Electronic control regulator

Abstract

To provide an electronic control regulator capable of preferably regulating a pressure in line with various pressure usages without the necessity of modifying the type or layout of an electric motor.SOLUTION: An electronic control regulator 1A has a body 10A segmented into a high pressure chamber 2A, a discharge pressure chamber 3A, a pressure control chamber 4A, and an atmospheric pressure chamber 5A, and includes a pressure regulating valve 20A including a valve stem 21A having a valve body 22, a valve seat 23 with which the valve body 22 is in close contact, and discharge pressure regulation means that regulates a fluid pressure by reciprocating the valve stem 21A through drive of an electric motor 30. The electronic control regulator regulates an introduced high pressure fluid into a set pressure and then discharges the resultant fluid. Three diameters, that is, a seat diameter Ds of the valve seat 23 serving as a border between the high pressure chamber 2A and discharge pressure chamber 3A, a seal diameter Dh of an O ring 72 that is an atmospheric pressure chamber side seal member serving as a border between the high pressure chamber 2A and atmospheric pressure chamber 5A, and a seal diameter Do of an O ring 71 that is a pressure control chamber side seal member serving as a border between the discharge chamber 3A and pressure control chamber 4A are substantially identical to one another.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a regulator that discharges high-pressure fluid such as gas fuel while reducing and regulating the pressure to a predetermined level, and more particularly to an electronically controlled regulator that electronically adjusts the pressure of the discharged fluid. [Background technology]

[0002] A well-known example of a regulator that reduces a high-pressure fluid to a predetermined pressure and delivers it is a regulator for gas fuel, as described in Japanese Patent No. 3594507 (Patent Document 1). This regulator is equipped with a valve stem that is coaxial with a valve body, and a donut-shaped seat portion with a valve hole passing through the center and a seat surface with which the valve body is in close contact, and is structured such that the high-pressure fluid such as CNG that has flowed into the body presses the valve stem, which is provided so as to be able to slide back and forth in the axial direction with the valve body in an open state, against the seat surface with a predetermined pressure, and the high-pressure gas fuel is discharged while being reduced and regulated to the predetermined pressure.

[0003] However, in such a conventional regulator pressure reduction structure, the discharge pressure of the fluid by the regulator mechanically depends on the load of the pressure regulating spring, so it is necessary to prepare a pressure regulating spring in advance for each specified discharge pressure. Also, in a regulator used in a vehicle fuel supply system, the pressure regulating spring is fixed in advance to a specified set height, so when the engine required flow rate is high, the pressure drop becomes large, and when the required flow rate is low, the pressure drop becomes small, so there is a problem that the discharge pressure range and flow rate range are mechanically limited.

[0004] On the other hand, in an LPG regulator having a primary diaphragm chamber and a secondary diaphragm chamber, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-160842 (Patent Document 2) is proposed a pressure regulating mechanism equipped with a stepping motor that is pulse-controlled in response to an output signal from a pressure sensor provided in the primary diaphragm chamber as a force adjusting means for adjusting the force of the pressure regulating spring in the primary diaphragm chamber.

[0005] In this way, the pressure regulating mechanism equipped with an electronically controlled stepping motor weakens the biasing force of the pressure regulating spring when the pressure in the primary diaphragm chamber becomes higher than a preset pressure, and strengthens the biasing force of the pressure regulating spring when the pressure in the primary diaphragm chamber becomes lower than the preset pressure, making it possible to maintain the pressure in the primary diaphragm chamber at the desired pressure.

[0006] However, with this regulator, it is only the interior of the primary diaphragm chamber that can be adjusted to and maintained at the desired pressure; the pressure of the fuel discharged from the secondary diaphragm chamber depends on the pressure regulating spring disposed within that chamber. As a result, it remains difficult to set a variety of discharge pressures with a single type of regulator, and the problem that the discharge pressure range and flow rate range are mechanically limited remains unresolved.

[0007] In response to this, the inventors and applicants of the present application proposed, in their earlier patent application No. 2022-88066, an electronically controlled regulator for an electric motor as shown in Fig. 4. This electronically controlled regulator 1B is provided with a cylindrical body 10B, a high pressure chamber 2B constituting the area from the inlet of a fluid inlet passage 11 that introduces high-pressure fluid to the valve portion of a pressure regulating valve 20B, a discharge pressure chamber 3B constituting the area from the valve portion to the outlet of a fluid delivery passage 12 that discharges reduced-pressure fluid, and a pressure control chamber 4B having therein a discharge pressure adjusting means that reduces and adjusts the pressure of the discharged fluid to a predetermined pressure while operating the pressure regulating valve 20B.

[0008] The discharge pressure adjustment means is operated by the drive of the electric motor 30, and constitutes a valve shaft moving structure that moves the valve shaft 21B, which has a pressure adjustment spring 25 attached to its base end side, in the axial direction to change the distance between the valve body 22 and the valve seat 23. The valve shaft moving structure is operated by the electric motor 30 based on the value of a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the reduced pressure fluid, and the pressure adjustment valve 20B is opened and closed so that the pressure of the reduced pressure fluid maintains the set pressure.

[0009] In this way, rather than adjusting the discharge pressure only by the pressure regulating spring 25 arranged on the base end side of the valve shaft 21B, a method is adopted in which the electric motor 30 is driven and controlled based on the discharge pressure detected by a sensor while the valve element 22 provided on the valve shaft 21B is opened and closed to maintain the set discharge pressure, thereby enabling the device to flexibly respond to fluctuations in the required flow rate while automatically maintaining various set discharge pressures.

[0010] However, in an electronically controlled regulator 1B configured as described above, the torque required for the electric motor 30 varies depending on the setting range of the high pressure chamber 2B and the discharge pressure chamber 3B due to the pressure load applied to the pressure regulating valve 20B. This makes it necessary to prepare and lay out electric motors according to the various pressure applications, which can easily lead to an increase in costs in manufacturing and supplying the product. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3594507 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-160842 [Patent Document 3] Patent application 2022-88066 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and has an object to provide an electronically controlled regulator that can perform good pressure regulation while responding to various pressure applications without changing the type and layout of the electric motor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, is an electronically controlled regulator that includes a pressure regulating valve, the pressure regulating valve being configured to include a valve stem, which is coaxially provided on the outer periphery of a valve disc at a longitudinal midpoint and is capable of reciprocating in the axial direction, a valve seat having a seat surface with which the valve disc can come into close contact, and a discharge pressure regulating means that reciprocates the valve stem by driving an electronically controlled electric motor to change the distance between the valve disc and the valve seat, thereby adjusting the pressure of the fluid, and the electronically controlled regulator that reduces and regulates the high-pressure fluid introduced from the introduction port and discharges it from the discharge port as a reduced-pressure fluid of a set pressure on the discharge pressure chamber side. the interior of the body is partitioned into a high pressure chamber communicating with the inlet, a discharge pressure chamber communicating with the discharge port, a pressure control chamber in which the electric motor is housed, and an atmospheric pressure chamber communicating with the atmosphere, the base end side of the valve stem is supported in a state inserted into a cylindrical support hole having a communication hole communicating with the atmosphere, and a seat diameter of the valve seat which forms the boundary between the high pressure chamber and the discharge pressure chamber, a seal diameter of an atmospheric pressure chamber side seal member which forms the boundary between the high pressure chamber and the atmospheric pressure chamber, and a seal diameter of a pressure control chamber side seal member which forms the boundary between the discharge pressure chamber and the pressure control chamber are approximately equal.

[0014] In this way, by providing a passage to the atmosphere in the support hole that supports the base end of the valve stem, and by making the seat diameter of the valve seat separating the high pressure chamber and the discharge pressure chamber, the seal diameter of the atmospheric pressure chamber side seal member separating the atmospheric pressure chamber and the high pressure chamber, and the seal diameter of the pressure control chamber side seal member separating the discharge pressure chamber and the pressure control chamber approximately the same, it is possible to balance the various pressure loads applied to the pressure regulating valve, and therefore a single regulator can be used to accommodate a variety of pressure applications and exhibit good pressure regulating function, without changing the type or layout of the electric motor.

[0015] In the present invention, the tip side of the valve shaft is connected in a state inserted into a moving shaft that reciprocates in the axial direction by being driven by the electric motor, and when the pressure control chamber side seal member is attached to the outer periphery of the moving shaft, even if the part of the valve shaft that is connected to the moving shaft on the pressure control chamber side is thinner than the seat diameter of the valve seat, by adopting a configuration that seals the outer periphery of the moving shaft, it becomes easy to match the other seat diameters and seal diameters.

[0016] In addition, it is particularly desirable that the outer diameter of the contact portion of the valve shaft with the atmospheric pressure chamber side seal member and the outer diameter of the contact portion of the moving shaft with the pressure control chamber side seal member be formed to be the same diameter, since this makes it possible to easily achieve a structure in which the two seal diameters are matched.

[0017] In the present invention, when the discharge pressure adjusting means is a feed screw mechanism combining a trapezoidal male thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical moving shaft that is coaxially attached to the valve shaft and arranged to be movable in the axial direction but not rotatable, and a trapezoidal female thread that engages with the trapezoidal male thread formed on the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical member that is fitted onto the moving shaft and rotated by the drive of the electric motor, it is possible to move the valve shaft to the open position or closed position in a short period of time and stop it accurately while keeping the size of the regulator as a whole down. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, the seat diameter separating the high pressure chamber and the discharge pressure chamber, the seal diameter separating the atmospheric pressure chamber and the high pressure chamber, and the seal diameter separating the discharge pressure chamber and the pressure control chamber are all roughly the same, making it possible to perform good pressure regulation while responding to a variety of pressure applications without changing the type or layout of the electric motor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a valve-closed state of the electronically controlled regulator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an open valve state of the electronically controlled regulator of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a fuel supply system in which the electronically controlled regulator shown in FIG. 1 is arranged. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an electronically controlled regulator previously filed by the applicant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] Fig. 1 shows an electronically controlled regulator 1A according to a first embodiment of the present invention in an open state, and Fig. 2 shows it in a closed state. This electronically controlled regulator 1A is intended to be used as a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of gas fuel, which is a high-pressure fluid, to a predetermined pressure and delivering it in a supply system for gas fuel or the like.

[0022] The interior of the cylindrical metal body 10A is partitioned into a high pressure chamber 2A which constitutes a high pressure section from an inlet 11, which introduces a high pressure fluid, to the valve portion of the pressure regulating valve 20A, a discharge pressure chamber 3A which constitutes a discharge pressure section from the valve portion of the pressure regulating valve 20A to a discharge port 12 which discharges the reduced pressure and regulated fluid, a pressure control chamber 4A which is provided with a discharge pressure regulating means for regulating and maintaining the pressure of the discharged fluid, and an atmospheric pressure chamber 5A which is maintained at a pressure equal to atmospheric pressure.

[0023] The pressure regulating valve 20A comprises a valve shaft 21A made of a shaft-like member having an umbrella-shaped valve element 22 coaxially mounted on the outer periphery at a longitudinal midpoint and capable of reciprocating in the axial direction, a donut-shaped valve seat 23 having a seat surface 24 against which the valve element 22 can come into close contact and a valve hole formed in the center, and a discharge pressure regulating means for adjusting the discharge pressure by changing the distance between the valve element 22 and the valve seat 23 by reciprocating the valve shaft 21A.

[0024] The discharge pressure adjustment means is composed of the electric motor 30, which has a stator 31 supporting the windings 32 in a wound state and a rotor 33 on which a magnet 34 is arranged, a driver 40 that drives and controls the electric motor 30, and a moving shaft 50A that is coaxially connected to the valve shaft 21A by inserting the base end of the valve shaft 21A into a connecting hole 51 on the tip side. The valve element 22 of the valve shaft 21A arranged below it is driven by the electric motor 30 controlled by the driver 40 to slide back and forth in the axial direction between a closed position (Figure 2) in which the valve element 22 is in close contact with the seat surface 24 of the valve seat 23, and an open position (Figure 1) in which the valve element 22 is spaced from the seat surface 24, thereby changing the opening area and automatically adjusting the pressure of the reduced pressure fluid to be discharged to be equal to the set pressure.

[0025] The discharge pressure adjustment means opens and closes the pressure regulating valve 20A so as to maintain the pressure of the reduced pressure fluid discharged at a set pressure while operating the valve shaft moving structure with the electric motor 30, based on the value of a pressure sensor (not shown) which detects the pressure of the reduced pressure fluid in a pressure sensor installation section 14 connected to the discharge port 12 through a communication hole 13.

[0026] Furthermore, the location where the pressure sensor is installed is not limited to within the pressure sensor installation section 14, but rather it may be arranged in series or parallel with the discharge port 12 so as to be capable of detecting the discharge pressure, and may be installed at any location on the path along which the reduced pressure fluid is discharged.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, in the initial state, the valve shaft 21A is pushed up by a pressure adjustment spring 25 arranged in the atmospheric pressure chamber 5A corresponding to the base end side, and the valve body 22 is in close contact with the seat surface 24 of the valve seat 23.

[0028] In the electronically controlled regulator 1A of this embodiment, the valve shaft moving structure is a feed screw mechanism consisting of a combination of a trapezoidal male thread 52 formed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical moving shaft 50A connected to the tip side of the valve shaft 21A, and a trapezoidal female thread 35 formed on the inner peripheral surface of a rotor 31, which is a cylindrical member constituting a part of the electric motor 30, and meshing with the trapezoidal male thread 52, and is configured so that when the electric motor 30 is driven, the trapezoidal female thread 35, which is integrated with the inner peripheral surface side of the rotor 31, rotates around the trapezoidal male thread 52.

[0029] The moving shaft 50A has an insertion hole 53 with a flat portion formed on its inner surface at the end opposite the connecting hole 51, and an anti-rotation shaft 60, whose base end 62 is fixed to the body 10A and whose tip 63 has a flat portion 64 formed on its outer surface, is inserted into the insertion hole 53 so as to be able to slide freely in the axial direction. The flat portions of the two shafts come into close contact with each other, thereby regulating the rotational movement of the moving shaft 50A and converting it into linear movement in the axial direction, thereby moving the valve shaft 21A connected by the connecting hole 51.

[0030] As shown in the functional block diagram of FIG. 3, the electronically controlled regulator 1A of this embodiment is disposed midway in a fuel supply path of a fuel supply system, and electronic control means (not shown) executes control such that, when the pressure (Po) detected by a pressure sensor is lower than a commanded target pressure (Pref), the driver 40 operates the electric motor 30 in a valve opening direction, and, when the detected pressure (Po) is higher than the commanded target pressure (Pref), the driver 40 operates the electric motor 30 in a valve closing direction.

[0031] In this way, the discharge pressure is not adjusted only by the pressure regulating spring 25 arranged at the base end of the valve shaft 21A, but a method is adopted in which the electric motor 30 is driven and controlled based on discharge pressure data detected by a pressure sensor, and the opening / closing and valve open position of the valve element 22 provided on the valve shaft 21A are adjusted to adjust and maintain the set discharge pressure, thereby making it possible to automatically maintain various set discharge pressures while flexibly responding to fluctuations in the required flow rate.

[0032] The discharge pressure adjusting means of this embodiment having such a configuration and function is common to the electronically controlled regulator 1B previously filed by the applicant, shown in Fig. 4. However, even in the electronically controlled regulator 1B, the torque required for the electric motor 30 may differ depending on the setting range of the high pressure chamber 2B and the discharge pressure chamber 3B due to the relationship of the pressure load applied to the pressure adjusting valve 20B. This makes it necessary to prepare and lay out electric motors according to various pressure applications, which leads to various increases in costs.

[0033] Therefore, in the electronically controlled regulator 1A of this embodiment, a cylindrical support hole 15 is provided in a portion of the body 10A located on the base end side of the valve shaft 21A, and the base end side of the valve shaft 21A is inserted into the support hole 15 and communicated with the atmosphere through a communication hole 16 to form an atmospheric pressure chamber 5A, and the base end side of the valve shaft 21A is connected to a moving shaft 50A that reciprocates in the axial direction by being driven by the electric motor 30 housed in the pressure control chamber 4A.

[0034] The seat diameter (sealing diameter) of the valve seat 23 which forms the boundary between the high pressure chamber 2A and the discharge pressure chamber 3A, the seal diameter of the O-ring 72 which is the atmospheric pressure chamber side seal member which forms the boundary between the high pressure chamber 2A and the atmospheric pressure chamber 5A, and the seal diameter of the O-ring 71 which is the pressure control chamber side seal member which forms the boundary between the discharge pressure chamber 3A and the pressure control chamber 4A are all made to be approximately the same size, which is the greatest feature of the present invention.

[0035] The O-ring 71 is attached to the outer periphery of the moving shaft 50A, and the O-ring 72 is attached to the outer periphery of the valve shaft 21A. The outer diameter of the contact portion between the moving shaft 50A and the O-ring 71 and the valve shaft 21A and the O-ring 72 are formed to be the same diameter.

[0036] The action and principle of the above configuration will be explained in detail. Let Dh be the seal diameter of the portion where the O-ring 72 maintains airtightness between the high pressure chamber 2A and the atmospheric pressure chamber 5A, Do be the seal diameter of the portion where the O-ring 71 maintains airtightness between the discharge pressure chamber 3A and the pressure control chamber 4A, and Ds be the seat diameter of the portion that comes into contact with the seat surface 24 of the valve seat 23 when the valve shaft 21A of the pressure regulating valve 20A strokes to maintain airtightness between the high pressure chamber 2A and the discharge pressure chamber 3A. Let Pin be the pressure of the high pressure chamber 2A, Pout be the pressure of the discharge pressure chamber 3A, and Pabs be the atmospheric pressure. Then, the load F applied to the pressure regulating valve 20A can be expressed by the following formula.

[0037]

number

[0038] Here, when Dh ≈ Ds ≈ Do, the load F applied to the pressure regulating valve 20A approaches zero, and the required torque of the electric motor 30 is determined by the mechanical components surrounding the pressure regulating valve 20A. Therefore, regardless of the value of the fuel supply pressure or discharge pressure range used, there is no need to change the specifications or layout of the electric motor 30, and the electric motor 30 can be configured as it is and exhibits good pressure regulating function.

[0039] In this way, the above-mentioned electronically controlled regulator 1A has the three parts, i.e., the seat diameter of the valve seat 23, the seal diameter of the O-ring 72, and the seal diameter of the O-ring 71, which are involved in the drive part of the pressure regulating valve 20A, all set to the same diameter, which makes it possible to balance the pressure load applied to the pressure regulating valve 20A and to demonstrate excellent pressure regulating function while allowing an electric motor of the same specifications to be used for any pressure application.

[0040] Incidentally, it is ideal for the above-mentioned Dh, Ds, and Do values ​​to be identical, but it is difficult to actually create a product in which these are completely consistent. Therefore, in order to ensure the action and effect of the present invention, it is preferable to keep the error of the other two diameters from the seat diameter of the valve seat 23 as the standard to less than 10%.

[0041] As described above, the present invention allows an electronically controlled regulator to perform excellent pressure regulation while responding to a variety of pressure applications without changing the type or layout of the electric motor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1A, 1B Electronically controlled regulator, 2A, 2B High pressure chamber, 3A, 3B Discharge pressure chamber, 4A, 4B Pressure control chamber, 5A Atmospheric pressure chamber, 10A, 10B Body, 11 Fluid inlet passage, 12 Fluid outlet passage, 13 Communication hole, 14 Pressure sensor installation portion, 15 Support hole, 16 Communication hole, 20A, 20B Pressure regulating valve, 21A, 21B Valve shaft, 22 Valve body, 23 Valve seat, 24 Seat surface, 25 Pressure regulating spring, 30 Electric motor, 31 Stator, 32 Winding, 33 Rotor, 34 Magnet, 35 Trapezoidal female thread, 40 Driver, 50A, 50B Motion shaft, 51 Connection hole, 52 Trapezoidal male thread, 53 Insertion hole, 60 Anti-rotation shaft, 61 Base end, 62 Tip, 63 Flat surface, 71, 72 O-ring

Claims

1. an electronically controlled regulator comprising: a pressure regulating valve disposed inside a body forming an inlet and a discharge port; a valve stem having a valve disc coaxially disposed on the outer periphery at a longitudinal midpoint and operable to reciprocate in the axial direction; a valve seat having a seat surface against which the valve disc can come into close contact; and a discharge pressure regulating means for adjusting the pressure of the fluid by driving an electronically controlled electric motor to reciprocate the valve stem and change the distance between the valve disc and the valve seat; and the inside of the body is partitioned into a high pressure chamber communicating with the inlet, a discharge pressure chamber communicating with the discharge port, a pressure control chamber accommodating the electric motor, and an atmospheric pressure chamber communicating with the atmosphere, a base end side of the valve shaft is supported in a state where it is inserted into a cylindrical support hole having a communication hole communicating with the atmosphere, a seat diameter of the valve seat which is a boundary between the high pressure chamber and the discharge pressure chamber; a seal diameter of an atmospheric pressure chamber side seal member which is a boundary between the high pressure chamber and the atmospheric pressure chamber; 2. An electronically controlled regulator, comprising: a pressure control chamber side seal member, which is a boundary between the discharge pressure chamber and the pressure control chamber, and the seal diameter of the pressure control chamber side seal member is substantially the same.

2. 2. The electronically controlled regulator according to claim 1, wherein a tip side of the valve shaft is connected in a state inserted into a moving shaft that reciprocates in an axial direction by being driven by the electric motor, and the pressure control chamber side seal member is attached to an outer periphery of the moving shaft.

3. 3. The electronically controlled regulator according to claim 2, wherein an outer diameter of a contact portion of said valve shaft with said atmospheric pressure chamber side seal member and an outer diameter of a contact portion of said moving shaft with said pressure regulation control chamber side seal member are formed to be the same.

4. The discharge pressure adjusting means is a cylindrical moving shaft that is coaxially attached to the valve shaft and arranged to be movable in the axial direction but not rotatable; and a trapezoidal male screw formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical moving shaft. a trapezoidal female thread formed on an inner circumferential surface of a cylindrical member that is fitted onto the motion shaft and rotated by the driving of the electric motor, the trapezoidal female thread meshing with the trapezoidal male thread; 2. The electronically controlled regulator according to claim 1, wherein said feed screw mechanism is a combination of said first and second feed screws.

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