Rotary valve

Abstract

To provide a rotary valve capable of reducing slide resistance.SOLUTION: A rotary valve includes: a rotor 2 having a cylindrical rotor body 21 having a rotor opening 21H in which fluid circulates formed therein, and rotating around an axis center; and a seal material 4 arranged along a circumferential direction DC of the rotor body 21. The rotor body 21 includes two opposite parts 211a opposed in the circumferential direction DC in an edge part 211 constituting the rotor opening 21H. The seal material 4 has a seal body 41 having a seal opening 41H arranged in the outside in a radial direction relative to the rotor body 21, and communicable with the rotor opening 21H formed therein, and an inner annular rib 422 arranged so as to surround the seal opening 41H, and projecting from the seal body 41 to the inside in the radial direction. The inner annular rib 422 includes an inclined rib portion 422b making an acute angle with the opposite parts 211a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary valve. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a multi-channel valve capable of switching between a plurality of flow paths and for the purpose of improving the sealing performance between the channels. The multi-channel valve disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a housing, a valve body, and a first seal member, and the valve body is rotatably provided in a valve chamber provided in the housing. The switching flow path provided in the valve body is configured to be able to communicate with the fluid flow path provided in the housing, and the first seal member is provided in the valve chamber so as to surround the outer periphery of the valve body. The first seal member is provided with first avoidance through holes spaced apart along the circumferential direction so as to correspond to the fluid flow path. The valve body is in contact with a rib provided in the first seal member. The rib includes a first rib extending along the rotation axis direction of the valve body and a second rib extending along the circumferential direction of the valve body, and the first rib and the second rib intersect to form a lattice-shaped rib, and the periphery of the switching flow path is surrounded by the rib. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] China Utility Model No. 218582336 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the first rib is provided parallel to the direction of the rotation axis of the valve disc, i.e., perpendicular to the circumferential direction, the rotational torque increases when the valve disc overcomes the rib, and the sliding resistance of the valve disc increases. When the sliding resistance of the valve disc increases, there are concerns about energy loss and reduced durability of the sealing material. For this reason, a rotary valve that can reduce the sliding resistance is desired.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rotary valve capable of reducing sliding resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A rotary valve according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a rotor having a cylindrical rotor body with a rotor opening through which a fluid flows, the rotor rotating around an axis, and a sealing material arranged along the circumferential direction of the rotor body, the rotor body including two opposing portions of the edges that constitute the rotor opening that face each other in the circumferential direction, the sealing material including a seal body that is arranged radially outwardly with respect to the rotor body and has a seal opening that can communicate with the rotor opening, and an inner annular rib that is arranged to surround the seal opening and protrudes radially inward from the seal body, the inner annular rib including an inclined rib portion that forms an acute angle with the opposing portions.

[0007] According to this configuration, the inclined rib portion included in the inner annular rib arranged to surround the seal opening is inclined so as to form an acute angle with the opposing portion facing the rotor opening in the circumferential direction. In other words, the rotor body gradually rides up onto the inclined rib portion during rotation, thereby reducing the peak of the rotational torque of the rotor. This reduces the sliding resistance of the rotor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a rotary valve according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a rotor according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the rotor opening shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section taken along the line IVA-IVA shown in FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section taken along line IVB-IVB shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a radially outer portion of a sealing material according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a radially inner portion of a sealing material according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a rotor opening and a seal opening according to an embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 13 illustrates an inner axial rib and steep slope according to an embodiment. [Figure 8B] FIG. 13 illustrates an inner axial rib and steep slope according to an embodiment. [Figure 8C] FIG. 13 illustrates an inner axial rib and steep slope according to an embodiment. [Figure 9A] FIG. 13 illustrates an inner axial rib and a gentle slope according to an embodiment. [Figure 9B] FIG. 13 illustrates an inner axial rib and a gentle slope according to an embodiment. [Figure 9C] FIG. 13 illustrates an inner axial rib and a gentle slope according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 4 is a graph showing a change in rotational torque with respect to a rotation angle of the rotor according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a rotor according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a view showing a radially inner portion of a sealing material according to another embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a rotary valve according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0010] [Rotary valve] 1 shows a cross section taken along an axis AX of a rotary valve 100. In this embodiment, the rotary valve 100 is used to control a fluid flowing to a device to be cooled, such as a battery or a motor mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. The fluid is cooling water such as long-life coolant (LLC). The fluid may also be a refrigerant such as insulating oil such as paraffin, hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), or hydrofluoroolefin (HFO).

[0011] 1, the rotary valve 100 includes a rotor 2 accommodated in a housing 1, a bushing 3 that rotatably supports the rotor 2, a seal material 4 disposed between the housing 1 and the rotor 2, and an actuator 5 connected to the rotor 2. The actuator 5 transmits a rotational force to the rotor 2. The transmission of the rotational force from the actuator 5 causes the rotor 2 to rotate about an axis AX, thereby controlling the flow of fluid.

[0012] Hereinafter, the direction along the axis AX of the rotor 2 will be referred to as the "axial direction DX", the circumferential direction of the rotor 2 as the "circumferential direction DC", and the radial direction of the rotor 2 as the "radial direction DR". In addition, in the axial direction DX, the side on which the actuator 5 is arranged with respect to the rotor 2 will be referred to as the "first axial side DX1", and the opposite side will be referred to as the "second axial side DX2". Furthermore, the inside of the radial direction DR will be referred to as the "radially inner side DR1", and the opposite side will be referred to as the "radially outer side DR2".

[0013] 〔housing〕 The housing 1 has a housing wall 11 that defines a space in which the rotor 2 is housed. A plurality of ports 111 are formed in the housing wall 11 along the circumferential direction DC. Each of the plurality of ports 111 is arranged at a predetermined interval and connected to a different external flow path. The external flow path is connected to a device to be cooled, such as a battery, a motor, or the like.

[0014] [Rotor] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the rotor 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the rotor 2 includes a shaft portion 20 coaxial with the axis AX, and a cylindrical rotor body 21 that can rotate integrally with the shaft portion 20. The rotor 2 is made of a material such as resin, and the shaft portion 20 and the rotor body 21 are integrally formed. In this embodiment, when viewed along the radial direction DR, the rotor body 21 has a tapered shape (frustum of a cone) that gradually decreases in diameter toward the second axial side DX2, and the size (length) in the radial direction DR is smaller on the second axial side DX2 than on the first axial side DX1.

[0015] A plurality of rotor openings 21H are formed in the outer peripheral surface 21G of the rotor body 21. The rotor openings 21H communicate with a valve flow path L formed inside the rotor body 21, and when the rotor 2 is in a predetermined attitude, the fluid passes through the rotor openings 21H.

[0016] The rotor opening 21H is substantially rectangular when viewed along the radial direction DR, with the circumferential direction DC as its short side and the direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction DC (hereinafter referred to as the "orthogonal direction") along the outer circumferential surface 21G of the rotor body 21 as its long side. As described above, since the rotor body 21 is tapered, the orthogonal direction is not strictly parallel to the axial direction DX, and therefore will be described below as being substantially parallel.

[0017] The rotor body 21 has an edge portion 211 that constitutes the rotor opening 21H. The edge portion 211 includes two circumferential opposing portions 211a (an example of an opposing portion) that are opposed in the circumferential direction DC, and two axial opposing portions 211b that are opposed in the axial direction DX.

[0018] The circumferential facing portion 211a is composed of two sides (hereinafter referred to as "circumferential facing sides") that are edges (boundaries) with the rotor opening 21H in the circumferential direction DC of the rotor body 21. Each of the circumferential facing sides extends in the longitudinal direction of the rotor opening 21H.

[0019] The shaft opposing portion 211b is composed of two sides (hereinafter referred to as "shaft opposing sides") that are edges (boundaries) with the rotor opening 21H in the axial direction DX of the rotor body 21. Each of the shaft opposing sides extends in the short direction of the rotor opening 21H.

[0020] 3, each of the circumferential opposing portions 211a is formed with a chamfered region 212 that is chamfered inward in the radial direction DR. Note that FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the rotor opening 21H shown in FIG.

[0021] The chamfered region 212 is formed by three-dimensionally chamfering the imaginary edge 211c and its vicinity shown in Figures 4A and 4B. The imaginary edge 211c is an intersection between the outer circumferential surface 21G of the rotor body 21 and the flow path wall surface 21L. The flow path wall surface 21L is a surface that includes the radial direction DR and the approximate axial direction DX (orthogonal direction), and constitutes the valve flow path L formed inside the rotor body 21. The flow path wall surface 21L is a surface that includes the above-mentioned circumferential opposing side (circumferential opposing portion 211a).

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the chamfered region 212 includes a gently sloping portion 212a (an example of a second contact portion) and a steeply sloping portion 212b (an example of a first contact portion).

[0023] 4A and 4B, the steeply inclined portion 212b is chamfered to have a shorter length in the circumferential direction DC and a longer length in the radial direction DR than the gently inclined portion 212a. In other words, the steeply inclined surface constituting the steeply inclined portion 212b is steeper than the gently inclined surface constituting the gently inclined portion 212a.

[0024] The gently sloping portion 212a and the steeply sloping portion 212b are disposed substantially point-symmetrically (or point-symmetrically) with respect to a center P of the rotor opening 21H, as shown in Fig. 3. The center P is the intersection of the diagonals of the rotor opening 21H.

[0025] The gently inclined portion 212a is disposed so as to be on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the rotor 2 relative to the steeply inclined portion 212b. The steeply inclined portion 212b and the gently inclined portion 212a are connected to each other to form a continuous inclined surface. In detail, the chamfered region 212 is an inclined surface extending from the outer peripheral surface 21G of the rotor body 21 toward the radially inward side DR1, and the inclination angle with respect to the outer peripheral surface 21G is different in the circumferential direction DC and the approximate axial direction DX. In other words, the chamfered region 212 is configured so as to have a gentler inclination toward the downstream side in the rotation direction of the rotor 2. The rotor body 21 can rotate in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction as viewed along the axial direction DX.

[0026] [Sealing material] 1, the seal material 4 is disposed along the outer peripheral surface 21G (circumferential direction DC) of the rotor body 21. The seal material 4 is made of an elastically deformable material, and prevents fluid leakage (fluid flowing into other flow paths) by being compressed by the housing 1 and the rotor 2. The seal material 4 is made of rubber such as nitrile rubber (NBR), fluororubber (FKM), and urethane rubber (U).

[0027] The seal material 4 has a seal body 41 disposed on the radially outer side DR2 with respect to the rotor body 21. The seal body 41 is disposed in a substantially annular shape along the outer circumferential surface 21G of the rotor body 21.

[0028] Further, a seal opening 41H through which a fluid passes is formed in the seal body 41. The seal opening 41H can communicate with the rotor opening 21H, and communicates with the rotor opening 21H when the rotor 2 is in a predetermined attitude.

[0029] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a part of the outer side of the sealing material 4 in the radial direction DR, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a part of the inner side of the sealing material 4 in the radial direction DR. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the seal opening 41H includes a first opening H1 formed in a surface (outer surface) of the radially outer side DR2 and a second opening H2 formed in a surface (inner surface) of the radially inner side DR1. The inner surface of the sealing material 4 is a surface of the sealing material 4 that faces the outer peripheral surface 21G in the radial direction DR when the sealing material 4 is disposed along the outer peripheral surface 21G of the rotor body 21, and the outer surface is the surface on the opposite side.

[0030] The seal opening 41H is a hole having a first opening H1 and a second opening H2 at its ends, and the first opening H1 and the second opening H2 are in communication with each other. Hereinafter, the first opening H1 will be referred to as the "outer opening H1" and the second opening H2 will be referred to as the "inner opening H2."

[0031] When viewed along the radial direction DR, the outer opening H1 and the inner opening H2 have different sizes (areas). Specifically, when viewed along the radial direction DR, the outer opening H1 has a larger size (area) than the inner opening H2.

[0032] The outer opening H1 and the inner opening H2 also have different shapes. More specifically, the outer opening H1 is rectangular, and the inner opening H2 is substantially parallelogram (or parallelogram). The shape and size of the outer opening H1 are designed according to the shape and size of the port 111 (see FIG. 1) formed in the housing wall 11, and the shape and size of the inner opening H2 are designed according to the shape and size of the rotor opening 21H.

[0033] 〔rib〕 5 to 9, the seal body 41 has a rib group 42 that protrudes in the radial direction DR from the seal body 41. The rib group 42 is composed of a plurality of annular ribs 420 arranged to surround the seal opening 41H. The annular rib 420 includes an outer annular rib 421 (see FIG. 5) arranged to surround the outer opening H1, and an inner annular rib 422 (see FIG. 6) arranged to surround the inner opening H2.

[0034] [Outer annular rib] 5 protrudes from the seal body 41 toward the radial outside DR2 (see FIGS. 8A to 9C). When viewed along the radial direction DR, the outer annular rib 421 includes an outer circumferential rib 421a extending along the circumferential direction DC and an outer axial rib 421b extending so as to intersect with the outer circumferential rib 421a.

[0035] The outer circumferential ribs 421a are arranged opposite each other so as to sandwich the outer opening H1 in the longitudinal direction (approximate axial direction DX) of the outer opening H1. The outer axial ribs 421b are arranged opposite each other so as to sandwich the outer opening H1 in the short direction (circumferential direction DC) of the outer opening H1. The shape of the first window portion 421w formed by the outer annular rib 421 (the outer edge of the first window portion 421w surrounded by the outer circumferential rib 421a and the outer axial rib 421b) is rectangular, and the first window portion 421w extends in the longitudinal direction (approximate axial direction DX) of the outer opening H1.

[0036] [Inner annular rib] 6 protrudes from the seal body 41 toward the radially inward direction DR1 (see FIGS. 8A to 9C). When viewed along the radial direction DR, the inner annular rib 422 includes an inner circumferential rib 422a (an example of an inner circumferential rib portion) extending along the circumferential direction DC, and an inner axial rib 422b (an example of an inclined rib portion) extending so as to intersect with the inner circumferential rib 422a.

[0037] The inner circumferential ribs 422a are arranged opposite each other so as to sandwich the inner opening H2 in the longitudinal direction (approximate axial direction DX) of the inner opening H2. The inner axial ribs 422b are arranged opposite each other so as to sandwich the inner opening H2 in the short direction (circumferential direction DC) of the inner opening H2. Note that in this embodiment, when viewed along the axial direction DX, the inner axial rib 422b is arranged so as to straddle two outer axial ribs 421b (see FIGS. 8A to 9C).

[0038] When the seal body 41 is disposed along the outer peripheral surface 21G of the rotor body 21 and the rotor 2 is oriented such that the rotor opening 21H faces the seal opening 41H, as shown in FIG. 7, the inner axial rib 422b extends so as to be inclined with respect to the circumferential facing portion 211a (based on the circumferential facing side). More specifically, the inner axial rib 422b extends so as to form an inclination angle θ with the circumferential facing portion 211a (the circumferential facing side). That is, the angle formed between the extension direction of the inner axial rib 422b and the circumferential facing side of the circumferential facing portion 211a (the extension direction of the circumferential facing portion 211a) is the inclination angle θ. The inclination angle θ is an acute angle, and is 1 degree in this embodiment.

[0039] That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the shape of the second window portion 422w defined by the inner annular rib 422 (the outer edge of the first window portion 421w surrounded by the inner circumferential rib 422a and the inner axial rib 422b) is a parallelogram.

[0040] [Changes in rotational torque when the rotor is rotating] Next, referring to Figs. 8A to 10, a change in rotational torque occurring when the rotor 2 rotates will be described. Figs. 8A to 9C are schematic cross-sections of the seal body 41 near the inner axial rib 422b and the rotor body 21 near the chamfered region 212 cut along the radial direction DR. In detail, Figs. 8A to 8C are schematic cross-sections of the inner axial rib 422b and the steeply inclined portion 212b of the chamfered region 212, and Figs. 9A to 9C are schematic cross-sections of the inner axial rib 422b and the gently inclined portion 212a of the chamfered region 212 cut along the radial direction DR. Figs. 8A and 9A, Figs. 8B and 9B, and Figs. 8C and 9C each show the rotor 2 in the same position (same rotation angle), that is, the rotor body 21 and the seal body 41 at the same timing. In Figs. 8A to 9C, the rotor 2 rotates along the arrow D.

[0041] As described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 4B, the gently inclined portion 212a is disposed downstream of the steeply inclined portion 212b in the rotation direction of the rotor 2. Therefore, the timing of contact with the inner axial rib 422b differs between the gently inclined portion 212a and the steeply inclined portion 212b. In detail, at the timing when the steeply inclined portion 212b contacts the inner axial rib 422b as shown in FIG. 8A, the gently inclined portion 212a is not in contact with the inner axial rib 422b as shown in FIG. 9A, and the gently inclined portion 212a contacts the inner axial rib 422b of the seal material 4 later than the steeply inclined portion 212b and passes over the inner axial rib 422b later than the steeply inclined portion 212b as shown in FIGS. 8B and 9B, and FIGS. 8C and 9C. As described above, since the steeply inclined portion 212b and the gently inclined portion 212a are configured with a continuous inclined surface, the chamfered region 212 gradually passes over the inner axial rib 422b.

[0042] Figure 10 is a graph showing a schematic diagram of the rotational torque Nm which changes according to the rotational angle ω of the rotor 2 when the inner axial rib 422b and the chamfered region 212 come into contact with each other, with the vertical axis showing the rotational torque Nm of the rotor 2 and the horizontal axis showing the rotational angle ω of the rotor 2.

[0043] As described above, the gentle slope portion 212a comes into contact with the inner axial rib 422b later than the steep slope portion 212b, and overcomes the inner axial rib 422b. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 10, the timing (rotation angle ω2) at which the rotational torque Nm caused by the contact between the inner axial rib 422b and the gentle slope portion 212a reaches a peak (first peak value P1) is delayed from the timing (rotation angle ω1) at which the rotational torque Nm caused by the contact between the inner axial rib 422b and the steep slope portion 212b reaches a peak (second peak value P2).

[0044] 10 indicates the change in rotational torque Nm due to contact between the inner axial rib 422b and the gentle slope portion 212a, and the dashed line G2 indicates the change in rotational torque Nm due to contact between the inner axial rib 422b and the steep slope portion 212b. The solid line G3 is a combination of the dashed line G1 and the dashed line G2, and indicates the change in rotational torque Nm due to contact between the inner axial rib 422b and the chamfered region 212. In the following, the rotational torque Nm due to contact between the inner axial rib 422b and the gentle slope portion 212a is referred to as the "rotational torque Nm due to the gentle slope portion 212a," and the rotational torque Nm due to contact between the inner axial rib 422b and the steep slope portion 212b is referred to as the "rotational torque Nm due to the steep slope portion 212b."

[0045] Because the timing of the first peak value P1 and the second peak value P2 are different, when viewed as the entire chamfered region 212, the rotational torque Nm (third peak value P3) due to contact with the inner axial rib 422b can be reduced, as shown by the solid line G3 in Figure 10.

[0046] Furthermore, by reducing the third peak value P3, it is possible to make the change (increase) in the rotational torque Nm gentler until it reaches the third peak value P3. That is, compared to a configuration in which the extension direction of the inner axial direction rib 422b is parallel to the edge 211 (opposing circumferential side) of the rotor opening 21H, it is possible to reduce the rotational torque Nm at the peak and make the change in the rotational torque Nm gentler.

[0047] 4A and 4B, the gently sloping portion 212a is chamfered to have a smaller length in the radial direction DR than the steeply sloping portion 212b. Therefore, as shown by the dashed line G1 and the broken line G2 in Fig. 10, the first peak value P1 of the rotational torque Nm due to the gently sloping portion 212a is smaller than the second peak value P2 of the rotational torque Nm due to contact with the steeply sloping portion 212b.

[0048] Furthermore, the gentle slope portion 212a has a gentler slope than the steep slope portion 212b, and the rotational torque Nm (first peak value P1) due to the gentle slope portion 212a at the peak is smaller than the rotational torque Nm (second peak value P2) due to the steep slope portion 212b at the peak. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 10, the change in the rotational torque Nm due to the gentle slope portion 212a (dash line G1) is gentler than the change in the rotational torque Nm due to the steep slope portion 212b (dashed line G2).

[0049] On the other hand, the steeply inclined portion 212b is largely chamfered in the radial direction DR (i.e., the second peak value P2 is greater than the first peak value P1) and is steeper than the gently inclined portion 212a, so the change in the rotational torque Nm due to the steeply inclined portion 212b is greater (the dashed line G2 is greater than the one-dot chain line G1). Also, the steeply inclined portion 212b has a shorter length in the circumferential direction DC than the gently inclined portion 212a, that is, the range of the rotational angle ω of the rotor 2 is smaller. For this reason, the width of the peak of the rotational torque Nm due to the steeply inclined portion 212b (the range of the rotational angle ω in which the second peak value P2 is obtained) is smaller than the width of the peak of the rotational torque Nm due to the gently inclined portion 212a (the range of the rotational angle ω in which the first peak value P1 is obtained), and the change in the rotational torque Nm due to the steeply inclined portion 212b is greater.

[0050] As shown by the dashed line G2 in FIG. 10, the time when the rotational torque Nm with a relatively large peak value is generated (the range of the rotational angle ω from when the steeply inclined portion 212b runs over the inner axial rib 422b until the completion of the running over) is relatively short. Also, as shown by the dashed line G1 in FIG. 10, the time when the rotational torque Nm with a relatively small peak value is generated (the range of the rotational angle ω from when the gently inclined portion 212a runs over the inner axial rib 422b until the completion of the running over) is relatively long. In this embodiment, by combining these, as shown by the solid line G3 in FIG. 10, the rotational torque Nm (third peak value P3) when viewed as the entire chamfered region 212 can be reduced. In addition, the change in the rotational torque Nm can be reduced. That is, according to this embodiment, the rotational torque Nm of the rotor 2 is reduced compared to a configuration in which the extension direction of the inner axial rib 422b is parallel to the edge portion 211 (circumferential facing side) of the rotor opening 21H. As a result, the sliding resistance of the rotor 2 can be reduced.

[0051] [Summary of the above embodiment] In the above embodiment, the following configurations are envisaged.

[0052] (1) A rotary valve 100 comprising: a rotor 2 having a cylindrical rotor body 21 in which a rotor opening 21H through which a fluid flows is formed, the rotor 2 rotating about an axis AX; and a sealing material 4 arranged along a circumferential direction DC of the rotor body 21, the rotor body 21 including two circumferential opposing portions 211a (opposing portions) that oppose each other in the circumferential direction DC of an edge portion 211 that constitutes the rotor opening 21H, the sealing material 4 being arranged on the radially outer side DR2 of the rotor body 21 and including a seal body 41 in which a seal opening 41H that can communicate with the rotor opening 21H is formed, and an inner annular rib 422 arranged to surround the seal opening 41H and protruding from the seal body 41 toward the radially inner side DR1, the inner annular rib 422 including an inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) that forms an acute angle with the circumferential opposing portions 211a (opposing portions).

[0053] According to this configuration, the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) included in the inner annular rib 422 arranged to surround the seal opening 41H is inclined to form an acute angle with the circumferential opposing portion 211a (opposing portion) opposing in the circumferential direction DC of the edge portion 211 constituting the rotor opening 21H. In other words, the rotor body 21 gradually rides up on the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) during rotation, and the timing of riding up (overcoming) the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) can be partially shifted. This makes it possible to reduce the peak of the rotational torque Nm of the rotor 2 and reduce the sliding resistance of the rotor 2.

[0054] (2) In the rotary valve 100 of (1), it is preferable that the inner annular rib 422 further includes an inner circumferential rib 422a extending along the circumferential direction DC, and when viewed along the radial direction DR, the shape formed by the inner circumferential rib 422a (inner circumferential rib portion) and the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) is a parallelogram.

[0055] According to this configuration, the timing at which the rotor 2 rides on the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) can be partially shifted, thereby reducing the sliding resistance of the rotor 2.

[0056] (3) In the rotary valve 100 of (1) or (2), it is preferable that the circumferential opposing portion 211a (opposing portion) is formed with a chamfered region 212 that is chamfered toward the inside in the radial direction DR.

[0057] According to this configuration, the circumferential opposing portions 211a (opposing portions) of the edge portions 211 constituting the rotor opening 21H that face each other in the circumferential direction DC are chamfered toward the inside in the radial direction DR, thereby reducing the sliding resistance of the rotor 2.

[0058] In the rotary valve 100 of (4)(3), the chamfered region 212 preferably includes a steeply inclined portion 212b (first contact portion) capable of contacting the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion), and a gently inclined portion 212a (second contact portion) that is disposed downstream of the steeply inclined portion 212b (first contact portion) in the rotational direction of the rotor 2 and contacts the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) later than the steeply inclined portion 212b (first contact portion), and the steeply inclined portion 212b (first contact portion) is chamfered to have a shorter length in the circumferential direction DC and a longer length in the radial direction DR than the gently inclined portion 212a (second contact portion).

[0059] According to this configuration, the gently inclined portion 212a (second contact portion) comes into contact with the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) later than the steeply inclined portion 212b (first contact portion), so that the rotor body 21 gradually rides up on the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) during rotation. That is, the rotor body 21 can shift the timing of riding up (overcoming) the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) between the gently inclined portion 212a (second contact portion) and the steeply inclined portion 212b (first contact portion). That is, the timing of the peak of the rotational torque Nm due to the contact between the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) and the gently inclined portion 212a (second contact portion) can be shifted from the timing of the peak of the rotational torque Nm due to the contact between the inner axial rib 422b (inclined rib portion) and the steeply inclined portion 212b (first contact portion). This can reduce the peak of the rotational torque Nm of the rotor 2, and can reduce the sliding resistance of the rotor 2. The steeply inclined portion 212b (first contact portion) is chamfered to have a shorter length in the circumferential direction DC and a longer length in the radial direction DR than the gently inclined portion 212a (second contact portion). This can reduce the time from when the steeply inclined portion 212b rides over the inner axial rib 422b to when it completes riding over it, relative to the time from when the gently inclined portion 212a rides over the inner axial rib 422b to when it completes riding over it, and can reduce the rotational torque Nm when viewed as the entire chamfered region 212. As a result, the sliding resistance of the rotor 2 can be reduced.

[0060] Other embodiments Next, other embodiments will be described.

[0061] (1) In the above embodiment, the two inner axial ribs 422b facing each other in the circumferential direction DC are inclined with respect to the circumferential facing portion 211a (circumferential facing side). However, only one inner axial rib 422b may be inclined with respect to the circumferential facing portion 211a (circumferential facing side). In other words, the shape formed by the inner circumferential rib 422a and the inner axial rib 422b may be a trapezoid. Note that, when the rotation direction of the rotor 2 is either clockwise or counterclockwise, it is preferable to incline only one inner axial rib 422b with respect to the circumferential facing portion 211a (circumferential facing side) according to the rotation direction of the rotor 2.

[0062] (2) In the above embodiment, the case where the inclination angle θ is 1 degree has been described, but the inclination angle θ is not limited to 1 degree. The inclination angle θ can be changed as appropriate as long as a flow path cross-sectional area that does not impede the flow of the fluid passing through the seal opening 41H can be secured and the sliding resistance of the rotor 2 can be reduced, and can be changed as appropriate within a range of, for example, greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 5 degrees.

[0063] (3) In the above embodiment, the gently sloping portion 212a is disposed downstream of the steeply sloping portion 212b in the rotation direction of the rotor 2. However, the gently sloping portion 212a may be disposed upstream of the steeply sloping portion 212b in the rotation direction of the rotor 2. In other words, the chamfered region 212 may be configured to have a more gradual inclination toward the upstream side.

[0064] (4) In the above embodiment, the steeply inclined portion 212b is chamfered to have a smaller length in the circumferential direction DC and a larger length in the radial direction DR than the gently inclined portion 212a, but the steeply inclined portion 212b may be chamfered to have a smaller length in the circumferential direction DC than the gently inclined portion 212a as long as it is steeper than the gently inclined portion 212a. Alternatively, the steeply inclined portion 212b may be chamfered to have a larger length in the radial direction DR than the gently inclined portion 212a.

[0065] (5) In the above embodiment, the chamfered region 212 is formed in the rotor body 21. However, the chamfered region 212 may be omitted from the rotor body 21.

[0066] (6) In the above embodiment, the inner axial rib 422b is arranged so as to straddle the two outer axial ribs 421b, but the inner axial rib 422b does not have to be arranged so as to straddle the two outer axial ribs 421b, and the positional relationship between the inner axial rib 422b and the outer axial rib 421b can be changed as appropriate as long as the fluid sealing performance can be ensured. The number of rib groups 42 can also be changed as appropriate.

[0067] (7) In the above embodiment, the number of rotor openings 21H formed in the rotor 2 can be changed as appropriate depending on the number of ports 111 formed in the housing wall portion 11, the number of switching of the fluid flow paths through which the fluid flows, and the like.

[0068] (8) In the above embodiment, the rotor body 21 is described as being tapered when viewed along the radial direction DR, but the rotor body 21 may be rectangular when viewed along the radial direction DR, i.e., the rotor body 21 may be cylindrical. In this case, the orthogonal direction is parallel to the axial direction DX. The expressions "parallel" and "orthogonal" are not limited to those strictly expressing "parallel" and "orthogonal", and may include those that provide equivalent functions.

[0069] (9) As shown in Fig. 11, the rotor 2 may have a two-stage structure in which two internal flow paths are formed side by side in the orthogonal direction (approximately the axial direction DX). In this case, it is preferable that the seal material 4 also has a two-stage structure in which two seal openings 41H are formed along the orthogonal direction (approximately the axial direction DX) as shown in Fig. 12. In the two-stage seal material 4, the two inner axial ribs 422b aligned in the orthogonal direction are arranged so that their axes (virtual axes extending in the orthogonal direction) are at different positions in the circumferential direction DC. [Industrial Applicability]

[0070] The present invention can be used in rotary valves. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 2: rotor, 4: seal material, 21: rotor body, 21H: rotor opening, 41: seal body, 41H: seal opening, 100: rotary valve, 211: edge, 211a: circumferential facing portion (facing portion), 212: chamfered area, 212a: gently inclined portion (second contact portion), 212b: steeply inclined portion (first contact portion), 420: annular rib, 422: inner annular rib, 422a: inner circumferential rib (inner circumferential rib portion), 422b: inner axial rib (inclined rib portion), AX: axis, DC: circumferential direction, DR: radial direction

Claims

1. a rotor having a cylindrical rotor body with a rotor opening through which a fluid flows and rotating about an axis; a seal member disposed along a circumferential direction of the rotor body, the rotor body includes two opposing portions that are opposed to each other in the circumferential direction among edges that define the rotor opening, the seal material includes a seal body disposed radially outward with respect to the rotor body and having a seal opening capable of communicating with the rotor opening; and an inner annular rib disposed so as to surround the seal opening and protruding radially inward from the seal body, The inner annular rib includes an inclined rib portion that forms an acute angle with the opposing portion.

2. The inner annular rib further includes an inner circumferential rib portion extending along the circumferential direction, 2. The rotary valve according to claim 1, wherein a shape defined by the inner circumferential rib portion and the inclined rib portion is a parallelogram when viewed in the radial direction.

3. 3. The rotary valve according to claim 1, wherein the opposing portion is formed with a chamfered region that is chamfered radially inward.

4. the chamfered region includes a first contact portion capable of coming into contact with the inclined rib portion, and a second contact portion that is disposed downstream of the first contact portion in a rotational direction of the rotor and that comes into contact with the inclined rib portion later than the first contact portion, The rotary valve according to claim 3 , wherein the first contact portion is chamfered to be shorter in length in the circumferential direction and longer in length in the radial direction than the second contact portion.

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