Fluid Control Valve

Abstract

An electric throttle valve 10 provided with a valve body 16 comprising an accommodating space 19 in the inside thereof and having an opening 25 that faces the accommodating space 19, a cover 11 that is fixed to the valve body and covers the opening 25, and an electric motor 12 and a sensor 60 that are installed in the accommodating space 19, the cover 11 being provided with a connector 30 for connecting wiring between the electric motor 12 or the sensor 60 and the outside, and the connector 30 being installed in a desired orientation with respect to the cover 11 and being fixed to the cover 11.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention is a device having an electric device built therein. Fluid Control Valve Regarding the structure of. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, electric throttle valves have been widely adopted in recent years for throttle valves that control the amount of intake air for internal combustion engines mounted on automobiles. Most electric throttle valves have an electric motor, a reduction mechanism, and a throttle valve built into the body.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of an electric throttle valve. In the electric throttle valve disclosed in Patent Document 1, one side of the body is open, and the drive shaft of the electric motor and the drive shaft of the valve are arranged substantially parallel to the opening direction of the opening. In addition, a reduction mechanism that changes the speed of the rotation of the drive shaft of the electric motor and transmits it to the drive shaft of the valve is arranged so as to face the opening of the body. The opening of the body is covered with a cover to form a sealed structure.

[0004] Furthermore, the cover is provided with a connector that connects the wiring connected to the internal devices such as the electric motor to the outside. In Patent Document 1, the connector is disposed in a position close to the motor gear fixed to the drive shaft of the electric motor. Also, the connector is disposed outside the cover facing the side of the body so that the wiring extends in a direction perpendicular to the drive shaft of the electric motor. This makes it possible to reduce the overall dimension of the electric throttle valve in the drive shaft direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5212488 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An electric throttle valve is installed in a place with limited mounting space, such as the engine compartment of an automobile, and there are many cases where not only the installation direction of the electric throttle valve but also the direction in which the wiring extends from the electric throttle valve is restricted. For example, in an electric throttle valve configured such that the wiring extends toward the side of the body as in Patent Document 1, depending on the installation target, an electric throttle valve in which the direction in which the wiring connected to the connector extends may be required, even if the configuration is the same except for the connector.

[0007] Therefore, the number of types of parts required to manufacture electric throttle valves in which only the orientation of the connector differs increases, posing a problem of complication of parts management.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a method for connecting a connector having a different orientation. Fluid Control Valve It is possible to manufacture these products using common parts. Fluid Control Valve The purpose of this invention is to provide [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention Fluid Control Valve teeth, A fluid control valve comprising: a valve body having a fluid passage; a valve for adjusting a flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid passage; an electric motor for driving the valve; and a cover fixed to cover an opening of the valve body and forming an accommodation space between the valve body and the cover, the cover including an electric device including a sensor for detecting a state of the electric motor and the valve and installed in the accommodation space, the cover having a connector installation portion for installing a connector for connecting a power supply line from the outside to the electric motor, The connector is oriented in a desired direction relative to the cover. The connector installation section Installed in By welding Fixed to the cover Will be It is characterized by:

[0010] Preferably, the connector is fixed to the outside of the cover, the cover has an opening at the fixed position of the connector that communicates with the storage space, and the connector fixed to the cover has a connector side terminal that is exposed from the opening to the storage space and is wired to the electrical equipment.

[0011] Preferably, the connector terminals are linearly exposed from the opening.

[0012] Preferably, the connector includes a plurality of connector-side terminals that are exposed from the opening and extend parallel to one another.

[0013] Preferably, the cover is provided with a cover side terminal that is installed adjacent to the connector side terminal of the connector fixed to the cover and connected to the electrical equipment, and the connector side terminal and the cover side terminal are wired together. Effect of the Invention

[0015] The present invention Fluid Control Valve According to the article, you can change the connector orientation and cover Connector installation area Therefore, covers with different connector orientations can be manufactured using the same parts.

[0016] This allows factories to reduce parts inventory and reduce the space required to store parts, while allowing multiple types of connectors with different orientations to be manufactured. Fluid Control Valve It becomes possible to manufacture the following. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of an electric throttle valve according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the electric throttle valve according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of the electric throttle valve with the cover removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper part of the electric throttle valve. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the shape of the cover before the connector is attached. [Figure 6] 13 is a perspective view showing another manner of attaching the connector to the cover. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a structural diagram of the back side of the cover with the connector attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an electric throttle valve 10 ( Fluid Control Valve ) is a side view of the electric throttle valve 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view of the electric throttle valve 10 with the cover 11 removed. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper part of the electric throttle valve 10. Note that FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper part of the electric throttle valve 10 cut vertically, more specifically, parallel to the axial direction of a motor shaft 13 which is the drive shaft of an electric motor 12 (electrical equipment) which will be described later in detail. Note that hereinafter, the axial direction of the motor shaft 13 is taken as the up-down direction, and the left-right and front-rear directions shown in FIG. 1 are used for explanation.

[0020] An electric throttle valve 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a fluid control valve that controls the amount of intake air of an internal combustion engine mounted on, for example, an automobile.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the electric throttle valve 10 includes a valve body 16 (body member) in which an intake passage 15 (fluid passage) is formed, a valve 17 (valve element) that opens and closes the intake passage 15 to adjust the flow path cross-sectional area, and an electric motor 12 that drives the valve 17.

[0022] The valve body 16 has an upper body 21 in which an accommodation space 19 is formed to house the electric motor 12, and a lower body 22 in which an intake passage 15 is formed and in which a valve 17 is provided, and is configured such that the upper body 21 and the lower body 22 are fixed together by bolts 23.

[0023] An opening 25 is provided at the top of the upper body 21 so as to face the accommodation space 19 , and the opening 25 is covered by a cover 11 . Further, a sensor 60 (electrical device) that detects the state of the electric motor 12 and the electric throttle valve 10, such as a rotation angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of the valve shaft 35, is provided on the inner wall of the cover 11. The cover 11 is provided with wiring for supplying power to the electric motor 12 and a connector 30 for connecting wiring to the sensor 60 to the outside. The connector 30 is disposed on the upper part of the electric motor 12, facing toward the side of the valve body 16, i.e., perpendicular to the axial direction of the motor shaft 13.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, in the accommodation space 19 between the upper body 21 and the cover 11, a speed reduction mechanism 20 and the electric motor 12 are accommodated.

[0025] The motor shaft 13, which is the drive shaft of the electric motor 12, and the valve shaft 35, which drives the valve 17, extend in the vertical direction and are arranged parallel to each other at a distance. The upper ends of the motor shaft 13 and the valve shaft 35 are arranged to face through an opening 25 of the upper body 21. In other words, the opening 25 of the upper body 21 opens in the extension direction of the upper end of the motor shaft 13.

[0026] Between the motor shaft 13 and the valve shaft 35, an intermediate shaft 36 is provided which is fixed to the upper body 21 and the cover 11 and which extends in the vertical direction parallel to the motor shaft 13 and the valve shaft 35.

[0027] The reduction mechanism 20 is composed of a motor gear 37 (input gear) fixed to the upper end of the motor shaft 13, an intermediate shaft 36, an intermediate gear 38 rotatably supported on the intermediate shaft 36, and a valve gear 39 (output gear) fixed to the upper end of the valve shaft 35.

[0028] The intermediate gear 38 has a first intermediate gear 41 that meshes with the motor gear 37 and a second intermediate gear 42 that meshes with the valve gear 39, and the first intermediate gear 41 and the second intermediate gear 42 are integrally configured and aligned in the vertical direction, i.e., in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft 36.

[0029] The reduction gear mechanism 20 transmits the rotational driving force of the electric motor 12 from the motor shaft 13 through the motor gear 37, the first intermediate gear 41, the second intermediate gear 42, and the valve gear 39 to the valve shaft 35 while reducing the speed, thereby driving and rotating the valve 17 to open and close.

[0030] It should be noted that a return spring (not shown) is provided within the upper body 21. The return spring rotates the valve shaft 35 relative to the upper body 21, and biases the valve 17, for example, to a predetermined intermediate opening state. Therefore, when the electric motor 12 is stopped, the electric throttle valve 10 has the valve 17 in the predetermined intermediate opening state and is a normally open valve, and by operating the electric motor 12, the valve 17 is opened or closed from the predetermined intermediate opening.

[0031] In the electric throttle valve 10, of the intermediate gears 38, the first intermediate gear 41 is disposed close to the electric motor 12, and the second intermediate gear 42 is disposed on the cover 11 side. Therefore, the motor gear 37 is disposed in a position close to the electric motor 12 by aligning its axial position with the first intermediate gear 41, and the valve gear 39 is disposed in a position far from the valve 17 by aligning its axial position with the second intermediate gear 42.

[0032] The connector 30 is fixed to the upper part of the cover 11 and disposed above the motor gear 37 .

[0033] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing how the connector 30 is attached to the cover 11. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing another manner in which the connector 30 is attached to the cover 11.

[0034] 5, a portion of the cover 11 located above the motor gear 37 is provided with a connector installation portion 61, which is a base for installing the connector 30. The connector installation portion 61, which is the fixing position of the connector 30 in the cover 11, is provided with an opening 62 communicating with the accommodation space 19.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the connector 30 can be disposed in the connector installation portion 61 so as to face either forward or backward.

[0036] The cover 11 is made of a material that transmits laser light, and the connector 30 is made of a material that absorbs laser light. The connector 30 is placed in the connector installation section 61 facing either forward or backward with respect to the cover 11, and a laser device irradiates the connector installation section 61 with laser light from the rear surface (lower surface) of the cover 11, thereby welding the cover 11 and the connector 30 together.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a structural diagram of the rear surface (inner wall surface) of the cover 11 to which the connector 30 is attached.

[0038] 7, a plurality of sensor connection terminals 63 (cover side terminals) extending from the sides (front and rear) of the opening 62 toward the sensor 60 provided inside the cover 11 are fixed to the back surface of the connector installation portion 61 of the cover 11. The ends of the sensor connection terminals 63 on the sensor 60 side are connected to the sensor 60 by lead wires 64.

[0039] The underside of the connector 30 is provided with a plurality of connector side terminals 65 for connecting wiring to the electric motor 12 and the sensor 60. The connector terminals are formed in a line shape and arranged on the connector 30 in parallel with each other at intervals. When the connector 30 is installed on the connector installation section 61, the plurality of connector side terminals 65 are arranged so as to extend in the front-rear direction at intervals in the left-right direction and to be exposed from the opening 62. Therefore, at least a portion of the plurality of connector side terminals 65 is exposed from the opening 62 regardless of whether the connector 30 is arranged facing forward or backward with respect to the cover 11.

[0040] In addition, a motor connection terminal 66 (cover side terminal) extending downward from a position adjacent to the opening 62 is provided on the back surface (inner wall surface) of the connector installation portion 61 of the cover 11. The lower end portion of the motor connection terminal 66 is configured to be connected to the electric motor 12 when the cover 11 is attached to the valve body 16.

[0041] For each connector side terminal 65 exposed from the opening 62 , a lead wire 68 is connected to the end of the sensor connection terminal 63 , and a lead wire 67 is connected to the upper end of the motor connection terminal 66 .

[0042] When assembling the electric throttle valve 10, the connector 30 is placed in the connector installation portion 61 with the connector 30 facing in the desired direction in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the cover 11, and laser light is irradiated from the back surface (lower surface) of the cover 11 onto the connector installation portion 61 using a laser device or the like to weld the cover 11 and the connector 30 together.

[0043] Then, the sensor 60, the sensor connection terminal 63, and the motor connection terminal 66 are installed in the cover 11, and the lead wires 67, 68 are connected to the connector side terminal 65 exposed in the opening 62 of the cover 11, thereby manufacturing the cover unit 70.

[0044] After installing the electric motor 12, reduction gear mechanism 20, etc. in the accommodation space 19 of the valve body 16 which fixes the lower body 22 and the upper body 21, the opening 25 at the top of the upper body 21 is covered with the cover unit 70 and the upper body 21 and the cover 11 are welded and fixed together, for example, by a laser device, thereby completing the assembly of the electric throttle valve 10.

[0045] As described above, the electric throttle valve 10 of this embodiment is provided with the connector 30 that connects the wiring connected to the electric motor 12 and the sensor 60 to the outside. The connector 30 is installed in the connector installation portion 61 of the cover 11, and the cover 11 is manufactured by welding the connector 30 to the cover 11 using a laser device or the like. By changing the orientation of the connector 30 and installing it on the cover 11 and welding it, it is possible to manufacture covers 11 with the connector 30 facing in different directions. Therefore, for example, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, an electric throttle valve 10 in which the connector 30 faces forward, and as shown in Fig. 6, an electric throttle valve in which the connector 30 faces rearward can be manufactured using the same parts. Alternatively, the connector 30 may be installed in a desired orientation within a range of 180 degrees between the front and rear directions (within a range of 180 degrees between the up and down directions including the left side on the paper surface of Fig. 2),

[0046] This makes it possible to manufacture multiple types of electric throttle valves with different orientations of the connector 30 within a range of 180 degrees in the front-rear direction or to the left while limiting the number of types of parts. This makes it possible to reduce parts inventory and reduce the space required for storing parts in factories, etc.

[0047] An opening 62 is provided in the connector installation portion 61 provided on the upper surface of the cover 11, while a connector side terminal 65 is provided on the lower surface of the connector 30, and when the connector 30 is fixed to the cover 11, the connector side terminal 65 is exposed from the opening 62.

[0048] Meanwhile, a motor connection terminal 66 connected to the electric motor 12 and a sensor connection terminal 63 connected to the sensor 60 are provided on the inner wall surface of the cover 11. As a result, by connecting the motor connection terminal 66 and the connector side terminal 65 with a lead wire 67 and connecting the sensor connection terminal 63 and the connector side terminal 65 with a lead wire 68, for example by soldering, the electric motor 12, the sensor 60, etc. in the accommodation space 19 can be easily electrically connected to the connector 30.

[0049] In addition, since one end of the motor connection terminal 66 and the sensor connection terminal 63 are arranged adjacent to the opening 62 in the cover 11, the lead wires 67, 68 can be shortened and the configuration within the storage space 19 can be simplified.

[0050] In particular, since the connector side terminal 65 is formed in a linear shape, the lead wires 67, 68 can be connected to any position of the connector side terminal 65 linearly exposed from the opening 62. Furthermore, when the connector 30 is fixed to the cover 11 in different directions, the connector side terminal 65 is linearly exposed from the opening 62 in either case, so that the lead wires 67, 68 can be easily connected to the connector side terminal 65 in either case. For example, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, when two types of covers are required to be provided on the cover 11 by inverting the connector 30 by 180 degrees, the connector side terminal 65 is configured to extend in the front-rear direction (up-down direction in Fig. 7) that is perpendicular to the inversion reference line (a line extending left-right in Fig. 7), so that the lead wires 67, 68 can be connected to the connector side terminal 65 at any position in the front-rear direction within the range of the opening 62. Therefore, the lead wires 67, 68 can be easily connected while avoiding the intersection of the multiple lead wires 67, 68 provided, and the connection can be made with a simple structure.

[0051] Although the description of the embodiment is finished above, the aspects of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiment. The detailed shape of each part of the electric throttle valve 10 in the above embodiment may be changed as appropriate. For example, the shape of the connector side terminal 65 does not have to be linear as shown in Fig. 7, but may be various shapes such as an L-shaped bent shape.

[0052] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the electric throttle valve 10, but the present invention can be widely applied to electric control valves for other uses, or to electric units other than electric control valves. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 10 Electric throttle valve ( Fluid Control Valve ) 11 Cover 12 Electric motors (electrical equipment) 16 Valve body (body component) 17 Valve (valve body) 19 Containment Space 21 Upper Body 25 Opening 30 Connectors 60 Sensors (Electrical Equipment) 61 Connector installation section 62 Opening 65 Connector side terminal 63 Sensor connection terminal (cover side terminal) 66 Motor connection terminal (cover side terminal)

Claims

1. A valve body having a fluid passage; a valve for adjusting a flow passage cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid passage; an electric motor for driving the valve; a cover fixed to cover an opening of the valve body and forming an accommodation space between the cover and the valve body; A fluid control valve having an electric device including a sensor for detecting a state of the electric motor and the valve and installed in the accommodation space; the cover has a connector installation portion for installing a connector for connecting a power supply line from the outside to the electric motor, A fluid control valve, wherein the connector is installed in the connector installation portion in a desired orientation with respect to the cover, and is fixed to the cover by welding.

2. The connector is fixed to the outside of the cover, the cover has an opening communicating with the accommodation space at a fixing position of the connector, 2. The fluid control valve according to claim 1, wherein the connector fixed to the cover has a connector-side terminal exposed from the opening to the housing space side and connected to the electrical device by wiring.

3. The fluid control valve according to claim 2 , wherein the connector-side terminal is exposed linearly from the opening.

4. 4. The fluid control valve according to claim 3, wherein the connector includes a plurality of connector-side terminals that are exposed from the opening so as to extend parallel to each other.

5. the cover is provided with a cover-side terminal that is disposed adjacent to the connector-side terminal of the connector fixed to the cover and is connected to the electrical device; 5. The fluid control valve according to claim 4, wherein the connector side terminal and the cover side terminal are connected by wiring.

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