CN213871225U - Switching valve - Google Patents

Abstract

The switching valve (10) is provided with a cover member (18) so as to face a large-diameter portion (72) of a rotor (16) provided inside a main body (12). A gap (S) is provided between the upper surface of the large diameter portion (72) and the cover member (18), and a seal body (22) which can be in sliding contact with the lower surface of the cover member (18) is provided at the upper end of the large diameter portion (72). The seal body (22) has a recess (144) that communicates with the lead-out passage (84) of the rotor (16), a lip (142) formed at the upper end of the seal body (22) is in constant contact with the lower surface of the cover member (18), and the lower end (150) of the seal body (22) is in contact with the seal body housing section (88).

Description

Switching valve

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a can make the diverter valve of the intercommunication state that the rotator rotated and switched a plurality of ports under the drive of drive division.

Background

Conventionally, there is known a switching valve capable of switching a plurality of flow paths, and as disclosed in, for example, japanese patent laid-open nos. 2001-141093 and 2014-114865, a valve body is rotatably provided in a valve housing, and an end portion thereof is in sliding contact with a disk-shaped valve seat. The plurality of switching ports open to the valve seat, and a communication hole for communicating the two switching ports is formed in a lower portion of the valve body. When the valve body is rotated by the driving of the driving unit, the communication hole is positioned to face the two switching ports, and the fluid introduced from one switching port flows through the communication hole to the other switching port.

In the switching valve according to japanese patent application laid-open No. 2001-141093, since the end portion of the valve body is configured to be in sliding contact with the valve seat, a lubricant such as grease may be applied between the valve body and the valve seat. However, for example, when the switching valve is used to switch the supply state of the liquid, the liquid flowing into the valve housing is contaminated by the contact with the lubricant.

In addition, the switching valve according to japanese patent application laid-open No. 2014-114865 also has a structure in which an end surface thereof slides with respect to a valve seat surface when the valve body rotates. For this reason, for example, the end surface and the seat surface of the valve body are required to have surface accuracy, and processing or the like is performed to satisfy the surface accuracy, which leads to an increase in manufacturing cost. Further, when the valve body expands due to a temperature rise of the valve body as the valve body comes into contact with the valve seat surface, contact resistance with the valve seat surface increases to generate abnormal noise and abrasion, which causes a reduction in durability, and a reduction in sealability between the two to cause fluid leakage.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

A general object of the present invention is to provide a switching valve capable of improving durability while ensuring sealing performance and preventing contamination of liquid.

The switching valve of the present invention comprises a main body having a cover member having an inlet port for introducing a liquid and a plurality of outlet ports for discharging the liquid, and a rotating body rotatably provided in the main body so as to face the cover member, wherein the rotating body is rotated by a driving unit to communicate any one of the plurality of outlet ports with the inlet port via a communication passage formed in the rotating body, and the supply state of the liquid to one outlet port is switched,

a gap is provided between the cover member and the rotary body in the axial direction of the rotary body,

the rotary body is provided with a receiving portion at an end of the communicating path facing the cover member, and a seal body at the receiving portion, the seal body is formed of an elastically deformable material, and is provided with a recess communicating with the communicating path, one end of the seal body forming the recess is constantly in contact with one surface of the cover member, and the other end of the seal body is seated in the receiving portion.

According to the present invention, when the rotating body is rotated by the driving of the driving unit and the liquid supplied to the inlet port is led out from only a desired one of the plurality of outlet ports through the communication passage of the rotating body, a part of the liquid flowing through the communication passage is led into the recess of the sealing body in the storage portion and deformed, whereby the end portion of the sealing body, which is always in contact with the one surface of the cover member, can be more reliably abutted against the cover member.

Therefore, by providing the gap between the cover member and the rotating body, the sliding resistance during rotation of the rotating body can be reduced, the durability can be improved, and the sealing property by the seal body can be reliably ensured even in the case where the gap is provided, whereby the liquid flowing from the inlet port to the outlet port can be prevented from leaking from the outlet port other than the desired outlet port, and further, since it is not necessary to apply a lubricant such as grease between the cover member and the rotating body, the liquid flowing into the gap is not contaminated by the lubricant.

The above objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a switching valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the switching valve shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the switching valve shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the vicinity of the cover member and the connector in fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a partially omitted sectional view taken along line VI-VI of fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the switching valve shown in fig. 1 as viewed from the drain port side.

Fig. 10A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the sealing body in fig. 5, and fig. 10B is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which pressure is applied to the sealing body in fig. 10A.

Fig. 11 is an overall sectional view of a switching valve according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view showing the vicinity of the cover member and the connector in fig. 11.

Fig. 13A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the sealing body in fig. 12, and fig. 13B is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which pressure is applied to the sealing body in fig. 13A.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the switching valve according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in fig. 1 to 8, this switching valve 10 includes: a main body 12, a drive unit 14 housed in the main body 12, a rotor (rotary body) 16 rotatably provided in the main body 12, a cover member 18 for closing an opening of the main body 12 in a state of facing an upper portion of the rotor 16, a connector 20 detachably provided to the cover member 18, and a seal body 22 provided to the rotor 16 in a state of facing the cover member 18.

The body 12 is formed of, for example, a resin material, and has a first receiving portion 24 having a rectangular cross section and extending in the horizontal direction (the direction of arrows a1 and a 2), and a second receiving portion 26 provided at an end of the first receiving portion 24 and opening upward (the direction of arrow B1), and a partition wall 27 extending in the vertical direction is provided between the first receiving portion 24 and the second receiving portion 26.

The first housing portion 24 is formed in a hollow shape having a rectangular cross section and opening to one end side in the longitudinal direction (the direction of arrow a 1), and the drive portion 14 is housed in the first housing chamber 28 formed therein.

The first receiving portion 24 includes a plurality of protrusions 30 protruding outward toward one end side (the direction of arrow a 1) in the longitudinal direction of the opening, and the protruding surface thereof is formed in a tapered shape so as to gradually increase from one end to the other end side (the direction of arrow a 2) in the longitudinal direction (see fig. 2 and 4). That is, the protrusion 30 is formed to have a substantially triangular shape in cross section as viewed from a direction (the direction of arrows C1 and C2 in fig. 1) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (the direction of arrows a1 and a 2) of the first receiving portion 24 shown in fig. 4. A plurality of protrusions 30 are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval along the outer shape of the rectangular shape of first housing portion 24.

In a state where the drive unit 14 is accommodated in the first accommodating portion 24, the cover member 32 is attached to one end in the longitudinal direction of the first accommodating portion 24. The cover member 32 includes a plate-shaped plate portion 34 that covers one end in the longitudinal direction of the opening of the first receiving portion 24, and a plurality of hook portions 36 that protrude perpendicularly to the outer edge portion of the plate portion 34, and a mounting hole 37 is opened in the plate portion 34, and a wiring connector (not shown) for connecting a wiring to the drive portion 14 described later is mounted in the mounting hole 37.

The buckle portion 36 is formed in a long rectangular shape, for example, in a direction (arrow a2 direction) away from the plate portion 34, and a plurality of buckle portions are formed along the outer edge portion of the plate portion 34 so as to be away from each other at positions corresponding to the protrusion portions 30 of the main body 12. A snap hole 38 is formed in the snap portion 36 so as to be able to receive the protrusion 30, and the snap hole 38 is opened in a rectangular shape. Thus, in a state where the plate portion 34 of the cover member 32 abuts against one longitudinal end of the first receiving portion 24 to close the first receiving portion 24, the cover member 32 is fixed to the one longitudinal end of the first receiving portion 24 by the engagement of the respective protrusions 30 with the snap holes 38 of the respective snap portions 36 (see fig. 1, 3, and 4).

On the other hand, the second receiving portion 26 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having a substantially circular cross section and extending with a substantially constant diameter in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2), and includes a second receiving chamber 40 for receiving the rotor 16 therein, a relief port 42 protruding from the outer peripheral surface on the opposite side to the first receiving portion 24, and a flange portion 44 having a diameter that is substantially horizontally expanded outward in the radial direction is formed at the upper end portion thereof.

As shown in fig. 4 to 6 and 8, the second housing chamber 40 includes a large diameter hole 46 extending downward (in the direction of arrow B2) from the open upper end portion, and a small diameter hole 48 communicating with the large diameter hole 46 and having a reduced diameter to form a bottom portion. The large-diameter hole 46 and the small-diameter hole 48 are formed coaxially in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2).

As shown in fig. 1 to 3 and 7 to 9, a housing portion 50 is integrally provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second housing portion 26, and extends substantially horizontally in the longitudinal direction (the direction of arrows a1 and a 2) from the first housing portion 24 side, and can house a drive shaft 64 and a worm wheel 66 of a drive unit 14 described later, and a part of the housing hole 52 provided in the shaft housing portion 50 communicates with the second housing chamber 40.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, 6, 7, and 9, for example, the drain port 42 protrudes a predetermined length in a substantially horizontal direction from the outer peripheral surface of the second receiving portion 26 to the opposite side (the direction of arrow a 2) to the first receiving portion 24, and the inside thereof communicates with the inside of the second receiving chamber 40. That is, the liquid or the like that has entered the second housing chamber 40 can be discharged to the outside through the drain port 42.

In addition, a set of mounting flanges 54a, 54b is formed projecting from the outer bottom of the main body 12. One mounting flange 54a projects in one width direction side (arrow C1 direction) with respect to the first receiving portion 24, and the other mounting flange 54b projects in the other width direction side (arrow C2 direction) with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the second receiving portion 26.

A hole 56 through which a fixing bolt, not shown, can be inserted is formed in the approximate center of each of the mounting flanges 54a, 54b, and the switching valve 10 is fixed to another member by, for example, screwing the fixing bolt inserted into the hole 56 and the other member in a state where the lower surfaces of the mounting flanges 54a, 54b are in contact with the other member.

As shown in fig. 3, a space 58 is formed in the lower portion of the main body 12, the space 58 extends in the direction of arrows a1 and a2 so as to straddle the first receiving portion 24 and the second receiving portion 26, and opens at one end side (in the direction of arrow a 1) in the longitudinal direction of the first receiving portion 24, and the control board 60 for controlling the drive unit 14 is received in the space 58. The space 58 is not in communication with the second housing chamber 40, and its end is closed by the lid member 32, as in the case of the first housing chamber 28.

As shown in fig. 2 and 7, the driving unit 14 is configured by, for example, a rotation driving source 62 which is accommodated in the first accommodation chamber 28 of the main body 12 and is driven in accordance with a control signal from a controller not shown, and a worm wheel 66 which is connected to a driving shaft 64 of the rotation driving source 62.

The rotation drive source 62 is, for example, a DC motor, is electrically connected to the control board 60 accommodated in the space portion 58, and a drive shaft 64 provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction thereof protrudes in the horizontal direction (the direction of arrows a1 and a 2) and is inserted into the accommodating hole 52 of the shaft accommodating portion 50. The rotation drive source 62 is not limited to the DC motor, and may be a stepping motor or another drive source. Further, one end in the longitudinal direction of the rotation drive source 62 is held by the cover member 32 (see fig. 7).

The worm wheel 66 is integrally connected to the other end of the drive shaft 64 in the axial direction, and has a helical worm wheel tooth 68 on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The worm wheel 66 is rotatably supported by its end portion inserted into the housing hole 52 of the shaft housing portion 50, and meshes with a driven gear 76 of the rotor 16 (described later) disposed in a portion facing the large diameter hole 46 of the second housing portion 26 (see fig. 8).

When a control signal from a controller, not shown, is input to the driving unit 14 through an electric circuit provided in the control board 60, the driving shaft 64 of the rotation driving source 62 rotates, and the worm wheel 66 rotates inside the housing hole 52 together with the driving shaft 64.

As shown in fig. 2 and 4 to 8, the rotor 16 has, for example, a circular cross-sectional shape and is inserted into the second housing chamber 40 of the body 12 in the axial direction. The rotor 16 includes a small diameter portion 70 formed downward (in the direction of arrow B2) from the axial center, and a large diameter portion 72 formed upward (in the direction of arrow B1) from the axial center.

The small diameter portion 70 is formed in a hollow shape with its lower end opened, and is inserted into the small diameter hole 48 of the second housing chamber 40 through the lower end, so that the movement in the radial direction is restricted and the small diameter portion 70 is held rotatably in a state of being positioned coaxially with the small diameter portion.

Further, a detection body 74 such as a magnet is provided at the center of the lower end of the small diameter portion 70, and a detection sensor (not shown) is provided on the control board 60 so as to face the detection body 74. This detection sensor is, for example, a magnetic force sensor capable of detecting the magnetic force of the detection body 74, and detects the magnetic force of the detection body 74 when the rotor 16 rotates, thereby confirming the rotation angle of the rotor 16. The rotation angle of the rotor 16 is not limited to the case of detection by a magnetic force detection method using a magnet, and may be detected by another detection method.

On the other hand, a driven gear 76 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 70 along the peripheral surface thereof, the driven gear 76 is formed in an annular shape at the same height in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2) of the rotor 16, and meshes with the worm gear 68 of the worm wheel 66, and the worm gear 68 of the worm wheel 66 is exposed to an opening (not shown) penetrating the housing hole 52 and the large diameter hole 46. Thereby, the rotational driving force of the driving unit 14 is transmitted to the rotor 16 by the meshing action of the worm gear 68 of the worm wheel 66 and the driven gear 76, and the rotor 16 rotates inside the second housing chamber 40.

The large diameter portion 72 is formed with the same diameter in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2), and the seal member 78 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 72 near the lower end thereof via an annular groove.

The upper end of the large diameter portion 72 is formed in a flat shape extending in the horizontal direction (the direction of arrows a1 and a 2), and a tube portion 80 protruding upward in the axial direction (the direction of arrow B1) is provided at the center of the large diameter portion 72, and the large diameter portion includes: an introduction passage (communication passage) 82 extending in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2) along the center of the cylindrical portion 80, an outlet passage (communication passage) 84 provided substantially parallel to the introduction passage 82 and radially outward, a connection passage (communication passage) 86 connecting the introduction passage 82 and the outlet passage 84 at the lower end thereof, and a seal body housing portion (housing portion) 88 provided on the upper end outer peripheral side of the outlet passage 84 and housing the seal body 22.

The cylindrical portion 80 has, for example, a circular cross-sectional shape, protrudes upward (in the direction of arrow B1) by a predetermined height from the upper end of the large diameter portion 72, and an introduction passage 82 formed at the center thereof is open at the upper end and is formed so as to be able to be introduced into a first insertion hole 116 (see fig. 5) of the cover member 18, which will be described later.

The introduction passage 82 extends from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 80 to the vicinity of the axial center of the large diameter portion 72 in the axial direction (the direction of arrow B2) by a predetermined length, and the lower end thereof is connected substantially perpendicularly to the radial inner end of the connection passage 86. The outlet passage 84 is parallel to the inlet passage 82, is spaced a predetermined distance radially outward, and extends in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2) so as to open at the upper end of the large diameter portion 72.

One end of the connecting passage 86 is connected to the introduction passage 82 at the axial center of the large diameter portion 72 and extends substantially horizontally and linearly outward in the radial direction, and the other end in the radial direction is connected to the lead-out passage 84 substantially perpendicularly. That is, as shown in fig. 4, the introduction passage 82, the connection passage 86, and the discharge passage 84 are formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section that opens upward (in the direction of the arrow B1).

As shown in fig. 4, 5, 10A, and 10B, the seal body accommodating portion 88 is formed in an annular shape recessed downward (in the direction of arrow B2) with respect to the upper end of the large diameter portion 72 on the outer peripheral side of the lead-out passage 84, and opened upward (in the direction of arrow B1), and includes: an inner surface 90 that constitutes an outer peripheral wall of the lead-out passage 84 and extends in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2) of the large diameter portion 72, an outer surface 92 that is formed on an outer peripheral side so as to face the inner surface 90 and extends in the axial direction, and a bottom surface 94 that is substantially perpendicular to the axial direction and connects the inner surface 90 and the outer surface 92. Further, the seal housing portion 88 is formed with a breathing hole 95 that opens radially outward toward the boundary between the outer side surface 92 and the bottom surface 94, and the inside of the seal housing portion 88 communicates with the second housing chamber 40 through the breathing hole 95.

As shown in fig. 1 to 10B, the cover member 18 is formed of a resin material, for example, as in the case of the main body 12, and includes: a base portion 96 formed in a disk shape, an insertion guide 98 projecting downward (in the direction of arrow B2) from the lower surface of the base portion 96, an introduction port 100 formed in the center of the base portion 96 and projecting upward (in the direction of arrow B1), and a plurality of communication ports 102 provided radially outward of the introduction port 100.

The base portion 96 is formed with substantially the same diameter as the flange portion 44 of the main body 12, is held by abutment of the vicinity of the outer edge portion of the base portion 96 with the upper surface of the flange portion 44, and is attached so as to cover the upper end of the open second receiving portion 26.

A pair of attachment hooks 104 (see fig. 7) provided substantially in parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction (the direction of arrows a1 and a 2) of the main body 12 are formed on the upper surface of the base portion 96, and the pair of attachment hooks 104 are spaced radially outward from the lead-out port 124. The attachment buckle 104 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape in cross section, is formed to protrude upward (in the direction of arrow B1) with respect to the upper surface of the base portion 96, and has an engagement hole 106 that can be engaged with a connector 20 described later. The one mounting clip 104 and the other mounting clip 104 are formed to be substantially parallel and symmetrical with each other across the lead-out port 124.

The base portion 96 is disposed with a gap S (see fig. 5) having a predetermined interval in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1 and B2) between the lower surface thereof and the upper surface of the rotor 16.

The insertion guide 98 is formed in a cylindrical shape, protrudes downward (in the direction of arrow B2) by a predetermined length with respect to the base 96, and has an outer peripheral diameter substantially equal to the inner peripheral diameter of the second accommodation chamber 40 (large diameter hole 46). When the cover member 18 is attached to the second storage portion 26 of the main body 12, the insertion guide 98 is inserted into the large-diameter hole 46 of the second storage chamber 40 and slidably contacts the inner circumferential surface, whereby the cover member 18 is held in a coaxially positioned state with respect to the second storage portion 26. The rotor 16 is accommodated inside the insertion guide 98 in the large-diameter hole 46, and the seal member 78 thereof abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the insertion guide 98.

The introduction port 100 is formed to be able to supply a fluid, for example, a liquid, through an introduction tube 108 (see fig. 4), and includes: an insertion portion 110 into which the cylindrical portion 80 is inserted in the interior facing the main body 12 (in the direction of arrow B2), and a connection end 112 provided above the insertion portion 110 and connected to the introduction tube 108, wherein an introduction passage 114 for supplying the liquid in the axial direction (in the directions of arrows B1 and B2) penetrates the connection end 112.

In the inlet port 100, the tubular portion 80 of the rotor 16 is inserted from below into the first insertion hole 116 of the insertion portion 110 of the inlet port 100, so that the outlet passage 84 and one end portion of the curved liquid outlet passage 130 are formed in a straight line in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1 and B2) and communicate with each other, and the O-ring 118 attached to the upper end outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 80 abuts against the first insertion hole 116. Thus, the O-ring 118 prevents leakage of the liquid passing between the first insertion hole 116 of the introduction port 100 and the cylindrical portion 80.

The communication ports 102 project upward (in the direction of arrow B1) from the upper surface of the base 96 by a predetermined height, are arranged on a circumference of the base 96 having a predetermined diameter around the introduction port 100, and are provided in plurality at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The communication port 102 is provided so as to be insertable into the second insertion hole 134 of the connector 20 attached to the cover member 18, and includes a communication path 120 penetrating therethrough in the axial direction (the direction of arrows B1 and B2) at the center thereof.

Since the plurality of communication ports 102 are arranged on the rotor 16 on the same circumference as the diameter of the discharge passage 84 arranged around the introduction passage 82, the discharge passage 84 is arranged to face each communication port 102 by the rotation of the rotor 16. In the following description, a case where eight communication ports 102 are provided will be described.

As shown in fig. 1 to 9, the connector 20 is formed of, for example, a resin material, and includes a connector main body 122 and a plurality of lead-out ports 124 provided in the connector main body 122, and is provided to be detachable with respect to the base portion 96 of the cover member 18.

The connector body 122 is formed of a block that can be placed on the upper surface of the base portion 96 of the cover member 18, and a port insertion hole 126 through which the lead-out port 124 is inserted penetrates the center of the connector body 122 in the vertical direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2), and a pair of engaging portions 128 that engage with the mounting hooks 104 of the cover member 18 are provided on each of a pair of side walls that are parallel to each other and are separated from the port insertion hole 126.

The engaging portions 128 are formed to protrude outward in the width direction (in the direction of arrows C1 and C2 in fig. 3) with respect to the side walls, respectively, the connector main body 122 is disposed between one mounting buckle 104 and the other mounting buckle 104 in the cover member 18, and the engaging portions 128 are engaged with the engaging holes 106 of the mounting buckles 104. Thereby, the connector 20 including the connector main body 122 is fixed to the upper surface of the cover member 18.

The connector 20 can be detached from the cover member 18 by tilting the attachment buckle 104 outward in the width direction to release the engagement state between the engagement portion 128 and the engagement hole 106.

The lead-out port 124 is formed in a tubular shape having the lead-out passage 130 therein, for example, and eight lead-out ports are provided in the same number corresponding to the number of the communication ports 102 of the cover member 18, and four lead-out ports 124 are provided on one end side (the direction of arrow a 1) in the longitudinal direction of the connector body 122 centering on the port insertion hole 126 and four lead-out ports are provided on the other end side (the direction of arrow a 2) in the longitudinal direction (see fig. 1 and 3).

Further, four lead-out ports 124 arranged on one end side in the longitudinal direction (the direction of arrow a 1) with respect to the port insertion hole 126 extend by a predetermined length in a direction away from the port insertion hole 126, and four lead-out ports 124 arranged on the other end side in the longitudinal direction (the direction of arrow a 2) with respect to the port insertion hole 126 also extend by a predetermined length in a direction away from the port insertion hole 126, and lead-out tubes 132 are connected to the respective tips.

As shown in fig. 3 and 9, the plurality of lead-out ports 124 are arranged substantially in parallel with a predetermined distance apart from each other in the width direction (the direction of arrows C1, C2) of the connector 20, and two lead-out ports 124 adjacent in the width direction are arranged so as to be shifted by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2) different from each other. By arranging the adjacent lead-out ports 124 so as to be offset in the vertical direction (the direction of arrows B1, B2), when the lead-out tubes 132 are connected, the adjacent lead-out tubes 132 can be prevented from contacting each other, and the width can be reduced as compared with the case where the lead-out ports are arranged at the same height without being offset.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the lead-out passage 130 formed inside the lead-out port 124 opens at the distal end side, extends in the horizontal direction (the direction of arrows a1 and a 2) from the distal end toward the proximal end, bends at a substantially right angle at the proximal end side, extends downward (the direction of arrow B2), and communicates with the second insertion hole 134 opened in the lower surface of the connector body 122.

The second insertion hole 134 is formed in a circular cross-sectional shape so as to be recessed upward with respect to the lower surface of the connector body 122, and is formed so that the plurality of communication ports 102 in the cover member 18 can be inserted therein. That is, the second insertion holes 134 are provided with eight corresponding to the number of the lead-out ports 124 and the communication ports 102, and are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other by an equal interval in the circumferential direction of the cover member 18, similarly to the communication ports 102. Further, annular O-rings 136 are attached to the inner peripheral surfaces of the second insertion holes 134, respectively, and abut against the outer peripheral surfaces when the communication ports 102 are inserted, thereby preventing leakage of the liquid passing between the second insertion holes 134 and the communication ports 102.

In this way, the connector 20 including the connector main body 122 and the lead-out port 124 is integrally fixed in a state of being placed on the upper surface of the cover member 18 by engaging the engaging portion 128 with the attachment buckle 104, and is further firmly fixed by fastening the fixing screw 138 inserted from above into the connector main body 122 to the cover member 18 in a state of being fixed by the attachment buckle 104.

On the other hand, after the fastening state of the fixing screws 138 is released, the connector 20 including the connector main body 122 and the cover member 18 can be detached by releasing the engagement state of the mounting hooks 104 and the engagement portions 128. That is, the connector 20 is detachably provided to the cover member 18.

As shown in fig. 4, 5, 10A, and 10B, the seal body 22 is formed in a ring shape from an elastic material such as rubber or resin, and includes a seal main body 140 and a lip portion 142 protruding toward the lead-out passage 84 formed in the upper portion of the seal main body 140. In addition, an annular recess 144 is formed in the seal body 22 between the seal body 140 and the lip 142. For example, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) is used as an example of the rubber used for the sealing body 22.

The seal body 22 is inserted into the seal body housing portion 88, and is disposed such that the outer peripheral portion 146 abuts the outer side surface 92, the inner peripheral portion 148 abuts the inner side surface 90, the lower end portion 150 abuts the bottom surface 94, and the recess portion 144 is on the radially inner side of the lead-out passage 84. When the seal body 22 is inserted into the seal body housing portion 88, air remaining inside the seal body housing portion 88 is satisfactorily discharged to the second housing chamber 40 (outside) through the breathing hole 95, and therefore, no hindrance is caused when the seal body 22 is inserted.

The lip portion 142 is formed integrally with the upper end outer edge portion of the seal body 140, is inclined upward and radially inward, and has a tapered tip end. When the seal 22 is accommodated in the seal accommodating portion 88, the tip end of the lip 142 is in contact with the lower surface of the base portion 96 constituting the cover member 18.

The recess 144 is open radially inward between the lip 142 and one surface of the inner peripheral portion 148 of the seal body 140, and is formed so that the liquid retained in the seal body housing portion 88 can be introduced into the recess 144.

In this case, a coating agent capable of reducing sliding resistance may be applied to at least a part or the whole of the lip portion 142 of the sealing body 22.

The switching valve 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is basically configured as described above, and the operation and operational effects thereof will be described below. In the following description, for example, a case will be described in which a cleaning liquid for cleaning a window or the like for a vehicle is supplied as a liquid and the supply state is switched. In this case, the inlet port 100 is connected to a tank (not shown) in which the cleaning liquid is stored via an inlet pipe 108, and the plurality of outlet ports 124 are connected to cleaning nozzles for ejecting the cleaning liquid to respective portions such as the windshield via outlet pipes 132, respectively.

First, one of the plurality of (eight) lead-out ports 124 to which the cleaning liquid (liquid) is to be supplied is selected, and a control signal based on the selected port is input to the rotation drive source 62 of the drive unit 14 from a controller (not shown) via the control board 60. Then, the rotation driving source 62 is driven in accordance with the control signal, so that the worm wheel 66 coupled to the driving shaft 64 rotates by a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction, the driven gear 76 engaged with the worm gear 68 of the worm wheel 66 rotates, and the rotor 16 rotates by a predetermined angle in the clockwise direction (direction of arrow D in fig. 3) in the second housing chamber 40.

As a result, as shown in fig. 4 and 5, the rotor 16 is positioned at the base end of the lead-out passage 84 facing the selected lead-out port 124 (lead-out passage 130). That is, the proximal ends of the lead-out passage 84, the communication port 102, and the lead-out passage 130 are arranged in a straight line in the vertical direction (the direction of arrows B1 and B2), and in this state, the rotation of the rotor 16 is stopped in response to a control signal from a controller (not shown). The rotation angle of the rotor 16 is confirmed by detecting the magnetic force of the detecting body 74 attached to the lower end thereof by a detection sensor.

In this state, as shown in fig. 5 and 10A, the sealing body 22 is disposed such that only the vicinity of the tip of the lip 142 thereof slightly contacts the lower surface of the cover member 18 by its elastic force. For this reason, the sliding resistance when the rotor 16 rotates is not so large. In particular, when coating is applied to the lip portion 142, the sliding resistance can be further reduced.

Then, from the above state, the pressurized cleaning liquid is supplied from the tank, not shown, to the inlet port 100 via the inlet pipe 108, flows from the inlet passage 114 to the inlet passage 82 of the rotor 16, flows to the connecting passage 86 and the outlet passage 84, and flows to the seal body accommodating portion 88. In this seal body housing portion 88, as shown in fig. 10B, the cleaning liquid flows into the communication port 102, and a part of the cleaning liquid flows radially outward, so as to flow into the recessed portion 144 of the seal body 22, and the lip portion 142 is expanded upward (in the direction of arrow B1) so as to be separated from the seal main body 140 by the pressure of the cleaning liquid flowing into the recessed portion 144.

Thereby, the lip 142 is pressed upward (in the direction of arrow B1) and pressed against the lower surface of the cover member 18. On the other hand, the seal body 140 is pressed downward (in the direction of arrow B2) and is thereby brought into close contact with the outer surface 92, the inner surface 90, and the bottom surface 94 of the seal housing portion 88.

As a result, the sealing body 22 disposed on the outer peripheral side of the lead-out passage 84 improves the sealing property between the lead-out passage 84 in the rotor 16 and the communication port 102 of the cover member 18, and prevents the cleaning liquid from flowing into the gap S between the rotor 16 and the cover member 18.

The cleaning liquid flowing through the lead-out passage 84 and the seal body housing portion 88 to the communication port 102 flows from the proximal end to the distal end of the lead-out passage 130 in the lead-out port 124, and then is supplied to the selected desired cleaning nozzle through the lead-out pipe 132.

Even if the cleaning liquid passes between the sealing body 22 and the cover member 18 and enters the second storage chamber 40, the cleaning liquid flows along the inner circumferential surface of the second storage chamber 40 by its gravity and moves downward, and is then discharged to the outside through the drain port 42.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the annular seal body 22 is provided so as to surround the lead-out passage 84 for leading out the liquid at the upper end portion of the large diameter portion 72 of the rotor 16 constituting the switching valve 10, and when the rotor 16 rotates, only the vicinity of the tip end of the lip 142 protruding toward the upper portion of the seal body 22 comes into sliding contact with the base portion 96 of the cover member 18, and when the liquid is led from the lead-out passage 84 to the seal body housing portion 88 housing the seal body 22, the lip 142 is deformed by the fluid pressure thereof, and can be brought into close contact with the cover member 18 over a larger contact area.

As a result, when the rotor 16 is rotated by the driving of the driving unit 14, the sliding resistance of the seal body 22 with respect to the cover member 18 can be suppressed as compared with the conventional art, and when the rotor 16 is stopped and the liquid is made to flow from the introduction port 100 to the discharge port 124, the lip 142 of the seal body 22 can be brought into close contact with the cover member 18 in a wider range by the pressure of the liquid, thereby improving the sealing property.

Further, since the sliding resistance of the seal body 22 when the rotor 16 rotates is reduced, the rotor 16 can be rotated more smoothly and the driving force for driving the rotor 16 can be saved, the entire switching valve 10 can be further downsized by downsizing the rotation driving source 62. Further, since the contact portion of the seal body 22 with respect to the base portion 96 is small when the rotor 16 rotates, the wear is reduced more favorably than the structure in which the entire seal body contacts the cover member, which is employed in the related art.

Further, by providing the gap S between the base portion 96 of the cover member 18 and the rotor 16, only the seal body 22 is in sliding contact without sliding the entire surface relative to the cover member 18 when the rotor 16 rotates. Therefore, it is not necessary to apply a lubricant such as grease to the contact surface between the rotor and the cover member as in the conventional switching valve, and contamination by the lubricant is prevented because the lubricant is not applied.

Further, for example, even when foreign matter or the like is mixed in the liquid, by providing the gap S between the base portion 96 of the cover member 18 and the rotor 16, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter or the like from being caught between the cover member 18 and the rotor 16 and being damaged. As a result, the durability of the rotor 16 and the cover member 18 can be improved, and consequently, the durability of the switching valve 10 can be improved.

Further, by applying the coating agent to the surface of the seal body 22, the sliding resistance during rotation of the rotor 16 can be further reduced, and the abrasion of the seal body 22 can be favorably suppressed. The coating may be performed on at least the lip portion 142 of the sealing body 22 that is in sliding contact with the cover member 18.

Further, since the connector 20 including the lead-out port 124 is detachably provided to the cover member 18, the lead-out tube 132 can be connected to each lead-out port 124 in a state where the connector 20 is removed, for example. This makes it easier to connect the lead-out pipe 132 to each lead-out port 124 than in a state where the connector 20 is attached to the cover member 18, and prevents erroneous assembly. That is, the workability of connection between the outlet pipe 132 and the outlet port 124 can be improved.

Further, by providing the connector 20 detachably with respect to the cover member 18, it is possible to easily exchange the connector 20 with another connector 20 having a different number of lead-out ports 124. By exchanging only the connectors 20 in this way, for example, even when the supply target of the liquid such as the cleaning liquid is increased or decreased, the number of the lead-out ports 124 can be easily changed to cope with the change.

Next, fig. 11 to 13B show a switching valve 160 according to a second embodiment. The same components as those of the switching valve 10 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The switching valve 160 according to the second embodiment differs from the switching valve 10 according to the first embodiment in that it includes an annular seal 162 having an arcuate cross section and curved radially outward.

As shown in fig. 11 to 13B, for example, the seal body 162 in the switching valve 160 is formed in a ring shape from an elastic material such as rubber or resin, and has an inner peripheral portion (concave portion) 164 that is concave outward in the radial direction by a predetermined radius from the axial center, and an outer peripheral portion 166 that bulges outward in the radial direction, and the top ends (one end portion) 168 and the bottom end (the other end portion) 170 of the inner peripheral portion 164 and the outer peripheral portion 166 are tapered inward in the radial direction.

The inner peripheral portion 164 is formed of a curved surface having a single radius from an upper end 168 to a lower end 170 on the inner peripheral side of the sealing body 162, for example. The upper end 168 and the lower end 170 also function similarly to the lip portion 142 of the seal body 22 in the first embodiment.

When the seal body 162 is accommodated in the seal body accommodating portion 88, the outer peripheral portion 166 abuts the outer side surface 92, the upper end 168 abuts the lower surface of the base portion 96 of the cover member 18, and the lower end 170 abuts the bottom surface 94. That is, the seal body 162 is housed in the seal body housing portion 88 so that the curved inner peripheral portion 164 becomes the lead-out passage 84 side.

Next, the operation of the switching valve 160 including the seal body 162 will be described. Further, detailed description of the same operation as that of the switching valve 10 according to the first embodiment is omitted.

First, the rotor 16 is rotated by a predetermined angle in accordance with a control signal from a controller, not shown, and is disposed such that one of the plurality of outlet ports 124 to which the cleaning liquid is to be supplied communicates with the outlet passage 84 of the rotor 16 via the communication port 102, and the cleaning liquid supplied to the inlet port 100 is supplied to the outlet passage 84 via the inlet passage 114, the inlet passage 82, and the connecting passage 86.

As shown in fig. 13B, the cleaning liquid flowing through the lead-out passage 84 is partially introduced into the seal body accommodating portion 88 through the communication port 102, and the inner peripheral portion 164 of the seal body 162 is pressed radially outward by the pressure thereof, whereby the seal body 162 is deformed so as to expand in the vertical direction (the direction of arrows B1 and B2), and the outer peripheral portion 166 thereof is pressed against the outer side surface 92 with a stronger force.

As a result, as shown in fig. 13B, the upper end 168 of the seal body 162 abuts and closely contacts the lower surface (end surface) of the cover member 18 over a wider range, while the lower end 170 abuts the bottom surface 94 of the seal body housing portion 88 over a wider range, and the outer peripheral portion 166 abuts the outer side surface 92 over a wider range. That is, the seal body 162 is brought into contact with the cover member 18 and the seal body storage portion 88 with a larger contact area by the supply of the cleaning liquid than in a state where the cleaning liquid is not supplied to the seal body storage portion 88.

Further, since the inner peripheral portion 164 of the seal body 162 is formed in a curved shape having a large curved surface from the upper end 168 to the lower end 170, the seal body 162 can be reliably deformed even at a low pressure where the pressure of the cleaning liquid is small as compared with the seal body 22 of the switching valve 10 according to the first embodiment, and the seal body can be brought into close contact with the cover member 18 and the seal body housing portion 88, thereby improving the sealing performance.

Further, even in an environment where the supplied cleaning liquid is at a low temperature and the seal body 162 made of an elastic material is difficult to deform, for example, by providing the inner peripheral portion 164 having a large curved surface from the upper end 168 to the lower end 170, it is possible to reliably deform and improve the sealing property in close contact with the cover member 18 and the seal body housing portion 88.

The cleaning liquid flowing through the outlet passage 84 and the seal body housing portion 88 to the communication port 102 flows from the proximal end to the distal end of the outlet passage 130 in the outlet port 124, and then passes through the outlet pipe 132 to be supplied to the selected desired cleaning nozzle.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the annular seal 162 is provided at the upper end of the large diameter portion 72 of the rotor 16 constituting the switching valve 160 so as to surround the lead-out passage 84 for leading out the liquid, the inner peripheral portion 164 of the seal 162 on the lead-out passage 84 side is formed in the shape of an arc in cross section that is recessed radially outward, and the upper end 168 of the seal 162 is provided so as to abut against the lower surface (end surface) of the cover member 18.

Therefore, when the rotor 16 is rotated by the driving of the driving unit 14, only the upper end of the seal body 162 is in sliding contact with the cover member 18, and when the liquid is introduced from the introduction passage 84 to the seal body housing portion 88 housing the seal body 162, the inner peripheral portion 164 receives the pressure of the liquid well and deforms, and thus the cover member 18 can be brought into close contact with a larger contact area.

As a result, when the rotor 16 is rotated by the driving of the driving unit 14, the sliding resistance of the seal body 162 with respect to the cover member 18 can be suppressed, and when the rotor 16 is stopped and the liquid is made to flow from the inlet port 100 to the outlet port 124, the upper end 168 of the seal body 162 can be brought into close contact with the cover member 18 in a wider range by the pressure of the liquid, thereby improving the sealing property.

Further, by providing the curved inner peripheral portion 164 on the inner peripheral side of the seal body 162, even when the pressure of the liquid supplied to the seal body accommodating portion 88 is low or when the temperature is low, the seal body 162 can be reliably deformed to reliably abut against the cover member 18, and the sealing performance at the time of liquid supply can be improved.

Further, by coating the surface of the seal body 162, the sliding resistance of the seal body 162 when the rotor 16 rotates can be further reduced, and the abrasion of the seal body 162 can be favorably suppressed. This coating may be performed at least on the upper end 168 of the sealing body 162 that is in sliding contact with the cover member 18.

The switching valve according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various configurations may be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims (6)

1. A switching valve (10, 160) comprising a main body (12) having a cover member (18) having an inlet port (100) for introducing a liquid and a plurality of outlet ports (124) for discharging the liquid, and a rotating body (16) rotatably provided in the main body (12) so as to face the cover member (18), wherein the rotating body (16) rotates by a driving action of a driving unit (14) to communicate any one of the plurality of outlet ports (124) with the inlet port (100) via a communication passage (82, 84, 86) formed in the rotating body (16), thereby switching a supply state of the liquid to the one outlet port (124), characterized in that:

a gap (S) is provided between the cover member (18) and the rotating body (16) in the axial direction of the rotating body (16),

in the rotating body (16), a housing section (88) is provided at an end of the communication path (82, 84, 86) facing the cover member (18), and a seal body (22, 162) is provided in the housing section (88), the seal body (22, 162) is formed of an elastically deformable material and is provided with a recess (144, 164) that communicates with the communication path (84), one end of the seal body (22, 162) where the recess (144, 164) is formed is always in contact with one surface of the cover member (18), and the other end of the seal body (22, 162) is seated in the housing section (88).

2. The switching valve of claim 1, wherein:

one end of the sealing body (22) is provided with a lip (142) which is provided on the cover member (18) side with respect to the recess (144) and which is in contact with one surface of the cover member (18), and the lip (142) is formed so as to have a tapered shape gradually toward the communication passage (84).

3. The switching valve of claim 2, wherein:

a coating is applied to the lip (142).

4. The switching valve of claim 1, wherein:

the recess (164) extends from the one end (168) to the other end (170) in the axial direction of the seal body (162).

5. The switching valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that:

one end of the seal body (22, 162) surrounds and contacts the lead-out port (124) opened in the cover member (18).

6. The switching valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that:

the connector (20) is provided with the lead-out port (124), and the connector (20) is detachably provided to the cover member (18).

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