JP4636316B2 - Electromagnetic actuator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention can be inserted and attached to a flow path forming body having a medium flow path, and has a substantially cylindrical valve housing having a plurality of openings communicating with the medium flow path, and a communication state between the openings. It is related with the electromagnetic actuator provided with the valve main body which can be slid along the direction of the axial center of the said valve housing inside the said valve housing.

Conventionally, for example, an electromagnetic actuator has been used as a control valve for a medium used for vehicle control, and various devices have been proposed in consideration of attachment. (For example, FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1)
The electromagnetic actuator disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a valve housing, a solenoid, and a mounting bracket, and aligns the valve housing in accordance with hydraulic devices having different fluid passages. When assembling the electromagnetic actuator, the plurality of openings are aligned with the respective medium flow paths. Specifically, the valve housing is rotated around the shaft, and the valve housing, the solenoid, and the mounting bracket are caulked and fixed to each other using the caulking projection in a state where the mounting bracket and the solenoid are aligned at a required angle.

JP-A-10-122404

  However, in the above-described electromagnetic actuator seal structure in Patent Document 1, for example, when this electromagnetic actuator is used for hydraulic control such as valve opening / closing timing control, a portion to which the valve housing is attached includes a cylinder block and a cam cover. May be configured in combination. In such a case, there is a case where the cylinder block and the cam cover are misaligned at the time of assembly, or both are displaced due to thermal deformation, and the valve housing cannot be inserted. In this case, since the valve housing of the electromagnetic actuator receives stress in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, there is a concern that the valve body may not operate smoothly, such as locking.

  In particular, when a plurality of oil passages are formed radially on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting hole of the cam cover into which the valve housing of the electromagnetic actuator is inserted, the clearance between the cam cover and the valve housing is made easy to insert the valve housing. When the value is increased, oil is mixed between the plurality of oil passages. On the other hand, if the gap is narrowed to prevent mixing between the oil passages, the valve housing cannot be smoothly inserted, causing a disadvantage that the valve body malfunctions.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic actuator that can be easily attached to a valve housing and can maintain the function of the valve main body for a long time.

(Feature configuration 1)
The first characteristic configuration of the electromagnetic actuator according to the present invention can be inserted and attached to a flow path forming body in which a medium flow path is formed, and has a substantially cylindrical shape having a plurality of openings communicating with the medium flow path. A valve body slidable along the direction of the axis of the valve housing inside the valve housing in order to switch the communication state between the valve housing and the opening. Is inserted into the flow path forming body, an end on the back side in the insertion direction is in contact with a part of the flow path forming body, and the outer peripheral surface thereof is expanded in diameter, and the valve housing, the flow path forming body, A seal member that is closely attached to the valve housing is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing, and an annular first groove portion that is continuous in the circumferential direction is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing so as to attach the seal member. The first groove is formed on at least one of the cylindrical surface and the conical surface, the cylindrical surface coaxial with the shaft center, the conical surface whose diameter increases toward the front side in the insertion direction of the valve housing, and the conical surface. An annular second groove portion continuous in the circumferential direction formed as a space filled with a part of the seal member when the seal member is deformed, from the front side to the back side in the insertion direction of the valve housing, The conical surface, the second groove, and the cylindrical surface are provided in this order .

(effect)
In this configuration, when the valve housing is inserted into the flow path forming body, a part of the deformed seal member is a space provided between the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing and the inner peripheral surface of the seal member. By filling the inside, stress concentration generated inside the seal member can be reduced. As a result, the durability of the seal member is increased and the reliability of the electromagnetic actuator can be increased.

In principle, the space in which a part of the deformed seal member can be retracted may be provided on any member side as long as it is between the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing and the inner peripheral surface of the seal member. However, in general, the seal member is made of a material that can be easily deformed, and the valve housing is often made of a highly rigid material that is not easily deformed. The ease of these deformations affects the processing accuracy. Therefore, an electromagnetic actuator with stable accuracy can be obtained by forming the space on the highly rigid valve housing side.

Like this structure , a function required for holding | maintenance of a sealing member can be exhibited by comprising three parts in a 1st groove part.
That is, by providing the cylindrical surface coaxial with the shaft center, it is possible to prevent the attached seal member from being eccentric with respect to the shaft center. As a result, for example, when the valve housing is inserted into the flow path forming body, the seal member does not interfere with the flow path forming body, and the mounting operation of the valve housing can be facilitated.
Also, by providing the conical surface, when the valve housing is inserted into the flow path forming body, the seal member that has received a pressing force from a part of the flow path forming body is pushed toward the front side in the insertion direction, and in the radially outward direction. The diameter can be easily expanded. Thereby, between a sealing member and a flow-path formation body can be sealed reliably.
Furthermore, by providing the second groove portion inside the first groove portion, when the seal member is deformed, a part of the deformed portion can be surely retracted, so that the stress concentration of the seal member is effectively reduced. be able to.
By exhibiting these functions, a highly reliable electromagnetic actuator can be obtained.

The seal member according to the present invention is an easily deformable member and is often fitted so as to be stably held in the first groove portion. When mounted on the valve housing, since the seal member and the valve housing are separated from each other in the second groove portion, the seal member comes into contact with the cylindrical surface and the conical surface. Of these two surfaces, the conical surface has a function of expanding the diameter in response to the pressing of the seal member, and therefore the position is necessarily the front side in the insertion direction of the valve housing. Therefore, in order to stably hold the seal member, it is preferable that the cylindrical surface is provided at a position on the back side in the insertion direction of the valve housing in the first groove portion.

In this case, the second groove portion is at an intermediate position between the cylindrical surface and the conical surface. This position is on the downstream side in the pushing direction with respect to the position where the flow path forming body abuts on the seal member, and is on the axial center side. This position is a position where the pushing force from the flow path forming body is easily reached.
If it is this structure, while being able to hold | maintain a sealing member stably, a sealing member can be diameter-expanded reliably, and also a partial deformation | transformation of a sealing member is permitted and the rise in a stress hand can be relieved. . That is, it is possible to obtain an electromagnetic actuator that is easy to mount and excellent in durability and reliability.

(Overview)
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic actuator that can be inserted and attached to a flow path forming body in which a medium flow path is formed. As such an electromagnetic actuator, for example, there is a solenoid valve that supplies operating oil to a valve opening / closing timing control device of a vehicle engine. The solenoid valve sequentially supplies and supplies oil to a plurality of oil supply passages that are medium passages in order to operate the valve body provided in the valve opening / closing timing control device to the advance side or the retard side. .

The valve housing has a substantially cylindrical shape and includes a plurality of openings that communicate with the plurality of oil supply paths. In addition, in order to switch the communication state between the openings, a valve body is provided inside the valve housing that can slide along the axial direction of the valve housing. The valve body is driven by a solenoid provided adjacent to the valve housing.
Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the content of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a solenoid valve as an example.

(Configuration of solenoid valve)
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a solenoid valve 1A as an example of an electromagnetic actuator 1. This solenoid valve 1A is used for valve opening / closing timing opening / closing control of a vehicle engine. Although illustration of the engine is omitted, the solenoid valve 1A is attached to a cylinder head 2 and a cam cover 3 of the engine as an example of the flow path forming body B. The cam cover 3 is formed with an oil return oil passage 4 that returns from the solenoid valve 1A to the engine body. The cam cover 3 is formed with a first oil path R1, a second oil path R2, and a third oil path R3 radially with respect to the axis X of the valve housing 5 that is the main body of the solenoid valve 1A.

  The solenoid valve 1 </ b> A mainly includes a valve housing 5, a valve main body 6 that slides inside the valve housing 5, a solenoid S that drives the valve main body 6, and the solenoid valve 1 </ b> A attached to the cam cover 3. A bracket 7 is provided. The bracket 7 is fixed to the solenoid case 8. The bracket 7 can be fixed to the cam cover 3 using bolts 9.

  A first groove portion 10 </ b> A as an example of the groove portion 10 is provided at the distal end of the valve housing 5 in the insertion direction. The seal member 11 is fitted into the first groove portion 10A from the outside. Although the details will be described later, the seal member 11 is in contact with three members of the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder head 2, the inner peripheral surface of the cam cover 3, and the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing 5, and a first oil passage formed in the cam cover 3. It has a function of reliably separating the oil paths of R1, second oil path R2, and third oil path R3. FIG. 3 shows the inner shapes of the cam cover 3 and the cylinder head 2, but the seal member 11 reliably contacts the inner surface of the cam cover 3, for example, so that the inner surface of the cam cover 3 is connected to the first oil passage R 1 and the second oil passage. It is possible to prevent communication with the path R2.

  The solenoid S includes a front yoke 12 and a rear yoke 13 for forming a magnetic circuit, a coil 14 for generating an electromagnetic force when energized, and a sliding force generated by the electromagnetic force. A moving plunger 15 and a shaft 16 are provided. The coil 14 is electrically connected to the connector 17. A cap 18 is press-fitted into the rear yoke 13 to seal the coil 14 from the outside and determine the basic position of the plunger 15 when not energized. The valve body 6 is in contact with the tip end side of the shaft 16 via a ball 19. However, the valve body 6 is always biased toward the solenoid S by the spring 20.

  The valve housing 5 is inserted into the cam cover 3. As described above, the cam cover 3 is formed with the first oil passage R1, the second oil passage R2, and the third oil passage R3. On the other hand, the valve housing 5 is formed with a first opening K1, a second opening K2, and a third opening K3, which are openings K communicating with these oil passages. A valve body 6 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the valve housing 5 is provided inside the valve housing 5, and the valve body 6 is electrically driven by a solenoid S, so that The communication state of each opening K is switched.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the valve body 6 is retracted to the solenoid S side, the oil that has flowed from the first oil passage R1 into the first opening K1 of the valve body 6 2 flows to the opening K2 and the second oil passage R2. On the other hand, when the solenoid S is energized and the plunger 15 is displaced to a position away from the solenoid S, as shown in FIG. 2B, the first oil passage R1 enters the first opening K1 of the valve body 6. The oil that flows in flows into the third opening K3 and the third oil passage R3 by changing the supply destination.

(Seal member)
FIG. 4 shows a state before and after fitting when the seal member 11 is fitted to the tip of the valve housing 5. The seal member 11 is an annular member having a substantially trapezoidal cross section, and a conical surface having a trapezoidal shape faces the axis X side.
In a state where the seal member 11 is fitted to the valve housing 5, the outer surface of the seal member 11 and the outer surface of the valve housing 5 are substantially flush with each other.

  The material of the seal member 11 is determined by the type of fluid to be sealed. The main one is composed of synthetic rubber such as nitrile rubber, acrylic rubber, styrene rubber, fluorine rubber, and ethylene propylene rubber.

(First groove for attaching the seal member)
As shown in FIG. 4, the seal member 11 is fitted and attached to the first groove portion 10 </ b> A provided on the outer surface of the valve housing 5 on the back side in the insertion direction.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cross-sectional shape of the first groove portion 10 </ b> A is substantially trapezoidal so as to match the shape on the inner peripheral surface side of the seal member 11. The first groove portion 10A further includes a cylindrical surface F1 coaxial with the axis X of the valve housing 5, a conical surface F2 whose diameter is increased toward the front side in the insertion direction of the valve housing 5, and the cylindrical surface F1 and the conical surface. At least one of F2 is provided with an annular second groove portion 10a that is formed as an example of a recess 100 corresponding to the space of the present invention and that is continuous in the circumferential direction.

(Cylindrical surface)
For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the cylindrical surface F <b> 1 abuts on the inner peripheral surface of the fitted seal member 11 to prevent the radial displacement of the seal member 11. For example, when the valve housing 5 is inserted into the cam cover 3 and the cylinder head 2, the insertion opening between the cam cover 3 and the cylinder head 2 may be eccentric due to lack of work accuracy. Even in such a case, it is necessary to hold the seal member 11 coaxially with respect to the valve housing 5 so that the tip of the valve housing 5 can be smoothly inserted. The cylindrical surface F <b> 1 has such a centering function of the seal member 11. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the cylindrical surface F1 on the distal end side in the insertion direction of the valve housing 5 in the first groove portion 10A.

(Conical surface)
When the valve housing 5 is inserted into the cam cover 3 and the cylinder head 2, the conical surface F <b> 2 is pushed toward the solenoid S by the seal member 11 that has received a pressing force from a part of the cylinder head 2, so It is for facilitating the diameter expansion. The expanded seal member 11 seals the cam cover 3, the cylinder head 2, and the valve housing 5. The conical surface F2 that exhibits such a function is preferably provided on the front side in the insertion direction of the first groove portion 10A.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the inclination angle of the conical surface F <b> 2 is preferably about 30 to 45 degrees with respect to the axis X of the valve housing 5. If the angle is too small, the diameter of the seal member 11 is reduced when the seal member 11 is pushed. On the other hand, if this angle is too large, much of the pushing force is consumed in compressing the seal member 11 in the axial direction, and the seal member 11 cannot be sufficiently expanded in diameter.

A wall surface F3 perpendicular to the direction of the axis X is provided at the end of the conical surface F2, that is, the end of the solenoid housing S along the axis of the valve housing 5. The wall surface F3 prevents the seal member 11 that has received the pressure from coming into contact with the seal member 11 and further displaces the seal member 11 toward the solenoid S, so that an appropriate compressive force along the direction of the axis X is obtained. Is applied to the seal member 11.
In addition, in the state of Fig.5 (a) before the sealing member 11 receives pushing force, the state which the sealing member 11 and the wall surface F3 contact | abutted is shown. However, in a state before the pushing force is applied, the seal member 11 and the wall surface F3 may be separated from each other.

(Second groove)
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the second groove portion 10a is provided between the cylindrical surface F1 and the conical surface F2. The second groove portion 10a functions as a recess 100 that is filled with a part of the seal member 11 that is deformed by receiving a pushing force when the valve housing 5 is inserted. By forming such a recess 100, a part of the deformed seal member 11 can be retracted, and stress can be prevented from concentrating on the local portion of the seal member 11.

  FIG. 5 shows a state of the seal member 11 before the solenoid valve 1A is mounted (FIG. 5A) and a state after the mounting (FIG. 5B). FIG. 6A shows a distribution state of internal stress of the seal member 11 in the state shown in FIG. FIG. 6B is a comparative view showing a distribution state of internal stress of the seal member 11 in a conventional configuration in which the second groove portion 10a is not provided.

  When the outer peripheral portion of the end surface of the seal member 11 is pressed by a part of the cylinder head 2, the seal member 11 is pushed into the conical surface F2 side, and the diameter of the seal member 11 is increased while sliding along the conical surface F2. To do. Due to this diameter expansion, the outer peripheral surface of the seal member 11 comes into contact with the inner peripheral surfaces of the cylinder head 2 and the cam cover 3. At the same time, the inner peripheral surface side of the seal member 11 enters the second groove portion 10a.

As shown in FIG. 5, the pushing force acting on the seal member 11 is mainly concentrated on the outer peripheral portion. This force is transmitted to the downstream side in the pushing direction as it is, and expands and deforms a part of the seal member 11 located in the vicinity of the conical surface F2. In order to seal the valve housing 5 and the cam cover 3 and the like, at least a portion located in the vicinity of the conical surface F2 only needs to undergo a diameter expansion deformation, and the seal member 11 is separated from the conical surface F2 and close to the axis X side. The part does not necessarily contribute to the sealing. Rather, the portion spaced from the input portion of the pressing force toward the axis X side may become a resistance when the seal member 11 is pressed. Actually, in FIG. 6B, an increase in stress is recognized from the portion receiving the pushing force to the vicinity of the cylindrical surface F1 on the axis X side. On the other hand, in FIG. 6A in which the second groove portion 10a is formed, it can be seen that a part of the seal member 11 is retracted in the second groove portion 10a, and the stress concentration in this portion is relaxed. The contact state of the seal member 11 with respect to the cylinder head 2 and the cam cover 3 is sufficient in both FIG. 6 (a) and FIG. 6 (b).
In this way, by forming the second groove portion 10a, the increase in stress concentration inside the seal member 11 can be alleviated, and the durability of the seal member 11 can be improved.

  The concave portion 100 such as the second groove portion 10 a may be provided on either side of the seal member 11 and the valve housing 5. However, in consideration of processing accuracy and the like, it is possible to set with higher accuracy when formed on the side of the valve housing 5 having higher rigidity than when the seal member 11 is easily deformed.

Further, the second groove portion 10a is, for example, in the cross-sectional view including the shaft center X, of the seal member 11 attached to the valve housing 5, the end portion on the back side in the insertion direction with which the cylinder head 2 or the like abuts. It is preferable that it is provided at a position of approximately 45 degrees from the direction parallel to the axis X toward the front side in the insertion direction of the valve housing .
That is, in the seal member 11 that has received the pushing force, the portion located on the solenoid S side along the direction of the axis X from the contact position with the cylinder head 2 needs to expand in the radially outward direction. It is not preferable to reduce the deformation by providing the second groove 10a. On the other hand, even if the second groove portion 10a is provided in a substantially vertical direction from the contact position toward the axis X, the component force of the pushing force reaching this region is small, and it is necessary to alleviate the deformation of the seal member 11 It is scarce. Therefore, the stress concentration of the seal member 11 can be alleviated most effectively by providing the second groove portion 10a at the position of approximately 45 degrees, which is the intermediate region.

In consideration of the various factors described above, the formation positions of the conical surface F2, the second groove portion 10a, and the cylindrical surface F1 in the first groove portion 10A are from the front side to the back side in the insertion direction of the valve housing 5. It is preferable to form in this order.
If it is this structure, as mentioned above, the stress concentration of the seal member 11 that has received the pushing force is relaxed by the second groove portion 10a provided at the intermediate position of the first groove portion 10A, and the cylinder provided at the back in the insertion direction. By maintaining the seal member 11 concentrically with the axis X by the surface F1, it is possible to prevent the cylinder head 2 and the like from being caught during insertion, and the conical surface F2 provided on the front side in the insertion direction receives a pushing force. The effect that the diameter of the seal member 11 can be reliably expanded is obtained.
Further, when the valve housing 5 is inserted, the conical surface F <b> 2 also exhibits a function of aligning the axis X of the seal member 11 with the axis X of the valve housing 5. Therefore, the holding state of the seal member 11 becomes extremely stable by forming the cylindrical surface F1 and the conical surface F2 separately on the back side and the near side in the insertion direction of the first groove portion 10A.

[First Alternative Embodiment]
In FIG. 5, the second groove portion 10 a is provided on the valve housing 5 side, but may be provided on the seal member 11 side. When the seal member 11 is provided, the cross-sectional area of the recess 100 may fluctuate to some extent due to problems such as ease of material processing. However, if the stress concentration in the portion of the pressed seal member 11 that is different from the portion that is enlarged in diameter and is in close contact with the cam cover 3 or the like can be relieved, the seal member 11 that receives the pushing force over a long period is cracked. Since it is possible to obtain an advantage such as preventing the occurrence of the occurrence, it may be formed on any member.
Furthermore, the second groove portion 10a may be provided in both the valve housing 5 and the seal member 11.

[Second alternative embodiment]
In the said embodiment, the example which performs centering of the sealing member 11 mainly by the cylindrical surface F1 formed in 10 A of 1st groove parts was shown. However, the configuration shown in FIG.
That is, the first groove portion 10A may be formed deep to some extent, and the inner peripheral surface of the seal member 11 may not contact the cylindrical surface F1. In this case, the position of the seal member 11 is mainly maintained by contact with the conical surface F2. The centering of the seal member 11 at the distal end side in the insertion direction of the valve housing 5 is configured to lock a part of the seal member 11 from the outside.

Specifically, an annular projecting portion 21 is provided on the end surface of the seal member 11 on the distal end side in the insertion direction. The protruding portion 21 is locked from the outside by a locking portion 22 that is also annularly provided on the distal end side in the insertion direction of the first groove portion 10A. Thereby, the seal member 11 is maintained coaxially with the valve housing 5.
When the valve housing 5 is inserted into the cylinder head 2 and the seal member 11 is pushed in, the protruding portion of the seal member 11 is separated from the locking portion 22. However, at this time, since the seal member 11 has already been properly in contact with the inner surface of the cam cover 3 or the like, no particular inconvenience occurs.

  The electromagnetic actuator according to the present invention can be used as appropriate in addition to being used as a part of the valve opening / closing timing control device of the vehicle engine, as long as it is a place where hydraulic control is performed for vehicle operation control.

The fragmentary sectional view which shows an example of the electromagnetic actuator of this invention Explanatory drawing showing the operation mode of the electromagnetic actuator An exploded perspective view showing an example of a flow path forming body Explanatory drawing which shows the attachment aspect of a sealing member Explanatory drawing which shows the deformation | transformation state of a sealing member Explanatory drawing showing the state of internal stress of the seal member Explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the electromagnetic actuator which concerns on another embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electromagnetic actuator 5 Valve housing 6 Valve main body 10A 1st groove part 10a 2nd groove part 11 Seal member 100 Recessed part (space)
B flow path forming body F1 cylindrical surface F2 conical surface K opening R medium flow path X axis

Claims (1)

A substantially cylindrical valve housing that can be inserted and attached to a flow path forming body that forms a medium flow path, and has a plurality of openings communicating with the medium flow path;
An electromagnetic actuator comprising a valve body slidable along the axial center of the valve housing inside the valve housing to switch the communication state between the openings,
When the valve housing is inserted into the flow path forming body, an end on the back side in the insertion direction is in contact with a part of the flow path forming body, and an outer peripheral surface of the valve housing and the flow path are deformed. A seal member that is in close contact with the formed body is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing,
An annular first groove portion that is continuous in the circumferential direction is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the valve housing so as to attach the seal member,
The first groove portion has a cylindrical surface coaxial with the axial center,
A conical surface whose diameter increases toward the front side in the insertion direction of the valve housing;
A circumferentially continuous second groove formed as a space filled with a part of the seal member when the seal member is deformed on at least one of the cylindrical surface and the conical surface ; An electromagnetic actuator provided in the order of the conical surface, the second groove portion, and the cylindrical surface from the front side in the insertion direction of the valve housing toward the back side .