JPH07174255A - Pilot type motor-operated valve - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a pilot type motor-operated valve to be operated at small electric power, where driving by a small-sized solar cell is realized, by a motor- operated valve housing a ball-like valve body. CONSTITUTION:A circular valve seat 4 for partitioning an (a) chamber on a water inlet 2 side and a (c) chamber on a water outlet 3 side is housed inside a valve main body 1 having a water inlet 2 and a water outlet 3. A (b) chamber is formed between an elastic valve 6 and an upper cover 7 above the valve main body 1. The (a) chamber is communicated with the port 9a of a three-way valve 9, thus constituting a pilot circuit P. The (b), (c) chambers are communicated with the ports 9b, 9c of the three-way valve 9, respectively. Driving an electric motor to be controlled by a ball-like valve body 10 sensor turns a ball-like valve body 10 of the three-way valve 9 to switch the pilot circuit P, thereby communicating the (a), (b) chambers with each other. Otherwise, the (b), (c) chambers are communicated with each other so that the elastic valve 6 is opened or closed, thus opening or closing the (a), (c) chambers.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pilot type electric valve in which a pilot circuit of a valve body is switched by an electric valve using a small electric motor of a small electric power which is driven by electric power of a small solar cell. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in order to protect crops such as tea from frost damage, when frost falls, water is sprayed on the leaf surface of the tea and the sprouts are covered with an ice curtain to prevent frost damage using the latent heat of freezing of water. The method of doing is becoming popular.

In such a sprinkling and freezing method, it is difficult to predict when the frost will fall, so that it requires a great deal of labor for the farmer to look around the cultivation area at midnight and make judgment based on his intuition and experience. It was.

For this reason, although the development has been made so far to automate the water sprinkling, it is difficult to supply electric power in such a cultivation area, and a simple mechanism, preferably a water sprinkling device, that can be operated by women and women is used. There was a desire for full automation.

In view of such circumstances, the inventor of the present invention has developed a temperature sensing non-powered automatic valve which does not require electric power (Japanese Patent Application No. 58-091030). Furthermore, we have developed an automatic valve that improves on the drawbacks of this non-powered automatic valve (Japanese Patent Application No. 1-72927).

[0006]

All of the above automatic valves operate without electricity, but various electronic devices such as soil moisture sensors, rainfall sensors, flow rate sensors, water level sensors, humidity sensors, temperature sensors, etc. In order to control valve opening and closing by using sensors, an electric valve driven by signals of these sensors is required.

[0007] By the way, the demand for non-power application of the sprinkler device has arisen as a result of considering the circumstances of the cultivation area where it is difficult to supply electric power. It would be convenient if

However, since the conventional three-way valve has a structure in which the valve body seal is screwed in and tightened in order to improve the airtightness, a large torque is required for opening and closing the valve,
It requires a power source of at least 12 V to 24 V, and when the power is supplied by the solar cell, the solar cell becomes very large.

Although a small solar cell can be used with a solenoid valve, the solenoid valve has a small diameter and is apt to cause clogging, and is not suitable for an automatic opening / closing valve of water sprinkling in a cultivation area.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and utilizes the advantage of the pilot circuit used in the above-mentioned unpowered automatic valve developed by the present inventor, and incorporates a ball-shaped valve element. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pilot type electric valve driven by a small solar cell, which is capable of supplying electric power by a small solar cell by the electric valve, and is fat.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned object, a pilot type electric valve of the present invention is provided with a water inlet side in a valve body having a water inlet and a water outlet connected to a water main. A circular valve seat that separates the chamber a from the chamber c on the side of the water outlet is provided, and the upper lid is fixed to the opening end formed in the upper portion of the valve body via an elastic valve that opens and closes the circular valve seat. A chamber b is formed between the elastic valve and the upper lid, and a pilot circuit is configured by connecting the chamber a and the inlet / outlet port of the three-way valve through an outer pipe, and each of the chamber b and the chamber c is connected to the outside. While communicating with the inlet and outlet of the three-way valve via a pipe, the ball-shaped valve element housed in the three-way valve is sandwiched by seals, and the projecting shaft of the ball-shaped valve element is rotatably held by a guide to reduce the size. Connect to an electric motor and connect a sensor to the electric motor according to the sensing purpose. Then, by driving the electric motor controlled by the sensor, the ball-shaped valve element of the three-way valve is rotated to switch the pilot circuit so that the chamber a and the chamber b are communicated with each other, or the chamber b is communicated with the chamber b. By connecting the chamber and the c chamber, the elastic valve is opened and closed to open and close the a chamber and the c chamber.

[0012]

In the above structure, the valve body of the three-way valve 9 is composed of the ball-shaped valve body 10, and the ball-shaped valve body 10 is sealed 18
a and 18a, and the projection shaft 10a of the ball-shaped valve body 10 is slidably and rotatably held by the guide 18b of the three-way valve 9 so as to be connected to the small electric motor 11. Although it is less airtight than the screw-fastened type, it can be driven with a small torque and therefore can be driven by the small electric motor 11 of small electric power.

In the present invention, by rotating the ball-shaped valve element 10 of the three-way valve 9 by the electric motor 7, the pilot circuit P is switched to connect the chamber a and the chamber b of the valve body 1. , B chamber and c chamber are connected to each other so that the elastic valve 6
Open and close.

However, the valve element of the three-way valve 9 is replaced by the ball-shaped valve element 1.
Since it was set to 0, the entrances 9a and 9b were opened and the entrance 9c was opened.
When the valve is closed, water may leak from the inlet / outlet 9c and flow into the chamber c. When the doors 9b and 9c are opened to block the inlet / outlet 9a, water may leak from the port 9a to the chamber b or the chamber c. Although there is a risk of running water, such running water is minute and does not affect the pressure difference generation in each chamber due to switching of the pilot circuit P, so that the elastic valve 6 can be opened and closed perfectly.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since the structure of the valve main body 1 can allow the inflow of the leaked water, the use of the ball-shaped valve element 10 which rotates in the three-way valve 9 by a small torque is possible. It will be possible.

In such a pilot type electric valve,
When the electric motor 11 rotates according to the detection result of the sensor 12, for example, the temperature sensor, and the ball-shaped valve body 10 of the electric valve 9 rotates so as to connect the inlets and outlets 9a and 9b, the chamber a of the valve body 1 changes to the chamber b. Since the pressure Pa of the chamber a becomes equal to the pressure Pb of the chamber b because of flowing water, the chamber c has no pressure and the sectional area acting on the elastic valve 6 is larger in the chamber b than in the chamber a. The elastic valve 6 is pressed toward the circular valve seat 4 and closes the upper opening of the circular valve seat 4 so that the chamber a and the chamber c are in a non-communication state at the partition wall 4a.

Further, according to the detection result of the sensor 12, when the electric motor 11 is rotated and the ball-shaped valve element 10 of the three-way valve 9 is rotated so as to connect the inlets and outlets 9b and 9c, the chambers b and c are connected.
Since the chamber communicates with the chamber, the pressure Pb in the chamber b is released to the chamber c. As a result, Pb becomes smaller than Pa, and the elastic valve 6 is pushed up by the Pa from the circular valve seat 4 to supply water from the water main pipe. Will be distributed from room a to room c to allow water supply.

As described above, in the pilot type electric valve of the present invention, the pilot circuit P is switched by driving the three-way valve 9 having the ball-shaped valve element 10 driven by the small electric motor 11, and the chambers of the respective chambers are changed accordingly. The elastic valve 6 is opened and closed by the pressure difference to enable water supply and blockage from the chamber a to the chamber c.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the three-way valve of the pilot operated motor valve of the present invention connects the chambers a and b of the valve body and the elastic valve is closed. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pilot type electrically operated valve of FIG. 1 in a state in which the b chamber and the c chamber of the valve body are communicated with each other by the three-way valve and the elastic valve is opened. 3 and 4 are sectional views showing the inside of the three-way valve. FIG. 5 is a right side external view of the valve body of FIG. FIG. 6 is a rear side external view of the valve body of FIG.

In FIG. 1, the valve body 1 has a water inlet 2 connected to the water supply side of a water supply main (not shown) and a water outlet 3 connected to the water discharge side, and an opening end 5 is formed in the upper part. . Each of the water inlet 2 and the water outlet 3 has a thread groove 2 that is screwed into the water supply main.
a and 3a are engraved.

A circular valve seat 4 having an opening at the top is formed in the valve body 1, and its upper edge 4a is lower than the open end 5. The circular valve seat 4 separates a chamber a on the water inlet 2 side and a chamber c on the water outlet 3 side by a partition wall 4b.

The elastic valve 6 for opening and closing the circular valve seat 4 is integrally formed of elastic rubber as a whole, and has a thick portion 6a having a shape of an inverted cone cut in the center in a plane parallel to the bottom surface (upper surface in FIG. 1). The thick portion 6a comprises a thin portion 6b whose outer circumference is widened from the peripheral edge of the upper surface, and the outer diameter of the thick portion 6a is such that the outer peripheral inclined surface 6c makes line contact with the upper edge 4a of the circular valve seat 4. . The thick portion 6a holds the metal disc 6d from above and below and holds the bolt 6
It is concluded with e.

By fastening the upper lid 7 to the open end 5 with the bolt 13 through the thin portion 6b on the outer periphery of the elastic valve 6 as described above, the outer peripheral inclined surface 6c of the elastic valve 6 is fixed to the upper edge 4 of the circular valve seat 4.
It comes into line contact with a and closes. A projecting portion 7a is formed in the lower center of the upper lid 7, and the spring 14 fitted to the projecting portion 7a.
The lower end of the elastic valve 6 against the metal disk 6d of the elastic valve 6
By urging the spring downward, the restoring force of the elastic valve 6 and the close contact with the upper edge 4a of the circular valve seat 4 are improved.

In this way, a closed chamber b is formed between the upper lid 7 and the elastic valve 6. The chamber b occupies the entire upper surface of the elastic valve 6, whereas the chamber a occupies the outer peripheral portion of the circular valve seat 4 on the lower surface of the elastic valve 6, and the chamber c occupies the elastic valve 6.
Occupies the inner peripheral portion of the circular valve seat 4 on the lower surface of the. The upper lid 7 has a shape that bulges upward to ensure the internal volume of the chamber b.

When the elastic valve 6 is seated on the circular valve seat 4, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the chambers a and c are completely closed, but when the elastic valve 6 is separated from the circular valve seat 4, the chambers a and c are separated from the circular valve seat 4 and the elastic valve 6 as shown in FIG. Make a gap between them to communicate.

Further, a through hole 8a is formed in the outer wall of the upper part of the water inlet 2 in the chamber a, and a through hole 8 is formed substantially in the center of the upper lid 7 in the chamber b.
b is bored, and a through hole 8c is bored in the outer wall of the water outlet 3 in the chamber c. A connector 15 is provided in each of the through holes 8a, 8b, 8c.
A, 15b, 15c are screwed into the three-way valve 9, and the inlet / outlet 9a,
The connectors 16a, 16b, 16c screwed to 9b, 9c communicate with each other via tubes 17a, 17b, 17c. In such a circuit, the through hole 8 formed in the chamber a
a acts as a pilot circuit P.

A three-way valve 9 is fixedly installed in the center of the upper lid 7 via the connector 15b, the tube 17b and the connector 16b.

The three-way valve 9 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the same three-way valve 9, but with different viewing directions, with another entrance / exit 9b behind the paper of FIG. 3 and an electric motor behind the paper of FIG. 11
Are connected.

This three-way valve 9 has a ball-shaped valve body 10 housed in a valve chamber as a center and is provided with an inlet / outlet port 9 in three directions as shown in FIG.
The guide 1 is provided with a, 9b, and 9c and is rotatable around the lower end outer periphery of the protruding shaft 10a from the valve body 10 in the other direction as shown in FIG.
The projection shaft 10a is connected to a rotary shaft 11a of a small-sized electric motor 11, which will be described later, while being held outward by 8b and exposed to the outside.

The conventional three-way valve has the guide 18 shown in FIG.
b is provided on the inner periphery of the protruding shaft 10a and the protruding shaft 10a.
Since the inner periphery of a is sealed with Teflon and the protruding shaft 10a is screwed to the guide 18b, a large torque is required.
Since 0a only contacts the inside of the guide 18b, it rotates with a small torque, and the small electric motor 11 described later can be used.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ball-shaped valve element 10 has flow holes 10b, 1b for communicating the inside of the ball element in two directions at right angles.
0b, and the valve body 10 is sandwiched by seals 18a, 18a that are fixed to surround the valve chamber.
By rotating a by the electric motor 11, the ball-shaped valve body 9 is rotated on the inner circumference of the seals 18a, 18a, and the flow holes 10b, 10b are opened and closed in the three directions 9a, 9b, 9c.
It communicates in two directions.

An O-ring 18c is fitted to the guide 18b, the seal 18a, etc. to prevent leakage of circulating water.

The connectors 16a, 16b, 16c are provided around the connection ports of the tubes 17a, 17b, 17c, respectively.
Elastic sleeve 19a, lock claw 19b, release ring 1
9c is fitted and connected to the entrances / exits 9a, 9b, 9c.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, through holes 20a are provided in parallel in the lower part of the three-way valve 9, and each through hole 2
0a into which the threaded portions of the connecting rods 20 and 20 are fitted and screw 20b
And the connecting plates 21 are connected to the other ends of the connecting rods 20 and 20, respectively. The motor case 22 is fixed to the connecting plate 21 with screws 21a and 21a.
A small electric motor 11 is fixed to the rotary shaft 11a.
Is connected to the connecting shaft 25 via the reduction gear mechanism 23, the connecting shaft 25 is fixed to the fan plate 24, and then connected to the protruding shaft 10a of the ball-shaped valve element 10 of the three-way valve 9.

As shown in FIG. 6, the fan plate 24 has limit switches 26, 26 fixed to the sides forming both radii. The fixed position of the limit switches 26, 26 on both sides is at the radial position of the connecting rod 20 around the connecting shaft 25 (see FIG. 5), and the fan plate 24 rotates in either direction by the rotation of the small electric motor 11. Then, as shown by the one-dot chain line arrow, the actuator 26a of the limit switch 26 comes into contact with either one of the connecting rods 20 and the limit switch 26
Open and close.

The limit switches 26 on both sides are connected to the external sensor 12. The sensor 12 is of a type according to the sensing purpose. The small electric motor 11 is connected to an external small solar cell 27, and the small electric motor 11 is driven by the power supply of the solar cell 27. Also,
The limit switches 26, 26 and the small electric motor 11 are connected to a control device, and by opening and closing the limit switches 26, 26, the rotation direction and the stop signal of the small electric motor 11 are controlled.

If, for example, a temperature detecting sensor is connected as the sensor 12, the small electric motor 11 is driven when the environmental temperature becomes equal to or lower than the specified temperature, and the ball-shaped valve body 1 of the three-way valve 9 is driven.
0 is rotated to connect the entrances 9a and 9b to each other, and the fan plate 24 is rotated so that the limit switch 26 on one side is connected to the connecting rod 2
A stop signal is sent to the motor 11 at the point of contact with 0, and the small electric motor 11 stops.

When the environmental temperature rises above the specified temperature, the small electric motor 11 is driven again to rotate the ball-shaped valve element 10 of the three-way valve 9 to connect the inlets and outlets 9b and 9c with each other. Further, the rotation of the fan plate 24 causes the limit switch 26 on the other side to come into contact with the connecting rod 20 to stop the small electric motor 11.

The opening / closing operation of such a three-way valve 9 is similarly performed when another sensor such as a soil moisture sensor, a rainfall sensor, a flow rate sensor, a water level sensor, or a humidity sensor is used as the sensor 12.

The opening / closing operation of the valve body 1 using the above pilot type electric valve is performed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 1, when the water inlet 11 and the water outlet 12 are connected to a water supply main to circulate water, when the sensor (temperature sensor) 12 senses an environmental temperature below a specified temperature at night, the ball of the motor operated valve 9 The valve body 10 rotates and the entrances 9a and 9b are rotated.
To establish communication. At this time, since water flows from the chamber a of the valve body 1 to the chamber b, the pressure Pa of the chamber a and the pressure P of the chamber b are
Although b is equal, the chamber c is pressureless, and the cross-sectional area acting on the elastic valve 6 is larger in the chamber b than in the chamber a.
The elastic valve 6 is pressed in the direction of the circular valve seat 4 to close the upper opening of the circular valve seat 4 so that the chambers a and c are blocked by the partition wall 4a, and water flows from the water inlet 11 to the water outlet 12. do not do.

Further, in FIG. 2, when the sensor (temperature sensor) 12 senses an environmental temperature higher than a specified temperature, the ball-shaped valve element 10 of the three-way valve 9 rotates to bring the inlets / outlets 9b and 9c into a communication state, and the chamber a Water flowing from room b to chamber b is a ball-shaped valve body 1
0 means no connection. At this time, when the b chamber and the c chamber communicate with each other, the pressure Pb of the b chamber is released from the c chamber to the water outlet 3,
b becomes smaller than Pa, the elastic valve 6 is pushed up from the circular valve seat 4 by Pa, and the water supply from the main water supply pipe flows from the a chamber to the c chamber, enabling water supply.

[0043]

As described above, according to the pilot-operated motor valve of the present invention, the motor-operated valve can operate by sensing the environmental conditions by various sensors, and can supply water according to the environmental conditions in a wide range. It will be possible.

Further, in the present invention, since the valve element of the three-way valve is a ball-shaped valve element that rotates with a small torque, the electric motor that drives the valve element is a small electric motor that operates with a small electric power of 2.5V to 3V. It can be a motor, which enables power supply by a small solar cell.

Therefore, even in the cultivated area where it was impossible to supply the electric power by the distribution line in the past, it is possible to automate the electric power supply with a small amount of electric power, so that the sprinkling by the accurate temperature sensing can be performed like the sprinkling ice method in the tea cultivation. If you need it,
Fully automated water supply is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where an elastic valve is closed by connecting a chamber a and a chamber b of a valve body by a three-way valve in a pilot operated motor valve of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a state where the elastic valve is opened by connecting the b chamber and the c chamber of the valve body by the three-way valve in the pilot-operated motorized valve of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the three-way valve according to the present invention, which is shown from a direction in which a protruding shaft that is connected to a rotating shaft of an electric motor can be seen.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the three-way valve according to the present invention, which is shown from the direction in which the three-way inlets and outlets can be seen.

5 is a right side external view of the valve body of FIG. 1. FIG.

6 is a rear side external view of the valve body of FIG.

[Explanation of sign]

1 ... Valve body, 2 ... Water inlet, 3 ... Water outlet, 4 ... Circular valve seat,
4a ... upper edge of circular valve seat, 5 ... open end, 6 ... elastic valve, 7 ...
Upper lid, 9 ... Three-way valve, 9a, 9b, 9c ... Three-way valve inlet / outlet, 10 ... Ball valve body, 10a ... Projection shaft, 11 ... Small electric motor, 12 ... Sensor, 18a ... Seal, 18b ...
guide.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A circular valve seat for separating a chamber on the side of the water inlet 2 and a chamber on the side of the water outlet 3 in a valve body 1 having a water inlet 2 and a water outlet 3 connected to a water main. 4 is provided, and the upper lid 7 is fixed to the open end 5 formed in the upper portion of the valve body 1 via the elastic valve 6 that opens and closes the circular valve seat 4, so that between the elastic valve 6 and the upper lid 7. A b-chamber is formed, and a pilot circuit P is formed by communicating the a-chamber with the inlet / outlet 9a of the three-way valve 9 via an outer pipe, and the b-chamber and the c-chamber are respectively connected to the three-way via the outer pipe. While communicating with the inlets / outlets 9b and 9c of the valve 9, the ball-shaped valve element 10 housed in the three-way valve 9 is sandwiched by seals 18a and 18a, and the protruding shaft 10a of the ball-shaped valve element 10 is rotated by a guide 18b. It is movably held and connected to a small electric motor 11, and the electric motor 11 has a sensing eye. According to the above, the ball motor 10 controlled by the sensor 12 is driven to rotate the ball-shaped valve element 10 of the three-way valve 9 to switch the pilot circuit P. And the b chamber or the b chamber and the c chamber are communicated with each other, so that the elastic valve 6 is opened and closed to open and close the a chamber and the c chamber. Pilot operated motor operated valve.