CN118805049A - Flow path switching valve - Google Patents

Abstract

The flow path switching valve comprises: a valve body, which forms a valve chamber inside, and an inlet and outlet of a fluid is formed in the inner wall (wall surface) forming the valve chamber; a valve core, which can be rotatably arranged in the valve chamber, and forms a flow path with multiple openings on the outer peripheral surface opposite to the wall surface; a sealing portion, which is arranged in a manner to surround the opening of the flow path in the valve core, and seals the inlet and outlet and the valve core when the opening is opposite to the inlet and outlet; and a rotation drive portion, which rotates the valve core via the valve shaft so that the flow states of the multiple inlets and outlets are selectively switched through the flow path of the valve core, and the rotation drive portion can detect the angular position of the valve core. The flow path switching valve has a mode of sealing the multiple openings of the valve core simultaneously through the wall surface to stop the flow of the fluid in the flow path.

Description

Flow path switching valve

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a flow path switching valve which switches a flow path by rotating and sliding a valve core in a valve chamber.

Background Art

As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-115691, there is known a type of flow path switching valve that switches the flow path by rotating a cylindrical or spherical valve element (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this type of flow path switching valve, a rotation drive unit composed of a motor, a drive gear, etc. is used to drive the valve element to rotate.

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

The flow path switching valve according to the above-mentioned conventional example has several variations of flow path switching, but it is desired to further increase the variations.

Summary of the invention

The present invention aims to further increase the variations of flow path switching.

Technical means for solving technical problems

The flow path switching valve involved in the first embodiment comprises: a valve body, which forms a valve chamber inside and an inlet and outlet of a fluid are formed on a wall surface forming the valve chamber; a valve core, which can be rotatably arranged in the valve chamber and forms a flow path with a plurality of openings on an outer peripheral surface opposite to the wall surface; a sealing portion, which is arranged in a manner surrounding the opening portion of the valve core and seals the inlet and outlet and the valve core when the opening portion is opposite to the inlet and outlet; and a rotation driving portion, which rotates the valve core via a valve shaft so that the flow states of the plurality of inlets and outlets are selectively switched through the flow path of the valve core, and the rotation driving portion can detect the angular position of the valve core, and the flow path switching valve has a mode of simultaneously sealing the plurality of openings of the valve core through the wall surface to stop the flow of the fluid in the flow path.

In the flow path switching valve, the angular position of the valve core can be detected by the rotation driving unit, and the valve core can be rotated by the rotation driving unit via the valve shaft, thereby changing the combination of the multiple openings of the valve core and the inlet and outlet of the valve body, and the flow path of the valve body can be switched. In addition, since there is a mode of simultaneously sealing the multiple openings of the valve core through the wall surface of the valve body to stop the flow of the fluid in the flow path, the changes in the flow path switching can be further increased.

According to a second aspect, in the flow path switching valve according to the first aspect, a stopper that restricts further rotation of the valve body at at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit of a valve body rotation range is provided on the valve body.

In the flow path switching valve, a stopper provided on the valve body can limit further rotation of the valve core at at least one of the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range. Since the rotation drive unit can detect the angular position of the valve core, the position where the rotation of the valve core is blocked by the stopper can be detected as the upper limit or the lower limit of the valve core rotation range, and the valve core rotation range can be calibrated. When the angle difference between the upper limit and the lower limit is known, the lower limit can be obtained based on the detected upper limit, and the upper limit can also be obtained based on the lower limit. Therefore, compared with the case of using an absolute angle sensor in the calibration, the cost increase can be suppressed, and the valve core rotation range in the rotation drive unit can be calibrated.

According to a third aspect, in the flow path switching valve according to the second aspect, the valve body is provided with a protrusion which protrudes radially outward from the valve body and abuts against the stopper at least at one of an upper limit and a lower limit of a rotation range of the valve body.

In this flow path switching valve, the valve body rotation range can be calibrated at a lower cost by a simple structure in which a protrusion provided on the valve body abuts against a stopper at at least one of the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve body rotation range.

According to a fourth aspect, in the flow path switching valve according to the first aspect or the second aspect, the stopper is provided at both an upper limit and a lower limit of the valve body rotation range.

In this flow path switching valve, since the stoppers are provided at both the upper and lower limits of the valve body rotation range, the valve body rotation range can be calibrated by detecting the upper and lower limits even if the angular difference between the upper and lower limits is unknown.

Effects of the Invention

According to the flow path switching valve according to the present invention, it is possible to perform calibration of the valve body rotation range in the rotation drive unit while suppressing an increase in cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a flow path switching valve according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the flow path switching valve according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the flow path switching valve according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a valve body.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the valve body and the retaining member in an upside-down state.

7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a protruding portion of the valve body is in contact with a stopper that determines the lower limit of the rotation range of the valve body.

8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a protruding portion of the valve body is in contact with a stopper that determines an upper limit of a rotation range of the valve body.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of the valve element corresponding to FIG. 8 .

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state of the valve body corresponding to FIG. 7 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Using FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a flow path switching valve 10 involved in one embodiment of the present invention is described. In addition, in each figure, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention, and in order to facilitate the convenience of drawing, the gap formed between the components, the separation distance between the components, etc. are sometimes exaggerated. In addition, in this specification, the descriptions indicating the position and direction of up and down, left and right, front and back, etc. are based on the direction arrows shown in FIG. 1, and do not refer to the position and direction in the actual use state. In FIG. 1, "UP" means the upper direction (upper side), "DOWN" means the lower direction (lower side), "LH" means the left direction (left side), "RH" means the right direction (right side), "FR" means the front direction (front side), and "RR" means the rear direction (rear side). In addition, these directions are indicated for convenience, and there are cases where they are different from the directions in the state of being installed in a car, etc.

(Structure of flow path switching valve)

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a flow path switching valve 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the flow path switching valve 10. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2 .

The flow path switching valve 10 is used as a rotary four-way valve for switching the flow path of a fluid flowing in, for example, an engine room of a car, etc. The flow path switching valve 10 includes a valve body 14 , a valve element 16 , a sealing portion 38 , and a rotation driving portion 18 .

(Valve body)

In FIG2 , the valve body 14 is composed of, for example, a base member 20 and a retaining member 21 made of synthetic resin. The base member 20 is open at the bottom, and the retaining member 21 is embedded and fixed in the opening portion. The base member 20 and the retaining member 21 are sealed, for example, by an O-ring 54. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 , a valve chamber 12, for example, in a cylindrical shape, is formed inside the valve body 14. Inlet and outlet 24, 26, 28 for the fluid are formed on the cylindrical inner wall 12A in the wall surface of the valve chamber 12. The inlet and outlet 24, 26 are opened in a manner opposite to each other relative to the valve chamber 12. The inlet and outlet 28 is opened in a direction orthogonal to the direction connecting the inlet and outlet 24, 26 in the horizontal plane.

In Figs. 1 and 2, ports 24A, 26A, and 28A as pipe joints communicating with inlets and outlets 24, 26, and 28 are integrally provided on the outer surface of the base member 20 of the valve body 14. In addition, a plurality of mounting portions 32 for mounting the flow path switching valve 10 in the engine room of a car or the like are provided on the outer surface of the base member 20. In Fig. 6, an inlet and outlet 29 to the valve chamber 12 and a port 29A as a pipe joint communicating with the inlet and outlet 29 are integrally provided on the retaining member 21.

3 and 6 , the fitting portion between the holding member 21 and the base member 20 is sealed, for example, airtightly and watertightly by, for example, an O-ring 54. The O-ring 54 is attached to, for example, a groove 56 provided in the holding member 21.

In this embodiment, the holding member 21 and the base member 20 are connected by the screws 25 with the O-ring 54 interposed therebetween, but the holding member 21 and the base member 20 may be connected by welding. When a structure is adopted in which sealing is ensured also by welding, the O-ring 54 is not required.

The holding member 21 has a flange 21A, and four through holes 21B are formed in the flange 21A. For example, screws 25 are passed through the through holes 21B. The end surface 20A of the base member 20 that abuts against the flange 21A is formed with a threaded hole 20B that is screwed with the screw 25. The holding member 21 is fastened and fixed to the base member 20 by the screw 25.

In addition, two through holes 21C, for example, are formed in the flange 21A. A pin 52 (FIG. 6) for positioning passes through the through hole 21C. A hole 20C that engages with the pin 52 is formed in the end surface 20A of the base member 20. The pin 52 is a fixture used when the retaining member 21 is assembled relative to the base member 20. By inserting the pin 52 inserted through the through hole 21C of the flange 21A into the hole 20C of the base member 20, the center of the valve chamber 12 of the base member 20 and the center of the retaining member 21 can be positioned. As described later, this is because the lower end of the valve core 16 rotating in the valve chamber 12 is supported and rotated by the inner peripheral surface 21E of the retaining member 21.

Furthermore, the flange 21A is provided with, for example, two protrusions 21D that protrude toward the valve body 14. A hole 20D that fits with the protrusion 21D is formed on the end surface 20A of the base member 20. The protrusion 21D fits with the hole 20D, so that the alignment change over time between the center of the valve chamber 12 of the base member 20 and the center of the holding member 21 can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG3 , an insertion hole 30 is provided on the upper wall surface of the valve chamber 12, through which the valve shaft 48 of the valve core 16 is rotatably inserted. In addition, a support portion 15 extending to the side opposite to the port 28A is provided integrally with the base member 20, for example. The rotation drive portion 18 is fixed to the base member 20 and the support portion 15, for example, using a screw 22.

(Valve core)

In FIGS. 3 to 5 , the valve core 16 is a member made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is rotatably disposed in the valve chamber 12 around an axis O1 extending in the vertical direction. The upper portion of the valve core 16 is pivotally supported via an O-ring 34 to an insertion hole 30 provided on the upper wall surface of the valve chamber 12. The O-ring 34 is installed in, for example, a groove 16A1 formed on the upper outer peripheral surface of the valve core 16. On the other hand, the lower portion of the valve core 16 is pivotally supported via an O-ring 35 to an inner peripheral surface 21E of the retaining member 21 (also refer to FIG. 10 ). The O-ring 35 is installed in, for example, a groove 16B1 formed on the lower outer peripheral surface 16B of the valve core 16.

The valve core 16 has a generally cylindrical outer peripheral surface 16C centered on the axis O1. The outer peripheral surface 16C is arranged in a range of approximately 180°. In other words, the outer peripheral surface 16C is formed in a generally semicircular shape when viewed from the direction of the axis O1. The outer peripheral surface 16C is opposite to the inner wall 12A of the valve chamber 12. The radius of curvature of the outer peripheral surface 16C is set to be slightly smaller than the radius of the valve chamber 12. A gap S1 is formed between the cylindrical inner wall 12A in the wall surface of the valve chamber 12 and the outer peripheral surface 16C of the valve core 16 (Figures 7 and 8). The gap S1 is also formed between the top end of the protrusion 16G described later and the inner wall 12A of the valve chamber 12. In addition, the size of the gap S1 may also vary depending on the position.

In order to selectively connect the inlet and outlet 24, 26, 28, 29 provided in the valve body 14, in other words, in order to selectively switch the connection state of the inlet and outlet 24, 26, 28, 29, a flow path (internal flow path) 36 is provided inside the valve core 16. In detail, a plurality of openings, such as two openings 36A and 36B, are formed on the outer peripheral surface 16C of the valve core 16 in a direction orthogonal to the axis O1 direction of the valve core 16. As shown in FIG. 9, the openings 36A and 36B are orthogonal to each other. In addition, the valve core 16 is formed with an opening 36C formed below the axis O1. The openings 36A, 36B, and 36C are connected to the flow path 36.

Annular recesses 16D for mounting seat members 40 and 42 described later are formed around the openings 36A and 36B in the outer peripheral surface 16C of the valve body 16. Protrusions 16E for positioning the seat members 40 and 42 are provided at, for example, two locations or one location inside the annular recesses 16D around the openings 36A and 36B.

The valve shaft 48 is, for example, integrally provided on the upper part of the valve core 16. The central axis of the valve shaft 48 is coaxial with the axis line O1 of the valve core 16. A gear portion 48A having projections and depressions in the circumferential direction is provided on the valve shaft 48, and the gear portion 48A engages with the output portion of the rotary drive portion 18. A middle diameter portion 16F having a larger diameter than the upper outer peripheral surface 16A and a smaller diameter than the outer peripheral surface 16C is provided between the upper outer peripheral surface 16A and the outer peripheral surface 16C of the valve core 16. A gap S2 is formed between the middle diameter portion 16F and a protrusion constituting the stoppers 44 and 46 described later. By forming this gap S2 and the above-mentioned gap S1, the retention of foreign matter in the valve chamber 12 can be suppressed. In addition, the valve shaft 48 may also be a component different from the valve core 16.

(Seal part)

In FIG. 4 and FIG. 9 , the sealing portion 38 is a member provided to surround the openings 36A and 36B of the flow path 36 in the valve core 16 and to seal between the inlet and outlet 24, 26, 28 and the valve core 16 when the openings 36A and 36B are opposite to the inlet and outlet 24, 26, 28. The sealing portion 38 includes, for example, a seat member 40 and an O-ring 42. The seat member 40 and the O-ring 42 are respectively arranged at two annular recesses 16D of the valve core 16. The seat member 40 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin and is formed into a circular ring having openings corresponding to the openings 36A and 36B of the flow path 36 in the valve core 16. The inner diameter of the seat member 40 is set to be equal to the inner diameter of the inlet and outlet 24, 26, 28, for example.

The surface of the seat member 40 that slides with the inner wall 12A of the valve chamber 12 is composed of a cylindrical surface along the inner wall 12A. As a result, the valve core 16 can smoothly rotate and slide in the valve chamber 12 in a state where the seat member 40 is in contact with the inner wall 12A of the valve chamber 12, and can seal the inlet and outlet 24, 26, 28 and the valve core 16 in a state where the openings 36A and 36B are opposite to the inlet and outlet 24, 26, 28. On the other hand, the back surface of the seat member 40 is, for example, roughly flat. A recess 40A that fits with the protrusion 16E of the valve core 16 is formed on the back surface. The O-ring 42 is arranged at the bottom of the annular recess 16D, and the seat member 40 is embedded from above the O-ring 42. That is, the seat member 40 and the valve core 16 are sealed, for example, airtightly and watertightly by the O-ring 42.

For example, the valve body 14 and the valve element 16 may be made of a resin with low water absorption such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), the seat member 40 may be made of a self-lubricating resin such as PTFE (fluororesin), and the O-ring 42 may be made of synthetic rubber.

(Rotation drive unit)

In FIGS. 1 to 3 , the rotary drive unit 18 rotates the valve core 16 via the valve shaft 48 so that the connection states of the plurality of inlets and outlets 24, 26, 28, and 29 are selectively switched through the flow path 36 of the valve core 16, and the rotary drive unit 18 can detect the angular position of the valve core 16. The rotary drive unit 18 has a motor, a drive gear, etc. for rotating the valve shaft 48, and is arranged above the valve body 14 in order to rotate the valve core 16 around the rotation axis (center line) O1 via the valve shaft 48. The valve shaft 48 of the valve core 16 engages with the rotary drive unit 18 around the axis O1. The rotary drive unit 18 is provided with a connector 50, which is connected to wiring for, for example, communication with a control unit and power supply. In order to detect the angular position of the valve core 16, the motor may be a stepping motor, or may be a motor composed of a motor such as a DC motor and a magnetic sensor (such as a Hall element).

In Figures 6, 7, and 8, the valve core 16 is driven to rotate within a specified valve core rotation range. At least one of the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range, for example both, is provided on the inner side of the valve body 14 with stops 44, 46 for limiting further rotation of the valve core 16. Specifically, the stops 44, 46 are integrally provided around the insertion hole 30 (Figure 2) in the upper wall of the valve chamber 12. The stop 44 determines the upper limit, and the stop 46 determines the lower limit. The lower limit of the upper limit is also referred to as one end and the other end. In addition, by providing the stops 44, 46 on the inner side of the valve body 14, that is, the upper wall of the valve chamber 12, the valve core 16 can be configured from the lower side of the valve chamber 12.

The valve core 16 is provided with a protrusion 16G, which protrudes radially outward from, for example, the middle diameter portion 16F of the valve core 16, and abuts against the stoppers 44 and 46 at at least one of the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range, and in the present embodiment, on both sides. The protrusion 16G is, for example, a convex portion that is fan-shaped when viewed from above, and is provided at one location. The protrusion 16G abuts against the stopper 44 at the upper limit of the valve core rotation range, and abuts against the stopper 46 at the lower limit. The configuration of the stops 44 and 46 and the size of the protrusion 16G in the circumferential direction of the valve core 16 are appropriately changed according to the valve core rotation range. In other words, the positions of the stops 44 and 46 are determined in consideration of the angle difference and the shape of the protrusion 16G of the valve core 16.

In addition, the angle difference θ between the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range in this embodiment is 315° (Figure 7). In this way, when the angle difference between the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range is known, the lower limit can be calculated from the upper limit, or the upper limit can be calculated from the lower limit through a calibration procedure. Therefore, it is also possible to have a structure in which only one of the upper limit stopper 44 or the lower limit stopper 46 is provided. In addition, a protrusion that abuts against the upper limit stopper 44 and a protrusion that abuts against the lower limit stopper 46 can also be provided separately.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the flow path switching valve 10 has a mode in which the flow of the fluid in the flow path 36 is stopped by simultaneously sealing the two openings 36A and 36B of the valve element 16 with the inner wall 12A serving as the wall surface of the valve chamber 12 .

(Function, Effect)

Next, the function and effect of the flow path switching valve 10 of the present embodiment will be described. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the flow path 36 of the valve body 14 can be switched by rotating the valve core 16 via the valve shaft 48 through the rotation drive unit 18 composed of a motor, a drive gear, etc. Specifically, through the flow path 36 of the valve core 16, the combination of the communication states of the inlet and outlet 24, 26, 28, and 29 provided in the valve body 14 can be changed, and the flow pattern of the fluid can be selectively switched.

For example, in FIG. 7 and FIG. 10, the valve core 16 is located at the lower limit of the valve core rotation range, and the inlets and outlets 26 and 29 are connected, and the inlets and outlets 24 and 28 are connected. If the valve core 16 is rotated 90° clockwise from the state in FIG. 7, the inlets and outlets 26, 28, and 29 are connected, and the inlet and outlet 24 is closed (not shown). If the valve core 16 is further rotated 90° clockwise, the inlets and outlets 24, 28, and 29 are connected, and the inlet and outlet 26 is closed. If the valve core 16 is further rotated 90° clockwise, the inlets and outlets 24 and 29 are connected, and the inlet and outlet 26 and 28 are connected.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , when the valve core 16 is rotated clockwise to the upper limit of the valve core rotation range, the two openings 36A and 36B of the valve core 16 are sealed simultaneously by the inner wall 12A of the valve body 14, and the flow of the fluid in the flow path is stopped. Specifically, the inlet and outlet 29 is closed. At this time, the inlets and outlets 24, 26, and 28 are connected to the outside of the valve core 16. In this way, in this embodiment, the changes in flow path switching can be further increased.

In addition, in this embodiment, the stoppers 44 and 46 provided on the outside of the valve body 14 can limit the further rotation of the valve body 16 at both the upper and lower limits of the valve body rotation range. Specifically, the protrusion 16G of the valve body 16 abuts against the stoppers 44 and 46, respectively, to limit the further rotation of the valve body 16.

Since the rotation drive unit 18 can detect the angular position of the valve core 16, the position where the protrusion 16G stops the valve core 16 from rotating by the stoppers 44 and 46 can be detected as the upper limit or lower limit of the valve core rotation range, and the valve core rotation range can be calibrated. It is desirable to perform calibration irregularly or regularly, such as every time the flow path switching valve 10 is used or once a month. Here, an example of the calibration procedure using the protrusion 16G of the valve core 16 and the stoppers 44 and 46 is described using Figures 7 and 8.

When the valve core 16 is rotated to the left by the rotation drive unit 18 (FIG. 1) from the state where the valve core 16 is located between the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range, in FIG. 7, the protrusion 16G abuts against the stopper 46 at the lower limit, limiting further rotation of the valve core 16. At this time, by detecting the stop of the motor of the rotation drive unit 18, it is possible to detect that the valve core 16 has reached the lower limit of the valve core rotation range. Next, when the valve core 16 is rotated to the right by the rotation drive unit 18 (FIG. 1), in FIG. 8, the protrusion 16G abuts against the stopper 44 at the upper limit, limiting further rotation of the valve core 16. At this time, by detecting the stop of the motor of the rotation drive unit 18, it is possible to detect that the valve core 16 has reached the upper limit of the valve core rotation range.

In addition, the rotation position of the motor of the rotation drive unit 18 can be detected by using a sensor such as a Hall element, or can be detected based on the back electromotive force of a stepping motor or a brushless motor. The rotation speed of the motor (i.e., the angular position of the valve core) in the state where the protrusion 16G abuts against the lower limit stopper 46 or the upper limit stopper 44 can be detected using a sensor, but in the case of a stepping motor, the rotation speed of the motor (i.e., the angular position of the valve core) can also be detected based on the number of input pulses. The state where the protrusion 16G abuts against the lower limit stopper 46 or the upper limit stopper 44 (reference position, stopped state of the motor) can also be detected by a sensor or back electromotive force.

Thus, since the angular position of the valve core 16 under the rotation drive unit 18 at the upper limit of the valve core rotation range corresponds to the angular position of the valve core 16 under the rotation drive unit 18 at the lower limit of the valve core rotation range, the calibration of the valve core rotation range is completed. Thus, the angular position of the valve core 16 can be arbitrarily changed within the valve core rotation range.

In this embodiment, since the stoppers 44 and 46 are provided at both the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range, the valve core rotation range can be calibrated by detecting the upper limit and the lower limit even if the angle difference between the upper limit and the lower limit is unknown. When the angle difference between the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range is known, the lower limit can be calculated from the upper limit, or the upper limit can be calculated from the lower limit through the calibration procedure. Therefore, even if only one of the stoppers 44 at the upper limit or the stoppers 46 at the lower limit is provided, calibration can be performed.

Thus, in this embodiment, at least on one side of the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range, by means of a simple structure in which the protrusion 16G provided on the valve core 16 abuts against the stoppers 44 and 46, it is possible to suppress the cost increase and calibrate the valve core rotation range in the rotation drive unit 18 as compared to the case where an absolute angle sensor is used for calibration.

[Other embodiments]

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above contents, and can be implemented with various modifications other than the above within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

It is self-evident that the number and arrangement of the inlet and outlet formed in the valve body 14 can be appropriately changed according to the applicable position of the flow path switching valve 10, etc. In the above embodiment, although a four-way valve is used as an example of the flow path switching valve 10, it is self-evident that it can also be, for example, a two-way valve or a three-way valve. As a three-way valve, for example, a structure in which the inlet and outlet 29 (port 29A) on the lower side is omitted can be considered.

In addition, although the flow path switching valve 10 of the above-mentioned embodiment is used for flow path switching in the engine room of a vehicle, etc. (engine cooling circuit, electronic equipment cooling circuit, etc.), its use is not limited to this, and it can also be used for flow path switching of hot water supply equipment, for example, which is self-evident.

Although the valve core 16 is provided with a protrusion 16G that contacts the stoppers 44 and 46, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any structure is sufficient as long as the valve core 16 can be restricted from further rotation at least one of the upper limit and the lower limit of the valve core rotation range by the stoppers 44 and 46. In addition, although the stoppers 44 and 46 are provided on the inner side of the valve chamber 12, the stoppers 44 and 46 may also be provided on the outer side of the valve chamber 12. In this case, the protrusion 16G of the valve core 16 is also provided on the outer side of the valve chamber 12.

The entirety of the invention of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-36647 filed on March 9, 2022 is incorporated into this specification by reference.

All documents, patent applications, and technical specifications described in this specification are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, or technical specification was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims (4)

1. A flow path switching valve is provided with:

A valve body having a valve chamber formed therein and having an inlet and an outlet for fluid formed in a wall surface forming the valve chamber;

A valve body rotatably disposed in the valve chamber, the valve body having a flow path formed therein, the flow path having a plurality of openings in an outer peripheral surface thereof facing the wall surface;

A sealing portion that is provided so as to surround the periphery of the opening of the valve body, and seals between the inlet and the outlet and the valve body in a state in which the opening is opposed to the inlet and the outlet; and

A rotation driving unit that rotates the valve body via a valve shaft so that a flow state of the plurality of ports is selectively switched by the flow path of the valve body, and that is capable of detecting an angular position of the valve body,

The flow path switching valve has a mode in which the plurality of openings of the valve body are simultaneously sealed by the wall surface to stop the flow of the fluid in the flow path.

2. The flow path switching valve according to claim 1, wherein,

A stopper that restricts further rotation of the valve body at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit of a valve body rotation range is provided to the valve body.

3. The flow path switching valve according to claim 2, wherein,

The valve body is provided with a protruding portion protruding radially outward of the valve body, and the protruding portion abuts against the stopper at least at one of an upper limit and a lower limit of the valve body rotation range.

4. The flow path switching valve according to claim 2 or 3, wherein,

The stopper is provided at both the upper limit and the lower limit of the spool rotation range.