Pressure regulating valve

The pressure regulating valve addresses lateral vibration and high costs by employing a guide portion with orthogonal biasing and a simplified elastic member structure, achieving stability and cost reduction with reduced pressure loss.

JP7851272B2Active Publication Date: 2026-04-24SAGINOMIYA SEISAKUSHO INC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
SAGINOMIYA SEISAKUSHO INC
Filing Date
2023-07-03
Publication Date
2026-04-24

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing pressure regulating valves suffer from lateral vibration of the valve body and high manufacturing costs due to the configuration of elastic members that lack rigidity in the direction orthogonal to the axis, leading to instability and increased production complexity.

Method used

A pressure regulating valve design featuring a guide portion with support portions arranged on the same circumference, a separate elastic member biasing the guide portion perpendicularly to the axis, and a simplified structure that separates the guide and elastic functions, ensuring constant contact and reduced manufacturing steps.

Benefits of technology

The design effectively suppresses lateral vibration, reduces manufacturing costs, and minimizes pressure loss by providing stable sliding resistance and simplified assembly, while maintaining operational efficiency.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a pressure control valve capable of suppressing lateral vibration of a valve body and reducing cost of an elastic member.SOLUTION: A pressure control valve 100a comprises; a main valve body 10; a valve body 20; a guide member 60 that extends in an axis L direction, has a plurality of support parts 62 disposed on the same circumference as viewed from the axis L direction, is fixed to the valve body 20, and guides movement of the valve body 20 in the axis L direction by being brought into slidable contact with an inner peripheral surface 12b of the main valve body 10; and an elastic member 70, which is a different body from the guide member 60, fixed to the guide member 60, and biasing the guide member 60 in one direction orthogonal to an axis L. At least one of the plurality of support parts 62 is a constant abutting part 62a that constantly abuts on the inner peripheral surface 12b of the main valve body 10 with biasing force by the elastic member 70. Thereby, a conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body) and a conventional problem 2 (high cost of the elastic member) can be solved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure regulating valve provided with an elastic member that biases a guide portion in a direction orthogonal to the axis.

Background Art

[0002] In a pressure regulating valve that variably controls the opening degree according to the pressure acting on the valve body, in order to suppress the vibration of the valve body accompanying a rapid pressure fluctuation of the working fluid, an elastic member that biases in a direction orthogonal to the axis is employed in some cases.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 10, there is described a pressure regulating valve 1000 (hereinafter referred to as "conventional pressure regulating valve 1") including a valve body 1010 having a primary side port 1001A, a secondary side port 1001B, and a valve seat 1012a; a valve body 1020 that seats or disengages from the valve seat 1012a; a slide unit 1030 that supports the slide of the valve body 1020 in the axial direction of the axis L by a cylinder member 1031 and a piston member 1033; an adjustment spring unit 1040 that adjusts the biasing force of a valve spring 1041 via an adjustment screw member 1042; and a pressure-sensitive bellows unit 1050 having a pressure-sensitive bellows 1051. Further, the conventional pressure regulating valve 1 further includes an elastic member 1070 that abuts against the inner peripheral surface 1012b of the valve body 1010 and imparts sliding resistance to the valve body 1020 in order to suppress the vibration of the valve body 1020.

[0004] This elastic member 1070 has a configuration in which a plurality of legs 1072 made of elastic bodies having the same structure are arranged evenly in the circumferential direction. However, since these legs 1072 do not have firm rigidity in the direction orthogonal to the axis L, still, lateral vibration of the valve body 1020 (vibration in the direction orthogonal to the axis L) occurred and it was difficult to suppress (hereinafter referred to as "conventional problem 1 (occurrence of lateral vibration of the valve body)").

[0005] In contrast, although not shown in the illustrations, Patent Document 2 (in particular, see Figure 9) describes a pressure regulating valve (hereinafter referred to as "conventional pressure regulating valve 2") which includes an elastic member having multiple legs made of the same elastic body structure arranged unevenly in the circumferential direction, and by using this elastic member to eccentrically offset the valve body and the operating rod from the axis, and by bringing a part of the operating rod into contact with the operating rod insertion hole, sliding resistance is applied to the valve body. Here, the elastic member in conventional pressure regulating valve 2 does not actively apply sliding resistance to the valve body, but it can be considered to be used in place of the elastic member in conventional pressure regulating valve 1 in order to bias the valve body in a direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0006] However, while the elastic member in the conventional pressure regulating valve 2 can bias the valve body in a direction perpendicular to the axis, the fact that multiple legs made of the same elastic body are arranged unevenly in the circumferential direction as a single unit requires a great many manufacturing steps and may result in high costs (hereinafter referred to as "Conventional Problem 2 (High Cost of Elastic Member)").

[0007] Furthermore, the multiple legs of the elastic member of the conventional pressure regulating valve 2, like the conventional pressure regulating valve 1, do not have rigidity in the direction perpendicular to the axis, but have variations in deflection, and the biasing direction perpendicular to the axis is not uniformly determined, so it still suffers from the conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-16290 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-39579 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The objective of the present invention is to provide a pressure regulating valve that can suppress lateral vibration of the valve body and reduce the cost of the elastic member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, the pressure regulating valve comprises a valve body having a valve seat, a valve element that moves in the axial direction and seats or separates from the valve seat, a guide portion that extends in the axial direction and has a plurality of support portions arranged on the same circumference when viewed from the axial direction, is fixed to the valve element and slides against the inner circumferential surface of the valve body to guide the axial movement of the valve element, and an elastic member that is separate from the guide portion and fixed to the guide portion and biases the guide portion in one direction perpendicular to the axis, wherein at least one of the plurality of support portions in the guide portion becomes a constantly contacting portion that is constantly in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the valve body due to the biasing force of the elastic member.

[0011] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned pressure regulating valve, when the valve is open, the area occupied by the plurality of support parts of the guide part in the flow path may be smaller than the flow path area that opens radially.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned pressure regulating valve, the elastic member may have legs made of at least one elastic body arranged on the same circumference, and the legs may exist only in a region that does not include the boundary line on the opposite side of the axis from the normally contacting portion when viewed from the axial direction.

[0013] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned pressure regulating valve, the guide portion may consist of three support portions arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference, and the normally contacting portion may consist of one portion.

[0014] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned pressure regulating valve, the valve body and the guide portion may be separate entities that are fixed to each other in a concentric manner with respect to the axis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pressure regulating valve that can suppress lateral vibration of a valve body and achieve cost reduction of an elastic member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional view showing the pressure regulating valve according to the present embodiment of the present invention, where (a) represents a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pressure regulating valve, and (b) represents a bottom view as seen from the direction of arrow Ib shown in (a). [Figure 2] It is a bottom exploded perspective view of the valve body, elastic member, and guide member shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view showing the state where the pressure regulating valve shown in FIG. 1 is attached to a piping block. [Figure 4] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the region surrounded by broken line IVa shown in FIG. 3, where (a) represents the valve closed state and (b) represents the valve open state, respectively. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory view of Modification Example 1 of the elastic member in the present embodiment (corresponding to FIG. 1(b)). [Figure 6] It is an explanatory view of Modification Example 2 of the elastic member in the present embodiment, where (a) represents an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part, and (b) represents an enlarged cross-sectional view of the region surrounded by broken line VIb shown in (a). [Figure 7] It is an explanatory view of a modification example of the guide member in the present embodiment (corresponding to FIG. 1(b)). [Figure 8] It is an explanatory view of a modification example of the valve body in the present embodiment, where (a) represents an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part, and (b) represents a bottom exploded perspective view of the valve body and the elastic member shown in (a). [Figure 9] It is an explanatory view of a modification example of the fixing means in the present embodiment, where (a) represents an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part, (b) represents Modification Example 3 of the elastic member in the modification example of the fixing means corresponding to (a), and (c) represents an upper perspective view of the elastic member shown in (b). [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view showing a pressure regulating valve according to the prior art.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] 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.

[0018] <Regarding terms> In the description of this specification and the claims, "left", "right", "up", and "down" indicate the directions shown in FIGS. 1(a), 3, 4, 6, 8(a), 9(a), and 9(b). In the description of this specification and the claims, "one end" and "the other end" indicate "the lower end" and "the upper end" in the drawing. In the description of this specification and the claims, the "effective pressure receiving area of the pressure-sensitive bellows" refers to the pressure receiving area as an approximate value calculated based on the average diameter of the minimum inner diameter (the inner diameter of the "valley" portion in the bellows shape protruding toward the central axis side of the pressure-sensitive bellows) and the maximum outer diameter (the outer diameter of the "peak" portion in the bellows shape protruding in the direction away from the central axis on the central axis side of the pressure-sensitive bellows). In the description of this specification and the claims, "fixed to the valve body" means "fixed integrally or separately to the valve body". In the description of this specification and the claims, "fixed to the guide portion" includes forms in which the guide portion and the elastic member do not directly contact, and forms in which the fixing of the valve body and the elastic member and the fixing of the valve body and the guide portion are performed at different positions. In the description of this specification and the claims, "orthogonal to the axis" does not mean only a strictly 90° angle with respect to the axis, but includes an angle in the vicinity of 90° with respect to the axis.

[0019] (This embodiment) <Regarding the configuration of the pressure regulating valve> The pressure regulating valve 100a according to the present embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The pressure regulating valve 100a mainly includes a valve body 10, a valve element 20, a slide unit 30, an adjusting spring unit 40, a pressure-sensitive bellows unit 50, a guide member (guide portion) 60, and an elastic member 70. Hereinafter, each configuration of the pressure regulating valve 100a will be described in order. A high-pressure primary-side pressure P1 is introduced into the primary-side port 1A, while a low-pressure secondary-side pressure P2 is introduced into the secondary-side port 1B.

[0020] As will be explained in detail later, in this embodiment, the pressure regulating valve 100a is separate from the guide member 60 and is fixed to the guide member 60. By employing an elastic member 70 that biases the guide member 60 in one direction perpendicular to the axis L, the conventional problems 1 and 2 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body and high cost of the elastic member) can be resolved.

[0021] The valve body 10 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum, and comprises a bottomed cylindrical body 11 and a valve seat portion (valve body) 12 which is separate from the body 11 and has a substantially cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, the body 11 and the valve seat portion 12 are constructed separately, but the valve body 11 and the valve seat portion 12 may be integrated.

[0022] The main body 11 defines a housing chamber A inside, and has multiple (for example, four) lateral holes 11a on its side wall that are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction when viewed from the direction of axis L, defining secondary port 1B. Furthermore, the main body 11 has a main body side adjustment screw portion 42a formed on the inner circumferential surface of one end 11d, which is screwed into the valve seat portion 12. In addition, the main body 11 has an opening 11o formed at the other end 11u that is coaxial with axis L.

[0023] The valve seat portion 12 comprises an annular valve seat 12a, an inner circumferential surface 12b defining the primary side port 1A, and a valve seat portion side adjustment screw portion 42b formed on the outer circumferential surface and screwed into the main body 11.

[0024] The valve body 20 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or phosphor bronze and has a substantially disc shape. As shown in Figure 2, the valve body 20 includes an annular valve portion 21 that protrudes to one end on its outer circumference, a boss portion 22 that protrudes to one end on the same axis as the axis L, and a recess 23 formed between the valve portion 21 and the boss portion 22 and recessed to the other end.

[0025] The valve portion 21 has a larger outer diameter than the valve seat 12a and moves in the axial direction L to seat on or off the valve seat 12a. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the boss portion 22 is fitted sequentially into the opening 71a of the elastic member 70 and the opening 61a of the guide member 60, and at the same time, the annular fixing portion 71 of the elastic member 70 and the annular fixing portion 61 of the guide member 60 are accommodated sequentially in the recess 23.

[0026] The slide unit 30 comprises a cylindrical cylinder member 31 fixed to the valve body 20 at one end, a connecting member 32 that abuts against a fixing fitting 52 at the other end due to the biasing force of the valve spring 41, and a piston member 33 whose other end is crimped and fixed to the connecting member 32 and which is supported so as to be able to move back and forth relative to the cylinder member 31, and is provided inside the pressure-sensitive bellows 51. Here, the valve spring 41 is held in a pressed state between the cylinder member 31 and the connecting member 32. Therefore, the slide unit 30 transmits the biasing force of the valve spring 41 to the pressure-sensitive bellows 51, thereby biasing the pressure-sensitive bellows 51 in the extension direction along the axis L.

[0027] The adjustment spring unit 40 includes a valve spring 41 which is a compression spring, and an adjustment screw portion 42 which adjusts the biasing force on the valve body 20 by expanding and contracting the valve spring 41 and the pressure-sensitive bellows 51. This adjustment screw portion 42 consists of a body-side adjustment screw portion 42a formed on the inner circumferential surface of one end of the body 11, and a valve seat-side adjustment screw portion 42b formed on the outer circumferential surface of the valve seat portion 12, and they are screwed together.

[0028] Here, the biasing force adjustment means for the valve body 20 adjusts the expansion and contraction of the valve spring 41 and the pressure-sensitive bellows 51, that is, the biasing force on the valve body 20, by rotating the valve seat portion 12 relative to the main body 11 via the adjustment screw portion 42 and moving it in the direction of the axis L. Furthermore, the biasing force fixing means for fixing the valve seat portion 12 to the main body 11 fixes one end of the valve seat portion 12 and the main body 11 to each other by welding or the like after adjusting the biasing force on the valve body 20 by the biasing force adjustment means so that the valve opens at the set pressure.

[0029] The pressure-sensitive bellows unit 50 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or phosphor bronze, and comprises a pressure-sensitive bellows 51 formed by press molding into a bellows shape extending in the axial direction L, and a fixing bracket 52 having a substantially disc shape.

[0030] The pressure-sensitive bellows 51 is welded to one end of the valve body 20 on the outer circumference side and to the other end of the fixing bracket 52 on the outer circumference side, thereby sealing the inside.

[0031] Here, the effective pressure-receiving area of ​​the pressure-sensitive bellows 51 is set to match the pressure-receiving area of ​​the valve body 20 surrounded by the valve seat 12. As a result, the upward force acting on the pressure-sensitive bellows 51 and the downward force acting on the valve body 20 due to the secondary pressure P2 cancel each other out. Therefore, the valve body 20 is not affected by the secondary pressure P2, and the opening degree of the valve body 20 can be variably controlled in accordance with fluctuations in the primary pressure P1. Note that the dimensions of each part of the pressure regulating valve 100a can be set not only using the pressure-receiving area (effective pressure-receiving area) as an approximate value calculated based on the average inner diameter of the minimum and maximum inner diameters of the bellows shape, but also using the actual pressure-receiving area obtained through experiments.

[0032] Furthermore, the fixing bracket 52 has a boss portion 52a that protrudes from the other end on the same axis as the axis L. After this boss portion 52a is fitted into the opening 11o of the main body 11, a crimped portion Cr1 is formed by crimping and the fixing bracket is fixed to the main body 11.

[0033] The guide member (guide section) 60 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or phosphor bronze, and is formed by press working to create a relatively thick and rigid member. As shown in Figure 2, the guide member 60 includes an annular fixing section 61 having an opening 61a coaxial with the axis L, and a plurality of support sections 62 connected to the outer circumference of the annular fixing section 61, extending to one end in the direction of the axis L, and arranged on the same circumference when viewed from the direction of the axis L (in this example, three are arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference).

[0034] Next, the details of the guide member 60 will be explained. First, in the multiple support portions 62, the other end is only connected to the outside of the annular fixing portion 61, and the one end has a free end. Therefore, a space is defined between adjacent support portions 62 on one end, with one end open. As a result, the fluid flows smoothly along the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12 in this space, and pressure loss can be reduced.

[0035] Next, the support portion 62 is connected to the outer circumference of the annular fixing portion 61. When viewed from the direction of the axis L, there are multiple fan-shaped spaces, that is, a virtual circle passing through the contact portions with the inner circumferential surfaces 12b of the multiple support portions 62 and the outer diameter of the annular fixing portion 61, with a radial gap (at least the thickness of the support portion 62) and a circumferential gap between adjacent support portions 62. Therefore, the leg portions 72 of the elastic member 70 can be arranged in these multiple fan-shaped spaces.

[0036] The elastic member 70 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or phosphor bronze, and is a relatively thin, elastic member formed by press working. As shown in Figure 2, the elastic member 70 includes an annular fixing portion 71 having an opening 71a coaxial with the axis L, a leg portion 72 connected to the outer circumference of the annular fixing portion 71 and extending to one end in the direction of the axis L, and a curved portion 73 formed between one end and the other end of the leg portion 72 and having a convex shape relative to the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12. When the curved portion 73 is brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12, a biasing force is generated as the leg portion 72 bends.

[0037] <Regarding the integrated configuration of the valve body, guide member, and elastic member> As shown in Figure 1(b), the means for fixing the valve body 20, the guide member 60, and the elastic member 70 is a plurality of welded joints w formed by spot welding or the like.

[0038] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the boss portion 22 is fitted sequentially into the opening 71a of the elastic member 70 and the opening 61a of the guide member 60, and at the same time, the annular fixing portion 71 of the elastic member 70 and the annular fixing portion 61 of the guide member 60 are sequentially housed in the recess 23. Subsequently, the valve body 20, the guide member 60, and the elastic member 70 are firmly joined together without gaps in a concentric manner with respect to the axis L via welded portions w, which are fixing means, by spot welding or the like. At this time, the welded portions w are provided at equal intervals on the same circumference and include two locations on the straight line connecting the normally contact portion 62a and the leg portion 72. The leg portion 72 is positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis L, with respect to one of the multiple support portions 62 (normally contact portion 62a) when viewed from the direction of the axis L, as shown in Figure 1(b).

[0039] Here, the multiple rigid support portions 62 slide against the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12, thereby guiding the movement of the valve body 20 in the direction of the axis L. Furthermore, as the curved portion 73 abuts against the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12, the elastic leg portion 72 flexes, biasing the valve body 20, i.e., the guide member 60, in one direction perpendicular to the axis L. As a result, when viewed from the direction of the axis L, one support portion 62 positioned symmetrically with respect to the leg portion 72 across the axis L constantly abuts against the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12 due to the elastic force of the leg portion 72, becoming a constantly abutting portion 62a that provides stable sliding resistance.

[0040] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1(b), the support portion 62 of the guide member 60 has an arc shape corresponding to the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12 when viewed from the direction of the axis L, thereby increasing the contact area with the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12. In addition, the curved portion 73 of the elastic member 70 has a convex shape relative to the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12, allowing for smooth sliding.

[0041] <Regarding the installation of the pressure regulating valve> First, we will explain the shapes of the main body 11 and the piping block B using Figure 3.

[0042] The main body 11 has a large-diameter section 11l, a central section 11c, and a small-diameter section 11s formed along the axis L direction, with the outer diameter gradually decreasing from one end 11d to the other end 11u. A constricted section 11n is formed between the large-diameter section 11l and the central section 11c, which are continuously connected. Furthermore, a male screw threaded section 11scm is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the other end of the central section 11c, which is screwed into the block member B.

[0043] Next, the piping block B has a through hole along the axis L, and a primary channel Fp1 and an annular groove Ga are formed at one end of this through hole. A secondary channel Fp2, formed perpendicular to the axis L, is connected to this annular groove Ga. In addition, multiple annular steps are formed in the through hole along the axis L, sequentially decreasing in diameter in a stepped manner from the annular groove Ga towards the other end. These multiple annular steps are, in order, formed a first housing groove G1, a second housing groove G2, a third housing groove G3, and a fourth housing groove G4. Furthermore, an annular seal groove Gi, which houses an O-ring Or, is formed at the other end of the primary channel Fp1. In addition, a female threaded portion Bscf is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second housing groove G2.

[0044] In this embodiment, the shapes of the main body 11 and the piping block B have been described as shown in Figure 3, but this is merely one example. Any shape is acceptable as long as the piping block B has an insertion hole and the main body 11 has an outer shape that allows it to be inserted into this insertion hole.

[0045] <Regarding installation procedures> The operation of attaching the pressure regulating valve 100a to the piping block B will now be described. The pressure regulating valve 100a is inserted from one end of the primary flow path Fp1 along the axis L of the piping block B. Then, while screwing the male threaded portion 11scm of the main body 11 into the female threaded portion Bscf of the block member B, the main body 11 is moved toward the other end in the axis L direction until the other end 11u of the main body 11 abuts against the piping block B. In this attached state of the pressure regulating valve 100a, the primary port 1A defined by the valve seat portion 12 communicates with the primary flow path Fp1 through which the primary pressure P1 is introduced, and the secondary port 1B defined by the lateral hole 11a of the main body 11 communicates with the secondary flow path Fp2 through which the secondary pressure P2 is introduced. At this time, an O-ring Or is sandwiched between the large diameter portion 11l of the main body 11 and the annular seal groove Gi, sealing the gap between the main body 11 and the piping block B. Furthermore, the crimped portion Cr1 of the fixing bracket 52 is housed in the fourth housing groove G4, thus preventing interference with the piping block B.

[0046] In this embodiment, the pressure regulating valve 100a is installed such that, as shown in Figure 3, one of the secondary ports 1B is positioned opposite the secondary flow path Fp2. However, this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the secondary ports 1B may be arranged evenly in multiple locations (e.g., four) in the circumferential direction, and since an annular groove Ga is interposed between the secondary ports 1B and the secondary flow path Fp2, the fluid from the multiple secondary ports 1B can flow smoothly into the secondary flow path Fp2 via the circumferential flow along the annular groove Ga. Therefore, it is not necessary for any of the secondary ports 1B to be positioned opposite the secondary flow path Fp2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an annular groove Ga is shown formed in the piping block B. However, this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the piping block B may not have an annular groove Ga formed in it. In this case, an annular space is formed around the lateral hole 11a due to the difference in outer diameter between the large diameter portion 11l and the central portion 11c. Therefore, just as in the case where an annular groove Ga is present, fluid from multiple secondary ports 1B can flow smoothly to the secondary flow path Fp2 via a circumferential flow along the annular space.

[0047] <About the operation of the pressure regulating valve> The operation of the pressure regulating valve 100a will be explained using Figure 4. In this example, a high-pressure primary pressure P1 is introduced into the primary port 1A of the pressure regulating valve 100a, and a low-pressure secondary pressure P2 is introduced into the secondary port 1B.

[0048] First, the pressure regulating valve 100a in the closed state will be explained using Figure 4(a). When the pressure at the primary port 1A rises, a valve opening force due to the differential pressure acts on the valve body 20. However, the valve body 20 will not separate from the valve seat 12a until this valve opening force exceeds the combined force of the biasing force of the pressure-sensitive bellows 51 and valve spring 41 and the sliding resistance of the normally contacting portion 62a.

[0049] Next, the pressure regulating valve 100a in the open state will be explained using Figure 4(b). When the pressure at the primary port 1A rises further and the valve opening force acting on the valve body 20 exceeds the combined force of the biasing force of the pressure-sensitive bellows 51 and valve spring 41 and the sliding resistance of the constant contact portion 62a, the valve body 20 separates from the valve seat 12a, and fluid flows from the primary port 1A to the secondary port 1B.

[0050] Furthermore, when the pressure at the primary port 1A decreases, the valve opening force acting on the valve body 20 falls below the combined force of the biasing force of the pressure-sensitive bellows 51 and valve spring 41 and the sliding resistance of the normal contact portion 62a, and the valve body 20 seats on the valve seat 12a again.

[0051] <Addressing the conventional problems 1 and 2> In conventional pressure regulating valves 1 and 2, the behavior of the valve body becomes unstable due to vibrations caused by axial movement of the valve body and the influence of separation vortices caused by the fluid passing around the valve body, during transitions from one state to the other (closed or open), and in the open state, thus having conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body). Furthermore, conventional pressure regulating valve 2 has conventional problem 2 (high cost of elastic members) because it requires a very large number of manufacturing steps to create the elastic member.

[0052] In contrast, in the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment, regardless of whether the valve is closed or open, the elastic force of the legs 72 of the elastic member 70 causes a predetermined support portion 62 of the guide member 60 to constantly contact the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12 in one direction perpendicular to the axis L (the direction of the biasing force may be slightly tilted in the up / down or left / right direction), that is, providing stable sliding resistance and thus eliminating the conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body). Furthermore, in the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment, the functions of the guide member 60 and the elastic member 70 (rigid guiding function and elastic biasing function) are completely separated, their respective configurations are simplified, and they are formed as separate parts, thereby improving productivity and eliminating the conventional problem 2 (high cost of the elastic member).

[0053] <Addressing concerns> Furthermore, in the conventional pressure regulating valve 2, there is an elastic member with multiple legs in the flow path, which obstructs the flow and raises concerns about increased pressure loss (hereinafter referred to as "concern (increased pressure loss)").

[0054] In contrast, in the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment, since there is only one constantly contacting portion 62a in the support portion 62, the number of support portions 62 of the guide member 60 can be reduced as much as possible. As a result, as shown in Figure 4(b), when the valve is open, the area occupied by the multiple support portions 62 of the guide member 60 in the flow path (corresponding to the area of ​​the inner circumferential surface 12b where the support portions 62 are located in Figure 1(b)) is smaller than the flow path area that opens radially (corresponding to the area of ​​the inner circumferential surface 12b where the support portions 62 are not located in Figure 1(b)), thus eliminating the concern (increased pressure loss).

[0055] In this embodiment, the guide member 60 has three support portions 62, but it is not limited to this. For example, in the valve open state, the area occupied by the multiple support portions 62 in the flow path may be smaller than the flow path area that opens radially, so that the guide member 60 may have four or more support portions 62.

[0056] As described above, in the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment, by employing an elastic member 70 that is separate from the guide member 60, fixed to the guide member 60, and biases the guide member 60 in one direction perpendicular to the axis L, the conventional problems 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body) and 2 (high cost of the elastic member) can be resolved. Furthermore, in the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment, since there is only one constant contact portion 62a, it is in constant contact with the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12, providing stable sliding resistance. In addition, in the valve open state, by making the area occupied by the multiple support portions 62 of the guide member 60 in the flow path smaller than the flow path area that opens radially, concerns (increased pressure loss) can be resolved.

[0057] (Modified example 1 of the elastic member of this embodiment) Using Figure 5, the pressure regulating valve 100b in Modified Elastic Member 1 of this embodiment will be described. Note that the pressure regulating valve 100b in Modified Elastic Member 1 of this embodiment differs from the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment in that the number of legs 72B of the elastic member 70B is two, but the other configurations are the same as those of this embodiment. Here, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0058] <Regarding elastic members> The elastic member 70B is arranged on the same circumference on the outer side of the annular fixing portion 71B and has two legs 72B that form a curved portion 73B at one end. These two legs 72B exist only in the region Osa, which does not include the boundary line on the opposite side of the axis L from the normally contact portion 62a, when viewed from the direction of the axis L. Furthermore, the two legs 72B are arranged symmetrically with respect to the straight line L2 connecting the normally contact portion 62a and the axis L, when viewed from the axial direction, so that the resultant force of the elastic forces of the two legs 72B is generated in one direction perpendicular to the axis L. By employing these two legs 72B, the biasing force on the normally contact portion 62a can be set relatively freely, thereby ensuring that the normally contact portion 62a is in constant contact more reliably and providing stable sliding resistance.

[0059] In this embodiment, the elastic member 70B in modified elastic member 1 has two legs 72B, but it is not limited to this, and for example, multiple legs 72B may be provided. These multiple legs 72B should be located only in the region Osa on the same circumference, excluding the boundary line opposite to the contact portion 62a, and should be positioned such that the resultant force of the elastic forces of the multiple legs 72B mainly occurs in one direction perpendicular to the axis L.

[0060] As described above, the pressure regulating valve 100b in modified elastic member 1 of this embodiment, like the embodiment, still has a simplified shape for the elastic member 70B, and therefore can achieve the same effects as the embodiment, namely, it can eliminate the conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body), the conventional problem 2 (high cost of the elastic member), and the concern (increased pressure loss). In addition, in modified elastic member 1 of this embodiment, since the elastic member 70B has two legs 72B, the biasing force on one of the constantly contacting portions 62a can be set relatively freely, so that constant contact can be more reliably achieved and stable sliding resistance can be provided.

[0061] (Modified example 2 of the elastic member of this embodiment) Using Figure 6, the pressure regulating valve 100c in modified example 2 of the elastic member of this embodiment will be described. Note that the pressure regulating valve 100c in modified example 2 of the elastic member of this embodiment differs from the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment in that it employs dimples 73C on the leg portion 72C of the elastic member 70C, but the other configurations are the same as those of this embodiment. Here, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0062] <Regarding elastic members> As shown in Figure 6(b), the elastic member 70C is formed at one end of the leg portion 72C and includes a dimple 73C that has a convex shape relative to the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12. When the dimple 73C is brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12, the leg portion 72C flexes, generating a biasing force. When viewed from the direction of the axis L, the leg portion 72C is positioned symmetrically with respect to the normally contact portion 62a, with the axis L in between. Here, since the dimple 73C has a convex shape relative to the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12, it can slide smoothly. In addition, the dimensional control of the radius of curvature of the dimple 73C is simpler compared to the curved portion 73 of this embodiment. Therefore, by adopting the dimple 73C, the biasing force on the normally contact portion 62a can be set relatively freely, so that the normally contact portion 62a can be brought into contact more reliably and stable sliding resistance can be provided.

[0063] As described above, the pressure regulating valve 100c in modified elastic member 2 of this embodiment, like the embodiment, still has a simplified shape for the elastic member 70C, and therefore can achieve the same effects as the embodiment, namely, it can eliminate the conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body), the conventional problem 2 (high cost of the elastic member), and the concern (increased pressure loss). In addition, modified elastic member 2 of this embodiment employs dimples 73C on the leg portion 72C, so, like modified elastic member 1 of this embodiment, the biasing force on one constantly contact portion 62a can be set relatively freely, thus enabling more reliable constant contact and providing stable sliding resistance.

[0064] (Modified guide member of this embodiment) Using Figure 7, the pressure regulating valve 100d in the modified guide member of this embodiment will be described. Note that the pressure regulating valve 100d in the modified guide member of this embodiment differs from the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment in that it employs a wide support portion 62D2 as the normally contacting portion 62D2a of the guide member 60D, but the other configurations are the same as those of this embodiment. Here, identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0065] <About guide members> As shown in Figure 7, the guide member (guide portion) 60D has an annular fixing portion 61 having an opening 61a coaxial with the axis L, and is connected to the outer circumference of the annular fixing portion 61, extending to one end in the direction of the axis L, and comprises two support portions 62D1 and one wide support portion 62D2 when viewed from the direction of the axis L, and is arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference. Here, the wide support portion 62D2 of the guide member 60 is a constantly contacting portion 62D2a that is wider in the circumferential direction than the support portion 62D1, and has an arc shape that corresponds to the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12 when viewed from the direction of the axis L, so that the contact area with the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12 can be further increased.

[0066] Based on the above, the pressure regulating valve 100d in the modified guide member of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as in this embodiment, namely, it can eliminate the conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body), the conventional problem 2 (high cost of elastic members), and the concern (increased pressure loss). In addition, in the modified guide member of this embodiment, by adopting a wide support portion 62D2 as one of the normally contacting portions 62D2a, the contact area with the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12 can be further increased, thereby ensuring more reliable constant contact and providing stable, relatively large sliding resistance.

[0067] (Modified valve body of this embodiment) Using Figure 8, a modified example of the valve body of this embodiment, specifically the pressure regulating valve 100e, will be described. Note that the pressure regulating valve 100e in this modified example differs from the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment in that it omits the guide member and employs a guide section 24E as part of the valve body 20E, which includes a plurality of support sections 25E and an annular fixing section 24Ea. However, the other configurations are the same as those of this embodiment. Here, identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0068] <About the valve body> In this embodiment, the pressure regulating valve 100a has separate components for the valve body 20, guide member 60, and elastic member 70, which increases the number of parts, making assembly work complex and raising concerns about increased inventory management costs (hereinafter referred to as "concern (complex assembly work)"). Therefore, in the modified valve body of this embodiment, the guide member is omitted, and a guide section 24E having multiple support sections 25E is adopted as part of the valve body 20E.

[0069] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8(b), the valve body 20E comprises an annular valve portion 21E formed on the outer circumference of one end, a boss portion 22E projecting toward one end coaxially with the axis L, a guide portion 24E positioned between the valve portion 21E and the boss portion 22E, and a plurality of support portions 25E extending from the guide portion 24E toward one end in the direction of the axis L and arranged on the same circumference when viewed from the direction of the axis L (in this example, three are arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference).

[0070] As shown in Figure 8(b), the boss portion 22E is fitted into the opening 71a of the elastic member 70. Subsequently, the valve body 20E and the elastic member 70 are firmly joined together without gaps, concentrically with respect to the axis L, via a welded portion w which is a fixing means, by spot welding or the like. The leg portion 72 is positioned symmetrically with respect to one of the multiple support portions 25E (the constantly contact portion 25Ea) when viewed from the direction of the axis L, so that the constantly contact portion 25Ea is constantly in contact with the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12, thereby providing stable sliding resistance. In this way, by adopting a guide portion 24E having multiple support portions 25E as part of the valve body 20E, concerns (complex assembly work) can be resolved.

[0071] Based on the above, the pressure regulating valve 100e in the modified valve body of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as in this embodiment, namely, it can eliminate the conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body), the conventional problem 2 (high cost of elastic members), and the concern (increased pressure loss). In addition, in the modified valve body of this embodiment, the concern (complex assembly work) can be eliminated by adopting a guide part 24E having a plurality of support parts 25E as part of the valve body 20E.

[0072] (Modified example of the fixing means of this embodiment) Using Figure 9(a), the pressure regulating valve 100f in the modified fixing means of this embodiment will be described. The pressure regulating valve 100f in the modified fixing means of this embodiment differs from the pressure regulating valve 100a of this embodiment in that it employs a crimping portion Cr2 as the fixing means for fixing the guide member 60 and the elastic member 70 to the valve body 20F, but the other configurations are the same as those of this embodiment. Here, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0073] <Regarding the means of fixing> In this embodiment, when multiple welded joints w are used, there is a concern that the relative circumferential positional accuracy of the multiple support parts 62 and leg parts 72 will decrease because the base material will be affected, even if only slightly, by distortion due to thermal stress (hereinafter referred to as "concern (influence of thermal stress)"). Therefore, in the modified fixing means of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9(a), a crimped part Cr2 formed by crimping is used as the fixing means for the valve body 20F, the guide member 60, and the elastic member 70.

[0074] Specifically, the boss portion 22F is deformed in the outward direction at its tip, thereby fitting sequentially into the opening 71a of the elastic member 70 and the opening 61a of the guide member 60. At the same time, the annular fixing portion 71 of the elastic member 70 and the annular fixing portion 61 of the guide member 60 are sequentially housed in the recess 23. Subsequently, by crimping the boss portion 22F, the valve body 20F, the guide member 60, and the elastic member 70 are joined to each other concentrically with respect to the axis L via the crimp portion Cr2, which serves as a fixing means. By employing the crimp portion Cr2 as a fixing means in this way, concerns (influence of thermal stress) can be eliminated, and the relative circumferential positional accuracy of the multiple support portions 62 and leg portions 72 can be improved.

[0075] Based on the above, the pressure regulating valve 100f in the modified fixing means of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as in this embodiment, namely, it can eliminate the conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body), the conventional problem 2 (high cost of elastic members), and the concern (increased pressure loss). In addition, in the modified fixing means of this embodiment, the concern (influence of thermal stress) can be eliminated by adopting a crimped portion Cr2 as the fixing means.

[0076] (Modified example of the fixing means of this embodiment (modified example of elastic member 3)) The pressure regulating valve 100g in the modified fixing means of this embodiment (modified elastic member 3) will be described using Figures 9(b) and 9(c). The pressure regulating valve 100g in the modified fixing means of this embodiment (modified elastic member 3) mainly differs from the pressure regulating valve 100f in the modified fixing means of this embodiment in that the elastic member 70G is made of a wire spring, but the other components are substantially the same as those in the modified fixing means of this embodiment. Here, identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0077] <Regarding elastic members> Here, the inventor focused on the fact that in the modified fixing means of the above embodiment (see Figure 9(a)), the elastic member 70 is sandwiched between the valve body 20F and the guide member 60 by the fixing means of the crimped portion Cr2, and then studied a configuration in which the elastic member can generate an even greater biasing force. As a result, in the modified fixing means of the present embodiment (modified elastic member 3), as shown in Figure 9(c), a wire spring is used as the elastic member 70G.

[0078] Specifically, the elastic member 70G is composed of a single continuous wire spring made of a metal such as stainless steel or phosphor bronze. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(c), the elastic member 70G includes an annular fixing portion 71G formed in an annular shape on the coaxial line L at the other end of the wire spring, a leg portion 72G connected to the annular fixing portion 71G and extending to one end in the direction of the axis L, and a curved portion 73G formed at one end of the leg portion 72G and having a convex shape with respect to the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12.

[0079] <Regarding the means of fixing> As shown in Figure 9(b), the fixing means for the valve body 20G, the guide member 60, and the elastic member 70G is a crimped portion Cr3 formed by a crimping process.

[0080] Specifically, the annular fixing portion 71G of the elastic member 70G is housed in an annular housing groove 26G formed between the valve portion 21 and the recess 23G at one end face of the valve body 20G. At the same time that the boss portion 22G is fitted into the opening 61a of the guide member 60, the annular fixing portion 61 of the guide member 60 is housed in the recess 23G. Subsequently, by crimping the boss portion 22G, the valve body 20G, the guide member 60, and the elastic member 70G are joined to each other concentrically with respect to the axis L via the crimping portion Cr3, which is the fixing means. The outer diameter of the annular fixing portion 61 of the guide member 60 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the annular fixing portion 71G. As a result, the entire circumference of the annular fixing portion 71G is clamped by the annular fixing portion 61 of the guide member 60. Furthermore, the leg portion 72G is positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis L, with respect to one of the multiple support portions 62 (the portion that is always in contact with the support portion 62a) across the axis L.

[0081] <Regarding the biasing force of elastic members> The annular fixing portion 71G of the elastic member 70G is fixed by the crimping portion Cr3, which allows rotational movement in the cross-section of the wire, that is, torsion to occur within the cross-section of the wire. As a result, when the curved portion 73G comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface 12b of the valve seat portion 12, not only the deflection of the leg portion 72G of the wire spring but also the torsion within the cross-section of the annular fixing portion 71G, which is continuous with the leg portion 72G, is added, thereby generating a relatively large biasing force. In this case, since only torsion occurs within the cross-section of the wire, the relative circumferential positions of the leg portion 72G and the multiple support portions 62 do not change.

[0082] Based on the above, the pressure regulating valve 100g in the modified fixing means of this embodiment (modified elastic member 3) has the same effects as the modified fixing means of this embodiment, that is, it can eliminate the conventional problem 1 (generation of lateral vibration of the valve body), the conventional problem 2 (high cost of elastic members), the concern (increased pressure loss), and the concern (influence of thermal stress). In addition, in the modified fixing means of this embodiment (modified elastic member 3), a wire spring is used as the elastic member 70G, which makes it possible to generate a relatively large biasing force.

[0083] <Other> It goes without saying that the pressure regulating valves 100a to 100g of this embodiment are applicable to all fluid devices and fluid circuits. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described forms, embodiments, or modifications, and can be appropriately modified or altered without departing from the technical idea of ​​the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 100a~100g pressure regulating valve 1A Primary Port 1B Secondary port 10 Valve body 11 Main unit 11a Side hole 11c central part 11d One end 11L Large diameter section 11n waist area 11o opening 11s Small diameter section 11cm male threaded section 11u other end 12. Valve seat (valve body) 12a Valve seat 12b Inner surface 20, 20E, 20F, 20G valve body 21,21E Valve part 22, 22E, 22F, 22G Boss section 23,23G recess 24E Guide Section 25E Support part 25Ea Normal contact area 26G Annular storage groove 30 Slide Units 31 Cylinder member 32 Connecting member 33 Piston component 40 Adjustable spring unit 41 Valve spring 42 Adjustment screw section 42a Adjustment screw part on the main body 42b Adjustment screw part on the valve seat side 50 Pressure-sensitive bellows unit 51 Pressure-sensitive bellows 52 Fixing brackets 52a Boss section 60,60D Guide member (guide section) 61 Annular fixing part 61a opening 62,62D1 Support part 62a, 62D2a Normal contact area 62D2 Wide support section 70, 70B, 70C, 70G Elastic members 71,71G Annular fixing part 71a opening 72,72B,72C,72G Legs 73,73G Curved section 73C Dimple A Confinement Room B Piping Block Bscf female threaded section Cr1, Cr2, Cr3 crimping section Fp1 Primary flow path Fp2 Secondary flow path G1 First storage trench G2 Second storage trench G3 Third storage trench G4 4th storage groove Ga annular groove Gi annular seal groove L axis L2 is a straight line connecting the normally contacting point and axis L. Or O-ring The region that does not include the boundary line on the opposite side of the constant contact area, across the Osa axis. P1 Primary pressure P2 Secondary pressure w weld

Claims

1. A valve body having a valve seat, A valve body that moves in the axial direction and seats or separates from the valve seat, A guide portion extends in the axial direction and has multiple support portions arranged on the same circumference when viewed from the axial direction, is fixed to the valve body, and slides against the inner circumferential surface of the valve body to guide the axial movement of the valve body, An elastic member, separate from the guide portion and fixed to the guide portion, biases the guide portion in one direction perpendicular to the axis, Equipped with, At least one of the plurality of support portions in the guide portion becomes a constantly contacting portion that is constantly in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the valve body due to the biasing force of the elastic member. A pressure regulating valve characterized in that, when the valve is open, the area occupied by the plurality of support parts of the guide part in the flow path is smaller than the flow path area that opens radially.

2. A valve body having a valve seat, A valve body that moves in the axial direction and seats or separates from the valve seat, A guide portion extends in the axial direction and has multiple support portions arranged on the same circumference when viewed from the axial direction, is fixed to the valve body, and slides against the inner circumferential surface of the valve body to guide the axial movement of the valve body, An elastic member, separate from the guide portion and fixed to the guide portion, biases the guide portion in one direction perpendicular to the axis, Equipped with, At least one of the plurality of support portions in the guide portion becomes a constantly contacting portion that is constantly in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the valve body due to the biasing force of the elastic member. The elastic member has legs made of at least one elastic body arranged on the same circumference, The leg portion is characterized in that, when viewed from the axial direction, it exists only in a region that does not include the boundary line on the opposite side of the normally contacting portion, straddling the axis.

3. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the guide portion comprises three support portions arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference, and the constantly contacting portion comprises one portion.

4. The pressure regulating valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the valve body and the guide portion are separate and are fixed to each other in a concentric manner with respect to the axis.

Citation Information

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