Electromagnetic valve

Abstract

To provide a solenoid valve capable of maintaining a valve opening state without continuing the flow of a current in a solenoid, and of reliably detecting the position of a valve element.SOLUTION: The solenoid valve includes a valve body having a main valve seat between an inflow port and an outflow port and a main valve chest, a solenoid for generating magnetic force, an attraction piece to be moved by the magnetic force of the solenoid, a main valve element provided to be moved along with the movement of the attraction piece to contact / depart the main valve seat, an alternating mechanism for turning on / off the energization of the solenoid from a valve closing state where the valve body contacts the main valve seat to maintain the valve opening state where the valve body is isolated from the main valve seat, and for turning on / off the energization of the solenoid from the valve opening state to maintain the valve closing state, a magnet connected to the attraction piece, and a magnetic sensor provided on the valve body for detecting the magnetic flux density of the magnet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] For example, a solenoid valve described in Patent Document 1 is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a normal solenoid valve, in order to maintain an operating state such as valve opening, it is necessary to continuously pass a current through the solenoid, and there is room for improvement in terms of energy consumption. Also, in a solenoid valve, it is desired that the position of the valve body can be reliably detected.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a solenoid valve capable of maintaining an open valve state without continuously passing a current through the solenoid and capable of reliably detecting the position of the valve body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The solenoid valve according to the first aspect is provided with a valve body in which a fluid inlet and an outlet are formed, and a main valve seat and a main valve chamber are provided between the inlet and the outlet, a solenoid that generates a magnetic force, an armature that moves by the magnetic force of the solenoid, a main valve body that moves along with the movement of the armature and is provided so as to be able to contact and separate from the main valve seat, and an alternate mechanism that maintains the open valve state in which the valve body is separated from the main valve seat by turning on and off the energization to the solenoid from the closed valve state in which the valve body contacts the main valve seat, and maintains the closed valve state by turning on and off the energization to the solenoid from the open valve state, a magnet connected to the armature, and a magnetic sensor provided on the valve body for detecting the magnetic flux density of the magnet.

[0007] In the solenoid valve according to the first aspect, the armature can be moved by the magnetic force of the solenoid, and the main valve body can be separated from the main valve seat by the movement of the armature. When the main valve body is separated from the main valve seat, the solenoid valve is in the open valve state.

[0008] The alternate mechanism can change from the closed valve state in which the main valve body contacts the main valve seat to the open valve state in which the main valve body is separated from the main valve seat by turning on and off the energization to the solenoid, and can maintain the open valve state. Also, the solenoid valve can be changed to the closed valve state by turning on and off the energization to the solenoid from the open valve state, and the open valve state can be maintained. Therefore, the open valve state and the closed valve state can be maintained without continuously energizing the solenoid.

[0009] Further, since a magnet is connected to the armature, when the armature moves, the distance between the magnet and the magnetic sensor changes, and the change in the magnetic flux density of the magnet can be detected by the magnetic sensor provided on the valve body. By detecting the change in the magnetic flux density of the magnet with the magnetic sensor, the position of the main valve body that moves along with the movement of the armature, that is, the closed valve state and the open valve state of the solenoid valve can be detected.

[0010] The solenoid valve according to the second aspect is the solenoid valve according to the first aspect, wherein the main valve body includes a pilot valve seat, and a pilot passage that communicates the main valve chamber on the side opposite to the main valve seat side of the main valve body with the outlet. A plunger made of a magnetic material that can be attracted by the attractor is movably disposed between the attractor and the main valve body, and the plunger is provided with a pilot valve body that can contact the pilot valve seat.

[0011] The solenoid valve according to the second aspect has a main valve body that includes a pilot valve seat and a pilot passage, and a plunger made of a magnetic material that can be attracted by the attractor is movably disposed between the attractor and the main valve body. Further, the plunger is provided with a pilot valve body that can contact the pilot valve seat. That is, the solenoid valve according to the second aspect has a configuration of a so-called pilot-operated solenoid valve.

[0012] To change the solenoid valve from the closed state to the open state, the energization of the solenoid is turned on and off. When the solenoid is energized, the attractor is magnetized to attract the plunger, and the pilot valve body is separated from the pilot valve seat. When the pilot valve body is separated from the pilot valve seat, the main valve chamber on the side opposite to the main valve seat side of the main valve body communicates with the outlet through the pilot passage, the pressure in the main valve chamber on the side opposite to the main valve seat side of the main valve body escapes to the outlet, and the pressure on the inlet side, which is the main valve seat side of the main valve body, becomes relatively higher than the pressure on the side opposite to the main valve seat side of the main valve body. Due to the pressure difference generated above and below the main valve body, that is, the differential pressure between the upper and lower sides, a force in the direction of separating the main valve body from the main valve seat (upward direction) acts on the main valve body, the main valve body is separated from the main valve seat, and the solenoid valve is in the open state. Then, by turning off the energization of the solenoid, the open state is maintained by the alternator mechanism.

[0013] To close the solenoid valve in the open state, the energization of the solenoid is turned on and off. As a result, the attractor stops attracting the plunger, and the pilot valve body can be brought into contact with the pilot valve seat to close the pilot passage. When the pilot passage is closed, no differential pressure is generated between the upper and lower sides of the main valve body, and the main valve body can be brought into contact with the main valve seat to close the solenoid valve, and the closed state is maintained by the alternator mechanism.

[0014] In the solenoid valve according to the third aspect, in the solenoid valve according to the first aspect, a plunger made of a magnetic material that can be attracted by the attractor is provided on the main valve seat side of the attractor, and the main valve body is provided on the plunger.

[0015] In the solenoid valve according to the third aspect, when the solenoid is energized and a magnetic force is generated from the solenoid, the attractor is attracted to the plunger, and the main valve body provided on the plunger can be separated from the main valve seat, and the solenoid valve can be opened. Then, by turning off the energization of the solenoid, the open state is maintained by the alternator mechanism.

[0016] To close the solenoid valve in the open state, the energization of the solenoid is turned on and off. As a result, the plunger provided with the main valve body is no longer attracted by the attractor, the solenoid valve is closed, and the closed state can be maintained by the alternator mechanism.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] As described above, according to the solenoid valve of the present disclosure, the open state can be maintained without continuously flowing a current through the solenoid, and the position of the valve body can be reliably detected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] [First Embodiment] The pilot type solenoid valve 10 according to the first embodiment as an example of the solenoid valve of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the pilot type solenoid valve 10 of the present embodiment in a closed valve state (both the main valve portion 14 and the pilot valve portion 16 described later are in the closed valve state). The pilot type solenoid valve 10 of the present embodiment is a pilot type solenoid valve provided with a main valve portion 14 and a pilot valve portion 16 in a valve body 12, and can be used, for example, in a refrigeration cycle of an automotive air conditioner. By opening and closing the main valve portion 14, the flow of fluid between the fluid inlet 18 and the fluid outlet 20 can be controlled to be opened and closed.

[0021] The fluid inlet 18 and the fluid outlet 20 are formed in the valve body 12 as a valve body. An accommodation chamber 21 is provided in the valve body 12 between the fluid inlet 18 and the fluid outlet 20.

[0022] Inside the accommodation chamber 21, a main valve body 24, which will be described later, is accommodated so as to be slidable vertically. The main valve body 24 partitions the inside of the accommodation chamber 21 into a main valve chamber 22 and a pilot valve chamber 55. And a main valve portion 14 is formed on one side (the lower side in the drawing) in the sliding direction of the main valve body 24, and a pilot valve portion 16 is arranged on the other side (the upper side in the drawing). Note that the main valve chamber 22 communicates with the inlet 18 at the side portion.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, at the upper center of the pilot type solenoid valve 10, an armature 26 made of a magnetic material and a plunger 28 are slidably arranged inside a pipe 30 which is a housing with an open bottom and a closed top. The armature 26 is arranged above the plunger 28.

[0024] An annular nut 32 is integrally fixed to the lower end side of the pipe 30. External threads are formed on the outer periphery of the nut 32, and the nut 32 is screwed into the internal threads of a large-diameter recess 34 formed at the center of the upper surface of the valve body 12 and is fixed to the valve body 12.

[0025] In the valve body 12, a concave main valve chamber 22 having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter recess 34 is formed at the center of the bottom of the large-diameter recess 34.

[0026] An annular recess 36 is formed in the valve body 12 on the outer peripheral side of the main valve chamber 22 and at the bottom of the large-diameter recess 34. An O-ring 38 is fitted into the annular recess 36, and the lower surface of the nut 32 is in close contact with the O-ring 38 to seal the gap between the nut 32 and the valve body 12.

[0027] A cylindrical solenoid 40 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the pipe 30. The solenoid 40 is configured by surrounding a bobbin 40B around which a coil 40A is wound with a yoke 40C (also referred to as a housing) made of a magnetic material.

[0028] Further, a magnetic pole 40D is disposed between the upper inner periphery of the bobbin 40B and the upper end portion of the pipe 30. The magnetic pole 40D is formed in a cylindrical shape and is disposed between the upper inner periphery of the bobbin 40B and the upper end portion of the pipe 30 so as to extend along the axial direction of the pipe 30. The magnetic pole 40D is disposed above the attractor 26 and is in contact with the upper portion of the yoke 40C.

[0029] By providing the magnetic pole 40D at the upper portion of the pipe 30, the cross-sectional area through which the magnetic flux flows can be increased, and the magnetic flux when the solenoid 40 is energized can be increased. In particular, by disposing the attractor 26 and the magnetic pole 40D such that there is a portion where the upper portion of the attractor 26 and the magnetic pole 40D overlap in the axial direction, whether the attractor 26 is in the upper position (when energized on) or the lower position (when energized off), the magnetic flux between the upper portion of the attractor 26 and the yoke 40C in the axial direction can be increased when the attractor 26 is in the lower position.

[0030] That is, when the solenoid 40 is energized, the magnetic flux generated in the attractor 26 and the plunger 28 can be increased. Therefore, the attractive force between the attractor 26 and the plunger 28 is increased, and even when the differential pressure between the inlet 18 and the outlet 20 (accurately, the differential pressure between the pilot passage 24B and the pilot valve chamber 55) is larger, the pilot passage 24B can be opened.

[0031] The attractor 26 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A through hole 26A penetrating in the axial direction is formed at the axial center of the attractor 26. At the upper portion of the attractor 26, a recess 26B for chamfering, which communicates with the through hole 26A and is formed with a larger diameter than the through hole 26A, is formed.

[0032] At the lower portion of the attractor 26, a recess 26C, which communicates with the through hole 26A and is formed with a larger diameter than the through hole 26A, is formed. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a pair of grooves 26Ca into which the circumferential retaining protrusions 102A of a knock bar 102 described later are inserted are formed at the lower portion of the recess 26C.

[0033] With the above configuration, when the solenoid 40 is energized, both the armature 26 and the plunger 28 are magnetized, and the armature 26 and the plunger 28 are attracted to each other. At this time, since the main valve packing 56 of the main valve body 24 connected by the connecting member 60 is in contact with the main valve seat 58, even if the armature 26 is magnetized by energizing the solenoid 40, the armature 26 does not move downward. That is, the plunger 28 moves upward, and the valve body portion 54 of the rotor 110 (described later) provided on the plunger 28 separates from the pilot valve seat 24A of the main valve body 24 to open the pilot passage 24B.

[0034] When the plunger 28 is attracted to the armature 26 to form an integral magnetic body (connection pair), an upward force (attractive force F1, first force. See Fig. 6(B).) acts on the connection pair of the plunger 28 and the armature 26. In addition, when the pilot valve chamber 55 and the outlet 20 communicate with each other through the pilot passage 24B because the plunger 28 is attracted to the armature 26, the pressure in the pilot valve chamber 55 approaches the outlet 20 through the pilot passage 24B, and the pressure on the main valve chamber side of the main valve body 24 becomes relatively higher than the pressure on the pilot valve chamber side. A force (second force, upward force F2. See Fig. 6(B).) in the direction of separating from the main valve seat 58 (upward) acts on the main valve body 24. As a result, the main valve body 24 moves upward to open the main valve seat 58 (main valve port).

[0035] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the armature 26 is provided with a disk 42 at the upper part. The disk 42 is separated from the lid portion at the upper end of the pipe 30. A first spring 44 is disposed between the disk 42 and the lid portion of the pipe 30. The first spring 44 constantly biases the armature 26 downward via the disk 42. At the center of the upper surface of the disk 42, a boss 46 made of a cylindrical magnet for positioning the first spring 44 and detecting the position of the armature 26 is attached, and the lower end portion of the first spring 44 is inserted into the boss 46. Further, a hole 48 is formed in the disk 42 to communicate the concave portion 26B of the armature 26 with the space above the disk 42. In the present embodiment, a permanent magnet is used as the magnet of the boss 46.

[0036] The knock bar 102 is inserted into the recess 26C of the attractor 26, and the knock bar 102 is configured to be movable axially within the recess 26C. A pair of circumferential stop protrusions 102A protruding radially outward are formed at an axially intermediate portion of the knock bar 102, and by inserting the circumferential stop protrusions 102A into the groove 26Ca of the recess 26C of the attractor 26, the rotation of the knock bar 102 is prevented. That is, the knock bar 102 is configured to be movable axially within the recess 26C while being prevented from rotating.

[0037] Furthermore, a spring 104 is housed in the recess 26C of the attractor 26 in a compressed state. The upper end of the spring 104 abuts against the bottom of the recess 26C, and the lower end abuts against the circumferential stop protrusion 102A of the knock bar 102. Thereby, the spring 104 biases the knock bar 102 toward the rotor 110, which will be described later and is disposed below.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a through hole 106 penetrating axially is formed at the axial center of the knock bar 102, and a plurality (eight in this embodiment) of second teeth 108 having the same shape and the same size and being isosceles triangular in side view are formed along the circumferential direction at the lower end of the knock bar 102 formed in a cylindrical shape, thereby constituting a second annular tooth row. In other words, the lower end side of the knock bar 102 has a crown gear shape.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a through hole 50 penetrating axially is formed at the axial center of the plunger 28, and a rotor 110 is inserted into the through hole 50 so as to be rotatable and axially movable.

[0040] At the upper part of the rotor 110, a guide shaft portion 110A is formed which is inserted into the through hole 106 of the knock bar 102 and is rotatable and axially movable within the through hole 106.

[0041] On the rotor 110, a large-diameter portion 110B having a diameter larger than that of the guide shaft portion 110A and slidable on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 50 is formed below the guide shaft portion 110A. The large-diameter portion 110B is the thickest part of the rotor 110.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4(B), on the upper surface of the large-diameter portion 110B of the rotor 110, a plurality (eight in this embodiment) of first teeth 112 having the same shape and the same size and having an isosceles triangle shape in side view are formed along the circumferential direction to form a first annular tooth row. In other words, the upper surface side of the large-diameter portion 110B has a crown gear shape.

[0043] The first teeth 112 have the same size and the same diameter shape as the aforementioned second teeth 108. As shown in FIG. 4(A), the second teeth 108 (ridge portions) are adapted to fit into the valleys between the first teeth 112.

[0044] As described above, since the spring 104 biases the knock bar 102 toward the rotor 110, the inclined surface of the second tooth 108 of the knock bar 102 is pressed against the inclined surface of the first tooth 112 of the rotor 110.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2, on the outer peripheral portion below the large-diameter portion 110B of the rotor 110, a plurality of protrusions 113 extending along the axial direction are formed at regular intervals along the circumferential direction. As shown in the developed view of FIG. 5, an inclined surface 113A is formed at the lower portion of the protrusion 113.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of the rotor 110 is a valve body portion 54 and is adapted to contact a pilot valve seat 24A of a main valve body 24 to be described later. The rotor 110 of this embodiment has a function as a valve rod. Further, the valve body portion 54 of this embodiment functions as a pilot valve body.

[0047] A cylindrical collar 114 is rotatably externally inserted into the lower portion of the large-diameter portion 110B of the rotor 110.

[0048] An annular convex portion 50A protruding toward the axial center side is formed at the axial intermediate portion of the through hole 50 formed in the plunger 28. Since the spring 104 of the attractor 26 described above biases the knock bar 102 downward, the rotor 110 pressed downward by the knock bar 102 biases the collar 114 downward with the large diameter portion 110B, and presses the upper end of the convex portion 50A formed in the through hole 50 of the plunger 28 with the lower end of the collar 114. Therefore, the plunger 28 is biased downward by the spring 104.

[0049] A large diameter concave portion 32A formed to have a larger diameter than the upper axial portion of the inner peripheral portion is formed at the lower axial portion of the inner peripheral portion of the nut 32, and an annular cam member 116 is inserted into the large diameter concave portion 32A. The cam member 116 is sandwiched between the bottom of the large diameter concave portion 32A of the nut 32 and an annular protrusion 34A formed in the large diameter concave portion 34 of the valve body 12 and protruding upward.

[0050] In the through hole 50 of the plunger 28 described above, a spring 117 having a smaller biasing force than the spring 104 is housed in a compressed state below the convex portion 50A. The upper end of the spring 117 abuts against the convex portion 50A, and the lower end abuts against the cam member 116. As a result, the plunger 28 receives an upward biasing force from the spring 117.

[0051] The plunger 28 is biased downward by the spring 104 and upward by the spring 117. However, since the biasing force of the spring 104 is larger than the biasing force of the spring 117, as a result, a downward biasing force acts on the plunger 28. For this reason, in the normal state (when the valve is closed) shown in FIG. 1, the plunger 28 is pressed against the upper surface of the cam member 116, and a gap of dimension L1 is formed between the attractor 26 and the plunger 28.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cam member 116 is formed with connecting pin insertion holes 118 on one side and the other side across the axis, and a connecting member 60 described later is movably inserted into the connecting pin insertion holes 118.

[0053] On the inner peripheral surface of the cam member 116, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5(A) which is an exploded view, a plurality of engaging projection portions 124 having a first tooth 120 formed in a right-angled triangle shape and a second tooth 122 formed in a right-angled triangle shape and smaller than the first tooth 120 are formed along the circumferential direction at regular intervals. A deep groove 126 into which the projection 113 of the rotor 110 can be inserted is provided between the engaging projection portions 124. Note that the inclined surfaces 120A of the first tooth 120 and the inclined surfaces 122A of the second tooth 122 are both inclined in the same direction and at the same angle as the inclined surface 113A of the projection 113 formed on the rotor 110.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1, during normal times (when the valve is closed), a gap with a dimension L2 is provided between the cam member 116 and the main valve body 24. The dimension L2 is a dimension that allows the main valve body 24 to move axially inside the main valve chamber 22. Note that the dimension L2 is larger than the dimension L1 between the attractor 26 and the plunger 28 described above.

[0055] A pilot valve portion 16 is constituted by a valve body portion 54 at the lower end of the rotor 110 and a pilot valve seat 24A formed on the upper portion of the main valve body 24. Note that the space between the cam member 116 and the main valve body 24 is a pilot valve chamber 55.

[0056] A pilot passage 24B that enables communication between the pilot valve chamber 55 and the outlet 20 is formed at the axial center of the main valve body 24.

[0057] An annular main valve packing 56 is attached to the lower portion of the main valve body 24. The main valve portion 14 is constituted by this main valve packing 56 and a main valve seat 58 formed between the inlet 18 and the outlet 20 of the valve body 12.

[0058] The attractor 26 and the main valve body 24 are connected by two pin-shaped connecting members 60, and the attractor 26 and the main valve body 24 can move integrally along the axial direction within the pipe 30. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two connecting members 60 are arranged on both sides of the outer peripheral sides of the attractor 26 and the main valve body 24 with the axial center portion therebetween. A groove 62 into which the connecting member 60 is inserted is formed along the axial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the plunger 28.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 1, the boss 46 formed of a magnet is magnetized such that, as an example, one side in the radial direction is the S pole and the opposite side is the N pole.

[0060] A cover 66 that covers the solenoid 40 is provided on the upper portion of the valve body 12. A control board 68 is provided inside the cover 66 with a space above the solenoid 40.

[0061] As an example, a magnetic sensor 70 that detects the strength and weakness of the magnetic flux density is provided on the lower surface of the control board 68, and electrical components such as a microcomputer 72 are mounted on the upper surface of the control board 68.

[0062] The magnetic sensor 70 of the present embodiment is a Hall element, but a magnetic sensor other than the Hall element, for example, a magnetoresistive element or the like can also be used.

[0063] The microcomputer 72 can detect the position of the main valve body 24 connected to the magnet (boss 46) via the disk 42, the attractor 26, and the connecting member 60, that is, the open / closed state of the main valve portion 14, from the strength and weakness of the magnetic flux density detected by the magnetic sensor 70.

[0064] When the magnet is close to the magnetic sensor 70, the magnetic flux density increases, so the Hall output voltage increases. When the magnet is far from the magnetic sensor 70, the magnetic flux density decreases, so the Hall output voltage decreases. Therefore, by measuring the Hall output voltage, the proximity or distance of the magnet, that is, the movement of the attractor 26 can be detected. Since the attractor 26 and the main valve body 24 are connected by the connecting member 60, the movement of the main valve body 24 can be determined by the movement of the attractor 26, and thus the opening and closing state of the main valve portion 14 can be determined.

[0065] In the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 of the present embodiment, a knock bar 102, a spring 104, a rotor 110, and a cam member 116 constitute an alternative mechanism (a mechanism for holding a position) as an example of the present disclosure.

[0066] (Function, Effect) Hereinafter, the function and effect of the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0067] First, the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 in the normal state (when the solenoid 40 is de-energized and the main valve portion 14 and the pilot valve portion 16 are closed) will be described.

[0068] Here, the operation in the case where the pressure of the fluid from a compressor (not shown) acts on the inlet 18 of the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 and a high differential pressure (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a high differential pressure) is generated between the inlet 18 and the outlet 20 will be described. In this state, a large downward force (in other words, toward the outlet 20 side) acts on the main valve body 24 due to the pressure of the fluid from the inlet 18.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6(A), during normal operation (when the valve is closed), the armature 26 is biased downward by the biasing force of the first spring 44, and the main valve packing 56 of the main valve body 24 connected to the armature 26 by the connecting member 60 is pressed against the main valve seat 58, and the main valve portion 14 is in a closed state. Further, the rotor 110 is biased downward by receiving the biasing force of the spring 104 via the knock bar 102, the valve body portion 54 of the rotor 110 is pressed against the pilot valve seat 24A of the main valve body 24, and the pilot valve portion 16 is in a closed state. In this way, the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 is in a closed valve state, and the flow of fluid between the fluid inlet 18 and the fluid outlet 20 is blocked.

[0070] Also, during normal operation, as shown in FIG. 5(B) and FIG. 6(A), the protrusion 113 of the knock bar 102 is inserted into the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116, and as shown in FIG. 4(B) and FIG. 6(A), the second tooth 108 formed at the lower end of the knock bar 102 and the first tooth 112 of the rotor 110 are displaced in the circumferential direction by 1 / 4 pitch (assuming one tooth as one pitch). In other words, the top of the second tooth 108 of the knock bar 102 is positioned at the middle portion of the inclined surface of the first tooth 112 of the rotor 110.

[0071] Note that since this knock bar 102 is biased toward the rotor 110 by the spring 104, the inclined surface of the second tooth 108 of the knock bar 102 presses the inclined surface of the first tooth 112 of the rotor 110.

[0072] (1) Valve opening operation Next, a method of changing the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 from the closed valve state to the open valve state will be described. To change the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 from the closed valve state to the open valve state, the solenoid 40 is energized (turned on) once and then the energization is stopped (turned off). In other words, the solenoid 40 is temporarily energized.

[0073] When the solenoid 40 is energized, the armature 26, the plunger 28, and the magnetic pole 40D are magnetized. First, the plunger 28 is attracted to the armature 26 and moves upward by a dimension L1 (see FIG. 1) as shown in FIG. 6(B), and the armature 26 and the plunger 28 are integrated. Along with this, the rotor 110 also moves upward by the dimension L1. When the rotor 110 moves upward, the valve body portion 54 at the lower end of the rotor 110 is separated from the pilot valve seat 24A of the main valve body 24, and the pilot valve portion 16 is in an open valve state.

[0074] When the pilot valve portion 16 is in an open valve state, the pressure in the pilot valve chamber 55 escapes to the outlet 20 which is relatively at a low pressure through the pilot passage 24B of the main valve body 24, and the pressure in the pilot valve chamber 55 decreases. As a result, the pressure on the main valve chamber 22 side of the main valve body 24 becomes relatively higher than the pressure on the pilot valve chamber 55 side of the main valve body 24, and an upward force F2 acts on the main valve body 24 due to the pressure difference generated above and below the main valve body 24, that is, the vertical differential pressure.

[0075] Also, the armature 26 integrated with the plunger 28 is attracted to the magnetic pole 40D side, and an upward force (attractive force F1) acts on the armature 26 integrated with the plunger 28.

[0076] Therefore, when the solenoid 40 is energized, an attractive force F1 by the magnetic pole 40D and an upward force F2 by the vertical differential pressure of the main valve body 24 act on the main valve body 24, and as shown in FIG. 6(C), the main valve body 24 moves upward, the main valve packing 56 is separated from the main valve seat 58, and the main valve portion 14 is in an open valve state. As a result, the fluid flows from the inlet 18 to the outlet 20.

[0077] Note that the state where the main valve packing 56 is separated from the main valve seat 58 is a state where the protrusion 113 of the rotor 110 is pulled upward from the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116. Here, since the inclined surface of the second tooth 108 formed at the lower end of the knock bar 102 presses downward on the inclined surface of the first tooth 112 formed on the rotor 110, a circumferential rotational force is generated in the rotor 110. The relationship between the second tooth 108 and the first tooth 112 changes from the state shown in FIG. 4(B) to the state shown in FIG. 4(A), that is, the second tooth 108 fits into the valley between the first teeth 112, and the rotor 110 rotates circumferentially by an amount corresponding to 1 / 4 of the crest of the first tooth 112.

[0078] When the rotor 110 rotates circumferentially by an amount corresponding to 1 / 4 of the crest of the first tooth 112, as shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 6(C), the protrusion 113 of the rotor 110 that has come out of the deep groove 126 moves circumferentially with respect to the cam member 116, and the top (lower end) of the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 is positioned above the inclined surface 120A of the first tooth 120 formed on the cam member 116. In other words, in a side view, the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 and the inclined surface 120A of the first tooth 120 overlap circumferentially.

[0079] When the energization of the solenoid 40 is stopped, the attractor 26, the plunger 28, and the magnetic pole 40D are no longer magnetized. Therefore, no attractive force acts on the attractor 26 and the plunger 28, and the attractor 26 and the plunger 28 move downward under the biasing force of the first spring 44, and accordingly, the rotor 110 also moves downward.

[0080] When the rotor 110 moves downward, the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 formed on the rotor 110 is pressed against the inclined surface 120A of the first tooth 120 formed on the engaging protrusion 124 of the cam member 116 and slides downward along the inclined surface 120A.

[0081] In other words, the rotor 110 rotates by the amount that the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 slides, and as shown in FIG. 6(D), the lower end of the protrusion 113 fits into the valley-shaped shallow groove 127 (see FIG. 5) formed by the inclined surface 120A of the first tooth 120 and the vertical surface of the second tooth 122, preventing the downward movement of the rotor 110. Thus, the main valve body 24 is held in a state separated from the main valve seat 58.

[0082] That is, even after the energization of the solenoid 40 is stopped, in other words, even if the power supply to the solenoid 40 is not continued, the valve opening state of the main valve portion 14 can be maintained, and power consumption can be suppressed.

[0083] Since the rotor 110 rotates when the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 slides in the direction of going down the inclined surface 120A, the first tooth 112 formed on the rotor 110 is displaced by 1 / 4 pitch in the circumferential direction with respect to the second tooth 108 formed at the lower end of the knock bar 102 (see FIGS. 4(A) → 4(B), FIGS. 6(C) → 6(D)), and this state is maintained (because the lower end of the protrusion 113 fits into the valley-shaped shallow groove 127 formed by the inclined surface 120A of the first tooth 120 and the vertical surface of the second tooth 122).

[0084] (2) Valve closing operation Next, a method of changing the pilot solenoid valve 10 from the valve open state to the valve closed state will be described. To return the pilot solenoid valve 10 to the valve closed state, the solenoid 40 is once energized (turned on) and then the energization is stopped (turned off). In other words, the solenoid 40 is temporarily energized.

[0085] When the solenoid 40 of the pilot solenoid valve 10 in the state shown in FIG. 6(D) is energized, the armature 26, the plunger 28, and the magnetic pole 40D are magnetized, the armature 26 and the plunger 28 move upward, and accordingly, the rotor 110 also moves upward.

[0086] When the rotor 110 moves upward, the protrusion 113 of the rotor 110 is pulled out upward from the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116, and the rotor 110 becomes rotatable.

[0087] Since the rotatable rotor 110 is pressed by the knock bar 102 biased by the spring 104, the first tooth 112 of the rotor 110 and the second tooth 108 of the knock bar 102 mesh with each other (see FIGS. 4(A), 6(E)), and the rotor 110 rotates by 1 / 4 pitch in the circumferential direction of the first tooth 112.

[0088] When the energization is stopped (turned off), the attractor 26, the plunger 28, and the magnetic pole 40D are no longer magnetized, and the attractor 26, the plunger 28, and the rotor 110 that were attracted to the magnetic pole 40D side move downward.

[0089] When the rotor 110 moves downward, accordingly, the protrusion 113 of the rotor 110 that had been pulled out from the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116 also moves downward, and the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 slides down the inclined surface 122A of the second tooth 122 of the cam member 116, causing the rotor 110 to rotate, and the protrusion 113 is inserted into the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116 (see the protrusion 113 shown in FIG. 7).

[0090] When the rotor 110 rotates and the protrusion 113 is inserted into the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116, that is, when the rotor 110 moves downward, the valve body portion 54 at the lower end of the rotor 110 contacts the pilot valve seat 24A of the main valve body 24, and the pilot valve portion 16 closes.

[0091] Furthermore, since the attractor 26 and the plunger 28 are biased downward by the biasing force of the first spring 44, the main valve body 24 connected to the attractor 26 by the connecting member 60 moves toward the main valve seat 58 side. Then, the main valve packing 56 of the main valve body 24 contacts the main valve seat 58, and the main valve portion 14 is in a closed state. As a result, the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 returns to the closed state shown in FIG. 6(A), and the closed state is maintained.

[0092] The pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 of the present embodiment includes an alternate mechanism (a mechanism for holding the position of the main valve body 24) including a knock bar 102, a spring 104, a rotor 110, and a cam member 116. Therefore, by turning on and off the energization to the solenoid 40, the open state and the closed state of the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 can be alternately switched, and the open state and the closed state (the position of the main valve body 24) can be maintained.

[0093] The pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 of this embodiment can maintain the valve-open state without continuously supplying power to the solenoid 40, so it is configured to suppress power consumption and achieve energy savings. Also, in the method of detecting the energized state of the solenoid 40, there may be cases where the opening / closing state of the main valve portion 14 cannot be reliably detected. However, in the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 of this embodiment, the position of the main valve body 24, that is, the opening / closing state of the main valve portion 14, can be reliably detected using a magnet (boss 46), a magnetic sensor 70, and a microcomputer 72.

[0094] [Second Embodiment] Next, a direct-acting solenoid valve 200 according to a second embodiment as an example of the solenoid valve of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 8, in the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 of the second embodiment, unlike the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 of the first embodiment, the main valve body 24 is not provided, and the rotor 110 serves as the main valve body. The valve body portion 54 at the lower end of the rotor 110 functions as the main valve body, enabling the main valve seat 58 to be opened and closed. In this embodiment, the main valve portion 14 is constituted by the valve body portion 54 of the rotor 110 and the main valve seat 58.

[0096] In the cam member 116 of this embodiment, a bottomed hole 202 into which the lower end portion of the connecting member 60 is slidably inserted is formed, and the lower end portion of the cam member 116 is configured to move inside the bottomed hole 202 as the attractor 26 moves.

[0097] Note that other configurations are the same as those of the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 of the first embodiment.

[0098] [Operation and Effects] Hereinafter, the operation and effects of the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0099] First, the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 in the normal state (when the solenoid 40 is de-energized and the main valve portion 14 is in the closed state) will be described.

[0100] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9(A), in the normal state (when closed), the armature 26 is biased downward by the biasing force of the first spring 44, and the lower end of the connecting member 60 fixed to the armature 26 abuts against the bottom of the bottomed hole 202 of the cam member 116.

[0101] Also, the rotor 110 is biased downward by the biasing force of the spring 104 via the knock bar 102, the valve body portion 54 of the rotor 110 is pressed against the main valve seat 58, and the main valve portion 14 is in the closed state.

[0102] Furthermore, the collar 114 is biased downward by the large-diameter portion 110B of the rotor 110 that is biased downward, and the upper end of the convex portion 50A formed in the through hole 50 of the plunger 28 is pressed by the lower end of the collar 114. As a result, the spring 117 disposed between the convex portion 50A of the plunger 28 and the cam member 116 is compressed.

[0103] Also, in the normal state, as shown in FIGS. 5(B) and 9(A), the protrusion 113 of the knock bar 102 is inserted into the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116, and as shown in FIGS. 4(B) and 9(A), the second tooth 108 formed at the lower end of the knock bar 102 and the first tooth 112 of the rotor 110 are displaced in the circumferential direction by 1 / 4 pitch (assuming one tooth as one pitch). In other words, the top of the second tooth 108 of the knock bar 102 is located at the middle portion of the inclined surface of the first tooth 112 of the rotor 110.

[0104] Note that since the knock bar 102 is biased toward the rotor 110 by the spring 104, the inclined surface of the second tooth 108 of the knock bar 102 presses the inclined surface of the first tooth 112 of the rotor 110.

[0105] (1) Valve opening operation Next, a method for changing the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 of the present embodiment from the closed state to the open state will be described. To change the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 from the valve-closed state to the valve-open state, the solenoid 40 is energized (turned on) once and then the energization is stopped (turned off). In other words, the solenoid 40 is energized temporarily.

[0106] When the solenoid 40 is energized, the armature 26, the plunger 28, and the magnetic pole 40D are magnetized. First, the plunger 28 is attracted to the armature 26 and moves upward by a dimension L1 (see FIG. 8), and the armature 26 and the plunger 28 are integrated. Accordingly, the rotor 110 also moves upward by the dimension L1. When the rotor 110 moves upward by the dimension L1, the valve body portion 54 at the lower end of the rotor 110 is separated from the main valve seat 58 by the dimension L1.

[0107] Furthermore, the armature 26 integrated with the plunger 28 is attracted to the magnetic pole 40D side and moves upward, and accordingly, the rotor 110 also moves upward. As a result, the protrusion 113 of the rotor 110 is pulled upward from the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116. Here, since the slope of the second tooth 108 formed at the lower end of the knock bar 102 presses the slope of the first tooth 112 formed on the rotor 110 downward, a circumferential rotational force is generated in the rotor 110, and the relationship between the second tooth 108 and the first tooth 112 changes from the state shown in FIG. 4(B) to the state shown in FIG. 4(A), that is, the second tooth 108 fits into the valley between the first teeth 112, and the rotor 110 rotates circumferentially by 1 / 4 of the peak of the first tooth 112.

[0108] When the rotor 110 rotates circumferentially by 1 / 4 of the peak of the first tooth 112, as shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 9(C), the protrusion 113 of the rotor 110 that has come out of the deep groove 126 moves circumferentially with respect to the cam member 116, and the top (lower end) of the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 is positioned above the inclined surface 120A of the first tooth 120 formed on the cam member 116. In other words, in a side view, the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 and the inclined surface 120A of the first tooth 120 overlap circumferentially.

[0109] When the energization of the solenoid 40 is stopped, the attractor 26, the plunger 28, and the magnetic pole 40D are no longer magnetized. Therefore, no attractive force acts on the attractor 26 and the plunger 28, and the attractor 26 and the plunger 28 move downward under the biasing force of the first spring 44. Accordingly, the rotor 110 also moves downward.

[0110] When the rotor 110 moves downward, the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 formed on the rotor 110 is pressed against the inclined surface 120A of the first tooth 120 formed on the engaging protrusion 124 of the cam member 116 and slides downward along the inclined surface 120A.

[0111] In other words, the rotor 110 rotates by the amount that the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 slides. As shown in FIG. 9(D), the lower end of the protrusion 113 fits into the valley-shaped shallow groove 127 (see FIG. 5) formed by the inclined surface 120A of the first tooth 120 and the vertical surface of the second tooth 122, and the downward movement of the rotor 110 is blocked. Thus, the valve body portion 54 of the rotor 110 is held in a state separated from the main valve seat 58, and fluid flows from the inlet 18 to the outlet 20.

[0112] Since the rotor 110 rotates when the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 slides downward along the inclined surface 120A, the first tooth 112 formed on the rotor 110 is displaced by 1 / 4 pitch in the circumferential direction with respect to the second tooth 108 formed at the lower end of the knock bar 102 (see FIGS. 4(A)→FIG. 4(B), FIGS. 9(C)→FIG. 9(D)).

[0113] As described above, in the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 of the present embodiment, even if the energization of the solenoid 40 is stopped after energization, in other words, even if power is not continuously supplied to the solenoid 40, the open valve state of the main valve portion 14 can be maintained, and power consumption can be suppressed.

[0114] (2) Closing operation Next, a method for closing the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 from the open valve state will be described. To return the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 to the valve-closed state, the solenoid 40 is energized (turned on) once and then the energization is stopped (turned off). In other words, the solenoid 40 is energized temporarily.

[0115] When the solenoid 40 of the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 in the state shown in FIG. 9(D) is energized, the armature 26, the plunger 28, and the magnetic pole 40D are magnetized, the armature 26 and the plunger 28 move upward, and accordingly, the rotor 110 also moves upward.

[0116] When the rotor 110 moves upward, the protrusion 113 of the rotor 110 is pulled upward from the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116, and the rotor 110 becomes rotatable.

[0117] Note that since the rotatable rotor 110 is pressed by the knock bar 102 biased by the spring 104, the first tooth 112 of the rotor 110 and the second tooth 108 of the knock bar 102 mesh with each other (see FIGS. 4(A) and 9(E)), and the rotor 110 rotates in the circumferential direction by 1 / 4 of the crest of the first tooth 112.

[0118] Then, when the energization is stopped (turned off), the armature 26, the plunger 28, and the magnetic pole 40D are demagnetized, and the armature 26, the plunger 28, and the rotor 110 attracted to the magnetic pole 40D side move downward.

[0119] When the rotor 110 moves downward, accordingly, the protrusion 113 of the rotor 110 pulled out from the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116 also moves downward, and the inclined surface 113A of the protrusion 113 slides down the inclined surface 122A of the second tooth 122 of the cam member 116, causing the rotor 110 to rotate, and the protrusion 113 is inserted into the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116 (see the protrusion 113 in FIG. 7).

[0120] When the rotor 110 rotates and is inserted into the deep groove 126 of the cam member 116, that is, when the rotor 110 moves downward, the valve body portion 54 at the lower end of the rotor 110 contacts the main valve seat 58 formed in the valve body 12, and the main valve portion 14 closes the valve. As a result, the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 returns to the valve-closed state shown in Fig. 9(A).

[0121] Similar to the pilot-operated solenoid valve 10 of the first embodiment, the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 of the present embodiment also includes an alternator mechanism configured to include a knock bar 102, a spring 104, a rotor 110, and a cam member 116. Therefore, by turning on and off the energization of the solenoid 40, the valve-open state and the valve-closed state of the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 can be alternately switched, and the valve-open state and the valve-closed state can be maintained.

[0122] Since the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 of the present embodiment can maintain the valve-open state without continuously supplying power to the solenoid 40, it is configured to suppress power consumption and achieve energy saving.

[0123] In addition, in the direct-acting solenoid valve 200 of the present embodiment, the rotor 110 having the valve body portion 54 at the lower end and the armature 26 are configured to interlock with each other, and a boss 46 made of a magnet is connected to the armature 26. Therefore, when the armature 26 moves in conjunction with the rotor 110, the distance between the boss 46 made of a magnet and the magnetic sensor 70 changes, and the opening and closing state of the main valve portion 14 can be detected.

[0124] [Other Embodiments] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0125] 10 Pilot-operated solenoid valve (solenoid valve) 12 Valve body 18 Inlet port 20 Outlet port 22 Main valve chamber 24 Main valve body 24A Pilot valve seat 24B Pilot passage 26 Armature 28 Plunger 40 Solenoid 46 Boss (Magnet) 54 Valve Body Part (Pilot Valve Body) 58 Main Valve Seat 70 Magnetic Sensor 102 Knock Bar (Alternate Mechanism) 104 Spring (Alternate Mechanism) 110 Rotor (Pilot Valve Body, Alternate Mechanism) 116 Cam Member (Alternate Mechanism) 200 Direct Acting Solenoid Valve (Solenoid Valve)

Claims

1. A valve body in which a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet are formed, and a main valve seat and a main valve chamber are provided between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; A solenoid that generates a magnetic force; An armature that moves by the magnetic force of the solenoid; A main valve body that moves along with the movement of the armature and is provided so as to be able to contact and separate from the main valve seat; An alternate mechanism that maintains an open valve state in which the valve body is separated from the main valve seat by turning on and off the power supply to the solenoid from a closed valve state in which the valve body contacts the main valve seat, and maintains a closed valve state by turning on and off the power supply to the solenoid from the open valve state; A magnet connected to the armature; A magnetic sensor provided on the valve body for detecting the magnetic flux density of the magnet; having; The main valve body includes a pilot valve seat, and a pilot passage that communicates the main valve chamber on the side opposite to the main valve seat side of the main valve body with the fluid outlet; A plunger made of a magnetic material that can be attracted to the armature is movably disposed between the armature and the main valve body; The plunger is provided with a pilot valve body that can contact the pilot valve seat. An electromagnetic valve.

2. A valve body in which a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet are formed, and a main valve seat and a main valve chamber are provided between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; A solenoid that generates a magnetic force; An armature that moves by the magnetic force of the solenoid; A main valve body that moves along with the movement of the armature and is provided so as to be able to contact and separate from the main valve seat; An alternate mechanism that maintains an open valve state in which the valve body is separated from the main valve seat by turning on and off the power supply to the solenoid from a closed valve state in which the valve body contacts the main valve seat, and maintains a closed valve state by turning on and off the power supply to the solenoid from the open valve state; A magnet connected to the armature; A magnetic sensor provided in the valve body for detecting the magnetic flux density of the magnet, having, a plunger made of a magnetic material that can be attracted to the attractor is provided on the main valve seat side of the attractor, and the main valve body is provided on the plunger, an electromagnetic valve.

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