Three-way valve

Abstract

Provided is a three-way valve that makes it possible to reduce component costs, facilitate assembly, and minimize the valve sliding angle. The present invention is a three-way valve including a first port 10 and a second port 11 and a third port 12 provided orthogonal to the axis of the first port 10 and facing each other on the same axis, in which a disc 7 mounted to a shaft 6 and comprising a first seal section 7b and a second seal section 7c extending in a direction symmetrical to the center line of the axis of rotation of the shaft 6 rotates together with the shaft 6 within a valve chamber 16 and switches a flow path, and wherein a body 2 is provided with a body opening section 2a whereby it is possible to insert the disc 7 and the shaft 6 mounted to a disc pressing element 5 into the valve chamber 16 within the body 2, and said three-way valve is configured so that assembly is performed by inserting the shaft 6 and the disc 7 while mounted to the disc pressing element 5 from the body opening section 2a, mounting these components within the valve chamber 16, and sealing the body opening section 2a by means of the disc pressing element 5.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this application relates to a three-way valve that switches a fluid flow path. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a three-way valve for switching a fluid flow path has been disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a three-way valve that employs a ball valve in which a motor is attached to a casing with three ports and the flow path is switched by controlling the rotational position of a ball built into the casing with the motor (see Figure 8 of Patent Document 1).

[0004] The three-way valve disclosed in Patent Document 1 has openings inside a casing that communicate with the flow paths of each port, and a ball accommodating chamber that accommodates a ball with a valve hole for switching the flow paths, and a seat ring that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the ball to non-communicate between the openings is incorporated into the opening edge of each opening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-44354 A DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the three-way valve using the ball valve disclosed in Patent Document 1, a seat ring or O-ring is installed in each opening that communicates with the flow path of each port, so the number of components tends to increase, and it is difficult to suppress the cost of components. In addition, since a seat ring or O-ring is assembled in each opening, it is necessary to assemble from at least three directions, and there is also a problem that it is difficult to suppress the assembly labor. Furthermore, when switching the flow path, the ball needs to be rotated 90 degrees. Therefore, the sliding angle of the ball becomes large, and the seat ring that contacts the ball is easily worn out.

[0007] The technology disclosed in the present application has been proposed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a three-way valve that can reduce component costs, facilitate assembly, and suppress the sliding angle of the valve. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a three-way valve according to claim 1 is a three-way valve having a first port and two ports (second and third ports) that are perpendicular to the axis of the first port and are provided coaxially opposite to each other, the three-way valve comprising a body in which flow paths of the ports and a valve chest in which openings that individually communicate with the flow paths are formed, a shaft that is supported by the body so as to be rotatable about its own axis and extends in the radial direction of the flow paths, and a valve chamber that is assembled to the shaft and rotates together with the shaft. the valve body includes a valve element that moves, a first valve seat provided in an opening communicating with the flow path of the second port on which the valve element sits, a second valve seat provided in an opening communicating with the flow path of the third port on which the valve element sits, and a drive unit that rotates the shaft by energization, the valve element includes a first seal portion having a seal member that sits on the first valve seat and a second seal portion having a seal member that sits on the second valve seat, the first seal portion extending in a direction symmetrical with respect to a center line passing through the rotation axis of the shaft, and , take The valve body is inserted through the mounting opening in a state where the shaft and the valve body are assembled to the valve body holder. It is possibleThe first valve seat and the second valve seat are formed from a lower valve seat formed on the inner surface of the body and an upper valve seat formed in the valve disc holder, and the lower valve seat and the upper valve seat abut against each other to function as valve seats by assembling the valve disc holder into the mounting opening of the body.

[0009] A three-way valve according to claim 2 is the three-way valve according to claim 1, wherein an inner circumferential surface connecting an opening communicating with a flow passage of the first port and an opening communicating with a flow passage of the second port is formed in a sloped shape along an arc along which an outer circumferential end of the rotating valve element moves, and an inner circumferential surface connecting an opening communicating with a flow passage of the first port and an opening communicating with a flow passage of the third port is also formed in a sloped shape along an arc along which an outer circumferential end of the rotating valve element moves, and the first valve seat is formed in a sloped shape along the inner circumferential surface connecting an opening communicating with a flow passage of the first port and an opening communicating with a flow passage of the second port. In shape The second valve seat is formed with an inner peripheral surface having a sloped surface connecting an opening communicating with the flow passage of the first port and an opening communicating with the flow passage of the third port. In shape The present invention is characterized in that it is made.

[0011] Claim 3 The three-way valve according to claim 1 Or claim 2 In the three-way valve described above, the sealing members of the first and second sealing portions of the valve body are O-rings, and the outer peripheries of each of the first and second sealing portions are provided with a groove into which the O-ring fits so that the O-ring can be attached and detached. Effect of the Invention

[0012] In the three-way valve according to claim 1, the valve body, which includes a first seal portion having a seal member on the valve body retainer and a second seal portion having a seal member seated on the second valve seat, and the shaft can be assembled into a valve chamber formed in the body through an attachment opening of the body, so that the three-way valve can be assembled from one direction. This makes assembly easier and reduces the number of assembly steps. In addition, since the seal member is provided on the valve body, it is not necessary to incorporate a seat ring, O-ring, etc., for each opening of the valve chamber as in Patent Document 1. This reduces the number of parts and the part costs. In addition, by dividing the first and second valve seats into a lower valve seat formed on the inner circumferential surface of the body and an upper valve seat formed on the valve disc retainer, the lower valve seat can be molded integrally with the body, and the upper valve seat can also be molded integrally with the valve disc retainer, eliminating the need to machine and form the valve seats, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0013] In the three-way valve according to claim 2, the first valve seat and the second valve seat on which the valve body sits are formed on an inner circumferential surface formed in a sloping shape connecting an opening communicating with the flow passage of the first port to an opening communicating with the flow passage of the second port, and on an inner circumferential surface formed in a sloping shape connecting an opening communicating with the flow passage of the first port to an opening communicating with the flow passage of the third port, thereby making it possible to suppress the sliding angle by which the valve body rotates to sit on the first valve seat or the second valve seat, and thus making it possible to suppress wear of the seal member.

[0015] Claim 3 In the three-way valve according to the present invention, if the sealing member becomes worn, maintenance can be performed simply by replacing the O-ring, so that maintenance can be easily performed. In addition, since a general-purpose O-ring can be used, the cost of parts can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are external views of a three-way valve according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a top view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view of the front view as seen from the right. [Diagram 2] 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. [Diagram 3] 4A is a front view of a body according to the present invention, FIG. 4B is a side view of the front view seen from the right, FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. [Figure 4] 1A is a top view of a disc presser according to the present invention, FIG. 1B is a front view, FIG. 1C is a bottom view, and FIG. [Diagram 5] 1A is a top view, FIG. 1B is a front view, and FIG. 1C is a bottom view of a shaft according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 1A is a top view of a disk according to the present invention, FIG. 1B is a front view, FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 1D is a side view of the front view seen from the right side. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how the disk holder is attached to the body to form the valve seat. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of attaching a shaft and a disk to the disk holder. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of how the disc holder with the shaft and disc attached is assembled into the body. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing how to attach a drive unit (motor) to a body to which a disk holder having a shaft and a disk is attached. [Figure 11] 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of switching flow paths by rotating a disk. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] First, a three-way valve 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an external view of a three-way valve 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 (A) is a top view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view of the front view seen from the right.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the three-way valve 1 is composed of a body 2 in which a valve body for switching flow paths is built in, and a drive unit 3 composed of a stepping motor, gears, etc. The body 2 is provided with a first port 10, and a second port 11 and a third port 12 that are perpendicular to the axis of the first port 10 and are provided coaxially opposite each other. The drive unit 3 is attached to the body 2 by mounting screws 9, 9 via a bracket 4. In the three-way valve 1 of this embodiment, the second port 11 and the third port 12 are inflow ports into which fluids such as water or hot and cold water flow in, and the first port 10 is an outflow port. In addition, as described above, the drive unit 3 of the three-way valve 1 of this embodiment employs a stepping motor, but other motors can also be employed. Here, whether each port is an inflow port or an outflow port is arbitrary and is set according to the purpose of use.

[0019] 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1. Inside the body 2, a first passage 13 of the first port 10, a second passage 14 of the second port 11, and a third passage 15 of the third port 12 are provided. A valve chamber 16 is provided between the second passage 14 and the third passage 15, and a disk 7 assembled to the shaft 6 is disposed therein. O-rings 17 and 18 are attached to the disk 7, and the disk 7 to which the O-rings 17 and 18 are attached functions as a valve body for switching the passages. The shaft 6 is disposed in the valve chamber 16 so as to extend in the radial direction of the second passage 14 of the second port 11 and the third passage 15 of the third port 12, which are coaxially disposed, and is supported by the body 2, the disk holder 5, and the bracket 4 in a state in which it can rotate about its own axis. The shaft 6 is kept sealed between itself and the disc retainer 5 by an O-ring 19, and the disc retainer 5 is kept sealed between itself and the body 2 by an O-ring 22. That is, the valve chamber 16 of the body 2 is kept sealed from the outside via the disc retainer 5 by the O-ring 19 and the O-ring 22. One end (upper end) 6A of the shaft 6 is connected to the drive unit 3, and the other opposing end (lower end) 6B is rotatably supported at the bottom of the valve chamber 16, and is driven to rotate together with the disc 7 by the drive unit 3.

[0020] The valve chamber 16 is formed with a first opening 13A opening to the first flow passage 13 of the first port 10, a second opening 14A opening to the second flow passage 14 of the second port 11, and a third opening 15A opening to the third flow passage 15 of the third port 12. The second opening 14A is provided with a first valve seat 20 on which an O-ring 17 attached to the disk 7 is seated, and the third opening 15A is provided with a second valve seat 21 on which an O-ring 18 attached to the disk 7 is seated.

[0021] By rotating the disk 7 together with the shaft 6 by the drive unit 3, the O-ring 17 attached to the disk 7 is seated on the first valve seat 20 to close the second opening 14A, thereby connecting the first flow path 13 of the first port 10 and the third flow path 15 of the third port 12. By rotating the disk 7 in the opposite direction, the O-ring 18 attached to the disk 7 is seated on the second valve seat 21 to close the third opening 15A, thereby connecting the first flow path 13 of the first port 10 and the second flow path 14 of the second port 11. Thus, the three-way valve 1 can switch the flow paths.

[0022] Here, each component constituting the three-way valve 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows the body 2, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view of the front view seen from the right, (C) is an AA cross-sectional view of (B), and (D) is a BB cross-sectional view of (A).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3A, the body 2 is provided with the first port 10, and the second port 11 and the third port 12, which are perpendicular to the axis of the first port 10 and are provided coaxially opposite to each other. The valve chamber 16 is provided inside the body 2 where the first port 10 intersects with the second port 11 and the third port 12, as described above. As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, the body opening 2a is provided above the valve chamber 16 (in the direction in which the drive unit 3 is attached and perpendicular to the axes of the first port 10, the second port 11 and the third port 12). As shown in FIG. 3D, the first body opening 2b, which fits with the outer circumferential surface of the disc holder 5, and the cylindrical second body opening 2c, which has a diameter slightly smaller than that of the first body opening 2b and in which an O-ring 22 is housed, are provided continuously inside the body opening 2a. The diameter of the second body opening 2c is set to such an extent that the shaft 6 and disc 7 can be inserted into the valve chamber 16 while assembled to the disc holder 5, as described below. This allows the shaft 6 and disc 7 assembled to the disc holder 5 to be assembled into the valve chamber 16 via the first body opening 2b and the second body opening 2c, as described below. Also, by assembling the disc holder 5 to the first body opening 2b via an O-ring 22, the first body opening 2b is sealed and a sealed state from the outside can be maintained.

[0025] Further, on the upper end surface of the body opening 2a, there are provided mounting screw holes 2g, 2g with female threads that mate with the male threads of mounting screws 9, 9 for assembling the drive unit 3 to the body 2.

[0026] 3(C), a first passage 13 is provided inside the first port 10, a second passage 14 is provided inside the second port 11, and a third passage 15 is provided inside the third port 12. A first opening 13A opening to the first passage 13, a second opening 14A opening to the second passage 14, and a third opening 15A opening to the third passage 15 are formed in the valve chest 16. A first valve seat lower part 2d forming a first valve seat 20 is provided in the second opening 14A, and a second valve seat lower part 2e forming a second valve seat 21 is provided in the third opening 15A. As shown in Fig. 3(D), the first valve lower seat 2d and the second valve lower seat 2e have a shape with an approximately semicircular arc cut out on the side toward the body opening 2a, and the diameter of the arc of the first valve lower seat 2d is set to match the inner diameter of the O-ring 17 on which it is seated, and the diameter of the arc of the second valve lower seat 2e is set to match the inner diameter of the O-ring 18 on which it is seated. Also, the first valve lower seat 2d and the second valve lower seat 2e are formed in an inverted V shape widening toward the first port 10, as shown in Fig. 3(C), so that when the disk 7 rotates, the O-ring 17 seats on the first valve lower seat 2d, or the O-ring 18 seats on the second valve lower seat 2e, respectively.

[0027] In addition, a shaft support groove 2f for rotatably supporting the lower end 6B of the shaft 6 is provided in the bottom of the valve chamber 16 on the opposite side opposite to the body opening 2a. The shaft support groove 2f is located on the central axis of the first flow passage 13 of the first port 10 and slightly on the opposite side of the first port 10 from the central axes of the second flow passage 14 and the third flow passage 15 of the coaxial second port 11 and the third port 12.

[0028] 3C, in the valve chamber 16, the inner circumferential surface connecting the first opening 13A of the first passage 13 and the second opening 14A of the second passage 14 and the inner circumferential surface connecting the first opening 13A of the first passage 13 and the third opening 15A of the third passage 15 are formed in a sloped shape along the arc along which the outer circumferential end of the rotating disk 7 moves, and the first valve seat lower part 2d and the second valve seat lower part 2e are provided on these sloped inner circumferential surfaces. By providing the first valve seat lower part 2d and the second valve seat lower part 2e in this manner, the first valve seat 20 on which the O-ring 17 sits and the second valve seat 21 on which the O-ring 18 sits are provided on the sloped inner circumferential surfaces, and as described below, the sliding angle of the rotation of the disk 7 functioning as a valve body can be reduced.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows the disc presser 5, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a front view, (C) is a bottom view, and (D) is a side view of the top view seen from the right.

[0030] As shown in the front view of Fig. 4B, the disc holder 5 is composed of a substantially cylindrical disc holder upper part 5a having disc holder recesses 5g, 5g at positions on the side symmetrical with respect to the center, which fits with the first body opening 2b of the body 2, a cylindrical ring holder part 5b which is inserted into the second body opening 2c of the body 2 with the O-ring 22 attached, and a first valve seat upper part 5e and a second valve seat lower part 5f which are formed in a shape with a substantially semicircular arc cut out at the bottom of the figure, as shown in Fig. 4D, and whose lower end faces come into contact with the upper end faces of the first valve seat lower part 2d and the second valve seat lower part 2e of the body 2 when assembled to form the first valve seat 20 and the second valve seat 21. The disc holder recesses 5g, 5g on the side of the disc holder upper part 5a are adapted to fit with the protrusions formed on the inner surface of the first body opening 2b of the body 2. This prevents the disc holder 5 from rotating when it is attached to the body 2, and as described below, when the disc holder 5 is attached to the body 2, the lower end faces of the first valve seat upper part 5e and the second valve seat lower part 5f of the disc holder 5 are held in coincident contact with the upper end faces of the first valve seat lower part 2d and the second valve seat lower part 2e of the body 2.

[0031] In addition, the disc holding upper part 5a is provided with a cylindrical support part opening 5c ​​that opens in the vertical direction and fits into the shaft support part 6c of the shaft 6 described below, and a cylindrical ring opening 5d that opens in the vertical direction is provided continuous with the support part opening 5c ​​from the center of the disc holding upper part 5a to the ring holding part 5b, allowing the O-ring 19 to be stored in a fitted state in the shaft recess 6d of the shaft 6.

[0032] 5 is a diagram showing the shaft 6, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a bottom view. As shown in (B) of FIG. 5, the shaft 6 is composed of a shaft arrangement part 6a for aligning the inside of the driving part 3 with the shaft 6 by D-cutting the side of the cylindrical shape, a shaft gear part 6b for fitting with the gear of the driving part 3, a cylindrical shaft support part 6c, a shaft recess 6d for fitting an O-ring 19, a cylindrical shaft support lower part 6f, a pentagonal prism-shaped shaft shaft part 6g, and a cylindrical shaft end part 6h (shaft lower end part 6B) whose end part is a truncated cone shape. Here, the shaft arrangement part 6a and the shaft gear part 6b inserted into the driving part 3 form the above-mentioned shaft upper end part 6A.

[0033] 6 is a diagram showing the disk 7, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a front view, (C) is an AA cross-sectional view of the top view of (A), and (D) is a side view of the front view seen from the right side. As shown in (B) of FIG. 6, the disk 7 has a disk main body 7a at its center and a disk extending in a direction symmetrical with respect to a center line OL of the disk main body 7a. do Formed 、The disk body 7a is formed of a first seal portion 7b having a groove for detachably mounting an O-ring 17 and a second seal portion 7c having a groove for detachably mounting an O-ring 18. As shown in FIG. 6A, the disk body 7a is formed with a disk through hole 7d that fits with the shaft 6g of the shaft 6 and through which the shaft 6g penetrates the disk 7 in the vertical direction of the drawing, and a lightening hole 7e that penetrates the disk 7 similarly to the disk through hole 7d and prevents deformation during molding. As shown in FIG. 6D, the side surfaces of the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c are substantially circular, and the inner diameter of the groove of the first seal portion 7b is set to a size such that the inserted O-ring 17 is seated on the first valve seat 20, and the inner diameter of the groove of the second seal portion 7c is set to a size such that the inserted O-ring 18 is seated on the first valve seat 21. In addition, the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c are formed in an inverted V shape expanding symmetrically toward the top of the figure, as shown in Figure 6 (B), so that when the disk 7 rotates and the O-ring 17 seats on the first valve seat 20 and the O-ring 18 seats on the first valve seat 21, the O-ring 17 and the O-ring 18 uniformly abut against the first valve seat 20 and the first valve seat 21, respectively, over their entire circumference.

[0034] 7 is an explanatory diagram for forming a valve seat by assembling the disc holder 5 to the body 2. As described above, the first valve seat 20 and the first valve seat 21 are formed by the first valve seat lower portion 2d and the second valve seat lower portion 2e formed in the body 2 and the first valve seat upper portion 5e and the second valve seat lower portion 5f formed in the disc holder 5. It is not necessarily necessary to form the first valve seat 20 and the first valve seat 21 separately, as in this embodiment, but it is difficult to manufacture the body 2 and the disc holder 5 by die molding without dividing the first valve seat 20 and the first valve seat 21 as a single unit. In the three-way valve 1 of this embodiment, in order to mold the body 2 and the disk holder 5, the first valve seat 20 and the first valve seat 21 are divided into the first valve seat lower portion 2d and the second valve seat lower portion 2e formed in the body 2 and the first valve seat upper portion 5e and the second valve seat lower portion 5f formed in the disk holder 5, and the disk holder 5 is assembled to the body 2 as shown in Fig. 7A, and the first valve seat 20 and the first valve seat 21 are formed by abutting the upper end surfaces of the first valve seat lower portion 2d and the second valve seat lower portion 2e formed in the body 2 with the lower end surfaces of the first valve seat upper portion 5e and the second valve seat lower portion 5f formed in the disk holder 5 as shown in Fig. 7B. As a result, when the body 2 and the disk holder 5 are manufactured by molding, the first valve seat 20 and the first valve seat 21 can also be formed by molding at the same time, and the cost of parts can be significantly reduced.

[0035] Next, the procedure for assembling the three-way valve 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0036] 8 is an explanatory diagram of how the shaft 6 and the disk 7 are attached to the disk holder 5. First, as shown by the arrow (1) in FIG. 8, the shaft 6 with the O-ring 19 fitted in the shaft recess 6d is inserted into the support opening 5c ​​and the ring opening 5d of the disk holder 5 from above, and the shaft shaft 6g and the shaft end 6h of the shaft 6 are inserted through the support opening 5c ​​and the ring opening 5d of the disk holder 5. Next, as shown by the arrow (2) in FIG. 8, the disk 7 with the O-ring 17 and the O-ring 18 fitted in it is assembled from below, and the shaft shaft 6g and the shaft end 6h of the shaft 6 that has passed through the disk holder 5 are inserted through the disk through hole 7d of the disk 7. In this way, the shaft 6 and the disk 7 are attached to the disk holder 5.

[0037] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of how the disk holder 5, to which the shaft 6 and disk 7 are attached, is assembled into the body 2. As shown by arrow (1) in Figure 9, an O-ring 22 is fitted into the ring holder portion 5b of the disk holder 5, to which the shaft 6 and disk 7 are attached, and then, as shown by arrow (2) in Figure 9, the shaft 6 and disk 7 can be assembled into the valve chamber 16 of the body 2 from the first body opening 2b of the body 2.

[0038] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of mounting the driving unit 3 to the body 2 to which the disk presser 5 with the shaft 6 and the disk 7 attached is attached. First, the bracket 4 is mounted on the body 2. The bracket 4 has a shaft through hole 4a at the center thereof through which the shaft upper end 6A of the shaft 6 passes, pin through holes 4c, 4c at the inner periphery thereof that fit with the positioning pins 3c, 3c provided at the lower end of the driving unit 3, and bracket screw holes 4b, 4b through which the mounting screws 9, 9 pass, at the outer periphery thereof. As shown by the arrow (1) in FIG. 10, the bracket 4 is mounted on the body 2 so that the bracket screw holes 4b, 4b and the mounting screw holes 2g, 2g of the body 2 are aligned with the shaft through hole 4a of the bracket 4. Then, as shown by the arrow (2) in FIG. 10, the driving unit 3 is mounted from above. The drive unit 3 is provided with a drive unit gear portion 3a that fits into the shaft upper end portion 6A, the above-mentioned positioning pins 3c, 3c, and drive unit screw holes 3b, 3b through which the mounting screws 9, 9 pass. After the shaft upper end portion 6A of the shaft 6 is inserted into the drive unit gear portion 3a of the drive unit 3, the positioning pins 3c, 3c of the drive unit 3 are inserted into the pin through holes 4c, 4c of the bracket 4 to install the drive unit 3 in the body 2, and the drive unit screw holes 3b, 3b are aligned with the mounting screw holes 2g, 2g of the body 2 in the same manner as the bracket screw holes 4b, 4b. Then, the mounting screws 9, 9 (not shown) are inserted from above the drawing through the drive unit screw holes 3b, 3b and the bracket screw holes 4b, 4b and inserted into the mounting screw holes 2g, 2g of the body 2. The drive unit 3 is then assembled to the body 2 via the bracket 4 using a screwdriver (not shown) or the like, and the three-way valve 1 is assembled.

[0039] As described above, all parts of the three-way valve 1 can be assembled to the body 2 from one direction (from above in the drawing in the above explanation), making assembly easy and reducing the number of assembly steps. In addition, the seal member (O-ring) arranged in the valve chamber 16 of the body 2 can be attached to the disk 7, eliminating the need to install it at each opening as in Patent Document 1, thereby reducing the number of parts and thereby reducing the parts costs.

[0040] Next, the operation of the three-way valve 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0041] Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of switching the flow paths by rotating the disk 7. Fig. 11(A) shows a state in which all the flow paths are connected. When the center line of the disk 7 is on the axis of the first flow path 13 of the first port 10 as in Fig. 11(A), the first flow path 13 of the first port 10 communicates with the second flow path 14 of the second port 11 and the third flow path 15 of the third port 12, so that the fluid flowing in from the second port 11 and the fluid flowing in from the third port 12 mix and flow out from the first port 10.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 11B, when the drive unit 3 rotates the disk 7 to the left side in the drawing so that the O-ring 17 attached to the disk 7 is seated on the first valve seat 20, the first flow path 13 of the first port 10 and the second flow path 14 of the second port 11 are closed, and the first flow path 13 of the first port 10 and the third flow path 15 of the third port 12 are connected, so that only the fluid flowing in from the third port 12 flows out from the first port 10. Also, as shown in Fig. 11C, when the drive unit 3 rotates the disk 7 to the right side in the drawing so that the O-ring 18 attached to the disk 7 is seated on the second valve seat 21, the first flow path 13 of the first port 10 and the third flow path 15 of the third port 12 are closed, and the first flow path 13 of the first port 10 and the second flow path 14 of the second port 11 are connected, so that only the fluid flowing in from the second port 11 flows out from the first port 10. In this manner, the three-way valve 1 can switch the flow path.

[0043] As described above, the first valve seat 20 and the second valve seat 21 are disposed on the inclined surface connecting the first opening 13A of the first flow passage 13 and the second opening 14A of the second flow passage 14, and on the inclined surface connecting the first opening 13A of the first flow passage 13 and the third opening 15A of the third flow passage 15, respectively. As shown in FIG. 11B and FIG. 11C, in the three-way valve 1 of this embodiment, the sliding angle of each of the disks 7 is 22 degrees, and the maximum sliding angle can be suppressed to 44 degrees. This makes it possible to suppress wear (due to the sliding of the disk 7) of the O-rings 17 and 18, which are the seat members. Furthermore, by adopting the O-rings 17 and 18 as the seat members, even if the O-rings 17 and 18 wear, maintenance can be performed by simply replacing the O-rings, so maintenance can be easily performed, and since general-purpose O-rings can be used, the parts cost can be reduced.

[0044] Here, the three-way valve 1 is an example of a three-way valve, the first port 10 is an example of a first port, the second port 11 is an example of a second port, the third port 12 is an example of a third port, the first flow path 13, the second flow path 14, and the third flow path 15 are examples of flow paths of each port, the first opening 13A, the second opening 14A, and the third opening 15A are examples of openings that are individually connected to each other, the valve chest 16 is an example of a valve chest, the body 2 is an example of a body, and the shaft 6 is an example of a valve chest. is an example of a shaft, the disk 7 is an example of a valve body, the first valve seat 20 is an example of a first valve seat, the second valve seat 21 is an example of a second valve seat, the drive part 3 is an example of a drive part, the O-ring 17 and the O-ring 18 are examples of sealing members, the first seal part 7b is an example of a first seal part, the second seal part 7c is an example of a second seal part, the body opening 2a is an example of an installation opening, and the disk retainer 5 is an example of a valve body retainer.

[0045] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely examples, and the present invention should not be construed in any way as being limited by the specific descriptions in the embodiments. It should be understood that the present invention can be embodied in various forms that include various changes, modifications, improvements, etc. based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and that all such embodiments are included within the scope of the present invention as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present invention.

[0046] For example, in the three-way valve 1 according to the above embodiment, the first valve seat 20 is provided at the second opening 14A of the second flow passage 14, and the second valve seat 21 is provided at the third opening 15A of the third flow passage 15, in order to seat the O-rings 17 and 18, which are sealing members, on the first valve seat 20 or the second valve seat 21 with a uniform force over the entire circumference when seated, thereby allowing the O-rings 17 and 18 to seat on the first valve seat 20 or the second valve seat 21 without any gaps. However, if some gaps do not pose a problem, it is not necessary to provide the first valve seat 20 or the second valve seat 21, and for example, the second opening 14A of the second flow passage 14 and the third opening 15A of the third flow passage 15 may be used as valve seats, and the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c may be formed along the inner circumferential surfaces of the openings. In this case, since there is no need to provide a separate valve seat as in the three-way valve 1, the structure is simplified and the manufacturing costs can be reduced accordingly.

[0047] In the three-way valve 1 according to the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6B, the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c of the disk 7 are formed in an inverted V shape that expands symmetrically toward the top of the drawing with respect to the center line OL of the disk 7, but this is because the O-rings 17 and 18 are used as the seal members. In order to attach the O-rings 17 and 18, the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c need to have a certain thickness, and in order to position the center line OL of the disk 7 on the axis of the first flow passage 13 of the first port and to communicate the first flow passage 13 of the first port 10 with the second flow passage 14 of the second port 11 and the third flow passage 15 of the third port 12, the disk 7 needs to be shaped to narrow toward the first flow passage 13 of the first port 10 to ensure the communicating flow passages. Therefore, as described above, the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c of the disk 7 are formed in an inverted V shape that spreads symmetrically toward the top of the drawing with respect to the center line OL of the disk 7, but the shapes of the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c are not limited to this. For example, if the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c are entirely made of an elastic material to reduce the thickness of the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c, the first seal portion 7b and the second seal portion 7c can be arranged parallel to the center line OL of the disk 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Three-way valve 2. Body 3. Drive unit 4. Bracket 5··Disc holder 6. Shaft 7··Disc 9··Mounting screws 10. First port 11. Second port 12. Third port 13. First flow path 13A 1st opening 14 Second flow path 14A Second opening 15 Third flow path 15A...Third opening 16. Valve chamber 17, 18, 19, 22 O-ring 20, 21 Valve seat

Claims

1. A three-way valve having a first port and two ports (a second port and a third port) that are perpendicular to an axis of the first port and are provided coaxially opposite to each other, a body in which a valve chamber is formed in which passages of the ports and openings each communicating with the passages are formed; a shaft supported by the body so as to be rotatable about its own axis and extending in a radial direction of the flow passage; a valve body that is disposed in the valve chamber in a state where it is assembled to the shaft and that rotates together with the shaft; a first valve seat on which the valve body is seated, the first valve seat being provided in the opening communicating with the flow passage of the second port; a second valve seat on which the valve body is seated, the second valve seat being provided in the opening communicating with the flow passage of the third port; a drive unit that rotates the shaft by energization, the valve body includes a first seal portion having a seal member seated on the first valve seat and a second seal portion having a seal member seated on the second valve seat, the first seal portion extending in directions symmetrical with respect to a center line passing through a rotation axis of the shaft; The valve chamber of the body is provided with an attachment opening, and is provided with a valve body retainer that closes the attachment opening, The shaft and the valve body can be inserted through the mounting opening in a state where the shaft and the valve body are assembled to the valve body holder, a valve member that is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the body and an upper valve seat that is provided on the valve member retainer, and the lower valve seat and the upper valve seat come into contact with each other to function as valve seats by assembling the valve member retainer into the mounting opening of the body.

2. an inner circumferential surface connecting the opening communicating with the flow passage of the first port and the opening communicating with the flow passage of the second port is formed in a sloped shape along an arc along which an outer circumferential end of the rotating valve body moves, and an inner circumferential surface connecting the opening communicating with the flow passage of the first port and the opening communicating with the flow passage of the third port is also formed in a sloped shape along an arc along which an outer circumferential end of the rotating valve body moves, the first valve seat is formed on the inclined inner circumferential surface where the opening communicating with the flow passage of the first port and the opening communicating with the flow passage of the second port are connected, 2. The three-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the second valve seat is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the sloped surface that connects the opening communicating with the flow passage of the first port and the opening communicating with the flow passage of the third port.

3. 3. The three-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the sealing members of the first seal portion and the second seal portion of the valve body are O-rings, and the outer periphery of each of the first seal portion and the second seal portion is provided with a groove into which the O-ring fits so that the O-ring can be removed.

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