KR102174103B1 - Valve integrated with water detect sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a valve in which a water detection sensor is integrated, and in particular, to a valve in which a water detection sensor is integrated to detect the flow of water discharged from a water trap of a hydrogen vehicle. The present invention can accurately detect that water is discharged from a water trap by integrating a water detection sensor in the valve. In addition, according to the present invention, the strength of the molded product can be increased by using a conductor having a void as a sensor to fill the molded product with the void during injection molding. In the present invention, by updating the initial capacitance value to the currently measured capacitance value when the valve is turned off, even if the ambient temperature changes without a temperature sensor, the flow of the fluid can be accurately detected with the measured capacitance value.

Description

Valve integrated with water detection sensor {VALVE INTEGRATED WITH WATER DETECT SENSOR}

The present invention relates to a valve in which a water detection sensor is integrated, and in particular, to a valve in which a water detection sensor is integrated to detect the flow of water discharged from a water trap of a hydrogen vehicle.

A water trap is installed to store generated water, and when more than a certain amount of water is stored, it is discharged from the water trap. In the past, water detection sensors were installed in the water trap to measure the presence of water in the water trap. However, in this case, it is possible to detect whether there is water in the water trap, but there is a problem that it is not known whether water is discharged from the discharge port of the water trap.

Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1013857 (registered on February 1, 2011) Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1558587 (registered on October 1, 2015)

An object of the present invention is to provide a valve incorporating a water detection sensor capable of effectively detecting the flow of water discharged from a water trap of a hydrogen vehicle.

The object of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned object, and other objects and advantages of the present invention not mentioned can be understood by the following description, and will be more clearly understood by the examples of the present invention. In addition, it will be easily understood that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means shown in the claims and combinations thereof.

The valve in which the water detection sensor according to the present invention is integrated includes a valve control unit, a fluid flow path through which fluid is introduced and discharged, a valve in which the fluid movement path is opened and closed according to the control of the valve control unit, and a fluid movement path. It is provided to surround the sensor unit for sensing a flow of the fluid moving in the fluid passage according to the change in capacitance.

The sensor unit may include a mesh-type conductor surrounding the fluid passage and having a hollow column shape with open upper and lower portions, and a support body supporting the circumference of the mesh-type conductor. In this case, the support includes an upper support supporting an upper edge of the mesh-type conductor, a lower support supporting a lower edge of the mesh-type conductor, and at least one connecting support connecting the upper support and the lower support. .

The mesh-type conductor may have a woven thread-shaped conductor. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the mesh-type conductor may have a shape in which a plurality of holes are formed in the surface-shaped conductor. In addition, the sensor unit may include a flat plate conductor having a hollow column shape with open upper and lower portions surrounding the fluid passage.

A sensor control module for controlling a sensor unit, wherein the sensor control module includes a valve state determination module that determines a valve operation state including a valve on state and a valve off state from the valve controller, and a valve determined by the valve state determination module. When the operating state is the valve off state, a capacitance value initialization module that stores the capacitance value currently measured in the conductor as an initial capacitance value, and the capacitance value measured in the conductor, the previously stored capacitance initial value and A gas signal indicating a state in which fluid does not flow in the fluid path compared to the fluid detection capacitance value, which is the capacitance value of a conductor when the fluid flows through a previously stored fluid path, and a state in which fluid is flowing in the fluid path It includes a measurement value output module for generating and outputting a fluid signal meaning.

The valve in which the water detection sensor is integrated according to the present invention can accurately detect that water is discharged from the water trap by integrating the water detection sensor into the valve.

In addition, the valve in which the water detection sensor according to the present invention is integrated may increase the strength of the injection product by using a conductor with a gap formed as a sensor to fill the injection product with the gap during injection molding.

In addition, the valve in which the water sensor according to the present invention is integrated updates the initial capacitance value to the currently measured capacitance value when the valve is turned off, so that the flow of fluid is accurately measured even if the ambient temperature changes without a temperature sensor. Can be detected.

In addition to the above-described effects, specific effects of the present invention will be described together while describing specific details for carrying out the present invention.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a valve in which a water sensor according to the present invention is integrated.
2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a sensor unit in a valve in which a water detection sensor is integrated according to the present invention.
3 is a perspective view of a sensor unit in a valve in which a water sensor according to the present invention is integrated.
4 is a side view of a sensor unit in a valve in which a water sensor according to the present invention is integrated.
5 is a graph of measured values when water flows and when water does not flow, measured by a sensor unit of a valve in which a water detection sensor according to the present invention is integrated.

The above-described objects, features, and advantages will be described later in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to easily implement the technical idea of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of known technologies related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description will be omitted. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar elements.

Hereinafter, a valve in which a water detection sensor is integrated according to some embodiments of the present invention will be described.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a valve in which a water sensor according to the present invention is integrated.

As shown in FIG. 1, the valve in which the water sensor according to the present invention is integrated includes an actuator 100 that generates a rotational force when power is applied, and a shaft 150 that outputs a rotational force generated by the actuator 100 to the outside, The valve 200 is operated by the shaft 150 and regulates the discharge of the fluid, and a sensor unit 300 provided in the valve 200.

The actuator 100 includes a hollow case 110 and a stator 120 and a rotor 130 installed inside the case 110. The case 110 has a pipe shape extending vertically, and a space for installing the stator 120 and the rotor 130 is formed therein.

The stator 120 is a stator that generates a rotating magnetic field when power is applied. The stator 120 is preferably formed in an annular shape so that it can be fixedly installed on the inner wall of the case 110 and the rotor 130 can be installed therein. The stator 120 includes a stator core 121, which is an iron core formed by layering a thin iron plate, and a stator coil 122 wound around the stator core 121.

The rotor 130 is a rotor that rotates by a rotating magnetic field generated by the stator 120 when power is applied. The rotor 130 is located at the center of the stator 120 and is rotatably installed. In addition, the rotor 130 includes a pipe-shaped rotor core 131 coupled to the middle of the shaft 150 and a pipe-shaped magnet 132 installed around the rotor core 131.

The shaft 150 is for outputting the rotational force generated by the stator 120 and the rotor 130, and is in the form of a rod coupled to pass through the rotor core 131. The upper and lower ends of the shaft 150 are smaller in diameter than the middle, and bearings (not shown) are provided at the upper and lower ends to support the shaft 150 so as to be rotatable. In addition, a thread for coupling with the screw nut 220 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the shaft 150. Meanwhile, the shaft 150 rotated when power is applied is returned to the initial position by the spring 140.

The valve 200 includes a housing 210 in which a fluid passage 211 for transferring a fluid is formed therein, a screw nut 220 installed in the housing 210 to open and close the moving passage, and a screw nut 220 ) And a diaphragm 230 coupled to the lower end. Here, the fluid passage 211 includes a fluid inlet passage through which a fluid flows from the water trap, and a fluid outlet passage through which the fluid introduced into the fluid inlet passage is discharged.

The screw nut 220 is screwed to the lower end of the shaft 150 to convert the rotational motion of the shaft 150 into a linear motion. The screw nut 220 has a hollow column shape with an open top and a closed bottom. The screw nut 220 has a side wall 221 having a thread corresponding to the thread of the shaft 150 on the inner circumferential surface, and a coupling protrusion 222 that is formed to close the lower end of the side wall 221 and is coupled to the diaphragm 230 Includes.

The diaphragm 230 has a disk shape including a fixing portion 231 fixed to the inner wall of the operating space and a sealing portion 232 coupled to the coupling protrusion 222 of the screw nut 220. The diaphragm 230 is an elastic member having a predetermined elasticity, and is coupled to the coupling protrusion 222 formed at the lower end of the screw nut 220 described above. With this structure, when the screw nut 220 descends downward, the diaphragm 230 closes the fluid movement path 211, and when the screw nut 220 rises upward, the diaphragm 230 moves the fluid movement path 211 ) Open.

On the other hand, this embodiment illustrated the actuator 100 as a configuration for controlling the valve 200. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a solenoid including a core and a coil assembly, and a plunger may be used as a configuration for controlling the valve 200. That is, the valve control unit for controlling the valve 200 in the present invention is not limited to any configuration.

2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a sensor unit in a valve in which a water detection sensor is integrated according to the present invention. 3 is a perspective view of a sensor unit in a valve in which a water detection sensor according to the present invention is integrated, and Fig. 4 is a side view of a sensor unit in a valve in which a water detection sensor according to the present invention is integrated.

The sensor unit 300 is provided to surround the fluid movement path 211 and detects a fluid moving through the fluid movement path 211 as a change in capacitance value. The sensor unit 300 includes a conductor 310 surrounding an edge of the fluid passage 211 and a lead 320 outputting a fluid detection value detected by the conductor 310. This embodiment exemplifies that the conductor 310 of the sensor unit 300 is a mesh type conductor 310, in this case, the sensor unit 300 is a mesh type conductor ( 310, a support 312 supporting the mesh type conductor 310, and a lead 320 electrically connected to the mesh type conductor 310. In addition, the sensor unit 300 may include a sensor control module 330 in the form of a substrate that receives the measured value through the lead 320 and outputs it to the outside.

The mesh-type conductor 310 is a form in which a thread-shaped conductor is woven, and exemplifies a hollow cylindrical shape with open upper and lower portions. In addition, as the thread-shaped conductor is woven, voids are formed in the mesh-type conductor 310, and the mesh-type conductor 310 passes through the voids formed in the mesh-type conductor 310 during injection molding. 210). In the above, it has been illustrated that the mesh-type conductor 310 has a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the mesh-type conductor 310 of the present invention includes a hollow triangular pillar and a square pillar with open upper and lower portions. It may include a polygonal column shape and an elliptical column shape. This is formed to correspond to the shape of the flow path, and the shape of the mesh-type conductor 310 of the present invention may vary depending on the shape of the fluid passage 211.

On the other hand, in the above-described embodiment, the mesh-type conductor 310 is woven into a thread-shaped conductor. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a mesh-type conductor 310 having a plurality of holes formed in the surface-shaped conductor may be used. In this case, since the area of the conductor is wider than that of the mesh-type conductor 310 in which the thread-shaped conductor is woven, the fluid measurement can be performed more reliably.

The support 312 supports the mesh-type conductor 310 to maintain its shape. To this end, the support 312 includes an upper support 312a surrounding the upper edge of the mesh-type conductor 310, a lower support 312b surrounding the lower edge of the mesh-type conductor 310, and an upper support 312a. It includes a connection support (312c, 312d) connecting the lower support (312b).

The upper support 312a supports the upper edge of the mesh-type conductor 310. Here, this embodiment illustrates the upper support 312a in the form of a ring as the upper support 312a. Of course, as described above, when the mesh-type conductor 310 is a polygon, the upper support 312a may also have a polygonal ring shape to correspond to the shape of the mesh-type conductor 310, and the mesh-type conductor 310 When is elliptical, the upper support 312a may also have an elliptical ring shape. The upper support 312a is preferably a conductor 310 in order to electrically connect the mesh-type conductor 310 and the lead 320.

The lower support 312b supports the lower edge of the mesh-type conductor 310. It is preferable that the lower support 312b has the same shape as the upper support 312a described above.

The connection supports 312c and 312d connect the upper support 312a and the lower support 312b. This embodiment illustrates that the connection supports 312c and 312d are in a bar shape, and includes a first connection support 312c and a second connection support 312d spaced apart from the first connection support 312c. do. The first connection support 312c and the second connection support 312d are formed to be spaced apart, and based on the plan view of the upper support 312a, the first connection support 312c and the second connection support 312d are provided with an upper support ( It is preferably positioned so as to equalize the perimeter of 312a).

The lead 320 electrically connects the mesh-type conductor 310 and the sensor control module 330. Such a lead 320 is connected between the upper support 312a and the mesh-type conductor 310, exemplarily having a shape of'a'.

Meanwhile, the conductor 310 in the sensor unit 300 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described mesh-type conductor 310. For example, the conductor 310 of the present invention may include a flat conductor 310. In this case, the support 312 described above is omitted, and the lead 320 is electrically connected to the flat conductor 310.

The sensor control module 330 determines the flow of the fluid based on the measured value measured by the conductor 310. In addition, the sensor control module 330 initializes an initial capacitance value, which is a criterion for determining the flow of fluid, by determining the state of the valve 200. To this end, the sensor control module 330 includes a valve state determination module that determines a valve operation state, a capacitance value initialization module that initializes an initial capacitance value according to the valve operation state, and a measurement measured by the conductor 310 It includes a measurement value output module that compares and outputs a value, an initial capacitance value, and a fluid detection capacitance value.

The valve state determination module determines the ON/OFF state of the valve from the actuator. This can be determined by receiving a signal generated when the actuator 100 controls the shaft 150 through the vehicle controller. Meanwhile, according to the present invention, the position of the shaft 150 may be detected by mounting a magnetic material on the upper portion of the shaft 150 and installing a substrate having a Hall sensor thereon. In this case, the valve on/off state according to the position of the shaft 150 sensed by the Hall sensor may also be used.

When the valve state determination module determines that the valve is in the off state, the capacitance value initialization module initializes the measured value currently being measured by the sensor unit 300 as an initial capacitance value. Here, the initial capacitance value means a zero point value, and means a measurement value measured through the conductor 310 in a state in which no fluid flows, that is, a capacitance value. The initial capacitance value changes according to the ambient temperature, and the capacitance value initialization module recognizes the valve off state and updates the initial capacitance value to the locally measured capacitance value. Accordingly, the measured value measured by the conductor 310 is determined based on the initial capacitance value. Here, the fluid detection capacitance value also changes according to the amount of change in the initial capacitance value. The fluid detection capacitance value means a capacitance value detected by the conductor 310 when a fluid flows, and the present invention is an initial capacitance value when the valve is in an off state, and a fluid detection capacitance value when the valve is in an on state It must be sensed from the conductor 310.

5 is a graph of measured values when water flows and does not flow, measured by a sensor unit of a valve in which a water detection sensor according to the present invention is integrated.

The measured value output module compares the measured value detected from the conductor 310 with an initial capacitance value and a fluid detection capacitance value, and provides a gas signal indicating a state in which a fluid does not flow to the fluid passage 211 and a fluid A fluid signal indicating a state in which fluid is flowing through the movement path 211 is generated and output. Here, the gas signal and the fluid signal are output through the terminal 240. Referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the capacitance value increases rapidly when the fluid flows through the fluid passage 211, and the capacitance value becomes the initial value when the fluid does not flow through the fluid passage 211 You can see it return. In addition, FIG. 5 shows that the initial capacitance value is updated according to the temperature, and when the valve is turned off, the capacitance value is about 31250. Accordingly, a vehicle controller (not shown) accurately determines whether there is water in the water trap according to the output gas signal and fluid signal, thereby controlling the operation of the valve.

Meanwhile, according to the present invention, a valve failure state may be recognized by comparing a measured value measured by the sensor unit 300 with a valve operation state. For example, the valve operation state may be determined as a failure when the valve is turned on or the sensor unit 300 does not detect the flow of fluid. In addition, the valve operation state may be determined as a failure when the valve is in an off state or when the sensor unit 300 detects the flow of fluid. This is because the water trap is filled with a certain amount of water every certain time when the vehicle is started. Therefore, if a fluid flow is not detected during operation of the valve when the water trap is filled with water at a certain time, it may be determined as a failure.

As described above, according to the present invention, the water detection sensor is integrated with the valve to accurately detect that water is discharged from the water trap. In addition, according to the present invention, the strength of the molded product may be increased by using a conductor having a void as a sensor to fill the molded product (housing) with the void during injection molding.

As described above with reference to the drawings illustrated for the present invention, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed in the present specification, and various by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It is obvious that transformation can be made. In addition, even if not explicitly described and described the effects of the configuration of the present invention while describing the embodiments of the present invention, it is natural that the predictable effects of the configuration should also be recognized.

100: actuator 110: case
120: stator 121: stator core
122: stator coil 130: rotor
131: rotor core 132: magnet
140: spring 150: shaft
160: holder 200: valve
210: housing 211: fluid passage
220: screw nut 221: side wall
222: coupling protrusion 230: diaphragm
231: coupling portion 232: sealing portion
240: terminal 300: sensor unit
310: conductor 311: mesh type conductor
312: support 312a: upper support
312b: lower support 312c: first connecting support
312d: second connection support 320: lead
321: first lead 322: second lead
330: sensor control module

Claims (7)

A valve control unit,
A valve in which a fluid passage through which fluid is introduced and discharged is formed, and the fluid passage is opened and closed under control of the valve controller, and
A water detection sensor including a sensor unit that is provided to surround the fluid passage and senses a flow of a fluid moving in the fluid passage according to a change in capacitance is integrated,
The sensor unit is integrated with a water detection sensor including a mesh-type conductor having a hollow column shape with open upper and lower portions and a support for supporting the circumference of the mesh-type conductor, surrounding the fluid passage,
The support includes an upper support for supporting an upper edge of the mesh-type conductor, a lower support for supporting a lower edge of the mesh-type conductor, and at least one connecting support connecting the upper support and the lower support. A valve with integrated water detection sensor.
A valve control unit,
A valve in which a fluid passage through which fluid is introduced and discharged is formed, and the fluid passage is opened and closed under control of the valve controller, and
A water detection sensor including a sensor unit that is provided to surround the fluid passage and senses a flow of a fluid moving in the fluid passage according to a change in capacitance is integrated,
The sensor unit is integrated with a water detection sensor including a mesh-type conductor having a hollow column shape with open upper and lower portions and a support for supporting the circumference of the mesh-type conductor, surrounding the fluid passage,
Comprising a sensor control module for controlling the sensor unit,
The sensor control module,
A valve state determination module for determining a valve operating state including a valve on state and a valve off state from the valve control unit,
When the valve operation state determined by the valve state determination module is a valve off state, a capacitance value initialization module that stores a capacitance value currently measured in the conductor as an initial capacitance value, and
The capacitance value measured by the conductor is compared with an initial capacitance value stored in advance and a fluid detection capacitance value that is a capacitance value of the conductor when fluid flows through the fluid flow path stored in advance. A valve in which a water detection sensor including a measurement value output module that generates and outputs a gas signal indicating a state in which a fluid does not flow in and a fluid signal indicating a state in which a fluid is flowing in the fluid passage is integrated.
delete The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The mesh-type conductor is a valve in which a water detection sensor in which a thread-shaped conductor is woven is integrated.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The mesh-type conductor is a valve in which a water detection sensor having a plurality of holes formed in a surface-shaped conductor is integrated.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The sensor unit,
A valve in which a water detection sensor is integrated, which surrounds the fluid passage and includes a flat plate conductor having a hollow column shape with open upper and lower portions. delete

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