Valve control device

Abstract

To provide a valve control device capable of appropriately turn a valve element.SOLUTION: A valve device 100 includes a valve element 101, a housing, a seal member on which the valve element 101 slides during the turn of the valve element 101, and an actuator 105 for turning the valve element 101. The valve element 101 has an internal flow path communicating an input port of the housing with a discharge port, and the seal member is formed with a through-hole around which a rib is protruded to the valve element 101. A valve control device 1 includes: a control part 10 for controlling the operation of the actuator 105 on the basis of a first turn amount; and a difference calculation part 11 for calculating a difference between the first turn amount and a second turn amount of the actuator 105 which is actually turned, when accompanied by state transition that a rib goes on the end from the opening of the internal flow path of the valve element 101 during the turn of the valve element 101. When the difference is greater than a predetermined value, the control part 10 controls the actuator 105 so that the valve element 101 is turned again.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve control device that controls a valve device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, valve devices have been used to control the flow of fluids. Some of these valve devices have a valve body therein, and control the flow of fluid in response to the rotation of the valve body (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a valve device (corresponding to a "valve device"). This valve device has a valve element rotatably accommodated in a housing, and the valve element is driven to rotate by an electric motor. The valve device also has a main communication port and multiple sub-communication ports formed in the housing, and a main opening and multiple sub-openings formed in the valve element. Cooling water supplied to the main opening is configured to flow from the sub-openings to the sub-communication ports of the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-197305 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The valve device described in Patent Document 1 not only selects the cooling water flow path between multiple sub-openings and multiple sub-communication ports by setting the rotation angle of the valve disc, but also controls the flow rate of the cooling water. In this valve device, the amount of cooling water is determined by the overlap between the sub-openings and the sub-communication ports. Therefore, to precisely control the flow rate, the rotation angle of the valve disc must be precisely controlled. However, for example, if the valve disc is entirely made of resin, the rotational driving force of the electric motor may twist the resin input shaft. If the input shaft twists, the valve disc may not reach the target rotation angle (target position) even if the electric motor is rotated according to the target rotation angle (target position) set by the valve disc. Furthermore, there is a concern that, after the electric motor is stopped, torque acting in the direction of the input shaft's untwisting may act in a direction that reverses the rotation of the electric motor's output shaft.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a valve control device that can rotate the valve body appropriately even if the input shaft of the valve body is made of resin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A characteristic configuration of a valve control device according to the present invention is a valve control device that controls a valve device having a rotatable valve element having a resin input shaft, a housing that accommodates the valve element and has a plurality of input ports and a plurality of discharge ports, a seal member that is provided in the housing and against which the valve element slides when the valve element rotates, and an actuator that rotates an output shaft that transmits a rotational force to the input shaft, wherein the valve element has an internal flow path that communicates at least one of the plurality of input ports and at least one of the plurality of discharge ports, and the seal member has a main body portion that has a plurality of through holes formed along a circumferential direction and a seal member that is formed along a periphery of the through holes. a control unit that has a rib protruding from a main body portion toward the valve body and controls operation of the actuator based on a first rotation amount corresponding to a rotation command to rotate the valve body to a target position; and a difference calculation unit that calculates the difference between the first rotation amount and a second rotation amount actually rotated by the actuator when a state transition occurs in which the rib rides over from the opening of the internal flow path along the circumferential direction of the valve body when rotating the valve body in accordance with the rotation command, and when the difference is greater than a preset value, the control unit controls the actuator so that the valve body rotates again in the direction in which it was rotated in accordance with the rotation command.

[0008] If the difference between the first rotation amount according to the control of the actuator operation by the control unit and the second rotation amount, which corresponds to the amount of rotation the valve disc actually rotates, is larger than a preset value, it is assumed that the valve disc has not rotated to the target position. Therefore, with this characteristic configuration, if the difference between the first rotation amount and the second rotation amount is larger than the preset value, the control unit controls the operation of the actuator to rotate the valve disc again, so the valve control device can appropriately rotate the valve disc to the desired target position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a valve device. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a view showing the first position of the valve body. [Figure 3]FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the apexes of the ribs. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a view showing the second position of the valve body. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a view showing the valve body in a third position. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view showing the valve body in a fourth position. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a valve control device. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a state during rotation from a first position to a second position. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first rotation amount according to the number of rotations. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing the processing of the valve control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The valve control device according to the present invention is configured to be able to appropriately rotate the valve element of the valve device. The valve control device 1 according to this embodiment will be described below. However, the valve control device 1 is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along an axis X of a valve device 100 controlled by a valve control device 1 (see FIG. 11). In this embodiment, the valve device 100 is a five-way valve used to control a fluid flowing to a device to be cooled, such as a battery or motor mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. The fluid is a cooling water such as a long-life coolant (LLC). The fluid may also be a paraffin-based insulating oil, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO), or another refrigerant.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the valve device 100 includes a valve element 101, a housing 102, a seal member 103, and an actuator 105. The valve element 101 has a resin input shaft 101A. The housing 102 accommodates the valve element 101. The valve element 101 is rotatably supported within the housing 102 by a bushing 102A. The housing 102 also includes a seal member 103 against which the valve element 101 slides when the valve element 101 rotates. Therefore, the seal member 103 is provided between the housing 102 and the valve element 101. The actuator 105 rotates an output shaft 104, which transmits a rotational force to the input shaft 101A.

[0013] Hereinafter, the direction along the axis X of the valve disc 101 will be referred to as the "axial direction DX," the circumferential direction DC of the valve disc 101 will be simply referred to as the "circumferential direction DC," and the radial direction DR of the valve disc 101 will be simply referred to as the "radial direction DR." In addition, the direction from the outside to the inside of the radial direction DR will be referred to as the "radial inward direction DR1," and the opposite direction will be referred to as the "radial outward direction DR2."

[0014] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the valve device 100. Fig. 2 is a view of the valve device 100 viewed from the actuator 105 side. As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 102 has a housing wall 111 that defines a space in which the valve element 101 is housed. The housing 102 has a plurality of input ports 112A and a plurality of discharge ports 112B.

[0015] The housing wall 111 has a circular shape when viewed in a direction along the axial direction DX. The housing wall 111 has a plurality of ports 112, i.e., a plurality of input ports 112A and a plurality of discharge ports 112B, formed along the circumferential direction DC. In this embodiment, four ports 112 are formed in the housing wall 111 along the circumferential direction DC, and the four ports 112 penetrate the housing wall 111 along the radial direction DR. Hereinafter, the four ports 112 will be described as a "first port 121 (an example of a "discharge port 112B")," a "second port 122 (an example of a "input port 112A")," a "third port 123 (an example of a "input port 112A")," and a "fourth port 124 (an example of a "discharge port 112B")," respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, a fifth port 125 (an example of an "input port 112A") is formed in the lower portion (bottom wall) of the housing wall portion 111. The first port 121, the second port 122, the third port 123, the fourth port 124, and the fifth port 125 are connected to different external flow paths, respectively. The external flow paths are connected to, for example, a battery, a motor, or the like.

[0017] 3 and 4 are perspective views of the valve body 101. FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views seen from different directions. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the valve body 101 includes a shaft portion 120 coaxial with the axis X, and a cylindrical valve portion 119 that can rotate integrally with the shaft portion 120. The valve body 101 is made of a material such as resin, and the shaft portion 120 and the valve portion 119 are integrally formed.

[0018] The valve element 101 has an internal flow path L that communicates at least one of the multiple input ports 112A and at least one of the multiple discharge ports 112B. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve section 119 is formed with a first valve flow path L1 and a second valve flow path L2 through which fluid flows when the valve element 101 is in a predetermined position. The first valve flow path L1 and the second valve flow path L2 correspond to the internal flow path L described above. When viewed in the axial direction DX, the first valve flow path L1 is formed in a substantially V-shape that bends near the axis X (see FIG. 2). The second valve flow path L2 is formed by a section that is cut out in a sector shape (a truncated cone shape in three dimensions) centered on the axis X (see FIG. 2).

[0019] 2, the seal member 103 is disposed between the housing 102 and the valve body 101, over substantially the entire circumference of the valve body 101 in the circumferential direction DC. The seal member 103 is made of an elastically deformable material, and prevents fluid from flowing into other flow paths by being compressed by the housing 102 and the valve body 101. The seal member 103 is made of rubber, such as nitrile rubber (NBR), fluororubber (FKM), or urethane rubber (U).

[0020] 2, 5, and 6, the seal member 103 has a cylindrical seal main body 103A (an example of a "main body"). For ease of understanding, in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, a portion of the seal member 103 in the circumferential direction DC is shown cut away.

[0021] 2, when the seal member 103 is disposed between the housing 102 and the valve disc 101, the seal main body 103A extends along the circumferential direction DC and the axial direction DX. The seal main body 103A includes protrusions 411 that prevent rotation of the seal member 103 relative to the housing 102. When the seal member 103 is disposed between the housing 102 and the valve disc 101, the protrusions 411 protrude outward in the radial direction DR from both ends of the seal main body 103A in the circumferential direction DC and are received in recesses 113 formed in the housing wall 111. As a result, the protrusions 411 and the housing wall 111 of the housing 102 face each other (contact each other) in the circumferential direction DC, preventing rotation of the seal member 103 relative to the housing 102.

[0022] 5, the seal main body 103A is formed with seal openings 103h (an example of a "through hole") that penetrate the seal main body 103A and allow a fluid to pass through. More specifically, the seal main body 103A is formed with four seal openings 103h along the circumferential direction DC, and the four seal openings 103h are formed at positions corresponding to the four ports 112 of the housing 102 described with reference to FIG. 2. Hereinafter, the four seal openings 103h will be referred to as a "first seal opening h1," a "second seal opening h2," a "third seal opening h3," and a "fourth seal opening h4," respectively.

[0023] In this embodiment, the dimensions of the first seal opening h1 and the fourth seal opening h4 in the circumferential direction DC are formed to be larger than the dimensions of the second seal opening h2 and the third seal opening h3 in the circumferential direction DC. This allows fluids flowing in from different ports 112 (e.g., the second port 122 and the third port 123) to flow out to the same port 112 (e.g., the first port 121) (see FIGS. 2 and 8). Alternatively, fluids flowing in from the same port 112 (e.g., the third port 123) can flow into different ports 112 (e.g., the first port 121 or the fourth port 124) (see FIGS. 8 and 10).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, the seal member 103 also includes ribs 142 that protrude from the seal main body 103A in the radial direction DR. The ribs 142 protrude from the seal main body 103A toward the valve body 101 along the periphery of the seal opening 103h. As shown in FIG. 6, the ribs 142 include circumferential ribs 143 that extend (are provided continuously) in the circumferential direction DC. The circumferential ribs 143 include inner circumferential ribs 144 that are provided in the radially inward direction DR1 of the seal main body 103A and protrude in the radially inward direction DR1, and outer circumferential ribs 145 that are provided in the radially outward direction DR2 of the seal main body 103A and protrude in the radially outward direction DR2. The number of inner circumferential ribs 144 is smaller than the number of outer circumferential ribs 145. In this embodiment, two inner circumferential ribs 144 and four outer circumferential ribs 145 are provided on the seal main body 103A.

[0025] The circumferential rib 143 is composed of two rib groups 143g provided at both ends of the seal main body 103A in the axial direction DX. The rib groups 143g are provided so as to sandwich the four seal openings 103h in the axial direction DX. In this embodiment, the rib groups 143g include two outer circumferential ribs 145 and one inner circumferential rib 144 provided between the two outer circumferential ribs 145. Hereinafter, of the two outer circumferential ribs 145 included in one rib group 143g, the outer circumferential rib 145 located closer to the end of the seal main body 103A in the axial direction DX will be referred to as the "first outer circumferential rib 145a," and the outer circumferential rib 145 located closer to the center of the seal main body 103A in the axial direction DX will be referred to as the "second outer circumferential rib 145b."

[0026] 6, the rib 142 further includes an axial rib 146 extending (continuously provided) along the axial direction DX. The axial rib 146 includes an inner axial rib 147 provided in a radially inward direction DR1 of the seal body 103A and protruding in the radially inward direction DR1, and an outer axial rib 148 provided in a radially outward direction DR2 of the seal body 103A and protruding in the radially outward direction DR2. Note that, hereinafter, the inner circumferential rib 144 and the inner axial rib 147 may be collectively referred to as "inner ribs," and the outer circumferential rib 145 and the outer axial rib 148 may be collectively referred to as "outer ribs."

[0027] 6, in this embodiment, the inner axial rib 147 and the outer axial rib 148 are provided to sandwich each of the four seal openings 103h in the circumferential direction DC. The ribs 142 (the circumferential rib 143 and the axial rib 146) are provided to surround the seal openings 103h. Specifically, the inner axial rib 147 has an end in the axial direction DX connected to the inner circumferential rib 144, and the outer axial rib 148 has an end in the axial direction DX connected to the second outer circumferential rib 145b. In this embodiment, a first connection portion C1 between the inner axial rib 147 and the inner circumferential rib 144 and a second connection portion C2 between the outer axial rib 148 and the second outer circumferential rib 145b have a rounded R shape when viewed along the radial direction DR.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the apexes of the ribs 142. As shown in FIG. 7, the inner circumferential rib 144 and the outer circumferential rib 145 are arranged so that the inner circumferential rib apex 144t and the outer circumferential rib apex 145t do not overlap when viewed along the radial direction DR. Specifically, the inner circumferential rib apex 144t is arranged between the two outer circumferential rib apexes 145t in the axial direction DX. Similarly, the inner axial rib 147 and the outer axial rib 148 are arranged so that the inner axial rib apex 147t and the outer axial rib apex 148t do not overlap when viewed along the radial direction DR. Specifically, the inner axial rib apex 147t is arranged between the outer axial rib apexes 148t of the two outer axial ribs 148 in the circumferential direction DC.

[0029] Next, fluid control by the valve device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Figs. 8 to 10. The valve device 100 in this embodiment controls two flow paths simultaneously. Fig. 2 shows the valve device 100 with the valve element 101 set to a first position P1, Fig. 8 shows the valve device 100 with the valve element 101 set to a second position P2, Fig. 9 shows the valve device 100 with the valve element 101 set to a third position P3, and Fig. 10 shows the valve device 100 with the valve element 101 set to a fourth position P4.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, when the valve element 101 is set to the first position P1, the fluid supplied to the second port 122 passes through the first valve flow path L1 and flows to the first port 121, and the fluid supplied to the fifth port 125 passes through the second valve flow path L2 and flows to the fourth port 124.

[0031] Next, when the valve element 101 rotates a predetermined angle clockwise around the axis X from the first position P1 shown in Fig. 2 and is set to the second position P2 as shown in Fig. 8, the fluid supplied to the third port 123 passes through the first valve flow path L1 and is supplied to the first port 121. At the same time, the fluid supplied to the fifth port 125 passes through the second valve flow path L2 and flows to the fourth port 124.

[0032] Next, when the valve element 101 rotates a predetermined angle clockwise around the axis X from the second position P2 shown in Fig. 8 and is set to the third position P3 as shown in Fig. 9, the fluid supplied to the second port 122 passes through the first valve flow path L1 and flows to the fourth port 124. At the same time, the fluid supplied to the fifth port 125 passes through the second valve flow path L2 and flows to the first port 121.

[0033] Next, when the valve element 101 further rotates clockwise about the axis X from the third position P3 shown in Fig. 9 by a predetermined angle and is set to the fourth position P4 as shown in Fig. 10, the fluid supplied to the third port 123 passes through the first valve flow path L1 and flows to the fourth port 124. At the same time, the fluid supplied to the fifth port 125 passes through the second valve flow path L2 and flows to the first port 121.

[0034] Next, the valve control device 1 will be described. Fig. 11 is a block diagram that schematically shows the configuration of the valve control device 1. As shown in Fig. 11, the valve control device 1 is configured to include a control unit 10, a difference calculation unit 11, and a detection unit 12. Each of these functional units is constructed using hardware or software, or both, with a CPU as its core component, in order to perform processing related to the control of the valve device 100.

[0035] The control unit 10 controls the operation of the actuator 105 based on a first rotation amount corresponding to a rotation command to rotate the valve disc 101 to a target position. The target position of the valve disc 101 corresponds to a position to which the valve disc 101 is rotated in order to change the current fluid flow state in the valve device 100 to a predetermined flow state. Therefore, the rotation command to rotate the valve disc 101 to the target position corresponds to a command to rotate the valve disc 101 in order to change the current fluid flow state in the valve device 100 to a predetermined flow state. Such a rotation command is transmitted from a higher-level system of the valve control device 1. In this embodiment, the amount by which the valve disc 101 is rotated in response to the rotation command (rotation amount) is referred to as a first rotation amount. The first rotation amount may be included in the rotation command or may be calculated by the control unit 10 upon receiving the rotation command. The control unit 10 operates the actuator 105 to rotate the valve disc 101 by the first rotation amount.

[0036] The detection unit 12 detects the amount of rotation of the actuator 105. The detection unit 12 is configured to detect, for example, the amount of rotation (angle) of the output shaft 104 of the actuator 105. It is preferable that such a detection unit 12 is configured using, for example, a Hall IC and detects the amount of rotation of the output shaft 104. The control unit 10 operates the actuator 105 so that the amount of rotation detected by the detection unit 12 becomes the first amount of rotation.

[0037] Here, when the valve disc 101 is rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the inner axial rib 147 overlaps the opening of the first valve flow path L1 along the radial direction DR as the valve disc 101 rotates (state of P12 in FIG. 12). By further rotating the valve disc 101 from this state, the inner axial rib 147 overlaps a portion of the valve disc 101 that is different from the opening of the first valve flow path L1 along the radial direction DR (state of P2 in FIG. 12).

[0038] At this time, if the rotation torque of the actuator 105 is small, the rotation amount of the output shaft 104 of the actuator 105 may not reach the first rotation amount depending on factors such as elastic deformation of the inner axial rib 147, torsion of the input shaft 101A, and play in the transmission mechanism (gear) of the actuator 105. In this case, as described above, the control unit 10 terminates the operation of the actuator 105, and the control unit 10 recognizes that the valve disc 101 has reached the second position P2, but in reality, the valve disc 101 is in the state shown by P12 in Figure 12. In this state, it may not be possible to appropriately control the fluid flow state.

[0039] Therefore, the valve control device 1 utilizes a second rotation amount, which is the actual rotation amount of the actuator 105 after the supply of current to the actuator 105 is stopped. When the operation of the actuator 105 is stopped, the elastic force of the inner axial rib 147, the torsion of the input shaft 101A returns to its original state, and furthermore, due to play in the transmission mechanism (gear) of the actuator 105, the output shaft 104 rotates in the opposite direction from the rotation direction until then. The detection unit 12 detects the rotation amount after the supply of current to the actuator 105 is stopped. This detection result is transmitted to the control unit 10, and the second rotation amount is calculated based on the detection result of the rotation amount after the supply of current to the actuator 105 is stopped. Note that the detection result of the rotation amount after the supply of current to the actuator 105 is stopped is output from a Hall IC or the like that detects the rotation amount (angle) of the output shaft 104 of the actuator 105, as described above.

[0040] The difference calculation unit 11 calculates the difference between the first rotation amount and the second rotation amount when a state transition occurs in which the rib 147 moves over the edge of the opening of the first valve flow path L1 as a result of rotation of the valve disc 101 along the circumferential direction DC. In this case, there is a possibility that the valve disc 101 will not completely move over the rib 142 (for example, the state P12 in FIG. 12). In such a case, the difference calculation unit 11 calculates the difference between the first rotation amount and the second rotation amount. The calculation result is transmitted to the control unit 10. Note that, in this embodiment, the rotation from the first position P1 to the second position P2 in FIG. 12 is used as an example for explanation, but the same applies to the rotation from the second position P2 to the first position P1.

[0041] If the difference between the first rotation amount and the second rotation amount is equal to or less than a preset value (for example, the amount of play in the speed change mechanism (gear) of the actuator 105), the valve element 101 is deemed to have rotated appropriately. However, if the difference between the first rotation amount and the second rotation amount is greater than the preset value, the valve element 101 has not rotated based on the first rotation amount, and the control unit 10 controls the actuator 105 so that the valve element 101 rotates again in the direction in which the valve element 101 was rotated in response to the rotation command. In other words, the control unit 10 controls the actuator 105 so that the valve element 101 rotates in the same direction as the direction in which the valve element 101 was previously rotated.

[0042] When controlling the actuator 105 to rotate the valve disc 101 again, the control unit 10 preferably gradually increases the first rotation amount according to the number of rotations. That is, as shown in FIG. 13 , if the first rotation amount is R1, when the valve disc 101 is rotated again, the control unit 10 controls the actuator 105 to rotate by R2, which is larger than R1. After controlling the actuator 105 to rotate by R2, if the difference between the first and second rotation amounts is smaller than a preset value, the valve disc 101 has rotated based on the first rotation amount, and the rotation process of the valve disc 101 is terminated. On the other hand, if the difference between the first and second rotation amounts is still larger than the preset value, the valve disc 101 has not rotated, and the control unit 10 controls the actuator 105 to further increase the rotation amount. In FIG. 13 , the n-th rotation amount is indicated as Rn. This process of rotating the valve disc 101 again is repeated a preset number of times.

[0043] As described above, the housing 102 is provided with the seal member 103, and when the valve disc 101 rotates, the valve disc 101 rotates while sliding on the seal member 103. At this time, a frictional force is generated on the valve disc 101 by the seal member 103, and this frictional force corresponds to a sliding torque. Meanwhile, the valve disc 101 is rotated by the actuator 105, and the input shaft 101A may twist due to the sliding torque described above. In controlling the valve device 100, the twisting angle (torsion angle) at this time can cause the opening of the valve disc 101 to differ from the desired opening, so it is desirable to correct the torsion angle. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 10 controls the operation of the actuator 105 based on a map that indicates the relationship between the sliding torque generated between the valve disc 101 and the seal member 103 and the correction amount for the torsion angle of the input shaft 101A when the valve disc 101 rotates.

[0044] As described above, the seal member 103 is provided with inner ribs (the inner circumferential rib 144 and the inner axial rib 147) around the seal opening 103h. When the valve disc 101 rotates, if the inner axial rib 147 is present along the radial direction DR at least at either end along the circumferential direction DC of the opening of the internal flow path L of the valve disc 101, the inner axial rib 147 needs to climb over the end of the opening of the internal flow path L (see P12 in FIG. 12 ), and therefore the sliding torque becomes larger than when the inner axial rib 147 is not present along the radial direction DR. In other words, when the opening of the internal flow path L of the valve disc 101 faces the rib 142 (the inner axial rib 147), the sliding torque becomes larger than when the opening of the internal flow path L of the valve disc 101 does not face the rib 142 (the inner axial rib 147).

[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned maps are stored as follows: a first map showing the relationship between the sliding torque and the correction amount of the torsion angle in a facing state (state P12 in FIG. 12 ) in which the ribs 142 face both ends of the internal flow path L along the circumferential direction DC of the valve disc 101; and a second map showing the relationship between the sliding torque and the correction amount of the torsion angle in a non-facing state in which the ribs 142 do not face both ends of the internal flow path L along the circumferential direction DC of the valve disc 101. The first map corresponds to a map showing the correction amount when the sliding torque is relatively large, and the second map corresponds to a map showing the correction amount when the sliding torque is relatively small. Such first and second maps may be stored in advance in the control unit 10 or may be stored in a storage unit (not shown). The control unit 10 can correct the torsion angle using such maps to control the operation of the actuator 105.

[0046] Next, the processing of the valve control device 1 will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 14. When the control unit 10 receives a rotation command from a higher-level system to rotate the valve element 101 to a target position (step #10: Yes), the valve control device 1 starts controlling the valve device 100. When the control unit 10 receives the rotation command (step #10: Yes), the count value of the number of rotations of the valve element 101 is set to 1 (step #11).

[0047] The control unit 10 controls the operation of the actuator 105 in accordance with the acquired rotation command so as to rotate the valve element 101 to the target position (step #12). The detection unit 12 starts detecting the amount of rotation of the output shaft 104 of the actuator 105 in accordance with the control of the operation of the actuator 105 by the control unit 10 (step #13).

[0048] The control of the operation of actuator 105 by control unit 10 continues until the detection result by detection unit 12 reaches the first rotation amount corresponding to the rotation command (step #14: No). When the detection result by detection unit 12 reaches the first rotation amount corresponding to the rotation command (step #14: Yes), control unit 10 stops the operation (energization) of actuator 105 (step #15).

[0049] When the target position of the valve body 101 is a state in which the ribs 142 are located at both ends of the internal flow path L (step #16: Yes), the detection unit 12 detects the amount of rotation of the output shaft 104 of the actuator 105 after the operation (energization) of the actuator 105 is stopped (after the energization is stopped). Based on this detection result, a second amount of rotation by which the actuator 105 actually rotates is calculated (step #17).

[0050] The difference calculation unit 11 calculates the difference between the first rotation amount and the second rotation amount (step #18). If the calculated difference is equal to or less than a preset value (step #19: Yes), the valve control device 1 ends the process until the control unit 10 receives a new rotation command from the host system. Also, in step #16, if the target position of the valve element 101 is not a state in which the ribs 142 are located at both ends of the internal flow path L (step #16: No), the valve control device 1 also ends the process.

[0051] In step #19, if the calculated difference is greater than the preset value (step #19: No), the control unit 10 controls the actuator 105 to re-actuate based on a rotation amount greater than the rotation amount instructed to actuate the actuator 105 immediately before (step #20). This re-actuation is performed so that the valve element 101 rotates in the same direction as the direction in which the valve element 101 rotated immediately before.

[0052] The control of the operation of the actuator 105 by the control unit 10 continues until the detection result by the detection unit 12 reaches the increased rotation amount (step #21: No). When the detection result by the detection unit 12 reaches the increased rotation amount (step #21: Yes), the control unit 10 stops the operation (energization) of the actuator 105 (step #22). As the control unit 10 controls the re-operation, 1 is added to the count value of the number of rotations of the valve body 101 (step #23).

[0053] If the count value of the number of rotations is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (step #24: Yes), the valve control device 1 ends the process. On the other hand, if the count value of the number of rotations is less than a predetermined number (step #24: No), the process returns to step #17 and continues. The valve control device 1 controls the valve device 100 in accordance with the above flow.

[0054] Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments of the valve control device 1 will be described.

[0055] In the above embodiment, it has been described that the detection unit 12 detects the amount of rotation of the actuator 105, and the second amount of rotation is calculated based on the detection result of the detection unit 12 after the supply of electricity to the actuator 105 has been stopped. However, it is also possible to configure the detection unit 12 to detect the amount of rotation of the valve element 101, and to calculate the second amount of rotation based on the detection result of the amount of rotation of the valve element 101.

[0056] In the above embodiment, when the control unit 10 controls the actuator 105 to rotate the valve disc 101 again, the control unit 10 gradually increases the first rotation amount according to the number of rotations. When the control unit 10 controls the actuator 105 to rotate the valve disc 101 again, the control unit 10 can also control the actuator 105 to operate by the same rotation amount as the immediately preceding first rotation amount. Furthermore, for example, when the valve disc 101 is rotated again, if the first rotation amount is increased once, the next rotation can also be configured to be based on this increased first rotation amount.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the control unit 10 has been described as controlling the operation of the actuator 105 based on a map that indicates the relationship between the sliding torque generated between the valve element 101 and the seal member 103 and the correction amount for the torsion angle of the input shaft 101A when the valve element 101 rotates. However, it is also possible to configure the control unit 10 to control the operation of the actuator 105 without using such a map.

[0058] [Summary of the above embodiment] The above-described valve control device 1 will now be outlined.

[0059] (1) A valve control device 1 controls a valve device 100 having a rotatable valve element 101 having a resin input shaft 101A, a housing 102 that accommodates the valve element 101 and has a plurality of input ports 112A and a plurality of discharge ports 112B, a seal member 103 that is provided in the housing 102 and against which the valve element 101 slides when the valve element 101 rotates, and an actuator 105 that rotates an output shaft 104 that transmits a rotational force to the input shaft 101A. The valve element 101 has an internal flow path L that communicates with at least one of the plurality of input ports 112A and at least one of the plurality of discharge ports 112B, and the seal member 103 has a seal main body portion 103A (main body) in which a plurality of seal openings 103h (through holes) are formed along a circumferential direction DC. the control unit 10 controls the operation of the actuator 105 based on a first rotation amount corresponding to a rotation command for rotating the valve element 101 to a target position; and a difference calculation unit 11 calculates the difference between the first rotation amount and a second rotation amount actually rotated by the actuator 105 when a state transition occurs in which the rib 142 rides up from the opening of an internal flow path L along the circumferential direction DC of the valve element 101 to an end thereof when the valve element 101 is rotated in accordance with the rotation command. When the difference is greater than a preset value, the control unit 10 controls the actuator 105 so that the valve element 101 rotates again in the direction in which the valve element 101 was rotated in accordance with the rotation command.

[0060] If the difference between the first rotation amount according to the control of the actuator 105 by the control unit 10 and the second rotation amount corresponding to the actual rotation amount of the valve disc 101 is larger than a preset value, it is assumed that the valve disc 101 has not rotated to the target position. In particular, when the target position is a state in which the ribs 142 are located at both ends of the internal flow path L along the circumferential direction DC of the valve disc 101, it is highly likely that the valve disc 101 has not completely moved over the ribs 142. Therefore, with this configuration, if the difference between the first rotation amount and the second rotation amount is larger than a preset value, the control unit 10 controls the operation of the actuator 105 to rotate the valve disc 101 again, so that the valve control device 1 can appropriately rotate the valve disc 101 to the desired target position.

[0061] (2) In the valve control device 1 described in (1), it is preferable that the valve control device 1 further includes a detection unit 12 that detects the amount of rotation of the actuator 105, and the second amount of rotation is calculated based on the detection result of the detection unit 12 after the power supply to the actuator 105 is stopped.

[0062] When the supply of current to the actuator 105 is stopped, the valve disc 101 may rotate in the original direction from which it rotated to the target position, depending on factors such as the recovery of the torsion of the input shaft 101A of the valve disc 101, the return of the elastic deformation of the seal member 103, and play in the speed change mechanism (gears) of the actuator 105. Therefore, with this configuration, even if a difference from the first rotation amount occurs due to factors such as the torsion of the input shaft 101A of the valve disc 101, the elastic deformation of the seal member 103, and play in the speed change mechanism (gears) of the actuator 105, the operation of the actuator 105 can be accurately controlled based on the detection result of the detection unit 12 so as to rotate the valve disc 101 again.

[0063] (3) In the valve control device 1 described in (1) or (2), when the control unit 10 controls the actuator 105 so that the valve body 101 rotates again, it is preferable that the control unit 10 gradually increases the first rotation amount according to the number of rotations.

[0064] For example, even when the control unit 10 controls the operation of the actuator 105 to rotate the valve element 101 again, the valve element 101 may not rotate to the target position, as was the case the previous time the valve element 101 was rotated. Therefore, according to this configuration, when the valve element 101 is rotated again, it is rotated by an amount greater than the amount of rotation the valve element 101 was rotated the previous time, making it easier to rotate the valve element 101 to the target position.

[0065] (4) In the valve control device 1 described in any one of (1) to (3), it is preferable that the control unit 10 controls the operation of the actuator 105 based on a map showing the relationship between the sliding torque generated between the valve body 101 and the sealing member 103 and the correction amount of the torsion angle of the input shaft 101A when the valve body 101 rotates.

[0066] According to this configuration, when the actuator 105 rotates the valve body 101, the actuator 105 rotates the valve body 101 by an amount of rotation that corrects the torsion of the input shaft 101A, thereby suppressing the occurrence of a difference between the first amount of rotation and the second amount of rotation caused by the torsion. [Industrial Applicability]

[0067] The technology according to the present disclosure can be used in a valve control device that controls a valve device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1: valve control device, 10: control unit, 11: difference calculation unit, 12: detection unit, 100: valve device, 101: valve body, 101A: input shaft, 102: housing, 103: seal member, 103A: seal main body, 103h: seal opening (through hole), 104: output shaft, 105: actuator, 112A: input port, 112B: output port, 142: rib, DC: circumferential direction, L: internal flow path

Claims

1. A valve control device for controlling a valve device including: a rotatable valve element having a resin input shaft; a housing that houses the valve element and has a plurality of input ports and a plurality of discharge ports; a seal member that is provided in the housing and against which the valve element slides when the valve element rotates; and an actuator that rotates an output shaft that transmits rotational force to the input shaft, the valve body has an internal flow path that communicates at least one of the plurality of input ports with at least one of the plurality of discharge ports; the seal member has a main body portion in which a plurality of through holes are formed along a circumferential direction, and a rib protruding from the main body portion toward the valve body along a periphery of the through holes, a control unit that controls the operation of the actuator based on a first rotation amount corresponding to a rotation command to rotate the valve element to a target position; a difference calculation unit that calculates a difference between the first rotation amount and a second rotation amount actually rotated by the actuator when a state transition occurs in which the rib rides onto an end portion of the internal flow path from an opening of the internal flow path along a circumferential direction of the valve body when the valve body is rotated in response to the rotation command, The control unit controls the actuator so that the valve body rotates again in the direction in which it was rotated in response to the rotation command when the difference is greater than a preset value.

2. a detection unit that detects the amount of rotation of the actuator; The valve control device according to claim 1 , wherein the second rotation amount is calculated based on a detection result of the detection unit after power supply to the actuator is stopped.

3. The valve control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit, when controlling the actuator so that the valve element rotates again, gradually increases the first rotation amount in accordance with the number of rotations.

4. 3. The valve control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the operation of the actuator based on a map indicating a relationship between a sliding torque generated between the valve body and the seal member and a correction amount for a torsion angle of the input shaft when the valve body rotates.

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