JP2009150258A - Butterfly valve control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve durability of a butterfly valve provided, for example, in the fluid passage of an internal combustion engine. <P>SOLUTION: This butterfly valve control device 500 controls the butterfly valve 100 regulating the flow rate of fluid flowing in the fluid passage by rotating around a valve shaft 120 a plate-like valve element 110 provided in the middle of the fluid passage 20 to thereby change the opening/closing conditions of the fluid passage. The butterfly valve control device 500 includes a detection means 510 detecting the status of use of the butterfly valve, and a switching means 520 selectively switching a rotational direction in which the valve element is rotated around the valve shaft, according to the detected status of use, between a normal direction and a reverse direction, for every mutually different predetermined angular positions with the opening/closing conditions became identical to each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technical field of a butterfly valve control device that controls a butterfly valve provided in a fluid passage through which a fluid accompanying an operation of an internal combustion engine flows, for example.

  A butterfly valve (or butterfly valve) controlled by this type of device is provided, for example, as an intake control valve that is disposed in the middle of an intake passage of an internal combustion engine and controls intake timing at which air is taken into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. It is done. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for driving a butterfly valve as an intake control valve using a rotary solenoid actuator that swings approximately 90 degrees.

  On the other hand, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which a rotary valve is used as an intake control valve and the rotary valve is rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the crankshaft of the engine.

JP-A-6-58192 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-17141

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, the butterfly valve operates only in a swing angle range limited to approximately 90 degrees, and therefore, uneven wear occurs in the bearing portion of the butterfly valve or in the intake passage. There is a technical problem that deposits may accumulate in the dead zone. Furthermore, since the number of times facing the internal combustion engine is uneven between one surface and the other surface of the butterfly valve body, the butterfly valve body is asymmetric between the one surface and the other surface. There is a technical problem in that there is a possibility that a thermal load is applied, an asymmetric deformation occurs, and deposits are asymmetrically attached.

  The present invention has been made in view of, for example, the above-described problems, and provides a butterfly valve control device that can improve the durability of a butterfly valve and can stably operate the butterfly valve. Let it be an issue.

  In order to solve the above problems, the butterfly valve control device of the present invention changes the open / close state of the fluid passage by rotating a plate-like valve body provided in the middle of the fluid passage around the valve shaft. A butterfly valve control device for controlling a butterfly valve for adjusting a flow rate of a fluid flowing through the fluid passage, and detecting means for detecting a use state of the butterfly valve, and rotating the valve body around the valve shaft And a switching unit that selectively switches the rotating direction to be switched between the forward direction and the reverse direction at different predetermined angular positions where the open / closed state is the same, depending on the detected use state.

  According to the butterfly valve control device of the present invention, during the operation, the rotation direction for rotating the valve body of the butterfly valve around the valve shaft is different from the predetermined angular position where the open / close state is the same by the switching means. Each time, it is selectively switched between forward and reverse directions. At this time, the switching unit switches the rotation direction in accordance with the use state of the butterfly valve detected by the detection unit. Here, “different predetermined angular positions at which the open / closed state is the same” means, for example, that if one angular position of the valve body at which the open / closed state is fully closed is 0 degrees, The angle position of 180 degrees, which is the other angle position of the valve body that is fully closed by deviating by 180 degrees along one rotation direction (that is, the forward direction or the reverse direction) from the 0 degree angular position. It means the angular position. That is, the different predetermined angular positions at which the open / close states are the same are typically angles that are shifted from each other by 180 degrees around the valve shaft along one rotational direction. Therefore, “selectively switching at different predetermined angular positions where the opening and closing states are the same” typically means that the valve element rotates 180 degrees around the valve shaft along one rotational direction. This means that it is selectively switched every time it moves. In addition, the use situation of the butterfly valve is, for example, the number of times the valve body of the butterfly valve is rotated in each of the forward direction and the reverse direction, the period, etc., typically the valve body in each of the forward direction and the reverse direction. It means use frequency or operation frequency. The forward direction and the reverse direction are rotation directions different from each other around the valve shaft. When viewed from the direction along the valve shaft, the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction (or the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction, respectively). ).

  In the present invention, in particular, the rotation direction is selectively switched by the switching means at every different predetermined angular position where the open / close states are the same. Therefore, for example, when the valve body is rotated from one angular position (for example, 0 degree) where the open / closed state is fully closed to an angular position (for example, 90 degree) where the open / closed state is fully opened along the positive direction, The rotation direction is not switched. When the valve body is rotated from the fully open angle position to another angle position (for example, 180 degrees) where the open / close state is fully closed along the positive direction, the rotation direction is changed. Can be switched selectively. That is, in this example, the rotation direction cannot be switched from one angular position (for example, 0 degree) where the open / closed state is fully closed to another angular position (for example, 180 degree) where the open / closed state is fully closed. . Here, one angular position where the open / close state is fully closed (for example, 0 degrees) and another angular position where the open / close state is fully closed (for example, 180 degrees) are one of the valve elements of the butterfly valve in the fluid passage. The directions in which the surfaces (and other surfaces) face are different from each other. Therefore, it is possible to reduce or prevent the butterfly valve body from being subjected to an asymmetrical heat load between its one surface and the other surface, to undergo asymmetric deformation, and to deposit deposits asymmetrically. Further, it is possible to reduce or prevent deposits from being accumulated in the dead zone in the fluid passage.

  Further, the switching means can switch the rotation direction between the forward direction and the reverse direction so that, for example, the number of times the valve body is rotated in the forward direction and the number of times the valve body is rotated in the reverse direction are close to each other. it can. Therefore, it is possible to reduce or prevent the occurrence of uneven wear in the bearing portion of the butterfly valve.

  In addition, by the switching means, the rotation direction is changed for each predetermined angular position where the open / closed state is the same (for example, for each angular position where the open / closed state is fully closed or for each angular position where the open / closed state is fully open). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the flow rate of the fluid in the fluid passage from being changed when the rotation direction is switched by the switching unit. In other words, the direction of rotation can be switched by the switching means with little or no practical effect on the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the fluid passage.

  As a result, according to the butterfly valve control device of the present invention, the durability of the butterfly valve can be improved and the butterfly valve can be operated stably.

  In one aspect of the butterfly valve control device according to the present invention, the detecting means, as the usage situation, calculates the number of forward directions in which the valve body is rotated in the forward direction and the number of backward directions in which the valve body is rotated in the reverse direction. The switching means detects the rotational direction, and one of the detected forward direction count and reverse direction count reaches a predetermined number so that the detected forward direction count and reverse direction count approach each other. Switch every time.

  According to this aspect, the rotation direction of the valve body of the butterfly valve is switched every time the number of times the valve body of the butterfly valve is rotated in one rotation direction reaches a predetermined number. It is possible to more reliably reduce or prevent the occurrence of uneven wear. In addition, the valve body of the butterfly valve is more reliably reduced or prevented from being subjected to asymmetrical thermal loads between its one and other surfaces, asymmetric deformation, and deposits being asymmetrically attached. it can.

  In another aspect of the butterfly valve control device of the present invention, the predetermined angular position is an angular position at which the open / close state is fully closed.

  According to this aspect, the valve body of the butterfly valve is more surely subjected to an asymmetrical heat load between the one surface and the other surface, asymmetric deformation occurs, and deposits are asymmetrically adhered. Can be reduced or prevented.

  In another aspect of the butterfly valve control device of the present invention, the predetermined angular position is an angular position at which the open / close state is fully open.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to more reliably reduce or prevent deposits from being accumulated in the dead zone in the fluid passage.

  In another aspect of the butterfly valve control device of the present invention, at the start of starting the control for rotating the valve body around the valve shaft, the detection means is the valve body at the start as the usage status. Detects the rotation direction rotating about the valve shaft, and the switching means sets the rotation direction for rotating the valve body about the valve shaft as the detected rotation direction. Switch to be the same.

  According to this aspect, the valve element can be rotated using the kinetic energy of the valve element at the start of the control for rotating the valve element. For example, in the case where the butterfly valve control device of the present invention performs the control of rotating the valve body around the valve shaft a plurality of times, the current control is performed before the valve body rotated by the previous control stops. When starting the operation, the kinetic energy of rotation remaining in the valve body can be used effectively. Therefore, it is possible to reduce power consumption required for driving means including, for example, a motor for driving the valve body. Therefore, heat generation in the driving means can be prevented. Furthermore, since the rotational kinetic energy remaining in the valve body can be used effectively, the valve body can be rotated so as to be in a desired open / close state in a short time.

  The operation and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the best mode for carrying out the invention described below.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, a case where the rose fly valve control device of the present invention is applied to an internal combustion engine will be described as an example.
<First Embodiment>
The butterfly valve control apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, an overall configuration of an internal combustion engine to which the butterfly valve control device according to the first embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal combustion engine to which the butterfly valve control device according to the first embodiment is applied.

  In FIG. 1, an internal combustion engine 1 is an engine mounted on a vehicle as a driving power source, and intake air (that is, intake air that is air introduced from the outside) is taken into the internal combustion engine 1 (more specifically, combustion thereof). And an intake pipe 20 leading to the chamber).

  An intake control valve 100 as an example of the “butterfly valve” according to the present invention is provided inside the intake pipe 20. The intake control valve 100 includes an actuator (not shown), and is configured so that the plate-like valve body 110 can be rotated around the valve shaft 120 by the actuator. The intake control valve 100 can adjust the flow rate of the intake air flowing through the intake pipe 20 by changing the open / close state of the intake pipe 20 by rotating the valve body 110 around the valve shaft 120.

  The operation of each part of the internal combustion engine 1 including the intake control valve 100 is controlled by an engine control unit (ECU) 500. The ECU 500 is a well-known computer including a microprocessor and peripheral devices such as RAM and ROM necessary for its operation. The ECU 500 acquires the operating state of the internal combustion engine 1 based on signals input from various sensors, Predetermined processing is executed so that various parameters such as the fuel injection amount are appropriately controlled.

  The butterfly valve control device according to the present embodiment is realized as part of the ECU 500. The butterfly valve control device according to the present embodiment includes a use state detection unit 510 and a rotation direction switching unit 520 that are configured as a part of the ECU 500.

  The usage status detection unit 510 is an example of the “detection unit” according to the present invention, and is configured to be able to detect the usage status of the intake control valve 100. Here, the usage state of the intake control valve 100 includes the number of times that the valve body 110 is rotated in the forward direction around the valve shaft 120 (that is, the number of times in the forward direction) and the number of times that the valve body 110 is rotated in the reverse direction (that is, Number of reverse directions). The usage state detection unit 510 is configured to be able to store the forward direction count and the reverse direction count in a storage unit such as a memory, and when the rotation direction is selectively switched by the rotation direction switching unit 520 described later, The number of forward directions and the number of backward directions are detected.

  The rotation direction switching unit 520 is an example of the “switching unit” according to the present invention, and the rotation direction of the valve body 110 of the intake control valve 100 is detected for each angular position where the open / close state is fully closed. Switching between the forward direction and the reverse direction is performed according to the usage status detected by the unit 510.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the angular position of the valve body in order from the left when the valve body is rotated in the forward direction so that the open / close state is fully closed, then fully opened, and then fully closed again. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the angular positions of the valve body in order from the left when the valve body is rotated in the reverse direction so that the open / close state is fully closed and then fully opened again. 2 and 3, the right side with respect to the valve shaft 120 is the combustion chamber side of the internal combustion engine 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the intake control valve 100 is controlled by the ECU 500 so that the open / close state is changed from fully closed to fully open and then fully closed again, the valve body 110 is configured to have a valve shaft 120. Is rotated by 180 degrees in the forward direction P1 (see FIG. 2) or the reverse direction P2 (see FIG. 3). That is, the rotation direction switching unit 520 changes the rotation direction of the valve body 110 of the intake control valve 100 for each angular position where the open / close state is fully closed (in FIGS. 2 and 3, “fully closed (0 degree)). ”And“ Fully closed (180 degrees) ”for each angle position), switching between the forward direction P1 and the reverse direction P2, and the open and closed state is the fully open angle position (in FIG. 2 and FIG. ) ”And“ fully open (270 degrees) angular position) ”.

  Therefore, when the intake control valve 100 is controlled by the ECU 500 so that the open / close state is changed from fully closed to fully open and then fully closed again, only one of the surfaces 111 and 112 of the valve body 110 is controlled. It is possible to prevent the internal combustion engine 1 from facing toward the combustion chamber side (that is, the right side with respect to the valve shaft 120 in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3). That is, in FIG. 2, at the angle position of 0 degree at which the open / close state is fully closed (the angle position shown at the left end in FIG. 2), the surface 112 of the valve body 110 is on the combustion chamber side (right side in the figure) of the internal combustion engine 1. Then, after the valve body 110 is rotated by 180 degrees in the positive direction P1, the 180 degree angular position at which the open / close state is fully closed again (the angular position shown at the right end in FIG. 2) is The surface 111 faces the combustion chamber side of the internal combustion engine 1. In FIG. 3, the surface 112 of the valve body 110 faces the combustion chamber side (right side in the drawing) of the internal combustion engine at an angular position of 0 degree at which the open / close state is fully closed (the angular position shown at the left end in FIG. 3). After the valve body 110 is rotated 180 degrees in the reverse direction P2, the surface of the valve body 110 is at an angular position of 180 degrees where the open / close state is fully closed again (the angular position shown at the right end in FIG. 3). 111 is directed to the combustion chamber side of the internal combustion engine.

  Therefore, the valve body 110 of the intake control valve 100 is reduced from being subjected to an asymmetrical heat load between the one surface 111 and the other surface 112, asymmetric deformation, and deposits being asymmetrically attached. it can.

  Next, switching control of the rotation direction of the intake control valve by the butterfly valve control device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4 in addition to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of switching control of the rotation direction of the intake control valve by the butterfly valve control apparatus according to this embodiment. In this case, the valve body 110 is opened by rotating in the forward direction P1 from the state where the valve body 110 is stopped at the 0 degree angular position where the open / close state is fully closed (the state shown at the left end in FIG. 2). The flow of control from when the valve operation is started until the rotation direction is switched will be mainly described.

  In FIG. 4, first, the ECU 500 determines whether there is a request for the opening operation of the intake control valve 100 according to the operating state of the internal combustion engine 1 (step S110).

  When it is determined that there is a request for the valve opening operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S110: Yes), the ECU 500 controls the valve opening operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S120). That is, the ECU 500 controls the intake control valve 100 so that the valve body 110 rotates by 90 degrees in the positive direction P1 (see FIG. 2). As a result, the valve body 110 is opened 90 degrees from the angular position of 0 degrees where the open / close state is fully closed (the state shown at the left end in FIG. 2), and the open / close state is fully open (the state shown in the center in FIG. 2). Rotate to an angular position. At this time, the usage status detection unit 510 of the ECU 500 adds the number of times of the positive direction rotated in the positive direction P1 and stores the result in a storage unit such as a memory.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no request for the opening operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S110: No), the process waits until there is a request for the opening operation of the intake control valve 100. That is, the valve body 110 is maintained in a state where it is stopped at an angular position of 0 degrees where the open / close state is fully closed (the state shown at the left end in FIG. 2).

  Next, ECU 500 determines whether or not there is a request for a closing operation of intake control valve 100 according to the operating state of internal combustion engine 1 (step S130).

  If it is determined that there is a request for the closing operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S130: Yes), the ECU 500 controls the closing operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S140). That is, the ECU 500 controls the intake control valve 100 so that the valve body 110 rotates by 90 degrees in the positive direction P1 (see FIG. 2). As a result, the valve body 110 is rotated 180 degrees from the 90 degree angular position at which the open / close state is fully open (the state shown in the center in FIG. 2), and the open / close state is fully closed (the state shown at the right end in FIG. 2). Rotate to an angular position. At this time, the usage status detection unit 510 of the ECU 500 adds the number of times of the positive direction rotated in the positive direction P1 and stores the result in a storage unit such as a memory. Here, as described above with reference to FIG. 2, the rotation direction switching unit 520 changes the rotation direction of the valve body 110 of the intake control valve 100 to an angular position where the open / close state is fully open (“ Switching is not performed at the angle position “fully open (90 degrees)”.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no request for the closing operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S130: No), the process waits until the closing operation of the intake control valve 100 is requested. That is, the valve body 110 is maintained in a state where it is stopped at an angular position of 90 degrees where the open / close state is fully open (the state shown in the center in FIG. 2).

  Next, ECU 500 determines whether or not a condition for changing the rotation direction is satisfied (step S150). More specifically, first, the use state detection unit 510 of the ECU 500 has rotated the valve body 110 of the intake control valve 100 in the forward direction P1 so far as a result of the opening and closing operations of the intake control valve 100. The number of forward directions is detected from storage means such as a memory. Subsequently, based on the detected number of positive directions, the rotation direction for the next control of the valve opening operation of the intake control valve 100 is the positive direction P1 that is the currently set rotation direction (see FIG. 2). ) To the reverse direction P2 (see FIG. 3) is determined. For example, it is determined whether or not the number of forward directions is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

  When it is determined that the condition for changing the rotation direction is satisfied (step S150: Yes), the rotation direction switching unit 520 of the ECU 500 updates the rotation direction (step S160). That is, when it is determined that the number of positive directions has reached a predetermined number or more, the rotation direction switching unit 520 determines the rotation direction when the valve opening operation of the intake control valve 100 is controlled next as the current rotation direction. The forward direction P1, which is the set rotation direction, is switched to the reverse direction P2. Thereby, when it is determined that there is a request for the opening operation of the intake control valve 100 next (step S110: Yes), the ECU 500 rotates the intake control valve 100 in the reverse direction P2. Control is performed (step S120).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the condition for changing the rotation direction is not satisfied (step S150: No), the rotation direction switching unit 520 of the ECU 500 continues the rotation direction (step S170). That is, when it is determined that the number of positive directions does not exceed the predetermined number, the rotation direction when the valve opening operation of the intake control valve 100 is controlled next is continued or maintained in the positive direction P1. (Ie, do not switch). As a result, when it is determined that there is a request for the valve opening operation of the intake control valve 100 next (step S110: Yes), the ECU 500 causes the intake control valve 100 to return to the valve body 110 in the forward direction P1 again. Control is performed to rotate (step S120). Thereafter, a series of processes according to Steps S130 to S170 described above are repeated.

  Thus, in this embodiment, in particular, it is determined whether or not a condition for changing the rotation direction is satisfied (step S150), and the rotation direction of the intake control valve 100 is the positive direction according to the determination result. It is selectively switched between P1 and the reverse direction P2 (steps S160 and S170). Therefore, the intake control valve 100 can be controlled such that the number of times that the valve body 110 is rotated in the forward direction P1 and the number of times that the valve body 110 is rotated in the reverse direction P2 approach each other. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of uneven wear in the bearing portion of the intake control valve 100.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, in particular, the rotation direction switching unit 520 causes the rotation direction to be an angular position at which the open / closed state is fully closed (in FIGS. 2 and 3, “fully closed (0 degree)” and “fully closed”). Therefore, the flow rate of the intake air in the intake pipe 20 can be suppressed from being changed by switching the rotation direction of the valve body 110. In other words, the rotation direction of the valve body 110 can be switched with almost no adverse effect on the flow rate of the intake air flowing through the intake pipe 20.

  As a result, according to the butterfly valve control apparatus according to the present embodiment, the durability of the intake control valve 100 can be improved, and the intake control valve 100 can be stably operated.

In the present embodiment, as a condition for changing the rotation direction, it is determined whether or not the number of rotations of the valve body 110 in the currently set rotation direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. However, in addition to or instead of this condition, it is configured to determine whether or not the period during which the valve body 110 is rotated in the currently set rotation direction is equal to or longer than a predetermined period. May be. In this case, the intake control valve 100 can be operated so that the period during which the valve body 110 is rotated in the forward direction and the period during which the valve body 110 is rotated in the reverse direction are close to each other. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of uneven wear in the bearing portion of the intake control valve 100, and to improve the durability of the intake control valve 100.
Second Embodiment
Next, a butterfly valve control apparatus according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5 to 7. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the angular position of the valve body in order from the left when the valve body is rotated in the forward direction so that the open / close state is fully opened and then fully opened again. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the angular position of the valve body in order from the left when the valve body is rotated in the reverse direction so that the open / close state is fully opened and then fully opened again. 5 and 6, the right side with respect to the valve shaft 120 is the combustion chamber side of the internal combustion engine 1.

  In FIG. 1, in the butterfly valve control device according to the second embodiment, the rotation direction switching unit 520 changes the rotation direction of the valve body 110 of the intake control valve 100 (open / close state as in the first embodiment described above). Depending on the usage status detected by the usage status detection unit 510, switching between the forward direction and the reverse direction is performed for each angular position at which the open / close state is fully open (not for every angular position where is fully closed).

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the intake control valve 100 is controlled by the ECU 500 so that the open / close state is fully opened, fully closed, and then fully opened again, the valve body 110 is connected to the valve shaft 120. It is rotated 180 degrees in the forward direction P1 (see FIG. 5) or the reverse direction P2 (see FIG. 6). That is, the rotation direction switching unit 520 changes the rotation direction of the valve body 110 of the intake control valve 100 for each angular position where the open / close state is fully open (in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, “fully open (90 degrees)” and Switching between the forward direction P1 and the reverse direction P2 (for each angular position of “fully open (270 degrees)”), the angle position at which the open / close state is fully closed (in FIGS. 5 and 6, “fully closed (0 degree)”). "And the angular position of" fully closed (180 degrees) ").

  Therefore, when the intake control valve 100 is controlled by the ECU 500 so as to perform an opening / closing operation in which the open / close state is fully opened and then fully opened again, the end of the valve body 110 is connected to the valve box 150 of the intake control valve 100. It is possible to reliably pass the vicinity of each of the dead zones D1 and D2 on the inner surface. Therefore, deposits can be reduced in the dead zones D1 and D2 on the inner surface of the valve box 150 of the intake control valve 100.

  Next, switching control of the rotation direction of the intake control valve by the butterfly valve control device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7 in addition to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of switching control of the rotation direction of the intake control valve by the butterfly valve control apparatus according to this embodiment. Here, the valve body 110 is rotated in the forward direction P1 from the state where the valve body 110 is stopped at the 90 ° angular position where the open / close state is fully open (the state shown at the left end in FIG. 5). The flow of control until the rotation direction is switched after the operation is started will be mainly described.

  In FIG. 7, first, the ECU 500 determines whether or not there is a request for a closing operation of the intake control valve 100 according to the operating state of the internal combustion engine 1 (step S210).

  When it is determined that there is a request for closing the intake control valve 100 (step S210: Yes), the ECU 500 controls the closing operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S220). That is, the ECU 500 controls the intake control valve 100 so that the valve body 110 rotates by 90 degrees in the forward direction P1 (see FIG. 5). As a result, the valve body 110 is rotated 180 degrees from the 90 degree angular position at which the open / close state is fully open (the state shown at the left end in FIG. 5), and the open / close state is fully closed (the state shown at the center in FIG. 5). Rotate to an angular position. At this time, the usage status detection unit 510 of the ECU 500 adds the number of times of the positive direction rotated in the positive direction P1 and stores the result in a storage unit such as a memory.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no request for the closing operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S210: No), the process waits until there is a request for the closing operation of the intake control valve 100. That is, the valve body 110 is maintained in a state where it is stopped at an angular position of 90 degrees where the open / close state is fully open (the state shown at the left end in FIG. 5).

  Next, ECU 500 determines whether or not there is a request for opening operation of intake control valve 100 according to the operating state of internal combustion engine 1 (step S230).

  When it is determined that there is a request for the valve opening operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S230: Yes), the ECU 500 controls the valve opening operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S240). That is, the ECU 500 controls the intake control valve 100 so that the valve body 110 rotates by 90 degrees in the forward direction P1 (see FIG. 5). As a result, the valve body 110 is opened from the angle position of 180 degrees where the open / close state is fully closed (the state shown in the center in FIG. 5) to 270 degrees where the open / close state is fully open (the state shown at the right end in FIG. 5). Rotate to an angular position. At this time, the usage status detection unit 510 of the ECU 500 adds the number of times of the positive direction rotated in the positive direction P1 and stores the result in a storage unit such as a memory. Here, as described above with reference to FIG. 5, the rotation direction switching unit 520 does not switch the rotation direction of the valve body 110 of the intake control valve 100 at the angular position where the open / close state is fully closed.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no request for the opening operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S230: No), the process waits until the opening operation of the intake control valve 100 is requested. That is, the valve body 110 is maintained in a state stopped at an angular position of 180 degrees where the open / close state is fully closed (the state shown in the center in FIG. 5).

  Next, ECU 500 determines whether or not a condition for changing the rotation direction is satisfied (step S250). More specifically, first, the use state detection unit 510 of the ECU 500 has rotated the valve body 110 of the intake control valve 100 in the forward direction P1 so far as a result of the valve opening and closing operations of the intake control valve 100. The number of forward directions is detected from storage means such as a memory. Subsequently, based on the detected number of positive directions, the rotation direction when the valve closing operation of the intake control valve 100 is next controlled is the positive direction P1 that is the currently set rotation direction (see FIG. 5). ) To the reverse direction P2 (see FIG. 6) is determined. For example, it is determined whether or not the number of forward directions is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

  When it is determined that the condition for changing the rotation direction is satisfied (step S250: Yes), the rotation direction switching unit 520 of the ECU 500 updates the rotation direction (step S260). That is, when it is determined that the number of positive directions has reached a predetermined number or more, the rotation direction switching unit 520 determines the rotation direction for the next control of the valve closing operation of the intake control valve 100 as the current rotation direction. The forward direction P1, which is the set rotation direction, is switched to the reverse direction P2. Thereby, when it is determined that there is a request for the closing operation of the intake control valve 100 next (step S210: Yes), the ECU 500 rotates the intake control valve 100 so that the valve body 110 rotates in the reverse direction P2. Control is performed (step S220).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the condition for changing the rotation direction is not satisfied (step S250: No), the rotation direction switching unit 520 of the ECU 500 continues the rotation direction (step S270). That is, when it is determined that the number of positive directions does not exceed a predetermined number, the rotation direction when the valve closing operation of the intake control valve 100 is controlled next is continued or maintained in the positive direction P1. (Ie, do not switch). As a result, when it is determined that there is a request for the closing operation of the intake control valve 100 next (step S210: Yes), the ECU 500 causes the intake control valve 100 to return to the valve body 110 in the forward direction P1 again. Control is performed to rotate (step S120). Thereafter, a series of processes according to the above-described steps S230 to S270 is repeated.

  Thus, in this embodiment, in particular, it is determined whether or not the condition for changing the rotation direction is satisfied (step S250), and the rotation direction of the intake control valve 100 is the positive direction according to the determination result. And it selectively switches between reverse directions (step S260, S270). Therefore, the intake control valve 100 can be controlled such that the number of times that the valve body 110 is rotated in the forward direction P1 and the number of times that the valve body 110 is rotated in the reverse direction P2 approach each other. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of uneven wear in the bearing portion of the intake control valve 100.

  Further, in this embodiment, in particular, the rotation direction switching unit 520 changes the rotation direction to an angular position at which the open / close state is fully open (in FIGS. 5 and 6, “fully open (90 degrees)” and “fully open (270 degrees)). ) ”At each angular position), it is possible to prevent the flow rate of the intake air in the intake pipe 20 from being changed by switching the rotation direction of the valve body 110. In other words, the rotation direction of the valve body 110 can be switched with almost no adverse effect on the flow rate of the intake air flowing through the intake pipe 20.

As a result, according to the butterfly valve control apparatus according to the present embodiment, the durability of the intake control valve 100 can be improved, and the intake control valve 100 can be stably operated.
<Third Embodiment>
Next, a butterfly valve control device according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 8 and 9.

  In FIG. 1, in the butterfly valve control device according to the third embodiment, at the start of starting the control for rotating the valve body 110 around the valve shaft 120, the usage state detection unit 510 starts the valve body 110 at the start. The rotation direction switching unit 520 detects the rotation direction in which the valve body 110 is rotated about the valve shaft 120, and the use state detection unit 510 detects the rotation direction in which the valve body 110 rotates about the valve shaft 120. Is switched so as to be the same as the rotation direction detected by.

  FIG. 8 is a graph showing the change over time of the angular position of the valve body when the valve body of the butterfly valve is rotated in the forward direction and the open / close state changes from fully closed to fully open.

  As shown in FIG. 8, for example, when the intake control valve 100 is controlled so that the open / close state is changed from fully closed to fully open by rotating the valve element 110 in the positive direction P1, the valve element 110 is The rotation direction is changed when the valve body 110 is positioned in the vicinity of the fully open position in order to stop the valve body 110 at the angular position where the open / close state is fully open (that is, the operation of the valve body 110 is stabilized). Is done. That is, the rotation direction is set to the reverse direction P2 in the period T1 in which the valve body 110 is located in the vicinity of the fully open position, and the rotation direction is set to the forward direction P1 in the period T2, so that the valve body 110 is gradually moved to the fully open position. Control to stop is performed.

  Next, switching control of the rotation direction of the intake control valve by the butterfly valve control device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the switching control of the rotation direction of the intake control valve by the butterfly valve control apparatus according to this embodiment.

  In FIG. 9, first, the ECU 500 determines whether or not there is a request for the opening / closing operation (that is, the valve opening operation or the valve closing operation) of the intake control valve 100 according to the operating state of the internal combustion engine 1 (step S310). .

  When it is determined that there is a request for the opening / closing operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S310: Yes), the ECU 500 causes the rotation speed of the valve body 110 to rotate around the valve shaft 120 to be a predetermined value or more. It is determined whether or not there is (step S320). That is, the ECU 500 determines whether or not the valve body 110 has stopped almost or completely at a specific angular position (for example, a fully open position or a fully closed position). In other words, it is determined whether or not the request for the opening / closing operation is made while the valve body 110 is rotating at a rotation speed equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

  When it is determined that the rotation speed is not equal to or higher than the predetermined value (step S320: No), the rotation direction switching unit 520 of the ECU 500 continues the rotation direction (step S340). That is, when it is determined that the valve body 110 is almost or completely stopped at a specific angular position, the rotation direction for controlling the opening / closing operation of the intake control valve 100 is set to the currently set rotation direction. Continue or maintain the forward direction P1 or the reverse direction P2 (that is, do not switch). Subsequently, the ECU 500 controls the opening / closing operation of the intake control valve 100 so that the valve body 110 rotates in the maintained rotation direction (step S370).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the rotation speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined value (step S320: Yes), the usage state detection unit 510 of the ECU 500 rotates the valve body 110 around the valve shaft 120. It is determined whether or not the rotation direction is the positive direction P1 (step S330). In other words, the use state detection unit 510 detects the current turning direction of the valve body 110.

  When it is determined that the rotation direction is the positive direction P1 (step S330: Yes), the rotation direction switching unit 520 of the ECU 500 determines the rotation direction when the opening / closing operation of the intake control valve 100 is controlled. The forward direction P1 that is the same rotational direction as the rotational direction detected by the use state detection unit 510 is set (step S350). Subsequently, the ECU 500 controls the opening / closing operation of the intake control valve 100 so that the valve body 110 rotates in the set rotation direction (that is, the positive direction P1) (step S370).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the rotation direction is not the forward direction P1 (that is, the rotation direction is the reverse direction P2) (step S330: No), the rotation direction switching unit 520 of the ECU 500 performs the intake control valve. The rotation direction when controlling the opening / closing operation of 100 is set to the reverse direction P2 that is the same rotation direction as the rotation direction detected by the use state detection unit 510 (step S360). Subsequently, the ECU 500 controls the opening / closing operation of the intake control valve 100 so that the valve body 110 rotates in the set rotation direction (that is, the reverse direction P2) (step S370).

  As described above, particularly in this embodiment, when it is determined that there is a request for an opening / closing operation (step S310), the rotation direction of the valve body 110 at that time is detected by the use state detection unit 510 (step S330). ) And the rotation direction switching unit 520 switches the rotation direction when the opening / closing operation of the intake control valve 100 is controlled to be the same as the rotation direction detected by the use state detection unit 510 (step). S350, S360). Therefore, when controlling the opening / closing operation of the intake control valve 100 (step S370), the valve body 110 can be rotated using the kinetic energy of the valve body 110 at that time. That is, according to the butterfly valve control device according to the present embodiment, when the control for rotating the valve body 110 around the valve shaft 120 is continuously performed a plurality of times, the valve body 110 rotated by the previous control is performed. When the opening / closing operation is requested before the stop of the valve (for example, during the period T1 or the period T2 described above with reference to FIG. 8), the kinetic energy of the rotation remaining in the valve body 110 can be used effectively. . Therefore, power consumption required for an actuator including, for example, a motor for driving the valve body 110 can be reduced. Therefore, heat generation in the actuator can also be prevented. Further, since the rotational kinetic energy remaining in the valve body 110 can be used effectively, the valve body 110 can be rotated so as to be in a desired open / close state in a short time.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It is a mimetic diagram showing an internal-combustion engine to which a butterfly valve control device concerning a 1st embodiment was applied. It is a schematic diagram which shows in order from the left the angle position of the valve body when the valve body is rotated in the forward direction and the open / closed state is fully closed, then fully closed again. It is a schematic diagram which shows the angle position of a valve body in order from the left when a valve body is rotated in a reverse direction, and an opening-and-closing state is fully closed through a full open again. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of switching control of the rotation direction of the intake control valve by the butterfly valve control apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing the angular position of the valve body in order from the left when the valve body is rotated in the forward direction so that the open / close state is fully opened, then fully opened again. It is a schematic diagram which shows the angular position of the valve body in order from the left when the valve body is rotated in the reverse direction so that the open / close state is fully opened again after being fully closed. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of switching control of the rotation direction of the intake control valve by the butterfly valve control apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a graph which shows the time change of the angular position of a valve body when the valve body of a butterfly valve rotates to a normal direction, and an opening-and-closing state turns into a full open. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of switching control of the rotation direction of the intake control valve by the butterfly valve control apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Internal combustion engine, 20 ... Intake pipe, 100 ... Intake control valve, 110 ... Valve body, 120 ... Valve shaft, 500 ... ECU, 510 ... Usage condition detection part, 520 ... Turning direction switching part

Claims (5)

Control of the butterfly valve for adjusting the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the fluid passage by changing the open / close state of the fluid passage by rotating a plate-like valve body provided in the middle of the fluid passage around the valve shaft A butterfly valve control device to perform,
Detecting means for detecting the usage of the butterfly valve;
Depending on the detected use situation between the forward direction and the reverse direction, the rotation direction for rotating the valve body around the valve shaft is different for each predetermined angular position where the open / close state is the same. And a switching means for selectively switching the butterfly valve control device. The detecting means detects the number of forward directions in which the valve body has been rotated in the forward direction and the number of reverse directions in which the valve body has been rotated in the reverse direction, as the use situation.
The switching means switches the rotation direction every time one of the detected forward direction count and reverse direction count reaches a predetermined number so that the detected forward direction count and reverse direction count approach each other. The butterfly valve control device according to claim 1.   The butterfly valve control device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angular position is an angular position at which the open / close state is fully closed.   The butterfly valve control device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angular position is an angular position at which the open / close state is fully opened. At the start of starting the control to rotate the valve body around the valve shaft,
The detecting means detects a turning direction in which the valve body is turning around the valve shaft at the start time as the usage state;
5. The switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit switches a rotation direction for rotating the valve body around the valve shaft so as to be the same as the detected rotation direction. 6. The butterfly valve control device according to one item.

Images