JPH07164864A - Flow control valve and hot water circuit of heating device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a circuit control valve, by which the cost is reduced by providing one thermostat having an opening and closing function and a flow control function for plural passages, and to provide a hot water circuit of a heating device for a vehicle, the valve mechanism of which is simplified. CONSTITUTION:A circuit control valve 5 interposed in a hot water circuit 2 includes a thermostat 9 disposed in a case main body, and a valve element 10 interlocking with the operation of the thermostat 9. The thermostat 9 includes an outer container 13 where a second passing port is formed, and a wax box 14 for storing wax, wherein when the temperature of cooling water flowing in through a first inflow port 7a provided on a first case 7 rises above 40 deg.C, with the volume expansion of the wax, the wax box 14 is moved to open the second passing port. The valve element 10 is connected to the wax box 14 by a connecting rod 18, so that with the movement of the wax 14, the opening ratio of a first passing port provided on the case body is varied.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flow rate control valve for controlling a flow rate of a fluid branched from a fluid passage to a branch passage, and a hot water circuit of a vehicle heating device having the flow rate control valve.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a vehicle heating system for heating a vehicle compartment using engine cooling water as a heat source, a sufficient heating effect cannot be obtained when the cooling water temperature is low immediately after the engine is started. Therefore, a warm water tank that circulates the cooling water is equipped with a heat retaining tank that keeps the cooling water warm, and a valve mechanism is provided to control the flow direction and flow rate of the cooling water flowing through the warm water circuit. A method has been proposed in which a mechanism is controlled to supply high-temperature cooling water kept in a heat-retaining tank to a heater core for immediate heating (JP-A-2-120120, JP-A-2-12).
No. 0119 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-59163).

[0003]

However, in the valve mechanism provided in the hot water circuit, the low temperature cooling water flowing out from the engine is directly supplied to the heater core in order to perform immediate heating by utilizing the cooling water in the heat retaining tank. It requires an opening / closing function to open / close the hot water circuit so that it does not flow, and a flow rate adjusting function to adjust the flow rate of the cooling water supplied from the heat retaining tank to the heater core. For this reason, conventionally, it is necessary to configure a valve mechanism by combining a flow rate control valve and a solenoid valve, or to configure a valve mechanism using two or more thermostats, so that the valve mechanism is complicated and the number of parts is large. Many of them had a problem that the cost was high.

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances. A first object of the present invention is to reduce the cost by providing a single thermostat with the function of opening and closing a plurality of flow paths and the function of controlling the flow rate. A second object of the present invention is to provide a control valve, and a second object thereof is to provide a hot water circuit of a vehicle heating device with a simplified valve mechanism.

[0005]

In order to achieve the first object of the present invention, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a fluid passage having a branch passage is arranged to change the temperature of fluid flowing through the fluid passage. A thermostat having a temperature-sensitive operating member that operates, and a thermostat that is provided so as to be able to open and close the fluid passage according to the operation of the temperature-sensitive operating member, and that is connected to the temperature-sensitive operating member,
A technical means is provided with a valve body for changing the opening ratio of the branch passage in association with the operation of the temperature sensitive operation member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a temperature sensitive operating member which is arranged in a fluid passage having a branch passage and which is activated by a temperature change of a fluid flowing through the fluid passage. A thermostat provided to open and close the fluid passage, and a thermostat provided separately from the thermosensitive member,
A technical means is provided with a valve body for changing the opening ratio of the branch passage in association with the operation of the temperature sensitive operation member.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the flow control valve according to the first or second aspect, the valve body is provided with an orifice through which a predetermined amount of fluid can flow while the branch passage is closed. Is characterized by. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the flow control valve according to the third aspect, the valve element is arranged at a predetermined interval from the temperature-sensitive operating member, and during operation of the temperature-sensitive operating member, It is characterized in that it interlocks with the temperature-sensitive operating member while the orifice is closed by the temperature-sensitive operating member.

In order to achieve the second object, according to claim 5, the heater core for heating the air blown into the vehicle compartment by heat exchange with the engine cooling water and the cooling water stored inside for a long time. Insulation tank that can keep warm,
A cooling water passage for guiding the cooling water flowing out of the engine to the heater core by bypassing the heat retaining tank, a cooling water inflow passage for guiding the cooling water from the cooling water passage to the heat retaining tank, and the cooling water from the heat retaining tank. The cooling water outflow passage for guiding the cooling water to the passage and the cooling water passage between the connection portion with the cooling water inflow passage and the connection portion with the cooling water outflow passage are arranged so that the cooling water passage can be opened and closed. A thermostat, which is provided and opens when the temperature of the cooling water flowing out from the engine is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, and an opening ratio of the cooling water inflow passage, which is arranged in the cooling water inflow passage and is related to the operation of the thermostat. And a flow rate control valve composed of a valve body for changing the above.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the hot water circuit of the vehicle heating apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the valve body has an orifice through which a predetermined amount of fluid can flow with the cooling water inflow passage being closed. It is characterized by being provided. Claim 7
In the hot water circuit of the vehicle heating apparatus according to claim 6, the valve element is arranged at a predetermined interval from the thermostat, and the orifice is provided by the thermostat from the middle of the operation of the thermostat. Is linked with the thermostat in a closed state.

[0010]

In the flow control valve according to the first aspect of the invention, the temperature sensitive operating member of the thermostat is activated by the temperature change of the fluid flowing through the fluid passage, and the fluid passage is opened / closed in accordance with the activation of the temperature sensitive operating member. Further, the flow rate of the fluid flowing from the fluid passage to the branch passage is controlled by changing the opening ratio of the branch passage branched from the fluid passage by the valve body connected to the temperature sensitive operation member and related to the operation of the temperature sensitive operation member. can do.

In the flow control valve according to the second aspect, the temperature-sensitive operating member of the thermostat is activated by the temperature change of the fluid flowing through the fluid passage, and the fluid passage is opened / closed according to the operation of the temperature-sensitive operating member. Further, a valve body provided separately from the temperature-sensing operation member and related to the operation of the temperature-sensing operation member changes the opening ratio of the branch passage branching from the fluid passage, so that the fluid flowing from the fluid passage to the branch passage can be changed. The flow rate can be controlled.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the hot water circuit for a vehicle heating system, when the temperature of the cooling water flowing out from the engine is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the thermostat arranged in the cooling water passage opens to allow the cooling water passage to flow. The cooling water flows from the engine to the heater core. Further, the valve body related to the operation of the thermostat changes the opening ratio of the cooling water inflow path, so that the cooling water flow rate to the heat retention tank, that is, the cooling water flow rate supplied from the heat retention tank to the heater core through the cooling water outflow path. Can be controlled.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment in which the flow control valve of the present invention is applied to a hot water circuit of a vehicle heating system will be described with reference to FIGS.
It will be described based on. FIG. 1 is a hot water circuit diagram of a vehicle heating device. The vehicle heating system of this embodiment includes a hot water circuit 2 connected to a cooling water circuit (not shown) of the engine 1.

The hot water circuit 2 is provided with a hot water type heater core 3, a heat insulating tank 4 for keeping the cooling water warm, and a circuit control valve 5 (a flow control valve of the present invention), each of which has a hot water pipe as shown in FIG. Connected by 6. The heater core 3 is a heating heat exchanger that is arranged in a duct (not shown) that guides blown air into the vehicle compartment and heats the air flowing in the duct by heat exchange with cooling water.

The heat-retaining tank 4 is capable of keeping the cooling water stored therein for a long time.
When the temperature is 0 ° C, the cooling water having a water temperature of 85 ° C is provided with a heat retention performance capable of retaining the water temperature to 78 ° C after 12 hours. The heat-retaining tank 4 is provided with an inflow pipe 4a that opens toward the bottom of the heat-retaining tank 4 and an outflow pipe 4b that opens toward the upper part of the heat-retaining tank 4.

The circuit control valve 5 is disposed upstream of the heater core 3 of the hot water circuit 2, and the heater core 3 is responsive to the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the circuit control valve 5 (hereinafter referred to as cooling water temperature).
It regulates the flow rate of cooling water supplied to. The circuit control valve 5 includes a case body composed of a first case 7 and a second case 8, a thermostat 9 housed in the case body, and a valve body 1 interlocked with the operation of the thermostat 9.
It is composed of 0 and the like.

The first case 7 has a first inlet port 7a communicating with the engine 1 via the hot water pipe 6 and the hot water pipe 6.
A first outlet 7b is formed which is connected to the inflow pipe 4a of the heat insulation tank 4 via the first inlet 7a.
And a first outlet 7b, a valve seat 7c for seating (contacting) the valve body 10 is provided. Hereinafter, the opening formed on the inner circumference of the valve seat 7c is referred to as a first passage port. It should be noted that the branch passage of the present invention is provided with
It is formed by a flow path leading to the outlet 7b.

The second case 8 is connected to the outflow pipe 4b of the heat insulation tank 4 through the hot water pipe 6 and the second inflow port 8 is provided.
A second outlet port 8b is formed which is connected to the heater core 3 via a and the hot water pipe 6. The first case 7 and the second case 8 are connected and fixed by a bolt 12 via a packing 11.

The thermostat 9 is an opening / closing means for opening and closing a flow path in the case body communicating from the first inflow port 7a to the second outflow port 8b, and is composed of an outer container 13, a wax box 14, a shaft 15, a spring 16 and the like. ing. As shown in FIG. 4, the outer container 13 has a flange portion 13 on the outer periphery.
a is provided, and the flange portion 13a is provided with the packing 11
At the same time, it is sandwiched and fixed between the first case 7 and the second case 8. Further, in the outer container 13, a plurality of openings 13b and 13c are formed on the peripheral wall surfaces of the flange portion 13a on the first case 7 side and the second case 8 side, respectively, and the opening portion 13b on the first case 7 side is formed. An annular partition wall 13d is provided on the inner peripheral side between the opening 13c and the opening 13c on the second case 8 side. Hereinafter, the opening formed on the inner circumference of the partition wall 13d is referred to as a second passage port. In addition, the fluid passage of the present invention is formed by a flow path that leads from the first inflow port 7a to the second outflow port 8b through the second passage port.

As shown in FIG. 4, the wax box 14 (the temperature-sensitive operating member of the present invention) is a cylindrical container for containing the wax W therein, and the outer circumference thereof is annularly stretched with a constant thickness. The protruding portion 14a is provided. The wax box 14 has a bulging portion 14a inside the outer container 13.
Is arranged so as to be located closer to the first case 7 side than the partition wall 13d of the outer container 13, and is moved toward the second case 8 side by the conical spring 16 arranged between the outer container 13 and the bulging portion 14a. Being energized.

The wax box 14 urged by the spring 16 has a bulging portion 14a having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the partition wall 13d (the inner diameter of the second passage port).
Positioning is achieved by contacting d. The wax W becomes a liquid phase when the temperature of the cooling water flowing in from the first inlet 7a is a certain temperature (40 ° C. in this embodiment), and the volume expansion of the wax W occurs due to the phase change from the solid phase to the liquid phase. Further, when the cooling water temperature is 40 ° C. or higher, volume expansion occurs in accordance with the temperature increase.

One end (the right end in FIG. 4) of the shaft 15 is fixed to the tip of the outer case 13 on the second case 8 side, and the other end is inserted into the wax box 14. Shaft 1
At the other end of the wax box 5, the bottom side of the wax box 14 (see FIG.
A plate 17 for containing the wax W is provided on the left side of FIG. The wax box 14 is the outer container 1
The shaft 15 fixed to the shaft 3 is slidably provided. Therefore, the position of the wax box 14 relative to the shaft 15 changes as the volume of the wax W enclosed by the plate 17 changes.

In the thermostat 9, when the wax W is in the solid state, the bulging portion 14a of the wax box 14 abuts on the partition wall 13d of the outer container 13 to close the second passage port (the thermostat 9 is closed. ). Then, as the cooling water temperature rises, the wax W changes from the solid phase state to the liquid phase state, and when the volume of the wax W expands, the expansion force overcomes the biasing force of the spring 16 and the wax box 14 itself The inside of the outer container 13 is moved to the left side in FIG.

As a result, the bulging portion 14a of the wax box 14 separates from the partition wall 13d of the outer container 13 to open the second passage port (the thermostat 9 opens). When the second passage opening is opened, the opening 13b on the first case 7 side formed in the outer container 13 and the opening 13c on the second case 8 side communicate with each other. The cooling water that has flowed into the case 7 is opened 13b → second passage port → opened 13
It becomes possible to flow inside the outer container 13 in the order of c and flow to the second case 8 side.

The valve body 10 constitutes a valve mechanism with the valve seat 7c provided in the first case 7, and the valve seat 7c
Has a small diameter portion 10a slightly smaller than the inner diameter (inner diameter of the first passage port) and having a predetermined length, and a large diameter portion 10b provided larger than the inner diameter of the valve seat 7c. As shown in FIG. 2, a groove 10c (corresponding to the orifice of the present invention) is formed in a part of the outer circumference from the portion 10b to the small diameter portion 10a. The small diameter portion 10a of the valve body 10 is located on the thermostat 9 side, and is connected to the bottom portion of the wax box 14 by a connecting rod 18 so as to interlock with the movement of the wax box 14.

The positional relationship between the valve body 10 and the valve seat 7c is such that when the thermostat 9 is closed (when the wax W is in the solid state), the large diameter portion 10b is the first outlet 7 of the valve seat 7c.
It is provided so as to contact the b side and close the first passage port (the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 4). Even at this time, the first inflow port 7a side and the first outflow port 7b side are communicated with each other via the groove 10c formed in the valve body 10, and the cooling water flowing from the first inflow port 7a is It can flow from the first inflow port 7a side to the first outflow port 7b side through the groove 10c of the valve body 10. However, the flow rate of the cooling water passing through the groove 10c is about 0.5 liter / minute.

The small diameter portion 10a of the valve body 10 is the valve body 1
Since it has a predetermined length in the moving direction of 0 (horizontal direction in FIG. 1), even if the wax box 14 moves due to the expansion of the wax W, the end surface of the small diameter portion 10a passes through the valve seat 7c. Since the gap between the valve seat 7c and the small-diameter portion 10a is minute, the flow rate of the cooling water flowing through the first passage port is very small (a little higher than the flow rate of the cooling water flowing only through the groove 10c). Yes (see FIG. 5). After that, when the wax box 14 further moves and the opening ratio of the first passage port increases, the flow rate of the cooling water passing through the first passage port increases in accordance with the opening ratio (see FIG. 6).

FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the lift amount of the valve element 10 and the cooling water temperature. The valve body 10 starts to lift (the large-diameter portion 10b of the valve body 10 separates from the valve seat 7c) with the volume expansion due to the phase change of the wax W, and the wax W becomes a liquid phase at about 40 ° C. A lift amount a (see FIG. 1) at which the end surface of the small portion 10a reaches the valve seat 7c is obtained. afterwards,
The lift amount increases as the cooling water temperature rises.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The cooling water guided from the engine 1 to the circuit control valve 5 through the hot water pipe 6 flows into the first case 7 through the first inflow port 7a of the circuit control valve 5. At this time, the cooling water temperature is 40 ° C. or lower (0 to
At 40 ° C.), the wax W maintains the solid state,
The thermostat 9 will be in a closed state. On the other hand, the valve body 10 is
Since the thermostat 9 is closed, the valve seat 7c
The first passage opening is closed (see FIG. 4).

Therefore, the cooling water flowing in from the first inflow port 7a has the groove 1 formed in the valve body 10 from the first inflow port 7a side.
After passing through 0c and flowing toward the first outlet 7b side, it flows into the heat retaining tank 4 through the hot water pipe 6 and the inflow pipe 4a of the heat retaining tank 4. As a result, the high-temperature cooling water stored in the heat-retaining tank 4 is pushed out, flows through the outflow pipe 4b and the hot water pipe 6 into the second case 8 through the second inlet 8a, and then the second It is supplied from the outlet 8b to the heater core 3 through the hot water pipe 6. As a result, the air flowing in the duct is heated by the heat exchange with the high-temperature cooling water in the heater core 3, and immediate heating can be performed.

After that, when the cooling water temperature exceeds 40 ° C., the wax W expands due to the change of the wax W from the solid phase to the liquid phase, and accordingly, the bulging portion 14a of the wax box 14 and the partition of the outer container 13 are separated. The second passage opening is opened by opening between the wall 13d and the wall. Further, the valve body 10 is made of wax W.
Although the wax box 14 is lifted by the movement of the wax box 14 due to the expansion, the opening ratio of the first passage opening is small when the cooling water temperature is about 80 ° C. or lower (see FIG. 5).

Therefore, most of the cooling water flowing in from the first inlet 7a is directly supplied to the heater core 3 through the second passage opening of the thermostat 9 without flowing into the heat retaining tank 4, and the remaining minute amount is left. The flow rate is guided to the heat retention tank 4 through the first passage port. As a result, the heater core 3
Is supplied with cooling water (water temperature 40 to 80 ° C.) guided from the engine 1 through the circuit control valve 5 and the high-temperature cooling water stored in the heat retaining tank 4 to perform normal heating operation. You can

Further, when the cooling water temperature exceeds 80 ° C., the opening ratio of the second passage port of the thermostat 9 increases with the expansion of the wax W, and the lift amount of the valve body 10 also increases and the first passage port increases. Also, the opening ratio is increased (see FIG. 6). As a result, high-temperature cooling water is supplied to the heater core 3 and heating operation can be performed. Further, since the flow rate of the cooling water guided to the heat retention tank 4 through the first passage port increases, it is possible to store high temperature cooling water in the heat retention tank 4 and store the heat.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. 7 to 9 are sectional views of the circuit control valve 5. The circuit control valve 5 of this embodiment is composed of a case body 19, a thermostat 9, a movable valve 20, a spring 21, and the like. The case body 19 has a first inlet 19 through which engine cooling water flows.
a, a first outlet 19b connected to the inflow pipe 4a of the heat retaining tank 4 (see FIG. 1), a second inflow port 19c connected to the outflow pipe 4b of the heat retaining tank 4, and a heater core 3 It has a second outlet 19d. Further, inside the case main body 19, a case seat 19e that forms a valve mechanism with the movable valve 20 is provided.

The thermostat 9 includes an outer container 13 fixed to a case body 19, a wax box 14 arranged in the outer container 13, a spring 16 for urging the wax box 14, and a bottom side of the outer container 13 (see FIG. (Left side of 7)
The pedestal 22 fixed to the wax box 14 and the operating rod 23 fixed to the wax box 14 together with the pedestal 22 are provided. As in the case of the first embodiment, the operation of the thermostat 9 changes the volume of the wax (not shown) housed in the wax box 14, causing the wax to move with respect to the shaft 15 fixed to the outer container 13. The box 14 itself moves in the left-right direction in FIG. 7 to open and close the second passage opening of the thermostat 9.

The movable valve 20 (the valve element 10 of the present invention) is movably fitted to the actuating rod 23 and is urged toward the thermostat 9 by the spring 21. The movable valve 20 is provided with a valve portion 20a that abuts on the case seat 19e to close the first passage opening formed on the inner circumference of the case seat 19e, and at the position opposite to the base 22 of the thermostat 9. A receiver 24 is attached. Further, the groove 20 is formed in the valve portion 20a as in the first embodiment.
b (corresponding to the orifice of the present invention) is formed, and the cooling water can flow through the groove 20b even when the valve portion 20a abuts the case seat 19e to close the first passage port.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. When the cooling water temperature is 40 ° C or lower (0 to 40 ° C), the thermostat 9
Is closed, so that the movable valve 20 is biased by the spring 21 to keep the first passage port closed (see FIG. 7). Therefore, the cooling water that has flowed in from the first inflow port 19a passes through the groove 20b formed in the valve portion 20a, flows out from the second outflow port 19d, and then is guided to the heat retention tank 4. As a result, the high-temperature cooling water stored in the heat-retaining tank 4 is supplied to the heater core 3 for immediate heating.

When the cooling water temperature is 40 ° C. or higher (40 to 80 ° C.), the wax box 14 moves according to the cooling water temperature to open the second passage port of the thermostat 9. Also,
As the wax box 14 moves, the pedestal 22 fixed to the wax box 14 becomes a pedestal receiver 2 for the movable valve 20.
Press 4. When this pressing force becomes larger than the biasing force of the spring 21, the movable valve 20 moves and the first passage port opens (see FIG. 8). At this time, since the opening ratio of the first passage port is small, the flow rate of the cooling water that passes through the first passage port and is guided to the heat retention tank 4 is very small, and most of the cooling water that has flowed in from the first inlet port 19a is present. Is the second of the thermostat 9
It is supplied to the heater core 3 through the passage port.

When the cooling water temperature further rises above 80 ° C., the opening ratios of the second passage opening and the first passage opening both increase with the movement of the wax box 14 (see FIG. 9). As a result, a large amount of high-temperature cooling water flowing out from the engine 1 can be supplied to the heater core 3, and high-temperature cooling water can be stored in the heat retaining tank 4 to store heat.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the heat retaining tank and the circuit control valve, and FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a hot water circuit used in the vehicle heating device.
The numbers given to the parts are not common to the first and second embodiments. As shown in FIG. 11, the hot water circuit 1 of the present embodiment includes a hot water type heater core 2, a heat retaining tank 3 for retaining high temperature cooling water, and a circuit control valve 4 (flow rate control valve of the present invention). It is connected to the engine 6 by a pipe 5. The heater core 2 is arranged in a duct (not shown) that guides blown air into the vehicle interior, and passes by exchanging heat between the air passing through the heater core 2 and the high-temperature cooling water flowing inside the heater core 2. Heat the air.

The heat insulation tank 3 has a predetermined amount (for example, 3
(L) of cooling water can be stored and kept warm for a long time. As shown in FIG. 10, this heat retaining tank 3 is provided with a communication port 3a for communicating with the circuit control valve 4 at the bottom of the tank, and the connection port 40 of the circuit control valve 4 is connected to the communication port 3a via the O-ring 7. It is inserted liquid tight. Inside the heat retaining tank 3, an outflow pipe 8 is provided for letting out the high temperature cooling water stored in the heat retaining tank 3. The outflow pipe 8 is arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction in the heat insulation tank 3,
The upper end opens to the upper part in the heat insulating tank 3, and the lower end is connected to the second connection port 40b formed in the connection port 40.

The outflow pipe 8 is provided with a cold / hot water mixing prevention plate 8a on the outer periphery of the lower end thereof. The cold / hot water mixing prevention plate 8a is provided at a position facing the first connection port 40a formed in the connection port 40, and stores the low-temperature cooling water flowing from the first connection port 40a and the heat retention tank 3. Prevents mixing with high temperature cooling water.

As shown in FIG. 10, the circuit control valve 4 includes a bubble body 9, a bubble case 10, a bubble case 11,
Thermostat 12, orifice valve 13, spring 1
4 and the like, a flow path A communicating with the heat retention tank 3 via the first connection port 40a and a flow path B bypassing the heat retention tank 3 are formed.

The valve body 9 is provided with an inflow port 41 into which cooling water flows, an outflow port 42 from which cooling water flows out, and the connection port 40 described above, and the inflow port 4
A hollow-cylindrical communication chamber 43 communicating with No. 1 is formed.
A valve seat 44 is formed at the upper end opening of the communication chamber 43 so as to extend to the inner circumference side over the entire circumference.
The connection port 40 is divided into a first connection port 40a whose inside communicates with the flow channel A and a second connection port 40b which communicates with the flow channel B.

The valve case 10 is liquid-tightly assembled with the valve body 9 via an O-ring 15 to form the above-mentioned flow path A together with the valve body 9 and to be connected to the valve body 9 by a bolt (not shown). It is connected and fixed. A column 10 a that guides the operation of the orifice valve 13 is provided inside the valve case 10. This pillar 10a is
It is located on the axis passing through the center of the inner diameter of the valve seat 44, and protrudes in a rod shape from the inner wall surface of the upper end of the valve case 10 toward the center of the inner diameter of the valve seat 44.

The valve case 11 and the valve body 9 sandwich the flange portion 17a (see FIG. 14) provided on the outer periphery of the thermostat 12, and the O-ring 16 is inserted.
It is assembled in a liquid-tight manner via the above, forms the above-mentioned flow path B together with the valve body 9, and is connected and fixed to the valve body 9 by a bolt (not shown).

The thermostat 12 has a well-known structure, and as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a casing 17 having the above-mentioned flange portion 17a, a wax box 18 displaceably arranged in the casing 17, One end is fixed to the casing 17, and the other end is composed of a shaft 19 inserted into the wax box 18, a spring 20 for urging the wax box 18, and the like.

The thermostat 12 opens and closes the opening 17b formed in the casing 17 by displacing the wax box 18 itself according to the volume change of the wax (not shown) housed in the wax box 18. Specifically, when the temperature of the cooling water flowing around the thermostat 12 is low (for example, less than 40 ° C.), the wax contained in the wax box 18 is maintained in a solid phase state, so that the wax box 18 is displaced. Stay still without.

However, the stationary state means the wax box 1
8 is biased by the spring 20, and the wax box 1
A state in which the spring receiving portion 21 provided on the outer circumference of the head portion of 8 contacts the peripheral edge of the opening portion of the casing 17 to close the opening portion 17b (the state shown in FIG. 10). After that, this opening 1
The closing of 7b is referred to as "the thermostat 12 is closed (valve closed)". When the thermostat 12 is closed, the tip end surface of the wax box 18 (the upper end surface in FIG. 10) does not project from the casing 17, and the entire wax box 18 is contained in the casing 17.

When the temperature of the cooling water flowing around the thermostat 12 rises (for example, 40 ° C. or higher), the wax contained in the wax box 18 changes from the solid phase to the liquid phase, and the volume changes with the phase change. Causes swelling. The volume expansion of the wax acts on a plate (not shown) provided at the end of the shaft 19 in the wax box 18, so that the wax box 18 itself slidably provided on the shaft 19 is a spring. 20
It is displaced upward in the figure against the urging force of (indicated below as lift).

When the wax box 18 is lifted, the spring receiving portion 21 separates from the peripheral edge of the opening portion and opens the opening portion 17b. After that, this opening 17b
Is opened is called "the thermostat 12 opens (valve open)". When the thermostat 12 is open, the tip end side of the wax box 18 projects upward from the casing 17 in the figure in accordance with the volume expansion of the wax, that is, the lift amount of the wax box 18.

The plane shape of the orifice valve 13 is the valve seat 4
4 has a circular shape having an outer diameter larger than the inner peripheral diameter of No. 4, and penetrates the central portion in the radial direction, and the orifice 13 is provided on the tip side.
a, a fitting hole 13b having a diameter larger than that of the orifice 13a and fitted into the column 10a of the valve case 10 is formed on the rear end side. However, the fitting hole 13b has an inner diameter of the support column 10b.
The gap that is larger than the outer diameter of a and that is formed between the fitting hole 13b and the column 10a is the cross-sectional area (S) of the orifice 13a.
mm ² ). Further, the orifice valve 13 is fitted with an annular seal member 22 formed of an elastic material such as rubber on the outer periphery on the tip side where the orifice 13a is formed.

The orifice valve 13 is a valve case 1
With the fitting hole 13b fitted to the column 10a of 0,
A spring 14 arranged between the valve case 10 and the orifice valve 13 urges the seal member 22 attached to the outer periphery of the tip end side of the valve body 9 by being urged downward in the figure to press the valve seat 44 of the valve body 9 so that the communication chamber 43 Top opening (valve seat 44
(The opening formed on the inner periphery of) is closed (the state shown in FIG. 10). However, the orifice valve 13 has a fitting hole 13b.
Is fitted to the column 10a with a margin, so that the column can be displaced in the vertical direction in the figure (FIG. 10) along the column 10a, that is, the column 10a can be used as a guide shaft for displacement.

Further, the orifice valve 13 is arranged such that the front end surface of the orifice 13a is opposed to the front end surface of the wax box 18 of the thermostat 12, and when the thermostat 12 is opened, that is, the wax box 18 is shown in the drawing. When lifted upward, the front end surface of the wax box 18 comes into contact with the front end surface of the orifice valve 13 to close the orifice 13a. After that, when the wax box 18 is further lifted, the orifice valve 13 is pushed upward in the figure against the biasing force of the spring 14 with the orifice 13a being closed (hereinafter referred to as lift).

As a result, the sealing material 22 of the orifice valve 13 which has been pressed against the valve seat 44 until then, becomes the valve seat 4
By separating from 4, the upper end opening of the communication chamber 43 is opened. Hereinafter, opening of the upper end opening portion of the communication chamber 43 with the lift of the orifice valve 13 is referred to as “opening the orifice valve 13 (opening valve)”, and the orifice valve 13 is biased by the spring 14 to open the communication chamber 43. The closing of the opening of is referred to as "the orifice valve 13 is closed (closing valve)".

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described based on the time chart shown in FIG. In the time chart shown in FIG. 12, the temperature of the cooling water (inlet water temperature t1) flowing in from the inflow port 41 of the circuit control valve 4 and the outflow port 42 are shown.
A graph (a) showing a change with time of the cooling water flowing out (outlet water temperature t2) and a graph (b) showing a change of the opening area of the thermostat 12 and the opening area of the orifice valve 13 with time. ). However, in FIG.
The symbol S on the vertical axis of 2 (b) is the passage cross-sectional area of the orifice 13a.

A) When the engine is started, the cooling water is at a low temperature (4
(Less than 0 ° C.), the thermostat 12 is closed. Since the thermostat 12 is closed, the orifice valve 13 receives the biasing force of the spring 14 and closes the upper end opening of the communication chamber 43 (state shown in FIG. 10). At this time, in the orifice valve 13, since the seal member 22 that abuts the valve seat 44 has elasticity, the seal member 22 is pressed against the valve seat 44 by the urging force of the spring 14 and comes into close contact with the valve seat 44. The sealing property with the sealing material 22 can be improved.

As a result, from the inflow port 41 to the communication chamber 4
The cooling water (low temperature) flowing into No. 3 flows through the flow path A through the orifice 13a of the orifice valve 13 and the gap between the fitting hole 13b and the strut 10a, and flows into the heat retaining tank 3 through the first connection port 40a. . When the cooling water flows into the heat retaining tank 3, the high temperature cooling water stored in the heat retaining tank 3 until then is pushed out through the outflow pipe 8. However, the cooling water flowing from the first connection port 40a into the heat retention tank 3 is cooled by the cold / hot water mixing prevention plate 8a provided so as to face the first connection port 40a.
Mixing with the high temperature cooling water stored therein is prevented, and the water is collected at the bottom of the heat insulating tank 3. This can prevent the temperature of the cooling water flowing out through the outflow pipe 8 from decreasing.

The cooling water pushed out from the heat insulation tank 3 through the outflow pipe 8 passes through the second connection port 40b and the flow path B.
Flows out of the outflow port 42 and is supplied to the heater core 2. As a result, the air passing through the heater core 2 is heated by heat exchange with the high-temperature cooling water flowing inside the heater core 2 and is sent into the vehicle interior, so that warm air can be blown into the vehicle interior. This operation is called the immediate effect heater mode.

In this immediate effect heater mode, the high temperature cooling water in the heat retaining tank 3 can be supplied to the heater core 2 by the flow rate of the cooling water flowing through the orifice 13a of the orifice valve 13. In other words, the flow rate of the cooling water flowing through the heater core 2 depends on the orifice diameter of the orifice valve 13.

Therefore, the optimum value of the orifice diameter in the case of performing the immediate effect heater mode was examined. In general, humans can feel warm when a blowing temperature of 45 ° C. or higher. After the engine is started, it takes about 3 minutes for the cooling water supplied to the heater core 2 to reach a water temperature that enables a blowout temperature of 45 ° C. Therefore, for about 3 minutes, it is desired to secure the blowout temperature of 45 ° C. by the high temperature cooling water stored in the heat insulating tank 3. When the internal volume of the heat retaining tank 3 is 3 liters, a maximum cooling water flow rate of 1 liter per minute can be supplied to the heater core 2.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, the engine 6
Idling (pump pressure ΔP = 0.108 bar)
In, the orifice diameter (orifice hole area) through which a cooling water flow rate of 1 liter per minute can be flown was determined. It should be noted that when the vehicle is running, the pump pressure ΔP becomes high (compared to when idling) because the rotational speed of the pump (not shown) driven by the engine 6 increases, and the flow rate of the cooling water supplied to the heater core 2 is large. Therefore, the time for which the cooling water in the heat retaining tank 3 (the high temperature cooling water that was initially kept warm) disappears is shortened. However, when the vehicle is running, the time required to reach the water temperature that enables the blowout temperature of 45 ° C. is shortened by the temperature rise of the cooling water, so there is no problem with the same orifice diameter as when idling.

B) After the engine is started, the temperature of the cooling water rises as the engine 6 warms up, and the inflow port 41 allows the communication chamber 4
When the temperature of the cooling water flowing into 3 reaches 40 ° C., the wax box 18 lifts and the thermostat 12 opens. Then, the front end surface of the wax box 18 abuts on the front end surface of the orifice valve 13 to close the orifice 13a, so that the cooling water flowing from the inflow port 41 into the communication chamber 43 is cooled by the heat insulating tank 3 as shown in FIG. Flow through the opening of the thermostat 12 in the flow path B, flow out from the outflow port 42, and are supplied to the heater core 2. This operation is called hot water bypass mode.

As described above, in the hot water bypass mode, since the wax box 18 closes the orifice 13a, all cold cooling water having a water temperature of less than 40 ° C. is stored in the heat retaining tank 3 and supplied to the heater core 2. There is no. Therefore, the blowout temperature does not drop sharply after the immediate effect heater mode, and the desired heating effect can be obtained.

C) After that, when the lift amount of the wax box 18 increases as the cooling water temperature rises, the orifice valve 13 is lifted while the orifice 13a is kept closed by the wax box 18, thereby opening the orifice valve 13. To do. That is, the sealing material 22 attached to the orifice valve 13 is separated from the valve seat 44 and is separated from the communication chamber 43.
The top opening of the is opened. The lift amount of the wax box 18 becomes maximum when the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the communication chamber 43 from the inflow port 41 rises to about 80 ° C., and the lift amount of the orifice valve 13 also becomes maximum. That is, the degree of opening of the thermostat 12 (the opening area of the casing opening 17b) and the degree of opening of the orifice valve 13 (the opening area of the inner circumference of the valve seat 44) both become maximum (see FIG. 12).

As a result, from the inflow port 41 to the communication chamber 4
As shown in FIG. 15, the cooling water flowing into No. 3 flows through the flow path B and is supplied to the heater core 2, and also flows through the flow path A and flows into the heat retention tank 3 and is pushed out from the heat retention tank 3. When the cooling water merges with the flow in the flow path B, the heater core 2
Is supplied to. As a result, the high-temperature cooling water flows into the heater core 2
And is also stored in the heat insulation tank 3. Hereinafter, this operation is referred to as a heat storage mode.

In this heat storage mode, the temperature of the heat insulation tank 3 is set to 80 ° C within 2 minutes after the cooling water temperature reaches about 80 ° C.
The aim is to fill up with cooling water above ℃. If you think that the minimum commuting time by vehicle is about 10 minutes,
This is because it is necessary to complete the series of mode changes of the immediate effect heater mode, the hot water bypass mode, and the heat storage mode in 10 minutes, and it takes about 8 minutes until the cooling water temperature changes from 0 ° C to 80 ° C after the engine is started. . Therefore, in order to prepare for the next immediate effect heater mode, it is necessary to fill the inside of the heat retaining tank 3 with cooling water having a water temperature of 80 ° C. or higher within the remaining 2 minutes after the cooling water temperature reaches about 80 ° C. (FIG. 16). reference).

The time for filling the inside of the heat retaining tank 3 with water depends on the flow rate of the cooling water flowing through the flow path A, that is, the opening degree of the orifice valve 13. After the wax box 18 lifts and comes into contact with the tip surface of the orifice valve 13, the orifice valve 13 lifts in conjunction with the wax box 18. Therefore, in order to shorten the time for filling the inside of the heat retaining tank 3 with water, the orifice valve 13 may be fully opened early to increase the flow rate of the cooling water flowing through the flow path A.

Therefore, in order to accelerate the lift start time of the orifice valve 13, the tip end side of the orifice valve 13 facing the wax box 18 is extended to the wax box 18 side so that the interval with the wax box 18 is reduced. Was provided (see FIG. 18). And in FIG.
As shown in, the length of the raising portion 13c that can fill the heat retaining tank 3 within 2 minutes, that is, the optimum value of the raising amount L was obtained. Specifically, when idling, that is, when the pump pressure ΔP is low (ΔP = 0.108 bar)
Is the passage inner diameter of the flow path A leading to the heat insulation tank 3 φA = 8
By expanding from .phi.A to 10.2, the optimum value (value indicated by the arrow) of the lift amount L that can fill the inside of the heat retention tank 3 with water within 2 minutes can be obtained.

When the vehicle is running (for example, 40 km /
h), that is, when the pump pressure ΔP is high (ΔP = 0.187b
ar), it is possible to obtain the optimum value (value indicated by an arrow) of the lift amount L that can fill the heat retaining tank 3 with water within 2 minutes even if the inner diameter of the passage A is φA = 8. Therefore, the flow passage A has a passage inner diameter φA = 10.2 mm or more, and the flow passage B has a passage inner diameter φB in order to secure the heater core 2 flow rate required for maximum heating operation.
= 9.2 mm or more.

(Effects of this Embodiment) As described above, the circuit control valve 4 of this embodiment has the thermostat 12 and the orifice valve 13 as separate bodies. Since it can be used as it is without any improvement, the first embodiment and the second embodiment
It is possible to reduce the cost as compared with the circuit control valve 5 of the embodiment. In addition, since the thermostat 12 and the orifice valve 13 are provided separately, it is possible to easily manage the position of the orifice valve 13, and accordingly improve the flow rate controllability (the flow rate error is small).

The circuit control valve 4 of this embodiment is the orifice 1
3a is formed in the radial center of the orifice valve 13, and the orifice 13a is closed by the wax box 18 of the thermostat 12 after the immediate effect heater mode is finished. Cold cooling water (below 40 ° C) is used for heater core 2
Can be prevented from flowing into. As a result, it is possible to prevent a sudden decrease in the blowout temperature after the end of the immediate effect heater mode.

Since the sealing material 22 made of an elastic material is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the tip of the orifice valve 13, the sealing performance of the orifice valve 13 in the immediate effect heater mode is improved. Further, since the orifice valve 13 can be fitted to the column 10a formed in the valve body 9 and can be guided and lifted by the column 10a, shaft runout during operation can be prevented.

Further, the valve case 10 and the valve case 11 are assembled from both sides of the valve body 9 with respect to the operating direction of the thermostat 12 (vertical direction in FIG. 10), whereby the assemblability is good. Further, the valve case 10 and the valve case 11 have the same outer shape (however, the inside of the case is different because the column 10a is provided on the valve case 10), so that the cost can be reduced by sharing the mold. .

[Modification] The groove 10 is provided in each of the valve body 10 shown in the first embodiment and the movable valve 20 shown in the second embodiment.
Although c and 20b are formed, small holes may be formed instead of the grooves 10c and 20b.

[0076]

According to the flow control valve of the present invention, one thermostat and the valve body associated with the operation of this thermostat perform opening / closing of the fluid passage (flow control) and control of the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the branch passage. Therefore, the cost can be reduced. Further, the hot water circuit of the vehicle heating system according to the present invention can form a valve mechanism with a flow rate control valve including one thermostat and a valve body related to the operation of the thermostat. Therefore, the valve mechanism can be simplified as compared with the related art, and the cost of the hot water circuit can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a hot water circuit according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a valve body (first embodiment).

FIG. 3 is a graph showing a relationship between a cooling water temperature and a valve lift amount (first embodiment).

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a circuit control valve according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an operation explanatory view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a heat retaining tank and a circuit control valve according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the hot water circuit according to the third embodiment (in the immediate effect heater mode).

FIG. 12 is a time chart relating to the operation of the third embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the orifice diameter and the heater core flow rate (third embodiment).

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of a circuit control valve in a hot water bypass mode (third embodiment).

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a circuit control valve in a heat storage mode (third embodiment).

FIG. 16 is a graph showing the rise of cooling water temperature (third embodiment).

FIG. 17 is a graph for obtaining a lift amount of an orifice valve (third embodiment).

FIG. 18 is a sectional view of an orifice valve provided with a raised portion (third embodiment).

[Explanation of symbols]

 (First embodiment and second embodiment) 1 engine 2 hot water circuit 3 heater core 4 heat retaining tank 5 circuit control valve (flow control valve) 9 thermostat 10 valve body 10c groove (orifice) 14 wax box (temperature sensitive member) 20 Movable valve (valve body) 20b Groove (orifice) (Third embodiment) 1 Hot water circuit 2 Heater core 3 Heat retention tank 4 Circuit control valve (Flow control valve) 6 Engine 12 Thermostat 13 Orifice valve (valve body) 13a Orifice 18 Wax box (Temperature sensitive member)

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Toshio Morikawa 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya city, Aichi Nihon Denso Co., Ltd.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A temperature-sensing operating member, which is arranged in a fluid passage having a branch passage and is actuated by a temperature change of a fluid flowing through the fluid passage, wherein the fluid passage is formed in accordance with the actuation of the temperature-sensing operating member. A flow control valve comprising: a thermostat that can be opened and closed; and a valve body that is connected to the temperature-sensing operation member and that changes the opening ratio of the branch passage in association with the operation of the temperature-sensing operation member. 2. A temperature-sensing operating member, which is disposed in a fluid passage having a branch passage and is activated by a temperature change of a fluid flowing through the fluid passage, wherein the fluid passage is connected with the operation of the temperature-sensing operating member. Flow control including a thermostat that can be opened and closed, and a valve body that is provided separately from the temperature-sensing operation member and that changes the opening ratio of the branch passage in relation to the operation of the temperature-sensing operation member. valve. 3. The flow control valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the valve body is provided with an orifice through which a predetermined amount of fluid can flow while the branch passage is closed. Flow control valve to. 4. The flow control valve according to claim 3, wherein the valve element is arranged at a predetermined interval from the temperature-sensitive operating member, and the temperature-sensitive operating member is in the middle of operation. A flow rate control valve, wherein the flow rate control valve is interlocked with the temperature-sensitive operating member in a state where the orifice is closed by the temperature-sensitive operating member. 5. A heater core for heating air blown into the vehicle compartment by heat exchange with engine cooling water, b) a heat retaining tank capable of keeping the cooling water stored therein for a long time, and c). A cooling water passage for guiding cooling water flowing out of the engine to the heater core by bypassing the heat retaining tank; d) a cooling water inflow passage for guiding cooling water from the cooling water passage to the heat retaining tank; and e) the heat retaining tank. A cooling water outflow passage for guiding cooling water to the cooling water passage, and f) arranged in the cooling water passage between a connection portion with the cooling water inflow passage and a connection portion with the cooling water outflow passage,
The cooling water passage is provided so that it can be opened and closed, and a thermostat that opens when the temperature of the cooling water that has flowed out of the engine is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, and is arranged in the cooling water inflow passage.
A hot water circuit for a vehicle heating device, comprising: a flow control valve including a valve body that varies an opening ratio of the cooling water inflow path in association with the operation of the thermostat. 6. A hot water circuit for a vehicle heating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the valve body is provided with an orifice through which a predetermined amount of fluid can flow while the cooling water inflow passage is closed. A hot water circuit for a vehicle heating device, which is characterized in that 7. The hot water circuit for a vehicle heating system according to claim 6, wherein the valve element is arranged at a predetermined interval from the thermostat, and the thermostat is activated during operation of the thermostat. A hot water circuit for a vehicle heating device, characterized in that the hot water circuit operates in conjunction with the thermostat in a state where the orifice is closed by.