Electric valve and refrigeration cycle system

Abstract

To provide a motor-operated valve that comprises abrasion powder mixture restraining means, thereby eliminates biting in a valve part and an adverse effect of abrasion powder on other devices, and can enhance reliability, and a refrigeration cycle system comprising the same.SOLUTION: A motor-operated valve 100a comprises: a rotor part comprising a valve element 20A; a valve body 10A comprising a flow passage chamber 13, and a valve port 11a extending in a radial direction; and abrasion powder mixture restraining means. The valve body 10A comprises a guide part 11d for guiding the valve element 20A in a circumferential direction, and a second port 2a directly communicating with the flow passage chamber 13. A valve part 20a comprises a flow passage part 15 communicating with the flow passage chamber 13 via an opening part 15c, and extending along the direction of an axis L. The abrasion powder mixture restraining means comprises a retention part RP1 on the other side, and the second port 2a arranged outside a virtual circle C1 indicating a rotation trajectory of the opening part 15c when viewed from the direction of the axis L.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrically operated valve provided with a wear debris contamination suppression means and a refrigeration cycle system using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] A typical motor-operated valve has a drive unit with a screw feed unit that converts rotational motion into linear motion, and a sliding unit that occurs between a valve element and a guide unit that moves axially due to this linear motion. As a result, wear debris generated in the drive unit (particularly the screw feed unit) and the sliding unit can get into the fluid path, causing the valve unit to become jammed or damaged, which can lead to valve leakage when the valve is closed (hereinafter referred to as "Conventional Problem 1 (valve unit jamming)"). Furthermore, when a motor-operated valve is used in a refrigeration cycle system, if the generated wear debris circulates into the fluid path, it can cause failure of other devices that make up the refrigeration cycle system (hereinafter referred to as "Conventional Problem 2 (adverse effects of wear debris on other devices)").

[0003] As shown in FIG. 11(a), Patent Document 1 discloses an electrically operated valve (hereinafter referred to as a "conventional electrically operated valve") 1100, which includes a valve body 1110, a valve element 1120, and a stepping motor 1130. The valve body 1110 has a pair of valve ports 1111a, a valve seat 1111b, and a cylindrical guide portion 1111c, and is connected to a first joint pipe 1101 and a second joint pipe 1102. The valve element 1120 has a valve portion 1120a, a bottomed cylindrical portion 1120b slidably engaged with the outer periphery of the guide portion 1111c, and a pair of circular openings 1120f. The stepping motor 1130 has a magnet rotor 1132 that rotates integrally with the valve element 1120.

[0004] For this reason, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which the bottomed cylindrical portion 1120b can move only in the rotational direction relative to the guide portion 1111c, thereby eliminating the need for a screw feed portion and suppressing the generation of wear powder in the drive portion.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes a valve that, as shown in Figure 11(b), in an open valve state, the central positions of a pair of valve ports 1111a of the valve body 1110 and a pair of circular openings 1120f of the valve portion 1120a are completely aligned on the same straight line, thereby causing the forces due to the differential pressure (forces in the left and right directions in the figure) acting on the valve portion 1120a to cancel each other out, thereby suppressing the generation of wear debris AP (see Figure 11(a)) at the sliding portion between the bottomed cylindrical portion 1120b and the guide portion 1111c.

[0006] However, even in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to completely prevent the generation of wear debris AP in the sliding parts, and therefore, when the valve is open, the wear debris AP generated in the sliding parts can easily fall and get mixed into the nearby fluid path, so it is still not possible to solve the conventional problems 1 and 2 (jamming in the valve part and adverse effects of wear debris on other equipment). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-4743 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide an electric valve and a refrigeration cycle system using the same that can improve reliability by being equipped with a means for suppressing the mixing of wear debris, thereby eliminating jamming in the valve section and the adverse effects of wear debris on other equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a valve body is provided with a valve element having a valve portion provided on one end side thereof, a rotor portion having a rotor that rotates integrally with the valve element, a flow path chamber that houses the valve portion, a valve seat that faces the valve portion in the radial direction, and a valve port that extends in the radial direction and is capable of communicating with the flow path chamber, a case that is connected to the valve body and defines an accommodation space for the rotor portion, and a wear powder mixing suppression means that suppresses wear powder generated by sliding between the valve element and the valve body from mixing into a fluid path, wherein the valve body has a guide portion that supports the valve element provided along an axis in the axial direction and guides it in the circumferential direction, a first port that directly communicates with the valve port, and a second port that directly communicates with the flow path chamber, The electric valve has a seal portion that closes the valve port, and a flow path portion that is capable of communicating with the valve port and extends along the axial direction, and the communication state between the valve port and the flow path portion is changed by rotation of the rotor, thereby controlling the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the valve port. The wear powder mixing suppression means has an other-end retention portion formed by positioning the other end of the flow path portion on the other end side of the axial direction relative to the valve port, and the second port is positioned at one end side of the axial direction relative to the valve port, and communicates one end of the flow path portion with the flow path chamber via an opening, and is positioned outside the imaginary circle that indicates the rotation trajectory of the opening when viewed in the axial direction.

[0010] In addition, in the above-mentioned electric valve, the guide portion may be made of a guide member formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having a bottom on the other end side, and the valve body and the outer peripheral surfaces of the guide portion may have sliding portions that are slidably engaged with each other.

[0011] In addition, in the above-mentioned electric valve, the opening may be at one end of the flow path portion, penetrate the valve portion radially outward, and communicate with the flow path chamber, and in the valve open state, the opening may face radially outward on the opposite side of the axis from the second port.

[0012] In addition, in the above-mentioned electric valve, the valve body and the inner surface of the guide portion may have sliding portions that are slidably engaged with each other, and the wear powder contamination suppression means may further have a one-end side retention portion formed by positioning one end of the valve body on the other end side in the axial direction relative to the second port.

[0013] In the motor-operated valve, the flow path portion may have a substantially fan-shaped shape when viewed in the axial direction.

[0014] In the above motor-operated valve, the flow path portion may have a semicircular shape that is eccentric with respect to the axis when viewed in the axial direction.

[0015] In addition, in the above-mentioned electric valve, the valve port may have a shape such that, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axis, the opening area relative to the flow path portion gradually increases in the direction from the valve closed state to the valve open state.

[0016] In the above-described motor-operated valve, the rotor portion may have a protrusion, and the valve body may have a stopper portion that abuts against the protrusion in the valve closed state and the valve open state.

[0017] The above-mentioned electric valve may further comprise a wear powder generation suppression means for suppressing the generation of wear powder due to sliding between the valve element and the valve main body, and the wear powder generation suppression means may have a support member including a spring receiving portion rotatably arranged in contact with the case, and an elastic member sandwiched between the spring receiving portion and the valve element and biasing the valve element toward one end, and an axial contact surface between the valve element and the guide portion, and the support member may be configured to press the contact surface of the valve element against the contact surface of the guide portion.

[0018] The above-mentioned electric valve may further include a wear powder generation suppression means for suppressing the generation of wear powder due to sliding between the valve body and the valve main body, and the wear powder generation suppression means may have an annular radial gap formed radially between the valve body and the guide portion.

[0019] The present invention may also be directed to a refrigeration cycle system including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, in which the motor-operated valve is used as the expansion valve. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, by being equipped with a means for suppressing the mixing of wear powder, it is possible to provide an electric valve and a refrigeration cycle system using the same that can eliminate jamming in the valve portion and the adverse effects of wear powder on other equipment, thereby improving reliability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views showing a motor-operated valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 1A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the motor-operated valve, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of Ib-Ib in FIG. 1A. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are enlarged partial views of the sliding portion between the valve body and the guide member shown in FIG. 1, where (a) shows an enlarged view of the area surrounded by dashed line IIa shown in FIG. 1, and (b) shows an enlarged view of the area surrounded by dashed line IIb shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams of the open and closed states of the motor-operated valve shown in FIG. 1, where (a) is an enlarged view of the main part in the open state, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIb-IIIb shown in (a), (c) is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by dashed line IIIc shown in (a), (d) is an enlarged view of the main part in the closed state, and (e) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIe-IIIe shown in (d). [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of flow path section variants 1 and 2 of the first embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of flow path section variant 1 corresponding to FIG. 3B, (b) is a cross-sectional view of flow path section variant 1 corresponding to FIG. 3E, (c) is a cross-sectional view of flow path section variant 2 corresponding to (a), and (d) is a cross-sectional view of flow path section variant 2 corresponding to (b). [Figure 5]3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of a flow path section variant 3 of the first embodiment, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3A, and (b) is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by the dashed line Vb shown in (a). [Figure 6] 3(a) and 3(b) are explanatory diagrams of modified valve port configurations of the first embodiment, in which (a) is an arrow view of the guide member as seen from the direction of arrow VIa shown in (c), (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIb-VIb shown in (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3(a), (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VId-VId shown in (c), (e) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3(d), and (f) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIf-VIf shown in (e). [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of stopper portion modified examples 1 and 2 of the first embodiment, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3A in stopper portion modified example 1, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIb-VIIb shown in (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to (a) in stopper portion modified example 2, and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIId-VIId shown in (c). [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views showing an electric valve according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the electric valve, (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of VIIIb-VIIIb of (a), and (c) is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by dashed line VIIIc shown in (a). [Figure 9] 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams of flow path section variants 1 and 2 of the second embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of only the valve section corresponding to FIG. 8B in flow path section variant 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to (a) in flow path section variant 2. [Figure 10] 1 is a diagram showing a refrigeration cycle system of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views showing a motor-operated valve according to a conventional technique, in which (a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the motor-operated valve, and (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of (a) taken along line XIb-XIb. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0023] <Terminology> In this specification and claims, the terms "left," "right," "upper," and "lower" refer to the directions shown in Figures 1(a), 2, 3(a), (c), and (d), 5, 6(c), and (e), 7(a), (c), and 8(a) and (c). In this specification and claims, the terms "one end" and "other end" refer to the "lower end" and "upper end" in the drawings. In this specification and claims, the term "wear debris intrusion suppression means" refers to a means for suppressing the intrusion of wear debris into the fluid path. In this specification and claims, the term "wear debris generation suppression means" refers to a means for suppressing the generation of wear debris in the sliding part. In this specification and claims, the term "stagnation area" refers to a region fluidically separated from the fluid path. In this specification and claims, the term "velocity boundary layer" refers to a region of relatively low velocity formed near an object due to the action of viscosity when a viscous fluid flows around the object.

[0024] (First embodiment) <About the configuration of the motor-operated valve> 1 and 2, a motor-operated valve 100a according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The motor-operated valve 100a is mainly composed of a valve body 10A, a valve element 20A, a stepping motor 30A, and a support member (other-end support means) 40. Each component of the motor-operated valve 100a will be described below in order.

[0025] Here, as will be described in detail later, the motor-operated valve 100a in the first embodiment employs a first wear powder contamination suppression means (another-end-side retention portion) and a second wear powder contamination suppression means (a second port spaced from the opening of the flow path portion), thereby solving the conventional problems 1 and 2 (jamming in the valve portion and adverse effects of wear powder on other devices) in both the valve open state and the valve closed state, and improving reliability. Furthermore, the motor-operated valve 100a in the first embodiment employs a first wear powder generation suppression means (another-end-side support means) and / or a second wear powder generation suppression means (annular radial gap), thereby effectively suppressing the generation of wear powder AP itself in the sliding portions, further improving reliability.

[0026] The valve body 10A is made of a metal such as stainless steel, and includes a bowl-shaped member 10 that defines a portion of the flow path chamber 13, and a guide member 11 that has an approximately cylindrical shape extending along the axis L and is fixedly connected to the bottom side of the bowl-shaped member 10.

[0027] A first coupling pipe 1 and a second coupling pipe 2, which serve as fluid paths for a refrigerant or the like, are connected to the bottom side of the bowl-shaped member 10. The first coupling pipe 1 abuts against one end of a guide member 11 and is connected to a flow path chamber 13 via a first port 1a, an internal flow path 14 of the guide member 11, and a valve port 11a (described in detail below). The second coupling pipe 2 is connected directly to the flow path chamber 13 via a second port 2a. The first coupling pipe 1 and the second coupling pipe 2 are made of materials such as copper or stainless steel, and are fixed to the bowl-shaped member 10 by brazing or the like. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the bowl-shaped member 10 is formed with a raised portion (stopper portion) 10a, which is located on the opposite side of the second coupling pipe 2 with respect to the axis L when viewed from the direction of the axis L and which protrudes toward the flow path chamber 13.

[0028] The guide member 11 has a significantly different structure from approximately the center in the axial direction L to one end side and the other end side. First, the guide member 11 from approximately the center in the axial direction L to one end side has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. It has an internal flow path 14 extending in the axial direction L. As shown in FIG. 2(a), at the other end side of the internal flow path 14, it has a valve port 11a that radially penetrates the guide member 11 and an annular valve seat 11b (see FIG. 2(a)) formed around the valve port 11a. Next, the guide member 11 from approximately the center in the axial direction L to the other end side has a solid shape, and a flat support portion (contact surface) 11e is formed at the other end of the guide member 11. Here, the valve port 11a is located on the opposite side of the axial direction L from the second port 2a, as shown in FIGS. 3(b) and 3(e). In the first embodiment, the shape of the valve port 11a when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axis is circular, but this is not limited to this and various shapes can be adopted, such as a rectangular shape, an elliptical shape, or any asymmetric shape.

[0029] In the first embodiment, the bowl-shaped member 10 and the guide member 11 are separate bodies, but this is not limiting. For example, the bowl-shaped member 10 and the guide member 11 may be integrally formed as in the conventional motor-operated valve shown in FIG. 11(a).

[0030] The valve element 20A is made of a resin material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and is a member extending along the axis L. The valve element 20A has a valve portion 20a formed on one end. The inside of the valve element 20A is provided with a one-end-side bottomed cylindrical portion 20b extending toward one end along the axis L, and an other-end-side bottomed cylindrical portion 20c extending toward the other end along the axis L. The valve element 20A is further provided on its outer periphery with a protrusion 20e that protrudes radially outward from the valve portion 20a and can come into contact with the raised portion 10a of the bowl-shaped member 10 when the valve element 20A rotates, a step portion 20d into which the magnet rotor 32 is fitted and abuts, and an annular groove 20f that holds the retaining ring 17, which will be described in detail later.

[0031] The guide member 11, which guides the guide member 11 in the circumferential direction, is inserted into the bottomed cylindrical portion 20b with a small radial gap. As will be described in detail later, the outer peripheral surfaces of the bottomed cylindrical portion 20b and the guide portion 11d have sliding portions that slidably engage with each other, as shown in FIG. 2(b). This enhances the stability of the rotational state of the valve body 20A. Furthermore, the other end (contact surface) 20ba of the bottomed cylindrical portion 20b, which abuts against the support portion 11e of the guide member 11, has a flat shape corresponding to the support portion 11e. As will be described in detail later, the bottomed cylindrical portion 20b has a seal portion 20aa that makes annular sliding contact with the valve seat 11b of the guide member 11, and a flow path portion 15 that has a generally fan-shaped shape when viewed from the axis L and opens at one end of the axis L. In the first embodiment, the shape of the support portion 11e of the guide member 11 is flat, but it is not limited to this and may be, for example, a hemispherical shape or a convex shape. This makes the contact area between the support portion 11e of the guide member 11 and the other end portion 20ba of the valve body 20A extremely small, reducing sliding resistance and making it easier for the valve body 20A to rotate.

[0032] The other end side bottomed cylindrical portion 20c accommodates a support member 40 that biases the valve body 20A toward one end side.

[0033] Therefore, when the valve portion 20a rotates relative to the guide member 11, the communication state between the flow path portion 15 of the valve portion 20a and the valve port 11a of the guide member 11 is changed between a valve open state (see FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b)) and a valve closed state (see FIGS. 3(d) and 3(e)) (or a minimum opening), thereby adjusting the flow rate. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 3(b) and 3(e), the protrusion 20e of the valve portion 20a abuts against the raised portion 10a, which functions as a stopper, and the rotation of the valve portion 20a and the magnet rotor 32 are restricted. Therefore, the valve portion 20a is restricted from moving beyond the position where the valve is open or the position where the valve is closed (or a minimum opening), allowing for stable and reliable positioning with reproducibility.

[0034] The stepping motor 30A includes a case 31, a magnet rotor 32, and a stator coil 33.

[0035] The case 31 is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a closed upper end, defining an accommodation space 16 that accommodates the valve body 20A and the magnet rotor 32. The lower open end of the case 31 is airtightly fixed to the upper end of the bowl-shaped member 10 by welding or the like.

[0036] The magnet rotor 32 integrally comprises a cylindrical magnet section 34 whose outer periphery is magnetized with multiple poles, and a hub 35 connected via spokes to the inner periphery of the magnet section 34. The magnet rotor 32 is fixed to the valve body 20A by abutting one end of the hub 35 against the step portion 20d and clamping the other end of the hub 35 with a retaining ring 17 so as to be biased in the direction of the axis L. In this way, the rotor section integrally has the magnet rotor 32 and the valve body 20A and is provided within the case 31 so as to be rotatable about the axis L.

[0037] The stator coil 33 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the case 31, and when a pulse signal is given to the stator coil 33, the magnet rotor 32 is rotated in accordance with the number of pulses.

[0038] In this way, when the magnet rotor 32 rotates, the valve section 20a rotates together with the magnet rotor 32 relative to the valve port 11a, changing the opening between the flow path section 15 and the valve port 11a, and controlling the flow rate of the fluid flowing from the first joint pipe 1 to the second joint pipe 2 (or from the second joint pipe 2 to the first joint pipe 1).

[0039] The support member 40 includes a spring receiving portion 41 that is rotatably arranged in contact with the case 31, and a biasing spring (elastic member) 42 that is sandwiched between the spring receiving portion 41 and the valve body 20A and biases the valve body 20A toward one end.

[0040] <Operation of the motor-operated valve> The operation of the motor-operated valve 100a will be described using Figure 3. Here, the motor-operated valve 100a will be described as being used in a refrigerant circuit, but this is not limited to this. In addition, in the motor-operated valve 100a, the first joint pipe 1 will be described as being connected to the high-pressure (primary pressure) side, and the second joint pipe 2 will be described as being connected to the low-pressure (secondary pressure) side (solid lines in Figures 3(a) and (c)). Note that a similar explanation can be given for the case where the second joint pipe 2 is connected to the high-pressure side and the first joint pipe 1 is connected to the low-pressure side (broken lines in Figures 3(a) and (c)), in which the flow is in the opposite direction, and therefore this will be omitted here.

[0041] First, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the valve portion 20a is rotated counterclockwise (in the direction of the arrow) by the magnet rotor 32, causing the protrusion 20e of the valve portion 20a to abut against the raised portion 10a of the bowl-shaped member 10, restricting the rotation of the valve portion 20a and the magnet rotor 32. At this time, the flow path portion 15 faces the valve port 11a, resulting in an open valve state. Therefore, fluid flows from the first port 1a on the high-pressure side to the second port 2a on the low-pressure side, as indicated by the solid arrow in FIG. 3(a). Note that, to prevent pressure loss in the fluid path, the flow path areas of the flow path portion 15 and the internal flow path 14 before and after the valve port 11a are set to be larger than the flow path area of ​​the valve port 11a.

[0042] Next, as shown in Figure 3(e), the valve portion 20a is rotated clockwise (in the direction of the arrow) by the magnet rotor 32, causing the protrusion 20e of the valve portion 20a to abut against the raised portion 10a of the bowl-shaped member 10, restricting the rotation of the valve portion 20a and also restricting the rotation of the magnet rotor 32. At this time, the flow path portion 15 faces the valve seat 11b, and the valve port 11a faces the seal portion 20aa, resulting in a valve-closed state. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3(d), the flow path from the first port 1a on the high-pressure side to the second port 2a on the low-pressure side is closed.

[0043] The flow path portion 15 in the first embodiment has a substantially fan-shaped shape when viewed from the direction of the axis L. Therefore, in the motor-operated valve 100a in the first embodiment, when the flow path portion 15 rotates with respect to the valve port 11a and transitions from one of the valve open state (see FIG. 3(b)) and the valve closed state (see FIG. 3(e)) to the other, the flow path area rapidly decreases or increases immediately after the transition, and therefore the motor-operated valve 100a can be used, for example, as an on-off valve.

[0044] <Measures to prevent wear debris from being mixed in> In the first embodiment, wear debris AP (see FIG. 3(c)) is generated at the sliding portion between the bottomed cylindrical portion 20b on one end side of the valve body 20A and the guide member 11. If no measures are taken to prevent this, the generated wear debris may enter the fluid path, resulting in the conventional problems 1 and 2 (jamming in the valve portion and adverse effects of wear debris on other devices). Therefore, in the first embodiment, two wear debris intrusion prevention means are simultaneously adopted to prevent wear debris from entering the fluid path. This eliminates jamming in the valve portion and adverse effects of wear debris on other devices, and improves the reliability of the motor-operated valve 100a. The wear debris intrusion prevention means in the first embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0045] <Regarding the first wear powder mixing suppression means (retention portion on the other end side)> The first wear debris contamination suppression means will be described with reference to FIG. 3(c). When the valve is open, fluid flows from the first port 1a through the internal flow path 14, the valve port 11a, the flow path section 15, and the flow path chamber 13, in this order, as indicated by the solid arrow in FIG. 3(a). One end 15a of the flow path section 15 is located at one end of the valve port 11a in the direction of the axis L, and the other end 15b of the flow path section 15 is located at the other end of the valve port 11a in the direction of the axis L. As a result, the flow path section 15 has a region extending in the direction of the axis L, so the flow direction from the valve port 11a changes suddenly from horizontal to vertical. As a result, an other-end retention section RP1 (see the U-shaped thick line in FIG. 3(c)) is formed at the other end 15b of the flow path section 15, which serves as the first wear debris contamination suppression means and is fluidically separated from the fluid path (see the solid arrow in FIG. 3(c)). In this other-end retention portion RP1, a separated shear layer separated from the inner wall on the other end side of the valve port 11a in the fluid path continues to rotate steadily in the clockwise direction, generating a swirling vortex SV (see the circular solid arrow in Figure 3(c)) centered on the rotation axis Sa. When the second joint pipe 2 is connected to the high-pressure side and the first joint pipe 1 is connected to the low-pressure side, a swirling vortex SV (see the circular dashed arrow in Figure 3(c)) that rotates steadily counterclockwise is generated in the other-end retention portion RP1.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the sliding portion between the valve element 20A and the guide member 11 is adjacent to the fluid path at one location shown in FIG. 3(c). Therefore, there is a risk that wear debris AP generated at this sliding portion will be discharged into the fluid path. However, between the sliding portion and the fluid path, there is an other-end retention portion RP1 where a swirling vortex SV is formed. This swirling vortex SV exerts a centrifugal force on the surrounding fluid, thereby preventing the wear debris AP from being discharged from the sliding portion to the other-end retention portion RP1. In addition, even if the wear debris AP is discharged into the other-end retention portion RP1, the wear debris AP is immediately confined within the velocity boundary layer near the wall surface of the other-end retention portion RP1, thereby preventing the wear debris AP from being mixed into the fluid path.

[0047] On the other hand, when the valve is closed, the flow of fluid from the first port 1a to the second port 2a is blocked. As a result, the swirling vortex SV formed in the other-end retention area RP1 gradually shifts its vortex center toward the one end, reducing its vorticity. The velocity boundary layer formed near the wall of the other-end retention area RP1 also decreases in thickness and eventually disappears. As a result, wear particles AP that were prevented from being discharged from the sliding part to the other-end retention area RP1 and those confined by the velocity boundary layer are deposited in the wear particle accumulation area X (see X in Figures 3(a), 3(c), and 3(d)) due to the movement of the disappearing swirling vortex SV toward the one end and the weight of the wear particles AP. When the valve is next opened, the deposited wear particles AP are confined within the velocity boundary layer in the wear particle accumulation area X, preventing them from entering the fluid path.

[0048] <Regarding the second wear debris mixing suppression means (second port spaced apart from the opening of the flow path portion)> As shown in FIG. 3(c), one end 15a of the flow passage portion 15 communicates with the flow passage chamber 13 via the opening 15c. As a second wear debris intrusion suppression mechanism, as shown in FIG. 3(e), the second port 2a is positioned outside the imaginary circle C1 (indicated by the circular dashed line in the figure) that indicates the rotational trajectory of the opening 15c, i.e., the area where wear debris AP may accumulate as the swirling vortex SV disappears, as viewed from the direction of the axis L. As a result, when the valve portion 20a rotates counterclockwise (or is stopped), in the valve-closed state, wear debris AP generated at a sliding portion adjacent to the fluid path is accumulated in the wear debris accumulation area X, which is directly opposite the valve portion 20a in the direction of the axis L. However, the wear debris AP is not accumulated in the second port 2a. Therefore, when the valve is next opened, wear debris AP can be reliably prevented from entering the fluid path through the second port 2a, which forms part of the fluid path.

[0049] The motor-operated valve 100a of the first embodiment employs a first wear debris intrusion suppression means (an other-end retention portion) and a second wear debris intrusion suppression means (a second port spaced from the opening of the flow path portion). As a result, in the first embodiment, in the valve open state, a swirling vortex SV is formed in the other-end retention portion RP1 located between the fluid path and a sliding portion adjacent to the fluid path. Furthermore, in the valve closed state, the second port 2a is positioned outside the area where wear debris AP may accumulate due to the disappearance of the swirling vortex SV, thereby reliably suppressing wear debris AP from entering the fluid path. Therefore, the motor-operated valve 100a of the first embodiment can solve the problems 1 and 2 of the conventional valve (jamming in the valve portion and adverse effects of wear debris on other devices) and improve reliability. In addition, even if foreign matter flows in from other equipment that makes up the refrigerant cycle system and attempts to flow into the sliding part between the valve body 20A and the guide member 11, a swirling vortex SV is formed between the sliding part and the fluid path, so the foreign matter does not directly collide with the sliding part, thereby improving the operability and durability of the sliding part.

[0050] <Measures to prevent wear debris generation> Further research by the inventors revealed that even when the first and second wear powder contamination suppression means are employed, wear powder AP (see FIG. 3(c)) still occurs at the sliding portion between the bottomed cylindrical portion 20b on one end of the valve body 20A and the guide member 11. Therefore, if no measures are taken to prevent the generation of this wear powder AP itself, there is a concern that even a small amount of wear powder AP will be mixed into the fluid path (hereinafter referred to as "concern (generation of wear powder in the sliding portion)"). Therefore, in the first embodiment, various wear powder generation suppression means are employed to suppress the generation of wear powder itself in the sliding portion, thereby eliminating the concern (generation of wear powder in the sliding portion) and further improving the reliability of the motor-operated valve 100a. The wear powder generation suppression means in the first embodiment will be specifically described below.

[0051] <Regarding the first wear powder generation suppression means (other-end support means)> As a first wear powder generation suppression means, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 2(b), the other end 20ba of the one-end bottomed cylindrical portion 20b is pressed against the support portion 11e of the guide member 11 by the support member 40. At this time, it is possible to suppress oscillation of the valve body 20A due to vibrations, etc. As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress the generation of wear powder AP (see FIG. 3(c)) at the sliding portion between the one-end bottomed cylindrical portion 20b of the valve body 20A and the guide member 11.

[0052] <Second wear debris generation suppression means (annular radial gap)> As shown in FIG. 2(b), the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 11 is alternately formed with multiple annular reduced diameter portions 11c and multiple annular guide portions 11d. This provides a second wear particle generation suppression mechanism, i.e., an annular radial gap, between the bottomed cylindrical portion 20b and the annular reduced diameter portion 11c. The presence of this annular radial gap significantly reduces the contact area between the bottomed cylindrical portion 20b and the annular guide portion 11d, i.e., the sliding resistance, compared to a configuration without the annular radial gap. This effectively suppresses the generation of wear particles AP at the sliding portion. Furthermore, even if wear particles AP are generated at the sliding portion, the annular radial gap acts as a fail-safe, capturing the wear particles AP and preventing them from entering the fluid path. In addition, since the multiple annular guide portions 11d are provided at least at a position corresponding to one end side of the one-end-side bottomed cylindrical portion 20b and a position corresponding to the other end side of the one-end-side bottomed cylindrical portion 20b, the inclination of the valve body 20A relative to the axis L can be suppressed to the same extent as when there is no annular radial gap.

[0053] In the first embodiment, an example was given in which two annular reduced diameter portions 11c and two annular guide portions 11d are formed, but this is not limited to this. For example, one or more annular reduced diameter portions 11c may be formed, and two or more annular guide portions 11d may be formed, with the annular reduced diameter portion 11c on the other end side in Figure 2(b) being eliminated.

[0054] In the first embodiment, the electric valve 100a employs a first wear powder generation suppression means (other-end support means) and / or a second wear powder generation suppression means (annular radial gap), so that the support member 40 can bias the valve body 20A while suppressing tilt relative to the axis L, and / or the annular radial gap can make the sliding resistance in the sliding parts extremely small, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of wear powder AP itself in the sliding parts and further improving reliability.

[0055] (Modifications 1 to 3 of the flow path section of the first embodiment) Flow path section modifications 1 to 3 of the first embodiment will be described using Figures 4 and 5. Flow path section modifications 1 to 3 of the first embodiment differ from flow path section 15 of valve section 20a of the first embodiment in the shapes of flow path sections 15', 15'', 15''' in valve sections 20a', 20a'', 20a''', but other basic configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Here, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0056] (Modification 1 of the flow path section of the first embodiment) 4(a) and 4(b), the flow path section 15' of the valve section 20a' in the flow path section variation 1 of the first embodiment will be described. This flow path section 15' differs from the flow path section 15 of the first embodiment in that it has a semicircular shape that is eccentric with respect to the axis L when viewed from the direction of the axis L, but other configurations are the same as those of the flow path section 15 of the first embodiment.

[0057] When the flow path section 15' rotates relative to the valve port 11a and transitions from one of the valve open state (see FIG. 4(a)) and the valve closed state (see FIG. 4(b)) to the other, the flow path area gradually decreases or increases. Therefore, in the motor-operated valve 100a' in the flow path section variation 1 of the first embodiment, precise flow rate control is possible by adjusting the rotation angle of the magnet rotor 32, and therefore the motor-operated valve 100a' can be used, for example, as a flow rate adjustment valve.

[0058] <Regarding the second wear debris mixing suppression means (second port spaced apart from the opening of the flow path portion)> As a second wear debris contamination suppression means, as shown in Figure 4(b), the second port 2a is positioned outside the imaginary circle C2 (the circular dashed line in the figure) that indicates the rotation trajectory of the opening 15c' when viewed from the direction of the axis L, so that wear debris AP can be reliably prevented from being mixed into the fluid path, as in the first embodiment.

[0059] (Modification 2 of the flow path section of the first embodiment) 4(c) and 4(d), the flow path section 15'' of the valve section 20a'' in flow path section variation 2 of the first embodiment will be described. This flow path section 15'' differs from the flow path section 15 of the first embodiment in that it has a shape that combines the flow path section 15 of the first embodiment with the flow path section 15' of flow path section variation 1 of the first embodiment, but other configurations are the same as those of the flow path section 15 of the first embodiment.

[0060] Specifically, the flow path section 15″ has a shape that combines a substantially fan-shaped shape with a semicircular shape that is eccentric with respect to the axis L when viewed from the direction of the axis L. Therefore, in the motor-operated valve 100a″ in the flow path section modification 2 of the first embodiment, when the flow path section 15″ rotates with respect to the valve port 11a and transitions from one of the valve open state (see FIG. 4(c)) and the valve closed state (see FIG. 4(d)) to the other, the flow path area decreases abruptly immediately after the transition and then gradually decreases, or the flow path area changes gradually and then suddenly increases, so that flow rate control is possible by a combination of abrupt and gradual changes in the flow path area, and therefore the motor-operated valve 100a″ can be used, for example, as an opening / closing valve to which the function of a flow control valve is added.

[0061] <Regarding the second wear debris mixing suppression means (second port spaced apart from the opening of the flow path portion)> As a second means for suppressing the mixing of wear debris, as shown in FIG. 4(d), the second port 2a is positioned outside the imaginary circle C3 (the circular dashed line in the figure) that indicates the rotation trajectory of the opening 15c'' when viewed from the direction of the axis L, so that, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the mixing of wear debris AP into the fluid path.

[0062] (Modification 3 of the flow path section of the first embodiment) 5, a flow path section 15''' of a valve section 20a'''' in flow path section variation 3 of the first embodiment will be described. This flow path section 15'''' differs from the flow path section 15 of the first embodiment in that it has an opening 15c'''' facing radially outward, but other configurations are the same as those of the flow path section 15 of the first embodiment.

[0063] Specifically, at one end 15a''' of the flow path section 15'''', there is an opening 15c'''' that penetrates radially outward through the valve section 20a'''' and communicates with the flow path chamber 13, and when the valve is in an open state, the opening 15c'''' faces radially outward on the opposite side of the axis L from the second port 2a.

[0064] <Regarding the first wear powder mixing suppression means (retention portion on the other end side)> The first wear debris mixing suppression means will be described with reference to Fig. 5(b). Similar to the first embodiment, the other end 15b of the flow path 15''' has an other-end retention portion RP1 (see the U-shaped thick line in Fig. 5(b)) formed at the other end 15b, where a swirling vortex SV is generated around the swirl axis Sa when the valve is open.

[0065] When the valve is open, wear powder AP generated in the sliding part is trapped in the other end portion RP1 between the sliding part and the fluid path, where a swirling vortex SV is formed. This forms a swirling vortex SV, which prevents the wear powder AP from being discharged from the sliding part to the other end portion RP1 and from being mixed into the fluid path.

[0066] In the valve closed state, the wear debris AP, which had been prevented from being discharged from the sliding portion into the end-side retention portion RP1 and from being mixed into the fluid path, moves toward one end 15a''' of the flow path portion 15''' due to the movement of the disappearing swirling vortex SV toward one end and the weight of the wear debris AP, and is then slowly moved radially outward, i.e., toward the opening 15c''', by the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the valve portion 20a'''. As a result, as shown in Figure 5(b), the wear debris AP falls from the outlet of the opening 15c''' and is deposited in the wear debris accumulation region X located perpendicular to the outlet of the opening 15c'''.

[0067] In the motor-operated valve 100b in the flow path portion modification 3 of the first embodiment, the opening 15c''' faces radially outward on the opposite side of the second port 2a with respect to the axis L when the valve is open. This allows the fluid path via the second port 2a to be completely fluidically separated from the wear debris accumulation region X, thereby more reliably preventing wear debris AP from being mixed into the fluid path.

[0068] <Regarding the second wear debris mixing suppression means (second port spaced apart from the opening of the flow path portion)> As a second wear powder mixing suppression means, although not shown in the figure, the second port 2a is positioned outside the imaginary circle (see the outer surface of the valve portion 20a''') that indicates the rotation trajectory of the opening 15c'' when viewed from the direction of the axis L, so that, as in the first embodiment, wear powder AP can be reliably prevented from mixing into the fluid path.

[0069] (Valve port modification of the first embodiment) A modified valve port of the first embodiment will be described using Figure 6. The modified valve port of the first embodiment differs from the valve port 11a of the guide member 11 of the first embodiment in the shape of the valve port 11a' in the guide member 11', but the other basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. Here, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. Note that in the motor-operated valve 100a' in the modified flow path portion 1 of the first embodiment, the shape of the flow path portion 15' is devised in order to be used as a flow control valve, but in the motor-operated valve 100c in the modified valve port of the first embodiment, the shape of the valve port 11a' is devised instead.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 6(c), the guide member 11′ has a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens from the other end to one end in the direction of the axis L, and includes an internal flow path 14 extending in the direction of the axis L, a valve port 11a′ that radially penetrates the guide member 11′ approximately at the center of the internal flow path 14, and a valve seat 11b′ (see FIGS. 6(d) and 6(f)) formed around the valve port 11a′. Also, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a plurality of annular reduced diameter portions 11c′ and a plurality of annular guide portions 11d′ are alternately formed on the outer circumferential surface at the other end of the guide member 11′, and an annular radial gap, which serves as a second wear powder generation suppression means, is formed between the one-end bottomed cylindrical portion 20b and the annular reduced diameter portion 11c′, as in the first embodiment.

[0071] In the modified valve port of the first embodiment, the guide member 11' is formed by press working, but it is not limited to this and may be formed by, for example, cutting, casting, forging, or the like.

[0072] Here, the valve port 11a' has a shape such that the opening area relative to the flow path portion 15 gradually increases in the direction from the valve closed state to the valve open state when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axis L. As a result, in the valve port modification of the first embodiment, rather than modifying the shape of the flow path portion 15' of the valve portion 20a' made of a resin molded product as in the flow path portion modification 1 of the first embodiment, the shape of the valve port 11a' of the guide member 11' made of a pressed product is modified, which makes it possible to use the valve port modification as in the flow path portion modification 1 of the first embodiment, and also to reduce costs.

[0073] (Modifications 1 and 2 of the stopper portion of the first embodiment) Using FIG. 7, stopper portion modifications 1 and 2 of the first embodiment will be described. The stopper portion modifications 1 and 2 of the first embodiment differ from the second joint pipe 2 of the first embodiment in the connection mode of the second joint pipes (stopper portions) 2′, 2″, but other basic configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Here, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. Note that in the motor-operated valve 100a of the first embodiment, the raised portion 10a is used as the stopper portion of the valve portion 20a, but in the motor-operated valves 100d and 100e of the stopper portion modifications 1 and 2 of the first embodiment, the connection mode of the second joint pipes 2′, 2″ is devised so that the raised portion 10a is omitted.

[0074] (Stopper portion modification 1 of the first embodiment) 7(a) and 7(b), the connection mode of the second joint pipe 2' in the stopper portion modification 1 of the first embodiment will be described. This connection mode of the second joint pipe 2' differs from that of the first embodiment in that the second joint pipe 2' extending in the direction of the axis L is disposed at a position where the second joint pipe 2' functions as a stopper portion for the valve portion 20a, but the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0075] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7(a), the second joint pipe 2' is positioned so as to overlap the protrusion 20e when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axis L, and as shown in Fig. 7(b), it is positioned so as to interfere with the rotating protrusion 20e when viewed from the direction of the axis L. This second joint pipe 2' abuts against the rotating protrusion 20e, restricting the rotation angle to a desired value, thereby enabling stable, reliable positioning with reproducibility. In this way, the second joint pipe 2' functions as a stopper for the valve portion 20a, so the protrusion 10a can be omitted, resulting in cost reduction.

[0076] <Regarding the second wear debris mixing suppression means (second port spaced apart from the opening of the flow path portion)> As a second wear debris contamination suppression means, as shown in Figure 7(b), the second port 2a' is positioned outside the imaginary circle C1 that indicates the rotation trajectory of the opening 15c when viewed from the direction of the axis L, so that wear debris AP can be reliably prevented from being contaminated into the fluid path, as in the first embodiment.

[0077] (Modification 2 of the stopper portion of the first embodiment) 7(c) and 7(d), the connection mode of the second joint pipe 2'' in the stopper portion modification 2 of the first embodiment will be described. This connection mode of the second joint pipe 2'' differs from that of the first embodiment in that the second joint pipe 2'' extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis L is disposed at a position where the second joint pipe 2'' functions as a stopper portion for the valve portion 20a. However, the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0078] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the second joint pipe 2" is positioned so as to overlap the protrusion 20e when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axis L, and as shown in FIG. 7(d), it is positioned so as to interfere with the rotating protrusion 20e when viewed from the direction of the axis L. When this second joint pipe 2" abuts against the rotating protrusion 20e, the rotation angle is restricted to a desired angle, allowing for stable, reliable positioning with reproducibility. In this way, the second joint pipe 2" functions as a stopper for the valve portion 20a, so the protrusion 10a can be omitted, resulting in cost reduction.

[0079] <Regarding the second wear debris mixing suppression means (second port spaced apart from the opening of the flow path portion)> As a second wear debris contamination suppression means, as shown in FIG. 7(d), the second port 2a'' is positioned outside the imaginary circle C1 that indicates the rotation trajectory of the opening 15c when viewed from the direction of the axis L, so that wear debris AP can be reliably prevented from being contaminated into the fluid path, similar to the first embodiment.

[0080] (Second embodiment) A motor-operated valve 100f according to a second embodiment will be described using Figure 8. The motor-operated valve 100f according to the second embodiment differs from the motor-operated valve 100a of the first embodiment mainly in the radial arrangement of the valve body 20B and the guide portions 11Bca, 11Bcb and the connection mode of the first joint pipe 1B and the second joint pipe 2B, but the other basic configuration is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. Here, the same configuration is given the same reference numeral, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0081] <About the configuration of the motor-operated valve> As shown in Fig. 8, the motor-operated valve 100f is mainly composed of a valve body 10B, a valve element 20B, a stepping motor 30B, and a support member (other-end support means) 40. Each component of the motor-operated valve 100f will be described below in order. Note that the support member 40 is the same as in the first embodiment, so its description will be omitted.

[0082] As will be described in detail later, the motor-operated valve 100f of the second embodiment employs, as in the first embodiment, a first wear powder introduction suppression means (another-end-side retention portion) and a second wear powder introduction suppression means (a second port spaced from the opening of the flow path portion), and further employs a first wear powder introduction suppression means (one-end-side retention portion), thereby solving the conventional problems 1 and 2 (jamming in the valve portion and adverse effects of wear powder on other devices) in both the valve open state and the valve closed state, and improving reliability. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the motor-operated valve 100f of the second embodiment employs a first wear powder generation suppression means (another-end-side support means) and / or a second wear powder generation suppression means (annular radial gap), thereby effectively suppressing the generation of wear powder AP itself in the sliding portions, further improving reliability.

[0083] The valve body 10B is made of a metal such as stainless steel or brass, includes a bottom cover 12, and has an insertion hole that opens to the other end along the axis L. This insertion hole is provided with a large-diameter guide portion 11Bcb, a small-diameter guide portion 11Bca, and a wear debris accumulation region X, arranged from the other end toward the one end. The small-diameter guide portion 11Bca has a smaller inner diameter than the large-diameter guide portion 11Bcb, and a flow path chamber 13 is defined in the inner region on the one end side. The wear debris accumulation region X has a larger inner diameter than the flow path chamber 13. In the second embodiment, the inner diameter of the wear debris accumulation region X is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the flow path chamber 13, but this is not limited thereto, and the wear debris accumulation region X may have the same diameter as the flow path chamber 13.

[0084] The valve body 10B has a valve port 11Ba and a first port 1Ba that extend concentrically from the flow path chamber 13 to one side in the radial direction (to the right in FIG. 8(a)). The first joint pipe 1B is connected to the first port 1Ba. The valve body 10B also has a second port 2Ba that is located closer to one end than the valve port 11Ba and extends from the flow path chamber 13 to the other side in the radial direction (to the left in FIG. 8(a)). The second joint pipe 2B is connected to the second port 2Ba. A valve seat 11Bb is provided in an annular region of the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca that surrounds the valve port 11Ba. A flat, annular support portion (contact surface) 11Be is formed at the other end of the valve body 10B. The lower cover 12 has a disk portion 12a and a bent portion (stopper portion) 12b that bends a portion of the inner periphery of the disk portion 12a toward the other end. In the second embodiment, the shape of the valve port 11Ba when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axis is circular, but this is not limited to this and various shapes can be adopted, such as a rectangular shape, an elliptical shape, or any asymmetric shape.

[0085] The valve element 20B is made of a resin material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and is a member extending along the axis L. One end of the valve element 20B is inserted into an insertion hole in the valve body 10B, and a valve portion 20Ba, a small-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bg, and a large-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bh are formed in a stepped manner, with their diameters increasing from one end to the other. The valve portion 20Ba has a flow path portion 15B that is generally fan-shaped when viewed from the direction of the axis L and opens to one end in the direction of the axis L, as will be described in detail later. The small-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bg and the large-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bh are arranged to be able to slide against the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca and the large-diameter guide portion 11Bcb of the valve body 10B, respectively. As a result, the valve disc 20B of the second embodiment can be made relatively smaller in radial size and lighter in weight than the valve disc 20A of the first embodiment, thereby improving energy efficiency in the stepping motor 30B. Furthermore, the other end of the valve disc 20B is provided with an annular one-end step portion (abutment surface) 20Bi having a flat shape corresponding to the annular support portion 11Be of the valve body 10B, an other-end step portion 20Bj fixed to the fixed portion 35B of the magnet rotor 32B, and an other-end bottomed cylindrical portion 20Bc extending to the other end along the axis L and opening. A support member 40 is housed in this other-end bottomed cylindrical portion 20Bc, which biases the valve disc 20B toward the one end.

[0086] Therefore, as the valve portion 20Ba rotates relative to the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca, the communication state between the flow path portion 15B of the valve portion 20Ba and the valve port 11Ba of the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca changes between a valve open state (see FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b)) and a valve closed state (not shown) (or a minimum opening), thereby adjusting the flow rate. At this time, as will be described in detail later, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the protrusion 32Ba of the magnet rotor 32B abuts against the bent portion 12b of the bottom cover 12, which functions as a stopper, thereby restricting the rotation of the valve portion 20Ba and the rotation of the magnet rotor 32B. Therefore, the valve portion 20Ba is restricted from moving beyond the position where the valve is open or the position where the valve is closed (or a minimum opening), allowing for stable and reliable positioning with reproducibility.

[0087] The stepping motor 30B includes a case 31B, a magnet rotor 32B, and a stator coil 33B. Note that the stator coil 33B is the same as that in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] The case 31B is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a closed upper end, defining an accommodation space 16 that accommodates the valve body 20B and the magnet rotor 32B. The lower open end of the case 31B is airtightly fixed to the outer periphery of the disk portion 12a of the bottom cover 12 by welding or the like.

[0089] The magnet rotor 32B integrally comprises a cylindrical magnet portion 34B and a cylindrical fixed portion 35B connected to the inner periphery of the magnet portion 34B. The valve element 20B is inserted into the inside of the fixed portion 35B of the magnet rotor 32B toward one end in the direction of the axis L, and after the other end step 20Bj of the valve element 20B abuts against the other end of the fixed portion 35B, the magnet rotor 32B, which is the rotor portion, and the valve element 20B are integrally fixed by welding or the like. This allows the rotor portion to be rotatable about the axis L within the case 31B. The magnet rotor 32B also has a protrusion 32Ba protruding toward one end.

[0090] In this way, when the magnet rotor 32B rotates, the valve section 20Ba rotates together with the magnet rotor 32B relative to the valve port 11Ba, changing the opening between the flow path section 15B and the valve port 11Ba, and controlling the flow rate of the fluid flowing from the first joint pipe 1B to the second joint pipe 2B (or from the second joint pipe 2B to the first joint pipe 1B).

[0091] <Operation of the motor-operated valve> The operation of the motor-operated valve 100f will be described using Figure 8. Here, the motor-operated valve 100f will be described as being used in a refrigerant circuit, but this is not limited to this. In addition, in the motor-operated valve 100f, the first joint pipe 1B will be described as being connected to the high-pressure (primary pressure) side, and the second joint pipe 2B will be described as being connected to the low-pressure (secondary pressure) side (solid lines in Figures 8(a) and (c)). Note that a similar explanation can be given for the case where the second joint pipe 2B is connected to the high-pressure side and the first joint pipe 1B is connected to the low-pressure side (broken lines in Figures 8(a) and (c)), in which the flow is in the opposite direction, and therefore this will not be described here.

[0092] First, the valve portion 20Ba is rotated counterclockwise by the magnet rotor 32B, causing the protrusion 32Ba of the magnet rotor 32B to abut against the bent portion 12b of the bottom cover 12 fixed to the valve body 10B, restricting the rotation of the magnet rotor 32B and also restricting the rotation of the valve portion 20Ba. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the flow path portion 15B faces the valve port 11Ba, resulting in an open valve state. Therefore, fluid flows from the first port 1Ba on the high-pressure side to the second port 2Ba on the low-pressure side, as indicated by the solid arrows in FIG. 8(a). To prevent pressure loss in the fluid path, the flow path areas of the flow path portion 15B and the first port 1Ba before and after the valve port 11Ba are set larger than the flow path area of ​​the valve port 11Ba.

[0093] Next, although not shown, the valve portion 20Ba is rotated clockwise by the magnet rotor 32B, causing the protrusion 32Ba of the magnet rotor 32B to abut against the bent portion 12b of the bottom cover 12 fixed to the valve body 10B, restricting the rotation of the magnet rotor 32B and also restricting the rotation of the valve portion 20Ba. At this time, the flow path portion 15B faces the valve seat 11Bb, and the valve port 11Ba faces the seal portion 20Baa, resulting in a valve-closed state. This closes the flow path from the first port 1Ba on the high-pressure side to the second port 2Ba on the low-pressure side.

[0094] As shown in Fig. 8(b), the flow path portion 15B of the second embodiment has a substantially fan-shaped shape when viewed from the direction of the axis L. Therefore, in the motor-operated valve 100f of the second embodiment, when the flow path portion 15B rotates with respect to the valve port 11Ba and transitions from one of the valve open state (see Fig. 8(b)) and the valve closed state (not shown) to the other, the flow path area rapidly decreases or increases immediately after the transition, and therefore the motor-operated valve 100f can be used, for example, as an on-off valve.

[0095] <Measures to prevent wear debris from being mixed in> In the second embodiment, in addition to employing the first wear powder contamination suppression means (the other-end-side accumulation portion) and the second wear powder contamination suppression means (the second port spaced apart from the opening of the flow path portion) as in the first embodiment, the first' wear powder contamination suppression means (the one-end-side accumulation portion) is further employed, thereby solving the conventional problems 1 and 2 (jamming in the valve portion and adverse effects of wear powder on other equipment) and improving reliability. The wear powder contamination suppression means in the second embodiment will be specifically described below.

[0096] <Regarding the first wear powder mixing suppression means (retention portion on the other end side)> The first wear debris contamination suppression means will be described with reference to FIG. 8(c). In the valve open state, fluid flows from the first port 1Ba through the valve port 11Ba, the flow path portion 15B, and the flow path chamber 13, in this order, as indicated by the solid arrows. One end 15Ba of the flow path portion 15B is located at one end of the valve port 11Ba in the direction of the axis L, and the other end 15Bb of the flow path portion 15B is located at the other end of the valve port 11Ba in the direction of the axis L. This forms an other-end retention portion RP1 (see the U-shaped thick line in FIG. 8(c)) at the other end 15Bb of the flow path portion 15B, which serves as the first wear debris contamination suppression means (other-end retention portion). In this other-end retention portion RP1, a swirling vortex SV1 (see the elliptical solid arrow in FIG. 8(c)) is generated around the rotation axis Sa1. When the second joint pipe 2B is connected to the high-pressure side and the first joint pipe 1B is connected to the low-pressure side, a swirling vortex SV1 (see the elliptical dashed arrow in FIG. 8(c)) that steadily rotates counterclockwise is generated in the other-end retention portion RP1.

[0097] <Regarding the first' wear powder contamination suppression means (retention portion on one end side)> Furthermore, one end of the valve portion 20Ba is disposed on the other end side in the direction of the axis L with respect to the second port 2Ba. As a result, a one-end retention portion RP2 (see the L-shaped thick line in FIG. 8(c)) that is fluidically separated from the fluid path (see the solid arrow in FIG. 8(c)) is formed as a first' wear powder contamination suppression means (one-end retention portion) at one end of the valve portion 20Ba and on the inner wall of the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca adjacent to the one end of the valve portion 20Ba. In this one-end retention portion RP2, a swirling vortex SV2 (see the elliptical solid arrow in FIG. 8(c)) centered on the rotation axis Sa2 is generated. Note that when the second joint pipe 2B is connected to the high-pressure side and the first joint pipe 1B is connected to the low-pressure side, a swirling vortex SV2 (see the elliptical dashed arrow in FIG. 8(c)) that steadily rotates counterclockwise is generated in the one-end retention portion RP2.

[0098] In the second embodiment, the sliding portions between the small-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bg and the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca are adjacent to the fluid path at two locations shown in FIG. 8(c). Therefore, there is a risk that wear particles AP1 and AP2 generated at these two sliding portions may be discharged into the fluid path. However, between these two sliding portions and the fluid path, there are an other-end retention portion RP1 and a one-end retention portion RP2 where swirling vortices SV1 and SV2 are formed. These swirling vortices SV1 and SV2 exert centrifugal force on the surrounding fluid, thereby suppressing the discharge of wear particles AP1 and AP2 from the sliding portions to the other-end retention portion RP1 and the one-end retention portion RP2. In addition, even if the wear particles AP1 and AP2 are discharged into the other-end retention portion RP1 and the one-end retention portion RP2, the wear particles AP1 and AP2 are immediately confined within the velocity boundary layer near the wall surfaces of the other-end retention portion RP1 and the one-end retention portion RP2, thereby preventing the wear particles AP1 and AP2 from being mixed into the fluid path.

[0099] On the other hand, in the valve-closed state, the flow of fluid from the first port 1Ba to the second port 2Ba is blocked, and the swirling vortices SV1 and SV2 formed in the other-end retention section RP1 and the one-end retention section RP2 gradually move their vortex centers toward the one end, reducing their vorticity. The velocity boundary layers formed near the walls of the other-end retention section RP1 and the one-end retention section RP2 also decrease in thickness and eventually disappear. As a result, wear particles AP1 and AP2 that were prevented from being discharged from the sliding section to the other-end retention section RP1 and the one-end retention section RP2, as well as wear particles AP1 and AP2 that were confined by the velocity boundary layers, are deposited in the wear particle accumulation region X (see X in Figures 8(a) and 8(c)) due to the movement of the disappearing swirling vortices SV1 and SV2 toward the one end and the weight of the wear particles AP1 and AP2. In addition, since the wear debris accumulation region X is fluidly separated from the fluid path (see the solid arrow in Figure 8(c)), the wear debris AP1, AP2 accumulated in the wear debris accumulation region X can be prevented from being mixed into the fluid path the next time the valve is opened.

[0100] <Regarding the second wear debris mixing suppression means (second port spaced apart from the opening of the flow path portion)> As shown in Figures 8(b) and 8(c), one end 15Ba of the flow path portion 15B communicates with the flow path chamber 13 via an opening 15Bc. As a second wear debris intrusion suppression mechanism, as shown in Figure 8(b), the second port 2Ba is positioned outside the imaginary circle (annular valve seat 11Bb in the figure) that represents the rotation trajectory of the opening 15Bc, i.e., the area where wear debris AP1 and AP2 may accumulate as the swirling vortices SV1 and SV2 disappear. As a result, when the valve portion 20Ba rotates counterclockwise (or is stopped), wear debris AP1 and AP2 generated at the two sliding portions are accumulated in wear debris accumulation areas X, which are directly opposite each other in the direction of the axis L, while the wear debris AP1 and AP2 are not accumulated in the second port 2Ba. Therefore, when the valve is next opened, it is possible to reliably prevent the wear particles AP1 and AP2 from being mixed into the fluid path via the second port 2Ba that forms part of the fluid path.

[0101] The motor-operated valve 100f in the second embodiment employs a first wear powder mixing suppression means (another-end-side retention portion), a first' wear powder mixing suppression means (a one-end-side retention portion), and a second wear powder mixing suppression means (a second port spaced from the opening of the flow path portion). As a result, in the second embodiment, in the valve open state, swirling vortices SV1, SV2 are formed in the other-end-side retention portion RP1 and the one-end-side retention portion RP2 located between the fluid path and two sliding portions close to the fluid path, and in the valve closed state, the second port 2Ba is positioned outside the area where wear powder AP1, AP2 can accumulate as the swirling vortices SV1, SV2 disappear, so that it is possible to reliably suppress the wear powder AP1, AP2 from mixing into the fluid path. Therefore, like the motor-operated valve 100a of the first embodiment, the motor-operated valve 100f of the second embodiment can solve the conventional problems 1 and 2 (jamming in the valve portion and adverse effects on other devices due to wear debris) and improve reliability. In addition, even if foreign matter flows in from other devices constituting the refrigerant cycle system and attempts to flow into the sliding portion between the small diameter guide shaft portion 20Bg and the small diameter guide portion 11Bca, swirling vortices SV1 and SV2 are formed between the sliding portion and the fluid path, so the foreign matter does not directly collide with the sliding portion, improving the operability and durability of the sliding portion.

[0102] <Measures to prevent wear debris generation> In the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, by employing a first wear powder generation suppression means (other-end support means) and / or a second wear powder generation suppression means (annular radial gap), it is possible to eliminate the concern (generation of wear powder in the sliding parts) and further improve the reliability of the motor-operated valve 100f. The wear powder generation suppression means in the second embodiment will be specifically described below.

[0103] <Regarding the first wear powder generation suppression means (other-end support means)> As a first wear powder generation suppression means, as shown in FIG. 8(a), a support member 40 presses the annular one-end side step portion 20Bi of the valve disc 20B against the annular support portion 11Be of the valve body 10B. At this time, the annular one-end side step portion 20Bi of the valve disc 20B and the annular support portion 11Be of the valve body 10B have mutually flat shapes, thereby suppressing tilt of the valve disc 20B with respect to the axis L. As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress the generation of wear powder AP1, AP2 (see FIG. 8(c)) at the sliding portions between the small-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bg and the large-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bh of the valve disc 20B and the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca and the large-diameter guide portion 11Bcb of the valve body 10B, respectively.

[0104] <Second wear debris generation suppression means (annular radial gap)> As shown in FIG. 8(a), the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca and the large-diameter guide portion 11Bcb of the valve body 10B are arranged to be in sliding contact with the small-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bg and the large-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bh of the valve disc 20A, respectively. Here, as a second wear powder generation suppression means, an annular radial gap is provided between one end of the large-diameter guide portion 11Bcb and the other end of the small-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bg. When this annular radial gap is provided, the contact area between the small-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bg and the large-diameter guide portion 20Bh and the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca and the large-diameter guide portion 11Bcb, i.e., the sliding resistance, can be significantly reduced compared to when no annular radial gap is provided, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of wear powder AP1 and AP2 at the sliding portions. Even if wear particles AP1 and AP2 are generated at the sliding portions, the annular radial gap functions as a fail-safe to capture the wear particles AP1 and AP2 and prevent them from being mixed into the fluid path. In addition, the sliding portions of the small-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bg and the large-diameter guide shaft portion 20Bh and the small-diameter guide portion 11Bca and the large-diameter guide portion 11Bcb are located at positions spaced apart from each other in the direction of the axis L via the annular radial gap, and therefore, tilt of the valve body 20B with respect to the axis L can be prevented to the same extent as when there is no annular radial gap.

[0105] The electric valve 100f in the second embodiment employs a first wear powder generation suppression means (other end support means) and / or a second wear powder generation suppression means (annular radial gap), so that the support member 40 can bias the valve body 20B while suppressing tilt relative to the axis L, and / or the annular radial gap can make the sliding resistance in the sliding parts extremely small, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of wear powders AP1 and AP2 in the sliding parts and further improving reliability.

[0106] (Modifications 1 and 2 of the flow path section of the second embodiment) Flow path section modifications 1 and 2 of the second embodiment will be described using Figure 9. Flow path section modifications 1 and 2 of the second embodiment differ from flow path section 15B of valve section 20Ba of the second embodiment in the shapes of flow path sections 15B', 15B'' in valve section 20Ba', 20Ba''. However, the other basic configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment. Here, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0107] (Modification 1 of the flow path section of the second embodiment) 9(a), a flow path section 15B' of a valve section 20Ba' in flow path section variation 1 of the second embodiment will be described. This flow path section 15B' differs from the flow path section 15B of the second embodiment in that it has a semicircular shape that is eccentric with respect to the axis L when viewed in the direction of the axis L, but other configurations are the same as those of the flow path section 15B of the second embodiment.

[0108] When the flow path section 15B' rotates relative to the valve port 11Ba and transitions from one of the valve open state and the valve closed state to the other, the flow path area gradually decreases or increases. Therefore, the motor-operated valve 100f' in the flow path section modification 1 of the second embodiment enables precise flow rate control by adjusting the rotation angle of the magnet rotor 32B, and can be used, for example, as a flow rate adjustment valve.

[0109] (Modification 2 of the flow path section of the second embodiment) 9(b), a flow path section 15B'' of a valve section 20Ba'' in flow path section modification 2 of the second embodiment will be described. This flow path section 15B'' differs from the flow path section 15B of the second embodiment in that it has a shape that combines the flow path section 15B of the second embodiment with the flow path section 15B' of flow path section modification 1 of the second embodiment, but other configurations are the same as those of the flow path section 15B of the second embodiment.

[0110] Specifically, the flow path section 15B″ has a shape that combines a substantially fan-shaped shape with a semicircular shape that is eccentric with respect to the axis L when viewed from the direction of the axis L. Therefore, in the motor-operated valve 100f″ in flow path section variant 2 of the second embodiment, when the flow path section 15B″ rotates with respect to the valve port 11Ba and transitions from one of the valve open state and the valve closed state to the other, the flow path area decreases abruptly immediately after the transition and then gradually decreases, or the flow path area changes gradually and then suddenly increases, so that flow rate control is possible by combining abrupt and gradual changes in the flow path area, and therefore the motor-operated valve 100f″ can be used, for example, as an opening / closing valve to which the function of a flow adjustment valve is added.

[0111] <About the refrigeration cycle system> The refrigeration cycle system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The refrigeration cycle system includes an expansion valve 100 using the motor-operated valves 100a to 100f'' according to the first and second embodiments, an outdoor heat exchanger 200 mounted in the outdoor unit, an indoor heat exchanger 300 mounted in the indoor unit, a flow path switching valve 400 constituting a four-way valve, and a compressor 500. The expansion valve 100, the outdoor heat exchanger 200, the indoor heat exchanger 300, the flow path switching valve 400, and the compressor 500 are connected to each other by conduits to form a heat pump type refrigeration cycle. Note that an accumulator, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, etc. are not shown in the figure.

[0112] The flow path of the refrigeration cycle can be switched between two paths, one for cooling operation and the other for heating operation, by the flow path switching valve 400. During cooling operation (see the solid arrow in the figure), the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 500 is circulated from the flow path switching valve 400 through the outdoor heat exchanger 200, the expansion valve 100, the indoor heat exchanger 300, the flow path switching valve 400, and then the compressor 500, with the outdoor heat exchanger 200 functioning as a condenser and the indoor heat exchanger 300 functioning as an evaporator.

[0113] On the other hand, during heating operation (see the dashed arrow in the figure), the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 500 is circulated in the following order: from the flow path switching valve 400 to the indoor heat exchanger 300, the expansion valve 100, the outdoor heat exchanger 200, the flow path switching valve 400, and then to the compressor 500, with the indoor heat exchanger 300 functioning as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 200 functioning as an evaporator. Thus, the expansion valve 100 decompresses and expands the liquid refrigerant flowing in from the outdoor heat exchanger 200 during cooling operation, or the liquid refrigerant flowing in from the indoor heat exchanger 300 during heating operation, and can further control the flow rate of the refrigerant.

[0114] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments, but includes other configurations that can achieve the object of the present invention, and the following modifications are also included in the present invention. For example, the first and second embodiments illustrate motor-operated valves 100a to 100f'' used in air conditioners such as home air conditioners, but the motor-operated valves of the present invention are not limited to home air conditioners and may be used in commercial air conditioners, and are not limited to air conditioners but can also be applied to various types of refrigerators, etc.

[0115] <Other> It goes without saying that the motor-operated valves 100a to 100f'' of this embodiment are applicable not only to the refrigeration cycle illustrated as an example, but also to any fluid device and fluid circuit. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described aspects, embodiments, and modified examples, and appropriate changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 100a, 100a', 100a'', 100b, 100c, 100d, 100e, 100f, 100f', 100f'' Electric valve 1,1B First joint pipe 1a, 1Ba 1st port 2,2',2'',2B 2nd joint pipe 2a, 2a', 2a'', 2Ba 2nd port 10A, 10B Valve body 10,10',10'' bowl-shaped member 10a Raised portion (stopper portion) 11,11' Guide member 11a, 11a', 11Ba valve ports 11b,11b',11Bb Valve seat 11c,11c' Reduced diameter part 11d, 11d' Guide section 11e,11Be Support part (contact surface) 11Bca small diameter guide section 11Bcb Large diameter guide part 12 Lower lid 12a Disc part 12b Bending part (stopper part) 13 Flow path chamber 14 Internal flow path 15, 15', 15'', 15''', 15B, 15B', 15B'' Flow path section 15a,15a''',15Ba One end 15b,15Bb Other end 15c,15c',15c'',15c''',15Bc opening 16 Containment Space 17 Retaining ring 20A, 20B Valve body 20a,20a',20a'',20a''',20Ba,20Ba',20Ba'' Valve part 20aa, 20Baa seal part 20b One end side bottomed cylindrical part 20ba Other end (contact surface) 20c,20Bc Other end side bottomed cylindrical part 20d stepped section 20e protrusion 20f Annular groove 20Bg small diameter guide shaft 20Bh Large diameter guide shaft 20Bi One end step (contact surface) 20Bj Other end stepped section 30A, 30B stepping motor 31,31B Case 32,32B magnet rotor 32Ba protrusion 33, 33B Stator coil 34, 34B Magnet part 35 Hub 35B Fixed part 40 Support member (other end side support means) 41 Spring holder 42 biasing spring (elastic member) 100 Expansion valve 200 Outdoor heat exchanger 300 Indoor heat exchanger 400 Flow path switching valve 500 compressor AP, AP1, AP2 wear debris C1, C2, C3 Virtual Circle L axis RP1 Retention area on the other end (means for preventing wear powder from entering) RP2 One end retention section (means for preventing wear powder from entering) Sa, Sa1, Sa2 rotation axis SV, SV1, SV2 swirling vortex X Wear powder accumulation area

Claims

1. a valve body having a valve portion provided on one end side thereof, and a rotor portion having a rotor that rotates integrally with the valve body; a valve body including a flow path chamber that accommodates the valve portion, a valve seat that faces the valve portion in a radial direction, and a valve port that extends in a radial direction and is capable of communicating with the flow path chamber; a case connected to the valve body and defining an accommodation space for the rotor portion; a wear powder mixing suppression means for suppressing wear powder generated by sliding between the valve element and the valve body from mixing into a fluid path; Equipped with the valve body includes a guide portion that supports the valve element, which is provided along an axis, in the axial direction and guides it in a circumferential direction, a first port that directly communicates with the valve port, and a second port that directly communicates with the flow path chamber, the valve portion has a seal portion that closes the valve port, and a flow path portion that is capable of communicating with the valve port and extends along an axial direction, the rotation of the rotor changes the state of communication between the valve port and the flow path portion, thereby controlling the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the valve port; The wear powder contamination suppression means is an other-end-side retention portion formed by disposing the other end of the flow path portion on the other end side of the valve port in the axial direction; the second port, one end of which is disposed on one end side of the valve port in the axial direction and which communicates with the flow channel chamber via an opening, and which is disposed outside an imaginary circle that indicates a rotation locus of the opening when viewed from the axial direction; and The guide portion is made of a guide member formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having a bottom portion on the other end side, The electrically operated valve is characterized in that the outer peripheral surfaces of the valve body and the guide portion have sliding portions that are slidably engaged with each other.

2. A valve body having a valve portion on one end side, and a rotor portion having a rotor that rotates integrally with the valve body; a valve body including a flow path chamber that accommodates the valve portion, a valve seat that faces the valve portion in a radial direction, and a valve port that extends in a radial direction and is capable of communicating with the flow path chamber; a case connected to the valve body and defining an accommodation space for the rotor portion; a wear powder mixing suppression means for suppressing wear powder generated by sliding between the valve element and the valve body from mixing into a fluid path; Equipped with the valve body includes a guide portion that supports the valve element, which is provided along an axis, in the axial direction and guides it in a circumferential direction, a first port that directly communicates with the valve port, and a second port that directly communicates with the flow path chamber, the valve portion has a seal portion that closes the valve port, and a flow path portion that is capable of communicating with the valve port and extends along an axial direction, the rotation of the rotor changes the state of communication between the valve port and the flow path portion, thereby controlling the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the valve port; The wear powder contamination suppression means is an other-end-side retention portion formed by disposing the other end of the flow path portion on the other end side of the valve port in the axial direction; the second port, one end of which is disposed on one end side of the valve port in the axial direction and which communicates with the flow channel chamber via an opening, and which is disposed outside an imaginary circle that indicates a rotation locus of the opening when viewed from the axial direction; and the valve body and the inner circumferential surface of the guide portion have sliding portions that are slidably engaged with each other, The wear powder contamination suppression means is The motor-operated valve further comprises a one-end retention portion formed by disposing one end of the valve body on the other end side in the axial direction relative to the second port.

3. 2. The motor-operated valve according to claim 1, wherein the opening penetrates the valve portion radially outward at one end of the flow path portion and communicates with the flow path chamber, and when the valve is in an open state, the opening faces radially outward on the opposite side of the axis from the second port.

4. 2. The motor-operated valve according to claim 1, wherein the flow path portion has a substantially fan-shaped shape when viewed in the axial direction.

5. 2. The motor-operated valve according to claim 1, wherein the flow passage portion has a semicircular shape that is eccentric with respect to the axis when viewed in the axial direction.

6. 2. The motor-operated valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve port has a shape such that an opening area relative to the flow path portion gradually increases in a direction from a valve closed state to a valve open state when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axis.

7. The rotor portion has a protrusion, 3. The motor-operated valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve body has a stopper portion that abuts against the protrusion in the valve closed state and the valve open state.

8. a wear powder generation suppression means for suppressing the generation of wear powder due to sliding between the valve element and the valve body, The wear powder generation suppression means is a support member including a spring receiving portion rotatably disposed in contact with the case, and an elastic member sandwiched between the spring receiving portion and the valve body and biasing the valve body toward one end; an axial contact surface between the valve body and the guide portion; and 3. The motor-operated valve according to claim 1, wherein the support member presses the contact surface of the valve body against the contact surface of the guide portion.

9. a wear powder generation suppression means for suppressing the generation of wear powder due to sliding between the valve element and the valve body, The wear powder generation suppression means is 3. The motor-operated valve according to claim 1, further comprising an annular radial gap formed in the radial direction between the valve body and the guide portion.

10. 3. A refrigeration cycle system including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, wherein the motor-operated valve according to claim 1 or 2 is used as the expansion valve.

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