Three-way valve for flow control and temperature control device

Abstract

The invention provides a three-way valve for flow rate control and a temperature control device, which can improve air tightness compared with a condition that a second sealing mechanism capable of rotatably sealing a driving force transmission mechanism relative to an engagement mechanism in a state of being coated with a lubricant is not provided. As a means for rotatably sealing the end of the valve body on the drive mechanism side with respect to the valve body, the valve is provided with: a first sealing means comprising a synthetic resin having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, the synthetic resin being loaded in the opening direction by a metal spring member; and a second sealing mechanism that rotatably seals the driving force transmission mechanism with respect to the engagement mechanism in a state in which the driving force transmission mechanism is coated with a lubricant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a three-way valve for flow control and a temperature control device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a technology related to a three-way valve for flow control, the present applicant has proposed the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like.

[0003] The three-way valve for flow control of Patent Document 1 is constructed to include: a valve body, the valve body having a valve seat, the valve seat including a cylindrical space formed with a first valve port with a rectangular cross-section for a first fluid to flow in and a second valve port with a rectangular cross-section for a second fluid to flow in; a valve body, the valve body being freely rotatably arranged in the valve seat of the valve body so as to switch the second valve port from an open state to a closed state while switching the first valve port from a closed state to an open state, the valve body forming a semi-cylindrical shape with a predetermined central angle, and the two end faces along the circumferential direction being formed into a curved shape; and a driving mechanism, the driving mechanism rotationally driving the valve body.

[0004] The three-way valve for flow control is equipped with a driving force transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational driving force of the driving mechanism to the valve body. In addition, the three-way valve for flow control is configured so that the driving mechanism is retained on the valve body via a retaining mechanism. Furthermore, the end of the valve body on the driving mechanism side is rotatably sealed relative to the valve body by a first sealing mechanism.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6104443 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a three-way valve for flow control and a temperature control device, which can improve airtightness compared with a case where a second sealing mechanism is not provided to rotatably seal a driving force transmission mechanism relative to a coupling mechanism in a state where a lubricant is applied.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a three-way valve for flow control and a temperature control device capable of suppressing the lubricant applied to the second sealing mechanism from deteriorating the second sealing mechanism.

[0011] Means for solving problems

[0012] The invention described in scheme 1 is a three-way valve for flow control, characterized in that it is equipped with:

[0013] A valve body, the valve body having a valve seat, the valve seat including a cylindrical space, and formed with a first valve port with a rectangular cross section for fluid to flow out and a second valve port with a rectangular cross section for fluid to flow out, and formed with a first outflow port and a second outflow port for respectively connecting the first valve port and the second valve port with the outside;

[0014] A cylindrical valve body having an opening formed therein and rotatably disposed in a valve seat of the valve body, and simultaneously switching the first valve port from a closed state to an open state and the second valve port from an open state to a closed state;

[0015] A driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism drives the valve body to rotate;

[0016] a cylindrical driving force transmission mechanism, the driving force transmission mechanism transmitting the driving force of the driving mechanism to the valve body;

[0017] an engagement mechanism that engages the valve body with the drive mechanism;

[0018] a first sealing mechanism, the first sealing mechanism being a mechanism for rotatably sealing the end of the valve body on the driving mechanism side relative to the valve body, and being composed of a synthetic resin having a substantially U-shaped cross section and biased in an opening direction by a metal spring member;

[0019] The second sealing mechanism is configured to rotatably seal the driving force transmission mechanism with respect to the engagement mechanism in a state where a lubricant is applied thereto.

[0020] The invention described in scheme 2 is a three-way valve for flow control, characterized in that it is equipped with:

[0021] A valve body, the valve body having a valve seat, and a first inlet and a second inlet, the valve seat including a cylindrical space, and provided with a first valve port with a rectangular cross section for a first fluid to flow in, and a second valve port with a rectangular cross section for a second fluid to flow in, the first inlet and the second inlet respectively allowing the first fluid and the second fluid to flow into the first valve port and the second valve port from the outside;

[0022] A cylindrical valve body having an opening formed therein and rotatably disposed in a valve seat of the valve body, and simultaneously switching the first valve port from a closed state to an open state and the second valve port from an open state to a closed state;

[0023] A driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism drives the valve body to rotate;

[0024] a cylindrical driving force transmission mechanism, the driving force transmission mechanism transmitting the driving force of the driving mechanism to the valve body;

[0025] a coupling mechanism for coupling the valve body with the driving mechanism;

[0026] a first sealing mechanism, the first sealing mechanism being a mechanism for rotatably sealing the end portion of the valve body on the driving mechanism side relative to the valve body, the first sealing mechanism being composed of a synthetic resin having a substantially U-shaped cross section biased in an opening direction by a metal spring member; and

[0027] The second sealing mechanism is configured to rotatably seal the driving force transmission mechanism with respect to the engagement mechanism in a state where a lubricant is applied thereto.

[0028] The invention described in claim 3 is that in the three-way valve for flow control as described in claim 1 or 2, the second sealing mechanism is composed of an O-ring or an X-ring.

[0029] The invention described in claim 4 is that in the three-way valve for flow control described in claim 3, the second sealing mechanism is made of any one of EPDM and NBR.

[0030] The invention described in claim 5 is that in the three-way valve for flow control as described in claim 1 or 2, the volatilization rate of the lubricant at a temperature of 150° C. for 24 hours is 1.0% or less.

[0031] The invention described in claim 6 is that in the three-way valve for flow control as described in claim 1 or 2, the volatilization rate of the lubricant at a temperature of 150° C. for 24 hours is less than 0.1%.

[0032] The invention described in claim 7 is that in the three-way valve for flow control as described in claim 1 or 2, the lubricant uses silicone oil as a base oil and contains fine powder of silicon dioxide.

[0033] The invention described in claim 8 is a temperature control device, characterized in that it is equipped with:

[0034] a temperature control mechanism having a temperature control flow path, in which a temperature control fluid including a low-temperature side fluid and a high-temperature side fluid with an adjusted mixing ratio flows;

[0035] a first supply mechanism that supplies the low-temperature side fluid adjusted to a predetermined first temperature on the low-temperature side;

[0036] a second supply mechanism that supplies the high-temperature-side fluid adjusted to a predetermined second temperature of the high-temperature side;

[0037] a mixing mechanism connected to the first supply mechanism and the second supply mechanism, mixing the low-temperature side fluid supplied from the first supply mechanism and the high-temperature side fluid supplied from the second supply mechanism, and supplying the mixed mixture to the temperature control flow path; and

[0038] a flow control valve for controlling and distributing the flow rate of the temperature control fluid flowing through the temperature control flow path to the first supply mechanism and the second supply mechanism,

[0039] The three-way valve for flow control described in Scheme 1 is used as the flow control valve.

[0040] The invention described in claim 9 is a temperature control device, characterized in that it is equipped with:

[0041] a temperature control mechanism having a temperature control flow path, in which a temperature control fluid including a low-temperature side fluid and a high-temperature side fluid with an adjusted mixing ratio flows;

[0042] a first supply mechanism that supplies the low-temperature side fluid adjusted to a predetermined first temperature on the low-temperature side;

[0043] a second supply mechanism that supplies the high-temperature-side fluid adjusted to a predetermined second temperature of the high-temperature side;

[0044] a flow control valve connected to the first supply mechanism and the second supply mechanism, adjusting a mixing ratio of the low-temperature side fluid supplied from the first supply mechanism and the high-temperature side fluid supplied from the second supply mechanism and allowing the fluid to flow into the temperature control flow path,

[0045] The three-way valve for flow control described in Scheme 2 is used as the flow control valve.

[0046] The invention described in Scheme 10 is that in the three-way valve for flow control as described in Scheme 1 or 2, the second sealing mechanism is accommodated in a housing portion which is composed of a recessed portion provided in the coupling mechanism and is open on the driving mechanism side, and is held in the housing portion by a pushing member installed on the driving mechanism side of the coupling mechanism.

[0047] The invention described in claim 11 is that in the three-way valve for flow control as described in claim 10, the pressing member is made of the same material as the engaging mechanism and is engaged with an engaging portion provided at a position of the engaging mechanism closer to the driving mechanism side than the accommodating portion.

[0048] The invention described in Scheme 12 is that in the three-way valve for flow control as described in Scheme 11, the driving force transmission mechanism has a large diameter portion at the end on the driving mechanism side whose outer diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion which is the other main part, and the large diameter portion of the driving force transmission mechanism and the pushing member are embedded in the embedding portion of the coupling mechanism.

[0049] The invention recorded in Scheme 13 is that in the three-way valve for flow control as described in Scheme 12, the pushing member has: a cylindrical portion, which is arranged on the outer periphery of the large diameter portion of the driving force transmission mechanism; and a flange portion, which is arranged on the end of the large diameter portion side of the cylindrical portion of the driving force transmission mechanism.

[0050] The invention described in claim 14 is that in the three-way valve for flow control as described in claim 13, the housing portion is provided at the inner end of the fitting portion,

[0051] The second sealing mechanism accommodated in the accommodation portion is held by the flange portion of the pressing member.

[0052] The invention described in claim 15 is that in the three-way valve for flow control described in claim 11, the driving force transmission mechanism is formed in a cylindrical shape along the entire length in the axial direction, and only the pressing member is fitted into the fitting portion of the engaging mechanism.

[0053] According to the invention described in Scheme 16, in the three-way valve for flow control as described in Scheme 10, the pushing member is fixed to the joining mechanism by means of any one of an O-ring between the joining mechanism and the driving mechanism, bonding to the joining mechanism, and screw joining to the joining mechanism.

[0054] According to the invention described in Scheme 17, in the three-way valve for flow control as described in Scheme 10, the driving force transmission mechanism has a concave lubricating oil receiving portion at the end portion on the driving mechanism side, and the lubricating oil receiving portion receives the lubricating oil leaking from the driving mechanism and reaching the driving force transmission mechanism.

[0055] Effects of the Invention

[0056] According to the present invention, a three-way valve for flow control and a temperature control device can be provided, which can improve airtightness compared with a case where a second sealing mechanism is not provided to rotatably seal a driving force transmission mechanism with respect to a joint mechanism in a state where a lubricant is applied.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flow rate control three-way valve and a temperature control device that can suppress the lubricant applied to the second sealing mechanism from deteriorating the second sealing mechanism. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] FIG. 1( a ) is a front view showing a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0059] FIG1(b) is a right side view showing a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of the three-way valve for flow rate control according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] FIG1(c) is a bottom view showing an actuator portion of a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 2 1( b ) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1( b ) showing a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of the three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 3 1( a ) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1( a ) showing a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 4 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a main part of a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0064] FIG. 5( a ) is a perspective structural diagram showing a valve seat element.

[0065] FIG5(b) is a plan view showing the structure of the valve seat element.

[0066] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram showing the relationship between the valve seat element and the valve shaft.

[0067] FIG. 7( a ) is a perspective structural view showing a partial cross section of a seal.

[0068] FIG7(b) is a cross-sectional structural view showing a sealing member.

[0069] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view showing the installed state of the seal.

[0070] Fig. 9 It is a structural diagram showing a modified example of the seal.

[0071] FIG. 10( a ) is a perspective view showing the structure of a wave washer.

[0072] FIG10( b ) is a front view showing the wave washer.

[0073] FIG10(c) is a side view showing a partial cross section of the wave washer.

[0074] Fig.11It is a three-dimensional structural diagram showing the adjustment ring.

[0075] FIG. 12( a ) is a structural diagram showing the operation of the valve shaft in a state where one valve port is fully opened.

[0076] FIG12(b) is a structural diagram showing the operation of the valve shaft in a state where both valve ports are partially opened.

[0077] FIG. 13( a ) is a perspective structural diagram showing a valve shaft.

[0078] FIG13( b ) is a front structural view showing the valve shaft.

[0079] FIG. 14( a ) is a structural diagram showing the operation of the valve shaft.

[0080] FIG14( b ) is a structural diagram showing the same operation of the valve shaft.

[0081] Fig.15 It is a cross-sectional structural diagram showing the operation of a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of the three-way valve for flow rate control according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] FIG. 16( a ) is a cross-sectional structural diagram showing a main part of a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0083] FIG16(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of the three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0084] Fig.17 It is a bottom view showing a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0085] Fig.18 1 is a schematic diagram showing a simulation result of a three-way valve type motor valve according to an experimental example, which is generated by a computer.

[0086] Fig.19 1 is a cross-sectional structural diagram showing a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0087] Fig. 20 This is a diagram showing the configuration of a test device for a reliability test of a three-way valve type motor valve.

[0088] Fig.21 This is a diagram showing the configuration of a test device for a reliability test of a three-way valve type motor valve.

[0089] Fig. 22 This is a diagram showing the structure of the temperature measuring portion of a three-way valve type motor valve.

[0090] Fig.23 This is a graph showing the temperature measurement results of the three-way valve type motor valve.

[0091] Fig.24 This is a structural diagram showing the measurement state of the airtightness test of the three-way valve type motor valve.

[0092] Fig.25 This is a diagram showing the measurement results of the airtightness test of the three-way valve type motor valve.

[0093] Fig.26 This is a graph showing the results of a reliability test of a three-way valve type motor valve.

[0094] Fig. 27 This is a conceptual diagram showing a constant temperature maintaining device (refrigeration device) using a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0095] Fig.28 This is a conceptual diagram showing a constant temperature maintaining device (refrigeration device) using a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow rate control according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0096] FIG29( a ) is a cross-sectional structural diagram showing the main parts of the three-way valve for flow control according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0097] FIG29( b ) is an enlarged cross-sectional structural diagram showing the circled portion of FIG29( a ).

[0098] Fig.30 It is a structural diagram showing an example of a partition member of a three-way valve for flow control.

[0099] Fig.31 It is a cross-sectional structural diagram showing a connection member.

[0100] Fig.32 It is a cross-sectional structural diagram showing a pressing member.

[0101] Fig.33 It is a cross-sectional structural view showing an assembly process of a main part of the three-way valve for flow control according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0102] Fig.34 It is a cross-sectional structural diagram showing the main parts of a modified example of the three-way valve for flow control according to the third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0103] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0104] [Implementation Method 1]

[0105] 1(a), 1(b), and 1(c) are respectively a front view, a left side view, and a bottom view showing a three-way valve type motor valve as an example of a three-way valve for flow control according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1( b ), Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1( a ), Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the main part of the three-way valve type motor valve.

[0106] The three-way valve type motor valve 1 is configured as a rotary three-way valve. As shown in FIG1 , the three-way valve type motor valve 1 generally includes: a valve portion 2 disposed at the bottom, an actuator portion 3 disposed at the top, a sealing portion 4 disposed between the valve portion 2 and the actuator portion 3, and a connecting portion 5.

[0107] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown in FIG. 2 , the valve portion 2 is provided with a valve body 6 formed of a metal such as SUS (stainless steel) and having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the valve body 6 is provided with a first flow outlet 7 for fluid to flow out, and a first valve port 9 with a rectangular cross-section on one side thereof (the left side in the illustrated example), and the first valve port 9 is an example of a flow port connected to a valve seat 8 including a cylindrical space.

[0108] In this embodiment 1, the first flow outlet 7 and the first valve port 9 are not directly provided on the valve body 6, but the first flow outlet 7 and the first valve port 9 are provided by installing a first valve seat 70 as an example of a first valve port forming member forming the first valve port 9, and a first flow path forming member 15 forming the first flow outlet 7 on the valve body 6.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 5 , the first valve seat 70 is integrally provided with: a cylindrical portion 71, which is arranged outside the valve body 6 and formed in a cylindrical shape; and a tapered portion 72, which is formed in a tapered shape in such a manner that the outer diameter of the end becomes smaller toward the inside of the valve body 6. Inside the tapered portion 72 of the first valve seat 70, a prism-shaped first valve port 9 having a rectangular (square in the present embodiment 1) cross-section is formed. In addition, as will be described later, the inside of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 is configured to be inserted in a sealed (closed) state by one end portion of the first flow path forming member 15 forming the first outflow port 7.

[0110] As the material of the first valve seat element 70, for example, polyimide (Pl) resin is used. In addition, as the material of the first valve seat element 70, for example, so-called "super engineering plastics" can be used. Super engineering plastics are plastics that have heat resistance and mechanical strength at high temperatures that exceed those of ordinary engineering plastics. Examples of super engineering plastics include: polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyphenylene sulfone (PES), polyamideimide (PAI), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), or composite materials thereof. In addition, as a material for the first valve seat element 70, for example, "TECAPEEK" (registered trademark), which is a PEEK resin raw material for cutting manufactured by Ensinger Japan Co., Ltd., and in particular "TECAPEEK TF 10 Blue" (trade name) which is blended with 10% PTFE to have excellent sliding properties, etc. can also be used.

[0111] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , a concave portion 75 having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the first valve seat element 70 and having a shape similar to the first valve seat element 70 is formed in the valve body 6 by cutting or the like. The concave portion 75 is provided with a cylindrical portion 75a corresponding to the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 and a tapered portion 75b corresponding to the tapered portion 72. The length of the cylindrical portion 75a of the valve body 6 is set to be longer than the length of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70. As will be described later, the cylindrical portion 75a of the valve body 6 forms a part of the first pressure acting portion 94. The first valve seat element 70 is mounted on the concave portion 75 of the valve body 6 so as to be movable in a direction approaching or moving away from the valve shaft 34 as the valve body.

[0112] When the first valve seat element 70 is mounted on the concave portion 75 of the valve body 6, a small gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the first valve seat element 70 and the inner peripheral surface of the concave portion 75 of the valve body 6. The fluid flowing into the inside of the valve seat 8 can flow into the outer peripheral area of ​​the first valve seat element 70 through the small gap. In addition, the fluid leaking into the outer peripheral area of ​​the first valve seat element 70 is introduced into the first pressure acting portion 94 formed by the space located outside the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70. The first pressure acting portion 94 causes the pressure of the fluid to act on the surface 70a of the first valve seat element 70 on the opposite side to the valve shaft 34. As will be described later, the fluid flowing into the inside of the valve seat 8 includes the fluid flowing out through the first valve port 9 and the fluid flowing out through the second valve port 18. The first pressure acting portion 94 is divided in a state where it is sealed with the first flow path forming member 15 between the first outflow port 7.

[0113] The pressure of the fluid acting on the valve shaft 34 disposed inside the valve seat 8 depends on the flow rate of the fluid determined by the opening and closing degree of the valve shaft 34. The fluid flowing into the inside of the valve seat 8 also flows (leaks) into the minute gap formed between the valve seat 8 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 via the first valve port 9 and the second valve port 18. Thus, not only the fluid flowing out from the first valve port 9, but also the fluid flowing into the minute gap formed between the valve seat 8 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 and flowing out from the second valve port 18 flows (leaks) into the first pressure acting portion 94 corresponding to the first valve seat element 70.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 5(b), at the end of the tapered portion 72 of the first valve seat element 70, there is provided a recess 74, which is an example of a clearance reducing portion having a planar arc shape that forms a part of a cylindrical curved surface corresponding to the cylindrical valve seat 8 formed in the valve body 6. The radius of curvature R of the recess 74 is set to a value substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the valve seat 8 or the radius of curvature of the valve shaft 34. In order to prevent the valve shaft 34 rotating inside the valve seat 8 from getting stuck, a minute gap is formed between the valve seat 8 of the valve body 6 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34. As Figure 6 shown, the recess 74 of the first valve seat element 70 is installed in a state of protruding toward the valve shaft 34 side more than the valve seat 8 of the valve body 6 when the first valve seat element 70 is installed on the valve body 6, or is installed in a state of contacting the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34. As a result, the clearance G between the valve shaft 34 and the inner surface of the valve seat 8 of the valve body 6, which is a member opposite to the valve shaft 34, becomes a value that is partially reduced by an amount corresponding to the protruding amount of the recess 74 of the first valve seat element 70 compared to other parts of the valve seat 8. Thus, the clearance G1 between the recess 74 of the first valve seat element 70 and the valve shaft 34 is set to a required value (G1 < G2) that is narrower (smaller) than the clearance G2 between the valve shaft 34 and the inner surface of the valve seat 8. In addition, the clearance G1 between the recess 74 of the first valve seat element 70 and the valve shaft 34 may also be in a state where the recess 74 of the first valve seat element 70 is in contact with the valve shaft 34, that is, a state without clearance (clearance G1 = 0).

[0115] However, when the recess 74 of the first valve seat element 70 is in contact with the valve shaft 34, there is a concern that the driving torque of the valve shaft 34 will increase due to the contact resistance of the recess 74 when the valve shaft 34 is rotationally driven. Therefore, considering the rotational torque of the valve shaft 34, the degree of contact between the recess 74 of the first valve seat element 70 and the valve shaft 34 is adjusted. That is, it is adjusted to a degree where the driving torque of the valve shaft 34 is not increased, or even if it is increased, the increase amount is very small and does not hinder the rotation of the valve shaft 34.

[0116] As Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the first flow path forming member 15 is formed into a cylindrical shape by a metal such as SUS or a synthetic resin such as a polyimide (PI) resin. Regardless of whether the position of the first valve seat element 70 changes or not, the first flow path forming member 15 forms a first flow outlet 7 communicating with the first valve port 9 inside. About 1 / 2 of the first flow path forming member 15 located on the first valve seat element 70 side is formed into a relatively thin cylindrical thin cylindrical portion 15a. In addition, about 1 / 2 of the first flow path forming member 15 located on the opposite side of the first valve seat element 70 is formed into a thick cylindrical portion 15b of a cylindrical shape that is thicker than the thin cylindrical portion. The inner surface of the first flow path forming member 15 is through in a cylindrical shape. On the outer periphery of the first flow path forming member 15, an annular flange portion 15c formed relatively thickly toward the outside in the radial direction is provided between the thin cylindrical portion 15a and the thick cylindrical portion 15b. The outer peripheral end of the flange portion 15 c is arranged to be movably in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the recessed portion 75 .

[0117] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 5 , a seal 120 is used to seal (close) between the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 and the thin cylindrical portion 15a of the first flow path forming member 15. The seal 120 is made of a synthetic resin having a substantially U-shaped cross section and biased in the opening direction by a metal spring member. As shown in FIG. 5 , a stepped portion 73 for accommodating the seal 120 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 at the end portion located outside the valve body 6.

[0118] As shown in FIG7 , the seal 120 is an annular (ring-shaped) component that is arranged all around the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70. The seal 120 is composed of a spring component 121 and a sealing component 122. The spring component 121 is composed of a metal such as stainless steel having a roughly U-shaped cross-section, and the sealing component 122 is composed of a synthetic resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) having a roughly U-shaped cross-section that is loaded in the opening direction by the spring component 121. The spring component 121 is formed of a metal such as stainless steel to have a roughly U-shaped cross-section. For the spring component 121, the elastic coefficient is adjusted by providing slits or grooves at certain intervals along the length direction, or by appropriately setting the thickness. As shown in FIG7 and Figure 8As shown in FIG. 1 , the elastic member 122 is provided with: a base end portion 122a, which is arranged along the sealing direction and is located between the step portion 73 of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 provided for sealing and the thin cylindrical portion 15a of the first flow path forming member 15; and two lips 122b, 122c, which are arranged parallel to each other from both ends of the base end portion 122a in the same direction along the circumference of the two members of the seal (outward along the axial direction of the first valve seat element 70). The ends of the two lips 122b, 122c are opened toward the outside along the axial direction of the first valve seat element 70. The opening of the seal 120 is opened toward the first pressure acting portion 94, and receives the pressure of the first pressure acting portion 94. As shown in FIG. 7( b ), a protrusion 122d is provided at the end of one lip 122b, and the protrusion 122d protrudes inward with a thickness equivalent to that of the spring member 121 to prevent the spring member 121 from detaching. The end portions 122b' and 122c' of the lips 122b and 122c are formed into a curved shape with the outer peripheral surface protruding from the middle to the end in an arc shape outward in the radial direction. The end portions 122b' and 122c' of the lips 122b and 122c are in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the first valve seat element 70 and the outer peripheral surface of the first flow path forming member 15, thereby improving the sealing degree.

[0119] In addition, the spring member 121 of the seal 120 is not limited to a member formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section. Fig. 9 As shown, a strip of metal may be formed into a spiral member having a circular or elliptical cross section.

[0120] When the pressure of the fluid is not applied or the pressure of the fluid is relatively low, the seal 120 seals the gap between the first valve seat element 70 and the first flow path forming member 15 by means of the elastic restoring force of the spring member 121. On the other hand, when the pressure of the fluid is relatively high, the seal 120 seals the gap between the first valve seat element 70 and the first flow path forming member 15 by means of the elastic restoring force of the spring member 121 and the pressure of the fluid. Thus, even if the fluid flows into the first pressure application portion 94 from the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the valve body 6 and the outer peripheral surface of the first valve seat element 70, the fluid is sealed by the seal 120 and does not flow into the interior of the first flow path forming member 15 from the gap between the first valve seat element 70 and the first flow path forming member 15.

[0121] The seal 120 includes a combination of a metal spring member 121 and a synthetic resin seal member 122. Not only the metal spring member 121 but also polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a synthetic resin constituting the seal member 122 has excellent heat resistance and can withstand long-term use in a very low temperature region.

[0122] The end surface 70a of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 is as shown in FIG. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The area shown in FIG. 1 is a region (pressure receiving surface) where the first pressure acting portion 94 receives the pressure of the fluid.

[0123] In the first embodiment, the end surface 70a of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 is provided with a step portion 73 for mounting the seal 120. Therefore, the end surface 70a of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 is structured to be difficult to withstand the entire pressure of the fluid from the first pressure acting portion 94 to a certain extent due to the provision of the step portion 73.

[0124] Therefore, in this embodiment 1, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 9 , an annular first pressure-receiving plate 76 is provided, which is sealed by covering the end face 70a of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 including the step portion 73 of the first valve seat element 70, so that the pressure of the fluid can be effectively applied to the end face 70a of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 from the first pressure acting portion 94. That is, the first pressure-receiving plate 76 is arranged to contact the end face 70a of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 and to close the step portion 73. The first pressure-receiving plate 76 is formed of the same material as the first valve seat element 70. In addition, a small gap is set between the outer peripheral end face of the first pressure-receiving plate 76 along the radial direction and the recessed portion 75 of the valve body 6 so that the fluid can leak into the first pressure acting portion 94.

[0125] On the other hand, the end of the thick cylindrical portion 15b, which is the other end of the first flow path forming member 15, is sealed (closed) with the inner peripheral surface of the valve body 6 by a seal 130, and the seal 130 is made of a synthetic resin having a substantially U-shaped cross section and biased in the opening direction by a metal spring member. Figure 3 As shown, a short cylindrical portion 75c is formed at the outer end of the cylindrical portion 75a of the recess 75 in the axial direction. The cylindrical portion 75c is used to mount the seal 130 having a slightly larger outer diameter than the cylindrical portion 75a of the recess 75. The length of the cylindrical portion 75c is set longer than that of the second seal 130.

[0126] Furthermore, the gap between the cylindrical portion 75c of the valve body 6 and the thick cylindrical portion 15b of the first flow path forming member 15 is sealed (closed) by the seal 130. The seal 130 opens toward the first pressure acting portion 94. That is, the seal 130 is arranged so that its opening receives the pressure of the fluid from the first pressure acting portion 94. In addition, although the seal 130 has a larger outer diameter than the seal 120, it is basically configured in the same manner as the seal 120.

[0127] A first wave washer (wavy washer) 16 is provided on the outer side of the cylindrical portion 71 of the first valve seat element 70 along the axial direction. The first wave washer 16 is an example of an elastic member that allows the first valve seat element 70 to be displaced in the direction of approaching or moving away from the valve shaft 34 and elastically deforms the first valve seat element 70 in the direction of approaching or moving away from the valve shaft 34. As shown in FIG. 10 , the first wave washer 16 is made of stainless steel, iron, or phosphor bronze, etc., and is formed into a circular ring shape having a required width when projected from the front. In addition, the side shape of the first wave washer 16 is formed into a wave shape (wavy), and can be elastically deformed along its thickness direction. The elastic coefficient of the first wave washer 16 is determined by the thickness, material, or the number of waves. The first wave washer 16 is accommodated in the first pressure acting portion 94.

[0128] Furthermore, a first adjustment ring 77 is disposed outside the first wave washer 16 via the first wave washer 16. The first adjustment ring 77 is an example of an annular adjustment member for adjusting the gap G1 between the valve shaft 34 and the recessed portion 74 of the first valve seat element 70. Fig.11 As shown in the figure, the first adjustment ring 77 is made of a metal such as SUS or a synthetic resin such as a heat-resistant polyimide (PI) resin, and is composed of a cylindrical member having a male thread 77a formed on the outer peripheral surface and set to a relatively short length. On the outer end surface of the first adjustment ring 77, grooves 77b are respectively provided at positions opposite to each other at 180 degrees. The grooves 77b are used to lock a fixture (not shown in the figure) for adjusting the tightening amount and rotating the first adjustment ring 77 when the first adjustment ring 77 is tightened and installed in the first female thread portion 78 provided on the valve body 6.

[0129] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the valve body 6 is provided with a first female threaded portion 78 for mounting the first adjustment ring 77. A short cylindrical portion 79 having an outer diameter substantially equal to that of the first adjustment ring 77 is provided at the open end of the valve body 6. In addition, a short machining cylindrical portion 75d having an inner diameter larger than that of the first female threaded portion 78 is provided between the first female threaded portion 78 and the cylindrical portion 75c of the valve body 6 so that the first female threaded portion 78 can be machined to a desired length.

[0130] The first adjusting ring 77 is adjusted by adjusting the screwing amount of the first female thread portion 78 relative to the valve body 6, thereby adjusting the amount (distance) by which the first adjusting ring 77 pushes the first valve seat element 70 inwardly via the first wave washer 16. When the screwing amount of the first adjusting ring 77 is increased, as shown in FIG. Figure 6As shown, the first valve seat element 70 is pushed by the first adjustment ring 77 via the first wave washer 16 and the first pressure receiving plate 76, the recessed portion 74 protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 and displaces in the direction approaching the valve shaft 34, and the gap G1 between the recessed portion 74 and the valve shaft 34 is reduced. In addition, when the screwing amount of the first adjustment ring 77 is set to a small amount in advance, the distance that the first valve seat element 70 is pushed by the first adjustment ring 77 is reduced, and it is arranged at a position separated from the valve shaft 34, and the gap G1 between the recessed portion 74 of the first valve seat element 70 and the valve shaft 34 is relatively increased. The pitch of the male thread 77a of the first adjustment ring 77 and the first female thread portion 78 of the valve body 6 is set to be small, so that the protrusion amount of the first valve seat element 70 can be finely adjusted.

[0131] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, the first flange member 10 is installed on one side of the valve body 6 by using four bolts 11 with hexagonal holes. The first flange member 10 is an example of a connecting member for connecting a pipe not shown in the figure to allow the fluid to flow out. In FIG1(b), reference numeral 11a indicates a screw hole for tightening the bolt 11 with the hexagonal hole. The first flange member 10 is formed of a metal such as SUS, similarly to the valve body 6. The first flange member 10 has: a flange portion 12, the flange portion 12 is formed into a side rectangular shape that is substantially the same as the side shape of the valve body 6; an insertion portion 13, the insertion portion 13 is cylindrical and protrudes from the inner side of the flange portion 12; and a pipe connection portion 14, the pipe connection portion 14 is thick and substantially cylindrical and protrudes from the outer side of the flange portion 12, and is connected to a pipe not shown in the figure. As shown Figure 2 As shown, the flange portion 12 of the first flange member 10 and the valve body 6 are sealed by an O-ring 13a. A groove 13b for accommodating the O-ring 13a is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 12 of the first flange member 10. The inner periphery of the pipe connection portion 14 is set to, for example, Rc1 / 2 with a tapered female thread with a diameter of about 21 mm, or a female thread with a diameter of about 0.58 inches. In addition, the shape of the pipe connection portion 14 is not limited to a tapered female thread or a female thread, and can also be a pipe joint for mounting a pipe, etc., as long as the fluid can flow out from the first outlet 7.

[0132] Here, the O-ring 13a is an O-ring-shaped sealing member formed by completely covering the outside of a spring member made of stainless steel or the like, which is formed into a spiral shape with a circular or elliptical cross section, using an elastically deformable synthetic resin made of Teflon (registered trademark) FEP (copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene). The O-ring 13a can maintain sealing properties even in extremely low temperature areas.

[0133] In the valve body 6, as Figure 2As shown, on the other side (right side in the figure), there are provided: a second outlet 17 for fluid to flow out; and a second valve port 18 having a rectangular cross section as an example of a flow port connected to the valve seat 8 including a cylindrical space.

[0134] In this embodiment 1, the second flow outlet 17 and the second valve port 18 are not directly provided on the valve body 6, but the second flow outlet 17 and the second valve port 18 are provided by installing a second valve seat element 80 as an example of a valve port forming member forming the second valve port 18 and a second flow path forming member 25 forming the second flow outlet 17 on the valve body 6.

[0135] As indicated by the numbers in parentheses in FIG. 5 , the second valve seat element 80 is configured similarly to the first valve seat element 70. That is, the second valve seat element 80 is integrally provided with a cylindrical portion 81 and a tapered portion 82, the cylindrical portion 81 being arranged outside the valve body 6 and forming a cylindrical shape, and the tapered portion 82 being formed so that the outer diameter becomes smaller toward the inside of the valve body 6. Inside the tapered portion 82 of the second valve seat element 80, a second valve port 18 having a prism shape with a rectangular (square in the present embodiment 1) cross section is formed. In addition, one end portion of the second flow path forming member 25 configured to form the second outflow port 17 is inserted into the inside of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80 in a sealed state.

[0136] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , a recessed portion 85 is formed in the valve body 6 by cutting or the like, and the recessed portion 85 corresponds to the outer shape of the second valve seat element 80 and has a shape similar to the second valve seat element 80. The recessed portion 85 is provided with a cylindrical portion 85a corresponding to the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80, and a tapered portion 85b corresponding to the tapered portion 82. The cylindrical portion 85a of the valve body 6 is set to have a length longer than the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80. As will be described later, the cylindrical portion 85a of the valve body 6 forms the second pressure acting portion 96. The second valve seat element 80 is mounted so as to be movable in a direction approaching or moving away from the valve shaft 34 as the valve body relative to the recessed portion 85 of the valve body 6.

[0137] When the second valve seat element 80 is mounted on the recessed portion 85 of the valve body 6, a small gap is formed between the second valve seat element 80 and the recessed portion 85 of the valve body 6. The fluid flowing into the inside of the valve seat 8 can flow into the outer peripheral area of ​​the second valve seat element 80 through the small gap. In addition, the fluid flowing into the outer peripheral area of ​​the second valve seat element 80 is introduced into the second pressure acting portion 96 formed by the space located outside the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80. The second pressure acting portion 96 causes the pressure of the fluid to act on the surface 80a of the second valve seat element 80 on the opposite side to the valve shaft 34. The fluid flowing into the inside of the valve seat 8 includes the fluid flowing out through the second valve port 18 and the fluid flowing out through the first valve port 9. The second pressure acting portion 98 is divided in a state where it is sealed between the second outlet 17 and the second flow path forming member 25.

[0138] The pressure of the fluid acting on the valve shaft 34 disposed inside the valve seat 8 depends on the flow rate of the fluid determined by the opening and closing degree of the valve shaft 34. The fluid flowing into the inside of the valve seat 8 also flows (leak) into the tiny gap formed between the valve seat 8 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 via the first valve port 9 and the second valve port 18. Therefore, not only the fluid flowing out from the second valve port 18, but also the fluid flowing into the tiny gap formed between the valve seat 8 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 and flowing out from the first valve port 9 also flows into the second pressure acting portion 96 corresponding to the second valve seat element 80. In addition, the second valve seat element 80 is formed of the same material as the first valve seat element 70.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 5( b ), a recess 84 is provided at the end of the tapered portion 82 of the second valve seat element 80. The recess 84 is an example of a planar arc-shaped gap reducing portion constituting a part of a cylindrical curved surface corresponding to the cylindrical valve seat 8 formed on the valve body 6. The radius of curvature R of the recess 84 is set to a value substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the valve seat 8 or the radius of curvature of the valve shaft 34. As will be described later, in order to prevent the valve shaft 34 rotating inside the valve seat 8 from getting stuck, a small gap is formed between the valve seat 8 of the valve body 6 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34. When the second valve seat element 80 is mounted on the valve body 6, the recess 84 of the second valve seat element 80 is mounted in a manner protruding toward the valve shaft 34 side than the valve seat 8 of the valve body 6, or in a manner contacting the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34. As a result, a gap G between the valve shaft 34 and the inner surface of the valve seat 8 of the valve body 6, which is a member opposed to the valve shaft 34, is formed. Figure 6As shown, a value is set such that it is partially reduced by an amount corresponding to the protrusion of the recess 84 of the second valve seat element 80 compared to the other parts of the valve seat 8. In this way, the clearance G3 between the recess 84 of the second valve seat element 80 and the valve shaft 34 is set to a required value (G3 < G2) that is narrower (smaller) than the clearance G2 between the valve shaft 34 and the inner surface of the valve seat 8. Additionally, the clearance G3 between the recess 84 of the second valve seat element 80 and the valve shaft 34 can also be in a state where the recess 84 of the second valve seat element 80 is in contact with the valve shaft 34, that is, a state without clearance (clearance G3 = 0).

[0140] However, when the recess 84 of the second valve seat element 80 is in contact with the valve shaft 34, there is a concern that the driving torque of the valve shaft 34 will increase due to the contact resistance of the recess 84 when the valve shaft 34 is rotationally driven. Therefore, initially, considering the rotational torque of the valve shaft 34, the degree of contact between the recess 84 of the second valve seat element 80 and the valve shaft 34 is adjusted. That is, it is adjusted to a degree where the driving torque of the valve shaft 34 is not increased, or even if it is increased, the increase amount is very small and does not hinder the rotation of the valve shaft 34.

[0141] As Figure 4 shown, the second flow path forming member 25 is formed in a cylindrical shape from a metal such as SUS or a synthetic resin such as polyimide (PI) resin. Whether the position of the second valve seat element 80 changes or not, the second flow path forming member 25 forms a second flow outlet 17 communicating with the second valve port 18 inside. Approximately half of the portion of the second flow path forming member 25 on the side of the second valve seat element 80 is formed into a relatively thin cylindrical shape, the thin cylindrical portion 25a. Additionally, approximately half of the portion of the second flow path forming member 25 on the side opposite to the second valve seat element 80 is formed into a cylindrical shape that is thicker than the thin cylindrical shape portion, the thick cylindrical portion 25b. The inner surface of the second flow path forming member 25 penetrates in a cylindrical shape. On the outer periphery of the second flow path forming member 25, a ring-shaped flange portion 25c that is formed relatively thickly toward the outer side in the radial direction is provided between the thin cylindrical portion 25a and the thick cylindrical portion 25b. The outer peripheral end of the flange portion 25c is arranged to be in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the recess 85 so as to be movable.

[0142] As Figure 2 shown, between the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80 and the thin cylindrical portion 25a of the second flow path forming member 25, sealing (closing) is performed using a seal 140, and the seal 140 is composed of a synthetic resin having a substantially U-shaped cross-section that is loaded in the opening direction by a metal spring member. On the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80, as shown in FIG. 5, at the end portion located outside the valve body 6, a stepped portion 83 for accommodating the seal 140 is provided.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 7 , the seal 140 is constructed in the same manner as the seal 120. The seal 140 includes a spring member 141 and a seal member 142. When the pressure of the fluid is not applied or the pressure of the fluid is relatively low, the seal 140 seals the gap between the second valve seat element 80 and the second flow path forming member 25 by means of the elastic restoring force of the spring member 141. On the other hand, when the pressure of the fluid is relatively high, the seal 140 seals the gap between the second valve seat element 80 and the second flow path forming member 25 by means of the elastic restoring force of the spring member 141 and the pressure of the fluid. Thus, even if the fluid flows into the second pressure application portion 96 from the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the valve body 6 and the outer peripheral surface of the second valve seat element 80, the fluid is sealed by the seal 140 and does not flow into the interior of the second flow path forming member 25 from the gap between the second valve seat element 80 and the second flow path forming member 25.

[0144] The end surface 80a of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80 is as shown in FIG. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The area shown in FIG. 1 is the area (pressure receiving surface) where the second pressure acting portion 96 receives the pressure of the fluid.

[0145] In the first embodiment, the end surface 80a of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80 is provided with a step portion 83 for mounting the first seal 140. Therefore, the end surface 80a of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80 is structured to be difficult to withstand the entire pressure of the fluid from the second pressure acting portion 96 to a certain extent due to the provision of the step portion 83.

[0146] Therefore, in this embodiment 1, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 9 , an annular second pressure-receiving plate 86 is provided, which is sealed by covering the end face 80a of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80 including the step portion 83 of the second valve seat element 80, so that the pressure of the fluid can be effectively applied to the end face 80a of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80 from the second pressure acting portion 96. That is, the second pressure-receiving plate 86 is arranged to contact the end face 80a of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80 and to close the step portion 83. The second pressure-receiving plate 86 is formed of the same material as the second valve seat element 80. In addition, a small gap is set between the outer peripheral end face of the second pressure-receiving plate 86 in the radial direction and the recessed portion 85 of the valve body 6 so that the fluid can leak into the second pressure acting portion 96.

[0147] On the other hand, the end of the thick cylindrical portion 25b, which is the other end of the second flow path forming member 25, is sealed (closed) with the inner peripheral surface of the valve body 6 by a sealing gasket 150. The sealing gasket 150 is made of synthetic resin with a substantially U-shaped cross section and is biased in the opening direction by a metal spring member. Figure 3 As shown, a short cylindrical portion 85c is formed at the outer end of the cylindrical portion 85a of the recess 85 in the axial direction, and the cylindrical portion 85c is used to mount the second seal 150 having an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the cylindrical portion 85a of the recess 85. The length of the cylindrical portion 85c is set longer than that of the second seal 150.

[0148] Furthermore, the gap between the cylindrical portion 85c of the valve body 6 and the thick cylindrical portion 25b of the second flow path forming member 25 is sealed (closed) by the seal 150. The seal 150 opens toward the second pressure acting portion 96. That is, the seal 150 is arranged so that its opening receives the pressure of the fluid from the second pressure acting portion 96. In addition, although the seal 150 has a larger outer diameter than the seal 140, it is basically configured in the same manner as the seal 140.

[0149] On the outer side of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second valve seat element 80, a second wave washer (wavy washer) 26 is provided. The second wave washer 26 is an example of an elastic member that allows the second valve seat element 80 to be displaced in a direction approaching or away from the valve shaft 34 and pushes the second valve seat element 80 in a direction of contact with the valve shaft 34. As shown in FIG10, the second wave washer 26 is made of stainless steel, iron, or phosphor bronze, and is formed into a circular ring shape having a required width when projected from the front. In addition, the side shape of the second wave washer 26 is formed into a wave shape (wavy shape) and can be elastically deformed along its thickness direction. The elastic coefficient of the second wave washer 26 is determined by the thickness, material, or the number of waves. As the wave washer 26, the same washer as the first wave washer 16 is used.

[0150] Furthermore, a second adjustment ring 87 is disposed outside the second wave washer 26 via the second wave washer 26. The second adjustment ring 87 is an example of an adjustment member for adjusting the gap G3 between the valve shaft 34 and the recessed portion 84 of the second valve seat element 80. Fig.11 As shown in the figure, the second adjustment ring 87 is made of a heat-resistant synthetic resin or metal, and is composed of a cylindrical member with a male thread 87a formed on the outer peripheral surface and the length of which is set to be relatively short. On the outer end surface of the second adjustment ring 87, grooves 87b are respectively provided at positions opposite to each other at 180 degrees. The grooves 87b are used to lock a fixture (not shown in the figure) for adjusting the tightening amount and rotating the second adjustment ring 87 when the second adjustment ring 87 is tightened and installed in the second female thread portion 88 provided on the valve body 6.

[0151] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the valve body 6 is provided with a second female threaded portion 88 for mounting the second adjustment ring 87. A short cylindrical portion 89 having an outer diameter substantially equal to that of the second adjustment ring 87 is provided at the open end of the valve body 6. In addition, a short machining cylindrical portion 85d having an inner diameter larger than that of the second female threaded portion 88 is provided between the second female threaded portion 88 and the cylindrical portion 85c of the valve body 6 so that the second female threaded portion 88 can be machined to a desired length.

[0152] The second adjusting ring 87 is adjusted by adjusting the screwing amount of the second female thread portion 88 relative to the valve body 6, thereby adjusting the amount (distance) by which the second adjusting ring 877 pushes the second valve seat element 80 inwardly via the second wave washer 26. When the screwing amount of the second adjusting ring 87 is increased, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the second valve seat element 80 is pushed by the second adjustment ring 87 via the second wave washer 26, the recessed portion 84 protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 and is displaced in the direction approaching the valve shaft 34, and the gap G3 between the recessed portion 84 and the valve shaft 34 is reduced. In addition, when the screwing amount of the second adjustment ring 87 is set to a small amount in advance, the distance that the second valve seat element 80 is pushed by the second adjustment ring 87 is reduced, and it is arranged at a position separated from the valve shaft 34, and the gap G3 between the recessed portion 84 of the second valve seat element 80 and the valve shaft 34 is relatively increased. The pitch of the male thread 87a of the second adjustment ring 87 and the second female thread portion 88 of the valve body 6 is set to be small, so that the protrusion amount of the second valve seat element 80 can be finely adjusted.

[0153] like Figure 2 As shown, the second flange member 19 is installed on the other side of the valve body 6 by using four bolts 20 with hexagonal holes. The second flange member 19 is an example of a connecting member for connecting a pipe not shown in the figure to allow the fluid to flow out. The second flange member 19 is formed of a metal such as SUS in the same manner as the first flange member 10. The second flange member 19 has: a flange portion 21, which is formed into a side rectangular shape that is substantially the same as the side shape of the valve body 6; an insertion portion 22, which is cylindrical and protrudes from the inner side of the flange portion 21; and a pipe connecting portion 23, which is thick and substantially cylindrical and protrudes from the outer side of the flange portion 21, and is connected to a pipe not shown in the figure. As shown Figure 2As shown, the flange portion 21 of the second flange member 19 and the valve body 6 are sealed by an O-ring 21a. An annular groove 21b for accommodating the O-ring 21a is provided on the inner circumference of the flange portion 21 of the second flange member 19. The inner circumference of the pipe connection portion 23 is set to, for example, Rc1 / 2 with a tapered female thread with a diameter of about 21 mm, or a female thread with a diameter of about 0.58 inches. In addition, the shape of the pipe connection portion 23 is the same as the pipe connection portion 14, and is not limited to a tapered female thread or a female thread, but can also be a pipe joint for mounting a pipe, etc., as long as the fluid can flow out from the second outlet 17.

[0154] Here, as the fluid (brine water), for example, a fluorine-based inert liquid such as Option (registered trademark) (manufactured by Mitsui & Co., Ltd.) or Nobelku (registered trademark) (manufactured by 3M) which can be used within a pressure range of 0 to 1 MPa and a temperature range of approximately -85°C to +120°C is used.

[0155] In addition, in the valve body 6, as Figure 2 As shown, an inlet 26a with a circular cross section is opened on its lower end surface as a third valve port for fluid to flow in. In order to connect a pipe (not shown in the figure) for the fluid to flow in, a third flange member 27 as an example of a connecting member is mounted to the lower end surface of the valve body 6 using four bolts 28 with hexagonal holes. In order to install the third flange member 27, a cylindrical portion 26b with a larger inner diameter than the inlet 26a is opened at the lower end portion of the inlet 26a. The third flange member 27 includes: a flange portion 29, the flange portion 29 is formed with a rectangular bottom surface; and an insertion portion 30, the insertion portion 30 is short and cylindrical and protrudes from the inner side surface of the flange portion 29 (refer to Figure 2 );And a pipe connection portion 31, the pipe connection portion 31 is a thick substantially cylindrical shape protruding from the outer side of the flange portion 29, connecting the pipe not shown in the figure. Figure 2 As shown, an O-ring 29a is used to seal between the flange portion 29 of the third flange member 27 and the valve body 6. A groove 29b for accommodating the O-ring 29a is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 29 of the third flange member 27. The inner periphery of the pipe connection portion 31 is set to, for example, Rc1 / 2 with a female thread having a taper and a diameter of about 21 mm, or a female thread having a diameter of about 0.58 inches. In addition, the shape of the pipe connection portion 31 is not limited to a female thread having a taper or a female thread, and may also be a pipe joint for mounting a pipe, etc., as long as the fluid can flow in from the inlet 26a.

[0156] like Figure 3As shown in FIG. 12 , a valve seat 8 is provided at the center of the valve body 6, and the valve seat 8 is provided with a first valve port 9 having a rectangular cross section and a second valve port 18 having a rectangular cross section by installing the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80. The valve seat 8 includes a space formed in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the outer shape of the valve body to be described later. In addition, a part of the valve seat 8 is formed by the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80. The valve seat 8 formed in a cylindrical shape is provided in a state of penetrating the upper end surface of the valve body 6. As shown in FIG. 12 , the first valve port 9 and the second valve port 18 provided in the valve body 6 are arranged axially symmetrically with respect to the central axis (rotation axis) C of the valve group 8 formed in a cylindrical shape. In more detail, the first valve port 9 and the second valve port 18 are arranged to be orthogonal to the valve seat 8 formed in a cylindrical shape, and one end edge of the first valve port 9 opens at a position opposite to the other end edge of the second valve port 18 across the central axis C (position different by 180 degrees). The other end edge of the first valve port 9 opens at a position opposite to (180 degrees away from) one end edge of the second valve port 18 across the central axis C. In FIG. 12 , for convenience, the gap between the valve seat 8 and the valve shaft 34 is omitted.

[0157] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the first valve port 9 and the second valve port 18 are formed by an opening portion having a rectangular cross section such as a square cross section formed by attaching the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 to the valve body 6 as described above. The first valve port 9 and the second valve port 18 are formed into a rectangular prism shape inscribed in the first flow outlet 7 and the second flow outlet 17 by setting the length of one side thereof to be smaller than the diameter of the first flow outlet 7 and the second flow outlet 17.

[0158] As shown in FIG13 , a valve shaft 34 as an example of a valve body is formed of metal such as SUS into a substantially cylindrical shape. The valve shaft 34 is substantially integrally provided with: a valve body portion 35 that functions as a valve body; upper and lower shaft support portions 36 and 37 that are respectively provided above and below the valve body portion 35 and that rotatably support the valve shaft 34; a sealing portion 38 that is composed of the same portion as the upper shaft support portion 36; and a connecting portion 39 provided above the sealing portion 38.

[0159] The upper and lower shaft support parts 36 and 37 are respectively formed into cylindrical shapes that are set smaller than the outer diameter of the valve body part 35 and have the same or different diameters. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the valve body 35 is rotatably supported at the lower end of the valve seat 8 provided in the valve body 6 via a bearing 41 as a bearing member. An annular support portion 42 is provided at the lower portion of the valve seat 8 to support the bearing 41. The bearing 41, the support portion 42, and the inlet 26a are set to have substantially the same inner diameter, and are configured so that the temperature control fluid flows into the interior of the valve body 35 with almost no resistance.

[0160] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 13( b ), the valve body 35 is formed into a cylindrical shape provided with an opening 44 in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape, and the opening 44 has an opening height H2 which is lower than the opening height H1 of the first and second valve ports 9 and 18. The valve operating portion 45 provided with the opening 44 of the valve body 35 is formed into a semi-cylindrical shape (a substantially semi-cylindrical shape of the cylindrical portion except for the opening 44) having a predetermined central angle α (e.g., 180 degrees). The valve operating portion 45 is arranged in the valve seat 8 in a freely rotatable manner, and is in a non-contact state with the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 with a small gap therebetween to prevent metal from getting stuck, so that the valve operating portion 45 including the valve body 35 located above and below the opening 44 switches the first valve port 9 from a closed state to an open state, and simultaneously switches the second valve port 18 from an open state to a closed state in the opposite direction. As shown in Fig. 13, the upper and lower valve shafts 46 and 47 disposed above and below the valve operating portion 45 are formed into a cylindrical shape having the same outer diameter as the valve operating portion 45, and are freely rotatable in a non-contact state with the inner circumferential surface of the valve seat 8 via a small gap. Inside the valve operating portion 45 and the upper and lower valve shafts 46 and 47, a cylindrical space 48 is provided in a state of penetrating toward the lower end.

[0161] In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the two end faces 45a and 45b along the circumferential direction (rotation direction) of the valve operation portion 45 along the direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the central axis C thereof is formed into a flat shape. More specifically, as shown in FIG13 , the cross-sectional shape of the two end portions 45a and 45b along the circumferential direction of the valve operation portion 45 intersecting the rotation axis C is formed into a flat shape toward the opening portion 44. The thickness of the two end portions 45a and 45b is set to a value equal to the thickness T of the valve operation portion 45, for example.

[0162] The cross-sectional shape of both end portions 45a and 45b of the valve operating portion 45 along the circumferential direction intersecting the rotation axis C is not limited to a planar shape, and both end surfaces 45a and 45b along the circumferential direction (rotation direction) may be formed into a curved surface shape.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 14 , when the valve shaft 34 is driven to rotate and the first and second valve ports 9 and 18 are opened and closed, the two end portions 45a and 45b of the valve operating portion 45 along the circumferential direction move (rotate) in a manner of protruding or retreating from the end portions along the circumferential direction of the first and second valve ports 9 and 18 during the flow of the fluid, so that the first and second valve ports 9 and 18 are changed from an open state to a closed state or from a closed state to an open state. At this time, in order to change the opening area of ​​the first and second valve ports 9 and 18 with respect to the rotation angle of the valve shaft 34 linearly (straightly), it is desirable that the cross-sectional shape of the two end portions 45a and 45b of the valve operating portion 45 along the circumferential direction is formed into a planar shape.

[0164] like Figure 2 As shown, the sealing portion 4 seals (closes) in a liquid-tight state so that the valve shaft 34 can rotate relative to the valve body 6. The sealing portion 4 is equipped with: the valve body 6; the valve shaft 34; the seals 160 and 170, which are an example of a first sealing mechanism, are arranged between the valve body 6 and the valve shaft 34 and seal the two in a liquid-tight state, and are composed of a synthetic resin with a substantially U-shaped cross-section that is loaded in the opening direction by a metal spring member; and a bearing member 180, which is arranged between the seal 160 and the seal 170 and supports the valve shaft 34 so that it can rotate relative to the valve body 6.

[0165] like Figure 2 As shown, a support recess 51 is provided at the upper end of the valve body 6, and the support recess 51 is used to rotatably support the valve shaft 34, and is formed in a cylindrical shape. At the upper end of the support recess 51, a cylindrical portion 51b with a large inner diameter is formed across a tapered portion 51a. As for the valve shaft 34, as described above, the upper valve shaft portion 46 is rotatably and liquid-tightly supported at the lower end of the support recess 51 via a bearing 180 as an example of a bearing member and seals 160 and 170. The seals 160 and 170 are constructed in the same manner as the seal 120 described above.

[0166] As shown in Fig. 1, a connection portion 5 as an example of a joint mechanism is disposed between a valve body 6 having a built-in sealing portion 4 and an actuator portion 3. The connection portion 5 is a member for connecting and fixing the valve body 6 having a built-in sealing portion 4 and the actuator portion 3, and is connected to a rotating shaft (not shown in the figure) that rotates the valve shaft 34 integrally with the valve shaft 34.

[0167] As shown in Figure 16 and Fig.17 As shown in FIG. 1 , the connecting portion 5 is composed of the following components: a spacing member 59, which is arranged between the sealing portion 4 and the actuator portion 3; an adapter plate 60, which is fixed to the upper portion of the spacing member 59; and a connecting member 62, which is accommodated in a cylindrical space 61 formed in a through state inside the spacing member 59 and the adapter plate 60, and is an example of a driving force transmission mechanism that connects the valve shaft 34 to a rotating shaft not shown in the figure. The spacing member 59 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polyimide (PI) resin into a thick cylindrical shape having the same width W as the width of the actuator portion 3 and a relatively high height. The lower end of the spacing member 59 is fixedly mounted on the valve body 6 and the base 64 of the actuator portion 3 by means such as bonding or screws 63 (refer to FIG. 1 (c)).

[0168] As shown in FIG. 13( a), a groove 65 is provided at the upper end of the valve shaft 34 so as to penetrate in the horizontal direction. And, as shown in FIG. 16( a), by fitting a convex portion 66 provided on the connecting member 62 into the groove 65, the valve shaft 34 is connected and fixed to the connecting member 62. On the other hand, a groove 67 is provided at the upper end of the connecting member 62 so as to penetrate in the horizontal direction. By fitting a convex portion not shown in the figure into the groove 67 provided on the connecting member 62, the rotating shaft not shown in the figure is connected and fixed to the connecting member 62. An O-ring 59b is provided at the upper end of the valve body 6 to seal between the valve body 6 and the spacer member 59. The O-ring 59b is accommodated in a groove 59c provided at the upper end of the valve body 6.

[0169] As shown in FIG1 , the actuator unit 3 as an example of a driving mechanism is equipped with a base 64 having a bottom box-like shape and a rectangular plane. A housing 90 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape and incorporating a stepping motor or encoder as an example of a driving source for rotating the valve shaft 34, a control circuit, etc. is fixed to the upper part of the base 64 by small screws 91. The actuator unit 3 is not limited to the above structure as long as it can rotate the rotating shaft (not shown in the figure) in a desired direction with a specified accuracy based on a control signal. The driving mechanism is composed of a stepping motor, a driving force transmission device, and an angle sensor such as an encoder. The driving force transmission device transmits the rotational driving force of the stepping motor to the rotating shaft through a driving force transmission mechanism such as gears, and the angle sensor detects the rotation angle of the rotating shaft.

[0170] 1 , reference numeral 92 denotes a stepper motor cable, and reference numeral 93 denotes an angle sensor cable. The stepper motor cable 92 and the angle sensor cable 93 are connected to a control device (not shown) for controlling the three-way motor valve 1 .

[0171] However, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 1, as described above, the fluid is based on the premise of using a fluorine-based inactive liquid such as Option (registered trademark) (manufactured by Mitsui & Co., Ltd.) or Nobeck (registered trademark) (manufactured by 3M Company) which can be used in an extremely low temperature range of about -85°C.

[0172] Therefore, for the three-way valve type motor valve 1, when the flow rate of the fluid having a significantly low temperature of about -85°C is switched, the temperature of the valve body 6 also becomes a significantly low temperature of about -85°C which is equal to the temperature of the fluid. The valve body 6 is in contact with the base 64 of the actuator part 3 via the spacer member 59. It is expected that when the valve body 6 becomes a low temperature of about -85°C, even if the ambient temperature of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 is a room temperature of about +20 to 25°C, the temperature of the base 64 of the actuator part 3 is reduced to a temperature close to -85°C by heat conduction via the spacer member 59 and the connecting member 62.

[0173] The actuator unit 3 is composed of a drive motor, a control circuit, an angle sensor, etc. The drive motor is composed of a stepping motor that rotates and drives the valve shaft, the control circuit is composed of an IC that controls the rotation of the drive motor, and the angle sensor detects the rotation angle of the valve shaft. When the temperature of the base 64 of the actuator unit 3 is exposed to a temperature as low as -85°C, there is a concern that the drive motor composed of a stepping motor and the control circuit composed of an IC may malfunction, and at a low temperature of about -85°C, it becomes difficult to control the flow rate of the fluid.

[0174] Therefore, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the first embodiment is configured such that the drive force transmission mechanism and the joint mechanism are formed of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the valve body and the valve body, thereby constituting a heat transfer suppression portion that suppresses heat transfer to the drive mechanism.

[0175] Furthermore, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the first embodiment is configured such that the thermal conductivity of the driving force transmission mechanism is 10 (W / m·K) or less and the thermal conductivity of the joint mechanism is 1 (W / m·K) or less.

[0176] That is, according to the three-way motor valve 11 of the first embodiment, the spacer member 59 and the connecting member 62 are formed of a material having a thermal conductivity lower than that of the valve body 6 and the valve shaft 34 , thereby constituting a heat transfer suppressing portion that suppresses heat transfer to the drive mechanism.

[0177] The spacer member 59 is made of a synthetic resin such as polyimide (PI) resin, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyamide-imide (PAI) resin, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE), polyamide (PA) resin, polyoxymethylene (POM), etc., which has a thermal conductivity lower than that of the SUS constituting the valve body 6 and the valve shaft 34. In addition, the connecting member 62 is made of zirconium oxide or ceramics. The thermal conductivity of polyimide (PI) is less than 1 (W / m·K), specifically, about 0.16 (W / m·K). In addition, the mechanical strength (bending strength) of polyimide (PI) is about 170 MPa. On the other hand, the thermal conductivity of zirconium oxide is less than 10 (W / m·K), specifically, 2.7 to 3.0 (W / m·K). The thermal conductivity of ceramics is about 4.0 to 10.0 (W / m·K). In addition, the mechanical strength (bending strength) of zirconium oxide is about 600 to 1400 MPa. In addition, the thermal conductivity of stainless steel is approximately 12.8 to 26.9 (W / m·K).

[0178] As shown in Figure 16 and Fig.17 As shown, the spacer member 59 is formed into a thick cylindrical shape with a relatively large outer diameter. The outer diameter of the spacer member 59 is set to a value equal to the width W of the base 64 of the actuator part 3. The width of the valve body 6 is set to a value smaller than the width W of the base 64 of the actuator part 3. In addition, an insertion through hole 59a through which the connecting member 62 is inserted is opened inside the spacer member 59. The connecting member 62 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The insertion through hole 59a of the spacer member 59 is set to a value slightly larger than the outer diameter of the connecting member 62. In the present embodiment 1, the outer diameter of the spacer member 59 is set to about 58 mm, the inner diameter of the insertion through hole 59a of the spacer member 59 is set to about 14 mm, and the outer diameter of the connecting member 62 is set to about 13 mm.

[0179] In FIG. 16 , reference numeral 59 d denotes a positioning pin for positioning the spacing member 59 relative to the valve body 6 , and reference numeral 59 e denotes a positioning pin for positioning the spacing member 59 relative to the base 64 of the actuator unit 3 .

[0180] In the first embodiment, the spacer member 59 as an example of the bonding mechanism is set to have a lower thermal conductivity than the thermal conductivity of the connection member 62 as an example of the driving force transmission mechanism, and a larger cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of ​​the connection member 62. Ideally, the thermal conductivity of the spacer member 59 is 1 (W / m·K) or less. When the thermal conductivity of the spacer member 59 exceeds 1 (W / m·K), the amount of heat transferred to the actuator part 3 via the spacer member 59 having a larger cross-sectional area than the connection member 62 increases, and when a low-temperature fluid of about -85°C is circulated in the valve body 6, there is a concern that the temperature of the actuator part 3 may drop below the required temperature, which is not ideal. In the first embodiment, polyimide (PI) resin is used as a material constituting the spacer member 59, and the thermal conductivity of the polyimide (PI) resin is 0.16 (W / m·K). The bending strength of the polyimide (PI) resin is 189 to 240 (MPa).

[0181] On the other hand, the thermal conductivity of the connecting member 62 is preferably 10 (W / m·K) or less. Although the cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting member 62 is significantly smaller than that of the spacing member 59, when the thermal conductivity exceeds 10 (W / m·K), the amount of heat transferred to the actuator part 3 via the connecting member 62 increases, and when a low-temperature fluid of about -85°C is circulated in the valve body 6, there is a concern that the temperature of the actuator part 3 may drop below the required temperature, which is not ideal. In the present embodiment 1, as a material constituting the connecting member 62, zirconium oxide or ceramics having a lower thermal conductivity than that of the spacing member 59 and having mechanical strength are used. The thermal conductivity of zirconium oxide is 2.7 to 3.0 (W / m·K), and the thermal conductivity of the spacing member 59 is set to be smaller than that of the connecting member 62. The bending strength of zirconium oxide is 600 to 1400 (MPa). The thermal conductivity of ceramics (fine ceramics) is higher than that of zirconia, and ceramics of about 4.0 to 10.0 (W / m·K) are used.

[0182] It is known that when a certain object is in an environment with a temperature difference, the amount of heat Q flowing through the object per unit time is expressed by the following formula.

[0183] Q=Aλ(T H -T L ) / L

[0184] Here, A is the cross-sectional area of ​​the object (m 2 ), λ is the thermal conductivity of the object (W / m·K), T H is the temperature of the high temperature side (K), T L is the temperature of the low temperature side (K), and L is the length of the object (m).

[0185] That is, when a certain object is in an environment with a temperature difference, the amount of heat Q that flows through the object per unit time is proportional to the temperature T on the high temperature side. H , the temperature of the low temperature side T L , when the length L of the object is constant, the cross-sectional area A (m 2 ) is proportional to the product of the thermal conductivity λ (W / m·K) of the object.

[0186] In the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the first embodiment, the valve body 6 and the actuator unit 3 are connected by the spacer member 59 and the connection member 62. Incidentally, the heights of the spacer member 59 and the connection member 62 (corresponding to the length L of the object) are substantially equal.

[0187] Therefore, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 1, the thermal conductivity λ of the spacer member 59 and the connecting member 62 is set to be significantly lower than that of SUS, and the heat Q transferred by means of heat conduction via the spacer member 59 and the connecting member 62 is balanced, so that, as a result, at a low temperature of about -85°C, the influence of the low temperature of the valve body 6 is suppressed from affecting the actuator part 3.

[0188] That is, according to the three-way motor valve 1 of the first embodiment, the amount of heat Q1 transferred to the actuator unit 3 via the spacer member 59 and the amount of heat Q2 transferred to the actuator unit 3 via the connection member 62 are set to be substantially equal.

[0189] Specifically, the product A1·λ1 of the cross-sectional area A1 of the spacing member 59 which determines the heat Q1 transmitted to the actuator part 3 via the spacing member 59 and the thermal conductivity λ1 of the polyimide (PI) resin constituting the spacing member 59 and the product A2·λ2 of the cross-sectional area A2 of the connecting member 62 which determines the heat Q2 transmitted to the actuator part 3 via the connecting member 62 and the thermal conductivity λ2 of the zirconia constituting the connecting member 62 are set to approximately equal values.

[0190] The cross-sectional area A1 of the spacer member 59 is (29×29×3.14)-(7×7×3.14)=2527 because the outer diameter is 58 mm and the insertion through hole 59a is formed with an inner diameter of 14 mm which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of 13 mm of the connection member 62. Since the thermal conductivity λ1 of the spacer member 59 is about 0.16 (W / m·K), A1·λ1 is about 398.

[0191] On the other hand, the cross-sectional area A2 of the connection member 62 is (6.5×6.5×3.14)=132 because the outer diameter is about 13 mm. Since the thermal conductivity λ2 of the connection member 62 is about 3.0 (W / m·K), A2·λ2 is about 396.

[0192] As a result, the product A1·λ1 of the cross-sectional area A1 of the spacer member 59 and the thermal conductivity λ1 of the polyimide (PI) resin constituting the spacer member 59, which determines the amount of heat Q1 transmitted to the actuator unit 3 via the spacer member 59, is about 398, and the product A2·λ2 of the cross-sectional area A2 of the connecting member 62 and the thermal conductivity λ2 of the zirconium oxide constituting the connecting member 62, which determines the amount of heat Q2 transmitted to the actuator unit 3 via the connecting member 62, is about 396, and both are substantially equal values. In addition, the product A1·λ1 of the cross-sectional area A1 of the spacer member 59 and the thermal conductivity λ1 of the material constituting the spacer member 59 and the product A2·λ2 of the cross-sectional area A2 of the connecting member 62 and the thermal conductivity λ2 of the material constituting the connecting member 62 do not need to be strictly equal values, and may have a difference of, for example, about 20 to 30.

[0193] In addition, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the present embodiment 1 is configured so that the upper end surface of the spacer member 59 contacts the base 64 of the actuator unit 3 with its entire surface, and the lower end surface of the spacer member 59 contacts the valve body 6 with its partial surface. Therefore, the spacer member 59 is set so that the area where the upper end surface on the high temperature side contacts the base 64 of the actuator unit 3 is larger than the area where the lower end surface on the low temperature side contacts the valve body 6.

[0194] Therefore, the spacer member 59 is configured so that heat is easily transferred from the base 64 side of the actuator unit 3 on the high temperature side by heat conduction, while heat is hardly transferred from the valve body 6 side to the lower end surface on the low temperature side by heat conduction.

[0195] <Environmental conditions>

[0196] As described above, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the present embodiment 1 is configured to be usable for a fluid having a temperature of, for example, about -85°C to +120°C, particularly a significantly low temperature of about -85°C. Therefore, ideally, the environmental condition around the use of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 corresponds to an environmental condition corresponding to a temperature range of about -85°C to +120°C. That is, when a fluid of about -85°C flows through the three-way valve type motor valve 1, the valve body 6 itself becomes equal to the temperature of the fluid of about -85°C. As a result, it is considered that when the condition under which the three-way valve type motor valve 1 is used is an environment containing humidity as moisture in the air, the moisture in the air adheres to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 and freezes, which becomes a cause of malfunction of the three-way valve type motor valve 1.

[0197] Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is desirable that as the environmental condition for using the three-way valve type motor valve 1, the nitrogen (N 2- ) In an environment of air replacement, the ambient humidity (relative humidity) is below 0.10%, preferably, around 0.01%.

[0198] <Operation of three-way valve type motor valve>

[0199] In the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the first embodiment, when a low-temperature fluid of about -85°C is caused to flow, the flow rate of the fluid is controlled as follows.

[0200] Three-way valve type motor valve 1, such as Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , during assembly or adjustment during use, the first and second flange members 10 and 19 are temporarily removed from the valve body 6 to form a state where the adjustment rings 77 and 87 are exposed to the outside. In this state, the tightening amount of the adjustment rings 77 and 87 relative to the valve body 6 is adjusted by using a fixture not shown in the figure, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the protrusion amount of the valve body 6 at the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 relative to the valve seat 8 is changed. When the tightening amount of the adjustment ring 77 and 87 relative to the valve body 6 is increased, the recessed parts 74 and 84 of the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 of the valve body 6, and the gap G1 between the recessed parts 74 and 84 of the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 is reduced until the recessed parts 74 and 84 of the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 contact the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34. On the other hand, when the tightening amount of the adjustment ring 77 and 87 relative to the valve body 6 is reduced, the length of the recessed parts 74 and 84 of the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 of the valve body 6 is reduced, and the gap G1 between the recessed parts 74 and 84 of the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 is increased.

[0201] In the present embodiment, for example, the gap G1 between the recessed portions 74, 84 of the first and second valve seat elements 70, 80 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 is set to less than 10 μm. However, the gap G1 between the recessed portions 74, 84 of the first and second valve seat elements 70, 80 and the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 is not limited to this value, and may be a value smaller than this value, for example, the gap G1 may be 0 μm (contact state), or may be set to more than 10 μm.

[0202] For three-way valve type motor valve 1, such as Figure 2 As shown, the fluid flows in from the third flange member 27 via the piping not shown in the figure, and the fluid flows out from the first flange member 10 and the second flange member 19 via the piping not shown in the figure. In addition, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the three-way valve type motor valve 1, for example, in the initial state before starting the operation, forms a state in which the valve operating portion 45 of the valve shaft 34 closes the first valve port 9 (fully closed) and opens the second valve port 18 (fully opened).

[0203] For three-way valve type motor valve 1, such as Figure 2 As shown, when the stepper motor (not shown) provided in the actuator unit 3 is driven to rotate by a predetermined amount, the rotating shaft (not shown) is driven to rotate in accordance with the amount of rotation of the stepper motor. For the three-way valve type motor valve 1, when the rotating shaft is driven to rotate, the valve shaft 34 connected and fixed to the rotating shaft rotates by the same angle as the amount of rotation (rotation angle) of the rotating shaft. Figure 2 As shown in (b), along with the rotation of the valve shaft 34, the valve operating portion 45 rotates inside the valve seat 8, and one end 45a of the valve operating portion 45 along the circumferential direction gradually opens the first valve port 9, and the fluid flowing in from the inlet 26a flows into the interior of the valve seat 8, and flows out from the first flange member 10 through the first outlet 7.

[0204] At this time, as shown in Figure 12(a), since the other end 45b of the valve action portion 45 along the circumferential direction opens the second valve port 18, the fluid flowing in from the inlet 26a flows into the interior of the valve seat 8 and is distributed corresponding to the rotation amount of the valve shaft 34, and flows out from the second flange member 19 to the outside via the second outflow port 17.

[0205] As shown in Figure 14(a), when the valve shaft 34 is driven to rotate and one end 45a of the valve actuating portion 45 along the circumferential direction gradually opens the first valve port 9, the fluid passes through the valve seat 8 and the interior of the valve shaft 34, and is supplied to the outside from the first and second valve ports 9 and 18 from the first and second flow outlets 7 and 17.

[0206] In addition, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1, since the two ends 45a and 45b of the valve operating portion 45 along the circumferential direction are formed to have a planar cross-section, the opening areas of the first and second valve ports 9 and 18 can be changed linearly (straightly) with respect to the opening area of ​​the rotation angle of the valve shaft 34. In addition, considering that the fluid whose flow rate is restricted by the two ends 45a and 45b of the valve operating portion 45 flows in a state close to laminar flow, the distribution ratio (flow rate) of the fluid can be controlled with good accuracy according to the opening areas of the first valve port 9 and the second valve port 18.

[0207] As described above, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of this embodiment, in the initial state, the valve operating portion 45 of the valve shaft 34 closes the first valve port 9 (fully closes) and opens the second valve port 18 (fully opens).

[0208] At this time, for the three-way valve type motor valve 1, when the valve operating portion 45 of the valve shaft 34 closes the first valve port 9 (fully closes), the flow rate of the fluid should ideally become zero.

[0209] However, the three-way valve type motor valve 1, such as Figure 6As shown in FIG. 1 , in order to prevent the valve shaft 34 from getting stuck with the inner circumference of the valve seat 8, the valve shaft 34 is freely rotatably arranged in a non-contact state with a small gap between the outer circumference of the valve shaft 34 and the inner circumference of the valve seat 8. As a result, a small gap G2 is formed between the outer circumference of the valve shaft 34 and the inner circumference of the valve seat 8. Therefore, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1, even when the valve operating portion 45 of the valve shaft 34 closes the first valve port 9 (fully closed), the flow rate of the fluid does not become zero, and the fluid flows into the second valve port 18 side in small amounts through the small gap G2 between the outer circumference of the valve shaft 34 and the inner circumference of the valve seat 8.

[0210] However, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the present embodiment, as Figure 6 As shown, the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 are provided with recessed portions 74 and 84 , which protrude from the inner circumference of the valve seat 8 toward the valve shaft 34 and partially reduce the gap G1 between the outer circumference of the valve shaft 34 and the inner circumference of the valve seat 8 .

[0211] However, for the three-way valve type motor valve 1, even if the valve shaft 34 is configured to be freely rotatable in a non-contact state with a small gap between the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 in order to prevent metal sticking between the valve shaft 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8, the inflow of fluid from the first valve port 9 to the small gap G2 existing between the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 will be greatly restricted and suppressed by the gap G1 which is the area where the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 is partially reduced.

[0212] Therefore, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1, compared with a three-way valve type motor valve that is not equipped with the recessed portions 74, 84 that are provided in a manner to partially reduce the gap between the valve shaft 34 and the first and second valve seat elements 70, 80 opposite to the valve shaft 34, the leakage of the fluid when the three-way valve type motor valve 1 is fully closed can be greatly suppressed.

[0213] Ideally, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of this embodiment, by making the recessed portions 74 and 84 of the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 contact the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34, the gaps G1 and G2 can be greatly reduced, thereby greatly suppressing the leakage of the fluid when the three-way valve type motor valve 1 is fully closed.

[0214] Similarly, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 can significantly suppress the fluid from leaking and flowing out through the second valve port 18 to the other first valve port 9 even when the valve operating portion 45 of the valve shaft 34 closes the second valve port 18 (fully closes).

[0215] Furthermore, if Figure 3As shown, in the present embodiment 1, the first and second pressure acting portions 94 and 96 are provided on the surfaces 70a and 80a of the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 on the opposite side to the valve shaft 34, and the first and second pressure acting portions 94 and 96 act the pressure of the fluid between the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 through a small gap. Therefore, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1, as shown in FIG. 12(a), when the opening degree is 0%, that is, the first valve port 9 is fully closed, and when the opening degree is 100%, that is, the first valve port 9 is fully opened, the amount of fluid flowing out of the first and second valve ports 9 and 18 is greatly reduced. In conjunction with this, the pressure of the fluid flowing out of the valve port of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 close to the fully closed state is reduced. Therefore, for example, when the opening is 0%, that is, when the first valve port 9 is fully closed, a fluid with a pressure of about 700 KPa flows in from the inlet 26a, and flows out from the second valve port 18 at about 700 KPa without change. At this time, on the side of the first valve port 9 which is in a state close to being fully closed, the pressure on the outlet side is reduced to, for example, about 100 KPa. As a result, a pressure difference of about 600 KPa is generated between the second valve port 18 and the first valve port 9.

[0216] Therefore, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1 without taking measures, due to the pressure difference between the second valve port 18 and the first valve port 9, the valve shaft 34 moves (displaces) toward the first valve port 9 side where the pressure is relatively low, and the valve shaft 34 comes into an unbalanced contact state with the bearing 41. Therefore, the driving torque when the valve shaft 34 is rotationally driven in the closing direction increases, and there is a concern of malfunction.

[0217] In contrast, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the present embodiment, Fig.15As shown in FIG. 1 , first and second pressure acting portions 94 and 96 are provided on the surfaces of the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 on the opposite side of the valve shaft 34. The first and second pressure acting portions 94 and 96 act on the first and second valve seat elements 70 and 80 by causing the pressure of the fluid leaking between the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8 through a small gap. Therefore, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the present embodiment, even when a pressure difference occurs between the second valve port 18 and the first valve port 9, the pressure of the fluid on the relatively high pressure side acts on the first and second pressure acting portions 94 and 96 through a small gap between the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 8. As a result, the first valve seat element 70 on the relatively low pressure side of about 100 KPa acts to return the valve shaft 34 to the correct position by virtue of the pressure of the fluid on the relatively high pressure side of about 700 KPa acting on the first pressure acting portion 94. Thus, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the present embodiment, the valve shaft 34 can be prevented or even suppressed from moving (displacing) toward the first valve port 9 where the pressure is relatively low due to the pressure difference between the second valve port 18 and the first valve port 9, and the valve shaft 34 is maintained in a state of being smoothly supported by the bearing 41, which can prevent or even suppress the increase in the driving torque when the valve shaft 34 is driven to rotate in the closing direction.

[0218] Furthermore, in the three-way motor valve 1 according to this embodiment, the same operation is performed when the first valve port 9 is near the fully open state, that is, when the second valve port 18 is close to the fully closed state, and the increase in the driving torque when the valve shaft 34 is rotationally driven can be prevented or even suppressed.

[0219] According to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 1, as a fluid (refrigerant), for example, an inert fluorine-based liquid such as Option (registered trademark) (manufactured by Mitsui & Co., Ltd.) or Nobeck (registered trademark) (manufactured by 3M Company) which can be used in a pressure range of 0 to 1 MPa and a temperature range of about -85°C to +120°C is used.

[0220] When the three-way valve type motor valve 1 switches the outflow rate of a fluid at about -85°C, the valve body 6 itself, through which the fluid flows, becomes at a temperature of about -85°C.

[0221] According to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 1, the spacer member 59 and the connecting member 62 connecting the valve body 6 and the actuator unit 3 are formed of polyimide (PI) resin and zirconium oxide or the like having a lower thermal conductivity than that of SUS constituting the valve body 6 and the valve shaft 34, thereby suppressing the heat of the valve body 6 through which a low-temperature fluid of about -85°C flows from being transferred to the actuator unit 3 by heat conduction. Therefore, the actuator unit 3 is prevented from being exposed to a low temperature of about -85°C.

[0222] Therefore, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 1, even when a fluid with a significantly low temperature of -85°C is used as the fluid, the concern about malfunction in a drive motor composed of a stepper motor or the like or a control circuit composed of an IC or the like can be avoided or even suppressed, and the flow rate of the fluid can be controlled with good precision at a low temperature of around -85°C.

[0223] Experimental Example 1

[0224] In order to confirm the effect of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the first embodiment, the present inventors set the three-way valve type motor valve 1 as shown in FIG. Figure 2 The model of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 shown in the figure is simulated by a computer to obtain the temperature of each part when a fluid of -60°C flows through the model of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 in an environment of 25°C. In addition, the valve body 6 is set to the thermal conductivity of SUS, the spacer member 59 is set to the thermal conductivity of polyimide (PI) resin, and the connecting member 62 is set to the thermal conductivity of zirconia.

[0225] Fig.18 Schematic diagram showing the temperature of each part of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 obtained by the above-mentioned simulation.

[0226] As indicated by the results of the simulation, the temperature distributions of the spacer member 59 and the connecting member 62 show approximately the same tendency. Although the driving force transmission shaft connected to the base 64 of the actuator unit 3 and the upper part of the connecting member 62 becomes a negative temperature, it is determined that the driving motor or control substrate inside the housing 90 arranged at the upper part of the base 64 of the actuator unit 3 actually becomes a positive temperature, which can avoid or even suppress malfunctions in the driving motor or the control circuit.

[0227] [Implementation Method 2]

[0228] Fig.19 A three-way valve type motor valve is shown as an example of a flow control valve according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0229] According to the three-way type motor valve 1 of the second embodiment, the three-way type motor valve 1 is configured as a mixing three-way type motor valve 1 that mixes two fluids instead of dividing the same fluid into two.

[0230] Three-way valve type motor valve 1, such as Fig.19As shown, a first inlet 7 into which a low-temperature side fluid as a first fluid flows, and a first valve port 9 having a rectangular cross section, which is communicated with a valve seat 8 including a cylindrical space, are provided on one side of the valve body 6. In the present embodiment, the first inlet 7 and the first valve port 9 are provided by attaching a first valve seat element 70 as an example of a valve port forming member forming the first valve port 9 and a first flow path forming member 15 forming the first inlet 7 to the valve body 6, instead of directly providing the first inlet 7 and the first valve port 9 to the valve body 6.

[0231] In addition, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 is provided with a second inlet 17 into which the high temperature side fluid as the second fluid flows, and a second valve port 18 having a rectangular cross section and communicating with the valve seat 8 including a cylindrical space, respectively, on the other side surface of the valve body 6. In the present embodiment, the second inlet 17 and the second valve port 18 are not provided directly on the valve body 6, but the second valve seat element 18 as an example of a valve port forming member forming the second valve port 18 and the second flow path forming member 25 forming the second outflow port 17 are attached to the valve body 6, thereby providing the second outflow port 17 and the second valve port 18.

[0232] In addition, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 has an outflow port 26 a formed on the bottom surface of the valve body 6 for allowing a temperature control fluid to flow out. The temperature control fluid is a mixed fluid formed by mixing the first and second fluids inside the valve body 6 .

[0233] Here, the low-temperature side fluid as the first fluid and the high-temperature side fluid as the second fluid are fluids used for temperature control, and the fluid with relatively low temperature is called the low-temperature side fluid, and the fluid with relatively high temperature is called the high-temperature side fluid. Therefore, the low-temperature side fluid and the high-temperature side fluid are relative meanings, and do not mean a low-temperature fluid with absolutely low temperature and a high-temperature fluid with absolutely high temperature. As the low-temperature side fluid and the high-temperature side fluid, for example, in the temperature range of about -85°C to +120°C at a pressure of 0 to 1 MPa, the same fluid such as fluorine-based inactive liquid such as Option (registered trademark) (manufactured by Mitsui Kema-Zu Fluoroprocess Co., Ltd.) or Nobeck (registered trademark) (manufactured by 3M Company) is used.

[0234] Since other structures and functions are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, their description is omitted.

[0235] Incidentally, the present inventors have developed the three-way valve type motor valve 1 which can be used in the entire temperature range of -85°C to +60°C, as described above.

[0236] The key point of using the three-way valve type motor valve 1 in an ultra-low temperature brine refrigerator, etc. is, of course, that it can operate at an extremely low temperature of -70°C or temperatures above and below -85°C to -65°C, but it also lies in the ability to control the brine temperature with good accuracy over the entire range from an extremely low temperature of around -85°C to a high temperature of +60°C.

[0237] As described above, the inventors and others confirmed in the process of developing a three-way valve-type motor valve 1 that can operate in the entire range from an extremely low temperature of about -85°C to a high temperature of +60°C that as a mechanism for rotatably sealing the end of the driving mechanism side of the valve body relative to the valve body, seals 160, 170 are used. The seals 160, 170 are an example of a first sealing mechanism composed of a synthetic resin with a roughly U-shaped cross-section loaded in an opening direction by a metal spring member. As a result, even at an extremely low temperature of about -85°C, leakage of the fluid can be prevented and the three-way valve-type motor valve 1 can operate.

[0238] However, the inventors have found through research that, in the process of further developing the three-way valve type motor valve 1, it may be difficult to ensure sufficient airtightness for gas using only the seals 160 and 170.

[0239] Therefore, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 1, as a mechanism for rotatably sealing the end of the driving mechanism side of the valve body relative to the valve body, in addition to a first sealing mechanism composed of a synthetic resin with a roughly U-shaped cross-section loaded in an opening direction by a metal spring member, a second sealing mechanism is also provided, which seals the driving force transmission mechanism relative to the connecting mechanism in a state where a lubricant is applied.

[0240] That is, as shown in Figures 16 and Fig.17 As shown, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the present embodiment 1 is configured such that an O-ring 200 as an example of a second sealing mechanism is attached between the upper end portion of the end portion located on the actuator portion 3 side and the spacer member 59 in the connecting member 62 as an example of a driving force transmission mechanism formed in a cylindrical shape. In addition, as the second sealing mechanism, an X-ring may be used in addition to the O-ring.

[0241] A groove 201 for mounting the O-ring 200 is provided over the entire circumference of the upper end of the connecting member 62. As shown in FIG16(b), the width and depth of the groove 201 provided at the upper end of the connecting member 62 are set so that, by mounting the connecting member 62 on the spacing member 59 with the O-ring 200 mounted in the groove 201, the O-ring 200 is compressed in the radial direction and the thickness direction, and the inner circumferential surface of the connecting member 62 and the spacing member 59 is sealed to improve airtightness.

[0242] As the O-ring 200 , for example, an O-ring made of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber) or NBR (acrylonitrile and 1,3-butadiene copolymer) is used.

[0243] As shown in Fig. 16(b), in order to reduce sliding resistance and improve airtightness, a lubricant 202 is applied to the O-ring 200. Grease, oil compound, oil, etc. are used as the lubricant 202. The amount of grease or the like applied as the lubricant 202 is based on JIS standard (JIS K2220).

[0244] The lubricant 202 applied to the O-ring 200 can be any lubricant that can be used at extremely low temperatures of around -50°C to high temperatures of around +60°C, and examples thereof include: the grease "MOLYKOTE" (registered trademark) manufactured by DuPont, the oil compound "HIVAC-G", "KS-63W", "KS-64F", "KS-64", "KS-651", "KS-65A", "KS-623", "KS-622", "KS-63G" manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., the greases "G-30F", "G-30L", "G-30M", "G-30H", "G-40L", "G-40M", "G-40H", and "G-42O" manufactured by the same company, and the silicone grease "UNISILIKON-L" manufactured by NOK クリュ-バ- 50 / 2", or Chem-Zoo's fluorine-based lubricant, Clubux (registered trademark) GPL grease, or 240 grease.

[0245] Thus, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of this embodiment 1, the airtightness between the connecting member 62 and the spacer member 59 can be improved by providing an O-ring 200 as an example of a second sealing mechanism that can rotatably seal the driving force transmission mechanism relative to the connecting mechanism in a state coated with lubricant.

[0246] In addition, the temperature range of the HIVAC-G manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. is -50°C to +200°C, and the temperature of the position where the O-ring 200 is installed is Fig.18 As shown, it is around -40℃~-20℃, and the actual measured value is -17.1℃, so it can meet the requirements of use.

[0247] <Contents of reliability test>

[0248] Furthermore, the inventors conducted the following reliability test to confirm that the three-way motor valve 1 according to Embodiment 1 can operate stably for a long time. The reliability test of the three-way motor valve 1 was conducted by changing the type of lubricant 202 applied to the O-ring 200 .

[0249] The contents of the reliability test conducted by the present inventors are as follows.

[0250] As three-way valve type motor valve 1, five of each are used Figure 2 The three-way valve type motor valve 1 and Fig.19 The three-way valve type motor valve 1 for mixing is shown. In addition, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 for distribution and the three-way valve type motor valve 1 for mixing are different in whether they are used for distribution or mixing, but the structure itself is the same. Fig. 20 As shown, five three-way valve-type motor valves 11 to 15 for distribution are installed in the test device, and the pipeline of the test device is configured so that a fluid of a specified temperature is supplied from the supply device 300 to the inlet 26a, and the fluids flowing out of the first and second outlets 7 and 17 are merged and returned to the supply device 300 via valve 301. The opening and closing cycles were repeated 1.7 million times, which are extremely severe conditions compared with actual use, and the airtightness of each three-way valve type motor valve 1 and the state of the O-ring 200 were measured by visual observation. The opening and closing cycles were as follows: a high-temperature fluid of +55°C and a low-temperature fluid of -70°C were switched and supplied from the supply device 300 at a flow rate of 17L / min every 30 minutes, during which the valve shaft 34 of each three-way valve type motor valve 1 was opened and closed every 3 seconds, and the second flow outlet 17 was switched from the fully open state to the fully closed state while the first flow outlet 7 was switched from the fully closed state to the fully open state in 3 seconds, and then, the second flow outlet 17 was switched from the fully closed state to the fully open state while the first flow outlet 7 was switched from the fully open state to the fully closed state in 3 seconds.

[0251] On the other hand, the three-way valve type motor valve 16 to 1 for mixing 10 ,like Fig.21 As shown, it is installed in a test device, and the pipeline of the test device is configured to supply the fluid on the high temperature side from the supply device 400 to the first inlet 7 via valves 401, 402, and 403, and to supply the fluid on the low temperature side from the supply device 400 to the second inlet 17 via valves 404, 405, and 406, and mix them so that the mixed fluid flowing out of the outlet 26a is branched via valves 407~414 and returned to the high temperature side and the low temperature side of the supply device 400 respectively. The opening and closing cycle was repeated 1.7 million times, and the air tightness of each three-way valve type motor valve 11 to 15 and the state of the O-ring 200 were visually observed. The opening and closing cycle was as follows: a high-temperature fluid of +55°C as the high-temperature side fluid and a fluid of -70°C as the low-temperature side fluid were supplied from the supply device 400 at a flow rate of 1L / min, and returned as a mixed fluid of about -7.5°C. During this period, the valve shaft 34 of each three-way valve type motor valve 11 to 15 was opened and closed every 3 seconds.

[0252] In addition, three-way valve type motor valves 11 to 15, 16 to 17 for dispensing and mixing 10 The valves arranged in the middle of the piping were fully closed appropriately in a predetermined cycle, and the supply of fluid was stopped in the middle of 1.7 million opening and closing cycles, and the state of each three-way valve type motor valve 1 in the middle was measured and observed.

[0253] like Fig. 22 As shown, in the three-way valve type motor valve 11~15, 16~1 10 In the embodiment, an opening for measuring temperature is provided in the connection member 62, and the temperatures of the connection member 62 and the spacing member 59 are measured by thermocouples TC1 and TC2, respectively.

[0254] For the three-way valve type motor valves 11 to 15 for distribution, Fig.23 As shown, when a high-temperature fluid of +55°C is supplied, the temperature of the connecting member 62 is +57.5°C, and the temperature of the spacing member 59 is +56.5°C. When a low-temperature fluid of -70°C is supplied, the temperature of the connecting member 62 is -17.1°C, and the temperature of the spacing member 59 is -5.0°C.

[0255] On the other hand, for the three-way valve type motor valve 16 to 1 10 ,like Fig.23 As shown, the temperature of the connecting member 62 is +35.8°C, and the temperature of the spacing member 59 is +38.8°C.

[0256] In addition, for the air tightness test of the three-way valve type motor valve 1, as Fig.24 As shown, the first and second outflow ports 7 and 17 are closed by a sealing member, 0.42 MPa of helium is injected from the inflow port, and the concentration of helium leaking from the gap between the valve body 6 and the spacer member 59 and the upper end of the cylindrical space 61 of the spacer member 59 is measured by a helium detector.

[0257] Three-way valve type motor valves 11 to 15, 16 to 1 for distribution and mixing 10 An O-ring made of EPDM was used as the O-ring 200. The O-ring 200 was coated with lubricants such as "MOLYKOTE" (registered trademark) grease manufactured by DuPont and "HIVAC-G" oil compound manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (10 O-rings were coated with each lubricant).

[0258] Fig.25 It is a figure which shows the result of the airtightness test among the said reliability tests.

[0259] As from Fig.25 As shown, for each three-way valve type motor valve 11 to 15, 16 to 1 10The helium leakage is within the reference value of 5.0×10 -7 (Pa·m 3 / sec) or less.

[0260] Fig.26 This is a graph showing the results of visually observing the state of the O-ring in the above reliability test.

[0261] As from Fig.26 As shown, the lubricant 202 is coated with the oil compound "HIVAC-G" manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., on each of the three-way valve type motor valves 11 to 15, 16 to 17 for dispensing and mixing. 10 In the figure, the O-ring 200 is in a normal state and no damage is observed.

[0262] On the other hand, the three-way valve type motor valves 11 to 15, 16 to 17 are coated with the grease "MOLYKOTE" (registered trademark) manufactured by DuPont as the lubricant 202 for dispensing and mixing. 10 In each of the three-way valve type motor valves 11 to 15 for distribution, damage due to abnormal wear of the O-ring 200 was found.

[0263] According to the research of the present inventors, for the lubricant 202 made by DuPont, "MOLYKOTE" (registered trademark), Fig.26 As shown, the volatility after 24 hours at a temperature of 150°C is 2.0w / %, which is relatively high. In the reliability test of the three-way valve type motor valve 1, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 is used as a three-way valve type motor valve 1 for distribution, and in a test in which the temperature of the inflowing fluid is switched to a high-temperature fluid of +55°C and a low-temperature fluid of -70°C every 30 minutes, the lubricant 202 coated on the O-ring 200 of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 is exposed to a relatively high temperature of +55°C.

[0264] As a result, the following conclusion was reached: while the lubricant 202 coated on the O-ring 200 of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 was exposed to a relatively high temperature of +55°C, the grease "MOLYKOTE" (registered trademark) manufactured by DuPont, which had a relatively high volatility of 2.0w% after 24 hours at a temperature of 150°C, gradually volatilized, causing the lubrication failure of the O-ring 200, thereby causing damage to the O-ring 200 such as abnormal wear.

[0265] In addition, even when the O-ring 200 is damaged, since it is passed in the airtightness test using helium gas, the result of the reliability test is "◎".

[0266] On the other hand, in each three-way valve type motor valve 11 to 15 used for distribution, which was coated with an oil compound "HIVAC-G" manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. with a relatively low volatility of 0.1 w% after 24 hours at a temperature of 200°C higher than 150°C as a lubricant 202, no obvious damage was observed in the O-ring 200.

[0267] Therefore, the inventors and others have come to the following conclusion: the lubricant 202 coated on the O-ring 200 preferably has a low volatility after being at a temperature of 150°C for 24 hours. For example, ideally, the volatility after being at a temperature of 150°C for 24 hours is less than 1.0%, and more ideally, the volatility after being at a temperature of 150°C for 24 hours is less than 0.5%.

[0268] The volatilization rates of various materials listed as candidates for the lubricant 202 applied to the O-ring 200 at a temperature of 150° C. after 24 hours are as follows.

[0269] The grease "MOLYKOTE" (registered trademark) manufactured by DuPont is 2.0w%, the oil compound "HIVAC-G" manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical is 0.1w%, "KS-63W" is 0.1w%, "KS-64F" is 0.1w%, "KS-64" is 0.1w%, "KS-651" is 0.1w%, "KS-65A" is 0.1w%, "KS-623" is 0.2w%, "KS-622" is 0.44w%, and The product name of the silicone oil grease "UNISILIKON-L 50 / 2" manufactured by NOK クリュ-バ- is unknown, the fluorine-based lubricant "Clairvoyance" (registered trademark) GPL grease manufactured by Kemazu is unknown, and 240 grease is less than 1w%. In addition, the numerical values ​​refer to the product catalogs of each company.

[0270] [Example 1]

[0271] Fig. 27 This is a conceptual diagram showing a constant temperature maintaining device (refrigeration device) to which the three-way valve for flow rate control according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0272] The refrigeration device 100 is used in, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing device that is subjected to plasma etching processing, and is a device that maintains a temperature of a semiconductor wafer or the like, which is an example of a temperature control object W, at a constant temperature. When the temperature control object W, such as a semiconductor wafer, is subjected to plasma etching processing, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer or the like may rise due to the generation of plasma or discharge.

[0273] The refrigeration device 100 is equipped with a temperature control unit 101 configured in a table shape, which is an example of a temperature control mechanism arranged in contact with a temperature control object W. The temperature control unit 101 has a temperature control flow path 102 inside, and a temperature control fluid composed of a low-temperature side fluid and a high-temperature side fluid with an adjusted mixing ratio flows through the temperature control flow path 102.

[0274] The temperature control flow path 102 of the temperature control unit 101 is connected to a mixing mechanism 111 via an on-off valve 103. A low-temperature-side thermostatic tank 104 is connected to one side of the mixing mechanism 111, and the low-temperature-side thermostatic tank 104 stores a low-temperature fluid adjusted to a predetermined low-temperature-side set temperature. The low-temperature-side fluid is supplied from the low-temperature-side thermostatic tank 104 to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 by a first pump 105. In addition, a high-temperature-side thermostatic tank 106 is connected to the other side of the mixing mechanism 111, and the high-temperature-side thermostatic tank 106 stores a high-temperature fluid adjusted to a predetermined high-temperature-side set temperature. The high-temperature-side fluid is supplied from the high-temperature-side thermostatic tank 106 to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 by a second pump 107. The mixing mechanism 111 is connected to the temperature control flow path 102 of the temperature control unit 101 via an on-off valve 103.

[0275] In addition, a return pipe is provided on the outflow side of the temperature control flow path 102 of the temperature control unit 101 and is connected to the low-temperature side constant temperature tank 104 and the high-temperature side constant temperature tank 106 via a three-way valve 11 for flow control for distribution.

[0276] In order to distribute the control fluid flowing in the temperature control flow path 102 of the temperature control unit 101 to the low-temperature side thermostatic tank 104 and the high-temperature side thermostatic tank 106, the refrigeration device 100 uses a three-way valve type motor valve 1. The three-way valve type motor valve 1 controls the flow rate of the control fluid distributed to the low-temperature side thermostatic tank 104 and the high-temperature side thermostatic tank 106 by rotating the valve shaft 34 using a stepping motor 110.

[0277] As the low-temperature side fluid and the high-temperature side fluid, for example, a fluorine-based inactive liquid such as Option (registered trademark) (manufactured by Mitsui & Co., Ltd.) or Nobeck (registered trademark) (manufactured by 3M Company) is used within a pressure range of 0 to 1 MPa and a temperature range of about -85°C to +120°C.

[0278] In addition, a mixing mechanism 111 for mixing the low-temperature side fluid supplied from the low-temperature side thermostatic tank 104 by the first pump 105 and the high-temperature side fluid supplied from the high-temperature side thermostatic tank 106 by the second pump 107 is used, which appropriately mixes the low-temperature side fluid and the high-temperature side fluid after controlling the flow rate of each. As described above, it goes without saying that the three-way valve type motor valve 1 for mixing can be used as the mixing mechanism.

[0279] [Example 2]

[0280] Fig.28 This is a conceptual diagram showing a constant temperature maintaining device (refrigeration device) to which the three-way valve for flow control according to the second embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0281] The three-way valve type motor valve 1 is connected to the temperature control flow path 102 of the temperature control unit 101 via the on-off valve 103. The low temperature side thermostatic tank 104 storing the low temperature fluid adjusted to the predetermined low temperature side setting temperature is connected to the first flange member 10 of the three-way valve type motor valve 1. The low temperature side fluid is supplied from the low temperature side thermostatic tank 104 to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 by the first pump 105. In addition, the high temperature side thermostatic tank 106 storing the high temperature fluid adjusted to the predetermined high temperature side setting temperature is connected to the second flange member 19 of the three-way valve type motor valve 1. The high temperature side fluid is supplied from the high temperature side thermostatic tank 106 to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 by the second pump 107. The third flange portion 27 of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 is connected to the temperature control flow path 102 of the temperature control unit 101 via the on-off valve 103.

[0282] In addition, a return pipe is provided on the outflow side of the temperature control flow path 102 of the temperature control unit 101 and is connected to the low-temperature-side constant-temperature bath 104 and the high-temperature-side constant-temperature bath 106 , respectively.

[0283] The three-way valve type motor valve 1 is equipped with a stepper motor 108 that rotationally drives the valve shaft 34. In addition, the temperature control unit 101 is provided with a temperature sensor 109 that detects the temperature of the temperature control unit 101. The temperature sensor 109 is connected to a control device (not shown in the figure), and the control device controls the driving of the stepper motor 108 of the three-way valve type motor valve 1.

[0284] like Fig.28 As shown, the refrigeration device 100 uses a temperature sensor 109 to detect the temperature of the temperature control object W, and uses a control device to control the rotation of the stepper motor 108 of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 109, thereby controlling the temperature of the temperature control object W to become a temperature equal to a predetermined set temperature.

[0285] The three-way valve type motor valve 1 controls the mixing ratio of the low-temperature side fluid supplied from the low-temperature side constant temperature tank 104 by the first pump 105 and the high-temperature side fluid supplied from the high-temperature side constant temperature tank 106 by the second pump 107 by rotating the valve shaft 34 using the stepping motor 108, and controls the temperature of the temperature control fluid formed by the mixture of the low-temperature side fluid and the high-temperature side fluid supplied from the three-way valve type motor valve 1 to the temperature control flow path 102 of the temperature control unit 101 via the opening and closing valve 103.

[0286] At this time, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 can control the mixing ratio of the low temperature side fluid and the high temperature side fluid with good accuracy according to the rotation angle of the valve shaft 34. The temperature of the temperature control fluid can be finely adjusted. Therefore, the refrigeration device 100 using the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to this embodiment can control the temperature of the temperature control object W that the temperature control unit 101 contacts to a desired temperature by causing the temperature control fluid adjusted to a predetermined temperature, the mixing ratio of the low temperature side fluid and the high temperature side fluid being controlled, to flow in the temperature control flow path 102 of the temperature control unit 101.

[0287] As the low-temperature side fluid and the high-temperature side fluid, for example, a fluorine-based inactive liquid such as Option (registered trademark) (manufactured by Mitsui & Co., Ltd.) or Nobeck (registered trademark) (manufactured by 3M Company) is used within a pressure range of 0 to 1 MPa and a temperature range of about -85°C to +120°C.

[0288] [Example 3]

[0289] 29 is a diagram showing the main part of a three-way motor valve as an example of a flow control valve according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. According to the three-way motor valve 1 of Embodiment 3, the mounting structure of the second sealing mechanism is different from that of Embodiment 2 described above.

[0290] As shown in Fig. 16, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the second embodiment, an O-ring 200 as an example of the second sealing mechanism is arranged in a groove 201 provided in the connecting member 62. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 16(b), the O-ring 200 that seals the connecting member 62 is in a state where the three surfaces of the inner peripheral surface and the upper and lower end surfaces are always in contact with the valve shaft 34 via the connecting member 62. The valve shaft 34 is in direct contact with the fluid at -70°C to +55°C, and thus there is a technical problem that the arrangement structure is easily directly affected by the temperature of the fluid at -70°C to +55°C.

[0291] Therefore, in order to solve this technical problem, Fig.30As shown, it is considered that the groove 201 for accommodating the O-ring 200 for sealing the connection member 62 is not provided in the connection member 62 but is provided on the side of the spacer member 59 which does not directly contact the fluid of -70°C to +55°C.

[0292] However, in this way, in order to set the O-ring 200 for sealing the connecting member 62 on the side of the spacing member 59, as shown in FIG. Fig.30 As shown, it is necessary to set the groove 201 for accommodating the O-ring 200 on the inner circumferential surface deep in the insertion through hole 59a of the insertion-through connecting member 62 of the cubic-shaped spacer member 59. There is a new technical problem that a special tool must be used to set the groove 201 on the inner circumferential surface of the insertion through hole 59a with good precision, and the processing of the groove 201 becomes very difficult, which greatly increases the processing cost of the spacer member 59.

[0293] Therefore, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 3, a structure is formed in which the second sealing mechanism 200 composed of an O-ring or an X-ring for sealing the connecting member 62 is not arranged in a state where it is accommodated in a groove 201 provided on the outer periphery of the connecting member 62 as an example of a driving force transmission mechanism, but the second sealing mechanism is accommodated in a receiving portion composed of a recessed portion provided in the connecting mechanism and opened on the driving mechanism side, and is retained in the receiving portion by a pushing member installed on the driving mechanism side of the connecting mechanism.

[0294] In the three-way type motor valve 1 according to the third embodiment, the pressing member is made of the same material as the connection mechanism and is fitted into a fitting portion provided closer to the drive mechanism than the housing portion of the connection mechanism.

[0295] Furthermore, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the present embodiment 3, the driving force transmission mechanism has a large diameter portion at the end on the driving mechanism side whose outer diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion which is the other main part, and the large diameter portion and the pushing member of the driving force transmission mechanism are embedded in the embedding portion of the connecting mechanism.

[0296] That is, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 3, as shown in Figure 29, the second sealing mechanism 200 composed of an O-ring or an X-ring for sealing the connecting member 62 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 500, and the accommodating portion 500 is composed of a recessed portion provided in the spacing member 59 as an example of a connecting mechanism, and is open on the side of the actuator portion 3 as an example of a driving mechanism, and the second sealing mechanism 200 is held in the accommodating portion 500 by a pushing member 501 installed on the actuator portion 3 side of the spacing member 59.

[0297] As shown in Figure 29 and Fig.33As shown, a fitting portion 502 formed of a recess for receiving the pressing member 501 is provided on the surface of the spacer member 59 located on the actuator portion 3 side, that is, the upper end surface 59f. The fitting portion 502 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an inner diameter and a length larger than the inner diameter and the length of the receiving portion 500. A flange portion 503 protruding in an annular shape from the upper end surface 59f of the spacer member 59 is provided at the upper end portion of the fitting portion 502.

[0298] The housing portion 500 for housing the X-ring 200 as an example of the second sealing mechanism is formed in a rectangular ring shape having an inner diameter and a length smaller than those of the fitting portion 502 on an end surface (bottom surface) 504 inside the fitting portion 502 provided on the spacer member 59 .

[0299] More specifically, the upper side of the housing portion 500, that is, the actuator portion 3 side, is open to the outside via the fitting portion 502, and is not formed in a groove shape, but is formed in a step shape relative to the fitting portion 502. The inner peripheral surface of the housing portion 500 is connected to the insertion through hole 59a of the mounting connection member 62. As shown in FIG. 29(b), the inner diameter and length of the housing portion 500 are set in consideration of the outer diameter and thickness of the X-ring 200 accommodated in the housing portion 500.

[0300] According to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 3, as shown in FIG. Fig.31 As shown in the figure, the connection member 62 is different from the first and second embodiments, and is not a simple cylindrical shape, but is formed into a cylindrical shape having a large diameter portion 69 at the end portion on the actuator part 3 side, and the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 69 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 68 as the other main part. The connection member 62 is made of zirconium oxide or the like. A groove 67 is provided in the large diameter portion 69 of the connection member 62. The distal end of the rotating shaft of the actuator part 3 is inserted into the groove 67 of the connection member 62 in a fixed state along the circumferential direction.

[0301] In addition, the large diameter portion 69 of the connecting member 62 has a concave lubricant receiving portion 69a on the upper end surface of the end portion on the actuator portion 3 side thereof, and the lubricant receiving portion 69a receives the lubricant leaking from the actuator portion 3 and reaching the connecting member 62. The lubricant receiving portion 69a is communicated with the groove 67. The lubricant leaking from the actuator portion 3 and reaching the connecting member 62 may adversely affect the EPDM or the like constituting the X-ring 200 due to its material, thereby deteriorating the X-ring 200 and shortening its life.

[0302] The pressing member 501 is made of polyimide (PI) resin, which is the same material as the spacer member 59. Fig.32 As shown, the pressing member 501 is arranged in a state of being fitted in a fitting portion 502 provided on the actuator portion 3 side relative to the housing portion 500 of the spacing member 59 .

[0303] The pressing member 501 includes a cylindrical portion 505 disposed on the outer periphery of the large diameter portion 69 of the connecting member 62, and a flange portion 506 disposed at the end portion of the cylindrical portion 68 of the connecting member 62 on the large diameter portion 69 side. The flange portion 506 of the pressing member 501 is provided with an insertion hole 507 into which the cylindrical portion 68 of the connecting member 62 is inserted.

[0304] As shown in FIG. 29 , when the X-ring 200 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 500, the X-ring 200 is pressed from the top by the bottom surface 508 of the flange portion 506, and the pressing member 501 is fixed to the accommodating portion 500. In addition, as shown in FIG. 29 (b), as in the first embodiment, a lubricant 202 is applied to the X-ring 200 in order to reduce the sliding resistance and improve the airtightness. As the lubricant 202, grease, oil compound, oil, etc. are used. The application amount of the grease or the like as the lubricant 202 is based on the JIS standard (JIS K2220). As the lubricant 202 applied to the X-ring 200, it is preferable to use an oil compound "HIVAC-G" manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., which has a relatively low volatility of 0.1w% after 24 hours at a temperature of 200°C higher than 150°C.

[0305] The pressing member 501 is pressed from above by an O-ring 510 disposed between the spacer member 59 and the actuator unit 3 and fixed inside the fitting portion 502. At this time, the bottom surface 508 of the flange portion 506 of the pressing member 501 abuts against the bottom surface of the fitting portion 502.

[0306] The means for fixing the pressing member 501 inside the fitting portion 502 is not limited to the pressing force generated by the O-ring 510 disposed between the spacing member 59 and the actuator portion 3, and may be a structure in which the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 505 of the pressing member 501 and the bottom surface 508 of the flange portion 506 are bonded to the inner surface of the fitting portion 502 via an adhesive (not shown in the figure), or a structure in which the pressing member 501 is fixed by screwing via a male thread portion (not shown in the figure) provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 505 of the pressing member 501 and a female thread portion (not shown in the figure) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 502. In addition, the positioning and fixing of the pressing member 501 determine the compression rate in the thickness direction of the X-ring 200 accommodated in the accommodation portion 500.

[0307] Fig.34 A modified example of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the third embodiment is shown.

[0308] According to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the modified example of the present embodiment 3, Fig.34As shown, the connection member 62 does not have the large diameter portion 69, and the connection member 62 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a constant outer diameter over the entire length. In addition, the pressing member 501 is formed into a relatively thick cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the connection member 62.

[0309] Furthermore, in the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the third embodiment, the case where the X-ring 200 is used as the second sealing mechanism has been described, but it goes without saying that an O-ring may also be used.

[0310] In the above configuration, according to the three-way motor valve 1 of the third embodiment, as described below, the second sealing mechanism is prevented from being thermally damaged by heat conducted from the fluid, and the housing portion housing the second sealing mechanism can be easily formed.

[0311] That is, according to the three-way valve type motor valve 1 of the present embodiment 3, as shown in Fig. 29, the housing portion 500 for housing the X-ring 200 is not provided in the connecting member 62 but is provided in the spacer member 59. Therefore, by cutting the upper end surface 59f of the spacer member 59 made of polyimide resin or the like from the outside, the housing portion 500 for housing the X-ring 200 can be easily formed together with the fitting portion 502.

[0312] In addition, since the X-ring 200 accommodated in the accommodating portion 500 is pressed and fixed from the actuator portion 3 side by the pressing member 501 disposed in the fitting portion 502 of the spacing member 59, the position accuracy and the compression amount can be easily maintained at a predetermined value. In addition, even if the need to replace the X-ring 200 arises, the X-ring 200 can be easily replaced by removing the pressing member 501.

[0313] Furthermore, the X-ring 200 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 500 provided in the spacer member 59. Since the spacer member 59 is not a member that directly contacts the valve shaft 34 that contacts the fluid at -70°C to +55°C, the influence of heat from the fluid at -70°C to +55°C can be suppressed, which contributes to the long-term operation stability of the three-way valve type motor valve 1.

[0314] Example 3

[0315] Next, in order to confirm the effect of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the third embodiment, the inventors tried to make a three-way valve type motor valve 1 as shown in FIG. 29, and conducted an experiment to confirm the durability of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 used for distributing refrigerants at -20°C and +60°C when it was continuously switched and used. The durability test of the three-way valve type motor valve 1 was carried out by comparing the three-way valve type motor valve 1 with the refrigerants at -20°C and +60°C. Fig.26 The same specifications and conditions as the distribution type motor valve shown are implemented.

[0316] As a result of the third embodiment, the three-way valve type motor valve 1 according to the third embodiment had no damaged parts on the X-ring and the O-ring after the operation number of 750,000 times in the durability test, and maintained the initial good condition.

[0317] Industrial Application Possibility

[0318] The present invention can provide a three-way valve for flow control and a temperature control device, which can improve airtightness compared with a case where a second sealing mechanism is not provided to rotatably seal a driving force transmission mechanism relative to a connecting mechanism in a state coated with a lubricant.

[0319] Description of Reference Numerals

[0320] 1…Three-way valve type motor valve

[0321] 2…valve section

[0322] 3…Actuator

[0323] 4…Seal

[0324] 5…Connection

[0325] 6…Valve body

[0326] 7…First-class entrance

[0327] 8…Valve seat

[0328] 9…First valve port

[0329] 10 ... first flange member

[0330] 11… Bolt with hexagonal hole

[0331] 12…Flange

[0332] 13…Insertion part

[0333] 14…Pipe connection

[0334] 15 ... first flow path forming member

[0335] 16…Chamfer

[0336] 17…Second inlet

[0337] 18…Second valve port

[0338] 19…Second flange member

[0339] 20…bolt with hexagonal hole

[0340] 21…Flange

[0341] 22…Insertion part

[0342] 23…Pipe connection

[0343] 25...Second flow path forming member

[0344] 34…Valve shaft

[0345] 35…Valve body

[0346] 45…Valve action part

[0347] 45a, 45b ... two ends

[0348] 59…Spacer

[0349] 62…Connecting components

[0350] 70, 80 ... first and second valve seat elements

[0351] 74, 84…concave part

[0352] 200…O-ring

[0353] 202…Lubricant

Claims

1. A three-way valve for flow control, characterized in that: Equipped with: A valve body, the valve body having a valve seat, the valve seat including a cylindrical space, and formed with a first valve port with a rectangular cross section for fluid to flow out and a second valve port with a rectangular cross section for fluid to flow out, and formed with a first outflow port and a second outflow port for respectively connecting the first valve port and the second valve port with the outside; A cylindrical valve body having an opening formed therein and rotatably disposed in a valve seat of the valve body, and simultaneously switching the first valve port from a closed state to an open state and the second valve port from an open state to a closed state; A driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism drives the valve body to rotate; a cylindrical driving force transmission mechanism, the driving force transmission mechanism transmitting the driving force of the driving mechanism to the valve body; an engagement mechanism that engages the valve body with the drive mechanism; a first sealing mechanism, the first sealing mechanism being a mechanism for rotatably sealing the end of the valve body on the driving mechanism side relative to the valve body, and being composed of a synthetic resin having a substantially U-shaped cross section and biased in an opening direction by a metal spring member; The second sealing mechanism is configured to rotatably seal the driving force transmission mechanism with respect to the engagement mechanism in a state where a lubricant is applied thereto.

2. A three-way valve for flow control, characterized in that: Equipped with: A valve body, the valve body having a valve seat, and a first inlet and a second inlet, the valve seat including a cylindrical space, and provided with a first valve port with a rectangular cross section for a first fluid to flow in, and a second valve port with a rectangular cross section for a second fluid to flow in, the first inlet and the second inlet respectively allowing the first fluid and the second fluid to flow into the first valve port and the second valve port from the outside; A cylindrical valve body having an opening formed therein and rotatably disposed in a valve seat of the valve body, and simultaneously switching the first valve port from a closed state to an open state and the second valve port from an open state to a closed state; A driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism drives the valve body to rotate; a cylindrical driving force transmission mechanism, the driving force transmission mechanism transmitting the driving force of the driving mechanism to the valve body; a coupling mechanism for coupling the valve body with the driving mechanism; a first sealing mechanism, the first sealing mechanism being a mechanism for rotatably sealing the end of the valve body on the driving mechanism side relative to the valve body, and being composed of a synthetic resin having a substantially U-shaped cross section and biased in an opening direction by a metal spring member; as well as The second sealing mechanism is configured to rotatably seal the driving force transmission mechanism with respect to the engagement mechanism in a state where a lubricant is applied thereto.

3. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The second sealing mechanism is composed of an O-ring or an X-ring.

4. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 3, wherein: The second sealing mechanism is made of any one of EPDM and NBR.

5. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The lubricant has a volatility of less than 1.0% at a temperature of 150° C. for 24 hours.

6. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The lubricant has a volatility of less than 0.1% at a temperature of 150° C. for 24 hours.

7. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The lubricant uses silicone oil as base oil and contains silicon dioxide fine powder.

8. A temperature control device, characterized in that: Equipped with: a temperature control mechanism having a temperature control flow path, in which a temperature control fluid including a low-temperature side fluid and a high-temperature side fluid with an adjusted mixing ratio flows; a first supply mechanism that supplies the low-temperature side fluid adjusted to a predetermined first temperature on the low-temperature side; a second supply mechanism that supplies the high-temperature-side fluid adjusted to a predetermined second temperature of the high-temperature side; a mixing mechanism connected to the first supply mechanism and the second supply mechanism, mixing the low-temperature side fluid supplied from the first supply mechanism with the high-temperature side fluid supplied from the second supply mechanism, and supplying the mixed mixture to the temperature control flow path; as well as a flow control valve for controlling and distributing the flow rate of the temperature control fluid flowing through the temperature control flow path to the first supply mechanism and the second supply mechanism, The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 1 is used as the flow control valve.

9. A temperature control device, characterized in that: Equipped with: a temperature control mechanism having a temperature control flow path, in which a temperature control fluid including a low-temperature side fluid and a high-temperature side fluid with an adjusted mixing ratio flows; a first supply mechanism that supplies the low-temperature side fluid adjusted to a predetermined first temperature on the low-temperature side; a second supply mechanism that supplies the high-temperature-side fluid adjusted to a predetermined second temperature of the high-temperature side; a flow control valve connected to the first supply mechanism and the second supply mechanism, adjusting a mixing ratio of the low-temperature side fluid supplied from the first supply mechanism and the high-temperature side fluid supplied from the second supply mechanism and allowing the fluid to flow into the temperature control flow path, The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 2 is used as the flow control valve.

10. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The second sealing mechanism is accommodated in an accommodation portion which is constituted by a recessed portion provided in the engaging mechanism and is open on the driving mechanism side, and is held in the accommodation portion by a pressing member attached to the driving mechanism side of the engaging mechanism.

11. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 10, wherein: The pressing member is made of the same material as the engaging mechanism, and is fitted into an engaging portion provided at a position of the engaging mechanism closer to the driving mechanism than the accommodating portion.

12. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 11, wherein: The driving force transmission mechanism has a large diameter portion formed at the end portion on the driving mechanism side with an outer diameter larger than that of the cylindrical portion as the other main portion, and the large diameter portion of the driving force transmission mechanism and the pressing member are fitted in the fitting portion of the engaging mechanism.

13. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 12, wherein: The pressing member includes a cylindrical portion disposed on an outer periphery of the large diameter portion of the driving force transmission mechanism, and a flange portion disposed at an end portion of the cylindrical portion of the driving force transmission mechanism on the large diameter portion side.

14. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 13, wherein: The receiving portion is arranged at the inner end of the fitting portion. The second sealing mechanism accommodated in the accommodation portion is held by the flange portion of the pressing member.

15. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 11, wherein: The driving force transmission mechanism is formed in a cylindrical shape over the entire length in the axial direction, and only the pressing member is fitted in the fitting portion of the engagement mechanism.

16. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 10, wherein: The pressing member is fixed to the joint mechanism by any one of an O-ring interposed between the joint mechanism and the driving mechanism, adhesion to the joint mechanism, and screw connection to the joint mechanism.

17. The three-way valve for flow control according to claim 10, wherein: The driving force transmission mechanism includes a concave lubricating oil receiving portion at an end portion on the driving mechanism side, and the lubricating oil receiving portion receives the lubricating oil leaking from the driving mechanism and reaching the driving force transmission mechanism.

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