Valve device

Abstract

To provide a valve device (especially, a ball valve) which has quick action, less valve leakage, and a small breadth.SOLUTION: A valve device 11 includes a valve body 12 having a valve chest 13 inside, a valve element 21 having a flow path space 22 inside and adapted to be rotationally driven in the valve chest to change the flow amount of fluid, a first flow path hole 14 formed in the valve body and communicating with the flow path space to allow the passage of the fluid, a second flow path hole 15 formed in the valve body to allow the passage of the fluid when communicating with the flow path space after the state of communicating with the flow path space is changed by the rotational displacement position of the valve element, and a transmission mechanism including a valve element drive shaft 31 for transmitting, to the valve element, driving power for rotating the valve element. The rotation axis of the valve element and the rotation axis of the valve element drive shaft intersect with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve device, and more particularly to a ball valve provided in a refrigeration cycle device such as an air conditioner to adjust the flow rate of a refrigerant. [Background technology]

[0002] Refrigeration cycle devices such as car air conditioners are equipped with needle valves and ball valves to adjust the flow rate of refrigerant. Figures 10 and 11 show an example of such a ball valve. As shown in these figures, a conventional ball valve has a spherical valve element 3 placed inside a box-shaped valve body 1 (valve chamber 2), and the flow rate of refrigerant is changed by rotating this valve element 3.

[0003] More specifically, the valve body 1 has an inlet hole 14 on its side surface through which the refrigerant flows in, and an outlet hole 15 on its bottom surface through which the refrigerant flows out. A pair of valve disc support members 4, 5, facing each other at a fixed horizontal distance, are provided within the valve chamber 2 to support the valve disc 3, and the valve disc 3 is rotatably supported between these pair of valve disc support members 4, 5. The valve disc support member 4 on the inlet side is provided with a valve seat opening 14a, which serves as the end opening of the inlet hole 14 on the valve chamber side. The valve disc 3 slides and rotates horizontally while abutting against this valve seat opening 14a, that is, around a central axis A1 extending vertically while in contact with the valve seat opening 14a (see symbol R3). As will be described later, the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through (the refrigerant flow is denoted by symbol F) changes depending on the rotational state of the valve disc 3.

[0004] The valve element 3 is rotated by a drive device (not shown) provided on the upper surface of the valve body 1, and a drive shaft (not shown) is connected to the upper shell wall of the valve element 3 from above to transmit the driving force of the drive device to the valve element 3 (symbol 6 in Figure 10 indicates a hole into which the shaft is inserted).

[0005] The valve body 3 is a hollow sphere having a flow path space 22 inside through which the refrigerant can flow, and has an inlet 23 on the side for introducing the refrigerant flowing in through the inlet hole 14 into the flow path space 22, and an outlet 24 on the bottom for discharging the refrigerant from the flow path space 22.

[0006] Here, the outlet 24 at the bottom of the valve disc is always opposite (directly facing) and in communication with the outlet hole 15 at the bottom of the valve body, whereas the relative position of the inlet 23 at the side of the valve disc and the valve seat opening 14a changes as the valve disc 3 rotates. That is, when the valve is fully open, the inlet 23 of the valve disc 3 faces the valve seat opening 14a and opens the inlet hole 14 (the flow path space 22 of the valve disc 3 and the inlet hole 14 at the side of the valve body are in a state of complete communication).

[0007] On the other hand, when the valve element 3 is rotated horizontally by 90° from the fully open state to a fully closed state, the inlet 23 of the valve element 3 moves out of contact with the valve seat opening 14a (the inlet 23 and the valve seat opening 14a no longer overlap), and the valve seat opening 14a is blocked by the shell wall (outer wall surface) of the valve element 3. In addition, between the fully open state and the fully closed state, the flow path area changes depending on the degree of overlap between the inlet 23 and the valve seat opening 14a, which determines the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through.

[0008] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 below is a document that discloses a valve that switches flow paths by rotating a rotor seal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-169613 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, the conventional ball valves have room for improvement in terms of the outer size of the valve and the ease of manufacturing.

[0011] Specifically, in conventional ball valves, the valve element 3 is rotated horizontally, so it is necessary to support the valve element 3 by sandwiching it from both sides and form the valve seat opening 14a on the side, which tends to increase the width of the valve body 1 (the horizontal size of the valve).

[0012] Furthermore, in conventional ball valves, the interior of the valve body 1 (the valve chamber 2 in which the valve disc 3 is installed) has a square shape, but it is not necessarily easy to hollow out the valve body 1, which is made of a hard metal such as stainless steel or brass, to accurately form a square valve chamber space in a short amount of time. For example, forming a square space is more difficult than forming a cylindrical space as the valve chamber 2, and processing efficiency is significantly reduced.

[0013] On the other hand, if a needle valve is used, which changes the refrigerant flow area by linearly moving a conical valve disc toward and away from the valve seat, the above problems do not occur. However, needle valves generally have a slower operating speed than ball valves, and the valve disc is prone to tilting, which can cause valve leakage.

[0014] However, such problems cannot be solved even by the invention described in Patent Document 1.

[0015] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new valve device structure that has a high operating speed, a small valve leakage amount, and a small horizontal size. Another object of the present invention is to improve the workability of the valve device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the valve device of the present invention comprises a valve body having an internal valve chamber, a valve element having an internal flow path space and rotatably supported within the valve chamber by a rotating shaft portion and being driven to rotate within the valve chamber to change the flow rate of a fluid, a first flow path hole formed in the valve body and communicating with the flow path space to allow the passage of a fluid, a second flow path hole formed in the valve body and changing its communication state with the flow path space depending on the rotational displacement position of the valve element, allowing the passage of a fluid when it communicates with the flow path space, and a transmission mechanism including a valve element drive shaft (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "drive shaft") that transmits a driving force to rotate the valve element to the valve element, and when viewed from the side of the rotation axis of the valve element drive shaft, the rotation axis of the valve element and the rotation axis of the valve element drive shaft intersect each other.

[0017] Unlike conventional ball valves in which the valve disc rotates horizontally (around the rotation axis of the shaft that drives the valve disc), the valve device of the present invention rotates the valve disc vertically (around an axis that intersects with the rotation axis of the valve disc drive shaft). Therefore, in the present invention, it is not necessary to form both the first and second flow path holes on the side surface of the valve body as in conventional ball valves. Instead, the first flow path hole can be formed on the side surface of the valve body, and the second flow path hole (the valve seat port that changes the flow rate in cooperation with the valve disc) can be located somewhere other than the side surface (for example, on the bottom surface of the valve body), making it possible to reduce the horizontal dimension of the valve device.

[0018] In recent years, in particular, there has been a need to cool other devices (such as batteries) in addition to vehicle air conditioning, and in order to supply refrigerant to multiple devices, multiple valve bodies are sometimes connected in a horizontal array, or multiple valve discs are installed side by side in a valve body. Therefore, in such cases, if the width dimension of the valve device (valve body) could be reduced, multiple valve devices (valve bodies) could be installed in a small space, making it easier to meet such needs.

[0019] The valve device of the present invention typically has one or more of the following aspects (1) to (9).

[0020] (1) The valve body has a first passage hole in a side portion of the valve body and a second passage hole at a circumferential position around the axis of the first passage hole. The valve element has a first opening that connects the first passage hole to the passage space, a second opening that connects the second passage hole to the passage space when the valve is open, and a shell wall that closes the second passage hole when the valve is closed. The valve element is supported rotatably around the axis of the first passage hole between an open state in which the second passage hole connects to the passage space via the second opening and a closed state in which the second passage hole is closed by the shell wall. The transmission mechanism further has a valve element driven shaft (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "driven shaft") and an engagement means. The valve element drive shaft extends in the axial direction of the first passage hole and rotates around the axis of the first passage hole upon receiving driving force transmitted from the valve element drive shaft, transmitting the rotation to the valve element. The engagement means transmits the rotation of the valve element drive shaft to the valve element driven shaft. The rotation axis of the valve element drive shaft is perpendicular to the axis of the first flow passage hole.

[0021] (2) The valve disc has a spherical shape, the valve chamber has a circular cross section, and the second flow path hole has a valve seat opening at the edge portion on the valve chamber side, and the valve disc rotates and slides while contacting the valve seat opening.

[0022] According to this aspect (2), unlike a needle valve, the valve disc is less likely to tilt (even if it tilts, a gap is less likely to form between the valve disc and the valve seat), so valve leakage when the valve is closed can be prevented or suppressed. Note that the "spherical" shape does not have to be a perfect sphere, and it may have, for example, a flat surface, holes, convex portions, concave portions, etc.

[0023] Furthermore, since the valve chest has a circular cross-sectional shape, i.e., a shape similar to the internal space of a cylinder, it is easy to process the valve chest (for example, by cutting the valve body to form the valve chest). Note that the cross-sectional area of the valve chest does not need to be constant, and the inner peripheral surface of the valve chest may have steps or protrusions.

[0024] (3) In the above aspect (2), the first opening is formed to face the first flow path hole and communicates with the flow path space at any rotational position of the valve body, allowing the passage of a fluid. Meanwhile, the second opening overlaps with the valve seat opening in the open state, thereby communicating the second flow path hole with the flow path space. The valve body is supported so as to be rotatable between a fully open state of the valve, in which the overlap between the second opening and the valve seat opening is maximized, and a fully closed state of the valve, in which the second opening is out of contact with the valve seat opening and the valve seat opening is blocked by the shell wall portion.

[0025] In the above aspects (2) to (3), the valve body rotates and slides while contacting the valve seat opening, and this rotation changes the overlapping area of the second opening of the valve body and the valve seat opening, i.e., the opening area (flow path area) of the valve seat opening, and changes the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the first flow path hole, the flow path space inside the valve body, and the second flow path hole.

[0026] More specifically, when the second opening faces the valve seat opening (directly facing it), the opening area of the valve seat opening is at its maximum, and the valve is in a fully open state. As the valve disc rotates from this fully open state, the opening area of the valve seat opening gradually decreases, and when the second opening no longer overlaps with the valve seat opening, the opening area of the valve seat opening becomes zero, and the valve is in a closed state. In this closed state, the valve seat opening is blocked by the shell wall portion (outer wall surface) of the valve disc, eliminating communication between the flow path space inside the valve disc and the second flow path opening, and blocking the flow of fluid between the flow path space (first flow path opening) of the valve disc and the second flow path opening.

[0027] In addition, in the valve device according to the present invention (as well as the ball valve of the embodiment described below), the fluid may flow in through the first flow path hole and flow out through the second flow path hole, or conversely, the fluid may flow in through the second flow path hole and flow out through the first flow path hole.

[0028] In addition, in the valve device according to the present invention or the above-described aspects, the valve seat opening can be provided on the bottom surface of the valve body rather than on the side surface, thereby reducing the lateral size of the valve. Furthermore, whereas a needle valve generally requires the disc to be rotated many times (multiple times) to move it toward or away from the valve seat opening, in the valve device according to the present invention, the disc only needs to be rotated between an open (fully open) state in which the second opening of the disc faces the valve seat opening, and a closed (fully closed) state in which the second opening is separated from (no longer overlaps with) the valve seat opening (less than one rotation, for example, about 90°, i.e., about a quarter rotation), allowing for rapid opening and closing operations.

[0029] (4) The valve element drive shaft extends along the central axis of the valve element extending in the vertical direction. The valve element driven shaft extends along the central axis of the valve element extending in the horizontal direction, and has a base end fixed to the side shell wall of the valve element on the opposite side from the first opening. The engagement means is provided at the tip end of the valve element drive shaft and the tip end of the valve element driven shaft.

[0030] (5) The engaging means includes a driving bevel gear provided on the valve body driving shaft, and a driven bevel gear provided on the valve body driven shaft and meshing with the driving bevel gear.

[0031] (6) The number of teeth of the driven bevel gear is made greater than the number of teeth of the driving bevel gear, in order to ensure that the valve body can be driven even with a drive device having a relatively small rotational output.

[0032] (7) The valve body drive shaft extends downward from the top of the valve body inside the valve body, penetrating the upper shell wall of the valve body to reach the flow path space, and the valve body has an opening in the upper shell wall through which the valve body drive shaft passes that allows rotation around the axis of the first flow path hole, and the opening has a first stopper portion that abuts against the side of the valve body drive shaft to stop the rotation of the valve body when the valve is fully open, and a second stopper portion that abuts against the opposite side of the valve body drive shaft to stop the rotation of the valve body when the valve is fully closed.

[0033] According to this aspect (7), the rotation of the valve element can be stopped more reliably at each of the fully open and fully closed positions.

[0034] (8) The opening extends in an arc shape along the shell wall of the valve body parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the first flow path hole, and is a guide groove that allows rotation of the valve body around the axis of the first flow path hole while slidably abutting against the side of the valve body drive shaft to restrict movement of the valve body in the axial direction of the first flow path hole, and is provided with the first stopper portion at one end of the guide groove and the second stopper portion at the other end of the guide groove.

[0035] According to this aspect (8), not only can the valve body be reliably stopped at each of the fully open and fully closed positions, but also the valve body is prevented from shifting position in the axial direction of the first flow path hole during rotation, making it possible to rotate the valve body around the axis of the first flow path hole with high precision.

[0036] (9) The valve device can be attached to a housing member by being screwed into a valve mounting hole of the housing member, the valve mounting hole having a valve device capable of receiving the valve device, a first flow path that opens into the inner surface of the valve mounting hole and serves as either an inflow path or an outflow path for a fluid, and a second flow path that opens into the bottom surface of the valve mounting hole and serves as the other of the inflow path and the outflow path for a fluid, wherein the second flow path hole is formed in the bottom surface of the valve body, a female thread is provided on the inner surface of the valve mounting hole, the valve body has a cylindrical shape and a male thread on its outer surface that screws into the female thread, and when the valve device is attached to the housing member by screwing the male thread into the valve mounting hole from the bottom surface side where the second flow path hole is provided, the first flow path hole communicates with the first flow path of the housing member, and the second flow path hole communicates with the second flow path of the housing member.

[0037] According to this aspect (9), for example, when a valve device manufacturer provides a valve device to a customer, a manufacturer of a refrigeration cycle device, the valve manufacturer and the customer can share specifications such as the outer size of the valve body and the positions of the first and second flow path holes in advance, and the customer can manufacture the housing member as part of the refrigeration cycle device.This allows the customer to complete the refrigeration cycle device by simply screwing the valve device into the housing member, thereby enabling the customer to efficiently manufacture the refrigeration cycle device.In addition, when the valve device needs to be replaced during maintenance of the refrigeration cycle device, the replacement can be performed with similar simple operations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a valve device that has a high operating speed, a low valve leakage amount, and a small width. Furthermore, according to a typical aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the workability of the valve device.

[0039] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, which is given with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a valve device (in a valve closed state) according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the internal structure of the valve device (main parts excluding the drive device, the second bearing member, the upper part of the first bearing member, the upper part of the valve body drive shaft, etc.) according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing, in a see-through state, the operation (open state) of the valve body of the valve device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the operation of the valve body of the valve device according to the embodiment (valve open state / X1-X1 cross-section in FIG. 3). [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing, in a see-through state, the operation (valve closed state) of the valve body of the valve device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the operation of the valve element of the valve device according to the embodiment (valve closed state / cross-section X2-X2 in FIG. 5). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a main part of the valve device according to the embodiment (valve closed state). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing the main part of the valve device according to the embodiment (valve closed state). [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of the valve device according to the embodiment (valve closed state / cross-section taken along X3-X3 in FIG. 7). [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the internal structure of a conventional valve device (ball valve). [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure (X4-X4 cross-section in FIG. 10) of the conventional valve device (ball valve). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 to 9, a valve device 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a so-called cartridge-type ball valve that is attached to a housing member 61 provided in a refrigeration cycle device, such as a heat pump type heating and cooling system, and incorporated into the refrigeration cycle device to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant.

[0042] Each figure shows two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates that are orthogonal to each other, representing the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, and the following explanation will be based on these directions. Each figure (particularly Figure 2 and subsequent figures) mainly illustrates the valve disc, valve seat, valve body, and lower part of the transmission mechanism, which are configurations unique to the present invention, and omits, as appropriate, the parts above the valve body, i.e., the drive device, the upper part of the second bearing member, the upper part of the first bearing member, the upper part of the valve disc drive shaft, etc.

[0043] The housing member 61 has a valve mounting hole 62 in which the ball valve 11 can be mounted, a first flow path 63 that opens onto the inner surface of the valve mounting hole 62 and serves as an inflow path for the refrigerant, and a second flow path 64 that opens onto the bottom surface of the valve mounting hole 62 and serves as an outflow path for the refrigerant, and a female thread 65 is formed on the inner surface of the valve mounting hole 62 for fixing the ball valve 11 within the valve mounting hole 62.

[0044] On the other hand, the ball valve 11 attached to the housing member 61 comprises: a cylindrical valve body 12 having an internal valve chamber 13 and an open top; a cylindrical first bearing member 37 fitted into the top opening of the valve body 12; a cylindrical second bearing member 38 fitted into the top opening of the first bearing member 37; a can 35 covering the top surface of the valve body 12 including the first bearing member 37 and the second bearing member 38 and forming an airtight space together with the valve body 12; a spherical valve element 21 rotatably supported within the valve chamber 13 to control the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through; a drive unit provided on the top surface of the valve body 12 for driving the valve element 21; and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force of the drive unit to the valve element 21.

[0045] The can 35 is a cylindrical member with no bottom and a lid (the bottom is open and the top is closed), and is installed so as to cover the top of the first bearing member 37, and is joined to the first bearing member 37 via a ring-shaped base plate 36. In addition, a male thread 19 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper part of the valve body 12, which screws into the female thread 65 of the housing member 61.

[0046] Furthermore, the valve body 12 has an inlet hole (first flow path hole) 14 on its side surface (right side in this embodiment) through which the refrigerant flows into the valve chamber 13, and an outlet hole (second flow path hole) 15 on its bottom surface (lower surface) through which the refrigerant flows out. The upper surface (upper edge) of the outlet hole 15 is provided with a ring-shaped valve seat (valve seat opening) 16 against which a valve disc 21 rotatably and slidably abuts. The valve disc 21 is rotatably and slidably held between this valve seat 16 and a valve disc support portion 17 formed on the valve chamber inner wall surface at a certain distance above the valve seat 16 so as to face the valve seat 16. That is, the valve disc 21 is rotatably and slidably held between this valve seat 16 and a valve disc support portion 17 formed on the valve chamber inner wall surface at a certain distance above the valve seat 16. That is, the valve disc 21 is rotatably and slidably held between this valve seat 16 and a valve disc support portion 17 so as to be rotatable about the axis A2 of the inlet hole 14 (and the axis A2 of an inlet 23, which will be described later).

[0047] Furthermore, when the ball valve 11 is attached to the housing member 61, the inlet hole 14 of the valve body 12 communicates with the first flow path 63 of the housing member 61, and the outlet hole 15 of the valve body 12 communicates with the second flow path 64 of the housing member 61 so as to be openable and closable by the valve element 21. The ball valve 11 is attached to the housing member 61 by screwing the valve body 12 into the valve attachment hole 62 of the housing member 61 until the flange portion 18 on the top of the valve body abuts the upper surface of the housing member 61 (by fitting the valve body 12 into the valve attachment hole 62 while threading the male thread 19 on the circumferential surface of the valve body into the female thread 65 of the housing member 61).

[0048] The valve element 21 is a hollow sphere with a hollow interior (flow path space 22), and has an inlet 23 on the right side for allowing the refrigerant to flow into the flow path space 22, and an outlet 24 on the lower part (bottom) for allowing the refrigerant to flow out of the flow path space 22. The valve element 21 is rotated to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant, and the inlet 23 of the valve element 21 is It is arranged to face (directly opposite) the inlet hole 14 of the valve body 12, and regardless of the rotational state (rotational displacement position) of the valve body 21, the inlet hole 14 and the inlet 23 (flow path space 22 inside the valve body) are always in communication.

[0049] On the other hand, the relative position of the outlet 24 of the valve element 21 to the outlet hole 15 (valve seat 16) of the valve body 12 changes as the valve element 21 rotates, and in the fully open state of the valve where overlap with the valve seat 16 is at its maximum, the outlet 24 (flow path space 22) of the valve element 21 directly faces the valve seat 16 (outlet hole 15) and is in communication with the outlet hole 15 of the valve body 12. On the other hand, when the valve element 21 is rotated approximately 90° (a quarter turn) from this fully open state, the outlet 24 no longer overlaps with the valve seat 16, and the valve seat 16 (outlet hole 15) is blocked by the shell wall (outer wall surface of the valve element) 21a of the valve element 21, and the valve is in a fully closed state.

[0050] In a state between the fully open state and the fully closed state, if the overlap between outlet 24 of valve element 21 and valve seat 16 increases, the flow path cross-sectional area increases and the refrigerant flow rate increases, and if the overlap decreases, the flow path cross-sectional area decreases and the refrigerant flow rate decreases, thus adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant. Note that since such operation and function of valve element 21 can be realized as long as the shape about horizontal axis A2 is circular, valve element 21 does not have to be a perfect sphere as long as it is "spherical," and this "spherical" includes shapes such as a prolate spheroid (spheroid) and a cylinder.

[0051] The transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force to the valve body 21 includes a valve body drive shaft 31 whose upper end is connected to the output shaft 39 of the drive device described later, and which extends vertically downward through the center of the second bearing member 38, through the first bearing member 37 and the upper shell wall of the valve body 21, and to the top of the flow path space 22 inside the valve body, and a valve body driven shaft 33 that extends horizontally in the left-right direction (toward the axis A2 of the inlet hole 14) within the flow path space 22 of the valve body 21 and rotates around the axis A2 of the inlet hole 14 (see symbol R2) upon receiving the rotational driving force (rotational force around the central axis A1 in the up-down direction) R1 transmitted from the drive device via the valve body drive shaft 31.

[0052] Furthermore, in order to convert the rotation of the drive shaft 31 about the vertical axis A1 into rotation about the horizontal axis A2 and transmit the rotation to the driven shaft 33, a bevel gear (drive-side bevel gear) 32 is provided at the lower end of the drive shaft 31, and a bevel gear (driven-side bevel gear) 34 that meshes with the drive-side bevel gear 32 is provided at the tip (right end) of the driven shaft 33. The number of teeth of these bevel gears 32, 34 is made greater than the number of teeth of the drive-side bevel gear 32. This is to ensure that even a drive device with a relatively small output can reliably rotate the valve disc 21. Note that the teeth of the gears 32, 34 are not shown in the drawings.

[0053] The driven shaft 33 has its base end (left end) 33a fixed to the shell wall (left wall surface) of the valve body 21. More specifically, a through-hole is drilled through the shell wall (left wall surface) of the valve body 21, and the base end 33a is fitted into this through-hole from the inside (flow path space 22) side of the valve body 21, thereby fixing the driven shaft 33 to the valve body 21. Note that the base end 33a of the driven shaft 33 is made shorter than the through-hole so that a rotating shaft portion 33b (described below) can be inserted into the through-hole from the outside of the valve body 21. Therefore, the valve body 21 rotates together with the driven shaft 33.

[0054] The valve disc 21 is rotatably supported on the valve body 12 by the rotary shaft portion 33b. That is, one end (left end portion) of the rotary shaft portion 33b is fixed to the valve chamber 13 (the left wall surface of the valve body 12), and the other end is inserted into the through-hole formed in the shell wall of the valve disc 21 from the outside side (the valve chamber 13 side) of the valve disc 21, thereby rotatably supporting the valve disc 21. Therefore, when the valve disc 21 receives a rotational driving force from the drive shaft 31, it slides and rotates around the rotary shaft portion 33b.

[0055] In this embodiment, the rotary shaft portion 33b is configured as a separate member (a single independent member), but it can also be formed integrally with another member (as part of another member). For example, the rotary shaft portion 33b can be formed by protruding the wall surface of the valve body 12 as part of the valve body 12. In addition, for example, the base end portion 33a of the driven shaft 33 can be extended so as to pass through the through-hole and extend to the outside of the valve element 21, and this extended base end portion 33a can be rotatably fitted into a recess (e.g., a hole) formed in the inner wall of the valve chamber 13.

[0056] Furthermore, to enable rotation of the valve element 21 through which the drive shaft 31 passes and to prevent lateral displacement of the valve element 21 (displacement in a direction intersecting the direction of rotation), a guide groove 25, which is a slit-like opening, is formed in the valve element 21. This guide groove 25 extends in an arc shape in the front-to-rear direction along the shell wall of the valve element 21. Therefore, the valve element 21 can rotate about the axis A2 of the inlet hole 14 even though the drive shaft 31 passes through it.

[0057] Furthermore, both ends of guide groove 25, i.e., front end 25a and rear end 25b, serve as stoppers that stop the rotation of valve element 21. That is, when the valve is open (fully open), front end 25a of guide groove 25 abuts against the side surface of drive shaft 31, and when the valve is closed, rear end 25b of guide groove 25 abuts against the opposite side surface of drive shaft 31, thereby reliably stopping the rotation of valve element 21.

[0058] Furthermore, the width of guide groove 25 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of drive shaft 31, and a pair of opposing inner wall surfaces forming guide groove 25 contact both side surfaces (left and right sides) of drive shaft 31 while allowing rotational sliding of valve element 21. In other words, valve element 21 rotates along guide groove 25, which sandwiches drive shaft 31 from both the left and right sides. Therefore, it is possible to prevent valve element 21 from shifting or tilting sideways during rotation, and reliable opening and closing operations of the valve based on stable rotation of valve element 21 can be achieved.

[0059] In this embodiment, the drive device comprises a stepping motor 41 consisting of a mold assembly 42 serving as a stator provided on the outer periphery (outside) of the can 35 and a rotor 47 rotatably installed on the inner periphery (inside) of the can 35, and a reduction mechanism (paradox planetary gear reduction mechanism) 56 that slows down the rotation of the stepping motor 41.

[0060] The stator (molded assembly) 42 includes a yoke 43, a bobbin 44, a coil 45, and a resin molded cover 46. The rotor 47 is formed by integrally connecting a cylindrical rotor member 47a made of a magnetic material and a sun gear member 48 made of a resin material. A shaft 49 is inserted into the center of the sun gear member 48, and the upper part of the shaft 49 is supported by a support member 50 arranged inside the top of the can 35.

[0061] The sun gear 48a of the sun gear member 48 meshes with a plurality of planetary gears 51 rotatably supported on a shaft 52 provided on a carrier 54 placed on the bottom surface of the output gear 55. The upper parts of the planetary gears 51 mesh with an annular ring gear (internal tooth fixed gear) 57 attached to the upper part of a cylindrical member 40 fixed to the upper part of the valve body 12, and the lower parts of the planetary gears 51 mesh with an internal tooth gear 53 of the annular output gear 55. The number of teeth of the ring gear 57 and the number of teeth of the internal tooth gear 53 of the output gear 55 are slightly different, so that the rotation speed of the sun gear 48a is reduced at a large reduction ratio and transmitted to the output gear 55. These gear mechanisms (sun gear 48a, planetary gear 51, ring gear 57, and output gear 55) constitute a speed reduction mechanism (paradox planetary gear reduction mechanism) 56 that reduces the rotation speed of the stepping motor 41 described above.

[0062] The output gear 55 is in rotatable and slidable contact with the upper surface of the second bearing member 38. The upper part of the stepped cylindrical output shaft 31 is press-fitted into the center of the bottom of the output gear 55 to connect it, and the lower part of the output shaft 39 is rotatably inserted into a fitting hole 38a formed in the center of the upper surface of the second bearing member 38. The lower end of the shaft 49 is fitted into the upper part of the output shaft 39 so as to be rotatable relative to it.

[0063] Furthermore, a slit-shaped fitting groove 39a is formed in the lower end of the output shaft 39 connected to the output gear 55, while a flat-head screwdriver-shaped plate-shaped portion 31a that can be fitted into the fitting groove 39a is formed in the upper end of the valve body drive shaft 31. By fitting the plate-shaped portion 31a into the fitting groove 39a, the drive shaft 31 and the output shaft 39 are connected, and the rotational motion of the output gear 55 can be transmitted to the drive shaft 31 via the output shaft 39.

[0064] In the ball valve 11 of this embodiment configured as described above, the rotational driving force of the stepping motor 41 is transmitted to the valve element 21 via the speed reducer 56 and the transmission mechanism (the drive shaft 31 and the driven shaft 33), and as already described, the refrigerant flow rate can be adjusted by changing the rotational displacement amount (rotational displacement position) of the valve element 21. Furthermore, according to the ball valve 11 of this embodiment, when assembling a refrigeration cycle device or replacing the ball valve 11, the ball valve 11 can be incorporated into the refrigeration cycle device by a simple operation of simply screwing the ball valve 11 into the valve mounting hole 62 of the housing member 61, thereby enabling the refrigeration cycle device to be constructed or maintenance work to be performed with good workability.

[0065] Furthermore, in the ball valve 11 of this embodiment, the valve seat 16 and valve support portion 17 that hold the valve element 21 are arranged vertically, making it possible to reduce the external size of the valve in the horizontal direction. Also, because the valve element 21 is spherical and its positional deviation in the left-right direction is restricted by the guide groove 25, the valve element 21 is less likely to shift or tilt laterally, making it possible to reduce the amount of valve leakage.

[0066] Furthermore, by abutting against both ends (front end 25a and rear end 25b) of guide groove 25, rotation of valve element 21 can be reliably stopped, maintaining the fully open and fully closed states. Furthermore, since valve element 21 only needs to be rotated a quarter turn between fully open and fully closed, quick opening / closing and flow rate adjustment are possible. In addition, since stepping motor 41 is used as the drive device, the rotation angle of valve element 21 can be accurately determined, allowing for highly accurate flow rate control.

[0067] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0068] For example, although bevel gears 32 and 34 are used as the engagement means for transmitting the rotation of the valve disc drive shaft 31 to the valve disc driven shaft 33, other engagement means such as a worm gear can also be used. Also, if the valve disc support portion 17, the valve seat 16, or the valve disc 21 is configured so as to suppress rotation of the valve disc 21 about the vertical axis A1, it is possible to rotate the valve disc 21 about the axis of the driven shaft 33 even in a configuration without the rotation shaft portion 33b. As such a configuration, for example, a configuration in which the shape of the valve seat or valve disc support portion is changed and a cylindrical valve disc (a cylindrical valve disc whose central axis is approximately parallel to the horizontal axis A2) is arranged as a ball valve can be considered.

[0069] Furthermore, the ball valve of the present invention can be preferably used in refrigeration cycle devices equipped with a refrigerant circuit, such as air conditioners (air conditioners), freezers, and refrigerators, but its applications are not necessarily limited to these, and the ball valves of the present invention and each embodiment can be used in a variety of other applications. Therefore, the "fluid" referred to in the present invention and each embodiment includes not only heat transfer media (refrigerants and heat transfer media), but also various liquids and gases. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] A1 Vertical axis A2 Axis (horizontal axis) of inflow hole (inlet) A3 longitudinal axis F Refrigerant flow R1, R3: Rotation around the central axis A1 in the vertical direction R2 Rotation around the inlet axis A2 1,12 Valve body 2,13 Valve chamber 3,21 Valve body 4,5 Valve body support member 6 Drive shaft insertion hole 11 Valve device (ball valve) 14 Inlet hole (first flow path hole) 14a, 16 Valve seat (valve seat opening) 15 Outlet hole (second flow path hole) 17 Valve body support part 18 Flange 19 Male thread 21a Valve shell wall 22 Flow path space 23 Inlet 24 Outlet 25 Guide groove 25a Front end of guide groove (stopper portion) 25b Rear end of guide groove (stopper portion) 31 Valve body drive shaft 31a Plate-shaped part 32 Drive bevel gear 33 Driven shaft 33a Base end of driven shaft 33b Rotating shaft 34 Driven bevel gear 35 Can 36 base plate 37 First bearing member 38 Second bearing member 39 Output shaft 39a Fitting groove 40 Cylindrical member 41 Stepping motor 42 Stator (mold assembly) 43 York 44 Bobbin 45 coils 46 Resin mold cover 47 Rotor 47a Rotor member 48 Sun gear parts 48a Sun Gear 49,52 shaft 50 Support member 51 Planetary gear 53 Internal gear 54 Career 55 Output gear 56 Reduction mechanism (paradoxical planetary gear reduction mechanism) 57 Ring gear 61 Housing material 62 Valve mounting hole 63 First flow path (inlet flow path) 64 Second flow path (outlet) 65 female thread

Claims

1. a valve body having a valve chamber therein; a valve element having an internal flow path space, rotatably supported in the valve chamber by a rotary shaft portion, and driven to rotate in the valve chamber to change the flow rate of the fluid; a first flow passage hole formed in the valve body and communicating with the flow passage space to allow the fluid to pass through; a second flow path hole formed in the valve body, the state of communication with the flow path space being changed depending on the rotational displacement position of the valve element, and allowing the fluid to pass through when the second flow path hole is in communication with the flow path space; a transmission mechanism including a valve element drive shaft that transmits a driving force for rotating the valve element to the valve element; A valve device comprising: The transmission mechanism includes: a valve element driven shaft that receives a driving force transmitted from the valve element drive shaft, rotates, and transmits the rotation to the valve element; an engagement means for transmitting the rotation of the valve body drive shaft to the valve body driven shaft; and When viewed from a side of the rotation axis of the valve element drive shaft, the rotation axis of the valve element and the rotation axis of the valve element drive shaft intersect with each other, The engagement means is disposed within the valve chamber. A valve device characterized by:

2. The valve body includes: The first flow passage hole is provided on a side surface of the valve body, the second flow passage hole is located at any circumferential position around the axis of the first flow passage hole, The valve body is a first opening that connects the first flow path hole and the flow path space; a second opening that communicates the second flow path hole with the flow path space when the valve is open; a shell wall portion that closes the second flow path hole when the valve is closed, the valve is supported rotatably about the axis of the first flow path hole between an open state in which the second flow path hole and the flow path space are in communication with each other via the second opening, and a closed state in which the second flow path hole is blocked by the shell wall portion, the valve body driven shaft extends in the axial direction of the first flow passage hole, and rotates around the axis of the first flow passage hole by receiving a driving force transmitted from the valve body drive shaft; The rotation axis of the valve body drive shaft is perpendicular to the axis of the first flow passage hole. The valve device of claim 1 .

3. The valve body has a spherical shape, the valve chamber has a circular cross-sectional shape, the second flow passage hole has a valve seat opening at an end edge portion on the valve chamber side, The valve body rotates and slides while contacting the valve seat opening. The valve device of claim 2 .

4. The first opening is formed to face the first flow path hole and communicates with the flow path space at any rotation position of the valve body to allow the fluid to pass through. the second opening overlaps with the valve seat opening in an open state, thereby communicating the second flow path hole with the flow path space; The valve element is supported rotatably between a fully open valve state in which the second opening and the valve seat opening overlap to a maximum extent, and a fully closed valve state in which the second opening is out of contact with the valve seat opening and the valve seat opening is closed by the shell wall portion. The valve device according to claim 3 .

5. the valve body drive shaft extends along a central axis of the valve body that extends in a vertical direction, The valve body driven shaft is extending along a central axis of the valve body extending in a horizontal direction, a base end of the valve body is fixed to a side shell wall on the opposite side from the first opening, The engagement means is provided at the tip end of the valve body drive shaft and the tip end of the valve body driven shaft. The valve device according to claim 4.

6. The engagement means a drive bevel gear provided on the valve body drive shaft; a driven bevel gear provided on the valve body driven shaft and meshing with the drive bevel gear; Contains The valve device according to claim 5.

7. The number of teeth of the driven bevel gear is greater than the number of teeth of the driving bevel gear. The valve device of claim 6.

8. the valve body drive shaft extends downward from the upper portion of the valve body inside the valve body, penetrates the upper shell wall of the valve body, and reaches the flow path space; The valve body is an opening in the upper shell wall through which the valve body drive shaft passes, the opening enabling rotation around the axis of the first flow passage hole; The opening is a first stopper portion that abuts against a side surface of the valve element drive shaft to stop rotation of the valve element when the valve is in a fully open state; a second stopper portion that abuts against the opposite side surface of the valve element drive shaft to stop rotation of the valve element when the valve is in a fully closed state; have The valve device according to claim 4.

9. The opening is The valve element drive shaft extends in an arc shape along the shell wall of the valve element parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the first flow passage hole, and allows rotation of the valve element around the axis of the first flow passage hole, while slidably abutting against a side surface of the valve element drive shaft to restrict movement of the valve element in the axial direction of the first flow passage hole. a guide groove, The first stopper portion is provided at one end of the guide groove, The second stopper portion is provided at the other end of the guide groove. The valve device of claim 8.

10. a first flow path that opens to an inner circumferential surface of the valve mounting hole and serves as one of an inflow path and an outflow path for the fluid; and a second flow path that opens to a bottom surface of the valve mounting hole and serves as the other of the inflow path and the outflow path for the fluid. The valve device can be attached to a housing member by being screwed into the valve mounting hole of the housing member, The second flow passage hole is formed in a bottom surface portion of the valve body, The inner circumferential surface of the valve mounting hole is provided with a female thread, The valve body includes: It has a cylindrical shape, A male thread is provided on the outer circumferential surface to be screwed into the female thread, When the valve device is attached to the housing member by screwing the male thread into the female thread and screwing the valve device into the valve mounting hole from the bottom surface side where the second flow path hole is provided, the first flow path hole communicates with the first flow path of the housing member, and the second flow path hole communicates with the second flow path of the housing member. A valve arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images