CN111561572B

CN111561572B - Electric valve

Info

Publication number: CN111561572B
Application number: CN202010092480.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 松本道雄; 佐伯真司; 三浦洋一; 汤浅智宏
Original assignee: TGK Co Ltd
Current assignee: TGK Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-02-14
Filing date: 2020-02-14
Publication date: 2023-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 2040-02-14
Also published as: CN111561570A; CN111561571B; CN111561572A; CN111561570B; CN111561571A

Abstract

The invention provides an electric valve capable of inhibiting the swing rotation of a rotor. The electric valve includes a feed screw mechanism and a stopper mechanism. The feed screw mechanism includes: a guide portion provided with a male screw portion on an outer peripheral surface; and a guided portion of the cylindrical body, which is a rotation shaft (326) of the rotor, and which is provided with a female screw portion that is screwed with the male screw portion on the inner peripheral surface. The stop mechanism includes: a 1 st stopper mechanism having a 1 st stopper portion (820) provided on the guided portion and a 1 st locking surface (830) integrally formed on the guide portion, the 1 st locking surface being configured to lock the 1 st stopper portion (820) to restrict movement of the rotor in the valve opening direction; and a 2 nd stop mechanism having a 2 nd stop portion (800) provided on the guided portion, and a 2 nd engagement surface (810) integrally formed on the guide portion, the 2 nd stop portion (800) being engaged to restrict movement of the rotor in the valve closing direction. The 1 st locking surface (830) and the 2 nd locking surface (810) are located between the screw portion and the valve portion of the feed screw mechanism.

Description

Electric valve

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an electric valve, and more particularly, to an arrangement of a stopper mechanism.

Background

An air conditioner for an automobile is generally configured such that a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, an evaporator, and the like are disposed in a refrigeration cycle. As the expansion device, an electric expansion valve is used in which a stepping motor is used in a driving portion to precisely control the valve opening. The electric expansion valve has a mechanism for seating/unseating a valve body supported by a distal end of a shaft on/from a valve seat provided in a main body. A technique has been proposed that employs a feed screw mechanism to convert the rotational motion of the rotor into the translational motion of the shaft at the time of this seating/unseating.

In order to limit the translational movement of the shaft, a stop mechanism is provided in such an electric expansion valve. Conventionally, there is known an electric expansion valve in which a stopper portion that is displaced integrally with a rotation shaft of a rotor and a stopper portion provided in a main body are engaged in a rotation direction of the rotor to perform a stopper function (for example, refer to patent document 1).

[ Prior Art literature ]

[ non-patent literature ]

Patent document 1 Japanese patent laid-open No. 10-47517

Disclosure of Invention

[ problem to be solved by the invention ]

The electric expansion valve described in patent document 1 has a simple structure at a point where a 1 st stopper portion that restricts upward movement in the axial direction and a 2 nd stopper portion that restricts downward movement are disposed close to each other. However, since it is necessary to secure a space for disposing both stoppers between the rotor and the screw portion of the feed screw mechanism in the axial direction of the shaft, the center of gravity of the rotor is separated from the fulcrum. Therefore, the rotor easily swings around the axis. This runout rotation may risk affecting the translational movement of the shaft. Such a problem is not limited to the electric expansion valve, and may also occur for an electric valve used for various purposes.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to suppress runout rotation of a rotor of an electric valve.

[ solution for solving the technical problem ]

One embodiment of the present invention is an electrically operated valve. The electric valve includes: a main body provided with an inlet port through which fluid is introduced from an upstream side, an outlet port through which fluid is introduced to a downstream side, and a passage through which the inlet port communicates with the outlet port; a valve element that opens and closes a valve portion provided in the passage; a motor including a rotor for driving the valve element in the opening/closing direction of the valve portion; a shaft coaxially supported by the rotor and displaceable integrally with the valve element; a feed screw mechanism that converts rotational movement of the rotor into translational movement; and a stop mechanism that limits translational movement of the rotor. The feed screw mechanism includes: a guide portion provided upright on the main body, the guide portion having a male screw portion provided on an outer peripheral surface thereof; and a guided portion that is formed of a cylindrical body that forms a rotation shaft of the rotor, has a female screw portion that is screwed with the male screw portion on an inner peripheral surface, and is supported in a state of being externally inserted in the guide portion. The stop mechanism includes a 1 st stop mechanism and a 2 nd stop mechanism. The 1 st stopper mechanism includes a 1 st stopper portion provided on the guided portion and a 1 st locking surface provided on the guide portion, and restricts movement of the rotor in the valve opening direction by locking the 1 st stopper portion by the 1 st locking surface when the valve element is displaced in the valve opening direction by driving of the motor. The 2 nd stop mechanism comprises: a 2 nd stopper portion provided to the guided portion; and a 2 nd locking surface provided on the guide portion. When the valve body is displaced in the valve closing direction by the driving of the motor, the 2 nd stopper is engaged by the 2 nd engagement surface, thereby restricting the movement of the rotor in the valve closing direction. The 1 st locking surface and the 2 nd locking surface are positioned between the threaded part and the valve part of the feed screw mechanism.

According to this aspect, the distance between the rotor and the screw portion can be shortened by disposing the engagement surfaces of the 2 stopper mechanisms between the screw portion and the valve portion, but not between the rotor and the screw portion. Therefore, the runout rotation of the rotor caused by the rotational drive of the rotor can be suppressed.

[ Effect of the invention ]

According to the present invention, an electrically operated valve capable of suppressing runout of a rotor can be provided.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an electrically operated valve according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing a valve-opened state of the motor-operated valve.

Fig. 3 is a view showing an appearance of the stopper member.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion near the stopper member in the case where the stopper member is assembled to the rotary shaft.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an operation procedure of the electric valve in a state of switching from the closed valve state to the fully opened state.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the stopper member in a state where the stopper mechanism is operated.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a structure of the guide member and the rotation shaft.

Fig. 8 is a view showing a state where the 2 nd stopper is locked to the 2 nd locking surface (when the valve is closed).

Fig. 9 is a view showing a state in which the 2 nd stopper portion rotates 150 degrees from the valve-closed state.

Fig. 10 is a view showing a state in which the 2 nd stopper is rotated 300 degrees from the valve-closed state.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the stopper member in the case where the stopper member of the comparative example is used in the electric valve.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the motor-operated valve when the stopper member according to embodiment 2 is used in the motor-operated valve.

Fig. 13 is a view showing an appearance of the stopper member.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the stopper member when the stopper member is used in the electric valve.

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the stopper member in a state where the stopper mechanism is operated.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a stopper member of the motor-operated valve according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an operation procedure of attaching the rotation shaft and the guide member.

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a stopper member of the motor-operated valve according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a stopper mechanism of the motor-operated valve according to embodiment 5.

Fig. 20 is a conceptual diagram showing a step of molding the stopper.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, for convenience, the positional relationship of each structure may be expressed with reference to the illustrated state. In the following embodiments and modifications thereof, substantially the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

[ embodiment 1 ]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of an electrically operated valve 100 according to embodiment 1.

The motor-operated valve 100 of the present embodiment is an electric expansion valve functioning as an expansion device, and is configured such that the main body 200 and the motor unit 300 are assembled. A valve portion 202 is provided inside the main body 200.

At the side of the main body 200, there are provided: an inlet 222 for introducing a high-temperature and high-pressure fluid from the condenser side; and a delivery port 224 for delivering the low-temperature, low-pressure fluid, which has been throttled and expanded at the valve portion 202, to the evaporator.

The body 200 includes a bottom cylindrical 1 st body 220, a cylindrical 2 nd body 240, and a cylindrical 3 rd body 260. In the upper half of the 1 st main body 220, a 2 nd main body 240 is provided. In the lower half of the 2 nd body 240, a 3 rd body 260 is provided. The 3 rd body 260 is located inside the 1 st body 220. Inside the 3 rd main body 260, the valve portion 202 is accommodated. In the upper center of the 2 nd main body 240, a guide member 242 (guide portion) is provided upright. The guide member 242 is a machined part made of a metal material, and a male screw portion 244 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the axial center portion of the guide member 242. The guide member 242 has a large diameter at its lower end portion, and the large diameter portion 245 is coaxially fixed to the upper center of the 2 nd main body 240. Inside the 2 nd body 240, there is inserted a shaft 246 extending from the rotor 320 of the motor unit 300. The lower end of the shaft 246 doubles as the valve element 204 constituting the valve portion 202. In the guide member 242, the shaft 246 is slidably supported in the axial direction by its inner peripheral surface, and the (guided portion of) the rotary shaft 326 of the rotor 320 is rotatably slidably supported by its outer peripheral surface.

An inlet 222 is provided at one side portion of the 1 st main body 220, and an outlet 224 is provided at the other side portion. Inlet 222 directs fluid and outlet 224 directs fluid. The inlet 222 and the outlet 224 communicate with each other through an internal passage formed in the 3 rd body 260.

At the side of the 3 rd body 260, an inlet port 262 is provided, and at the bottom, an outlet port 264 is provided. Inlet port 262 communicates with inlet 222 and outlet port 264 communicates with outlet 224. The inlet port 262 and the outlet port 264 communicate via a valve chamber 266. A valve hole 208 is provided in the 3 rd body 260, and a valve seat 210 is formed by an upper end opening edge thereof. By the contact/separation of the valve element 204 with the valve seat 210, the opening degree of the valve portion 202 is adjusted.

An E-ring 212 is fitted into the valve chamber 266 at the lower portion of the shaft 246. Above the E-ring 212, a spring support 214 is provided. A spring holder 248 is also provided below the guide member 242, and a spring 216 that biases the valve element 204 in the valve closing direction of the valve portion 202 is inserted between the 2 spring holders 214, 248 coaxially with the valve element 204. In the present embodiment, since the lower end portion of the shaft 246 also serves as the valve body 204, the spring 216 biases the shaft 246 in the valve closing direction.

Next, the structure of the motor unit 300 will be described.

The motor unit 300 is configured as a three-phase stepping motor including a rotor 320 and a stator 340. The motor unit 300 has a bottomed cylindrical case 302, and is configured to: a rotor 320 is disposed inside the housing 302, and a stator 340 is disposed outside the housing.

The stator 340 includes a laminated core 342 and a bobbin 344. The laminated core 342 is configured to: the plate-shaped cores are stacked in the axial direction. A coil 346 is wound around the bobbin 344. The coil 346 and the bobbin 344 around which the coil 346 is wound are collectively referred to as a "coil unit 345". The coil unit 345 is assembled to the laminated core 342.

The stator 340 is integrally provided with the housing 400 by molding. A cover 440 is fitted to the upper opening of the housing 400. In the space S surrounded by the case 400 and the cover 440, a printed wiring board 420 is provided. The coil 346 is connected to the printed wiring board 420. The case 400 is provided with a terminal cover 402 for protecting a terminal 422, and the terminal 422 is used for supplying power from an external power source to the printed wiring board 420.

Annular seal members 206 and 201 are attached between the 3 rd body 260 and the 1 st body 220, and between the 2 nd body 240 and the 1 st body 220, respectively. With this configuration, leakage of fluid through the gap (clearance) between the 1 st body 220 and the 3 rd body 260 and the gap between the 2 nd body 240 and the 1 st body 220 can be prevented. Further, an annular seal member 203 is mounted between the 2 nd main body 240 and the housing 400. With this configuration, intrusion of outside air (moisture, etc.) through the gap between the 2 nd main body 240 and the housing 400 can be prevented.

The rotor 320 includes: a cylindrical rotor core 322; and a magnet 324 provided along the outer circumference of the rotor core 322. Rotor core 322 is assembled to rotary shaft 326. The magnet 324 is magnetized into a plurality of poles along its circumference.

The rotary shaft 326 is a machined product made of a metal material. The rotation shaft 326 is formed by integrally molding a metal material into a bottomed cylinder. With respect to the rotation shaft 326, an opening end thereof is placed at a lower portion and externally inserted to the guide member 242. A female screw portion 328 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 326, and the female screw portion 328 is engaged with the male screw portion 244 of the guide member 242. By the feed screw mechanism formed by these screw portions, the rotational movement of the rotor 320 is converted into a translational movement in the axial direction. The position of engagement of the female screw portion 328 and the male screw portion 244 in the feed screw mechanism is referred to as "screw portion". The structure near the opening end of the rotation shaft 326 will be described in detail later.

The upper portion of the shaft 246 is reduced in diameter, and the reduced diameter portion penetrates the bottom of the rotating shaft 326. An annular stopper 330 is fixed to the tip of the reduced diameter portion. On the other hand, a back spring 332 that biases the shaft 246 downward (in the valve closing direction) is attached between the base end of the reduced diameter portion and the bottom of the rotary shaft 326. With this configuration, when the valve portion 202 is opened, the shaft 246 is displaced integrally with the rotor 320 in a state where the stopper 330 is locked to the bottom of the rotation shaft 326. On the other hand, when the valve portion 202 is closed, the back spring 332 is compressed by the reaction force received by the valve element 204 from the valve seat 210. The valve body 204 can be pressed against the valve seat 210 by the elastic reaction force of the back spring 332 at this time, and the seating performance (valve closing performance) of the valve body 204 can be improved.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a fully opened state of the motor-operated valve 100.

The electrically operated valve 100 has a stopper mechanism that restricts translational movement of the rotary shaft 326. The stopper mechanism includes 2 protrusions provided at the opening end of the rotation shaft 326 and 2 protrusions and stopper members 500 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 242.

The rotary shaft 326 has a diameter-enlarged portion 334 having an enlarged inner diameter at a lower portion. The enlarged diameter portion 334 extends from just below the female screw portion 328 to the lower end of the rotation shaft 326. An annular recess 336 is provided along the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 320 at the opening end of the rotation shaft 326. The stopper member 500 is fitted into the recess 336.

A 1 st projection 250 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 242, slightly below the male screw portion 244. Further below the 1 st convex portion 250, a 2 nd convex portion 252 is provided to be convex. The 1 st projection 250 is provided in a state of protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 242. The height of the 1 st convex portion 250 is set lower than the height of the 2 nd convex portion 252. In embodiment 1, the 2 nd convex portion 252 forms an upper end portion of the large diameter portion 245. The 1 st projection 250 and the 2 nd projection 252 are integrally formed with the guide member 242. The 1 st lobe 250 defines a top dead center in translational movement of the rotational shaft 326 and the 2 nd lobe 252 defines a bottom dead center.

The feed screw mechanism is operated by driving the motor unit 300, and when the rotation shaft 326 starts to move upward, the shaft 246 is displaced integrally with the rotor 320. By this displacement, the valve element 204 is disengaged from the valve seat 210. Thus, the fluid introduced into the inlet port 222, the inlet port 262, and the valve chamber 266 passes through and flows out of the outlet port 264 and the outlet port 224 in this order.

As shown in fig. 1, in the closed valve state, a part of the opening end portion of the rotation shaft 326 is in contact with the upper end portion (the 2 nd convex portion 252 in fig. 2) of the large diameter portion 245. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 2, in the fully opened state, a part of the stopper member 500 abuts against the 1 st convex portion 250. Translational movement below (in the valve closing direction) and above (in the valve opening direction) the rotation shaft 326 is restricted by these two abutment schemes. Details of the abutment scheme will be described later.

Next, the structure of the stopper member 500 will be described.

Fig. 3 is a view showing an external appearance of the stopper member 500. (A) is a side view, (B) is a bottom view, and (C) is a perspective view.

The stop member 500 is constructed of a spring material. The stopper member 500 is obtained by: the strip-shaped portion obtained by punching the plate material is subjected to bending processing and is formed into a clip shape. The stopper member 500 includes an arc-shaped fitting portion 502, a U-shaped connecting portion 504, and a guide portion 505. In the stopper member 500, the fitting portion 502 extends from both end portions of the coupling portion 504, and the guide portion 505 extends from an end portion of the fitting portion 502 opposite to the coupling portion 504. The stopper member 500 has a substantially symmetrical structure (except for a boss 508 described later) with respect to a bisector L of the coupling portion 504.

The fitting portion 502 is constituted by 2 arcuate fitting members 503. The 2 fitting members 503 are disposed at symmetrical positions with respect to the bisector L. The 2 fitting members 503 have the same inscribed circle. The curvature of the inscribed circle of the fitting portion 502 (inscribed circle of the fitting member 503) is equal to the curvature at the bottom of the recess 336. The guide 505 is composed of 2 guide members 507. These guide members 507 are shaped as follows: extends from the connection point with the fitting member 503 in a direction approaching each other, and extends in a direction separating from and contacting each other on the way. The portion of the guide 505 where the distance between the 2 guide members 507 is shortest (the portion that changes from the approaching direction to the separating/contacting direction) is referred to as a "narrow portion N".

Stop member 500 also includes a protrusion 506. The protruding portion 506 protrudes downward from the connecting portion 504 in a side view in an L shape, and extends in the direction of the center axis of the inscribed circle of the fitting portion 502. The extension direction of the protrusion 506 is the same as the extension direction of the bisector L. The front end of the projection 506 has a tapered shape. Further, the front end face of the protruding portion 506 has a curvature. The projection 506 includes a boss 508 on the side of the front end. The boss 508 extends circumferentially from the boss 506.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion near the stopper member 500 in the case where the stopper member 500 is assembled to the rotation shaft 326.

The lower end of the rotation shaft 326 has a stepped shape. The step includes a step portion 338 and a protrusion 327. The stepped portion 338 is formed in a concave shape from the lower end surface of the rotation shaft 326. The stepped portion 338 extends in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326 (the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft 326). At the stepped portion 338, the protruding portion 506 is inserted therethrough in the radial direction. The protruding portion 506 is movable only in the range of the stepped portion 338 in the rotation direction. The protruding portion 327 is formed protruding from the lower end surface of the rotation shaft 326. The convex portion 327 and the 1 st convex portion 250 sandwich the convex portion 506. That is, in the convex portion 327, a portion facing the convex portion 506 functions as a "nip portion". The portion on the opposite side thereof functions as a "locking portion" with respect to the 2 nd convex portion 252 (details will be described later).

The stopper member 500 is assembled to the rotation shaft 326 in a state where the protruding portion 506 is positioned below the fitting portion 502. The fitting portion 502 is fitted into the recess 336.

A gap exists between the inner peripheral surface of the expanded diameter portion 334 and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 242. The front end of the projection 506 is located in the gap. That is, the protruding portion 506 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 326. Further, a gap is provided between the front end surface of the projection 506 and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 242. Accordingly, the stopper member 500 is movable around the guide member 242 in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326.

At a certain point in the translational movement of the rotation shaft 326 (described below in detail), the projection 506 is engaged by the 1 st projection 250 in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326. At this time, in the protruding portion 506, the protruding portion 327 (functioning as a "nip") is in contact with a surface opposite to the surface in contact with the 1 st protruding portion 250. The convex portion 327 presses the convex portion 506 in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326, and sandwiches it with the 1 st convex portion 250.

Between the inner peripheral surface of the protruding portion 327 and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 242, a protruding portion 508 is inserted. That is, the boss 508 is sandwiched by the inner peripheral surface of the boss 327 and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 242 in the radial direction. With this structure, even when the stopper member 500 receives a radially outward force, the boss 508 can come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the boss 327 and stay inside the boss 327. Therefore, the stopper member 500 does not come off from the rotation shaft 326. The boss 508 is also referred to as a "click portion" for preventing the stopper member 500 from falling off the rotation shaft 326.

Here, fig. 4 shows a method of assembling the rotation shaft 326, the guide member 242, and the stopper member 500.

First, the tip of the guide member 242 is inserted into the rotation shaft 326. The male screw portion 244 is screwed with the female screw portion 328 (see fig. 1), and the guide member 242 is inserted into the rotation shaft 326. A gap exists between the 1 st convex portion 250 and the enlarged diameter portion 334. Since this gap exists, the 1 st convex portion 250 can be inserted into the inside of the expanded diameter portion 334. After the 1 st protruding portion 250 is inserted above the step portion 338, the stopper member 500 is fitted to the rotation shaft 326 in the radial direction. At this time, first, the end of the guide portion 505 is brought into contact with the bottom of the recess 336, and the guide portion 505 and the fitting portion 502 are fitted in this order along the recess 336. The narrow portion N of the guide portion 505 becomes larger along the bottom of the recess 336 and exceeds the bottom. When the narrow portion N passes through the bottom of the recess 336, the enlargement of the narrow portion N is eliminated by the spring force. The bottom of the recess 336 is fitted to a position concentric with the fitting portion 502, and the fitting of the fitting portion 502 into the recess 336 is completed. The protrusion 506 is inserted through the step 338. The boss 508 is inserted between the boss 327 and the guide member 242, and the boss 506 is sandwiched between the boss 327 and the 1 st boss 250. By doing so, the assembly of the rotation shaft 326, the guide member 242, and the stopper member 500 is completed.

In assembling the rotation shaft 326 and the guide member 242, the 1 st projection 250 needs to be inserted into the rotation shaft 326. Therefore, the inner diameter of the rotation shaft 326 (the inner diameter of the enlarged diameter portion 334) is set to be larger than the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the 1 st convex portion 250 centered on the axis of the guide member 242. On the other hand, in order to restrict the translational movement of the rotation shaft 326 upward (in the valve opening direction) using the 1 st protruding portion 250, the 1 st protruding portion 250 needs to abut against the rotation shaft 326 in a certain portion in the rotation direction. In the present embodiment, after the rotation shaft 326 and the guide member 242 are assembled and the 1 st protruding portion 250 is inserted into the rotation shaft 326, the stopper member 500 functioning as a stopper is assembled. The stop projects radially inward of the inner diameter of the rotating shaft 326. With this structure, the rotation shaft 326 and the guide member 242 can be smoothly assembled. Further, the stopper mechanism functions when the valve is opened. Therefore, the assembling property of the motor-operated valve 100 having the stopper mechanism can be improved.

When the stopper member 500 is assembled, the fitting portion 502 can be smoothly fitted into the recess 336 by providing the guide portion 505. Further, since the tip end portion of the protruding portion 506 is tapered, the protruding portion 506 can be smoothly inserted through the stepped portion 338. Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the 2 nd protrusion 252, a cutout 253 extends in the circumferential direction. The notch 253 extends in a virtual screw centered on the axis of the guide member 242 in a valley state of the screw. Further, on the inner peripheral surface of the protruding portion 327, the cutout portion 301 extends in the circumferential direction. The notch 301 extends in a virtual spiral centered on the axis of the rotation shaft 326 in a valley state of the thread. Details of the notch 253 and the notch 301 will be described later.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an operation procedure of the motor-operated valve 100 in a state of switching from the closed valve state to the fully open state. The valve (a) is closed, (B) is slightly opened, the valve (C) is slightly closed from the fully opened state, and the valve (D) is fully opened.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in the vicinity of the stopper member 500 in a state in which the stopper mechanism is operated, as viewed from below. (A) represents a closed valve state, and (B) represents a fully open state.

The operation near the stopper member 500 will be described.

When the valve portion 202 is in the valve-closed state, the positional relationship among the rotation shaft 326, the guide member 242, and the stopper member 500 is as shown in fig. 5 (a) and 6 (a). That is, since the 2 nd protrusion 252 and the protrusion 327 (functioning as a "locking portion") come into contact with each other in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326, the movement to the lower side of the rotation shaft 326 is restricted. During the opening of the valve portion 202 (see fig. 1) (fig. 5B and 5C), the 2 nd protrusion 252 is separated from the protrusion 327, and the rotation shaft 326 is movable in the axial direction. When the valve portion 202 is in the fully opened state (fig. 5 (D), fig. 6 (B)), the 1 st convex portion 250 comes into contact with the convex portion 506, and movement upward of the rotation shaft 326 is restricted. In the translational movement of the rotation shaft 326 from the valve-closed state to the fully-opened state of the valve portion 202, the protruding portion 327 moves integrally with the protruding portion 506.

As shown in fig. 5 (D) and 6 (B), the projection 506 is referred to as a "1 st stopper 820", and the contact surface with the projection 506 in the 1 st projection 250 is referred to as a "1 st locking surface 830". The stopper mechanism that includes the 1 st stopper 820 and the 1 st locking surface 830 and restricts upward movement of the rotation shaft 326 is referred to as a "1 st stopper mechanism". The 1 st stopper 820 is locked by the 1 st locking surface 830, so that the movement of the rotation shaft 326 in the valve opening direction is restricted. As shown in fig. 5 (a) and 6 (a), the projection 327 is referred to as "2 nd stopper 800", and the contact surface with the projection 327 in the 2 nd projection 252 is referred to as "2 nd locking surface 810". The stopper mechanism that includes the 2 nd stopper 800 and the 2 nd locking surface 810 and restricts downward movement of the rotation shaft 326 is referred to as a "2 nd stopper mechanism". The 2 nd stopper 800 is locked by the 2 nd locking surface 810, so that the rotation shaft 326 is restricted from moving in the valve closing direction. As shown in fig. 6 (a), the contact surface with the 2 nd locking surface 810 in the 2 nd stopper 800 is referred to as "contact surface 812".

Returning to fig. 1, the pressure receiving structure of the motor-operated valve 100 will be described.

In the electrically operated valve 100, the fluid introduced from the inlet 222 is filled into the housing 302 through the inlet port 262 and the valve chamber 266. The upper end portion of the shaft 246 receives pressure in the downward direction (fluid pressure upstream of the valve portion 202) by the fluid introduced into the housing 302. On the other hand, the lower end portion of the shaft 246 (the valve body 204) receives pressure in the upward direction (fluid pressure downstream of the valve portion 202) by the fluid introduced into the outlet port 224 and the outlet port 264. When the valve portion 202 is closed, the fluid pressure upstream of the valve portion 202 is greater than the fluid pressure downstream. Therefore, in the valve-closed state, the shaft 246 (the valve element 204) receives a force in the valve-closing direction due to a differential pressure between the upstream side fluid pressure and the downstream side fluid pressure. The force applied to the shaft 246 in the valve closing direction is maximized when the valve is closed, that is, when the 2 nd stopper 800 is engaged by the 2 nd engagement surface 810 (fig. 5 a and 6 a).

When the valve portion 202 is opened from the valve-closed state, a force against the force applied to the shaft 246 in the valve-closing direction by the differential pressure is required. As described in connection with fig. 1, translational movement of the shaft 246 (spool 204) translates rotational movement of the integrally displaced rotor 320. Accordingly, the greater the torque applied to the rotor 320, the greater the thrust force in the axial direction of the spool 204 becomes. The torque is proportional to the relative area of the rotor 320 and the stator 340. In the present embodiment, when the valve portion 202 is closed, that is, when the 2 nd stopper portion 800 is locked by the 2 nd locking surface 810, the rotor 320 and the stator 340 are set to have the same height in the axial direction, and the relative area therebetween is maximized. With this structure, the thrust force for lifting the valve body 204 upward can be increased.

Here, the structures of the guide member 242 and the rotation shaft 326 will be described.

Fig. 7 shows a structure of the guide member 242 and the rotation shaft 326. (a) is a cross-sectional view of the 2 nd locking surface 810 including the guide member 242, (B) is a cross-sectional view of the contact surface 812 including the rotation shaft 326, and (C) is a conceptual diagram showing a contact scheme between the 2 nd protrusion 252 and the 2 nd stopper 800.

As described with reference to fig. 4, a spiral cutout 253 similar to the male screw 244 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the 2 nd protrusion 252. Further, a spiral cutout 301 similar to the female screw 328 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the protruding portion 327.

The distance between adjacent valleys in each of the male screw portion 244 of fig. 7 (a) and the female screw portion 328 of fig. 7 (B) is referred to as "pitch P". The cross section shown in fig. 7 (a) is present on a plane including the intersection 253a of the deepest portion of the cutout 253 and the 2 nd engagement surface 810, and the axis C1 of the guide member 242. In this plane, in a surface (left half in the cross-sectional view of fig. 7 a) on one side including the intersection 253a in the axis C1, a distance L1 in the axis direction between the notch 253 and the valley of the male screw portion 244 is set to a times (a is an integer) the pitch P. The cross section shown in fig. 7 (B) is present on a plane including the intersection 301a of the deepest portion of the notch 301 and the contact surface 812, and the axis C2 of the rotation shaft 326. In this plane, the distance L2 in the axial direction between the notch 301 and the valley of the female screw 328 is also set to B times (B is an integer) the pitch P on the surface (right half in the cross-sectional view of fig. 7B) on the side including the intersection 301a on the axis C2. The numbers a and b may be the same or different. The technical significance of the distances L1 and L2 will be described later together with the description of fig. 7 (C).

The molding of the male screw portion 244 of the guide member 242 and the female screw portion 328 of the rotation shaft 326 will be described. As described with reference to fig. 1, the guide member 242 is obtained by cutting a columnar metal material (hereinafter, referred to as a "columnar member"). In the cutting process of the guide member 242, the 1 st convex portion 250 and the 2 nd convex portion 252 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member. The male screw portion 244 is formed by moving the processing tool in a direction approaching the convex portion 252 from the processing start position of the male screw portion 244 while rotating the cylindrical member about the axis thereof. After the male screw portion 244 is formed, the cut portion 253 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member by the processing tool while maintaining the rotation of the cylindrical member and the movement of the processing tool. Thus, the distance L1 becomes an integer multiple of the pitch P.

The rotation shaft 326 is obtained by cutting a cylindrical metal material (hereinafter referred to as a "cylindrical member"). Before the cutting process of the female screw portion 328, the notch 301 is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member while rotating the cylindrical member around the axis thereof. The cutout 301 is formed by: the machining tool used for molding the female screw 328 is moved in the axial direction. The female screw portion 328 is formed by moving the processing tool in a direction away from the notch portion 301 while maintaining the rotation of the cylindrical member and the movement of the processing tool. Thus, the distance L2 becomes an integer multiple of the pitch P.

In the present embodiment, the 2 nd locking surface 810 and the male screw portion 244 are integrally formed with the guide member 242. Further, the 2 nd stopper 800 and the female screw 328 are integrally formed with the rotation shaft 326. In order to lock the 2 nd stopper 800 to the 2 nd locking surface 810, as will be described later, it is necessary to strictly manage the phases of the 2 nd locking surface 810 and the male screw portion 244, and the phases of the abutment surface 812 and the female screw portion 328, respectively.

Fig. 8 shows a state where the 2 nd stopper 800 is locked to the 2 nd locking surface 810 (when the valve is closed). (A) Is a front view showing the vicinity of the notch 253, and (B) is A-A cross-sectional view of (a).

Fig. 9 shows a state in which the rotation shaft 326 is rotated 150 degrees from the state of fig. 8. (A) Is a front view showing the vicinity of the notch 253, and (B) is a B-B cross-sectional view of (a).

Fig. 10 shows a state in which the rotation shaft 326 is rotated 300 degrees from the state of fig. 8. (A) Is a front view showing the vicinity of the notch 253, and (B) is a C-C cross-sectional view of (a).

When the rotation shaft 326 rotates from the valve-closed state in the direction corresponding to the valve-opening operation, the 2 nd stopper 800 approaches the 2 nd protrusion 252 at a certain angle. In order to prevent the 2 nd stopper 800 from colliding with the 2 nd protrusion 252 and obstructing the rotation of the rotation shaft 326, the lower end surface of the 2 nd stopper 800 must be located above the upper end surface of the 2 nd protrusion 252 at this angle. Therefore, the length in the axial direction of the abutting portion between the abutting surface 812 and the 2 nd locking surface 810 is set to be shorter than the translation distance (pitch P) of the 2 nd stopper 800 when the rotation shaft 326 rotates by 1 revolution. Thus, the 2 nd stopper 800 can smoothly move without colliding with the 2 nd protrusion 252 during the valve opening operation. In the closed valve state, the area of the contact portion needs to be as large as possible in order to stably lock the 2 nd stopper 800 and the 2 nd locking surface 810. Therefore, the length in the axial direction at the abutment portion is set as close to the size of the pitch P as possible. Thus, the 2 nd locking surface 810 can be appropriately locked to the 2 nd stopper 800.

As shown in fig. 8 to 10, in practice, the 2 nd protrusion 252 and the 2 nd stopper 800 extend on virtual arcs centered on the axis, respectively. Specifically, the 2 nd convex portion 252 and the 2 nd stopper portion 800 extend on virtual arcs having a center angle of 30 degrees, respectively. Therefore, the length in the axial direction of the abutting portion between the abutting surface 812 and the 2 nd locking surface 810 is set to be shorter and as large as possible than the translational distance of the 2 nd stopper 800 when the 2 nd stopper 800 rotates 300 degrees. Thus, during the valve opening operation, the 2 nd stopper 800 can be appropriately locked to the 2 nd stopper 800 without being interfered by the 2 nd protrusion 252, and the 2 nd locking surface 810.

The relationship between the length of the abutment surface 812 in the axial direction and the pitch P at the abutment portion of the 2 nd engagement surface 810 is determined by the positional relationship (taking into consideration the phase of rotation) between the 2 nd engagement surface 810 and the pin 244 and the positional relationship (taking into consideration the phase of rotation) between the abutment surface 812 and the box 328. These phases are described below.

Returning to fig. 7, the description will be made with respect to the distance L1 and the distance L2.

Fig. 7 (C) shows an abutting scheme of the 2 nd protrusion 252 and the 2 nd stopper 800. In fig. 7 (C), various lengths of the 2 nd protrusion 252 and the 2 nd stopper 800 are shown. l (L) ₁ The distance between the upper end surface of the 2 nd protrusion 252 and the intersection 253a in the axial direction is shown. l (L) ₂ The distance between the lower end surface of the 2 nd stopper 800 and the intersection 301a in the axial direction is shown. l (L) _m The distance between the intersection 253a and the intersection 301a in the axial direction when the valve is closed is shown.

As described with reference to fig. 8 to 10, the length l in the axial direction at the abutting portion of the abutting surface 812 and the 2 nd engagement surface 810 ₁ +l ₂ －l _m Is set shorter than the pitch P. This setting assumes that the center angles of virtual arcs in which the 2 nd stopper 800 and the 2 nd protrusion 252 extend are both 0 degrees. In fact, as shown in fig. 8 to 10, the 2 nd stopper 800 and the 2 nd protrusion 252 have lengths along the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326, respectively. Returning to fig. 7 (C), when the sum of the central angles of the virtual circular arcs in which the 2 nd stopper 800 and the 2 nd convex portion 252 extend is denoted as x degrees, the condition required to smoothly rotate the 2 nd stopper 800 during the valve opening operation is l ₁ +l ₂ －l _m < (1-x/360) P (formula 1).

As described with reference to fig. 7 (a) and 7 (B), the distances L1 and L2 are set to a and B times the pitch P, respectively. That is, the distance L1 and the distance L2 are set to be integer multiples of the pitch P. When the pin 244 is engaged with the box 328, the peaks of the pin 244 are opposite the valleys of the box 328. Thus, the distance l shown in FIG. 7 (C) _m Will become 1/2P. In addition, the center angle x is determined when designing the 2 nd stopper 800 and the 2 nd boss 252. Therefore, the remaining variable among the variables shown in equation 1 becomes the distance l ₁ And distance l ₂ 。

By setting both the distance L1 and the distance L2 to be integer multiples of the pitch P, the distance L _m Naturally is determined. Therefore, in order to satisfy equation 1, only distance l is set ₁ Distance l ₂ And (3) obtaining the product. Distance l ₁ Distance l ₂ Is determined based on the center angle x and therefore, as a result, accompanies phase management. By setting the distance L1 and the distance L2 to integer multiples of the pitch P, the design of the 2 nd stopper 800 and the 2 nd protrusion 252 for realizing an appropriate valve opening operation can be simplified.

As described above, according to embodiment 1, the 2 nd protrusion 252 (the 2 nd engagement surface 810) is integrally formed with the guide member 242. With this structure, the 2 nd locking surface 810 and the guide member 242 do not need to be assembled, and the assembling performance of the electric valve 100 can be improved.

According to embodiment 1, the distance L1 and the distance L2 are each an integer multiple of the pitch P. By setting in this way, the contact surface 812 can be appropriately brought into contact with the 2 nd locking surface 810, and the design of the 2 nd stopper 800 and the 2 nd convex portion 252 for smoothly rotating the 2 nd stopper 800 can be simplified.

According to embodiment 1, after the rotation shaft 326 and the guide member 242 are assembled, the stopper member 500 is assembled. The inner diameter of the enlarged diameter portion 334 is larger than the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the 1 st convex portion 250 centered on the axis of the guide member 242. The enlarged diameter portion 334 extends to the lower end of the rotation shaft 326. This allows the rotation shaft 325 to be smoothly inserted into the guide member 242. Further, the protruding portion 506 protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the rotation shaft 325. Thus, the 1 st projection 250 and the projection 506 can abut against each other in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326 during the valve opening operation. Therefore, translational movement of the rotation shaft 326 in the valve opening direction during the valve opening operation can be restricted.

According to embodiment 1, in the valve-closed state, the 1 st protruding portion 250 is located inside the rotation shaft 326. Further, when the valve is shifted from the closed state to the fully opened state, the 1 st protruding portion 250 is relatively displaced inside the rotation shaft 326 so as to approach the lower end (open end) of the rotation shaft 326. In the fully opened state, the position of the 1 st projection 250 becomes the position of the locking projection 506. In other words, at least a part of the 1 st engagement surface 830 is included in the expanded diameter portion 334 according to the translational direction position of the rotor 320 (the driving state of the rotor 320). Since the 1 st engagement surface 830 is slid into the rotation shaft 326 of the rotor 320, the axial length of the rotor 320 combined with the 1 st stopper mechanism and the 2 nd stopper mechanism can be made smaller. Therefore, the length of the motor-operated valve 100 in the axial direction can be shortened.

According to embodiment 1, the 1 st engagement surface 830 and the 2 nd engagement surface 810 are located between the screw portion and the valve portion 202. In addition, in the axial direction, the screw portion of the feed screw mechanism and the rotor 320 are provided at the same height position. Therefore, the distance between the center of gravity of rotor 320 and the fulcrum can be shortened, and the runout of rotor 320 caused by the rotational drive of rotor 320 can be suppressed.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the stopper member 600 in the case where the stopper member 600 of the comparative example is used in the electric valve 100, as viewed from below. (A) The stopper member 600 is accurately fitted to the rotation shaft 326. (B) The stopper member 600 is shown in a state of having fallen off from the rotation shaft 326.

In fig. 11 (a) and 11 (B), solid arrows indicate the rotation direction of the rotary shaft 326 during the valve opening operation. The dashed arrow indicates the direction of movement of the stop member 600.

In the stopper member 600, a portion corresponding to a boss 508 (see fig. 3) in the stopper member 500 is not provided at the tip end portion of the boss 506. In the fully open state, the projection 506 is locked by the 1 st projection 250 in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326. The convex portion 327 abuts against the convex portion 506 with the convex portion 506 interposed therebetween with the 1 st convex portion 250. Similarly, after the fully opened state, the rotation shaft 326 is rotated in the rotation direction (the direction indicated by the solid arrow in fig. 11 (a) and 11 (B)) at the time of the valve opening operation by the driving of the motor unit 300. The rotational force of the rotation shaft 326 is a force with which the convex portion 327 presses the convex portion 506 against the 1 st convex portion 250. The front end portion of the protruding portion 506 has a tapered shape. Therefore, the protrusion 506 receives a force pushed radially outward (in the direction indicated by the broken line arrow in fig. 11 (a) and 11 (B)) due to the pressing force received from the protrusion 327 and the reaction force received from the 1 st protrusion 250. The stopper member 600 is separated from the rotation shaft 326 by the pushing force. In addition, when the spring force of the stopper member 600 is large, the fitting portion 502 can stay in the recess 336. When the spring force of the stopper member 600 is large, the stopper member 600 may not be provided with a catch portion.

[ embodiment 2 ]

In embodiment 2, the shape of the stopper member 700 is different from that in embodiment 1. Hereinafter, differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of electric valve 100 when stopper member 700 according to embodiment 2 is used in electric valve 100. (A) represents a closed valve state, and (B) represents a fully open state.

A recess 337 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the opening end of the rotary shaft 326. The stopper 700 is fitted in the recess 337, and is fitted in the opening end of the rotary shaft 326. Details of the construction of the stopper member 700 will be described later.

In the closed state, the projection 327 is locked by the 2 nd projection 252 in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326. With this structure, the movement of the rotation shaft 326 in the valve closing direction (downward direction) is restricted. In the fully opened state, a projection 706 (described later) of the stopper member 700 abuts against the 1 st projection 250 in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326. With this structure, the movement of the rotation shaft 326 in the valve opening direction (upward direction) is restricted.

Fig. 13 is a view showing an external appearance of the stopper member 700. (A) is a side view, (B) is a perspective view, and (C) is a top view.

The stopper member 700 includes gusset-shaped fitting portions 702a, 702b, 702c (collectively, "fitting portions 702"), a circular plate-shaped connecting portion 704, and a gusset-shaped projecting portion 706. The fitting portion 702 has a plate-shaped fitting end 708 and a plate-shaped bridging portion 710. The fitting end 708 is provided parallel to the connecting portion 704. The bridge portion 710 bridges the fitting end portion 708 with the inner peripheral surface of the connecting portion 704, and connects the fitting end portion 708 to the connecting portion 704. The fitting portion 702 extends in a direction from the inner peripheral surface of the coupling portion 704 toward the center of the inscribed circle of the coupling portion 704. The fitting portions 702 are provided in 3 at 120-degree intervals in the circumferential direction. The coupling portion 704 connects the fitting portion 702 with the protruding portion 706. The projection 706 has a plate-like stopper 712 and a plate-like bridge 714. The stopper 712 is provided in parallel with the coupling portion 704. The bridge 714 bridges the stopper 712 and the inner peripheral surface of the connecting portion 704. The height of the coupling portion 704 and the stopper portion 712 is greater than the height of the coupling portion 704 and the fitting end portion 708. The protruding portion 706 extends in a direction from the inner peripheral surface of the coupling portion 704 toward the inscribed center of the coupling portion 704. The protruding portion 706 is provided at a 180 degree interval from the fitting portion 702 b.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the vicinity of stopper member 700 when stopper member 700 is used in motor-operated valve 100. (A) represents a closed valve state, and (B) represents a fully open state.

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the stopper member 700 in a state where the stopper mechanism is operated, as viewed from below. (A) represents a closed valve state, and (B) represents a fully open state.

As shown in fig. 14 (a) and 15 (a), in the closed state, the projection 327 is sandwiched between the 2 nd projection 252 and the projection 706. That is, the protruding portion 327 (the locking portion, the 2 nd stopper 800) is locked by the locking surface (the 2 nd locking surface 810) of the 2 nd protruding portion 252 along the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326. With this configuration, the movement of the shaft 326 in the valve closing direction is restricted. As shown in fig. 14B and 15B, in the fully opened state, the projection 706 is sandwiched between the 1 st projection 250 and the projection 327 (the sandwiching portion). That is, the projection 706 (1 st stopper 820) is locked by the locking surface (1 st locking surface 830) of the 1 st protrusion 250 in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326. With this configuration, the movement of the rotation shaft 326 in the valve opening direction is restricted.

As shown in fig. 15 (a) and 15 (B), in the stopper member 700, the fitting portion 702B and the projecting portion 706 are provided at a 180-degree interval. Thus, even if a force in a direction away from the rotation shaft 326 acts on the protruding portion 706 in the fully opened state, the fitting portion 702b is pressed against the rotation shaft 326. Therefore, the stopper member 700 does not leave the rotation shaft 326.

[ embodiment 3 ]

In embodiment 3, the structure of the rotation shaft 326 is different from that in embodiment 1. Hereinafter, differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a stopper member 500 of the motor-operated valve 100 according to embodiment 3. (A) represents a closed valve state, and (B) represents a fully open state.

Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an operation procedure of assembling the rotation shaft 326 and the guide member 242. Fig. 17 (a) -17 (E) are cross-sectional views of the vicinity of the stopper member 500 as viewed from below, and each point of the operation process is shown in sequence. Solid arrows in fig. 17 (a) -17 (E) indicate the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 326 at the time of assembly. The dashed arrow indicates the direction of movement of the stop member 500.

As shown in fig. 16 (a) and 16 (B), in embodiment 3, the diameter-enlarged portion 335 of the rotation shaft 326 is larger than the diameter-enlarged portion 334 of embodiment 1. The rotation shaft 326 and the guide member 242 in embodiment 3 are assembled after the stopper member 500 is fitted in advance to the rotation shaft 326. At the time of this assembly, it is necessary that the stopper member 500 does not interfere with the male screw portion 244. Therefore, in embodiment 3, the diameter-enlarged portion 335 is made large in diameter so that the stopper member 500 does not touch the male screw portion 244.

As shown in fig. 17 a to 17E, the inclined portion 254 is provided on the surface opposite to the engagement surface (1 st engagement surface 830) of the protrusion 506 (1 st stopper 820) in the 1 st protrusion 250. The inclined portion 254 makes the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 242 continuous with the peripheral edge portion of the 1 st convex portion 250. The inclined portion 254 is used when the rotation shaft 326 and the guide member 242 in embodiment 3 are assembled. Hereinafter, fig. 17 (a) to 17 (E) are shown, and this assembly will be described.

The stopper member 500 is assembled in advance to the rotation shaft 326. First, the rotation shaft 326 is externally inserted into the guide member 242 until the lower end of the rotation shaft 326 (see fig. 1) reaches the position of the 1 st convex portion 250 (fig. 17 a). When the outward insertion is continued, the boss 508 abuts against the inclined portion 254 (fig. 17 (B)). When the boss 508 abuts against the inclined portion 254 and continues to be inserted outward, the boss 506 slides up the outer peripheral surface of the 1 st boss 250 along the inclined portion 254 (fig. 17 (C)). When the male insertion is continued again, the projection 506 exceeds the 1 st projection 250 ((D) of fig. 17). Finally, when the rotation shaft 326 and the stopper member 500 are rotated in the direction opposite to the direction of externally inserting the guide member 242, the convex portion 327 and the convex portion 506 come into contact in the rotation direction. The protruding portion 506 is sandwiched between the protruding portion 327 (sandwiching portion) and the 1 st protruding portion 250 ((E) of fig. 17).

As described with reference to fig. 4, in embodiment 1, the stopper member 500 is assembled after the rotation shaft 326 and the guide member 242 are assembled. In embodiment 3, since the inclined portion 254 is included, the stopper member 500 can be assembled to the rotation shaft 326 in advance, and the rotation shaft 326 and the guide member 242 can be assembled. Therefore, the assembling property of the motor-operated valve 100 can be improved.

[ embodiment 4 ]

In embodiment 4, the position of the 2 nd convex portion 350 is different from that in embodiment 1. Hereinafter, differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a stopper member 500 of the motor-operated valve 100 according to embodiment 4. (A) represents a closed valve state, and (B) represents a fully open state.

In embodiment 4, the base end of the enlarged diameter portion 334 is a stepped convex portion. In embodiment 4, the projection 506 is the 1 st projection 348, and the projection at the base end of the enlarged diameter portion 334 is the 2 nd projection 350. As shown in fig. 18 a, in the valve-closed state, the 2 nd protrusion 350 (2 nd stopper 800) is in contact with the engagement surface (2 nd engagement surface 810) of the 1 st protrusion 250 of the guide member 242 in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 325. Thus, the translational movement of the rotation shaft 325 in the valve closing direction is restricted during the valve closing operation. In addition, as shown in fig. 18B, in the fully opened state, the 1 st convex portion 348 (1 st stopper 820) abuts against the engagement surface (1 st engagement surface 830) of the 1 st convex portion 250 of the guide member 242 in the rotational direction. Thus, the translational movement of the rotation shaft 325 in the valve opening direction is restricted during the valve opening operation. With this configuration, the translational movement of the rotation shaft 325 can be appropriately restricted.

[ embodiment 5 ]

Embodiment 5 differs from embodiment 1 in that the stopper member 500 is not provided. Hereinafter, differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the stopper mechanism of the motor-operated valve 100 according to embodiment 5. (A) represents a valve operation state, (B) represents a valve closing state, and (C) represents a valve opening state.

In embodiment 5, a part of the opening end of the rotation shaft 352 protrudes in the axial direction, and forms a stopper 840. The stop 840 doubles as a 1 st stop and a 2 nd stop. The stopper 840 is obtained by bending a protruding portion of the opening end of the rotation shaft 352. The stop portion 840 is formed as described in detail below.

In the closed valve state, one end surface of the stopper 840 in the rotation direction is engaged by the engagement surface (the 2 nd engagement surface 810) of the 2 nd protrusion 252. With this structure, the movement of the rotation shaft 352 in the valve closing direction (downward direction) is restricted. In the fully opened state, the other end surface in the rotation direction of the stopper 840 is locked by the locking surface (1 st locking surface 830) of the 1 st protrusion 250. With this structure, the movement of the rotation shaft 352 in the valve opening direction (upward direction) is restricted.

Fig. 20 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a molding process of the stopper 840. Fig. 20 (a) -20 (C) each show a state before the housing 302 is assembled to the 2 nd main body 240. (a) shows a state where the male screw portion 244 and the female screw portion 328 are brought into engagement with each other, (B) shows a state before processing of the stopper portion 840, and (C) shows a state after processing. Arrows illustrated in fig. 20 (B) and 20 (C) indicate the insertion direction of the tool 900.

First, the male screw portion 244 is engaged with the female screw portion 328, and the rotation shaft 352 is assembled to the guide member 242. As shown in fig. 20 (B), after the projection 354 of the opening end portion of the rotation shaft 352 is positioned at a height between the 1 st convex portion 250 and the 2 nd convex portion 252 in the axial direction, the tool 900 is inserted between the rotor 320 and the 2 nd main body 240. After the tool 900 is brought into contact with the lower end portion of the protruding portion 354, the protruding portion 354 is bent by pressing the tool 900 in the radial direction of the rotation shaft 352 (fig. 20C). The bent projecting portion 354 becomes a stopper 840. The stop 840 is also referred to as a "bend" at the open end of the rotating shaft 352.

In embodiment 5, a bent portion at the opening end of the rotation shaft 352 is provided as the stopper 840. With this configuration, a stopper member can be omitted, and therefore the number of components in the electric valve 100 can be reduced. Further, since the stopper 840 is integrally formed with the rotation shaft 352, position management of the stopper 840 in the rotation shaft 352 may be facilitated.

In embodiment 5, the 1 st locking surface 830 and the 2 nd locking surface 810 are located between the screw portion and the valve portion 202. In addition, in the axial direction, the screw portion of the feed screw mechanism and the rotor 320 are provided at the same height position. Therefore, the distance between the center of gravity of rotor 320 and the fulcrum can be shortened, and the runout of rotor 320 caused by the rotational drive of rotor 320 can be suppressed.

In embodiment 5, similarly, the 1 st convex portion 250 (1 st engagement surface 830) is positioned inside the enlarged diameter portion 334 according to the translational direction position of the rotor 320 (the driving state of the rotor 320). That is, since the 1 st engagement surface 830 is slid into the rotation shaft 352 of the rotor 320, the axial length of the rotor 320 combined with the 1 st stopper mechanism and the 2 nd stopper mechanism can be made smaller. Therefore, the length of the motor-operated valve 100 in the axial direction can be shortened.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

In embodiments 1 to 4, a stepped portion is provided at the lower end of the rotation shaft. In the modification, the protruding portion of the stopper member may be provided radially inward of the inner peripheral surface of the rotary shaft. For example, a hole portion may be provided near the opening end portion of the rotation shaft, through which the protruding portion is inserted in the radial direction. Further, the hole may be provided at another portion of the rotation shaft according to the position of the stopper member in the axial direction.

In embodiments 1 to 4, the projection abuts against the 2 nd projection, and thus the translational movement of the rotation shaft is restricted. In the modification, the 2 nd projection may be brought into contact with the opening end of the rotary shaft at a position different from the projection in the rotation direction of the rotor. In this case, too, the movement in the rotation axial direction can be restricted.

In embodiments 1 to 4, the protruding portion is interposed between the protruding portion and the guide member in the radial direction. In the modification, the protruding portion may be inserted between a position different from the protruding portion in the opening end portion of the rotation shaft and the guide member. In this case, too, the falling off from the rotation shaft of the stopper member can be prevented.

In embodiment 5 described above, the stopper 840 is made to double as the 1 st stopper and the 2 nd stopper. In the modification, 2 stoppers may be provided. That is, 2 portions (protruding portions) protruding in the axial direction from the opening end portion of the rotation shaft may be provided at positions separated from each other, and may be subjected to bending processing. The structure may also be as follows: in the portion (stopper portion) obtained by bending the protruding portion, one is referred to as a 1 st stopper portion and the other is referred to as a 2 nd stopper portion, so that the function of the stopper portion 840 is distinguished when moving upward and when moving downward with the rotation axis.

In the above embodiment, the electrically operated valve in which the valve element is seated on/separated from the valve seat and the valve portion is completely closed in the valve-closed state has been described. In the modification, like a so-called spool valve, the valve body may be inserted into the valve hole, and a minute leakage of the fluid may be allowed in the closed state.

In the above embodiment, the electric valve is an electric expansion valve, but may be an on-off valve or a flow rate control valve having no expansion function.

In the above embodiment, the valve element and the shaft are integrally formed. In the modification, the valve body and the shaft may be different members and may be integrally displaceable. In this case, the valve body may be structurally integrated with the shaft. Alternatively, the valve element and the shaft may be displaceable integrally, and may be displaceable relatively. For example, as in the case of an electric valve described in japanese patent application laid-open publication No. 2016-205584, the valve body and the shaft may be displaced integrally when the valve is opened, and the valve body may be displaced relatively when the valve is closed.

In the above embodiment, the 1 st convex portion is integrally formed with the guide member. In the modification, the first protrusion may be formed of another member that can be integrally fixed to the guide member.

In the above embodiment, the notch 253 is formed after the pin 244 is machined, and the notch 301 is formed before the box 328 is machined. In the modification, the notch 253 may be formed before the pin 244 is machined, or the notch 301 may be formed after the box 328 is machined. In either case, the distance L1 and the distance L2 can be set to integer multiples of the pitch P by forming the notch portion with the tool used for machining the male screw portion or the female screw portion while maintaining the movement of the machining tool and the rotation of the workpiece.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the notch is provided in the convex portion of the rotation shaft or the 2 nd convex portion of the guide member has been described. In the modification, the notch may be provided at a position apart from the stopper portion in the enlarged diameter portion of the rotary shaft or at a position apart from the locking surface in the large diameter portion of the guide member.

In the above embodiment, the cross section defining the distance L1 is made to exist on the plane including the 2 nd engagement surface 810 (the intersection 253 a) and the axis C1. In the modification, a plane including the axis C1 and other positions of the notch 253 may be provided. Further, in the above embodiment, the cross section defining the distance L2 is made to exist on a plane including the 2 nd stopper 800 (the intersection 301 a) and the axis C2. In the modification, a plane including the other position of the notch 301 and the axis C2 may be provided.

In the above embodiment, the distance L1 and the distance L2 are set to be integer multiples of the pitch P. In the modification, the distance L1 and the distance L2 may be set to be an integer multiple of 1/2 pitch (1/2P) in the form of peaks and valleys including the thread portions. In this case, the distance between the notch portion and the valley portion of the screw portion can be determined, thereby simplifying the design of the rotary shaft and the guide member for bringing the contact surface into contact with the 2 nd engagement surface.

In the above embodiment, the description has been given of the case where the lengths of the rotor and the stator in the axial direction are equal. In the modification, the stator may be made longer than the rotor in the axial direction, or the like, so that the rotor and the stator may have different lengths. In this case, the thrust force when the valve element is lifted in the valve opening direction from the valve closing state can be increased by setting the relative positions of the two to maximize the relative area between the rotor and the stator when the valve is closed.

In the above embodiment, the stop portion is locked by the 1 st convex portion or the 2 nd convex portion in the rotation direction. In the modification, the stopper portion may be brought into contact with the locking surface in the axial direction of the rotor. For example, in embodiment 1 (fig. 5), the upper surface of the projection 506 may be engaged with the lower surface of the 1 st projection 250, and may be used as the 1 st stopper mechanism. Further, the lower surface of the projection 506 may be engaged with the upper surface of the 2 nd protrusion 252, thereby serving as a 2 nd stopper mechanism. The positional relationship of the protruding portion 506 in the stopper member 500 may be set so as to be in such a locked state. In embodiment 5 (fig. 19), the stopper 840 may be bent at right angles to the inner peripheral surface of the rotary shaft 352, and the upper and lower surfaces may be engaged with the 1 st convex portion 250 and the 2 nd convex portion 252, respectively. The same applies to embodiments 2 to 4.

In the above embodiment, the following configuration is exemplified as the motor valve: the 1 st main body 220, the 2 nd main body 240, and the 3 rd main body 260 are used as main bodies of the electric valve, and the motor unit 300 is fixed to these 3 main bodies. In the modification, the 2 nd body 240 and the 3 rd body 260 may be used as the bodies (valve bodies) of the electric valves, and the motor unit 300 may be fixed to the 2 nd body 240 and the 3 rd body 260 to be used as the "electric valves". In this case, the 1 st body 220 constitutes a "piping body".

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment or modification example, and the constituent elements may be modified and embodied without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above-described embodiments or modifications. In addition, some of the components shown in the above embodiment or modification may be deleted.

[ description of reference numerals ]

100 electrically operated valve, 200 main body, 202 valve portion, 203 sealing member, 204 valve core, 206 sealing member, 208 valve hole, 210 valve seat, 212E-type ring, 214 spring holder, 216 spring, 220 1 st main body, 222 inlet, 224 outlet, 240 nd main body, 242 guide member, 244 male screw portion, 245 large diameter portion, 246 shaft, 248 spring holder, 250 1 st convex portion, 252 nd convex portion, 253 cut-out portion, 254 inclined portion, 260 3 rd main body, 262 inlet port, 264 outlet port, 266 valve chamber, 300 motor unit, 301 cut-out portion, 302 housing, 320 rotor, 322 rotor core, 324 magnet, 325 rotation shaft, 326 rotation shaft, convex portion 327, 328 female screw portion, stopper, 332 back spring, 334 expanded diameter portion, 335 expanded diameter portion, 336 concave portion 337 recess, 338 step, 340 stator, 342 laminated core, 344 bobbin, 345 coil unit, 346 coil, 348 1 st protrusion, 350 nd protrusion, 400 housing, 402 terminal cover, 420 printed wiring board, 422 terminal, 440 cover, 500 stopper member, 502 fitting portion, 503 fitting member, 504 coupling portion, 505 guide portion, 506 protrusion, 507 guide member, 508 protrusion, 600 stopper member, 700 stopper member, 702 fitting portion, 704 coupling portion, 706 protrusion, 708 fitting end, 710 bridge portion, 712 stopper, 714 bridge portion, 800 nd stopper, 810 nd stopper surface, 812 abutment surface, 820 st stopper, 830 st stopper surface, 840 stopper, 900 tool, L bisector, N narrow portion, S space S.

Claims

1. An electrically operated valve, comprising:

a main body provided with an inlet port for introducing a fluid from an upstream side, an outlet port for introducing a fluid to a downstream side, and a passage for communicating the inlet port with the outlet port,

a valve body which opens and closes a valve portion provided in the passage,

a motor including a rotor for driving the valve element in the opening/closing direction of the valve portion,

a shaft coaxially supported by the rotor and displaceable integrally with the valve body,

a feed screw mechanism for converting the rotational motion of the rotor into a translational motion, and

a stopper mechanism for restricting translational movement of the rotor;

the feed screw mechanism includes:

a guide part erected on the main body and provided with a male screw part on the outer peripheral surface, and

a guided portion that is formed of a cylindrical body that forms a rotation shaft of the rotor, has a female screw portion provided on an inner peripheral surface thereof, and is supported in a state of being externally inserted in the guide portion;

the stop mechanism comprises a 1 st stop mechanism and a 2 nd stop mechanism;

the 1 st stop mechanism includes:

a 1 st stopper provided on the guided portion, and

A 1 st locking surface provided on the guide portion;

when the valve element is displaced in the valve opening direction by the driving of the motor, the 1 st stop portion is engaged by the 1 st engagement surface, so that the movement of the rotor in the valve opening direction is restricted;

the 2 nd stop mechanism includes:

a 2 nd stopper provided on the guided portion, and

a 2 nd locking surface provided on the guide portion;

when the valve element is displaced in the valve closing direction by the driving of the motor, the 2 nd stop portion is engaged by the 2 nd engagement surface, thereby restricting the movement of the rotor in the valve closing direction;

the 1 st locking surface and the 2 nd locking surface are positioned between the screw portion of the feed screw mechanism and the valve portion,

the guided portion is provided with a diameter-expanding portion at a position separated from the female screw portion;

the diameter-expanding portion is opened to the main body side;

the 1 st locking surface is located inside the expanded diameter portion according to a driving state of the rotor.

2. The electrically operated valve as set forth in claim 1, wherein,

when the valve element is displaced in the valve opening direction by the driving of the motor, the 1 st stop portion is engaged with the 1 st engagement surface in the rotational direction, thereby restricting the movement of the rotor in the valve opening direction;

When the valve body is displaced in the valve closing direction by the driving of the motor, the 2 nd stopper is engaged with the 2 nd engagement surface in the rotational direction, thereby restricting the movement of the rotor in the valve closing direction.

3. The electrically operated valve as set forth in claim 1, wherein,

when the valve element is displaced in the valve opening direction by the driving of the motor, the 1 st locking surface is locked to the 1 st stopper in the rotational direction, so that the movement of the rotor in the valve opening direction is restricted;

when the valve body is displaced in the valve closing direction by the driving of the motor, the 2 nd locking surface locks the 2 nd stopper in the rotational direction, and thus the movement of the rotor in the valve closing direction is restricted.

4. An electrically operated valve as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that,

the 1 st stopper portion and the 2 nd stopper portion are curved portions at the opening end portions, which protrude from the opening end portions of the guided portions in the axial direction of the rotor.

5. An electrically operated valve as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that,

the 1 st stopper portion includes a stopper member detachably provided at an opening end portion of the guided portion.