Pressure regulation valve

Abstract

To provide a pressure regulation valve which eliminates noise generated by catching of foreign matters and vibration in a valve-opening spring by keeping fluid flowing in a fluid path from flowing into the valve-opening spring, and which can perform a smooth valve-opening operation.SOLUTION: A pressure regulation valve 100a includes: a guide part 32 which defines a valve chamber 15 on an internal peripheral side, erects from a periphery of a valve seat 31c, and has a radial communication hole 32a; a valve member 40 having a valve part 41 provided in the guide part 32, and a guide shaft part 42 guided by the guide part 32; a pressure sensing member 51 for displacing the valve part 41; and a valve-opening spring 6 provided on an external peripheral side of the guide part 32 and energizing the valve part 41 in a valve-opening direction. A end part of the valve-opening spring 6 on one side is arranged at the other end of a valve housing 10 with respect to the end part of the radial communication hole 32a on the other side. Thus, noise generated by catching of foreign matters and vibration in the valve-opening spring 6 can be eliminated, and a valve-opening operation can be smoothly operated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure regulating valve including a pressure-sensitive member and a valve-opening spring. [Background technology]

[0002] In pressure regulating valves, the valve opening degree has been controlled by driving a pressure-sensitive member connected to a valve member in response to pressure fluctuations. However, with this pressure regulating valve, it is difficult to smoothly open the valve even if the set pressure conditions for valve opening are met due to static friction acting on the stationary valve member, the weight of the valve member, and the valve closing sticking force caused by foreign matter caught in the valve member.

[0003] Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a conventional pressure regulating valve (hereinafter referred to as "conventional pressure regulating valve") that includes a valve member that can be moved toward or away from a valve seat, a pressure-sensitive member that drives the valve member according to the primary side pressure, and employs a valve-opening spring that urges the valve member in the valve-opening direction. In the conventional pressure regulating valve, the valve-opening spring constantly urges the valve member in the valve-opening direction, thereby reducing the influence of static frictional force acting on the stationary valve member, the weight of the valve member, and valve-closing sticking force, and as a result, the valve-opening operation is performed smoothly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-116403 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in conventional pressure regulating valves, because the valve-opening spring is disposed in the fluid path, there is a risk that foreign matter may become caught between the wires of the valve-opening spring or that noise may occur due to vibration generated in the valve-opening spring (hereinafter referred to as "conventional problems (noise due to foreign matter becoming caught in the valve-opening spring and vibration)"). As a result, even if the set valve-opening pressure conditions are satisfied, there is still a risk that the valve-opening operation may not be performed smoothly.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a pressure regulating valve that can prevent fluid flowing through a fluid path from flowing into the valve-opening spring, thereby eliminating noise caused by foreign matter getting caught in the valve-opening spring and vibration, and enabling smooth valve-opening operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the pressure regulating valve includes a valve housing having a first port provided in a radial direction about an axis, a second port, a valve port, an intermediate chamber communicating with the first port, and a pressure-sensitive member accommodating chamber, which are connected in sequence from one side to the other side, and at least one radial connecting member, which is a cylindrical guide member provided in the intermediate chamber and stands upright from the periphery of a valve seat formed at the other end of the valve port, defines a valve chamber on its inner periphery, and connects the valve chamber and the intermediate chamber in a radial direction about the axis. The valve member has a guide portion with a through hole, a valve portion provided in the valve chamber within the guide portion and capable of moving toward or away from the valve seat, and a guide shaft portion extending to the other side and slidably guided by the guide portion, a pressure-sensitive member that displaces the valve portion in response to the pressure in the pressure-sensitive member accommodating chamber, and a valve-opening spring that is provided on the outer periphery of the guide portion and biases the valve portion in a valve-opening direction, and one side end of the valve-opening spring is positioned on the other side of the valve housing relative to the other side end of the radial communicating hole.

[0008] Moreover, the above pressure regulating valve may further include a valve seat member in which the guide portion and a valve seat portion having the second port and the valve port are integrally formed, and the valve seat member may be fixed to a through hole that penetrates in an axial direction at one side end portion of the valve housing.

[0009] In the above pressure regulating valve, in the valve seat member, an inner circumferential portion of the guide portion may have a sliding portion that slides against the guide shaft portion, and the sliding portion and the valve port may be machined coaxially.

[0010] In the above pressure regulating valve, an inner circumferential portion of the guide portion is adjacent to one side of the sliding portion and further has a relief portion continuously connected to an inner diameter portion of the radial communicating hole, The relief portion may have an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter of the sliding portion.

[0011] In addition, in the above pressure regulating valve, one side end of the valve-opening spring may be supported on the outer periphery of the guide portion, and the other side end of the valve-opening spring may be supported on the other side end of the guide shaft portion.

[0012] The above pressure regulating valve may further include a one-side spring support portion having a circular ring portion, and the outer periphery of the guide portion may have a stepped portion that narrows in diameter from one side to the other side, and the circular ring portion of the one-side spring support portion may be engaged with the stepped portion of the guide portion and support one side end of the valve-opening spring.

[0013] In addition, in the above pressure regulating valve, the one-side spring support portion may be erected from the inner side of the annular portion, engaged with the outer periphery of the guide portion, and further have a cylindrical portion that guides the inner diameter portion of the valve-opening spring.

[0014] In the above pressure regulating valve, the intermediate chamber and the pressure-sensitive member accommodating chamber may be communicated with each other via an annular gap between an outer peripheral end of the one-side spring receiving portion and an inner wall of the intermediate chamber.

[0015] In the above pressure regulating valve, an area of ​​the annular gap may be smaller than a sum of opening areas of the radial communicating holes.

[0016] In addition, in the above pressure regulating valve, one side end of the one side spring receiving portion may be positioned farther away from a central axis of the first port than an inner wall of the intermediate chamber that faces the one side end of the one side spring receiving portion.

[0017] In the above pressure regulating valve, a central axis of the first port and a central axis of the radial communicating hole opposed to the first port 11 may be common.

[0018] Moreover, the above pressure regulating valve may further include a ball support member having a ring shape and fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the valve housing, and a ball accommodated in the ball support member, the ball being disposed between the valve member and the pressure-sensitive member, and the diameter of the ball being larger than the one-sided gap between the valve member and the valve housing.

[0019] In the above pressure regulating valve, the pressure-sensing member may be a pressure-sensing bellows.

[0020] In the above pressure regulating valve, the flow direction may be from the first port to the second port, and the aperture of the valve port may be smaller than the average inner diameter of the pressure-sensing bellows. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, by preventing the fluid flowing through the fluid path from flowing into the valve-opening spring, it is possible to provide a pressure regulating valve which can eliminate noise caused by foreign matter getting caught in the valve-opening spring and vibration, thereby enabling the valve-opening operation to be performed smoothly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a pressure regulating valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a valve closed state. [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged view of the valve member side of the pressure regulating valve of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the valve member side of a pressure regulating valve according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the valve member side of a pressure regulating valve according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0024] <Terminology> In the description of this specification, "upper", "lower", "left" and "right" refer to the directions shown in Figs. 1 to 4. In the description of this specification and the claims, "one side" and "other side" refer to the "valve seat side" and "adjustment spring unit side". In the description of this specification and the claims, "effective pressure-receiving area of ​​the pressure-sensing bellows" refers to the pressure-receiving area as an approximate value calculated based on the average inner diameter of the minimum inner diameter of the bellows shape (the inner diameter of the "valve" part of the bellows shape that protrudes toward the central axis of the pressure-sensing bellows) and the maximum inner diameter (the inner diameter of the "peak" part of the bellows shape that protrudes in a direction away from the central axis of the pressure-sensing bellows). In the description of this specification and the claims, "guidable" refers to something that includes "slidable". In the description of this specification and the claims, "convex-concave engagement" refers to something that a shape that is recessed in the axial direction and a shape that protrudes in the axial direction engage with each other. In the description of this specification, "middle chamber" refers to "a space other than the pressure-sensing member storage chamber and the valve chamber". In the description of this specification, the "aspect ratio of the spring" refers to "free length of the spring / average diameter of the spring." In the description of this specification, the "average diameter of the spring" refers to "(inner diameter of the spring+outer diameter of the spring) / 2."

[0025] (First embodiment) <About the pressure regulating valve configuration> A pressure regulating valve 100a according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The pressure regulating valve 100a is mainly composed of a valve body 5, a valve seat member 30, a valve member 40, a pressure sensitive unit 50, an adjustment spring unit 60, a lower connection means 70, and an upper connection means 80. Each component of the pressure regulating valve 100a will be described below in order. In the pressure regulating valve 100a, the valve seat member 30, the valve member 40, the lower connection means 70, the pressure sensitive unit 50, the upper connection means 80, and the adjustment spring unit 60 are assembled to the valve body 5 in a state of indirect engagement from one side to the other side in this order. In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the direction of the fluid path is from the first joint pipe 1 (first port 11) to the second joint pipe 2 (second port 12), but is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, from the second joint pipe 2 (second port 12) to the first joint pipe 1 (first port 11) depending on the intended use. Here, although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the valve-opening spring 6 that urges the valve member 40 in the valve-opening direction is positioned so as not to interfere with the fluid path, thereby eliminating the conventional problems (foreign matter getting caught in the valve-opening spring and noise due to vibration).

[0026] <About the valve body> The valve body 5 is composed of a valve housing 10 connected to the first joint pipe 1 and the second joint pipe 2, and a spring case 20 joined by crimping or the like to the other end of the valve housing 10. The valve body 5 is made of an appropriate material such as metals such as brass, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, etc., or resin materials such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS).

[0027] The valve housing 10 is a hollow cylindrical member having a through hole passing through along the axis L, and this through hole is provided with a second port 12 connected to the second joint pipe 2, an intermediate chamber 13, and a bellows accommodating chamber (pressure-sensitive member accommodating chamber) 16 so as to communicate with each other. An annular one-side spring receiving step 18 whose diameter increases from one side of the axis L to the other side is provided on the inner wall of the intermediate chamber 13.

[0028] Furthermore, the valve housing 10 is made of stainless steel and further has a through hole penetrating radially from the intermediate chamber 13, and this through hole is provided with a first port 11 that connects to the first joint pipe 1. This allows primary pressure P1 to be introduced via the first port 11 to the intermediate chamber 13, a valve chamber 15, and a bellows accommodating chamber 16, which will be described later, when the valve is in a closed state.

[0029] The spring case 20 is a hollow cylindrical member having a through hole penetrating along the axis L, and is provided with a spring accommodating chamber 21. A female thread portion 22 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the other end portion of the spring case 20, and is screwed with a male thread portion 62c provided on the outer peripheral side of the adjustment screw member 62 so as to be movable in the direction of the axis L. Atmosphere is constantly introduced into the spring accommodating chamber 21 via this screwed portion.

[0030] <Valve seat material> The valve seat member 30 is made of stainless steel, is a hollow cylindrical member having a through hole passing through along the axis L, and is configured by integrally forming a valve seat portion 31 and a guide portion 32, and is fixed by brazing after being press-fitted into a through hole passing through in the direction of the axis L at one end of the valve housing 10. In this manner, in the valve seat member 30 of this embodiment, by integrally forming the valve seat portion 31 and the guide portion 32, it is possible to reduce costs, the number of parts, and the labor required for inventory management.

[0031] The valve seat portion 31 extends along the axis L and has a valve port 31a with an annular valve seat 31c formed at the other end, and an internal passage 31b that has an inner diameter larger than that of the valve port 31a and defines the second port 12.

[0032] The guide portion 32 is provided in the intermediate chamber 13, has a cylindrical shape erected from the periphery of the other end of the valve seat portion 31, defines the valve chamber 15 (see FIG. 2) on the inner peripheral side, and is provided with four radial communicating holes 32a (see FIG. 2) arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction so as to communicate between the valve chamber 15 and the intermediate chamber 13 in the radial direction centered on the axis L. Note that, although the radial communicating holes 32a in this embodiment are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, the number and arrangement of the radial communicating holes 32a can be appropriately set depending on the use of the pressure regulating valve 100a.

[0033] 2, the inner periphery of the guide portion 32 has a sliding portion 32b that slides with the guide shaft portion 42 along the direction from the other side to one side of the axis L, and an escape portion 32c that is adjacent to the sliding portion 32b and is continuously connected to the inner diameter portion of the radial communication hole 32a. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the escape portion 32c is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the sliding portion 32b, thereby preventing the opening end of the radial communication hole 32a on the valve chamber 15 side from physically directly interfering with the valve member 40. As a result, even if processing burrs or the like are generated at the opening end of the radial communication hole 32a on the valve chamber 15 side, contact with the valve member 40 is avoided by the escape portion 32c, and as a result, the operability of the valve member 40 can be improved.

[0034] In this embodiment, the sliding portion 32b of the guide portion 32 and the valve port 31a of the valve seat portion 31 are machined coaxially. As a result, the valve member 40 is guided in a stable state in the axial direction L by the sliding portion 32b, and the center positions of the valve member 40 and the valve seat 31c as viewed from the axial direction L are always the same. As a result, the sliding resistance of the valve member 40 against the sliding portion 32b is reduced, and hysteresis can be reduced, so that low valve leakage is ensured and flow rate instability can be improved. In addition, since the guide portion 32 and the valve seat portion 31 are integrally formed, there is no risk of assembly errors, etc., which inevitably occur when they are separate bodies. Therefore, the coaxial management of the sliding portion 32b and the valve port 31a can be performed relatively easily and with extremely high accuracy.

[0035] <Valve components> The valve member 40 is provided on one side and includes a valve portion 41 having a substantially conical shape and a cylindrical guide shaft portion 42 extending to the other side in the direction of the axis L, and the guide shaft portion 42 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the guide portion 32 except for the other end portion. An annular groove portion 42a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the other end portion of the guide shaft portion 42. Here, the other-side spring bearing portion 7 is made of a ring-shaped thin plate having multiple protrusions on the inner peripheral side, and is engaged with the annular groove portion 42a via the multiple protrusions.

[0036] The guide shaft portion 42 of the valve member 40 is arranged so as to be guided in the direction of the axis L within the guide portion 32 of the valve seat member 30. Here, a gap G1 (see FIG. 2) formed between the outer diameter of the guide shaft portion 42 and the inner diameter of the sliding portion 32b (see FIG. 2) is set to be relatively small. In addition, the valve member 40 is constantly biased in the valve opening direction by the valve-opening spring 6 held between the other-side spring receiving portion 7 engaged with the annular groove portion 42a of the valve member 40 and the one-side spring receiving step portion 18 of the valve housing 10.

[0037] The movement of the valve member 40 in the direction of the axis L is caused by the pressure difference between the primary pressure P1 and the secondary pressure P2, the biasing force of the pressure-sensing bellows (pressure-sensing member) 51 and the adjustment spring 63 acting on the other end of the valve member 40, and the biasing force of the valve-opening spring 6 acting on the other spring receiving portion 7, which will be described later in detail. These external forces move the valve member 41 toward or away from the valve seat 31c, and the valve opening degree is determined. Here, the step portion 55c of the connecting rod 55 abuts against the bellows top cover 53, which will be described later in detail, thereby defining the maximum valve lift amount from the valve closed state of the valve member 40 to the valve fully open state, which is the maximum valve lift state. In addition to the valve fully open state, which is the maximum valve lift state, in the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment, there is a valve fully open state, in which a specified flow rate flows, just before the step portion 55c of the connecting rod 55 abuts against the bellows top cover 53.

[0038] <About the pressure-sensing unit> The pressure sensing unit 50 is composed of a pressure sensing bellows 51 which is a pressure sensing member, a bellows top cover 53, and a connecting rod 55 having one end and the other end extending along the axis L. The pressure sensing bellows 51 has one end and the other end extending along the axis L connected to one end of the connecting rod 55 and the bellows top cover 53, respectively. Here, the elastic force of the pressure sensing bellows 51 itself urges the valve member 40 in the valve closing direction. The pressure sensing unit 50 is made of a metal such as stainless steel, and is accommodated in the bellows accommodating chamber 16 of the valve housing 10.

[0039] The pressure-sensing bellows 51 is connected to one end of the connecting rod 55 and the bellows top cover 53, so that the primary pressure P1 is constantly introduced into the external space of the pressure-sensing bellows 51 through the intermediate chamber 13 and the bellows accommodating chamber 16. Meanwhile, the atmosphere is constantly introduced into the internal space of the pressure-sensing bellows 51 through a gap formed between the small diameter portion 55b of the connecting rod 55 and the insertion hole 53a of the bellows top cover 53, and a gap formed between the connecting member 83 and the contact portion 53c of the bellows top cover 53. In addition, in the pressure-sensing bellows 51, the dimensional relationship of each part is set so that the outer diameter of the peak portion and the inner diameter of the valley portion of the bellows shape are constantly out of contact with the valve housing 10 and the connecting rod 55, respectively. The pressure-sensing member in this embodiment is the pressure-sensing bellows 51, but is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a diaphragm.

[0040] The connecting rod 55 includes a generally cylindrical large diameter portion 55a extending to one side in the direction of the axis L, and a generally cylindrical small diameter portion 55b extending from the large diameter portion 55a to the other side in the direction of the axis L. One end of the large diameter portion 55a is formed with a flange portion 55d that protrudes in the radial direction and is connected to one end of the pressure-sensing bellows 51 by welding W. In addition, an annular step portion 55c is formed between the large diameter portion 55a and the small diameter portion 55b.

[0041] The bellows top cover 53 extends concentrically along the axis L and includes an insertion hole 53a through which the small diameter portion 55b of the connecting rod 55 is inserted, a bellows top cover joint 53b to which the other end of the pressure-sensing bellows 51 is connected, and a cylindrical contact portion 53c extending concentrically along the axis L, having an inner diameter larger than that of the insertion hole 53a, through which the small diameter portion 55b of the connecting rod 55 is inserted and through which the connecting member 83 slides. Here, the pressure sensing unit 50 is fixed to the valve body 5 so as not to be displaceable relative to the valve body 5 by welding the other end portions of the bellows top cover 53 and the valve housing 10 to each other, for example.

[0042] <About the adjustment spring unit> The adjustment spring unit 60 is composed of a spring receiving member 61, an adjustment screw member 62, and an adjustment spring 63 that is sandwiched between the spring receiving member 61 and the adjustment screw member 62 and biases the valve portion 41 in a valve closing direction. The spring receiving member 61 and the adjustment screw member 62 are made of an appropriate material such as metals such as brass, iron, aluminum, and stainless steel, or resin materials such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and are accommodated in the spring accommodating chamber 21 of the spring case 20. The spring receiving member 61 includes a boss portion 61a extending to the other side in the axial direction L, and a flange portion 61b provided on one side in the axial direction L and on which one end of the adjustment spring 63 is seated. The adjustment screw member 62 includes an annular wall portion 62a extending to one side in the axial direction L, and an upper surface portion 62b provided on the other side and on which the other end of the adjustment spring 63 is seated. A male threaded portion 62c is provided on the outer periphery of this adjustment screw member 62, while a female threaded portion 22 is provided on the inner periphery of the other end of the spring case 20. By screwing the male threaded portion 62c and the female threaded portion 22 together and moving the adjustment screw member 62 in the direction of the axis L, the biasing force of the adjustment spring 63 can be adjusted, and the pressure (set value) at which the valve member 40 opens can be adjusted. Note that in this embodiment, a multiple-wound wave spring is used as the adjustment spring 63, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be, for example, a coil spring.

[0043] <About the bottom connection method> The lower connection means 70 is composed of a pair of recesses 71, 72 formed on the opposing surfaces of the valve member 40 and the pressure sensing unit 50 in the direction of the axis L, and a ball 73 sandwiched between the pair of recesses 71, 72 to form a concave-convex engagement. The pair of recesses 71, 72 are formed in the axial centers of the other end face of the guide shaft portion 42 and one end face of the large diameter portion 55a, and are composed of a conical lower recess 71 and an upper recess 72. The conical shape has a bottom surface formed concentrically with the axis L and an apex located on the axis L. The ball 73 is made of a metal such as stainless steel.

[0044] As a result, the guide shaft portion 42 of the valve member 40 is disposed within the guide portion 32 of the valve seat member 30 so as to be guidable along the axis L, so that the center position of the lower recessed portion 71 is always disposed in the vicinity of the axis L. In addition, the center position of the upper recessed portion 72 is autonomously disposed in the vicinity of the axis L because a centripetal effect acts on the upper recessed portion 72 via the lower recessed portion 71 and the ball 73.

[0045] <About the upper connection means> The upper connection means 80 is composed of a pair of engagement parts 81, 82 formed on the opposing surfaces of the connecting rod 55 and the spring receiving member 61 in the axis L direction, and a spherical connection member 83 that is sandwiched between the pair of engagement parts 81, 82 to form a concave-convex engagement. The pair of engagement parts 81, 82 are formed on the other end surface of the small diameter part 55b and the axial center of one end surface of the spring receiving member 61, and are composed of a conical lower engagement part 81 and an upper engagement part 82. The conical shape has a bottom surface formed concentrically with the axis L and a vertex located on the axis L. The connection member 83 is made of a metal such as stainless steel.

[0046] Here, as viewed from the direction of the axis L, the radius of the circular side portion of the connecting member 83 is set to be slightly smaller than the radius of the contact portion 53c, so that the center position of the connecting member 83 is always located near the axis L. Also, the centers of the lower engaging portion 81 and the upper engaging portion 82 are independently located near the axis L because a centripetal action acts on the lower engaging portion 81 and the upper engaging portion 82 via the connecting member 83, whose movement in the radial direction is restricted. Furthermore, the small diameter portion 55b of the connecting rod 55 is set to be inserted along the axis L in a non-contact state into the insertion hole 53a.

[0047] <Details about the support means for the valve opening spring> In conventional pressure regulating valves, the valve-opening spring is disposed in the fluid path, which results in conventional problems (foreign objects getting caught in the valve-opening spring and noise due to vibration). As a result, even if the set valve-opening pressure conditions are met, there is still a risk that the valve opening operation will not be smooth.

[0048] In contrast, in the support means for the valve-opening spring 6 in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, one side end of the valve-opening spring 6 is supported by the one side spring receiving step 18 of the valve housing 10, and the other side end of the valve-opening spring 6 is supported by the other side spring receiving part 7 engaged with the annular groove part 42a of the valve member 40. At this time, the other side end of the valve-opening spring 6 is supported so as to overlap with the other side spring receiving part 7 over the entire circumference as viewed from the axis L direction. Here, as viewed from the central axis C of the radial communication hole 32a, the one side spring receiving step 18 of the valve housing 10, i.e., the one side end of the valve-opening spring 6, is disposed on the other side of the valve housing 10 with respect to the other side end of the radial communication hole 32a. In this way, in the first embodiment, the valve-opening spring 6 is disposed at a position where it does not interfere with the fluid path, thereby solving the conventional problems (foreign matter getting caught in the valve-opening spring and noise due to vibration).

[0049] Furthermore, in the valve-opening spring 6, if the aspect ratio of the spring, i.e., free length / average spring diameter, becomes large, buckling in the radial direction centered on the axis L becomes likely to occur, and there is a risk of the design load being exceeded. In contrast, in the first embodiment, buckling can be suppressed by guiding the outer diameter portion of the valve-opening spring 6 with an inner wall erected from the outer periphery side of the one-side spring receiving step portion 18 of the valve housing 10. The average spring diameter refers to (inner spring diameter+outer spring diameter) / 2.

[0050] <Operation of the pressure regulating valve> The operation of the pressure regulating valve 100a will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Here, the pressure regulating valve 100a is described as being used in a refrigerant circuit, but is not limited thereto. In the pressure regulating valve 100a, the first port 11 is connected to the first joint pipe 1 on the high pressure (primary pressure P1) side, and the second port 12 is connected to the second joint pipe 2 on the low pressure (secondary pressure P2) side.

[0051] (When primary pressure P1 is lower than the set value) When the primary pressure P1 is lower than the set value (for example, when the discharge pressure of the compressor is reduced), the valve portion 41 is seated on the valve seat 31c and the valve is closed. At that time, the primary pressure P1 is introduced through the intermediate chamber 13 into the external space of the pressure-sensing bellows 51, which is the bellows accommodating chamber 16.

[0052] First, a force acting in a direction to open the valve portion 41 is generated in the pressure-sensing bellows 51, which is a primary pressure P1 x effective pressure-receiving area S1 (see FIG. 2). Here, the effective pressure-receiving area S1 of the pressure-sensing bellows 51 is a pressure-receiving area calculated based on an average inner diameter D1 of the minimum and maximum inner diameters of the bellows shape.

[0053] Next, the valve member 40 receives a force acting in a direction to open the valve portion 41, which is the secondary pressure P2×pressure-receiving area S2 (see FIG. 2), while a force acting in a direction to close the valve portion 41, which is the primary pressure P1×pressure-receiving area S2 (see FIG. 2). Here, the pressure-receiving area S2 of the valve portion 41 is a pressure-receiving area calculated based on the bore D2 of the valve port 31a. Furthermore, the valve member 40 receives a biasing force F1 from the valve-opening spring 6 as a force acting in a direction to open the valve portion 41, while a biasing force F2 from the pressure-sensing bellows 51 itself and a biasing force F3 from the adjustment spring 63 as forces acting in a direction to close the valve portion 41.

[0054] Therefore, the balance of the external forces acting on the valve member 40 of the pressure regulating valve 100a can be expressed as follows. P1×S1+P2×S2+F1=P1×S2+F2+F3 (Formula 1) Where, P1: Primary pressure [N / mm 2 ] P2: Secondary pressure [N / mm 2 ] S1: Effective pressure receiving area of ​​pressure sensing bellows 51 [mm 2 ] S2: Pressure-receiving area of ​​the valve portion 41 [mm 2 ] F1: Force of valve opening spring 6 [N] F2: Force exerted by the pressure-sensing bellows 51 itself [N] F3: biasing force of the adjustment spring 63 [N]

[0055] Equation 1 can be rearranged to P1×S1+F1=(P1-P2)×S2+F2+F3.

[0056] Dividing both sides of this equation by S1 transforms it into P1+F1 / S1=(P1-P2)×S2 / S1+(F2+F3) / S1. By setting the ratio of the pressure receiving area S2 of the valve portion 41 to the effective pressure receiving area S1 of the pressure sensing bellows 51 to be extremely small (S1>>S2), the first term on the right side can be ignored, and as a result, the effect of fluctuations in the secondary pressure P2 can be made extremely small. Specifically, it is preferable to set S2 / S1 to 0.09 or less.

[0057] Here, since the area is proportional to the square of the inside diameter, in order to set the ratio of the pressure-receiving area S2 of the valve portion 41 to the effective pressure-receiving area S1 of the pressure-sensing bellows 51 to an extremely small value, it is sufficient to set the ratio of the aperture D2 of the valve port 31a to the average inside diameter D1 of the pressure-sensing bellows 51 to a small value. Specifically, it is preferable to set D2 / D1 to 0.30 or less.

[0058] If S1>>S2, the above formula further becomes P1×S1=F2+F3-F1. Therefore, the pressure regulating valve 100a can variably control the opening degree in response to fluctuations in the primary pressure P1 by moving the adjusting screw member 62 in the axial direction L and appropriately setting the biasing force F3 of the adjusting spring 63. The dimensions of each part of the pressure regulating valve 100a can be set using the actual pressure receiving area obtained through experiments, not limited to the pressure receiving area (effective pressure receiving area) as an approximate value calculated based on the average inner diameter of the minimum and maximum inner diameters of the bellows shape. Thus, in this embodiment, the flow direction is from the first port 11 to the second port 12, and the caliber D2 of the valve port 31a is set to be smaller than the average inner diameter D1 of the pressure-sensing bellows 51, thereby making it possible to greatly reduce the influence of fluctuations in the secondary pressure P2. When the pressure regulating valve 100a in the first embodiment is used for small flow rate control, it can be adapted by changing only the diameter D2 of the valve port 31a while maintaining the overall size.

[0059] (When the primary pressure P1 is higher than the set value) When the primary pressure P1 is higher than the set value ((F2+F3-F1) / S1) (for example, when the discharge pressure of the compressor is increased), the valve portion 41 is separated from the valve seat 31c (not shown) and the valve is in an open state. At this time, the valve opening degree increases with an increase in the primary pressure P1. Here, the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment uses a pressure-sensing bellows 51 as the pressure-sensing member, thereby making it possible to increase the amount of displacement (lift amount, stroke amount) of the pressure-sensing member in the direction of the axis L, i.e., the flow rate through the valve port 31a.

[0060] Second Embodiment A pressure regulating valve 100b according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment differs from the pressure regulating valve 100a of the first embodiment in that one side end of the valve-opening spring 6 is supported by the one-side spring receiving portion 8 via a step portion 32d formed on the outer periphery of the guide portion 32, and that a valve-opening spring 6 with a long free length is used (see Figs. 2 and 3), but the other basic configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Here, the same members are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0061] In the pressure regulating valve 100a of the first embodiment, it is required to flexibly accommodate various types of valve-opening springs 6 (particularly, free lengths, etc.) according to the intended use, etc., in order to smoothly perform the valve-opening operation, taking into consideration the static frictional force acting on the stationary valve member 40, the weight of the valve member 40, and the valve-closing sticking force due to foreign matter caught in the valve member 40. However, in particular, since one side end of the valve-opening spring 6 is supported by one side spring receiving step 18 of the valve housing 10, in order to accommodate various types of valve-opening springs 6, it was necessary to prepare a valve housing 10 in which the position of the spring receiving step 18 is changed up and down or left and right each time. For this reason, in the pressure regulating valve 100a of the first embodiment, there was a risk that the processing cost of the valve housing 10 would be relatively high in order to accommodate various types of valve-opening springs 6.

[0062] In the pressure regulating valve 100a of the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the intermediate chamber 13 and the bellows accommodating chamber 16 are fluidly connected via a communication passage. Since this communication passage is provided for pressure transmission, the flow rate itself is not very small, but the space between the wires of the valve-open spring 6 constitutes part of the communication passage. For this reason, in the pressure regulating valve 100a of the first embodiment, there was a risk that even a small amount of foreign matter would get caught between the wires of the valve-open spring 6.

[0063] 3, the pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment employs a step 32d formed on the outer periphery of the guide portion 32 instead of the one-side spring receiving step 18 formed on the valve housing 10 in the pressure regulating valve 100a of the first embodiment, and further includes a one-side spring receiving portion 8. Note that the pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment will be described as employing a valve-opening spring 6 with a longer free length than the pressure regulating valve 100a of the first embodiment, as an example compatible with various types of valve-opening springs 6.

[0064] Specifically, the outer periphery of the guide portion 32 is formed with a step portion 32d that reduces in diameter from one side to the other side. The one-side spring receiving portion 8 includes an annular portion 8a and a cylindrical portion 8b that stands upright from the inner periphery of the annular portion 8a. Here, the one-side end of the valve-opening spring 6 is supported by the annular portion 8a of the one-side spring receiving portion 8 that is engaged with the step portion 32d of the guide portion 32. At this time, when viewed from the axis L direction, the one-side end of the valve-opening spring 6 is supported so as to overlap with the annular portion 8a of the one-side spring receiving portion 8 over the entire circumference. Since the annular portion 8a and the cylindrical portion 8b have a relatively long engagement area along the axis L direction with respect to the outer periphery of the guide portion 32, a more secure engagement can be achieved. In addition, the engagement of the one-side spring receiving portion 8 with the step portion 32d in this embodiment may be by locking or press-fitting. The other end of the valve-opening spring 6 is supported by the other-side spring receiving portion 7 which is engaged with the annular groove portion 42a of the valve member 40, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0065] Therefore, in the pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment, when various types (particularly free lengths, etc.) of valve-opening springs 6 are adopted, by simply preparing a valve seat member 30 having a step portion 32d formed in a position corresponding to the valve-opening spring 6, it is possible to flexibly respond to the needs and increase versatility, and also to eliminate the high processing costs that were a concern with the pressure regulating valve 100a of the first embodiment.

[0066] At this time, the aspect ratio of the valve-open spring 6 becomes larger, making it more likely to buckle in the radial direction around the axis L; however, buckling can be suppressed by guiding the inner diameter portion of the valve-open spring 6 with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 8b of the one-side spring support portion 8.

[0067] When adjusting the position in the axis L direction where the step 32d is provided, the step 32d of the guide part 32, i.e., one side end of the valve-opening spring 6 is set to be positioned on the other side of the valve housing 10 with respect to the other side end of the radial communicating hole 32a as viewed from the central axis C of the radial communicating hole 32a. As a result, in the second embodiment as well, as in the first embodiment, the valve-opening spring 6 is positioned so as not to interfere with the fluid path, thereby making it possible to solve the conventional problems (foreign matter getting caught in the valve-opening spring and noise due to vibration).

[0068] In the pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment, the intermediate chamber 13 and the bellows accommodating chamber 16 are fluidly communicated with each other via an annular gap Gc between the outer peripheral end of the annular portion 8a of the one-side spring receiving portion 8 and the inner wall of the intermediate chamber 13. Therefore, the communication passage between the intermediate chamber 13 and the bellows accommodating chamber 16 can be separated from the outer diameter portion of the valve-open spring 6, which is a concern in the pressure regulating valve 100a of the first embodiment, that is, the wires of the valve-open spring 6 becoming part of the communication passage, can be eliminated.

[0069] Furthermore, in the pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment, the area of ​​the annular gap Gc between the outer circumferential end of the one-side spring receiving portion 8 and the inner wall of the intermediate chamber 13 is set to be smaller than the sum of the opening areas of the (for example, four) radial communicating holes 32a. In the pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment, for the sake of explanation, four radial communicating holes 32a are arranged, but the number of radial communicating holes 32a can be appropriately set depending on the use of the pressure regulating valve 100a. Therefore, since the flow resistance through the annular gap Gc is higher than the fluid resistance through the four radial communicating holes 32a, the fluid that has flowed into the intermediate chamber 13 from the first port 11 flows into the four radial communicating holes 32a so as to avoid passing through the annular gap Gc. As a result, in the second embodiment, the fluid flowing through the fluid path does not actively flow toward the valve-opening spring 6, so that the conventional problems (foreign objects getting caught in the valve-opening spring and noise due to vibration) can be further alleviated compared to the first embodiment.

[0070] (Third embodiment) A pressure regulating valve 100c according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The pressure regulating valve 100c of the third embodiment differs from the pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment in that a valve-opening spring 6 with a shorter free length is used (see Figs. 3 and 4), that one-side spring receiving portion 8' does not have a cylindrical portion 8b, and that a ring-shaped ball support member 9 is provided, but the other basic configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment. Here, the same members are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0071] In the second embodiment, for example, if the position of the step portion 32d is shifted to one side in the direction of the axis L to accommodate a valve-open spring 6 with a long free length, even if the one side end of the valve-open spring 6 is not positioned in the fluid path, it may be affected by fluid pulsation, etc., due to its proximity to the fluid path.

[0072] In contrast to this, in the pressure regulating valve 100c of the third embodiment, by devising the material of the wire of the valve-opening spring 6 and adopting one with a short free length, it is possible to dispose the position of the step portion 32d on the other side in the direction of the axis L, compared to the pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment. In this case, since the free length of this valve-opening spring 6 is short and there is no need to suppress buckling, the cylindrical portion 8b can be omitted from the one-side spring receiving portion 8'.

[0073] Specifically, the length l1 of the perpendicular line from one side end of the one-side spring receiving portion 8' to the central axis C of the first port 11 is set to be longer than the length l2 of the perpendicular line from the inner wall 19 of the intermediate chamber 13 opposite to one side end of the one-side spring receiving portion 8' to the central axis C of the first port 11.

[0074] Therefore, in the pressure regulating valve 100c of the third embodiment, the lengths l1, l2 of the perpendicular lines from one end of the one-side spring receiving portion 8' and the inner wall 19 of the intermediate chamber 13 opposing the one end of the one-side spring receiving portion 8' to the central axis C of the first port 11 are set to be l1>l2, so that the one end of the one-side spring receiving portion 8' is disposed farther away from the central axis C of the first port 11 than the inner wall 19 of the intermediate chamber 13 opposing the one end of the one-side spring receiving portion 8'. In other words, the fluid that has flowed from the first port 11 into the intermediate chamber 13 is less likely to flow to one end of the one-side spring receiving portion 8', i.e., one end of the valve-opening spring 6. As a result, in the third embodiment, the concern in the pressure regulating valve 100b of the second embodiment that one side end of the valve-opening spring 6 is close to the fluid path can be eliminated, and the fluid flowing through the fluid path does not actively flow toward the valve-opening spring 6, so that compared to the second embodiment, the conventional problems (foreign matter getting caught in the valve-opening spring and noise due to vibration) can be reliably eliminated.

[0075] Furthermore, in the pressure regulating valve 100c of the third embodiment, the first port 11 and the radial communication hole 32a facing the first port 11 have a common central axis C. As a result, the fluid flowing from the first port 11 into the intermediate chamber 13 smoothly flows into the radial communication hole 32a having the common central axis C with the first port 11, while not actively flowing into the valve opening spring 6. Therefore, compared with the second embodiment, the conventional problems (foreign matter biting in the valve opening spring and noise due to vibration) can be surely solved.

[0076] Also, in the pressure regulating valve 100c of the third embodiment, a stepped portion 17 that reduces in diameter from one side to the other side is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the valve housing 10, and an annular ball support member 9 is engaged with this stepped portion 17. This ball support member 9 is arranged to accommodate the ball 73 of the lower connection means 70.

[0077] Specifically, the gap G1 formed between the guide shaft portion 42 and the sliding portion 32b is set smaller than the gap G2 between the ball support member 9 and the ball 73. Therefore, the guide shaft portion 42 has a relatively narrow gap G1 (<G2) with the sliding portion 32b, and the center position of the ball 73 is self-supported near the axis L through the lower recessed portion 71 formed in the guide shaft portion 42 due to the centripetal action acting on the ball 73. In addition, by having the gap G2 between the ball support member 9 and the ball 73, even when an external impact or the like is applied, the ball support member 9 can restrict the radial movement of the ball 73 around the axis L.

[0078] Therefore, in the pressure regulating valve 100c of the third embodiment, it is possible to suppress the urging force not along the axis L generated by the pressure-sensitive bellows 51 and the adjusting spring 63 from being transmitted to the valve member 40 via the ball 73. For this reason, the sliding resistance of the valve member 40 with respect to the sliding portion 32b is reduced, and the hysteresis can be reduced. Therefore, even when the valve opening start pressure (when the primary side pressure P1 is slightly smaller than the set value ((F2 + F3 - F1) / S)), low valve leakage can be ensured.

[0079] In the pressure regulating valve 100c of the third embodiment, the diameter Db of the ball 73 is set to be larger than the one-side gap Go between the valve member 40 and the valve housing 10. Here, the lower connecting means 70 is assembled to the valve housing 10 from the other side toward one side through a through hole penetrating along the axis L of the valve housing 10 in the order of the valve member 40, the ball 73, and the ball support member 9. At this time, even if the ball 73 has a small diameter Db, for example, and is arranged at a position deviated from the lower recessed portion 71 formed in the guide shaft portion 42, it is prevented from falling into the one-side gap Go, and the assembly work can be performed smoothly.

[0080] <Other> It goes without saying that the pressure regulating valves 100a, 100b, and 100c of the present embodiment are applicable not only to the refrigerant circuits illustrated, but also to any fluid devices and fluid circuits. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned aspects, embodiments, and modified examples, and can be modified and changed as appropriate without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 100a, 100b, 100c Pressure regulating valve 1 First joint pipe 2. Second joint pipe 5 Valve body 6 Valve opening spring 7 Other side spring support 8,8' One side spring support 8a Circular ring 8b Cylindrical part 9 Ball support member 10 Valve housing 11 First port 12 2nd port 13 Intermediate Room 15 Valve chamber 16 Bellows storage chamber (pressure-sensitive material storage chamber) 17 Stepped section 18 One side spring support step 19 Inner wall of the intermediate chamber facing one end of the one-side spring receiving portion 20 Spring case 30 Valve seat material 31 Valve seat 31a Valve port 31b Internal passage 31c valve seat 32 Guide section 32a Radial communication hole 32b Sliding part 32c Relief 32d stepped section 40 Valve member 41 Valve section 42 Guide shaft 42a Annular groove 50 pressure sensitive units 51 Pressure-sensitive bellows (pressure-sensitive components) 53 Bellows top cover 55 Connecting rod 60 Adjustment spring unit 61 Spring support member 62 Adjustment screw member 63 Adjustment spring 70 Lower connection means 71 Lower recess 72 Upper recess 73 Ball 80 Upper connection means C center axis D1 Valve port size D2 Average inner diameter of pressure-sensitive bellows Db Ball diameter F1 Valve opening spring force F2 Force exerted by the pressure-sensing bellows itself F3 Adjustment spring force G1: The gap formed between the outer diameter of the guide shaft and the inner diameter of the sliding part G2: Gap between ball support and ball Gc Annular gap between the outer peripheral end of the annular part of the spring bearing part on one side and the inner wall of the intermediate chamber Go One-sided gap between valve member and valve housing l1: The length of the perpendicular line from one end of the spring support on one side to the central axis of the first port l2 The length of the perpendicular line from the inner wall of the intermediate chamber to the central axis of the first port L axis P1 Primary pressure P2 Secondary pressure S1 Effective pressure receiving area of ​​pressure sensing bellows S2 Valve pressure area

Claims

1. A valve housing having a first port radially arranged about an axis corresponding to the longitudinal direction of a pressure regulating valve, a second port, a valve port, an intermediate chamber communicating with the first port, and a pressure-sensitive member accommodating chamber, which are connected in sequence from one side to the other; a cylindrical guide portion provided in the intermediate chamber and erected from a periphery of a valve seat formed at the other end of the valve port, the guide portion defining a valve chamber on an inner circumferential side and including at least one radial communication hole providing radial communication between the valve chamber and the intermediate chamber about an axis; a valve member including a valve portion provided in the valve chamber within the guide portion and movable toward or away from the valve seat, and a guide shaft portion extending to the other side and slidably guided by the guide portion; a pressure-sensitive member that displaces the valve portion in response to a pressure in the pressure-sensitive member housing; a valve opening spring provided on an outer circumferential side of the guide portion and biasing the valve portion in a valve opening direction; having one end of the valve-opening spring is disposed on the other side of the valve housing relative to the other end of the radial communicating hole, a communication passage between the intermediate chamber and the bellows accommodating chamber that does not overlap with the valve-opening spring when viewed in an axial direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the pressure regulating valve.

2. the valve seat member is integrally formed with the guide portion and a valve seat portion having the second port and the valve port, 2. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve seat member is fixed to a through hole that penetrates the valve housing in the axial direction at one end of the valve housing.

3. 3. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 2, wherein in the valve seat member, an inner circumferential portion of the guide portion has a sliding portion that slides against the guide shaft portion, and the sliding portion and the valve port are machined coaxially.

4. The inner circumferential portion of the guide portion further has a relief portion adjacent to one side of the sliding portion and continuously connected to an inner diameter portion of the radial communicating hole, 4. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 3, wherein an inner diameter of the relief portion is larger than an inner diameter of the sliding portion.

5. One end of the valve-opening spring is supported on an outer periphery of the guide portion, 2. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the valve-opening spring is supported on the other end of the guide shaft portion.

6. Further comprising a one-side spring receiving portion having a circular ring portion, The outer periphery of the guide portion has a stepped portion whose diameter decreases from one side to the other side, 6. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 5, wherein the annular portion of the one-side spring receiving portion is engaged with the stepped portion of the guide portion and supports one side end of the valve-opening spring.

7. 7. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 6, wherein the one-side spring support portion is erected from an inner circumferential side of the annular portion, engaged with an outer circumferential portion of the guide portion, and further includes a cylindrical portion that guides an inner diameter portion of the valve-opening spring.

8. 7. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate chamber and the pressure-sensitive member accommodating chamber communicate with each other through an annular gap between an outer circumferential end of the one-side spring bearing portion and an inner wall of the intermediate chamber.

9. 9. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 8, wherein an area of ​​the annular gap is smaller than a sum of opening areas of the radial communicating holes.

10. 10. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 9, wherein the one side end of the one side spring bearing portion is positioned farther away from a central axis of the first port than an inner wall of the intermediate chamber that faces the one side end of the one side spring bearing portion.

11. 11. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 10, wherein a central axis of the first port and a central axis of the radial communicating hole opposed to the first port are common to each other.

12. The valve housing further includes a ball support member having an annular shape and fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the valve housing; and a ball accommodated in the ball support member.

12. The pressure regulating valve of claim 11, wherein the ball is disposed between the valve member and the pressure sensitive member, and the diameter of the ball is greater than a one-sided gap between the valve member and the valve housing.

13. 13. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensing member is a pressure-sensing bellows.

14. a flow direction from the first port to the second port, 14. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 13, wherein the diameter of the valve port is smaller than the average inner diameter of the pressure-sensitive bellows.

Images