Valve device

Abstract

A valve device includes a valve seat, a valve element, a buffer member, and a non-overlapping portion. The valve seat has an opening communicating with an exhaust passage. The valve element is configured to open and close at least a part of the opening. The buffer member is disposed between the valve seat and the valve element and is configured to be more flexible than the valve seat. The non-overlapping portion is configured such that, in a state where the valve element is closed, the valve seat and the valve element do not overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve element over at least a part of the outer periphery of the valve element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a valve device disposed in an exhaust passage. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-151192 discloses a valve device disposed on the side surface of a pipe constituting an exhaust passage. The valve device includes an opening and a valve element, and a buffer member is provided between the opening and the valve element. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In the valve device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-151192, an abnormal sound generated when the valve element collides with the opening of the pipe is suppressed by the buffer member. However, sometimes the buffer characteristics of the buffer member deteriorate due to aging. In this case, there is a problem that the abnormal sound when the valve element collides with the opening via the buffer member becomes large. One aspect of the present disclosure is to suppress an abnormal sound generated with the opening and closing of the valve element in the valve device.

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a valve device disposed in an exhaust passage. The valve device includes: a valve seat, a valve element, a buffer member, and a non-overlapping portion. The valve seat has an opening communicating with the exhaust passage. The valve element is configured to open and close at least a part of the opening.

[0005] The buffer member is disposed between the valve seat and the valve element, and is configured to be more flexible than the valve seat. The non-overlapping portion is configured such that, in a state where the valve element is closed, the valve seat and the valve element do not overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve element on at least a part of the outer periphery of the valve element.

[0006] According to the above structure, since the non-overlapping portion is provided, the valve element is configured to be less likely to collide with the valve seat. In addition, the buffer member can mitigate the impact generated when the valve element opens and closes. Therefore, an abnormal sound generated with the opening and closing of the valve element can be suppressed.

[0007] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the buffer member may be disposed so as to protrude from the valve seat or the valve element toward the non-overlapping portion side.

[0008] According to the above structure, the buffer member can close at least a part of the non-overlapping portion. Therefore, according to the above structure, the airtightness at the non-overlapping portion can be improved.

[0009] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a valve shaft and an overlapping portion may further be provided. The valve shaft may be disposed along one direction around the opening. The valve element may be configured to open and close the valve element by using the valve shaft. The overlapping portion may be configured such that, in a state where the valve element is closed, the valve seat and the valve element overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve element at a portion on the valve shaft side among the periphery of the opening.

[0010] According to the above structure, the overlapping portion can suppress excessive movement of the valve spool. In addition, since the overlapping portion is provided at a portion on the valve shaft side where the torque applied to the valve spool is small, generation of a large abnormal sound can be suppressed.

[0011] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the opening portion is formed in a quadrilateral shape, and the valve shaft can be arranged along one side forming the quadrilateral. The non-overlapping portion can be provided along at least one of the three sides of the quadrilateral other than the side closest to the valve shaft.

[0012] In addition, the quadrilateral includes a quadrilateral in a plan view and a substantially quadrilateral shape. The plan view is a line of sight when observing an object in the form of a plan view from one direction. In addition, the substantially quadrilateral shape means a shape that generally appears as a quadrilateral.

[0013] According to the above structure, since the non-overlapping portion is provided along the side portion of the valve spool, generation of an abnormal sound from the side portion of the valve spool can be suppressed.

[0014] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the thickness of the buffer member can be set to be greater than or equal to the width of the non-overlapping portion.

[0015] According to the above structure, the buffering characteristics of the buffer member can be ensured, and the non-overlapping portion can be effectively closed by the buffer member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is an external view of the valve device of the embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 is Figure 1 II-II sectional view of

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the buffer member.

[0019] Figure 4 is Figure 1 IV-IV sectional view of

[0020] Figure 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotational speed and the noise level of the internal combustion engine during acceleration.

[0021] Figure 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotational speed and the noise level of the internal combustion engine during deceleration.

[0022] Figure 7 is a central sectional view of the valve device of another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0023] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] [1. Embodiment]

[0025] [1-1. Structure]

[0026] Figure 1 And Figure 2 The valve device 100 of the illustrated embodiment is provided on the exhaust flow path 1A of the exhaust discharged from an internal combustion engine such as an engine. The internal combustion engine can be installed in a vehicle, an aircraft, a generator, etc. The valve device 100 is installed, for example, on the side surface of the pipe 1 forming a muffler. An opening 100A is formed on the side surface of the pipe 1, and the opening 100A is a connection port leading to a bypass flow path. The valve device 100 is configured to open and close the opening 100A from the outside of the pipe 1.

[0027] The valve device 100 includes a pipe 1, a valve element 2, a support body 3, a buffer member 41, a spring 5, and a shaft 6. The pipe 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and an exhaust flow path 1A inside the muffler is formed inside the pipe 1. The pipe 1 has a function of discharging the exhaust flowing into the pipe 1 toward the downstream side. As Figure 1 And Figure 3 As shown, the pipe 1 has an opening 100A and a valve seat 100B.

[0028] The opening 100A is an opening formed on the side surface of the pipe 1 and configured to communicate the inside and outside of the pipe 1. The valve seat 100B includes the following regions: a region in the pipe 1 around the opening 100A and covered by the valve element 2 when the valve element 2 closes the pipe 1; and a region where the buffer member 41 is disposed in the region not covered by the valve element 2. The opening 100A is formed in a quadrangular shape in a plan view, and particularly in a rectangular shape.

[0029] In addition, the opening 100A may also be in a substantially quadrangular shape, that is, a shape with rounded corners of the quadrangle, or a shape with chamfered corners of the quadrangle. The shape of the opening 100A is not limited to a quadrangle, and any shape can be adopted. The opening 100A may also adopt, for example, a substantially triangular shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, etc.

[0030] The valve element 2 is a member formed in a curved surface shape corresponding to the outer surface shape of the pipe 1. A hole (not shown) for inserting the shaft 6 is formed in the valve element 2. The valve element 2 is formed separately from the support body 3 of the support shaft 6. The valve element 2 is supported so as to be able to rotate relative to the support body 3 with the shaft 6 as the center. In addition, the shaft 6 functions as a valve shaft.

[0031] The valve device 100 is configured to be able to open and close at least a part of the opening 100A by the opening and closing operation of the valve element 2. Through this opening and closing operation, the valve device 100 can adjust the flow rate of the exhaust flowing toward the downstream side of the pipe 1.

[0032] The valve element 2 is configured to open and close the valve element 2 by means of a shaft 6 disposed in any one direction along the periphery of the opening 100A.

[0033] The support body 3 is provided close to the opening 100A and supports the shaft 6 along the axial direction of the pipe 1. As described above, the support body 3 supports the valve element 2 via the shaft 6 so as to be rotatable and movable. A shaft hole 3A for inserting the shaft 6 is formed in the support body 3.

[0034] The shaft 6 is arranged parallel to one side of the opening 100A, that is, parallel to one side of the above-mentioned quadrilateral. In the present embodiment, the shaft 6 is arranged along the opening edge 100N in one direction around the opening 100A, and is arranged such that the longitudinal direction of the shaft 6 is parallel to the flow direction of the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage 1A. The opening edge 100N is Figure 1 the side located on the lower side of the opening 100A.

[0035] In addition, hereinafter, the four sides of the quadrilateral constituting the opening 100A are denoted as the opening edges 100N, 100F, 100R, and 100L. The opening edge 100N is the side closest to the shaft 6 among the four sides constituting the opening 100A. The opening edge 100F is the side farthest from the shaft 6. The opening edge 100R is the side located on the right side when the opening 100A is viewed from the shaft 6. The opening edge 100L is the side located on the left side when the opening 100A is viewed from the shaft 6.

[0036] The spring 5 is arranged around the circumferential direction of the shaft 6 with the shaft 6 inserted therein. One end of the spring 5 abuts against at least one of the pipe 1 and the support body 3, and the other end abuts against the valve element 2. The spring 5 has a function of applying a force to the valve element 2 in a direction to close the opening 100A.

[0037] As Figure 3 shown, the buffer member 41 is provided on the valve seat 100B. In addition, the buffer member 41 is arranged at the outer peripheral portion of the opening 100A on the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 1. In this structure, when performing the setting operation, the buffer member 41 is set along the outer peripheral side of the pipe 1 while pulling the buffer member 41. Therefore, compared with the case where the buffer member 41 is provided along the inner peripheral side of the pipe 1, the work performance can be improved.

[0038] The buffer member 41 is arranged between the valve seat 100B and the valve element 2 and is formed in a thin plate shape with a fixed thickness. The buffer member 41 is configured to be more flexible than the valve seat 100B. Being flexible means that the buffer member 41 is configured such that the impact when the valve element 2 contacts the valve seat 100B via the buffer member 41 is smaller than the impact when the valve element 2 directly contacts the valve seat 100B.

[0039] For example, the hardness of the material itself forming the buffer member 41 may be lower than the material forming the valve seat 100B (e.g., the pipe 1). In addition, in the case where the hardness of the material itself is high, the buffer member 41 can also be processed to have buffer characteristics. That is, the buffer member 41 can be configured to absorb shocks by having buffer characteristics.

[0040] Specifically, the buffer member 41 is made of metal, for example, and is configured as a mesh member such as a wire mesh. Since it has buffer characteristics and durability, the buffer member 41 is formed as a mesh member. For example, the valve seat 100B can be made of SUS (stainless steel), while the buffer member 41 can be made of a SUS mesh. In addition, the thickness of the buffer member 41 is formed to be, for example, on the order of 1 mm to 4 mm. The thickness of the buffer member 41 and the shape of the mesh can be appropriately set so that the flow path distance becomes longer when the exhaust gas passes near the buffer member 41, thereby increasing the resistance.

[0041] For example, the buffer member 41 is joined to the valve seat 100B by spot welding. As Figure 1 and Figure 3 shown, the buffer member 41 includes a first buffer piece 41A and a second buffer piece 41B. The first buffer piece 41A and the second buffer piece 41B are arranged so as to sandwich the opening 100A from both sides in the axial direction of the pipe 1 (left and right sides in Figure 1 and Figure 3 ). In addition, the buffer member 41 further includes a third buffer piece 41C and a fourth buffer piece 41D. The third buffer piece 41C and the fourth buffer piece 41D are arranged so as to sandwich the opening 100A from both sides in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the pipe 1 (up and down directions in Figure 1 and Figure 3 ).

[0042] The third buffer piece 41C is arranged along the opening edge 100N on the side closer to the axis 6. The fourth buffer piece 41D is arranged along the opening edge 100F on the side farther from the axis 6.

[0043] As Figure 3 shown, the first buffer piece 41A, the second buffer piece 41B, and the fourth buffer piece 41D in the buffer member 41 are arranged so as to protrude from the valve seat 100B toward the opening 100A side. In other words, the buffer pieces 41A, 41B, 41D are arranged so as to protrude toward the non-overlapping portion 30A described later. The third buffer piece 41C is arranged so as not to protrude toward the opening 100A side. That is, the third buffer piece 41C is arranged to overlap the valve seat 100B in a plan view.

[0044] The valve device 100 includes a non-overlapping portion 30A and an overlapping portion 30B. As Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the non-overlapping portion 30A is a portion configured such that the valve seat 100B and the valve element 2 do not overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve element 2.

[0045] The non-overlapping portion 30A is formed along the outer periphery of the surface of the valve element 2 on the side of the valve seat 100B. That is, the non-overlapping portion 30A extends along the edge of the opening 100A and is the gap between the valve seat 100B and the valve element 2. In other words, in a plan view in the state where the valve element 2 is closed, the non-overlapping portion 30A is the region where the valve seat 100B and the valve element 2 are separated from each other.

[0046] As Figure 4 shown, the width ΔL of this gap is set to about 0 mm to 4 mm. The width ΔL of the gap is preferably greater than 0. In addition, the thickness ΔT of the buffer member 41 is set to be greater than or equal to the width ΔL of the non-overlapping portion 30A. Further, the width ΔL of the non-overlapping portion 30A means the length of the non-overlapping portion 30A in the direction from one of the opening edges 100N, 100R, 100L in the opening 100A to the opposite opening edge 100F, 100L, 100R.

[0047] The non-overlapping portion 30A is formed along the front end portion and the side portions of the valve element 2 in the opening 100A. Specifically, the non-overlapping portion 30A is formed along the three edges of the opening edge 100F on the side farther from the axis 6 and the two side opening edges 100R, 100L on both sides thereof.

[0048] Here, in the valve device of the conventional structure, it is configured such that the valve element and the valve seat overlap over the entire circumference of the valve element, while in the valve device 100 of the present embodiment, the valve element 2 and the valve seat 100B are configured as non-overlapping non-overlapping portions 30A except for at least a part thereof.

[0049] In the non-overlapping portion 30A, there is no valve seat 100B in the moving direction of the valve element 2, but there is a buffer member 41 disposed to project toward the opening 100A. In other words, in the non-overlapping portion 30A, the valve element 2 and the valve seat 100B do not overlap, and the valve element 2 and the buffer member 41 overlap.

[0050] According to the above structure, the entire opening 100A is not closed only by the valve element 2. However, it is configured such that the entire opening 100A is substantially closed by the cooperation of the valve element 2 and the buffer member 41.

[0051] In addition, as Figure 2 shown, the length of the valve element 2 from the axis 6 to the front end portion 2E is set such that the front end portion 2E does not reach the opening edge 100F on the side farther from the axis 6. In addition, the width of the valve element 2 (that is, the length in the Figure 1 left and right directions) is set so as not to cover the two side opening edges 100R, 100L.

[0052] In addition, at the position where the valve element 2 contacts the buffer member 41 such as the first buffer piece 41A, the movement of the front end portion 2E of the valve element 2 and the side portion of the valve element 2 (that is, Figure 1 the two end portions of the valve element 2 in the left-right direction) in the direction in which the valve element 2 closes is suppressed.

[0053] As Figure 2 shown, the overlapping portion 30B is a portion configured such that the valve seat 100B and the valve element 2 overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve element 2. The overlapping portion 30B is formed along the opening edge 100N closer to the axis 6.

[0054] [1-3. Effects]

[0055] According to the embodiments described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.

[0056] (1a) One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a valve device 100 disposed on the exhaust flow path 1A. The valve device 100 includes a valve seat 100B, a valve element 2, a buffer member 41, and a non-overlapping portion 30A. The valve seat 100B has an opening 100A communicating with the exhaust flow path 1A. The valve element 2 is configured to be able to open and close at least a part of the opening 100A. The buffer member 41 is disposed between the valve seat 100B and the valve element 2 and is configured to be more flexible than the valve seat 100B.

[0057] The non-overlapping portion 30A is a portion configured such that, in a state where the valve element 2 is closed, the valve seat 100B and the valve element 2 do not overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve element 2 over a part of the outer periphery of the valve element 2.

[0058] According to the above structure, since the non-overlapping portion 30A is provided, the valve element 2 can be configured to be less likely to collide with the valve seat 100B. In addition, the buffer member 41 can mitigate the impact generated when the valve element 2 opens and closes. Therefore, abnormal sounds generated when the valve element 2 opens and closes can be suppressed.

[0059] (1b) Figure 5 And Figure 6 shows experimental results for explaining the above effects. Among them, in Figure 5 And Figure 6 , as the "present structure", a valve device configured to have the non-overlapping portion 30A over the entire circumference of the opening 100A was adopted. In addition, as the "conventional structure", a valve device configured not to have the non-overlapping portion 30A and a valve device using a buffer member after years of deterioration were adopted.

[0060] Figure 5 shows the measurement results of the noise level when the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine increases over time, Figure 6Shows the measurement results of the noise level when the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine decreases over time. According to Figure 5 and Figure 6 it can be seen that in either case, compared with the conventional structure, the noise level of this structure is reduced as a whole.

[0061] (1c) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the buffer member 41 is disposed on the valve seat 100B or the valve element 2, and is disposed so as to protrude toward the non-overlapping portion 30A side.

[0062] According to the above structure, the buffer member 41 can close at least a part of the non-overlapping portion 30A. Therefore, the airtightness at the non-overlapping portion 30A can be improved.

[0063] (1d) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the valve element 2 is configured to open and close the valve element 2 by the shaft 6 disposed along one direction around the opening 100A. The overlapping portion 30B is configured such that, in a state where the valve element 2 is closed, the valve seat 100B and the valve element 2 overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve element 2 at a portion on the shaft 6 side among the portions around the opening 100A.

[0064] According to the above structure, since the overlapping portion 30B is provided at a portion on the shaft 6 side around the opening 100A, the overlapping portion 30B can suppress the excessive movement of the valve element 2. In addition, since the overlapping portion 30B is provided at a portion on the shaft 6 side where the torque applied to the valve element 2 is small, the generation of a large abnormal sound can be suppressed. In addition, the excessive movement of the valve element 2 means that the buffer member 41 deteriorates due to the valve element 2 pressing the buffer member 41 excessively in the moving direction, that is, there is a possibility of having an adverse effect on the durability of the buffer member 41 or the opening and closing of the valve element 2.

[0065] (1e) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the opening 100A is formed in a quadrangular shape, and the shaft 6 is disposed along one side forming the quadrangle. The non-overlapping portion 30A is provided at least along any one of the three sides of the quadrangle other than the side closest to the shaft 6.

[0066] According to the above structure, since the non-overlapping portion 30A is provided along the side portion of the valve element 2, abnormal sound generated from the side portion of the valve element 2 can be suppressed.

[0067] (1f) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the buffer member 41 is disposed on the valve seat 100B.

[0068] According to the above structure, since the buffer member 41 can be arranged along the outer peripheral side of the exhaust passage 1A, the buffer member 41 can be set on the valve seat 100B while being tightened. Therefore, compared with the case where the buffer member 41 is arranged along the inner peripheral side of the exhaust passage 1A, the setting operation can be easily performed. In addition, according to the above structure, when the exhaust gas passes near the opening 100A, the buffer member 41 inhibits the flow rate of the exhaust gas. In addition, it can also be configured that when the buffer member 41 is deformed due to the flow of the exhaust gas, the buffer member 41 obstructs the flow of the exhaust gas. Therefore, abnormal noise generated due to the flow of the exhaust gas can be suppressed.

[0069] (1g) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the thickness ΔT of the buffer member 41 is configured to be greater than or equal to the width ΔL of the non-overlapping portion 30A.

[0070] According to the above structure, the buffering characteristics of the buffer member 41 can be ensured, and the non-overlapping portion 30A can be effectively closed by the buffer member 41.

[0071] [2. Other Embodiments]

[0072] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be variously modified and implemented.

[0073] (2a) In the above embodiment, the present disclosure is applied to the valve device 100, where the valve device 100 is a side valve arranged on the side of the central axis of the pipe 1. However, it is not limited to this structure. For example, the present disclosure can also be applied to Figure 7 the valve device 100D shown, where the valve device 100D is an end valve arranged on the central axis of the pipe 1.

[0074] Figure 7 The valve device 100D shown is an end valve arranged at the opening 1E at the end of the pipe 1D. The valve device 100D includes a valve element 2, a support body 3D, a shaft 6D, and a buffer member 41E. The opening 1E functions as a valve seat. The valve element 2 is configured to be rotatable relative to the support body 3D via the shaft 6D, and the opening 1E is opened and closed by the operation of the valve element 2.

[0075] The buffer member 41E is formed in a ring shape, and the buffer member 41E is arranged on the entire circumference of the opening 1E, and the buffer member 41E is fixed at the opening 1E.

[0076] The valve device 100D also has a non-overlapping portion 30D. The non-overlapping portion 30D is a portion configured such that, in a state where the valve element 2D is closed, on a partial range of the outer periphery of the valve element 2D, the valve seat 100B and the valve element 2 (for example, the contact surface 2F on the side of the valve element 2 that abuts against the buffer member 41E) do not overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve element 2.

[0077] The buffer member 41E is arranged to project toward the non-overlapping portion 30D, and the movement of the valve element 2 in the opening and closing direction is suppressed by the valve element 2 coming into contact with the buffer member 41E.

[0078] According to the structure of the present disclosure described above, it can also be effectively used as a valve.

[0079] (2b) In the valve device 100 of the above-described embodiment, the non-overlapping portion 30A is arranged along the front end portion and the side portion of the valve element 2. However, the structure is not limited thereto. For example, the non-overlapping portion 30A may be provided only at the front end portion of the valve element 2 or only at the side portion, etc., as long as the non-overlapping portion 30A is provided at least in a part around the valve element 2.

[0080] (2c) A plurality of functions of one constituent element in the above-described embodiment may be realized by a plurality of constituent elements, or one function of one constituent element may be realized by a plurality of constituent elements. Further, a plurality of functions of a plurality of constituent elements may be realized by one constituent element, or one function realized by a plurality of constituent elements may be realized by one constituent element. In addition, a part of the configuration of the above-described embodiment may be omitted. At least a part of the configuration of the above-described embodiment may also be added to or replaced with the configuration of the above-described other embodiments.

[0081] (2d) In addition to the above-described valve devices 100 and 100D, the present disclosure can also be implemented in various forms such as a system having the valve devices 100 and 100D as constituent elements.

Claims

1. A valve device, characterized in that, it includes a valve seat, a valve core, a buffer member, a non-overlapping portion, a valve shaft, and an overlapping portion, the valve seat has an opening communicating with the exhaust flow path, the valve core is configured to be able to open and close at least a part of the opening, the buffer member is sheet-shaped, disposed between the valve seat and the valve core, and is configured to be more flexible than the valve seat and is disposed to extend from the valve seat toward the non-overlapping portion side, the non-overlapping portion is configured such that, in a state where the valve core is closed, on at least a part of the outer periphery of the valve core, the valve seat and the valve core do not overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve core, the valve shaft is disposed along one direction around the opening, the valve core is configured to open and close the valve core by means of the valve shaft, the overlapping portion is configured such that, in a state where the valve core is closed, at a portion on the valve shaft side among the periphery of the opening, the valve seat and the valve core overlap in the opening and closing direction of the valve core, the thickness of the buffer member is greater than or equal to the width of the non-overlapping portion.

2. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the opening is formed in a quadrangular shape, the valve shaft is disposed along one side forming the quadrangle, the non-overlapping portion is provided at least along any one of the three sides of the quadrangle other than the side closest to the valve shaft.

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