JP2003247698A - Valve device of high-pressure tank - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a force in the shear direction acting on a screw part on the tank side at a cap part by the inner pressure of a tank. <P>SOLUTION: In the state where a valve body 48 is closed, a large spherical part 24 of a large-diameter steel ball 26 is brought into contact with a semi- spherical recess part 22 formed at the deepest end of the cap part 16. As a result, most of the tank inner pressure can be received by the recess part 22 through the large spherical part 24 of the large-diameter steel ball 26. Small spherical parts 34 and 36 of small-diameter steel balls 38 and 40 are brought into contact with recess parts 30 and 32 formed at the cap 16 of the tank 10, so that sealing performance of the cap part 16 is improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a valve device for a high-pressure tank, and more particularly to a valve device for a high-pressure tank mounted on vehicles such as automobiles and portable fuel cells.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a valve device for a high-pressure tank equipped in a vehicle such as an automobile and a portable fuel cell,
An example thereof is disclosed in JP-A-63-23098.

As shown in FIG. 10, in this valve device for a high-pressure tank, tank-side screw parts 102A and 102B are formed on the inner and outer peripheral parts of a spigot part 102 of a high-pressure tank 100 made of aluminum. Side screw part 10
2A and 102B, the threaded portion 104A of the valve body 104,
104B is screwed together.

[0004]

However, in such a high-pressure tank valve device, the plug portion 102 of the high-pressure tank 100 is made of aluminum, and the tank-side screw portions 102A and 102B are formed by machining. . As a result, these tank side screw portions 102A, 10
2B has a structure that is weak in strength against the force acting in the shearing direction (the direction of the arrow Y in FIG. 10) that is applied by the internal pressure of the high-pressure gas, so reinforcement such as increasing the meshing coefficient of the screw threads is necessary. become. Particularly, sufficient reinforcement is required in the tank side screw portion 102A where the internal pressure of the high pressure gas is long.

In view of the above facts, it is an object of the present invention to provide a valve device for a high pressure tank which can reduce the force in the shearing direction which acts on the tank side screw part of the spout part by the tank internal pressure.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve device for a high-pressure tank according to the present invention, wherein a seal portion is formed inside a spout portion of the tank, and the seal portion is arranged so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the seal portion. A sealing means, a moving means for moving the sealing means in a direction in which the sealing means is moved toward and away from the sealing portion, and a valve main body screwed to a tank-side screw portion formed in the spout portion. It is characterized by having.

Therefore, by bringing the sealing means into contact with the sealing portion formed inside the spout portion of the tank by the moving means, most of the tank internal pressure can be received by the sealing portion. As a result, the tank internal pressure hardly acts on the tank-side screw portion formed on the plug portion with which the valve body is screwed. As a result, it is possible to reduce the force in the shearing direction that acts on the tank-side screw portion formed on the spout portion by the tank internal pressure.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve device for a high-pressure tank, wherein a large seal portion formed at the innermost end of the inside of the spigot portion of the tank and the large seal portion can be brought into contact with and separated from the large seal portion. Large seal means arranged, a small seal portion formed on the mouth plug side of the mouth plug portion from the large seal portion, a small seal means arranged so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the small seal portion, A moving means for moving the large sealing means and the small sealing means in a direction of coming into contact with and separating from the large sealing portion and the small sealing portion, and screwed to a tank side screw portion formed in the spigot portion. And a valve body that has been formed.

Therefore, the moving means brings the large sealing means into contact with the large sealing portion formed inside the spout portion of the tank, whereby most of the tank internal pressure can be received by the large sealing portion. As a result, the tank internal pressure hardly acts on the tank-side screw portion formed on the plug portion with which the valve body is screwed. As a result, it is possible to reduce the force in the shearing direction that acts on the tank-side screw portion formed on the spout portion by the tank internal pressure. Further, the small sealing means is brought into contact with the small sealing part formed on the mouth side of the large sealing part in the spout part,
The sealing property of the spout part can be improved.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of a valve device for a high pressure tank according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the high-pressure hydrogen tank 10 has a double structure in which carbon fibers 14 are arranged by the winding method on the outer periphery of an aluminum tank 12 manufactured by flow forming. There is.

As shown in FIG. 1, the innermost end portion of the mouth plug portion 16 of the tubular tank 10, that is, the mouth 2 of the mouth plug portion 16.
On the opposite side of 0, a hemispherical concave portion 22 is formed as a large seal portion.

A large diameter steel ball 26 as a large sealing means having a large spherical portion 24 is arranged inside the tank 10 facing the recess 22. The large-diameter steel ball 26 moves in the direction of the shaft 28 of the spout portion 16, that is, in the arrow A direction and the arrow B direction in FIG.

Recess 22 in the spout 16 of the tank 10.
Hemispherical concave portions 30 and 32 as small seal portions are formed at a predetermined interval on the side closer to the mouth 20.

Small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 as small sealing means having small spherical portions 34, 36 are arranged at the portions facing the recesses 30, 32, respectively. These small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 move in the direction of the shaft 28 of the plug portion 16, that is, in the directions of arrow A and arrow B in FIG.

The large-diameter steel ball 26 and the small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 are connected to each other by a moving shaft 42 as a moving means arranged on the shaft 28 of the spigot portion 16.
By moving in the direction of arrow A or arrow B in FIG.
The large-diameter steel ball 26 and the small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 are adapted to move in the arrow A direction or the arrow B direction in FIG.

The tip portion 42A of the moving shaft 42 has a stopper 16
Drive stoppers 44, 46 are formed on the tip end portion 42A at a predetermined interval in the axial direction. Further, in the vicinity of the mouth 20 of the spout portion 16, a tank side screw portion 47 formed on the outer peripheral portion 12A of the cylindrical aluminum tank 12 and a screw portion 48A formed on the inner peripheral portion of the valve body 48. Are screwed together.

Further, the valve body 48 is arranged in the circumferential direction of the shaft 28,
That is, a drive motor 52 is disposed on a base body (not shown) that is rotatably supported in the arrow E direction and the arrow F direction in FIG. 1, and the worm 54 fixed to the drive shaft 52A of the drive motor 52 rotates. It is supposed to do. A worm wheel 56 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the valve body 48 meshes with the worm 54.
When the valve is rotated, the valve body 48 is rotated in the arrow E direction and the arrow F direction in FIG.

Further, since the valve body 48 is screwed to the tank side screw portion 47 formed on the outer peripheral portion 12A of the aluminum tank 12 by the screw portion 48A, it is rotated in the arrow E direction and the arrow F direction in FIG. By doing so, the shaft 2 of the spout part 16
8 direction, that is, the arrow C direction and the arrow D direction in FIG.

A wall portion 62 having a gas passage hole 60 is formed in the center of the ohm wheel 56, and the valve body 48 moves in the directions of arrow C and arrow D in FIG. The wall portion 62 abuts against the stopper 44 or the stopper 46 and presses the stopper 44 or the stopper 46, whereby the moving shaft 42, the large diameter steel ball 26, the small diameter steel ball 3
8 and 40 move in the direction of arrow A or B in FIG.

An O-ring 64 for preventing gas leakage is arranged between the outer peripheral portion 12A of the aluminum tank 12 and the valve body 48.

The valve body 48 and the gas supply hose 8
The connecting portion with 0 has the same structure as the connecting portion with the valve body 48 and the tank 10.

Next, a method of manufacturing the valve device for the high-pressure tank according to this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3 (A), a disc-shaped aluminum material 100 is placed on a roller 10 as shown in FIG. 3 (B).
2 and the mandrel 104 are used to process into a tank shape by flow forming.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, the large diameter steel balls 26 and the small diameter steel balls 38, 40 connected by the moving shaft 42 are connected to each other in the aluminum tank 12 before the plug portion is processed. To insert.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (D), the large diameter steel ball 26 connected by the roller 102 and the moving shaft 42.
And the small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 are used to process the plug portion of the aluminum tank 12.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the small-diameter steel ball 3
A semi-spherical convex portion 106 for processing is provided on each of the outer peripheral portions 8 and 40.
Are formed at a position farthest from the moving shaft 42 passing through the center in the radial direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 are moved through the moving shaft 42 in the axial direction of the moving shaft 42 (direction of arrow G), and as shown in FIG. By rotating the small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 in the circumferential direction of the moving shaft 42 (direction of arrow H),
The small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 can move in the axial direction of the moving shaft 42 (direction of arrow G), and a space 108 through which gas can pass can be formed.

The inner peripheral surface of the spigot in the space 108 becomes a mirror surface by aluminum burnishing.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3E, the carbon fiber 14 is wound around the outer peripheral portion of the aluminum tank 12 processed into a tank shape by the winding method.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

In the present embodiment, when the tank 10 is filled with gas, the drive motor 52 rotates the worm 54 to rotate the valve body 48 having the ohm wheel 56 in the direction of arrow F in FIG. Can be made. As a result, the moving shaft 42, the large diameter steel ball 26, and the small diameter steel balls 38, 40 move in the direction of arrow B in FIG.
The large spherical portion 24 of 6 is separated from the hemispherical concave portion 22 formed at the innermost end of the spout portion 16, and the small diameter steel ball 3
By separating the small spherical parts 34 and 36 of 8 and 40 from the concave parts 30 and 32 formed in the spout part 16 of the tank 10, gas can be filled.

At this time, the tank-side screw portion 47 formed on the outer peripheral portion 12A of the aluminum tank 12 which is screwed into the screw portion 48A of the valve body 48 is subjected to the tank internal pressure, but the filling time is short. Therefore, the designed meshing coefficient of the tank side screw portion 47 can be reduced.

After the gas is filled, the drive motor 52
Thus, the valve body 48 can be closed by rotating the worm 54 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the gas is filled. With the valve body 48 closed, as shown in FIG. 1, the large spherical portion 24 of the large diameter steel ball 26 abuts the hemispherical concave portion 22 formed at the deepest end of the spout portion 16. Touching. As a result, most of the tank internal pressure is reduced to the large spherical portion 2 of the large diameter steel ball 26.
It can be received by the concave portion 22 via the No. 4 connector. In addition, a part of the tank internal pressure is used as the small spherical portion 3 of the small diameter steel balls 38, 40.
It can be received by the recesses 30, 32 via 4, 36.

As a result, the screw portion 48A of the valve body 48
The tank internal pressure hardly acts on the tank-side screw portion 47 formed on the outer peripheral portion 12A of the aluminum tank 12 that is screwed into. Therefore, the force in the shearing direction that acts on the tank-side screw portion 47 of the spout portion 16 by the tank internal pressure can be reduced. Therefore, the design meshing coefficient of the tank side screw portion 47 can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, small-diameter steel balls 38, 4 are used.
The small spherical surface portions 34 and 36 of 0 are the plug portions 16 of the tank 10.
By contacting the concave portions 30 and 32 formed in the above, the sealing performance of the spout portion 16 can be improved.

When the gas is discharged from the tank 10, the drive motor 52 rotates the worm 54 in the same direction as when the gas is filled, so that the moving shaft 42, the large diameter steel ball 26, and the small diameter steel ball 38. , 40 moves in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2, the large spherical portion 24 of the large diameter steel ball 26 separates from the hemispherical concave portion 22 formed at the innermost end of the spout portion 16, and has a small diameter. Gas can be released by separating the small spherical parts 34, 36 of the steel balls 38, 40 from the recesses 30, 32 formed in the spout part 16 of the tank 10.

At this time, the output of the drive motor 52 can be reduced by increasing the reduction ratio between the worm 54 and the ohm wheel 56 and increasing the radius R (see FIG. 1) of the worm wheel 56. it can.

In the above, the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various other embodiments within the scope of the present invention. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the large-diameter steel ball 26 and the small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 may be provided with a disc spring 130 or the like as spring means. In this case, the large-diameter steel balls 26 and the small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 can all receive the same gas pressure, and the sealing property is further improved.

Further, in this embodiment, the two small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 are arranged in the plug portion 16 of the tank 10, but the number of the small-diameter steel balls is not limited to two, and the tank internal pressure becomes high. Corresponding to FIG. 8, as shown in FIG.
Alternatively, three small-diameter steel balls 38, 40, 41 and three corresponding hemispherical recesses 30, 32, 33 may be arranged. The number of small-diameter steel balls and recesses may be one or four or more.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, hemispherical recesses 30 and 32 as small seals are formed at the innermost end of the cap 16 of the tank 10, that is, on the side opposite to the port 20 of the cap 16. And small diameter steel balls 38 and 40 as small sealing means having small spherical portions 34 and 36 are arranged at the portions facing the recesses 30 and 32, and the plug portion 1 of the tank 10 is formed.
6, a hemispherical concave portion 22 is formed as a large seal portion on the side closer to the mouth 20 than the concave portion 32, and a large diameter steel ball 26 as a large sealing means having a large spherical portion 24 at a portion facing the concave portion 22. May be provided.

Further, a hemispherical concave portion 22 as a seal portion
And a large-diameter steel ball 26 as a sealing means are provided, and the recess 3
The structure in which 0 and 32 and the small diameter steel balls 38 and 40 are omitted may be adopted.

The large sealing means is not limited to the large-diameter steel ball 26 as long as it has the large spherical portion 24 that abuts the concave portion 22, and other shapes such as a hemisphere may be used.
The small-diameter steel balls 38, 40 are not limited as long as they have a small spherical portion that abuts 0, 32, and other shapes such as a hemisphere may be used.

[0043]

According to the valve device for a high-pressure tank of the present invention as set forth in claim 1, there is provided a seal portion formed inside the mouth plug portion of the tank, and a sealing means arranged so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the seal. Since the sealing means has a moving means for moving the sealing means toward and away from the sealing portion, and a valve body screwed into the tank-side screw portion formed in the spout portion, the spout is caused by the tank internal pressure. It has an excellent effect that the force in the shearing direction acting on the tank-side screw portion formed in the portion can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a valve device for a high-pressure tank, a large seal portion formed at the innermost end of the inside of the plug portion of the tank and a large seal portion are arranged so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the large seal portion. Large sealing means, a small sealing portion formed on the mouth side of the large sealing portion of the spigot portion, a small sealing means arranged to be able to come into contact with and separate from the small sealing portion, and a large sealing means and a small sealing portion. Since it has a moving means for moving the sealing means in the direction of coming into contact with and separating from the large seal portion and the small seal portion, and a valve body screwed to the tank side screw portion formed in the spout portion. In addition, it is possible to reduce the force in the shearing direction that acts on the tank-side screw portion formed on the plug portion by the internal pressure of the tank and to improve the sealing performance of the plug portion.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged side sectional view showing a main part of a valve device for a high-pressure tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a valve device of a high-pressure tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A to 3E are explanatory views showing a manufacturing process of a valve device for a high-pressure tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a small-diameter steel ball of a valve device for a high-pressure tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a part of the manufacturing process of the valve device for the high-pressure tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a valve device of a high-pressure tank according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing a valve device of a high-pressure tank according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view showing a valve device of a high-pressure tank according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing a valve device of a conventional high-pressure tank.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 tanks 12 Aluminum tank 14 carbon fiber 16 spout 20 tank mouth 22 Recessed part (large seal part) 24 Large spherical portion 26 Large diameter steel ball (Large sealing means) 30 recess (small seal) 32 recess (small seal part) 34 Small spherical portion 36 Small spherical portion 38 small diameter steel balls (small sealing means) 40 small diameter steel balls (small sealing means) 42 Movement axis (moving means) 47 Tank side screw 48 valve body

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A seal part formed inside a spout part of a tank, a seal means arranged so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the seal, and a direction in which the seal means comes into contact with and separate from the seal part. A valve device for a high-pressure tank, comprising: a moving means for moving to a valve body; and a valve body screwed into a tank-side screw portion formed in the spout portion. 2. A large seal part formed at the innermost end of the inside of the spout part of the tank, a large seal means arranged so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the large seal part, and in the spout part. A small seal portion formed on the mouth side of the large seal portion; a small seal means arranged so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the small seal portion; and the large seal means and the small seal means. And a valve body screwed to a tank-side screw portion formed on the spout portion, and a moving means for moving the portion and the small seal portion in a direction of coming close to and away from the small seal portion. High-pressure tank valve device.