Air Control Device

Abstract

To provide an air control device which enables air to freely flow in a bidirectional manner between a first air guide passage and a second air guide passage and is also capable of surely preventing air from flowing between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage.SOLUTION: When a forward / backward drive mechanism 57 moves a shaft member 51 forward to a first position in an X direction, a first valve body 35 is pressed by the shaft member 51 and moved to one side in the X direction such that air flows from a suction passage 33 into an air filling chamber 45 and a second valve body 36 is moved to the other side in a Y direction, such that a first air guide passage 37 and a second air guide passage 38 are internally communicated. When the backward drive mechanism 57 moves the shaft member 51 backward to a second position in the X direction, the first valve body 35 is moved to the other side in the X direction by an air pressure and seated on a valve seat 41a, such that the air filling chamber 45 is communicated with an exhaustion passage 34, the second valve body 36 is moved to one side in the Y direction by the air pressure, and the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 are internally cut off.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to air control devices. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional height adjustment device for railway vehicles is described in Patent Document 1. This height adjustment device includes an air spring, a three-way valve, a control device, and an air supply source. The control device controls the three-way valve to selectively connect the air spring to the air supply source or the compressed air discharge side. In this way, the amount of air supplied into the air spring is adjusted to adjust the height of the air spring. This height adjustment device prevents air from leaking from the air spring or the air supply source to the outside by closing the compressed air discharge side of the three-way valve when the vehicle is not in use. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-214257 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the height adjustment device, if air leaks from the three-way valve to the compressed air discharge side when the vehicle is not in use, the air will leak from the air spring or the air supply source to the outside, but it is preferable to be able to reliably prevent such air leakage. Furthermore, if such air leakage can be prevented at a location where it is necessary to allow air to flow in both directions, this is preferable because it allows for a high degree of freedom in the design of the height adjustment device.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an air control device that allows air to flow freely in both directions between a first air guide passage and a second air guide passage, while also reliably preventing air from flowing between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, an air control device according to the present disclosure includes a shaft member, an advancing / retreating drive mechanism for moving the shaft member back and forth in a first direction, an intake passage connected to an air supply source, an exhaust passage communicating with the outside, a first valve body and a second valve body, a first air guide passage and a second air guide passage both communicating with the outside, and an air filling chamber in which one side of the second valve body in the second direction is exposed and is filled with air, and when the advancing / retreating drive mechanism advances the shaft member to one side in the first direction to a first position, the first valve body is pressed by the shaft member and moves to one side in the first direction, so that the air filling chamber communicates with the intake passage without communicating with the exhaust passage, and air is forced from the intake passage to the air filling chamber. the air flow can flow into the second air guide passage, and the second valve body can be moved to the other side in the second direction by the air flow, thereby connecting or blocking the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage internally; and when the advance / retreat drive mechanism retracts the shaft member to the other side in the first direction to a second position, the first valve body is moved to the other side in the first direction by air pressure and seats on a valve seat, so that the air filled chamber does not communicate with the intake passage but connects with the exhaust passage, and the second valve body is moved to one side in the second direction by air pressure, thereby connecting or blocking the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage internally; and a first valve body biasing means is provided for biasing the first valve body to the other side in the first direction.

[0007] If the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage communicate with each other when the shaft member is in the first position, the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage are blocked from each other when the shaft member is in the second position. Conversely, if the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage are blocked from each other when the shaft member is in the first position, the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage are blocked from each other when the shaft member is in the second position.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, by simply advancing the shaft member to a first position, the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage can be connected or blocked without restricting the flow of air, and conversely, by simply retracting the shaft member to the second position, the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage can be connected or blocked without restricting the flow of air.

[0009] Furthermore, since a first valve body biasing means is provided that biases the first valve body toward the other side in the first direction, when the advance / retract drive mechanism retracts the shaft member to the second position, the first valve body can be reliably moved to the other side in the first direction regardless of the air pressure received by the first valve body, and the air filling chamber and the intake passage can be reliably blocked. Furthermore, the position of the first valve body can be stabilized by the force applied to the first valve body by the first valve body biasing means, and the first valve body can be smoothly advanced and retreated in the first direction.

[0010] The air control device of the present disclosure may further include a second valve body biasing means for biasing the second valve body to one side in the second direction.

[0011] According to this configuration, when the forward / backward drive mechanism retracts the shaft member to the second position, the second valve body can be reliably moved to one side in the second direction regardless of the air pressure received by the second valve body, and the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage can be reliably blocked or connected internally.

[0012] In addition, in the air control device of the present disclosure, the shaft member may have an internal passage with an opening on one end face thereof, and when the shaft member is positioned in a second position, the air filling chamber may be connected to the exhaust passage via the internal passage.

[0013] According to this configuration, the air inside the air filling chamber can be exhausted to the outside using the internal passage provided in the shaft member, making it easy to construct a compact air control device.

[0014] In addition, in the air control device of the present disclosure, the second valve body may have a first other-side exposed portion exposed to the first air guide passage on the other side of the second direction, and the area of ​​the first other-side exposed portion may be smaller than the area of ​​one-side exposed portion of the second valve body exposed to the air filling chamber on one side of the second direction.

[0015] With this configuration, it is easy to make the force with which the air supplied to the air filling chamber presses the second valve body to the other side in the second direction greater than the force with which the air present in the first air guide passage presses the second valve body to one side in the second direction. Therefore, simply by adjusting the amount of air supplied to the air filling chamber, the movement of the second valve body can be precisely controlled, and the flow of air between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage can be accurately and reliably allowed or blocked.

[0016] In addition, in the air control device of the present disclosure, the second valve body may have a second other-side exposed portion exposed to the second air guide passage on the other side of the second direction, and the area of ​​the second other-side exposed portion may be smaller than the area of ​​one-side exposed portion of the second valve body exposed to the air filling chamber on one side of the second direction.

[0017] With this configuration, it is easy to make the force with which the air supplied to the air filling chamber presses the second valve body to the other side in the second direction greater than the force with which the air present in the second air guide passage presses the second valve body to one side in the second direction. Therefore, simply by adjusting the amount of air supplied to the air filling chamber, the movement of the second valve body can be precisely controlled, and the flow of air between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage can be accurately and reliably allowed or blocked.

[0018] In addition, an air spring control device of a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises an air spring installed in a railway vehicle, an air control device of the present disclosure, and a three-way valve having a first port capable of communicating with the air supply source, a second port capable of communicating with the air spring, and a third port capable of communicating with the outside, wherein one of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage in the air control device is connected to the air supply source, and the other of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage is connected to the first port.

[0019] According to the present disclosure, the air control device of the present disclosure is connected between the air supply source and the three-way valve, and therefore, when the railway vehicle is not in use, the air control device can reliably prevent air from leaking from the air supply source to the three-way valve side, and can reliably prevent air from leaking from the air supply source to the outside.

[0020] In addition, an air spring control device of a second aspect of the present disclosure comprises an air spring installed in a railway vehicle, an air control device of the present disclosure, and a three-way valve having a first port capable of communicating with the air supply source, a second port capable of communicating with the air spring, and a third port capable of communicating with the outside, wherein one of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage in the air control device is connected to the second port, and the other of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage is connected to the air spring.

[0021] According to the present disclosure, the air control device of the present disclosure is connected between the three-way valve and the air spring. Therefore, the air control device of the present disclosure can realize two-way air flow between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage, so that the amount of air in the air spring can be freely adjusted when the railway vehicle is in use.

[0022] Furthermore, when the railway vehicle is not in use, the air control device can reliably prevent air from leaking from the air spring to the three-way valve side, and can reliably prevent air from leaking to the outside from the air spring.

[0023] In the case of an air control device that can only realize one-way air flow between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage, the air control device cannot be connected between the three-way valve and the air spring, which requires two-way air flow between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage. Therefore, by using the air control device of the present disclosure that allows two-way air flow, the design freedom of the air spring control device can be increased.

[0024] In addition, an air spring control device of a third aspect of the present disclosure comprises an air spring installed in a railway vehicle, a first air control device of the present disclosure, a second air control device of the present disclosure, and a three-way valve having a first port capable of communicating with the air supply source, a second port capable of communicating with the air spring, and a third port capable of communicating with the outside, wherein one of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage in the first air control device is connected to the air supply source and the other of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage in the first air control device is connected to the first port, one of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage in the second air control device is connected to the second port, and the other of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage in the second air control device is connected to the air spring.

[0025] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to freely adjust the amount of air in the air spring when the railway vehicle is in use, and it is also possible to reliably prevent air from leaking from the air supply source or the air spring to the outside when the railway vehicle is not in use. Effect of the Invention

[0026] The air control device according to the present disclosure allows air to freely flow in both directions between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage, while also reliably preventing air from flowing between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage. Furthermore, the air control device according to the present disclosure makes it possible to easily build an air spring control device that can reliably prevent air from leaking to the outside from at least one of the air spring and the air supply source, and also allows for a high degree of freedom in designing such an air spring control device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air spring control device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the first air control device. [Diagram 3] 4 is a schematic plan view of the first valve body as viewed from the other side in the first direction. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first valve body and its vicinity of the first air control device, showing a state in which the shaft member has advanced to a first position. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first valve body and its vicinity of the first air control device, showing a state in which the shaft member has been retracted to a second position. FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of an air control device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, the embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, when multiple embodiments and modified examples are included below, it is assumed from the beginning that new embodiments will be constructed by appropriately combining the characteristic parts of those. In addition, in the following examples, the same components are given the same symbols in the drawings, and duplicated explanations are omitted. In addition, multiple drawings include schematic diagrams, and the dimensional ratios of length, width, height, etc. of each member between different drawings do not necessarily match. In addition, in the following drawings and specifications, the X direction is the first direction, and the Y direction is the second direction. In addition, in this example, a case where the X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction will be described, but the X direction does not have to be perpendicular to the Y direction, and the X direction may be inclined at an angle other than 90 degrees with respect to the Y direction. In addition, among the components described below, components that are not described in the independent claim showing the highest concept are optional components and are not essential components.

[0029] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air spring control device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. A railway vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as a vehicle) is provided with, for example, four air springs 5 ​​on the front, rear, left and right sides. When the vehicle is used in a train that travels at high speed, such as a Shinkansen or a conventional express train, when the train travels around a curve, the height of the two air springs 5 ​​on one side in the width direction of the vehicle is made higher than the height of the two air springs 5 ​​on the other side in the width direction, thereby tilting the vehicle. In this way, the train can travel around a curve at high speed and stably. The air spring control device 1 is installed in the vehicle, such as a Shinkansen or a conventional express train, and adjusts the height of one air spring 5.

[0030] 1, the air spring control device 1 includes an air spring 5 installed in a vehicle, a first air control device 10 of the first embodiment of the present disclosure, a second air control device 15 of the first embodiment of the present disclosure, a three-way valve 20, and a control device 25. The three-way valve 20 has a first port 21 that can be communicated with an air supply source 3 that has a compressor 4 and discharges compressed air, a second port 22 that can be communicated with the air spring 5, and a third port 23 that can be communicated with the outside. The three-way valve 20 connects the second port 22 to the first port 21 or the third port 23 based on a control signal from the control device 25. The three-way valve 20 may have any known structure.

[0031] The first air control device 10 is connected between the air supply source 3 and the first port 21. More specifically, the first air control device 10 has two ports 11, 12 through which air to be supplied to the air spring 5 flows, one port 11 being connected to the air supply source 3 and the other port 12 being connected to the first port 21. In addition to the two ports 11, 12, the first air control device 10 has a port 13 of an intake passage and a port 14 of an exhaust passage. The port 13 of the intake passage is connected to the air supply source 3, and the port 14 of the exhaust passage is open to the outside. The operation of the first air control device 10 using the ports 11, 12, 13, 14 will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 2 to 5.

[0032] The second air control device 15 is the same air control device as the first air control device 10. The second air control device 15 is connected between the second port 22 and the air spring 5. The second air control device 15 has two ports 16, 17 for bidirectional air flow between the second air control device 15 and the air spring 5, one port 16 being connected to the second port 22 and the other port 17 being connected to the air spring 5. The second air control device 15 also has a port 18 of an intake passage and a port 19 of an exhaust passage in addition to the two ports 16, 17. The port 18 of the intake passage is connected upstream of the first air control device 10 in the flow of air from the air supply source 3, and is directly connected to the air supply source 3. The port 19 of the exhaust passage is open to the outside.

[0033] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the first air control device 10. Next, the structure of the first air control device 10 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2. The second air control device 15 is the same as the first air control device 10, so the description of the structure of the second air control device 15 will be omitted. As shown in Fig. 2, the first air control device 10 includes a housing (case) 30, a solenoid 31, a first valve body 35 installed in the housing 30 so as to be movable in the X direction (first direction), a second valve body 36 installed in the housing 30 so as to be movable in the Y direction (second direction), a first coil spring 67 as an example of a first valve body biasing means, and a second coil spring 68 as an example of a second valve body biasing means.

[0034] The housing 30 is made of metal or resin, and has an intake passage 33 connected to the air supply source 3 (see FIG. 1) via a third port 13, an exhaust passage 34 communicating with the outside via a fourth port 14 (see FIG. 1), a first air guide passage 37 communicating with the outside, and a second air guide passage 38 communicating with the outside. One of the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 is connected to the air supply source 3 (see FIG. 1), and the other of the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 is connected to the first port 21 of the three-way valve 30 (see FIG. 1). Regardless of whether the first air guide passage 37 or the second air guide passage 38 is connected to the air supply source 3, the operation of the first air control device 10 remains unchanged, with only the direction of the air flowing through the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 changing. Therefore, the operation when the first air guide passage 37 is connected to the air supply source 3 and the second air guide passage 38 is connected to the first port 21 of the three-way valve 20 will be described below.

[0035] The housing 30 further has a first valve body accommodating chamber 41 which communicates with the side of the intake passage 33 opposite the third port 13 side, a shaft member accommodating chamber 42 which communicates with the first valve body accommodating chamber 41 and the exhaust passage 34, an air filling chamber 45 which is connected to the shaft member accommodating chamber 42 via a connecting passage 43, and a ring-shaped step-facing chamber 47 which faces the step 59b of the second valve body 36 in the Y direction and communicates with the outside via an internal passage (not shown).

[0036] The solenoid 31 has a shaft member (actuator rod) 51 constituting a movable core, a coil 52, a fixed core 53, a coil spring 54, and a power supply device (not shown). The shaft member 51 extends in the X direction. The shaft member accommodating chamber 42 has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface corresponding to the cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the tip side of the shaft member 51, and the tip side of the shaft member 51 slides against the cylindrical inner peripheral surface in both directions in the X direction.

[0037] The shaft member 51 is provided with an internal passage 51a that opens at its tip end surface and includes a portion extending in the X direction. This internal passage 51a communicates with the exhaust passage 34. In addition, an O-ring 55 seals the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member 51 and the inner circumferential surface of the shaft member accommodating chamber 42 at a position in the X direction between a connecting portion of the exhaust passage 34 to the shaft member accommodating chamber 42 and a connecting portion of the connecting passage 43 to the shaft member accommodating chamber 42. For this reason, the air filling chamber 45 and the exhaust passage 34 can communicate only via the internal passage 51a.

[0038] When a current flows through the coil 52 by the power from the power supply device under the control of the control device 25 (see FIG. 1), a magnetic field is generated, and the shaft member 51 is attracted to the other side in the X direction (the left side of the paper in FIG. 2) by electromagnetic force based on the law of electromagnetic induction. Then, the shaft member 51 retreats to the other side in the X direction by the electromagnetic force so as to compress the coil spring 54.

[0039] On the other hand, when power is not supplied from the power supply device to the coil 52 under the control of the control device 25 and current does not flow through the coil 52, the electromagnetic force disappears and the shaft member 51 advances to one side in the X direction (the right side of the paper in FIG. 2) due to the biasing force received from the coil spring 54. The coil 52, the fixed iron core 53, the coil spring 54, and the power supply device (not shown) constitute an advance / retract drive mechanism 57 that advances and retracts the shaft member 51 in the X direction. The shaft member 51 and the advance / retract drive mechanism 57 are constituted by a solenoid. However, the advance / retract drive mechanism may be constituted by any mechanism that can advance and retract the shaft member in the X direction. For example, the advance / retract drive mechanism may be constituted by a fluid pressure imparting mechanism that advances and retracts the shaft member in the X direction by adjusting a fluid pressure in the X direction, such as hydraulic pressure or air pressure, imparted to the shaft member.

[0040] The first valve body accommodating chamber 41 has an annular valve seat 41a positioned to surround an opening communicating with the shaft member accommodating chamber 42. The valve seat 41a extends substantially parallel to the X direction. The first valve body 35 has a first end surface portion 35a extending substantially parallel to the X direction on the other side of the X direction, and a second end surface portion 35b extending substantially parallel to the X direction on one side of the X direction. When the shaft member 51 retreats to the other side of the X direction and is out of contact with the first valve body 35, the first valve body 35 is pressed to the other side of the X direction by the pressure of air supplied via the intake passage 33, the first end surface portion 35a is seated on the valve seat 41a, and the intake passage 33 is blocked from the shaft member accommodating chamber 42.

[0041] 3 is a schematic plan view of the first valve body 35 as viewed from the other side in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the first valve body accommodating chamber 41 has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 41b. The first valve body 35 also has a metal main body 60 and a disk portion 61 made of disk-shaped rubber. The disk portion 61 is fitted and fixed in a disk-shaped recess provided in the center of the main body 60. The outer edge 60a of the main body 60 has a wave shape, and on the outer edge 60a of the main body 60, protrusions 60b that contact the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 41b and recesses 60c that face the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 41b in the radial direction at an interval therebetween appear alternately in the circumferential direction.

[0042] When the shaft member 51 is out of contact with the first valve body 35, the rubber disc portion 61 is seated on the annular valve seat 41a. The surface of the disc portion 61 on the other side in the X direction is included in the first end surface portion 35a. By seating the rubber disc portion 61 on the valve seat 41a, the disc portion 61 can be brought into close contact with the valve seat 41a when the shaft member 51 retracts to the other side in the X direction, and it is possible to reliably prevent air from passing between the disc portion 61 and the valve seat 41a.

[0043] 2, the first coil spring 67 extends in the X direction. The other end of the first coil spring 67 in the X direction contacts the second end surface 35b of the first valve body 35, and one end of the first coil spring 67 in the X direction contacts the inner surface of the first valve body accommodating chamber 41 on one side in the X direction.

[0044] The first coil spring 67 biases the first valve body 35 toward the other side in the X direction (the left side in the plane of FIG. 2) relative to the housing 30. By providing the first coil spring 67, when the shaft member 51 is out of contact with the first valve body 35, the disc portion 61 can be seated on the valve seat 41a regardless of the air pressure in the first valve body accommodating chamber 41. Furthermore, by providing the first coil spring 67, the posture of the first valve body 35 when it moves in the X direction can be stabilized, and the first valve body 35 can be smoothly advanced and retreated in the X direction.

[0045] The second valve body 36 has a central axis extending in the Y direction. The second valve body 36 has a first block portion 36a located on one side in the Y direction (upper side in the plane of FIG. 2), a second block portion 36b located on the other side in the Y direction, and a columnar connecting portion 36c connecting the first block portion 36a and the second block portion 36b. The central axes of the first block portion 36a, the second block portion 36b, and the columnar connecting portion 36c are approximately located on the same straight line extending in the Y direction. The maximum outer diameter of the first block portion 36a is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the second block portion 36b, and the maximum outer diameter of the second block portion 36b is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the connecting portion 36c.

[0046] The first block portion 36a is accommodated in a first block accommodating chamber 48 provided in the housing 30. With the first block portion 36a accommodated in the first block accommodating chamber 48, one side in the Y direction of the first block portion 36a is exposed to the air filling chamber 45, and the other side in the Y direction of the first block portion 36a is exposed to a first block other-side chamber 63 generated on the other side in the Y direction of the first block accommodating chamber 48. The first block other-side chamber 63 constitutes a part of the first air guide passage 37.

[0047] The first block portion 36a has a large diameter portion 59a located on one side in the Y direction, a step portion 59b connected to an end portion on the other side in the Y direction of the large diameter portion 59a and extending radially inward from the end portion, and a small diameter portion 59d connected to an end portion on the radially inner side of the step portion 59b via an annular recess 59c portion. Therefore, the outer diameter (indicated by arrow D1) of the end face on one side in the Y direction of the first block portion 36a is larger than the outer diameter (indicated by arrow D2) of the end face on the other side in the Y direction of the first block portion 36a. In other words, the second valve body 36 has a first other-side exposed portion 70 exposed to the first air guide passage 37 on the other side in the Y direction, and the area of ​​the first other-side exposed portion 70 is smaller than the area of ​​a one-side exposed portion 71 of the second valve body 36 exposed to the air filling chamber 45 on one side in the Y direction. The first other-side exposed portion 70 coincides with an end face on the other side in the Y direction of the first block portion 36a, and the one-side exposed portion 71 coincides with an end face on one side in the Y direction of the first block portion 36a.

[0048] The step-part facing chamber 47 is located between the air-filled chamber 45 and the first block other-side chamber 63 in the Y direction. The air-filled chamber 45 and the step-part facing chamber 47 are separated by O-rings 74 and 75 arranged between an annular groove provided on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 59a and a first cylindrical inner circumferential surface of the first block accommodating chamber 48. The step-part facing chamber 47 and the first block other-side chamber 63 are separated by an O-ring 76 arranged between an annular groove provided on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 59d and a second cylindrical inner circumferential surface of the first block accommodating chamber 48. The step-part facing chamber 47 faces the step 59b in the Y direction. As described above, the step-part facing chamber 47 communicates with the outside via an internal passage (not shown).

[0049] The second block portion 36b has a metal body 81 having an annular groove 81a, and a seal member 82 made of annular rubber and fixed to the annular groove. The other side in the Y direction of the second block portion 36b is exposed to the second air guide passage 38. The second air guide passage 38 has a conical inner circumferential surface 86 that reduces in diameter toward the first air guide passage 37 at its end on the first air guide passage 37 side and forms a valve seat, and the seal member 82 has a conical outer circumferential surface 87 that corresponds to the conical inner circumferential surface 86. When the second valve body 36 moves to the other side in the Y direction so that the Y direction dimension of the step facing chamber 47 becomes smaller, the seal member 82 moves to the other side in the Y direction and is separated from the conical inner circumferential surface 86 that forms the valve seat, and as a result, the first air guide passage 37 communicates with the second air guide passage 38.

[0050] On the other hand, when the second valve body 36 moves to one side in the Y direction so that the Y-direction dimension of the step-part facing chamber 47 increases, the conical outer peripheral surface 87 of the seal member 82 seats on and comes into close contact with the conical inner peripheral surface 86 constituting the valve seat, and the first air guide passage 37 is blocked from the second air guide passage 38. The outer diameter (indicated by arrow D1) of the end face on one side in the Y direction of the first block portion 36a is larger than the outer diameter (indicated by arrow D3) of the end face on the other side in the Y direction of the second block portion 36b. In other words, the second valve body 36 has a second other-side exposed portion 72 exposed to the second air guide passage 38 on the other side in the Y direction, and the area of ​​the second other-side exposed portion 72 is smaller than the area of ​​the one-side exposed portion 71 of the second valve body 36 exposed to the air filling chamber 45 on one side in the Y direction. The second other-side exposed portion 72 coincides with the end face on the other side in the Y direction of the second block portion 36b.

[0051] The annular recess 59c of the first block portion 36a opens to the other side in the Y direction. The second coil spring 68 is disposed between the annular recess 59c and an annular end face of the first block housing chamber 48 on the other side in the Y direction that faces the recess 59c in the Y direction. The second coil spring 68 biases the first block portion 36a to one side in the Y direction relative to the housing 30. By providing the second coil spring 68, when the air filling chamber 45 is in communication with the exhaust passage 34, the second valve body 36 can be moved to one side in the Y direction (upward in the plane of the drawing in FIG. 2) regardless of the air pressure in the first air guide passage 37 and the air pressure in the second air guide passage 38. The conical outer peripheral surface 87 of the seal member 82 can be reliably seated and in close contact with the conical inner peripheral surface 86 that constitutes the valve seat, and the first air guide passage 37 can be reliably blocked from the second air guide passage 38.

[0052] In the above configuration, suppose that the power to the coil 52 of the solenoid 31 is cut off. Then, the shaft member 51 advances to one side in the X direction and presses the disk portion 61 of the first valve body 35 to one side in the X direction, and the disk portion 61 moves to one side in the X direction integrally with the shaft member 51 while being in close contact with the tip surface of the shaft member 51. Then, as shown in Fig. 4, the disk portion 61 moves away from the valve seat 41a to one side in the X direction while blocking the opening of the internal passage 51a present at the tip surface, and the intake passage 33 cannot communicate with the internal passage 51a, but communicates with the air filling chamber 45 (see Fig. 2) via the recess 60c provided in the outer edge 60a (see Fig. 3) of the main body 60 of the first valve body 35 and the connection passage 43, and high-pressure air is supplied from the air supply source 3 to the air filling chamber 45.

[0053] Then, since the area of ​​the first other-side exposed portion 70 of the second valve body 36 exposed to the first air guide passage 37 on the other side in the Y direction is smaller than the area of ​​the one-side exposed portion 71 of the second valve body 36 exposed to the air filling chamber 45 on one side in the Y direction, the force that the second valve body 36 receives on the other side in the Y direction via the one-side exposed portion 71 becomes greater than the force that the second valve body 36 receives on the one side in the Y direction via the first other-side exposed portion 70. As a result, the second valve body 36 moves to the other side in the Y direction so as to reduce the volume of the step opposing chamber 47, and the seal member 82 of the second block portion 36b moves away from the conical inner circumferential surface 86 that constitutes the valve seat to the other side in the Y direction, and the first air guide passage 37 communicates with the second air guide passage 38.

[0054] On the other hand, suppose that power is supplied to the coil 52 of the solenoid 31. Then, as shown in Fig. 5, the shaft member 51 retreats to the other side in the X direction and moves away from the disk portion 61 of the first valve body 35 to the other side in the Y direction. Also, the first valve body 35 moves to the other side in the X direction due to the pressure of the high-pressure air supplied from the intake passage 33, and the disk portion 61 of the first valve body 35 seats on and comes into close contact with the valve seat 41a of the first valve body accommodating chamber 41. As a result, the connecting passage 43 is cut off from the intake passage 33 and communicates with the exhaust passage 34 via the internal passage 51a.

[0055] Then, the air filling chamber 45 communicates with the outside at about 1 atmosphere via the exhaust passage 34, so that the second valve body 36 moves to one side in the Y direction due to a force on one side in the Y direction that it receives from the high-pressure air in the first air guide passage 37 via the first other-side exposed part 70 that is exposed to the other side in the Y direction to the first air guide passage 37. As a result, the seal member 82 of the second block portion 36b seats on and comes into close contact with the conical inner circumferential surface 86 of the second air guide passage 38, and the first air guide passage 37 is blocked off from the second air guide passage 38.

[0056] The position of the shaft member 51 when the shaft member 51 advances to one side in the X direction and the first valve body 35 pressed by the shaft member 51 to one side in the X direction is separated from the valve seat 41a to one side in the X direction is the first position of the shaft member 51. The position of the shaft member 51 when the shaft member 51 retreats to the other side in the X direction and the first valve body 35 is seated on the valve seat 41a and further separated from the first valve body 35 to the other side in the X direction is the second position of the shaft member 51.

[0057] As described above, the first air control device includes the shaft member 51, the advance / retract drive mechanism 57 that moves the shaft member 51 forward and backward in the X direction (first direction), the intake passage 33 connected to the air supply source 3, the exhaust passage 34 that communicates with the outside, the first valve body 35 and the second valve body 36, the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 that both communicate with the outside, and the air filling chamber 45 that is exposed on one side in the Y direction (second direction) of the second valve body 36 and is filled with air. When the advance / retract drive mechanism 57 advances the shaft member 51 to one side in the X direction (the right side on the paper surface of FIG. 2) to a first position, the first valve body 35 is pressed by the shaft member 51 and moves to one side in the X direction, so that the air filling chamber 45 communicates with the intake passage 33 without communicating with the exhaust passage 34, and air can flow from the intake passage 33 to the air filling chamber 45. The air flow moves the second valve body 36 to the other side in the Y direction (the lower side in the plane of FIG. 2), so that the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 communicate with each other. When the forward / backward drive mechanism 57 moves the shaft member 51 backward to the second position toward the other side in the X direction (the left side in the plane of FIG. 2), the first valve body 35 moves to the other side in the X direction by air pressure and seats on the valve seat 41a. The air filling chamber 45 does not communicate with the intake passage 33 but communicates with the exhaust passage 34, so that the second valve body 36 moves to one side in the Y direction (the upper side in FIG. 2) by air pressure, so that the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 are internally blocked.

[0058] Therefore, by simply advancing the shaft member 51 to the first position, the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 can be connected without restricting the flow of air, and conversely, by simply retracting the shaft member 51 to the second position, the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 can be blocked without restricting the flow of air.

[0059] Also, a first coil spring (first valve body biasing means) 37 may be provided to bias the first valve body 35 to the other side in the X direction.

[0060] According to this configuration, when the advance / retract drive mechanism 57 retracts the shaft member 51 to the second position, the first valve body 35 can be reliably moved to the other side in the X direction regardless of the air pressure received by the first valve body 35. Furthermore, the position of the first valve body 35 can be stabilized by the force applied to the first valve body 35 by the first coil spring 67, and the first valve body 35 can be smoothly advanced and retreated in the X direction.

[0061] Further, a second coil spring (second valve body biasing means) 38 may be provided to bias the second valve body 36 to one side in the Y direction.

[0062] According to this configuration, when the forward / backward drive mechanism 57 retracts the shaft member 51 to the second position, the second valve body 36 can be reliably moved to one side in the Y direction regardless of the air pressure received by the second valve body 36, and the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 can be reliably blocked internally.

[0063] In addition, the shaft member 51 may have an internal passage 51a having an opening on one end face thereof, and when the shaft member 51 is positioned in the second position, the air filling chamber 45 may be connected to the exhaust passage 34 via the internal passage 51a.

[0064] According to this configuration, the air in the air filling chamber 45 can be exhausted to the outside using the internal passage 51a provided in the shaft member 51, so that a compact first air control device 10 can be easily constructed.

[0065] In addition, the second valve body 36 may have a first other-side exposed portion 70 exposed to the first air guide passage 37 on the other side in the Y direction, and the area of ​​the first other-side exposed portion 70 may be smaller than the area of ​​the one-side exposed portion 71 of the second valve body 36 exposed to the air filling chamber 45 on one side in the Y direction.

[0066] With this configuration, it is easy to make the force with which the air supplied to the air filling chamber 45 presses the second valve body 36 toward the other side in the Y direction greater than the force with which the air present in the first air guide passage 37 presses the second valve body 36 toward one side in the Y direction. Therefore, simply by adjusting the amount of air supplied to the air filling chamber 45, the movement of the second valve body 36 can be precisely controlled, and the flow of air between the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 can be accurately and reliably allowed or blocked.

[0067] In addition, the second valve body 36 may have a second other-side exposed portion 72 exposed to the second air guide passage 38 on the other side in the Y direction, and the area of ​​the second other-side exposed portion 72 may be smaller than the area of ​​the one-side exposed portion 71.

[0068] With this configuration, it is easy to make the force with which the air supplied to the air filling chamber 45 presses the second valve body 36 toward the other side in the Y direction greater than the force with which the air present in the second air guide passage 38 presses the second valve body 36 toward one side in the Y direction. Therefore, simply by adjusting the amount of air supplied to the air filling chamber 45, the movement of the second valve body 36 can be precisely controlled, and the flow of air between the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 can be accurately and reliably allowed or blocked.

[0069] The air spring control device 1 includes an air spring 5 installed in a railway vehicle, a first air control device 10 of the present disclosure, and a three-way valve 20 having a first port 21 capable of communicating with an air supply source 3, a second port 22 capable of communicating with the air spring 5, and a third port 23 capable of communicating with the outside. One of a first air guide passage 37 and a second air guide passage 38 in the first air control device 10 is connected to the air supply source 3, and the other of the first air guide passage 37 and the second air guide passage 38 is connected to the first port 21.

[0070] According to the present disclosure, the first air control device 10 is connected between the air supply source 3 and the three-way valve 20. Therefore, when the railway vehicle is not in use, the first air control device 10 can reliably prevent air from leaking from the air supply source 3 to the three-way valve 20 side, and can reliably prevent air from leaking from the air supply source 3 to the outside.

[0071] The air spring control device 1 also includes an air spring 5 installed in the railway vehicle, a second air control device 15, and a three-way valve 20 having a first port 21 that can be communicated with the air supply source 3, a second port 22 that can be communicated with the air spring 5, and a third port 23 that can be communicated with the outside. One of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage in the second air control device 15 is connected to the second port 22, and the other of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage is connected to the air spring 5.

[0072] According to the present disclosure, the second air control device 15 of the present disclosure is connected between the three-way valve 20 and the air spring 5. Therefore, the second air control device 15 can realize two-way air flow between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage, so that the amount of air in the air spring 5 can be freely adjusted when the railway vehicle is in use.

[0073] Furthermore, when the railway vehicle is not in use, the second air control device 15 can reliably prevent air from leaking from the air spring 5 to the three-way valve 20 side, and can reliably prevent air from leaking from the air spring 5 to the outside.

[0074] In addition, in the case of an air control device that can only realize one-way air flow between the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage, the air control device cannot be connected between the three-way valve and the air spring, which requires two-way air flow. Therefore, by using the second air control device 15 that allows two-way air flow, the design freedom of the air spring control device 1 can be increased.

[0075] Moreover, the air spring control device 1 includes the first air control device 10 and the second air control device 15, which are connected as described above. Therefore, it is possible to freely adjust the amount of air in the air spring 5 when the railway vehicle is in use. Also, it is possible to reliably prevent air from leaking to the outside from the air supply source 3 and the air spring 5 when the railway vehicle is not in use.

[0076] In the above first embodiment, the first air guide passage 37 communicates with the second air guide passage 38 when the shaft member 51 advances to the first position, and the first air guide passage 37 is disconnected from the second air guide passage 38 when the shaft member 51 retreats to the second position. However, a configuration in which the first air guide passage is disconnected from the second air guide passage when the shaft member advances to the first position, and the first air guide passage communicates with the second air guide passage when the shaft member retreats to the second position, may also be used. In this case, it is only necessary to make the second valve seat seat on the valve seat when the second valve body moves to the other side in the Y direction (the lower side in the plane of FIG. 2), and to make the second valve body move away from the valve seat when the second valve body moves to one side in the Y direction.

[0077] Also, the first air control device 10 has been described as including the first coil spring 67 which urges the first valve body 35 to the other side in the X direction, and the second coil spring 68 which urges the second valve body 36 to one side in the X direction. However, at least one of the first valve body urging means and the second valve body urging means may be configured with an elastic body made of rubber or the like. Also, the air control device may not include either one of the first valve body urging means and the second valve body urging means, or may not include both of them.

[0078] Also, a case has been described in which, when the shaft member 51 is retracted to the second position, the air filled chamber 45 communicates with the exhaust passage 34 via the internal passage 51a of the shaft member 51. However, when the shaft member is retracted to the second position, the air filled chamber may communicate with the exhaust passage without passing through the internal passage of the shaft member.

[0079] Also, a case has been described in which the area of ​​the first other-side exposed portion 70 is smaller than the area of ​​the one-side exposed portion 71, and the area of ​​the second other-side exposed portion 72 is also smaller than the area of ​​the one-side exposed portion 71. However, the area of ​​the first other-side exposed portion may be equal to or larger than the area of ​​the one-side exposed portion. Also, the area of ​​the second other-side exposed portion may be equal to or larger than the area of ​​the one-side exposed portion. In these cases, it is preferable that the air control device includes a second valve body biasing means for biasing the second valve body toward one side in the X direction relative to the housing.

[0080] Second embodiment 6 is a schematic diagram of an air control device 110 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numbers as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. In addition, in the second embodiment, descriptions of the same functions and effects as those in the first embodiment and modifications will be omitted.

[0081] 6, in the air control device 110, one end in the Y direction of an intake passage 133 provided in the housing 130 communicates with the first valve body accommodating chamber 41, while the other end in the Y direction of the intake passage 133 communicates with the first air guide passage 37 inside the air control device 110. The intake passage 133 is connected to the air supply source 3 via the first air guide passage 37.

[0082] In addition, in the air control device 110, the exhaust passage 134 is composed of a through passage 151a that extends in the X direction and penetrates the shaft member 151a of the solenoid 131 from one end thereof in the X direction to the other end thereof, and an external connection passage 157 that is connected to the other end of the through passage 151a in the X direction and extends from the other end thereof to the other side in the X direction to communicate with the outside.

[0083] In the air control device 110, the first air guide passage 37 communicating with the intake passage 133 is preferably connected to the upstream side of the air flow, for example, directly to the air supply source 3. According to the air control device 110, the space for forming the intake passage 133 can be reduced, so that a compact air control device 110 can be manufactured. Also, according to the air control device 110, the space for forming the exhaust passage 134 can be reduced, so that a compact air control device 110 can be manufactured for that reason as well.

[0084] It should be noted that, after adopting the intake passage 133, the exhaust passage 34 of the first embodiment may be adopted in place of the exhaust passage 134. Moreover, after adopting the exhaust passage 134, the exhaust passage 33 of the first embodiment may be adopted in place of the intake passage 133.

[0085] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described first and second embodiments and their modified examples, and various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents.

[0086] For example, referring to FIG. 1, the air control device of the present disclosure may be connected between the third port 23 of the three-way valve 20 and the outside. More specifically, the intake passage of the air control device may be connected to an air supply source. Also, one of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage of the air control device of the present disclosure may be connected to the third port 23 of the three-way valve 20, and the other of the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage may be open to the outside. Also, the case where the air control device 10, 15 of the present disclosure is installed in a railway vehicle has been described. However, the air control device of the present disclosure may be installed in any device other than a railway vehicle, and the air control device of the present disclosure may be used for any purpose other than a railway vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 air spring control device, 3 air supply source, 4 compressor, 5 air spring, 10 first air control device, 15 second air control device, 20 three-way valve, 25 control device, 30,130 housing, 31,131 solenoid, 33,133 intake passage, 34,134 exhaust passage, 35 first valve body, 36 second valve body, 36a first block portion, 36b second block portion, 36c connecting portion, 37 first air guide passage, 38 second air guide passage, 41 first valve body accommodating chamber, 41a valve seat, 42 shaft member accommodating chamber, 43 connecting passage, 45 air charging chamber, 47 step portion opposing chamber, 48 first block accommodating chamber, 51,151 shaft member, 51a,151a internal passage, 52 coil, 53 fixed iron core, 54 coil spring, 55,74,75,76 O-ring, 57 advance / retreat drive mechanism, 59a large diameter portion, 59b step portion, 59c recessed portion, 59d small diameter portion, 60 main body, 61 circular plate portion, 63 first block other side chamber, 67 first coil spring, 68 second coil spring, 70 first other side exposed portion, 71 one side exposed portion, 72 second other side exposed portion, 81 main body, 82 sealing member, 86 cone inner circumferential surface, 87 cone outer circumferential surface, 157 external connection passage.

Claims

1. A shaft member; a forward / backward drive mechanism for moving the shaft member forward / backward in a first direction; an intake passage connected to an air supply source; An exhaust passage communicating with the outside; A first valve body and a second valve body, a first air guide passage and a second air guide passage, both of which communicate with the outside; an air filling chamber in which one side of the second valve body in the second direction is exposed and is filled with air, when the advance / retract drive mechanism advances the shaft member to a first position on one side in the first direction, the first valve body is pressed by the shaft member and moves to one side in the first direction, thereby causing the air filling chamber to communicate with the intake passage but not with the exhaust passage, allowing air to flow from the intake passage to the air filling chamber, and the second valve body moves to the other side in the second direction due to this air flow, thereby allowing the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage to communicate or be blocked internally, when the forward / backward drive mechanism retracts the shaft member to a second position on the other side in the first direction, the first valve body moves to the other side in the first direction by air pressure and seats on a valve seat, so that the air filling chamber does not communicate with the intake passage but communicates with the exhaust passage, and the second valve body moves to one side in the second direction by air pressure, so that the first air guide passage and the second air guide passage are internally blocked or communicated with each other, an air control device comprising a first valve body biasing means for biasing the first valve body toward the other side in the first direction;

2. 2. The air control device according to claim 1, further comprising second valve body biasing means for biasing the second valve body to one side in the second direction.

3. The shaft member has an internal passage having an opening on one end surface thereof, 3. The air control device according to claim 1, wherein the air filling chamber communicates with the exhaust passage through the internal passage when the shaft member is in the second position.

4. the second valve body has a first other-side exposed portion exposed to the first air guide passage on the other side in the second direction, 4. The air control device according to claim 1, wherein an area of ​​the first other-side exposed portion is smaller than an area of ​​a one-side exposed portion of the second valve body that is exposed to the air filling chamber on one side in the second direction.

5. the second valve body has a second other-side exposed portion exposed to the second air guide passage on the other side in the second direction, 5. The air control device according to claim 1, wherein an area of ​​the second other-side exposed portion is smaller than an area of ​​a one-side exposed portion of the second valve body that is exposed to the air filling chamber on one side in the second direction.

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