JP6951706B2 - Flow path switching valve and its assembly method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flow path switching valve, for example, a flow path switching valve that switches a flow path by rotating a ball-shaped valve body (ball valve body) in a valve chamber, and a method for assembling the flow path switching valve.

An example of a conventional flow path switching valve is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This flow path switching valve includes a ball valve body made of an elastic body having an inflow path and an outflow path, a valve chamber in which the ball valve body is rotatably accommodated, an inlet flow path communicating with the valve chamber, and a plurality of outlets. It includes a valve case having a flow path. The flow path switching valve selectively communicates the inlet flow path with any of a plurality of outlet flow paths by the rotational operation of the ball valve body.

The flow path switching valve of Patent Document 1 directly and rotatably supports a ball valve body made of an elastic body by a valve case. In addition to this, there is also known a flow path switching valve in which a resin annular seat member is interposed between the ball valve body and the valve case to rotatably support the ball valve body. In this flow path switching valve, a ball valve body is rotatably sandwiched between a pair of seat members, and an O-ring as a sealing member made of a rubber material or the like is sandwiched between each seat member and a valve case in a compressed state. As a result, the seat member is pressed against the ball valve body to ensure sealing performance.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-223418

However, when assembling the above-mentioned flow path switching valve, it is necessary to sandwich the ball valve body between the pair of seat members and push the sealing member into the valve chamber in a compressed state, so these members are inserted into the valve chamber. It is difficult, for example, the seat member is tilted and accommodated in the valve chamber, and there is a problem in assembly accuracy.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flow path switching valve capable of effectively improving assembly accuracy and a method for assembling the flow path switching valve.

In order to achieve the above object, the flow path switching valve according to one aspect of the present invention is housed in a valve chamber, a valve body provided with a plurality of flow paths leading to the valve chamber, and the valve chamber, and has a rotation position. A switching flow path for switching the connection of the flow path is housed in the valve chamber at intervals from each other, and the valve body is rotatably supported by sandwiching the valve body in between. A flow path switching valve having a pair of seat members, a sealing member arranged between the seat members and the valve body, and a rotation drive unit that rotates the valve body around a rotation axis. The valve body is integrally provided with the plurality of flow paths, and the valve body has an opening leading to the valve chamber for inserting the valve body, the pair of seat members, and the sealing member at the time of assembly. The valve body is formed so that the size in the rotation axis direction is smaller than the size in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, and the valve body can be visually recognized from the outside of the valve body through the opening or the flow path. The inner wall surface of the valve body is provided with only one first jig mounting portion for rotating the valve body in the orthogonal direction.

In order to achieve the above object, the flow path switching valve according to one aspect of the present invention is housed in a valve chamber, a valve body provided with a plurality of flow paths leading to the valve chamber, and the valve chamber, and has a rotation position. A switching flow path for switching the connection of the flow path is housed in the valve chamber at intervals from each other, and the valve body is rotatably supported by sandwiching the valve body in between. A flow path switching valve having a pair of seat members, a sealing member arranged between the seat members and the valve body, and a rotation drive unit that rotates the valve body around a rotation axis. The valve body is integrally provided with the plurality of flow paths, and the valve body has an opening leading to the valve chamber for inserting the valve body, the pair of seat members, and the sealing member at the time of assembly. The valve body is formed so that the size in the rotation axis direction is smaller than the size in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, and the valve body can be visually recognized from the outside of the valve body through the opening or the flow path. A first jig mounting portion for rotating the valve body in the orthogonal direction is provided on the inner wall surface of the valve body, and the inside of the valve body is visible from the outside of the valve body through the opening or the flow path. The wall surface is provided with a second jig mounting portion for rotating the valve body in the orthogonal direction, and the inner wall surface provided with the first jig mounting portion and the second jig mounting portion. The inner wall surface provided with the portion is characterized in that it faces in a direction orthogonal to each other .

In the present invention, the valve body has an assembly posture in which the sealing member is in a compressed state and the rotation axis is along the opposite direction when the rotation axis is in a support posture orthogonal to the facing direction of the pair of seat members. It is preferable that the size in the direction of the rotation axis is smaller than the size in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis so that the sealing member is sometimes restored.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the first jig mounting portion has a regular hexagonal concave portion or convex portion.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the second jig mounting portion has a regular hexagonal concave portion or convex portion.

In the present invention, the valve body is provided with three valve body openings oriented in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis and connected to each other by the switching flow path, and the three valve body openings are provided around the rotation axis. The diameter of two valve body openings arranged at 90 degree intervals and opposed to each other across the rotation axis of the three valve body openings may be smaller than the diameter of the remaining one valve body opening. preferable.

In the present invention, the valve body is provided with two valve body openings oriented in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis and connected to each other by the switching flow path, and the two valve body openings are provided around the rotation axis. It is preferably arranged at 90 degree intervals, and the diameter of one of the two valve body openings is smaller than the diameter of the other valve body opening.
In the present invention, the sheet member and the sealing member may be integrally formed.

In order to achieve the above object, the method of assembling the flow path switching valve according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a valve chamber, a valve body provided with a plurality of flow paths leading to the valve chamber, and the valve chamber. A valve body that is housed and has a switching flow path for switching the connection of the flow path according to the rotation position is housed in the valve chamber at intervals from each other, and the valve body is sandwiched between the valve bodies. It has a pair of seat members that rotatably support and a sealing member arranged between the seat member and the valve body, and the valve body is integrally provided with the plurality of flow paths. The valve body has an opening leading to the valve body, the pair of seat members, and the valve chamber for inserting the sealing member at the time of assembly, and the pair of seat members rotate the valve body. The valve body can be rotated so that the axis line is in a support posture in which the rotation axis is orthogonal to the opposite direction from the assembly posture along the opposite direction of the pair of seat members, and the valve body is placed in the support posture. The valve body is rotatably supported around the rotation axis, and the valve body is in a compressed state at least one of the seat member and the sealing member in the supporting posture, and the seat member and the sealing member are in the assembled posture. The size in the rotation axis direction is formed to be smaller than the size in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis so that at least one of the members is in a restored state as compared with the support posture, and the valve body is in the assembly posture. The inner wall surface of the valve body, which is sometimes visible from the outside of the valve body through the opening or the flow path in a direction orthogonal to the facing direction, is fitted with the tip of the rod-shaped jig and is fitted with the rod-shaped jig. This is a method of assembling a flow path switching valve provided with only one first jig mounting portion configured so that the valve body is rotated from the assembly posture to the support posture with the rotation of the valve body. The pair of seat members and the sealing member are housed in the valve chamber, and the valve body is arranged between the pair of seat members in the assembled posture so as to face the opening or the flow path. A rod-shaped jig is inserted along a direction orthogonal to the above, the tip portion thereof is fitted to the first jig mounting portion, and the rod-shaped jig is rotated to change the valve body from the assembled posture to the supporting posture. It is characterized by being rotated to.

In the present invention, the pair of seat members rotatably support the valve body around the orthogonal axis along the opposite direction in the support posture, and the outside of the valve body when the valve body is in the support posture. The inner wall surface of the valve body, which is visible in the opposite direction through the opening or the flow path, is fitted with the tip of the rod-shaped jig, and the valve body is orthogonal to the inner wall surface as the rod-shaped jig rotates. A second jig mounting portion configured to be rotated around an axis is provided, and a rod-shaped jig is inserted from the flow path along the opposite direction, and the tip portion thereof is inserted into the second jig. It may be fitted with the jig mounting portion and the rod-shaped jig may be rotated to rotate the valve body around the orthogonal axis.

According to the present invention, the valve body is formed so that the size in the direction of the rotation axis is smaller than the size in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, and the valve body is visible from the outside of the valve body through an opening or a flow path on the inner wall surface of the valve body. , A first jig mounting portion for rotating the valve body in the orthogonal direction is provided. Therefore, the valve body is sandwiched between the pair of seat members in the direction of the rotation axis, the valve body, the pair of seat members and the sealing member are accommodated in the valve chamber through the opening of the valve body, and then the first jig is attached. By rotating the valve body in the orthogonal direction using the portion, the distance between the pair of seat members can be widened. Therefore, it can be assembled with higher accuracy than the case where the valve body is sandwiched between the pair of seat members in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis.

Further, according to the present invention, when assembling the flow path switching valve, the pair of seat members and the sealing member are housed in the valve chamber, and the valve body is arranged between the pair of seat members in the assembled posture. A rod-shaped jig is inserted from the opening or flow path of the valve body along the direction orthogonal to the facing direction, and the tip end portion thereof is fitted with the first jig mounting portion. The rod-shaped jig is rotated to rotate the valve body from the assembly posture to the support posture. Therefore, after the valve body, the pair of seat members, and the sealing member are housed in the valve chamber in a state where the degree of compression of the sealing member is relatively small, the valve body is assembled using a rod-shaped jig. The sheet member and the sealing member can be put into a compressed state by rotating the seat member and the sealing member from the to the supporting posture. Therefore, it can be assembled with higher accuracy than when the sealing member is pushed into the valve chamber in a compressed state.

Further, since the first jig mounting portion is provided on the inner wall surface of the valve body, the jig mounting portion and the seat member do not interfere with each other. Therefore, for example, a convex jig mounting portion can be adopted, and the degree of freedom in the configuration of the jig mounting portion is greater than that provided on the outer surface of the valve body. Furthermore, even if foreign matter accumulates on the concave jig mounting portion, it does not come into contact with the seat member, so that damage to the seat member due to the foreign matter can be suppressed.

It is a front view of the flow path switching valve which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical sectional view of the flow path switching valve of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the AA line of FIG. It is a perspective view which includes a part cross section of the flow path switching valve of FIG. It is a hexagonal view of the ball valve body which the flow path switching valve of FIG. 1 has. It is a figure explaining the assembling method of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 1, and is the figure which shows the state before inserting the ball valve body, a seat member and a sealing member into a valve body. It is a figure explaining the assembling method of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 1, and is the figure which shows the state which put the ball valve body into an assembly posture by inserting a ball valve body, a seat member and a sealing member into a valve body. .. It is a figure explaining the assembly method of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 1, and is the figure which shows the state which the ball valve body is rotated from the assembly posture to the support posture in a valve chamber. It is a figure explaining the assembling method of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 1, and is the figure which shows the state before joining the drive part to a valve body. It is a front view of the flow path switching valve which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical cross-sectional view of the flow path switching valve of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the line BB of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view including a partial cross section of the flow path switching valve of FIG. It is a hexagonal view of the ball valve body which the flow path switching valve of FIG. 10 has. It is a figure explaining the assembling method of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 10, and is the figure which shows the state before inserting the ball valve body, a seat member and a sealing member into a valve body. It is a figure explaining the assembling method of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 10, and is the figure which shows the state which put the ball valve body into an assembly posture by inserting a ball valve body, a seat member and a sealing member into a valve body. .. It is a figure explaining the assembly method of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 10, and is the figure which shows the state which the ball valve body is rotated from the assembly posture to the support posture in a valve chamber. It is a figure explaining the assembling method of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 10, and is the figure which shows the state which the ball valve body of the support posture is rotated around the orthogonal axis in the valve chamber. It is a figure explaining the assembling method of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 10, and is the figure which shows the state before joining the drive part to a valve body. It is a figure which shows the state before inserting the mold piece into the cavity of the mold for manufacturing a ball valve body. It is a figure which shows the state after inserting the mold piece into the cavity of the mold for manufacturing a ball valve body.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the configuration of the flow path switching valve according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the flow path switching valve according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view) of the flow path switching valve of FIG. 1 along the rotation axis. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view including a partial cross section of the flow path switching valve of FIG. FIG. 5 is a six-view view of the ball valve body included in the flow path switching valve of FIG. In the following description, "up / down / left / right" is used to indicate the relative positional relationship of each member in each figure, and does not indicate an absolute positional relationship. In each figure, the X-axis direction is the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction is the front-back direction, and the Z-axis direction is the up-down direction. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the flow path switching valve 1 of the present embodiment rotates with the valve body 10, the ball valve body 20, the pair of seat members 30 and 30, and the sealing members 31 and 31. It has a drive unit 40 as a drive unit and a valve shaft 50.

The valve body 10 is made of synthetic resin and is formed in a substantially cubic box shape. A substantially L-shaped first flow path 11 is provided on the left side wall portion 10a of the valve body 10. A linear second flow path 12 is provided on the front wall portion 10b of the valve body 10. A substantially L-shaped third flow path 13 is provided on the right side wall portion 10c of the valve body 10. The opening 11a of the first flow path 11, the opening 12a of the second flow path 12, and the opening 13a of the third flow path 13 are directed in the same direction (front side, front of the paper in FIG. 1). The first flow path 11, the second flow path 12, and the third flow path 13 communicate with a valve chamber 14 provided in the valve body 10. Two or four or more flow paths may be provided as the flow paths leading to the valve chamber 14. In the present embodiment, the second flow path 12 extends in the Y-axis direction. Further, the valve body 10 has an opening 10e leading to the valve chamber 14. The opening 10e is directed upwards.

The sheet members 30 and 30 are formed in an annular shape using, for example, a synthetic resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a material. The sheet members 30 and 30 may be made of an elastic material such as a rubber material. The seat members 30 and 30 are paired and are housed in the valve chamber 14 so as to face each other at intervals in the X-axis direction. The X-axis direction is the opposite direction of the seat members 30 and 30 (hereinafter, also referred to as "opposing direction X"). The seat members 30 and 30 rotatably support the ball valve body 20 described later in the valve chamber 14 with the ball valve body 20 sandwiched between them.

Specifically, when assembling the flow path switching valve 1, the seat members 30 and 30 face each other from the assembly posture (FIG. 7) in which the axis L, which is the rotation axis of the ball valve body 20, is along the opposite direction X. The ball valve body 20 is rotatably supported so as to have a support posture (FIG. 8) along the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the direction X. Further, when the assembly of the flow path switching valve 1 is completed (that is, the completed state in which the seat members 30 and 30 can operate as the flow path switching valve), the ball valve body 20 in the supporting posture is aligned with the axis L (Z axis). Supports rotatably around. The seat members 30 and 30 have any configuration as long as they rotatably support the ball valve body 20 with the ball valve body 20 sandwiched between them, as long as they do not contradict the object of the present invention.

The sealing members 31 and 31 are O-rings made of an elastic material such as a rubber material, and are between one sheet member 30 and the left wall portion 10a of the valve body 10 and between the other sheet member 30 and the valve. It is sandwiched between the right side wall portion 10c of the main body 10 and the right side wall portion 10c so as to be in a compressed state. In the present embodiment, the sealing member 31 is mounted in the annular groove 30a provided in the sheet member 30, and a part of the sealing member 31 protrudes from the annular groove 30a. The sealing members 31 and 31 seal (seal) between the valve body 10 and the ball valve body 20 together with the seat members 30 and 30. Of course, a member in which the sheet members 30 and 30 and the sealing members 31 and 31 are integrally formed may be used.

The ball valve body 20 is formed in a hollow ball shape (spherical shape) using, for example, a metal or a synthetic resin as a material. The ball valve body 20 is rotatably supported by the seat members 30 and 30 and housed in the valve chamber 14. At the rotation position shown in FIG. 3, the ball valve body 20 has a first opening 21 opened toward the left side, a second opening 22 opened toward the front surface (lower part of FIG. 3), and a second opening 22 toward the right side. A third opening 23, which is opened, is provided. Inside the ball valve body 20, a substantially T-shaped switching flow path 25 is provided in a plan view connecting the first opening 21, the second opening 22, and the third opening 23 to each other. The ball valve body 20 has, for example, only the first opening 21 and the second opening 22, and is provided with a substantially L-shaped switching flow path 25 in a plan view connecting the first opening 21 and the second opening 22 to each other. It may have been. Further, although the ball valve body 20 is used as the valve body in this embodiment, a columnar valve body may be used.

The first opening 21, the second opening 22, and the third opening 23 of the ball valve body 20 are three valve body openings that are oriented in the direction orthogonal to the axis L and are connected to each other by the switching flow path 25. The first opening 21, the second opening 22, and the third opening 23 are arranged around the axis L at intervals of 90 degrees. For example, when the second opening 22 is oriented in the Y-axis direction, the first opening 21 and the third opening 23 face opposite to each other in the X-axis direction. In the present embodiment, the first opening 21, the second opening 22, and the third opening 23 are formed in a circular shape (including a substantially circular shape), and their respective diameters are the same.

The switching flow path 25 is configured to switch the connection between the first flow path 11, the second flow path 12, and the third flow path 13 according to the rotation position. Specifically, the switching flow path 25 connects the first flow path 11, the second flow path 12, and the third flow path 13 when the ball valve body 20 is in the rotational position shown in FIG. The switching flow path 25 connects the first flow path 11 and the second flow path 12 when the ball valve body 20 is in a rotation position rotated 90 degrees clockwise in a plan view from the rotation position shown in FIG. .. The switching flow path 25 connects the second flow path 12 and the third flow path 13 when the ball valve body 20 is in a rotation position rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise in a plan view from the rotation position shown in FIG. do.

A valve shaft insertion hole 24 into which a valve shaft 50, which will be described later, is inserted is provided in the upper portion of the ball valve body 20. The valve shaft insertion hole 24 is formed so that the ball valve body 20 rotates around the axis L as the valve shaft 50 rotates when the valve shaft 50 is inserted. Specifically, the valve shaft insertion hole 24 is formed in the same shape as the cross-sectional shape (cross-sectional shape) of the prism portion 52 of the valve shaft 50 in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis. In the present embodiment, the valve shaft insertion hole 24 is formed in a regular hexagonal shape.

In the ball valve body 20, when the axis L is in the assembled posture (FIG. 7) along the X-axis direction (opposite direction X), the sealing members 31 and 31 are in a restored state (the ball valve body 20 is elastically deformed without applying an external force). Axial line L direction so that the sealing members 31 and 31 are in a compressed state when the axis L is in a support posture (FIG. 8) along the Z-axis direction (direction orthogonal to the facing direction X). The size H of is smaller than the size W in the direction orthogonal to the axis L (H <W). As a result, when the ball valve body 20 is in the assembled posture in the valve chamber 14, the sealing members 31 and 31 are in the restored state. Therefore, the ball valve body 20, the seat members 30 and 30 and the sealing members 31 and 31 are press-fitted. It can be inserted into the valve chamber 14 without any effort. Then, when the ball valve body 20 is in the supporting posture in the valve chamber 14, the sealing members 31 and 31 are in a compressed state, so that the seat members 30 and 30 are pressed against the ball valve body 20 to form the ball valve body 20. The space between the valve body 10 and the valve body 10 is sealed. In the ball valve body 20, the sealing members 31 and 31 are in a compressed state in the supporting posture, and the sealing members 31 and 31 are in a restored state in the assembled posture as compared with those in the supporting posture. It suffices that the size H in the axis L direction is formed smaller than the size W in the direction orthogonal to the axis.

A jig mounting portion 27 is provided on the inner wall surface 26 of the ball valve body 20 facing the second opening 22. The jig mounting portion 27 has a substantially regular hexagonal columnar convex shape protruding toward the second opening 22, and a regular hexagonal concave portion 27a is provided on the tip surface. In the present embodiment, the recess 27a is configured so that the tip of a hexagon wrench as a rod-shaped jig fits into the recess 27a. Alternatively, the recess 27a may be configured so that the tip of a Phillips screwdriver or a flat-blade screwdriver as a rod-shaped jig fits into the recess 27a. Alternatively, the jig mounting portion 27, which is a convex portion, may be configured so that the socket wrench fits into the jig mounting portion 27. By matching the shape of the jig mounting portion 27 to the shape of a commercially available hexagon wrench, for example, the cost of the rod-shaped jig can be reduced. The jig mounting portion 27 corresponds to the first jig mounting portion.

When the ball valve body 20 is arranged in the valve chamber 14 in the assembled posture, the second flow path 12, the second opening 22, and the inner wall surface 26 can be arranged in a straight line. In this assembly posture, the jig mounting portion 27 on the inner wall surface 26 is visible from the outside of the valve body 10 in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the facing direction X through the second flow path 12 and the switching flow path 25.

The drive unit 40 includes a drive mechanism that combines a motor and a speed reducer including a gear 41 (not shown), and a resin drive unit case 42 that houses the drive mechanism. The drive unit case 42 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape. The drive unit case 42 has a lower case 43 and an upper case 44. The lower case 43 and the upper case 44 are assembled to each other by a mounting structure (not shown) such as a screwing structure or a snap-fit structure.

The lower case 43 integrally has a cylindrical bearing portion 45 in the center of the bottom wall 43a. The bearing portion 45 inserts the valve shaft 50 and rotatably supports the valve shaft 50. The ribs 43b provided on the bottom wall 43a of the lower case 43 are combined with the upper end portion of the valve body 10 (the valve body 110 in the second embodiment described later) and joined to each other in the welded portion M (in the present embodiment, the ribs 43b are joined to each other. It is ultrasonically welded). The lower case 43 and the valve body 10 may be assembled to each other by a screwing structure or the like.

The valve shaft 50 is formed in a column shape extending linearly as a whole, and has a columnar portion 51 and a prismatic portion 52 coaxially connected to the lower end of the columnar portion 51. The valve shaft 50 is arranged along the Z-axis direction.

The cylindrical portion 51 is provided with an annular stopper portion 53 projecting outward in the radial direction at the lower end portion thereof. The stopper portion 53 is formed so that its outer diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 51 and the inner diameter of the bearing portion 45.

Further, a groove is provided in the lower end of the columnar portion 51 over the entire circumference at a position above the stopper portion 53, and an O-ring 54 formed in an annular shape using a rubber material or the like is fitted in the groove. It has been. The cylindrical portion 51 is inserted into the bearing portion 45 and is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 45. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 51 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the bearing portion 45, and when the cylindrical portion 51 is inserted into the bearing portion 45, the O-ring 54 seals the gap between the valve shaft 50 and the bearing portion 45. This prevents the fluid in the valve chamber 14 from leaking to the outside.

A gear 41 of the drive unit 40 is fixedly attached to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 51 by press fitting, and the valve shaft 50 is rotated with the rotation of the gear 41. A flat portion for suppressing idling of the press-fitted gear 41 is provided at the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 51.

The prism portion 52 is formed in a columnar shape having a regular hexagonal cross-sectional shape. The prism portion 52 is inserted into the valve shaft insertion hole 24 of the ball valve body 20. At this time, the rotation axis of the valve shaft 50 coincides with the axis L of the ball valve body 20. The valve shaft insertion hole 24 is formed in a regular hexagonal shape that is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the prism portion 52. Therefore, the valve shaft insertion hole 24 and the prism portion 52 are fitted to each other, and the ball valve body 20 is rotated around the axis L as the valve shaft 50 rotates. Further, the prism portion 52 is formed so that its outer diameter is smaller than that of the stopper portion 53.

In addition to the regular hexagonal shape, the prismatic portion 52 may be, for example, a polygonal columnar shape such as a triangular columnar column or a quadrangular columnar shape, or a columnar column having a D-shaped cross section in which a part of the side surface of the column is flat. In this case, the valve shaft insertion hole 24 is also formed to have the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of the prism portion 52.

In the flow path switching valve 1, the rotation of the motor of the drive unit 40 is output to the valve shaft 50 through the gear 41, and the valve shaft 50 is rotated. Along with the rotation of the valve shaft 50, the ball valve body 20 is rotated around the axis L along the Z-axis direction and is positioned at each rotation position. As a result, the connection of the flow path according to the rotation position is realized.

Next, an example of the method of assembling the flow path switching valve 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.

6 to 9 are views for explaining the method of assembling the flow path switching valve of FIG. 1. Specifically, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a state before inserting the ball valve body 20, the seat members 30, 30 and the sealing members 31, 31 into the valve body 10. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the ball valve body 20, the seat members 30, 30 and the sealing members 31, 31 are inserted into the valve body 10 so that the ball valve body 20 is in an assembled posture in which the axis L is along the X-axis direction. It is a figure. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the ball valve body 20 is rotated from an assembly posture in which the axis L is along the X-axis direction to a support posture in which the axis L is along the Z-axis direction in the valve chamber 14. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a state before joining the drive unit to the valve body 10. 7 and 8, FIG. 7A is a perspective view including a partial sectional view, and FIG. 8B is an enlarged vertical sectional view.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, the ball valve body 20 is arranged so that the axis L is along the X-axis direction and the second opening 22 is facing the front. The ball valve body 20 is sandwiched between the seat members 30 and 30 in the X-axis direction (opposing direction X). Further, the sealing member 31 is attached to the annular groove 30a of each sheet member 30. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the ball valve body 20, the seat members 30, 30 and the sealing members 31, 31 are inserted into the valve chamber 14 through the opening 10e of the valve body 10 in a state of being in contact with each other. At this time, since the axis L of the ball valve body 20 is in the assembled posture along the facing direction X, the sealing members 31 and 31 are in the restored state in the valve chamber 14. Therefore, the ball valve body 20, the seat members 30, 30 and the sealing members 31, 31 can be smoothly housed in the valve chamber 14 without elastically deforming the sealing members 31, 31. Further, the second flow path 12, the second opening 22, and the inner wall surface 26 are arranged linearly along the Y-axis direction, and the Y-axis is arranged from the outside of the valve body 10 through the second flow path 12 and the switching flow path 25. The jig mounting portion 27 is visible in the direction.

Next, in the state shown in FIG. 7, a hexagon wrench (not shown) as a rod-shaped jig is inserted from the second flow path 12 into the second opening 22 along the Y-axis direction, and the tip portion thereof is inserted into the jig mounting portion. It is fitted with the recess 27a of 27. Then, by rotating the hexagonal wrench in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7B, the ball valve body 20 is rotated in the direction orthogonal to the axis L (around the Y-axis direction), as shown in FIG. In addition, the axis L of the ball valve body 20 is aligned with the Z-axis direction to form a support posture. As a result, the size W of the ball valve body 20 in the direction orthogonal to the axis L direction is larger than the size H in the axis L direction (H <W). Therefore, when the ball valve body 20 changes from the assembled posture to the supporting posture, the seat By expanding the distance between the members 30 and 30, the sealing members 31 and 31 change from the restored state to the compressed state. The seat members 30 and 30 rotatably support the ball valve body 20 in this supporting posture around the axis L along the Z-axis direction. In the present specification, rotating in a direction orthogonal to the axis L means rotating around the straight line with a straight line along the direction orthogonal to the axis L as the rotation axis.

Next, the prism portion 52 of the valve shaft 50 is inserted into the valve shaft insertion hole 24 of the ball valve body 20 in the supporting posture housed in the valve chamber 14. The cylindrical portion 51 of the valve shaft 50 is inserted into the bearing portion 45, and the valve body 10 and the lower case 43 of the drive portion case 42 are combined. Ultrasonic waves are applied to the lower case 43, and the lower case 43 is ultrasonically welded to the valve body 10. Then, the drive mechanism is incorporated into the lower case 43 by press-fitting the gear 41 into the cylindrical portion 51 of the valve shaft 50, and the drive portion 40 is assembled by covering the upper case 44 to complete the flow path switching valve 1.

From the above, according to the flow path switching valve 1 of the present embodiment, when the flow path switching valve 1 is assembled, the seat members 30 and 30 and the sealing members 31 and 31 are housed in the valve chamber 14, and the seat member 30 is accommodated. , 30 and the ball valve body 20 is arranged in the assembled posture. A rod-shaped jig is inserted from the second flow path 12 of the valve body 10 along the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the facing direction X, and the tip end portion thereof is fitted into the recess 27a of the jig mounting portion 27. The rod-shaped jig is rotated to rotate the ball valve body 20 from the assembly posture to the support posture. Therefore, after the ball valve body 20, the seat members 30, 30 and the sealing members 31, 31 are housed in the valve chamber 14 in the restored state of the sealing members 31, 31, a rod-shaped jig is used. By rotating the ball valve body 20 from the assembled posture to the supporting posture, the sealing members 31 and 31 can be changed from the restored state to the compressed state. Therefore, the sealing members 31 and 31 can be assembled with higher accuracy than when they are pushed into the valve chamber in a compressed state.

Further, since the jig mounting portion 27 is provided on the inner wall surface 26 of the ball valve body 20, the jig mounting portion 27 and the seat members 30 and 30 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the convex jig mounting portion 27 can be adopted, and the degree of freedom in the configuration of the jig mounting portion 27 is greater than the configuration provided on the outer surface of the ball valve body 20. Further, even if foreign matter is accumulated in the recess 27a of the jig mounting portion 27, it does not come into contact with the sheet members 30 and 30, so that damage to the sheet members 30 and 30 due to the foreign matter can be suppressed.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the configuration of the flow path switching valve according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 14.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the flow path switching valve according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view (vertical cross-sectional view) along the rotation axis of the flow path switching valve of FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view including a partial cross section of the flow path switching valve of FIG. FIG. 14 is a six-view view of the ball valve body included in the flow path switching valve of FIG. In the following description, "up / down / left / right" is used to indicate the relative positional relationship of each member in each figure, and does not indicate an absolute positional relationship. In each figure, the X-axis direction is the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction is the front-back direction, and the Z-axis direction is the up-down direction. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 14, the flow path switching valve 2 of the present embodiment is driven by a valve body 110, a ball valve body 120, a pair of seat members 30 and 30, and sealing members 31 and 31. It has a portion 40 and a valve shaft 50. In the following description, the same components as those in the above-described first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The valve body 110 is made of synthetic resin and is formed in a substantially cubic box shape. The left side wall portion 110a of the valve body 110 is provided with a linear first flow path 111 extending to the left. The bottom wall portion 110d of the valve body 110 is provided with a linear second flow path 112 extending downward. The right side wall portion 110c of the valve body 110 is provided with a linear third flow path 113 extending to the right. The opening 111a of the first flow path 111 is directed to the left, the opening 112a of the second flow path 112 is directed downward, and the opening 113a of the third flow path 113 is directed to the right. The first flow path 111, the second flow path 112, and the third flow path 113 communicate with the valve chamber 114 provided in the valve body 110. Two or four or more flow paths may be provided as the flow paths leading to the valve chamber 114. Further, the valve body 110 has an opening 110e leading to the valve chamber 114. The opening 110e is directed upwards.

In the present embodiment, the seat members 30 and 30 are paired and are housed in the valve chamber 114 so as to face each other at intervals in the X-axis direction. When assembling the flow path switching valve 2, the seat members 30 and 30 are arranged in the Y-axis direction in which the axis L of the ball valve body 120 is orthogonal to the facing direction X from the assembly posture (FIG. 16) in which the axis L of the ball valve body 120 is along the facing direction X. The ball valve body 120 is rotatably supported so as to be in a support posture along the line (FIG. 17). The seat members 30 and 30 rotatably support the ball valve body 120 in this supporting posture around the orthogonal axis K along the facing direction X. Further, the seat members 30 and 30 rotatably support the ball valve body 120 having a support posture in which the axis L is along the Z-axis direction around the axis L (Z-axis) when the assembly of the flow path switching valve 2 is completed. The seat members 30 and 30 have any configuration as long as they rotatably support the ball valve body 120 with the ball valve body 120 sandwiched between them, as long as they do not contradict the object of the present invention.

Further, in the present embodiment, the sealing members 31 and 31 are between one seat member 30 and the left side wall portion 110a of the valve body 110, and the other seat member 30 and the right side wall portion 110c of the valve body 110c. It is sandwiched between the two so that it is in a compressed state. The sealing member 31 is attached to the annular groove 30a provided in the sheet member 30, and a part of the sealing member 31 protrudes from the annular groove 30a. The sealing members 31 and 31 seal (seal) between the valve body 110 and the ball valve body 120 together with the seat members 30 and 30.

The ball valve body 120 is formed in a hollow ball shape (spherical shape) using, for example, a metal or a synthetic resin as a material. The ball valve body 120 is rotatably supported by the seat members 30 and 30 and housed in the valve chamber 114. At the rotation position shown in FIG. 12, the ball valve body 120 has a first opening 121 opened downward (in the back direction of the paper surface in FIG. 12) and a second opening 121 opened toward the front (lower side in FIG. 12). An opening 122 and a third opening 123 opened toward the right side (right side in FIG. 12) are provided. Inside the ball valve body 120, a switching flow path 125 for connecting the first opening 121, the second opening 122, and the third opening 123 to each other is provided.

The switching flow path 125 is configured to switch the connection between the first flow path 111, the second flow path 112, and the third flow path 113 according to the rotation position. Specifically, the switching flow path 125 connects the first flow path 111 and the third flow path 113 when the ball valve body 120 is in the rotational position shown in FIG. The switching flow path 125 connects the first flow path 111 and the second flow path 112 when the ball valve body 120 is in a rotation position rotated 90 degrees clockwise in a plan view from the rotation position shown in FIG. ..

A valve shaft insertion hole 124 into which the valve shaft 50 is inserted is provided in the upper portion of the ball valve body 120. The valve shaft insertion hole 124 is formed so that the ball valve body 120 rotates around the axis L as the valve shaft 50 rotates when the valve shaft 50 is inserted. Specifically, the valve shaft insertion hole 124 is formed in the same shape as the cross-sectional shape (cross-sectional shape) of the prism portion 52 of the valve shaft 50 in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis. In the present embodiment, the valve shaft insertion hole 124 is formed in a regular hexagonal shape.

In the ball valve body 120, the sealing members 31 and 31 are in the restored state in the assembled posture shown in FIG. 16, and the sealing members 31 and 31 are in the compressed state in the supporting posture shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. As such, the size H in the axis L direction is formed to be smaller (H <W) than the size W in the direction orthogonal to the axis L. As a result, when the ball valve body 120 is in the assembled posture in the valve chamber 114, the sealing members 31 and 31 are in the restored state. Therefore, the ball valve body 120, the seat members 30 and 30, and the sealing members 31 and 31 are press-fitted. It can be inserted into the valve chamber 114 without any effort. Then, when the ball valve body 120 is in the supporting posture in the valve chamber 114, the sealing members 31 and 31 are in a compressed state, so that the seat members 30 and 30 are pressed against the ball valve body 120 to form the ball valve body 120. The space between the valve body 110 and the valve body 110 is sealed. In the ball valve body 120, the sealing members 31 and 31 are in a compressed state in the support posture, and the sealing members 31 and 31 are in a restored state in the assembled posture as compared with the support posture. It suffices that the size H in the axis L direction is formed smaller than the size W in the direction orthogonal to the axis.

A first jig mounting portion 127 is provided on the inner wall surface 126 of the ball valve body 120 facing the second opening 122. The first jig mounting portion 127 has a substantially regular hexagonal columnar convex shape protruding toward the second opening 122, and a regular hexagonal concave portion 127a is provided on the tip surface. In the present embodiment, the recess 127a is configured so that the tip of a hexagon wrench as a rod-shaped jig fits into the recess 127a. Alternatively, the recess 127a may be configured so that the tip of a Phillips screwdriver or a flat-blade screwdriver as a rod-shaped jig fits into the recess 127a. Alternatively, the first jig mounting portion 127, which is a convex portion, may be configured so that the socket wrench fits into the first jig mounting portion 127. By matching the shape of the first jig mounting portion 127 to the shape of a commercially available hexagon wrench or the like, the cost required for the rod-shaped jig can be reduced.

Further, a second jig mounting portion 129 is provided on the inner wall surface 128 of the ball valve body 120 facing the third opening 123. The second jig mounting portion 129 has a substantially regular hexagonal columnar convex shape protruding toward the third opening 123, and a regular hexagonal concave portion 129a is provided on the tip surface. In the present embodiment, the recess 129a is configured so that the tip of the hexagon wrench as a rod-shaped jig fits into the recess 129a, like the recess 129a of the first jig mounting portion 127.

When the ball valve body 120 is arranged in the valve chamber 114 in the assembled posture, the second opening 122 can be directed upward and the third opening 123 can be directed to the front. In this assembly posture, the first jig mounting portion 127 on the inner wall surface 126 is visible from the outside of the valve body 110 in the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the facing direction X through the opening 110e. Further, when the ball valve body 120 is rotated from this assembly posture so that the axis L is in a support posture along the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the facing direction X, the third flow path 113, the third opening 123, and the inner wall surface 128 are formed. And can be arranged in a straight line. In this support posture, the second jig mounting portion 129 on the inner wall surface 128 is visible from the outside of the valve body 110 in the opposite direction X (X-axis direction) through the third flow path 113 and the switching flow path 125. ..

Next, an example of the method of assembling the flow path switching valve 2 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 19.

15 to 19 are views for explaining the method of assembling the flow path switching valve of FIG. 10. Specifically, FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing a state before inserting the ball valve body 120, the seat members 30, 30 and the sealing members 31, 31 into the valve body 110. FIG. 16 shows a state in which the ball valve body 120, the seat members 30, 30 and the sealing members 31, 31 are inserted into the valve body 110, and the ball valve body 120 is in an assembled posture in which the axis L is along the X-axis direction. It is a figure. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a state in which the ball valve body 120 is rotated from the assembled posture to the support posture in which the axis L is along the Y-axis direction in the valve chamber 114. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a state in which the ball valve body 120 is rotated around the orthogonal axis K in the valve chamber 114, and the axis L is in the support posture along the Y-axis direction and the axis L is in the support posture along the Z-axis direction. Is. FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view showing a state before joining the drive unit 40 to the valve body 110. 16 to 18, (a) is a perspective view including a partial cross section, (b) is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 11, and (c) is C- of FIG. It is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the C line.

First, as shown in FIG. 15, the ball valve body 120 is arranged so that the axis L faces the X-axis direction, the second opening 122 faces upward, and the third opening 123 faces the front. The ball valve body 120 is sandwiched between the seat members 30 and 30 in the X-axis direction (opposing direction X). Further, the sealing member 31 is attached to the annular groove 30a of each sheet member 30. Then, as shown in FIG. 16, the ball valve body 120, the seat members 30, 30 and the sealing members 31, 31 are inserted into the valve chamber 114 through the opening 110e of the valve body 110 in a state of being in contact with each other. At this time, since the axis L of the ball valve body 120 is in the assembled posture along the facing direction X, the sealing members 31 and 31 are in the restored state in the valve chamber 114. Therefore, the ball valve body 120, the seat members 30, 30 and the sealing members 31, 31 can be smoothly housed in the valve chamber 114 without elastically deforming the sealing members 31, 31. Further, the opening 110e, the second opening 122 and the inner wall surface 126 are arranged linearly along the Z-axis direction, and the first jig in the Z-axis direction is arranged from the outside of the valve body 110 through the opening 110e and the switching flow path 125. The jig mounting portion 127 is visible.

Next, in the state shown in FIG. 16, a hexagon wrench (not shown) as a rod-shaped jig is inserted from the opening 110e into the second opening 122 along the Z-axis direction, and the tip portion thereof is inserted into the first jig mounting portion. It is fitted with the recess 127a of 127. Then, by rotating the hexagonal wrench in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 16B, the ball valve body 20 is rotated in the direction orthogonal to the axis L (around the Z-axis direction), as shown in FIG. In addition, the axis L of the ball valve body 120 is aligned with the Y-axis direction to form a support posture. As a result, the size W of the ball valve body 120 in the direction orthogonal to the axis L direction is larger than the size H in the axis L direction (H <W). Therefore, when the ball valve body 120 changes from the assembled posture to the supporting posture, the seat By expanding the distance between the members 30 and 30, the sealing members 31 and 31 change from the restored state to the compressed state. Further, in this support posture, the third flow path 113, the third opening 123, and the inner wall surface 128 are arranged linearly along the X-axis direction, and the third flow path 113 and the switching are switched from the outside of the valve body 110. The second jig mounting portion 129 becomes visible in the facing direction X (X-axis direction) through the flow path 125.

Next, in the state shown in FIG. 17, a hexagon wrench (not shown) as a rod-shaped jig is inserted from the third flow path 113 into the third opening 123 along the X-axis direction, and the tip portion thereof is subjected to the second curing. It is fitted with the recess 129a of the jig mounting portion 129. Then, by rotating the hexagon wrench in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 17 (c), the ball valve body 120 is rotated around the orthogonal axis K along the opposite direction X, and the axis is as shown in FIG. The support posture is set so that L is aligned with the Z-axis direction. The seat members 30 and 30 rotatably support the ball valve body 120 in this supporting posture around the axis L along the Z-axis direction.

Next, the prism portion 52 of the valve shaft 50 is inserted into the valve shaft insertion hole 124 of the ball valve body 120 in the supporting posture housed in the valve chamber 114. The cylindrical portion 51 of the valve shaft 50 is inserted into the bearing portion 45, and the valve main body 110 and the lower case 43 of the drive portion case 42 are combined. Ultrasonic waves are applied to the lower case 43, and the lower case 43 is ultrasonically welded to the valve body 110. Then, the drive mechanism is incorporated into the lower case 43 by press-fitting the gear 41 into the cylindrical portion 51 of the valve shaft 50, and the drive portion 40 is assembled by covering the upper case 44 to complete the flow path switching valve 2.

The flow path switching valve 2 of the present embodiment also has the same effect as that of the flow path switching valve 1 of the first embodiment described above.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the sheet member 30 and the sealing member 31 are separate bodies, but a configuration in which the sheet member 30 and the sealing member 31 are integrated may be adopted. For example, the sealing member 31 which is the O-ring may be omitted, and the seat member 30 may be made of an elastic material and arranged so as to be in direct contact with the valve body 10. In this configuration, the portion of the seat member 30 in contact with the valve body 10 is the sealing member.

Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the diameters of the first opening 21, the second opening 22, and the third opening 23 of the ball valve body 20 are the same, but the diameter is not limited thereto. For example, the diameters of the first opening 21 and the third opening 23, which are two valve body openings arranged so as to face each other across the axis L, are smaller than the diameter of the second opening 22 which is the remaining one valve body opening. You may. The diameter of the first opening 21 and the diameter of the third opening 23 may be the same or different. In this configuration, the inner wall surface 26 of the ball valve body 20 provided with the jig mounting portion 27 is arranged so as to face the second opening 22, and is linear when the ball valve body 20 is housed in the valve chamber 14. It becomes visible from the outside through the second flow path 12 and the second opening 22 of the above. Further, the diameter of the second flow path 12 is larger than the diameter of the second opening 22.

By doing so, when assembling the flow path switching valve 1, a rod-shaped positioning jig having the same diameter as the diameter of the second opening 22 is inserted into the second flow path 12, so that the rotation position of the ball valve body 20 Can be confirmed and positioned. That is, when the rotation position of the ball valve body 20 is correct at the time of assembly, the second opening 22 of the ball valve body 20 faces the second flow path 12. Therefore, the positioning jig can be inserted all the way, and the ball valve body 20 can be fixed at the correct rotation position by the positioning jig. On the other hand, if the rotation position of the ball valve body 20 is incorrect at the time of assembly, the second opening 22 of the ball valve body 20 does not face the second flow path 12. Therefore, the positioning jig cannot be inserted all the way. In particular, when the first opening 21 or the third opening 23 of the ball valve body 20 faces the second flow path 12, it is difficult to distinguish it from the second opening 22 even when looking into the second flow path 12. Therefore, it is possible to recognize that the rotation position of the ball valve body 20 is deviated by inserting the positioning jig, so that the flow path switching valve 1 can be assembled more efficiently. In the ball valve body 20 provided with two valve body openings (for example, only the first opening 21 and the second opening 22), the diameter of one valve body opening (first opening 21) is changed to the diameter of the other valve body opening (for example, the other valve body opening 21). Even if the diameter is smaller than the diameter of the second opening 22), the same effect can be obtained. It should be noted that such a configuration in which the size of the valve body opening is different can also be applied to a ball valve body in which a concave jig mounting portion is provided on the outer surface.

Further, the ball valve body 20 made of synthetic resin is manufactured by injecting and filling the cavity C of the mold with molten resin. 20 and 21 show how the ball valve body 20 is manufactured. 20 and 21 are diagrams schematically showing the state before and after inserting the mold piece into the cavity of the mold for manufacturing the ball valve body. (A) of each figure is a plan view, and (b) is a front view.

In the production of the ball valve body 20, the columnar second mold piece K2 having the same diameter as the diameter of the second opening 22 is placed in one direction (direction from bottom to top in (a) of each figure, (b). ), Insert it into the cavity C along the direction from the front to the back). A columnar first mold piece K1 having the same diameter as the diameter of the first opening 21 is placed in another direction orthogonal to the above one direction (directions from left to right in (a) and (b) of each figure). The tip surface K1a of the first mold piece K1 is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface K2a of the second mold piece K2 by being inserted into the cavity C along the above. Similarly, the columnar third mold piece K3 having the same diameter as the diameter of the third opening 23 is oriented in the direction opposite to the other direction (direction from right to left in (a) and (b) of each figure). The tip surface K3a of the third mold piece K3 is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface K2a of the second mold piece K2. Then, the cavity C is injected and filled with the molten resin.

The tip surface K1a of the first mold piece K1 is formed in a concave curved surface shape along the outer peripheral surface K2a of the second mold piece K2. Therefore, a part of the peripheral edge of the tip surface K1a (indicated by reference numeral E) has a sharp and pointed shape. When the diameter of the second opening 22 of the ball valve body 20 and the diameter of the first opening 21 are the same size, the diameter of the second mold piece K2 and the diameter of the first mold piece K1 are the same. And have the same size. As a result, a part E of the peripheral edge of the tip surface K1a of the first mold piece K1 becomes a very thin and sharply pointed shape, so that the rigidity of a part E of the first mold piece K1 becomes low. It may not be able to withstand repeated use. The same applies to the third mold piece K3. Then, as described above, by making the diameter of the first opening 21 and the diameter of the third opening 23 smaller than the diameter of the second opening 22, the first mold piece K1 and the third mold piece K3 A part E of the peripheral edge of each of the tip surfaces K1a and K3a can be made thicker. Therefore, the rigidity of a part E of the first mold piece K1 and the third mold piece K3 is increased, and the durability can be effectively improved. The same applies to the production of a ball valve body provided with two valve body openings.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these examples. The present invention also includes those skilled in the art with appropriate additions, deletions, and design changes to the above-described embodiments, and those appropriately combined with the features of the embodiments, unless contrary to the gist of the present invention. Is included in the range of.

(First Embodiment)
1 ... Flow path switching valve, 10 ... Valve body, 10a ... Left side wall part, 10b ... Front wall part, 10c ... Right side wall part, 10e ... Opening, 11 ... First flow path, 12 ... Second flow path, 13 ... Third flow path, 11a, 12a, 13a ... opening, 14 ... valve chamber, 20 ... ball valve body, 21 ... first opening, 22 ... second opening, 23 ... third opening, 24 ... valve shaft insertion hole, 25 ... switching flow path, 30 ... sheet member, 30a ... annular groove, 31 ... sealing member, 40 ... drive unit, 41 ... gear, 42 ... drive unit case, 43 ... lower case, 43a ... bottom wall, 43b ... rib, 44 ... Upper case, 45 ... Bearing part, 50 ... Valve shaft, 51 ... Cylindrical part, 52 ... Prism part, 53 ... Stopper part, 54 ... O-ring, M ... Welding part, C ... Cavity, K1 ... First gold Mold piece, K1a ... tip surface, K2 ... second mold piece, K2a ... outer peripheral surface, K3 ... third mold piece, K3a ... tip surface, E ... part of the peripheral edge of the tip surface (second implementation) form)
2 ... Flow path switching valve, 110 ... Valve body, 110a ... Left wall part, 110b ... Front wall part, 110c ... Right side wall part, 110d ... Bottom wall part, 110e ... Opening, 111 ... First flow path, 112 ... First 2 flow paths, 113 ... 3rd flow path, 111a, 112a, 113a ... opening, 114 ... valve chamber, 120 ... ball valve body, 121 ... 1st opening, 122 ... 2nd opening, 123 ... 3rd opening, 124 ... Valve shaft insertion hole, 125 ... switching flow path, 30 ... seat member, 30a ... annular groove, 31 ... sealing member, 40 ... drive unit, 41 ... gear, 42 ... drive unit case, 43 ... lower case, 43a ... bottom Wall, 43b ... Rib, 44 ... Upper case, 45 ... Bearing part, 50 ... Valve shaft, 51 ... Cylindrical part, 52 ... Prism part, 53 ... Stopper part, 54 ... O-ring, M ... Welding part

Claims (10)

A valve chamber and a valve body provided with a plurality of flow paths leading to the valve chamber, and a switching flow path housed in the valve chamber and for switching the connection of the flow paths according to the rotation position are provided inside. A valve body, a pair of seat members housed in the valve chamber at intervals and rotatably supported by sandwiching the valve body, and a seal arranged between the seat member and the valve body. A flow path switching valve having a stop member and a rotation drive unit that rotates the valve body around a rotation axis.
The valve body is integrally provided with the plurality of flow paths.
The valve body has an opening leading to the valve chamber for inserting the valve body, the pair of seat members, and the sealing member at the time of assembly.
The valve body is formed so that the size in the direction of the rotation axis is smaller than the size in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis.
Only one first jig mounting portion for rotating the valve body in the orthogonal direction is provided on the inner wall surface of the valve body that can be visually recognized from the outside of the valve body through the opening or the flow path. A flow path switching valve characterized by being A valve chamber and a valve body provided with a plurality of flow paths leading to the valve chamber, and a switching flow path housed in the valve chamber and for switching the connection of the flow paths according to the rotation position are provided inside. A valve body, a pair of seat members housed in the valve chamber at intervals and rotatably supported by sandwiching the valve body, and a seal arranged between the seat member and the valve body. A flow path switching valve having a stop member and a rotation drive unit that rotates the valve body around a rotation axis.
The valve body is integrally provided with the plurality of flow paths.
The valve body has an opening leading to the valve chamber for inserting the valve body, the pair of seat members, and the sealing member at the time of assembly.
The valve body is formed so that the size in the direction of the rotation axis is smaller than the size in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis.
A first jig mounting portion for rotating the valve body in the orthogonal direction is provided on the inner wall surface of the valve body that can be visually recognized from the outside of the valve body through the opening or the flow path.
A second jig mounting portion for rotating the valve body in the orthogonal direction is provided on the inner wall surface of the valve body that can be visually recognized from the outside of the valve body through the opening or the flow path .
Wherein the first jig the inner wall surface in which the mounting portion and the inner wall surface which is provided a second jig mounting portion is provided, the channel switching, characterized in that facing the direction orthogonal to each other valve. The valve body is sealed when the sealing member is in a compressed state when the rotation axis is in a support posture orthogonal to the facing direction of the pair of seat members and when the rotation axis is in an assembly posture along the facing direction. The flow path switching valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the size in the rotation axis direction is smaller than the size in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis so that the stop member is in the restored state. The flow path switching valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first jig mounting portion has a regular hexagonal concave portion or a convex portion. The flow path switching valve according to claim 2, wherein the second jig mounting portion has a regular hexagonal concave portion or convex portion. The valve body is provided with three valve body openings that are oriented in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis and are connected to each other by the switching flow path.
The three valve body openings are arranged around the rotation axis at 90 degree intervals.
The flow path according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of two valve body openings arranged so as to face each other across the rotation axis of the three valve body openings is smaller than the diameter of the remaining one valve body opening. Switching valve. The valve body is provided with two valve body openings that are oriented in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis and are connected to each other by the switching flow path.
The two valve body openings are arranged around the rotation axis at 90 degree intervals.
The flow path switching valve according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of one of the two valve body openings is smaller than the diameter of the other valve body opening. The flow path switching valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet member and the sealing member are integrally formed. A valve chamber and a valve body provided with a plurality of flow paths leading to the valve chamber, and a switching flow path housed in the valve chamber and for switching the connection of the flow paths according to the rotation position are provided inside. A valve body, a pair of seat members housed in the valve chamber at intervals and rotatably supported by sandwiching the valve body, and a seal arranged between the seat member and the valve body. It has a stop member, and the valve body is integrally provided with the plurality of flow paths, and the valve body inserts the valve body, the pair of seat members, and the sealing member at the time of assembly. The pair of seat members are supported so that the rotation axis of the valve body is orthogonal to the opposite direction from the assembly posture in which the rotation axis of the valve body is along the opposite direction of the pair of seat members. The valve body can be rotated so as to be in a posture, and the valve body is rotatably supported around the rotation axis in the support posture, and the valve body is supported by the seat member and the seat member in the support posture. The size in the rotation axis direction so that at least one of the sealing members is in a compressed state and at least one of the sheet member and the sealing member is in a restored state in the assembled posture as compared with the supported posture. The valve body is formed to be smaller than the size in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, and can be visually recognized from the outside of the valve body in the direction orthogonal to the facing direction through the opening or the flow path when the valve body is in the assembled posture. The inner wall surface of the valve body is configured to fit the tip of the rod-shaped jig so that the valve body is rotated from the assembled posture to the support posture as the rod-shaped jig rotates. It is a method of assembling a flow path switching valve in which only one jig mounting portion of 1 is provided.
The pair of seat members and the sealing member are housed in the valve chamber, and the valve body is arranged between the pair of seat members in the assembled posture.
A rod-shaped jig is inserted from the opening or the flow path along a direction orthogonal to the facing direction, and the tip portion thereof is fitted with the first jig mounting portion.
A method for assembling a flow path switching valve, which comprises rotating the rod-shaped jig to rotate the valve body from the assembly posture to the support posture. The pair of seat members rotatably support the valve body in the support posture around an orthogonal axis along the opposite direction, and when the valve body is in the support posture, the opening or the opening from the outside of the valve body. The inner wall surface of the valve body, which is visible in the opposite direction through the flow path, fits with the tip of the rod-shaped jig, and the valve body rotates around the orthogonal axis as the rod-shaped jig rotates. A second jig mounting portion configured to be provided is provided.
A rod-shaped jig is inserted from the flow path along the facing direction, and the tip portion thereof is fitted with the second jig mounting portion.
The method for assembling a flow path switching valve according to claim 9 , wherein the rod-shaped jig is rotated to rotate the valve body around the orthogonal axis.

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