JP7317780B2 - flow control valve - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flow control valve.

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a cooling device or the like that cools an object to be cooled using a refrigerant (fluid) is sometimes provided with a flow control valve that can adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant by adjusting the opening of the valve according to the temperature of the object to be cooled. Conventionally, as such a flow control valve, there has been proposed an expansion valve in which a hole having a bleed port action is provided in the valve itself (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the expansion valve disclosed in Patent Document 1, a hole formed in the valve is used as a starting pressure balance hole. That is, in this expansion valve, even when the valve is fully closed, the space within the low-pressure pipe communicates with the space within the high-pressure pipe, allowing the passage of the refrigerant.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 52-088063

When a flow control valve is provided in a cooling device or the like, there are cases where it is required to ensure the flow rate of the fluid even when a failure or trouble occurs. For example, if a pressure-sensitive member such as a diaphragm in a drive element that drives the valve body is damaged, the valve opening force or valve closing force will not be generated, the valve body will not be able to move, and the valve opening cannot be adjusted (hereinafter referred to as , “unadjustable state”). In such a case, if a hole is formed in the valve as described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to pass the refrigerant at a flow rate corresponding to the size of the hole even if the valve is in an unadjustable state.

However, in the configuration in which a hole is formed in the valve as described in Patent Document 1, the minimum flow rate in the expansion valve is determined by the size of the hole. There was an inconvenience that flow rate control became difficult. That is, it has been difficult to secure the flow rate of the fluid in an unadjustable state while facilitating low flow rate control.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a flow control valve that facilitates low flow rate control and that can ensure a fluid flow rate in an unadjustable state.

A flow rate control valve of the present invention is a flow rate control valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of a passing fluid, the valve having a primary port through which the fluid is introduced and a valve port through which the fluid flowing in from the primary port is passed. a main body, a valve body that is movably provided in the valve body to change the opening degree of the valve port, a secondary port that sends out the fluid that has passed through the valve port, and a drive element that drives the valve body. and transmission means provided between the drive element and the valve body, the drive element having a pressure-sensitive member for partitioning an enclosed space in which an enclosed gas is enclosed, and The higher the pressure, the greater the upward valve opening force in the vertical direction. The valve opening force is transmitted to the valve body, at least a part of the communication part is closed, and the communication part can be opened by moving downward in the vertical direction relative to the valve body. It is characterized by

According to the present invention as described above, the transmission means closes at least a part of the communicating portion of the valve body, so that the flow rate of the fluid that can pass through the communicating portion when the drive element is operating normally. can be reduced relative to the flow rate of fluid that can pass in the non-adjustable state, facilitating low flow rate control. In addition, since the communication portion can be opened by moving the transmission means downward in the vertical direction relative to the valve body, a valve opening force can be obtained in the upward direction in the vertical direction even if a failure occurs in the pressure sensing member. When the valve body becomes unadjustable, the transmission means moves vertically downward due to gravity to open the communicating portion of the valve body. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to secure the flow rate of the fluid in the unadjustable state while facilitating low flow rate control.

At this time, in the flow rate regulating valve of the present invention, it is preferable that the communicating portion is formed in the shape of a through hole, and the transmission member has an inserted portion that is inserted through the communicating portion. According to such a configuration, by inserting the inserted portion into the through-hole-shaped communicating portion, displacement of the relative position between the valve body and the transmission means is suppressed in the plane intersecting the movement direction of the valve body. can do.

Moreover, it is preferable that the flow control valve of the present invention further includes valve closing force applying means for applying a predetermined valve closing force to the valve body. According to such a configuration, the opening degree of the valve port can be adjusted by the balance between the valve closing force of the valve closing force imparting means and the valve opening force of the drive element, and flow control can be facilitated.

A flow rate control valve of the present invention is a flow rate control valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of a passing fluid, the valve having a primary port through which the fluid is introduced and a valve port through which the fluid flowing in from the primary port is passed. a main body, a valve body that is movably provided in the valve body to change the opening degree of the valve port, a secondary port that sends out the fluid that has passed through the valve port, and a drive element that drives the valve body. , wherein the driving element has a pressure-sensitive member for partitioning an enclosed space in which an enclosed gas is enclosed, and the higher the pressure in the enclosed space, the greater the upward valve closing force in the vertical direction. The valve body is arranged vertically below the valve port to change the degree of opening.

According to the present invention as described above, since the driving element is configured to apply a valve closing force in the vertical direction upward to the valve body, failure or the like occurs in the pressure sensing member, causing the vertical upward movement. When the valve closing force cannot be obtained and the adjustment becomes impossible, the valve body moves vertically downward due to gravity. Thereby, the valve port is opened and the flow rate of the fluid can be secured. At this time, there is no need to form a communicating portion in the valve body, and low flow rate control is easy.

At this time, the flow control valve of the present invention further includes valve opening force applying means for applying a predetermined valve opening force to the valve body, and valve opening force transmission means for transmitting the valve opening force to the valve body. The valve body is provided so as to be movable relative to the valve opening force transmission means vertically downward, and the valve opening force transmission means is arranged vertically above the valve port. and an inserted portion that is inserted into the valve port and transmits force to the valve body. is preferably formed. According to such a configuration, the opening degree of the valve port can be adjusted by the balance between the valve opening force of the valve opening force imparting means and the valve closing force of the drive element, and flow control can be facilitated. Furthermore, since the communication portion is formed at the base of the valve opening force transmission means, it is possible to prevent the valve port from being blocked by the valve closing force transmission means in the non-adjustable state, thereby ensuring the flow rate of the fluid. can.

According to the flow regulating valve of the present invention, it is possible to easily control a low flow rate and to secure a fluid flow rate in an unadjustable state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a system diagram which shows the cooling device provided with the flow control valve concerning 1st Embodiment which is an example of this invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the opening degree of the valve port of the flow control valve is maximized; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the opening degree of the valve port of the flow control valve is minimized; It is a sectional view showing a mode that the above-mentioned flow regulating valve was in a non-adjustable state. It is a system diagram which shows the heating apparatus provided with the flow control valve concerning 2nd Embodiment which is an example of this invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the opening degree of the valve port of the flow control valve is minimized; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the opening degree of the valve port of the flow control valve is maximized; It is a sectional view showing a mode that the above-mentioned flow regulating valve was in a non-adjustable state.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations common to the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

[First embodiment]
A flow control valve 1A of this embodiment is provided in a cooling device 100 as shown in FIG. The cooling device 100 includes a flow control valve 1A, a pump 101 as fluid sending means for sending a refrigerant (fluid) in a predetermined direction, a radiator 102 as a heat radiation means for dissipating heat from the refrigerant, and a cooler (for example, and a cold plate 103, forming a flow path through which a coolant circulates. This cooling device 100 uses an insulating coolant such as pure water or a fluorine-based inert liquid (for example, Fluorinert (registered trademark), Galden (registered trademark), Novec (registered trademark)), and is suitable for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, for example. Cools the electrical equipment mounted on the etc. That is, electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles are equipped with heat-generating components such as motors and inverters, and the cooling device 100 cools these heat-generating components. Alternatively, it cools electronic components mounted on large computer systems, servers, and the like. That is, large-sized computer systems, servers, and the like are equipped with heat-generating components such as CPUs and memories that generate a large amount of heat, and the cooling device 100 cools these heat-generating components. A plurality of heat-generating components are regarded as one unit (cooling target), and in the example shown in FIG. is. When the cooling device cools a plurality of objects to be cooled, it is preferable that the same number of flow control valves and coolers as the number of objects to be cooled be provided and connected in parallel.

The refrigerant sent out by the pump 101 passes through the flow control valve 1A, passes through the cooler 103 provided so as to be in contact with the object to be cooled 201, exchanges heat with the object to be cooled 201, and radiates heat with the radiator 102. and returns to the pump 101 again. The cooler 103 may function as a heat-receiving unit by allowing the coolant to pass therethrough and receiving heat from the object to be cooled 201, as long as it can sufficiently transfer heat from the object to be cooled 201 to the refrigerant. . That is, the cooler 103 and the object to be cooled 201 may be in direct contact with each other, or heat may be transferred from the object to be cooled 201 to the cooler 103 via a heat transfer member. The flow rate of the refrigerant sent by the pump 101 may be adjusted based on the amount of heat generated by the object 201 to be cooled.

As the pump 101, it is preferable to use a pump for sending out refrigerant in a liquid state (liquid refrigerant). At this time, it is preferable that the refrigerant passing through the cooler 103 and the flow control valve 1A is liquid, but the refrigerant may be in a gas-liquid mixed state in a part of the flow path of the cooling device 100. FIG. The radiator 102 may be of a type that naturally dissipates heat, a method that dissipates heat by blowing air, or a water-cooling method.

Below, the detail of 1 A of flow control valves is demonstrated. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flow control valve 1A includes a housing 2 as a valve body, a primary side conduit 3, a secondary side conduit 4, a valve element 5, and a force acting on the valve element 5 in the valve closing direction. A compression spring 6 as a valve closing force applying means for applying a force, a drive element 7, and a transmission means 8 are provided. Hereinafter, the vertical direction will be referred to as the Z direction, the vertical upper side will be referred to as the Z direction upper side and simply referred to as "upper side", and the vertical lower side will be referred to as the Z direction lower side and simply referred to as "lower side". ” is sometimes called. The primary side conduit 3 and the secondary side conduit 4 extend parallel to each other along the horizontal plane. The direction in which they extend is the X direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the X direction and the Z direction is the Y direction. In addition, in the flow control valve 1A, the valve body 5 moves when force is transmitted between the members. It may be designed to be transmitted.

The housing 2 is made entirely of a metal member, and has a primary port 21 that opens on one side in the X direction (left side in FIG. 2) and a secondary port 22 that opens on the other side in the X direction (right side in FIG. 2). , a first partition wall portion 23 extending between the primary port 21 and the secondary port 22 , and a second partition wall portion 24 provided below the first partition wall portion 23 .

The centers of the primary port 21 and the secondary port 22 are offset from each other in the Z direction, and the center of the primary port 21 is located on the upper side. A primary side conduit 3 is connected to the primary port 21 , and a secondary side conduit 4 is connected to the secondary port 22 .

In the illustrated example, the housing 2 is configured in a box shape by one part, but may be formed in a box shape by combining a plurality of parts. For example, the housing 2 may have a housing body with an upper opening and a lid portion that closes the opening of the housing body.

The first partition wall portion 23 extends along the XY plane between the lower end portion of the primary port 21 and the upper end portion of the secondary port 22 . The second partition wall 24 extends substantially parallel to the first partition wall 23 and is spaced apart from the first partition wall 23 . A first space A<b>1 above the first partition 23 and a second space A<b>2 below the first partition 23 and above the second partition 24 are formed in the housing 2 . A valve port 231 is formed in the first partition wall 23 to allow the first space A<b>1 and the second space A<b>2 to communicate with each other and to pass the refrigerant flowing in from the primary port 21 . The first space A1 is a space communicating with the primary port 21 and accommodates the valve body 5 . The second space A2 is a space that communicates with the secondary port 22, and the refrigerant that has passed through the valve port 231 flows out. The first partition 23 may have a bleed hole in addition to the valve port 231. In other words, the bleed hole always communicates the first space A1 and the second space A2. good too.

A through-hole 241 is formed in the second partition wall 24 to communicate the second space A2 and a space below the second partition wall 24 (a third space A3, which will be described later). The through hole 241 is formed at a position overlapping the valve port 231 when viewed from the Z direction. The through hole 241 may function as a pressure equalizing hole, or a pressure equalizing hole independent of the through hole 241 may be formed in the second partition wall portion 24 .

The valve body 5 is movably provided in the housing 2 and changes the opening degree of the valve port 231. The valve body 5 has a spring receiving portion 51 formed on the upper surface and a tapered needle portion 52 formed on the lower side. , and the whole is formed in a truncated cone shape with the bottom side as the apex side. The valve body 5 is formed with a communication portion 53 that extends along the Z direction and penetrates the entire valve body 5 (from the upper surface where the spring receiving portion 51 is formed to the tip of the needle portion 52). The spring receiving portion 51 is a portion to which a downward valve closing force (biasing force) in the Z direction is applied by coming into contact with the compression spring 6 . The opening degree (valve opening degree) of the valve port 231 is adjusted by moving the needle portion 52 toward or away from the valve seat portion 231A around the valve port 231 . The communicating portion 53 is formed, for example, in the shape of a through-hole having a circular cross section, and is formed so as to allow communication between the primary port 21 and the secondary port 22 as will be described later.

The compression spring 6 is formed in a coil shape with the Z direction as its axial direction, and is arranged between the upper plate portion of the housing 2 and the spring receiving portion 51 of the valve body 5 . The compression spring 6 is compressed from its natural state so as to apply a predetermined valve closing force (biasing force) to the valve body 5 .

The driving element 7 has an upper case 71 and a lower case 72 made of metal, and a diaphragm 73 as a pressure sensitive member. The upper case 71 is formed in the shape of a bottomed cylinder (box shape) that opens downward, and the lower case 72 is formed in the shape of a bottomed cylinder that opens upward. The upper case 71 is airtightly fixed to the lower end of the housing 2 . Since the driving element 7 has the diaphragm 73 as a pressure-sensitive member, the entire flow control valve 1 can be miniaturized.

The diaphragm 73 is capable of applying a valve-opening force to the valve body 5, and is held by being sandwiched between the upper case 71 and the lower case 72 at its outer peripheral edge. The case 72 is airtightly fixed. Since the upper case 71 is airtightly fixed to the housing 2 as described above, a third space A3 surrounded by the lower surface of the housing 2, the upper case 71, and the diaphragm 73 is formed. The third space A3 communicates with the second space A2 inside the housing 2 through the through hole 241 and other pressure equalizing holes, and serves as a space into which the refrigerant is introduced.

An enclosure space A4 is formed by covering the upper opening of the lower case 72 with the diaphragm 73 . The diaphragm 73 separates a third space A3 formed by the upper case 71 and an enclosed space A4 formed by the lower case 72 . Carbon dioxide, for example, is sealed in the sealed space A4 as a sealed gas. Filled gas exists in a gaseous state in the temperature range in which it is used, and the pressure change with respect to temperature is greater than that of the refrigerant. should be selected as appropriate.

The transmission means 8 is made of metal, for example, and includes a base portion 81 arranged in the third space A3, an extension portion 82 extending upward along the Z direction from the base portion 81, and a communicating portion 53 of the valve body 5. and an inserted portion 83 that is inserted through the . The base portion 81 is formed, for example, in the shape of a plate or a block, and receives force when the lower surface of the base portion 81 comes into contact with the diaphragm 73 . The extension part 82 is formed in a rod shape such as a columnar shape, for example, and has dimensions that allow it to be inserted through the through hole 241 and the valve port 231 . The outer diameter of the extension portion 82 is larger than the inner diameter of the communicating portion 53 of the valve body 5, so that the extending portion 82 cannot be inserted into the communicating portion 53 and can block the entire communicating portion 53 from below.

The insertion portion 83 has an outer diameter smaller than that of the extension portion 82, protrudes upward from the upper surface 821 of the extension portion 82, and has a cross-sectional shape similar to the cross-sectional shape of the valve body 5 (circular in this embodiment). The outer diameter of the insertion portion 83 is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the communication portion 53 , so that the insertion portion 83 can be inserted through the communication portion 53 .

Here, how force is transmitted between the valve body 5 and the transmission means 8 will be described. Since the outer diameter of the extending portion 82 is larger than the inner diameter of the communicating portion 53 as described above, the upper surface 821 of the extending portion 82 can come into contact with the lower surface 54 of the valve body 5 . As a result, the valve body 5 and the transmission means 8 transmit force to the opponent when trying to approach the opponent, and do not transmit force when trying to move away from the opponent. That is, when the transmitting means 8 receives force from the diaphragm 73 and moves upward, the contact between the upper surface 821 and the lower surface 54 transmits the force to the valve body 5, and the valve body 5 moves upward. Further, when the valve body 5 receives force from the compression spring 6 and moves downward, the contact between the upper surface 821 and the lower surface 54 transmits force to the transmission means 8, and the transmission means 8 moves downward. .

When the valve closing force of the compression spring 6 is sufficiently large relative to the valve opening force of the drive element 7, the valve body 5 moves downward, seats on the valve seat portion 231A, and can move further downward. become unable. In this state, if the valve opening force of the drive element 7 is further reduced, the transmission means 8 can move downward. Thus, the transmission means 8 is provided so as to be able to move relative to the valve body 5 downward in the vertical direction.

In the flow control valve 1A as described above, the sealed space A4 has a higher pressure than the third space A3 in the assumed temperature range, and the pressure difference increases as the temperature of the object 201 to be cooled rises. The driving element 7 applies a valve opening force to the valve body 5 according to this pressure difference. When the valve body 5 moves in the valve opening direction and the compression spring 6 is compressed, the valve closing force of the compression spring 6 increases. is smaller than the amount of change in Therefore, as the temperature of the object 201 to be cooled rises, the degree of opening of the valve port 231 increases, and the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the object 201 increases to cool the object 201 to be cooled. In this manner, the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the flow control valve 1A is adjusted according to the temperature of the object 201 to be cooled.

In the above description, it is assumed that the drive element 7 operates normally in the flow control valve 1A, and the valve opening is adjusted by moving the valve element 5 (such a state is hereinafter referred to as a "normal state"). However, the third space A3 and the enclosed space A4 may communicate with each other due to damage such as a crack occurring in the diaphragm 73, for example (see FIG. 4). When the third space A3 and the sealed space A4 communicate with each other, it becomes difficult to generate a valve opening force due to the pressure difference between the upper and lower spaces of the diaphragm 73 . Therefore, the valve closing force mainly by the compression spring 6 acts on the valve body 5, and the valve body 5 is seated on the valve seat portion 231A to be in a fully closed state. The valve body 5 cannot be moved (the opening degree of the valve port 231 cannot be adjusted), resulting in an unadjustable state.

At this time, gravity acts on the transmission means 8 downward in the Z direction. Further, as described above, the transmission means 8 is provided so as to be able to move relative to the valve body 5 vertically downward. Therefore, in the non-adjustable state, when the gravitational force acting on the transmission means 8 exceeds the valve opening force (upward force) of the drive element 7, the transmission means 8 moves downward. In the non-adjustable state, the valve opening force of the driving element 7 cannot be obtained, and the transmitting means 8 moves downward, so that the inserted portion 83 of the transmitting means 8 falls off from the communicating portion 53 of the valve body 5, and the communicating portion 53 is released. As a result, in the non-adjustable state, the communication portion 53 allows the primary port 21 and the secondary port 22 to communicate with each other, allowing the passage of the refrigerant.

When the transmission means 8 moves downward as described above, it is preferable that the transmission means 8 is guided by the communication portion 53 and the through hole 241. Alternatively, a cylindrical guide portion or the like for guiding the extension portion 82 of the transmission means 8 may be separately provided.

According to the present embodiment described above, the communication portion 53 of the valve body 5 is closed by the transmission means 8, so that the flow rate of the refrigerant that can pass through the communication portion 53 in the normal state can be passed in the non-adjustable state. It can be reduced with respect to the flow rate of the fluid, facilitating low flow rate control. In addition, since the transmission means 8 can move downward in the vertical direction relative to the valve body 5, failure or the like occurs in the diaphragm 73, and the valve opening force in the vertical direction cannot be obtained, resulting in an unadjustable state. In this case, the transmission means 8 moves downward in the vertical direction due to gravity, and the communicating portion 53 of the valve body 5 is opened. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to secure the flow rate of the refrigerant in the non-adjustable state while facilitating low flow rate control.

In addition, by inserting the inserted portion 83 of the transmission means 8 into the through-hole-shaped communication portion 53 of the valve body 5, the valve body 5 and the transmission means 8 can be prevented from shifting relative to each other.

Further, since the compression spring 6 is provided as a valve closing force imparting means, the opening degree of the valve port 231 can be adjusted by the balance between the valve closing force of the compression spring 6 and the valve opening force of the drive element 7. It is possible to facilitate flow rate control.

[Second embodiment]
A flow control valve 1B of the present embodiment is provided in a heating device 300 as shown in FIG. The heating device 300 includes a flow control valve 1B, a pump 301 as fluid feeding means for feeding a heating fluid (hereinafter simply referred to as “heat medium”) in a predetermined direction, and a heat source 400 for causing the heat medium to absorb heat. It has a heat absorber 302 and a heat transfer part 303 such as a hot plate, and forms a flow path through which a heat medium circulates. The heating device 300 heats or warms up a device, a part, or the like, whose performance may be lowered or deteriorated in a low temperature state, as a heating target 501 in order to prevent a temperature drop. Examples of the object to be heated 501 include a battery mounted in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and an LNG vaporizer in a gas combustion drive engine such as a gas engine or gas turbine that uses liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel. . If there are multiple devices or parts to be heated, they may be regarded as one unit. As the heat source 400, a device used together with the object to be heated 501 (for example, a heater mounted on an automobile, a gas engine or gas turbine in a gas combustion engine) or the object to be heated 501 itself may be used. should be used. Examples of the heat medium used in the heating device 300 include steam, water (hot water), air (warm air), oil, and the like.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the heating device 300 heats one heating target 501, but the heating device can heat any number of heating targets. When the heating device heats a plurality of objects to be heated, it is preferable that the same number of flow control valves and heat transfer units as the number of objects to be heated be provided and connected in parallel.

The heat medium sent out by the pump 301 passes through the flow regulating valve 1B, passes through the heat transfer section 303 provided so as to be in contact with the heating target 501, and heat-exchanges with the heating target 501. and return to the pump 301 again. The heat transfer part 303 contacts the lower case 72 of the driving element 7B of the flow control valve 1B on the downstream side of the object 501 to be heated. That is, the flow control valve 1B is arranged upstream of the object 501 to be heated, and is provided so that the flow rate is adjusted according to the temperature of the heat medium whose heat is taken by the object 501 to be heated. The heat transfer section 303 may pass the heat medium and sufficiently exchange heat with the heating target 501, and the heat transfer section 303 and the heating target 501 may directly contact each other. , a heat transfer member may be provided therebetween. The flow rate of the heat medium delivered by the pump 301 may be adjusted based on the amount of heat taken from the heat medium by the object 501 to be heated.

An appropriate pump 301 may be used according to the type of heat medium to be used and the assumed temperature range, and the heat medium may be pumped out in a liquid state or in a gaseous state. That is, the heat medium may be in a liquid state, a gaseous state, or a gas-liquid mixed state in the channel of the heating device 300, and the state may differ depending on the position of the channel. The heat absorber 302 may, for example, be in direct contact with the heat source 400, or may be heat transferred from the heat source 400 via heat transfer means (not limited to solids, including those using fluid). It may be.

Below, the detail of the flow control valve 1B is demonstrated. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a housing 2B as a valve body, a primary side conduit 3, a secondary side conduit 4, a valve body 5B, and a valve opening force that applies a force in the valve opening direction to the valve body 5B. It includes a compression spring 6B as a applying means, a drive element 7B, a valve opening force transmission means 9, and a valve closing force transmission means 10. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction in this embodiment are the same as in the first embodiment. In the flow control valve 1A of the first embodiment, the upper side in the Z direction is the valve opening side and the lower side is the valve closing side. The side is the valve open side, and the upper side is the valve closed side. In the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, force may be transmitted between members by direct contact, or force may be transmitted through members provided between them.

The housing 2B is different from the housing 2 in the first embodiment in that a concave portion 232 is formed on the upper surface of the first partition 23 and the lower surface of the first partition 23 serves as a valve seat portion 231B. are different. A recess 232 is formed in the central portion of the first partition wall 23 so as to include the entire valve port 231 . That is, a convex portion 233 is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the first partition wall portion 23 .

The valve body 5B is formed in a truncated cone shape with the top side as the apex side, and is arranged in the second space A2 (that is, the lower side with respect to the valve port 231) to change the opening degree of the valve port 231. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the valve body 5B contacts and separates from the lower side of the first partition wall 23, and the tapered needle part 52B of the valve body 5B is pushed by the portion of the lower surface of the first partition wall 23 around the valve port 231. It can be seated on a certain valve seat portion 231B.

The compression spring 6B is similar to the compression spring 6 in the first embodiment. act as a means.

The drive element 7B has an upper case 71, a lower case 72, and a diaphragm 73 as a pressure-sensitive member, like the drive element 7 in the first embodiment. It is configured to increase the closing force. A high-temperature heat medium is introduced into the third space A3 of the drive element 7B, and the lower case 72 contacts the heat transfer portion 303 on the downstream side of the flow control valve 1B in the heating device 300, and the temperature is transferred to the enclosed space A4. It is designed to be That is, the more the heat of the heating medium that has passed through the flow control valve 1B is taken away by the object 501 to be heated, the lower the temperature of the enclosed space A4, the lower the pressure, and the smaller the upward force (valve closing force). It's becoming As a result, the lower the temperature of the object 501 to be heated, the smaller the valve closing force of the drive element 7B relative to the valve opening force of the compression spring 6B. increasing.

The valve opening force transmission means 9 is made of metal, for example, and includes a plate-shaped or block-shaped base portion 91 extending along the XY plane, and an inserted portion 92 extending downward from the base portion 91 along the Z direction. have together. The base 91 is arranged in the first space A1 (that is, above the valve port 231), and for example, its outer diameter is formed larger than the inner diameter of the recess 232 (it may be formed to be larger overall or partially larger). It may be formed large), or has a shape different from that of the recess 232 , so that it cannot be accommodated in the recess 232 . The base portion 91 is formed with a through-hole-shaped communication portion 911 at a position that overlaps neither the inserted portion 92 nor the convex portion 233 when viewed from the Z direction, and the space above the base portion 91 and the space below the base portion 91 are separated from each other. It communicates with the space. The upper surface of the base portion 91 serves as a force receiving portion that receives the valve opening force from the compression spring 6B.

The inserted portion 92 is formed, for example, in a columnar shape (bar shape) and has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the valve port 231 . The inserted portion 92 has its upper end located in the center of the base portion 91, is inserted through the valve port 231, and its lower end contacts the upper surface of the valve body 5B, thereby transmitting force to the valve body 5B. That is, force is transmitted between the base portion 91 arranged in the first space A1 and the valve body 5B arranged in the second space A2 via the inserted portion 92 inserted through the valve port 231. It's like In the present embodiment, the portion that is inserted through the valve port (the inserted portion 92) is part of the valve opening force transmission means, but the valve body may have a portion that is inserted through the valve port. .

As the valve closing force of the drive element 7B decreases, the valve opening force of the compression spring 6B causes the valve opening force transmission means 9 to move downward. The outer peripheral portion comes into contact with the convex portion 233 of the first partition wall portion 23, and movement is restricted. At this time, since the base portion 91 is not accommodated in the recess portion 232 and the communication portion 911 is formed in the base portion 91 , the valve port 231 is not blocked by the valve opening force transmission means 9 . The communicating portion 911 may be formed so as not to block the valve port 231 when the base portion 91 abuts against the convex portion 233 , and may partially overlap the convex portion 233 or penetrate through the convex portion 233 . It may have a shape other than a hole (for example, a notch shape opened at the outer peripheral edge).

The valve opening force transmission means 9 is not fixed to the valve body 5B and can be separated from each other. That is, the valve body 5B is movable downward in the vertical direction relative to the valve opening force transmission means 9 .

The valve closing force transmission means 10 is made of metal, for example, and integrally has a base portion 10A arranged in the third space A3 and an extension portion 10B extending upward along the Z direction from the base portion 10A. . The base portion 10A is formed, for example, in the shape of a plate or a block, and receives force when the lower surface of the base portion 10A comes into contact with the diaphragm 73. As shown in FIG. The extending portion 10B is formed in a rod shape such as a columnar shape, for example, and is inserted through the through hole 241 . The valve closing force is transmitted to the valve body 5B by contacting the upper end of the extension part 10B with the lower surface of the valve body 5B or by fixing the extension part 10B to the valve body 5B. It's becoming

In the flow rate control valve 1B as described above, the directions of the valve opening force and the valve closing force are opposite to those of the flow rate control valve 1A of the first embodiment. The opening degree of the valve port 231 increases as the temperature and pressure decrease (that is, the temperature of the object to be heated 501 decreases). In other words, the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the flow control valve 1B is adjusted according to the temperature of the object 501 to be heated.

Here, the operation when the flow regulating valve 1B is in an unadjustable state will be described. Also in the flow control valve 1B of this embodiment, the third space A3 and the sealed space A4 communicate with each other due to cracks in the diaphragm 73 or the like, making it difficult to obtain the valve closing force by the drive element 7, and the valve body 5B becomes immovable. (See FIG. 8). In the non-adjustable state, the valve opening force of the compression spring 6B becomes sufficiently large relative to the valve closing force of the drive element 7B, so the valve opening force transmission means 9 moves downward, and the outer circumference of the base portion 91 contacts the convex portion 233 of the first partition wall portion 23 . At this time, since the valve body 5B is provided so as to be able to move downward relative to the valve opening force transmission means 9, the valve body 5B moves downward due to gravity to open the valve port 231. As shown in FIG. Since the communicating portion 911 is formed in the base portion 91 and the valve port 231 is opened, the first space A1 and the second space A2 are communicated with each other, and the heat medium can pass therethrough. That is, in the non-adjustable state, the primary port 21 and the secondary port 22 are communicated with each other by the valve port 231 and the communicating portion 911, so that the heat medium can pass through.

Incidentally, when the valve body 5B moves downward as described above, it is preferable that the valve body 5B is fixed to the valve closing force transmitting means 10 and simultaneously moves, and the extension portion 10B is guided by the through hole 241. However, if the plate thickness of the second partition wall portion 24 is thin, a cylindrical guide portion or the like for guiding the extension portion 10B may be separately provided. Alternatively, a guide portion or the like for guiding only the valve body 5B without fixing the valve body 5B to the valve closing force transmission means 10 may be separately provided.

According to the present embodiment described above, since the drive element 7B is configured to apply a valve closing force upward in the vertical direction to the valve body 5B, failure or the like occurs in the diaphragm 73, causing the upward vertical force. When the valve closing force cannot be obtained and the adjustment becomes impossible, the valve body 5B moves downward in the vertical direction due to gravity. As a result, the valve port 231 is opened to ensure the flow rate of the heat medium. At this time, there is no need to form a communicating portion in the valve body 5B, and low flow rate control is easy.

In addition, since the compression spring 6B is provided as the valve opening force application means, the opening degree of the valve port 231 can be adjusted by the balance between the valve opening force of the compression spring 6B and the valve closing force of the drive element 7B. , flow rate control can be facilitated. Furthermore, since the communicating portion 911 is formed in the base portion 91 of the valve opening force transmission means 9, the valve port 231 is prevented from being blocked by the base portion 91 in the non-adjustable state, and the flow rate of the heat medium is ensured. be able to.

Furthermore, since the recess 232 is formed in the first partition 23 in which the valve port 231 is formed, and the base 91 cannot be accommodated in the recess 232, the heat medium passes through the valve port 231 in the non-adjustable state. space can be easily secured.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the first embodiment or the second embodiment, but includes other configurations and the like that can achieve the object of the present invention, and the following modifications and the like are also included in the present invention. included. For example, in the first embodiment, the inserted portion 83 of the transmission means 8 is inserted through the through-hole-shaped communicating portion 53 of the valve body 5, and the entire communicating portion 53 can be closed by the upper surface 821 of the extending portion 82. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. That is, the transmission means may block at least a portion of the communication portion, and may cover the entire communication portion or may cover only a portion of the communication portion. Alternatively, the transmission means may close the communicating portion without being inserted through the communicating portion. Also, the communicating portion formed in the valve body does not have to be a through-hole shape. That is, the communication portion may reach the outer peripheral surface of the valve body and may have a cutout shape when viewed from the vertical direction.

Further, in the first embodiment, the compression spring 6 is provided as the valve closing force applying means, but the valve closing force applying means is not limited to the compression spring, and may be provided in an appropriate form. Just do it. In addition, when the mass of the valve body is large, when the pressure in the first space A1 tends to be sufficiently higher than the pressure in the second space A2, or when the valve opening force of the drive element is small, the valve closing force is additionally increased. If it is easy to control the operation of the valve body without applying the force to the valve, the valve closing force applying means may not be provided.

Further, in the second embodiment, the recess 232 is formed in the first partition wall portion 23 in which the valve port 231 is formed, and the base portion 91 cannot be accommodated in the recess 232. Not limited. For example, if a communicating portion is formed in the base so as to overlap the valve port when viewed from the Z direction, the first space and the second space may be arranged even if the base is accommodated in the recess or the recess is not formed in the first place. It can communicate with space.

Further, in the second embodiment, the compression spring 6B is provided as the valve opening force applying means, but the valve opening force applying means is not limited to the compression spring, and may be provided in an appropriate form. It is good if there is In addition, when the mass of the valve body is large, when the pressure in the first space A1 tends to be sufficiently higher than the pressure in the second space A2, when the valve closing force of the drive element is small, etc., the valve opening force is additionally increased. If it is easy to control the operation of the valve body without applying the force to the valve, the valve opening force application means may not be provided. Furthermore, when the valve opening force application means is not provided, the valve opening force transmission means may be omitted.

Further, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the drive elements 7 and 7B exchange heat with the object to be cooled 201 or the object to be heated 501, thereby changing the temperature of the enclosed space A4 and changing the pressure of the enclosed space A4. However, the driving element may be any element that changes the valve opening force or the valve closing force according to the temperature change of the object to be cooled or heated. Its configuration is not limited. For example, a part of the driving element may be brought into direct contact with the object to be cooled or heated, or a temperature sensing cylinder having a space communicating with the enclosed space and arranged near the object to be cooled or heated may be used in combination. .

Further, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the diaphragm is used as the pressure sensing member. A bellows or the like may be used as long as it can apply a force in the opening direction or the valve closing direction.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are made within the scope of the present invention. is included in the present invention.

1A, 1B... Flow control valve, 2, 2B... Housing (valve body), 21... Primary port, 22... Secondary port, 231... Valve port, 5, 5B... Valve body, 53... Communication part, 6... Compression spring (Valve closing force imparting means) 6B Compression spring (valve opening force imparting means) 7, 7B Driving element 73 Diaphragm (pressure sensing member) 8 Transmitting means 83 Inserted portion 9 Valve Opening force transmission means 91 Base portion 92 Inserted portion 911 Communicating portion

Claims (4)

A flow control valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of a fluid passing through,
a primary port through which the fluid is introduced;
a valve body having a valve port through which the fluid entering from the primary port passes;
a valve body that is movably provided in the valve body and that changes the degree of opening of the valve port;
a secondary port for delivering the fluid that has passed through the valve port;
a drive element that drives the valve body;
transmission means provided between the drive element and the valve body,
The drive element has a pressure-sensitive member for partitioning an enclosed space in which an enclosed gas is enclosed, and is configured such that the higher the pressure in the enclosed space, the greater the upward valve opening force in the vertical direction,
The valve body is formed with a communication portion that allows communication between the primary port and the secondary port,
The transmission means transmits the valve opening force to the valve body, closes at least a portion of the communication portion, and opens the communication portion by moving downward in the vertical direction relative to the valve body. A flow regulating valve, characterized in that it is provided so as to be possible. The communicating portion is formed in a through-hole shape,
2. The flow control valve according to claim 1, wherein the transmission member has an inserted portion that is inserted into the communicating portion. 3. The flow control valve according to claim 1, further comprising valve closing force applying means for applying a predetermined valve closing force to said valve body. A flow control valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of a fluid passing through,
a primary port through which the fluid is introduced;
a valve body having a valve port through which the fluid entering from the primary port passes;
a valve body that is movably provided in the valve body and that changes the degree of opening of the valve port;
a secondary port for delivering the fluid that has passed through the valve port;
a drive element that drives the valve body,
The drive element has a pressure-sensitive member for partitioning an enclosed space in which an enclosed gas is enclosed, and is configured such that the higher the pressure in the enclosed space, the greater the upward valve closing force in the vertical direction,
The valve body is arranged below the valve port in the vertical direction to change the degree of opening ,
a valve opening force imparting means for imparting a predetermined valve opening force to the valve body;
a valve opening force transmission means for transmitting the valve opening force to the valve body;
The valve body is provided so as to be movable relative to the valve opening force transmission means vertically downward,
The valve-opening force transmission means has a base disposed vertically above the valve port, and an inserted portion that is inserted through the valve port and transmits force to the valve body,
A flow regulating valve, wherein the base is formed with a communicating portion that communicates an upper space with a lower space.

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