Solenoid

Abstract

Provided is a solenoid wherein a connector section can be positioned in a desired location.　This solenoid 1 comprises: a movable iron core assembly 4, 6 that has a movable iron core 4; a fixed iron core assembly 32 that has a yoke 324 positioned to one side of the movable iron core 4 in the axial direction, and accommodates the movable iron core 4; a molded coil 31 that is fixed to the fixed iron core assembly 32, and in which a resin molded section 2 has been used to unify a coil section 39 that is accommodated in the fixed iron core assembly 32 and a connector section 40 that is positioned outside of the fixed iron core assembly 32; and a retaining means 5 that fixes the fixed iron core assembly 32 to an attachment-side housing 30 by being made to rotate relative to the attachment-side housing 30, wherein further provided is a recess 321c that restricts rotation of the molded coil 31 by having a tool 20 fitted therewith.

Description

Solenoid

[0001] The present invention relates to a solenoid, for example, a solenoid that drives a movable iron core by a magnetic action when an electric current is applied to a coil.

[0002] In various industrial fields, solenoids are used as means for operating various devices such as valves and machines. A solenoid operates various devices by electromagnetically moving a movable iron core housed so as to be reciprocable when an electric current is applied to a coil.

[0003] Further, the solenoid shown in Patent Document 1 mainly includes a fixed iron core and a molded coil. The molded coil is formed by molding, with resin, a coil in which a conducting wire is wound around a bobbin together with a plate, and is inserted and fixed to the fixed iron core. The fixed iron core includes a bottomed cylindrical inner cylindrical portion disposed inside the molded coil and an outer cylindrical portion disposed outside the molded coil. A center post is disposed inside the inner cylindrical portion so as to close an opening, and a plunger is disposed movably in a space defined by the inner cylindrical portion and the center post. When an electric current is applied to the molded coil, a magnetic circuit is formed by the inner cylindrical portion, the center post, the outer cylindrical portion, the plate, and the plunger, and the plunger is magnetically attracted to the center post.

[0004] Further, the solenoid is fixed to the mounting-side housing by screwing a male screw portion provided at the lower end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion of the fixed iron core into a female screw portion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting-side housing.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-204698 (page 6, FIG. 1)

[0006] In a solenoid like the one described in Patent Document 1, a connector is provided to supply power to the molded coil from an external source, and the connector is positioned at a desired circumferential position outside the mounting housing. However, in the solenoid of Patent Document 1, since the fixed core and the mounting housing are fixed with screws, there was a risk that the connector might shift circumferentially from the desired position due to the mounting accuracy of the fixed core and the molded coil, or loosening of the screw fastening between the fixed core and the mounting housing.

[0007] This invention was made in view of these problems, and aims to provide a solenoid in which the connector portion can be positioned at a desired location.

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems, the solenoid of the present invention comprises: a movable core assembly having a movable core; a fixed core assembly having a yoke positioned on one axial side relative to the movable core and housing the movable core; a molded coil having a coil portion housed within the fixed core assembly and a connector portion positioned outside the fixed core assembly integrated by a resin molded portion and fixed to the fixed core assembly; and a retaining means for fixing the fixed core assembly to the mounting side housing by relative rotation with respect to the mounting side housing, wherein the solenoid is provided with a recess into which a tool can be fitted to restrict the rotation of the molded coil. With this, the rotation of the molded coil is restricted by fitting a tool into the recess, and the fixed core can be fixed to the mounting side housing by relative rotation between the retaining means and the mounting side housing, so that the connector portion can be positioned in a desired location.

[0009] The recess may be provided on the axial end face of the fixed core assembly. This allows the rotational position of the molded coil to be restrained by utilizing the recess provided on the fixed core assembly, which is less prone to deformation than the molded coil.

[0010] The recess may be provided at the center of the axial end face of the fixed core assembly. This allows the area around the recess on the axial end face of the fixed core assembly to be used as a magnetic path, thus enabling the magnetic circuit to function stably.

[0011] A fixed core is provided on the other axial side of the fixed core assembly to movably house the movable core, and the outer circumference of the fixed core may be surrounded by the resin molded portion. This allows the load generated on the fixed core when the tool is fitted into the recess to be distributed by the resin molded portion, which is more easily deformed than the fixed core.

[0012] The plates constituting the magnetic circuit are insert-fixed to the resin molded portion, and at least a portion of the plates may be arranged to overlap radially with the movable iron core. This allows the plates to be positioned closer to the movable iron core, resulting in high magnetic efficiency.

[0013] A sealing ring may be positioned on the other axial side of the plate to seal the space between the inner circumference of the molded coil and the outer circumference of the fixed core. This prevents fluids and contaminants from entering the space between the molded coil and the fixed core, while minimizing the impact of the sealing ring on the magnetic path.

[0014] A sealing ring may be provided to seal the space between the outer circumference of the molded coil and the inner circumference of the fixed core assembly. This would prevent fluids and contaminants from entering the space between the molded coil and the fixed core assembly.

[0015] The molded coil may be press-fitted and fixed to the fixed core assembly. This allows the molded coil and the fixed core to be easily integrated.

[0016] The retaining means may be annular in shape and have multiple engaging portions in the circumferential direction that can be engaged with a jig. This allows the retaining means to be rotated using the engaging portions located circumferentially offset from the connector portion.

[0017] This is a cross-sectional view showing a solenoid in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This is a perspective view showing the structure of the screw member. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the fixed core, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which various members are assembled to the fixed core. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the molded coil is press-fitted and fixed to the fixed core from the state in Figure 2(b), (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the fixed core is assembled to the housing, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the fixed core is fixed to the housing by the screw member. This is a plan view showing a solenoid in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a plan view showing a solenoid in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. This is a plan view showing a solenoid in Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0018] Embodiments for implementing the solenoid according to the present invention will be described below based on examples.

[0019] The solenoid according to Example 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Hereafter, the top, bottom, left, and right of the paper in Figure 1 will be described as the top, bottom, left, and right of the solenoid.

[0020] The solenoid 1 in this embodiment 1 is, for example, the solenoid of a solenoid valve V used in a shock absorber. However, the solenoid 1 is not limited to a solenoid valve V and may be used in a solenoid actuator that operates any load.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the solenoid valve V is constructed by integrally mounting a solenoid 1 and a valve 8 that adjusts the fluid flow rate. Figure 1 shows the off state of the solenoid valve V when the coil 39 is not energized.

[0022] The solenoid 1 mainly consists of a solenoid molded body 31 as a molded coil, a fixed core assembly 32, a plunger 4 as a movable core, and a screw member 5 as a retaining means. This solenoid 1 is fixed to the mounting housing 30 on the mounting equipment side.

[0023] The mounting-side housing 30 is formed in a stepped cylindrical shape. However, the outer surface of the mounting-side housing is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a cylindrical shape with a cross-sectional shape other than a rectangular tube.

[0024] The upper end of the mounting housing 30 has a stepped portion 30A formed on its inner circumference, with a large-diameter portion 30a at the top and a small-diameter portion 30b at the bottom. A female threaded portion 30c is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter portion 30a. The stepped portion 30A is a tapered surface connecting the large-diameter portion 30a and the small-diameter portion 30b.

[0025] The solenoid molded body 31 is formed into a cylindrical shape by molding a coil 39, which has multiple wires wound around a bobbin made of an insulator, and an annular plate 33 made of a magnetic material, using a resin molding section 2.

[0026] More specifically, the resin molded part 2 covers the outer circumferential surfaces of the coil 39 and the plate 33, and the upper part of the plate 33. A central hole 31a is provided in the center of the solenoid molded body 31, which penetrates vertically.

[0027] A power line is embedded above the resin molded part 2, and power is supplied to the coil 39 from the outside through a connector terminal 40, which serves as a connector to which the power line is connected. The connector terminal 40 is provided so as to protrude outward from the top of the resin molded part 2 and bend downward.

[0028] The fixed core assembly 32 includes a yoke 324 that magnetically attracts the plunger 4, a first fixed core 322 that forms a magnetic circuit and a part of which forms the outer case, a bottomed second fixed core 321 that also forms a magnetic circuit, and a non-magnetic connecting member 323.

[0029] The second fixed core 321, which serves as a fixed core, is made of a magnetic material and has a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens downwards. A recess 321c is formed at the center of the bottom 321a of the second fixed core 321, which opens upwards and serves as a rotation restricting means. A hex wrench 20 (see Figure 4(c)), which will be described later, can be fitted into the recess 321c from above.

[0030] The radial width L1 of the bottom portion 321a of the second fixed core 321 is approximately three times the maximum radial width L2 of the recess 321c.

[0031] The first fixed core 322 is made of a magnetic material and has an inner cylindrical portion 322a having approximately the same diameter as the cylindrical portion 321b of the second fixed core 321, a bottom portion 322b extending outward from the lower end of the inner cylindrical portion 322a, and an outer cylindrical portion 322c rising upward from the outer edge of the bottom portion 322b.

[0032] The outer cylinder portion 322c is longer than the inner cylinder portion 322a. A stepped portion 322A is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion 322c, with a smaller diameter portion 322d at the top and a larger diameter portion 322e at the bottom. The inner circumferential surface of the upper end of the outer cylinder portion 322c is a tapered surface 322f that decreases in diameter downwards and is continuous in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0033] The connecting member 323 is a cylindrical member made of a non-magnetic material. This connecting member 323 is positioned between the cylindrical portion 321b of the second fixed core 321 and the inner cylindrical portion 322a of the first fixed core 322. The second fixed core 321, the first fixed core 322, and the connecting member 323 are fixed together by brazing.

[0034] In other words, the fixed core assembly 32 has a bottomed cylindrical portion 32A that opens downwards, formed by the cylindrical portion 321b of the second fixed core 321, the inner cylindrical portion 322a of the first fixed core 322, and the connecting member 323. Furthermore, the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A, the bottom portion 322b of the first fixed core 322, and the outer cylindrical portion 322c form a coil housing portion 32B that opens upwards.

[0035] The coil 39 of the solenoid molded body 31 is press-fitted into the coil housing portion 32B. The bottomed cylindrical portion 32A is press-fitted into the central hole 31a of the solenoid molded body 31. As a result, the fixed iron core assembly 32 and the solenoid molded body 31 are integrated in a way that prevents relative rotation and detachment. In other words, the resin molded portion 2 is arranged to surround the outer circumference of the bottom portion 321a of the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A. Note that the solenoid molded body 31 may be fixed to the fixed iron core assembly 32 by means other than press-fitting, for example, by crimping.

[0036] Furthermore, the space between the side surface of the bottom 321a of the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A and the resin molded portion 2 is sealed by the first sealing ring 11 at a position above the plate 33. In this embodiment, the first sealing ring 11 was positioned on the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A side, but it may also be positioned on the resin molded portion 2 side. Moreover, the first sealing ring 11 is not limited to an O-ring, but may also be an X-ring with an X-shaped cross-section or a lip seal, etc.

[0037] Furthermore, the space between the outer cylinder portion 322c and the resin molded portion 2, which constitute the coil housing portion 32B, is sealed by the second sealing ring 12. Specifically, the resin molded portion 2 has a flange portion 2a that overlaps the tapered surface 322f of the outer cylinder portion 322c in the axial direction (i.e., vertical direction). The second sealing ring 12 is positioned between the tapered surface 322f of the outer cylinder portion 322c and the flange portion 2a and outer peripheral surface 2b of the resin molded portion 2. Note that the second sealing ring 12 is not limited to an O-ring, but may also be an X-ring with an X-shaped cross-section or a lip seal.

[0038] An annular yoke 324 is positioned on the inner circumference of the inner cylindrical portion 322a of the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A, thereby closing off the space inside the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A.

[0039] The plunger 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape from a magnetic metal material such as iron. This plunger 4 is arranged to move vertically within the space enclosed by the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A and the yoke 324.

[0040] A through-hole 4a is formed in the center of the plunger 4, extending axially through it. A rod 6 is fitted and fixed into this through-hole 4a. The lower end of the rod 6 is inserted through the central through-hole of the yoke 324, and the lower end surface of the rod 6 is positioned to move toward and away from a valve body (not shown) that constitutes the valve 8. These plunger 4 and rod 6 constitute a movable core assembly 21.

[0041] The yoke 324, the first fixed core 322, the plate 33, and the second fixed core 321 form a fixed magnetic path.

[0042] By energizing the coil 39, a magnetic circuit is formed, a magnetic force is generated between the yoke 324 and the plunger 4, and the plunger 4 moves downward (not shown). Since the connecting member 323 of the fixed core assembly 32 is non-magnetic, magnetic flux is easily transmitted from the fixed core assembly 32 to the plunger 4.

[0043] The fixed core assembly 32, the solenoid molded body 31, and the plunger 4, that is, the solenoid 1, which are unitized in this way, are fixed to the mounting side housing 30 by the screw member 5.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the screw member 5 is an annular member made of a non-magnetic material. The screw member 5 is composed of an annular base portion 51 and a plurality of engaged portions 52 protruding upward from the upper end surface of the base portion 51. Note that the screw member 5 may be a magnetic material.

[0045] A male screw portion 51a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 51, and the inner peripheral surface is a flat surface on which no male screw portion is formed.

[0046] The engaged portions 52 are arc-shaped extending in the circumferential direction along the upper end surface of the base portion 51 and are equally distributed in the circumferential direction. That is, a slit 53 is formed between adjacent engaged portions 52.

[0047] The screw member 5 can be screwed with the female screw portion 30c of the mounting side housing 30 by the male screw portion 51a. Since the plate thickness of the screw member 5 is larger than the width of the stepped portion 30A of the mounting side housing 30, a part of the screw member 5 is disposed on the inner diameter side of the stepped portion 30A above the stepped portion 30A. The portion of the screw member 5 that protrudes beyond the stepped portion 30A on the inner diameter side can be axially, that is, vertically, abutted against the stepped portion 322A of the fixed core assembly 32. Thereby, the integrated fixed core assembly 32 and the solenoid molded body 31 are restricted from coming out upward from the mounting side housing 30.

[0048] Next, the assembly procedure of the solenoid valve V will be described using FIGS. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0049] As shown in Figure 3(a), first, the second fixed core 321, the first fixed core 322, and the connecting member 323 are assembled and brazed together to form a single unit.

[0050] Next, as shown in Figure 3(b), the first sealing ring 11 is attached to the groove 321d on the side surface of the bottom 321a of the second fixed core 321, the plunger 4 and rod 6 are placed inside the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A, and the yoke 324 is assembled. Then, the screw member 5 is inserted through the outside of the small diameter portion 322d in the outer cylindrical portion 322c. Since the inner circumferential surface of the screw member 5 and the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 322d are parallel flat surfaces, the screw member 5 is axially movable relative to the small diameter portion 322d.

[0051] Next, as shown in Figure 4(a), the solenoid molded body 31 is press-fitted and fixed into the fixed core assembly 32 to constitute the solenoid 1. At this time, the inner circumferential surface of the plate 33 of the solenoid molded body 31 abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the second fixed core 321. Specifically, a part of the plate 33 overlaps radially with the bottom portion 321a of the second fixed core 321, and another part of the plate 33 overlaps radially with the cylindrical portion 321b below the bottom portion 321a, i.e., the space within the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A. In other words, the plate 33 can partially overlap radially with the plunger 4.

[0052] Furthermore, the space between the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A and the resin molded portion 2 is sealed by the first sealing ring 11, and the space between the outer cylindrical portion 322c and the resin molded portion 2 is sealed by the second sealing ring 12.

[0053] Next, as shown in Figure 4(b), the assembled solenoid 1 is inserted into the mounting housing 30 and aligned with various components such as the valve 8 on the mounting equipment side. At this time, the connector terminal 40 is positioned at the desired location in the circumferential direction of the mounting housing 30.

[0054] Next, as shown in Figure 4(c), the hex wrench 20 is fitted into the recess 321c of the fixed core assembly 32 from above. This restricts the rotation of the solenoid molded body 31 and the fixed core assembly 32. In other words, the circumferential positions of the solenoid molded body 31 and the fixed core assembly 32 are constrained.

[0055] Then, in that state, the male threaded portion 51a of the screw member 5 is screwed into the female threaded portion 30c of the mounting-side housing 30. The lower end of the screw member 5 abuts against the stepped portion 322A of the fixed core assembly 32, thereby preventing the solenoid 1 from coming out of the mounting-side housing 30. The solenoid 1 is prevented from being overinserted into the mounting-side housing 30 by receiving a biasing force from a device on the mounting equipment side such as the valve 8, or by abutting against an inner circumferential projection provided on the mounting-side housing 30. Furthermore, since the female threaded portion 30c has a longer axial length than the male threaded portion 51a of the screw member 5, there is a large adjustment range for the screw member 5. For example, after the lower end of the screw member 5 abuts against the stepped portion 322A of the fixed core assembly 32, it is possible to tighten it slightly further.

[0056] When screwing the screw member 5 into the mounting housing 30, a jig (not shown) can be engaged with any of the engaged portions 52 to rotate the screw member 5. That is, since there are multiple engaged portions 52 arranged in the circumferential direction, the screw member 5 can be rotated by utilizing the engaged portions 52 that are offset in the circumferential direction from the connector terminal 40.

[0057] As described above, by fitting the hex wrench 20 into the recess 321c of the fixed core assembly 32 to restrict the rotation of the solenoid molded body 31, and then screwing the screw member 5 into the mounting-side housing 30, the fixed core assembly 32 can be fixed to the mounting-side housing 30. With this, even if the rotational force of the screw member 5 is applied to the fixed core assembly 32, the connector terminal 40 can be maintained in the desired position.

[0058] Furthermore, since the recess 321c is formed in the bottom 321a of the closed-bottom cylindrical portion 32A in the fixed core assembly 32, the axial dimensions of the closed-bottom cylindrical portion 32A can be made compact. In other words, a large space for the coil 39 can be secured in the axial direction, and the electromagnetic force of the solenoid 1 can be improved. In addition, since the recess 321c is provided in the fixed core assembly 32, which is less prone to deformation than the solenoid molded body 31, the rotational position of the solenoid molded body 31 can be stably restrained.

[0059] Furthermore, the recess 321c is located at the center of the bottom 321a of the closed-bottom cylindrical portion 32A. Specifically, the outer circumferential surface of the bottom 321a of the closed-bottom cylindrical portion 32A has a straight shape that connects vertically with the side walls of the closed-bottom cylindrical portion 32A, i.e., the outer circumferential surfaces of the cylindrical portion 321b, the inner cylindrical portion 322a, and the connecting member 323. The radial width L1 of the connecting member 323 is approximately three times the maximum radial width L2 of the recess 321c. As a result, the area around the recess 321c at the bottom 321a of the closed-bottom cylindrical portion 32A can be largely utilized as a magnetic path, allowing the magnetic circuit to function stably. In addition, because the outer circumferential surface of the recess 321c, i.e., the bottom 321a of the closed-bottom cylindrical portion 32A, has sufficient radial width, it has high strength against the force applied from the hex wrench 20 when the rotational position of the solenoid molded body 31 is restrained.

[0060] Furthermore, the bottom portion 321a of the closed-bottom cylindrical portion 32A is surrounded by the resin molded portion 2. In other words, the resin molded portion 2 is in contact with the bottom portion 321a of the closed-bottom cylindrical portion 32A at a position that overlaps radially with it. As a result, when the screw member 5 is rotated with the hexagonal wrench 20 fitted into the recess 321c, the load generated on the fixed core assembly 32 can be distributed by the resin molded portion 2, thereby preventing damage to the fixed core assembly 32.

[0061] Furthermore, a portion of the plate 33, which is insert-fixed to the solenoid molded body 31, overlaps radially with the space inside the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A. This allows the plate 33 to be positioned closer to the plunger 4 inside the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A, resulting in high magnetic efficiency.

[0062] Furthermore, the first sealing ring 11 and the second sealing ring 12 prevent contaminants and fluids from entering the fixed core assembly 32. Specifically, for example, if the part that restricts rotation is a protrusion, the shaft length of the solenoid becomes longer. In order to keep the overall shaft length of the solenoid within a specified length, a notch must be made in the outer cylinder of the coil housing and the base of the connector terminal must be fitted into the notch. However, with such a structure, it is difficult to seal the space between the outer cylinder of the coil housing and the solenoid molded body with a sealing ring such as an O-ring.

[0063] In this embodiment, the solenoid 1 has a structure in which rotation is restricted by a recess 321c. Compared to the case where the part that restricts rotation is a protrusion, the axial length of the outer cylinder portion 322c of the coil housing portion 32B can be made larger relative to the axial length of the solenoid 1. Therefore, while keeping the overall axial length of the solenoid 1 to a specified length, the upper end of the outer cylinder portion 322c can be made continuous in a substantially horizontal direction, i.e., in the circumferential direction, and the connector terminal 40 can be placed above it. As a result, the second sealing ring 12 can be placed between the upper end of the substantially horizontally continuous outer cylinder portion 322c and the solenoid molded body 31, thereby improving sealing performance.

[0064] Furthermore, since the first sealing ring 11, which seals the space between the solenoid molded body 31 and the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A, is positioned above the plate 33, the first sealing ring 11 is less likely to affect the magnetic path between the plate 33 and the bottomed cylindrical portion 32A.

[0065] Furthermore, the solenoid molded body 31 is press-fitted and fixed into the coil housing portion 32B of the fixed core assembly 32. This eliminates the need for means to prevent relative rotation or detachment between the fixed core assembly 32 and the solenoid molded body 31, thus allowing the fixed core assembly 32 and the solenoid molded body 31 to be easily integrated.

[0066] Next, the solenoid according to Example 2 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Note that the description of components that are identical to those in Example 1 and therefore redundant will be omitted.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5, the solenoid 61 of this embodiment 2 has a plurality of auxiliary recesses 621e provided around a recess 621c provided at the bottom 621a of the bottomed cylindrical portion 62A of the fixed iron core 62.

[0068] According to this, by using a tool (not shown) having a portion that fits into the recess 621c and a portion that fits into one or all of the auxiliary recesses 621e, the rotational position of the solenoid 61 can be more stably restrained when the screw member 65 is rotated.

[0069] Next, the solenoid according to Example 3 will be described with reference to Figure 6. Note that the description of the same configuration as in Example 1 and therefore redundant will be omitted.

[0070] As shown in Figure 6, the solenoid 71 of this embodiment 3 has a recess 721c that is roughly star-shaped hexagonal in plan view. The recess 721c is a so-called "hexalobular hole". By using a tool with a star-shaped hexagonal cross-section (not shown), the relative rotation between the tool and the recess 721c is reliably restricted, and the rotational position of the solenoid 71 can be more stably restrained when the screw member 75 is rotated.

[0071] Furthermore, the shape of the recess is not limited to a hexagon or star-shaped hexagon in plan view, and can be freely changed.

[0072] Next, the solenoid according to Example 4 will be described with reference to Figure 7. Note that the description of the same configuration as in Example 1 will be omitted.

[0073] As shown in Figure 7, the solenoid 81 of this embodiment 4 is provided with elastic members 87 made of rubber on each side surface that constitutes the recess 821c.

[0074] According to this, as the elastic member 87 is compressed while the hex wrench 20 is inserted into the recess 821c, the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 87 makes it difficult for the hex wrench 20 to come out of the recess 821c when the rotational position of the solenoid 81 is restrained. In addition, friction between the elastic member 87 and the hex wrench 20 makes it even more difficult for the hex wrench 20 to come out.

[0075] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included.

[0076] For example, in the above embodiments 1 to 4, the movable core assembly was shown as an integrated plunger and rod, but the rod configuration may be omitted if, for example, the plunger can actuate a valve, actuator, or the like.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiments 1 to 4, the fixed core assembly was composed of a yoke, a first fixed core, a second fixed core 321, and a connecting member, but it is not limited to this. For example, the fixed core assembly may be composed of one integrally formed fixed core. Alternatively, it may be composed of one fixed core and a yoke. Also, the yoke may be integrally provided on the first fixed core in the above embodiments 1 to 4.

[0078] Furthermore, although the rotation restricting means is shown as a recessed portion in the above embodiments 1 to 4, it may also be a convex portion.

[0079] Furthermore, although the rotation restricting means was provided on the fixed core side in the above embodiments 1 to 4, it is not limited to this, and may be provided on the molded coil side, for example.

[0080] Furthermore, while the retaining means in embodiments 1 to 4 above was exemplified as an annular screw member, it is not limited to this. For example, it may be a device that has a claw portion and prevents the solenoid from coming loose by engaging with a hole in the housing through rotation. In other words, it is sufficient if the solenoid is prevented from coming loose by relative rotation with respect to the mounting housing.

[0081] Furthermore, while embodiments 1 to 4 illustrate a configuration in which the molded coil is press-fitted and fixed to the fixed iron core assembly, the invention is not limited to this, and the coil may be fixed by other connecting means such as screws.

[0082] Furthermore, while embodiments 1 to 4 illustrate a configuration in which the screw member engages with the stepped portion of the fixed iron core, the screw member may also engage with the stepped portion of the molded coil.

[0083] In the above embodiments 1 to 4, an example was given in which the male thread portion on the outer circumferential surface of the screw member is screwed into the female thread portion on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting-side housing. However, it is sufficient that the screw member is able to engage with the fixed iron core or molded coil. For example, the female thread portion on the inner circumferential surface of the screw member may be screwed into the male thread portion on the outer circumferential surface of the mounting-side housing.

[0084] 1 Solenoid 2 Resin molded part 4 Plunger (movable iron core) 5 Screw member (retaining means) 11 First sealing ring 12 Second sealing ring 20 Hex wrench (tool) 30 Mounting side housing 30c Female screw part 31 Solenoid molded body (molded coil) 32 Fixed iron core assembly 32A Bottomed cylindrical part 32B Coil housing part 33 Plate 39 Coil 40 Connector terminal (connector part) 51a Male screw part 52 Engaged part 321a Bottom part 321c Recess (rotation restricting means) 322A Step part 324 Yoke V Solenoid valve

Claims

1. A solenoid comprising: a movable core assembly having a movable core; a fixed core assembly having a yoke positioned on one axial side relative to the movable core and housing the movable core; a molded coil having a coil portion housed within the fixed core assembly and a connector portion positioned outside the fixed core assembly integrated by a resin molded portion and fixed to the fixed core assembly; and a retaining means for fixing the fixed core assembly to the mounting side housing by relative rotation with respect to the mounting side housing, wherein the solenoid has a recess that restricts the rotation of the molded coil when a tool is fitted into it.

2. The solenoid according to claim 1, wherein the recess is provided on the axial end face of the fixed iron core assembly.

3. The solenoid according to claim 2, wherein the recess is provided at the center of the axial end face of the fixed core assembly.

4. The solenoid according to claim 1, wherein a fixed core is provided on the other axial side of the fixed core assembly to movably house the movable core, and the outer circumference of the fixed core is surrounded by the resin molded portion.

5. The solenoid according to claim 1, wherein a plate constituting the magnetic circuit is insert-fixed to the resin molded portion, and at least a portion of the plate is arranged to overlap radially with the movable iron core.

6. The solenoid according to claim 5, wherein a sealing ring is arranged on the other axial side of the plate to seal the space between the inner circumference of the molded coil and the outer circumference of the fixed iron core.

7. The solenoid according to claim 1, wherein a sealing ring is provided to seal the space between the outer circumference of the molded coil and the inner circumference of the fixed iron core assembly.

8. The solenoid according to claim 1, wherein the molded coil is press-fitted and fixed to the fixed iron core assembly.

9. The solenoid according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means is annular in shape and has a plurality of engaged portions in the circumferential direction that can be engaged with a jig.

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