Rotary valve

Abstract

To provide a rotary valve that can ensure sealing performance even when various materials are used for the seal. [Solution] The valve housing 10 has a valve housing 11, a rotor 12 housed in the valve housing 11 so as to be rotatable around an axis X, and a seal body S disposed between the inner wall surface of the valve housing 11 and the outer wall surface of the rotor 12. Multiple first flow path openings 11a are formed on the inner wall surface, and the first flow path openings 11a and multiple second flow path openings 12c are formed on the outer wall surface. The seal body S consists of a first seal material 21 having a first seal opening 21a communicating with the first flow path opening 11a and in contact with the inner wall surface, and a second seal material 22 having a second seal opening overlapping the first seal opening 21a and in contact with the outer wall surface of the rotor 12. The second seal material 22 is divided into multiple pieces in the circumferential direction around the axis X, and each piece is immovably supported on the inner wall surface.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a rotary valve in which a rotating part (50) is rotatably disposed inside a bottomed cylindrical valve body (60), and a sealing element (20) is disposed between the inner circumference of the valve body (60) and the outer circumference of the rotating part.

[0003] In the rotary valve of this Patent Document 1, fluid openings (181) are formed at a plurality of locations in the axial direction of the rotating part (50) (two locations, upper and lower, in Figs. 1 and 2), and flow openings (24, 44) are formed at the ends of the sealing element (20) so as to correspond to the respective fluid openings (181).

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the sealing element (20) includes a first sealing body (21) and a second sealing body (22). The first sealing body (21) is referred to as a hard sealing body, and the second sealing body (22) is referred to as a soft sealing body. It is described that an elastomer can be used as the material of the sealing element (20).

[0005] Patent Document 2 describes a rotary valve (FLUID CONTROL VALVE) in which a valve body (1) including a side wall (10) and a bottom wall (11) has a cylindrical inner housing (12), and a rotating member (3) is accommodated in this inner housing (12). This rotary valve includes a cover (23) that covers the upper surface of the inner housing (12).

[0006] The rotary valve described in Patent Document 2 realizes control of the fluid flowing between a plurality of orifices (A1, B1, C1, D1, etc.) formed in the inner housing (12) and a plurality of openings (310, 320, 330, etc.) formed in the rotating member (3) by setting the rotation angle of the rotating member (3), and ensures sealing performance by providing a seal (4) between the inner circumference of the inner housing (12) and the outer circumference of the rotating member (3).

[0007] In this Patent Document 2, the rotary valve has a seal (4) supported by a seal holder (2) inside the internal housing (12), and as shown in Fig. 5, the protruding portion of the seal (4) is coated (400) with a fluororesin-based coating. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is given as an example of the coating (400). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0065356 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2024 / 146730 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The rotary valve has a structure in which a rotor is rotatably housed in a valve housing formed in a housing, and is equipped with a seal as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, respectively, to suppress leakage of cooling fluid between the opening on the inner circumferential surface of the valve housing and the opening on the outer circumferential surface of the rotor.

[0010] This seal is supported on the housing side and requires a material with a low coefficient of friction to allow for appropriate elastic deformation so as to adhere tightly to the outer surface of the rotor, and to ensure good sliding when the rotor rotates.

[0011] For example, in rotary valves that control the flow of cooling water in internal combustion engines, relatively high-temperature cooling water flows, so heat resistance for sealing is also required. For this reason, conventionally, materials that provide good sliding properties and sufficient heat resistance have sometimes been used, such as a material in which a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating has been applied to the surface of a flexible material, as described in Patent Document 2.

[0012] However, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is subject to regulation under PFAS regulations, and it is required to use materials that are not subject to regulation. Therefore, the use of materials with a relatively low coefficient of friction and relatively high heat resistance, such as nylon, can be considered. However, because nylon has high rigidity, even if it is curved and positioned relative to a cylindrical valve housing, it is often difficult to make it adhere tightly to the inner surface of the valve housing or the outer surface of the rotor housed within the valve housing, which can lead to a decrease in sealing performance. Thus, depending on the material used for sealing, it may not be possible to ensure the desired sealing performance.

[0013] For these reasons, there is a need for rotary valves that can ensure sealing performance even when various materials are used for the seal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The characteristic configuration of the rotary valve according to the present invention is that it has a housing in which a cylindrical valve housing portion is formed with an axis centered on the axis, a rotor housed in the valve housing portion so as to be rotatable about the axis centered on the axis, and a seal body disposed between the inner wall surface of the valve housing portion and the outer wall surface of the rotor, wherein a plurality of first flow path openings are formed on the inner wall surface and a plurality of second flow path openings that can communicate with the first flow path openings are formed on the outer wall surface, and the seal body has a structure in which a first seal material having a first seal opening that communicates with the plurality of first flow path openings and is disposed in contact with the inner wall surface and a second seal material having a second seal opening that overlaps with the first seal opening and is disposed in contact with the outer wall surface of the rotor, and the second seal material is divided into a plurality of pieces in the circumferential direction with respect to the axis centered on the axis, and each piece is supported so as not to move with respect to the inner wall surface.

[0015] According to this configuration, since the seal body has a structure in which a first seal material and a second seal material are stacked, it is possible to use a material with a low coefficient of friction as the second seal material, and a material that does not necessarily have a lower coefficient of friction than the second seal material but still exhibits good elastic deformation as the first seal material. In this configuration, the first seal material is elastically deformed to adhere closely to the inner wall surface of the valve housing, and the reaction force associated with this elastic deformation makes it possible to adhere the second seal material closely to the outer wall surface of the rotor. Furthermore, this configuration makes it possible to adhere the first seal material and the second seal material while maintaining a communication state between the first seal opening of the first seal material and the second seal opening of the second seal material. In particular, since the second sealing material is divided into multiple pieces in the circumferential direction of the valve housing, and each piece is immovably supported against the inner wall surface of the valve housing, it is easy to bring it into close contact with the outer wall surface of the rotor regardless of the material used for the second sealing material, and it is easy to maintain a state in which the first flow path opening of the valve housing, the first sealing opening of the first sealing material, and the second sealing opening of the piece (second sealing material) are in communication. Therefore, a rotary valve has been constructed that can ensure sealing performance even when various materials are used for the seal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the manifold with the rotary valve disassembled. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of a rotary valve. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of the first seal, second seal, rotor, etc. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the relationship between the first sealing material, the second sealing material, and the valve housing. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the contact area between the rotor, the seal, and the valve housing. [Figure 6] This is an enlarged view showing the shape of the first seal opening of the first seal material. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Figure 6. [Figure 8] This is an enlarged view showing the shape of the second seal opening in the second seal material piece. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 8.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the rotary valve according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings. However, the rotary valve is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist thereof.

[0018] 〔Basic Configuration〕 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a housing 10 is provided with a plurality of cylindrical ports 1, a pair of rotary valves 2, and a pair of pumps 3, and a flow path L (see FIG. 2) is formed in the internal space of the housing 10 to constitute a manifold M.

[0019] The manifold M is mounted on an electric vehicle (not shown, hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "electric vehicle") that runs by electric power. This manifold M controls the flow of a cooling fluid between a cooling target (not shown) such as a battery, an inverter, and a traveling motor mounted on the electric vehicle, and a heat radiation unit (not shown) such as a radiator and a chiller.

[0020] The traveling motor is a traveling drive source that operates when power is supplied. The inverter controls the power supplied to the traveling motor. The battery uses a rechargeable secondary battery, and the inverter supplies the power of this battery to the traveling motor to realize the running of the electric vehicle.

[0021] The electric vehicle includes a hybrid vehicle (HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a battery vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a fuel cell vehicle (FCEV: Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), etc.

[0022] This manifold M constitutes part of a temperature control unit (not shown). The temperature control unit has a control unit (not shown) which acquires information from sensors such as a battery temperature sensor (not shown) that measures the temperature of the battery and a fluid temperature sensor (not shown) that measures the temperature of the cooling fluid in the flow path L, and individually controls a pair of rotary valves 2 and a pair of pumps 3 to supply cooling fluid to cooling targets such as the battery, inverter, and drive motor, and maintains them at appropriate temperatures.

[0023] The cooling fluid is, for example, a coolant such as antifreeze or long-life coolant (LLC) mainly composed of ethylene glycol, or a coolant composed of insulating oil such as paraffin, or a refrigerant such as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) or hydrofluoroolefin (HFO).

[0024] [Manifold] The manifold M is mounted on the electric vehicle in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. In this embodiment, the vertical positional relationship of the manifold M will be explained in accordance with the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The housing 10 has a structure in which an upper housing 10a made of thermoplastic resin and a lower housing 10b made of thermoplastic resin are integrated by heat welding using infrared rays.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the upper housing 10a has an upper wall 4 on its top surface and side walls 5, and inside these are multiple vertically oriented flow channel walls 6. The lower housing 10b has a lower bottom wall 7, which is heat-welded to the lower end of the side wall 5 and the lower end of the flow channel wall 6 of the upper housing 10a.

[0026] The housing 10 has multiple flow chambers LS, each partitioned by the upper wall 4, side walls 5, flow channel walls 6, and bottom wall 7. The flow chambers LS are spaces through which cooling fluid flows, and these spaces are referred to as flow channels L. Each flow chamber LS is connected to one of the pre-configured cylindrical ports 1, rotary valves 2, or pumps 3.

[0027] The upper housing 10a is roughly rectangular in plan view, and the multiple cylindrical ports 1 protrude outward from the upper housing 10a in a lateral orientation. The pump 3 is connected to the flange portions 8 at both ends of the upper housing 10a in the longitudinal direction in plan view. As shown in Figure 2, the pump 3 has a unitized structure consisting of an electric motor portion 3a and an impeller portion 3b.

[0028] [Rotary valve] As shown in Figure 1, the manifold M houses two rotary valves 2 from the upper wall 4 downwards in the central part of the housing 10. Note that each rotary valve 2 has a basically common configuration.

[0029] The rotary valve 2 includes a valve housing 11 integrally formed in the housing 10, a rotor 12 housed in the valve housing 11, a seal body S, and a valve drive unit 13 that rotates the rotor 12.

[0030] [Rotary valve: Valve housing] As shown in Figure 2, the valve housing 11 is cylindrical with a vertical axis X as its center and is integrally formed with the housing 10. The valve housing 11 has a plurality of first flow path openings 11a that communicate from the inner wall surface 11s to the flow path chamber LS. The valve housing 11 is open upward from the upper wall 4 of the housing 10, and this open portion is closed by the valve drive unit 13, which is fixed to the upper wall 4.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the multiple first flow channel openings 11a have a circular flow channel cross-section and are arranged in a row of multiple regions (eight regions in this embodiment) that are equal divisions of the circumferential region (circumferential direction when viewed along the axis X) of the valve housing 11. Furthermore, the first flow channel openings 11a are formed in two stages, upper and lower, along the axis X. In this embodiment, it is also possible to configure the valve housing 11 so that the first flow channel openings 11a are formed in areas excluding some regions, as shown in Figure 2.

[0032] Furthermore, the first flow channel opening 11a does not need to be formed in all of the multiple regions (eight regions) along the circumferential direction; for example, it may be formed in part of eight regions that are equally divided circumferentially. Similarly, the multiple regions along the circumferential direction are not limited to eight regions, but may be any number.

[0033] [Rotary valve: Rotor] The rotor 12 is cylindrical overall and rotates around its axis X by the driving force of the valve drive unit 13, setting it to a predetermined rotational position.

[0034] The rotor 12 has a rotor body 12a having a cylindrical outer surface centered on the axis X, and a rotor shaft 12b that is coaxial with the axis X and rotates integrally with the rotor body 12a. The rotor body 12a is formed with a set thickness, and a plurality of second flow channel openings 12c are formed that penetrate the rotor body 12a.

[0035] The rotor body 12a has internal partitions and the like that control the flow of cooling fluid so that the cooling fluid flows between a predetermined number of second flow channel openings 12c.

[0036] The second flow path openings 12c are formed in multiple regions that are equal in size within the circumferential region, so that they communicate with the first flow path openings 11a formed in multiple regions (eight regions) of the valve housing 11 each time the rotor body 12a rotates by a set angle. The number of second flow path openings 12c in the circumferential region may be any number.

[0037] The second flow channel openings 12c can be arranged in parallel in two stages along the axis X (vertical direction), or they can be formed in the shape of elongated holes in the vertical direction. When the second flow channel openings 12c are arranged in two stages, one above the other, it becomes possible to individually control the flow of cooling fluid between the two stages of second flow channel openings 12c.

[0038] Due to this configuration, the rotor 12, when its rotational orientation is set, enables control to send the cooling fluid supplied from one cylindrical port 1 to the other cylindrical port 1.

[0039] [Rotary valve: Valve drive unit] The valve drive unit 13 has a structure in which a drive unit 13a, which incorporates an electric motor, is supported on a support plate 13b. The drive unit 13a has a drive shaft coaxial with the axis X, and by fitting this drive shaft to the rotor shaft 12b (for example, by spline fitting), the driving force of the electric motor is transmitted to the rotor shaft 12b, and the rotational position of the rotor 12 is set.

[0040] [Rotary valve: seal] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, a small gap is formed between the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11 and the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12 (rotor body 12a), and the seal body S is positioned to fill this gap. This seal body S allows for smooth rotation of the rotor 12 while suppressing leakage of the cooling fluid.

[0041] The seal body S has a structure in which a first sealing material 21 that contacts the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11 and a second sealing material 22 that contacts the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12 (rotor body 12a) are superimposed. In particular, the first sealing material 21 is made of ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), which is flexible and easily deformable. The second sealing material 22 is supported in the valve housing 11 so as not to move in the circumferential direction around the axis X, and is made of an improved material of nylon 66 (PA66) which has a low coefficient of friction and excellent heat resistance.

[0042] In the following explanation, the surface of the first sealing material 21 that contacts the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11 may be referred to as the outer surface, and the opposite side may be referred to as the inner surface. Similarly, the surface of the second sealing material 22 that contacts the inner surface of the first sealing material 21 may be referred to as the outer surface, and the opposite side may be referred to as the inner surface.

[0043] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the first sealing material 21 has a plurality of first annular portions 21R having a plurality of first sealing openings 21a that communicate with the first flow channel opening 11a, and a first connecting portion 21b that connects adjacent first annular portions 21R.

[0044] The first sealing material 21 is made of rubber (EPDM) and is formed in a cylindrical shape with the axis X as the center, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The first sealing material 21, which is formed in a cylindrical shape as the whole, has multiple regions (8 regions) in the circumferential direction and the first annular portion 21R arranged in two parallel stages in the vertical direction along the axis X, and a thin plate-like first connecting portion 21b is formed to connect these, extending in the vertical (up and down) direction and the horizontal direction.

[0045] The first sealing material 21 has an inner diameter of each first sealing opening 21a that is approximately equal to the flow channel diameter of the first flow channel opening 11a. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, the first annular portion 21R has a base end portion 21Ra and a pair of tapered lip portions 21Rb that protrude from the base end portion 21Ra, each integrally formed in an annular shape at the edge of the first sealing opening 21a. Each of the pair of lip portions 21Rb is formed to be tapered towards the tip, making it easier to deform towards the tip. The lip portions 21Rb may be single or there may be three or more.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, the first annular portion 21R is positioned such that a pair of lip portions 21Rb contact the outer edge portion of the first flow path opening 11a on the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11. Furthermore, the first annular portion 21R of the first sealing material 21 is positioned in contact with the second annular portion 22R of the second sealing material 22 when it is superimposed on the second sealing material 22. The arrangement of the first sealing material 21 and the second sealing material 22 in this superimposed state will be described later.

[0047] Furthermore, the manufacturing method envisioned for this first sealing material 21 is to form the entire structure, including multiple first annular portions 21R and first connecting portions 21b connected to them, into a cylindrical shape using rubber (EPDM). Alternatively, the first sealing material 21 can also be manufactured by creating a sheet in which multiple first annular portions 21R are connected by multiple first connecting portions 21b, deforming this sheet material into a cylindrical shape, and joining the first connecting portions 21b by adhesive or welding.

[0048] The second sealing material 22 has a structure divided into eight parts in the circumferential direction of the valve housing 11, and the structure shown in Figures 4 and 8 is considered as one piece 22P. In this embodiment, each piece 22P may also be described as the second sealing material 22.

[0049] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, 8 and 9, the second seal material 22 has a second seal opening 22a formed in two stages in the vertical direction along the axis X so as to overlap the first flow path opening 11a and the first seal opening 21a, with eight pieces 22P arranged in multiple regions (eight regions) in the circumferential direction of the valve housing 11. The second seal material 22 is used in a configuration in which the eight pieces 22P are arranged along the inner circumference of the first seal material 21. The reason for dividing the second seal material 22 into eight pieces 22P is that it is difficult to curve it along the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor body 12a and the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11 due to its high rigidity, such as nylon (PA66).

[0050] Each piece 22P has a pair of second annular portions 22R arranged in two vertical rows, each containing a second seal opening 22a that can communicate with the second flow path opening 12c of the rotor body 12a. Each piece 22P also has engaging pieces 22T integrally formed at its upper and lower ends in a manner that extends vertically along the axis X. In this embodiment, the engaging pieces 22T formed at the upper end of each piece 22P are bent into an L-shape when viewed from the circumferential direction.

[0051] To determine the position of each piece 22P, the valve housing 11 has engagement recesses 11T formed at the upper and lower ends of the inner wall surface 11s.

[0052] The inner diameter of the second seal opening 22a of piece 22P (second seal material 22) is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the first seal opening 21a of the first seal material 21. As shown in Figures 4 and 9, the second annular portion 22R has an annular inner projection 22Ra that protrudes from the edge of the second seal opening 22a toward the first seal material 21, and an outer projection 22Rb that protrudes from the edge of the second annular portion 22R toward the first seal material 21.

[0053] Each piece 22P is shaped such that a portion of both sides of the outer projection 22Rb in the lateral direction (circumferential direction of the valve housing 11) is cut along a straight line in the vertical direction. In addition, an annular recess 22D is formed between the inner projection 22Ra and the outer projection 22Rb. Piece 22P in this embodiment has a pair of second annular portions 22R arranged in the vertical direction, and the recesses 22D of the second annular portions 22R are connected to each other, so that the piece 22P as a whole has a roughly figure-eight shaped recess 22D.

[0054] [Rotary valve: Seal arrangement] The seal body S is positioned with the first sealing material 21 in contact with the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11 so that the first sealing opening 21a communicates with the first flow path opening 11a, and multiple pieces 22P (second sealing material 22) are positioned overlapping the inner surface of the first sealing material 21 so that the second sealing opening 22a communicates with the first flow path opening 11a and the first sealing opening 21a. In other words, the seal body S is positioned between the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11 and the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12.

[0055] The sealing body S has multiple pieces 22P (second sealing material 22) whose outer surfaces are in contact with the inner surface of the first sealing material 21, and the engaging pieces 22T between the upper and lower ends of each piece 22P are fitted into the engaging recesses 11T of the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11. As a result, each piece 22P is supported in a way that prevents it from moving in the circumferential direction relative to the valve housing 11.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5, the seal body S is sandwiched between the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor body 12a and the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11, causing the first seal material 21 and the second seal material 22 to be slightly compressed in the overlapping direction. Due to this compression, the outer surface of the first seal material 21 adheres tightly to the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11, and the inner surface of piece 22P (second seal material 22) adheres tightly to the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12.

[0057] In this arrangement of the seal body S, the pair of lip portions 21Rb on the outer surface of the first seal material 21 contact the outer edge portion of the first flow path opening 11a on the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11 and undergo elastic deformation. The reaction force associated with this elastic deformation acts in the radial direction (a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction) of the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11. The second seal material 22 has higher rigidity than the first seal material 21, and therefore undergoes only slight elastic deformation due to the action of the reaction force.

[0058] Furthermore, due to the reaction force accompanying the elastic deformation of the pair of lip portions 21Rb, the base end portion 21Ra of the first annular portion 21R of the seal body S is press-fitted into the recess 22D between the inner projection 22Ra and the outer projection 22Rb of the piece 22P (second seal material 22). In this way, the first annular portion 21R of the first seal material 21 and the second annular portion 22R of the second seal material 22 are fitted together, thereby suppressing the relative movement of the first seal material 21 with respect to the second seal material 22.

[0059] The rubber (EPDM) used in the first seal material 21 is a material that can be elastically deformed. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, even when the first annular portion 21R of the first seal material 21 and the second annular portion 22R of the piece 22P (second seal material 22) are fitted together, a slight relative movement between the first seal material 21 and the piece 22P (second seal material 22) is permitted.

[0060] For these reasons, even when an external force acting on the seal body S due to the rotation of the rotor 12, or when a force acting between the valve housing 11, the first seal material 21, and the second seal material 22 due to the difference in their respective thermal expansion coefficients as the temperature of the cooling fluid rises, the first seal material 21 and piece 22P (second seal material 22) are maintained in a stable positional relationship by a slight relative displacement.

[0061] In a rotary valve 2 having such a seal body S, the inner surface of the piece 22P (second sealing material 22), which has a low coefficient of friction, comes into contact with the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12, thereby allowing the rotor 12 to rotate smoothly.

[0062] [Effects of the Embodiment] For example, if a material is developed that has a low coefficient of friction, excellent heat resistance, and can be flexibly deformed, even if that material is expensive, it is not necessary to form the entire seal body S using that material. As described in the embodiment, by using that material in part to form the seal body S, a rotary valve with good sealing performance can be constructed without increasing costs.

[0063] The seal body S has a structure in which a first seal material 21 made of ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM) that can be flexibly deformed and a second seal material 22 made of an improved material of nylon 66 (PA66) that has higher rigidity than the first seal material 21 but has a low coefficient of friction and excellent heat resistance are layered together. Therefore, the sealing performance due to the flexible deformation of the first seal material 21 is utilized, and the low coefficient of friction of the second seal material 22 enables smooth rotation when the rotor 12 rotates.

[0064] The second sealing material 22 has its position in the circumferential direction of the valve housing 11 and its position relative to the inner wall surface 11s determined by engaging the engaging pieces 22T formed on each of the multiple pieces 22P with the engaging recesses 11T of the valve housing 11. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the engaging piece 22T formed at the upper end is bent in an L-shape, and the packing 9 comes into contact with the upper surface of this engaging piece 22T, so that movement of each of the multiple pieces 22P in the direction along the axis X (vertical direction) is also impossible.

[0065] The second sealing material 22 is divided into multiple pieces 22P, and these divided pieces 22P are arranged along the circumferential direction relative to the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11. Therefore, even if the second sealing material 22 is made of a highly rigid material, it can be easily arranged along the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11. In addition, since each piece 22P is independently movable relative to the first sealing material 21, the ability to follow the rotor 12 is improved.

[0066] The seal body S has a lip portion 21Rb that adheres tightly to the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11, acting as a reaction force due to elastic deformation. This reaction force causes the base end portion 21Ra of the first seal material 21 to fit into the recesses 22D of the multiple pieces 22P of the second seal material 22. As a result, the first seal material 21 adheres tightly to the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11, and the inner surfaces of the multiple pieces 22P of the second seal material 22 adhere tightly to the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12, creating a good sealing state. In other words, the seal body S can maintain communication between the first flow path opening 11a of the valve housing 11, the first seal opening 21a of the first seal material 21, and the second seal opening 22a of the second seal material 22.

[0067] As described above, in the seal body S, the first sealing material 21 and the second sealing material 22 become integrated when the base end portion 21Ra is fitted into the recess 22D due to the reaction force accompanying the elastic deformation of the lip portion 21Rb. Therefore, no joining process is required to integrate the first sealing material 21 and the second sealing material 22. Furthermore, in the seal body S, because the first sealing material 21 is integrated with the highly rigid second sealing material 22, even when the pressure of the cooling fluid increases, the multiple pieces 22P of the second sealing material 22 restrict the deformation of the first sealing material 21.

[0068] In particular, because the structure allows for the elastic deformation of the lip portions 21Rb formed in each of the multiple first seal openings 21a of the first seal material 21, even if there are variations in the thickness of the first seal material 21 in the circumferential direction, or variations in the thickness of the multiple pieces 22P of the second seal material 22, the variations are absorbed by the change in the amount of elastic deformation of each lip portion 21Rb, making it possible to equalize the sealing performance of the valve housing 11 in the circumferential direction.

[0069] [Another embodiment] The present invention may also be configured as follows, in addition to the embodiments described above (parts having the same functions as the embodiments are given the same numbers and reference numerals as the embodiments).

[0070] (a) The number of first flow path openings 11a formed in the valve housing 11 in the circumferential direction can be set arbitrarily. Furthermore, the first flow path openings 11a may be formed in a single stage along the axis X, or in three or more stages in parallel. Similarly, the second flow path openings 12c formed in the rotor 12 are not limited to two stages in the vertical direction, but may be formed in a single stage in the vertical direction, or in three or more stages in parallel in the vertical direction.

[0071] (b) The number of first seal openings 21a and second seal openings 22a in the circumferential direction of the seal body S can be set to any number corresponding to the specifications. In addition, the first flow channel opening 11a, the second flow channel opening 12c, the first seal opening 21a and the second seal opening 22a may be formed with a flow channel cross-section that is not circular, for example, a rectangle such as a square or a non-circular shape such as a trapezoid.

[0072] (c) The materials for the first sealing material 21 and the second sealing material 22 may be any materials instead of the materials described in the embodiment. The sealing body S may also be composed of three or more members, and the materials for each member may be any materials. It is preferable to use an elastically deformable material for the first sealing material 21 from the viewpoint of improving sealing performance, and it is preferable to use a material with a low coefficient of friction and high heat resistance for the second sealing material 22 from the viewpoint of improving heat resistance and reducing friction with the rotor 12.

[0073] (d) The shape of the recess 22D formed in the second sealing material 22 is not limited to annular shape, but may be formed as multiple recesses, for example. Alternatively, it may be formed as multiple protrusions corresponding to the arrangement of the recesses 22D. When the sealing body S is used by overlapping the first sealing material 21 and the second sealing material 22 as described in the embodiment, they may be integrated by bonding them together.

[0074] (e) The second sealing material 22 is configured as one piece 22P using a structure in which two or more second sealing openings 22a are arranged in the circumferential direction. By configuring the second sealing material 22 in this way, the second sealing material 22 can be constructed with fewer pieces 22P than described in the embodiment.

[0075] (f) When manufacturing the piece 22P of the second sealing material 22, the piece 22P is formed in advance into a curved shape. By forming the piece 22P in this shape, it is possible to make the inner surface of the piece 22P adhere tightly to the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12, even if the material is highly rigid.

[0076] (g) The number of pieces 22P constituting the second sealing material 22 is not limited to eight. The second sealing material 22 only needs to be composed of at least two or more pieces 22P.

[0077] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, provided that no inconsistencies arise. Moreover, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the object of the present invention.

[0078] In the embodiment described above, the following configuration can be envisioned. (1) A housing 10 having a cylindrical valve housing 11 formed around an axis X, a rotor 12 housed in the valve housing 11 so as to be rotatable around the axis X, and a seal body S disposed between the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11 and the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12, wherein a plurality of first flow path openings 11a are formed in the inner wall surface 11s, and a plurality of second flow path openings 12c that can communicate with the first flow path openings 11a are formed in the outer wall surface 12s, and the seal body S has a plurality of first flow The rotary valve 2 has a structure in which a first sealing material 21 having a first sealing opening 21a communicating with a passage opening 11a and positioned in contact with the inner wall surface 11s and a second sealing material 22 having a second sealing opening 22a overlapping the first sealing opening 21a and positioned in contact with the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12 are superimposed, and the second sealing material 22 is divided into a plurality of pieces 22P in the circumferential direction centered on the axis X, and each piece 22P is supported immovably with respect to the inner wall surface 11s.

[0079] According to this, since the seal body S has a structure in which a first sealing material 21 and a second sealing material 22 are stacked, it is possible to use a material with a low coefficient of friction as the second sealing material 22, and to use a material that can be elastically deformed well as the first sealing material 21, even if it does not have a lower coefficient of friction than the second sealing material 22. In this configuration, the first sealing material 21 is elastically deformed to make it adhere closely to the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11, and the reaction force accompanying this elastic deformation makes it possible to make the second sealing material 22 adhere closely to the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12. Furthermore, this configuration makes it possible to maintain the first sealing opening 21a of the first sealing material 21 and the second sealing opening 22a of the second sealing material 22 in a state of communication, thereby making the first sealing material 21 and the second sealing material 22 adhere closely together. In particular, since the second sealing material 22 is divided into multiple pieces 22P in the circumferential direction of the valve housing 11, and each piece 22P is immovably supported with respect to the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11, it is easy to bring the second sealing material 22 into close contact with the outer wall surface 12s of the rotor 12, regardless of the material used for the second sealing material 22, and it is easy to maintain communication between the first flow path opening 11a of the valve housing 11, the first sealing opening 21a of the first sealing material 21, and the second sealing opening 22a of the piece 22P. Therefore, sealing performance can be ensured even when various materials are used for the sealing body S.

[0080] (2) In the rotary valve 2 of (1), it is preferable that a plurality of first flow path openings 11a are formed on the inner wall surface 11s in a direction along the axis X, a plurality of second flow path openings 12c are formed on the outer wall surface 12s in a direction along the axis X, and the piece 22P has a plurality of second seal openings 22a arranged in a direction along the axis X so as to overlap the plurality of first flow path openings 11a.

[0081] According to this, the multiple first flow path openings 11a of the valve housing 11, the multiple second flow path openings 12c of the rotor 12, and the multiple second seal openings 22a of the piece 22P are formed in a direction along the axis X, and the flow of the cooling fluid can be controlled by the communication of each opening.

[0082] (3) In the rotary valve 2 of (1), it is preferable that the first sealing material 21 has a lip portion 21Rb at the edge of the first sealing opening 21a that contacts the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing 11, and the second sealing material 22 has a recess 22D in the portion of the first sealing material 21 that faces the lip portion 21Rb, into which the base end portion 21Ra of the lip portion 21Rb fits.

[0083] According to this, the seal body S can be integrated with the first seal material 21 by fitting the base end portion 21Ra into the recess 22D of the second seal material 22 while the lip portion 21Rb of the first seal material 21 is in contact with the inner wall surface 11s of the valve housing portion 11.

[0084] (4) In the rotary valve 2 of (1), it is preferable that the second sealing material 22 has an engaging piece 22T at at least one end in the direction along the axis X, and the inner wall surface 11s has an engaging recess 11T that engages with the engaging piece 22T.

[0085] According to this, when using the second sealing material 22, the circumferential position of the valve housing 11 is determined by engaging the engagement pieces 22T formed on each with the engagement recesses 11T of the valve housing 11. Furthermore, since the second sealing material 22 is in an overlapping positional relationship with the first sealing material 21, the position of the first sealing material 21 relative to the valve housing 11 can also be properly maintained. [Industrial applicability]

[0086] This bracket can be used in rotary valves. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 2: Rotary valve, 10: Housing, 11: Valve housing, 11a: First flow path opening, 11s: Inner wall surface, 11T: Engaging recess, 12: Rotor, 12s: Outer wall surface, 12c: Second flow path opening, 21: First seal material, 21a: First seal opening, 21Ra: Base end, 21Rb: Lip portion, 22: Second seal material, 22a: Second seal opening, 22D: Recess, 22P: Piece, 22T: Engaging piece, S: Seal body, X: Axis core

Claims

1. A housing formed with a cylindrical valve housing centered on the axis, A rotor housed in the valve housing so as to be rotatable around the aforementioned axis, It has a seal body disposed between the inner wall surface of the valve housing and the outer wall surface of the rotor, Multiple first flow channel openings are formed on the inner wall surface, and multiple second flow channel openings that can communicate with the first flow channel openings are formed on the outer wall surface. The seal body has a structure in which a first seal material having a first seal opening that communicates with a plurality of first flow path openings and is positioned in contact with the inner wall surface and a second seal material having a second seal opening that overlaps the first seal opening and is positioned in contact with the outer wall surface of the rotor are stacked on top of each other. The second sealing material is divided into a plurality of pieces in the circumferential direction centered on the axis, A rotary valve in which each of the aforementioned pieces is immovably supported with respect to the inner wall surface.

2. Multiple first flow channel openings are formed on the inner wall surface in a direction along the axis, Multiple of the second flow channel openings are formed on the outer wall surface in a direction along the axis, The rotary valve according to claim 1, wherein the piece has a plurality of second seal openings arranged in a direction along the axis such that they overlap the plurality of first flow path openings.

3. The first sealing material has a lip portion at the edge of the first sealing opening that contacts the inner wall surface of the valve housing, The rotary valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second sealing material has a recess in the portion of the first sealing material facing the lip portion into which the base end of the lip portion fits.

4. The rotary valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second sealing material has an engaging piece at at least one end in the direction along the axis, and the inner wall surface has an engaging recess that engages with the engaging piece.

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