Rotary valve device

Abstract

Rotary valve device (M1, M2) comprising: a rotor (50, 500) having an inner passage (52b, 522) formed around a predetermined axis and an opening portion (523a, 523b, 524a, 524b) opening outwardly from the inner passage (52b, 522) to an outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) in a radial direction; a housing (H, H2) supporting the rotor (50, 500) to be rotatable with a predetermined first clearance and defining an axial passage (AP) communicating with the inner passage (52b, 522) and a radial passage (RP, 36, 61a) facing the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) and capable of communicating with the opening portion (523a, 523b, 524a, 524b); a passage member (60) disposed in the housing (H, H2) to define a portion of the radial passage (RP, 36, 61a); an annular sealing member (70) sealing a predetermined second clearance defined between an outer wall surface (61b) of the passage member (60) and an inner wall surface (32, 33) of the housing (H, H2); and a biasing spring (80) which biases the passage element (60) in the direction of the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524), wherein the passage member (60) comprises an annular contact portion (63) which is pressed into close contact with the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) by a pressure of a fluid flowing out of the axial passage (AP), and a portion (62) pressed by the annular sealing member (70) to bring the annular contact portion (63) into close contact with the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) by the pressure of the fluid flowing out of the radial passage (RP, 36, 61a), wherein the housing (H, H2) comprises the passage element (60), the annular sealing element (70) and a holding element (30, 310, 320, 330) which holds the biasing spring (80), and wherein the holding member (30, 310, 320, 330) has a hook portion (39) that restricts separation of the holding member (30, 310, 320, 330) in a state in which the passage member (60) is installed, and the passage member (60) has a hooking portion (64) that is hooked by the hook portion (39).

Description

BACKGROUNDTechnical field

[0001] The disclosure relates to a rotary type valve device that rotates a rotor to open and close a fluid passage, and more particularly to a rotary valve device used when controlling a cooling water flow of an engine mounted in a vehicle or the like. Description of the state of the art

[0002] As a conventional rotary valve device, a rotary valve device including a cylindrical rotor rotating about a predetermined axis, a casing housing the rotor, a tubular sealing member disposed between the rotor and the casing, and a drive mechanism rotating the rotor is known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

[0003] In this rotary valve device, the rotor has an inner passage extending therethrough in the axial direction and an opening portion opening in an outer peripheral surface thereof. The housing has a radial passage facing the outer peripheral surface of the rotor and communicating with the opening portion, to which a connecting pipe is connected, and an axial passage communicating with the inner passage of the rotor. Furthermore, the seal member has an inner curved portion disposed on the radial passage side of the housing and shaped to be pressed by pressure of a fluid guided by the radial passage, thus bringing it into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotor.

[0004] In a use state in which the fluid flows out of the radial passage of the housing and flows out or leaks out of the axial passage, the inner curved portion of the sealing member is pressed by the pressure of the fluid and brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotor, whereby a desired sealing function can be achieved.

[0005] However, when the fluid is used to flow out of the axial passage of the housing and leaks out of the radial passage, the inner curved portion may be pushed in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface of the rotor by the pressure of the fluid, and a sufficient sealing function cannot be ensured.CN 1 07 023 375 A discloses a refrigerant control valve device comprising: a spherical rotor having an opening and rotating about a rotation axis; a housing including a circumferential opening and an axial opening, the housing allowing the flow of a coolant and the rotor being housed in the housing; a hole formed in the rotor allowing the interior of the rotor and the circumferential opening to communicate with each other when the rotor rotates; an annular sealing member installed coaxially with the circumferential opening; a biasing member applying a biasing force to the sealing member; a sealing body provided between the housing and a portion of the outer diameter of the sealing member; and a fixing member holding the sealing body to the housing in a direction in which the circumferential opening extends.

[0006] JP S59 - 171 288 U discloses a vehicle air duct in which a projection is provided on the outside of the end of one duct, and a non-linear guide groove is provided on the inside of the end of another duct, which non-linear guide groove has an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of one duct.

[0007] DE 10 2013 222 825 A1 discloses a thermal management module for controlling fluid flows in a fluid circuit of a cooling or lubrication system of an internal combustion engine. The thermal management module contains a module housing with a plurality of fluid ports through which fluid can flow. These ports interact with openings of a rotary valve integrated into the module housing and rotatable via a rotary valve shaft rotatably mounted in the module housing in conjunction with an actuator.

[0008] CN 1 06 164 548 A discloses a valve device comprising: a ball valve with a spherical surface having a convex spherical surface; and a valve seat with a seating surface having a concave spherical surface. The seating surface is pressed onto the spherical surface. The ball valve is rotated to open a valve by connecting a valve opening defined in the ball valve and a seat opening defined in the valve seat, and to close the valve by breaking the connection. A diameter of the seat opening is smaller than a diameter of the valve opening. A radius of curvature of the spherical surface is less than or equal to a radius of curvature of the seating surface. Patent documents [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application JP 2013- 245 737 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application JP 2013- 245 738 A SUMMARY

[0009] The present invention is defined by the appended claim 1. The dependent claims show advantageous embodiments of the invention. The following disclosure serves to facilitate understanding of the invention. It is an object of the disclosure to solve the problems of the prior art and to provide a rotary valve device capable of achieving the desired sealing performance regardless of the flow direction of a fluid.

[0010] A rotary valve device of the disclosure includes a rotor having an inner passage formed around a predetermined axis and an opening portion opening from the inner passage to an outer contour surface in a radially outward direction, a housing supporting the rotor to be formed with a predetermined first clearance.clearance, and defines an axial passage communicating with the inner passage and a radial passage facing the outer contour surface and capable of communicating with the opening portion, a passage member disposed in the housing to define a part of the radial passage; and an annular sealing member sealing a predetermined second clearance defined between an outer wall surface of the passage member and an inner wall surface of the housing, wherein the passage member includes an annular contact portion pressed into close contact with the outer contour surface by a pressure of a fluid flowing out of the axial passage, and a portion pressed by the annular sealing member to bring the annular contact portion into close contact with the outer contour surface by the pressure of the fluid flowing out of the radial passage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of a rotary valve device according to the disclosure. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line E1-E1 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a holding member and a passage member used in the Fig. 1 shown rotary valve device. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the passage member and an annular sealing member used in the Fig. 1 shown rotary valve device. Fig. Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a fluid flows out of a radial passage in the Fig. 1 shown rotary valve device. Fig. Fig. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a fluid is discharged from an axial passage in the Fig. 1 shown rotary valve device. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a shape and a dimension of the passage member used in the Fig. 1 shown rotary valve device. Fig. Figure 8 shows a further embodiment of the annular sealing element shown in Fig. 1, and is an exploded perspective view of the passage member and the annular sealing member. Fig. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the fluid flows out of the radial passage in the rotary valve device which Fig. 8 uses the annular sealing element shown. Fig. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the fluid flows out of the axial passage in the rotary valve device which Fig. 8 uses the annular sealing element shown. Fig. 11 is an external perspective view illustrating a rotary valve device according to a second embodiment of the disclosure. Fig. 12 is a front view of the Fig. 11 shown rotary valve device. Fig. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a case where the Fig. 11 is applied to a system that controls a cooling water flow in an engine mounted in a vehicle or the like. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E2-E2 in Fig. 12. Fig. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing a rotor, a passage member, an annular seal member, a bias spring, and a drive mechanism shown in Fig. 11 shown rotary valve device. Fig. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing the rotor, passage member, annular seal member, bias spring, and drive mechanism used in the Fig. 11 shown rotary valve device. Fig. 17 is a partially exploded cross-sectional view showing the rotor, the passage member, the annular sealing member, the biasing spring, etc., used in the Fig. 11 shown rotary valve device. Fig. 18 is a sectional view taken along the line E3-E3 in Fig. 11, when the rotor is in a rotational position in mode 3 in the Fig. 11 shown rotary valve device. Fig. 19 is a sectional view along the line E4-E4 in Fig. 11, when the rotor is in the rotation position in mode 3 of the Fig. 11 shown rotary valve device. Fig. 20 is a block diagram illustrating a case where the rotary valve device according to the disclosure is applied to a system having a different arrangement relationship for controlling the flow of cooling water in the engine mounted in the vehicle or the like. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A rotary valve device of the disclosure includes a rotor having an inner passage formed around a predetermined axis and an opening portion opening from the inner passage to an outer contour surface in a radially outward direction, a housing supporting the rotor to be formed with a predetermined first clearance.clearance, and defines an axial passage communicating with the inner passage and a radial passage facing the outer contour surface and capable of communicating with the opening portion, a passage member disposed in the housing to define a part of the radial passage; and an annular sealing member sealing a predetermined second clearance defined between an outer wall surface of the passage member and an inner wall surface of the housing, wherein the passage member includes an annular contact portion pressed into close contact with the outer contour surface by a pressure of a fluid flowing out of the axial passage, and a portion pressed by the annular sealing member to bring the annular contact portion into close contact with the outer contour surface by the pressure of the fluid flowing out of the radial passage.

[0012] In the rotary valve device having the above-described configuration, the pressed portion may be formed to be pressed by the pressure of the fluid so that the annular contact portion is brought into close contact with the outer contour surface when the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage through the first clearance acts.

[0013] In the rotary valve device having the configuration described above, the housing may include a restricting portion that restricts the movement of the annular sealing member that receives the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage through the first clearance.

[0014] In the rotary valve device having the above-described configuration, the annular seal member may have a concave pressure-receiving surface on one side thereof that receives the pressure of the fluid.

[0015] The rotary valve device having the configuration described above may further include a biasing spring that biases the passage member toward the outer contour surface.

[0016] In the rotary valve device having the configuration described above, the housing may include the passage member, the annular sealing member, and a holding member that holds the bias spring.

[0017] In the rotary valve device having the above-described configuration, the holding member may have a hook portion that restricts separation of the holding member in a state where the passage member is installed, and the passage member may have a hook portion that is hooked by the hook portion.

[0018] In the rotary valve device having the above-described configuration, the outer contour surface of the rotor may be shaped into a spherical surface, the annular seal member may be shaped into a circular ring shape, the pressed portion of the passage member may be formed into an annular step surface with which the annular seal member detachably comes into contact, and the annular contact portion of the passage member may be formed into an annular seal lip whose diameter is larger than the annular step surface to be in close contact with the spherical surface.

[0019] In the rotary valve device having the above-described configuration, the rotor may include a plurality of outer contour surfaces continuous in a direction of the axis, and the housing may include a plurality of radial passages facing the plurality of outer contour surfaces and capable of communicating with the opening portion.

[0020] In the rotary valve device having the above-described configuration, the passage member may be formed of a resin material and the annular seal member may be formed of a rubber material.

[0021] The rotary valve device having the configuration described above may further include a drive mechanism that drives the rotor to rotate about the axis.

[0022] According to the rotary valve device having the above-described configuration, in both a use form in which the fluid flows from the axial passage toward the radial passage and a use form in which the fluid flows from the radial passage toward the axial passage, it is possible to ensure a passage with excellent sealing performance.

[0023] That is, the desired sealing performance can be achieved regardless of the flow direction of the fluid, and thus a rotary valve device capable of performing the desired flow control can be achieved.

[0024] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a rotary valve device according to the disclosure will be described with reference to the Fig. 1 to 10 of the attached drawings.

[0025] A rotary valve device M1 according to the first embodiment includes a housing H, a connecting member 40, a rotor 50 rotating about a predetermined axis S, a passage member 60, an annular sealing member 70, a biasing spring 80, and a drive mechanism 90.

[0026] Here, the housing H is formed by a housing body 10, a housing cover 20 and a holding element 30.

[0027] The housing H also defines an axial passage AP in a direction of the axis S and a radial passage RP extending in a radial direction perpendicular to the axis S.

[0028] The housing body 10 is formed of a resin material, an aluminum material, or the like, and includes an accommodating chamber 11, a recessed portion 12, a bearing portion 13, a bearing portion 14, a fitting portion 15, a flange portion 16, and a joining portion 17.

[0029] The accommodation chamber 11 is configured to accommodate the rotor 50 with a predetermined first clearance C1 so that it is rotatable about the axis S.

[0030] The recessed portion 12 is designed for the drive mechanism 90 to be arranged therein and is covered by the housing cover 20.

[0031] The bearing portion 13 is configured to rotatably support one end side of a rotating shaft 51 of the rotor 50, and includes a fitting hole 13a supporting a reduced diameter portion 51a, a fitting hole 13b supporting a large diameter portion 51b, and a step surface 13c formed at a boundary between the fitting hole 13a and the fitting hole 13b and supporting a step portion 51c of the rotating shaft 51 in a thrust direction.

[0032] The bearing portion 14 is configured to rotatably support the other end side of the rotating shaft 51 of the rotor 50, and includes a fitting hole 14a supporting a reduced diameter portion 51d, a contact surface 14b supporting a step portion 51e of the rotating shaft 51e in the thrust direction, and a plurality of communication holes 14c communicating with the inside of the accommodation chamber 11.

[0033] In addition, after inserting the rotor 50 into the accommodation chamber 11, the reduced diameter portion 51d of the bearing portion 14 is inserted into the fitting hole 14a and fitted and fixed into the flange portion 16.

[0034] The fitting portion 15 includes a stepped fitting hole 15a that fits into a stepped cylindrical portion 31 of the holding member 30 and a recessed portion 15b that fits into a flange portion 37 of the holding member 30.

[0035] The flange portion 16 is designed for attachment to an application target, such as a motor, with screws, bolts or the like.

[0036] The joining section 17 is designed for joining and fixing the connecting element 40 by screwing, welding or the like.

[0037] The housing cover 20 is formed of a resin material, an aluminum material, or the like, and includes a connector 21 that connects an electric wire connected to the drive mechanism 90 to the outside.

[0038] In addition, the housing cover 20 is connected to the housing body 10 by screws to cover the drive mechanism 90 arranged in the recessed portion 12 of the housing body 10.

[0039] The holding member 30 is formed of a resin material, an aluminum material, or the like, and includes the stepped cylindrical portion 31, an inner wall surface 32, an inner wall surface 33, an annular step portion 34 serving as a restricting portion at a boundary between the inner wall surface 32 and the inner wall surface 33, a receiving portion 35, a radial passage 36, the flange portion 37, a fitting portion 38, and a hook portion 39.

[0040] The stepped cylindrical portion 31 is shaped to be fitted into the stepped fitting hole 15a of the housing body 10 with an O-ring therebetween.

[0041] The inner wall surface 32 is formed as a circular inner peripheral surface to accommodate the passage member 60 with a predetermined second clearance C21.

[0042] Here, the second clearance C21 is defined between an outer wall surface 61b of the passage member 60 and the inner wall surface 32 of the holding member 30. In addition, as shown in Fig. 5, when a fluid flows from the radial passage RP toward the axial passage AP, a pressure of the fluid is directed to an end surface 74 of the annular sealing member 70 through the second clearance C21.

[0043] The inner wall surface 33 extends larger in diameter than the inner wall surface 32, is formed as a circular inner peripheral surface to accommodate the passage member 60 with a predetermined second clearance C22 and also to fit the annular sealing member 70 in cooperation with the outer wall surface 61b of the passage member 60.

[0044] Here, the second clearance C22 is defined between the outer wall surface 61b of the passage element 60 and the inner wall surface 33 of the holding element 30. In addition, as shown in Fig. 6, when the fluid flows from the axial passage AP toward the radial passage RP, the pressure of the fluid is guided to an end surface 73 of the annular sealing member 70 and guided to an annular step portion 62 through the first clearance C1 and the second clearance C22.

[0045] The annular step portion 34 is formed as a circular contact surface so that the annular seal member 70 can be brought into contact therewith. Additionally, the annular step portion 34 serves as a restricting portion that restricts the movement of the annular seal member 70 by bringing the annular seal member 70, which absorbs the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage AP through the first clearance C1 and the second clearance C22, into contact therewith.

[0046] In this way, the end surface 73 of the annular sealing element 70 receives the fluid flowing from the axial passage AP through the first clearance C1 and the second clearance C22 by providing the annular step portion 34 as a restricting portion. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, the pressure of the fluid can be reliably applied to an annular contact portion 63 and the annular step portion 62.

[0047] The receiving portion 35 is formed as an annular seating surface to receive one end of the biasing spring 80.

[0048] The radial passage 36 defines a part of the radial passage RP of the housing H and is configured to communicate with a radial passage 61a of the passage member 60.

[0049] The flange portion 37 is designed to fit into the recessed portion 15b of the fitting portion 15.

[0050] The fitting portion 38 is configured for a coupling portion 42 of the connecting member 40 so that it can be installed in a state in which an O-ring is fitted into an annular groove formed in an outer circumference.

[0051] The hook portion 39 is formed as an L-shaped notch opening at an end surface of the stepped cylindrical portion 31 to hook a hooking portion 64 of the through member 60 incorporated in the holding member 30.

[0052] Here, the hook portion 39 is formed to allow movement of the hooking portion 64 within a predetermined range in a biasing direction of the biasing spring 80.

[0053] That is, the hooking portion 64 is kept away from the hook portion 39 so that a biasing force of the biasing spring 80 acts in a state where the annular contact portion 63 of the through member 60 is mounted to be in close contact with an outer contour surface 52c of the rotor 50.

[0054] As described above, since the holding member 30 formed separately from the housing body 10 is employed, and the hook portion 39 is provided in the holding member 30 and the hooking portion 64 is provided on the through member 60, after the biasing spring 80, the annular sealing member 70 and the through member 60 are mounted on the holding member 30, thereby preventing these components from being separated from the holding member 30 by hooking the hooking portion 64 with the hook portion 39.

[0055] In addition, the retaining member 30, in which the biasing spring 80, the annular sealing member 70 and the passage member 60 are incorporated, can be treated as a modular article and easily mounted to the housing body 10.

[0056] The connecting member 40 is formed of a resin material, an aluminum material, another metal material, or the like, and includes a flange portion 41 joined to the housing body 10, the coupling portion 42 connected to the fitting portion 38 of the holding member 30, and a pipe portion 43 connecting an external piping.

[0057] The flange portion 41 is secured and integrally fixed to the joining portion 17 of the housing body 10 with bolts. Incidentally, the fixing method is not limited to bolts, and methods other than bolts, such as welding, may also be used.

[0058] The coupling portion 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape to fit into the fitting portion 38 of the holding member 30 in close contact therewith.

[0059] The pipe section 43 is cylindrically shaped to connect a pipeline and also extend in a direction perpendicular to the axis S. The pipe section 43 may be bent according to an arrangement of the pipeline to be connected.

[0060] The rotor 50 is formed of a resin material having excellent wear resistance and sliding properties and includes the rotating shaft 51 having the axis S, a valve portion 52, and a plurality of spoke portions 53 connecting the valve portion 52 to the rotating shaft 51.

[0061] The rotating shaft 51 includes the reduced diameter portion 51a fitted into the fitting hole 13a, the large diameter portion 51b fitted into the fitting hole 13b with an O-ring therebetween, the step portion 51c in contact with the step surface 13c, the reduced diameter portion 51d fitted into the fitting hole 14a, and a step portion 51e in contact with the contact surface 14b.

[0062] The reduced diameter section 51a can be inserted into the fitting hole 13a via a radial bearing.

[0063] The valve portion 52 includes a substantially cylindrical inner wall surface 52a centered on the axis S, an inner passage 52b defined between the inner wall surface 52a and the rotating shaft 51 about the axis S, the outer contour surface 52c forming a spherical surface, and an opening portion 52d opening outwardly from the inner passage 52b to the outer contour surface 52c in the radial direction perpendicular to the axis S.

[0064] The outer contour surface 52c is formed as a spherical surface with a center on the axis S and with a predetermined radius.

[0065] The opening portion 52d is formed as a circular hole having a predetermined inner diameter with a straight line perpendicular to the axis S as the center line.

[0066] The spoke portion 53 is configured to discretely connect the valve portion 52 to the rotating shaft 51 so that the inner passage 52b extends therethrough in the direction of the axis S.

[0067] The passage member 60 is formed of a resin material or the like having excellent wear resistance and sliding property, disposed between the rotor 50 and the holding member 30 forming part of the housing H, and defines part of the radial passage RP.

[0068] As in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, the through member 60 includes a cylindrical portion 61, the annular step portion 62 formed on an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 61, the annular contact portion 63 formed to have a larger diameter than the annular step portion 62, two hooking portions 64 projecting in the radial direction near the annular step portion 62, and a receiving portion 65 formed to have a smaller diameter than the cylindrical portion 61.

[0069] The cylindrical portion 61 includes the radial passage 61a, which defines a part of the radial passage RP of the housing H in its interior, and the outer wall surface 61b, on the outside of which the annular sealing element 70 is closely fitted or adapted.

[0070] The annular step portion 62 is formed as a circular stepped or stepped surface so that the annular sealing element 70 is detachably brought into contact therewith.

[0071] In addition, when the pressure of the fluid flowing from the radial passage RP (36) through the second clearance C21 acts, the annular step portion 62 serves as a pressed portion pressed by the annular seal member 70 to bring the annular contact portion 63 into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0072] On the other hand, when the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage AP through the first clearance C1 acts, the annular step portion 62 can also serve as a pressed portion pressed by the pressure of the fluid to bring the annular contact portion 63 into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0073] The annular contact portion 63 is formed as a circular ring-shaped sealing lip having a diameter larger than that of the annular step portion 62 to be in close contact with the spherical outer contour surface 52c, extending in a flange shape forming an annular circle, and having a predetermined sealing width.

[0074] In addition, when the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage AP through the first clearance C1 acts, the annular contact portion 63 is pressed by the pressure of the fluid to come into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0075] The hooking portion 64 is designed such that it is releasably hooked by the hook portion 39 of the holding element 30.

[0076] In addition, since the hooking portion 64 is hooked by the hooking portion 39 in a state where the through member 60 is integrated or built into the holding member 30, the through member 60 is prevented from being separated from the holding member 30.

[0077] The receiving portion 65 is formed as an annular seat surface to receive the other end of the biasing spring 80 in a state where the biasing spring 80 is arranged between the holding member 30 and the passage member 60.

[0078] In the passage element 60 having the above configuration, as shown in Fig. 7, a width dimension W of the annular step portion 62 and a length dimension L from the annular step portion 62 to the annular contact portion 63 are important values ​​for determining the pressure exerted by the fluid (pressure force without the biasing force of the biasing spring 80) to bring the annular contact portion 63 into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0079] That is, since the annular contact portion 63 is brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c by appropriately determining the width dimension W and the length dimension L in consideration of the desired sealing performance, the sliding resistance, the maximum fluid pressure, the biasing force of the biasing spring 80, etc., it is possible to ensure a desired pressing force.

[0080] The annular sealing member 70 is formed of a rubber material in a circular shape having a substantially rectangular cross section and includes an inner peripheral surface 71, an outer peripheral surface 72, an end surface 73 and an end surface 74.

[0081] The inner peripheral surface 71 is formed to be in close contact with the outer wall surface 61b of the passage member 60.

[0082] The outer peripheral surface 72 is formed to be in close contact with the inner wall surface 33 of the holding member 30.

[0083] The end surface 73 is formed to detachably contact the annular step portion 62 of the passage member 60.

[0084] The end surface 74 is designed to releasably contact the annular step portion 34 of the retaining member 30.

[0085] When the rubber material is molded, the annular sealing member 70 may be formed by embedding a reinforcing ring made of a metal material or the like.

[0086] The bias spring 80 is a compression coil spring, is housed within the holding member 30, and is arranged in a compressed state such that one end thereof is in contact with the receiving portion 35 of the holding member 30 and the other end is in contact with the receiving portion 65 of the passage member 60.

[0087] In addition, the biasing spring 80 exerts a biasing force to bias the passage member 60 toward the rotor 50 so that the annular contact portion 63 is brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0088] As described above, since the biasing spring 80 is provided, in an application range where the pressure of the fluid is low, the biasing force of the biasing spring 80 biases the passage member 60 against the rotor 50 so that the annular contact portion 63 can be brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0089] In the configuration described above, the housing H rotatably supports the rotor 50 with the first clearance C1 therebetween and defines the axial passage AP communicating with the inner passage 52b of the rotor 50 and the radial passage RP facing the outer contour surface 52c of the rotor 50 and capable of communicating with the opening portion 52d.

[0090] Here, since the rotor 50 is rotatably supported in the housing H with the first clearance C1 therebetween, it is possible to prevent locking, malfunction or the like due to the penetration of small foreign matter when the foreign matter, such as granular substances, is mixed into the fluid.

[0091] As in Fig. 2, the drive mechanism 90 includes a motor 91, a gear 91a fixed to a rotating shaft of the motor 91, a two-stage gear 92, a gear 93, and a worm gear 94.

[0092] The two-stage gear 92 coaxially comprises a large-diameter gear 92a meshing with the gear 91a and a small-diameter gear 92b.

[0093] The gear 93 coaxially comprises a large diameter gear 93a meshing with the small diameter gear 92b and a worm 93b.

[0094] The worm wheel 94 engages with the worm 9b and is fixed to the reduced diameter portion 51a of the rotating shaft 51.

[0095] In addition, the rotor 50 is driven to rotate by the rotation of the motor 91 around the axis S through the gear 91a→the two-stage gear 92→the gear 93→the worm gear 94, so that a position of the opening portion 52d with respect to the radial passage 61a is adjusted accordingly.

[0096] That is, since a rotational position of the rotor 50 is appropriately adjusted by the drive mechanism 90, a flow rate of the fluid flowing from the axial passage AP toward the radial passage RP or a flow rate of the fluid flowing from the radial passage RP toward the axial passage AP is controlled.

[0097] Next, an operation of the rotary valve device MI will be described.

[0098] Here, when the rotor 50 is rotationally driven by appropriately controlling the drive mechanism 90 and the opening portion 52d faces the radial passage 61a of the passage member 60, the rotary valve device Ml is in a fully opened state, and when the rotor 50 gradually rotates, an opening cross section becomes narrower and the flow rate decreases, and when the outer contour surface 52c other than the opening portion 52d faces the radial passage 61a of the passage member 60, the rotary valve device Ml is in a fully closed state.

[0099] Furthermore, even when the fluid is not flowing, the passage member 60 is pressed against the rotor 50 by the biasing force of the biasing spring 80, so that the annular contact portion 63 is brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0100] As a use form, when the fluid flows from the radial passage RP towards the axial passage AP, the flow is as in Fig. 5 shown.

[0101] That is, the fluid guided by the connecting member 40 passes through the radial passages 36 and 61a serving as the radial passage RP, and is supplied to a downstream supply destination connected to the flange portion 16 from the axial passage AP via the opening portion 52d of the rotor 50→the inner passage 52b.

[0102] In this flow of fluid, the pressure of the fluid flowing from the radial passage 36 through the second clearance C21 acts on the end surface 74 of the annular sealing element 70.

[0103] Therefore, the annular seal member 70 pressed by the pressure of the fluid comes into contact with the annular step portion (pressed portion) 62 of the passage member 60 and presses the passage member 60 toward the rotor 50, so that the annular contact portion 63 comes into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0104] In this way, since, in addition to the biasing force of the biasing spring 80, the pressure of the fluid flowing from the radial passage RP through the second clearance C21 exerts a compressive force on the passage member 60 via the annular sealing member 70, the annular contact portion 63 is reliably brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c and the desired sealing performance is achieved.

[0105] When the fluid pressure is low, behavior of the fluid prone to leakage is also weak, and the biasing force of the biasing spring 80 acts as the pressing force, so that the annular contact portion 63 is reliably brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c and the desired sealing performance can be achieved.

[0106] As a further use, when the fluid flows from the axial passage AP towards the radial passage RP, the flow is as in Fig. 6 shown.

[0107] That is, the fluid supplied from an upstream supply source connected to the flange portion 16 flows from the axial passage AP through the inner passage 52b of the rotor 50→the opening portion 52d to the radial passages 61a and 36 serving as the radial passage RP, and is guided to the downstream supply destination by the connecting member 40.

[0108] In this fluid flow, the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage AP through the first clearance C1 and the second clearance 22 acts on the end surface 73 of the annular sealing element 70.

[0109] Therefore, the annular sealing member 70, which is pressed by the pressure of the fluid, comes into contact with the annular step portion (restricting portion) 34 of the holding member 30, and its movement is restricted.

[0110] In addition, the pressure of the fluid flowing into the second clearance C22 effectively acts on the annular step portion (pressed portion) 62 of the passage member 60 and the annular contact portion 63.

[0111] Therefore, the pressure of the fluid flowing into this area causes the passage member 60 to be pushed toward the rotor 50 and the annular contact portion 63 to be brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0112] In this way, since in addition to the biasing force of the biasing spring 80, the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage AP through the first clearance C1 directly acts on the annular step portion 62 of the passage member 60 and the annular contact portion 63, the annular contact portion 63 is reliably brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c and the desired sealing performance can be achieved.

[0113] When the fluid pressure is low, the behavior of the fluid prone to leakage is also weak, and the biasing force of the biasing spring 80 acts as the pressing force, so that the annular contact portion 63 is reliably brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c and the desired sealing performance can be achieved.

[0114] According to the rotary valve device M1 having such a configuration, it is possible to secure the passage with excellent sealing performance in both the use form in which the fluid flows from the axial passage AP toward the radial passage RP and the use form in which the fluid flows from the radial passage RP toward the axial passage AP.

[0115] This means that the desired sealing performance can be achieved regardless of the flow direction of the fluid, and desired flow control can be performed.

[0116] Fig. 8 shows a modified example in which an annular sealing member 70 having a concave pressure-receiving surface is used instead of the above-described annular sealing member 70.

[0117] The annular sealing member 710 is formed of a rubber material in an annular shape forming a substantially V- or U-shaped cross section and including an inner peripheral surface 711, an outer peripheral surface 712, an end surface 713 and a concave pressure-receiving surface 714.

[0118] The inner peripheral surface 711 is formed to be in close contact with the outer wall surface 61b of the passage member 60.

[0119] The outer peripheral surface 712 is formed to be in close contact with the inner wall surface 33 of the holding member 30.

[0120] The end surface 713 is formed to contact the annular step portion 62 of the passage member 60 or the annular step portion 34 of the holding member 30.

[0121] The pressure receiving surface 714 is formed so that the inner peripheral surface 711 and the outer peripheral surface 712 can be pressed and expanded in the radial direction after receiving the pressure of the fluid flowing through the first clearance C1 or the second clearance C21.

[0122] In addition, a reinforcing ring made of a metal material or the like is embedded in the annular sealing member 710 when the rubber material is molded.

[0123] That is, the annular sealing element 710 is mounted so that the pressure of the fluid acts on the pressure receiving surface 714.

[0124] Therefore, in the use form in which the fluid flows from the radial passage RP towards the axial passage AP, as in Fig. 9, the pressure receiving surface 714 faces the annular step portion 34 of the holding member 30, and the end surface 713 is in contact with the annular step portion 62 of the passage member 60.

[0125] On the other hand, in the use form in which the fluid flows from the axial passage AP towards the radial passage RP, as in Fig. 10, the pressure receiving surface 714 faces the annular step portion 62 of the passage member 60, and the end surface 713 is in contact with the annular step portion 34 of the holding member 30.

[0126] The operation of the rotary valve device M1 in which the annular sealing member 710 is installed is the same as described above, and an effect of the pressure receiving surface 714 is added.

[0127] As a use form, when the fluid flows from the radial passage RP towards the axial passage AP, the flow is as in Fig. 9 shown.

[0128] That is, in the fluid flow, the pressure of the fluid flowing from the radial passage 36 through the second clearance C21 acts on the pressure-receiving surface 714 of the annular sealing element 710.

[0129] Therefore, the annular seal member 710 pressed by the pressure of the fluid comes into contact with the annular step portion (pressed portion) 62 of the passage member 60 and presses the passage member 60 toward the rotor 50, so that the annular contact portion 63 is brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0130] Furthermore, due to the pressure of the fluid acting on the pressure receiving surface 714, the annular seal member 710 is pressed and expanded in its radial direction, the inner peripheral surface 711 is pressed to be in closer contact with the outer wall surface 61b, and the outer peripheral surface 712 is also pressed to be in closer contact with the inner wall surface 33.

[0131] In this way, the pressure of the fluid flowing from the radial passage RP through the second clearance C21, in addition to the biasing force of the biasing spring 80, exerts the compressive force on the passage member 60 via the annular sealing member 710 and also presses the annular sealing member 710 against the passage member 60 and the holding member 30.

[0132] Therefore, the annular sealing member 710 is brought into close contact with the passage member 60 and the holding member 30, the annular contact portion 63 is reliably brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c, and thus the sealing performance can be improved.

[0133] At low fluid pressure, the behavior of the fluid prone to leakage is also weak, and the biasing force of the biasing spring 80 acts as a pressing force as described above, so that the annular contact portion 63 is reliably brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c and the desired sealing performance can be achieved.

[0134] As a further use, when the fluid flows from the axial passage AP towards the radial passage RP, the flow is as in Fig. 10 shown.

[0135] That is, in the flow of the fluid, the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage AP through the first clearance C1 and the second clearance C22 acts on the pressure receiving surface 714 of the annular seal member 710.

[0136] Therefore, the annular sealing member 710, which is pressed by the pressure of the fluid, comes into contact with the annular step portion (restricting portion) 34 of the holding member 30, and its movement is restricted.

[0137] Furthermore, due to the pressure of the fluid acting on the pressure receiving surface 714, the annular sealing member 710 is pressed and expanded in its radial direction, the inner peripheral surface 711 is pressed to be in closer contact with the outer wall surface 61b, and the outer peripheral surface 712 is also pressed to be in closer contact with the inner wall surface 33.

[0138] In addition, the pressure of the fluid flowing into the second clearance C22 effectively acts on the annular step portion (pressed portion) 62 of the passage member 60 and the annular contact portion 63.

[0139] Therefore, the pressure of the fluid flowing into this area causes the passage member 60 to be pushed toward the rotor 50 and the annular contact portion 63 to be brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c.

[0140] In this way, the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage AP through the first clearance C1, in addition to the biasing force of the biasing spring 80, presses the annular sealing element 710 against the passage element 60 and the holding element 30 and also acts directly on the annular step portion 62 of the passage element 60 and the annular contact portion 63.

[0141] Therefore, the annular sealing member 710 is brought into close contact with the passage member 60 and the holding member 30, the annular contact portion 63 is reliably brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c, and thus the sealing performance can be improved.

[0142] At low fluid pressure, the behavior of the fluid prone to leakage is also weak, and the biasing force of the biasing spring 80 acts as a pressing force as described above, so that the annular contact portion 63 is reliably brought into close contact with the outer contour surface 52c and the desired sealing performance can be achieved.

[0143] As described above, according to the rotary valve device M1 incorporating the annular seal member 710, it is possible to secure the passage with excellent sealing performance in both the use form in which the fluid flows from the axial passage AP toward the radial passage RP and the use form in which the fluid flows from the radial passage RP toward the axial passage AP.

[0144] This means that the desired sealing performance can be achieved regardless of the flow direction of the fluid, and the desired flow control can be performed.

[0145] A case where a mounting direction of the annular seal member 710 is changed according to the above-described usage forms also belongs to the scope of the disclosure.

[0146] The configuration in which the holding member 30 and the connecting member 40 are separately formed and installed has been described in the first embodiment. However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the holding member 30 and the connecting member 40 are integrally formed may be adopted.

[0147] Next, a second embodiment of the rotary valve device according to the disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 11 to 20 of the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same components as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0148] A rotary valve device M2 according to the second embodiment includes a housing H2, two connecting members 410 and 420, a rotor 500 rotating about a predetermined axis S, three passage members 60, three annular sealing members 710, three biasing springs 80, a drive mechanism 90, and a thermostat 600.

[0149] The housing H2 is formed from a housing body 100, a housing cover 20 and three holding elements 310, 320 and 330.

[0150] Furthermore, the housing H2 also defines an axial passage AP in a direction of the axis S and a radial passage RP extending in a radial direction perpendicular to the axis S.

[0151] The three passage elements 60, three annular sealing elements 710 and three preload springs 80 are designed as substantially similar shapes with different dimensions depending on their installation position, but are designated by the same reference numerals due to their functional similarity to those in the embodiment described above.

[0152] As in Fig. 13, the rotary valve device M2 is applied to a cooling water control system for controlling a cooling water flow of an engine 1 mounted in a vehicle.

[0153] The cooling water control system includes a water pump 2 mounted on the engine 1, the rotary valve device M2 installed on an upstream side of the water pump 2, a heat radiator 3, a heater core 4, an EGR cooler 5, and a throttle unit 6.

[0154] The rotary valve device M2 is connected to the radiator 3 via a pipe L1, to the heater 4 via a pipe L2, to the EGR cooler 5 via a pipe L3 and to the throttle unit 6 via a pipe L4.

[0155] In addition, an outlet 1a of the engine 1 is connected to the radiator 3 via a pipe L5, to the heater 4 via a pipe L6, to the EGR cooler 5 via a pipe L7 and to the throttle unit 6 via a pipe L8.

[0156] In addition, the cooling water discharged from the outlet 1a of the engine 1 flows from the radial passage RP of the rotary valve device M2 and from the axial passage AP due to a pumping action of the water pump 2 and flows into the water pump 2 through the pipe L5→the radiator 3→the pipe L1, the pipe L6→the heater 4→the pipe L2, the pipe L7→the EGR cooler 5→the pipe L3 and the pipe L8→the throttle unit 6→the pipe L4, respectively.

[0157] The housing body 100 is formed of a resin material, an aluminum material, or the like, and includes an accommodating chamber 11, a recessed portion 12, a bearing portion 13, a bearing portion 14, three fitting portions 15, a flange portion 16, four joining portions 117, 118, 119, and 120, and an accommodating portion that accommodates the thermostat 600.

[0158] The three fitting portions 15 are formed as substantially similar shapes with different dimensions, but since they are functionally identical to those in the embodiment described above, they are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0159] The accommodation chamber 11 is configured to accommodate the rotor 500 with a predetermined first clearance C1 so that it is rotatable about the axis S.

[0160] The joining section 117 is designed to join and fix the connecting element 410 by screws.

[0161] The joining portion 118 is designed to connect and fix the connecting element 420 by screwing in a region of the fitting portion 15 into which the holding element 310 is fitted.

[0162] The joining portion 119 is designed to connect and fix the holding element 320 by screwing in a region of the fitting portion 15 into which the holding element 320 is fitted.

[0163] The joining portion 120 is configured to connect and fix the holding member 330 by screwing in a region of the fitting portion 15 into which the holding member 330 is fitted.

[0164] The holding member 310 holds the passage member 60, the annular sealing member 710, and the biasing spring 80 facing an opening portion 524a of the rotor 500, and includes a stepped cylindrical portion 31, an inner wall surface 32, an inner wall surface 33, an annular step portion 34, a receiving portion 35, a radial passage 36, a flange portion 37, a fitting portion 38, a hook portion 39, and a bypass passage 311 communicating with the thermostat 600.

[0165] The bypass passage 311 allows the axial passage AP and a passage of the connecting member 420 to communicate with each other when the thermostat 600 opens at a predetermined temperature or more.

[0166] The holding member 320 holds the passage member 60, the annular sealing member 710, and the biasing spring 80 facing an opening portion 523a of the rotor 500, and includes the stepped cylindrical portion 31, the inner wall surface 32, the inner wall surface 33, the annular step portion 34, the receiving portion 35, the radial passage 36, the fitting portion 38, the hook portion 39, a flange portion 321, and a tubular portion 322 connecting the pipe L2.

[0167] The flange portion 321 is fitted into a recessed portion 15b formed in the fitting portion 15 of the housing body 100 and fastened and fixed with screws.

[0168] The holding member 330 holds the passage member 60, the annular sealing member 710, and the biasing spring 80 facing an opening portion 524b of the rotor 500, and includes the stepped cylindrical portion 31, the inner wall surface 32, the inner wall surface 33, the annular step portion 34, the receiving portion 35, the radial passage 36, the fitting portion 38, the hook portion 39, a flange portion 331, and a tubular portion 332 connecting the pipe L4.

[0169] The flange portion 331 is inserted or fitted into the recessed portion 15b formed in the fitting portion 15 of the housing body 100 and fastened and fixed with screws.

[0170] The connecting element 410 includes a flange portion 411 joined to the housing body 100 and a tubular portion 412 connecting the pipeline L3.

[0171] The flange portion 411 is fastened and fixed to the joining portion 117 of the housing body 100 with screws.

[0172] In addition, the connecting element 410 always communicates with the axial passage AP in the housing H2 regardless of a rotational position of the rotor 500, and the tubular portion 412 is connected to the EGR cooler 5 via the pipe L3.

[0173] The connecting member 420 includes a flange portion 421 joined to the housing body 100, a coupling portion 42, a bypass passage 423 communicating with the thermostat 600, and a tubular portion 424 connecting the pipe L1.

[0174] The flange portion 421 is attached and fixed to the joining portion 118 of the housing body 100 with screws.

[0175] The bypass passage 423 cooperates with the bypass passage 311 to connect the axial passage AP with the passage of the connecting element 420 when the thermostat 600 opens at the predetermined temperature or more.

[0176] The rotor 500 is formed of a resin material having excellent wear resistance and sliding properties and includes a rotating shaft 51 having the axis S, a valve portion 520, and a plurality of spoke portions 530 connecting the valve portion 520 to the rotating shaft 51.

[0177] The valve portion 520 includes a substantially cylindrical inner wall surface 521 centered on the axis S, an inner passage 522 defined between the inner wall surface 521 and the rotating shaft 51 about the axis S, two spherical outer contour surfaces 523 and 524 continuous in the direction of the axis S, two opening portions 523a and 523b opening outward from the inner passage 522 to the outer contour surface 523 in the radial direction perpendicular to the axis S, and two opening portions 524a and 524b opening outward from the inner passage 522 to the outer contour surface 524 in the radial direction perpendicular to the axis S.

[0178] Each of the outer contour surfaces 523 and 524 is formed as a spherical surface with a center on the axis S and a predetermined radius.

[0179] As in Fig. 16, the opening portion 523a is formed as a circular hole having a predetermined inner diameter with a straight line perpendicular to the axis S as the center line in the outer contour surface 523 and is also formed so that a central angle around the axis S is about 20 degrees.

[0180] As in Fig. 16, the opening portion 523b is formed as an elongated hole extending in a circumferential direction with the same width as an inner diameter of the opening portion 523a in the outer contour surface 523 and is also formed such that a central angle around the axis S is approximately 50 degrees.

[0181] As in Fig. 15, the opening portion 524a is formed as an elongated hole extending in the circumferential direction with a larger opening area than the opening portion 523a in the outer contour surface 524 and is also formed such that a central angle about the axis S is approximately 90 degrees.

[0182] As in the Fig. 15 and Fig. 16, the opening portion 524b is formed as an elongated hole extending in the circumferential direction with a width narrower than that of the opening portion 524a in the outer contour surface 524 and is also formed such that a central angle about the axis S is approximately 120 degrees.

[0183] Here, a center of the opening portion 523b is formed at a position where a phase thereof is offset from a center of the opening 523a by about 100 degrees counterclockwise in Fig. 18 deviates.

[0184] A center of the opening portion 524a is formed at a position where a phase thereof is offset from a center of the opening 523a by about 80 degrees counterclockwise in Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 deviates.

[0185] A center of the opening portion 524b is formed at a position where a phase thereof is different from a center of the opening 523a by about 60 degrees clockwise in Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 deviates.

[0186] The spoke portion 530 is configured to discretely connect the valve portion 520 to the rotating shaft 51 so that the inner passage 522 passes therethrough in the direction of the axis S.

[0187] In the second embodiment, the annular contact portions 63 of the three through members 60 are pressed to be in close contact with the outer contour surfaces 523 and 524 of the rotor 500, respectively.

[0188] The thermostat 600 includes a temperature sensing medium and performs a valve opening operation by expanding the temperature sensing medium to connect the axial passage AP with a passage of the connecting member 420 (a passage in the tubular portion 424) communicating with the piping L1 when the temperature of the fluid becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined level.

[0189] Next, an operation of the rotary valve device M2 will be described.

[0190] Here, the cooling water of the engine 1 is adjusted so that it flows from the radial passage RP towards the axial passage AP.

[0191] Furthermore, the rotation of the rotor 500 is appropriately controlled by the drive mechanism 90, and states of mode 1, mode 2, mode 3, mode 4, and mode 5 can be set.

[0192] In all modes, the EGR cooler 5 is in a state in which the cooling water can always be supplied regardless of the rotational position of the rotor 500.

[0193] In mode 1, the supply of cooling water to the radiator 3 and the heater 4 is stopped and the cooling water is supplied to the EGR cooler 5 and the throttle unit 6.

[0194] That is, Mode 1 is manufactured in a state where the rotor 500 is rotated about 90 degrees from the position shown in the Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 is rotated counterclockwise.

[0195] In this state, the radial passages 36 and 61a in a region of the holding member 310 communicating with the radiator 3 are blocked by the outer contour surface 524, the radial passages 36 and 61a in a region of the holding member 320 communicating with the heater 4 are blocked by the outer contour surface 523, and the radial passages 36 and 61a in a region of the holding member 330 communicating with the throttle unit 6 are communicated with the opening portion 524b.

[0196] In mode 2, the supply of cooling water to the radiator 3 is stopped and the cooling water is supplied to the heater 4, the EGR cooler 5 and the throttle unit 6.

[0197] That is, Mode 2 is manufactured in a state where the rotor 500 is rotated about 70 degrees from the position shown in the Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 is rotated counterclockwise.

[0198] In this state, the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 310, which is connected to the radiator 3, are blocked by the outer contour surface 524, the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 320, which is connected to the heater 4, are connected to the opening section 523a, and the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 330, which is connected to the throttle unit 6, are connected to the opening section 524b.

[0199] In Mode 3, the supply of cooling water to the heater 4 is stopped and the cooling water is supplied to the radiator 3, the EGR cooler 5 and the throttle unit 6. That is, Mode 3 is established in a state in which the rotor 500 is in the Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 positions shown.

[0200] In this state, the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 320, which is connected to the heater 4, are blocked by the outer contour surface 523, the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 310, which is connected to the radiator 3, are connected to the opening section 524a, and the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 330, which is connected to the throttle unit 6, are connected to the opening section 524b.

[0201] In mode 4, the cooling water is supplied to the radiator 3, the heater 4, the EGR cooler 5 and the throttle unit 6.

[0202] That is, Mode 4 is manufactured in a state where the rotor 500 is rotated about 15 degrees from the positions shown in the Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 positions shown are rotated clockwise back and forth.

[0203] In this state, the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 310, which is connected to the radiator 3, are connected to the opening portion 524a, the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 320, which is connected to the heater 4, are connected to the opening portion 523b, and the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 330, which is connected to the throttle unit 6, are connected to the opening portion 524b.

[0204] In mode 5, the supply of cooling water to the throttle unit 6 is stopped and the cooling water is supplied to the radiator 3, the heater 4 and the EGR cooler 5.

[0205] That is, Mode 5 is manufactured in a state where the rotor 500 is rotated about 40 degrees from the positions shown in the Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 positions shown are rotated clockwise back and forth.

[0206] In this state, the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 330, which is connected to the throttle unit 6, are blocked by the outer contour surface 524, the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 310, which is connected to the radiator 3, are connected to the opening section 524a, and the radial passages 36 and 61a in the region of the holding element 320, which is connected to the heater 4, are connected to the opening section 523b.

[0207] In all the modes described above, the pressure of the cooling water flowing from the radial passage 36 into the second free space C21 acts on the pressure-receiving surface 714 of the annular sealing element 710.

[0208] Therefore, the annular seal member 710 pressed by the pressure of the cooling water comes into contact with the annular step portion (pressed portion) 62 of the passage member 60 and presses the passage member 60 toward the rotor 500, so that the annular contact portion 63 is brought into close contact with the outer contour surfaces 523 and 534.

[0209] Furthermore, due to the pressure of the fluid acting on the pressure receiving surface 714, the annular seal member 710 is pressed and expanded in its radial direction, the inner peripheral surface 711 is pressed to be in closer contact with the outer wall surface 61b, and the outer peripheral surface 712 is also pressed to be in closer contact with the inner wall surface 33.

[0210] In this way, the pressure of the fluid flowing from the radial passage RP through the second clearance C21, in addition to the biasing force of the biasing spring 80, exerts a compressive force on the passage member 60 via the annular sealing member 710 and also presses the annular sealing member 710 against the passage member 60 and the holding member 30.

[0211] Therefore, the annular sealing member 710 is brought into close contact with the passage member 60 and the holding member 30, and the annular contact portion 63 is reliably brought into close contact with the outer contour surfaces 523 and 524, whereby the sealing performance can be improved.

[0212] On the other hand, when the rotary valve device M2 is used in the cooling water control system through which the cooling water flows from the axial passage AP toward the radial passage RP, as shown in Fig. 20, it is possible to ensure a similar sealing performance by installing the annular sealing member 710 so that the pressure of the cooling water flowing from the axial passage AP through the first clearance C1 and the second clearance C22 acts on the pressure receiving surface 714 as shown in Fig. 10 shown.

[0213] The case where the annular sealing member 710 is used has been described in the rotary valve device M2 described above, but the annular sealing member 70 may be installed as in the embodiment described above.

[0214] In the above-described embodiment, the annular sealing member 70 having a substantially rectangular cross section and the annular sealing member 710 having a substantially U-shaped or V-shaped cross section are illustrated as the annular sealing member. However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and an annular sealing member in which the concave pressure-receiving surface is formed on both end surfaces can be used as long as it can maintain a shape of a predetermined range with respect to the fluid pressure.

[0215] In the above-described embodiment, rotors 50 and 500 having spherical outer contour surfaces 52c, 523, and 524 are illustrated as the rotor. However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and a rotor having a cylindrical outer contour surface may be employed, and a cylindrical passage member having an annular contact portion capable of close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotor may be employed as the passage member.

[0216] As described above, the rotary valve device according to the disclosure can ensure the passage with the excellent sealing performance in both the usage form in which the fluid flows from the axial passage toward the radial passage and the usage form in which the fluid flows from the radial passage toward the axial passage, and therefore can be applied not only to a cooling water control system of a vehicle or the like but also to a fluid control system for controlling a flow of other fluids. [List of reference symbols] S axis M1, M2 rotary valve device H, H2 housing AP axial passage RP Radial passage 30 Holding element (housing) 32, 33 inner wall surface 34 Annular step section (restrictive section) 36 Radial passage 39 Hook section 50 rotor 52b Interior passage 52c outer contour surface 52d opening section 60 passage element 61a Radial passage 61b outer wall surface 62 Annular step section (pressed section, circular step surface) 63 Annular contact section (circular sealing lip) 64 Hooking section 70 Annular sealing element C1 First open space C21, C22 Second open space 80 preload spring 90 Drive mechanism 310, 320, 330 retaining element (housing) 500 Rotor 522 Inner Passage 523, 524 outer contour surface 523a, 523b, 524a, 524a, 524b opening section

Claims

[1] Rotary valve device (M1, M2) comprising: a rotor (50, 500) having an inner passage (52b, 522) formed around a predetermined axis and an opening portion (523a, 523b, 524a, 524b) opening outwardly from the inner passage (52b, 522) to an outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) in a radial direction; a housing (H, H2) supporting the rotor (50, 500) to be rotatable with a predetermined first clearance and defining an axial passage (AP) communicating with the inner passage (52b, 522) and a radial passage (RP, 36, 61a) facing the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) and capable of communicating with the opening portion (523a, 523b, 524a, 524b); a passage member (60) disposed in the housing (H, H2) to define a portion of the radial passage (RP, 36, 61a); an annular sealing member (70) sealing a predetermined second clearance defined between an outer wall surface (61b) of the passage member (60) and an inner wall surface (32, 33) of the housing (H, H2); and a biasing spring (80) which biases the passage element (60) in the direction of the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524), wherein the passage member (60) comprises an annular contact portion (63) which is pressed into close contact with the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) by a pressure of a fluid flowing out of the axial passage (AP), and a portion (62) pressed by the annular sealing member (70) to bring the annular contact portion (63) into close contact with the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) by the pressure of the fluid flowing out of the radial passage (RP, 36, 61a), wherein the housing (H, H2) comprises the passage element (60), the annular sealing element (70) and a holding element (30, 310, 320, 330) which holds the biasing spring (80), and wherein the holding member (30, 310, 320, 330) has a hook portion (39) that restricts separation of the holding member (30, 310, 320, 330) in a state in which the passage member (60) is installed, and the passage member (60) has a hooking portion (64) that is hooked by the hook portion (39). [2] The rotary valve device (M1, M2) according to claim 1, wherein the pressed portion (62) is formed to be pressed by the pressure of the fluid so that the annular contact portion (63) is brought into close contact with the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) when the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage (AP) through the first clearance acts. [3] Rotary valve device (M1, M2) according to claim 2, wherein the housing (H, H2) comprises a restricting portion (34) restricting the movement of the annular sealing element (70) which receives the pressure of the fluid flowing from the axial passage (AP) through the first clearance. [4] A rotary valve device (M1, M2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the annular sealing member (70) has a concave pressure-receiving surface on one side thereof which receives the pressure of the fluid. [5] The rotary valve device (M1, M2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer contour surface (52c, 523, 524) of the rotor (50, 500) is shaped into a spherical surface, the annular seal member (70) is shaped into a circular ring shape, the pressed portion (62) of the passage member (60) is shaped into an annular step surface with which the annular seal member (70) detachably comes into contact, and the annular contact portion (63) of the passage member (60) is formed as an annular seal lip whose diameter is larger than the annular step surface to be in close contact with the spherical surface. [6] The rotary valve device (M1, M2) according to claim 5, wherein the rotor (50, 500) comprises a plurality of outer contour surfaces (52c, 523, 524) continuous in a direction of the axis, and wherein the housing (H, H2) comprises a plurality of radial passages (RP, 36, 61a) facing the plurality of outer contour surfaces (52c, 523, 524) and capable of communicating with the opening portion (523a, 523b, 524a, 524b). [7] The rotary valve device (M1, M2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the passage member (60) is formed of a resin material and wherein the annular sealing member (70) is formed of a rubber material. [8] Rotary valve device (M1, M2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a drive mechanism (90) that drives the rotor (50, 500) to rotate about the axis.

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