Valve device and valve device unit

Abstract

To provide a valve device and a valve device unit which can easily reduce the manufacturing cost, and can easily suppress air leakage.SOLUTION: A valve device 200 is connected to a flow passage block 300 having a first flow passage 320, and constitutes a valve device unit 100 together with the flow passage block 300. The valve device 200 includes a valve housing 1 having a first port 15, a valve element 4 which moves close to or separates from the first port 15, and a drive unit 5. An annular groove 20 recessed inwardly in a radial direction is provided on an outer periphery of the valve housing 1. A second seal member 25 is provided in the annular groove 20. The annular groove 20 includes a bottom portion 21, a pair of annular portions 22 protruding outwardly in the radial direction on one end side and the other end side of the bottom portion 21, and a groove bent portion 23 connecting the bottom portion 21 and the annular portion 22. The bottom portion 21, the annular portion 22, and the groove bent portion 23 are integrally formed by one cylindrical wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve device and a valve device unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a valve device that is replaceably attached to a flow path block having a flow path has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The motor-operated valve (valve device) described in Patent Document 1 is detachably provided to a piping body (flow path block) assembled to the evaporator of a refrigeration cycle. The motor-operated valve has a body that accommodates a valve unit therein, and a seal accommodating portion consisting of an annular groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a first body that constitutes a part of the body. A seal ring (O-ring) is fitted into the seal accommodating portion. The motor-operated valve is assembled to a mounting hole in the piping body to constitute a motor-operated valve unit together with the piping body, and controls the flow of fluid in the flow path that communicates with the mounting hole. The seal ring seals between the first body and the mounting hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-153488 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the motor-operated valve described in Patent Document 1, the seal housing is formed by cutting metal, which makes manufacturing the body time-consuming and increases manufacturing costs. Furthermore, in this configuration, the interior of the body is also formed by cutting, which can lead to a decrease in yield if the body volume is increased. To address this issue, methods such as forming the seal housing by resin molding or constructing the seal housing as a separate part with an O-ring groove are considered. However, when the seal housing is molded by resin molding, the strength of the seal housing is more likely to be reduced compared to when the seal housing is molded from a metal material, and cracks, chips, and other issues may affect airtightness. Furthermore, constructing the seal housing as a separate part not only increases the number of parts and costs, but also increases gaps between the valve device and the flow path block, which can cause airtight leakage, such as back leakage, and may affect airtightness.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a valve device and a valve device unit that can easily reduce manufacturing costs and easily suppress airtight leakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the valve device of the present invention is a valve device that is inserted into a mounting hole of a flow path block that has a flow path and that constitutes a valve device unit together with the flow path block, and is characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical valve housing that has a valve chamber and a valve port that communicates with the flow path, a valve element that is close to or separated from the valve port, and a drive unit that drives the valve element, and the valve housing has an annular groove that is recessed radially inward on its outer periphery, and a seal member that is interposed between the annular groove and the inner surface of the mounting hole and regulates the flow of fluid, the annular groove having a bottom that faces radially outward, a pair of annular portions that protrude radially outward on one end side and the other end side of the bottom, and a groove bend that connects the bottom and the annular portions, and the bottom, the annular portion, and the groove bend are integrally formed by a single cylindrical wall.

[0007] According to the present invention, the annular groove can be formed by a bottom portion, annular portion, and groove bend portion integrally molded from a single cylindrical wall. Therefore, the annular groove can be easily formed by, for example, press work, and no cutting work is required to form the annular groove. This reduces the manufacturing cost of the valve housing compared to conventional configurations in which the annular groove and valve chamber are formed by cutting work. Furthermore, this configuration also makes it possible to form the annular groove from a single metal wall, thereby improving the strength of the annular groove compared to configurations in which the annular groove is molded from resin. This reduces cracking and chipping of the annular groove, thereby preventing air leakage, such as back leakage. This makes it possible to provide a valve device that is easy to reduce manufacturing costs and easily prevents air leakage.

[0008] In this case, it is preferable that the valve housing include a cylindrical portion having the valve chamber therein and an outer circumferential bent portion connecting the cylindrical portion and the annular groove, and the cylindrical portion and the annular groove are integrally formed by the single cylindrical wall. With this configuration, the cylindrical portion and the annular groove can be formed by a single cylindrical wall, which makes it possible to form a flow path with low flow resistance within the valve chamber and to reduce manufacturing costs compared to a configuration in which the cylindrical portion and the annular groove are separate. Furthermore, with this configuration, gaps that could cause air leakage can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the cylindrical portion and the annular groove are separate, thereby further suppressing air leakage.

[0009] Furthermore, it is preferable that the cylindrical portion and the annular groove are formed by a continuous wall having the same thickness. For example, when the annular groove is formed by cutting, as in conventional valve gears, the portion other than the portion where the annular groove is formed has a thickness equal to the depth of the annular groove, and this thickness is greater than the portion where the bottom of the annular groove is formed. However, with this configuration, the cylindrical portion and the annular groove can be set to the same thickness. Therefore, it is not necessary to make the portion other than the portion where the annular groove is formed thicker than the portion where the bottom of the annular groove is formed, and the volume of the valve chamber can be increased accordingly compared to conventional valve gears.

[0010] Preferably, the outer diameter of the outer circumferential bent portion is set to be equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion connected to the outer circumferential bent portion, and the pair of annular portions is composed of a first annular portion located on the valve port side and a second annular portion located on the drive portion side, with the outer diameter of the second annular portion being greater than the outer diameter of the first annular portion. With this configuration, setting the outer diameter of the outer circumferential bent portion to be equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion connected to the outer circumferential bent portion makes it easier to ensure the volume of the valve chamber. Furthermore, making the outer diameter of the second annular portion larger than the outer diameter of the first annular portion makes it possible to create a predetermined space around the valve port side portion of the cylindrical portion, the size of which is approximately the same as the difference in the outer diameter of the second annular portion. Therefore, for example, when providing an opening communicating with a flow path in the valve port side portion of the cylindrical portion, the predetermined space can be used to reliably establish communication between the opening and the flow path. Therefore, the orientation of the opening is less likely to be restricted when forming the opening, improving the freedom of selection of the opening orientation.

[0011] Furthermore, a groove recessed radially inward may be provided at a position surrounding the valve port, and a seal member other than the seal member may be installed in the groove. With this configuration, the flow of fluid can be regulated by the seal member installed in the annular groove and the separate seal member installed in the groove. This makes it possible to suppress fluid leakage between the flow path block and the valve device.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that at least one of the annular groove and the groove portion is formed by necking or bulging. With this configuration, the annular groove and at least a part of the groove portion can be easily formed without using cutting or the like, which contributes to reducing the manufacturing cost of the valve device.

[0013] The present invention also provides a valve device unit comprising: a valve device according to any one of the above; and a flow path block including a mounting hole into which the valve device is inserted and a flow path communicating with the valve port. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a valve device unit that is easy to reduce manufacturing costs and to easily suppress airtight leakage.

[0014] The valve device unit of the present invention is a valve device unit including a flow path block having a flow path, and a valve device inserted into a mounting hole of the flow path block, wherein the valve device includes a cylindrical valve housing having a valve chamber and a valve port communicating with the flow path, a valve element located close to or away from the valve port, and a drive unit that drives the valve element, and the valve housing includes an annular groove that is provided on an outer periphery and recessed radially inward, a cylindrical portion having the valve chamber, and an outer periphery bent portion that connects the cylindrical portion and the annular groove, and a seal member that is interposed between the annular groove and an inner surface of the mounting hole and regulates the flow of fluid, and the annular groove includes a bottom portion facing radially outward, a pair of annular portions that protrude radially outward at one end side and the other end side of the bottom, and a seal member that is interposed between the bottom and the annular portion. and a groove bending portion connecting the bottom portion, the annular portion, the groove bending portion, and the cylindrical portion are integrally formed by a single cylindrical wall, the pair of annular portions comprises a first ring portion located on the valve port side and a second ring portion located on the drive unit side, the outer periphery bending portion forms a pair of a first bent portion connected to the first ring portion and a second bent portion connected to the second ring portion, the outer diameter of the second ring portion is larger than the outer diameter of the first ring portion, the opening end of the mounting hole has a tapered surface that increases in diameter toward the opening side, and when the first ring portion is inserted into the mounting hole, the second bent portion is located closer to the drive unit than the tapered surface and faces the tapered surface with a gap in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion.

[0015] With this configuration, the position of the annular groove can be determined at a shallow position where the second bent portion is not inserted into the mounting hole. This eliminates the need to increase the depth of the mounting hole, contributing to a more compact flow path block. Furthermore, since the second bent portion faces the tapered surface with a gap in the axial direction, the gap between the second bent portion and the mounting hole is positioned radially outward compared to a configuration in which the second bent portion is inserted into the mounting hole. This increases the area over which the second annular portion radially covers the seal member, preventing the seal member from slipping out of the gap. This allows a stable, sealed state to be maintained between the valve device and the flow path block. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a valve device and a valve device unit that can easily reduce manufacturing costs and easily suppress airtight leakage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1A is a cross-sectional view of a valve device constituting a valve device unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a flow path block constituting the valve device unit. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a valve housing being press-fitted into a flange portion, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a valve housing being press-fitted into a flange portion in another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the valve body is connected to a mounting hole of the flow path block. [Figure 5] (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views showing variations of the annular groove. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the valve device unit in a fully assembled state. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a valve device according to a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a valve housing according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10A is a cross-sectional view showing a valve housing in the middle of being press-fitted into a flange portion in the second embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing a valve housing in the middle of being press-fitted into a flange portion in another form of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a valve device according to a modified example of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The up-down direction in the drawings corresponds to the up-down direction of a valve device unit 100 according to the first embodiment. The valve device unit 100 includes a valve device 200 (valve body), such as an electric valve, and a flow path block 300 through which a controlled object of the valve device 200 flows. FIG. 1(A) is a cross-sectional view of the valve device 200, and FIG. 1(B) is a cross-sectional view of the flow path block 300. As shown in FIG. 1(A), the valve device 200 includes a valve housing 1, a valve element 4, and a drive unit 5. The valve housing 1 is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (SUS). As shown in FIG. 2, the valve housing 1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a disk-shaped bottom wall 10 and a side wall 11 extending from the bottom wall 10, and includes a valve chamber 12 therein. A mounting hole 13 is formed in the center of the bottom wall 10, penetrating in the direction of the axis L of the valve housing 1, and a valve seat member 14 is attached to the mounting hole 13.

[0019] The valve seat member 14 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape using a metal material such as SUS (stainless steel), and is fixed to the valve housing 1 by welding, brazing, or the like while being press-fitted into the mounting hole 13. A first port 15 (valve port) penetrating in the direction of the axis L is formed in the center of the valve seat member 14. An upper end of the first port 15 communicates with the valve chamber 12, and a lower end of the first port 15 communicates with a first flow path 320 (flow path) of the flow path block 300 (described later). A machined groove 16 is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the valve seat member 14 as a groove portion recessed inward in the radial direction around the axis L (hereinafter simply referred to as the radial direction). That is, in the valve device 200, a groove portion recessed inward in the radial direction is provided at a position surrounding the first port 15 (valve port).

[0020] A first seal member 17 (a seal member different from a second seal member 25 (seal member) described later) is installed in the cut groove 16. The first seal member 17 is, for example, an O-ring made of an elastic resin material such as rubber, and functions as an internal seal that seals the gap between the flow path block 300 and the valve device 200 by being interposed between the first seal member 17 and the inner surface of a first flow path 320 described later. In this embodiment, the gap between the flow path block 300 and the valve device 200 can be sealed by a second seal member 25 (seal member) described later. For this reason, the first seal member 17 can be omitted, but it is preferable to install the first seal member 17 from the viewpoint of reliably preventing airtight leakage such as back leakage.

[0021] The side wall 11 of the valve housing 1 includes a cylindrical portion 18 composed of a lower portion 18a and an upper portion 18b, and an annular groove 20 provided between the lower portion 18a and the upper portion 18b of the cylindrical portion 18. The lower portion 18a of the cylindrical portion 18 is cylindrically formed with smaller inner and outer diameters than the upper portion 18b and extends in the direction of the axis L. A second port 19 is formed in the lower portion 18a and penetrates it radially. The left end of the second port 19 communicates with the valve chamber 12, and the right end communicates with a second flow path 330 (flow path) of the flow path block 300 (described later). The upper portion 18b of the cylindrical portion 18 is formed coaxially with the lower portion 18a and has larger inner and outer diameters than the lower portion 18a, extending in the direction of the axis L. The annular groove 20 is a groove recessed radially inward from the outer periphery of the valve housing 1 and is formed around the entire circumference around the axis L. The annular groove 20 includes a bottom portion 21, a pair of annular portions 22, and a pair of groove bends 23. The bottom portion 21 is a wall portion with an outer surface facing radially outward and extending in the direction of the axis L. The pair of annular portions 22 are wall portions protruding radially outward from the bottom portion 21 and are provided on one end side and the other end side of the bottom portion 21 in the direction of the axis L.

[0022] The annular portion 22 is composed of a first annular portion 22a located on the first port 15 (valve port) side and a second annular portion 22b located on the drive unit 5 side. The groove bend portion 23 connects the bottom portion 21 and the annular portion 22 and is composed of a first groove bend portion 23a located on the first port 15 side and a second groove bend portion 23b located on the drive unit 5 side. The first groove bend portion 23a and the second groove bend portion 23b are formed with a rounded shape that protrudes radially inward. The annular groove 20 formed in this manner is connected to the cylindrical portion 18 by a pair of outer periphery bend portions 24 that have a rounded shape that protrudes radially outward, as shown in FIG. 2 . The pair of outer periphery bend portions 24 include a first bend portion 24a that connects to the first annular portion 22a of the annular groove 20 and a second bend portion 24b that connects to the second annular portion 22b of the annular groove 20. The first bent portion 24a connects the first annular portion 22a and the lower portion 18a of the cylindrical portion 18. The outer diameter of the first bent portion 24a is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the lower portion 18a (the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 18 connected to the outer peripheral bent portion 24), but the outer diameter of the outer peripheral bent portion 24 may be set to be larger than the outer diameter of the lower portion 18a. On the other hand, the second bent portion 24b connects the second annular portion 22b and the upper portion 18b of the cylindrical portion 18. The outer diameter of the second bent portion 24b is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the upper portion 18b (the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 18 connected to the outer peripheral bent portion 24), but the outer diameter of the outer peripheral bent portion 24 may be set to be larger than the outer diameter of the upper portion 18b. In other words, the outer diameter of the outer peripheral bent portion 24 can be set to be equal to or larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 18 connected to the outer peripheral bent portion 24.

[0023] A second seal member 25 is installed in the annular groove 20 formed in this manner. The second seal member 25 is, for example, an O-ring made of an elastic resin material such as rubber, and functions as an external seal that seals the gap between the flow path block 300 and the valve device 200 by being interposed between the second seal member 25 and the inner surface of a mounting hole 310 (described later). A flange portion 26 is connected to the upper end of the valve housing 1. The flange portion 26 is placed on and fixed to a flange accommodating portion 313 (described later) of the flow path block 300. The flange portion 26 is formed using a metal material such as SUS (stainless steel).

[0024] The flange portion 26 includes a flange main body 27 including a cylindrical portion 27a extending in the direction of the axis L and a protruding portion 27b protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 27a. An expanded diameter portion 27c expanding radially outward is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 27a. The upper end of the valve housing 1 is press-fitted into the expanded diameter portion 27c and hermetically fixed in this state by welding, brazing, or the like. A case 27d is disposed on the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 27a. The case 27d is made of a metal material such as SUS and has a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and its open edge is fixed to the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 27a by welding, or the like. This configuration keeps the interior of the case 27d airtight.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1 , a cover member 28 is provided integrally with the flange main body 27 by insert molding. The cover member 28 is a member interposed between the flange main body 27 and the flow path block 300 to prevent galvanic corrosion. The cover member 28 is formed using an insulating resin material such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) and includes an annular bottom plate 28a and side plates 28b extending from the bottom plate 28a. An upwardly extending boss portion 28c is formed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 28a, and the boss portion 28c is inserted into a rotation restriction hole 27e formed in the protruding portion 27b of the flange main body 27. The rotation restriction hole 27e may be a recess that does not penetrate the bottom plate 28a. A fixing portion 28d protruding downward is formed on the lower surface of the bottom plate 28a. The fixing portion 28d is a portion that is fixed to the flow path block 300 by fitting into a fixing portion accommodating portion 315 (described later) of the flow path block 300, and is formed in a tapered columnar shape with a tip. By fitting the fixing portion 28d into the fixing portion accommodating portion 315, the valve housing 1 connected to the flow path block 300 is supported so as not to be rotatable around the axis L. Note that the fixing portion 28d may be omitted.

[0026] The side plates 28b of the cover member 28 are intermittently provided around the axis L along the outer periphery of the bottom plate 28a. A holding portion 29 is formed on the outer periphery of the bottom plate 28a where the side plates 28b are not provided. The holding portion 29 rises upward from the bottom plate 28a and covers a portion of the outer periphery of the flange main body 27. Holding claws 29a are formed on the inner surface of the holding portion 29, protruding radially inward and engaging with the upper end surface of the protruding portion 27b. The holding claws 29a engage with the protruding portion 27b, restricting displacement of the flange main body 27 and the cover member 28 in the direction of the axis L. Furthermore, insertion of the boss portion 28c into the rotation restricting hole 27e restricts displacement of the cover member 28 and the flange main body 27 around the axis L. As shown in FIG. 2 , a support member 3 is provided on the upper end side of the valve housing 1. The support member 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the direction of the axis L using a resin material such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide).

[0027] The support member 3 includes a cylindrical holder guide portion 30 extending in the direction of the axis L. The holder guide portion 30 includes a small-diameter cylindrical portion 31 formed at its lower end and a large-diameter cylindrical portion 32 formed at the upper end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 31. The small-diameter cylindrical portion 31 is cylindrical and surrounded by a bottom inner surface 21a, which is the inner wall surface of the bottom portion 21 of the annular groove 20. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 32 is cylindrical and coaxial with the small-diameter cylindrical portion 31 and surrounded by a sidewall inner surface 11a, which is the inner wall surface of the upper portion 18b of the cylindrical portion 18. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 32 includes a flange 33 that protrudes radially outward. The flange 33 is made of a metal material such as SUS (stainless steel) and is integrally formed with the support member 3 by insert molding. The lower end surface of the flange 33 is fixed to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 27a of the flange main body 27 by welding or the like, and this fixation integrates the support member 3 and the valve housing 1 together. In addition to or instead of fixing the flange 33, one or both of the small diameter cylindrical portion 31 and the large diameter cylindrical portion 32 may be press-fitted into the valve housing 1.

[0028] At this time, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 31 being press-fitted may be guided in the direction of the axis L by the bottom inner surface 21a of the bottom 21 of the annular groove 20. Furthermore, at this time, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 32 being press-fitted may be guided in the direction of the axis L by the sidewall inner surface 11a of the cylindrical portion 18. A holder guide hole 34 extending downward and opening is formed in the center of the holder guide portion 30. A valve holder 42 (described later) of the valve body 4 is inserted into the holder guide hole 34. A cylindrical screw drive portion 35 extending upward is formed at the upper end of the holder guide portion 30. The screw drive portion 35 is formed in a cylindrical shape coaxially with the holder guide portion 30, and a female thread portion 36 is formed on its inner circumferential surface. The female thread portion 36 is threadedly engaged with a male thread portion 58 formed on a drive shaft 57 (described later). A shaft guide hole 37 communicating with the holder guide hole 34 is formed continuously at the lower end of the female thread portion 36. The shaft guide hole 37 allows the middle portion of the drive shaft 57 to slide.

[0029] Next, the valve element 4 will be described. The valve element 4 is a needle valve that approaches or moves away from the first port 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the valve element 4 includes a needle portion 40 that faces the first port 15 in the axial direction L. The needle portion 40 is formed in a columnar shape extending in the axial direction L, and its lower end is formed in a generally conical shape whose diameter decreases toward the bottom. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, when the needle portion 40 approaches the first port 15, it seats on the valve seat member 14 and is inserted into the first port 15 to close the first port 15. However, this is not limited to this, and the first port 15 does not necessarily have to be closed when the needle portion 40 is closest to the first port 15. That is, this embodiment can also be applied to a valve device 200 that is normally in an open state. A cylindrical large-diameter portion 41 is formed at the upper end of the needle portion 40. The large-diameter portion 41 is coaxial with the needle portion 40 and has a larger diameter than the needle portion 40.

[0030] The upper end of the large diameter portion 41 is inserted into and fixed to the lower end of the cylindrical valve holder 42. The valve holder 42 is cylindrical and extends in the direction of the axis L. The outer diameter of the valve holder 42 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the holder guide hole 34, allowing the outer surface of the valve holder 42 to slide along the inner surface of the holder guide hole 34. A through-hole 43 is formed in the upper end of the valve holder 42, penetrating in the direction of the axis L. The lower end of the drive shaft 57 is inserted into the through-hole 43. A columnar spring retainer 44 extending in the direction of the axis L is installed inside the valve holder 42. The spring retainer 44 faces the large diameter portion 41 with a gap in the direction of the axis L, and a spring 45 is interposed between the spring retainer 44 and the large diameter portion 41. The installation of the spring 45 biases the needle portion 40 toward the first port 15.

[0031] Next, the drive unit 5 will be described. The drive unit 5 drives the valve element 4 in the direction of the axis L and includes a motor 50 as shown in FIG. 1. The motor 50 includes an electromagnetic coil unit 51 disposed outside the case 27d and a magnet rotor 52 disposed inside the case 27d and surrounded by the electromagnetic coil unit 51. The electromagnetic coil unit 51 as a whole forms a stator coil and includes a coil case 53, a winding unit 54 disposed within the coil case 53, and a yoke and exterior member (not shown). A fitting hole 55 coaxial with the axis L is formed through the center of the coil case 53. The case 27d of the valve housing 1 is inserted into the fitting hole 55 from below to above. The electromagnetic coil unit 51 configured in this manner is connected to a control unit (not shown) and receives a pulse signal from the control unit. The electromagnetic coil unit 51 then rotates the magnet rotor 52 counterclockwise or clockwise about the axis L by a predetermined rotation angle corresponding to the received pulse signal.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the magnet rotor 52 is formed into a cylindrical shape using a resin material mixed with magnetic powder and is housed in the case 27d. A bushing 56 is installed in the center of the magnet rotor 52 by insert molding, and a drive shaft 57 extending in the direction of axis L is inserted through the center of the bushing 56. The drive shaft 57 is a shaft portion that rotates around and moves in the direction of axis L together with the magnet rotor 52. The drive shaft 57 extends in the vertical direction along the axis L. A male thread portion 58 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 57. The male thread portion 58 is threadedly engaged with the female thread portion 36 of the support member 3. The lower end of the drive shaft 57 is inserted into the through hole 43 of the valve holder 42 and positioned within the valve holder 42, and a large-diameter portion 59 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 57 as a flange that protrudes radially outward. A washer 60 is installed on the upper side of the large diameter portion 59, and the large diameter portion 59 is sandwiched between the washer 60 and the spring bearing 44 in the axial direction L, thereby connecting the drive shaft 57 to the valve holder 42.

[0033] The drive unit 5 is provided with a stopper mechanism 70 that restricts rotation of the magnet rotor 52. The stopper mechanism 70 includes a guide portion 71 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the screw drive portion 35 of the support member 3 described above, and a slider 72 installed on the guide portion 71. The guide portion 71 is configured with spiral grooves aligned in the direction of the axis L. The slider 72 is threadedly engaged with the guide portion 71 and is movable in the direction of the axis L while rotating around the axis L along the guide portion 71. The slider 72 is formed with claw portions 73 that protrude radially outward. The claw portions 73 are capable of abutting against magnet protrusions 52a that protrude radially inward from the inner surface of the magnet rotor 52, around the axis L. With this configuration, when the magnet rotor 52 rotates, the slider 72 rotates around the axis L in response to the rotation, and is guided by the guide portion 71 to move upward or downward. When the slider 72 reaches the upper or lower end of the guide portion 71, the slider 72 cannot rotate any further, and the rotation of the magnet rotor 52 stops.

[0034] Next, the manufacture of the valve device 200 will be described. When manufacturing the valve device 200, the valve housing 1 is first formed. Here, a metal plate is first formed into a cup shape with a bottom, and this cup-shaped material is subjected to necking (pressing) to form the bottom wall 10, cylindrical portion 18, and annular groove 20 shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the cup-shaped metal material is set in a predetermined mold and pressed, thereby reducing the diameter of a predetermined area of ​​the metal material. This reduction in diameter forms the bottom wall 10, the lower portion 18a of the cylindrical portion 18, the first bent portion 24a (outer peripheral bent portion 24), the first ring portion 22a (annular portion 22), the first groove bent portion 23a (groove bent portion 23), and the bottom portion 21. Also formed are the second bent groove portion 23b (bent groove portion 23), the second ring portion 22b (annular portion 22 having an outer diameter larger than that of the first ring portion 22a), the second bent portion 24b (outer peripheral bent portion 24), and the upper portion 18b of the cylindrical portion 18. By fabricating them in this manner, the bottom portion 21, the annular portion 22, and the bent groove portion 23 shown in FIG. 2 are integrally formed by a single cylindrical wall through a single press process.

[0035] Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 18, the outer peripheral bent portion 24, and the annular groove 20 are integrally formed from a single cylindrical wall. The cylindrical portion 18 and the annular groove 20 are thus formed from a continuous wall of the same thickness. Therefore, machining or other processes are not required to form the annular groove 20, facilitating the manufacture of the valve housing 1. This configuration also allows the cylindrical portion 18 and the annular groove 20 to be formed from a single cylindrical wall made of a metal material. This facilitates the formation of the valve chamber 12 at low cost and improves the strength of the annular groove 20 compared to a configuration in which the annular groove 20 is formed by resin molding or other processes. While the valve housing 1 is formed using a metal flat plate in this embodiment, this is not a limitation. For example, the valve housing 1 may be formed by preparing a metal cylindrical tubular member extending in the axial direction L and subjecting this tubular member to necking. Next, the flange portion 26 is attached to the upper end of the valve housing 1. At this time, as described above, the upper end of the valve housing 1 is press-fitted into the expanded diameter portion 27c of the flange body 27, and in this state the valve housing 1 and the flange portion 26 are hermetically fixed together by welding, brazing or the like.

[0036] FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing the valve housing 1 being press-fitted into the flange body 27 of the flange portion 26. When press-fitting the valve housing 1 into the flange portion 26, a first receiving jig A is used to support the valve housing 1. The first receiving jig A has a support hole A1 that penetrates in the direction of the axis L and accommodates the valve housing 1. The inner diameter of the support hole A1 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the first bent portion 24a and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the second bent portion 24b. The valve housing 1 is inserted into this support hole A1 from above to below. At this time, due to the relationship between the outer diameters of the first annular portion 22a, the second annular portion 22b, the first bent portion 24a, the second bent portion 24b, and the inner diameter of the support hole A1, the lower portion 18a of the valve housing 1 is accommodated within the support hole A1.

[0037] The second bent portion 24b then rests on the opening edge of the support hole A1. In this state, as shown by the white arrows in FIG. 3A , a downward load is applied from the upper end of the flange portion 26 and the valve housing 1, and the upper end of the valve housing 1 is press-fit into the expanded diameter portion 27c of the flange main body 27. At this time, the second bent portion 24b rests on the opening edge of the support hole A1 and is supported, thereby suppressing downward deformation of the second bent portion 24b. Furthermore, because the second bent portion 24b is supported by the opening edge of the support hole A1, the load can be borne by the second bent portion 24b, preventing the load from being applied to the groove bent portion 23 (the first groove bent portion 23a and the second groove bent portion 23b), the first bent portion 24a, the bottom wall 10, and the like. This suppresses deformation of the valve housing 1.

[0038] On the other hand, the press-fitting can also be performed using a jig other than the first receiving jig A. Fig. 3(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the valve housing 1 being press-fitted into the flange main body 27 of the flange portion 26 in another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a second receiving jig B is used, which is installed at the lower end of the valve seat member 14 and receives a downward load. In this embodiment, first, the lower end surface of the valve seat member 14 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the second receiving jig B. Next, a downward load is applied from the upper end sides of the flange portion 26 and the valve housing 1, and the upper end of the valve housing 1 is press-fitted into the expanded diameter portion 27c of the flange main body 27.

[0039] This press-fitting using the second receiving jig B is particularly useful when the second bent portion 24b cannot be placed on the opening edge of the support hole A1 of the first receiving jig A, such as when the outer diameters of the first annular portion 22a and the second annular portion 22b are the same. However, in this case, the load is borne by the portion between the upper and lower ends of the valve housing 1, and stress tends to concentrate particularly on the R-shaped portions, such as the outer peripheral bent portion 24 and the groove bent portion 23. Therefore, care must be taken to prevent deformation of the annular groove 20. Therefore, press-fitting using the first receiving jig A is more preferable from the perspective of preventing deformation of the valve housing 1. Next, the valve seat member 14 is press-fitted into the mounting hole 13 of the valve housing 1 and fixed in this state by welding, brazing, or the like. This fixation completes the assembly of the valve housing 1, flange portion 26, and valve seat member 14.

[0040] Next, the flow path block 300 constituting the valve device unit 100 will be described. The flow path block 300 is a box-shaped component through which a fluid such as a refrigerant or cold water flows in, for example, a refrigeration cycle or the like, and is installed in, for example, a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1(B), the flow path block 300 includes a mounting hole 310 extending in the direction of the axis L, a first flow path 320 continuing below the mounting hole 310 and communicating with the mounting hole 310, and a second flow path 330 communicating radially with the mounting hole 310. The mounting hole 310 is a hole portion through which the valve device 200 is attached and detached, and includes, from above, an inlet 311, an engagement groove 312, a flange accommodating portion 313, and a housing accommodating portion 314. The inlet 311 is circular in plan view and opens upward. The engagement groove 312 is configured as an undercut groove that is recessed radially outward and has a larger inner diameter than the inlet 311. The flange accommodating portion 313 is a stepped portion having approximately the same inner diameter as the inlet 311, and communicates with the engagement groove 312. The bottom wall portion 313a of the flange accommodating portion 313 is capable of receiving the bottom plate 28a of the cover member 28.

[0041] A fixed portion accommodating portion 315 recessed downward is formed in a portion of the bottom wall 313a of the flange accommodating portion 313. The inner wall of the fixed portion accommodating portion 315 is shaped to conform to the outer shape of the fixed portion 28d of the flange portion 26, restricting displacement of the fitted fixed portion 28d around the axis L. The housing accommodating portion 314 is a space communicating with the flange accommodating portion 313 and is surrounded by a cylindrical inner wall having a smaller inner diameter than the flange accommodating portion 313. The inner diameter of this housing accommodating portion 314 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the first ring portion 22a of the annular groove 20 and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the second ring portion 22b. A tapered surface 314a, which increases in diameter toward the upper side (opening side), is formed at the open end of the housing accommodating portion 314 (the open end of the mounting hole 310). The first flow path 320 communicates with the housing accommodating portion 314 and extends in the direction of the axis L. The first flow path 320 communicates with the first port 15 of the valve device 200 attached to the mounting hole 310. The second flow path 330 communicates with the housing accommodating portion 314 and extends in the radial direction. The second flow path 330 communicates with the second port 19 of the valve device 200 attached to the mounting hole 310.

[0042] Next, the connection between the valve device 200 and the flow path block 300 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 4 , the valve device 200, without the electromagnetic coil unit 51 attached, is inserted from top to bottom into the mounting hole 310 of the flow path block 300. At this time, the valve seat member 14 is inserted into the first flow path 320, and the first port 15 and the first flow path 320 communicate with each other. In addition, the first seal member 17 seals the gap between the first flow path 320 and the valve seat member 14. In addition, the side wall 11 of the valve housing 1 is accommodated in the housing accommodating portion 314, and the second port 19 and the second flow path 330 communicate with each other. As described above, the outer diameter of the first annular portion 22 a of the annular groove 20 is set smaller than the outer diameter of the second annular portion 22 b of the annular groove 20. The inner diameter of the housing accommodating portion 314 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the first ring portion 22a of the annular groove 20 and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the second ring portion 22b.

[0043] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, a predetermined space S is formed between the inner surface of the housing accommodating portion 314 and the lower portion 18a of the cylindrical portion 18. That is, a predetermined space S having approximately the same size as the difference α between the outer diameter of the first annular portion 22a and the outer diameter of the second annular portion 22b is formed around the lower portion 18a of the cylindrical portion 18 (the portion on the first port 15 (valve port) side). Therefore, although the second port 19 is opposed to the second flow path 330 in FIG. 4, even if the second port 19 is disposed so as not to oppose the second flow path 330, the second port 19 and the second flow path 330 can reliably communicate with each other via the space S. Therefore, when forming the second port 19, the orientation of the second port 19 is not easily restricted, and the degree of freedom in selecting the second port 19 can be improved.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4 , when the lower portion 18a (second ring portion 22b) of the cylindrical portion 18 is inserted into the housing accommodation portion 314 (mounting hole 310), the annular groove 20 is located near the open end edge of the housing accommodation portion 314. In this state, the second seal member 25 seals between the inner surface of the housing accommodation portion 314 and the bottom portion 21 of the annular groove 20. At this time, the second seal member 25 is pressed radially inward by the inner surface of the housing accommodation portion 314, and this pressing force is transmitted to the bottom portion 21 of the annular groove 20. However, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the small-diameter cylindrical portion 31 of the holder guide portion 30 is disposed so as to be surrounded by the bottom inner surface 21a of the annular groove 20. Therefore, by bringing the small-diameter cylindrical portion 31 into contact with the bottom inner surface 21a, radially inward deformation of the bottom portion 21 can be restricted. In this state, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the second bent portion 24b is located above the tapered surface 314a of the housing accommodating portion 314 and faces the tapered surface 314a with a gap in the axis L direction.

[0045] With this configuration, the position of the annular groove 20 can be determined at a shallow position where the second bent portion 24b is not inserted into the housing receiving portion 314. Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the lower portion 18a of the cylindrical portion 18 is set smaller than the outer diameter of the upper portion 18b of the cylindrical portion 18. However, this is not limited thereto, and the outer diameter of the lower portion 18a of the cylindrical portion 18 may be set equal to the outer diameter of the upper portion 18b of the cylindrical portion 18. Also, in the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the second annular portion 22b is set larger than the outer diameter of the first annular portion 22a. However, this is not limited thereto, and the outer diameter of the second annular portion 22b and the outer diameter of the first annular portion 22a may be set equal to each other. In this case, if the annular groove 20 is positioned in the same position as in FIG. 5(A), the gap between the second bent portion 24b and the tapered surface 314a becomes larger, which may cause the second seal member 25 to slip out. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the annular groove 20 is positioned at a lower, deeper position.

[0046] 5(B), it is necessary to form the housing accommodating portion 314 so that the upper surface of the housing accommodating portion 314 is higher than the position shown in FIG. 5(A) by a predetermined height H, which is the height from the position shown in FIG. 5(A) until the position of the lower edge of the tapered surface 314a reaches a position above the second bent portion 24b. In this case, since it is necessary to form the housing accommodating portion 314 deep in the direction of the axis L, the flow path block 300 is likely to become large. From the above, from the viewpoint of miniaturizing the flow path block 300, it is preferable to set the outer diameter of the second annular portion 22b larger than the outer diameter of the first annular portion 22a as shown in FIG. 5(A) so that the second bent portion 24b and the tapered surface 314a face each other in the direction of the axis L.

[0047] Furthermore, with this configuration, compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 5(B) in which the second bent portion 24b is located below the tapered surface 314a, the gap between the second bent portion 24b and the housing accommodating portion 314 is located radially outward. This increases the area of ​​the second annular portion 22b that radially covers the second seal member 25, further preventing the second seal member 25 from slipping out of the gap. Therefore, from the perspective of preventing the second seal member 25 from slipping out, it is preferable to set the outer diameter of the second annular portion 22b larger than the outer diameter of the first annular portion 22a. On the other hand, if an increase in the size of the flow path block 300 is acceptable, the outer diameter of the second annular portion 22b and the outer diameter of the first annular portion 22a may be set to be the same as each other, as shown in FIG. 5(B), from the perspective of ease of molding the valve housing 1.

[0048] 4, when the annular groove 20 is positioned near the opening edge of the housing accommodating portion 314, the bottom plate 28a of the cover member 28 is placed on the bottom wall portion 313a of the flange accommodating portion 313. This restricts downward displacement of the valve device 200. Furthermore, the fixing portion 28d of the cover member 28 is fitted into the fixing portion accommodating portion 315 of the bottom wall portion 313a. This fitting restricts rotation of the valve housing 1 about the axis L. Next, the valve device 200 inserted into the mounting hole 310 is restricted from coming out of the mounting hole 310. Specifically, a fixed retaining ring 8 for preventing detachment is used to restrict upward displacement of the valve device 200. The fixed retaining ring 8 is a member interposed between the valve device 200 and the flow path block 300, and is formed in a substantially annular shape using a resin material such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide). 4, the fixed retaining ring 8 includes a retaining ring main body 80 and an engaging portion 81 that is continuous with the upper end portion of the retaining ring main body 80. The retaining ring main body 80 is provided so as to be elastically deformable in the radial direction, and is positioned so that its lower end surface abuts against the upper surface of the protruding portion 27b of the flange main body 27.

[0049] The engaging portion 81 is coaxial with the retaining ring body 80 and has a larger diameter than the retaining ring body 80. The engaging portion 81 passes through the entrance 311 of the mounting hole 310 from top to bottom while the retaining ring body 80 is elastically deformed to reduce its diameter. The retaining ring body 80 then returns to its original state before elastic deformation, and the engaging portion 81 fits into the engaging groove 312 of the mounting hole 310. In this state, the upper end surface of the engaging portion 81 abuts against the upper end surface of the engaging groove 312, thereby preventing the retaining ring body 80 from slipping out upward. Accordingly, the lower end surface of the retaining ring body 80 restricts the upward displacement of the flange body 27, thereby restricting the upward displacement of the valve device 200 and preventing it from slipping out of the mounting hole 310. The fixed retaining ring 8 may be fixed to the flow path block 300 using a method other than elastic deformation. For example, a male thread may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the engaging portion 81, a female thread may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 310, and the fixed retaining ring 8 may be fixed to the flow path block 300 by screwing the male thread into the female thread.

[0050] Furthermore, the valve device 200 may be prevented from slipping out without using the retaining ring 8. For example, the valve device 200 may be fixed to the flow path block 300 by forming a hole penetrating the flange main body 27 in the plate thickness direction and fastening a fixing member such as a bolt or a rivet to the bottom wall portion 313a of the flange accommodating portion 313 through the hole. Finally, as shown in FIG. 6, the electromagnetic coil unit 51 is attached. At this time, the case 27d is inserted into the insertion hole 55, and the electromagnetic coil unit 51 is fixed in this state. A known method can be used to fix the electromagnetic coil unit 51. For example, a bracket spanning the upper end of the case 27d or a bracket contacting the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the case 27d may be attached to the coil case 53. A protrusion may be formed on the bracket, and a dimple 27f (see FIG. 6) may be formed on the case 27d at a position corresponding to the protrusion. The case 27d and the electromagnetic coil unit 51 may be connected by engaging the protrusion and the dimple 27f. This completes the connection between the valve device 200 and the flow path block 300.

[0051] Next, the operation of the valve device 200 will be described. First, in the state shown in FIG. 6, the needle portion 40 of the valve disc 4 is closest to the first port 15, and the flow rate of the fluid through the first port 15 is minimized or zero. Next, the electromagnetic coil 51 is driven to rotate the magnet rotor 52 about the axis L. This rotation causes the drive shaft 57 to thread along the male thread portion 58 and the female thread portion 36, moving upward along the axis L. As a result, the needle portion 40 is pulled up by the drive shaft 57 via the valve holder 42 and rises. The needle portion 40 rises until the slider 72 of the stopper mechanism 70 reaches the top end of the guide portion 71 and becomes unrotatable, preventing the magnet rotor 52 from rotating. At this time, the opening area of ​​the first port 15 gradually increases, and the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the first port 15 between the first flow path 320, the valve chamber 12, the second port 19, and the second flow path 330 increases.

[0052] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the annular groove 20 can be formed by the bottom portion 21, the annular portion 22, and the groove bend portion 23, which are integrally formed from a single cylindrical wall. Therefore, the annular groove 20 can be easily formed by, for example, press work, and no cutting work or the like is required to form the annular groove 20. This reduces the manufacturing cost of the valve housing 1 compared to a conventional configuration in which the annular groove 20 and the valve chamber 12 are formed by cutting work. Furthermore, this configuration also allows the annular groove 20 to be formed from a single metal wall, thereby improving the strength of the annular groove 20 compared to a configuration in which the annular groove 20 is molded from resin. This reduces cracking and chipping of the annular groove 20, thereby preventing air leakage, such as back leakage. Therefore, a valve device 200 can be provided that facilitates reducing manufacturing costs and preventing air leakage.

[0053] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 18 and the annular groove 20 can be formed from a single cylindrical wall, which makes it possible to form a flow path with low flow resistance within the valve chamber 12 and to reduce manufacturing costs, compared to a configuration in which the cylindrical portion 18 and the annular groove 20 are separate bodies. Furthermore, according to this configuration, gaps that could cause air leakage can be reduced, compared to a configuration in which the cylindrical portion 18 and the annular groove 20 are separate bodies, so air leakage can be further suppressed.

[0054] Furthermore, for example, when the annular groove 20 is formed by cutting, as in conventional valve gears, the portion other than the portion where the annular groove 20 is formed has a thickness equal to the depth of the annular groove 20, and this thickness is greater than the portion where the bottom of the annular groove 20 is formed. However, with this configuration, the thickness of the cylindrical portion 18 and the annular groove 20 can be set to the same. Therefore, it is not necessary to make the thickness of the portion other than the portion where the annular groove 20 is formed greater than the portion where the bottom of the annular groove 20 is formed, and the volume of the valve chamber 12 can be increased accordingly compared to conventional valve gears.

[0055] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the outer diameter of the outer peripheral bent portion 24 is set to be equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 18 connected to the outer peripheral bent portion 24, which further facilitates ensuring the volume of the valve chamber 12. Furthermore, by making the outer diameter of the second annular portion 22b larger than the outer diameter of the first annular portion 22a, it is possible to create a predetermined space S, the size of which is approximately the same as the difference α between the outer diameters of the second annular portion 22b and the second annular portion 22b, around the lower portion 18a (first port 15 (valve port) side portion) of the cylindrical portion 18. Therefore, for example, when providing the second port 19 as an opening communicating with the second flow path 330 (flow path) in the lower portion 18a (valve port side portion) of the cylindrical portion 18, the predetermined space S can be used to reliably establish communication between the second port 19 and the second flow path 330. Therefore, the orientation of the second port 19 is less likely to be restricted when forming the second port 19, improving the degree of freedom in selecting the orientation of the second port 19.

[0056] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the flow of fluid can be regulated by the first seal member 17 (another seal member) installed in the cut groove 16 (groove portion) in addition to the second seal member 25 (seal member) installed in the annular groove 20. This makes it possible to suppress fluid leakage between the flow path block 300 and the valve device 200A.

[0057] Moreover, this embodiment can provide the valve device unit 100 that can easily reduce manufacturing costs and easily suppress airtight leakage.

[0058] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the second bent portion 24b is located above the tapered surface 314a of the housing accommodating portion 314 (toward the drive unit 5), and the position of the annular groove 20 can be determined at a shallow position that is not inserted into the housing accommodating portion 314 (mounting hole 310). This eliminates the need to increase the depth of the housing accommodating portion 314, contributing to the miniaturization of the flow path block 300. In addition, the second bent portion 24b faces the tapered surface 314a with a gap in the direction of the axis L. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the outer periphery bent portion 24 is inserted into the housing accommodating portion 314, the gap between the second bent portion 24b (outer periphery bent portion 24) and the housing accommodating portion 314 is located radially outward. This increases the area that the second annular portion 22b covers over the second seal member 25 (seal member) in the radial direction, thereby preventing the second seal member 25 from slipping out through the gap. Therefore, the space between the valve device 200 and the flow path block 300 can be stably maintained in a sealed state.

[0059] Next, a modified example of the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a valve device 200A according to the modified example. As shown in FIG. 7, the valve device 200A according to the modified example includes a valve seat member 14A. The valve seat member 14A corresponds to the valve seat member 14 of the first embodiment. The valve seat member 14A includes a columnar large-diameter main body 14a and a cylindrical tubular portion 14b that is continuous with the lower side of the large-diameter main body 14a. In this modified example, the valve seat member 14A does not have a cut groove 16. The valve housing 1 of the valve device 200A according to the modified example includes an extension portion 11A that is continuous with the lower edge of the mounting hole 13. The extension portion 11A, like the cylindrical portion 18, is made of a metal material such as SUS (stainless steel), and is integrated with the cylindrical portion 18 and the annular groove 20 by a single cylindrical wall. The extension 11A extends along the side and bottom surfaces of the large-diameter main body 14a of the valve seat member 14A and along the side surface of the cylindrical portion 14b of the valve seat member 14A. The extension 11A extends along the bottom surface of the large-diameter main body 14a, thereby preventing the valve seat member 14 from slipping out downward.

[0060] The extension portion 11A is formed with a necking groove 11A1 (groove portion) recessed radially inward. With this configuration, the necking groove 11A1 is integrated with the cylindrical portion 18 by a single cylindrical wall. The necking groove 11A1 is a groove recessed radially inward from the outer periphery of the valve housing 1. The necking groove 11A1 is formed around the entire periphery of the valve housing 1, surrounding the first port 15 (valve port), around the axis L. A first seal member 17 (a seal member separate from the second seal member 25 (seal member)) is installed in the necking groove 11A1. The necking groove 11A1 functions similarly to the machined groove 16 described above, except that it is formed similarly to the annular groove 20 by necking a metal annular tubular material rather than by cutting the valve seat member 14A. This modified example allows for a structure in which the first seal member 17 is installed on the valve housing 1 side, rather than on the valve seat member 14A side. Furthermore, with this configuration, the necking groove 11A1 (the groove in which the first seal member 17 is disposed) can be formed integrally with the annular groove 20 and the cylindrical portion 18 using a single cylindrical wall. This eliminates the need for a cutting step on the valve seat member 14, further reducing the manufacturing costs of the valve device 200A. Furthermore, with this configuration, the necking groove 11A1, the cylindrical portion 18, and the annular groove 20 can be formed using a single cylindrical wall, thereby enabling the formation of a flow path within the valve chamber 12 with even lower flow resistance.

[0061] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the valve housing 1 of a valve device 200B according to the second embodiment. The valve device 200B according to the second embodiment has an annular groove 90 corresponding to the above-described annular groove 20. The annular groove 90 has a bottom 91, a pair of annular portions 92 (a first annular portion 92a and a second annular portion 92b), and a pair of groove bends 93 (a first groove bend 93a and a second groove bend 93b), and is connected to the cylindrical portion 18 by a pair of outer periphery bends 94 (a first bend 94a and a second bend 94b). Here, the bottom 91, the pair of annular portions 92, the pair of groove bends 93, and the pair of outer periphery bends 94 correspond to the above-described bottom 21, the pair of annular portions 22, the pair of groove bends 23, and the pair of outer periphery bends 24, but the shape of the outer periphery bends 94 is different from that of the outer periphery bends 24 of the first embodiment.

[0062] Specifically, the outer diameter of the first bent portion 94a connecting the first annular portion 92a and the lower portion 18a of the cylindrical portion 18 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the lower portion 18a. Also, the outer diameter of the second bent portion 94b connecting the second annular portion 92b and the upper portion 18b of the cylindrical portion 18 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the upper portion 18b. As a result, the outer peripheral bent portion 94 protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 18.

[0063] Next, the manufacture of the valve device 200B will be described. The valve housing 1 of the valve device 200B is made of a metallic cylindrical pipe material, as in the first embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, the bottom wall 10, the cylindrical portion 18, and the annular groove 90 are formed using bulging instead of necking. Specifically, for example, a bag-shaped metal material is placed in a predetermined mold, and the opening of the bag-shaped material is closed while the interior of the bag-shaped material is filled with processing oil. The mold is then clamped, and a load is applied to the bag-shaped material from the opening side to increase the internal pressure and expand the processing oil. This expansion forms a first bent portion 94a (outer peripheral bent portion 94) that protrudes radially outward from the cylindrical portion 18, and a second bent portion 94b (outer peripheral bent portion) on the second annular portion 92b side, which has a larger diameter than the first annular portion 92a. The annular groove 90 is formed at a position sandwiched between these outer peripheral bent portions 94. The bag-shaped material is merely an example, and for example, a metal annular pipe material may be set in a predetermined mold and subjected to the above-mentioned bulging process.

[0064] By fabricating the valve housing 1 in this manner, the bottom portion 91, the annular portion 92, and the groove bend portion 93 are integrally formed by a single cylindrical wall through a single bulge forming process. Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 18, the outer peripheral bend portion 94, and the annular groove 90 are also integrally formed by a single cylindrical wall. The cylindrical portion 18 and the annular groove 90 are thus formed by a continuous wall of the same thickness. Therefore, machining or other processes are not required to form the annular groove 90, making it easy to manufacture the valve housing 1. Next, the flange portion 26 is attached to the upper end of the valve housing 1. At this time, the upper end of the valve housing 1 is press-fitted into the enlarged diameter portion 27c of the flange main body 27, and in this state, the valve housing 1 and the flange portion 26 are hermetically fixed by welding, brazing, or the like. Figure 9(A) is a cross-sectional view of the valve housing 1 in the second embodiment, showing the flange portion 26 being press-fitted into the flange main body 27. When press-fitting the valve housing 1 into the flange portion 26, a first receiving jig A is used to support the valve housing 1.

[0065] The first receiving jig A has a support hole A1 penetrating in the axial direction L, and an enlarged-diameter portion A2 extending upward from the support hole A1. The inner diameter of the enlarged-diameter portion A2 is set larger than the outer diameter of the first bent portion 94a and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the second bent portion 94b. With this setting, when the valve housing 1 is placed in the support hole A1 and the enlarged-diameter portion A2, the lower portion 18a of the cylindrical portion 18 is placed in the support hole A1, and the first bent portion 94a is placed in the enlarged-diameter portion A2. The second bent portion 94b rests against the open edge of the enlarged-diameter portion A2. In this state, a downward load is applied from the upper end of the flange portion 26 and the valve housing 1, as indicated by the hollow arrows in FIG. 9A, to press the upper end of the valve housing 1 into the enlarged-diameter portion 27c of the flange main body 27. At this time, the second bent portion 94b is supported by hanging on the opening edge of the expanded diameter portion A2, so that downward deformation of the second bent portion 94b is suppressed.

[0066] Furthermore, the support provided by the open end of the enlarged diameter portion A2 allows the second bent portion 94b to bear the load, thereby preventing the load from being applied to the groove bent portion 93 (the first groove bent portion 93a, the second groove bent portion 93b), the first bent portion 94a, the bottom wall 10, and the like. This prevents deformation of the valve housing 1. Meanwhile, in the second embodiment, the press-fitting can also be performed using a jig other than the first receiving jig A. FIG. 9(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the valve housing 1 being press-fitted into the flange main body 27 of the flange portion 26 in another configuration of the second embodiment. In this configuration, a downward load is applied with the lower end surface of the valve seat member 14 abutting against the upper surface of the second receiving jig B, and the upper end of the valve housing 1 is press-fitted into the enlarged diameter portion 27c of the flange main body 27.

[0067] This configuration is particularly useful in cases where the second bent portion 94b cannot be hooked onto the opening edge of the enlarged diameter portion A2 of the first receiving jig A. However, as in the first embodiment, care must be taken to prevent deformation of the annular groove 90, and therefore press-fitting using the first receiving jig A is more preferable from the perspective of preventing deformation of the valve housing 1. Next, the valve seat member 14 is press-fitted into the mounting hole 13 of the valve housing 1 and fixed in this state by welding, brazing, or the like. This fixation completes the assembly of the valve housing 1, flange portion 26, and valve seat member 14.

[0068] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to a valve device 200B including a valve housing 1 formed using bulge forming. The valve housing 1 can be formed using either necking or bulge forming, and similar effects can be achieved. However, the valve housing 1 of the first embodiment formed using necking is more likely to have a flat outer peripheral surface of the side wall 11 because the outer peripheral bent portion 24 does not protrude. Therefore, when the valve device 200 is inserted into the mounting hole 310, the side wall 11 is less likely to interfere with the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 310. Therefore, it is more preferable to form the valve housing 1 using necking, as in the first embodiment.

[0069] Next, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a valve device 200C according to the modified example of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the modified valve device 200C includes a valve seat member 14A. The valve seat member 14A is the same member as the valve seat member 14A according to the modified example of the first embodiment. The valve device 200C also includes an extension portion 11B that is continuous with the lower edge of the mounting hole 13. The extension portion 11B is formed of a metal material such as SUS (stainless steel) like the cylindrical portion 18, and is integrated with the cylindrical portion 18 and the annular groove 90 by a single cylindrical wall. The extension portion 11B extends along the side and bottom surfaces of the large-diameter main body 14a of the valve seat member 14A and along parts of the side and bottom surfaces of the tubular portion 14b of the valve seat member 14A. The extension 11B fits along the bottom surface of the large diameter main body 14a and part of the bottom surface of the cylindrical portion 14b, thereby preventing the valve seat member 14 from slipping out downward.

[0070] A bulge groove 11B1 (groove portion) recessed radially inward is formed in the extension portion 11B. With this configuration, the bulge groove 11B1 is integrated with the cylindrical portion 18 by a single cylindrical wall. The bulge groove 11B1 is a groove recessed radially inward from the outer periphery of the valve housing 1. The bulge groove 11B1 is formed around the entire periphery of the valve housing 1 around the axis L, at a position surrounding the first port 15 (valve port). A first seal member 17 (a seal member separate from the second seal member 25 (seal member)) is installed in the bulge groove 11B1. The function of the bulge groove 11B1 is similar to that of the necking groove 11A1 described above. According to this modification of the second embodiment, a structure for installing the first seal member 17 on the valve housing 1 side can be provided.

[0071] Furthermore, with this configuration, the bulge groove 11B1 (the groove in which the first seal member 17 is disposed) can be formed integrally with the annular groove 90 and the cylindrical portion 18 using a single cylindrical wall. This eliminates the need for a cutting step on the valve seat member 14, further reducing the manufacturing costs of the valve device 200C. Furthermore, with this configuration, the bulge groove 11B1, the cylindrical portion 18, and the annular groove 90 can be formed using a single cylindrical wall, thereby forming a flow path with even lower flow resistance within the valve chamber 12. Furthermore, according to each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, at least one of the annular groove 20 and the groove portion can be formed by necking or bulging.

[0072] The above-described embodiments and modifications merely illustrate typical aspects of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, while the valve device 200 has been described as an electric valve including the electromagnetic coil unit 51, this is merely an example. The valve device 200 may also be a solenoid valve including a solenoid coil and a plunger. The valve device may also be a mechanical expansion valve serving as a throttle device, a mechanical pressure regulation valve that drives a pressure-sensitive member connected to a valve member in response to pressure fluctuations, or a manual on-off valve that includes an operating unit for moving a valve element back and forth. The valve device may also be a diaphragm valve that includes a diaphragm therein. In addition, in this embodiment, the valve device 200 is attached to the flow path block 300. However, the present invention can be applied to various attachment targets for the valve device 200, such as a manifold including a flow path or a housing to which a pipe including a flow path is connected, instead of the flow path block 300. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 Valve housing 4 Valve body 5 Drive unit 12 Valve chamber 15 First port (valve port) 20 Annular groove 21 Bottom 22 Annular part 23 Groove bending section 25 second seal member (seal member) 100 Valve gear unit 200 Valve gear 300 Flow path block 310 Mounting hole 320 First Channel (Channel) 330 Second Channel (Channel)

Claims

1. A valve device that is inserted into a mounting hole of a flow path block having a flow path and that constitutes a valve device unit together with the flow path block, a cylindrical valve housing including a valve chamber and a valve port communicating with the flow path; a valve body positioned close to or far from the valve port; a drive unit that drives the valve body, The valve housing has an outer periphery provided with an annular groove recessed radially inward, a seal member is provided in the annular groove and interposed between the annular groove and the inner surface of the mounting hole to regulate the flow of fluid; the annular groove includes a bottom portion facing radially outward, a pair of annular portions protruding radially outward at one end side and the other end side of the bottom portion, and a groove bend portion connecting the bottom portion and the annular portions, A valve device characterized in that the bottom portion, the annular portion, and the groove bent portion are integrally formed by a single cylindrical wall.

2. the valve housing includes a cylindrical portion having the valve chamber therein, and an outer circumferential bent portion connecting the cylindrical portion and the annular groove, 2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion and the annular groove are integrally formed by the single cylindrical wall.

3. 3. The valve device according to claim 2, wherein the cylindrical portion and the annular groove are formed by a continuous wall having the same thickness.

4. The outer diameter of the outer peripheral bent portion is set to be equal to or larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion connected to the outer peripheral bent portion, the pair of annular portions includes a first annular portion located on the valve port side and a second annular portion located on the drive portion side, 3. The valve device according to claim 2, wherein an outer diameter of the second annular portion is larger than an outer diameter of the first annular portion.

5. a groove recessed radially inward is provided at a position surrounding the valve port; 3. The valve device according to claim 2, wherein a seal member other than the seal member is provided in the groove portion.

6. 6. The valve device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the annular groove and the groove portion is formed by necking or bulging.

7. The valve device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; a flow path block having a mounting hole into which the valve device is inserted and a flow path communicating with the valve port.

8. A valve device unit including a flow path block having a flow path and a valve device inserted into a mounting hole of the flow path block, the valve device comprises a cylindrical valve housing including a valve chamber and a valve port communicating with the flow path, a valve element positioned close to or away from the valve port, and a drive unit that drives the valve element; the valve housing includes an annular groove provided on an outer periphery and recessed radially inward, a cylindrical portion including the valve chamber, and an outer periphery bent portion connecting the cylindrical portion and the annular groove, a seal member is provided in the annular groove and interposed between the annular groove and the inner surface of the mounting hole to regulate the flow of fluid; the annular groove is composed of a bottom portion facing radially outward, a pair of annular portions protruding radially outward at one end side and the other end side of the bottom portion, and a groove bend portion connecting the bottom portion and the annular portions, the bottom portion, the annular portion, the grooved portion, and the cylindrical portion are integrally formed by a single cylindrical wall, and the pair of annular portions includes a first annular portion located on the valve port side and a second annular portion located on the drive portion side, the outer peripheral bent portion is configured as a pair of a first bent portion connected to the first ring portion and a second bent portion connected to the second ring portion, The outer diameter of the second ring portion is larger than the outer diameter of the first ring portion, The opening end of the mounting hole has a tapered surface that increases in diameter toward the opening side, a valve device unit characterized in that, when the first ring portion is inserted into the mounting hole, the second bent portion is located closer to the drive portion than the tapered surface and faces the tapered surface with a gap in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion.

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