Electrically operated valve, electrically operated valve device, and method for assembling electrically operated valve device

Abstract

The invention provides an electrically operated valve and an electrically operated valve device which can be universally used in various systems, and an installation method of the electrically operated valve. The electrically operated valve (3) has a valve body assembly (5), a stator unit (6), and a nut member (7). The stator unit (6) is attached to the valve body assembly (5). A male thread (11e) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body member (10) of the valve main body assembly (5). The male thread (11e) is screwed with a female thread (7e) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut member (7) and a female thread (201e) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole (201) of the flow path block (2). The length of the male thread (11e) in the direction of the axis (L) is greater than the length of the female thread (7e) in the direction of the axis (L).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electric valve, an electric valve device and an assembling method of the electric valve device. Background Art

[0002] An example of an existing electric valve is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The electric valve is installed in a system having a flow path block. The electric valve and the flow path block together constitute an electric valve device. The electric valve has a valve body assembly and a stator unit. The valve body assembly has a main body part, a valve core, a housing, and a magnetic rotor. The main body part has a valve chamber. The valve core is arranged in the valve chamber. The housing has a cylindrical shape, and one end of the housing is connected to the main body part. The magnetic rotor is arranged on the inner side of the housing. The valve body assembly is installed on the flow path block. The stator unit has a stator and a housing. The stator is arranged on the outside of the housing. The magnetic rotor and the stator constitute a stepping motor. The valve core moves by the rotation of the magnetic rotor. The stator is accommodated in the housing. The housing has a connector for connecting electric wires. Alternatively, the electric wires extend outward from a specified portion of the stator unit. The portion of the electric wire in the stator unit extending outward and the connector are referred to as a "wire connection portion".

[0003] An external thread is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the main body component. A mounting hole is provided on the upper surface of the flow path block, and an internal thread is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole. The external thread of the main body component is screwed with the internal thread of the flow path block. The main body component (valve body assembly) is mounted on the flow path block through a threaded structure. The flow path block has a retaining groove extending along the axial direction of the internal thread. The housing has a mounting plate extending along the axial direction of the external thread. When the mounting plate is arranged in the retaining groove, the mounting plate is engaged with the flow path block, so that the stator unit is mounted on the flow path block.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-83453

[0007] In a system equipped with an electric valve, for example, the direction of the wire connection part (the position of the thread around the axis in the stator unit) may need to be changed in order to efficiently lay the wires. In addition, in order to change the direction of the wire connection part in the electric valve, the position of the mounting plate in the housing needs to be changed. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare electric valves that match various systems respectively, and it is difficult to use electric valves in common in various systems. Summary of the invention

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric valve and an electric valve device that can be used in a variety of systems, and an assembling method of the electric valve device.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an electric valve involved in one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a valve body component, a stator unit and at least one nut component, wherein the valve body component comprises: a main body component; a cylindrical shell, which is installed on the main body component; and a magnetic rotor, which is arranged on the inner side of the shell, and the stator unit has a stator arranged on the outer side of the shell, and the stator unit is installed on the valve body component, and an external thread is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body component, and the external thread is screwed with the internal thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut component, and the axial length of the external thread is larger than the axial length of the internal thread.

[0010] In the present invention, preferably, the external thread is threadedly engaged with the internal thread of the nut member and an internal thread provided on an inner peripheral surface of a mounting hole of a flow path block, and the nut member is fastened to fix the body member to the flow path block.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferred that a retaining groove extending along the axial direction of the external thread is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body component, the stator unit has a mounting plate extending along the axial direction of the external thread, the retaining groove crosses at least a portion of the external thread, the mounting plate is arranged in the retaining groove, a protrusion is provided on one side of the bottom surface of the retaining groove and the surface of the mounting plate opposite to the bottom surface, and a protrusion receiving portion is provided on the other side of the bottom surface of the retaining groove and the surface of the mounting plate opposite to the bottom surface, and the protrusion receiving portion is a recessed portion or a hole engaged with the protrusion.

[0012] In the present invention, preferably, the mounting plate is arranged inside the nut member, and the depth of the holding groove is smaller than the sum of the thickness of the mounting plate and the protrusion amount of the protrusion.

[0013] In the present invention, preferably, information on the valve opening position of the magnetic rotor is recorded in the electric valve.

[0014] In the present invention, preferably, the electric valve includes a control device for controlling the rotation of the magnetic rotor, and the information is stored in the control device.

[0015] In the present invention, preferably, the electric valve includes a label that is attached to an outer surface of the valve body assembly or an outer surface of the stator unit, and the information is recorded on the label.

[0016] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electric valve device according to another aspect of the present invention includes the electric valve and the flow path block.

[0017] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, another embodiment of the present invention involves an assembly method of an electric valve device, which is an assembly method of an electric valve device having an electric valve and a flow path block, wherein the electric valve has a valve body component, a stator unit and at least one nut component, the valve body component has: a main body component; a cylindrical shell, which is mounted on the main body component; and a magnetic rotor, which is arranged on the inner side of the shell, and the stator unit has a stator arranged on the outer side of the shell, (1) installing the stator unit on the valve body component, (2) screwing an external thread provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body component with an internal thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut component, (3) screwing the external thread with an internal thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole of the flow path block, and (4) tightening the nut component so that the main body component is fixed to the flow path block.

[0018] Effects of the Invention

[0019] The electric valve has a valve body assembly, a stator unit and at least one nut component. The stator unit is installed on the valve body assembly. The external thread provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body component of the valve body assembly is screwed with the internal thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut component. The length of the external thread in the axial direction is greater than the length of the internal thread in the axial direction. Thus, a part of the external thread of the main body component screwed with the internal thread of the nut component can be screwed with the internal thread provided on the flow path block. Thus, by positioning the electric valve at any position around the axis of the external thread and tightening the nut component, the electric valve can be fixed to the flow path block. Therefore, the electric valve can be used in a variety of systems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of an electric valve device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of an electric valve included in an electric valve device.

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a valve body assembly of an electric valve.

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a stator unit included in an electric valve.

[0024] Figure 5 Yes means Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram of a bracket having a stator unit.

[0025] Figure 6 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI.

[0026] Figure 7 Yes Figure 6 An enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the

[0027] Figure 8 Yes Description Figure 1 A diagram showing an assembly method of an electric valve device (a process of installing a stator unit on a valve body assembly).

[0028] Fig. 9 Yes Description Figure 1 A diagram of an assembly method of an electric valve device (a process of threading the external thread of a main body component with the internal thread of a nut component).

[0029] Fig.10 Yes Description Figure 1 1. A diagram of an assembly method of an electric valve device (a process of screwing the external thread of a main body component into the internal thread of a flow path block).

[0030] Fig.11 Yes Description Figure 1 1 and 2. A diagram showing an assembly method of an electric valve device (a process of tightening a nut component).

[0031] Fig.12 Yes means Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the structure of a modified example of the electric valve device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Below, refer to Figures 1 to 12 An electric valve device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The electric valve device is incorporated in, for example, an air conditioning system mounted on a vehicle or installed in a house.

[0033] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of an electric valve device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of an electric valve included in an electric valve device. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a valve body assembly of an electric valve. Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a stator unit included in an electric valve. Figure 5 Yes means Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram of a bracket having a stator unit.

[0034] Figure 5 (A) is a three-dimensional diagram of the bracket. Figure 5 (B) is another stereoscopic view of the bracket. Figure 6 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI. Figure 7 Yes Figure 6An enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion (the retaining groove and its vicinity of the valve body assembly).

[0035] Figure 8 to Figure 11 Yes Description Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram of an assembling method of an electric valve device. Figure 8 This section shows the steps of mounting the stator unit to the valve body assembly. Fig. 9 The step of threading the external thread of the body member of the valve body assembly and the internal thread of the nut member is shown. Fig.10 This shows the step of screwing the external thread of the main body member into the internal thread of the flow path block. Fig.11 Indicates the process of tightening the nut component. Fig.12 Yes means Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a modified example of the structure of the electric valve device. Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 8 to Figure 12 , the valve core is shown as viewed from the front.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the electric valve device 1 includes a flow path block 2 and an electric valve 3 .

[0037] The flow path block 2 is made of, for example, aluminum alloy and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The flow path block 2 has a circular mounting hole 201. The mounting hole 201 is arranged on the upper surface 2d of the flow path block 2. The upper surface 2d is the outer surface of the flow path block 2. The inner diameter of the mounting hole 201 gradually decreases from the top to the bottom. An internal thread 201e is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole 201. Figure 1 The device has a first flow path 205 extending leftward from the mounting hole 201 and a second flow path 206 extending downward from the mounting hole 201.

[0038] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the electric valve 3 includes a valve body assembly 5 , a stator unit 6 and a nut member 7 .

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, the valve body assembly 5 includes a body component 10 , a cover 20 , a drive mechanism 30 and a valve core 40 .

[0040] The body member 10 is made of, for example, aluminum alloy and includes a first portion 11 , a second portion 12 , and a connecting member 13 .

[0041] The first part 11 has a cylindrical shape. The first part 11 integrally includes an upper part 11a, a middle part 11b, and a lower part 11c. The outer diameter of the upper part 11a is larger than that of the middle part 11b. The outer diameter of the middle part 11b is larger than that of the lower part 11c.

[0042] The first portion 11 has an external thread 11e. The external thread 11e is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper portion 11a. The external thread 11e is screwed with the internal thread 201e of the flow path block 2. The first portion 11 is disposed in the mounting hole 201 of the flow path block 2. The upper portion 11a protrudes from the upper surface 2d of the flow path block 2.

[0043] The first part 11 has a retaining groove 14. The retaining groove 14 extends in the up-down direction (direction of the axis L). The retaining groove 14 is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the upper part 11a, and crosses the external thread 11e in the up-down direction. The upper end of the retaining groove 14 opens upward, and the lower end of the retaining groove 14 opens downward. Alternatively, the retaining groove 14 may also cross a part of the external thread 11e. In this case, the upper end of the retaining groove 14 opens upward. The first part 11 has a recess 14c. The recess 14c is arranged on the bottom surface 14a of the retaining groove 14. The recess 14c is a protrusion receiving portion.

[0044] The first part 11 has a valve chamber 15, a valve port 16, a valve seat 17, and a connecting flow path 18. The valve chamber 15 is arranged on the inner side of the middle part 11b and the lower part 11c. The valve port 16 opens in the valve chamber 15. The valve seat 17 is an inward annular cone. The valve seat 17 surrounds the valve port 16 in the valve chamber 15. The connecting flow path 18 connects the valve chamber 15 to the mounting hole 201. The valve chamber 15 is connected to the first flow path 205 via the connecting flow path 18 and the mounting hole 201. The valve chamber 15 is connected to the second flow path 206 via the valve port 16. In addition, the flow path block 2 may have a valve chamber instead of the first part 11.

[0045] The second part 12 has a cylindrical shape. The lower part of the second part 12 is arranged on the inner side of the upper part 11a of the first part 11. The upper part of the second part 12 protrudes from the upper surface 11d of the first part 11. The second part 12 is installed on the first part 11 by a threaded structure. The connecting component 13 has a circular ring plate shape. The inner peripheral edge of the connecting component 13 is joined to the upper end of the second part 12. In the present embodiment, the first part 11 and the second part 12 are separate parts, but the main body part 10 can also be a part in which the first part 11 and the second part 12 are formed integrally.

[0046] The cover 20 is made of, for example, stainless steel. The cover 20 has a cylindrical shape. The lower end of the cover 20 is open and the upper end is closed. The lower end of the cover 20 is joined to the outer peripheral edge of the connecting member 13. The cover 20 is mounted on the second part 12 via the connecting member 13. The cover 20 may also be directly mounted on the second part 12. The cover 20 is a shell mounted on the main body 10.

[0047] The drive mechanism 30 moves the valve body 40 in the up-down direction. The drive mechanism 30 includes a magnetic rotor 31 , a valve shaft holder 32 , and a guide bushing 33 .

[0048] The magnetic rotor 31 has a cylindrical shape. The magnetic rotor 31 is arranged inside the cover 20. The outer diameter of the magnetic rotor 31 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cover 20. The magnetic rotor 31 has a plurality of N poles and a plurality of S poles. The plurality of N poles and the plurality of S poles are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the magnetic rotor 31. The plurality of N poles and the plurality of S poles extend in the up-down direction. The plurality of N poles and the plurality of S poles are alternately arranged at equal angle intervals in the circumferential direction. The magnetic rotor 31 has, for example, 12 N poles and 12 S poles.

[0049] The valve shaft holder 32 has a cylindrical shape. The lower end of the valve shaft holder 32 is open and the upper end is closed. A support ring 35 is fixed to the upper end of the valve shaft holder 32. The magnetic rotor 31 and the valve shaft holder 32 are connected via the support ring 35. An internal thread 32c is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the valve shaft holder 32. A movable stopper 37 is installed on the valve shaft holder 32.

[0050] The guide bushing 33 integrally includes a base 33a and a support portion 33b. The base 33a and the support portion 33b have a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the support portion 33b is smaller than the outer diameter of the base 33a. The support portion 33b is coaxially connected to the upper end of the base 33a. An external thread 33c is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the support portion 33b. The external thread 33c is screwed into the internal thread 32c of the valve shaft retainer 32. The base 33a is pressed into the upper part of the second part 12 of the main body part 10. The guide bushing 33 is combined with the main body part 10. A fixing stopper 38 is installed on the base 33a.

[0051] The valve core 40 integrally includes a first shaft portion 41, a second shaft portion 42, and a valve portion 43. The first shaft portion 41 and the second shaft portion 42 have a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the second shaft portion 42 is smaller than the outer diameter of the first shaft portion 41. The second shaft portion 42 is coaxially connected to the upper end of the first shaft portion 41. The second shaft portion 42 passes through the upper wall portion 32a of the valve shaft retainer 32. A push nut 45 for preventing disengagement is mounted on the second shaft portion 42. The first shaft portion 41 is arranged on the inner side of the guide bushing 33 and the inner side of the second portion 12. The first shaft portion 41 is supported on the guide bushing 33 in a manner that can move in the up-down direction. The lower end of the first shaft portion 41 is arranged in the valve chamber 15. The valve portion 43 has a shape in which a plurality of tapered portions whose outer diameters decrease from the upper side toward the lower side are coaxially connected. The valve portion 43 is coaxially connected to the lower end of the first shaft portion 41. The valve portion 43 is arranged in the valve chamber 15. The valve portion 43 is opposite to the valve port 16 (valve seat 17) in the up-down direction. The valve core 40 has a step portion 44. The step portion 44 is arranged at the connection portion between the first shaft portion 41 and the second shaft portion 42. The step portion 44 is an annular plane facing upward. A valve closing spring 36 is arranged between the upper wall portion 32a of the valve shaft retainer 32 and the step portion 44. The valve closing spring 36 is a compression coil spring. The valve closing spring 36 presses the valve core 40 downward. The valve core 40 moves in the up-down direction by the driving mechanism 30. The valve port 16 is opened and closed by the movement of the valve core 40.

[0052] In the valve body assembly 5, when the magnetic rotor 31 rotates in the valve closing direction, the magnetic rotor 31 and the valve shaft holder 32 move downward by the action of the feed screw of the internal thread 32c of the valve shaft holder 32 and the external thread 33c of the guide bushing 33. The valve shaft holder 32 presses the valve core 40 downward via the valve closing spring 36. The valve core 40 moves downward and the valve core 40 contacts the valve seat 17. The position of the magnetic rotor 31 at this time is the valve closing position Rc. When the magnetic rotor 31 further rotates in the valve closing direction from this state, the valve closing spring 36 is compressed and the magnetic rotor 31 and the valve shaft holder 32 move further downward. The valve core 40 does not move downward. In addition, when the movable stopper 37 contacts the fixed stopper 38, the rotation of the magnetic rotor 31 in the valve closing direction is restricted. The position of the magnetic rotor 31 at this time is the reference position Rx. The movable stopper 37 and the fixed stopper 38 are stopper mechanisms for restricting the rotation of the magnetic rotor 31 in the valve closing direction.

[0053] In the valve body assembly 5, when the magnetic rotor 31 rotates in the valve opening direction, the magnetic rotor 31 and the valve shaft holder 32 move upward by the action of the feed screw of the internal thread 32c of the valve shaft holder 32 and the external thread 33c of the guide bushing 33. The valve shaft holder 32 presses the push nut 45 upward. The valve core 40 moves upward and the valve core 40 leaves the valve seat 17. The position of the magnetic rotor 31 at which the valve core 40 leaves the valve seat 17 and the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing in the valve port 16 reaches a predetermined set value is set as the valve opening position Ro. In addition, the valve opening position Ro may be the same as the valve closing position Rc. When the magnetic rotor 31 further rotates in the valve opening direction, the magnetic rotor 31 reaches the fully open position Rz. When the magnetic rotor 31 is at the fully open position Rz, the valve core 40 is farthest away from the valve port 16, and the valve port 16 becomes the maximum opening.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, the stator unit 6 has a stator 60 , a housing 70 , a bracket 80 and a control device 85 .

[0055] The stator 60 has a cylindrical shape and includes an A-phase stator 61 , a B-phase stator 62 , and a molded part 63 made of synthetic resin.

[0056] The A-phase stator 61 has a plurality of claw-pole type pole teeth 61a and 61b on the inner circumference. The top of the pole tooth 61a faces downward, and the top of the pole tooth 61b faces upward. The pole teeth 61a and the pole teeth 61b are alternately arranged at equal angles in the circumferential direction. The A-phase stator 61 has, for example, 12 pole teeth 61a and 12 pole teeth 61b. The angle between the adjacent pole teeth 61a and pole teeth 61b is 15 degrees. When the coil 61c of the A-phase stator 61 is energized, the pole teeth 61a and the pole teeth 61b become different polarities from each other.

[0057] The B-phase stator 62 has a plurality of claw-pole type pole teeth 62a and 62b on the inner circumference. The top of the pole tooth 62a faces downward, and the top of the pole tooth 62b faces upward. The pole teeth 62a and the pole teeth 62b are alternately arranged at equal angles in the circumferential direction. For example, the B-phase stator 62 has 12 pole teeth 62a and 12 pole teeth 62b. The angle between the adjacent pole teeth 62a and pole teeth 62b is 15 degrees. When the coil 62c of the B-phase stator 62 is energized, the pole teeth 62a and the pole teeth 62b become different polarities from each other.

[0058] The A-phase stator 61 and the B-phase stator 62 are coaxially arranged. The A-phase stator 61 and the B-phase stator 62 are in contact with each other. When viewed from the axis L direction, the angle between the adjacent pole teeth 61a of the A-phase stator 61 and the pole teeth 62a of the B-phase stator 62 is 7.5 degrees.

[0059] The molded member 63 is filled inside the A-phase stator 61 and the B-phase stator 62. The molded member 63, together with the pole teeth 61a, 61b and the pole teeth 62a, 62b, constitutes the stator inner peripheral surface 60a. The diameter of the stator inner peripheral surface 60a is the same as (including substantially the same as) the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the cover 20. The molded member 63 has a terminal support portion 64.

[0060] The terminal support portion 64 extends from the A-phase stator 61 and the B-phase stator 62 in the lateral direction (direction perpendicular to the axis L). The terminal support portion 64 supports a plurality of terminals 65. The plurality of terminals 65 protrude in the lateral direction from the top end of the terminal support portion 64. The plurality of terminals 65 are connected to the coil 61c of the A-phase stator 61 and the coil 62c of the B-phase stator 62.

[0061] The stator 60 is arranged outside the cover 20 . The stator 60 and the magnetic rotor 31 arranged inside the cover 20 together constitute a stepping motor 66 .

[0062] The housing 70 is made of synthetic resin and accommodates the stator 60 and the control device 85. The housing 70 integrally includes a peripheral wall portion 71, an upper wall portion 72, and a connector 73.

[0063] The peripheral wall portion 71 has a cylindrical shape. The stator 60 is embedded in the peripheral wall portion 71. The diameter of the inner peripheral surface 71a of the peripheral wall portion 71 is the same as the diameter of the stator inner peripheral surface 60a. The inner peripheral surface 71a is connected to the stator inner peripheral surface 60a without a step. The upper wall portion 72 has a dome shape. The upper wall portion 72 is connected to the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 71. The connector 73 is arranged at the upper part of the housing 70. The connector 73 faces horizontally. The inner peripheral surface 71a of the peripheral wall portion 71, the inner surface 72a of the upper wall portion 72 and the stator inner peripheral surface 60a form an inner space 74 of the stator unit 6. The cover 20 is arranged in the inner space 74.

[0064] The housing 70 has a substrate space 75. The substrate space 75 is adjacent to the inner space 74. A partition wall 76 is disposed between the inner space 74 and the substrate space 75. The partition wall 76 partitions the inner space 74 and the substrate space 75. The housing 70 has an opening 70a communicating with the substrate space 75, and the opening 70a is closed by a cover member 77.

[0065] The bracket 80 is made of metal. Figure 5 As shown, the bracket 80 integrally includes a bracket body 81 and a mounting plate 82. The bracket body 81 has a circular ring plate shape. The bracket body 81 is fixed to the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 71. The mounting plate 82 has a rectangular plate shape. The mounting plate 82 is connected to the inner peripheral edge of the bracket body 81 and extends downward. The mounting plate 82 extends toward the main body 10. The bracket 80 is formed by punching a metal plate into the shape of the bracket body 81 and the mounting plate 82 by stamping, and bending the mounting plate 82 in a manner along the central axis (axis L) of the bracket body 81. The bracket 80 can also be welded to the stator 60.

[0066] The mounting plate 82 is arranged in the retaining groove 14. The width of the mounting plate 82 is the same as (including substantially the same as) the width of the retaining groove 14 of the main body 10. The width of the mounting plate 82 may also be smaller than the width of the retaining groove 14. Preferably, the clearance angle around the axis L between the main body 10 and the housing 70 caused by the difference between the width of the mounting plate 82 and the width of the retaining groove 14 is smaller than the step angle of the stepping motor 66. The clearance angle is the angle at which the mounting plate 82 can move around the axis L in the retaining groove 14. The mounting plate 82 extends in the up-down direction. The mounting plate 82 passes through the opening on the upper end side of the retaining groove 14 and is inserted into the retaining groove 14.

[0067] The mounting plate 82 has a convex portion 82c. The convex portion 82c is disposed on the inner side surface 82a of the mounting plate 82 (at Figure 4 The inner side surface 82a is a surface facing left in the mounting plate 82. The inner side surface 82a is a surface facing the bottom surface 14a when the mounting plate 82 is arranged in the holding groove 14. The inner side surface 82a is in contact with the bottom surface 14a. The convex portion 82c is a protrusion.

[0068] like Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, the convex portion 82c is embedded in the concave portion 14c in the retaining groove 14. The convex portion 82c is embedded in the concave portion 14c, and the concave portion 14c and the convex portion 82c are hooked (i.e., engaged) with each other, thereby restricting the movement of the mounting plate 82 in the vertical direction in the retaining groove 14. Thus, the housing 70 (stator unit 6) is fixed to the main body 10.

[0069] The control device 85 is disposed in the substrate space 75 of the housing 70. The control device 85 includes a main substrate 90, a sub-substrate 100, a magnetic sensor 110, and a microcomputer 120.

[0070] The main substrate 90 is a printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted. The main substrate 90 is accommodated in the substrate space 75. The main substrate 90 is arranged in the up-down direction. The microcomputer 120 is mounted on the main substrate 90. The main substrate 90 is connected to a plurality of terminals 65 of the stator 60.

[0071] The sub-substrate 100 is a printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted. The sub-substrate 100 is accommodated in the substrate space 75. The sub-substrate 100 is arranged at a right angle to the main substrate 90. The first end 100a of the sub-substrate 100 is arranged near the main substrate 90. The second end 100b of the sub-substrate 100 is arranged near the partition wall 76. The sub-substrate 100 is connected to the main substrate 90 via an inter-substrate connector.

[0072] The magnetic sensor 110 is, for example, a Hall IC. The magnetic sensor 110 is disposed at the second end 100b of the sub-substrate 100. The magnetic sensor 110 is arranged in the horizontal direction with the magnetic rotor 31 via the cover 20 and the partition wall 76. The magnetic sensor 110 outputs a signal corresponding to the direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic rotor 31.

[0073] The microcomputer 120 is, for example, a microcomputer for embedded devices that integrates a central processing unit, a nonvolatile memory, a working memory, a communication module, a motor driver, etc. in one package. The microcomputer 120 is responsible for controlling the electric valve 3. In addition, the nonvolatile memory, the working memory, the communication module, and the motor driver may also be separate electronic components externally connected to the microcomputer 120.

[0074] The control device 85 is communicatively connected to a control unit of an air conditioning system (not shown) in which the electric valve device 1 is assembled. The control device 85 controls the stepping motor 66 (i.e., the rotation of the magnetic rotor 31) according to a command sent from the control unit. The valve opening point information J is stored in the control device 85 (for example, the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer 120). The valve opening point information J is information indicating the number of pulses (valve opening point) input to the stepping motor 66 in order to rotate the magnetic rotor 31 from the reference position Rx to the valve opening position Ro. The valve opening point is a parameter related to the action characteristics of the electric valve 3, and sometimes varies due to the accuracy of the components and the assembly accuracy. The valve opening point is measured when the electric valve 3 is shipped from the factory and is stored in the non-volatile memory as the valve opening point information J. The valve opening point information J is information related to the valve opening position Ro of the magnetic rotor 31. The control device 85 uses the valve opening point information J to position the magnetic rotor 31 at the valve opening position Ro, for example, in the initialization operation of the electric valve 3. In addition, in the electric valve 3 , the valve closing position Rc may be set to the valve opening position Ro.

[0075] The nut component 7 is an annular component having a hexagonal outer shape. An internal thread 7e is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the nut component 7. The external thread 11e of the main body component 10 is screwed with the internal thread 7e. The nut component 7 and the retaining groove 14 of the main body component 10 form a space 25. A mounting plate 82 is arranged in the space 25. When the internal thread 7e is screwed with the external thread 11e, the nut component 7 and the mounting plate 82 are arranged in the horizontal direction. In other words, the mounting plate 82 is arranged on the inner side of the nut component 7. In addition, the outer shape of the nut component 7 is not limited to a hexagonal shape. The outer shape of the nut component 7 may also be a polygonal shape such as a quadrilateral or octagonal shape. Alternatively, the nut component 7 may also have a shape (such as a groove, a protrusion) that engages with a tool. The nut component 7 only needs to have a shape that can be rotated by a tool.

[0076] In this embodiment, when the depth of the retaining groove 14 is set to D, the thickness of the mounting plate 82 is set to T1, and the protrusion amount of the convex portion 82c is set to T2, the depth D is smaller than the sum of the thickness T1 and the protrusion amount T2 (D<T, T=T1+T2). The depth D is the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the first portion 11 (the bottom of the external thread 11e) and the bottom surface 14a of the retaining groove 14. The protrusion amount T2 is the distance between the inner side surface 82a and the part of the convex portion 82c that is farthest from the inner side surface 82a. By setting in this way, when the force of pulling upward from the retaining groove 14 is applied to the mounting plate 82, the mounting plate 82 contacts the nut component 7 to limit the elastic deformation of the mounting plate 82, and the disengagement of the convex portion 82c and the concave portion 14c is suppressed.

[0077] The length K1 of the external thread 11e of the body member 10 in the axial direction (the direction of the axis L) is greater than the length K2 of the internal thread 7e of the nut member 7 in the axial direction (the direction of the axis L) ( Fig. 9 ). Specifically, the length K1 is greater than the length K2, and the difference between the length K1 and the length K2 is equal to or greater than the length of the number of threads (e.g., 5 to 10 threads) required to fix the main body 10 to the flow path block 2 when the external thread 11e is screwed into the internal thread 201e of the flow path block 2 and the nut component 7 is tightened. In the present embodiment, the length K1 is preferably 1.5 to 5 times the length K2, and more preferably 2 to 3 times. If the length K1 is larger, the external thread 11e can be more reliably screwed into the internal thread 201e of the flow path block 2, and if the length K1 is smaller, the flow path block 2 and the electric valve 3 can be miniaturized. In addition, in a structure having a plurality of nut components 7, the length K2 is the total value of the length of the internal thread 7e of each nut component 7 in the axial direction.

[0078] In this embodiment, the electric valve 3 has a nut member 7, but if Fig.12 As shown, the electric valve 3 can also have a plurality of nut parts 7 .

[0079] In the electric valve device 1, the center axes of the mounting hole 201 (internal thread 201e), the main body part 10 (first part 11, external thread 11e, second part 12, valve port 16, valve seat 17), the cover 20, the magnetic rotor 31, the valve shaft retainer 32, the guide bushing 33, the valve core 40, the stator 60 (A phase stator 61, B phase stator 62), and the nut part 7 (internal thread 7e) are consistent with the axis L.

[0080] Next, refer to Figure 8 to Figure 11 An example of a method of assembling the electric valve device 1 will be described.

[0081] The valve body assembly 5 and the stator unit 6 are manufactured. Then, the stator unit 6 is mounted on the valve body assembly 5. Specifically, the cover 20 of the valve body assembly 5 is inserted into the inner space 74 of the stator unit 6, and the mounting plate 82 of the housing 70 is inserted into the retaining groove 14 of the main body member 10. When the mounting plate 82 is inserted into the retaining groove 14, the convex portion 82c of the mounting plate 82 is mounted on the bottom surface 14a of the retaining groove 14 and the mounting plate 82 is elastically deformed in a curved manner ( Figure 8 ). Then, when the mounting plate 82 is further inserted, the mounting plate 82 is restored, and the protrusion 82c is embedded in the recess 14c in the retaining groove 14. As a result, the recess 14c and the protrusion 82c are hooked with each other, restricting the mounting plate 82 from moving in the up-down direction in the retaining groove 14. In addition, the width of the retaining groove 14 is the same as the width of the mounting plate 82, so the mounting plate 82 is restricted from rotating about the axis L relative to the main body 10. As a result, the stator unit 6 is fixed to the valve body assembly 5.

[0082] Next, the external thread 11e of the main body member 10 is screwed into the internal thread 7e of the nut member 7 ( Fig. 9 , Fig.10 Then, the main body 10 is inserted into the mounting hole 201 of the flow path block 2, and the external thread 11e of the main body 10 is screwed into the internal thread 201e of the flow path block 2 ( Fig.10 , Fig.11 ). The position of the electric valve 3 around the axis L is adjusted so that the connector 73 of the stator unit 6 faces the desired direction. The nut member 7 is rotated until the nut member 7 contacts the upper surface 2d of the flow path block 2. After the nut member 7 contacts the upper surface 2d, a force is applied to the nut member 7 in the rotation direction to tighten the nut member 7. Thus, the main body member 10 (electric valve 3) is fixed to the flow path block 2, and the electric valve device 1 is completed.

[0083] The electric valve device 1 of this embodiment has a flow path block 2 and an electric valve 3. The electric valve 3 has a valve body assembly 5, a stator unit 6 and a nut component 7. The valve body assembly 5 has a main body component 10, a cover 20 mounted on the main body component 10, and a magnetic rotor 31 arranged on the inner side of the cover 20. The stator unit 6 has a stator 60 arranged on the outer side of the cover 20. The stator unit 6 is mounted on the valve body assembly 5. An external thread 11e is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body component 10. The external thread 11e is screwed with the internal thread 7e of the nut component 7 and the internal thread 201e of the flow path block 2. The length K1 of the external thread 11e in the direction of the axis L is greater than the length K2 of the internal thread 7e in the direction of the axis L. The nut component 7 is tightened in a manner to fix the main body component 10 to the flow path block 2.

[0084] Thus, a portion of the external thread 11e of the main body member 10 screwed with the internal thread 7e of the nut member 7 can be screwed with the internal thread 201e provided in the flow path block 2. Thus, the electric valve 3 can be fixed to the flow path block 2 by positioning the electric valve 3 at any position around the axis L and tightening the nut member 7. Therefore, the electric valve 3 can be commonly used in various systems.

[0085] In addition, since the stator unit 6 is mounted on the valve body assembly 5, the combination of the valve body assembly 5 and the stator unit 6 is determined at the time of factory shipment. Therefore, the action characteristics (valve opening point) of the electric valve 3 that vary due to the accuracy of components and assembly accuracy are measured at the time of factory shipment, so that the electric valve 3 with information related to the action characteristics (valve opening point information J) recorded can be shipped.

[0086] In addition, a retaining groove 14 extending in the direction of the axis L is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body part 10. The stator unit 6 has a mounting plate 82 extending in the direction of the axis L. The retaining groove 14 crosses the external thread 11e. The mounting plate 82 is arranged in the retaining groove 14. A convex portion 82c is provided on the inner side surface 82a of the mounting plate 82. A concave portion 14c engaging with the convex portion 82c is provided on the bottom surface 14a of the retaining groove 14. By setting it in this way, the stator unit 6 can be installed on the valve body assembly 5 with a relatively simple structure. In addition, a convex portion can be provided on the bottom surface 14a of the retaining groove 14, and a concave portion or a hole engaging with the convex portion can be provided on the mounting plate 82.

[0087] In addition, the mounting plate 82 is arranged inside the nut member 7. The depth D of the retaining groove 14 is smaller than the sum T of the thickness T1 of the mounting plate 82 and the protrusion amount T2 of the convex portion 82c. By setting in this way, the mounting plate 82 is arranged in the space 25 formed by the retaining groove 14 and the nut member 7, and the elastic deformation of the mounting plate 82 is limited, so that the disengagement of the convex portion 82c and the concave portion 14c can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the stator unit 6 from being separated from the valve body assembly 5.

[0088] The electric valve 3 includes a control device 85 for controlling the rotation of the magnetic rotor 31. The valve opening point information J is stored in the control device 85. By configuring in this way, the flow rate of the refrigerant can be controlled with high accuracy in the electric valve 3.

[0089] In addition, the electric valve 3 may omit the control device 85 and be directly controlled by the control unit of the air conditioning system. In this case, it is preferred that the electric valve 3 has a label attached to the outer surface of the valve body assembly 5 or the outer surface of the stator unit 6, and the valve opening point information J is recorded on the label. The valve opening point information J is recorded in a form that can be read by a reader, such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code. By using the valve opening point information J read by the reader in the control unit, the flow rate of the refrigerant can be controlled with high precision in the electric valve 3.

[0090] The above-mentioned embodiment has a structure in which the electric valve 3 is mounted on the flow path block 2, but is not limited to this structure. For example, the electric valve 3 may also be mounted on a structure other than the flow path block 2 (e.g., a frame of an air conditioning system). In this case, the external thread 11e of the main body part 10 of the electric valve 3 is screwed with the internal thread on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole provided in the structure, and the nut part 7 is fastened so that the main body part 10 is fixed to the structure.

[0091] In this specification, each term indicating a shape such as "cylindrical" or "rectangular parallelepiped" is also substantially used for a component or a part of a component having the shape of the term. For example, a "cylindrical component" includes a cylindrical component and a substantially cylindrical component.

[0092] The embodiments of the present invention are described above, but the present invention is not limited to the structures of the embodiments. A solution obtained by adding, deleting, or changing the design of the components of the above embodiments, or a solution obtained by combining the features of the embodiments appropriately, which do not violate the gist of the present invention, is also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0093] Explanation of symbols

[0094] 1…Electric valve device, 2…Flow path block, 2d…Upper surface, 201…Mounting hole, 201e…Internal thread, 205…First flow path, 206…Second flow path, 3…Electric valve, 5…Valve body assembly, 10…Main body component, 11…First part, 11a…Upper part, 11b…Middle part, 11c…Lower part, 11d…Upper surface, 11e…External thread, 12…Second part, 13…Connecting component, 14…Retaining groove, 14a…Bottom surface, 14c…Concave part, 15…Valve chamber, 16…Valve port, 17…Valve seat, 18 ...connecting flow path, 20...cover, 25...space, 30...driving mechanism, 31...magnetic rotor, 32...valve shaft holder, 32a...upper wall, 32c...internal thread, 33...guide bushing, 33a...base, 33b...supporting part, 33c...external thread, 35...support ring, 36...valve closing spring, 37...movable stopper, 38...fixed stopper, 40...valve core, 41...first shaft part, 42...second shaft part, 43...valve part, 44...step part, 45...thrust nut, 6...stator unit, 60...stator, 60a ... stator inner peripheral surface, 61 ... A-phase stator, 61a ... pole teeth, 61b ... pole teeth, 61c ... coil, 62 ... B-phase stator, 62a ... pole teeth, 62b ... pole teeth, 62c ... coil, 63 ... molded part, 64 ... terminal support part, 65 ... terminal, 66 ... stepping motor, 70 ... housing, 70a ... opening, 71 ... peripheral wall part, 71a ... inner peripheral surface, 72 ... upper wall part, 72a ... inner surface, 73 ... connector, 74 ... inner space, 75 ... substrate space, 76 ... partition wall, 77 ... cover part, 80 ... bracket, 8 1…bracket body, 82…mounting plate, 82a…inner side, 82c…protrusion, 85…control device, 90…main substrate, 100…sub-substrate, 100a…first end, 100b…second end, 110…magnetic sensor, 120…microcomputer, 7…nut component, 7e…internal thread, J…valve opening point information, K1…length, K2…length, L…axis line, Rc…valve closing position, Ro…valve opening position, Rx…reference position, Rz…fully open position, T…total value, T1…thickness, T2…protrusion amount.

Claims

1. An electric valve, comprising: a valve body assembly, a stator unit and at least one nut component, wherein the electric valve is characterized in that: The valve body assembly comprises: a main body member; a cylindrical housing mounted on the main body member; and a magnetic rotor disposed inside the housing. The stator unit includes a stator disposed outside the housing. The stator unit is mounted on the valve body assembly. An external thread is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body component. The external thread is threadedly engaged with an internal thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut component. The length of the external thread in the axial direction is greater than the length of the internal thread in the axial direction.

2. The electric valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external thread is threadedly engaged with the internal thread of the nut member and the internal thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole of the flow path block. The nut member is tightened to fix the body member to the flow path block.

3. The electric valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A retaining groove extending along the axial direction of the external thread is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body component. The stator unit has a mounting plate extending along the axial direction of the external thread. The retaining groove traverses at least a portion of the external thread, The mounting plate is arranged in the retaining groove, A protrusion is provided on one side of the bottom surface of the retaining groove and the surface of the mounting plate opposite to the bottom surface, and a protrusion receiving portion is provided on the other side of the bottom surface of the retaining groove and the surface of the mounting plate opposite to the bottom surface, and the protrusion receiving portion is a recess or a hole engaged with the protrusion.

4. The electric valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mounting plate is arranged on the inner side of the nut member. The depth of the holding groove is smaller than the sum of the thickness of the mounting plate and the protrusion amount of the protrusion.

5. The electric valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The electric valve has information related to the valve opening position of the magnetic rotor recorded therein.

6. The electric valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The electric valve has a control device for controlling the rotation of the magnetic rotor. The information is stored in the control device.

7. The electric valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The electric valve has a label, which is attached to the outer surface of the valve body assembly or the outer surface of the stator unit. The information is recorded in the tag.

8. An electric valve device, characterized in that: A motor-driven valve according to claim 2 and the flow path block are provided.

9. An assembly method of an electric valve device, the electric valve device having an electric valve and a flow path block, wherein the assembly method is characterized in that: The electric valve comprises a valve body assembly, a stator unit and at least one nut component. The valve body assembly comprises: a main body member; a cylindrical housing mounted on the main body member; and a magnetic rotor disposed inside the housing. The stator unit includes a stator disposed outside the housing. (1) installing the stator unit on the valve body assembly, (2) screwing the external thread provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body member into the internal thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut member, (3) screwing the external thread into the internal thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole of the flow path block, (4) The nut member is tightened so that the body member is fixed to the flow path block.

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