rotary valve device

Abstract

To provide a rotary type valve device capable of easily molding a passage member by a mold and the like, facilitating assembling work, and accurately assembling a seal module made of a plurality of members.SOLUTION: A rotary type valve device is equipped with a valve 30, a housing H that has a fitting hole 14a and a joint surface 14b1 located at an end portion of a through-hole 16, a thermostat 110 that is partially stored in the through-hole 16, a cylindrical seal member 80, an energizing spring 90, and a passage member 60. The passage member 60 includes a cylindrical holding member 61 fitted with the fitting hole 14a and holding the cylindrical seal member 80 and the energizing spring 90, and a connector member 62. The connector member 62 has a fitting recessed portion 62a1 with which a part of the cylindrical holding member 61 is fitted, and a bypass passage 62a4 that is divided by the fitting recessed portion and the wall portion, partially stores the thermostat, and bypasses the cylindrical seal member to communicate with the through-hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary valve device that opens and closes a fluid passage by rotating a valve about an axis, and more particularly to a rotary valve device that is used to control the flow of cooling water in an engine mounted on a vehicle or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Known conventional rotary valve devices include a control valve that includes a cylindrical valve having a passage opening into its outer peripheral wall, a casing that rotatably houses the valve and has a radiator port that defines a radiator outlet and a fail-safe opening that extend radially, a thermostat located at the fail-safe opening, a cylindrical seal member that is located within the radiator outlet so as to abut against the outer peripheral wall of the valve, a biasing member that biases the cylindrical seal member toward the outer peripheral wall, an annular seal member that is located between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical seal member and the inner peripheral surface of the radiator outlet, a retaining ring that restricts movement of the annular seal member, and a joint member that is assembled to the casing to receive the end of the biasing member, communicates with the radiator outlet, and is connected to a pipe that communicates with the radiator (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] When assembling this control valve, the thermostat is inserted into the fail passage, and then the cylindrical seal member, annular seal member, retaining ring, and biasing member are inserted into the radiator outlet in that order. From the outside, the annular end of the joint member is fitted into the radiator port so as to press against the biasing member, and the joint member is then assembled and fixed to the casing.

[0004] In this way, after inserting and attaching a sealing mechanism (seal module) consisting of multiple components (sealing tube component, annular sealing component, retaining ring, and urging component), the joint component must be assembled in a state where visibility is poor. This means that there is a risk that components already inserted will become misaligned when assembling the joint component, and the assembly work is cumbersome. In order to solve this problem, if an attempt is made to form a cylindrical portion that holds these multiple components integrally with the joint member, the joint member will receive part of the thermostat and will have a confluence passage portion that leads to the fail opening, which will result in undercuts when molding the part in a mold, making it difficult to form the mold. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-148244 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and aims to provide a rotary valve device in which the passage members can be easily molded using a mold or the like, the assembly work is easy, and a seal module consisting of multiple members can be assembled with high precision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The rotary valve device of the present invention comprises a cylindrical valve that rotates about a predetermined axis and has a passage that opens into an outer peripheral wall, a housing that rotatably accommodates the valve and has a fitting hole that faces the outer peripheral wall, a through hole adjacent to the fitting hole, and joint surfaces located at the ends of the fitting hole and the through hole, a thermostat partially accommodated in the through hole, a cylindrical seal member that abuts against the outer peripheral wall and defines the passage, a biasing spring that biases the cylindrical seal member toward the outer peripheral wall, and a passage member assembled to the housing to communicate with the passage of the cylindrical seal member, the passage member including a cylindrical holding member that is fitted into the fitting hole and holds the cylindrical seal member and the biasing spring, and a connector member that defines a main passage that communicates with the passage of the cylindrical seal member and is joined to the joint surface to be connected to the outside, the connector member a flange base that is joined to the joining surface and is separated from the fitting recess by a wall portion to partially accommodate the thermostat and defines a detour passage that bypasses the cylindrical sealing member and communicates with the through hole; and a pipe portion that protrudes from the flange base and defines a part of the main passage with which the detour passage communicates, the pipe portion being formed to extend in an angled direction relative to the center line direction of the fitting hole and the through hole, and the center line of the detour passage is positioned around the center line of the fitting recess at a position offset from the center line of the pipe portion. It is composed of:

[0008] In the rotary valve device, the cylindrical holding member and the connector member may be molded products made of the same material by a mold.

[0012] In the rotary valve device, the cylindrical holding member may be configured to hold an annular seal member that seals between its inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical seal member.

[0013] In the rotary valve device, the cylindrical holding member may have a restricting portion inside it that restricts the cylindrical sealing member from falling off when the spring, the annular sealing member, and the cylindrical sealing member are assembled therein.

[0014] In the above rotary valve device, a configuration may be adopted in which the housing has an inlet through which fluid constantly flows in and an outlet through which fluid constantly flows out, and the through-hole is formed in a position facing a passage area that linearly connects the inlet and outlet so as to expose the heat-sensing part of the thermostat to the constantly flowing fluid.

[0015] In the rotary valve device, the housing may be formed into a long cylindrical shape in the direction of the axis, and the inlet and outlet may be arranged in the housing so as to open in a radial direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0016] In the rotary valve device, the housing may include a housing main body that defines an elongated internal space in the axial direction and has an opening at one end, and a housing cover that is joined to the housing main body to close the opening.

[0017] In the rotary valve device, the housing body may have an accommodating recess for accommodating a drive unit that drives the valve, on the opposite side to the opening in the axial direction.

[0018] In the rotary valve device, the housing body may have a flange portion attached to a wall of an object to be used, and an annular joint portion defining an outlet port in an inner region of the flange portion.

[0019] In the rotary valve device, the outer wall of the valve may have an outer peripheral surface that forms a plurality of spherical surfaces that are connected in the axial direction, and the cylindrical sealing member may be arranged opposite at least one of the outer peripheral surfaces. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the rotary valve device having the above-described configuration, the passage member can be easily molded using a mold or the like, the assembly work is easy, and the seal module consisting of a plurality of members can be assembled with high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a state in which a rotary valve device according to the present invention is applied to an engine cooling water circulation system. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a rotary valve device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the outlet side. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of the rotary valve device according to one embodiment, viewed from the opposite side to the outlet port. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rotary valve device according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rotary valve device according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rotary valve device according to one embodiment, taken along a plane parallel to the axis of a valve. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rotary valve device according to one embodiment, taken along a plane parallel to the axis of the valve and passing through the center of the outlet. [Figure 8]8 is a cross-sectional view of a rotary valve device according to one embodiment, taken along a plane parallel to the axis of the valve and perpendicular to the cross section shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a rotary valve device according to one embodiment, taken along a plane parallel to the axis of a valve; [Figure 10] 3 is a cross-sectional view of a rotary valve device according to one embodiment, taken along a plane passing through an approximate center line of a cylindrical holding member and a bypass passage that form part of a passage member. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a rotary valve device according to one embodiment, taken along a plane linearly connecting an inlet through which a fluid always flows in and an outlet through which the fluid always flows out. [Figure 12] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between a seal module (a cylindrical seal member, a biasing spring, and an annular seal member) and a valve included in a rotary valve device according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the seal module (cylindrical seal member, biasing spring, annular seal member) and the valve included in the rotary valve device according to one embodiment, seen from an angle different from that shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a connector member that forms a part of a passage member included in a rotary valve device according to one embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a connector member that forms a part of a passage member included in a rotary valve device according to one embodiment. [Figure 16] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a passage member (a cylindrical holding member, a connector member), a seal module (a cylindrical seal member, a biasing spring, an annular seal member), and a thermostat included in a rotary valve device according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 17] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the connector member is fitted into a part of the cylindrical holding member that holds the seal module (cylindrical seal member, annular seal member, and biasing spring) and fixed to the housing, and the positioning state of the thermostat relative to the bypass passage. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a table showing the open / closed states of the valves in the rotary valve device according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A rotary valve device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a rotary valve device M according to one embodiment is attached to the upstream side of a water pump 1 in an engine E mounted on a vehicle as an application object, and is connected to a radiator 2, a heater 3, and an oil cooler 4 via respective pipes, and is incorporated into a cooling water circulation system that controls the flow of cooling water. In this cooling water circulation system, a portion of the cooling water flowing through the heater 3 is constantly circulated via a bypass pipe 5 and a rotary valve device M. Here, the constantly circulating cooling water is a portion of the cooling water flowing through the heater 3, but the system may also incorporate a throttle body, an EGR valve, or the like mounted on the engine E and the cooling water flowing through these may also be used.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 to 11, the rotary valve device M includes a housing H including a housing main body 10 and a housing cover 20, a valve 30 that rotates around an axis S, passage members 40, 50, and 60, a connector member 70, three seal modules m1, m2, and m3, a thermostat 110, and a drive unit 120. Each of the three seal modules m1, m2, and m3 is composed of a cylindrical seal member 80, a biasing spring 90, and an annular seal member 100. The cylindrical seal member 80, the biasing spring 90, and the annular seal member 100 that make up the three seal modules m1, m2, and m3 are indicated using the same reference numerals because they have the same configuration except for the dimensions.

[0024] The housing body 10 is formed from a resin material, an aluminum material, or the like, and includes an accommodating chamber 11, four connecting fitting portions 12, 13, 14, and 15, a through hole 16, a flange portion 17, a partition wall 18, and an accommodating recess 19, as shown in Figures 3 to 10.

[0025] The accommodation chamber 11 is formed as a cylindrical internal space that is long in the direction of the axis S and has its center on the axis S, and accommodates the valve 30 with a gap between it and the outer peripheral wall 33 of the valve 30 so that the valve 30 can be rotated about the axis S. Furthermore, an opening 11a is formed at one end of the accommodation chamber 11 in the direction of the axis S, into which the valve 30 can be inserted.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the connecting fitting portion 12 includes a fitting hole 12a extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis S, and a connecting portion 12b that connects the passage member 40. The fitting hole 12a is formed as a cylindrical surface so that a cylindrical holding portion 41 that forms part of the passage member 40 can be fitted therein, and is provided at a position radially opposite to the first outer peripheral surface 33a of the valve 30. As shown in Fig. 5, the connecting portion 12b has a joining surface 12b1 to which the flange portion 42 of the passage member 40 is joined, and a screw hole 12b2.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the connecting fitting portion 13 includes a fitting hole 13a extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis S, and a connecting portion 13b that connects the passage member 50. The fitting hole 13a is formed as a cylindrical surface so that a cylindrical holding portion 51 that forms part of the passage member 50 can be fitted therein, and is provided at a position radially opposite to the second outer peripheral surface 33b of the valve 30. As shown in Fig. 5, the connecting portion 13b has a joining surface 13b1 to which the flange portion 52 of the passage member 50 is joined, and a screw hole 13b2.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 10, the connecting fitting portion 14 includes a fitting hole 14a extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis S, and a connecting portion 14b that connects the passage member 60. The fitting hole 14a is formed as a cylindrical surface so that the cylindrical holding member 61 holding the seal module m3 can be fitted therein, and is provided at a position radially opposite to the third outer peripheral surface 33c of the valve 30. As shown in Fig. 5, the connecting portion 14b has a joining surface 14b1 to which a flange base portion 62a of the connector member 62 constituting the passage member 60 is joined, and a screw hole 14b2.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 9, the connecting fitting portion 15 has a fitting hole 15a extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis S, and a connecting portion 15b for connecting the connector member 70. The fitting hole 15a is formed as a cylindrical surface so that it can fit with the fitting tubular portion 71 of the connector member 70. As shown in Fig. 5, the connecting portion 15b has a joining surface 15b1 to which the flange portion 72 of the connector member 70 is joined, and a screw hole 15b2.

[0030] 5 and 10, the through-hole 16 is formed as a cylindrical surface adjacent to the fitting hole 14a in the region of the joining surface 14b1 of the connecting fitting part 14, with a center line L2 parallel to the center line L1 of the fitting hole 14a, and an annular recess 16a is formed at one end thereof into which the flanged seal part 111 of the thermostat 110 is fitted. The heat-sensing part 114 of the thermostat 110 is inserted into the through-hole 16 with a gap therebetween.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flange portion 17 is joined to the wall of the engine E upstream of the water pump 1 housed in the engine E, and is provided with three circular holes 17a through which bolts for fastening to the wall of the engine E are passed, and an annular joining portion 17b that defines an opening 17c in the inner area surrounded by the three circular holes 17a. The annular joint portion 17b is formed with an annular groove 17b1 into which an O-ring Rg is fitted.

[0032] As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the partition wall 18 separates the accommodation chamber 11 that accommodates the valve 30 from the accommodation recess 19 that accommodates the drive unit 120, and is equipped with a bearing hole 18a that supports the rotating shaft 31 of the valve 30, a seal hole 18b that comes into contact with the O-ring Rg, and a stopper 18c that releasably engages with the spoke portion 34 of the valve 30 to regulate the rotation angle of the valve 30.

[0033] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the accommodating recess 19 is an area that accommodates the drive unit 120 that drives the valve 30, and is formed on the opposite side of the opening 11a across the partition wall 18 in the direction of the axis S of the housing main body 10.

[0034] The housing cover 20 is formed from a resin material, an aluminum material, or the like, and as shown in Figures 2, 5, 7, and 8, is provided with a fitting portion 21 that fits into the opening 11a of the housing body 10, an annular groove 22 formed on the outer surface of the fitting portion 21 and into which an O-ring Rg is fitted, a bearing hole 23 that supports the small diameter portion 31d located at the end of the rotating shaft 31 of the valve 30, a seal hole 24 into which a seal member Sr is fitted, and three circular holes 25 through which screws are passed. In this way, the housing H is formed by the housing main body 10 that defines the storage chamber 11 and the housing cover 20 that closes the opening 11a, so that the valve 30 can be easily assembled so that it can rotate freely around the axis S by inserting the valve 30 into the storage chamber 11 and joining the housing cover 20.

[0035] The valve 30 is formed using a resin material that has excellent wear resistance and sliding properties, and as shown in Figures 6 to 9, 12 and 13, it includes a rotating shaft 31 centered on an axis S, an internal passage 32, an outer peripheral wall 33, and a plurality of spokes 34 connecting the outer peripheral wall 33 to the rotating shaft 31.

[0036] The rotating shaft 31 is formed in a multi-stage cylindrical shape centered on the axis S, and has a connecting portion 31a, a small diameter portion 31b, and a large diameter portion 31c at one end, and a small diameter portion 31d and a large diameter portion 31e at the other end. The connecting portion 31a is formed to connect and fix a gear 123 included in the drive unit 120. The small diameter portion 31d is supported in the bearing hole 18a of the housing body 10 via a bushing B. The large diameter portion 31c has an annular groove into which an O-ring Rg is fitted, and is inserted into the seal hole 18b of the housing body 10, with the outer circumferential surface sealed by the O-ring Rg. The small diameter portion 31d is supported in a bearing hole 23 of the housing cover 20 via a bushing B. The outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 31e is sealed by a lip-type seal member Sr fitted into a seal hole 24 of the housing cover 20.

[0037] The outer wall 33 is arranged with a gap between it and the inner surface that defines the storage chamber 11 of the housing body 10, and has an outer surface that forms a plurality of spherical surfaces that are connected in the direction of the axis S, namely, a first outer surface 33a, a second outer surface 33b, and a third outer surface 33c. The first outer peripheral surface 33a is formed as a spherical surface having a predetermined width in the direction of the axis S and a center on the axis S, and has two openings 33a1 that are long in the circumferential direction and communicate with the internal passage 32. The second outer surface 33b has a width greater than that of the first outer surface 33a in the direction of the axis S and is formed as a spherical surface with its center on the axis S, and has one opening 33b1 that is long in the circumferential direction and communicates with the internal passage 32. The third outer surface 33c is formed as a spherical surface having the same width as the second outer surface 33b in the direction of the axis S and a center on the axis S, and has one opening 33c1 that is long in the circumferential direction and communicates with the internal passage 32.

[0038] The spoke portions 34 are formed to discretely connect the outer peripheral wall 33 to the rotation axis 31 so that the internal passages 32 are defined in the direction of the axis S and in the direction intersecting the axis S. In addition, as shown in Figures 7 and 13, the spoke portion 34 located at the end abuts against a stopper 18c formed on the partition wall 18 of the housing main body 10 in the assembled state, thereby restricting the rotation range of the valve 30.

[0039] That is, the valve 30 is accommodated in the housing H so as to be rotatable about the axis S, and has a passage that opens to the outer peripheral wall 33 (an internal passage 32, a plurality of openings 33a1, 33b1, 33c1). In the above-mentioned valve 30, the rotating shaft 31 is integrally joined by being fitted into a central through-hole (not shown) after the outer wall 33 and the spoke portion 34 are integrally molded, but the rotating shaft 31 may also be integrally molded.

[0040] The passage member 40 is a molded product made of a resin material, an aluminum material, or the like, by a mold, and includes a cylindrical holding portion 41, a flange portion 42, and a pipe portion 43, as shown in FIGS. The cylindrical retaining portion 41 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface 41a that fits into the fitting hole 12a of the housing main body 10, an annular groove 41b that fits the O-ring Rg, an insertion passage 41c that inserts the biasing spring 90 and the tubular sealing member 80 so that they can move back and forth freely, an annular receiving portion 41d that receives the end of the biasing spring 90, an inner peripheral surface 41e that fits the annular sealing member 100 tightly, and two L-shaped regulating portions 41f that engage the protrusion 85 of the tubular sealing member 80 to prevent it from falling off.

[0041] That is, the cylindrical holding portion 41 is configured so that the seal module m1 (the biasing spring 90, the annular seal member 100, and the cylindrical seal member 80) can be assembled in advance. The flange portion 42 is formed to be joined to the joining surface 12b1 of the connecting fitting portion 12 of the housing body 10, and is provided with two circular holes 42a through which screws to be screwed into the screw holes 12b2 are passed. The pipe portion 43 is formed so as to protrude outward from the flange portion 42 and extend while bending parallel to the axis S. A pipe communicating with the oil cooler 4 is connected to the pipe portion 43. The passage member 40 is fixed to the housing main body 10 by fitting the cylindrical holding portion 41 holding the seal module m1 into the fitting hole 12a, and joining the flange portion 42 to the joining surface 12b1, and by threading a screw through the circular hole 42a and into the screw hole 12b2.

[0042] The passage member 50 is a molded product made of a resin material, an aluminum material, or the like, by a mold, and includes a cylindrical holding portion 51, a flange portion 52, and a pipe portion 53, as shown in FIGS. The cylindrical retaining portion 51 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface 51a that fits into the fitting hole 13a of the housing main body 10, an annular groove 51b that fits the O-ring Rg, an insertion passage 51c that inserts the biasing spring 90 and the tubular sealing member 80 so that they can move back and forth freely, an annular receiving portion 51d that receives the end of the biasing spring 90, an inner peripheral surface 51e that fits the annular sealing member 100 in close contact, and two L-shaped regulating portions 51f that engage the protrusion 85 of the tubular sealing member 80 to prevent it from falling off.

[0043] That is, the cylindrical holding portion 51 is configured so that the seal module m2 (the biasing spring 90, the annular seal member 100, and the cylindrical seal member 80) can be assembled in advance. The flange portion 52 is formed to be joined to the joining surface 13b1 of the connecting fitting portion 13 of the housing body 10, and is provided with two circular holes 52a through which screws to be screwed into the screw holes 13b2 are passed. The pipe portion 53 is formed so as to protrude outward from the flange portion 52 and extend while bending in a twisting direction relative to the axis S. A pipe communicating with the heater 3 is connected to the pipe portion 53. The passage member 50 is fixed to the housing main body 10 by fitting the cylindrical holding portion 51 holding the seal module m2 into the fitting hole 13a, and joining the flange portion 52 to the joining surface 13b1, and by threading a screw through the circular hole 52a and into the screw hole 13b2.

[0044] As described above, the passage members 40, 50 are integrally formed and include the cylindrical holding portions 41, 51 that can hold the seal modules m1, m2 in a pre-assembled state, so that the passage members 40, 50 can be handled as modular components incorporating the seal modules m1, m2 and can be easily assembled to the housing main body 10, simplifying the overall assembly work when assembling the device M. Furthermore, the seal modules m1, m2 can be assembled with high precision.

[0045] The passage member 60 is formed from a resin material, an aluminum material, or the like, and is composed of a cylindrical holding member 61 and a connector member 62 that is fitted into and connected to the cylindrical holding member 61, as shown in Figures 5, 8, 10, 16, and 17. Here, the cylindrical holding member 61 and the connector member 62 are molded products made of the same material using a mold.

[0046] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the cylindrical holding member 61 has a cylindrical fitting portion 61a, an annular groove 61b, an insertion passage 61c, an annular receiving portion 61d, an inner surface 61e, multiple protruding guide portions 61f, two regulating portions 61g, and a cylindrical fitting portion 61h. The cylindrical fitting portion 61a has an outer circumferential surface 61a1 that fits into the fitting hole 14a of the housing body 10. The annular groove 61b is formed on the outer circumferential surface 61a1 so as to fit an O-ring Rg therein. The insertion passage 61c is formed so that the biasing spring 90 and the cylindrical seal member 80 can be inserted with a gap therebetween so as to be reciprocally movable. The annular receiving portion 61d is formed into an annular flat surface that receives the end of the biasing spring 90. The inner peripheral surface 61e is formed so as to fit the annular seal member 100 tightly thereon.

[0047] The multiple protruding guide portions 61f are formed to protrude radially inward from the inner surface 61e and extend in the direction of the center line L1 in order to guide the tubular sealing member 80 so that it can move back and forth freely while restricting the collapse of the biasing spring 90. The restricting portion 61g is formed in an L-shape so as to engage the protrusion 85 of the cylindrical seal member 80 and restrict it from falling off. The cylindrical fitting portion 61h has a small-diameter outer peripheral surface 61h1 that fits into the fitting recess 62a3 of the connector member 62, a large-diameter outer peripheral surface 61h2, and an annular receiving surface 61h3 formed at the boundary between the outer peripheral surfaces 61h1 and 61h2 that receives the O-ring Rg.

[0048] That is, the cylindrical holding member 61 is formed to be fitted into the fitting hole 14a of the housing body 10 and to hold the seal module m3 (the cylindrical seal member 80, the biasing spring 90, and the annular seal member 100). The cylindrical holding member 61 is assembled to the housing body 10 by fitting the cylindrical fitting portion 61a into the fitting hole 14a with the seal module m3 installed in the insertion passage 61c and the O-ring Rg fitted in the annular groove 61b.

[0049] The connector member 62 defines a main passage Mp that communicates with the cylindrical sealing member 80 and is connected to the outside, and as shown in Figures 14 to 17, has a flange base 62a and a pipe portion 62b that protrudes from the flange base 62a. The flange base 62a is formed to define a joining surface 62a1 that joins to the joining surface 14b1 of the housing main body 10, an upstream passage 62a2 that is part of the main passage Mp, an annular mating recess 62a3 that fits into the cylindrical mating portion 61h of the tubular holding member 61, a bypass passage 62a4, and four circular holes 62a5 for passing screws.

[0050] The fitting recess 62a3 is formed as a two-step recess having a small diameter and a large diameter so as to fit into the cylindrical fitting portion 61h of the cylindrical holding member 61. The bypass passage 62a4 is divided by the fitting recess 62a3 and the wall portion 62a6, and is formed to partially accommodate the thermostat 110 and to bypass the cylindrical seal member 80 and communicate with the through-hole 16 of the housing body 10. As shown in FIG. 14, the center line L2 of the bypass passage 62a4 is disposed at a position around the center line L1 of the fitting recess 62a3 that is offset from the center line L3 of the pipe portion 62b.

[0051] The pipe portion 62b is formed so as to protrude from the flange base portion 62a and define a downstream passage 62b1 that is part of the main passage Mp with which the bypass passage 62a4 communicates. Here, as shown in Figure 16, the pipe portion 62b is formed to extend in an angle direction (in the direction of the center line L3) inclined relative to the center line L1 of the fitting hole 14a (fitting recess 62a3) of the housing main body 10 and the center line L2 of the through hole 16. The connector member 62 is fixed to the housing body 10 by fitting the cylindrical fitting portion 61h of the cylindrical holding member 61 into the fitting recess 62a3, and by joining the joint surface 62a1 of the flange base 62a to the joint surface 14b1, and by threading the screw into the screw hole 14b2. That is, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, when the passage member 60 is assembled to the housing main body 10 by connecting the connector member 62 to the cylindrical holding member 61 by fitting, the main passage Mp is in communication with the cylindrical seal member 80 that abuts against the outer peripheral wall 33 of the valve 30 and defines the passage.

[0052] The passage member 60 having the above configuration employs a cylindrical holding member 61 formed separately from the connector member 62, and the cylindrical holding member 61, into which the seal module m3 (cylindrical seal member 80, biasing spring 90, annular seal member 100) is incorporated so as not to fall out, can be assembled by fitting it into the fitting hole 14a of the housing main body 10. Therefore, when assembling the connector member 62, it is possible to prevent misalignment of the components that make up the seal module m3, and the assembly work can be performed easily and with high precision. Furthermore, the connector member 62 can tightly connect the two by fitting the cylindrical fitting portion 61h of the cylindrical holding member 61 into the fitting recess 62a3, thereby ensuring the desired sealing performance in the connection area between the two. In particular, the cylindrical holding member 61 and the connector member 62 are separate parts, but are made of the same material, so that they have the same rate of expansion or contraction due to heat, thereby improving adhesion in the connection area between the two.

[0053] Furthermore, the pipe portion 62b is formed to extend in a direction (the direction of the center line L3) that is inclined with respect to the center line L1 of the fitting hole 14a (the fitting recess 62a3) and the center line L2 of the through-hole 16, so that the bypass passage 62a4 can be made to communicate as a straight passage with the downstream passage 62b1 that is part of the main passage Mp defined by the pipe portion 62b. This makes it possible to ensure space in the bypass passage 62a4 for partially arranging the thermostat 110. Furthermore, a wall 63a6 can be provided between the bypass passage 62a4 and the fitting recess 62a3 to separate them into independent passages. Therefore, the fitting recess 62a3 can be formed in a complete ring shape without any notches, allowing the cylindrical fitting portion 61h to be reliably fitted therein. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14, the center line L2 of the bypass passage 62a4 is positioned around the center line L1 of the fitting recess 62a3 at a position offset from the center line L3 of the pipe portion 62b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the bypass passage 62a4 capable of partially accommodating the thermostat 110 can be set to a desired passage length Hb, while the height Hp of the pipe portion 62b protruding from the flange base 62a can be reduced.

[0054] Furthermore, since the passage member 60 is configured by the cylindrical holding member 61 and the connector member 62, which are separate members, the bypass passage 62a4 that houses the thermostat 110 can be easily molded integrally with the connector member 62. That is, when the connector member 62 is molded using a mold, the mold can be divided into two parts in the X direction, and the three slide cores can slide in the Y direction and the P direction, respectively, as shown in Fig. 15. This allows the connector member 62 to be easily molded using a mold without generating undercuts.

[0055] The connector member 70 defines a passage for the fluid (coolant) and is formed from a resin material, an aluminum material, or other metal material, and includes a fitting cylindrical portion 71, a flange portion 72, and a pipe portion 73, as shown in Figures 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10. The fitting cylindrical portion 71 has a cylindrical outer circumferential surface 71a that fits into the fitting hole 15a of the housing body 10, and an annular groove 71b into which the O-ring Rg is fitted. The flange portion 72 has two circular holes 72a through which screws are inserted into the screw holes 15b2 when the flange portion 72 is joined to the joining surface 15b1 of the housing body 10. The pipe portion 73 is formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axis S, and is connected to the bypass pipe 5 branching off from the pipe connected to the heater 3. The connector member 70 is fixed to the housing body 10 by fitting the fitting cylindrical portion 71 into the fitting hole 15a, joining the flange portion 72 to the joining surface 15b1, and threading the screws into the screw holes 15b2.

[0056] The cylindrical seal member 80, the biasing spring 90, and the annular seal member 100 that constitute the seal modules m1, m2, and m3 are formed as shown in FIGS. The tubular sealing member 80 is formed from a resin material that has excellent abrasion resistance and sliding properties, and includes a cylindrical portion 81 that defines the passage, an annular step portion 82 formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 81, an annular sealing portion 83 that abuts against the outer peripheral wall 33 of the valve 30, an annular receiving portion 84 that receives the end of the biasing spring 90, and two protrusions 85 that engage with the regulating portion 61g of the tubular holding member 61. The biasing spring 90 is a compression type coil spring, one end of which abuts against the annular receiving portion 61d of the tubular holding member 61 and the other end of which abuts against the annular receiving portion 84 of the tubular sealing member 80, thereby biasing the tubular sealing member 80 toward the outer wall 33 of the valve 30. The annular sealing member 100 is made of a rubber material and is formed in a circular ring shape with an approximately V- or U-shaped cross section, and has an inner surface 101 that is in close contact with the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 81, an outer surface 102 that is in close contact with the inner surface 61e of the tubular holding member 61, an end face 103 that abuts the annular step portion 82 of the tubular sealing member 80, and a concave pressure-receiving surface 104.

[0057] The thermostat 110 is a relief valve that opens the bypass passage 62a4 when the temperature of the fluid (coolant) exceeds a predetermined level, and as shown in Figures 16 and 17, it is equipped with a flanged seal portion 111, a valve portion 112, a biasing spring 113 that biases the valve portion 112 in the valve closing direction, and a heat-sensing portion 114 that expands at or above a predetermined temperature and moves the valve portion 112 in the valve opening direction against the biasing force of the biasing spring 113. As shown in Figure 10, the thermostat 110 has a flanged seal portion 111 fitted into the annular recess 16a of the housing main body 10, the area of ​​the heat-sensing portion 114 is positioned within the through-hole 16, and the area including the biasing spring 113 is accommodated in the bypass passage 62a4 of the connector member 62.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 3, 8 and 9, the drive unit 120 is disposed in the receiving recess 19 of the housing body 10 and applies a rotational drive force to the valve 30. The drive unit 120 includes a cover 121 having a connector 121a electrically connected to the outside, a motor 122, a gear 123 connected to the connecting portion 31a of the valve 30, and a gear train 124 including a multi-stage gear interposed between the motor 122 and the gear 123.

[0059] In the rotary valve device M having the above configuration, the inner openings of the passage members 40, 50, 60 and the connector member 70 fitted into the fitting holes 12a, 13a, 14a, 15a function as inlet ports through which the fluid (cooling water) flows into the housing H. Also, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the inner opening 70a of the connector member 70 fitted into the fitting hole 15a functions as an inlet through which fluid (cooling water) constantly flows into the housing H, and the opening 17c defined by the annular joint 17b functions as an outlet through which fluid (cooling water) constantly flows out of the housing H.

[0060] Here, as shown in Figures 4, 6, 7 and 11, the through hole 16 is formed at a position facing the passage area that linearly connects the inlet (opening 70a) and the outlet (opening 17c), i.e., the passage area A including the straight line St, so as to expose the heat-sensing part 114 of the thermostat 110 to the constantly flowing fluid (cooling water). This means that the heat-sensing part 114 of the thermostat 110 arranged inside the through-hole 16 is constantly exposed to the fluid (coolant) flowing through the housing H via the shortest path, rather than to the fluid in the stagnant area inside the housing H. Therefore, the heat-sensing part 114 can react to the accurate temperature of the fluid, and malfunction of the thermostat 110 can be prevented.

[0061] In addition, the housing H is formed in a long cylindrical shape in the direction of the axis S, and the inlet (opening 70a) through which the fluid always flows in and the outlet (opening 17c) through which the fluid always flows out are arranged in the housing H so as to open in a radial direction perpendicular to the axis S. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, the rotary valve device M can be arranged along the wall surface of the object to which it is applied (engine E), reducing the amount of protrusion from the wall surface of the engine E, thereby achieving the consolidation and miniaturization of the entire system around the engine E.

[0062] Next, the operation of the rotary valve device M will be described. First, when engine E starts and water pump 1 rotates, the coolant present in the coolant circulation system flows out of the coolant passage within engine E by appropriately controlling rotary valve device M, passes through the respective pipes, passes through radiator 2, heater 3, and oil cooler 4, flows into housing H of device M, and from device M passes through water pump 1 and flows into engine E, circulating through these paths.

[0063] Specifically, the rotational position of the valve 30 is appropriately driven and controlled by the drive unit 120 in accordance with mode 1 to mode 4 shown in FIG. 18, and the openings 33a1, 33b1, and 33c1 are appropriately opened and closed. In mode 1, the opening 33a1 is closed, blocking the circulation of cooling water to the oil cooler 4. The opening 33b1 is closed, blocking the flow of cooling water returning from the heater 3 to the passage member 50. The opening 33c1 is closed, blocking the circulation of cooling water to the radiator 2. Meanwhile, the cooling water returning from the heater 3 to the connector member 70 via the bypass passage 5 flows out of the housing H and circulates via the engine E and the heater 3.

[0064] In mode 2, the opening 33a1 is closed, blocking the circulation of cooling water to the oil cooler 4. The opening 33b1 is opened, allowing the cooling water returning from the heater 3 to the passage member 50 to flow out of the housing H and circulate via the engine E. The opening 33c1 is closed, blocking the circulation of cooling water to the radiator 2. The cooling water returning from the heater 3 to the connector member 70 via the bypass passage 5 flows out of the housing H and circulates via the engine E and heater 3.

[0065] In mode 3, the opening 33a1 is opened, and the cooling water returning from the oil cooler 4 to the passage member 40 flows out of the housing H and circulates via the engine E. The opening 33b1 is opened, and the cooling water returning from the heater 3 to the passage member 50 flows out of the housing H and circulates via the engine E. The opening 33c1 is closed, and the circulation of the cooling water to the radiator 2 is blocked. The cooling water returning from the heater 3 to the connector member 70 via the bypass passage 5 flows out of the housing H and circulates via the engine E and the heater 3.

[0066] In mode 4, the opening 33a1 is opened, and the cooling water returning from the oil cooler 4 to the passage member 40 flows out of the housing H and circulates via the engine E. The opening 33b1 is opened, and the cooling water returning from the heater 3 to the passage member 50 flows out of the housing H and circulates via the engine E. The opening 33c1 is opened, and the cooling water returning from the radiator 2 to the passage member 60 flows out of the housing H and circulates via the engine E. The cooling water returning from the heater 3 to the connector member 70 via the bypass passage 5 flows out of the housing H and circulates via the engine E and the heater 3.

[0067] In this way, the cooling water returning from the heater 3 via the bypass passage 5 to the connector member 70 constantly circulates through the cooling water circulation system. Here, thermostat 110 does not operate when valve 30 is operating normally, but in the event of an abnormality such as valve 30 malfunctioning with opening 33c1 closed, thermostat 110 opens and opens bypass passage 62a4 when the coolant temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature, causing the coolant to circulate via radiator 2 and lowering the temperature of the coolant.

[0068] As described above, according to the rotary valve device M of the above embodiment, the passage members can be easily molded using a mold or the like, the assembly work is easy, and the seal module consisting of multiple members can be assembled with high precision.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the cylindrical seal member 80, the biasing spring 90, and the annular seal member 100 are shown as the seal module, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the annular seal member 100 may be omitted if the desired sealing performance is ensured between the cylindrical holding member 61 and the cylindrical seal member 80. In this case, the cylindrical holding member 61 holds the cylindrical seal member 80 and the biasing spring 90.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the housing H is configured to be formed by the housing body 10 and the housing cover 20, but this is not limited to this, and housings of other shapes or configurations may also be used. In the above embodiment, the fluid inlet (opening 70a) and outlet (opening 17c) are arranged in the housing H so as to open in a radial direction perpendicular to the axis S, but this is not limited to this, and the present invention may also be adopted in a configuration in which the fluid inlet or outlet is provided at the end of the housing in the direction of the axis S. The present invention may also be employed in a configuration in which the fluid inlet (opening 70a) is used as the fluid outlet, and the fluid outlet (opening 17c) is used as the fluid inlet.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the valve 30 is shown in which the outer wall 33 of the valve includes three spherical outer surfaces (first outer surface 33a, second outer surface 33b, and third outer surface 33c), but this is not limited to this, and a valve having one outer surface, two or four or more outer surfaces as the outer wall, or a valve having a cylindrical outer surface may also be used.

[0072] As described above, the rotary valve device of the present invention allows the passage members to be easily molded using a mold or the like, simplifies assembly work, and allows the seal module consisting of multiple members to be assembled with high precision. Therefore, it is not only applicable to cooling water control systems for vehicles, etc., but is also useful in fluid control systems that control the flow of other fluids. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] S axis H Housing 10 Housing body (housing) 11 Containment Room (Interior Space) 11a opening 12a,13a,14a,15a fitting hole 14b1 joint surface L1 Center line of fitting hole 16 through holes L2 Center line of through hole 17 Flange 17b Annular joint 17c Opening (outlet) 19 Recessed storage area 20 Housing cover (housing) 30 valves 32 Internal passage (passage opening into the outer wall) 33 Outer wall 33a First outer surface 33b Second outer surface 33c 3rd outer surface 33a1, 33b1, 33c1 Openings (passages opening into the outer wall) 60 Passageway components 61 Cylindrical holding member 61e Inner surface 61g Regulation Department 61h Cylindrical fitting part (part of cylindrical holding member) 62 Connector parts Mp main passage 62a Flange base 62a2 Upstream passage (part of the main passage) 62a3 Annular fitting recess 62a4 Detour Passage 62a6 wall 62b Pipe section L3 center line 62b1 Downstream Passage (Part of the Main Passage) 70 Connector parts 70a Opening (inlet) 80 Cylindrical sealing member 90 bias spring 100 Annular seal member 110 Thermostat 114 Thermal sensor 120 drive unit

Claims

1. a cylindrical valve that rotates about a predetermined axis and has a passage that opens to an outer peripheral wall; a housing that rotatably accommodates the valve, the housing having a fitting hole facing the outer peripheral wall, a through hole adjacent to the fitting hole, and joint surfaces located at ends of the fitting hole and the through hole; a thermostat partially housed in the through hole; a cylindrical seal member abutting the outer peripheral wall and defining a passage; a biasing spring that biases the cylindrical seal member toward the outer peripheral wall; a passage member assembled to the housing so as to communicate with the passage of the cylindrical seal member; the passage member includes a cylindrical holding member that is fitted into the fitting hole and that holds the cylindrical seal member and the biasing spring, and a connector member that defines a main passage that communicates with the passage of the cylindrical seal member and is joined to the joining surface to be connected to the outside, the connector member includes: an annular fitting recess into which a portion of the main passage and a portion of the cylindrical holding member are fitted; a flange base portion that is separated from the fitting recess by a wall portion and partially accommodates the thermostat, defines a detour passage that bypasses the cylindrical sealing member and communicates with the through hole, and is joined to the joining surface; and a pipe portion that protrudes from the flange base and defines a portion of the main passage with which the detour passage communicates, the pipe portion is formed so as to extend in a direction inclined with respect to a center line direction of the fitting hole and the through hole, The center line of the bypass passage is disposed around the center line of the fitting recess at a position deviated from the center line of the pipe portion. A rotary valve device characterized by:

2. The cylindrical holding member and the connector member are molded using the same material by a mold.

2. The rotary valve device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. the cylindrical holding member holds an annular seal member that seals between its inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical seal member; 3. The rotary valve device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the cylindrical holding member has a restricting portion therein that restricts the cylindrical sealing member from falling off when the biasing spring, the annular sealing member, and the cylindrical sealing member are assembled together; 4. The rotary valve device according to claim 3, wherein:

5. The housing has an inlet through which a fluid always flows in and an outlet through which a fluid always flows out, The through-hole is formed at a position facing a passage area that linearly connects the inlet and the outlet so as to expose a heat-sensing portion of the thermostat to a constantly flowing fluid.

5. The rotary valve device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary valve device is a valve body.

6. The housing is formed in a cylindrical shape that is long in the axial direction, The inlet and the outlet are arranged in the housing so as to open in a radial direction perpendicular to the axis.

6. The rotary valve device according to claim 5, wherein:

7. The housing includes a housing body that defines an interior space that is elongated in the axial direction and has an opening at one end, and a housing cover that is joined to the housing body to close the opening.

7. The rotary valve device according to claim 6, wherein:

8. The housing body has an accommodating recess that accommodates a drive unit that drives the valve, on the opposite side of the opening in the axial direction.

8. The rotary valve device according to claim 7, wherein:

9. The housing body has a flange portion attached to a wall portion of an object to be used, and an annular joint portion defining the outlet in an inner region of the flange portion.

9. The rotary valve device according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The outer circumferential wall of the valve has an outer circumferential surface that forms a plurality of spherical surfaces that are continuous in the axial direction, The cylindrical seal member is disposed opposite to at least one of the outer peripheral surfaces.

10. The rotary valve device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary valve device is a valve body.

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