JP5842185B2 - Control valve - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a control valve, and more particularly to a control valve suitable for switching a fluid passage through which a working fluid flows.

  In recent years, in vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine, the combustion efficiency of the engine has improved, and it has become difficult for the cooling water used as a heat source to rise to the temperature required for heating. On the other hand, in a hybrid vehicle using both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the utilization rate of the internal combustion engine is low, so that it is more difficult to use such cooling water. There is no heat source by an internal combustion engine in an electric vehicle. For this reason, a heat pump type vehicle air conditioner that performs cycle operation using a refrigerant not only for cooling but also for heating to dehumidify and heat the vehicle interior has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Such a vehicle air conditioner has a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an evaporator, an indoor heat exchanger, etc., and the function of the outdoor heat exchanger is switched between heating operation and cooling operation. It is done. During the heating operation, the outdoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator. At that time, the indoor heat exchanger dissipates heat while the refrigerant circulates through the refrigeration cycle, and the air in the passenger compartment is heated by the heat. On the other hand, the outdoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser during the cooling operation. At that time, the refrigerant condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger evaporates in the evaporator, and the air in the passenger compartment is cooled by the latent heat of evaporation. At that time, dehumidification is also performed. In order to switch the function of the apparatus between the heating operation and the cooling operation in this way, the refrigeration cycle is provided with a plurality of refrigerant circulation passages, and various controls for switching the refrigerant flow in each refrigerant circulation passage. A valve is provided.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-240266

  By the way, when many control valves are used in such a vehicle air conditioner, the cost is naturally increased, and there is a problem in installation space. For this reason, it is desirable to reduce the total number of control valves and component costs as much as possible. On the other hand, it is necessary to ensure various functions while suppressing the number and cost of the control valves.

  An object of the present invention is to totally suppress the cost of a control valve for switching a fluid passage through which a working fluid flows.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a control valve according to an aspect of the present invention includes a body in which a common internal passage for flowing a working fluid in a forward direction or a reverse direction is formed, and an opening of a valve portion provided in the internal passage. The working fluid is in sequence with respect to the actuator for electrically controlling the degree of movement, the valve operating body that transmits the driving force in the axial direction of the actuator to the valve portion, and the driving amount in the axial direction of the valve operating body by the actuator. An operation switching mechanism for switching the valve portion so that the size of the valve portion differs depending on whether it flows in the opposite direction or the opposite direction.

  According to this aspect, an internal passage that allows bidirectional flow of the working fluid is formed in the body. Then, when the flow of the working fluid changes from the forward direction to the reverse direction or from the reverse direction to the forward direction, the operation switching mechanism operates to switch the size of the valve portion. That is, when the opening degree of the forward direction or the reverse direction of the valve part is adjusted by the driving amount of the valve operating body, the size of the valve part becomes different with respect to the same driving amount. The control valve of this aspect is suitable for a system in which the flow rate varies depending on the flow direction, and the number of bodies and actuators can be suppressed with respect to the number of valve functions.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the cost which accumulates in the control valve which switches the fluid channel through which a working fluid flows can be suppressed total.

It is sectional drawing showing the structure and operation | movement of a control valve concerning 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing showing the structure and operation | movement of a control valve concerning 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing showing the structure and operation | movement of a control valve concerning 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing showing the structure and operation | movement of a control valve concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the proportional control by a control valve. It is sectional drawing showing the structure and operation | movement of a control valve concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing showing the structure and operation | movement of a control valve concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing showing the structure and operation | movement of a control valve concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing showing the structure and operation | movement of a control valve concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing showing the structure and operation | movement of a control valve concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the proportional control by a control valve.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
1 to 4 are sectional views showing the configuration and operation of the control valve according to the first embodiment. In addition, the control valve of this embodiment is comprised supposing application to the heat pump type air conditioning apparatus mounted, for example in an electric vehicle.

  That is, the vehicle air conditioner is provided with a refrigeration cycle (refrigerant circulation circuit) in which a compressor, an indoor condenser, an outdoor heat exchanger, an evaporator, an accumulator, and the like are connected by piping, and the refrigerant is in the refrigeration cycle. Air-conditioning of the passenger compartment is performed by heat exchange performed in the process of circulating while changing. Various control valves for appropriately controlling air conditioning are provided in the refrigerant circulation circuit, and the control valve 1 constitutes one of them. The control valve 1 is applied to, for example, a system that is provided in a shared passage of a plurality of refrigerant circulation passages, and the refrigerant flow direction is switched by switching the refrigerant circulation passages.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control valve 1 is configured as an electric valve driven by a stepping motor, and is configured by assembling a valve body 101 and a motor unit 102. The valve body 101 is coaxial with a large-diameter proportional valve 51 (which constitutes a “first valve”) and a small-diameter proportional valve 52 (which constitutes a “second valve”) on a bottomed cylindrical body 104. Contained in a shape. The proportional valve 51 and the proportional valve 52 are driven to open and close by one motor unit 102.

  An inlet / outlet port 110 is provided on one side of the body 104, and an inlet / outlet port 112 is provided on the other side. When one of these introduction / exit ports 110 and 112 functions as an introduction port for introducing a refrigerant, the other functions as a lead-out port for deriving the refrigerant. That is, the internal passage connecting the introduction / exit port 110 and the introduction / exit port 112 circulates the refrigerant in the forward direction from the introduction / exit port 110 to the introduction / exit port 112 or in the reverse direction from the introduction / exit port 112 to the introduction / exit port 110. It is a common passage to let you.

  A bottomed cylindrical partition member 120 is disposed in the upper half of the body 104. The partition member 120 partitions the inside of the valve main body 101 and the inside of the motor unit 102 at the upper bottom. A circular boss-shaped bearing portion 122 is provided at the bottom center of the partition member 120. A female thread portion is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the bearing portion 122, and the outer peripheral surface functions as a sliding bearing. The partition member 120 has a cylindrical guide portion 124 extending downward, and a guide hole 126 is formed by an inner peripheral surface of the guide portion 124. A valve hole 128 is provided in a lower portion of the body 104, and a valve seat 130 is formed by an upper end opening edge thereof.

  Inside the body 104, a valve body 132, a valve body 134, and a valve operating body 136 are coaxially arranged. The valve body 132 has an annular elastic body (rubber in this embodiment) that can be attached to and detached from the valve seat 130 in a large-diameter main body. A plurality of legs (only one is shown in the figure) are extended from the lower end of the valve body 132 to be supported while sliding in the valve hole 128. The valve body 132 adjusts the opening degree of the proportional valve 51 by moving toward and away from the valve hole 128.

  A small-diameter valve hole 138 is provided inward of the valve body 132, and a valve seat 140 is formed by an upper end opening edge thereof. Further, the valve body 132 has a cylindrical guide portion 142 extending upward, and a guide hole 144 is formed by an inner peripheral surface of the guide portion 142. Between the valve body 132 and the partition member 120, a spring 146 (which functions as a “biasing member”) that biases the valve body 132 in the valve closing direction is interposed.

  The valve body 134 has a stepped cylindrical shape and is configured as a so-called needle valve body. The pointed tip of the valve body 134 is inserted into and removed from the valve hole 138 to open and close the proportional valve 52. The valve body 134 has an annular elastic body (rubber in this embodiment) that can be attached to and detached from the valve seat 140, and adjusts the opening degree of the proportional valve 52 by contacting and separating from the valve hole 138. A guide portion 148 that protrudes outward in the radial direction is provided at an intermediate portion of the valve body 134 and is slidably supported in the guide hole 144. The upper end portion of the valve body 134 is connected to the valve operating body 136.

  A back pressure transmission member 150 is disposed between the valve body 132 and the partition member 120. The back pressure transmission member 150 has a stepped cylindrical shape, and is slidably inserted into the guide hole 126 while passing through the upper half portion of the valve body 134. O-rings 152 and 154 as sealing members are fitted on the outer peripheral surface and inner peripheral surface of the back pressure transmission member 150, respectively. The upper half of the valve body 134 is slidably supported by the O-ring 154. That is, the valve body 134 can stably operate in the axial direction while sliding on the O-ring 154 and the guide hole 144.

  A back pressure chamber 156 is formed between the back pressure transmission member 150 and the partition member 120. Further, a communication passage 158 that penetrates the valve body 134 in the axial direction is formed. The communication path 158 communicates with the introduction / exit port 110. For this reason, the back pressure chamber 156 is always filled with the pressure P <b> 1 introduced or led out from the inlet / outlet port 110.

  In the present embodiment, the effective diameter A of the valve hole 128 and the effective diameter B of the guide hole 126 are set equal. Further, the effective diameter C of the valve hole 138 and the effective diameter D of the inner sliding portion of the back pressure transmission member 150 (the inner diameter of the O-ring 154) are set equal. For this reason, the influence of the refrigerant pressure acting on the valve body 132 and the valve body 134 can be canceled. Details of the function of the back pressure canceling structure will be described later.

  The valve operating body 136 has a stepped cylindrical shape, and a male thread portion is formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof. The male screw portion is screwed into the female screw portion of the bearing portion 122. A plurality of (four in this embodiment) leg portions 160 extending outward in the radial direction are provided at the upper end portion of the valve operating body 136 and are fitted to the rotor of the motor unit 102.

  The valve operating body 136 rotates in response to the rotational driving force of the motor unit 102 and converts the rotational force into a translational force. That is, when the valve operating body 136 rotates, the valve operating body 136 is displaced in the axial direction by a screw mechanism (functioning as an “operation converting mechanism”), and drives each valve body in the opening / closing direction. The upper end portion of the valve body 134 penetrates the bottom portion of the valve operating body 136, and the tip end portion thereof is crimped outward to form a locking portion 162, and is locked to the valve operating body 136 by the locking portion 162. So that they are connected.

  As shown in the figure, a play allowing a predetermined amount of relative displacement is formed between the bottom of the valve operating body 136 and the locking portion 162. A spring 164 (which functions as an “urging member”) for biasing the valve body 134 downward is interposed between the upper end portion of the valve operating body 136 and the locking portion 162. That is, the valve body 134 and the valve operating body 136 are integrally displaced while being stretched by the urging force of the spring 164 when at least one of the proportional valve 51 and the proportional valve 52 is open. If both the proportional valves 52 are closed, a predetermined amount of relative displacement is possible in the axial direction. When the valve actuating body 136 operates downward in the closed state of the proportional valve 51 and the proportional valve 52 is closed, if the valve body 134 is seated on the valve seat 140, the downward displacement of the valve body 134 is restricted. . For this reason, a reaction force when the valve is closed acts on the valve operating body 136, but the reaction force is alleviated by the contraction of the spring 164.

  The spring 164 is set so that its load is larger than the sliding resistance between the valve body 134 and the O-ring 154 (sliding force of the valve body 134). Thereby, the valve opening degree of the proportional valve 52 can be accurately controlled without contracting the spring 164 when the valve operating body 136 and the valve body 134 are operating integrally.

  On the other hand, the motor unit 102 is configured as a stepping motor including a rotor 172 and a stator 173. The motor unit 102 is configured to rotatably support a rotor 172 inside a bottomed cylindrical sleeve 170. A stator 173 that accommodates the exciting coil 171 is provided on the outer periphery of the sleeve 170. The lower end opening of the sleeve 170 is assembled to the body 104, and constitutes the body of the control valve 1 together with the body 104.

  The rotor 172 includes a rotating shaft 174 formed in a cylindrical shape and a magnet 176 disposed on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 174. In the present embodiment, the magnet 176 is magnetized (magnetized) into a plurality of poles (24 poles in the present embodiment) in the circumferential direction. An internal space that extends over substantially the entire length of the motor unit 102 is formed inside the rotating shaft 174. A guide portion 178 extending parallel to the axis is provided at a specific location on the inner peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 174. The guide part 178 forms a protrusion for engaging with a rotation stopper, which will be described later, and is constituted by a single protrusion that extends parallel to the axis.

  The lower end portion of the rotating shaft 174 is slightly reduced in diameter, and four guide portions 180 extending in parallel to the axis are provided on the inner peripheral surface thereof. The guide portion 180 is constituted by a pair of protrusions extending in parallel to the axis, and is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 174 every 90 degrees. The four guide portions 180 are fitted with the four leg portions 160 of the valve operating body 136 so that the rotor 172 and the valve operating body 136 can rotate integrally. However, the valve actuating body 136 is allowed to be displaced in the axial direction along the guide portion 180 although the relative displacement in the rotational direction with respect to the rotor 172 is restricted. That is, the valve operating body 136 is driven in the opening / closing direction of each valve body while rotating together with the rotor 172.

  A long shaft 182 is disposed inside the rotor 172 along the axis thereof. The upper end of the shaft 182 is fixed in a cantilever manner by being press-fitted into the center of the bottom of the sleeve 170, and extends into the internal space in parallel with the guide portion 178. The shaft 182 is disposed on the same axis as the valve operating body 136. The shaft 182 is provided with a spiral guide portion 184 that extends over substantially the entire length thereof. The guide part 184 is made of a coil-shaped member and is fitted on the outer surface of the shaft 182. An upper end portion of the guide portion 184 is folded back to form a locking portion 186.

  A spiral rotation stopper 188 is rotatably engaged with the guide portion 184. The rotation stopper 188 includes a helical engagement portion 190 that engages with the guide portion 184 and a power transmission portion 192 that is supported by the rotation shaft 174. The engaging portion 190 has a shape of a one-turn coil, and a power transmission portion 192 that extends outward in the radial direction is continuously provided at a lower end portion of the engaging portion 190. The distal end portion of the power transmission unit 192 is engaged with the guide unit 178. That is, the power transmission part 192 is brought into contact with and locked on one protrusion of the guide part 178. For this reason, the rotation stopper 188 is restricted in relative rotation in the rotation direction by the rotation shaft 174, but is allowed to move in the axial direction while sliding on the guide portion 178.

  That is, the rotation stopper 188 rotates integrally with the rotor 172, and the engagement portion 190 is guided along the guide portion 184, so that the rotation stopper 188 is driven in the axial direction. However, the driving range of the rotation stopper 188 in the axial direction is restricted by the engaging portions formed at both ends of the guide portion 178. When the rotation stopper 188 is displaced upward and locked to the locking portion 186, the position becomes the top dead center. When the rotation stopper 188 is displaced downward, it is locked at its bottom dead center.

  The upper end portion of the rotor 172 is rotatably supported by the sleeve 170, and the lower end portion is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 122. Specifically, a bottomed cylindrical end member 194 is provided so as to seal the upper end opening of the rotating shaft 174. A portion of the cylindrical shaft 196 provided in the center of the end member 194 is supported by a circular boss projecting from the bottom of the sleeve 170. That is, the bearing portion 122 is a bearing portion on one end side, and the sliding portion of the sleeve 170 with the cylindrical shaft 196 is a bearing portion on the other end side. In the present embodiment, the bottom portion of the sleeve 170 is used as a bearing portion as described above, but the end portion of the shaft 182 may be configured as a bearing portion.

  The stator 173 has a configuration described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-152593 or a similar configuration thereto. That is, the stator 173 is wound around a plurality of phases of yokes 175 arranged in parallel in the axial direction so as to surround the rotor 172 from the periphery via the sleeve 170, and winding portions defined by the yokes 175 of each phase. Excitation coil 171 (171a to 171d). The multi-phase yoke 175 is made of a conductive metal material, and is integrated by a resin mold and accommodated in a metal case 177.

  Each phase yoke 175 is configured by combining a pair of yoke members. That is, the yoke member 175a and the yoke member 175b are combined to form the first phase yoke 175, and the yoke member 175c and the yoke member 175d are combined to form the second phase yoke 175, and the yoke member 175e and the yoke member are combined. A third phase yoke 175 is configured by combining 175f, and a fourth phase yoke 175 is configured by combining the yoke member 175g and the yoke member 175h. An excitation coil 171a is wound around the first phase yoke 175, an excitation coil 171b is wound around the second phase yoke 175, and an excitation coil 171c is wound around the third phase yoke 175. An exciting coil 171 d is wound around the phase yoke 175.

  The yoke 175 of each phase is configured such that a pair of yoke members are alternately combined with each other's pole teeth. That is, the yoke member has a plurality of pole teeth provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral portion of the annular main body. Each pole tooth is formed so that the inner end of the yoke member is raised in a comb-like shape in the axial direction.

  And the yoke 175 becomes a two-phase one set, and two sets are provided. That is, the first phase yoke 175 and the second phase yoke 175 constitute a first set, and the third phase yoke 175 and the fourth phase yoke 175 constitute a second set. The two-phase yokes 175 of each pair are in opposite phases, and the excitation coils 171 wound around the respective phase yokes 175 are connected so as to generate magnetic fields in series and in opposite directions. Adjacent yokes 175 are arranged such that the flat surfaces (side surfaces opposite to the pole teeth) of the yoke members face each other.

  On the other hand, the first set of yokes 175 and the second set of yokes 175 are arranged so that their phases are shifted from each other by 90 degrees. A gap 179 having a predetermined interval (1 mm in this embodiment) is formed between the first set of yokes 175 and the second set of yokes 175, and the gap 179 is filled with a resin material. For this reason, even when magnetic fields opposite to each other are formed at the opposing portions of the first set of yokes 175 and the second set of yokes 175, mutual magnetic interference is reduced. Further, since a plurality of sets of two-phase one set of yokes 175 are provided, the magnetic force can be made uniform over a relatively long range in the axial direction, and high-precision rotation control can be realized even if the rotor 172 is increased in speed.

  The control valve 1 configured as described above functions as a stepping motor actuated control valve whose valve opening can be adjusted by driving control of the motor unit 102. A control unit (not shown) calculates the number of drive steps of the stepping motor according to the set opening, and supplies a drive current (drive pulse) to the excitation coil 171. Thereby, the rotor 172 rotates, while the valve operating body 136 is rotationally driven to adjust the open / close state and the opening degree of the proportional valves 51 and 52.

  FIG. 1 shows a case where both the proportional valves 51 and 52 are closed when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction. That is, when the flow of the refrigerant is in the direction from the inlet / outlet port 110 toward the inlet / outlet port 112, when the valve operating body 136 is driven to a position where the bottom dead center is reached as illustrated, the valve body 134 is moved to the valve seat. The proportional valve 52 is closed by 140 and the valve body 132 is seated on the valve seat 130 and the proportional valve 51 is closed. At this time, the back pressure chamber 156 is filled with the high-pressure refrigerant introduced from the inlet / outlet port 110, so that the back pressure transmission member 150 is integrated with the valve body 132.

  FIG. 2 shows a case where the proportional valve 51 is opened and the proportional valve 52 is closed when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction. That is, when the rotor 172 is driven to rotate in one direction (forward rotation) from the state of FIG. 1, the valve element 132 is lifted by the valve operating body 136. At this time, the upward driving force is transmitted to the back pressure transmission member 150 via the guide portion 148, and the valve body 132 integrated with the back pressure transmission member 150 is separated from the valve seat 130 and opens the proportional valve 51. Let me speak. At this time, since the pressure in the back pressure chamber 156 is high, the back pressure transmission member 150 and the valve body 132 are maintained in an integrated state. As a result, the valve body 134 is sandwiched between the valve body 132 and the back pressure transmission member 150, and the valve closing state of the proportional valve 52 is maintained. By controlling the driving amount of the valve operating body 136 in this state, the opening degree of the proportional valve 51 can be adjusted.

  FIG. 3 shows a case where both the proportional valves 51 and 52 are closed when the refrigerant flow is in the reverse direction. That is, when the flow of the refrigerant is in the direction from the inlet / outlet port 112 toward the inlet / outlet port 110, when the valve operating body 136 is driven to a position where the bottom dead center is reached as shown, the valve body 134 is moved to the valve seat. At 140, the proportional valve 52 is closed. At this time, the back pressure chamber 156 is filled with the low-pressure refrigerant introduced from the inlet / outlet port 110, so that the back pressure transmission member 150 is pushed upward by the front-rear differential pressure and locked to the partition member 120. For this reason, the valve body 132 is in a state in which the back pressure canceling mechanism is released, and is biased toward the valve seat 130 by the differential pressure across the valve body 132 to maintain the proportional valve 51 in the closed state.

  FIG. 4 shows a case where the proportional valve 51 is closed and the proportional valve 52 is opened when the refrigerant flow is in the reverse direction. That is, when the rotor 172 is rotationally driven (normally rotated) in one direction from the state of FIG. 3, the valve element 132 is lifted by the valve actuator 136. As a result, the valve element 132 is separated from the valve seat 140 to open the proportional valve 52. At this time, since the back pressure chamber 156 is at a low pressure, the back pressure transmission member 150 maintains a state of being locked to the partition member 120. On the other hand, the valve body 132 is biased by the valve seat 130 due to the differential pressure across the valve body 132 and maintains the closed state of the proportional valve 51. By controlling the driving amount of the valve operating body 136 in this state, the opening degree of the proportional valve 52 can be adjusted. The proportional valve 52 functions as an expansion device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing proportional control by the control valve 1. (A) shows the proportional control when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction, and (B) shows the proportional control when the refrigerant flow is in the reverse direction. In each figure, the horizontal axis indicates the number of driving steps from the reference position, and the vertical axis indicates the opening area of the valve portion.
That is, when the opening degree of the proportional valve 51 is controlled when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the result is as shown in FIG. 5A, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. If the opening degree of the proportional valve 52 is controlled when the refrigerant flow is in the reverse direction, the result is as shown in FIG. In either case, the opening area increases in proportion to the number of steps. However, since the proportional valve 51 has a large diameter and the proportional valve 52 has a small diameter, the opening areas of the valve portions are different. That is, with respect to the driving amount of the valve operating body 136 in the axial direction, the size of the valve portion differs depending on whether the refrigerant flows in the forward direction or the reverse direction, and the valve opening degree (from the valve seat of the valve body) The refrigerant flow rate with respect to the lift amount) is also different. In other words, with respect to the amount of drive of the valve operating body 136 in the axial direction, the valve opening characteristics differ between when the refrigerant flows in the forward direction and when it flows in the reverse direction.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The control valve according to the present embodiment is slightly different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the valve portion and the actuator. Hereinafter, the difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and components that are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. 6 to 10 are cross-sectional views illustrating the configuration and operation of the control valve according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control valve 2 is configured as an electric valve driven by a stepping motor, and is configured by assembling a valve body 201 and a motor unit 202. The guide part 242 provided in the valve body 132 is configured to be larger in the axial direction than the guide part 142 of the first embodiment. On the other hand, the thickness of the guide part 248 provided in the valve body 134 is smaller than that of the guide part 148 of the first embodiment. As a result, as shown in the figure, the back pressure transmission member 150 and the guide portion 248 are separated from each other even when the proportional valves 51 and 52 are in the closed state. The spring 146 is interposed between the valve body 132 and the valve body 134. On the other hand, in the motor unit 202, the gap 179 as in the first embodiment is not provided between the first set of yokes 175 and the second set of yokes 175.

  The control valve 2 configured as described above functions as a stepping motor actuated control valve whose valve opening can be adjusted by driving control of the motor unit 202. A control unit (not shown) calculates the number of drive steps of the stepping motor according to the set opening, and supplies a drive current (drive pulse) to the excitation coil 171. Thereby, the rotor 172 rotates, while the valve operating body 136 is rotationally driven to adjust the open / close state and the opening degree of the proportional valves 51 and 52.

  FIG. 6 shows a case where both the proportional valves 51 and 52 are closed when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction. That is, when the valve operating body 136 is driven to a position where the bottom dead center is reached when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction, the valve body 134 is seated on the valve seat 140 and the proportional valve 52 is closed, The valve body 132 is seated on the valve seat 130, and the proportional valve 51 is closed. At this time, the back pressure chamber 156 is filled with the high-pressure refrigerant introduced from the inlet / outlet port 110, so that the back pressure transmission member 150 is integrated with the valve body 132.

  FIG. 7 shows a case where the proportional valve 51 is closed and the proportional valve 52 is opened when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction. That is, when the rotor 172 is rotationally driven (normally rotated) in one direction from the state of FIG. 6, the valve element 132 is lifted by the valve operating body 136. As a result, the valve body 134 is separated from the valve seat 140 and the proportional valve 52 is opened.

  FIG. 8 shows a case where both the proportional valves 51 and 52 are opened when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction. That is, when the rotor 172 is further rotationally driven in one direction from the state of FIG. 7, the upward driving force is transmitted to the back pressure transmission member 150 through the guide portion 248 and integrated with the back pressure transmission member 150. Then, the valve body 132 is separated from the valve seat 130 and the proportional valve 51 is opened. At this time, since the pressure in the back pressure chamber 156 is high, the back pressure transmission member 150 and the valve body 132 are maintained in an integrated state. However, in this case, since the opening area of the proportional valve 52 is considerably smaller than the opening area of the proportional valve 51, the opening degree of the proportional valve 51 can be considered substantially.

  FIG. 9 shows a case where both the proportional valves 51 and 52 are closed when the refrigerant flow is in the reverse direction. That is, when the valve operating body 136 is driven to a position where the bottom dead center is reached when the refrigerant flow is in the reverse direction, the valve body 134 is seated on the valve seat 140 and the proportional valve 52 is closed. At this time, the back pressure chamber 156 is filled with the low-pressure refrigerant introduced from the inlet / outlet port 110, so that the back pressure transmission member 150 is pushed upward by the differential pressure across the back pressure chamber 156. For this reason, the valve body 132 is in a state in which the back pressure canceling mechanism is released, and is biased toward the valve seat 130 by the differential pressure across the valve body 132 to maintain the proportional valve 51 in the closed state.

  FIG. 10 shows a case where the proportional valve 51 is closed and the proportional valve 52 is opened when the refrigerant flow is in the reverse direction. That is, when the rotor 172 is rotationally driven in one direction from the state of FIG. 9, the valve body 132 is lifted by the valve operating body 136. As a result, the valve element 132 is separated from the valve seat 140 to open the proportional valve 52. At this time, since the back pressure chamber 156 is at a low pressure, the back pressure transmission member 150 maintains a state of being locked to the partition member 120. On the other hand, the valve body 132 is biased by the valve seat 130 due to the differential pressure across the valve body 132 and maintains the closed state of the proportional valve 51. By controlling the driving amount of the valve operating body 136 in this state, the opening degree of the proportional valve 52 can be adjusted. The proportional valve 52 functions as an expansion device.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating proportional control by the control valve 2. (A) shows the proportional control when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction, and (B) shows the proportional control when the refrigerant flow is in the reverse direction. In each figure, the horizontal axis indicates the number of driving steps from the reference position, and the vertical axis indicates the opening area of the valve portion.
That is, when the refrigerant flow is in the forward direction as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, first, as shown in FIG. 11 (a), the opening degree of the small-diameter proportional valve 52 is increased substantially in proportion to the number of steps. Become. When the number of steps is exceeded, the large-diameter proportional valve 51 is also opened, and the increase rate of the opening area with respect to the number of steps increases.

  On the other hand, when the refrigerant flow is in the reverse direction as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the opening degree of the small-diameter proportional valve 52 increases substantially in proportion to the number of steps. However, the refrigerant flow rate is saturated after the fully opened state. That is, with respect to the amount of drive of the valve operating body 136 in the axial direction, the size of the valve portion differs depending on whether the refrigerant flows in the forward direction or the reverse direction, and the refrigerant flow rate with respect to the valve opening also differs. Become. In other words, with respect to the amount of drive of the valve operating body 136 in the axial direction, the valve opening characteristics differ between when the refrigerant flows in the forward direction and when it flows in the reverse direction.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Nor.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which the control valve of the present invention is applied to a vehicle air conditioner for an electric vehicle has been shown. However, for a vehicle of an automobile equipped with an internal combustion engine or a hybrid automobile equipped with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. Needless to say, it can be provided to an air conditioning apparatus. Moreover, it is also possible to apply to air conditioning apparatuses other than a vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to applications in which the flow of working fluid other than the refrigerant is controlled in both directions.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which a stepping motor is employed as the actuator of the composite valve has been shown, but a solenoid or the like may be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the excitation coils 171 wound around the yokes 175 of the respective phases are connected so as to generate magnetic fields in series and in opposite directions in the motor unit 102 has been described. In a modified example, the excitation coils 171 wound around the yokes 175 of the respective phases may be connected so as to generate magnetic fields in parallel and in opposite directions.

  1, 2 Control valve, 51, 52 Proportional valve, 101 Valve body, 102 Motor unit, 104 Body, 110, 112 Inlet / out port, 128 Valve hole, 132, 134 Valve body, 136 Valve operating body, 138 Valve hole, 150 Back pressure transmission member, 156 Back pressure chamber, 170 sleeve, 171 excitation coil, 172 rotor, 173 stator, 174 rotation shaft, 175 yoke, 176 magnet, 179 gap, 182 shaft, 188 rotation stopper, 201 valve body, 202 motor unit .

Claims (6)

A body formed with a common internal passage through which the working fluid flows in the forward or reverse direction;
An actuator for electrically controlling the opening degree of the valve portion provided in the internal passage;
A valve operating body that transmits a driving force in an axial direction of the actuator to the valve portion;
An operation switching mechanism that switches the size of the valve portion to be different between a case where the working fluid flows in the forward direction and a case where the working fluid flows in the reverse direction with respect to the driving amount in the axial direction of the valve operating body by the actuator;
The control valve is characterized in that the size of the opening area of the valve portion with respect to the drive amount of the valve operating body in the axial direction varies proportionally in each of the forward direction and the reverse direction . A first inlet / outlet port provided in the body for introducing or discharging a working fluid;
The internal passage is formed between the body and the first introduction / exit port, and when the first introduction / exit port functions as an introduction port, it becomes a lead-out port, and the first introduction / exit port serves as a lead-out port A second introduction / exit port, which becomes an introduction port when functioning,
A first valve body that adjusts the opening degree of the first valve by contacting and separating from a first valve hole provided in the internal passage;
A second valve body for adjusting the opening degree of the second valve by contacting and separating from a second valve hole smaller than the first valve hole;
With
The operation switching mechanism is
When the working fluid flows in the forward direction, the opening degree of the first valve can be adjusted by operatively connecting the valve operating body and the first valve body so as to be integrally displaceable,
When the working fluid flows in the reverse direction, the valve operating body and the second valve body are operatively connected, while the valve operating body and the first valve body are disconnected so as to be relatively displaceable. The control valve according to claim 1, wherein the opening degree of the second valve is adjustable. A first back pressure cancellation mechanism that cancels the influence of fluid pressure acting on the first valve body by introducing a working fluid into a back pressure chamber formed in the body;
A second back pressure canceling mechanism for canceling the influence of fluid pressure acting on the second valve body by introducing a working fluid into a back pressure chamber formed in the body;
When the opening degree of the first valve is adjusted, the first back pressure canceling mechanism is operated, while when the opening degree of the second valve is adjusted, the first back pressure canceling mechanism is operated. A back pressure cancel switching mechanism for releasing and operating the second back pressure cancel mechanism;
The control valve according to claim 2, further comprising: The back pressure cancel switching mechanism is disposed between the body and the first valve body, is slidably supported by the body and is slidably inserted through the second valve body. A back pressure transmission member that forms the back pressure chamber between the valve body and the body on the opposite side;
The back pressure transmission member is
When the opening degree of the first valve is adjusted, the connected state is maintained so as to be integrally displaced with the first valve body by being biased in the direction approaching the first valve body by the differential pressure across the first valve. And
When the opening degree of the second valve is adjusted, the connected state is released so as to be displaceable relative to the first valve body by being biased in a direction away from the first valve body by the differential pressure across the second valve. The control valve according to claim 3, wherein:   When the opening degree of the first valve is adjusted, the driving force of the valve operating body is transmitted to the back pressure transmission member via the second valve body, so that the first valve body is axially moved. The control valve according to claim 4, wherein the control valve is driven in a direction to adjust an opening degree of the first valve. As the actuator, a stepping motor including a rotor driven to rotate,
An operation conversion mechanism that rotates together with the rotor and converts a rotational motion around the axis thereof into a translational motion in the axial direction of the valve operating body;
The control valve according to claim 1, comprising:

Images