Valve device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a valve device 1 capable of preventing foreign matter from flowing through by fastening a first filter 70 to a valve body 10 without damaging the first filter 70.　The valve device 1 is characterized by comprising: the valve body 10 having a mounting part 11 to be mounted to a cylinder container, and a fluid flow path F which is formed inside the valve body 10 and through which gas flows; an opening / closing valve 24 that opens and closes the fluid flow path F inside the valve body 10. The valve device 1 is provided with: a first filter 70 that is attached to a filter attachment part 14 provided in the fluid flow path F of the mounting part 11; and a fastening member 80 that fastens the first filter 70 to the filter attachment part 14. The first filter 70 is integrally formed with a filter body 71 formed by sintering metal beads into a shape intersecting at least partially in a gas flow direction D, and a metal filter flange 72 which is formed in a substantially annular and substantially flat plate provided along a peripheral edge of the filter body 71 and which is pressed by the fastening member 80.

Description

Valve equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve device to be attached to a cylinder container filled with a fluid such as a high-pressure gas.

[0002] Conventionally, valve devices that allow fluids such as high-pressure gas to flow by opening and closing an on-off valve include container valve devices that are attached to cylinder containers, and valve devices that are connected to an assembly of multiple cylinder containers called a bundle or curdle.

[0003] Furthermore, some valve devices are equipped with a filter that prevents foreign matter from passing through the fluid flow path provided inside the valve body. One such filter is a sintered filter formed by sintering a metal sintered material, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the filter is fixed to the filter mounting portion by press-fitting the filter into the filter mounting portion provided in the fluid flow path. However, since the mechanical strength of a sintered filter is lower than that of, for example, a filter formed by laminating a metal mesh, in a filter such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the sintered filter may be deformed or damaged by the pressure load associated with the press-fitting.

[0005] JP 2009-150485 A

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a valve device that can fix a filter to a valve body without damaging it, thereby preventing the passage of foreign matter.

[0007] This invention provides a valve device having an attachment part that is attached to an attachment receiving part, and a valve body having a fluid flow path formed therein through which a fluid flows, and an on-off valve that opens and closes the fluid flow path within the valve body, wherein the valve device is provided with a filter that is attached to a filter attachment part provided in the fluid flow path of the attachment part, and a fixing member that fixes the filter to the filter attachment part, and is characterized in that the filter is formed integrally with a filter body formed by sintering metal beads into a shape at least a portion of which intersects the direction of flow of the fluid, and a metal annular body formed as a ring-shaped, approximately flat plate that is provided along the periphery of the filter body and against which the fixing member is pressed.

[0008] The above-mentioned attached part refers to a gas cylinder or a pipe connected to a gas cylinder, etc. The above-mentioned valve device refers to a container valve device used by attaching it to a gas cylinder, a pipe valve device used by connecting it to a pipe, a valve device used by connecting it to an assembly of multiple gas cylinders called a curdle or bundle, etc.

[0009] The filter body refers to a three-dimensional filter or a flat filter, etc. The fixing member refers to a member that screws into the filter mounting portion to press the filter, or a press-fitting jig that presses the filter into the filter mounting portion, etc.

[0010] According to this invention, the fixing member is pressed against the annular body of the filter, so that when fixing the filter to the filter mounting portion, the filter body formed by sintering metal beads can be fixed to the filter mounting portion without being pressed.

[0011] This prevents the filter body, which is made of sintered metal beads and has low mechanical strength, from deforming when attached to the filter attachment part, which could cause a change in filtering accuracy or damage. As a result, the valve device can attach the filter to the valve body without damaging it, preventing the passage of foreign matter.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the filter body may be formed in a three-dimensional shape that protrudes in a protruding direction along the thickness direction of the annular body. This configuration allows the filter body to have a larger surface area than, for example, a flat filter body. This allows the valve device to suppress a decrease in fluid conductivity.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, the filter body may be formed in a generally truncated cone shape with a diameter that gradually decreases in the protruding direction. With this configuration, a wider surface that intersects with the conduction direction can be ensured compared to, for example, a cylindrical filter body with a bottom, and the valve device can therefore prevent the conduction of foreign matter while further suppressing a decrease in fluid conductivity.

[0014] Furthermore, since the fixing member is less likely to come into contact with the filter body than, for example, a cylindrical filter body with a bottom, the valve device can prevent damage to the filter body due to contact with the fixing member when pressing the fixing member against the annular body of the filter.

[0015] In one aspect of the present invention, the annular body may be integrally formed with the filter body by sintering. This configuration ensures that the filter body and the annular body are integrated together. This prevents the filter body from separating from the annular body due to pressure when a fluid passes through the valve device, thereby reliably preventing the passage of foreign matter.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, the annular body may be recessed along the thickness direction of the annular body, with a size approximately the same as that of the outer peripheral surface of the filter body, and may be provided with a recess into which at least a portion of the filter body fits.

[0017] With this configuration, at least a portion of the filter body fits into the recess of the annular body, ensuring a sufficient contact area between the filter body and the annular body, thereby enabling the valve device to reliably form the filter body and the annular body as a single unit.

[0018] Furthermore, because the position of the filter body relative to the annular body is determined by the recess, the valve device can more reliably prevent the fixing member from coming into contact with the filter body, thereby enabling the valve device to configure a filter that can be fixed to the valve body without damaging the filter body and has improved strength.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, the inner circumferential surface of the annular body may be formed to have approximately the same size as the inner circumferential surface of the fluid flow path when viewed in the thickness direction of the annular body. With this configuration, the valve device can prevent the flow of fluid from being obstructed by the annular body while preventing the passage of foreign matter.

[0020] As another aspect of the present invention, the fixing member may be a cylindrical body having an inner peripheral surface larger than an inner peripheral surface of the annular body, and may be configured to be screwed onto the filter attachment portion.

[0021] With this configuration, the filter can be attached and detached simply by screwing the fixing member in and out, so the filter can be fixed more firmly than when the filter is press-fitted, and the filter can be easily attached and removed.

[0022] Furthermore, since the filter body and the fixing member do not slide when the fixing member is screwed in and out, the valve device can prevent damage to the filter body due to sliding with the fixing member.

[0023] In another aspect of the present invention, the filter body may be formed with a generally concave cross section that protrudes in the protruding direction, and the area of ​​the inner circumferential surface may be determined based on the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid flow path and the filtration accuracy. With this configuration, the valve device can reliably prevent the passage of foreign matter while further suppressing a decrease in fluid conductivity.

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a valve device in which the filter can be fixed to the valve body without damaging it, thereby preventing the passage of foreign matter.

[0025] 1. A front view showing the appearance of the valve device as seen from the front. A sectional view taken along the arrows A-A in FIG. 1. A sectional view taken along the arrows B-B in FIG. 1. An explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a third flow path in cross section. An enlarged sectional view showing a cross section of a pressure reducing safety valve mechanism. A sectional perspective view showing the appearance of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism in a disassembled state. A sectional perspective view showing the appearance of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism in a disassembled state. An enlarged sectional view showing a cross section of a check valve mechanism. A sectional perspective view showing the appearance of the check valve mechanism in a disassembled state. An explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism. An explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism. An explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the check valve mechanism. A sectional perspective view showing the appearance of a first filter and a fixing member. A schematic configuration diagram showing an outline of a bundle to which the valve device is connected. A sectional view showing a cross section of a first filter in another embodiment.

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, a valve device 1 connected to a cylinder container for storing gas will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0027] 1 shows a front view of the valve device 1, FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the third flow path Z in cross section, and FIG. 5 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30.

[0028] 6 and 7 show a cross-sectional perspective view of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30, FIG. 8 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the check valve mechanism 60, FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of the check valve mechanism 60, FIG. 10 shows an explanatory diagram explaining the operation of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30, and FIG. 11 shows an explanatory diagram explaining the operation of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30.

[0029] In addition, Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the check valve mechanism 60, and Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the first filter 70 and the fixing member 80. In Figs. 5 and 8, the valve body 10 is shown by a two-dot chain line for clarity.

[0030] 1 is the upper side of the valve device 1, and the lower side of Fig. 1 is the lower side of the valve device 1. Furthermore, arrow D in the figure indicates the direction in which gas flows (hereinafter referred to as flow direction D), arrow Du in the figure indicates the upstream side of the flow direction D (hereinafter referred to as upstream side Du), and arrow Dd in the figure indicates the downstream side of the flow direction D (hereinafter referred to as downstream side Dd).

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve device 1 includes a valve body 10 having an internal space through which gas flows, an on-off valve mechanism 20 attached to the valve body 10 and regulating the flow of gas, and a pressure-reducing safety valve mechanism 30 which is a pressure-reducing mechanism.

[0032] Furthermore, the valve device 1 includes a check valve mechanism 60 (see FIG. 3) which is a residual pressure retention mechanism, a first filter 70 (see FIG. 2) attached to the lower end of the valve body 10, and a fixing member 80 (see FIG. 2) which fixes the first filter 70 to the valve body 10. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the valve device 1 includes a second filter 90 which is disposed inside the valve body 10 and into which the pressure-reducing safety valve mechanism 30 and the check valve mechanism 60 are inserted.

[0033] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the valve body 10 of the valve device 1 is integrally formed of an attachment portion 11 and a body portion 12 that extend in the vertical direction, and an outlet portion 13 that extends in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction when viewed from the front.

[0034] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the mounting portion 11 has a truncated cone shape with a small diameter at the bottom, and a male screw (reference number omitted) is formed on the outer circumferential surface to be threaded into a screw hole provided in a neck ring of a cylinder container (not shown).

[0035] The mounting portion 11 has a lower surface facing upward and recessed in a generally circular shape in bottom view, forming a filter mounting portion 14 for mounting the first filter 70 (see FIG. 13 ). The inner circumferential surface of the filter mounting portion 14 is formed with a female screw (reference numeral omitted) into which the fixing member 80 screws.

[0036] 1, the body portion 12 has a diameter larger than the large-diameter side of the mounting portion 11 and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape extending upward from the mounting portion 11. The outlet portion 13 has a diameter larger than that of the body portion 12 and is formed integrally with the body portion 12 at approximately the center in the up-down direction, as shown in FIG.

[0037] The outlet portion 13 is formed so that both ends in a direction generally perpendicular to the up-down direction in a front view protrude from the body portion 12. The outlet portion 13 is provided with a connection portion 15 at one end in a direction generally perpendicular to the up-down direction in a front view, i.e., at one end in the axial direction of the outlet portion 13, to which a gas consuming device is connected by screwing.

[0038] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the valve body 10 is formed with a first flow path X that penetrates the mounting portion 11 and the body portion 12 along the axial direction (vertical direction) of the mounting portion 11, a second flow path Y that extends from the first flow path X toward the inside of the outlet portion 13, and a third flow path Z that penetrates the outlet portion 13 along the axial direction of the outlet portion 13 (a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction when viewed from the front).

[0039] The valve body 10 forms a fluid flow path F that connects the filter mounting portion 14 of the attachment portion 11 to the connection portion 15 of the outlet portion 13, using the above-mentioned filter mounting portion 14, first flow path X, second flow path Y, and third flow path Z.

[0040] In the fluid flow path F having the above-described configuration, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an opening / closing valve mechanism 20 and a first filter 70 are arranged in the first flow path X, and a pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30, a check valve mechanism 60, and a second filter 90 are arranged in the third flow path Z.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , the first flow path X is a flow path in which the axial direction in the mounting portion 11 and the body portion 12 is the conduction direction D, and is configured as a through-hole with an approximately circular cross section that communicates with the filter attachment portion 14 and penetrates the mounting portion 11 and the body portion 12.

[0042] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the first flow path X is composed of a lower flow path portion X1, which is a space with a substantially circular cross section extending from the filter mounting portion 14 to approximately the center of the body portion 12 in the vertical direction, and an upper flow path portion X2, which is a space with a substantially circular cross section and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the lower flow path portion X1, extending from the lower flow path portion X1 to the upper end surface of the body portion 12.

[0043] 2, the upper flow path X2 is configured as an on-off valve mechanism mounting portion to which the on-off valve mechanism 20 is mounted, and has an internal thread (reference numeral omitted) formed on its inner circumferential surface to be threadedly engaged with the on-off valve mechanism 20. Furthermore, a valve seat 12a is formed on the bottom surface of the upper flow path X2, protruding upward along the opening edge of the lower flow path X1.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4 , the second flow path Y is a flow path that connects the upper flow path X2 of the first flow path X and the third flow path Z (the third space Z3 of the third flow path Z described later), and is formed so that the direction that intersects the conduction direction D of the first flow path X and the conduction direction D of the third flow path Z is the conduction direction D.

[0045] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the third flow path Z is a flow path in which the axial direction of the outlet portion 13 is the conduction direction D, and is connected to the flow path upper portion X2 of the first flow path X via the second flow path Y, and is composed of a through hole with an approximately circular cross section that penetrates the outlet portion 13.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, this third flow path Z is formed by connecting a first space Z1, a second space Z2, a third space Z3, a fourth space Z4, a fifth space Z5, a sixth space Z6, and a seventh space Z7, which have different diameters and are formed from the end face of the outlet section 13 opposite the connection section 15 to the connection section 15, along the axial direction of the outlet section 13.

[0047] More specifically, the third flow path Z has a first space Z1 that is formed with the largest diameter and opens onto the end face of the outlet portion 13 opposite the connection portion 15, a second space Z2 that is formed with a slightly smaller diameter than the first space Z1, a third space Z3 that is formed with approximately the same outer diameter as the first space Z1, and a fourth space Z4 that is formed with a smaller diameter than the third space Z3.

[0048] Furthermore, in the third flow path Z, the fifth space Z5 is formed with a smaller diameter than the fourth space Z4, the sixth space Z6 is formed with a smaller diameter than the fifth space Z5, and the seventh space Z7, which is formed as an opening on the end face of the connection portion 15, is formed with a smaller diameter than the sixth space Z6.

[0049] In this third flow path Z, pressure reduction safety valve mechanisms 30 are arranged in the first space Z1, the second space Z2, and the third space Z3, check valve mechanisms 60 are arranged in the third space Z3, the fourth space Z4, the fifth space Z5, the sixth space Z6, and the seventh space Z7, and a second filter 90 is arranged in the third space Z3. Note that, as shown in FIG. 4, a female thread 13a that screws into the pressure reduction safety valve mechanism 30 is formed on the circumferential surface of the first space Z1 in the third flow path Z.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 2, the on-off valve mechanism 20 of the valve device 1 is constructed by assembling a rotary handle 21, a gland nut 22, a spindle 23, an on-off valve 24, and a tip member 25 provided at the tip of the on-off valve 24 from top to bottom in this order.

[0051] Specifically, the rotary handle 21 is formed in a generally circular cloud shape in a plan view with a wave-shaped outer periphery that protrudes in eight directions, and is provided with a fitting portion 21a that fits onto the upper part of the spindle 23. As shown in Fig. 2, the gland nut 22 is composed of a hexagonal head portion 221 having a through-hole 22a through which the spindle 23 is inserted, and a generally cylindrical portion 222 that has an outer diameter smaller than that of the head portion 221 and extends downward from the underside of the head portion 221.

[0052] As shown in Figure 2, two grooves (reference numerals omitted) are provided on the peripheral surface of the through hole 22a of this gland nut 22 at a predetermined distance in the vertical direction, and O-rings 26, which are elastic bodies that seal the gap with the spindle 23, are fitted into each groove.

[0053] On the other hand, an O-ring 27, which is an elastic body that seals the gap between the first flow path X and the upper part X2 of the flow path, is fitted into a groove (symbol omitted) near the upper end provided along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 222.

[0054] Furthermore, below the O-ring 27, the cylindrical portion 222 of the ground nut 22 has a male thread (symbol omitted) formed on its outer surface that screws into the female thread of the upper part X2 of the first flow path X, and a female thread (symbol omitted) that screws into the opening / closing valve 24 formed on its inner surface.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 2, the spindle 23 is a generally columnar body extending in the vertical direction, with its upper portion fitting into the fitting portion 21 a of the rotary handle 21 and its lower portion fitting into the fitting recess 24 a of the on-off valve 24 described later.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the on-off valve 24 is integrally formed of a substantially cylindrical male threaded portion 241 that screws into the female thread of the gland nut 22, and a valve body 242 that has a larger diameter than the male threaded portion 241 and is provided below the male threaded portion 241.

[0057] The inside of the male thread portion 241 of this on-off valve 24 is formed as a fitting recess 24a into which the lower part of the spindle 23 fits. On the other hand, the lower surface of the valve body 242 is provided with a threading recess 24b facing upward, into which the tip member 25 is screwed.

[0058] Furthermore, a groove (reference numeral omitted) is provided on the underside of the valve body 242, in a portion facing the valve seat 12a of the first flow path X, and the groove is recessed to have a generally annular shape in bottom view, and a sealing member 28, which is an elastic member and has a generally annular shape in bottom view, is attached to the groove. The sealing member 28 is a member that seals the lower flow path X1 of the first flow path X by being bitten into by the valve seat 12a.

[0059] 2, the tip member 25 is substantially cylindrical and has substantially the same diameter as the first flow path X, and is attached by screwing into the threaded recess 24b of the on-off valve 24. The tip member 25 cooperates with the lower flow path X1 of the first flow path X to guide the movement of the on-off valve 24 in the vertical direction.

[0060] In addition, the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 of the valve device 1 is a pressure reducing mechanism that operates due to the pressure difference of the fluid in the third flow path Z to reduce the pressure of the gas to a predetermined pressure, and is a composite valve mechanism that is constructed by assembling a pressure reducing valve unit (symbol omitted) arranged on the downstream side Dd and a safety valve unit (symbol omitted) arranged on the upstream side Du.

[0061] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the pressure reducing valve unit of this pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 is configured by assembling a pressure reducing valve 31, a pressure reducing piston 32, a downstream housing 33, a first coil spring 34, and a pressure reducing valve cylinder body 35 in this order from the downstream side Dd to the upstream side Du.

[0062] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the safety valve unit of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 is configured by assembling an upstream housing 36, a first relief valve 37, a second relief valve 38, a washer 39, a second coil spring 40, a relief valve case 41, and a cap 42 in this order from the downstream side Dd to the upstream side Du.

[0063] Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pressure reducing valve 31 is configured to have an internal space that penetrates in the conduction direction D, and is made up of a flange portion 311 that is a flat plate with an approximately circular ring shape when viewed from the conduction direction D, and a male screw portion 312 that is approximately cylindrical and has a smaller diameter than the flange portion 311 and screws into the pressure reducing piston 32.

[0064] This pressure reducing valve 31 has an O-ring 43, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the pressure reducing piston 32, attached to a recessed portion on the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 311, and an O-ring 44, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the pressure reducing piston 32, attached to the outer peripheral surface of the male thread portion 312.

[0065] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pressure reducing piston 32 is formed in a roughly cylindrical shape with an internal space that penetrates in the conduction direction D, and includes an approximately cylindrical female screw portion 321 that screws into the male screw portion 312 of the pressure reducing valve 31, an approximately cylindrical middle body portion 322 that extends from the female screw portion 321 to the upstream side Du, and an approximately cylindrical male screw portion 323 that screws into the pressure reducing valve cylinder body 35.

[0066] 5, when the pressure reducing valve 31 is assembled, the female thread portion 321 of the pressure reducing piston 32 holds the above-mentioned O-rings 43 and 44 between the female thread portion 321 and the pressure reducing valve 31. Furthermore, an O-ring 45, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the downstream housing 33, is fitted into a recessed groove (reference numeral omitted) that is recessed along the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the middle body portion 322 of the pressure reducing piston 32.

[0067] In addition, an O-ring 46, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the pressure reducing valve cylinder 35, is fitted into a groove (number omitted) recessed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the male thread portion 323 of the pressure reducing piston 32.

[0068] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the downstream housing 33 is formed in an approximately cylindrical shape with an internal space that penetrates in the conduction direction D, and is made up of a hexagonal cylindrical female screw portion 331, an approximately cylindrical upstream male screw portion 332, an approximately cylindrical large-diameter cylindrical portion 333, an approximately cylindrical small-diameter cylindrical portion 334, and an approximately cylindrical downstream male screw portion 335.

[0069] More specifically, the female thread portion 331 is a hexagonal tube having an outer shape larger than the diameter of the first space Z1 of the outlet portion 13, and is positioned so as to be exposed to the outside of the outlet portion 13 when assembled to the valve body 10.

[0070] The upstream male thread portion 332 is generally cylindrical and threads into the female thread 13a of the third flow path Z, and extends from the female thread portion 331 toward the downstream side Dd. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 333 is generally cylindrical and one size smaller than the upstream male thread portion 332, and extends from the upstream male thread portion 332 toward the downstream side Dd.

[0071] Furthermore, an O-ring 47, which is an elastic body that seals the gap between the second space Z2 of the third flow path Z and the large-diameter cylindrical portion 333, is fitted into a groove (reference numeral omitted) recessed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 333. The small-diameter cylindrical portion 334 has an outer diameter smaller than that of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 333, is a substantially cylindrical shape that extends from the large-diameter cylindrical portion 333 toward the downstream side Dd, and is formed in a shape that has an annular bottom on the downstream side Dd.

[0072] The bottom of this small-diameter cylindrical portion 334 is formed as a reaction force support portion 334a that generates a reaction force in the first coil spring 34. The downstream-side male thread portion 335 has an inner and outer diameter smaller than those of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 334, is a generally cylindrical portion that extends from the small-diameter cylindrical portion 334 toward the downstream side Dd, and is formed so as to be able to be threaded into the check valve mechanism 60 (a check valve housing 64 described later).

[0073] 5 and 6, the first coil spring 34 is a coil spring fitted onto the pressure reducing valve cylinder 35. The first coil spring 34 is fitted onto the pressure reducing valve cylinder 35 inside the downstream housing 33, and is configured so that the end portion on the downstream side Dd abuts against the reaction force support portion 334a and urges the flange portion 353 of the pressure reducing valve cylinder 35 toward the upstream side Du by its elastic force.

[0074] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pressure reducing valve cylinder 35 is formed in a roughly cylindrical shape with an internal space that penetrates in the conduction direction D, and includes a roughly cylindrical female screw portion 351 that screws into the male screw portion 323 of the pressure reducing piston 32, a roughly cylindrical upstream cylinder portion 352 that is inserted into the upstream housing 36, and a roughly annular flange portion 353 that protrudes radially outward between the female screw portion 351 and the upstream cylinder portion 352.

[0075] An O-ring 48, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the upstream housing 36, is fitted into a groove (number omitted) recessed along the circumferential direction on the outer surface of the upstream cylindrical portion 352 of this pressure reducing valve cylindrical body 35.

[0076] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the upstream housing 36 is composed of an exposed portion 361 exposed to the outside of the downstream housing 33, an approximately cylindrical male screw portion 362 extending from the exposed portion 361 to the downstream side Dd and screwing into the female screw portion 331 of the downstream housing 33, and an approximately cylindrical small diameter portion 363 having a smaller diameter than the male screw portion 362.

[0077] In addition, an O-ring 49, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the upstream male thread portion 332 of the downstream housing 33, is fitted into a groove (number omitted) recessed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 363 of the upstream housing 36.

[0078] In such an upstream housing 36, a downstream recess 364 is formed, which is a cylindrical space in which the end face of the small diameter portion 363 is recessed toward the upstream side Du, and into which the upstream cylindrical portion 352 of the pressure reducing valve cylindrical body 35 is inserted.

[0079] Furthermore, the upstream housing 36 has an end face of the exposed portion 361 recessed toward the downstream side Dd, and a relief valve accommodating portion 366, which is a substantially cylindrical space that communicates with the downstream recess 364 via a communication passage 365 provided in the male thread portion 362. The relief valve accommodating portion 366 accommodates a first relief valve 37 (described later) and the like.

[0080] As shown in Figure 7, this relief valve accommodating portion 366 has a female thread 36a formed on its inner surface into which the relief valve case 41 is screwed, and also has an approximately cylindrical fitting portion 367 formed therein that protrudes from the edge of the communicating passage 365 to the upstream side Du and into which the first relief valve 37 is fitted.

[0081] 5 and 7 , the first relief valve 37, together with the second relief valve 38 and the O-ring 50 described below, constitutes a valve body that seals the communication passage 365. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5 and 7 , the first relief valve 37 is substantially cylindrical and has substantially the same outer diameter as the relief valve accommodating portion 366, and is integrally formed with a female thread portion 371 into which the second relief valve 38 is threaded, and an annular bottom portion 372 that forms a bottom portion on the downstream side Dd of the female thread portion 371 and into which the fitting portion 367 of the upstream housing 36 fits.

[0082] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the second relief valve 38 is integrally formed of an approximately cylindrical male screw portion 381 that screws into the female screw portion 371 of the first relief valve 37, an approximately cylindrical upstream shaft portion 382 that extends from the male screw portion 381 to the upstream side Du, and an approximately cylindrical downstream shaft portion 383 that extends from the male screw portion 381 to the downstream side Dd.

[0083] Specifically, the upstream shaft portion 382 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a diameter smaller than that of the male thread portion 381. The downstream shaft portion 383 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the fitting portion 367 of the upstream housing 36.

[0084] Furthermore, an O-ring 50, which is an elastic body, is attached to the downstream shaft portion 383 and is sandwiched between the downstream shaft portion 383 and the first relief valve 37, and seals the gap between the downstream shaft portion 383 and the communication passage 365 of the upstream housing 36. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, the washer 39 is formed as an annular flat plate having an inner diameter that fits loosely onto the upstream shaft portion 382 of the second relief valve 38.

[0085] 5 and 7, the second coil spring 40 is a coil spring that is disposed between the washer 39 and the relief valve case 41 and is fitted onto the upstream shaft portion 382 of the second relief valve 38. The second coil spring 40 is configured so that an end portion on the upstream side Du abuts against a bottom portion 412 of the relief valve case 41 (described later) and urges the second relief valve 38 toward the downstream side Dd by its elastic force.

[0086] 5 and 7, the relief valve case 41 is substantially cylindrical and has an inner diameter large enough to accommodate the second coil spring 40, and is integrally formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape by a male thread portion 411 that screws into the relief valve accommodating portion 366 of the upstream housing 36 and a bottom portion 412 that is provided at an opening on the upstream side Du of the male thread portion 411. A plurality of through holes 41a (see FIG. 5) that penetrate radially are formed in the male thread portion 411 of the relief valve case 41 along the circumferential direction.

[0087] 5 and 7 , the cap 42 has an inner diameter large enough to accommodate the relief valve case 41, and is formed as a bottomed cylindrical body having a bottom on the upstream side Du. The cap 42 is attached to the relief valve accommodating portion 366 of the upstream housing 36.

[0088] The check valve mechanism 60 of the valve device 1 is a residual pressure retention mechanism that operates in response to the pressure difference of the fluid in the third flow path Z to leave gas at a desired pressure in the cylinder container. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the check valve mechanism 60 is configured by assembling a check valve 61, a check valve piston 62, a third coil spring 63, and a check valve housing 64 in this order from the downstream side Dd to the upstream side Du.

[0089] Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the check valve 61 is formed in an approximately cylindrical shape with an internal space that penetrates in the conduction direction D, and is made up of an approximately cylindrical tip tube portion 611 that is inserted into the seventh space Z7 and an approximately cylindrical male screw portion 612 that is smaller in diameter than the tip tube portion 611 and screws into the check valve piston 62.

[0090] More specifically, the tip tube portion 611 is formed with an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the seventh space Z7 of the third flow path Z, and is formed with a shape that is cut out approximately near the center in the conduction direction D. An O-ring 65, which is an elastic body that is sandwiched between the check valve piston 62 and seals the gap with the seventh space Z7 of the third flow path Z, is attached to the end of the upstream side Du of this tip tube portion 611 in a recessed groove (reference numeral omitted) that is recessed along the circumferential direction.

[0091] On the other hand, the male thread portion 612 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having an internal space that communicates with the seventh space Z7 via the internal space of the tip tube portion 611. An O-ring 66, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the check valve piston 62, is attached to the base of the male thread portion 612 on the downstream side Dd.

[0092] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the check valve piston 62 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with an internal space that penetrates in the conduction direction D, and is made up of a generally cylindrical outer fitting portion 621, a generally cylindrical female screw portion 622, and a generally cylindrical cylindrical portion 623.

[0093] Specifically, the outer fitting portion 621 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that fits onto the tip tube portion 611 of the check valve 61. As shown in Fig. 8, this outer fitting portion 621 is configured to sandwich the O-rings 65 and 66 together with the check valve 61 when the check valve 61 is assembled.

[0094] The female screw portion 622 has an outer diameter slightly smaller than that of the outer fitting portion 621, is approximately cylindrical, and extends from the outer fitting portion 621 to the upstream side Du, and is formed so that the male screw portion 612 of the check valve 61 can be screwed into it.

[0095] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the cylindrical portion 623 is approximately cylindrical and extends toward the upstream side Du with approximately the same inner and outer diameters as the female screw portion 622, and is provided with an expanded diameter portion 624 whose outer surface near the approximate center in the conduction direction D has an expanded diameter that forms an approximately mountain-shaped cross section.

[0096] Furthermore, at the end of the upstream side Du on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 623, a groove (symbol omitted) is recessed along the circumferential direction, and an O-ring 67 with a cross-shaped cross section, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the check valve housing 64, is fitted into the groove.

[0097] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the third coil spring 63 is a coil spring that is disposed in the internal space of the check valve piston 62 between the male thread portion 612 of the check valve 61 and the check valve housing 64 .

[0098] This third coil spring 63 is configured so that its end on the upstream side Du abuts against the reaction force support portion 647a of the check valve housing 64 described later, and uses its elastic force to urge the check valve 61 threaded onto the check valve piston 62 toward the downstream side Dd.

[0099] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the check valve housing 64 is integrally formed with an approximately cylindrical downstream tube portion 641, an approximately columnar column portion 642, an approximately cylindrical intermediate tube portion 643, an approximately annular partition plate portion 644, an approximately cylindrical upstream tube portion 645, and an approximately cylindrical female screw portion 646, which are arranged in this order from the downstream side Dd to the upstream side Du.

[0100] In addition, the check valve housing 64 has the downstream cylindrical portion 641 and cylindrical portion 642 arranged in the fifth space Z5, the intermediate cylindrical portion 643 and partition plate portion 644 arranged in the fourth space Z4, and the upstream cylindrical portion 645 and female thread portion 646 arranged in the third space Z3.

[0101] Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the downstream side tubular portion 641 is approximately cylindrical, having an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the expanded diameter portion 624 of the check valve piston 62 and an outer diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the seventh space Z7, and the end portion on the downstream side Dd is formed in a shape with a reduced diameter.

[0102] 8 and 9, the cylindrical portion 642 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with an outer diameter that is generally the same as the diameter of the fifth space Z5. Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 642 is provided with a recess (reference numeral omitted) that is recessed toward the upstream side Du on the end surface of the downstream side Dd inside the downstream-side cylindrical portion 641, with a generally circular cross section and a diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the downstream-side cylindrical portion 641.

[0103] The recess of the cylindrical portion 642, together with the downstream-side cylindrical portion 641, forms a fitting space 647 that fits around the check valve piston 62. The bottom of the fitting space 647 is formed as a reaction force support portion 647a that generates a reaction force in the third coil spring 63.

[0104] Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 642 has four through holes 642a formed at positions radially outward from the downstream cylindrical portion 641 and spaced a predetermined distance apart in the circumferential direction, penetrating in the conduction direction D of the third flow path Z.

[0105] 8 and 9, the intermediate cylinder portion 643 is generally cylindrical and has an outer diameter larger than that of the columnar portion 642 and generally the same as that of the fourth space Z4, and is formed so that its internal space communicates with the through-hole 642a of the columnar portion 642. An O-ring 68, which is an elastic body that seals a gap with the fourth space Z4, is fitted into a recessed groove (reference numeral omitted) recessed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of this intermediate cylinder portion 643.

[0106] 8 and 9 , the partition plate portion 644 is a generally annular flat plate that has a thickness in the conduction direction D and an outer diameter that is generally the same as the outer diameter of the columnar portion 642, and is provided to separate the intermediate tubular portion 643 and the upstream cylindrical portion 645 while allowing communication between them. An O-ring 69, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the second filter 90, is fitted into a groove (reference number omitted) that is recessed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of this partition plate portion 644.

[0107] 8 and 9, the upstream cylindrical portion 645 extends in the conduction direction D, and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a downstream side Dd having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the partition plate portion 644. Four gas-conducting holes 64a are formed in the upstream cylindrical portion 645 at predetermined circumferential intervals, penetrating the upstream cylindrical portion 645 in the radial direction.

[0108] 8 and 9, the female thread portion 646 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with an outer diameter that is generally the same as the outer diameter of the partition plate portion 644 and an inner diameter that is generally the same as the inner diameter of the upstream cylindrical portion 645. The outer peripheral surface of this female thread portion 646 is formed as a contact surface with which an O-ring 94, which will be described later, comes into contact.

[0109] The check valve mechanism 60 configured as described above has a check valve 61 fitted with O-rings 65 and 66 and a check valve piston 62 fitted with a third coil spring 63 housed in a check valve housing 64 and assembled thereto.

[0110] The operation of the pressure-reducing safety valve mechanism 30 and the check valve mechanism 60 having the above-described configuration will now be briefly described with reference to Figures 10 to 13. Note that the initial state of the on-off valve mechanism 20 is the closed state in which the on-off valve 24 seals the lower flow path X1 of the first flow path X, as shown in Figure 2.

[0111] 5, the initial state of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 is a closed state in which the pressure reducing valve 31 moves to the upstream side Du and the first relief valve 37 and the second relief valve 38 seal the communication passage 365 of the upstream housing 36. In addition, the initial state of the check valve mechanism 60 is a closed state in which the check valve 61 and the check valve piston 62 seal the seventh space Z7 of the third flow path Z, as shown in FIG.

[0112] First, when the on-off valve 24 is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 2, the rotary handle 21 is rotated in the loosening direction to move the on-off valve 24 to the open position. Then, the gas filled in the cylinder container flows from the lower flow path X1 of the first flow path X to the upper flow path X2 of the first flow path X, and then flows through the second flow path Y into the third space Z3 of the third flow path Z.

[0113] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 8, the gas that has flowed into the third space Z3 flows into the interior of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 and the interior of the check valve mechanism 60 via a second filter 90 (described later) and the through hole 64a of the check valve housing 64.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 5 , the gas that has flowed into the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 passes through the internal space of the pressure reducing valve 31 in its initial state, the internal space of the pressure reducing piston 32, and the internal space of the pressure reducing valve cylinder 35, and reaches the downstream recess 364 and the communication passage 365 of the upstream housing 36.

[0115] At this time, when the pressure difference between the pressure in the space separated by the pressure reducing piston 32 and the pressure reducing valve cylinder 35 and the downstream housing 33 and the pressure of the gas that has reached the downstream recess 364 and the connecting passage 365 exceeds the biasing force of the first coil spring 34 that biases it toward the upstream side Du, the pressure reducing valve 31, the pressure reducing piston 32 and the pressure reducing valve cylinder 35 move together toward the downstream side Dd against the biasing force of the first coil spring 34, as shown in Figure 10.

[0116] When the pressure difference falls below the biasing force of the first coil spring 34, the pressure reducing valve 31, the pressure reducing piston 32, and the pressure reducing valve cylinder 35 move toward the upstream side Du due to the biasing force of the first coil spring 34, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0117] In this way, the pressure difference causes the pressure reducing valve 31, pressure reducing piston 32, and pressure reducing valve cylinder 35 to repeatedly move upstream Du and downstream Dd at high speed, thereby reducing the pressure of the gas flowing into the check valve mechanism 60.

[0118] Furthermore, when the pressure of the gas flowing into the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 is excessively high and reaches an overpressure state, the overpressurized gas moves the first relief valve 37 and the second relief valve 38, which seal the communication passage 365 of the upstream housing 36, toward the upstream side Du against the biasing force of the second coil spring 40, as shown in FIG. 11 .

[0119] Then, the gas that flows from the communicating passage 365 of the upstream housing 36 into the relief valve accommodating portion 366 of the upstream housing 36 passes through the through hole 41a of the relief valve case 41 and is released to the outside from an opening in the upstream housing 36 (not shown).

[0120] Furthermore, the gas that flows into the check valve mechanism 60 through the through hole 64a passes through the internal space of the partition plate portion 644 in the check valve housing 64, the internal space of the intermediate cylindrical portion 643, and the through hole 642a of the cylindrical portion 642, and reaches the fifth space Z5 and the sixth space Z6 of the third flow path Z, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0121] At this time, when the pressure difference between the pressure in the internal space of the check valve 61, the internal space of the check valve piston 62, and the fitting space 647, which are sealed by O-rings 65, 66, and 67, and the pressure of the gas that has reached the third flow path Z exceeds the biasing force of the third coil spring 63 that biases them toward the downstream side Dd, the check valve 61 and check valve piston 62, which are in the closed state, move together toward the upstream side Du against the biasing force of the third coil spring 63, as shown in Figure 12, and transition to an open state.

[0122] Therefore, the gas that has flowed into the check valve mechanism 60 passes through the seventh space Z7 of the third flow path Z and flows into the piping connected to the connecting portion 15 of the outlet portion 13. When gas is flowing into the piping connected to the connecting portion 15 of the outlet portion 13, the remaining amount of gas in the cylinder container decreases, causing a drop in gas pressure.

[0123] At this time, when the pressure difference described above falls below the biasing force of the third coil spring 63 biasing toward the downstream side Dd, the check valve 61 and the check valve piston 62 move toward the downstream side Dd and transition to a closed state, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0124] In such a valve device 1, in order to prevent foreign matter from entering the opening / closing valve mechanism 20, which operates by rotating the rotary handle 21, and the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 and check valve mechanism 60, which operate by pressure difference, the valve device 1 is equipped with a first filter 70, a fixing member 80, and a second filter 90.

[0125] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the first filter 70 of the valve device 1 is disposed in the filter mounting portion 14 of the valve body 10 to prevent the passage of foreign matter and further to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter into the on-off valve mechanism 20.

[0126] As shown in Figures 2 and 13, this first filter 70 is integrally constructed of a three-dimensional filter body 71 protruding toward the upstream side Du and an annular filter flange 72 provided at the edge of the filter body 71 on the downstream side Dd.

[0127] Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 13, the filter body 71 is a sintered filter formed by sintering metal beads, and is formed with a cross-sectional concave shape that protrudes toward the upstream side Du (downward side) so as to have a main surface that intersects with the conduction direction D.

[0128] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 13, the filter body 71 is formed in a generally hollow truncated cone shape with inner and outer diameters that gradually decrease from the downstream side Dd to the upstream side Du.

[0129] The filter body 71 is formed so that the inner diameter of the downstream side Dd, which is the largest diameter, is approximately the same as the diameter of the lower part X1 of the first flow path X, and the outer diameter of the downstream side Dd, which is the largest diameter, is smaller than the inner diameter of the filter mounting portion 14.

[0130] The inner peripheral surface of such a filter body 71 is formed to have an area that is approximately equal to a value calculated based on the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid flow path F. Specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the filter body 71 is formed to have an area that is approximately equal to a value obtained by dividing the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path lower portion X1 by the filtration accuracy.

[0131] Furthermore, the upper end surface (end surface on the downstream side Dd) of the filter body 71 is composed of a flat plane 71a perpendicular to the vertical direction and an inclined surface 71b inclined radially outward and downward from the outer peripheral edge of the plane 71a.

[0132] 2 and 13, the filter flange 72 is a metal flat plate having a thickness in the vertical direction, and is formed in a circular ring shape in plan view with an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the filter mounting portion 14, and an inner diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the downstream side Dd of the filter main body 71 and the diameter of the flow path lower portion X1 of the first flow path X. The filter flange 72 is integrally formed with the filter main body 71 by sintering metal beads.

[0133] A recess 72a, into which the filter body 71 fits, is formed in the lower surface of the filter flange 72. The recess 72a is recessed in a generally truncated cone shape, with a diameter that decreases toward the top. Specifically, the recess 72a has a generally truncated cone shape, with a bottom surface that contacts the flat surface 71a of the filter body 71 and a peripheral surface that contacts the inclined surface 71b of the filter body 71.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 2, when such a filter flange 72 is assembled to the filter mounting portion 14, the fixing member 80 is pressed against the lower surface radially outward of the recess 72a, and the upper surface abuts against the bottom surface of the filter mounting portion 14.

[0135] As shown in Figures 2 and 13, the fixing member 80 of the valve device 1 is generally cylindrical and extends in the conduction direction D, and is integrally formed with a generally cylindrical male screw portion 81 that screws into the filter mounting portion 14 of the valve body 10, and a generally hexagonal tubular hexagonal head portion 82 that is exposed to the outside of the filter mounting portion 14 when assembled to the valve body 10.

[0136] 2, the male thread portion 81 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the filter flange 72 of the first filter 70 and an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the recess 72a of the filter flange 72. Furthermore, the hexagonal head portion 82 is formed in a hexagonal tube shape with an inner diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the male thread portion 81 and an outer diameter larger than that of the male thread portion 81, as shown in FIGS.

[0137] When such a fixing member 80 is screwed into the filter mounting portion 14 in which the first filter 70 is placed, the upper end surface (end surface on the downstream side Dd) of the male thread portion 81 presses against the lower surface of the filter flange 72, thereby tightly adhering the upper surface of the filter flange 72 to the bottom surface of the filter mounting portion 14.

[0138] Therefore, for example, gas introduced into the first flow path X passes through the filter body 71 of the first filter 70 and flows into the lower flow path X1 of the first flow path X. In this way, the valve body 10 prevents foreign matter from passing through the fluid flow path F and prevents foreign matter from entering the on-off valve mechanism 20.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 3 , the second filter 90 of the valve device 1 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the check valve housing 64 of the check valve mechanism 60 to prevent the passage of foreign matter and to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter into the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 and the check valve mechanism 60.

[0140] The second filter 90 is pre-attached to the check valve mechanism 60 to which the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 is screwed, and is assembled to the outlet portion 13 of the valve body 10 together with the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 and the check valve mechanism 60.

[0141] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, this second filter 90 is approximately cylindrical and extends along the conduction direction D of the third flow path Z, and is integrally formed of an approximately cylindrical filter main body 91, an approximately cylindrical upstream tube portion 92 provided at the end of the upstream side Du of the filter main body 91, and an approximately cylindrical downstream tube portion 93 provided at the end of the downstream side Dd of the filter main body 91.

[0142] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the filter body 91 is a sintered filter formed by sintering metal beads, and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the partition plate portion 644 of the check valve housing 64. As shown in Fig. 8, this filter body 91 is formed to a length in the conduction direction D that spans the upstream cylindrical portion 645 of the check valve housing 64.

[0143] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the upstream cylindrical portion 92 is generally cylindrical and has generally the same inner and outer diameters as the filter body 91, and is formed with a length in the conduction direction D that is shorter than that of the filter body 91.

[0144] Furthermore, an O-ring 94, which is an elastic body that seals the gap with the upstream cylindrical portion 645 of the check valve housing 64, is fitted into a groove portion 92a that is recessed circumferentially on the inner surface of the upstream cylindrical portion 92.

[0145] 8 and 9, the downstream cylindrical portion 93 is generally cylindrical and has generally the same inner and outer diameters as the filter body 91, and is formed with a length in the conduction direction D that is shorter than that of the filter body 91. The upstream cylindrical portion 92 and the downstream cylindrical portion 93 are integrally formed with the filter body 91 by sintering metal beads.

[0146] As shown in Figure 8, when such a second filter 90 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the check valve housing 64 of the check valve mechanism 60, the inner peripheral surface of the filter body 91 is positioned opposite the outer peripheral surface of the upstream cylindrical portion 645, the inner peripheral surface of the upstream cylindrical portion 92 is positioned opposite the outer peripheral surface of the female thread portion 646, and the inner peripheral surface of the downstream cylindrical portion 93 is positioned opposite the outer peripheral surface of the partition plate portion 644.

[0147] At this time, the gap between the upstream cylindrical portion 92 of the second filter 90 and the female thread portion 646 of the check valve housing 64 is sealed by an O-ring 94, and the gap between the downstream cylindrical portion 93 of the second filter 90 and the partition plate portion 644 of the check valve housing 64 is sealed by an O-ring 69.

[0148] Therefore, for example, gas introduced from the second flow path Y passes through the filter body 91 of the second filter 90 and flows into the introduction hole 64a of the check valve housing 64. In this way, the valve device 1 prevents foreign matter from passing through the fluid flow path F and prevents foreign matter from entering the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 and the check valve mechanism 60.

[0149] As described above, the valve device 1 of this embodiment has an attachment portion 11 that is attached to a gas cylinder container, and is provided with a valve body 10 having a fluid flow path F formed therein through which gas flows, and an opening / closing valve 24 that opens and closes the fluid flow path F inside the valve body 10.

[0150] Furthermore, the valve device 1 includes a first filter 70 that is attached to a filter attachment portion 14 provided in the fluid flow path F of the mounting portion 11, and a fixing member 80 that fixes the first filter 70 to the filter attachment portion 14.

[0151] This first filter 70 is integrally constructed of a filter body 71 formed by sintering metal beads into a shape at least part of which intersects with the gas conduction direction D, and a metal filter flange 72 formed as a roughly annular, roughly flat plate provided along the periphery of the filter body 71, against which a fixing member 80 is pressed.

[0152] According to this configuration, the fixing member 80 is pressed against the filter flange 72 of the first filter 70, so that when the first filter 70 is fixed to the filter mounting portion 14, the filter body 71 formed by sintering metal beads can be fixed to the filter mounting portion 14 without being pressed.

[0153] This prevents the filter body 71, which is formed by sintering metal beads and has low mechanical strength, from deforming when fixed to the filter mounting part 14, thereby changing the filtering accuracy or causing damage. Therefore, the valve device 1 can fix the first filter 70 to the valve body 10 without damaging it, thereby preventing the passage of foreign matter.

[0154] Furthermore, since the filter body 71 is formed in a three-dimensional shape that protrudes downward, the valve device 1 can ensure a larger surface area for the filter body 71 compared to, for example, a flat filter body, which allows the valve device 1 to suppress a decrease in gas conductivity.

[0155] Furthermore, by forming the filter body 71 into an approximately truncated cone shape that gradually becomes smaller in diameter as it goes downward, the valve device 1 can ensure a wider surface that intersects with the conduction direction D than, for example, a cylindrical filter body with a bottom, and therefore can prevent the conduction of foreign matter while further suppressing a decrease in gas conductivity.

[0156] Furthermore, since the fixing member 80 is less likely to come into contact with the filter body 71 than, for example, a cylindrical filter body with a bottom, the valve device 1 can prevent damage to the filter body 71 due to contact with the fixing member 80 when pressing the fixing member 80 against the filter flange 72 of the first filter 70.

[0157] Furthermore, since the filter flange 72 is integrally formed with the filter body 71 by sintering, the valve device 1 can reliably integrate the filter body 71 and the filter flange 72.

[0158] As a result, the valve device 1 can prevent the filter body 71 from separating from the filter flange 72 due to the pressure generated when gas passes through, and can reliably prevent the passage of foreign matter.

[0159] The filter flange 72 is recessed upward into the outer peripheral surface of the filter body 71 and has a recess 72a that is approximately the same size as the filter body 71 and into which at least a portion of the filter body 71 fits.

[0160] According to this configuration, at least a portion of the filter body 71 fits into the recess 72a of the filter flange 72, thereby ensuring a sufficient contact area between the filter body 71 and the filter flange 72, thereby enabling the valve device 1 to reliably form the filter body 71 and the filter flange 72 as a single unit.

[0161] Furthermore, because the position of the filter body 71 relative to the filter flange 72 is determined by the recess 72a, the valve device 1 can more reliably prevent the fixing member 80 from coming into contact with the filter body 71. As a result, the valve device 1 can configure the first filter 70 with improved strength, which can be fixed to the valve body 10 without damaging the filter body 71.

[0162] Furthermore, since the innermost inner surface of the filter flange 72 is formed to be approximately the same size as the inner surface of the first flow path X of the fluid flow path F when viewed from the top and bottom, the valve device 1 can prevent the flow of gas from being obstructed by the filter flange 72 while blocking the passage of foreign matter.

[0163] The fixing member 80 is a cylindrical body having an inner peripheral surface larger than the inner peripheral surface of the filter flange 72 , and is configured to be screwed onto the filter attachment portion 14 .

[0164] According to this configuration, the first filter 70 can be attached and detached simply by screwing in and out the fixing member 80, so that the first filter 70 can be fixed more firmly than when the first filter 70 is press-fitted, and the first filter 70 can be easily attached and detached.

[0165] Furthermore, since the filter body 71 and the fixing member 80 do not slide when the fixing member 80 is screwed in or out, the valve device 1 can prevent damage to the filter body 71 due to sliding with the fixing member 80.

[0166] The filter body 71 is formed with a generally concave cross section that protrudes downward, and the area of ​​the inner peripheral surface is determined based on the cross-sectional area and filtration accuracy of the lower flow path X1 of the first flow path X. With this configuration, the valve device 1 can reliably prevent the passage of foreign matter while further suppressing a decrease in gas conductivity.

[0167] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-described embodiments, the mounting portion of this invention corresponds to the cylinder container in the embodiments, and similarly, the fluid corresponds to the gas, the filter corresponds to the first filter 70, the fixing member corresponds to the fixing member 80, the annular body corresponds to the filter flange 72, and the protruding direction corresponds to the downward side; however, this invention is not limited to only the configuration of the above-described embodiments, and many embodiments can be obtained.

[0168] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the valve device 1 is attached to a gas cylinder, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the valve device 1 may be connected to the pipe P of a bundle V (also called a curdle) which is an assembly formed by assembling a plurality of gas cylinders B, as shown in Fig. 14, which is a schematic diagram of the bundle V to which the valve device 1 is connected. In this case, the valve device 1 is a filling-side valve device 1A which conducts gas to the gas cylinder B, and / or a consumption-side valve device 1B which conducts gas to a gas-consuming device (not shown) that consumes the gas.

[0169] Furthermore, the valve body 10 is configured with the mounting portion 11, the body portion 12, and the outlet portion 13, but is not limited to this, and the valve body 10 may be a valve body with a shape suitable for connecting pipes. In this case, the first filter 70 may be attached to the mounting portion of the valve body that is attached to at least the pipe on the upstream side Du.

[0170] Furthermore, the valve device 1 is provided with the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 and the check valve mechanism 60, but is not limited to this, and the valve device 1 may be a valve device provided with either the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 or the check valve mechanism 60, or a valve device provided with only the safety valve unit of the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30.

[0171] Alternatively, the valve device 1 may be a valve device that does not include the pressure reducing safety valve mechanism 30 and the check valve mechanism 60. Furthermore, although the valve device 1 is described as including the second filter 90, the valve device 1 may be a valve device that does not include the second filter 90.

[0172] Furthermore, the first filter 70 is generally circular in bottom view and is attached to a filter attachment portion 14 that is generally circular in bottom view, but this is not limited to this, and the first filter 70 may be a first filter 70 that is generally rectangular in bottom view and is attached to a filter attachment portion 14 that is generally rectangular in bottom view, or a first filter 70 that is generally polygonal in bottom view and is attached to a filter attachment portion 14 that is generally polygonal in bottom view.

[0173] Furthermore, the filter body 71 and the filter flange 72 of the first filter 70 are integrally formed by sintering metal beads, but this is not limited to this, and the first filter 70 may be one in which the filter body 71 and the filter flange 72 are integrally formed by bonding.

[0174] Furthermore, although the filter body 71 of the first filter 70 has a generally truncated conical shape that protrudes downward, the present invention is not limited to this, and the filter body 71 may have a generally truncated conical shape that protrudes upward. In this case, the recess 72a is recessed in the upper surface (end surface of the downstream side Dd) of the filter flange 72. Alternatively, the filter body 71 may be formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that protrudes downward or upward, or in a generally bell shape.

[0175] Furthermore, while the filter body 71 of the first filter 70 has a three-dimensional shape with a concave cross section, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first filter 70 may have a flat filter body 73 as shown in Fig. 15(a), which is a cross-sectional view of the first filter 70 in another embodiment. In this case, the filter flange 72 may have a recess 72a into which a portion of the downstream side Dd of the filter body 73 fits. Alternatively, the filter flange 72 may be a generally annular flat plate in bottom view, having an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the filter body 73.

[0176] Furthermore, although the filter body 71 of the first filter 70 is configured to fit into the recess 72a of the filter flange 72, this is not limiting. For example, the filter body and the filter flange may be integrally configured such that the end face of the filter body 71 abuts against a main surface of the filter flange that does not have the recess 72a.

[0177] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 15(b), which shows a cross-sectional view of the first filter 70 in another embodiment, the filter body 71 and the filter flange 74 may be integrally constructed such that the inclined surface 71b of the filter body 71 contacts the inner surface 74a of the filter flange 74, which is inclined approximately parallel to the inclined surface 71b of the filter body 71.

[0178] Furthermore, although the first filter 70 is configured to be fixed to the filter mounting portion 14 by the fixing member 80, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first filter 70 may be configured to be fixed to the filter mounting portion 14 by press-fitting. In this case, the filter flange 72 of the first filter 70 is the portion against which the press-fitting jig is pressed.

[0179] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 valve device 10 valve body 11 mounting portion 14 filter mounting portion 24 on-off valve 70 first filter 71 filter body 72 filter flange 72a recess 80 fixing member D conduction direction F fluid flow path

Claims

1. A valve device comprising a valve body having an attachment part for attachment to a receiving part, and having a fluid flow path formed therein through which a fluid flows, and an on-off valve for opening and closing the fluid flow path within the valve body, further comprising: a filter attached to a filter attachment part provided in the fluid flow path of the attachment part; and a fixing member for fixing the filter to the filter attachment part, the filter being integrally formed with a filter body formed by sintering metal beads into a shape at least a portion of which intersects with the flow direction of the fluid, and a metal annular body formed as a substantially flat ring-shaped plate provided along the periphery of the filter body, against which the fixing member is pressed.

2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the filter body is formed in a three-dimensional shape protruding in a protruding direction along the thickness direction of the annular body.

3. The valve device according to claim 2, wherein the filter body is formed in a generally truncated cone shape with a diameter that gradually decreases in the protruding direction.

4. The valve device according to claim 2, wherein the annular body is integrally formed with the filter body by sintering.

5. The valve device according to claim 4, wherein the annular body is recessed in the thickness direction of the annular body and has a recess of approximately the same size as the outer peripheral surface of the filter body, and is provided with a recess into which at least a part of the filter body fits.

6. A valve device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the innermost circumferential surface of said annular body is formed to be substantially the same size as the inner circumferential surface of said fluid flow path when viewed in the thickness direction of said annular body.

7. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is a cylindrical body having an inner peripheral surface larger than an inner peripheral surface of the annular body, and is configured to screw into the filter mounting portion.

8. The valve device according to claim 2, wherein the filter body is formed with a cross-sectional shape that is generally concave and protrudes in the protruding direction, and the area of ​​the inner peripheral surface is determined based on the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid flow path and the filtration accuracy.

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