 114 protruding from the bottom surface 111 of the recess 109 of the piston 102. The seat portion 114 has a rectangular cross section taken along a plane (axial plane) including the axis of the piston 102. A communication passage 112 opens to the inside (center) of the seat portion 114. The cylinder 102, communication passage 112, and seat portion 114 are arranged coaxially.

The valve 113 has a valve member 115 that is removably seated on the seat portion 114. The valve member 115 is formed as a plate with a constant thickness. The valve member 115 has four end faces 116 located on each side of a square whose diagonal intersections are on the axis of the cylinder 101 in a plan view (see Figure 6). The four corners of the valve member 115 are provided with sliding surfaces 118 that slidably contact the inner surface 117 of the cylinder 102. The four sliding surfaces 118 are located on the same circle (the inner surface 117 of the cylinder 101) that is larger in diameter than the inscribed circle and smaller in diameter than the circumscribed circle of the square that includes the end face 116 in a plan view. For convenience, the intersection of the diagonals of the square that includes the end face 116 is referred to as the center of the valve member 115.

The valve 113 has a valve spring 119 (biasing member) that biases the valve member 115 in the valve-closing direction ("leftward" in Figure 3), i.e., in the direction pressing the valve member 115 against the seat portion 114. The valve spring 119 is a coil spring (conical spring) that is placed in a compressed state between the valve member 115 and a retaining ring 120 attached to the recess 109 of the piston 102. The valve 113 has a multi-way ("four-way" in the first embodiment) orifice passage 121 that constantly connects the damper chamber 105 and the communication passage 112. The orifice passage 121 acts as a throttle valve that applies resistance to the flow of hydraulic oil from the damper chamber 105 to the communication passage 112 when the piston 102 moves rightward in Figure 3 and the hydraulic oil in the damper chamber 105 is compressed.

The orifice passage 121 is formed by a groove provided in the inner surface 122 of the valve member 115. The orifice passage 121 extends radially of the cylinder 101 from each end face 116 of the valve member 115, past the seat portion 114, toward the center of the valve member 115. The groove that constitutes the orifice passage 121 has a constant depth from the inner surface 122 of the valve member 115 (the axial length of the piston 102, hereinafter referred to as the "axial length"), but the groove bottom may be sloped. Furthermore, the orifice passage 121 is formed in the shape of an isosceles triangle with its base located on the end face 116 in a plan view (see Figure 6).

The flow path area (orifice area) of the orifice passage 121 is smaller at the portion that opens to the inside of the seat portion 114 than at the portion that opens to the outside of the seat portion 114. The flow path area of the orifice passage 121 expands from the radially inner side of the cylinder 102 (toward the center of the valve member 115) toward the radially outer side. In other words, the flow path area of the orifice passage 121 is larger when the hydraulic oil moves in the direction that flows into the damper chamber 105 (the second direction) than when the hydraulic oil moves in the direction that flows out of the damper chamber 105 (the first direction).

The orifice area of the orifice passage 121 in the first embodiment, i.e., the flow path area of the portion of the orifice passage 121 that opens to the inside of the seat portion 114, is the area of the portion of the inside of the orifice passage 121 (the center side of the valve member 115) that is inside the seat portion 114 in a plan view (see Figure 6), in other words, the area of the portion of the apex corner of the isosceles triangle formed by the orifice passage 121 that is inside the seat portion 114.

When the operating arm 4 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 2 from the neutral position (see Figure 2), the piston 102 moves to the right, compressing the damper chamber 105, causing the hydraulic oil in the damper chamber 105 to flow to the oil chamber 7 via multiple orifice passages 121 and the communication passage 112. Here, as the hydraulic oil in the damper chamber 105 passes through each orifice passage 121, hydraulic resistance acts on the piston 102.

When the operating arm 4 rotates clockwise and returns to the neutral position (see Figure 2), the piston 102 moves leftward in conjunction with the operating arm 4, expanding the damper chamber 105. At this time, the valve member 115 lifts off the seat portion 114, opening the valve 113 and connecting the damper chamber 105 to the oil chamber 7 via the communication passage 112, so the hydraulic resistance generated on the piston 102 side is negligible.

In the valve device described in Patent Document 1, the orifice passage is a tiny hole that penetrates the flat valve member in the thickness direction. If foreign matter becomes lodged in the orifice passage, the flow area cannot be secured, and the hydraulic resistance generated by the oil damper can increase. This can cause a delay in the intake and exhaust of the valve device, lengthening the time it takes for the horizontal lever of the valve device to return to its neutral position, and ultimately the time it takes for the vehicle height to return to its normal position, potentially reducing the running stability of the railway vehicle.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, a groove extending in the radial direction (hereinafter referred to as the "radial direction") of the cylinder 101 across the seat portion 114 is provided on the inner surface 122 of the valve member 115 to form multiple (four-way in the first embodiment) orifice passages 121. As a result, even if some (for example, one-way) of the orifice passages 121 become clogged with foreign matter, the remaining orifice passages 121 can ensure a sufficient flow path area (orifice area).
According to the first embodiment, the reliability of the valve device 1 is improved, and in turn, the running stability of the railway vehicle can be ensured.
Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the flow path area of the orifice passage 121 on the inside of the seat portion 114 is smaller than the flow path area on the outside of the seat portion 114. Therefore, even if foreign matter clogs the radially outer opening of the orifice passage 121, the foreign matter can be easily removed when the hydraulic oil flows from the connecting passage 112 to the damper chamber 105 via the valve 113. In other words, the orifice passage 121 can be automatically cleaned.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
The same names and symbols are used for parts common to the first embodiment, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

In the first embodiment, grooves extending radially across the seat portion 114 were provided on the inner surface 122 of the valve member 115 to form multiple orifice passages 121. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the valve member 161 is divided into a first valve member 162 that abuts against the seat portion 114 and a second valve member 165 that is provided between the first valve member 162 and the valve spring 119 (biasing member), and the gap formed between the first valve member 162 and the second valve member in the axial direction of the cylinder 101 (the left-right direction in Figure 4, hereinafter referred to as the "axial direction") serves as an orifice passage (first passage 168).

The inner surface 166 of the second valve member 165 (the surface facing the first valve member 162) is provided with a plurality of hemispherical protrusions 167 (four in the second embodiment). The protrusions 167 are arranged at equal intervals circumferentially on a circle centered at the center of the second valve member 165. By abutting the protrusions 167 against the outer surface 163 of the first valve member 162, a first passage 168 having a fixed axial length is formed between the first valve member 161 and the second valve member 165.

A second passage 164 is provided in the center of the first valve member 162, penetrating the first valve member 162 in the axial direction (the "left-right direction" in Figure 4). The second passage 164 is a flow passage with a circular cross-section and a constant flow area. The second passage 164 connects the first passage 168 to the communication passage 112. The axial length of the first passage 168, i.e., the protrusion height of the protrusion 167 from the inner surface 166 of the second valve member 165, is set to be smaller than the flow passage inner diameter (width) of the second passage 164. Furthermore, the circumferential length of the first passage 168 (the distance between adjacent protrusions 167, 167 in the second embodiment) is set to be larger than the flow passage inner diameter (width) of the second passage 164.

When the operating arm 4 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 2 from the neutral position (see Figure 2), the piston 102 moves to the right, compressing the damper chamber 105, causing the hydraulic oil in the damper chamber 105 to pass through the orifice passage, i.e., the first passage 168 and the second passage 164, and then flow to the oil chamber 7 via the connecting passage 112. Here, hydraulic resistance acts on the piston 102 as the hydraulic oil in the damper chamber 105 passes through the first passage 168, i.e., the tiny gap (orifice) between the first valve member 162 and the second valve member 165.

When the operating arm 4 rotates clockwise and returns to the neutral position (see Figure 2), the piston 102 moves leftward in conjunction with the operating arm 4, expanding the damper chamber 105. At this time, the second valve member 165 lifts off the seat portion 114, the valve 113 opens, and the damper chamber 105 is connected to the oil chamber 7 via the communication passage 112, so the hydraulic resistance generated on the piston 102 side is negligible.

The second embodiment includes a first valve member 162 that abuts against the seat portion 114 and a second valve member 165 that is provided between the first valve member 162 and the valve spring 119 (biasing member). An orifice passage is formed by a first passage 168 (a minute gap) provided between the first valve member 162 and the second valve member 165 and a second passage 164 provided in the first valve 162. Therefore, even if foreign matter clogs part of the periphery of the first passage 168, the flow area can be secured by other openings. This improves the reliability of the valve device 1 and ensures the running stability of railway vehicles.

The second embodiment can be configured as follows.
The number of protrusions 167 provided on the second valve member 165 is not limited to four, but may be three or more.
Furthermore, although the protrusions 167 are arranged on one circle centered on the center of the second valve member 165, they may also be arranged on concentric circles centered on the center of the second valve member 165.
Furthermore, the protrusion 167 may be arc-shaped extending along a circle centered on the center of the second valve member 165 .

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
The same names and symbols are used for the parts common to the second embodiment, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, a first passage 168 (orifice passage) is formed between the first valve member 162 and the second valve member 165 by providing a plurality of protrusions 167 on the inner surface 166 of the second valve member 165. In contrast, in the third embodiment, a plurality of grooves (eight in the third embodiment) extending from the center of the second valve member 165 in the radial direction of the cylinder 101 are formed on the inner surface 166 of the second valve member 165, thereby forming a plurality of first passages 171 (orifice passages) between the first valve member 162 and the second valve member 165.

The first passage 171 has a rectangular cross-section and extends radially from the center of the second valve member 165. The inner ends of the first passages 171 converge (communicate) at the center of the second valve member 165, and the outer ends open to each end face 169 and each sliding surface 170 of the second valve member 165. The axial length of the first passage 171, i.e., the depth of the groove having a rectangular cross-section, is set to be greater than the flow path inner diameter (width) of the second passage 164. Furthermore, the circumferential length of the first passage 171 (the width of the groove having a rectangular cross-section in the third embodiment) is set to be smaller than the flow path inner diameter (width) of the second passage 164.

The third embodiment provides the same advantageous effects as the first and second embodiments described above. That is, even if a part of the first passage 171 is clogged with foreign matter, the flow path area can be ensured by the remaining first passages 171.
In the third embodiment, the axial length of the first passage 171 may be set to be smaller than the flow path inner diameter (width) of the second passage 164, and the circumferential length of the first passage 171 may be set to be smaller than the flow path inner diameter (width) of the second passage 164.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-042634, filed March 17, 2022. The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-042634, filed March 17, 2022, including the specification, claims, drawings, and abstract, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

1 valve device, 2 housing, 7 oil chamber, 12 compressor (fluid source), 13 air spring (fluid-operated device), 101 cylinder, 102 piston, 105 damper chamber, 112 communication passage, 113 valve, 114 seat portion, 115 valve member, 119 valve spring (biasing member), 121 orifice passage

Claims (3)

A valve device that is provided between a fluid source or an outside and a fluid-operated device and controls the supply and discharge of a fluid to the fluid-operated device,
a housing in which an oil chamber is formed;
a cylinder provided in the oil chamber;
a piston provided in the cylinder and defining a damper chamber;
a communication passage provided in the piston, the communication passage connecting the damper chamber and the oil chamber;
a valve provided on the piston to control the flow of hydraulic fluid through the communication passage,
The valve is
an annular seat portion provided to protrude from the piston, the communication passage opening to the inside of the annular seat portion;
a valve member that is in contact with the seat portion so as to be able to be seated and removed from the seat portion;
a biasing member that biases the valve member in a valve closing direction;
a plurality of orifice passages that narrow a flow path of the hydraulic fluid that flows between the damper chamber and the communication passage,
The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the orifice passage has a flow passage area inside the seat portion that is smaller than a flow passage area outside the seat portion. 2. The valve device according to claim 1,
The valve device, wherein the orifice passage extends in a radial direction of the cylinder, and a flow path area of the orifice passage increases from a radially inner side to a radially outer side of the cylinder. 3. The valve device according to claim 1 or 2,
A valve device characterized in that the flow path area of the orifice passage is formed so that the flow path area of the hydraulic fluid moving in the second direction is larger than that of the hydraulic fluid moving in the first direction.