Electric valve

Abstract

A motorized valve 11 comprising: a valve body 12 that has therein a valve chamber 13 communicating with an inflow path 15 and an outflow path 16; a valve element 17 that advances towards and recedes from a valve seat 14; a can 40 that accommodates a rotor 43 included in an electric motor 41 which drives the valve element; and a connection member 21 that connects the can and the valve body, wherein the valve body has a connection opening 19 into which the connection member is fitted, the connection opening has a step part 19b capable of abutting the connection member when said member is fited into the connection opening, the connection member has a tubular fit-in part 22a that is fitted into the connection opening and a flange part 23 that is bent from a bottom end part of the fit-in part toward the center of the connection member, the fit-in part has an external thread 25 on the outer peripheral surface thereof which is threaded to an internal thread 19a formed in the inner peripheral surface of the connection opening, and a base-end part of the flange part abuts the step part when the fit-in part is fitted into the connection opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric valve, and particularly to the structure of a connecting member that connects a valve body and a can (a sealed container that houses a rotor of an electric motor).

Background Art

[0002] Electric valves that control the opening degree of a valve using an electric motor such as a stepping motor have been conventionally used in refrigeration cycle devices equipped with a refrigerant circuit such as an air conditioner and a refrigeration / freezing device.

[0003] FIGS. 6 and 7 show an example of such an electric valve (FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a B2 portion of FIG. 6). As shown in these figures, a conventional electric valve includes a valve body 12 having a valve chamber 13 inside and flow paths (an inflow path 15 and an outflow path 16) for allowing refrigerant to flow in and out of the valve chamber 13, a valve seat 14 formed at an opening of the inflow path 15 to the valve chamber 13, a valve element 17 that moves forward and backward (up and down) with respect to the valve seat 14 to change the amount of refrigerant passing through (flow rate), an electric motor 41 that drives the valve element 17, a speed reduction mechanism 56 that reduces the rotation of the electric motor 41, a transmission mechanism 33 that converts the reduced rotational motion into a linear motion and transmits it to the valve element 17, a can (sealed container) 40 that forms a sealed space on the upper part of the top surface of the valve body 12 and houses the rotor 43 of the electric motor 41, the speed reduction mechanism 56, and the transmission mechanism 33, and a connecting member 63 that connects the valve body 12 and the can 40.

[0004] The connecting member 63 is a bottomless and lidless (both the top surface and the bottom surface are open) cylindrical member having a male thread 25 on its outer peripheral surface. On the other hand, a connecting opening 19 for fitting the connecting member 63 is formed on the top surface of the valve body 12, and a female thread 19a that engages with the male thread 25 of the connecting member 63 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of this connecting opening 19. Further, a step portion 19b that can abut against the connecting member 63 when the connecting member 63 is fitted is provided at the bottom portion of the connecting opening 19. The attachment of the connecting member 63 to the valve body 12 is performed by screwing and tightening the connecting member 63 into the connecting opening 19 until the bottom of the connecting member 63 abuts against the step portion 19b.

[0005] Furthermore, to prevent refrigerant from leaking to the outside through the connection opening 19 that communicates with the valve chamber 13, a sealing member (O-ring) 28 is provided inside the connection opening 19 so as to be interposed between the outer circumferential surface of the connection member 63 and the valve body 12 (the inner circumferential surface of the connection opening 19). In addition, an overhang 24 is formed on the top surface of the connection member 63 that extends horizontally outward, and the can 40 is joined to this overhang 24 by welding.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 below is an example of a document disclosing such an electric valve. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2021-110409 [Overview of the project]

[0008] By the way, the conventional electric valve still has room for improvement regarding the connecting member 63.

[0009] Specifically, as mentioned above, the connecting member 63 is attached by screwing it into the connection opening 19 of the valve body 12. However, if excessive torque is applied to the connecting member 63 during the tightening process, the connecting member 63 may deform due to axial force or the threaded portion (male thread 25 formed on the outer surface) may be damaged.

[0010] Such deformation or damage can lead to a decrease in the connection strength of the connecting member 63 to the valve body 12, thereby compromising the durability of the electric valve, or it can cause refrigerant leakage due to a decrease in the sealing performance of the sealing member 28.

[0011] Furthermore, the above-mentioned problems cannot be solved by the invention described in Patent Document 1.

[0012] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to obtain a new connecting member structure in which deformation of the member or damage to the threaded portion does not occur (or is less likely to occur) even if excessive torque is applied to the connecting member during installation.

[0013] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the objective, the electric valve according to the present invention comprises a valve body having a valve chamber inside that communicates with an inlet passage and an outlet passage, a valve element that moves back and forth relative to a valve seat formed in the valve chamber, a can that rotatably houses a rotor included in an electric motor that drives the valve element, and a connecting member that connects the can and the valve body. The valve body also has a connecting opening on its top surface into which the connecting member can be inserted. The connecting opening also has a stepped portion at its bottom that can abut the connecting member when it is inserted into the connecting opening. Furthermore, the connecting member has a cylindrical insertion portion that is inserted into the connecting opening, and a flange portion that is formed to bend from the bottom end of the insertion portion toward the center of the connecting member. The insertion portion also has a male thread on its outer surface that screws into a female thread formed on the inner circumferential surface of the connecting opening, and the base end of the flange portion abuts against the stepped portion when the insertion portion is inserted into the connecting opening.

[0014] The "base end" mentioned above refers to the outermost part of the flange, or in other words, the part furthest from the central axis of the connecting member and adjacent to the cylindrical fitting portion. To put it another way, the "base end" is the part closest to the fitting portion (the part located approximately directly below the fitting portion) when viewed from the direction of the axial axis (central axis) of the connecting member.

[0015] Furthermore, the above-mentioned electric valve typically includes a ring-shaped sealing member interposed between the fitting portion and the valve body within the connection opening.

[0016] In the conventional electric valves described above (Figures 6 and 7), the connecting member (particularly the fitting portion that fits into the connecting opening) had a simple cylindrical shape, and its lower end abutted against a stepped portion formed in the connecting opening.

[0017] In contrast, the electric valve according to the present invention is provided with a flange portion at the bottom end of the connecting member (insertion portion), so that when the connecting member is screwed into the connection opening, the base end of the flange portion (boundary portion with the insertion portion) abuts against the stepped portion of the connection opening. As a result, even when the connecting member is tightened with excessive torque, the axial force and deformation can be released from the insertion portion, where the male thread is formed and the sealing member abuts, to the tip side of the flange portion (the side closer to the central axis of the connecting member), thereby preventing deformation of the connecting member (insertion portion) or damage to the threaded portion during the assembly of the electric valve (when the connecting member is attached).

[0018] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the female thread is formed in the depth direction of the connection opening at a position further from the bottom of the connection opening than the sealing member, and the male thread is positioned further from the bottom of the connection opening than the sealing member when the fitting portion is fitted into the connection opening.

[0019] In this configuration, when the connecting member (fitting portion) is inserted into the connection opening of the valve body and screwed in, the male thread will not pass over the location where the sealing member is positioned within the connection opening (if the positional relationship between the male thread and the sealing member is reversed from the above configuration, the male thread will pass over the location where the sealing member is positioned when the connecting member is installed), thus eliminating the possibility that the sealing member may be damaged by the male thread formed on the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member when the connecting member is installed.

[0020] Furthermore, in this invention, the connecting member may be made of a press-formed part (a part formed by press working) which is advantageous in terms of cost.

[0021] According to the present invention, even if excessive torque is applied to a connecting member during installation, deformation of the member or damage to the threaded portion can be prevented or suppressed.

[0022] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments of the present invention based on the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made within the scope described in the claims. Also, in each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an electric valve (closed valve state) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an enlarged main part (arrangement part of the connection member / part B in FIG. 1) of the electric valve according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the electric valve (open valve state) according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an electric valve (closed valve state) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an enlarged main part (arrangement part of the connection member / part B1 in FIG. 4) of the electric valve according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a conventional electric valve. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an enlarged main part (arrangement part of the connection member / part B2 in FIG. 1) of the conventional electric valve.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] An electric valve according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Each figure appropriately displays mutually orthogonal two-dimensional coordinates representing the vertical and horizontal directions, and the following description will be based on these directions. However, the electric valves of the present invention and each embodiment can be used in various orientations, and these directions are for convenience of explanation only; the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited in any way by these directions. Furthermore, while the terms "vertical" and "horizontal" are sometimes used, the vertical direction coincides with the vertical direction, and the horizontal direction, including the left-right direction, is perpendicular to the vertical direction. Additionally, in each figure, the connecting members, which are characteristic parts of the present invention, are hatched.

[0025] [First Embodiment] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the electric valve 11 according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a valve body 12 having a valve chamber 13 inside, an inlet passage 15 for introducing refrigerant into the valve chamber 13, and an outlet passage 16 for introducing refrigerant out of the valve chamber 13; a valve seat 14 formed at the opening of the inlet passage 15 to the valve chamber 13; a valve element 17 that changes the amount of refrigerant passing through (flow rate) by moving back and forth (up and down) relative to the valve seat 14; and a valve element guide provided to close the top surface of the valve chamber 13 and to support the valve element 17 so as to be able to move up and down. The valve comprises a component 18, an electric motor 41 that drives the valve body 17, a reduction mechanism 56 that reduces the rotation of the electric motor 41, a transmission mechanism 33 that converts the reduced rotational motion into linear motion and transmits it to the valve body 17, a can (sealed container) 40 having a cylindrical shape with no bottom and a lid (the bottom is open and the top is closed), forming a sealed space on the upper part of the top surface of the valve body 12, and housing the rotor 43 of the electric motor 41, the reduction mechanism 56 and the transmission mechanism 33 in this sealed space, and a connecting member 21 that connects the valve body 12 and the can 40.

[0026] The connecting member 21 is a bottomless, capless cylindrical member, and has a cylindrical tubular portion 22 including a fitting portion 22a that fits into the connection opening (described later) 19 of the valve body 12, a flange portion 23 formed to bend horizontally inward from the lower end of the tubular portion 22 (in other words, toward the central axis A of the connecting member 21), and a protruding portion 24 that bends outward from the upper edge of the tubular portion 22 and spreads horizontally (in other words, toward the central axis A of the connecting member 21). The fitting portion 22a has a male thread 25 on its lower outer circumferential surface for connecting to the valve body 12.

[0027] Furthermore, the connecting member 21 can be made as a press-formed part, which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost. After press forming, it can be manufactured by, for example, forming a flange portion 23 and a protruding portion 24 by bending and drawing, and then performing threading to form a male screw 25.

[0028] On the other hand, a connection opening 19 is provided on the motor mounting surface of the valve body 12 (the upper surface of the valve body 12 on which the motor 41 is installed) to receive the fitting portion 22a of the connecting member 21. A female thread 19a is formed on the lower inner circumferential surface of the connection opening 19, which engages with the male thread 25 of the fitting portion 22a. A stepped portion 19b is also formed at the bottom of the connection opening 19, against which the fitting portion 22a abuts. Furthermore, a ring-shaped sealing member (O-ring) 28 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the connection opening 19, above the female thread 19a. This sealing member 28 is interposed between the valve body 12 (the inner circumferential surface of the connection opening 19) and the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member 21 (the fitting portion 22a) to prevent refrigerant from leaking out of the valve chamber 13.

[0029] The connecting member 21 is attached to the valve body 12 by inserting the fitting portion 22a into the connection opening 19 of the valve body 12, and screwing the male thread 25 on the outer circumference of the fitting portion 22a into the female thread 19a on the inner circumference of the connection opening 19, thereby screwing the fitting portion 22a into the connection opening 19. During this installation process, the base end of the flange portion 23, which is the lower end of the fitting portion 22a, abuts against the stepped portion 19b at the bottom of the connection opening 19, thereby stopping the connecting member 21 and fixing it to the valve body 12.

[0030] Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the connecting member 21 is tightened with excessive torque when it is installed, the axial force and deformation can be released from the fitting portion 22a, which is equipped with the male screw 25 and the sealing member 28, to the tip side of the flange portion 23 (the side closer to the central axis A of the connecting member 21), thereby preventing deformation of the fitting portion 22a or damage to the screw portion (male screw 25) during the assembly of the electric valve 11 (when the connecting member 21 is installed).

[0031] When the connecting member 21 is attached to the valve body 12, the upper part of the cylindrical portion 22 protrudes upward from the connection opening 19, creating a certain gap between the upper surface of the valve body 12 and the protruding portion 24. This gap is provided with a sealing member 29 (described later) to prevent moisture from entering the electric motor 41. In addition, the can 40 is welded to the outer circumference of the upper surface of the connecting member 21 (the outer edge of the protruding portion 24).

[0032] The electric motor 41 is a stepping motor comprising a stator 42 positioned outside the can 40, a rotor 43 rotatably positioned inside the can 40, and a resin molded cover 57 covering the can 40 and stator 42. The resin molded cover 57 has cylindrical legs 57a at its lower end that surround the cylindrical portion 22 and the protruding portion 24 of the connecting member 21 at regular intervals. A sealing member (O-ring) 29 is provided, interposed in the gap between the upper surface of the valve body 12 and the protruding portion 24, and interposed between the inner circumferential surface of the legs 57a of the resin molded cover 57 and the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member 21 (cylindrical portion 22). This sealing member 29 serves to prevent moisture from entering the electric motor 41.

[0033] The stator 42, located on the outside of the can 40, includes a yoke 46 and a coil 48 with windings on a bobbin 47. On the other hand, the rotor 43, located on the inside of the can 40, is constructed by integrally connecting a cylindrical rotor member 43a made of magnetic material (permanent magnet) and a sun gear member 49 made of resin material.

[0034] A rotor support shaft 44 is inserted into the center of the sun gear member 49, and the upper part of the rotor support shaft 44 is supported by a support member 45 positioned inside the top of the can 40.

[0035] The sun gear 49a of the sun gear member 49 meshes with a plurality of planetary gears 50 that are rotatably supported by a shaft 53 provided on a carrier 54 mounted on the bottom surface of the output gear 55. The upper part of the planetary gears 50 meshes with an annular ring gear (internal fixed gear) 51 attached to the top of a cylindrical gear case 39 fixed to the top of a screw bearing 31 (described later), and the lower part of the planetary gears 50 meshes with an internal gear 52 of the annular output gear 55. The number of teeth of the ring gear 51 and the number of teeth of the internal gear 52 of the output gear 55 are slightly different, so that the rotational speed of the sun gear 49a is reduced by a large reduction ratio and transmitted to the output gear 55. These gear mechanisms (sun gear 49a, planetary gear 50, ring gear 51, and output gear 55) constitute a reduction mechanism (mysterious planetary gear reduction mechanism) 56 that reduces the rotation of the aforementioned stepping motor 41.

[0036] A cylindrical screw bearing 31 is fitted into the upper part of the connecting member 21 (cylindrical portion 22). Inside the screw bearing 31 is a lead screw mechanism, which serves as the transmission mechanism 33.

[0037] The output gear 55 is in slidable contact with the upper surface of the screw bearing 31. The upper part of a stepped cylindrical output shaft 38 is press-fitted into the center of the bottom of the output gear 55, and the lower part of the output shaft 38 is rotatably inserted into a fitting hole 31a formed in the center of the upper surface of the screw bearing 31. The lower end of the rotor support shaft 44 is also fitted to the upper part of the output shaft 38 so as to be rotatable relative to it.

[0038] A female threaded portion 31b is formed at the lower center of the screw bearing 31, and a male threaded portion 32b formed on the outer circumferential surface of the screw drive member 32 is screwed into this female threaded portion 31b. These screw bearing 31 (female threaded portion 31b) and screw drive member 32 (male threaded portion 32b) constitute a transmission mechanism (feed screw mechanism) 33 that converts the rotational motion supplied from the electric motor 41 via the reduction mechanism 56 into vertical linear motion and transmits it to the valve body 17.

[0039] Here, the output gear 55 rotates without moving up or down at a fixed position in the vertical direction, and the rotational motion of the output gear 55 is transmitted to the screw drive member 32 by inserting the flat screwdriver-shaped plate portion 32a provided on the upper end of the screw drive member 32 into the slit-shaped fitting groove 38a provided on the lower end of the output shaft 38 connected to the output gear 55. As the plate portion 32a provided on the screw drive member 32 slides vertically within the fitting groove 38a of the output shaft 38, the screw drive member 32 moves linearly vertically by the feed screw mechanism 33, even though the output gear 55 (rotor 43) does not move vertically when the output gear 55 rotates.

[0040] The linear motion of the screw drive member 32 is transmitted to the valve body 17 via a ball-shaped coupling 34 consisting of a ball 35a and a ball seat 35b, and a spring-receiving member 36. The valve body 17 consists of a valve body main portion 17a that moves toward and away from the valve seat 14, and a stepped cylindrical valve body support portion 17b that rises upward from the center of the upper surface of the valve body main portion 17a. The spring-receiving member 36 and the valve body 17 (valve body support portion 17b) are connected by fitting the upper end of the valve body support portion 17b into a fitting hole (lower fitting hole) formed in the center of the lower surface of the spring-receiving member 36. In addition, a fitting hole (upper fitting hole) is provided in the center of the upper surface of the spring-receiving member 36, and the ball seat 35b is fitted into this upper fitting hole.

[0041] Furthermore, a communication hole 27 is formed between the valve chamber 13 and the connecting opening 19, connecting the connecting opening 19 and the valve chamber 13 through this communication hole 27. A valve body guide member 18 is fixed inside this communication hole 19, thereby closing the upper surface of the valve chamber 13. The valve body guide member 18, fixed to the upper part of the valve chamber 13, has a stepped through-hole in its center through which the valve body support portion 17b is allowed to slide vertically, and a compression coil spring 37 is installed. The compression coil spring 37 is provided between the stepped portion at the top of the through-hole and the spring receiving member 36. The compression coil spring 37 biases the valve body 17 upward in the opening direction, and by applying the biasing force of the coil spring 37 to the valve body 17 in addition to the driving force of the electric motor 41 during the valve opening operation, it is possible to perform the valve opening operation more reliably.

[0042] In this embodiment, the central axes of the valve body 17, valve seat 14, valve body guide member 18, connecting member 21, screw bearing 31, screw drive member 32, output shaft 38, and rotor support shaft 44, as well as the rotation axis of the rotor 43, coincide with the axis A of the electric valve 11, which extends vertically in the vertical direction.

[0043] The operation of the electric valve 11 according to this embodiment is as follows.

[0044] When current is supplied to the stator 42 (coil 48) so that the rotor 43 rotates in one direction from the closed valve state shown in Figure 1, the rotation of the rotor 43 is converted into linear motion by the lead screw mechanism 33, and the screw drive member 32 is pulled upward. Accordingly, the spring receiving member 36, which is pressed against the lower surface of the screw drive member 32 via the ball joint 34 by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 37, and the valve body support part 17b connected to the spring receiving member 36 are pulled upward, causing the valve body part 17a to separate from the valve seat 14, and the refrigerant that has flowed in from the inlet passage 15 to flow out from the outlet passage 16 through the valve chamber 13 (see arrow C in Figure 2). The amount of refrigerant passing through (refrigerant flow rate) in this open valve state can be adjusted by the amount of rotation of the rotor 43.

[0045] On the other hand, when current is supplied to the stator 42 (coil 48) so that the rotor 43 rotates in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned one direction from this open valve state, the rotation of the rotor 43 is converted into linear motion by the lead screw mechanism 33, and the screw drive member 32 moves downward. Along with this downward movement, the ball joint 34, the spring receiving member 36 and the valve body 17 move downward, and when the valve body main portion 17a comes into contact with the valve seat 14, the flow path between the inlet passage 15 and the outlet passage 16 is blocked, resulting in a closed valve state (see Figure 1).

[0046] Furthermore, the electric valve 11 of this embodiment (and the same applies to the second embodiment described below) can also be used to reverse the flow of refrigerant, that is, to allow refrigerant to flow in through the outlet hole 16 and out through the inlet hole 15.

[0047] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the electric valve of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Note that components similar to those of the electric valve of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted, with the focus being on the differences.

[0048] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the electric valve 61 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a connecting member 62 having a cylindrical portion 22 including a fitting portion 22a, a flange portion 23, and a protruding portion 24, similar to the first embodiment, and a sealing member 28 is provided in the connecting opening 19 of the valve body 12. However, the arrangement of the male thread 25 (and female thread 19a) and the sealing member 28 is reversed in the vertical direction compared to the first embodiment.

[0049] In other words, in the first embodiment, the sealing member 28 was positioned above the male screw 25 (and female screw 19a), but in this embodiment, the sealing member 28 is positioned below the male screw 25 (and female screw 19a) (near the bottom of the connection opening 19).

[0050] With this arrangement, when inserting the fitting portion 22a into the connection opening 19 to attach the connecting member 62 to the valve body 12, the male threads 25 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion 22a do not pass through the sealing member 28 (the sealing member 28 must be installed in the connection opening 19 before the connecting member 62). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sealing member 28 from being damaged by the male threads 25 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member 62 during installation, which could cause valve leakage. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] A axis (center axis) C Refrigerant flow 11,61 Electric Valve 12 Valve body 13 valve chambers 14 valve seats 15 Inflow channel 16 Outflow channel 17 Valve body 17a Valve body 17b Valve support 18 Valve body guide member 19 Connection opening 19a Female thread 19b Stepped section 21, 62, 63 Connecting members 22 Cylindrical part 22a Inset part 23 Flange section 24 Overhang 25 Male screw 27 Communication hole 28,29 Sealing member 31 Screw bearing 31a insertion hole 31b Female thread section 32 Screw drive member 32a Plate-like part 32b Male threaded section 33. Transmission mechanism (feed screw mechanism) 34 Ball joint 35a Ball 35b Ball seat 36 Spring support member 37 Compression coil spring 38 Output shaft 38a Fitting groove 39 Gear Case 40 cans (sealable containers) 41. Electric motor (stepping motor) 42 stata 43 Rotors 43a Rotor component 44 Rotor support shaft 45 Support member 46 York 47 Bobbin 48 coils 49. Solar gear component 49a Solar Gear 50 Planetary Gears 51 Ring gear (internal gear with fixed teeth) 52 Internal gear 53 shaft 54 Carriers 55 Output Gear 56. Reduction Mechanism (Mysterious Planetary Gear Reduction Mechanism) 57 Resin molded cover 57a Cylindrical leg

Claims

1. A valve body having a valve chamber inside that communicates with the inlet and outlet passages, A valve body that moves back and forth relative to a valve seat formed in the valve chamber, A can that rotatably houses a rotor included in the electric motor that drives the valve body, A connecting member that connects the can and the valve body, An electric valve comprising, The valve body has a connecting opening on its top surface into which the connecting member can be inserted, The connecting opening has a stepped portion at its bottom that allows the connecting member to abut against the connecting member when the connecting member is fitted into the connecting opening. The aforementioned connecting member is A cylindrical fitting portion that is fitted into the aforementioned connecting opening, A flange portion formed so as to bend from the bottom end of the fitting portion toward the center of the connecting member, It has, The fitting portion has a male thread on its outer surface that screws into a female thread formed on the inner surface of the connecting opening. When the fitting portion is fitted into the connecting opening, the base end of the flange portion abuts against the stepped portion. An electric valve characterized by the following features.

2. A ring-shaped sealing member is provided within the connecting opening so as to be interposed between the fitting portion and the valve body. The electric valve according to claim 1.

3. With respect to the depth direction of the connection opening, the female thread is formed at a position further from the bottom of the connection opening than the sealing member, and when the fitting portion is fitted into the connection opening, the male thread is positioned further from the bottom of the connection opening than the sealing member. The electric valve according to claim 2.

4. The connecting member is a press-formed part. The electric valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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