Rotary multi-way valve

Abstract

The invention discloses a rotary multi-way valve and a heat distribution system. The housing (10) has a cylindrical housing hole (14). The plurality of ports (20) are disposed in the housing (10) in the axial direction, the circumferential direction, or the radial direction of the housing hole (14). The at least one split rotor (30) is disposed inside the housing hole (14) in the axial direction of the housing hole (14). Communication paths (40, 50) are provided in the split rotor (30), and switch between a connection state and a disconnection state between a predetermined port (20) and another port (20). The shaft (60) rotates the split rotor (30) about the axis center (CL) of the housing hole (14). Here, a minute gap (S2) is formed between the divided rotor (30) and the inner wall of the housing hole (14), and the divided rotor (30) is allowed to move slightly in the radial direction.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-164846 filed on October 13, 2022, and the contents described therein are incorporated into this specification by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a rotary multi-way valve and a heat distribution system using the rotary multi-way valve. Background Art

[0004] In electric vehicles, there are various devices such as batteries, drive systems, electrical systems, and air conditioners that need to absorb waste heat. Cold water and hot water (hereinafter referred to as "cold and hot water") are circulated in various modes according to the conditions to perform heat management, thereby achieving improved electrical efficiency. As a valve for switching the circulation mode of the cold and hot water, if a multi-way valve with multiple ports and capable of realizing multiple circulation modes is used, the system can be simplified. In terms of the practicality of such a multi-way valve, a rotary valve is advantageous. The rotary valve is a structure in which a rotor is arranged on the inner side of a shell having a cylindrical hole, and the circulation mode is switched by rotating the rotor around the axis. The rotary valve can increase the flow path in the axial and radial directions of the cylindrical hole of the shell, and arbitrarily set the connection method of the flow path in the rotor, so it is beneficial to the practicality of multiple ports and multiple flow path modes in the multi-way valve. In contrast, in a disc-type or ball valve-type valve, the space efficiency deteriorates, which is not conducive to the practicality of the multi-way valve.

[0005] An example of a rotary valve is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, the housing is composed of an outer housing and a fixed component, and the rotor is called a valve core. The valve structure of Patent Document 1 is that a sealing component provided on the outer periphery of the rotor contacts the inner peripheral surface of the fixed component constituting the housing, thereby preventing fluid leakage between multiple flow paths in the valve.

[0006] Prior art literature

[0007] Patent Literature

[0008] Patent Document 1: European Patent Application Publication No. 3550189 Summary of the invention

[0009] The author of the present disclosure has found the following problem with the structure of the valve described in Patent Document 1. In the structure of the valve of Patent Document 1, when the number of layers of the flow path is increased along the axial direction of the cylindrical hole of the shell to form a multi-way valve, the length of the sealing component also becomes very long. When the surface pressure is applied to the inner peripheral surface of such a sealing component and the shell, the sliding friction between the two becomes extremely large, thereby making the driving force for the rotor to rotate extremely large. Therefore, the actuator for rotating the rotor is enlarged, and the power required for its drive is also increased.

[0010] On the other hand, if the sealing member on the outer periphery of the rotor is eliminated in the valve structure of Patent Document 1, fluid leakage between multiple flow paths in the valve will increase. In particular, in the case of a multi-way valve, the tolerance of the cylindricality of the housing and the rotor becomes larger, so fluid leakage between multiple flow paths in the valve from the gaps therebetween further increases.

[0011] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a rotary multi-way valve capable of suppressing fluid leakage between a plurality of flow paths in the valve and reducing the driving torque of a rotor.

[0012] According to one viewpoint of the present disclosure, a rotary multi-way valve capable of switching the connection state and the cut-off state of multiple fluid flow paths comprises a housing, multiple ports, a split rotor, a connection path and a shaft. The housing has a cylindrical housing hole. Multiple ports are arranged on the housing along the axial direction, circumferential direction or radial direction of the housing hole, and penetrate the outer wall and the inner wall of the housing. At least one split rotor arranged along the axial direction of the housing hole on the inner side of the housing hole can rotate relative to the housing. The connection path is provided in the split rotor, switching the connection state and the cut-off state between the specified port and other ports. The shaft rotates the split rotor around the axis of the housing hole. Here, a small gap is formed between the split rotor and the inner wall of the housing hole, and the split rotor is allowed to move slightly in the radial direction.

[0013] Therefore, as a result of in-depth research conducted by the author, a clearance seal structure is adopted in the rotary multi-way valve. The clearance seal structure refers to a structure that reduces the gap between the housing and the rotor and suppresses the leakage of fluid between multiple flow paths in the valve. However, since the housing and the rotor of the rotary multi-way valve are longer in the axial direction, when the clearance seal structure is adopted, a new problem such as the tolerance of the cylindricality of the rotor and the housing becomes strict (that is, the tolerance of the cylindricality becomes larger) is generated. Therefore, when the author adopts the clearance seal structure, the problem is solved by setting it to a structure that allows a slight movement of the split rotor in the radial direction. That is, at least one or more split rotors are self-aligned along the inner wall of the housing hole. Therefore, the rotary multi-way valve can relax the tolerance of the cylindricality of the split rotor and the housing, and can suppress the leakage of fluid between multiple flow paths in the valve. In addition, through the clearance seal structure, a small gap is formed between the split rotor and the inner wall of the housing hole, so the sliding friction between the inner wall of the housing hole and the split rotor is reduced. Therefore, the rotary multi-way valve can reduce the driving torque for rotating the divided rotor and the shaft around the axis.

[0014] According to another aspect, a heat distribution system for an electric vehicle includes: the rotary multi-way valve according to one aspect of the present disclosure; a fluid flow path connected to a plurality of ports provided by the rotary multi-way valve; and a battery, an electric drive device, or an air conditioning device connected to the middle of the fluid flow path. Furthermore, by rotating the split rotor and the shaft provided by the rotary multi-way valve around the axis and setting them to a predetermined position, hot water and cold water can be appropriately circulated to the required equipment at the required timing.

[0015] Thus, the heat distribution system includes the rotary multi-way valve described in one aspect of the present disclosure, and can reduce the size of the actuator that drives the shaft of the rotary multi-way valve and reduce the power consumed by the drive.

[0016] In addition, the reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component etc. represent an example of the correspondence relationship between the component etc. and the specific component etc. described in the embodiment described later. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a side view of the rotary multi-way valve according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2A yes Figure 1 Cross-sectional view along line II-II.

[0019] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A Magnified view of section IIB.

[0020] Figure 2C yes Figure 2A Magnified view of the IIC portion.

[0021] Figure 3A Only shows Figure 2A Figure of the housing shown.

[0022] Figure 3B Only shows Figure 2A Diagram of a segmented rotor shown.

[0023] Figure 3C Only shows Figure 2A Axis diagram shown.

[0024] Figure 4A yes Figure 2A A cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV.

[0025] Figure 4B yes Figure 4A Magnified view of section IVB.

[0026] Figure 5A yes Figure 2A A cross-sectional view of line VV.

[0027] Figure 5B yes Figure 5A Enlarged view of the VB part.

[0028] Figure 6 It is a side view showing a state where the split rotor and the shaft included in the rotary multi-way valve according to the first embodiment are assembled.

[0029] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the segmented rotor included in the rotary multi-way valve according to the first embodiment, and is a view showing a block and a plate as viewed from the axial direction.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a development view in which the divided rotor included in the rotary multi-way valve according to the first embodiment is viewed from the radially outer side and developed in the circumferential direction.

[0031] Fig. 9 It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the heat distribution system according to the second embodiment.

[0032] Fig.10 is a cross-sectional view of a rotary multi-way valve according to a third embodiment, showing a Figure 2A Diagram of the part.

[0033] Fig.11 yes Fig.10 A cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI.

[0034] Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view of a rotary multi-way valve according to a fourth embodiment, showing a Fig.11 Diagram of the part.

[0035] Fig.13 yes Fig.12 A cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII.

[0036] Fig.14 It is a perspective view of a housing included in a rotary multi-way valve according to a fifth embodiment.

[0037] Fig.15 It is a perspective view showing a state where a split rotor and a shaft included in a rotary multi-way valve according to a fifth embodiment are assembled. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0039] (First Embodiment)

[0040] The rotary multi-way valve of the first embodiment is a valve capable of switching between a connection state and a cutoff state of a plurality of fluid passages, and more specifically, is a so-called super multi-way valve having a plurality of ports and realizing a plurality of flow modes.

[0041] First, the structure of the rotary multi-way valve of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 to Figure 5A As shown, the rotary multi-way valve includes a housing 10, a plurality of ports 20, at least one split rotor 30, a groove 40 and a notch 50 as a communication path, a shaft 60, a restricting portion 70, and a pressing member 80.

[0042] like Figure 1 , Figure 4A and Figure 5A As shown, the housing 10 is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape, and has a bottom 11 and a cylindrical portion 12 extending cylindrically from the bottom 11. A cover member 13 is fixed in a liquid-tight manner to a portion of the cylindrical portion 12 of the housing 10 on the opposite side of the bottom 11. The housing 10 has a cylindrical hole, i.e., a housing hole 14, on the inner side. In the following description, the direction in which the axis CL of the housing hole 14 extends is referred to as the "axial direction", the radial direction of the cross-section perpendicular to the axis CL in the housing hole 14 is referred to as the "radial direction", and the circumferential direction of the cross-section perpendicular to the axis CL in the housing hole 14 is referred to as the "circumferential direction".

[0043] like Figure 1 to Figure 3A As shown, the plurality of ports 20 are flow path openings that penetrate the outer wall and the inner wall of the housing 10, and can be arranged at any position in the axial direction, circumferential direction, and radial direction in the housing 10. In addition, the number of the plurality of ports 20 can also be set arbitrarily. In the first embodiment, for example, 10 ports 20 are arranged in two layers in the circumferential direction and in five layers in the axial direction. In addition, as Figure 2A As shown, in the first embodiment, the plurality of ports 20 are provided in a predetermined range within 180° (specifically, within 90°) centered on the axis CL in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the axis CL of the housing hole 14 .

[0044] In addition, as the number of layers of the plurality of ports 20 (that is, the number in the axial direction) increases, the housing 10 becomes longer in the axial direction, and thus there is a problem that the tolerance of cylindricality becomes larger.

[0045] like Figure 4A to Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the split rotors 30 are stacked in the axial direction inside the housing hole 14. The split rotors 30 are rotatable relative to the housing 10. Figure 2C and Figure 5BAs shown, a small gap S2 is provided between the segmented rotor 30 and the inner wall of the housing hole 14, forming a gap sealing structure. The gap sealing structure refers to a structure that reduces the gap between the inner wall of the housing hole 14 and the segmented rotor 30 to suppress fluid leakage between multiple flow paths in the valve. In addition, the small gap S2 is set according to the amount of fluid leakage allowed by the product (i.e., a rotary multi-way valve applied to a specified heat distribution system). In the first embodiment, the small gap S2 is set to, for example, tens of μm.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the plurality of split rotors 30 include a plurality of blocks 31 and a plurality of plates 32. The plurality of blocks 31 are arranged along the axial direction of the housing hole 14. The plurality of plates 32 are arranged between the plurality of blocks 31. That is, the plurality of blocks 31 and the plurality of plates 32 are alternately arranged along the axial direction inside the housing hole 14. Figure 7 In the example of the first embodiment, the order in which the plurality of blocks 31 and the plurality of plates 32 are arranged inside the housing hole 14 is indicated by arrows T1 to T10 from the cover member 13 side.

[0047] like Figure 2A and Figure 3B As shown in FIG. 1 , each of the plurality of blocks 31 includes a central portion 33 and a wall portion 34 extending radially from the central portion 33. The central portion 33 of the block 31 is provided with an insertion hole 35 for inserting the shaft 60. A groove portion 40 serving as a communication path is formed between the circumferentially adjacent wall portions 34 of the block 31. In the following description, for convenience, the term “s” is sometimes used. Figure 4A to Figure 7 The five blocks 31 shown are referred to as a first block 31a, a second block 31b, ..., a fifth block 31e, in order from the top of the figure.

[0048] In the center of the plurality of plates 32, an insertion hole 36 for inserting the shaft 60 is provided similarly to the plurality of blocks 31. The plates 32 on one side of the axial direction and the plates 32 on the other side of the plurality of plates 32 are fixed plates whose relative rotation with respect to the housing 10 is restricted. In the following description, for convenience, the fixed plate disposed on the cover member 13 side of the fixed plate is referred to as the first fixed plate 321, and the fixed plate disposed on the bottom 11 side is referred to as the second fixed plate 322. In addition, a sealing member (not shown) is provided between the bottom 11 of the housing 10 and the second fixed plate 322.

[0049] The plate 32 disposed between the first fixed plate 321 and the second fixed plate 322 among the plurality of plates 32 is a rotating plate 323 that can rotate relative to the housing 10. The rotating plate 323 is provided with a notch 50 cut from the outer periphery toward the center. In addition, the shape of the notch 50 is not limited to the aforementioned shape, and for example, it may be a hole that penetrates the rotating plate 323 in the plate thickness direction.

[0050] The groove 40 and the notch 50 as the communication path provided in the split rotor 30 switch the communication state and the disconnection state between the specified port 20 and the other ports 20. Specifically, the groove 40 is provided in at least one of the plurality of blocks 31, and switches the communication state and the disconnection state between the specified port 20 and the other ports 20. Figure 7 As shown, in the first embodiment, the grooves 40 are provided in any number in all the blocks 31. In addition, in the second block 31b, the third block 31c, and the fourth block 31d, the distance between the wall portions 34 adjacent in the circumferential direction is arranged to be relatively far, and the grooves 40 are formed to be relatively large in the circumferential direction. In the following description, the groove portion of the groove 40 that is formed to be relatively large in the circumferential direction is referred to as a "circumferentially communicating groove portion 41". When the circumferentially communicating groove portion 41 spans over a plurality of ports 20 adjacent in the circumferential direction of the housing 10, the plurality of ports 20 are communicated with each other via the circumferentially communicating groove portion 41.

[0051] The notch 50 is provided in at least one of the plurality of plates 32, and connects the groove 40 of a predetermined block 31 arranged across the plate 32 in the axial direction with the groove 40 of another block 31. In the first embodiment, the notch 50 is provided in an arbitrary number on all the rotating plates 323.

[0052] like Figure 4A as well as Figure 5A As shown, one end of the shaft 60 in the axial direction is rotatably supported by a bearing 61 provided on the cover member 13, and the other end is rotatably supported by the bottom 11 of the housing 10. In addition, one end of the shaft 60 protrudes outward from the cover member 13. The shaft 60 rotates around the axis CL by applying torque to a portion 63 protruding outward from the cover member 13 from an actuator (not shown).

[0053] like Figure 2A and Figure 5A As shown, the relative rotation of the rotating plate 323, the block 31 and the shaft 60 is restricted by the restriction portion 70. The radially outer portion of the restriction portion 70 is engaged with the engagement groove 71 provided in the rotating plate 323 and the block 31, and the radially inner portion is engaged with the engagement groove 72 provided in the shaft 60. The restriction portion 70 transmits the rotation of the shaft 60 to the rotating plate 323 and the block 31 of the split rotor 30. Therefore, when the shaft 60 rotates around the axis CL, the rotating plate 323 and the block 31 also rotate accordingly. In addition, the restriction portion 70 does not restrict the axial movement of the rotating plate 323 and the block 31 relative to the shaft 60. In addition, since the restriction portion 70 is formed to be smaller than the engagement grooves 71 and 72 in the radial direction, the rotating plate 323 and the block 31 are allowed to move slightly in the radial direction relative to the shaft 60.

[0054] like Figure 4A and Figure 5AAs shown, the pressing member 80 disposed between the cover member 13 and the first fixed plate 321 is composed of, for example, a compression coil spring. One end of the pressing member 80 is clamped to the cover member 13, and the other end is clamped to the first fixed plate 321. The pressing member 80 applies a load to the first fixed plate 321 toward the bottom 11 side in the axial direction. As described above, a small gap S2 is provided between the split rotor 30 and the inner wall of the housing hole 14. Therefore, the load applied by the pressing member 80 to the first fixed plate 321 is hardly lost due to friction between the inner wall of the housing hole 14 and the split rotor 30. Therefore, the pressing member 80 can press the first fixed plate 321, the rotating plate 323, and the plurality of blocks 31 from one side in the axial direction toward the other side while maintaining approximately the same pressing force toward the second fixed plate 322.

[0055] Here, if Figure 3B , Figure 3C As shown, the difference between the outer diameter D1 of the shaft 60 and the inner diameter D2 of the insertion holes 35 and 36 is formed to be equal to or larger than the difference between the outer diameter D3 of an imaginary circle formed by circumferentially connecting the radial outer edges of the divided rotor 30 and the inner diameter D4 of the housing hole 14. In addition, the outer diameter D3 of the imaginary circle formed by circumferentially connecting the radial outer edges of the divided rotor 30 is the outer diameter D3 of an imaginary circle formed by circumferentially connecting the radial outer edges of the blocks 31, or the outer diameter D3 of an imaginary circle formed by circumferentially connecting the radial outer edges of the plates 32. Therefore, in a state where the axis CL of the shaft 60 coincides with the axis CL of the divided rotor 30, the gap S1 between the outer wall of the shaft 60 and the inner wall of the insertion holes 35 and 36 is equal to or larger than the gap S2 between the outer wall of the divided rotor 30 and the inner wall of the housing hole 14. In addition, the gap S1 between the outer wall of the shaft 60 and the inner wall of the insertion holes 35 and 36 is as shown in FIG. Figure 2B and Figure 4B As shown, the gap S2 between the outer wall of the split rotor 30 and the inner wall of the housing hole 14 is as shown in FIG. Figure 2C and Figure 5B As shown. Therefore, the segmented rotor 30 is allowed to move slightly in the radial direction. As a result, even when the tolerance of the cylindricality of the segmented rotor 30 and the tolerance of the cylindricality of the housing 10 are relatively large, the plurality of segmented rotors 30 are self-aligned along the inner wall of the housing hole 14. Therefore, the rotary multi-way valve can relax the tolerance of the cylindricality of the segmented rotor 30 and the tolerance of the cylindricality of the housing 10, and can suppress the fluid leakage between the plurality of flow paths in the valve to a small extent.

[0056] Next, refer to Figure 6 to Figure 8 The operation of the rotary multi-way valve will be described.

[0057] Figure 6 2 is a side view showing a state where the split rotor 30 and the shaft 60 are assembled. Figure 6In FIG. 1 , the position of the port 20 of the casing 10 when the segmented rotor 30 and the shaft 60 are rotated to a predetermined position relative to the casing 10 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0058] also, Figure 8 This is a development view of the split rotor 30 as viewed from the radially outer side and developed in the circumferential direction. Figure 8 In the figure, for the sake of convenience, the grooves 40 provided in the first block 31a are marked with reference numerals a1 to j1. In addition, the grooves 40 provided in the second to fifth blocks 31b to 31e that are arranged along the axial direction of e1 are marked with reference numerals e2 to e5, and the grooves that are arranged along the axial direction of f1 are marked with reference numerals f2 to f5. In addition, e4 and f4 are one circumferentially connected groove 41. Furthermore, in Figure 8 In FIG. 1 , a portion where a plurality of grooves 40 are connected is represented by a symbol that connects two black dots with a thick line. In addition, the circumferential connecting groove portion 41 is also represented by the same symbol. Figure 8 In FIG. 1 , the position of the port 20 of the housing 10 when the split rotor 30 and the shaft 60 are rotated to a predetermined position relative to the housing 10 is also indicated by a single-dot chain line. In addition, by rotating the split rotor 30 and the shaft 60 relative to the housing 10, the relative positional relationship between the split rotor 30 and the port 20 is changed to Figure 8 changes in the left and right directions.

[0059] exist Figure 8 In the state shown, e2 is connected to the groove portion 40 of e3, f2 is connected to the groove portion 40 of f3, and e4 is connected to the groove portion 40 of f4 (i.e., the circumferentially connected groove portion 41). On the other hand, the groove portions 40 of e1, f1, e5, and f5 are not connected to any part. Therefore, in this state, the ports 20 corresponding to the connected groove portions 40 allow the flow of fluid to each other, and the ports 20 corresponding to the groove portions 40 that are not connected to any part are cut off from the flow of fluid. In addition, if the split rotor 30 and the shaft 60 are rotated relative to the housing 10, the relative positional relationship between the split rotor 30 and the port 20 changes, thereby switching the connected state and the cut-off state of multiple ports 20. In this way, the rotary multi-way valve can switch the connected state and the cut-off state of multiple fluid passages to achieve multiple flow modes.

[0060] The rotary multi-way valve according to the first embodiment described above has the following effects.

[0061] (1) In the first embodiment, the rotary multi-way valve is configured such that the segmented rotor 30 is disposed inside the housing hole 14. A small gap S2 is formed between the segmented rotor 30 and the inner wall of the housing hole 14, allowing the segmented rotor 30 to move slightly in the radial direction.

[0062] Thus, in the rotary multi-way valve adopting the gap sealing structure, the segmented rotor 30 performs self-alignment along the inner wall of the housing hole 14. Therefore, the rotary multi-way valve can relax the tolerance of the cylindricality of the segmented rotor 30 and the housing 10, and can suppress the leakage of the fluid between the multiple flow paths in the valve to a small extent. In addition, by the gap sealing structure, a small gap S2 is formed between the segmented rotor 30 and the inner wall of the housing hole 14, so the sliding friction between the inner wall of the housing hole 14 and the segmented rotor 30 is reduced. Therefore, the rotary multi-way valve can reduce the driving torque for rotating the segmented rotor 30 and the shaft 60 around the axis CL.

[0063] (2) In the first embodiment, the difference between the outer diameter D1 of the shaft 60 and the inner diameter D2 of the insertion holes 35 and 36 is equal to or greater than the difference between the outer diameter D3 of a virtual circle connecting the radial outer edges of the segmented rotor 30 in the circumferential direction and the inner diameter D4 of the housing hole 14. The difference is a difference compared in absolute value.

[0064] Thus, the gap S1 between the outer wall of the shaft 60 and the inner wall of the insertion holes 35 and 36 is equal to or larger than the gap S2 between the outer edge of the split rotor 30 and the inner wall of the housing hole 14. Therefore, when the split rotor 30 rotates around the axis CL together with the shaft 60, if the outer edge of the split rotor 30 contacts the inner wall of the housing hole 14, the split rotor 30 can self-align to a position where it does not interfere with the inner wall of the housing hole 14.

[0065] (3) In the first embodiment, the plurality of segmented rotors 30 include a plurality of blocks 31 arranged along the axial direction of the housing hole 14 and a plurality of plates 32 arranged between the plurality of blocks 31. The groove 40 is provided in at least one of the plurality of blocks 31, and the notch 50 is provided in at least one of the plurality of plates 32.

[0066] Thus, the groove 40 (specifically, the circumferential communication groove 41) provided in the block 31 can make a predetermined port 20 communicate with other ports 20 in the circumferential direction or radial direction of the housing hole 14. In addition, the notch 50 provided in the plate 32 can make the groove 40 of a predetermined block 31 communicate with the groove 40 of other blocks 31 in the axial direction of the housing hole 14. Therefore, by combining the grooves 40 of a plurality of blocks 31 and the notch 50 of a plurality of plates 32, any communication pattern can be realized.

[0067] (4) However, if the plate 32 does not have the notch 50, when the pressure difference between the front and back of the plate 32 increases, the block 31 and the plate 32 may separate, and leakage may occur in the flow path that is intended to be sealed. Figure 8 In the state shown, a low-pressure fluid flows through e3 and f3, and a high-pressure fluid flows through e4 and f4.

[0068] In the first embodiment, the pressing member 80 applies a load to the first fixing plate 321 to press the first fixing plate 321 , the rotating plate 323 , the second fixing plate 322 , and the plurality of blocks 31 from one side to the other side in the axial direction of the housing hole 14 .

[0069] Thus, even when the pressure difference of the fluid flowing in the housing 10 increases, the plurality of blocks 31 and the plurality of plates 32 can be prevented from being separated in the axial direction of the housing hole 14. Thus, the rotary multi-way valve can suppress leakage of the fluid between the plurality of flow paths in the housing 10. In addition, the first fixing plate 321 to which the load is applied from the pressing member 80 is restricted from rotating relative to the housing 10, so that wear of the pressing member 80 and the first fixing plate 321 can be prevented. Therefore, the rotary multi-way valve can ensure reliability.

[0070] However, in a configuration in which a sealing member provided on the outer periphery of the rotor is in sliding contact with the inner wall of the housing hole 14 at a predetermined surface pressure as in the rotary valve disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, the restoring force of the elastic deformation of the rubber and the friction force corresponding to the friction coefficient are accumulated according to the length of the sealing member. Therefore, as the number of ports 20 of the multi-way valve increases in the axial direction, the pressing force of the pressing member 80 must be increased, resulting in a larger driving torque required for the rotation of the rotor.

[0071] The rotary multi-way valve of the first embodiment is provided with a gap seal structure, so that the pressing force of the pressing member 80 can be kept constant in theory regardless of the number of layers of the multi-way valve. In this regard, the gap seal structure is also compatible with the split rotor structure, and the driving torque required for the rotation of the split rotor 30 and the shaft 60 can be reduced.

[0072] (5) In the first embodiment, the plurality of ports 20 are provided within a predetermined range within 180° around the axis CL in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the axis CL of the housing hole 14 .

[0073] Thus, for example, when the rotary multi-way valve is mounted on a vehicle, handling of the pipe on the vehicle side can be facilitated, and workability of assembling the port 20 of the rotary multi-way valve and the pipe on the vehicle side can be improved.

[0074] In addition, this configuration is also effective when, for example, heat management equipment such as a pump or a cooler and a rotary multi-way valve are modularized. That is, the rotary multi-way valve has ports 20 arranged in one direction, so that by combining the surface where the ports 20 are arranged with the surface where the opening of the fluid flow path of the heat management equipment is provided, the connection can be made without using piping.

[0075] (Second Embodiment)

[0076] A second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the rotary multi-way valve described in the first embodiment is applied to a heat distribution system.

[0077] like Fig. 9 As shown, the rotary multi-way valve can be applied to the heat distribution system used in electric vehicles. The heat distribution system is a system that manages the heat of electric drive equipment, air conditioning equipment, battery 105 and other equipment that needs to absorb waste heat in electric vehicles by circulating hot and cold water in various modes according to the conditions. For example, LLC is the abbreviation of Long Life Coolant. Fig. 9 1, a radiator 101, an electric generator 102, an inverter 103, a cooler 104, and a battery 105 are shown as devices of the heat distribution system. The electric generator 102 is an example of an electric drive device, the inverter 103 is an example of an electric drive device, and the cooler 104 is an example of an air conditioning device. These devices are connected to the rotary multi-way valve via a pipe 106 as a fluid flow path. In addition, a fluid pump 107 and a liquid reservoir (not shown) are provided in the middle of the pipe as the fluid flow path.

[0078] The rotary multi-way valve can appropriately circulate hot and cold water to the required equipment at the required timing by rotating the shaft 60 and the split rotor 30 relative to the housing 10 around the axis CL and setting them at a predetermined position. Fig. 9 What is shown is a part of the heat distribution system. In reality, more pipes 106 and equipment that need to absorb waste heat are connected to the rotary multi-way valve.

[0079] However, in the thermal management system of electric vehicles, each vehicle manufacturer has a variety of system configurations, and it is necessary to prepare a variety of multi-way valve communication modes accordingly. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, all communication modes can be realized by combining various modes of plates 32 and blocks 31. Specifically, a plurality of modes of notch portions 50 provided in plates 32 and a plurality of modes of groove portions 40 provided in blocks 31 are prepared, and by combining them, communication modes corresponding to needs can be arbitrarily constructed, and changes corresponding to needs can be easily realized.

[0080] The heat distribution system of the second embodiment described above includes the rotary multi-way valve of the first embodiment or the embodiment described later, so that the actuator for driving the shaft 60 of the rotary multi-way valve can be miniaturized and the power required for driving the actuator can be reduced.

[0081] In addition, the rotary multi-way valve of the second embodiment can change the communication pattern of the plurality of ports 20 by changing the arrangement and shape of at least one of the plurality of blocks 31 with different groove portions 40 and the plurality of plates 32 with different notch portions 50, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0082] Thus, the rotary multi-way valve can cope with various heat distribution systems having different fluid passage configurations, for example.

[0083] (Third Embodiment)

[0084] A third embodiment will be described. The rotary multi-way valve of the third embodiment has a partially changed structure of the housing 10 compared to the structure described in the first embodiment.

[0085] like Fig.10 as well as Fig.11 As shown, the housing 10 of the rotary multi-way valve of the third embodiment includes an external housing 15 and a cylinder 16. The external housing 15 includes a receiving hole 17 for receiving the cylinder 16, forming an outer shell of the housing 10. The cylinder 16 received in the receiving hole 17 of the external housing 15 includes a cylindrical housing hole 14. In addition, the external housing 15 and the cylinder 16 can be combined by various methods such as press-fitting. In addition, a sealing member not shown in the figure can be inserted between the external housing 15 and the cylinder 16 to ensure the sealing of the combined portion.

[0086] The rotary multi-way valve of the third embodiment described above comprises a housing 10 composed of an outer housing 15 and a cylinder 16. Thus, by constituting the cylinder 16 which requires the dimensional accuracy of the inner diameter of the housing hole 14 and the processing accuracy of the cylindricality by a component different from the outer housing 15, the processing accuracy of the cylinder 16 can be improved and the processing can be easily performed.

[0087] In the rotary multi-way valve of the third embodiment, the cylinder 16 and the split rotor 30 are preferably formed of the same material. Thus, when the cylinder 16 and the split rotor 30 are thermally expanded due to a temperature change of the working fluid flowing in the rotary multi-way valve, if they are made of the same material, they expand with the same linear expansion coefficient. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the gap between the inner wall of the housing hole 14 and the split rotor 30 from increasing or decreasing due to temperature changes.

[0088] (Fourth Embodiment)

[0089] A fourth embodiment will be described. A rotary multi-way valve according to the fourth embodiment has a partially changed configuration compared to the configuration described in the first and third embodiments.

[0090] like Fig.12As shown, one end of the shaft 60 is rotatably supported by a first bearing 61 provided on the cover member 13, and the other end is rotatably supported by a second bearing 62 provided on the bottom 11 of the housing 10. The first bearing 61 is, for example, a ball bearing provided at the bearing hole 18 provided on the cover member 13, and the second bearing 62 is, for example, a sleeve bearing provided at the bearing hole 19 provided on the bottom 11 of the housing 10.

[0091] In addition, if Fig.13 As shown, the plurality of ports 20 of the rotary multi-way valve of the fourth embodiment are also provided in a predetermined range within 180° (specifically, within 90°) centered on the axis CL in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis CL of the housing hole 14, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0092] like Fig.12 and Fig.13 As shown, the rotary multi-way valve of the fourth embodiment is provided with pressing members 90 and 91 for pressing the shaft 60 toward the side where the plurality of ports 20 are provided with respect to the housing 10. The pressing members 90 and 91 are composed of, for example, two leaf springs. One of the pressing members 90 is arranged between the inner wall of the bearing hole 18 provided in the cover member 13 and the first bearing 61. The other pressing member 91 is arranged between the inner wall of the bearing hole 19 provided in the bottom 11 of the housing 10 and the second bearing 62. The two pressing members 90 and 91 press the first bearing 61 and the second bearing 62 toward the side where the plurality of ports 20 are provided. Thus, the rotary multi-way valve of the fourth embodiment can reduce the gap between the inner wall of the housing hole 14 where the ports 20 are provided and the split rotor 30. Therefore, the tolerance of the cylindricality of the split rotor 30 and the housing 10 can be further relaxed, and the fluid leakage between the plurality of flow paths in the valve can be suppressed to a smaller extent. In addition, since the portion of the inner wall of the housing hole 14 on the opposite side to the port 20 is not used as a flow path, there is no problem even if the gap becomes larger.

[0093] (Fifth Embodiment)

[0094] A fifth embodiment will be described. In the rotary multi-way valve of the fifth embodiment, a part of the structure of the segmented rotor 30 is changed from the structure described in the first, third, and fourth embodiments.

[0095] In the description of the fifth embodiment, Fig.14 1 shows a housing 10 provided in the rotary multi-way valve. Fig.15 4 shows a state where the split rotor 30 and the shaft 60 are assembled. Fig.15 As shown, the split rotor 30 of the rotary multi-way valve of the fifth embodiment is composed of a block 31 and a plate 32. The split rotor 30 is arranged along the axial direction of the housing hole 14. The number of the split rotors 30 is not limited to Fig.15 The two shown may be, for example, one or three or more.

[0096] As described above, the rotary multi-way valve of the fifth embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those described in the first, third, and fourth embodiments.

[0097] (Other embodiments)

[0098] (1) In the above-described embodiments, the split rotor 30 includes the block 31 and the plate 32 , but the present invention is not limited thereto and may include only the block or only the plate 32 .

[0099] (2) In the above embodiments, a case where no sealing member is provided between the inner wall of the housing hole 14 and the split rotor 30 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a sealing member may be provided only in a portion as necessary.

[0100] (3) In the above-mentioned embodiments, a case is described in which a plurality of ports 20 are arranged within a specified range within 180° centered on the axis CL of the shell hole in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis CL. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ports 20 may be arranged outside the specified range within 180°.

[0101] (4) In the above-mentioned embodiments, the rotary multi-way valve is described as being used in an electric vehicle, but the invention is not limited thereto and may be used in other than electric vehicles.

[0102] (5) In the above-mentioned embodiments, the pressing member 80 is composed of a compression coil spring, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The pressing member 80 may be composed of a member having elastic force such as rubber, or the rotary multi-way valve may be configured without a pressing member.

[0103] (6) In the first embodiment, the rotary multi-way valve is described as being able to realize 10 ports and 10 modes, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of ports, arrangement, and mode can be arbitrarily set.

[0104] The present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments and can be appropriately changed. In addition, the aforementioned embodiments and a part thereof are not unrelated to each other and can be appropriately combined except for the case where they are obviously not combinable. In addition, in the aforementioned embodiments, the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily necessary, except for the cases where they are specifically indicated as necessary and the cases where they are clearly considered to be necessary in principle. In addition, in the aforementioned embodiments, when referring to the number, value, amount, range and other numerical values ​​of the constituent elements of the embodiments, except for the cases where they are specifically indicated as necessary and the cases where they are obviously limited to a specific number in principle, they are not limited to the specific number. In addition, in the aforementioned embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of the constituent elements, etc., except for the cases where they are specifically indicated and the cases where they are limited to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. in principle, they are not limited to the shape, positional relationship, etc.

[0105] (Viewpoints of this publication)

[0106] The present disclosure described above can be understood as, for example, the following viewpoints.

[0107] [First point of view]

[0108] A rotary multi-way valve capable of switching the connection state and the cut-off state of multiple fluid flow paths, comprising:

[0109] A housing (10) having a cylindrical housing hole (14);

[0110] A plurality of ports (20) are arranged on the shell along the axial direction, circumferential direction or radial direction of the shell hole and penetrate the outer wall and the inner wall of the shell;

[0111] At least one split rotor (30) is arranged inside the housing hole along the axial direction of the housing hole and is rotatable relative to the housing;

[0112] a communication passage (40, 50) provided in the split rotor for switching a connection state and a disconnection state between a predetermined port and the other ports; and

[0113] A shaft (60) is provided to rotate the split rotor around the axis of the housing hole.

[0114] A minute gap (S2) is formed between the split rotor and the inner wall of the housing hole, and the split rotors are each allowed to move slightly in the radial direction.

[0115] [Second point of view]

[0116] According to the first aspect, the rotary multi-way valve,

[0117] A limiting portion (70) is further provided for limiting the relative rotation between the split rotor and the shaft and transmitting the rotation of the shaft to the split rotor.

[0118] The split rotor has an insertion hole (35, 36) for the shaft to be inserted through.

[0119] A difference between an outer diameter (D1) of the shaft and an inner diameter (D2) of the insertion hole is equal to or greater than a difference between an outer diameter (D3) of an imaginary circle connecting radial outer edges of the segmented rotors in a circumferential direction and an inner diameter (D4) of the housing hole.

[0120] [Third point of view]

[0121] The rotary multi-way valve according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein:

[0122] The plurality of split rotors include:

[0123] A plurality of blocks (31) arranged in the axial direction of the housing hole; and

[0124] a plurality of plates (32) arranged between the plurality of blocks;

[0125] The connecting path has:

[0126] A groove (40) is provided in at least one of the plurality of blocks, and switches a connection state and a disconnection state between a specified port and other ports; and

[0127] A notch portion (50) is provided in at least one of the plurality of plates, and connects the groove portion of a predetermined block arranged across the plate in the axial direction of the housing hole with the groove portions of other blocks.

[0128] [Fourth Viewpoint]

[0129] According to the third aspect, the rotary multi-way valve comprises:

[0130] The plurality of divided rotors are configured such that a communication pattern of the plurality of ports can be changed by changing the arrangement and shape of at least one of the plurality of blocks having different positions of the grooves and the plurality of plates having different positions of the notches.

[0131] [Fifth Viewpoint]

[0132] The rotary multi-way valve according to the third aspect or the fourth aspect, wherein:

[0133] A plurality of said plates have:

[0134] A fixed plate (321, 322) disposed on one side or the other side of the axial direction of the housing hole and restricted from relative rotation with respect to the housing among the plurality of plates; and

[0135] A rotating plate (323) is arranged between one side and the other side of the shell hole in the axial direction and is rotatable relative to the shell.

[0136] The rotary multi-way valve further comprises a pressing member (80) which applies a load to the fixed plate to press the fixed plate, the rotating plate and the plurality of blocks from one side to the other side in the axial direction of the housing hole.

[0137] [Sixth Viewpoint]

[0138] The rotary multi-way valve according to any one of the first to fifth aspects,

[0139] The housing comprises: a cylinder (16) having the housing hole; and

[0140] The outer shell (15) has a receiving hole (17) for receiving the cylinder body and forms the outer shell of the shell.

[0141] [Seventh Viewpoint]

[0142] According to the sixth aspect, the rotary multi-way valve,

[0143] The cylinder body and the split rotor are formed of the same material.

[0144] [Eighth Viewpoint]

[0145] The rotary multi-way valve according to any one of the first to seventh aspects,

[0146] When viewed from a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the housing hole, the plurality of ports are provided within a predetermined range within 180° around the axis of the housing hole.

[0147] [Ninth Viewpoint]

[0148] According to the rotary multi-way valve described in the eighth aspect,

[0149] A pressing member (90, 91) is also provided, which presses the side of the housing on which the plurality of ports are provided in the axial direction.

[0150] [Tenth Viewpoint]

[0151] A heat distribution system for an electric vehicle, comprising:

[0152] The rotary multi-way valve according to the first aspect;

[0153] The fluid flow path (106) is connected to the plurality of ports provided in the rotary multi-way valve; and

[0154] A battery (105), an electric drive device (102, 103) or an air conditioning device (104) connected to the middle of the fluid flow path,

[0155] By rotating the split rotor and the shaft included in the rotary multi-way valve around the axis of the housing hole and setting them to predetermined positions, hot water and cold water can be appropriately circulated to required equipment at required timings.

Claims

1. A rotary multi-way valve capable of switching between a connection state and a cut-off state of a plurality of fluid flow paths, characterized in that: have: A housing (10) having a cylindrical housing hole (14); A plurality of ports (20) are arranged on the shell along the axial direction, circumferential direction or radial direction of the shell hole and penetrate the outer wall and the inner wall of the shell; At least one split rotor (30) is arranged inside the housing hole along the axial direction of the housing hole and is rotatable relative to the housing; A communication passage (40, 50) is provided in the split rotor and switches between a connection state and a disconnection state between a specified port and other ports; as well as A shaft (60) is provided to rotate the split rotor around the axis of the housing hole. A minute gap (S2) is formed between the split rotor and the inner wall of the housing hole, and the split rotors are each allowed to move slightly in the radial direction.

2. The rotary multi-way valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary multi-way valve further includes a restriction portion (70) for restricting relative rotation between the split rotor and the shaft and transmitting the rotation of the shaft to the split rotor. The split rotor has an insertion hole (35, 36) for the shaft to be inserted through. A difference between an outer diameter (D1) of the shaft and an inner diameter (D2) of the insertion hole is equal to or greater than a difference between an outer diameter (D3) of an imaginary circle connecting radial outer edges of the segmented rotors in a circumferential direction and an inner diameter (D4) of the housing hole.

3. The rotary multi-way valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The plurality of split rotors include: A plurality of blocks (31) arranged in the axial direction of the housing hole; and a plurality of plates (32) arranged between the plurality of blocks; The connecting path has: A groove (40) is provided in at least one of the plurality of blocks, and switches a connection state and a disconnection state between a specified port and other ports; and A notch portion (50) is provided in at least one of the plurality of plates, and connects the groove portion of a predetermined block arranged across the plate in the axial direction of the housing hole with the groove portions of other blocks.

4. The rotary multi-way valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The plurality of divided rotors are configured such that a communication pattern of the plurality of ports can be changed by changing the arrangement and shape of at least one of the plurality of blocks having different positions of the grooves and the plurality of plates having different positions of the notches.

5. The rotary multi-way valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: A plurality of said plates have: A fixed plate (321, 322) disposed on one side or the other side of the axial direction of the housing hole and restricted from relative rotation with respect to the housing among the plurality of plates; and A rotating plate (323) is arranged between one side and the other side of the shell hole in the axial direction and is rotatable relative to the shell. The rotary multi-way valve further comprises a pressing member (80) which applies a load to the fixed plate to press the fixed plate, the rotating plate and the plurality of blocks from one side to the other side in the axial direction of the housing hole.

6. The rotary multi-way valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The housing comprises: a cylinder (16) having the housing hole; and The outer shell (15) has a receiving hole (17) for receiving the cylinder body and forms the outer shell of the shell.

7. The rotary multi-way valve according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cylinder body and the split rotor are formed of the same material.

8. The rotary multi-way valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When viewed from a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the housing hole, the plurality of ports are provided within a predetermined range within 180° around the axis of the housing hole.

9. The rotary multi-way valve according to claim 8, characterized in that: The rotary multi-way valve further includes a pressing member (90, 91) that presses the housing on the side where the plurality of ports are provided in the axial direction.

10. A heat distribution system for an electric vehicle, characterized in that: have: The rotary multi-way valve according to claim 1; The fluid flow path (106) is connected to the plurality of ports provided in the rotary multi-way valve; and A battery (105), an electric drive device (102, 103) or an air conditioning device (104) connected to the middle of the fluid flow path, By rotating the split rotor and the shaft included in the rotary multi-way valve around the axis of the housing hole and setting them to predetermined positions, hot water and cold water can be appropriately circulated to required equipment at required timings.

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