WO2024024221A1

WO2024024221A1 - Motorized valve, motorized valve device, and method for assembling motorized valve device

Info

Publication number: WO2024024221A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/018465
Authority: WO
Inventors: 竜也吉田
Original assignee: 株式会社不二工機
Priority date: 2022-07-26
Filing date: 2023-05-17
Publication date: 2024-02-01
Also published as: JP2024016724A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide: a motorized valve and a motorized valve device that can be used across multiple types of systems; and an attachment method for a motorized valve. [Solution] A motorized valve (3) comprises a valve body assembly (5), a stator unit (6), and a nut member (7). The stator unit (6) is attached to the valve body assembly (5). The outer peripheral surface of a body member (10) of the valve body assembly (5) has provided thereto a male screw (11e). The male screw (11e) is screwed into a female screw (7e) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut member (7) and a female screw (201e) provided on the inner peripheral surface of an attachment hole (201) of a flow path block (2). The length of the male screw (11e) along an axial line (L) direction is greater than the length of the female screw (7e) along the axial line (L) direction.

Description

Motorized valve, motorized valve device, and assembly method of motorized valve device

The present invention relates to an electric valve, an electric valve device, and a method of assembling an electric valve device.

An example of a conventional electric valve is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The motorized valve is incorporated into a system with a flow path block. The electric valve constitutes an electric valve device together with the flow path block. The motorized valve includes a valve body assembly and a stator unit. The valve body assembly includes a body member, a valve body, a case, and a magnetic rotor. The main body member has a valve chamber. A valve body is arranged in the valve chamber. The case has a cylindrical shape, and one end of the case is joined to the main body member. The magnetic rotor is placed inside the case. A valve body assembly is attached to the flow path block. The stator unit includes a stator and a housing. The stator is located outside the case. The magnetic rotor and stator constitute a stepping motor. The valve body moves due to the rotation of the magnetic rotor. The stator is housed in the housing. The housing has a connector for connecting electric wires. Alternatively, electric wires extend outward from a predetermined portion of the stator unit. The portion of the stator unit where the electric wire extends outward and the connector are referred to as the "wire connection section."

A male thread is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body member. A mounting hole is provided on the upper surface of the flow path block, and a female thread is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole. The male thread of the main body member is screwed into the female thread of the channel block. The body member (valve body assembly) is attached to the flow path block by a threaded structure. The channel block has a retaining groove extending in the axial direction of the female thread. The housing has a mounting plate extending in the axial direction of the external thread. When the mounting plate is placed in the retaining groove, the mounting plate engages the flow path block and the stator unit is attached to the flow path block.

JP2022-83453A

In a system in which an electric valve is incorporated, for example, it may be necessary to change the direction of the wire connection part (the position around the axis of the screw in the stator unit) in order to efficiently lay the wires. In order to change the direction of the electric wire connection part in the electric valve, it is necessary to change the position of the mounting plate in the housing. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare electric valves suitable for each of the plurality of types of systems, and it is difficult to use the electric valve in common in the plurality of types of systems.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a motorized valve and a motorized valve device that can be used in common in a plurality of types of systems, and a method for assembling the motorized valve device.

To achieve the above object, an electrically operated valve according to one aspect of the present invention includes a valve body assembly, a stator unit, and at least one nut member, wherein the valve body assembly includes a main body. a cylindrical case attached to the main body member, and a magnetic rotor disposed inside the case, the stator unit having a stator disposed outside the case, The stator unit is attached to the valve body assembly, a male thread is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body member, the male thread is screwed with a female thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut member, and the male thread The length in the axial direction is larger than the length in the axial direction of the female thread.

In the present invention, the male thread is screwed together with the female thread of the nut member and the female thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole of the flow path block, and the nut member is fixed to the main body member to the flow path block. Preferably, it is tightened so that the

In the present invention, a retaining groove extending in the axial direction of the male screw is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the main body member, the stator unit has a mounting plate extending in the axial direction of the male screw, and the retaining groove is provided with the retaining groove extending in the axial direction of the male screw. The mounting plate is disposed in the retaining groove across at least a portion of the male thread, and a protrusion is provided on one of the bottom surface of the retaining groove and a surface of the mounting plate facing the bottom surface, and the other side includes: Preferably, a protrusion receiving portion is provided which is a recess or hole that engages with the protrusion.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the mounting plate is disposed inside the nut member, and that the depth of the holding groove is smaller than the total value of the thickness of the mounting plate and the amount of protrusion of the projection.

In the present invention, it is preferable that information related to the valve opening position of the magnetic rotor is recorded on the electric valve.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the electric valve has a control device that controls rotation of the magnetic rotor, and that the information is stored in the control device.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the electric valve has a label attached to the outer surface of the valve body assembly or the outer surface of the stator unit, and the information is recorded on the label.

In order to achieve the above object, an electrically operated valve device according to another aspect of the present invention includes the electrically operated valve and the flow path block.

In order to achieve the above object, a method for assembling a motorized valve device according to another aspect of the present invention is a method for assembling a motorized valve device having a motorized valve and a flow path block, wherein the motorized valve is a valve. The valve body assembly includes a body assembly, a stator unit, and at least one nut member, the valve body assembly being disposed inside the body member, a cylindrical case attached to the body member, and the case. a magnetic rotor, the stator unit having a stator disposed outside the case, (1) attaching the stator unit to the valve body assembly, and (2) attaching the stator unit to the outer peripheral surface of the body member. (3) screwing the male thread into the female thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole of the flow path block; 4) The nut member is tightened so that the main body member is fixed to the flow path block.

A motorized valve includes a valve body assembly, a stator unit, and at least one nut member. A stator unit is attached to the valve body assembly. A male thread provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body member of the valve body assembly is screwed into a female thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut member. The length of the male thread in the axial direction is greater than the length of the female thread in the axial direction. By doing so, a part of the male thread of the main body member into which the female thread of the nut member is threaded can be threaded into the female thread provided in the channel block. Thereby, the motor-operated valve can be fixed to the flow path block by positioning the motor-operated valve at an arbitrary position around the axis of the male screw and tightening the nut member. Therefore, the electric valve can be used in common in multiple types of systems.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an electric valve device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a motor-operated valve included in the motor-operated valve device of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a valve body assembly included in the motor-operated valve of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a stator unit included in the electric valve of FIG. 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the bracket which the stator unit of FIG. 4 has. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of FIG. 6. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method of assembling the electric valve device of FIG. 1 (step of attaching the stator unit to the valve body assembly). FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method of assembling the electric valve device of FIG. 1 (step of screwing the male thread of the main body member into the female thread of the nut member). FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method of assembling the electric valve device of FIG. 1 (step of screwing the male thread of the main body member into the female thread of the flow path block). FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method of assembling the electric valve device of FIG. 1 (step of tightening a nut member). FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the configuration of a modification of the electric valve device of FIG. 1;

Hereinafter, an electric valve device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. The electric valve device is incorporated into, for example, an air conditioner system mounted on a vehicle or an air conditioner system installed in a house.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an electric valve device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the motor-operated valve included in the motor-operated valve device of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a valve body assembly included in the electric valve of FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a stator unit included in the electric valve of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a bracket included in the stator unit of FIG. 4. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the bracket. FIG. 5B is another perspective view of the bracket. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of FIG. 6 (the retaining groove of the valve body assembly and its vicinity). 8 to 11 are diagrams illustrating a method of assembling the electric valve device of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 shows the process of attaching the stator unit to the valve body assembly. FIG. 9 shows the process of threading the male threads of the body member of the valve body assembly into the female threads of the nut member. FIG. 10 shows the process of screwing the male thread of the main body member into the female thread of the channel block. FIG. 11 shows the process of tightening the nut member. FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the configuration of a modification of the electric valve device shown in FIG. 1, 3, and 8 to 12 show the valve body as viewed from the front.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric valve device 1 includes a flow path block 2 and an electric valve 3.

The flow path block 2 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The flow path block 2 has a circular mounting hole 201. The attachment hole 201 is arranged on the upper surface 2d of the flow path block 2. The upper surface 2d is the outer surface of the flow path block 2. The inner diameter of the mounting hole 201 gradually decreases from the top to the bottom. A female thread 201e is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 201. The flow path block 2 has a first flow path 205 extending leftward from the attachment hole 201 and a second flow path 206 extending downward from the attachment hole 201 in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric valve 3 includes a valve body assembly 5, a stator unit 6, and a nut member 7.

As shown in FIG. 3, the valve body assembly 5 includes a main body member 10, a can 20, a drive mechanism 30, and a valve body 40.

The main body member 10 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy. The main body member 10 has a first portion 11, a second portion 12, and a connecting member 13.

The first portion 11 has a cylindrical shape. The first portion 11 integrally includes an upper portion 11a, a middle portion 11b, and a lower portion 11c. The outer diameter of the upper portion 11a is larger than the outer diameter of the middle portion 11b. The outer diameter of the middle part 11b is larger than the outer diameter of the lower part 11c.

The first portion 11 has a male thread 11e. The male screw 11e is arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the upper portion 11a. The male thread 11e is screwed into the female thread 201e of the channel block 2. The first portion 11 is placed in the mounting hole 201 of the flow path block 2 . The upper portion 11a protrudes from the upper surface 2d of the channel block 2.

The first portion 11 has a holding groove 14. The holding groove 14 extends in the vertical direction (axis L direction). The holding groove 14 is arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the upper part 11a, and vertically crosses the male thread 11e. The upper end of the holding groove 14 is open upward, and the lower end of the holding groove 14 is open downward. Alternatively, the holding groove 14 may cross a part of the male thread 11e. In this case, the upper end of the holding groove 14 is open upward. The first portion 11 has a recess 14c. The recess 14c is arranged on the bottom surface 14a of the holding groove 14. The recessed portion 14c is a protrusion receiving portion.

The first portion 11 has a valve chamber 15, a valve port 16, a valve seat 17, and a connecting flow path 18. The valve chamber 15 is arranged inside the middle part 11b and the lower part 11c. The valve port 16 opens into the valve chamber 15 . The valve seat 17 is an inward annular tapered surface. The valve seat 17 surrounds the valve port 16 in the valve chamber 15 . The connection flow path 18 connects the valve chamber 15 and the attachment hole 201. The valve chamber 15 is connected to the first flow path 205 via the connection flow path 18 and the attachment hole 201. The valve chamber 15 is connected to the second flow path 206 via the valve port 16. Note that, instead of the first portion 11, the flow path block 2 may have a valve chamber.

The second portion 12 has a cylindrical shape. The lower part of the second part 12 is arranged inside the upper part 11a of the first part 11. The upper part of the second part 12 protrudes from the upper surface 11d of the first part 11. The second part 12 is attached to the first part 11 by a threaded structure. The connecting member 13 has an annular plate shape. The inner peripheral edge of the connecting member 13 is joined to the upper end of the second portion 12 . In this embodiment, the first part 11 and the second part 12 are separate parts, but the main body member 10 is one part in which the first part 11 and the second part 12 are integrally formed. Good too.

The can 20 is made of stainless steel, for example. The can 20 has a cylindrical shape. The can 20 has a lower end open and an upper end closed. The lower end of the can 20 is joined to the outer peripheral edge of the connecting member 13. The can 20 is attached to the second portion 12 via a connecting member 13. The can 20 may be attached directly to the second portion 12. The can 20 is a case attached to the main body member 10.

The drive mechanism 30 moves the valve body 40 in the vertical direction. The drive mechanism 30 includes a magnet rotor 31, a valve stem holder 32, and a guide bush 33.

The magnet rotor 31 has a cylindrical shape. The magnet rotor 31 is arranged inside the can 20. The outer diameter of the magnet rotor 31 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the can 20. The magnet rotor 31 has a plurality of north poles and a plurality of south poles. A plurality of N poles and a plurality of S poles are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the magnet rotor 31. The plurality of north poles and the plurality of south poles extend in the vertical direction. The plurality of north poles and the plurality of south poles are arranged alternately at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction. The magnet rotor 31 has, for example, 12 N poles and 12 S poles.

The valve stem holder 32 has a cylindrical shape. The valve stem holder 32 has a lower end open and an upper end closed. A support ring 35 is fixed to the upper end of the valve stem holder 32. The magnet rotor 31 and the valve stem holder 32 are coupled via a support ring 35. A female thread 32c is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the valve stem holder 32. A movable stopper 37 is attached to the valve stem holder 32.

The guide bush 33 integrally includes a base portion 33a and a support portion 33b. The base portion 33a and the support portion 33b have a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the support portion 33b is smaller than the outer diameter of the base portion 33a. The support portion 33b is coaxially connected to the upper end of the base portion 33a. A male thread 33c is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the support portion 33b. The male thread 33c is screwed into the female thread 32c of the valve stem holder 32. The base portion 33a is press-fitted into the upper part of the second portion 12 of the main body member 10. The guide bush 33 is coupled to the main body member 10. A fixed stopper 38 is attached to the base 33a.

The valve body 40 integrally includes a first shaft portion 41, a second shaft portion 42, and a valve portion 43. The first shaft portion 41 and the second shaft portion 42 have a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the second shaft portion 42 is smaller than the outer diameter of the first shaft portion 41 . The second shaft portion 42 is coaxially connected to the upper end of the first shaft portion 41 . The second shaft portion 42 passes through the upper wall portion 32a of the valve stem holder 32. A push nut 45 for preventing slipping off is attached to the second shaft portion 42 . The first shaft portion 41 is arranged inside the guide bush 33 and inside the second portion 12. The first shaft portion 41 is supported by the guide bush 33 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. A lower end of the first shaft portion 41 is arranged in the valve chamber 15 . The valve portion 43 has a shape in which a plurality of taper portions whose outer diameter decreases from the top toward the bottom are coaxially connected. The valve portion 43 is coaxially connected to the lower end of the first shaft portion 41 . The valve portion 43 is arranged in the valve chamber 15. The valve portion 43 faces the valve port 16 (valve seat 17) in the vertical direction. The valve body 40 has a stepped portion 44 . The stepped portion 44 is arranged at the connection point between the first shaft portion 41 and the second shaft portion 42 . The stepped portion 44 is an annular plane facing upward. A valve closing spring 36 is disposed between the upper wall portion 32a of the valve stem holder 32 and the step portion 44. The valve closing spring 36 is a compression coil spring. The valve closing spring 36 pushes the valve body 40 downward. The valve body 40 is moved in the vertical direction by the drive mechanism 30. The valve port 16 is opened and closed by the movement of the valve body 40.

In the valve body assembly 5, when the magnet rotor 31 rotates in the valve closing direction, the magnet rotor 31 and the valve stem holder 32 move downward due to the feed screw action of the female thread 32c of the valve stem holder 32 and the male thread 33c of the guide bush 33. . The valve stem holder 32 pushes the valve body 40 downward via the valve closing spring 36. The valve body 40 moves downward and comes into contact with the valve seat 17. The position of the magnet rotor 31 at this time is the valve closing position Rc. When the magnet rotor 31 further rotates in the valve closing direction from this state, the valve closing spring 36 is compressed and the magnet rotor 31 and the valve stem holder 32 move further downward. The valve body 40 does not move downward. When the movable stopper 37 contacts the fixed stopper 38, the rotation of the magnet rotor 31 in the valve closing direction is restricted. The position of the magnet rotor 31 at this time is the reference position Rx. The movable stopper 37 and the fixed stopper 38 are stopper mechanisms that restrict rotation of the magnet rotor 31 in the valve closing direction.

In the valve body assembly 5, when the magnet rotor 31 rotates in the valve opening direction, the magnet rotor 31 and the valve stem holder 32 move upward due to the feed screw action of the female thread 32c of the valve stem holder 32 and the male thread 33c of the guide bush 33. . The valve stem holder 32 pushes the push nut 45 upward. The valve body 40 moves upward and separates from the valve seat 17. The position of the magnet rotor 31 where the valve body 40 is separated from the valve seat 17 and the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the valve port 16 reaches a predetermined set value is defined as a valve opening position Ro. Note that the valve open position Ro may be the same as the valve closed position Rc. When the magnet rotor 31 further rotates in the valve opening direction, the magnet rotor 31 reaches the fully open position Rz. When the magnet rotor 31 is in the fully open position Rz, the valve body 40 is farthest from the valve port 16, and the valve port 16 is at its maximum opening.

As shown in FIG. 4, the stator unit 6 includes a stator 60, a housing 70, a bracket 80, and a control device 85.

The stator 60 has a cylindrical shape. The stator 60 includes an A-phase stator 61, a B-phase stator 62, and a synthetic resin mold 63.

The A-phase stator 61 has a plurality of claw pole-

type pole teeth

61a, 61b on its inner periphery. The tip of the pole tooth 61a is directed downward, and the tip of the pole tooth 61b is directed upward. The pole teeth 61a and the pole teeth 61b are arranged alternately at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction. The A-phase stator 61 has, for example, 12

pole teeth

61a and 12 pole teeth 61b. The angle between the

adjacent pole teeth

61a and 61b is 15 degrees. When the coil 61c of the A-phase stator 61 is energized, the pole teeth 61a and the pole teeth 61b have different polarities.

The B-phase stator 62 has a plurality of claw pole-

type pole teeth

62a, 62b on its inner periphery. The tip of the pole tooth 62a is directed downward, and the tip of the pole tooth 62b is directed upward. The pole teeth 62a and the pole teeth 62b are alternately arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction. The B-phase stator 62 has, for example, 12

pole teeth

62a and 12 pole teeth 62b. The angle between the

adjacent pole teeth

62a and 62b is 15 degrees. When the coil 62c of the B-phase stator 62 is energized, the pole teeth 62a and the pole teeth 62b have different polarities.

The A-phase stator 61 and the B-phase stator 62 are arranged coaxially. The A-phase stator 61 and the B-phase stator 62 are in contact with each other. The angle between the pole teeth 61a of the A-phase stator 61 and the pole teeth 62a of the B-phase stator 62 that are adjacent to each other when viewed from the direction of the axis L is 7.5 degrees.

The mold 63 is filled inside the A-phase stator 61 and the B-phase stator 62. Moreover, the mold 63 constitutes the stator inner peripheral surface 60a together with the

pole teeth

61a, 61b and the

pole teeth

62a, 62b. The diameter of the stator inner peripheral surface 60a is the same (including substantially the same) as the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the can 20. The mold 63 has a terminal support portion 64 .

The terminal support portion 64 extends from the A-phase stator 61 and the B-phase stator 62 in the lateral direction (direction perpendicular to the axis L). The terminal support section 64 supports a plurality of terminals 65. The plurality of terminals 65 protrude laterally from the tip of the terminal support portion 64. The plurality of terminals 65 are connected to the coil 61c of the A-phase stator 61 and the coil 62c of the B-phase stator 62.

The stator 60 is placed outside the can 20. The stator 60 and the magnetic rotor 31 arranged inside the can 20 constitute a stepping motor 66.

The housing 70 is made of synthetic resin. Housing 70 houses stator 60 and control device 85. The housing 70 integrally includes a peripheral wall portion 71, an upper wall portion 72, and a connector 73.

The peripheral wall portion 71 has a cylindrical shape. A stator 60 is embedded in the peripheral wall portion 71. The diameter of the inner peripheral surface 71a of the peripheral wall portion 71 is the same as the diameter of the stator inner peripheral surface 60a. The inner circumferential surface 71a is continuous with the stator inner circumferential surface 60a without any step. The upper wall portion 72 has a dome shape. The upper wall portion 72 is connected to the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 71. Connector 73 is arranged at the top of housing 70. Connector 73 faces laterally. The inner circumferential surface 71a of the peripheral wall portion 71, the inner surface 72a of the upper wall portion 72, and the stator inner circumferential surface 60a form an inner space 74 of the stator unit 6. The can 20 is arranged in the inner space 74.

The housing 70 has a substrate space 75. The substrate space 75 is adjacent to the inner space 74. A partition wall 76 is arranged between the inner space 74 and the substrate space 75. The partition wall 76 partitions the inner space 74 and the substrate space 75. The housing 70 has an opening 70a communicating with the substrate space 75, and the opening 70a is closed by a lid member 77.

The bracket 80 is made of metal. As shown in FIG. 5, the bracket 80 integrally includes a bracket main body 81 and a mounting plate 82. The bracket main body 81 has an annular plate shape. The bracket main body 81 is fixed to the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 71. The mounting plate 82 has a rectangular plate shape. The mounting plate 82 is connected to the inner peripheral edge of the bracket main body 81 and extends downward. Mounting plate 82 extends toward body member 10 . The bracket 80 is formed by punching a metal plate into the shapes of the bracket main body 81 and the mounting plate 82 by press working, and bending the mounting plate 82 along the central axis (axis L) of the bracket main body 81. Bracket 80 may be welded to stator 60.

The mounting plate 82 is arranged in the holding groove 14. The width of the mounting plate 82 is the same (including substantially the same) as the width of the holding groove 14 of the main body member 10. The width of the mounting plate 82 may be smaller than the width of the holding groove 14. It is preferable that the play angle around the axis L between the main body member 10 and the housing 70 caused by the difference between the width of the mounting plate 82 and the width of the holding groove 14 be smaller than the step angle of the stepping motor 66. The play angle is an angle at which the mounting plate 82 can move around the axis L within the holding groove 14. The mounting plate 82 extends in the vertical direction. The mounting plate 82 passes through the opening on the upper end side of the holding groove 14 and is inserted into the holding groove 14 .

The mounting plate 82 has a convex portion 82c. The convex portion 82c is arranged on the inner surface 82a (the surface facing left in FIG. 4) of the mounting plate 82. The inner surface 82a is a surface that faces the bottom surface 14a when the mounting plate 82 is placed in the holding groove 14. The inner surface 82a contacts the bottom surface 14a. The convex portion 82c is a protrusion.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the protrusion 82c fits into the recess 14c in the holding groove 14. By fitting the convex portion 82c into the concave portion 14c, the concave portion 14c and the convex portion 82c are caught (that is, engaged) with each other, and vertical movement of the mounting plate 82 within the holding groove 14 is restricted. Thereby, the housing 70 (stator unit 6) is fixed to the main body member 10.

The control device 85 is arranged in the board space 75 of the housing 70. The control device 85 includes a main board 90, a sub-board 100, a magnetic sensor 110, and a microcomputer 120.

The main board 90 is a printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted. The main board 90 is housed in the board space 75. The main board 90 is arranged along the vertical direction. A microcomputer 120 is mounted on the main board 90. A plurality of terminals 65 of the stator 60 are connected to the main board 90.

The sub-board 100 is a printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted. The sub-board 100 is accommodated in the board space 75. The sub-board 100 is arranged at right angles to the main board 90. The first end 100a of the sub-board 100 is arranged near the main board 90. The second end portion 100b of the sub-board 100 is arranged near the partition wall 76. Sub-board 100 is connected to main board 90 via an inter-board connector.

The magnetic sensor 110 is, for example, a Hall IC. The magnetic sensor 110 is arranged at the second end 100b of the sub-board 100. The magnetic sensor 110 is laterally aligned with the magnet rotor 31 via the can 20 and the partition wall 76. The magnetic sensor 110 outputs a signal according to the direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnet rotor 31.

The microcomputer 120 is, for example, a microcomputer for embedded equipment in which a central processing unit, nonvolatile memory, working memory, communication module, motor driver, etc. are integrated into one package. The microcomputer 120 controls the electric valve 3. Note that the nonvolatile memory, working memory, communication module, and motor driver may be separate electronic components externally connected to the microcomputer 120.

The control device 85 is communicably connected to a control unit of an air conditioner system (not shown) in which the electric valve device 1 is incorporated. The control device 85 controls the stepping motor 66 (that is, the rotation of the magnet rotor 31) in accordance with commands sent from the control unit. Valve opening point information J is stored in the control device 85 (eg, nonvolatile memory of the microcomputer 120). The valve opening point information J is information indicating the number of pulses (valve opening point) input to the stepping motor 66 in order to rotate the magnet rotor 31 from the reference position Rx to the valve opening position Ro. The valve opening point is a parameter related to the operating characteristics of the electric valve 3, and may vary depending on component precision and assembly precision. The valve opening point is measured when the electric valve 3 is shipped from the factory, and is stored as valve opening point information J in a nonvolatile memory. The valve opening point information J is information related to the valve opening position Ro of the magnet rotor 31. For example, in the initialization operation of the electric valve 3, the control device 85 positions the magnet rotor 31 at the valve opening position Ro using the valve opening point information J. In addition, in the electric valve 3, the valve closing position Rc may be set to the valve opening position Ro.

The nut member 7 is an annular member with a hexagonal outer shape. A female thread 7e is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut member 7. The male thread 11e of the main body member 10 is screwed into the female thread 7e. The nut member 7 and the holding groove 14 of the main body member 10 form a space 25. A mounting plate 82 is arranged in the space 25. When the female thread 7e and the male thread 11e are screwed together, the nut member 7 is aligned laterally with the mounting plate 82. In other words, the mounting plate 82 is arranged inside the nut member 7. Note that the outer shape of the nut member 7 is not limited to a hexagonal shape. The nut member 7 may have a polygonal shape such as a quadrangular shape or an octagonal shape. Alternatively, the nut member 7 may have a shape (for example, a groove or a protrusion) that engages with a tool. The nut member 7 only needs to have a shape that can be rotated by a tool.

In this embodiment, when the depth of the holding groove 14 is D, the thickness of the mounting plate 82 is T1, and the protrusion amount of the convex portion 82c is T2, the depth D is equal to the thickness T1 and the protrusion amount T2. (D<T, T=T1+T2). The depth D is the distance between the outer circumferential surface of the first portion 11 (the bottom of the male thread 11e) and the bottom surface 14a of the holding groove 14. The protrusion amount T2 is the distance between the inner surface 82a and the part of the convex portion 82c that is farthest from the inner surface 82a. By doing so, when a force is applied to the mounting plate 82 to pull it upward from the holding groove 14, the mounting plate 82 comes into contact with the nut member 7, and the elastic deformation of the mounting plate 82 is restricted, and the convex portion 82c and the concave portion 14c Disengagement with the terminal is suppressed.

The length K1 of the male thread 11e of the main body member 10 in the axial direction (axis L direction) is larger than the length K2 of the female thread 7e of the nut member 7 in the axial direction (axis L direction) (FIG. 9). Specifically, length K1 is larger than length K2, and the difference between length K1 and length K2 is such that the male thread 11e is screwed into the female thread 201e of the channel block 2 and the nut member 7 is tightened. In some cases, the length is equal to or longer than the number of screw threads necessary for fixing the main body member 10 to the channel block 2 (for example, 5 to 10 screw threads). In this embodiment, the length K1 is preferably 1.5 to 5 times the length K2, more preferably 2 to 3 times. When the length K1 is large, the male thread 11e and the female thread 201e of the flow path block 2 can be screwed together more reliably, and when the length K1 is small, the flow path block 2 and the electric valve 3 can be downsized. In addition, in the configuration having a plurality of nut members 7, the length K2 is the total length of the female threads 7e of each nut member 7 in the axial direction.

In this embodiment, the electric valve 3 has one nut member 7, but as shown in FIG. 12, the electric valve 3 may have a plurality of nut members 7.

In the electric valve device 1, the mounting hole 201 (female thread 201e), the main body member 10 (first portion 11, male thread 11e, second portion 12, valve port 16, valve seat 17), can 20, magnetic rotor 31, valve stem holder 32, the guide bush 33, the valve body 40, the stator 60 (A-phase stator 61, B-phase stator 62), and the nut member 7 (female thread 7e) have their respective central axes aligned with the axis L.

Next, an example of a method for assembling the electric valve device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11.

The valve body assembly 5 and stator unit 6 are manufactured. Then, the stator unit 6 is attached to the valve body assembly 5. Specifically, the can 20 of the valve body assembly 5 is inserted into the inner space 74 of the stator unit 6, and the mounting plate 82 of the housing 70 is inserted into the holding groove 14 of the main body member 10. When the mounting plate 82 is inserted into the holding groove 14, the convex portion 82c of the mounting plate 82 rides on the bottom surface 14a of the holding groove 14, and the mounting plate 82 is elastically deformed to curve (FIG. 8). When the insertion is further advanced, the mounting plate 82 is restored and the convex portion 82c fits into the concave portion 14c in the holding groove 14. As a result, the concave portion 14c and the convex portion 82c catch each other, and vertical movement of the mounting plate 82 within the holding groove 14 is restricted. Further, since the width of the holding groove 14 and the width of the mounting plate 82 are the same, rotation of the mounting plate 82 around the axis L with respect to the main body member 10 is restricted. This fixes the stator unit 6 to the valve body assembly 5.

Next, the male thread 11e of the main body member 10 is screwed into the female thread 7e of the nut member 7 (FIGS. 9 and 10). Then, the main body member 10 is inserted into the mounting hole 201 of the channel block 2, and the male thread 11e of the main body member 10 is screwed into the female thread 201e of the channel block 2 (FIGS. 10 and 11). The position of the electric valve 3 around the axis L is adjusted to orient the connector 73 of the stator unit 6 in a desired direction. The nut member 7 is rotated until it contacts the upper surface 2d of the channel block 2. After the nut member 7 comes into contact with the upper surface 2d, force is applied to the nut member 7 in the rotational direction to tighten the nut member 7. Thereby, the main body member 10 (electrically operated valve 3) is fixed to the flow path block 2, and the electrically operated valve device 1 is completed.

The electric valve device 1 of this embodiment includes a flow path block 2 and an electric valve 3. The electric valve 3 includes a valve body assembly 5, a stator unit 6, and a nut member 7. The valve body assembly 5 includes a body member 10 , a can 20 attached to the body member 10 , and a magnetic rotor 31 disposed inside the can 20 . The stator unit 6 has a stator 60 arranged outside the can 20. A stator unit 6 is attached to the valve body assembly 5. A male thread 11e is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body member 10. The male thread 11e is screwed together with the female thread 7e of the nut member 7 and the female thread 201e of the channel block 2. The length K1 of the male thread 11e in the axis L direction is larger than the length K2 of the female thread 7e in the axis L direction. The nut member 7 is tightened so that the main body member 10 is fixed to the channel block 2.

By doing this, a part of the male thread 11e of the main body member 10 into which the female thread 7e of the nut member 7 is threaded can be threaded into the female thread 201e provided in the flow path block 2. Thereby, the motor-operated valve 3 can be fixed to the flow path block 2 by positioning the motor-operated valve 3 at an arbitrary position around the axis L and tightening the nut member 7. Therefore, the electric valve 3 can be used in common in multiple types of systems.

Furthermore, since the stator unit 6 is attached to the valve body assembly 5, the combination of the valve body assembly 5 and stator unit 6 is determined at the time of factory shipment. Therefore, the operating characteristics (valve opening point) of the motorized valve 3, which vary depending on component precision and assembly precision, are measured at the time of shipment from the factory, and the motorized valve 3 is shipped with information regarding the operating characteristics (valve opening point information J) recorded. can do.

Furthermore, a retaining groove 14 extending in the direction of the axis L is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the main body member 10. The stator unit 6 has a mounting plate 82 extending in the direction of the axis L. A retaining groove 14 crosses the external thread 11e. A mounting plate 82 is positioned in the retaining groove 14 . A convex portion 82c is provided on the inner surface 82a of the mounting plate 82. The bottom surface 14a of the holding groove 14 is provided with a recess 14c that engages with the projection 82c. By doing so, the stator unit 6 can be attached to the valve body assembly 5 with a relatively simple structure. Note that a convex portion may be provided on the bottom surface 14a of the holding groove 14, and a recess or hole that engages with the convex portion may be provided on the mounting plate 82.

Additionally, a mounting plate 82 is arranged inside the nut member 7. The depth D of the holding groove 14 is smaller than the total value T of the thickness T1 of the mounting plate 82 and the protrusion amount T2 of the convex portion 82c. By doing so, the mounting plate 82 is placed in the space 25 formed by the holding groove 14 and the nut member 7, and elastic deformation of the mounting plate 82 is restricted, so that the engagement between the convex portion 82c and the concave portion 14c Release can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the stator unit 6 from coming off from the valve body assembly 5.

The electric valve 3 has a control device 85 that controls the rotation of the magnet rotor 31. Valve opening point information J is stored in the control device 85. By doing so, the flow rate of the refrigerant can be controlled with high accuracy in the electric valve 3.

Note that the electric valve 3 may be directly controlled by the control unit of the air conditioner system, omitting the control device 85. in this case. Preferably, the electric valve 3 has a label attached to the outer surface of the valve body assembly 5 or the outer surface of the stator unit 6, and the valve opening point information J is recorded on the label. The valve opening point information J is recorded in a format readable by a reading device such as a bar code or a two-dimensional code, for example. By using the valve opening point information J read by the reading device in the control unit, the flow rate of the refrigerant in the electric valve 3 can be controlled with high precision.

Although the embodiment described above has a configuration in which the electric valve 3 is attached to the flow path block 2, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the electric valve 3 may be attached to a structure other than the flow path block 2 (for example, a frame of an air conditioner system). In this case, the male thread 11e of the main body member 10 of the electric valve 3 is screwed into a female thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole of the structure, and the nut member 7 is screwed so that the main body member 10 is fixed to the structure. Tightened.

In this specification, each term indicating a shape such as "cylindrical" or "rectangular parallelepiped" is also used for a member or a part of a member that substantially has the shape of the term. For example, a "cylindrical member" includes a cylindrical member and a substantially cylindrical member.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Additions, deletions, and design changes to the above-mentioned embodiments by those skilled in the art as appropriate, as well as combinations of features of the embodiments as appropriate, are also within the scope of the present invention, as long as they do not go against the spirit of the present invention. included in the range.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Electric valve device, 2...Flow path block, 2d...Top surface, 201...Mounting hole, 201e...Female thread, 205...First flow path, 206...Second flow path, 3...Motorized valve, 5...Valve body assembly, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Main body member, 11... First part, 11a... Upper part, 11b... Middle part, 11c... Lower part, 11d... Upper surface, 11e... Male thread, 12... Second part, 13... Connection member, 14... Holding groove, 14a... Bottom surface , 14c... recess, 15... valve chamber, 16... valve port, 17... valve seat, 18... connection flow path, 20... can, 25... space, 30... drive mechanism, 31... magnet rotor, 32... valve stem holder, 32a...Top wall part, 32c...Female thread, 33...Guide bush, 33a...Base, 33b...Support part, 33c...Male thread, 35...Support ring, 36...Valve closing spring, 37...Movable stopper, 38...Fixed stopper, 40 ... Valve body, 41... First shaft part, 42... Second shaft part, 43... Valve part, 44... Step part, 45... Push nut, 6... Stator unit, 60... Stator, 60a... Stator inner peripheral surface, 61 ...A phase stator, 61a...pole tooth, 61b...pole tooth, 61c...coil, 62...B phase stator, 62a...pole tooth, 62b...pole tooth, 62c...coil, 63...mold, 64...terminal support part, 65 ...terminal, 66...stepping motor, 70...housing, 70a...opening, 71...peripheral wall, 71a...inner circumferential surface, 72...upper wall, 72a...inner surface, 73...connector, 74...inner space, 75...board space , 76... Partition wall, 77... Lid member, 80... Bracket, 81... Bracket main body, 82... Mounting plate, 82a... Inner surface, 82c... Convex part, 85... Control device, 90... Main board, 100... Sub board, 100a ...First end, 100b...Second end, 110...Magnetic sensor, 120...Microcomputer, 7...Nut member, 7e...Female thread, J...Valve opening point information, K1...Length, K2...Length, L ...Axis, Rc...Valve closed position, Ro...Valve open position, Rx...Reference position, Rz...Full open position, T...Total value, T1...Thickness, T2...Protrusion amount

Claims

A motorized valve having a valve body assembly, a stator unit, and at least one nut member, the motor-operated valve comprising:
The valve body assembly includes a body member, a cylindrical case attached to the body member, and a magnetic rotor disposed inside the case;
the stator unit has a stator disposed outside the case;
the stator unit is attached to the valve body assembly;
A male thread is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body member,
The male thread is screwed into a female thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut member,
An electric valve characterized in that the length of the male thread in the axial direction is greater than the length of the female thread in the axial direction.
The male thread is screwed together with the female thread of the nut member and the female thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole of the flow path block,
The electric valve according to claim 1, wherein the nut member is tightened so that the main body member is fixed to the flow path block.
A retaining groove extending in the axial direction of the male screw is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body member,
The stator unit has a mounting plate extending in the axial direction of the male screw,
the retaining groove traverses at least a portion of the external thread;
the mounting plate is disposed in the retaining groove;
A protrusion is provided on one of the bottom surface of the holding groove and a surface of the mounting plate facing the bottom surface, and the other is provided with a protrusion receiving portion that is a recess or a hole that engages with the protrusion. The electric valve according to claim 1 or claim 2.
the mounting plate is arranged inside the nut member,
The electric valve according to claim 3, wherein the depth of the holding groove is smaller than the total value of the thickness of the mounting plate and the amount of protrusion of the protrusion.
The motor-operated valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein information related to the valve-opening position of the magnetic rotor is recorded in the motor-operated valve.
The electric valve has a control device that controls rotation of the magnetic rotor,
The electric valve according to claim 5, wherein the information is stored in the control device.
the electric valve has a label affixed to an outer surface of the valve body assembly or an outer surface of the stator unit;
The electric valve according to claim 5, wherein the information is recorded on the label.
An electrically operated valve device comprising the electrically operated valve according to claim 2 and the flow path block.
A method of assembling a motorized valve device having a motorized valve and a flow path block,
The motorized valve includes a valve body assembly, a stator unit, and at least one nut member;
The valve body assembly includes a body member, a cylindrical case attached to the body member, and a magnetic rotor disposed inside the case;
the stator unit has a stator disposed outside the case;
(1) attaching the stator unit to the valve body assembly;
(2) screwing a male thread provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body member into a female thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut member;
(3) screwing the male thread into a female thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole of the flow path block;
(4) A method for assembling an electric valve device, comprising tightening the nut member so that the main body member is fixed to the flow path block.