regulator

Abstract

A regulator is provided, comprising a piston portion and a pressure regulating valve, which are separate components. These components are pressed together at a predetermined regulating position and then welded together to form a single unit. Even if the fixed part is unexpectedly damaged, the pressure regulating valve body will close, thereby preventing abnormal pressure rise in the pressure regulating chamber and ensuring safety. It also prevents flow downstream from the outlet, preventing damage to downstream components and airtight leakage, thus ensuring safety. A step (54) is provided at an upstream position deviating from the pressure regulating range of the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body (5), protruding from the fitting portion (53) that fits into the piston portion (6).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a regulator used to reduce the pressure of a high-pressure fluid to a desired pressure. Background Technology

[0002] As disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 52-92436, regulators that control the flow rate of high-pressure fluid by opening and closing the pressure regulating valve body via the piston part according to the pressure change in the pressure regulating chamber have long been known. They are used, for example, as regulators when supplying high-pressure fuel such as CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) stored in the fuel tank to an engine.

[0003] Figure 5 An example of the existing regulator is shown, in which one of the open ends of the cylindrical passage 2 formed through the main body 1 is used as the inlet 21 for high pressure fluid and the other open end is used as the outlet 22 for pressure-reducing fluid. The inlet 21 and outlet 22 are respectively provided with an inlet cover 23 for airtightly introducing high pressure fluid and an outlet cover 24 for airtightly removing pressure-regulated fluid.

[0004] In addition, the valve seat 3 is disposed inside the inlet 21 in the passage 2, a valve seat plate 31 is provided inside the valve seat 3, and the valve seat 3 has a plate retaining member 33, which is a partition wall with a through hole 32 in the axial direction of the passage 2, and a pressure regulating chamber 4 is formed on the downstream side of the valve seat plate 31 in the passage 2.

[0005] Furthermore, between the passage 2 and the outlet 22, a piston-type pressure regulating valve 7, consisting of a pressure regulating valve body 5 and a piston part 6, is configured to slide in the axial direction of the passage 2. The pressure regulating valve body 5 has a front end face 51 that can closely contact the valve seat plate 31 of the valve seat 3 and has a cylindrical communication passage 52 open at both ends. The piston part 6 is formed in such a way that it surrounds the outer periphery of the outlet 22 side of the passage 2 of the pressure regulating valve body 5 and has a diameter larger than that of the pressure regulating valve body 5.

[0006] Furthermore, in the piston section 6, a pressure regulating spring 8 applies force towards the inlet 21 of the passage 2. The pressure regulating spring 8 has a predetermined load and is disposed within the atmospheric chamber 61, which is arranged to be coaxially parallel to the pressure regulating chamber 4 around the piston section 6. The high-pressure fluid introduced from the inlet 21 passes through the through hole 32 formed on the valve seat plate retaining member 33 of the valve seat 3, through the pressure regulating valve body 5 which has a communication passage 52 formed in a manner facing the valve seat plate 31, and is introduced into the pressure regulating chamber 4. It acts on the piston section 6 which is engaged with the pressure regulating valve body 5. The load generated by the pressure of the fluid acting on the piston section 6 is balanced by the load generated by the pressure regulating spring 8 acting on the piston section 6 on the opposite side of the pressure regulating chamber 4. As a result, the opening area of ​​the valve seat plate 31 and the pressure regulating valve body 5 is changed to control the fluid pressure in the pressure regulating chamber 4, thereby taking out the fluid adjusted to the desired pressure from the outlet 22.

[0007] In addition, in the Figure 5 In the existing regulator pressure reduction structure shown, the pressure regulating spring 8 is inserted from the outlet 22 before the outlet cover 24 is installed during assembly, and then the piston pressure regulating valve 7 is inserted. Due to the dimensional tolerances of the valve seat plate retaining member 33, valve seat plate 31, piston pressure regulating valve 7, and main body 1, as well as the load deviation of the setting point of the pressure regulating spring 8, there are large individual differences between products.

[0008] Furthermore, when the flow is cut off, the front end of the cylinder of the pressure regulating valve body 5 is pressed against the plane of the valve seat plate 31. Therefore, due to the flatness of the contact surface of the valve seat plate 31, the right angle between the valve seat plate 31 and the contact surface of the pressure regulating valve body 5 relative to the axis of the piston pressure regulating valve 7, and the axial offset between the pressure regulating valve body 5 and the valve seat plate 31, there is a problem that the valve seat plate 31 may be damaged or leak due to local stress, which may lead to functional loss.

[0009] Therefore, the applicant proposed a regulator in Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-193078 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-67216), which solves the aforementioned problems and eliminates individual differences between products caused by the tolerances of the dimensions of the valve seat plate retaining member 33, valve seat plate 31, piston pressure regulating valve 7, and main body 1, as well as the load deviation of the setting point of the pressure regulating spring 8, which are acted upon by the load of the pressure regulating spring 8. Furthermore, it does not cause functional losses due to defects such as breakage or leakage of the valve seat plate 31.

[0010] like Figure 6 as well as Figure 7As shown, in the existing regulator proposed in this publication, the cylindrical pressure regulating valve body 5 and the piston part 6 forming the piston-type pressure regulating valve 7 are formed separately. The pressure regulating valve body 5 is in close contact with the valve seat plate 31. The piston part 6 is composed of a cylindrical body that surrounds the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body 5 and causes the pressure regulating spring 8 to act. The separately formed pressure regulating valve body 5 forming the piston-type pressure regulating valve 7 and the piston part 6 that surrounds the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body 5 are configured such that a crimpable orifice can be inserted in a close contact state. During assembly, the piston part 6 is... The pressure regulating valve body 5, separated from part 6, is inserted into passage 2 through inlet 21, and the piston part 6 is inserted into passage 2 through outlet 22. By interlocking them at a predetermined position in the axial direction within passage 2, the two can be temporarily fixed. During assembly, the pressure regulating valve body 5 inserted into passage 2 through inlet 21 and the piston part 6 inserted into passage 2 through outlet 22 are interlocked at the desired axial position. At the position where the load of the pressure regulating spring 8 is a specified load, the pressure regulating valve body 5 and the piston part 6 are fixed together by methods such as welding or pressing, thereby forming the piston part pressure regulating valve 7.

[0011] Therefore, even if there are load deviations in the dimensions of the relevant components, such as the valve seat plate retaining member 33, the valve seat plate 31, the piston part 6, the pressure regulating valve body 5, and the main body part 1, or the pressure regulating spring 8, they can be set with a specified load, which can minimize individual differences between products. In particular, in this embodiment, the pressure regulating valve body 5 and the piston part 6 can be fixed at a specified load position while measuring the load of the pressure regulating spring 8 during assembly. Usually, they are fixed by welding or the like, but when the pressure regulating valve body 5 and the piston part 6 can be pressed together and fitted, there are the following advantages: if the pressure of the fluid used is not high, the strength and airtightness can be ensured in the temporary fixed state of fitting in the pressed state, and the cost can be reduced by eliminating the welding process.

[0012] However, in the existing regulator, the piston-type pressure regulating valve 7 is constructed by combining a pressure regulating valve body 5 and a piston part 6, which are separate components. These components are pressed together at a predetermined adjustment position and then welded together to form a single unit. Therefore, the following problem exists: Figure 7 In the unexpected case shown, where the fixing part 9 is damaged due to the pressing or welding of the joint, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the pressure regulating spring 8, which applies force to the pressure regulating valve body 5 in the closing direction and is mounted on the piston part 6, cannot apply force in the direction of closing the pressure regulating valve body 5. The pressure regulating valve body becomes normally open, and the high-pressure fluid introduced from the inlet 21 flows downstream of the regulator from the outlet 22 without being regulated, resulting in damage to downstream components and airtight leakage.

[0013] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 52-92436 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-67216 Summary of the Invention The problem the invention aims to solve The objective of this invention is to provide a regulator in which the existing piston and pressure regulating valve are composed of a pressure regulating valve body and a piston, which are separate components. These components are pressed together at a predetermined regulating position and then welded together to form a single unit. In this regulator, even if the fixed part is unexpectedly damaged, the pressure regulating valve body will close, thereby preventing abnormal pressure rise in the pressure regulating chamber and ensuring safety. It also prevents high-pressure fluid from flowing downstream from the outlet, prevents damage to downstream components and airtight leakage, and ensures safety.

[0014] means for solving problems The regulator of the present invention, completed to solve the aforementioned problem, uses one open end of a cylindrical passage formed through the main body as an inlet for high-pressure fluid and the other open end as an outlet for low-pressure fluid. Inside the inlet of the passage, a pressure regulating chamber is disposed, separated from the valve seat by a valve seat retaining member. The valve seat retaining member has a valve seat plate on its inner side and a through hole in the axial direction of the passage. Between the pressure regulating chamber and the outlet of the passage, a piston-type pressure regulating valve, consisting of a pressure regulating valve body and a piston portion, is slidable in the axial direction of the passage. The pressure regulating valve body has a valve seat plate... The piston portion, having a tightly contacting front end face and a cylindrical connecting passage open at both ends, is formed to surround the outer periphery of the outlet side of the passage in the pressure regulating valve body. The piston portion pressure regulating valve applies force towards the inlet of the passage via a pressure regulating spring. The pressure regulating spring has a predetermined load and is disposed within an atmospheric chamber, which is arranged coaxially and parallel to the pressure regulating chamber around the piston portion. High-pressure fluid introduced from the inlet is guided through a through-hole formed on the valve seat retaining member of the pressure regulating valve body, into the valve seat and the pressure regulating chamber positioned opposite to the valve seat, passes through the pressure regulating valve body with the connecting passage, and acts on the valve seat. The piston portion of the pressure regulating valve body is engaged with a pressure regulating valve body. The load generated by the pressure of the fluid acting on the piston portion is balanced by the load generated by the pressure regulating spring acting on the piston portion on the opposite side of the pressure regulating chamber. This causes a change in the opening area between the valve seat plate and the pressure regulating valve body to control the fluid pressure in the pressure regulating chamber, thereby allowing fluid adjusted to the desired pressure to be extracted from the outlet. The pressure regulating valve body, which forms the piston portion pressure regulating valve and is in close contact with the valve seat plate, and the piston portion, which surrounds the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body and actuates the pressure regulating spring, are formed separately. The pressure regulating valve body, which inserts into the passage from the inlet, and the piston portion, which inserts into the passage from the outlet, are separate components. After being fitted together at the desired axial position, the regulator is fixed by at least one method, such as pressing or welding. The regulator is characterized by a step on the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body, positioned upstream of the pressure regulating range. This step protrudes beyond the fitting portion that engages with the piston portion. Thus, when the fixation between the pressure regulating valve body, which has been inserted into the passage from the inlet, and the piston portion, which has been inserted into the passage from the outlet, is released, when the pressure regulating chamber reaches the predetermined pressure, the piston portion, through the force of the pressure regulating spring, presses against the step of the pressure regulating valve body, closing the pressure regulating valve body. This prevents abnormal pressure rises in the pressure regulating chamber and ensures safety.

[0015] Furthermore, in this invention, when the step is formed by a large-diameter portion integrally formed on the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body, the step can be easily processed by, for example, cutting or drawing, and when the fixation between the pressure regulating valve body and the piston portion is released, the pressure regulating valve body and the piston portion can be reliably locked.

[0016] The effects of the invention According to the present invention, in the regulator, a piston-type pressure regulating valve is formed by a pressure regulating valve body and a piston part, which are different components from each other. They are pressed into each other at a predetermined adjustment position and fixed together by welding. In the event that the fixed part is unexpectedly damaged due to the pressing or welding of the joint between the pressure regulating valve body and the piston part, the piston part applies force in the direction of closing the pressure regulating valve body, and the pressure regulating valve body becomes closed. This prevents the high-pressure fluid introduced from the inlet from flowing from the outlet to the downstream of the regulator without being regulated, thus avoiding problems such as damage to downstream components and airtight leakage. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view showing the valve closed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 An enlarged side view of the pressure regulating valve body of the embodiment shown.

[0019] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown when the valve is open.

[0020] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment shows a cross-sectional view of a case where the fixing part is damaged due to the pressing and welding of the joint between the pressure regulating valve body and the piston.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view showing a closed valve in an existing example.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view showing different existing examples of valve closure.

[0023] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 6 The cross-sectional view of the existing example shown is taken when the valve is open.

[0024] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 6 The cross-sectional view shown is of a case where the fixing part is damaged due to the pressing and welding of the joint between the pressure regulating valve body and the piston in the existing example.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1: Main body, 2: Passage, 3: Valve seat, 4: Pressure regulating chamber, 5: Pressure regulating valve body, 6: Piston part, 7: Piston part pressure regulating valve, 8: Pressure regulating spring, 9: Fixing part, 21: Inlet, 22: Outlet, 23: Inlet cover, 24: Outlet cover, 31: Valve seat plate, 32: Through hole, 33: Valve seat plate retaining member, 51: Front end face, 52: Connecting passage, 53: Fitting part, 54: Step, 61: Atmospheric chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figures 1 to 3 This illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, with an overall structure similar to that described above. Figures 6 to 8 The existing examples shown are largely the same, and detailed descriptions of these parts are omitted. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to describe structural parts that are identical to those in the existing examples.

[0028] Moreover, this embodiment is similar to the one described above. Figures 6 to 8 The difference between the existing example shown is that the pressure regulating range ( ) is located on the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body 5. Figure 2 A step 54 is provided at a slightly upstream position off from the position shown in the diagram. This step 54 protrudes beyond the engagement portion 53 that engages with the piston portion 6.

[0029] According to this embodiment with such a structure, by making the piston part 6 and the pressure regulating valve body 5 different components, even if there are load deviations in the dimensions of the valve seat plate retaining member 33, valve seat plate 31, piston part 6, pressure regulating valve body 5, main body part 1, or pressure regulating spring 8, the load can be set at a specified load, which can minimize individual differences between products. In particular, in this embodiment, the pressure regulating valve body 5 and piston part 6 can be fixed at a specified load position while measuring the load of the pressure regulating spring 8 during assembly. Usually, this is fixed by welding or the like, but when the pressure regulating valve body 5 and piston part 6 can be pressed together and fitted, there are the following advantages: if the pressure of the fluid used is not high, strength and airtightness can be ensured in the temporary fixed state of fitting in the pressed state, and cost can be reduced by eliminating the welding process.

[0030] Furthermore, if the fixing part 9, which is formed by welding and bonding the pressure regulating valve body 5 and the piston part 6 together in the predetermined adjustment position, unexpectedly breaks, causing the piston part 6 to detach from the pressure regulating valve body 5, the pressure regulating valve body 5 becomes free, as described above. Figure 4As shown, the high-pressure fluid introduced from the inlet 21 is introduced into the pressure regulating chamber 4 on the passage 2 located on the downstream side of the valve seat plate 31 via the through hole 32 formed on the valve seat plate retaining member 33 of the valve seat 3. When the high-pressure fluid introduced into the pressure regulating chamber 4 and acting on the piston part 6 reaches a certain specified pressure, the piston part 6 resists the force of the pressure regulating spring 8 to press the step 54 of the pressure regulating valve body 5, and the front end face 51 of the pressure regulating valve body 5 sits on the valve seat plate 31 to close the valve.

[0031] Therefore, it can prevent the abnormal pressure in the pressure regulating chamber 4 from rising further, eliminate the possibility of high-pressure fluid flowing downstream of the regulator without being regulated, and prevent damage to downstream components, airtight leaks, etc., thus ensuring safety.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the step 54 is formed by integrally forming a large-diameter portion on the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body 5. The step 54 can be easily processed by, for example, cutting, drawing, or rolling. When the fixation between the pressure regulating valve body 5 and the piston portion 6 is released, the pressure regulating valve body 5 can reliably engage with the piston portion 6. However, the step 54 is not limited to this. It can also protrude from the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body 5 in a manner such as a protrusion or annular shape (not shown). In addition, it is undoubtedly not limited to being integral with the pressure regulating valve body 5. It can also be formed separately from the pressure regulating valve body 5.

Claims

1. A regulator, characterized in that, One open end of the passage formed through the main body is used as the inlet for high-pressure fluid, and the other open end is used as the outlet for depressurized fluid. A valve seat is disposed inside the inlet. The valve seat includes a valve seat retaining member, which has a valve seat piece on its inner side and forms a through hole in the axial direction of the passage. A pressure regulating chamber is formed in the passage downstream of the valve seat. The piston-type pressure regulating valve, consisting of a pressure regulating valve body and a piston portion, is configured to slide along the axial direction of the passage. The pressure regulating valve body has a front end face capable of close contact with the valve seat plate and a cylindrical communication passage open at both ends. The piston portion is formed to surround the outer periphery of the outlet side of the pressure regulating valve body, and the piston portion is forced by a pressure regulating spring in the direction of introducing the high-pressure fluid from the inlet. The pressure regulating spring has a predetermined load and is disposed within an atmospheric chamber, which is configured to be coaxially parallel to the pressure regulating chamber around the piston portion. The high-pressure fluid introduced from the inlet is introduced into the pressure regulating chamber via the connecting passage formed on the pressure regulating valve body. The load generated by the fluid pressure acting on the piston is balanced by the load generated by the pressure regulating spring acting on the piston. This causes the opening area of ​​the valve seat plate and the pressure regulating valve body to change, thereby controlling the fluid pressure in the pressure regulating chamber. This allows fluid adjusted to the desired pressure to be withdrawn from the outlet. The pressure regulating valve body and the piston portion of the piston-type pressure regulating valve are formed separately. After the pressure regulating valve body, which can be inserted into the passage from the inlet, and the piston portion, which can be inserted into the passage from the outlet, are fitted together in the axial direction, they are fixed to the fixing portion by at least one method, namely pressing or welding. A step is provided on the outer periphery of the pressure regulating valve body at an upstream position separated from the fixed part by a certain distance. The step protrudes more than the fitting part that fits into the piston part. Thus, when the fixation between the pressure regulating valve body and the piston part is released, the piston part presses the step of the pressure regulating valve body and closes the pressure regulating valve body by the load generated by the pressure of the fluid introduced into the pressure regulating chamber and acting on the piston part.

2. The regulator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps are formed through a large-diameter portion with a diameter greater than that of the fitting portion.

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