Solenoid valve

Abstract

To provide a constant-open solenoid valve in which a coil can be common to a constant-close valve.SOLUTION: A cartridge-type solenoid valve which can be fitted to a valve mounting hole of a flow passage block, includes: a valve body 12 having a valve chamber 13, an inflow passage 14, and an outflow passage 15; a valve body 18; and an electromagnetic drive device 41. The valve body has: an outer body 21 having a through hole 25 and a body 22 fitted to the valve mounting hole; and an inner body 31 fixed in the through hole. The inner body includes: a trunk part 33 provided at the same height as the body; and a cylinder part 34 below the trunk part. The trunk part has a valve port 16 opening in the valve chamber and having a valve seat 17 at a lower end thereof, and forms a flow passage gap 37 communicating with an outflow hole between the trunk part and the body. The solenoid valve includes: a valve holder 19 supporting the valve body in the cylinder part in a slidable manner; and a transmission mechanism 47 for transmitting a vertical movement of a plunger 43 to the valve holder. The inflow passage communicates with the valve chamber through inside the cylinder part from a lower face of the cylinder part, and the outflow passage includes a communication passage 36 formed at the trunk part so as to communicate the valve port with the flow passage gap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a solenoid valve, and more particularly to a normally open solenoid valve. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Solenoid valves that use an electromagnetic actuator to open and close a valve have conventionally been used in refrigeration cycle devices that have a refrigerant circuit, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and refrigeration devices.

[0003] Such solenoid valves are available in two types: normally closed, which are open only when energized, and normally open, which are closed only when energized. Solenoid valves are also available in direct acting types, in which the valve element is directly moved by a solenoid coil to open and close the valve, and pilot types, in which a pilot valve is driven to open and close by a solenoid coil, and the main valve opens and closes in response to the opening and closing of this pilot valve. These solenoid valves are used depending on the application.

[0004] Figure 9 shows an example of a conventional normally closed type solenoid valve. As shown in this figure, the solenoid valve 91 includes a valve body 92, a valve element 98, and an electromagnetic driver 41 that drives the valve element 98. The valve body 92 has a valve chamber 93 therein, as well as an inlet passage 94 that allows refrigerant to flow into the valve chamber 93, and an outlet passage 95 that allows refrigerant to flow out of the valve chamber 93. The end of the outlet passage 95 on the valve chamber side forms a valve port 96, and a valve seat 97 is formed on the upper surface of the valve port 96. The valve element 98 moves toward and away from the valve seat 97 (moves up and down) to open and close the valve port 96 (outlet passage 95).

[0005] The electromagnetic drive device 41 has a plunger 43 slidably provided within the sleeve 42, an attractor 44 that attracts the plunger 43, a coil (provided on the outside of the sleeve 42 but not shown in FIG. 9 / see reference numeral 46 in FIG. 10) that generates a magnetic force that attracts the plunger 43 to the attractor 44, and a valve-closing spring (compression coil spring) 99 arranged above the plunger 43 (between the plunger 43 and the attractor 44) to urge the plunger 43 downward (i.e., in the valve-closing direction of the valve body 98). The valve body 98 is fixed to the lower end of the plunger 43.

[0006] Furthermore, if the direction from the valve seat 97 toward the electromagnetic driver 41 is defined as "up," and the direction from the electromagnetic driver 41 toward the valve seat 97 is defined as "down," the outflow path 95 extends downward from the valve port 96 along the central axis of the solenoid valve 91 (the valve element 98, the plunger 43, etc.), and then extends in the front-to-rear direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper) at the bottom of the valve body 92 to open outside the valve body 92 (at the outer peripheral surface of the valve body 92). The inflow path 94 extends upward inside the valve body 92 from the bottom surface of the valve body 92, outside the outflow path 95, and is in communication with the valve chamber 93.

[0007] 9 shows the state in which the coil is not energized, and the valve element 98 is pressed against the valve seat 97 via the plunger 43 by the valve closing spring 99, closing the valve port 96 (outlet path 95). On the other hand, when the coil is energized, the plunger 43 is attracted by the attractor 44 and moves upward, the valve element 98 moves away from the valve seat 97, and the valve port 96 is opened. This results in an open valve state in which the inlet path 94 and the outlet path 95 are connected (symbol F in the figure indicates the flow of refrigerant).

[0008] The solenoid valve 91 can be used as a direct acting solenoid valve, but it is also possible to configure a pilot solenoid valve by using the solenoid valve 91 as a pilot valve.

[0009] Specifically, the pilot type solenoid valve has the solenoid valve 91 mounted in the valve mounting hole 64 of a flow path block 61a, which has the valve mounting hole 64 into which the solenoid valve 91 can be fitted, as shown in Figures 10 to 12. The flow path block 61a has a main valve chamber 73, an inlet hole 62 for allowing the refrigerant to flow into the main valve chamber 73, an outlet hole 63 for allowing the refrigerant to flow out from the main valve chamber 73, a main valve port 77 formed between the main valve chamber 73 and the outlet hole 63, a main valve seat 78 formed on the upper surface of the main valve port 77, and a main valve body 74 provided in the main valve chamber 73 so as to be able to move back and forth (up and down) relative to the main valve seat 78 to open and close the main valve port 77.

[0010] In this pilot-operated solenoid valve, the solenoid valve 91 serves as a pilot valve, and therefore the valve chamber 93 is referred to as a "pilot valve chamber" and the valve seat 97 as a "pilot valve seat." The valve mounting hole 64 has an upper hole 65 that forms the upper part of the valve mounting hole 64, and a lower hole 66 that forms the lower part. The upper hole 65 has a large inner diameter, and has a female thread portion 70 on its inner circumferential surface. A male thread portion 23 that screws into the female thread portion 70 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the valve body 92, and the valve body 92 is fixed to the flow path block 61a by these threaded portions (the female thread portion 70 and the male thread portion 23) that screw into each other.

[0011] Furthermore, the lower hole 66 has a small inner diameter, which results in a step 67 being formed between the upper hole 65 and the lower hole 66. The lower end of the valve body 92 is fitted into the upper part of the lower hole 66. A ring-shaped space 68 (this space will be referred to as the "step space") is formed on the upper surface of the step 67 (between the step 67 and the valve body 92), and the outflow passage 95 is in communication with the step space 68. Furthermore, a communicating passage 69 is formed in the flow path block 61a to communicate between the step space 68 and the outflow hole 63, and the outflow passage 95, step space 68, and communicating passage 69 form a pilot passage 72 that communicates between the pilot valve chamber 93 and the outflow hole 63.

[0012] Furthermore, the main valve element 74 is provided with a pressure equalizing passage 75 that connects the main valve chamber 73 and the pilot valve chamber 93 via the interior of the main valve element 74 and an inlet passage 94. Also, a main valve closing spring (compression coil spring) 85 that urges the main valve element 74 in the valve closing direction (downward) is provided inside the main valve element 74.

[0013] 10 (a state in which the coil 46 is not energized), the pilot passage 72 is closed by the pilot valve element 98 being seated on the pilot valve seat 97 by the valve closing spring 99, and therefore the pressure inside the main valve element 74 (above the main valve element 74), which communicates with the main valve chamber 73 via the pressure equalizing path 75, becomes equal to the internal pressure of the main valve chamber 73. On the other hand, the internal pressure of the outflow hole 63 is lower than that of the main valve chamber 73, and this pressure difference, together with the biasing force of the main valve closing spring 85, causes the main valve element 74 to be seated on the main valve seat 78, maintaining the valve closed state.

[0014] 11, the plunger 43 is attracted by the attractor 44 and rises against the biasing force of the valve-closing spring 99, causing the pilot valve element 98 to move away from the pilot valve seat 97 and opening the pilot passage 72. As a result, the refrigerant introduced into (the upper side of) the main valve element 74 through the pressure equalizing passage 75 is discharged to the outlet hole 63 through the pilot passage 72 (see symbol F), reducing the pressure above the main valve element 74. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the pilot passage 72 is larger than that of the pressure equalizing passage 75, and the amount of refrigerant discharged from the pilot valve chamber 93 to the outlet hole 63 through the pilot passage 72 is greater than the amount of refrigerant flowing from the main valve chamber 73 to the upper side of the main valve element 74 through the pressure equalizing passage 75. Therefore, the pressure above the main valve element 74 is lower than the pressure in the main valve chamber 73, and a pressure difference that pulls the main valve element 74 upward is generated between the upper and lower surfaces of the main valve element 74. Therefore, when this differential pressure exceeds the biasing force of the main valve closing spring 85, the main valve body 74 is pulled upward and separated from the main valve seat 78, as shown in Figure 12, and the main valve port 77 is opened, establishing an open valve state in which the inlet port 62 and the outlet port 63 are connected.

[0015] Furthermore, the following Patent Document 1 is a document that discloses a normally open type solenoid valve. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0016] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-060269 A (Patent No. 6815655) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0017] However, normally open solenoid valves generally have a longer overall length (axial length, i.e., the length in the direction of movement of the valve disc) than normally closed types, which poses the problem that the coil cannot be shared between normally closed and normally open types.

[0018] On the other hand, if the coil can be made common between the normally closed type and the normally open type, it will be possible to improve the productivity of the solenoid valve and reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0019] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a normally open type valve structure that can use the same coil as a normally closed type solenoid valve. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] [First Invention] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the solenoid valve according to the first invention of the present application comprises a valve body having a valve chamber, an inlet passage for introducing a fluid (e.g., a refrigerant; the same applies hereinafter) into the valve chamber, an outlet passage for discharging the fluid from the valve chamber, and a valve seat formed within the valve chamber; a valve element that moves toward and away from the valve seat; and an electromagnetic drive device that drives the valve element.

[0021] The electromagnetic drive device also has a sleeve that rises upward from the upper surface of the valve body, a plunger that is housed within the sleeve and can slide vertically, an attractor that is fixed to the upper end of the sleeve and attracts the plunger, and a valve-opening spring that urges the plunger downward.

[0022] The valve body further comprises an outer body having a through hole extending vertically in the center and a ring-shaped main body portion, and an inner body fixed within the through hole. The inner body has a fixing head portion inserted into the upper part of the through hole to fix the inner body to the outer body, a body portion disposed below the fixing head portion at a height where it overlaps the main body portion in the vertical direction, and a cylindrical portion formed below the body portion.

[0023] The valve chamber is formed at the upper end of the interior of the cylinder. The body has a valve port that opens toward the valve chamber. A valve seat is formed at the lower end of the valve port, and a valve disc is positioned within the valve chamber facing the valve seat. A flow path gap through which a fluid can pass is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the body and the inner peripheral surface of the main body.

[0024] Furthermore, the solenoid valve is equipped with a valve disc holder that supports the valve disc in the cylinder section so that the valve disc can slide up and down, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the up and down movement of the plunger to the valve disc via the valve disc holder, moving the valve disc up and down together with the plunger. Note that the valve disc holder may be integrated with the valve disc (i.e., the valve disc and the valve disc holder may be configured as a single member) (the same applies to the second invention described later).

[0025] The inlet passage is formed so as to communicate with the valve chamber from the underside of the cylinder portion, passing between the outer peripheral surface of the valve disc holder and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder portion, while the outlet passage includes a communication passage formed in the body portion so as to communicate between the valve port and the flow path gap.

[0026] In this application, the axial direction of the solenoid valve (the valve body, valve port, valve seat, and electromagnetic driver) is referred to as the "vertical direction," with one of the vertical directions (the direction from the valve seat toward the electromagnetic driver) referred to as "up" and the other (the direction from the electromagnetic driver toward the valve seat) referred to as "down." Based on the concepts of "up" and "down," terms related to up and down, such as "upper," "lower," "rising," "falling," "upper," "lower," "upper side," and "lower side," are used in this application. Positions in the vertical direction are referred to as "height positions." However, because the solenoid valves of the present invention and the embodiments described below can be used in various orientations, "down" does not necessarily mean the direction of gravity and "up" does not necessarily mean the direction opposite to gravity. In this application, the first invention and the second invention described below are collectively referred to as "the present invention."

[0027] The solenoid valves according to the first invention and the second invention described below are so-called cartridge-type solenoid valves that are mounted on a flow path block having an inlet port for the inflow of a fluid, an outlet port for the outflow of a fluid, and a valve mounting hole capable of receiving the solenoid valve. The solenoid valve is mounted on the flow path block by fitting (e.g., screwing) the main body of the valve body into the valve mounting hole. In this mounted state, the inlet channel of the solenoid valve communicates with the inlet port of the flow path block, and the flow path gap of the solenoid valve communicates with the outlet port of the flow path block.

[0028] In the first invention of the present application, the valve body is divided into an outer body, which has a main body portion fitted into the valve mounting hole and functions to fix the valve body to the flow path block, and an inner body, which has a valve chamber and a valve seat (valve port) inside and functions to open and close the flow path. The inner body is nested within the through-hole of the outer body, and the main body portion, valve chamber, and valve seat (valve port) are positioned at the same height (overlapping in the vertical direction). This allows the vertical length of the valve body, including the sleeve that houses the plunger, to be the same as that of a normally closed solenoid valve (see Figures 1 and 9), and makes it possible to use the same coil as a normally closed solenoid valve (i.e., to share the coil) (see Figures 4 and 10). The coil is provided to surround the sleeve.

[0029] Regarding the operation of the solenoid valve according to the first aspect of the present invention, when power is not supplied to the electromagnetic drive device (coil), the plunger is pushed downward by the biasing force of the valve-opening spring, causing the valve element to move downward away from the valve seat, leaving the valve port open. Therefore, fluid that flows into the valve chamber through the inlet and inlet passage is discharged to the outside of the valve through the valve port, outlet passage (communication passage), passage gap, and outlet port. When power is supplied to the electromagnetic drive device (coil) in this open state, the attractor attracts the plunger, causing it to rise within the sleeve. The upward movement of the sleeve is transmitted to the valve element via the valve element holder by the transmission mechanism, causing the valve element to be pulled up. When the valve element seats (contacts) on the valve seat, the valve element closes the valve port, blocking the flow path between the inlet and outlet holes, resulting in a closed valve state.

[0030] In addition, in the first invention, the transmission mechanism may include an actuating rod that extends vertically through the fixed head and body and is interposed between the plunger and the valve body holder to transmit the downward movement of the plunger to the valve body holder, thereby lowering the valve body, and a valve-closing spring that urges the valve body holder upward and raises the valve body via the valve body holder when the plunger moves upward.

[0031] In the first invention described above, the valve body is composed of two components (an outer body and an inner body), but it is also possible to achieve commonality of the coil even if the valve body is composed of a single component, and this application discloses such an solenoid valve as the second invention described below.

[0032] [Second Invention] The solenoid valve according to the second aspect of the present invention, like the solenoid valve according to the first aspect of the present invention, comprises a valve body having a valve chamber, an inlet passage for introducing fluid into the valve chamber, an outlet passage for discharging fluid from the valve chamber, and a valve seat formed within the valve chamber, a valve element that moves toward and away from the valve seat, and an electromagnetic drive unit that drives the valve element, and the electromagnetic drive unit comprises a sleeve that rises upward from the top surface of the valve body, a plunger that is housed within the sleeve and can slide vertically, a suction element that is fixed to the upper end side of the sleeve and attracts the plunger, and a valve-opening spring that urges the plunger downward.

[0033] On the other hand, in the solenoid valve according to the second aspect of the present invention, the valve body has a columnar main body portion and a cylindrical cylinder portion that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the main body portion. The main body portion has a flow path groove that extends vertically on its outer circumferential surface and allows fluid to pass through. The valve chamber is formed at the upper end of the interior of the cylinder portion. The main body portion has a valve port that opens toward the valve chamber. A valve seat is formed at the bottom end of the valve port, and a valve element is disposed within the valve chamber facing the valve seat.

[0034] The solenoid valve according to the second aspect of the present invention further comprises a valve element holder that supports the valve element in the cylinder portion so that it can slide up and down, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the up and down movement of the plunger to the valve element via the valve element holder, moving the valve element up and down together with the plunger. The inlet passage is formed so as to communicate with the valve chamber from the lower surface of the cylinder portion, passing between the outer peripheral surface of the valve element holder and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder portion. The outlet passage includes a communication passage formed in the main body portion that communicates between the valve port and the flow path groove.

[0035] In the solenoid valve according to the second invention, similar to the first invention, the transmission mechanism may have an actuating rod interposed between the plunger and the valve disc holder to transmit the downward movement of the plunger to the valve disc holder, thereby lowering the valve disc, and a valve-closing spring that urges the valve disc holder upward and raises the valve disc via the valve disc holder when the plunger moves upward. Note that in the second invention, the actuating rod extends so as to penetrate the main body in the vertical direction.

[0036] Furthermore, in the embodiment in which the transmission mechanism includes the actuating rod and the valve-closing spring as described above (the same applies to the first invention), it is preferable to set the length of the actuating rod to a length that will leave a gap between the actuating rod and the plunger or between the actuating rod and the valve disc holder when the plunger is attracted to and abuts against the attractor and the valve disc is seated on the valve seat, thereby closing the valve. This is for the following reason.

[0037] The actuating rod is interposed between the plunger and the valve disc holder, but if the actuating rod is too long (for example, due to variations in length during manufacturing), it may prevent the valve disc from seating on the valve seat during the valve closing operation. By setting the actuating rod to the above-mentioned length, this situation can be prevented, and the valve closing spring can reliably seat the valve disc on the valve seat, preventing valve leakage during valve closing. Of course, the actuating rod must be long enough to press down on the valve disc via the valve disc holder when the plunger reaches its lowest position, thereby opening the valve port.

[0038] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the actuating rod is typically fixed to either the plunger or the valve disc holder (i.e., the upper end of the actuating rod is fixed to the plunger, or the lower end of the actuating rod is fixed to the valve disc holder), but the present invention is not limited to such a typical structure. In other words, the present invention does not exclude a structure in which the actuating rod is not fixed to either the plunger or the valve disc holder, but is merely interposed therebetween (in contact with them), or a structure in which the actuating rod is fixed to both the plunger and the valve disc holder (these structures are also within the scope of the present invention). [Effects of the Invention]

[0039] According to the present invention, since the coil can be used in common with a normally closed type solenoid valve, it is possible to improve the productivity of the solenoid valve and reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0040] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, which is based on the drawings. Each figure appropriately displays two-dimensional coordinates that are orthogonal to each other, representing the up-down, left-right, and front-back directions, and the description will be based on these directions. However, as already mentioned, the solenoid valve of the present invention and the embodiments can be used in various orientations, and the directions are used for the convenience of explanation, and the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited by these directions. Furthermore, the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a solenoid valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state (valve open state) in which a coil is attached to the electromagnetic valve according to the first embodiment and the electromagnetic valve is attached to a flow path block. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state (valve closed state) in which a coil is attached to the electromagnetic valve according to the first embodiment and the electromagnetic valve is attached to a flow path block. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a pilot-operated solenoid valve according to a second embodiment of the present invention in an open state. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the pilot valve of the pilot-operated solenoid valve according to the second embodiment is closed. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the pilot-operated solenoid valve according to the second embodiment in a closed state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a solenoid valve according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view showing the solenoid valve according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional normally closed type solenoid valve. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a pilot-operated solenoid valve (in a closed state) that uses the conventional solenoid valve as a pilot valve. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the conventional pilot-operated solenoid valve (in a state where the pilot valve is open). [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the conventional pilot-operated solenoid valve (in an open state). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] [First embodiment] A solenoid valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. This first embodiment embodies the first aspect of the present invention.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the solenoid valve 11 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a so-called cartridge-type solenoid valve that is incorporated into a refrigeration cycle device, such as a heat pump type heating and cooling system, by being attached to a flow path block 61 (see Figures 2 and 3) provided in the refrigeration cycle device to open and close the flow path of the refrigerant, and is a normally open type solenoid valve that is closed only when energized (when power is supplied to the coil).

[0044] Specifically, the solenoid valve 11 includes a valve body 12 having a valve chamber 13, an inlet passage 14 for allowing the refrigerant to flow into the valve chamber 13, an outlet passage 15 for allowing the refrigerant to flow out of the valve chamber 13, and a valve port 16 that opens into the valve chamber 13, a valve element 18 that opens and closes the valve port 16 by moving back and forth (up and down) relative to a valve seat 17 formed on the underside of the valve port 16, a valve element holder 19 that supports the valve element 18, an electromagnetic drive device 41 that drives the valve element 18, and a transmission mechanism 47 that moves the valve element 18 up and down in accordance with a plunger 43 (described later).

[0045] The electromagnetic drive device 41 has a sleeve 42 that rises upward from the upper surface of the valve body 12, a plunger 43 that is housed in the sleeve 42 so that it can slide up and down, an attractor 44 that is fixed to the upper end of the sleeve 42 so that it can attract the plunger 43, and a valve-opening spring (compression coil spring) 45 that is arranged in a compressed state between the attractor 44 and the plunger 43 so that it can urge the plunger 43 downward. A coil 46 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is installed around the sleeve 42.

[0046] In this embodiment, the valve body 12 is made up of an outer body 21 and an inner body 31. The outer body 21 has an insertion portion (corresponding to the "body portion" of the present invention) 23 that is inserted into the valve mounting hole 64 of the flow path block 61, a flange portion 24 formed on the upper part of the insertion portion 23 so as to protrude outward from the insertion portion 23, and a through hole 25 that extends in the vertical direction along the central axis A of the solenoid valve 11.

[0047] The fitting portion 22 has an outer peripheral surface formed with a male thread portion 23 that screws into a female thread portion 70 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the valve mounting hole 64 of the flow path block 61, so that the valve body 12 can be fixed to the flow path block 61 by screwing the fitting portion 22 into the valve mounting hole 64. When the valve body 12 is fixed to the flow path block 61, a sealing material (a gasket made of a metal plate) 29 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the flange portion 24 and the upper surface of the flow path block 61 to prevent the refrigerant from leaking to the outside.

[0048] The through hole 25 has an expanded diameter portion 26 with a large inner diameter (referred to as the "upper expanded diameter portion") at its upper end, a reduced diameter portion 27 with a small inner diameter at its middle portion, and an expanded diameter portion 28 with an even larger inner diameter than the upper expanded diameter portion 26 (referred to as the "lower expanded diameter portion") at its lower end. The lower end of a sleeve 42 is inserted into and fixed to the upper expanded diameter portion 26. An inner main body 31 is fixed to the reduced diameter portion 27. That is, the inner main body 31 has a fixed head portion 32 at its upper end, a barrel portion 33 at its middle portion, and a cylinder portion 34 at its lower end, and the inner main body 31 is fixed to the outer main body 21 by fitting the fixed head portion 32 into the reduced diameter portion 27.

[0049] The lower expansion section 28, the insertion section 22, the male thread section 23 on the outer surface of the insertion section 22, the trunk section 33 of the inner main body 31, and the horizontal flow path section 36 (described later) formed in the trunk section 33 are formed or arranged at approximately the same height position (vertical position), in other words, so as to overlap in the vertical direction.

[0050] Furthermore, the fixed head 32 of the inner body 31 has a stopper portion 35 that protrudes upward on its upper surface. This stopper portion 35 functions to determine the lower limit position of the plunger 43 that moves up and down inside the sleeve 42. When not energized (when no power is supplied to the coil 46), the plunger 43, which is urged downward by the valve-opening spring 45, is pressed against the stopper portion 35 and cannot move further downward.

[0051] The body 33 of the inner main body 31 is formed with a valve port 16 and a horizontal flow path portion 36 (corresponding to the "communication path" in the present invention) that forms part of the outflow path. The valve port 16 extends downward from the center of the body 33 and opens downward from the underside of the center of the body 33 toward the inside of the cylinder portion 34. A valve seat 17 with which the valve element 18 comes into and out of contact with is formed on the underside of the valve port 16. The horizontal flow path portion 36 extends horizontally (in the left-right direction) through the body 33, and is connected to the valve port 16 at the center, with both ends opening onto the outer circumferential surface of the body 33 and communicating with a flow path gap 37 (described below).

[0052] The cylinder portion 34 has a cylindrical shape that extends downward from the lower end of the body portion 33, is hollow, and is open (apertured) on the bottom. A valve disc holder 19 that supports a valve disc 18 is housed inside the cylinder portion 34 so that it can slide up and down, and a valve chamber 13 is formed above the valve disc holder 19. The valve disc 18 is fixed to the center of the upper surface of the valve disc holder 19 so as to face the valve seat 17. An inflow passage 14 is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder portion 34 and the outer circumferential surface of the valve disc holder 19, and the refrigerant that flows into the cylinder portion 34 through the opening on the bottom surface of the cylinder portion 34 (through the center hole of a ring-shaped spring support plate 50, which will be described later) flows into the valve chamber 13 through the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder portion 34 and the outer circumferential surface of the valve disc holder 19.

[0053] The outer diameters of the trunk portion 33 and the cylinder portion 34 of the inner main body 31 are smaller than the inner diameter of the lower expanded diameter portion 28 of the outer main body 21 (through hole 25), thereby forming a ring-shaped gap 37 between the outer peripheral surfaces of the trunk portion 33 and the outer peripheral surfaces of the upper end of the cylinder portion 34 and the inner peripheral surface (inner wall surface of the lower expanded diameter portion 28) of the fitting portion 23 of the outer main body 21. This gap 37 corresponds to the flow path gap referred to in the present invention, and the gap (flow path gap) 37 and the horizontal flow path portion 36 form the outflow path 15.

[0054] The transmission mechanism 47 includes an actuating rod 48 interposed between the plunger 43 and the valve disc holder 19, and a valve-closing spring (compression coil spring) 49 located on the underside of the valve disc holder 19 so as to urge the valve disc 18 upward via the valve disc holder 19. The valve-closing spring 49 constantly urges the valve disc 18 upward, and when the plunger 43 rises, it causes the valve disc holder 19 to follow this movement (to rise together with the plunger 43). To support the valve-closing spring 49, a ring-shaped spring support plate 50 having a central hole through which the refrigerant can pass is fixed to an opening on the underside of the cylinder portion 34. The valve-closing spring 49 is positioned in a compressed state between the spring support plate 50 and the valve disc holder 19.

[0055] In order to stably transmit the downward movement of the plunger 43 to the valve body holder 19, a plurality of actuating rods 48 (for example, three or four) are provided in this embodiment, and when viewed from above or below, the actuating rods 48 are arranged radially around the central axis A. The lower end of each actuating rod 48 is fixed to the upper surface of the valve body holder 19, and extends through the trunk portion 33 and fixed head portion 32 of the inner body 31 to the underside of the plunger 43, but the upper end of each actuating rod 48 is not fixed to the plunger 43.

[0056] Furthermore, the length of each actuating rod 48 is set to a dimension such that when the plunger 43 and the valve disc holder 19 are both raised to their uppermost positions, i.e., when the plunger 43 is attracted to the attractor 44 and abuts against the lower surface of the attractor 44, and the valve disc holder 19 is pushed up by the valve closing spring 49 and the valve disc 18 seats (abuts) against the valve seat 17, a slight gap (not shown) is formed between the upper end of each actuating rod 48 and the lower surface of the plunger 43. This is to avoid a situation in which the actuating rod 48 interferes with the seating of the valve disc 18 on the valve seat 17 during the valve closing operation, and to more reliably close the valve (the valve closing spring 49 presses the valve disc 18 against the valve seat 17) and prevent valve leakage. Note that this gap may be formed on the valve disc holder 19 side, in which case the lower end of each actuating rod 48 may not be fixed to the valve disc holder 19, but the upper end of each actuating rod 48 may be fixed to the lower surface of the plunger 43.

[0057] Since the solenoid valve of this embodiment has the structure described above, the height h1 of the valve body 12 (particularly the part excluding the flange portion 24) and the height h of the entire solenoid valve including the sleeve 42 can be made the same as those of the normally closed type solenoid valve (see Figure 9), and the coil 46 can be made common to the normally closed type solenoid valve 91.

[0058] On the other hand, the flow path block 61 has a valve mounting hole 64 in which the solenoid valve 11 can be mounted, an inlet hole 62, and an outlet hole 63. The valve mounting hole 64 has an upper hole 65 which is the upper part of the valve mounting hole 64, and a lower hole 66 which is the lower part. The upper hole 65 has a large inner diameter, and has the female thread portion 70 on its inner circumferential surface. The lower hole 66 has a small inner diameter, and therefore a step 67 is formed between the upper hole 65 and the lower hole 66. A ring-shaped space (this space will be referred to as a "step space") 68 is formed between the upper surface of the step 67 and the lower surface of the fitting portion 22 (outer main body 31), and the flow path gap 37 communicates with the outlet hole 63 via this step space 68.

[0059] The lower end of the cylinder portion 34 is fitted into the upper part of the pilot hole 66, and an inlet hole 62 opens at the lower part of the pilot hole 66. A sealant (O-ring) 71 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the cylinder portion 34. This sealant 71 is interposed between the inner peripheral surface of the pilot hole 66 and the cylinder portion 34, and serves to prevent the refrigerant from leaking from the inlet hole 62 to the outlet hole 63 in a short-circuit manner.

[0060] The operation of the solenoid valve 11 according to this embodiment will be described as follows.

[0061] When the coil 46 is not energized, as shown in FIG. 2, the plunger 43 is pressed down by the valve-opening spring 45. This pressing force is transmitted to the valve disc holder 19 by the actuating rod 48, and the valve disc holder 19 is pressed down against the biasing force of the valve-closing spring 49. As a result, the valve disc 18 moves downward away from the valve seat 17, and the valve port 16 is opened, establishing an open valve state. In this open valve state, refrigerant (see symbol F) flowing in through the inlet hole 62 passes through the lower part of the pilot hole 66 of the valve mounting hole 64, the opening on the bottom surface of the cylinder portion 34 (the central hole of the spring support plate 50), and the inlet passage 14 in the cylinder portion 34, and then flows into the valve chamber 13. The refrigerant that has flowed into the valve chamber 13 passes through the valve port 16, the horizontal flow path portion 36, the flow path gap 37, and the stepped space 68, and then flows out of the outlet hole 63 (see symbol F).

[0062] When current is applied to the coil 46 in this open state, the plunger 43 is attracted to the attractor 44 and rises, coming into contact with the attractor 44, as shown in Figure 3. At the same time, the valve disc holder 19 is pushed up by the valve-closing spring 49, and the valve disc 18 seats on the valve seat 17, closing the valve port 16 and achieving a closed valve state.

[0063] In this embodiment, as described above, a direct acting solenoid valve is configured in which the valve is directly opened and closed by the electromagnetic drive device 41. However, the solenoid valve 11 according to this embodiment can also be used as a pilot valve, and it is also possible to configure a pilot type solenoid valve as in the second embodiment described next.

[0064] Second Embodiment As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the solenoid valve according to the second embodiment of the present invention is a pilot-type solenoid valve that uses the solenoid valve 11 according to the first embodiment as a pilot valve, and is obtained by mounting the solenoid valve 11 of the first embodiment in a valve mounting hole 64 of a flow path block 61a.

[0065] In the description of this embodiment, the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted, with the differences being mainly described (the same applies to the third embodiment described below). In addition, in this embodiment, the solenoid valve 11 of the first embodiment is used as a pilot valve, so the valve chamber 13 in the solenoid valve 11 of the first embodiment will be referred to as the "pilot valve chamber", the valve seat 17 as the "pilot valve seat", and the valve body 18 as the "pilot valve body".

[0066] Like the flow path block 61 in the first embodiment, the flow path block 61a has a valve mounting hole 64, an inlet hole 62, and an outlet hole 63, and the valve mounting hole 64 has an upper hole 65 with a large inner diameter, a lower hole 66 with a small inner diameter, and a step portion 67. The lower end of the cylinder portion 34 is fitted into the upper portion of the lower hole 66.

[0067] However, in this embodiment, the lower space within the lower bore 66 is the main valve chamber 73, and a main valve element 74 is provided inside the main valve chamber 73 so as to be able to slide up and down. A main valve port 77 is formed in the bottom surface of the lower bore 66 so as to open upward, and a main valve seat 78, with which the main valve element 74 comes into contact and separates, is formed on the upper surface of the main valve port 77. The inlet hole 62 opens (communicates) with the main valve chamber 73, and the outlet hole 63 opens (communicates) with the main valve chamber 73 via the main valve port 77. Furthermore, a communication passage 69, which communicates between the stepped space 68 and the outflow hole 63, is formed in the flow path block 61a. The horizontal flow path section 36, the flow path gap 37, the stepped space 68, and the communication passage 69 form a pilot passage 72, which communicates between the pilot valve chamber 13 and the outflow hole 63.

[0068] The main valve element 74 is provided with a pressure equalizing passage 75 that connects the main valve chamber 73 and the pilot valve chamber 13 via the interior of the main valve element 74 and the interior of the cylinder portion 34 (inlet passage 14). The pressure equalizing passage 75 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the pilot passage 72 (horizontal flow path portion 36 and connecting passage 69). Furthermore, the interior of the main valve element 74 (between the spring receiving plate 50 and the main valve element 74) is provided with a main valve closing spring (compression coil spring) 85 that urges the main valve element 74 in the valve closing direction (downward).

[0069] The operation of the pilot type solenoid valve according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0070] When the coil 46 is not energized, the plunger 43 is pressed down by the valve-opening spring 45 as shown in Figure 4. This pressing force is transmitted to the valve disc holder 19 by the operating rod 48, and the valve disc holder 19 is pressed down against the biasing force of the valve-closing spring 45. As a result, the pilot valve disc 18 moves downward away from the pilot valve seat 17, and the pilot passage 72 is opened. In this state, the refrigerant flowing into the main valve disc 74 and the pilot valve chamber 13 through the pressure equalizing passage 75 is discharged to the outflow hole 63 through the pilot passage 72 and does not accumulate inside the main valve disc 74 (above the main valve disc 74). Furthermore, since the amount of refrigerant discharged to the outflow hole 63 through the pilot passage 72 is greater than the amount of refrigerant flowing from the main valve chamber 73 to the above the main valve disc 74 through the pressure equalizing passage 75, the pressure above the main valve disc 74 is lower than the pressure in the main valve chamber 73, and a pressure difference that pulls the main valve disc 74 upward is generated on the upper and lower surfaces of the main valve disc 74. In addition, the spring load of the main valve closing spring 85 is set smaller than the load caused by this pressure difference, so that the main valve element 74 rises against the biasing force of the main valve closing spring 85, moves away from the main valve seat 78, and is pressed against the underside of the cylinder portion 34. Therefore, the main valve port 77 remains open, and the refrigerant that has flowed into the main valve chamber 73 from the inlet port 62 is discharged to the outside through the main valve port 77 and the outlet port 63 (see symbol F).

[0071] On the other hand, when current is applied to the coil 46 in this open valve state, the plunger 43 is attracted by the attractor 44 and rises against the biasing force of the valve-opening spring 45, as shown in Fig. 5. Then, the valve disc holder 19, which had been pressed down by the operating rod 48, rises due to the biasing force of the valve-closing spring 49, and the pilot valve disc 18 seats on the pilot valve seat 17, thereby closing the pilot passage 72. When the pilot passage 72 is closed, the refrigerant flowing into the interior (upper side) of the main valve disc 74 through the pressure equalizing path 75 accumulates above the main valve disc 74, eliminating the pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the main valve disc 74, and the main valve disc 74 is pressed down by the biasing force of the main valve closing spring 85 and seats on the main valve seat 78, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby closing the main valve port 77 and achieving a closed valve state. In addition, in this closed state, the internal pressure of the valve port 77 and the outflow path 63 is lower than the pressure above the main valve body 74, and this, combined with the downward pressing force of the main valve closing spring 85, maintains the closed state.

[0072] Third Embodiment A solenoid valve according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Note that this third embodiment is a specific embodiment of the second invention, and a solenoid valve 81 according to this embodiment, like the solenoid valve 11 according to the first embodiment, has the same height h1 of the valve body 12 excluding the flange portion 24 and the height h of the entire solenoid valve including the sleeve 42 as a normally closed type solenoid valve, allowing the coil to be shared with a normally closed type solenoid valve, but the valve body 12 is configured from a single member.

[0073] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in a solenoid valve 81 of this embodiment, the valve body 12 is a single member including a flange portion 24, a fitting portion 22, and a cylinder portion .

[0074] In the first embodiment, a gap (flow path gap) 37 was provided between the outer body 21 (fitting portion 22) and the inner body 31 (upper ends of the barrel portion 33 and cylinder portion 34) to form the outflow path 15 for causing the refrigerant to flow out of the valve body 12, but in this embodiment, instead of the flow path gap 37, a flow path groove 82 extending in the vertical direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 22, and a horizontal flow path portion 36 is formed in the fitting portion 22 so as to open into (communicate with) this flow path groove 82. Therefore, in the solenoid valve 81 of this embodiment, the refrigerant in the valve chamber 13 passes through the valve port 16, the horizontal flow path portion 36, and the flow path groove 82 in this order and is discharged out of the valve body 12.

[0075] Other configurations and the opening and closing operation of the solenoid valve 81 are similar to those of the solenoid valve 11 of the first embodiment. Note that, although the solenoid valve 11 of the first embodiment is used as a pilot valve in the second embodiment, it is also possible to configure a pilot-type solenoid valve by using the solenoid valve 81 of this embodiment as a pilot valve instead.

[0076] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] A Center axis F Refrigerant flow 11,81,91 Solenoid valve 12,92 Valve body 13,93 Valve chest (pilot valve chest) 14,94 Inflow channel 15,95 Outflow channel 16,96 Valve orifice 17,97 Valve seat (pilot valve seat) 18,98 Valve body (pilot valve body) 19 Valve holder 21 Outer body 22 Inset part 23 Male thread 24 Flange 25 through holes 26 Upper enlarged diameter section 27 Reduced diameter part 28 Lower enlarged diameter section 29 Sealing material (gasket) 31 Inner body 32 Fixed head 33 Torso 34 Cylinder section 35 Stopper part 36 Horizontal channel section 37 Flow path gap 41 Electromagnetic drive unit 42 Sleeve 43 Plunger 44 Attractor 45 Valve opening spring 46 Coil 47 Transmission Mechanism 48 Actuating rod 49,99 Valve closing spring 50 Spring support plate 61,61a Flow path block 62 Inflow hole 63 Outflow hole 64 Valve mounting hole 65 Upper hole 66 pilot hole 67 Multilayered section 68 Step space 69 Communication path 70 Female thread 71 Sealing material (O-ring) 72 Pilot Passage 73 Main valve chamber 74 Main valve body 75 Pressure Equalizing Road 76 Main valve closing spring 77 Main valve port 78 Main valve seat 82 Flow channel 85 Main valve closing spring

Claims

1. a valve body having a valve chamber, an inlet passage for introducing a fluid into the valve chamber, an outlet passage for discharging the fluid from the valve chamber, and a valve seat formed within the valve chamber; a valve body that moves back and forth relative to the valve seat; an electromagnetic drive device that drives the valve body; Equipped with When the direction from the valve seat toward the electromagnetic drive device is defined as "up," the direction from the electromagnetic drive device toward the valve seat is defined as "down," and a position in the up-down direction is defined as a "height position," The electromagnetic drive device a sleeve provided to rise upward from the upper surface of the valve body; a plunger accommodated in the sleeve so as to be slidable in the up and down direction; a suction element fixed to an upper end side of the sleeve to attract the plunger; a valve-opening spring that urges the plunger downward; have A solenoid valve, The valve body includes: an outer body having a through hole extending in the vertical direction at the center and a ring-shaped main body; an inner body fixed within the through hole; and The inner body includes: a fixing head portion that is inserted into the through hole and fixes the inner body to the outer body; a trunk portion disposed below the fixed head portion at a height position overlapping the main body portion in the vertical direction; a cylindrical cylinder portion formed on the lower side of the body portion; and The valve chamber is formed at an upper end portion inside the cylinder portion, the body portion has a valve port that opens toward the valve chamber, The valve seat is formed at a lower end of the valve port, the valve body is disposed in the valve chamber so as to face the valve seat, a flow path gap through which the fluid can pass is formed between an outer peripheral surface of the barrel portion and an inner peripheral surface of the main body portion; a valve body holder that supports the valve body in the cylinder portion so that the valve body can slide up and down; a transmission mechanism that transmits the up and down movement of the plunger to the valve body via the valve body holder and moves the valve body up and down together with the plunger; Furthermore, the inflow passage is formed so as to communicate with the valve chamber from a lower surface of the cylinder portion through a gap between an outer peripheral surface of the valve body holder and an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder portion, The outlet passage includes a communication passage formed in the body portion so as to communicate the valve port and the flow path gap. A solenoid valve characterized by:

2. The transmission mechanism includes: an actuation rod that extends vertically through the fixed head and the body, is interposed between the plunger and the valve body holder, and transmits downward movement of the plunger to the valve body holder, thereby lowering the valve body; a valve-closing spring that urges the valve body holder upward and raises the valve body via the valve body holder when the plunger moves upward; Contains The solenoid valve according to claim 1 .

3. a valve body having a valve chamber, an inlet passage for introducing a fluid into the valve chamber, an outlet passage for discharging the fluid from the valve chamber, and a valve seat formed within the valve chamber; a valve body that moves back and forth relative to the valve seat; an electromagnetic drive device that drives the valve body; Equipped with When the direction from the valve seat toward the electromagnetic drive device is defined as "up," the direction from the electromagnetic drive device toward the valve seat is defined as "down," and a position in the up-down direction is defined as a "height position," The electromagnetic drive device a sleeve provided to rise upward from the upper surface of the valve body; a plunger accommodated in the sleeve so as to be slidable in the up and down direction; a suction element fixed to an upper end side of the sleeve to attract the plunger; a valve-opening spring that urges the plunger downward; A solenoid valve having The valve body includes a cylindrical main body portion and a cylindrical cylinder portion protruding downward from a lower surface portion of the main body portion; and the main body has a flow path groove on its outer circumferential surface that extends in the vertical direction and allows the fluid to pass through; The valve chamber is formed at an upper end portion inside the cylinder portion, the main body portion has a valve port that opens toward the valve chamber, The valve seat is formed at a lower end of the valve port, the valve body is disposed in the valve chamber so as to face the valve seat, a valve body holder that supports the valve body in the cylinder portion so that the valve body can slide up and down; a transmission mechanism that transmits the up and down movement of the plunger to the valve body via the valve body holder and moves the valve body up and down together with the plunger; Furthermore, the inflow passage is formed so as to communicate with the valve chamber from a lower surface of the cylinder portion through a gap between an outer peripheral surface of the valve body holder and an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder portion, The outflow path includes a communication path formed in the main body portion so as to communicate the valve port and the flow path groove. A solenoid valve characterized by:

4. The transmission mechanism includes: an actuation rod that extends through the main body in the vertical direction, is interposed between the plunger and the valve body holder, and transmits downward movement of the plunger to the valve body holder, thereby lowering the valve body; a valve-closing spring that urges the valve body holder upward and raises the valve body via the valve body holder when the plunger moves upward; Contains The solenoid valve according to claim 3.

5. The operating rod has a length dimension such that a gap is formed between the operating rod and the plunger or the valve body holder when the plunger is attracted to the attractor and abuts against it, and the valve body is seated on the valve seat to close the valve.

5. The solenoid valve according to claim 2 or 4.

6. the solenoid valve is a solenoid valve that can be attached to a flow path block by fitting the main body into a valve attachment hole of the flow path block, the valve attachment hole having an inlet hole for introducing the fluid, an outlet hole for discharging the fluid, and a valve attachment hole capable of receiving the solenoid valve; When the main body is fitted into the valve mounting hole, the inflow channel communicates with the inflow hole, The flow path gap communicates with the outflow hole.

5. A solenoid valve according to claim 1.

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