Valve device

Abstract

To provide a valve gear which adopts a valve body made of a resin material and flange part deformation inhibition means to achieve reduction of the weight and improvement of pressure resistance.SOLUTION: A valve gear 100a housed in a housing H includes: a valve body 20 made of a resin material; a seal metal fitting 10 which has an annular flange part 12 and in which the inner peripheral side of the flange part 12 is insert-molded in the valve body 20; a case 71 defining a housing space 3; and flange part deformation inhibition means which inhibits deformation of the flange part 12. A seal member O1 provided at a seal member housing groove Gs of the housing H is sandwiched between the flange part 12 and the seal member housing groove Gs to seal the housing space 3 and thereby separate the housing space 3 from an external environment. The flange part deformation inhibition means fixes the case 71 to a portion on the other end surface of the flange part 12, which is located adjacent to an inner peripheral edge of the seal member O1 when viewed from an axis L direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve device including a valve body made of a resin material and a flange portion deformation suppressing means.

Background Art

[0002] In a valve device, when fixing to a housing or the like, there is a type that is flange-coupled so as to sandwich a seal member.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 10, there is described a valve device 1000 (hereinafter referred to as a "conventional valve device") including a guide body 1020 made of a metal material, a plunger 1040 movable within the guide body 1020, a valve body portion 1050 fixed to the tip of the plunger 1040, and a drive unit 1070 that drives the plunger 1040 in the axial direction. Further, the valve device 1000 in Patent Document 1 is described as further including a shaft seal member O10 housed in a seal frame portion 1014 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the lower end of the guide body 1020 and a flange portion 1012 made of a metal material fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the guide body 1020. In order to attach this valve device 1000 to a valve housing unit H10 in a sealed state, the flange portion 1012 is flange-coupled to a valve seat member 1030 via a fastening screw 1012f while sandwiching the shaft seal member O10 in the radial direction.

[0004] Here, the valve device is installed, for example, in an engine room or a motor room of an automobile, which is not an environment exposed to moisture, and in order to achieve weight reduction and enhance versatility from the viewpoint of improving fuel efficiency, an improvement in pressure resistance (being able to withstand use conditions of relatively high pressure, for example, about 3 MPa) has been desired.

[0005] Therefore, in a conventional valve device, in order to reduce the number of parts and lighten the guide body 1020, it is conceivable to replace the metal material of the guide body 1020 with a resin material, and then insert mold the metal flange portion 1012 and seal frame portion 1014 into this resin guide body 1020.

[0006] However, in conventional valve devices that employ resin materials for weight reduction, when relatively high-pressure fluids are introduced, the joint strength between the guide body 1020 and the insert-molded flange portion 1012 and seal frame portion 1014 is not robust. As a result, the seal frame portion 1014 shifts upward together with the shaft seal member O10, causing the inner circumference of the flange portion 1012 to curl up. Consequently, leakage to the external environment occurs through the shaft seal member O10, potentially reducing sealing performance (hereinafter referred to as "conventional problem (deformation of the inner circumference of the flange portion curling up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluids)"). Consequently, conventional valve devices have not been able to adequately meet the demands for weight reduction and improved pressure resistance. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-169795 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a valve device that can achieve weight reduction and improved pressure resistance by employing a valve body made of resin material and a means for suppressing deformation of the flange portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the valve device housed in the housing comprises a valve body made of resin material, a seal fitting having an annular flange portion, the inner circumference of the flange portion being insert-molded into the valve body, a case defining the housing space, and a flange portion deformation suppression means for suppressing deformation of the flange portion. The housing space is sealed from the external environment by a seal member provided in the seal member housing groove of the housing being sandwiched between the flange portion and the seal member housing groove, and the flange portion deformation suppression means fixes the case to the other end face of the flange portion adjacent to the inner circumference of the seal member when viewed from the axial direction.

[0010] Furthermore, in the valve device described above, the flange deformation suppression means may be provided with at least one pressure equalization hole in the flange portion located on the inner circumference side of the case when viewed from the axial direction.

[0011] Furthermore, in the valve device described above, the flange deformation suppression means may be provided with a circumferentially shaped step on the flange adjacent to the inner circumference side of the sealing member, so that the inner circumference side of the flange is offset to the other end side from the outer circumference side, with the step as the boundary.

[0012] Furthermore, in the valve device described above, the flange deformation suppression means may have a cylindrical portion that extends continuously from the inner circumference side of the flange toward one end in the axial direction.

[0013] Furthermore, in the valve device described above, the flange deformation suppression means may be one in which a valve seat member is fixed to one end of the cylindrical portion.

[0014] Furthermore, in the valve device described above, the flange deformation suppression means may be provided with at least one through hole in the area of ​​the cylindrical portion embedded in the valve body.

[0015] Further, in the valve device, the flange portion deformation suppressing means may have a fixing plate that sandwiches the flange portion between it and the housing, and the fixing plate and the seal member may overlap when viewed in the axial direction.

[0016] Further, in the valve device, the fixing plate may be provided with a bracket fixing mechanism for a coil.

[0017] Further, in the valve device, the resin material may be PPS to which glass fiber or carbon fiber is added as a reinforcing agent.

Effects of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, by adopting a valve body made of a resin material and a flange portion deformation suppressing means, it is possible to provide a valve device capable of achieving weight reduction and improvement in pressure resistance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It represents a cross-sectional view showing a valve device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It represents a cross-sectional view showing a state where the valve device shown in FIG. 1 is attached to a housing. [Figure 3] It represents an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line III-III corresponding to the upper surface of the flange portion shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It represents a front view of the valve device in the attached state shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It represents a cross-sectional view showing a valve device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory view of a fixing plate used in the valve device of FIG. 5, where (a) represents a top view and (b) represents a front view, respectively. [Figure 7] It represents a cross-sectional view showing a state where the valve device shown in FIG. 5 is attached to a housing. [Figure 8] It represents an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII corresponding to the upper surface of the housing and the upper surface of the flange portion shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It represents a front view of the valve device in the mounted state shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] It represents a cross-sectional view showing the valve device and the valve housing unit before mounting according to the prior art.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. However, the present invention is not limited to the aspects of this embodiment. Hereinafter, the valve device will be described. The valve body made of a resin material of the valve device of the present invention and the flange portion deformation suppressing means can be applied to an electric valve, a mechanical expansion valve, a mechanical pressure regulating valve, a manual on-off valve, and a solenoid valve.

[0021] <Regarding Terms> In the descriptions of this specification and the claims, "left", "right", "up", and "down" indicate the directions shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, FIGS. 4 to 5, FIG. 6(b), FIG. 7, and FIG. 9. In the descriptions of this specification and the claims, "one end" and "the other end" indicate "the lower end" and "the upper end" in the drawings. In the descriptions of this specification and the claims, "flange portion deformation suppressing means" indicates "means for suppressing deformation of the flange portion". Also, in the descriptions of this specification and the claims, "guide body" indicates one having a guide portion for guiding a member (for example, a drive shaft or a valve body portion) that moves in the axial direction. Furthermore, in the descriptions of this specification and the claims, "valve body" indicates one that constitutes at least a part of the outer shell of the valve device and includes the guide body.

[0022] (First Embodiment) <Regarding the Configuration of the Valve Device> A valve device 100a according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figure 1. The valve device 100a mainly consists of a seal fitting 10, a guide body 20 (valve body), a valve seat member 30, a drive shaft 40, a valve body 50, a coil member 60, and a stepping motor 70. The respective components of the valve device 100a and the housing H (see Figure 2) to which the valve device 100a is mounted will be described in order below. Hereinafter, although the details will be described later, the valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs a guide body 20 made of resin material and a flange deformation suppression means, thereby eliminating the conventional problems (deformation where the inner circumference of the flange curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid), suppressing leakage to the external environment, and as a result, weight reduction and improved pressure resistance can be achieved.

[0023] The sealing fitting 10 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and comprises a cylindrical portion 11 that extends in the axial direction L and has a cylindrical shape, and a flange portion 12 that is continuously formed on the cylindrical portion 11. An opening 12a defining a lateral port 1b is formed in the side wall of the cylindrical portion 11. As shown in Figure 3, the flange portion 12 has a shape in which approximately three annular shapes are connected in parallel in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the axial direction L, and a pair of mounting holes 12b are provided in the center of the annular shapes at both ends. A pair of fastening screws 12f are inserted into this pair of mounting holes 12b via fastening washers 12g. Here, the pair of fastening screws 12f are inserted into the fastening washers 12g and the pair of mounting holes 12b before the stator coil 73 is fixedly arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the case 71.

[0024] As will be described in detail later, as shown in Figure 2, the operation to attach the valve device 100a to the housing H involves screwing the pair of fastening screws 12f into the pair of screw holes Sh formed on the upper surface H1 of the housing H, while moving the flange portion 12 toward one end in the axial direction L until the outer circumference of one end of the flange portion 12 contacts the upper surface H1 of the housing H. As a result, the flange seal member O1 is sandwiched between the seal member housing groove Gs and the outer circumference of one end of the flange portion 12, sealing the axial gap L between the valve device 100a and the housing H.

[0025] The guide body 20 has a roughly cylindrical shape and is made of a resin material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and the sealing fitting 10 is integrally insert-molded into one end of the guide body 20.

[0026] Furthermore, the guide body 20 in the first embodiment may be made of PPS to which glass fibers or carbon fibers have been added as a reinforcing agent. This PPS with added reinforcing agent has very high tensile strength (for example, 150 MPa). In addition, the guide body 20 in the first embodiment may be made of PPS to which polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has been added. Since this PPS with added PTFE has good sliding properties, the durability of the guide body 20 can be improved.

[0027] The guide body 20 is positioned so that its axis aligns with axis L. At the center of the guide body 20, a screw hole 23, a bearing hole 24, and a slide hole 25 are formed concentrically, passing through the guide body 20 in the direction of axis L. A female threaded portion 23a is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the screw hole 23, into which the male threaded portion 41a of the drive shaft 40 (described later) is screwed. The guide portion 42 of the drive shaft 40 (described later) is slidably engaged with the inner circumferential surface of the bearing hole 24. The slide hole 25 is located at one end and is formed to be larger in diameter than the bearing hole 24. The valve body portion 50 (described later) is slidably engaged with the slide hole 25.

[0028] A guide rail 26, consisting of spiral projections, is integrally formed on the outer circumferential surface of the guide body 20. The guide rails 26 are arranged with adjacent winding portions spaced apart. The guide rails 26 are positioned so that their axes coincide with the axis L, and the coil portion 61 of the coil member 60 (described later) is screwed onto them, guiding each winding portion of the coil portion 61 from one or both sides so that the coil member 60 can rotate in the circumferential direction.

[0029] The valve seat member 30 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel and comprises a boss portion 31, an annular groove 32 in which the shaft seal member O2 is housed, and an outer peripheral surface 33 provided between the boss portion 31 and the annular groove 32. A valve port 1a is opened in the center of the valve seat member 30. The boss portion 31 is formed to have a smaller outer diameter than the outer peripheral surface 33, and after being fitted into the cylindrical portion 11 of the seal fitting 10, the valve seat member 30 is joined to the seal fitting 10 via a welded portion W2 formed by arc welding or the like. This defines a valve chamber 2 inside the cylindrical portion 11.

[0030] The drive shaft 40 is formed in the shape of a cylindrical rod using a metal such as stainless steel as the material. The drive shaft 40 has a threaded portion 41, a guide portion 42, and a flange portion 43 positioned at one end of the guide portion 42, all aligned in the direction of the axis L. The threaded portion 41 has a male threaded portion 41a, and when this male threaded portion 41a is screwed into the female threaded portion 23a of the guide body 20, the rotational motion of the drive shaft 40 is converted into linear motion. The guide portion 42 is slidably engaged with the inner circumferential surface of the bearing hole 24, thereby guiding the movement of the drive shaft 40 in the direction of the axis L. The drive shaft 40 is moved in the direction of the axis L by a screw-feeding action caused by rotation. The flange portion 43 rotatably engages with the valve body portion 50, which will be described later. In the first embodiment, the female threaded portion 23a and the male threaded portion 41a are right-hand threads.

[0031] The valve body 50 comprises a valve holder 51, a valve body 52, a washer 53, a spring retainer 54, and a compression coil spring 55.

[0032] The valve holder 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the slide hole 25 of the guide body 20. The valve holder 51 is slidably engaged along the slide hole 25 in the axial direction L.

[0033] The valve body 52 has a frustoconical shape at one end, and is fixed to one end 51a of the valve holder 51 such that the tip of this frustoconical shape faces the valve port 1a. The valve body 52 adjusts the flow rate by adjusting the opening between the valve seat of the valve port 1a and the valve body, ranging from the maximum opening of the valve to the minimum opening of the valve (or a fully closed state).

[0034] The flange 43 of the drive shaft 40 is rotatably hooked onto the other end 51b of the valve holder 51. Specifically, a washer 53 is sandwiched between the flange 43 of the drive shaft 40 and the other end 51b of the valve holder 51, and this flange 43 rotatably hooks the other end 51b of the valve holder 51 onto the drive shaft 40. This engagement allows the valve holder 51 to be supported by the drive shaft 40 so as to be movable in the direction of axis L and rotatable about axis L. An opening larger than the radial range of motion of the drive shaft 40 is formed at the other end 51b of the valve holder 51. A spring retainer 54 is also provided inside the valve holder 51 so as to be movable in the direction of axis L. A compression coil spring 55 is mounted between this spring retainer 54 and the valve body 52 in a compressed state with a predetermined load applied. As a result, the spring retainer 54 is pressed against the other end and comes into contact with the washer 53 and one end of the drive shaft 40.

[0035] The coil member 60 integrally comprises a coil spring-shaped coil portion 61 and a claw portion 62 that protrudes radially outward from one end of the coil portion 61. The coil portion 61 is screwed onto the guide rail 26 of the guide body 20 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction. This coil member 60 can be easily manufactured by shaping a metal wire such as stainless steel.

[0036] The stepping motor 70 comprises a case 71, a magnet rotor 72, and a stator coil 73.

[0037] The case 71 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel and has a roughly bottomed cylindrical shape with its upper end closed. The housing space 3 is defined by the fact that the open end of one end of the case 71 is airtightly joined to the inner circumference of the flange portion 12 of the sealing fitting 10 via a welded portion W1 formed by arc welding or the like.

[0038] The magnet rotor 72 integrally comprises a cylindrical magnet portion 74 with a multi-pole magnetized outer circumference, a disc portion 75 that closes the other end, and a ridge 77. The magnet rotor 72 is fixed to the drive shaft 40 via a fitting 76 that is insert-molded into the center of the disc portion 75. As a result, the magnet rotor 72 is rotatably mounted within the case 71 around the axis L of the drive shaft 40. Here, the ridge 77 of the magnet rotor 72 can contact the claw portion 62 of the coil member 60. Therefore, the rotation of the magnet rotor 72 pushes the coil member 60 in the circumferential direction via the claw portion 62. As a result, the coil member 60 abuts against an upper limit stopper (not shown) or a lower limit stopper (not shown), restricting the rotation of the coil member 60 and also restricting the rotation of the magnet rotor 72. Thus, the valve body portion 50 is prevented from moving beyond the position of maximum opening or minimum opening (or valve closed state).

[0039] The stator coil 73 is fixedly mounted on the outer surface of the case 71, and when a pulse signal is applied to the stator coil 73, the magnet rotor 72 rotates according to the number of pulses.

[0040] When the magnet rotor 72 rotates, the drive shaft 40 rotates together with the magnet rotor 72, and the screw-feeding action of the male threaded portion 41a and the female threaded portion 23a causes the drive shaft 40 to move in the direction of the axis L, causing the valve body 50 to move forward and backward relative to the valve port 1a. This changes the opening degree of the valve port 1a with respect to the valve seat, and controls the flow rate of the fluid flowing from the valve port 1a to the lateral port 1b (or from the lateral port 1b to the valve port 1a).

[0041] The shape of the housing H will be explained using Figures 2 and 3. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the III-III cross-section corresponding to the upper surface of the flange portion 12 shown in Figure 2 (the plane where the inner circumference of the flange portion 12 is offset from the outer circumference towards the other end, with the stepped portion 12s1 at the other end as the boundary). For the sake of explanation, the valve body portion 50 is not shown, and the seal member housing groove Gs, flange seal member O1, C-shaped guide body 20 (the guide body 20 located on the outer circumference side of the cylindrical portion 11 in Figure 3), and first housing groove G1, which are not originally shown as cross-sections, are shown using dashed lines as if in a transparency view.

[0042] The housing H is made of a metal material such as aluminum, and as shown in Figure 2, an insertion hole is formed therein, having a plurality of annular stepped portions that sequentially decrease in diameter from one end to the other along the axis L direction. A first housing groove G1 and a second housing groove G2 are formed in these plurality of annular stepped portions, in order. Here, a first flow path Fp1 communicating to the side (the front side of the paper in Figure 2) is formed in the second housing groove G2, and a second flow path (not shown) communicating to the side (the back side of the paper in Figure 2) is formed in the first housing groove G1. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, a seal member housing groove Gs for housing a flange seal member O1 (seal member) is formed on the upper surface H1 of the housing H on the outer circumference side of the first housing groove G1. In addition, a pair of screw holes Sh are formed on the upper surface H1 of the housing H at symmetrical positions on either side of the first housing groove G1.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the shape of the housing H was described as shown in Figures 2 and 3, but this is merely an example, and any shape is acceptable as long as the housing H has an insertion hole and an outer shape that allows the valve device 100a to be inserted into this insertion hole.

[0044] <Regarding the installation and operation of valve devices> The installation operation of the valve device 100a to the housing H will be explained using Figures 2 and 4. First, as shown in Figure 2, the valve device 100a is inserted through the first housing groove G1 along the axial direction L of the housing H. Then, while screwing the pair of fastening screws 12f into the pair of screw holes Sh, it is moved toward one end in the axial direction L until the outer circumference of one end of the flange portion 12 contacts the upper surface H1 of the housing H. At this time, the axial seal member O2 is sandwiched between the second housing groove G2 and the annular groove 32 of the valve seat member 30, sealing the space between the first housing groove G1 and the second housing groove G2, and the flange seal member O1 is sandwiched between the seal member housing groove Gs and the outer circumference of one end of the flange portion 12, so that the axial gap between the valve device 100a and the housing H in the axial direction L is set to a specified value, and the space between the first housing groove G1 and the external environment is sealed.

[0045] Next, as shown in Figure 4, the stator coil 73 is fixed to the housing H by screwing fastening screws 73b into mounting holes (not shown) in the coil bracket 73a made of metal material and screw holes (not shown) formed in the side wall of the housing H. In this installed state of the valve device 100a, the valve port 1a defined by the valve seat member 30 communicates with the first piping Pl1 via the first flow path Fp1 and a seal joint Pf fixed to the housing H by fastening bolts Fb, while the lateral port 1b defined by the opening 12a of the cylindrical portion 11 communicates with the second piping (not shown) via the second flow path.

[0046] <Regarding the means for suppressing flange deformation> As mentioned above, in the conventional valve device shown in Figure 10, when a resin material is used instead of a metal material for the guide body 1020, it has the conventional problems (deformation where the inner circumference of the flange curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid), which may cause leakage to the external environment through the shaft seal member O10 and reduce sealing performance.

[0047] In contrast, the valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs a flange deformation suppression means to suppress deformation of the flange portion 12 in addition to the guide body 20 made of resin material, thereby resolving the conventional problems (deformation where the inner circumference of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid), suppressing leakage to the external environment, and as a result, achieving weight reduction and improved pressure resistance. Here, the flange deformation suppression means in the first embodiment consists of flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalization hole), flange deformation suppression means (3) (stepped portion), flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing), and flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole), and will be described in order below.

[0048] <Flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing)> The flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), as shown in Figure 3, fixes the case 71 to the other end face of the flange portion 12 (i.e., the deformation region that curls up due to high pressure in conventional valve devices) adjacent to the inner periphery of the flange seal member O1 when viewed from the axial direction L, via an annular welded portion W1. Here, the flange portion 12 has a stepped portion 12s1 on the other end, and the outer diameter of this stepped portion 12s1 is set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of one end of the case 71. As a result, the case 71 is positioned on the flange portion 12 via this stepped portion 12s1 and then fixed.

[0049] In the first embodiment, by employing flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), the flange portion 12 to which the case 71 is fixed becomes structurally rigid, and the pressure resistance strength on the inner circumference side of the flange portion 12 is improved, thereby eliminating the conventional problem (deformation where the inner circumference side of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the pressing force from the pair of fastening screws 12f acts reliably not only on the area adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f of the flange seal member O1, but also along the fixing portion with the structurally rigid case 71, to the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1, thereby suppressing leakage to the external environment, and as a result, weight reduction and improved pressure resistance can be achieved.

[0050] <Flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalization hole)> The flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalization hole) is provided with at least one pressure equalization hole 12d in the flange portion 12 located on the inner circumference side of the case 71 when viewed from the direction of the axis L, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0051] In the first embodiment, by employing flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalization hole), the spaces on one end and the other end of the flange portion 12 (accommodation space 3 and first accommodation groove G1) are pressure equalized, and differential pressure on the flange portion 12 is suppressed. This eliminates the conventional problem (deformation where the inner circumference of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid), suppresses leakage to the external environment, and as a result, weight reduction and pressure resistance can be improved.

[0052] <Flange deformation suppression means (3) (step portion)> As shown in Figure 2, the flange deformation suppression means (3) (step portion) is provided with a circumferentially shaped step portion 12s consisting of a step portion 12s1 at the other end and a step portion 12s2 at the one end of the flange portion 12, adjacent to the inner circumference side of the flange seal member O1. The flange portion 12 is offset from the outer circumference side by the step portion 12s, with the inner circumference side of the flange portion 12 being offset to the other end. This step portion 12s can be formed, for example, by press working on the flange portion 12.

[0053] In the first embodiment, by employing the flange deformation suppression means (3) (step portion), the rigidity of the step portion 12s of the flange portion 12 becomes relatively high due to work hardening caused by plastic deformation, and the pressure resistance strength on the inner circumference side of the flange portion 12 is improved, thereby eliminating the conventional problems (deformation in which the inner circumference side of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the pressing force from the pair of fastening screws 12f acts reliably not only on the region adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f of the flange seal member O1, but also along the structurally rigid step portion 12s to the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1, thereby suppressing leakage to the external environment, and as a result, weight reduction and improved pressure resistance can be achieved.

[0054] <Flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical section)> As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion) has a cylindrical portion 11 that extends continuously from the inner circumference side of the flange portion 12 toward one end in the axial direction L.

[0055] In the first embodiment, by employing the flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), the flange portion 12, in which the cylindrical portion 11 is continuously formed, has relatively high structural rigidity, and the pressure resistance strength on the inner circumference side of the flange portion 12 is improved, thereby eliminating the conventional problems (deformation in which the inner circumference side of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the pressing force from the pair of fastening screws 12f acts reliably not only on the region adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f of the flange seal member O1, but also along the structurally rigid cylindrical portion 11 to the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1, thereby suppressing leakage to the external environment, and as a result, weight reduction and improved pressure resistance can be achieved. In addition, the radial pressure resistance of the guide body 20 in which the cylindrical portion 11 is insert-molded can also be improved.

[0056] <Flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing)> The flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing) is, as shown in Figure 2, a valve seat member 30 is fixed to one end of the cylindrical portion 11 via a welded portion W2. Here, a boss portion 31 is formed on the other end of the valve seat member 30, and the outer diameter of this boss portion 31 is set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of one end of the cylindrical portion 11. As a result, the valve seat member 30 is positioned on the cylindrical portion 11 via this boss portion 31 and then fixed.

[0057] In the first embodiment, by employing flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing), the cylindrical portion 11 to which the valve seat member 30 is fixed becomes structurally relatively rigid. Therefore, the flange portion 12 to which this cylindrical portion 11 is continuously formed also becomes structurally rigid, and the pressure resistance strength on the inner circumference side of the flange portion 12 is improved, thus eliminating the conventional problem (deformation in which the inner circumference side of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the pressing force from the pair of fastening screws 12f acts reliably not only on the region adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f of the flange seal member O1, but also along the structurally rigid cylindrical portion 11 to the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1, thus suppressing leakage to the external environment, and as a result, weight reduction and improved pressure resistance can be achieved. In addition, by fixing the valve seat member 30 to one end of the cylindrical portion 11, the radial pressure resistance of the guide body 20 can be further improved. Furthermore, by making the valve seat member 30 a separate component from the sealing fitting 10, the formation of the valve port 1a on the sealing fitting 10 becomes unnecessary, simplifying the processing of the sealing fitting 10. In addition, the thickness of the valve seat of the valve port 1a can be increased, resulting in stable valve leakage performance.

[0058] <Flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole)> As shown in Figure 2, the flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) is provided with at least one through hole 12e in the embedded region of the cylindrical portion 11 in the guide body 20. Here, when the sealing fitting 10 is insert-molded into the guide body 20, the resin material solidifies while filling at least one through hole 12e.

[0059] In the first embodiment, by employing flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole), the flange portion 12, whose bonding strength with the guide body 20 is increased through the through hole 12e of the cylindrical portion 11, has relatively high structural rigidity, and the pressure resistance strength on the inner circumference side of the flange portion 12 is improved, thus eliminating the conventional problem (deformation where the inner circumference side of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the pressing force from the pair of fastening screws 12f acts reliably not only on the region adjacent to the pair of fastening screws 12f of the flange seal member O1, but also along the structurally rigid cylindrical portion 11 to the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1, thus suppressing leakage to the external environment, and as a result, weight reduction and improved pressure resistance can be achieved.

[0060] As described above, the valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs, in addition to the guide body 20 made of resin material, flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalization hole), flange deformation suppression means (3) (stepped portion), flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing), and flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) to suppress deformation of the flange portion 12. This eliminates the problems of the past (deformation where the inner circumference of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid), suppresses leakage to the external environment, and as a result, enables weight reduction and improved pressure resistance.

[0061] The valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs a guide body 20 made of resin material and all of the flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing) to flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole), but is not limited to this, and may employ, for example, a guide body 20 made of resin material and at least one of the flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing) to flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) (for example, flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing)).

[0062] (Second embodiment) The valve device 100b according to the second embodiment will be described using Figure 5. The valve device 100b according to the second embodiment differs from the valve device 100a of the first embodiment mainly in the outer shape of the flange portion 12B of the seal fitting 10B and the adoption of the fixing plate 13, but the other basic configurations are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment. Here, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. In the second embodiment, the case 71B and the coil bracket 73Ba of the stator coil 73B (see Figure 9) differ slightly in length in the axial direction L from the case 71 and the coil bracket 73a of the stator coil 73 in the first embodiment, but the configurations are the same, so the explanation is omitted.

[0063] The valve device 100b according to the second embodiment mainly consists of a seal fitting 10B, a fixing plate 13, a guide body 20 (valve body), a valve seat member 30, a drive shaft 40, a valve body 50, a coil member 60, and a stepping motor 70B. Below, the seal fitting 10B, the fixing plate 13, and the housing HB (see Figure 7) to which the valve device 100b is attached will be described in order, as they differ in configuration from those of the first embodiment.

[0064] <About sealing fasteners> The sealing fitting 10B is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and comprises a cylindrical portion 11 that extends in the axial direction L and has a cylindrical shape, and a flange portion 12B that is continuously formed on the cylindrical portion 11. An opening 12a defining the lateral port 1b is formed in the side wall of the cylindrical portion 11. The flange portion 12B has a single annular shape when viewed from the axial direction L, as shown in Figure 8.

[0065] <About the fixing plate> The fixing plate 13 is made of a metal material such as aluminum, stainless steel, or plated steel sheet, or a resin material, and as shown in Figure 6(a), it has a rounded, roughly rhombic shape when viewed from the direction of the axis L. The fixing plate 13 is provided with an insertion hole 13a provided in the center of the axis L, and a pair of mounting holes 13b provided on both ends in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the screw holes 13c for the coil bracket (bracket fixing mechanism) in the second embodiment are formed on the side wall of the fixing plate 13 instead of the side wall of the housing H in the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(b). Here, as shown in Figure 5, the case 71B is inserted into the insertion hole 13a of the fixing plate 13 before the stator coil 73B is fixedly arranged on the outer surface of the case 71B. Also, a pair of fastening screws 12f are inserted into the pair of mounting holes 13b via fastening washers 12g.

[0066] The housing HB is made of a metal material such as aluminum. The shape of the housing HB will be explained using Figures 7 and 8. Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of section VIII-VIII corresponding to the upper surface H1 of the housing HB and the upper surface of the flange portion 12B shown in Figure 7 (a plane where the inner circumference of the flange portion 12B is offset from the outer circumference towards the other end, with the stepped portion 12s1 at the other end as the boundary). For the sake of explanation, the valve body portion 50 is not shown, and the fixing plate 13, the seal member housing groove Gs, the flange seal member O1, the C-shaped guide body 20 (the guide body 20 located on the outer circumference side of the cylindrical portion 11 in Figure 8), and the first housing groove G1, which are not originally shown as cross-sectional views, are shown using dashed lines as if they were transparent views.

[0067] As shown in Figure 7, the housing HB has an insertion hole with multiple annular stepped sections that sequentially decrease in diameter from one end to the other along the axis L. These multiple annular stepped sections have, in order, a flange portion accommodating groove Gf, a first accommodating groove G1, and a second accommodating groove G2. Here, the second accommodating groove G2 has a first flow path Fp1 that communicates to the side (the front side of the paper in Figure 7), and the first accommodating groove G1 has a second flow path (not shown) that communicates to the side (the back side of the paper in Figure 7). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, a seal member accommodating groove Gs for accommodating a flange seal member O1 (seal member) is formed in the annular stepped section between the flange portion accommodating groove Gf and the first accommodating groove G1 on the upper surface H1 of the housing HB. In addition, a pair of screw holes Sh are formed on the upper surface H1 of the housing HB at symmetrical positions on either side of the first accommodating groove G1.

[0068] In the second embodiment, the shape of the housing HB as shown in Figures 7 and 8 was described, but this is merely an example, and any shape is acceptable as long as the housing HB has an insertion hole and an outer shape through which the valve device 100b can be inserted.

[0069] <Regarding the installation and operation of valve devices> The installation operation of the valve device 100b to the housing HB will be explained using Figures 7 and 9. First, as shown in Figure 7, the valve device 100b is inserted through the first housing groove G1 along the axial direction L of the housing HB. Then, while screwing the pair of fastening screws 12f into the pair of screw holes Sh via the fastening washer 12g and the pair of mounting holes 13b, the flange portion 12B is moved toward the one end in the axial direction L until the outer circumference of one end is housed in the flange portion housing groove Gf and contacts the upper surface H1 of the housing HB. In this case, the shaft seal member O2 is sandwiched between the second housing groove G2 and the annular groove 32 of the valve seat member 30, sealing the space between the first housing groove G1 and the second housing groove G2. Additionally, the flange seal member O1 is sandwiched between the seal member housing groove Gs and the outer circumference of one end of the flange portion 12B, setting the axial L-direction gap between the valve device 100b and the housing HB to a specified value, and sealing the space between the first housing groove G1 and the external environment.

[0070] Next, as shown in Figure 9, the stator coil 73B is fixed to the housing HB by screwing fastening screws 73Bb into the mounting holes (not shown) of the coil bracket 73Ba, which is made of metal, and into the screw holes 13c (see Figure 6(b)) formed in the side wall of the fixing plate 13 for the coil bracket. This ensures that the stator coil 73B is securely fixed to the housing HB via the fixing plate 13. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide screw holes, which are the bracket fixing mechanism, in the housing HB, the design flexibility of the housing HB is increased. In this installed state of the valve device 100b, the valve port 1a defined by the valve seat member 30 communicates with the first piping Pl1 via the first flow path Fp1 and the seal joint Pf fixed to the housing HB by fastening bolts Fb, while the lateral port 1b defined by the opening 12a of the cylindrical portion 11 communicates with the second piping (not shown) via the second flow path.

[0071] <Regarding concerns (managing the pressing force on flange sealing members)> The valve device 100a of the first embodiment employs a flange deformation suppression means to suppress deformation of the flange portion 12, in addition to the guide body 20 made of resin material. For example, in the valve device 100a of the first embodiment, if any of the flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), flange deformation suppression means (3) (stepped portion), or flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion) is adopted, as shown in Figure 3, the radial and circumferential regions in which rigidity is increased in the flange portion 12 differ slightly due to structural differences (fixing portion to case 71, stepped portion 12s, or cylindrical portion 11) and processing accuracy.

[0072] Here, the fastening force generated by the pair of fastening screws 12f acts on the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1 via each flange deformation suppression means. Therefore, depending on the combination of flange deformation suppression means used, there was some variation in the pressing force on the flange seal member O1 in both the radial and circumferential directions. For this reason, in the valve device 100a of the first embodiment, it was necessary to manage the combination of flange deformation suppression means used so that the sum of the different pressing forces on the flange seal member O1 was greater than or equal to a required value (hereinafter referred to as "concern (management of pressing force on the flange seal member)").

[0073] In contrast, the valve device 100b of the second embodiment employs a flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate) to suppress deformation of the flange portion 12, in addition to the guide body 20 made of resin material, thereby eliminating concerns (management of pressing force on the flange seal member) and reliably suppressing leakage to the external environment. In addition, the valve device 100b of the second embodiment also employs flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalization hole), flange deformation suppression means (3) (stepped portion), flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing), and flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) as flange deformation suppression means, but the explanation will be omitted as it will be redundant.

[0074] <Flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate)> First, the fixing plate 13 is a relatively thick plate material made of a high-rigidity material (for example, a metal material such as aluminum, stainless steel, plated steel sheet, or a resin material), and as shown in Figure 6(a), it has a rounded, roughly rhombic shape when viewed from the direction of the axis L, and is provided with an insertion hole 13a centered on the axis L and a pair of mounting holes 13b provided on both ends in the longitudinal direction. The case 71B is inserted into this insertion hole 13a. In addition, a pair of fastening screws 12f are inserted into the pair of mounting holes 13b via fastening washers 12g.

[0075] In the case where the fixing plate 13 in the second embodiment is made of a resin material, PPS or the like is used. Furthermore, by using PPS to which glass fibers or carbon fibers have been added as a reinforcing agent, the fixing plate 13 can have a very high tensile strength (for example, 150 MPa).

[0076] As shown in Figure 7, the flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate) has a fixing plate 13 that sandwiches the flange portion 12B between itself and the housing HB, and as shown in Figure 8, the fixing plate 13 and the flange seal member O1 overlap when viewed from the direction of the axis L. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the insertion hole 13a of the fixing plate 13 (dotted line in the figure) is arranged along the circumference between the inner peripheral edge of the flange seal member O1 and the outer peripheral edge of the case 71B.

[0077] Thus, in the second embodiment, by employing the flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate), the fastening force generated from the pair of fastening screws 12f reliably acts on the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1 via the fixing plate 13 made of a high-rigidity material. As a result, the pressing force on the flange seal member O1 can be made uniform and relatively large in the radial and circumferential directions compared to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, instead of managing different pressing forces on the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1 by the combination of flange deformation suppression means employed, as in the first embodiment, the flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate) is employed to centrally manage the pressing force on the entire circumference of the flange seal member O1 so that it is equal to or greater than the required value. This eliminates concerns (management of pressing force on the flange seal member) and further reliably suppresses leakage to the external environment.

[0078] As described above, the valve device 100b of the second embodiment, like the first embodiment, employs a flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing), flange deformation suppression means (2) (pressure equalization hole), flange deformation suppression means (3) (stepped portion), flange deformation suppression means (4) (cylindrical portion), flange deformation suppression means (5) (valve seat member fixing), and flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) to suppress deformation of the flange portion 12B, in addition to the guide body 20 made of resin material. This eliminates the conventional problems (deformation where the inner circumference of the flange portion curls up due to weight reduction and high-pressure fluid), suppresses leakage to the external environment, and as a result, enables weight reduction and improved pressure resistance. In addition, the valve device 100b of the second embodiment employs a flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate) to eliminate concerns (management of pressing force on the flange seal member) and further reliably suppresses leakage to the external environment.

[0079] The valve device 100b of the second embodiment employs a guide body 20 made of resin material and flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate), as well as all of the flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing) to flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole). However, it is not limited to this, and for example, in addition to the guide body 20 made of resin material and flange deformation suppression means (7) (fixing plate), it may employ at least one of the flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing) to flange deformation suppression means (6) (through hole) (for example, flange deformation suppression means (1) (case fixing)).

[0080] <Other> It goes without saying that the valve devices 100a to 100b of this embodiment are applicable to all fluid devices and fluid circuits, including refrigeration cycles. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be appropriately modified or altered without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 100a, 100b valve device 1a Valve port 1b Side port 2 valve chambers 3. Containment space 10,10B sealing hardware 11 Cylindrical section 12,12B Flange section 12a opening 12b Pair of mounting holes 12s stepped section 12s1 Other end stepped section 12s2 Stepped part on one end 12d pressure equalization hole 12e through hole 12f Pair of fastening screws 12g fastening washer 13 Fixed plate 13a Through hole 13b A pair of mounting holes 13c coil bracket screw holes (bracket fixing mechanism) 20 Guide body (valve body) 23 screw holes 23a Female thread section 24 bearing holes 25 slide holes 26 Guide rails 30 Valve seat member 31 Boss Section 32 Annular groove 33 Outer surface 40 Drive shaft 41 Threaded part 41a Male threaded portion 42 Guide section 43 Guard section 50 Valve body 51 Valve holder 51a One end 51b Other end 52 Valve body 53 Washer 54 Spring receiver 55 Compression coil spring 60 Coil components 61 Coil section 62 Nail part 70,70B Stepping Motor 71, 71B Case 72 Magnet Rotor 73,73B Stator Coil 73a, 73Ba coil bracket 73b, 73Bb fastening screws 74 Magnet section 75 Disc section 76 Metal fittings 77 Protrusion Fb fastening bolts Fp1 First channel G1 First storage trench G2 Second storage trench Gf flange housing groove Gs sealing member housing groove H,HB Housing H1 top L axis O1 Flange sealing member (sealing member) O2 shaft seal member Pf seal fittings Pl1 First Piping Sh Pair of screw holes W1 Weld W2 weld

Claims

1. A valve device housed in a housing, The valve body, which is made of a resin material and constitutes at least a part of the outer casing of the valve device, A sealing fitting having an annular flange portion, the inner circumference of the flange portion being insert-molded into the valve body, A housing space is defined for accommodating a component that moves axially within the interior, and the case is made of a metal material. A flange deformation suppression means for suppressing deformation of the flange portion, Equipped with, The sealing member provided in the sealing member housing groove of the housing is sandwiched between the flange portion and the sealing member housing groove, thereby sealing the housing space from the external environment. The flange deformation suppression means is characterized by directly and airtightly joining the case to the other end face of the flange portion adjacent to the inner peripheral edge of the sealing member when viewed from the axial direction.

2. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flange deformation suppression means is provided with at least one pressure equalization hole in the flange located on the inner circumference side of the case when viewed from the axial direction.

3. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flange deformation suppression means is provided with a circumferentially shaped step portion on the flange portion adjacent to the inner circumference side of the sealing member, and the inner circumference side of the flange portion is offset to the other end side from the outer circumference side with respect to the step portion.

4. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flange deformation suppression means has a cylindrical portion that extends continuously to one end in the axial direction on the inner circumference side of the flange portion.

5. The valve device according to claim 4, characterized in that the flange deformation suppression means fixes a valve seat member to one end of the cylindrical portion.

6. The valve device according to claim 4, characterized in that the flange deformation suppression means is provided with at least one through hole in the area of ​​the cylindrical portion embedded in the valve body.

7. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the flange deformation suppression means has a fixing plate between itself and the housing that clamps the flange, and the fixing plate and the sealing member overlap when viewed from the axial direction.

8. The valve device according to claim 7, characterized in that the fixing plate is provided with a coil bracket fixing mechanism.

9. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that the resin material is PPS to which glass fibers or carbon fibers have been added as a reinforcing agent.

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