JP2019045058A - Flow regulating valve - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a flow regulating valve that can accurately regulate a flow rate without requiring precision machining for a valve element, and has a simple structure in which a flow passage does not get clogged.SOLUTION: A flow regulating valve 10 comprises: a housing 12a comprising an outlet flow passage 14 in which a female thread part 16 is formed; a valve element 18 incorporated in the housing 12a, and in which a flow passage forming groove 20 and a male thread part 22 are formed in an outer periphery on one end side; and a driving part 24 for adding rotating force to another end side of the valve element 18 to rotate the valve element 18. A flow rate can be regulated by an axial position of the valve element 18 with respect to the outlet flow passage 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a flow control valve.

  The refrigerant expansion valve used in the refrigerator constituting the evaporative compression type refrigeration cycle needs to perform precise flow control, and for example, a flow control valve such as a needle valve is used. Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator using a needle valve as a refrigerant expansion valve.

  In order to perform precise flow control in a refrigerant expansion valve, etc., it is necessary to change the fluid passage cross-sectional area little by little with respect to the amount of movement of the valve spindle or the valve body. And it is necessary to make the taper of the needle valve body loose. However, the needle valve body having a gentle taper is difficult to process, and there is a problem that the positional relationship between the orifice hole forming the flow path and the needle valve body is not stable. That is, the thin needle valve body is easily vibrated by the flow of fluid, and there is a risk that it may come in contact with the inner surface of the orifice hole and be damaged.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a flow rate control valve in which a tip of a valve body is fitted in an orifice hole and a flow passage is formed by a groove formed in a circumferential surface of the valve body. According to this flow rate control valve, since the valve body is fitted in the orifice hole, it is considered that the problem of the needle valve body vibrating due to the flow of fluid is eliminated.

International Publication No. 2015/063876 Patent No. 4932670

In the needle valve disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the valve body is narrowed, the processable material is limited to a material having toughness. Further, in order to obtain a desired flow rate, precision processing is required for the needle tip shape of the needle valve body, and the cost required for processing increases.
The flow control valve disclosed in Patent Document 2 may cause clogging in the flow path in the case of a highly viscous fluid in order to fit the tip end of the valve body into the orifice hole. In addition, there is a risk that galling may occur between the tip of the valve body and the orifice hole.

  In view of the above problems, one embodiment aims to propose a flow control valve with a simple configuration that can accurately adjust the flow rate without requiring precise processing in the valve body and that the flow passage is not clogged. I assume.

(1) The flow control valve according to one embodiment
A housing having an outlet channel formed with an internal thread;
A valve body incorporated in the housing and having a channel forming groove and an external thread formed on the outer periphery at one end side;
A driving unit for applying a rotational force to the other end side of the valve body to rotate the valve body;
Equipped with
The axial position of the valve body with respect to the outlet channel enables flow rate adjustment.

In the configuration of the above (1), the valve body is rotated by the drive portion so that the female screw portion formed in the outlet flow path and the male screw portion formed in the valve body are screwed together. You can move the body axially.
According to the configuration of the above (1), since the valve body and the outlet flow path are screwed together via the screw portion, the valve body does not become eccentric or vibrate in the outlet flow path, and the valve It can support the body stably. In addition, since the flow rate is adjusted by the shape of the flow path forming groove, precise flow control can be performed, precise machining of the valve body is not necessary, and the valve body can be thickened. It can be spread.

  Furthermore, since the male screw portion of the valve body is screwed with the female screw portion formed in the outlet flow path, clogging and scratching do not occur between the valve body and the outlet flow path. In addition, since the axial movement of the valve body is only required to rotate the valve body by the drive unit, the transmission mechanism of the driving force from the drive unit to the valve body can be simplified.

(2) In one embodiment, in the configuration of (1),
A support portion is fixed to the housing and supports the other end side of the valve body so as to be movable along the axial direction of the valve body.
According to the configuration of (2), since the other end side of the valve body is supported by the support portion, the valve body is supported at both ends, and the valve body can be stably supported. Therefore, the valve body can perform stable rotational movement.

(3) In one embodiment, in the configuration of (2),
The support portion is constituted by a guide shaft inserted into a recess formed along the axial direction of the valve body on the other end side of the valve body.
According to the configuration of (3), since the valve body is supported by the guide shaft, it can be supported without any trouble in the rotational movement of the valve body, and the weight of the valve body is not added to the guide shaft. It can be reduced.

(4) In one embodiment, in the configuration of (3),
A slide bearing is provided between the valve body and the guide shaft and capable of supporting the valve body.
According to the structure of said (4), a valve body can be stably supported by providing the said slide bearing, without impeding on the rotational movement of a valve body.

(5) In one embodiment, in any one of the configurations (1) to (4),
The drive unit is
It is comprised by the motor which has the rotor fixed to the outer periphery of the said other end side of the said valve body, and the stator coil arrange | positioned at the outer peripheral side of the said rotor.
According to the configuration of the above (5), since the drive unit is configured by the motor having the above configuration, the valve body may be rotated in conjunction with the rotor. Therefore, the power transmission mechanism from the drive unit to the valve body can be simplified and cost reduced.

(6) In one embodiment, in any one of the configurations (1) to (5),
A fluid inflow path is provided for inflow of fluid into the valve body.
According to the configuration of the above (6), by providing the fluid inflow path in the valve body, the housing of the flow control valve can be miniaturized.

(7) In one embodiment, in any one of the configurations (1) to (6),
The flow passage forming groove is formed along the axial direction of the valve body,
The flow passage forming groove is configured such that the cross section becomes larger toward the tip end side of the valve body.
According to the configuration of the above (7), since the cross section of the flow path forming groove becomes larger toward the tip end side of the valve body, the flow rate of the flow rate control valve can be increased by adjusting the axial position of the valve body. It can be adjusted with accuracy.

(8) The refrigerator according to one embodiment
A refrigerant circuit,
A refrigeration cycle component provided in the refrigerant circulation path;
Equipped with
The refrigeration cycle component device includes a flow rate control valve having any one of the configurations (1) to (7) provided in the refrigerant circuit as a refrigerant expansion valve.
According to the configuration of the above (8), by providing the flow rate control valve of the above configuration as the refrigerant expansion valve, precise control of the flow rate is possible, and eccentricity or vibration of the valve body can be suppressed. As the degree of freedom in material selection is expanded, cost can be reduced.
Therefore, the cost of the refrigerant expansion valve can be reduced, and the accuracy of flow rate control of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation path can be improved, so that the COP (coefficient of performance) of the refrigerator can be improved.

  According to one embodiment, it is possible to provide a simple and low-cost flow control valve that enables precise flow control without the need for precision machining of the valve body, and does not cause clogging or stinging in the flow path.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the flow control valve concerning one embodiment. It is a perspective view of a valve concerning one embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the flow control valve concerning one embodiment. It is a systematic diagram of a refrigerator concerning one embodiment. It is a graph which shows the flow characteristic of the conventional needle valve.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements and the like of the components described as the embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these, but are merely illustrative examples.
For example, a representation representing a relative or absolute arrangement such as “in a direction”, “along a direction”, “parallel”, “orthogonal”, “center”, “concentric” or “coaxial” is strictly Not only does it represent such an arrangement, but also represents a state of relative displacement with an angle or distance that allows the same function to be obtained.
For example, expressions that indicate that things such as "identical", "equal" and "homogeneous" are equal states not only represent strictly equal states, but also have tolerances or differences with which the same function can be obtained. It also represents the existing state.
For example, expressions representing shapes such as quadrilateral shapes and cylindrical shapes not only represent shapes such as rectangular shapes and cylindrical shapes in a geometrically strict sense, but also uneven portions and chamfers within the range where the same effect can be obtained. The shape including a part etc. shall also be expressed.
On the other hand, the expressions "comprising", "having", "having", "including" or "having" one component are not exclusive expressions excluding the presence of other components.

1 to 3 show a flow control valve 10 (10A, 10B) according to some embodiments.
In FIGS. 1 to 3, an outlet flow passage 14 is formed in a housing 12 containing a valve body, and a female screw 16 is formed on a wall surface of a housing wall 12 a forming the outlet flow passage 14. The valve body 18 is incorporated in the housing 12, and a flow path forming groove 20 and an external thread 22 are formed on the outer peripheral surface on one end side (tip side) of the valve body 18. At the other end side of the valve body 18, a drive unit 24 for applying a rotational force to the valve body 18 to turn the valve body 18 is provided.

  When a rotational force is applied to the valve body 18 by the drive unit 24 and the valve body 18 is rotated, the valve body 18 and the outlet channel 14 are screwed together via the screw portions 16 and 22. Move axially relative to the outlet channel 14. The cross-sectional area of the flow path forming groove 20 differs depending on the axial position of the valve body 18. Therefore, the flow passage area formed between the housing wall 12 a and the flow passage forming groove 20 varies depending on the axial position of the valve body 18, so the valve body 18 is moved in the axial direction with respect to the outlet flow passage 14 By doing this, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the outlet channel 14.

According to the above configuration, since the valve body 18 and the outlet channel 14 are screwed together via the screw portions 16 and 22, the valve body 18 does not become eccentric or vibrate in the outlet channel 14, The valve body 18 can be stably supported. Further, since the flow rate is adjusted by the shape of the flow path forming groove 20, precise flow control can be performed, precise machining of the outer shape of the valve body 18 is unnecessary, and the valve body 18 can be thickened. The degree of freedom in selection can be expanded.
As a material of the valve body 18, for example, a cemented carbide such as tungsten carbide, or a resin such as PPS material or PEEK material can be used.

  Furthermore, since the male screw portion 22 of the valve body 18 is screwed with the female screw portion 16 formed in the outlet flow path 14, clogging or scratching does not occur between the valve body 18 and the outlet flow path 14. Further, since the axial movement of the valve body 18 is only required to rotate the valve body 18 by the drive unit 24, the transmission mechanism of the driving force from the drive unit 24 to the valve body 18 can be simplified.

Flow characteristics of the conventional needle valve are shown based on FIG.
In FIG. 5, the vertical axis indicates the valve opening degree, 0.0 indicates the fully closed state, and 1.0 indicates the fully open state. The horizontal axis indicates the stroke of the conventional needle valve body 100. The needle valve has a stroke of about 15 mm, and it is necessary to make the shape of the needle valve body 100 like the line b in order to make the flow path cross-sectional change linear like the line a with the stroke of about 15 mm. . When the diameter of the needle valve body is as thin as about 1 mm, the degree of freedom in design of the tip shape is limited, and advanced processing techniques are required for manufacture.

  On the other hand, since the valve body 18 according to one embodiment only needs to process the flow path forming groove 20 into the outer shape of a relatively thick round bar, the outer shape itself of the valve body 18 needs a high-level processing technology do not do. In addition, shape inspection and measurement after processing are also easy.

  In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the outlet channel 14 is formed inside an outlet tube 15 integrally formed in the housing wall 12a.

In one embodiment, in the flow control valve 10 (10A) shown in FIG. 1, the housing 12 is provided with the inlet pipe 26, and the fluid f flows from the inlet pipe 26 into the interior of the housing 12. The fluid f that has flowed into the interior of the housing 12 flows out to the outlet channel 14 through the channel forming groove 20.
In one embodiment, the inlet tube 26 is connected transversely to the housing 12 and tangentially to the inner circumferential surface of the housing 12.
According to this embodiment, the fluid f flowing into the housing 12 from the inlet pipe 26 swirls along the inner circumferential surface of the housing 12, so that the valve provided at the center of the housing 12 and extending in the axial direction of the housing 12 It can go towards the outlet channel 14 unhindered by the body 18. As a result, since the occurrence of flow disturbance can be suppressed, the flow control accuracy can be improved.

  In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the valve body 18 is formed in a rod shape, and the channel forming groove 20 and the male screw 22 are formed on the outer periphery of the rod at one end side of the rod. . The flow path forming groove 20 is provided along the axial direction of the valve body 18 at one end side of the valve body 18 as shown in FIG. In one embodiment, a plurality of flow path forming grooves 20 are provided in parallel along the circumferential direction of the valve body 18.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the other end side of the valve body 18 is supported by the support portion 28. The support portion 28 is fixed to a pressure partition 44 provided outside the support portion 28 and supports the other end side of the valve body 18 so as to be movable along the axial direction of the valve body 18.
According to this embodiment, since the other end side of the valve body 18 is supported by the support portion 28, the valve body 18 is stably supported, and stable rotational movement is possible. Since one end side of the valve body 18 is supported by the housing wall 12a which forms the outlet flow path 14, the valve body 18 is supported at both ends and enables stable rotational movement.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the recess 30 is formed on the other end side of the valve 18 along the axial direction of the valve 18, and the support 28 is inserted into the recess 30. It consists of 32.
According to this embodiment, since the valve body 18 is supported by the guide shaft 32, it does not disturb the rotational movement of the valve body 18. In addition, since the weight of the valve body 18 is not added to the guide shaft 32, the strength of the guide shaft 32 can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the recess 30 is formed at the center of the valve body 18 along the axial direction of the valve body 18. The guide shaft 32 is provided at the center of the housing 12 along the axial direction of the housing 12. Therefore, the guide shaft 32 does not disturb the rotational movement of the valve body 18 at all. Further, since the guide shaft 32 supports the valve body 18 at the rotational center of the valve body 18, the centrifugal force generated by the rotational movement of the valve body 18 is not applied, so the strength of the guide shaft 32 can be reduced.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a sliding bearing 34 is provided between the valve body 18 and the guide shaft 32. The valve body 18 is supported by a slide bearing 34.
According to this embodiment, by providing the slide bearing 34, the valve body 18 can be stably supported without affecting the rotational movement of the valve body 18.

  In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the slide bearing 34 is fixed to the valve body 18 and provided slidably relative to the guide shaft 32. Thus, by positioning the sliding surface on the center side, the area of the sliding surface can be reduced, and the frictional resistance due to sliding can be reduced.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the drive unit 24 includes a magnet rotor 36 fixed to the outer periphery of the other end of the valve body 18 and a stator coil disposed on the outer periphery of the magnet rotor 36. And 38.
According to this embodiment, since the drive unit 24 is configured by the motor having the above configuration, the valve body 18 may be rotated in conjunction with the magnet rotor 36. Therefore, the rotational movement of the magnet rotor 36 may be converted into the rotational movement of the valve body 18, so that the power transmission efficiency can be maintained high, and the rotational function of the valve body 18 can be simplified and cost-reduced.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a pressure bulkhead (non-magnetic thin walled pipe) 44 is provided on the housing 12 outside the magnet rotor 36. The magnet rotor 36 is surrounded by the pressure partition 44, and the stator coil 38 is disposed outside the pressure partition 44. An electrically insulating coil cover 13 is provided on the outside of the pressure partition 44 and the stator coil 38, and the stator coil 38 is fixed to the inside of the coil cover 13. The magnet rotor 36 and the valve body 18 are rotated by the electromagnetic force generated by the stator coil 38.
When fluid f is a high pressure refrigerant, fluid f can be sealed inside pressure barrier 44 by providing pressure partition 44, so the stator coil 38 side is influenced by the pressure or contact of fluid f (for example, refrigerant). Absent.

In one embodiment, the motor can be a stepping motor.
In one embodiment, the pressure bulkhead 44 is secured on the extension of the housing 12 and the support 28 is secured to the inner surface of the pressure bulkhead 44.

In one embodiment, the flow control valve 10 (10B) shown in FIG. 3 includes a fluid inflow path 40 for introducing the fluid f into the valve body 18.
According to this embodiment, by providing the fluid inflow path 40 in the valve body 18, the valve main body of the flow control valve 10 (10B) can be miniaturized.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the fluid inflow path 42 is formed in the support portion 28 and the guide shaft 32, and the fluid inflow path 42 communicates with the fluid inflow path 40 formed in the valve body 18. By this, the valve main body of the flow control valve 10 (10B) can be miniaturized.
In one embodiment, the fluid inflow path 40 is formed in the axial direction of the valve body 18 and at the axial center thereof. As a result, since the centrifugal force generated by the rotational movement of the valve body 18 is not applied to the fluid f flowing through the fluid inflow path 40, the fluid f can flow toward the outlet flow path 14 without disturbing the flow.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the flow path forming groove 20 is formed along the axial direction of the valve body 18. Further, the flow path forming groove 20 is configured such that the cross section becomes larger toward the tip end side of the valve body 18.
According to this embodiment, the flow passage forming groove 20 has a larger cross section toward the tip end side of the valve body 18. Therefore, the flow rate of the flow rate control valve 10 can be increased by adjusting the axial position of the valve body 18. It can be adjusted with accuracy.

The refrigerator 50 which concerns on one Embodiment is provided with the refrigerant | coolant circulation path 52 and the refrigeration cycle structure apparatus provided in the refrigerant | coolant circulation path 52, as shown in FIG.
The refrigeration cycle component includes the flow control valve 10 having the above-described configuration provided in the refrigerant circuit 52 as a refrigerant expansion valve.
According to the above configuration, by providing the flow rate control valve 10 of the above configuration as the refrigerant expansion valve, precise control of the flow rate is possible, and eccentricity or vibration of the valve body 18 can be suppressed, and the material of the valve body 18 As the degree of freedom in selection is expanded, cost can be reduced.
Therefore, the cost of the refrigerant expansion valve can be reduced, and the accuracy of flow rate control of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation path 52 can be improved, so the COP (coefficient of performance) of the refrigerator 50 can be improved.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the refrigeration cycle component further includes a compressor 54, a condenser 56, and an evaporator 58 provided in the refrigerant circuit 52.
The refrigerant gas supplied to the compressor 54 is compressed by the compressor 54 to a high pressure. The refrigerant gas having a high pressure is cooled by the condenser 56 with the cooling medium w such as cooling water and liquefied. The refrigerant liquid liquefied by the condenser 56 passes through the flow rate control valve 10 as an expansion valve and is decompressed to become a partially vaporized gas-liquid two-phase flow. The refrigerant which has been depressurized by the flow rate control valve 10 and becomes a gas-liquid two-phase flow cools the medium c to be cooled by the evaporator 58, obtains latent heat of vaporization from the medium c to be cooled, and is vaporized.

  According to one embodiment, it is possible to realize a flow control valve having a simple configuration in which precise flow control can be performed without the need for precision machining of the valve body, and clogging and clogging of the flow path do not occur.

Reference Signs List 10 (10A, 10B) Flow control valve 12 Housing 12a Housing wall 13 Coil cover 14 Outlet channel 15 Outlet pipe 16 Female thread portion 18 Valve body 20 Groove for channel formation 22 Male thread portion 24 Drive portion 26 Inlet tube 28 Support portion DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Recess 32 Guide shaft 34 Sliding bearing 36 Magnet rotor 38 Stator coil 40, 42 Fluid inflow path 44 Pressure bulkhead 50 Refrigerator 52 Refrigerant circulation path 54 Compressor 56 Condenser 58 Evaporator c To-be-cooled medium f Fluid w Cooling medium

When a rotational force is applied to the valve body 18 by the drive unit 24 and the valve body 18 is rotated, the valve body 18 and the housing wall 12a forming the outlet channel 14 are screwed together via the threaded portions 16 and 22 Thus, the valve body 18 moves in the axial direction with respect to the outlet channel 14. The cross-sectional area of the flow path forming groove 20 differs depending on the axial position of the valve body 18. Therefore, the flow passage area formed between the housing wall 12 a and the flow passage forming groove 20 varies depending on the axial position of the valve body 18, so the valve body 18 is moved in the axial direction with respect to the outlet flow passage 14 By doing this, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the outlet channel 14.

According to the above configuration, the valve body 18 and the housing wall 12 a forming the outlet channel 14 are screwed together via the screw portions 16 and 22. There is no vibration, and the valve body 18 can be stably supported. Further, since the flow rate is adjusted by the shape of the flow path forming groove 20, precise flow control can be performed, precise machining of the outer shape of the valve body 18 is unnecessary, and the valve body 18 can be thickened. The degree of freedom in selection can be expanded.
As a material of the valve body 18, for example, a cemented carbide such as tungsten carbide, or a resin such as PPS material or PEEK material can be used.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the other end side of the valve body 18 is supported by the support portion 28. The support portion 28 is fixed to a pressure partition 44 provided outside the support portion 28 and supports the other end side of the valve body 18 so as to be movable along the axial direction of the valve body 18.
According to this embodiment, since the other end side of the valve body 18 is supported by the support portion 28, the valve body 18 is stably supported, and stable rotational movement is possible. Since one end of the valve body 18 is supported by the housing wall 12a which forms the outlet channel 14 together with the outlet pipe 15 , the valve body 18 is supported at both ends to enable stable rotational movement.

Claims (8)

A housing having an outlet channel formed with an internal thread;
A valve body incorporated in the housing and having a channel forming groove and an external thread formed on the outer periphery at one end side;
A driving unit for applying a rotational force to the other end side of the valve body to rotate the valve body;
Equipped with
A flow control valve, characterized in that the axial position of the valve body with respect to the outlet flow path enables flow control.   The flow control valve according to claim 1, further comprising a support portion fixed to the housing and movably supporting the other end side of the valve body along an axial direction of the valve body.   The flow rate adjustment according to claim 2, wherein the support portion is constituted by a guide shaft inserted in a recess formed along the axial direction of the valve body on the other end side of the valve body. valve.   The flow control valve according to claim 3, further comprising a slide bearing provided between the valve body and the guide shaft and capable of supporting the valve body. The drive unit is
The motor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by comprising a rotor fixed to the outer periphery on the other end side of the valve body, and a stator coil arranged on the outer periphery side of the rotor. The flow control valve according to one item.   The flow control valve according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a fluid inflow path for inflow of fluid into the valve body. The flow passage forming groove is formed along the axial direction of the valve body,
The flow control valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flow passage forming groove is configured such that the cross section becomes larger toward the tip end side of the valve body. A refrigerant circuit,
A refrigeration cycle component provided in the refrigerant circulation path;
Equipped with
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the refrigeration cycle component device is provided in the refrigerant circuit as a refrigerant expansion valve.

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