Valve gear

Abstract

To provide a valve gear which adopts a valve body made of a resin material and flange part deformation inhibition means to achieve reduction of the weight and improvement of pressure resistance.SOLUTION: A valve gear 100a housed in a housing H includes: a valve body 20 made of a resin material; a seal metal fitting 10 which has an annular flange part 12 and in which the inner peripheral side of the flange part 12 is insert-molded in the valve body 20; a case 71 defining a housing space 3; and flange part deformation inhibition means which inhibits deformation of the flange part 12. A seal member O1 provided at a seal member housing groove Gs of the housing H is sandwiched between the flange part 12 and the seal member housing groove Gs to seal the housing space 3 and thereby separate the housing space 3 from an external environment. The flange part deformation inhibition means fixes the case 71 to a portion on the other end surface of the flange part 12, which is located adjacent to an inner peripheral edge of the seal member O1 when viewed from an axis L direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve device including a valve body made of a resin material and a flange deformation suppression means. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Some valve devices are flange-coupled to sandwich a seal member when fixed to a housing or the like.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a valve device 1000 (hereinafter referred to as a "conventional valve device") as shown in Fig. 10, which includes a guide body 1020 made of a metal material, a plunger 1040 movable within the guide body 1020, a valve body portion 1050 fixed to the tip of the plunger 1040, and a drive portion 1070 for driving the plunger 1040 in the axial direction. Patent Document 1 also discloses a valve device 1000 further including an axial seal member O10 housed in a seal frame portion 1014 provided on the outer periphery of the lower end of the guide body 1020, and a flange portion 1012 made of a metal material and fixed to the outer periphery of the guide body 1020. In order to mount the valve device 1000 in a sealed state to the valve housing unit H10, the flange portion 1012 is flange-coupled to a valve seat member 1030 via a fastening screw 1012f while the axial seal member O10 is clamped in the radial direction.

[0004] Here, the valve device is installed, for example, in the engine room or motor room of an automobile, which is not an environment where it is exposed to moisture. From the viewpoint of improving fuel efficiency, there has been a demand for weight reduction, and in order to increase versatility, there has been a demand for improved pressure resistance (the ability to withstand relatively high pressures, for example, approximately 3 MPa).

[0005] Therefore, first, in order to reduce the number of parts and the weight of the guide body 1020 in the conventional valve device, it is conceivable to make the guide body 1020 out of a resin material instead of a metal material, and to insert mold the flange portion 1012 and the seal frame portion 1014, both made of a metal material, into the guide body 1020 made of the resin material.

[0006] However, in conventional valve gears that use a resin material and are lightweight, when a relatively high-pressure fluid is introduced, the joint strength between the guide body 1020 and the insert-molded flange portion 1012 and seal frame portion 1014 is not strong, so the seal frame portion 1014 shifts upward together with the shaft seal member O10 and the inner periphery of the flange portion 1012 curls up, resulting in leakage to the external environment via the shaft seal member O10 and risk of reduced sealing performance (hereinafter referred to as "conventional problem (deformation of the inner periphery of the flange portion curling up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid)"). As a result, conventional valve gears have not been able to fully meet the demand for weight reduction and improved pressure resistance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-169795 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a valve device that can be made lighter and has improved pressure resistance by employing a valve body made of a resin material and a flange deformation suppression means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a valve device accommodated in a housing comprises a valve body made of a resin material, a sealing fitting having a circular flange portion, the inner side of the flange portion being insert molded into the valve body, a case defining an accommodation space, and a flange portion deformation suppression means for suppressing deformation of the flange portion, wherein a sealing member provided in a sealing member accommodating groove of the housing is sandwiched between the flange portion and the sealing member accommodating groove, thereby sealing the accommodation space from the external environment, and the flange portion deformation suppression means fixes the case to the other end face of the flange portion adjacent along the inner peripheral edge of the sealing member when viewed in the axial direction.

[0010] In the valve device described above, the flange deformation suppression means may be provided with at least one pressure equalizing hole in the flange located on the inner periphery of the case as viewed in the axial direction.

[0011] Moreover, in the above valve device, the flange portion deformation suppression means may be configured to provide a circumferential step in the flange portion adjacent to the inner circumferential side of the sealing member, and the inner circumferential side of the flange portion may be offset toward the other end from the outer circumferential side at the step.

[0012] In the valve device described above, the flange deformation suppression means may have a cylindrical portion formed continuously on the inner periphery of the flange portion, extending toward one end in the axial direction.

[0013] In the valve device described above, the flange deformation suppression means may be configured to fix a valve seat member to one end of the cylindrical portion.

[0014] In the above valve device, the flange deformation suppression means may be provided with at least one through hole in a region of the cylindrical portion that is embedded in the valve body.

[0015] In the above valve device, the flange deformation suppression means may have a fixed plate that clamps the flange between the housing, and the fixed plate and the seal member may overlap when viewed in the axial direction.

[0016] In the valve device, the fixing plate may include a bracket fixing mechanism for fixing the coil.

[0017] In the above valve device, the resin material may be PPS to which glass fiber or carbon fiber is added as a reinforcing agent. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, by employing a valve body made of a resin material and a flange deformation suppression means, it is possible to provide a valve device that can achieve weight reduction and improved pressure resistance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a valve device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the valve device shown in FIG. 1 is attached to a housing. [Diagram 3] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2 corresponding to the upper surface of the flange portion. [Figure 4] 3 shows a front view of the valve device in the installed state shown in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a valve device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are explanatory views of a fixed plate used in the valve device of FIG. 5, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a front view. [Figure 7] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the valve device shown in FIG. 5 attached to a housing. [Figure 8] 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7, corresponding to the upper surface of the housing and the upper surface of the flange portion. [Figure 9] 8 shows a front view of the valve device in the installed state shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a valve device and a valve housing unit before installation according to the prior art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 9. However, the present invention is not limited to the aspects of this embodiment. Although a valve device will be described below, the valve body made of a resin material and the flange deformation suppression means of the valve device of the present invention can be applied to motor-operated valves, mechanical expansion valves, mechanical pressure regulating valves, manual on-off valves, and solenoid valves.

[0021] <Terminology> In the description of this specification and the claims, "left", "right", "upper", and "lower" refer to the directions shown in Figs. 1-2, 4-5, 6(b), 7, and 9. In the description of this specification and the claims, "one end" and "the other end" refer to the "lower end" and "upper end" in the drawings. In the description of this specification and the claims, "flange deformation suppression means" refers to "means for suppressing the deformation of the flange". In addition, in the description of this specification and the claims, "guide body" refers to a member having a guide portion that guides a member (e.g., a drive shaft, a valve body, etc.) that moves in the axial direction. In addition, in the description of this specification and the claims, "valve body" refers to a member that constitutes at least a part of the outer shell of the valve device and includes the guide body.

[0022] (First embodiment) <Valve gear configuration> A valve device 100a according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The valve device 100a is mainly composed of a seal fitting 10, a guide body 20 (valve body), a valve seat member 30, a drive shaft 40, a valve body portion 50, a coil member 60, and a stepping motor 70. Each component of the valve device 100a and a housing H (see Fig. 2) to which the valve device 100a is attached will be described below. Although details will be described later, the valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs a guide body 20 made of a resin material and a flange deformation suppressing means, thereby eliminating the conventional problems (weight reduction and deformation in which the inner periphery of the flange portion is curled up due to high-pressure fluid) and suppressing leakage to the external environment, resulting in weight reduction and improved pressure resistance.

[0023] The seal fitting 10 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and includes a cylindrical portion 11 extending in the direction of the axis L and having a cylindrical shape, and a flange portion 12 formed continuously with the cylindrical portion 11. An opening 12a that defines the side port 1b is formed in the side wall of the cylindrical portion 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the flange portion 12 has a shape in which approximately three annular shapes are connected in parallel in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the direction of the axis L, and a pair of mounting holes 12b is provided in the center of the annular shapes on both ends. A pair of fastening screws 12f are inserted into the pair of mounting holes 12b via fastening washers 12g. Before the stator coil 73 is fixed and disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the case 71, the pair of fastening screws 12f are inserted into the fastening washers 12g and the pair of mounting holes 12b.

[0024] 2, the valve device 100a is attached to the housing H by threading the pair of fastening screws 12f into a pair of screw holes Sh formed in the upper surface H1 of the housing H and moving the flange portion 12 toward one end in the axial L direction until the outer periphery of one end of the flange portion 12 abuts against the upper surface H1 of the housing H. This causes the flange seal member O1 to be sandwiched between the seal member accommodating groove Gs and the outer periphery of one end of the flange portion 12, sealing the gap in the axial L direction between the valve device 100a and the housing H.

[0025] The guide body 20 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is made of a resin material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS).

[0026] The guide body 20 in the first embodiment may be PPS to which glass fiber or carbon fiber is added as a reinforcing agent. PPS to which this reinforcing agent is added has very high tensile strength (for example, 150 MPa). In addition, the guide body 20 in the first embodiment may be PPS to which polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is added. PPS to which PTFE is added has good sliding properties, and therefore the durability of the guide body 20 can be improved.

[0027] The guide body 20 is disposed so that its axis overlaps with the axis L. A screw hole 23, a bearing hole 24, and a slide hole 25 are formed concentrically in the center of the guide body 20, aligned in the direction of the axis L so as to penetrate the guide body 20. A female thread portion 23a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the screw hole 23, and a male thread portion 41a of a drive shaft 40 described later is screwed into the female thread portion 23a. A guide portion 42 of the drive shaft 40 described later is slidably engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the bearing hole 24. The slide hole 25 is disposed on one end side, and is formed to have a larger diameter than the bearing hole 24. A valve body portion 50 described later is slidably engaged with the slide hole 25.

[0028] A guide rail 26 consisting of a helical ridge is integrally formed on the outer circumferential surface of the guide body 20. Adjacent winding portions of the guide rail 26 are arranged with a gap between them. The guide rail 26 is arranged so that its axis overlaps with the axis L, and guides each winding portion of the coil portion 61 from one side or both sides so that the coil member 60 described below is screwed therewith and can rotate in the circumferential direction.

[0029] The valve seat member 30 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and includes a boss portion 31, an annular groove 32 in which the shaft seal member O2 is housed, and an outer circumferential surface 33 provided between the boss portion 31 and the annular groove 32. The valve port 1a opens at the center of the valve seat member 30. The boss portion 31 is formed to have an outer diameter smaller than the outer circumferential surface 33, and after being fitted into the cylindrical portion 11 of the seal fitting 10, the valve seat member 30 is joined to the seal fitting 10 via a welded portion W2 formed by arc welding or the like. This defines a valve chamber 2 inside the cylindrical portion 11.

[0030] The drive shaft 40 is formed in a cylindrical rod shape using a metal such as stainless steel. The drive shaft 40 is formed with a threaded portion 41, a guide portion 42, and a flange portion 43 arranged at one end of the guide portion 42, which are aligned in the axial direction L. The threaded portion 41 is formed with a male threaded portion 41a, which is screwed into the female threaded portion 23a of the guide body 20, thereby converting the rotational motion of the drive shaft 40 into a linear motion. The guide portion 42 guides the movement of the drive shaft 40 in the axial direction L by slidably engaging with the inner circumferential surface of the bearing hole 24. The drive shaft 40 is moved in the axial direction L by a screw feed action due to rotation. The flange portion 43 rotatably engages the valve body portion 50, which will be described later. In the first embodiment, the female threaded portion 23a and the male threaded portion 41a are right-handed threads.

[0031] The valve body portion 50 includes a valve holder 51 , a valve body 52 , a washer 53 , a spring receiver 54 , and a compression coil spring 55 .

[0032] The valve holder 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the slide hole 25 of the guide body 20. The valve holder 51 is engaged with the slide hole 25 so as to be slidable in the axial L direction.

[0033] The valve element 52 has a truncated cone shape on one end, and is fixed to one end 51a of the valve holder 51 so that the tip of the truncated cone faces the valve port 1a. The valve element 52 adjusts the flow rate by adjusting the opening between the valve port 1a and the valve seat between the maximum opening and the minimum opening (or fully closed state) of the valve.

[0034] The flange 43 of the drive shaft 40 is rotatably engaged with the other end 51b of the valve holder 51. Specifically, a washer 53 is sandwiched between the flange 43 of the drive shaft 40 and the other end 51b of the valve holder 51, and the other end 51b of the valve holder 51 is rotatably engaged with the drive shaft 40 by the flange 43. This engagement allows the valve holder 51 to be moved in the axial direction L by the drive shaft 40 and to be supported rotatably about the axial line L. An opening larger than the radial movable range of the drive shaft 40 is formed in the other end 51b of the valve holder 51. A spring receiver 54 is provided in the valve holder 51 so as to be movable in the axial direction L. A compression coil spring 55 is attached between the spring receiver 54 and the valve body 52 in a compressed state to which a predetermined load is applied. As a result, the spring receiver 54 is pressed toward the other end and comes into contact with the washer 53 and one end of the drive shaft 40 .

[0035] The coil member 60 integrally comprises a coil spring-shaped coil portion 61 and a claw portion 62 protruding radially outward from one end of the coil portion 61. The coil portion 61 is screwed into the guide rail 26 of the guide body 20 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction. The coil member 60 can be easily manufactured by forming a metal wire such as stainless steel.

[0036] The stepping motor 70 includes a case 71 , a magnet rotor 72 , and a stator coil 73 .

[0037] Case 71 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel and has a generally bottomed cylindrical shape with a closed upper end. One open end of case 71 is airtightly joined to the inner periphery of flange portion 12 of seal fitting 10 via welded portion W1 by arc welding or the like, thereby defining accommodation space 3.

[0038] The magnet rotor 72 integrally includes a cylindrical magnet portion 74 whose outer periphery is magnetized to multiple poles, a disk portion 75 that closes the other end, and a protrusion 77. The magnet rotor 72 is fixed to the drive shaft 40 via a metal fitting 76 that is insert-molded in the center of the disk portion 75. As a result, the magnet rotor 72 is provided in the case 71 so as to be rotatable about the axis L of the drive shaft 40. Here, the protrusion 77 of the magnet rotor 72 can abut against the claw portion 62 of the coil member 60. Therefore, the coil member 60 is pushed and rotated in the circumferential direction by the claw portion 62 due to the rotation of the magnet rotor 72. As a result, the coil member 60 hits an upper limit stopper (not shown) or a lower limit stopper (not shown), and the rotation of the coil member 60 is restricted, and the rotation of the magnet rotor 72 is also restricted. Therefore, the valve body portion 50 is restricted from moving beyond the position where the valve body portion 50 is at the maximum opening degree or the position where the valve body portion 50 is at the minimum opening degree (or the valve is closed).

[0039] The stator coil 73 is fixedly disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the case 71, and when a pulse signal is given to the stator coil 73, the magnet rotor 72 is rotated according to the number of pulses.

[0040] When the magnet rotor 72 rotates, the drive shaft 40 rotates together with the magnet rotor 72, and the male thread portion 41a and the female thread portion 23a act as a screw feed, causing the drive shaft 40 to move in the direction of the axis L, and the valve body portion 50 to advance and retreat relative to the valve port 1a. This changes the opening of the valve port 1a relative to the valve seat, and controls the flow rate of the fluid flowing from the valve port 1a to the side port 1b (or from the side port 1b to the valve port 1a).

[0041] The shape of the housing H will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of the upper surface of the flange portion 12 shown in Figure 2 (a plane where the inner periphery of the flange portion 12 is offset from the outer periphery to the other end side with the other end step portion 12s1 as a boundary), and for the sake of convenience, the valve body portion 50 is omitted from the illustration, and the seal member accommodating groove Gs, the flange seal member O1, the C-shaped guide main body 20 (the guide main body 20 located on the outer periphery side of the cylindrical portion 11 in Figure 3), and the first accommodating groove G1, which are not originally shown in the cross-sectional view, are each illustrated using dashed lines as in a see-through view.

[0042] The housing H is made of a metal material such as aluminum, and as shown in FIG. 2, an insertion hole having a plurality of annular stepped portions whose diameter is gradually reduced from the other end side to the one end side along the axis L direction is formed. The plurality of annular stepped portions are formed in order with a first housing groove G1 and a second housing groove G2. Here, the second housing groove G2 is formed with a first flow path Fp1 communicating with the side (the front side of the paper surface of FIG. 2), and the first housing groove G1 is formed with a second flow path (not shown) communicating with the side (the back side of the paper surface of the valve body 52 in FIG. 2). In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, a seal member housing groove Gs for housing a flange seal member O1 (seal member) is formed on the outer periphery side of the first housing groove G1 on the upper surface H1 of the housing H. Furthermore, a pair of screw holes Sh are formed symmetrically on the upper surface H1 of the housing H with the first housing groove G1 in between.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the shape of the housing H as shown in Figures 2 and 3 has been described. However, this is merely one example, and the housing H may have any shape as long as it has an insertion hole and an outer shape that allows the valve device 100a to be inserted into this insertion hole.

[0044] <Installation of the valve device> 2 and 4, the operation of mounting the valve device 100a to the housing H will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the valve device 100a is inserted from the first housing groove G1 along the axial line L direction of the housing H. Then, while the pair of fastening screws 12f are screwed into the pair of screw holes Sh, the flange portion 12 is moved toward one end side in the axial line L direction until the one end side outer periphery of the flange portion 12 abuts against the upper surface H1 of the housing H. At this time, the shaft seal member O2 is sandwiched between the second housing groove G2 and the annular groove 32 of the valve seat member 30, sealing between the first housing groove G1 and the second housing groove G2, and the flange seal member O1 is sandwiched between the seal member housing groove Gs and the one end side outer periphery of the flange portion 12, so that the gap in the axial line L direction between the valve device 100a and the housing H is set to a specified value, and the first housing groove G1 is sealed from the outside environment.

[0045] 4, the stator coil 73 is fixed to the housing H by screwing a fastening screw 73b into a mounting hole (not shown) of a coil bracket 73a made of a metallic material and into a threaded hole (not shown) formed in a side wall of the housing H. In this mounted state of the valve device 100a, the valve port 1a defined by the valve seat member 30 communicates with the first piping Pl1 via the first flow path Fp1 and a seal joint Pf fixed to the housing H by a fastening bolt Fb, while the side port 1b defined by the opening 12a of the cylindrical portion 11 communicates with the second piping (not shown) via the second flow path.

[0046] <Methods for suppressing flange deformation> As described above, in the conventional valve gear shown in FIG. 10, in which a resin material is used instead of a metal material as the material for the guide body 1020, there is a conventional problem (deformation of the inner circumference of the flange portion curling up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid) that causes leakage to the external environment through the shaft seal member O10, which may reduce sealing performance.

[0047] In contrast, the valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs a flange deformation suppression means for suppressing deformation of the flange portion 12 in addition to the guide body 20 made of a resin material, thereby eliminating the conventional problems (weight reduction and deformation in which the inner periphery of the flange portion is curled up due to high-pressure fluid) and suppressing leakage to the external environment, thereby achieving weight reduction and improved pressure resistance. Here, the flange deformation suppression means in the first embodiment is composed of flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalizing hole), flange deformation suppression means (3) (step portion), flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing), and flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole), which will be described in order below.

[0048] <Means for suppressing deformation of flange portion (1) (case fixing)> 3, the flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing) fixes the case 71 via an annular welded part W1 to the other end surface of the flange 12 (i.e., the deformation area that is rolled up by high pressure in a conventional valve device) adjacent to the inner peripheral edge of the flange seal member O1 when viewed from the axis L direction. Here, the flange 12 is formed with an other end step 12s1, and the outer diameter of this other end step 12s1 is set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of one end of the case 71. As a result, the case 71 is positioned to the flange 12 via the other end step 12s1 and then fixed.

[0049] In the first embodiment, by adopting the flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), the flange 12 to which the case 71 is fixed has a relatively high structural rigidity, and the pressure resistance strength of the inner circumference side of the flange 12 is improved, thereby resolving the conventional problem (deformation of the inner circumference side of the flange curling up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid). As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, the pressing force of the pair of fastening screws 12f acts not only on the region of the flange seal member O1 adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f, but also on the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1 along the fixed portion with the case 71, which has a higher structural rigidity, so that leakage to the external environment can be suppressed, and as a result, weight reduction and improved pressure resistance can be achieved.

[0050] <Means for suppressing deformation of flange portion (2) (pressure equalizing hole)> The flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalizing hole) is provided with at least one pressure equalizing hole 12d in the flange 12 located on the inner periphery of the case 71 when viewed from the axis L direction, as shown in Figs.

[0051] In the first embodiment, by adopting a flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalization hole), the spaces (the storage space 3 and the first storage groove G1) on one end side and the other end side of the flange portion 12 are equalized in pressure, and the application of a pressure difference to the flange portion 12 is suppressed. This eliminates the conventional problem (deformation of the inner circumference of the flange portion curling up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid) and suppresses leakage to the external environment, resulting in weight reduction and improved pressure resistance.

[0052] <Flange deformation suppression means (3) (step portion)> 2, the flange deformation suppression means (3) (step portion) is a circumferential step portion 12s consisting of an other end side step portion 12s1 and a one end side step portion 12s2 provided in the flange portion 12 at a position adjacent to the inner periphery side of the flange seal member O1. The inner periphery side of the flange portion 12 is offset toward the other end side from the outer periphery side with the step portion 12s as a boundary. This step portion 12s can be formed, for example, by subjecting the flange portion 12 to press working or the like.

[0053] In the first embodiment, by employing the flange deformation suppression means (3) (step), the step 12s of the flange 12 becomes relatively rigid due to work hardening caused by plastic deformation, and the pressure resistance strength of the inner circumference of the flange 12 is improved, thereby resolving the conventional problem (deformation of the inner circumference of the flange due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid). As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, the pressing force of the pair of fastening screws 12f acts not only on the region of the flange seal member O1 adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f, but also on the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1 along the step 12s, which has a structurally increased rigidity, and therefore leakage to the external environment can be suppressed, resulting in weight reduction and improved pressure resistance.

[0054] <Means for suppressing deformation of flange portion (4) (cylindrical portion)> As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the flange portion deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion) has a cylindrical portion 11 that is continuously formed on the inner peripheral side of the flange portion 12, extending toward one end side in the direction of the axis L.

[0055] In the first embodiment, by adopting the flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), the flange portion 12 in which the cylindrical portion 11 is continuously formed has a relatively high structural rigidity, and the pressure resistance strength of the inner periphery of the flange portion 12 is improved, thereby resolving the conventional problem (deformation of the inner periphery of the flange portion curling up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid). As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the pressing force of the pair of fastening screws 12f acts not only on the region of the flange seal member O1 adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f, but also on the entire periphery of the flange seal member O1 along the cylindrical portion 11 whose rigidity is increased structurally, so that leakage to the external environment can be suppressed, and as a result, weight reduction and improvement of pressure resistance can be achieved. Furthermore, the radial pressure resistance of the guide body 20 in which the cylindrical portion 11 is insert-molded can be improved.

[0056] <Means for suppressing deformation of flange portion (5) (fixing valve seat member)> 2, the flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing) fixes the valve seat member 30 to one end of the cylindrical portion 11 via a welded portion W2. Here, a boss portion 31 is formed on the other end side of the valve seat member 30, and the outer diameter of this boss portion 31 is set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of one end of the cylindrical portion 11. As a result, the valve seat member 30 is positioned on the cylindrical portion 11 via this boss portion 31 and then fixed.

[0057] In the first embodiment, by adopting the flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing), the cylindrical portion 11 to which the valve seat member 30 is fixed has a relatively high structural rigidity. Therefore, the flange portion 12 to which the cylindrical portion 11 is continuously formed also has a further increased structural rigidity, and the pressure resistance strength of the inner periphery of the flange portion 12 is improved, thereby eliminating the conventional problem (weight reduction and deformation of the inner periphery of the flange portion due to high-pressure fluid). In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the pressing force of the pair of fastening screws 12f acts not only on the region of the flange seal member O1 adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f, but also on the entire periphery of the flange seal member O1 along the cylindrical portion 11, which has a structurally increased rigidity, so that leakage to the external environment can be suppressed, and as a result, weight reduction and pressure resistance can be improved. In addition, by fixing the valve seat member 30 to one end of the cylindrical portion 11, the radial pressure resistance of the guide body 20 can be further improved. Furthermore, by making the valve seat member 30 a separate component from the seal fitting 10, it is no longer necessary to form the valve port 1a in the seal fitting 10, thereby simplifying the processing of the seal fitting 10, and the valve seat of the valve port 1a can be formed thicker, thereby obtaining stable valve leakage performance.

[0058] <Flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole)> 2, the flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) is provided with at least one through hole 12e in the region of the cylindrical portion 11 that is embedded in the guide body 20. When the seal fitting 10 is insert molded into the guide body 20, the resin material is solidified while being filled in the at least one through hole 12e.

[0059] In the first embodiment, by adopting the flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole), the flange 12, which has an increased joining strength with the guide body 20 via the through hole 12e of the cylindrical portion 11, has a relatively high structural rigidity and improves the pressure resistance strength on the inner periphery side of the flange 12, thereby resolving the conventional problem (deformation of the inner periphery side of the flange due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid). As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, the pressing force of the pair of fastening screws 12f acts not only on the area adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f of the flange seal member O1, but also on the entire periphery of the flange seal member O1 along the cylindrical portion 11, which has an increased structural rigidity, thereby suppressing leakage to the external environment, and as a result, weight reduction and improved pressure resistance can be achieved.

[0060] As described above, the valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs, in addition to the guide body 20 made of a resin material, flange portion deformation suppression means (1) (fixed to the case), flange portion deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalizing hole), flange portion deformation suppression means (3) (step portion), flange portion deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), flange portion deformation suppression means (5) (fixed to the valve seat member), and flange portion deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) which suppress deformation of the flange portion 12. This makes it possible to eliminate the conventional problems (deformation in which the inner periphery of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid) and suppress leakage to the external environment, thereby enabling weight reduction and improved pressure resistance.

[0061] The valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs a guide body 20 made of a resin material, and all of the flange portion deformation suppression means (1) (fixed to the case) to the flange portion deformation suppression means (6) (through hole), but is not limited to this. For example, the valve device 100a may employ a guide body 20 made of a resin material, and at least one of the flange portion deformation suppression means (1) (fixed to the case) to the flange portion deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) (for example, flange portion deformation suppression means (1) (fixed to the case)).

[0062] Second embodiment A valve device 100b according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The valve device 100b according to the second embodiment differs from the valve device 100a according to the first embodiment mainly in the outer shape of the flange portion 12B of the sealing fitting 10B and in the use of a fixed plate 13, but other basic configurations are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment. Here, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. Note that the case 71B and the coil bracket 73Ba of the stator coil 73B in the second embodiment (see FIG. 9) are slightly different in length in the axial direction L from the case 71 and the coil bracket 73a of the stator coil 73 in the first embodiment, but the configurations are the same, so explanations will be omitted.

[0063] The valve device 100b according to the second embodiment is mainly composed of a seal fitting 10B, a fixed plate 13, a guide body 20 (valve body), a valve seat member 30, a drive shaft 40, a valve body portion 50, a coil member 60, and a stepping motor 70B. Below, the seal fitting 10B, the fixed plate 13, and the housing HB (see FIG. 7) to which the valve device 100b is attached, which are different in configuration from the first embodiment, will be described in order.

[0064] <About the sealing fittings> The sealing fitting 10B is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, extends in the direction of the axis L, and includes a cylindrical portion 11 and a flange portion 12B formed continuously with the cylindrical portion 11. An opening 12a that defines the side port 1b is formed in the side wall of the cylindrical portion 11. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8, the flange portion 12B has a circular ring shape when viewed from the direction of the axis L.

[0065] <About the fixing plate> The fixing plate 13 is made of a metal material such as aluminum, stainless steel, or plated steel, or a resin material, and has a rounded, generally rhombic shape when viewed from the axis L direction, as shown in FIG. 6(a). The fixing plate 13 has an insertion hole 13a formed around the axis L and a pair of mounting holes 13b formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the screw hole 13c (bracket fixing mechanism) for the coil bracket in the second embodiment is formed in the side wall of the fixing plate 13, instead of the side wall of the housing H in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6(b). Here, as shown in FIG. 5, before the stator coil 73B is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the case 71B, the case 71B is inserted into the insertion hole 13a of the fixing plate 13. In addition, a pair of fastening screws 12f are inserted into the pair of mounting holes 13b via fastening washers 12g.

[0066] The housing HB is made of a metal material such as aluminum. The shape of the housing HB will be described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of the upper surface H1 of the housing HB and the upper surface of the flange portion 12B shown in Fig. 7 (a plane in which the inner periphery of the flange portion 12B is offset from the outer periphery to the other end side with the other end step portion 12s1 as a boundary). For convenience of explanation, the valve body portion 50 is omitted, and the fixed plate 13, the seal member accommodating groove Gs, the flange seal member O1, the C-shaped guide main body 20 (the guide main body 20 located on the outer periphery side of the cylindrical portion 11 in Fig. 8), and the first accommodating groove G1, which are not originally shown in the cross-sectional view, are each shown by broken lines as in a see-through view.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 7, the housing HB is formed with an insertion hole having a plurality of annular stepped portions whose diameters are successively reduced from the other end side to the one end side along the axis L direction. The plurality of annular stepped portions are formed with a flange portion accommodating groove Gf, a first accommodating groove G1, and a second accommodating groove G2, in that order. Here, the second accommodating groove G2 is formed with a first flow path Fp1 communicating with the side (the front side of the paper surface of FIG. 7), and the first accommodating groove G1 is formed with a second flow path (not shown) communicating with the side (the back side of the paper surface of the valve body 52 in FIG. 7). In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, a seal member accommodating groove Gs for accommodating a flange seal member O1 (seal member) is formed in an annular stepped portion between the flange portion accommodating groove Gf and the first accommodating groove G1 on the upper surface H1 of the housing HB. Furthermore, a pair of screw holes Sh are formed at symmetrical positions across the first accommodating groove G1 on the upper surface H1 of the housing HB.

[0068] In the second embodiment, the shape of the housing HB as shown in Figures 7 and 8 has been described. However, this is merely one example, and any shape may be used as long as the housing HB has an insertion hole and has an external shape that allows the valve device 100b to be inserted into this insertion hole.

[0069] <Installation of the valve device> The operation of mounting the valve device 100b to the housing HB will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 9. First, as shown in Figure 7, the valve device 100b is inserted into the first housing groove G1 along the axis L direction of the housing HB. Then, while the pair of fastening screws 12f are screwed into the pair of screw holes Sh via the fastening washers 12g and the pair of mounting holes 13b, the pair of fastening screws 12f are moved toward the one end side in the axis L direction until the outer periphery of one end side of the flange portion 12B is accommodated in the flange portion accommodation groove Gf and abuts against the upper surface H1 of the housing HB. At this time, the axial seal member O2 is sandwiched between the second accommodating groove G2 and the annular groove 32 of the valve seat member 30, sealing the gap between the first accommodating groove G1 and the second accommodating groove G2, and the flange seal member O1 is sandwiched between the seal member accommodating groove Gs and the outer periphery of one end side of the flange portion 12B, the gap in the axial L direction between the valve device 100b and the housing HB is set to a specified value, and the first accommodating groove G1 is sealed off from the external environment.

[0070] Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the stator coil 73B is fixed to the housing HB by screwing the fastening screw 73Bb into the mounting hole (not shown) of the coil bracket 73Ba made of a metal material and the screw hole 13c (see FIG. 6(b)) for the coil bracket formed in the side wall of the fixing plate 13. This allows the stator coil 73B to be reliably fixed to the housing HB via the fixing plate 13. In addition, since there is no need to provide a screw hole, which is a bracket fixing mechanism, in the housing HB, the design freedom of the housing HB is increased. In the mounted state of this valve device 100b, the valve port 1a defined by the valve seat member 30 communicates with the first pipe Pl1 via the first flow path Fp1 and the seal joint Pf fixed to the housing HB by the fastening bolt Fb, while the side port 1b defined by the opening 12a of the cylindrical portion 11 communicates with the second pipe (not shown) via the second flow path.

[0071] <Regarding the issue of concern (management of pressure on flange seal materials)> The valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs, in addition to the guide body 20 made of a resin material, a flange deformation suppression means for suppressing deformation of the flange portion 12. For example, in the valve device 100a of the first embodiment, when any one of the flange deformation suppression means (1) (fixed to the case), the flange deformation suppression means (3) (step portion), and the flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion) is employed, as shown in Fig. 3, the radial and circumferential regions in the flange portion 12 where rigidity is increased are slightly different due to the structure (the fixed portion to the case 71, the step portion 12s, or the cylindrical portion 11) and the processing accuracy.

[0072] Here, the fastening force generated by the pair of fastening screws 12f acts on the entire circumferential region of the flange seal member O1 via each of the flange deformation suppression means, so that the pressing force on the flange seal member O1 varies slightly in the radial and circumferential directions depending on the (combination of) flange deformation suppression means used. For this reason, in the valve device 100a of the first embodiment, it was necessary to manage the (total of) different pressing forces on the flange seal member O1 so that they were equal to or greater than a required value depending on the (combination of) flange deformation suppression means used (hereinafter referred to as "concern (management of pressing force on flange seal member)").

[0073] In contrast, the valve device 100b of the second embodiment employs a flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate) that suppresses deformation of the flange portion 12 in addition to the guide body 20 made of a resin material, thereby eliminating the concern (control of the pressing force on the flange seal member) and reliably suppressing leakage to the external environment. Note that the valve device 100b of the second embodiment also employs flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalizing hole), flange deformation suppression means (3) (step portion), flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing), and flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) as flange deformation suppression means, similar to the valve device 100a of the first embodiment, but a description thereof will be omitted to avoid duplication.

[0074] <Flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate)> First, the fixed plate 13 is a relatively thick plate material made of a highly rigid material (for example, a metal material such as aluminum, stainless steel, or plated steel plate, or a resin material), and as shown in Fig. 6(a), has a rounded, generally rhombus shape when viewed from the direction of the axis L, and includes an insertion hole 13a provided around the axis L and a pair of mounting holes 13b provided on both ends in the longitudinal direction. The case 71B is inserted into this insertion hole 13a. Also, a pair of fastening screws 12f are inserted into the pair of mounting holes 13b via fastening washers 12g.

[0075] In the second embodiment, when the fixing plate 13 is made of a resin material, PPS or the like is used. In this case, the fixing plate 13 can have a very high tensile strength (for example, 150 MPa) by using PPS to which glass fiber or carbon fiber is added as a reinforcing agent.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 7, the flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixed plate) has a fixed plate 13 that holds the flange 12B between itself and the housing HB, and as shown in Fig. 8, the fixed plate 13 and the flange seal member O1 overlap when viewed from the direction of the axis L. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the insertion hole 13a (indicated by a two-dot chain line in the drawing) of the fixed plate 13 is disposed along the circumference between the inner peripheral edge of the flange seal member O1 and the outer peripheral edge of the case 71B.

[0077] In this way, in the second embodiment, by employing the flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixed plate), the fastening force generated by the pair of fastening screws 12f is surely applied to the entire circumferential region of the flange seal member O1 via the fixed plate 13 made of a high-rigidity material, so that the pressing force on the flange seal member O1 can be made uniform and relatively large in the radial and circumferential directions compared to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, different pressing forces on the entire circumferential region of the flange seal member O1 are not managed by the (combination of) flange deformation suppression means employed, but by employing the flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixed plate) and centrally managing the pressing force on the entire circumferential region of the flange seal member O1 so that it is equal to or greater than a required value, the concern (management of the pressing force on the flange seal member) can be eliminated and leakage to the external environment can be more surely suppressed.

[0078] As described above, the valve device 100b of the second embodiment, in addition to the guide body 20 made of a resin material, adopts flange deformation suppression means (1) (fixed to the case), flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalizing hole), flange deformation suppression means (3) (step), flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), flange deformation suppression means (5) (fixed to the valve seat member), and flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) for suppressing deformation of the flange portion 12B, thereby solving the conventional problems (weight reduction and deformation of the inner periphery of the flange portion due to high-pressure fluid) and suppressing leakage to the external environment, resulting in weight reduction and improved pressure resistance. In addition, the valve device 100b of the second embodiment adopts flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixed plate) to solve the concern (control of the pressing force on the flange seal member) and more reliably suppress leakage to the external environment.

[0079] The valve device 100b of the second embodiment employs a guide body 20 made of a resin material, a flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate), and all of the flange deformation suppression means (1) (fixed to the case) to the flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole). However, without being limited to this, for example, in addition to the guide body 20 made of a resin material and the flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate), at least one of the flange deformation suppression means (1) (fixed to the case) to the flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) (for example, the flange deformation suppression means (1) (fixed to the case)).

[0080] <Other> It goes without saying that the valve devices 100a to 100b of the present embodiment are applicable to all fluid devices and fluid circuits, including refrigeration cycles. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 100a, 100b Valve device 1a Valve port 1b Lateral port 2 Valve chamber 3. Storage space 10,10B Seal fitting 11 Cylindrical part 12,12B Flange part 12a opening 12b Pair of mounting holes 12s stepped section 12s1 Other end stepped section 12s2 Stepped part on one end 12d pressure equalization hole 12e through hole 12f Pair of fastening screws 12g Fastening washer 13 Fixed plate 13a Insertion hole 13b Pair of mounting holes 13c Screw holes for coil bracket (bracket fixing mechanism) 20 Guide body (valve body) 23 Screw hole 23a Female thread 24 Bearing hole 25 Slide hole 26 Guide rail 30 Valve seat material 31 Boss section 32 Annular groove 33 Outer surface 40 Drive shaft 41 Threaded part 41a Male thread 42 Guide section 43 Flange 50 Valve body 51 Valve holder 51a One end 51b Other end 52 Valve body 53 Washer 54 Spring support 55 Compression coil spring 60 Coil material 61 Coil section 62 Claw part 70,70B Stepping motor 71,71B Case 72 Magnet rotor 73,73B Stator coil 73a, 73Ba coil bracket 73b, 73Bb Fastening screw 74 Magnet section 75 Disc Section 76 Metal fittings 77 Protrusion Fb Fastening bolt Fp1 First flow path G1 First Receiving Groove G2 Second Receiving Groove Gf Flange housing groove Gs Sealing material accommodation groove H,HB housing H1 top L axis O1 Flange seal material (seal material) O2 shaft seal material Pf seal fitting Pl1 First piping Sh Pair of screw holes W1 weld W2 weld

Claims

1. A valve device contained in a housing, A valve body made of a resin material; a seal fitting having an annular flange portion, the inner circumferential side of the flange portion being insert-molded into the valve body; a case defining a storage space; a flange portion deformation suppressing means for suppressing deformation of the flange portion; Equipped with a seal member provided in the seal member accommodating groove of the housing is sandwiched between the flange portion and the seal member accommodating groove, thereby sealing the accommodating space from an external environment; The valve device, wherein the flange deformation suppression means fixes the case to the other end face of the flange adjacent to the inner peripheral edge of the seal member when viewed from the axial direction.

2. 2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the flange deformation suppression means comprises at least one pressure equalizing hole provided in the flange located on an inner circumferential side of the case when viewed in the axial direction.

3. 2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the flange deformation suppression means comprises a circumferential step in the flange adjacent to the inner circumferential side of the seal member, and the inner circumferential side of the flange is offset toward the other end from the outer circumferential side at the step.

4. 2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the flange deformation suppression means has a cylindrical portion that is continuously formed on an inner periphery of the flange portion and extends toward one end in the axial direction.

5. 5. The valve device according to claim 4, wherein the flange deformation suppression means fixes a valve seat member to one end of the cylindrical portion.

6. 5. The valve device according to claim 4, wherein the flange deformation suppression means comprises at least one through hole provided in a region of the cylindrical portion that is embedded in the valve body.

7. 2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the flange deformation suppression means includes a fixed plate that holds the flange between the housing and the fixed plate, and the fixed plate and the seal member overlap when viewed in the axial direction.

8. The valve device according to claim 7, wherein the fixing plate comprises a bracket fixing mechanism for the coil.

9. 2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the resin material is PPS to which glass fiber or carbon fiber is added as a reinforcing agent.

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