Armature device and valve device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a technique for reducing the number of components when a plurality of stepping motors are used. [Solution] This armature device comprises: a plurality of armature packages in which an armature fitted to the outside of a rotor case of a stepping motor is covered with a resin member; a resin-made shared base to which the plurality of armature packages are fixed in common; a connector part having one hood part integrally formed with the shared base and a plurality of connector terminals that are at least partially received in the hood part; and a relay circuit that is covered with both or one of the shared base and the resin member of the armature package and connects the plurality of connector terminals and each of the armatures.

Description

Armature device and valve device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an armature device having an armature package in which an armature fitted to a rotor case of a stepping motor is covered with a waterproof resin material, and a valve device in which a rotor-equipped valve is assembled to such an armature device.

[0002] In recent years, as electrical appliances have become more sophisticated and multifunctional, appliances equipped with a plurality of stepping motors have become widespread (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2010-11624 A (paragraph

[0032] )

[0004] However, in conventional technology, the number of parts increases as the number of stepping motors increases, resulting in high parts management costs. Therefore, this application provides technology that reduces the number of parts when using multiple stepping motors.

[0005] One aspect of the invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is an armature device comprising: a plurality of armature packages, each having an armatures that is fitted onto the outside of a rotor case of a stepping motor and is covered with a resin member; a shared base made of resin to which the plurality of armature packages are commonly fixed; a connector portion having a hood portion integrally formed with the shared base and a plurality of connector terminals that are at least partially received within the hood portion; and a relay circuit that is covered by both or either of the shared base and the resin member of the armature packages, and that connects the plurality of connector terminals to each of the armatures.

[0006] 11 is a perspective view of a terminal group unit of a second embodiment; FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of a shared base; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a shared base of a third embodiment; FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a shared base; FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a valve device of a fourth embodiment; FIG. 16A is a perspective view of a shared base of a fifth embodiment; FIG. 16B is a perspective view of a circuit board of the fifth embodiment; and FIG. 17 is a plan sectional view of the shared base.

[0007] [First Embodiment] A first embodiment of a valve device 12A will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. As shown in Figure 1, the valve device 12A is formed by assembling an armature device 10A and a plurality of rotor-equipped valves 11. Hereinafter, the "upper side" and "lower side" in Figures 1 and 2 will be simply referred to as "upper side" and "lower side," and the rotor-equipped valves 11 will be described first.

[0008] As shown in Figure 2, the rotor-equipped valve 11 comprises a base member 13 and a valve body 20. The base member 13 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape (see Figure 1), and is provided with a vertical hole 14 extending from the top surface of the base member 13 to a position midway in the vertical direction, and first and second horizontal holes 15, 16 extending from the bottom end and a position close to the bottom end of the vertical hole 14 to the side surface of the base member 13. A valve seat member 17 is press-fitted into the vertical hole 14 between the connection portion with the first horizontal hole 15 and the connection portion with the second horizontal hole 16, and a valve hole 18 passes through the center of the valve seat member 17.

[0009] The base member 13 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape and may be, for example, a cylindrical body. The vertical hole 14 formed in the base member 13 is also not limited to extending from the top surface of the base member 13 to a midpoint in the vertical direction and may, for example, penetrate downward, with the through hole being the third horizontal hole. Furthermore, the valve seat member 17 is a separate member from the base member 13, but may also be, for example, integrated with the base member 13. The material of the valve seat member 17 is preferably a hard metal such as stainless steel.

[0010] A valve element support member 24 included in the valve body 20 is inserted into the upper part of the vertical hole 14. The valve element support member 24 is formed by fitting multiple cylindrical parts, and its outer diameter gradually decreases toward the bottom. An O-ring groove 21 for receiving an O-ring 21R is provided at the upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the valve element support member 24, and a threaded portion 23 is formed near the lower end. First to third stepped portions 22D1, 22D2, and 22D3 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the valve element support member 24 between the O-ring groove 21 and the threaded portion 23, and an O-ring 22R is fitted between the second and third stepped portions 22D2 and 22D3. The threaded portion 23 is threadedly engaged with the threaded portion 14N of the vertical hole 14, the first stepped portion 22D1 abuts against the upper surface of the base member 13, and the O-ring 22R is in close contact with the inner surface of the vertical hole 14.

[0011] A central hole 24A, through which a valve element 29 (described later) is inserted, is formed in the center of the valve element support member 24, and an annular groove 24B, concentric with the central hole 24A, is formed in the upper surface of the valve element support member 24. The annular groove 24B is a recess to which a rotor case 25 is connected, and the lower end of the cylindrical rotor case 25 is fitted into the annular groove 24B by, for example, welding or brazing. A lid 26 is attached to the upper end of the rotor case 25 by, for example, welding or brazing. A rotor 27 is provided inside the rotor case 25.

[0012] The valve disc support member 24 is not limited to a configuration in which all of the first to third step portions 22D1, 22D2, and 22D3 abut against the base member 13 to be positioned. It may also be configured such that at least one step portion abuts against the base member 13 to be positioned. For example, the third step portion 22D3 may be abutted against the base member 13 to be positioned, as long as it does not interfere with the threaded portions 14N and 23. Furthermore, the valve disc support member 24 and the base member 13 may be fixed by a configuration other than threaded engagement of the threaded portions 14N and 23. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the O-rings 21R and 22R are disposed only above the threaded portions 14N and 23. However, this is not a limitation, and the O-rings 21R and 22R may be disposed only below the threaded portions 14N and 23, or may be disposed both above and below the threaded portions. Furthermore, packing may be used instead of the O-rings 21R and 22R, and the O-rings 21R and 22R may not be provided depending on the fixing method. Furthermore, although the rotor case 25 in this embodiment is fixed to the valve disc support member 24 by welding or brazing, it may be fixed to the valve disc support member 24 by, for example, screws or adhesive, as long as sealing properties and strength can be ensured. Furthermore, although the rotor case 25 is provided with a lid 26, it may also be configured so that the lid 26 is not provided and the upper end is open.

[0013] The rotor 27 is, for example, a magnet rotor having a plurality of south and north poles (not shown) on its outer circumferential surface, and has a structure in which a shaft member 28 passes through the center of a cylindrical body 27W with a bottomed lower end. The portion of the shaft member 28 that extends downward by the cylindrical body 27W is received in a central hole 24A. A threaded portion 28N formed on the outer surface of the lower part of the shaft member 28 is threadedly engaged with a threaded portion 24N formed on the inner surface of the central hole 24A. The shape of the rotor 27 is not limited to a bottomed lower end, and may be, for example, an H-shaped cross section or a bottomed upper end.

[0014] The shaft member 28 has a hollow structure below its midpoint in the axial direction, and a valve element 29 is fitted inside the hollow structure. A step on the upper part of the valve element 29 abuts against a step inside the shaft member 28, preventing the valve element 29 from slipping off the shaft member 28. A compression coil spring 29A is received inside the shaft member 28 above the valve element 29, and the elastic force of the compression coil spring 29A urges the valve element 29 downward. The lower part of the valve element 29 protrudes downward from the valve element support member 24. As the rotor 27 rotates, the valve element 29 moves vertically together with the rotor 27, approaching and moving away from the valve seat member 17. When the valve element 29 reaches the lower end of its movable range, the valve hole 18 is closed, and the flow rate of fluid passing through the valve hole 18 is changed depending on the amount of upward movement of the valve element 29 from the lower end.

[0015] 3, the armature device 10A includes an armature 30 that is fitted onto the outside of the rotor case 25 and that, together with the rotor 27, forms part of the stepping motor 99. The armature 30 has the same structure as a general armature of, for example, a claw-pole type stepping motor.

[0016] Specifically, the armature 30 includes a first coil unit 31U having a structure in which a bobbin 31B around which a first-phase coil 31 is wound is covered by a flat cylindrical yoke 33, and a second coil unit 32U having a structure in which a bobbin 32B around which a second-phase coil 32 is wound is covered by a yoke 34, the first coil unit 31U and the second coil unit 32U are arranged coaxially. On the inner peripheral surface of each yoke 33, 34, a plurality of teeth 33T, 34T bent at a right angle from one end face of each yoke 33, 34 are alternately arranged, with a plurality of teeth 33T, 34T bent at a right angle from the other end face. Furthermore, the inner surfaces of the plurality of teeth 33T, 34T facing the central axis of the yoke 33, 34 are curved in an arc shape and are positioned within a cylindrical surface having substantially the same diameter as the outer peripheral surface of the rotor case 25.

[0017] Although the stepping motor 99 of this embodiment is a claw-pole type, any type may be used as long as it has a rotor case 25. Specifically, for example, the stepping motor may have a structure in which a plurality of teeth are arranged in the circumferential direction on the stator side, and a coil is wound around each tooth.

[0018] A plurality of lead terminals 36 are connected to the terminals of the coils 31, 32. The plurality of lead terminals 36 and the armature 30, except for some portions, are covered with a resin member 37 to form an armature package 30P. Specifically, the plurality of lead terminals 36 are set in a primary molding die, and a lead terminal group unit having a structure in which the lead terminals 36 are held by a resin holding member 35 is insert-molded. Then, the coils 31, 32 are connected to the plurality of lead terminals 36 of the lead terminal group unit, and the holding member 35 is sandwiched between the yokes 33, 34. This unit is then set in a secondary molding die, and the armature package 30P, in which the above is covered with a resin member 37 that forms a housing 37H, is insert-molded.

[0019] The housing 37H has a cylindrical tubular main body 40 that covers almost the entire yokes 33, 34, a cylindrical protrusion 38 that extends upward from the inner edge of the upper surface of the tubular main body 40 and has a closed upper end, a circular protrusion 41 that protrudes from the inner edge of the lower surface of the tubular main body 40 and has an open lower end, and a box portion 45.

[0020] The inner surface of the cylindrical protrusion 38 is a cylindrical surface that is flush with the inner surface of the cylindrical main body 40. The inner surfaces of the aforementioned plurality of teeth 33T, 34T are exposed and flush with the inner surface of the cylindrical main body 40. The inner surface of the circular protrusion 41 is slightly larger than the inner surface of the cylindrical main body 40. The rotor case 25 is fitted into the inside of the cylindrical main body 40 and the cylindrical protrusion 38, and the upper end of the valve body support member 24 is fitted into the circular protrusion 41, with the O-ring 21R in the O-ring groove 21 of the valve body support member 24 tightly contacting the inner surface of the circular protrusion 41, thereby waterproofing the inside of the armature package 30P.

[0021] 1, the box portion 45 has a flat box-like structure that is open toward the side opposite the cylindrical main body portion 40. Specifically, the box portion 45 comprises a bottom wall 44 that is parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical main body portion 40 and has a square shape when viewed from the front, and an annular wall 39 that protrudes from the outer edge of the bottom wall 44 toward the side opposite the cylindrical main body portion 40. The lateral center of the bottom wall 44 and the cylindrical main body portion 40 are connected by a center connecting portion 42, and both lateral ends of the bottom wall 44 and the cylindrical main body portion 40 are connected by a pair of side connecting portions 43.

[0022] Each side connecting portion 43 has a protruding piece shape that protrudes tangentially from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 40, with approximately half of its thickness extending laterally beyond the side surface of the annular wall 39. The tip of the portion of each side connecting portion 43 that protrudes laterally from the side surface of the annular wall 39 is located on the outer surface of the annular wall 39 at a position rearward of the tip of the annular wall 39. A fitting groove 46 is formed in the side surface of each side connecting portion 43, extending from the tip toward the base end of the side connecting portion 43. The fitting groove 46 has a dovetail structure, with the width of the bottom of the groove being wider than the opening width.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3 , the inside of the box portion 45 forms a waterproof chamber 47, which houses a circuit board 48. The lead terminals 36 pass through the center connecting portion 42 and protrude from the bottom wall 44. The lead terminals 36 pass through connection holes 48B of the circuit board 48 and are soldered to an electric circuit mounted on the circuit board 48. In other words, the armature 30 is connected to the circuit board 48. The circuit board 48 is provided with through-holes (not shown) through which, for example, a plurality of support posts 44T (see FIG. 8 ) protruding from the bottom wall 44 pass. The circuit board 48 is fixed to the armature package 30P by heat-caulking the tips of the support posts 44T.

[0024] In order to hold the yokes 33 and 34 in the secondary molding die, multiple recesses 37U are formed on the top surface of the housing 37H as shown in FIG. 1, and part of the top surface of the upper yoke 33 (see FIG. 3) is exposed inside these recesses 37U. However, since only part of the flat portion of the yoke 33 is exposed, water does not seep into the interior from there.

[0025] 4 shows a shared base 50A to which multiple armature packages 30P are fixed. The shared base 50A has, for example, a band shape extending laterally, and has multiple waterproof chambers 51 arranged at equal intervals in the horizontal direction (longitudinal direction) on its back surface. The front shape of each waterproof chamber 51 is a rectangle that is slightly smaller than the front shape of the waterproof chamber 47, and the opening edge on the back surface of the shared base 50A that surrounds each waterproof chamber 51 forms a package fixing portion 50P. The tip end surface of the annular wall 39 of each armature package 30P is fixed in a state where it overlaps the package fixing portion 50P (see FIG. 1).

[0026] The armature package 30P and the common base 50A may be fixed to each other by welding such as heat welding or vibration welding, or by bonding using an adhesive. Alternatively, a sealing member may be attached to the contact surfaces of the armature package 30P and the common base 50A, and they may be fixed to each other by screws.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, positioning protrusions 52 protrude from the back surface of the shared base 50A between adjacent waterproof chambers 51. Both sides of each positioning protrusion 52 form slide engagement portions 53 having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the fitting grooves 46 of the armature package 30P described above. Specifically, the positioning protrusions 52 are formed as a vertically flat protrusion with a pair of triangular protrusions 53A that protrude gradually upward from positions near both ends in the width direction on the upper surface of the positioning protrusion 52 toward both ends, and a pair of triangular protrusions 53B that protrude gradually downward from positions near both ends in the width direction on the lower surface of the positioning protrusion 52 toward both ends, and a groove 53C is formed between the upper and lower triangular protrusions 53A, 53B. In the armature packages 30P arranged at both longitudinal ends of the shared base 50A, the slide engaging portions 53 engage with the fitting grooves 46 on one side thereof, and in the armature package 30P arranged midway along the longitudinal direction of the shared base 50A, the slide engaging portions 53 engage with the fitting grooves 46 on both sides thereof. The engagement between the slide engaging portions 53 and the fitting grooves 46 positions each armature package 30P so that the entire tip end surface of the annular wall 39 exactly overlaps the entire package fixing portion 50P.

[0028] While the fitting grooves 46 in the above embodiment have a dovetail structure, they may also have a keyway structure, a T-slot structure, or the like. Furthermore, a configuration without the fitting grooves 46 and the positioning protrusions 52 may be used. In such a case, for example, a structure in which multiple armature packages 30P are connected to each other and fixed to a common base 50A may be used. Specifically, in the multiple armature packages 30P shown in FIG. 8 , the left side connecting portion 43 is integrally provided with a slide engaging portion having the same shape as the slide engaging portion 53, and the fitting grooves 46 of the side connecting portion 43 of the left armature package 30P are engaged with the slide engaging portion of the side connecting portion 43 of the armature package 30P adjacent to the left side, thereby connecting the packages.

[0029] A connector portion 54 is provided at one longitudinal end of the front surface of the shared base 50A. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , this connector portion 54 has a hood portion 55 that protrudes from the front surface of the shared base 50A and multiple connection pins 56 that protrude from the rear surface of the hood portion 55. Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the hood portion 55 is, for example, an oval that is long in the vertical direction, and is located approximately in the horizontal center of the waterproof chamber 51 at one longitudinal end of the shared base 50A. The multiple connection pins 56 extend straight from, for example, approximately in the horizontal center of the rear surface of the hood portion 55 and are aligned in a vertical row. The outer surface of the hood portion 55 is provided with multiple protrusions 55T that extend in the protruding direction of the hood portion 55, as well as a locking protrusion 55A.

[0030] The mating connector portion (not shown) that is coupled to the connector portion 54 includes, for example, a connector housing having a mating hood portion that fits onto the outside of the hood portion 55 and a core portion that fits onto the inside of the hood portion 55, and a plurality of female terminal fittings housed inside the core portion. A plurality of connection pins 56 are inserted into the core portion through through holes at the tip thereof to electrically connect to the plurality of female terminal fittings. An annular seal member is fitted onto the outer surface of the core portion, and is in close contact with the inner surface of the hood portion 55, thereby maintaining a watertight state inside the hood portion 55. Furthermore, a slit extending from the tip to a midpoint is formed in the mating hood portion, and a locking arm is provided at a position opposite the slit. The locking arm engages with the locking protrusion 55A, thereby locking the connector portion 54 and the mating connector portion into a coupled state.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, the multiple connection pins 56 are formed, for example, from one end of multiple connector terminals 60 bent in a crank shape, and the other end of the multiple connector terminals 60 forms multiple connector elements 57 that protrude into the waterproof chamber 51 on the back side of the hood portion 55.

[0032] Specifically, the connector terminal 60 has a central straight portion 60A, a connection pin 56 that is bent at a right angle from one end of the central straight portion 60A and extends linearly, and a connector 57 that is bent at a right angle from the other end of the central straight portion 60A and extends in the opposite direction from the connection pin 56. The central straight portion 60A is, for example, rod-shaped with the same cross-sectional shape as the connection pin 56. The connector 57 includes, in order from the central straight portion 60A side, a neck portion 57A, a support plate portion 57B, and a connection portion 57C. The neck portion 57A has the same cross-sectional shape as the connection pin 56, the support plate portion 57B is plate-shaped and has a stepped width that widens from the neck portion 57A, and the connection portion 57C forms a diamond-shaped frame structure (in other words, a pantograph structure) and extends in the opposite direction from the neck portion 57A.

[0033] The multiple connector terminals 60 are arranged parallel to one another at equal intervals in the vertical direction, with the entire central linear portion 60A of each connector terminal 60 and the base ends of the connection pins 56 and connectors 57 embedded in the shared base 50A. The multiple connection pins 56 are arranged vertically and protrude from approximately the center in the horizontal direction of the inner surface of the hood portion 55, as described above.

[0034] 4, the multiple connectors 57 are lined up vertically on the end of the back surface of the waterproof chamber 51 on the back side of the hood portion 55, away from the adjacent waterproof chamber 51, and a part of the support plate portion 57B and the connector portion 57C protrude from the back surface of the waterproof chamber 51. The multiple connectors 57 are inserted into multiple connection holes 48A (see FIG. 8) lined up along one side edge of the circuit board 48 in the lateral direction.

[0035] 10, the circuit of each circuit board 48 includes a pair of signal lines 48X, a pair of power lines 48Y, two pairs of signal connection holes 48A that terminate the pair of signal lines 48X, and two pairs of power connection holes 48A that terminate the pair of power lines 48Y. Specifically, the inner surface of each connection hole 48A is covered with a conductor, and the conductor is electrically connected to the signal line 48X or the power line 48Y.

[0036] The circuit board 48 has a pair of signal connection holes 48A and a pair of power connection holes 48A arranged in a predetermined order on each of the two opposing edge portions of the circuit board 48. Correspondingly, the connector terminals 60 are made up of a pair of signal connector terminals 60X connected to the pair of signal connection holes 48A and a pair of power connector terminals 60Y connected to the pair of power connection holes 48A, as shown in FIG.

[0037] Adjacent circuit boards 48 are connected by four relay terminals 62. The four relay terminals 62 consist of a pair of signal relay terminals 62X connected to a pair of signal connection holes 48A, and a pair of power relay terminals 62Y connected to a pair of power connection holes 48A.

[0038] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, each relay terminal 62 has a central linear portion 62A extending linearly in the horizontal direction, with a pair of connectors 58 bent at right angles from both ends in the same direction. The connectors 58 have the same shape as the connectors 57 of the connector terminal 60. As shown in Fig. 7, the four relay terminals 62 are arranged parallel to one another and equidistantly spaced apart in the vertical direction, with the entire central linear portion 62A and the base ends of the connectors 58 embedded in the shared base 50A, and the multiple connectors 58 at one end and the multiple connectors 58 at the other end are lined up vertically at the ends of adjacent waterproof chambers 51 that are close to each other, protruding from the back walls of the waterproof chambers 51.

[0039] Then, the connectors 58 at both ends of each of the four relay terminals 62 arranged between adjacent waterproof chambers 51 are inserted into the connection holes 48A at the ends of the adjacent circuit boards 48 on the sides that are closest to each other (see FIG. 8 ). As a result, as shown in FIG. 10 , a pair of signal lines 48X of all circuit boards 48 are connected to a pair of signal connector terminals 60X, and a pair of power lines 48Y of all circuit boards 48 are connected to a pair of power connector terminals 60Y.

[0040] 4, the arrangement of the groups of connectors 57 or 58 at the left end of each waterproof chamber 51 is the same, and the arrangement of the groups of connectors 58 at the right end of each waterproof chamber 51 is the same. Furthermore, the arrangement of the connection holes 48A is the same among the multiple circuit boards 48. This allows any armature package 30P to be fixed to any package fixing portion 50P.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4 , the shared base 50A is formed with communication holes 66C that connect all of the waterproof chambers 51 so that they are all at the same pressure. Specifically, the communication holes 66C are formed by pipes 66 that are embedded in the shared base 50A together with the relay terminals 62. As shown in FIG. 6 , the pipes 66 are formed by bending both ends of a horizontally extending pipe at a right angle in the same direction. As shown in FIG. 7 , the pipes 66 are embedded in the shared base 50A, for example, positioned below and parallel to the relay terminals 62, with the middle portion 66A and portions of the end portions 66B of the pipes 66 embedded in the shared base 50A, and the pair of end portions 66B protruding from the rear surfaces of the waterproof chambers 51. As a result, the inner portions of the pipes 66 form communication holes 66C that connect adjacent waterproof chambers 51, connecting all of the waterproof chambers 51 so that they are all at the same pressure.

[0042] Specifically, the multiple relay terminals 62 and the pipes 66 are set in a parallel arrangement in a primary molding die, and a terminal group unit 63A is insert-molded, with the relay terminals 62 and the pipes 66 held in place by a resin fixing member 63, as shown in FIG. 6 . The fixing member 63 is formed in a rectangular column shape extending vertically, with the central straight portions 62A of the relay terminals 62 and the pipes 66A of the pipes 66 perpendicular to each other. As shown in FIG. 5 , the multiple connector terminals 60 are also set in the primary molding die, and a terminal group unit 61A is insert-molded, with the relay terminals 62 and the pipes 66 held in place by a resin fixing member 61. The terminal group unit 61A and the multiple terminal group units 63A are then set in a secondary molding die to form the shared base 50A. At this time, a vent hole 65 (see FIG. 3 ) is molded in the shared base 50A, penetrating between the hood portion 55 and the rear surfaces of the waterproof chamber 51.

[0043] The connector terminals 60 of the terminal group unit 61A are not limited to being bent like a crank, but may extend linearly with the fixing member 61 provided midway along the length. Also, the connectors 57, 58 of the terminal group unit 61A and the terminal group units 63A have support plate portions 57B that widen in a stepped manner from the neck portions 57A, but may not have the support plate portions 57B.

[0044] 10 shows a simplified view of the electric circuit on the circuit board 48, which includes the pair of signal lines 48X and the pair of power lines 48Y. The electric circuit on the circuit board 48 includes a drive circuit 70 for exciting the coils 31, 32 of the armature 30 to drive the stepping motor 99, and a control circuit 73 for controlling the drive circuit 70.

[0045] The drive circuit 70 is connected to the coils 31 and 32 in, for example, a unipolar configuration and includes four switches 71A, 71B, 72B, and 72B. One coil 31 is divided into coils 31A and 31B, and the other coil 32 is divided into coils 32A and 32B. The switches 71A, 71B, 72B, and 72B correspond one-to-one to the coils 31A, 31B, 32A, and 32B. The common connection portions of the coils 31A and 31B and the common connection portions of the coils 32A and 32B are connected to one power line 48Y, and the ends of the coils 31A, 31B, 32A, and 32B opposite to the common connection portions are connected to the other power line 48Y via the switches 71A, 71B, 72B, and 72B.

[0046] The control circuit 73 includes a CPU 73A and a memory 73B. A pair of signal lines 48X are branched and connected to the control circuit 73, and the CPU 73A receives commands transmitted via the pair of signal lines 48X as a bus line. The memory 73B stores an identification number for each circuit board 48. Each circuit board 48 controls the on / off of switches 71A, 71B, 72B, and 72B in response to a command bearing its own identification number, thereby exciting the coils 31 and 32 of the armature 30 and driving the stepping motor 99.

[0047] This completes the description of the configuration of this embodiment. Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 , the armature device 10A and the valve device 12A of this embodiment include multiple armature packages 30P fixed to a common shared base 50A. This integrates the multiple armature packages 30P and multiple circuit boards 48 into a single component, reducing the number of components and reducing component management costs for users of the armature device 10A and the valve device 12A. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8 , the multiple circuit boards 48 are housed in waterproof chambers 47, 51 provided for each armature package 30P, thereby reducing the number of waterproof components. Furthermore, because only one connector 54 connected to the multiple armatures 30 is provided on the shared base 50A, the connector connection process is easier than when a connector 54 is provided for each of the multiple armatures 30.

[0048] 9, adjacent waterproof chambers 47, 51 are connected by a communication hole 66C, so that by inspecting the airtightness of one waterproof chamber 47, 51, it is possible to inspect the airtightness of all of the waterproof chambers 47, 51, and thus airtightness inspection can be performed efficiently. Moreover, the vent hole 65 for inspecting airtightness is open inside the hood portion 55, so that airtightness inspection can be performed efficiently in this respect as well.

[0049] Specifically, for example, a suction device (not shown) that can fit into the hood portion 55 and maintain the inside of the hood portion 55 in an airtight state is used to create a negative or pressurized state inside the hood portion 55 and check for changes in pressure. If the pressure does not change after a predetermined time has passed, it is determined that there is no problem with the airtightness of any of the waterproof chambers 47, 51. If not, it is determined that there is a problem with the airtightness of one of the waterproof chambers 47, 51. Furthermore, because the inside of the hood portion 55 is sealed in an airtight state when it is fitted with the mating connector, there is no need to block the air vent 65 inside the hood portion 55 after the inspection is completed.

[0050] 7, the communication hole 66C is formed by setting the pipe 66 in a mold and molding the shared base 50A, which prevents the mold used to mold the shared base 50A from becoming complicated due to the need to form the communication hole 66C. Moreover, the pipe 66 can be set in the mold used to mold the shared base 50A while being fixed together with the multiple relay terminals 62 by the fixing members 63, making it easy to set the pipe 66 in the mold.

[0051] 8, when the common base 50A and each armature package 30P are brought closer to each other in the direction of the openings of the waterproof chambers 47, 51, the positioning projections 52 and the fitting grooves 46 fit together, positioning the multiple armature packages 30P two-dimensionally relative to the common base 50A, facilitating the task of fixing each armature package 30P to the common base 50A. Furthermore, the positioning projections 52 are projecting from between adjacent package fixing portions 50P on the common base 50A, and the fitting grooves 46 are located on the side surfaces of the armature packages 30P, so that the engagement between the positioning projections 52 and the armature device 10A reinforces the armature device 10A. Furthermore, the fitting grooves 46 and the positioning projections 52 have a dovetail structure and a corresponding cross-sectional shape, which increases the connection strength between the armature packages 30P and the common base 50A and increases the strength of the armature device 10A.

[0052] Furthermore, the multiple connector terminals 60 in the hood portion 55 consist of a pair of signal connector terminals 60X and a pair of power connector terminals 60Y, which are bus-connected to the multiple circuit boards 48, simplifying the wiring and enabling the armature device 10A to be made smaller. Furthermore, in the armature device 10A of this embodiment, a pair of signal connection holes 48A, which are the terminals of a pair of signal lines 48X, and a pair of power connection holes 48A, which are the terminals of a pair of power lines 48Y, are arranged side by side in a fixed order on each of the two edge portions of the multiple circuit boards 48. Therefore, by repeating a fixed connection pattern, any number of circuit boards 48 can be easily connected via the multiple relay terminals 62.

[0053] Second Embodiment This embodiment, shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , differs from the first embodiment in the terminal group unit 67A and the shared base 50B. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11 , the fixing member 67 of the terminal group unit 67A includes a vertical side portion 67D that extends vertically and holds multiple relay terminals 62, and a horizontal side portion 67B that intersects the lower end of the vertical side portion 67D at right angles. A communication hole 66C penetrates the center of the horizontal side portion 67B. As shown in FIG. 12 , the shared base 50B has recesses 51C formed on the inner surface of the waterproof chamber 51. The end faces of the horizontal side portion 67B embedded in the shared base 50B are exposed in the recesses 51C, and both ends of the communication hole 66C open to the waterproof chamber 51.

[0054] [Third Embodiment] This embodiment is shown in Figures 13 and 14, and in addition to the shared base 50A of the first embodiment, multiple shared bases 50C and 50D are provided, and by selecting any of them and fixing the armature package 30P, it is possible to manufacture armature devices 10A with different arrangements and numbers of armature packages 30P.

[0055] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 13, the shared base 50C has waterproof chambers 51 arranged in two rows and two columns, and as shown in Fig. 14, the shared base 50D has a structure in which one waterproof chamber 51 is added to the shared base 50C, resulting in a total of five waterproof chambers 51. A connector section 54 is provided on the front surface of each shared base 50C, and connectors 57 for a group of connector terminals 60 are provided inside the waterproof chamber 51 on the back side of the connector section 54. The following structure is provided to connect a pair of signal connector terminals 60X (see Fig. 10) and a pair of power connector terminals 60Y (see Fig. 10) that make up the multiple connector terminals 60 to each pair of signal lines 48X and each pair of power lines 48Y of the multiple circuit boards 48 corresponding to the multiple waterproof chambers 51.

[0056] That is, in the circuit board 48 of the first embodiment, two groups of four connection holes 48A (see FIGS. 8 and 10 ) were provided along the edges of two opposing horizontal sides of the circuit board 48, but in this embodiment, four groups of connection holes 48A (not shown) are provided along the edges of the four sides of the circuit board 48. In a group in which a plurality of connection holes 48A are arranged vertically, for example, the upper two connection holes 48A form a pair of signal connection holes 48A and the lower two connection holes 48A form a pair of power connection holes 48A. On the other hand, in a group in which a plurality of connection holes 48A are arranged horizontally, for example, the left two connection holes 48A form a pair of signal connection holes 48A and the right two connection holes 48A form a pair of power connection holes 48A.

[0057] Corresponding to the circuit board 48, a group of relay terminals 62 is embedded in each waterproof chamber 51 of the shared bases 50C, 50D so that the connectors 58 of the relay terminals 62 are lined up on one of the four edge portions. The connectors 57 of the plurality of connector terminals 60 and the connectors 58 of the plurality of groups of relay terminals 62 are connected to the connection holes 48A of the circuit board 48, thereby connecting a pair of signal connector terminals 60X (see FIG. 10) and a pair of power connector terminals 60Y (see FIG. 10) that make up the plurality of connector terminals 60 to each pair of signal lines 48X and each pair of power lines 48Y of all the circuit boards 48.

[0058] Furthermore, the shared bases 50C, 50D are provided with positioning protrusions 52 between vertically adjacent waterproof chambers 51 in addition to between horizontally adjacent waterproof chambers 51. Correspondingly, the armature package 30P is provided with the aforementioned fitting grooves 46 on four side surfaces, although not shown.

[0059] According to the configuration of this embodiment, multiple types of shared bases 50A, 50C, 50D are provided, thereby enabling the standardization of components among multiple types of armature devices having different numbers of armature packages 30P. Furthermore, a pair of signal connection holes 48A, which are the terminals of a pair of signal lines 48X, and a pair of power connection holes 48A, which are the terminals of a pair of power lines 48Y, are arranged in a fixed order on each of the four edge portions of each of the multiple circuit boards 48, so that a fixed connection pattern can be repeated, allowing any number of circuit boards 48 to be easily connected via the multiple relay terminals 62.

[0060] 15 shows a valve device 12B according to the fourth embodiment. In this valve device 12B, a box portion 45 of an armature package 30P is open upward. The box portion 45 is fixed to the common base 50A described in the first embodiment in a state where it faces downward.

[0061] In the valve device 12B of the above embodiment, the box portion 45 is positioned laterally offset from the cylindrical protrusion 38 and the tubular main body portion 40 (see Figure 3) of the armature package 30P, but the box portion 45 may be configured to be positioned directly above the cylindrical protrusion 38 and the tubular main body portion 40, for example.

[0062] Fifth Embodiment A shared base 50E of this embodiment shown in Figures 16A, 16B, and 17 will now be described. As shown in Figure 16A, the shared base 50E of this embodiment has a horizontally long band shape, similar to the shared base 50A of the first embodiment, and is provided with multiple (e.g., three) waterproof chambers 51 in the longitudinal direction, as well as positioning protrusions 52 between adjacent waterproof chambers 51. In addition, a connector portion 54 is located on the back side of the central waterproof chamber 51.

[0063] An embedded circuit board 49 is embedded in the shared base 50E, spanning multiple waterproof chambers 51. As shown in Fig. 16B , the embedded circuit board 49 has terminal connection portions 49A corresponding to each waterproof chamber 51 and strip-shaped relay portions 49B connecting adjacent terminal connection portions 49A. As shown in Fig. 16A , the embedded circuit board 49 is embedded in the shared base 50E with each terminal connection portion 49A positioned toward the bottom of the corresponding waterproof chamber 51, and one side of each terminal connection portion 49A is positioned flush with the back surface of the waterproof chamber 51 and exposed within the waterproof chamber 51 as an exposed portion 49E.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 16B , each terminal connection portion 49A has four connection holes 49C arranged in a horizontal row along its lower edge. The terminal connection portion 49A of the waterproof chamber 51, which is the back side of the connector portion 54, has four connection holes 49G arranged in a horizontal row along its upper edge. The circuit of the buried circuit board 49 includes a pair of signal lines and a pair of power lines (not shown). The conductors on the inner surfaces of the left pair of connection holes 49C of each terminal connection portion 49A, for example, are electrically connected to the pair of signal lines, and the remaining pair of connection holes 49C are electrically connected to the pair of power lines. The conductors on the inner surfaces of the left pair of connection holes 49G of the central terminal connection portion 49A are electrically connected to the pair of signal lines, and the conductors on the inner surfaces of the remaining pair of connection holes 49G are electrically connected to the pair of power lines.

[0065] Furthermore, the base end of a terminal fitting 68 having the same structure as the connector 58 of the relay terminal 62 described in the first embodiment is inserted into each connection hole 49C and soldered or brazed thereto, and the entire terminal fitting 68 protrudes from the rear surface of the waterproof chamber 51. Furthermore, the base end of a connector terminal 60V is inserted into each connection hole 49G and soldered or brazed thereto, and a tip-side connection pin (not shown) of the connector terminal 60V protrudes from the rear surface of the hood portion 55.

[0066] Furthermore, a pipe insertion hole 49D is formed in the terminal connection portion 49A near the relay portion 49B. The pipe 66 described in the first embodiment is disposed opposite the relay portion 49B, with both ends of the pipe 66 passing through the pipe insertion hole 49D. The pipe 66 is embedded in the shared base 50E together with the embedded circuit board 49, with both ends of the pipe 66 protruding from the back surface of each waterproof chamber 51.

[0067] Furthermore, although not shown, the armature package 30P of this embodiment includes the same circuit board 48 as the armature package 30P of the third embodiment, but is otherwise the same as the armature package 30P of the first embodiment. When a plurality of armature packages 30P are assembled to the common base 50E, all of the terminal fittings 68 are connected to the plurality of connection holes 48A of the circuit board 48 of each armature package 30P, and the entire armature device (not shown) of this embodiment forms an electric circuit similar to that of the armature device 10A of the first embodiment.

[0068] In the armature device of this embodiment, the relay circuit connecting the connector terminal 60V and the multiple armatures 30 is mounted on an embedded circuit board 49 embedded in the shared base 50E, making the relay circuit compact.

[0069] [Other Embodiments] In the first embodiment, the rotor-equipped valve assembled to the armature device 10A is a flow control valve, but it may be a valve that simply opens and closes. Furthermore, the armature device 10A may be assembled to a rotor-equipped device that includes a mechanism unrelated to the valve.

[0070] In the first and second embodiments, the pipes 66 or fixing members 63 having the communication holes 66C are embedded in the shared bases 50A, 50B to form the communication holes 66C, but the mold for molding the shared base may be equipped with slide pins, and the communication holes may be molded in the resin material that constitutes the shared base. Also, in the first embodiment, the air vents 65 are molded in the shared bases 50A, 50B, but the air vents 65 may be formed by embedding pipes or the like in the shared bases.

[0071] In the first embodiment, multiple connector terminals 60 were commonly connected to the circuits of multiple circuit boards 48, but it is also possible to provide separate, dedicated connector terminals 60 for each circuit board 48, and to connect these individually to each circuit board 48.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the connector 54 is disposed at the end of the front surface of the shared base 50A, but it may be disposed in the center. Also, although the connector 54 is disposed on the opposite side of the waterproof chamber 51, the connector 54 may be disposed on the side of the waterproof chamber 51.

[0073] In the above embodiment, a pair of signal connection holes 48A and a pair of power connection holes 48A were arranged in a row along the edge of the circuit board 48, but they may be arranged in multiple rows or may not be arranged in a row.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the waterproof chambers 47, 51 were formed in both the shared bases 50A to 50E and the multiple armature packages 30P, but for example, the waterproof chambers may be formed in only one of the shared bases 50A to 50E and the multiple armature packages 30P.

[0075] The armature device 10A of the above embodiment includes three or more armature packages 30P, but is not limited to this and may include two armature packages 30P. Furthermore, the arrangement of the multiple armature packages 30P is not limited to the horizontal arrangement or matrix arrangement shown in Figures 1, 13, and 14, but may also be, for example, an L-shape, a ring shape, or the like.

[0076] In the terminal group units 63A, 67A of the above embodiment, the pipe 66 or the horizontal edge portion 67B having the communication hole 66C is arranged at one end of the longitudinal direction of the fixing members 63, 67, but the pipe 66 or the horizontal edge portion 67B having the communication hole 66C may be arranged at any position in the longitudinal direction of the fixing members 63, 67.

[0077] <Supplementary Notes> Below, the group of features extracted from the above embodiment will be explained, indicating, as necessary, the effects, etc. Note that, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above embodiment will be indicated in parentheses as appropriate below, but these group of features are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.

[0078] [Feature 1] An armature device (10A) including: a plurality of armature packages (30P) in which armatures (30) fitted to the outside of a rotor case (25) of a stepping motor (99) are covered with a resin member (37); a resin shared base (50A-50E) to which the plurality of armature packages (30P) are commonly fixed; a connector section (54) having one hood section (55) integrally formed with the shared base (50A-50E) and a plurality of connector terminals (60) at least a portion of which is received within the hood section (55); and relay circuits (48X, 48Y, 62) covered by both or one of the shared base (50A-50E) and the resin member (37) of the armature packages (30P), and connecting the plurality of connector terminals (60) to each of the armatures (30).

[0079] [Feature 2] The armature device (10A) according to Feature 1, further comprising: waterproof chambers (47, 51) provided in both or either of the plurality of armature packages (30P) and the shared base (50A to 50E), and sealed in a waterproof state by fixing the plurality of armature packages (30P) to the shared base (50A to 50E); and circuit boards (48) housed in each of the waterproof chambers (47, 51) and mounting circuits connected to the armatures (30), wherein the relay circuits (48X, 48Y, 62) include a plurality of shared base-side conductive members (62, 68) that are embedded in the shared base (50A to 50E) and have ends exposed in the waterproof chambers (47, 51) and connected to the circuit boards (48).

[0080] [Feature 3] The armature device (10A) according to Feature 2 includes, as the shared base-side conductive member (62), a plurality of relay terminals (62) that are embedded in the shared base (50A to 50E), and have both ends exposed to the adjacent waterproof chambers (47, 51) and are respectively connected to circuits on the circuit board (48).

[0081] [Feature 4] The circuit of each of the circuit boards (48) includes a pair of signal lines (48X), a pair of power lines (48Y), a plurality of pairs of signal connection holes (48A) at the ends of the pair of signal lines (48X), and a plurality of pairs of power connection holes (48A) at the ends of the pair of power lines (48Y), and the pair of signal connection holes (48A) and the pair of power connection holes (48A) are arranged in a predetermined order at at least two locations on each edge of the circuit board (48), and the plurality of connector terminals (60) are connected to the pair of signal connection holes (48A). The armature device (10A) according to feature 3 comprises a pair of signal connector terminals (60X) having connectors (57) connected to the pair of power connection holes (48A), and a pair of power connector terminals (60Y) having connectors (57) connected to the pair of power connection holes (48A), and the plurality of relay terminals (62) between the adjacent waterproof chambers (47, 51) comprise a pair of signal relay terminals (62X) having connectors (58) connected to the pair of signal connection holes (48A), and a pair of power relay terminals (62Y) having connectors (58) connected to the pair of power connection holes (48A).

[0082] [Feature 5] The armature device (10A) according to Feature 4, wherein the circuit board (48) is rectangular, and the pair of signal connection holes (48A) and the pair of power connection holes (48A) are arranged in a predetermined order on each of the edges of at least two sides.

[0083] [Feature 6] The armature device (10A) according to Feature 2, further comprising an embedded circuit board (49) that is embedded in the common base (50E) and on which the common base-side conductive member (68) is mounted.

[0084] [Feature 7] The armature device (10A) according to any one of Features 2 to 6, further comprising a communication hole (66C) that communicates the adjacent waterproof chambers (47, 51).

[0085] [Feature 8] The armature device (10A) according to any one of Features 3 to 5, further comprising: a fixing member (63) that is embedded in the shared base (50A to 50D) and fixes the plurality of relay terminals (62); and a pipe (66) that is fixed to the fixing member (63) together with the plurality of relay terminals (62), has both ends that open to the adjacent waterproof chambers (47, 51), and connects the adjacent waterproof chambers (47, 51).

[0086] [Feature 9] The armature device (10A) according to Feature 6, further comprising: a pipe (66) fixed to the buried circuit board (49), the ends of which are open to the adjacent waterproof chambers (47, 51), and the pipe (66) connects the adjacent waterproof chambers (47, 51).

[0087] [Feature 10] The armature device (10A) according to any one of Features 7 to 9, further comprising an air vent (65) formed in the shared base (50A to 50E) and communicating between the interior of the hood portion (55) and the interior of the waterproof chamber (47, 51) on the rear side thereof.

[0088] [Feature 11] The armature device (10A) according to any one of Features 2 to 10, further comprising positioning and fitting portions (46, 52) that are provided on the shared base (50A to 50E) and the plurality of armature packages (30P) and that fit together in the opening direction of the waterproof chambers (47, 51) and two-dimensionally position the plurality of armature packages (30P) relative to the shared base (50A to 50E) in directions other than the opening direction.

[0089] [Feature 12] The armature device (10A) according to Feature 11, wherein the positioning fitting portions (46, 52) include positioning protrusions (52) that protrude from between the plurality of package fixing portions (50P) of the shared base (50A to 50E) on which the plurality of armature packages (30P) are stacked, and fitting grooves (46) that are formed on the side surfaces of the armature packages (30P) and into which the side portions of the positioning protrusions (52) fit.

[0090] [Feature 13] The armature device (10A) according to Feature 12, wherein the fitting groove (46) has a dovetail structure in which a groove bottom side is wider than a groove opening, and a side portion of the positioning protrusion (52) has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the dovetail structure.

[0091] [Feature 14] The armature device (10A) according to any one of Features 2 to 13, wherein the plurality of connector terminals (60) are composed of a pair of signal connector terminals (60X) and a pair of power connector terminals (60Y), and the pair of signal connector terminals (60X) and the pair of power connector terminals (60Y) are commonly connected to a plurality of the circuit boards (48).

[0092] [Feature 15] The armature device (10A) according to any one of Features 1 to 14, wherein the shared bases (50A to 50E) include a plurality of types of shared bases (50A to 50E) that differ in the number of armature packages (30P) to be fixed thereto.

[0093] [Feature 16] A valve device (12A, 12B) comprising: a plurality of rotor-equipped valves (11) each having a rotor (27) housed in a rotor case (25) and a valve body (29) that moves in accordance with the rotation of the rotor (27); and an armature device (10A) according to any one of Features 1 to 15, which has a plurality of armature packages (30P) that fit with the rotor cases (25) of the plurality of rotor-equipped valves (11).

[0094] In the armature device of Feature 1 and the valve device of Feature 16, multiple armature packages are provided fixed to a common shared base. This allows multiple armature packages to be integrated into a single component, reducing the number of components and reducing component management costs for users of the armature device and valve device. Furthermore, because only one connector portion connected to the multiple armatures is provided on the shared base, the connector connection work is easier than when a connector portion is provided for each of the multiple armatures.

[0095] In the armature device of Feature 2, multiple circuit boards connected to multiple armature packages are integrated into a single component, thereby also reducing the number of components. Furthermore, the multiple circuit boards are housed in waterproof chambers provided for each armature package to ensure waterproofing, which also reduces the number of waterproof components.

[0096] Furthermore, the relay circuit connecting the multiple connector terminals and the armature includes multiple shared base-side conductive members that are embedded in the shared base and have ends exposed in the waterproof chamber for connection to the circuit board. A portion of the relay circuit may be formed by multiple shared base-side conductive members that function as multiple relay terminals with both ends exposed in adjacent waterproof chambers for connection to circuits on the circuit board, or the relay circuit may be formed by an embedded circuit board that is embedded in the shared base and on which the shared base-side conductive members are mounted (Feature 6). According to Feature 6, the relay circuit is mounted on an embedded circuit board, making the relay circuit compact.

[0097] In the armature devices of Features 4 and 5, a pair of signal connection holes, which are the terminal ends of a pair of signal lines, and a pair of power connection holes, which are the terminal ends of a pair of power lines, are arranged side by side in a fixed order on each of the edges of at least two sides of each of the plurality of circuit boards. Therefore, a fixed connection pattern can be repeated, and any number of circuit boards can be easily connected via the plurality of relay terminals.

[0098] According to the armature device of feature 7, adjacent waterproof chambers are connected by communication holes, so that inspecting the airtightness of one waterproof chamber is equivalent to inspecting the airtightness of all of the multiple waterproof chambers, and airtightness inspections can be carried out efficiently.

[0099] To test the airtightness, for example, a vent hole (65) communicating with one of the waterproof chambers (47, 51) from the outside is provided, and negative or positive pressure is applied to one of the waterproof chambers (47, 51) through the vent hole (65) to check whether the pressure changes due to leakage. In this case, the vent hole (65) may be provided so as to open to the outside of the hood portion (55) and may be closed after the test is completed. However, if the vent hole (65) is provided so as to open to the inner surface of the hood portion (55) as in Feature 10, the inside of the hood portion (55) is closed by mating with the mating connector, so that the vent hole (65) does not need to be closed after the test is completed.

[0100] In the armature devices of Features 8 and 9, the communication holes are formed by setting the pipes in a mold and molding the common base, which prevents the mold for molding the common base from becoming complicated due to the need to form the communication holes. Moreover, in Feature 8, the pipes can be set in the mold for molding the common base while being fixed together with the relay terminals by a fixing member, and in Feature 9, the pipes can be set in the mold for molding the common base while being fixed to the embedded circuit board, which makes it easy to set the pipes in the mold.

[0101] In the armature device of feature 11, when the shared base and each armature package are brought close to each other in the direction of the opening of the waterproof chamber, the positioning fittings engage, thereby two-dimensionally positioning the multiple armature packages with respect to the shared base. In this state, the multiple armature packages can be fixed in a fixed position with respect to the shared base by pressing one of the shared base and each armature package against the other to secure them.

[0102] In the armature device of Feature 12, the positioning fitting portion includes a positioning protrusion that protrudes from a portion between adjacent package fixing portions of the shared base, and a fitting groove that is formed on a side surface of the armature package and into which the side portion of the positioning protrusion fits, so that the positioning fitting portion also functions as a reinforcing portion for the armature device.

[0103] In the armature device of feature 13, the fitting groove included in the positioning fitting portion and the side portion of the positioning protrusion have a dovetail structure and a corresponding cross-sectional shape, so that the positioning fitting portion increases the connection strength between the armature package and the common base, thereby increasing the strength of the armature device.

[0104] In the armature device of feature 14, the multiple connector terminals in the hood portion consist of a pair of signal connector terminals and a pair of power connector terminals, which are commonly connected to multiple circuit boards, thereby simplifying the wiring and enabling the armature device to be made smaller.

[0105] In the armature device of feature 15, multiple types of shared bases each having a different number of armature packages fixed thereto are provided as the shared base, so that components can be standardized among multiple types of armature devices each having a different number of armature packages.

[0106] Although the present specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but also includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, and also includes parts of the specific examples taken out alone.

[0107] 10A Armature device 11 Valve with rotor 12A, 12B Valve device 25 Rotor case 27 Rotor 29 Valve body 30 Armature 30P Armature package 46 Fitting groove (positioning and fitting portion) 47, 51 Waterproof chamber 48 Circuit board 48A Connection hole (signal connection hole, power connection hole) 48X Signal line (relay circuit) 48Y Power line (relay circuit) 49 Buried circuit board 49E Exposed portion 50A to 50E Shared base 50P Package fixing portion 51 Each waterproof chamber 52 Positioning protrusion portion (positioning and fitting portion) 54 Connector portion 55 Hood portion 60 Connector terminal 60X Signal connector terminal 60Y Power connector terminal 61, 63 Fixing member 61A Terminal group unit 62 Relay terminal (relay circuit) 65 Ventilation hole 66 Pipe 66C Communication hole 99 Stepping motor

Claims

1. An armature device comprising: a plurality of armature packages, each having an armatures that is covered with a resin member and that is fitted onto the outside of a rotor case of a stepping motor; a resin shared base to which the plurality of armature packages are commonly fixed; a connector portion having a hood portion integrally formed with the shared base and a plurality of connector terminals at least a portion of which is received within the hood portion; and a relay circuit that is covered by both or either of the resin members of the shared base and the armature packages, and that connects the plurality of connector terminals to each of the armatures.

2. An armature device as described in claim 1, comprising: waterproof chambers provided on both or either of the multiple armature packages and the shared base, and sealed in a waterproof state by fixing the multiple armature packages to the shared base; and circuit boards housed in each of the waterproof chambers and mounting circuits connected to the armatures, wherein the relay circuit includes a plurality of shared base side conductive members that are embedded in the shared base and have ends exposed within the waterproof chambers and connected to the circuit boards.

3. An armature device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of relay terminals as conductive members on said shared base, the relay terminals being embedded in said shared base and having both ends exposed to adjacent waterproof chambers and each connected to a circuit on said circuit board.

4. An armature device as described in claim 3, wherein the circuit of each of the circuit boards includes a pair of signal lines, a pair of power lines, multiple pairs of signal connection holes which are terminals of the pair of signal lines, and multiple pairs of power connection holes which are terminals of the pair of power lines, the pair of signal connection holes and the pair of power connection holes are arranged in a fixed order at least in two locations on each of the edges of the circuit board, the plurality of connector terminals consist of a pair of signal connector terminals having connectors which are connected to the pair of signal connection holes, and a pair of power connector terminals having connectors which are connected to the pair of power connection holes, and the plurality of relay terminals between the adjacent waterproof chambers consist of a pair of signal relay terminals having connectors which are connected to the pair of signal connection holes, and a pair of power relay terminals having connectors which are connected to the pair of power connection holes.

5. An armature device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said circuit board is rectangular, and said pair of signal connection holes and said pair of power connection holes are arranged in a fixed order on each of the edges of at least two sides.

6. The armature device according to claim 2, further comprising an embedded circuit board that is embedded in said shared base and on which said shared base side conductive member is mounted.

7. An armature device as set forth in any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising communication holes for communicating between adjacent waterproof chambers.

8. An armature device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, comprising: a fixing member embedded in said shared base and fixing said plurality of relay terminals; and a pipe fixed to said fixing member together with said plurality of relay terminals, with both ends opening into adjacent waterproof chambers and connecting adjacent waterproof chambers.

9. The armature device according to claim 6, further comprising: a pipe fixed to said buried circuit board, both ends of which are open to adjacent waterproof chambers, and which connects adjacent waterproof chambers.

10. An armature device as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising an air hole formed in said common base for communicating between the inside of said hood portion and the inside of said waterproof chamber on the rear side thereof.

11. An armature device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 10, further comprising positioning fitting portions provided on the shared base and the multiple armature packages, which fit together in the opening direction of the waterproof chamber and two-dimensionally position the multiple armature packages relative to the shared base in directions other than the opening direction.

12. An armature device as described in claim 11, wherein the positioning and fitting portion includes a positioning protrusion protruding from a portion between a plurality of package fixing portions of the shared base on which the plurality of armature packages are stacked, and a fitting groove formed on a side surface of the armature package into which a side portion of the positioning protrusion fits.

13. An armature device as set forth in claim 12, wherein said fitting groove has a dovetail structure in which the groove bottom side is wider than the groove opening, and a side portion of said positioning projection has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to said dovetail structure.

14. An armature device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 13, wherein the plurality of connector terminals comprise a pair of signal connector terminals and a pair of power connector terminals, and the pair of signal connector terminals and the pair of power connector terminals are commonly connected to a plurality of the circuit boards.

15. The armature device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising a plurality of types of shared bases each having a different number of armature packages fixed thereto, as the shared base.

16. A valve device comprising: a plurality of rotor-equipped valves, each having a rotor housed in a rotor case and a valve body that operates in accordance with the rotation of the rotor; and an armature device as recited in any one of claims 1 to 15, the armature device having a plurality of armature packages that fit with the rotor cases of the plurality of rotor-equipped valves.

Images