JP6831116B2 - Valve device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a valve device.

Conventionally, in a refrigeration cycle of a car air conditioner or the like, a valve device for pressure adjustment is arranged between an evaporator (evaporator) and a compressor (compressor), and the valve device for pressure adjustment (pressure adjustment valve). Therefore, the refrigerant pressure in the compressor is adjusted so as not to fall below a predetermined pressure to prevent frosting of the compressor.

As a conventional technique of such a pressure adjusting valve, for example, in Patent Document 1, the valve is opened and closed by being connected to a refrigerant pipe connected to an evaporator and a compressor and expanding and contracting a bellows in a main body case according to the pressure of the refrigerant. The valve device is disclosed.

In the valve device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a washer is provided to support the bellows with respect to the main body case. Such a washer has a central portion fixed to the end of the bellows and three extending portions radially outward from the central portion. The washer is attached to the main body case by sandwiching the end of the extension portion in the axial direction between the flange and the stepped portion of the main body case, and further fixing the end of the main body case to the flange by caulking. It will be.

Here, since the material of the washer has higher rigidity or hardness than the material of the flange and the main body case, the shaft is pressed from the flange to the washer toward the stepped portion of the main body case at the time of assembly. When a force is applied, the flange to which the end of the extending portion of the washer comes into contact and the stepped portion of the main body case are deformed so as to be recessed. Since the end of the extending portion sinks into this recess, the washer is supported so as not to rotate relative to the main body case and the flange around the axis.

JP 2015-4395

However, in such a conventional technique, three extension portions of the washer are provided, and if the amount of depression is not evenly secured in each extension portion, the washer tilts with respect to the axis line, and the valve device operates smoothly. There is a risk of damage. Therefore, when assembling the valve device, when the end portion of the main body case is caulked to the flange, it is required to apply the caulking pressure evenly. However, since it is difficult to apply the caulking pressure accurately and evenly, the manufacturing man-hours increase, and as a result, the cost increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a valve device capable of accurately fixing a support member to a main body case while reducing costs.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the valve device according to the present invention includes a main body case having a cylindrical portion having a stepped portion formed on an inner peripheral surface, a valve body housed in the main body case, and the main body case. A valve body having a support member which is abutted against the step portion and supports the valve body in the main body case, and a flange having a fitting portion fitted to the cylindrical part of the main body case. The support member has a connecting portion connected to the valve body and an extending portion extending radially outward from the connecting portion, and the extending portion of the support member comprises. The end of the cylindrical portion is crimped to the fitting portion in a state of being pressed so as to be plastically deformed between the stepped portion of the cylindrical portion and the fitting portion fitted to the cylindrical portion. It is fixed, and the cylindrical portion, the flange, and the support member are formed of the same raw material .

According to the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide a valve device capable of accurately fixing a support member to a main body case while reducing costs.

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view showing an embodiment of a pressure regulating valve according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the washer 4 as viewed in the L direction of the axis. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the washer 4. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing an arrow A portion of FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing an arrow A portion of FIG. 1, and shows a state before applying a load by a pressing device. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing an arrow A portion of FIG. 1, and shows a state after a load is applied by a pressing device. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the washer 4A according to the modified example.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the valve device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, as the valve device according to the present invention, a pressure regulating valve mainly used in a refrigeration cycle of a car air conditioner or the like will be described as an example, but the valve device according to the present invention is described in addition to the pressure regulating valve. Can also be applied to various types of valve devices such as check valves.

<Composition of pressure control valve>
A cross-sectional view of the pressure regulating valve according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Here, let L be the axis of the pressure regulating valve 1.

The pressure regulating valve 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant passes, and supports a substantially cylindrical main body case 2 and a valve body 3 and a valve body 3 housed in the main body case 2 in the main body case 2. A valve body 5 including a washer (support member) 4 and a flange 6 fixed to the valve body 5 are provided. A refrigerant pipe (not shown) connected to, for example, an evaporator and a compressor is connected to the valve body 5 and the flange 6 to form a refrigeration cycle. Here, as shown by the arrow indicating the flow of the refrigerant in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the right side of the pressure regulating valve 1 is the inlet side of the refrigerant and the left side is the outlet side of the refrigerant.

The main body case 2 of the valve main body 5 has a connecting portion 23 connected to the refrigerant pipe, and a cylindrical portion 22 having an inner diameter larger than that of the connecting portion 23 and having a stepped portion 21 formed on the inner peripheral surface. The inside of the connecting portion 23 is, for example, an inlet-side flow path 23b into which the refrigerant flows from the evaporator via the refrigerant pipe, and a projecting portion 24 is formed at the inlet-side end 23a so as to move away from the axis L. Has been done. A female screw hole 24a for fastening the refrigerant pipe is formed in the projecting portion 24 of the connecting portion 23 in parallel with the axis L. A valve seat 25 is formed at the outlet side end portion 23c of the connecting portion 23 so that the valve seat portion 31c of the valve portion 31, which will be described later, is seated / separated.

The valve body 3 housed in the main body case 2 has a valve portion 31 slidably fitted and inserted into the connecting portion 23 of the main body case 2, and a bellows assembly 33 for adjusting the valve opening pressure of the valve portion 31. The bellows assembly 33 has a metal plate 35 gripped by the valve portion 31 and a metal bellows connected to the valve portion 31 via the plate 35 and stretchably housed in the cylindrical portion 22 of the main body case 2. It has 32 and an adjusting screw 34 for adjusting the set load of the bellows 32.

The valve portion 31 has a function of moving along the axis L in the main body case 2 according to the refrigerant pressure and adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing in from the inlet side flow path 23b. The valve portion 31 has a substantially cylindrical sliding portion 31a having a refrigerant flow path formed therein and having an outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the connecting portion 23 of the main body case 2, and a diameter larger than that of the sliding portion 31a. The outer edge portion thereof has a valve seat 25 of the connecting portion 23 and a valve seat portion 31c that is seated / separated. A plurality of defective portions 31b are formed at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the side portion of the sliding portion 31a, and the defective portions 31b secure a flow path through which the refrigerant passes. Further, a through hole 31e is formed in the substantially center of the valve seat portion 31c, and a plurality of claw portions 31d are formed at positions substantially symmetrical with respect to the axis L on the outer edge of the outlet side side surface 31f of the valve seat portion 31c. Will be done. Further, a convex portion 31g having a height lower than that of the claw portion 31d is formed between the through hole 31e and the claw portion 31d.

The bellows 32 has a bellows-shaped and expandable side wall portion 32a and a bottom plate portion 32b that closes the entrance side of the side wall portion 32a in the axis L direction, and the outlet side in the axis L direction is open. .. The bottom plate portion 32b of the bellows 32 is welded and joined to a substantially disk-shaped metal plate 35. The bellows 32 is connected to the valve portion 31 by sandwiching the plate 35 between the claw portion 31d provided on the outlet side side surface 31f of the valve seat portion 31c and the convex portion 31g. Further, the opening end on the outlet side of the bellows 32 is welded and joined to the enlarged diameter portion 34b provided at the inlet side end portion 34a of the adjusting screw 34, whereby a closed space SP is formed inside the bellows 32. An inert gas such as nitrogen or helium is sealed in the closed space SP.

The adjusting screw 34 adjusts the set load of the bellows 32, and the male screw 34e screwed on the outer peripheral surface of the threaded portion 34d is screwed with the female screw 41e screwed on the inner peripheral surface of the washer 4, which will be described later. ing. Since the washer 4 is fixed to the main body case 2 as described later, when a tool (not shown) is engaged with the engaging slit 34g at the end of the adjusting screw 34 to rotate the adjusting screw 34, the female screw When the screw portion 34d is screwed with respect to 41e, the adjusting screw 34 moves in the axis L direction, whereby the length of the bellows 32 changes, so that the set load of the bellows 32 is adjusted. The adjusting screw 34 is screwed to the washer 4 and is supported in the main body case 2 via the washer 4. After the adjustment of the adjusting screw 34 is completed, the lock nut 36 is screwed into the adjusting screw 34 to prevent the female screw 41e and the adjusting screw 34 from being inadvertently screwed.

Inside the bellows 32, a stem 331, a guide 332, a coil spring 333, and a bellows retainer 334 are provided. The stem 331, the guide 332, the coil spring 333, and the bellows retainer 334 are made of metal members.

The stem 331 and the guide 332 are guide members that guide the movement of the valve portion 31 in the axis L direction. The stem 331 is a shaft member extending in the L direction of the axis of the main body case 2. The inlet end of the stem 331 protruding from the end opening of the guide 332 on the valve portion 31 side is fixed to the bellows retainer 334 that presses the bottom plate portion 32b of the bellows 32 from the inside. Therefore, the stem 331 is connected to the valve portion 31 via the bellows retainer 334 and the bottom plate portion 32b of the bellows 32, and moves together with the valve portion 31.

The outlet side portion of the stem 331 is inserted inside the guide 332, which is a cylindrical tubular member, and is slidable inside the guide 332. The outlet-side end of the guide 332 is fitted and held in the opposite diameter-expanded portion 34b of the adjusting screw 34. Further, the outlet side end of the guide 332 is urged by the coil spring 333 and constantly pressed against the adjusting screw 34, so that the guide 332 is held without being separated from the enlarged diameter portion 34b.

Similar to the bellows 32, the coil spring 333 applies a load to the valve portion 31 on the side that closes the refrigerant passage. The outlet-side end of the coil spring 333 is held by the outlet-side end of the guide 332, and the inlet-side end of the coil spring 333 is held by the bellows retainer 334.

Next, the washer 4 will be described. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the washer 4 as viewed in the L direction of the axis, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the washer 4. Let X be the axis of the washer 4. The washer 4 has a central annular portion (connecting portion) 41 and a plurality of (here, three) extending portions 42 extending radially outward from the central annular portion 41. The outer end of the extending portion 42 is an outer peripheral portion 43 extending in the circumferential direction to form a single annular shape. On the inner peripheral surface of the central annular portion 41, a female screw 41e screwed with a male screw 34e screwed into the screw portion 34d of the adjusting screw 34 is screwed. The connecting portion between the central annular portion 41 and the extending portion 42 is connected by a smooth arc when viewed in the axis X direction, and the connecting portion between the extending portion 42 and the outer peripheral portion 43 is smooth when viewed in the axis X direction. They are connected by an arc.

The extension portions 42 are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and a refrigerant flow path is formed by three space PGs surrounded by the central annular portion 41, the extension portion 42, and the outer peripheral portion 43. Further, the thickness of the washer 4 can be such that the female screw 41e screwed on the inner peripheral surface and the male screw 34e (FIG. 1) of the screw portion 34d of the adjusting screw 34 can be screwed sufficiently long, for example, when the internal refrigerant flows or the vehicle is running. It is designed to withstand the vibration of. As shown in FIG. 1, the washer 4 is fixed to the adjusting screw 34 by the lock nut 36 after the set load of the bellows 32 is adjusted by the adjusting screw 34.

In FIG. 1, the hollow flange 6 has a fitting portion 61 and a connecting portion 62. The inner peripheral surface 61c of the fitting portion 61 gradually reduces in diameter toward the outlet side, and is connected to the inner peripheral surface 62a of the connecting portion 62 having a substantially constant inner diameter. An annular groove 61b is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 61, and the annular groove 61b is provided with an O-ring 63 as a sealing member that seals between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 22 and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 61. It will be installed.

The inside of the connection portion 62 is, for example, an outlet side flow path through which the refrigerant flows out to the compressor via the refrigerant pipe, and a protrusion 64 is formed so as to move away from the axis L, and the protrusion 64 has a protrusion 64. A female screw 64a for fastening the refrigerant pipe is formed parallel to the axis L direction.

An annular recess 65 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 61 at a portion corresponding to the outlet side end portion 22a of the cylindrical portion 22 of the main body case 2. Of the plurality of portions of the outlet side end portion 22a of the cylindrical portion 22, specifically, four portions of the outlet side end portion 22a at equal intervals in the circumferential direction are pressed and deformed toward the recess 65, and the cylinder of the main body case 2 is formed. The portion 22 and the fitting portion 61 of the flange 6 are fixed by the caulking C, and the details will be described later.

The main body case 2, the flange 6, and the washer 4 including the cylindrical portion 22 are made of the same material (here, an aluminum material).

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the arrow A portion of FIG. 1, and shows exaggerated surface roughness. Here, the surface roughness of the inlet side end portion 61a of the fitting portion 61, the surface roughness of the step portion 21 of the cylindrical portion 22 of the main body case 2, and the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4 that abuts on the inlet side end portion 61a. The surface roughness of the first surface 43a and the surface roughness of the second surface 43b on the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4 in contact with the step portion 21 are substantially equal. Specifically, each surface roughness has an arithmetic mean roughness of 20 μm to 30 μm, and the difference is preferably 10 μm or less.

<Operation of pressure control valve>
Next, the operation of the pressure adjusting valve 1 described above will be briefly described. In FIG. 1, for example, the refrigerant pressure of an evaporator connected to the main body case 2 of the valve main body 5 via a refrigerant pipe (not shown) urges the valve portion 31 in the valve closing direction (to the right in FIG. 1). When the load is smaller than the set load of the bellows 32 and the coil spring 333, the valve seat portion 31c of the valve portion 31 is seated on the valve seat 25 of the connection portion 23 of the main body case 2, and the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the pressure adjusting valve 1 is reduced.

Further, for example, when the refrigerant pressure of the evaporator is larger than the set load of the bellows 32 and the coil spring 333 that urge the valve portion 31 in the valve closing direction, the valve portion 31 moves in the valve opening direction (left in FIG. 1). Then, the valve seat portion 31c of the valve portion 31 is separated from the valve seat 25 of the connection portion 23 of the main body case 2, and the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the pressure adjusting valve 1 is increased.

<Assembly of pressure control valve>
Next, the assembly process of the pressure regulating valve 1 described above will be described. When assembling the pressure adjusting valve 1, first, the stem 331, the guide 332, the coil spring 333, and the bellows retainer 334 are assembled in the bellows 32 as described above, and then the plate 35 and the adjusting screw 34 are welded to the bellows 32. The bellows assembly 33 is manufactured by joining, and the bellows assembly 33 and the valve portion 31 and the like are integrally assembled to manufacture the valve body 3. Next, the washer 4 is screwed into the threaded portion 34d of the adjusting screw 34 of the valve body 3 and placed at a predetermined position, and the washer 4 is fixed to the threaded portion 34d of the adjusting screw 34 by the lock nut 36. Next, the newly assembled valve body 3, washer 4, and lock nut 36 are inserted into the main body case 2, and the sliding portion 31a of the valve portion 31 of the valve body 3 is inserted into the connecting portion 23 of the main body case 2. At the same time, the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4 is placed in contact with the stepped portion 21 of the cylindrical portion 22 of the main body case 2.

Next, with the O-ring 63 mounted on the annular groove portion 61b, the fitting portion 61 of the flange 6 is fitted into the cylindrical portion 22 of the main body case 2 from the outlet side end portion 22a of the main body case 2. The arrow A portion of FIG. 1 in such a state is shown enlarged in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, when the flange 6 and the main body case 2 are simply in contact with the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4, the outer peripheral portion 43 is not deformed.

After that, the main body case 2 and the flange 6 are pressed with a predetermined pressure or more in the axis L direction using, for example, a pressing device (not shown). As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the inlet side end portion 61a of the fitting portion 61 and the first surface 43a of the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4 in contact with the fitting portion 61 are plastically deformed and bulge in the radial direction. It becomes. Further, the second surface 43b of the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4 that abuts on the stepped portion 21 of the cylindrical portion 22 is also plastically deformed and bulges in the radial direction. As a result, a gap δ is generated between the central portion of the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4 in the axis L direction (FIG. 1) and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 22. Further, the end portion of the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4 in the axis L direction (FIG. 1) and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 22 are in contact with each other at a contact P.

However, since the main body case 2, the flange 6, and the washer 4 are made of the same material, the inlet side end portion 61a of the fitting portion 61 that abuts on the first surface 43a of the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4 is also the first. The stepped portion 21 of the cylindrical portion 22 that abuts on the two surfaces 43b is also substantially not dented. In other words, even if the main body case 2 and the flange 6 are pressed with a strong pressure, the deformation of the step portion 21 in the axis L direction can be suppressed, so that the axis X of the washer 4 is the axis of the pressure adjusting valve 1. It is possible to suppress tilting with respect to L.

Further, while maintaining a state in which the main body case 2 and the flange 6 are pressed in the axial direction L direction at a predetermined pressure or higher, a plurality of portions of the outlet side end portion 22a of the cylindrical portion 22 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 61. It is pressed inward in the radial direction toward the recess 65, and the cylindrical portion 22 of the main body case 2 and the fitting portion 61 of the flange 6 are fixed by caulking C. This completes the assembly of the pressure regulating valve 1.

According to the present embodiment, the surface roughness of the inlet side end portion 61a of the fitting portion 61, the surface roughness of the step portion 21 of the cylindrical portion 22 of the main body case 2, and the outer circumference of the washer 4 that abuts on the inlet side end portion 61a. The surface roughness of the first surface 43a of the portion 43 and the surface roughness of the second surface 43b of the outer peripheral portion 43 of the washer 4 in contact with the step portion 21 are substantially equal to each other as they are machined. Therefore, by applying a strong pressing force in the axis L direction, the inlet side end portion 61a and the first surface 43a are strongly engaged with each other in a close contact state, and the step portion 21 and the second surface 43b are strongly and closely engaged with each other. Since they engage with each other in this state, it is possible to prevent the washer 4 from rotating relative to the main body case 2 due to the frictional force (and ringing phenomenon) caused by this.

Further, since the washer 4 has an annular outer peripheral portion 43, it abuts against the inlet side end portion 61a and the step portion 21 on the entire circumference, that is, abuts on the outer end of the extension portion 42 without the outer peripheral portion 43. Since the contact area is significantly increased as compared with the case where the washer 4 is allowed to rotate, it is possible to more effectively prevent the washer 4 from rotating relative to the main body case 2. Further, since the eccentricity is suppressed with respect to the stepped portion 21 having substantially the same diameter by providing the annular outer peripheral portion 43, the coaxiality of the washer 4 with respect to the main body case 2 is improved, and the smooth operation of the bellows assembly 33 is ensured. You can also do it.

[Modification example]
A modified example of the washer according to the present invention is shown in FIG.

The washer 4A in FIG. 7 has a central annular portion 41, an extension portion 42 extending radially outward from the central annular portion 41, and an outer peripheral portion extending from the outer end of each extension portion 42 to both sides in the circumferential direction. It has 43A and. Each outer peripheral portion 43A may be a part of a coaxial ring. The length extending from each extension 42 does not have to be uniform on both sides, and may be different for each extension 42. For other configurations, the same reference numerals are given and duplicate description is omitted.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Within the scope of the present invention, any component of the above-described embodiment can be modified. In addition, any component can be added or omitted in the above-described embodiment.

1 Pressure control valve 2 Main body case 3 Valve body 4 Washer (support member)
5 Valve body 6 Flange 21 Stepped portion 22 Cylindrical portion 23 Connecting portion 24 Protruding portion 25 Valve seat 31 Valve portion 32 Bellows 33 Bellows assembly 34 Adjusting screw 35 Plate 41 Central annular portion 42 Extension portion 43 Outer peripheral portion 61 Fitting portion 62 Connection part 63 O-ring 64 Protruding part L axis

Claims (4)

The main body case having a cylindrical portion having a stepped portion formed on the inner peripheral surface, the valve body housed in the main body case, and the valve body are arranged in contact with the stepped portion of the main body case, and the valve body is placed in the main body case. A valve body having a support member to support inside,
A flange having a fitting portion to be fitted to the cylindrical portion of the main body case.
The support member has a connecting portion connected to the valve body and an extending portion extending radially outward from the connecting portion.
In a state where the extending portion of the support member is pressed so as to be plastically deformed between the stepped portion of the cylindrical portion and the fitting portion fitted to the cylindrical portion, the end portion of the cylindrical portion is pressed. It is fixed to the fitting portion by caulking and
The cylindrical portion, the flange, and the support member are formed of the same raw material .
A valve device characterized by that. The extending portion has an outer peripheral portion extending in the circumferential direction from the outer end thereof, and the outer peripheral portion is sandwiched between the stepped portion of the cylindrical portion and the fitting portion.
The valve device according to claim 1. The outer peripheral portion has a continuous annular shape in the circumferential direction.
The valve device according to claim 2. In a state where the end portion of the cylindrical portion is fixed to the fitting portion by caulking, the axial central portion of the outer peripheral portion has a gap with respect to the cylindrical portion, and the axial end portion of the outer peripheral portion has a gap. The portion is in contact with the cylindrical portion.
The valve device according to claim 2 or 3.

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