Manifold

Abstract

A high-strength manifold is formed by suppressing stress concentration at a welding part of an upper shell and a lower shell. The manifold has: a valve for controlling the flow of the fluid; and a housing (10) having a plurality of flow path chambers (LS) partitioned by partition walls in an internal space and through which a fluid flows. The housing (10) has a joining portion (W) in which an upper housing (10a) including a first opening (S1) open to the lower side and a lower housing (10b) including a second opening (S2) open to the upper side are joined by thermally welding the first opening (S1) and the second opening (S2), and the joining portion (W) is disposed more toward the upper side or the lower side than a center position (C) of the housing (10) in the vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to manifolds. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a cooling system for use in a fuel cell vehicle, the cooling system comprising: a first cooling circuit, including an FC radiator for cooling the fuel cell; a second cooling circuit, including an EV radiator for cooling the EV unit; a bypass outflow path for refrigerant to flow out from the first cooling circuit to the second cooling circuit; and a bypass return path for refrigerant to flow from the second cooling circuit to the first cooling circuit.

[0003] Patent document 1 shows a first cooling circuit for cooling a fuel cell (FC) by circulating a refrigerant between the fuel cell (FC) and the FC radiator using an FC pump. In addition, Patent document 1 shows that an EVU unit (EVU) including a motor, an inverter, a battery, etc., is cooled by circulating a refrigerant between the EVU unit and the EV radiator using an EV pump.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a tank body formed by joining a lower flange at the lower end of a vertical wall portion of a lower portion of the tank and an upper flange at the upper end of a vertical wall portion of an upper portion of the tank.

[0005] In Patent Document 2, the reservoir body is made of resin, the upper ends of the melting ribs protruding upward from the upper surface of the lower flange are in contact with the lower surface of the upper flange, and the lower flange and the upper flange are joined by vibration welding.

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-120893

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-23125

[0008] As described in Patent Document 1, in a cooling system that circulates a refrigerant through a plurality of flow paths, it is preferred that a pump and flow paths be integrally formed in a casing from the viewpoint of handling and mountability on a vehicle body.

[0009] As described above, from the viewpoint of handling performance, mounting performance, and the like, it is also conceivable to use a manifold in which a plurality of flow paths, pumps, valves, and the like are integrated so as to be accommodated in a casing.

[0010] As a specific structure, similar to the structure described in Patent Document 2, an upper shell and a lower shell are manufactured separately, and a flange formed on the upper shell and a flange formed on the lower shell are welded together to form a manifold.

[0011] In this case, in order to make the fluid pressure act evenly, the vertical dimensions of the outer peripheral longitudinal wall of the upper shell and the outer peripheral longitudinal wall of the lower shell are usually set equal, and these longitudinal walls are welded at the center position of the manifold in the vertical direction.

[0012] On the other hand, when the fluid pressure inside the manifold increases, the vertical wall of the manifold deforms in a manner of expanding outward. Judging from such deformation, when the vertical wall of the upper shell and the vertical wall of the lower shell are welded at the center position in the vertical direction of the manifold, stress is concentrated on the welded portion, which may cause damage. Summary of the invention

[0013] For the above reasons, a manifold capable of suppressing the concentration of stress on the welded portion between the upper and lower shells is required.

[0014] The characteristic structure of the manifold of the present invention is that it has: a valve for controlling the flow of a fluid; and a housing having a plurality of flow path chambers divided by a partition wall in an internal space and through which the fluid flows; the housing having a joint portion. The joint portion joins an upper housing including a first opening portion opened downward and a lower housing including a second opening portion opened upward by heat-melting the first opening portion and the second opening portion, and the joint portion is arranged to be biased upward or downward from the center of the housing in the vertical direction.

[0015] According to this structure, the first opening of the upper shell and the second opening of the lower shell are thermally welded to form a shell in which the upper shell and the lower shell are integrated. At this time, the welded portion is located on the upper side or the lower side of the center in the vertical direction of the shell. Therefore, for example, even if the center position in the vertical direction of the outer wall of the shell expands outward to the maximum as the pressure of the fluid flowing inside the shell increases, stress will not be concentrated on the welded portion, and damage to the welded portion can be prevented. Therefore, a manifold capable of suppressing stress concentration on the welded portion of the upper and lower shells is formed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is an exploded perspective view of the manifold.

[0017] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the manifold from the valve to the pump area.

[0018] Figure 3 is a top view of the manifold.

[0019] Figure 4 It is a bottom view of the upper housing showing the form of the first opening.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing a cutout portion between the first main annular rib and the first partition wall rib.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the cutout portion between the first partitioning ribs.

[0022] Figure 7 It is a top view of the lower case showing the form of the second opening.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing a cutout portion between the second main annular rib and the second partition wall rib.

[0024] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing the cutout portion between the second partition wall ribs.

[0025] Fig.10 Is Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the manifold taken along line ZZ is shown.

[0026] Fig.11 It will be Figure 3 The cross-sectional view is a state where the manifold is separated into an upper shell and a lower shell after being cut along the ZZ line.

[0027] Fig.12 This is a cross-sectional view of a manifold showing the position of a joining portion according to another embodiment (a).

[0028] Fig.13 This is a cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of upper ribs, lower ribs, etc. according to another embodiment (d).

[0029] Fig.14 This is a cross-sectional view of the upper rib and the lower rib in a welded state according to another embodiment (d).

[0030] Fig.15 This is a perspective view showing a portion of a lower casing according to another embodiment (d).

[0031] Description of Reference Numerals

[0032] 1: cylindrical port 1 (inflow and outflow pipe), 2: valve, 5: vertical wall, 5a: drain hole (liquid discharge hole), 10: shell, 10a: upper shell, 10b: lower shell, 12: cylindrical part, 13: valve body, 17: first annular rib, 18: second annular rib, 21: outer wall, 22: partition chamber, Da: upper rib width, Db: lower rib width, M: manifold, MT: welding surface, N: cutout, Ra: upper rib, Rae: rib lower end, Rb: lower rib, Rbe: rib upper end, W: joint, X: longitudinal axis core, LS: flow path chamber, S1: first opening, S2: second opening DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Embodiments of the manifold of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. As described below, the manifold controls the flow of a fluid for heat exchange between batteries and the like in an electric vehicle, but is not limited to the following embodiments and can be variously modified within the scope of the gist.

[0034] 〔Basic structure〕

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the housing 10 has a plurality of cylindrical ports 1 (an example of an inflow and outflow pipe), a pair of valves 2, and a pair of pumps 3, and a flow path L is formed in the internal space of the housing 10 (see Figure 2 ), thereby forming a manifold M.

[0036] The manifold M is mounted on an electric vehicle that runs on electricity (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "electric vehicle"). The manifold M controls the fluid flowing between cooling objects (not shown) such as a battery, an inverter, and a running motor mounted on the electric vehicle and a heat dissipation unit (not shown) such as a radiator and a cooler.

[0037] The travel motor is a travel drive source that is operated by supplying electric power, and the inverter controls the electric power supplied to the travel motor. The battery is configured as a rechargeable and dischargeable secondary battery, and supplies electric power to the inverter / travel motor, etc. as needed.

[0038] Electric vehicles include, for example, hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), and the like.

[0039] The manifold M constitutes a part of a temperature management unit (not shown). The temperature management unit obtains signals from sensors such as a battery temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the battery and a fluid temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the fluid in the flow path L, and has a control unit (not shown) for independently controlling a pair of valves 2 and a pair of pumps 3.

[0040] The manifold M uses a cooling fluid such as LLC as a fluid. The fluid is not limited to the cooling fluid such as LLC, and may be insulating oil such as paraffin, refrigerant such as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), hydrofluoroolefin (HFO), etc.

[0041] 〔Manifold〕

[0042] The housing 10 constituting the manifold M is Figure 1 The posture shown is equipped on an electric vehicle. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Fig.10 As shown, the manifold M is composed of a housing 10 in which an upper housing 10a made of a thermoplastic resin and a lower housing 10b made of the same material as the upper housing 10a are integrated by heat welding using infrared rays.

[0043] The upper shell 10a and the lower shell 10b are molded products using glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin. In addition, the fiber used for reinforcement is not limited to glass fiber, and can also be high-strength fiber such as carbon fiber. The thermal welding will be described later.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, the housing 10 has a flow path chamber LS through which a fluid flows between a plurality of partition walls 22 or between an outer wall 21 and a partition wall 22. The flow path chamber LS is connected to a predetermined cylindrical port 1 or the interior of a cylindrical portion 12 of a valve 2. The valve 2 controls the flow of the fluid between the plurality of flow path chambers LS.

[0045] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 7 , Fig.10 As shown, the outer wall 21 is composed of a first outer wall rib 21a formed on the upper shell 10a and a second outer wall rib 21b formed on the lower shell 10b. The partition wall 22 is composed of a first partition wall rib 22a formed on the upper shell 10a and a second partition wall rib 22b formed on the lower shell 10b.

[0046] The first outer wall rib 21a and the second outer wall rib 21b are integrated by heat fusion to form the outer wall 21. The first partition wall rib 22a and the second partition wall rib 22b are integrated by heat fusion to form the partition wall 22. Such fusion will be described later.

[0047] 〔Upper shell〕

[0048] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the upper housing 10a is substantially rectangular in a plan view, and a plurality of cylindrical ports 1 (inlet and outlet pipes) protrude outward in a lateral posture relative to the upper housing 10a. Figure 4 , Fig.10 , Fig.11 As shown, the upper housing 10a is formed with a first opening portion S1 opened to the lower side.

[0049] like Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown in the figure, two valves 2 are arranged in the center of the upper housing 10a. The valve 2 accommodates the valve body 13 rotatably inside the cylindrical part 12 centered on the longitudinal axis core X. The valve body 13 has an operating shaft 13a protruding in the up-down direction. The valve 2 has an electric valve driving part 14 that drives the operating shaft 13a of the valve body 13 to rotate, and the valve driving part 14 is arranged on the upper part of the upper housing 10a.

[0050] The cylindrical portion 12 is formed with a bearing hole 16a on a bottom plate 16 formed at the lower portion. As described above, the upper end of the operating shaft 13a of the valve body 13 is connected to the valve driving portion 14, and the lower end of the operating shaft 13a is supported by the bearing hole 16a, thereby rotating around the longitudinal axis core X and controlling the flow of the fluid.

[0051] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 As shown, the upper housing 10 a has a main annular rib 17 (an example of a first annular rib) formed at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 12 , and a sub-annular rib 18 (an example of a second annular rib) formed inside the main annular rib 17 .

[0052] The main annular rib 17 (first annular rib) and the sub-annular rib 18 (second annular rib) are arranged coaxially with the longitudinal axis X. The radius of the main annular rib 17 is substantially equal to that of the cylindrical portion 12 , and the diameter of the sub-annular rib 18 is smaller than that of the main annular rib 17 .

[0053] The main annular rib 17 (first annular rib) is composed of a first main annular rib 17a formed on the upper shell 10a and a second main annular rib 17b formed on the lower shell 10b. The secondary annular rib 18 (second annular rib) is composed of a first secondary annular rib 18a formed on the upper shell 10a and a second secondary annular rib 18b formed on the lower shell 10b.

[0054] The first main annular rib 17a and the second main annular rib 17b are integrated by welding to form the main annular rib 17. The first sub-annular rib 18a and the second sub-annular rib 18b are integrated by welding to form the sub-annular rib 18. These welding operations will be described later.

[0055] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the pump 3 is connected to the flange 4 at both ends of the upper housing 10a in the longitudinal direction when viewed from above. The pump 3 is composed of an electric motor 3a and an impeller 3b. The pump 3 is configured such that the impeller 3b is inserted into the opening of the flange 4.

[0056] The portion of the upper housing 10a where the valve 2 is disposed bulges upward, and the outer wall 21 (first outer wall rib 21a) at the outer edge portion has the smallest dimension in the vertical direction. Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, in order to improve the strength of the outer periphery of the upper casing 10a, the vertical wall portion 5 is integrally formed at the outer periphery of the upper casing 10a.

[0057] The vertical wall portion 5 is a plate-shaped portion that rises upward from the outer circumference of the upper housing 10a, and the outer surface of the vertical wall portion 5 and the outer surface of the first outer wall rib 21a are connected to form the same surface. In addition, the vertical wall portion 5 is arranged at a position overlapping with the first outer wall rib 21a when viewed from above. A portion of the cylindrical port 1 is arranged to penetrate the vertical wall portion 5.

[0058] The strength of a portion of the outer edge of the upper housing 10a is increased by forming the vertical wall portion 5. In addition, since the vertical wall portion 5 is formed, a concave space open to the upper side is formed between the upper housing 10a. The vertical wall portion 5 forms a drain hole 5a (an example of a liquid drain hole) for draining water (liquid) accumulated in the concave space.

[0059] 〔Lower housing〕

[0060] like Figure 2 , Figure 7 , Fig.10 , Fig.11 As shown, the lower case 10b has a bottom wall 7. The lower case 10b is formed with a second opening S2 opened upward. The lower case 10b and the upper case 10a are integrated by heat-welding and joining the first opening S1 and the second opening S2 described above to form the case 10.

[0061] 〔First opening〕

[0062] Figure 4 The first opening portion S1 shown shows the manner of the opening of the upper casing 10a before welding.

[0063] The first opening S1 has a first outer wall rib 21a and a plurality of first partition wall ribs 22a formed in a region surrounding the outer periphery of the upper case 10a. The first opening S1 has a first main annular rib 17a, a first sub-annular rib 18a, and first partition wall ribs 22a.

[0064] In particular, the first pressure-receiving rib region 21ap, which is a relatively long region in the first outer wall rib 21a where the pressure of the fluid in the flow path chamber LS acts from the inside, is formed in a direction toward the region where the fluid flows (inside: Figure 4 The curved shape of the expansion (lower middle side) is used to suppress deformation caused by pressure.

[0065] As described above, the flow path chamber LS is formed between a plurality of partition walls 22 or between the outer wall 21 and the partition wall 22. Figure 4 In FIG. 1 , the position of the flow path chamber LS is shown between a plurality of first partition wall ribs 22 a or between the first outer wall rib 21 a and the first partition wall rib 22 a .

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, a plurality of cylindrical ports 1 (inflow and outflow pipes) arranged in a through state between the first outer wall rib 21a and the first partition wall rib 22a are supported in a reinforced state by a reinforcement portion T formed of resin at a portion penetrating the first outer wall rib 21a and the first partition wall rib 22a.

[0067] By forming the reinforcement portion T in this way, not only the cylindrical port 1 is firmly supported, but also the positional relationship between the outer wall 21 and the partition wall 22 is appropriately maintained, and as a result, the shape retention of the housing 10 is improved.

[0068] 〔Second opening〕

[0069] Figure 7 The second opening portion S2 shown shows the opening of the lower casing 10b before welding.

[0070] The second opening S2 is formed with a second outer wall rib 21b and a plurality of second partition wall ribs 22b in a region surrounding the outer periphery of the lower housing 10b. The second opening S2 is further formed with a second main annular rib 17b, a second sub-annular rib 18b, and second partition wall ribs 22b.

[0071] Similar to the first opening S1 , the flow path chamber LS is located between the plurality of second partition wall ribs 22 b or between the second outer wall rib 21 b and the second partition wall rib 22 b .

[0072] In the second opening S2, the second main annular rib 17b and the second sub-annular rib 18b are arranged at positions overlapping the first main annular rib 17a and the first sub-annular rib 18a. The plurality of second partition wall ribs 22b are arranged at positions overlapping the corresponding first partition wall ribs 22a.

[0073] Furthermore, the second opening portion S2 forms a second outer wall rib 21b at a position that can overlap with the first outer wall rib 21a. A second pressure-bearing rib area 21bp is formed at a position that can overlap with the first pressure-bearing rib area 21ap. The second pressure-bearing rib area 21bp is also formed in a curved shape that expands toward the direction (inward) of fluid flow to suppress deformation caused by pressure.

[0074] In addition, the portions of the first outer wall rib 21a, the first partition wall rib 22a, etc. exposed in the first opening portion S1 are sometimes simply referred to as "ribs", and the portions of the second outer wall rib 21b, the second partition wall rib 22b, etc. exposed in the second opening portion S2 are sometimes simply referred to as "ribs".

[0075] 〔Incision〕

[0076] like Figures 4 to 6As shown, the position where the first outer wall rib 21a and the first partition wall rib 22a formed in the first opening portion S1 are connected, or the position where the first main annular rib 17a and the first partition wall rib 22a are connected becomes a boundary area with the same shape as a three-way intersection.

[0077] like Figure 7 to Figure 9 As shown, the position where the second outer wall rib 21b and the second partition wall rib 22b formed in the second opening portion S2 are connected, or the position where the second main annular rib 17b and the second partition wall rib 22b are connected becomes a boundary area of ​​the same shape as a three-way intersection.

[0078] The heat fusion is achieved by bonding the first opening S1 and the second opening S2 by pressing the portions facing each other under heating. In this bonding, the facing surfaces of the first outer wall rib 21a and the second outer wall rib 21b are bonded in a molten state, and the first partition wall rib 22a and the second partition wall rib 22b are bonded in a molten state.

[0079] After the joining, it is desired that the heat is uniformly dissipated from the joint portion so that the resin is solidified. However, the three-way junction is thicker than the wall thickness of the rib connected thereto, so the temperature drop of a part of the three-way junction is delayed during the heat welding. With such a delay in temperature drop, the difference in thermal expansion may also cause deformation such as distortion and warping of the joint surface.

[0080] In order to suppress such undesirable Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 As shown, a notch N is formed to make the wall thickness of the three-way junction uniform. The wall thickness Y of each rib is constant, and in order to make the wall thickness Y constant at the three-way junction, the notch N has a shape composed of arc surfaces with a radius equal to the wall thickness Y.

[0081] In addition, taking the first outer wall rib 21a as an example, if the radius of the bend at the corner of the first outer wall rib 21a is small, it is easy to cause deformation during heat welding. For this reason, in order to suppress the deformation of the corner, a large radius bend shape is also adopted.

[0082] [Setting of welding position]

[0083] like Figure 2 , Fig.10 , Fig.11 As shown in FIG. 1 , in the housing 10 , the boundary between the first opening portion S1 and the second opening portion S2 after heat fusion is referred to as a junction portion W.

[0084] In the manifold M, the joint W is arranged below the central position C in the vertical direction of the housing 10. That is, the lower dimension Hb from the joint W to the lower end of the lower housing 10b is set to a smaller value than the upper dimension Ha from the joint W to the upper end of the upper housing 10a. In the present embodiment, the upper dimension Ha is about 4 times the lower dimension Hb. The upper dimension Ha is preferably 2 times or more of the lower dimension Hb, and more preferably 3 times or more of the lower dimension Hb.

[0085] In the housing 10 , at a portion where the pressure of the fluid flowing through the flow path chamber LS acts on the outer wall 21 , when the pressure of the fluid increases, the outer wall 21 deforms so as to expand laterally outward.

[0086] This deformation causes the housing 10 (manifold M) to bulge outward most at the vertical center position C. Therefore, for example, when the joint W is located at the vertical center position C of the housing 10, the stress caused by the deformation is concentrated on the joint W, which may damage the joint W.

[0087] Especially, the housing 10 is formed by glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin. However, when the resin is heat-welded, only the resin is bonded at the joint W, and when an external force acts, it is easy to cause damage on the joint surface.

[0088] From the viewpoint of preventing such damage, the lower dimension Hb of the lower housing 10 b is set smaller than the upper dimension Ha of the upper housing 10 a , so that the joint W is set below the vertical center position C of the housing 10 .

[0089] According to such a structure, even when the housing 10 is deformed by expansion due to the pressure of the fluid, the resin matrix containing the glass fiber of the upper housing 10a can be deformed to reduce the stress acting on the joint W and suppress the malfunction causing damage.

[0090] [Effects of implementation methods]

[0091] In this way, the joint portion W joined by heat-melting the first opening portion S1 of the upper shell 10a and the second opening portion S2 of the lower shell 10b is arranged below the central position C in the vertical direction of the shell 10. Therefore, even if the central position C in the vertical direction of the outer wall 21 of the shell 10 expands outward to the maximum as the pressure of the fluid flowing inside the shell 10 rises, stress will not be concentrated on the joint portion W, and the joint portion W will not be damaged.

[0092] The heat welding is to heat the first opening S1 and the second opening S2 by using the heat from the infrared heat source, so that the ribs exposed at the upper opening S and the ribs exposed at the second opening S2 are melted. Then, pressure is applied to the upper shell 10a and the lower shell 10b to join the molten ribs to each other, and the resin is solidified by heat dissipation, completing the heat welding.

[0093] In this heat welding, by forming the notch portion N at the boundary region of the three-way junction of the rib, heat is uniformly dissipated at the joint surface between the ribs, and deformation such as distortion is suppressed.

[0094] The cylindrical portion 12 rotatably accommodates the valve body 13 and has a double structure in which the main annular rib 17 and the sub-annular rib 18 disposed at the bottom are coaxially cored, so that the posture of the cylindrical portion 12 can be stabilized.

[0095] The main annular rib 17 is formed by heat-melting the first main annular rib 17a and the second main annular rib 17b, and the secondary annular rib 18 is formed by heat-melting the first secondary annular rib 18a and the second secondary annular rib 18b. Thus, without increasing the wall thickness of the main annular rib 17 and the secondary annular rib 18, proper bonding can be achieved by good heat dissipation during heat melting.

[0096] By forming the outer wall 21 on which the pressure of the fluid from the flow path chamber LS acts in a curved shape that expands toward the flow path chamber LS, even if the outer wall 21 is relatively longer than other outer walls 21 , the defect of deforming to expand outward can be eliminated.

[0097] The cylindrical port 1 penetrating from the first outer wall rib 21a to the first partition wall rib 22a is reinforced at the penetration portion by the reinforcement portion T. This not only firmly supports the cylindrical port 1, but also stabilizes the postures of the outer wall 21 and the partition wall 22, resulting in improved shape retention of the housing 10.

[0098] The outer peripheral portion of the upper shell 10a is provided with a vertical wall portion 5 integrally formed therewith, thereby achieving an increase in strength, suppressing warping of the welded end surface, thereby easily ensuring a welded area, and preventing a decrease in welded strength. In addition, the water that enters the concave space due to the formation of the vertical wall portion 5 can be discharged by using the drainage hole 5a (liquid discharge hole).

[0099] [Another Implementation]

[0100] The present invention may be configured as follows other than the above-described embodiment (portions having the same functions as those in the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and reference signs as those in the embodiment).

[0101] (a) If Fig.12As shown in FIG. 1 , the joint W of the manifold M is set above the central position C in the vertical direction of the housing 10. In this structure, even if the outer wall 21 expands laterally outward due to the pressure of the fluid flowing through the flow path chamber LS and deforms the resin matrix material containing glass fibers of the upper housing 10a, the increase in stress acting on the joint W can be suppressed, and the failure causing breakage can be suppressed.

[0102] (b) The ribs exposed in the first opening S1 and the second opening S2 are not limited to flat surfaces, and may have, for example, a shape having recesses and projections that can fit into the lower end of the first outer wall rib 21a and a part of the upper end of the second outer wall rib 21b.

[0103] By using the concave portion and the convex portion in this way and fitting the concave portion and the convex portion together, the positional relationship between the first opening portion S1 and the second opening portion S2 can be appropriately maintained during heat fusion.

[0104] (c) The shape of the notch portion N is not limited to a shape formed by combining arcuate surfaces, and for example, a shape that is concave in a plan view may be formed by combining short straight lines.

[0105] (d) If Figure 4 , Fig.13 , Fig.14 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first opening S1 of the manifold M has the end surface (lower surface) of the rib lower end Rae of the upper rib Ra of the upper housing 10a. Figure 7 , Fig.13 , Fig.14 As shown, the second opening S2 of the manifold M has an end surface (upper surface) of a rib upper end portion Rbe of the lower rib Rb of the lower casing 10b.

[0106] The end surface of the rib lower end Rae and the end surface of the rib upper end Rbe of the manifold M are Fig.14 The joining portion W shown is joined by heat fusion. In the following description, in the joining portion W, the boundary where the rib lower end Rae of the upper rib Ra and the rib upper end Rbe of the lower rib Rb are joined is referred to as a weld surface MT.

[0107] The upper rib Ra is Figure 4 The first main annular rib 17a, the first sub-annular rib 18a, the first outer wall rib 21a, and the first partition wall rib 22a are each a superordinate concept. Figure 7 The second main annular rib 17b, the second sub-annular rib 18b, the second outer wall rib 21b, and the second partition wall rib 22b are respectively shown as superordinate concepts.

[0108] In another embodiment (d), if Fig.13 , Fig.14 , Fig.15As shown, the wall thickness of the rib lower end Rae of the upper rib Ra (hereinafter, also referred to as the upper rib width Da) and the wall thickness of the rib upper end Rbe of the lower rib Rb (hereinafter, also referred to as the lower rib width Db) are made different. In this other embodiment (d), the upper rib width Da is set narrower than the lower rib width Db (the relationship of Da<Db). In addition, this dimensional relationship can also be implemented in the opposite way (Da>Db).

[0109] By setting the dimensional relationship between the upper rib width Da and the lower rib width Db in this way, even if the rib lower end Rae of the upper rib Ra and the rib upper end Rbe of the lower rib Rb deviate from the rib width direction within the tolerance range, the defect of one of the rib lower end Rae of the upper rib Ra and the rib upper end Rbe of the lower rib Rb in the width direction protruding outward from the other end in the width direction can be suppressed, and hot welding can be ensured while maintaining the width in the rib width direction.

[0110] The reason for setting such a dimensional relationship is that the joining strength of the joining portion W can be improved by increasing the area of ​​the joining portion W and, as described above, the rib lower end Rae and the rib upper end Rbe can be welded within the width in the rib width direction.

[0111] In order to improve the bonding strength of the bonding portion W, if only the upper rib width Da and the lower rib width Db are increased, the weight of the manifold M will increase and the amount of resin used will increase. Fig.13 As shown, the upper rib width Da required to improve the joining strength of the joining portion W is set, and the lower rib width Db is set larger than the upper rib width Da.

[0112] In order to perform heat welding, when two ribs with different rib widths (rib lower end Rae and rib upper end Rbe) are heated at the same time with the same amount of heat, it can be confirmed that the smaller the rib width, the smaller the heat dissipation to the outside by heat conduction, so the temperature of the rib with a smaller rib width becomes higher than that of the rib with a larger rib width.

[0113] In addition, when two ribs with a temperature difference are welded at the joint surface (the end surface of the rib lower end Rae and the end surface of the rib upper end Rbe), the required strength of the weld surface MT may not be obtained. The reason for this is that when pressure is applied to the two ribs to make them contact for welding, the molten resin at the joint surface of the rib on the high temperature side has high fluidity, and pressure cannot be appropriately applied between the two ribs, so that the molten resin cannot be combined with the required force.

[0114] In another embodiment (d), by reducing the temperature difference between the rib lower end Rae of the upper rib Ra and the rib upper end Rbe of the lower rib Rb, good heat fusion can be performed. That is, in order to perform heat fusion, when heating the rib lower end Rae and the rib upper end Rbe, as shown in FIG. Fig.13 As shown, the infrared heater 26 is disposed between the rib lower end Rae of the upper rib Ra and the rib upper end Rbe of the lower rib Rb.

[0115] During heat welding, when the resin at the end surfaces of the rib lower end Rae and the rib upper end Rbe is at a temperature exceeding the melting point due to heating by the infrared heater 26, the heat source is removed to bring the rib lower end Rae and the rib upper end Rbe into contact with an appropriate pressure.

[0116] Thus, by making the rib lower end Rae and the rib upper end Rbe contact with each other with appropriate pressure, Fig.14 As shown, the resin in a molten state can be pressed onto each end surface to generate a firmly joined weld surface MT.

[0117] In another embodiment (d), the value of the upper rib width Da is the joint width, and the joint width is set to be greater than 4 mm and less than 8 mm. In addition, during the welding, a portion of the molten resin flows out from the boundary of the joint W to the outside, forming a burr portion 27. When the joint width is set to 4.5 mm, the maximum stress reduction rate is 48% and the breaking time is more than 20 times compared to the case where the joint width is set to 3.0 mm. Therefore, the joint width is preferably greater than 4 mm and less than 8 mm.

[0118] In addition, as long as the structure disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiment (including another embodiment, the same below) is not contradictory, it can be combined with the structure disclosed in other embodiments for application. In addition, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are only examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

[0119] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the following structure is conceivable.

[0120] (1) A manifold M includes: a valve 2 for controlling the flow of a fluid; and a housing 10 having a plurality of flow path chambers LS in an internal space divided by a partition wall 22 and through which the fluid flows. The housing 10 includes a joint W, which is formed by joining an upper housing 10a including a first opening S1 opened downward and a lower housing 10b including a second opening S2 opened upward by heat-welding the first opening S1 and the second opening S2, and the joint W is arranged to be biased upward or downward from the center (central position C) of the housing 10 in the vertical direction.

[0121] According to this characteristic structure, the upper shell 10a and the lower shell 10b are joined at the joint W by heat-melting the first opening S1 of the upper shell 10a and the second opening S2 of the lower shell 10b, thereby forming an integrated shell 10. The joint W is located above or below the center (central position C) in the vertical direction of the shell 10. Therefore, for example, even if the central position C in the vertical direction of the outer wall 21 of the shell 10 expands outward to the maximum as the pressure of the fluid flowing inside the shell 10 increases, stress will not be concentrated on the joint W, and the joint W will not be damaged.

[0122] (2) In the manifold M of (1), the joint W preferably has a notch N that makes the wall thickness of the three-way junction uniform at the boundary area of ​​the three-way junction where two partition walls 22 intersect each other or one partition wall 22 intersects the outer wall 21 of the housing 10.

[0123] Thus, since the wall thickness is made uniform by forming the notch N, the three-way junction contacts in a heated state, and when the temperature drops in this contact state, heat is evenly dissipated in the contact portion, thereby eliminating defects that cause distortion or warping.

[0124] (3) In the manifold M of (1) or (2), preferably, the valve 2 comprises: a cylindrical portion 12 centered on a vertical axis X along the up-down direction; and a valve body 13 rotatably accommodated inside the cylindrical portion 12 centered on the vertical axis X. The joint W comprises: a first annular rib (primary annular rib 17) disposed at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 12; and a second annular rib (secondary annular rib 18) disposed inside the first annular rib in a region centered on the vertical axis X.

[0125] Thus, the first annular rib (main annular rib 17) and the second annular rib (sub-annular rib 18) inside the first annular rib 17 are double-arranged at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 12. Thus, the strength of the lower end of the cylindrical portion 12 can be improved. In addition, it is also considered that the strength can be improved by arranging annular ribs with a larger wall thickness (width) at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 12, but sometimes it may cause uneven heat dissipation during thermal welding. In response to this, by doubling the annular ribs, the heat dissipation of the double ribs is evenly performed.

[0126] (4) In the manifold M of (1), the outer wall 21 of the housing 10 forming the relatively long flow chamber LS in the direction in which the fluid flows among the plurality of flow chambers LS is preferably in a curved shape that expands toward the flow chamber LS.

[0127] Thus, even when the pressure of the fluid flowing through the flow path chamber LS acts, it is possible to suppress the outer wall 21 from deforming to expand outward.

[0128] (5) In the manifold M of (1), the outer wall 21 and the partition wall 22 of the housing 10 are preferably connected by a part of the inflow and outflow pipes (cylindrical port 1).

[0129] Therefore, by connecting the outflow and inflow pipes (cylindrical port 1) to the outer wall 21 and the partition wall 22, not only the outflow and inflow pipes (cylindrical port 1) are firmly supported, but also the relative positional relationship between the outer wall 21 and the partition wall 22 is stabilized, resulting in improved conformality of the outer shell 10.

[0130] (6) In the manifold M of (1), the vertical wall portion 5 is formed along the outer periphery of the housing 10 and preferably has a liquid discharge hole (drain hole 5 a ) for discharging the liquid entering the inner side of the vertical wall portion 5 .

[0131] Thus, by forming the longitudinal wall portion 5, the strength of the outer edge portion of the housing 10 can be increased, the warping of the welded end surface can be suppressed, and the welded area can be easily ensured, and the welded strength can be prevented from decreasing. In addition, even if a concave space is formed between the outer peripheral portion of the housing 10 and the longitudinal wall portion 5, even if water accumulates in the concave space, the water can be drained through the drain hole 5a.

[0132] (7) In the manifold M of (1), the first opening portion S1 is the rib lower end portion Rae of the upper rib Ra extending downward in the upper shell 10a, and the second opening portion S2 is the rib upper end portion Rbe of the lower rib Rb formed in the lower shell 10b and extending upward. Preferably, the wall thickness of the rib lower end portion Rae, i.e., the upper rib width Da, is different from the wall thickness of the rib upper end portion Rbe, i.e., the lower rib width Db.

[0133] Thus, even if the rib lower end portion Rae of the upper rib Ra and the rib upper end portion Rbe of the lower rib Rb are in a positional relationship deviating from the appropriate position in the width direction of the rib within the tolerance range, the defect that the end portion of one of the rib lower end portion Rae of the upper rib Ra and the rib upper end portion Rbe of the lower rib Rb in the width direction protrudes outward from the end portion of the other in the width direction can be suppressed, and heat welding can be performed while maintaining the width within the rib width direction.

[0134] (8) In the manifold M of (6) and (7), the joining width of the rib lower end Rae and the rib upper end Rbe by heat welding is preferably 4 mm or more and 8 mm or less.

[0135] This enables heat fusion bonding in a region with a practical width of 4 mm to 8 mm.

[0136] In the manifolds M of (9) and (7), the width of the thinner rib is preferably 75 to 88% of the width of the thicker rib.

[0137] Thus, ribs having different rib widths can be thermally welded, wherein the width of the thinner rib is 75 to 88% of the width of the thicker rib.

[0138] Industrial Applicability

[0139] The present invention can be used in manifolds.

Claims

1. A manifold, wherein: have: Valves, which control the flow of fluids; as well as A housing having a plurality of flow path chambers divided by partition walls in an inner space and through which the fluid flows; The housing has a joint portion, and the joint portion joins an upper housing including a first opening portion opened to the bottom and a lower housing including a second opening portion opened to the top by heat-welding the first opening portion and the second opening portion. The engaging portion is disposed upward or downward relative to a center of the housing in a vertical direction.

2. The manifold according to claim 1, wherein: The joint portion has a cutout portion that makes the wall thickness of the three-way junction uniform in a boundary region of the three-way junction where two of the partition walls intersect each other or one of the partition walls intersects the outer wall of the housing.

3. The manifold according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The valve comprises: a cylindrical portion, with a longitudinal axis core along the up-down direction as a center; and a valve body, which is rotatably accommodated in the cylindrical portion with the longitudinal axis core as a center; The engaging portion includes: a first annular rib disposed at a lower end position of the cylindrical portion; and a second annular rib disposed inside the first annular rib in a region centered on the longitudinal axis.

4. The manifold of claim 1, wherein: An outer wall of the housing forming a relatively long flow path chamber along the direction in which the fluid flows among the plurality of flow path chambers is in a curved shape that expands toward the flow path chamber.

5. The manifold of claim 1, wherein: The outer wall of the housing and the partition wall are connected by a part of the inflow and outflow pipes.

6. The manifold of claim 1, wherein: A vertical wall portion is formed along the outer circumference of the housing.

7. The manifold of claim 6, wherein: The invention comprises a liquid discharge hole for discharging the liquid which has entered the inner side of the vertical wall part.

8. The manifold of claim 1, wherein: The first opening is a rib lower end portion of an upper rib extending downward in the upper shell, and the second opening is a rib upper end portion of a lower rib formed in the lower shell and extending upward. The wall thickness at the lower end of the rib, that is, the upper rib width, is different from the wall thickness at the upper end of the rib, that is, the lower rib width.

9. The manifold of claim 8, wherein: A joining width of the rib lower end portion and the rib upper end portion during the heat fusion is not less than 4 mm and not more than 8 mm.

10. A manifold according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: The thinner rib width of the upper rib width and the lower rib width is 75 to 88% of the thicker rib width.

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