non-return valve

Abstract

To prevent or suppress generation of collision noise from a check valve in opening the valve.SOLUTION: A check valve includes an outer pipe 12 having an inlet port and an outlet port, and a valve assembly 21 housed in the outer pipe. The valve assembly has: a cylindrical guide member 25 having a bent portion 27 bent inward at one end; a valve element 22 slidably housed in the guide member and restricted in moving limit to a valve opening direction by the bent portion; a valve seat member 28 disposed on the other end of the guide member and including a valve seat 30 with which the valve element is kept into contact or separated therefrom; and a seal member 32 for sealing between an outer peripheral surface of the valve seat member and an inner peripheral surface of the outer pipe. The check valve further includes a buffer structure (flange portion 33 and leaf spring portion 34) for softening impact shock of collision of the valve element to the bent portion in opening the valve, on the bent portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a check valve, and particularly to a valve structure that prevents the generation of a collision sound of a valve body when the valve is opened.

Background Art

[0002] Refrigeration and refrigeration devices and air-conditioning equipment using a refrigeration cycle are widely used today. For example, a heat pump type air-conditioning system capable of heating and cooling is used as an air conditioner for transportation machinery such as a car air conditioner, a room air conditioner for a house or a store, and a central air-conditioning facility for a large building.

[0003] In addition, in such an air-conditioning system, a check valve is used in a refrigerant pipe (for example, a branch portion, etc.) to switch the flow path of the refrigerant.

[0004] FIGS. 12 to 13 show an example of a conventional check valve (FIG. 12 shows a closed valve state, and FIG. 13 shows an open valve state, respectively). As shown in these figures, this check valve 51 includes an outer pipe 12 having an inlet port (not shown / formed below FIGS. 12 and 13) for allowing a fluid to flow in and an outlet port (not shown / formed above FIGS. 12 and 13) for allowing the fluid to flow out, and a valve assembly 52 housed inside the outer pipe 12 between the inlet port and the outlet port.

[0005] The valve assembly 52 includes a cylindrical guide member 54 having a bent portion 53 with one end bent inward, a valve body 22 housed in the guide member 54 and whose movement limit in the valve opening direction is defined by the bent portion 53 (its movement in the valve opening direction is restricted and becomes the limit of movement in that direction), a valve seat member 28 attached to the other end of the guide member 54 and equipped with a valve seat 30 to which the valve body 22 moves toward and toward, and a sealing member 32 that seals the space between the outer circumferential surface of the valve seat member 28 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube 12. The valve body 22 has a valve portion 23 that moves toward and toward the valve seat 30, and four wing-shaped portions 24 extending axially on the back side of the valve portion 23. The valve body 22 moves axially while being guided by the guide member 54 without radial displacement, as these four wing-shaped portions 24 slidably contact the inner circumferential surface of the guide member 25.

[0006] The bent portion 53 is a flange-like part that bends at a right angle from one end edge of the guide member 54 and extends horizontally toward the center of the guide member 54 (in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the guide member 54). The valve body 22, moving in the opening direction (away from the valve seat member 28), stops when the wing-shaped portion 24 abuts against the bent portion 53 (see Figure 13), and the check valve 51 opens.

[0007] Furthermore, the following patent document discloses a check valve used in such an air conditioning system. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-44418 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] By the way, the conventional check valve 51 may generate noise (collision sound) when the valve body 22 (wing-shaped part 24) collides with the bent part 53.

[0010] On the other hand, coupled with the increasing popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles, the quietness inside automobiles has been steadily improving in recent years. Therefore, if collision noises like those described above occur in car air conditioners, it will reduce the quietness inside the vehicle and impair comfort. Furthermore, this problem of collision noise is not limited to car air conditioners; it can also occur in other refrigeration cycle devices such as room air conditioners and building air conditioning systems.

[0011] Furthermore, the aforementioned problems are not pointed out in Patent Document 1, nor does Patent Document 1 provide a solution to them.

[0012] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to prevent or suppress the generation of collision noise from the check valve when it is opened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the objective, the check valve according to the present invention comprises an outer tube having an inlet port for introducing fluid and an outlet port for introducing fluid, and a valve assembly housed inside the outer tube between the inlet port and the outlet port, wherein the valve assembly comprises a cylindrical guide member having a bent portion with one end bent inward, a valve body slidably housed inside the guide member and whose movement limit in the valve opening direction is defined by the bent portion, a valve seat member mounted on the other end of the guide member and having a valve seat to which the valve body moves toward and away, and a sealing member that seals the space between the outer circumferential surface of the valve seat member and the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube, wherein the bent portion is provided with a buffer structure to mitigate the impact of the valve body colliding with the bent portion when the check valve is fully open.

[0014] The check valve of the present invention is equipped with a buffer structure at the bent portion of the valve body that acts as a stopper (i.e., the valve body moving in the opening direction when the valve is fully open will abut and be stopped), thereby preventing or suppressing the occurrence of collision noise of the valve body.

[0015] As for specific embodiments of the buffer structure, the first embodiment involves giving the bent portion itself spring properties, as described below. Ruka Alternatively, in a second embodiment, a cushioning material may be provided at the bent portion. ru.

[0016] [First aspect] In the first embodiment, the check valve according to the present invention described above, the bent portion has a flange portion into which the valve body collides when the check valve is fully open, and a flexible leaf spring portion that connects the cylindrical main body portion of the guide member to the flange portion and has a curved shape that protrudes from the flange portion toward the outlet port side.

[0017] Furthermore, the leaf spring portion expands in a ring shape between the flange portion and the main body portion of the guide member, and the leaf spring portion is provided with multiple through holes that penetrate in the axial direction of the check valve. ru. The purpose is to make the leaf spring section more flexible, thereby enhancing the shock absorption effect of valve body collisions and more effectively preventing the generation of collision noise.

[0018] [Second aspect] In a second embodiment, the check valve according to the present invention is provided with a ring-shaped retaining space formed by bending the tip of the bent portion into a hook shape, and a cushioning material is provided within the retaining space to which the valve body collides when the check valve is fully open and to mitigate the impact of the collision of the valve body.

[0019] The above-mentioned cushioning material is typically an elastic member. For example, a ring-shaped member (such as an O-ring) made primarily of rubber or resin can be used as the cushioning material. Furthermore, since the only requirement is to reduce impact noise, the cushioning material can also be constructed from a low-hardness metal (such as tin).

[0020] Furthermore, it is preferable to form a narrower section at the entrance of the retaining space, which is narrower than the inner side of the retaining space. This is to prevent the cushioning material housed within the retaining space from falling out.

[0021] The constricted portion can be formed, for example, by bending the tip of the hook-shaped bent portion in a direction that narrows the holding space.

[0022] For example, a protruding portion that protrudes toward the holding space may be formed on the main body portion of the guide member facing the tip of the hooked bent portion, and the narrowed portion may be formed by the protruding portion and the tip of the bent portion.

[0023] Furthermore, the cushioning material may have one or more protruding portions that protrude toward the valve body, and the protruding portions may contact the valve body when the check valve is fully open. This is to prevent the valve body from sticking to the cushioning material and hindering the closing operation.

Advantages of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent or suppress the generation of a collision sound from the check valve during valve opening.

[0025] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the present invention based on the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications 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

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a check valve (closed state) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the check valve (open state) according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a valve assembly (closed state) of the check valve according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view (viewed in the direction of arrow B-B in FIG. 3) showing the valve assembly of the check valve according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing a main part (portion C in FIG. 3) of the valve assembly (open state) of the check valve according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a magnified longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main part (corresponding to part C in Figure 3) of a check valve (open state) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main parts of a modified example of the check valve (open state) according to the second embodiment, similar to Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main part of another modified example of the check valve (open state) according to the second embodiment, similar to Figure 6. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main part of yet another modified example of the check valve (open state) according to the second embodiment, similar to Figure 6. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main part of yet another modified example of the check valve (open state) according to the second embodiment, similar to Figure 6. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main part of yet another modified example of the check valve (open state) according to the second embodiment, similar to Figure 6. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional check valve (closed state). [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the conventional check valve (in the open state). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] [First Embodiment] A check valve according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the check valve 11 according to the first embodiment of the present invention consists of an outer tube 12 having an inlet port 13 for introducing fluid and an outlet port 14 for releasing fluid, and a valve assembly 21 fitted into the outer tube 12 and positioned between the inlet port 13 and the outlet port 14.

[0029] The outer tube 12 has a large-diameter section 15 that houses the valve assembly 21, an inlet-side tapered section 16 in which the diameter (outer and inner diameters) gradually decreases from the large-diameter section 15 toward the inlet port 13 which has a smaller diameter than the large-diameter section 15, and an outlet-side tapered section 17 in which the diameter (outer and inner diameters) gradually decreases from the large-diameter section 15 toward the outlet port 14 which has a smaller diameter than the large-diameter section 15.

[0030] The valve assembly 21 includes a cylindrical guide member 25 having a bent portion 27 with one end (outlet port 14 side) bent inward, a valve body 22 slidably housed in the guide member 25, a valve seat member 28 fixed to the other end (inlet port 13 side) of the guide member 25, and a sealing member 32 that seals the space between the outer circumferential surface of the valve seat member 28 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube 12.

[0031] The sealing member 32 is made of, for example, a rubber O-ring and is fixed by fitting it into a groove 31 formed on the outer surface of the valve seat member 28. The valve seat member 28 is made of a metal such as brass, the valve body 22 is made of, for example, a resin material, and the outer tube 12 is made of a metal material such as copper or stainless steel.

[0032] The valve seat member 28 is a ring-shaped member having a valve opening 29, which is a through hole that connects the inlet port 13 and the inside of the guide member 25, and is equipped with a valve seat 30 at one end of the valve opening 29 (the inside side of the guide member 25). The valve body 22 has a valve portion 23 that opens and closes the valve opening 29 by moving toward and toward (contacting or separating from) the valve seat 30, and four wing-shaped portions 24 that extend in the axial direction (the direction of operation of the valve body 22) on the back side of the valve portion 23 (the side closer to the bent portion 27). The valve body 22 moves in the axial direction (central axis A) while being guided by the guide member 25 without radial displacement, as these four wing-shaped portions 24 slidably contact the inner circumferential surface of the guide member 25.

[0033] Furthermore, the valve body 22 has a limit to its movement in the opening direction defined by the bent portion 27. In other words, when it moves in the opening direction, the valve body 22 abuts against the bent portion 27 and stops, as shown in Figure 2. This is the same as the conventional check valve 51 described earlier (Figures 12-13).

[0034] On the other hand, the check valve 11 of this embodiment is provided with a buffer structure in the bent portion 27 to mitigate the impact of the valve body 22 colliding with the bent portion 27 when the valve is fully open (the state shown in Figure 2). Specifically, the bent portion 27 is formed by bending one end of the guide member 25 (the end on the outlet port 14 side) so that it protrudes toward the outlet port 14, while simultaneously bending it horizontally toward the center of the guide member 25 (in a direction perpendicular to the central axis A). This results in the bent portion 27 consisting of a ring-shaped flange portion 33 that extends concentrically with respect to the main body portion 26 inside the main body portion 26 of the guide member 25 and into which the valve body 22 (wing-shaped portion 24) collides, and a flexible leaf spring portion 34 that curves and connects the flange portion 33 and the main body portion 26 of the guide member.

[0035] Therefore, in the check valve 11 of this embodiment, when the valve body 22 collides, the bent portion 27 (especially the leaf spring portion 34) flexes, thereby mitigating the impact of the collision and preventing or reducing the generation of collision noise. In order to make the leaf spring portion 34 more flexible, multiple (eight in this embodiment / see Figure 4) through holes 35 are drilled in the leaf spring portion 34. The holes 45 formed by being surrounded by the tip 27a of the bent portion 27 serve as outlet holes that allow refrigerant to flow out from inside the guide member 25 toward the outlet port 14.

[0036] The operation of the check valve 11 according to this embodiment is described as follows.

[0037] When the pressure on the outlet port 14 side is higher than the pressure on the inlet port 13 side, as shown in Figure 1, the valve portion 23 of the valve body 22 comes into contact with the valve seat 30 of the valve seat member 25, closing the valve opening 29 (closed valve state) and interrupting the flow of refrigerant.

[0038] On the other hand, when the pressure on the inlet port 13 side (inflow side) becomes higher than the pressure on the outlet port 14 side (outflow side), as shown in Figure 2, the valve body 22 moves toward the outlet port 14 side (bent portion 27 side) along the inner surface of the guide member 25 (cylindrical main body portion 26), causing the valve portion 23 to separate from the valve seat 30 and the valve opening 29 to open. The refrigerant then flows through the gap between the four vane-shaped portions 24 (see arrow F in Figure 2), and the refrigerant that flowed in from the inlet port 13 flows out from the outlet port 14 (open state). The valve body 22 then stops by contacting the bent portion 27, and the open (fully open) state is maintained. At this time, as mentioned above, the cushioning structure of the bent portion 27 prevents or reduces the occurrence of collision noise.

[0039] [Second Embodiment] A check valve according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 11. In this description, components identical or equivalent to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted, with the focus being on the differences.

[0040] The check valve according to the second embodiment of the present invention differs from the first embodiment in that the cushioning structure provided in the bent portion 27 of the guide member 25 is different. In this embodiment, a cushioning material 38 is provided in the bent portion 27, and the valve body 22 (wing-shaped portion 24) is made to collide with this cushioning material 38 when the valve is opened. The other parts are the same as the check valve 11 of the first embodiment.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the bent portion 27 is bent into a hook shape to form a holding space 36 for the cushioning material 38 on the inside side (valve body 22 side) of the guide member 25, and the cushioning material 38 is held in this holding space 36. A projection 37 is formed at one end of the guide member body portion 25, which is the entrance to the holding space 36, and the cushioning material 38 is held between this projection 37 and the tip 27a of the hook-shaped bent portion 27 to prevent the cushioning material 38 from falling out. The formation of the projection 37 creates a constricted portion at the entrance of the holding space 36 as described in the present invention.

[0042] The cushioning material 38 is, for example, a ring-shaped elastic member made of rubber or resin (e.g., an O-ring). When the valve body 22 is opened, the wing-shaped portion 24 abuts against the cushioning material 38, stopping it (as shown in Figure 6). At this time, the cushioning (elastic) action of the cushioning material 38 mitigates the impact of the collision, suppressing the generation of collision noise.

[0043] The shape and retention method of the cushioning material 38 can be changed in various ways, in addition to those described above, for example, as shown below.

[0044] As shown in Figure 7, instead of forming the protruding portion 37 (see Figure 6), the tip 27a of the bent portion 27 may be bent so that it bites into the inside of the holding space 36, thereby narrowing the entrance to the holding space 36 (forming the constricted portion), and thereby preventing the cushioning material 38 from falling out.

[0045] Figures 8 to 11 show examples in which the shape of one end of the bent portion 27 and the main body portion 26 of the guide member is the same as in the example shown in Figure 6, but the cross-sectional shape of the cushioning material 38 is different.

[0046] The example shown in Figure 8 has a projection 44 that protrudes toward the valve body 22 formed on the surface of the cushioning material 38 facing the valve body 22. By forming such a projection 44 and ensuring that the valve body 22 comes into contact with it, the projection 44 can elastically deform, allowing it to absorb impact more effectively. Furthermore, by ensuring that the valve body 22 comes into contact with the projection 44, it is possible to prevent the valve body 22 from sticking to the cushioning material 39 and hindering the valve closing operation.

[0047] The example shown in Figure 9 has a notch 43 formed on the side surface of the cushioning material 40, cut horizontally toward the center of the cushioning material 40 (in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the guide member 25). By forming such a notch 43, the cushioning material 40 can be easily deformed so that it collapses in the direction of travel of the valve body 22 (the axial direction of the guide member 25). Therefore, it is possible to better absorb the impact of the collision of the valve body 22 and suppress the generation of collision noise.

[0048] The examples shown in Figures 10 and 11 are in which the cushioning materials 41 and 42 are configured to have multiple radially extending protrusions 44. The deformation of these multiple protrusions 44 absorbs the impact of the collision with the valve body 22, thereby suppressing the generation of collision noise. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] A Center axis F Refrigerant flow 11.51 Check valve 12 Outer tube 13 Entrance Port 14 Exit Ports 15 Large diameter section 16 Inlet side tapered section 17 Exit side tapered section 21,52 Valve Assembly 22 Valve body 23 Valve section 24. Feather-shaped part 25,54 Guide members 26 Main body of the guide member 27,53 Bend part 27a Tip of the bent section 28 Valve seat member 29 valve opening 30 valve seats 31 groove 32 sealing member 33 Flange section 34 Leaf spring section 35 Through hole 36 Holding space 37 Protrusion 38,39,40,41,42 Cushioning material 43 Notch 44 Protrusion 45 Outflow hole

Claims

1. An outer tube having an inlet port for introducing fluid and an outlet port for releasing the fluid, A valve assembly housed inside the outer tube between the inlet port and the outlet port, Equipped with, The valve assembly is, A cylindrical guide member having a bent portion with one end folded inward, A valve body is slidably housed inside the guide member, and the bending portion defines the limit of its movement in the valve opening direction. A valve seat member is attached to the other end of the guide member and has a valve seat on which the valve body moves toward and away from; A sealing member that seals the space between the outer circumferential surface of the valve seat member and the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube, has It is a check valve, The bent portion is provided with a buffer structure to mitigate the impact of the valve body colliding with the bent portion when the check valve is fully open. As the aforementioned buffer structure, The aforementioned bent portion, The flange portion into which the valve body collides when the check valve is fully open, A leaf spring portion is provided, which connects the cylindrical main body portion and the flange portion of the guide member, and has a curved shape that protrudes from the flange portion toward the outlet port side, and is flexible. To have, The aforementioned leaf spring portion is, The flange portion and the main body portion of the guide member spread out in a ring shape, The leaf spring portion is provided with multiple through holes that penetrate in the axial direction of the check valve. A check valve characterized by the following features.

2. An outer tube having an inlet port for introducing fluid and an outlet port for releasing the fluid, A valve assembly housed inside the outer tube between the inlet port and the outlet port, Equipped with, The valve assembly is, A cylindrical guide member having a bent portion with one end folded inward, A valve body is slidably housed inside the guide member, and the bending portion defines the limit of its movement in the valve opening direction. A valve seat member is attached to the other end of the guide member and has a valve seat on which the valve body moves toward and away from; A sealing member that seals the space between the outer circumferential surface of the valve seat member and the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube, has It is a check valve, The bent portion is provided with a buffer structure to mitigate the impact of the valve body colliding with the bent portion when the check valve is fully open. As the aforementioned buffer structure, By bending the tip of the aforementioned bent portion into a hook shape, a ring-shaped holding space is formed. The holding space is provided with a cushioning material that will collide with the valve body when the check valve is fully open and that will mitigate the impact of the collision. A check valve characterized by the following features.

3. The cushioning material is a ring-shaped member made primarily of rubber or resin. The check valve according to claim 2.

4. A narrowed section is formed at the entrance of the retaining space, which is narrower than the inner side of the retaining space and can prevent the cushioning material housed within the retaining space from falling out. The check valve according to claim 2.

5. The constricted portion is formed by bending the tip of the hook-shaped bent portion in a direction that narrows the holding space. The check valve according to claim 4.

6. A protrusion is formed on the main body of the guide member opposite to the tip of the hook-shaped bent portion, which protrudes toward the holding space. The protruding portion and the tip of the bent portion constitute the constricted portion. The check valve according to claim 4.

7. The aforementioned cushioning material is It has one or more protrusions that project toward the valve body, When the check valve is fully open, the projection comes into contact with the valve body. A check valve according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

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